OUR FIRST PHONE...................

Great things were happening in our lives back in 1965. Our first child born in 1962 and I was building our first house on 5 acres of land my wife's parents gave us so we could qualify for a home loan. We had lived in a small trailer after our marriage and soon bought our first house a little 2 bedroom with one bath.
Working for my father who was a builder taught me my early trade. Our new house would be my first to build on my own. A great challenge and after 3 months our new brick 3 bedroom 1 bath with garage was ready to move into. Our loan payment was all of $60.00 a month for 30 years at 4 percent interest. We also had bought a new 1965 Mercury car. A neighbor told everyone that we must have hit a gold mine. Fact was we had gone deep into debt. Both of us worked hard to pay for what we had.
We will need a telephone my wife said. We lived in a rural area and all that was available was a phone which shared a party line. Yes we got our first phone but it was an 8 party line. That's 8 different people had the same line. You could go to use the phone and there was always someone using it. Everyone eased dropped on others I guess. Once while I was on the phone a guy on the line asked if he could have the line ,it was an emergency. OK, I hung my phone up to let him have the line. Soon I picked up the phone to see what the emergency was. Man what an emergency he had. He was calling to see if he could have his mare breed. Things got better with our phone, soon we were on a 4 party line later a 2 party line and finally after about 5 years we had a private phone. Man what progress??
Look at all the technology in the world today with phones and computers. Yes we have a computer but this family hasn't seen the need for a cell phone. We are probably the only ones around that don't have a cell phone. Times have changed

SLEEPING......TOO MUCH OR LACK OF????

My, it's amazing how much of our life is spent sleeping. The normal amount of sleep an adult spends is 8 hours per day. That is a sum of 33 % of your life. I fell like Rip Van Winkle when I calculated the years I have slept, 23.1 years!!! The body and brain need sleep in order to function at its capacity.
No one has the same sleep patterns. On one hand I don't have any trouble going to sleep normally. I have trouble when I wake up in the night to go to the bathroom. When I return to bed and can't go back to sleep, I find I might as well go ahead and get up regardless of the time. My wife has always had a very hard time going to sleep. 2:00 a.m might be early some nights for her. I have always called her a night owl. You better not wake her early in the mornings, maybe after 10:00 a.m if you are brave. 
I'm finding that after supper I need a short nap. Not for long just about 30 minutes and I'm good till 10:00. There are many sleep disorders. Some people suffer from insomnia, lack of sleep. Sleep apnea, disturbed sleep like snoring and narcolepsy, excessive sleep.
My wife tells me I snore and she can raise the roof snoring. Years ago when we hadn't been married long she insisted she didn't snore. One morning while she was snoring I crawled under the bed plugged up a tape recorder and recorded 5 minutes of her snoring to prove my point. Guess what??? When I played the recording back to her I didn't have a thing on the recorder, I had pushed the wrong button. LOL!!!! Well, it's raining here this a.m and all this talk about sleep has made me sleepy.ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ another hour or two out of life.

FLEA MARKET TRIP

Do you ever like to people watch while you are just out on a routine day? I love to watch people that I don't know from a distance. To see their mannerisms and reactions with other people. No I'm not a peeping tom!!?? Sunday we took a trip to a big flea market in Scottsboro, Ala. The labor day week end is the biggest event of the year. The giant flea market is held around the town square. People from all over the area bring there wares for the event.
My wife loves to go and search for things she is interested. I'm a walker and didn't see anything that appealed to me. It didn't take me long to see all the different sites of wares for sale. The weather was great with a gentle breeze blowing, some places were in the shade but most were in the sun. After two trips around the area I decided to set and rest a while as my wife continued on in her quest for that great find.I found a concrete bench in the middle of the courthouse yard just a short distance from all the action and began to watch the crowd go about viewing the market. Both young and old people were having a good time. An older man was setting on the bench as I sat down and begin a conversation with him. " You will have to talk loud I'm hard of hearing said the elder gentleman." We exchanged some small talk and the subject of where we are from came up. I'm from Brownsville says my bench partner, about 30 miles from here. I'm from Estill Springs, Tn. I reply, 60 miles from here. Yes, I've got kin in Estill ! Whats there name I ask? Low and behold his cousin lives a short distance from me and I know him, indeed a small world. The man even had a car wreck at the red light in our town years ago. Soon his wife comes and says lets go home so we say our goodbyes. I continue my watch, as I can see an old man and his son in front of my viewing point selling their honey products. They are selling quite a few jars of honey. One couple buys 2 gallons of his product at $26.00 a gallon and he is asked if he will take a check, yes he replies. The honey man must be well known as many people greet and shake his hand and the ladies give him some hugs. Just fun watching him and his customer's and friends interact. I laugh to myself as a hefty lady comes up and greets him. You don't know who I am do you? I'm Tracy she tells him as they exchange hugs and small talk about who she is and she worked for his doctor. I have an idea, if I see this lady walking later before I leave I will go up to her and said, Hello Tracy and give her a hug and see her reaction. Soon I get my chance to put my plan into action and boy am I amazed at the results! Hello, Tracy how are you as I give her a big hug! She is hugging me back and says how are you and where is your wife. Now I am surprised at her  reaction. Some more small talk and I walk away and see her standing watching me with a bewildered look on her face trying to figure who that old man was that gave her a hug.
My wife finally meets up with me and hasn't bought many items but wants to go back and see a doll she likes but says I'm not paying $50 for that doll. After a while she returns with our new baby doll and is proud to say I got it for $35. Great I reply are you ready to go home??? Thank goodness she was and we have a good drive back home. An 18 mile stretch of road between Ala. and Tn. through the mountain is so great, not a house or business in sight, you just don't see many places like this any more!!

