Christmas Memories

Tis that season when we already have our decorations up and are putting the last minute touches on  presents. We are humming Christmas Carols, smiling to ourselves, and dreaming about what Santa used to bring us or maybe the child in us is dreaming about what Santa is bringing this year.   Have we been naughty or nice?

I am always reminded of stories Daddy and Mother used to tell of their Christmas'.  Actually when I think of their stories I am reminded of how far our little corner of the world has progressed in a very short time.  Demand, technology, medical advancements, increased education, and population growth have all had a huge impact on our growth.  However, I also think it has added to our stress.  How is your blood pressure this Christmas Season?  I know, lets all sit down and have a cup of coffee or some tea and a time of remembrance - maybe call that friend, family member or neighbor we have been meaning to call and wish them a Happy Day and a Very Merry Christmas.

If mother were alive she would be 92 and Daddy would be 100.  Time does fly by but I want to share some of their childhood memories.  It is always fun to step back in time. 

The year was 1918 or it could have been 1921 or  - before there was the noise of cars or planes to wake you - before there were roads for the cars - when horse or oxen drawn wagons slowly moved across winding mountain trails - driven by men and women at work taming a wild hard land.  A time when the family hens laid eggs to be sold for 1 cent each, eggs much to valuable to be eaten for the income was needed to purchase salt, sugar, snuff, coffee, tea - things that could not be grown on the new ground being cleared.  A time when many clean mountain streams that had just the right amount of water were harnessed to turn mill wheels to grind corn into grain.  The grain was used for bread and also traded for living essentials.  A time when clothes could not be purchased but stores carried bolts of material so they could be made at home.  A time when flour came in pretty fabric sacks that could be turned into quilts and clothes.  Socks and gloves were hand knitted from tangled hanks of wool purchased for $1.75 in a great big bag from mills off the mountain down in the flatland were few had time or means to venture.   Cousin Elizabeth worked there and once a year she brought the wool.  We had to untangle it little by little so the wool could be used for knitting.  Flax was grown and its fibers harvested to be turned into thread by calloused hands spinning to the flickering light of candles, oil lamps and fireplaces.  Quilts that were to become collector’s items were painstakingly hand stitched to keep loved ones warm and safe.  It was a time when shawls covered the ladies from the top down.   Sundays were for celebrating God and resting.  Horses were a necessity for survival and colts could be sold for $25 each.  Neighbors knew each other.  Cabins were rare except for an area you came to now and then were several small cabins would be located close together - the beginning of communities and future towns.  Small country stores carried the few available goods they could afford to have hauled in by wagon from train depots located a day or more away. Bananas arrived in a perfectly designed box and the sign warned beware of poisonous spiders. Oranges came in a crate wrapped in brown paper and said Kiss.

The year was 1918 - I was 6 years old wearing my new homemade overalls and I knew all about Christmas.  I knew Santa would be coming to our house because I had not been bad.  My five brothers and three sisters had not been bad.   We were all excited about Santa coming.  I could hardly keep from jumping up and down and shouting and running and yelling.  We kept running outside to look for sleigh tracks in the snow. We all giggled for no reason at all. 

 During this Holiday Seaon may your giggles by many, your smiles bright,  your house full of warmth, your hearts full of love!!  May you feel God's love...

Merry Christmas to all....Joann, Bob, and Sigmund (our golden retriever)

Morning has broken..

Good Morning my Coffee Friends - As you finish your morning coffee, I hope there is a smile on your face, your cares light, and that you are looking forward to a day filled with good things.  You know every day is wonderful.  Do you take time to enjoy that minute when you eyes open and you see daylight just starting to peek in your windows?  Do you see in the distance the tinge of color beginning to highlight the brightening sky?  Do you can hear the birds beginning to sing.

"Morning has broken"

lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day

This is such a beautiful little song and somehow it just speaks of the day.  I would have to say morning is my favorite part of the day.  The very beginning of another day of potential - for sunshine - rain - snow, for laughter, for work, for dreams, for feelings both good and bad, for adventures, for offering a helping hand, for prayer, and for coffee with friends.  I lift my coffe cup to you in a toast my friends - may your day be filled with God's Love..

