A walk down memory lane.....

Ruby Algeo Ward

Let me take you back to a simpler time. We lived out in the country where neighbors helped neighbors and everybody knew everybody. Two doors down from us, lived a sweet lady name Ruby. Ruby's husband passed away when I was still a toddler. She lived with her sister Bea in an old run down house that didn't have any running water. They never had much money, but made do with what they had. She would walk over to our house carrying a couple of buckets. Daddy or Mommy would fill her buckets with water for her take home for cooking and cleaning. Sometimes, she would could come over twice a day. She lived a frugal life, but never seemed to mind.

We went to church with Ruby in the old country church up on the ridge of the hollow we grew up in. Ruby played piano for the church. She didn't have much in life, but she had her music. Never having a formal lesson, Ruby had taught herself to play the piano. I have a vague memory from my early years of Mom telling about Homer getting an old piano up the hill for Ruby before he passed away.

Every Christmas, the women would exchange names at church. It was a small church with only 25-40 people at any given time. So many years, Ruby would draw my name. Everytime she did, I would receive a pretty new lace hanky and a container of bath powder from the 5 and 10 store. As a young girl, I loved when she had my name. She was a women of simple means and to get a hanky and powder from Ruby meant so much to me. Till this day, I still see those round tubs of bath powder and my mind goes back to that simpler time and I remember Ruby.

When I moved to Tennessee 22 years ago, my conversations with Mom would frequently involve "I saw Ruby today. She asked about you." That sweet dear woman never forgot me and I will never forget her.

She passed away January 10, 2006 at the age of 102. She would have been 103 that April. Two weeks before she passed away, she was still living on her own and cooking her own meals. She played the piano for that same little church for 45 years. Eleven days of her last two weeks were spent in the hospital.

She is in a much better place and can play piano again and sing until her heart is content. But for this old country girl, she will still be remembered every Christmas for her kindness, her generosity, and her love.

We miss you, Ruby. 

Say it ain't so.....

I am not in full blown panic mode yet, but I just realized that it is only 23 days until Christmas. Now that sounds like plenty of time to get everything done.....NOT!

I don't know how I have managed to have such a heavy calendar this year. Out of the next 23 days, 11 of them are already booked with "things to do". Saturdays are for shopping and Sundays are for church so I have to rule those out as possible days for getting anything accomplished.

During the next 23 days, I have to find time to bake the cookies for the Ladies Night Out, fix a dessert and pasta salad for the Sunday School class dinner, wrap all the gifts I buy (some already bought), make the desserts for the family and friends gifts, make the desserts for our holiday, make 2 different birthday cakes or cookies for the twins (they pick what they each want).

And during this madness, I still have a full-time job to do and a Christmas tree to decorate.

And that is another sore subject today....The Christmas Tree

I love my 7' Martha Stewart Pre-lit tree. It's nice and full and tall and perfect.....until this year. We put it up two days ago so it could "fall out" before we shaped it. The trouble with pre-lit trees is that it doesn't always light. We had a major battle getting all the plug-ins lined up in the right order so we could start decorating. No matter what we tried, one whole side section on the bottom 3 limbs did not light. We decided to worry about it the next day. So we get up yesterday, turn it on to work on it and WAH LAH - they all worked. Yay!! But I had a busy day and decided to wait and decorate this morning.

Well, guess what? When I turned it on this morning, the top section doesn't light now. There has got to be a short somewhere, which means I will not be using the pre-lit section. Now, I'm torn. Do I bite the bullet and buy a new tree or do I buy lights for this one. And if I buy lights, do I get the miniature or the old fashioned bulbs like we had when I was little (the C7's). But then, I hate to invest $ in the amount of lights I would need, when after the holidays, I'll pitch this one and buy a new one for next year. But THEN, I thought, OOO, if I have to buy lights this year anyways, why don't I head over to one of the stores that has REAL trees for $30 and just get a real tree one last time and buy lights for it.

Of course, my mind has had all these random thoughts this morning while hubby is not here. Once he gets home, I'll run my ideas by him. Of course, he'll say it's up to me, and I do like to let him at least THINK he's in charge once in awhile. But not at Christmas. So I'll wage a battle with myself this morning and let you know tomorrow which direction I go.

Memories of Christmas Past

Every December it is time to take a walk down memory lane as we recall moments of Christmas past. I remember so many great things about those childhood Christmas's.

