Allison Times 2020!

Reporters: Caleb (32) Bethany (30) Timothy (28) Joseph (25) Hannah Grace (24) Jubilee (15)

Pinning It Down

   Hannah Grace graduated first in her class from OU Nursing School with her BSN in May of 2020. She had asked the department head if she could be pinned by her Nan (Kim’s mom, also a nurse); request denied. 😞 Then came Covid, forcing graduation and pinning ceremonies to go virtual. 😊 With family gathered around her apartment TV screen, Hannah Grace got her wish. Not only did Nan do the pinning, but Aunt Betty, via facetime, asked a special blessing on Han’s future nursing career. Not a dry eye in the house. Hannah Grace admitted she was bummed when the pandemic hit, because it cancelled so many graduation traditions, but as always, God has a way of working things out for good. And what better time to be entering the medical field? “For such a time as this.” Esther 4:14

Learn as You Go

   Jubilee continued in Warner Public School throughout 2020 (her freshman and sophomore years), despite periodic shut downs. The Covid restrictions (no hugging friends, no hobnobing with the teachers, no lunch-time gossip) finally got the best of her, and she opted to do virtual school at home. Not the same as “homeschool,” but getting closer.  Our compromise: mom gets 2 hours per day to tell Jubilee everything she knows, then Jubilee gets the rest of the day to do her school assignments. With a little motivation, she could graduate early. Or not. 😊

Covid Conquerors!

    Herb, Kim, and Caleb were hit by Covid-19 last October. Herb and Caleb probably snagged it because they are diabetic, and Kim because she’s mean. There’s no other explanation. BUT, we were ready with our tonic syrup (with quinine), vitamin powders, and zinc; all mixed with half-fermented apple cider. With Kim’s potion, we only had one really bad day, then 3 days of head-cold symptoms, then back in business! Caleb didn’t get as sick, but he didn’t get as well, either. To be fair, he hardly ever runs at full throttle, so he slogged miserably along for nearly 2 weeks. Now we can all say, been there, done that (and Caleb even got the T-shirt!).

Laying Down the Law

   Bethany tried out as hostage negotiator for the SWAT team (now called Crisis Negotiation Team) with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. She placed first in shooting and obstacle course scores and demonstrated an uncanny ability to “negotiate” with the criminal in the crisis simulation. She credits her siblings for years of fine-tuning her negotiation skills. She won the spot (of course!) and will attend the FBI certification training as soon as it is reopened post-Covid; but for now, she trains at Tulsa County once a month.

  Smoke Trail

   We know 2020 was stressful, but Caleb has taken it to a whole new level. His new-found stress relief is smoking cigars and pipes! But not just any cigars and pipes. There is a science and much research involved in the process, and with the right tobacco, he is in the distinguished company of Holmes, Shakespeare, and Tolkien. The perfect cigar puts him on the southern veranda of a bygone era, very similar to Uncle Nub’s front porch (where Caleb resides as caretaker- not on the front porch, but in the house). Since there is no drawing room at his current residence, he must blow his smoke rings outside, weather permitting. But he is very dignified in his shorts and flip-flops. Very dignified, indeed.

Deerly Beloved

   In her quest for autonomy, Hannah Grace shot her own deer to put her own meat on her own table. She did use Herb’s no-fail scope, which she considered almost cheating.

   Timothy had his eye on a non-typical 12 point deer that showed up on the trail camera. After several fruitless bow hunts, Timothy claimed the best deer stand for opening day of rifle season. Herb acquiesced, but at the last minute, Timothy had to fly out of state.  Herb took over the deer stand, dropped the 12-point, and sent a picture to Timothy to seal the deal. Being a member of the Jet-Set has its disadvantages.

   Joseph shot an 8 point in Muskogee over Thanksgiving break, then invited his dad to Tennessee to hunt. Herb shot a big 10 point, which ran off. As Herb began to track the deer, he heard a shot in the distance, followed by a picture text from Joseph of a big 10-point, which happened to be the same big 10-point that Herb shot. J This is the first joint-kill that we have on record for the Allison team.

