We’ve had another wonderful Christmas. It’s strange – no matter how hectic and overwhelming it is getting ready for Christmas, when the main event finally arrives, the joy and beauty of Christmas always returns. When every gift is bought and wrapped, when every decoration is hung, when the house is clean and the food is cooked, a wonderful sense of peace envelops me, and I am finally able to reflect quietly on what this time of year is really all about.
The magic first reappeared this year the night we went to hear John Berry’s Christmas concert with Sean and Misty. Berry’s beautiful, rich, and powerful voice is impossible to put into words. The man can sing. I’ve heard this concert five times now, and it never gets old. What makes the concert really special is knowing that John Berry is truly a godly man; he attends our church, and I know when he talks about the real meaning of Christmas, he’s not just putting on a show. Hearing him sing “O Holy Night” never fails to thrill me. As Doug and I passed loving glances at each other, I knew he was feeling the same joy I felt. This year John finished the concert with a song I didn’t know, one called “Love is a Cross.” It was a beautiful song with a powerful message, but what made it really special was the passion with which he sang it.
The next morning, we went to church and were surprised to get an encore of the previous night’s performance. The community concert was two parts – the first half was country, and the second half was all Christmas music. Our Sunday morning service was a repeat of the second half of the concert. Berry’s entire band was there for it. This had not been publicized at all; I guess they didn’t want the church to be overwhelmed by his fans.
Before he sang, Pastor Carlos said a few words about the music of Christmas. He said if he could get rid of some of the hoopla that surrounds Christmas, one thing he would certainly keep is the music. As often happens in church, I took that thought and ran with it. What would Christmas be like if we could just keep the really important things and discard the rest, I wondered. What is the essential Christmas?
One thing that is not essential is the gift exchange. I’m sure I would not have thought this as a child, or even as a young adult, but I see things differently now. Somehow we have taken the lovely concept of giving and turned it into a commercialized nightmare of buy, buy, buy, and spend, spend, spend. The entire focus of Christmas seems to be on the shopping now. Celebrating the birth of Christ is like an afterthought, meaningful only to us politically incorrect religious fundamentalists, and even we are guilty of reducing it to trite sayings like “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Instead of focusing on Jesus, we all stress ourselves out spending more than we can afford and running up our credit card bills because we feel pressured to give impressive gifts to everyone we know. It’s insane.
It also is not essential to attend every party, gathering, and event that takes place in December. Why we think we have to squeeze our entire social life into one month of the year is beyond me. There are simply too many places to go and things to do. What is essential is choosing the most important and forgetting the rest.
So what is most important? Like Carlos, I would keep the music. The music keeps me focused on what Christmas is really all about. It also calms me. Just as lullabies soothe a crying baby, Christmas carols sooth this stressed-out adult. With music, we are able to express what we find difficult to say in words. With our music, we worship the Christ of Christmas.
Another essential for me is going to church on the Sunday before Christmas. It’s peaceful, and again, it puts the focus back where it belongs. And it’s restful; the work is done, and we can just sit and listen to a Christmas message that is real – so different from the world’s commercialized version.
A definite essential of Christmas is being with family and friends, the people I care about most. I look forward to a quiet get-together with our little group of friends. We eat and exchange small gifts. This year we laughed ourselves silly playing a game of Christmas charades. I also enjoyed having lunch with two of my closest friends.
Sean and Misty came over and spent the night before Christmas Eve morning. We had a simple supper and enjoyed sitting in front of the fire, looking at the lights on the tree. I love the feeling of lying down in bed at night knowing that all my family is safe under my roof. The next morning, the four of us, joined by our grandpuppy Dixie, opened our gifts to each other. As much as I hate the shopping, I have to admit it is fun to give my children gifts I know they like.
After our small family Christmas, we went to Doug’s parents and joined the rest of his family, 17 of us, and had a huge meal and opened gifts again. The next morning, Christmas morning, we went to my sister Mary Jane’s and had another huge meal and opened even more gifts. That afternoon we rode four-wheelers and watched a Christmas movie. The day was fun and relaxing.
Now I am at my parent’s home in the mountains – soon to be our home as well. My sisters are coming up to join us today, and there will be more good times with family. So there you have the essential Christmas – being with family and friends; and church and music to remind us of what the season is really all about. Throw in some good food and holiday decorations, and you’ve got the makings of the perfect Christmas!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Words of appreciation mean so much
Today I unexpectedly received the best Christmas present I could ask for. I had just finished up the first semester by giving a final exam and had then had lunch with an old and dear friend. Then I went to do a little last-minute shopping. I was standing in Hobby Lobby looking at Styrofoam. (Don’t ask.) I heard the young lady behind me say something to no one in particular about an item she was looking at, and I responded by saying, “I can’t believe they want $6 for four little pieces of Styrofoam.” The girl turned around and said “Mrs. Canup?” I looked at her and felt no recognition whatsoever. This is an occupational hazard of being a teacher. I often run into former students, and they have a much easier time recognizing me than I have recognizing them. This is partly because I have not changed as dramatically as they have. (Except for the silver hair!) And it’s partly because, after 22 years of teaching, I have many more students to remember than they have former teachers. I looked askance at the young lady, and she said, “You are Mrs. Canup, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but I’m afraid I don’t know who you are.” I always feel bad when I say that.
