TELL ME A STORY

TELL ME A STORY
"Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation." Joel 1:3
Showing posts with label Erma Bombeck. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Erma Bombeck. Show all posts

Sunday, December 1, 2013

JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS: Bank & Birthdays

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking


2013 JOURNEY TO CHRISTMAS:
 Bank & Birthdays

Ever wonder where Santa does his banking?

Do you have a Christmas Birthday?

 Today's true story is from my friend, Diane.
Diane and I grew up in Liberty, Missouri.
We graduated in 1967, from Liberty High School.

Diane and Her Grandson.  Copyright 2013 Diane Cottingham Justice

 Thank you, Diane, for sharing your wit and wisdom!

Santa's Bank & Christmas Birthdays



I didn't think I had a Christmas story to share until your Santa blog made me remember this. 

We moved to the little town of Calais, Maine, when my son, London, was five and my daughter, Alexis was three years old.

 Calais, Maine
CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=mcafee&va=Calais%2C+Maine


 A man who worked at the Machias branch of our little bank had the white hair & beard and other physical attributes of Santa. 

He would dress up and visit our branch once a year to see the lucky children of customers. 

I told my children that our bank was the closest to the North Pole and Santa came there to do his US banking. 

Machias, Maine 
CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=mcafee&va=machias+maine

Because it was a little town, he could remember the children from year to year, and call them by name. He commented on how they had grown.  

He remembered that our daughter, Alexis, was born on Christmas Day, and talked to her about the privilege of sharing a birthday with Jesus. 

Because of him, my children really believed. Other children would try to enlighten them, but they knew better.

Alexis and London Justice.  Copyright 2013 Diane Cottingham Justice

My mother's birthday is the day after Christmas and she gave my daughter, Alexis, an article by Erma Bombeck about Christmas birthdays.
By
 Diane Cottingham Justice


THANK YOU, Diane, for sharing your story.

Erma Bombeck was one of my favorite writers!

Where Did Christmas Go?
CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:
Erma Bombeck 
http://www.milkyspit.com/articles/bombeck-where-did-christmas-go.html




2-for-1 HOLIDAY OFFER: CHRISTMAS BIRTHDAYS
BY ERMA BOMBECK
 


Happy Birthday, Jesus - and Aunt Martha and my cousin Dede, and everyone else that was born on this day.

The savior excepted, I think I know what the rest of you birthday babies are thinking.
All your gifts are wrapped in Christmas paper - as usual.
Most of the family has already whispered in your ear, "I bought you one BIG gift for both occasions."
Your Christmas cards have a P.S. on them: "Happy Birthday."
Your favorite cake is chocolate but you will get a white one with white icing, trimmed in red.
If you hear one more person say, "What a bummer to be born on Christmas," you'll slap him.
There are never any balloons on this day, only reindeer and poinsettias.
You are rarely surrounded by your friends at a party because they are at home celebrating Christmas.
My gift to you is a birthday column that is for people born on this day.
Why do you suppose you were chosen to share the most celebrated birthday in the history of Christianity?
There are 364 other days to choose from, but you were chosen to enter the world on a day when peace and joy reign.
It's the best time to enter a world. Truces are sometimes called during wars - old prejudices and hatreds are put aside - and people who have never done so before reach out to one another.
No one could plan a bigger celebration of your birth. The streets are lined with Christmas greenery.
Houses glow in the light of a million candles, and the anticipation of the day is almost more than a child can stand.
Whenever I hear of a person born on Christmas, he becomes special to me. Babies are always gifts, but to have an infant placed in your arms on this anniversary cannot help but invite memories of Mary holding her newborn for the first time with no less wonderment.
I think Christmas babies feel it too. Their birthday culminates in a season of magic. There has been no Bozo the clown doing magic tricks, no catered party complete with noisemakers, no planes in the sky spelling out their names in smoke.
It is a day when the world turns kind.
I share a birthday in February with Rue McClanahan and Tyne Daly. It doesn't get a whole lot of attention...but then Silent Night, Holy Night is not our birthday song. 
.

Thanks for stopping by!

Come back often, and invite a friend!

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

http://tellmeastory-marcia.blogspot.com/

 

Thursday, October 24, 2013

PICK YOUR PUMPKIN

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Today's Adventure:
Picking Pumpkins & Photo Shoot

The fleece hats say:  "Perfect Pumpkins - Made in China" - just like two of my daughters!

Daughters, Faith and Sarah, are five years older than my granddaughter, Megan Jewell.   

They are more like sisters.


Daughters Faith and Sarah with Granddaughter Megan.  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood




What do you get if you divide 
the circumference of a pumpkin 
by its diameter?

Pumpkin pi.

