Missouri Whitaker visit - Dec 29-31

 Days were too full to stop and write or even to get up early to record events or thoughts.  The weather was warm but too wet to spend much time outdoors.  We gave Owen a Disney+ subscription, so the kids had a couple of movies.  They had new toys to play with.  Thank goodness for the old WII which provided some active entertainment.  Some of the adults had football games to watch.  

Thursday, we went to the Matzeks for the afternoon football game  (UT vsPurdue, Music City Bowl, Nashville) and some outdoor fun on the trampoline and ping-pong table.  I prepped tacos and took all the fixings for a taco supper.  After supper, Bill and I came home, but the younger Whitakers stayed for game night.

Friday Trisha, Bill and I were able to take the kids for a walk, first to the overlook, then across the lake to look for the eagle.  David and Mike were playing golf mid-day.  Football started mid-afternoon,  We watched some of the games at the Matzeks and had pizza.  Then we came back to our house for more football, Disney movie for the kids and a board game for the younger adults.

I had a delightful, busy, exhausting 3 days with all my family around.  I treasure these precious times.

Tuesday, Dec 28

Grandmother Emily Lucille Farrar Westmoreland Daves was born on this day in 1902 in Montgomery Co, Mississippi, second child of Nellie Jane McLaughlin and John Andrew Farrar.

We spent the first part of the day in preparation and anticipation of the arrival of the Missouri Whitakers.  I found a very amusing version of Mother's Macaroni and Cheese, hand-written narrative style.  It will be a precious keepsake.  I couldn't use it as the recipe, though because the proportions are off.  She also described how my Nannie (Mary Taylor) taught her to make it.

What a joy it was to see the little ones again!  Our joy was tempered with some anxiety because none of them are vaccinated.  Thankfully, the weather was warm enough to keep the windows cracked open.  We had a few hours together and dinner of ham, mac & cheese and green beans before the Matzek's arrived for gift opening.  I didn't take pictures, but Mike got a few. We had lots of presents and lots of fun!

(I'll update when I get Mike's pics)

Monday, Dec 27

John David Whitaker turns 3 years old today!

John David Whitaker, December 27, 2018

Three years in the time of COVID is a very long time. Even John David thinks so.  He says he is 5 years old today (Evangeline's age)! He probably thinks he is as old as sister Evangeline.  I wasn't blogging very often in 2018 but I found a picture or two. We were excited to have another boy in our gang, named after my father John. We are looking for to his arrival tomorrow with the rest of his family.  

Nana and John David Whitaker, Dec 31, 2018

Today was spent getting ready, clearing away Christmas wrapping, baking cookies, grocery shopping, etc.  We had catfish efouffee served in my new ramekins for supper.

 

Post-Christmas, December 26

The day  after Christmas
Dawned sunny and bright,
Not a snowflake, not a raindrop,
Not a cloud in sight.
Off to church I carried 
Myself with good cheer
To greet many friends
That I hold so dear.

A walk was in order
Later on in the day.
An eagle rewarded us
Flying our way.
Sunset was lovely
At its southernmost site,
Then the sky just exploded
With reflected pink light.

My vesper to close this
post-Christmas day:
May I be the light
Reflecting HIS way.

Beside still waters

Eagle's nest

Southernmost sunset

Reflected glory

Finished with WOW!

FEAR, Monday, December 13

Psalm 27:1  The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stong-hold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? 

The Bible uses the phrase "Fear Not" more than 80 times.  It is our deepest instinct to fear the dark, the unknown.  God's saving grace is LIGHT and the ultimate light is Jesus.

I am not given to worry and fear. Even so, sometimes in the dark depth of night, fear overtakes me in the form of worry.  Psalm 23 is my go-to at such times.  I am also reminded of this: 2 Timothy 1:7  For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

This ordinary day continued with Santa Helper and Christmas preparations.  In retrospect, we should have feared the news that was barely reported - the first Tennessee cases of Omicron variant of COVID were confirmed/reported in Memphis. 

Baked Catfish Allison - Signature dish of The Crown of Indianola

Catfish Allison with smashed potatoes and spinach

HOPE, Sunday, December 12

 The assigned word for today is HOPE, but my word of the day is REJOICE!  Today is the Advent Sunday of JOY.  The contrast between the JOY of this season of HOPE and the tragedies of the weekend is stark.

Our Sunday School lesson followed John the Baptist from Repent to Rejoice!  We reflected on how we are able to rejoice even in the face of tragedy.  HOPE is one of the elements that enables us to Rejoice! HOPE is essential to a life of JOY.

