The Christmas Ornament Party

Okay ladies, start your stretching exercises because the annual family Christmas Ornament party is this weekend! Some of my sisters and other female relatives have shopped all year for this night. In fact we have so much fun some say Christmas is over for them when the party ends.

My heart begins to race just thinking of it! Let me explain the reason for this madness. The main goal for this party is to search out all the shops and stores for just the right ornament or Christmas decoration. Your goal is to purchased the item that will cause the most fury. You WANT everyone to fight over your ornament! At least that is my goal. The men stuff themselves and find a good chair to take this female frenzied event all in.

Everyone brings in food and a feast is enjoyed by all. I try to get there early and sneak my present under the tree before anyone can see which one it is. I can't even begin to tell you how exciting this is. As all the plates are being cleaned up and the kitchen restored you can actually feel the excitement fill the Christmas Tree room as all females young and old begin to eyeball all the brightly colored large and small boxes. I never get suckered into the large box desire. I know that some of the most beautiful and expensive ornaments have come in small boxes.

It begin as a right of passage when any female girl reaches 13. She is then allowed to join the party. Just remember this is not a game for the weak at heart. Everyone is out for the most gorgeous gift. The game rules are pretty simple. This being said it did Take several years to get (all) the game rules down.

This is how it's played. All females are asked to draw a number out of a hat. The girl that draws the 1 picks the first present and opens it. The person who has drawn the 2 goes next. She has the choice of either taking number 1's gift or drawing from the pile. This goes on till all the presents are opened. There are some rules relating to when a present is dead to everyone else or something like that. My sisters keep up with all that because at this time I am too far gone with the stress of it all in trying to keep my favorite gift. I get so caught up in the game I forget to breathe!

This year seems to be one of the greatest with so many relatives flying in or driving to be with us all. What a party!! And everyone is saying this year THEY have the greatest gift! Can I stand it all, I ask myself! Well my tomorrow I will be in cookie making form and my house should smell life cinnamon, ginger and vanilla frosting with lots of Christmas sprinkles. So much to do and such little time to do it all in. This Christmas is going to be so special. Larry and I put so much of ourselves into our gifts this year.

I will pick up my blog after the Holiday but till then my family wishes your family and even "The Green Phantom" a very Merry Christmas and may we all have a wonderful New Year to look forward to.

I would also like to add that my youngest son Jeremy decided to marry his sweetheart in the dead of winter 5 years ago. Don't ask me why but December 18th was the month and day they picked out for their wedding Day. May or June would have been my choice but the festive month near Christmas suited them just fine. My parents married on the 20th of December running off to the Jusice Of The Peace after Mom got out of Choir practice so I guess my kids were in good company.

Christmas weddings are beautiful. I've been invited to several and the colors of reds and white are gorgeous. Everyone is also in a wonderful mood during the Holiday, so much that it's a shame we can't carry that feeling over into January. Anyway, Happy Anniversary Jeremy and Paige. May you walk through this life hand in hand , heart to heart. Aunt Onie
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!

The Dawn Of A New Dad

Seems like everyone is busy expanding their family or just starting one. Babies quite simply are everywhere! And just like in years gone by the mommies and mommies to be get all the attention. That's where the similarities stop. There is a change a brewing that has never been seen, at least not in this country. It's the Dad's role that has began to change drastically. Dads now have become the second and sometimes the first caregiver.

My dear Larry has never changed a diaper in his life. Don't get me wrong, I tried to get him to because everyone knows that changing a dirty diaper is a sure way to bond with your baby! Let's just say he came close to changing one once but didn't quite make it, leaving him with a few nightmares later. Not so with Dads now a days. My two sons often amaze me when left alone with their sons they easily become so efficient when caring for them. They don't give a second thought to grabbing a clean diaper and changing their sons while they talk with me. I sat there and watched them as they both easily maneuvered the babies legs, doing a great job or cleaning the baby up and putting the new diaper on. And they did it in record time too. Yes, times sure have changed.

Not only are the new Dads great at changing diapers they are capable of cleaning the house and doing the laundry and still have total command of the Barbecue grill. Amazing! My son Jeremy can do it all. When called upon he can shop, cook dinner and still have time to play with his son Noah all after working a full day! When I was growing up men never went near a dirty diaper and the only time you talked to them was when you were in trouble.

Now a days Moms and Dads work together in caring for their children which should make a good impact on future generations, only time will tell. As for my son Adam his job as a Basketball coach and teacher has him very busy during Basketball season and he tries to make up for his absence with story time before bed. Instead of hitting the couch he takes over the care giving as soon as he hits the door. All this makes his son Cannon feel loved and cherished by his father. In this everyone wins. When I say everyone wins, I mean everyone. The mother wins because she feels she is not alone in the raising of their child. The child wins because he has a loving and nurturing mother and father. The father wins because he becomes a part of the child's daily life and society wins because this child will become one of it's cornerstones.

I think we have great things to look forward to with this new and improved Dad, don't you? So next time you are visiting a new family, make sure you include the Dad in your praise of the child's achievements and goals, odds are "Dad" had a lot to do with it too.

With Christmas just a few days away I would like to wish you and "your" family a very Merry and Blessed Christmas. May you gather your family together with wonderful meals and good times. I'd like to announce we have just added another member to our ever growing family.....My niece Mel and her husband Dan just had a baby on the 14th of December, a little boy named Daniel, a whopping 5lbs 13 Oz's. Man, does he need some of Aunt Onies cooking! Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!!

The Christmas Baby

When your Birthday comes around you naturally think of your Momma. Today's my Birthday and with it comes happy memories of my mother. She often told me stories about how she and daddy were getting me ready to come home from the hospital and an old county judge was visiting a sick friend and happened by the nursery window. He had to come in and see momma and tell her what a beautiful baby she had (I'm just repeating the story, no conceit intended). Anyway the story goes that when she and daddy got home all my other sisters and brothers gathered around me and they all sang Christmas carols. Momma said the little wood stove had the house all snug and warm and the Christmas spirit was all around. This story always made me feel somewhat special.

Now with Momma gone my Birthday doesn't feel that special. Even though my family comes together to celebrate, it just doesn't feel the same. It's the way you feel when you celebrate your Birthday with the one who gave you that Birthday that made it so special. Momma always teased me that I wanted my Birthday to last all week.

It was Momma who always remembered every ones Birthday and anniversary. She would get up early and put your name on the radio so when you got up you heard your name announced. That was great.

When it came to her Birthday it was just the opposite. She hated that we made a big deal out of her Birthday which was June 1st. She really got mad at me when I announced on live radio that she wasn't 84 anymore. I didn't say she was 85 like she told me not to. On Mommas 83 Birthday I took her to the Ft. Leonard Wood Military Fire station where they let her look inside to her hearts content. They were so nice to her and she loved it. Her zest for life was so inspiring to watch. On her 84th Birthday I took her in a medium semi truck and we made a delivery to a factory I was working with in Washington, Missouri. She loved the truck ride and climbed right in (with a little assistants) the cab. We took the scenic ride all the way and she had a blast. I will always remember the time we shared on that trip.

So today is my Birthday and if I sit quietly with my morning coffee I can hear her sweet voice say...."Happy Birthday Christmas Baby!" Thanks Momma for giving me a wonderful life....remember when your celebrating your birthday be sure to remember to give your Momma a big old hug, because no one wishes you a bigger Birthday wish then her! Happy Holidays everyone! Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me.........Aunt onie

An Imaginary Life

During this festive time of year a person can start to believe that all your dreams are possible. I am here to tell you that I have had a dream and imaginary life that has kept my poor husband on his toes for years.

