Best wishes to you and Jerilyn. What a blessing to have the opportunity to be safe and enjoy your life. So good to hear from you. Take care…Judy

JoAnn, that was soooo beautiful and I am so sorrrrrry that you lost your best friend.
Friends like that are hard to come by. I am fortunate enough to have several friends here in The Villages, Fl
that would do anything in the world for us. Including mine and Tommy’s old boss LZ Smith. We have been good friends since the mid 70’s. WOW now that I think about it, that is a lonnnng time. I just went over to his house this morning and we talked for a while. We play golf together at least 3 times a week.
I’m sure your friend and Angel Kathy is watching over you and you will have a joyous reunion when you cross over the “Rainbow Bridge”.

JoAnn, you’re a lady after my own heart. I remember going over to my mothers almost every Sunday along with my younger brother and sister and their children for a good country breakfast.
My mother made everything from scratch. Biscuits, gravy, syrup, pork tenderloin, bacon and some other delicious foods. In the summer we had fresh sliced tomatoes or fried green tomatoes.
She usually cooked for about 10 people and didn’t want any help and she thoroughly enjoyed it.
Now you have me drooling all over my keyboard with the only thing that resembles biscuits and gravy is Hardee’s.
I know, not even close to our mommas.
Thanks you sooooo much for all your wonderful missives.

That is beautiful Dad! I know they must have loved it.

Tommy, I think with all I have been through with this old brain, I am content to keep things just as God made them. We must remember Midas’s wish for gold that everything he touched would turn to gold and what happened to his young daughter. Thanks, I’ll keep this one.

Hey TJ. I think I’m inclined to think like you currently on a new brain. I’ve kinda grown accustomed to who I was and who I am now. But like you, I think it is coming in the future.
And I love it when you take our trips back down memory lane. Sure makes me think about my past.
Hopefully all goes well with the big move and once the pandemic passes you can start traveling again.
I’m hoping you will venture back down this way to Florida (where the weather is currently 76) and stop by for another visit.
Since Margie has macular degeneration now and is legally blind along with her other health issues, that traveling is in the forecast with us.
I sure would like to sit back with you and drink a beer and smoke a cigar. LOL

Hi JoAnn. I googled Lupus as I wasn’t that familiar with it. I learned a lot about it.
I’m sorry that you’re in a lot of pain.
It’s amazing how many doctors are borderline “quacks” and act like a lot of your pains and aches are in your head. You keep on hanging in there girl. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

As always I love your missives. Some times you bring tears to my eyes with lovely thoughts that you have never mentioned. You are a wonder all in its self. You have always been the best father, but I see how much you look back on life. You shouldn’t. You have always been a great man and father Rusty and I could have asked God to give us. You don’t have to look any further than that. Trust me. I was there. I couldn’t love you any more and I know Rusty would say the same. I’m pretty sure he’s sitting on my shoulder as I type this.

People have become complacent or just don’t give a hoot! Their mistake!

JoAnn, thank you! You hit the nail on the head. Like you, I can not understand how some people are so blind to the truth of this monstrous virus and choose to be so stubborn and so backward! Will they ever learn?

Joanne, I used to have to slop the hogs also. When I was raised in Buchanan County Virginia, We all had
jobs to do. I actually feel pity for the younger generation, as we go through this pandemic, that they are all bored to tears by having nothing to do but electronics! We were blessed back then. Hog killing time was a festive occasion at Grandpa Addison’s house. We children even had to help scrape the hogs before the men dressed them down. We did a lot of talk then with cousins, etc.

