James and his Clubhouse

Today's post features James, our middle son, who is 51 and lives at home.   His mental age is around 6 so he is very limited in things he can do. But he has good social skills and is pretty independent and wants to be left alone when he is at home. We have provided him with a place for him to go and enjoy his hobbies. When we moved to Elba in Nov 2003, we bought a storage building and created a "get away" place for him. It is well insulated and easy to heat and cool. He spends a lot of time in his "club house" which is just outside the back door, beside the porch.
Take a look at what's inside.....

This daybed also has a trundle bed. When our son Bill comes for a visit, he likes to sleep here. When we were putting Christmas decorations away recently, James wanted to keep the outdoor Santa in his clubhouse.

On the other side of the room is a table where he sits to work on his baseball collection. The cards are stored in the large plastic tubs underneath the table (usually one or more boxes is emptied on the floor where he likes to look at them). We help him clean up occasionally, so he can get around in the room!

At the end of the room is a book shelf with his vast train and railroad book collection. He has lots of trains and accessories and some are shown here on the top shelves.

There's a media area in one corner of the room. He has cable TV, a stereo system to play his records, radio and tape player & CD player. He has a big collection of LP records.

Rain, Rain, Go Away (for awhile)

Last night I woke up to bright flashes of lightning and the sound of thunder rumbling. I got up and looked outside and it had been raining and we had a "lake" in our back yard. Thunderstorms are uncommon in December, although December is traditionally a wet month in this area. It has been raining now every day for almost a week and I feel like my skin will mildew if the rain doesn't clear up soon.


I've been looking at seed catalogs and alarmed at the price of seeds. I'm glad I saved red and lavendar hibiscus and yellow coreposis seeds, along with Black Eyed Susans, last summer to have a head start. Perinneals will need dividing so I will have enough to keep me busy in February and March.

My Master Gardening classmates from last fall are offering to help me with the landscaping and planting trees, as well as restoring two brick planters left at the site of the old school, and planting perennials in them.
We will fill these with yellow coreopsis and black eyed Susans and some tall zebra cannas in the center - to provide orange and yellow flowers all summer. We have to have 40 hours of volunteer work to complete our Master Gardener course and receive our badge.I can provide my classmates with volunteer hours.
Recently I applied for a grant to get some more trees to plant at the playground and received $700. Wade Wise from Wade's Nursery and I are working on a landscaping plan and will get some more trees early in January. My MG classmates will help with this project. Someday "Tiger Town Park" will be a real showplace in downtown Elba. And I will be happy to have been a part of this.

Tribute to Uncle Marty on his 90th birthday

Tomorrow, Dec. 30, Uncle Martin John Koomen (Marty) will be 90. It seems like yesterday when Aunt Nellie Faye (Smith) brought Uncle Marty to Elba, AL to meet her family in 1947. She and Uncle Marty met in Washington, DC when they were working for the Govt. during WWII. They were married Dec. 6, 1946 in Washington, DC. Uncle Marty's parents emigrated from The Hague, the Netherlands and settled near Rochester, NY. He was born 30 Dec 1917 in Pittsford (Monroe Co) NY. He worked for the Naval Research Lab. in Washington, DC until he retired and then he continued working there until he was in his 80's. After Aunt Nellie Faye died from cancer on Jan. 6, 1985. Later he sold their beautiful home in Fairfax, VA and now resides in Greensprings Retirement Home in Springfield, VA.


Marty and Faye had two sons: Stephen Dane Koomen (16 Feb 1949-12 Oct 1977) and William Neal Koomen (see photo at end of page). Steve went west and settled on Orcas Island, WA. A Christmas card from Aunt Faye with this photo of her and Uncle Marty was taken at Orcas Island in April 1976 when they went to visit Steve, before he died from stomach cancer the next year.



