Rambling Rose's Jott'em Downs

2009-01-29T19:02:00.002-06:00

Many years ago I lived by myself. Every time I needed help I had to pray
for it. This one day I wanted to move a refrigerator. It was where I
could stand behind it and push. The back clear a good ways. I backed up
to it and put my hips into it to move it. It wouldn't budge. It was
stuck to the rug like super glue. It was one of those small
refrigerators one could get back in the early 70's.

I sent up a prayer asking if He would let an angel help me move i t.
Then I put my hips up against it to push with my legs. It slid across
the floor like it was on oil. I almost fell flat of my back side!

I had learned to lean on the Father when I was in need. Later when I got married my husband made the comment, "You don't ask me to do things for you." My sister had made the comment one day when I opened up a jar that the lid was hard to get off, "I would have asked Charles to open it for me." I told her like I had my husband, "If I can do it, why ask him."

The times I do ask him for help, his face lights up with a big, big smile. Guess I need to ask him more often, if only to give him pleasure of helping me.

(C) 4/19/2007 Lois Bierman AKA The Rambling Rose, All rights reserved.

Miracle Of The Lost Billfold

2009-01-29T18:47:00.004-06:00

May 3, 2007 my son and I went out to get groceries. I had taken my
billfold out of my purse to do something, then put it back in. When it
was time to go pay for the meat someone was at the register. I told my
son, "Lets step over here and let me get the money out." When I looked
for my billfold it was no where in my purse. I walked back out to the
van and it wasn't on the ground, it wasn't in the seat, nor in between
the seats where I had held the purse when I put it in the purse.

I went back in and we checked out. When I got back to the van I opened
up there door and there as plain as clould be was my blue billfold,
laying up against the side of the seat, the seat belt folded up
against it keeping it from falling out of the van. There was no way I
could have not seen it when I opened up the door when I went back out to
look for it.

(C) Lois Bierman AKA The Rambling Rose, 5/5/2007, All rights reserved.

Learning to fly.. pull up pull up!!

2009-01-08T17:44:00.006-06:00

This after noon about 30 minutes after sunset I went outside. It was the time of the afternoon that the wind had died down and it was very still. The cool of the afternoon felt so good.

To the west was a verty faint glow of the last bit of sun. To the right was the moon, with the night sky coming on.

I was enjoying all of that so very much. And about that time a air plane was coming, and went overhead going on north to the air port. I stood there like a child would, watching its lights and black silloutte getting lower and lower, then a sharp bank to the right, down behind the trees, and I could no longer see it.

It reminded me of when I was a child seeing planes go over and loved the sound of them. I would watch it going over and declare, "I am going to be an air plane piliot. ( That is when I didn't want to be a fireman.) I had no idea what that meant since we lived in the country, and I had never seen a plane up close, only heard about them.

About 40 or so years later, my husband said I could take lessons. We had gone up a few times in a small plane and I got to fly it, and the man said I did really good. I knew I couldn't go very far in getting my lessons, but I did get to try. Math was involved and I knew kitchen math. Not all those things one would have to know.

So the day came for my lesson. Finally after checking things out we taxied out. I was not thinking about the end of the runway. He kept saying "Pull up. pull up!" Finally I got brave enough to leave the ground.

Things went pretty well until two things happened. He decided to put his arms around the back of my seat, a little to close for comfort. No way to get away. Thankfully that is all he did... other than......;

Stalling the plain to show me what it was like, and I like to have died right then and there. I ended up having to go to the Dr it shook me up so. I found out later that he wasn't suppose to do that on first trip up.

That ended my flying right then and there. Also I didn't like not having any rear veiw mirrors.

I was so busy tying to keep it at the proper height, that I didn't get to see anything out the window. I guess he was watching for other planes for we did go over the city.

Well, we did make it back to the small air port some miles from the big one. We had a storng tail wind taxing back in. Oh boy was that an ordeal keeping that plane out of the ditch. I finally told him I needed to go faster to keep it straight. He let me and I did keep it straight enough to get it parked.

