Most area schools closed Monday in anticipation of snow & ice that never quite materialized. Here in the High Country where we live, we had this magical ice display on trees and grasses. It stayed with us for three days, finally melting on Wednesday night as temperatures increased and hovered near freezing. 
Rick and I took a drive Wednesday afternoon and came home via Lone Star Road. We stopped at Lone Star Church and took pictures. This is in the cemetery where the lightning struck tree still stands watch in the corner. No ice on the trees there, but you can see that ice is still on the high hill nearby.DOGWOOD ACRES, 12/15/08, ELANE CRUM
Hello friends. After much anticipation and preparation for snow and ice, I don’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. Now, it will probably come when I am least prepared. Rick just got off the phone with his mom who said they had 4” of snow there in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, so I guess she got our share.
At bedtime on Sunday night, Rick was just sure the deer would be out prowling around in the snow this morning, so set the alarm for 5:30 a.m. Of course, the alarm woke me up first so I got up and turned on the TV for all the early school closings. There was a big list and I saw that Ashton was getting a reprieve from the history test she dreaded. When Rick got up he went out on the deck to check the thermometer, decided it was too cold and went back to bed.
I missed Lone Star Saturday night as my sister-in-law, Dawn, had invited me to Tri-Lakes Church for the service with CeCe Winans. Dawn’s mom and sis came up from Oklahoma and it was really good to see them again. Christie came too after going to Silver Dollar City so we just had a girl’s night out there at Tri-Lakes.
I did talk to Connie Hammond this morning and she said that all had a good time at Lone Star. 
They started the evening with singing of hymns, then blessed the food and had a sweet time of fellowship and carol singing. St. Nick did make an appearance and could only promise to “see what he could do” about all the wishes presented to him.
Sean Tilley and daughter Makaylee joined Grandma Christie with Colby Biggs, his fiancée, Jennifer, and her son, Jordan, at Silver Dollar City on Saturday evening. The Christmas train is always a highlight for all. They saw other local people including the Randy Shelby family spending quality time with their kids and grandkids. Silver Dollar City offers the word of God and the birth of Jesus more so than you would expect from a commercial venue.
There was a good turnout for the Christmas Dinner at Sandy Church Sunday afternoon. Kendra Harris put together a picture show using 450 pictures of the past 70 years at Sandy Church. Everyone enjoyed watching that and some had to identify the older ones for those of us who have not been around that long. Pastor Neal read a few letters from former church members and former pastor, Floyd Roberts.
Juanita Menzies is our meal coordinator and asked me to bring a salad and dessert. I went to my Taneyville School cookbook for Anita Biggs’ recipe for Cornbread Salad. It always seems to be eaten although I was glad there were a few bites leftover to bring home. For my dessert, I used Barb Casey’s recipe for Butter Pecan Lush, using Pumpkin Pudding instead of the Butter Pecan. I will post those on my blog, for those of you who have asked.
Remember, that website is:
www.dogwoodacresOnline.blogspot.com This is the last column that many of you will see before Christmas, so I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and trust that you will have time to make some special memories with family and friends. Bye for now.
ELANE CRUM
DOGWOOD ACRES, 12/08/08, ELANE CRUM
Hello friends. …..and it is HOW MANY days ‘til Christmas? Christmas cards are beginning to appear in my mailboxes, both real and virtual. I enjoy technology as much as anybody, but guess I am caught in a time warp. The email cards and messages are beautiful, I love getting them and save them in my email “mailbox” for a look back now and then. How many of you have boxes or bags of Christmas cards saved from years past? I am guilty; there is just a special feeling about pulling out those old cards for another look. Is it the pretty pictures, the sentiments and hand written notes, or all of the above? I am not sure just why, but there will always be a box or two of old Christmas cards at my house.
I just heard on TV that “vintage” can be described as being ten years of age or older. There are a few vintage cards in my collection that I feel compelled to save so that “someday” my granddaughters can look back at real cards from the “olden days”.
Christmas parties and programs are beginning to roll through the calendar. I have already missed a couple just because it is not possible to do everything or to be two places at once.
Glen Kenyon called and asked me to remind everyone about the “Lone Star Christmas” which will be Saturday, Dec. 13 @ 7:00 p.m. Bring a snack or some finger foods and plan to be drawn back into time. There will be singing of carols and good fellowship.
Sandy General Baptist Church will host their annual Christmas Dinner on Sunday, Dec. 14 @ 4:00 p.m. We will also be remembering and celebrating Seventy Years of Sandy Church. A special video presentation is being prepared; memories and letters will be shared. We invite everyone to join us for this special occasion.
Neal and LeaAnn went to the Christmas Dinner at Kanakuk Camp Friday night. LeaAnn is part of the maintenance crew there this winter, doing all sorts of things both inside and out.
Our youngest granddaughter, Erin, is a big ten years old now. She wanted her family to go to Incredible Pizza to eat and play games. It was our first time there but we felt right at home with music from the Sixties and a red ‘57 Chevy in the lobby.
Looking at my granddaughters, now ages ten and fourteen, I try to remember how my life seemed different at those ages. In 1960 I was ten years old when we moved from Chestnut Ridge to Pine Ridge. I was a sixth grader at Taneyville School and finally got to begin taking piano lessons. Erin still seems to be a little girl, but I did not think of myself as a little girl at that age. She probably does not either.
By the time I was fourteen, the Crum family with their handsome twins, Ricky and Roger, had moved back to Taney County; I was in love and the course of my life was set.
Ashton went to the FFA Barn warming at Bradleyville School Friday night and that brought back a few memories too. I saw Katie (Clarkson) Coleman at the ballgame Friday night and we talked about our own barn warming memories. Way back….when we were in high school at Forsyth, barn warmings were held at the old Forsyth School building, which still stood on Schoolhouse Hill. Square hay bales were used to form tunnels beneath the bleachers and we had to wiggle through those for some reason or other. I don’t even remember what the object of that whole adventure was.
Rick and I went to the Forsyth Invitational Tournament several nights last week. There was a lot of excitement and energy there as fans from Forsyth High School and Riverview Christian School turned out to support teams and community. Saturday night’s championship game between Branson and Riverview was exciting too with Branson pulling ahead for a strong winning lead during the final quarter.
Christie’s family went to the Blue Eye Tournament Saturday night to watch granddaughter, Vanessa Bilyeu, play. She said the championship game was intense with Vanessa making 13 points and Blue Eye losing by five points. Vanessa is a sophomore this year and a strong player for the Lady Bulldogs.
Christie said the Ingenthron family all had buttons popping at church on Sunday as Dusty and Clea were there with their sweet little Emma Rose.
There is also a sweet little girl at the home of Greg and Stacy Cummings. Grandma Betty was telling me about their precious Emma Grace who came into the world at a whopping 10.5 lbs.
Bessie Rossner Gideon continues to improve after a fall that resulted in a broken leg several months ago. She is staying with her son, Gary, for now but looks forward to returning to her own home when released from Dr’s care. Bessie and Gary had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with her sister, June Anker, and daughters.
Rick helped with the round-up of fall calves at Bill and Mary Lou Hodges’ farm Saturday afternoon. There were two new cowgirls this year. Erin, now ten years old, was big enough to help and Martin’s wife, Amy experienced her first round-up. Rick said the cows and calves co-operated and things went well. The transport was another story as the semi-truck got stuck crossing Beaver Creek. Fortunately, the calves had not yet been loaded; but it did make the delivery later than planned. Bye for now.