The next photo was taken in AL in 1980 when they were visiting relatives in the Elba area. We loved for Uncle Marty and Aunt Nellie Faye to come to Ala to visit. It was an occasion for all of my mother's brothers and sisters to get together and Mama and Papa Smith were always so glad to see everybody. I remember the first time they met Marty. In was the summer of 1947, 6 months after they were married. They came by train to Montgomery and then by Greyhound bus to Danley's Cross Roads where Mama and Papa Smith were living (near Liberty Church). We knew the time of their arrival and I remember riding in a wagon down the red clay road about 1/2 mile with my Papa to meet the bus and flag him down so he would stop and let my aunt and uncle get off. She didn't know where her parents were living since they had moved to the country from Elba. It's a good thing we were in the wagon since they had lots of luggage and it was a hot July day. I don't know if this was Uncle Marty's first trip to Ala or to the south. I wonder what he was thinking that day!! I was 12 years old and had gone to help Mama and Papa Smith "get ready" for company. We all like Uncle Marty and he was so handsome. He liked to take pictures and would have them printed and send us some. We didn't have a camera. Later he would make slides and we were introduced to "slide shows" by Uncle Marty on return visits. When I graduated from high school in 1952, I went by Greyhound bus from Elba to Washington, DC and spent the summer with Aunt Faye and Uncle Marty and their little son Steve. I worked that summer at the Navy Hydrographic Office in Suitland, MD and saved all of my checks for college that fall. Uncle Marty and Aunt Faye are very special to me.
This photo of James and Uncle Marty was taken in Washington, DC in December 1983, at the home of Al and Chris. We were living in Winston-Salem and spent Christmas with Al and Chris. Uncle Marty's hair was changing from black to silver by this time.


Uncle Marty has been at many of our family gatherings over the years. The photo at the top, at age 78, is when he was attending my sister Judy's 50th birthday on Jan. 1, 1995 in Fayetteville, NC. I bet he has enjoyed watching all 7 of our family grow up. Judy was only 1 year old when they got married and Alice and Carolyn came along later. Now they are all married and have children and most have grandchildren. Wow! That's a long time.


Here are photos of Uncle Marty's son Bill Koomen and daughters Emily and Elise. The other photo is his wife Germaine. They live in Newburyport, MA.


Uncle Marty's niece Patti (Knudson) and her husband Bob Towsley live in Alexandria, VA and they will have a birthday dinner for Uncle Marty tomorrow at their home. Bob and Patti visit him often and Uncle Marty is lucky to have them around. Wish we could be there to help him celebrate. Bob used to work with Uncle Marty at the Naval Research Laboratory.

Forks, Knives, and Spoons

This Christmas I put stainless steel flatware on my list. We have the most eclectic assortment you've ever seen that we use daily. I am going to change all of that and have everything match from now on! It was fun looking through our assortment and remembering where they came from. Would you believe that we are still using some flatware we bought in Germany in 1953. It was very inexpensive but heavy and we've misplaced a lot of it. Then once I bought some samples at a store in Paris, TX - all good quality and some even had monograms on the handles - but they were not "G". With 3 active boys in and out of the kitchen, borrowing flatware to take camping, furnishing school aparatments, etc. the utensils have been moved around.


 Early in December I started looking for some good quality stainless steel that "matched" and learned a lot in the process. I finally settled on Oneida "Julliard", 18/10. It is expensive so I asked for a couple of 5-piece place settings and ended up with 4 under the tree. It was on sale at Belk's, 50% off, and no shipping charges, so Jim ordered 3 sets and Bill gave me a set. Yesterday I got an email from Macy's and they had this flatware on sale plus a bonus set for each set that you buy. So I ordered 2 more sets immediately . Someday I will have all I need - 8 sets, to use every day, for the 3 of us.


Today I was thinking of the Rogers Bros. silverplate I bought many years ago and have enjoyed using on special occasions. When we got married, I was in college and Jim was in the army, and we didn't pick out silver, china, crystal, etc., back in 1953 like brides do today. So it wasn't until the mid 1960's, when we bought a new home in Atlanta and had a dining room, that I wanted some nice silverware. Our 3 boys were in elementary school and we didn't have a lot of money left over to spend on luxuries such as this. I noticed on a box of Sunshine Krispy crackers (which they loved to eat) an ad about Rogers Bros silverware. You could complete a set by saving coupons from the box tops and sending a check along with the coupons to order individual pieces of the silver. This was quite a project and I kept at it (having friends and family save coupons for me) until I got twelve 5-piece place settings. It is reinforced silverplate International Sterling and heavy and shiny. I have no idea what pattern it is; it's been too long ago to remember that. I did try looking it up on the internet but couldn't find it. I even looked for the 1960's Sunshine Krispy Cracker ad but never did find that either. I read that Rogers Bros made hundreds of designs from 1888 to 1950, so I will probably never learn the name of my pattern. It really doesn't matter that much. I treasure this much more than people do who have all this given to them when they get married. I worked for mine! I polish it often and we take it out and use it on special occasions or when we have company. When the granddaughters visit, they like to set the table and use the pretty china dishes and silver, along with my pretty placemats, tablecloths and cloth napkins.

