Old Photo: Uncanny Family Resemblance

Vintage photo, unknown child ~ uncanny resemblance to my family

The child in this photo bears such a resemblance to various children in my family ~ he could be a twin brother to me or my next oldest sister! Mother thinks he looks just like my brother when he was a toddler. My sisters think he looks like a cross between two of my siblings. The family resemblance is uncanny ~ it gives me such a strange feeling of deja vu to look at him.

After seeing this, I wish I knew where the image originated. I'd love to know if he belongs to some other Pritchetts somewhere in the country! Sure looks like kin...

Girl Cousins Reunion

Some years ago during a family get-together, the "girl cousins" among us thought it might be nice to get together for an outing. We started a tradition that has lasted for years now. Once a year, in April, one of us hosts the Girl Cousins Reunion. We travel a few hours away to the selected vacation spot, usually in Georgia, and spend a long weekend together. We've rented cabins and spent the weekend talking, laughing, playing board games, feasting, and visiting whatever local attractions are about: in Chickamauga this year, we stayed at an interesting little hideaway called "Hidden Cove." We shopped the historical downtown stores, went fishing, sat by the lake, stopped for a photo op at a pretty church we saw (Historic Cove Methodist Church) and talked till all hours. There's always at least one unexpected surprise and delight during the reunion. This year, Erlanger's LifeForce helicopter touched down just a few feet from our cabin. They had come to do a safety demo for a newlywed couples' retreat. (We were forewarned by a few minutes ~ the retreat owner didn't want us to be worried.) Another time, we got an impromptu glass-blowing demonstration from a professor at Georgia Southern. On previous reunions, we toured the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga and got to watch my nephew dive and feed the sharks (he and one of my girl cousins volunteer there). We also got a behind-the-scenes tour of the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, hosted by my girl-cousin who works there. We visited World of Coca-Cola, CNN, and the Michael C. Carlos Museum in Atlanta, where we saw incredible artifacts of past civilizations ~ a wonderful tour! We went down the zip-line at Cohutta Springs Conference Center, did the historic hayride, and enjoyed staying in the chalet. We did a genealogy weekend ~ the cousins got to see the churchyard where our grandparents and great-grandparents are buried, the little cabin where our parents were born. We've visited Callaway Gardens, picnicked everywhere from tables in parks to tailgates in parking lots, and eaten at a multitude of restaurants. In Dalton, we picked a local favorite, the Oakwood Cafe'; near Americus, a sweet little tea shop with hats to try on. Once, our cousin hostesses planned an interesting "seven-course" meal, in which we had to play a guessing game to get our dinner. We've visited Jimmy Carter's birth place in Plains; we've stayed at an old converted log cabin in the Tennessee mountains near Chattanooga. One of the aunts is still living, and is an honorary "cousin" ~ so our Girl Cousin Reunion is multi-generational. The boy cousins are quite jealous! We've also piqued interest in a similar reunion from the other side of our family (though that one has never jelled). During all these years, we've become closer. We've reminisced about the days when we'd stay over at Granny's house; we've talked about the years that went by when some of us lived so far away, visits weren't often enough. We've shared memories about family members who are long gone now. We've really gotten to know our cousins, and they've gotten to know us and their aunt. Quite often in our travels, we meet someone who hears our story, whose face then lights up, and who says, "You know, my cousins would love that!" I would venture to say, we've inspired other families to do the same. My regrets are that we didn't think of this years ago; and that we haven't the time or money to do variations on the theme ~ such as a GCR with our Mother's family; or more get togethers that let the boy cousins meet and reminisce, too. Girl Cousins Reunion: highly recommended! Till next year...

Headrick Family Tree

The Headrick family tree has been a project of nearly twenty-five years of research. Over the years, the Southern Muse archives has collected quite a few photos, marriage licenses, death certificates, and photos of tombstones. These are all grist to the genealogist's mill! I have written up various brief stories about the family and printed reports; but, I haven't yet done the complete, all-inclusive book of Headricks. I have uploaded some of my Headrick photos, marriage licenses, and other documents, though. That might make it a little easier for the next generation. Scanning is slow, so I still have a long way to go ~ but this is a start...

Photos and Documents: Headrick Family of Murray County, Georgia

ABOVE: Alice Headrick Burns and Drusilla Headrick Grigsby

Sunday Cat

One Sunday when we were having our Sunday dinner, a sleek little tabby cat wandered up to our house. She came to beg a crust, which our nieces gave her, no doubt. "Not another stray," we groaned. "Now she's ours for life." But on Monday, she was gone. As weeks went on, we noticed with amusement, she appeared like clockwork on Sundays ~ even when we had no family to dinner. We speculated, thinking that maybe someone locked her out of their house every church day. So to us, "Sunday Cat" she became. We never thought of her as ours. She came for a visit. Once she appeared on a Monday! We checked our calendar and laughed, puzzled. One Sunday, she brought her mate. He stayed (and stayed). "Freeloader." We know his variety. But not Sunday Cat. Come Monday, she was gone.

Then Sunday Cat disappeared. "What has become of our little Sunday Cat?" we wondered. Sunday Cat had gone, we decided. She was not ours to mourn. Her people must have moved. Then one day, our mystery was solved. We opened the door to find Sunday. And, tagging along behind ~ Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday... Two short of a week, it seems, and all skittish and wild. But they stayed. We feed them. Sunday Cat retains a measure of independence. She keeps her kittens on task. They must catch a cricket or a newt, and she will bring them a mouse. We give them cat food, but they seem ravenous. They are never full. But they are not predictable. Sometimes the whole kit and caboodle disappears for a day or a week.

The kitten sitting prettily in the fall leaves (above) is one of the newcomers. She (he?) is the prettiest, but the wildest. The closest we came to catching her was to grab her once by the tail. That didn't set too well with her wild nature, and we have yet to catch her again.

Smelly Cat Song

It is perhaps a sign of the times that my family spent part of Sunday arguing over the words to the "Smelly Cat Song." The big Sunday dinner has been a tradition in our family since I was a kid, and probably long before that. We used to get together at my grandmother's house, with all the cousins. Not every Sunday, but many ~ and nearly every holiday. Later, Mother started cooking for our own family, and the tradition continued. Usually, some or all of my brothers and sisters come over and bring their families. It was my niece who started the "Smelly Cat" conversation. She is a great fan of "Friends" ~ she has it on DVD. Being the expert, she was right about the lyrics. But it amuses me that her mother knew enough about the song to argue the point. Pop culture pervades every aspect of American life, and our house is no exception. The important thing is, we still get together on Sundays. We have our meal ~ sometimes home cooked, and other times take-out (Pizza King loves us). We sit around and half-watch "Columbo," and chat, and catch up on things. We might watch "Coal Miner's Daughter" or "Forrest Gump" or "The Quiet Man." If this once the conversation turned to "The Smelly Cat," it just adds to the multi-generational dimension of Sunday dinner.