January 31, 2010

First School

I had not attended a formal school before moving to Mt. Victory in 1935.  Mother had taught me some at home and I could read a little before starting first grade. The school year began in early August and I would be eight years old on the 21st. Tom was six on February 10 that year. He was placed in the Primer (pre-reading) and I was in first grade.  Within a very short time, Tom was also in the first grade!  Very soon we were placed in the second grade and were promoted to grade three at the end of the school year.

Maudie Richardson, a very attractive blonde young lady  was the teacher for grades Primer-grade four.  (Her husband, Guy had the store and Post Office across the road from our house. Tom and I thought it was really special to be invited to spend the night with our teacher on August 19th. Both of us were greatly surprised to learn the next morning that a baby sister Joyce) had arrived at our house! We quickly ate a bite of breakfast and dashed across the road to greet our little sister!  She was a little doll!

We began as freshmen at Mt. Victory High School in the fall of 1941. Tom was twelve years old. Tom and I graduated from Mt. Victory High School in May 1945.   

January 30, 2010

Grand Square Piano

My first memory of the rosewood grand square piano (c 1865 built by Woodward & Brown of Boston, Mas) was when we moved from West Liberty to the Neil Howard's Creek Farm in the late spring of 1932. I was four years old.

The piano was too large for the house at West Liberty so Daddy had kept it at the farm where it stood in the large living room. The first piece I remember him playing was  the Storm. He had taken piano lessons for several years as a young boy at Morehead. He bought the large piano from his music teacher and often played classic pieces as well as hymns and some of the Stephen Collins Foster songs. He had a natural musical gift and played by ear also.

When we moved to Wayne County in the spring of 1934, we were living in the house with Grandmother Jones and Aunt Lizzie.  The carefully crated Piano was stored in the barn. At Mt Victory, the piano had a prominent place in the large living room except for the times the living room was a store or a post office. Again it would be carefully crated, covered and stored in the barn.

I have many good memories of Daddy playing the piano in our home .  He also played for church.  Some of my siblings had that musical gift as well, especially Joyce.  When she was three or four years old, she would come home from Sunday School and play the songs we had sung at church.  I did not have that gift. 

In the late 1970s,  Daddy announced that he wanted Joyce to have the piano. When she came to move it he said something like, "I will play my piano for the last time"  He sat down at the piano and played several hymns and then proceeded to carefully build a crate to support the instrument for the move to Joyce's home in Knoxville, TN.

On a visit to the Smithsonian Institute Joyce saw the  exact same piano.  She said Daddy's piano was in much better condition. It has the original ebony keys.

January 29, 2010

From 1935 to 1980, the Van Sant family lived at Mt. Victory, a small rural community in the eastern part of Pulaski County, Kentucky. There was a Post Office, two general stores, a Doctor, two churches, and elementary and high school.  Small farms and homes were scattered over the country side.

The high school drew students from several surrounding communities: Poplarville, Goodwater,  Hale, Acorn and others. Many students walked as much as 5 miles to and from school and several of them rode mules or horses to school.  Our big old barn was a choice place to board a steed for a day. Vola Vaughn Sears and his sister, Elva rode a striking sleek high-stepping horse from Hale.  Elva sat side ways behind Vola Vaughn. He would make the horse fly and Elva just  sat there, held on, and smiled.

A few years later, (early 40's) Daddy fixed up a panel truck with seats and that was the Mt. Victory School bus!             

January 28, 2010

Twins, Meredith and Patrick had their 21st birthday yesterday, the 27th of January!  They are the youngest of our twelve grandchildren!  Gene and I were so excited that Steve and Pat gave us two very special babies.  We couldn't get packed soon enough to head out for Atlanta to see them. And there they were two precious bundles in the hospital. Sarah was five and Lauren  was nine with birthdays coming in August and November.  They were eager to be the big sister caretakers. 

I treasure the many times when our grandchildren would come to Middlesboro for a whole week. I am grateful for the special 'grand times we had  with all our grandchildren.  Another of the reflections of those special days Gene and I shared - we were most graciously blessed!

January 27, 2010

The VanSant home at Mt. Victory in eastern Pulaski Co was a large two story frame house when we moved there in March 1935. There were two very large high ceiling rooms downstairs  The big 'front room' was a store.  The other one became the kitchen. Three large rooms were upstairs and there were open porches at the front and back of the house. The property contained some 27+ acres. The family consisted of Mother and Daddy, six boys two girls and a baby ? girl on the way.

This being in the middle of the depression and along with the purchase of the store came many charge accounts and a very meager inventory; across the road was a competing grocery and post office. Ours was not successful.