The Day After

Christmas Day has come and gone and all of the decorations scattered throughout the house and yard are being gathered up as we pass by them to and fro. The tree is still up and lights burning but all the gifts are gone and Christmas dishes put away. The manger scene is usually the last thing I pack away; leaving the "real meaning" of Christmas displayed until New Year's.


I braved the crowds, rainy weather, and my feeling of not wanting to go shopping, to travel to nearby Enterprise to look for a Christmas tree on sale. I didn't go until after lunch and I almost didn't find one. I saw a beautiful 12 ft frazier fir (pre-lit with white lights) at Lowe's and stood in awe in front of it. It had a price tag of $500. I could only imagine a room big enough to display a tree this size. While I was standing in front of the big tree, a young man walked up and asked the sales clerk if the tree was on sale. He said, Yes, make an offer. And the man bought that giant tree for $100!! I would say he got a bargain. The only other tree was 9 ft tall so I had to move on. Found a Douglas fir, 7 ft, 650 multi lights at WalMart and I got it at 50% off.


When I got home there was a roaring fire in the fireplace and I was happy. We took down the stockings earlier so we could build a big fire.

This morning at brunch I made a "to do" list to accomplish before Jan 1st. I'm not a list-maker so this was an unusual move for me. I am also starting a list of things I want to accomplish in 2008. I'd like to take a computer graphics course. I want to scan some of our old color slides and put them on CD's before they fade away. I want to do this myself so I have to look for some equipment. We are signing up for a 10-week fitness program called "Scale Back Alabama" at Opp Hospital beginning Jan. 7th. Jim and I participated last year and enjoyed the meetings and learned a lot. 


I have some Master Gardener projects to work on and several unfinished projects to complete. We're planning a big family gathering in the NC mountains in June to celebrate some birthdays and anniversaries in our family. While I was going through my "to do" list, I couldn't help thinking about some of my friends who sit at home, day after day, and just wait to get older! Not me. I don't have time to waste; too many things I want to do while I still have good health.

Christmas Day has arrived - at last!

Christmas Day arrived at last. I can't believe we slept until 7:30 A.M., late for us. It was dark, raining, and thunder rumbling. I got up first and turned on the Christmas tree lights. Jim put on coffee while I helped James get up and get dressed. Then we settled down in the living room next to the Christmas tree and began to open presents - before breakfast. First James looked in his big red stocking and was so excited to receive 10 bars of Ivory soap. I captured him waving it in the air!
Then he started opening his gifts from "Santa" that had been under the tree for several days, "To: James; From: Santa". And then came gifts from family and friends. One favorite was a set of videos about trains from a friend Bucky who lives in Panama City, FL. He is a retired policeman and has a hunting lodge at Danley's Cross Roads and we see him and his family when they are here for awhile. He
knows that James is a big fan of trains and railroads. He has been watching these videos all afternoon.

You will notice he is wearing a new Clemson cap, a gift from his brother Bill. James' niece Nerissa is a freshman at Clemson. James likes Auburn and they are playing Clemson in the Peach Bowl. He said he guessed he'd wear the Clemson cap and his new Auburn sweatshirt that day. We visited the Clemson campus in November to see Nerissa and her apartment, etc. Now James is a big Clemson fan!





In the next photo you see James looking at one of his many big books he got for Christmas. Ally gave him 2 train books, Lizzie gave him one, and he got one from Santa. Bill's girls also gave him a large book "Santa Claus". Caroline thought James would like it. He is a big fan of Santa's.








Not everything under the tree was for James. Jim smokes a pipe and needed a new one, really bad. There is no place to buy a pipe in Elba, AL! A local service station orders pipe tobacco for him - Borkum Rif whiskey flavor. He was so excited to get 2 brierwood pipes from our oldest son Ronnie and family.




And Jim got something else he has wanted for a long time - an air compressor. He knew he was getting this because he was the one who ordered it. But we wrapped it when it arrived and he didn't see it until today. He promised to use it to dust "hard to get to" places, including behind the computer, etc. Maybe he'll try it out one day soon. He also got a 5 ft ladder which was a surprise and Santa left it out front behind the bushes last night. Now he can reach light fixtures to change bulbs, etc. His 8' ladder was too tall. And to reach things on shelves, etc. He has a step ladder but it's too short. Santa usually leaves practical things for the two of us. James was kinder and gave him a bag of his favorite candy, Tootsie Rolls. He got books and other nice gifts from other family members.



I received a beautiful lightweight fleece robe from Cindy and Ron and a beautiful red silk scarf from Lizzie. And a kit of bath products from Ally. Liz and Chad gave me a nice "grandparent legacy" journal to fill out. I always love to get the good-smelling products from Cindy and girls at Christmas time; things I would never go out and buy for myself.

