Happy New Year

Good morning and Happy New Year.  Well, I feel wonderful.  I have had my coffee and the words are virtually flying off my fingers and onto this blog.  If you ever want me to "spill the beans" then give me a cup of coffee....better than any alcohol.  OK, OK, settle down now.  I am teasing.....don't get all upset with your mom, your aunt, your sister, your wife, your friend.....alcohol is better. Teasing again!!!!!!!

45 years ago tonight (You should have been here just now as the hubby and I worked out the math to decide 45 years ago.  You would have been laughing or crying.  I am still trying to decide if it was funny.  Somehow the words "negative number" came into play.), anyway, back to the 45 years ago tonight, I was a mere child at the age of 18.

I have told you that my childhood revolved around our small country church where everybody knew everybody else.  Well on this night, 45 years ago, that was no exception.  Mom and Dad had a party at our house for the people of the church.  Now by the time I was 18, I finally, whew! finally!, had a boyfriend. 

What 18 year old wants to be a part of their parents' party?  Maybe you, but not me.  I had a boyfriend and I wanted to go out.  Shawnee, here we come!  One stipulation.  I had to be home by, get this, 11:00.  My normal curfew was 10:30 so I got a lousy extra 30 minutes on New Year's Eve for Pete's sake.  What!??!  Pop Dixon was at the party and he was 85 if he was a day...maybe 95!  How can this injustice be?  I was 18 years old, ready to be on my own, explore the world, and soon was...well another 3 years but that is another story.  I could not understand this at the time.  Now 45 years later I still don't, but I have made peace with it. 

Moral of the story:  Kids, moms and dads may make decisions for you that seem strange and maybe even a little insane, but you have to deal with it and not act out.  Someday, it will be revealed to you OR NOT.  You just have to let it go, Louie.

Let me tell you about Pop Dixon.  He was a lovely, nice old gent who lived alone about a mile from our church.  He absolutely loved to sing.  You could hear his voice over all the rest.  The trouble with that is that he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.  Every note was off key and he was loud, but he did make a joyful noise.  He grabbed one of my sister's at every opportunity to play for him.  Often after church as the rest of us were getting in our cars to leave, we could still hear the piano and Pop Dixon's bellowing out a joyful noise.  I sure miss his joyful noise.  I am sure he is in heaven right now, but his voice is like that of an angel.

I love you and Happy New Year!
  

Love Actually

Tonight we are piled on the couch watching "Kung Fu Panda II" with the boys.  Hubby is on the end of the couch with the dog in his lap, L. is next to him with his Sandy (blanket), B. is next to L. with his blanket, too, and I am next to B.  I will be truthful; I have my blanket, too .  The boys are already in their pjs and we just had our cheesecake....... and we are going to have another.  There is nothing better........

I know I told you that one of my favorite Christmas movies is "Love Actually".  When my sisters were here on Christmas Eve, I told them about the movie and neither one had seen it.  Is has Hugh Grant in it; how could they NOT have seen this movie?  I whined around and begged my hubby to rent it for us, but I really wasn't serious.  After a bit he comes in with the movie without ever leaving the place.  Come to find out, he had bought me the movie for Christmas and already had it wrapped, but shoot, he unwrapped it before handing it to me.

So we popped the movie in the DVD player and settled down just about as comfortably as we are tonight only I had the recliner.  Then the scenes came up.  I looked around...........hmmm.......wonder if anybody understood that?.......another scene..........looked at my sister.  She said, "She will leave the room in a little bit" (referring to her daughter).  And sure enough, T. left the room, and bless her sweet heart she watched TV in her bedroom (yes, she has her own bedroom at my house).

Hubby and I watched this movie a couple of weeks before and I thought it was appropriate for all ages above the age 13.  As the movie progressed I told my sisters that I hadn't seen those scenes so I must have been engrossed on the laptop at the same time as when I watched it.  Toward the end of the movie the hubby came through and said "You do know we watched it on TV, don't you?"  Doh..........now it made sense.  Of course! 

Which brings to me to this?  The movie on TV was outstanding, no inappropriate language, no sex scenes, just a great story line.  They put it in just for gratuitous sex.  I have never considered myself a prude, but the movie was actually better without those scenes and language.  I have learned my lesson.......look at the rating before hitting play.  Check the audience. 

Have you ever been embarrassed like that?  I was on Grandma Dawkins' couch and vividly recall being embarrassed seeing someone on TV kissing when I was watching with Grandpa Dawkins.  I am not exactly sure I know why; was it because I was uncomfortable with the kissing or was it that I didn't want grandpa to know that I knew about kissing.  At any rate, I was sure uncomfortable.   

To my dear T., I promise that I will never put on another movie that makes you uncomfortable again.  You will never have to leave the room ever again.  I love you..........all of you.

Christmas is in the Attic

Thanks to the help of the hubby, my tree is in the attic and all the decorations are in the closet.  Putting away Christmas decoration is something I always dread, but something I can't wait to do.  If possible, the tree comes down the day after Christmas, but that isn't always possible.  I love to get the house back in order, dusted, and clean.  It makes me feel so good to have a sparkling clean house on New Year's eve.  Our New Year's plans are always at home and simple with a few appetizers and perhaps a glass of sparkling grape juice.  Boring people, I know!  A clean house makes the holiday just a little more special and relaxing.  Time to think about plans for 2012! ! !

Memory:  I don't have many memories of taking down the tree when I was a child, but there is one vision I have of Mom taking off the shiny tinsel and saving it for the next year.  She would take it off as carefully as she wanted us to put it on; right back in the box it went.  I am sure this tinsel costs less than a dime, but she saved it.  Every dime mattered back then as it should to us today.  The things we have in our lives that we consider necessities are, in fact, luxuries.  So if you are wondering how you are going to make ends meet, remember my mom and her tinsel.  You can do without those 147 TV channels.  

I love you guys.


   

Rudolph

Just one more little memory before I head off to bed and before the weekend gets crazy tomorrow with fun.  This one involves my own two kids.  Since the hubby's mother lived in Arkansas and my parents lived in Oklahoma, we established our holiday routines the first year we were married.  We would spend Thanksgiving at one parent's house and Christmas as the other.  Then the next year we would switch.  It worked up until 1994, the year of her death.  Miss her so much.

The kids were about 3 and 6 and were just getting ready for bed at Grandma Tucker's house on Christmas Eve.  They were so excited for this was the night Santa would visit.  We heard the most horrible screaming and running footsteps down the hall and into the living room.  What in the world????  You see they had seen Rudolph, they had really seen Rudolph!  They pulled on us until we got up to see what they had seen.  And sure enough Rudolph was up in the sky.  Yes, that stop light down the street really put those two little ones into the spirit.  At that point they could not wait until we had read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and the story of Christ' birth so they could go to sleep.  They sure did not want Santa to catch them awake and he was really close, really close.  Night night my sweet little babies.  I love you all. 

Christmas Parking Spaces

Is your house just a little crazy?  Yes, it is that time of the year when nerves are on edge and parking spaces are a big "no".  But I am good.  All the shopping is done and the wrapping, too.  Yahoo! 

Now for another back in the day memory.  Parking was always at a premium in Shawnee where we shopped for Christmas presents, but if you drove around the block about 18 times you will probably find a parking space.  The parking spaces were on a slant in front of all the stores.  The absolute premier parking space was right in front of Kress or perhaps between Kress and Woolworth's.  In those days it wasn't uncommon for people to leave their kids in the car while they shopped and that is exactly what we did.  Actually, we liked sitting in the car better than following mom or dad around shopping and besides they were playing Santa so even though we were old enough to know about Santa, we didn't want to rock the boat.  And besides..........you get to people watch.  And.......if you were ornery like my brother and me, you cause traffic to come to a halt........for a parking space!  Yep, we did that!  Here is how.  In those days there were no back up lights on cars.  So if you pressed on the brake, it looked like you were getting ready to leave.  You would be surprised how long a car would wait before they finally gave up and moved on.  Oh man, that was good entertainment for a 10 year old.  We would laugh and laugh over how clever we were. 

Just so you will know, even though we were in the car, we were checked on now and again.  Mom and Dad would bring packages and put in the car and see that we were OK; there might be a bag of chocolate covered peanuts if we were good.  What I also remember was how fun it was to watch all the shopper rush home with their treasures.  In tribute to all those long ago shoppers, here are the lyrics to that famous song "Silver Bells".     

