Backyard Party
Enjoying Perfect Weather
In his opening remarks to those attending
the recent Backyard Party and Fish Fry, Wayne Carter stated, "Some folks
measure their wealth by the amount of money they have in the bank, but I
like to measure my wealth by the number of friends I have."
As his voice cracked with emotion, Wayne paused to allow his audience to
respond and then stated, "I’ve tried to cover all the bases for this
party. If everything goes as planned, my General Practitioner will be here
as well as my Urologist. I didn’t invite my Cardiologist, but my undertaker
is here and there are enough members of the ministry present that someone
could conduct a funeral. My hairdresser is here, and I believe there are
enough lawyers if I need defending in a lawsuit or want to sue somebody.
My favorite dentist is also present."
Speaking unrehearsed and unscripted, Wayne thanked everyone for attending
but failed to mention the occasion was largely held in celebration of the
tenth anniversary of his newsletter, Ridge Rider News. Had Wayne taken the
time to script his remarks, he would no doubt have acknowledged his friends who are pharmacists. He also forgot to publicly thank
the eight cooks and helpers responsible for the delicious fish and hushpuppies,
as well as those who brought a dessert to complement the meal.
Though upwards of one hundred thirty people were expected for the annual
event, the final tally indicated that only one hundred thirteen could be
counted as present at some point in the evening. Several individuals called
Saturday morning, canceling their prior plans to attend.
The entertainment for the event was outstanding, and if one factors in the
fact the band that Jason Carter pulled together had rehearsed only once and
had not even played together prior to the rehearsal, then their performance
should be considered superb. A number of guests commented favorably on the
music and some were amazed at Jason’s singing and playing talents. Craig
Downing, a sound technician for First Baptist Church, commented that the
balance of the instruments was "perfect" with no single sound overpowering
the others.
It would not be the largest ever turnout among the many previously held backyard
parties, but it was definitely a large gathering of family and friends, most
of whom are acquainted with Ridge Rider News. The weather was perfect with
afternoon highs around eighty-five degrees and no signs of rain throughout
the day.
One aspect of the entertainment that was missed by many was the light show.
Brett Brown had setup a computer and projector inside our guest house. He
also hung a sheet to serve as a screen, which covered the eight-foot window
overlooking the patio area of our guesthouse. As the sun set, pale images
of multicolored lights and random patterns were backlit on the sheet. And,
as twilight loomed, the images became brighter. Persons who left the party
early missed the light show, and they missed hearing Felicia Brown sing "Ode
To Billie Joe."
Though others help with frying the fish, hushpuppies, and potatoes, Wayne
depends on Lee Gordon and Jim Hess to be in charge of the frying. The day
Lee Gordon informed him of his availability to cook fish for this year’s
party Wayne said he knew if it also worked out for Jim Hess to join us on
June 3rd, that he wanted Felicia to sing "Ode To Billie Joe."
Within a week, Wayne asked Jason to learn the guitar chords and Felicia to
learn the song for the party. Wayne says he hasn’t missed a third of
June singing the tune made famous by Bobbie Gentry, since June of 1967 when
it became a country hit.
Two weeks prior to the party, Felicia announced she had not learned
the song, and three days before the event Jason called his mother to tell
her he had cut off the end of a finger. It was not as bad as first reported,
but the loss of a pea-sized piece of flesh on the end of the ring finger
on his left hand, left him unable to chord his guitar in a conventional manner.
Though he would be able to play with a slide, Jason claimed he could not
use the slide method for the chords in the classic song. Wayne insisted he
ask one of the band members to play for Felicia.
Wayne was helping break down the tables and chairs for their return when
he heard the band’s intro for the Bobbie Gentry tune. Felicia was in
front of the microphone waiting on her cue to sing. Felicia told the small
crowd she didn’t know the words but began singing anyway. Wayne tried
prompting her on the second verse, but it was obvious Felicia had not completed
her homework assignment. Just when Felicia and the band were about to give
up on the song, Brett found the words to the song on the Internet and projected
them onto the screen in the window behind Felicia and the band. Brett’s
quick thinking saved the day, and Felicia was able to sing the song in its
entirety.
