Christmas in Liberty: Excitement and Expectation

"But most of all, I remember Momma." That line comes from a popular TV show during the black and white era sponsored by Maxwell House Coffee (or could it have been Folgers?  The brain sometimes allows memory files to merge).  At Christmas time, I might say, "But most of all, I remember Christmas."

I remember times of saving all year at the Farmers and Citizens Bank in Trotwood in the Christmas Club, to have $25 dollars available for Christmas gifts.  It was always fun to shop for special gifts for family members.  (It seems that the fun continues, having spent time in Barns and Nobles and the Half Price Book Store drooling over books, movies and calendars last night followed by perusal of  "stuff" and clothing in Kohl's- where I delighted in selecting some Match Box vehicles for Andrew, our nearly two year-old grandson).

Miamisburg was a hotbed of shopping opportunity with the 5 and 10 cent store- Woolworth's, Suttman's, Penney's, and Philhower's.  Highlights of those shopping adventures often included the bakery where cream horns and donuts were always tasty and the famous hamburger wagon where the secret formula for one of the world's most unique burger experiences is still intact (why does the once despised onion now add such great flavor to this taste treat?- aging taste buds?).

Liberty never had a bank or a dime store, but we had Santa Claus at the fire department Christmas party, where he gave us kids a box of chocolate drop candy or hard candy and an orange (my brain sees the orange like it was real- was there really an orange?)  We had Christmas Caroling by the Youth Fellowship group from the church.  It was all we needed, since we had the whole USA through the black and white TV sets.  Milton Berle, I Love Lucy, Howdy Doody, Ruth Lyons (Remember Ruby Wright singing, "Let's Light the Christmas Tree"?) and Saturday morning cartoons nourished our appetites for Christmas entertainment with special shows.

The TV specials all seemed to remember Jesus and reinforce the meaning of "the season" daily.  "Naughty or Nice" was tied into Christian beliefs.  The behavior of children was compared to a standard of expectation that would please the baby Jesus.  Jesus coming was in every Christmas hymn.  A small town without cable TV, cell phones, the internet or texting can do a good job with the Baby Jesus.

The excitement mounted for Liberty children as the day neared when the presents and the tree would suddenly be alive with celebration (the baby Jesus clearly had competition on his birthday- even before credit cards were invented)

What are your Christmas time memories?

More later as the memories float through.

Thanksgiving in Liberty II with People & Food Photos

This part of today's post is from my Dr Synonymous Blog titled: 

"Holistic Health: Thanksgiving Health and Eating Plan"

Did you know the Surgeon General has declared (several years ago) that families should review their Family Medical History (FMH) on Thanksgiving weekend?  The Surgeon General's Family History Initiative is the ongoing program to inform and support families in their search for information about their medical history.  Here is a web site that included helpful information for families:  Family Medical History Initiative

I inform countless patients about this initiative by the Surgeon General, also suggesting the day after Thanksgiving for the family focus, to minimize distractions about disease and body parts on Thanksgiving Day, if possible.  "If someone spews incessantly about their intestinal problems while eating the turkey and dressing, it may help to remind them to save their comments for Friday at 1 PM when we'll all review the FMH",  I suggest to them.

Many lose track of healthful eating and disease prevention strategies on Thanksgiving Day.  To them I say, remember Five, Five and Five:  Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables and five colors of food daily. Remember five major prevention strategies:  Control your blood pressure, control your weight, control your cholesterol, exercise 30 minutes four days weekly, and reduce unnecessary stress.

Remember five and five and five and the Family Medical History Initiative of the Surgeon General to have a healthful Thanksgiving.  Happy Thanksgiving!

OK, notice the five fruits and vegetables and five colors of food in the photos below taken today.  The candied apples made by my Mom (Esther-included in the first and last photos) are a family recipe of her aunt Emma Cappel, using Jonathan apples soaked in melted red hots and cinnamon then filled with Philadelphia Cream cheese and nuts. The scale says I have a ways to go for my last five of my  5-5-5- plan.

Mom and her twentieth birthday present (me) on Thanksgiving Day 2011.  Best wishes to you for great family traditions, celebrations and memories.

Thanksgiving in Liberty

I'm flooded with thoughts of FOOD and PEOPLE on Back Street in Liberty when I reflect on Thanksgivings past.  My parents- Scud/Art and Esther- and their parents-Art and Mary, Bill and Fanny (our neighbors), Uncle Jerry and Aunt Joy Hoffman, cousins Jeff, Jenny and Joe; Ollie and Clarbel Web, Mike and I were the main group.  Becky Michael was also in many of the family photos (she became Rebecca, my wife, later).

I remember women working in the kitchen and men waiting in the living room or going hunting.  Dad and Jerry went hunting a few times for pheasant and rabbits.  Mike and I couldn't wait to get to hunt, too, after going along a couple times.  I remember when I hit the magic hunting age of 13 (family hunting age?), I got to hunt along with the other three, carrying a 410 gauge shotgun.  I blew a rabbit apart, missed a couple pheasants, and never hunted again. I guess the food and family togetherness had more appeal than cleaning game.

Turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, bread, dressing (I wasn't much of a dressing fan as a kid), corn and gravy was the warm up food followed by another serving of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, then another nibble or two of turkey.  "How about some pie?" my Grandma J or C would ask.  A no-brainer- which pie? is the challenge.  "Well, OK, if you insist, I'll get one piece of pecan and one piece of pumpkin" (and cover them with whipped cream).  The candied apple slice with cinnamon and Philadelphia Cream Cheese added a nice touch (Mom called 2 days ago and said she was making that for me this TG- 11/24/2011- a nice surprise- can I wait until the proper time in the meal to eat one of those?  I don't know).

