003.JPG)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Log of my life
This is a work in progress I thought for along time about sharing but why put it in writing if you don't share it. I would love any comments feedback, suggestions. I want to express my feelings in as many periods of my life as I can. I Hope no one is offended by what I write but it will be as I remember it. Don't worry I would never include anything of a private personal nature.
AS I REMEMBER IT
Always take care of your dog and they will take care of you, don’t put stems and leaves in your sack just cotton, a baseball hit and broke the windshield on the truck, a ride in the back of the truck, new bike for the girls, I was afraid to climb up into his bed when he was sick, these are the few things I remember about him. I was only (4) four years and (7) seven months old when my Daddy (J. D. McEntyre) died. All the other things get confused with what others have said about him. I remember the funeral, I think it was raining, I was standing in the pew and saw Mr. Buster Hayburn standing in the door of an over flowing Church. Someone took us to Ma Maw and Granddaddy’s house and parked under a pecan tree. April 29, 1949, he was only 34 years old. I wonder what it would have been like if he had lived to see us reach adulthood.
I have very few memories of the next few years. We lived with Ma Maw and Granddaddy. Aunt Bobbie still lived there. She always saved part of her candy bars, it drove me crazy. I could never find it. I cried when she got married and moved away. I was happy about her getting married and I dearly loved Uncle Murdoc but I did not know she would move away and live with him. I don’t know how long we lived with Ma Maw And Granddaddy but I remember things that happened back then.
Buck Rollins walked by the house almost every day on his way to the store. He always talked to us but mostly from the road. He came up and sat on the steps if Granddaddy was sitting on the porch. I don’t think he ever came inside the house. I never new much about Mr. Buck but sometimes he would be gone for a few days and Ma Maw would say that he was having one of his sick spells. I think he would drink too much whisky and make him self sick. I did not know much about drinking. He lived in a small house next to his sister. She was a case her self. I can’t remember her name right now but I remember hearing her talk to Mr. Buck all the way across the woods to our house. She talked bad to him. Mr. Buck never seemed to mind. When I got a little older I would walk down to the Store with Mr. Buck. We called the Store “Mabel’s.”
Uncle Vernon Webb, Ma Maw’s brother would come to Ma Maw’s sometimes late at night in a Taxi. He would be sick and go right to bed. He would stay in bed for two or three days. Drinking too much I think and Ma Maw and Granddaddy would take care of him. When he felt good he would always buy a big bunch of bananas and tell me to eat them and drink milk. He wanted me to put on some weight. The year that I planted the patch of cucumbers he would scratch on my window screen to wake me at 5:00am each picking day. He would then drive me to pick-up my helpers, then to the market and on to the swimming pool. He always waited for us to swim then he would drop everyone at their home. I loved Uncle Vernon. I never new much about his family I don’t think they had much to do with him. Maybe it was his drinking and all.
The front porch reached all the way across the front of the house. The steps must have been ten (14) or (15) feet across and were located right in the center of the porch. The Dogs were usually lying around on the steps or up on the front porch. Granddaddy always had a dog, I guess “Skippy” was the first one that I remember. Skippy was very good with children. I remember one time some one was visiting and every time the little girl walked down the backdoor steps Skippy stayed right beside her with his head in front so she would not fall. The front porch at Ma Maw and Granddaddy’s house was a very popular place. Every one seemed to gather there. I remember a swing at each end of the porch. There was Railing that went around the left side of the porch and stopped at the steps. I don’t remember a hand rail on the steps. I remember the rail because of a story Granddaddy told me about a porch railing. He said that when you were a young man and you pied off the porch you put your penis under the rail to keep from pieing in your face and when you got old you laid it across it to keep from peeing on your feet. Granddaddy didn't tell many dirty jokes.
One night before Aunt Bobbie got married Uncle Murdoc was over (a date I guess) and they were sitting in the swing. As usual I was out there pestering them. There was a beautiful Spider Web that reached across the porch behind the swing, It had a big spider and we watched it as it would catch moths and spin a web around them for a later meal. Well, as the night progressed and I was no longer wanted as a part of their date I threw a stick and knocked the Web down. Uncle Murdoc punished me for the first and last time, he then talked to me about Nature and stuff. I grew close to uncle Murdoc over the years to follow.