My husband has been so sweet to let me try lots of things. I do appreciate his being so sweet about it. Guess in a way he let me grow up and get to do things I had never got to do before.

But, I am still a kid at heart. He loves my antics I pull in ways I show him I love him.

Jacks, hop scotch, swings and knots on the head.

2009-01-05T19:22:00.001-06:00

The other night I had put some vitamins on the counter. I put my hand at the edge of the cabinet and scooped them into it.
When I did, memories of playing jacks at grammar school came back as real as I if it were right then. We would play near the
steps going into the school. It was a entrance way, and the cement was so smooth. You really had something when you had the
big fat colored jacks! Oh my, the hours I played jacks at home and at recess. What a very wonderful memory to come back to me.

We either were playing hop scotch with the squares drawn out in the dirt, pieces of glass we brought from hoime scattered in the squares, or paying
jump rope. Those were the days. I got a knot on my forehead today from the time we were playing chase and the every green oak as base. I was running
so hard I ran right into it. I had a goose egg on my forehead. Another time ran in to a boy and got one on the other side. Evened things out with my bumps on my forehead.

Recess was a magical time. Playing under the shurbs making make believe play houses, swinging on those big swings. Now that is a story in itself.

They were big swings
and one could go way up in them.. We would try to go so high we could make it gove over in a circle. Kids in their minds can do anything. I would swing so high the chairns would
buckle. Little did I know I could have gotten seriously hurt. The seats on the swings were heavy winde wood several inches deep and a wide place to sit. Not like the play ground swins today. At the end where the three legs were, well one could run and grab the end one and swing around almost with legs straight out. I went by the school many years later, Yes the wings were big, but bigger than the ones today, but not as big as my child memory had them. The memory stays with me over 50 years later. Oh, and when the nurse came to the school to give shots. I would run for the swings on recess. You could smell the alcohol she used. I had a reaction to shots so I didn't take them. But I just knew that she was going to come after me and give me one. If I was swinging real high, then she couldn't get me.

What childhood memory brings smiles to your face, and wonderment still when you remember them?

(C) Lois Bierman 12/30/08 All rights reserved

The Old Blue Van

2009-01-05T14:14:00.002-06:00

Everything we needed was at the camp grounds so there was not a need to use the van. Because it was a one of those very hot July summers in Texas we didn't venture out to the grocery store but one time. When we left camp early that morning from the camp ground, we asked for protection and a safe trip as we always do when we go on a trip. I was driving, and we were pulling a small travel trailer. The cross wind was pretty bad at times. We drove a good many miles up the Interstate before we needed gas. We had gone through some pretty long curves, and to get to the station I had turn to the right to the service road, then a sharp left, then a sharp right into the service station then left to the pumps ( yes this is important stuff).

When we stopped I smelled burning paper, and I saw a puff of blue smoke go up from the motor box. I told my husband, and he told me there was nothing to burn like that. Here the I see smoke, smell something burning, and he goes and pumps gas in the van! I got back with our son on the back seat, and we both saw blue smoke rise up from that motor box. It smelled like paper burning.

Why my husband did this I do not know, but he looked under the front of the van. The tie rod, that keeps the wheels going straight, and not the way they want to, was dangling down loose, not even bolted together! My husband said there was no way we could have gone around a curve, nor made turns we made into the service station with it unconnected. He walked back up the area we had came in and there was no bolt.

The burning paper smell, and the blue smoke puffs got our attention so we would know something was wrong. We did not see any more smoke or smell the paper burning anymore. My husband never saw the smoke or smelled the paper burning. Why after we had stopped, and not when it happened I do not know. We praised our Father that we didn't have an accident. We really feel we had protection and help getting around those curves, and sharp turns. For us it was a true miracle.

Saturday night in town

2008-07-20T11:44:00.004-05:00

Back in 1940's Saturday nights mom and dad would go to town. Lots of folks were there, walking from store to store, which was two grocery stores, and a variety store. Greeting each other, looking things over.

I don't rightly remembe my parents buying anything. Seems like it all was more a social event.

