Countless Blessings
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This is a book of five warm, rich, emotion-packed stories. It begins with, “About Papa,” a dedicated, humorous, hardworking African-American man who was a barber by trade. He firmly believed his large family should be raised with hard and fast rules supplied by him.
“About Mama,” the family matriarch, who was a manipulative, strong, loving woman. She was determined that her family would survive Papa, the economic depression and its aftermath intact. She struggled to provide her children and grandchildren with the courage, the knowledge, the audacity to be successful in whatever avenues they chose to pursue.
“Capitol View - A Legacy of Memories,” tells of an all-Black community that depended on each other, shared with each other, and loved each other. Together they enjoyed abundance without bounds!
“The King of the Bishops,” Gardner, who was the eldest son. He felt himself on the same level as Papa including his trade as a barber. He believed firmly in fairness and freedom. Segregation, in any form, he felt was unacceptable. These beliefs took him far in his life as a warrior for justice.
“Li’l Bits of Heav’n,” tells of Papa and Mama’s oldest granddaughter. She was sent, each summer, to the southern town where Mama and Papa married and began their family. She, however, visited her father’s people who continued to live there. They gave her a nourishingly positive, loving, warm environment that left her with countless blessings!
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About the Book
Oh, the Sundays when the powerful voices of “Wings Over Jordan” flooded, no, bombarded every house in the neighborhood. Perhaps sun oozed into our parlors or rain beat down the roses in each yard. Perhaps, the snow fell in white layers on the pavements, porches, yards of our houses but the melodic voices of our talented brothers and sisters encouraged us to go on and on and on. I’m sure this was what inspired Papa to go each day for long hours to barber, what inspired him to keep on keeping on. What made us all go ever forward in our every day happenings since, in these wonderful, inspirational songs, always introduced with, “Go Down Moses, Way down in Egypt Land. Tell Ole Pharaoh to let my people go!” our lives were peaceful because all was well with our souls. These great, grand spirituals gave this all-Black community a promise of hope and the expectancy of good things to come. To us, that was what it all was about.
About the Author
Ruth T. Owens
Grew up in Washington, D.C. and attended public schools through first year high school. All the while, her mother made sure Ruth was in a dance class on weekends learning ballet and tap. She finished high school in North Carolina and first year college at Kittrell College, Kittrell, N.C. majoring in Business Administration. She taught dancing in the summers and during holidays. Ruth was awarded a scholarship to The School of American Ballet in New York City in 1947. Many years later, in 2003, she was honored as one of many pioneers of African-American dance
by Vibrations Dance Company of Columbia, S.C. Ms. Evie Belton, Founder & Director.
Ruth married her childhood sweetheart, Ricaud in 1948 and they had five children, a girl, Rickie and four boys, Brian, Gamaille, Gordon and Donald.
In their licensed Childhood Development Home, ’the playpen’ Ruth began to pursue a long-held dream of Creative Writing. She wrote monthly newsletters for the parents of the children in her home and their friends that they truly enjoyed. Certainly, teaching dancing, loving and caring for babies and toddlers were grand opportunities but in writing, she found a growing passion fulfilled ~ God is so good!
Since courses in writing began, blessing upon blessing rained down! Beginning early in the mornings with meditation, words come easily and clearly, God guides giving strength and direction.