Wayne and his family are grateful for each guest at their party and wish
to recognize the following:
Out-of-county guests:
-
Hortense Wakefield - Caledonia, MS
-
Travis and Sharon Johnson and Edward –Memphis, TN
-
Jonathan and Kathy Kalish and sons – Tupelo, MS
-
Fred and Vickey Murphree – Tupelo, MS
-
Jim Hess – Vicksburg, MS
-
Lee Gordon and Jason Gordon – West Point, MS
Additionally, Wayne and his family wish to thank each of the following for
his or her contribution to the success of the backyard party and fish fry:
Cooks: Lee Gordon, Jim Hess, Jason Gordon, Mickey Gentry, Bobby Davis,
Neal Huskison, Charles Austin, and Anson Adams.
Entertainers: Jason Carter, Barney Harris, Robert Gordon, Mark Stewart,
and Felicia Brown.
Setup and/or takedown of outdoor canopies, tables, and chairs: Jason
Carter, Charles Austin, Neal Huskison, Anson Adams, Brett Brown, Anna Butler,
Shane Crausby.
Furniture and flora arrangements outside and inside: Rayanne Adams
and Sarah Brown.
Maintenance of Grounds: Raymond Montgomery and John Schubert.
Special Effects: Brett Brown.
Anna Graduates
Continued From Last Week
Yes, my high school graduation was simpler by far than that of my granddaughter,
Anna Butler. Awards are an example of how times have changed. In my class,
we had a valedictorian and a salutatorian. There may have been an award or
two, but I don’t remember any. At Anna’s graduation, the award
ceremony took almost as much time as the presentation of diplomas. However,
to be fair, I should explain that the bulk of the time devoted to presenting
awards was used by the recipient moving from his or her seat and walking
the thirty or more yards to receive the award. I’ve a solution that
would drastically reduce the amount of time required for the awards ceremony,
but it’s not likely to be given an objective hearing, let alone a second
thought. But, hopefully, I will not be attending another high school graduation
until another granddaughter graduates, and that won’t likely be at Pontotoc
High.
With one hundred twenty-two members, Anna’s graduating class was about
two and one-half times larger than mine. Our bunch fit nicely into the high
school auditorium, while the football field and bleachers were needed for
the class of 2006. The concrete bleachers are no more comfortable today than
when I was a student, and I had not been seated long until I wished for a
stadium seat or a cushion.
As we entered the stadium, we received a program outlining the events for
the evening. Inside the program was an insert with a clearly stated request
concerning appropriate behavior to be observed by the audience. No loud whistles,
shouts, or applause until all of the graduates had been presented a diploma
was the request. This simple act of courtesy and respect was followed by
the majority of those in attendance, but as with the ceremonies I attended
a couple of weeks earlier at Ole Miss, there were plenty of rude and discourteous
individuals on hand. And, had it not been for a woman seated next to me from
Mathiston, MS, I would have had a difficult time enduring the actions of
the more disrespectful among us.
I didn’t get her name, but she and her husband own a small business
that manufactures trailers. She was at the graduation ceremony to support
a nephew. When the first disruptive individual shouted, she glanced
disapprovingly in my direction, and I whispered, "He must not have gotten
a program." It must have struck her as funny, because from then on whenever
someone interrupted the solemn occasion with a yell or whistle, we would
exchange glances, and one of us would comment, "He (or she) didn’t get
a program." The moments of humor we mutually enjoyed made the disruptive
behavior of others slightly more bearable.
Barbara and I were proud that Anna was among the honor graduates. Neither
of us graduated with honors, but Rayanne managed to do so, and now we have
a granddaughter whose grade point average met the qualifying score.
Graduation was over around nine-thirty, and we were back home by ten, but
our night wasn’t over. Rayanne had a party planned for Anna at our house.
I had been told of the party weeks earlier, but I failed to understand the
magnitude of the party. I had assumed Anna would invite a few of her friends
over for snacks and have some loud music playing in the background. A day
or two before the party, I learned differently.
Originally, Rayanne wanted to limit guests to her side of the family, the
Carters and Adams, but when travel and time constraints prevented Anna’s
dad’s family from getting back together on Saturday night, Rayanne agreed
to have an extended family party for everyone related to Anna. So, the guest
list suddenly doubled and more. There were thirty-nine folks at our house
for Anna’s graduation party.
I was concerned where we would put everyone, but since Rayanne planned an
outdoor party, one that would spill off the deck and onto the porch of the
guesthouse, space never became a problem.
