Laddie

When I was 7 or 8 years old, my Dad brought home a puppy. He was a yellow Mountain Cur, which he got from one of his fellow workers at the hardwood flooring mill. I was a huge Lassie fan at the time, but you can't name a male dog - Lassie (little did I know back then). Instead, we named him Laddie.

Laddie's first night at our house wasn't the greatest. He was missing his mother and litter mates. His howls echoed in the Oaks and Hickories of our yard and adjoining woods. The little dog house with the leather hinges on the door wasn't where he wanted to be. And Mom's NO DOGS IN THE HOUSE rule wasn't about to be broken. I talked to him through the rough cut lumber until he settled down and we both went to sleep. Dad picked me up and carried me back to bed.

Laddie was the best friend the only boy in the neighborhood could have. While sisters were doing their thing, Laddie and I kept all the squirrels and rabbits nervous. That first summer as we both grew up and in devotion to each other was the greatest. The next year, Dad went to work in the meat department of Lentz Cee Bee. Laddie was one lucky dog... Bones to chew on and "out of date" packaged meats as his evening meal. When Dad drove up, Laddie knew there was something special waiting for him.

Laddie had one bad habit - he loved to chase cars, especially those that headed west on the dirt road in front of the house. When he heard a car round the curve at the Charles Creek Cemetery, Laddie would make his way to the corner of the house. When the car was at our driveway, off he would sprint. He wore a path through the weeds and grass parallel to the road and then down the bank to the red clay and limestone gravel.

"Sic'em Laddie" was all I had to say to get him running into the Woods on the east side of the house. He wouldn't return until he found the tree where a squirrel had taken refuge. He took to his nature of hunting, even though we hunted with him only occasionally. Any wild animal was his prey and game.

Skunks are everywhere in Middle Tennessee. Drive very far at night and the unmistakable scent of an unhappy skunk will quickly fill the interior. The earlier 70's were also the time of a great Rabies epidemic. Skunks and foxes were the main carriers and news reports told of various domestic animals being attacked.

One afternoon, as I walked out of the back door, Laddie got between me and the tire swing that hung from the huge Oak by the clothes line. He wouldn't let me pass. As I moved to the right, a small black and white figure jumped out of the tall grass at the edge of the yard. It hissed and started toward us. Laddie grabbed it and slung it back out of the yard and gave chase. I could hear the yelps of pain as the sharp teeth tore into Laddie's flesh. I ran into the house and called Uncle James (Mom and Dad worked late on Friday evenings). He arrived in just a few minutes. His .22 rifle in hand, the told me to stay in the house and he followed the sounds down in the Clay Gullies. Moments later, two shots rang out. The skunk was no more and Laddie limped home behind Uncle James.

When Mom and Dad got home, Laddie was still licking his wounded legs. I told Dad how Laddie had protected me and kept me from walking right into the skunk's path. Dad said, "Son, you should be proud of Laddie. He did what he was suppose to do. But there is something I've got to do now." Dad explained that even though Laddie had his Rabies Shot, they weren't as effective as they are today and Laddie was suffering from injuries.

Dad retrieved the Mossburg from his closet and Laddie, even in his pain, jumped to his feet and was ready to hunt as Dad stepped on the back porch. They walked together to the Clay Gullies. A single shot ripped through the night and my heart.

Forty years later, I still fondly remember the smell of the yellow fuzz ball that rode home in the front seat of a Skyblue Chevy. I can wait to see ya at the Rainbow Bridge!

Happy 75th Anniversary

The following is taken from a term paper written by Melody Brown-Brogdon on May 5, 1987 for her high school U.S. History class. I know no better words than these:

On May 20, 1933, they were married in the home of Judge Thomas. The wedding was a small one and the dress was only a simple one without all the lace, but Mildred would have preferred it to any “fancy dress”

They never had a honeymoon, and she says she didn’t want one after they were married. They moved in with his parents...

