Childhood Christmas Memories

Not a very good picture since it is SO old,  but this is a picture of one of our Christmas Trees I remember as a child;  I think I can still smell that CEDAR tree!!!  I do remember how prickly it was to decorate though --but I still loved it!  I also loved the little village at the bottom of the tree along with the 'fake' snow,  which would almost cut my fingers!!!!  Remember that?

Dear Blog Friends/Family, I found a little time to go back through some old pictures from my childhood at Christmastime.  SO---today I'll take you back to the 1940's and '50's  and share some photos that mean so much to me.   SO MANY MEMORIES of a happy childhood!!!  Hope you enjoy today's pictures.

Growing up in Big Stone Gap  (southwestern part of Virginia),  I remember seeing and playing in lots of SNOW.   I have loved snow ALL of my long life!  We used to make "Snow Ice-Cream" --and I would collect it in my bucket and take it to Mom to fix!!!!!!  YUM.

I love this picture of my sweet Dad, me and my beautiful Mom --taken about 1954 at Christmastime!!!!

My Dad always put up outside decorations at Christmas every year--and Mom used to say that we were the first home in our hometown to have outside decorations.  I loved that big Santa !!!!  AND --I have such fond memories of all of the big evergreen trees in my yard back then.

Mom joined us for a 'family' picture--Christmas, 1946  (My brother, Raymond, was visiting --so he must have taken the pictures.  In the previous picture,  that old Pontiac was Ray's car.)

This is my favorite of this group of pictures taken by my brother, Raymond, in 1946.   Betsy was probably saying:  "Enough of the pictures!  I wanna go and play in the snow!!!"

Dad may have decorated the outside of the house --but Mom was working just as hard decorating the inside of the house!!!!!

Christmas in about 1957;  Mom was dressed --but I had my bathrobe on!!!! ha

I certainly looked happy on Christmas morning that year (1957)...  Maybe Santa was good to me!!!????  Ya think????   (NOTE:  See that chair on the right side of the picture?  I have that chair in my home NOW.... So Special!)

My Family after Christmas Dinner in 1959:  Brother Raymond,  Brother Jimmy,  Dad, Mom and me

I added this recent picture  taken in 2010 to show you our snow on Christmas Morning.  That year was the LAST year we had snow on Christmas Morning.  SO in 2020 (10 years later),  can we possibly get some snow on Christmas?????????????     I am HOPING!!!!!  (But the chances keep getting less and less as we begin Christmas Week.)

 

 No matter where you live or where you are,  I am praying that ALL of YOU have a blessed Christmas Week--leading up to Christmas Day,  which is the day we celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ.

With the Love of Christmas in my Heart,  I wish you LOVE, JOY,  and FAITH.

Merry Christmas!

Betsy💝💛💚💕

My Family

Ray,  Jimmy,  Dad,  Mom and me  (taken at Christmas about 1959)

Hello Friends,   I certainly think about my family a lot.   It is even more important the older I get...  Since I am the only one left on this earth --out of the five of us,  I always enjoy going through old pictures and re-living all of those memories...

I was born in 1942 --when my Mom Edith was 42  and Dad Simon was 53.....  My two brothers were  Raymond (born in 1922 and died in 2009) and Jim/Jimmy (born in 1930 and died in 1985 from cancer).    Dad died in 1969 and Mom died in 1991.  Daddy was 79 when he died and Mom was 91.  I miss my family SO much.

Today I will share some pictures of my family for you..  Many of the pictures are old and not in very good shape --but I hope you will enjoy them anyway...

My Mom ---taken circa 1902;  Isn't this picture just so sweet? Look at her little bracelet.

My Dad was in the NAVY for 4 years starting in 1909.  While in the Navy,  he got to sail around the world!

A good picture of Mom --taken when she was in in her 20's

My Dad --taken when he was in his early 30's

Mom and Dad when they were dating --taken about 1915

He asked her to marry him!!!!

What do you think she said???????   Time for a pillow fight!!!!!!  (They were married in September of 1919.);  Mom was almost 20 when they married --and Dad was almost 31.

Love this picture of Mom --taken about 1982 at the age of 82. I am now wearing that ring on her right hand.

Love this picture of my Sweet Daddy;  He spoiled me ROTTEN.

Dad and Mom --one Christmas, probably the late 1950's;   Mom loved to decorate for Christmas.  I guess that is  where I got my love of decorating at Christmastime! (The clock on the mantel is now in my home --and still works!!!! It has been in the family a long time.)

Another good picture of Mom and Dad...  Mom grew beautiful flowers...  Even, after Dad had died,  Mom sold our big home, moved into a smaller home --and planted all of her flowers there..

I always loved this picture of Mom and Dad  (as I remember them);  This was taken in the 1950's --and our cat, Snowball,  was in Mom's lap..   The big picture above them is of my Grandmother Ida (Mom's mother).  Ida died when Mom was only 4 years old.

One last picture of my family,  taken about 1946;   Jimmy,  Dad, Mom,  Raymond and me in front;  See my doll (Lu Lu) in front???  Lu Lu was named after my Great Aunt Lura.

Well--as I said,  some of the pictures are not very good,  but at least,  I have them ---and love to look at them and remember this wonderful family of mine.

