Dear Mom,

Wow, there is so much going on right now I’m not sure where to begin.

Like my good friend Ben Shurett always said, why don’t we swallow the biggest frog first? Then the rest will go down easier.

Biggest news comes from last week when I announced purchasing three more newspapers in northeast Alabama. Remember coming to visit us when we lived and worked in Fort Payne and Albertville? The girls were really little back then, weren’t they?

Well, now I own the newspapers in those towns along with the one in Scottsboro. Pretty crazy, right?

This is full circle stuff for me on so many levels: newspapers I used to work at, purchased from the company I used to work for for so many years, communities we still have many strong memories and friendships from — the list could go on and on.

I spoke to the Rotary Club of Boaz, the first Rotary Club I ever joined, last Wednesday, and do you know they still remember AnnaBelle as the 11-pound, 13-ounce baby who was born at Marshall Medical Center South? Came out looking like the Gerber baby and walking, we used to tell people. And they still remember that 17 years later.

You would still have to come to Monroe to visit us, though. Allison and I love Walton County and St. Anna’s too much to ever leave. Plus, I’ve still got two newspapers here in Georgia to keep an eye on.

Unfortunately, I’ve got some bad news to share as well.

You’ve probably already seen her up there in heaven, but Marjorie Fowler passed away last Saturday. She is now trying to keep her husband, the Kipper, out of trouble with the Big Guy. You may want to assist in that endeavor if you can spare any time from keeping Dad out of the ditch up there. 

AnnaBelle is devastated as are Tabitha and Madison. AnnaBelle was so young when you and Dad passed away she always considered Marjorie a grandmother figure on my side of the family.  It pales in comparison, however, to the impact Marjorie’s passing has had on Allison.

You might remember “Mama Marge” is the one who introduced Allison and I to each other when Allison was 17 and I was 19. We gave her all the credit and all the blame for everything that has transpired since, and she gladly accepted both. Well, mainly the credit. Lol!

Mama Marge had a following well past Huntsville because she was able to translate her “bigger than life” presence in person to Facebook as well. Her comments on some of Allison’s posts are legendary locally, and many of our friends here in Monroe were as saddened by her passing as they would be for one of their own friends. 

Looks like I’m running out of room so I’m afraid I’m going to have to wrap this up. Know Allison and the girls are doing well overall, although, as always, there are some challenges going on right now we have to overcome. Keep us all in your prayers because we surely, surely need them.    

Can’t wait to catch up again soon.

In the meantime, I hope you have the very happiest Mother’s Day. No one deserves that more than you.

Love,

Patrick