Good day everyone – do you have secret memories of your grandma?
Her name was Nora and by the time I came along – she was a widow –
Grandpa David Aiken was a big man – I am told 6′ 3″ and a farmer through and through.
That is where I get my middle name and grandma was living with us at the time I was born.
She is what I remember the most from my early childhood and she was a dedicated, TEA DRINKER!
My grandma and my mother taught me this.
But she had “SECRET TREATS” for me – depression-era treats!
The first was a bowl of broken up saltine crackers –
and straight from the farm MILK,
sprinkle on a little sugar and you had “CRACKERS AND MILK”!
I thought that was the best thing!
Grandma and my mother were the reason I was raised Catholic.
The second “LITTLE SECRET” was what she called “COFFEE SOUP”!
Now keep in mind – these were family meals during the Great Depression
when she raised ELEVEN kids on the farm.
She would take a think slice of homemade white bread – warm!
Put it on a plate and poured black coffee over it
add a little farm milk and some sugar and a side of thick bacon or ham!
Today – every time I have my morning coffee I think back to those times of growing up and I see in my mind the picture and the smells of COFFEE SOUP! One of my favorite “SECRET MEMORIES”!
I have not ever had either one of these since childhood again.
But the memory remains with me to this day – it was a “SPECIAL TREAT”
from my grandma “NORA” a kind and gentle lady – who for the first four years of my life raised me.
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GRANDMA gave me the “LITTLE SECRET MEMORIES” OF GROWING UP WITH HER!
From that little one to an adult and a junior in college. Maddy was the first and now there are six.
TAYLOR and Papa.
Cassidy – TAYLOR – Bode
TAYLOR – today – who is going to be taller than all the rest – no longer my LITTLE ONE!
ELLA ( tiny) and Maddy
ELLA ( tiny) now a Freshman at Randolph College
We called her the nickname from her father – she always had a soccer ball or basketball in her hands.
Today – she is the starting midfielder for the college – playing almost every minute of the games.
Tiny now is taller than Sherry who is 5′ 9″.
CASSIDY and Taylor
CASSIDY – the caring little mother to Bode.
Today she is the smaller of the twins – with the biggest heart – always protecting Bode when not arguing with him! LOL, They should have been the twins they are so much alike!
She is the one who counts the days down to when she can see us – who zoom calls every week.
A little fireball with the biggest heart of them all.
SARAH and Ella
SARAH – Bode – Cassidy – Taylor and Ella.
Today – Sarah is almost as tall as Ella who is 5’10” – the fashion girl who wants to go to NYC!
The twins adore her and whenever we get together – they are three peas in a pod.
She is only a Freshman in H.S. – already was a contender for prom queen.
She is her own self – funny – outgoing – and just might have been a very good soccer player like her sisters.
Cassidy BODE Taylor
Taylor BODE Cassidy
So much like Cassidy that they should have been the twins – yet – he is growing –
and someday I think will be taller than Taylor who he is built just like at seven years old.
Full of energy – always on the go – wear no socks or shoes most of the time.
Or a jacket or gloves!
Out of the six grandchildren – the only boy.
Bode Ella Cassidy Taylor Maddy and Sarah
Here today at Christmas day for presents – memories from the past to the present.
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Our sweet little Ella – “TINY” as her father calls her.
And now today all grown up – nearly as tall as her grandma Sherry – off to college in the fall and part of the soccer team – in Lynchburg Va. for Randolph College.
349 students in her senior class
The procession about to begin – and they came and came – a never ending line.
The honor guard – James Wood – H.S. founded Winchester in the 1700’s named after a officer in the Continental Army.
Honor roll – athlete – recognition – artist – will become a Phys Ed teacher just like her father.
Ella – about to hug her grandma Sherry!
Sisters – Maddy to the left – Sarah to the right.
Parents – Debby and Mike
Family – MYERS
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Sherry – grandma – grand daughters – daughter – mother – CERTIFIED HEALTH COACH as is Debby – Health – lifestyle
We made the trip back to NVA to see Ella play soccer for her senior recognition night and picked up the three little ones so they could cheer her on! Taylor – Cassidy and Bode.
