DREAM DINNER GUESTS (A Teresa Catherine Hill Creation!)

[Galen Ollison]

A FUN DISCUSSION FROM THE CREATIVE MIND OF SISTER TERESA CATHERINE HILL ~~ IF YOU COULD HAVE A DREAM DINNER AND INVITE ANYONE (LIVING OR DECEASED) WHO WOULD YOU PUT ON YOUR GUEST LIST AND WHY? NAME 5 TO 10 PEOPLE!! 

[Kenneth Adams]

I think! probably Tippee Mays, my wife Sherlan, Toodie Cole, Vicki Cole, my mama and my dad. I believe that fond memories are good especially when someone has the type of wisdom that helps others. The previously mentioned folks (some are gone on, bless them) are special, my parents started this journey, and people like Mama Jo kept it going when my parents left. My wife never lets me forget who I was in high school, Toodie made me laugh every day and Willie Fred, comical. And we all know that Tippee Mays never ceases to amaze, our chairman and leader, what would we do without him? We need more people like this on earth, to help make it a better place. As for the dinner I did not forget the host; JESUS CHRIST, these folks could entertain Jesus, isn't that something. Vicki Cole gave us her beauty to behold, if you ever look inside of Vicki you will see that time, alumni, friends, and all that this child knew that among all else she was a top bulldog. I understand and we love you for taking so many challenges and to continue to stay committed to your bulldog family, thanks. Ken Adams

[Gayle Renee Thomas]

 If I could only choose 5 guests they would be Jesus Christ, My spouse Jerel Thomas, My parents Mr. and Mrs. Willie Thomas Jr. and my grandmother Mrs. Gladys Thomas.

[Gayle Renee Thomas]

 My first guest would be Jesus Christ, then my parents, my husband and four children.

There are several more people I'd like to invite that have truly blessed my life but you said 5 to 10 people.

[Deborah Isaac Hopes]

Wow, I have appreciated reading all of these post....enlightening, educating, and delightfully enriching! Brother Fred's post was the most touching and creatively challenging!!! I have been blessed today!!

[Evelyn G.Taylor Roberts]

Ok, now you got me laughing! You brought back so many fun memories. I find it sooo odd, how I can remember years back, significant stuff, and even insignificant things and can't remember where I placed my keys only a few minutes ago!  What is that? My grandbaby says "granny - I'm a good finder of things, let me help you find what you think you lost".  She cracks me up, when she says that.  (what I think I lost)  Anyway, thank you for keeping it real about the cooking.  I really didn't learn to cook until I got married and experimented the "cooking thing" then.  I don't think I ever cooked a meal while home with my parents. (wonder why)  As always, I enjoyed our fellowship.  Pray for me and my family and I'll pray for you and yours.  Later........Gator!

[Deborah Young Love]

Hey Evelyn, since we are at the dinner table..with words of: MEMORABLE TRUTH.'  I'm sure the blue hair oil/grease that you speak of was "Bergamont" hair oil/grease...I have a bottle in my bathroom drawer of it. I still buy it today, and use it on my hair, just for the reason of remembering that Madear used it on our hair when we were little girls and I liked the "smell" of it and the "thick" texture of the grease. We also used "Royal Crown" grease on our hair...with the silver top and red label...do you remember that brand?  (We used Vaseline only on our legs and body.)  Madear would use that Bergamont grease on our hair when she pressed/straightened..and "pulled"...[remember the pulling irons]...our hair, as me and all of my sisters sat...one right behind another... between her legs and knees...crying and sweating...for long periods of time.lol

But yeah..you are so right.  Our Daddy's were the best. [Strong men.] Always believing in 'FAMILY' and support for their families. And that was our safe haven and guidance for us. And yes, we were blessed to have Daddy's in our household, who...whenever they spoke...YOU DID SIT UP RIGHT/STRAIGHT AND LISTEN...and we knew we'd better 'pay attention'  like your life depended on it. And that was simply called "respect."  That's where our listening skills had to come into play. How blessed we were to have a "Daddy" in the house. A Daddy to guide his children, to nurture them, to support them, to discipline them, to love them...unconditionally...and to not "spare the rod." Oooh how sooo blessed we were. And Dwight has made certain that these same characteristics have been instilled in our son Corey.

Madear was always in the kitchen cooking something. That was her passion and her love of cooking, which was her financial lively hood to make money. She was the head Pastry cook for the school system....at Thomas Jefferson High School where she retired.  (And I can't even cook that well...hahahah..can you believe that?  I'm a simple "easy" plain cook, and Dwight cooks dinner meals better than I do...I'm just keeping it real.)  All of my sisters can cook, but my oldest sister Evelyn was just like Madear...she loved baking sweets, and she can cook regular meals too just like Madear. It came natural to her.

I got my "business sense," "caring" and "kindness" skills from Madear....Tithe first and then pay your bills and stretch your money, and always be kind, compassionate and helpful to other people. Now I got my "strong-ness" skills from Daddy. I can be strong in a time of weakness. And I can stand my grounds...toe to toe...when it is necessary. So yes, by us being soooo blessed to have two parents in our households is what really helped to mold us into what we are today.  And I'm okay with that!

[Evelyn G.Taylor Roberts]

Oh, come on Deb, you must stay for a little dinner ora least have a grape drink.  Call your momma and let her know that you're here and that you want to stay a while. Tell her we'll send  her a plate too! 

 

Listen, Deborah, I don't know how many times after your daddy and mine had finished with there "meeting of the minds", that daddy would come in the house, only to repeat what he had learned from your dad. You do remember that they were Mason Brother's too!  So, you know, that I know how conversations went in your house and mine, Much for us to learn they thought, and they were sooo right!

