The Age of Wisdom

Grandmomma could tell if it was going to rain by the leaves on the trees.

She came to live with my Grandparents toward the end of her life and in the early stages of mine. A kind soul gave our family a wise matriarch, quietly crocheting in her chair and we loved her for all she had already done.

I interviewed Grandmomma for a third grade report to be written about the oldest member of my family. She was born in 1912 and spoke of the first President that she could remember being Woodrow Wilson. Her memory included the days of World War I, the Macedonia Community which was purchased by the state and is now a part of Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park and the love of family.

Her father Sephus Bennett was a deacon at the Macedonia Christian Church and her faith was strong through all her years. She was one of nine children and she gave birth and reared ten. My Papaw was her oldest son.

Grandmomma ran a farm and a house taking good care of her children as well as her Grandparents-in-law during the years of the depression. Her wisdom has been included in many of Papaw's poems and anecdotes as well as his book Cradle of Dreams .

Things that were most interesting to me were stories of her resourcefulness. I can remember her explaining to family members what hillsides to find Ginseng plants growing. Or where to search for Quail Eggs a delicacy native to our region. Papaw often spoke of her lowering a quilting frame from the ceiling when relatives were around in his early days. The frame would be lowered right in front of the fire so the heat from it would be contained where the ladies worked. She quilted so many beautiful blankets that so many of my family members have enjoyed and shared over the years.

I have heard Papaw say that Grandmomma would heat stones in the fire and wrap them in quilts to take for warmth in the floorboards of automobiles that had not yet been equipped with heating systems by their manufactures. She had a lot of solutions to common obstacles. Canning and preserving food, working her garden, her geese and chickens, and of course her flowers are all things that I have heard that she was talented with.

But to me she was very talented in ways of making you feel important. She was good at hugs and she smiled and laughed a lot when her family drew near. Maybe that was her trick to longevity, regardless of the fact that many illnesses plagued her last years.

She lived to lose two children, one in a house fire at a very young age and another in the 1980s to cancer. A sadness that was never far from her mind. But she seemed to maintain an inner strength and faith that sustained her through her more than eighty years. She was a woman that life had given many challenges but with every challenge she seemed to thrive and pass it by to see brighter days.

Her name was Emma Ophelia Bennett Stallins, and she was my Dad's Grandmother. She lived to see so much over the course of her life and it makes me wonder what my generation will live on to experience. Things that may not even seem possible to us now, that will occur. Things that we will grow to accept and understand. Things we will endure and experience. Things that will make up the stories of our lives. Will we be up to the task as she and other members of her generation were? Will we continue to find ways to evolve and adapt to this changing world? And if we are not ready, we have learned nothing from these wise and adaptable examples.

I can see Grandmomma in silent prayer, a memory, a prayer she didn't think anyone would notice. I wonder who she was praying for? One of her many family members I am sure and maybe that is what kept her going. Her birthday would have been around this time and I send this blog out into the world wide web as if to offer some gratitude for her example, for her being, and for her love. To spark the thought of Great Grandparents in your mind. To assist you in revisiting a memory of the people that are so special in our lives.

Life Happens

Life is full of transitions.

Things change as time passes as do our thoughts and perceptions. The beauty of seeing things through to the finish allow a person to see all angles of life's scenarios. Today with a sigh and a look over one shoulder I continue to tip my hat to life's enduring transitions.

In 2000 I left my home as I started college. I remember the thoughts I had when my parents, sister and brother-in-law drove away from my dormitory. What's next...bitter sweet feelings occur when change touches your heart. But change is a must as we are constantly growing and evolving into the person that we want to be. It's not going to stop.

Later I would move back to Dawson Springs, and then to Nashville and these phases were unique and hold their place in my life. They are marked with triumphs, defeats, gains and losses. The same person evolving in different zip codes. But still there is change.

In the fall of 2008 I made another move to Austin, Texas. A move that changed so many things in my life. For the good of course. Moving was a challenge and it shook me up a little at times. Leaving behind many friends and my family was so difficult but following my heart and dreams were also a priority. I often felt very courageous as every knew day brought new sights, faces, and possibilities.

Life for me is something that I look forward to doing each day. I like to try and see the good in each day and hope that each day I can learn something, improve personally and accomplish the days task. Even still I have days that all of those things might not happen. But on the days that do, I have a real sense of belonging and security among my peers as well as my own conscience.

No matter how hard you try there are always things you cannot fix. Things happen in our lives that are variables and not controls. Things like people dying, failed relationships and losses of all sorts. Even with the best laid plans we cannot escape these instances. But these instances where as life becomes difficult represent our defining moments. The moments that make heroes or friends, the moments that we learn from ourselves that we are stronger than we thought we were. That strange place we find ourselves in that changes our path and becomes the bench mark for future transitions.

