AIMED AT THE FUTURE

Chahta Sia

I am Choctaw

and because of that

each Christmas 

in my holiday mail, I receive 

a Christmas ornament from my Chief

Chief Gary Batton

I used to pay little attention to them, until one day, I had lots of them  

together they make a very stunning presence on a special tree

This year it is

THE CHOCTAW RED WARRIOR

The Red Warrior statue, created by sculptor John Gooden in 2010, stands guard in front of the Choctaw Capitol.  His face is that of Joseph Oklahombi, one of the most well-known of the Choctaw warriors of World War I.  He has his arrow aimed toward the future.

Choctaw people are proud; we have the wisdom to teach, the courage to fight, the strength and determination to persevere.

We are the turquoise section...my great grandfather came here when he was a boy on 

The Trail of Tears

The most important thing I have from being a CDIB Choctaw

 is the pride I feel...

that I am part of a people that thrived...and that I have my arrow aimed toward the future

but I feel more pride still, as an American,

and have my arrow aimed toward the future

I know for sure that I am not alone

YOU

are with me

all that you are and all that I am is no matter

we are just proud people

with our compass

headed

north

THE GOWN

Sunday, December 13, was a very sweet day for our family

that centered around a holy ritual for us

it was the ceremony for the infant baptism for our third baby~

and while it was secondary to the importance of the day

it was also about the dress

while we had to endure the fact that Henry is pretty enough to be a girl~

and when wearing a gown he could be confused as a girl~

(something I'm sure his daddy had to come to terms with)

wearing the gown was a must

the last time the gown was worn was December 20, 2013

when Perrilyn Hazel was dedicated back to God soon after her birth

She wore it well

Betty could still wear the gown and was trying it on for us when getting it out of storage for Perrilyn

The first time the gown was worn 

it was by Betty

December of 2007

today the gown will be neatly placed away

waiting on the next time...

what a lovely tradition 

NELSON TURNBULL

Nelson Turnbull

I wish I had a photo of him to show you

Yesterday Mr. PV needed some banana pudding to take to our Golden Age Center for a dinner his bank will serve tonight

I made a little container to take to Mr. Turnbull today sometime.  I sure hope he likes banana pudding, if he doesn't, the nurses will, so it will not go uneaten

In November, Grace and I delivered Meals on Wheels and he was on our route

Sometime last year our Chinese restaurant closed...a place I loved and miss

stay with me...

Every time we ate Chinese, Mr. Turnbull was there.  We didn't eat it every day but seeing him every time made me wonder if he ate there every day.  It tickled me that a man his age would like Chinese and I was always so intrigued with him...eating alone, quite comfortable, driving himself.  

He seemed like he might have been 80  

Yes, I think 80

So back to when Grace and I delivered him Meals on Wheels...that's the first time I knew his name.

Nelson Turnbull

Hmmmm.....could we be related?  Such an unusual name...

TURNBULL

I printed up a copy of all the information I had from my heritage dating back as far as we can go...1799...it was so great to be able to visit him.  His home was so clean and nice.  He smelled like fresh soap and perhaps he had gotten up and dressed to be delivered his meal.  He was quite dapper.  I knew he probably missed Chinese like I did...we talked about...being related...could it be?

 Last week Mr. PV forwarded me an email.  Mr. Nelson Turnbull had fallen and broken his hip.  After some time in the hospital in Amarillo, he was now at home in our hospital and the email said this...

As some of you may know, Mr. Nelson Turnbull, one of our customers, is back home in our hospital. He will turn 100 on Saturday and maybe some of you might like to go by and visit him.

I don't know about anyone else...but I am taking that 100 year old man some banana pudding...one of the things the Chinese food restaurant served every day.

LEFT BEHIND

When we bought 822 there were a few things left behind

Mike was in her eighties and some of the things were just not worth moving,

so we agreed for her to just take the things she wanted and we'd deal with the rest

we kept in touch for a while after she moved to Indiana with her son,

but sadly, I have not heard from her in a few years

Mike and her husband Don owned a car dealership in town--

one of the things I like about corporate decorating is that it comes in

LARGE 

sizes

this summer we discovered some precious art made my Mr. PV when he was 6

and it became the theme for our vintage Christmas 2015

the den mantel used to have many many nutcrackers but today

these sweet Santas 

the lighted Santa was something we found underneath the stair cubby while we were tearing them out

The toy truck belonged to Mr. PV too

This year we made a crude 

NOEL 

for the upstairs mantel

the "E" is from the extra large yard sticks left behind in the garage

one of my all time favorite holiday photos of Betty 

is her with this

extra large Santa 

they probably used for display at the Hergert Dealership

I think here, Betty is "in between" believing in Santa

we found him under the stairs also...so glad he was left behind

he's one of my favorite holiday guys!

BEES...yes...there were wild bees left behind

and this started our desire to become bee keepers which finally happened this summer

on this frosty cold December morning I wonder what they are doing in there???

of all the things that were left behind, and there were many,

I will never forget finding this nativity in the garage apartment

it wasn't even protected in a box...just laying there on the concrete under some rubbish

I think about all the holidays it was displayed back then

and now all the holidays to come

it is my favorite thing that was left behind

this year as Perrilyn is old enough to begin sugar cookies and gingerbread houses

we embrace the magic of the season

enjoying the miracles that have happened in our lives

and those that are on the verge of happening

I am sad about some things, but will always continue to have faith in things just being

 "ok"

we cling to many things left behind

and cherish all the wonderful things yet to be

I hope your December is the best one yet!