The ice truck would come by every week and ma maw would get a block of ice for the Ice Box. Someone would have to call him down in order to get him to stop. One day I was on the front porch when the Ice Truck came by and I called out real loud “we don’t need any ice” of course the truck stopped and Granddaddy made me go down to the road and tell the Iceman I was sorry I stopped him but we didn’t need any. We had a “Rolling Store” that came by every week also and it had everything on it. I mostly remember the candy (maybe the source of my diabetes). I can remember a man that always came by and sold Georgia Peaches out of the back of his Pickup truck. The truck bed was about half full with a tarp pulled down over them. Ma Maw made Peach Preserves, Peach Jelly and Pickled Peaches. The Pickled Peaches were for important meals like Thanksgiving. She also made Fried Peach Pies. I can taste them to this day.
They paved the road that goes by their house. Connie and Snooty made ice water and they took it out to the workers and served them from a bucket with a dipper and a glass. They all drank from the same glass. One of the men wore sun glasses. They gave them money for bringing them water. I didn’t get any because I didn’t help them. I thought I should have got something. I did stop the Ice Truck so they could get some ice. This was a well planned venture. It's funny I don't remember a lot about Connie and Mary when I was real young (4-5). I guess there was so many other things that made up my life that they just blended in as a natural blanket.
Our cousin Martha Webb came to visit for a few days that summer. I thought she was beautiful. She would lay down with me and read me a book when I took a nap or maybe at bedtime. I knew I was in love. Aunt Katrine would come Home to visit I don’t know if it was before she got married or after. I just remember how pretty she was. She would always sleep late and she would fix her own breakfast. She would take left over biscuits, split them in half, put butter on each side and put them in an iron skillet like making a grill cheese sandwich. After she had grilled she would then put jelly on them. She always made one for me. Oh my, I can taste those grilled biscuits tonight. I still make them from time to time with left overs from the Cracker Barrel.
Always take care of your dog and they will take care of you, don’t put stems and leaves in your sack just cotton, a baseball hit and broke the windshield on the truck, a ride in the back of the truck, new bike for the girls, I was afraid to climb up into his bed when he was sick, these are the few things I remember about him. I was only (4) four years and (7) seven months old when my Daddy (J. D. McEntyre) died. All the other things get confused with what others have said about him. I remember the funeral, I think it was raining, I was standing in the pew and saw Mr. Buster Hayburn standing in the door of an over flowing Church. Someone took us to Ma Maw and Granddaddy’s house and parked under a pecan tree. April 29, 1949, he was only 34 years old. I wonder what it would have been like if he had lived to see us reach adulthood.
I have very few memories of the next few years. We lived with Ma Maw and Granddaddy. Aunt Bobbie still lived there. She always saved part of her candy bars, it drove me crazy. I could never find it. I cried when she got married and moved away. I was happy about her getting married and I dearly loved Uncle Murdoc but I did not know she would move away and live with him. I don’t know how long we lived with Ma Maw And Granddaddy but I remember things that happened back then.
Buck Rollins walked by the house almost every day on his way to the store. He always talked to us but mostly from the road. He came up and sat on the steps if Granddaddy was sitting on the porch. I don’t think he ever came inside the house. I never new much about Mr. Buck but sometimes he would be gone for a few days and Ma Maw would say that he was having one of his sick spells. I think he would drink too much whisky and make him self sick. I did not know much about drinking. He lived in a small house next to his sister. She was a case her self. I can’t remember her name right now but I remember hearing her talk to Mr. Buck all the way across the woods to our house. She talked bad to him. Mr. Buck never seemed to mind. When I got a little older I would walk down to the Store with Mr. Buck. We called the Store “Mabel’s.”
