Hello everyone!!! It's been a cold and windy day here in Shenandoah County. My hubby (I call him Billy Bob) and I have stayed inside mostly and close by the woodstove. For supper, he requested pancakes and puddin' meat. We still had the liver puddin' in the fridge that he bought before Christmas, and decided it was time to use it up. It really hit the spot, and he cut up onions on top of his. Said he needed it to cut the grease. Not me!!! Our little Boston Terrier, Ellie Rose, enjoyed a few scraps of leftovers. BB got online after supper while I caught up with some reading. Read the Northern Va Daily. Read the obits and saw where a cousin's wife had died. Then checked out some of the seed catalogs. They've been coming steadily. It's been a family tradition to anticipate the seed catalogs in the mail after Christmas....sort of like getting the Sears and Wards Wishbooks before Christmas used to be. Now, I am dreaming about what I may plant next spring. Do any of you remember selling seeds for your school as a child? I always did, and was so excited if I could purchase a pack or two for myself. We had the grandest gardens over there in the Fort Valley creek bottom soil. It felt so good between my toes!!! Read the latest Reminisce Magazine. Such neat Christmas photos from back in the 40's and 50's. I gave BB a renewal to the magazine as one of his Christmas gifts this past year. He and I share a love for the good old days and collectibles from that era. He has quite a collection of toys from back then, and I have a few dolls. I had only a couple when I was a child, and none survived. Several years ago a lady sent me the doll that came printed on the feedsacks like I had when I was a little girl. She is my favorite. I've quite a collection of feedsacks and getting ready to sell some on eBay. Some I won't part with. I have a quilt that I started about ten years ago. I am doing it all of genuine feedsack fabric, and it is called Job's Tears. Each tear is appliquéd on a white background in a different print, and I'm doing it all by hand. I hope God gives me an eternity!!! Country Woman included a photo of some of my feedsacks and the feedsack doll several years ago in their magazine. It was part of a feature on the Feedsack Club which was active worldwide circa early to mid '90's. Now, back to the cold winter and how it reminds me of olden days in Fort Valley. I remember the deep snow of 1962 when we could live in a small part of our house only. A week earlier a fire from the big chimney destroyed the north side of the living room, the steps to the upstairs, and the north side of the upstairs front room. The Strasburg Fire Dept had their trucks up there in time to save the house. Later, after the snowfall, I rode the old work horse to neighbors' houses, and took them care packages as nothing else was moving thru the valley for four days or so. Electric was gone and no phone service. So, we checked on the nearest neighbors after the horse broke a path. I don't remember feeling isolated, but can imagine how folks today would feel over there in the mountains if they didn't have cell phones? History is happening fast forward here now. There was a chimney fire across the road from us a couple of weeks ago at Marshall Robinson's house. He's our neighbor and former Sheriff of Shenandoah County and former Strasburg Police Chief. I could not believe the response to the fire. Both Strasburg and Woodstock had their hook and ladder trucks here along with various other Emergency Vehicles and Fire Trucks in no time. Looked like a Fireman's Parade here on Saumsville Rd. My little dog and I went outside, and watched the action. We can see Interstate 81 about a half mile to the west of us, and get a good view while the trees are bare. There was a bad wreck near Strasburg when a tanker carrying chemicals overturned just recently. We could see the traffic stopped, and then re-routed on the Old Valley Pike and other routes for most of the day. Really made a hardship on many, especially, in the local towns and folks traveling on the Old Valley Pike, not to mention I 81. So, here I sit in my comfy little house thinking of olden times, and witnessing history going in FAST FORWARD just by looking out the window. Guess, we will take it all in stride with faith in God as our guide. The funeral for my cousin's wife will be down here at our Valley Pike Church on Saturday at 11 am. I will fix meat for the meal afterwards. No doubt, it will be another family reunion where we will bond more, and talk of good memories. It's happening more often all the time..................... Goodnite and God Bless. Later, Love, Nancy "Shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life......." Phil 2:15, 16 NIV