Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell was an artist who painted many different scenes starting in the early 1900s. Most of them were of big happy families or modern homes. If your family wasn’t like the latest magazine cover, you might have felt inadequate or that something was missing in your life. My family certainly could have never posed for an issue but that never bothered me. Our holidays were fun and I smile when I think about them. Like everyone does, I thought they would last forever.
 
But as time goes on, things happen and our lives are forever altered.  With sadness I sit and think about all we have lost.  And a tear slowly slides down my cheek.  For I know life will never be the same.

I weep for the mother who will not hold her daughter’s hand as she walks into her kindergarten class for the first time and for the mother who will never straighten a cap on graduation day.  For the mother who asked her son what his unborn children’s name would one day be and for the father who will never walk his daughter down the aisle, I weep.   For the grandfathers who missed Eagle Scout ceremonies and the grandmothers who loved to rock grandchildren, I weep.  I shed tears for the grandparents who never saw the great grandchild named for them and for the great grandmothers who were the hub that held the spokes of the family.

In the stillness of the day, I mourn what will never again be.  But I thank God for the time we had, the memories we shared and the traditions that I hope will continue as the years pass by.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFjdfjrtf1Q.

Catawba Heights Elementary School

The elementary school that I attended in the 60s was small.  I can remember some of the activities that our school did but what I remember most are Christmases.  In the 1st grade, we went to the local radio station and sat on the floor in a big room.  Santa spoke to us from the North Pole over the intercom.  Later we had cookies and an orange drink.  For our party at school, the grade mothers fixed little ceramic mugs that were shaped like Santa faces.  Inside were a few pieces of chocolate and a candy cane.  In the weeks leading up to Christmas, we drew pictures to hang in our classroom and in the hall.  We didn't skip our math and spelling lessons but we made time for art projects. 

The year I was in the 5th or 6th grade, we had a Christmas program for the school and parents.  I can still remember some of the songs we sang.  One was 'Pablo the Reindeer' and the girls who sang it wore 'antlers' on their head.  The antlers were actually branches from a silver Christmas tree that was popular back in the 60s.  We enjoyed singing any song that had movement such as 'Rudolph the red nosed reindeer'.  I'm not sure if teachers now are allowed to do some of the things we did years ago.  It would be a shame if kids couldn't learn the words or motions to 'Must Be Santa'. 

Christmas is such a magical time of year and I hope my CHES 1966-1972 classmate's memories are as good as mine.  Merry Christmas!

Christmastown USA

One of the small towns that is located near my home is nicknamed 'Christmastown USA'.  In 1956, a group of men started a tradition at Christmas of hanging color lights on a few trees downtown. Afterwards a local businessman and his wife decided to have all of the trees covered with lights for the first part of Dec.  Each of the residents is responsible for their own house and yard.  Some people hang a wreath on the door, while others have candles in every window and lights on every tree in their yard.  The pond in the center of town has a fountain with different color lights and all of the trees around the pond are lighted also.  A new feature is Old Man Winter blowing the chilly air.  One of the churches on Main St. always has a nativity with a star attached high above on a pole.  Beautiful music plays over a loudspeaker and it is a very moving scene.

When the tradition first started, only red, green and white lights were used.  After 9-11, a single tree in town was covered with red, white and blue lights in honor of our military. 

The town lights are on each night until just after Christmas.  People come from everywhere to see the lights.  Churches have hayrides, people rent limos and some people just park and walk through the streets.  It is a very beautiful place and there is no charge for admission. You just need a little patience and a willingness to slow down and enjoy the magic and spirit of this time of year. 

The Christmas Catalog

When I was a little girl, one of the most exciting times of the year was right after Halloween when we received our Christmas catalog.  Glossy, color pictures of everything from clothes to toys to outdoor decorations were in this book.  When it would arrive in the mail, I would always turn to the pages of toys and start thinking about what I would write on my list to Santa.  Bikes, games, dolls, train sets, anything that you could possibly want was in this book.  I sometimes wonder if I ever earmarked the top of the pages that had my 'wants' or if I took a big marker and drew a circle around the picture of the item.  I am sure that I had been talking about what I wanted and 'Santa' already knew, without us even getting the catalog. 

When our sons were growing up, we encouraged them to write a letter to Santa.  Most of the time, they inquired about Mrs. Claus and Rudolph.  And they usually said that they had been good all year.  We had Christmas catalogs at our home and one year, they skipped the letters and just cut out pictures of what they wanted.  I don't recall if they got what they wanted that year but they were happy when they came downstairs and saw everything laid out. 

I wonder if kids now just go to the website of their preferred gift, print out the page and leave it laying around for 'Santa'.  How sad that they can't sit on the couch and flip through a book with their brother or sister and excitedly say 'Wow, I want one of those for Christmas' or 'I'm asking Santa for one of those'.

And I wonder if Santa has to go to 'Google' to find out exactly what it is that a child asks for.  If they had a Christmas catalog, it would be so much simpler. 

 

I Love A Parade

I still live in the same town that I grew up in.  It was anchored by textile mills for many years.  When the mills started closing, the town began to take on a new personality.  There were many changes taking place, in the neighborhoods and businesses.  One thing that has never changed is our Christmas parade.  I can remember being a little girl and looking forward to the Tuesday that we would line the streets, waiting for the police cars to slowly make their way down, sirens blaring loud.  My mother worked at one of the mills along the parade route so we would park in their parking lot.  Her shift ended at 3:00, she would come home and pick me up and we would head back downtown.  She would always buy me a special treat of little doughnuts from the mill store (which was called something else, but that is a story for another day) and we would walk to the spot where we stood every year.  For several years after my mom retired and the mill had shut down, we still stood in the same location as we previously had. 

We would laugh at the clowns and were amazed at the baton twirlers.  We thought the metallic streamers on the floats were so shiny and we watched the dance classes as they moved and clapped along with the music.  We watched as the church vans pulled their floats with the live nativity scenes and a baby doll laying in the hay in the manger.

The parade is still on Tuesday and is started by the local police, their sirens blaring loud.  The high school bands still play Christmas carols and the homecoming queens still wave from the convertible cars. The Boy Scouts still march and Santa is at the end, wishing everyone a 'Merry Christmas'.

 

And I still think about the little coconut donuts that my mom bought for me and the excitement I felt on the Tuesday that the parade was held.

 

 

If We All Had Homes Like This

The new book that I am reading is titled They Pulled Together and Won.  It is about WWII and everything that our country did during the war.  The chapters vary from 'Women at Home' which tells about women who went to work in the factories to 'How We Had Fun' about the dances and celebrity bands who traveled to play for the troops.

