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I used to go to Nursing homes and Senior citizen centers and sing for Birthdays or just any thing they asked me to do. I worked in Nursing Homes for more than 20 yrs. And wanted to do something for those lonely people.
One day I was singing "How Beautiful Heaven must Be" and noticed a little lady with tears just running down her face. This upset me badly. I was going to talk to her before I left but never got the chance.
The next time I was there this same little lady raised her hand and asked me to sing How Beautiful Heaven Must Be. I sure didn't want to do it because I was afraid it would upset her again. But she asked and I sang it. I looked at her crying again and it just about undone me. I was crying too.
When my program was over I made a beeline to this lady. She was little and slumped in her wheel chair. Her hair was snow white and styled nice. Her cheeks and lips were very lightly shaded with pink. She had big blue eyes that I expected to be sad. They were not sad they were sparkling and twinkling like a night star. I noticed she couldn't move her arms much and her hands were all gnarled and crooked. In those little hands she clutched on to something. She couldn't really talk very well but she made me understand that she wanted me to look at whatever it was she held in her hands.
I took the object in her hands and it was a card. The card was a funeral announcement like the ones they hand out at funerals. I read it and finally understood it was from her husbands funeral many years before. There on the card was a list of the songs that had been sung. The very first one was 'How Beautiful Heaven Must Be'. I was stunned and I told her how sorry I was but I didn't understand why she asked me to sing it. I told her that I didn't want to hurt her and that song evidently upset her when I sang it. She started shaking her head no and was giving me the sweetest smile through her tears.
I stayed with her for a while and listened carefully to what she was trying to tell me. Seems the song was her husbands favorite and he had requested that she sing it at his funeral. She didn't think she could do it but she had promised him that she would. She did sing the song for him when he died and she was so thankful that she had been able to. She told me that her tears were tears for happy because when I sang the song she felt like she was doing it again for her husband.
I went there many more times and always sang that song and always cried tears for happy with her. One day I went and she wasn't there. I asked about her and she had died just that morning. Her Son was there and asked me if I would record the song and allow them to take it with them where she would be buried in another state. I was honored and happy to do it. I made a cassette right there that day as I sang that song one last time for that sweet little lady. I can't remember her name now. Oh how I wish I could. But I can see her little wrinkled face with the dancing sparkling eyes. And I can see those tears for happy on that face. I can also feel those tears for happy that are blurring my eyes as the tears roll down my cheeks. TEARS FOR HAPPY, GOOD TEARS!!!
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
Tags: Tearssong
 Daddy gave me a penny, I kissed and hugged him good. I hurried off to my secret place like Daddy knew I would. That penny I did add to my private, secret box. I peeked about, back and forth, sly like a fox. I had saved a heap of money, maybe a dollar or more. I kept it in a matchbox in my underwear drawer. I'd seen a dress in a book, pretty as could be. Mamma would look good in that, I couldn't wait to see. Mamma didn't have a pretty dress that she could wear to town. And she was such a good Mamma, hardly ever sitting down. The man in the store said it'd take a while, so I wanted to act fast. I said, 'Daddy will you help me, I'll get the dress at last. Daddy took me on his lap and he looked sad at me. He said 'Honey You don't have enough yet' I hope that you can see. But your Grandma could make your Mamma a dress pretty as can be It'd look just like the one in the book that you have shown to me. The money that you have would surely be enough, To buy pretty cloth, needles, thread and such. So that is just the thing we did, and Mamma was tickled pink She sure did look beautiful, That's what me and Daddy think. Clydene Thomas Overbey © 2005
Tags: Penny
