My Mom calls this God’s Country.

Maybe it is because she and part of her 16 syblings were baptised in the nearby creek, or maybe because the family attended the nearby church, or maybe it is where they read the bible together at night….or maybe because the nearby cemetery has family members resting there.

Maybe it is all of the above.

I don’t know….I do know, I find peace and a coming home to days gone past.

When you open the cattle gate, it is like opening a door back in time. The memories are still there, lingering on the bushes. Waiting for travelers to brush by them, to latch on and take hold.

This place does it to me every time.

If you read my earlier post Playing Hooky you might remember me taking off of work and going with my mom, dad and brother to help decorate The Old Home Place for the annual Christmas Party. We spent the day putting the tree up, cleaning up after mice, hanging stockings, hanging doors…oh and cleaning the fancy two seater out house. Whew….

Today was the day of the party.

We (mom, dad, sister, brother and I) were all meeting at a local grocery store to get into one car for the journey. We always talk about who is coming, who we can’t wait to see, who is sick, new babies and all that family stuff. Eventually, our talk always includes the mystery meat question of who will put what in what dish .”What” is usually something brought back from a recent hunting adventure, and the head  is now hanging on someone’s wall. Appetizing uh??? : )

Well, the Princess, aka my mom who does not eat chicken, had already decided she was going to either eat Aunt Lilly’s chili or my brothers pulled pork. She did not know that my sister and I had a little surprise for her. When we went in to the grocery store, we wanted to bring our own mystery meat.

We found some…..

Frog Legs…..hop diggity!

The Princess, was not amused. We told her to try one….it taste like chicken…..

Good thing there is not a dungeon in this castle.

         

My Uncle Jerry and his wife Aunt Lois were happy to eat frog legs.

The Princess thought they would croak and she would too….ribbit

Even when the frog legs hopped onto people plates, we still had a banquet that even Golden Corral could not match.

         

All the food would not fit on one table, so we moved  food to another table. We even had to use another table for brother to carve the turkey.

I am so full!

After eating, the aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great grandchildren and everyone else that I might have missed, sing Christmas Carols.

         

         

After singing, my Uncle Jerry reads out of the bible. He reads the scripture about when baby Jesus was born.

After that, it is present time!

There is goodies for everyone! I got some caramels (my favorite), hand soap, notebook, peppermint and a bag of doritos!

         

My Aunt Lily hands out the Chritmas Stockings. (Direct from the Hanes Factory at the North Pole)

I embroidered names on pillowcases for my mom that she made, to give to her brothers and sisters.

         

 I embroydered a total of eleven pillowcases altogether. I wish all 16 syblings could have gotten one. But the 5 missing syblings are resting at the nearby cemetery.

After all the presents were given out, it was about time to leave.

Before the long drive home, everyone makes a visit to the fancy two seater outhouse.

 

There is one good thing about the fancy two seater outhouse.

It is the best place to get cell phone service. My brother says it’s because that the cell phone signal shoots out of the moon in the door.

Redneck humor…..

It was time to clean up and go home. I dumped out the dish pan water.

We loaded up the car with our goodies and drove back down to the cattle gate.

We made memories, recalled old memories and left some memories behind…

In God’s Country.

I can’t wait to go back!

Thank you for letting me share my day!

Becky