During my 35 year marriage I can now admit to all that there has been another man in my life. He is rich and owns his own multi-million dollar company, has his own private jet and commands attention wherever he goes. He has sent me red roses on numerous occasions and I keep his picture framed above my computer screen for all to see. You see I have been having a torrid affair with Victor Newman, CEO of Newman Enterprise's (The Young and The Restless Soap Opera).

My husband has been patient through this ordeal and is dealing with this other high power man in my life as best he can. When ever bills are tight and Larry and I argue all I have to do is bring up Victor Newman's name. With the day to day grind of bills, work schedules and taking out the trash Larry knows that at any given moment Victors private helicopter can swoop down in our back yard (right next to the fire pit) and whisk me away to Paris for lunch. Victor has given me so much during many a harsh winter, beginning with beautiful gowns, fine dining at the best New York restaurants and all the Broadway plays I would eve want to see! He has blatantly shown me off to all his socialite friends and quite simply he adores me. He does however knows that my heart belongs to Larry and patiently waits for me to come to my senses and leave Larry one day. This thought keeps Larry on his toes and a leery eye to the sky for Victor's private jet.

In the mean time all my family knows about Victor and no one is ever surprised when celebrating my birthday at my favorite restaurant that red roses are mysteriously delivered to our table with just a small note attached. (See note above)

Even renewing our wedding vows on Larry and my 35 wedding anniversary Larry was still a little leery as all who attended kept one eye on the sky just in case Victor would show up. Victor has been a part of my imaginary life so much that I think Larry wouldn't be surprised at all if Victor really did show up! I believe every woman should have a imaginary life that they can retreat to when real life gets to be too much. It can put possibilities, hope and dreams in your marriage as well as a few laughs.

As for Victor, does he know that I even exist? Perhaps not, or does he? Larry will never know for sure. "Listen.....is that a jet I hear?????? May you fill your marriage with intrigue, mystery and love......Aunt Onie

Real Heroes

With all the constant news breaks of golf legend Tiger Wood's apparent driveway accident, it's no wonder our children have such an unhealthy attitude of who they should look up to. This is so apparent when they see their parents glued to the TV when ever a movie star or worshipped athlete is caught up in unfavorably and questionable situations.

Children learn through actions not words. Words can go so far but it's the daily actions of adults that sets the standards for children to pattern themselves after. So what does it say about this new generation that we are raising, when all they see is how the wealthy can bend the law to accommodate their "hero status"? What is a real hero anyway? Someone who can hit a hole in one everyday? Someone who has broken all baseball and basketball records? I think not.

As a kid in the 50's a real hero was a fire fighter, police man, the President of the USA. We idolized Tarzan and Superman. We looked up to TV fathers like Sheriff Andy Tyler, Ward Clever and John Walton. These were wonderful figures for children to conspire to.

Now with world wide media coverage and multi-million dollar contracts our children are seeing a new range of super heroes. Heroes where adultery, crime and even murder are easy crimes to commit and get away with. It's like we all have blinders on when it comes to these figures, where they have a complete different set of "rules" then the average American.

Woods was allowed to evade police questioning three times till the police gave a press release stating they found no wrong doing on Wood's part. How would they know if they never questioned him let alone performed a drug or alcohol level test on him? Also, when the police showed up at the scene did they not check to see if all the doors were damaged to the extent that a slim, lightweight woman would have to smash the back window with a handy golf club she just happened to have found near the accident and drag her husband from the front of the SUV all the way through the back to get him out? Man, it sure sounds fishy to me?

Our children need to see what a "real hero" truly is and they're not hard to find. I saw one in action yesterday at Wal-Mart. I was coming out of Wal-Mart trying to locate my car in the freezing rain when I heard the terrible familiar sound of metal hitting metal. Looking up across the big parking lot I saw lots of people standing around with their cells phones and looking across the lot to the nearby interstate highway. There in the medium was several cars piled up upside down and on each other. There were men everywhere, either from the accident or from pulled over cars. They were running to all the cars and trying to stop the massive line of semi's as they came up on the wreckage. These guys were "real heroes".

As I watched and prayed no one was killed I caught a glimpse of a woman coming out of the store and she just dropped her two bags on the ground and started running to the highway. The freezing rain just cut through you but she kept going. She crossed the large parking lot, crossed over the outer road and then climbed the steep ravine to the wreckage. The speed she was going could only tell me she was in the medical field. A nurse or a doctor I thought to myself as I watched in amazement. I got a lump in my throat as I watched her in action. She was a living, breathing, true hero, rushing in to save someones life.

Real Hero's have nothing to gain by saving or improving the lives of others. They don't do any of it for the glory or money. They do it because something deep inside them tells them to do it with out second thought to their own well being. To put some ones needs ahead of themselves......Heroes, in every sense of the word.

There are everyday heroes among us. We should honor them, not our athletes or movie stars. Heroes who give blood, volunteer, save lives. They are all around us, these silent heroes. They come when we are sick, hurt or homeless. They come in every age, size and skin color. They are REAL HEROES!

So remember the next time you look up to someone that little eyes are watching you. Take time to visit a fire station. Point out to your children the important and sometimes dangerous job our police force, military force and rescue force has. Show them respect and your children will have a new hero to look up to......you. Let your heart swell up for the real heroes in this great nation....The all American Hero!!! Aunt Onie

The Christmas Orange

THE CHRISTMAS ORANGE

When I was a little girl at Christmas time my father would always buy a huge bag of oranges and chocolate drops. Christmas just was not Christmas without them. One wintry Christmas eve I ask my father why did we always have to have oranges at Christmas time. His reply was a story.

When I was a little boy he began, my father had come to St. Louis from Czechoslovakia. He was a wonderful and gifted master cabinet maker. His life in the old country was hard and very poor and luxuries were few. When he came to America and settled in St. Louis, he started his family and was determined to have a better life for his children.

He did not see the depression coming on and soon any job in the city was hard to come by and it looked like Christmas would be like the ones he remembered in the old country. People would gather each cold evening in soup lines to feed their families.

On Christmas eve my father was fortunate to have found a days work on a loading dock. The work was hard lifting freight from the trains to the loading docks. He was thrilled with the few dollars he had earned for ten hours of heavy work that meant his family might have a Christmas after all.

He hurried to the St. Louis open market to find something extraordinary for this cold and wintry time of year. Entering into a small shop crowded with holiday shoppers, he was acutely aware of his appearance compared to the smart dressed men of means browsing the shop. His eyes took in all the wonders and glories the shop held! There was hams and turkeys, sweet potatoes and brightly colored lights. As his eyes eagerly searched for just the right gift for his children his gaze landed on a large wooden bin sitting in the corner, full of bright juicy oranges. Oranges in December! What a wonderful Christmas it would be! He spent his whole days pay on them and that night my dear mother filled all of our stockings with fresh oranges and chocolate drops. All my brothers, sisters and I were thrilled with our sock treasures. Momma had even knitted us all new scarves! How excited we were when we pulled out our wonderful, delicious gifts. As a small boy it was the best Christmas ever! That is why the Christmas orange means so much to me, my father ended.

So now you too know the Christmas Orange story and our family would like to share this tradition with yours. As you offer up gifts this year, include a bright juicy orange and pass on the Christmas Orange story to your little ones.

