Cajun Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! As I write that, I will admit it has been a struggle to think of being thankful today. My husband John Rhodes has been working incredibly long hours (seven days a week for a month now and between 65 – 85 hours a week)… should be thankful he has a job and paycheck. He was supposed to deep fry me a turkey this year since I don’t recall tasting this delicacy (although, my mom, Patricia [Taylor] Smith, tells me I had one in Mississippi at Johnny and Laureen Laurenson’s house one year; however, my memory and taste buds fail me about that). Unfortunately, our turkey was going to go bad here due to John’s long hours, so with some coaxing from my mom, I decided it was time to get this new Cajun adventure underway. According to one Cajun recipe, I made the hot rub using paprika, hot peppers, garlic, etc… you get the picture. Setting the timer for every half hour, I am basting away and smelling the aromas, which made me hungry. The banana bread I made a little earlier, satisfies the hunger to an extent, but it had turned out a little dry so I’m not going for a full coarse there (sending that with my husband for a 1:00 a.m. hunger attack – nice, huh?). 

It has been quite a year… I have been unemployed, he has been unemployed… My oven (given to me by dad and mom – another thing to be thankful for!) sits next to the small kitchen sink / counter. It is close, but not too close; however, does not work correctly. The old, tattered and fake paneling doors to the cabinets makes it extremely difficult to open the oven all the way. With each passing ding of the 30 minutes, I am forced to pull the cabinet doors as far in as they will go while opening the oven to baste this Cajun turkey. Finally, 1:30 p.m. arrives and the grand Holy Grail of Cajun turkey is finished. 

I pull it out of the oven only to not have enough hands to hold the doors in while pulling the heavy pan out that is now full of beautiful, great smelling juices. One can image the scene, which reminds me of the Christmas Story movie… another funny memory (Brittany, my daughter, presenting the leg lamp to Justin, my nephew, last year for Christmas - there goes my A.D.D. as Jarod Adams, a second cousin, would note)…. 

Anyway, to finish the blessed event – my Cajun turkey has filled my oven and floor full of good smelling, dark juices, complete with fingers burned, and me sitting on the floor in the middle of it all… probably hair included in this Holy Grail, now floor-saved Cajun turkey. I will admit, I pulled a Keystone from the refrigerator, sat in my good smelling, Cajun juiced jeans and drank it while waiting for my John to telephone and report that he would not make it home once again for dinner… thankful for once he will not be home for dinner! I leave you with this last Thanksgiving thought - not only was I thankful for that, but also when he did phone, he laughed and reminded me that in the big picture and scheme of life, there are bigger things to fry than a Cajun turkey. I hope your turkey turned out with less hair and you find thanksgiving during this holiday season! –Caryn   

Oh yes, back to the movie of Christmas Story... Caleb (my son) and I are enjoying Happy Wok's Sweet and Sour Chicken!     

Please take a moment to leave us with your Thanksgiving memories or thanksgiving about this holiday season.

Terry Taylor "T.D.T."

Walter Taylor with son, Terry Taylor

Awakened by singing birds early this morning, I made an amazing discovery! Not so long ago, I took a trip up to Oakdale, Wisconsin with my sister (Coreen) and her family to see Terry Taylor. As some of you know, the trip for me was more like a mission, retrieving the long-awaited “Uncle Terry” signature. 

In our younger days, Uncle Terry lived with us and he would shoot us kids off (meaning, he would lay down on his back, get in sort of a sitting position, we'd sit down on his feet sticking up in the air). He would thrust us off and we'd launch to the moon. One particular day, it was not the moon, but the television and the landing did not go smoothly, breaking my arm. Scouring over the 38-year old cast, we found among the signatures, Gerri and Merle Adams, Carrie (older sister), Rhonda Olson (neighbor), and Carol (oldest sister, who I would like to believe is rejoicing with Terry right now). 

Upon returning home from what would be my last time seeing Uncle Terry, Carlos and Coreen were greeted with a heavenly scene; a swarm of butterflies fluttering among the lilac bushes. Amazingly, the butterflies let Coreen get very close, close enough to snap several photos and video of this glorious scene (click here to see video created on Tomah Taylors' YouTube Channel in memory of Terry from Coreen's video clip).

What a perfect reminder of how Terry, like those butterflies, transformed…

Yes, there were times of being uncomfortable, but those times lead us to move.

Yes, there were some ugly moments and struggles along the way, but those give us the desire for something more wonderful and so we press on.

Yes, there were sacrifices made along the way, but we exchange those for wings.

Yes, there is a time to transform, leaving behind an old, worn and diseased shell, giving us the ability to glide about bringing joy to the hearts of those who remember.

