Thoughts by Alberta Anne

Happy Anniversary to _______.

Anniversaries are often talked about and mentioned on Face Book; with congratulations and best wishes given to the happy participants.

But there is one anniversary that never seems to be mentioned. This is the anniversary of the first time God touched a life.

That first anniversary, when the knowledge that the Son of God, Jesus Christ had died for the sins of all, so we might be able to stand at the throne of God cleansed and forgiven of sins.

That first anniversary when the Power of the Holy Spirit first came, pushing out the evil and the bad to fill the soul with pure joy.

Sixty years ago when I was eight, I first felt that touch. I listened to the preacher, really listened and felt the conviction deep within my soul. When the call to the altar came, I felt an almost physical push to the front.

God, His Son and the Holy Spirit in my heart and soul have been with me since my baptism. I have stumbled so many times but I had the rope of salvation around me and God pulled me back to Him each and every time.

So Happy Anniversary to ME. By the grace of God I am saved.

You can have that same inner peace. Simply accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and invite Him into your heart. Trust me it will be an anniversary that you will never regret.

Quotes and Sayings From Other People

Posted on Face Book by Jeff Mersmann           October 2, 2015

Advice from An Old Farmer

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered… not yelled.

Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.

Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.

Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.

You cannot unsay a cruel word.

Every path has a few puddles.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.

Don’t judge folks by their relatives.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honorable life… Then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.

Don ‘t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t bothering you none.

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.

Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin’.

Always drink upstream from the herd.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.

If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around..

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.

Most times, it just gets down to common sense.

A SISTERS TRIBUTE: February 21, 2011

A Sister’s Tribute

     The third week in February 2011 Ms Alberta’s youngest sister, Sue, drove from Texas to visit with her. When Aunt Sue got ready to leave she gave me this letter that she had written for Ms Alberta. I was not to give it to Ms Alberta until Aunt Sue had left going back to Texas.

     The night after Aunt Sue left for Texas I gave the letter to Ms Alberta. Ms Alberta tried to read the letter but because she was crying so hard couldn’t.

     Ms Alberta and I cried together as I read the letter for her.

     This was the last visit the two sisters had.

Monday, February 21, 2011

My Dearest Sister,

     There is no way on earth I can put into words what I feel in my heart. I’d hoped I could talk to you but I can’t so I’ll try to write.

     I don’t know God’s plan nor His time table and I may be in heaven to greet you when you get there, but no matter, I still want to tell you how very much I love you and how grateful I am to you for your love and kindnesses through all the years. There is not enough paper in this world to write out all the things you have done for me – the Christmases, the guidance’s – the laughter – the sharing – the caring – the teaching, the lists go on and on.. You’ve been there for me in good times and in bad, pulled me up when I was down, happy for me when I was happy, encouraged me when I’d lose hope. You have laughed with me and you have cried with me – and you have played with me since I could talk and said my “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” prayer that I repeated after you as you taught me to pray. I still know how to pray, Sis, and right now I am praying very hard. I feel like I just can’t lose you – my selfishness – because I know you’d be with Mom and Pop and Willis and the Lord and all things good and know only happiness, but I’d be grief stricken and lost. The very thought of it is more than I can bear.

     I want to say THANK YOU but those words seem so shallow, we say thank you to a person for a stick of gum, so how do I use those words to say THANK YOU from the very bottom of my heart for you being YOU, but I do Thank You and please know I mean it with every fiber of my being.

     There never has been and never will be another woman like you. A lot of us try and all of us fail. You are “iron willed and steel proud”. You are so strong, Sis. And you are so pretty. I so remember asking you if I might be as pretty as you when I grew up and I thank you for saying yes. I never did get that pretty but from the very start you gave me hope that I could attain those things I wanted. I was never jealous of you but I always wanted to be like you. The only reason I wasn’t jealous is because I loved you too much and always wanted the best for you – because you have always deserved the best. You haven’t been rewarded on this earth for your goodness but the record is written and your rewards await you – and they will be many. You have touched so many lives and there are so many of us to testify of your kindnesses and your love. You always made me feel safe.