I had asked for some new stainless steel flatware for Christmas. I spent a long time looking for just the right pattern, etc. and didn't give much advance notice. Jim ordered some online and it arrived Christmas Eve. He thought he wasn't going to get it in time.


I chose Oneida "Julliard" pattern and got four 5-piece sets for everyday use. I will pack up all my mismatched flatware and save it for someone's cabin or college dorm. Today we used the new silverware and our Christmas dishes, even though it was just the 3 of us here for Christmas Day. We had a good time!

I have been inside all day - a record for me since I am an outdoor person. My feet have been "tapping" to go walking but we have had rain most of the day. Maybe tomorrow.....

Christmas Eve is here!

Today was a very special day. Not much going on but just the fact that it is Christmas Eve made it special. The mailman was late and when she finally got here, she brought 3 packages. Two of the packages contained my Christmas present from Jim, James and Bill. I wondered why they were so anxious for the mail to arrive! I went shopping this afternoon for things to put in James' stocking. He insists that Santa will bring him things in his stocking. I found a Batman figure that has moveable parts. I even saw a Batman cap (baseball cap). I almost bought it but remembered that he would want to wear it every day! So guess what I got instead... 1 package of 10 bars of Ivory soap!!! He loves to use Ivory and his dad hides the extra soap since he uses so much. I am going to tell him he can use all 10 bars at once if he wants to!! And I got a package of 4 new handkerchiefs. He doesn't like to use kleenex. The problem is he forgets and discards the handkerchiefs and they soon disappear. Now just think about this; a batman figure, handkerchiefs and 10 bars of soap! Who but James would want all that in a stocking.

Some family friends dropped by with gifts for James to put under the tree. One was a bright red shiny, jeweled Christmas ornament from a church friend Ruth Anderson Inman (who is almost 90). She is the step mother of the writer Bob Inman from Charlotte, NC. She brings him a new ornament every year - always red since that is his favorite color. Our neighbor Pat brought him 3 different varieties of bubble gum in a Christmas bag. Another neighbor brought him a 4-piece ceramic train that he has on the table by his TV set.

Tonight we went to communion at church. As we arrived a large gathering of the Stephens family was leaving - Daniel and Rhonda Jacobs Stephens and their children and grandchildren,  and Daniel's sister Lucia Grantham and her children, grandchildren and her ex-husband Kenneth attending with them. What a great family coming to worship. We were there with Doug and Elaine Vaughan Martin and 2 of their grandchildren. As we were leaving another large family group was entering the church. This was such a special time to go kneel at the altar and receive communion from our pastor and good friend, Stanley Carter.

The best part of today was receiving an email from our youngest son who arrived in London yesterday with his 3 daughters after travelling all night from Charlotte, NC to visit relatives of his deceased wife. A bad fog made getting from Gatwick airport to north of London a 5 hour journey by train and bus. Took almost as long to get to sister in law Julie's house as it did to cross the Atlantic! Then today we received from Bill a photo of the girls taken before they left on their trip. Nerissa (18), Katie (16) and Caroline (12). It has been 11 years since their mother died and they keep in touch with her family as much as possible. They return Jan. 3rd.

Sunday before Christmas - 2 days left

It was a normal Sunday; getting up early to read the newspaper, drinking coffee and eating breakfast. But today was a little more special. We would be wearing Christmas outfits today. James wore his navy suit and white shirt and one of his Santa ties. I wore a black Christmas sweater with red skirt and white blouse. Jim wore his choir robe once he got to church. The church was filled with red poinsettias at the altar rail. The crowd was "expectant" as many families had loved ones visiting and everybody was busy greeting the guests who were home for the holidays.


I opened my church bulletin for the order of the service and my eyes rested on "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" to be sung by Kenneth Baker, an annual event everybody looks forward to each Christmas. But today there was an air of sadness because Kenneth's father, Winfred Baker, passed away on Saturday morning and his funeral was today at 3 pm. Kenneth was not at church today. Pam, his wife and our church organist had surgery on Wednesday, and was not at church today either. I have known Kenneth's father and mother (Dot Young) all my life. They were neighbors to our family in the Curtis community. Their 4 boys were just little fellows when I left home in 1952. The Baker and Young families lived near the schoolhouse. There were 14 Baker children and now only 1 is left, the youngest sister, Lillian Baker Taylor.


