Yes, that would be me. Miss Lazy. In my defense, I AM washing clothes and I DID cook lunch and I DID go to the store this morning. But right now, I'm in my room, light off, a Hershey Bliss in my mouth, squinty-eyed from sleepiness.
The past few nights I have gotten to where I lay down with the light off, play Scrabble on my phone and listen to my ipod. I got in the bed last night at 9:30 and before I knew it, it was three hours later! Jeffrey Steele is who I listen to the most, but Jim Croce, James Taylor, Darius Rucker (When he was Hootie) and a few others join him.
Traveling to work every day only takes three minutes. I can't even listen to one entire song! So there's really not a lot of time to enjoy my music. At work I try to turn it on sometimes but I always get interrupted so I don't even try most of the time.
Music has always been a huge part of my life. I remember when I was four and had the mumps my mother bought a 45 record of the Beatles I want to hold your hand with the flip side I saw her standing there. I laid there in the bed at my grandmother's house listening and trying to smile even though my neck was a big as a watermelon!
I collected hundreds of 45s and had some really, really good ones. When I was in third grade I was coming home from a friend's house and I dropped and broke most of them. Oh, I was sick!
By middle school I was listening to Carole King, Carly Simon, Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin and all of the Top 40 songs. Steve Miller Band's The Joker was one of my favorites. I went to Birmingham to see the Shower of Stars, sponsored every year by WVOK. The Grass Roots were there the year I went. I can't remember anyone else right off the top of my head. Maybe I can look it up somewhere online. And like most girls at the time I loved Donny Osmond and the Osmond Brothers and also David Cassidy, and Bobby Sherman. The walls of my bedroom were covered!
I went to see the Osmonds several times, as well as Chicago, The Carpenters, and the biggie...Three Dog Night!! Oh my, how I loved them! I had every album they ever put out. I was fifteen and saw them in Huntsville at Milton Frank Stadium.
When I started dating Jimmy, we went to see several concerts. We loved Willie Nelson and saw him a few times, as well as The Oak Ridge Boys. Over the years since then I have seen quite an eclectic collection of people. Wynonna, Clint Black, The Guess Who, Martina McBride, Billy Dean, Atlanta Rhythm Section, James Taylor, Vince Gill, Alabama, Kenny Rogers, Fleetwood Mac just to name a few. I didn't see many concerts during the years I was raising my children. But after they got older, I started following Bo Bice, and he has introduced me to some fantastic musicians!
I've become a fan of Gary Nichols, Kris Bell, LoCash Cowboys, Eliot Morris and countless other artists because of his introduction, influence or me being in a certain place because of him. Just because I went to the CMA Festival this year, I found somebody that I just love! Jeffrey Steele is amazing. Outstanding. Talented. Entertaining. I'm smitten. He's awesome!
Next Friday night I plan on going down to Bessemer to see Jimmy Wayne. Bo's former bassist now plays with him, and I love Luis and want to go see him. I'm even dragging Jimmy with me. I think he'll enjoy it and I hope he can meet Luis. Luis has answered many bass questions Jimmy had through me the past couple of years!
Someone Jimmy and I have been fans of for over twenty years is the fantastically talented Mr. John Cowan. We first learned of John when he was in the band Newgrass Revival. We finally made it to a couple of concerts and he is just as nice as can be and his voice is unbelievable. Check him out if you've never heard of him. That voice, man, that voice...is so powerful!
I really need to scan some of my old pictures that I took at concerts back in the day. I'll try and do that soon!