“It’s me, Catherine Haymore.”
I immediately remembered the name, as I almost always do, and gave her a warm smile and a hug. She seemed delighted to see me. She went on to tell me that I wouldn’t believe how many times she has spoken of me over the years, that I had changed her life, and that she had just told a girl who was struggling in school about me this past week. Wow. I was racking my brain trying to figure out how long ago it had been that a much younger Catherine had been in my class. She finally told me she is now 28 years old. I figure I taught her when she was in the fifth grade – about 18 years ago.
I don’t guess there is anything that teachers want more than to know that they have had a positive impact on the lives of their students. Believe me, we don’t always know that. It blessed my heart more than Catherine can imagine to hear those words of appreciation after all these years. Then she told me some sad news.
It seems she and her young husband just found out that he has cancer, and it could be very serious. They are awaiting test results now. I promised to pray for them and gave her my email address so she could let me know what happens. She gave me hers as well. I left the store feeling sad and apprehensive for Catherine and her husband; yet, at the same time, I experienced a warm glow sparked by her kind words. I pray that a sweet young wife will get welcome news in the next few days, and that she and her husband will have a very special Christmas.
“Yes, but I’m afraid I don’t know who you are.” I always feel bad when I say that.
“It’s me, Catherine Haymore.”
I immediately remembered the name, as I almost always do, and gave her a warm smile and a hug. She seemed delighted to see me. She went on to tell me that I wouldn’t believe how many times she has spoken of me over the years, that I had changed her life, and that she had just told a girl who was struggling in school about me this past week. Wow. I was racking my brain trying to figure out how long ago it had been that a much younger Catherine had been in my class. She finally told me she is now 28 years old. I figure I taught her when she was in the fifth grade – about 18 years ago.
I don’t guess there is anything that teachers want more than to know that they have had a positive impact on the lives of their students. Believe me, we don’t always know that. It blessed my heart more than Catherine can imagine to hear those words of appreciation after all these years. Then she told me some sad news.
It seems she and her young husband just found out that he has cancer, and it could be very serious. They are awaiting test results now. I promised to pray for them and gave her my email address so she could let me know what happens. She gave me hers as well. I left the store feeling sad and apprehensive for Catherine and her husband; yet, at the same time, I experienced a warm glow sparked by her kind words. I pray that a sweet young wife will get welcome news in the next few days, and that she and her husband will have a very special Christmas.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Lessons Learned on Becoming a Writer
I’ve been trying to become a writer since May of this year, with some success. I’ve had a short story and two articles printed in Southern Distinction, a slick regional magazine. Two more articles are due out in January. I’ve also managed to get a monthly column in the Oconee Leader, a newspaper that relies on advertising and goes into every home in the county. I’ve had four columns so far. It’s a small start, but it’s a start, none the less. I decided to take up writing after giving serious thought to what I would do when my teaching career ends in May of next year. Since we’ll be moving to the mountains, and I’ll be spending most of my time looking after my folks, I wanted something I could do from home. I’ve always enjoyed writing. I’m a thinker and a dreamer anyway, a person who often lives inside my head. I figure I might as well write down my thoughts and get paid for them if I can.
There have been bumps along the way - mistakes made, rejections, and lessons learned through hard experience. My first interview was embarrassingly awkward. I called Daddy’s dog an Australian Shepherd; he claims it’s a Border Collie. (I’m still not entirely convinced he’s right about that.) I learned to make sure the batteries in my camera are fully charged before going off on an assignment. I was even asked, “What kind of reporter are you?” when I had no working camera to take a picture of my interviewee’s work. I learned that editors lose your work and ask you to take assignments at the last minute when their first choice says no. I learned that you don’t make money writing for a newspaper unless you are Rhonda Rich with a syndicated column appearing in papers all across the country.
And I learned that you must be very careful when writing about people you know, particularly members of your own family. I guess I shouldn’t write about family members at all, but that policy would deprive me of a wealth of material. My sisters should be glad they are not Rhonda Rich’s mother! I now know why Darryl Huckabee always refers to his wife as “my lovely wife, Lisa” before telling something on her. No wonder writers are often loners!
I also know that much of what gets sent in to editors never even gets a look. All the success I’ve experienced so far came about as a result of taking my work directly to the person who makes the final decisions about what will be published and what will not.