We had a Christmas celebration event at church at 5:30 this afternoon, with food, music and the Charlie Brown Christmas Story as told by Joel B.  The crowd was small, fewer than 30.  Everyone enjoyed gathering.  Kathy and I went together.

OFFERING, Saturday, December 11

Speaking of enduring, the people of Southwestern Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois and Northwestern Tennessee, enduring horrific and tragic storms overnight with widespread tornadoes.  The worst one destroyed the little town of Mayfield, KY,  By the end of the day, more than 70 deaths were confirmed.  There will likely be more as rescue and clean-up continue.  So many people have lost everything.

The same system blew through here around 10 am, knocking out power for a couple of hours.  A large cedar tree fell across the lower flower bed and pond.  Most of a dead pine tree also can down.  It will be a mess to clean up, but no real damage has been done.  I had just gotten started on making bread, but that project was not affected either.  The power was back long before time to bake.

My only offerings today were the offerings of bread and prayers.

ENDURE, Friday, December 10

 I will not look for ways to endure this day as I looked for ways to take delight yesterday.  I will be mindful of those friends I know who are in a season of enduring, whether grief or illness.  Philippians 4:5-7: Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people.  The Lord is near. Don't be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the Peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.

Trust the WORD and the WAY to teach us the best ways to work for PEACE in our world.  Light always displaces Hate.

DELIGHT - Thursday, December 9

My first delight of this day:

seeing the dramatic colors of the sunrise

red shading all the way out to yellow

contrasted against cerulean blue

glimpsed through the silhouette of bare tree limbs. 

No picture - it's too cold out this early

the colors last but a moment

not long enough to capture

except in memory.

My second delight of this day:

working as Santa's Helper

all day with friends.

My third delight of this day:

Happy Hour with special friends

Bonnie, Judith, Susan

new restaurant, old friends.

My final delight of this day:

laying my head 

on my pillow

next to my honey of 49 years.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord, Always!

SEEK - Wednesday, December 8

 Today's Advent Work is SEEK and I will seek to find an expression and image. But my devotional reading is about Peace.  I am challenged today to identify an area of my life that is filled with conflict.  I identify myself as a peace-maker and my external conflict level is usually low.  However, there are areas of my life that are not at Peace.  I am NOT at Peace with the political situation in my community, state & nation, but that conflict is external and not personal.  

The only personal conflict that I currently feel is with David over the issue of vaccination - not just COVID but all vaccination.  I believe that his position is irresponsible and endangers his family, especially the children, and endangers his entire community.  I am frustrated because he has made this choice in opposition to clear medical/scientific evidence.  I do not want to engage in conflict on those rare occasions when we are together.  During those times I want to enjoy my family time and our grandchildren.  My love for all of them is more powerful than my anger and frustration. 

How can one move from conflict to peace in the face of wrongdoing or injustice? Can holding others accountable be compatible with peacemaking?  As I SEEK resolution I must conclude that LOVE is the only way.

PREPARE, December 7 Advent

Home cooking begins
When soil is prepared in spring
To receive the seed

  

April 7 - Preparing the soil

August 11 Harvest

August 12 - Home grown supper

The gardener begins preparing for next year as soon as the harvest is complete.  The farmer plants with hope and expectation, but not certainly that his or her labor will produce fruit.  But without faithful preparation, there will be no harvest.

A poem of hope from March, 2012

Gardens don't always

Keep promises made in spring,

But I keep hoping.

A poem of preparation from April, 2012

Broken and open

Ready to receive and give

Bountiful blessings.

I worked at Family Resource Center for Santa's Helper today, 9 am - 3 pm, except for time-out for Bible study at TUMC.  Helping families PREPARE for Christmas. Below is a very small sampling.  Santa's helper provided Christmas gifts for 125 families this year.

Messenger, December 6 Advent

Messenger, Prophet,
Bringing Good News and Warning,
Repent and Rejoice.

Luke 3:1-6; John-the-Baptist preaches a message of warning and hope, preparing the way for Advent, the coming of the Christ.

I worked at Family Resource Center, Santa Helper.  We met at First Baptist in the rain to pick up their gifts and then to FRC to unload in the rain.  I helped check in the gifts until I had to leave at 11:30 to pick up refreshments for UMW.  We had a Christmas Tea and Baby Shower at 1 pm. The women were very generous, bringing baby gifts for Susanna's House to be given to the new mothers they serve.

https://www.susannahshouse.org/

HOPE, December 5 Advent

 The Chrismon Tree with our gifts with our gifts for 5 children in the Santa Helper program.  So many meanings of HOPE are present in this image.  

CALLED, December 4 Advent

 Called to See.     

      Called to teach.

           Called to act.

                  Called out of myself and into the world.

                          Called to pray with hands and feet and deeds.

