Sol Learns an Important Skill

I’m sure you’ve hear the old cliche’ “It’s the thought that counts”.  Well, I want you to know that I was thinking that I would write several post during the Christmas vacation.  I thought that I would post pics of Christmas morning and talk about how much we enjoyed being with family and friends.  I thought I would write a couple of post about how Elijah and Chloe did in their Christmas tournaments.  I thought I would write about how the kids enjoyed playing with their Christmas presents and how we would stay up late playing the new games they got.  I thought I would write about our year in review and tell you about what had happened this past year in our lives and maybe even share some pics.

I may still write some of those post, but you should  know that I was thinking of writing those post and that its the thought that counts.

Sol Learns an Important Skill

One of the reasons I didn’t get to all the writing I had planned is because we were so busy.  With Christmas events, family gatherings, basketball tournaments, and not to mention the shopping, I just didn’t have time to sit down and do much writing.  As a matter of fact, I am sitting at the scorer’s table now at Chloe’s freshman ballgame writing this post between games and during halftime.

Another thing that kept us more busy than I liked, was the constant cleaning.  On several occasions we would just run through the house, throwing on a clean outfit, grabbing a bite to eat, and heading out to another family dinner or ballgame.  So every once in a while we would have to just stop and do a little cleaning.

Since Christmas is a time to spend with family and there was a little cleaning to be done, I decided I would spend a little time with Solomon teaching him how to clean toilets.  Believe it or not, he did not fuss a bit.  If you know Sol,you know that he is not a big whiner.  He usually puts a smile on and will pretty much help me out with whatever I ask of him.  This was no exception.  He put on those latex gloves, armed wtih toilet cleaner in one hand and a toilet brush in the other.  He stepped into that bathroom and attacked that toilet bowl ring with the same tenacity and fervor that he does when he steps on the basketball court.  I told him what to do and he did it.  Good job Solomon!

 

 

Monday’s Music

Today I’m continuing to share with you our family’s favorite Christmas songs.  Chloe’s choice is a classic among classics, Silent Night.  It has been recorded by just about every artist that has recorded a Christmas album.  The song was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 at the St Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf bei Salzburg.  The melody was written by Franz Gruber.

This version of Silent Night is performed by Jackie Evancho, a young American classical crossover singer.

Enjoy….

A New Christmas!

I love decorating for Christmas. We always make a big deal about it. While we decorate, we bake cookies, listen to Christmas music, and end with a Christmas movie. However, this year was not nearly as exciting because we had nothing with which to decorate. Our entire collection of Christmas decor was destroyed in the fire. Christmas decorations have been low on our list of items to replace. It will take us quite awhile to build our collection back up to what it was. Of course, after being married nearly 25 years you can imagine the enormity of our collection. So….now we begin again…one ornament at a time.
Here’s a peek at some of our initial purchases.

All Alone?

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that all the world should be registered. This was the first
registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And
all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph
also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to
Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be
registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
—Luke 2:1–5

Isn’t it amazing when you stop and think about everything that had to happen in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled of the coming of the Messiah.  How that God put in Caesar Agustus’ heart to declare that everyone had to go to their own land and be registered, causing two, little, insignificant people to end up in Bethlehem.

Sometimes in the world of over 7 billion people I feel so insignificant.  I wonder how God can or would care about what is happening in my life and why would He take the time to help an insignificant person in little Morgantown, Kentucky.  But the truth is….God is very interested and aware of what’s going on in my life.  Because I experience trials and adversity, God’s hand is not shortened. It is not our prosperity and success He seeks, but our praise and worship.  The truth is…. I am HIS!

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” Isaiah 43:1

Monday’s Music

Even though this morning certainly did not feel like Christmas in Morgantown with temperatures in the mid 60’s, we are going to continue with sharing our favorite Christmas music.  This week’s pick comes from Solomon.  He chose “Up on the Housetop”, which was written by Benjamin Hanby in 1864.  “Up on the Housetop” has been recorded by many different artist throughout the years but the most notable is Gene Autry.

Enjoy!

From My Childhood

I grew up in a little community in Butler County called Jetson.  Although there were many different families in our community with the normal Butler County surnames (Woodcock, Johnson, Embry), the majority of the community was made of of desendants of the Samuel Whittinghill, my great grandfather.  As a matter of fact, if you look on many maps, it will list Jetson as Whittinghill.

The hub of our community was much like that of many other rural communities, the little country store.  Jetson’s country store was originally owned by my Grandfather, Ruil Whittinghill, or as I called him Papaw.  Papaw opened the store in the 1940’s.  After Papaw’s death in the early 1990’s, it passed to my mother and her sister.  Whittinghill’s Grocery remained in the family until this fall when it was auctioned to the highest bidder.  With the sale of “The Store”, as we have always called it, came the end of nearly three-quarters of a century of  Whittinghill’s Grocery, one of the oldest businesses in Butler County.  It was bitter sweet, but t was time to move on.  It was hard to see something that had been such a huge part of our family sold at auction.

Ruil Whittinghill’s Grocery

When I found out that Mom and my aunt were going to auction the store I asked her if it would be possible for her to get something off the wall for me since they were going to auction it as all inclusive. When I asked her, she seemed kind of surprised. It had hung on the wall for over 30 years, I’m not sure she had ever even noticed it.  She said, “What in the world do you want with that thing?”

Homemade Corn Grater

What I had asked for was a homemade corn grater that Papaw and I had spent a entire fall afternoon constructing.  I remember, while we were using a nail to punch each of the holes, Papaw telling me not only about what we were making, how they used it when he was a little boy, but also about how much money a person could save if they would go back to the old ways of doing things.  If you knew my Papaw, you knew that he appreciated the value of a dime and knew how to turn that dime into a quarter.