Silver Bells
Writer: EVANS/LIVINGSTON


Silver bells, silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas day

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there's a feeling of Christmas
Children laughing, people passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you'll hear

Silver bells, silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas day

Strings of street lights, even stoplights
Blinkin' bright red and green
As the shoppers rush home with their treasures
Hear the snow crunch, see the kids bunch
This is Santa's big day
And above all this bustle you'll hear

Silver bells, silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them ring
Soon it will be Christmas day

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there's a feeling of Christmas
Children laughing, people passing
Meeting smile after smile
Soon it will be Christmas day

The Candy Jar

I am sure all of you kids will remember this bowl.  This is what Mom used as her candy jar.  What you may not know is that after she loaded the jars with candy, she hid them.  With all us kids around, I don't blame her because we could have eaten ALL this candy in one afternoon. 

You probably remember that the candy only came out on Christmas day.  After we were grown and with kids of our own, we may have been at her house the week before Christmas, but we weren't offered any candy, were we?  Nope, it was to be eaten only Christmas day and not a day before. 

Then on Christmas day we would load up and head to Grandma Thompson's house, candy in tow, along with a trunk load of other food, plus the presents for EVERYone, and seven people...., but we got to set up front, not in the trunk, but I digress.  Why we could not eat our candy before hand always astounded me because there was more candy at Grandma's than most candy shops and we were going to take 7/8ths of what we brought back home.  You cannot imagine, oh I guess you can since you were probably there (this tradition of going to Grandma Thompson's was going on until she moved out of her house and into a nursing home), how much and how many different kinds of candy were on her long coffee table and scattered all over the house.  Divinity, fudge-plain, pecan & of course, Aunt Azelee's peanut, Aunt Bill's candy, peanut brittle, toffees, Oklahoma Millionaires, date roll, candied nuts -- those were the regulars, but there were always a new recipe or two.  Then when my sisters and I were grown with our own families, we added our own creations.  It is a wonder we all didn't go into a sugar shock that day.  I think we girls may have had some guilt going on.  We didn't want any of our aunts to think that Mom's girls were lazy or couldn't cook so we brought enough food ourselves to feed the whole crowd.  Memory:  My Aunt Azelee always brought dumplings.  One year I brought them, too, and that was the year she stopped making hers.  Not sure why that was, but I choose to think she was ready to pass that dish off to another person.  

Now my Grandma Thompson is gone.  Mom is gone.  Two of my aunts are gone.  Sad to think that the people that meant the most to me when I was little are now gone.  I have one aunt still alive - 96 years old she is!  I hope to see her this week and love on her just a little, and remember with her, for in her I see Mom.   

History behind that jar:  Uncle Ed Eitel, Aunt Wilma's husband, got this jar/bowl for mom and one for each of her sisters. They used these jars at the Sylvania plant where he and daddy worked. I am not sure what came in the jars originally, but they were trashed when emptied so he gathered up four of them for the girls.  Mom would make her candy, just as I did in the pictures above, and hide it on top of the freezer.  Remember that?  By the time we kids finally figured out where she was hiding the candy, we were old enough to leave it alone.  Taking this candy to Grandma's house was important to Mom.  Those Thompson women had this sort of unspoken competition or perhaps it was guilt that the other sister might out do the others.  Good women!  Here's to those lovely ladies...the ladies who used their cooking to brighten the lives of many people, including our own family.     

Excuse me while I go put the candy jar on top of the freezer.............. BUT if you come see before Christmas, I will offer you candy.  Please come see me!  Gotta get rid of this candy for I don't want it in my house on the 26th.



Tiny Little Christmas Memory

The next few days I will tell you some little Christmas memories of mine.  They are fun for me to remember and I hope you enjoy them, too.

As I told you, Garden Grove grade school had plays throughout the year, some as a result of 4-H competitions and some just school productions.  We had two buildings, one housing 1st through 4th grades, the other housed 5th through 8th, but remember there were never more than about 20 kids in the whole school.  That meant that every child was needed in the play.  If they were not needed for an actual speaking part, they would always be used as a choral group.....OK, they just sang. 

The play I remember the most was "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.  My little brother played Tiny Tim, probably got the roll because he was a boy!  (It's a man's world....Can't get that song out of my head now.)  Being a little guy, probably helped a little bit, too.  Wow, what a choice roll, huh?  I was a little envious that he got the "aw, he is so cute" roll.  He had the cutest limp with the help of a board in the leg of his pants; and his crutches, how cute.  Remember the 4-H picture a few months back?  The boy in the back roll was the ghost.  Even though we all knew who played this part, when the lights of the school were lowered and he started rattling his chains, it was terribly scary.

For a small grade school we really put on some great plays.  We had two teachers who really knew how to put on a production.  It was a community event and they wanted us to do our best and those plays were certainly our best.   

After we finished the play, it was time for Christmas presents.  We always had the biggest tree with those soft opaque lights........beautiful.......and the smell of the cedar.......wonderful.  Christmas!  Santa would come and deliver a present for each of us provided by our parents, of course. 

Memory:  The last Christmas present I received from my teacher, the last year we were at Garden Grove before being transferred to Prague, was a beautiful set of Evening in Paris.  It was the prettiest present anybody ever gave me.......those gleaming blue bottles.  She got a set of Evening in Paris for every girl in her building.  I remember thinking how extravagant.  Now I realize they were extravagant gifts, but my teacher never had any children of her own and we five girls were "her" girls, and sadly, it was the last time we would ever have a Christmas together, so she doted on us.  I will never forget that generous present.  My daddy used to tell people, "Regina loves anything wrapped in a shiny package."  He might be right; I loved it when sequins went from evening to day wear.  Do ya' think I might be gaudy????  Borrowing from a line by Jenny Joseph, "When I am old, I shall wear purple."
 

Christmas Crying Girl

This is my baby, my baby about 32 years ago.  Santa had come to visit this sweet precious child, but for some reason she wasn't happy.  Remind you of a story from yesterday?  I don't remember why she was so unhappy, but we thought it was worth remembering with a picture.  Why didn't I write the year on the image and the event that lead to her tears? 

She was a cutie pie in her new red flannel nightgown.  There was a little nightcap that went with it...perhaps that contributed to her being so distraught.  More likely the reason was because she just got up too early. 

I see those tears and it still breaks my heart.  It breaks my heart to see her unhappy or crying today, 32 years later.  I guess I will always be her mom and she will always be my baby, just as her older brother is.  They are my babies and when they hurt, I hurt.  I truly hurt to the point of pain.  I guess it is true that a parent is only as happy as their least happy child.  With the tears and all the drama that can seem overwhelming, I will never regret being the parent to these two remarkable individuals. 

Merry Christmas sweet children of mine.  I love you!

Christmas Cry Baby

See the little girl to the left, well.......that is me.  Yes, I was in the 6th grade that year, and I just realized my hubby was a senior in high school when this was taken.  Yep, December 1959.  Man oh man............he really DID rob the cradle!!

Take a look at that sad girl.  Pathetic little thing.  I am glad I have this picture, but frankly the image is etched in my memory forever.  That was the first year I did not get a doll for Christmas.  Three gifts......three gifts........only three gifts and they are all in that picture.  Look at that nice satchel...yes, that is what we called them.  Inside was a nice Bible story book ( I remember thinking I was too old for that book, but ironically I still wanted a doll), but look to my left at the nice blue bicycle.  The fact that I got a bike didn't matter one iota.  Nope, I just didn't want to leave my doll years behind.  I knew that I would have to give up playing with dolls eventually, but surely not before the rest of my sisters did, and not that year.  My three little sisters got these beautiful baby dolls, plus all the tea sets, the doll clothes, etc, and all I got was a lousy bike.  Nope, I was not a happy camper.  My brother got a bike, too, but he wasn't crying, just me.      

I fell off the bike as soon as I got on it, and it hurt.  You can see me holding my bottom, but I wasn't really crying because I hurt myself, I was jealous of my sisters and their dolls and their stash of toys.  (When this picture was taken, I distinctly remember I was crying because I was jealous.  Even at 12 years old I knew was jealous that they got so many toys and I got three things.  For me, at least that year, it was about abundance rather than quality.)  I was jealous....  Never mind that my bike probably cost more than the rest of theirs toys.  So tonight as I reminisce, it makes me sick at my stomach to think how I must have hurt my parents feelings.  They were probably thrilled that they were able to get me such an extravagant gift...........and I cried.

