Sunday, December 27, 2020

December 27, 2020 Christmas

Christmas 2020......now history. WE MADE IT!........ and by ourselves! without the kids and grands!  Although not what I had anticipated, or planned, and in spite of my moments of whining, "this whole year has been nothing more than an inconvenience for me".(Remember the song by The Oakridge Boys called "THE MOST INCONVENIENT CHRISTMAS?)  Christmas morning first presented itself with a blanket of fresh snow. A WHITE CHRISTMAS. It was beautiful and peaceful. 




Thoughts and memories of Christmas pasts ran through my head.....The kids, the wrappings, the cooking, the commotion, the excitement, the photos, all of it. And then there was........................... the brevity of the 24 hours. Oh to keep that Christmas spirit alive within us every single day.  The season has been a myriad of emotions, and truthfully, at times a challenge to be merry and bright. Without a doubt, the highlight of our day, was the ‘nooner-zoomer’. Our family has not been together since JUNE. The day will be remembered until we meet again.πŸ₯°πŸ˜˜πŸ˜. I think we all talked the entire time.........AT THE SAME TIME πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

 

The month of December was celebrated by BIG birthdays.(our son, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law)



 

We attempted to photograph the "Christmas Star"(THE GREAT CONJUNCTION OF 2020), but clouds had other plans for us. Here is what I captured on Dec 18:

And then again on the night of Winter Solstice:

And then one last attempt on the 22nd! Shown below is Jupiter(and a few extra moons) and Saturn which appear to be drifting apart from the Great Conjunction. Actually the 2 planets are 456 million miles apart!


Ron and I decorated our home for Christmas, as though we would be receiving hundreds of guests😁.  We've set the tables.We baked, and eaten again and again, and again. We've watched seasonal classic movies, listened to carols, concerts, and orchestras play their familiar tunes, and drove by houses to peek at the lights. 








We've had Christmas. (Or did Christmas have us?) Christmas 2020 came and went. We applied the phrase "BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED". The stockings were hung. We dressed up with nowhere to go😘 We had an impromptu party for just the two of us. πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡
"It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags! Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"~ Dr. Seuss
 #spreadJoy #choosehappiness #lifeisshortmakeitsweet #everydayisChristmas. "Peace on earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day." May peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through. And may the promise of a new year and "a thrill of hope" be food for your soul. 
It was not the most inconvenient Christmas. You see, the most inconvenient Christmas............ was the first.  Read the lyrics of the song from the Oak Ridge here πŸ‘‰THE MOST INCONVENIENT CHRISTMAS


Friday, December 11, 2020

December 11, 2020 ***Genealogy... HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD

Happy Anniversary to my Mom and Dad. Oh my.......... look at them. Beaming with excitement and happiness!

December 11, 1947 ~~ The wedding ceremony was a small, intimate one. Wade H Bryant, the Minister at First Baptist Church, officiated. They tied the knot on a Thursday afternoon!

The reception took place at my maternal Grandparents' home at 380 Highland Ave SW Roanoke, VA.  Pictured from left to right ☝ are: John Alexander Anderson Jr, Eva Kathryn Thomasson Anderson, Mary Lee Anderson Hamilton, and Carl Cannaday Hamilton. (*****The house still stands today. As a child, I spent much time here. PS. I still have the tablecloth that was adorning the table for their reception. The dining room(where the reception took place), was filled with walnut furniture. That same furniture has been lovingly used in our home, for many years. πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡

There may have been other guests at their wedding/reception. My 'stash' of photos did not include many others. This much I know. Pictured from left to right ☝ are: Dad's twin brother, Walter Craig Hamilton and Flora Emily Blankenship (who married each other the following month, Jan 16, 1948), Kathleen Wright Atkinson(Mom's best friend from Jefferson High School)

On this day,☝πŸ’‘πŸ’– December 11, 1947, Mary Lee Anderson and Carl Cannaday Hamilton began their life together as Mr. and Mrs! My Dad was 30, worked at the US Post Office, and had been living with his parents at 316 Day Ave, Roanoke, Va.  My Mom was 20, worked at the the Clerk of  Courts office, and previously lived with her parents at 380 Highland Ave. Stories were often shared with me that "it was love at first sight". What a life they shared.......... almost 54 years of marriage. 

Today, I miss them both......... their presence, their smiles, and their love. They taught me how to be generous and to love unconditionally. They taught me invaluable life lessons about work, marriage, parenting, relationships, forgiveness, and life. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY YOU TWOToday, I honor both of them!


*************** In 2019, I began OUR pilgrimage of continuing the genealogy of my Mom and Dad, as well as Ron's. Thanks to my Uncle Craig, my Mom, my Mother-in-law, and my cousin Craig, much information is ready for me to 'do my thing'πŸ˜ƒ.