One chapter is 'Mail Call'.  Several stories told how long it took mail from the US to get overseas.  The men learned how to write letters on a piece of paper, then fold it to make its own envelope.  All mail from soldiers were mailed free, no stamp needed.  Packages sent to soldiers with gifts and food were much appreciated and were shared with each other.  No matter how mundane the news was from home, the men were excited to hear their name called at MAIL CALL.

As I read each of these stories, I was reminded of a song that was on one of my dad's records.  The name of the song was 'Message from Home' which tells of a cowboy out on a range, getting a letter from home.  The other 'tough' cowboys laugh at him, asking if it is a letter from his sweetheart.  As he reads the letter, he tells them 'no, just a letter from home sweet home.'  As you listen to the song, you can just picture the group sitting there, wishing they had gotten letters from their families.

I hope as the Christmas season approaches, each member of our military gets a letter or package from home sweet home and that they know that we are all praying to guard them from harm.

A MESSAGE FROM HOME SWEET HOME

Out on a western range one night I met a reckless crew

One cowboy said to another, 'Jack, there's a letter here for you'

'I suppose it's from a sweetheart, boys,' came a rough voice from out in the crowd

With a laugh and a jeer they gathered round while Jack replied aloud.

'It's only a message from home sweet home, from loved ones down on the farm

'From wife, from mother, from sister and brother, praying to guard you from harm

'The baby is lisping a prayer tonight to bless you wherever you roam

'We'll welcome you, Jack, if you'll only come back, 'tis a message from home, sweet home'

'Then fare ye well, my boys', said he, 'I'm going to that land

Then one by one each cowboy came and took him by the hand

One said, 'If we had homes like you, we'd all be better men

'Oh Jack, before you go, old pal, just read that letter again'.

'It's only a message from home sweet home, from loved ones down on the farm

'From wife, from mother, from sister and brother, praying to guard you from harm

'The baby is lisping a prayer tonight to bless you wherever you roam

'We'll welcome you, Jack, if you'll only come back, 'tis a message from home, sweet home'.

A Little Perspective

When I was a little girl, we had an amusement park in my town.  I don't remember a lot since it closed when I was very young, but I do remember watching movies and being on some of the rides. There was also a playground that had a sliding board that was really tall.  I always thought that the steps of the sliding board were endless, that it took so long to get to the top.  Now that I see pictures of the slide, it doesn't look that big.

We went to a public swimming pool in the next town that had a 9 foot section.  There was a diving board and also a high dive in the roped off area.  Most of the people who went off the high dive just jumped straight into the water.  I can remember climbing up, my heart pounding loudly with each step.  And then hesitating for only a second because I knew if I stood there any longer, I would lose my nerve and climb back down. 

When I took my 2 sons to the same pool years later, I again climbed to the top of the high dive.  My heart no longer seemed to beat against my chest, I no longer thought of climbing back down.  I jumped straight in, went to the bottom of the pool and pushed off to come back to the surface of the water.  Then I would swim to the side to watch my sons jump in. 

What seemed impossible at times, now was within reach.  What I thought I could never do, suddenly I was doing, over and over.

What changed?  My age, my size, my bravery?  My perspective. 

Do you need a little perspective in your life?

The American Flag

We have tried to have an American flag hanging on our porch since 9-11.  If it was torn or faded, we took it down until it could be replaced.  We respected the flag and participated in flag burning ceremonies when our sons were in Scouts and were taught the proper way to dispose of a flag.  

Our granddaughter was at our house a few weeks ago and saw the flag hanging from a porch column.  She was so excited and said "You have a pledge of allegiance flag!"  She is learning at a young age what the American flag stands for.  When I was in school, we always stood in the mornings, placed our hand over our heart and said the pledge.

I remember when Red Skelton had a TV show.  One week, he broke up the Pledge of Allegiance and recited it word for word and line for line.  Each time, he would stop and explain what the word or line meant. 

I wish each student in school had to write an essay on what the America flag means to them.  I don't know if me getting older, hearing details about the wars we are in, attending Veterans' Day/Memorial Day ceremonies, etc....  are what is making me feel this way.    But I hope each person reading this, will understand what the flag stands for and stops for a few seconds to lift it off the ground, unwrap it from the pole or straighten it and be thankful that it is a flag for the 'United States of America'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMR6d_9GsCQ

As a Parent ........

One of my favorite shows is Andy Griffith.  Last night the episode was 'Opie the Birdman'.  Opie had accidently killed a mother bird with his slingshot.  Andy told him that he would have to be a substitute mother for the baby birds.  Opie took care of them; putting them in a cage, giving them worms, making sure they had everything they needed.  When they had grown and were big enough to leave their nest,  Andy told Opie that he would have to let them go, just like their mother would have done if she had still been alive.  Opie didn't want to turn them loose and told Andy he couldn't let them go.  He questioned if he had done the right things, what if he hadn't taken care of them like their mother would have.  Andy assured him that he did the right things.  Opie then opens the cage and says to the first bird, "I hope I did all the right things."  He releases the birds and they are able to fly into the trees. He turns to his dad and says "He made it!  He is O.K.!"  As he looks at the cage, he says, "the cage sure looks awful empty".  And Andy tells him that the cage looks empty but don't the trees look nice and full.

As a parent, I often wondered if I was doing the right thing.  Eric and I said that we only got 1 chance at raising our sons and if we messed up, we didn't get to do it over.  As they grew, we would second guess ourselves and pray that we had made the right choices. 

Our 2 sons are grown now with families of their own.  I am sure that they sometimes question their decisions.  I can only hope that their children will turn out as great as they did. 

'We Had Everything But Money'

For the past few months, Eric and I have been cleaning out our attic.  We have been looking through old cards, letters, books and papers.  I brought home a book when we were cleaning out my parents house titled 'We Had Everything But Money'.  My mother had ordered it from a company that published a magazine that specialized in stories from years ago.  This particular book is about the depression.  People had written short stories about their life during those days.  I never really heard my parents talk about the depression much, only that they didn't have any money before so they really weren't affected when it happened. 

I started reading the book as I walked on the treadmill at the gym.  I expected the book to have some sad stories but amazingly most of them focused on their families and how they helped each other.  Some of the writers used such words as 'pride, determination, courage, bravery and hard work'.  A few of the people told of the banks closing and losing their money.  Everything they had was gone.  But they never gave up. 