.... laying in bed at night trying to stay awake so we could hear Santa come
.... getting bags of candy at church on the Sunday morning before Christmas
.... Barbies and baby dolls
.... Mom making Barbie clothes and hanging them on the Christmas tree
.... The year that was supposed to be my last year to get a baby doll and I ended up getting THREE of them
.... Ham baking on Christmas days
.... Mom bringing out the "Christmas Candy" - chocolate covered raisins, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate stars, chocolate cream drops and malted milk balls.
.... orange Nehi and Grape Nehi with a ham sandwich for lunch
.... walking over to my aunt's or mamaw's house that afternoon
.... homemade cakes and candies
.... assorted nuts, some in cans and some that needed cracked from their shells
.... stocking stuffed with goodies

Many wonderful memories. Many happy times. I can only hope that I have instilled such wonderful memories in the minds of my children and grandchildren.

December

Thankful thought of the day - Today I am thankful for December.

December is my favorite time of year for many reasons. It is the birth of our precious Lord and Saviour. It is also the birth of my gorgeous twins, Christopher Shawn and Diana Lynn in 1977. It was also the month I was born in 1956. Most people celebrate their 21st birthday in one shape or form. I celebrated mine by holding my 3 day old twins and eating miniature Reece's cups that the nursing staff bought me from the gift shop to celebrate my birthday.

I love everything about December. The cold, crisp nights. Putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house. See the Christmas lights in my neighborhood at night. Performing the church choir Christmas special. Shopping. Wrapping gifts. Finding that perfect something for that someone(s) special in your life. The spirit of peace and joy that fills the air.

December. Something to be thankful for!

2 x 4's

Thankful thought of the day - Today I am thankful for "2 x 4" moments.

The definition of a  2 x4: Lumber made from wood that is used as structural material for construction.

 We pray and pray and ask God for divine wisdom. We ask for His guidance and fall to our knees, begging Him to help us in whatever path we are to take. But how many times in your life has He given you an answer and you didn't realize He was talking to you? How many times has He provided you with a solution that was so simple that you didn't even see it? And how many of those times do you ignore the obvious and continue to beg and plead for His help?

If you are like me, the answer is TOO MANY times. In my lifetime, I have had so many instances where He tries over and over to give me an answer and I'm not even listening when He does. But some of those times, He will do something extreme to get my attention or speak to me in a commanding voice where I don't have a choice, except to listen. I call these my "2x4" moments. The moment when, with a jolt, the light bulb goes on and you realize He's been there all along, trying to get you to see His plan for you.

I was thinking about the 2 x 4 moments in my life yesterday. And it occurred to me, that it is a very appropriate analogy. A 2 x 4 is a means to an end. It is the structural part of the building process that carries the load. We are a continual work in progress. Those 2 x 4 moments from God are simply His way of taking on the responsibility for constructing our lives. He bears our heavy load. And sometimes, in my case, He has to use the 2 x 4 that shores up my life and whack me upside the head with it to get my attention. So I thank Him for caring enough to do that.

Coming soon.......

Thankful thought of the day - Today I am thankful for crafts. 

She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands. - Proverbs 31:13

I found some great craft sales at A.C. Moore. I have several new craft project ideas, but not sure how it will all come together. But here are some of my new materials to help inspire me. I'll share finished projects as they occur.

Excited....Elated....Energetic....Exhausted

Thankful thought of the day....Today I am thankful for energy.

Excited....Thursday was a day of great excitement and anticipation. I patiently waited for my family to come for dinner. We had a wonderful visit and I got to spend great time with them all.

Elated....I was thrilled when the nieces arrived and we planned our shopping expedition for Friday. It was so good to have them down and to get to do things with them.

Energetic.... I sat up Thursday night with the girls until 12:30. Then I watched Friends reruns in bed until around 1:30. I went to sleep and got back up at 3:45 with great anticipation for Black Friday. I was filled with an energy and excitement to "let the bargain hunting begin."

Exhausted.... Shopped Friday from 4:30 AM until 6:00 PM. Got up today at 6:15 and was out the door by 8:30. Shopped until around 3:00 today. Got home, soaked my bones, napped in the tub, ate a little supper. I am worn out. It's off to the couch to doze until bedtime.

Hope everybody has had a great weekend and will end it by attending church tomorrow. Have a great Saturday night.