All My Sisters Visit

I love family.   I love MY Family!   And I love my sisters!
This was a most rare occassion, when all three of my sisters visited at the same time--and in HOT Oklahoma!  The occassion that brought them was my brother, Bud and his wife, Barbie's 50th Wedding Anniversary party.   Only Bill was unable to attend.  It would have been perfect with our eldest brother, evenso, it was a 'mini' reunion. 

Sarah and Paula both arrived on Thursday evening.   So on Friday, they made appointments at the beauty shop where my neighbor, Jeannie K works.  Sarah had not had a hair cut since she last visited 18 months before.

It looked so pretty, that Paula asked me to take a photo of the back of her hair. 

Sarah looked very beautiful when Jeannie was done.

Paula had already had her hair cut and she just wanted it washed and set.  Oh my, did everyone make over Paula's "PERFECT HAIR."    All natural, all healthy and beautiful and at the age of 79, they would say.

Then Paula asked about a waxing job.  What an experience.  I have never had this done to myself. 

So here are my beautiful sisters.  Below is Sarah, who is 85 years old and very little gray hair.  She is a sweetheart.

And here we are having fun at the beauty shop.

This is Sarah at the party.

And Paula at the Party.

And Barbie, who everyone thinks is my sister instead of sister-in-law.

And here is Bonnie with her granddaughter, Allison.  In this photo, they are getting ready to leave town.

And here is Bonnie with Jim at the Party.

Thank God for creating family and thank God for MY family!  My sisters are WONDERFUL!

The Early Fifties, A Different Time, A Different World

Been browsing through my sister Sarah's Photo Album.  It brought back a myriad of memories.  I can still remember the excitement over Sarah having her first baby, Phyllis Jean.  Phyllis made me  'Aunt Jean'  ....and oh so much joy that summer when we met for the first time. Also, there were many visits as well as  many memories of those drives to Princeton, West Virginia or to Dugspur, our Mother's old home place.  Those yearly trips often included stops at caves or drives through the Great Smoky Mountains.  Such is the photo below at Newfoundland Gap, some 5,045 feet up somewhere between North Carolina and Tennessee.  It was August and we were headed to the Marshall Family Reunion in Princeton from Greenville South Carolina.   I would have been twelve--almost thirteen.  With camera in hand, I believe we pulled over at every scenic pull off.

Above:  Bonnie, Jean, Phyllis Jean, Mother, Daddy, Scott.  (Sarah took the picture.)

The road through the Smokey Mountains has an abundance of places to stop for photos.  Even today we still pull over and take those same photo opts--how did we get so much older when the hills are the same?  Below:  Jean and Mother seated.  Scott, Phyllis, Sarah, Daddy and Bonnie standing.

It was the back of this organdie dress below that brought back a rush of memories of how times were back then.   The values and beliefs of the fifties and the rules of our home ....  My mother had made this dress that I am wearing below.  I felt so pretty in it.  But in the fifties, organdie wrinkled  badly.  I had worn this dress to church on Sunday morning and was pressing it to wear again on Sunday evening to church when my Dad walked in and caught me 'ironing on the Sabbath.'  I was reprimanded for violating the Sabbath.    Yes, I remember, you did not buy or sell on Sunday, we did not work or eat out on Sunday, you filled your car with gas on Saturday --  never Sunday. (How was it Mother still cooked and we still did dishes on the Sabbath.)  Sunday was a day of rest:  Sunday School, Church, naps, friends over if we behaved and then Church again that evening.  So preparing for evening service, I just wanted the wrinkles out of the back of my dress as a result of sitting in  Church on Sunday morning.  Ironing on Sunday was an unacceptable action on my part.

But that memory was just a rabbit trail.   Here we are in Princeton at the Painter home.  The Family Reunion took place this year on Aunt Merle's lawn.  I'm not sure but this may have been the  year when Bonnie and I were invited to stay an extra week -- me with the Painters, and Bonnie with Cousins in Keystone, W VA.  Cousin Paulene's boyfriend flew us in a small, four-seater back to Greenville after our visit.   What an amazing memory that made for Bonnie and myself. 

But my point of this posting is to discuss the difference in attitudes, in manner of dress, the morals of the day.  I note how we dressed in these photos.   Traveling in the August heat  by car in dresses and the men in slacks.  And below, at a later time, Sarah and Phyllis traveling by train in hats, gloves and dress suits.    The manner of dress carries a tremendous impact on the attitude and behavior of the person.    This was a time of courtesy, honor, manners and honesty.   It seems silly today, but our comfortable, casual, and even sloppy styles of today accompany rudeness,  ungratefulness, lack of caring, to only mention a few attributes of our present day. 