Being a child my main focus was on getting an ice cream cone. When papa bought me a ten cent double cone, I thought I had died and gone to ice cream heaven. I would watch as Ms Edna May would dip the ice cream dipper in the water, open up the lids to an ice box, put reach way down in it, and bring up a scoop of ice cream. It was pure magic to me. Oh how I loved the strawberry ice cream. I don't remember if I told you yet or not, but I asked daddy one night. "Will they have ice cream in heaven?" He told me no. I promptly told him, "Then I am not going!"

One could pass by houses and porch lights would be on if they were gone. Door keys over the door frame, if any kin folks dropped in they could always get in the house. Except our house. No way would mama have left a key where anyone could have found it. No siree, that door had to be locked, windows down. Papa would always tell her how in his days, that no door was locked. Folks traveling could come in get a bit of food and travel on. That didn't matter to mama, that door was going to be locked.

The other day we were walking down the country road and I waved at the people. Not nary of a hand went up. I told our son, "Long ago one sat on the porch and waved at every car that passed, and they waved back."

They finally got a stop sign in town. Streets got named by the high school students. Folks say they don't make any sense, or sure sound wrierd.
Cemetary road goes right through town.

What would we have to talk about if we didn't have memories? Lets unpack a few like an old trunk stored away in the attic, and sit for a spell thinking of good things.

(C) 2008 Rambling Rose's Jott'em Downs, Lois Bierman All rights reserved

Country town .. big day at the city

2008-07-20T11:30:00.003-05:00

I was raised in the country. A little town was 1 1/4 miles away. A PO, two grocery stores, a cafe that served as a bus station. a gas station. Nothing fancy. Even now the town is old buildings old, and not kept up. There were companies that would have came in, but the old folks said no. In the 40's moved the high way over some miles, and by passed the town, and in doing so killed a town that was doing good. Now the old folks have died off, and their children won't let anything come in.

Nearest city was 23 miles away. I remember my sister and mom would go every two weeks to get groceries, as well as other needs at Hattiesburg. Prices were so high at the stores in the little town that it could pay for the gas to go to the city.

I remember mom going to Sears and Roebuck. They would park in the back in the parking lot and walk through S & R to go to other stores, as well as shop there.

I can still remember the smell of leather from the shoes as we passed the shoe department, or tried shoes on. I still enjoy the smell of leather.

Kresses, a 5 & 10 store was a grand store. To a child it was really huge. It was a city block long, and wide. Still remember the oiled wood floors, the smell of pop corn being popped. I would beg mom for a bag of it. To me those bag looked so tall. I hated getting the husk in my throat and coughing so much from them, but oh did that pop corn taste good.

Kids now don't know what it was like to go to Woolworths, or Kresses, they were one of a kind stores. I worked in New Orleans back in the early 60's. Seems like Wal-Mart has put a lot of stores out of business. Products that were sold in those stores, that we used every day then are no longer made. Little did we know that common things we used, one day would be a collectors item if they had been saved.

I still like walking down memory lane. Don't cost anything, leaves pleasant feelings, and I wonder if years from now our children can have things to recall that are as wonderful as the memories we have of things we experienced and enjoyed long ago.

But Ma, "It's chocolate."

2008-07-06T15:39:00.005-05:00

This is something I had written down October 24, 2008. It was a treat for me to go back and read it again. Several stories in one, but I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it.

Yesterday son and I had to go up to the big Mall to have our glasses checked. The Dr had wanted to check them when we got them, but that day he was closed. I told them when I picked mine up that the bottom part was to small where I read. They said they would remake them.

After we made the Dr happy that our glasses were really great, saw the eye glass place and got my measurements for new lens, we decided we
would do our walk for exercise. It takes a while to mosey from one end to the other on the upper level doing the loop, then the smaller loop down stairs.

On the upper level there is this island that sells chocolate covered raisins and peanuts along with other chocolate goodies. Expensive, isn't the the word. They were from high $7 to $11 + per pound.

The lady before us got a few of this and a few of that, and apologized for the trouble. When she finished I told her we were also going to have a weird order. We looked at various things. Son pointed out a cluster of chocolate covered peanuts.

