As expected, I woke up with a complete blanket of white outside. Bennett probably has 4-5 inches of snow. I always love the sight of a winter wonderland and become excited with the thoughts of possibly making snow cream or a snowman. This excitement quickly vanished when I realized that I was alone. My sister was an hour away with the snow covered roads and mom was working. My dad and stepmom were probably enjoying the snow in Asheboro. So I spent an hour having a pity party, but then immersed myself into distracting work. I was actually able to acquire Internet access through my cell phone to retrieve some data files that needed to be completed last week. Many teachers were late sending me this information, so now I will be able to finish the report to send to the district this week. So yes, I will admit to working a little today. Then my doorbell rang….it was Mrs. Shirley Jones, my sweet landlord bundled from head to toe and demanded for me to get dressed because we were going walking. We were the only people outside, and she gave me the grand tour of this quaint little country town. She told me stories of the people who lived in houses we passed, and she knew quite a bit after working at the post office until her retirement a few months ago.
After walking a few blocks, she told me to come and visit with her. This was the first invitation into her own home---it was also another charming older house that had a warm fireplace and picture frames were on every wall serving as reminders as the memories that were shared there since 1963. In her den, the walls were covered with portraits of lighthouses and an 11x13 photograph taken in Ocracoke. I expressed my own fondness of the Outer Banks and the beauty of the lighthouses, and she told me that her parents went there every year before they passed away. She has only visited a few times since their deaths, but loved the island you call home. From the pictures on the wall, she told me the stories of her parents, siblings, children, grand-children, and her newest great grand-child. I was able to meet the man she has shared her entire life with for over 50 years, Ray. He was watching the weather and kept telling his wife he was cold. He is a feeble man but his passion for Carolina basketball was evident with his Tarheel sweatpants and sweatshirt. Being a State Fan, we laughed about the ABC rule---Anybody But Carolina..ha! Mrs. Jones fixed lunch, which were the leftovers from her Christmas dinner from the night before along with several desserts. It was delicious---turkey, roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn (grown in their garden this summer), cranberry sauce, biscuits, and hoop cheese. True southern home-cooked meal, which was much better than my regular cereal and soup meals.
We then walked to the oldest house in Bennett to see Christmas decorations that are shared with the community throughout the holiday season. Lucy enjoys hosting these visitors, and especially likes the company after losing her husband a few years ago to cancer. You know my love for decorations, so I was like a child myself walking through her home. There was a village that had over 120 homes and businesses, complete with an ice skating rink and train track. It was beautiful and you can tell this lady was so proud of this display After looking at painted pictures of various homes and buildings in Bennett, I told her she needed to write some of this history down or at least talk into a tape recorder. She just smiled. Her son, who also lives with her, shared a coat that his great-great-grandfather wore in the Civil War. So much history in just one hour! Mrs. Lucy also shared a recent photograph she received in the mail a couple of days ago after she was an honored guest to christen a new ship for the coast guard. She had served in the military during WWII, and Michelle Obama honored these ladies for their service.
Instead of a day full of bleakness and depression on this snowy day I experienced history of a small town and thoughts of Ocracoke...
Shirley Jones became my own angel that day and I will miss her when leaving my cozy little house on Chatham Street. She understands the importance of change throughout the chapters in our lives. This amazing woman has been the strong foundation for her family through the best and worst of times by becoming stronger through her sincere Faith. She is the true example of a genuine Christian woman who has dedicated her life to helping others and has touched the lives of everyone around her. Words can never express how Shirley Jones changed (and saved) my life years ago, and she continues to remind me,
"it's a wonderful life..." 
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