This is what we have been trying to do too,, to eat out is a chore as we have to use our car for the dining
room. This too will pass!
Just keep enjoying each other!
Frank

JoAnn, that was beautiful. You are always so descriptive right down to smallest details. Back in Kentucky we always had hogs also. I can only remember one time of us having a cow and it was for milking, not eating.
In the summertime we would have to weed the gardens and those weeds went into the hog pen.
they would always kill a hog after the first frost of the fall. And hardly anything went to waste from the hogs.
That was pretty festive for our families and the neighbors that helped out. Another festive event in the fall was making sorghum(molasses) out of sugar cane. We were excited when it was time to have the stir off.
Oh yes, and I can still picture the cupboard in the kitchen that held dishes and the big ben with flour and the hand cranking sifter.
WOWWWW, thank you so much for bringing back those wonderful memories for this old (73 on the 28th) man.

Great read Tommy Joe! All is well on Claytor Lake. Got the covid vaccine #1 2 weeks ago. No problem! Hope to get #2 in Feb. Had a friend request from WP and learned that he is cancer free after treatments. Plays golf 2-3 times a week. Tell Jolynn “hello”. Take care and be safe!

Yes, to a child, puppies are better than chickens! We used to hate going into the yard and “cutting our foot’ as we described stepping into the chicken droppings! Chickens sure played a major role in the way we got our protein.
Oh, well, ’nuff said!

Another great story JoAnn. Me being from the hills of Kentucky right across the border from Virginia, can very much relate to this story. My grandfather who owned a combination Texaco service station, grocery store, and restaurant always had people “dropping” off their unwanted pets in front of his business. I can remember all the great dogs that my cousins and I had. The wild feral cats did a great job of keeping the mice and rats away.
My older brother and several cousins still live there and they still get the unwanted pets. None are ever turned away and all well fed. My wife and I got a puppy from one of the litters and she was the best dog we have ever had.
Keep up the great missives JoAnn and TJ. Y’all are always bringing back soooo many great memories.

And then there is Starbucks! LOL

My wife and I have a house in the Eldorado National Forest of the Sierras. We have plenty of pine trees. If you and Brandon don’t mind, come on over and help me rake! Just kidding of course, but to have a person help with all the raking and burning would be a welcome relief for this old senior citizen. Keep on writing, Joe Thomas!

Love the story JoAnn. I love the aroma of coffee also, but I get terrible indigestion if I drink it.
And I cannot drink caffeinated coffee nor can my wife. She drinks decaffeinated occasionally and I have a couple
of sips of hers. Keep up the good work.

Another great one TJ.

Wow, what a story. I remember meeting Lash LaRue in Harlan county Kentucky. In a little town called Cumberland Kentucky.

JoAnn.
That was a very beautiful missive. I’m in your corner on this one.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Dale D.

I am reminded of George Burns who on his 99th birthday was doing a show. He walked out and calmly said,
“I am happy to be here tonight, at my age I’m glad to be anywhere!” As we grow older, wouldn’t it be nice to
have at least one grandson to sit down with us and pick our brains for all the information stored there, computer style, I bet they would be surprised, as well as, ourselves! Edgar Guest wrote quite a bit of poetry and his books are still available online. I have a collection of his works. He was the ‘poet of the people’ back in the early 1900’s.
Most folks would think of his poems as being quite archaic today! I’m from the old school and still like some of the older stuff that used to make some sense!

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Please share the poem because this grandchild and your great grandchildren love getting words of wisdom from you. We also love learning about you no matter how many miles apart❤ I can honestly say in all of my years of life you are the kindest, loving, and most selfless person I know. PROUD you are my GRANDPA❤❤

Hi JoAnn,
Being from the hills of Kentucky just across the border from Virginia, I too have lots of memories from this missive. My mother used the Maytag wringer washer also.
Unlike you I had first hand experience of what those wringers would do to you. I was trying to help Momma do the laundry and was pushing some overalls thru the wringer and in goes my arm. It went in to my elbow and just spun while it was peeling skin off. My mother heard me screaming and came running out and popped the wringer open. I still have the scar on my arm as a reminder.
I also had the misadventure of stepping on a rusty nail. My mother put some kind of home made remedy on it but it got worse. To the small coal mining hospital I go. It got blood poisoning and part of the bone from my big toe had to be cut out. I spent 30 days in that hospital.
I can remember us having soupbeans, cornbread, green onions, fried taters and some type of pork almost every night.
Those were definitely the good ol days.
You and TJ keep up the fantastic stories.

