READING OF THE WEDDING POEM by Jane Hicks

Come Live With me and be my love Christopher Marlowe
Come live with me and be my love, And we will all the pleasures prove That valleys, groves, hills, and fields, Woods or steepy mountain yields.
And we will sit upon the rocks, Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks, By shallow rivers to whose falls Melodious birds sing madrigals.
And I will make thee beds of roses And a thousand fragrant posies, A cap of flowers, and a kirtle Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;
A gown made of the finest wool Which from our pretty lambs we pull; Fair lined slippers for the cold, With buckles of th purest gold;
A belt of straw and ivy buds, With coral clasps and amber studs: And if these pleasures may thee move, Come live with me and be my love.
The shepherds' swains shall dance and sing For thy delight each May morning: If these delights thy mind may move, Then live with me and be my love.The Passionate Shepherd to His LoveChristopher Marlowe

THE BRIDE & GROOM

Clem & Trixie, the bride and groom. Trixie's mother helped her daughter poof her hair and they chose a large veil. Trixie is pleased with her enhanced bosom. Clem is quite uncomfortable in his wedding clothes. Thankfully, the ceremony is to be a short one.

This a a happy day for Clem & Trixie. They expect a good life together in their little house. They can hardly wait to be alone.

Annabelle

Annabelle, Trixie's sister. Annabelle will miss Trixie although she doesn't know it yet. She also is a thin-haired girl.

BEST FRIEND

Jenny, Trixie's best friend. Jenny & Trixie giggle about Clem and Jenny's gentleman caller, Samuel.

ARCH'S SISTER

Arch's sister, Nell, who is a comfort to Arch. She hates Ambrosia.

ACQUAINTANCE OF AMBROSIA

Clarissa, an acquaintance of Ambrosia, mother of Beulah and Drucilla, girls that Ambrosia think better suited for Clem than Trixie. Clarissa was invited to the wedding by Ambrosia, against Trixie and Clem's wishes. Ambrosia let them know she could do whatever she pleased.

UNCLE THOMAS & AUNT JULIA

Trixie's Aunt Julia & Uncle Thomas encourage Clem and Trixie but they also are terrified of Ambrosia.

TRIXIE'S PARENTS

Trixie's parents are happy for Trixie and Clem although sad for her to leave their house. Trixie's parents are fun-loving people and are worried that Ambrosia will dampen Trixie's spirits.

MOTHER OF THE GROOM

Ambrosia Tuttle, mother of the groom. She refused to have her photograph taken with her husband, Arch. Arch said damned if he cared. Ambrosia chose to wear her Sunday best outfit. She said she could find no better hat than this one that she has had for many years.

Dear Clem, from your mother

Dear Clem,

I can't help but cry when I think of my boy getting married. And getting married to that little floozie. I know you say you love her but, Clem, surely you could do better. There's those girls I see at church, they are so pretty and have so much hair, Trixie is so thin-haired, she'll soon be bald.

What kind of people name their child Trixie. Why couldn't they have named her something pretty, like Beulah or Drucilla, Trixie doesn't even sound like a real name.

I told your father he should have forbid you to keep company with a girl named Trixie, but your father isn't man enough to take a stand on anything. I hope you will be more of a man and put that Trixie in her place.

Clem, you can still change your mind, after all, there are other girls that would be glad to marry you.

I bet Trixie can't even cook. She probably thinks she's too good to empty the slop jar.

Your mother,
Ambrosia Tuttle

KITTY

Dear Diary,

Clem is being mean for the first time, he doesn't want me to take Kitty to live with us. I have had Kitty for 5 years and I love her. What will I do without Kitty, she comforts me and loves me no matter what. Clem may not love me as much as I love Kitty. I keep crying but Clem says Kitty makes him sick. I think he just doesn't love Kitty. I tell him that Kitty likes to go outside but that she sleeps with me at night. Clem says no cat is sleeping in his bed. Poor Kitty. Maybe he will let me make her a bed in the barn. I could sneak her in the house while he is gone. When he is in the barn he might learn to love Kitty. Oh, I am so sad to think of life without Kitty.

