Silver Bridge 1967

This brilliant sunny January  morning with a temperature of 48 as I crossed the Ohio River, I thought "how safe is this bridge?". Automatically I thought back to December 15, 1967, and another bridge, the Silver Bridge, that spanned the Ohio connecting Gallipolis/Kanauga  to every place else on the other side of the river, namely Point Pleasant West Virginia. 

December 15 will always take me back to another time and place. The school week was finished and the feelings and sounds of Christmas were in the air as I practiced “O Holy Night” on the piano.  I was waiting for my husband Ronnie to come home from work at the Goodyear Plant in Apple Grove so we could do some Christmas shopping.  The phone rang (and that would be the last time we had phone service for several hours) and it was the wife of his carpooling friend wondering if I had heard from them since they were late.  Luckily, he and Jerry Doughman, his carpooling friend, had stayed a few minutes late at work to shower and clean out their lockers. So they were only as far as where the old Dance Gas Station was located (probably where Cap't D's is now) when they met ambulances and police headed toward Kanauga.  They turned around and went back see what had happened that would result in so many emergency vehicles. Like everyone else they were in shock at what they saw. They helped on the river bank for a while. (I remember he said that he thought he found a man alive in a car, but when he opened the door the man fell out dead.)  

We lived in town on

5th Avenue

and as I played the piano, I heard all of the sirens sounding and not stopping.  I wondered what was happening, and within minutes, my mother-in-law along with her sister and their mother, came to a braking halt in front of my house. Rushing in, they said the bridge had fallen and they were going up there and wanted me to come along. I went as far as their car (in slacks, bedroom slippers, and no coat) when I decided not to go as I felt and said, "He would expect me to be here."  As they pulled out, I turned to go back inside and discovered the door shut and locked and I had no key. 

    We had recently moved to this house and I didn’t know any neighbors. But that night I might Henry and Mary Fowler. Mary learned that if you had not heard from a family member, you were to go to the Episcopal Church over on

Second Ave

, just two blocks from our house. I waited there with other families who were concerned about family members. It was very quiet with people talking in hushed tones when around 7:30 I heard our car outside. (It was a VW with glass pack mufflers that cackled, a very distinctive sound, definitively not quiet.)  When I heard those, I knew my husband was okay.  Many of those people waiting in the church that night did receive the sad news that their loved one “had gone down on the Silver Bridge”

Rescue Scene

Another note to my story, the preceding week I had bought an AM/FM radio at GC Murphy's for Ronnie's Christmas present. FM radio had not been out very long so this was a really special gift.  So that evening to hear the latest news about the bridge, I pulled that radio out from its hiding place under the bed. The rest of the story is that had Ronnie gotten home on time, he had planned to go to GC Murphy's to buy that same radio for me.

 

   

Pomp and Circumstance

The Season is passing much too quickly.  There are sooo many wonderful things to see and do that it is impossible to do all you want or that you need to do. This Friday was one of those times for my family.  Our church family was traveling a few hours away to visit the Morehead University Planteterium's Christmas Holiday Light and Laser Show. This was something that my husband and I would have enjoyed immensly, but Friday was also the day that Lindsay, our youngest daughter, graduated from Shawnee University with a Masters in Occupational Therapy.  Even though we would have loved to see the Light Show, we loved the idea of her graduating with these honors even more.  So we had an afternoon and evening of commencement, dinner, meeting her friends and their parents, and rejoicing for this new stage in her life that is to begin.

The Gift of an Angel

My favorite old ornament is this little angel. Way back when I was a little girl in the First Grade, at Christmas time we exchanged names. I don't remember whose name I had, but a  thin, white haired girl named Murlon Whitt had mine.  I was so excited as the teacher, Mrs. Lemley, began passing out our Christmas gifts. I watched as the other kids opened their gifts, and one thing in particular caught my eye and I knew I really really wanted that box that opened up like a book and held lots of rolls of Life Savors. Back in those days, store bought candy was never found in our house (except for the Hershy bars that were kept for my dad's lunch bucket) and the thought of having all of those Life Savors would be the very best Christmas gift.  When my name was finally called, I looked at my wrapped gift and knew that it wasn't the pretty box of Life Savors, but maybe it was a new box of Crayola Crayons and a coloring book (like I had brought for my gift.) I unwrapped the gift and I remember trying not to cry but I was soooooo disappointed.  For my gift was this silver plastic angel ornament and a handkerchief.  What kind of gift was that? I know I did not show any gratitude toward that little girl. By the time I stepped off the bus and ran to the house, I was ready to explode and I did.  I cried and I knew even then that I was truly acting like a spoiled ungrateful little 6 year old.  After I vented, my mom reminded me that Christmas is about giving and not receiving...that Murlon had given me the best she had to give and that she had very little to give for she lived with her brother and grandmother in what used to be a chicken house.   I understood then that she probably gave up something for herself in order that she could give me a gift. I can remember feeling ashamed for how I acted and I realized that giving is important, but also important is receiving with gratitude whatever the gift.

I still have the ornament as you can see. Every year I remember Murlon  as I place the little angel on my Christmas tree and tell my daughters and grandchildren the story of the little angel that has watched over everyone of my Christmases since that day.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Thanksgiving has been probably my most favorite holiday, but it seems that the "world" won't let me enjoy it like I used to.  Being able to spend a day and to concentrate on all the blessings in my life IS a blessing and I refuse to put up my Christmas Tree until my day of thanksgiving is over.  Im afraid though that before long Thanksgiving Day is going to be lost in the Festival of Buying that is now beginning on that day.  Why can't we all just slow down for one day and be thankful for family, friends, health, and our Savior Jesus.

