The "Crazy Cat" from Walgreens by
I remember in the earlier years of living in South Carolina, during a visit, she had to take us to Walgreens (this was before Walgreens had made its way to Greenville) to get this stuffed cat she had seen. You squeeze it's paw and it would calmly meow a few times, then start shaking and freaking out! It still remains on one of the beds at my parent's house. I know this because I recently used it to tease their cat Cooper!
Mama by
As I think back, I realize how much I am going to miss my bi-monthly walks and talks on the grounds of Cottage Landing with my mom. The last year has been tough, with her not really quite sure who I was, but it still has been enjoyable. When I least expected, she could really zing me, when I teased her or tried to pull a trick on her. I did take her fishing twice in her first year at Cottage Landing. She wasn't overly excited, and would remind me of this whenever I offered again, which was every time I saw her.
As a young kid, in the summer, I loved to fish. My dad had to work during the week, often involving travel. My mom would occasionally take me fishing for smallmouth bass and bluegill to Marrowbone Creek, 25 miles north of the house. My mom sat in a fold up chair in two feet of water and read while I waded the creek fishing. As often as she took me, I knew she wasn't all that thrilled doing it, so I was grateful. To my way of thinking, she probably passed this on to my wife, who will occasionally humor me by going out in a boat, holding a pole across her lap, pretending to fish while she reads. For these and so many other reasons, I will miss her.
Marcia's Memorial Service by
Dear WolfeKin Relatives and Affines:
On the weekend of July 11-12, Barbara and I drove up to Carrollton, GA, from our home in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida, to participate in the memorial service for Marcia Jean Davis Wolfe who died on July 3, after a long illness. We are so glad that we were able to join the almost fifty relatives, friends, caretakers, and neighbors who were on hand to celebrate Marcia’s life.
Marcia’s daughter Karen, along with her close friends and relatives, organized a very lovely service that included music that Marcia “loved and sang to her children” – which we now listened to and appreciated “with a different ear.”
Marcia’s daughter Karen, Marcia’s husband Marvin, her son Mark and his family, and Marcia’s brother Bob Davis and his wife formed one arc, and the rest of us completed the circle, much more as participants than audience.
Aurora English, a young woman introduced as the adopted daughter of Karen and Barbara Morton, read a lovely eulogy written by Marcia’s daughter Karen that included esoteric information that most of us had not known -- “on her father's side, she hales from William Phelps, who was baptized at Tewkesbury Abbey church, close to Stonehenge, in 1599” -- as well as more mundane bits that completed her life circle – “at age 77, she and Marvin relocated to Georgia where in the last years she regained an innocent, childlike mind and heart.”
Karen, an appreciative student of Native American ways, said a few words about her mother, and then passed the speaker’s baton to her father Marvin, who in his own inimitable way said something nice about every person around that large circle and then invited all of them to say what was in their hearts as the baton was passed counter clockwise from one speaker to another. It was wonderful that each person, from child of Marcia to fairly distant acquaintance, had something meaningful to say about how Marcia affected their lives.
When the speaking went full circle, Barbara Morton led a group singing a Native American song, the Horse Calling Song, traditionally meant to summon the horse to carry the loved one away.
Linda Jenkins led a group in singing several “Woman Honoring Songs” from the Native American tradition, honoring all mothers and those before them “even back to the first Grandmother.”
Finally, everyone enjoyed sharing food that had been brought by several friends, and we all took advantage of this time to renew acquaintances and make new friends. Barbara and I were especially pleased to talk with Marcia’s grandchildren, Ashley and Brett Wolfe, the children of Mark and Debbie.
I am sorry that so many of you “WolfeKins” missed this event, but I hope you appreciate that those of us who were there participated in a lovely service that we can remember with pleasure as we will also remember Marcia.
--Alvin Wolfe