Uncle Vernon Webb, Ma Maw’s brother would come to Ma Maw’s sometimes late at night in a Taxi. He would be sick and go right to bed. He would stay in bed for two or three days. Drinking too much I think and Ma Maw and Granddaddy would take care of him. When he felt good he would always buy a big bunch of bananas and tell me to eat them and drink milk. He wanted me to put on some weight. The year that I planted the patch of cucumbers he would scratch on my window screen to wake me at 5:00am each picking day. He would then drive me to pick-up my helpers, then to the market and on to the swimming pool. He always waited for us to swim then he would drop everyone at their home. I loved Uncle Vernon. I never new much about his family I don’t think they had much to do with him. Maybe it was his drinking and all.
The front porch reached all the way across the front of the house. The steps must have been ten (14) or (15) feet across and were located right in the center of the porch. The Dogs were usually lying around on the steps or up on the front porch. Granddaddy always had a dog, I guess “Skippy” was the first one that I remember. Skippy was very good with children. I remember one time some one was visiting and every time the little girl walked down the backdoor steps Skippy stayed right beside her with his head in front so she would not fall. The front porch at Ma Maw and Granddaddy’s house was a very popular place. Every one seemed to gather there. I remember a swing at each end of the porch. There was Railing that went around the left side of the porch and stopped at the steps. I don’t remember a hand rail on the steps. I remember the rail because of a story Granddaddy told me about a porch railing. He said that when you were a young man and you pied off the porch you put your penis under the rail to keep from pieing in your face and when you got old you laid it across it to keep from peeing on your feet. Granddaddy didn't tell many dirty jokes.
One night before Aunt Bobbie got married Uncle Murdoc was over (a date I guess) and they were sitting in the swing. As usual I was out there pestering them. There was a beautiful Spider Web that reached across the porch behind the swing, It had a big spider and we watched it as it would catch moths and spin a web around them for a later meal. Well, as the night progressed and I was no longer wanted as a part of their date I threw a stick and knocked the Web down. Uncle Murdoc punished me for the first and last time, he then talked to me about Nature and stuff. I grew close to uncle Murdoc over the years to follow.
The ice truck would come by every week and ma maw would get a block of ice for the Ice Box. Someone would have to call him down in order to get him to stop. One day I was on the front porch when the Ice Truck came by and I called out real loud “we don’t need any ice” of course the truck stopped and Granddaddy made me go down to the road and tell the Iceman I was sorry I stopped him but we didn’t need any. We had a “Rolling Store” that came by every week also and it had everything on it. I mostly remember the candy (maybe the source of my diabetes). I can remember a man that always came by and sold Georgia Peaches out of the back of his Pickup truck. The truck bed was about half full with a tarp pulled down over them. Ma Maw made Peach Preserves, Peach Jelly and Pickled Peaches. The Pickled Peaches were for important meals like Thanksgiving. She also made Fried Peach Pies. I can taste them to this day.
They paved the road that goes by their house. Connie and Snooty made ice water and they took it out to the workers and served them from a bucket with a dipper and a glass. They all drank from the same glass. One of the men wore sun glasses. They gave them money for bringing them water. I didn’t get any because I didn’t help them. I thought I should have got something. I did stop the Ice Truck so they could get some ice. This was a well planned venture. It's funny I don't remember a lot about Connie and Mary when I was real young (4-5). I guess there was so many other things that made up my life that they just blended in as a natural blanket.
Our cousin Martha Webb came to visit for a few days that summer. I thought she was beautiful. She would lay down with me and read me a book when I took a nap or maybe at bedtime. I knew I was in love. Aunt Katrine would come Home to visit I don’t know if it was before she got married or after. I just remember how pretty she was. She would always sleep late and she would fix her own breakfast. She would take left over biscuits, split them in half, put butter on each side and put them in an iron skillet like making a grill cheese sandwich. After she had grilled she would then put jelly on them. She always made one for me. Oh my, I can taste those grilled biscuits tonight. I still make them from time to time with left overs from the Cracker Barrel.