I've heard some people making fun of us old 'codgers' because we talk about the Good Old Days. They always start naming all the things we “didn't” have. Modern conveniences was at the top of the list. Well younguns' we didn't need all those frills because the world then wasn't so filled up with nonsense and we were mostly self reliant. I'm not saying I don't enjoy all these things but I still would prefer the good old days of my youth.We walked everywhere we went and if we couldn't walk there then we just didn't go. There was one car to a family and usually the man would drive it to work. But there were stores which we could walk to near our home, Parks, and Keys. The one we kids went to most often was Key's. It was high off the ground with several steps going up to the porch which had a bench all the way across. Old and young alike sat there and talked or giggled as the teens were prone to do. If we had a dime we could get a 6 ounce coke and a bag of peanuts which we poured in the coke. We got one penny change and maybe bought some penny candy. A lone penny bought a little sack of candy. The inside of the store was long and always seemed cool. Wooden floors shined and were dark in color I suppose from years of use. The smell was all the many things blended together and they had everything. Sort of like the five and dime in Ozark that we loved so much. Then there was Seamans store if we got all the way to Altus. Now that was another wonderland for us. You could get anything from shoes to dresses, from dresses to food to trinkets of all kinds. We got to walk to Altus on Sunday evenings as teenagers but nothing was open then. Every one and everywhere observed Sunday as a time to go to Church and serve the Lord. The ones who didn't sure didn't get to shop. The post office was on the other side of the road from Keys so that was killing two birds with one stone. As I got to my teens I took lots of pictures with my Grandpa Bynum's old box camera and if you don't know what that is I probably can't really explain except to say no flash, no color film, and no seeing them for several weeks. I had to send them off in the mail and wait for them to be developed and mailed back. I would be at the post office daily in the summer waiting anxiously for those pictures. We didn't need to go anywhere much anyway cause like I said we were self reliant. There was no running to the store for every little whim because, again, we didn't need to. Most of what we ate was home grown. Daddy grew the veggies and Mama & Grandma canned them with a pressure cooker. Oh my goodness how that did heat up the house. I can almost hear that pop as the jars cooled and sealed. I would listen and count the pops then make sure everyone knew they all had sealed, or not. We had Chickens that produced eggs and we later ate the chicken. Meat consisted mostly of chicken and pork which we grew ourselves with occasional beef bought at the store. It tasted so much better than now. No chemicals in the chickens and hogs or their feed. There's no way I can prove to you how much better it all tasted unless you grew up in that era. The field corn Daddy raised was allowed to dry and we took the kernels off and stored it in a big vat of some kind. That corn fed to the chickens and hogs was what made that wonderful taste. Looking out at the parched ground right now and hearing all this talk about how everything will be higher in price got me to thinking about Daddies large garden. It could have, but I can't remember it ever burned up with no produce. The reason for that was the way My Daddy tended the garden. No big tractors, plows, or tillers but just our horse and a turning plow. Daddy hitched Ol' Dixie to the plow and broke the ground good and deep before planting. He could lay off the rows good and straight a trick I never achieved. Then if it didn't rain he hitched up again and plowed the middles bringing up moisture from down deep. I'll never forget the smell of that ground and seeing my Daddy controlling the horse and the plow at the same time. Daddy said that keeping the middles stirred up kept the moisture going and also helped kill the pesky weeds. Another thing I can't forget is the crunch in my mouth after I pulled a carrot and ate it dirt and all right there in the garden. Norman and I ate tomatoes, carrots, and radishes standing there bare foot among the rows. You just betcha that was the good old days.
Tags: Old Codgers Modern
3-19-09...THINKING OF GRANDMA
GRANDMAS PATCHWORK QUILTS
Grandma was always sewing,
Thats the way I remember her.
She'd set there for hours, her quilt box by her chair.
This box contained many scraps
of material she had used, to make clothing
for all of us, and she never got them confused.
She would say, This piece is from the dress
that I made for you.
This one is from a shirt
your Brother ruined when it was new.
This is from your Mamas skirt.
She still wears it today.
Heres one from the patches in your Daddies pants,
Then she would say,
This quilt will be a remembrance for you and me.
It contains a part of all of us.
What a joy its now to see.
Clydene Overbey
GRANDMAS APRON
Grandma always wore an apron
Twas a part of getting dressed.
It was starched and ironed so neatly.
Never a crumpled mess.
She made her aprons lovingly
of scraps in her quilt box.
She put it on each morning
same as her shoes and socks.
that apron was a part of Grandma
she wore it everywhere.
My Grandma without her apron
Wouldn't be Grandma, Thats for sure.