One story that struck my heart was about 2 young men who 'rode the rails' looking for work.  They stopped off in one town and decided to knock on doors of houses looking for a meal.  The 2 men split up since they knew most families wouldn't feed both of them.  Chester went to one house and knocked on the back door.  As he was about to leave, an elderly lady answered.  He offered to do any job she needed in exchange for a sandwich and a cool drink.  The lady invited him in and proceeded to show him the bathroom so he could wash before eating.  She cleaned his clothes, then fixed him a hot meal.  "How old are you"?, she asked as he ate his breakfast.  "Twenty", he said.  To which she responded, "my son will be twenty soon.  He left last spring looking for work.  He sent me a postcard from Salt Lake City 2 months ago and I haven't heard from him since".  After the young man finished eating, he asked her what work he could do to repay her.  She told him that he didn't need to do any work for her, that she wanted him to go home to his family.  She didn't want another mother to worry like her, wondering where her son was and if someone was kind enough to fix him a meal.

I have 2 sons.  I can remember them at the age of 20 years old.  They were in college and worked on the weekends, summers and breaks from school.  They were hard workers and were willing to do anything to make money.  I cannot imagine what the lady in the story felt like.  Every day wondering if her son was hungry or had a place to sleep. 

That story was the last one I read that day as I worked out.  It's kind of hard to read when your eyes are blurry.

Happy Birthday Amber

Today is our daughter-in-law Amber's birthday.  She and Paul have been married for over 6 years.  I remember the first time we met her when Paul brought her to the house.  It was on our house cleaning night while we were trying to get things done.  I'm sure we didn't make as good an impression as we would have liked.   We knew right after they started dating that she would be our daughter-in-law one day. 

Amber is very talented at whatever she does; whether it is singing or decorating their home.  She is very creative and has made the grandchildren's nurseries so sweet.  Her ideas for Georgia's birthday parties have been amazing. 

Amber has always been a very upbeat person, even when she has had a bad day.  We are so blessed that God picked her to be Paul's wife.

Happy birthday Amber.

Comfort Food

Eric and I walk in the afternoon and the other day the conversation came up about food.  There are certain people in our lives that we associate different foods with.  When I was growing up and attended church, we had Homecoming every year.  Women cooked for 2-3 days to get ready for the Sunday that special speakers and guests would be there.  Chicken and dumplings, fresh coconut cakes, all kinds of food that weren't made every day. 

We started naming the women who made dishes that we could remember.  LB made the small little ham sandwiches on the dinner rolls.  MJ made chicken and dumplings that made you think she had just killed the chicken that morning and cooked it.  One lady made country ham biscuits that she took on the bus when we went to the Worlds Fair in Knoxville one year.  Hot dog suppers meant someone always brought her baked beans (no canned) in a big casserole dish. 

Thanksgiving Day was spent with both families.  Everyone had their familiar standbys that we could be counted on to bring.  No need to call each other to make sure we didn't have 5 of one dish.  That never happened.  Eric's grandmother always made the dressing and when you walked into her house that day, the smell of sage met you at the door.  My specialty was macaroni and cheese and rice casserole and I took home empty containers every time.  At my parents house, you could always count on my mom to make a cherry pie.  My sister had a garden and always brought green beans that she had canned that summer.  As it happened one year, she dropped the pot of beans in the yard.  Thinking she could pick up the pile of beans that had not hit the ground, she scooped them up and put them back into the pot.  Only later as we were fixing our plates, did we realize what she had done when we found a few pine needles mixed in.  Since we had all eaten 2 meals that day, dessert wasn't really thought about.  But every year, my sister-in-law made rocky road squares for us to snack on as we sat around and talked.

I can see pictures of food now and think about those days.  I can walk into a place and a familiar scent will be present.  It takes me back to the days of good food and good times. 

Happy Birthday Drew

Our grandson Drew turned 1 year old last week.  He is the son of Danielle and Andrew, our older son.  We were not home when they stopped by to tell us that they were expecting.  So they left Eric a box with a belated Christmas gift in it-a Baby UNC Tarheels sweatshirt.  As it turns out, we had just bought a baby baseball cap that said 'I'm the Boss', which apparently was something that Danielle said a lot when she was a little girl.  They had a reveal party a few months later where we found out that they were having a boy.  Blue balloons were released and floated up to the sky. 

On the night they went to the hospital, we sat with Danielle's mom in the waiting room.  When Andrew came out to get us, we asked who he looked like.  I never really thought that babies looked like anyone but themselves.  But Drew looked like his dad.  And still does. 

We kept him for a week-end last month so Andrew and Danielle could celebrate their anniversary.  What fun it was to build things with his blocks, play with his farm animals and stroll him around the neighborhood.  But my favorite thing was to rock him and read to him.  I hope he grows up to love reading and has his dad's imagination and talent for drawing. 

People have asked if I feel like it is 30 years ago since Drew looks so much like his dad did when he was one year old.  It seems like so long ago that Andrew was that age.  We are just enjoying watching our grandson grow and learn so many new things.  

We love you Drew and pray that you will have a long and happy life.  We pray for good health and that God will bless you in everything that you do.  You have made our lives so much better just by being born.

Granny B and Pops

Little House on the Prairie

When I was a little girl growing up in the 60s, one of my favorite books to read was Little House on the Prairie.  All of the books authored by Laura Ingalls Wilder were always checked out of the library at my elementary school.  I enjoyed reading about the different things that the family did, going to school and church and living in a cabin out on a farm.  It was hard to imagine that they only had 1 or 2 'nice' dresses or that the children received a stick of candy and a pair of knitted mittens for Christmas.  If crops were productive that year, the children might find a coin in their stocking or their own little cake for Christmas dinner.  The stories were written in a way that you never felt sorry for the family and Ma and Pa made sure that they had enough of what they needed. 

When the TV series was created, my mother was a dedicated follower.  I don't know if she could relate to the Ingalls family; getting milk from a cow for breakfast, dad killing an animal for meat for supper, chopping firewood to stay warm and sleeping under stacks of quilts in the winter.  One year when we were in the mountains, we found a set of Laura Ingalls Wilder books.  They were the same books that I had read as a little girl.  We gave my mom the set for Christmas, even though they were juvenile and paperback; not exactly an adult gift.  Those books stayed by her recliner in the winter where she would sit and read after she got home from work. 

My mom liked to travel and was able to visit many places.  She often talked about going to see the 'Little House in the Big Woods'.  The Ingalls family had lived in different states and I'm not sure which place my mother wanted to see.  Sadly, my mother passed away and was never able to go to any of the houses.

Last month when Eric and I were on vacation, our travels took us to Wisconsin, where Laura was born and lived during her childhood.  I had researched the route we would take and we would be near Pepin, Wisconsin.  We spent a little time at the museum where her things are displayed, then went to the replica cabin of the Ingalls home place.  It is built on the land they owned, a few miles from town.  There wasn't that much to see, the cabin is small with 2 areas off of the main room and a loft.  Indeed, it was a 'little house.'