   Next, follow Herb to Texas where he brought home the biggest deer of his career. These record years don’t make him very popular among his children, who would all like to bag one of their own. The hunters have finally outnumbered the deer stands available, and will have to be drawn out for hunts next year on the family land. You snooze, you lose!

Finishing Touches

 Joseph and Shaelee supplied our first granddaughter, Bella Jane, in July 2020. The boys enjoy making their little sister laugh, Shaelee enjoys putting bows on her head, and Joseph enjoys crossing the finish line at last! Mission accomplished!

 Grandparent Adventures

 The grandchildren (and their parents) are currently living in Nashville, where Joseph is doing airport construction as crane operator. This is an 8 hour drive from Mimi, and it's a smidge too far for the little ones to spend the night without their mama. We found this out. So don’t try that.

    Distance aside, the “Allison Lite” (Kim, Jubilee and Herbert) still managed to work in some grand adventures with the grands. We found an alligator farm in Texas where the boys waded in a pond and held some baby alligators! While the hotel swimming pool, full of chlorine, was closed due to Covid, the alligator pond, full of gators and people, was open and doing a booming business! The Houston Zoo, and every adventure from then on, was actually a step down from the gator hole, but where else can you go from the top?

   Back at the ranch, the boys tilled, planted, and harvested sweet potatoes;  target practiced with bows, arrows, BB guns, and more; put up deer stands and fences; did some hunting and fishing, climbed  trees and propane tanks, smashed pumpkins, made cookies, hiked mountains, drove tractors and 4-wheelers, and wore out two good grandparents.

   During one of their visits, Mimi mentioned, "I was wanting to go to the park one day while you were here." 

   Brantley replied, "I don't want to go to the park! I want to stay at your house! It's funner!" 

World’s Most Eligible Bachelor!

   Timothy has a fleet of planes, a corvette, and a house or two. He is a charter pilot, qualified to fly turbine engines, and gives student flight lessons.  He probably has a gym membership, and thinks about eating keto on occasion. He does stand-up comedy, repairs home appliances, and his mama says he is very handsome!

   But he has no wife! This guy has to eat dinner at a different house every night! Ladies, let’s get those applications mailed in! Don’t miss this opportunity! Deadlines are approaching, so hurry and email your stats and picture to WhyAin’tHeMarried.com (No entry fee required).

Foot Notes 

   Hannah Grace got a Great Pyrenees (perfect apartment dog) to keep her company and to keep her in shape. Three flights of stairs! Both ways! Every time she takes the dog out!

   Jubilee had the opportunity to sing and play at several talent concerts at Connors State College, as well as in the band at church. Post-Covid, she is hoping for more open doors to share her musical gifts.

   Bethany is in a new apartment starting a new college major; this time Business. She is also sporting a new body! Bethany has dropped over 100 pounds since last year! If you haven’t seen her in a while, you won’t recognize her! Way to go, Bethany! 😊   

   Kim is excited about becoming a certified Set Free Prayer Minister! It means she is still doing what she has always been doing (getting in other people’s business praying with people!), only now, it's more official. 😁  For more info, go to www.tradingpain.com  

   Uncle Curt has been busy bringing loads of gravel to our driveway, where they get swallowed up by giant holes. He's sure the holes go all the way to China, and we don't know what they are doing with all that gravel. Stay tuned!  

Making Sense of it All 

   Isaiah 24 and 25 seem to be a detailed description of the events of 2020. The entire chapters are worth reading and studying, but for lack of space, we’ve picked a few verses that stand out:

Verse 1: The Lord makes the earth empty, … and turns it upside down…

Verse 3: The land shall be… plundered (looted, vandalized?), For the  LORD  has spoken this word.

Verse 5: The earth is also defiled …because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

Verse 6: The curse (disease?) has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate.

Verses 7 – 9: (summarized) No more drinking parties; bars closed.

Verse 10: The city of confusion is broken down; every house is shut up (quarantine?), so that none may go in.

Verse 11: There is a cry for wine in the streets, all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.

