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Friends

Yesterday was a good day.


First, I went to church, which always makes it a good day. 

 Afterwards, I joined my friends Lynn and Gene to hear Peggy Allen-Downs present a program at the Tennessee Valley Historical Society meeting. Mrs. Allen-Downs has thoroughly researched and wrote a book called Duty Driven: The Plight of North Alabama's African Americans During the Civil War. It tells of Mrs. Allen-Downs ancestors who fought for the union after emancipation. One of them stayed with his former master; he was offered his own grey mule if he would stay and work.

It was about supper time when it was over so we toured Tuscumbia, looking for a steak house, which was closed when we found it. We came back to Legends in Florence to celebrate Gene's birthday. We were also celebrating my birthday, which was two weeks ago but Gene and Lynn were not able to celebrate then.


It was a sweet celebration, because for several weeks, we did not know if Gene would ever be able to celebrate with us again. He has suffered multiple health issues, staying in the hospital for more than eight weeks. He had Smoky Mountain spotted fever, then meningitis, then transverse myelitis, plus a few other things thrown in. Gene still has to move about in a wheelchair, but he's working on it, and getting better every day. We are so thankful for his progress.

The good people at Legends were happy to help us celebrate. They gave us one of those gigantic chocolate cake thingies with ice cream and chocolate syrup and whipped cream with a cherry on top. The three of us were not able to finish it, but we did what we could.

Next year, we are going dancing to celebrate our birthdays. Yes, we are.

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