Happy Christmas Time -Postcard Friendship Friday #144

It is hard to believe Christmas is nearly here.  I have always loved Christmas.  I adore this little girl with her white muff, coat and shoes.  Her Mother must have been a brave soul.  If I had ever sent out my little ones in white--even in the snow they would have returned decorated with all sorts of dirt and mud.

Have you ever gone mud puddle stomping?!  It is a joyful thing to do.  Everyone dresses in their worst clothes, then it's off to stomp in every single puddle one can find.  Once everyone is good and wet, frozen to the bone, it's off to hot showers, dry clothes and a very LARGE cup of steaming hot cocoa with marshmallows on top.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Sincere Thanksgiving Greeting -Postcard Friendship Friday #143

 

I have always enjoyed vintage Thanksgiving postcards featuring beautiful Indian maidens--usually there's a turkey, corn, pumpkins and such included.  Since I have a few drops of Native American blood in my veins, I think these postcards are especially charming.  When the settlers arrived in the New World, the Indians helped them make it through the harsh winter.  I often wonder what it would have been like to see the land as the settlers saw it upon landing.  What a wild and beautiful place it must have been.

There are so many things for which to be thankful.  This was our first Thanksgiving without Daddy.  Though we all missed him, we had a beautiful time together as a family.  I thank you for your prayers for us--you have all been so kind and dear. Daddy flew away to heaven last Saturday evening.  He is with his beloved Savior now--safe, without struggle and out of pain.

God bless you all--and have a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend.

*  DON'T FORGET:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you!

*  NOTE: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

*  REMINDER: Comments and links which contain advertising and do not refer to any of the following; Postcard Friendship Friday, mailboxes, the Post office, postcards or the love of postcards, will be deleted.  Lately, I've had to delete quite a few comments which are just ads. 

Angels All Around -Postcard Friendship Friday #142

I believe there are angels all around us, ministering to those of us in need.

I posted this beautiful postcard today to thank God for those heavenly beings He is sending to comfort Dad and Mom and our family, as Daddy slips away from us.

Dad is a true hero--though he would say he isn't.  He fought in WW2, miraculously dodging bullets and bombs.  He was eventually captured by the Nazis in the Battle of the Bulge.  Dad marched across France in the dead of winter--he was one of those soldiers who survived that infamous death march. He watched his friends die one by one.  Eventually he was imprisoned at Stalag B in Nazi Germany.  Dad was a prisoner of war.  For nine months, he was tortured, interrogated and lived under appalling conditions before he and his fellow prisoners were rescued.  Of his unit, only three other men survived.

God brought Dad home to America, where he found Mom, fell in love, married and raised a big family. How grateful we are for our precious Daddy.

I loved his mischievous heart, how he enjoyed people.  He could always make them smile.  His family was everything to Dad.  He adored his children and grandchildren.  Mumsie is a writer, author and speaker--He was SO proud of her.  Mom always said Dad was the wind beneath her wings.  We will miss him so much. 

Daddy is headed for heaven any time now.  I would appreciate your thoughts and prayers for my precious family at this time. If you would like to see some amazing pictures, click here: Daddy.

*  DON'T FORGET:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you!

*  NOTE: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

*  REMINDER: Comments and links which contain advertising and do not refer to any of the following; Postcard Friendship Friday, mailboxes, the Post office, postcards or the love of postcards, will be deleted.  Lately, I've had to delete quite a few comments which are just ads. 

Plucking Feathers -Postcard Friendship Friday #141

 

I love this postcard--This beautiful woman is plucking feathers from the turkey in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner.  This is a picture of how it was in days gone by, when most people either raised their own turkeys, or shot them in the wild, for Thanksgiving.

This postcard brought back memories of an incident in my early 20's.  I was sitting at a picnic table near the edge of the Willamette River.  I'd visited that park to do some artwork in a quiet setting.  Suddenly I heard some whining, pinging sounds in the leaves just overhead.  Ripped leaves drifted down onto my drawings.