…into something much more beautiful, in a much better, more peaceful place - I can only imagine.

So, there it was in big, bold red (now faded) letters on my cast"T.D.T." All those years ago, I did have the prized signature after-all (either I had forgotten or did not realize, until I created this using Coreen's butterfly photo) 

~ Uncle Terry, Terry Dean Taylor, "T.D.T." ~

Please help us celebrate the life of Terry Taylor by leaving us your thoughts, memories, and condolences. 

 

Courageous, Great Taylor Women, Happy Mother's Day!

Why do I have a picture of dad (Harry "Buzz" Smith) posted for Mother’s Day?

     
 In 1946, Meryll Frost, dubbed “Most Courageous Athlete,” said upon receiving his trophy, "While I'm not a great man, there's a great woman behind me." 

I imagine mother (Patricia Taylor Smith) was standing behind while this picture was taken. Even more importantly, how true this was with our Grandmother, Jean Taylor. How many times was she behind the scenes and behind Walter?

I believe those of us who remember, 

Jean Taylor was a great woman and she instilled that greatness in us,

which continues to be within each of us - down from generation to generation!

 I imagine everyone involved in that picture had a good laugh. Although I wrote a little about laugh in my last post, I’ll bring it up again, as it is fitting for such a day. I can remember in particular a great Christmas laugh. You know how Christmas goes with chilly, early mornings, snow aflutter outside, and there they are - the children… albeit, I was much younger looking, eyes full of excitement, and anxious to get to the business at hand – unwrapping that very first present of many. What a jolt that year! No wrapped presents, but instead, a mound of Salvation Army’s worst (maybe best), including tattered baseball gloves minus laces intact, chipped golf clubs (what any golf player would tout “unusable”), and on and on laying full-circle around the bottom of that beautiful, twinkling Christmas tree. Although, I can’t remember all the details, I do remember one thing - mother did not seem to be in on the spoof of 3Us – ugly, unwrapped, unusable presents! She saved the day and was the hero because in the end, the presents were hidden in our walk-in closet, filled to the ceiling. What an unforgettable moment in the history of great laughs. Thank you mom (and dad) for the wonderful laughs that I still treasure today.

Above all, my mother created so many memorable moments, saved the day on so many occasions (still continues today), and is my hero. There are no words big enough to describe or express the love and gratitude for my hero, Patricia (Taylor) Smith, Thank You and…

To all you Courageous, Great Taylor Women, Happy Mother’s Day!

 (Left to right: Meredith Taylor Eisfeldt, Sherry Taylor Gunder, and Patricia Taylor Smith)

Give us a shout and let us know of your Mother's Day wishes to a Great, Courageous Taylor Woman, any memories, or comments below - and of course, always feel free to write a short story as well by contacting me through our website at http://www.tomahtaylors.com/ContactUs.php or via email (carynrhodes@aol.com).

Warm wishes until next time,

Caryn 

LAUGH

February 14^th, Valentine’s Day, typically, filled with candy, flowers, and gifts exchanged between families, friends, and loved ones. We exchanged something a bit different and yet, something eerily similar this year… we exchanged another precious girl, Talia, who touched our life and succumbed to the tragedy of a fatal dose of Tylenol, for an angel of peace this year. Today, my daughter, Brittany, will share her birthday with the celebration of Talia’s 25 years of life she shared here on earth with us. Although Talia’s life was cut short, one never knows when their time will come, so I’d like to share with you what I think to be an important secret that Grandpa Taylor shared with us while he was earth… his contagious smile and LAUGH.

Look for the possibility.

American poet, Langston Hughes, once said, “Hold fast to dreams. For if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” How many of us are like a broken winged bird that can no longer fly? There was a time I thought I could no longer fly, but what I know today is I would have never become the person I am today and for that, I am forever grateful. I would’ve never experienced a love for books and education, self-esteem and confidence, or true friendship that comes with a soul mate. So, when you think you can no longer fly, look around and try to see the possibility because something great is about to happen.

Antennas up!

Growing up, my children had the wonderful opportunity to experience surrogate grandparents with Henry and Marlyn Vola, a retired couple, living just around the corner during our time in Machesney Park, IL and Don and Louise Wetterlin who provided us a warm home with a magical park-like backyard during a period of time in Rochester, MN. The last time I talked to Louise we laughed over how Don repainted their downstairs (where we stayed), but Louise refused to let him cover Caleb’s tire tracks from the big John Deere play tractor, which he liked to roll down their basement steps. And Henry would call me up on any given day to stop over with cupcakes complete with birthday candles for an “unbirthday party.” We’d all have a grand time, joining in and singing, “Happy unbirthday to you, happy unbirthday to you…” These special couples kept their antennas up and gave us the gift of singing with wings to fly.

