Richardsville Road & Community

The first annual reunion went off very well. There were about 100 in attendance. Plans are already in the works for next year’s reunion.

They had the refurbished bell from the old Richardsville school house. It was not difficult to get people’s attention with that! Danny, as promised, had many old pictures enlarged, hoping to get more identities (I don’t know yet how that worked out). He had a large picture of the old Richardsville School, and asked everyone who attended to put their name on it, and the dates they attended.

There were many old school and other historical records there, that were presented to the Jefferson County Historical Society. There was an old Victrola there, that still works! It was slightly smaller than the one we used to have. I can’t remember what happened to it. I think one of my brothers got it and turned it into something “useful.” The one at the reunion actually had the original packing case with it.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera! There will be pictures posted on the site, though. There are several there already.

A couple of my cousins were there, and a number of other people I knew fairly well or slightly, and some new acquaintances! There were a number of old Brookville yearbooks there. Someone had a scrapbook of obituaries. I said I knew more people in there than were actually at the picnic! I even found out a connection I wasn’t aware of. I was reading Clarence Smith’s obituary, and found out that Leota Heitzenrater (married to my cousin Floyd Heitzenrater) was Clarence’s sister. I don’t remember if I mentioned it in a previous blog or not, but Leota babysat me and my little sister Lily when we were 4 and 2 years old, and baby brother Tommy was in the hospital fighting for his life. That was . . . umm . . . in 1940, I do believe. An incident that happened that day (I don’t remember if she stayed with us more than one day) was that Paul was sent home from school with a big cut on his upper leg. I don’t remember how big it was, but I know it looked awfully big to me. He had dropped his (open) pocket knife, and tried to catch it between his knees. It hit his thigh.

Danny had asked for people who had musical instruments to bring them. I took my guitar, and another couple took their mandolin & guitar (the same couple that played at my friend’s 80th birthday party), and we played a few numbers. It really didn’t matter much that there weren’t more – everyone was enjoying talking to each other.

Patriotic service again - June 29

This was in anticipation of July 4th. As usual, I got damp-eyed when singing the patriotic songs - The Star Spangled Banner, Battle Hymn of the Republic, and America. For special music, a Ladies' Ensemble sang "God Bless the USA."

We had a fill-in pastor, as our pastor was with the group on the missions trip in Guatemala. The speaker used as his topic "If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." Unfortunately, I took too long to write this, and don't remember details too well.

One thing I do remember is that in the evening service, a little girl - about 4th grade or so - played "America" on the trumpet. She stumbled a little at one point, and getting ready to take up where she left off, she looked back in the congregation at her cousin (who may have been mouthing something), and said, "T____, shut up!" Then she got going again and finished the song.

Just for fun

The Magnaclams are coming!


Check out this link:
Magnaclams!
You might also want to check these:
Magnaclams are FAKE
CTG Revisited

Addendum to "Happy Birthday"

The birthday lady changed her mind. She's not going to jump out of an airplane for #90 - instead, she's going up in a hot air balloon!

Happy Birthday

On Friday evening, I attended a surprise birthday party for a dear friend. She was 80 years old (or will be, this coming Friday). Her children planned the event a week early in order to surprise her, because she had been told long ago that they would give her a birthday party for her 80th birthday. She lives in an independent living complex, and because the party was to be held there (in the large dining room), someone had to get her out of the way while the guests were assembling. They did such a good job of getting her out of the way that she was over half an hour late. There was a good crowd there. And she was indeed surprised! Her children had been so elusive about the party recently that she was almost convinced they weren’t going to give her a party after all. It was tricky trying to get to talk to one of her children about it when she was around.

I don’t know how many people showed up, but the place was full. There were some poems honoring her, and a humorous one by one of her daughters that was a prayer to allow her to live just one more year, and then one more, etc., up to 89, then “I’ll be ready to go . . . maybe!” One couple played mandolin and guitar and sang some old songs. I can’t remember the first one they sang; the second one was about learning to love Jesus in grandma’s rocking chair. Then those of us who knew it were asked to join with them in the last song. I hadn’t heard – let alone sung – that song since I was in high school (I graduated in 1954), but as we sang, the words all came back to me. Anyone remember this?

Mockingbird Hill

When the sun in the morning peeps over the hill
And kisses the roses on my window sill,
Then my heart fills with gladness when I hear the trill
Of the birds in the treetops on Mockingbird Hill.

Chorus:
Tra-la-la, Tweedly-dee-dee, it gives me a thrill
To wake up in the morning to the mockingbird’s trill;
Tra-la-la, Tweedly-dee-dee, there’s peace and good will;
You’re welcome as the flowers on Mockingbird Hill.

Got a three-cornered plow and an acre to till,
And a mule that I bought for a ten dollar bill.
There’s a tumbledown shack and a rusty old mill,
But it’s my home, sweet home, up on Mockingbird Hill.

(Chorus)

When it’s late in the evening I climb up the hill
And survey all my kingdom while everything’s still –
Only me and the sky and a lone whippoorwill
Singing songs in the twilight on Mockingbird Hill.

(Chorus)

Then – one of the highlights of the evening – someone announced that the guest of honor had always wanted to ride a Harley. So, out they go to the parking lot (I stayed inside), and watched this lady ride on the back of her son-in-law’s Harley. Later on, she said that one of her grandsons said to her, “Don’t worry, Grandma, if you fall off, I’ll pick you up.” As I said, I didn’t see the event, but she had a picture of it at church Sunday. Presumably, the pastor is going to have a picture to put up on the screen this coming Sunday.

Now, she says that for her ninetieth birthday – with the disclaimer if she lives that long, and the Lord doesn’t come – she will jump out of an airplane. After saying this (I heard this from her twice), she immediately goes into an attitude of prayer, and says, “Oh, Lord, please come, so I won’t have to do that!”

Correction: She misunderstood what her grandson said; it turns out he said, "If you fall off I'll catch your teeth."