Cincinnati Youth From An All Boys School
They arrived in two vans and one car on Sunday, June 11th. Brother Joe Steen, Barbara, and I met them at By Faith Baptist Church around eight o’clock Sunday evening, where they would lodge for the next five nights. Mrs. Julia Holmes and Mrs. Eleanor Rayburn had brought food for the travelers, and they, too, waited with us for the group to arrive. Traveling must have made the boys hungry, as it didn’t take them long to wipe out the sandwiches and desserts provided. I usually try to memorize the names of volunteers I meet, but with a larger than usual group of volunteers, I made little effort to do so. That’s not to say, I didn’t learn the names of any, for I did, I just didn’t get around to learning the names of each individual. Most of the volunteers had never been to Mississippi, though one remembered driving through the state and another had been to the Gulf Coast. So, it’s accurate to say they would be in for a treat, experiencing the hospitality for which Mississippi is famous, working shoulder to shoulder with locals, and having the opportunity to enjoy southern cooking. Members of Wilson Chapel Baptist Church, one of the black churches, fed the group on Monday night. Barbara and I knew the pastor and his wife and I had once taught another member. The food was an assortment of meats, vegetables, and desserts. I didn’t eat some of everything, but everything I ate was delicious. Unfortunately, for me, the homemade ice cream didn’t last long enough for me to have a serving. Having some in my freezer at home, helped me feel less deprived. One of the men’s Sunday School classes at First Baptist fed the group at The Red Rooster, a popular local restaurant on Tuesday night. With menu choices including burgers, fried chicken, and shrimp, everyone was guaranteed plenty of options. Tuesday also happened to be the birthday of one of the boys. Sarah Sue made him a birthday cake and decorated it with icons representing carpentry tools and building materials, thus tying the occasion to the work of the volunteers. Joe, the birthday boy, seemed surprised by the cake and the celebration by all of his eighteenth birthday. Group pictures were made in an adjoining room containing Elvis memorabilia. Wednesday was an off night for Barbara and me, as the volunteers, drove to Memphis and dined in the restaurants along Beale Street. Oddly, they chose not to drive by historic Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll.
Usually, volunteer groups stay through Friday night, working four days with one day off in midweek, but this group worked four consecutive days and left for home Friday morning. Thus, Barbara conducted the closing ceremony Thursday night, leading the group through a True/ False test regarding facts they learned about Habitat during the week. They scored pretty well, but then most of the boys were honor roll students back in Cincinnati. Barbara wrapped up the ceremony with a time of personal sharing and prayer. Several individuals expressed their thanks for Brother Joe Steen and Bill Eubanks who supervised their work. Some also shared their appreciation in having the opportunity to help others and to meet the individuals (future homeowners) they had traveled here to help. From what I could gather, theirs was a good experience and given the chance they would do it again. The closing prayer in which everyone joined hands and formed a circle marked the first time every individual present voiced a prayer. As of this writing I’ve not heard from any of the group, but I emailed all of them to thank them for their hard work and their conduct, and I shared the following link http://bellsouthpwp.net/r/r/rrnews/Cincinnati where they could view several of the pictures that were made of them at work and at play.
Flying High Glenda's Surprise The message on our home answering machine stated Barbara and I were invited to a surprise birthday party honoring Glenda Corley. The event was scheduled for Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. in the home of Glenda and Rev. Kenneth Corley. Kenneth Corley retired a year or so ago from shepherding flocks of Methodists. The caller was Glenda and Ken’s daughter-in-law, Allison. She left a couple of phone numbers where she or her husband Crister could be reached. One has to love Glenda Corley. She may be a small woman, but she has a big heart, a big smile, and enough energy, if converted into electricity, to power a small city. Presently, Glenda is caring for her aged mother, whom Glenda and Ken have moved into their spacious new home near Black Zion in Pontotoc County. But, that’s not stopped her from volunteering to cook meals for Habitat workers, and while she and Ken had to cancel plans to attend the RRN fish fry in order to transport mom to the hospital emergency room, Glenda made sure the food she prepared for our fish fry made it to the Carter residence. When Barbara returned the call to Allison, she learned how the surprise was planned. Crister was to get his mother to the Pontotoc Airport and explain that a part of her birthday was a surprise. Glenda would be asked to climb inside an ultra-light aircraft for a low level flight around Pontotoc and a chance to see her house from the air. The part Glenda was not told concerning the plan was for invited guests to be stationed outside of Glenda’s house to wave at her as the small aircraft passed over. I thought the uniqueness of the surprise flight a fitting way to celebrate someone’s birthday and was excited to see how things turned out. Barbara and Joe Steen had to attend a meeting in Brandon, MS, the day of the surprise party, but they planned to be back in Pontotoc in time to make the party. They arrived back in Pontotoc with not much time to spare, but they took time to eat a sandwich before we drove to the Corley’s home. I checked the weather radar on my computer before we left. Rain showers were scattered over much of central and northern Mississippi. Approximately thirty folks showed up to celebrate Glenda Corley’s birthday. Crister kept in contact with the pilot via cell phone and passed the updates to us. He said we could expect the flyover around seven-fifteen. The weather didn’t appear immediately threatening from our limited perspective, but we could see bolts of lightning to our east and dark clouds to the southwest, and there was a lot of wind, more than I’d have wanted to be in flying in a small aircraft. This particular ultra-light was enclosed, but as I watched it buffeted about, I was glad to be on the ground. We may have whooped and hollered a bit, I don’t really remember, but I think we all waved when the plane flew over us. I was a bit nervous on one of the lower passes, something like I get in the Delta when a crop duster appears to be on a collision course with my car, but at the last minute the aircraft shot over us, missing the housetop by fewer feet than I can accurately estimate. After several flyovers, the ultra-light craft winged its way back toward the Pontotoc Airport. It was almost an hour before Glenda and Crister got back to the house. It seems a thunderstorm prevented them from landing at the airport for a good half-hour. At the Corley place a few drops of rain fell, but it wasn’t enough to settle the dust, let alone make the moisture meet. After Glenda hugged everyone, the candles were lit on the birthday cake, and Happy Birthday was sung. The message on the birthday cake read, "Still Flying High at Fifty-Nine." The cake was cut and served to guests, along with punch and ice cream. As best I could tell, everyone had a good time, especially the birthday "girl." We left the party, that was still going strong, around nine o’clock. My folks had been up since before five o’clock that morning and were ready for their respective beds. I’m left wondering what Glenda’s family will plan for her "big birthday" next year. Whatever it is, it’ll be hard to top the surprise flight in an ultra-light aircraft. Note to Rayanne and Jason: Your father’s not interested in flying in an ultra-light craft, but your mom might be.
