(Ray is back home after a stint in the hospital to get checked up. We're glad things are ok. He's a big star now that he is shown on the Heartland TV commercial playing music.)

Merry Christmas Readers, This weeks column is a continuation of Pearl "Pelea" Peters Meador's story about her thoughts on a childhood Christmas...She named it...
"My Quilt Of Christmas Memories"

"The sixth square is a happy, colorful one with four kids who have thirty-cents each practically running to the Five and Ten Cent Store to buy gifts for each other. Ten cents would buy a game of some sort. We each spent ten-cents on each of the others. On Christmas day, our poor mother had checkers, dominos, cootie, chinese checkers, and ball and jacks strewn from bedroom to kitchen - but it was fun."
"When I was older, a boy friend gave me a small cedar chest filled with candy. My best friend, Bobbie Ables, and I ate a piece or two; however, it smelled so strong with cedar, we threw the candy away, afraid we were being drugged with "Spanish Fly"! I still have the chest which is 65 years old. That was a funny square seven."
"Number eight was a sad sad Christmas, for my brother, Theodore, had joined the Navy and sent home a picture of his ship, the" Fond du Lac", with a note saying, "This is home to me." Oh, how sad."
"These eight sqares are of my experiences mostly at our home. They would not have been possible if not for the wonderful thread holding it all together! Those threads were the faith, hope and love taught both at home and at our little church."
We walked a mile to worship at the First Presbyterian Church whether it rained, snowed, or the sun burned our noses. Most families who attended there were poor just like us."
"On Christmas Eve, there was always a little Christmas play, a Christmas tree and a manger with baby Jesus. Little children would say their parts in the play, then Santa would give out the treats. Each of us would get a brown paper sack containing an apple, an orange, some nuts, and candy."
"That was the only time we ever had oranges. The four of us would play from bed to bed on Christmas morning swapping candies etc. until breakfast was ready. That was the best time of all, and we were never bored. We never griped about having so little, you see, we were very rich indeed."
"There have been many Christmas memories, both happy and sad down through the years. I would like to share just one more...."
"A Surprise Christmas Journey"
"On Christmas Eve of 1996, John and I attended the candle light communion service at church, came home, had a snack and went to bed as we had done many times before on Christmas Eve. With preparations for the next days' family gathering, I was tired so I fell into a deep sleep, unknowing that something wonderful was about to happen in my dreams! I went on a special journey through time and space to my childhood home."
"My parent's house was on a corner where an alley ran beside the house and intersected with the alley that ran behind the houses on our street. It was at this intersection in back of the house, near the barn, where I found myself."
"When I looked up, I saw a great crowd of people coming down the alley to meet me. These were folks, both old and young that I had known when I was a child. We were all very happy to see each other, and during the hugs and laughter, we turned to go inside our old barn to see the remodeling job that someone had undertaken."
"The rafters and walls that had once sheltered our cows, "Old Hut", and "Friday", seen our calves, "Bobbie" and "Betsy", born, and given our pigs, "Dora" and "Opal, a home, were smooth with pine stain and satin finished. I rubbed the wood lovingly, then turned and saw the ladder to the hay loft where Daddy and Grandpa stored the animal's winter food."
"It was all so beautiful in the soft glow of dim light with smells of clean hay and, as I turned toward the door, behold, in the corner there was the old manger!" That was the first manger that I ever knew and it was a wonderful gift to be able to go back for a visit."
"My Christmas wish for you is that you, too, may go back to a manger in your childhood and find the peace and grace that came forth from the manger in Bethlehem so long ago."
What a talented lady...Pelea E. Meador...Although we have talked on the phone a few times, I had never met her until our last Wed. RHS Reunion Committee meeting at "Junior's" Restaurant. She and her husband John, absolutely charmed all of us. Thanks again Pelea for the wonderful, wonderful memories.
The "Rockwood Memories" column really grew this year, and the book sales were superb. Thanks to all of you, and Gennell and I want to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas and the best New Year ever.......Until next YEAR.......Ray