Celebrate with Trace Atkins and a little Moomba Splash

Moomba Splash

1 (64 ounce) container of orange pineapple juice
1 cup coconut rum
1 cup apricot brandy
Mix all three ingredients. Serve over ice and add a piece of pineapple or orange slice if desired.

Tonight my Uncle Calvin had dinner with us and we talked about June 20th ever so many years ago. It was the day before his first born arrived on this earth, and he and his wife, Lois, named their baby Barbara. In time she was blessed with three younger brothers.
Today Barbara has assumed many responsibilities of their family as her mother suffers from Lewy Body disease, which is similar to Alzheimer’s, and for the past few weeks has lived in a nursing facility. It’s a transition for everyone, and anyone who has faced similar circumstances, understands the pain, the loss, and the helplessness you feel at times.
Barbara is seven months younger than I am and we have played, gone to the river, grown up and shared happy and stressful times together. It is true about that blood and water thing, at least in our family. In addition to being someone I trust and love, she’s one of the smartest and funniest souls I’ve ever known.
She has her master’s in education and after years in the third grade classroom, she is now in charge of a math lab. That’s on top of raising two sons who she has supported with tough love at times, and is the best “GaGa” any child ever knew. She and her husband, Gil, now share their home with a cat, but their door is always open.
When she’s not taking care of others, be it a niece or a friend, she’s at the sewing machine. Barbara sews, monograms, and smocks beautifully. She’s never searched for a spotlight, but she’s never run from a challenge or missed an opportunity, especially if it helps a child or someone she loves.
Barbara loves her family, helping children learn, anything caramel or chocolate, Moomba Splash, homemade pimento cheese, the beach on Mother’s Day weekend, magnolias, great handbags, and as of last Wednesday night – Trace Adkins. Trace was at a little twirl in Nashville that Barbara attended and they struck up a conversation and the next thing I knew, he had his arm wrapped around her and laughing at whatever it was she was saying. She came a little past his waist, but oh they were a cute couple while it lasted.
Well when I showed a photo to her father tonight of his little girl with the country star, he just smiled and said, “I guess Barbara’s in the big time now.” He was proud of his eldest child and told me how smart she was and how much she had done for him, especially the last several weeks. Daddy’s little girl had made him proud and like our grandfather wrote, “I have sort of a hunch the whole blame bunch was born 80 years too soon.”

Cheers to the greatest cousin I could ever ask for. Happiest of Birthdays to you Barbara, as of June 21st you’ll be as old as me for the next five months. Happy Father's Day to Uncle Calvin and his brother, my daddy, who we lost three years ago. As you can see Senator was a Daddy's boy who loved being a lap dog!

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