The View from Here

Jingle Bells

          This is my favorite time of the school year. The children are excited and eager to participate in all of our special projects. And they think all their dreams are going to come true as soon as Santa visits their house!

We decorated “gingerbread houses” today. A bunch of us stayed after school yesterday with some wonderful parent volunteers and assembled over 100 houses with graham crackers, milk cartons and lots of sticky frosting. Today the children used more frosting and colorful candies to decorate them. Turned out so cute! And of course the children had to eat some of the candy and lick some of the frosting. One of my favorite projects.

We also worked on ornaments for our parents. I discovered my oldest daughter’s kindergarten ornament recently. I thought I’d sent it to her years ago, but it was still in with all the other wonderful Christmas keepsakes. I guess it was overlooked because it was actually inside a little decorative box ornament.  I wrapped it up and sent it to her. It’s a wonder of modern science that a little salt dough bell has lasted for more than thirty years! This year we made ornaments from craft foam. They’re probably good for fifty years or more.

Last week we wrote our letters to Santa and they’ll be published in the paper soon. It’s always an eye-opener to hear what children want when they think anything is possible. However, I can’t really see ANY of my parents buying a live monkey. LOL

Tomorrow is a wonderful activity called “What makes Rudolph’s nose glow?” Each child makes a picture of Rudolph’s head with a big round glittery nose. Beneath Rudolph is a dictated explanation about that famous nose. When I ask the question I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing, or crying, over the answers. Of course kids know about batteries and light switches and all that logical stuff. Their answers are more about magic and mystery and faith. Rudolph’s nose glows because Santa needs him. It glows because he eats fairy dust. It glows because he’s been good.

We’re also learning lots of holiday songs and poems. We’re learning about traditions and celebrations in other countries and cultures. But mostly we’re just having a jolly time. Hope you are too!

T. A. Alexander

Sometimes our own stories are interesting, but we’re so used to them that we don’t realize their importance until we are questioned by others. I was talking to a friend about the Caddo Civic and Cemetery Club’s Veteran’s Memorial project and she mentioned that they plan to honor any and every soldier they can document, even the Civil War ones. I suddenly remembered that my great-great-grandfather was a Confederate soldier and might be buried in the cemetery. She’s going to check the records for me, but in the meantime here is what I know about Thomas Anderson Alexander, “the one-armed sheriff of Caddo”.

We believe Thomas was born in May of 1848 (or 47) in Wayne Co. Tennessee. His father was Albert Richard Alexander, possibly listed on the 1850 census as A.R. Alexander and his mother’s name looks like Hindy (?). He was married to Rhoda Pricilla Whitworth in Poplar Bluff, MO. Her Confederate widow’s pension application says they were married in 1870, but a copy of their marriage license that I obtained says 1868.

In her pension application Rhody states that her husband enlisted in the Confederate infantry in 1863 at Cape Girardeau, MO and served under General Jeff Thomas and Colonel Lowe.  He was discharged at New Madrid, MO at the close of the war. National Archives records show that Adam Lowe was a colonel and M. Jeff Thompson was a Lt. Col. of the 3^rd MO Infantry Division. There are no rolls on file for them. I was able to obtain a file number for Private Thomas Alexander of the Co. F, Perkins Battalion, Missouri Infantry. Records also show that Pvt. Thomas Alexander, Boone Co., MO appears on a prisoner of war list for the Perkins Battalion commanded by Captain Geo. W. Rowland.  Sometime during the war Thomas lost his arm. My grandmother said she remembered her grandfather talking about the war, but couldn’t remember details.

The 1900 census for Caddo, Choctaw Nation lists Thomas (53) and Rhody (49) as the owners of a restaurant. However, by 1910 he is listed as a police officer and Rhody is still in the restaurant. Their eighteen year old son, Thomas Jr. is living with them. The Caddo Herald has a few little notices and news items mentioning T.A. Alexander. In 1921 he is listed as the arresting constable at a murder scene. He was 74 years old!

Thomas died May 13, 1925. I haven’t located an obituary yet, but will keep looking. Rhody died in 1931 of burns suffered in a house fire.

That’s all I have for now. If anyone has any more information I would appreciate it.

Kindred Spirits

            It’s been a strange, roller coaster kind of week for me. I had a couple of “never want to repeat that” experiences which won’t be appearing in a blog coming soon to your screen. Also had some great experiences.  I’d rather spend my time relating the enjoyable ones.

            We got together to have our staff Christmas photo taken. Sometimes when you teach in a big building like ours it’s easy to lose track of all the wonderful people spread out along the halls who are doing the same thing. It was fun to see everyone gathered together in one big smiling red and tinsel greeting card group. Kindred spirits have fun!

            Got together Thursday night with the TRAC group to put together garland wreaths and bows for the street lamps. Lots of volunteers showed up so the work was done quickly and with lots of laughter. Kindred spirits don’t mind working. And the results were beautiful! I’ll post photos soon.

