Christmas on Road Creek

Jeffery complains every year that there is something wrong with the photos of our Christmas gathering on Road Creek...she's not in them. Well, this year we decided to correct that. Here are some photos from our gathering this past weekend.

Here she is sampling some of Michelle and Luci's 'Splenda Snacks'...

Here she is making sure that Melissa and Shawn don't get 'Too Close' on the sofa...

And here she shares a private moment with Grandma and Michelle...

Check out these and several more photos at Clyde's Flickr Page.

Smelling The Wuv

Grandmother Phyllis has been busy all year making quilts for her family. And when I say her family, I mean all of her children, their spouses, their children and their grandchildren. She has been non-stop quilting.

We are all very grateful that Aunt Janice and Uncle Earl have been coming down during the winter months and keeping Grandmother busy. While they were here Aunt Janice and Grandmother put up a quilt. This has really meant a lot to her. She was so bored. She thought she would never be able to quilt again because of her failing eyesight. But she has learned that she can tack quilts and they are still beautiful. Especially to her family.

Well she has been making special quilts for the grandchildren. She made a very pretty Spiderman quilt for Caleb (He thinks he really is Spider man.) Amber told grandmother that they had been trying to get Caleb to sleep by himself, so she decided to give him his quilt early, hoping it would encourage him to sleep by himself.

This was a very good idea. Amber says he has been dragging this full sized quilt around the house all day long. Amber said she sat down with Caleb and asked him, "Caleb, did you know that Grandmother sewed a special ingredient into your quilt."

Caleb looked at her and shook his head no. She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Caleb, Grandmother sewed some of her love into you quilt." His eyes got big! His mother said, "Caleb, smell your quilt."

He pulled the quilt up to his nose, took a big sniff and squealed, "Momma, I smell the wuv!"

She looked at him and said, "Caleb, rub the quilt on your face."

He quickly pulled the quilt up to his cheek and squealed, "Momma, I feel the wuv!" He was so excited to know that his grandmother had put love in this quilt.

Now his mother thought he should share some of the love and asked, "Can I smell the love, Caleb?"

He looked up at her and let her know what he thought about this suggestion, "NO!" For several minutes she begged to smell the love and finally he agreed. She pulled the quilt up to her nose and took a really big sniff. The scream that came from Caleb almost pierced her ears, "You're smelling all the wuv, Momma. STOP IT!"

He drug his quilt around all day. That night after they had all gone to bed and Amber ended up sleeping with him, he woke up around twelve and whispered, "Momma, you forgot to snuggle me."

Amber, of course, was under this quilt with him and had it pulled up to her face. As she rolled over to snuggle him she heard him mumble something under his breath. She asked, "Caleb, what did you say?"

He turned to her and said, "I said stop smelling the wuv!" He is so afraid she is going to sniff out all of Grandmother's love from his quilt.

Posted by Jeff

Thanksgiving Dinner 2005

I'm not sure whose idea it was but this year we gathered the Stalker and Looney families together at the church at the mouth of Jimmie's Creek. The church has a nice kitchen and dining area on the lower floor that was just perfect for our group.

Mom and Dad and all of their kids were there of course...

We were joined by Patty, Randy and Sandra Kay with their spouses and several of their children. Danny Looney was able to attend too.

Someone counted twenty-seven of us in all. There was more than enough food for everyone. In fact, we could have fed another twenty-seven easily.

I don't know if it was going back to the church where we all grew up, or getting together with cousins, neices and nephews that we hadn't seen in quite some time, but something about this gathering brought back special memories for many of us. None more special than our memories of Junice and Hula.

A couple of people have already said that we need to do this again next year because this was..."the best Thanksgiving ever."

Jeffery Hen - She Can't Find Panda

After Patricia Hen, Vicki Hen and Roo got Jeffery Hen home and put her in her freshly make nest the hens put together for her, she fell asleep immediately. Deep inside of Jeffery Hen a little bitty egg yolk has started to form.

When Jeffery Hen woke up the next morning, she felt very good, as if she hasn't been sick at all. She was completely confused. The first thing that crossed her mind immediately was "Where is Panda!" She flew right out of her nest and immediately started out looking for her.

The first thing she did was to look for Roo; she couldn't find him or Bear anywhere. Everybody has been wondering why Jeffery Hen was out of her nest if she was going to start laying an egg. Patricia Hen saw her and came running toward her and said, "Jeffery Hen shouldn't you be in your nest."

Jeffery Hen said, "Well, I feel just find now, I am worried about Panda, I can't fine her."

Patricia Hen said, "Oh, my goodness! When was the last time you have seen her."

Jeffery Hen said, "Yesterday!"

Patricia Hen said, "Yesterday! and its almost evening now!"

Jeffery Hen said, "I can't fine Roo or Bear either one every since either."

Patricia Hen said, "I'm pretty sure she is with them; surely Roo won't leave her along."

Jeffery Hen was getting so worried that she all most forgot she hasn't eaten anything today. She looked down and saw some weed seeds and picked them up and ate them. The seeds did taste good; the seeds didn't solve her worrying problem about where was Panda.

Jeffery Hen finally when over to Vicki Hen house to see if Panda was there. Nobody was home; Jeffery Hen decided she was going to have to go home. When she got home the hen house was empty; but she was so tired that she couldn't go on with the hunt. The day was almost over and she thought that by the time it gets dark Roo will be home and then she will know where she is; she set in her nest till Roo came home.

When Roo and Bear came home; they did not have Panda with them. She screamed with all of her might, "Where is my baby!"

Roo and Bear looked at each other and didn't know what to think. Jeffery Hen broke down and started to cry. Roo knew something had to be done; so he flew up into the top of the Redwood tree and started crowing, "Panda, where are you!"

All of the chickens in the neighbor came out of their hen houses immediately to see if they could be of any help. Out of the blue Vicki Hen showed up with her twins and along side with them was Panda.

Vicki Hen said, "I have kept her for the last two days, I thought nobody else wanted her."

When Roo looked down out of the tree and sees that they have found Panda, he stopped crowing and flew out of the tree. He took Panda and thanked everybody for finding her. Vicki Hen told him that she was with her all of this time. Roo took Panda home and surprised Jeffery with her.

"Oh, Panda!" she cried, "Where were you?"

Roo said, "We forgot to go to Vicki Hen's house and get her."

Jeffery Hen said, "Oh, Vicki Hen took care of her all of this time. Did you thank her."

Roo said, "Yes, I thanked her."

Posted by Aunt Meaner

Pikeville City Park in Fall

Last weekend Jennie and I took Emerson up to the City Park in Pikeville to play on the playground equipment there. The trees in the park were near the peak of their fall color.

A new statue of former Mayor Hambley had just been erected a week or two before...

The colorful trees provided a fine backdrop for it and a festive place for Emerson to play.

Posted by Clyde