A visit to Grandma's...

I just got home from a glorious visit with my grandmother and aunt. A friend of mine went with me, which made it the four of us girls just sitting, talking, and EATING. We laughed and laughed all evening and all of us told stories.

Then, this morning, after my aunt fixed us her speciality breakfast...chocolate chip whole wheat pancakes and bacon, I took my friend on a "tour" of my hometown. We passed the Dairy Queen and the store which used to be Gino's where my best friend and I would spend our allowances on blizzards and mini pizzas. Then, we passed my middle school, the skating rink, a few houses where my friends used to live, the cemetary where I drove a car for the first time (which was a disaster by the way), and a few other memorable places. I hadn't really thought about my home town in the way that I did this weekend, or at least I hadn't thought of it that way for a long time. I had never been so proud to be from a little town with a big heart. I had forgotten how sweet the people are....but I had never forgotten my wonderful aunt and grandmother.

I always look forward to going to my grandmother's, but I sometimes dread going back to my home town. It's not that I am ashamed of my past or the town, it is just that I used to think that many small town people were small (or closed) minded. I am beginning to realize that there are always those individuals wherever you go. That should not be a reason to not enjoy my visits back home. Besides, I am a girl from a small town, but I am not closed minded. So, I guess I was guilty of doing something that I criticize others for...stereotyping or generalizing a population.

Sometimes I forget how beautiful and peaceful it is in Ansted. I have to admit, I have taken the beauty for granted. Especially, when fall comes and the leaves turn, I love to drive over Gauley Mountain and look at the wonderful views. On my way up the mountain yesterday, I thought that this time, I wouldn't take it for granted. I stopped along the road in a few places to document the beauty with a camera...Cathedral Falls, Glen Ferris Falls, and a few others along the Gauley River.

So, after my friend left to go home, I spent a few more hours with my aunt and grandmother.

During this weekend, I got a few stories from Mamaw and my aunt that I would like to share over the next few days. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

I learned more than I expected this weekend. I learned how to enjoy and love my hometown again!