In the meanwhile, check out this website dedicated to the old WVOK. There are several pages of pictures from the Shower of Stars. I was there for the year they had The Grass Roots (as I said earlier) and now I remember seeing Climax, too. Pretty cool site! I think I was at the show in August of 1970 where Iron Butterfly played. Gosh, looks like I could remember!! I know for sure I was there in 1970. It was in 6th grade and I was 11. After looking at the advertisements I'm changing my mind. I may have been at the one with Paul Revere and the Raiders. There are pictures of Climax but it doesn't have them listed on any of the advertisements. I remember that vividly because my friend Susan's mom's eyes like to have popped out of her head when I told her I saw Climax! LOL LOL!!
http://wvok-memories.tripod.com/
Showing posts with label Reminiscing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reminiscing. Show all posts
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Wednesday evening in the 'ville
I'm at home alone with Jimmy and it's quiet, very quiet. All I can hear are the sounds of the dryer and the bell ringing in the parrot's cage. This is heaven to me. No TV, no music, no talking, just quiet.
Times like these are rare. Growing up I was used to the quiet. I was an only child living with my mother and various pets. I enjoyed my solitude and I was very rarely lonely.
After I married and had three children, it seemed that life was always at full throttle. From Sesame Street to Backstreet Boys to Ninja Turtles to Nascar, there was always something going on. Kids were in and out of the house constantly, slamming doors, playing guitars, giggling, and fussing. There were times when I wanted to scream or just run away!
Nowdays I still have two grown boys at home. It's still not quiet here. There is always an episode of Scrubs playing on the DVD player or music going or phones ringing or computers clacking. Seth does wear earphones all the time to listen to his music. I'm concerned that he's going to be deaf, but he just pooh-poohs me and keeps on wearing them and listening LOUD!
Nobody is home except Jimmy and me tonight and he's in the other room looking up blues songs on the internet. My eyes are closed as I type this and I can feel my breathing, all steady and slow. What bliss this is!
Sad news today though. The wife of a doctor who used to live here died this morning from injuries she sustained from a lightning strike Monday. How weird is that? She was taking out the trash. I remember them well. They visited our home on numerous occasions. She taught me how to make homemade sloppy joes and I fed them chili. At their home was no television-they were Mennonites- but the Mr. always rented one to watch certain football games! Their kids were little aliens, they had to be! I've never seen a 4 year old keep everything in his room spotless and every toy piece and game together organized on a shelf! Man, did my kids wreak havoc over there!
I can't remember the last time I saw her. It's funny how you say you're going to keep in touch when someone moves, then time ticks by and you never do. I'm sorry I didn't keep our friendship going throughout the years. Rest in peace, Dawn; may God comfort Jon and the kids as they cope with your passing.
Times like these are rare. Growing up I was used to the quiet. I was an only child living with my mother and various pets. I enjoyed my solitude and I was very rarely lonely.
After I married and had three children, it seemed that life was always at full throttle. From Sesame Street to Backstreet Boys to Ninja Turtles to Nascar, there was always something going on. Kids were in and out of the house constantly, slamming doors, playing guitars, giggling, and fussing. There were times when I wanted to scream or just run away!
Nowdays I still have two grown boys at home. It's still not quiet here. There is always an episode of Scrubs playing on the DVD player or music going or phones ringing or computers clacking. Seth does wear earphones all the time to listen to his music. I'm concerned that he's going to be deaf, but he just pooh-poohs me and keeps on wearing them and listening LOUD!
Nobody is home except Jimmy and me tonight and he's in the other room looking up blues songs on the internet. My eyes are closed as I type this and I can feel my breathing, all steady and slow. What bliss this is!
Sad news today though. The wife of a doctor who used to live here died this morning from injuries she sustained from a lightning strike Monday. How weird is that? She was taking out the trash. I remember them well. They visited our home on numerous occasions. She taught me how to make homemade sloppy joes and I fed them chili. At their home was no television-they were Mennonites- but the Mr. always rented one to watch certain football games! Their kids were little aliens, they had to be! I've never seen a 4 year old keep everything in his room spotless and every toy piece and game together organized on a shelf! Man, did my kids wreak havoc over there!