If you have a Family Christmas story you would like to share please send it to me. The best part of this season is sharing with others, things that mean so much to us. Happy Holidays!!!! Aunt Onie


Aunt Linda, Larry and Cannon Joe

YES, There Is A Santa!

Is there really such a thing as an ugly Christmas Tree? Whether the tree is real pine, cedar or fir or a lush expensive artificial 10 footer or a little white or sliver aluminum tree, every Christmas tree is beautiful because it embodies the true meaning of Christmas. It's a way we begin the celebration of the birth of our Savior which is Christ the Lord.

As I sit here looking at my Christmas shopping list I realize just how many times the real meaning of Christmas has reached down from heaven and touched my life.

First let me tell you what Christmas was like as a small child in a big family. When it came to Christmas our father was the biggest kid in the bunch. Each Christmas eve he would tell all that we would have to wait till Christmas morning to open our presents. And every Christmas Eve we went off to bed grumbling how could we sleep not knowing what we had under the tree. When we did finally drift off to sleep my poor father couldn't stand it any more and around midnight he would drag us all out of a deep sleep to "open presents!" I can still smell that wonderful smell of my new doll as I drifted back off to sleep around 2 AM! My father who could hardly afford to feed us somehow found the funds to give all of us kids a great Christmas. The joy on our faces was all he ever wanted. There was never a doubt in my mind about how much he loved us.

I was born 10 days before Christmas and I always liked to hear Momma tell the story about the cold winter Christmas when Momma and Dad brought me home from the hospital. Momma always called me her "Christmas Baby".

As I grew up I cherished my memories of Christmas with my father and all the love he had for the season of giving. I carried it with me when I became the parent. Like my parents before me, Larry and I struggled to make ends meet when Adam and Jer were young. When Jer was just 2 months old Larry was working the midnight shift at a local hospital. I had already read Adam the "Night Before Christmas" and he was all snuggled down in his covers. "Go to sleep" I whispered. "Santa's coming tonight." He was all excited and happy. As for me I had no idea how Christmas was coming since our bills had taken all the money Larry brought home. Tucking little Jer into his bassinet I walked down the hall of our mobile home. I can still see the cheery little kitchen curtains as I parted them and looked out at the clear cold starry night. "Santa", I whispered. "Are you out there????" I offered up a small prayer thinking God for everything he had provided for us. A new baby, a steady job and a warm, little house. Just then the back door opened and I jumped at the sound. Could it be??? Larry stood in the hallway with both big arms full! "What is all this?" I asked him. Helping him unload his arms I gasped at all he had. There was a stuffed toy for Jer and candy and toys for Adam. There was tins of homemade fudge and cookies. There was socks for Larry and even a huge bag of potatoes with a ten dollar bill stuck inside the bag. Larry said there was even a turkey still in the car! He explained that all the cooks at the hospital got together and baked and bought presents with their own money for Larry and his little family. These wonderful ladies had brought Christmas to our house. I wonder to this day if they ever knew how much their sacrifices meant to us. Santa did come! He came to us in the form of seven hard working women who took the time to make a difference in some one's life.

Many Christmases have past since those hard times but I will never forget just how rich we were that night. It always reminds me how God is always watching over us and how holy his love for us really is.

This is the season to let God work through you. The simple and small things you can do for someone can make a mountain size difference in some one's life. So this Christmas give of yourself and you will get the biggest present in return. The gift of giving. There is a Santa, and he lives in all of us!!!! Merry Christmas everyone.....Be safe this Christmas season, and may your home be cheerful and may your family be blessed. Aunt Onie

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Happy Holidays to you all. Yes, we are now officially in the Holiday season! What better way to kick off the season for love and peace for your fellowman then an all out fight till you win Black Friday! Larry and I watched in horror as the local television station showed the large groups fighting each other to get to the department store discounted items. It was utterly ridiculous. It only goes to show what we can make out of a season where your supposed to be grateful for what we have and the love we feel for one another.
After all the food preparations and the huge Thanksgiving dinner was over, Larry and I went out for breakfast the following Sunday morning. Traveling back home on the outer road (old 66) we watched in amazement of the heavy traffic along the interstate as so many people were traveling back home from their holiday travel to be with loved ones. I had heard on a talk show that Thanksgiving was the perfect holiday because it wasn't cluttered up with any religious meaning. How wrong they were! The Pilgrims feasted with the Indians and celebrated with them to honor and praise God for bringing them together through the hardest time the Pilgrims had ever endured. And if my history education has served me right the Pilgrims would have never made it with out the help and guidance of the American Indian. Our country was founded on the grounds of a strong religious stand to our heavenly father. Thanksgiving is a time to come together as a whole to give thanks to God's blessing on this great nation and what better way to celebrate then a huge feast. After all the harvest the USA produces for us and other countries throughout the spring and summer and fall, we should take time to be truly be thankful for it's bounty! Do you know that the United States is called the worlds breadbasket because it is the worlds largest producer of grains and cereals? The US is also the largest Beef producer and sadly our waist lines prove that the US is also the largest Beef consumers in the world.
Well all I have to say is make this Holiday season festive, wonderful and simple. Take time to do the little things for loved ones and others who may need you this time of year. Show each other how much they mean to you with words. not material things. Keep it simple. After all God sent his son to us via a small manger. He was trying to tell us something here. If his precious son didn't need the Ritz why should we? If we keep Christ in Christmas we can't help but have a joyous season. Merry Christmas everyone!!! Aunt Onie
As you can tell by our Thanksgiving pictures we had a great Thanksgiving, I hope you did too!

Our Little Em

A son is a son, till he takes a wife, a daughter is a daughter for the rest of her life. I think that's the way the saying goes, just not in my family. You see, I still get to keep my boys but now I have gained two wonderful daughters, Emily and Paige.

This is Emily's story of how she came to be a part of this crazy and loving family.

Emily began dating Adam in the summer of 2001. Dusting my sons dresser off one morning I saw a small picture of a dark haired girl with a pretty smile. "Who is she?", I asked my son. "Just a friend", he replied. It wasn't long after that I knew she had become much more then that. This dark haired beauty had captured my son's heart. He kept her to himself for several months then one day he asked his father and I if we would like to meet her. Shoot yeah I did! So I arranged for Adam and Emily to meet us at a local restaurant for Sunday dinner. She was so sweet and scared to death. As we made small talk and I asked her about her self and her family she barely ate a thing off her plate. I learned she was a college student from School of The Ozarks and was there on a music scholarship. Adam told us she could really sing and had even sang for the Governor.

They continued a long distance courtship as she continued her studies at the college in Branson and Adam took his first teaching post as a junior high science teacher and basketball coach at a local public school. It was difficult for both of them seeing each other only on weekends but they made it work. I can't tell you how many times I worried when she started back to campus on a Sunday night. I couldn't wait for her to graduate and be finished with that long commute.

I remember one Valentines day that my practical joker son called Em up and told her the sad news that he couldn't be with her on Valentines day due to a Basketball tournament. All her college friends tried to cheer her up but nothing worked as she sat in her dorm missing her guy on the most romantic night of the year. Around 9 PM her cell phone rang and it was Adam once again apologizing for not being there with her on Valentines day. "It's okay", she told him as tears streamed down her face. Adam promised her they would be together next year and told her to go to the window, look at the stars and think of him. As she moved to the window all her friends followed close behind. There below her dorm window Adam stood with a smile and a dozen red roses. Her friends all gushed as Em screamed and flew down the stairs and into his arms. Now that's romance.