Even though I was sad that year, it was a good Christmas.  All our Christmases were because we were a happy family except for the ingrate daughter.  I'd love to be wearing that soft pink flannel nightgown that my mom had made for me, even would love to have the soft permed hair - again that mom gave me.  I guess we were a pretty self-sufficient family, huh?

Eventually I got over being sad, taught myself how to ride and my brother and I spent many fun hours riding on that dusty gravel road. 

This picture also gives you a glimpse into our home.  Notice the floral linoleum and the floral wall paper.  The vinyl blue-gray covered divan - yep, Mom covered that, too.  She was a talented woman.  The back on the divan folded back to make a somewhat uncomfortable bed.  Behind me was mom and dad's room and you can kind of see the rails of my baby sister's bed.  Surely, she wasn't still in that baby bed at 4 years old, but we were kind of crowded so maybe so.  I would love to have that door now.  I would love to have that moment again to change my sad face into a beaming happy face and to tell my folks how thrilled I was for that bike and to thank them for their sacrifice they made that year to give me such an extravagant gift.  Thank you Mom and Dad.

I will share another Christmas Cry Baby soon.  I love you all. 

 

Our Favorite Christmas Movies

We try to watch several Christmas movies during the Christmas season.  Several of our favorites are lised below in no particular order.

1.  Disney's "A Christmas Carol" starring Jim Carey.  We went to see this a couple of years ago and just fell in love with this movie despite our affinity towards Jim Carey.  We saw it in digital, not 3D, but still it was a beautiful film.  Disney really did this one up right, and surprisingly stayed pretty much true to the original book per the hubby.  I confess I have never read the book.  Check it out and if possible see it on the big screen, but it isn't a movie for little children.  Some scenes will frighten the little ones, especially my grandchildren.

2.  "A Christmas Story" staring Peter Billingsly as Ralphie.  This came out while my kids were little and being the good parents we were, we went to see it without them just to make sure it was kid suitable.  We had no problem with the movie so we took them the next week.  From that year forward we have watched it and know almost every line by heart.  It is nostalgic without being a tear jerker.  This is a movie that looked more like Christmases that I remember as a child even though it was set quite a few years before I was born.  We got Steven a BB-gun that year and hid it just they did on the movie. 
Our daughter is especially crazy about this film and this year she bought the plastic press-on of the leg lamp to put on her front window.  It really looks like a real lamp with the light shining through.

3.  "Elf" starring Will Farrell.  We didn't know whether we would like this movie when it came out, but rented it one season and just loved it.  How could you not love a movie that Tim Conway is in?  Now it is one of our grandson's favorites.  We watched it with them last Friday night; their laughter was contagious.    

4.  "Home Alone" starring Macaulay Culkin.  We saw this movie after Christmas in 1990 with another couple.  I don't like to watch a Christmas movie after Christmas, but very glad we went to see it on the big screen.  I was laughing so hard it was hard to catch my breath or stay in my seat.  Hilarious!  This is another one we watch every year and can recite the lines and of course, everyone knows the scream when Kevin slaps his face with aftershave.  The scenes where the burglars are outsmarted by Kevin put L. on the edge of his seat and he laughs uncontrollably.

5.  National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation" starring Chevy Chase.  This is one of my
absolute favorite movies not only a Christmas movie.  Some many sweet little moments in an otherwise chaotic movie.  Love it!  And loved it when Aunt Bethany is asked to say grace and she stands to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.  And loved it Clark is trapped in the attic and finds the old movie reels.  I could go on and on. 

6.  "Love Actually" starring Hugh Grant and several other well known actors.  I forget about how good this movie is.  I would suggest this to everyone.  Very sweet well produced movie and the storyline of several lives and how the interact with one another is wonderful.  Very clever writing.  A feel good movie.

Also rans and good movies: 

7.  "Lemon Drop Kid" starring Bob Hope.  The song "Silver Bells" was introduced in this movie.  

8.  "Christmas with the Kranks" starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Tim Allen is another good one, but the hubby is not crazy about it. 

9.  "Jingle All the Way" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is one the hubby likes, but not crazy about it myself.

Of course there is "Miracle on 34th Street" starring Natalie Wood and "It's a Wonderful Life" starring Jimmy Stewart.  These are usually on TV, but we hardly ever watch them unless there is absolutely nothing else on.        

Christmas just seems the time to see a good movie.  Hope to do that one night soon.  Love you guys.  More nostalgia tomorrow.  I have a couple of pictures you won't believe.

Shopping with Mom

I spent the day with my daughter Christmas shopping.  It was one of those special days that I will always remember.  We spent an hour in Penn Sq mall, went to the outdoor outlet mall, and then to shops along 29th Street in Midwest City.  It was a cold day, the skies were overcast, and occasionally a slight mist fell.  The day was perfect with lots of laughter and giggling.  It felt like Christmas.

Tonight I am remembering my mom and all the times we had just like today, those perfect days when all is right with the world, when she could shop me to the ground.  But with life, things changed; it became harder and harder for her to get around, but try she did.  With lots of leave at my disposal, I would head to Prague to get her for some one on one shopping time.  Sometimes I could convince her to use the store's wheelchair which had a cart attached, and we would pile gifts all over the cart till that sweet little white-haired woman could hardly see over.  As she became more feeble, it became necessary for her to use a wheelchair full time, but we were still able to get out and shop. 

When I took her shopping, it was therapy for her and for me even with that cumbersome wheelchair.  She needed to get out and I needed to have that moment of feeling like all was right with the world again.  Even though we were at K-mart and pretty much just settled on gifts without much thought other than that will do, it was fun.  It put a smile, sometimes a grin, on her face.  She always wanted to go down the baby doll aisles and just look....she was probably remembering....probably the years she was buying four little baby dolls for four little girls.  I kind of like those baby dolls myself--got two of the cutest babies for the Toys for Tots this week.

Today was perfect!  I hope it was a perfect day for my daughter, too.  I hope it is a day she will remember.  

Memories of other perfect days:  Dad and mom used to come to Oklahoma City and Midwest City to Christmas shop.  Those were the days when we all made our lists and of course they wanted to make sure we go what we wanted.  With the ads in the Sunday Oklahoman in hand, they would strike off for Oklahoma City hoping to buy just exactly what we had on our list.  I am so grateful that I had a job where taking off to drive them around town was no problem.  We would have it set up to meet my hubby at What-a-Burger right outside Heritage Park Mall for a hamburger and a little relaxation before heading into the mall to continue to shop, shop, shop.   Great times, great people.





   

Fruitcake and Great Great Aunts

Last night I told you I would write about my great aunts, but after thinking about them I realized that they are my great great aunts.  Yes, these ladies were my grandmother's mother's sister.  Great Grandma Eaves had two sisters named Laura Webb and Bertie Lindsay. 

For years mom baked fruit cakes for all our distant relatives at Christmas time which we'd deliver the week of Christmas.  Mom would spend a day baking these marvelous smelling cakes, but smell good as they may, they sure weren't good....OK I was a kid!  Then she'd wrap them in foil and supposedly they would get better with age....RIGHT! 

On a cold winter's night, off we'd go toting these prized fruitcakes to all those elderly relatives.  The people I remember most vividly were Aunt Laura and Aunt Bertie and her husband Uncle Newton.  Don't you just love their names?  They were in their 80s...maybe 90s, but were a lively bunch.  They were absolutely thrilled to see us.  They always seemed to be dressed up, Aunt Bertie in her little dress, and Uncle Newton in slacks, wire rimmed glasses, looking dapper with his gray hair combed back.  He was such a sweet, gentle man and his grin told the world how kind he was.  (But he and Aunt Bertie had their moments.  Remind me to tell you about one involving my brother--another post.)  Not many kids came their way so it is surprising how warm they were to five little rug rats.  They didn't have a TV, but they had one of those large furniture type radios which was always tuned in to a radio preacher.  They had a cribbage set so that kept at least one of us occupied.

The radio was turned off as soon as we got there.  Have you noticed that most people have the TV on no matter if they have guests or not which I find irritating.  Mom and Dad believed that it was just the polite thing to do...turn off the TV and visit when you had guests in your home.  I still believe that. 

Aunt Laura lived above Aunt Bertie's garage.  This old woman (and I do mean old) had to climb the stairs to her home everyday, but seemed most capable although to a 10 year old girl, I had my doubts.  Can you imagine the noise we made clomping up those stairs?  It was dark out there, and just a little frightening when she would open the door.  She kept her apartment rather dark with only a small lamp or two burning.  She'd stand there greeting us with those Coke bottle glasses magnifying her eyes 4 times over.   This was both frightening and fascinating at the same time.  I literally couldn't take my eyes off her.  She'd have us set down and would always have some sort of candy for us.  Even as a child I wondered how long she had that candy.  Things always seem a little more fascinating in a dim light; she had all these trinkets.  Her apartment was just one huge room with a little kitchen area on one wall and her bed on another.  Somehow the whole apartment seemed huge and perfect and a place I was sure I would live one day.   

