Christmas 2012

Christmas is a fun time of year. Everyone appears to be in a happy mood, and most everyone gets along during this season. Our family Christmas was spent at my house this year. We all like to go to my dad's house at Christmas, but this year the house is in a turmoil of being rewired and having the ceilings redone. The place is very dusty right now, from all the goings on with the rewiring. We have moved some of the furniture for the construction crew, but there is still a lot left to be done. Unfortunately, sickness has struck our family for the entire season, and not much got finished over there while we have been off from school. Daddy got sick the day after Christmas, and he has been really feeling bad. He has bronchitis, and coughing, and just feeling awful. Now, I am sick, too. My daughter's family started the illness rampage around Thanksgiving. It went through the baby first, then the daddy, and then the mamma. Next, Papa got sick and then Grandma (me!). I'm not sure why this happened to all of us, when we had so much that we needed to get accomplished over the holiday. I got Daddy into the doctor, and he is on Avelox, a strong antibiotic, and Mucinex. He also has a strong cough medicine, but he is convinced that the medicine is making his legs hurt. The doctor told him that he hurts because he is sick, but you cannot convince Daddy of that. So, today he quit taking the cough medicine. We got that for him on Friday. I called into the office and told them he was sick. Since he didn't have a fever, and still doesn't, they only prescribed a cough medicine. He got worse over the weekend, though. They took a chest x-ray and found some infection and gave him the antibiotic. I am afraid to even hand him the Avelox, because I had a serious reaction to one of those pills a few years ago. I went into anaphylactic shock, and I was hospitalized!! That experience as very horrible and extremely scary. So far, the pill hasn't hurt Papa, and it seems to be helping. He is 91 years old, so we are very worried about him getting pneumonia or not getting well from this. My uncle passed away in October from a similar illness that wouldn't let him get well, so we are very cautious right now with Daddy. I went out tonight to find some yogurt for him to eat probiotics, to try and bypass the issues that are beginning from the antibiotic.
I have lots of pictures to show from Christmas day. Of course, the special present for all of us is our little Dora, 10 months old. She is a sweetie pie for sure! She is the love of our lives. Next year, we will have another little babygirl to celebrate with us. My nephew Thomas and his wife Lauren are expecting a girl in April. They will name her Violet Louette Powell. They did the cutting of the cake thing Christmas Day to let us all know the gender of the baby. Daddy cut the cake, and it was pink!
So, today is New Year's Day and nothing exciting is going on. I made a big dinner, just in case anyone happened to come by. My sister came over and ate, and then one of my brothers came over for a little while. It is hard to be here by myself with Daddy when he is sick. The emotional and mental toll is pretty rough sometimes, but I deal with it because he is my Daddy, and he needs me. He came to Tennessee 23 years ago and put his life on hold for months, when I was in a serious drunken driving car crash. The person driving had been drinking all day and was still drinking on the side of the road when they were trying to pull me from our truck. I was hospitalized for almost four months, and I have been on the road to recovery ever since. Daddy came up there, lived with us, took care of me and my children, and never once complained. So, I will take care of him as long as he needs me to take care of him, even if my life stays on hold for years. He is my Daddy, after all, and he needs me. Daddy has been living with me since August, when all of the house repairs started, and luckily he is still here.
Daddy and I went to Rachel's house on Christmas Eve and spent the night. It was fun waking up to see Dora first thing in the morning and share with her first Christmas morning! My son and his girlfriend had come in during the early hours from Tampa, so my whole family was together! We had French Toast and bacon, and we had a grand time. Then, I left around eleven and came home to start cooking for the extended family of siblings, nieces, nephews, and in-laws. I cooked the turkey on 200 degrees all night in Rachel's oven, so it was done and very juicy and tender. I made macaroni and cheese, dressing, and all sorts of things for dinner. I put my long table from Sam's down from my dining room table, which made one very long table! Then we put my two smaller tables in the living room for other people to use. It was crowded around here, but we had a really grand time. I decided to just pass out gifts while we were still at the table, instead of moving Daddy into the living room. It worked out pretty good, too! We were all still around the table from the cutting of the cake event, so the present exchange worked nicely from there, too.
I am almost finished with my dissertation. I have chapter four almost completed, and then I will start on chapter five. I should finish this Ph.D. degree during the next quarter, which starts on January 14th. Also on January 14th, I go to the courhouse to have my name legally changed back to my maiden name of Hooper. I am doing this so that I can have Hooper on my diploma and be called Dr. Hooper!!
Now, for the promised photos. I hope that I can find the ones that truly represent the day and the season. I did a lot of decorating around the house this year. I even put some of my stuffed animals in the bathroom. I always put up the decorations pretty close to Christmas, and then we leave them up until after Epiphany on January 6th, which is the 12th day of Christmas. This tradition is one my Methodist family has always followed, as we celebrate the Liturgical Year.
I will start with pictures from before Christmas, the decorations, and then Christmas! It has taken me almost all night to get these pictures uploaded and onto this blog entry!  I am not quite sure what happened with the pictures, but I think that some of them must have loaded more than once!!Oh well, I am NOT trying again. I will leave it as it is.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Actually, some of the before Christmas pictures ended up on the end somehow, the ones of Dora downtown and with Santa Claus...go figure!!!!!!

