Honey, I'm home.......

A17th Anniversary trip to Blowing Rock, NC

September, 2008

This was taken around our first anniversary.

Our Wedding Day

September 20, 1991

We started our journey together in 1991. And, as of this past Thursday, my sweetie will be retired and at home with me all the time. I have been anticipating this moment for many years. You see, we really do enjoy each others company and we really do enjoy doing some of the same things. That's not to say that we don't have our separate hobbies because we do. He loves the land and getting on his tractor and bushhogging. He loves to garden. He loves to build things. He really loves the challenge of trying to fix something that is broken. He actually loves home repair and maintenance. He loves doing acts of charity by helping those that need a helping hand. He loves old movies. He loves the computer and hates it at the same time!

He has a few collections going on also. We have traveled far and wide and enjoyed searching for different things. Most of you who know him knows what his favorite collection is but we won't print it here. He has an awesome wood working shop with every imaginable piece of woodworking equipment available, both new and antique. He collects Hard Rock Cafe pins. He has a rather large collection of Allstate mementos that have been given out as promotional items. He loves photography and has several really nice cameras and has all our photos cataloged and organized and backed up for safe keeping.

One thing that he really loves is to travel. We have been lucky enough to do quite a bit of traveling over the past 18 years, but now we hope to do even more. One of our dreams is to buy a fifth wheel and head out to see as many of our great national treasures as possible. It will be so different to leave and not have to really hurry back as we have in the past. He says he loves our "windshield" time together. While we're driving through the boring parts of a trip, I usually read a novel out loud. We have read most of John Grisham's books this way and really enjoyed talking about them as the plot unfolds, sort of like a mini book club. Another thing that we have done is purchase a Christmas ornament from every place that we have traveled. As we have decorated our tree over the years, we laugh and remember our good times. As it relates to travel (and in many other ways as well) we are truly soul mates.

It is really hard to believe that after 33 years with the same company that "R" Day has finally arrived. He has many times said he wonders what it will feel like the first morning that he wakes up and realizes that he no longer has the responsibilities that he has had for so many years. I was going to ask him this morning, but he's up and gone to get his computer repaired. This is just like him! Not wasting a minute. He has a list of 25 things that he would like to get accomplished around the farm and I asked him what were his plans for the second week!

Of all the people in the world, I am so happy that he is my eternal companion. It must be so because just yesterday at church someone said that we look so happy. And, we are!!!

You have another son.........

Joel Marcus Wright

May 18, 1970

4:06 PM

Here is what I wrote in Joe's baby book.

After my regular weekly examination on Thursday, May 14, Dr. Rogers suggested that if I had no signs of labor beginning that I should go to the hospital on Monday and have labor induced. We arrived at the hospital (Macon Hospital) around 8:30 AM. By 10:30 AM I was having something for pain. At 6:00 PM I was awake long enough for Dr. Gibson to tell me that I had another son that weighed 8 lbs. 2 1/2 oz. and that he was doing fine. I was taken to my room around 7:00 PM and shortly after that they put Joe into my arms.

Joe at 2 months



Jay with Joe

Jay was saying "ont cwy, Joe" and then laughing.







Joe's first haircut at 1 year




Me holding Joe when he was just a few weeks old.






Joe in a state of the art seat.

How were we not arrested for child endangerment?








Sorry, boys! Every Mom probably has a picture like this.


Playing out in the backyard on a hot summer day.










Jay and Joe









Joe on Christmas morning









Joe and me

We were at Disney World













Joe

He played for a recreational park program.

One of my favorite elementary school photos.




One of my favorite middle school photos.





Getting his high school diploma


Tucker High School


Class of 1988

June 14, 1988

Senior Picture

1988

Photo for his modeling portfolio

He was about 20, I think.

Playbill


The Haunting of Hill House


DeKalb Junior College


May, 1990

When Joe attended DeKalb, he called one afternoon to say that he had decided to try out for the school drama department's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. I thought he would try out and that would be that. I hoped that he would not be disappointed when he didn't get the part. Well, he got the part and went on to be in many more plays at the school with many leading roles. He took every drama class that they offered. I finally told him that he couldn't go four years to a two year college. He is very talented and always made me proud!

The ugly step-sister


Cinderella


DeKalb College


1990

A photo that would make any Mother proud. I still laugh out loud when I see this!

The two of us in 2006

Joe showing us his pride and joy - a 1988 Ford Mustang Convertible

Joe with me on the day that I was installed as an officer in
The Order of the Eastern Star
Madison Chapter 335
Madison, Georgia

April, 2007

Joe was a very peaceful baby. Mother said all May babies were and she always knew. I can remember so many cute things that he said as a little guy. The funniest to me was when he knew that Jay spelled his name J A Y. He said that his name was spelled Joe O E.