I’m not going to give up. In the past, if I’ve made a mistake or upset anyone, I’ve retreated into my comfort zone and cowered in fear of making another mistake. No one ever got anywhere doing that. I will learn from my mistakes and keep plowing through the difficulties. I’ve always admired the words of Theodore Roosevelt, taken from his “Man in the Arena” speech:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
The challenge is finding my voice and focus. There are many subjects of interest to me. As a government and economics teacher, I could write editorials. I could write about education. I can write stories about growing up on the farm, or human interest stories. My favorite piece so far is an article about a former drug addict who turned his life around and began helping those who now face the same problems that once bedeviled him. I could write about matters of spiritual interest or about home and family. Of course, I can always continue doing assigned pieces for magazines. With my degree in home economics, I am now writing a newspaper column about turning your house into a home. I am experimenting with all kinds of writing, but I guess eventually I will need to settle on one area in which I can specialize. Meanwhile, I will try any kind of writing and keep learning from my many mistakes.
There have been bumps along the way - mistakes made, rejections, and lessons learned through hard experience. My first interview was embarrassingly awkward. I called Daddy’s dog an Australian Shepherd; he claims it’s a Border Collie. (I’m still not entirely convinced he’s right about that.) I learned to make sure the batteries in my camera are fully charged before going off on an assignment. I was even asked, “What kind of reporter are you?” when I had no working camera to take a picture of my interviewee’s work. I learned that editors lose your work and ask you to take assignments at the last minute when their first choice says no. I learned that you don’t make money writing for a newspaper unless you are Rhonda Rich with a syndicated column appearing in papers all across the country.
And I learned that you must be very careful when writing about people you know, particularly members of your own family. I guess I shouldn’t write about family members at all, but that policy would deprive me of a wealth of material. My sisters should be glad they are not Rhonda Rich’s mother! I now know why Darryl Huckabee always refers to his wife as “my lovely wife, Lisa” before telling something on her. No wonder writers are often loners!
I also know that much of what gets sent in to editors never even gets a look. All the success I’ve experienced so far came about as a result of taking my work directly to the person who makes the final decisions about what will be published and what will not.
I’m not going to give up. In the past, if I’ve made a mistake or upset anyone, I’ve retreated into my comfort zone and cowered in fear of making another mistake. No one ever got anywhere doing that. I will learn from my mistakes and keep plowing through the difficulties. I’ve always admired the words of Theodore Roosevelt, taken from his “Man in the Arena” speech:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
The challenge is finding my voice and focus. There are many subjects of interest to me. As a government and economics teacher, I could write editorials. I could write about education. I can write stories about growing up on the farm, or human interest stories. My favorite piece so far is an article about a former drug addict who turned his life around and began helping those who now face the same problems that once bedeviled him. I could write about matters of spiritual interest or about home and family. Of course, I can always continue doing assigned pieces for magazines. With my degree in home economics, I am now writing a newspaper column about turning your house into a home. I am experimenting with all kinds of writing, but I guess eventually I will need to settle on one area in which I can specialize. Meanwhile, I will try any kind of writing and keep learning from my many mistakes.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
It’s Thanksgiving morning, and before I start my sweet potato casserole, I thought I would blog about all the things I’m thankful for! So here goes…
My husband and son, both of them good men – and they love me.
My daughter-in-law, Misty; My son is happily married to a good woman, truly an answer to prayer.
The fact that Doug and I still have all four parents with us; hardly any of my friends do.
Good jobs – for Doug, Sean, Misty, and me. I’m also thankful for the great people I work with. There is no politics in my workplace, none. It’s great to work with Christians who really love the Lord.
My schedule – teaching two mornings a week has been ideal. I get to contribute in some small way to the lives of others, make a little spending money, and still have time for other pursuits I love and enjoy. Best of all, it keeps me sane!
A good class this year; they have been a joy to teach!
Good health – I’m starting to feel my age, but everything still works!
A close-knit family that enjoys getting together – as we will later on today.
Mary Jane and Cindy, sisters that are fun to be with, especially on shopping trips!
Kevin and Mike, the good men who had the good sense to marry my sisters.
Blake and Brent, nephews who are fine young men in every way.
David and Deb, fun cousins, and family reunions.
In-laws I love and get along with well.
Wayne Glowka, who brought happiness and stability into my sister-in-law’s life.
RAIN!!! Yes, it is pouring down rain as I write this. In this time of drought and water shortage, I’m sure everyone who is not an atheist is thanking God for rain this morning.
(Whoops, I better stop a minute and go get the paper with all the sales flyers out of the driveway before it gets wet!)
I’m back, with a good cup of coffee, something else I’m thankful for.
My friend Charlise and our weekly lunches together. She is one of the few people on this planet that I can talk to about anything. Aside from my family, she knows and understands me better than anyone else and still loves me despite that!
