Category: In “What Would Granny Say (and Other Somewhat Embellished Memories)
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Tāšu
I sat a little back from the group, watching. My chair had one front leg a bit shorter than all of the others, so I had to lean back on two legs to keep motion sickness at bay. This set me back just enough to observe without interfering too much. It gave me the proper… Read more
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“Don’t Be Afraid”
As the dawn breaks and the mocking birds sing one last chorus of praise in the night; the morning breeze brushes your cheek and the scent of wisteria mixed with just a hint of yellow jasmine comes to you on the air. The mockers grow silent as a menagerie of their fellows take up the… Read more
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The Venerable Old Cedar
If any of Eden remains, it can be found in the western quadrant of the Smoky Mountains somewhere along the hiking trails that hover above a place that goes by the name of Cades Cove. As a child my family would make the trek up to the Smokies every other year or so, and the… Read more
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Steppen’ Out
Angel sat across from me in the old open air passenger jeep as we tore through the streets of Cali, Colombia. The jeep had a brand new coat of candy apple red paint adorning its sides, but try as he might, the driver couldn’t hide the battle scars and near misses that traced their way… Read more
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Trespassers Will Be Fed To The Hogs
“Didn’t you see the signs, son? What are you doing in my yard?” “What sign?” I stammered. He was 250 pounds, if he was an ounce, and he didn’t look particularly thrilled at my being there. “The sign that says, ‘Trespassers will be fed to the hogs.’” He paused to let that sink in. His… Read more
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Grits
One morning, a while back, I was sitting in a hotel room down in Atlanta. For the life of me, I can’t remember why I was there, but I do remember the moment when I began to sense that my cholesterol was running a bit low. It also hit me about the same time that… Read more
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The Destination
I keep an old television with a DVD player attached to it down in my workshop to keep me company. As a rule I stick a movie in there or a Hogan’s Heroes, and once in a while, I’ll put an old Andy Griffith in and listen to Barney rant and rave. Well the other… Read more
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Lettin’ it Fly
I awoke to the sound of a blue jay squawking just outside the window, and for once I didn’t mind all that much. Mary and I were down at the beach enjoying a wonderful time of peace and restful slumber, and the sound of the jay seemed right. Later that morning as we walked down… Read more
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Surrender
The first time I ever set foot on an airplane was way back in 1972. My Grandfather Rowell had passed away; and since Dad, with my brother and sister in tow, had driven down earlier, my Mom and I boarded a Southern Airways Martin 404 at the Columbia airport for the trip down to Panama… Read more
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Tom
I suppose John Steinbeck was right. Some stories can’t be told; they must be cajoled and teased into existence. To force the issue only tatters the wings and takes away the magic. Yarns are like moths and butterflies that way. Let a little boy reach out to satisfy his curiosity, let him touch a wing… Read more