Merry Christmas!

 

 Our card for this Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steph and Jeff Wingerter at Moms 2009

In the little house in Martinton. 

Mom and Rich 2, Clifton Nursing Home 2009

 She really enjoys visitors.

Mom's House in Martinton at Christmas 1990s

 Mom just loved her little house. She decorated it some years back and I took this picture.

House burns down

 The huge pink mansion across the street from the Sheldon Nursing Home burned down last week. Mom just smiled when I asked her if they had some excitement last week because of the fire.

Mom with her Memory Book

Marilyn Rose had collected the cards, letters, and notes Mom had received this year and Barbara placed them in a book so Mom or a visitor can go to a page, open the card to reread the info. It was her Christmas gift to Mom. Mom said how nice it was to have them all together.

Birthday call to Dawnetta

Mom was so happy to share some time with Dawnetta, her granddaughter in Texas, on her birthday! 

BULLDOG GRAVY

I have Sarah Ogan's song loaded in my computer and didn't know what "Bulldog Gravy" was so this week I asked Mom's cousin Etta Arnold Owens if she did as her father Ernst was a Kentucky miner most of his life. She did not and I'm glad she didn't after I googled it and read this.

Bulldog gravy refers to a Great Depression era foodstuff associated with American coal miners. It was a mixture of water, flour and grease, and eaten with beans or over a "water sandwich" (bread soaked in lard and water). It is mentioned in the lyrics of the Appalachian lament Man of Constant Sorrow (or Girl of Constant Sorrow, depending on the performer.) It is also mentioned in the lyrics of Sarah Ogan's "Come All You Coal Miners," covered with the title shortened to "Coalminers" by the alt-country group Uncle Tupelo, on their album, "March 16-20, 1992."

Bill Miller in Uniform/Obit

 

Sonny Watson

 Sonnys Mother was Dads first cousin, Louella Watson. Louella was the daughter of Charlotte "Lotte" Miller, Dad's aunt. They lived 1/2 mile south of Grandpa and Gramma Arnold when they lived on the Taylor place near Bonfield in the 1940's.  Sonny and I went to High School together. He married a girl from Clifton that went to school with Barb. He has a prosperous industrial disposal business.

Ernest and Surilda Arnold 50th

 Ernst was a brother to my Grandpa George Arnold. Surilda was an American Indian. He is from the Somerset area of Kentucky, she was from Cow Creek, KY. Thanks to Mom's cousin Etta, daughter to Ernest, for the clipping. More info to come.

Christmas Card 2012 Family Version

 I had two versions: one for the family , from Gramma, and one from Lucille.

Merry Christmas Card 2012

 I mailed Mom's cards last week and she was happy to hear it. Don't forget to mail one to her.

Cards

 Reagan Lucille sent her Great Grandma Lucille a beautiful card. Mom just loved to look at her nightstand and see the love expressed in the smile on this card!

Dec 7, 1941

 Welty, Grandpa, Dad, Sherwood Thorson

On this date 71 years ago my parents did what they usually did on a Sunday, they went to spend time with my grandparents. Sometimes it was to the Millers where everyone but Mom spoke German. Sometimes it was to the Arnolds which was an open-door gathering house near Bonfield for their nine kids and many grandkids. Uncle Welty, Uncle Sherwood and Dad discussed the attack and wondered if the three of them would be drafted soon. Grandpa told them since they were all farming they would be deferred as in some other wars. He was right as they were never drafted. Dad developed a hernia and that later on kept him out of the army. After a trip to the ER about 1954 he had surgery for it. Thanks to Aunt Dorothy for telling me this piece of family lore.

Merry Christmas from the Millers

 Barb and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas 2012!