Clydene Overbey
Tags: Quilts Aprons Sewing
Memories are what we draw on to remember people places and times in our life that made us either happy or sad. I choose the happy ones especially on a day when I tend to be sad or down about the things of now. Life was so simple when I was growing up. Probably due mostly to the fact that my Loving Parents took care to make me happy and protected. I just didn't know things were hard. That is a gift my Parents gave me that can never be replaced. That warm, safe, feeling loved, and wonderful youthful feeling. My Parents gave my Brother and I that and I will be forever thankful to them. We had everything we needed and often some of what we wanted. I am sure that my Mama and Daddy had arguments and little hurts with one another but they were very careful to not let us see that. They always presented a loving peaceful atmosphere for our home. We lived at the end of a dead end road right beside the rail road tracks. Trains came through and because the crossing was just up the way they blew their mournful whistle right in front of our house. We got used to the sound and usually never paid any attention to it. In the late 40's and 50's was when I grew up here. Things were so different then. It was 60 + years ago and our world was different and more simple. We made our own fun down there. My Auntie lived right across the Pasture and my cousin Brenda and I had so much fun. In and out of capers. We didn't know about the harsh realities of life in the world that surrounded us but somehow we were prepared and ready for it when it came. We were spanked when we needed it and we always seemed to know that we did need it. We were loved, hugged, cuddled, and given a secure feeling even though things were bad. Daddy worked in a coal mine and was gone all week. He worked hard and the work was dangerous. But he provided for us. We were proud of our Parents no matter what. My Brother and I were taught love and respect for each other as well as for everyone else around us. Daddy said often, “You are as good as anyone in the world. But you are not better than anyone else”. Our Parents were there for us as long as they were alive. At times now I can feel their presence all around me and I still want to make them proud of me. They gave us a rich life filled with everything we needed to make places for ourselves in this world. We are still simple people. Not much money but we are happy that way. Don't need more than we have. We never wanted what we couldn't have and still don't. I owe all that I am to those two wonderful people who brought me in to this world and loved me unconditionally. I miss them so badly sometimes that it hurts. Oh how I'd love to have them to talk to sometimes. My best friends in this world.
Tags: Happy Poor Memories
As I sit here in the early morning it is quiet and peaceful. I love this time of day. I remember, think, ponder, and just talk to myself. Not goofiness like I'm prone to do but deep heartfelt thoughts as I look back over my long years on this earth. There have been tears and giggles, heartbreak and happiness, regret and shame, and wonderful times of such pure joy that I could hardly contain it. Nothing remains the same. Things don't last whether it be good or bad. A storm may come crushing down on you leaving destruction behind. But storms don't last, they quickly move by. You sometimes think everything is good with your world but that don't last forever either. That is just the way of things, they will eventually change. Sometimes we can straighten everything out but mostly we clean up and start over. Sometimes I feel like a young tender sapling amongst a huge Forrest. Scared, alone, unsure, and generally overwhelmed. I strive for more trying to look up but at the same time knowing I need to watch where I'm going for fear of being trampled under stronger things. Looking up is scary being surrounded as you are by things bigger and stronger, but looking down only becomes confusing and more scary. You look around trying to find a friendly place and common ground with something. Your tender branches are not able to withstand the harsh realities of where you have found yourself. Nothing around you is helpful but ready to suck your roots dry and destroy you. You know there is something or somewhere you need to be or go but you are lost and alone. When I was young and carefree things seemed perfect. I'm glad I didn't know what was to come. I'm sure God gave me that wonderful magical childhood as a tiny sapling to prepare me for later when things got rough. As I have aged things have changed with me. I no longer dream of the future and all the great things I'm going to achieve. I am happy with the way things are most of the time. My perspective on most things has done a complete turn about. My resistance to things like, problems, adversities, feelings, indeed my body does not respond to pain the way it always did. My feelings are much more easy to hurt and I'm finding the least thing and I go on a crying pity party. You would think that I'd have developed a shell hard as nails and not pent ratable by now but no, I'm very vulnerable to everything and I detest that. It takes years for a sapling to become a mighty oak and in the years spent growing it is never easy. There are those who would cut you down before you have a chance to achieve anything. You bend and crack but saplings are hard to break they bounce back. I have achieved the status of an Oak now. The sapling that I was no longer exists. I am preening my branches and saying. I'm still here, look at me, I made it up out of the deep of the Forrest. My leaves are not ready to fall yet but they will. I just want to leave something behind that just maybe a young sapling can take root from. I hope I will.
I can't see the sense in texting unless you are hiding somewhere, like in class or Church which is a no no in the first place. Could be you just don't want everyone around you hearing your conversation and sometimes and some places that would be polite. I don't know what most of these things mean and don't want to know. Two I do know and that is LOL laugh out loud and ROFL. rolling on floor laughing. I only know because I googled them. At least I think that is what they mean. I'm just wondering if some of my E-mail contacts even know what it means even though they use it after almost every sentence. Some of the places they use LOL is ridiculous, bordering on "Stupid".
