At the risk of upsetting my Alabama friends, I couldn't resist taking a picture of this sign that greeted me at the entrance to Academy Sports today.
Do y'all suppose if Alabama loses they'll just hang black wreaths on the doors and close up for a week while half the state is in mourning? And have you ever wondered what happens to all that stuff that gets printed for the team that ends up losing? Guess they can just have a big bonfire.
Thirty-nine years ago today at three o'clock in the afternoon, LBeau and I were married at the First Presbyterian Church in Camden, Arkansas. It was also a Sunday.
Looking back, it's hard to believe my parents didn't put up a fuss about a wedding two days after Christmas. But we chose the date very carefully. I was teaching school in the Dallas suburb of Richardson at the time, and LBeau had just finished a master's degree at SMU. I would be going back to work in a week, so the timing just seemed right.
Weddings were also simpler affairs in those days. In fact, it was the custom not to send invitations to people in our small town. An engagement announcement ran in the local paper, and people just assumed that if they knew you they were invited.
Since I was living in Dallas, I pretty much left it to my mother to plan the whole thing. There was only one photographer in town, one lady who made wedding cakes, and a couple of florists. Pretty easy compared to the decisions today's brides have to make.
Following the ceremony, we held the reception in the church fellowship hall. We served wedding cake, mints, nuts and punch. The whole thing, including the ceremony, probably lasted less than two hours.
Then LBeau and I were off for our honeymoon in Hot Springs. We had planned to spend one night before heading back to Dallas for LBeau to attend a job fair. We ended up skipping the job fair and staying two nights.
So that was the beginning of our great adventure. Looking back at our first date (you can read about it HERE), I'd say it's amazing that I went out with him a second time. But I've never been sorry I did, and I can't wait for the next 39 years.
This year all of the kids and grands are elsewhere. Brent, Katie, Walker and Lauren are in Bainbridge Island, Washington, with Katie's family, and Ben and Claire are in Arkansas with Claire's parents and siblings. Hunter had preaching duties at his church in Denver.
So we all gathered here last weekend for our family Christmas celebration. And we did all the traditional Christmas things. First we ate our usual Christmas brunch—ham, biscuits, cheese grits, scrambled eggs and pineapple "stuff."
Then we opened packages. Baby Lucy got a good start on reading material.
Walker had a grand time with his new truck that came equipped with all kinds of musical instruments.
And we played games and worked puzzles, finishing the 1,000 piece Las Vegas puzzle before everyone left.
So while I can't say this has been the best Christmas ever, it hasn't been all bad. LBeau and I have been well taken care of by our friends. Walt and Glenda invited us for chili dinner last night before the Christmas Eve service, and this afternoon we'll hike up the hill to Wayne's and Susie's house for turkey, ham and all the trimmings.
We're having both stuffing and cornbread dressing. Susie grew up in Kentucky and Pennsylvania and always stuffs her turkey. I'm contributing Southern cornbread dressing.
And one more thing. LBeau got a brand new air rifle, which has already made a significant dent in the squirrel population around here.
Merry Christmas, Everyone!!
When we were newly married, one of our first trees was a live tree that some early departing students had left behind. For years I said that I would never have an artificial tree, but I finally gave in—first a "bottle brush" variety, then a more realistic tree, and finally a pre-lit tree a couple of years ago. Life is certainly easier now that I don't have to wind all those lights in and out among the branches.
My ornaments have been collected over the years. Some I've purchased at craft shows or in stores just because I liked them. Others have been given to me by friends, and some I've made. Some of my favorites are the ones the kids made when they were young, like this elf that Ben made in first grade.
My friend Kathy Olson painted this family ornament for us in 1986 when we lived in Texarkana.
And I painted a whole set of these Christmas "cookies."
When we travel, I'm not big on buying souvenirs, but I usually try to find a Christmas ornament or two. I bought this one when we went to Bainbridge Island for Brent's and Katie's wedding in 2005.
One of my newest ornaments is this beautiful paper cone that my sister-in-law Susie made for me this year.
And finally, my tree would not be complete without a few ornaments from the University of Arkansas.
So the tree is all decorated, and most of the presents are wrapped. This kids start arriving tomorrow. We are celebrating Christmas early this year, because they will all be elsewhere on the day. But the important thing is that LBeau and I will get to spend time with them during this special season.
I worked on it for several weeks as a project in a folk art class at Barbara's Tole Shoppe in Little Rock, Arkansas. Later when I had my own shop in Texarkana, I taught it for a class project. And over a period of several years in the mid to late '80's I cut the wooden shapes on my band saw that LBeau gave me for my birthday one year and sold these nativities at craft shows and gave them as gifts.
All of the main characters are there, of course. There's Mary and Joseph and the Baby Jesus with the donkey standing by.
The shepherd has brought two of his sheep.
And the wise men have come bearing their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Through the years little hands have rearranged these figures countless times, and they're beginning to look a little worn around the edges. But that just makes them more special and helps me to remember the reason for the season.
Arriving at 9 a.m., we found that Linda had almost finished two large arrangements for the sanctuary. She and Ed had gotten last minute tickets for the SEC Championship game and needed to be on the road to Atlanta about the time we were getting started.
Pat was prepared with a counter statement and proudly wore this sweatshirt in Auburn orange and blue. Here in Alabama, it's hard to get away from football even to decorate for Christmas.
Working in pairs, in 2 1/2 hours we had decorated and hung wreaths, made greenery badges to hang on the doors, and created arrangements for the gathering area.
Connie and I were in charge of making two large arrangements in dark bronze urns for the gathering area.
When we finished, we agreed that we didn't really miss the garlands after all.
One of my favorite memories of Christmases past is gathering at Grancy's and Poosie's to exchange gifts with my grandparents, twelve aunts and uncles and twenty-one cousins.
After celebrating Christmas morning with our immediate families, we would all meet in Grancy's and Poosie's living room around a huge Christmas tree that we had decorated one Sunday afternoon earlier in December. The tree was of the cedar variety that we had carefully selected from south Arkansas woods.
Aunt Mary always passed out the gifts as we all waited anxiously to see what Grancy and Poosie had picked out for us and what we had gotten from the cousin who drew our name. And while those special moments are forever preserved in black and white, the memories are colorful ones of a brightly lit Christmas tree, cheerful packages, and glowing faces of innocent childhood.
