CLAY AND WATTLES

Different Christmas Traditions


I was off Friday and cooked most of the day - food to take to Amy's. Friday evening I went to Neall and Becca's and left the babies' gifts and got to see Solomon for a bit and gave him a bottle.

Paul and I left for Memphis about 9:30 Saturday morning, stopping at Cogbill Cemetery on the way. I left a red and green marble at Teri's grave.

We gathered at Amy's Saturday, shopped some at Davis-Kidd and Wild Oats Market, and stayed up late watching a movie (My Fellow Americans), drinking hot chocolate and talking. On Sunday we had turkey, ham and all the trimmings. Jordan came Sunday morning (didn't he? or was it Saturday night? No, Sunday). Mike, Marsha, Morgan and Benjamin came around noon and we ate around 2 as planned. Steve didn't make it and we missed him. Oscar enjoyed tidbits of turkey treats.

Christmas Eve we went on to Iuka, and Sher and I met at Pleasant Hill Cemetery and stayed about 15 minutes, huddling together in the cold, visiting Mama. She played "Sound of Silence" on her protable CD player, flute solo; it was very pretty in the cold crisp air. She had brought camelias from her yard and left them on Mama's grave. Then we went to Mike's for a little while, and visited them. Sher went on back home to Columbus afterward. This is the ornament for Mama that Cutshall had on their memorial tree at the funeral home. Brenda picked it up for me. I'd told Sher she could have it, so I gave it to her at the cemetery, pretty as it was. But of course I captured it with the camera and get to "keep" it that way! It's a beautiful ornament. I'll send Cutshall a thank you note. (BTW, Greg had emergency gallbladder surgery Christmas Eve night!)

I saw Brenda at her house and we exchanged gifts - she got me a beautiful handmade pottery baking dish from Pray Pottery; and she loved her wind chimes. She said the sound reminded her of the ones her mother had when Bren was a child. (Her mom died with Bren was 9.) She gave me 10# of home-ground cornmeal, too, which will last for a couple of years!

I went to church with Aunt Ginny that night, for communion service. So now I've had communion at our church, at an Episcopal church (Columbus, with Sher) and at a Methodist church. Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.

Christmas morning we all were at David's, except Amy, who had to work. David and Sandra cooked, and I'm sure the girls helped - everything looked beautiful. Will, Jess's boyfriend, was there, also.

It was a good holiday, with good weather, good health, safe travel, family and friends.

Our Lord Jesus Christ's birthday, most importantly.

Some things don't change, thanks be to God.