While I was eying the chocolate covered raisins. I asked how much "2" yes two would cost. She told us that it was $1.20. I looked at son and said, "$1.20 for two of those "little" things!" He looked at me and said, "But MA, it is chocolate."

That did it. I didn't know how I was going to enjoy a 60 cent piece of candy that size. I asked her since I had braved spending that much for such a small amount how much two, yes two chocolate covered raisins were. She told us she would just give us two as samples. When we opened up the bag there were six! They weren't small but about the size of a med grape! She must have felt sorry for us. We ate them and oh were they worth the price and with the free ones we had a nice size treat at that.

Then later since we had been in the mall about two hours we decided to go to the Chick a Filly or something like that. I told son I only had $7 and it would cost way more than that. We walked in an looked at the menu. The only thing we could afford was the childs meal with six chicken nuggets, fries and a small drink. I asked the man if we could get two childs meals. Yes we could.

When we opened up the bag, the potatoes which were the waffle whole slices were a huge portion! No child could have eaten that much. I gave son part of mine. We gave the CD back that was the treat. I laughed and said I forgot to ask for a senior citizen discount. About that time we both broke out laughing. "Give me two childrens meals and oh, a senior citizen discount." We left
with our tummies full, well if you can fill a young mans up with a meal like that. It did hold him until supper hours later and headed off a head ache he was getting.

A fun time had by both of us, headed off to Wal-Mart to get some needed things then home. Traffic at that time on those two major Interstates and one through town usually are really rushed at that time. It was light, and we seemed to have the road to ourselves right were we were most of the time.

Slept great last night after walking for hours yesterday. Had a great afternoon with hubby. Roped son into putting the dishes in the dish washer tonight since I didn't clean up after us all last night and was busy today on other things. I should have gotten a picture of it. He doesn't do dishes, no dishwater is going to touch his hands! He went and got a rubber glove for the hand that was going to touch water. Did a good job too.
Hubby started to do it and I told him that son was suppose to get it.

Son came in here tonight with a very deep splinter in his big toe. I just almost grew weak when I saw the way it was in his toe. Thankfully
one end was shallow enough, but the other end was pretty deep. I could open the skin a bit, then with lots of prayer and pressing it up was able to get it where I could get hold of it with tweezers. Then it took some prayer and much pulling to get it out. I kept praying, "Oh please don't let it break off for it if dose it will have to be cut out! Please cause it to pop out." Took about 20 minutes or so but we were rejoicing over it coming out. It wasn't but a half inch long, but that was long
enough for me!!!

Suppose to rain tomorrow and I am glad, I like it.

New thoughts

2008-07-06T15:20:00.002-05:00

There is more to my life than just remembering things of the past, fun or serious. Because of that I changed the introduction to include those things.

I need a place to share my thoughts on other things that touch my life. Sometimes it might be something that touched me deeply that day. A verses in scriptures I am learning to stand on. Discoveries about living. Family, memories about friends.

It will never be any thing that will be a downer, and somethings I do hope when you leave, you say, "That really touched me."

I would love to receive your comments. They don't go up, but I do get them and can write back to you. I didn't put my email up due to getting hit with garbage mail.

Life is wonderful, even with the ups and downs it has. Rocks in the road, hills and valleys, for they all have something wonderful that comes from it.

My your view from the hill be beautiful, the valley lush and green.

Rose

Oh where oh where to put things.

2008-03-26T18:45:00.002-05:00

I am sorry, again, that I haven't gotten any more stories up. Our son has been getting on to me about not putting up some of the many I have to write.

I just seem to go in circles. We are trying to remodel two rooms, and they have boxes and boxes of put back things in them. I told family I was just going to go through the boxes and if it wasn't something really important I was going to throw it away. No keeping recipes, articles because they are of interest, old this and thats. Now for me that is hard to do.

Live is to interesting to stick to going through boxes. I tend also to forget what I was doing if I turn around, so there is something new to do.

Lately I have been going out on our porch and reading. Hubby comes out and talks with me. I love it out there, love reading, and could just fiddle my day away doing that.

