66th Wedding Anniversary

Some things slip your mind and you can't remember, but one thing is embedded there forever. This is what I remember from my wedding day.

I lived in Helena, Arkansas in a rooming house with five other girls. My room-mate was my sister. All the girls went to work this day, except me. It is my wedding day! None of the girls had automobiles, so the all rode the city bus to work. I had errands to run today, so I also rode the bus. I could have walked to the shoe store to purchase my shoes, but I didn't ride because I really couldn't afford to spend the seven cents for the bus ride. I really needed the shoes, I needed low heels as I didn't want to be taller than my groom. I found the perfect shoes with the help of the store clerk, who was especially helpful since he knew me from the announcement in the paper.

My next trip was to the next town to get my hair done. My good friend was also my hairdresser, and we were getting married at her house at seven thirty. She fixed my hair and I helped her get ready for the wedding party. It was a good day. I then rode the bus back to the rooming house and waited for the time to pass until it was time to get married.

Our sweet little house-mother, or owner of the rooming house prepared a good dinner for all us girls, and I remember how hungry I was. I may have skipped food all day. Jittery nerves didn't bother my appetite. The girls helped me get dressed.

My wedding outfit cost less than one-hundred dollars, but it was beautiful.We didn't have a camera at the wedding, so there are no pictures. My mother-in-law made the wedding cake. It was a white cake with white icing. It was served with coffee. Our music was played on a record player. We stood before the fire place decorated with gladiolas. They were beautiful. The minister was a young friend from the Methodist Church. I can remember my nerves came to the forefront when the ring I had bought for my groom was a little snug and I had a little trouble getting it on his finger I began to giggle and couldn't stop. I soon got over that.

My sister-in-law who was three months pregnant went outside the house to help decorate our car, and when she returned to the house, she opened the wrong door to the house and fell down the stairs to the cellar. She wasn't hurt badly, but it ruined our wedding party It was like a dark cloud over the rest of the day.

We took a wedding trip to Memphis for the week-end., and then it was back to work on Monday.

Let's Talk Valentines Day

Yesterday was Valentines Day and it brought back lots of memories. I spent over fifty years with the Valentine that I chose to be me mine on February 21, 1947. I don't remember all the different little Valentines that I received in all those years, but this is remember, it was always Valentines Day. We loved each other and that was enough.

My first gift for Valentines was a lovely scarf. I can amost recall just how pretty it was, and I can imagine him thinking she will like this, and she can use this. Such a practical gift. I did like it and it was usefull, but what red blooded girl wants practical on such a special day. He never knew I was a bit disappointed in his choice of gifts.

Over the many years I received boxes and boxes of chocolates and roses. When the chocolates began to to change my figure, which wasn't so good to start with, I said enough. He said but I like the chocolates. Then I got roses, and they would die in a couple of days. That was when it was decided I would get the real thing. I got the roses bushes. That is when I really got to love growing roses. So with roses you get flowers every day. They adorn your garden and make beautiful bouquets for your table. It's like getting a gift every day and it's practical. We liked that.

What's Up?

I haven't seen the sun in three days. I hope this is the day. The lake is running over and my yard is soaked, and the sky is still gray and it looks like more rain. Hopefully we will see blue skies real soon.

This is a good time to read a good book and I received one as a gift from Christmas. I must get started on it, but this weather doesn't put me in the mood to read. On a day like this I usually like to put something in the oven and cook it slowly so I can smell the aroma. I think I will do that and then maybe I'll get in the mood to read.

I don't have any projects that I need to be working on at the moment, so you might say I'm really bored. But you could say my Christmas project was a success. I made a puppet show for one of the great-grand children and she loved it. Wish I could have made one for each of them, but I'd have to have a factory to do that big job. Gotta a lot of kiddos. It's something to think about, and I will think about it. Some day!

Happy New Year 2013 !

I don't make resolutions so you won't read any of those here. I just live one day at a time, and live it best I can.

Christmas is over at my house. I think I have it all clear out except my little gold bell that has hung in my house every Christmas since my once young kids were very small. You can pull the string that is attached to it and it will play "Jingle Bells". The reason for not taking it down, I can't reach it, so I'm waiting for someone to come by and take it down for me. All the kids of mine, my grandchildren and great-grandchildren have pulled that string and enjoyed it. Now I'll put it away for another Christmas. It's getting a bit worn, but the knot in the string doesn't keep it from playing "Jingle Bells".

