It's been so long since I was here..........Let me see.

Last week was Pastor Appreciation week at church. We started with an insert in the newspaper on the 23rd. Monday we called, visited or sent cards,etc. Then on Tuesday the Wesleyan Women cooked supper for the family and took it to their house at supper time. It looked like enough to feed an army, but with three growing boys in the house, it probably wasn't too much.

Wednesday was the most fun, tho. The ladies had a pajama party in the fellowship hall while the men took the pastor out to eat. All the ladies wore their pjs and brought their favorite snacks. We played games, gave each other manicures, watched a video and talked girl talk. During a lull in the conversation, this real quiet, demure lady (who shall remain nameless) said that Hooters wasn't so hot; that she and her friend went there when they went to the beach, and the girls didn't have any more bosoms than she did. But they did wear really short shorts and she wondered what kind of underwear they wore, if they wore any at all!Unless you know this lady, you wouldn't think this is funny.

We did things every day for the preacher and his family and topped it off with a guest preacher Sunday and lunch after in the fellowship hall. Everybody had a great time!

The babies are doing well...a little feisty some days, a little fussy sometimes, but mostly pretty good.

Anna had her tonsils out a couple of weeks ago and it didn't slow her down at all. I talked to her on the phone the next day after surgery and she was just as vocal as ever and she has been eating like it was just invented ever since. I think she has gained weight in the couple of weeks since her surgery.

Well, it's been a whole year since my trusty Toyota died on me and I've been driving Richard's Buick since then. I think I'll need to get him a set of tires if I ever get something of my own to drive. I think he might be getting kinda tired of not having the Buick in his car rotation. The Buick is his cold weather car and winter is coming.

Cindy, Susan,Kerri and Brittany ate supper with me tonight. Chad had gone to Raleigh to pick up the truck he found to replace the one that was totalled in an accident a couple of weeks ago. Just think, if I'd had 'car dying' insurance on my car, I could have replaced it in a few weeks. Do they have that kind of insurance? It'd be nice!!

Today is Sarah's B'day and Susan and Ron invited Cindy, Kerri, Brittany and me to eat with them at Miyakos, the japanese restaurant here in town.

This was my first time there and it was quite an experience. Brittany was an old hand at Japanese dining. She even knew the name of the guy who prepared our food. (Andy)

We all gave our orders and after soup, he cooked it all on a big cooker, right in front of us. My only complaint was that there was so much food I couldn't do justice to it!

Have you ever thought about some of the things people say? My mom had a few sayings that we all still use at times. "She was so wrinkled her face looked like a bowl of cracked ice", "Her face looked like a pan of cornbread cooked on one burner","He was tighter than Dick's hat band", which my late brother in law took for his own, only he changed it to "He was tighter than a brick hat band".

I was in the grocery store on the first of the month and was behind a girl who had two buggies of groceries. She also had on designer jeans, name brand sneakers and a cute lil cell phone(expensive) dangling on her belt loop. The little lady behind me told me that she bet the girl would pay for them with food stamps. She said and I quote, "I have had eight surgeries on my back and I still work, even tho sometimes I just have to drag myself there, because I have to pay my bills and buy my groceries." Well, when her groceries were totalled, the amount came to $343.00, and she took out her food stamp card and paid and when the guy helped her out with them, they were loaded into a nice new car. How about that??

I watched the dawn come shining through

This morning on my knees;

I saw the darkness turn to light as quickly as you please.

I saw the miracle of God before my very eyes.

How great God is, how good God is!

How wondrous and how wise!

I saw the twilight come again, the sun sink out of sight;

And o'er the waiting earth came peace,

'Twas wrapped in softest night.

I know the sun will shine again

Tomorrow when I wake;

I watched a miracle tonight, that only God can make.

By Linda, Oct.1980

A strong man, not inclined to small talk

But always there if you need him.

Ask for advice-he wonders, ponders it.

And then gives you the best answer he could.

Some would think he was stern and cold

But my baby sister had him wrapped around her little finger.