That day we used the homemade corn grater and grated some corn so that he could have Mamaw make corn meal mush like he used to eat.  It was not good, so Papaw decided to try to sell the grater itself in order to try and turn a profit.  You can see that was not a great idea either, there was just no market for corn graters anymore.

Now the corn grater sits in our new dining room.  Not as a reminder of how one can save money by grating their own corn, nor of how one could make a little extra cash by making corn graters.  But instead, it sits as a reminder of a Papaw’s love for his grandson.  A Papaw who took the time out of a busy day at The Store to spend some special time with his grandson.  Sharing stories of his childhood and giving advice in his own special way.

Me and Papaw

My Christmas List

This past week I received our children’s Christmas list complete with color pictures.  The kids had gone online, searched, and was able to compile a comprehensive list of items which they would like for Christmas.  They give us plenty to choose from and Carm and I rather like the fact that they have made our job Christmas shopping much easier.   Their process of making a Christmas list is much different than when I was a kid.  When I was a little boy, every year right after Thanksgiving, I would start making my Christmas list.  Of course we didn’t have the internet or even know what a computer was so I wasn’t able to search at will and provide my parents or Santa Claus with a printed list complete with color pictures.  Instead, we used this thing called the Sears Wish Book.  It was AMAZING!  It was a full color catalog that would have pictures of every toy imaginable to a little fella.  I remember when Mom would get her copy, within a week it had turned into shambles because we had worn that thing out.  We would spend hours looking, wishing, and a lot of circling so that Mom and Dad would know exactly what to tell Santa to bring on Christmas Eve.

I continue to make a Christmas wish list for my Mom and Dad.  It still makes me as excited as it did when I was a little boy.  Will I get everything on it?  No, I never did.  But, I knew it was just my “wish” list just like it still is.  Mom and Dad have done such a great job of keeping the long time traditions of Christmas alive even though we’ve gone from our original 6 to over 30 at Mom and Dad’s on Christmas Eve.  Even down to asking their 43 year old son for his Christmas Wish List.

My Christmas Wish List

Cordial Churchman Bow Tie
Ford Wide Scale Plaid Tweed

Smathers and Branson
American Flag Cap

 

Columbia Fleece Vest

Southern Marsh Dopp Kit

Brooks Brothers Non Iron Button Down Dress Shirt
Traditional Fit

Anything UK
Sweatshirt or Game Tickets

Martin Dingman Belt
Colton Aged Bark Oiled Nubuck

 

Digital Wireless Thermometer
for the Big Green Egg

 

Of Course I will take any and all things Starbucks!

Monday’s Music

With five Monday’s left before Christmas, I’m going to share with you each of our five family member’s favorite Christmas songs. Up first with their selection is Carmen. Her favorite is a classic, The Christmas Song as performed by Nat King Cole.

The Christmas Song was written by composer and vocalist Mel Torme’ in 1944 and later recorded by Cole in 1946. However, the most loved and recognizable version of Cole’s The Christmas Song was recorded in 1961 with a full orchestra.

Enjoy!

The Perfect Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays because it presents the opportunity to spend time with the entire and ever growing Flener family.   For our family, Thanksgiving is a time that is steeped heavily in tradition.  One of those traditions has been to always have Thanksgiving Dinner at Dad and Mom’s house.  However, this year, for the first time ever, we had Thanksgiving Dinner at our house.  My sister Tina had suggested that since we had just gotten into the new house, we should host this year’s Thanksgiving dinner.  Being the traditionalist that I am, I was a little reluctant.  I thought it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving if it wasn’t at Dad and Mom’s.  But after tonight, I was reminded, that although I love all the traditions of Thanksgiving, having the people you love and hold dear with which to share those traditions is far more important.  That was just the case tonight, and that is why this was, yet again, the Perfect Thanksgiving.

Here are some pics from our Flener Thanksgiving…..

Me, Sheila, Tina, Linda
Mom and Dad

The Grandkids
Trenton, Keisha, Christina, Keilah, Elijah, Chloe
Callie, Solomon
(Cole and Mandy had already left)

Elijah and his beautiful girlfriend Payton

Mom had taken care of the smoked turkey so I did the traditional roasted turkey. It was perfect!

Surprisingly, Keilah is one of the first in line! Some of my favorites that were on the menu; Mom’s dressing, Mom’s potatoes, Mom’s sweet potato casserole, Mom’s green beans, Mom’s garden corn, and my absolute favorite….Mom’s corn pudding.

Dad enjoying the first round with Elijah and Solomon

Taking care of Dean, the current youngest in the family.

Chloe and Callie – two beautiful girls

Dad’s second round and enjoying some conversation with David and Donald

Kiser and Jacob getting a little competitive with the Beyblades

Aimsley, the family princess.

David, Dad, and Bill….is that another plate in Dad’s hands?

Can you say sugar high?

Monday’s Music

This week is a time to reflect and give thanks to God for all His many blessings.  I wanted to share with you another of my favorite songs, How Great is Our God. I’ve had the opportunity to see Chris Tomlin perform this song in front of thousands of people.  It was overwhelming experiencing the enormous multitude of people praising God in communal worship.  All in unison singing “how great is our God.”  I’ve also had the opportunity to witness Chris Tomlin perform this song in a very intimate small group setting, with only his guitar.  It too was an overwhelming experience.  Having that quiet, reflective time to ponder His blessings.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re surrounded by a crowd of people or you’re all alone.  When I begin to think about exactly how great God is and how He has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams….that is what is overwhelming.

Psalm 95:1-6 – O Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, And a great King above all gods, In whose hand are the depths of the earth; The peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.