Understand u can make a difference.

How many of you know James Peterman, a second baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates? You might know him better, as I did, from the television show called “Seinfeld,” where he was portrayed as the eccentric boss of the character Elaine. The J. Peterman Company, which was a real and well-known retail catalog company that Mr. Peterman started on a $500 investment, was also portrayed on Seinfeld through Elaine’s place of employment where she worked as an editor. Anyway, The J. Peterman Company gained momentum at a whopping $75 million, but fell to bankruptcy in 1999. In “The Rise and Fall of The J. Peterman Company,” Mr. Peterman admits that due to rapid growth, everyone got lost in the grind of activity. Boy, does that sound familiar in today’s world, but the good news he’s back at it and you can too! You can make a difference and not get lost in the grind by keeping antennas up, looking for opportunities, and creating memorable moments - unbirthday parties - for broken winged friends and loved ones.

Giggle more.

I am going to let you in on another secret: Brittany and I share a condition. Although the medical term escapes me at the moment, it causes one to giggle when nervous. One of the first memories I have of this annoying condition is from Grandpa Taylor’s funeral and getting into trouble for giggling (it is not the only funeral I’ve received a scolding or “the look” for giggling). Although our giggling can be obnoxious and annoying to some (even when it is not due to our condition), the good thing about giggling is like campfires and my sister’s hugs (Carol), they warm those who stand around it. So, go ahead, keep the chill away, and giggle and giggle and giggle.

Hope more.

Sitting at my usual spot in McDonald’s today, I overheard a little girl ask her grandpa if her newly departed relative had to walk all the way up to heaven. I thought, “There we have it, keep dreaming with your map out on your journey because you never know when you’ll need to keep walking ‘till you find a window.” Our dreams give us hope, but they are nothing more than daydreams and passing time if we don’t do something about them. Just think, dreams with one-day-at-a-time action can change not only us, but the world!

So, on this special day, my heart goes out to Talia’s family, Britt, and you – let's all LAUGH. We’d love for you to share with us today a Taylor LAUGH story or maybe a Valentine’s Day memory.

Birthday girl, Britt, - my wish for you… 

You Never Promised me a Rose Garden

If you’ve ever visited my parents’ house(s) on Elm Avenue or now, on Jeanette Drive, you’ve no doubt seen the ever-expanding and overflowing gardens. I suspect my mother, Pat (Taylor) Smith, got her “green thumb” from her dad, Walter, because who can forget that long drive up the road, anticipation, and finally, knowing you arrived once the beautiful centerpiece of the Taylor homestead – the circular flowerbed with Moss Roses – came into view?

Walter and Jean Taylor's Homestead with Flowerbed (Picture shared by Lori Gunder Burke)

You can imagine my surprise when my first attempts at gardening revealed I did not have this green thumb gene (mom tried encouraging me with a supposed, “no fail” Ivy once and that was short-lived). But, with prodding from John (husband), I leaped in again. Now, John loves anything hot (hot rods, weather, food, etc.). In fact, my sister, Coreen, and family gave John the biggest box of black pepper they could find for a birthday present this same year (although the pepper is long gone, the laughs continue). Anyway, we started gathering information about peppers, like Sweet Bells, Jalapenos, and Chili, as well as other plants we were interested in and determined what would do well in our climate, soil, and in sun or shade.

etc

Like life and the lyrics to the song, Rose Garden, “…you don’t find roses growin’ on stalks of clover, so you’d better think it over.”

Watering, picking massive amounts of different kinds of tomatoes, peppers, squash, and weeds, and cooking and freezing all sorts of concoctions soon filled mornings and after work nights. It brought back childhood memories of long forgotten days, hours, and rows of beans with all, including Grandma Taylor, picking, sorting, and snapping. Unfortunately, what I forgot during “think it over” was to look or survey the land so to say because gardening took off just after I leaped back into school, working towards a master’s degree.

Like life and the lyrics to the song, Rose Garden, “You better look before you leap.” 

This crazy schedule produced more than just fruits and vegetables: challenges (as John and Caleb, my son, will attest to, pulling all-nighters at this age is definitely challenging to live with). But, after a time, cold breezy days and falling leaves, turning to bits of white flakes, arrived. What was once a childhood (and an adult) chore turned to joy, “The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition,” and our sweet fruits of labor, a rose garden, ushered in. 

Like life and the lyrics to the song, Rose Garden, “…along with the sunshine, there's gotta be a little rain sometimes.” But, as singer Lynn Anderson says, “…if you take hold of life and go ahead, you can make something out of nothing.”