Ella will continue on in college playing soccer for Randolph College in Lynchburg Va.
She lost two years with injuries to her feet breaking a bone in each one.
But – she was determined and it paid off.
Her team is now 8 – 0 – 2 and headed to states.
They have five players continuing onto the college level!
Ella number nine – entering the field to play final game of regular season at James Wood H.S. Winchester Va.
Olivia holding the picture of Ella as a little one – have gown up together as neighbors and best friends.
Proud parents – Mike and Debby
Being escorted by her parents and honored on the field.
All family – friends and neighbors who came out to support Ella and her being honored pregame.The only boy in the grandchildren with Ella’s Sister Maddy – they will compete against each other in college soccer!
They ended up in a double overtime tie for the game – 0 to 0!
They moved onto the districts –
But we were able to come home and watch four games.
Papa – Ella – Sherry proud grandparents – TINY as we called her – has grown up!
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Once it was in the mid to high ’70’s and full sun –
Into the water they went!
Notice how protective Cassidy is of her little brother!
They fight and argue – but no one touches him according to her!
These two should have been the twins
they act and sound just alike.
She is so kind – loving and thoughtful.
Cassidy and Bode – two peas in a pod!
Taylor – or “TATTER TOT” as her cousin Ella calls her!
She on the other hand loves her alone time away from the other two! LOL!
She rides horses – and whenever around her MorMor – holds her hand.
She is the serious – studious one who quotes facts!
“AS AMATTER OF FACT” she says and then goes on to tell you!
BODE – after FIVE GRAND DAUGHTERS – he is the only boy and all boy!
Only six years old – and will be tall like Taylor!
Bode – cars – trucks – bikes – playing Army – running – riding – scraps – bruises – scabs – star wars – monsters – independent – never wearing shoes or socks and shirtless in the cold!
It was a very warm day in the sun – water to me was very cold – but they loved it!
Taylor is goin to be really tall like her MorMor – I think close to six foot!
They played and played in the water – coming out to run up and tell us something and then back they went!
For us – it was sit and take it all in – the sun was warm which is what I like!
Cassidy – small but a spitfire! Always calling her MorMor as does Bode! Love you Papa she says!
Yes – the sun was warm – the sand was also – yet the water was cold – but to them – it was their day at the beach!
There is a place near the ICW – where there are hundreds of shells hanging from trees – each one is someones WISH!
We brought them – Debby – Sarah and Ella to Vareen’s Memorial Garden
Just as we did with their cousins – and here is a special place
to not wish upon a star – but a SEASHELL and the hang it form one of the Cypress Trees!
Sarah Sherry Ella Debby at the make a wish site.
Sarah’s hanging wishes for all her school friends!
The first make a wish tree – now there are many more!
Many people pass through here each day –
I watched two older women stop and do the same thing –
find a shell – write on it and then hang it from a tree!
Busy writing their names and making their wishes!
Debby’s shell – no matter how old you are – make a wish to come true!
Taylor’s shell in front of Ella’s shell – cousins!
It was a warm day – low tide so lots of shells to look at!
Sarah going to the ICW to look for shells.
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Sherry and Papa
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Sherry Sarah Ella Debby
FAMILY MEETS FRIENDS!
Wishing tree along the ICW!
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SHERRY SSC for The Juice Plus Company Debby QMND for The Juice Plus Company – Mother and daughter teaming up to bring health and nutrition to families all across the U.S.A.
They play sports – the two oldest – soccer – and one is in college playing
and the second – next fall will do the same.
The youngest is into dance – loves the arts – and wants to go to NYC!
When they were little – Sarah – Maddy – Ella with their father and mother.
All three love their Grandma – laughing with her and at her!
She loves to take them shopping – getting nails done and ear piercings! Here – Sherry – Sarah – 14 years old – Maddy – 20 years old – Ella – 17 years old – Sherry is 5′ 9″ tall – they all are tall!
We took Sarah and Ella for a week to the beach last summer –
We took Maddy to swim with the Manatee’s for her 16th. birthday
We took Ella to Disney Star wars for her 16th. birthday
And now when Sarah reaches 16 – she wants to go to NYC and Broadway!
I will sit that one out – her mother can take my place!