One thing really stands out in my memory and that is how polite I remember we were.  We'd set there quietly, squeezing 3 little girls into the chair without one word of discontent.  Maybe it was because we were just a little bit frightened of these old folks and their magnifying glasses.  Maybe it was because we were not allowed to speak while the adults were talking.  Respect!   

By the way, I have the radio mentioned above.  One day I hope to have it restored.  Sure...........

Not the Tradition - The Memory

Tonight we had burgers at Soda Pops in Moore with my two grandsons and their parents.  L. kept asking if the 5 foot dancing Santa in the corner was real.  The boys wanted us to go back to their house to eat pie and watch "Frosty the Snow Man".  How could we turn that down?  You should have seen their little faces when they proudly showed us their Christmas tree and all their ornaments.  L. had to show us each decoration around the house and the mobile of Santa and his sleigh flying around the earth which was hanging in their room.  They were so very proud of everything including the pie in the refrigerator. 

B. curled up next to me to get his back rubbed (after he finished the chocolate pie) and L. piled up on his daddy's lap to hear how Frosty came to life.  The room was quiet except for Frosty and the laughter from L., and the snoring of the hubby now and again.  It was a precious moment in time; a memory.   

I have had my traditions with my own children and my parents, but they are now gone.  They would be the first to tell me to enjoy the moment without regard to whether I am making a tradition.  That is exactly what we did tonight.  We didn't go to Hamburger King's in Shawnee as we have done almost every year since I was a wee girl.  The tradition was broken, but you know what, we made a memory and after all that is what a tradition is about - making a memory.  I think my boys will remember tonight.  They might not remember it as it actually was, but hopefully they will remember the love that was in that room tonight just as I remember the love that filled my childhood home.   

If you are stressing trying to make your tradition work, then it might be time to reassess your priorities.  You cannot recreate the past, and if you try you will fail for it will never be as it was 20 years ago.  It won't even be like it was a year ago.  It really isn't the tradition, it is the memory and sometimes it is best just to remember.     

L. was full of laughter in one Frosty scene and told his daddy to laugh 'cause it is funny.  That really  touched me.  These little boys of mine are so innocent and so precious.  Don't you wish you had the ability to look at life through the eyes of a child? 

Tomorrow I will tell you a little about my Great Aunts Bertie and Laura and our visits with them during the Christmas season.  I love you all!  Night night!

      

Daddy's Christmas Memory

Not feeling great tonight so a very quick memory of my dad's.

Daddy told us that when he was a little guy he was in bed waiting on Santa.  During the night he woke and could hear the ticking of the watch he had asked for.  He couldn't sleep the rest of the night.  Can you imagine how excited he was?  Miss my dad tonight.

Mall Walk of Shame

Last night I had the scariest moment ever.  Hubby and I were at Quail Springs Mall when I noticed this old woman making eye contact with me.  I quickly looked away, but curiosity got the best of me so I looked up again.  She was still there, that ugly old woman...........wearing the most horrible clothes imaginable.  That is when I realized, that old woman was me!  What has brought me to this lowly state?  My hair!  My shirt!  My jeans!  My shoes!  Nothing good was going on.  Short of going home, and we were 20 miles from home so that wasn't happening, there was nothing I could do.  With much whining, but with my head held high, I endured the mall walk of shame with the hubby giving me these reassuring words "you don't look that bad".

There are at least 347 reflective surfaces in any given mall so I had an opportunity to get several up close and personal looks of that scary woman.  It was not a pretty sight.  The flats - not so bad, but they don't do anything for your bottom.  My jeans - they were new and OK for flats but might have been a bit short to wear with heels, and girls, I think if I want to look my best, I will have to endure heels.  So I will definitely have to get me some new longer jeans and some new high heel boots to jack up my bottom.  The black boyfriend sweater - now that thing is only going to be worn at home.  No public appearances for it again.  My Christmas t-shirt (I haven't mentioned that, have I) was at least 7 inches too short.  I know what you are wondering now....WHY?  WHY WOMAN WOULD YOU WEAR THAT?  I know and I am ashamed.  I have read that Christmas themed clothing was a fashion faux pas.  I know that!  I even believe it!  I hate them on others so why in the world did I ever think they were the thing for me?   

In my teens, I was hit smack dab in the face with an ugly stick.  Don't believe me?  Look at my school pictures from 8th grade on.  In my 20s I was passable enough to get a man to marry me.  In my 30s, I was OK, but thought every mom over 30 ought to have a her hair permed and look...well...like a mom.  In my 40s, I thought life was passing me by so I tried to up my fashion sense.  In my 50s, people told me I looked good for my age.  Then the 60s hit.  I was retired.  Where was that "she looks good for her age" woman?  I can tell you where she was.  She was at the mall wearing her Christmas goggles buying Christmas shirts, short jeans, flats, and generic sweaters. 


Now I have made a vow, and if you want to take off your Christmas goggles, too, you might want to repeat with me: I will never (I will never) wear another (wear another) Christmas themed piece of clothing (Christmas themed piece of clothing) in public again (in public again).  Now that I have made that vow, I have closet purging to do, and new outfits to buy.  Next time you see me at the mall, I want to hear you say "she looks pretty good for her age". 


Memory:  I remember my Aunt Azalee telling the story of the time she ran into an old woman in her house.  She ran straight into this woman and screamed her head off, but it was a mirror on the back of a door.  We all had a good laugh about the "old" woman.

TRUE STORY:  On one of my trips to Dallas with my Tinker friends, I bought a new top and shoes and put them on right in the store.  Nothing will make you realize you look frumpy quicker than a trip to a Dallas mall.  

Disclaimer:  All this was written tongue in cheek.  You can wear your Christmas sweaters anytime you want and you will look adorable.  By the way, I am not the fashion police. 

Whole Foods - A Gourmand's Delight

We finally got a Whole Foods in Oklahoma City.......finally....early this fall! S and I drove through their parking lot on a Saturday back in October. Literally, we just drove through. There was NOT a parking space to be had, not even in the very back of their lot. Starting to get the picture, we just drove right on out of the lot (when we could move) and over to Sonic to get our Happy Hour limeade, whew........

Today we tried again and viola! We were there at 10:30 and had our choice of the premium parking places. You know, the ones where at least 50 percent of your car will not have a chance of being dinged by another car.  I am an expert at finding the best space in the lot.  By the way, during the holiday season, just head to the back of the lot and PARK!  You will save yourself a lot of stress.

Once inside, oh my.......... Can you say beautiful? Beautiful produce. Beautiful seafood and fish. Beautiful meats and cheeses. Beautiful deli. Beautiful prices! Beautiful prices? Beautiful prices! But oh what fun, it was to browse, in a one store's gourmet display! Just had to sing that.

We came back with more things than we needed, several cheeses, pate, beautiful olives, remoulade, lemon dill tartar sauce, Chilean sea bass, lump crab cakes, and Maryland crab cakes. Yummmmm

Last year while in Virginia, our friends took us to Bonefish and a couple of weeks ago while in Arkansas different friends took us to the same restaurant. I don't know why OKC can't get everything the rest of the country gets. If you like seafood and fish, you need to go there immediately! Delicious and has become one of my favs.

Well tonight, we almost had our own Bonefish right here in my kitchen. I fixed the Chilean sea bass, both crab cakes, honeyed fried apples, couscous, and remoulade, and the lemon tartar sauce. Delicious. Not sure, it might have been as good as Bonefish.

Memory: All this fish talk reminds me about the year we were first married. We had mom and dad over for dinner (supper). We went all out with steak and lobster. Oh my gosh, what a disaster! Lobster and my dad do not mix! I have to give him credit (and mom, too), they tried it.

R, remember the time we took you to the Captain's Table and bought you lobster. We were on the sixth floor and when we asked you if you liked it you said, "It's OK, but I'd rather be having a hamburger at that McDonald's down there." I might add that you are only alive because the windows didn't open.  Oh my, how your tastes have changed.

I love you!  By the way, I won't be doing my monthly shopping at Whole Foods, but it will be a fun place to hang out now and again.

