When God Closes a Door...

Doors are fascinating to me.
Usually doors are the focal point of a home, and they each say something to the outsider…either "Come on in," or "Keep out," or "Please notice me."
I thought I would share with you some pictures of doors I have taken over the years when I have returned to Talladega, Alabama. 

In the movie, The Sound of Music, The Reverend Mother tells Maria,
"When God closes a door, He opens a window."

I never tire of hearing that message.  I would imagine that each one of us has experienced doors closing in our lives, then discovering that God is there with us as the door closed, but He also provides an open window. That window might be a new beginning or a second chance or forgiveness or a healing from a physical or an emotional pain.  The lists of the windows in our lives could go on forever.

Maybe that is why I take pictures of windows and doors. 

I hope you enjoy these photographs.

These doors and windows look a lot like life. 

Some are well-painted, and the glass is crystal clear. 

Others are cracked and peeling with no weather-stripping to keep the wind out.

 Some have metal bars.

 Some are shut tight, and some are left ajar. 

Yes, time has moved on, and many of the doors of our home places in Talladega are closed to us now.   But as I stare into these old windows trying to learn about our family's past, I hope to remember to put those history lessons to good use…study the past, but look ahead. Move forward. Keep searching. Keep learning.
And…
 open some doors.

Love,
Mariellan

A January Field Trip

 Dear Family Trails readers,

How are you doing In The Bleak Midwinter ?

That was the title of the last post, over a month ago! Where does the time go? 

 The great state of Alabama has had its usual myriad of weather changes, the most recent being yesterday's tornadoes. I am happy to report that today the sun came out, and the sky is blue. Now don't be alarmed…I am not trying to turn this blog into a weather report, but I am amazed at the contrasts we have. Just last week, sister Rebecca and I made a field trip to Talladega, and we nearly froze in the biting wind. Let me tell you about our day there….

We had hoped for a day to go to Talladega to check on a few things, and last Wednesday was our day to go. We did not accomplish all that we hoped to do, but we did check a few things off of our list. 

The first stop was Oak Hill Cemetery to check on the condition of our family's cemetery markers. I had spoken to someone earlier that week who might help us arrange for the markers to be cleaned. He asked that we take pictures to show him our concerns. 

Sister and I were in for a shock. In one year's time, many of the markers were in much worse condition. Some were almost illegible. Most were spotted with a black….something…more on that later. And the last issue was the ant beds. Who knew that the tiny ant could be so strong to actually "lift" a grave marker off of the ground? Whoever coined the phrase, "Many hands make light work," must have observed an ant colony. 

So fast-forward to this week when I have had some time to research about the care of cemetery markers. I learned that the black covering on stones is actually a living micro-organism. Some other issues on stones are mildew, mold, lichens, and pollution, and salt for those stones near the coasts. Then there is the errant lawn mower that chips away at the stones' corners. There is nothing to do once the damage is done from a mower, but the other problems can be controlled. 

In everything I have read or watched about cleaning these family treasures, the first rule is, "Do not cause more harm." That means, no bleach, no acids, no hard scrubbing, and no forceful pressure-washing. I am not promoting any cleaning products, but I am impressed with two that were demonstrated in some You-Tube videos. The first is "D-2 Biological Solution" which does require some elbow grease but looks to be a gentle and effective mixture. This is used on our nation's capitol buildings. 

 The second is "Wet & Forget"which, as its name implies, does not require scrubbing.

 Both rely on the sun, wind, and rains to continue the cleaning process. This means that after the products are used, the outcome will get better in the following few days.

Now, about those pesky pests, the ants. I think I will save that research for another day. I do think that once the anthills are destroyed, then the stones must be replaced to lay flat. That is definitely a job for a professional. One video I watched emphasized just how much a tombstone can weigh…up to 2 or 3 tons.  The foot stones must surely weigh less, but they still would require some strength and know-how in moving without breaking. 

So back to the field trip last week... We visited the family library at the First Baptist Church, took a sentimental drive around the family homes, visited the Heritage Hall art museum, and saw that the Wood-Weaver Shoe store display was still up in the public library. We had a good time, and I know that may sound weird knowing we spent most of the day in a cemetery, but the truth is, we carry a good time with us wherever we go.

 Hopefully, we can move forward in protecting the family grave markers.
I will keep you posted.

Love,
Mariellan 

"In The Bleak Midwinter"

Dear Family Trails,

OK! I admit it! I am not a big fan of Winter. The days are short; the weather is gloomy, rainy, and cold. The sun does not come out much, so twelve o'clock noon looks just the same outside as 4:30 in the afternoon.  To help combat this, I usually keep several strings of white lights up in the house to brighten the day. I also do not turn the light switches off when I leave each room, and I try to get outside when it is possible. These steps help…a little. Now those of you in the North are probably thinking, "What a wimp!" But remember, I am a Southern girl, and we Southerners do not expect Winter to last long at all. We expect to see the green shoots of our daffodils pushing through the ground in January and the forsythia to bloom in February and the azaleas to be radiant by April. 

Now really, is that too much to ask? 

My backyard a few years ago!

My front yard!

As far as getting sunlight and our vitamin D in each day…I did read that the cut-off line in the U.S.  for getting natural Vitamin D from the sun is around Huntsville, Alabama! That means that there are many folks in our great country who must have to work hard at finding some "sunshine" in their lives each Winter day.

So why did I title this post, "In The Bleak Midwinter?" Because, readers, we are all IN the bleak midwinter right now. 

No driving on this Southern road!

