Named "Kiwanian of the Year"

Today the Kiwanis Club of Elba President Brandi Dean awarded me with a tab for my membership pin, "Kiwanian of the Year". Also presented me with a certificate of appreciation.

I am a charter member of the Elba club and secretary from the beginning in March 2004.

Our big project has been building the new Elba playground.

The Kiwanis Lt Gov for our area came from Dothan and installed our club officers. I am serving as Secretary again for the 4th year. It is not an elected office and you serve at the request of the President. Nobody wants me to give up the Secretary's job.

Our 54th Wedding Anniversary is today

Today we celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary. It was rather low key 
since I  told Jim I wanted to spend the day shopping in Dothan (alone) to buy some new clothes. He was happy I didn't ask him to go with me. He gave me a beautiful anniversary card when I got home around 4:30 PM this afternoon. I left home at 7:30 A.M. and was gone all day. I bought some new fall clothes for our trip to Texas on Oct. 17th. Our son Ronnie called from Austin tonight to wish us happy anniversary, as did my sister Alice.


The photos posted here are from our 50th Golden Anniversary at Ocean Isle, NC where many of our family gathered at the beach for a celebration. Our family rented a large condo for several of us to stay and to have the party. Bill ordered a big sign to put up on the balcony.


Alice ordered a wedding cake and a week or so before the event when she made the trip down to Ocean Isle to check on things. She had called to Food Lion in advance- and when she went by to place the order ahead of time - that was when she found out that they couldn't do the small cake- She went to Wal-Mart and several other places around there- then found the bakery on U.S 17 down toward Myrtle Beach area- an ice cream and cookie shop- which had formerly made wedding cakes- She told the owner about her plight and she agreed to make the small cake- So it was a relief that it was settled before the big weekend -- She was nice to lend Alice her cake stand and columns- which we used and returned the next day. She was such a nice lady to do this on such short notice, and the cake was delicious

Our 5 granddaughters had fun visiting with each other and helping with the party. The two on the right , Allison (Ally) and Elizabeth (Lizzy) live in Austin, TX. The other three, Nerissa, Katie and Caroline, live in Florence, SC. Nerissa, Ally and Lizzy are all in college now; Katie is a Jr in high school, and Caroline is in 6th grade. They are growing up too fast!

Spirit of Elba Award

This award was really a surprise for me. Usually just one of us goes to the annual Chamber of Commerce banquet and this year it was Jim's turn, and I would stay at home with James. Besides I had already bought a ticket to go to a dinner/play that Sat. night by myself. So when he asked me to go with him, I gave him several reasons why I didn't want to go. He kept asking me to please go with him, and so I said ok, and I'd get my cousin JoAnn and her husband to come stay with James. Jim knew about the award but didn't want to tell me.

We had been to a luncheon that day and had a big meal and were there about 2 hours. I was tired when I got home. I really didn't want to go to the Chamber dinner that night. But I got dressed and went along, even wearing high heel shoes and a formal dress (thanks to my sister Alice for giving me this dress a couple of years ago).

We arrived at the banquet at the appointed time, 7 P.M., and found some friends to sit with. We looked over the room and saw that most of the people there were much younger that we are. The Chamber is made up of working people not yet retired. It was refreshing to be in a young crowd for a change. Two businesses were honored; one for their 60th anniversary and another for their 50th anniversary. Then a couple of other business awards were presented, and then the Chamber Director asked me to please come to the podium for an award. I had no idea they were going to do this. I was presented the "Spirit of Elba" award which they don't present every year. They recalled some of the things I do for the city to make it a better place to live, etc.

I was very proud of this honor. Especially because it was given to me by a group of people that I know very well. Of course I didn't compete for this honor but was honored for doing things I enjoy doing and trying to improve our community. It was truly a memorable experience. And I'm so glad Jim convinced me to go with him.

The cooking lesson

Granddaughter Katie Adelaide Gilmer, age 10 in 2001, learns to make cookies - from scratch. Katie is the middle of three girls and the one that loves to cook. When she comes to visit us from S. C. every summer, she wants me to teach her how to cook. Her favorite is making chocolate chip cookies (she likes to lick the bowl and nibble on the chocolate chips). Katie is now 16 and this summer she had a job working at "Wally World", an amusement park where she lives. I wasn't surprised when I heard that she was spending some time making pizzas there. Most of the time she sold tickets for the rides and attractions, etc. She still works there, but limited hours during school. Katie's mother died when she was only 5, so her Aunt Alice (my sister) who lives about 1 1/2 hrs away in Fayetteville helps her with cooking lessons also. Plus her dad is a good cook.

One Christmas when all 3 girls were visiting us at the farm, we made a large gingerbread house. The gingerbread was so good that we could hardly wait until Christmas Day to start eating the house. They had so much fun decorating it. We got the decorations off the internet and made a pattern for the gingerbread pieces. After baking, the pieces were larger than the pattern and the house was much larger than we anticipated.

Folsom House front yard garden wins Garden of the Month

The birthplace home of former Alabama Gov. "Big Jim" Folsom was moved to Elba in 2002 from out in the northwest corner of Coffee County. Vandals were destroying the home and in order to preserve it, Coffee Co. Commissioners agreed to get the home moved and then gave it to the City of Elba.

It is located on city property next to the old jail. Plans are to restore the old home for school children to visit and learn how people lived in the early 1900's.

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In the meantime, I have worked hard to plant a southern heirloom garden in the front yard.

A wrought iron fence was made from scraps from Dorsey Trailers and designed and welded by the welding class at Elba High School.

In October 2007 the Folsom House garden was selected as

Garden of the Month for Oct 07.

Grimes Family Reunion Today

The Grimes family reunion took place today at New Ebenezer Baptist Church pavilion.  Here are some people who attended.

Tim Donaldson and daughter and son Timothy come every year.

Eva Deal lives in Dothan now.  Caroline and Paul brought her to the reunion.

Al and Lucy Martin with Lucy's son Kevin.

Pat and Mae Grimes - Mae was from the Phillipines.

Bill Grimes and family
Jimmy & Helen Blankenship

Moving to the City of Elba

This is what the yard looked like before we moved in November 2003.
Nothing in the yard except bermuda grass. Back yard was rather plain.

Window boxes were added to the front while we waited for shrubbery to grow.

West side of yard with trees we planted in 2004.

We planted this autumn blaze maple for color.

James hobby house on east side of porch. That banana tree has to go. It's too big.









Lady Banks rose behind swing arbor. Joe Meacham rooted this for me when we moved to Elba.