CLOTHING MALFUNCTIONS!!! STRICTLY A GIRL THANG!
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Posted:Feb 12, 2009 12:53 pm
Last Updated:Mar 19, 2009 3:38 pm 2206 Views
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I only remember having one problem with clothing when I was young...I was always too skinney to get a good fit.
Well, that's not strictly true...when I was 15 I had some stressful situations involving stockings and a garter belt. Do any of you remember those days?
But as I have grown older, and larger, I have had some real run-ins with various articles of clothing. These have gotten to be real headaches in recent weeks.
Take the instance of bras. Before I had rotator cuff surgery the only trouble I had with those was having straps slip off my shoulders and the ensuing contortions to pull them back into place.
BTW, I see where they have a product "AS SEEN ON TV" that you attach to the straps in the back that holds them in place. But to my knowledge that is a fairly recent invention.
But I digress.
After my shoulder healed following the surgery I developed a small boney growth which kept the strap on that side in place nicely. For some reason, however, the strap on the other side seems to fall twice as often!
Sharing this with my sister, she offered the advice to try sports bras. I purchased one of those and am here to tell anyone who hasn't tried them...they are boogers to put on if you have two HEALTHY shoulders and the arm strength of a wrestler. I DON'T!
Next I tried taping the straps in place with adhesive tape: even going to the length of wiping the tape area down with alcohol first to be sure it would adhere well. With that experiment I not only had to reach thru the neckline and pull up the offending strap, I also had to fish strips of wrinkled tape out of the sleeves of my top.
Then I found a bra with a front closure and straps that could be criss-crossed in back. I was elated. I purchased one and rushed home to try it on. The first time I slipped it on I didn't adjust the straps first, pulled the muscles in my right arm trying to get everything in place and once I had fastened the clasp in front my breasts were located only slightly below my chin and I was having trouble breathing. Gave a whole new meaning to the expression "PERKY".
Once I took it off and adjusted the straps it worked quite nicely and I was immensely relieved to have overcome that dilemma.
Then there was the difficulty of finding panties that fit properly. There has always been some discrepancy between sizes of clothing from different manufacturers. Add to that the abundance of panty styles available today and a woman hardly knows how to choose a panty purchase. I don't know about you but I am uncomfortable trying on intimate garments until I have purchased them, brought them home and washed them. Because of that, I now have panties in a range of 6 sizes, 3 styles and only about 4 pairs that are really comfortable.
Enter the rushed week when I didn't get my hand washables done on time and had to slip on a "make-do" pair. They seemed a bit loose when I put them on but I was wearing jeans so the thought of losing them never entered my mind. Mistake #1.
The day before the great malfunction I had worn a pair of jeans that were a little loose in the waist and I had to keep "hitching" them up all day. For that reason I pulled jeans a size smaller out of the closet and put them on over the loose panties, feeling sure I would have no difficulties with them.
Believe it or not, about halfway through the day the second pair of jeans began to feel a bit loose in the waist. I wasn't at home when I began to feel them slipping a bit but I was rushed and didn't go home to change. Mistake #2.
My realtor and I were driving from one property to another, climbing in and out of the car, up and down stairs in the houses, very active altogether.
When we finally called it a day, I stopped by the grocery store to pick up a couple of items. I was in an aisle, all alone fortunately, when the heel of my boot caught in the hem of my jeans and I mooned the chicken noodle soup.
Do you even want to hear about my challenge while buying a new pair of shoes?
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WOW!!! LOOKS LIKE A SPONTANEOUS MINI-BASH IN NASHVILLE!!!
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Posted:Feb 9, 2009 10:07 am
Last Updated:Feb 21, 2009 8:41 pm 2128 Views
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How wonderful! I have received still more emails from folks saying they are planning to join the "CEEDEES" this Saturday night at John A's on Music Valley Drive in Nashville, TN. I am sooooo excited! We always have a great time there but Valentine's Night promises to be our best get together so far.