The Breakfast Club – Ken and Vivian, Hattie, Don and Pris, and David and Linda. We’ve been friends for so long they are like my “other” family. There is nothing better than having old friends you know you can count on. I’m also thankful that we stay in touch by having breakfast together every Saturday and by having game night once a month at each other’s homes. We get pretty silly on those nights, but we sure do have fun – and laughter is the best medicine!
Our really old friends, Jim and Elizabeth. (Old in terms of how long we’ve been friends, NOT in age of said friends) Our old college buddies are still an important part of our lives, and Saturday we’ll be getting together to cheer the Dawgs on to victory against GA Tech! GO DAWGS – SIC ‘ EM!!!!!
Our Connect Group. This small group, part of our church, meets most Sunday evenings. I’m especially thankful for Mike and Deborah, who lead us and open their home to us each Sunday. They are truly good and caring people, and I’m thankful to know them.
Other great friends, like Kim, who helped me get started writing, and Margaret and all the people in my book club.
A vibrant church with a pastor who genuinely loves the Lord and loves the people he serves.
The opportunity to serve others through Angel Food Ministries.
A gorgeous fall – and I’ve got the pictures, taken from my own backyard, to prove it!
A beautiful fall day spent driving over the mountains, with colorful leaves raining down around me.
The beauty of the North Georgia mountains.
The beauty of nature everywhere, and the fact that we live in one of the lovelier parts of God’s creation.
My home – it’s not big and fancy, but it's and cozy and homey - and I love it.
Our nice big yard. It is a lot of work, but I truly enjoy getting outside and playing in the dirt and seeing the results.
Puppies, one in particular. Sean and Misty’s little Dixie has brought a lot of joy into all our lives.
A good night’s sleep and a warm, comfortable bed to sleep in.
All the food we could possibly want, too much in fact! Today I look forward to turkey and dressing and carrot cake!
Good neighbors in a great neighborhood – we enjoy walking together. We are all there for each other if there is ever a need.
Computers, which make writing so very much easier than it was in the past.
Being free from financial worries.
The priceless privilege of living in the United States of America and the freedom we enjoy here.
Good books!!! (and Barnes and Noble and Amazon)
Art - and days spent painting in my attic room.
Music - especially bluegrass.
The joy of the Christmas season.
The soldiers in Iraq, putting their lives on the line every day.
The fact that it is still raining – hard!
And most of all - salvation through Jesus Christ and a God who loves us and watches over us.
I’m sure this list could go on and on, but I have to get cooking! Feel free to add to the list with your comments.
We live in a world where there is much cause for anxiety. Sin is rampant and evil threatens our very existence. But today is not the day to think about any of that. Today is a day to be thankful for all the countless blessings we enjoy.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
My husband and son, both of them good men – and they love me.
My daughter-in-law, Misty; My son is happily married to a good woman, truly an answer to prayer.
The fact that Doug and I still have all four parents with us; hardly any of my friends do.
Good jobs – for Doug, Sean, Misty, and me. I’m also thankful for the great people I work with. There is no politics in my workplace, none. It’s great to work with Christians who really love the Lord.
My schedule – teaching two mornings a week has been ideal. I get to contribute in some small way to the lives of others, make a little spending money, and still have time for other pursuits I love and enjoy. Best of all, it keeps me sane!
A good class this year; they have been a joy to teach!
Good health – I’m starting to feel my age, but everything still works!
A close-knit family that enjoys getting together – as we will later on today.
Mary Jane and Cindy, sisters that are fun to be with, especially on shopping trips!
Kevin and Mike, the good men who had the good sense to marry my sisters.
Blake and Brent, nephews who are fine young men in every way.
David and Deb, fun cousins, and family reunions.
In-laws I love and get along with well.
Wayne Glowka, who brought happiness and stability into my sister-in-law’s life.
RAIN!!! Yes, it is pouring down rain as I write this. In this time of drought and water shortage, I’m sure everyone who is not an atheist is thanking God for rain this morning.
(Whoops, I better stop a minute and go get the paper with all the sales flyers out of the driveway before it gets wet!)
I’m back, with a good cup of coffee, something else I’m thankful for.
My friend Charlise and our weekly lunches together. She is one of the few people on this planet that I can talk to about anything. Aside from my family, she knows and understands me better than anyone else and still loves me despite that!
The Breakfast Club – Ken and Vivian, Hattie, Don and Pris, and David and Linda. We’ve been friends for so long they are like my “other” family. There is nothing better than having old friends you know you can count on. I’m also thankful that we stay in touch by having breakfast together every Saturday and by having game night once a month at each other’s homes. We get pretty silly on those nights, but we sure do have fun – and laughter is the best medicine!
Our really old friends, Jim and Elizabeth. (Old in terms of how long we’ve been friends, NOT in age of said friends) Our old college buddies are still an important part of our lives, and Saturday we’ll be getting together to cheer the Dawgs on to victory against GA Tech! GO DAWGS – SIC ‘ EM!!!!!