I got an E-mail one day that went like this:
Good Morning, just wanted to check in LOL. (Now why is checking in with me worthy of laughing out loud)? It goes on by saying, Hope your day is going better than mine, ROFL. (Now hoping my day is better than yours is not usually a laughing matter is it?). The thing goes on and on, I had to go to the dentist yesterday to get a wisdom tooth cut out. LOL. (Come on now) The wind was blowing so hard it was not easy to keep my little car on the road. LOL I did finally get to the dentist office. The waiting area was packed. I sat in the only seat in the room which was between two ladies with small kids. LOL I was in pain and the screams from the kids was excruciating to my pounding head. LOL. (What??)One of the kids asked me why I had my hand on my cheek and why my face was so red. I told her I was in a lot of pain. Of course her reply was "Why"? ROFL.(Good Grief). I thought ignoring would be my best bet but ignoring doesn't always work. I didn't want to hurt the little girls feelings. Normally I would have loved to talk to this beautiful little girl just not today. I looked at the Mom pleading with my eyes for help but she just turned her head. ROFL (If you are rolling on the floor laughing I would turn my head also.)
By this time I was thinking about deleting this E-mail because I was getting a headache from the stupidness. Why in the heck would anyone take the extra time to add such balderdash at the end of almost every word? I'm thinking they couldn't understand what they are typing. I think they just want to be in the *in crowd* or some such thing. Heck I thought everyone laughed out loud when they laughed. I sure don't laugh silently very often and I sure as shootin' don't LOL after I've said something like I have an aching tooth. As far as Rolling On The Floor Laughing, honey there ain't no way you would see me doing that at the dentist office or anywhere else and if you do see me being that stupid then you have my permission to LOL& ROFL. If you ain't laughing out loud or rolling on the floor laughing then don't lie to me and say you are. If I am talking to you in an intelligent conversation then I won't be rolling on the floor laughing. Where the heck is all that stuff coming from?
Here in the South we don't waste time on words. We ain't got time to add all those ing's to our words. Now just think how much time we save by saying thinkin' stead of running it out sayin' I'm thinking of going bowling. Come on say it out loud both ways. Sure we were taught with the ing's same as everybody else so don't start thinking we Southerners are stupid just because we shorten our words. Heck we talk with a slow drawl anyway so adding anything to our words would be painful.
Oh well this is just one of my pet peeves and only my opinion. We are all entitled to that! If you are one of those who adds all these things to your E-mails then you are probably more intelligent than me. Or maybe you're not in any hurry.
Romans 2:3-4 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Tags: Text Mail Words
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KIDS!!!
Posted On 12/23/2013 18:59:30
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I had never realized how very Blessed I was until I started to school and became more aware of my surroundings. I learned very young that it is not 'stuff' that you have but the 'stuff' in your heart that really counts. That was a lesson I learned at home and how was I to know that everyone didn't know it. HUH? I've always heard that kids can be so cruel. Well that is not necessarily so. It is what you learn as you are growing up that shapes your character. I learned from wise wonderful people, my parents, my Pastor, and other family and friends that we were close to. Not everyone I was to come in contact with had the privilege of that. Yes kids could be nasty which I very quickly found out. When I'd go home telling my experiences my Parents would say to me "Always give everyone the benefit of the doubt, Don't judge a book by it's cover, when others are talking about someone always find something good to say about them" . "What can I say Mama"? "Well just anything say what a pretty blouse she has on, or how pretty her hair is". Well there was this one girl that just irked me out. My friends and I were talking one day at recess and she walked by. Her clothes were ragged and dirty. I said Oh what a pretty blouse she has on!!! My friends looked at me like I had two heads. Coulda' been cause she had a dress on and no blouse in sight. Thing is it kept them from talking about her at that moment. Hey it works I thought. But now it is a differer story when you are the one being rediculed. There was a girl who started making fun of me and my parents advice went by the wayside for a spell. YEP! Hey this was different. I didn't tell my parents about this and later I wished I had because they would have helped me handle it in a better way. She had pretty frilly clothes, always had a nickel to spend at the candy store, and was a little snot nose as far as I was concerned. It was raining one day and I came to school with a bread sack over my head like a head scarf. Now I thought it was pretty. Mamma cut it open and it tied under my chin. On the wrapper was red, yellow, and blue balloons. I thought I was up-town now. The cats Meow!!!! When I proudly wore it to school she said, "Well look at the poor little hillbilly Clydene, can't even afford a real rain coat". Tears welled up in my eyes but also red fire