Joanne, your article brought back many memories of washday at our house. Dad was a coal miner so you can imagine what a mess we had at washday. I usually had to skip school each Monday just to carry water for mom’s washtubs, and heat the water outside over piled up rocks (a makeshift fireplace) with wood that had to be stoked ever so often. It is a miracle I was able to keep up and graduate Garden High School, Oakwood, Va. Mountain life was a bit difficult when I grew up in Buchanan County, Va.

It seems there is always someone waiting for senior citizens to let go their property

Tommy….had the same experience last week. Walking the dog to the mailbox, a couple stopped me and ask to buy my house! Put him in touch with a realtor friend and he visited a couple of properties. The realtor relayed the message he was not interested in the properties visited since walking my property. It is good to know my property is saleable even though I am not ready to sell. Makes me think about it…Hope you and Jerilyn are well. Take care and be safe!

Joanne, I could almost see the fall colors as I read your missive. Have a wonderful evening!
Frank

Oh I love this so much.. I appreciate your alls attention, time, and love. I strive to be like you, Grandpa. I miss seeing Daddy and Grace together too.

Very good post Dad! I have never read The Velveteen Rabbit and I will now. Also, I believe the most powerful word in any language is LOVE. 🤗

Yes, Joanne,
Having been a reseller for many years, and for extra things my family needed, I can testify that there are many
bargains out there if anyone has a hankering to research them.
Halloween, well that’s another story. This was when the ‘good kids’ of our neighborhood got together at the old school bottom to do a little mischief! ‘Nuff said!

Joanne, Thank you for something positive at this time. We are all blessed that God is still on the Throne of Mercy and not judgment! He promised that He would not allow the destroyer to come near the dwelling of a believer!
Keep writing positive!
Frank

One IS a lonely number. Hearing the words, ‘I love you’ reminds you–you aren’t alone.

Very good JoAnn.
I play golf every day and every day before I leave to play, I kiss my wife and tell her I LOVE YOU. And every night before we go to bed we kiss and tell each other I LOVE YOU.. We’ve only been married for 12 years but the “HONEYMOON” is not yet for us two love birds.

Yes, Joanne, We sometimes forget the small amenities of life. To say ‘I love you’ covers a multitude of difficulties of the past! Let all disagreements go by telling the other person, “I LOVE YOU”! Great thought, Joanne!

I’m so glad you wrote about this! I would borrow that radio from him and follow him around too when outside! Also, I remember him dedicating songs to mamaw on the radio!! I told Evan about it. Aw, it warms my heart.

Yes, Joanne, we would all like to go back and hear our Father’s voice again. I guess this is why we have music to remind us that there was a past, and hopefully, there will be a future!

Ah, Orange Juice! Filled with Vitamin C, Calcium, etc.(whatever is added at the processor) Yes, our first Frigidaire solved a lot of problems, especially at milking time! It is a good thing to never dwell on what we can get in the way of sickness, but instead, dwell on the One who can heal us of that sickness. Medicine cannot heal, only God can heal! Medicine only assists nature to remove the antibodies so that the blood stream can do its job!

JoAnn, I thoroughly enjoy your writings. Although, I am a generation older than you so many things that you reference brings back memories of days long passed. Tommy Joe and I grew up together and have stayed in contact all these years. I love dearly and look forward to his missives as well. You two, please, keep up the good writings for us oldies to enjoy.

I really enjoyed reading this missive.

They were a lot like that for us too! I still am happy that cell phones weren’t a thing and I never had one until I was 18, and even then used it rarely. I am thankful for my cell phone now, but I’m glad I was able to grow up without one. Good post

Great missive!

Another great read TJ. I love the hot weather. I’m out playing golf in it every day.
I usually play about 5 to 7 hours a day. I have my golf cart but still get a lot of walking in.
Take care. Stay safe and healthy.