For 75 years now, the house on the hill (or very close-by) has been her home. Maurice and Sarah were born within the walls of that simple abode. Thomas and Elton were born in the house that would have stood in front of the Goat and Chicken Pen. Only Sandra, the baby, was not born at home.

For 30 years now, Daddy Frank has been gone (May 9, 1978). I have heard her say many times, "Not a day goes by that I don't think of him".

So as Brooke and Kyle say their vows this Saturday, the best I can wish for them is to follow in the footsteps of Mildred and Frank Brown...

edit to add: While eating dinner at our house this evening, Sarah asked Mama if she knew what today was??? She didn't. But she did remember much about that day. Those that were in attendance were her father and brother Slatton, also Judge Thomas's son. Her mother and sister Catherine went to a Saturday night Prayer Meeting. It was after dark when they arrived at Judge Thomas's home. Catfish and old times, made for a great meal!!!

Co-Winky-Dink

I get a email today with an alert of a special event! Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream was having a Free Cone Day to celebrate their 30th birthday. Knowing that I was a least 75 miles away from the closest Ben & Jerry's, I clicked on the Tennessee link to see the stores there.

400 Main Street ~ Franklin, TN

That's got to be just down the street from Sherry's office.

So, I dial the number...

"______ Mortgage. This is Stephanie, may I help you?"

Me - "May I speak with Sherry?"

Stephanie - "May I tell her who's calling?"

Me - "This is her brother."

Stephanie - "Oh, OK. Hold, please."

Holding....

Stephanie - "She has stepped out of the office at the moment."

Me - "OK, You can actually pass a message to her. Would you mind telling her that Ben & Jerry's is having Free Cone Day?"

*Sound of Jaw Dropping*

Stephanie - "Huh, that is actually where she has gone!!!"

Me -

Really I shouldn't be surprised... Sherry and I often think alike. Saying something to the other and hearing the reply, "That's what I think also."

A three hundred and fifty mile OBMB - One Big Mushy Brain!!!

"Dinner's Ready!!!"

When the clock strikes twelve, the dinner bell would ring them all in for dinner. In the traditional south, the noon time meal is dinner - not lunch.

And you have supper in the evening, not dinner.

The old bell has stood in the same spot as long as any one can remember. When Mama married Daddy (75 years ago - May 20, 1933), the old bell was old even then. The children, as they grew up in the late thirties and forties, were warned not to pull on the rope for fear that the bell pole would break and fall. And yet, it still stands proudly on the south side of the house. Flanked by Pecan and Dogwoods, its silence speaks volumes. The witness the old bell could toil out if it had voice. The history of the farm recorded in the rusty patina.

Mmmmmmm, Chocolate Pie

A pie for my birthday???


Yes, Susan made me one! As she told me that it was waiting in the fridge in the fellowship hall, she said, "Laurie said, what would his Mom had done for him?"

SPOT ON!!!

Susan (and Laura), thank you so much!

Two Years Ago...

I was struggling with writing this post since last night. I started and deleted so many times, that I had just about given up on what to write. Then I get an email from Sherry when I get back from lunch and a doctor's appointment!

Thanks, Sis! I couldn't have said it better!!!

I know we haven’t talked yet today and I really don’t want to dwell on what day it is. I know that both of us have thought about the 2 year mark all week, and especially today. Instead of thinking that Daddy has been gone from us for 2 years and making today a sad event; I have been trying to think that this is a 2 year anniversary that we have become closer together as a brother and sister-sharing the memories we have of both Mom and Dad. Also Dad’s passing took him away from his earthly pains and illness; and moved him onto his next journey toward heaven. We both know that dad lived a wonderful Christian life, both as a devoted husband and father to us, along with a very caring person that was loved by many. So smile with me and say a prayer, and thank God for His love and allowing us to be stronger today because He gave us Dad and the memories to share.

I love you.

Amen!!!


Sherry, I love you, too!!!

And be a simple kind of man.
Be something you love and understand.
Be a simple kind of man.
Wont you do this for me son,
If you can?

