November 12, 2013
Tonight the wind is blowing through the front bedroom addition wall which does not yet have sheetrock and insulation and the false wall with plastic sheeting is crackling in the wind. I’m feeling a little like Lisa Douglas (think: “Green Acres” ) who lived in a perpetual remodel being done by two “contractors” with questionable capabilities. Even Lisa, though, never suffered the indignity of having her clothing drawers riffled through, closets poked through, and personal sentimental jewelry gone through and pilfered. I am pretty disgusted and sooooo ready for this whole ordeal to be over.
Our general contractor is pretty disgusted, too, and says he’s never had this situation before on a job. I hope the pressure from the Bay County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigator and the disgust of all the legitimate people who have done good work on our home puts the thief on defense and he winds up exposing his guilt. I feel sorry for my Mother, who has lost at least 3 items of really nice jewelry given to her by Daddy and her children. Between leaving Dothan, having to sell her home, and losing Daddy in August, hasn’t she been through enough this year?
I think I’ll just skip the holidays this year…….go to Bob Evans for a turkey dinner, give everybody a box of Christmas cookies from Walgreen’s, and hide out until the calendar turns over to a New Year. Things have got to get better………
November 12,202
8 years ago we had a difficult Holiday season My Dad had just died in August. My Mom was beside herself with grief. Our home remodeling had been underway since June and was taking far longer than projected. My locked chest with important belongings and my best jewelry was burglarized by a tile subcontractor who was eventually caught and prosecuted though my best jewelry and some cash in the chest was never recovered. Holidays can bring back memories of difficult seasons, but, thankfully God sees us through them and better seasons return. But other difficult seasons come and go again. It is life. It grows our faith and reveals our resilience. This holiday season will, I intend, be a good one. I’ve booked several holiday outings- Ballet Magnificat’s Christmas Carol, the new “Chosen” Christmas movie premier in Destin, a holiday music event, Thanksgiving in Birmingham with our daughter’s family, grandkids all home for Christmas, and blessing our Titus 2 women with a meaningful Advent season. Ready to start decorating and baking……
November 12,2022
This will be my third Christmas without Bill. The first was a whirlwind. Our children decided Christmas at home was too soon and sad so we went to the snowy mountainous area of Asheville, NC, toured Biltmore Estate, hiked forest preserves, enjoyed good food, shared gifts of ourselves with one another. There was no decorating and when the vs action was over, life’s new routine was resumed.
Last year I stayed home and decorated. Grandchildren came home to their parents in an air bnb due to unfortunate circumstances that had them out of their home. i was sad and moody, sentimental and easily moved to tears. We wound up in conflict and misunderstandings….. a very difficult season.
So now, another holiday season begins. This week our middle granddaughter and her 16 month old son have been visiting her parents. i have visited, strolled the neighborhood, and been on an afternoon trip to the zoo with them all. This, I think, is how I will spend the holidays…. just being with and enjoying people I love …… as God gives me opportunities, I will take them.
1/2/2017
This sweet hand crafted nativity was made by Fran Huff, Gary Huff, and Becky Retherford. They were sold at Christmas at the Fair. Each year I seem to gather another nativity of some form or another….This year this one is the most precious! Thank you Fran and Gary! Sorry my photo is of such poor clarity…My phone is not particularly good for photos. But you get the gist of this special addition to our Christmas décor! Click on the photo to see the full piece…It’s precious!