He walked alone at eight months old. Very early! He rarely cried as a baby and I remember his 5 AM feedings as just a joy. You would feed him, change his diaper and he was ready for a nap. I just don't remember him being fussy at all.

One of the greatest gifts that Joe possesses is his kindness toward others. When he was in the second grade, he took a little boy that was deaf under his wing. The teacher said that he helped him all day long. When he would find out that our waitress was a single Mom, he would always tip around 50%. He would share anything that he has with someone in need. Even today, he donates a lot of his time to Habitat for Humanity and loves the work that they do for the needy. His compassion is unparalleled! He has such a good heart!

And then there was the time that I had to have radiation to my brain. I came home from the hospital and was very heavily medicated, but every time I woke up I saw a clown in full dress juggling at the foot of my bed. I thought that I was hallucinating! Guess who it was? And, yes, he can juggle and make balloon animals!

He brings me such joy. He is a wonderful son and I thought it only appropriate that I honor him with a little write up during his birthday month. (Beware Jay, you will be coming up soon!) He is a great man with honesty and integrity and a strong belief system. Great things are coming for him and he is going to reap the rewards of all the kindnesses that he has shown to others over the years. I'm not going to share too many secrets, but I did want to let him know that I love you, Son and I am proud to be your Mother. There are moments that are imprinted in our memory for life and one of mine is the moment that you were placed in my arms.

Honey, can we get a Yorkie? I've always wanted one.

Bringing Mattie home

It was a beautiful day in December, 2004, two days after my birthday when my sweet husband and I enjoyed a lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant. I said "While you pay the check, I'd like to go next door to the pet shop."

For some time, we had discussed getting a small dog because I was having health problems and he was traveling quite a bit, so we both thought that I would enjoy the companionship of a dog. John was raised in the country and had had outside dogs, but never one that lived inside. I, on the other hand, had only had inside dogs that were treated like people - namely a few poodles.

I went into the pet store and there was one little bitty Yorkie in a big cage all by herself. I asked the owner if we could get her out. (She had a huge, and I do mean HUGE, price tag.) The pet shop owner got her out and all one pound of her pranced around the store like she owned it! She played and was just "Miss Personality". By the time John got into the pet shop, I was already smitten! Honey, this is the one! I want her! As a side note here, I really didn't care whether it was a male or female and John had only two requirements. One, it cannot bite any grandchildren and two, it would not stop us from traveling. I agreed to both with no problems because who really wants a dog that bites. Right?

He said okay and we started the paper work and the pet shop owner gave us a cage and food so that we'd have everything that we need for the first few days. She told me to put a heating pad on low under her cage at night to keep her warm. So, we were all set!

We bring her home and I think she slept in that cage for about a week and John just couldn't stand it. She was in bed with us from that moment on!

Within just a few short months, Mr "she can't bite and she won't stop us from traveling" was totally loving this little ball of energy. Now he says, "well, no one needs to put their hands near her" and "we'll just pay to take her with us" and that's how it's been.

She is really great on a trip. She rides in her little safety seat on the console and knows what the rest stops are for. The great thing about traveling with her is that people come up and talk to you that you would have walked by on the street. We have met some really wonderful people on our journeys and have heard wonderful stories about their pets and have had lots of questions asked about Mattie.

Here she is getting into contraband - a Christmas present!

She is named for two of my great-great grandmothers. While doing genealogy, I found two great-great grandmothers whose name was Matilda - one on each side of my family. Her registered name is Lilly Matilda. The Lilly is for John's grandmother that lived to be 101.

This is in Blowing Rock, NC - one of our favorite places.







This is in front of the visitor's center there. I had so many people stop to talk. There were several that wanted their picture taken with her.







Mattie with her favorite ball.

When she was a few weeks old, John came home with this purple ball. He rolled it on the floor and she went for it and immediately brought it back. He said, "Oh, isn't that cute? She fetches." Little did we know!!!!! She can tell time. At three o'clock, on the dot, she brings that ball out of nowhere and it's play time. She will bark until you throw it! She will fetch it for as long as you'll throw it. We have to say, "It's time to put the ball up." Reluctantly she will surrender her ball. We play for long periods of time, but after two to three hours, we have to stop. Needless to say, the Vet notices that she stays at her trim 4.9 lbs and has since she was a little over a year old. Here's an interesting little side note. She will not play with any other ball. We have tried to replace this scummy (although we wash it often) ball several times. She will not fetch another one. John tries to fool her. He'll hide the purple one and throw a red or green one and she'll go and smell it and come back with a funny look on her face. She is just too funny!!!