For those who might be reading about us for the first time I'll explain. Beginning last fall a group of SFF members in the Nashville, TN area started meeting once a month. The first time we met at Caney Fork Fish Camp (which is a restaurant) and there were only 5 of us...Yellowduck, Shay, Sportslady, Lifeontheindigomoon and myself. Next time we met at the Nashville Palace and Forevergood joined us. Since then the group has grown one or two folks at a time.
So far everyone has been very gracious and allowed the day to be set according to my work schedule which has made it possible for me to attend. I truly appreciate that. But this month I thought we might like to have a party on Valentine's so I have asked off and have a replacement covering my job for the night.
When we have our Bashes in Nashville we set it up at the GuestHouse Inn because they have meeting rooms large enough to accomodate us. But the rooms are less expensive at Fiddler's Inn and some of us have rooms reserved there for this Saturday night.
I've heard that we will have lots of visitors from outside Nashville coming in. Some I have been told are coming are Yellowduck , Shay, Sportslady, Deska, Lifeontheindigomoon, Mr&MrsJoe, Rubisleepinbuty, Lindysue and her and -in-law, Luvlylady and her sister, MrCo, Soccer, Michianaredhead, ThatBillGuy and Countrygirl. Of these only 3 are actually from Nashville. Thatbillguy seems to be coming the farthest from Oregon but only 7 are even from Tennesssee.
If there is anyone I've missed naming please let me know. And ALL of you, get in touch with others you know who might want to join us and encourage them to come. I try to contact everyone I can but since I have been househunting I have been distracted and would hate for anyone to miss coming because no one thought to ask them. But let me emphasize YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE INVITED TO JOIN US!!! If you can make it we would love to see you there.
BTW, MrsJoe has told me she and the Mr have invited friends of theirs from other groups to join us and some of them are planning to be there too! So spread the word...we're a fun crowd and John A's is a terrific place to have dinner, listen to country music, dance, talk, laugh and just generally have a great time.
It is come as you are, last time I wore a dress and this time it will be jeans and a tshirt. Cowboy hats are an option and boots are great for dancing.
After the band gives out on Saturday night most everyone goes over to the Ernest Tubb Theatre where they broadcast a midnight radio show. If I remember correctly Kathy Matea will be there this time.
And for those of you who have the time and can, some folks come in on Friday (Mr&MrsJoe and Yellowduck do), stay at the Fiddler's Inn, go siteseeing during the day and John A's at night. They also tend to stay over at least until Sunday and sometimes Monday. I hate that I can't but I have to be back at work this Sunday at noon.
Consider yourself invited!!! I hope I'll see you there!
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JUST WANTED TO SHARE....
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Posted:Jan 26, 2009 7:34 am
Last Updated:Feb 9, 2009 7:50 am 1570 Views
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Something a friend sent me this morning. Maybe it will touch you as it did me.
YOU CAME HERE TO DO SOMETHING GREAT
You are worthy of all the goodness that life can hold.
You are capable of making a valuable contribution to the moment you're in.
You do not need to beg for the kindness of others. You have within you the ability to express and manifest enough kindness to fill your world.
There is no reason for you to feel sorry for yourself, and there is no point in acting in such a way that others feel sorry for you. A world full of positive possibilities awaits you, if you will simply lift your head and open your eyes.
You have no cause to be ashamed of who you are or where you come from. There is so much you have to offer.
You were born to do things that have never been done before and to understand things that have never been understood.
You are here in this place to express the rich and unique beauty that lives within you.
The silly little dramas of the day cannot get you down for it is just now you have realized you are here to do great things.
--Ralph Marston
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In Answer To DanDee..."HOW DO I WORSHIP?"
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Posted:Jan 4, 2009 4:55 pm
Last Updated:Jan 26, 2009 7:35 am 1952 Views
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I'll begin by saying that I find this question and the comments that followed it to be much more interesting than blogs on peoples' sex lives and cut and paste jokes! Those can be fun treats but this is very enlightening and cuts to the core of our lives. So thanks to Dan and all those who commented.