Maddy has made the leap to college – now in her Sophomore year
as a Freshman she played in 13 games at the University of Lynchburg – Va.
And has maintained a GPA – over a 3.85!
She just played this past weekend – having one assist –
one barely missed assist and one barely missed shot on goal.
They won 2 to 0!
Mike Debby Ella
Ella will finish her H.S. soccer this Spring –
She had two colleges to pick from and choose Randolpf College in Lynchburg Va.
Just across town from her sister and they will compete against one another!
Maddy Ella Sherry Sarah
Sarah is all about fashion – no interest in soccer at all!
Although when little – she played as well as her older sisters!
She loves to dance in competitions when younger and shows.
Her goal is one day to create fashions and design – produce movies – acting!
All three are like this – beautiful on the inside – smiling on the outside – living life to the good.
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ELLA MADDY SARAH
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Often times you look on the other side of the fence – and then there comes a time you get a chance to walk at a place that would look the same 300 years ago! Here is that place at the far end of Cherry Grove – S.C. where no houses are built – no piers or docks – just sand – ocean and trees and shrubs – a deserted beach!
This I think is what the coast line looked like long before the settlers came here. No buildings – just raw nature – surf – and sand!
First – you have to find the path through the trees and shrubs to get to the beach!
Finding a very large tree washed upon shore – perhaps 60 feet long!Sherry Tammy Cassidy Bode Taylor
Walking along the surf – no one in sight – imagining that this is how nature looked centuries ago!
And then we turn around and in the distance the pier – broken from the last major storm! Mother and daughters – solitude – listening to the surf – and time to turn around – head back to the houses.
In the background – the end of the buildings – the broken pier and a deserted beach – and looking ahead into nature what it looked like all those years ago. Tammy – Cassidy – Sherry (MorMor) Bode Taylor
This is a place where the past meets the future –
and we had the pleasure to bring the family
to see – hear and experience it!
Walking back to the future – Bode and MorMor!
Walking to the past from the future!
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MORMOR – Swedish for MOTHERS-MOTHER – that has become her name for the three little ones!
Sherry has introduced crafts to all the grand kids –
and to this day – the three older ones still do crafts!
Taylor Bode Cassidy 10 6 10 years old.
All you have to do is say craft and the go right to the table – no fuss!
Busy once again – crafting – she teaches them and now Cassidy helps the other two. She is the one who texts – calls or zooms her MORMOR every day!
Cassidy – who can do any craft by herself – and often sets by herself with her IPAD – listening to instructions and creates pictures and drawings that are much larger than what she sees on the IPAD – drawing freestyle!
The older ones have that same talent – Ella has won awards for her creations.
Taylor – whom loves her alone time – building farms – houses – horses out of LEGO’S!
Bode -the one who is hard to slow down – always on the move – loves his craft time with MORMOR!
She teaches them – one at a time – not only crafts – but life itself!
Here they are after creating their make a shell wish – and MorMor helping to hang those wishes!
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Our young grandson – five granddaughters and then Bode!
From the very moment they pulled in – he asked that question –
PAPA – CAN WE GO ON YOUR HIKE?
To him – a hike is like back home – rocks – hills forest – streams!
I tried to explain to him it is different here –
But PAPA – That is not a hike – we have to go to the mountains!
Bode – entering the forest for our hike – along the ICW and the marsh land – no gators – at least we saw none!
“FOLLOW ME GUYS”!
He is a leader – and always out in front!
This is him to a tee – always staying ahead of the game – his own mind.
We walked a good mile and one half through the woods –
although he was out in front of me or alongside of me –
he never sought to run off –
staying close to me!
There were many intersections going in different directions – which way do we go PAPA he would ask – I had a map so I could tell him – he always listened to what I would say!
The twins – Taylor and Cassidy stayed close to their MORMOR ( Sherry)
We spent the better part of a hour walking the marsh and the woods
I want to come back here in the Summer so we can see more wild life!
Cassidy MORMOR Taylor Tammy Bode
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The day we went on our hike –
Bode now understands a hike can be different
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At the end of the hike – snacks and a swing – life is good and feeling blessed!
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The first thing they wanted to do was walk the beach!