In a previous blog, maybe even my first, I discussed the fact that I intended to make this year mine. A year to define myself, set attainable goals, and a year to apply my own creativity and brainpower. A year to look back on with a smile and maybe a tear. My grip on the remaining days of the 365 that I began a few short months ago has tightened as I continue to stay focused on personal growth. But with all of this movement and change there is always a cost. As I look into the future I see many things ahead even though the view is foggy. At this juncture I feel that I am becoming more and more prepared for what lies ahead. If the cost is high I hope the bounty balances it.

I like to encourage anyone to find the best in themselves and others. That is truly the only way to success and happiness. Will you be able to do that every moment of every day? Not a chance! But when you do, you will be so glad that you showed up to play the game that day and life is a funny game.

Change. Here's to that!

The Russell's

Tons of gallons of water have crossed under the bridge since World War I, the roaring twenties and the times leading up to the second World War. Even still I have links to those times through family members that endured them. People I did not even know.

A family post card sent from my Great Grandfather Ollie J. Russell to the girl he courted back home in Kentucky, from some station in World War I reads:

"Mrtyle, When I return I am going to ask your Pa for your hand."

Mrtyle Johnston married him in 1919.

These two have been the subject of many fond memories and stories in our family throughout my life. And I am always amazed at what influences they had on their children and grandchildren to have been revered in such a way.

After they married they settled in Menser on the Russell farm nestled among my Great Grandfather's brothers and sister and parents. I am told they built the barn first and lived in it while the house was being erected. My Great Uncle Raymond and Great Aunt Rudell were both born while the new family was living in the barn. When the house was built electricity had not yet reached that part of the country in the early 1920s. They had a gas refrigerator, a smoke house for cured meat, oil burning lamps, and a heap of resourcefulness. For us to think back on those times it would remind us of an episode of The Little House on the Praire, and it was like that in many ways.

My Great Grandfather worked for the Veterans Administration Hospital called Outwood, located just outside Dawson Springs. The hospital was there for veterans of the war and victims of Tuberculosis, an illness that plagued many in those days. He owned a car but since the road out to the Russell Home place was dirt he often had to park it on the highway and walk down the lane home, during the winter and rainy season.

My Great Grandmother was the homemaker, she had eight children starting with Raymond in 1920 and ending with Phillip in 1935. Four Boys: Raymond, William, Joseph "Joe", and Phillip; and four girls: Rudell, Pauline, Brunette (Nannie), and Aminell "Ami". Life was good.

My Aunt Aminell often said that during the depression they really didn't know the difference in the times, her Dad kept his job at the VA, they had cattle for milk and I assume meat, and also chickens, an orchard for fresh fruit and preserves, jams, and jellies to be canned and put aside for the winter, bee hives to pollinate the orchard and for honey, and of course a garden. Doesn't that sound wonderful. I can just imagine all the children running around the house, and the trees in the orchard swaying in the breeze, an American tale.

Mamaw, as Mrtyle was fondly described by her grandchildren, quilted and made the boys clothes and the girls dresses. Sometimes out of flower sacks, which was common in the day. She canned in order to save the bounty of their harvests for the winter months, she cooked and cleaned, and did all the other things that a mother of eight would have to do.

On Sundays the family would all attend church, all day sometimes and during the week the children attended the Menser School, a one room school house that I have described in a previous blog.

Old reel to reel films, tons of family photos and memorabilia, heirlooms and stories all paint the canvas of these two peoples lives. Two people that I never knew but feel connected to them through a family bond that keeps those ties alive. But even more so by the fact that when delving into my family history I do not find a horror story or a plain Jane family. I find these two great people who had a lot of love and they shared it with eight children, eight children that married and had families of their own and that love continued to spread. It spread so far that almost thirty years after their deaths their names are being brought up in a blog, something they would have never heard of. Love is good; Ollie J. and Mrtyle Russell understood that.

My Uncle William was killed in a car accident in the 1960s, in the 1990s my Aunt Rudell and my Grandmother Brunette passed away and my Uncle Raymond died in 2003 or 2004. Today the living members of this group include Pauline, Aminell, Joe and Phillip, (my Auntie Louise and Aunt Betty) and a score or more of grandchildren and the list goes on.

Life happens to us all in a way that is fast and we wake up one day and we wonder where the previous week, month or even the previous year went. When you have eight children you celebrate many birthdays and milestones and you suffer many hardships and down times too. During the War Mamaw and Papaw Russell had two boys overseas fighting with the Allies and two girls in Evansville, Indiana working in the factories and the shipyards. Later they would worry I am sure while my Uncle Joe served during the Korean War. The times that followed the wars were bright and those children married and gave them grandchildren and many Sunday dinners filled their home with love and laughter. They lived to lose a son in the 1960s, a pain that no one knows unless they experience it. They would live on into their eighties and live to see many of their grandchildren grow up and marry and start families of their own. They would live to the days that those same children, that they reared and loved so carefully would reciprocate that same love and care for them in their twilight years. And now a stone in the middle of a sea of granite marks their names and place in the world.