     You have been like a mother, a sister, a friend; a mother not because you’re a couple of years older – you are sure not old enough to be my mother – but because of your maturity and wisdom. Had I been older than you you’d still have been my “big sis”, you were a natural born leader.

     And I love you.

        Your Sister,

             Sue

     Written on the outside of the folded pages of the letter:

Sis,

This is so inept. I could write a million pages and it still wouldn’t say what I want to say – I just can’t say all that I feel.

Generations: August 6, 2015 Karson Wayne Tipton

Karson Wayne Tipton born August 6, 2015. Weight 9 lbs. 5 ozs. 21 1/2 inches lomg

Son of Kevin Wayne and Kearstin Nicole Centers Tipton.

Brother of Kassidie Lynn and Kaydi Shai Tipton.

Great great grandson of Ms. Alberta.

Mom Shoupe's Favorite Saying - this was Ms Alberta's mother

Artist and Author Unknown

From the Past

Ms Alberta kept everything. When I say that I mean she literally kept everything that was sent to her by children, grand children and great grand children, nieces, nephews, sisters, brothers, friends. If it was sent, a date was put on it, and it went into her Memory Truck.

I just recently found a small version of that Memory Trunk that had nothing but cards that I had sent to her. I had no idea she had kept all of these. But there are some things in it that really state truths that are as true today as they were the day they were sent. This is one of them that I sent to her Mother's Day 2001.

On the front a mother is holding a child.

When I was a kid, you always said, "Just wait until you have kids of your own."

Now I understand how much work and love it took to raise and to keep a family together. The example of your strength, devotion, and patience is now rippling through the generations.

Thank YOU! Happy Mother's Day.       Love Ann

My seventh great grandchild is due in August (Ms Alberta was born August 1, 1926).

Sometimes the glue that keeps us all together gets a little thin; but Ms Alberta's legacy of love is still being passed on.

Surgery Done!

Both surgeries are done; both were a success. I still will need glasses to read and sew but everything is really really good!
Thank you for your prayers and support.

Alberta Anne

Until Further Notice

Followers of Ms Alberta's Blog

Regrettably I have to limit postings for awhile. I have cataracts on both eyes and I am scheduled for surgery on the right eye soon; with the left eye to follow within the next month.

I would appreciate your prayers and/or comments.

Comments can be made from the link on this page.

Blessings on all who follow Ms Alberta;s Blog.

Alberta Anne, Age 17

                                   Alberta Anne, Age 67

Generations: March 23, 2015 McKenzie Alice Paige Fouch

This is Mckenzie Alice Paige Fouch, born March 23, 2015 at 12:29 PM. Mckenzie weighed in at 7 pounds 14 ounzes, and is 20 inches long.

The young lady holding her is Kamryn Nora Nicole Fouch, proud big sister. The young man watching is Aidan McCellan Fouch, proud big brother.

These three are Alberta Anne's great grand children and Ms Alberta's great great grandchildren.

Parents of Mckenzie, Kamryn, and Aidan are Charlie Wesley, Jr. and Ceceilia Ann Booher Fouch.

Cely is the daughter of Angela Michelle; Wes is the son of Loretta and Charlie Fouch, Sr. Charlie Sr. is deceased.

Wes sister, Holly Elizabeth Mullins looks on.

Connections: Heinrich Walter Paul Josef BOOHER, husband of Alberta Anne and father of Edith Christina, Angela Michelle and Teri Denise

October 31 1944 - August 28, 2008

                           This is Heinrich Walter Paul Josef BOOHER
                                     the picture was taken in 1965
                                         he was a Marine.

Heinz and Alberta Anne Thomas were married December 19, 1964 at Glendale Christian Church in Glendale, Hardin County, Kentucky.

They had three daughters; Edith Christina Booher (Mullins, Trent)
Angela Michelle Booher (Mason - Booher)
and Teri Denise Booher (Centers - Reid).

Anne and Heinz divorced July 1981.