The store room was converted into a living guest-bedroom.  After the war began the Post Office position became available and Daddy became the official Mt. Victory Post Master. I was old enough at 15 to help with some of the tasks in the PO.  My first job (unpaid).  The mail came by pick up truck in locked canvas bags. With supervision I could help empty the bags and place the out going mail back in the bags to go to Somerset and further destinations.  I could sell stamps, (3 cents for first class) place mail in patron's boxes and other small tasks.

Daddy took great pains to impress on us that the PO work was regulated by the federal government and that we  would be held accountable by strict rules and the work would be inspected by a government official. So the records had to be absolutely accurate.

The living-guest room became the post office with a lobby and a generous  enclosed corner(with pad locked door) for the 'office'.

Daddy was eager to accommodate the community patrons and did not hesitate to interrupt his evening meal to deliver mail after closing hours.

Frances and Joyce followed me and became expert young PO assistants.

Mother
Jessie Milton Jones was born August 6, 1889.  She told me that she was born at Stubenville, Wayne County KY.  The family later lived on a large farm over looking the Cumberland River also in Wayne County where mother lived until she was ready for high school.

She had always been a favorite of her Grandfather, Granville Milton Jones, a successful business man and a widower,  who lived at Monticello. KY.  So she went to live with him to go to high school.  He had a sister Sarah, known by mother as "Aunt Gosh".  Aunt Gosh taught mother  to sew and helped supervise some of her activities. 

Mother attended Kentucky State College now the University of Kentucky.  She graduated in 1912.  Her first teaching job was at Pineville City High School where Gene and I  lived for over twenty years.  On one or more occasions when she visited us in Pineville, she tried to find the location of the school.  I finally discovered that it was on Cedar Street.  She was there for one year and then went to teach at Morehead, KY.  That was where she met the VanSant family and especially Vernon. They were married January 10, 1918.

Mother taught me so much as she went about her daily chores of taking care of a large family.
There was no barber close by, but none needed. I watched many times as mother cut Daddy's hair with a comb and her sewing scissors, always giving his neck a neat trim with shaving cream and a straight razor.  Of course she was the skillful hair cutter for all the seven boys in the family as well as for me, Frances and Joyce.  My first Biology  lessons occurred as I watched her dress a frying chicken or a hen for the dumpling pot.  She would point out the gizzard and craw, the heart , liver and the developing eggs etc. She often sharpened her butcher knife on the edge of the big cast iron skillet.

I still am impressed with her skill using those very important tools; a pair of sewing scissors and a kitchen knife.

Mother told me a story about when I was a very little girl.  I wanted to help her with the dishes.  She allowed me to dry a teaspoon, but I wanted to dry the saucers!  I said to her , " When I get big and you get little you can dry the spoons and I will dry the saucers"

January 25, 2010

The Teapot

She gave me a small white porcelain teapot decorated with soft lavender Iris.  It had become a keepsake through the years because each time I used it, I would  think of her and of our treasured friendship.

A can of food fell from the cabinet and broke the lid to smitherines!  I will try to mend it, but even if it doesn't mend, I will continue to use it and think if my special friend.

January 24, 2010

Emily decided to stay at home today instead of going to church.
Her banged up nose, and the place where she's lost her teeth probably had a great deal to do with her decision to stay home and listen to the rain. 

She has a friend in PEO who saves tissue paper and irons it.  So she contemplated the value of saving and ironing tissue paper.  She made a custard pie for supper which turned out absolutely delicious.  Mia made a beany, spinach, tomato soup, and Lynn brought garlic bread.  It was a lovely supper get together - Emily - Alan, Lynn, and Liga; Mia and Clyde. 

It's rained off and on all day.  Two or three times today it filled up the drainage canal that runs behind the house.  That little dwarf Alberta Spruce she and Joyce planted the other day got a nice drink of water today. 

January 22, 2010

Joyce was so dear to come on Tuesday evening to be with me on Wednesday to have the skin cancer removed from my nose. She was able to be in the room with me during the four hour process; so she observed  the complete  Mohs Surgery.  She commented that she thought Dr. Ligon and his staff did an excellent job. I was relieved to hear the Dr. say after the second sample that the margins were clear. I was instructed to keep the incision clean with soap and water, moist with vaseline, and covered with a bandaid. I am to come back next Wednesday to have the many stitches removed.  I am not having much discomfort.

Joyce stayed until after lunch on Thursday.  We planted the lovely little Dwarf Alberta Spruce tree that Betsy sent for Christmas. It had been decorated with lights, tiny flower pots, straw hats, and miniature gardening tools!  I hope it will be happy at the head of our little pet graves in the side yard where Mousie Cat, Molly and Patches are buried.