THE SAGA OF SMILING BOB.............

    At the time; no one in the six man golf group knew the fate of old Smiling Bob. We have to go back to last year to see how old Bob started. A golfer in the six man Senior Day group liked to hit a yellow golf ball during his rounds. He named his ball BOb. When he did good on his shots he praised Bob. Many times his words were harsh to old Bob. One day he hit a wayward shot that flew far to the left, over the fence and into the woods. BOb took a tongue lashing that day. Not to be out done Joe pulled another yellow ball from his golf bag and named it BOb Junior. Junior lasted two or three rounds before he too went sailing over a fence and deep into a cow pasture.
    Another Bob, Bob II went into action and did great for several rounds before meeting his fate. Bob soon became a joke with the golfing group. Joe got heckles from his competitors when Bob preformed poorly and praises when he pulled off a good shot. Over a period of time several Bobs meet their fate out of bounds or lost. Out would come another Bob in the golfer's arsenal and some where along the line when Joe made a good shot he call him Smiling Bob. We all have seen the Smiling Bob commerical on TV.
   An idea for a smiling Bob golf ball for Joe as a gag enters into the story. I had several yellow balls in a bucket I had found over the years. Most were found while I worked on a remodeling project near a golf course. You could walk out the back door and  about 75 feet lay the fairway with a water hazard near. A yellow ball and a black magic marker and Smiling Bob was born. The ball was given to Joe one day before we started playing. I had talked to Bob and tried to hex the ball to do bad shots. He did some bad shots but did a lot of great shots.  All the other golfers praised Smiling Bob when he didn't do good. Several weeks later poor old smiling Bob meet the same fate as his kinfolks. Joe hit him into a pond and we all knew that smiling Bob drown. But wait, Joe playing later with a friend found Smiling Bob at the pond when the water had gone down. Man was Joe happy to have old smiling Bob back to hit time and time again. No matter how hard Joe would hit Bob he would always be smiling when Joe found him for the next shot. He would hit him into a tree; Bob still showed that smiling face. Joe just couldn't knock that smile off the ball's face.
   Smiling Bob was about to go on the ride of his life. The match was all even going into the final hole that eventful day. Joe was using his deceased brother's set of Ping clubs for the second time that he inherited. Joe teed up Bob and with a 5 iron and a perfect swing and contact smiling Bob went flying through the air toward the green some 140 yards away. Nice shot said his partner John as the ball hit softly onto the green, rolled on and disappeared into the cup for a hole in one. We all were excited for Joe's hole in one. Joe upon arriving at the green looked to the back of the green where his ball could have been, not there as he hesitated to walk up to the cup. Joe finally bends over and picks up Bob and says he's still smiling.
   Congrads from all of us on Joe's hole in one. A moment in time none of us will ever forget. What's going to happen to Smiling Bob?? When one scores a hole in one usually the ball is mounted on a plaque to be viewed at the golfer's home as his trophy. I'm sure that big smile on Bob's face will last forever as will the smile on Joe's face each time he looks at SMILING BOB.

FALL CREEK FALLS ...................

