Advent Calendar - Christmas Tree

One Christmas...I was about 15...my parents thought it would be a wonderful idea to have a real tree. And by real tree I mean a live tree...a tree that would be beautiful - fresh, green, have that pine smell...and have a blob of dirt and roots the size of a VW Beetle! Ok not really...but it was pretty dang big! I wish I had a picture of my mom's face when my dad brought the tree into our house through the sliding glass door in a wheelbarrow.

Mom draped a sheet over the ball of dirt and the wheelbarrow, and we decorated. The tree was beautiful and green and smelled fresh. It was a wonderful tree, and we enjoyed our tree all Christmas season...all five days...

See the great thing about having a live tree is also the worse thing... On Christmas Day...after all the presents have been unwrapped....my Dad and Uncle wheeled the tree back through the sliding glass door...dig a hole in our yard...and plant the tree...my mom vacuuming the dirt away as my aunt takes the sheet to the laundry.

So there was our Christmas tree on Christmas Day, in our yard...some tinsel still clinging to the branches blowing in the cold December wind...enjoying the sunshine.

Merry Christmas!

Workday Wednesday: George Silk making a delivery

George Silk delivering construction materials

Treasure Chest Thursday - Capt. Drew

Ok, I may be tweaking today's theme just a little, but this is a treasure for me. I took this picture of my son, Drew, on his way to school. This week is spirit week at school, and today is Pirate day. Clearly Drew is a treasure, but his costume contains a few items that I hope will be future treasures:

1) His Hat - we got that hat at Disney World when Drew was just three or four. He has always loved pirates and swords. When he was a toddler he always preferred a sword, gun, or broomstick to any other toy.

2) My High School Class Ring - he is wearing it as part of his pirate bling. He said he wouldn't loose it.

3) His Hair - I know that is a strange treasure - mostly parents save a lock after a child's first haircut. But Drew is growing his hair to donate to the Locks of Love. www.locksoflove.org

So this is a moment it time in my son's life. A moment I treasure!

Church Record Sunday - 1928 Certificate of Promotion

1928 Certificate of Promotion for my husband's grandmother, Mary L. Ogburn

Sentimetal Sunday: My Grandpa's Poem

In my stack of stuff, I have this little treasure. It is a poem written by my Grandfather (Nov. 18, 1977). Now I never imagined that my grandfather wrote poetry, but my uncle says that he did many surprising things like write this poem. So knowing he held this same paper and wrote these words brings me closer to him. When I read it, I can picture my grandpa taking my 9 year old son's hand, who he never had a chance to meet, and telling him stories about life. Here is the poem:

To a Little Boy from an Old Man

At a friends home I happen to see
A photo of a little boy, who is unknown to me
I studied the picture, then I could see
The beautiful features of the boy, who is unknown to me

My mind wandered back, I wished to be
The age of this boy, who is unknown to me
Mother Nature said, No, that is not for thee

I asked the little boy, let me take your hand
Come along with me. I will show you our great land
We will travel far, we will sit by the sea

As we journey on, I will tell you about life
And what is to be
The hardships, the pleasures, the work and the strife
All this will be part of your life

Be honest, be strong above all be a man
Then I am sure, you will see
What a wonderful life this can be.

All my love to the little boy
Who is unknown to me

Clarence Silk
The Old Man

Treasure Chest Thursday - 1897 I.O.U. for "Oxens"

An original document I have in my treasure chest: 1897 promissory note for "One Team of Oxens"

Wordless Wednesday - A Soldier's Kiss?

Front: Bill "Papa" Locke circa 1944 in Birma

Back: A kiss! Papa says he kissed the photograph and mailed it home to his wife, Mary Louis. My question is where did he get the lipstick?