Time Marches On

One of the lines from my favorite movie, Steel Magnolias, is uttered by Truvy, the character played by Dolly Parton, "Time marches on, and sometimes you realize it's marching across your face."  

Time does march on, and with the march come change.  I'm normally very open to change and the refreshment it brings, but of late, there has been some changes that haven't been all that encouraging.  Recently, they came in threes (keeping with my recent Birthday Trifecta post).  

A few weeks ago, Kingfish closed their location on Blankenbaker near my home.  Kingfish is a local seafood place in Louisville that used to have a location on 4th Street near the river.  The Belvedere happened and Kingish closed and a new location opened across the river in Jeffersonville, Indiana.  There was still a few locations around town, and one still on the Ohio River on the Kentucky side on River Road.  That one still remains.  Kingfish on River Road was one of my family's favorite locations to eat.  My Mom loved the seafood, as did my Dad and we'd frequent that location a lot.  After my Mom passed away, we moved on the East side of town.  Even when my Dad remarried, they eventually moved near me.  Dad found the Kingfish on Blankenbaker his new favorite.  I met my Dad and Stepmom there many times for dinner or lunch.  And we frequented there to celebrate birthdays and holidays.  When news released of its closing, I felt like I lost a little bit more of my Dad.

This past weekend I received a flyer in the mail from the Ben Franklin Store in Middletown.  I got very excited expecting this to be a sales flyer as we are entering the holiday season.  Unfortunately, it was a letter stating that after 32 years of business, the family was closing the store.  I was devastated.  Ben Franklin is where I always bought my crochet yarn, and lots of other craft goodies.  It's close to home and they also carried lots of great Christmas decorations for reasonable prices.  But more than that, this was one of the places I would frequent with my Mom.  My love of crafts comes from her.  She was always working on a project.  A day out with my Mom would be either going to the movies and trying a new restaurant, or going to a craft store and spending the day shopping and then trying a new restaurant.  In fact, since my Mom passed 15 years ago, I sometimes just wander around a craft store when I'm missing her.  And this is big, folks, because I loathe shopping, but a craft store or bookstore is where I could spend hours. With the news of Ben Franklin closing, I felt like I lost another part of Mom.  She's been gone 15 years this year and memories fade, so losing this tangible place seemed sad. 

Then, the icing on the cake.  There is a Wendy's on Blankenbaker (technically Kentucky Mills Drive, but close enough) that I frequent in the mornings on the way to work.  Their Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal is to die for!  And, they are the only restaurant I pass on the way to work where I can get a fountain Coke Zero. (Thornton's doesn't count)  I also like to swing through there to get a Tropical Green Tea when I'm feeling the need for a healthier option for a beverage.  Earlier this week I did just that and as I got my Green Tea, I noticed the sign that said, "As of October 1, this location will no longer be serving breakfast.  Please be sure to visit our Middletown location for your breakfast need."  Really!?!  I decided since I didn't pay homage on the final days of Kingfish and Ben Franklin that I would for Wendy's breakfast.  Yesterday I went to Wendy's to get their amazing oatmeal and my Coke Zero and almost shed a tear as I drove out of the parking lot.  

They say as you get older, change is more difficult.  I really want to fight against that because I do get rather energized by change.  But, when it impacts good memories (sans Wendy's), I prefer those be around until Jesus comes.