I can remember begging Aunt Sara to let Jerry stay with me at Ma Maw's. Jerry and I spent many hours together at age 5 and 6. We killed more Indians around that old Barn than ever lived in the Southeasterrn part of the States. Back then we called them Indians rather than Native Americans. We just didn't know any better. It is strange how two people could be close to each other, love each other the way Jerry and I did and then the older we got the futher apart we got. I remember one time there were several parts of the Family at Ma Maws and someone gave Jerry and I some money (15 or 25 cents) so we slipped away and went to Mable's Store. Well, they missed us and could not find us for some time. When we came wandering in with candy all over our faces, boy were we in trouble. Jerry and I were blamed for a lot of things that were not our fault. One time we were having a family gathering and the "Out-House" caught on fire. Well, Jerry and I were about to get punished by granddaddy for setting fire to the "out-House" when Aunt Sara and Aunt Katrine confessed that they were smoking while in the 'Out-House" and set some paper on fire but did not know it until smoke was boiling out from the rear. That was so funny thinking back on it. (Jerry if you read this send me some stories from those days. Also I would like to include your story about being lost in the woods if it is OK.)
Aunt Ethel and Aunt Katrine would visit almost every summer. I always felt uneasy around Uncle Kyle. The first thing he always said to me was “HI JOHN WHAT CH KNOW?” I never had an answer. He stayed in Dothan most of the time when they came. He stayed with his sister. Uncle Kyle always brought Florida Oranges. I always had to peel them before I ate one because the peelings were dirty. (I didn’t know he had picked them from a tree in their yard).
.I didn’t know it until many years later but Uncle Kyle and Aunt Katrine paid Mom’s expenses required for her to attend ‘Business School”. Mom had never worked outside the home before Daddy’s death. She must have been scared about the future without Him. Based on letters between Mom and Aunt Katrine I found in the many personal items that Mom saved, this was during a time when they had their on fears about the future. They lived in Georgia at the time and Uncle Kyle was buying and selling shrimp while Aunt Katrine was trying to run the Shrimp Box (a small Restaurant). They never hesitated about helping Mom because she was FAMILY. It had to be hard. I hope my cousins know what Family meant to the Girls and their Spouses. I know that there are many single parent families today but there was Mom with three children, no wok experience, or any real work skills. Dad was a tenant farmer had nothing to leave for Mom to get a new start. He had never paid into Social Security so Mom could not even draw Social Security. But She had a Family Network of four sisters and a Mom and Dad.
Many times when Aunt Ethel and Uncle Bernard came home (Ma Maw’s and Granddaddy’s) in the fall Uncle Bernard would take me to Dothan with him. He would go around to Auto Dealers that he knew, boy was that fun. But, he would always take me shopping to get clothes for school. I remember one time he bought me a leather Jacket with a fir collar. I wore the jacket until not only it was too small but it was covered with little picks all over it. I don’t think it was real leather but was real to me.
I was a real MA MA’s boy. I slept with mother longer than was normal for most .I guess it had something to do with Daddy not being around. I was afraid at night and had very bad nightmares, so bad that every one in the house would be up a 2 am or 3am in the morning. Granddaddy would sometimes build a fire in the fireplace. It took a long time to get me to come out of my dream. I had the same Dream every time and can remember it in detail to this day. No need to go there.You know a boy losing his father at such an early age has a very complex effect on him emotionally. Mom didn’t have any Doctor and Social Workers around to help. You just worked it out as best you could. I had Mom, Connie, and Mary. I somewhat understand what my Son Charles must feel sometimes. I know he loves me but no one can replace your Mom and/or Dad. (We will talk about Charles someday) I do know a boy needs positive male influence at an early age. I had an entire network beginning with Granddaddy. You know he read a lot, the Dothan Eagle, the Farmers Journal, the Bible, He always read his Sunday School Lesson on Saturday Night. The network was made up my Uncles. Uncle Murdoc, Uncle James, Uncle Kyle and Uncle Bernard. We will talk about each ones role in my life.
Aunt Ethel and Aunt Katrine would visit almost every summer. I always felt uneasy around Uncle Kyle. The first thing he always said to me was “HI JOHN WHAT CH KNOW?” I never had an answer. He stayed in Dothan most of the time when they came. He stayed with his sister. Uncle Kyle always brought Florida Oranges. I always had to peel them before I ate one because the peelings were dirty. (I didn’t know he had picked them from a tree in their yard).
