A Visit to the old Homeplace

We were invited to visit with my Aunt Iris and Uncle Ray on our way back from Jekyll Island. Uncle Ray is my Daddy's brother and he and his wife, my Aunt Iris, live in Statesboro - the Durden ancestral home, so to speak. My Grandparents Durden lived in downtown Statesboro in a house my Granddaddy built, but they also had a "creek house" on the outskirts of town. The Creekhouse was a mainstay of my childhood years as we celebrated holidays there with extended family. These are some of my most cherished and precious childhood memories. When my Grandmother passed away, Uncle Ray and Aunt Iris chose to relocate their family to the Creekhouse. They added on to and modified it in order to accommodate their family, but it still retains its original charm. The grounds are nearly identical to what I remember and, oddly, it still seems big and wide open... usually things from childhood seem much smaller than your memories, but the scale of the Creekhouse is just as I remember. We enjoyed our visit! We had a delicious lunch of Vandy's Barbecue (the South Georgia version of Fresh Air for you aficionados - and every bit as good), relaxed, Caroline swam, and we rode Uncle Ray's truck down to the creek so I could reminisce. It was a great visit and good to see family!

"If you look deeply into the palm of your hand,
you will see your parents and all the generations of your ancestors.
All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body.
You are the continuation of each of these people."
~Thich Nhat Hanh