Come Rain or Come Shine

Come Rain or Come Shine by Jan Karon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jan Karon is the Queen of 'feel good' stories. She has a way with words that make you smile, laugh, and cry all in the right places. I love the Mitford stories. Finally, glad to see Lace and Dooley come together and to catch up on all of the supporting characters in this saga. You will love it! Recommend!

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Thinking of my Father today*...

He took me everywhere
with him before I had
to go to school!
I loved it! Can you tell
by the smile?

...on this Father's Day*
He was Daddy until I thought it wasn't cool. Then, he became Dad! 
He'll always be my Daddy!

Dad on Jasper's knee with Lucy
and his older sister, Edna,
who died of a fever not long after.

He was born, William Idus  to Lucy and Jasper Grant in Dover, Arkansas, USA, on December 29, 1907.  He left us almost 24 years ago on June 19, 1991.  

On the farm...yes, I lived on a dairy farm and
got to ride on the baler while 'Daddy'
was baling hay. It was baled and wire-wrapped.

I think of him often and hear his voice in my mind...

Daddy, me, and Hank, my best
friend's little brother (read 'pest':)
on Red.

"Lynne, that's a lazy man's load"...on carrying too much at a time instead of carrying a small load and going back for another small load.  Still guilty!  I think of it as weight training:)  

Dad was a real Razorback fan.  He is holding
a football signed by the players and Coach Broyles
after they won the
1964 Southwest Conference Championship

"Lynne, if you ever make a 'D' at the UofA (Arkansas, Fayetteville), you will be coming home."  Well Dad, I never made a D, but never made much over a 'C'.  Yea, I didn't have to go home!

"Lynne, you never need to tell anyone that you have a college degree."  Just be yourself and they will know that you do. Note: a college degree for me was very important to him. He went to the UofA and his name is on the walk in 1933 and mine in 1962.

We came to understand each other!

"Lynne, you and your Mother have conflicts because you are so much alike.  Please give her some slack." (I don't think 'slack' was in his vocabulary. But, I did for the rest of her life:)


He never said he loved me, but I know he did.  I love you, too, Dad!



On this Father's Day-
Your loving daughter and only child,
 Lynne

Photo Gallery:

At 20

At 26

He was proud to be a Mason
and a Shriner

At his Father's funeral ca. 1953
Although we were not a close
family, he always loved it
when he could get with any of his family...'
4 brothers and 3 sisters
L to R Neil, James Earl, Norman, O.E., 
Dad was the oldest...

Rest in Peace
Dad and Mom are at rest in the Garden of Eden
Crestview Cemetery
Hot Springs Arkansas

*Posted every year on Father's Day

Oh Maryland, My Maryland No. 21 of 50 *

As close as I could get
to Nora Roberts.
She wasn't in the day
we stopped at Turn the Page.

Maryland is one of the States that I have been in and through.  I have been in once and through once.  The first time I stayed in College Park during the Bicentennial Celebration, 1976.  I took the Bicentennial Bus into Washington, D. C. and toured all of the Celebration venues.  I had been to Washington one other time so I am not sure where I went and what I saw.  What I do remember is the bus ride back to College Park.  Unfortunately I stayed long enough to miss the Bicentennial bus so had to take the local just as people were getting off work.  It was crowded and we stopped at every stop and let people off.  I think I last off. It took more that two hours to get to my destination-not a good memory to end a wonderful day.

The second time I went through Maryland on the way to Maine in 2014. We stopped at Boonsboro, home of 'Turn the Page Bookstore', Nora Roberts bookstore.  

Bummer, she wasn't there, but I did the next best thing.  I had my picture taken beside a life-size replica.  They had it set up for the picture.  I guess I wasn't the only one that missed Nora.

We wondered around town and checked out the Inn BoonsBoro.  It was featured in her 'The Inn Boonsboro Trilogy'.  Visitors were not permitted-only guests.  I left a little disappointed, but glad I stopped. Nora Roberts is one of my favorite authors so passing by Boonsboro was not an option.

*For my "new to my blog" friends...on May 17, 2010, I visited Wisconsin.

I can now say that I have been in, to or through all 50 United States.

I am committed to make an Artist Trading Card "ATC" for each of

the 50 States.