Verse 19: The earth is violently broken…(20) Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, and it will fall, and not rise again.

Isaiah 25, verse 7: … he will remove the veil of grief covering all people and the mask (there it is!) covering all nations.

Verse 8: He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people he will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken.

   Since the prophesies in these two chapters so closely parallel the events of 2020, it gives a measure of peace; knowing that God has already seen this, and has already been here. He is not surprised. And since the cataclysmic chain of events in these chapters leads to GOD wiping away all our tears, I believe He’s giving us a hint of what’s coming next. 😉 Friends, it’s time to make certain of where you will spend eternity. If you are not 100% sure, give us a call and we will be glad to share the Word and prayer.  Herb: 918 351-9777; Kim 918 869-0851     

The Christmas Wise Guy

   Ever since Caleb was a baby, we wanted something different for Christmas. Something besides the gift-grabbing Santa-thing that normal people do (Kim has never been normal). So instead of Christmas stockings for Santa to fill, we had "camel packs" that the wise men would surely have used to bring gifts to Jesus. Anything put inside the camel packs had to connect to the Nativity in some way. Included were candy canes (shepherd staff), star-shaped cereal (which they don't make anymore, but was a real hit on Christmas morning, since sugar was verboten any other day of the year), gold-wrapped chocolate (to represent real gold), cologne (for frankincense), lip balm (for myrrh), shredded wheat (for hay in the manger), candles or flashlights (Jesus is the light of the world), you get the point. One year, Herb bought chocolate covered almonds and labeled them "camel poop." 

   To complete the narrative, we convinced Uncle Curt to dress as a wise man and make an appearance Christmas morning, pretending to be following the star. Awesome! The wise man would also bring tokens for the camel packs (within regulations, of course!). One year, we all joined in the vibe and dressed up as nativity characters, but mostly, we just watched him be the wiseman. He added a stop on his route from the East when Kim's sister started her family. Every year, Kim took a picture of the kids with Uncle Curt the Wiseman. If only we could locate those pictures! But 2020, for the first time, Shaelee took the picture, and Kim got to pose with the family! And that, children, is the story of the cover picture and Uncle Curt the Wiseman.  😊 

Editor's Note

    If you are a faithful reader of the Allison Times, you know that I (Kim, the mom, the author) use humor liberally, and have always tried to insert some levity into otherwise somber events in the family newsletter - with the intention of bringing a smile. You might have noticed that Covid was mentioned in nearly every article because it has impacted all of our lives. Please don't confuse the humor with a mockery of the disease. Our extended family has witnessed its deadly force.

   While Covid is a mysterious illness (the Bible speaks of plagues in the latter days), we do not live in fear. Why? Because the testimonies in Scripture bear out the fact that we (and everyone else on this planet) are indestructible until our purpose on this planet is finished. God's plans for us cannot be thwarted by the whims (or viruses) of the enemy. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31.

   However, there is a day appointed for each of us to meet our Maker, and it could be very soon. Live Ready! I don't pretend to know why some people live 100 years and some only 5 days; or why some pass from diseases, some from accidents or evil intents, and some pass quietly in their sleep. But we can live in victory and peace, trusting in the power of His Word, His love, and His plan. Everything else has to stand down. 💗 

Allison Times 2010 !


January, 2010
Editors: Herb and Kim Allison
Staff: Caleb (21), Bethany (19), Timothy (17), Joseph (14), Hannah (13), Jubilee (4)

Why did the Chicken Cross the Highway?
A chicken was sighted running crazy in the parking lot of Rapid Repair (the appliance repair shop where Caleb and Timothy are employed). It seems that, unbeknownst to Caleb, one of our hens had hatched a ride with him to town. How it stayed in the back of the truck going 65 mph down the highway is a mystery. When Caleb went in to work, the chicken hopped out (The truck driver next door was an eye-witness). Timothy drove up some time later and was amazed so see that this wild chicken zipping between the vehicles looked remarkably similar to the poultry he had left at home. The testimony of the truck driver convinced him that it was, indeed, his bird. They cornered it behind the shop and corralled it into a washing machine for safe-keeping. It stayed in the shop all day, eventually being relocated to a washing machine box. Timothy fed it some sunflower seeds, and it laid an egg. After being cooped up together all day, Timothy and the hen (now affectionately called Buddy) are best friends.
The chickens, by the way, are a result of Timothy and Joseph’s latest money making adventure. However, after figuring the cost of feed, equipment and labor, the eggs will have to sell for $1.00 each to break even in 45 years.

