DECEMBER 31, 2012

IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR!

It’s hard to wrap up twelve months, three hundred sixty five days in a bunch of words.  As I sit here at James Court, I watch the snowbirds through my patio doors.  They’ve made a royal mess on the patio.  But, hey, the snow is melting.  And the birdfeeder is still half full.  And the hose will clean up this mess, come the next (warmer) sunny day or Spring, whichever comes first.

I’ve decided it’s easier to write the blog if I just write it for myself.  Those who love me and want to read it will like it anyway.  So for 2013 my goal will be to write for me.  When I’m 90 (hopefully), I’ll have it to help me remember these passing days.

Some of the best things I remember in 2012:

                                              Spending more time with an old friend, Cheryl.

 

SPRING:

Taking  two adult education courses, How To Write A Book In Four Weeks and How to Get Your Book Published, at Morthland University.  Getting to know other aspiring writers and Dr. Randy Carney.  Enjoying having a prayer at the beginning of each class.  Yes, prayer in school!

Monthly get together with the Girls of ’63.  (Served as treasurer for six months)

Association with the Women of Compassion,

visits to Baptist Children’s Home & Family Services

at Carmi and Angel’s Cove at Mt. Vernon. 

Friendship with Rhiannon.

 

Association with Herrin City Library, the History Research Team, projects on The Herrin Massacre and Thatchcot at Christmas.  Compiling the Trovillion bibliography.  Especially working with Lisa.  Our field trip to the Herrin City Cemetery, the Morris Library at SIU.

 

          Membership in Herrin Area Historical Society, various presentations, interesting speakers and authors.  Membership in Williamson County Historical Society, visiting the old city jail site in Marion, friendship with Helen Sutt Lind.

MARCH: 

            The annual Ladies Day Seminar at Whiteash Freewill Baptist.

Seeing Emma’s dance recital at Rend Lake College Theater. 

Always refreshing to be around the younger generation.

APRIL:

Planning and accomplishing an anniversary dinner for Rich and Barb. 

(I really wasn’t sure I could do it, but I DID !! )

Graduating top of the class for range of motion and rehabilitation

after right shoulder replacement per Dr. J. T. Davis.  (He’s so cute.)

 

 

MAY:

Celebrating Memorial Day, Gary’s flag to Fountain Cemetery,

doing flowers for Gary and Mom and the Grants at Johnston City.

 

HerrinFesta 2012.  Had a very interesting day. 
See the blog notes, also a story.

 

 

JUNE:          A normal mammogram.  Six year survivor

breast cancer.  Thank you, Lord Jesus!

 

 

Did a genealogy class for Perry, Marci’s son, who is home schooled.  Also, showed him what an antique computer looks like, old Epson 286, dos text driven, no mouse, no windows and a dot matrix printer.  He was truly unbelieving such a thing exists/ed.  Ha, this younger generation, what they don’t know about old technology won’t hurt them a bit.

JULY:  

                     Uh Oh, moving again.  Just one block over to James Court.  More Space.  A sewing room space AND an office/library/music room space.  Yayyyy!!!  

Family reunion, 37 in attendance, really nice day at Johnston City Scout Cabin.  And yes, we did have toe sack races.  Two family reunions, great seeing those who are able to come.  Such fun tracking down the rest of my family, descendants of Herbert and Mamie Sanders Grant and compiling the family tree.  Ideas, interviews and important stuff for the book which will be done in 2013.

 

 

 

Honored to play the piano for friend Sara’s wedding in Royalton.

AUGUST:

                Still struggling with lower back pain, new Doc, Dr. Newell, scans and nerve ablation done end of month.  Still hoping for relief and better activity, endurance time.

SEPTEMBER:

Afternoon visit from Gregg and Terry on their way from Florida to central Illinois.  So good to be with old friends, old memories, fun times and almost just like yesterday.

OCTOBER:

Having a Halloween party (Lunch) with senior ladies.  Been a while since I’d even been to a Halloween party.

 

 

Trick or Treat, decorated w Mr. Bones and had some very neat

trick or treaters at my doorway.

NOVEMBER: 

                For several months I had wondered and tried every think I could think of to figure out how to see Celtic Thunder at the Fox in St. Louis on Nov. 8.  I called American Classic Tours and suggested they do a St. Louis day tour and the concert.  No go.  I was down to considering BART or even a private driver for pay, or a private limousine to get there.  Then it all fell in place one day when I ran into and old friend and neighbor, Lynn, at Sunday lunch at the Villa La Rosa in Herrin.  Just so happens that Lynn and granddaughter  Brittany are HUGE Celtic Thunder fans.  Yep, you guessed it.  We went.  We had a ball.  Long live good looking Irish men who sing like, like, like, well, the best I ever heard.  Yeah!

