My friend on Facebook posted a picture of her Christmas Tree. It was filled with Silver Icicles. It brought back so many memories as a child and Christmas. Mother started early decorating with red bows, lots of hard candy, she put out bowls of nuts with a nutcracker. I have that same nutcracker and bowl. I use it to this day at Christmas.!
Would not get rid of it for anything. I think when I die it will probably be put in a yard sale or garbage. I have tried to tell my children of these things but I really don't think it is important to them as it is to me.
THEN UP WENT THE CHRISTMAS TREE. Always a real tree and big!!!! But then after I left home and things became more modern, she purchased an artificial tree. I did not like those things. I always used a real tree with my family until they all left home and it was just us! Now we have a prelit tree.
I remember one time she even bought a silver tree...uhmmm...not sure I liked that. Seemed to artificial!!!and of course it was!
Back to the tree, we would put the bulbs on after mother put the lights on. Big red , blue, green, yellow bulbs that were as big as a pickle! The fun part was standing back , admiring the tree then we would throw the icicles on the tree!!! Most of them bunch up, mother would holler, fix that! she was a very stickler for neatness!!!! Not me, I loved the feeling of being free, wild and wooly! lol! The icicles were just plain fun to throw on the tree...then stand back and admire your handywork! Alot fell on the floor which we had to clean up!
I let my three children do the same thing, let them be free but honey would say, put them on right! He was like mother, NEAT!!!! Except that has changed quite a bit as he has matured!
Christmas was such a wonderful time as a child, excited as to what Santa would bring us, different food, candy tha we didn't have at any other time of the year. Now remember this was in Miami ,Florida and it was warm! Not expecting any snow, infact didn't even think about snow. I did not own a coat until I went to college in Nashville Tn. Only owned a sweater, no long sleeves just short ones or sleeveless. Now one winter it did get pretty cold, dad would put the gas heater that he would fill with propane gas, pump it up and then get each of us children up one at a time. We would run to the living room ,back up to the heater and shiver. Cold was a new feature for us!
If I remember one time it snowed a few flakes in January with my new hubby. But then again another winter we went swimming on January First!!!!
Times were good for me as a child. Dad made a good living, mother stayed home and kept up in beautiful clothes, feed us wonderful food, kept a beautiful clean home. Then I left as an eighteen year old to college ,on to my married life where I began to make my way. I never could keep house like my mother but that is ok, it is my style.
I trust each one has a good Christmas, life has taken such turns that it has been hard to keep up. I wish for my children the best of life, happiness, peace with all that has taken place. That is my wish for my self.
To God be the glory. Merry Christmas.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thanksgiving
In just a few hours we will be celebrating a day of thanks. But that should be everyday not just on the fourth
Thursday of November. I find myself being somewhat sad. Why? I ask myself, you have everything to be thankful for...health, wonderful husband who is so faithful to me, food on the table, able to hold a second job ( although I fuss all the time!), pay my bills; you get the picture. But as I remember of those days when when we had children that times were spent with family at someones home. Now we try to find a good restaurant to eat then come home to watch football....honey loves the Cowboys!
As a child, mother would cook the most wonderful turkey dinner, my dad loved her cooking as I did. She taught me so many things that are still ingrained in me. As I get older I realize what a wonderful mother and father I had. I will have to post another time on her.
But back to thanksgiving, when honey and I married we never stayed at home for holidays, off we would go in our rickety car, driving all night or day to their homes,where we would find such wonderful smells , warm beds and arms of comfort. Maybe that is what I miss now, the arms of comfort. Our day of Thanksgiving or Christmas were filled of eating, napping, playing games and watching the children play with their toys.
It has been many years that that has happened. Now our children each have their own families ,traditions to establish , while living so far away. We at this point of our lives should be going to their homes but due to circumstances we cannot. That I feel is so sad. I would love to feel the arms of my children, my grandchildren but that is not to be.
The times that we are living in seem to make us farther apart or have we let it happen? Time will tell.
So this Thursday, November 24, 2011, we will spend with honeys family. We will feel the hugs of their grandchildren, wishing for ours. We will enjoy it because we are thankful for the Love of God, His grace that has kept us, saving us so that we can one day we can be with those that have gone ahead of us.
Vann, along with my parents, honeys parents, grandparents, are missed so much that we do feel sad.
I am Thankful that God allowed me to mother three children, Windy, Vann and Jeff, be a wife to my husband of 52 years, be an example to others of what the love of Christ can do for them.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL.
