Bible verses, and Letter from Neal

When Mom moved out here to Texas, about 6 years ago, she wanted to join a Church. We asked our friends Kim and Gwen where they went to Church and Sunday School. Kim told me she had been to every Church around and she found a home at First Baptist Pittsburg. Gwen told us that she and Elmer had been members there  a very long time. Both Kim and Gwen invited us to join their Sunday School Class, The Friendship Class, taught by Bo Pilgrim. We've been members ever since. It is truly a class of Christian friends. 

Friends and family sent some of their favorite Bible verses to share.  I have found that these verses are full of comfort for all of us.

Anne sent these:

"This is the day which the Lord hath made: we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm  118:24

"Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me."  John 14:1

"I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me."  Phillippians 4:13

"I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord which made Heaven and Earth." Psalm 1221:1,2

Lara sent this:

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.  So don't try to get out of anything prematurely.  Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." James 1:3-4,  The Message

From Neal and Linda:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  Hebrews 11:1

Neal also wrote Mom a letter that I want to share with everyone.  It brings home  how we never know how we will affect someone.  Neal wrote:

"Our acquaintance has not been one of great length, but it feels that you have been in my life forever.  You have completed a picture that I have carried with me since my mother died when I was five.  There were many very loving 'stand-in' moms for me.  My spotted mare, along with a couple of ole dogs that I had at the time of her death, the colored lady, who worked for my mother and whom I loved, took me as her tenth kid, and, the neighbors who cared about me, all were good stand-ins for a MAMA, but something was missing.  Not being able to remember much about my mother, I created a picture in my mind of how I thought MY MAMA would look and what she would be like, but without a face.  You have completed that picture, A REAL SOUTHERN LADY, fun and outgoing, with a sweet loving spirit, with enthusiasm for life, and a face of soft kindness and compassion for everyone she meets.  Now I know, that is the way My Mama would have been.  Thanks be to God for your coming into my life to help me complete my picture of MAMA.  'May the wind always be at your back and that you shall always be held in the palm of God's hand.'

Neal O'Quinn

February 10, 2009

This is from Nancy:

"Romans 8:18 is one of my favorite verses.  It has carried us through many rough times and is carrying us once again: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us. "

Nancy and Larry are always in our prayers for, his full recovery.  They have never lost  faith, with all of Larry's cancer treatments. Their faith has sustained them.

Betty and Jim love Psalm 100, 1-5, as does Elaine:

 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

 Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his;  we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;  give thanks to him and praise his name.

 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;  his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Catherine said one of her favorite verses is :  John 3:16.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

I love this verse from Psalms 55:22

"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;  he will never let the righteous fall."  When I was going through radiation treatment, the men's roundtable at the church sent this.

Some of  Mother's favorite verses are  from 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails.  But where there are prophecies, they will cease;  where there are tongues, they will be stilled;  where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love."

Elaine told me that the book of Ruth is one of her favorite books of the Bible.  Ruth was Elaine's Mom's name.  She also loves the Beatitudes, from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.

I hope to add more Bible verses.  Please send them to me, or you can add them as comments.  Love,  Ann

Happy Birthday, Catherine

Today is Catherine's birthday! Happy Birthday!!!  Catherine was born in 1971, at St. Mary's Hospital in Oak Park, Illinois.  She was the most beautiful baby in the nursery.  Peaches was there, and so was Catherine's other grandmother: Catherine O'Shaughnessy Herbstritt.  Peaches and Grandma Kay were both claiming that Catherine looked like their side of the family.   The nurses used Catherine as the 'demo' baby to show new mothers how to bath and dress their newborns.  

Peaches was very busy in 1971.  She had four grandchildren born that year.  OB's youngest son was born in January, Catherine in February, Tim in August, and Parrish in September.   Catherine and Tim were born in Illinois, and the rest were Georgia babies.  

February is also a month filled with other family birthdays:  Lara on the 1st,  Lea on the 12th, and, Lauren on the 18th.  Happy Birthday to all.

