What HAT will you be wearing on Thursday? Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Are you ready for the BIG DAY?  Have you got your lists made, and checked twice?  Have you been shopping?  WHEW…I’m tired just thinking about it!  What HAT will YOU be wearing this week?

Will you have your Chef’s Hat on?  We put so much pressure on ourselves trying to get it ALL just perfect.  Take a deep breath and do NOT be afraid to ASK for help.  You will be fine…

OR since YOU ARE cooking, will Someone have to put on their FIREMAN’s HAT?  I hope not…BUT it never hurts to be PREPARED…

We won’t EVEN discuss a possible trip to the ER since I sold my Doctor and Nurse ornament WITHOUT taking a picture…ROFL…

Maybe you will put on your RED Hat and lipstick and just show up and be PRETTY!

Perhaps you will BECOME as a CHILD again and laugh and do SILLY PRANKS…

Have you reserved your seat in front of the TV to watch the football game??

I bet some little boys are looking forward to playing with their cousins!!!  Word of warning…be careful IF you got a BB gun for your birthday BECAUSE I have a brother who shot out my Aunt Sybil’s window with one and disappeared AS IF no would KNOW it was He who did it…ROFL…

Would you RATHER be FISHING alone instead of being in the CROWD…

Will you PAUSE to GIVE THANKS for our Military and the MANY who are away from their families JUST so you can be FREE!!  PLEASE make sure to lift them in prayer and to also lift their families who are really missing them.

And do NOT forget to remember our Policemen.  They very seldom get a holiday off from work.  They are dealing with many of the BAD CHOICES that we make.  PLEASE GOD, keep them SAFE…

No matter the HAT you wear, ALWAYS LIVE THANKFULLY!  Be a REFLECTION of the GOOD that lies within you and be willing to help get things done.  If you attend a Thanksgiving meal, offer to HELP and if you are not needed, BE THE FIRST to pop up after the meal to clean the table and the dishes…AND NEVER forget to tell the people you love, JUST HOW THANKFUL YOU are for THEM…Blessings to YOU…~charlotte♥

AND excuse my SHAMELESS PLUG, you can get these patterns in my etsy shop as INSTANT DOWNLOADS!!  ;)

Preparing for THANKSGIVING, Monday, November 24, 2014

I absolutely LOVE the TV show BLUE BLOODS.  Most every time I watch, I leave with a lump in my throat or tears in my eyes.  I KNOW this happens because of the scenes that take place around the table.  They all have a task in helping prepare the meal and they say THANKS.  I was watching a rerun last night and a couple of them WANTED to say GRACE.  If ONLY, we were ALWAYS WANTING to offer the blessing, instead of shrinking down so that we would NOT be called on to pray!

 I was one of those who was raised around our kitchen table.  At 6:30 PM each night, we were EXPECTED to be at the house, ready to eat supper TOGETHER.  It was NOT a punishment, but a way of life.  I BELIEVE that made a difference in the way we reacted to the world.  We knew what was expected of us and we didn't question it.  We laughed, we cried, we fussed, we made-up around that table.  We shared LIFE.

This is the week of the American Thanksgiving.  While I believe that we should live a THANKFUL life, it sure doesn't hurt to have ONE day set aside for that SPECIFIC reason.

I've been thinking about Thanksgiving a lot these past few weeks.  I've been trying to remember my FAVORITE memories and I can close my eyes and see and hear my family gathered for a day to GIVE THANKS.

We always had Thanksgiving with Mother's family.  She was the baby of 8 children and she also had a twin sister, Mary.  Mother always said that SHE was named properly and was most definitely a MARTHA, because she worried about things that didn't matter, and her sister, Mary was the one who would have sat at the feet of Jesus while Martha was busily readying the house for HIS visit.