Getting the Cart Before the Horse
Joseph saved up his money to buy Timothy’s motorcycle and then began to study for the motorcycle test. He passed the automobile driver’s permit test, but after 2 unsuccessful attempts, is still studying for the motorcycle test. This is really a good thing. He can only ride from here to Nan’s house without a license. If you see him out and about on the roads, call the highway patrol. Turn him in.

Spotlight on Deer!
Joseph and Timothy were drawn for special hunts this past year. Joseph won a youth deer hunt at Sequoyah Park. Herb packed the food for this 3 day hunt all by himself. Joseph reports that he never dreamed he would get sick of eating sugar cookies out of a tin can, but when that’s all you have to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, by the 3rd day…you lose your appetite. Joseph was also drawn for a turkey hunt next year at Cookson Hills.
Timothy won a guided antelope hunt in New Mexico via an essay contest. Since his mom edited the grammar and structure of his winning essay, it is only fair that she accompany him on this trip. The hunt will be next August, so mom will have plenty of time to pack. (This kind of talk makes Timothy very nervous.)
Prizes were awarded as follows:
Most Deer in a Single Year: Joseph – 4!
First Deer with a Bow: Joseph - a doe on the first day of bow season!
Most Big Bucks Missed: Joseph! too many!
Biggest Rack Award: Timothy. His 10 point gross scored 148, breaking every Allison record to date.
Most Frustrated Hunter: Herb – only a spike and a doe!
Total Deer for the season: 9

Roofin’ It

Herb and the guys put a new roof on the house during the hottest part of the summer. But they really couldn’t help it. All the nice days in the spring and fall are taken up with hunting something. (Speaking of hunting, Herb, Timothy, and Joseph killed one turkey each last spring.)


Say Cheese!
The high-dollar camera and the high-dollar photography course were supposed to pay for themselves in one year’s time when Timothy started taking all the kids’ portraits. He did take Bethany’s senior pictures which turned out really nice, but he says in order to take better pictures, he will need a flash and a backdrop and a reflector. However, he says, to take even better pictures, he will need about 10 more items. We finally agreed to just start taking pictures and pray that they turn out good.

Keefeton "Idols"
Bethany entered a songwriting contest and was chosen to perform her song as one of the top 10 finalists at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. Although she did not win first place, her rendition of "Jericho" really ... brought down the house. The experience was ... over the top.

Following in her big sister's footsteps, Jubilee has taken to the stage (brick hearth), and loves to entertain. Whenever company arrives, she quickly dons one of her dress-up costumes, finds a make-shift microphone, and delivers a free concert. Her selections include old favorites such as “I’ll Fly Away” and “Victory in Jesus”, as well as new compositions she makes up on the spot. One evening, she serenaded her family with the following ballad, sung in an intense, slow, country style (I quickly dictated):
“A truck ran over my sister,
And I was so sad.
Nobody got my heart.
Then she came back to life,
And came down the road.
Me and My sister came back to the house.
It happened so quickly…”


Graduating with Honors
Bethany graduated from homeschool last May, and Timothy (our youngest graduate at 16) graduated in December. They both finished #1 in their class, as did Caleb 2 years ago. Yes, they were the only ones in their class, but still a tremendous honor!
Bethany is, as of now, a straight-A student majoring in Criminal Justice at Connors State College while working part time at the Muskogee Library. She received 2 scholarships which cover all her school expenses. Praise God!
Timothy is planning on working a lot while deciding on a vocation. He has narrowed it down to either: taxidermist, appliance or auto repairman, businessman, pro volleyball or football player, photographer, or hunting video producer (anything but roofing). It’s hard to decide when you’re good at everything, right?
Caleb stays very busy taking classes at Connors and working for Uncle Curt. So busy, in fact, that he waited until the last minute to do his required 15 hours of community service for his Cherokee Nation Scholarship. Nevertheless, he says he actually enjoyed working Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve at the Gospel Rescue Mission.

