CHRISTMAS 2024

CHRISTMAS 2024

The days are getting shorter but the weather is taking its time to cool off.  I picked my last bouquet from the rose garden last week to take to a neighbor with Covid and still have about a dozen green tomatoes on our vines.

                   

Our Days are as full as we want them to be. 
Often that may mean not even leaving the house. That would be from choice because we are surrounded by our "toys" or if I prefer to cook that day.

On Wednesday morning I meet with neighbor ladies for discussion and prayer and Friday afternoon I go to “Mingle” a neighborhood get-together in a home.  

The kitchen sends over wine and hors-d’oeuvres and we visit and learn what is going on in the community.  On Sunday there is a nice service in The Big House when a visiting minister preaches.

We both have exercises to do each morning and when Smitty feels like it we go over to the machines in the Fitness Center and to the dining room for dinner.  Since food prep has always been my “thing” our freezer is filled with our favorites from the dining room, specials from Joy or Dan or from a friend.  We Eat Well!  

I have spent quite a bit of time going through boxes and giving things away.  Since we no longer entertain like we did, we no longer need all of the pretty party supplies.  

If the need arises for us to move over to the Assisted Living area, I plan to be ready.

It isn’t hard to keep busy.  There is always an activity going on at the Big House but we keep busy right here in our own little house.  

Smitty is very fond of his chair and I enjoy stringing beaded bracelets for foster children and for gifts.  I am in and out of our craft room all day making name tags, creating something or just playing.

Halloween at Touchmark

Touchmark has great parties. 
We celebrated going together to our
Senior Prom 75 years ago
at the Senior Prom Party

Our porch right off the kitchen gives us so much pleasure. 

I eat my breakfast and do my Bible study there each morning, no matter what the weather.

Usually our cat, Blackie, is snuggling in my lap.  It’s a nice spot to greet neighbors as they walk by on the sidewalk to the vegetable gardens and the gazebo.

We feel blessed to be living in such a friendly community and so near to our loved ones.  Life is good!

      

CHRISTMAS 2023

Smitty was resistant to sending Christmas greetings this year. My response was "How will our friends know that we are still alive?!"

We often sit and talk about how we never considered living 93 years. We couldn't even imagine what it would be like - probably shriveled up and living in an "old folks home." And here we are, feeling very blessed and loved. 

AS WE PONDER THIS - HERE ARE THOUGHTS THAT COME TO MIND:

The bliss of being married for 71 years to someone you love and the joy of being a team all of those years.

Living near to Joy who is here in minutes when called. Having children who love you unconditionally and look out for you, especially a daughter who oversees your finances and insurance, and one who drives up at a moments notice from Dallas if she thinks we need her. Reaping the benefits of a son-in-law that volunteers to detail and wax your car - and golf cart! The joy of having family drop in just to visit or bring a treat.

Enjoying the births and activities of two Great Grandchildren nearby.

A grandson including us in a big media project - just because! Having grandchildren who take care of us when their parents are out of town. Having a granddaughter who is a nurse that becomes your advocate when you have to visit the hospital. A grandson who never forgets to call, no matter how small the occasion. Being invited to dinner by Dan when Joy is out of town and sending us home with the leftovers.

Two 16 year old cats who give us unconditional love, especially after I clean their litter box.

Living in our own little house with my "craft cave" and having a kitchen where I can prepare a meal if we don't feel like going over to the dining room. Learning that peanut butter on crackers is as good as a full course meal if you are hungry and in a hurry. It's fun to buy a whole watermelon when it means we can share it with our neighbors.

We are especially thankful for our little rose garden. Having our own spot of earth to cultivate is good exercise and soothes the soul. Flowers are God's gift to us to enjoy and share. Going to the nursery for plants is a special experience, especially when your son-in-law takes you. Sitting on our lovely porch, enjoying our roses, and watching our blue birds raise three families this year was a special treat. Enjoying the sunshine which we take for granted until a gloomy, dark day in December makes us miss it.