mad welled up inside me. I looked at Brenda and saw a mirror of what my face must look like. I whispered to Brenda, "We are gonna get her", "Yep"' Brenda answered. And get her we did!!! Both got spankings in school and again at home but by golly we shut that little smart elec up good!!! Now we never intended to hurt the little snot nose but it happened that we did. JUST A LITTLE He he. What we decided to do was take her goofy ol' raincoat and hide it from her. We didn't have cloak rooms in our little school. We had to hang all our coats in the hall on hooks. We watched where she hung that ol' raincoat and hung our coats over it. We planned to get to it before she did at recess and take it out with us. Which we did. So far so good. Someone saw us get the durn' thing and told her, she told the Teacher and the jig was up!! We were on the playground just giggling and feeling proud of ourselves as we watched for her to come out without her raincoat, gettin' all wet and we were gonna holler, look at stupid ol' _ _ _ _ _! Cant afford a raincoat. She did come out but she had on a pretty rain hat and the teacher was waiting on the porch, (without Her rain hat). She ran up to us and was gonna' snatch the raincoat outta' our hands. "Teacher said come right there", she said. Well of course we were stubborn and wasn't a gonna turn lose of the darn thing. It ripped and she went berserk. She flew at us and we were too fast for her. One of us threw the raincoat over her head and spun her around. She stumbled and fell face down and busted her lip and the howl was on! She kept thrashing around there on the ground and succeeded in ripping the raincoat and her stupid arm. We were laughing till we saw the Teacher comin' tward' us and figured we'd better just be quiet and sweet as we could. Didn't help, still got spanked at school and again at home. Heck fire anyhow! She was just a spoiled brat. It wouldn't a hurt us. She was just one of those snooty little girls that couldn't take it. Lessons are learned every day, then and now. I was taught to ignore things like that but with a kid it is very hard to let things pass. I was so indignant about the whole thing that I told my Pastor about it on Sunday. I thought I was going to get support from him for what I'd done but heck no he told me basically what my patents had told me. I was very ashamed and that lesson is one I'll never forget.
I know I'm stubborn as a mule and I have no problem admitting that. Not that I'm proud of it but I might as well go ahead and admit it. If anyone is more stubborn than me it has to be Brenda. We butted heads so many times it's a wonder we had any sense left at all. I can remember one bad time when we didn't speak for two weeks. Well really we were not Allowed to speak for two weeks. We were arguing about a blouse that I had loaned her and she had kept it so long it had become 'hers'. She was really positive that it was hers and I knew it was mine and wanted it back. We got in a tug-o-war one day and ripped the blouse to smithereens, there was no fixing it, It was ruined. Brenda said, “You can have the old blouse. I don't want it anymore,"and she threw it in my face. When she said that my brain boiled I think. I was so mad at her that I was stunned for a moment, but only a moment. I took the blouse and started hitting her with it. Now that wouldn't have hurt much if it was just a blouse but the buttons made it a weapon to be sure. When Brenda started screeching of course here came Mamma to see what was going on. What are you two up to now?" she said. "Mamma she tore my blouse up, give her a whipping", I said. "No She did it I didn't" Brenda hollered. On and on it went till Mamma hushed us with one of her 'Looks'. Mamma left the room and I told Brenda to get out and take that old blouse and Don't come back ever. "Nope, I aint'a', gonna do it" she said. That got the fight going again kicking, scratching, and hitting. "Get outta here you old turd" I hollered at her. I got her by the arms and started pulling her to the door but she dug her heels in and grabbed hold of the door handle. That brought me to a abrupt halt and down I went right out the door and on my butt. It had been raining and I sat right down in a mud puddle. Of course Mamma was right behind us. Brenda decided then that she was Ready' to go home and she was going to dart past me. "Oh no Brenda you aint a goin anywhere" I hollered as I grabbed her dress tail and in the mud hole she came. The fight was on again but it was mostly verbal. We called one another the worst names we knew, turd, pooh ball, and of course prissy tail which we both hated. Mamma said "Brenda go home Now". There was no arguing with Mamma when she used that tone. Brenda lit out like her tail was on fire. When Daddy got home he and Mamma had a private talk then he walked out to Brenda's house. I jumped up to go with him because I was all over the feud now. My Parents both told me no I wasn't going to see Brenda for a while. I bawled and splutterd to no avail. It was two weeks before we were allowed to see one another again and they were long weeks to us. When my Auntie brought Brenda down after the two weeks she and Mamma asked us if we thought we could behave ourselves now and get along. Brenda and I were hugging but I almost started another war when I blurted out, "Well it was Brenda's fault she tore up my blouse". Oh my gosh. How many times in my life have I let my mouth over rule my brain? Oh, not over a zillion.
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