I am glad that I got to fulfill the dream my mom had.   It brought back memories of the stories I read as a little girl. 

 But I wish my mom had been able to take a trip to see 'her friend Laura's house'.

We had the 'cool' house

After my dad built the putt putt course in our back yard, that is where you could find him every Saturday night.  With his 8 track tape player sitting on the picnic table and the speakers blaring blue grass and country music,  he would settle in for the night.  (If you are under the age of 40, please Google '8 track tape').   Since there weren't really any neighbors around and it was a dead end road, there were few complaints about the loud music.  If the fish had been biting at the river when he had recently gone fishing, supper was fried fish.  If daddy had come home empty handed, the menu for the night was T-bone steaks.  Usually it was just momma and daddy, but if someone happened to stop by, he sent her to the grocery store to pick up a few extra steaks.  Most of the time, there was always an extra person or two.  Everyone was welcome as long as you didn't turn the music down.  It was a lot of fun to be there, listening to the music, playing golf, laughing and joking around.  Good clean fun. 

When our sons were in high school, Eric and I built a garage.  It was a 2 car garage, but one side housed a rec room.  We put our old den furniture in it and bought a juke box from my uncle that he restored.  The juke box was from the 1970s and played 45s.  (If you are under the age of 40, please Google '45 record'.)  We put a dart board on the wall and bought a pool table.  Records from the 70s and 80s were loaded in the juke box and a sharpie pen was placed by the door for everyone to sign their name.  The crowd started coming over after football games, stopping long enough to grab a canned drink out of the refrigerator and sometimes pop a bag of popcorn.  Names were written on the back of the door and the music was turned up loud.  No matter how cold it was outside, the gang still came over.  We had a few basic rules that everyone knew, but as far as we know, they were never broken.  High school was soon over and the kids started college.  Weekends still found them at our house if they were home.  The college years flew by and wedding invitations started showing up in our mailbox.  We now see some of the guys, married and with children of their own. 

I am so glad that we were able to provide our sons and their friends with a place to hang out.  I hope they made some good memories and remember all of the times they laughed and joked around.  I hope our house was as cool as my parent's house. 

Happy birthday Daddy

Today is my dad's birthday.  He would have been 88 years old, but still looked like he was in his 40s. 

My dad was a quiet man, was slow to lose his temper and never raised his voice.  I wish I could say that I got his good qualities but sadly, I did not.  My dad worked in the automobile plants for a few years in Michigan before coming back to Belmont to live.  He took a course in TV/radio/stereo repairs and opened his own business in the front room of our home.  My dad carried a big case with TV tubes in it when he would go to someone's house on a call.  Years later I had someone tell me that she remembered my dad and how tall he was and the big tube case he carried. 

My parents were given a mill house to be moved onto a lot that they owned.  My dad had great plans to restore the house but most of his talents were not anything that could be used on the house.  After he had 'finished' with the house, he decided to build a putt-putt course in the backyard.  The lot was pretty big and there were no neighbors behind us.  My dad made the sides and different obstacles for each of the holes.  Astroturf was installed and my sister-in-law painted a sign to hang up.  When the grandkids came over to play, my dad was completely in Heaven.  It was exactly what he had hoped it would be, a place for anyone to be a kid.  Especially him.

Happy birthday daddy. 

 

 

Happy birthday Georgia!

Our granddaughter Georgia had her 3rd birthday two weeks ago.  I cannot begin to say how badly I feel that I did not blog about her on her special day. 

I remember the night that our son and daughter-in-law told us that they were expecting a baby.  We each received a book titled 'Grandma, Grandpa and Me'.  Inside was something written by the baby about meeting us in a few months.  The time went by quickly for us and soon we found ourselves at the hospital.  Georgia was in no hurry to be born so we were there for the entire day.  It's hard to believe that you can instantly fall in love with someone but we did. 

I was lucky enough to be a stay at home Granny B while my daughter-in-law went back to work.  Her other grandmother and I 'baby-shared' during the week for the first 2 years.  I enjoyed holding her and rocking her to sleep.  I loved reading her books to her and snuggling with her.  We would sing and make animal sounds.  Those 2 years went by just as quickly as the time she was in her mommy's tummy.  Then she started preschool.

The past year has been such a growing time for her.  She started speaking in complete sentences, looks like a little girl instead of a toddler and has gotten her independence.  When Eric and I walked in the afternoon, we would see her on the playground at her school.  She would run to the fence and want us to hold her.  Usually she would get sad when we had to leave and her mommy wasn't there to pick her up yet.  After a few weeks, she would run to the fence, hug our necks then run back to her friends.  Now when she is on the swings, she waves to us.  Never stopping or climbing off of the monkey bars to talk to B and Pops. 

Our granddaughter will be starting full time preschool again this week when her mommy starts back to work after being home this summer on maternity leave.  Time for her to learn more exciting things and make more friends. 

We love you Georgia and pray that you will have a long and happy life.  We pray for good health and that God will bless you in everything that you do.  You have made our lives so much better just by being born. 

Granny B and Pops

Going Home

My mother was diagnosed with cancer 4 years ago.  When the doctor gave her a time frame for living, she started making plans with us to ensure everything was taken care of.  She told us what dress she wanted to be buried in, she picked the pallbearers, requested the honorary pallbearers, told my sister the specific singer and the song she wanted sung at her funeral and made sure her will was up to date.  She also told us about a poem that she wanted read at her grave.  During the 7 weeks that she lived, we reminisced about the good times and recalled happy memories.  We all said our good-byes to her and tried to keep her comfortable in her last days.  My mother knew that she was going to a better place but knew that we would all miss her.  As we made arrangements after she passed for the funeral to be later in the week, we asked her pastor/friend to read the poem at the graveside.  Hoping that we had done all of the things that she wanted us to for that time, we sat in the chairs at the cemetery as he read the poem.  When he reached the 3rd line, a huge gust of wind blew around the tent.  On a hot humid afternoon in July, we knew she had reached home. 

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am that swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.

God's Creation

I have always been amazed at the ocean and all of the power that it holds.  I can sit and look at the water and listen to the waves all day long.  I look at maps and how much of the Earth is covered by water.  I think 'even if the ocean was only 1 inch deep everywhere, there would still be a massive amount of water'.  To think that the depth of the ocean is miles deep in certain areas is hard to understand.  To think of all of the animals that live in the water and the size of some of them can be hard to comprehend.  To realize what force the water can have during a storm can make a person be more cautious.