                                  Called to LOVE in all the ways I can. 

We enjoyed a Saturday afternoon football game at the Brocks.  For game day food this week, Kathy fixed wings.  Excellent!

LIVE, December 3 Advent

 Live or Live?

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Either way, watching birds at my feeder every day reminds me that other creatures live in the moment.  The little birds flit from branch to feeder, competing for space and sharing space, each one getting enough to meet the days need.  I am reminded of Jesus words from Luke 12:24: "Consider the ravens: they neither plant nor harvest, they have no silo or barn, yet God feeds them. You are worth so much more than birds!"  The little birds remind me to LIVE in the moment, not irresponsibly, but mindfully.  They remind me that I, too, am of worth.  They remind me that if I make God's priority my priority, then the things of the world will be sufficient to meet my need.  And God's priority if simple: LOVE. Love God, Love my neighbor as I love myself.

I had PT with Mike this morning.  After lunch, Bill and I went to the outskirts of Oak Ridge to hike the Quarry Trail again, this time determined to find the quarry.  We had passed it by last time.  We were well-rewarded by our 3.3 mile hike.  When we got home, it was still mild enough to sit on the deck and grill burgers.

The trail went all the way around the quarry pond

Melton Hill Turkeys, spotted on the way home

Beautiful finish to a lovely day

RIGHTEOUSNESS - December 2 - Advent

 RIGHTEOUSNESS

"Let Justice roll down like a might water and righteousness like a mighty stream"  Amos 5:24

Tellico River, June 2020

This morning was "free" and I used the time to begin the photo-a-day as a spiritual practice.

Mid-afternoon, I went to West Knox for a haircut, then to Gwen's for a brief visit and bit of UMW business.  Catfish etouffee for supper.

Catfish Etouffee 

We found time for a Melton Hill walk

JUSTICE - December 1 - Advent

 JUSTICE

"Let Justice roll down like waters in a mighty stream..." Amos 5: 24

Bald River Falls, June 2020

Marie and I had a great lunch visit at China Palace in Oak Ridge.

TIME - November 30 - Advent

TIME

Sunrise and sunset
Marking days of my life
Meaning mine to give    

I had my first official PT session with Mike this morning to work on my shoulder.  I hope to get rid of this nagging pain.  After therapy, I made it on time to the first session of Pastor Linda's Advent Bible Study.  The study book is "God Broke Through at Christmas" by our own Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett.  This week's theme is "God Broke Through the Silence."  Good lesson, good group, good discussion.

After we finished, I picked up sandwiches at Ruby T's for lunch at Bonnie's, Pastor Linda included.

Shrimp Scampi with Spinach

FULFILL - November 29 Advent

FULFILL

To fulfill is to keep a promise, meet a need.

Good Samaritan Thanksgiving Distribution
Nov 20, 2021

Keeping a promise
Faithfully meeting a need
Completing a task            

Beth left at 9:30, but not before we got a picture!  The rest of the day was pretty routine except that Bill went shopping with me at Costco for Christmas gifts.

Beth Kiser with me.

PROMISE - Advent Word Nov 28

Today's Advent word is Promise.  I am sharing a poem and photo from my blog dated Sunday, May 9, 2010.  The poem was actually written in 2008.

From my blog, May 9, 2010
https://flowersandfeathers.blogspot.com/2010/05/mothers-day-roses.html

Promise in the bud
Of great beauty yet to come,
Glory unfulfilled.

Promise in the flower
Of sweet perfume that lingers,
Holding memories.

Promise in the fruit
Of ripened maturity,
Bringing life again.

 

Beth Barber Kiser arrived late in the afternoon.  She is returned from a trip to spend the Thanksgiving with her sister Beverly in Clinton, Mississippi and her brother Joe who also lives in central Mississippi.  She spent the night with us Tuesday on her way South from Richmond.  She had horrible traffic from Tuscaloosa on this most travelled day of the year.  She had stayed overnight with a friend there. She arrived too late for us to go for a walk as we had hoped, but we had an enjoyable visit late into the evening.  I served pork tenderloin with roast new potatoes and carrots for our supper.

Bill and me

Beth and Me

Advent Challenge - Photo-a-Day

An Advent Challenge from the UMC is a Photo-a-Day in response to a prompt word.  The response can be in the form of a photo, a poem or something else.  I didn't get started on this until Thursday, Dec 2, so I'm pre-dating these first posts.  Below is a list of all the words. The word of Christmas Day is Worship.

 

Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 25

The Brocks hosted our Thanksgiving feast this year.  Last year we were not able to eat together, so we each fixed our usual dishes and Laura ferried them from one house to another.  That way each family had access to our usual dishes but no one had to prepare everything.  How glad we were to be around the table together to give thanks and eat too much.  Despite all we've been through, we found much to be thankful for.

