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were grown, and we no longer had a piano player in
the house. He seemed to enjoy these lessons, and
again exhibited his delight in performing before an
audience at the annual recitals.
The family traveled to Disney World during this
summer. Keaton enjoyed the Disney characters
there, and in story books and in movies. He would
tell the stories over and over, adding his own happy
events and endings as he pleased. He recognized
all of the characters, and each of their stories. He
created a happy ending even where none had existed.
Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” was then and is now a
favorite of his and of mine. We might watch that and
several other old Christmas movies on the Fourth of
July, or just any time of the year.
When Keaton was in the eighth grade he took a class
in family living skills. He enjoyed the class very
much, and with the aid of his teacher made himself
a pair of patchwork shorts. Several years later I had
the pleasure of meeting the teacher socially; she
told me how much she had enjoyed having Keaton
in her class. She shared that one time he had taken
twenty or more minutes to tell the students about his
Southern ancestors and their activity during the Civil
War. This was a whole different slant to her as she
was from a state in the northern part of our country. I
have wondered exactly what he told the class, because
it would certainly be from incidents overheard in
conversations at our house. My great grandparents
lived during the Civil War. Their portrait hangs in the
den with great granddad in his Confederate uniform!
Their stories had been handed down to me.--- I must