The Magic...by Jim Terry

Trying to get everything done before the holidays begin or end is really quite frustrating isn’t it? Busy streets for driving, busy stores for shopping, busy restaurants for eating, foul weather and internet failures with incorrect package delivery are all a part of the frustration that is a part of the holiday season. And with all the hustle and bustle of people around us, I sometimes find my Christmas cheer turning into Christmas irritation and anxiety in trying to make the perfect holiday–THE MAGIC–happen.

I remember so many times during the Christmas season where the hustling and bustling of my mother and father paid off and they always somehow, seemed to create the perfect setting that happens this time of year.

The quick trip to the mountains after Thanksgiving dinner to cut the perfect tree… The trips to the grocery store to buy the perfect ham or turkey for dinner… The aroma of Christmas with the simple warming of a pot of potpourri simmering on the stove.  The pot contained the welcoming scent of fresh cut apples and cinnamon sticks that floated and filled the air of our home with a sense of tranquility and peacefulness. (This is definitely something to be experienced at least once in one’s lifetime)… The stockings “all hung by the chimney with care”…The painstaking labor of splitting all that wood in the fall, that helped create a warm and a picture-perfect fire as we gathered round to open that one Christmas Eve gift. The Christmas Eve gift, you might ask? It was always a pair of homemade pajamas carefully fashioned and sewn by our sweet mother to, "help us sleep better," she would always say.  And then off to bed we would run to await, what felt like an eternity, the arrival of good ole St. Nick who would complete our Christmas by delivering toys and gifts to those of us kids who were naughty or nice.

(sigh)…Now I don’t want to take too much of your time away from your loved ones on this special day, but as I sit here staring at my Christmas tree with its bright lights and color being reflected in my window pane and my Christmas music playing quietly in the background, I am ever so reminded how lucky I am to have the family and friends I do…my greatest gifts. 

And with Christmas Day here and the hustle and bustle of getting ready for this day now behind us, we just wanted to take just a moment of your time to say “THANK YOU” for another great year. Your reading our blogs, your thoughts, your comments are something that we look forward to and cherish. Enjoy your family, enjoy your time together and continue to make those memories–THE MAGIC–that will last a lifetime. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

♦ Hope you'll let us share your stories and photos here at our residence "In a Nutshell." Email us at nutshellstories@gmail.com. 

A Gift...by Jim Terry

It’s hard to imagine where the year has gone, but here we are, yet again, at the beginning of another holiday season.  I have been fortunate in my life to experience a lot of joy and happiness during this time of year. I often sit and reminisce about holidays past and those special times I have shared with friends and those around me, but definitely welcome and cherish those fun times, especially when I think of my family. 

Not long ago, actually just over four years ago in November 2013, our family experienced the passing of the matriarch of our family. This happened right before this holiday of thanks we call “Thanksgiving.”  I remember when I got the news and how this made me feel. I felt as though cellular death or necrosis of the tissues of my heart certainly had begun and that my heart would eventually stop from the hurt and ache I felt.  It was only through shedding many tears, looking through old handwritten cards, time passing, hearing her voice in voicemails, speaking with family and remembering her and her kindness towards me as my mother, that I was able to embrace a little bit of comfort for my aching heart.  

This incident was a big transition for me and for our family. We had been so fortunate for so many years because we had experienced so much happiness and joy in being together as a family during the holiday season. When the happiness and the familiar setting we knew turned to heartache and sadness because of the loss of our mother, we had to ask ourselves, “What were we to do? Where were we to go from here?”

Fast forwarding to January 2015, I found myself in a beautifully decorated clubhouse speaking with family while on the verge of adding another member to our family. My father, in his heartache and loneliness, had decided to remarry and we were on the verge of having to accept another in place of our mother by his side.

At first, I found myself a bit confused and angry with my father for, what was, in my perception anyway, moving on so quickly.  Through time, and because of the loving and kind person Kathi was, I found myself ever so grateful for her and coming into our lives.  Her charm, wit, and humor are unmatched. Her calling and singing to me on my birthday was always such a blessing. Her love and talent for music are priceless.  Her kind words and how she would make you feel so welcome and important are remarkable. And lastly, the warm embrace and the gentle kiss on the cheek that she would provide, when I would visit, always made a grown man feel like, well, a young boy coming home after being away for a long time only to experience the warmth, love and security that only a "home" can provide. It’s all of these things, amongst many others about Kathi, which I will always cherish and remember for the rest of my life.

So fast forwarding once again to this past weekend...I found myself on a plane headed to Boise to say one last goodbye to this sweet woman who had become a part of our family (only three short years earlier) before she passed from, what was diagnosed by her doctors as, “terminal cancer.”

As I sat by her bed and held her hand while she slept, being heavily sedated due to the pain she was experiencing, an array of thoughts and feelings went through my head. How could I express to her how much she really meant to me? How could I appropriately thank her for helping fill part of a void in our family? And how could I thank her for taking such good care of my Dad and helping fill his void as well?

