JAN.16TH 2008

I'M TRYING TO GET MORE ORGANIZED AND FOUND SOME OF THE OLD FAMILY NEWS LETTERS. I'VE PUT THEM IN SHEET SAVERS READ EACH ONE AND LAUGHED AND WANTED TO SHED A FEW TEARS NOW AND THEN. THAT BOOK IS GETTING FINISHED. SOME PAGES I'VE PUT TWO LETTERS IN BACK TO BACK AND OTHERS ONE SHEET WHERE THERE IS WRITING ON THE BACK I'VE ADDED SOME PAGES THAT HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT SOME DAY MAY BE OF INTEREST TO SOME ONE IN THE FAMILY.
WITH ALL OF THE ABOVE I FIND THINGS I HAND WROTE AT DIFFERENT TIMES SO WILL ADD SOME OF THAT ON THIS POST.

FEB. 23, 1982-- I WORKED 11-7 FOR RUTH LOYND THE PAST NIGHT SHIFT. I WORKED WITH PHYLLIS JONES FROM HIBBARD. I TIPPED HER SODA POP ALL OVER THE DESK, FLOOR AND WORSE IT SPILLED ON HER UNIFORM. WAS A VERY GOOD NIGHT PATIENT WISE. FEW LIGHTS AND COMPLAINTS. MEDICATED THREE PEOPLE AND THEN ALL WAS FAIRLY QUIET UNTIL VITAL SIGNS AND PRE OP TIME STARTED. SHOWERS AND THE USUAL OFF WITH RINGS, WATCHES AND OUT WITH DENTURES AND GO TO BATHROOM BEFORE O.R.