Chorus to Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man
(by Gary Rossington - Ronnie Van Zant)

Barn De-Construction

The Bee McCranie Barn... It stood on the hill, about a quarter mile up the road from our driveway. It stood there for, we think, for over 100 years. Stood, past tense, because it has been disassembled.

Thanksgiving weekend, Buddy (our brother-in-law) asked Mr. Breedlove, "Whatcha got planned for the old barn?"

Mr. B: "Nothing"

Buddy: "Could I have it to tear down?"

Mr. B: "As long as you don't leave a mess. Just put all you don't want in a pile so it can be burned."

The roof was the first thing to come off, Buddy hired a few men to remove the rusting tin.

The Friday after Christmas, we took over with hammers, pry bars, crowbars and a sledge hammer. Each board was carefully removed from where it had been for over 10 decades. Each nail was pulled, some so rusty that it took extra effort to extract it from the heart pine lumber.

And what lumber...

Full dimension boards, not of the 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" lumber that calls itself a two-by-four!!!

The floors of the barn and the loft were 2" x 8" x 20'

The siding boards were 1 1/4" x 20' x various widths (some as wide as 15")

The floor joist were 2" x 10" x 20'

The beams supporting the floor joist were 6" x 10" X 20'

Six trailer loads were removed, sorted and stack at Pond. With plans to build a "cook house" at the pond, when the lot was totally clean.

The unusable, rotten and broken wood was piled in preparation for a blazing end. We started this process last Saturday afternoon. With one flick of a lighter, a bundle of old hay was thrown into a burn pit. That same fire was still smothering this morning when I started my commute to work. Sarah and her brother worked all day yesterday, tossing the odd post and board onto the bonfire.

As we loaded the last of the salvagable lumber onto my truck, I spotted a LARGE furry brown mass and a much smaller grey one.

He was still sitting beside the scrap piece of lumber when I return from town with our dinner (yummmm, PIZZA).

In an IM to me this morning, Sarah wrote:

"I am going to check on it when I get going...you may be a father when you get home"

Great Uncle³

Jade Aleigh O'Neal

7 lbs 4 oz, 21 inches

December 7, 2007 ~ 4:34pm

Todd holding his daughter and my Sister Sherry (Nanna) talking to me!

We didn't just fall...

Off the Turnip Truck, that is.

We have been enjoying the turnip roots and greens and Mustard greens for about five weeks now. Maurice, Sarah’s brother, loves to buy seeds, plant and fertilize and then watch stuff grow. That’s about the end of his involvement, until the bounty comes out of the cooking pot.

Our Turnip Queen, Brooke!!!

Mustards, washed and ready for the pot.

We have been rather selfish with the mustard greens. Of the nearly acre of greens planted back in September, only about 5% are mustards. Sarah's favorite green is by far --- mustard. We gathered the last of the curly tops, if we don't get rain before the next frost.

There is a 60% chance of rain in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow!!!

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matthew 17:20

Over the River...

The lyrics to the traditional song just don't fit us. We only have to cross the lawn and pass the cedar trees.

We loaded our dishes on the back golf cart and headed for Mama's house. Sissy and Buddy brought the majority of the meal and it was delicious!

While I was taking photos of the cedars, our 'across the road' neighbors were headed out to Grandma's also. And like us, they only had a short drive. In fact, the back of the farm shares property boundaries with his parents farm.

Metro and Geli made sure that the chicken was turning 'round and 'round just right.

Yummmmmmm, roasted chicken...

The full menu:

• Roasted Chicken
• Beef Brisket
• Honey Baked Ham
• Dressing (don't dare call it stuffing)
• Peas (from the fall garden)
• Turnip Green (again from the garden)
• Onion and Turnip Roots
• Ambrosia
• Cranberry Sauce
• Pumpkin Pie with whipped topping

Family, Food, Friends, Fun

Franklin, Tennessee

My sister, Sherry, works in downtown Franklin.


