About Me
I NANCY AM A MOTHER OF FOUR CHILDREN AND NINE GRANDCHILDREN AND FIVE GREAT GRANDCHILDREN AND ANOTHER ONE ON THE WAY IN MAY.
MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 44 OR 45 YEARS, CAN'T REMEMBER. WE LIVE IN THE COUNTRY ON THE LAKE AND REALLY LOVE IT. WE HAVE REALLY BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL FAMILY. WE LOVE THEM ALL VERY MUCH. GOD HAS REALLY BEEN GOOD TO US. HE HAS BLESSED US SO MUCH. I WOULD NOT TRADE ONE DAY OF OUR LIVES.HERE IS A STORY I WROTE A FEW MONTHS AGO. I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY IT. I LOVE YOU, MOM.A LESSON LEARNED AS A CHILD
MY NAME IS BOBBY, AND THIS IS A STORY OF MY CHILD HOOD. WHEN I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD MY MOTHER AND FATHER AND MYSELF LIVED ON A FARM IN LESLIE ARKANSAS. I ALSO HAD A DOG WHO WAS MY VERY BEST FRIEND. HIS NAME WAS BIG RED. WE HAD CHICKENS, TWO COWS, AND A PIG. MY DAD WORKED VERY HARD ON THE FARM. MY MOTHER WORKED HARD ALSO COOKING, CLEANING TAKING CARE OF US. SHE LOVED FLOWERS AND ALWAYS HAD PRETTY FLOWERS IN OUR YARD. WE WEREN'T RICH OR ANYTHING NEAR IT,BUT WE WERE RICH IN LOVE AND WE ALWAYS HAD ENOUGH TO EAT AND MOM MADE OUR CLOTHES. WE WERE A VERY HAPPY FAMILY.IN THE SUMMER MY FAVORITE THING TO DO WAS TO PACK A LUNCH, WELL MOM DID THAT, THEN I WOULD GET MY FISHING POLE AND OF COURSE BIG RED AND HEAD FOR THE LAKE TO GO FISHING. BIG RED AND I WOULD SPEND ALMOST ALL DAY THERE. OF COURSE I HAD TO DO MY CHORES BEFORE THIS. IT WAS MY JOB TO FEED THE CHICKENS AND FEED BIG RED AND TO CARRY IN THE FIREWOOD FOR MOMS COOKING STOVE.
ONE DAY BIG RED AND I STARTED OUT TO OUR FAVORITE FISHING PLACE. I PUT A WORM ON THE HOOK AND PROPED THE POLE UP, THEN WE WENT EXPLORING ALONG THE LAKE. WE COULD ALWAYS FIND SOME NEAT THINGS IN THE WOODS AND AROUND THE LAKE. THIS DAY WE CAME ACROSS A WALLET ON THE GROUND BY A TREE. I OPENED IT UP AND IT HAD QUITE ABIT OF MONEY IN IT. I LOOKED TO SEE IF IT HAD ANYONES NAME IN IT, BUT IT DIDN'T. I WAS SO EXCITED. I HAD ALWAYS WANTED A BRIGHT RED SHINNY NEW BIKE. I HAD NEVER HAD A BIKE BEFORE. I DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WAS IN THE WALLET' BUT IT WAS MORE THAN I HAD EVER SEEN. SO I KNEW THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH TO GET A REALLY NICE ONE.
ANYWAY I GATHERED UP OUR FISHING STUFF AND LUNCH, WAS TOO EXCITED TO EVEN THINK ABOUT EATING. I JUST WANTED TO GET HOME TO SHOW MOM AND DAD ALL THE MONEY I HAD FOUND, AND OF COURSE ABOUT MY NEW BIKE.
WHEN I GOT HOME I TOLD MOM THAT I NEEDED TO SEE THE BIG CATOLOG THAT WE ALWAYS HAD. THAT WAS OUR DREAM BOOK. BUT WHEN I TOLD MOM ABOUT THE MONEY AND ABOUT THE NEW BIKE THAT I WAS GOING TO GET, SHE SAT ME DOWN AND EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE MONEY DIDN'T BELONG TO ME AND THAT SOMEONE WAS PROBABLY LOOKING FOR IT AND THAT IT WASN'T RIGHT FOR ME TO KEEP IT. I TOLD HER THAT IT WAS MINE BECAUSE I HAD FOUND IT. WELL SHE JUST LOOKED AT ME WITH THOSE BIG LOVING EYES AND SAID BOBBY WHAT IF THE PERSON WHO LOST THAT MONEY IS COMPLETLY BROKE AND WHAT IF THEY HAD CHILDREN THAT THEY COULDN'T FEED BECAUSE THEY LOST THIER MONEY. WELL OF COURSE I DID NOT WANT TO HEAR ALL OF THAT. ALL I WANTED WAS MY NEW BIKE.