            I went to a workshop today with twenty-four other pre-K and kindergarten teachers from our area. We talked about books and reading and discussed some new techniques to help our little ones learn. I only knew ten of the people in the room, but it didn’t matter. Kindred spirits love to share ideas. Our love for education and little students brought us together and made it a great day.   

           Gary and I just returned a little while ago from the SOSU Senior Art Exhibition and Reception. It’s a wonderful opportunity for young artists to display their work and proud parents to walk around thinking things like “Hey, I must have done something right.” or  “Could he actually make a living doing this?” It was also rather nostalgic for me since I took several art classes at SOSU. As I meandered around the room I found it easy to understand and appreciate some of the work. Others left me wondering if I was missing something. However, the striking thing was that people were there- enjoying, discussing, appreciating, and even buying works of art. And many of the faces were the same ones we see at other events and performances and exhibits. Kindred spirits find each other. In a small rural community such as ours we are dependent on the university to provide some much needed cultural diversity. And the art and music departments certainly do that for us. Gary and I give a little each year to help support the Red River Arts Council. We try to attend as many events and exhibitions as possible. I wish sometimes that we had more money or more ways of showing our appreciation. But then again, if more people contributed just a little…

              Kindred spirits keep me going. I travel in many circles and have friends from different communities and different occupations. However, I find that if I take time to cherish what we have in common, then our differences only enhance our friendship.  I hope you have kindred spirits in your life who keep you going. You never know when you’re going to have a roller coaster week! Enjoy your weekend!

               P.S. Happy Birthday Karen!!

 

Cookies

           I asked my students to tell me their favorite “Christmas food”. The majority not only voted for cookies, but one astute young man told me without hesitation that “Santa’s favorite cookies are oatmeal.” Oh, and he likes milk with them! Apparently you get better presents if you remember things like that. You should also leave something for the reindeers.

Children can have elaborate discussions about the most ordinary things. Our cookie discussion included favorite kinds (chocolate chip, oatmeal, sugar), and who makes the best ones (Nanas and Grandmas,  of course). Then we had to talk about how you put them in the bowl and you’re not supposed to touch the oven. And you can’t eat all of them! They have to go in a bag for later. But cookies are good because you can take them outside with you. And you can dip them in your milk. If it’s Christmas you can put frosting and sprinkles on them and give them to everybody. And when you give them to people you have to sing songs like Jingle bells… and then we’re off on another topic.

Cookies are my favorite dessert, snack, winter food, Christmas food, and fond memory food. My Grandmother made cookies all the time. She let me help, and I have the burn scars to prove it! During the year she made oatmeal or sugar or peanut butter cookies. But for the holidays she made spritz cookies. She had a Mirro aluminum “Cooky-Pastry Press and Decorator Set” with different templates for trees and bells and wreaths. I still have it, and I still make cookies with it each Christmas.

My husband’s grandmother made persimmon cookies. She was one of the few women I’ve ever known who actually liked persimmons and used them in several recipes. I hate persimmons, but I have to admit that her cookies weren’t bad. She also made lovely gingersnaps.

Mother especially liked to make cookies in the winter. The house smelled like cinnamon and fresh cookies were a good excuse for fresh coffee, or hot chocolate. Cookies were also great after school. My brothers and I could make a plate of them disappear in a heartbeat.

One of my high school classmates made beautifully decorated cookies and little tea cakes for every holiday. They were brightly colored and remarkably detailed. She even experimented with marzipan and chocolate curls. She had far more patience than I have.

My oldest daughter is part of a traditional Christmas cookie exchange. There are groups of women all over the country who take part in different kinds of cookie exchanges. They make plates of cookies and take them to someone’s house, where they trade recipes and samples and techniques. Sometimes the cookies just get eaten and taken home. Other groups package their cookies for nursing homes or homeless shelters or children’s groups. 

My colleagues and I talked about cookies today. Some of us still bake from scratch, but there are so many options now. Mix and bake. Slice and bake. Separate and bake. We decided that it doesn’t really matter. It’s not the cookie that is important- it’s carrying on the traditions and enjoying the time in the kitchen with the children and grandchildren that’s important. Who cares if you mix the flour and sugar yourself or take a cookie from a package and just spend time talking and laughing while you eat it. Cookies are part of childhood and holidays and memories.

Just remember, Santa definitely has to have oatmeal!

Proud Mom

I was a proud Mom at Books a Million today! I bought two copies of the January issue of Memory Makers because my daughter Katrina is one of their "Memory Masters" for 2007. I hardly know a thing about scrapbooking except that the results are beautiful, but I'm very proud of Kat for taking something she enjoys and becoming so good at it. Her picture in the magazine is pretty cute too! I would scan it and show you, but I'm sure that would be breaking some copyright something or other, so go out and buy a magazine! Page 75.