Christmas Memories and Clips to Delight and Ponder

I really wanted to get these clips up to share with you dear Readers!  I hope you will enjoy them, be touched and amused by them as we were.

Enjoy:



This is so sweet, this short movie made in 1945 reminds me very much of my Italian grandparents, the Oddos.  This movie short won an academy award.

My husband watched this and loved it today.  When it was over he was teary eyed. You see, it really is the way many Italians were.  ...And we remember.  : )

A Star in The Night  (1945)  






This is a picture of me and my precious, precious Grandpa Oddo. We often shared our birthdays near New Years as pictured here.  He was one of the sweetest things ever.  He had sung in the opera when a young man in New York.  He was discovered when he was hanging his laundry on the line in the city there, a lady from the opera was walking down the street and heard him.  He later returned to our great southern state to the city here to be with his Italian mother who had arrived and then came to the waterfront where he loved it so, I guess you could call him the Great Caruso on the bay, he did what he loved most.  A shrimper with his own boat on the bay, the family had a fishing camp with boats they would rent out, and a little store attached to their home. Grandpa was happy just being there.  Precious, precious man. 



Today I was thinking of their home and the sweet simplicity as I was making a New Orleans red bean soup, faglioli style with pasta.  As I move in my kitchen doing this and that, cutting and creating the art, I thought of my Grandma Oddo. ...Oh I wish I still had her too.  : ) 

Here's another:

Dominick the Donkey   by Lou Monte

It's just not an Italian Christmas without Dominick the Donkey!






A darling blast from the past:

A Visit to Santa   (1952)



On youtube it states1963 but on Turner Classics the info states 1952. This was so neat I thought; the old cars, the way the children are dressed, such a sweet innocence.  The sweet dollies and toys.  At the end St. Nicholas has quite the wonderful reminder of the true Christmas, our Savior's birth. My husband was also fascinated with this reel wonder, it is sooo the way it was.



Meet John Doe  (1941)  -Ending-

This is just wow.  Love this... (spoiler warning)

At 3:37 you will hear some very poignant words.  This movie is one of those Frank Capra greats.  Most all of Frank Capra movies are greatness.

Frank Capra was from the same village my grandpa was from; Bisaquino, Sicily.   The Oddo family is mentioned in one of the Capra biographies.





You don't have to die to keep it alive. Someone already died for that once...The first John Doe and He's kept that idea alive for nearly 2000 years...




And last but not least, that famous speech from It's a Wonderful Life. (1946)
You tell'em George...

I tried to find the raw and emotional real prayer scene where Jimmy Stewart actually wept over mankind at the bar but I was unable to find on youtube.  I actually had Christian tracts on that scene and would place them in my Christmas cards and unfortunately was not able to find more.

This scene is a good one though...It reminds me of my husband in his real estate company, helping the common man in an old town.  We want to be George Baileys in life, not Mr. Potters.

Have a sweet Christmas week.  I'm having fun being funny at times...

 Left some treats for delivery friends, so fun:

...and also having quiet Peace in my heart as I celebrate true Christmas in my heart...Jem took this the other evening when he took me out to dinner. 

 

Praying for a Peaceful Christmas for all, and may we carry in our hearts and spirits the good things that those precious ones before us taught us so beautifully as they traveled this earth, their hearts meshed with ours, now more then ever...May the Holy Spirit of Christ dwell among us as we sense that Holy Presence of Christ in the stillness.



God be with you all this most wondrous Christmas season, 
  ~ Amelia

Oh My Sweet Guiseppe, I Will Miss You my Baby.

Saturday before last, the seventeenth, Guiseppe was barking off and on...it was an odd little bark.  Rebecca, our youngest was at the kitchen table and said with concern...That doesn't sound right.  I think you should bring him in.

He had been feeling under the weather that week, but we were not too alarmed as this little fur baby has had so many close calls and periods of just not doing well.  I would nurture him and care for him, we always had our girls pet sit when we had to leave, he was never left alone for the past year and a half.  Edit.Tue.5:44pm:  Guiseppe was blind and lame.

Jem and I wrapped him up in his blanket, I put his dress-onesie on him, the one I saved for company.  Why?  He had lost so much fur in old age, his little tail looked like a possum and his lame hind legs were literally fur-less.  Lately, we have diligently kept a onesie on him so he wouldn't be chilled.

Dr. H looked at him, and thought for sure it was a pinched nerve or his arthritis because of the specific little bark.  Dr. H gave him a shot, a mixture of B12, prednisone, and an antibiotic since a bug was going around and little Guiseppe had thrown up that morning.

We talked of how God's timing is so important and His will in things.  I had shared that it must only be God's hand, not mine.  Dr. H is a precious, precious Christian man and wholeheartedly agreed.

We went on home, prednisone pills in hand.  If you were to see my bag for Guiseppe you would think I had a baby with me...I did.