When I was a I believed because like the 's song says..."How do I know? The Bible tells me so!"
I grew up in a home where there was no mention of God and right and wrong were determined by the mood and whim of my parents. They wanted me to be good and were determined to teach me by whatever means necessary...even if they had to beat me to death to do it.
I don't know how I started going to church but I remember walking to Sunday School and Church every week from a very early age, about 7 or 8. I always went alone then. In fact, the only time I remember my mother going with me was after I became a . And I don't ever recall my father attending a church service.
I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior at 16 and at 18 married a Christian fellow and continued to attend church regularly.
Still, I believed because of what I read in the Bible and because other people I respected and admired told me I should.
At 43 my marriage ended and for the next 12 years I avoided church. I didn't doubt God existed but I didn't worship. In fact, I was so distracted by trying to survive I mostly ignored Him. But throughout that time He continued to provide for me, sometimes in miraculous ways.
When I was 55 a series of events occurred that can only be termed spiritually life altering and I came to know God, my Father; Jesus, my Savior and The Holy Spirit, my Comfort and Guide in a real and personal way. Now I KNOW them in relationship not just about them in a generic pseudo-intellectual way.
My worship is as many faceted as any relationship can be. I have walked and talked and laughed and cried,stumbled and fallen, gotten up and given praise. I attend church on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights where I fellowship with other believers and speak to God thru song and prayer. Tears flow frequently as He lets me know how much He loves me. Passion rises up in me as I am filled with compassion for those who don't yet know the joy of salvation, worship and service.
On Monday mornings I receive a group of ladies into my home and lead a Bible study. It is scheduled from 9 till 10 but more often than not we linger until 12:30, caught up in intercessory prayer and praise. The next few weeks we will be searching the scriptures for wisdom, discernment and direction to become the best "us" we can be, making our dreams become reality.
But the sweetest times, the times of deepest worship and indwelling of the Spirit of God are those times I spend alone with my Father...sometimes in my bedroom, sometimes in the living room, sometimes outdoors under a canopy of azure sky and milk-white clouds. That's when I can speak most openly, baring my heart, allowing my spirit to be cleansed and filled.
That's how I worship and it is right for me...not necessarily for someone else. Each of us is unique in God's eyes and what is good for one is not necessarily the best for another. Many have stated that their beliefs and worship are very private and I totally respect that. Others say that they do not seek organized religion and I can heartily relate to that. I've been in churches that were so "organized" they wouldn't have time for JESUS to speak if He showed up on Sunday morning. Some say they avoid church because of all the hypocrites who are there...but if you are going to avoid hypocrisy you'd have to avoid most of human activity because it is rampant everywhere.
The only reason I want to share my feelings on this matter is because I have experienced so much peace and joy through my relationship to God that I desire it for everyone.
May God richly bless each one who reads these blogs, in a way that is meaningful for them and recognizable to them.
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Getting Off To A Great Start This Year
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Posted:Jan 3, 2009 11:03 pm
Last Updated:Jan 12, 2009 7:19 am 2008 Views
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After reading several blogs about other members' holidays I just couldn't resist writing about mine.
I worked both Christmas and New Year's Day...which can be a real bummer when you miss out on the friend and family gatherings with all the usual good food and such. But if you try you can find ways to enjoy the time. Christmas was filled with work related activity but late in the evening my sister and I enjoyed a nice non-traditional meal and laughed at ourselves.
Two people couldn't be more different. I love the decorating and cooking and having friends over while she hates all the fuss and furor. But we always manage to have a good time and good food how ever the day turns out.
One of the ladies I serve did get to visit family for Christmas so on the 26th I took the other one sale shopping. She loves crafts and sewing so we went to Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's, and WalMart where she took great pleasure in looking at everything. When we got home she said her eyes were all filled up! She is ordinarily a very glum personality but that day she just glowed with happiness.
On Monday after Christmas our new Pastor's wife and mother-in-law joined the Bible Study group that meets at my house each week and we began a new study that I am excited about. After the class I went to the grocery store and back to work at 3.