PHYLLIS WAS GREAT TO WORK WITH AND WE KEPT BUSY ALL NIGHT CHECKING PATIENTS DOING PAPER WORK AND OTHER GENERAL ROUTINE THINGS. I HATE TO SEE PHYLLIS LEAVE US SOON-------EVERYONE WAS SO SHOCKED WHEN I CAME IN AT ELEVEN P.M. THEN LEFT AT SEVEN A.M. IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I WORKED THIS SHIFT.
HOME AND TO BED SOON AFTER 7:30 AND WIDE AWAKE BEFORE 9:30 COULDN'T GO BACK TO SLEEP GOT UP AT 10 A.M.PROVES TO ME I COULDN'T LONG ENDURE
11-7 SHIFTS.
FROM ANOTHER TABLET WITH THIS STORY ABOUT HOLIDAY'S.
WHEN I THINK OF HOLIDAYS LONG YEARS PAST A PICTURE COMES TO MIND OF A CHRISTMAS TREE WITH CANDLES HELD ON THE TREE WITH METAL HOLDERS. SOME OF THE DECORATIONS MADE AT SCHOOL FROM GREEN AND RED CONSTRUCTION PAPER FORMING CHAINS. THEN AT HOME STRINGING POPCORN INTO CHAINS HELPED KEEP HANDS AND MINDS BUSY A FEW EVENINGS. I LOVED SITTING WATCHING THE FLAMES ON THE CANDLES AS THEY DANCED AROUND.
I OFTEN GO BACK IN MY MIND TO CHRISTMAS EVES WHEN DARLEEN AND BERTIE CAME HOME FROM A DANCE AND I'D WAKE UP SINCE THEY GOT IN BED WITH ME [COLD BODY'S.] I'D ASK THE AGE OLD QUESTION "HAS SANTA CLAUS BEEN HERE YET." I'D TRY TO FIND OUT TO KNOW IF I HAD A DOLL BUT SOON THEY'D BE ASLEEP ARE JUST TELL ME NO AND I'D HAVE TO WAIT TILL MORNING. HOW HAPPY I'D BE ALL DAY LONG WHEN I FOUND MY DOLL UNDER THE TREE.
ONE CHRISTMAS WHEN WE LIVED BY UNCLE JOE AND AUNT LEAH MOM WOULD TELL US TO GET TO BED ARE SANTA WOULD PASS US BY. WE NO SOONER GOT TO BED WHEN WE HEARD HIS SLEIGH BELLS RINGING PROBABLY OVER BY LAWS GOING UP THE HIGHWAY. WELL I KNEW OLD SANTA HAD PASSED US BY FOR SURE. THAT YEAR I GOT A SEWING KIT THAT KEPT ME BUSY (TRYING TO LEARN TO EMBROIDER ) MOST OF THE HOLIDAY WHILE OUT OF SCHOOL. I REMEBER HOW EXCITED I WAS THAT SANTA CAME BACK AFTER WE WENT TO SLEEP.
I'M SURE IT WAS THE NEXT CHRISTMAS THAT BAKER AND I FOUND IT CONVIENT TO BE SICK THE SAME DAY. I GUESS LITTLE SISTER NEEDED TO BE EDUCATED ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS JOY'S AND DISAPOINTMENTS. REBA GOT A LITTLE RED SUIT CASE THAT YEAR THAT I WAS SURE WOULD BE MINE WHEN BAKER SHOWED ME THE CHRISTMAS STASH THAT FATEFUL DAY WE WERE SICK. "WOW" WHAT A DISAPOINTMENT THAT CHRISTMAS DAY TURNED OUT TO BE FOR ME. I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT I GOT.
THEN THE YEAR I COAXED MOM INTO LETING ME HELP BUY CHRISTMAS FOR EVERYONE. THAT WASN'T TOO GREAT A YEAR EITHER SINCE I THOUGHT I KNEW WHAT EVERYONE INCLUDING ME WOULD FIND FOR CHRISTMAS MORNING. WHY SHE PUT UP WITH ME STICKING TO HER LIKE GLUE I'LL NEVER KNOW. I KNEW EVERY THING SANTA WAS LEAVING FOR EVERY ONE "SO I THOUGHT. " AFTER ALL THE PACKAGES WERE OPENED SOME ONE SAID WHAT IS THAT UP IN THE TREE? IT HAD MY NAME ON IT. MOM AND BERTTIE KEPT TELLING ME TO GET THE REST OF MY PACKAGES BUT I KNEW I HAD EVERY THING. THEY FINALLY HAD TO GET THE PACKAGE FROM THE TREE BRANCHES AND HAND TO ME. SANTA DID GET THE MESSAGE BUT HOW HE WAS ABLE TO SUPRIZE ME I DIDN'T KNOW FOR SOME TIME. IN THE PACKAGE WAS A RED MANICURE SET THAT I'D LOOKED LONGINGLY AT THE DAY WE SHOPPED.
I THINK I WAS 12 OR 13 THE YEAR I GOT ME FIRST REAL STORE BOUGHT DRESS ALL MY OWN. IT WASN'T HOME MADE NOR A HAND ME DOWN. IT WAS A PRETTY PLEATED PLAID SKIRT AND A RED SWEATER. I NEVER HOPE TO SEE ANYTHING AS BEAUTIFUL AS THAT DRESS. IT MUST HAVE COST A SMALL FORTUNE.
THEN OF COURSE IT WOULDN'T BE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT MOMS TURKEY AND DRESSING AND ALL THE TRIMMINGS. DAD WOULD ALWAYS TELL US "THE ONE THAT EATS THE MOST POTATOES AND GRAVY GETS THE MOST DESERT". IT TOOK A FEW TIMES OF EATING TOO MUCH OF THE GOOD FOOD TO LEARN NOT TO OVER DO ARE YOU DIDN'T FEEL LIKE DESERT.
I CAN'T LEAVE THIS SEASON WITHOUT REMINDING EVERY ONE TO HANG UP THEIR SOCKS. WE ALL WAYS DID AND IT WASN'T FANCY LIKE NOW BUT ONE OF THE SOCKS WE WORE EVERYDAY. WASHED AND MENDED IF WE'D WORN A HOLE IN THE TOE OR HEEL. MAYBE WE HADN'T WORN HOLES IN THE SOCKS WE GOT IN THE FALL FOR SCHOOL BY THE HOLIDAYS. I ALWAYS FOUND SOME HARD TACK CANDY PEANUTS AND AN ORANGE SOME YEARS THERE WAS A BANANA ALSO. I NEVER DID FIND THAT DREADED LUMP OF COAL. I PROBABLY DESERVED ONE SEVERAL YEARS.
I CAN'T REMEBER CHRISTMAS AS A CHILD WITHOUT SNOW EVEN BY THE TIME I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL WE HAD SNOW EXCEPT THE YEAR DARLEEN CHET AND 3 LITTLE BOYS AND RUTH ABND JIM AND KEITH CAME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. WE WASHED BEDDING AND DRIED IT ON THE CLOTHS LINES OUT SIDE. THEY MOSTLY DRIED JUST A FEW SPOTS THAT NEEDED TO FINISH DRYING IN THE HOUSE HUNG OVER CHAIRS BY THE COOK STOVE AND HEATER. THE FOLKS FROM ARIZONA ARRIVED AND JIM WANTED TO KNOW "WHERE'S THE SNOW ?" I DON'T REMEBER A MORE BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS EVE THAN THAT ONE AS THE SNOW STARTED FALLING IN SUCH BIG FLAKES. BY MORNING WE HAD SNOW.