Today is Gene's birthday.  He would be 85.  Lynn and I took four roses from last Sunday's church arrangement to place by his headstone at the National Military Cemetery.
              






Gene always liked to celebrate special occasions and he especially enjoyed his birthday.  On his 80th birthday, we had been settled in Chattanooga for about two years.  Lynn helped me plan for his birthday.  We invited all the family, folks from church, other friends and neighbors.  Gene had commented that if we put 80 candles on the cake, we would have to call the fire department to put out the blaze!  So Lynn suggested that we invite the crew from the fire department just down the street to the party.

There were about 25 guests enjoying the festivities, and we had a cake with 80 candles on it. So just as we were lighting the candles the firemen in full fire gear  rushed in fire extinguishers and axes in hand. Gene loved it!  I have been remembering the many birthdays we celebrated together during the 63+ years we spent meeting the daily challenges of life in the reflection of God's gracious blessings and those promises we made to God and each other on April 12, 1946.

January 21, 2010

Emily had a previous procedure to remove a squamous cell carcinoma from her face. Yesterday she asked Dr. Ligon's nurse when the previous place had been treated. She said January 20, 2009; exactly a year ago!
She is doing very well with the after effects - no bruises or black eyes, and is fairly comfortable so far.



Mama (our Grandmother VanSant)


Benjamin Franklin VanSant and Frances Lee Hudgins were the parents of six children Ruth, Vernon, Ruby, Lewis, Franklin, and Henderson.  Mama had 4 or 5 brothers, and no sisters.  She was known as 'Frank'.  They lived at Morehead, KY next to the campus of what was then he Morehead Normal School, which was a center for teacher education. Mother went there to work as a teacher in 1913.

Mother and Daddy were married January 10, 1918.  Uncle Henderson was about 5 years old and mother had a young brother , Uncle Jack who was the same age. Their first home was a large pre-Civil War two story log house at  Neil Howard's Creek (formerly a plantation) near Sandy Hook, KY which is the  Elliott County Seat.

Vernon and Jessie Milton are buried on a hillside overlooking the old home place. I and most of my siblings were born in that house.

Mama, Franklin, and Henderson had moved to Oklahoma City sometime around 1929.  Aunt Ruth was living there employed as a Home Economist for Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. Aunt Ruby also went to Oklahoma to teach high school math.

Most of my memories of Mama were of the few times my uncles brought her to visit us at Mt. Victory, KY. Aunt Ruby usually came at that time as well. Mama was living with Aunt Ruth and Uncle Vest Meyers at Cape Girardeau, MO by this time.

More about Mama's visits later.

January 20, 2010

Today was Emily's procedure to remove a squamous cell carcinoma from the left side of her nose. Her sister Joyce came down from Knoxville and spent the night with her, took her to the doctor, stayed with her during the procedure, and brought her home.  Mom was really glad to have her come for a visit and to help out with this appointment and is having a really good visit with her. 

The procedure went very well, but took all afternoon.  She was at the doctor from 1:00 until about 4:30 or 5:00.  The Mohs procedure is a more refined procedure than the older more dramatic excisions which used to be common procedure.  The Mohs examines the excised tissue under a microscope and directs the next cut by showing where there are clear margins and where cancer tissue is still in the site.  Only when there are clear margins all around does the doctor stop.  It is designed for tissue preservation and is especially used in facial areas.  Emily had the primary excision, and one more which left clean margins all around.  She described the amount and size of the area taken as about the size of a pea.  She was given a choice of sutures or allowing it to heal as is When she asked the doctor for his opinion, he recommended the sutures.  Her nose is swollen but she is not uncomfortable.

In the meantime, she has had a wonderful visit with Joyce, and Alan and Lynn visited for a take out chinese dinner this evening.

Update on Gene's sister Mary
 Lynda, Mary's daughter, took her to see the Doctor in Lexington yesterday.  The Doctor's opinion is that she would regain almost all her sight.  She is already beginning to regain some of the sight in that left eye.  Losing her sight has been pretty traumatic and she's been pretty upset and nervous about it.  Please keep her in your prayers.  


Update on Emily
Joyce has come down to Chattanooga to be with Emily for tomorrow.  She has an appointment with her dermatologist to remove a small skin cancer on the side of her nose.  It will be a procedure called Mohs Surgery.  Joyce will drive her and be with her during the procedure and will bring her back home and perhaps stay over again with her.  We'll post an update tomorrow. 

January18, 2010

We had news from Lynda who is the oldest daughter of Gene's baby sister Mary McKenzie.  