Our Connect Group. This small group, part of our church, meets most Sunday evenings. I’m especially thankful for Mike and Deborah, who lead us and open their home to us each Sunday. They are truly good and caring people, and I’m thankful to know them.
Other great friends, like Kim, who helped me get started writing, and Margaret and all the people in my book club.
A vibrant church with a pastor who genuinely loves the Lord and loves the people he serves.
The opportunity to serve others through Angel Food Ministries.
A gorgeous fall – and I’ve got the pictures, taken from my own backyard, to prove it!
A beautiful fall day spent driving over the mountains, with colorful leaves raining down around me.
The beauty of the North Georgia mountains.
The beauty of nature everywhere, and the fact that we live in one of the lovelier parts of God’s creation.
My home – it’s not big and fancy, but it's and cozy and homey - and I love it.
Our nice big yard. It is a lot of work, but I truly enjoy getting outside and playing in the dirt and seeing the results.
Puppies, one in particular. Sean and Misty’s little Dixie has brought a lot of joy into all our lives.
A good night’s sleep and a warm, comfortable bed to sleep in.
All the food we could possibly want, too much in fact! Today I look forward to turkey and dressing and carrot cake!
Good neighbors in a great neighborhood – we enjoy walking together. We are all there for each other if there is ever a need.
Computers, which make writing so very much easier than it was in the past.
Being free from financial worries.
The priceless privilege of living in the United States of America and the freedom we enjoy here.
Good books!!! (and Barnes and Noble and Amazon)
Art - and days spent painting in my attic room.
Music - especially bluegrass.
The joy of the Christmas season.
The soldiers in Iraq, putting their lives on the line every day.
The fact that it is still raining – hard!
And most of all - salvation through Jesus Christ and a God who loves us and watches over us.
I’m sure this list could go on and on, but I have to get cooking! Feel free to add to the list with your comments.
We live in a world where there is much cause for anxiety. Sin is rampant and evil threatens our very existence. But today is not the day to think about any of that. Today is a day to be thankful for all the countless blessings we enjoy.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Second Annual Family Reunion
I’m back! It’s been a long time since I blogged. Truth is, I’ve been trying to get paid for my writing – with some success. One of the things on my list of “Things I Want to Do Before I Die” was to get something I’d written published. Thanks to my friend Kim, I’ve done that now. She had been writing for a regional magazine called Southern Distinction. She urged me to send them some of my stories. I put off doing it for a while, but finally wrote something and sent it in. It was a story about a time years ago when Mama and I went blueberry picking and got caught in a storm. I sent it in and waited – and waited. I never heard anything back so I had pretty much given up when Kim invited me to go with her to a meeting of all the writers for the magazine. I went and took my story with me. The editor met individually with each of us, and I showed her my story. She said she had never seen it. liked it, and immediately scheduled it for the magazine. One thing I have learned about publishing, you’ve got to get your material in front of the person who makes the decisions. Taking it to them in person works much better than sending it in. It took the same strategy to get my columns published in a local newspaper. Now he has agreed to publish one a month. It is a column on “Making Your House into a Home.” I’ve also published another article in Southern Distinction and went to the John C. Campbell Folk Art School to research another article that should come out in January. I can now call myself a freelance writer!
Today is Monday, October 08, 2007. It is the last day of our Second Annual Family Reunion. Deb and Rick just left, and Sean, Misty, Brent, and Kevin left last night. Dave and Janice are still asleep. I’m sitting here now with Daddy, Mary Jane, Mike, and Doug. We’ve had a ball! I pooped out last night, and had to go to bed about 10:00, but the others stayed up playing Balderdash and laughing themselves silly until about 11:00.
WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG WITH A SPECIAL BULLETIN!!! It’s RAINING!!!!
Actually, my blog was interrupted yesterday when we all started talking. (It’s now Tuesday.) After Deb, Rick, and Uncle Jim left, the rest of us went to the Huddle House to have breakfast; then, Dave, Janice, Chelsey, and Evelyn left. Then the great clean-up began! I took all the sheets and towels to the UN-air-conditioned Laundromat since Daddy was so worried about his well running dry. That took a couple of hours. Cindy vacuumed, my sisters packed up their stuff, and they left about 1:30. Then Doug and I put fresh sheets on all the beds and towels in the bathrooms and swept and mopped the vinyl floors. Daddy took the trash off. Doug and I got home about 6:00 PM and were pretty much pooped.
The reunion was great! I believe everyone had a very good time, and of course we ate way too much food. Some of us enjoyed the festival at the folk art school, at least until it got too hot. It was especially great to see Uncle Jim again for the first time in more years than I can remember. He looks really good, and seems to be doing quite well for his age. Evelyn did very well despite her Alzheimer’s, and Dixie only had one accident in the house. She really added a lot to the festivities; everyone loved playing with a puppy.