After watching Uncle Jerry strip the rest of the meat off the turkey to refrigerate until supper, we watched football- Detroit played every year, so the men seemed to get a bit of a nap (The Browns was our team- The Bengals weren't invented yet).  Napping was followed by- you guessed it- more pie to further clarify if it was really that good.  Yes, it was- maybe just a small piece to sit by the chair for the next nap.

Thankful for Family was always high on my list.  The photos of TG covering years of family gatherings are one of my treasures.  God (top of the thankful list) has blessed us.  Family and Liberty all in one place.

Thank you, God for these blessings, and the opportunity to serve others and spread the love.  Peace to all on this Thanksgiving Day.

Down in My Heart to Stay

Years and years (okay-decades and decades) of Christian life finds me still questing for more wholeness through my relationship with God, His Word and His People.  Questing is endless, until someone is singing "The Old Rugged Cross" at one's funeral or similar final symbol of life's end.  (God's Grace is a subject for later writings) What is the goal?

I think the goal is Oneness with God's Love, a state of peace that we used to sing about as kids in Sunday School:  "I've got the peace that passeth understanding down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart.  I've got the peace that passeth understanding down in my heart to stay."

Our early learning in Sunday School gave us Jesus who "Loves the little children, all the children of the world.  Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight.  Jesus loves the little children of the world."

Several songs refer to our heart such as, "Lord I want to be like Jesus, inna my heart, inna my heart.  Lord I want to be like Jesus inna my heart."  You can reflect on the other "heart focused" songs you sang (and hopefully still sing).

"In my Heart There Rings a Melodie" was one of my Grandma Jonas' favorites and it was true of her as all knew who spent much time around her.  Set Our Hearts at Liberty is the title of this blog, named for a line from "Love Divine All Loves Excelling".

I don't remember any Sunday School songs about my brain. "I've got a brain for Jesus" or "I'm smart because of Jesus" were never written.

The heart is the action center.  "As a man thinketh, in his heart, so is he." notes the Bible.  So how do we get there?

Ephesians 6:10-18 be protected first.  Pray from your heart and through your heart.  You may invite the brain later, but it's dependent on the heart for oneness with God's love.  Pray until you notice what you used to sing, "I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus down in my heart.  Down in my heart.  Down in my heart.  I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus down in my heart.  Down in my heart to stay."

Amen

Harvest Home Festival- November 5, 2011

I'm looking forward to another great Liberty Who's Who at the Harvest Home Festival today at Liberty Church, 4-7 PM November 5, 2011.  The Thanksgiving menu starts the "eating" season and warms me up for thinking Thanksgiving.  Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy sound like a good beginning.  Pecan or pumpkin pie could be a nice addition, especially with a scoop of Jimmy Nye's ice cream on top.
The people are actually better than the food.  I hope to see many from the "old" neighborhood, including Donna, Peggy, Sylvia, Brenda, Sandy, Mike, Paula, a few Schenck's, some Strader's, 3 "Weavers, 4-5 Nye's, and lots of Jefferson alumni. Will you be there?

What is your favorite part of the Harvest Home Festival?

Fresh Coffee

I just smelled the fresh ground coffee in the bag as I poured it into my modern drip coffee maker.  Suddenly, my smell file flashed me back to Markum's Market in New Lebanon where I, as a child of 4 or 5, "first smelled the coffee".  I was there with my Grandma (Mary) Jonas getting groceries.  She had taken a bag of coffee beans and poured them into the coffee grinder.  The smell was new, fresh and different.  I subsequently enjoyed trips to Markum's more enthusiastically just to smell the fresh ground coffee.

I don't think my parents were coffee drinkers til my Dad's later years.  After his retirement from the Monarch (Marking System, Inc.), he would go to Walt Wilson's where he and some other retired men would drink Rosie's fresh coffee and tell stories.  I went there once and found the whole experience delightful.  Rosie was very attentive to the coffee needs and Walt was the Liberty neighbor who cared and showed it.  Friendship and caring was dripping like the coffee, fresh and rich.  Small town life--hard to beat.

What are your "coffee" memories?

Sirens, Bells, Fires and Foxes

I have fond memories of  Mrs. Cannon's sugar cookies, likewise the reassuring sound of Evy Wintermute announcing on the fire radio," This is KQE686, it's six o'clock."  Then the siren sounded from the fire station, audible everywhere in Liberty and well beyond the town limits. The church bell ringing on Sunday morning.  The rhythm of life in Liberty was reaffirmed by the siren and the bell.

When the siren continued beyond one cycle, life's rhythm was temporarily disrupted since the volunteers were being called to attend to a fire.  My dad and many others would hurry to the car and drive to the firehouse for further instructions.  It could be a field on fire, a barn on fire, or rarely a house burning.  I've written before of the worst case scenario when the United Fireworks, about two miles from the center of town, would have an explosion and then a pyrotechnic fire.  We could stand in Grandma Clayton's back yard and watch the fireworks, and so could the waiting, worried wives of the fire fighters. (Yes, folks, at that time no women were fire fighters).

The fire department Christmas party was a special benefit of having a fire fighter volunteer father.  Each child at the party got a box of hard candy or chocolates.

Another memory of the fire department was its serving as the base of operations for fox hunts.  I guess there were pesky foxes around Liberty which needed to be eliminated or thinned out, so the men of Liberty got together for a fox hunt.  The fox hunts somehow disappeared before I was old enough to hunt, so I don't have any stories of the hunt.

Who remembers the fox hunts, fire sirens, church bell or the volunteer fire fighters?