Tonight we went to church for the Advent Carols and Lessons. The organ was silent. A choir member, Lois Holt, played the piano (beautifully) and only a small group attended the service. The music director went home for the holidays and Pastor Stanley Carter read the scriptures and led the singing. Outside some of the church members were participating in a live nativity with music playing in the background.

Today was a sunny, cold day and James is getting excited about Christmas eve. We will probably go to church for communion at 5 pm. It will be a long day for James tomorrow. Maybe he will sleep late. You know, I am looking forward to opening my gifts too!


Our youngest son Bill and his 3 teen-aged daughters are in London today, arriving there early this morning from Charlotte, NC, and spending 8 days with relatives. Talked to our other son in Austin, TX today and they are spending Christmas at home (except for the oldest daughter who was at a ski resort in Calif. this week-end and in Laguna Beach, CA for Christmas with her friend and his family). So it will just be Jim, James and me here for Christmas this year. We'll get up and open our gifts and watch the Christmas parade at Disneyworld.


MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

3 more days til Santa comes

It's getting close to Christmas eve when that jolly ole man arrives. When I was little, he would come early in the evening before we went to bed and we would get to take one toy to bed with us. We didn't have heaters or central heat, just a big fireplace in one room, so I'm sure that's why Santa arrived at night at our house so we wouldn't be getting up too early on Christmas morning. I remember one Christmas we were all gathered in Mama Wilson's room around the big fireplace when we heard a noise outside (the wind was probably blowing hard) and they told us to be real quiet, that it was probably Santa arriving. A little later daddy went out to see and came back to the room and said it was Santa and he had left toys under the tree in the "front room". I remember that one of my younger sisters got a metal gray cat on wheels and everytime you pulled it it would say "meow" over and over. I was glad when the voice box wore out! I probably helped it along...


James loves Christmas and still believes in Santa. He's pictured here with Santa at the Elba Christmas festival on Dec. 8th (James' birthday). We are spending Christmas at home this year - alone. Our son Bill and his 3 girls are en route to London today to spend 8 days with relatives of Bill's deceased wife Barbara. s, CA for Christmas with her friend Chad and his family. Our son Ron and his wife Cindy and their other daughter Allison are at home in Austin this Christmas. Another granddaughter from Austin, TX is in Bear Mountain Resort, east of Los Angeles.  Ron is working so other employees can be off for Christmas this year. So we are here without any of them this year. It will seem strange not to be with any of them at Christmas. We saw everybody when we were in Austin in October and Florence, SC in November.

Tonight the three of us will be in a live nativity at our church downtown. I'm not sure what part we will be playing. Maybe the old shepherds! James said I don't look like a shepherd or wise man and I'm too old to be Mary. I'll just cover up my head and be a donkey or something!

5 Days 'til Christmas

Time really flies when you get old. I don't know what happened to the 3 days since I last posted a message! I'm glad I'm ready for Christmas. Today was a fun day. My brother Perry and his wife Carol invited us to go
out to lunch at a restaurant in nearby Luverne. We had a good time 




 
talking about our family members. We stopped by a country church on the way home, in Bulloch community, to show Perry where our great grandmother Sophia Antoinette Woods Wilson and great great grandparents (James and Mary Ann Wilson) are buried at Friendship Baptist Church cemetery. They were glad to know this.


Then tonight was a sad occasion. Went to the funeral home to visit with the family of our neighbor Gus McCall. I grew up with his wife, Janice Crocker McCall, out in the country. The Crocker family lived in a big white house and they said I told someone once that they must be rich since they lived in a "painted" house". It's funny that they remembered that. I didn't know they were renting the house. They had a big family; 4 girls and 2 boys. Their father farmed as did most of our neighbors. The girls, Ethelene, Janice, Fay and June, all live in Elba now and they are all beautiful ladies with silver hair. Their brothers Ralph (my age) and Willie Ray also live in Elba. Their father was living until a couple of years ago. Gus once told me that if he ever remarried, it wouldn't be a "Crocker" girl, that they all worked too hard and made him feel guilty. I think that growing up in the country made all of us feel that we had to be productive and work.


Gus served on a submarine in the navy and loved going to annual reunions of his unit. He told us so many stories of his navy days. Last year he brought our son a cap with the name of his submarine on it. When they gathered in Louisville, KY, he visited the Slugger baseball factory store and bought James a wooden minature baseball bat. He and James were special friends.


In the future, when I look down the street I will be looking for Gus and his red pickup backing out of the driveway, coming up the street and honking and waving to us. Farewell to a good friend.

