Wednesday, February 24, 2010

GENERAL NOTES - #3

We loved cardboard boxes that furniture came in. We'd play house in them, open them up to make a tunnel to crawl through. Milk delivered to the house when it was really cold, sometimes it would start to freeze, pushing the cap above the bottle. Cream on top, not homogenized.

Play "dress-up" in old clothes. Put a blade of grass between two thumbs and whistle through it. Hide 'n seek, have a parade around the block (pulled a wagon, dressed up, pretend instruments). My dad made a "long cart", we called it, a long plank with double wheels on each end with steering mechanism for the front. Several of us got on and the one behind pushed. Sometimes someone pulled by a rope in front.

We had lots of fun, little money, probably as much or more fun than today's child with all the expensive toys.

THE END!

GENERAL NOTES - #2

Saturday night baths:

Our kitchen was in the basement. We had an oil stove to cook on, heat water on and heat with. Saturday night, out came the old galvanized washtub, water was heated and poured into the tub on the floor, then one by one we children took our baths. We had something as a modesty screen. I don't remember what it was. Yes, the same water for all four of us.

I remember my dad making us some stilts and we enjoyed walking around on them.

In my pre-school years, I remember some hobos coming to the door for food. Mom turned them away because she said they tell others, then there is no end to it.

GENERAL NOTES - #1

I was born at home on a Sunday morning. I understand my mom was getting dinner but had to let my dad finish when she went to the bedroom. Dad was kept busy between dinner, taking care of the other children and upstairs checking on mom.

The doctor arrived just before I was born. We never had an outhouse except for a short while when Janet was born, on a farm where Gramps worked. No running water. We had a pump to a well just outside. I had to heat water for laundry in a wash tub.

I remember as a preschooler, my folks pumped water for the kitchen sink and heated whenever needed.

ADVICE FOR OTHERS TO REMEMBER

What advice about life do you want others to remember?

Serve God! Rejoice always!

WORD THAT DESCRIBES YOUR LIFE

What word best describes your life? Explain why.

Still breathing!

HAPPIEST TIME IN LIFE

What has been the happiest time of your life?

Being married to gramps and being Born Again

NEXT TEN YEARS

What would you like to see happen in the next ten years?

I'd like to go home and be with Him.

SPECIFIC PRAYER ANSWERED

Tell me about a time when God answered a specific prayer for you.

When we were at PBTS we saw Him answer so many prayers in meeting our needs that we couldn't mistake his calling for Gramps to be a pastor. I have already written about some.

When Gramps felt led to retire, the Lord closed so many doors and opened the door so wide about our getting this home and paid for. A couple in Tyrone felt led to contribute to our retirement and gave us $8000 not knowing, but it finished paying for this place and for having new double hung windows and siding. We are pretty well draft-free and cozy.

MOST WONDERFUL GIFT

What would be the most wonderful gift you could receive? Why?

To see all our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren being saved and trusting the Lord.

MOST MEANINGFUL CHRISTMAS

Describe the Christmas that has been the most meaningful to you.

With the whole family home, all 9 of them! OUR children.

CHRISTMAS STOCKING

Did you have a Christmas stocking as a child or a special ornament? What did it look like?

No

CHRISTMAS WITH RELATIVES

Tell about a memorable Christmas visit with relatives.

I remember as a child, shortly before Christmas, I would go to the toy department to look. I saw this wonderful toy kitchen cabinet, doors opened, tiny boxes inside, etc. Oh how I liked it. For several weeks, I would go and admire it. One day, it was gone! I was terribly sad! Guess what! It came under our Christmas tree. I treasured it so.

I remember another Christmas morning seeing a toy table (used to be my Dad's when he was a boy). Two chairs on either side, one with a doll, the other a teddy. Table was set with tiny tea dishes.

IN A CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

Were you ever in a Christmas program? How did you respond to the experience?

I don't remember.

CHRISTMAS RITUALS

Tell about some Christmas rituals in your family and how you felt about them.

The children all tried to sneak downstairs real early to see what they could see.

We always had family devotions and breakfast before opening up gifts.

FAMILY CUSTOM TO PASS ON TO YOUR CHILDREN

What family custom would you like to pass on to your children and grandchildren?

Gramps says "eating pancakes for breakfast." We usually have them at noon or night.

CHILDHOOD MEMORYES OF CHURCH

What are your childhood memories of going to church or of interacting with other Christians?

I already discussed it.

WINTER CHILDHOOD MEMORY

What childhood memory first comes to mind when you think about winter? How do you respond to that memory?

We had snow banks higher than I was. I used to climb them and walk to school on them.

This morning it was 18 degrees below zero, a big plus for retirement!!

THINGS THANKFUL IN CHILDHOOD

What are some things from your childhood that you are thankful for?