They were married on July 10th, 2004 in her small little country church. Em put together a DVD of Adam and her life from birth to courtship and set it to a Dolly Parton song. Their wasn't a dry eye in the whole church when it was done. She included everyone from both families and even lit candles for my father and her grandfather who had passed away so all our loved ones could be present to see this young couple pledge their lives to each other. Tragedy almost struck though when they drove away in my sons opened jeep. Her mother had come up to the jeep and kissed her goodbye and gently tucked her long wedding dress down around her ankles and strapped her in. Thank heavens she did because as soon as they hit the turn off to the highway Em realized her wedding gown had become caught on the back tire and began to pull her out! Terrified she let out a scream and Adam pulled to a sudden stop just in time. Em's beautiful dress had real life tire tracks all down the back! Her dress is kept just like that, a remembrance and a story to be told again and again!

I feel very lucky to have both my daughters added to this family. They each bring their own personalities, values and charms. God saw fit to give me two wonderful boys and as an added bonus I received two daughters. Not bad for only giving birth twice. I am so truly blessed to have my family and friends.

So, on this Thanksgiving day I won't find myself alone in the kitchen but will have my two wonderful daughters in there with me, talking, laughing and just plain enjoying being together. Both Emily and Paige feel comfortable and loved at my house and this means a great deal to me. After all, this is their home........From my home to yours, may you have a truly wonderful Thanksgiving....Aunt Onie

Aunt Onie's Never Fail Pie Crust
I was given this recipe by my sister in-law a long, long time ago and it's just that....never fails
In large mixing bowl mix
2 cups of flour
1 cup of shortening
1/2 cup cold water
Mix by wooden spoon quickly till dough forms a round ball. This only takes a few minutes. Always remember the less the handling of the dough the tenderer the crust will be. Roll out on floured counter and line pie pan with crust. Trim off excess dough and pinch with thumb and finger to form the crust. Fill with pie filling and bake till golden brown. My sister Patti puts a few drops of milk on her crust and sprinkles sugar over whole pie. She swears this makes her pies golden brown.

Thanksgiving At The Childrens Table

Jeremy and cousin Jenny at the Thanksgiving Children's Table

Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go, INDEED! This will be my second Thanksgiving of being the Grandmother and I am looking forward to cooking up a feast for my children, friends and grandchildren. I can't wait to put a turkey leg on my little Noahie's plate and tell him it's a big chicken! He just loves chicken legs!

If you can't smell my cooking from the driveway then I'm doing something wrong. As soon as your company steps out of their cars they should be met with the savory aroma of roasting turkey and sage dressing followed close by the sweet smells of pumpkin pie and other delicious desserts. Your family deserves nothing less.

This Thanksgiving carries a lot more stress and worry with concerns for our jobs, health care and the wars we have found ourselves in for much too long. Our military forces are far from their homes and loved ones this Thanksgiving and we need to think of them and their families as the Holidays approach.

With all this I can't help but go back to a simpler Thanksgiving when I was a young mother and my children were very small. My mother would spend the night the night before and she and I would bake pumpkin pies deep into the night. That was when the whole family (sisters, brothers, and mates plus all our children)would come together for one BIG Thanksgiving. No matter how much work it was I really miss those days. On Thanksgiving morning I would get up at 4 AM and make coffee and get the turkey ready for the oven. It's a strange feeling when you are giving a 20 pound turkey a bath in the kitchen sink and know that millions of women and some men are doing the same thing. I've often thought it would be the perfect time for every cook to offer up a prayer for all God's people in unison.

When the turkey was almost done my family and friends would start to arrive, filling my little house with laughter and children's voices. Momma would make her famous corn pone for the dressing and she always let me have a small one with a generous dab of real butter. Man that was good! Family that spent the night would be mingling with coffee in hand and sampling this and that to make sure I added enough sage or salt. I always seemed to be able to move around my small kitchen with one or two children draped around my leg. The anticipation of the wonderful meal and the excitement of other kids to play with always made my children hyper.

I always took great pains with the "children's table". I wanted it to be a place just for them to enjoy the company of their cousins and to afford the adults a chance to enjoy adult company. As I listened to the adult talk at our table my eyes and ears followed what was going on at the "Children's table". The expressions and conversations at their table was so wonderful to watch. Talking to each other in ways only children can understand. They were having so much fun it made you want to pull up one of those small little chairs and join them!

Now my children are the adults with children of their own and I will be setting the "children's table" once again. Once again I will envy the captivating conversations that will be held at that small table. A table set for Noah and Cannon Joe and a (for now) empty high chair that waits for my third grandchild due in May.

May this Thanksgiving find us all giving Thanks to our Lord and the guidance we need from him during these trying times. May he bless your home with his love and may your house be filled with delicious food, family and friends to share it all with........ Aunt Onie

Here is my secret recipe for Cornbread Dressing:
Take Turkey giblets, wash thoroughly and put in a pot of water. Chop up at least 4 stalks of celery and one onion and drop into water. Add salt, pepper and boil on medium heat till tender and done. Chop up giblets and set aside. Fry up corn pone or corn bread and set aside to cool. Take a box of dressing mix and add to your giblet water and bring to a second boil and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Empty pot in a large cooking dish adding crumbled up corn pone, one slice of bread, crumbled and one egg. Stirring thoroughly. Add plenty of sage, salt and pepper. Bake in oven at 325 till golden brown. Right before serving ladle dressing with turkey broth to keep delicious and moist. No one likes dry dressing. Enjoy!!!

The Invasion of the British

The still spring air hung heavy with the sweet fragrance of Lilac. I didn't know it yet but God was about to alter my life completely with just one loud knock at my door. With coffee in hand, and little Jer (wearing nothing buy a pair of Superman underwear) hiding behind my robe, I opened the front door. That was the morning Catherine came into my life.
"Good morning" she said with a big smile and a heavy British accent. "We just moved in up the road and I saw your swing set out front",she continued. I was so captivated by her accent that I hadn't noticed the two young boys standing shyly behind her. "Do you have any children"? she asked.

"Good morning" I answered, "yes I do", as Jer slowly stepped out from behind my robe. "Won't you come in for a cup of coffee?" I replied.
As our two youngest sons, settled down in front of the television for morning cartoons my oldest son Adam showed her oldest son Justin his basketball card collection.

Over coffee Catherine introduced herself and filled me in on her life since leaving England. As a young woman she took on a job in the states as a nanny to Carly Simmons young children. From there she met Tom her husband who was in the Army.

Tom's military career moved him all over and that is how this British lady landed on my doorstep. We have a military base located just miles from where we live and as luck would have it Tom was relocated here that spring.

It turned out that Catherine's oldest son was the same age as my son Adam and her youngest son was one year older then my little Jer. They all hit it off wonderfully. The street we lived on didn't have any small children to play with till Catherine showed up.

Now our kids traveled back and forth from her house to ours sharing basketball cards and games as two countries traditions collided. We would never be the same again. Through out the summer and into the fall our houses were opened to each other as we shared cups of coffee, pot luck dinners and Barbecues. Larry got to know Tom and as our children grew so did our friendships.

Dinners out were a blast as Catherine easily commanded the evening and captivated our waiters with her British accent and charm. By the end of the evening she had everyone eating out of her hand. My dear country husband adored her and she him. She always called him "Laure" and he would do anything for her. The British are known for their dry sense of humour but not "our" Catherine. She had a wonderful sense of humour and in the end it would some to serve her well.