We had a ball playing games. The guys fussed, of course, about all the noise we were making, which disturbed their football games, but it was all in good fun. When things got too noisy, they could just go to the other house, and that’s just what they did. The loudest game was our four-way solitaire, but Balderdash was pretty loud as well.
What did we eat? Lots of desserts! I made an earthquake cake, sort of like German chocolate, and Mary Jane brought an apple cake that was to-die-for. (I think I ate most of that!) Cindy made two coconut praline pies. Mama made two sour cream coffee cakes. Janice brought lots of fruit (at least something was healthy), and mocha hot chocolate mix, which didn’t get drunk because it was so hot. I made taco soup which we ate Friday night when it was just Mama and Daddy, Mary Jane and Mike, Sean and Misty, and Doug and I. I fixed cornbread to go with it. The next day Deb and Rick arrived in the late morning. We made sandwiches for lunch. That night we had barbecue pork and stew. David and Janice did not arrive until late that evening as Dave got called into work that morning.
The next day we had breakfast casseroles and then went to the festival. That night Daddy grilled giant hamburgers. Between eating, we enjoyed just sitting around talking. Sean tried to teach me how to fly cast. We played Scrabble and worked a jigsaw puzzle on Friday. Sunday evening we sat on the deck for a long time, just visiting. And of course, I took lots of pictures!
This reunion was a great idea on Daddy’s part. I hope we keep up the tradition!
Today is Monday, October 08, 2007. It is the last day of our Second Annual Family Reunion. Deb and Rick just left, and Sean, Misty, Brent, and Kevin left last night. Dave and Janice are still asleep. I’m sitting here now with Daddy, Mary Jane, Mike, and Doug. We’ve had a ball! I pooped out last night, and had to go to bed about 10:00, but the others stayed up playing Balderdash and laughing themselves silly until about 11:00.
WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG WITH A SPECIAL BULLETIN!!! It’s RAINING!!!!
Actually, my blog was interrupted yesterday when we all started talking. (It’s now Tuesday.) After Deb, Rick, and Uncle Jim left, the rest of us went to the Huddle House to have breakfast; then, Dave, Janice, Chelsey, and Evelyn left. Then the great clean-up began! I took all the sheets and towels to the UN-air-conditioned Laundromat since Daddy was so worried about his well running dry. That took a couple of hours. Cindy vacuumed, my sisters packed up their stuff, and they left about 1:30. Then Doug and I put fresh sheets on all the beds and towels in the bathrooms and swept and mopped the vinyl floors. Daddy took the trash off. Doug and I got home about 6:00 PM and were pretty much pooped.
The reunion was great! I believe everyone had a very good time, and of course we ate way too much food. Some of us enjoyed the festival at the folk art school, at least until it got too hot. It was especially great to see Uncle Jim again for the first time in more years than I can remember. He looks really good, and seems to be doing quite well for his age. Evelyn did very well despite her Alzheimer’s, and Dixie only had one accident in the house. She really added a lot to the festivities; everyone loved playing with a puppy.
We had a ball playing games. The guys fussed, of course, about all the noise we were making, which disturbed their football games, but it was all in good fun. When things got too noisy, they could just go to the other house, and that’s just what they did. The loudest game was our four-way solitaire, but Balderdash was pretty loud as well.
What did we eat? Lots of desserts! I made an earthquake cake, sort of like German chocolate, and Mary Jane brought an apple cake that was to-die-for. (I think I ate most of that!) Cindy made two coconut praline pies. Mama made two sour cream coffee cakes. Janice brought lots of fruit (at least something was healthy), and mocha hot chocolate mix, which didn’t get drunk because it was so hot. I made taco soup which we ate Friday night when it was just Mama and Daddy, Mary Jane and Mike, Sean and Misty, and Doug and I. I fixed cornbread to go with it. The next day Deb and Rick arrived in the late morning. We made sandwiches for lunch. That night we had barbecue pork and stew. David and Janice did not arrive until late that evening as Dave got called into work that morning.
The next day we had breakfast casseroles and then went to the festival. That night Daddy grilled giant hamburgers. Between eating, we enjoyed just sitting around talking. Sean tried to teach me how to fly cast. We played Scrabble and worked a jigsaw puzzle on Friday. Sunday evening we sat on the deck for a long time, just visiting. And of course, I took lots of pictures!
This reunion was a great idea on Daddy’s part. I hope we keep up the tradition!
Friday, January 12, 2007
Christmas - the Aftermath
It’s Friday, December 29, 2006, and we are in the last stages of our week-long celebration of Christmas. So far, everything has gone according to plan. Christmas Eve day dawned bright and beautiful. Misty and Sean had spent the night and were up early, anxious to begin opening presents. I got up at 5:30 AM to get out their stockings and light the candles and fireplace. I also had to start cooking. After we had gone to bed the night before, Sean had wrapped Doug’s big-screen TV in gold wrapping paper. I added a giant red bow; it looked really cute when Doug came into the living room.