I can't remember the last time I saw her. It's funny how you say you're going to keep in touch when someone moves, then time ticks by and you never do. I'm sorry I didn't keep our friendship going throughout the years. Rest in peace, Dawn; may God comfort Jon and the kids as they cope with your passing.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
July 2, 1977
This morning I was driving down the road and it hit me that today was July 2. I got engaged on July 2! And it was THIRTY-TWO years ago! Holy cow!
I don't remember a whole lot about the day. Jimmy was rushing around, getting ready for a jazz band performance in our town's main mall. He came into my bedroom, dropped a ring box in my lap and flew into the bathroom and started fixing his hair. (Oh, how vain he was about that beautiful blonde hair!) I remember sitting there with my heart pounding and I opened the box. There was a beautiful solitaire ring in there, white gold, and I was just shaking! I can't remember what he said, but he poked his head out of the bathroom and I said, "Well, at least come and put it on me!" He did, and we left to go to our town's 4th of July celebration.
Details of that day are blurry, but I remember showing that ring off to everybody! It's not like we hadn't talked about marriage, but this made it official! If it doesn't sound real romantic, keep in mind that Jimmy was 17 years old! LOL! No romantic dinner with candles and wine for us!
Another thing I remember is going to Guntersville to the lake where his family was having a picnic. It was either the next day or actually on the 4th. I remember his Paw Paw Eason being there and me showing him my ring. And I remember that Paw Paw asked me if I had heard that song, "Margaritaville"!
So, that's how Jimmy and I got engaged. Awesome, huh? ;)
I don't remember a whole lot about the day. Jimmy was rushing around, getting ready for a jazz band performance in our town's main mall. He came into my bedroom, dropped a ring box in my lap and flew into the bathroom and started fixing his hair. (Oh, how vain he was about that beautiful blonde hair!) I remember sitting there with my heart pounding and I opened the box. There was a beautiful solitaire ring in there, white gold, and I was just shaking! I can't remember what he said, but he poked his head out of the bathroom and I said, "Well, at least come and put it on me!" He did, and we left to go to our town's 4th of July celebration.
Details of that day are blurry, but I remember showing that ring off to everybody! It's not like we hadn't talked about marriage, but this made it official! If it doesn't sound real romantic, keep in mind that Jimmy was 17 years old! LOL! No romantic dinner with candles and wine for us!
Another thing I remember is going to Guntersville to the lake where his family was having a picnic. It was either the next day or actually on the 4th. I remember his Paw Paw Eason being there and me showing him my ring. And I remember that Paw Paw asked me if I had heard that song, "Margaritaville"!
So, that's how Jimmy and I got engaged. Awesome, huh? ;)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day!
Me and my "baby daddy", Jimmy! LOL!!!Today I celebrate my wonderful husband, Jimmy. He is an excellent father to our three kids, who are now young adults. I hope he has a most enjoyable and relaxing day!
I never knew my father. He passed away when I was four months old. Everyone who knew him said he was a fine man. He was 36 years old, had been married to my mother for 15 months, and was principal of the local elementary school. He had been in WWII, serving in Patton's Third Army. He attended and graduated from the University of Alabama after returning from the war. He minored in Spanish and mother said that when they went on a vacation to Mexico he was jabbering to everyone. My daughter Rachel has a propensity for foreign languages. She must get it from him!
Even though I didn't have a father in my life, I had two grandfathers who loved me and stood in the gap. My Paw Paw Smith was a farmer and a county road crew worker. He and my Maw Maw lived on a farm and I spent countless hours there when I was young. My Grandpaw Thrasher was a retired police chief and was a contractor. He and my Grandmaw lavished me with love. My daddy was their youngest child. Just one example of how they spoiled me...I was living in Jacksonville for the summer while my mother finished up her graduate degree. I DESPISED going to summer school. I was an A student and repeating all the work I had done the previous school year was boring me to tears! I remember my grandfathers both told me that if I would go and stay just one more week, I would have a surprise waiting when I got home.