Being blessed with a doctor who makes house calls when you think you have hives and it turns out to be shingles!! Discovering that 21 days together in one room for rehab isn't a bad experience, especially when Joy brings us banana splits! Being a caregiver for someone you love can be very fulfilling. Having a daughter that cleans out my fridge and fills it full of tasty food when we finally "break out" of rehab. Discovering that Home Health Care is a great payback for all the money we put into Medicare all those years. Learning that when you have a good physical therapist and do the exercises, you can overcome most pain.

At this age we realize that family and friends - those we have know for years, and brand new ones - mean everything.

We have learned to be thankful for the small things. Sometimes they are the best.

 

CHRISTMAS 2022

CHRISTMAS 2022 

 

This was the year for our 70th wedding anniversary. The girls did it up big with a reception for family and friends at our house. They duplicated our original cake with the little bride and groom on top and had a video showing of our family. 

 Our year started out on a sad note. Chuck Howard who, with his wife, we vacationed in Hawaii for 15 years, died. It’s sad to say goodbye to someone who you have shared so many good times with. 

However, we have added a new member to our family. In September, Emily and Brookes had a little boy, Allen Brookes Wright, III. We call him Tripp and he is special. You can see the twinkle in his eyes even at such a young age. 

Andrew and Alex are having a little girl in January which they are naming Eloise Joy. Our family dinners are becoming occasions. It is such fun being great grandparents! 

We enjoy living here at Touchmark. The people are so friendly. We are blessed to be able to live in such a nice home and to be so well taken care of. This is the crew we usually have dinner with. 

Touchmark recently established an on-site health care program. The doctor comes to the house on Tuesdays. We signed up and really like the doctor. 

Our Health Fitness Center is top notch. Katlyn is young and enthusiastic. We are in one of her classes. 

Birthday night once a month is big at Touchmark. This year I was honored that Emily and Andrew and spouses joined us for dinner. 

We love our little back porch. Every morning after my walk, I sit on the porch and do my Bible study. “The Boys” take their turns on my lap and get brushed. This Spring we were given a blue bird house. It has been such fun watching mama and daddy blue bird prepare for their family, raise it and seem to be planning to return since they come and check it out almost every day. 

The porch is also a good place for a manicure! When Sandy comes, she always finds time to do our nails and toes. What a treat. 

Birthdays are an occasion in the Davis family and we celebrated Smitty’s 92nd in a big way. (He wasn’t crazy about the hat).

Suzie always comes and the sisters enjoy preparing together. The girls got Smitty a digital frame this year. It is one of the most appreciated gifts. They all send pictures which are constantly projected on a screen. It is by his chair and I catch him looking at it with a big smile on his face. Sometimes he will ask me who someone is and we will have to discuss it and try to remember. 

I am still stringing my beads. This is my “bead room” where I can slip in any time I get the artistic urge. I make them for gifts and for foster children. I am still The Flower Lady making fresh arrangements in the common areas at the Big House and I was elected Chairman of the Dining Services Committee on the Resident’s Council. 

We are blessed beyond measure and are thankful for our girls and their families who take such good care of us and are so involved in our lives. 

 

We send out our love to all of you and 

wish you a happy and healthy New Year.

CHRISTMAS 2021

In such a stressful year of the pandemic when the big question is to mask or unmask, we feel so blessed to live in our little gated community where they keep us very safe.  We do any shopping necessary on our Walmart App and of course Joy keeps us well supplied and Dan takes me frequently to our favorite greenhouse.

Smitty Cheering on the Cowboys while I decorate for Christmas

Life is calm and peaceful for Smitty and I with our 14 year old kitties. Blackie has decided that his favorite spot is snuggled up next to Smitty, whether it’s on his chair or in the bed.  They are real buddies.  Rusty tags after me and wakes me up each morning.

 

In spite of the unrest outside, we are very social here at Touchmark.  Our 40 little houses are full, with a waiting list, so if someone moves we get new neighbors right away.  