Daughters Faith and Sarah with Granddaughter Megan.  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood





"Its bizarre 
that the produce manager 
is more important to my children's health 
than the pediatrician."

Meryl Streep, 
American Actress of Theater, Television & Film


Apple Gourds.  Copyright 2013  Marcia Norwood


Picking Pumpkins!

The Christophers,  Missouri farmers, sell their produce
                    in Missouri in Blue Springs (2620 SW 7 Highway)
                               and in Liberty (421 N. 291 Highway). 

Daughter Sarah and Granddaughter Megan.  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood




The first gatherings 
of the garden in May of salads, 
radishes and herbs 
made me feel 
like a mother about her baby - 
how could anything so beautiful be mine.  
And this emotion of wonder 

filled me for each vegetable 

as it was gathered every year.  

There is nothing that is comparable to it, 

as satisfactory or as thrilling, 

as gathering the vegetables 

one has grown.
 
 

Alice B. Toklas
(April 30, 1877 – March 7, 1967) 
American-born member of the Parisian avant-garde 
of the early 20th century.
 

Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood

Better to eat vegetables 
and fear no creditors, 
than eat duck and hide from them.
 
The Talmud





Daughter Faith.  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood



Family Halloween Recipes
CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:
http://www.pumpkinmasters.com/recipes.asp


 Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood




Daughter Faith.  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood


Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood


Daughters Faith and Sarah with Granddaughter Megan.  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood


Eat, drink and be scary.  

Author Unknown


Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood



Zucchinis terrific!
Like bunnies, prolific!
 
Author Unknown




 Granddaughter Megan.  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood

"A grandmother pretends 
she doesn't know 
who you are on Halloween." 

Erma Bombeck
(1927-1996)
American Humorist, Writer, Columnist, Journalist 



Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood

Daughters Faith and Sarah with Granddaughter Megan.  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood
Hallo-weenie!

Halloweenie!  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood




"Let first the onion flourish there,
Rose among the roots, the maiden-fair
Wine scented and poetic soul
of the capacious salad bowl."
 
Robert Louis Stevenson
(1850-1894)
Scottish Novelist, Poet, Essayist and Travel Writer
Most Famous Works:  
Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde



Daughter  Sarah.  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood









"In order to live off a garden, 
you practically have to live in it."

Frank McKinney Hubbard
(1868-1930)
American Cartoonist, Humorist, Journalist
Known by his pen name "Kin" Hubbard
Creator of the cartoon "Abe Martin of Brown County" -
which ran in U.S. newspapers from 1904 until his death in 1930.
He originated many political quips that remain in use.




Daughters Faith and Sarah with Granddaughter Megan.  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood

Check out the creative things you can make from gourds!!!

Daughters Faith and Sarah with Granddaughter Megan.  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood

 
Daughter Faith.  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood



The greatest service 
which can be rendered any country 
is to add a useful plant 
to its culture.
 
 Thomas Jefferson
(1743 – 1826) 
American Founding Father, 
Principal Author of Declaration of Independence in 1776,
Third President of the United States (1801-1809)




Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood



My choice:  
the exotic Peanut Pumpkin, a Decorator pumpkin. 

Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood

Our pumpkins...made it safely home to our front porch.

Before Carving Pumpkins:  Our Front Porch. Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood

 Let the pumpkin carving begin!


History of Pumpkin Masters
CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:
http://www.pumpkinmasters.com/company.asp

  
Daughters Faith and Sarah with Granddaughter Megan.  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood

We purchased a book and carving tools.
My girls broke the tools within the first 20 minutes.
The patterns in the book are great,
and we found additional patterns online.  

FREE 
PUMPKIN CARVING PATTERNS
CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:
http://www.pumpkinmasters.com/free-patterns.asp


  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood

Sarah baked
pumpkin seeds.

Family 
Halloween Recipes
CLICK on the link 
or COPY & PASTE the link 
n your browser:
http://www.pumpkinmasters.com/recipes.asp

















The trouble is, 
you cannot grow just one zucchini.  
Minutes after you plant a single seed, 
hundreds of zucchini 
will barge out of the ground 
and sprawl around the garden, 
menacing the other vegetables.  
At night, you will be able 
to hear the ground quake 
as more and more zucchinis erupt.

Dave Barry
(Born1947)
Pulitzer Prize-winning American Author and Columnist


Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood

"October, tuck tiny candy bars in my pockets 
and carve my smile into a thousand pumpkins...."
Merry October! 

Rainbow Rowell, 
Author of "Attachments"


Kansas City Chiefs Pumpkin!  Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood



Thanks for stopping by!

Come back often, and invite a friend!

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking 

Copyright 2013 Marcia Norwood