Good Housekeeping December 1933

Some years ago I bought a copy of the December 1933 Good Housekeeping magazine.  1933--My mom was in the 8th grade.  This might have been a magazine that my grandmother would have in her home, but doubtful.  You'd have to know my grandmother.  So many, many things have changed through the years and if you want to see how drastically, check out an old magazine.  The first thing I noticed was the 25 cent price.  Do you think the price has gone up??

Another huge difference is all the fiction published in a magazine back then, eight in this magazine.  Back in the 70s I remember magazines had a couple of short stories, but sometime along the way the stories have dropped out.  Miss them especially this time of the year when there would always be a tear-jerker story or two. 

I was surprised at how many companies that advertised back then are still around; Ivory Soap, Bisquick, Colgate, Palmolive, Gerber's, Ponds, etc, but some that are now gone, Norge, for instance.  Some of the claims the advertisers are hilarious, i.e. Canned Pineapple--new dietetic research points out this daily aid to radiant vitality".  Will people look back in 70 years at our magazines today and laugh at how gullible we were?  Maybe we are all just a bit naive??

As today, there are articles about beauty and makeup; however, the article never mentions a particular brand of makeup, eyeshadow, etc.  Neither does the article on perfumes.  It is refreshing not to have articles endorse a particular vendor.  Am I cynical in believing that magazines are "bought" by a brand? 

Would you believe that in 1933 Good Housekeeping had a shopping service?  "Useful Gifts That Are Beautiful Gifts -Our Shopping Service Will Buy Them For You - How to order.  Free of charge--do your Christmas shopping in New York city.  Send check or money order, size, and color to Good Housekeeping Shopping, 57th St. at 8th Ave."  There pages of beautiful tea gowns, men's robes, dresses, hats, tie clips, children's clothing, crystal, trinkets, linens, toys, etc.  Interesting that the high end price of the dresses were around $15. 

There are photos of a beautiful house and the house plan.  One of the bedrooms is the "maid's bedroom" with its own bath.  There are lots pictures of decors of the day.  My friend, and you know who you are, you would love to see these pictures.  We could pour over them.  I miss you..........

Christmas recipes galore; even back then it was important to entertain with good food.  Christmas menus - one suggesting watermelon on the dessert table.  Watermelon for Christmas?  Where would you get a watermelon in December?

Poems - There are at least a half-dozen poems.  I haven't seen a poem in a magazine in years and had almost forgotten about them.  Here is a little short one that touched my heart at this Christmas time - 2011. 

FOR MY MOTHER

by Sara Henderson Hay

They said that every Christmas night

The Christ child came to walk below,

And so I set a candle light

To guide His footsteps through the snow ---

And there behind the window glass

I sat and watched to see Him pass.

My candle shone so clear and red

I thought the Christ would surely see,

And maybe He might turn His head

and smile a tender smile at me;

But drifted snow piled high and white

And almost hid my little light.

But when, my mother, you came in

And found me sitting, watching there,

You quickly crossed and raised my chin

and kissed my lips and cheeks and hair ---

And when I saw your eyes, I knew

Christ was already there, in you!

  

The Dawkins Family Christmas Trees

As promised, here is a look back........The Dawkins Family Christmas Trees. 

Early, early in my childhood, I remember buying a tree from the Humpty Dumpty.  Back in those days, grocery stores even had trees.  I am going to go out on a limb and say I remember that tree costing us $7.  I may be wrong on that since that sounds like a lot for 1957 or there abouts, but hey, it is my story and the other four kids won't remember a thing about it.  I am sure there were other times we bought a tree, but mostly I remember the cedars.

Probably more years than not, we cut down one of the many cedars on our property.  The north place held the greatest number of attractive, stickery trees.  You kids know that because of all the times we trampled through the woods on Thanksgiving day to find mistletoe and cedar to make wreaths.  I mostly remember daddy taking us kids to cut the tree with mom left behind.  Looking back, I don't really blame her for opting out on this chore.  As much as I love my "alone" time, I can imagine mom wanting just a moment of quiet.  I didn't realize that she never had much alone time until I had two kids of my own.  Can you imagine five?  Truth be known, she was probably back at the house fixing supper, wrapping presents, making candy, folding laundry (another post to come).  I can't really imagine mom not doing something even if she did have a few minutes of alone time, can you? 

About two weeks before Christmas, we would grab our coats, our "old" coats for we would definitely come back with all sorts of grasses and weeds stuck to them; our "bring the cows in" coats.  We would all pile into the pickup (with n'er a thought to call a pickup a truck), not a seat belt one, and bounce our way over the terraces and ditches until we came to an area that held the best prospects for a tree.  Can you imagine those pickup doors flying open with five kids falling all over themselves trying to the first one out, running with excitement across the winter wheat (Oh that smell.  There is a distinct odor of living on the farm, way out in the country breathing fresh air.  Again, I wish everyone could experience it.) and into the woods to see who could scout out the best tree?  After we found the "perfect" tree, we came home all excited with red faces and noses, and hands cold as ice, but oh how happy we were.  We were sure that Momma needed to know every detail.  I have tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat just remembering those smiling faces.  

Sometimes the perfect shaped tree was not to be found on our property, but Daddy had the answer.  He improvised by cutting limbs from other trees and wired them into those flat places and nobody ever knew.  It was perfect to every one of us kids.  See kids, not everything has to be perfect.  Sometimes those imperfections turn out to be a perfect memory.

We never had a silver shiny metal tree like my grandmother's, but by the time five kids got through putting on silver tinsel you'd never know that it ever was a green tree.  I had one sister who insisted that each strand of tinsel be carefully draped over a limb, one strand per limb.  You had four others who believed that more was better and if you wanted to get it done fast, then you just chunk it at the tree, falling where it may.  Sometimes it was a race to see who could get rid of their allotted tinsel the fastest so we could go beg Mom for more.  I can still see that wadded up tinsel gobbed on some limbs and none on others...well..except those single beautiful stands my sister had painstakingly applied.   

Aw.....I wish everybody could see those trees through my eyes because, folks, they truly were a beautiful sight.  All that tinsel could really make the colors from the lights of the tree dance, dance, dance.  I don't recall a lot of ornaments, but from the perspective of a ten year old, ornaments really didn't matter.  All that mattered was on the tree, lights and tinsel, for nothing is more beautiful than the soft glow of those old opaque lights and the tinsel reflecting each color.  Magical.  Nothing short of magical.

The magic is still there folks.  You have to open your heart and be willing to look for it through the eyes of your "child" heart.  Not everything has to be sophisticated or modern or have that decorator look.  Open your hearts for the magic.  I love you!

Just Make a Moment

Oh, it has been a cold day in Oklahoma City, but a perfect afternoon to put up the Christmas tree.  You probably know by now that I am a sentimental slob.  Since the kids have left the house, the decorating is something that the hubby and I do together.  Hubby takes the ornaments out of the box and we spend a little time reminiscing as I put them on the tree.  Since 1977 we have picked a special dated ornament together, some have special meaning to our family and some are just pretty.  We now have 34 of these special ornaments; special to hubby and me!  

1985, cash was short so that year year we bought a small Santa ornament and wrote the year on it ourselves.  I remember distinctly where we found it in a speciality store in Crossroads.  We managed to find dated ornaments that fit our taste even in those years when we were financially strapped; the years when Santa had to wait till the last pay check before Christmas.  You may have had a few of those yourself.  Aw, memories, still they were good ones.

The year we bought our son a train set, we also bought a train ornament.  The heavy glass painted "Three Wise Men" came from Penney's in Crossroads Mall (oh I miss that mall).  Several ornaments depict the birth of Christ in one way or another. 

The first two years we started collecting, we bought Disney character ornaments because our children were toddlers and Disney was our life...OK, some would say it still is.  I have never denied that we are just a little old fashion and nieve.  We have many ornaments that depict little children waiting for Santa which are some of my favorites. 

We have the ornament we bought at Silver Dollar City the first year we ever went to see the Christmas lights there; a Charles Dickens' scene that we just had to have after seeing Silver Dollar City's production of "A Christmas Carol".  That play was first rate and very, very professional with the ghost of Jacob Marley with his chains flying over our heads. 

The year we bought B. a Jack in the Box for Christmas, we also found a Jack in the Box tree ornament.  Last year's ornament was a scene from the movie "A Christmas Story", another movie favorite, and this year we couldn't pass up the musical ice skating scene from Charlie Brown.  "Charlie Brown Christmas Special" was a special part of our children's Christmas season, as well as our grandchildren so even now, after all these years that little cartoon will be on in my house.