MOM TOLD ME TO JUST THINK ABOUT IT FOR AWHILE AND TO DECIDE WHAT WOULD BE THE RIGHT THING TO DO. WHEN I WENT TO BED THAT NIGHT AND MOM SAID MY PRAYERS WITH ME SHE ASK GOD TO GUIDE ME TO DO THE RIGHT THING. SO I WENT TO SLEEP AND I HAD A DREAM ABOUT A FAMILY WHO WERE GOING HUNGRY BECAUSE THEY HAD LOST ALL THEIR MONEY. THE DREAM WAS SO SAD THAT I WOKE UP CRYING.
THE NEXT MORNING I KNEW WHAT I HAD TO DO. SO AS I ATE BREAKFAST I ASK MY MOM AND DAD TO HELP ME TO FIND THE PERSON WHO LOST THE MONEY. WE PUT UP A NOTICE IN OUR LITTLE POST OFFICE AND ALSO PUT A AD IN OUR WEEKLY PAPER. I FELT BETTER ABOUT IT BUT I WAS REALLY HOPING THAT NO ONE WOULD CLAIM IT, SO AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS I WAS SURE THAT I WOULD HAVE MY BIKE. BUT ONE MORNING WHILE I WAS FEEDING THE CHICKENS I SAW THIS MAN AND LITTLE BOY WALKING DOWN THE ROAD. THERE WAS ALSO A LITTLE GIRL, I DIDN'T SEE HER AT FIRST. MY HEART JUST ABOUT STOPPED. I RAN TO THE HOUSE TO GET MOM BUT I WAS REALLY THINKING, DONT LET THEM BE ABOUT THE MONEY. MY MOTHER CAME OUT TO TALK TO THE MAN. HE LOOKED SO SAD AND HIS CHILDREN LOOKED HUNGRY SO WE ALL WENT UP TO THE HOUSE AND MOM COOKED UP A REALLY BIG BREAKFAST AND FED THEM ALL. BOY COULD THEY EAT. THEY ATE EVERYTHING ON THE TABLE.AND THEN IT CAME. MY MOTHER LOOKED AT ME AND SAID. SON THIS IS MR. JOHNSON AND HE IS THE MAN THAT LOST THE MONEY. HE LOST HIS WALLET WHICH HAD $500.00 IN IT. HE HAD JUST SOLD SOME OF HIS CATTLE AND THAT WAS ALL THE MONEY THEY HAD TO BUY FOOD FOR HIS FAMILY AND ALSO TO FEED THE REST OF HIS CATTLE. OH HOW SAD I WAS FOR THEM, BUT I WAS ALSO SAD FOR MYSELF BECAUSE I KNEW THAT I WOULD NOT BE GETTING MY NEW BIKE. WE GAVE MR JOHNSON HIS WALLET WITH ALL THE MONEY IN IT AND WE SAID GOODBY TO THEM.
I KNEW THAT IT WAS RIGHT FOR ME TO GIVE HIM THE MONEY, BUT THAT DIDN'T MAKE ME HAPPY ABOUT MY BIKE. MR. JOHNSON AND HIS CHILDREN WERE JUST WALKING OUT THE DOOR TO LEAVE WHEN HE STOPPED AND TURNED AND SAID. SON I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FINDING MY WALLET AND RETURNING IT TO ME. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GIVE YOU A REWARD. SO HE REACHED IN HIS WALLET AND PULLED OUT A BILL AND HANDED IT TO ME. OF COURSE I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A DOLLAR BILL. I THANKED HIM AND THEY LEFT. MOTHER SAID. NOW WASN'T THAT NICE OF HIM TO GIVE YOU A REWARD. I SHOWED IT TO HER AND BOY WAS SHE SUPRISED. SHE SAID SON DO YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS A FIFTY DOLLAR BILL. WELL I CERTAINLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT SINCE I NEVER HAD ANY MONEY. BUT I GOT EXCITED AS MOM WAS I FIGURED I COULD STILL GET SOME KIND OF BIKE.
