Homecoming

Homecoming. It musters up a warm feeling in the heart, doesn't it? We all like to go home. We look forward to seeing friends and family that we haven't seen in a long time. We look forward to the day and make plans to be there. 

I remember in school my fellow classmate, Annette Sasser, would bring her accordion to school and at lunchtime or after we had eaten, she would play and sing for us. I enjoyed seeing her sitting on a chair with the accordion on her lap stretching it back and forth as she punched the keys and bellowed out the songs. One song Annette sang that has stuck with me through the years was, "Homesick for Heaven, I've got a longing to go." I'm confident Annette sang the song with sincerity. She was a good girl and very religious. It was a joy to be around her. From time to time I find myself singing "Homesick for heaven," and I always think of Annette and can hear her beautiful voice ringing out the message loud and clear. Annette no longer lives this side of eternity, but her memory lives on and I'm grateful for it. Good memories of homecoming.

I am attaching the nearest thing I can find to the song and Annette's voice. Enjoy. 

It is: I've Got a Longing by Wendy Bagwell and the Sunlighters - YouTube

Thrift Store Finds

This morning I had a Dr.'s appointment in Elba. I had asked Doug to go with me and asked to come back and tour the old Perry's Store to see the thrift store in it. I had heard it advertised earlier. I recall as a little girl mother and daddy taking me to Perry's Store and purchasing my first pair of 401 overalls. I was so proud to have overalls like my daddy wore, and believe me, I wore them proudly. First of all, when inside the old building I was stunned when the owner came up and started talking to me. He introduced himself as Bob and kept talking. I thought I recognized him as a fellow classmate from Elba High School. Obviously, he did not recognize me but to make sure, I asked his last name. He said "Stuckey." The three of us rambled around the what some might call "junk store." When almost at the front of the store again, Bobby went outside to his truck and brought back a picture album. He said his wife didn't want him to sell it since she felt bad getting rid of the pictures. I thumbed through the album and immediately started recognizing some of those pictured. Imagine my surprise to see my grandmother's family members pictured and possible even her as a little girl. I can hardly put it down. In the picture with this post, I believe the lady named Alice pictured on the left side of John in the center, to be my Grandmother Alice Nancy Kendrick Williams. (I wear her name!) John Kendrick was her brother. Some of the pictures in the album are the same as I have seen for years. Can you imagine my joy for only $5.00?

Memories are made of this

I was looking through my jewelry box yesterday and ran across the little ring which I wore as a little girl. It is made of copper and has a "G" on it. I remember being disappointed when it broke underneath and mother told me I needed to not wear it anymore but to put it up and save it. That memory was so precious to me. Then a little later I decided to put mother's afghan in the cedar chest and laying on the top shelf was my little dress. Mother had saved the dress. So I would know about it she left a note in the pocket. Mother made the little dress for me. The note says I wore it when I started walking. Though it is worn and tattered now and wouldn't be treasured by anyone else, it is so precious to me. On the collar she embroidered little rosebuds I think. She put piping around the waist which is no small thing. She appliqued the little ship on the bodice front. She took tiny rickrack and added it in just the right places. I look at it and see her handiwork from long ago but most of all I see her love for the little girl she wanted after having two boys, After she gave birth to me in the front room of the small government house between Elba and Opp, Daddy said to her, "You have your little girl now. You won't ever have to go through that again." So their family was complete. The memories are sweet. (Originally published May 18, 2018, on FB)

As I was reading my Bible this morning near the end of 1 Kings the story of Jezebel and Ahab spurred the following article which I have placed on the back page, "Glenda's Glimpse" in this week's bulletin. Hope it is a blessing to you.

Glenda’s Glimpse - We were not wealthy people when I was a little girl at home. Daddy and Mama both worked and were thankful to get what they earned at their jobs. I remember going to a local store with mother as a little girl. She wanted to buy me some ready-made dresses for school. Mama had started working at the sewing factory and didn’t have time to make my dresses for school anymore. She had made them at home from flour sacks before this. She said we would go to Martin’s and buy two or three dresses. We found just what we wanted. I remember the little red-checked dress with a bias yoke and white Peter Pan collar was so pretty. Mama explained to the lady she had begun working and asked about buying two or three of the dresses on credit so I would have them to start school. She promised to pay for them when she got her first check in two weeks. The lady hesitated but finally gave in. Those store-bought dresses were mighty fine wearing, I can tell you. I felt so pretty and special in them.