Smitty is selective.  He enjoys going over for dinner every night with two other couples but prefers spending most of his time with Blackie and me.  

My big responsibility is keeping fresh flowers in the common areas in the main building.  Our next door neighbor (Babbs from Ohio) helps me.  We meet every Monday and make arrangements out of last weeks big centerpiece and anything from our garden.  They call me “The Flower Lady”.  It’s been a great way to meet people.

I have been making beaded bracelets to give as gifts. “Middle Child”, Sandy who lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, said “you need something special to put them in”.  She and David are retired and live in a lovely home and she has become a quilter.  She began making me the prettiest drawstring pouches.  They are so pretty, they are really more special than the bracelets.

When we learned that a neighbor was very involved volunteering with Citizens Caring for Children (Foster Children) I offered bracelets for the teens.  Sandy loved the idea and is now making pouches for their bracelets. (147 to date) Word is spreading and a neighbor is making beautiful knit hats with pompoms.  One of the guys commented that something should be made for the boys.  Sandy jumped right in and is making large and small zippered dopp kits in wonderful boy fabrics and zippered cosmetic bags for the girls.  There is such a need.

Our very busy “Life Stylist” Suzie came for Smitty’s 91 birthday and it was a very special occasion.  Suzie loves to spend time with her kids and grandkids in Florida and they all visited NASA this year.

We are so thankful for Face Time, Instant Pictures and texting.  Even though we are in our cozy cottage, we felt very much a part of the family spread out in Desert Mountain,  Florida, Kansas and even Italy.

All of the local grands (and their dogs) and some friends of Joy and Dan's, who have become special to Smitty over the years, were all there for a pizza party.  Their kitchen opens on to a big covered porch surrounded by pool and lovely landscaping (Dan’s project) so we spread out all over.  Then all gathered in the media room for a special movie produced by Sam with greetings from all who couldn’t attend.

Life at Touchmark is everything we hoped it would be.  We have a “Mingle” every Friday afternoon when the caterer brings wine and hors d’oeuvres and we get to know each other.  

Wednesday is WineDown in the Big House before dinner with more wine and hors d’oeuvres and live music.  So between events available in the Health Center, and special programs everyday, we don’t get bored.

We enjoyed dinner and dancing at a Roaring 20's party and I hosted a Garden Party with all my good china and baked for weeks.  It was very well attended and I got lots of compliments.

After attending a class by Twink Dewitt years ago and working on it diligently, our book Smith Family Memories finally arrived from the printer.  We are so thankful to Sandy for spending her time and expertise to put this all together.  

If any of you are interested, she has included a link below to download it yourself.  We highly suggest you work on your story.  It has been such fun reliving these old memories.

Our love goes out to all of you,  family and friends.  We wish you a healthy and happy New Year.

Here is the link to the Smith Family Memories book:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s9ozIBh8-oypoDIXQEuoJfdP2Eb2cFkV/view?usp=sharing

 

Smitty and I would love to share with you the Smith Family Memories book we just completed.  If you click on the link below you will be able to read an e-version of it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s9ozIBh8-oypoDIXQEuoJfdP2Eb2cFkV/view?usp=sharing

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS 2020

As we are sitting on our little porch with our two precious kitties across from our rose garden, we look at each other and can’t help but feel how blessed we are.

Who would have thought that we would have to postpone celebrating my birthday in March because something called a pandemic has taken over our country.  The girls were planning a big 90th birthday celebration for Smitty in October and of course we were locked in at our little Touchmark community.  However it turned out to be very special. Emily (granddaughter) and Brookes invited us for dinner and entertained us with one of her delicious home cooked meals.  

Emily also made us one of her special apple pies for Thanksgiving. 

The Davis family have all become very good cooks.

We have it so much better than most since we are in our own little gated community with 40 cottages, little parks and gardens, and a lovely big gazebo for community picnics and get-togethers. 

