About the time Grandpop Kelly went to Florida

I don't know what it is about Mom and me but we both embrace the wayward behavior of our ancestors and those who had just a splash of a character defect about them. My Dad's side were Men of the Drink. They were Irish and German and what Irishman or German gent doesn't like a stiff whiskey to brace against the cold and damp or a beer to celebrate? Celebrate what? Monday, Tuesday, etc.

Just this morning I asked Mom what Dad's relationship was with his own father. It seems to me that mostly guys love guys differently... it's a guy thing. So I can't remember exactly how Dad loved his father. She said that they really loved each other and that there was a lot of mutual respect. Dad thought Grandpop was so very smart and it was sad that he left school after 3rd grade to work in the coal mines to help support the family. He could have been a lawyer, Dad said.

And Grandpop loved Dad back. Dad was the oldest boy and made a nice successful business career for himself. Family men loving the men in the family in their own way.

Then she went on - and this is the fun stuff - to tell me a story about how she and Dad made a present for Grandpop in the 1950s of a new suit and a train ticket to Miami where Grandpop's sister, Aunt Edith, lived. Grandpop stayed up all night on the train (he was kinda a night guy) drinking and talking to just about everyone. Had a wonderful time. Then when he got to Miami he partied on with one of Aunt Edith's sons... the one that wasn't a priest;)

When Grandpop came back home he'd lost some weight, due to all the drinking and not much eating. AND, he wanted to sell the house and move to Florida! (I kinda do remember this part and all the fuss about moving to Florida.)

That's when he found out that the deed wasn't in his name but only Grandmas. You see, the house had belonged to her father, Pa, and when he died he left it to Ma, Grandma's mother. Then Ma left it to Grandma. And Grandma hated the heat so no moving to Florida! Things were rocky for a while between Grandma and Grandpa, but they loved each other so it all worked out in the end. Kinda, if you know what I mean;)

Grandpa in Florida having too much fun!