Here we are doing genealogy work at my family cemetery. She's wearing her matching sun visor and collar and leash.








This was our 2006 Christmas Card photo.

I think this photo says it all. This is on Christmas morning. If you look closely, you can see her kissing me. She is mine in the morning and John's in the evening. It's like she evenly divides her day between us. We didn't do it, she did! She sits close to me or in my lap in the morning and she finds him in the afternoon for her fetch fetish!!

One thing I do know. We have our precious pets for such a short time! When I am knitting or sewing and she comes to get in my lap, I stop what I'm doing and love her until she's ready to get down. I don't want to ever feel that I should have spent more time with her or have any memories of brushing her aside. I just stop what I'm doing. How important is knitting or sewing anyway?

Honey, will you paint our bedroom?

Seems like a simple request, doesn't it? As you can see, the bedroom was a dark colored plum. I was really getting tired of it, so I said, "Honey, will you paint our bedroom my favorite color?" Of course he said "Yes" and the adventure began. That was in early November.


The color was picked out and the new carpet was ordered. We also decided to update the fixtures as well. We custom ordered really nice expensive Delta fixtures from Lowe's. I'm telling you they were Delta because that's important to the story.




The fixtures were shipped directly to our home and arrived in about ten days. John immediately installed the faucets because the room had been painted. The painting was no easy job because going from a dark color to a light color requires Kilz plus two coats of paint, but that went rather quickly.




The fixture made for the Roman tub just wouldn't go in. We went back to Lowe's and were told that we needed new valves, so they were ordered. Another ten day wait for the valves. I had ordered new bedding and it had arrived and was safely tucked away waiting for the room to be finished. Lowe's is calling every Monday to see when the carpet can be installed and I am telling them that there is a plumbing problem and the carpet has to be last. They just want to be sure that I am happy.




Keep in mind that John is traveling and out from three to four nights a week, so all the work has to be done on the weekends.




The new valves arrive and on the next weekend John tries once again to install the fixture for the Roman tub, but it just won't fit. When he leaves on Monday, I call my new best friend at Lowe's, Wayne, and tell him the new valve just won't fit. (John is not a plumber, but there really isn't much that he can't do.) Wayne asks the million dollar question that has not been asked before. "What kind of fixtures do you have?" I take the phone with me into the shower and in little bitty letters I tell Wayne "Price Pfister". He says, "Well, that valve will never fit. Let me explain it to you. It would be like trying to put Chevrolet parts on a Ford. You will need to bring those fixtures back and order Price Pfister." Okay, John will be home Friday and we'll bring the Delta's back and order Price Pfister.




On Saturday off we go to Lowe's once again. After thinking about it, I decide since the brass Delta's need to go back (the entire bathroom is in brass), why don't we update to brushed nickel. So when we get to Lowe's, I pick out Price Pfister fixtures that are very close to the Delta's in style, all in brushed nickel.





Have you looked around your bathroom and noticed how much metal there is? Shower trim, knobs, hinges (both door and cabinet), door handles and light fixtures are all matching, so now we have to replace all of it. Oh, I forgot towel bars and toilet paper holder as well.




Then the hunt begins. We find the cabinet hinges at Home Depot, the cabinet knobs and door handles and hinges at Lowe's. The new light fixtures at a local light fixture company. This takes quite a while. The cabinet needs repainting and the only thing I could think to do for the shower trim was to paint it. Lowe's recommended a paint that would adhere to the metal and that painting had to be done. All of these swap outs are a lot of work and meanwhile, Lowe's is calling every Monday to see if they can install the carpet.




Finally everything is painted. All the light fixtures, towel bars, knobs and hinges are in place and we are ready to have the carpet installed. One little deviation from the story. We had not had draperies on our bedroom windows and I wanted them for a little color. I needed a ten foot pole to put up (insert your on ten foot pole joke here) the draperies because the window is eight feet wide. I had to go to the department that sells hand railings and get a round pole that is unfinished, so John had to paint the drapery rod and install the finials.




As we are doing our final walk through with the carpet installers coming on Monday, I go, "Oh, no! The ceiling fan is brass!!!" So, off to Lowe's again and we purchase a great new ceiling fan in brushed nickel so that everything will match.




The carpet installers arrive on Monday and do an excellent job of getting the new carpet in and at last, I can put the new bedding on. This is the results.












I monogrammed our new red towels and put out the new lamp. We carefully selected the wall hangings from the many that we have and hung them in place.