Joanne, You must have been pretty well-to-do when you went to school. Most of us used an old lard bucket or a plain paper sack (called a poke then) and if we had mayonnaise and tomatoes in our lunches, these inevitably leaked through and ruined the sandwiches our mothers so delicately packed! Because our lunches went into the cloak room behind the stove at school, if we had sandwiches with cheese, it was always hardened around the edges and only the center of the sandwich was edible. Ah, such misery!

As you so aptly put it; It is amazing how much better our place looks since the pandemic. It is also amazing how much smaller the weeds have become as we cut them before they get a chance to reveal their specie.
Actually, I can’t imagine anyone having too much time on their hands these days. For some reason, hot or cold, I am busy from daylight (around 6am) until I get into bed at night! If anyone should tell me they have time on their hands, I can tell them ways to prevent that.
Thanks, Tommy, keep on writing!

I really enjoyed reading Simple Things, JoAnn. It brought back
so many memories of my childhood. It definitely was a simpler time of life.

That’s so sad about the walnut trees!

We grew up in New York. Although Westchester County was largely a bedroom commute to New York City.
As children , myself, mother, Grandmother, Aunt and cousin would frequent thrift stores in White Plains, N.Y.
Always remember how a bargain was a thrill to find. Even second-hand ice skates were given at Christmas.
Cousins and myself used those skates at Opperman’s Pond, Pleasantville, N.Y. Such fun. They finally were thrown away after several winters of skating. Our feet grew and we broke right out of the front of skates.
Good memories

Your article got me to thinking! What is the purpose of MY life? I would have to say that God put us here to manifest Him. I guess, for the past 50, or more, years, I have been doing that! Oftentimes, I did not know I was doing it! BTW, are the Keen Mountain Boys the ones from Buchanan County led by Remus Keene?I went to school with them.

Fantastic JoAnn. Me being from the coal mining hills of Kentucky can really relate to to all of your style of clothes shopping. I can remember my mother going to “rummage sales” or “rag sales” and picking out a few clothes for us. They may have been hand me downs from somebody but, they were great for us getting new(to us) items. I can remember wearing our jeans so much that they eventually became “high water” pants after several washings.
Thank you so much for your vivid posts.
Stay safe and stay Healthy…

Very good as usual TJ.
Ain’t life great being a hillbilly. I think from my life growing up in the mountains of Kentucky has given me a greater perspective on life.
Keep up the good work.
All is well in sunny Florida. I’m still getting to play golf every day.

You are the most “enlightened” gpa I personally know. 🙂

What a sweet post! Love.

This is a very nice article, JoAnn, and I enjoyed it so much! It stirred up memories of me helping my kids and vice versa plus my parents helping me and vice versa…..so many precious memories flooding my mind!! Thanks so much for sharing.

It has been said by many, “We are parents until we die!” This is so true! My parents were true to me even
if I was 3,000 miles away.

WOW, Very good JoAnn. I’m sure we’ve all had to catch our children’s lifeline at times when they were in need of our support. I sure have with my two sons and now my Stepdaughter and Stepson.
TJ, your and JoAnn’s writings are so descriptive, they make you feel like you’re right there too.
Keep up the great work. I always look forward to reading your missives.

Tommy,
I cannot remember Jesus ever saying “You will go to Heaven”, but in Luke Chapter 17:20-21, Jesus did say,
The Kingdom comes not with observation (seeing with the eyes) because the Kingdom is within you!
It is all a spiritual kingdom!
I like your Iguana missive, it shows a good lesson in life!

Very good Tommy! Keep them coming.

Nice Wow’s! I remember cutting brush with a huge scythe before going into the Air Force for 50cents an hour. Had it not been for the man’s wife, he would not have even paid me. I believe that you and I were blessed to
have gone to the Air Force when we did.

This is a good one!

Awwwww!!! This is such a good post! So sweet and endearing.

FANTASTIC TJ. Keep up the good work.