Pictures: Shoupe Side

The Baby in the picture is Myrtle Evabelle Vaughn or "Mom" Shoupe; the next picture is of Leonard Earl Shoupe;

the first of the two pictures turned sideways are Henry and Rachel Elizabeth Trosper Shoupe; the other picture turned sideways is of Myrtle "Mom" Shoupe, Ms Alberta and Faye; the two sitting on the car well are Ms Alberta and Faye Shoupe

Genealogy - 1st husband - Harold Lee Thomas

This is the Coat of Arms of Tristram Thomas who was born in Kent, England.

When Tristram Thomas was born in September 1666 in Sundridge, Kent, England, his father, Tristram, was 36 and his mother, Anne was 33. Tristram married Judith Clayland, they had two sons and two daughter’s together between1703 and 1712 when Anne died.

Tristram migrated to Talbot County, Maryland where he met and married Jane Kemp on

November 7, 1721, in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland. When Tristram died on February 11, 1746, in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland, he had lived a long life of 79 years.

Tristram, son of Tristram and Judith Clayland married Mary Clothier.

Their son was Stephen who married Anne Coursey.

Their son was Stephen, who married Rachel Pratt.

Their son was Robert Robin, who married Katherine Evans.

Their son was Daniel, who married Nancy Broyles.

Their son was Sampson, who married first Martha Baird, who died; then Martha Moses, who died; then Susie Campbell, who outlived Sampson.

Their son was Finley, who married Rachel Elizabeth Powers.

Finley and Rachel Powers Thomas started the present THOMAS CLAN

Harold Lee Thomas was the son of Finley and Rachel; Harold and Ms Alberta were married March 1946. They had four children: Alberta Anne, Harold Danny, Clara Jean, and Sharon Gail, who died.

Thinking Outloud - February 2015

Lately, as I am trying to downsize on the amount of "just stuff" that I have acquired in my sixty eight years; I have been giving a lot of thought to how all we humans acquire our habits from our parents and the way they were reared.

Ms Alberta was born in 1926; she turned three the year The Great Depression started. This meant that during her formative years she saw soup kitchens and rationing of foodstuffs, such as sugar, flour, butter.

Ms Alberta watched and learned from her mother how to stretch food, how to sew clothes to wear, and how to hold on to things; because you never knew when that extra bolt or whatever would be needed.

So, when Ms Alberta started raising her own family she passed these values on to her children - my brother, Dan, my sister, Jean and of course me, Alberta Ann.

I can remember being told not to waste food, there were children in other countries as well as our own who went to bed hungry because they didn't have enough food.

I also remember being told to hold on to what was considered extra things because someday we might need them.

That last memory is why I had the nick name of Pack Rat Annie given to me by my children. I hold on to almost everything.

That having been said, guess who my children and my grandchildren come to when they can't find a part, a pattern, or something special to use on a project?

Yep - Pack Rat Annie's storage and salvage! Maybe I shouldn't be sitting here thinking about getting rid of all this good "stuff".

Picture Ardith Faye Shoupe 1945

This is a picture of my beautiful Aunt Ardith Faye Shoupe. It was taken in 1945 at Lowell, KY.

Aunt Faye will turn 83 May of 2015.

Inspirational

"If you forgive men for their transgressions,  your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. "  Matthew 6:14-15

I believe the devil thrives on anger and hurt. Unforgiveness causes more anger. When we forgive, we can feel the negative feelings leaving us. Because of the lightness of our spirits we will be able to enjoy life and living.

Death of an Uncle

Saturday,  January 17, 2015

Today we buried Gaylon Paris Jones (March 10, 1943 - January 14, 2015). His wife is my fathers sister, Nell.

I remember that Uncle Gaylon loved to fish. What I learned during his viewing and funeral was that he was also a fisher of men. He was head deacon in his church and was often called on to help others.

The last few years Uncle Gaylon had health problems that kept him in constant pain and on oxygen. This did not keep him house bound but it did keep him from going fishing as often as he liked.

During the viewing I heard Uncle Gaylon's grandson say that now Grandpa could run and jump again. My thought on that is that now he is able to go fishing again.