Mary is having a hard time with her cataract surgery.  Her surgery was on January 6. On Monday the 11th when she woke up she could not see. Lynda took her to Middlesboro to see her doctor  who put them on a fast track to St Joe's in Lexington where she had another surgery. They were there until Wednesday the 13th.  On Friday the 15th they were in Corbin - all the tests came back confirming that she has a staph infection in her eye. She seemed somewhat better and they were due back in Lexington today to meet with the doctors.  

Please remember Mary in your prayers.                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Here's a picture of Emily and Mary in the hall outside the ICU at Erlanger when Gene was there.  They were taking turns pushing one another in the wheelchair each claiming they didn't need to ride, but it sure did help to push someone else.  Lynda brought Mary down to Chattanooga two times to see Gene.  Once when he was in Erlanger and another time when he was at Kindred.  It was easy to see that he was very uplifted by her visits. 

January 17, 2009

Emily has been sharing some of the cooking secrets she and her siblings learned from Grandma VanSant.  Here's a picture of the page from the cookbook that they used to make that cake.  It seems to be one of the first things that they learned to cook. It sure seems like that page got lots of use!

The book was a Home Economics text book from the time Grandma VanSant was in college - Everyday Foods,  by Harris and Lacey,  Riverside Home Economics Series  Houghton Mifflin Co.  The last section of the book was a cook book.

Janurary 16, 2010

Emily was pretty busy today.  She had a leadership workshop this morning at the church.  Dr. Carver's wife made  breakfast for the group and they had a full morning.  One of the activities was to stand on a map where they were from.  She was the only person in the group from Kentucky! 

This afternoon she did some work around the house and then had Alan, Lynn, and Liga down for some blueberry pancakes.  It was a pleasant evening.  After supper, she and Lynn took a drive over to WalMart for a quick errand. 

It's been a bit warmer, but today was grey with rain sprinkles off and on, and still a bit of chill during the day. 

January 15, 2009

More about the Traveling Wood Burning Cook Stove

This picture shows the style of the Kalamazoo gas/wood burning cook stove fairly well except ours was black instesd of green and the top was larger because of the gas feature.  The fire box is the top door on the left.  Ashes were removed from the bottom door. All the ashes have to be removed before a new fire can be built. The temperature guage is on the center of the oven door. The area on the right side is a water reservoir to provide hot water.  Mother had a large 2 gallon iron kettle with legs and a round bottom.  She removed the stove cap and set the kettle closer to the fire. This hot water was mostly for washing and scalding the dishes and cooking vessels.  Most of our pots and pans were cast ironware.  Another use of the hot water was for 'Scalded Cornbread' 
When it was time for a baby calf to be born, the milk cow would be 'dry' and the milk for making bread would be scant.
 

Scalded Cornbread

4 cups sifted cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat (lard)
Boiling water to scald all the meal

Cut the fat into the meal until it is well distributed. Pour about a cup of boiling water over the mixture and toss it lightly continuing until all the meal is scalded.  The mixture should be of a consistency to be held in your hand.  Wet hands with cold water. Take about 1/2  to 3/4 cup of the mixture in your hands, pat it into a small pone. Place on a hot greased griddle. Bake in a very hot oven for about 20 to 30 minutes.

There was a 'chop block' where stove wood was cut.  Most of the time the wood cutting was done with an axe, so wood chips accumulated around cutting area and these were used for kindling. There was a woodland on our farm that supplied plenty of small logs and limbs for stove wood.  As small children gathering chips and carrying stove  wood were delegated to us.  We eagerly accepted our responsibilities. Although we often were reminded that the wood box was needing to be refilled.

January 14, 2009

Here is the recipe from Mother's cookbook for the three variations on the cake in the previous post.  The cookbook was a text book for Home Economics.

  BUTTER CAKES
  Portions for three types of butter cakes

  Ingredients: Plain  Foundation   Rich

  Milk 11/8 cups 1 cup   1 cup
  Flour (soft wheat) 3 cups 3 cups   3 cups
  Fat 1/3 cup 1/2 cup   3/4 cup
  Eggs 1 2 or 3   4
  Baking powder 5 teaspoons 4 teaspoons   4 teaspoons
  Sugar 1 1/4 cups 1 1/2 cups   2 cups
  Salt 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon   1/4 teaspoon
  Flavoring 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon   1/2 teaspoon

Note:
These proportions are for fat containing no water. If butter or other fat containing water is used, increase the proportions 2 Tablespoons for each cup. Flour should be sifted once before it is measured.

Mother had a tube cake pan that we used to bake this cake. The sides and bottom of the pan were coated with butter or lard. We made a liner for the bottom by tracing on a piece of paper around the bottom of the pan and making a hole for the 'tube'. (no wax paper) The fat coated both sides of the paper which was removed while the cake was hot. We usually made a white iceing and served it with home canned peaches. A Sunday dinner treat. "Dinner was our mid-day meal. We didn't do dessert on week days.