Always working, doing for somebody,

The neighbors, his children; us.

He's gone now and greatly missed

How I wish I could see him again-

My grandpa

Douglas By Susan

Here I am just a little boy

Very soon I will find a great joy.

Are you awake, are you sleeping

Or are your eyes closed and just peeping?

I know you may not be glad

But Sue-Sue please don't be very mad

If I explore, rub dog food in the floor

And pick at Scooby who's outside the door.

Pull out tapes, mess them up

And try to ride our little white pup.

Well, too late now cause here comes my daddy

Into the drive, in his black caddy.

Will he be mad,

Will he be glad,

Or will he just laugh at me?

Seems like if I have any luck with cars, it's bad luck.

I've been driving Richard's Buick for a year now and haven't had any problems with it. Chad tuned it up and fixed the battery brace a few months ago, but that has been the extent of it.

Saturday I went to the bank, post office and grocery store and put gas in the car....filled it almost up, actually. When I got home I realized that the boy hadn't put my cucumbers in my bag, so I ran back to pick up a couple more(I like cukes in my salad). Coming down Claiborne St. I saw Richard in his yard and stopped to talk to him and came on home. No troubles, no problems.

Sunday morning, running late for church, I went out to get in the car and there's a humongous puddle of water under and beside the car. I went back in and called the preacher to see if he could get a fill in for me to teach the Sunday School class, but he came and picked me up, so I was about 15 minutes late, but got there in time to teach.

Later on that afternoon, Jackie came by and looked under the hood and informed me that it needed a heater coil, but he didn't have time to work on it cause he was busy with his big truck(the one that provides his living).

Monday morning Kerri told me to call Chad and get him to look at it and he came later in the afternoon and confirmed the diagnosis made by Jackie. So, now I know whats wrong and Chad called to check the price of a coil and said I'd also need freon and antifreeze cause that would have to be drained in order to work on the heater.

So, all I need now is for Chad to have enough time to work on it. But, he has his mom's engine in pieces so he has to fix that first and then he'll have to go back to work. But he said that maybe he could come over one day and tear it down and get the parts and come back another day to fix it.

Why do these things always happen when I'm busiest? Our WW is having a soup and salad supper at church on Sat. and I have to fix stuff for that, Tommy and Rebecca are coming this Friday and I won't be able to take them anywhere. I'll have to bum rides to church on Wed. and while Margaret will pick me up, I hate to ask. Then our Christmas bazaar is coming up Nov. 19 and I have to take a bunch of stuff to that.

Oh, woe is me!!When will it ever end???

I did have a dream last night that I had won a car. We were all somewhere with bleachers and there was a line of little fish laid out on a table in front of us and several of us got to pick to win a prize. I picked my fish and he bit me so hard, he made a mark on my thumb. But when I pulled the lil slip of paper out, I had won a car given by a black man. Turns out to be an extra long pink Ford station wagon with three doors down each side like a limo. It was a real pretty color, but I didn't get to drive it before my alarm went off.

When dawn breaks on a brand new day,

I'll be with you, come what may-

For I hold you in the palm of My hand.

When the day seems long and comforts few,

Remember I'm there, always with you-

For I hold you in the palm of My hand.

When evening comes with sweet release,

I'm there to offer comfort and peace-

For I hold you in the palm of My hand.

During the long and sleepless night,

I'm there to ease your every fright-

For I hold you in the palm of My hand.

Always remember that I love you,

Though at times this may be hard to do,

But I will be there to see you through-

For I hold you in the palm of My hand.

Thanksgiving

As we come into your house, dear Lord

On this Sunday before Thanksgiving,

We want to give thanks for all we have

That makes this life worth living.

For family and friends whom we hold dear

For all this abundance of love,

We want to give thanks for all we have

For we know it comes from above.

So let us remember as we give thanks

How blessed we are in this land,

For all that we are and hope to be

Comes from our Saviour's hand.

Something made me think of this. When Tom, my brother, was a little boy, he was walking home from Bellevue School one day and had gotten as far as Henry Street. This was in the days when kids walked to and from school and only had to worry about big kids picking on them.

