Tuesday, March 15, 2005
NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER....1988
After my wild ride the first part of the month, it settled down to routine activity. Work all week, visit mom, bring her out on the week-ends and have her, Becky and Jennifer for Sunday dinner. The month rolled along with Bear working in the leaves. He was piling and burning most of the month. Every windy day brought more down.
We were sad to learn that one of our good kids from church was killed south of town on the 16th….Daren Brownfield. He was driving a crooked road with his pickup and apparently a deer ran out in front of him, causing the accident. We had our first killing frost on this same day. I reserved one Saturday on the 18th to do nothing but bake ahead for the holidays. I made Christmas Fruit Cakes, Pecan Pie Cookies, Orange Slice Bread, Fruit Cake Cookies, Strawberry Marshmallow Dessert and a chicken for our Sunday dinner. It was a full day and I loved every minute.
I worked right up to the day before Thanksgiving but had things pretty well lined out to finish the morning of the holiday. I baked the pumpkin pies the night before as well as making the cranberry sauce. Bear went out after mom and Becky brought Jennifer and Jonathan…..made some hot rolls and candied sweet potatoes. We enjoyed our feast….talked with John, Barb and LJ….also George, by phone and exchanged news back and forth. The boys were and are very good to call home and keep in touch, which I always appreciate.
After the meal was over, Becky and the kids helped me put the Christmas tree up and decorate it. It was always such a big job to dig the boxes out of the garage, undo them all and begin the big job. Thank goodness for those extra feet and hands. By the time they left, the tree was standing tall in the living room and we enjoyed some snacks before everyone had to leave. I’m sure all of the activity was tiring for mom but she wouldn’t want to miss it for the world.
Becky fixed a birthday supper for Bear. He was 64-years and counting…….Becky had Sauerbraten and Red Cabbage which was a favorite of his. With his German heritage he loved most of the German fare except sauerkraut. I could never figure that out….I love sauerkraut and I’m not German, but I guess Denmark is close enough for a few exchanges. We had a good meal and fine evening. Bear opened his gifts, read his cards and we somehow found room to stuff some cake and ice-cream in. We were miserably full but well fed and happy.
December came in with chilling weather. I addressed cards at work when we weren’t busy and got a lot of organizing done which helped later on. We were all out getting ready for key dates during the month with family and friends. We sang the Christmas Cantata the Sunday evening before Christmas and the church was beautiful with a large bank of red poinsettias in front and green wreathes with large red velvet ribbons tied into them. With the dimmed light and the smell of pine we sang with all the emotion we had to give……..we never sounded better in practice. Afterwards, we had our choir party in the basement with members and their families to enjoy finger foods and to see the Choir Director, Organist and Pianist receive their gifts. It was something we looked forward to every year.
George came home on the 23rd …. one day after his birthday. I had fixed pizza for all of us, Becky and Jennifer were here and we had George open his gifts. This year he was 38-yrs…….my that sounds young, now. I bet it sounds young to him now, too. We sat around the tree lights and caught up on the news with each other. On Christmas Eve we had everyone here for supper and gifts. Although Becky and Hank were divorced they remained on good terms which was great for their children…..Hank came for most of the family occasions and this Christmas was special.
Jennifer had wanted a puppy for some time. This year, Hank and Becky went together and picked a darling little West Highland Terrier for her. After all of our gifts were opened Hank went outside (where he had the puppy) to bring her in. She was zipped up in a duffle bag and Hank set it down in front of Jennifer. Of course, she was very curious about the obvious secrecy of the duffle bag and our excitement for her to unzip it. When she did, a little white face jumped out at her and she let out a big scream…….which scared the puppy and she jumped out of the bag and all over Jennifer. It was a wild time with the puppy jumping all through the rubble of paper, boxes, ribbon and our two cats who were in on it all, following in close pursuit.