The final touch is the new flower arrangement for the counter top. We had it custom made and I think the florist did a magnificent job getting the right colors. Because she knew that it would be reflected in the mirror, she made the back as pretty as the front.

We have the room roped off, sort of like they do at Mount Vernon and other historical homes. You can just peep in. I guess we'll soon actually walk on the new carpet, but in the meantime, I have to say that my sweet husband never once complained about what I wanted. He saw the vision too, and just four months and a few days later, it is finally finished!

Lead Outs, No Breaks, and Pinebrook Inn

Lead Outs were unique to the big dances of the fraternities and sororities. At about ten o'clock an announcement would be made that it was time for the Lead Out. This is where the officers and seniors of the sorority would line up and be "presented". You would walk out on stage with your office announced and stand in the center of the stage. You would walk down a ramp to a platform where you and your date would be introduced "Miss Carol Horne, President, escorted by ?????" You would then put your arm through his and walk the rest of the way down the ramp. Everyone would be gathered around and would applaud.

The No Breaks would occur after the Lead Out. Each officer would name their favorite slow song of the time. Starting with the junior officers leading up to the President. She would always, of course, be last. The announcer would say "Miss Carol Horne dancing her no break, Only You, with Mr. ???. The couple would move to the center of the dance floor under a spot light and they would dance their special selection. It is much like a bride at her reception. ( A little side note here. It took special training to know how to put your hoop right on top of his shoes so that your gown would not be over your head in the back causing much embarrassment.) After a few bars of the song, then everyone would come onto the dance floor and enjoy the music. But, the rule was, no one would break in on that couple.

Now you might think that at about midnight the big event would be over. But no, there is more to come. Your date would take you home and patiently wait while you changed clothes into a short semi-formal and then off to Pinebrook Inn for the breakfast.

Prior to the breakfast you would have pre-selected your meal. This would usually be steak, chicken, or shrimp. The breakfast would be just for the members and not for everyone that had attended the dance. The breakfast would usually last until around four in the morning.

I don't know how my poor Daddy stood it. He would wait up until I was safely home in his chair by the front door. As you can tell, Macon was quite an unusual place to grow up. It was very social. There would be at least three big dances requiring ball gowns and two of those would require a semi-formal for the breakfast. If you broke up with a guy or if you were helping out a friend that just wasn't dating anyone at the moment, you could go to as many as five big dances plus the Military Ball.

Oh, did I mention that one of the favorite local bands (and we did hire bands) was Johnny Jenkins and the Pinetoppers featuring Otis Redding? Yes, I was right at the stage standing about three feet from Otis Redding at the beginning of his career. Another local favorite, but a little after my time was The Allman Brothers. One of the lead singers, Dickey Betts is my cousin. They toured all the local places and did a few dances when they were trying to make it.

There is not a girl on the face of the planet that did not enjoy dressing up like a princess for the evening and yes, I did have a tiara. These are very fond memories, indeed!

The Dress Drama

As I explained in the earlier post, the formal dances in Macon, GA in the 60's were many. With that came the always important part of getting "THE" dress. There was a place in Macon called Starnes Formalwear. Here's how it worked. We would go to Starnes and a nice lady with a clipboard would sit down with you and start asking questions. What event were you attending? Did you have a "special" role at this event? (Were you an officer of the sorority?) Did you have a special color in mind?



After answering all the questions, you were escorted into the dressing room which was much like you would see in a bridal shop today. You would put on the appropriate undergarments, they would bring you the hoop and you would step into it and secure it at the waist with the button. Then she would start bringing out dresses in the color of your choice until you made a decision that this was the "perfect" one. Part of the agreement was that you were guaranteed that no one else would show up in the same gown at the event that you were going to. If the dress needed a little altering, it was done and you picked the dress up the day before the dance and returned it the day after. This was done all for the whopping price of $15.00. Now, by today's standards, that doesn't seem like much, but in the early 60's, it was quite a large sum. You could feed a family of four for $15.00 per week. This did not include shoes, gloves, or wrap if it was a winter event. (By the way, stepping outside in one of those hooped gowns during the winter was just like stepping outside in a swimsuit.)



I had gone through all the budget money one year. Mother had a good friend that had a daughter that was about 3 years older than I was and during a conversation with Mother, she offered me one of her daughter's dresses that she knew she would never wear again. We took the dress and, of course, it needed altering. We took it to a seamstress that promised she could do the job. I was happy! It was a beautiful red chiffon dress. My date asked what color I would be wearing so that he could buy the proper color corsage. I thought everything was settled. We went to pick up the dress and brought it home for me to try on and to my dismay and horror, the dress had been butchered. I can't even think of another way to describe it. It was BUTCHERED!