I loved our home at 502 Bennett Street.   Being the youngest in the family, this was a special time in my life.  Six children (and often additional house guests) and we had one bathroom.   There was a coal furnace in the basement that had to be fueled.    All the girls shared one small room if I remember correctly.  The boy's room was the size of today's closets.   I do not remember any air conditioners and in the winter, there was only the floor furnace vents. Laundry was done every Monday morning with a wringer machine and we hung the clothes out on the line to dry.   Life was simple and when one gave another their word, they meant it and kept it. I never remember telling a lie and if I disappointed my parents in any way, I would have grieved more than they.  How far have we come.    I don't want to go back to those days, but I would love to see the values of honesty and respect return to our society.  Would it be possible to keep the comfortable, casual clothing and still maintain honor?  And could we eat at a restaurant on Sunday and our word would still remain true?

Thinking About The Advent Conspiracy

I've always loved Christmas.  And I totally love the Gift Giving Part.  Looking back, I realize some of my greatest years were when the children were tiny, which makes me know that my focus was a bit off.  I was enjoying the thrill of excited little faces perhaps more  than the birth of the Christ Child.   So when the children grew up, the glamor faded.   It became exciting again when the grand babies came along.   Now, it is time to re-evaluate and consider the best way to celebrate the birth of Christ.   (Photo:   Bonnie, Jean and Buddy about 1950.)

Christ's birth is a coming of promise, hope and a revolutionary love.    However, Christmas has become a time of  commercialization, extravagance, going into debt, major stress,  and even for some a time for regret or a season to be depressed.

Oh the memories of trying to provide gifts on Christmas Lists. It's so much fun to give -- not because there is a need, for me it is the fun of surprises.  Yet as children grew older, I watched some return those gifts which were on their list for something different of just return it for the money.   I thought I loved the shopping, wrapping and watching the opening of gifts only to discover gifts can be inferior -- causing the receiver to make efforts of thanks while inside, disappointed.    So I graduated to a new plan.  Give money, you pick out your own gift. Not a bad plan, I don't mind giving money and you do the work.  What about those times when I requested the gift be wrapped and put  under the tree and opened on Christmas.  Non of these comments or memories are grievous or complaints.  I'm just remembering how off track one can become in the celebration of the birth of Jesus our Lord.    Is all of this a celebration of Christ or a celebration of giving gifts?  (Photo: 1961, my Dad, Mom, Kevin, Marie,  Jim Eller, Jean, Ken & Bonnie.) 

Going back seventy years as a child in a family with six children.  My memory is that we each received one gift of clothing and one toy.  And Christmas was huge.   There were lots of family games, Christmas plays, Christmas Caroling and times to remember Christ and love for others.   Along the way something went awry.  (Photo:  1977 Joel)


When our children were little, I think we began to give our children the things we never had ... only to see them bored and toys broken before dinner time.  It left a bit of an empty feeling and a disgust that children can be so ungrateful, or have such little imagination.    IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE CHRISTMAS A LIFE CHANGING EVENT AGAIN? 

Christmas starts with Jesus.   I know that December 25 is not the literal day that Christ was born but it is the day chosen for us to celebrate HIS BIRTH and HIS GIFT to us.    It was designed to be a season where love wins, peace reigns, and our Savior and King is celebrated.   It was designed to be a time of worship as the wise men did worship.  (Photo:  1986 Joel, Sommer, Jenny Lynn.)

God's gift to us was a relationship built on love .... a time to love family and friends.   Part of my thoughts in this posting are taken from   adventconspiracy.org and a booklet passed out at Asbury Methodist Church.  The thought is to give the gift of TIME.  Spend time with those you love.  Time to make a gift that turns into the next family heirloom.  Or time to play with the children or bake a special cookie recipe together and sing old Christmas songs.   Give a gift to someone who has nothing and has a need.  Give less gifts this year.  (Photo 1994: Sommer, Jennifer, Joel, Jenny Lynn, Jean & Kevin.)

I don't think I am spiritually mature enough to cut out the Christmas Gift Giving and the spending of money.   But I might be able to cut back on it.  With the economy tight, it is the perfect year to begin a new practice.   Give the gift of time, the gift of building relationships, the gift of loving one another.  And the greatest gift of all would be surrendering more of self to Christ ... MORE OF HIM AND LESS OF ME.
(Photo 1988 Joel, Jenny Lynn, Jean Sommer, Kevin)

Visiting Barnwall

A Visit From The Elder Brother

It's the person who loves brother and sister who dwells in God's light and doesn't block the light from others. 

I John 2:10 The Message 

I LOVE my brothers!

