Civil War Ancestry

 Great Grandfather James Jones and Great Grandmother, Arena Ann Bradley Jones are pictured above.  Great Grandfather and his eldest son Lewis walked from their home in Hawkins County Tennessee under the cover of darkness to Pineville Kentucky to join up with the Union Army.  They served in the Union Army until the war ended in 1865 and they returned home.  I am proud that he stood against slavery.  A man of integrity and a woman of endurance.  I hope some day to meet them in Heaven.                                                                       

Come Sit Around our Table

   Friends and family are welcome in our home.
   If you come to visit, I'll fix supper for you, and make you a fresh pot of coffee or a pitcher of tea.  Then we'll sit around and reminesse awhile.  Seems that few take time to visit anymore.  When we were growing up, family and neighbors visited one another.  There weren't many days that we did not have company.  When we didn't, we often walked out the road and visited our neighbors.  I still miss the evenings when the neighbors came down to watch wrestling with mom and dad.  They had such a good time and us kids were caught up in the excitement.  And many times in the summer we walked home from a neighbors house, by the light of a full moon.  It seemed that no one was in a hurry back then.  When you visited someone, they didn't want you to leave.  And when they came to our house, we didn't want them to leave.  When someone came from out of town, we cleaned for days before they got there and mom cooked everything special she could think of, and when they left, us kids cried because we didn't know how long it would be before we would see them again.  So if you're comming by, let me know, so I can cook you up something special, like my mom did way back then. And don't be supprised if we don't want you to leave.  Family and friends are one of God's greatest blessings.

Our Old Wash Stand from Childhood Days

    Many years ago I was blessed to aquire this old wash stand.  It is the one we had when we were growing up.  It brought back many childhood memories. We lived several places in Whitley, Laurel, and Jackson counties in Southern Kentucky, before moving to Indiana for a few years, then back to Whitley county.  We moved this old wash stand wherever we went.
    In my mind I can see the water bucket, dipper, and wash pan still sitting on this old wash stand.  Lots of places we lived at; we either had a well and drew our water, or we carried our water from a spring.  In both cases we used this old wash stand to sit our water water bucket on. 
    When we grew up; we didn't think life was hard.  Most of our friends and neighbors grew up the same way.  Back then getting water was a daily chore, but, God always blessed us with good drinking water and everything else we needed.  Just as He does today.  And we thank Him.

World's Most Precious Mammo

    Mammo Cloud lived in a big white farm house surrounded by tall shade trees and a white picket fence.  This kind and precious lady left the minning camps of Harlan, Ky. and moved to her home in southern Ky.  Mammo Cloud was one of the most special people, I've ever known.  Around the house she always wore and old feed sack apron and sometimes she had an old rag tied around her head.  She worked hard her whole life, even in her aging years.  She raised a big garden, milked the cows, churned buttermilk and made butter.  Most people only mopped their floors once a week, but not Mammo Cloud; she mopped her floors everyday.  Her house was always spotless and always welcoming. And she still had time to grow beautiful flowers in her flower garden.  Mammo is gone to be with the Lord now, and I know she loves the beautiful flowers up there.

The man and his Bible

  This is grandpa Jacob Jones sitting on the front porch with his favorite book in his lap, his Bible.  Mom always told us that grandpa couldn't read or write, at least not like most people reads and writes.  He could however sign his name and he read his Bible as good as anyone could have.  Mom said that God had blessed him to read his Bible.  She told of the many times that she and her sisters followed along with him while he was reading his Bible, just to make sure he was really reading it.  She said he was, but, he couldn't read anything else.  Sounds like God really did bless him in that way.  This is a man who truly lived by faith.  Mom told of a neighbor coming to their home one evening wanting  meal or flour to fix for their family for supper.  Grandpa told grandma to get it for them, she told him they only had enough for their own supper, grandpa said in his kind and gentle way, God would provide for them.  Mom said it was getting late and she didn't know if they would have supper that night or not, until they saw their brother George Fultz coming down the road with a sack of groceries on his back.  George said God had laid it on his heart to bring them some groceries.  Grandpa never doubted and God always provided.

