December 18 was always a BIG day in our family, the day we put up the tree, on Mom's birthday. On Brown Street, it meant a trip to that gigantic attic and bring all the tree trimmings down to the living room. It took many trips.
The day started with Dad taking the family in the Packard Clipper, the one I remember, out to the Fairgrounds and under the bleacher section they sold trees. We had high ceilings on Brown Street, but the tree we picked always had to be "shortened."
First, the lights, then the balls and other hanging ornaments, then the tinsel and other garlands, then the icicles .... NO CLUMPS .... one at a time, NO THROWING. Last, Mom did her "Fairyland" ... Dad had made a small 4" white picket fence to go around the tree. It had a front gate, and a larger one going to the barnyard. Different "figures" were placed at each post, Cotton for the snow, mirrors for ponds, a village, roads ..... I spent many hours "visiting" that village.
Jessie loved her family and friends. Guests soon became friends. A Doctor friend from Columbus drove to Newark on one occasion to visit them. He had Fred Taylor, legendary Ohio State basketball coach with him. Fred ended up eating three pieces of her apple pie as they all sat and talked. That's the way that Mom was.
She was born in 1897. She was a great Mother, Wife, not just a Wife, a Doctors Wife, there is a difference, took a lot of tolerance ... his Medical Practice came first, I know she realized that.
I remember once, old Doc Werner, recommended a shot of whiskey each day to east high blood pressure. She NEVER drank, we had too disguise it with juice, etc, she only did it one day. She was a PK, a Preachers Kid, her Dad, a Bishop in the old UB Church. She lived her life accordingly. Church was a regular part of our lives.
I heard her use the word .... "bastard" ..... one time .... and it related to story she told of how many of them seemed to be on the highway when Dad drove.
I regret that I did not get to spend more time with her, quality time, time just talking, we really never just .... sat and talked.
Many fond memories, today, of Jessie Dooley ....