1 Home Baking, United States Department of Agriculture Farmer's Bulletin #1415 (1926)

Cake Method:
Cream fat well. (I used lard) Add sugar gradually. Beat yolks until thick and add to creamed sugar and butter. Sift together dry ingredients. (Flour should always be sifted before it is measured.) Add dry ingredients and milk alternately. Beat or stir batter only enough to make it smooth. Add flavoring. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

Equipment :
Tablespoon for creaming and mixing egg beater, teaspoon, teacup

January 13, 2010

Emily had a good day today. 

She is beginning to find it rewarding to share her memories with a larger audience and in writing.  She has so many memories and her stories have always been entertaining and have given her listeners a glimpse into her perception of the events in her life.

Here's an observation.  A week or two ago we had some big wind in the neighborhood and damage to lots of trees.  A tree man came in to the neighborhood and did work for several people, and several other people did work themselves, trimming up trees, removing several that were damaged pretty badly and trimming up lots of others.  Mom got the tree man to promise her some of the wood he was cutting, but before he could get it to her someone took it.  So Alan and Lynn got the truck and loaded up some wood from a different pile that had not been cut into such nice lengths.  It's been parked at her house for a week or so awaiting someone to have enough energy or endurance in the cold to unload it.  In the meantime, she was taking logs off the truck and burning them in the fireplace.  Yesterday, she decided that she didn't want to wait around for someone to come unload the truck, so she did it herself!  She also called a fellow and got a load of firewood delivered and stacked in the side yard. 

Emily's always loved a fire, and she's all set now!

January 12, 2010

Emily remembers:

The cook stove (range) was always one of the main features of the kitchen. It served the Van Sant family faithfully for all the years I was growing up and beyond. The stove provided three meals a day every day.

My first memory of the 'stove' was when we lived at West Liberty, a small county seat town in northeastern KY.  The stove was very large; black enamel with silver trim and equipped to use either natural gas or wood. Mother cooked with gas at West Liberty. At all the other places we lived, she used wood. Coal was never used for cooking! When using wood, the whole top of the stove got hot,so you could place cooking vessels all over the top.

I learned to cook on the wood burning stove. One of the first foods I cooked was a cake. The critical thing in baking a cake was to regulate the oven temperature which was done by the amount of wood to be placed in the firebox. The temperature gauge said 'moderate' for a cake.

A fascinating feature of the stove was a big unusual word placed prominently on the oven door. It was KALAMAZOO. I later learned that there is a place by that name in Michigan!

From Mother's cookbook.

  Plain Cake
  Milk 11/8 cups
  Flour (soft wheat) 3 cups
  Fat 1/3 cup
  Eggs 1
  Baking powder 5 teaspoons
  Sugar 11/4 cups
  Salt 1/4 teaspoon
  Flavoring 1/2 teaspoon

Cake Method:
Cream fat well. (I used lard) Add sugar gradually. Beat yolks until thick and add to creamed sugar and butter. Sift together dry ingredients. (Flour should always be sifted before it is measured.) Add dry ingredients and milk alternately. Beat or stir batter only enough to make it smooth. Add flavoring. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

This recipe gives ingredients for A Foundation cake or a Rich cake by increasing the amounts fat, eggs and sugar.

Equipment :
Tablespoon for creaming and mixing egg beater, teaspoon, teacup 

January 11, 2010

Emily continues to reminisce -

Team work
A wash tub could hold at least 10 or 12 gallons of water.  So to make the task of getting the wash water , two people could carry a tub full from the well to the house.  Tom was about a year and a half younger than I.  We were assigned to carry wash water by tub.  At that time I was into my growth spurt.  Tom had not begun his, so he was smaller than I was. It was very necessary to keep the load balanced.  Sometimes some of the water would splash over the side.  Once when that happened, Tom just yanked his side up and let all the water fill my shoes!  We decided the best solution was to refrain from reporting the incident to our parents.  We returned to the well and proceeded to keep that load carefully balanced.

Few families had a refrigerator. Many had a spring house which was a small structure built over a spring or a cool part of a stream of water. This provided a place to keep milk, butter and eggs from spoiling. We were one of the families that did not have a spring house. Some people put their milk down into the well. Daddy and Mother thought the milk might spill and ruin the well water.  In the summer time we cooled the milk with well water, placing the buckets of milk in a wash tub and pouring fresh water around it. The water needed to be changed during the day.  The water that had warmed up was used for cooking and etc.   It seemed to me that I carried enough water to fill an ocean!