Laura brought sweet potato casserole, prepared just like her Mimi (Clara Nelle) taught her, and Sister Shubert rolls which we all love.  Amanda made her soon to be famous pecan pie.  I roasted a turkey and made cornbread dressing (just like my mother taught me!).  I also contributed whole berry cranberry sauce.  Kathy made traditional bread stuffing (like her mother taught her!) and green beans.  She had plain green beans and leather britches.  The leather britches are made from a heritage variety of green bean that has been strung and dried, then reconstituted and cooked long and low.  Wayne's sister Ingrid grew and dried the beans for him.

We were happy that Aiden was able to join us, but we missed Claire.  She cam home from MTSU with a non-COVID respiratory virus and was sick for the whole holiday weekend.

We ate until we couldn't eat anymore and enjoyed our time together.  As usual, I neglect pictures when I'm involved with friends and family.

The Journey Continues, Home Again - November 15-22

Monday, November 15

I was fortified with leftover waffles for the long drive home.  Before starting out, I went to Simmons Catfish processing plant, just down the road from Park's.  I was there when they opened at 8 am and bought a 15 lb box of frozen fillets to stock our freezer.

Instead of following Google Maps advice, I went cross-country to pick up I-55 to Winona where I got US 80 which would carry me to Tuscaloosa.  It might have been slightly longer, but it was a scenic drive that avoided the congestion around Jackson.  Because of heavy traffic, I detoured again at Chattanooga and took Hwy 27 home.  Altogether it took me about 9 hours.  I was SO glad to get home to my Bill and my bed!   We had fried catfish for supper!

Tuesday, November 16

How wonderful to wake up in my own bed, beside my lifelong honey, to have coffee delivered to me by his loving hand.  Of course, I had laundry to do and groceries to buy, but my body needed rest after late nights and lots of driving.  I didn't push too hard today. My Tennessee sunsets are beautiful, too.

Wednesday, November 17

Our neighbor lunch was shifted from Thursday to today at Connie's house.  I picked up Kathy on the way.  Our table was complete and our conversation was fun.  We stayed until 2.  I promised Bill that I would be home by then for an outing with him.

Today was mild and sunny so we wanted to "do something," which means go somewhere in the RV that perhaps includes a walk or hike.  After lunch, we decided to go to the "Quarry Trail" on the west edge of Oak Ridge.  We didn't know at the time that is was so named and there was no signage.  We had a lovely walk on an old road bed and passed two family cemeteries, but saw no sign of a quarry.  We later learned that we were almost there and would have have soon encountered the quarry and a loop back to the main trail.  Next time!

Quarry Trail

Fall Glory

Friday, November 19

More shopping for Santa's Helper gifts, again for 2 teen boys.  I was able to find clothing at Walmart, but had to order the "gift" items.  It doesn't sound like much, but it was very time consuming.

Saturday, November 20

The Saturday before Thanksgiving is reserved for the Good Samaritan Center Thanksgiving Basket distribution.  I got to the St. Thomas parking lot a little after 8 and found that the early volunteers had everything almost ready to go for a 9 am start.  Since cars were beginning to line up, they started early and by closing at noon had distributed boxes of food to more than 300 Loudon County families.  Clients apply at GSC in November and receive a voucher which they present today to get their food boxes and a $15 Food City card for ham, turkey or fresh vegetables.  The food boxes contain all the 'fixings' for Thanksgiving dinner: canned green beans, yams and corn, stuffing mix, gravy, cake mix and frosting, pie filling, rolls.  They even get a pack of toilet paper thanks to a donation by Tate & Lyle (Laura helps arrange that!)  Many volunteers work every year and the community financial support is terrific.  It is one of the highlights of our GSC year.

Time stamp: 8:24 am.  It begins.

Receiving vouchers and handing our Food City cards

Station 1 boxes being loaded

On to Station 2

Finally, the toilet paper!

Sunday, November 21

In Sunday School on this Christ the King Sunday, the last of the liturgical year, we discussed what we expect/understand of the "kingdom of God."

A marvelous string quartet provided special music for worship this morning.  After the service, the Thomas family celebrated Sol's 90th birthday by providing a catered dinner for everyone.  It was the first meal we've had together in months, a joyous occasion.

Sol Thomas in the red tie.  Mike Matzek's sister Monica, standing behind her husband Mark Thomas. Mike Thomas across the table.

Monday, November 22

This afternoon I joined Walter and a small group of the faithful to decorate the sanctuary, including the Chrismon tree, for the Advent/Christmas season.