I can easily remember the one snowy Christmas eve having my hands full calming little Jeremy down to finally go to sleep so Santa could come and deliver his toys. I was reading to him when I heard the now familiar knock and a high pitched "Hello everybody!". It was Catherine. She came into Jer's room and cuddled him into her arms. "Eee", she whispered to him. "When I was a wee little girl in England on Christmas eve my mother would put me to bed as I waited for Santa to come. My dear mother tied a sock to the end of my little bed and I crawled to the bottom and felt my sock, it was empty. I soon fell a sleep and woke with a start. I heard something! So I crawled to the bottom of my bed....(now my young son was completely enthralled with her story) and guess what? My sock was full! Santa had come and filled my sock with oranges, candy and small toys!" Her story did the trick for my son who finally snuggled down into the covers as Catherine wished him a Merry Christmas and tipped toed out. I'm sure as a grown man Jer has never forgotten that night.

Months turned into years, seasons passed and our friendship grew as we shared our dreams, goals, successes and failures. We saw each other through spouse arguments, school problems and school successes. If you ever wondered if the British are scrappers you better believe it! One Saturday Catherine took all our sons to the local library for a wonderful day of reading. Distracted by a book search Catherine didn't notice the mischief our two young sons were getting into (climbing on shelves) till the head Librarian asked her to "curb in her children or leave". Well from what my oldest son, Adam could tell me Catherine sat "her" straight about the fine points of being a librarian! She came fuming into my kitchen with children in tow and threatened to call the Librarian back and give her another piece of her mind. It took a lot of tea that afternoon to calm one hot headed British woman down.

Catherine and I became each others eyes as we kept watch over our now teenage boys. The day Adam got his drivers license was the scariest day of my life as he loaded up Justin, Jer and Tommy and drove them to school. He had my whole life in that car!
Catherine and I let our teens try out their new found freedom but on one particular night we both felt the need to jump in my car and follow our boys as they went to a classmates party. The party was to be held at a boys house with only one parent who was always a way at work. I pulled my car to the side of the road still within sight of the house where my sons car was parked out front with them still in it. Within minutes of arriving there I could see the red and blue flashing lights of a police car. A neighbor had reported the party to the local police before our sons arrived. Our two young teens looked scared to death as the police man asked them why they were there as the boys caught a glimpse of us standing behind the officer. I never seen two teens thrilled to death to see their mothers on a Saturday night!

Before I knew it Catherine and I went from taking our kids to summer camp to leaving them on the front steps of their college dorms. We had raised our kids together and all of them became like brothers.

During a long and snowy winter in 1990 I fell in love with a movie called "Steel Magnolias". It was filmed in the writers home town of Natchitoches, Louisiana. I had never been down south and was completely enthralled with the story of all these wonderful southern women. I must have watched that movie a hundred times that winter and by spring I knew I just had to go there. In late April Catherine and I packed up our two youngest sons, filled the back of my van with tons of snacks and pillows and blankets and set off for the trip of a lifetime. "Louisiana here we come!" The trip itself was priceless. Catherine couldn't read a map if her life depended on it and we found our selves lost most of the time. Tired and hungry Catherine told me that the map showed a town up a head a "little" off my outlined route if we just made a right at the next turnoff. She said the map said MS 2 miles. She thought MS stood for miles instead we found ourselves on the scary side of Greenville, Mississippi! Oh well, we found a nice hotel, had a good meal and the kids got to swim. Very late the next night we drove into Natchitoches and I woke up the whole van with my screams of "We're here!" I saw all the houses that were in the movie and knew we had finally made it. We spent five days there taking in all the sights and even sneaking into private yards to have our picture taken where the star of the movie, Julia Roberts, wedding reception was held. To say we had a good time would be an understatement. Our sons learned more from that trip then any class book ever could. They discovered that the city of Natchitoches is the oldest part of the Louisiana Purchase and that Arkansas's main crop is rice. When it was time to go my eyes filled with tears as Catherine made fun of me. Catherine did admit that as much as she had traveled Louisiana was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. If I had known what lay ahead of us I would have stayed another week. A few years later our perfect life would come unraveled.

Adam and Justin were in their first year of college when disaster struck. On a rainy night Catherine lost control of her new truck and flipped end over end, throwing her out into a ditch. A wonderful neighbor heard the crash and called 911. He was first at the scene and saved her life. A month later in intensive care we would learn the sad news that Catherine was paralyzed. Through everything she went through afterwards Catherine's spirits always remained high. Her two boys became her mainstay and she grew to depend on them a great deal. Though they never complained, they lost most of their carefree youth the night of the accident. She never lost herself through it all and remained their steady parent and mentor. We shared cups of tea in her little kitchen and talked about old times. Her mother flew in from England and it was fascinating the way our two mothers became fast friends with so much in common even born a sea a part. Catherine's sisters flew in too and met all my sisters till we all felt like a "complete" family.

Catherine had many set backs as she tried to regain some of her freedom, finally succumbing to an infection 7 years after her accident. It seemed to me she held on till her son finished school. I made a promise to her that I would always be there for her children and even though she could not speak her eyes held mine so strongly that I knew she would hold me to that promise.

The years have gone quickly by and Justin married and had twin boys. I am the proud Godmother to Ian and Nick (both with their British "Grandma's" red hair and smile). My how she would have spoiled those two and heaven forbid should any librarian ever reprimand one of them!

Now as I watch my two grandsons, Cannon and Noah play in my kitchen with my God Sons, Ian and Nick, I can see Catherine smiling down on all of them. God had a plan that one fateful spring morning, when a British woman came knocking at my door.
Open yourself up for new relationship and new friendships, for you never know who God will lead into your life. Till next time......Aunt Onie

Two tea cups sit
upon a window sill
One cracked and worn
the other still

A friendship born
from a sea apart
Like no other
right from the start

Laughter and sadness
we shared all together
the best of ourselves
we gave to each other.

Though time travels on
since the day you left us
I'll cherish your gift
The gift of your friendship

Neighbors and Friends

My Mom and Dad raised seven children in a little house at the bottom of a little dirt road called Hemphhill.

We had a vast array of neighbors back then, many from different income ranges. But one thing they all had in common was the ability to work as a neighbor. You could count on any of them in a pinch. I'm not saying they were all major role models for their kids but they knew the value of what friends and neighbors stood for.

During a snow storm only the Windhams had a truck good enough to get up our dirt road to hit the main highway to get into town for supplies. Before they left they stopped at all the houses and took "orders". We little kids couldn't wait to see that big truck sail right up the snowy and icy road to "groceries", and waited with baited breath for a glimpse of it coming back! Mom had stuck a little extra money back for store bought cookies! Now that was something worth waiting out side in the cold for!

Our house was where most of the neighbors mingled and I always thought it was because my Mom was a wonderful listener and conversationalist. Now that I am grown I can see it was mostly because my Mom was the most wonderful cook that walked the earth. There was always something simmering on her stove and a dozen or so children buzzing around just waiting for something to get "done". I can remember an ironed tablecloth layered with fried pork chops with onion gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans with a stack of bread, butter and pickles. I couldn't tell you how many times kids would be itchin to be asked to "stay to supper". I've often talked about my brothers best friend "Leroy in my blogs". Leroy loved staying for supper and always complimented my mothers cooking.

