Wherein PeePaw Becomes an Octogenarian

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Yesterday was dad's 80th birthday.
I doubt that Mackinley has any clue
How much 80 is,
But don't they look cute together anyway???

Sister Pam had a great idea that we should
Throw a party, because well, you're only 80 once
And plenty of us never hit that milestone.

She also had the idea that we should
Get some kind of a designer-just-for-the-occasion
T-shirt, and perhaps I should find said shirt.

Well, dad looks mighty young for 80,
So I immediately knew what I wanted
To put on the shirt - - -
It was a line from a poem mom wrote
Several years ago
About dad and two of his brothers.

I mentioned it to Pam - - -
But she didn't remember the poem,
Nor the line from the poem.

To make matters worse,
The poem was from a family news letter
From oh, 10 or 15 years ago
(Or so I thought)
And neither of us keep old copies
Of the Family news letter.

So - - - I posted an "ad"
On the Family Web Page
(Yep - - - we're high tech now - - -
A web page instead of a newsletter)
To see if anyone had old copies
Of the Heavilin Hi-Lites, our newsletter.

Lo and behold,
Cousin GR not only kept copies,
But he also managed to
Find the right Hi-Lites and the poem.
(It was from 1982 - - -
I was only 17 years off in my
Estimation of time lapsed.)

GR is my favorite cousin of the day
For this astonishing feat.

The poem commemorated
A family "work party" at
Grandma-Great's house.
Here it is with the necessary
line highlighted in blue:

You've heard the silly rhyme
About the powder and the pain
A makin' up a woman
To look like what she ain't?

Y'all sometimes come in August,
Back to the old home-place,
To visit little mother
And to brighten up her face.

Well, they didn't wait 'till August -
Bob, John, and Charles too - -
But came the twenty-two of March
To see what they could do.

Gray powder mixed with water
Made a pail of sticky paste
Which Bob brushed on some paper - -
Spread it with the greatest haste.

John and Charles climbed the ladder,
Agile fellows in their prime;
Hung the paper to the walls
And finished in good time.

Sure, things got a little messy - -
Scraps of paper stuck to feet.
The result of all this bustle?
Mom's living room clean and neat!

To summarize the matter - -
Conclude this rhyming biz - -
Our little lady mother
Am a lookin' what she is!

By Beulah Butcher Heavilin

And here's dad (John in the poem)
Sportin' his designer T.
He's a retired preacher/professor
And not wont to wear t-shirts
Though he promised to wear this one with pride.

I think he was happy with his surprise party.

Here are some of the faces in the crowd:

CaraLee, Stan, Cathy, and Yackie Sue
(Cousins all)

Some of "our" kids.
Mackinley, Jason, Haley, Keri, and Piper Renae

Piper close-up

Jason Close-up
Is that a booger in his nose?
JUST KIDDING JASON!!!

Haley with a forced grin close-up

Cousin Mary Lou with her hubby and boys.

Nephew Dustin, his wife Kayla,
And her parents and grandparents.

Korie Renee sporting a fun little
Feathery head band thingy.

My favorite B-I-L Joe.
Ain't he ornery?????

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