Spring is amost here. The fruit trees are in full bloom. Only thing over all the years we have had them, we have yet to have any fruit from them. The squirrels get them when they are really small. Other than putting wire all over them and then we can't get to them, we have no idea what to do.

Hubby has been tilling to get the dirt ready to plant later. We don't make big gardens. Bell peppers, onions, squash, tomatoes, peas, potatoes. But they are home grown and don't have that hot house taste if tomatoes.

Birds are sining like they are happy hard winter is over. Doves, and other small birds are a delight to see feeding in the back yard where we throw seed out. Seems like it cheers my heart to hear them singing.

Will try to get some more at home with Rambling Rose stories written. Seems like there is so much to do and I end up not really getting it all done.

No where to be found, then there in plain sight

2008-01-13T17:07:00.000-06:00

My sister's husband died several years ago. She had been going through papers seeing what needed to be kept and what needed to be gotten rid of. In all the process she was looking for a credit card and couldn't find where she had put it. She looked and looked, no credit card. She prayed about it, and later walked into the room, and there is lay on the bed in plain sight. It wasn't there earlier.

Her watch had also quit working. Her grandchild's wife had given her a watch, but she hadn't used it, but put the box with it in it in a dresser drawer. She looked and looked for that watch, but it was no where to be found. Later she opened up a drawer, one she had looked in before and there the watch was.

I too have had things I couldn't find, and after cryng about it, pouring out my heart to our Heavnly Father about it, found it in plain sight. I will write about that in another story.

It truly is amazing when we loose something, and it isn't to be found, only to pray about it, and find it where we looked before, or laying there where there is no way it could have been missed.

"Rambling Rose's Jottem' Downs" All rights reserved 1/13/2008

Molasses taffy, and stuck dentures

2008-01-13T16:27:00.000-06:00

Molasses taffy, and stuck dentures
(C) 1/13/3/2008 "Rambling Rose's Jottem' Downs"

I thought I had written this already, but I don't see it in the list of stories. Back in my early twenties I was living with my parents. It was way out int he country. We didn't have the things to entertain us like there is today. Playing a game, going for a walk, swimming, or sitting on the front porch late in the afternoon and talking was satisfying.

I remember one time when the neighbor young teens came over. We decided we would make ole time molasses taffy like my mom made when she was a young girl. She showed us what to do. Boiling down the syrup, getting it to the right stage, and then cooling it down enough to pull. We had to grease ourhands really well. As we sat around the table, rolling it into long ropes, then pulling it. Watching it as it turned into a silky look. As we pulled, laughed and talked sometimes we would take a small piece of it to eat.

I had pulled off a small piece and was enjoying it. I started to chew it and got my false teeth stuck in it. No one noticed what was happening, I couldn't tell them. I got so tickled, well as much as one can get with their false teeth stuck in taffy candy, which held them like cement. No way to get those false teeth out, so they remained in my mouth. Me laughing, tears rolling down my face from laughter. Only things was my nose started to get stuffy from the tears. Here I was couldn't breath well, couldn't get my mouth open, laughing at the situation. I still after over forty years remember it well. Still get tickled about it.

Mom was a good sport with us using her kitchen table to play games on, pull taffy. We had a game we played and she always lost. She knew the rules, but she never could win. She always ended up being the monkey. The other day when I was in the story a mom was trying to get her son to hush. I told her about the game.

Someone would say, "Order in the court, order in the court!!! The monkey wants to speak................

Puff puff, catching up

2008-01-11T12:06:00.000-06:00

I am behind on writing. It seems like for the past week, except for one day I have had something I needed to do. I took that day off and totally rested. Yesterday was a very busy day catching up with work that had gone undone. And boy did I work. Have things to get done today before 5. But after sweeping a carpet with one of the older style brooms, that are pretty stiff, my back is screaming stop. I was so thankful that when I came home one day my husband had supper fixed.