The next week I arrived home and what did I have? A shetland pony! Not just any shetland pony, but one that was brown with a white mane and tail, just like I had always wanted! Grandpaw Thrasher had bought him and my Paw Paw Smith was housing him on his farm. I remember how I loved that pony, whose name was Thunder.
Well, that's just a little bit of a blog for Father's Day. I'm going to go and spend some time with my kids' daddy now!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
It was 30 years ago today...
I married my true love on this day 30 years ago. Where has the time gone? We were such kids, yet thought we were so grown. Throughout the years we've had good times and bad, but we went through them together and came out stronger. I cannot imagine life without him.
My most vivid memory from that day was how he looked at me during the wedding ceremony. And he still gives me that same, sweet look and smile today. I adore him.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
My life story- I'll hit the high spots!
Some of you may not know me, so I thought I'd tell you about my life up until this point.
I was born to Jesse and Mary 15 months after they were married. Sadly, my father passed away when I was 4 months old, leaving my mother a 26 year old widow.
Growing up I was surrounded by loving grandparents, both on my maternal and paternal sides. Aunts, Uncles and cousins abounded and I didn't lack for anything. I spent many of my days at my mother's parents' farm where I played barefoot in the fields as the cotton was picked. My first dog was Lady, named after the Disney character. Lady and the Tramp was the first movie I ever saw at the theater. It is still my favorite Disney movie of all time! Sunday afternoons were spent at my father's parents' house where my aunts and uncles congregated. For a treat we'd go to the store and get a "cold drink". My Grandmaw's favorite was grape and that's what I usually got, too.
I lived in town and attended a school a couple of blocks from my house. In second grade my dad's father (Grandpaw) bought me a Shetland pony and I kept him at Paw Paw's farm. His name was Thunder and I adored him! He was brown with a cream colored mane and tail. I talked to that pony just like he could understand me. I also had a pet cow named BeeBee, and I talked to her, too! My favorite toys were my Barbies and my toy horses and guns (of all things!).
Elementary school was not fun for me. I didn't like it AT ALL and fought Mother tooth and nail about going! I was at the same school, Evans, for 1st-5th grade. Wednesday was "turnip green day" and I always brought my lunch! I rode the bus every afternoon to the high school where Mother was teaching.
Middle school is where I made the friends that I kept all through high school and many of them are still friends today. Mrs. Lumpkin was my 6th grade teacher and she read to us after lunch every day. She'd call us "Lazy Ray" if we didn't do as well as she thought we should at something and if we acted sleepy she'd have the entire class go and run around the tree at the front of the school! We sang Christmas songs for her study club during the holidays and we were all awed by her big home with its staircase that had ribbon-wrapped spindles. They looked just like candy canes!
Middle school also brought the first boy-girl parties and school dances. A group of boys our age had a band and they would play "Born to be Wild", "Magic Carpet Ride" and a couple of other songs over and over! Inevitably a few of us girls would have a spend-the-night party afterwards and we had to discuss who danced with whom and if anybody got kissed!
I was also in the band, as were the majority of my friends. In 9th grade we were finally at the high school and marching halftime shows. I remember riding the band bus to away games and singing at the top of my lungs. A personal favorite to belt out was "Satin Sheets". How I knew that song is beyond me! My focus had been on Donny Osmond, David Cassidy and Bobby Sherman. Where does "Satin Sheets" come into play?? I was singing it to make fun of it in actuality...just like I did when I sang "On the wings of a snow white dove"!!
In high school I was in band, was in color guard 10th-12th grade and was captain my senior year, I was on the annual staff and was editor my senior year, I was in Beta Club, Future Homemakers of America, Junior Civitans and I even took Latin one year and was in the Latin club. One of my favorite memories is from Latin class in 9th grade. Every single day us girls would stand and look out the window of the 3rd floor and watch Freddy Carr, this drop-dead goodlooking senior football player, walk across the campus. Every single day, without fail, we'd watch him. He didn't know we were alive! LOL!
