Saturday Night - Tomorrow Ushers in the Next Stage of Christmas

It's Saturday Night.

Laura Beth, Ada, and Scott are in Crossville tonight, attending a "friend" party in nearby Guntersville. Well, Ada isn't attending, but Scott and LB are. Ada is staying with Scott's folks. Tomorrow Laura Beth will be here, with Ada, staying with Ann (new favorite place to stay while in Scottsboro) - Sarah was scheduled to arrive tomorrow but called me a while ago and told me she will arrive on Monday - as will Kate.

It all becomes "Christmas" tomorrow. My girls begin coming home - and all 3 of my grandchildren will be in town(I should say all 4 - since Andrew is tucked into Ann's belly) - Laura Beth and Scott will be having Scott's family Christmas next weekend in Crossville - Hence LB being here all week - followed by the week leading into Christmas Eve and Day. Scott's job only allows him Christmas Day off. - He'll arrive on Christmas Eve and LB and Ada will leave with him on Christmas Night. OH! and on the 23rd my sister, Mary Ann, will drive to S'boro to spend with all of us. So - that all completes this family.

We still have some "Christmas Events" to attend and host - but we're sliding into the "big day".
It's getting here.

This is the year it really shifts for us. Santa Claus won't be at my house. He'll be going out to Steve and Ann's, where LB, Scott and Ada will be staying. The grandchildren are getting older and folks are staying home. Last year the Barber bunch were flying to Albuquerque on Christmas day. Ada is still so young, she doesn't know the difference, so LB wants to be in S'boro.

I remember those days - For the longest time Santa Claus showed up in Evergreen, AL - where Ann and LB were delighted to see what he brought. By the time Sarah and Kate were in the world, Ann and Lb needed to be at home, in S'boro, to get their "stuff" from Santa. Transition is different for everybody - and it's all in the family dynamics -

So, for us - it keeps changing from year to year.

Back to Christmas Memories -

I thought I'd be doing this daily, during December - I haven't.

HUGE MEMORY:

There was this store, Brantley-Lee Tire & Supply

All the days of the year it was a Tire and Supply store.

It smelled of the rubber which is in tires.

The owners were Mr. Percy Brantley and Mr. Liston Lee.

They both were members, with their families, at our church, Evergreen Methodist.

During December the store was transformed.

All I know is Daddy would take Mary Ann and me into that store and that is where we selected the doll we wanted Santa Claus to bring to us.

I have this visual image.

Mary Ann and I are standing on either side of Daddy - we're looking up, way past all the auto equipment - up to the very top shelf - and there are all the dolls. We look, and we look, and we look, - and we decide. We would tell Daddy the one we selected and that would be it.

We would know that on Christmas Morning, that doll would be under the tree.

As a child I never questioned why we could find the best dolls at Brantley/Lee Tire and Supply.

As an adult I figured it out and have never asked anyone about it.

Mr. and Mrs. Brantley had one daugher, Anna.

Mr. and Mrs. Lee had two daughters, Julianna and Betty.

It was the best thing - going into that store, selecting our doll who would be our newest addition to our "doll collection". It was all very real to me. It was Christmas.

There are so many memories.

Maybe I'll get a chance to be at the computer and type in a few more.

I just couldn't leave out the one about the dolls and the Tire Supply Store.