(Photo of Charlie and Emma Kirkpatrick - Truax, Saskatchewan - circa 1950 - My Grandparents)The Golden Moments pass by quickly and then return in floods of emotions. I saw it happen the other evening. My daughter fetched a Photo Album from our shelves to show her kids what we “used to be like”. There were giggles and laughter bubbling as the pages turned one by one.
Golden Moments for me happened again yesterday. A man from Saskatchewan called me about a reference for a friend of mine. I think that last time that this man and I met was at his sister’s wedding 41 years ago. Yet we had many things in common as we shared together.
Golden Moments are there all around me.
A few weeks ago in Windsor my wife and I walked along the river front. Even though it was raining and cool – it felt warm. We were together. We first came to that city 41 years ago as a couple to attend a wedding for an old friend of mine. That old friend is now gone from my contact list. But the wonderful, warm Golden Moments are there for us. We had just found out that Alida was pregnant with our daughter Dana…. Man oh Man what wonderful memories we have.
Christmas Cards are now coming with short notes written inside. The notes remind us of what has taken place with our contacts over the years. We are blessed with Golden Moments. Our souls are warmed with the memories.
Times right now are tough. I have heard of many folks with financial problems that are greater than ever. I have heard of marriages that have broken up… children that are being torn one way and another. I have heard too much.
(Add to that my Government Leaders in Ottawa are acting like children. They use the word “coalition” – if they believed that word and its true meaning they would surely get along as one big family. But I don’t want to go down that road today. The facts around me and the struggles that these people have brought on all of us – tend to dim the warmth of a Golden Memory… and I can’t let them into my mind today. I chose to let God deal with them – and he will as I pray for them.)
Next week I get an Award. They called me to ask if I was able to attend at a certain time. You bet I will. At the same time I have been asked to attend another Candle Light function at the Lang Pioneer Village and demonstrate Tatting and Bobbin Lace. (Shocked? – Don’t be I love doing this beautiful Craft)
That invitation released a whole flood of Golden Memories. It swept me back to Senior’s residence in Des Moines, Iowa where my Great Aunt Clara was sitting on her bed. She was tatting with a shuttle that her dad, my great Grandpa Phillips, had carved. I asked her what it was. She laughed and said, “You should know what this is, your Grandma Lenore Lincoln was the best Tatter in the country!” I did remember Grandma Lincoln doing this but she was gone years before.
I asked Great Aunt Clara if I could try to Tat. She almost fell off the bed laughing as I tried over and over again. There was just her and me in that room and story after story of my Great Grandparents – and Tatting.
As I pull out my Tatting Shuttles again for another demonstration of this fine craft I am flooded with a Heritage and Golden Memories that warm me all over. I have now developed tatting to a place that I may write a book about the love I have for this lace making.
Warm Golden Memories came with the tatting when Grandma Lincoln sat with me on kitchen stools – teaching me how to play Dominoes.
“Depression like” markets along with depressing stories tend to lay a heavy blanket on my head. The blanket is gray like the sky outside. Add to that the uncertainty of what will come tomorrow – and it can be a “$&*##%” day! Listening to the evening news before retiring can make you want to simply not get up the next morning. Anyone else feel like that?
But then I pick up something of my past, something dear to my family and then the warmth starts to come back again... spreading slowly through each part of my being… Golden Memories.
My mom was in one of those moments the other day. We were talking about the depression days and what it was like to live through those times as a family. Though they struggled with getting food and often ate meager meals in the have not times, she revealed another gem from the past. She said, “But we always had coffee.”
Coffee only needs hot water. One sip and it warms you through and through. Each morning that mom and I drink coffee together – the smell is there and so are the Golden Memories back to a farm in southern Saskatchewan, a small house that was filled with Golden Memories and story after story. The house is gone now – but the Golden Memories will never fade.
I am wandering down a Golden Memory Lane today. I need to be careful that I don’t park beside the Blessed Creek and stay under the Old Gigantic Faithful Oak Tree too long. I must be sure to not linger long by the rustling Trees of Happiness – just a little today will be real good. I will pause however by the small Babbling Brook of Joy – because I need a small taste. And when I return to the real world that is rushing – I trust the smell of Fresh Air of Hope is all over me. That is what I bring back from the Golden Memory Valley today. What treasure – what a treasure.