Before we did anything, I read the Christmas story from Luke Ch. 2. Then we took turns pulling the things out of our stockings, taking lots of pictures as we did. We go in for stocking stuffers in a big way; Sean had bought gigantic stockings that are at least three feet long! The stockings were followed by the opening of the presents. There was one brief moment of sadness as we remembered how Casey always enjoyed opening his little doggy presents each year.
We quickly moved past that to open our own gifts. Sean was delighted with his large tool chest, and Misty got a corduroy jacket that she really seemed to like (and it fit!) as well as a new pocketbook, some pottery, and the Angel of Affection to add to her collection. Sean and Misty could not wait for us to open our gift from them. It was one gift which Doug and I opened together. It turned out to be the coolest remote control I ever saw for our new TV. This one remote controls the TV and all our components, every function, with just the touch of one button. That means we can put our other five remotes away! You program this remote by hooking it up to a computer and punching in the model numbers of all the components. What we didn’t know was that on the night we were out celebrating our anniversary, Sean sneaked over to the house and did all the programming for us. It was ready to go out of the box! I love that about Sean, the way he likes to surprise people in such thoughtful, generous ways.
I finished cooking while Sean and Doug played with the remote. We all got down to Granny’s house around 11:00 am. Granny was making her famous fried chicken, another great surprise, as she almost never does that anymore. Soon the rest of the family arrived and we had tons of delicious food to eat. We opened gifts and sat around watching football games the rest of the afternoon. That evening I took my mother-in-law over to my sister Mary Jane’s house to take part in her Christmas Eve celebration. We ate dessert, visited for a while, and went back home. Doug and I returned to our house to go to bed. The next morning, we got up and went to my sister Cindy’s house for my family’s big Christmas. Opening gifts was followed by another huge meal none of us needed to eat. Cindy’s ham was moist and delicious. Everyone had brought food to eat, and Mary Jane had apparently spent her time recuperating from surgery by baking every rich dessert known to mankind. After eating ourselves into a near-comatose state, we all went to sleep! When we woke up, we enjoyed playing with the new puppies, eight little retrievers.
Listening to Mama talk that day, I was reminded of another Christmas, a not-so-good memory. I think I was in my early teens that year. Before I get into that story, I must give a little background information. Mama and Daddy had some unseal friends when we were growing up. One was a man we affectionately called Doc, as he had been one of Daddy’s professors in the forestry school at UGA. He was one of the cutest, sweetest, most lovable old men you could ever meet, but he had one glaring fault. He could talk the ears off a jack rabbit. Now Doc had had an interesting life, and as a result, he had lots and lots of stories to tell. The stories were pretty good; it’s just that he never stopped telling them. Once he got started, you were his captive audience and you couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Doc and his wife Dottie became like part of our family, kind of surrogate grandparents. Doc may have been a little eccentric, but he was downright normal compared to his sister Dorothy! Dorothy was a little old German lady married to a full-blooded Mohawk Indian chief we simply called The Chief. He didn’t say much, Dorothy did all the talking for both of them.
Well, one Christmas, Dorothy got it in her head that she wanted to cook Christmas dinner for Doc and Dottie and our family as well. None of us were the least bit happy about disrupting our own traditional family Christmas, but Mama has made a lifetime career out of not hurting other people’s feelings, so much to our chagrin, she and Daddy accepted the invitation. We had never been to the Chief’s house before. The one thing I remember about the house was an enormous ceremonial kettle drum that sat in a bay window in the living room. It had actually been used in Mohawk religious ceremonies. I can still see the Chief playing the drum and chanting something unintelligible; we thought that was pretty cool.
What was not so cool was the menu for Christmas dinner – roast duck! Now we country girls had never had roast duck in our lives; we wanted our traditional ham. Then, when it was almost time to eat, Dorothy discovered she had forgot to turn the oven on! This delayed our dinner so long we were ready to eat anything, duck, buzzard, whatever. Dorothy turned the oven up high to cook the duck faster, so what we got for dinner was a duck that was black on the outside and raw on the inside, in other words, inedible. Still, we were starving by this point, so we tried to eat the side dishes. That day I discovered who holds the title for world’s worst cook ever. Nothing was edible! We were finally able to excuse ourselves and go home, and we kids told our mom that we never, ever wanted to spend another Christmas doing anything but our traditional family Christmas – and we never did.
Of course, we girls grew up, married, and had children of our own; then Mama and Daddy moved away. That has necessitated some changes in our Christmas get-togethers, and those changes have been the cause of some controversy, but that’s another story! What matters most is that we still all get together and have a great time. Now we are here in the mountains, waiting on my sisters and their families to arrive soon for more family time and to celebrate Doug’s and Brent’s birthdays. Party On!