THEN THERE WAS THE YEAR BAKER RUSHED IN ON HIS WAY FROM FAIRGUT, IDAHO AND HIS BOOT TRAINING CAMP HEADED TO WASHINGTON. MOM SPENT THE REST OF THAT DAY COOKING A BIG TURKEY DINNER THAT WE EAT AT MIDNIGHT CHRISTMAS EVE. HE LEFT AND WE ALL WONDERED IF AND WHEN WE'D SEE HIM AGAIN. IT WAS WAR TIME IN THE 1940'S.
I WROTE HERE THAT ARLENE HAD ASK FOR A FEW MEMORIES AND I CAN'T HELP FEELING NOSTALGIC ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS PAST AND PRESENT. I GOT CARRIED AWAY ABOUT CHRISTMAS AND SKIPPED OVER THANKSGIVING BUT WE HAD THAT HOLIDAY ALSO. IT MARKED THE BEGINNING OF PRACTICE FOR THE CHRISTMAS PLAY THE TWIN GROVES SCHOOL CHILDREN PUT ON EVERY YEAR. IT WAS ALWAYS PUT ON IN THE TWIN GROVES CHURCH. EVERYONE CAME FROM FAR AND WIDE NO MATTER IF THEY WERE ACTIVE L.D.S. ARE NOT AND WE HAD A FEW NON MEMBERS. YOUNG AND OLD SHOWED UP FOR OUR GREAT PRODUCTION. IT WAS PUT ON THE LAST EVENING OF OUR SCHOOL DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS. EVERYONE HAD A PART EVEN IF SOME WERE ANGELS IN THE CHOIR WRAPPED IN WHITE SHEETS. WE STOOD BEHIND A CURTAIN TILL THE END THEN IT WAS OPENED SO EVERYONE COULD BE SEEN. THE YEAR I WAS IN EIGHTH GRADE THERE WASN'T ENOUGH BOYS FOR THE PARTS AND I GOT THE LEAD PART THAT YEAR. I WAS SANTA CLAUS AND I EVEN HAD TO SING SOLOS (IN MY OFF KEY VOICE) . I STILL WONDER HOW THEY GOT ME THRU THAT.

BACK TO THANKSGIVING MOM RAISED HER OWN TURKEY'S FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS UNTIL ONE NIGHT THEY PERCHED ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND THE GALOPPING GOOSE CAME THRU HEADED TO ASHTON AND WIPPED HER FLOCK OUT EXCEPT FOR ONE ARE TWO. AFTER THAT NO MORE HOME GROWN TURKEYS FOR OUR THANKSGIVING DINNER'S. THE GALLOPING GOOSE FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T GROW UP WITH IT WAS A TRAIN ENGINE ONE PASSENGER CAR AND THE CABBOSE AS I REMEMBER IT. I STILL REMEBER HOW UPSET MOM WAS OVER THAT LOSE AS SHE SOLD TURKEY'S TO OTHER FOLKS TO HELP SUPPLEMENT THE FOOD BASKET FOR US.
THERE WAS YEARS AFTER THAT WHEN OUR THANKSGIVING TURKEY WAS REALLY CHICKEN.
WELL I FIND I HAVE OTHER THINGS IN THIS TABLET BESIODES CHRISTMAS SO WILL LEAVE THIS NOW AND ADD ANOTHER TIME.