On Wednesday afternoon, August 25th, we were blessed by a visit from Greenville, SC, my oldest brother, William O. Montgomery,  better known as Bill.    Bill brought with him his new bride of three months, Nell. 

So on Thursday morning, Ken managed to get Bill to participate in his favorite ritual, the hot tub therapy event.

And he even had Bill try on his Bass Pro Shop hat which looked so much better on Bill than it ever did on Ken.

No amount of coaxing would get Nell into that hot tub, but she did enjoy the deck and reading a book while the guys bubbled.

Later morning, my youngest brother, Granville H, known as Bud, and his wife, Barbie, came for a visit and of course to meet Bill's new bride, Nell.    We had such a great time and enjoyed lunch together.

In the sun room.

Barbie and Nell hit it off as new sisters-in-law.  While we all miss Millie, everyone fell in love with Nell and are so happy for Bills new love.

Of course the Montgomery tradition requires photos of the brothers as well.

Just as we were finishing lunch, Jennifer arrived with her two girls, Megan and Allison.  They are always so glad to see their grandparents, Bud and Barbie.  Jennifer was leaving them in Tulsa for the weekend so that she and Kirk could make a quick trip to Dallas.

The cameras were snapping all over the place.  Here Bill is showing Jennifer the shot he just took.

Megan and Allie were happy to play with the Babe as well as a few toys under the stairs.

And Barbie had to take her turn with the Babe as well.

I love my brothers.  They are very, very special to me.   Each one has a very unique personality.  Yet both are somewhat laid-back and quiet.  Bill loves to serve others while Bud loves to make them happy with a tease or a laugh.  Both have a very positive outlook and a deep trust in God and HIS LOVE.    They grew up in different worlds .. deaf vs.hearing .  While Buddy went to boarding school at the age of four,  Bill found it normal to go away to Holmes Bible school at the age of 14.  Buddy grew up in Schools for the Deaf...first in Fredrick, Maryland, then Spartinburg, South Carolina and graduated from OSD Sulphur, Oklahoma.  Our Father was a preacher, writer, editor, etc which caused little Bill to move with the family 5 times in the first seven years of his life.  Dad was gone a great deal of our lives -- out preaching the gospel.  So after Buddy was born, with three Deaf children, our parents moved us to Fredrick Md, where I was born.  We lived very close to MSD so our two sisters and brother could come home on the weekends if they wanted. 

My earliest memory of Bill is his playing the trumpet for the Salvation Army on the street corner.  And I remember one cold snowy Sunday morning, Bill picked me up and carried me on his shoulders as the family walked to church in the deep snow.  Our parents gave us a wonderful heritage of faith in God.  Bill continued on to enter the ministry, pastoring churches from SC to OK to MO to IL and I don't remember where else. 

Here are three of the six siblings with their spouses.  We pray we do not loose any more of our family this year.   Loosing three in one year was traumatic, painful and sobering.

When people were thinking of leaving, Allie was climbing the stairs.  She is so adorable.  Here she is after conquering the top step.

Now since I had special guests, I decided to try some of Sommer's recipes from her food blog.  I chose the Thai Fried Rice and here it is with the Jasmine rice, pork, curry, green onions, garlic, fresh ginger and frozen peas.  It was really great and definitely something I must make again.  http://aspicyperspective.blogspot.com/

http://aspicyperspective.blogspot.com/2010/03/wanderlust-and-breakfast-fried-rice.html

I almost forgot to show the finished product.

And when I brought out my camera, so did Bill.

Babe worked hard to worm her way into our house guests affections.  She loves to have her rawhide held while she chews away on it and Bill was obliged to do so.  Is this Babe spoiled or what!  Nell was not much of a dog person (Like I am not) but Bill even got to the point where he asked if she would be interested in a pet.

I love this shot, it has so much expression without words.

During the three days, nieces and nephews dropped by for short visits.

Saturday morning breakfast.  We enjoyed Whole grain Oat Nut Pancakes from Laura's Blog.  These are my favorite pancakes.        http://darkredcreme.com/     

http://darkredcrema.com/?s=Whole+Grain+Oat+Nut+Pancakes

Then that sad moment for us when it was time to pack up the car and head out to complete the two-week round of visiting.  Bill and Nell had gone to Hobby Lobby to select flowers for the grave sites of both Bill's oldest son Billy and our Father, G H Montgomery -- Dad buried in Kansas City and Billy in Moberly, Missouri.  They will be traveling through Missouri and Illinois before heading back home.

A Sweet Good-Bye and Thank You for coming.  Ken and I were very honored by your presence.

Thank you Bill for being my wonderful brother and for introducing us to your new bride, Nell.

Please come again!