Many, many years ago I noticed an ad in the Parade magazine that comes with the Sunday Oklahoman for plastic icicles so I sent after them.  OK, they are just cheap plastic, but once on the tree and they reflect the lights and glow.  They are magical!  We have lost a few over the years and thought about ordering more - yes, they are on Ebay, isn't everything.  After discussing it we decided not to order them.  You see, sometimes more of something doesn't make it better.  And really, buying them now would not be the same as it was for me when I was in my early 30s.

And as sentimentality would have it, we top the tree with a paper angel our daughter made in first grade.  Talk about special attention to packing away each year............  And can you believe that?  This angel was made in a public school.  Oh, I miss those days and feel our children are really missing out.  At my grandson's school, there can be no reference to Christmas at all, not even a Santa.  They can have winter themes such as snowmen, but no reference to Christmas....such a shame and a disgrace!

I have some small inexpensive glass bulbs which I remember hanging on our tree when I was a child and even though they mean the world to me now, I really have no clue as to why mom bought them.  Was she just trying to fill the tree with something?  Did my parents pick these out together?  Were they cash strapped when they purchased them?  We picked out these ornaments for the moment, for our moment, the here and now.  Regardless of why we picked a particular ornament, it is really about the moment; the moment of picking it out, the moment of deciding whether the perfect ornament is worth the cost, the moment of taking it out of the box, the moment of pulling the string to hear the music, the moment of hanging it on the tree, and the moment of showing it to the grandkids.  There is also the moment of carefully putting it away for another year.  Some of my ornaments are fading and some a little tattered even after the careful attention when putting them away.  These ornaments are for the hubby and me for nobody else will have a clue as to why we bought them or what was going on in our life.  They are our moments.  Make some moments of your own this Christmas.  It doesn't have to be an ornament, it can be something very simple.  It might be just turning off the TV and decorating the tree together.  It might be a drive around your own neighborhood and looking at the lights.  Just make a moment.        

I hope to tell you about my childhood Christmas trees as I remember them.  I have to laugh because some of my siblings don't recall much of their childhood so I can just whip up some memories and they believe me.  But seriously, I will try to be accurate as a woman my age can be.  Don't laugh!  See you tomorrow.  I love you!

Day After Thanksgiving

Just another memory:

Back when my oldest niece was in high school or there abouts, must have been in the early '90s, she and, I think, my sister-in-law came to Thanksgiving dinner wearing these really cute Christmas sweatshirts.  They had taken puff paint and drawn the cutest Christmas trees.  Dots of different colored puffed paints were used for the decorations on the tree, along with scattered rhinestones, tiny, tiny ribbon bows, and a huge rhinestone for the star on top.  Under the tree, there were three little mirrors, each decorated to look like presents.  I cannot describe how really pretty these shirts were.

That year my youngest sister was home for the holiday so the day after Thanksgiving we sisters went to Hobby Lobby to get the stuff for the sweatshirts.  We came back to my house and had one of the best times ever, each making one of these shirts.  I still have mine, but don't wear it.  It is just too delicate and such a chore to wash.  I just can't get rid of it as it holds too many memories.  Love to all!     

Thanksgiving - Thanks for the Memories

Gosh, I have so many memories of Thanksgiving and from the time I was a young girl the holiday was always wonderful.  I can remember one where we drove down to the southern part of the state to one of mom's cousins, not one of her double cousins.  I remember their old two-story farm house.  I think that drive and their house on Thanksgiving day may be the catalyst of my love of fall foliage. 

Thanksgiving was a little quieter this year.  The kids are grown with families of their own and as it should be, they have others with whom to share their holidays.  Thanks to my sister and even though about half our family wasn't there, our day was wonderful with lots of good food, especially the turkey, and filled with love.  You see, we still have that bond of love that my parents provided all those many years and it lives on whether we are all together or separated by the miles.  So tonight I know that my brother and his family in the Tulsa area, my sister and her family in Mississippi, and my nieces and nephews wherever they are, are also sharing, remembering, and loving.

Kids, remember all that food?  When we were all five adults, the food increased five times.  Remember the B.C. Clark anniversary song?  We knew all the words.  I wonder why we aren't on their commercials.  I am sure we would be a hit!  Remember gathering around the piano and singing Christmas songs till we were hoarse?  Remember hunting mistletoe and gathering all that cedar for Christmas wreaths, and in the very early days, cutting a cedar for a Christmas tree?  That tree was so stickery that you had to use gloves to decorate it.  Remember my brother and nephew hunting and coming in just in time for dinner?  Remember that one year we sat around in the late afternoon, and over and over we quietly would say something we were thankful for?  I will never forgot one person's comment of gratitude.  Touched my heart and they don't even know it.  Remember drawing names for Christmas?  Remember mom's huge spiral drawing pad where we put our Christmas wishes?  Remember flipping back to see what we wanted the years before?  Oh, I wish I had that pad for it held lots of memories and fun.  Mom and Dad and all you kids - thanks for the memories.  I love you.                

One More Day and

it becomes almost legal to kill someone in the pursuit of a bargain, so says the hubby.  He said this as we were leaving my happy place and dodging more than one automobile jockeying for a parking space.  The games have already begun.  I can only imagine what it is going to be like the day after Thanksgiving.  And I have word on good authority that some stores in Penn Sq Mall will be open at midnight:01 Friday.  That means that some poor worker is going to have to stay up all night in order to meet the greedy public.  Or is that the retailer's demand?  All for the mighty dollar. 

Don't misunderstand me.  I love getting a bargain as much as the next gal, but what happened to a normal 6:00 a.m. Friday opening?  At least the retail workers could get a couple hours of sleep before facing the onslaught of coffee deprived zombies stampeding over each other for the coveted 80 inch TV for $600 of which there was only one.  Oh, I have been there (ONCE) never to be repeated again.  Standing outside in the Oklahoma brisk wind at 5:30 in the morning the day after Thanksgiving is NOT my idea of fun, I don't care how much free breakfast is waiting.

But wait, I speak too soon.  New scenario.  My Mississippi sister and my Coweta sister-in-law are here and my other two sisters are off for the day.  Then, and only then, would I be willing to explore OKC at 4:00 a.m. in pursuit of the bargain.  Let the giggling begin!  OK, that was only a day dream.  They aren't here so that isn't going to happen......awww, guess I will just have to go back to sleep.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  Enjoy your day and I hope you are not one of the ones having to go to work on Thanksgiving.  I find it such a shame that any stores, other than maybe gas stations along the interstate are open.  Bring Thanksgiving respect back!!!        

Lamb Shanks

Biggest disappointment of my life, probably not my life, but definitely of the day.  Yes, it was the lamb shanks that made me want to gag.  I had seen these lamb shanks at Sam's Club yesterday and wanted to buy them, but since I had never had lamb I really waited to sample them so I walked on.  You doubted that I went to Sam's at least four times a week, didn't you?  Now you know the truth; I do!  When I went for my yearly review of Sam's sampler day today, I was so excited that the first thing I saw was the lamb shanks, and we got the last two.  Just in time.  Oh, yum.  They did look good.  Lamb to mouth, took a big bite.  Oh my gosh~!  Chew, Regina, it is going to get better.  More chewing....Oh my gosh, gag me with a spoon, I have to get this out of my mouth.  Despite my blog a couple weeks ago about needing a fork to spit back the food, when you think you are going to gag, you have to get it out of your mouth the quickest way possible.  Thank goodness I had that napkin.  No, I didn't make a big deal out of this and nobody saw me and I saved my comments about the grossness of lamb until we were out of ear shot.  Well, that was a shock.  How could anything look that good and be so horrible.  And this.....this is considered a gourmet meal in some cultures.  Our British guest a couple of years back could talk of nothing better than lamb and even send me his recipe when he got back to England.  I am so sorry, Danny, I cannot go lamb.

I love my Sam's and sampling their foods, but this year the food samples weren't that good.  Either that or the lamb put me off food.  I think it might be the latter.  Had a bite of steak and goodness if it didn't taste like that lamb, too.  However, having the iron stomach I have, I persevered and continued to sample, trying to get that taste out of my mouth.  I can write home to tell you that nothing they had was worth standing in line or even tasting except maybe the cheesecake.  Now that was really good and I may be buying that for Christmas.