Raymond lived in Maryland with his wife Evelyn and 3 kids.   Jimmy lived in Florida with his wife,  Margaret and 2 kids.. We didn't see them very often due to the distance.  These days I am still in contact with some of my nieces and nephews.

Hope you enjoyed meeting the family today!!!!  My advice to all of you today is to make time to contact/visit your family.  Do it now before they are gone.  The older  "I" get ---the more I miss and need my family.

Hugs,

Emoticons

MY LOVE OF BASEBALL

George Springer,  MVP of the World Series  

CONGRATULATIONS to my favorite BASEBALL team,  the HOUSTON ASTROS,  for winning the 2017  WORLD SERIES of BASEBALL.    Because of my love for this team and for baseball,  I just 'had' to share my story today!!!!!!  Here it is:

MY LOVE OF BASEBALL goes back to when I was a child. My Dad LOVED baseball and when a 'farm' league team came to our town one year, Daddy sold tickets and I went with him to almost every game. 

Daddy also love the Yankees. Back then, he would have to go into the local 'pool hall' in Big Stone Gap and check the ticker tape machine in order to get the scores. One time Daddy took me into that 'pool hall' (local bar) to get the score---and MAN--did Daddy ever get in trouble with Mama. She said: "Don't EVER take our daughter into that place again!" ha ha ha... And Daddy, being the perfect husband, never did that again. (TRUE STORY)

Daddy and I had a little game going between us. Since he loved the Yankees, I was a Brooklyn Dodger fan... We had so much fun teasing each other about these teams. Oh--how I loved my sweet Daddy. 

When I moved to Texas in 1988, I became a Houston Astros fan... I even went to some of the games through the years in my 12 years there. My favorite players back then were Biggio and Bagwell.... Recently, I have seen the team get better and better. This year was their year!!! I have never seen a group of guys love each other so much and play for each other... CONGRATS to 'my' team for bringing so much love and joy to me and to the city of Houston. "MY" HOUSTON ASTROS beat the Dodgers last night and won the 2017 WORLD SERIES of BASEBALL.... Wow-WOW--WOOOOOWWWW. I'm still so so so excited this morning.

Happy, Happy Team after their win!

I just had to share the JOY...

Hugs,

LET'S THINK GREEN ----plus a WEDDING

Our HOME 5/22/17

I love this quote:  "Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises."  I usually put an emphasis on the colors in our yard --but this year, especially after our terrible drought last year,  I am in love with the GREENS in our yard!!!!!

Today I want to share more of our yard and more of the 'greens' we have.   Hope you enjoy seeing the beauty in all of this GREEN....

Our Ivy/Periwinkle (Vinca Minor) BED on the upper side of our front yard (6/8/17)

Hosta Plants around the dogwood tree in our front yard  (6/12/17)  NOTE:  Deer munched on the one on the right!! Darn!

Another view from the opposite direction of our English Ivy and Periwinkle (Vinca Minor) bed on the upper side of our front yard  (6/12/17)

Hostas among the Ivy/Periwinkle (6/12/17)

First Hosta Blooms of the summer  (6/12/17)

Another Hosta among the Ivy/Periwinkle (the one which is blooming);  (6/12/17)

Continuing on the upper side of the yard toward the back,  this is mostly Periwinkle with a little Ivy;  See George in the background hiding????? ha.... (6/12/17)

Another picture of the upper side of the yard toward the back;  The Periwinkle is so thick here --and even though it takes years to get THIS thick,  it is a great ground cover since it eats up the weeds!!!  (6/12/17)_

This Hosta was our largest hosta plant UNTIL this year...  It is now in 2nd place --but is still pretty (on the upper side of the yard)  (6/12/16)

This is now the largest Hosta we have (on the lower side of the yard);  SO pretty!   (5/18/17)

More Green --with colors among the greens  (Roses and Day Lilies)  (6/8/17)

My favorite Hosta Bed this year  (lower side of the front yard)   (5/16/17)

Same Hosta Bed as above --a month later (6/12/17) ----IF these keep growing,  I'm gonna need a bigger bed... ha

Lower front yard under the big Red Bud tree  (Want to come and sit on our bench with me?) (6/12/17)

Another picture of the lower front side yard, looking back to the road   (6/12/17)

HOME  (6/8/17)

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Meet Mr. and Mrs. Mark Wilhite;  Married 6/12/17 in Galveston, Texas;  Congrats to both!!!  (Mark is my middle son, and he and Debbie have just returned from a Caribbean Cruise.  I am so happy for them and love them both so very very much.

One more collage from the wedding last Monday of my son, Mark, and the love of his life,  Debbie;  They just returned from a Carnival Cruise to the Caribbean. These two Sweethearts have more fun together than anyone I know.  The key to their deep love and their relationship is LAUGHTER.   I am so happy for them, and I KNOW that they enjoyed every single minute on that cruise,  and will have an extremely happy life together FOREVER!!!

Hope you enjoyed today pictures of the greens in our yard... AND I hope you enjoyed seeing these pictures of two very happy people in love.... I love them both with all of my heart!

One more thing:  Hope you had a great Father's Day Weekend.... IF you would like to read some about my sweet Daddy,  click HERE.

Hugs,