I'd never heard anything like it before, so I left my artwork to run to the bank of the river.  There was a boat load of men with guns floating offshore.  In the water floated the large goose they'd shot.  As soon as they saw me they gunned the engine and roared off in a huge toss of water.  The wake of the wave floated that bird to me.

I pulled the freshly shot goose out of the water, wrapped it in a plastic bag and took it home to Grammie.  With a little grin, Grammie told me if I wanted to eat this bird--she would show me how to prepare it.  Grammie taught me how to pluck the bird--you immerse the entire bird in boiling hot water.  This loosens the feathers.  And BOY do feathers smell bad.  Plucking a bird takes a certain technique and HOURS of time.  Then she taught me how to remove feet and head, then gut the innards.  Sorry if that's gross--but that is what had to be done.

As I recall, though it was a bit stringy, that goose was quite tasty. 

There is so much for which to be thankful this Thanksgiving. 

Daddy will be leaving us soon, but he will be joining so many people he loves in heaven.  We will grieve--but he will be in a better place.  My husband's cancer surgery is set for December 5th, I am praying for his complete recovery.  How thankful I am for our family and the love we share. How grateful I am for each of you.

Happy Thanksgiving dear ones!

*  DON'T FORGET:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you!

*  NOTE: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

*  REMINDER: Comments and links which contain advertising and do not refer to any of the following; Postcard Friendship Friday, mailboxes, the Post office, postcards or the love of postcards, will be deleted.  Lately, I've had to delete quite a few comments which are just ads. 

A Little Child's Prayer

I found this postcard  on CardCow today.  It seemed so appropriate--I know Dad would laugh if he heard it:  This poem is one he would giggle over.  I'm sure it would remind him of himself as a boy.

Dear Lord, As Dad

Ain't Home To-night

I guess you'll have to keep

Awake and see that

Things are right

While I am fast asleep.

But if you're away

And forget

To tend to what I've said

And burglars come

You needn't fret,

I'll shoot 'em full of lead,

Amen

Dad is at the VA.  He is on full comfort care now.  I don't see him recovering any time soon.  Mumsie says when it's time for Dad to go, an angel will arrive in a long gold-plated muscle car with big fins and the rag top down.  Bro Dow, Dad's sweet Mom, his brother and sister will be riding shotgun--there'll be hugs and greetings, then the angel will open the door of that car.  I can see Dad grinning as he hops into the driver's seat, to drive through the gates of heaven, golden winds cooling his brow, the love and laughter of His Savior and family in his ears.

More than just about anything else, Daddy loved to drive his car everywhere on all kinds of adventures.  It seems only right he'd drive into heaven for the greatest adventure of all.

We will miss our precious Daddy--but He goes to a better place very soon.

We appreciate your prayers for our family.

Mayflower Romance -Postcard Friendship Friday #140

John and Priscilla were among the original settlers of the Plymouth Colony.  John was not one of the pilgrims, he was actually a handyman who'd been hired to repair the Mayflower.  He decided to join the pilgrims to make his fortune.  But there is a delightful rumor that the real reason he traveled to the New World was because of a young woman named Priscilla.

He had to work hard to win her, too.  John was not the only man who would fall for Priscilla. His friend, military Captain Miles Standish also fell in love with the maiden over the long voyage.  Both men vied for her affections, with John ultimately winning Priscilla's hand in marriage.  They were married on May 12, 1622.

I love that story--I am in good company.  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote about their romance in his poem The Courtship of Miles Standish.

Daddy Update:  Thank you for your warm thoughts and prayers.  Dad is such a fighter.  He can now lift his bad arm up over his head and squeezed my hand with his fingers.  Sissy says the Doctor was shocked!  lol  More good news--Dad was having such a hard time swallowing and breathing--turns out there was some kind of obstruction in the back of his throat.  Yesterday afternoon the head nurse removed it, and now he can breathe SO much better.  He also got down a few ice chips.  We are so encouraged.

*  DON'T FORGET:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you!

*  NOTE: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

*  REMINDER: Comments and links which contain advertising and do not refer to any of the following; Postcard Friendship Friday, mailboxes, the Post office, postcards or the love of postcards, will be deleted.  Lately, I've had to delete quite a few comments which are just ads.