The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

Ready for spring to come




Happy New Year everyone! Are you staying warm?

The Ohio Valley is caught in a deep freeze, as the temperature has reached below zero. It is predicted to be this way all week.

Now Mother Nature can let it be spring and get rid of this frigid temperature as far as I am concerned. I am ready for fresh tomatoes and garden vegetables, oh yes, I am dreaming.

With it being so cold it reminds me to be so grateful to God that I have a good furnace. About three years ago I went all winter without a furnace. I survived by using electric heaters at night. The only heat I had was the electric heater in the bathroom to keep the water lines from freezing. Thank God it was a mild winter, not like we are having at the present time.

As I write this I think of the couple of years after my divorce that I used my wood and coal furnace. I had to push a wheelbarrow with wood and coal through the snow to put in the basement. Then in 1996 I had surgery and I couldn’t lift, so I had to put a gas furnace in. Being by myself, I didn’t know what kind of furnace, and it lasted until three years ago.

I worry so much about the homeless people in this kind of weather. I hear so much on television about animals out in the cold, how about humans?

Years ago you never heard of dogs or cats in a house. My mom would have beaten our behinds if we even thought about bringing a dog in, and I don’t recall as many cats as there are now. People who had dogs let them live outside under a floor or in a barn, not sleeping with them in their bed, or a cat on a kitchen counter or table!

I really hope you had a wonderful and safe New Year’s Eve. It’s been several years since I have been out celebrating, and usually I am asleep long before the New Year arrives. Hallmark Christmas movies kept me entertained so I was wide awake to watch all the excitement on television as the old year ended and a new one started.

Once again thoughts of bygone years came flowing through as I recalled times of my husband and I dressing up and going out to celebrate. One New Year’s Eve in particular comes in mind as I chose a sparkly silver pants suit and silver shoes to match.

As the night proceeded my feet began to swell, so I kicked my shoes off to dance as I so often do. A man from here locally was dancing close to Jack and me, and somehow his big foot stepped on my small one, crushing it very badly. When the night ended my foot was swollen so bad I couldn’t get my shoe on.

My sister-in-law and her husband, with whom we had gone to the dance, decided to leave early, so Jack and I told them we could walk home as we didn’t live that far away. Well it had turned rather cold and a frost was on the ground as I walked home barefoot. It took several weeks for my foot to heal, which was how badly it was hurt.

Southern Ohio

It feels great to be able to recall the good times that Jack and I had together, and not dwell on the bad.

Have you gotten your Christmas decorations put away yet? I have been sick again so I haven’t been able to even think about putting anything away. I always leave the decorations up a long time after Christmas as I enjoy them.

This was a wonderful Christmas Eve for me. I was actually dreading it as my kids were coming at different times on Christmas Eve. I really wanted them to come at one time, but it wasn’t possible as they had different time schedules, which worked out well anyway.

My daughter Angie Wiederhold and my little sidekick Bennie came just as I was putting the decorations across the fake beam in my living room. My daughter Anna Nottingham and grandchildren Sarah, Jessica, Katelyn and Kyle came just a few minutes later. Anna finished putting my decorations across, as she didn’t want me on the ladder.

No one seemed to notice I didn’t have any of my ornaments on the tree. A couple of years ago Angie was able to find me three strands of bubble lights. I think it was in the middle of summer when she found them.

I fixed lasagna and garlic bread, and Angie brought pretzel salad. Afterwards we opened presents, and then Angie and Anna and the kids left to do their things.

I always give Anna money to get her family gifts, and then she brings them here for the kids to open so I can watch. I got Bennie a Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robot, not knowing it had to be put together. That was almost a disaster.

Anna and Scott renewed The Mountain Eagle for me and sneaked and paid my electric bill. Anna gave me a really soft nightgown and house shoes.

It wasn’t long before my grandson Jamie Gray stopped in, and that was such a pleasant surprise as Jamie spent several days in the hospital recently. My daughter, Kay Gray along with her daughter, Jennifer and Jen’s son T.J., all came together as my granddaughter Samantha had to work.

My granddaughter Jodi Gray and her fiancé Carl came at the same time. Carl came in carrying a huge box, and Jodi and Jennifer came with gifts also. Kay wanted me to open the huge box and it was a 43-inch Samsung television.

I have to wait until I put the Christmas decorations away before I can even think of hooking it up, plus I have to get a stand to sit it on. Kay wanted to get me the television last Christmas and I told her not to, as I was too sick to move everything. This year she gave me no choice as she got it.

Christmas Eve I received a box from Walter Powers of Virginia, a box of holly branches, and oh that made Christmas for me. I am going to see if I can find a small holly tree as soon as the weather breaks and I feel like going to nurseries.

Holly trees have been a special thing for me since I was a child and we lived at Vernon Hogg’s place between Hot Spot and Roxana. The only place that I know where a holly tree is growing is at Mike and Marcia Caudill’s at Carcassonne.

Christmas Day I spent most of the day in bed very sick, as I decided to eat a small dish of Angie’s pretzel salad, which sure didn’t like me as much as I liked it. You might know I will never learn not to eat fruit, as I know I can’t digest it. The pretzel salad had strawberries.

I haven’t talked to Les and Pat Wagner this week, but I hope Pat is doing better.

Johnny and Ann Calihan’s daughter Sue Wagner is back visiting again. Sue has to travel back to Cincinnati for doctor’s appointments. Sue Wagner stopped by for a visit with Angie and Bennie, and Sue gave Bennie some art supplies for Christmas, which Bennie really enjoyed.

Well I am running late on getting this column out.

Until next time, Rose Ballard, 9110 Lawrenceburg Rd., Harrison, Ohio 45030.



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