Newspaper Page Text
jnsplll -vi x ><' £'* v 4tfßK£Bl
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
More memories of
Christmases past
We started last week with a roundup of Christmas
memories starting all the way back during the Great
Depression and leading up to the 1970 s and 80s. Here
are more from Larry Walker, Michael Stanley and Terry
Everett
Rocking chairs and
a pot-bellied stove
By Larry Walker
Now I know that it was a very small room - perhaps
15 by 18 feet. In it were a bed, two rocking chairs,
Grandma’s dresser, a pot-bellied stove, and later, a black
and white television. Often, in the winter, and usually
at Christmas, it was cold. On the floor was cheap lino
leum - reddish brown in color. It was probably put down
in 1946 or early 1947. I know, because Janice and I took
up the floor covering in the 1990’s and there were news
papers (probably put down for insulation) with stories
on Georgia’s ‘three Governor controversy’. Herman
Talmadge’s pictures were splashed all over the papers.
This room is where we gathered for Christmas - at
least ten of us, including Grandma and Papa, Mother,
Daddy, David, Uncle Jim, Aunt Lillian, James, Clyde
and me. Later, Lynda and Charles joined us.
As we visited, Papa cut holes in oranges for us to suck,
cut sugar cane, and tended to the fire burning in the
stove. He would go out to the wood pile to get wood to
keep the fire going. Sometimes, I would go with him.
The adults talked and we children listened. It was
wonderful, and I think of it often, and this is one of my
enduring memories of Christmas.
I remember the excitement of Santa Claus’ coming,
but I remember few specific gifts. I’ll never forget
the Christmas gatherings in that little room in the
very modest home on a dirt road in rural Washington
County, Georgia
One strand of tinsel
at a time
By Michael Stanley
I have some wonderful fond Christmas memories.
For starters, all seven of us would hang our stockings
on a clothesline about three feet longstrung between
the front door and the hall closet on the eve of St.
Nicholas day, December 6th. Saint Nick didn’t fill
them until Christmas Eve, but there they hung as a
reminder that Christmas would soon be here
We always had a real Christmas tree, a Canada bal
sam fir that we all had a hand in decorating. When it
came to tinsel, though, that was the exclusive domain
of my mother. She stayed up all night it seemed, hang
ing each strand of tinsel individually and just so. She
never liked the plastic stuff either. It had to be the
leaded stuff. Can you imagine anyone hanging that
much lead on a Christmas tree with seven kids around
in this day and age? Holy Chinese imports, no! It
turns
out we all grew up crazy, but I don’t think it was the
lead.
Nowadays, I hear of people who have children
with birthdays in December who plan half-year par
ties to put some distance between the birthday and
Christmas. Well, my brother’s and my birthdays are
Dec 7th and 9th.
As a child, it never occurred to me that this was
that close to Christmas. That two and a half weeks
seemed interminable! All I remember is we had
to hurry and finish my cake before my brother’s
birthday! Lots and lots of memories; my neighbors’
bubble lights, my Nana and Pop-pop’s Art Deco
Aluminum tree with the rotating colored spotlight
illuminating it...
Whether or not Santa brought everything on our
lists was never a concern. Everyone was happy with
their gifts and, as it turns out, the best gift was the
treasured memories and traditions that each of us car
ried into adulthood.
A little book of Lifesavers
By Terry Everett
One of the most fascinating things I emember ever
getting was the little book of all the Livesaver flavors
when the little book package first came out.
I still smile when I see them today, i think i didn’t
eat the candy until Easter or so.
i just sort of fondled the little book package and
opened it and closed it repeatedly until it was almost
unhinged. It seemed to be an unlimited supply of life
savers since we didn’t get candy all of the time like
kids do today. I’m not sure how much the little pack
age thing cost back then, but it couldn’t have been
very much since they aren’t very expensive now.
I lived in the country, so some time around Christmas,
we would go to either Chattanooga or Gadsden to
sit in Santa’s lap and tell him what we wanted for
Christmas, we would see Santa at the end of the
various small town Christmas parades we attended as
well, i was five years older than my sister and I had
older cousins than I.