Well, he was being chased and picked on by a couple of bigger kids and when he got within sight of this old man who lived on Henry Street, all of a sudden a police car stopped and the cop said something to Tom and he got in the car.

Well, the old man ran through the alley and got to our house and scared Mama half to death telling her that a policeman had arrested Tom. Before he had finished, the police car drove up and Tom hopped out and thanked the cop. It was a cop that was married to our cousin and he had just rescued Tom from the bullies. The old man was very relieved to find out that Tom hadn't been arrested after all.

Our WW had a salad supper on Sat. and it was a great success food wise.

Before we got started, Margaret and I were there and put our offerings out, but we worried that we would either have a lot of people and not enough food or a lot of food and not enough people.

Well, about 15 minutes before it was to start, the food started coming in. We had six different soups, two main dish salads, and lots of congealed, dessert and other salads. We ran out of taco salad and baked potato salad, but I think that we had at least some of all the rest left over. It sort of ended up with every body full and food left over. Really fun!

Well, it's going on two weeks since Richard's Buick broke down on me and so far I'm still without wheels and have to rely on others for transportation.This isn't too bad as far as church goes because my friend Margaret will stop and pick me up.

It's really tough as far as grocery shopping, going to the bank, etc. Susan took me to Wal Mart to grocery shop last Friday because I had to cook for our church function on Sat. I really don't like shopping at Wal Mart.......I prefer Old Dutch and Food Lion.

This weekend is our annual Christmas Bazaar at the Community Market and I need to go to Old Dutch to buy dried apples and sweet potatoes to make fried pies. I already have orders for about 60 pies and also have to have a few to sell WHEN I get to the market. The potatoes and apples have to be cooked and taste better if you can cook them a few days before you need them and keep them in the fridge. They also handle better.

I know Chad will get to my car eventually and I really appreciate all he does to keep me on the road. Why, you ask, don't I just take it to some car place and get it fixed? Because Chad can get everything he needs to fix it for less than $100 and a car place would probably charge at least $250. Good reason, huh?

Well, maybe something or somebody will come along today and I can get to Old Dutch before they close. They have some really good buys this week and I need a lot of stuff. See you at the Christmas Bazaar!!

Wow! This has been one busy weekend!Our Wesleyan Women (missionary organization) had a bake sale planned for Sat. at the annual Christmas Bazaar at the Community Market. For me this meant making countless fried apple and sweet potato pies, chicken salad, potato soup, cake, and country ham biscuits. Also carrying the Christmas cards, picture frames we ordered, signs, table cloths, crock pot and a new item this year--mix to make a wonderful, homemade ranch salad dressing.

The guys at the funeral home ordered pies, so I promised I'd have them ready on Friday, so with the "help" of Anna and Savannah, I made those. The kids weren't too bad except they kept wanting to touch the uncooked pies because according to Anna, "they looked so fluffy, like little pillows".

After the kids left, I peeled and cooked potatoes, made the chicken salad and cleaned up all the dishes and pots I'd messed up.

I took a break at 8PM and went to see "Walk the Line" with Susan, Emily, Cindy and her friend John. It was after 11 when I got home so I changed clothes and made some more dough and started making more pies to take down there on Sat.

At 2AM I finished getting them cooked and once again, cleaned up the mess and went to bed. My alarm was set for 5AM cause I had to reheat the soup, put the pies in baggies and make the ham biscuits; plus get everything boxed and bagged to put in the car.(I had made my list, so I knew exactly what to do). Richard and his friend Tommy met me at the market to help carry all the stuff in and set up the tables. Thank goodness for brothers!!

The bazaar started at 8AM and after a troublesome time with the power going off, we were finally ready. Luckily we sold all the food by noon, because Margaret, Betty and I were going to our old church, now Gospel Way Ministries and Outreach, for the grand opening scheduled for 1PM. We packed up the few things that didn't sell and actually got to the church on time.