Sports Heroes
Timothy, Joseph, and Hannah ran in the home school track meet again last year, with Timothy receiving the best all around male athlete medal.
Hannah graced the soccer field for both the fall and spring seasons and went all year undefeated!
Timothy and Joseph were unceremoniously kicked off Warner’s football team when the new principal discovered that OSSAA does not view homeschoolers as private school students. Although disappointed, they began immediately to hone their volleyball skills by canvassing the state for the most competitive church volleyball teams, with no regard to denomination.


The Longest Summer

Bethany spent the whole summer working at Falls Creek Church Camp, serving in the staff kitchen. She shared a cabin with 8 other young staffers who very graciously shared their hair products, extension cords, and life histories with each other. That is, until they began to wear on each other’s nerves. We did say all summer. Falls Creek had a falling out in the staffers cabin, the likes of which they had never seen before. On the up side, Bethany came home looking slimmer than she had in a long time. Apparently, there was little time to eat between feeding 250 people 3 meals a day plus cleaning up and doing dishes. Furthermore, she insists that the 1.5 mile walk from her cabin to the cafeteria was uphill both ways!

Take Me Away!
Everyone seemed to be going in a different direction last year for their personal vacations. Hannah Grace spent a rip-roaring week at Camp Good News in Mannford, where she managed to stay awake 5 nights in a row.
Caleb and Timothy drove to a 10-day conference in the North Woods of Chicago. After they left, I found all of Timothy’s clothes laid out neatly on his bed. Thankfully, they hadn’t gone far. But the next day, I discovered his tennis shoes packed up in a plastic bag. Too late to turn around, they had to stop on the way and buy a pair.
Herb, Joseph, and Hannah Grace traveled to Alabama for a construction project with the church mission trip the same week that Caleb and Timothy (and Bethany) were gone. This left "Kimberella" at home to sweep the hearth.
Six Allisons attended the annual ATI conference in Big Sandy, TX last spring. As usual, we made lots of new friends, and enjoyed sharing a very large cookout with the Duggars!
Herb and Kim ran off together for a weekend in Tulsa at the “Love and Laughter Marriage Get Away” with Gary Smalley. We laughed ourselves silly, and the kids totally cleaned house before we came home– no trace of the big party they had while we were away!

Footnotes
Joseph and Hannah played in two of Miss Honey’s piano recitals last year. Timothy, who never practices, sat this one out, but promised to keep up his piano skills without taking lessons. We’ll see.
* * * *
Jubilee was the only one who wanted to visit the zoo with Mom, so off they went. It took Jubilee half a day to warm up to the animals. After 2 rides on the Merry-Go-Round, and 2 trips on the train, Mom was ready to go home.

* * * *

Timothy and Hannah competed in the first ever National Bible Bee last September, with the local level being held in Tulsa. Neither of them advanced to the finals in DC, but Timothy came in second in his age division and took home a nice consolation prize.
* * * *
Herb and Caleb attended the state Republican convention in OKC with Uncle Curt, and now they are being hounded by every aspiring politician in the state for money. It feels good to be wanted.
* * * *
Timothy’s 48 Plymouth refurb is coming along, dollar by dollar. He is currently fiber glassing both bumpers, and continues to order and apply parts to the beast. Someday, somehow, he claims it will run.
* * * *
The whole family (minus one) went caroling in the mall again in ‘09. This is the highlight of Kim’s Christmas season. All of the old carols tell of the birth of the Savior, and most include His death on the cross and resurrection, as well as eternity in Heaven! That’s what Christmas is all about!

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Remember Folks, It Didn't Come to Stay, It Came to Pass!