Category Archives: Family

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Whippoorwill time!

. Family . , , ,

April 19, 2011

For you sleep lovers out there this is going to sound weird…I was so excited when I heard my first whippoorwill of the season EARLY Monday morning around 3:oo A. M. I had to check on Ammon who evidently had a bad dream, and as I returned to bed, I heard the whippoorwill.  I crept to our back door closest to the mountain, propped myself up against the door, and listened sleepily to the bird’s call. Why was I excited? Well, for several reasons. First of all, I love nature.  My great-great-great grandfather was ½ Cherokee (some say ¾) Indian. I know him simply as Grandpa Edwards (Pap Eddards they use to say). I believe I speak for quite a few of us when I say that there’s a sort of genetic encoding where nature beckons to us when we have Cherokee blood. Secondly, my father (Oliver Haven Caylor) who lived from 1939 to 1982 and was a part of my Cherokee ancestry always said that the “warm spring” was officially here with the first call of the whippoorwill. Lastly, I love the whippoorwill call itself. As I listened early Monday morning, I had warm memories of Daddy, enjoyed the whippoorwill’s call, smiled, and returned to bed where a delicious “return to slumber” awaited.

I would be honored if you would read more ABOUT
me and my family.

If you have a penchant for European Destinations, check out some of my other entries.
Give me a Google “Haven Caylor” for some of my other works and enjoy a few links as well.

Dollywood (Country Music Singer’s Theme Park) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Marriage Equality in Tennessee

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In the ATL (And Rich’s Department Store)

. Atlanta, Family, Nanny & the Alexanders . , , , , , , ,

I along with probably millions of people who have lived in or frequented Atlanta for the past 40 or 50 years all remember Rich’s Department Store. Someone who is my mother’s age remembers it even better. Every time we go shopping in Atlanta, I think of Rich’s. I can’t help it! The family and I were just in Atlanta this past Friday and Saturday morning, and we went shopping at Lenox Square. If for some reason you are not too familiar with Atlanta and the Buckhead area, but like to go to Lenox Square Mall, the Lenox Rich’s was at the Peachtree Street side of the building. Macy’s took at big chunk of it on that end.  I really miss it, and get nostalgic every time we go.

Rich’s was started in 1867 in downtown Atlanta, and by 1906, it was in a large building between Martin Luther King and Whitehall Streets. My Nanny Caylor grew up in Atlanta from 1918 until 1936. She, her mother, and two sisters use to go shopping at Rich’s. When my Nanny was a child, Rich’s had a “pulley system” that ran above the customers heads with containers.  Evidently, the customers placed a ticket that coincided with the merchandise with their money, and then they sent the container to a cashier. The cashier then sent the receipt and the change back to the customer.( Now, if any of you can explain better, please do. It’s been about 30 years since my Nanny last told me the story).

My Nanny’s mother (Sarah Maro Cox Aleander… Sadie Alexander) was also a genius at sewing.  My Nanny rarely had store-bought clothes, but she had excellent home-made clothing. If my Nanny Caylor saw a dress she really liked at Rich’s, my Nanny Alexander would say, “Okay, let me study it for a few minutes.” She would then analyze it, store it in her memory then make my grandmother a dress like it. Cool, huh?

I only got to go the main Rich’s building one time around 1986, and I really enjoyed it. It closed not too long after that. Not just for nostalgia sake, I always enjoyed shopping at the Rich’s department stores that were in the Atlanta malls until the early 2000s. They had great, quality, men’s clothing (especially their ties), and always had good sales. Oh, me, thanks for the shopping memories, Rich’s!

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Move over Michael Phelps….

. Family . ,

Move over Michael Phelps and Rebecca Soni, here come Carter and Ammon swimming up behind you! It’s the London 2012 Summer Olympics or bust, and my children might take your place on the United States swim team! Nah, just kiddin’! They’re just 2 and a half.

I’ve been so proud to watch Ammon and Carter swim around and make it to the edge of the pool during their lessons. It has been two weeks, and thanks to Mr. Will, their instructor, things are going fine. The school isn’t certifying for lifeguard training, but I am taking comparable lessons, so as to be able to save my family if the necessity arises (let’s hope not!!!!).

Enjoy your Friday, everyone!

Carter and Mr. Will

 

Ammon and Mr. Will

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Headed to Mamaw’s

. Family . , ,

Because of major time needed to pack/throw things away, Carter and Ammon are headed to my mother’s house for the day. They LOVE going to Mamaw’s house. Carter especially will ask several times a week while we are playing,  “We go Mamaw’s house?”. I kinda feel the same way. The house is where I grew up in Varnell, Georgia. This June will make Mamaw’s 40th year living there. I could write and write about Mamaw, but all I am going to say today is that she is one of my heroes in life: wonderful wife, devoted daughter to her parents, awesome mother, spectacular grandmother to her four grandchildren and one great-grandchild, breast cancer survivor, and so much more. Mamaw, we love you!

Mamaw, Ammon, Carter, & Sophie July 2010

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Look down!

. Family . ,

One more Nanny Caylor story for the week:

My Nanny’s ancestors (The Hartsfields) settled her house and land in 1867 in Varnell, Georgia. As I was growing up, her yard had a plethora of different species of daffodils (including eggs and butter) and bearded irises that she had collected from all over the Southeast, and so much more! She had a special, plain, red rose from a clipping off her Aunt Dolly’s grave in Sugar Valley,  Georgia. There were herbs such as ruby and emerald basil and yucca that had been sent to her house from Oklahoma/Texas from before the turn of the 2oth century. There were also wild violets by the hundreds. When I saw this violet on Monday, it made me think of my Nanny. Take time to look down today and see some of God’s beauty that we often neglect and walk right over.

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“Pretty is as Pretty Does” (Nanny Alexander)

. Family . , ,

 On Sunday after church, a friend tracked me down in the foyer and said, “I just want you know that you have the most beautiful daughter. My son and I see her and always say to each other, ‘There goes the little princess.’ I was very gracious, and I finally said, “I really appreciate the compliment.”

First of all, I am very thankful to God that I have two beautiful children. I am told quite often not only from family members and friends but from total strangers all over the world how beautiful they are. However, I love this philosophy from life from my great-grandmother. Her name was Sarah Maro Cox Alexander, and she was born and raised in Varnell, Georgia. She lived from 1886 until 1945. She lived through two world wars and the Great Depression. She also raised three lovely daughters one being my Nanny Caylor. Whenever someone complimented the beauty of her daughters she quickly stated, “Pretty is as pretty does.” Since I have my Carter, I have to include, “Handsome is as handsome does.” I don’t care if my children win beauty contests or become international super models. If they do not have a beautiful inner being, then they are not beautiful on the outside. However, they are off to a good start being beautiful inside and out.