I was never abused. I had 3 meals a day, although they weren't as lavish as today. I never knew we were poor, everyone else was too. All my needs were supplied.

FAVORITE THANKSGIVING TRADITION

What was a favorite Thanksgiving tradition in your family?

Sit around the table and eat!

MOST POIGNANT MEMORY ABOUT MY CHILDHOOD

What is your most poignant memory about my childhood? (Christine)

I haven't seen them enough to know them very well.

CHOOSE MY NAME

How did you choose my name and why?

I covered that earlier.

MOST VIVID MEMORY OF BEING PREGNANT

What is your most vivid memory of being pregnant?

I guess it was when I was carrying Jill. I didn't know it until I started to have problems and went to a doctor. He examined me and sent me to a gynecologist who also examined me and pronounced me pregnant, but I had toxic poisoning also.

I didn't have the strength to go up and down the stairs. Gramps carried me up at night and mornings, I'd manage the top of stairs (just outside our bedroom). I'd sit on the stiars and go down one at a time and slowly.

Grams had to carry me to the toilet.

BIBLE CHARACTER YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET

What Bible character would you like to meet? Why?

I am more interested in seeing my Lord and being able to say "THANK YOU!" Face-to-face.

MOST TREASURED POSSESSION

What is your most treasured possession and why?

My Bible. It furnishes meat for living. I paid $1 for it. It was at a home where both had passed away, and they were selling all the contents. I found it on the book shelf, brand new.

To top it off, it is Giant Print with a concordance.

INDIVIDUALS WHO IMPACTED SPIRITUAL LIFE

What individuals have had the greatest impact on your spiritual life? How did they impact your life?

Mrs. Whitehead, the wife of the pastor who married us. She saw the despicable teenage boy walking down the middle of West Clarksville road, smoking a cigar or pipe and went to the prayer meeting group to pray for him, not even knowing his name; but the rest of Clarksville knew him. I believe Gramps was saved because of it. Then when he started dating me, she asked for prayer for my salvation. After getting him saved, she wasn't about to let him get an unsaved girl. She always prayed for us. We considered them our spiritual parents.

We visited them often when they left and before we left their home, she always had spiritual guidance to lecture us on. We loved them.

HAYRIDE/BOB FOR APPLES

Did you ever go on a hayride or bob for apples? Tell about fun harvest activities you enjoyed with other young people.

I remember a Halloween party Gramps and I went to before were were married. We chumed around with another couple and thought we would exchange partners and go in crossed. I went in with Keith and Gramps went in with Dorothy. Gramps was dressed like a girl and he had a beautiful wave then. He put a kerchief on so you didn't see the haircut. He had rosy cheeks then and with an eye mask, he made a beautiful girl. Dorothy was dressed as a male suitor. Nobody could guess them, even though they guessed Keith and I. They never put it together.

MEMORABLE HOTEL/RESORT

Tell about a memorable hotel or resort you have visited? Describe the location and tell about experiences that were significant.

For one of the national GARB conferences, the Covington church sent us, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Amway Hotel is known to be the biggest. It is lavish. I think we were on 30th something floor. As I said, everything is plush. They have a spa and an exercise room, plus I don't know what, all kinds of eating places, etc. - all in one building. I guess you would call it the lobby, there is a huge fountain with plants all around it. They have a florist that comes and keeps them fresh or exchanged. Beautiful!

STRANGEST THING SEEN

What is the strangest thing you have ever seen?

The northern lights while we were traveling on vacation.

A pig sucking on a cow.

Priscilla, our poodle, would hide behind the couch after Gramps clipped her hair because the kids laughed at her haircut. When we were on vacation once, I bought some Doggios as a treat for her. She wouldn't eat them. So when we got in a motel room, I mixed them with her dog food. She smelled them, picked them up and put them on the floor. When she was done eating, she picked them back up and put them back in the dish.

FIRST HOUSE

When and where did you buy your first house? Describe the house and explain any significance it held for you.

Maple Street in Cuba. Gramps bought a milk route, picking up cans of milk from the farmers and transporting them to the milk plant. John was a first grader, around 1952.

We lived upstairs temporarily while the ownders found a place to live! The upstairs was an apartment. It felt good to own or own home. Julie was born while we lived there.

It was beside a railroad track. Our garden separated us. It was the same railroad track we lived beside when first married, but further up.

FAVORITE HOBBY

Name your favorite hobby. When and where did you start doing it? Why do you enjoy it?

I collect sayings, poems, etc. on many subjects; mostly humerous.

Sr. Citizens, Fathers, Pastors, Women, Dieting, Wives, Mothers, Grandmothers, Burdens, Grief, etc., etc.

I believe I get the most pleasuer in the Sr. Citizens. We can laugh at ourselves.

RESPONSIBILITIES AS A CHILD

What responsibilities did your parents require of you as a child? Explain how this affected your growth and development.

Not Much.