Mother loved Christmas, all the way from the holly wreaths and mistletoe to the exchange of gifts with friends and loved ones. She made most of the things she gave them, such as needle-point or embroidery, or hand-painted candles, or aprons and sometimes coal mitts. These last were very handy in the days of open hearths and coal scuttles.
There is also the memory of beads, made out of ripened chinaberries that were dyed this or that bright color and strung on cord string.
Mother meant always for her gifts to be as good or maybe a little bit better than the presents she received, and we remember her consternation, one Christmas eve, when her best friend, Miss Hebe (for Mrs. Dr. J. D.) Smythe's gift to Mother proved to be a beautiful sewing table which far surpassed Mother's gift to Miss Hebe.
In the sunset years, when so many of the old friends and loved ones had gone on ahead, Mother usually sent pecans to those who were left on her out-of-town list. She made small cloth sacks, from the poultry feed bags, in which to ship the pecans, and invariably filled the little sacks and sewed them up before addressing them. This final maneuver took a bit of doing too, trying to write the name, street, and town on such an un-smooth surface.
We often started to suggest that she attend to that little detail before putting the nuts into the bag, but this would have been telling Lulu how to run her business, a gesture which she did not have much patience or time for. However, Mother did permit us to attach tags to the sacks, with the addresses and the tags, sort of auxiliary insurance you might say.
Those hardy Scotch Presbyterians braved snow, ice, sleet and slippery roads and streets to fill the sanctuary on John Calvin Circle for the Christmas pageantry last Sunday evening at five.
Was this a tribute to the talent, in order of their appearance: Paul Allen, Ralph Davison, Harold Peacock, Walter Roman, Nancy Smythe, Roy Campbell, Marshall Howse, Clarke Reed and Old Stuff? Accompanied by sweet singing from the concealed choir, the little miracle play was well-received anyhow, in its aim to make us all mindful of the "sweetest story ever told."
And thanks, Diamond Brown, from old First King, not only for your artistry in applying the beard but for your gentleness in removing same when the show was over.
And when the show was over, the young folks went caroling and we are thankful that our house was on their list. Herewith the group, who also braved weather hazards in order to bring Christmas joy to the old folks at home: Mac Payne Jr., Marshall Howse, Lane (Mrs. Major) Smith, Rayner Wineman, Anne Gibson, Vann Ellis, Susan Fulton, Sandra Fulton, Beverly Buehler, Sarah Ann Millike, Linda Word, Sally Cousley, Kay Stubblefield, Bobby Howse, Jimmy Phillips, and Peggy Keady, who not only directed the pageant aforesaid, but also helped with the shepherding of the carollers. Thanks!
And now, to all of you, from all of us, the very best wishes for a very Merry Christmas. This goes especially for our old friends Mary and Jimmy Alexander of Eudora, Arkansas, because, Jimmy, we hear that you've gotten your hearing back. Listen right good, because we are shouting "Merry Christmas" in our backyard tomorrow morning, and hoping you will get the word!
P.S. Whoops, we missed another deadline, but Merry Christmas anyhow.
-BC.
