Carry Me Back to Ole Virginnie

It's been 7 years since I last visited my kids in Virginia. Sure, I see them often...but I wanted to go to their house. Virginia, my friend, and I went to visit Jeff, Donna, their cats and two dogs.

Recently they installed an endless pool in their basement...and they created a beautiful atmosphere in blue for this magic piece of equipment, that you control with a remote, of how much current you need to swim in place.

I went in and it was just wonderful. I saw their new wood floors, and outside the landscaping was just magnificent.

Unfortunately, their two beagle dogs, found grubs in the ground and kept digging to get them ....that's part of their doggie nature...but either Jeff or Donna must be constantly watching and scolding for their mischievous behavior.

The dogs, Lucy and Bandit, are very loveable...weigh about 40 pounds and think they're lap dogs.

They took us to unique restaurants and we were impressed. Also took a motor trip to Skyline Drive, which is God's artistry..and I kept having to swallow, because we kept climbing up and up.

Paul, my nephew, came over one night for dinner and Donna had grilled chicken breasts, corn on the cob and baked potatoes...and we topped off our meal with Apple pie and whipped cream or ice cream.

I did what I thought I would never do...went on a wheel chair in the airports and it was a blessing.

I'm old...I had a lot of trouble climbing their stairs to the 2nd floor. Somebody was always ready to carry my purse and jacket down the stairs for me.

They were perfects hosts....and now I'm back home.....but Jeff and Donna...and Virginia too, insist I climb to my loft at least once a day....and I will do that.

My Disappointment!

In our toy store,  as soon as you'd walk thru the doors, we had about 20% of our space letting Western Publishing occupy the shelves...mainly Golden Books.  We also had a revoving rack containing many volumes of literature for the eyes of young children.

One of the volumes that pleased me was A Child's Garden of Verses...and nobody touched it.  Everyone would walk right by...and I took this personally since I had ordered heavy believing this would be a hit.

Why did I feel this way?     When I was a very young child of about 4, my Mother  encouraged me to recite this poem....and it's touched my heart since.

I don't believe many children today even heard of it.....and here it is!

CONTENTS · BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Stevenson, Robert Louis (1850–1894). A Child’s Garden of Verses and Underwoods. 1913.

19. My Shadow

I HAVE a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—
Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller like an India-rubber ball,
And he sometimes gets so little that there’s none of him at all.
He hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play,
And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.
He stays so close beside me, he’s a coward you can see;
I’d think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!
One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.