Once I got the ladies off to their workshop on Tuesday I picked up the twins, Reese and Cameron and we had a wonderful day together. We started by looking at every toy, game and puzzle in WalMart. We made every talking, whistling, clapping, sirening toy in the store do its stuff. I saw some other adults watching us and grinning as if they wished they could join in the fun! I was very strict tho...only one turn at each toy. Not nice to wear them out before some little boy or girl gets them home.
We had lunch at Cici's...a buffet pizza place. Not my favorite but a real draw for a . In fact, there was a busload of youngsters from KidZone in there when we arrived. PURE BEDLAM!!!
When we got to my house we played tennis, football, (I stretched out on the sofa for a while), built and decorated a gingerbread house ( a tradition for us), cooked basketti and baked crescent rolls. Yummy! Nothing tastes quite as good as food prepared by 8 year olds.
The boys were having so much fun they decided to stay all night so we watched some cartoons, then they fell asleep watching Indiana Jones.
Wednesday morning I got the ladies off to their workshop, got the boys up and we joined my daughters, Leslie and Lynette at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. They brought Dillon, Rob, Andrew and Tyler with them. Only Nic was missing. He had to work. The meal was great and the antics were hilarious. Rob is 23, a college junior andso much fun. His mother, Lynette, brought some gifts to open while he was with us. We all got a kick out of them. One was a singing Taco Bell in a serape and hat. His favorite was the set of juggling balls. They were all goofy things like that. The younger boys think he is a HERO and whatever he likes they want to do too.
When everyone had to go on to other activities I drove to Rivergate and did some errands, picked up some books in BooksAMillion, had a lovely dinner at Red Lobster and made it to church for a special communion service and prayers of agreement for 2009. I was home by 8 (my sister Donna had filled in for me to have a little time off) and she and I chatted a while. I administered the ladies' meds and they went to bed around 10.
I think I fell asleep about 11 but woke up to the sound of fireworks. Standing in the door to the deck I watched fireworks until about 1. Someone had done an excellent job of planning and firing them. It was quite a show for a bunch of amateurs. And I received some text messages right at midnight too. I had never sent one before but did my best to return the good wishes. I'd rather have had a midnight kiss but what's a girl to do?
I worked all day Thursday. It was pretty quiet. The ladies wanted to sleep a lot, so I spent a good bit of time working on a website for what I hope to be a small business endeavor. I still have SOOOO much to do to get it up and running. Not sure what I am doing most of the time but I keep plugging away at it.
Friday I got the ladies off to their jobs and did my housework...then off to shop! Belk's was having a 70% off sale and I had a ball finding a new outfit and shoes for our gathering at John A's next weekend. I'm not usually much of a shopper but prices were so good I couldn't resist.
Today I have been extremely busy. Working again! Lots of paperwork to catch up on. UGH! That's the part of my job I really DO NOT LIKE. But now it is done so I feel good about accomplishing something.
I did make a new necklace today too. It is made of glass beads in shades of blue that look pretty with my new outfit.
Now it is 1am and I have to be up at 6 to get everyone fed and ready for church so I will stop gabbing and get to bed.
I wish each and every one of you a wonderfully Happy, Peaceful New Year filled with Love!
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I'd like to invite you....
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Posted:Jan 2, 2009 7:25 pm
Last Updated:Jan 5, 2009 8:33 pm 1716 Views
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to join that crazy bunch of SFF members who meet at John A's on Music Valley Drive in Nashville, TN every month. This time it will be next Friday night, January 9th at 6pm. The music is terrific, the food is very good, and the company is absolutely the funnest ever! I can't promise what the weather will be like as it is super cold here one day and shirt sleeve weather the next. We are actually having a HAPPY NEW YEAR party...better late than never! So everyone who can, come have dinner with us, enjoy Jerry, Sharon, Romeo and Adolpho while they play your favorite country tunes, dance the night away, catch up on what's been going on with everyone, be prepared to laugh till you...ahhh uhhhh well, laugh a lot, and ladies who haven't been there yet; you HAVE to check out the beefcake posted in the ladies room. WooooHooooo!
