Trick or Treat-Smell My Feet

    With October comes great memories.  Our first Halloweens were in Eutaw, and our porch was always decorated with an extremely large spider web with several spiders as well as a ghost that swayed gently in the wind.  Throughout the house, ghosts made from suckers covered with tissue were placed high enough that the kids could not reach them but could see them.  They were allowed to pick a ghost each day until Halloween IF they had been good. Choosing costumes was easy at this age, and the kid's first ones were usually done by Dennis' mom, Miss Ruby.  The only exception was on Parker's first Halloween when he was only a few months old , and his Aunt Emily supplied the costume.  She found a one piece cowboy outfit complete with attached boots which I still have.  My favorite costume of Parker's was his second or third which was a convict outfit.  Miss Ruby made the costume, and I made the ball and chain. Even back them Parker was a good actor or should I say HAM!

He won first place in the costume contest, he won a cake at the cake walk, AND, more importantly, he won Adverb.  Adverb was a goldfish, and Parker and his creative Daddy named him. Unfortunately, Adverb did not live long.
   The next year Parker had to decide which He Man character he wanted to be and, of course, it was the villain, Hordak. Miss Ruby had gone to Europe the spring before and brought both kids precious "alp" costumes.  There was no way Parker was going to wear THAT, but Savannah did. She was a little Swiss girl, but perhaps her favorite thing that year was the wax lips!

  Our last year in Eutaw Parker was very into The "KaWatee" Kid, so again, Miss Ruby made his costume.  Savannah's costume that year was easy-she was "Duper" (Super) Girl.  We found her costume at Gayfer's in the little girl's pajama section.

The second house/neighborhood that we lived in at Selma was my kid's all time favorite place.  Castlewood had no through streets, so it was a favorite place for everyone else in town on Halloween.  Most of the kids, including mine, had golf carts that they used every day and especially on Halloween.  Neighbors decked out their porches, yards,and themselves, and it was truly one big party every year. Church buses dropped loads of kids off to walk our streets and "Trick or Treat". I remember our first Halloween there.  I had to go back to the store THREE times to buy candy.  I finally closed my door and turned off the lights when my sweet girl started giving everyone her candy.  My niece, LeeAnn, and her first husband lived in Dallas County for several years.  One Halloween they joined the "festivities."  Chris wore camouflage from head to toe, had a ski mask over his face, and held a tremendous stick in has hands.  He would stand just inside the door with one light shining on him.  When the doorbell rang, we would slowly open the door.  We would have to chase after the kids to give them the candy--I think this might have scared them, too.  It was so much fun that Savannah and Parker chose to stay home to give out candy instead of going around the neighborhood to get candy.
I do not remember which year they wore each costume, but here are a few more pictures; I have more, but I've lost them somewhere on this computer!

 One year Parker was Dick Tracey and Savannah was a hula girl.  If you look close,you can see my large spider web. It followed us from Eutaw to Selma.

Savannah was the flower girl in Amy, LeeAnn , and Carol's weddings.  We were able to use two of the dresses for Halloween.  This was LeeAnn's,and we added a floppy hat and fan to become a southern belle. For Amy's wedding, she and Abby wore dresses that were white, so we added a veil and a bouquet of flowers to become a bride.
The year Parker was in the fifth or sixth grade he decided that the was too old to dress up and trick or treat.  However, about the time Savannah was heading out, he changed his mind.  His costume that year.......he put on his daddy's Morgan football staff t-shirt, Morgan hat, red shorts, and wore a whistle.....and became Coach Windle.
When we moved to Carrollton, my kids were too old to Trick or Treat.  Instead, a new tradition found us.  Without fail, our house was rolled with toliet paper every Halloween and some other days, too. Now, I wonder who did that?!

Our Pets

   During our 38 years of marriage, Dennis and I have had several pets.  Our first was a black cat named Gemima who lived in our apartment and traveled with us to our first house in Eutaw.  She was notorious for jumping from the bar in the kitchen to our Christmas tree in the living room and knocking it down.  As you can tell in the picture below, she loved climbing.

 Our next pet was a Great Dane named Kong--short for King Kong.  With plans to breed Great Danes, our third pet was a female Dane named Amazon.   (Don't you love my plaid outfit and Dennis's shirt?!)

