Newspapers / The Foothills View (Boiling … / Dec. 16, 1982, edition 1 / Page 2
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•.. . • . • Cleveland Voices The Farmer’s Wife By Kathryn Hamrick Christmas came to our house early this year. My brother and his wife, who have no children, invited the boys to their house for the weekend. Freedom is the best Christmas gift you can give a mother - - not a toaster. Of course I adore my children, and this at-home job has some fringe benefits you wouldn’t believe, but you have to work weekends, every single one. So I joyfully put the boys on the next bus to Charlotte, though I did let the baby stay at home. My brother said that he would take the boys out to ride the escalators and to taste other city pleasures but that he would not be taking them to putt-putt again. Last time he took them golfing, our country boys figured why hold up play to hunt for the restroom since right there on the eighth hole was a little bridge over some water. My brother says it is hard to shock Charlotteans, but that this did it. (And this is just one of some 800 in cidents I could cite if I were asked to justify sen ding the boys off with glee in my eyes instead of tears.) You can get a good idea of the weight of raising four boys when I tell you that on this weekend when I had only one nine-monther to take care of - to diaper, feed and nurse, chase and rescue, play with and talk to - I felt free as a bird, and a ten pounds lighter one. When the baby and I bounced out of the bus sta tion Friday, we debated the best approach to our weekend. The choice was clear: be a Bohemian or be a workhorse. It’s Christmas - we opted for Bohemian. That meant, first of all, no cooking. It also meant no Burger King, no matter what he does with his burgers. Instead, we got a take-out order of egg rolls, hunan beef, and eight delicious chickens, and I even relented and made some egg drop soup. The farmer, baby, and I had our Orien tal fiesta in front of the woodstove and by the light of a kerosene lamp. 1 felt eclectic. With no family, washing dishes is a problem. How do you fill a dishwasher with two plates, two forks, two glasses, and one mickey mouse bowl? My first night of freedom, I chose to watch T.V. Anyway, I knew we couldn’t have Friday at our house unless the Dukes came by for a while. Doing my mending made the T.V. watching bearable. Found out Johnny Carson still lives and was introduced to Barry Manilow. I made a men tal note to get with it. What Manilow did for me was remind me that I liked to play the piano and sing too, so I switched him off and made my own medley of gospel, love, and Christmas tunes. Saturday morning Baby Miles and I ate Milky Ways for breakfast while we listened to “The Messiah’’on the stero. (Fourth babies have more fun.) Then I wound the clock without a single inter ruption - no fights stopped, no boys saved. I bit my fingernails, a habit that four children, not willpower, had cured. Since the washing machine looked forlorn, I washed a skimpy load for old times’ sake. By the middle of the day. Miles was no longer a Bohemian but a zombie. All the quiet got to him. His sad eyes seemed to ask, “Why have things quit flying by my head? Won’t someone please swing me by my heels? Where are those boys who sneak in my crib?” The reason my sister-in-law gave for inviting my boys down was that she wanted some company while she decorated her house and tree; she said something unintelligible about it being more fun that way. They even took my boys to another town to provide fun while Grandma decorated. I, on the other hand, grabbed my chance and decorated away the rest of my weekend - peacefully and beautifully. Now that was fun. My boys have given me years and years of joy! It’s only right that I share them, and their brand of joy, with others. 434-2227 LADD W. HAMRICK FUEL SERVICE, INC. Distributor HOME HEATING SERVICE KEROSENE FUEL OIL AUTOMATIC CAR WASH SELF SERVICE GAS The Humble Farmer By Robert Skoglund Halloween usually inspires me to write a Christmas story: I go into town and see children making their trick or treat rounds beneath the Christmas decorations, and a Christmassy feeling wells up in my throat. Then all I have to do is rush home and write a story that would make Dickens grimace with envy. But this year it was different. Oh, the Christmas decorations were already up at Halloween, but I just couldn’t think of anything to write. When Thanksgiving passed without giving me a single idea for a story, I knew I was in trouble. Clark Kent would have stepped into a telephone booth, ripped off his clothes, and had Superman write a story for him. I took my problem to Gramp Wiley, which I figured was the next best thing. “Help me with a story,” I pleaded. “I’ve got to write one of those syrupy happy ending Christmas stories that would bring tears to the eyes of a Shelby lawyer.” Gramp scowled and bit his lip to let me know he was thinking. At last he looked up and said, “Well, I can tell you about something that happened years ago during the depression. It must have in December of ’33 or ’34, because Mary Worth was still selling apples. “Virginia Simmons, who lived right hear us, was barely making a living in her small 5 and 10 cent store. Her husband Pete had died the year before and left her with three kids. A high school girl worked in the store late afternoons and Saturdays, and a fellow by the name of Sline helped with the freight and did odd jobs. “Sline had a contract with her. Had something to do with his buying a small house and a woodlot from Pete a couple of years before. Money was scarce in them days and Sline had signed a paper where he agreed to work off part of what he owed. “One small section of the contract said that Sline would have to play Santy in the 5 and 10 cent store every Christmas until his bill was paid. “But when Pete died, Sline seen he had a chance to get out of at least one chore he didn’t like. He went to the boss and told her he warn’t going to sit in her store and be Santy for all the kids in town to pull and tug at, as that