Review of Sam's samples -- Bottom line is that the samples aren't worth sampling especially if you have to wait in line.  Go sample them anyway.  You will be full when you do and no need for lunch.  Gotta think that 30% of Tinker workers use those samples for lunch each Friday.  We are (were) a thrifty lot.  I have learned a new diet trick, though.  Just take a bite of lamb and it will put you off food for an entire day.  

Sam's could care less about whether I like lamb or not.  They know their customers and I am sure they have plenty of customers buying lamb or they wouldn't have it available.  Despite the misadventure I had with the lamb today, I will be back to Sam's again next week for my fix.  

I love you guys and Sam's and I am sure glad I didn't buy those lamb shanks yesterday.         

Double Cousins

Did you know that my grandfather's brother married my grandmother's sister?  Whenever there was a family event on either side of the family, the same cousins were there.  There were four sisters in mom's family and three sisters and one brother in the other.  They were double cousins so does that make me a first cousin to them?  And does that make me second cousins to their children?  When we were little we attended the same church and often went home with one another till church that night.  It really was like one big family.  It was safe.  We all knew each other and knew all the relatives on either side.  It was safe!

Today, one of mom's cousins passed away.  That leaves two of my mother's sisters and one cousin left.  Three women left out of eight kids.  Nine really because mom had a brother who died when he was two years old.  The older generation is dying away which will leave my generation in charge, I guess.  That scares me because I have none of the wisdom that my aunts and my honorary aunts, mom's cousins have.  I guess we have to take one day at a time and hope that nothing comes up that is impossible for us to handle or maybe we can just "wing" our sage advice and come up with something resembling wisdom. 

Thanks for all your wisdom and all the right words, Mom.  

I love all you guys.  Back to more fun posts tomorrow.  And get ready.  I am going to my happy place.

All in the Day in Oklahoma

A week ago Monday, Oklahoma had the weirdest day ever...well to me it was.  The morning started out wonderful!  It was overcast, kind of dark in the house, but very homey with the soft glow of the under cabinet lights.  My kitchen was clean and comfy, just the kind of day I had always dreamed of when I imagined being retired.  Perfect!  The kind of morning that demanded a warm cup of coffee, music from my Ipod, and a preheated oven waiting on the cookies I was making.  Did I say a perfect morning?

The day just got better as the temperature warmed to a balmy day.  The overcast skies just highlighted the gold, red, and green leaves making it one of the most spectacular autumn days I can ever remember at my house.  I hadn't realized that the weather was getting stormy until I turned on the late afternoon news.  Every channel was having  covering the storm so it must be a big deal and it was apparently.  EF4 they said, but for a change it was in the mountains and a very rural area.  But coming this way, it was.  So the coverage continued...........all evening.

Then sometime after 8:30, I could hear the thunder coming this way...soon the rain will start....but wait.  Why is the house shaking?  Oh no, this is happening again, another earthquake.  The house is shaking, the couch is shaking, and I am swaying, even the blind cords are swaying.  One thing about having dozens of earthquakes, OK I only felt three of them, is that the third one isn't nearly as scary as the first and second.  Still, it was another earthquake that I never wanted to experience again.  I don't like them one little bit. 

So, as the earth was quaking, the tornadoes were forming, and the rain was falling.  All this was topping off one of the most beautiful days I have experienced.  All in a day in Oklahoma.  Come visit us!

I wish I had some talent with photography, but sadly I don't.  Nonetheless, I keep snapping and hope that one will turn out well.  My yard has been much prettier than any of these pictures.  I just cannot get capture what my eyes see, but I am sharing them with you anyway.  Hope you enjoy the view from my place.

Brach's Cordial Cherries

I hate to think about how close we are getting to Christmas, but we are.  First Thanksgiving, then Christmas, but things are looking a lot like Christmas especially at the grocery store. 

For years, hubby would buy me a box of chocolate covered cherries early in the Christmas season.  It was our "kickoff" of the holidays.  He'd be out running an errand and would think of me.  They were not just any cordial cherries, they were Brach's!  Then sadly, they disappeared.  We have been looking for them all these years until a few years back when we found out on the internet (you can find anything on the internet) that the company had been sold and the new company would no longer be making the cherries.  But lo and behold, tonight we found them at Crest's...........so we bought two boxes.  They are back!

So....in honor of the upcoming holidays, tonight we savored a couple of these cherries.  I am not kidding when I say savor.  They are so decadent, they should be eaten slowly...in slow motion.  It may be my imagination, but I believe they are as good as those of olden days.  If you search Google, you will see that there are people out there who are comparing different brands of these cherries, and you thought I was weird.  Once again, you can find anything on the internet.

Memory:  My grandpa Dawkins would buy my mother and her sisters-in-law a box of these every Christmas, making a point to buy them himself and pass them out himself.  I have this vision of him standing in front of the back door, passing these to the girls.  Money was tight for my grandparents so it really meant at lot to mom that Grandpa would do this for the girls.  Although she never cared much for those cherries, she always looked forward to her special present from her father-in-law.  This little gesture of special love that my grandpa gave to his girls really made an impression on his granddaughter.

Note to mom's grandkids:  Do you remember the Bugles that were always around at Grandma's house?  We bought some tonight....the first we have had since she used to buy them.  Miss her tonight.   

Weekend Observations

Several weird or unusual things happened this weekend that warrant my commentary.  Not really, but I liked using that word and since as a child I never talked, this is my opportunity.  So in no particular order, here are my observations.     

Cussing - Friday afternoon, we drove west across OKC to look for bathroom tile.  At a stop light we were the third car back in the center lane next to the left turning lane.  A panhandler in a red jogging suit walked across the street in front of us to make his claim on the island between us and the opposing traffic.  He kept trying to make eye contact the cars around him while holding his much used torn cardboard with the scribbled words "God Bless" and gesturing for his female companion to come on.  She, however, was in the convenience store parking lot on our left holding back not wanting to join him.  He kept urging and gesturing for her to come on, over and over again.  Much to his chagrin, she kept resisting.  Finally, we understood why she would not join him after he screamed out "BLANK the police" only that is not the word he used.  He used the mother of all curse words.  (Remember Ralphie in A Christmas Story?).  She was  afraid of getting caught by the cops.  Now I ask you, did that seem just the slight be out of place, him holding the God bless sign while screaming profanity?  And no we didn't roll down the window....if he had not said a word, you could tell he was already high for the evening.      

My mother never, ever said a curse word in her life.  Never, ever!  She never said darn or heck.  She never said gosh.  The closest thing that could even be considered a naughty word from her was her use of the word "period".  "We are not going PERIOD."  She meant it, too!  Yep, she was the best woman ever. 
Earthquake - Now that was quite scary and a totally helpless situation.  Nothing much to be done when it hit, just ride it out.  I have a slight heart problem where my heart skips a beat now and again and believe me, it has skipped several beats since then.  I have felt earthquakes before, but this was the largest one I have ever been in.  5.6 according to geologists.  For the last 15 hours or so, I keep imagining that I can feel tremors. 

Football Games - I watched two televised games and of course they were Oklahoma teams.  OU was a sleeper, but that OSU game was scary right down to the last second and to top it off with an earthquake made for a fitful night's sleep.

Walmart - What is it about Walmart that brings out the "cesspool of society" (hubby's words)?  Don't get all up in arms thinking I am high and mighty.  I go to Walmart at least three times a month for various things, but really folks.....  Is Walmart the place to show off your pajamas?  Do you wake up and think "I need to get a new rug for the hall and jump in your car, tearing down the street........without any thought whatsoever that you are still in your pajamas........with footies.....for Pete's sake?  Do ya' think that footed pajamas are just a full body length pair of boots?  Do you honestly think that is the norm attire for Walmart?  Well folks, it might just be for we observed three (YES THREE) different families with pajamas on, some with feet.  Hubby pointed out some fleece pajama bottoms that I could purchase for our next trip back.  Uh.......sorry Charlie......no way!  And oh.......to the guy just outside the Walmart door...you with the tattoos all over...yes, you with the rings in EVERY conceivable place on your body....you there with your pants nearly falling off............hey you....the guy that is undressing or is it dressing so that we can see your glorious reflective white flabby stomach....yeah, you.  Put your shirt on before you leave the house.  I don't like seeing all those piercings.  Yuck!       

Weather - Except for the usual Oklahoma wind this has been a beautiful weekend.  The trees are turning, although not one of the most beautiful falls, it is still beautiful.

Friends - Three friends and a family member contacted me after the earthquake.  That made me feel good.  Since retiring I sometimes have my pity party thinking that I have left the world of friends behind.  Good to know they are still my friends.  Had a former friend tell me once that she felt that people came into our lives for a period of time and friendship was fleeting.  I didn't understand her then and I still don't.  I feel that friends are friends forever.  I love my friends and I love my family.