I knew I was not as well off financially as others in my class at school, but Mother told me early on, “Glenda, you may not have as much as other girls have, but you have your character and if you will keep your character clean you will be all right.” That statement has stayed with me throughout life. There were other girls in my school class who had much more than I did, but I remembered what Mama had said and I had my good character. 

The scripture says it best in Proverbs 22;1 “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.” A good name will stay with you during your life and also after death. Think about the characters in the Bible who served the Lord, who did what was right in the sight of the Lord. Their names are still spoken of favorably today. But think about those who did evil in the sight of the Lord. Their names live on but not in a positive way. Remember Jezebel and Ahab? I was reading about them Thursday morning. But the thing is, good or bad, they all die and are buried, yet their name, good or bad, continues to live on. 

There are others throughout the Bible we read about. When I read in the Old Testament of one dying and another taking their place, I’m always eager to see if the scriptures say, “They did that which was evil/good in the sight of the Lord.” That’s what’s important. We may not have as much as others but we have our character and if we keep our character clean we will be all right. If we do that which is right in the sight of God, if we obey His commandments and live right to the best of our ability, we will be all right. Yes, a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches...rich or poor.
-Glenda Williams  (Originally posted on FB 5-24-2018)

Bassinet Purses make wonderful gifts

In the summer of 2018, I decided to crochet some little girls bassinet purses. Here are a few of the first ones I crocheted. What fun. (Orig. published 6-5-2018)

Hydrangeas blooming in our back yard

(Summer 2018)

Lessons from the birds

I was sitting here eating breakfast and spotted a bird near the fig tree out back. He or she (I can only tell the difference in cardinals) was walking hurriedly across the grass and stopping along the way to peck in the ground. One spot held his attention more. He pecked there several times. I thought there must have been a bug or worm in that spot. There's a lesson for all of us to be learned from the birds. They get up early and they go to work building their nest, and feeding their family. They stick to the task until it is done. They work for what they get. I dare say any of them take a seed to their young ones that we have left for them in feeders. They teach their offspring how to fly and how to work for what they eat. And best of all they are happy all day long. How do I know? They sing as they work and who doesn't love the songs of a singing bird? (Orig. published on FB 6-9-2018)

Doll is not happy

I found this little girl in a bin of dolls at a thrift store recently for half price. She is not a happy camper but I love her just the same. $1.00 and I get to make her some clothes. I must add that combing her hair is so much fun. I may never grow up! (Originally published on FB 6-9-2018)

You Always Hurt the One You Love

The Mill Brothers sang a song that has a lot of truth in it. It is titled, "You Always Hurt the One You Love." It goes on to say, "The ones you shouldn't hurt at all." I've been thinking a lot lately about the words of that song and how often it is true in real life, in our lives and the lives of our family and friends. We come home to the people who love us the most, to the place of home, which should be our castle, and that is where we let our real selves out, ending up hurting those we love. It shouldn't be that way, folks. Some people can be in the hottest argument ever and a stranger walks in and you would never know the anger that was going on before their appearance. Sad, isn't it? Why in the world would we be hateful and harsh and so unloving and unforgiving to those who are closest to us and who love us the most? There's something wrong in our being so free to always hurt the ones we love. We better rethink this ungodly attitude. Yep, I'm just a thinking today and that's the way I see it. (Originally posted on 7-3-2018 on FB)

The Little Squirrel wasn't moving

Doug and I were eating lunch together at home today at noon. I spotted a young squirrel sitting on the ground and not moving. For the longest time, he didn't move. I asked Doug if he thought he might be dying. We watched and finally, he began to move slowly. My imagination began to run wild as the saying goes. That little squirrel is afraid of heights. His friends come and beg him to play with them up in the trees, of course, but no, he can't because he is afraid of heights. Finally, one squirrel friend kept begging him to come and play until he gave in. They started up the nearby pecan tree. He was right behind his friend, and wouldn't you know it, just a short piece off the ground the little squirrel fell backward landing right on his back. He cried out, "See, I told you I'm afraid of heights!" His little friend helped him get up and said, "Come on, keep your eyes on the goal above and don't look back and you will make it. There are many beautiful and fun things to enjoy when we get to the top." And so the little squirrel followed his friend once again, keeping his eyes on the goal above. Finally, they made it to the top. Soon they were jumping from limb to limb chasing each other. They were having such fun when the little squirrel took another leap. He landed at the edge of a limb filled with beautiful green leaves. Oh, how soft it was and the limb swayed back and forth swinging him high above the ground with all of his fears left far below.

