May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 NIV

Monday, October 12, 2015

Hanging Out With "The Relatives"

We just got back from a two week trip to South Carolina and Georgia.  Fortunately we stayed ahead of the floods, rain and wind of Hurricane Joaquin.  We were traveling north from Aiken, S.C. to Ashville, N.C.  We had rain but not torrents of it. 
Located in Williston Cemetery in Williston, S.C.
First off, was the obligatory stop at a cemetery to find a long lost relative.  This is one of my gggGrandfathers - Richard Hankinson -  on the Callaway side of the family.  The cemetery stone was in Barnwell, S.C. but it had been moved from an area that the government took over for a nuclear plant.  His wife's would have been there also but it was not readable or in good shape when the time came to move the stones.

While still in South Carolina (before the Biblical rains!) we also stopped at an historic plantation village called Historic Brattonsville.  It was a very pretty setting and gave lots of good historical information.
Very typical grand plantation house of the mid-19th century

I enjoyed talking with this women demonstrating weaving at Brattonsville

We went on to two nights in Asheville, N.C. where it did rain most of the day.  We managed to get up to the visitor center on the Blue Ridge Parkway and to the Folk Art Center.  We had been to Biltmore twice before so we didn't go there.  No pictures to share of this place.  Asheville is always one of my favorite places.

Back in Atlanta, we visited one afternoon with one of my second cousins once removed, Dwaan Callaway Black.  His mother and my father were first cousins.  He shared some family stories and we took pictures of some family memorabilia that he has.
These plates were a wedding gift to my Great Grandmother, Leslie whom I am named after

They were handed down to her son William R. and to his grandson, Dwaan

The bedroom set bought as a gift by Charles W. Hurst for his daughter, Leslie Jane and her husband, William R. Callaway

Under the marble top is the original shipping label

The bedside stand that goes with the set
The next day it was off to the hills of North Georgia to visit the Thurmonds.  Jodi was head of school of Seneca Academy in Maryland where I had worked for 9 years.  Thanks to our GPS, we went the "back roads way" and so we saw this as we drove along a gravel road.......
At this point, we thought we were lost but about a mile up the road we found the paved road we needed.
Jodi and Paul have a lovely house with an incredible view in Jasper, GA.  They treated us to a nice lunch and a drive throughout the area.  So fun to catch up with friends.
A little overcast but beautiful all the same

Jodi and me catching up on life, grandchildren and school happenings
And the final leg of the trip was to Pine Mountain, GA for the Callaway Family Association meeting.  They are celebrating 40 years as an organization.  About 115 people came over the course of the weekend.  We toured Hills and Dales and visited the Troup County archives and museum.  We ate lots of good food, attended interesting meetings and caught up with "the relatives.
So Cool!!!!!!

Fuller Earle Callaway Monument in LaGrange, GA

Callaway Monument close-up, modeled after the Campanile in Venice

Hills and Dales, the Fuller Callaway Estate in La Grange, GA