Christmas Stockings

Somewhere back along the way, Mother’s family, the Latimers, were related to the Stockings. I sort of tend to think that Great-Grandmother Latimer’s mother may have been a Stocking. Great-Grandmother Latimer was originally Daisy Ward.

They were all Panhandle people. Jerome Stocking had the drug store in Clarendon, Texas; and I think may have been a prominent Panhandle physician. Mother always referred to Jerome as Cousin Jerome. At least I know that there was a famous Panhandle physician named Stocking. His doctor’s bag is preserved in a museum somewhere.

Great-Granddaddy Latimer built the water works in Clarendon and operated them for fifteen years. His is a long and interesting history, which I have told elsewhere and which I will leave for another time to tell again.

I knew Wade Stocking many years ago, who lived in Wichita Falls. His name always makes me think of Roe versus Wade. I’d rather row than have to wade.

Tonight I was thinking of Mother, and about my plans to bring her here to the Grove Home for our annual Christmas party, when I began considering which shoes to take for her. I know she would like to wear her red Trotters from Cartan’s. She had shopped there since she was a girl.

Then it occurred to me that she would need clean, or in fact new, stockings. I will pick up a pair at the dollar store. And then I thought, this is Christmas. Of course she needs a stocking. A stocking cap, if nothing else. It’s going to be a Merry Christmas.