Guests feasted on canned drinks, sandwiches, hors d'oeuvres, chips and dips,
and petit fours, before watching Anna open a stack of graduation gifts, of
which I’m able to recall only three.
Barbara and I gave Anna some money rolled up inside an opal ring that Barbara
had selected for herself approximately forty years ago. It was a gift from
Barbara’s last boyfriend before she met me, and I’ve been trying
to get rid of that ring for almost thirty-nine years. Now that it’s
been passed down to Anna, I expect I’ll be able to appreciate the
ring’s beauty more than ever before.
Tommy Butler, Anna’s other granddad, didn’t get off so light. He
made the mistake of promising Anna one thousand dollars for graduation if
she graduated with honors. Still, it was Ashley Butler, Anna’s Dad,
who found his graduation promise the costliest of all.
When Anna entered high school, Ashley promised her a new car for graduation,
if she were an honor graduate.
The last gift Anna opened held the keys to her new car, but Ashley spoke
up to say the keys were only representative of the gift and that he and Anna
would have to go to the dealership to pickup the car. Anna demonstrated her
sensibility by pressing the car alarm on the set of keys. The beeping horn
alerted her that the new car was nearby. She flashed her dad her signature
smile which conveyed, "You can’t fool me." Everyone hurried out to the
driveway to admire Anna’s new car, a 2006 Nissan Altima.
The graduation party was a huge success and was enjoyed by all. As Barbara
and I didn’t get to bed until almost one-thirty the following morning,
I’m hoping the next graduation party I attend is at someone else’s
house.
The events surrounding my granddaughter’s graduation had already greatly
eclipsed those of my day, but there was more to come. Rayanne is a member
of the First Baptist Church in Belmont, MS, and the Belmont church had a
baccalaureate service for its seniors the Sunday afternoon after Anna’s
Friday night graduation.
I had scarcely recuperated from Friday night when it was time to drive to
Belmont for the 2:00 p.m. service that was largely student led. The local
pastor had a few brief remarks, but the seniors were the principal participants,
either with prayers, speeches, or songs. Anna sang the same song she had
sung a week earlier at West Heights Baptist Church in Pontotoc. About twenty
seniors were present for the baccalaureate service.
There are occasions when Barbara
and I have attended a service in Belmont where there were no foods served
afterwards in a time of fellowship, but they are quite rare. May
21st was not such a time. Tables were setup in the gymnasium and
everyone at the baccalaureate service was invited to stay for refreshments.
We enjoyed visiting with our family and associating with members of the local
church we’ve gotten to know over the past few years. After making some
final graduation pictures, Barbara and I headed back to Pontotoc around four
o’clock.
My high school graduation experience is pretty pale compared to that of my
granddaughter. We had one baccalaureate service, not two, and there were
no refreshments afterwards. I didn’t have a graduation party, and if
anyone in our class had a graduation party, I didn’t get invited. The
most expensive gift I received was a portable typewriter. I didn’t get
a car until I was a junior at Ole Miss, and it was one I bought. I’m
not envious of all the hoopla surrounding the 2006 graduates and the festivities
for my granddaughter, though I admit to being somewhat perplexed by all of
it. Times were simpler in my day, and I don’t mind it at all.
Bodock Beau A
Fish Tale
On a recent fishing trip with Joel Hale, Wayne let the big one get away,
not once, but twice. He may be apt to exaggerate the size of the one he almost
caught, but he has a long way to go to catch up with the fish story below:
Shedding Light on the Subject
Two old fishermen, Jack and Fred, were talking about their prize catches
from the past week.
"I caught the biggest catfish I have ever seen," said Jack. "It took me an
hour to get it in the boat, and it weighed over 162 pounds!"
"Well, I didn’t catch any fish," said Fred. "I threw my plug toward
the bank of the mud flat. It hardly hit the water when something took it
down, and I almost couldn’t reel it in. When I pulled it up beside the
boat it was a big ball of mud."
"That’s not surprising," said Jack with a laugh. "You know there’s
nothing out there but mud."
"But when I stripped off the mud," said Fred, "there was a lantern…and
it was still lit."
"Ah come on, Fred," said Jack. "You don’t expect me to believe that,
do you?"
"I’ll tell you what," said Fred. "If you cut 100 pounds off that catfish
of yours, I’ll blow out the light in that lantern of mine!"
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