During breaks yesterday, which were short, I got to sit out on the porch. We have plexiglas on it and that end of the porch where the chairs are was sunny. So I ate lunch out there, then took a break later and sat out there and read for about 20 minutes. I hadn't sat out there in a long time. It was interesting seeing all the neighborhood traffic going through. A mobile home was moved out. There are two sharp curves so it was interesting seeing them get around them. A person that is going to do landscaping to their property had some big equipment moved in. The truck they were bringing in on couldn't get up the hill, so the smaller truck backed up, hooked up to it, and with both of them it went up the hill. Truck was missing so it had a problem.

Wanted to take a break to check mail, then fix something to eat. Then I have chicken quarters to put on in a big pot, and let it cook down for a couple of hours to get a good broth. Gonna' make chicken and dumplin's. I can already taste them. I like the old style of making them. Can't make them as good as my mom can, but hey I have improved. Use to after they got cold, I could turn the bowl upside down and them stay in the bowl the juice was so solid. <> Now the next day the juice part is still soft, and the dumplings soft.

Well up up and away to get some more wood in the heater, get something to eat, get chicken started, and who knows what else I will find I have forgotten and must do. Going to make enough food for two days, and put my feet up tomorrow and read all day.

Learning to drive. Pine trees move over!

2008-01-01T15:50:00.001-06:00

Oh I can remember the first day I got behind the wheel of our truck to drive. It was between the 8th and 9th grade!

I had taught my sister to drive when I was little. She wanted to learn to drive so mom told her, "Lois can teach you. She watches daddy." So she got in the auto, pulled down the passenger seat for me to sit on and I proceed to tell her what daddy did. She learned how to drive this way.

I would play in daddy's truck so much he would end up not having any brake fluid. The day he let me drive we were down at the garden. It was the summer between the 8th and 9th grade. It was quite a ways back to the garden that was down near a branch. Daddy said yes I could drive.

It is a day I will never forget! Pine trees were on both sides of where daddy had driven the truck down the to garden, and it was not a straight path. I started off a bit jumpy as most of you know that learned on a stick shift.

That thing was going faster than my bicycle, and I was dodging trees left and right. We had a big long commercial chicken house. I had to turn sharp right to get on the drive back to the house. Well, I turned all right, but nearly got the edge of the roof. He just told me I would have to make a bigger turn to not do that again.

We made it back home, and I think with my heart in my mouth. Everything was going by so fast. When we stopped daddy told me to stand beside the open door on the drivers side. He got in the drivers seat and showed me how to gently let the clutch out while gradually pressing the gas. Back and forth he went showing me.

From that time on I got to drive. We had a long drive and I circled the big oak tree in the front yard, back to the end of the barn where there was a circle. What a thrilled to get to drive.

Then came the time he allowed me to go to town by my self. I was told I couldn't go over 25 or 30 miles an hour, I forget which. I knew I had better do what daddy said because my aunts lived on the way to town, and they would sit out on the
front porch. I didn't want to loose my chances to drive and was not about to do anything to loose that.

It was a small town, and the constable let the young folks drive as long as they drove carefully. They just couldn't go on the highway some distance away. He said they needed to learn and how could they if they couldn't drive?

I guess daddy must have trusted me pretty much. He sent me to town with no brakes. He showed me how to gently pull the emergency brake up and use it.

From that time on when we went through the big city daddy would sit in the middle between mama and me and let me drive.

When I was 16, I took drivers education to get my drivers license. By then I had been driving for 3 years. It was lots of fun. There were several of us that had been driving for a long time so we all got to go together. We learned police turns and in general had a good time. When we were going through backing up exercises my instructor told me I went backwards better than forwards. Daddy had taught me how to back up and keep control of the truck so that was no biggie, as well as how to get out of tight spots.

So I have fond memories of daddy teaching me to drive, and out trips. When our son was about 9 we taught him how to drive. He only knows automatic shifts though, other than driving the lawn mower.

I have loved the freedom it has given me in being able to drive. In fact I love it so much that hubby hardly ever gets to drive when we go somewhere.

(C) 22 May 2001 "Rambling Rose's Jottem Downs" By ML Bierman

Not feeling well.

2007-12-31T14:58:00.000-06:00

Hi folks, I have a head cold, so I really don't feel like posting. Seems like I am so far behind on personal mail, then I started this new project.