So as I sat there with just Kathi and myself in the room, I decided to quietly verbalize all the reasons why I was so thankful for her and ended it with, “thank you, Kathi! I love you.”  It was just after I said this that Kathi, even though she was in the state she was in, slowly opened her eyes, squeezed my hand, and said, “I love you too” and then closed her eyes once again and drifted off back to sleep.  

It was after this experience, that if anyone else was in the room at that time, one might witness the gentle tick and tock of the clock on the wall...the peaceful sound of chirping crickets in the background from Kathi’s favorite sound machine on the nightstand next to the bed...or the quiet sniffling and whimpering of a grown man, now crying, realizing that he was provided with one last gift by hearing four simple words..."I love you too."

So during this holiday of thanks and giving, remember to value those times with your family and give thanks for everything you have.  Everything in this life can be gone in an instant. It is times like this that I personally am reminded to strive to be a better person.  I try to tell and show those around me, but especially my family and those I love, that I love them. And even though my heart aches once again due to the new void created by the loss of this amazing woman, I want to provide one last "thanks" to my second mother Kathi. “Thank you for coming into our lives. Thank you for all your love and support. And thank you for truly being A GIFT!" 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!  

We hope you all are safe, happy, healthy and, of course, spending time with FAMILY.

In loving memory of Kathi Kelly Nickell-Terry (1941-2017)

♦ Hope you'll let us share your stories and photos here at our residence "In a Nutshell." Email us at nutshellstories@gmail.com. 

Happy Veterans Day

REMEMBERING ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED AND DO SERVE.
HAPPY VETERANS DAY!

Just say, "Konnichiwa!"...by Jim Terry

Think about that ONE pet, your favorite, that you had while growing up.  I know there may be some of you out there that may not have had a pet when you were younger, but for those of you that did, which one was your favorite?  I must say that I was lucky enough to be surrounded by animals while growing up. We had a few dogs, several cats, I loved having a fish tank in my room and we were also raising and breeding horses at one point during my childhood.

My favorite dog we owned when I was younger was named “Freckles.” She was one of the most loyal companions I have known to date. While playing Tonto and The Lone Ranger with my sister, Lora, in our youth, Freckles would always be there by our side to help destroy invading enemies.  Sometimes the invading enemy would be the local farmer with his combine because our fort would be set up in the wheat field adjacent to our home.

My favorite fish was a goldfish named Jabber Jaws. To this day and as a young boy, I swear I could speak goldfish.

My favorite horse was named Flicka. Each and every morning before school, I would go out to the corral, climb the fence and ride her bareback, just to hang out with my friend and tell her to, “have a good day.” And with a quick “whinny” back at me, as I dismounted her and headed on my way to catch the bus, she inevitably would tell me to do the same.

However, of all these memories and pets that I had in my youth and getting back to the initial question I posed, the ONE FAVORITE pet I had while growing up was a tomcat named “Panther.” His beautiful fur coat was where he got his name. His fur was pure black with not even a hint of white or a discolored strand of fur to be seen. His eyes were that of a pale, but beautiful, green that were more striking due to the dark background of his fur. And if you were to see him physically, there was no question that he was a cat NOT to be messed with.

Each and every summer, as most tomcats do, he literally would take off for three to four months at a time. I remember each and every fall when he would return home, that there would be some other scar on his body, another portion of his ears ripped off or another war wound that was inflicted while he was trying to enforce his dominance in the territory for which he claimed was his.   

I also remember a day while weeding one of our gardens, which was located closer to the road on our property, that he warned off an aggressive neighbor’s dog that was going to bite me.  He did this by literally jumping onto the dog’s back and ripped enough hair from him that one might be able to fill half of a pillow with.  To this day and up until the day that dog passed, that dog NEVER trespassed on our property again.  And why am I bringing up my cat Panther at this time of year? Simply because of all of the myths, legends, and superstitions that are associated with black cats especially during Halloween.

Since the Middle Ages, especially in Europe, it was believed that "the black cat was a witch's companion or the witch herself transformed into a cat and of course could be up to no good." This misconception was one of the things that lead to hunting “witches” and with that also the death of several thousand black cats. Interestingly enough, some now say that the more rapid spread of the Black Death, during that time, was because of the cat killings. Could it be because the rats, which carried Black Death on their backs in the form of a rat flea, could then proliferate and prosper and not be hunted by the very same cats the people were killing? 

 Other superstitions I could find about black cats are…

-       It is bad luck, in several countries including the USA, when a black cat crosses your path.

-       In Italy, “if a black cat sits on the bed of a sick person, death will shortly follow.”

-       In China, a black cat symbolizes “famine and poverty to come.”

-       In Ireland, “if a black cat crosses your path in the moonlight, it means there is going to be an epidemic of sickness.”