From Trixie

Dear Diary,

What have I done to myself, Ambrosia hates me. She is so grumpy and acted like she forgot my name, calling me Tootsie. Clem says it will be ok, I won't have to live with her. I would stomp my foot and say no if Clem wanted that. Now Arch seems nice but Ambrosia won't let him stay in the room with her. I bet he is glad for that.

I'm going to bed and pray that Ambrosia will be nice to me tomorrow.

From,
Trixie

DEAR DIARY, FROM TRIXIE

Dear Diary,

Just a few days and I'll be Clem's wife. Oh, it makes me afraid yet I am happy. Clem will be a good husband even if his mother is not pleasant. She is a fearsome woman. Clem says I will learn to love her. I may have to pretend to love her, she is so severe. My own mother laughs but I've never even seen Clem's mother smile. He says she might though.

My mother and sister have scrubbed our little house clean. The floors were a fright, I was glad they were there to clean them for me. They have also picked out some fresh paper for the walls. I hope Clem will be pleased with it all.

My mother is still stitching on my dress, nothing fancy but I want it to fit. It was her dress when she married my papa. Poor Mama, she keeps crying. I told her I would come to visit every week. She said she knows I won't.

Well, I need to fold my things and get them ready.

From,
Trixie (soon to be Clem's wife)

CATS

It's not that my mother hates my cats, she just doesn't like them. I have several cats so she has a lot of them to dislike. She will tell you that she doesn't dislike them she just doesn't want them to get close to her. But they like her. They want to bed close to her. There are four cats that come in the house, Sadie and Lydia are calico, though not related, Abby and Macy are gray tabby, both with unique markings, especially Abby. Abby is the smallest cat, Macy the largest. Sadie is aggravated she isn't an only cat. As I write this, Abby is in heat. Usually she is a quiet cat, meows gently and walks around without any fanfare. But now she is squalling and roaming all over the house. She is not allowed to go outside, for obvious reasons. Sadie is Macy's grandmother. None of the others are related. So far as we know, that is.

There are several outside cats, Sonny Brewer is a grey and white tomcat, gentle and wants to be a house cat but is too timid, all of the other outside cats are named Kitty. They all know their name. There are grey and white ones, black and white, and one long haired grey cat that resembles a Maine Coon. I wish I could tame it, such a beautiful cat.

Macy wants to sleep on Mama's pillow. She does not want Macy anywhere near her pillow or her bed, for that matter. Mama will go to bed and before too long I will hear her ringing her bell and I know Macy is on her pillow. Mama calls Macy a fox. She really is somewhat afraid of her, she is a big cat. After a few times of being shooed out of the bed Macy will find her another place to sleep. Abby also likes to sleep with Mama but she makes her place at her foot of the bed. Mama will wake me up and tell me the cat won't move so I move her. Before long Abby is back in her warm spot on Mama's bed. Occasionally Mama and Abby will sleep for several hours without Mama knowing she has a bed mate.

Lydia walks on Mama's bed but doesn't usually sleep with her, Lydia likes to sleep with me. But she does visit Mama during the night, often sniffing her face, Mama says, "Get this cat away from me!"

Sadie stays completely away from Mama. She will find herself a place to sleep upstairs or on really cold nights she will sleep with me. Sadie just wishes everybody would be quiet and stay out of her way.

As well as all the cats I have a rabbit who lives in a cage in the house. Herbie Miller eats gourmet rabbit food, organic greens and gets regular baths.

And then there's the sand crab, but that's another story...

Ambrosia & Arch Tuttle
And
Trixie’s Parents
Invite you to Attend
The Wedding of
Clem & Trixie
@
www.alicehadams.blogspot.com
&
Alice’s Facebook Page
January 23, 2008
3:00 pm CST

FLORIDA IN JULY

It's so cold tonight that I made reservations to go to Florida in July. I feel warmer already.