I have other types of stories on my Marys Treasures page, http://www.geocities.com/marys_treasures/ than the ones here. Maybe from time to time I might put something from there that is light hearted and would fit. But for today, I don't feel like making something new to put up.

I have oodles of stories to write, that are short. I wonder though how many will want to hear the ramblings of funny to serious ( not sad serious ) things of things that happened in my life, families life from back in the 1940's to now. Some times I sure gained a lot of wisdom from them.

Will try to get something else up in a few days. Have some have to do things, so it may be a few days.

If you read a story you like, I would love to hear from you.

Feed Sack Dresses

2007-12-26T17:06:00.000-06:00

I remember back in 1955 or so that cancan one half slips were in style. Most of them were starched like crazy, and net. Mom bought me a store made one, but them she made me some. They were cotton, made like a square dancing skirt is, in tiers. That also was the time of what was called poodle skirts. I never got one of those.

We raised about 1200 chickens. So we had lots of hundred pound feed sacks. My clothes for the most part were made out of them. Plain colors and prints. They were pretty prints. Mom sewed well, and I never felt like I had a feed sack on. One teacher in the fifth grade had a habit of when I was called up to the front of the class would ask, "Is that a feed sack you are wearing?" Mom told me one day to tell her, "No, mam, it is a dress." She never said anything again.

But mom made clothes from them, made quilt covers, and sold them. She bought a lot of things for the house with her seed sack, and double eggs she sold.

I can remember mama with her quilting rack hung from the rafters in the ceiling. My playing under it, and sometimes sending the needle back up to the top side. Mom used the thread that came from the sacks of feed to tie off the quilts with. No way they were going to break.

That was some fifty years ago or longer. The memories are still lingering.

(C) 12/26/2007 "Rambling Rose's Jottem Downs"

Clouds with silver linings

2007-12-25T22:45:00.000-06:00

Clouds with silver linings
By Mary Bierman 8/24/2001

We use to live where we could see the western sky with no obstructions. Many afternoons there would be clouds dotting the sky with the sun shining behind them it was a breathtaking view. Many times a cloud would look dark and had light around it. Clouds with silver linings are what we called them. The other side of that cloud was the sun setting low in the sky, its rays streaming across the sky, and around the cloud shining on the earth.

Just as that could was black and around it was that outline of beautiful bright light called a silver lining, we are told that our trials and test have silver linings. Scriptures says all things, not just some, works for the good of those that love Him called to be His children.

Behind each cloud in our life is our Heavenly Father brightly shining. All we have to do is to look on our life and how He has stood with us and we know in this testing or trial He will also be with us. It might look black as night, but we know He is on the other side.

Look at testings of our life as opportunities to learn, grow, and stretch in getting stronger in our walk with our Father. Just like physical exercise in proper proportion builds us up, our Father brings these clouds as we could call them in to our life to build us up spiritually. He has to know our heart, but He is always there just waiting to shine brightly and brilliantly in our life.

Keep your eye on the spiritual silver linings in your life, not the clouds that loom up ahead.

© 1996 Mary's Treasures of Jott'em Downs, Mary Bierman I would love to hear from you if you enjoyed this story.

What I learned from the rooster chase

2007-12-21T14:00:00.001-06:00

This article was inspired by "The Rooster and goosebumps" at http://jottemdowns.blogspot.com/2007/12/roosters-and-goosebumps.html

It is what I would have added to it as an inspirational story.
As we grow older things that scared us so bad as youngsters, no longer are frightening. But I am here to tell you I am just as scared of roosters today as I was as a small child. As an adult, having a relationship with my Heavenly Father puts a new spin on things. I can use the physical to learn spiritual lessons from. Although I can see a spiritual lesson with those roosters, spiders is another story all together.

I thought about the Devil being like an old rooster that was chasing the children of our Heavenly Father. My dad stood guard over me when I was with him, to protect me from getting jumped by a rooster. He could easily not have been looking, and my get hurt. I rejoice that my Heavenly Father can see me from a different view point. The old adversary can't sneak up on me, and Him not know it is happening.