And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."  Genesis 1:6.  All he had to do was speak and the waters were here.  Not build them, not spend years creating the water.  Speak and it was done.  How truly powerful God is. 

Happy Birthday Eric

Today is my husband Eric's birthday.  As I thought about what to write on my blog, many thoughts ran through my mind.  I thought about how respectful he was to my parents when we first met and how nice he was to my family.  I thought about him helping me cut my sister and brother-in-law's grass when they were on vacation, even though he had only met them once.  I thought about the times that he dropped everything and would go when his parents called him and asked him to come do something for them.  I thought about the times that he worked out of town during storm damage with the phone company and was gone for 2-3 weeks at a time.  I thought about how he took care of his dad in the few months before his dad died.  There were many thoughts racing through my mind and I knew I could be here all day typing away.  How do you pick out a few things to write about when there are so many that could describe someone like Eric?  You don't.  I just hope that anyone who reads this blog already knows him and knows all that he has done in his 55 years.  And I hope that everyone knows how much I love and appreciate him.

Happy birthday to the best husband, dad, father-in-law and Pops. 

Always Remember

In the late 70s and early 80s, my parents took a lot of one day trips.  They would fly out of Charlotte at 6:00am and return around midnight the same day.  The tour group would be picked up in the city they were visiting and would go to all of the tourist sites.  This was a good way for my parents to travel since they only had to miss one day of work, all of the arrangements had been made for them and they never had to drive anywhere.

One of the earliest places where they went was New York City.  They were excited to see the Empire State Building, World Trade Center, Rockefeller Center and eat lunch at Chinatown.  As they were on the ferry to Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty, my dad asked my mother what her thoughts were then.  My mother said, "as a little girl growing up in the country, I never thought I would see this".  My mother then asked my dad what he was thinking.  His response was, "I am thinking about all of the service men in WWII who were coming home and the first thing they saw was the Statue of Liberty."

I wonder if the service men on the ships cheered as they came into the harbor.  I wonder if the men kept looking at their watches, wondering if they would ever make it home.  I wonder if the men stepped off of the ships and thanked God they were back on American ground.  I wonder if the men saw an American flag and teared up at the beautiful colors and what they represented.  I wonder if the men thought of the many who didn't make it home.

Always remember Memorial Day and what this day means to the United States of America.

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mother's birthday.  I can think of a lot of things to write about her but I picked one subject that I felt described her perfectly.

When I was around 10 years old, my mother and aunt had just started taking a sewing class at the local community college.  My mother bought a sewing machine and could really make that machine hum.  Around that time, I started going to church with a friend.  Since I had not previously attended church, I had a limited amount of dresses.  My mom, knowing that I would want to have nice things like the other girls at the church, started making my dress clothes.  She would buy a pattern that had 3-4 different styles of dresses and a variety of cloth.  She could make a short sleeved dress out of a solid color material with a polka dot color jacket.  The extra polka dot material was used to make a skirt or jumper.  She could always find cloth on sale at different stores and use the same pattern over and over again.  For 3-4 years I had dresses that were as nice or nicer than you could buy in a store. 

When my mom passed away and we were cleaning out my parents house, we found her big sewing hamper.  Inside were remnants of cloth that she had used over the years.  Included was material that had been used to make my dresses for Easter, church camp and other special occasions.  I cut a 1 inch square from each piece to bring home with me.  I really didn't need to keep any of it, I can still see some of these dresses in my mind when I think about those days.   But when I see this small stack of cloth, I am reminded of the time and sacrifices that my mom made for me. 

Happy Birthday momma.

New grandson

This afternoon Eric and I will become Pops and Granny B for the 3rd time.  This is a happy time for our family and we are excited to see who he looks like and how his big sister reacts to him.

My parents and in-laws are all deceased.  When the first grandchild was born, only my father-in-law was still alive.  His comments about her still make us laugh as we remember them. 

Eric and I believe that only good things are talked about in Heaven.  My father passed away several years ago when all of his grandchildren were young.  He missed Eagle Scout ceremonies, high school and college graduations, grandchildren's weddings and great-grandchildren births.  I hope that when my mother passed away, she was able to tell my dad about all of the things that had happened since he was gone.  I know he would have liked to have been here and I know my mother missed having him by her side.

Out of the 8 great-grandparents that our new grandson would have, only 2 are still alive.  I think the 6 who are no longer with us, picked this baby out for us.  I can see my mother rocking and singing to him just like I think she did before my 2 other grands and my nieces children were born.

This morning as the baby is preparing to be born, I think the 6 great-grandparents are holding him one last time and saying good-bye to him.  I think they are whispering "I love you and I will always watch over you."

Welcome to world little one.  We can't wait to meet you.

Home Sweet Home

When Eric and I first started dating, he was giving me directions to his house.  I went down the road frequently but didn't know where he lived.  He told me it was a brick house and there was a big Christmas tree in the front yard.  The next time I went by, I knew exactly where he lived.  After we had been dating a few weeks, we stopped by and he introduced me to his parents.  They were hanging vertical blinds in their den.  Those blinds hung there for 35 years. 


Eric lived in this house until we were married.  There was a big fenced yard and a pasture in the back.  For a while, they had horses until the barn was blown down in a storm.  His dad always had a garden and his mom canned green beans and tomatoes.  She would freeze corn and would make pear preserves.  There were apple trees and peach trees and in the summer, homemade ice cream was made with fresh peaches. 


The house had 3 bedrooms but after Eric was born, one of the bedrooms was turned into a den.  The living room was only used for Christmas.  There was a big picture window in the front of the house where the Christmas tree always sat.  The attic had a fan that would cool the whole house at night after everyone had gone to bed.  Many birthdays and cookouts were held in the backyard.  Growing up there was lots of laughter from cousins visiting for the weekend.

We found the original house plans and paperwork in the attic.  Each week starting in Feb 1951, Eric's dad would buy something for the house; bricks, wood, plaster, paint, etc...  The prices are written on each invoice from the lumber company. 


We sold the house a year ago this month.    It was bittersweet to sign the papers knowing that the house had been Eric's parents home since being built.  The buyers had never owned a house.  We hope that they will be making memories in the house for many years to come.  And we hope that Muriel and James would be proud that this family now calls the brick house their 'home'.

He is Risen

When Eric and I were cleaning out his parents house a few years ago, we would find things that were broken or missing some pieces.  We would place those in an area while we continued looking and most of the time find the part that was needed.  One of the things that we found was an old nativity set from the 1960s that Eric could remember being set out for Christmas.  It was made out of hard plastic, with a barn and animals.  Mary and Joseph were near it, but we could not find baby Jesus.  We put all of the items in a box and kept cleaning.  As the attic became empty, we kept looking for Jesus.  We searched between the wooden floor slats, in the insulation, anywhere that something could have fallen and not been seen.  When everything was out of the attic, we made one last sweep to look for anything forgotten.  We had a flashlight and looked thoroughly all over to make sure we had not overlooked anything. 