Seeing Tom Kilpatrick again, attending his 75^th birthday party at C’dale.  Neat to see his slide show of his life, accomplishments and many travels around the world.

The Thanksgiving Community Service at Lone Oak.  Br. Todd Hawk touched my heart in a special way with his sermon.
 

DECEMBER:

                Playing organ at New Horizon’s General Baptist Church in Marion.  Getting to know Br. Kermit and Shelly and family.  Getting to know Br. Rick and Tracy.  Working with Melissa for the New Horizon’s Block Party and the kids Christmas program.

 

 

Getting to read my poem, “The Wishbook Doll’ at the HAHS Christmas function.  So neat to get such positive reactions to an account of a Christmas from my childhood.
 

Being a part of my cousin Elaine’s family in Mcleansboro, love the kids, all of them. 

Got to spend an evening for Christmas with them. 

Got my first home made hand book done on “Grandfathers”

and was able to give them to John and Julie for Christmas. 

Special moment for me, watching them read my first completed hand books.



 

As always 4 p.m. Christmas Eve at the beautiful service at Aldersgate Methodist in Marion with Aunt Delores, the Taylor family and Pauline and her niece Pat.

 

Being made to feel like family, always, at the Trills in Fudgetown.  Christmas Eve with Lawrence, Clara, Amanda, Preston, Traci and a special little guy named Dakota.  Hey, I got a kiss, yeah, all right!!!

 

 

 

Well, I guess that's about it.  There are some things I didn't tell here. 

I do have some secrets you know. 

And then there were some sad things that happened. 

We lost Aunt Helena and Uncle Dent. 

And we all got a year older. 

And wiser?

So, HAPPY NEW YEAR, WELCOME 2013!

Copyright - 2012 - Doris Grant Frey

 

 

THE WISHBOOK DOLL

 

 

When I was small, a baby-child,

We lived at Gramma’s house.
Just Mom and me and Gram made three
For neither had a spouse.

Now in the fall the mail would bring

The Christmas catalogue.
I’d look and look that wish book o’er
To find the perfect doll.

And then one year on page nineteen

A doll with golden tresses
And, not to mention, a travel case
Filled up with many dresses.

“Oh, Gram, Dear Gram, could Santa ever know,

How it would tickle me,
If he could leave just such a doll
Under our Christmas tree?”

And Gramma smiled, I remember now,

How she smiled down at me,

“Oh, yes, I’m sure Dear Santa knows

So we’ll just wait and see.”

I read that wish book o’er and o’er,

And every toy was seen,

And every page was frayed and torn

But none like page nineteen.

And Christmas came in “Fifty-one”

Like any other year.
But special dreams of the wishbook doll
Had filled my heart with cheer.

And when it came to Christmas Eve,

he tree was up and lit.
My Mom came home from work and said
“Okay let’s go and see it.”

Then Gramma cracked the front room door

And we peered into the room
To see that grandest sight.
It would dispel the deepest gloom.

And there in our front room
A bright and shining tree,
And underneath, a box –
One large one I could see.

Oh, did he know?  How would he know?

But Gramma said he would!
I didn’t know;  how could he know?
But Gramma said he could!

The bed was old, the room was cold

But Momma held me close
And sure enough on Christmas Eve
I soon began to doze.

And do you know on Christmas morn

She had to waken me?
And take me in the living room
And said,  “Now here, let’s see.”

“Dear Santa’s left one here for Gram,

And one for you and me,
You wake her up and tell her “Come,”
And I’ll plug in the tree.”

When we came back, the tree aglow,

Mom had the gifts all set.
I hesitated – At five I wondered,
Could Santa Dear forget?

But in my box with ribbons red

Was Gram’s old travel bag.
She’d patched with tape the well worn spots
And got a new name tag.

And in the case with my name on it

Were lovely golden tresses
On a store-bought doll with big blue eyes
And a dozen homemade dresses.

And every dress was a print I knew

That one of us would wear,
For Mom and Gramma both could sew,
Much more than mend a tear.

When I turned back to page nineteen

The wishbook doll still there,
I was stunned to see the dreamer’s doll
Had little to compare.

For my dear doll had blonder hair

And bluer eyes that closed
And all her dresses prettier
Much more than any of those.

And Gramma’s travel case was just the thing.

It even had my name.
I knew I’d never want the other
After Dear Santa came.

For Santa always knows, you see,

When Christmas wishes rise,
Why, that’s why Christmas wishbooks
Are sent for little eyes.

Now every year when it gets fall

I wait and watch the mail
And when the Christmas wishbook comes
I see what Doll’s for sale.

At thirty-six I’ve seen some dolls

And wished.  But I reckon my best guess is
That no dreamer’s doll could e’er compare,
With dimestore dear in homemade dresses.

By Doris Ann

Copyright – 2012 - Doris Grant Frey