Tom was an extremely brilliant child. There was a grove of mature oak trees between the house and the well. Tom made a road all the way through the grove for toy cars which included tunnels, bridges etc., working on it most of one summer.  His tool for making the 'long way road' was a hoe blade. 

January 10, 2010

Mt. Victory was located on a ridge about half way between Somerset and London, KY. There were no water sources nearby such as a branch, creek, or river. Our water was carried from a dug well. And carrying water was a job delegated to the children. Our well was about four feet in diameter and about 15 feet deep. The perimeter was lined with stones and there was a concrete base and box at the top. The water was drown in a 3 gal zinc well bucket attached to a chain or rope. The well was located about 3 or 4 football field lengths from the house. It seemed like a half mile to me! All water for cooking , drinking, bathing, and laundry, etc. had to be carried.

Wash day was just that, a day's work for a big family. Since Mother was a school teacher, our wash day was usually on Saturday. I remember our gasoline engine Maytag washing machine which was on the back porch, put-putting all day long.

Washday required water to be carried to the house the day before. It took at least a dozen trips to the well unless two people took one of the big tubs, filled it at the well, and carried it back. One large tub of water was heated early that morning to go into the washing machine and two additional large tubs were used for rinsing. All the clothes and linens were hung on clothes lines outside. If more space was needed some things would be hung on the garden fence. In winter time it was not unusual for the clothing to freeze.

I have a memory of  Dan at about 13 or 14 years old one summertime wearing no shirt, just a suntan, carrying water in  5 gallon lard cans of water on his shoulder. It took lots of trips to make enough for washday!

January 9, 2009

Emily reports:

I undecorated the Christmas tree today. January 6th is Epiphany. which once celebrated both the birth and baptism of Jesus and later the visit of the Magi. Some people referred to it as "Old Christmas." Having a Christmas tree helps me remember when our children were little. So when I decorate for Christmas I am thinking of some very special times as we celebrated God's gift to the world.

A cold day 17 - 26 degrees.This was a special day to remember a brother on his birthday. I think

Dan would have been 86 today. His name, Daniel Milton VanSant. came from mother's family. There was a Daniel Shearer and mother was Jesse Milton. Her Grandfather was Granville Milton Jones. Dan was very protected brother and a highly intelligent person. He was a handsome boy with dark hair and brown eyes. He was fast promoted in elementary school and stayed home from high school one semester to take care of our little sisters, Frances and Joyce. That was probably 1939. Frances had a little kitten and if the girls misbehaved, he would get the kitten and some wire pliers and pretend to pull its teeth! They didn't want that kitten's teeth pulled!

Frances and Joyce were very close in age.Frances was just two when Joyce was born. They were good playmates. I was almost 6 when Frances was born. Daddy assigned me to entertain them and keep them safe. I took the job very seriously. The three of us shared a bed. I was in the middle.There were seven boys in the family. I liked my brothers most of the time. They were protective but liked to tease me. I adored my little sisters. Mama, (Grandmother VanSant) and our aunts made darling little dresses for them. They were dressed alike. All little girls wore dresses.

They were creative in their play. A hay rake might be a bank teller's window. Daisies could be fried eggs and Junebugs buzzing in a cold cream jar would be a boiling pot of beans. They liked to sing and folks at the country store across the road were an appreciative audiance.

Dan finished high school at mid-term at age 16. He went to the Uinversity of Kentucky and was with Ben for his first year. Being in ROTC at the University, Dan was activated and had OCS ( Officers Candidate School) at Ft. Benning, GA

January 9, 2009

Today Emily spent the day at home.  It's cold in Chattanooga, so she had a fire going to take the chill off in the house.   She has made a resolution to work on her organization.  She is spending part of most days doing something large or small in that area.  While her computer was being worked on, she took the opportunity to work on the office area where the computer usually is.  She made a big dent in getting it straightened out. 

Today Amy came over and helped her out some.  Many years ago, a young pastor named Martin Rudolph and his wife Margie served the church in Mount Victory.  They became friends of the family and over the years, Emily and Gene kept up with them - seeing them from time to time.  Some years ago after Lynn moved to Chattanooga, she discovered that Shirley, the Rudolphs daughter lived nearby.  Amy is Shirley's daughter. 
When Emily and Gene moved to Chattanooga, one of their first connections was with the Rudolphs.  They enjoyed re-establishing the relationship.  Shirley and her children have continued to be a support for Emily, and she often has Amy do work around the house. 

January 8, 2010

Today Emily went with Lynn to her last radiation treatment.  The techs allowed her to accompany Lynn into the treatment room and then explained exactly how they line up the body for treatment.  They showed her the lasers that they use to line up the body and explained how the big machine they use works.  Of course, she had to leave the room when they actually did the treatment - no one can be in the room.  