~ Murray Lincoln ~
Golden Moments for me happened again yesterday. A man from Saskatchewan called me about a reference for a friend of mine. I think that last time that this man and I met was at his sister’s wedding 41 years ago. Yet we had many things in common as we shared together.
Golden Moments are there all around me.
A few weeks ago in Windsor my wife and I walked along the river front. Even though it was raining and cool – it felt warm. We were together. We first came to that city 41 years ago as a couple to attend a wedding for an old friend of mine. That old friend is now gone from my contact list. But the wonderful, warm Golden Moments are there for us. We had just found out that Alida was pregnant with our daughter Dana…. Man oh Man what wonderful memories we have.
Christmas Cards are now coming with short notes written inside. The notes remind us of what has taken place with our contacts over the years. We are blessed with Golden Moments. Our souls are warmed with the memories.
Times right now are tough. I have heard of many folks with financial problems that are greater than ever. I have heard of marriages that have broken up… children that are being torn one way and another. I have heard too much.
(Add to that my Government Leaders in Ottawa are acting like children. They use the word “coalition” – if they believed that word and its true meaning they would surely get along as one big family. But I don’t want to go down that road today. The facts around me and the struggles that these people have brought on all of us – tend to dim the warmth of a Golden Memory… and I can’t let them into my mind today. I chose to let God deal with them – and he will as I pray for them.)
Next week I get an Award. They called me to ask if I was able to attend at a certain time. You bet I will. At the same time I have been asked to attend another Candle Light function at the Lang Pioneer Village and demonstrate Tatting and Bobbin Lace. (Shocked? – Don’t be I love doing this beautiful Craft)
That invitation released a whole flood of Golden Memories. It swept me back to Senior’s residence in Des Moines, Iowa where my Great Aunt Clara was sitting on her bed. She was tatting with a shuttle that her dad, my great Grandpa Phillips, had carved. I asked her what it was. She laughed and said, “You should know what this is, your Grandma Lenore Lincoln was the best Tatter in the country!” I did remember Grandma Lincoln doing this but she was gone years before.
I asked Great Aunt Clara if I could try to Tat. She almost fell off the bed laughing as I tried over and over again. There was just her and me in that room and story after story of my Great Grandparents – and Tatting.
As I pull out my Tatting Shuttles again for another demonstration of this fine craft I am flooded with a Heritage and Golden Memories that warm me all over. I have now developed tatting to a place that I may write a book about the love I have for this lace making.
Warm Golden Memories came with the tatting when Grandma Lincoln sat with me on kitchen stools – teaching me how to play Dominoes.
“Depression like” markets along with depressing stories tend to lay a heavy blanket on my head. The blanket is gray like the sky outside. Add to that the uncertainty of what will come tomorrow – and it can be a “$&*##%” day! Listening to the evening news before retiring can make you want to simply not get up the next morning. Anyone else feel like that?
But then I pick up something of my past, something dear to my family and then the warmth starts to come back again... spreading slowly through each part of my being… Golden Memories.
My mom was in one of those moments the other day. We were talking about the depression days and what it was like to live through those times as a family. Though they struggled with getting food and often ate meager meals in the have not times, she revealed another gem from the past. She said, “But we always had coffee.”
Coffee only needs hot water. One sip and it warms you through and through. Each morning that mom and I drink coffee together – the smell is there and so are the Golden Memories back to a farm in southern Saskatchewan, a small house that was filled with Golden Memories and story after story. The house is gone now – but the Golden Memories will never fade.
I am wandering down a Golden Memory Lane today. I need to be careful that I don’t park beside the Blessed Creek and stay under the Old Gigantic Faithful Oak Tree too long. I must be sure to not linger long by the rustling Trees of Happiness – just a little today will be real good. I will pause however by the small Babbling Brook of Joy – because I need a small taste. And when I return to the real world that is rushing – I trust the smell of Fresh Air of Hope is all over me. That is what I bring back from the Golden Memory Valley today. What treasure – what a treasure.
~ Murray Lincoln ~
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