 My painting from Germany with stockings and a little Gingerbread girl pocketbook that I bought at Cracker Barrel, also an ormanent someone gave me a long time ago. In the background, you can see a torch that was lit last year at the Relay for Life, in memory of my Mamma...

 This picture is of Daddy peeping out from behind my Advent Candle Wreath that I found last year, after Christmas, at the Yankee Candle store!! I got a tremendous deal on it, so I bought TWO and gave one to Rachel. I also bought several packs of the candles.

 My Hallmark Lighthouse Collection of ornaments. I have never put these on the tree. Sometimes they are lined up under the tree. I need to find a good line of white lights that will fit into the ornaments, so that they will light up! These ornaments are not made anymore. I got one each year since the 90's, so I have a lot of them!

 My mantle with our stockings and my Santa lights!

 Baby Dora and Mamma on Christmas Eve night. I found her outfit at Cracker Barrel on the same day that I got the gingerbread girl purse. Isn't she just the cutest thing!!

 Dora and I admiring her first Christmas tree. It sure is a tall one!!

 Our filled up stockings. My aunt made the crocheted stockings for our family. It was a tradition that she did for all of her nieces, nephews, children, grandchildren, etc. She is no longer with us, so Kate made one for Dora this year!

 Isn't this a big tree!! They got it from someone on Craig's list. They have really tall ceilings, and this tree is super tall. Don finds all sorts of things on Craig's list.

 Dora's stash from Grandma. I found a terrific sale at Macy's, and I splurged on the clothes for next year and a really pretty coat (all size 2T). Check out that little gray coat and hat Also, the red stiped Osh Gosh dress and a red Christmas dress. The Santa bib and the red dress came from TJ Maxx, and so did the other books. I found the recordable book on sale at Hallmark this summer, 75% off, and I recorded my voice reading T'was the Night Before Christmas, for Dora!!

 Dora's favorite playground, her Daddy's shoulders!

 Catch me if you can!!!!!!

 Dora, Papa, and Daddy on Christmas morning.

 Rachel made all of her presents this year. This is a pretty mirror that she made for Adam and Vicky. It looks really nice on the wall! She finds lots of things on Pinterest and makes them. She made an ormnament for me that says, 'Dora loves Grandma', and she made some bath salts and lotion.

 Dewilla, Vicky, and Papa at the breakfast table on Christmas morning. The picture in the background is the map of Papa's travels in World War II. It is an amazing treasure to have. Adam had copies of it made for all of us one year, at the printshop where he used to work. Some of us have it framed, like Rachel and Don.

 Papa telling one of his tall tales to Uncle Adam and Dora!!

 MY TWO SWEETPEAS, RACHEL AND ADAM!!!!!!

 Dora loves to look at all of my ornaments and things that are up high.

 Rachel and Dora in their hats from Papa. He gave everyone of us a hat this year and a pair of pajama pants!!

 The three guys in their RED hats!!

 The four girls in their pink and green hats!! Mine looks like it is falling off!!

 Dora is opening Uncle Adam's present from Vicky. She had opened a lot of them Christmas Eve and some on Christmas morning, so she was a PRO at unwrapping!!

 Vicky, Adam, and Papa taking a breather after opening gifts.