.I didn’t know it until many years later but Uncle Kyle and Aunt Katrine paid Mom’s expenses required for her to attend ‘Business School”. Mom had never worked outside the home before Daddy’s death. She must have been scared about the future without Him. Based on letters between Mom and Aunt Katrine I found in the many personal items that Mom saved, this was during a time when they had their on fears about the future. They lived in Georgia at the time and Uncle Kyle was buying and selling shrimp while Aunt Katrine was trying to run the Shrimp Box (a small Restaurant). They never hesitated about helping Mom because she was FAMILY. It had to be hard. I hope my cousins know what Family meant to the Girls and their Spouses. I know that there are many single parent families today but there was Mom with three children, no wok experience, or any real work skills. Dad was a tenant farmer had nothing to leave for Mom to get a new start. He had never paid into Social Security so Mom could not even draw Social Security. But She had a Family Network of four sisters and a Mom and Dad.
Many times when Aunt Ethel and Uncle Bernard came home (Ma Maw’s and Granddaddy’s) in the fall Uncle Bernard would take me to Dothan with him. He would go around to Auto Dealers that he knew, boy was that fun. But, he would always take me shopping to get clothes for school. I remember one time he bought me a leather Jacket with a fir collar. I wore the jacket until not only it was too small but it was covered with little picks all over it. I don’t think it was real leather but was real to me.
I was a real MA MA’s boy. I slept with mother longer than was normal for most .I guess it had something to do with Daddy not being around. I was afraid at night and had very bad nightmares, so bad that every one in the house would be up a 2 am or 3am in the morning. Granddaddy would sometimes build a fire in the fireplace. It took a long time to get me to come out of my dream. I had the same Dream every time and can remember it in detail to this day. No need to go there.You know a boy losing his father at such an early age has a very complex effect on him emotionally. Mom didn’t have any Doctor and Social Workers around to help. You just worked it out as best you could. I had Mom, Connie, and Mary. I somewhat understand what my Son Charles must feel sometimes. I know he loves me but no one can replace your Mom and/or Dad. (We will talk about Charles someday) I do know a boy needs positive male influence at an early age. I had an entire network beginning with Granddaddy. You know he read a lot, the Dothan Eagle, the Farmers Journal, the Bible, He always read his Sunday School Lesson on Saturday Night. The network was made up my Uncles. Uncle Murdoc, Uncle James, Uncle Kyle and Uncle Bernard. We will talk about each ones role in my life.
I haven't written about the McEntyre, Daddy's side of our family. My grandparents were PaPa Ed and Mother Mary. Papa Ed seemed old to me. He always played his Fiddle for Con nie, Mary and Me. I remember his hands had notty looking fingers and they hurt him sometimes. When his hands hurt he could not play but he would let us see it not touch it just see it. Papa Ed took some kind of strong Medication that made him seem drunk. I don't know for sure but I think He was on hard Drugs. Back then Doctors would put people on heavy stuff. I remember he would always take too much during times such a death in the family. Buddy Luther would always try to hid it but he kept a stash hid. I remember when Mother Mary Died he could hardly walk.
I remember Mothere Mary, my Grandmother, was a sweet that always wore an aporn. She was sweet and always gave us a nickle or dime before we left each time. I remember, She always some cake or pie in her Pie-Safe. We aften ate cake or pie while we visited. We would always go to see them on Sunday afternoon.