It is amazing the simple things that make us happy as we grow older. My wife and I are content to just take a ride somewhere on Sundays, even it if means driving through KFC or a Taqueria along the way. We are isolated in the mountains of Eldorado County in Northern California. A short ride is a big deal when you’ve been isolated for awhile.

Very good. It was from the heart.

the greatest joy I have ever experienced in my life is “Amazing Grace” that God has shown me. It has lasted
for over fifty years.

Great!

WOW… Hershey’s chocolate is my all time favorite candy. My kids know how much I like that chocolate so they usually buy me one of those super giant Hershey bars for my birthday and/or Christmas. And like you JoAnn if I happen to walk down the candy aisle in the store, I have to grab a bag of Hershey’s candy even though my doctor tells me to stay away from sweets to avoid becoming diabetic.

Elsie Dee, your mother was the mainstay of Garden High School and at church. I always remember the square dancing she taught us in the gym………… everything from the Virginia Reel to Glow Little Glow Worm!
Mom was 69 when Dad died and she had never learned how to drive a car. Dad always drove her where she needed to go. She wanted to learn how to drive so Bill Henry and I both tried to teach her down in the school bottom. We gave up.
Then one day, she called me and said she had her driver’s license. How did you do that? Grace taught me how to drive. Your mother had enough patience to teach one of her best friends how to drive.

Good stories David. Brings back lots of memory for me, too. We lived by the Page. My grandfather was the fix it man in the mine shop at Page. Anything that broke or was damaged he fixed it. Both of our mothers taught elementary grades 4th & 5th until mother was moved to high school. They were life long friends. Like you the Garden Community Center/Methodist Church was very much a part of my life. I do believe every time the door was open for any event we were there. Loved the church, Sunday school (we had good teachers there, also) Girl Scouts and MYF was a lot of fun. And Church Camp was great!
Not that it really matters, but Rev. Beadles was a bit older than you remember. Both he and Mrs. Beadles were near 50 when they were moved to a church in TN. She was 43 when she had her first child. While attending college in Illinois Rev. Beadles drove a taxi cab in Chicago. So Buchanan county roads were no problem to him. Continue your writing and I look forward to reading your book.

Hi David, Nice writing!
I too lived in Buchanan County at Shortt Gap. I was raised similar to you on a hillside farm. I had nine brothers and sisters and we all attended Garden High School at one time or another. You probably graduated with my sister Ruthann. I graduated in 1960. Hope your book is a success! I write for www.spectatorron.com. Hope to be able to write a book sometime.

I remember those days so well. With us having to create our own entertainment we learned how to develop lasting friendships, although we didn’t realize it at the time. We roamed the mountains all the time “exploring” and no one had a watch. We just had a sense of time for being home for dinner (deep trouble if you missed dinner). We had many games in the coal camp with very liberal rules adjustments each time we played. Of course we had disagreements and “fallouts” that would last about an hour and then we gathered again to play a different game!
Lotsa memories, but I will spare you for the time being.
Brenda Whitley Klassen
PS. I still love playing games. At the time I have 3 different game groups going that I started.

Very well written. I remember the game ” Kicking the can down the road”. those were the days. Has the book been published?

Thanks for sharing your memories. Enjoyed reminiscing. Lived on Garden Creek across the creek from Edith Taylor. Dad was store manager/butcher for Island Creek.

Tommy, I enjoyed all your articles. Your “Jonas Salk” mention brought back a lot of memories of that polio epidemic. We could not get near the creek, or drink from any mountain stream. Our mothers did a big job back then keeping us safe from harm

Hey TJ, very uplifting WOW.
Thanks

Hi Tommy, I am positive that the Christian of the year is the one who is Christlike! We can only be that if He lives in us. In St. John 14 He told us that He would. This is what He meant when He said that if He was mistreated, we would be mistreated. If He was treated well, we would be treated well. Heb. 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever! Great job on the lawn mower!

Hear, hear! Good post! And of course we don’t think of you as a relic..just a lovely grandpa full of wisdom.