Thursday of November. I find myself being somewhat sad. Why? I ask myself, you have everything to be thankful for...health, wonderful husband who is so faithful to me, food on the table, able to hold a second job ( although I fuss all the time!), pay my bills; you get the picture. But as I remember of those days when when we had children that times were spent with family at someones home. Now we try to find a good restaurant to eat then come home to watch football....honey loves the Cowboys!
As a child, mother would cook the most wonderful turkey dinner, my dad loved her cooking as I did. She taught me so many things that are still ingrained in me. As I get older I realize what a wonderful mother and father I had. I will have to post another time on her.
But back to thanksgiving, when honey and I married we never stayed at home for holidays, off we would go in our rickety car, driving all night or day to their homes,where we would find such wonderful smells , warm beds and arms of comfort. Maybe that is what I miss now, the arms of comfort. Our day of Thanksgiving or Christmas were filled of eating, napping, playing games and watching the children play with their toys.
It has been many years that that has happened. Now our children each have their own families ,traditions to establish , while living so far away. We at this point of our lives should be going to their homes but due to circumstances we cannot. That I feel is so sad. I would love to feel the arms of my children, my grandchildren but that is not to be.
The times that we are living in seem to make us farther apart or have we let it happen? Time will tell.
So this Thursday, November 24, 2011, we will spend with honeys family. We will feel the hugs of their grandchildren, wishing for ours. We will enjoy it because we are thankful for the Love of God, His grace that has kept us, saving us so that we can one day we can be with those that have gone ahead of us.
Vann, along with my parents, honeys parents, grandparents, are missed so much that we do feel sad.
I am Thankful that God allowed me to mother three children, Windy, Vann and Jeff, be a wife to my husband of 52 years, be an example to others of what the love of Christ can do for them.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
I Just Melted
Last night I was watching the ballgame being played in Miami. That is my hometown. You could see the wind blowing against the sleeves of players uniforms, making the sleeves flutter in the night. I just melted.
Memories flooded back into my soul of my childhood. Mother , dad, home on 163rd st, no airconditioner, my brothers and sisters, school, church, friends, must I go on?
Then I remembered that mother and dad had passed away and their remains are inturred at Lithgow. My grandparents on both sides are there with my brother. I just melted.
Memories of that day in 2010 when I recieved the devasting news that a mother and father could hear. Your son has been killed. I just melted.
My hands flew to my breast where I held my son 47 years ago , carassed his hair, kissed his face, held him close to my breast and whispered into his ear, "I love you". I just melted.
So many memories that flooded my heart as my eyes flooded with tears.
The salty mist of the ocean while the winds flow around me was so over whelming the I just melted.
Smells of home, cookies baking, home cooked meals, sunny skies,the breezes always blowing, smells of fresh laundry was just too much. I just melted.
Not being able to see my son as he laid dead in South Carolina was just more that I could handle, I just melted into the most throbbing crying . My husband could not stand it no longer. He told me to "just handle it" which I did. I went to bed. God has been with me through all of the tears, sorrow, holding me up in His everlasting arms. I just melted into His care.
I know that "all things work for good to them that love God" (my phrases) I continue to pray that God will show me what those good things are. I am open to His care. I melted into His care.
Memories flooded back into my soul of my childhood. Mother , dad, home on 163rd st, no airconditioner, my brothers and sisters, school, church, friends, must I go on?
Then I remembered that mother and dad had passed away and their remains are inturred at Lithgow. My grandparents on both sides are there with my brother. I just melted.
Memories of that day in 2010 when I recieved the devasting news that a mother and father could hear. Your son has been killed. I just melted.
My hands flew to my breast where I held my son 47 years ago , carassed his hair, kissed his face, held him close to my breast and whispered into his ear, "I love you". I just melted.
So many memories that flooded my heart as my eyes flooded with tears.
The salty mist of the ocean while the winds flow around me was so over whelming the I just melted.
Smells of home, cookies baking, home cooked meals, sunny skies,the breezes always blowing, smells of fresh laundry was just too much. I just melted.
Not being able to see my son as he laid dead in South Carolina was just more that I could handle, I just melted into the most throbbing crying . My husband could not stand it no longer. He told me to "just handle it" which I did. I went to bed. God has been with me through all of the tears, sorrow, holding me up in His everlasting arms. I just melted into His care.
I know that "all things work for good to them that love God" (my phrases) I continue to pray that God will show me what those good things are. I am open to His care. I melted into His care.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Thinking Back
March 19th 2011 my sister Shirley passed away quite suddenly. She had had some problems on and off with health . I really don't know too much as she had not spoken to the rest of the family in over a year. Reasons I do not quite understand but that was Shirley. She could find a reason not to comjmunicate with you and you not know the reason.
