Bible Verses from Cousin Nan

Nancy sent two of her favorite Bible verses.  The first is from Proverbs 3:5-6  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths."  The second verse is from Romans 8:28  "And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God and are called according to his purpose."  It is so wonderful to have the verses from our friends and family.  

When we were very little living in Atlanta, we went to the Presbyterian Church on Ponce de Leon Avenue.  Dad and Mom left the Presbyterian church after his Mother died, and joined the Druid Hills Baptist Church, also, on Ponce de Leon.  Mom was brought up Baptist and this was a wonderful move for all of us.  Both Mom and Dad said they never felt the fellowship in the Presbyterian Church that they did in the Baptist Church.  I remember Dad being 'baptized' after we joined.  The preacher gave him a good dunking.  It was many years later that I found out how the preachers kept dry: wading boots!

Dad always said that all of his friends from high school were attending First Baptist.  They gave him a huge welcome, and made us feel right at home.  Dr. Louie Newton baptized us.  Dr. Newton was a wonderful preacher, and was at the church for 40 years. After all these years, I still remember Dr. Newton, and how beautiful the Church was.

Dr. Newton was prominent in the Southern Baptist Convention for a long time.  There is an article on him at www.georgiaencyclopedia.org. 

Ducks

The ducks have started coming in.  We're seeing mallards, grebes, and always herons.  This morning, when I looked out the kitchen window and saw the ducks, it reminded me of a time when we were on our way home, from Atlanta, and Mom  wanted to drive us through Piedmont Park. We were enjoying the park and trees and looking at the ducks on the lake, when she ran over a curb.  Not only did we get a flat tire, but, the rim was also ruined. After we limped to a gas station, maybe that is why the rim was ruined, and bought a new tire, we made our way back to Monroe.  The only thing we talked about on the way home was "don't tell Daddy".  Mom decided that it was best to blame this on wild teenagers driving us off of the road.  Papa never knew about this from my lips.  

Avondale Estates

The very first house I remember was our home in Avondale Estates.  I don't remember very much about our time in Avondale, but I do remember that I fell into the community pool and my grandfather, Paw, 'saved' me.  Our home had two bedrooms, and we were very crowded! Mom and Dad, older brother, sister Judy, me, brother Mike, sister Nell, and, Dad's father, Paw.  Mom said she had bunk beds everywhere.  Paw's wife, Nona Corry Oakes, died in 1947 and Dad and his brother Walter were going to take turns having him live with them.  That, of course, didn't happen.  Paw lived with us for twenty three years.  Sometimes he would visit other friends, and at one time Dad had  a place in Lawrenceville for him. 

Back to Avondale.  Avondale Estates, just outside of Atlanta, was a master planned community, founded by George Francis Willis in 1924.  Mr. Willis purchased the entire village of Ingleside and renamed it after Stratford-upon-Avon.  The downtown buildings were all designed in a Tudor style, and many of the houses also.  There were tennis courts, a lake, a community pool and clubhouse.  The first Waffle House opened in Avondale in 1955.

After the War, Dad had a hardware store, in East Atlanta, and was able to carry a line of  washing machines.  Washing machines were a rare commodity at that time.  The only one he had was a floor model, which he immediately brought home to Mom.  (This is not a picture of Peaches.)  Mom was very grateful for her new wringer machine, as the maid was probably doing the wash in a wash tub. Older brother was a very inquisitive young man, as Mom and Dad found out.  One day, he took her wringer washing machine apart.  I don't know if it ever worked the same again.  About the only other exciting thing that happened in Avondale was connected to older brother.  He tried out a hammer on Paw's head.  Paw didn't think it too exciting.  

There were lots and lots of children on our street; the war boom babies were just starting in 1946.   

Book Club

Today, book club meets at Barbara's home, which made me remember one of the first times Mom went to book club.  We were discussing Cane River,  at Barbara's, when Mom made a comment that set the ladies to  gasping and  laughing.  Now, I always sit next to her so that I can pinch and squeeze her arm when I have any indications something is getting ready to happen.   Dotsy  also helps;  or, does she encourage Peaches?  The ladies in the club love to hear Mom, hoping for a new bombshell.  Barbara always serves great pies.  

  Reading was a big part of our growing up.  Mom and Dad always had lots of books in the house; all six of us have enough of their books to fill our homes.  Mom loved Galsworthy, and Dad was partial to Dickens.  Dad had a set of Mark Twain that was autographed, by Twain.  It was addressed to Cory, only one r, not like Dad's two.  In the auction trade it is known as ANS, autograph note  signed.  For the longest time, it confused me.  How could Dad have known Mark Twain in the 1800's?  Papa spent a great deal of  time reading, and always encouraged us to read.  The only book he told me that I could not read was J. D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye.  Which I of course I immediately read, and did not understand some of the words.  If I had only waited a few years, then, I would have understood why he did not want me to read it.

Barbara served a delicious pumpkin and caramel pie, along with many other delicacies. 

Red Letter Day

Red Letter Day!  Happy Birthday Peaches! 