During high school I did the typical teenager things. I had a boyfriend, I talked on the phone for hours with my girlfriends, I took biology and put together the bones of a frog, I participated in class skits and attended rock concerts.
At the end of my Senior year I started dating Jimmy (hubby) and he was my Senior Prom date. We went to the lake after prom and stayed out all night long. I got home around 7 a.m. A favorite local band, WARM, played for prom and Jimmy had a man-crush on the bass player. We attended many WARM concerts and we always had to park ourselves right on the front in front of Lanice.
I graduated and attended the local community college and then transferred to Jacksonville State University. Jimmy and I had such fun dating. We went to the movie, hung out with friends, and attended I don't know how many Willie Nelson concerts! We went parking to the music of Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart and the Eagles. I can still remember the exact places in the songs where the 8-track would click over!
Jimmy and I married when I was in my Junior year at JSU. He had begun work at a local plant and we were ready to take on the world! I continued on in school for a year after we were married and was ready to do my student teaching and found out...I was pregnant! Child #1 was born on December 11, 1980. I started back to school to finish up my degree and WHAMMO, child #2 was on the way! I graduated when I was 7 months pregnant with him! I kidded him when he graduated from college, telling him that he walked across the stage with me when I got my Bachelor's so I needed to walk across with him! Child #3 was born 19 months after #2. I had my hands full!
I was full time mommy for 13 years, living on McDonald's Happy Meals and Sesame Street. I watched my kids play soccer, cheer for the Pee Wee football team, take ballet and tap, go through school participating and excelling in the band and choirs, attending Bible school and church camp and growing into young adults. Where did the time go?
When my oldest was 13 I went and got my Master's Degree and began my job as a Library Director. I've been here 15 years now. My kids are all grown (as I said in my first blog) and Jimmy and I are enjoying ourselves, doing the things we like to do. He's a fantastic bass player and played for years in a bluegrass band. They played at corporate parties, weddings, and Panoply of the Arts in Huntsville to name a few places. Now he's traded in the upright bass for a jazz bass and a 5-string and he's playing in a Contemporary Christian band as well as in a Classic Rock/Country/Blues band. I'm enjoying myself being a Bo (Bice) Peep, traveling all over the U.S. to see his shows, visit with my friends, and I'm having a blast!
That's about it up to this point...maybe you know me a bit better now and will enjoy reading about my day-to-day life.
I was born to Jesse and Mary 15 months after they were married. Sadly, my father passed away when I was 4 months old, leaving my mother a 26 year old widow.
Growing up I was surrounded by loving grandparents, both on my maternal and paternal sides. Aunts, Uncles and cousins abounded and I didn't lack for anything. I spent many of my days at my mother's parents' farm where I played barefoot in the fields as the cotton was picked. My first dog was Lady, named after the Disney character. Lady and the Tramp was the first movie I ever saw at the theater. It is still my favorite Disney movie of all time! Sunday afternoons were spent at my father's parents' house where my aunts and uncles congregated. For a treat we'd go to the store and get a "cold drink". My Grandmaw's favorite was grape and that's what I usually got, too.
I lived in town and attended a school a couple of blocks from my house. In second grade my dad's father (Grandpaw) bought me a Shetland pony and I kept him at Paw Paw's farm. His name was Thunder and I adored him! He was brown with a cream colored mane and tail. I talked to that pony just like he could understand me. I also had a pet cow named BeeBee, and I talked to her, too! My favorite toys were my Barbies and my toy horses and guns (of all things!).
Elementary school was not fun for me. I didn't like it AT ALL and fought Mother tooth and nail about going! I was at the same school, Evans, for 1st-5th grade. Wednesday was "turnip green day" and I always brought my lunch! I rode the bus every afternoon to the high school where Mother was teaching.