As we were looking through the box holding the nativity set, we didn't know whether or not to throw it away.  Being the nostalgic and sentimental person that I am, I wanted to keep it and display it at our house.  But as Eric looked at each piece, he made the comment, "You can't have a manger scene without Jesus.  It isn't Christmas if you don't have Jesus".  The decision was made to throw it away. 


During the Easter season when the flowers are blooming and Easter egg hunts are taking place, we should remember that it isn't Easter without Jesus.  Christmas is about a baby, Easter is about a man.  A man who loved us enough to die for us.  A man that would rise again and would live forever.  A man.  Not chocolate bunnies, not new outfits, not a day off from work. 


A man.  A Savior.

Who Has Shaped My Life

I started attending church when I was 10 years old after being invited by my piano teacher's daughter.  There was always something going on for children and youth.  Weenie roasts, volleyball games, camping trips, anything to keep the kids involved.  The members of the church were always willing to do anything that was needed.  These same people were there for me when I got married, had children and when my father passed away.  I was a member for 25 years and firmly believe that what I was taught there helped to shape my life.


During the summer when school was out and I was too young to stay by myself while my parents worked, I stayed with my uncle and aunt.  My mom took me by their house every morning and I let myself in the back door.  My uncle wasn't there, he had already left to go have coffee with his friends.  When I would pass by their bedroom, I would hear my aunt reading her Bible and praying.  She wasn't loud, I would not have heard her had I not been in the next room.  Her everyday life mirrored how she acted behind closed doors.  That was MANY years ago but I believe she helped to shape my life.


I attended elementary school in the 1960s and rules were a lot different then.  Students were allowed to advance in subjects even if their classmates did not.  You could play dodge ball without complaining that someone hit you with the ball.  Every participant did not get a ribbon on field day, only the winners were recognized.  I had teachers who would encourage me in the subjects that I excelled at and help me with the ones I struggled with.  I can remember all of my teacher's names even though it was a long time ago.  They helped to shape my life to what it is today.


I have a great aunt that I have written about before.  She lived in the apartment beside of us when Eric and I got married.  She was a gentle soul who never raised her voice or gossiped.  I wish I could say that living near her made me be like her,  but I can't.   The memory of her quiet voice will always stay with me.  She will never know, but she helped to shape my life.


My parents grew up in the Depression Era.  Like everyone else, they did not have much.  Yet they worked hard, shared what they had, raised 3 children and loved us dearly.  Family meant the world to them and they helped us out many times.  I wish I had told them how much I appreciated all that they did, somehow I think they knew.   They shaped me every day.


My life could have taken on many shapes without these people.  They have made me what I am today.  I hope one day someone will think that I was a good influence in their life.  What a wonderful thing to be.

Family get-togethers

When I was growing up, my mother's side of the family had a yearly reunion in a neighboring state.  It was held on a Sunday in the state park about 2 hours from our home and my grandmother's sister and cousins would all come and people would sit around and visit.  The reunion started in 1960, the year I was born and I think it was the only time my mother missed going until the late 1990s. 


In watching all of our home movies, I have seen the way things have changed over the years.  The women were all in dresses and heels and the men had on suits.  Even the kids were dressed in their best clothes.  My mother would spend all day on Saturday cooking when the event was first held.  In later years, there were boxes of chicken that people would stop and purchase on the way.  I can remember the homemade desserts and the cakes that were 4 layers high, that were later replaced with a store bought cake in a plastic container.


As things changed and people could not attend because of work or choir practice or other functions that were important, the attendance grew smaller.   The family members who wanted to keep it going were no longer able to do so. 


Times are different now.  Homemade ice cream takes too long to make and we just can't sit for 2 hours while it freezes in the churn.  People live in neighborhoods and they don't have a yard big enough to play softball or horseshoes.  It's easier to meet in a restaurant to eat and not have to cook or clean up. 


The weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer.  Think about getting together with some old friends.   Be prepared to laugh and have a good time.  And if you need something to bring your food in, I have a container that you can borrow. 


It belonged to my mother and she used it many times to take food to the Bailey reunion.  It's full of good memories.

What I Write About

There is an episode of the Waltons where John Boy has written a story and submitted it to a magazine to be published.  As he is telling his dad and grandpa about sending it in, his dad asks him what he writes about.  John Boy replies, "I write about us mostly".  His dad tells him that he doesn't really think that there is much to tell about the Waltons.  They are just living their lives up on the mountain, day to day normal adventures.


Someone has asked what I blog about.  Different things, some of the posts would not mean anything unless they are a family member or a friend.  But I still blog every few days and maybe what I publish will help someone who needs a quick pick-up.  Nothing profound, nothing mind blowing.  It's all in how you look at life.


I write about us mostly.

Home movies

When my mother passed away a few years ago and we were cleaning out my parent's house, we found their old home movies and projector.  Several of the more recent movies had been transferred to DVDs, but there was still a box of the small reels and Super 8 reels.  I brought them home and put them away thinking one day soon I would transfer them. 


One day turned into 3 years and yesterday Eric and I spent the day watching old home movies.  Some of the movies had been spliced together and were labeled.  Some were just on a reel and it took watching them a few times to finally realize what it was. 


As we sat in our darkened den with no sound except the clicking of the projector, we were taken back many years.  There were vacations, Christmas and Easter films, reunions, weddings and other times.  When we would see one of my cousins at a young age Eric would ask "now who is that?  Wow, she looks just like your aunt."  Other times the comments ranged from "your niece looks more like you than your sister" to "you can never tell what year it is because your dad looked the same all the time." 


One part was my sister's 8th grade dance.  I asked my sister who had made the film and my mother had gone that night to the school.  It was 1962 and hearing that my mom made a movie of everyone made me suddenly feel very rich.  I had seen these home movies before and knew we had a camera in the early 60s.  But now I wondered what my parents had sacrificed to be able to purchase what must have been an extravagant expense. 


I am sure if my parents were here and I could ask what made them buy a camera when surely there were other things that were needed more, they would tell me that they wanted those memories to be here long after they were gone. 


The projector and screen are still set up in our den.  We will finish watching the stack of old movies tonight and have our list to be transferred this weekend.  And I hope if my mom and dad can see us, they will know how much my sister, brother and I appreciate them looking into the future so that we could look into the past.

