Dogwood Acres, 11/29/10

DOGWOOD ACRES, 11/29/10, ELANE CRUM
Hello friends. Thanksgiving week came and went so fast; I can hardly believe it is already the week after. Our Thanksgiving began with “Thelma’s Living Room” with our Bilyeu Family at Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Springfield. Several generations of the Jimmie & Frances Bilyeu family gathered together for an evening of singing and giving thanks for the Godly heritage that is ours. Aunt Bonnie Bilyeu was the oldest and only one left of the generation of our dads, aunts, and uncles. I hesitate to say for sure who was the eldest there of the next generation, but “think” it would have Donald or Bobby Joe. I am the oldest of the “second cousins”, followed by Norma Jean Meier, and we were both there. After that I lost track of who was the oldest ones there of each generation, but it was a wonderful evening.

There was singing from young and old, with enough young ones that we know there will be “Bilyeu Music” for generations to come. When I was a kid we would have our family dinners on Thanksgiving and Christmas, then load up and go visit Hosea and Thelma. There would usually be other cousins, aunts and uncles there and Thelma’s living room was always filled with music. Ridgecrest Baptist is a little bigger, but the spirit and love are still alive.

Thanksgiving Day was quiet at our house until late in the evening when the doorbell began ringing. Justin and Kasie came first with yummy leftover blackberry cobbler and green beans from their earlier dinner at his Aunt Carol’s house. Jim and Dawn came, still full from a big dinner with the Biggs’ at Bill and Christie’s. Neal, LeaAnn, Ashton, Erin and LeaAnn’s folks were here too for a “heritage dinner”. I call it that because instead of turkey, I fixed Venison Salisbury Steak like my Granny Nettie made, Mother’s fresh apple cake and Daddy’s baked beans. I doubt that any of mine tasted quite as good as theirs, but I like to think it did.

After dinner we had a visit from Mother’s family via DVD that cousin Alvie Doug Davis had made and sent to us. We loved hearing Uncle Bruce tell the same old tales over again and heard more stories from Aunt Roma, Uncle Bill, Aunt Wan and Uncle Roscoe.

The evening had to come to an end and bedtime came earlier than usual as Ashton, Erin and I had plans for Black Friday shopping. We slept in a little on Friday, but still hit the streets of Branson early enough to put in a long day. Ashton was looking for jeans which we did not find, so Saturday found us on our way to Battlefield Mall. It had been years since I had gone there on Thanksgiving weekend, but God was good and gave me a parking place right in front of J.C. Penney.

She found her jeans, Erin got a birthday dress and we got home about dark. Sunday was a blessed day of rest with church at Sandy and Sunday dinner with LeaAnn’s folks.

While the girls were with us on Saturday, Neal and LeaAnn laid tile in the foyer of our new church. Carpet goes in this week and new pews next week. I don’t know just when we hope to “move” from our little sanctuary to the big one, but looks like it could be soon.

Erin began basketball practice at Plainview this week and Christie went to see Vanessa play at Blue Eye, so it looks like our winter schedule is kicking in! Bye for now.