Daddy had two brothers, Buddy Roy and Buddy Luke. I was closer to Buddy Luke for some reason I guess because Buddy Luke had three kids close to my age and we visited them more oftenthat to buddy Roys. They both would openly drink whisky. That didn't happen on mother's side of the family. Iearned later they would drink but hide it. When Buddy Luke came to see us I would go home with them an stay a few days. If he was drinking Mother wouldn't let me go with them. They had three children, Charllot, Sandra and Phillip Carl. Charllot and I were the same age. I remember visiting them several times mostly during the summer. We had to pick cotton some of the times. I always had a good time. We drifted apart as we got older and got involved in school and working during the summer. I wish we had stayed in touch more because that is a part of my family now that I don't even really know. The have children and grandchildren that I haave never met. They don't know my kids and grandkids. It is really sad in many ways that we let things like this happen. The Culbreth Reunion keeps us in touch even if it is so large. We can see the younger generations take the rolls that we once played. I just love to see this transition. One example is that Rodny Knight is Chair Person for the 2009 Reunion. When I heared about his rool as Chair person I just stopped what I was doing and refledted on his life as I remember it and it made me feel proud. I bet you he will have the best or at least as good program of any reunion. From what I have seen and heard so far he is getting a lot of ideas and promised support.
OK for now.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
I am Trying to add some pictures. This is a picture of the Painting I did at the Folk School that I attended in March. This is actually my first real painting. I have a few things that I have started and never finished but I am proud of this one. Betsy likes it so much she had me hang it over the fireplace in the Den. I hope to add other paintings to this Blog in the next few months and hopefully years. This is based on a picture of Graddaddy's barn that Steve Nall, my cousin took several years ago before the barn really begain to fall down. He took two views of the barn and gave several of us copies. I framed my copies and they are hanging in our den. I also did another 'THING' of the barn and I dcall it thing because I don't know exactly what to call it. I will include a picture of it. The piece is on an easel in our den. This is the second one of these that I have done. The first one I gave to my cousin Glenda. I don't know why, I wasn't sure she would even want it but she was the first and I say first not oldest Grandchild. She must have liked it because she cried when she saw it. It was after that day that she started trying to get me to paint.
Anyway the piece is made of several media. The barn it self is made from wood taken from an old barn out in the middle of a pasture near Dayton, Tennessee. I got a couple of boards and used my tablesaw to rip the rough surface off of the boards and made a very thin veneer that I could use to make the boards. I also got a piece of rusty tin from the old barn roof and cut a piece that I used to fold out a strip for the roof. So, you can see why I can't think of what to call it. I want to make another copy but I don't have any of the veneer left and my son Charles took my tablesaw away from me when he saw my how my hands trimble some times. He said my wood working days were over. If you have the ability to create some veneer from some old barn wood send me a few sheets. Well Betsy just call for lights out so it must be bedtime.
I am currently working on the other view of the barn that Steve took. I am hung up on that old barn maybe it is because of "What I learned out behind the Barn". That is a story for another day.
Starting a new week
Kristy came down to see uo today. Betsy and Kristy went to a miovie while I took a nap. I do a lot of that lately. It has rained here today. It will be too wet to do anything in the yard tomorrow so I plan to Paint in the morning. Betsy said she would trim my beard in the morning. I look forward to my time painting. I don't get dto paint as much as I would like to but I guess that is my fault. I always find other things to do each morning before I go down stairs. Tomorrow I paint just as soon as the coffee is ready.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Daily Re-Cap
I have had a good day. I bought top-Soil for the new raised bed. Ace had it on sale for $1.00 per bag. I got 10 bags. I also bought two bags of garden-mix. that feeds for three months without any additional feeding.
I made a list of projects that I need to do before Glenda comes up the first week of June. By the way did I tell you that Glenda is coming up for a week and we are just to PAINT. I can't wait I know I will learn so much working with her.
I have a Dr. Appt with my Pain Managment Doc.at 8:00am tomorrow and then bloodwork in the PM. We have the Cabin next week I am packing my Art supplies and go eaxch day and be creative.
I am all most going to sleep at the key board. Charles said he was coming bybut wh knows.
I am attaching some pictures. Its Spring time in Tennessee.
Monday, Trying to finish my taxs today.
I am going to try to enter a few thing each day but it get very busy around here sometime. Dawn Jef and the Jake were here this weekend. Jeff made Betsy and I a raised Planter so that we don't have to bend over to work with potting plants. It was a neat project for Jeff. He is so good to help me when they come over. Dawn got a keeper with Jeff. I put a picture on later. Also our flowers.
PaPa John
PaPa John
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