Today is Peaches' Birthday!  She is 89, and looks much younger and dances like she is 20.  Happy Birthday, Mom!  Peaches was born in Oakdale, LA November 20, 1919.  She was born at home, and weighed only about 4 pounds, as she was very early.  Her grandmother stayed up all night keeping her warm, rocking her by the stove.  Some of the great memories we have of times past are the stories Mom used to make up to tell the grandchildren.  Lara remembers spending the night with Peaches and Pop, getting her bath, and Peaches would put lotion all over her little legs and arms and back and tummy!  The favorite story Lara remembers is about a fairy that lived in a pool.  Mom used to always tell about the little blue bird that fell out of a nest and how  (insert name)  picked it up and saved it.

From Mom's cooking beginnings with Spam, she became one of the best cooks I've ever known.  All of the brothers, sisters, grandchildren and friends will agree.  But, don't ask her for  a favorite recipe, it will have an ingredient left out.  Dad was always bringing home exotic groceries, and getting Mom to try something new.  He subscribed to Gourmet from the late forties until, well always, and seemed to have a new recipe for Mom every week.  Elaine, my sister-in-law, remembers Mom going to Clout's grocery store in Atlanta and bringing home all kinds of delicious things. Clout's was fabulous long before Central Market.  Carpeting and chandeliers.  Elaine also remembers how Mom would tell everyone that she couldn't give out her secret salad dressing. Mom finally confessed to her good friend, Myrtle Hanson, that it was Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing.  Aunt Dottie had given Mom some of the packets, and Peaches was able to keep her secret for about a year. In the early '60's Hidden Valley was just becoming popular in our part of the world.   Elaine also remembers Sundays were  family cookouts.  Dad loved his huge Texas size Weber grill.  One  of the things Elaine remembers that Dad loved to cook, was a leg of lamb, served with mint jelly, and pilaf,  and always a delicious salad.  Dad would buy bulgar  when he was in Atlanta, and Mom would make her pilaf with it.  Saute some onions in butter, add garlic,  stir in the bulgar, add broth, cover and simmer until done.  Test for seasonings.

Update on the Limoncello!

Well, I was very surprised, but the limoncello was a hit!  Very Tasty!  Yes, with a capital T.  Dotsy and I made a lot pizzas for Peaches and Troy.  The Peach Pits and Sub-Pits were there, and Troy's golfing buds.  The Pits are playing bridge again this Wednesday! And, the golfers are out now as I type!!!  When we were growing up, there were always a lot of birthday parties.  My sister Judy and Older Brother shared a party for many years because they were born one day and one year apart.   Mom does like to say that she had 6 children in 8 years and Dad was away in WWII for 2 years.  She also likes to say that they all had the same Mother.  

Oldest Brother was born in Oakdale, LA, in 1943.  Dad was in the army and  training in Oklahoma.  So, Mom was staying with her parents when O. B. was born.  At about 6 weeks old, he had to have surgery for pyloric stenosis.  Mom said the doctor couldn't use an anesthetic because O.B. was so young, and, there may not have been any available during the War.  Back in Atlanta, Mom was saving grease for the War effort.  Nannie came to visit and  wanted to know how she was going to get the grease out of all of the Coca Cola bottles.  

  Peaches and Papa were married secretly for about a year, in 1940, but had an 'official' marriage in 1941 in her parents living room.  All the relatives were there and Mom had on a beautiful pink suit.   After the wedding, when Mom and Dad were getting ready to  leave on the train for Atlanta, Mom asked her sister Dottie how to cook.  Dottie told her to get a can of Spam, and open the can, stud the Spam with cloves, and bake it.  Dad would tell us that Peaches cooked Spam for him when he came home from the War.  He said that was all he had eaten for two years.  They didn't have Spam after that.

Papaw and Nannie weren't too pleased with the match, but came around when Dad had a vasectomy after the sixth child, little Dotsy, was born in 1951.  Nannie came to Atlanta to help Mom with the latest edition, and while she was there,  Dad had his 'procedure', and for the first time Nannie hugged his neck.  She also didn't mind if he had a drink in front of her, even though she hated drinking more than the Devil hates Holy Water. 

Happiness is.......a cord of wood on a rainy Monday.

and, it's on the screen porch, nice and dry!  Cliff says that I start a fire if it gets below 70.  I remember growing up that Mom always had a fire going when there was the least bit of a chill.  Dad would come home from the hardware store to get it started.  They used big lumps of coal most of the time.  I think they stopped using coal about the same time the ice house in Monroe closed.  There was a coal bin under the house on Highland Avenue.  Also, in the house in Atlanta. If Dad wasn't at home building fires, or serving cocktails to the ladies, he was at the hardware store.  It was next to the Farmer's Bank.  We all had savings accounts there, and on Saturdays I loved to walk up to the store and get my savings book and withdraw a nickel.  For many years until the early 80's the bank would sent me statements about once a year. I know they were grateful when I finally closed that account.  It may have had $5.00 in it. The Farmers Bank changed names, moved into a new building, and Dad moved out of downtown also, to Davis Street.  He had a huge red building with a front stoop big enough to sit on and eat watermelons.  There was a refrigerator in the back of the store and always full of cold watermelons, on hand for customers and grandchildren. 

Family Pictures

This is a picture of Dad taken in Oklahoma about 1944.  The next one was taken 1951 when we lived in Atlanta.  Peaches and Pop about 1941, Atlanta.

Peaches and Pop  Monroe, GA

Is this not the most beautiful picture you have ever seen?