George was able to stay a few days but the weather turned bad and he left in freezing rain, hoping to get home before dark. Mom was out the days I was off work. Some of us would go get her and she enjoyed watching the puppy, now named, “Dara” and in fact, we all had fun getting her excited wet kisses. She was a bundle of energy and joy….she loved everybody. The last days of the year passed and the weather kept us all inside except for necessary trips. The end of a very busy and eventful…….1988.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
We were sad to learn that one of our good kids from church was killed south of town on the 16th….Daren Brownfield. He was driving a crooked road with his pickup and apparently a deer ran out in front of him, causing the accident. We had our first killing frost on this same day. I reserved one Saturday on the 18th to do nothing but bake ahead for the holidays. I made Christmas Fruit Cakes, Pecan Pie Cookies, Orange Slice Bread, Fruit Cake Cookies, Strawberry Marshmallow Dessert and a chicken for our Sunday dinner. It was a full day and I loved every minute.
I worked right up to the day before Thanksgiving but had things pretty well lined out to finish the morning of the holiday. I baked the pumpkin pies the night before as well as making the cranberry sauce. Bear went out after mom and Becky brought Jennifer and Jonathan…..made some hot rolls and candied sweet potatoes. We enjoyed our feast….talked with John, Barb and LJ….also George, by phone and exchanged news back and forth. The boys were and are very good to call home and keep in touch, which I always appreciate.
After the meal was over, Becky and the kids helped me put the Christmas tree up and decorate it. It was always such a big job to dig the boxes out of the garage, undo them all and begin the big job. Thank goodness for those extra feet and hands. By the time they left, the tree was standing tall in the living room and we enjoyed some snacks before everyone had to leave. I’m sure all of the activity was tiring for mom but she wouldn’t want to miss it for the world.
Becky fixed a birthday supper for Bear. He was 64-years and counting…….Becky had Sauerbraten and Red Cabbage which was a favorite of his. With his German heritage he loved most of the German fare except sauerkraut. I could never figure that out….I love sauerkraut and I’m not German, but I guess Denmark is close enough for a few exchanges. We had a good meal and fine evening. Bear opened his gifts, read his cards and we somehow found room to stuff some cake and ice-cream in. We were miserably full but well fed and happy.
December came in with chilling weather. I addressed cards at work when we weren’t busy and got a lot of organizing done which helped later on. We were all out getting ready for key dates during the month with family and friends. We sang the Christmas Cantata the Sunday evening before Christmas and the church was beautiful with a large bank of red poinsettias in front and green wreathes with large red velvet ribbons tied into them. With the dimmed light and the smell of pine we sang with all the emotion we had to give……..we never sounded better in practice. Afterwards, we had our choir party in the basement with members and their families to enjoy finger foods and to see the Choir Director, Organist and Pianist receive their gifts. It was something we looked forward to every year.
George came home on the 23rd …. one day after his birthday. I had fixed pizza for all of us, Becky and Jennifer were here and we had George open his gifts. This year he was 38-yrs…….my that sounds young, now. I bet it sounds young to him now, too. We sat around the tree lights and caught up on the news with each other. On Christmas Eve we had everyone here for supper and gifts. Although Becky and Hank were divorced they remained on good terms which was great for their children…..Hank came for most of the family occasions and this Christmas was special.
Jennifer had wanted a puppy for some time. This year, Hank and Becky went together and picked a darling little West Highland Terrier for her. After all of our gifts were opened Hank went outside (where he had the puppy) to bring her in. She was zipped up in a duffle bag and Hank set it down in front of Jennifer. Of course, she was very curious about the obvious secrecy of the duffle bag and our excitement for her to unzip it. When she did, a little white face jumped out at her and she let out a big scream…….which scared the puppy and she jumped out of the bag and all over Jennifer. It was a wild time with the puppy jumping all through the rubble of paper, boxes, ribbon and our two cats who were in on it all, following in close pursuit.
George was able to stay a few days but the weather turned bad and he left in freezing rain, hoping to get home before dark. Mom was out the days I was off work. Some of us would go get her and she enjoyed watching the puppy, now named, “Dara” and in fact, we all had fun getting her excited wet kisses. She was a bundle of energy and joy….she loved everybody. The last days of the year passed and the weather kept us all inside except for necessary trips. The end of a very busy and eventful…….1988.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