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Fresh Emerald...Fibbing about one's age...Why I can't
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Posted:Dec 5, 2008 6:37 am
Last Updated:Dec 7, 2008 7:10 am 2557 Views
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Fresh Emerald made a suggestion to SFF in her blog..."Fibbing About One's Age" that reminded me of a conversation several years ago. It was during one of those family and close friend gatherings when my grandson Rob was 7. Someone made the comment that I didn't look my age. You know we all hear that at one time or another, from loving friends. Anyway, another person made the comment that I could take 10 years off my age when I signed up on a singles site, that no one would know the difference. Rob was listening to the conversation and suddenly chimed in..."No, she can't do that!" He was asked why not. "Don't you think your Nonnie looks young and pretty?"asked one of them. "Yes, I do," Rob replied. "But if she says she is 10 years younger, then my Mom would be 10 years younger, and I wouldn't even be here."
Once again, out of the mouths of babes. Why would anyone want to lie when the truth is so much more interesting? The way I look at it, I have had so many more wonderful experiences than those cute little 20 somethings...they should be envious! LOL
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The Holiday Guests
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Posted:Nov 28, 2008 9:10 am
Last Updated:Nov 30, 2008 4:26 pm 1742 Views
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I love holidays...those days we set aside from our usual routine to celebrate LIFE in all its aspects.
My absolute favorite is CHRISTMAS but Thanksgiving is close.
There is such joy is sharing a meal with friends and family; laughing and talking together.
Yesterday I began my day by sleeping unbelievably late then offering GOD a short prayer of personal thanks and asking for His direction through the day.
I got through the necessary routine in short order and began watching for my expected guests.
Sandra arrived first, carrying pies, three of them! And homemade rolls. She must have spent the entire day Wednesday baking. There were pumpkin, pecan and caramel apple pies; homemade and delicious. Like a typical Southern cook, she began telling us how they might not be all that good because of this or that or the other. But we could honestly tell her they were wonderful. What an amazing gift to be able to bake like that!
Donna was next to get here...carrying her promised sweet tea. Donna doesn't cook unless it is a life and death matter. but she is a connoisseur of tea. She will spend the time it would take most people to cook an entire meal driving to just the right store to buy just the right tea.
But I can't tease her about that any more. This year I purchased the rest of the meal;turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole; from Publix. Most of it was good (the green beans weren't properly cooked) but certainly not as delicious as if it had been prepared at home. I sincerely hope that next year I will be up to doing it myself the way I have done since I was a .
The best thing about the day was the good company!
After eating we cleared the table and properly stored the food;then hopped into my car. With my usual blonde driving skill I managed to back into Sandra's car. YIKES! What a way to treat a guest, eh? Later we exchanged insurance information and I assured her I would take care of it. But I imagine that just added to the list of negatives that have threatened to overwhelm her lately. I feel terrible about it.
We decided to not let it ruin our day, so off we went. Our plan was to check out some properties Donna had found online to see if any were potential home material for us.
Donna and I have a desire to live off the beaten track, but the first place we stopped was so far off the track we thought we'd never find it. And when we did all 3 of us spent most of the time giggling about how totally UNdesireable it was. We compared the listing with the reality and Donna wondered "What was this realtor smoking when she wrote this description!"
I learned something new about my friend Sandra...she is very adventurous! By the time Donna and I had gazed around at the land from our stance beside the car, Sandra had circled the house and found an entrance to the garage and was inside.
We walked around it too and Donna tried gazing in windows by standing on her tiptoes. From the front porch Sandra could see into the living room and dining area. She assured us what she could see was NOT what was described on the realtor listing.
I knew it wasn't what I wanted from the lay of the land and the pack of barking dogs on the property next door so I didn't even attempt to look any further.