Now – wouldn’t you know it that it got cold and windy the day they arrived!
It was so warm the day before people were sitting on the beach and wading in the water!
So we pressed on and walked down and onto the beach.
The wind was the culprit – making it very cold.
Even Bode has enough even though he had no shoes on!
Cassidy Taylor Bode after he put his shoes back on!
We walked to the next beach entrance and exited!
MorMor Bode Cassidy Taylor Tammy
It was a very short walk – but they got to see just how close we are!
Tammy said the kids were great – she had told them she would not stop and she didn’t making the seven hour drive in a little over six hours and they never complained!
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And that night after the kids went to bed – we relaxed and watched a playoff game
We are all from Western New York
and were huge fans when Buffalo Bills made their four straight Super Bowls!
One of my favorite beers from back in Western New York!
I love this picture – I told Sherry we need to get it blown up and framed!
And – it all happened in a space of two or thee minutes!
Maddy took her phone – while we all just sort of found a place –
put it up and braced it on a tree limb –
set the timer for 6 seconds and “BOOM”
there it was!
We went back to the new trail – but this time – the whole family went!
This family hikes all the time – that is their form of family time together!
Mike will take the older two – Maddy and Ella – overnight hiking!
He would take Sarah – but she is into more like N.Y.City hiking!
Sarah – but she is the adventure type – always climbing – swinging from vines – exploring woods and meadows.
She is the one I think really likes it but has aspirations of one day dancing – acting – fashion –
But once you do get her out there – no boundry is off limits – being the free spirit she is!
Ella – come on – follow me!
Ella is 5 ‘ 8 1/2 ” Sarah who just turned 14 – I think will be taller – both taking after their grand mother Sherry – who is 5’ 9″
We made it a family day hiking – where Debby – Sherry and I had gone the day before!
A new trail within the city limits of Winchester Va.
When it is completed – with all the side trails and loops
you pretty much can get a easy five miles in!
YEP! there are also pastures and cows!Walking the trail – Ella Maddy Sarah Mike Papa the trail is made of crushed limestone the whole way! Easy to walk on and not trip!
This day was somewhat cool but warm in the Sun!
And we made a day of it as long as we could.
Many volunteers keep this project going
helping to clear out brush
and maintaining the cut area’s!
There is a farm silo – which you can walk into – and look up and see this. A hand crank on the wall – makes these turn in opposite directions – providing the look of birds soaring in the clouds!A old farm tractor just sitting there offering a photo opportunity!Thank you for reading Papa’s World – where friends like you meet our family!Sarah on one of the many standing sculptures along the path!Daughter and Mother – living life to the plus – one day at a time!
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Papa (Tom) & MorMor ( Sherry) Swede for Mothers Mother
And it sits on what I think is still the Rappahannock River
or one of the many inland bays of the Chesapeake Bay.
My son in law had eaten here before.
But – where ever it is – I want to go back
As I had the best AHI TUNA I have ever eaten!
AHI TUNA
It must of been the seasoning – and it was done just right!
We had gone off the resort of The Tides –
because the day we arrived – their dining room was closed.
And Marcus and Tammy had been here before.
Not many people at all – we almost had the whole outside to ourselves!
And you could not sit inside.
SHRIMP & LOBSTER ROLL!
The little ones all had the shrimp and lobster roll along with Sherry.
She said it was very good!
Tammy and Marcus had the oysters as a appetizer
Now – I have never had a feeling to eat oysters
and I think that goes way back to my father
every Friday night – he had oyster soup!
And it just did not look good to me!
Bode almost made it
Bode wanted to try one –
but at the last moment gave it up to Taylor
and she ate it and gave it a THUMBS UP!
The view from our table
I think there were three other people there
but they also were doing a good take out business.
You could walk over and look into the kitchen from three sides.
And two ladies were busy cooking in there!
I recommend this place!
Sherry taking the three little ones to look into the bay where they saw a dolphin up close!On the other side was a marina with tons of docked boatsBode Taylor Cassidy
I would imagine this being a very busy place
if it were not for the pandemic
Marcus and Tammy said when they were there last year
it was packed.
I hope it stays – I most likely will never get back there
I 