I remember one night Doris and I were creating a music playlist to dance to. It was about 3 or 4 am when we couldn't remember the name of a song.  So, Doris called Stanley.  She hummed the song and of course he gave us the title and artist.  He gave us the answer after he asked us why we were calling him so late.  

What can I say about dear James, he was truly a wonderful, dear friend and dancer. I remember we used to just, dance, dance and dance along with his sister Doris. 
 He was the life of the party. I yearn to see him again, looking as handsome as ever and sharing that big smile and wearing those nice outfits.  (The hope Is just around the corner).

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There's a story behind this picture.  
So this picture represents us leaving GA and riding the Greyhound bus back home to Miami. James was not having it! (smile)

Each year we went to GA for the summer.  We took the Greyhound or Trailways bus. We sat in the seat directly behind the bus driver and were instructed to hand him a note which had information about us and our destination.  I think back now and realize that we traveled by ourselves at a young age.  We were instructed by mom and aunt to only get off in Jacksonville to switch buses and use the restroom.  We took care of each other on the bus.  We had lots of food in our food bag: fried chicken, pound cake, grapes, chips, soda, potato salad fruit and more. My mom and Aunt Estelle made sure of it.
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Going to GA each summer was exciting, interesting and educational to say the least. We had lots of cousins to play with. 

Life In The Country -  Goose Neck
The nearest neighbor was miles up the road.   It was pitch black dark at night. Lot's of kids, food, fun, oh yes bugs. I look back now and see it differently.  Organic food, good living, peace and quiet.  My Aunt & Uncle grew their own food, had just about every animal on their farm imaginable.  My aunt would give us a bucket and tell us to pick the vegetables we wanted for dinner.  They grew all sorts of vegetable, water melons, etc. I was amazed, coming from the city with this. So many kids to play with that it didn't matter that neighbors were so far away.

Cooking - James 
All my aunts were excellent cooks. 
Aunt Doris - The best pecan pie and blackberry cobbler
Aunt Frances - The  best flour bread, biscuits, real cane-sugar syrup and thick smoked bacon.
Aunt Irene- Fresh milk from real cows, free range organic chicken and eggs from the farm, fried cream corn from scratch, cakes, sweet potato pies and so much more.
Both Grandmas - Great cooks and could do it all. 

Rooster & Chicken Pecking James
I remember my brother playing in Aunt Irene's backyard with the other kids. I was inside trying to preserve my hair because I had so much hair and no one to take care of it away from home. James kept messing with the chickens.  I stood at the back door watching to make sure he was okay.  I thought to myself, that rooster is going to peck him in a minute and he did!  I just remember the rooster running behind James and pecking him all over. I started screaming help! LOL. My Uncle saved the day.

Falling In The Hogs Pen
We went with my uncle in the woods to feed the hogs.  He gave us each a pale of food to feed the hogs.  We were told to climb up on the wooden fence and leaned over and pour the food in the pen. Well, James fell in the pen!!!  I was so scared and starting crying because I thought the hogs were going to eat him alive.  I was screaming for my uncle to come help but climbed in because he was taking to long.  He had to get us both out.  We came home muddy, stink and traumatized. We never went back to feed the hogs again. 

Summer Trip Farewell
When time to leave GA each summer, James would get sad or start crying at the bus station because he didn't want to leave. He loved GA!  I would be smiling because I was ready to go home, get my hair done and forget about the bugs.

James was the best dance partner ever!

I have many fond memories of us dancing together. James could do any dance out there! Old School Swing, Pop & Lock, Robot, Bus Stop, ChaCha, Hustle, Freak, Slide, Worm, 4 Corners, Muscle, etc. We watched Soul Train religiously to pickup new moves. We loved to be the first to learn the new and latest dance. That was our family thing. LOL.

Each week, we would practice, practice and practice our dance routines for the weekend.  We had to be ready for the weekend!  After learning the routine, we had to coordinate our outfits. We both love red as early as I can remember as little kids, so that was a good color for us to start with. Red was our Grandmothers favorite color too (*See picture posted in the gallery).  We would try to mix it up though.  By the weekend, we were ready to compete in local dance competitions around Miami, some of which we won. 

Dancing is something you just did as  a "Jackson".  Even my elderly aunts Estelle and Virginia could bust a move in their 70's and 80's.   My mom can too, don't let her fool you.  

We went to Hawkinsville each summer.  James and I spent hours dancing with Jarvis and Tory in preparation for the "Sock Hop" teen party on the weekend.  We would share dance moves, watch Soul Train and just dance at Ruby and Leon's house. We had dance off's and combined our GA-Miami routines so we could all dance together if we went somewhere.  

In later years in Miami, on Saturday's family would gather at our house on Friday nights. We each brought food and music. No one had to ask "if" we were gathering or what time. They would just show up.  We would dance together, laugh and eat.  Young, old, teens, and the little ones enjoying each others company.  We had a back-to-school gathering for the young ones each year when time for school to start, when someone graduated or accomplished something.

I remember when our GA family came to visit (Vernette, Faith, Emma Lyon, Jarvis, Tory, Maurice, Tongala, if I forgot anyone who came to visit...I'm sorry!).  My brother would plan all the activities (beach day, sight seeing, dinner and dancing). We had a great time. 

Family we've had some good times. Let's hold on to the good ones and look forward to making many more new ones!

I've known this family since I was a child.  This is family.  We knew all the songs and dances growing up.  I have many cherished memories. I look forward to the Bible's promise of a resurrection, where you and Sawyer, and Arthur, and AW, and Sister Estella Wilcox and me,  can enjoy each other's company better than before! ❤ 
Linda Wilcox AKA Melinda Forrest

Dear Jackson's Family, I know how you may be feeling right now, but there are no words that I can express, I'm still holding on to Jehovah's promises of a new world, waiting to hear that our old enemy death is finally no more Rev 20:12,13. What a wonderful time that will be. Love

I would wait patiently for my cousins to come from Miami Florida for summer vacation. ( Neita and stand) back then life was so different. As time passed and we all grew up Faith( stand aunt) and my self caught the grey hound bus to Miami and to this day that is one of my most memorable summer's. Stand always was a hard act to follow so him and Neita showed out for Faith and I making sure we had the best time ever. Stand bought us clothes, cooked for us, took us every where our heart's desired. I would clean his room while he worked at the bank and he would pay me but in truth I got paid twice because I would find so much money in his room that he left in his pockets when I was putting his clothes away. I almost start to wonder did he purposely leave it to entice me to continue cleaning his room, at any rate it worked. Stand always was a fly dresser and back then Polo was one of his favorites and Fay and I would beg him for all his cool polo shirts so upon returning home we had everything. I certainly had more than I came with. He loved to dance and he would laugh at how I would cut a rug. I still have a love for dancing. I can't dance like Beyonce but I get to it. As a matter of fact when I'm finish writing this for you cousin( STAND) I think I might dance a little for you and to close out my show I'll play ( SATURDAYS LOVE) because back then that was our jam. We always kept in touch and when he came to Georgia we would usually see each other. The last time I seen you was at your grand mother funeral. When I seen you it was just like so many times before with that warm greeting and winning smile. I loved you then and I love you still, always have and I always will. Your cousin (TICABOO) , VERNETTE