Relections of Elvis

I was out and about this morning doing errands in our car that has the XM radio.  I love the Elvis station and that is what I usually listen to while I'm driving.  They were doing a recap of Elvis week in Memphis.  Elvis died on August 16, 1977.  He would have been 77 years old now had he lived.  And who knows, he might be out there somewhere now singing his heart out. 

But it all got me to thinking about Elvis and how I have always been a fan.  I was raised by Mom and Granma who both loved him, so you could expect no less.  Mom lived to be 101 and was a fan until she died.  She had Elvis cards, posters, scarves, pictures, plates, etc.  We played Elvis Gospel songs at her funeral.

When I was about eight years old, Mom and I went on a vacation with Granma and Granpa.  Mom didn't own a car until I was ready to learn to drive, so the trip was a big deal.  We were going to visit some relatives, and since it was close to Memphis, we planned to see Graceland.  As a side note, Granpa was a great guy; he was actually my step-granpa.  But when you were in the car with him, the rule was if something wasn't on the right side of the road, he didn't want to stop. (this may be why I have absolutely no problem making u-turns!)  He did get outvoted on seeing Graceland!

Somewhere in a box of old photos there is a picture of me standing right in front Elvis' front door.  This was back when Graceland was just starting to be a big attraction and there I was in my eight year old chubbiness just grinning away.

Several years ago Golfer and I took a road trip and stopped in Memphis.  We stayed at the Heartbreak hotel.  I'm glad we got to do that before it was closed.  It was fabulous!  The decor was similar to some of the rooms in Graceland.  The breakfast buffet included peanut butter and bananas!  We took the Graceland tour.  It's all impressive.  This photo is me standing in front of the door smiling.

Stay safe and while you're at it, listen to some good Elvis music if you can!