We drove away in short order. Back on the road again we drove by the house my family and I lived in back in the seventies and eighties. I was horrified at the way it had been allowed to run down and it was obvious it was empty. On one side a driveway of sorts had been put in and we took it. Back just beyond our old barn an enormous, rather palatial looking brick home is being completed. There was no one around because of the holiday so we decided to head on down the road.
We had another stop on our list so away we went again. The next place is a mystery! It is listed as a bank owned property at an unbelievably low price. I had scoped it out previously and when I saw it felt sure that the listing on it was a typo. It is about 1/2 completed, going to be gorgeous when it is finished, in a quiet subdivision where the builder(s) have kept the woods as intact as possible around the few homes that are there. The potential in this property is enormous IF the price we saw on the listing is correct. Donna exclaimed that she loved, Loved, LOVED it so I told her if she wanted it to make it happen.
It would be ideal for a GOLDEN GIRLS set up as there are three bedrooms with 3 baths downstairs plus room and set up for 2 additional bedrooms and 2 baths upstairs.
Once again our adventurous friend Sandra first found a way to get inside and showed us how. We toured the entire house and were excited by all the discoveries; the layout, the french doors, the trey ceilings, the view. I rarely wish for real wealth but yesterday I did wish I had the money to buy this place on the spot!
Satiated by our foray into realty-land, we headed back to the house. Actually it was a work day for me...Callie had left at 10 to visit her sister and was due back at 6, so I had to get home.
We arrived at 5 and pulled out all the food , warmed things up, and ate again. Sandra had a pie sampler, Donna a full meal and I had turkey and cranberry sauce on one of the homemade rolls Sandra had brought along with the pies. YUMMMMMMMMMM
If we find a suitable place and Sandra moves in with us, she is to be in charge of the kitchen. She is a VERY good cook.
Callie got home at 6, carrying leftovers from her meal and it was quite a trick getting everything to fit back in the refrigerator. She was tired and went to her room to rest and watch TV after walking 20 laps outdoors.
Sandra, Donna and I sat in the livingroom talking, laughing and encouraging each other. We have all been through, or are going through some really difficult times and realize that we need GOD and each other to survive and thrive.
It was truly a blessing to spend time together and I look forward to whatever adventure we share next.
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More About Granny
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Posted:Nov 26, 2008 1:55 pm
Last Updated:Nov 27, 2008 8:36 pm 1732 Views
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When last I wrote I was in the midst of a memory trip to my paternal grandmother's house. I could see her hanging wash on the clothesline. Her name was Ella Jane and she came from the hills of Kentucky...a little coal mining town called Blackey. The town fathers obviously had a sense of humor.
Granny was a tall, robust woman who kept an immaculately clean house, and until the grass got growing good, actually swept the hard packed dirt area between the back door and the gravel driveway. She kept a vegetable garden, flowers, chickens and at least on one occasion, a rabbit. None of the above ever lasted long. Vegetables were harvested and placed on the table or in Mason jars. Flowers brightened the yard for their season, wilted and died. And Granny bare handed wrung the necks of the hapless chickens and that rabbit, cooked them up and served them to whoever was there and hungry.
Granny married James Bishop and gave birth to four boys. The oldest was James Bishop, Jr., next in line was my father Ewing Joseph, after him came Paul Haynes and last was William David.
I wish I had heard the story of how my grandparents met, fell in love and got married but I was never privy to that tale. I do know that my grandfather was a handsome fellow, very social and worked as a farmer and barber.
As far as I know Granny never worked for the public until she opened the boarding house after they were divorced and she moved herself and her teenage boys to Kingsport. She brought her boys up to be hard workers like herself. Granny had a very unusual view of life and always said that HE might be divorced but she wasn't and she never took an interest in another man.
Even though she was a strong and independent hard working woman Granny knew how to relax. In the evenings when all the work was done she sat on her front porch, inviting in for a chat any neighbors who went by. She wasn't a big talker herself but she could tease a story out of any passerby. While they talked she would nod encouragingly and "twiddle her thumbs". This was peculiar to my grandmother, I've never seen another living soul do it, and have often wondered where that came from.