This year I seem busier than ever (and more tired) and decided if I was putting up the Christmas tree by myself, it wasn't going to be the big tree with all of my precious ornaments. Now if someone else wanted to put it up that would have been wonderful. So I started looking for volunteers.  Daughter #2 said, "Oh yes, it's got to be the big tree.  I'll help you." 
     I said, "No, will you do it?"
     She replied, "Yes, I'll help." 
     I then explained a little more clearly, "No, I mean, will you do it?" 
     I must not have made myself understood because she then said, "Well, yes....I'll help." 
    Then I knew I had to be very much more explicit with my words.  "No, I mean will you put up the big tree by yourself?"
    I wasn't a bit surprised by her reply, but I think she was by my request. "Oooh, no.  I'll help you though."
So that is how we ended up with a tree (that's pre-lit and no need for all of those lights to be strung) that's only 4 1/2 feet tall and sits on a table.  But instead of three days of me dragging-out, decorating, and then putting empty containers away, I was finished and cleaned up in about three hours. I felt like a liberated woman!

Since this "baby" was going to be all mine, I decided to leave the Hallmark and even the homemade ornaments in the Rubbermaid containers and use only the ones that I felt like using this year. (Plus this little tree didn't need so very much.) I always wanted to do just crystal ornaments so that was my #1 decision and second, I had to have my ornaments that connect me to my family and younger self. So on my tree went crystal angels, icicles, birds, and hearts. Along with these went bubble lights. I have had these put away for years and never used them because they just didn't look right on the big tree. They may not look right now to anyone else, but I LOVE them.  They make me so bubbly.  I have always liked red beads so they went on, as well as two special ornaments from my childhood.  I will have to tell the story on that old angel, but that is another day.  Around the base of the tree are other connectors to my life.  But more about these things later. 

Go Bucks!

It's a beautiful November day...well, actually beautiful for any Fall day...and I am in kinda of a funk.  Why?  I don't really know and I feel ashamed of myself for feeling this way.  Maybe I'll blame it on too much turkey and pumpkin pie or the state of the Buckeye Football Nation.  The situation seems so unfair to interim Coach Fickle, but he went into the job knowing that he would only be "considered" for the permanent coaching position plus Big Ten (as well as any college football program) is a money-maker with high stakes. So with a new well-known, successful coach, OSU will be able to recruit the very best. 

So that's how it is this November day, but I am going to get out of this funk and REJOICE because I am in the Land of the Free with family and friends to love and good health allowing me to work or rest. So  let's Go Bucks and beat the "team up North". ...

Honoring Our Veterans

Today was that time in our calendar when we as a congregation are intentional about expressing our gratitude for their service to our country.Our small church is so blessed to have 12 living military veterans among our worshippers.  I am so appreciative of what they have done and what the current serviceman are doing to safeguard my freedoms. Leaving home and family and even country to defend the belief in personal freedom for all is a big sacrifice.  As a young person, I didn't understand how blessed the United States is that its citizens (and non-citizens) have the rights to live as they choose and how much sacrifice went in to preserving those freedoms.  Whenever I see a young or old person in uniform, I become tearful and have to thank them for what they have or are doing for me. 

My Navy Seabee Father, 1942

I am so proud of my father who served in the Navy Seabees during World War II. He never talked much about his experiences and most of what I learned came from Mom. Seeing the WW II monument in Washington D.C. was a very emotional experience for me as I read the names of places where Daddy had been and talked about.

Swirling Fall Leaves and the North Carolina Mountains

For several days I have watched the fall leaves swirling through the air, landing for a moment, only to be picked up and then swished to land somewhere else. This week I feel like one of those leaves. It seems I don't land anyplace long enough to settle and accomplish anything.  But I will have to tell you about last week which was definitely a MEMORY-MAKER.

I spent five days in Little Switzerland NC with two of my oldest friends. (We taught and rode to school together for 20 years....and so oldest can mean whichever way you want to think it means).  Lois again drove us in her new red Cadillac (instead of her old red Oldsmobile that she used to weight down with concrete blocks so we could go through the snow...boy, that does sound like the "old days", doesn't it), stopping to eat and shop whenever we saw something that looked "good".  She has built a cabin (as she calls it, but anyone else would call it a beautiful home) on the side of the mountain just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The 1 1/4 mile driveway with the drop off the sides made her passengers a little on the jittery side, but we just tried to concentrate on the beautiful foliage and not the drop off the side.

There was nothing that a person could want that wasn't already there in the home. The scenery was gorgeous and the weather cooperated so jeans and long-sleeves were fine for the outdoors....until we decided to drive to Mt. Mitchell which is the moutain that her cabin faced.  There, it was the dead of winter with wind, icicles, and snow.

Another day we went to the Biltmore. I know I walked around with my mouth hanging open in awe. How do/did people live like that? One minute I was envisioning myself as a Biltmore and the next, as a servant traveling through that gigantic structure serving the whims of the rich.  I am definitely in the mood to read a good "juicy" book about what all went on behind the doors of the Biltmore.  Something that was surprising and puzzling to me  is that there is no mention of a chapel of any sorts on the grounds. The Christmas decorations and trees were up so that was an added feature. We did eat in the 'stable' restaurant (our table was actually in the mating stall) and the roasted potato soup was good. All the meals were reasonably priced. 

On the way back to the cabin, we took a wrong turn and ended up going miles up Stone Mountain. The scenery was beautiful, the road was straight up, it was getting dark, and the little Black Bear in the middle of the road made us very watchful for Mama Bear. We finally made it to the top and down and then back up and down again before we were back on Route 40.  FATZ Restaurant was our destination and were we ready for it and YIN YANG SHRIMP.  If you ever have the chance, eat at a Fatz.  

   

I must flight away for now.  But I'll have more about this trip later.