As the fireworks boom and crackle around me in our new neighborhood tonight, I have a few parting shots myself from a day of family, friends and fun in our new home. These are the good ol’ days…trust me on that one.
Six-year-old Finn was the first to hit the pool –
and almost the last to leave it
Finn, Number One Son, Pretty Twos
Pretty’s Dad Walker and Finn’s Dad Dave
The only thing better than being on top of the water…
not now, Charly
he said whaaat about Mika?
let me just say one more thing, Walker
Pretty Twos had to leave early to go
to their mother’s festivities
Sis’s friend Tim from Asheville
Number One Son all grown up
the gospel according to Sheila Go
Finn’s mom and dad…awww…sweet
(Some of our best friends are straight people)
Sis in the sun
old woman Slow in the shade…
pawpaw, sometimes I think you’re the only one
with any sense
Brother-in- law Jim
Tiny yellow ball and paddles
grand pool entertainment
never mind the score – that smile is always the winner
I can’t be getting sleepy
barbecue, watermelon, a pool –
does it get any better than this
I asked Finn if he knew why we celebrated July 4th.
America made a nation that day, he said.
I couldn’t put it better myself.
All of us at Casita de Cardinal send our best wishes to all of our amigas and amigos in cyberspace for a festive Fourth and fabulous summer.
Stay tuned.
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About Sheila Morris
Sheila Morris is a personal historian, essayist with humorist tendencies, lesbian activist, truth seeker and speaker in the tradition of other female Texas storytellers including her paternal grandmother.
In December, 2017, the University of South Carolina Press published her collection of first-person accounts of a few of the people primarily responsible for the development of LGBTQ organizations in South Carolina. Southern Perspectives on the Queer Movement: Committed to Home will resonate with everyone interested in LGBTQ history in the South during the tumultuous times from the AIDS pandemic to marriage equality.
She has published five nonfiction books including two memoirs, an essay compilation and two collections of her favorite blogs from I'll Call It Like I See It. Her first book, Deep in the Heart: A Memoir of Love and Longing received a Golden Crown Literary Society Award in 2008. Her writings have been included in various anthologies - most recently the 2017 Saints and Sinners Literary Magazine. Her latest book, Four Ticket Ride, was released in January, 2019.
She is a displaced Texan living in South Carolina with her wife Teresa Williams and their dogs Spike, Charly and Carl. She is also Naynay to her two granddaughters Ella and Molly James who light up her life for real. Born in rural Grimes County, Texas in 1946 her Texas roots still run wide and deep.
I'll Call It Like I See It 
Great, great photos, Sheila. You made some serious memories today.
Finn made my day. I cheered! May he reminisce about his family barbeques at some distant future July 4 celebration!
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So glad you enjoyed the photos, Ann – thank you, thank you.
Finn’s mother is Dutch, and his dad is from Pennsylvania – they met in college, married, got Ph.D’s and now teach at the University of South Carolina. Pretty sold them their house when they moved here 9 years ago and we’ve been friends since then. Finn is wicked smart, and we adore him. They are about to leave for the Netherlands for a year for research, teaching, etc. so we will miss them! I hope Finn remembers his times with us, too.
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What a fabulous Fourth you had! The Mika caption with the photo of Pretty cracked me up. Maybe someone should consider throwing a certain someone’s Twitter machine into the deep end of a pool. 😉
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Sometimes I just can’t help myself and yes whatever device tweets those nasty tweets should be thrown into the deep end of a pool.
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