I didn't go out to celebrate the birth of the new year, but I did crawl under the covers of my warm bed and watch the crowds in the big cities as they celebrate. I miss Guy Lombardy and his band on New Years Eve. Now you young ones don't know who that was. Olde Lang Syne ain't the same any more. That group had class !

I made a nice dinner for my daughter and her husband on New Years Day. We had the tradition black-eyed peas and cabbage, creamed potatoes, and pork and sourkraut. Boneless pork ribs substituted for the hog jowl that my late husband and I use to cook. That is the traditional meat for good luck on that day. I'm no Rachel Raye, but I've got more experience in the kitchen than she does and I can cook something other than an Italion dish. Just good old home-cooking. The peach cobbler was good, too.

Christmas Eve 2012

Gee Whiz, we have been running the roads since Friday, and I'm about pooped out. We have been eating and enjoying the visits with all the kids. We were in Dry Creek on Friday for a nice visit and meal. Saturday we went to Alexandria for another nice visit and party with the relatives there. Sunday we were in Baton Rouge for more eats and visiting. Somebody like me isn't going to be happy when the doctor puts me on the scales next week. And now we have the big day tomorrow. Oh well it's Christmas.

I'm sure glad the girls are all good cooks and I don't have to do too much in the kitchen any more. It was fun then, but its better now that I'm not responsible for all the food. Still have to get my hands messed up once in a while though, I still like to put things together, and I still get requests for dishes that are usually tradition on our Christmas table. But I like to sit back and watch this year.

I went out in my back yard this morning and cut some beautiful red berries off a bush and put then on my dining table and they look so fresh and pretty. That the good thing about living in the country, the natural growing bushes produce such beautiful things. We live in the pine forest so we have all kinds of natural decorations.

I'm looking forward tomorrow when the family comes for dinner. It's always a joy to watch the little ones play.

Merry Christmas everyone. May God Bless.

Christmas Shopping

Yesterday my daughter and I went Christmas shopping. We started out before noon and returned home five hours later. Today I feel a little excited that we got so much done in such a short time. The next big job was getting all these bags sorted out and get down to the wrappings. Lucky for me I found enough paper and ribbons to get it all done, but I forgot about the name tags, so that will have to be another trip. Oh well, I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow anyway, so that's not a big deal.I just hope that I did the right thing and got the little gifts that I could afford instead going hog wild. Christmas isn't meant to be a greedy time when you get all the things you have wanted all year long. It's Christ's Birthday, so I try to give from my heart. That's the lesson that I've learned through the ages.

My sister and I were talking about the Christmases we had when we were kids. We were happy to get a stocking full of fruits and candy. Makes me wonder what would be the reaction if my grandchildren would wake up to a stocking like that on Christmas morning. It's a different world.

My good friend who helps me keep my house clean brought me a nice box of home made cookies as a present. They are so good and I love her for it. Needless to say I don't need all the sweets, but I surely do like them. I like to bake them,too. Next week I'll try a little baking myself. Nothing is better than warm cookies and milk. It would be nice to have some right now.

My gifts are wrapped and the mess is cleaned up, now I can think about what to do next.

Remembering December 6, 1983

We were preparing for this day, had been for nine months. My daughter announced the good news to us as soon as she knew for sure about this event by telling me to start making Raggedy Ann Dolls. I had made those dolls for other grandchildren. We started planning a trip to Amsterdam to see this little one. It was an exciting time. This was our gift for Christmas that year.

We made arrangements to be off from work, and that wasn't easy. This was the Christmas season and the most important time of the year in the place where I worked. But they OKed my months leave anyway.

One the day we fly out of the airport it was snowing and the plane was late coming in. We sat and watched the snow come down and waited and waited. The plane arrived and we were on our way. The trip was uneventful and we were then in Amsterdam. My daughter and the proud daddy brought our little grandson to meet us at the airport. What a Christmas present? We got to enjoy our present for two weeks and then it was time to come home again. It was a special two weeks.

Yesterday was his Birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY !! Hope you had a good day. Love you. MM