Organic Tomatoes Seasonal Subject Carl Wayne Hardeman of Collierville, TN describes himself as a master gardener. He and a brother try to outdo one another in gardening, especially in harvesting the first tomato of the season. Carl Wayne raises heirloom tomatoes, which as I understand it, are varieties of tomatoes that have been around for at least fifty years. Carl Wayne has a good sense of humor and has shared a few articles with us in the course of the past year. Most folks agree that organic gardening is expensive. And from the poem Carl Wayne submitted, I’d say he agrees. Expensive Maters
Organic gardening is a beautiful thing,
But organic gardening is not cheap my Dear,
A five-dollar pot and 4 dollars for the mix,
But I had not finished my extravagant spree,
For a ten-dollar bucket and a nine-buck bag,
I'm waiting a larger than last mater harvest,
Maybe next year I'll plant in the natural ground, Of himself, Carl Wayne states, "I write gardening articles for the Collierville, Tennessee, Independent, the Southaven, Mississippi, Press, and Desoto Magazine, all from a Southern perspective. I point out the correct pronunciation of ants (aints) and peonies (peOnies) and advise always to plant hydrangeas on the north side of the house. "I've been in software development forty years, the last twenty with a large overnight express delivery company. I have taught computer science as adjunct faculty at local universities over twenty-five years." We have a small farm in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, where we raise a large garden with my in-laws. My in-laws were there when the REA strung the first electric wires in that area. They were killing hogs. That night for supper they had liver and lights." Appreciative readers may contact Carl Wayne at [email protected].
Bodock Beau Not Raising Hogs
While I can’t locate the issue, I’d swear the following was shared
in this newsletter several years ago. This looks like an updated version
of an old yarn poking fun at government waste. And speaking of waste, what
would the late Will Rogers have had to say about all those $2,000 debit cards
handed out indiscriminately to victims of Hurricane Katrina? Dear Sir: I have been evacuated from New Orleans because the flood took my old trailer and beat up car. I thought I might go into the agriculture business to supplement my welfare check. My friend over at Union, Iowa, told me he received a check for $1,000 from the government for not raising hogs. Right now I'm getting extra help from the government and Red Cross while I'm displaced but when that stops I want to go into the "not-raising-hogs" business too. What I want to know is, in your opinion, what is the best kind of farm not to raise hogs on, and what is the best breed of hogs not to raise? I want to be sure that I approach this endeavor in keeping with all governmental policies and regulations. I would prefer not to raise razorbacks 'caise they's mean an ornery, but if that is not a good breed not to raise, then I will just as gladly not raise Yorkshires or Durocs. As I see it, the hardest part of this program will be in keeping an accurate inventory of how many hogs I haven't raised. That durn paperwork always has been a problem with me.
My friend, Peterson, is very joyful about the future of the business. He
has been raising hogs for twenty years or so, and the best he ever made
on them was $422 in 1968, until this year when he got your check for
$1,000 for not raising hogs. If I get $1,000 for not raising 50 hogs,
will I get $2,000 for not raising 100 hogs? Now another thing, these hogs I will not raise will not eat 100,000 bushels of corn. I understand that you also pay farmers for not raising corn and wheat. Will I qualify for payments for not raising wheat and corn not to feed the 4,000 hogs I am not going to raise? That grain that I don't feed the hogs can be turned into ethanol or Tylenol or whatever they call that stuff they gonna put into gasoline to make it cost more. Also, I am considering the "not milking cows" business, so send me any information you have on that, too. In view of these circumstances, you understand, I will be totally unemployed, during which time I plan to file for unemployment and food stamps. Be assured you will have my vote in the coming election. Patriotically Yours, William Jefferson Beaudreaux, III PS. please notify me when you are giving out some more free cheese.
Shared by Carl Wayne Copyright © 2000 - 2006 RRN Online.
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Another group of volunteers was
here last week to offer their help in building a house for Habitat for Humanity.
This group came from Cincinnati, Ohio, where they attend Archbishop Moeller
high school, an all boys’ Catholic school. There were fourteen young
men, all about to start their senior year of high school, plus three chaperones.
Two of the chaperones were alumni of Moeller and didn’t look much older
than the youths. The only female of the bunch was a Special Education teacher,
who, likely in a weak moment, agreed to accompany them.
Thursday night may possibly have been
the boys’ favorite night. Laura Franklin had arranged for the evening
meal and had invited four of "her girls" to serve. In this instance, the
girls were beauty pageant winners. After the meal, the girls brought out
their pictures and signed autograph/ souvenirs for the boys. I’m pretty
sure each of the boys got at least one autographed beauty picture.