We would have potluck at one of the sister's houses each year.  The hostess would provide the meat and drinks and others would bring POT LUCK items.  They would call each other to discuss who was bringing WHAT.  Aunt Becky or Mother made the dressing (we do NOT have stuffing in my house...the ONLY thing we STUFF is our FACES.  Dressing is made in a separate dish from the turkey.) and she ALWAYS brought the turnip greens and usually cooked apples.  Aunt Sybil would bring a container of just about ANYTHING she had from white beans to a CAN of Cranberry sauce.  Mother ALWAYS made cranberry relish like her Mother had taught her to make with oranges, apples and cranberries ground together with sugar added~~Thanksgiving was NOT Thanksgiving without this relish.  My cousin, Cheryl, would make deviled eggs because Uncle Cecil LOVED them.  We always had enough food for everyone to take home enough for another meal or two.

Today's funny memory is the year SOMEONE forgot the vinegar for the turnip greens.  Jack, my cousin's husband, thought surely the WORLD would end!  NEVER did THAT happen again.  

My favorite TOUCHING memory is when we would gather at Aunt Sybil's house and before Grace, we were each asked to share ONE THING for which we were THANKFUL.

TODAY, I am THANKFUL for YOU.  You have shared with me.  You have supported me.  You have uplifted me.  You have encouraged me.  YOU have shown me love WAY more than I deserve and I am THANKFUL!  

THANK YOU for stopping by my little corner of the world...I hope that I have brought you some JOY...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte

The Little Church at the Edge of the Woods, Sunday, November 9, 2014

I posted on my Facebook page last week that I had painted my primitive Church on a new ornament and it ALWAYS makes me think of the song, LITTLE BROWN CHURCH IN THE VALE (DALE) and THAT always makes me think of the small church where my Daddy was raised.

This is Dozier Church.  Most of the community went to church here.  I'm sure they only had services about once a month because it was the tradition of small churches to SHARE pastors.  

Most every community had their own school...This is the one-roomed School where Daddy went to school...It is to the left of the church.

The church moved to town sometimes in the 50s and became known as Central Christian Church.
My FAVORITE thing to say about Mother and Daddy was: Mother was a Baptist and Daddy was a CHRISTIAN UNTIL he married Momma...NOW they are Cumberland Presbyterians...

Mother didn't CARE WHERE they went to Church, just as long as they were TOGETHER to worship each Sunday.  Daddy didn't want to join a church that REFUSED to accept his baptism (he was sprinkled...GASP...ROFL) and Mother thought it was best for them BOTH to start fresh, so they found a Church were they served FAITHFULLY until their death.  Mother sang in the choir the last Sunday she was able to attend.

This is inside the church.  Each Fall, Central Christian holds a picnic on the grounds.  So many of the OLD FOLKS have gone to be with our Lord, BUT this is the Calvert's on the back row...They were such dear friends of Mother and Daddy's and were part of the PITCH (card group) players who would gather at least once a year for the men to play cards, usually at Christmas.

This is another inside picture of the church...Those wooden floors are beautiful and the Christian Church has done a WONDERFUL job of keeping the grounds and the buildings in wonderful condition.

This is the inside of the School House...They have made some changes...it used to have PEG HOLES in the bottom of the floor because Daddy would chew tobacco during class and spit through those holes...BAD BOY...BADDDDDDD....

The school ALSO had a pot belly stove because Daddy told of running through the field to get to school (probably about one mile) FIRST so he could start the fire...

I've often said that is was AGAINST the LAW for my Family to throw anything away...BUT on days like this, I'm so thankful!

Daddy's teacher was his Aunt Ellen, the old maid sister of Uncle Bud.  Uncle Bud and Aunt Jenny raised Daddy since his mother died when he was 22 months old and his Father was doing his best to take care of 3 other children.  Granddaddy would NOT let them adopt him because he always wanted Daddy to know that he loved him and wanted him.  Daddy was always in his family's life.  Aunt Jenny was Grandmother's sister.

I drive by Dozier School/Church at least once a month and it takes my heart back to years gone by...I'm lucky to be able to see this part of my heritage and I'm so glad that somebody made sure this property was maintained...What a BLESSED girl I am...

Be sure to pass on YOUR STORY...you would be surprised that people REALLY do want to hear it...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte♥