Granny rarely made anything sweet but on occasion she could be persuaded to make a treat I've never encountered anywhere else...Mashed potato candy. It was a concoction of mashed irish potato and confectioner's sugar stirred together to make a kind of dough; rolled out, spread with peanut butter, rolled into a log, and cut into slices. It is far too sweet for me now but as a I loved it.
Everyone in my father's family seemed to have a sharp but dry wit and my sister carries that trait on today. They weren't above a practical joke either.
Once Daddy told me about the time he and his brothers, while still living in Blackey, decided it was too hot to plant, hoe and pick corn where it was usually planted. So they got the bright idea of going up into the woods behind their house, making hills under the trees and planting all the seed corn there. When their parents went to see how well the boys had done their job they were outraged. All four boys were marched up the hill and into the woods to dig up every last kernel of corn and replant it in the proper rows in the garden.
I am told my grandfather thought I was really special. I was his first granddaughter. But I never got to know him as he died when I was quite small. The same scourge took him that took my Uncle Bishop who died 8 weeks before his own was born; tuberculosis.
Bishop had married a dark haired, to my naive eyes, very glamorous lady named Sally who gave birth to my cousins James Buford and Patricia Ann. Ann was a few months younger than me and we were best friends until Sally married a contractor from Bristol and they all moved there.
Until then Buford, Ann and I played together in Granny's front yard, along with all the neighborhood . Games like Roll, Hit The Bat; Red Rover, Mother May I, Statues and Tag were our answer to video games, LOL. Granny had a black and white named Priss that we loved to run with.
Another favorite pastime was sneaking into the little house attached to the garage. At one time it had been part of the boarding house business, later the quarantine bedroom for my grandfather and uncle as they were dying. But when I was a it was a storage space. My interest in it was the books I found there. I read one called "Girl Of The Limberlost" that intrigued me. Just a few months ago I found a copy of it in the Portland library and read it again. Talk about another day and time. If you ever come across it I recommend it for a look at life in the beginning of the 20th century. The only book I ever saw Granny read was the Bible.
She wasn't above telling a little white lie now and again...just if it was needed to make a point. I remember my uncle David brought home a large strange looking contraption that he laid on the bed in the front room. I learned later on that it was a camera. Granny wanted to be sure I didn't bother it so she told me that it was a devil box and if I touched it the devil would jump out and grab me. Believe me, I never did.
David worked in theaters for many years and when he would come home at night he would bring leftover popcorn. I was in awe of him. Later he went into the funeral home business and sometime I will tell you some of the tales he told from that work. They were better than ghost stories around a camp fire.
Paul went off to the army, no one ever told me where, just to the war. When he came home he was married to a woman from Pennsylvania named LaRue. I think she had been in the army too but I'm not sure. I do know that she really talked funny. She had two about the age of my brother; Butch and Kay.
Right after Kay was born we were all at Granny's house. I was six then. There was a knock at the door and LaRue answered it. The man at the door said "Hello, I'm from the ****** Nursery!" LaRue slammed the door in his face and ran through the house screaming "He's come to take back my baby!!!!" Seems that when they took Kay home from the hospital there was a bill they hadn't paid completely and LaRue thought they were repossessing her. He just wanted to sell some trees.
Granny died in 1953 at the age of 63 from a heart attack. I felt terrible about her death but even more for the heart break of my cousins Buford and Ann.
The same week she died, my Daddy had a doctor's appointment and a chest x-ray. He had TB again. Right after Granny's funeral he went for the second time to a Sanitarium. This time in Knoxville. Donna, Ronnie and I were sent home to Sardinia, New York with Paul, LaRue, Butch and Kay. But that is yet another story.
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Remembories....
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Posted:Nov 26, 2008 9:47 am
Last Updated:Nov 26, 2008 7:39 pm 1596 Views
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Remembories...a little girl's word for the things she actually remembered and the stories she heard that over time made them real memories for her.
