Wonderful time on Bruce Square for Fourth of July

Greetings from Shady Grove and Hipp Hill. Hope your celebration of Independence Day was memorable. We went to church at 9, went to the Beckett reunion at the Community Center, and back to the square for the celebration there at 4:30.
The weather cooperated in every way. The only insect pests we saw were some ants that made us move our chairs over slightly.
The program was great and the music was good. I am not good at estimating the size of crowds but there were more people there together than I have seen in quite a while.

Carolyn Bryant

We enjoyed seeing Ellen and E.J. Spratlin, Keith and Judy Spratlin, Carol Shoemaker, Ann and Satrina Massey, Bebe Maxwell, Cindy and Gerald Hubbard, Bernie Knight, and Glenda Edwards, who we sat and talked to until almost 10 p.m.
There were other people we saw, but these we had not seen in a long time and enjoyed spending time with and enjoying conversation. As usual the fireworks were good. Chickenbone Fire Department served good food. There was just a wonderful sense of community all around the square.

In June we attended the funeral service of Nina Bryant Watts and the memorial service of Hollis Vaughn Bryant. Both of these were memorable.
The service for Hollis at Old Town Baptist Church was special in that almost all of his very talented family participated in some way–from playing the violin and guitar, singing, speaking about their grandfather, giving a wonderful slide presentation accompanied by an original song, and ending with the sharing of “sweets” in the fellowship hall–the way Hollis ended almost every meal.
I had never seen a flag service done exactly as his was, but it was special. Just before the flag was unfolded and refolded, his grandson said, “Just as in life his grandfather honored the flag so in death the flag honors him.” When at the last step of the unfolding and the flag popped out in its fullness, the result was breathtaking.

I must commend the two National Guardsmen who handled the military honors. They were the only two participants who were not family, but they made all of us proud. A life well lived–a memorial to that life well done!
The Bramlitt reunion was held at our church June 13 and was pretty well attended. It was good to get together again as family. We remembered those who died the last two years, and we had plenty of good food and conversation.

On June 12 was open house for our son, Chris. We had plenty of refreshments prepared for those who came, which were fewer than we had expected, but I think those who came had a good time. We got to visit with all.
Chris bought an acre of land just across the county line from us in September of 2019. On the acre is an old farmhouse built probably in the 1920’s and a ranch-style house built in the 1970’s. He chose at the time to remodel the ranch-style brick house, which had propane heat and window unit AC. The ceilings were popcorn and sagging. The roof had never been replaced, the walls were paneled, and the floors were linoleum, which had been painted.

He had a new roof put on, central heat and air, new sheet rock on the ceiling and walls, new laminated floors throughout, carport floors brought up even with the rest of the house and enclosed with brick, new insulation blown, new windows and doors (including French doors in the rear), completely redone kitchen and bath, a deck in front of the old carport (which is now his dining room and office), the outside brick repainted and shutters added, new gutters, and some landscaping done. He is proud of it and so are we.
His brother-in-law Greg did his kitchen and bathroom cabinets, bookcases in the living room and office, and his outside shutters.
As you probably have seen on Facebook or have heard, Greg had emergency life-saving surgery on June 8 and is presently not able to work. Each day is an improvement over the previous, and we are praying for the day when he is completely well. We covet your prayers also.
Have a good week!