I just finished a texting bout with my only granddaughter. Her final act was to send me a kitten with hearts all around it. This is living!
Tommy, as long as we are in the flesh, we will do things to displease others. We all have a conscience, whether we use it or not, and it will guide us to repent of our weaknesses!

Great article Mr. Tommy. I think I’m the one consuming most of your leftover chocolate. I admit, it is my worst addiction. Keep on writing this great stuff.

Yes we all have an appt.in Samarra, question is, are we ready for it

Tommy your latest blog, Samarra. So important
a message for those of us in our 70’s.
I can envision Jerilyn in her garden, thanks to your words. She was always
sweet. You missed your calling. A way of
with words. The western part of this state,seeps thru in your choice expressions. Keep hunkering down both
of you.

Btw, you can make phone calls with the Apple watch. Also, I have blue eyes but I don’t think I was included in your three smart people lol!

I was given an Apple watch for Christmas by a Chinese brother. I am not adapting to it easily as I probably do not have the patience. So there she sits!
Covid9 has us isolated in our home in Eldorado County, Ca. watch for the next issue of Spectatorron for the story. My eyes are a mixture of blue, green, hazel, etc. I must be the smartest man you ever met 🙂 Watch out for the Green-eyed monster!

Two thumbs up TJ.

Yes, Tommy, T.V. has taken the place of a lot of important things, the main one I can think of is reading the Bible. At this time I don’t believe it would hurt us to spend more time with the Word of God!

Very nice article, Tommy.

Another great read TJ.
I can relate to the doggy stories. My wife wouldn’t hesitate to spend $1000, $5000 even $10000 on our fur babies if she thought it would bring them comfort.
I’ve even grilled fillets for us and had to grill one for them as well.

Tommy, I enjoyed your WOW’s, especially the one about the refrigerator. I too have experienced those times! It sure is hard getting up off the floor sometimes!

TJ, you’re just fantastic with your stories.
I remember in the late 60s working down in
the shipyard as a pipefitter helper takting the salt tablets that were by most of the water stations. Now I try to avoid salt as much as possible.
And you and your wife have a fantastic daily routine. I doubt if I can name 20 presidents, much less all of them and in order.
Keep up the great work.
Dale D.

Do you know what “juice it up a little” means or where it comes from?

Good post. I don’t know much about football either. However, I was pulling for the Chiefs also. I did like their “costumes” but I was on their side because their last super bowl win was 50 years ago…Go CHIEFS….

My favorite Robert Frost poem is “Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening” because of its simplicity of structure and the nostalgia it brings. I am not sure if grammar has gotten better or worse, but I have decided, “There ain’t such a word as ain’t, but I’m not gonna quit saying ain’t!” Mom also delayed our misery by saying “Wait ’til your dad gets home!” Phew!

This post was very funny!

Very good TJ..

I was on the bandwagon about how young girls overexposed their bodies many years ago. It was proven by a college professor, and I believe he was a psychologist, that the upswing in rapes, assaults, etc. was due to the fact that too much body was being shown. If not, why all the assaults and harrassment going on? As you so aptly put it, young men are not as careful about those things as us old dudes. Nature in the raw is seldom mild!

Another fantastic blog TJ.

Tommy, Just think of all the good that Mrs. Wooldridge, Mrs. Simpson, Mr. Brown, and others did for Garden High School. We were fortunate to have Mrs. Simpson as our English/Literature teacher, Mrs Wooldridge as our music teacher, and Mr. Brown in math. I had Mr. Williams in history and all I heard about was sports!:) I sometimes think that Mr. Quillen put a lot of teachers in the wrong spots, such as Mrs. Wooldridge in art class. Oh well, we made it through HIgh School, the USAF, and now almost through our lives and we still look back to our teachers as inspiration.

Very good TJ. You always paint a vivid picture. Makes me feel like I was right there enjoying nature.

You can find Andy and friends and family on at various times daily…Louise