Pastor Buddy’s Blog

And then there was five…

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Journal,

I need to write this while everything is still fresh on my mind.  It’s not a Bible study. Just some reflections on a special day…

Today has been a blessed day in the Lord for me. Made a trip to DeRidder to meet with some of my Carver kin. There were twenty-seven of us in all. But the trip was all about getting together with three of the last five of the thirteen Carver children. (Work on that one for a number.)  :)

Yep, grandpa and grandma Carver had thirteen children. Of the thirteen, four of the remaining children are in Louisiana, Aunt Cleola, Aunt Claudia, Aunt Lural, and Uncle Cullen, while one is in California, Uncle Grover.  Anyway, today we got to love on three of the children, Aunt Cleola, Aunt Claudia and Uncle Cullen. (Ages 92, 90, and 74 respectively.)

As for my mom, she was the seventh child of the Carver clan. Mama was 85 years old when the Lord brought her home. She made her journey to the heavenly kingdom on Eastern morning, 2005. I love to sign my name on our Carver family conference postings as, ‘Lawrence “Buddy” Martin, Son of Grace, the 7th Child of Marshall Carver’.  I really like ’son of grace.’

Just have to add this – My younger sister liked to say that mom was a queen without a country. Pretty neat and pretty much fits her picture. My mama was a lady par excellence and as pretty a lady as ever walk this planet. I remember the kids at our school telling me that my mom looked like a movie star. (Course good looks naturally  runs in our family.)

Also need to add that every one one of the Carver girls were and continue to be right easy on the eyes. This goes even for the cousin-siblings. (Know what I mean Vern?)

Passing through the ole stomping grounds….

Betty and I drove to Mora to pick up my sister Bertie and off we go. I may be in trouble over this one. I had planned to call my sister Julia and it plum slipped my mind. Knew my other sister, Bonnie, was working.

Sorry Julia. Everything happened so quckly that my mind went blank. Only found out some time yesterday about the gathering. (Also found out that they do this every couple months or so. Catch you next time.)

Passing through Leesville we stopped at a WalMart to check on something for Betty. And would you know it, ran right into one of the sweetest ladies this side of heaven, Kitty Burns. Kitty is an old friend from long years ago. Kitty married one of my distant cousins through the Carver side, but she is also a distant cousin through the Martin side.

This is why I tell my kids to be careful who they talk about — That they are kin to most all the old families from here to the Sabine River.

Then its off to DeRidder where we stop by another WalMart to do some more checking. Again, wouldn’t you know it — We parked right near Uncle Cullen’s van. So we got ourselves some extra-special pre-Ryan’s Restaurant fellowship.

From there its Ryans. What a wonderful time. Cousins kept arriving til we reached our full compliment of twenty-seven, which, by the way, doesn’t even make a dent in the number of Carver type cousins. But we had cousins from California, Texas, and Louisiana.

You would have to understand the Carver kin…

I know that folk often wonder why I love to pick so much. Of course that is just my way of loving on folk. Sad to say, it runs in the Carver clan.

You never seen such a jovial bunch of folk in all your born days. I’m not aware of  many families like the Carvers. And when I call them a clan, I mean exactly that. I’ve never seen a family stick together like this family. And they have always been that way.  

In fact I believe nearly everyone of them would drop their hoe in the field and come a-running if they knew someone in the clan was in trouble.

It’s really sort of strange. I remember my mom sitting me down as a teenager and talking about the uniqueness of the Carver family. She never gave me the words I needed to work with. Thats why I don”t know how to put words to the Carver family. You almost have to be one of them to understand.

By the way, all the Carver family needed was ‘fresh meat.’ What I mean by that is for one of the grandkids to get married and then bring their new spouse to visit with the Carver family. It does no good to try and warn the new spouse. My Betty had to learn the hard way. 

That is all in the past. She is well able to stand toe-to-toe when it comes to having fun with any of the Carver tribe.  And they love it. 

Whoever heard of Billy Goat Hill…

Forgot to mention that when we headed out of Leesville for DeRidder, we went through Billy Goat Hill. This is another one of those ‘you’d have to be a local to understand it’ things. Billy Goat Hill is a real community area just out of Leesville. And you do go up a hill where there are businesses on each side. Now where the name Billy Goat Hill came from, I have no idea. Just wanted to pass it along. Gives a little color to our journey to DeRidder.

Then it was back towards home…

Picture taking was over. Hugging and kissing was over. Sad farewells was over. It was time to head back to whence we came. But I had one more thing to do. Felt like I needed to share the good new on my healing from the Lord.

Everyone got real quiet as I share concerning my healing from lymphoma. Thanked them for all their prayers and told them how very much I loved them.  

But I had one final stop to make.

Kitty told me that I needed to pay a visit with Willie Dell. So coming back through Leesville, we make a side stop where Willie Dell works and spend a few minutes visiting with her. This dear lady is just as gracious as is Kitty. Really enjoyed visiting with her. (Willie Dell is Kitty’s sister and another long-distance cousin.)

Ok, my mind is losing its vitality. Its late and I’m a bit tired. So I’ll say au revoir for now.

Much love,

Buddy