Our next door neighbors were the Kelly's and I couldn't say enough good things about them, especially their Mom, Millie. What a wonderful woman. She would sneak over to our house on a Saturday morning to have coffee with Mom and catch up on all the local gossip. I often woke up on a cold winters morning to hushed tones as Millie whispered the latest rumor stories. Millie gave all five of us girls haircuts and I can so remember her always asking us long haired girls, "Are you sure your Momma wants me to cut this much off?" Millie's oldest son was a very talented young man and very athletic, just like his father Lloyd. I can remember Lloyd running so fast and sailing over our fence like it was nothing. I can also remember after my father passed away, Lloyd came to my brothers baseball game and was there to cheer him on even when he struck out. He was covering for my dad. That's what neighbors do. When my father was in so much pain from the cancer Millie was the one who would come over and give him shots to ease it. They were true neighbors.

We had a few "elite" neighbors as well and I learnt a lot from them. A Major lived just at the top of our dirt road and his beautiful daughters would bring me up to their big living room with the hardwood floors and a beautiful grand piano that their white fluffy cat sat on. I was invited to drink ice tea with them. They drank it out of crystal clear goblets without sugar so I just assumed that rich people drank ice tea with out it. It's funny how a child associates things with being rich. Our relationships with the "Majors" kids was nice but not very personal and close. Not like the friendship between our family and the Windhams.

Cathy Windham moved at the bottom of our little dirt road when I was about ten. Her mother was a nurse and stopped by our house to introduce herself and her very special daughter Cathy. She explained to us girls that Cathy was born with a special condition that would not allow her to run like us or play hard. The way her Momma explained it to us little girls was very understanding and we came to adore Cathy and her whole family. Her older brother was a life savor for me when one snowy day after my father passed away I made a "rabbit trap" and carried it all the way into the woods at the base of a very steep incline. The whole night lying in my bed I couldn't wait to see if I could put some meat on our table. The next morning bright and early I donned several layers of clothing and plodded through the snow with two little nosey sisters in tow. Climbing down the steep embankment on my rear end, I spied my trap. The trap door was shut! I had something! What I didn't stop to think of was what did I have. I just assumed it was a rabbit but it really could have been anything from a cat to a skunk. I picked that trap up and boy was it heavy! It took all I had to get to the top of the steep incline and back to the house where I took a little peek inside. There was the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen looking back at me, a rabbit, a BIG rabbit. Now I had the dinner but how was I going to get it into Mamma's oven? That's where Cathy's big brother came in. I called him and told him my dilemma and he came right up. All us girls hid in the house till the dirty work was done and good old Arty had that rabbit ready to be cleaned and cooked. That night at dinner I was proud of myself for putting dinner on our table but also thankful for the help from our "neighbor" for making it all possible.

The summer before my father became sick our neighbor up the highway came down completely out of wind and carrying a rifle. He told my father to get us kids in the house. There was a rabid dog on the loose and all the men were tracking it down before it could bite anyone. We watched from our big kitchen window as all the men in the neighborhood toting guns began searching for the rabid dog. Rabies was something that many neighbors feared living in the country in the fifties. We waited there in Mamma's still kitchen till we heard the first gunshot. These men had made our neighborhood safe again. They acted like neighbors, as a team, a community. Something that is hard to find in our present day neighbourhoods.

Our neighbors nowadays hardly know each others name let alone bond with each other. We keep to ourselves and they keep to their selves, privacy being the end all to everything. But what price does privacy come with when we actually "need" our neighbors? With cells phones you don't even have to go grocery shopping alone anymore so the need for a good neighbor is not needed. Or is it?

Our lack of being "neighbourly" may some day come to bite us in the rear if we don't heed the lessons our parents taught us. Get to know your neighbors, be there for them when they need you, for you never know when you just may desperately need them. So give your neighbors a call, wave to them each morning. We need to come together now, as a nation, as a good neighbor to each other. After all were in this together.... neighbor helping neighbor, friend helping friend.....Till next time ....Aunt Onie

Little Known Kitchen Facts

Two weeks till Thanksgiving! In the following weeks I will be sharing my secret recipes that my mother and mother in-law imparted to me. As a new wife my mother in-law, Lillian gave me her Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner recipe in laymen terms and that's how I will give it to you, pure and simple.

I thought I would take today and give some "useful facts and hints" to get your kitchen ready for some "serious" cooking for the coming months. From the end of November through the snowy days of February your kitchen should be the place of comfort and security from the storm. A room filled with good smells of apple pies cooking, pumpkin spices of cinnamon and nutmeg, and the wonderful aroma of roasting turkey and dressing. Now that I have awakened your taste buds, lets get back to my helpful hints and facts.

Seeping Tea:
Actually, the term is called "steeping the tea." This is the process of allowing all the wonderful elements of the tea to distribute themselves into the hot water. I have found that the best way to get a good steep from my tea bag is to simply place it in the cup, pour boiling hot water over the bag and cover with a small saucer or plate for 4 - 6 minutes while the tea bag does it's thing. Remove the plate from the cup and the bag from the cup. Then sip and enjoy! Never press the tea bag against the cup with a spoon. If you press against a tea bag with a spoon you'll notice your tea gets a little cloudy. This is because little bits of tea leaf are getting squeezed out of the bag and, this will make your tea bitter.

Baking Soda:
Baking soda is the best thing ever invented next to Duck Tape. It can be used for brushing our teeth, an aid in relieving indigestion, and a perfect solution for removing any stain from your kitchen counters (including food coloring, tea and cool aid) and the bottoms of your pots and pans. It may require a second rinsing to remove it's residue but the results are worth it.

Club Soda:
During the Holidays, carpet stains are expected but if you can catch them or even when you don't try a little club soda and let the fizz actually eat the stain! Make sure it's club soda and not a sugar based soda. Pour a little soda right on the stain let soak a few minutes and towel dry, stain gone.

Eggs:
Making breakfast on a cold winters morning and not breaking the eggs will be a breeze if you follow these simple rules; make sure your skillet is hot enough and crack eggs into skillet. Tilt the skillet towards you and cook till the clear egg whites become a little cloudy. Gently flip the eggs over cooking the eggs tilted towards you again. This should take only a minute or two and place on a dish for one minute. This will finish cooking the egg. Scrambled eggs require a hot skillet also, placing beaten eggs in skillet and let them sit for sixty seconds before turning. Turn just three times and place on plate. They will continue cooking by themselves on the plate.

Till next time dear readers, don't be tempted to fool your Holiday guest and family with pumpkin spice and apple candles.....Instead take a few minutes and throw a real apple pie in the oven. I will show you how to do it in 10 minutes from bowl to oven. Who needs an apple candle when you can have the "real" thing!

So get your kitchens ready we're about to shake some pots and pans and get down to some serious cooking! Aunt Onie

73 Rules!!!!

Nancy Pennington, Evelyn Johnson, Susan Williams
Tommy Graves, Maureen Stacey, Donna Wethington, Kellis Williams on the Larry Don, Lake of the Ozarks
Maureen Stacey and Prom Date

Patti Livingston, Jeanne Monda, Donna Wethington, Candy Sheffield, Liz Ballard signing Year Books

Ahhh High School. We had finally arrived. When my friends and fellow classmates entered High School as Freshmen we sat in envy and admiration of the whole Junior and Senior class. They had some heavy hitters as the most popular and over achievers we had ever gazed upon. From jocks to cheerleaders and Homecoming Queens they had it all, talent, brains and looks, not to mention money. There was always a lot of money due to some of the wealthiest businessmen in our little community.