 This hymn is a favorite of mine, even though I'm not crazy about wintertime. The lyrics, written by Christina Rossetti, are beautiful, and the music, composed by Gustav Hoist, does make the listener shiver like one is so cold. But the message…it is full of warmth and comfort and hope. Like most Christmas hymns, "In The Bleak Midwinter" is sung at Christmas but could be sung all Winter long.

My encouragement today is.. get outside when you can.

 Take a walk, sit on the porch, go to the park, whatever works for you.

 This Fall I was so fortunate to have had some opportunities to get outside for long stretches of time.  I thought I would share them with you.
 The first outing was with my friend when we visited her parents on their farm one warm day in November. We had a cooking lesson with her mother; we walked to the creek so the dogs could swim; and we fed the horses. We even had some time to help her Mom pick the last veggies from their garden. All good things! That day was food for the soul!

Then the night before Thanksgiving, my husband's family gathered at a family retreat spot for a bonfire and chili supper. Our grandchildren had a blast throwing the ball for the dogs and picking up sticks. I won't even mention the connection between boys (of all ages) and bonfires! 

 AHH, the simple life really is the best!  We even watched the moon rise over the trees.. breathtaking. 

The day after Thanksgiving, my husband and I spent the day with our daughter-in-law's family at their farm. We decided to forego washing the last of the dirty dishes and enjoy a gorgeous day outside on a long hike! Glad we did. 

Are you looking at these clouds? 

Then to get in the Christmas spirit, the "DeWine girls" drove to Springville, Alabama for the Homestead Hollow Christmas Festival. Homestead Hollow is a restored homestead in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountain chain. Volunteers in period dress demonstrate what life was like for the pioneers of Alabama with soap-making, washing clothes, gardening, decorating for Christmas in the cabins, bee-keeping, even moonshine-making.  If we were feeling stressed at all about the upcoming holidays, visiting Homestead Hollow reminded us that life is easy and grand compared to our forefathers' way of life.  

Santa hats on horses…so cute!

I hope these pictures and stories of life for us here in Alabama this past Fall and Christmas season have helped brighten your spirits on a cold winter day.  I am the first to admit that staying indoors and sitting around the fire is comforting-and good medicine on a dark, cold day.  But look for the sunshine, and get outside when you can, and soak up that natural vitamin D - the best cure for the "Winter Blues."

Love,
Mariellan

A Tip From The Tip Jar!

Here is a correction for the blog post, Merry Christmas .

The caption under the picture of the jello salad should read,

"Lassie Malone Weaver's Strawberry-Nut Salad

Seasoned With Love Cookbook page 68."

Thanks to sister, Rebecca, for catching this. She loves to make the jello salads for our family gatherings. This strawberry salad was delicious. I need to try to make it. Hopefully we can share a picture of the Weaver Christmas salad soon. 

Love,

Mariellan

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of you who walk the Family Trails with me. I hope your Christmas was filled with the light and the hope that the Christ Child brings to us. I look at this beautiful Advent wreath in our church and think how fortunate we are in our country to freely display the candles, the creches, the wreaths, and the crosses without fear of persecution. We can sing, "Oh! come let us adore Him!" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain" with loud voices and then act upon those words safely and boldly where we live.  

So in thinking about these freedoms, I thought about this little book we have in our Christmas book collection.

As the title, says, this book tells the how-and-why we sing these favorite Christmas songs.

The story behind the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written for Christians who lived in FEAR! Yes, this favorite Christmas song that is great to sing on a long car ride or act out at a party, actually tells about how Catholics in Great Britain during the 16th century found a way to teach their children the story of the Gospels as they were forced to go underground with their faith or risk being killed.
Each verse was carefully constructed to help children learn the doctrines of their church using a secret code. I won't retype the entire chapter of this book, but it is a good read. Anyone who loves Christmas will enjoy learning more about all of the beautiful songs we are free to sing every Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
A partridge in a pear tree. 
This true love is not a love-sick young man. It is Christ.
The partridge is a symbol of courage and devotion when protecting her babies from enemies, even into her own death.
The pear tree symbolizes the cross…."and together, the first gift represented the ultimate gift given by the Babe born on Christmas Day."

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Two turtledoves…
Two turtledoves represent the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
Doves also are symbols of truth and peace.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Three French hens…
French hens were very expensive in the 16th century, "a meal fit for a king."
The three French hens symbolize the three gifts from the wise men.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Four calling birds….
The four calling birds symbolize the four Gospels.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Five golden rings…
The five rings represent the five Old Testament books-The law of Moses or the Torah.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Six geese a-laying…
representing the story of creation taking place in 6 days-
through the image of eggs-a symbol for new life.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Seven swans a-swimming…
the seven "gifts of the Holy Spirit" that Paul wrote about in Romans 12.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Eight maids a-milking…
For a woman who milked the cow, there was no lower, or more demeaning job. This verse taught children that Jesus came to save ALL.
The number "8" helped to teach the 8 Beatitudes.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Nine ladies dancing…
The nine fruits of the Spirit were taught in this verse; the ladies' dance represented the true joy of serving Christ.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Ten lords a-leaping…
Yes, you guessed it! The ten commandments.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Eleven pipers piping….
The eleven disciples who "embraced Christ and his message of salvation."

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Twelve drummers drumming…
This final verse represents the twelve different elements professed in
"The Apostles' Creed."

Whew! That is so much for a child to learn, especially if the child is scared and told not to repeat  any of the details in the lessons. As children, we were taught these lessons but over time and in a safe place. This song reminds us how much we have to be thankful for and to remember those children who live in dangerous parts of the world where worshipping freely is not tolerated.

*These pictures of children depicting "The Twelve Days of Christmas"
were drawn by Tony DeLuna and published in 1963. *

I hope your twelve days of Christmas are filled with hope and light and peace.
Love,
Mariellan