We take our golf cart over to “the big house” for meals and have an in house TV station for activities.  Since we are only 10 minutes away from Joy and Dan, we see them often and they keep us supplied with treats and anything we need.  We moved into their lovely home several times to take care of our grand pup, Mr. Goose, a border collie and sometimes Miss Daisy, Emily’s Bernese Mountain Dog when they travel. 

Thank goodness for our cell phones.  We are in contact with the kids almost daily with a text or a picture.  When the phone rings before breakfast, I know it’s Sandy.  That’s our chat time.  When my cell phone stopped working Suzie sent me one slightly used.  When the computer acted up, Timmy in Florida fixed it over the phone.  When it finally quit, Sam ordered me a rebuilt one just like my old 24 inch Apple for a great price.  I was so glad that I didn’t have to relearn everything.  We are so spoiled.  I have learned to use the Walmart app and it’s an occasion for us to drive over to pick up our order and maybe stop at McDonalds for a mocha frappe. 

Smitty doesn’t have his old energy to participate in many things but he stills has an impact here at Touchmark.  He hasn’t lost his wonderful smile and still loves to tease.  It’s a treat to watch the response of some of these “old ladies” when he shows them attention.  That may be the reason that when the residents voted for the king and queen of Mardi Gras, we were chosen.  It was a nice honor. 

I have my rose garden and my craft cave in the garage.  The garden was so productive that we supplied all 60 tables in the dining rooms with fresh flowers.  When the dining rooms had to close, I took arrangements to the apartments.  I am now known as the “Flower Lady”.

My current project is making beaded bracelets for gifts. 

Our big excitement is another wedding.  Andrew is marrying Alex on December 18 in Scottsdale, Arizona and moving to Oklahoma City to join Dan in the law firm.  We have gotten to know Alex and are so excited to have them nearby.  Emily is on the “front line” at Baptist Hospital delivering babies to some of those infected moms.  Brooks is Senator Langford’s right hand man.  Our man Sam is a senior at OU taking his LSATs getting ready for law school and planning to join the family firm.  We marvel at how Joy keeps all of those young people in line at the office and is hostess extraordinaire.  Dan expends his extra energy on the golf course.

Sandy and David are in Tennessee enjoying our old Ski Nautique on the nearby river.  David completely rebuilt it and it is now red and named “Second Chances”.  They were planning a trip here for Thanksgiving but CoVid forced us to cancel.  David's youngest, Anna, is living in Columbus, Ohio and was able to drive down and join them for Thanksgiving last minute. 

We have used this unexpected free time to good advantage.  For years we have been writing down our family history and stories to share with our children and generations to come.  This has given us time to finish writing it and Sandy is formatting it to send off to the printer. Sandy has also been going through all Smitty's old videos and putting them on YouTube for everyone to enjoy.

Danielle, our little real estate tycoon is now an avid golfer.  Rufus is showing some gray hairs, but enjoys being king of the castle at their home in Lawrence, Kansas.  Smitty is proud that he cut down her first set of clubs and taught Dani to play as a youngster at Hide-A-Way Lake.  Sandy discovered a video of little Dani opening the clubs and exclaiming "This is the best gift I've gotten all year."

Suzie had a very busy spring.  Clayton Homes had many models that needed furnished and decorated.  She barely had time to be sick with Covid but bounced right back and finished her jobs.  

The Orlando crew are an active bunch.  Steve works with CaptiveAire (a family company) the leading manufacture of commercial kitchen hoods.  Trish has had to work with this virtual teaching but I’m sure she has made it as fun as possible with her little 1st graders.  Jenna is a freshman in college and is a VERY talented artist.  Brother Christian is an athlete.

Alison and Tim are learning the fine art of home schooling with their three.  Alison is so patient and loving, I’m sure she makes it fun.  Since Tim is working at home I’m sure he pitches in.

This has been a trying time for us all but sometimes it brings out the best in us.  If we can just remember how much we have to be thankful for nothing seems so bad.  We are especially thankful for our family and friends and hope you are all well and have a blessed holiday.  Remember the reason for the season.