FEEDING MY MOTHER

My mother has an old esophagus. It doesn't work well so she has a feeding tube. But she is able to eat now and then even though food usually doesn't go down well.
Tonight I cooked pork chops, tenderized, dipped in egg and crackers, browned in the skillet, then baked in the oven, mashed potatoes, corn and peas. Mama ate a small amount and was able to keep some of it down. While I was cleaning up the dishes she said she wished she had a slice of bread to rake through the grease and dripping in the pork chop pan. So I gave it to her, she had the best time with it, cleaning the pan. She said it was the best thing she had to eat in a long time. I was afraid it would make her really sick but it hasn't.
I figure she might as well have what she wants, even if her esophagus is old.

STRIKING OF THE CLOCK

The house is quiet, everybody sleeping. The tv is off, the only noise is the cat purring and the rabbit nibbling. Then, amid the quiet, the clock strikes, 10 times, bong, bong...

I was transmitted back in time to the house in West View, staying with Essa Cova, my cousins, 70 years and more older than me. There were two mantle clocks in the house, one on the mantle in the side room and one on the hall tree upstairs. Every night Cova wound the one downstairs and Essa would wind the upstairs one when she went up to bed. I took turns sleeping with them and always loved watching them wind the clocks. After I was older I was allowed to help.

The two clocks were never on the exact same minute, which enabled us to hear each clock clearly. Each had it's own distinct sound, the upstairs clock was softer, but could still be heard downstairs. The house was always quiet at night, except for storms. It was hard to miss the striking of the clocks.

Cova slept downstairs in a tall bed with a high feather mattress. She used her small hands to fluff and smooth it every morning. The head board went almost to the ceiling and the foot board was about half as tall. Cova would let me climb on the foot board, straighten myself stiff and fall into the feather bed, where I would be consumed. I thought this was great fun. Talking with Cova at night was an adventure, she told me about far away places and famous people, how I should behave and treat others. She was the one who taught me about salvation.

Essa's feather bed, upstairs, was not as thick, nor was it as fluffed and smoothed. But it was so comforting. She told me stories, we talked about people we didn't like, and giggled for hours.

My clock is not one of theirs, but that's another story. My clock is a family piece, passed on to me by my mother. I like hearing it strike.

FROM JEANIE

These were my birthday gifts from Jeanie. I loved the paper and gift bag. The cookies are on a white fiesta plate that says, 'It really is all about you'.

AN ANSWER FOR NAN

Theodosia Roberts Hale was my great great grandmother. Her son was a photographer and I am so happy that a glass negative survived to allow me to have her picture. She had 3 children, if there were more there is not a record. There are many stories about these people, I have written many of them and continue to wring my mother out like a wash rag to try and make her remember what she heard as a child. She doesn't remember much but she has been able to show me where Theodosia's house sat. It is in close proximity to other family members and not far from my mother's house. Not many days go by that we don't take a ride by the spot, we say we are going to see Theodosia.
I think I am Theodosia and she thinks she is me. It makes for a lot of confusion. Once she took over my hands to write on her blog and she was sick, I got so confused, when I thought I was her, I had to go to my sickbed but when I thought I was myself, I went to see about her.
Her grave site has been lost, others buried on top of her and other of our relatives. My mother told the undertaker but they sold the grave sites anyway. But we know the general area and plan to pot up a marker.
I've lagged back on letting Theodosia write since I know she had many sad things happen to her and it crushes me to live through them.
She was 87 years old when she died. Much more is coming from the pen of Theodosia.

2009

Awake, just into 2009. Quiet. Everybody asleep but me. Except for the animals, Herbie eating, the nocturnal sand crab roaming, the cats, all 4 of them, beginning to find their place to sleep. I should do the same.

Mama stayed awake long enough to see the new year arrive in New York. Hubby didn't make it until 10.

Happy New Year, all.