In the afternoon, she spent lots of time working around the house on the organization that she has promised herself for this new year.  Today she worked on her collection of magazines.  It has been awfully cold all day long, but she has stayed warm and has had a fire.  This evening she went with Alan and Lynn to Mizpah for Friday evening services and a dinner.

January 7, 2010

Emily shares some memories  -

I graduated from Mt. Vctory High School in May 1945 when I was seventeen. WWII in Europe had ended in April and by August it had ended with Japan.

 I had always thought I would go to college and could have attended Sue Bennett Jr College at London, KY.  But my parents decided it would be good for me to spend some time with our grandmother VanSant, (Mama).  Mama lived in Cape Girardeau, MO, with my aunt Ruth, who was Daddy's sister. She and her husband Vest Meyers had two little girls close to the age of my little sisters, Frances and Joyce. Uncle Vest was Academic Dean at Southeast Teachers College there.
 
Aunt Ruby, another of Daddy's sisters came to visit us at Mount Victory and took me to Cape Girardeau.  I completed a quarter semester there and came home for Christmas. Soon after I got home, Gene was back from the war. He arrived home in Harlan, KY, just in time to help his mother and sisters escape a record flood in the Cumberland River which ran close to their home. He carried his mother out of the house as the water rose up the front steps. He said the water was chest high on him before they got to high ground.
 
Gene left high school to volunteer for the army before he graduated. When he came home, he decided to finish his last year of high school so he enrolled at Harlan City High School. He came to see me in early January. I didn't go back to Cape Girardeau.  We were married in April, and Gene finished High school in May. He decided to attend college at Berea College.  So many GIs were going to college because of the GI bill that there was a shortage of college housing.  So our very first “home” that first semester was a bedroom in a private home. We had our meals at the boarding hall. 

Today I wore a necklace ( carved from stone) that Mama gave me when I was attending school at Cape Girardeau. The stone beads are tan and have small light brown beads between them.
 
So Mama has been close in my thoughts today.

January 6, 2010

Emily spent the day at home organizing and cleaning.  Her computer is still in the shop (trying to recover data from the old hard drive) and she is using this opportunity to reorganize and clean up her office space.  She had some help in today and got a big chunk done.

Tonight she went to the Wednesday night dinner and service at church.  They were having a special presentation by a doctor on what to look out for in heart attacks.  She enjoyed the companionship of the regular Wednesday night crowd as well as the program. 

January 5, 2010

In Emily's words:

A new decade - time seems to go so quickly.  But when I consider time past it causes me to experience it as an accordion - when it closes, so many events we would like to remember are lost in the folds of the time accordion.

Writing is a gift discovered in ancient times as people began to record the history of their world - pictures on a cave wall told a story.  I wonder how many events of those times past were left in the folds?  We treasure the few examples that have been preserved.  


Today there are so many ways to document and preserve the days of our lives.  But I believe the gift of the written word should alwyas have a place of much significance.  


I think of journals - a baby book with pictures - an account of daily growing and development - the first time to turn over, to sit up - crawl - walk - first tooth - first words - are precious memories that would be  lost to the folds of time. 


So I have swimming in my thoughts that I might try to do some post journaling - by writing some of the memories of my past.  


We'll have to see what happens. 

January 4, 2010

Tonight Emily reminisced about her brother Ben.

Brothers - there were seven among my siblings - six older than I.  Ben, the oldest was always helpful and kind.  He was always a dependable, responsible person. 

In the fall of 1934, Ben went to Oklahoma to finish High School.  He stayed with our grandmother VanSant, Mama as she was known.  Vernon Vaughn had gone back to Sandy Hook for an extended visit with Daddy's cousin Mary VanSant.  The rest of the family moved from Wayne County to Mount Victory in March of 1935 to the first house we lived in, a big two story white frame house across the lane from the last house where Mother and Daddy lived. 


One early summer morning, my younger brother Tom and I were having a delightful time sliding down the bank beside the road.  A young man came walking up the road and as he approached us he said, "Can you tell me where the Van Sants live?"  Of course we pointed to the home close by.  He said nothing more as he walked toward the house.  

Tom and I ran to the house to find out who he was and arrived just as he greeted Mother with a kiss. Only then did we recognize our big brother Ben!

Winter has finally hit here in Chattanooga.  It was 17 degrees this morning and only got up to 34.  That's cold for the thin blooded southern branch of the family!

January 3, 2009

Today Emily went to church; she has returned attending most of the same worship times as she and Gene did before he went into the hospital.  During the time Gene was in the hospital and Emily was with him every day, she attended church very little.  It is good for her to have the support of her faith community. 

