The Recollections of a Child

My father was bigger than life and no time during my childhood did I feel afraid.   I always operated with ease and comfort during my young life not really feeling threatened about anything.  Until 1957. 
My father as a very young child had a terrible accident with a knife trying to cut a shoe lace.  He had sight in only one of his eyes as long as I remembered, always.   But in 1957, he was cutting bushes on the farm and yes, he stuck a thorn in his good eye.  The eye that contained his only sight.  Years later, He told me to hold my hand over one eye, and over the other eye make a fist like a cylinder, and peek through the hole and that was his vision.  Wow!  I remember he was taken to Vanderbilt Hospital and was there for 6 weeks.  There was no interstate in 1957  and by the time he arrived at Vanderbilt, cataracts had grown over his sighted eye.   To say things changed on that day is putting it mildly but I had no idea how much it would impact me until this week.  The week of the flood.  
You see a farm doesn't care if there is a flood.   It doesn't care if there is a drought and everything burns up.  Farmers are some of the hardest workers I know but they do live life in a wonderful setting.  They don't punch a clock nor do they have a boss standing over them demanding more and more output.  
But they don't have family medical leave, unemployment benefits or company health insurance .  The farm didn't care that my father was in the hospital for 6 weeks adjusting to the fact that his life would never be the same.  He had to adjust physically to having limited vision.  But he was on an emotional journey also.  I can just imagine how he laid in that bed day after day worrying about the farm.   What would he do? How would he carry on?  Work on the farm didn't wait.

But that is not the point to the story.   You see, when the 6 weeks were up, we went to Nashville to get my daddy.  When we returned that day, turned the curve, and caught the view of our house, there were so many cars parked on both sides of the road you could hardly get through.  My Dad had come home.  His and my mother's families and all the community came to see him but more than that, the men had come to get my daddy's crops in the barn. They were farmers.  They knew someone needed help and did not hesitate to show up and do what was good, what was right.   My father cried that day and I as a young girl captured that feeling of awe at all those people who loved my father and mother and made sure all was as well as it could be in a time of great crisis.  

 I had that same feeling this week in the time of the flood as I watched people rush in to assist in any way they could.  Neighbors helping neighbors.  People raising money.   Churches cooking food and feeding thousands.    And others had that feeling too.  Someone sent me an email about the blog entitled "We are Nashville".   I think he captures the essence of how I have felt this week and those weeks so long ago in 1957.

http://www.section303.com/we-are-nashville-4366 

Dumplings in the Mouth of the Recipient!

There are many different types of dumplings. And everyone has a different idea what a good dumpling taste like. There are my favorite, chicken and dumplings, also there are apple dumplings, blueberry dumplings, and yankee dumplings. (yes, that's right, yankee) Now it just doesn't seem right (being from the South) having dumpling and yankee in the same sentence but I was assured of the name yesterday. Some folks like dumplings thick, some thin, some pinched, some cut in tiny squares.  They were all represented yesterday at the Lebanon Fairgrounds. I met Ramona, my sister, who received a letter in the mail from the Wilson County Chamber asking her to enter in the Dumpling Cook-off.   She and I talked on the phone a number of times during the last 2 weeks and she finally decided to enter.  As I pulled up in Fiddlers Grove, she along with Rachel and Craig (Rachel's fiancee) arrived at the same time.  She seemed a little nervous and that was odd since she has cooked about a million dumpling in her lifetime. I know if I was cooking a dumpling I would be very nervous and everyone eating them would need to be nervous too.  (grin)  Anyway, she began to set up and I noticed some of the other tables had signs.  Well, not to be out done, I rushed out and got all the materials to make a sign.  Rachel made Ramona's sign and I must say it turned out well.
(Good job, Rachel!)

It reads, "Memories of Mama Kemp".  You see, Ramona has my mother, Osa Dillehay Kemp's  recipe and with a little adjustment to make it her own, Ramona is the Dumpling Queen in our family. 








Guests begin to arrive like Debbie (she isn't asleep) I think I just snapped at the wrong time.      (sorry Debbie!)    
Debbie is Ramona's DIL and her daughers came with her to join in the fun.                      

This is Rachel, Ramona's daughter, and Craig.  Rachel informed me she cooks dumplings all the time and make them like Ramona.  You go Rachel!

This is Dwight, Ramona's son.
You can see Ramona  was well represented by the family. 







And then of course, there is my friend from church, Teresa.  Thanks Teresa for coming out and supporting Ramona. 

 Ramona was getting her broth ready when suddenly she noticed her hot plate was not HOT.  We checked it out and finally decided it was the electrical outlet. I notified  the ladies in charge and asked them what to do.  They had already moved one table because of the outlet.

We moved Ramona's table to another location and before you know it, she was cooking again.


Ramona continued cooking and finally she was happy with the results.
And here they are. Yummy!







Judging took place at 2:00PM and at 2:30 they announced the winners. Well, Ramona didn't win.  I can't remember all the names but I do remember the categories that won..

First place:    Chicken and Dumplings (who by the way weren't any better than Ramona's (grin)
Second place:   Caramel Apple Dumplings 
Third place:  Are you ready for this?   Yankee Dumplings  Yep, the Yankees won again. (sigh)

Well, we all had loads of fun and here is the proof. 

I don't think Ramona was too disappointed her dumplings didn't win.  I sure hope she doesn't get discouraged enough to quit making dumplings.  Oh no, what will we do!  I know a lot of people at the Dillehay re-unions and Kemp family outings that will start a full fledge rebellion.  I guess we will have to blame it on the Yankees. (dumplings that is) 

Overcoming Insecurities by Beth Moore

Today I am suggesting more than personal blogging.  If you are a woman that is insecure about something (be honest), you might enjoy the next 3 month journey Beth Moore is providing with her new book, "Overcoming Insecurities".  This book goes on sale Tues. Feb 2nd.  You can also go to her Simulcast website and order on line if you prefer. http://www.ccn.tv/bethmoore2010/ 

If you plan on ordering the book, you might click on her blog, http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/ to determine if you would like to participate in her on-line blog study.  In a nutshell, we will read about 2 chapters of the book then she will throw out a couple of questions for us to answer each week through comments on the blog.   Our answers will be compiled and she will use this as a teaching tool for the Simulcast April 24th.  She does not use names so don't be afraid the world will find out all your hidden secrets.  (like I do)   This study (on-line forum)  isn't really a Bible Study as her previous.  But I thought some of you might be interested in participating.

To sign up for the Simulcast Apr. 24th, which will occur just as we wrap up what we have studied on line, go to her Simulcast page http://www.ccn.tv/bethmoore2010/ and click on find a "Host Church" By no means must you participate in the on line forum to be able to go the Simulcast.  The Simulcast will stand alone all on it's own but the on line forum is just an added bonus.

She will be appearing live at the First Baptist Church Woodstock GA for the Simulcast.  Yes, Debrah and Vickie I am so jealous.   NOT! 


For Christmas this year, I gave Marli the book (pre-ordered with delivery set up sometime after Feb. 2nd).   I also contacted a church near her (3 1/2 miles) and purchased her a ticket for the Simulcast.  I love Mapquest!    I will be attending at Gladeville Baptist Church and thought it would be so much fun for us to attend together, sort of.  She will be in NC and I will be in TN.  I am now living an answered prayer and do not for 1 minute forget Who made it all possible.