WELL ANYWAY MY EXCITMENT CAME BACK SO I WENT BACK TO LOOKING AT THE CATOLOG. I PUT THAT BILL IN MY SECRET HIDING PLACE AND REALLY ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT IT. ANYWAY ANYTIME WE WENT TO TOWN I CARRIED IT WITH ME. ONE DAY AWHILE LATER MY DAD AND I HAD TO GO TO TOWN TO GET FEED AND SUPPLIES. OF COURSE I PUT MY BILL IN MY POCKET AND AWAY WE WENT. I JUST LIKE HAVING IT WITH ME JUST IN CASE. WHILE DAD WAS GETTING THE FEED AND STUFF HE ALWAYS LET ME GO TO THE GENERAL STORE TO PICK OUT A PIECE OF CANDY. WHILE I WAS LOOKING AT THE CANDY TRYING TO DECIDE WHICH PIECE TO GET, I SAW THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DRESS IN THE WINDOW THAT I HAD EVER SEEN. I THOUGHT, WOULDN'T MY MOTHER LOOK PRETTY IN THAT. WELL I JUST COULDN'T HELP IT I COMPLETLY FORGOT ABOUT THE CANDY. I ASK THE LADY IF I COULD BUY THE DRESS. SHE SAID SON THIS DRESS COST QUITE ABIT. I SHOWED HER MY FIFTY DOLLAR BILL AND ASK HER IF THAT WAS ENOUGH. SO SHE PUT IT IN A SACK FOR ME. SHE WAS SUPRISED THAT I HAD THAT MUCH MONEY. PROBABLY THAT I HAD ANY MONEY. THEN I LOOKED AROUND AND SAW THIS REALLY PRETTY VASE OF PRETTY FLOWERS, SO I SAID COULD I BUY THAT TOO. I ALSO ASK HER IF SHE HAD ANY NICE POCKET KNIVES. SHE HELPED ME PICK OUT A REAL NICE ONE WITH SILVER ON IT. SO I GOT THAT FOR DAD. AND OF COURSE I HAD TO GET BIG RED SOMETHING, SO I GOT HIM A NICE COLLAR. I WAS SO HAPPY AND SO EXCITED THAT I WAS BUYING SOME REALLY NICE THINGS FOR MY FAMILY. I COULDN'T WAIT TO GET HOME.
DAD CAME IN THE STORE AND ASK IF I HAD PICKED OUT MY CANDY YET. I PICKED OUT ONE PIECE AND WE LEFT. DAD SAID WHATS THAT YOU HAVE IN THE BAGS. I TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS A SUPPRISE AND TO WAIT TIL WE GOT HOME. I FELT SO GOOD ALL THE WAY HOME. I COULDN'T WAIT TO GIVE THEM THE GIFTS. WHEN WE GOT HOME MOM MET US AS WE PULLED UP IN OUR OLD PICK UP. SHE LOOKED SO HAPPY THAT WE WERE BACK HOME. I JUST COULDN'T WAIT, I JUST BLURTED IT OUT HOW I HAD GOT GIFTS FOR THEM. I HANDED MOM THE SACK WITH THE DRESS IN IT AND ALSO THE VASE WITH THE FLOWERS. I SAID, MOTHER. YOU ARE GOING TO LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL IN THIS DRESS. SHE OPENED THE SACKS AND SHE WAS SO SUPRISED AND SHE JUST STARTED CRYING. I THOUGHT THAT SHE DIDN'T LIKE THEM, BUT SHE WAS JUST SO HAPPY. SHE WAS CRYING HAPPY TEARS. THEN I HANDED THE OTHER SACK TO MY DAD AND WHEN HE OPENED IT I KNOW THAT I SAW TEARS IN HIS EYES. MOTHER PUT HER DRESS ON AND BOY DID SHE LOOK BEAUTIFUL. SHE LOOKED JUST LIKE AN ANGEL. DAD STARTED WHITTLING WITH HIS KNIFE. WE PUT BIG REDS COLLAR ON AND HE ACTED LIKE HE WAS HAPPY ALSO. ANYWAY HIS TAIL WAS SURE WAGGING. THEY BOTH ASK ME WHY I SPENT ALL MY MONEY ON THEM. WE THOUGHT YOU WANTED A NEW BIKE. I HAD COMPLETLY FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE BIKE. ANYWAY I TOLD THEM I DID IT BECAUSE YOU ARE THE BEST MOTHER AND DAD IN THE WORLD, AND BECAUSE I LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH. I WAS SO HAPPY AND FELT SO GOOD. I NEVER THOUGHT MUCH ABOUT THE BIKE AGAIN. I REALLY DIDN'T NEED ONE THAT BAD.
WELL TIME WENT BY AND BIG RED AND I STILL WENT FISHING AND EXPLORING. WE PLAYED TOGETHER ALOT TO. I WAS A VERY HAPPY LITTLE BOY.