We were never able to breed the two Danes because Amazon was hit by a car and left unable to breed.  We kept these two dogs in our house until they were just too big.  Eventually, they moved to Mr. Ralph and Miss Ruby's yard in Carrollton.  In the following pictures, Amazon is with Dennis, and Kong is with me.

 We chose our next pet because our children, who are both highly allergic, wanted one so badly.  We found a breeder of chihuahuas, and Parker, Savannah, and I traveled to choose the right one for us. The breeder literally had a barn full of chihuahuas---all ages, shapes, sizes, and colors.  It was unexpected that my two kids picked the exact same puppy.  I had had visions of an  afternoon of arguing over their choice. They  chose a black, long-haired (the breeder assured me that chihuahuas were good for children with asthma even if it had long hair), month old chihuahua. On our drive home, we discussed names and finally decided on the name DOC since we considered her to be an asthma specialist.  We had Doc a long time but lost her while we lived in Carrollton.

Even though the two kids were in college and not necessarily wanting a new puppy, we got a new long-haired, white chihuahua next.  Roe, short for Marilyn Monore (you, know--she's a blonde) , will be our last pet.  She has been good company and a godsend when Dennis was sick.  BUT, as with most chihuahuas, she is very finicky.  She barks continuously when company comes, and her white hair is everywhere.  To help with the hair situation, we decided to get her shaved.  We have had bad experiences with this in the past, so we were prepared, or so we thought, for this trim.  Our small chihuahua becomes an angry pitt bull when anyone tries to groom her.   So last Tuesday, we woke up early to give Roe a sedative.  Forty-five minutes later, we gave her another one.  When we got to the vet's office, she was still wide awake and not happy to be at the vet's.  As the groomer had not yet arrived, we left her and went up the road to work in Dennis's classroom.  We received a call from the groomer and were asked to pick up Roe.  When we got there, the groomer said that she would not be able to groom Roe again. Roe, who was still wide awake, was an unhappy dog.  By the time we got home, she was asleep and slept for two days.  The following are before and after pictures of  Roe's visit to Dr. May's groomer.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Our Sweet Libby

Many times I run across friends who have access to Facebook who tell me how beautiful and precious my grandchildren are.  While I realize that most of them are just being nice and making conversation, I know that many are sincere. What I really wish is that they could all meet Libby and Luke and know them for who they are....especially Libby.  I know that I am prejudiced, but I have never seen a more loving and caring two-year old.  It is scary how closely she pays attention to what everyone says and copies them word-for-word in all situations.  For example, if you sneeze in front of Libby, without thinking, her comment will be, "God Bless You." "Please" and "Thank You" are regular words in her daily conversation and this is without being prompted. Many times I have turned to remind Libby to say "Thank You" to someone, and she has already started saying it. Not only does she mimic words, but she also uses caring actions.  She will put her tiny hands on your face, and ask you if everything is alright or if you feel good.  She has been an extremely bright point for Dennis in the past year or so.
   Today was an extremely hard day for Libby and her parents.  Through the course of the day, she had to endure a catheter, x-rays, and blood work.  And, no, she was not perfect throughout the procedures; she is two after all.  But, she was a trooper. This sweet child has tightly wound her "Soach" and Gran around her little finger....not to control us, but to love us.
   With all that she has endured. not only today but in her two plus years, she is remarkably unspoiled and caring toward others.