8 more days 'til Christmas

I remember how damp and cold it used to be around Christmas time. Well today was no exception with a low of 27 degrees last night. December is much warmer than it used to be. But that might be due to warm cars, warm homes, warm clothing, etc. I rode a school bus to school for 12 years and I remember how cold they were - no heaters on them. Only 8 days until Christmas and how fast time flies now that I'm older. I think we used to get out of school 2 days before Christmas and probably went back soon after. I don't remember any long breaks.


I was thinking about the song "Twelve Days of Christmas" and wonder where you would find 8 geese a laying? Or 9 maids a milking? I remember how anxious our boys were for Santa to hurry and come. Their dad would never let them open a single gift until Christmas morning. We always got up early and opened Santa gifts before breakfast. We would save a few things to open later.


It was so cold when we lived in Minneapolis in the late 7o's. James was so afraid Santa would get stuck in the chimney. We put the fire out before we went to bed. One December in MN we were watching a tV program about someone breaking into a home and stealing all the things Santa had left under the tree. During the night James got up and went downstairs and put all his presents in the hall closet. When we went down the next morning, all of James' packages were gone! We didn't know what happened until he came downstairs and went to the closet and put them back under the tree. He said he was afraid someone would break in and steal them.


One Christmas in Texas it snowed on Christmas eve and was beautiful the next morning. We gave Bill a rifle and had planned a trip to west Texas to a deer lease for him to use his new rifle. He was disappointed that we couldn't leave right after breakfast. We had to wait for the snow to melt on the highways. And by the way, he killed his first deer the first day we were there.


Just 8 more days and I think I can wait. I have finished my shopping, etc. and will just sit back and wait for Christmas to arrive.

The year I found out about Santa

Since I was the oldest child in the family, I didn't have a brother or sister to tell me that Santa was not a real person. Some kids at school hinted that our parents were really Santa but I ignored them because I didn't want to not believe in Santa. When I was barely 9 and in the 4th grade the year I found some Christmas presents in an old trunk in our home. Our house was very cold and I wanted a robe to wear over my pj's on cold mornings. I had that at the top of my list.


I was so excited one afternoon after school when we were playing hide-n-seek and I chose to climb inside the old trunk to hide. You can imagine my surprise when I opened the lid and saw things my mother had been sewing for our Christmas. Right there on top was a beautiful, pale blue chennille robe and I quickly closed the top of the trunk and my heart was beating so fast. There was the robe I wanted for Christmas! I told my best friend (who tried to tell me that there was no Santa) and she said, "Now you know the truth".

Well, Christmas morning finally came and I raced to the Christmas tree to see my beautiful blue robe. But it had my younger sister Christine's name on it. I thought there had to be a mistake until I saw her try it on and it was a perfect fit. I almost cried. And I had told my friend that I was getting that robe. My sadness was short-lived when I saw the doll I had wanted and some other things on my list. My mother took me aside and said she was going to make me a robe soon after Christmas, a pretty quilted one from an old one her sister had sent from Washington, DC. She said she couldn't make it without having me close by to try it on. It was so pretty and I still remember how it felt on cold mornings; so warm.

I had 2 younger sisters and a little brother who was 2. I didn't tell them that there was not a Santa because I felt so let down when I learned the truth. They had to learn from someone else.

I remember the excitement of seeing Santa riding in a Coca Cola delivery truck when I was young. He was beautiful! That has been my favorite Santa all these years and this year we have one that resembles this Santa, standing in our front yard with a spot light on him at night. It was painted by my neighbor and friend, Glenda Williams.

Check out this website to read about how Coca Cola created the santa as we know him today.
http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/heritage/cokelore_santa.html

Our Christmas trees through the years

I don't ever remember not having a Christmas tree. When I was young it was usually a pine or cedar tree, and once we had a holly tree with berries that daddy found in the woods. I remember when he brought it home and how excited he was to have found one just the right size, and with so many red berries. I remember the disappointment of not having a pretty full cedar tree. After Jim and I were married, we have always had a real tree through the years. That is, until 1996, when we bought an artificial tree for our small cottage at the farm.


Once when the boys were still all at home and we were living in Paris, TX, I bought an artificial tree and assembled it one evening while Bill and Ron were at a boy scout meeting. I can still see the disappointment on their faces when they came home and saw that "fake" tree sitting in the living room. They remarked that half the fun of Christmas was going out to find a real tree - which they did that week-end, and I packed the artifical tree back in the box and returned it to the store.


We didn't go to a tree lot and purchase a tree until we lived in Minneapolis. The fir trees on the lot were frozen and stiff and we no idea what they would like when thawed. We had to bring it home and put it in the house to thaw. After Christmas we put it outside the kitchen window and put food on it for the birds. The tree stayed green until spring since it was so cold outside.

