Two of the reasons why I have successfully made it through the last 365 days. My sons.

Saturday, January 7, was the one year anniversary of Mama's death. Naturally I wondered how I would feel, how I would act.

So, in order to insulate myself in what I consider to be a healthy manner, I stopped by The Circuit NE Tuesday after work. No, I did not join Lamont and Leland in bouldering. Instead I said to them, "Let's go to lunch on Saturday after you've finished bouldering. You know it has been one year on that day." "Yes," and "Yes," they both said.

They came and got me around 1 p.m. I pulled a Grandma on them and was waiting in my apartment when they came to the door, purse in hand, my coat already on! We went to Cha! Cha! Cha! on SE Hawthorne. Good, inexpensive food. Then we went to JaCiva’s, also on SE Hawthorne, for some handmade chocolates. While I believe Mexican food and chocolate go hand in hand and made me feel pretty good on Saturday, it was being with Lamont (left) and Leland (right) that made me feel best of all.

Don't get me wrong, having the thoughts and prayers and love from y'all all over the USA and over in England has helped me endure and heal and go forth, but being able to see these two young men on a regular basis, to hug them and get hugs from them, to see their sparkling eyes and smiles, to be able to tell them face to face, thank you so much for the big part you played in making Grandma's last years on earth so special for her (and for me with her)--those things have taken me over the top.

I woke up on Saturday, wondering how it would go. By the time I had spent time on the phone with Milton and Kay and Howard, had been with Lamont and Leland and with Casey (who came over for while late afternoon), then had watched the Saints take care of Detroit on TV while I ate the supper I had cooked, I went to bed knowing I had made it one whole year. I feel stronger and more at peace than I thought possible. Now I am on my way into the next 365 days. Thank you, everyone.

My son Lamont is 35 today. My son Leland will be 32 on Halloween. I am blessed.

At first I thought I'd make a post about Lamont's birthday today, then later on make one about Leland's birthday. However, they're together, as brothers should be, in lots of photos, so I'm combining their birthday posts today.


In this photo, Lamont is between four and five and Leland is between one and two.


Lamont was three years, one month, and one week old when Leland as born.


When Leland was six weeks old in December, 1978, the four of us moved from Kansas City, Kansas, to Jackson, Mississippi. My parents came in their Winnebago so the kids and I could ride with them. My husband LeRoy drove the Ryder truck. My brother came, too, in his own vehicle to help out with any and everything. Here we are, early spring 1979, at the John Bell Williams airport out from Raymond, Mississippi. Our friends had flown down from KC to visit us, in that airplane right there beside us. I'm holding our older son Lamont. LeRoy is holding our younger son Leland. LeRoy and I loved our prescription glasses that got darker out in the sunshine. We look pretty doggone cool, I think.


Our friend, Ronnie, the pilot. Our friend Lyndall, holding Lamont. My sweet, dearly departed husband LeRoy, holding a dozing Leland.


Baby Leland with me, his Mama.


About 1990, Lamont and Leland with their great-grandmother Vivian, my Daddy's Mama. If it really is 1990, then she's celebrating her 92nd birthday!


Mama and Daddy's backyard. We've got seated, left to right my Aunt Baker and JL's grandson Patrick, my son Leland, Patrick's fraternal twin brother Michael. Standing, left to right, my son Lamont, and the twins' older brother Steven. Lamont is in 6th grade.


Lamont and Leland horsing around on Leland's 21st birthday.


Leland's kindergarten graduation.


I think this is kindergarten, too.


I think Lamont's about 18 months old here. We're still living in Kansas City; he's wearing a sailor hat that he loved to wear.


Our cutie's a bit tired here.


Precious son Lamont.


Precious son Leland.


Lamont with Papaw, my Daddy. Lamont's got a Tupperware lettuce storage bowl on his head. He loved to wear it!


Leland's a few months old here--it's 1979.


Lamont's standing on a chair in our house in Kansas City, at the kitchen sink.


The guys are six and three here.


Here they're four and one. Love that jacket on Lamont and that bow tie on Leland.


LeRoy with Lamont who is probably close to one year old.


LeRoy with Leland who is probably five or six months old.


My two precious sons. I love them very much.


Lamont and Papaw.


Grandma and Leland.


The guys, taken on July 9, 2004. They got up early to see us off back to Mississippi before they had to go to work at their respective restaurants.


And here they are, the photo that I started the week with--I took it on 9/11/2010.

In honor of education and the hard work that it takes to get a degree.

What could I put on June 12, 2009, I wondered, that would honor my younger son Leland who graduates this evening from Mt. Hood Community College? I decided upon one of my favorite Portland buildings, the Central Library. It's so handsome and so substantial, two attributes evident in Leland. He's got a two-year civil engineering technology and kept his grades up so that he's a Phi Theta Kappa graduate. His Grandma, his brother Lamont, his girlfriend Kailey and I will be at graduation, popping our buttons with pride!

Here are two views that I took on May 9, well before 8:30 a.m. and getting to my final destination, the Portland Farmers Market. I took this one along SW 11th, the street behind the library. I think I had the camera on manual and forgot to finish the focus, but I like the photos anyway.

This one shows the south side of the library, along SW Taylor.