Remembering.......The Palace in Alice.........ville

    The other night Dennis and I went to a movie at the Cobb Theaters.  Afterwards we had a late dinner or very early breakfast at IHOP. We began reminiscing about our hometown, Aliceville. It is much different today than it was in the 60's.  Every building had a business, and one could buy almost anything you needed in downtown Aliceville during those days.  Today, there are many empty buildings, and many residents go out of town to make most of their purchases. Our main topic of conversation, however,  became the Palace Theater.
   I can remember Momma dropping me off at the Palace every Saturday afternoon as did most parents in Aliceville. No one worried about leaving their children alone at the theater. While I don't remember the exact cost, I do know that Momma got a pretty cheap baby sitter for Saturday afternoons. I'm thinking that 25 cents covered the cost of admittance as well as a coke, popcorn, and possibly a candy bar--depending on the size of each.  The movies were mostly westerns or scary, but each one began with a newsreel and then a cartoon. I was bad then, and I guess still today, about going to the restroom when the movie became too scary.....such a wimp.
   During those days, the Palace was open every night.  My mother was a big Rock Hudson fan, and if one of his movies was playing, especially if Doris Day was the lead female, we went on Tuesday nights. My daddy did not like movies, and Momma wouldn't go by herself, so she took me.  Usually, I slept in her lap while she watched Rock and Doris.
   The Palace had a special room in the back corner for fussy babies. If your baby cried, you simply went in the soundproof room and were able to continue watching the movie while the other movie goers watched in quiet. I remember that the "hot spot" for teenagers was the row right in front of this room...specifically the corner area.  I never sat in this area, but a lot of teenagers "fought" to get those seats.
     The Palace also had a balcony. The balcony is where the black citizens of Aliceville watched movies.  While they probably wanted to be down where we were, we were all wanting to be upstairs. Blacks also purchased their tickets on the other side of the window and entered through a different door. It all seems so ridiculous now.
   When I was a teenager, the Palace sponsored several "Battle of the Bands".  All I remember about this was that our local bands competed with bands from other towns.  The only other band besides the Aliceville bands that I remember was The Surfers from Tuscaloosa. 
    On a final note- the Palace was the location of my second date with Dennis.  The movie was Imitation of Life, and we were probably two of only ten people there.
   
  

Chik-Fil-A

   Dennis and I are really looking forward to summer and the extra time that we will have to spend with Libby and Luke.  Today, we got a head start and headed to Chik-Fil-A with Libby.  Dennis let her play while I got our meals, and we were pleasantly surprised when she agreed to eat in the middle of her play.

After she ate, she quickly made friends with an older girl ("What's her name?"--so funny-- I just realized she asks this question (Which is one she asks often of both men and women) with the same intonation that the Joey on Friends asks "How you doing?")   She learned so much from the other children who were playing, and we watched as she followed them down the slide for the first time.

                And the second and third and fourth and fifth, etc.  She loved sliding down the tube!

   Several of the older children were playing Hide and Seek. When the Seeker started counting as everyone else hid, Libby's eyes brightened.  She knew counting and just joined right in.  She wasn't sure why they were counting or that they were playing a game without her.  She had a grand time counting with them and running around the play area.

Sometime during the time that we were there, Dennis got a sundae and I got an ice cream cone.  When offered some of either, she chose Gran's favorite, the cone.

When it was time to go, Soach and I were expecting tears, but Dennis sat her down, told her we would come back if she would be sweet, and we all quietly walked out the door.  However, when we got to the car, she insisted on driving us home!

Easter 2012

   Easter was somewhat low key this year as Daddy was in the hospital nine out of 14 days before Easter (two different trips) and until the Monday after Easter.  Momma stayed with us at night and with Daddy during in the day.  Daddy insisted that Momma and I stay at home on Easter, and we did until about 3:00.  Then, we headed back to the hospital to keep Daddy company.
  Alberta Baptist still meets at our church since the tornado damaged their building on April 27, 2011. They are in the process of rebuilding, but it will take a while. Parker has enjoyed this as one college friend is our pastor's son, and another college friend is Alberta's youth minister.  Easter Sunday, both churches worshiped together like we did on Christmas.
  Savannah, Jason, Luke, and Libby joined the rest of us for lunch. Here are a few pics.

This first picture is one of my all time favorite Easter pictures.  It was taken at Elkdale Baptist Church in Selma .  I always loved their tradition of filling the cross with fresh flowers on Easter morning, and of course, these two kids are just so cute!

Libby and Luke in their precious Easter shirts that Cheri made for them.  She always comes up with some of the cutest holiday t-shirts!

This is Libby hunting eggs at a church egg hunt.  She is understanding it a little better this year.

2012 Family Easter Picture

Libby and friends, Delilah and Jonah

Libby loves flowers--picking them especially!  I have Gerber daisies in the front, and she couldn't resist.

Such a cutIe!

Our "Little Man"

Libby loves "playing" the drums in church like her dad!