Enjoy your song..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0TInLOJuUM&feature=related

Oh Wow, Oh Wow, Oh Wow

Good Morning Everyone,  It is so nice to chat with you over morning coffee once again.  I have missed you.  Somehow with the campground it seems like my summers fly by and I do not have time to chat with you.  However, I often think of you and hope that all is well in your world.  I am sure everyone is busy getting ready for Thanksgiving!!  Are you having Turkey and all the goodies that go with it?  That should be good for a couple of pounds.  We are going to my nephews house in Lenoir Thanksgiving Day.  He always has the family get together and they are great cooks.  mmmmmmm I can taste it now.  We are going to have Thanksgiving on Friday night at our house for the Harmon family and friends.  mmmmmm that should be good for a couple of more pounds.  oops that part might not be a good thing....

In addition to Thansgiving being a time to say Thank You for so many blessings it is also a time for reflection.  My sister who died Nov. 10, 2010 will not be at her sons house but our memories of her will be.  She is gone but will never be forgotten.

I think of Steve Jobs of Apple Computer.  His final words, "Oh Wow, Oh Wow, Oh Wow."  Can you imagine what he must have been seeing on his way out.  A friend ends his emails with another quote from Steve Jobs - "The goal is not to live forever, but to create something that will. "   What are we creating that will live forever? 

"Gone but not forgotten."  How many times do we see that quote on a headstone in a cemetery?  It is such a true statement.  I think of my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins etc.  Gone but not forgotten.  The memories are good.  Above our house there is an old cemetery that dates back to the 1800's.  When I walk through it to visit Bob's parents graves I can't help but think of the people I am passing and wonder about their lives.  They are not forgotten.  There is the grave of the unknown child - the first person buried in Jont Brown Cemetery - boy or girl - no name.  There is the grave of a neighbor who died of pancreatic cancer.  He worked in the produce department at Lowe's grocery store.  I think of him often when I am at Lowes.  There is the grave of the man who shot and killed his wife and then committed suicide.  I often stop at his grave and wish him peace.  There is the mother and baby buried in the same grave - they were killed in a fire.  There are many headstones that are just rocks stuck in the ground with no name - I wonder who they are - Gone but not forgotten.  I think of the young man who used to climb the mountain to play Amazing Grace on the bagpipes.  In my head I can still hear the sounds echoing through the valleys.  There are the military people who died so I am free to write this blog, the farmers, the teachers, and the list goes on.  Here lie the freedom seekers who cleared the land, built the houses, grew the food, laughed and loved.  So many extraordinary people here and across the world -  gone but not forgotten - they live on in the good that we enjoy for the sacrifices they made.  We do have so much to be thankful for. 

We especially thank the Harmon's every day for the opportunity we have to enjoy this beautiful mountain. 

Thinking about cemeteries - are you afraid of ghosts?  Jont Brown Cemetery is a happy place with a gorgeous view of sunrises, moon rises, distant mountains, and on some days clouds that are so beautiful they can turn a non poet into a poet.  I even love to visit the cemetery at night when the moon is full and stars are twinkling.  As I walk among the tombstones I ofter wonder who is the ghost - maybe I am the ghost - intruding in their peaceful space.  Gone but not forgotten... 

If I do not mention my birds you will wonder about me.  The birds are back.  I had 12 doves this morning and all kinds of little winter birds are flying in.  The sunflower feeder is the most popular and I am having to work at keeping it full for them.  So far I have not seen a four legged bird with a big fluffy tail eating the sunflower seed but I bet the squirrel will be by soon. 

Sigmon says hello to all.  He is such a good doggie. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed my morning coffee chat with you. Take care and enjoy your Thanksgiving.  Know that we are thankful for each of you and will hold you close in our hearts in OurThanksgiving prayers.

November 4th, 2011

Morning Coffee with my friends.  Several  of you asked me this summer if I was going to do Morning Coffee this winter and I said I will from time to time.  After thinking about it for a while, I decided to try doing Morning Coffee as a blog and just let you all know when I make a new post.  Then if you want to read it you can.  There are so many options in the electronic world.  We have a blog for the campground that always looks super thanks to Lindsay who knows how to do all this stuff.   I am learning as I go so it will be interesting to see how it develops.  To keep our minds sharp with need to stretch them and push to learn new things.

It is not really morning and I am not having coffee.  This is my experimental posting.  I am looking forward to having morning coffee with you next week.