The cousins told me that if i told my parents I didn’t
believe in Santa, I would stop getting stuff. When my
sister was in the second grade she told me that a kid
told her there was no Santa so I told her not to tell or
we would quit getting stuff from Santa.
I think we were probably teenagers before our par
ents finally told us there was no Santa.
CLUBS
BIRTHS
l '''v ' ' V
■mm \ IHp Wk'F “*lll
8 x wWORW W 3jh vJB
b s, b ti; H|B ah. flfjßH
m Jm
! W'\\ - mm. *
! 1•. *■■ v j{ vis 1
BBi m
HHHn
Journal/Charlotte Perkins
Bessie Scott is surrounded by the Houser daughters, Kateri, Angela, Michaela and Hannah, who helped by carrying
lumber for the building of her new back porch, as well as Margie Deaver, in the blue sweater.
With a little help from her friends
Volunteer team from ‘Rebuilding Together’ makes daily life
easier for disabled Warner Robins woman
By CHARLOTTE
PERKINS
Journal Staff. Writer
Anyone who has limited
mobility knows the real
* -»'# j SB i I
fjf Ji v"
WMm -vS->
f * w &'j£NM
■■Si
Most of the volunteers helping with the extension to Bessie Scott’s bedroom, and the building of her new handi
capped-accessible bathroom are members of Our Lady of the Skies Base Chapel at Robins Air Force base. Shown
here are, from left, Fr. Thomas Fey, jim Guschenritter, Jackie and Mike O’Brien, team captains; Bessie and Nancy
Scott; Rebuilding Together CEO Jerome Stephens; Elmer Waterman, Paul Houseer, Marty Habecker, Marjorie
Liaguna and Ronald Gregory. Many others were involved, including Rich Selle, who was the electrician for the proj-
This Christmas, I wish...
This Christmas, I wish for all those who are
sick and suffering to be comforted and made well
again.
This Christmas, I wish for all those who are
lonely to be remembered and visited by some
one.
This Christmas, I wish for all those who are
homeless to be warm and fed.
This Christmas, I wish for all those who are suf
fering from mental illness to be understood and
unconditionally loved.
This Christmas, I wish for all those who are in
prison to find forgiveness and peace.
This Christmas, I wish for all those who are poor to have
their physical needs met.
This Christmas, I wish for all those who harbor ill feel
ings and resentment to be able to forgive, and live fully.
This Christmas, I wish for all those protecting our county
abroad to find safety and to be reunited with their loved
ones.
This Christmas, I wish for all those who have been aban
doned to find a home.
This Christmas, I wish for all those have lost a loved one
to find sympathy.
"Day to c/ay toe county way"
meaning of “handicapped
access.” The width of a door
suddenly becomes crucially
important. Getting in and
out of the shower can pres
ent insurmountable difficul
ties. And just try getting a
wheelchair up to a bathroom
sink.
*•_- Bessie«~Soett all
about those problems. She
has two kinds of
This Christmas, I wish for all those who have
been victimized to find solace.
This Christmas, I wish for all those who suffer
from addiction to find recovery.
This Christmas, I wish for all those who are fac
ing death to find comfort and peace.
This Christmas, I wish for all those who are care
givers to be remembered and appreciated.
This Christmas, I wish for all those who have
been abused to find healing and comfort.
This Christmas, I wish for all those who are
weak to find strength.
This Christmas, I wish for all those who are tired
11
Angela
Lineberger
Me and the Boys
to find rest.
This Christmas, I wish for all of you to be filled with love,
joy, and peace.
Merry Christmas and God bless you.
Angela Lineberger lives in Perry with her husband
Kerry and five boys, Tully age 15, and Tal, Hunter,
Ben, and Luke, age 12.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2007 ♦
arthritis,both rheumatoid
and osteoarthritis - and in
recent years her daily life
became increasingly diffi
cult.
See HELP, Page jC