Our invitation had said"Come as You Are, but Come", so we wore what we wore to the bazaar. Of course, this was pants or jeans and winter jackets cause it was cold Sat. morning. When we got there all the ladies and the men were dressed "to the nines". Even our pastor and his wife had left the market early and gone home and changed. But we were greeted and hugged as if we were the best dressed folks there. We did get a chance to explain where we had been and why we had on casual clothes. One lady said "Honey, the Lord isn't looking at what you're wearing, He's just looking to see that you're in His house."

They had a good crowd. More people than I've ever seen in that lil church. They had four speakers, lots of praising, praying and singing. Took up one offering and only got a little over $1,000,so they took up another one. They had a goal they were trying to reach concerning something they wanted to do to the church.

At one point, I thought the sound system was screwed up cause I kept on hearing what I thought was sound bouncing off the wall behind me. But what it was, some ladies had come in after us and had filled up the back pew and I think one of them was talking in tongues. I'd hear, "HALLELUJAH, baaba, baaba, baaba, baaba, WHOOEE"! And then it would start over.

It had started at 1PM and at 4:20, it started winding down. They invited everybody to come to the parsonage for a meal. And a meal it was! They had turkey, fried chicken, snaps, potato salad, pasta salad, rolls, chocolate cake, strawberry cake, coconut pie and pumpkin pie and drink, all served to you after you were seated and all served on real china with crystal goblets! I had been so busy that I hadn't eaten anything since about 2PM on Friday (except a Rolaid I found in my purse after I got to church cause I was so hungry). But it was all delicious and everybody was so nice and I'm so glad I went.

One of the preachers preached to all the folks that have lost jobs here in town.He preached that when the Lord closes one door, He always opens another one. For you who don't know Dimon closed its doors a few months ago and Dan River has just about shut down. I think it will be completely closed by the end of this year. Unless a miracle happens and somebody buys it and restarts it as something else, Danville will no longer be "The Home of Dan River Mills".

Something did happen at the Community Market, tho. A lady I used to work with at Schoolfield School, many years ago, is the director of Mt. Vernon United Methodist preschool--Children's House--and she offered me a job. Right now she needs somebody on Thursdays from 9:25 to 12:25, and it pays $33.50, but after the first of the year she needs somebody four days a week, same hours, and the schedule is the same as the public schools and you get paid for all holidays and a lot of other benefits. It sounds good, and I'd be making considerably more than I do now babysitting. And I could really use the extra money, I might could even buy me a car! But one thing I don't understand and Bonnie(who offered me the job) probably doesn't either, the lady who is retiring is only 65 and I'm older than that!!! What to do? What to do?

What I think I'll do right now is go to bed! I still have 20 more sweet potato pies to make for a lady in my church and then I'll be finished!!!!Well, except for grocery shopping and getting started on cooking for Thanksgiving! Oh yeah, Rebecca and Tommy will be here later on today for a week.

I mentioned a couple of writings back that Chad would work on my car when he had time. Well, last Wednesday, he borrowed a car dolly and came over and got it. And last Thursday, he returned it! Hallelujah!! Only thing, he forgot to leave the keys. And there in lies another story.

I had invited my friends from church, Margaret and Betty, to supper on Thursday evening. When they got ready to leave, Margaret said she was going to Wal Mart and asked if I wanted to go. Well, I really needed to go cause I was getting ready for the bake sale, so I went with her.

While I was gone, Cindy came by and got some leftover taco salad and washed my dishes for me and then she left. Then Kerri, Chad and Brittany came by to leave my keys and I wasn't here, tho the lights were on and I had left the fireplace candles burning.(They were nearly burned out when I left and the fireplace is brick, the candles were tealights in metal cups and the "logs" are fireproof.They were all out when I got home, except the bottom row.)Anyway, Kerri called me later to fuss because I had left the candles lit, and as Brittany put it when she was telling me about it today, "My mommy and daddy thought you was in de house did(dead)! Cause you wouldn't open de door.")