I am sad that she has passed without speaking to us, I would have loved to say"I love You" but that wasn't in the plan of God. He took her home with her family at her side, she has been able to talk to them privately, only God knows what was in her heart. I felt peace at her funeral, it was as she planned, simple but impressive, good music , lively sermon then to the graveside. She had purchased her flowers, casket, white limo for the ride to the grave. All plans had been made and paid for, that was Shirley, didn't want to bother anyone. Sherrie , her daughter was very sad as were her two sons, David and Darren, the joy of her life in later years was Kaitlin, her granddaughter. I was so proud of Sherrie, who put forth her plans.
I am glad that I had the privilige of being her sister for 68 years. We didn't play together too much as she loved to play cowboy and Indians while I loved the dolls, house and singing. Dad had built a playhouse for us girls but not for Shirley, she ran around with the little boys, while I played in the doll house.
When she was six months old she contacted whooping cough, the coughing was so spasmodic, sounding like a whoop . We were at church when she started coughing lost her breath, our pastor grabbed her threw her up in the air, which she then caught her breath and started breathing again. She survived that horrible disease, while other children did not. We had the measles, mumps , chicken pox about the same time along with our brother, Charles. We survived childhood, moving to our new home, slept in the same room. Childhood was just a good childhood doing the things that children do, play, running,eating ice cream ( our dads favorite). One year at Christmas, Santa brought us bicycles, we happened to see when they were delivered!!! We even picked out our bikes before they next morning! What times... my brother ,Charles, passed away in 1974 from Leukemia. We would never get over his death, a part of the Leonard family had left us to go be with God.
Good times, sad times, all times that are endured as children then young adults and adults. God has been good to all of us, good parents who loved God, tried to impart to us , values that would help us to have a good and fruitful life.
I miss Shirley, even though there wasn't much conversation, she was still a part of my life. She did called me when Vann passed away, crying, telling me how much she loved him , sad he had died. That was Shirley, she could be there for you.
Shirley, I love you. Will see you in heaven one day.
Psalms 84:11 " The Lord God is a sun and shield, no good thing will HE withhold from me if I walk uprightly"...that is my desire to walk uprightly. Amen.
I am sad that she has passed without speaking to us, I would have loved to say"I love You" but that wasn't in the plan of God. He took her home with her family at her side, she has been able to talk to them privately, only God knows what was in her heart. I felt peace at her funeral, it was as she planned, simple but impressive, good music , lively sermon then to the graveside. She had purchased her flowers, casket, white limo for the ride to the grave. All plans had been made and paid for, that was Shirley, didn't want to bother anyone. Sherrie , her daughter was very sad as were her two sons, David and Darren, the joy of her life in later years was Kaitlin, her granddaughter. I was so proud of Sherrie, who put forth her plans.
I am glad that I had the privilige of being her sister for 68 years. We didn't play together too much as she loved to play cowboy and Indians while I loved the dolls, house and singing. Dad had built a playhouse for us girls but not for Shirley, she ran around with the little boys, while I played in the doll house.
When she was six months old she contacted whooping cough, the coughing was so spasmodic, sounding like a whoop . We were at church when she started coughing lost her breath, our pastor grabbed her threw her up in the air, which she then caught her breath and started breathing again. She survived that horrible disease, while other children did not. We had the measles, mumps , chicken pox about the same time along with our brother, Charles. We survived childhood, moving to our new home, slept in the same room. Childhood was just a good childhood doing the things that children do, play, running,eating ice cream ( our dads favorite). One year at Christmas, Santa brought us bicycles, we happened to see when they were delivered!!! We even picked out our bikes before they next morning! What times... my brother ,Charles, passed away in 1974 from Leukemia. We would never get over his death, a part of the Leonard family had left us to go be with God.
Good times, sad times, all times that are endured as children then young adults and adults. God has been good to all of us, good parents who loved God, tried to impart to us , values that would help us to have a good and fruitful life.
I miss Shirley, even though there wasn't much conversation, she was still a part of my life. She did called me when Vann passed away, crying, telling me how much she loved him , sad he had died. That was Shirley, she could be there for you.
Shirley, I love you. Will see you in heaven one day.
Psalms 84:11 " The Lord God is a sun and shield, no good thing will HE withhold from me if I walk uprightly"...that is my desire to walk uprightly. Amen.
Friday, March 11, 2011
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