Happy Birthday Andrew

In 1992,  Eric had an opportunity to work in Florida to restore phone service after a hurricane had hit.  He was going to be gone for a few months, coming home every second or third week-end.  Since our families were close by and our church friends were here if anything happened, Eric made the decision to go. 


Our son Andrew was 9 years old during this time and one night I noticed him going into each room before we went to bed.  After watching him do this for a few nights, I questioned what he was doing.  An elderly person at our church had told Andrew that since his dad was gone, he would be the 'man of the house'.  Andrew had taken his duties quite seriously and was going behind me and checking the doors and windows to make sure they were locked. 


He still takes those 'man of the house' duties to heart.  What a great feeling to know that we have raised him to be a good protector and a good provider. 


Andrew, you are a good husband, father and son.  We love you very much.


Happy birthday Andrew.

Welcome Spring

We live in the south where the winters are mostly mild.  This year we have had 2 snow storms, the most recent shut everything down.  It is so hard to imagine spring and warm weather being so close when you have a fire in the fireplace and snow is on the ground. 

A few days after the sun had come out and the snow was melting, I looked at the plants that we have growing in our yard.  Brushing away the pine needles and dead leaves, I saw the beginning of new life.  Knowing that in a few short weeks, flowers will start to bloom, leaves will grow on the trees and everything will be green again. 



God has a plan for everything.
Ecclesiastes says

1	To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2	a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.

	May you always be patient and know that God will restore beauty to your life.

Please email me

If you are enjoying my blog, please send me an email at agsummer@bellsouth.net.  I will not print anything you write and I will not respond unless you request it.  Thanks.
Bridget Summerville

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope your day is full of love and happiness.  Please let everyone know how much you appreciate all that they do.  Remember, Valentine's Day is only 1 day a year, so don't let those "I love you's", "You make me happy", "I appreciate you", only be spoken today.  Hallmark and American Greetings sell cards the other 364 days of the year.  Russell Stover and Whitman's samplers can be bought all year long.  Florists have roses, tulips and carnations in July also.  Think about it.


Happy Valentine's Day.

Happy Birthday Paul

When our kids were younger, we would always try to be positive in anything that they did.  We would praise their accomplishments like making the honor roll, entering the Reflections Contest, winning the spelling or geography bee, etc... Anything that they had worked for, we would try to acknowledge it in a big way.  We would put a sign in the yard, buy a cake/giant cookie, go to their favorite restaurant or something that would let them know that we were proud of them.


When Paul was 11, I took a computer class at the local community college.  It was a 2 morning a week, 3-4 week class.  At the end of the course, we received a certificate with our name that stated that we had successfully completed the class.  I brought it home and left it in on the table. 


I had a small wooden chest in our bedroom that I kept cross stitch material, thread, and assorted frames and mats.  Nothing fancy, just some odds and ends.  When I came back that afternoon, my certificate was laying on the kitchen counter.  Paul had gotten a frame out of the chest and 'framed' my certificate.  He wanted me to know that he was proud of me.


Paul, you have always been a very thoughtful young man.  You are a good husband, father and son.  We love you very much.


Happy birthday Paul.

Lazy Sundays

When I was growing up, we used to visit my Granny on Sunday afternoons.  She lived about 5 miles away and my mom and I would go to her house.  When we would leave, we would drive another 5 miles to the two stores that my mother liked to go.  One of these stores closed many years ago.  It was the kind of store that carried everything.  Clothes, electronics, tools, etc...  The other store has now announced that they are closing in the next few weeks. 


I decided that I wanted to go walk around this store last Sunday.  It has been remodeled so nothing is like it was back in the 60s.  But I could go to the exact spot where years ago, the ICEE machine was and where they sold nuts that had been under a sun lamp, staying warm.  Sometimes, the store would have a sale on giant candy bars that were divided into squares.  Each square had a letter on it and it would spell out the name of the candy company.  My mother was a chocoholic so she would always buy them.  This was the same store that I would buy the necklace or earrings that I usually got for my mom for Christmas.


As Eric and I wandered around, we were both saying "this is where the garden supplies were, this is where the toys were", etc...


The last aisle I went down was where I would spend my time during Christmas.  It was the sporting goods aisle.  My dad loved to fish and I always bought him a pack of purple or black rubber worms, a roll of fishing line and a package of red/white corks.


As we walked out, I thought back to the days that I spent in that store in the 'big city'.  Lazy Sunday afternoons with nothing to do but walk around and smell the popcorn and wait for the Blue Light Specials.

Snow cream

Since I live in the south, we do not get snow every winter.  On the rare occasions over the years that we got enough to accumulate, my mother would always make snow cream.  Nothing like ice cream, this is a lot better.  She always used evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla.  No set recipe, just add the ingredients until it tasted like you wanted.  Fluffy or soupy.  We had a big metal bowl and spoon that she always used.  Add it all in, stir it up and dish it out. 


After both of my parents passed away and we started cleaning out their house, there was the big metal bowl.  Under the cabinet, waiting to be used again for that once a year treat.  I brought it home where it made its way under my cabinet in anticipation of a good snowfall. 


It snowed this week.  The second time since I have owned the bowl and spoon.  I made snow cream.  For a few brief minutes I was back in one of my childhood homes where my mom was adding just enough milk and vanilla to turn it from white to off-white.  It was a rare treat and one that reminded me of a time long ago. 


Thanks mom for sending the snow.  I had a bowl for you.

Scouting for Food-Feb 1, 2014

My sons were active in Scouts and always participated in Scouting for Food.  Years ago, this event was held in November so people would have food for a good Thanksgiving or Christmas meal. The dens/troop would go out one Saturday, leave a bag on mailboxes in the community and the next Saturday go back to pick up any food that the homeowners had left.  The food picked up would be taken to the local food bank to be distributed to anyone who needed it.  The bags contained anything from 1-2 cans to being full. 

I have never been hungry, nor has my family ever gone without a meal.  My mother went to the grocery store every week and we always had food. 

My sister was in Girl Scouts several years ago.  Her troop was making fruit baskets to distribute at Christmastime.  I'm not sure who they would be given to, church shut-ins, names gotten from the local community organization or whoever.  Each girl was told what to bring so that they would have a variety of items.  My sister was supposed to bring 2 oranges.  Just 2.  Nothing else.  When she told my dad what she was supposed to bring, I am sure many thoughts went through my dad's mind.  My dad had grown up during the depression when people didn't have much.  A trip was made to the local grocery store where he proceeded to buy 2 BAGS of oranges-because as he later told my sister, "I know what it's like to be hungry'.

At Christmas if you visit my parent's grave, you will see an orange sitting on the headstone.  From me with love.