I like to put the tree up the first week of December so that I can get up early every morning and turn on the lights. I love Christmas and all the traditions we have. Each ornament on our tree has a special meaning of a special time in our lives. Some of the older one have been "retired".

This year James wanted a white tree with red ornaments and white lights. And so that's what we have - and it is really pretty. I spray painted our artifical tree in the above photo to make it white. Next year we will get a new, leaner and taller pre-lit green tree, so we can put all our ornaments on it. I'll be watching for sales after Christmas.

Older people tend to not want to do anything for Christmas. Not me! I will always have a Christmas tree as long as I can, not matter how much work it is to put it up and take it down. There's just something magic about a Christmas tree and I'd be so sad without one.

No wonder one of my favorite Christmas songs is the German song "O Tannenbaum". Here are the English words:

O Christmas Tree O, Christmas Tree,Your branches green delight us.O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,Your branches green delight us.They're green when summer days are bright;They're green when winter snow is white.O, Christmas Tree, O, Christmas Tree,Your branches green delight us!

Memories of Christmas Pageants

If you have never read this book or seen the TV program or movie based on the book, it is a "must". I never laughed so much. If you ever directed or were in a Christmas pageant, you will certainly identify with the characters and enjoy this little book.

When I was growing up in the country in rural south Alabama, we always had a Christmas pageant at our little Baptist church. There were both adults and children participating in the pageant and those who could sing were always in the choir (along with some who couldn't carry a tune!).

We would start practicing soon after Thanksgiving. Two sisters, Vilettia Jones Mixon and Lena Jones Cowen, were always the directors and they kept the costumes for the next year. Once they selected people for the characters we would represent, we were given our lines to learn. The only part I remember playing was being an angel and wearing wings made from two coat hangers fastened together where the hooks would meet. They were covered with white cloth and the edges outlined with shiny silver tinsel. I think they pinned them to the back of our white robes we wore. I loved being an angel! The shepherds and wise men wore men's plaid bath robes. (I don't know who they borrowed these from. Our dad never owned a bathrobe.) The men wore towels around their heads for turbans. And the wise men; ah, I remember their shiny robes and jeweled head pieces. One of my favorite songs was "We Three Kings". Another of my favorites was "Away in a manger". Living on a farm and having animals, etc., I could not imagine a baby sleeping in a feeding trough.... Or anyone sleeping in the barn with all the animals, etc.

Mrs. Mixon's son Phillip shared with me recently that when they were moving from the family home and cleaning out the attic, he found the Christmas pageant box of costumes his mother had stored. She has been dead for many years. The costumes should have been put in the "Christmas Pageant Museum" - if there is such a place.

It was always so cold in our little white frame church. We all hovered around the big pot belly stove when we were waiting our turn to be on the "stage". The last time I remember being in a Christmas pageant was when I was a senior in high school. And that year I played the piano and felt so grown up. I had graduated from wearing the angel wings. Today when we are singing Christmas songs at our church, Elba United Methodist, my mind travels back to those days of the Christmas pageants and I remember all the words to those songs of long ago and I don't need a hymn book.

Some Special Christmas gifts when I was young

Some gifts are so special that you just don't forget them. I remember my dolls and the beautiful outfits my Aunt Bob (Barbara) crocheted for them. Little caps, sweaters, and booties. When I was 7 or 8 I got a beautiful Horsman Doll (from Martin's Dept store in Elba I later learned). Mother took us there to pick out a doll and that's what Santa brought. I chose one with hair that had Shirley Temple curls and eyes that opened and closed and had eye lashes. She had a little red mouth with a hole between her teeth and this is where I would put the nipple of the bottle to feed her. Then she would wet her diaper. This was like a real baby and I loved holding her and playing with her. I remember naming her Sara Frances! 