Sam's Club - Yesterday, I stopped for shrimp at my happy place.  Wouldn't you know there was nobody behind the shrimp display.  Off I went to the meat department.  Rang the bell and a man came to my assistance.  I asked if they had someone working the shrimp.  No was his reply and then he grinned.  He said he would be right with me.  Here he comes.  Gets behind the counter and lo and behold, no gloves.  Off he goes back to the meat counter.  He comes back and I tell him I feel badly about having him go to so much trouble only to have me buy just one pound of shrimp.  He fixes me my pound bag, put the label on, and reaches back in the case to pull out two more handfuls of shrimp.  He said that since I had to be inconvenienced, he was going to treat me to a few extra shrimp.  He also told me that they have to throw away all the left over shrimp in that display at the end of the day.  He didn't understand why they would fill that display and not have someone there full time to man it.  What a waste.

Also at Sam's, I gave way for this little old man to go ahead of me to the checkout lanes.  I made my way and found one almost empty, looked back and this little guy was right behind me.  Putting my shrimp and canned vegetables for Sam's food for seniors campaign, the little guy said that I didn't have much considering I was at Sam's.  I told him that hubby calls it my happy place and he said he called it his $100 bill place since he couldn't go there without spending that much. 

My point to these two stories, especially the last one is that at one time in my life, I would have been friendly, but would have kept my comments to a minimum, nodding and turning my head.  Somewhere along the way and more so now that I am retired, I have turned a new leaf and you know what, it makes ME feel so much better.  There are very nice people in this world (like these two gentlemen) and I want to be one of them.  You never know when somebody's day will be brightened because you gave them a few minutes of your time. 

Mall Shopping - Again, yesterday (I worked in a lot yesterday) I went to Penn Square Mall.  I had the best time all by myself, but having lunch with my daughter who joined me on her break.  A trip into Williams-Sonoma brought back some wonderful memories of my first trip to one and how in awe I was of all the kitchen gadgets.  A trip through the Dillard's lingerie department brought back pleasant memories of dreamed about pajamas that I longed for....NOT the kind for a trip to Walmart!  A trip to Baby Gap brought to mind that my grandsons are now too big for that store......sad.  A trip to Penney's brought reality in the form of good values and practicality in a sweater and vest.  What a good day...and sushi to boot!

I love you!

Good Times! Good Times!

Tonight we ate at a Mexican restaurant that has been around for years and years on the south side of OKC.  Many, many of the stores around the area are now closed and replaced by a hospital and parking lot.  Still, tonight we had moments of nostalgia remembering the times when the kids were little, mom and dad were still alive, and the future was still ahead of us.  We remembered the theater next to the restaurant where we saw "King Kong" with Mom and Dad.  S. loved that movie and Dad was just as thrilled.  We remembered Streets, a women's department store, nearby where mom bought a coat on a cold evening.  Then we remembered the OTASCO store where we bought S. his first little battery powered 4 wheel vehicle.  Santa really thought he was doing something when he found it marked down on Christmas Eve.

Streets, the movie theater, and OTASCO, they're all gone now.  Things change, sometimes for the better, but oft not, but we must look forward.  There are lots of good things still to come.  Look forward and keep your eyes open for the good things for they very well will become your good times, but now and again look back and see how far you have come.  Good Times!  Good Times!        

My Happy Place

It has been a pretty good day.  I fixed an easy slow cooker roast beef for French dip sandwiches.  A great friend sent me to http://www.allrecipes.com/ for this wonderful easy recipe, only roast beef, a can of beef broth, and a can of beer.  I use two cans of beef broth instead of beer though.  Good stuff.  Use the Ciabatta rolls from Sam's Club and your family will treat you like a queen for the night. 

So off to Sam's we went for the rolls.  Walking to the front door, hubby says he thinks my happy place is Sam's Club and he may be right.  It calls my name at least 4 times a week and I run right over.  The greeters now know us by name and we are waved on in without so much as a second glance.  (I guess most people are waved on through without a second glance, huh?  Maybe we aren't as special as we think.)  When I walk in, my mood immediately gets lighter so when I am already in a great mood, I just want to break out in a song and dance number.  So much fun!  I have to check almost every aisle every time we go especially at this time of the year when they have all these Christmas present ideas. 

Want a 19 inch TV?  They got 'em.  Want a 70 inch TV?  They got 'em.  Need a king size Serta plush mattress?  They got em.  But I might be a little leery of buying a mattress cause you can't try it out.  Oh wait, I have!  Yep, they pulled that plastic covered mattress out for me.  Got a lot of nerve when you can plop your bod right down on a mattress on the floor at Sam's.  No, we didn't buy it, but still thinking..........the thing is you can purchase it and try it out for 90 days and if you aren't satisfied, you can bring it back for a full refund with no questions asked.  With other stores charging 3 times the price, it is something to think about.

Where else can you find pencils by the gross, rice in hundred pound bags, half dozen reading glasses in one package, and cupcakes by the dozens.  And don't even get me started on the food samples.  Go sometime around noon on a Saturday.  You will not need lunch, but if you do, check out the food court.  OK, maybe it isn't the gourmet food at the mall food court, but you can get a hot dog (Nathan's wiener) and drink for $1.70.  That sounds like I might be just a little cheap, but if you are only getting lunch to satisfy your hunger and do not care about ambiance, then this is the place for you.

Have I mentioned their clothes?  Now that my social destinations  revolve around trips to Sam's and Lowe's, my other happy place, I am quite comfortable wearing a top from Sam's.  I don't like every top they have, but with careful selection I come away with something cute.  No problem with exchanging since we really do go there 4 times a week.

Do you have a place where you just feel good when you walk in?  Target maybe?  Grocery store?  Sephora?  Best Buy?  Hey, I will even share my Sam's Club with you.  I'll show you the ropes.  I love you!

The Dining Table

Three and a half weeks until Thanksgiving, my second favorite holiday, and my very favorite season.  Cooler weather....falling leaves....cleaning house in preparation for Thanksgiving festivities, and autumn runner on the table.  Happiness! 

Lots of laughter and love still echo through the hallows of my kitchen, well in the cobwebs of my mind, all culminating at my dining table.  Oh the tales, my table could tell!  Some good, some not so good, but lots of love, lots of laughter, and lots of good food, and hopefully some manners taught.  Even though my children were picky eaters, one never wanting anything between to pieces of bread and the other wanting nothing but something between two pieces of bread, being at that table was always the highlight of my day.  It was the one place we were together without the distraction of the phone, stereos, or the TV.         

About 2 years ago, hubby and I began to lighten up.  We now have our oatmeal and coffee in our cozy comfy chairs in front of the living room windows.  We are still making memories.  You see, it isn't really about the table, it is about being together without distractions.  It is sharing and making plans for our future.      

Childhood memories:  One of my very first memories was at the kitchen table at the Kotnik place where we lived when I was very tiny.  The only memory I have of that house is my dad leaning back from the table on the back legs of his chair, drumming his fingers, one finger at a time, on the counter behind him, while lightening lights up the room.  (By the way, as the infamous story goes, this is the place where daddy dropped me on my head.  He dropped the handle of the bassinet and I rolled right out.  Daddy loved to tell me this story; and that is why I am the way I am!)  

Family, do you guys remember the gray dinette set we had, the one where R. had her year old picture taken?  When we first got it, it was the "company" dinnette.  There was another wooden table in the kitchen, the one in the alcove.  Crowding seven people around that small table in that tiny alcove was a bit of a challenge but mom came to the rescue by making a vinyl covered bench with hinges which attached to the wall so that it could be let down as needed.  I can still see those blond curly headed little girls setting on that little bench.  My brother sat at the end of the table, my mother opposite him closest to the kitchen, dad and I sat across from the girls with me between mom and daddy.  That seating arrangement remained with us with every table we ever had.

About 1961 or 62 we moved to the south place.  After a few years mom got another nicer table with brown floral vinyl chairs.  We had that one for years and she still had a few of the chairs until she passed away.  Finally she got the nice wood table, the one that was always covered with a vinyl tablecloth unless it was a special occasion when we covered the table with a pad and a white linen or knit tablecloth.  That is the one that the grandkids will remember, the one that daddy never wanted to leave when we came for dinner.  He thought the conversation would drop when we got up from the table, and he was right!  I love you all!!!