Before we did anything, I read the Christmas story from Luke Ch. 2. Then we took turns pulling the things out of our stockings, taking lots of pictures as we did. We go in for stocking stuffers in a big way; Sean had bought gigantic stockings that are at least three feet long! The stockings were followed by the opening of the presents. There was one brief moment of sadness as we remembered how Casey always enjoyed opening his little doggy presents each year.
We quickly moved past that to open our own gifts. Sean was delighted with his large tool chest, and Misty got a corduroy jacket that she really seemed to like (and it fit!) as well as a new pocketbook, some pottery, and the Angel of Affection to add to her collection. Sean and Misty could not wait for us to open our gift from them. It was one gift which Doug and I opened together. It turned out to be the coolest remote control I ever saw for our new TV. This one remote controls the TV and all our components, every function, with just the touch of one button. That means we can put our other five remotes away! You program this remote by hooking it up to a computer and punching in the model numbers of all the components. What we didn’t know was that on the night we were out celebrating our anniversary, Sean sneaked over to the house and did all the programming for us. It was ready to go out of the box! I love that about Sean, the way he likes to surprise people in such thoughtful, generous ways.
I finished cooking while Sean and Doug played with the remote. We all got down to Granny’s house around 11:00 am. Granny was making her famous fried chicken, another great surprise, as she almost never does that anymore. Soon the rest of the family arrived and we had tons of delicious food to eat. We opened gifts and sat around watching football games the rest of the afternoon. That evening I took my mother-in-law over to my sister Mary Jane’s house to take part in her Christmas Eve celebration. We ate dessert, visited for a while, and went back home. Doug and I returned to our house to go to bed. The next morning, we got up and went to my sister Cindy’s house for my family’s big Christmas. Opening gifts was followed by another huge meal none of us needed to eat. Cindy’s ham was moist and delicious. Everyone had brought food to eat, and Mary Jane had apparently spent her time recuperating from surgery by baking every rich dessert known to mankind. After eating ourselves into a near-comatose state, we all went to sleep! When we woke up, we enjoyed playing with the new puppies, eight little retrievers.
Listening to Mama talk that day, I was reminded of another Christmas, a not-so-good memory. I think I was in my early teens that year. Before I get into that story, I must give a little background information. Mama and Daddy had some unseal friends when we were growing up. One was a man we affectionately called Doc, as he had been one of Daddy’s professors in the forestry school at UGA. He was one of the cutest, sweetest, most lovable old men you could ever meet, but he had one glaring fault. He could talk the ears off a jack rabbit. Now Doc had had an interesting life, and as a result, he had lots and lots of stories to tell. The stories were pretty good; it’s just that he never stopped telling them. Once he got started, you were his captive audience and you couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Doc and his wife Dottie became like part of our family, kind of surrogate grandparents. Doc may have been a little eccentric, but he was downright normal compared to his sister Dorothy! Dorothy was a little old German lady married to a full-blooded Mohawk Indian chief we simply called The Chief. He didn’t say much, Dorothy did all the talking for both of them.
Well, one Christmas, Dorothy got it in her head that she wanted to cook Christmas dinner for Doc and Dottie and our family as well. None of us were the least bit happy about disrupting our own traditional family Christmas, but Mama has made a lifetime career out of not hurting other people’s feelings, so much to our chagrin, she and Daddy accepted the invitation. We had never been to the Chief’s house before. The one thing I remember about the house was an enormous ceremonial kettle drum that sat in a bay window in the living room. It had actually been used in Mohawk religious ceremonies. I can still see the Chief playing the drum and chanting something unintelligible; we thought that was pretty cool.
What was not so cool was the menu for Christmas dinner – roast duck! Now we country girls had never had roast duck in our lives; we wanted our traditional ham. Then, when it was almost time to eat, Dorothy discovered she had forgot to turn the oven on! This delayed our dinner so long we were ready to eat anything, duck, buzzard, whatever. Dorothy turned the oven up high to cook the duck faster, so what we got for dinner was a duck that was black on the outside and raw on the inside, in other words, inedible. Still, we were starving by this point, so we tried to eat the side dishes. That day I discovered who holds the title for world’s worst cook ever. Nothing was edible! We were finally able to excuse ourselves and go home, and we kids told our mom that we never, ever wanted to spend another Christmas doing anything but our traditional family Christmas – and we never did.
Of course, we girls grew up, married, and had children of our own; then Mama and Daddy moved away. That has necessitated some changes in our Christmas get-togethers, and those changes have been the cause of some controversy, but that’s another story! What matters most is that we still all get together and have a great time. Now we are here in the mountains, waiting on my sisters and their families to arrive soon for more family time and to celebrate Doug’s and Brent’s birthdays. Party On!
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