Veterans Day Dedication Ceremony (from the Williamson County website)
Date: November 12, 2007
Description: Please plan to attend the dedication of our restored cannon on November 12, 2007 at approximately 10:15 a.m. at the Williamson County Veteran’s Park, at Five Points, in downtown Franklin, TN. This dedication will be prior to the City of Franklin’s Veteran’s Day parade which begins at 11:00 a.m.

Our rare cannon is a 3.2 inch Field Gun Model. The muzzle was manufactured in 1892 at the Watervliet Arsenal in Albany, New York and weighs 832 pounds. The carriage was built in 1887 at the National Armory in Springfield, MA. Both were recently restored by Mr. J.T. Leathers of Murfreesboro, TN.

With her office located just across the street from the Veteran's Park, the High School band assembled and lined up just outside her door. After all the festivities, she took a lunch time walk toward the post office and ran into a trio of older Veterans still milling around. She told them about Dad and his services to our country.

"Well, I see you miss him very much. And since you are not able to give him a hug today, do you mind I give you one?"



If you can read this, thank a teacher...
If you are reading this in English, thank a Vet!!!

Two years

The phone call hit me like a ton of bricks. The "in the middle of the night" ringing that everyone dreads. But Sherry made it as easy and gentle as possible... For that, I will bealways thankful.

She also made sure that Mom and Dad were seen after and cared for. She was there for them when I couldn't be there physically. Over the last few years, you have been there for me also.

Thanks, Sherry... I think I will keep you around - even though you are 350 miles away. You make a pretty good sister!

Nothing like sleeping in your own bed!

Buddy and Sissy came home last night.

I am amazed that modern medicine can take you, rip you from stem to stern, fix you up and sent you on your way in less than a week!!!

But then again, not.

Because it is a blessing from the Lord that makes these things possible. We see His handy work in all things. From the tiniest bug crawling on a blade of grass, to the knowledge and skills He gives doctor to perform surgeries.

God still perform miracles. Today, he chooses to work through the hands of physicians. The Lord is not slack - 2 Peter 2:3. We thank God for the miracles and blessing in our lives!!! And for his longsuffering toward us-ward.

Update Update

Buddy was moved from CICU to a regular room

All tubes (incoming and outgoing) have been removed

He is eating

He is walking

Estimated time for departure: Thursday!!!

News from CICU

Buddy was in surgery for over six hours. Around 11:00 (four hours into the operating session) the Surgical Nurse gave Sissy (that's what we call Martha) a progress report, "They have completed two bypasses and have started on replacing a damaged valve."

As long as you got the vehicle on the rack for an oil change, might as well change the transmission fluid also...

Last night was kinda rough for Buddy. Post-op nausea was his constant companion.

When Sissy walked into his room this morning, he greeted her with a huge smile!

We thank God for caring for Buddy and Sissy yesterday. And we pray for continuing strength in the coming days!

Brother

Being the middle child with two sisters, I thought I wanted a brother instead of all those girls around the house. I would spend countless hours by myself in the red clay fields and in the oak Woods, near my childhood home. I took be forty years to find my brother.

George, we call him Buddy, is that man. We married sisters, two of the most beatiful ladies in Georgia, I tell ya! He was the best man at our wedding, we have worked on keeping the grass cut on the farm and have eaten more meals together than I can begin to count. In fact, while I was looking for pictures for this post... I couldn't find one of Buddy where he wasn't eating!!!

Not only is he my brother-in-law, but he is my brother in Christ.

Tomorrow morning at 7:30, Buddy is schedule for surgery! Open heart sugery!! His third!!!

So I am praying for my brother, won't you???

Daylight, Tennessee

The old post office/general store is most likely no longer. It wasn't looking so structurally sound some 31 years ago when the photo was taken.

Sherry was working for the Southern Standard, the local newspaper, at the time. She was taking photos, developing and printing in the lab on High Street. I was about to enter my freshman year at MTSU, when I asked her to take a photo of the old run down building. We drove down the steep hill on the dirt road that then ran parallel to Charles Creek. It was the same path that the school bus took right after picking us in the mornings. I remember that I purposely sat on the left side of the bus so I could gaze at the old boards.