I am sure that through believe in Christ Jesus we will meet again.

Anniversary of Death - Harold Lee Thomas (August 4, 1924 – January 14, 1968)

January 14, 2014 

Harold Lee Thomas was the oldest of ten living children. Harold was a farmer, carpenter, coal miner, mechanic, and Jack of All Trades.

Harold worked the family farm while his father Finlay, worked in the coal mines He quit school in the eighth grade to go into the coal mines with his father, Finlay, to help support the family.

In 1941, at the age of seventeen he joined the Army to fight against the Japanese.

March 1945 he married Edith Alberta Shoupe (Ms Alberta).

After the death of Sharon Gail he left the mines and went to Elizabethtown, Kentucky where he got a job as a mechanic on the Army base at Fort Knox. Most of the other mechanics knew him as Tune Up Tom, or just plain Tom.

Harold acquired the name Tune Up one day when a tank he had been working on all week wouldn’t start. After going back over and double checking all the work he had done on the tank, he got a ball pin hammer from his tool box and gave a gentle whack to something on the tank. He said, “That should tune it up a little.” The tank started right up.

There was snow the night of January 13^th, 1968. When Harold got up the next morning he went out with a snow shovel and shoveled the sidewalks and driveway so he could take Ms Alberta into town.

They stopped at a red light beside the post office and across the street from what was then First Federal Savings Bank. Harold turned and looked at Ms Alberta and said, “I don’t feel so well.” Harold slumped over the steering wheel, the car started rolling through the light and Ms Alberta started screaming.

A young man in the car beside them saw something was wrong, put his vehicle out of gear and rushed to help. Harold was taken to Hardin Memorial Hospital where he was given the diagnosis of a massive blood clot to the heart with no chance of survival. He was forty three years, five months and ten days old when he died.

Ms Alberta and Roses

Wilma Thomas Noe shared Ricki-Lee Anderson's photo.

July 4, 2013

This is crazy crazy !! Never waste cut roses

Did you know that you can grow roses from cuttings?

Simply cut healthy stems, place them in large potatoes, and them 

bury them 3-4 inches deep in a healthy soil mixture of peat moss 

and top soil. The potatoes keep the stems moist and help develop 

the root systems. It's a perfectly simple way to multiply your rose 

garden without spending lots of $$$.

Ms Alberta loved roses of all kinds; but yellow roses were her favorites. 

When I first bought the house in Stanton I bought a knock out rose for the front yard. When I planted the rose I accidentally cut off a small branch of the rose.

Ms Alberta picked the branch up, dipped it in Root On, then stuck the branch into the ground. The next summer the branch Ms Alberta had rescued was larger than the knockout rose I bought.

Family Birthday

Today is Kaylee Michelle Center’s thirteenth birthday. She is no longer a tween but is now a full grown teenager. Welcome to the roller coaster ride that we all get from about thirteen to fifteen.

These are pictures with Kaylee Centers in them. The first one she is eight years old; doing her mother’s eye makeup with Ms Alberta watching. In the second picture she is twelve years old.

Family Photos - 1986

This picture was taken in 1986 when Jean was expecting Jenny. That is Jean on the left with Ms Alberta, Mom Shoupe, Faye, and me, Alberta Anne, on the right.

The original picture has been lost; now all there is to preserve this moment in time are copies.

From Anne: Thinking Outloud

We are all human and as humans I think we have a tendency to judge another person by their past. We don't want to have anything to do with that person because of what they said or did.

We don't stop to think about the road they have had to travel to be where they are today. Nor do we stop to think and consider that God is who has given them that path to follow.

Dad always said that there was good in the worst and bad in the best; so we shouldn't judge another person until we had walked a mile in their shoes.

I for one can not throw stones because the house I live in is made of glass. Not literally of course, but I say that because I have made so many mistakes and bad decisions in my life; I would be the very last person to have the right to judge another person.

Jesus is the Savior and through Him, God has forgiven my mistakes and bad decisions. Through Christ Jesus, God forgives all of us.