IT WAS ALMOST TIME FOR CHRISTMAS. I TRIED SO HARD TO BE REALLY GOOD SO SANTA CLAUS WOULD COME TO OUR HOUSE. I FED OUR CHICKENS AND FED BIG RED AND CARRIED IN THE WOOD AND ALSO HELPED MY DAD. AND I SAID MY PRAYERS EVERYNIGHT. CHRISTMAS WAS A VERY SPECIAL TIME AT OUR HOUSE. DAD AND I WOULD FIND THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREE AND BRING IT HOME AND WE WOULD ALL DECORATE IT WITH POPCORN AND RIBBON. MOM WOULD BAKE PIES AND CAKE, COOKIES AND THE HOUSE SMELLED SO GOOD. JUST LIKE CHRISTMAS WITH ALL THE STUFF COOKING. THERE NEVER WAS MANY PRESENTS, BUT MY STOCKING WAS LOADED WITH LOTS OF GOODIES TO EAT AND MOM WOULD USUALLY KNIT ME A SWEATER OR MAKE ME A NICE SHIRT. BUT WE DIDN'T NEED PRESENTS. WE JUST LOVED CHRISTMAS AND BESIDES, WE HAD EACH OTHER. SANTA WOULD BRING ME A BASEBALL GLOVE OR A BASEBALL, AND MOM WOULD MAKE SOMETHING FOR DAD.DAD WOULD ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT MOM HAD A NEW RIBBON FOR HER HAIR. WELL CHRISTMAS CAME. IT SNOWED ALOT SO EVERYTHING WAS COVERED WHITE. THE SMELL OF COOKIES AND PIES BAKING. THE CHRISTMAS TREE ALL DECORATED. WE WOULD SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS. THE STOCKINGS HUNG AND EVERYTHING WAS JUST ABOUT PERFECT. DAD WOULD SIT BY THE FIRE AND READ US THE STORY OF BABY JESUS BEING BORN. IT WAS WONDERFUL. SO OFF TO BED WE GO AND IT WAS REALLY HARD TO GO TO SLEEP BECAUSE I WAS LISTENING FOR SANTA AND HIS REINDEERS. BUT FINALLY I DOZED OFF TO SLEEP. THE NEXT MORNING I WAS UP BIGHT AND EARLY. WE GATHERED AROUND THE FIRE THAT DAD HAD BUILT. I PULLED DOWN MY STOCKING TO SEE WHAT WAS IN IT. IT HAD COOKIES, CANDY, NUTS APPLES ORANGES AND SOCKS IN IT. I COULDN'T WAIT TO DIG INTO THE CANDY. I HAD ONE PRESENT FROM SANTA AND IT WAS A REAL PRETTY HARMONICA. I WAS SO EXCITED, I KNEW THAT I WOULD ENJOY PLAYING IT. MOM AND DAD GAVE EACH OTHER THEIR GIFTS. EVERYONE WAS REAL HAPPY. SO THEN I HAD TO GO AND DO MY CHORES .
AFTER BREAKFAST I HELPED MOM GATHER UP THE DISHES AND SHE ASK ME TO GO TO THE BARN TO BRING UP MORE FEED TO PUT IN THE BEND FOR THE CHICKENS FOR THE NEXT DAY. SO I WENT OFF TRYING TO PLAY MY HARMONICA WITH BIG RED. I THINK THAT HE WAS TRYING TO SING WITH MY HARMONICA. BOY IT WAS SO PRETTY WITH THE SNOW. I COULDN'T WAIT TO GET OUT AND PLAY IN IT. I OPENED THE BARN DOOR AND GUESS WHAT WAS SITTING RIGHT INSIDE THE DOOR. A BRAND NEW BRIGHT RED SHINY BIKE WITH A BIG BOW ON IT. I JUST ABOUT FAINTED. I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT A BIKE IN A LONG TIME. I JUMPED ON THE BIKE AND TRIED TO RIDE IT BUT OF COURSE I FELL DOWN SEVERAL TIMES, SINCE I DIDNT KNOW HOW TO RIDE A BIKE. BUT I WOULD SURE LEARN. FINALLY I MADE IT TO THE HOUSE WHERE MOM AND DAD WAS WAITING ON THE PORCH. I YELLED REALLY LOUD. LOOK WHAT I FOUND IN THE BARN AND IT HAS MY NAME ON IT. OH WHAT A HAPPY BOY I WAS. MOM AND DAD HUGGED ME AND KISSED ME. MOM LOOKED AT ME AND SAID. SEE SON WHEN YOU ARE GOOD TO OTHER PEOPLE THEN GOD ALWAYS GIVES BACK TO YOU MORE. HE LOVES YOU VERY MUCH AND SO DO WE. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU. MERRY CHRISTMAS SON. HOW COULD I ASK FOR MORE WITH PARENTS LIKE THIS.THANK YOU GOD FOR MY WONDERFUL FAMILY.