One of the couples that Emily and Gene connected with right away was Ted and Phyllis Bates.  Ted died near the same time as Gene, and Phyllis and Mom have made a good connection. Today after church, they went to the cemetery together.  The two graves are not in the same section, but they are just a short car ride away from one another.  It's good to have someone who is going through the same experiences to talk with and sometimes just to be with.  After the visit to the cemetery, they went for lunch, and ended up at the Cracker Barrel in East Ridge.  Emily enjoyed a lunch of catfish.  This evening Gene's cousin Mia, brought over a potato, corn chowder and Alan, Lynn, and Liga joined them for a lovely dinner and visit.

Emily still doesn't have a working computer.  Perhaps tomorrow the geeks at our little local computer store will be able to figure out a fix - we'll post an update when the computer is fixed. 

January 2, 2010

Today Emily wanted to share an inspirational column written by Nell Mahoney that appears in the  January 2, 2010 Chattanooga Times Free Press. 


The Seven Ups for a Successful New Year

 There seems to be an almost universal desire for a new beginning as we face a brand new year.  In my experience, there are two problems that keep us from realizing that desire. First, our good intentions get lost in the pressures of everyday living. Second, we believe that willpower is all we need. So, we work harder and harder while going in the same direction and making the same mistakes. 


Perhaps we need to reinvent ourselves with God's help.  This involves getting a clear picture of what God would have us be and do at our particular age and circumstance.

So often we simply do what comes next without asking such questions as "Do I need to change directions? Why haven't my efforts in the past been more successful?  Do I need to learn new skills or be more focused, or have a more vital spiritual experience?"


We need to believe that our picture of a "new you" is possible.  Millions of people around the world have just celebrated the birthday of Jesus, the Christ.  In John's Gospel (1:2) we read, "But to all who received him, who believed on his name, he gave the power to become..." 


As a practical plan, I like the Seven Ups of a successful, happy new year as passed on to me by Tim and Linda Martin of Kingsport, Tenn. 


1. Wake Up: This should be done each morning with gratitude for our blessings.  Instead of fretting about how much we have to do, we need to condition our thoughts with positive affirmations, such as "This is the day the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24). 


2.  Dress Ups:  I heard a well-known psychiatrist say, "Taking a shower and getting dressed early in the morning will help you be energized and disciplined throughout the day."


3.  Shut Up: There is a Greek proverb that says, "We have two ears and one mouth that we may listen the more and talk the less."  In Proverbs 13:3 we read, "He who guards his lips, guards his soul." In my own life, the people who have influenced me most have mastered the art of listening.  With them, I feel understood and thus trust them implicitly. 


4.  Stand Up: Stand up for what you believe, not in arrogance or intolerance, but with love and confidence.  Alexander Hamilton said, "Unless you stand for something, you will fall for anything." 


5.  Look Up:  Look to God for guidance and empowerment.  It's important to remember that we are not in charge of the universe.  Those who are wrapped up in themselves make very small packages. 


6.  Reach Up:  I do not believe that humility is found in a person who is weak and spineless. Rather, I see true humility exemplified in a person who is seeking to live up to all he or she was created to be, and yet measures himself by one who has attained that goal.  For me, that one is Christ.  The quality of his life rises like a Matterhorn among other mountain ranges. 


7.  Lift Up:  Every day, by our words and actions, we either lift up or put down those around us.  We need to lift up prayers for others, our world and ourselves.  


So if you want to be a "new you," reinvent yourself with God's help, get a clear picture of what you can become, and use the Seven Ups of successful living to have a happy new year. 


Nell Mahoney is a Christian author, motivational speaker, and seminar leader.  She may be reached at nellwmahoney@comcast.net

January 1, 2010

A New Year is here.  Emily stayed up last night and watched the ball drop, and then she was up by about 5:30 this morning. She is experiencing computer problems, so she's "off the grid" for a few days.

She napped a bit this morning and then later this afternoon, she went with Alan, Lynn, and Liga for an outing to Barnes and Nobles and then on to dinner at the Chop House where we were joined by Mommy Anne and Pennie.  She seemed to enjoy the evening.

Russ and Steve have been really good about calling Emily on a pretty regular basis.  She also is talking to some of her grandchildren on a pretty regular schedule.  She recently talked with Lauren, and go the news about the dress for Madison. Madison and MaMa got one another's names in their family name drawing. So  MaMa made a beautiful little blue velveteen dress.   It was lots of fun to see Emily make the dress.  She had Pat borrow a dress that fit Madison, and used it to adjust the pattern she had bought.  She really gave it lots of tender loving attention. And the blue really compliments Madison's big blue eyes.  Here's the picture promised on an earlier post.