Can you help me think of a name for our little squirrel friend?  (Orig. published on FB 7-4-2018)

The meanest Mother in the World

I found this newspaper clipping yesterday that mother had saved. It is a treasure. (Orig. posted on FB on 7-18-2018.

On the steps of our first home

A picture of us made in January 1967 outside our trailer. We moved the trailer to Memphis to live in while Douglas attended Harding Graduate School of Religion. I worked as secretary to Jessie Fox, Chair of the Dept. of Chemistry at Memphis State University and helped put Doug through school. We sold the trailer and moved into the McKellar Avenue preacher's home later when he was hired as Assistant, to Bill Flatt who preached at McKellar Ave. and worked with the graduate school.

Hiding and Hunting Easter Eggs at Grandma's house

Hiding and hunting Easter eggs was always a fun time for me. I was watching the squirrels this morning as they played around a knothole in an oak tree out back and it reminded me of the time my cousins and I were hunting Easter eggs which had been hidden for us to find. We were at Grandma and Grandpa Bryant's house on Cool Springs Road in Opp, AL. I was in the backyard with Easter basket in hand looking everywhere I could to find the most eggs. I saw this tree stump about half my height which had a hole in it. I thought the stump hole certainly would be a good place to drop an egg in it. I rushed to the stump and something stopped me before I stuck my hand down in the hole to hopefully find an egg. I looked over in the hole and there was one hidden in the hole for sure but I was glad I looked before reaching for it. Two eyes were looking up right at me! I yelled and ran for help alerting those older that there was a snake in the stump hole. I don't remember who got the snake out of the hole but it was a good thing I didn't reach in there before looking. If memory serves me correctly, it was a rattlesnake. I can only imagine...  (Orig. publish on FB, 8-13-2018)

Looking Out Our Window 

Eating a late breakfast and loving the view out our window. Look at the beautiful blue sky with puffy white clouds. Crayola can’t make a crayon that beautiful. (Orig. publish on FB 9-7-2018)

Memories

Memories. They can be good, bad, or just there. You know the kind I am speaking about. Mama and Daddy helped make soothing memories for me. Daddy built us a new house on Route 4, Elba. I was still in high school. We were so proud of our new house. I remember how he laid out the size of the house with strings to begin and I watched it develop through every step along the way. He made a nice big front porch on a concrete slab. He poured two nice concrete steps to get onto the porch. Mama immediately wanted a porch set and she soon bought one. Green and white, it was made of metal. One chair bounced, the long piece glided, and then there was the rocker. Wasp or dirt dobbers liked to make their nests, if that's what you call them, underneath the glider. Daddy's favorite chair was the rocker. Daddy chewed tobacco while he read the paper every day. He pulled the rocker up to the edge of the porch where he could rock, read, and spit off the edge of the porch. Mama had a potato vine growing on the decorative iron post right where Daddy liked to sit and spit. I guess tobacco juice never did any damage to the beautiful vine or we never saw any evidence of it at all. Mama never complained. She'd sit on the glider on one end of the porch while daddy sat and read parts of the paper to her. That old porch set has lasted through the years. It still glides, rocks and bounces just like always. Only thing is it has a new coat of paint solid white in color and sets on our front porch now. Somehow every time I sit down on one of those chairs, memories flood my soul. Good memories of when we sat on the porch listening to daddy share parts of the paper while he rocked and chewed his tobacco, and yes, spitting off the side of the porch. (Originally posted on FB 9/7/2018)

Mama was a smart woman

I love this picture of mother, as a young woman. Mother asked daddy about building us a new house. He was a carpenter and certainly knew how to do it. The old one is in the back of the picture. She said, "We will buy what we need every two weeks and pay for it, and you can build it." Well, she is sitting on the evidence of the beginning of the house. She made about $75.00 every two weeks working at the Kinston Sewing Factory, Kinston, AL. He would tell her the supplies they needed and that is what they bought. They worked together to build the house and I even helped! What a day that was when we moved into one house and slept in the other. Mother was a wise woman, a smart woman, and one I will forever admire and love. Mother's Day will always be hers to me.

And they call it a "bong"?

I was about to water the Schefflera plant on the front porch when I spotted it. Laying on the left side next to the old metal rocking chair was this thing. 

From the distance I thought it might be one of my black measuring spoons but immediately wondered how in the world it had gotten there. Upon looking closer and picking it up, I saw something I had never seen before. What was it? Where did it come from? Why was it in MY flower pot? Questions, questions, questions. All I knew to do was go to Facebook and pose the question with a picture. Here is the post on FB that I posed:

"Please look at this thing and tell me what it is. I was about to water our plant on the front porch and it was laying on top of the soil. You can blow air through it and it comes out the hole in the round end. I thought it was a black measuring spoon and picked it up to discover I have never seen anything like it before."