-       In some nations, they believe that if you “chase a black cat out of your house, then good luck will never reside there.”

With that being said, some superstitions also speak of good about black cats…

-       In Scotland, “A black cat sitting on your porch” means that wealth will be coming to you.

-       For those of you that are married and in some cultures believe that “if you find a white hair on a black cat and if you can pull it out without getting scratched, it means that you will have a long, happy and prosperous marriage.”

-       In Latvia: “If black kittens are found in the silo they believe that they will have a good harvest courtesy of a spirit called Rungis.”

In looking at the two lists above and knowing that omens and superstitions go back thousands of years at times, I still am more than likely and inclined to believe the good superstitions about black cats. In Japan, they believe that cats, but specifically black cats, ARE GOOD LUCK at all times when they cross your path. I can say no different from my favorite pet Panther that crossed my path several years ago during my childhood. He brought me only happiness, companionship, and good luck.

So during your Halloween celebrations if that black cat crosses your path, maybe simply do as the Japanese do and just say, “Konnichiwa!” Then continue going about your fun and your trick-or-treating knowing that you just had good luck cross your path...which in essence, per Japanese superstition, may last a lifetime!  

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

♦ Hope you'll let us share your stories and photos here at our residence "In a Nutshell." Email us at nutshellstories@gmail.com.

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

HAPPY LABOR DAY! "IN A NUTSHELL" will return in October with more fun, laughs and COOLER WEATHER! Enjoy your holiday!

"E" is For ETERNITY ... by Gina Waite

So family and friends of "In a Nutshell," today happens to celebrate the day we discuss the letter "E" in our 5th consecutive day of posting memories associated with the letters in "F-A-T-H-E-R." I made the realization about two days ago that I would EVENTUALLY have to EXPLAIN memories that start with the letter "E". This is an ENORMOUS task to my fried EGG-type of brain, this week. I promise, I have no real EXCUSE EXCEPT the letter "E" is EXCEPTIONALLY hard to think of nouns associated with it! We may have to start off with EASTER EGGS as there were never more creative EXCITEMENT at our home than that of decorating our un-EQUALED EGGS:

EVERY one of my siblings and parents are artistically talented. In our own way we EACH shine in different areas of art and artistry. My Mom and Dad really EXAMINED and creatively came up with EVERY opportunity they could to include productivity and tradition with artistic EXCELLENCE. Going back to an EARLIER EXPLANATION, this week, my Mom showed her own artistic EXCELLENCE when she ENGAGED herself in sewing Christmas jammies with an individual style that suited EACH of us, almost EVERY year for Christmas. As excited as we were to open our Christmas jammies, we were EAGER for our annual EASTER EGG dying and decorating! I think EVERYONE in my household, growing up and the final EXTENSION of my own little family, was ENTHUSIASTIC and ENERGETIC about this annual EXERCISE. Wax crayons, vinegar and all sorts of added accessories were used in EXECUTING creative EGG dominance. I think once, one of my siblings used ELASTICS to cover certain parts of a hardboiled EGG in order to cover and EXPOSE different areas of the shell in order to create a pattern. EGG contests always ENSUED and my Mom did her absolute best to recognize EACH and EVERYONE of us.

I think of ENVELOPES. Before her graduation into the Spirit World, my Mom wrote me the most EXCELLENT birthday letter filled with EXPRESSIONS of love and admiration for my EXAMPLE. My Mom was so talented in EXPRESSING her love through letter writing. Similarly, I have never known a person to be more EXCEPTIONAL in EXPRESSING ideas and stories off the top of their head than that of my, EXCELLENT Mother. 

One EXAMPLE was a time she had several of her grandchildren gathered together in a room at my brother, Richard's house, to EXPLAIN details of a story about EACH one of them in her imagination. There was so much EXCITEMENT and ENERGY involved that when the ENEMY of her story approached the un-EXPECTING heroes ... the ENGAGED grandchildren were involved to the point that one of them EXTRACTED their lunch in front of EVERYONE. The EXCELLENCE of story-telling to create such EMOTIONAL involvement that the audience may be physically ill ... is a gift ... and one my Mom gave to EACH one of her grandchildren that EXTREMELY ENJOYABLE, and memorable, night! I'm so grateful to have an EXCELLENT memory ... my Mom's contributions to our family and ETERNAL and un-ENDING love with never be ERASEDfrom my mind.

Hmmmm...I'm realizing how EXCITING and EMOTIONAL writing about memories associated with the letter "E" have been for me! I'm so ETERNALLY grateful for my family and the fact I got to EXPERIENCE writing about it, this week!

Stay TUNED TOMORROW for the letter "R"! The wrap-up and RESOLVE to our week-filled posts of our REWARDING family REALTIONSHIP!

 Hope you'll let us share your stories and photos. Visit us at our residence...www.marleneterry.blogspot.com. "In a Nutshell." Or you can email us at nutshellstories@gmail.com.