Thursday, November 8, 2012

November 8


Today I am thankful for my parents and the way we were raised. And I am. We were raised with a sense of family. We were raised to care about and love those close to us. And though my dad didn't go much, we were raised to go to church when the doors are open. Sometimes I don't keep that one, but God knows all about it. He gave me this gift for caring for sick people which includes weekends. He knows that. I am thankful for the little 6 room house with one outlet in each room, no running water and only one source of heat - the wood stove in the living room. I am thankful for my room I had growing up, it was "the far room" - it was a long way  from the stove. Many mornings if my door was closed especially, I would wake and could see my breath it was so cold in my room. I was warm in my bed under my covers. The "back porch" was enclosed and there was a cistern there where we drew our water from. Out the back door was a rain barrel, water from that barrel was where we washed clothes from with a wringer washer and hung our clothes on the line to dry. I helped hang clothes and got them in, helped fold and put away the laundry but NEVER touched that wringer machine. Sometimes when I sit with a balloon pump, especially the older ones, I am reminded of that wringer washer because of the rhythmic sound from the pump. HAHA. Out that same back door was the outhouse. I have spent many days hiding from my brothers in that thing. Been shot with a B B Gun in that thing too.


We had a black and white TV, we had an outside antenna with channels 4(sometimes), 5, and 13. Sometimes we could get channel 2 when it moved from 8 and 8 became educational TV. Sometimes we could get it too. And on some days, we could turn the antenna and get 11 from Louisville but not often. Some evenings, we would have popcorn or if we were really good, we would get chocolate fudge made from Hershey's cocoa. Yum.  And RC cola. Moon pies. Bologna sandwiches. Home canned sweet pickles. Dark Shadows. Lost in Space. Star Trek. Gilligan's Island. Brady Bunch. Hawaii 5-0. Later days it was Waltons. Magnum PI. Emergency. Hee Haw. Dallas. Knots Landing.  Mom wrapped and hid all our Christmas presents from Santa one night while we watched Lost in Space. She hated that show.....

Timmy, Tammy and Jr. Sandy. Lawrence Edward and Diane. Clayton. Debbie and Liz. Playing outside all day all summer. Town Ball. Barbies. Games. Twister. My records. Liza, Darla and Erin. Beatles. Donny Osmond. Playing in the road at someone's house until dark. Knowing to be home at 4:30 for supper. And being there. Beans, taters, cornbread and sweet tea. Kool-Aid. Ice trays that were hard to get the ice from. Everyone at the table at the same time for every meal. Ate what we had. No gripes or else. Tiger. Snoopy, Spot and Pal. Buddy. We all got bikes one Christmas. Trails. Rides winter or summer. Let us ride to the ferry please.... 7 miles one way. Wilkins Spring. Clell Carroll house haunted.

Christmas was always my favorite holiday. Ever since I was little, the anticipation of Santa coming down the chimney, wondering how he could get out of the stove without getting burned, crying because mom wouldn't let the fire go out so Santa wouldn't get hurt, pinning up my knee socks in order along the wall behind the stove, the hard candy with sock fuzz on it, the tangerines and chocolate creme drops aka another name, orange slice candy..... all in our stockings sometimes there would also be nuts in there. And that Christmas tree put up the week of Christmas and the first time my dad brought home twinkle mini lights. To this day, he still loves those. And the Chipmunks Christmas Album he brought home. The smells of Christmas creep into my memory as I write.

If I could go back to my childhood and have more, I wouldn't. I wouldn't change a thing about how I was raised. I will never forget all the lessons I learned. I won't forget Mrs. Strange coming to me during revival one Saturday. I thought I was fine one minute and not the next. And Roy Page never left my side until the Lord saved my soul. Then he couldn't pray a lick for me. I didn't tell it for several months. But he rejoiced when I did. Never forget the ones who help you to the Lord.

I love all y'all!
To be continued.....


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