When we arrived home we lay him on one of our little pet beds by a window and I placed a warm heating pad under his pad, he looked very happy to be home, Dr. H said his heartbeat was strong.  His eye?  This particular eye had come out of socket several years ago and Dr. H had operated to put it back in place, it never properly set straight so little Guiseppe would look up at me with this one seeing eye, it was the sweetest thing.   His other eye was blind.

We saw after him, as usual, this day, tending to him.  That evening his little bark would increase and we would hold him, he would look up at me with his little partially seeing eye.  I put him on my chest falling asleep with him on my chest on the couch.   Finally, he barked a little and shook a little and I suspect that is when he passed away, I didn't even realize it at the time I was so exhausted, it was around 11:17p.m and all I knew to do was hold him and comfort him.  Janie had texted Jem and me to see how Guiseppe was, she was spending the night with a friend.  Jem unknowingly texted her all was well, Guiseppe had fallen asleep and had quit barking...

It's been soooo incredibly difficult, so hard and so painful, I have cried, I have wailed.  The day Jem buried him, I took his little green striped shirt off and put a clean white one on him, placing him in a new aqua colored flannel blanket fabric I had intended on making him extra blankets with...  I wrapped his little box in snowman paper that reminded me of Guiseppe's innocence and a precious little spirit.  Lea and Rebecca were home and came in and just stood as I wailed pathetically, Lea touching my arm, touching Guiseppe's little head. Grace stood at a distance, that is her quiet little way.

It's one of those crazy things when you've taken such care of a little being and suddenly they are gone.  I guess you could say...Guiseppe and I took care of each other.

I miss my little Guiseppe dearly.  Dearly.






Around ten years ago...


The first day I saw Guiseppe was in the suburbs when our neighbor across the street who lived on the golf course brought Guiseppe to me, she thought he was Muffie wondering around on the golf course.  I took him gladly though and cared for him, his brother showed up at another home two doors down where a little boy would dutifully walk the precious dog.  It's always been a mystery as to where these precious fur angels came from.  I've often wondered if the owner didn't pass away, and relatives released them into our neighborhood?  (I do not condone) I know most reading here would never do that.  But it is so odd what had happened back then, I'm thinking over ten years ago.  It is sobering on how time goes so fast on this green earth.



Lately...


Allow me to share these recent shots of little Guiseppe with Jem. Janie took these.

This was his favorite part of the day ever...Sitting with Jem in the evening as we watched Turner Classics black and white movies.












Just a couple of weeks ago, our kitty, Monkey came to sit with Guiseppe.  One of our other kitties, Howdy had done the same too recently.

Guiseppe had been lame in his back legs since July.








Some of our other fur angels seemed upset the next morning, they had sniffed Guiseppe's little lifeless body and later rested.  I captured some of their expressions here...


Gracie


Coffee


Charlie


Muffie


Mo Mo


Animals are such sensitive, sentient beings.  I had the blessing of sitting next to Governor Abbot's mother-in-law at a banquet, such a saintly lady, by the way, one of the sweetest ladies I have ever met...She and her equally kind and precious husband were telling us of their little pet dog who would lay on the grave of their other little dog who had passed away.




This was a year or so ago, Guissepe after one of his baths... so sweet.






This is classic Guiseppe.  He had such a sweet little smile...



We loved and still love Guiseppe.





This is Grace, our youngest daughter, she encouraged us to go ahead and bring him in to the vet that very day.  I'm so glad, I would have been blaming myself if I hadn't, thinking I could have done more.  Grace just turned 25. It's hard to believe she is my baby girl.





When we were first building our home here in the Forest, probably around eight years ago.  Zuzu, our third born holding Guiseppe.  She's married now with a baby on the way, she always noticed if Guiseppe seemed cold or uncomfortable.  She herself has fought some serious health issues and it has made her very perceptive to others' needs.




Comforts:

 Beautiful flowers Zuzu brought to me.


 Grace brought this precious penguin to me with a sweet Guiseppe face .



Jem brought me this lovely bouquet.



 Joycie brought me this sweet snowman, she said it reminded her of the little snowmen on Guiseppe's little burial box, sweet faces like Guiseppe.  Joycie will be having a little one this spring.  More to come on that.


The little snowman paper on Guiseppe's little box.



My bookcase in my room, this is Guiseppe's little green and white onesie I have carefully placed there.





.



A rainbow peeking through the sky a few days after Guiseppe passed away.   God is with us.





Thanks, Friends for your prayers, I appreciate you all.

We have really enjoyed our family this Thanksgiving, they have been so sweet about Guiseppe.  My son in law, Pete had always made a place in his and Joycie's home for Guiseppe when they had us over...How sweet is that?  My son in law, Josh and our daughter Zuzu offered to come over the next evening after Guiseppe passed away as I was home alone briefly.  What a blessing these kids are...