 Dora checking out some of her books that she got for Christmas!!

 Rachel and I on Christmas Eve.

 I finally used my buffet for what it is intended...a dessert table!! I made the chocolate cake and put little candy canes, holly leaves, and red, white, and green dots. Ther cake is the baby cake...hiding the color inside!! Rebecca made the pumpkin pie...her first one!!

 The beginning of the long table, before all the others were added to it.

                                                              The crew

 Lauren and Thomas showing us the Pink cake that Papa cut to tell us they are having a little girl, Violet Louette Powell, in April.

                                                              Aunt Vicky and Dora

 One of the little tables that we set up in the living room

 Another little table set up in the living room

 Lauren mad a cute, cloth, pink crown for Dora. I bought this Polo dress for her at TJ Maxx. I love that place!!

 Grandma, Dora, Rachel, and Don. It is hard to get Don in a picture, so this one had to be snapped quickly!

                                                           Vicky, Adam, and ME!

 Dora came over to visit the day after Christmas. When she fell asleep, I put her down on all of Rachel and Adam's old baby  blankets. One of them is a quilt made by one of my student's mothers. The blue and pink crocheted one is from my Aunt Saramina. The other crocheted one is from someone else. The blue one is the Disney Castle, a very soft blanket, that I got at Disneyworld!

 Dora in the park on a Saturday afternoon, right before going to see Santa Clause.

 Dora is examing this leaf intently. I do believe she is going to be a scientist. She is extremeley observant and studies things for a long time.

 I love the way the sun is shining on us in this picture!

 Dora and her Mamma in a downtown park

 Everyone has to have a crying picture sitting on Santa's lap! This Santa is her Uncle Dewey at the fancy, and expensive, furniture store on Broughton Street called 24E. He works there every year.

 My garland and ornaments going into the dining room.

 Rachel suggested that I decorate my Secretary that I got from my Mamma's house and to leave the doors open. I have little Christmas teddy bears in sleighs, Gingerbread men, a Hallmark Santa ornament that I bought one piece of each month back in 1992, a glass Nativity scene, Santa and Mrs. Claus in a swing, three acrobatic Santas, and a lot of other things. I put some of my stuffed animals on top of the Secretary, too.

 Since Dora didn't want to sit on Santa's lap, he came up behind her a few times until we got a good picture! There is more than one way to skin a cat!!

                                                                        My TREE ! It rotates, too!!

 My antique desk, with a Nativity candle holder (yes-the candles are crooked), my Nutcrackers, and my Chrismas rag doll.

                                                                The mantle again

 My china cabinet with some of my stuffed animals...a Christmas doll and a Christmas bear...

 Closeup of the Mouse drummer, the bear who plays jingle bells, and Adam 's old Rockin' or Motorcyle Santa.

 My Nativity set that I put wth all of my other angels in the dining room.

 More stuffed animals on my antique cupboard, or sideboard. Do you see the butterfly painting? Those are Dora's feet making butterflies!!

 More of my little animals over Adam's graduation picture

 Little animals over Rachel's picture and my little Ragdoll on the lamp

 Papa and I ate Sunday dinner alone this day, and I lit up all of my Advent Candles. It was the fourth Sunday of Advent. On Christmas Day, we lit the big white Christ candle in the middle.

 My Santa Clauses and my Snowglobes!

 I think I already put this picuture on here. You can see many of my Lonaberger baskets on this antique sideboard from England.

 My chandelier, with the 12 days of Christmas ornaments hanging from it.

 Rachel and Dora on Christmas morning, but I think this is a duplicate.

 Another duplicate of my antique desk. This desk has inkwells inside!

 GROUP HUG!! UNCLE ADAM IS HOME. HE GOT IN AT 3 AM!!!!!!

 Another picture of the mantle.