Middle school is where I made the friends that I kept all through high school and many of them are still friends today. Mrs. Lumpkin was my 6th grade teacher and she read to us after lunch every day. She'd call us "Lazy Ray" if we didn't do as well as she thought we should at something and if we acted sleepy she'd have the entire class go and run around the tree at the front of the school! We sang Christmas songs for her study club during the holidays and we were all awed by her big home with its staircase that had ribbon-wrapped spindles. They looked just like candy canes!
Middle school also brought the first boy-girl parties and school dances. A group of boys our age had a band and they would play "Born to be Wild", "Magic Carpet Ride" and a couple of other songs over and over! Inevitably a few of us girls would have a spend-the-night party afterwards and we had to discuss who danced with whom and if anybody got kissed!
I was also in the band, as were the majority of my friends. In 9th grade we were finally at the high school and marching halftime shows. I remember riding the band bus to away games and singing at the top of my lungs. A personal favorite to belt out was "Satin Sheets". How I knew that song is beyond me! My focus had been on Donny Osmond, David Cassidy and Bobby Sherman. Where does "Satin Sheets" come into play?? I was singing it to make fun of it in actuality...just like I did when I sang "On the wings of a snow white dove"!!
In high school I was in band, was in color guard 10th-12th grade and was captain my senior year, I was on the annual staff and was editor my senior year, I was in Beta Club, Future Homemakers of America, Junior Civitans and I even took Latin one year and was in the Latin club. One of my favorite memories is from Latin class in 9th grade. Every single day us girls would stand and look out the window of the 3rd floor and watch Freddy Carr, this drop-dead goodlooking senior football player, walk across the campus. Every single day, without fail, we'd watch him. He didn't know we were alive! LOL!
During high school I did the typical teenager things. I had a boyfriend, I talked on the phone for hours with my girlfriends, I took biology and put together the bones of a frog, I participated in class skits and attended rock concerts.
At the end of my Senior year I started dating Jimmy (hubby) and he was my Senior Prom date. We went to the lake after prom and stayed out all night long. I got home around 7 a.m. A favorite local band, WARM, played for prom and Jimmy had a man-crush on the bass player. We attended many WARM concerts and we always had to park ourselves right on the front in front of Lanice.
I graduated and attended the local community college and then transferred to Jacksonville State University. Jimmy and I had such fun dating. We went to the movie, hung out with friends, and attended I don't know how many Willie Nelson concerts! We went parking to the music of Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart and the Eagles. I can still remember the exact places in the songs where the 8-track would click over!
Jimmy and I married when I was in my Junior year at JSU. He had begun work at a local plant and we were ready to take on the world! I continued on in school for a year after we were married and was ready to do my student teaching and found out...I was pregnant! Child #1 was born on December 11, 1980. I started back to school to finish up my degree and WHAMMO, child #2 was on the way! I graduated when I was 7 months pregnant with him! I kidded him when he graduated from college, telling him that he walked across the stage with me when I got my Bachelor's so I needed to walk across with him! Child #3 was born 19 months after #2. I had my hands full!
I was full time mommy for 13 years, living on McDonald's Happy Meals and Sesame Street. I watched my kids play soccer, cheer for the Pee Wee football team, take ballet and tap, go through school participating and excelling in the band and choirs, attending Bible school and church camp and growing into young adults. Where did the time go?
When my oldest was 13 I went and got my Master's Degree and began my job as a Library Director. I've been here 15 years now. My kids are all grown (as I said in my first blog) and Jimmy and I are enjoying ourselves, doing the things we like to do. He's a fantastic bass player and played for years in a bluegrass band. They played at corporate parties, weddings, and Panoply of the Arts in Huntsville to name a few places. Now he's traded in the upright bass for a jazz bass and a 5-string and he's playing in a Contemporary Christian band as well as in a Classic Rock/Country/Blues band. I'm enjoying myself being a Bo (Bice) Peep, traveling all over the U.S. to see his shows, visit with my friends, and I'm having a blast!
That's about it up to this point...maybe you know me a bit better now and will enjoy reading about my day-to-day life.
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