So, go ahead, "...smile a while," reminisce, enjoy the video by Tina McBride and Lynn Anderson singing "Rose Garden," and take a moment to share with us your memory about the Taylor flowerbed (or yours), something about produce gardens (if my memory serves me correctly, the Taylor’s produce gardens lined that long driveway), or perhaps, a story about childhood chores turning to joy.

References

Country Music Classics (n.d.). The story behind the song: Page three. Retrieved from http://www.countrymusicclassics.com/CMCStorySongDec.htm
Anderson, L. (1970). Rose garden. Retrieved from http://www.lynnandersonshow.com/videos/?c=10
Meyer, J. (2004). Seven things that steal your joy: Overcoming the obstacles to your happiness. New York, NY: Time Warner Book Group. 

Defiance

Recently, I finished something I never dared to dream before my journey through shattered hopes and dreams. But, this pen (or key pad) is getting ahead of me.

Have you ever seen Defiance? The dictionary defines defiance as “bold resistance or opposition.” Now, my parents, Harry or Buzz and Pat (Taylor) Smith, would quickly respond with a strong, “YES,” to seeing defiance. But, that is not the Defiance I am talking about here. I am referring to the movie called Defiance (there is also a book called, The Bielski Brothers). Defiance is based on the true story of three Bielski brothers, Alexander “Zus,” Tuvia, and Asael, who flee their home to escape the Nazis and establish a hidden camp deep in the Naliboki Forest during World War II. I don’t want to give you all the details because in my book, the move is a “must see,” but these are a few of my thoughts as I watched the movie... 

As more and more Jews arrive, the Bielski Brothers bicker about the ever-growing number of people. Would they be found because of sheer numbers? What about food and sickness? Like the Bielski Brothers, I am certain our grandparents, Walter and Jean Taylor, could have related to bickering that came with ever-growing numbers. But, today, the children and grandchildren of the Bielski Family number in the tens of thousands. 

How awesome is that to think about our ever-growing numbers of Taylor children and grandchildren? 

However, something much more important emerges than just the numbers: Community, the strength and heart that can come from such numbers. The Bible says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work (there was certainly a lot of work to be had at the Taylor homestead)… If one falls down, his friend can pick him up! Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Like the inspiring stories that came from these woods, there is certainly a Taylor story or two that can and should be told about their woods and battles, set-backs, and triumphs. In these “Conversations,” it is our hope The Taylor Community shares present journeys and past memories for future generations to read or listen and watch, find bits of wisdom stored in these stories, and become the next authors / actors of this continuing novel. 

Truly amazing to me is not only do we have strength in numbers, but we also have a community, which allows us to discover and be discovered. 

Finally, Albert Einstein once said, “…It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction.” To survive, the community, known as the “Jerusalem in the Woods,” makes a courageous move by parting the waters so to say and starting over. Some might question whether this second exodus was with a “touch of genius” because they end up battling the Germans and almost do not live. Now, I’ll never be an Albert Einstein, but I can certainly relate to making some moves lacking a “touch of genius” (my parents will agree) and battling to survive. Like survivor Jack Kagan, I am forever grateful to those who prodded with encouragement, debated and fought on my behalf, and at times, threw me over their shoulders and carried me out of the waters during such times, and for my grandparents, Roger & Hazel Smith and Walter & Jean Taylor, passing on to my parents who passed on to me the courage, strength, faith, and tenacity to make moves in the opposite direction (albeit, it might take me a time or two to get the “touch of genius” right) – Defiance.

Know that you too can find this Defiance when you need to, but also know there’s a lot of Taylor Family “touch of genius” out there for you to discover before making such a move. 

Oh yes, I almost forgot about my beginning. This past year, I completed my Masters of Public Administration (MPA) degree - the never dared to dream before shattered hopes and dreams, but that’s what it’s all about – the journeys. So, until next time, snuggle up, check out the movie or book, and let us know your thoughts and stories of Taylor Defiance.        

References:

Ball, M. D. (2011, March 30). Societal and ethical implications of nanotechnology. Retrieved from http://reddragonpub.wordpress.com/societal-and-ethical-implications-of-nanotechnology/
Bible. Ephesians 4:9-10, & 12. New International Version. Retrieved from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+4&version=NIV
Harrison, D. (2009, January 10). Bielski brothers were heroes, says survivor. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/poland/4214046/Bielski-brothers-were-heroes-says-survivor.html   
Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation (n.d.). Study guide: Tuvia Bielski: Rescue is resistance. Retrieved from http://www.jewishpartisans.org/pdfs/Tuvia_Bielski_Study_Guide.pdf