Our Waynesville High School parking lot boasted some of the sleekest cars ever....that is where I came in. My Dad passed away when I was in the 7th grade so it was just my Mom supporting five kids. A nice (old) neighbor took pity on us and gave me his 1951 Chevy. What a car!!! I waxed that big baby every Saturday night and my friends and I would drag race guys past the A&W Root Beer stand straight on through the stop light before we got to the Ft. Wood military gate! Man those were some good times! I parked that baby of mine right next to hottest sports cars in that school parking lot. She could hold her own to any of them. I don't even want to mention how much money it took to "fill er up" back then.

My car could easily hold six girls as we cruised through main street, around the square then up Waynesville hill and circled "Curleys" drive in. On school days my little sister Debbie made me drop her off one block before the Junior High so her fellow cheerleaders wouldn't see her get out of my car. There was plenty of other "odd" cars in the school parking lot besides mine. I remember Alford Corely (later became a movie star of Dynasty) drove the first Volkswagen Beetle, making it a "cool" car to drive.

The High School seemed enormous to us Freshman after attending our small Jr High but it wasn't long till be made it ours. Our homecoming called for some of the biggest floats you have ever seen. With the Homecoming Queen and her Court riding in the latest sports cars right off the biggest car lots. The whole town got into the festivities. High School Sport Events were a big deal back then. Everybody got into the action, from Churches to businesses and government.

Our School had a lot of pride too. We worshipped our athletes and envied our cheerleaders. If cheer leading wasn't your style then "Drill Team" was. That was where my friends and I made a nice fit. We were all in Drill Team. Donna, Maureen, Candy and I wore our little black and orange skirt outfits with orange knee highs (I think they were orange) and of course our Pom Poms. One year we all wore beautiful white muffs during the Christmas Parade. Man that brings back a lot of memories.

Thinking back on it I don't think any of my friends (of course including myself) were ever voted a Homecoming candidate. If I am wrong won't someone please correct me? It didn't matter you see because there were three types of classes in our High School. Most Popular...this was held for all jocks and cheerleaders and their best friends, then there was the middle class popular, meaning the most popular could be seen talking to them on a Saturday night but were never invited to any of their parties and then there was the lower class popular where they were ostracized from any verbal or physical communication with the most popular crowd. I can tell you right now there were some wonderful kids in that lower class. I feel blessed to be from the middle. It allowed us to relate to both classes and I think we are all the better for it.

Our High School offered opportunities for all of us, from Athletic Scholarships, DECA for business majors, Drama (some of the best plays/musicals I have ever seen) and journalism. Graphic Arts was my passion and I wrote for the great WA MO High newspaper. That class gave me wonderful experience in writing and photography. We also had the best Vocational program ever, offering everything from wood working to nursing. Outlying schools were bussed in for vocational training.

Our fellow classmate from 1973, Liz Ballard was one of the many talented artist that painted the huge Waynesville Tiger mascot on the entire front of the vocational building and can still be seen there today.

The kids from the class of 73 were great kids and I had the chance to attend our 30th reunion. We had seen each other through the first days of grade school. I won't mention how cute little Terry Schultz was in the first grade wearing a big old sheriffs badge or the valentine I worked on for weeks for Max Davis (he was a cutie too) or Manfred Dunkins dimples or Buddy Mays and John Alvarez's blue eyes.

The Prom is over for the class of 73 but now when we get the chance to meet or by chance run into each other there is no pretentiousness, just family getting to see family. That's what we have become....family. Anytime you share your whole childhood with others your age there will always be that bonding. We lived it all together. I hope your teenage years were as good and memorable as mine was. I had the best times, the best friends and the best school a girls could ask for. Meet you after sixth period.....Aunt Onie

Our Miss Penny

Penny arrived to our house courtesy of my teenage son who had been golfing all morning on a beautiful spring day. Even though the day started out sunny and bright a storm cloud broke sending the golfers running to their cars. Leaving the drivers door open as he popped the trunk button, my son quickly began throwing his clubs in the trunk of his black spotless Camero. The rain intensified now accompanied by thunder and lightening as he dived for the front seat closing the door and the storm behind him. With a smell that could knock the petals off a rose he soon knew he wasn't alone. Sitting in the well maintained seat beside him sat the most pathetic, nasty, stinking, bag of bones of a dog he had ever seen. His first reaction was to throw this mess right out of his car which he did but the dog was quicker then he was and dashed right back in. Wiser now Jeremy put the dog out and slammed the door shut and started to drive away. Feeling relieved he made the mistake of glancing in his mirror as the pathetic little dog chased after his car in the now driving rain. Glancing in his mirror one more time was all it took and he slowly pulled his sleek car to the curb allowing the little dog to catch up. Grabbing a towel from the back seat Jeremy placed the little dog on the towel who settled right down as Jeremy drove home wondering how he was going to explain her to me. When he got home he poked his head in the living room where my older son and I were working on a college project. Mom, are you ready for a surprise he asked me? Close your eyes and I will bring it in he tells me apprehensively. A note I quickly picked up on. Squinting one eye only I peeked cautiously as he pulled this small bundle of bony fur that filled the air with its foul smell that would have made me bolt from my seat and sanity had it not been for a pair of the most beautiful soulful eyes I have ever seen. Taking the soaking wet bundle from him I carefully took her into the kitchen and placed a small amount of food on the floor for her to eat. It was gone in two seconds. Well girl, now for a bath I spoke to her softly. It took two baths before the smell gave up the fight and now I could really see how emancipated she really was. One more day out in the elements would have surely finished her off. Taking my blow dryer out she thoroughly enjoyed the warm heat. It was that first day that I realized she wasn't an ordinary mutt even though she was a dachshund / beagle mix. She understand every word we said to her and was even house broken. It was 2 weeks later that I found out she had epilepsy. The doctor said the seizures could lessen in fervency and completely go away or intensify; only time would tell. Sadly Penny’s (she is the color of a shiny penny) seizures began to increase and we had to start medication to control them. The combination of two med’s needed increased her appetite causing her to always be at her bowl in the kitchen. She would continue to lick her bowl long after it was empty driving us crazy with the sound. With her second visit to our vet he told us she weighed 12 lbs now and looked really good for the shape she was in on her first visit but warned me to not let her gain anymore weight. By her 6Th vet appointment she was now up to 22 lbs. Our vet had to increase her meds to accommodate her weight causing her more drowsiness, more couch time and more time at the bowl. By her 8Th visit she hit the scales at 27 ½ lbs and was having seizures every week as well as suffering a back injury from playing with a small neighbor’s dog. Now she took steps very slowly and even began sleeping past 10 AM each morning. Trying out some pain pills that did not work my vet even approach me with the “You might consider putting her DOWN” talk that first made me cry and then filled me with anger! I was not giving up on Miss Penny yet! Finding a spinal pain pill that finally agreed with her she began feeling like her old self and the pain pills even slowed her seizures way down. That was when I read an article on people and their Look a Like Pets. Well Miss Penny and I did look a lot a like especially because we were both over weight! I often thought people were looking at us when we walked down the sidewalk, thinking “there goes that chubby woman with her chubby dog”! Small children would stop us and ask if Miss Penny was having puppies. I was actually embarrassed for my dog!
Miss Penny became my constant companion and never needed a leash. When I got out her collar she would become all excited because this meant a car ride. She rode on elevators like a pro and never barked inside a hotel, especially the ones we snuck her into. She never knew a stranger and I always trusted her gut instinct when we met one.
I will never forget the one Stormy night that Miss Penny came nose to nose with a growling, snarling possum. Try as much as I could I couldn't get her to leave it alone till slowly I could see her tilting sideways as she began to seizure. I had to break some of the lattice away from under the deck and reach in there (next to the snarling possum) and drag her limp and quivering body out of there. That was our Miss Penny. She loved my Mom, my sons and all the babies that came into her life. She was a precious gift sent from God and I will always be grateful for the short tens years he gave her to us.
She left us on the 1st of September and I thought my husband and I would surely die with her. We wrapped her inside her favorite blanket and laid her upon a pillow. Larry made her a coffin and we gently laid her inside. With every nail my dear husband drilled into that box a little bit of my soul cried out. How could a little dog do this to two grown people? We laid her to rest near the tree she loved most. Her squirrel tree. Even though it's been two years since the day we said our good byes I can still see her crouching down by the base of that tree. I will always Miss her, my Miss Penny Pie Pie.
Everyone should have a "Penny" in their lives. I could never repay all the joy she brought into our lives. So Miss Penny, till we are together again......Aunt Onie
Miss Penny
She walked into my life one day
And I shudder to think I balked
I did not need a dog to feed
For my time she’d surely rob