warn’t part of his agree ment. “She come over to the house all upset to tell me and Gladys about it. Said she was sure that Sline had agreed to be Santy but she’d looked all over and couldn’t find the contract he’d signed anywhere. “No, she couldn’t hire anyone else to do it; you don’t know how scarce money was in them days. And she was too proud to accept help from anyone. It looked like Sline was going to get away with one of the dirtiest tricks anyone had ever played on a widow and a village full of excited kids. “All that evening I wondered where that con tract could be. Before I went to bed I knew I had the answer. “The next morning I was up to the courthouse when it opened, and sure enough, Sline had registered his deed, and the agreement was right there on the bottom of it.” Gramp feigned a modest look at his thumb before continuing. “You have no idea how great I felt when I ran into her store and shouted, ’Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Clause.’ ” The painted squash looks a little dubious about not bringing a price at Lawrence Bridges’ free offering of squash, pumpkins, and citrons off Heritage Road. The squash was painted by Bridges’ daughter, Mrs. Ronnie Kale. Has Bridges had any takers? “There’s one less than yesterday,” said Bridges, who in these hard times left this food out for people to help themselves. DEAR DR. GRAHAM: What do you think the real significance of Christmas should be? It seems like it is such a hassle every year. — J.Y.E. My Answer By B illy Graham Dear J.Y.E.: Christmas should be a time when we think again about the greatest gift that was ever given — the gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. That is why the most important thing you can do at Christmas is to turn your attention to Christ, and ask what he should mean to you in your personal life each day. The Bible tells us that Jesus was more than just another great teacher or religious leader. Listen to what the Bible tells us about Jesus’ birth: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Im manuel’ — which means, ‘God with us’ ” (Matthew 1:23). Who was Jesus? Jesus was God, come down to earth in human form! That is why the wise men from the east searched for him, gave him gifts, and “bowed down and worshipped him” (Matthew 2:11). But why did Christ come? He came to show us that God loves us. He came to tell us the truth about God. But more than that, he came to die. You see, the problem with every person on this earth is that we are separated from God because of our sins. We need God’s forgiveness, and we need the hope and new life that only he can bring to our lives. But how could we be forgiven? God is just and holy, and he could not simply turn his back on our sins and pretend they did not exist. You and I deserve to die for our sins. But the miracle of the gospel is that Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, died in our place! On the cross he took upon himself the death and hell that you and I deserve. God has provided you with the gift of salvation in his Son. But like any gift, it must be accepted. Have you accepted God’s gift, by inviting Christ in to your life and trusting him for your salvation? Let this Christmas be the greatest one you have ever had, by turning your life over to Christ. CUY— BARNETTE Funeral Home Capital Gcdn. T ime and again, you’ve heard it said, “To make money, you have to have money!’ The truth is, you have to know how to save money before you can think about making more. That’s why more and more people are joining the Payroll Savings Plan to buy U.S. Savings Bonds. That way, a litde is taken out of each paycheck automatically In no time, you’ll have enough Bonds for a new car, your child’s education, even a dream vacation. Whatever you save for. Bonds are the safest, surest way to gain capital. Takefk.J . StOCKVsBO'^ in^^jnerica. Gardner-Webb College SPRING, 1983 EVENING SCHEDULE HOURS GARDNER-WEBB CAMPUS INSTRUCTOR TIME LOCATION PROGRAM(S) CREDIT BA 311 Business Law II J. Gardner 2000-21:15 TT Lnsy 308 Business 3 BA 395 Campus New York (March 5-11) Kemeroit Spring Break Bus. 1 Int 420 Internship in Business Richards TBA Bus. 1 ACC 314 Intermediate Accounting II Mortis 1815-1945 TT Lnsy 307 Bus. 3 Mgt 416 Production/Operations Management Homner 2000-2150 W Lnsy 308 Bus. 3 Mkt 318 Principles of Marketing Cabell 1800-1950W Lnsy 308 Bus. 3 MIS 432 Computer Simulation Kemeroit 1830-1945 TT Hmrk 16 Bus. 3 Sci 322 Environment T. Jones 1800-1950 M WSci 205 Bus. 3 PE 338 Adult Fitness Tubbs 1800-1950 M Bost Gym Bus./CJ/HS 3 Rel 305 New Testament Survey Lamb 2000-2150 M Lnsy 202 Bus./CJ/HS 3 Hea 401 Drug/Alcohol Education McAdams 2000-2150W LYCe 162 CJ/HS 3 CJ 410 Philosophy of Criminal Justice McKinney 1800-1950 W Annx 106 CJ 3 HS 4(X) Legal Issues in Helping Professns. Gaddis 1800-1950 W Chpl 101 HS 3 CJ 495 An Honors Course Hombright TBA CJ 3 CJ 495 An Honors Course Hombright TBA CJ 1 CJ 497 Internship Hombright TBA CJ 3 CJ 498 Internship Hombright TBA CJ 3 Ed 320 Children's Literature (K-3) B. Cribb 2000-2150 Th LiSem Ed 3 Ed 322 Children's Literature (4-9) B. Cribb 2000-2150 Th LiSem Ed. 3 Ed 360 Reading Foundations (K-3) Schoolcraft 1800-1950 Tu Crg 110 Ed. 3 Ed 361 Reading Foundations (4-9) Schoolcraft 1800-1950 Tu Crg 110 Ed. 3 Hea 320 Health Education (K-9) Hines 2000-2150 Tu LYCe 162 Ed. 3 Mus 346 Music Methods Summers 1800-1950 Th OMG 201 Ed. 3 Mth 221 Introductory Calculus P. Jolley 2000-2115 TT Crg 201 Moth/MlS 3 B.S. Degree Programs available in Business Management, Management Information Systems, Criminal Justice, Human Services and Early Childhood/Middle School Education. Classes will meet Jan. 17-May 12. N Registration: Wednesday, January 12, 6 p.m., Dover Chapel Applications are still being received. For information. Call (704)434-2361, Extension 376, 377, or 318. Office of Special Studies Gardner-Webb College Boiling Springs, NC 28017
The Foothills View (Boiling Springs, N.C.)
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Dec. 16, 1982, edition 1
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