This is my story...some of it anyway...my remembories, if you will. Thought I would write it down before I forget any more of it. Now that I am the oldest living member of my birth family what I miss almost as much as the people who once filled my life are the stories their lives were made up of. My and grandchildren probably would find this dull reading now, but I have an idea that when they reach my age they will have a very different perspective. So getting all this written down is for them...
I have in front of me the headlines from a Galveston, Texas newspaper written the day I was born...August 9, 1942. The biggest one reads "U.S. FORCES LAUNCH OFFENSIVE DRIVE"
Solomon Isles center of new allied moves
Others: GERMAN COLUMNS CONVERGE ON MAIKOP OIL FIELDS
Soviet Lines Are Cracked Above Region
INVASION OF AUSTRALIA IMMINENT
pace of war in Pacific battle area quickens
American Planes Inflict Heavy Damage On Canton
ELECTROTIONS SNAP SHORT CAREERS OF SIX GERMAN SABOTERUS
GANDHI IS ARRESTED AFTER DISOBEDIENCE ACTION APPROVED
CONQUERED EUROPEANS IN STATE OF TENSION AS NAZIS
PREPARE COAST DEFENSES
NAZIS SEND ONE TOKEN RAIDER OVER ENGLAND
ENEMY BREAK-THROUGH TOWARD VITAL CRUDE SUPPLY AREA
ADMITTED AFTER BLOODY FIGHT
INSTEAD OF CONVERTING, LOCOMOTIVE WORKS TAKES ON EXTRA
JOB OF TANK MANUFACTURING
U S AIR FORCES SINK 10,000 TON ENEMY TRANSPORT
HOUSEWIVES CO-OPERATING IN TIN CAN DRIVE
FDR IS URGED TO CREATE GUIDING ECONOMY AGENCY
UAW urges meeting of labor leaders to discuss war conduct
Obviously I don't remember any of that. But reading them triggered some memories. For instance, that last one took me back to my Granny's house. I walked up the sidewalk to the front porch of her small white Art&Crafts style home and noticed the old loveseat and armchair were still there. They were made of natural bentwood with the bark still peeling off them. Ecru lace curtains hung at the windows. Going through the front door that I had never seen locked, I could see there were small unlit logs in the fireplace. The old sofa and two chairs were arranged comfortably in front of it. Crocheted doilies rested on the arms of each piece. On the right the door to a bedroom was open and the full size bed was covered with a white chenille spread.
Straight ahead I could see the round dining table was set with white plates; in the center a green glass bowl of daisies. Against the left wall was the old one bowl sink with iron faucet...dripping a bit as it once did. Beside it stood the work station...a white wood cabinet with shelves on top holding baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and Mason jars of other baking needs. In the center a white coated metal pull out work surface with Granny's big yellow biscuit bowl, the red handled sifter and tin biscuit cutter sitting on it.
Below that was another set of shelves with heavier items placed in rows. And in the center a deep drawer with red pulls was open to access the flour it held. At the far end of the room large windows, framed by red and white checked curtains, looked out on the grape arbor, vegetable garden, garage and flower beds. I could see Granny hanging the wash on the line. A tall robust woman with long braided hair coiled in a bun, she was wearing a cotton housedress and a bibbed apron. On her feet were laced up leather shoes with a small heel and tan stockings.The clothespins she was using were the one piece wooden ones that she sometimes let me use to make dolls. Beside the windows at the end of that wall the wood door was standing open and the black wood-framed screen door allowed in a summer breeze. Looking to my right I smiled to see the old coal stove was hot and the fragrance of cinnamon rolls wafted through the room.
Beside it, the door to the second bedroom was open and I stepped inside. Another full size bed with a blue chenille spread was covered with freshly folded clothes. On the dark wood chest of drawers stood the framed photos of my uncles...Paul in his Army uniform and David in his Navy whites. And on the wall above the bed hung one of the only two pictures I ever saw hanging in my Granny's house; The Last Supper. The second picture mirrored that one; a black framed 11X14 photograph of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
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