What was I going to do? I was lamenting my tale at lunch the next day when one of my friends, Jerri Ann Whidden, said, "I've got a red dress that you can borrow" Saved by a friend! I went by and picked up the dress and Jerri Ann and I were both small, so it fit just fine.

Here is the red dress. Notice the glass slippers. I still have them!

Here is the rest of the story:

About two months after Jerri Ann loaned me the dress, she was killed in a car wreck. Her date was trying to get her home by her curfew and he was speeding and lost control of the car and she died in the accident. From that moment on, my Daddy never insisted that I be home by a certain hour. I was given a reasonable time and a few minutes before or after was fine. If I found that I was going to be much later than the curfew, I just had to call. They were very trusting of me and I really didn't give them any reason not to be. But it was because of Jerri Ann and that tragedy that they were really loose on my arrival time. It broke my heart. She and I were just 16 and life was just beginning.

I have often thought of her and every time I come across this picture, I think of her and what a good friend she was.

Thought for the day per Marie: To have a good friend, be one.

Horn Blows and other social rituals

My invitation to join KMS

As you know, I went to an all girl's high school. We really had to be creative as we became dating age because there was no social contact between the boys and the girls. Back, long before I got there, someone decided that sororities and fraternities would be a good idea. This would help bring about a social life for everyone. As you made friends in Junior High, you would align yourself with friends so that when you reached Senior High, they would "rush" you and, hopefully, invite you to belong to their sorority.

Each sorority and fraternity had a big formal dance. They were equally set throughout the year so that what most people know as Prom season did not converge all at once. My sorority had a spring formal. The sorority that my sister belonged to had a winter formal, so literally there were one to two formals a month. That could really drain the budget!!

The horn blows. Each sorority had a specific horn blow. Try beeping your car horn in little staccato beeps. Some I remember were: Beep,Beep,Beep, - Beep,Beep,Beep- Beep Beep Beep. That signified one sorority. Then there was Beep,Beep, - Beep Beep, Beep Beep. I hope you get the idea. The purpose of the horn blow was so that if you were going through a neighborhood and passing one of your friends houses, you could do the horn blow and she would know exactly who was passing.

Artist rendering of The Pig 'n Whistle

This was the hang out. It was where everyone converged after a date or instead of a date. If you were hanging out with girl friends, you would go to the Pig. It was THE meeting spot. It was there that you could see who was dating whom. (Side note. My Daddy worked there with Aunt Willie Mae's husband, Glenn and Glenn introduced Daddy to my Mother. It was when he first arrived in Macon and they were working there as short order cooks.) After socializing for hours and having the Pig Special, you would leave and, of course, as you were driving out of the parking lot, you would do your sorority horn blow. (See how important these horn blows were.)

Here I am at one of the formals. This one was called The Peppermint Twist. Have you ever seen a bigger dress? I am only five feet tall, so I was all dress and, of course, the obligatory french twist hair do. I think this was about 1962.

This was at the Military Ball in March of 1964. The young man in the photo was really just a friend. His name is Bill Fields. I had so exhausted the formal budget for the year that my friend, Sharon Orwan made my dress. (We have lost Sharon to breast cancer in 2005.) She was an amazing seamstress to be a senior in high school, but I thought it looked really nice. As you can see, the style had become a little straighter and no longer were the big hooped ball gowns fashionable.









This was at one of the big dances and the young man is Lee Tanksley. Lee was really my High School Sweetheart. We went to several big dances together and dated until my junior year. He was quite accomplished. He was the band Drum Major and, also, Captain of the Golden Boots precision drill team at the boys high school.


Lee went to the University of Georgia and participated in ROTC there. So when he graduated from college, he was immediately commissioned into the Army as a Lieutenant. He served two tours of duty in Viet Nam. We stayed in touch most of our adult life. He married and had a son and lived in Jackson, Mississippi. In January, 1988, I got a phone call from his cousin Nancy and she said sadly that he had committed suicide. I had not talked with him in a while and all she was able to tell me was that he was depressed over many things. He was 42.


Every now and then, when I go through old pictures and I come across a picture of him that I saved, I am truly sad. He took me to my first big dance and he took me out on my 16th birthday. It just did not compute that he would end his life so young and so tragically. I think this was a life defining moment for me and made me realize just how important life is and how short it can be.

This is just a snippet of dating in the 60's. It was a wonderful time. It was a safe time. I'm sure I'll share more of the stories of my friends and growing up in upcoming posts.