Luke

    Savannah and Jason's second child was due Wednesday, February 22. A section was scheduled, and plans were made to prepare for this new baby boy. Tuesday was to be a big day with packing and other last minute details to take care of.  Little did we know that our baby boy would call the shots--not the doctor--making it truly a big day.
   Dennis and I were sleeping soundly around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning the 21st when the phone rang..  It was Savannah informing us that her water had broken. We both got up, got dressed, and headed to Savannah and Jason's house.  Savannah and Jason were busy packing, so I packed for our new baby.  Cheri arrived shortly after they left, so Dennis and I went home to get dressed.  Cheri stayed with Libby who slept through the early morning activity. Dennis then headed to Rock Quarry Middle School (around 2:30 a.m.) where he worked until 6:00 preparing for a substitute and catching up on grading as it was the end of the six weeks. I headed for the hospital in Jason's  truck (Parker is using my car.) as soon as the doors were open at 6:00 a.m. So started our big day and our little one's new life.
   After Luke's arrival at 9 pounds 8 ounces and 20 inches long, family started gathering anxious to see him as well as his parents.  Nursing students were on hand this day, so the family watched as they checked Luke thoroughly through the viewing windows.. Libby was able to see Luke through the nursery windows with CiCi and Coach.

Next, we all headed to Savannah's room and oohed and ahhed over our new family addition.  Of course, we all had to have our pictures made with our cute Luke!

                                                        Here's Coach, Gran, and Luke.

                                                               Pop Pop, Ci Ci, and Luke

                           
                          Luke's two uncles who will undoubtedly influence him in  many ways.

 Parker was not home when Libby was born and only visited on Skype until she was almost one. We were all happy that he was home and able to share this special time with us.  He is turning into a "great" uncle.

                                        Great-Grandparents visited. Here are Mamaw and Pop.

   So, how did Libby react to Luke?  She absolutely adores him..  So far, there seems to be no jealousy, and she is becoming a good Mommy's helper. Her first reaction to Luke......a kiss, of course.

                                 
                                     The Pate Family is now complete, or at least, that is the plan.

                                                                Welcome to the family, Luke!

Time Flies

Time Flies....when you are having fun, when you are busy, or when you are busy having fun, and I can definitely say that the Windles/Pates have been busy having fun! It has been a long time since I posted, but I have been extremely busy. Savannah, Jason, and Libby moved in around the first of October after selling their home in Coker and waiting for their new one to be built in Northport. On November 4th, Parker moved in after his stint as a journeyman in Paris. It was a great time for Parker to get to know Libby, and while stressful at times, it has been a great time for the entire family to be together under one roof--Thanksgiving and Christmas! In case you are wondering who ruled the roost, these next few pictures should clue you in on the person in charge!

All Libby had to do was reach her little hand up to "Soach" and away they went to our bathroom to climb in and out of the shower and to sit in my sink in order to better play with my make-up brushes.

Parker's new phone became a center of "conversation" for Uncle BoBo and Libby. And no, contrary to what Parker thinks, we did not call him BoBO--that is how Parker came out.

If Momma and Daddy would not let Libby watch Minnie on the big TV, then "Soach" let her watch Minnie on a phone!!

OR, Libby could always go to Uncle BoBo who would let her watch Sesame Street on his computer. I wish I could put her rendition of "La La Elmo's World" on this blog! Priceless!! We spent Thanksgivng at Emily and Buddy's and Christmas at home. Momma and Daddy came up Christmas Eve, so Parker moved to the sofa for a few nights. Even though both of my parents are having health difficulties with their lungs, they were well over the holidays and were able to enjoy Christmas with us.

We managed to get a few pictures of Libby by the tree:

Before church...

Although Savannah, Jason, and Libby had MANY Christmas events to attend, we only had three. Last year on Christmas morning, Savannah and Jason started hosting everyone for brunch. Since they were at my house this year, brunch was also here. We enjoyed Cheri, Mike, Jeremy, Momma, and Daddy. Libby enjoyed her Christmas as well as the family that was here to see her. Her favorite toy was "the Coupe" which she is still enjoying today especially since "Soach" is so good to walk behind her and push when she needs him to.

We finished Christmas at Emily and Buddy's. Savannah, Jason, and Libby are now in their new home, and we really miss that big hug around the knees and the bright smile that came with "Soach!" and "Gran!" as we came in the door. Parker is still here and will probably be here until early next year when he plans to return to Paris. He has enjoyed catching up with "old" friends and hopes to see more in the months to come. He has been busy doing Disciple Now weekends for friend's churches, speaking about his experiences in Paris, teaching children for the IMB in Birmingham, preaching, and, basically, anything anyone needs him to do. Hopefully, my next entry will not be too long from now. After all, Luke Michael Pate should be here in a few days--February 22--and I look forward to sharing pictures of him and his big sister.