In His word He tells me He as His child He lives in me, and is bigger than anything that can come into my life. He also tells me to resist the enemy that is like a roaring lion looking for prey. I don't have to be afraid of what is out there that would come as destruction in my life if HE is with me.

I do see though that with all those solid, no failing promises, I have an 'if" that I must put into action first. I have them for my present day, tomorrow, and the rest of my life. They are promises of shelter, food, clothing and are in every area of my life, and the enemy might try to make me doubt the Father will supply them, but I know if I do my 'if', His word will never fail. In due season it will come. Don't let the enemy scare us into believing there is no one to help us. He might give us chase, but he can only come so close. The rooster, he could give me chase, but papa wouldn't let him get to me. Scared, yes I was so scared it was paralyzing, and the thought of papa coming to my rescue never entered my mind. Sometimes he wasn't around at all, but I made it to safety.

What is the rooster in your life?

"The Rambling Rose" Also the author of "Mary's Treasures of Inspirational Stories"

Roosters and goosebumps

2007-12-21T00:37:00.001-06:00

Some time ago our son came in here, and walked over to the kitchen windows. "A rooster is in the back yard." Yep the neighbor that lives down the road, his big old, and I mean old and big, rooster was having a feast eating the bird seed thrown out on the ground.

I can remember when I was little, daddy raised chickens to sell hatching eggs to the hatchery. I would go to the barn and a rooster would be after me. Dad would throw what he had in his hands. Those roosters had long talons and they could really hurt if they jumped you.

I can remember mom fussing about how many rooster she was having to cook. He changed over to just selling the eggs that didn't have to be fertile. I can remember getting chased by roosters and being so scared that by the time I got to the door my fingers were like wood, I had a hard time getting the door open.

So seeing that rooster in the back yard was to close for me, even through it was through a window. Later on when I saw my son go out back I saw how the rooster would run. I got up enough courage banging on something and chasing him out of the yard. Me, chasing a rooster. Well, I am here to tell you I had goosebumps the whole time.

I guess he finally died for I haven't seen him in months. It sure brought up a lot of moments of running for my life, scared out of my wits.

"The Rambling Rose"

Attics full of treasures

2007-12-20T18:28:00.000-06:00

I have always wanted, now this is a dream not a reality, buy and old home in an estate sale. It be several stories tall, have and attic, maybe a basement. Filled with all the things the old folks collected. It be filled with their stuff they collected over the years. Them sell it as is, haven't got the time or want to for going through any of it. To them it is junk.

I think it would be so much fun to go through it, and hopefully find things I would love to have too. Since I love clutter, this would be a perfect place for me to spend lazy days in, seeing time periods of things. Seeing what interest them.

With my imagination, I can take a virtual trip and enjoy every minute of it. I love pictures where I can pretend of what is around the corner of an old house, down the lane, and so forth.
I love my life, and I guess these things are what makes it interesting.

"The Rambling Rose"

Hello.. just moving in,

2007-12-19T23:19:00.000-06:00

Please come back to visit later. I am tired from being out for the afternoon. But boy was it fun! Son helped me make get a bunch of photos made, 77 in fact. Me who didn't want a digital camera. ( Smiling sweetly ) Son tells me I ought to listen to him!

He is great to go shopping with though. Things I put off for a year or so... just dreaming about how nice it would be to have it, son picks up and puts in the cart saying, "Ma, you hardly ever get anything for yourself."

So today it was a foot bath. My other one wore out, the new one didn't heat the water like the old one. I was looking at one, and he found a much better one. Guess how has a foot bath that is a whirlpool massaging foot spa? Oh, my feet are going to enjoy that.

More later on. Right now I need to get a letter written, some pictures marked to mail tomorrow. Got some scanned and printed that were of my mom back in about 1919, and one of my brother when he as two years old back in 1927. I think I want to go to bed instead...

Problem is I love sleeping late and to get up and do all that, or stay up late late then sleep late.... sure is a toss up... Wonder what will win out since it is so late now...

"The Rambling Rose"