Pursley's Briarwood: * A St.Nicholas Tale for Margaret & Helen

Saturday, December 4, 2010

* A St.Nicholas Tale for Margaret & Helen

Celebrating St. Nicholas Day was special for me. Teaching my children that "Santa Clause" was an exaggeration and commercialization of the true St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra. For more information about the REAL St. Nicholas, go to the St. Nicholas Center web site.

Be sure to put your shoes beside your bed before you retire December 5 and enjoy his gift to you on December 6. Above all, spread his generosity in your your life to all around you.

This story is especially for Margaret and Helen, but you are welcomed to listen too.

This story is for Margaret and Helen

The Baker's Dozen

A Saint Nicholas Tale

HOW DID WE GET THE NAME "BRIARWOOD"?

I have been asked that several times. I suppose the answer to that question begins with a little girl's dream. Ashley, our daughter, has always loved horses. So, on her 10th birthday, she got her first horse, Locksley. Living in town, we needed a place to board Locksley. We found a place, but the barn manager did not operate to the standards we thought appropriate. About this time the movie, "Black Beauty", was released. All of us were in tears and determined to find a better place to keep Locksley.

A fellow teacher offered us the use of her barn and pasture. It was an answer to prayer. We were able to purchase some adjacent land. To call this land a briarwood is giving it considerations it probably does not deserve. It was full of thorn trees --- big, nasty thorn trees with clay instead of soil. However, it was our land and we were thrilled with it. Thus, the name BRIARWOOD.

Locksley was joined by Little Princess and Rumbling Thunder (lovingly called Squirt) as well as various goats, turkeys, chickens, rabbits.

Eventually, we cleared enough land for a pasture and barn of our own. Several years later we built our log home. Slowly, but surely, the land is developed and tamed. However, in our woods you will still find quite a few of those big, nasty thorn trees and briars ~ be careful when you walk!

Does "briarwood" still describe the land? YOU BET!