When the green shingle house was built in spring of 1960, none of the mail coming to our home had a Zip Code affixed along with the Route 1, Daylight address. The Postal Zip Codes were established for the entire country on July 1, 1963 and sometime before that date the move was made to the main Post Office on the Court House Square in McMinnville. Along with Centertown, Ivring College, Dibrell and other small operations - the postmasters then became letter carriers. Two generations of the Womack family delivered the mail for as long as our family lived on "Route 8".

And yes, that is a tree growing through the roof.

Uncle Bratten

Bratten Benjamin Woods

McMinnville resident and Cannon County, TN native Bratten Woods, age 71, was born April 22, 1936 and died July 25, 2007 at NHC Healthcare McMinnville following an extended illness. The food manager at Bi-LO and a member of the Church of Christ, he was the son of the late Sherman and Nora Haley Woods.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, Dorren Woods and two sisters, Helen Woods and Jean Stembridge.

He was married in 1974 to Linda Sue Hall Woods of McMinnville.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by one daughter, Dana Woods of McMinnville; brother, James Woods of McMinnville and sister, Robbie "Ronald" Fults of Manchester, TN.

Neices and Nephew - Bernice, Bob, Sherry, Beverly, Regina, Stephanie, LeAnn and Christy.

Funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, July 27, 2007 in High's Chapel with Garland Robinson and Ray Weddington officiating. Burial will follow in the Trousdale Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Thursday and from 10:00 a.m. until time of service Friday at High's.

Most of my memories of Bratten includes James. Mainly because James and Bratten were always working together on the farm. They worked "in town" and would arrive home within five minutes of each other.

• Building the Barn


• Building the Garage (it was call the garage, even though there was never a vehicle park in it - it was full of wood working equipment). It is from these experiences that I obtain my interest and love of construction and woodworking


• Feeding the cows in the afternoon


• Playing catch with a real baseball and glove for the first time. James and Bratten bought them for me!!!


• Watching the bulldozer dig the pond


• Being careful not to tip over the "tin cans" at the ends of the couch


• Driving the tractor


• Riding in the new red Pickup Truck to Whitlock's Grocery to get the item needed by Granny to finish preparing supper


• Sitting with Bratten and/or James instead of Mom and Dad during worship services


• Wrigley's Spearmint Gum that had extra flavor added by osmosis

James and Bratten - March 25, 1951

Older Brother, Younger Sister

My younger sister was my constant companion when I was growing up. Living out in the stick of rural Warren County, there wasn’t much to do. We made up our own fun.

Making forts/playhouses with tin cans and scrap lumber
Riding bikes on paths in the woods that were swept clean with an old broom (we weren’t allow on the dirt road)
Playing with a kitten that had a strange name
Hide and Go Seek in the red clay gullies
Climbing into a tree house that seemed so high back then(we would most likely bump our head if we could walked under it now)
Watching cartoons, Dark Shadows and Batman

Sherry, you were always there! Sometimes to ad nauseum. But I wouldn’t trade the memories for anything. Even the spats. Even throwing you through the wall in the den of the old house at Daylight.

Now with 387.6 road miles separating us, we are closer than ever. Thanks for being there for me.



Sis, whatcha think this is – your birthday or something!

Tying Flies

Dylon, our grandson, has been visiting with us since Monday afternoon.

• We have been fishing at the pond.
• We have ridden the golf cart all over the farm and especially to the Beaver Pond.
• We have rescued a bicycle from the rust heap.
• Tonight, we pulled the fly tying kit.
  

I forgot he was left-handed!!!

Turning the vise around, he was able to get the wraps down.

Metro wanted to eat the Peacock Hurl...

INTENSE CONCENTRATION

"Can we do another one?"


Here... Fishy, Fishy, Fishy!!! Not really trying to "match the hatch" on this one. Dylon just thought it was colorful. It wouldn't matter much to the Blue Gills at the pond anyway. They have been known to strike and bite an empty hook!!!

Flies from last year and tonight