No Chicken For Me Please

When I was around nine or ten years old, I lived in the small town of Theo, Mississippi with my grandmother, and two of my younger sisters. The town was only a few square miles in size, so we could …

Cats, Rats, Snakes, And Bobcats

When I was young, my aunt had a well in her backyard. It was the kind you have to lower a bucket down into and draw up the water. She built a shed over it connecting it to the house, …

Firecrackers, Cigarettes, And God

When I was a kid, my grandmother put an empty milk jug in the fork of a small tree in front of our house, to keep birds away, if I remember correctly. I loved firecrackers and she would buy me …

Children Are Like Arrows

I’ve had many scrapes, cuts, and bruises over the years, and they all hurt. Many of them left scars, so it’s not hard to remember them. There were a few incidents that were kind of related, at least to a …

My Amazing Aunt – A True Pioneer

In my mind, my Aunt Lee was a miracle worker, an inventor, a pioneer, and an amazing aunt, among other things. She wasn’t perfect, but we loved her very much, and she loved us. She was smart. She was a …

If I Could Go Back In Time

Have you ever heard someone say, “I wish I knew then what I know now,” or, “I wish I could go back and live my life over, knowing what I know now?” Maybe you’ve even said something like that yourself. …

My Other Little Sister

I was about six years old and my sister was sixteen months younger than me. One day we went to the little country store that had recently opened up in front of our house. The owner’s name was Amos. My …

Prepare For What’s Coming

Have you ever had anything happen to you that you were totally unprepared for? Have you ever seen or heard of something happening to someone else and thought it could happen to you. Unfortunately, many people see something happening to …

The Pond, The Fork, And The Mud Pies

I think was six years old, when we moved into our new house in Theo Mississippi. It was white with a shiny silver roof. It was in the same neighborhood where we had lived since I could remember. In the …

My Little Sister

I was nine years old and I was at my aunt’s house with my two sisters and our grandmother when our mother popped in for a visit. I’m sure I already knew she was pregnant, but that day was the …

Finding Treasure

We lived in Theo, Mississippi from the year I was three years old until the year I turned twelve. I had many adventures in that little community and I loved living there. We lived in four different houses during those …

I Miss My Sister And My Friend

I was three years old, and my younger sister, Loretta, and I lived with our grandmother in a little house in Theo, Mississippi. Our mother came to visit one day and introduced us to our new baby sister. Her name …

3 Friends, 3 Trees, And A Confession

I was twelve years old and I lived about a quarter of a mile from my best friend. There were three homes, a church, and a patch of woods between us. There was a valley in the woods and some …

The Day They All Forgot

A few days ago, we were watching Veggie Tales with our grandson A.J. Jr. Asparagus was having a bad day. It was evening, and in spite of all his subtle hints, nobody had wished him a happy birthday. There was …

Cuts, Scars, and Lessons Learned

If you know me, you know that I’ve had my share of misfortune. I’ve had plenty of bad things happen to me as I was growing up. I certainly understand that plenty of others have had a much rougher life …

Our Best Friend

When I was really young I remember visiting my Aunt who lived just through the woods. We walked there quite often with our grandmother. She had a dog named Clete. I don’t know what kind of dog he was but …

A Boy, A Snake, Two Wolves, And A Song

When I was young, my grandmother told me a story about a young boy and a snake. The boy’s mother gave him some milk with some cornbread mixed with it. Like he had done the last few times she fed …

Cartoons, Dolls, And Mosquitoes

Have you ever misunderstood something someone said? Have you ever thought you knew something only to find out later that the mental concept you had of it was quite different from the way it actually was? It happens to all …

Stuck – Part 2

Just over a year ago, I wrote a post called “Stuck.” I talked about several times I was stuck when I was growing up. Today I want to tell you about a few other times I got stuck. I don’t …

Embarrassing Moments

Growing up, I was really shy, so I’ve had a lot of embarrassing moments over the years. Some were worse than others, but if you’ve ever been embarrassed you know that it’s not any fun, no matter the intensity. Embarrassment …