In the mornings I am reminded of this song and the verse to Be still and know that He is God.




Another song in my mind a LOT, ...Faith of Our Fathers by Bing Crosby.




There is something about Bing Crosby's soothing voice that I just love.   I am very comforted by it...

I have recently posted both of these songs, please oblige.


Thanking God for sweet saints who understand these things.  Thanking God for old-fashioned things and people who also enjoy them who make us feel as if we're not alone.

God is with us.

Amelia

Favorite Things. A Picture Blog with a Few Words.

A few more than a few favorite things...



Charlie...He's our dreamy little dog.  Our youngest daughter rescued him with her birthday money quite a few years ago...He has the longest eyelashes ever, like a fanciful little Dr. Suess animal, he was peering at me in my quiet time yesterday morning.  I snatched this shot.



A recent morning here.



A recent evening...I love the sky, the clouds...God's handiwork.



One of our kitties, Monkey cuddling with Guiseppe our elderly little dog I care for 24/7.  I thought this was so cute.  As many of you know, Guiseppe is almost completely blind and lame, but he is very with-it in his emotions and feelings.  He wags his tail when happy and licks our arms when sitting next to him.  He also lets us know when hungry, wet or thirsty.




Elbee, our little white cat, he is a character.  He was rescued by Marianna as a tiny kitten.  He was a little ball of white fur toddling down a busy country road, he had cuts on his back from a hawk's talons.



Soft velvety corduroy and sewing...Mary Tyler Moore type pantsuits.  I made the top from a pattern I redesigned from a Japanese sewing book.  The pants are a neat new favorite pattern New Look A6517.  I love clogs too.  My clogs are the Payless vegan safety step clogs.  They give me a bit of height with a one-inch heel lift with a slight rubber platform so I can cheat a couple of inches height on this pair of comfy clogs!  Dare I share about my great prescription Dr. Scholl's insoles?



Vintage things.   I found this 'Vera' scarf very reasonably priced on ebay.  I remember in first grade I had forgotten something, and my mother came to my classroom door and she looked so pretty that day.  She had a plum-colored 'Vera' tunic type top on with black slacks, I was proud that she was my mommy.  Finding this scarf was a treasure for me.



My girls!   We have four daughters, and this is a pic of two of our eldest.  Lea and Marianna taken last week!  The fella in the middle?  I don't know where they picked him up at!  Haha!



Walks with Jem, my husband in the evenings.



Clifford, my pretend horse in smalltown.  Lea and I drive through a fast food joint and get a big iced tea with lemon...We park in the back towards this beautiful setting and watch my pretend pet horse, 'Clifford'.



Da Moooon...Sung like Donna Reed and Jimmie Stewart in one of my favorite songs from one of my very favorite movies, 'It's a Wonderful Life'.



Autumn Decorations and my screened porch.   'Oh Autumn how I love thee...'



Birds, I love birds...They have special meaning to me.



My 'To Kill a Mockingbird' necklace from another one of my very favorite movies, 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.  Lea gave this to me one year.  This is a staple for me in the fall to wear and to watch.



The Museum of Natural Science.   I love-love the museum district in the city.  If you look closely you can see a little bird on top of the child's hand of the statue.  I love art like this as well, so pretty, so graceful.  There is just something about it...Something about the area...



The museum store.   This place is like a museum on its own.  Jem and I were hanging loose this day.  I'm not a fan of selfies but this one turned out kind of decent?  Ha.  It looks like the same look I have when putting mascara on!  Haha!  My dad would always make fun of me doing that with that staring look, he would then sway about singing a Maybelline song about mascara-ing one's eyebrows.  I shake my head... How do you mascara your eyebrows?  *giggle*






Mo-Mo's sweet little pink nose, she is the sweetest kitty ever.



A morning here recently.



My new cozy minky pale pink with silver couch blanket.  I like it.  I bought this at Dollar General, I love that little store.   The colors remind me of a vintage bedroom, maybe Mary Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life" had one like this?




A large picture hanging in the nursing home hallway.  My girls and I volunteer at the nursing home, oh what treasures are there.  I've met Ruth Bell Graham's hairdresser and a few WWII vet heroes there as well.

One reminded me of an older version of the young man played by Robert Hutton who had his appendix removed inside of a submarine during WWII in the old movie,  'Destination Tokyo'  (1943)  Love, love, love this movie! Just watched it.  The appendix operation?   It really happened.  It's mentioned in the Pacific War Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas.   ...A wowee museum by the way.


And that's about it for today.   Just felt like putting up some of my pics.

God is looking for people on whom He can place the weight of His entire love, power, and faithful promises.  And His engines are strong enough to pull any weight we may attach to them...

From my devotional, Streams in the Desert this morning.

Truth is always exciting.  Speak it, then.  Life is dull without it. 
~Pearl S. Buck



Have a nice day, loves,  blessings to all.....     ~Amelia in the Forest