My Favorite Dress from the '50's era,

  This simple little dress from the 1950's belonged to my mother-in-law.  When I look at it, I am reminded of her bright red hair, her spitfire personality and her kindness to everyone. She was petite, standing around 4' 11'' tall.  She had one daughter who married young and moved away; leaving my mother-in-law with five boys and a husband to cook and clean for.
    She raised a big garden; canned vegetables and fruit for the family, helped mow the yard and still had time for a welcomed visit when someone stopped by. The thing I remember the most about her was her love for her family, her love of the simple life, and her love for God.

A Blessed Mountain Sabbath

 The drive accross the mountain this morning, quickly gave way to clear blue skies and sunshine casting peaceful shadows on the mountain trees.

 Here and there along the roadside; goldenrod and wild coreopsis stood waving in the breeze. 

 When we pulled into the gravel parking lot we could see that the side and front doors 

of the little church stood open, letting in the fresh air and sunshine. 

We could hear the Sunday school teacher delivering his lesson in his gentle familiar voice.  

The choir sang softly and their angelic voices drifted through the clean mountain air.  

The pastor preached another God given sermon that lifted the heart and soul.  

The sound of roosters crowing accross the hillside rang clearly through the open doors. 

What great love God has bestowed upon us to allow us to enjoy this Blessed Mountain Sabbath.  No this isn't a church of long ago.

 We visited this little country church this morning, in the hills of Kentucky, September 12, 2010. 

 We thank God for His little country church where we can get a drink to fill our thirsty soul. 

Fall my Favorite time of year.

   The crisp evening air, the call of the katydid and clear skys are welcome changes.  

The long hot summer nearly gone, making way for evening walks at the lake.  

The river is clearing some; we may get to take our john boat out and do some bass fishing.  

Won't be long 'til fall apples are in season. 

 Apple butter time!  We need to put some apples in the freezer for the winter.

   Nothing better than fried apples, hot biscuits and gravy when the winter wind howls outside.

   With Fall's beauty and nature's bounty,

 I remember that the Bible say something like,

"What is man, that God is mindful of him?"  

I don't know the answer, 

but, I am so thankful, He is mindful of us.

How we reflect without even knowing it.

   When I took this picture of the knick nacks in my kitchen window, I never noticed my reflection until I uploaded it. It reminded me of the unknowing influence we sometimes have in the lives of others, be it good or be it bad.
    When I filled in at the switchboard so the receptionist could go to lunch a few years ago, a woman came in to apply for a job.  She had that familiar look, but, I didn't really remember her.  She has a ghostly look on her face as she approached me and began to appologize for something she had said to me many years before when we worked together in a neighboring town.  She told me that she had told her sister the day before, if she ever saw me again she would appologize to me.  I assured her that I did not even remember what she had said and what ever it was I had forgotten all about it and did forgive her.  I never remembered her first reflection, though it may have been a bad one, but, I may never forget her last one of sincerety.  Thank the Lord for second chances, and forgiveness.

My Favorite Corner

My favorite corner of the house has lots of memories from days gone by.  Callie Mae, an old ceramic barefoot doll, I bought at Renfro Valley many years ago, sits quietly on the dresser, amongst old jewelry, sewing notions and jars of buttons. A pair of green crocheted high heels, I've had too many years to count, seems to sing of a gentler time.
     But, outside the window a goldfinch sings it's sweetest melody. And, I'm reminded that the best is yet to come.

Cooking on the old Wood Cook Stove

           As kids growing up,    we have fond memories of breakfast being cooked on an old wood cook stove much like this one. Though our parents and mammo had electric and gas ranges, they kept their old wood cook stoves and fired them up in the Fall and Winter to help knock the chill out of the house.  On really cold days, we warmed our hands over the top, and baked cornbread, biscuits and cake in the oven. But, the gravy and fried apples was always my favorite.
   This year at Thanksgiving, Lord willing we hope to cook our Thanksgiving meal on this old wood cook stove in our garage. When we have snow and ice storms and loose power, we cook in the garage and light the kerosene lamps.  Seems to take us back in time, if just for a little while. God is good.