2009 - Cabin Fever - The Start of My Memory Book

From Ms Alberta's taped memories:
 
   I was born August 1, 1926 in Cincinnati, Ohio. I will soon be eighty four years old. There was a five inch snowfall last night so I am snowbound. I am one of those people who, despite my years, must be busy doing something. This snowfall has made me decide that I will try to do something that I have been thinking about and have been encouraged to do by most of my family and friends; write about my life. It may be time for me to do just that. So here goes the life and times of Edith Alberta Shoupe Thomas Brandon.

      The first step should, I think, be organization of my life events; but this is giving me some real cause to wonder just where to begin. The story of my life is not hard to tell because there are too few memories to organize and tell about. The problem is that there are too many memories. My personal history floods my mind first and foremost; but my life was definitely shaped by the world events outside my family and personal life. During my lifetime there have been a Great Depression, a World War, a Korean War, and the Viet Nam War; there have also been other world shaking events that have shaped history and touched my life.

      My oldest daughter, who will be typing this for me, says to just start talking to the tape recorder and let her do the rest; so we will give that a try.

NOTE: Ms Alberta was dead before she reached her eighty fourth birthday.

Memories From Anne - Picking Blackberries

I can remember where we grew up that there were lots of trees. At some point in time someone had harvested trees off of about an acre of ground and left a few trees laying on their sides. There were lots of animals that used these trees as a haven to raise their young.

But the best thing about those fallen trees were the blackberry briers that started to grow near and over the trees.

My brother, sister and I love blackberries. There is nothing that comes close to the flavor of a fat sun ripened blackberry. So, in blackberry season, we would take our small metal pails into the standing trees out to that back acre of cut and fallen trees to the blackberry patch that was growing there.

Our hands would become stained with the berries as we picked them; and of course our mouths did too. Because who could resist taking a taste of a few berries before putting a few into our pails.

Despite eating more than went into our pails, we did manage to take enough of the blackberries home for Ms Alberta to make a blackberry cobbler.

I sure would love to be able to eat one of those cobblers now; because despite having her recipe, my cobblers may be good but they can not rival the flavor of Ms Alberta's.

Ms Alberta's Blackberry Cobbler

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Use a 13 X 9 X 2 inch deep baking dish or cake pan

1 stick butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1 cup self rising flour

1 cup cleaned berries

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter or margarine in your 13 X 9 X 2 inch deep baking dish or pan.

In a saucepan, heat the sugar with the berries and milk; bring to a gentle boil for about ten minutes

Add flour and vanilla extract

Mix well and pour into baking dish

Bake until the top of your cobbler is a golden color; about forty five minutes

Enjoy by itself or with ice cream on top.

Thoughts From Anne - 13 January 2019

Harold Lee Thomas was born 4 August 1924. He was the oldest child of twelve born to Rachel Elizabeth Powers and Finley Thomas.

Harold quit school in the eighth grade to go to work in the coal mines to help support his family. At the age of seventeen he joined the Army and fought in World War II and in the Korean conflict.

He married Edith Alberta Shoupe 7 March 1946. They had four children; Alberta Ann, Harold Danny, Clara Jean and Sharon Gail.

Harold was a Jack of All Trades and never met a job that he could not do; nor a person that he did not like.

On 14 January 1968, at the age of forty one years of age, Harold had a massive blood clot to his heart. Harold's loving heart stopped beating forever on that day.

Harold was buried in New Highland Cemetery on 17 January 1968; Sharon Gail, who had died as a three month old infant, lay close by.

Harold died fifty one years ago on 14 January 1968. For me the time has been short, the grief still with me every day. He was a father who was always ready for a pillow fight, a water fight or just a joke on himself or someone else that he loved. I still miss my father.

1941

Thoughts From Anne - January 9, 2019

To me we are all in this world together. To me the world is a large body of water, or pond; and we are each a pebble that interacts and reacts to the other pebbles, and the world around us.

There are good people in our world; but this world that we live in now is so full of people who have no respect for themselves or for others.

There is no care or thought for what another person is going through; definitely no thought for how our actions and or words will impact another.

What we should all remember is that we are all like that tiny pebble thrown into a pond. That pebble can and will create ripples that will expand out across, and even deep underneath the surface of that pond.

What kind of pebble are you? Are you the pebble that creates a gentle motion of comfort? Or are you the pebble that creates a tide that sweeps away everything before it?

I want to be, and hope that I am; the pebble that sends a wave of comfort. I love my fellow mankind. I forgive those who do not give thought to what and how what they are doing is affecting others. I forgive those who have hurt me in the past, present or future.

Walk in beauty; treat the earth and your fellow mankind kindly.

Alberta Anne Thomas
January 9, 2019

1 January 2019 - Thoughts From Anne

We are going into the eighth year since Ms Alberta passed from this life to the next one.

They have been tumultuous years in so many ways. Passing of aunts, uncles, cousins and the continuing operations on my youngest daughter, as the doctors continue to try to stabilize her injured back and to try to alleviate her pain.

Ms Alberta's strength and determination show in my youngest child. Although she is in constant pain, she rarely complains and just keeps on keeping on, with a smile on her face.

I  would like to wish all who follow this blog the best that 2019 can offer.

May you live life to the fullest, with compassion and strength, to yourself and others.

God bless and keep you and yours.

Alberta Anne Thomas
Oldest Daughter of
Ms Alberta