What I did not know right then and there
Is what she’d mean to me.
My life would never be the same
My world she’d come to be.

She would come to be my new best friend
Never asking for nothing more
Then to have my love and a little time
Memories of her to store.

Her funny ways always made me laugh
The way she crept upon the grass
She surely thought she get the squirrel
Sadly both of them knew she’d fail.

She would become my constant companion
The host of all our parties.
For when our friends would come to gather
Miss Penny would never be tardy

Coping through her illness
Brought us together, one taking care of one.
She knew me and I knew her
And never would we feel apart

She plowed into my heart one night
And just like that she was gone.
With her she took a piece of me
Leaving nothing but memories second to none.

The way she cried with joy
When I came home at the end of the day
She made me feel like royalty
How much I wished she’d stay

As I sit looking out my window
It’s so easy to see her there
Creeping like a lion
To that squirrel she tried to scare

Though she had to go I know for sure
As I enter into Gods Estates
There sits a little copper haired dog
Sitting patiently inside the gate.

Till then so long Miss Penny, Miss Penny Pie Pie so long
So Long Pinto
You loved us well…..Aunt Onie

It Was A Dark And Stormy Night

I'm sorry for getting this out so late but I couldn't let this day get away from me. I have been away from my Blog for over a week helping my sister in-law cope with her husbands illness and hospitalization.

I'm back now and I will try to get caught up. I was working on my son's Jeremy's Birthday blog when the emergency phone call came in so I'm going to start there and hopefully get into the Holiday swing of things.

I can't believe I missed Halloween!!! My favorite time of year! You see my little Jer was born on Halloween eve. I don't think he really liked being born on such a scary celebration because I made everyone of his birthday parities a scare fest. I remember once catching the whole party table on fire when the black candles lit the pop corn balls on fire and all the party favors soon followed.
To me the best Halloween Birthday party was when I put two refrigerator cardboard boxes down the basement stairs and made a tunnel to the basement. Then I filled the whole basement full of dry leaves (a mistake I would never repeat) and decorated everything in cob webs and black lights. I put up sheets that made mazes throughout the basement and sat my husband on a wooden bench in a while painters suit with a giant plastic pumpkin over his head. Kids would get really close and then he would scare the bejebbers out of them. The high light of the evening was my witch. I stuffed a old long dress of mine with leaves and tissue paper then filled an nylon to make her head and legs with an black witches hat and sat her in an old rocking chair under the staircase. Long after the party was over I forgot to take her down and both my sons refused to go down there. To this day they both remember how scary it was to see her sitting there. Now that was fun! I think our basement still holds a little fear and mystery for everyone, especially on laundry day.

Of all the past Halloweens I have enjoyed none of them can compare to the Halloween eve some 28 years ago when a nurse wearing a pumpkin pin put this little boy bundle into my arms. So happy belated Birthday Jeremy, I sure hated missing Halloween. Hope you had a great day! I'll just have to work harder next Halloween to make up for missing this one, so watch out!! Till next time dear readers I hope you had a great Halloween and look forward to the coming Holidays with great joy and anticipation...For anytime we have the chance to gather family together is time well spent. Please feel free to post your comments and ideas. I love to hear from you... Aunt Onie

Martha Stewart Of The Ozarks

The whole gang at Celebration City, Branson

Chris, Jeremy and Adam, Laquey School Library

The pumpkin is still on the front porch and the bowl on the table is full of candy. Halloween is just two days away. But look out the day after Tricks or Treats. Each November 1st you can hear women everywhere take in a moment of silence. The silence before the storm. The storm will include dare devil shopping for just the right turkey, eyeing up the bird to see if he will feed everyone you expect and those who may show up unexpected. The holidays are fast approaching and excitement is in the air.

I even heard there was a shortage of pumpkins. That alone will cause people to lose all common sense and become obsessed in laying in supplies. I don't even relish the thought and sounds of shopping carts weaving carelessly in and out of narrow isles, pitting myself against other "shoppers" as we try to fill our list.

My older sister Patti swears by her "organic" turkey she buys every year at double the price of a regular store bought turkey. She buys from a local organic farmer that free ranges his birds with no pesticides and preservatives. This past week she got the chance to visit this farm and now will always buy from them. You can check them out at the web site below. The farm is in Conway. You'll need to get your order in soon since these turkeys are still on the hoof.

In the coming weeks I will start posting easy and simple ways you can entertain friends and family without breaking the bank. November and December are the months to have parties big and small, gathering friends and family together to share a simple meal or an all out Ozark feast. I'll show you how to make festive napkins rings out of foil and my secrets to a smooth and tender homemade pie crust.

Entertaining should be fun and the expressions on your guest faces should show you that all your efforts were worth it. So take it easy these next two days. Put your feet up, eat a little candy laugh with the kids.....then brace yourself for the onslaught of the HOLIDAYS. Together we can make it the most fun filled, joyous time they are supposed to be. May our families come together and truly give thanks for our great nation. A nation that is under attack from all sides and needs it's people to regain the respect and dignity she once had. We need to pray for our leaders and our armed forces as they defend and protect her in these troubling times. In our day to day struggles with the economy we often forget we are at war.

So till next time keep your family close and your soup hot. Aunt Onie
Here is my mother in-law' Lillian's favorite Salisbury steak recipe. This recipe is so good that you'll fix it often! Perfect for a cold winters meal.
Salisbury Steak
Take a pound of hamburger (chuck or round if you can afford it) and dice a whole onion into it. Add some bread crumbs or dry a few slices of bread the day before and one egg. Add salt and pepper and season salt. Pat into patties or balls which ever you prefer and brown well on each side in a large skillet. Once browned on both sides drain off any fat and return to heat. Add one can of mushroom soup and one can of can milk (carnation) and simmer over low to medium heat till bubbly. Stir often so not to stick and cover for fifteen or twenty minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable for a well rounded and nourishing meal. Now that's eating!
Organic Farm in Conway:
Bechards Farms
http://www.bechardfarm.com