I apologize to all concerned. The candles are safe burning in those fake logs, but I promise never, never to leave them again. That was the first and only time.

But I'm pleased and happy to report that except for a stinky smell (where everything had leaked out and got on the motor) when the car runs and starts to warm up, it is back and doing fine!! It also has two new tires on the front that Chad got put on at Wal mart for me and I'm very happy and pleased to have Richard's car back and ready to go!

Thank you very much, Chad. You are a fine grandson-in-law and I love you.

I was talking to a friend today and she told me about once when she was very young and hadn't been married long that she went to a beer joint and orderd a beer to go and it was hot, but she took it home and drank it all and she got tipsy. All this cause she was mad at her hubby.

That reminded me of something my mama told me ,(actually she was talking to her sister in law and I was listening) about her being mad at my daddy. There was a lil cafe up the street way back then and during the day it catered to mill workers going and coming and the neighborhood kids, so it was a decent place. But come night time, it was a hangout for the men to go drink beer and do whatever men do when they get together.

Seems my daddy and his friend Tom made the short trip up the street every night and hung out and Daddy came back home at bedtime as she put it "smelling like a brewery".

One evening Lena decided she was going to put a stop to James' nocturnal visits, so after he and Tom meandered off up the street and had time to get seated and order, she went, too. She said she went in, looked around, saw that the only seat was at the counter(it became a bar at night), so she took a seat at the bar with all the others. All the others being men. She was the only female in the place!

She said Daddy spied her just as she was ordering her beer, and told her to go home. She said she just turned on her stool and ignored him and when her beer came, she sipped it for a long time. Cause she really didn't like the stuff, but if that was what made daddy happy, she was going to be happy too.

She said she made her mug of beer last so long that daddy and Tom finally left and she stayed a while longer just to fret him and then she staggered on off down the street to the house.

She said that evidently that was the cure-all that daddy needed, cause he quit going up to the cafe to drink beer.

Now, I've wondered: was he afraid that she would make this a nightly thing, too or was he just ready to call it quits and this was the little push he needed? Who knows? Anyway, it worked!!

Well, the turkey is now reduced to carcass, the desserts are about gone and the salads are mere shadows of their former selves.

Yep, Thanksgiving has come and gone. All the planning, preparing and serving disappeared in a flash. But, I think everybody had a nice time, plenty to eat and even a football game.

We only had Ron, Susan, Emily, Sarah, Chad, Bobby, Teresa, Rachel, Hayley, Kaitlyn,Rebecca, Tommy, Ashley, Cindy, her friend John, and me. Richard and Tommy came by later for coffee.

Every year I think afterward that we all ought to say what we're thankful for, but in the rush to get to the food, we never do. So, I'd like to say that I'm thankful for family and friends, for a roof over my head, food on the table, the good health I've enjoyed this past year, the grandkids(although right about now they all think I'm some sort of old fuddyduddy cause I just made the last two go to bed),my daughters and sons who are there when I need them and last, but not least, a mechanic in the family who takes the time to keep the borrowed car running. Thank you all..........I love you all!

Well, here it is 2AM on Monday morning, I'm here alone on my computer so I reckon Tday is officially over.

After all the teenage granddaughters I've had for the past few days, all of a sudden the house is so quiet....no loud music, no "line dancing" or learning new cheers, no "G'ma, I'm hungry, got any chips, icecream, candy?", you name it, they'd eat it! I miss it already!!!!

Hayley left Sat.evening, driving Kaitlyn's car, cause I think she got lonesome for her boyfriend. Emily, Rebecca and Kaitlyn were here today, until Tami picked up Kaitlyn about 4PM and we left at the same time to take Rebecca and Tommy back to Stoneville.

I failed to mention that Tommy and Chad were together the whole time, either at my house or Susan's and while they are kinda loud, they are a whole different story than teenage girls. They don't get "bored", they invent things to do, usually involving spray paint!

But as I said in the beginning, everybody's gone and the house is too quiet! I can't wait for another holiday so I can be a part of the teen world again for a while. I love'em and miss'em all!