Hmmmm, immediately answers came flying back to me. A crack, meth, pipe, a bong. That's not good. My husband is a full-time preacher and we've lived here ten years. Our family doesn't need anything like that laying around! Douglas gently slipped it into a used paper coffee cup he had and off to the police station we went. We left it with them. 

Now where did it come from, you ask? We had a visitor the night before who came to our door. We knew him, but we couldn't understand anything he was saying. Doug sat with him on the lighted front porch. I was scared and called the police. When they came easing down our street they had their spotlight shining on each house. It hit our front porch and they stopped. Our unwanted visitor immediately knew he was about to be in trouble. Without doubt, he laid his pipe down in my flower pot and walked off and left it. 

I hope he doesn't come back to get it!

Treasure found in Perry's Store thrift store

This morning I had a Dr.'s appointment in Elba. I had asked Doug to go with me and asked to come back and tour the old Perry's Store to see the thrift store in it. I had heard it advertised earlier. I recall as a little girl mother and daddy taking me to Perry's Store and purchasing my first pair of 401 overalls. I was so proud to have overalls like my daddy wore, and believe me, I wore them proudly.

First of all, when inside the old building I was stunned when the owner came up and started talking to me. He introduced himself as Bob and kept talking. I thought I recognized him as a fellow classmate from Elba High School. Obviously, he did not recognize me but to make sure, I asked his last name. He said "Stuckey."

The three of us rambled around the what some might call "junk store." When almost at the front of the store again, Bobby went outside to his truck and brought back a picture album. He said his wife didn't want him to sell it since she felt bad getting rid of the pictures. I thumbed through the album and immediately started recognizing some of those pictured. Imagine my surprise to see my grandmother's family members pictured and possible even her as a little girl. I can hardly put it down. In the picture with this post, I believe the lady named Alice pictured on the left side of John in the center, to be my Grandmother Alice Nancy Kendrick Williams. (I wear her name!) John Kendrick was her brother. Some of the pictures in the album are the same as I have seen for years.

Can you imagine my joy for only $5.00?

Memories are sweet after over seventy years

I was looking through my jewelry box yesterday and ran across the little ring which I wore as a little girl. It is made of copper and has a "G" on it. I remember being disappointed when it broke underneath and mother told me I needed to not wear it anymore but to put it up and save it. That memory was so precious to me.

Then a little later I decided to put mother's afghan in the cedar chest and laying on the top shelf was my little dress. Mother had saved the dress. So I would know about it she left a note in the pocket. Mother made the little dress for me. The note says I wore it when I started walking. Though it is worn and tattered now and wouldn't be treasured by anyone else, it is so precious to me. On the collar she embroidered little rosebuds I think. She put piping around the waist which is no small thing. She appliqued the little ship on the bodice front. She took tiny rickrack and added it in just the right places.

 I look at it and see her handiwork from long ago but most of all I see her love for the little girl she wanted after having two boys, After she gave birth to me in the front room of the small government house between Elba and Opp, Daddy said to her, "You have your little girl now. You won't ever have to go through that again." So their family was complete. The memories are sweet.

Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief. Doctor, lawyer, Indian Chief

Grandma Williams came to mind this morning as I was getting ready for the day. I can see her now sitting in the old wooden, green rocker with her legs crossed. She had on a print dress with an apron. With beautiful white hair balled up at the back of her head, she was beautiful to me with her brown eyes. She'd rock and look out the door across the green yard at neighbors houses. No air-conditioning back then, just hand fans from some local funeral home. Grandma's dresses were shirt waist styled with buttons all the way to the bottom, or tail as some would say. She liked to take a dip of snuff as she sat and rested. I stayed with Grandma in the summers while Mother worked. I liked to sit on her little love-seat and talk with her. We didn't sit on the piazza very much due to the heat. Oh, that's what Grandma called the front porch. Strange that I've never heard that word since Grandma passed away. But Grandma taught me something about figuring out the boy I was going to marry and I've never forgotten it. She counted the buttons on her dress and said, "Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, doctor, lawyer, Indian chief," as she went from one button to another. The one she ended on was the one she would marry. Why I'd say that little rhyme as I searched for buttons trying my best to get to a doctor, but it didn't work out right for me. Strange there wasn't a preacher in the mix somewhere. That's where mine should have stopped and that would have been a good thing. It has been nearly 52 years now and it's been a good life.