In the spring when were playing outside in our playhouse (not a building, but a space outlined with boards or bricks which marked off rooms, etc.), we decided to have a funeral and bury Sara Frances. I think it was because a neighbor's child had died and we had heard the adults talking about the funeral. We found a wooden box and used it for the casket. We put the doll in the box and then put the lid on the box. Then we dug a hole in the ground and put the box in the hole and covered it up. We gathered my grandmothers pretty pink cabbage roses and put on top of the grave (and got in trouble for this). I don't remember who all attended the funeral but probably my cousin Tom, neighbors (Cowen family), and my sisters and I. After the funeral, we started playing something else and forgot all about my doll until the next day. I hurried and dug up the box when I remembered where I had left my doll, and I have never been so heart broken. The skin of my doll was wrinkled and peeling away from her pretty face and her eyes had gotten damp and fell back into her head! I remember crying and wrapped her up in "Swaddling" clothes and played with her anyway. I never left my dolls outside anymore! My grandmother explained to us that this is what happens to people when they are buried - that they decay. I've never forgotten this sad experience. From this time on, we stuck to burying and having funerals for baby chickens and animals on the farm. I think I was in Jr. High school when I went to my first funeral (an old neighbor, Mrs. Emma Foley Lewis) and it wasn't at all what I expected funerals to be. I didn't go to another one for a long time. 

Christmas traditions of our family

Yule logs are a tradition for our family as well as fresh cut Christmas trees. This photo shows our Christmas tree in Wurzburg, Germany in 1954. We wanted the branches closer to the floor so we cut off about 12" at the trunk of the tree. We used this cut to make this  yule log to hold one red candle. We still have this yule log

We have displayed this same yule log for 53 years. It has lots of splits in the top of the log as it has aged.

                                                            

             Another larger yule log was designed for our big mantle in Minneapolis in 1978. We ordered a load of firewood to burn in our fireplace and when it arrived I was amazed to see those beautiful birch logs! They were much too pretty to burn in the fireplace. We drilled holes in one of the logs and made a beautiful yule log which we still have. It adorns our fireplace mantle. I usually use fir braches for greenery but this year used pine instead since it came from our yard.

Remember Pearl Harbor - Dec 7, 1941

I was 7 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed. I remember my parents and grandparents sitting by the big radio listening and not saying a word. I can still hear the voice of Franklin Roosevelt as he told about what had happened. I really didn't understand what was going on. My mother's brother was in the Seabees and stationed in Hawaii. He spent the remainder of his military career in Pearl Harbor after that infamous day, cleaning up the "mess". Only recently he talked to me a little about his military career. I hope to get him to tell me more one day soon. He talked some about how horrible the aftermath was.

We had a big Philco radio that was about 3 or 4 feet tall, and sat on the floor. I remember trying to get behind it to see if there were people inside! It was battery operated and the batteries were huge, and very heavy. We didn't play the radio very long at the time. It was for listening to the news of the war and pretty much our only means of communication with the world outside Elba, Alabama.

On Saturday nights, neighbors would gather at someone's home and listen to the Grand Ole Opry. The children would lie down on pallets on the floor and fall asleep while adults listened to such favorites as Lew Childre, Minnie Pearl, Roy Acuff, and many others. Hank Williams was another favorite. I remember once he came to our school in the country for a concert. He was so drunk they had to help him up on the stage and he kept staggering around while trying to sing. I never wanted to see or hear him again. I was so disgusted. He died when I was a freshman in college at Troy. I remember it was a cold rainy morning when someone came to class and said he had just learned that Hank Williams had just died. Somehow I didn't feel too sorry for him! Maybe because of Hank Williams and his character, I have never been a fan of country music.

19 more days 'til Christmas

Ho, Ho, Ho! James has been practicing and is pretty good. He has to wait until after Thanksgiving to start talking about Christmas (or he would drive us crazy by Dec . 25).

James and I pooled our birthday money and bought this nice outdoor santa that my neighbor and friend Glenda Williams cut out and painted. She did a beautiful job. He looks so real standing in the front yard and at night he has a spotlight on him.

In most families, after the children are grown and gone from home, Santa is a thing of the past. But not for us. For over 50 years we have been playing Santa and he's still very much alive in our household.

Tonight I took James to Enterprise (for the 11th year) to the Rotary Club/Pilot Club Christmas party they have each year for mentally handicapped children and adults. This is his first Christmas party and tonight was no exception. He got a CD and a pair of gray lounging pants. McDonald's furnished burgers and fries and everybody got a backpack with goodies. They were entertained by some musicians and there was a sing-a-long which everybody enjoyed. We were there almost 2 hours.

So tonight was one down, and we have several more events to attend before Dec. 25th. I'll try to record them each day.

Note: We went away for a week to NC and SC during Thanksgiving holidays (Jim was feeling better) and it's hard to get back to doing things at home or to establish a regular routine again. It was a first time visit to Clemson Univ. in SC to visit a granddaughter. What a beautiful campus! Then we had lunch in Charlotte NC with 3 of my sisters who all live in NC and drove to Charlotte to have lunch with us one day at Jason's Deli near South Park. We visited other relatives in NC and SC before coming back home.