One takes for granted the beautiful natural scenery that is located near where one lives. Years ago when the kids were small we enjoyed camping and exploring the natural surroundings near our home. My wife and I have been very busy with the garden this year and now it has slowed down. We have been unable to go any where this summer. My wife said to me Saturday, " lets go some where Sunday." Ok, I agreed but where do you want to go? Do you want to visit Fall Creek Falls State Park which is located about 75 miles from our home? Sounds good to me she said.
We had made the trip perhaps 30 years ago to see the waterfalls. Fall Creek Falls is a rugged paradise of over 20,000 acres of nature high on the Cumberland plateau. Scenic views of waterfalls,cascades,streams, plants, wildlife and virgin timbers will beckon a person to travel and view. The main attraction is the 256 feet waterfall. This is the highest waterfall in the eastern U.S.A. Two other falls in other locations of the park do no compare with the main falls.
A nice breakfast at Shoneys and we were off on a very scenic drive to the park. Are we there yet?? Ok, another 15 miles. Finally we arrive at the park entrance and followed the signs to the famous waterfalls. A short walk from the parking lot to the overlook area. The sounds of cascading water as we get near the viewing area. What a majestic sight as the stream of water spilled over the rock ledges and dissipated into a mist as it traveled slowly to the base of the falls into an awaiting pool. That folks was well worth the trip!! What a sight!!
A rocky trail awaits one if they wish to climb down to view the falls at the bottom. We decided that this might be our last chance in life to made the journey down and back. Some wooden steps to begin with and then a jagged rock trail that continued to twist in and around huge rock formations. One had to stop and let those on there way back to the top pass before proceeding the descend. People laughed and joked as they made the climb. The sound of falling water grew louder as we neared the bottom. A fine cool mist of water filled the air near the rocks as we stood in amazement at GOD'S GIFT TO MANKIND.
The trip down was a piece of cake compared to the climb back to the top. The climb down was about a half of a mile but it seemed like a mile going backup!! Several stops to rest and catch our breaths on the way back. Even the young with their dogs were having a hard time climbing back up. After 40 minutes we finally made it back to the top. We were the oldest ones to complete the trip. A great day and something we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

DOG SPOILS MY DATE......YEAH IT DID!!!!!

I never did like German Shepard Dogs. They say a dog can sense when a person is afraid of them. Once I went to collect an insurance premium when I worked as an insurance agent. My manager was present with me the first week I took on a new debit. The man before me was afraid of dogs and had marked on the page with red ink; BAD DOG. Hey, "Mack, Paul has bad dog written on this page." Oh, Paul was afraid of all dogs, this one isn't a bad dog." A mean German Shepard comes running out of the garage and the next thing I know I have climbed on the back of the car parked in the driveway. The lady comes out of the house and puts the dog up. "You are going to be just like Paul with my dog. My dog wouldn't bite anyone." Next month when you come to collect just blow your horn and I will put the dog up. The next month I pull up in the driveway and blew the horn. Out comes the woman with a huge bandage on her right arm. " You remember me telling you that my dog wouldn't bite anyone, well I was wrong, he bite me when I went to break up a dog fight." I had him put to sleep." BAD DOG!!!!
When I was younger and working for my father, we were remodeling a house in town for a couple. The woman said, " My niece is coming to visit this weekend would you like a date with her?" Is she pretty I asked, Yes, she is a little doll and shows me a photo of her. Man she is nice looking, yes I would like a date with her. She will me visiting my sister over on Bel-Aire drive and you can pick her up around 7:00 pm on Saturday and you'll have a good time. Saturday finally rolled around and I was looking sharp in my new jeans and pink shirt driving my convertible. I arrived at the sister's house right on time. I rang the door bell and out of nowhere comes this big German Shepard dogs barking and going for my leg. I opened the storm door and got in as far as possible with one leg outside the door. The dog had my jeans leg just above my foot and was tearing my new jeans, The woman finally comes to the door and too my rescue. " Let me put Herman up" as she takes him back to the garage and closes the door. " Linda isn't' t ready yet so you can come in and wait on her." I need to go back home and change my pants your dog has destroyed my new jeans, I'll be back in about 30 minutes to pick up Linda. Poor Linda is probably still waiting on me to come back. LOL!!!! I wasn't going to go back, she wasn't that pretty.
Daddy really made my day when I told him what happen. " Son, that girl saw you coming and didn't like your looks and sicked that dog on you." Might have been a true statement. " From then on when I told my family I had a date, Dad would say, "WATCH OUT FOR DOGS.""

I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN??????????????

An Oscar Meyer Wienermobile crashed into the home and outdoor deck of Nick Krupp in Racine, Wis. on Friday morning, July 17, 2009. According to a witness, the vehicle was parked in the driveway. The driver lurched the vehicle forward instead of backing out of the driveway, hitting Krupp's deck and cracking the foundation of his house. Only on wiener was hurt during this wreck. THE DRIVER.