Merry Christmas

This Christmas Card was taken about 1953.  All six of us still, at one time!

Christmas in Atlanta.  Judy, me, Nell, and Santa.  This was taken about 1954, notice Judy's dog tag.  We were going to school at Mary Lin Elementary.  The next picture is of Catherine and Susie in 1976.  This was taken in Hinsdale, Illinois.  The next Christmas card is Michael and Lara, taken in 1987.               

                                                                              

Ella Bella

Today,  Lara sent a picture of little Ella in a beautiful hat and scarf Ella's grandmother Elaine knitted.  I have to have the directions for the hat.  The picture also got me to thinking of how all of the grandchildren had such special memories of Peaches.  Lara told me about Peaches teaching her to climb the railing, on the house on Walton Circle, up to the mailbox.  When she was little it seemed to be so very tall, and she was so proud to be able to do it.  Peaches would encourage the children in all kinds of things. 

In the eighth grade, Lara had to bring in a recipe, and the food, for a project.  That was right up Peaches' alley.  They put together a delicious chicken cordon bleu type meal. Peaches made up the recipe, and named the dish "Chicken al la Lara". 

Mom was famous for her wonderful parties and fabulous food. One of her best recipes was for "Prune Cake".  When asked for the recipe, she always left out some crucial ingredients, and ladies could never understand why their cake was not as good as Mom's.

Next week is book club, and Peaches Prune Cake is perfect to serve for a large group.

Peaches' Prune Cake:

1 Cup chopped nuts     3 eggs 1 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup Wesson Oil 1 cup buttermilk 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon almond flavoring 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon  1 teaspoon allspice 1/4 teaspoon salt   1 cup chopped prunes Mix together Cook at 325  for 1 hour.

• Icing: 1 Tablespoon white Karo 1 cup sugar 1 stick oleo 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon vanilla  Cook 7 minutes
  

This is exactly how Peaches gave this recipe to me in the 70's.  There may be a few who don't know what 'oleo' is, so, ask your Mothers!

Sweet Apple

All of the grandchildren loved to visit Papa at the hardware store.  I can still see Papa holding Catherine, when she was about 3, in front of the store on Broad Street.    When Papa moved out to Davis St., he planted a field of zinnias next to the store.  He painted the store a beautiful red and had a refrigerator in the back for watermelons.  Papa could frequently be found on a stool at the front of the store, reading his newspaper, with his glasses halfway down his nose.  When niece Lara was just a little girl, her Mom had dressed her in a blue and white striped outfit with an apple on it, and a worm coming out of the apple.   Lara remembers running into the store and throwing her little arms up and saying "Papa! Papa!"  He always called her 'Sweet Apple' after that.

When Papa had the store on Broad St., W.R. Weaver rented a small space in the front.  W.R. would do watch and jewelry repair, and sometimes wait on customers, when Dad needed a little extra help.  I think W.R.  was there probably for 25.  until Dad moved to Davis St..  Julius Adcock worked for Dad for forty years.    When I would go into the store to get a hammer, or nails, I would say to Julius, "put it on my account, please!" and, he would say "that NO account!"   In the fifties, everyone in town closed on Wednesday afternoons.  Saturdays  downtown were very busy.  People could hardly walk down the sidewalk.  It was only a few years after we moved to Monroe that there was a terrible fire down the street from the hardware store.   Aycock Brothers  caught on fire and burned to the ground.  At the time, it seemed like a like a huge department store, wooden floors that were oiled, men's, women's, and children's clothing, and various sundries.  Aycock rebuilt, and was a very fine place to shop.  When I was in high school, they were still charging to hem girl's jeans, but not men's.  Puss Arnold still had his barn on the block behind Broad St. until the 60's, I think.  When we were little and would walk by, we could see the animals in there.  Mrs. Arnold was a wonderful lady, and sang in the choir.  Mr. and Mrs. Arnold had a beautiful antebellum home, just off of Walton Street. 

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.