Cuzzins'

Yesterday, I went to a family reunion that is always held on the first weekend of December. We went to Sylvania, Georgia, 60 miles 'up the road' to visit our cousins. My mamma and aunt were the only two children of my grandmother, but her sister, our great aunt 'WeeWee', had eight children. Sadly, there are only three of the eight left. My mamma and aunt have gone to heaven. There is one child left of the mischievious younger brother, my great uncle Bubba, but she is living in Tennessee and couldn't be there. So, there were only three of the older crowd gathered: BettySue, Lucille, and John Harold.  My mamma and aunt Saramina loved their first cousins. They had First Cousins meetings each year. My mamma was the secretary, and she took some really hilarious 'minutes' of these meetings! Anyway, my great aunt lived all by herself on her 80 acres of land, in the same house, until she was over 100 years old! She was a fiesty little lady, just like my grandmother, Granna!!  These two ladies were the epitome of a Southern Lady, and anyone would be proud to be told that they were like them. Both ladies could quote scripture at any time and lived strictly by Biblical principals, yet they were modest, and not at all 'holier than thou', as many Christians these days tend to be with people who believe differently than they might think is the 'correct' way to believe. We could all use a lesson in how to behave and live from these ladies, along with a dose of reality about religious beliefs and tolerance of others. Granna, WeeWee, and Bubba were three of a generation that no longer exists. They were all wonderful people, and we who have come from them are to be honored that we are their descendents.
As is the custom, we went to the cemetery to visit our Granna's grave. Although she lived in Savannah all of her adult life, Granna wanted to be buried among her relatives in Sylvania. She is in the Morel section, right next to the two 'old maid aunts' who raised her. My Granna was a single mom, when single moms were definitely NOT the norm. She raised my Mamma and Aunt by herself, and she did a great job, too. I often think that she was probably ostracized by some, because she was a single parent, but she did her best and kept on going. Like I said, she was a fiesty lady, but a true Southern Lady at all times. I remember that she always wore a little black hat with a little piece of lace , and usually a bow. Not many people nowadays wear hats. Granna always had a petite little black hat to wear, when going out. She was a wonderful seamstress, and she made all of my clothes when I was a child. She even made clothes for my Barbie dolls!! Now, THAT is some fine stitching...tiny little clothes made perfectly.  Granna would take a newspaper, lay it out on the table, and draw a pattern on it!! She made her own patterns! She could sew anything.
The story of the old maid aunts....My Granna's mother apparently left her three children with their father, my great-grandfather Morel, but he could not take care of the children. So, his two sisters raised the children. These two ladies had lived through the civil war, and they were NOT fond of men at all. They told my Granna and my mamma stories of how Sherman's men marched their horses THROUGH their house!! I am sure that was a scary thing. As we were talking about them at the cemetery yesterday, we began to wonder if the Yankee soldiers did some unspeakable things to these two young ladies. If so, that would certainly shed some light onto their demeaner towards men, why they never married, and why they lived alone together as they did. I would not like to think that anything like that happened, but we all know that some terrible things were done during that war.  The ladies most certainly did NOT want my Granna or my WeeWee to marry. They did not want them around men at all. But, both ladies did marry and have children. My grandfather apparently left the family, thus leaving my Granna to be a single parent. My great aunt's husband stayed with the family, but I think their life together was rather hard, but it presented eight children into our world. The days of old were not really spoken about. Things were always kept quiet and secret, so it is really hard to know the truth or the real stories of how some events took place. With today's world of everything being publicized and brought out into the open, it is difficult to understand the softspoken, hidden ways of the past. I am truly proud to be a descendent of these proper ladies, and I am very happy to have inherited their quiet ways. I have never been one to be loud and abrasive, and most of my family is quiet natured and often shy. The Bible talks about not being boastful and proud, and I believe that our ancestors led their lives by Biblical teachings. They not only read about God's word; they lived God's word. They didn't go around preaching and hammering the word around to others; they simply lived God's word and spread it by example. I believe that is the way to go, the way to be, the way to reach people, rather than trying to stomp your beliefs into everyone's head and lives. When you think about it, the people who are modest and simply live the right kind of life...they are the ones that people actually admire and remember fondly. I think it is the same with teachers. Being a teacher myself, I find it most rewarding to know that a child really likes coming to my class and remembers me fondly when they grow up. I have many former students who come up to me in stores and places and smile really big when they see me. I try to treat the children kindly and with respect, rather than sternly and with meanness. They respond to kindness much better than ugliness. 
Well, I didn't mean to get on a soapbox today, but I guess I kind of did! I am proud of my Southern heritage, my Southern ladies from whom I have gained insight, and my quiet, gentle ways in which I was brought up in this world.  Amen!!