Old Ads

Old As I Was Born

This is my dad and his mom.

I'm guessing 1908.
I only knew my grandmother as an old woman. She died at 88 in 1967.
She has a Katherine Ross feel, no? It's almost out of an old western.
At one time, the family had some money; she died poor but I believe very happy.
She always seemed happy to me.

I think my dad threw a wrench into a couple of families as I have an older half brother who is 86 and my half sister is 81.
My father was older than my grand mother which didn't set well with that side of the family. He left the mother of the aforementioned half siblings and married my mother many years later.
He was 51 when I was born and almost 54 when my sister was.
Such a normal childhood.

We would drive to Kewanee on Sunday and visit Granny and Florence. Sisters that lived in the projects, but they always had  enough to get by. Many times, we'd have Sunday dinner at Granny's. The women are from Kentucky and so, they have been known to take a nip now and then. Even as a ten year old, Florence seemed to get real happy as the day went on. Being from Kentucky, ol' aunt Florence liked a chaw or two also. So, when you mix the combination of Jack Daniels and a tug, goodbye kisses were to be avoided at any cost.
God help you if Florence got you about 5pm.

"Granny's" husband died of a heart attack in 1953. My dad in 77, my brother in 93, my sister in 17

Even as an old woman Granny seemed to enjoy us kids, but I don't think that side of the family cared for my mother. She was much younger than everyone and hard to relate to.

But, that's my dad and his mom.

Anyway, a time long ago through the rear view mirror.

Goodbye Stranger

I've been asked why I left Facebook.

Time waster. That's my response.
I was the admin for the KY Video Page, the KY Fan Club Page, The Planet Radio page and my page.
It seems I was doing nothing else but be on that platform.
I have a new job in a new town I need to focus on and I was just spending way too much time there.
I need to get back here and continue writing the book.
So, for the time being, I'll give you my opinion, reflect and write on what I think.

Planet Radio is doing a countdown from this day in 1971.
Sometimes, I wish there was a time machine to drop us back somewhere in our lives, so we could get a do over.
I think I'd pick just about that time.

Starting to be a sophomore in high school.
Would I do it different?
Possibly.

I think I'd be a teacher, or maybe a preacher.
Knowing me, I'd probably get busted for having inappropriate relations with a student (only early in my career.)

Sophomore in high school (sigh). The only thing on my mind was how to get the homework done on time. Had a huge crush on my English teacher who was tall and black. Ms. Newborn didn't need much to garner my attention. Coming from crackerville where I lived, having a sexual thought about a black woman was a bit unnerving but I quickly realized if this was happening to me, I should probably rethink thoughts about black people. Moving to a high school that had a multi cultured population was so good for me.
It took awhile for the message to get in, but it was an incredible lesson in the fact people are people.
My good friend Jose had an older sister that I just about went nuts for every time I saw her only cemented how right the move was. Hispanic, black...people are people. No matter.

Our high school was in two campuses. It was such a huge population. I missed the familiar faces of the graduating class in Ava, which was 68. I was now in a sea of faces, over 800 strong in our class.

1971 was a shitty year for my brother, as he was in Vietnam, but for me, it was the beginning of my education into things other than school work.

Music, girls, cars.

The top ten from this day in 1971 featured Lee Michaels, Rare Earth, Dramatics, Carpenters, Paul and Linda McCartney, Aretha Franklin, Joan Baez, Bill Withers, Rod Stewart and well, Donny Osmond.

Damn fine time to be alive, 15 and somewhat safe.
My 12 year old sister would agree.

Hello Hurray!

I got to spend some quality time with my daughter this Sunday.
In fact it may be one of the best days we've ever had.
We got a burger at the Village Restaurant, and a custard at the local Kirkwood store that's been there forever. Then we found a bench under some shade, in close proximity to a train and we ate and talked.
And talked.
We cried and cried.
She seems to be at peace with a lot of things in her life and for that, I am grateful.
And jealous.
We did a "pinky promise" about me starting this up again. She promised me she'd read it.
So, if for no other audience than my daughter, I'm going to fire up this machine again.
I used to be pretty good about this and had an incredible following.
Facebook popped up and as you go through the history here, 10 years ago, three previous posts would be one day. Now, it's ten year gone. That ain't right.
Facebook became an obsession and unhealthy one at that. So, I'm taking a break, writing stuff that could or could not be used in the book depending on what you think.
It'll take me a couple of posts to figure out the lastest gizmos and stuff at my perusal.
So, Emily, here we go again.
Maybe if enough shit gets thrown against the wall, maybe some of it will be some what relative.



BTW, I have a rental car with satellite radio and I can't turn off Willie's Roadhouse.
My mother used to buy these Shurfine Country albums at the grocery store.
They had all those old country songs like Hank Locklin, Cowboy Copas, Faron Young, George Jones and the like. Hank Williams probably held a bigger place in my mother's life than ANYONE. I learned his stuff in utero. So, I'm pretty comfortable with Willie's station