 

Mrs Delores was so nice.  I remember how she always seem to be in the kitchen.  I also remember that you girls used a different hair oil than we did.  I told my momma and she use to say, vaseline is what your hair need, so. let them use what they want, and we'll use vaseline.  Was your blue stuff more expensive?  It must have been. Cause my momma would not buy it! ( lol)

 

I am so thankful to have had my daddy throughout my adult life.  He was able to see the fruits of his labor.  You know, many of the kids that we grew up with, did not have dads in the home.  And I always felt blessed, yes, even as a child.  My daddy thought I was special.  And I simply loved him for that and so many other reasons.  I didn't think that I would be able to move forward when I watched him leave this earth.  But God!  But God! 

 

Anyway, pull up a chair. Stay a while, share your stories and I'll share mine.  Don't be surprised if they don't differ.  After all, we grew up together!  I love you my sister and ain't nothing you can do about that!

[Deborah Young Love]

Knock, knock..."Hello Mrs. Ruth and Mr. Melvin...hi  Faye, Larry, Baby Jr., and Sheila. I just dropped by Mrs. Ruth. Your dinner smells delicious. "Deb, would you like to stay  and eat?  No thank you Mrs. Ruth. I see you've got the whole family here. Madear and Daddy are doing well. I was on my way to the corner store and I stopped by to see Evelyn. 

Evelyn, I heard part of the conversation that Mr. Melvin was telling you all and I simply loved it. You know, my Daddy talked a lot like your Daddy too...[old school].  I  can only guess it is because of the "time period" that my Daddy was born in like Mr. Melvin. You know Evelyn, my Daddy was a country boy...Marshall, TX and he was a strong preacher about the good book - [The Bible] and about things in life. {I truly believe that my Daddy should have been a Preacher, because he was so knowledgeable of the Bible.)  He always told us to be good listeners. He also gave us many words of "wisdom," "guidance" and "knowledgeable" things that we didn't quite understand at the time, but as we...my sisters...and I grew up...those things that he had spoke of, came to reality/presence....because of us being "good listeners."  You can learn a lot by being a good listener, because listening is the foundation for comprehension, in order for the brain to process the words/meaning.  One of my Daddy's saying was so similar to Mr. Melvin's.  He would say: "If you want an answer...regardless of how stupid...silly...unlikeable...it may sound...ask it, because somebody else is probably wanting to ask the same question. And if it is "important" to you...you have to ask the question, in order to get the answer.  He also drilled in us to always stand "strong" for a good cause and not fall for whatever is said to you or put in front of you...'know your "subject" and do your "research." I know that is where I acquired my wisdom from. I have never been afraid to "speak up" and ask a question. Or to "stand strong" for a cause...if I need an "answer" or the "cause" is worth fighting for, because if the person who is in charge of the conversation  has the "knowledge and experience" ...then ask it and stand strong for it...but also do your research too  So yes, we had a lot of wisdom and teachings that surrounded us in our household as well Evelyn.  {But I don't have to tell you that!)  But I simply stopped by on my way to the store and I heard voices at your house and I decided to stop in. Oh what a lovely gathering it is today. So let me slip right on out so I can pick up my items at the store. And I thank you Mrs. Ruth for the invitation to dinner...but I need to run, because we too are having a large gathering at our house...around the Dinner Table.

[Evelyn G.Taylor Roberts]

Dear BTW Family, I've viewed this forum more than once, and immediately I had profound visuals.  Images of having a lovely sit down dinner and dialogue with all of my most preferred people.   Each one that I thought of possesses the power to influence through the use of language.  And each has strong convictions regarding sensitive matter.  I could see each of them sharing different points of views, in a lovely wide spread room such as the picture provided.  Oh, such dining and dialogue.

But, then, my focus changes and I began to reflect on a similar and particular time spent with family.  It is one of the last thanksgivings I shared with my “complete “family.  There was so much food and too many of us all gathered in one room of my mom and dad’s house.

As many as possible cramped in one room, some sharing the same chair, some sitting on others laps, while others standing, yet spilling into the hall way, but, all of us within ear range of my dad’s stories of the past.   I loved the way he shared his past life.  Always with a positive spin, though to us, much was so incomprehensible.

You see, my dad was born and raised in Louisiana during a time that we as a people were not treated as human beings, although we were made in the image of God and made wonderfully, fearfully made.    Anyway, as daddy told his stories, we all became rich in knowledge.  We each latched on to his words as though we were to be tested once he finished.  It was important to my dad, that he shared what he had to give.  And what my dad had to give was knowledge.

Knowledge of how important it is to use wisdom while processing knowledge.   His desire was that we learned how to “live” life applying wisdom. He also loved a quote he learned years ago, it reads “He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.” He loved that quote and often shared it with others.  Success to my daddy was the application of wisdom in all that we do and getting an understanding.   When I became a student of the Bible, I learned that the Word of God supports my dad’s desire for his family, to get an understanding of things and to pepper it with wisdom.

Proverbs 4:7 Reads……. “Wisdom is the principal thing;  Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding”.  

So, you now understand why I would love to have one more “Dine and Dialogue” with my dad.  The man who was seen by many but really known by few.

 

[Teresa Catherine Hill]

The third person to be seated at my dinner party is my sister,Emily Johnson Myers.She is my go to person for everything.After my Lord and Saviour,she is the one I turn to for guidance. I feel that all blessings come from God, but he uses people  sometimes to answer or carry out these blessings.My sister is truly an instrument of the Lord in my life.She has been the saving force in so many ways throughout my life...teaching me the joy of reading,being the example of finer womanhood,and setting the model of advocacy for others.She is an advocate for anyone in need... for those who are not strong enough or wise enough to help themselves.