Never underestimate the power of a card

The price of postage went up today.  People are banking/paying bills on line and have cut down on mailing payments.  Christmas cards are now being sent by email or being posted on Facebook.  Invitations to showers and birthdays are now sent electronically.  Very few personal items are 'snailed mailed' anymore.

All of the above are fine with me.  However, something that I will never stop mailing are sympathy cards.  Until you receive a card during one of the hardest times in your life, you will never understand how much a card can mean.  Holding something in your hand and rereading it over the period of a few weeks can help the healing process.  Seeing a small note written at the bottom or just someone's name can make you feel that someone understands what you are going through.  I can remember my Aunt Bennie asking for stamps and boxes of cards for her birthday and Christmas so that she could send them to her friends.  I never understood why she didn't want something for herself since she was on a fixed income and couldn't buy a lot of things like clothes or books, etc..  I now know the good feeling she got when someone would tell her that her card meant a lot to them. 

When my father passed away several years ago, we had a spray made with 7 dozen red roses.  One for each of us children, the 3 children-in-laws and my mom.  Roses were my dad's favorite flower and since it was Christmas we chose red.  About a week later, I received a card from 2 very dear friends of ours with a poem about a rose.  I am sure that this couple had looked for just the right card to send since they had seen the flower arrangement.  20 years later when my mom passed, I remembered the card and asked to have the poem printed on her memorial program.

We will always treasure the cards received after the passing of our parents.  They are tucked away, in a box in our attic and forever in our hearts.

 The Rose Still Blooms

A rose once grew where all could see

Sheltered beside a garden wall,

And as the days passed swiftly by

It spreads its branches, straight and tall.

One day a beam of light shown through

A crevice had opened wide,

The rose bent gently toward its warmth

Then passed beyond to the other side.

Now, you who deeply feel its loss

Be comforted-the rose blooms there,

Its beauty even greater now

Nurtured by God's own care.


My day at the gym

The other day I drove a different vehicle to the gym.  I did not realize until I pulled into the parking lot that I had left my ear buds at home.  My gym has 10 TVs hanging from the ceiling with different channels programmed.  You can plug in while you are on the treadmill and listen to music or watch TV.  Since I needed my ear buds to listen to the sound on the TV, I thought I would go in and work out with free weights and forgo walking on the treadmill.


After finishing my workout, I thought I would walk on the treadmill for about 10 minutes, quietly, without any sound.  As I was walking and looking at the programs on the TVs, I started making up what the people were saying on the shows.


Cooking show host making a cake-"Don't try this at home.  This is my 6th try, the ingredients are expensive and you could buy something cheaper and save yourself a lot of trouble."


Home improvement show/buyers are viewing houses to buy/potential male buyer-"Look at all of those clothes in that closet.  It's a good thing I'm not married to her.  She would bankrupt us on shoes alone".


Bridal show/mom and dad and best friend are waiting on the bride to come out in a potential wedding gown-Best friend "You are going to pop out." Mom "You will never be able to bend over or hug anyone in that dress." Dad-"If you think I am paying $6000 on a dress to wear for 5 hours, you're crazy".


Weather channel-Meteorologist "I don't really know if it is going to snow or not.  Your guess is as good as mine."


TV drama/murder plot-Male detective "What motive could the wife have for wanting the husband dead?"  Female detective "Maybe he left his dirty socks on the floor".


I ended up staying my usual time on the treadmill.  It was fun to make up dialogues to the shows.  But probably the other walkers didn't appreciate me laughing out loud.

My book

For those of you who have recently inquired about my book-Yes, it is still available.  I only have them at my house but I will be glad to meet you somewhere.  It is $10 and you may look at it before you pay.  If you are completely satisfied, then you can pay me.  Facebook me-Bridget Summerville or email me at agsummer@bellsouth.net. 


Go to the start of this blog in Oct and Nov 2013 to see pictures and get an idea of my childhood dream.

Happy Birthday Danielle!

Yesterday was my daughter-in-law's birthday.  I'm sorry I am late posting this.


Danielle and Andrew have been married over 3 years.  She was going to college, while working a full time job when we first met her.  She also managed to play on a co-ed soccer team.  Since they have married, she has gone back to school to get her masters degree.  Again, while working a full time job and being married. 


When your children are of dating age, you pray that they will find the person that God wanted for them.  Eric and I feel that Andrew and Danielle are God's choices for one another.  They have made decisions together and been there for each other with unfailing support.


They are the parents of a 4 month old son, Drew.  We see the love they have for him and how happy he has made them.  What more could we ask for?


Happy birthday Danielle.

Our extended family

When both of our sons started dating, Eric and I would talk about the future daughters-in-law and their families.  Since we live in my hometown, several of my sons classmates were children of my classmates.  When our younger son brought his date home one night and introduced her, Eric realized that he knew the date's mother.  Eric and the mother had both grown up in the same town about 1 mile from each other.  They knew mutual friends and relatives.  This young lady would become daughter-in-law #1.  Daughter-in-law # 2 came a few years later. 


We knew that we would be sharing holidays and birthdays with our extended families when both sons were married. We knew that we would be spending time in a hospital one day, waiting on grandchildren to be born.  We hoped that our families would be able to laugh together and that we would enjoy spending time with them.  That was a huge understatement.  We LOVE their families.   Some of them are not close enough for us to visit like we wish we could.  Hopefully one day they will be.  Some of them have been there for us when we were going through hard times. 


I hope that when your family starts to grow with in-laws and grandchildren, that you are as fortunate as we were.  And I hope that your extended family is as wonderful as ours.

My blessings

About 15 years ago, my family decided that we wanted to start a new Christmas Eve tradition.  After attending church, the 4 of us came home to eat dinner.  When our plates were fixed and we sat down, we would go around the table and take turns telling what we were thankful for that year and what we hoped the new year would bring.  Since our sons were in school it was usually, 'I am thankful that I made the soccer team and I hope to be on the honor roll next year'.  Eric and I were always thankful for good health and good jobs.  As Andrew and Paul got older, their statements changed to "I'm thankful I got my license", "I'm thankful I got into college", "I'm thankful I met my future wife", "I'm thankful I got a good job", "I'm thankful I was able to buy a house". 

For the past 3 Christmases, we have all been thankful that God has blessed us with a beautiful granddaughter.  This year we were thankful that God has given us a wonderful grandson.  In 2014, we will again be able to say "we are thankful that God has given us another grandson."

I don't know what I ever did to deserve my blessings.  But I do know that I thank God everyday for all that I have.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.  May that be truly said of us, and all of us! 

As we start the new year, try to follow Ebenezer Scrooge's example in your life.