Old South

The Old South, yes that's where my family is from. Up until Friday I did not know that my grandparents were close friends with Senator Jesse Helms. Wow I thought to myself, as I sat there and pondered what my mother had just told me. I am not one to brag but I just feel that the world or whoever reads this blog needs to know how special, smart, worldly and noble my grandparents were. My granny, Elizabeth Broadwell Kale of Angier, NC was born on a tobacco farm. The house that she was born in is still standing today by the farm. She went off to college at Campbell University and then off to the army. Her brother Don joined and she thought since her brother had joined that she ought to enlist as well. She became a 1ST Lieutenant Army nurse and was very proud to have served her country in that way. I can remember as a little girl sitting up with her late at night watching MASH and her drinking black coffee. I love black coffee and I think its because it brings back these wonderful memories we shared together. She would tell me stories of her days in the army when we watched MASH. She never missed a day of church and I mean never. She was in the choir and would always sit beside me after she finished singing. I can remember her retirement party at Duke Hospital. I of course was going back for thirds to the buffet and getting pictures snapped of me and my granny and thinking she is so awesome. All of these doctors and fellow nurses crowded the room and honored her for her duty as an ER nurse. I can remember thinking wow she is the best thing since sliced bread. Soon after her retirement she passed of breast cancer. She never told my mother she had a lump. Oh granny and your little moo moos you used to wear around the house and your five course meals you would have at every sitting I love you more than ever and wish you were here. I have so many questions to ask you. I can almost smell your powder you used to wear and I loved your big "pockey book" that you carried everywhere you went. I loved going with you to the Big Star grocery store and you buying $500 worth of groceries every week and how you "needed" those family packs of Twix and Reese Cups. You are my best friend and I wish you were here so you could have my child's class over for a BBQ lunch every month. My granny would have my entire kindergarten class over for lunch every month in the driveway and I would always go and hide so I wouldn't have to go back to school.

My grandaddy Robert Glenn Kale was born in Watuga County, he was the baby of nine children. He payed his way through college by collecting coal from the trains. He graduated 1ST in his class at UNC Chapel Hill. He was a pharmacist and had his own drug store, Kale Drugs. My grandaddy was a smart man but he didn't have a lot of common sense. He was always trying to help people and had a huge heart. He would always play with me and do anything that I asked. I can remember making him play husband and wife with me, I know that sounds strange but it was fun. I would gather about 20 million baby dolls and go fill up his Dodge Plymouth and honk the horn for him to come out. We would pretend that we were driving to the store, gas station, park or restaurant. This would last about 20 minutes and then I got bored. I can remember this little yellow car he gave me for my birthday and rode till I fell asleep in it. He would come outside and sit with me for hours and watch me ride that little car. He was very frugal with his money, I remember he would only eat one half of a piece of bologna and my mother saying "daddy we have money to buy another pack of bologna". He would always eat a child's plate at his favorite restaurant Honey's. Oh grandaddy you were so cute in your dress pants and button down shirts. I still have your "hanky" and green cuff links with me.

My grandparents were lovely people to be around. You could always have fun and always have something to eat at their house. Granny and Grandaddy I wish you were here because I know we would have a lot of awesome times together.