But, aside from that stone are a group of people, people who I know and love and respect. All people that have been touched by the goodness of these human lives. What greater epitaph is there than the reaffirmed appreciation, that passes more than one generation, speaking loudly that your life was lived well and because it was others flourished. I smile today to know that I had Great Grandparents like that and will strive each day to live up to the bar that they set so high.

That said, a lesson can always be learned and in this case it is a valuable one. I will not try to pin point its exactness since it has already been done. I close today's entry with an excerpt from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, that I believe to be more than fitting.

Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown, or to any man or number of men [sic] -- go freely with powerful uneducated persons, and with the young, and with the mothers or families -- re-examine all you have been told in school or church or in any book, and dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem

Ollie J. Russell 1896~1981 Mrtyle Johnston Russell 1898~1983

Surround Yourself with Artists!

From the earliest period of time that I can remember music has been in my life. My Dad would settle into his spot on the sofa in the evenings and often pick up his Fendor and play. I cut my teeth listening to him and singing along to The Edmund Fitzgerald, by Gordon Lightfoot; Jim Croce's, Operator and Don't Mess Around with Jim, real live music. Through each phase of my life music has been there for me, through thick and thin, it has helped me to understand this thing we call life.

Not long after moving to Nashville I met someone that shared many of my ideals and felt the same ties to our southern heritage. I found her to be spellbinding and knew that she was just the type of artist that I appreciated, because she was a storyteller too. Soon after meeting her I went to see one of her shows and as if to give her audience a glimpse of her soul her voice rendered emotions, excitement and took me on a journey that only good music can.

Molly

Crouched on her sofa or mine we have killed many hours with a glass of wine and some deep conversation. Both expecting something great from life and on a separate journeys to find that, I made a friend that I will keep my whole life through.

As described by her peers in the Music Industry Molly as a writer, as a musician, and as an entertainer beguiles you. To me her voice crosses between that of an angel and a queen, tender but fierce.

Ages from now when the sun and time have made their marks on my flesh and the life that I know is more past than future, I will consider myself richer to have experienced the effects of her music, the intellect, and the person that is Molly. Doting I am not, find her out.

http://www.mollythomas.com/
http://www.myspace.com/mollythomas
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Molly-Thomas/101087720292
http://twitter.com/mollythomas

I'm back! And...I like to go to Stompin Grounds!

Hi Blog! Remember me?

Today I return to blogging after being away from the keys for almost a week. The budding beauties out side and a couple drastic changes in temperature have given me a bad cold, but, as they say: it happens to the best of us!

I have however had a great many ideas throughout this hiatus and I will report back to you on those in blogs that follow. Today I would like to do two things with this entry. First I would like to recap on my blogging experience thus far and second I would like to tell you about this awesome place that I frequent in South Austin.

First things first!

Mission accomplished! My blog has already met the needs that I initially set out to fill. I wanted to get some old stories off my chest as well as share my past and present. Done, done and done, but not completely. The stories that I have already posted are just a sampling of future stories. I have many more to share and more funny, lovely, and interesting characters to speak of. My worries of these tales dying in my mind are gone now as I am sweeping them out of my brain an onto this screen. I love that. If you could read my mind... has given me the opportunity to share my insight, and my side of the story with readers here and there or lack there of. And even if not one person reads one of my daily entries, it exists to be read. Writers can't expect everyone to like what they construct, but they also shouldn't stop constructing pieces of writing and there is so much to write about! Lately, I have been in the office, or on the bus, walking down the street or just catching some cable when I've thought: "I should blog about that." Light bulbs are turning on all the time for me and I feel more engaged as a person by being able to elaborate on these ideas, people and places. That said, no one is beating down my door asking me to write for them and that was not my intent. What is happening is quite interesting and healthy however. I am improved personally by crossing another thing off my list. Be that as it may, it may only be a small triumph, but small works too!

For those of you who have had the chance to read this blog I welcome any comments that you may wish to contribute. Stories bring up common ground and I would love to hear feedback and or similar stories and facts. Also, I would encourage you to start your own blog, put your ideas out there. Be it recipes, travel stories, or scrap booking there are all kinds of readers out there that are just searching for a connection. You might have noticed that I make tons of reference to song lyrics, cliche`s and southern sayings, and that I talk a great deal about my family and friends. These are the things that bring light into my life and I am compelled to talk about music and family and friends so why not blog about those very things. What a neat world we live in where things like this are possible. Everyone can't be a Faulkner or Fitzgerald, but we can all blog! Here's to that!

Next on the agenda: I know of a place that any true conversationalist would love. A place where "everybody knows your name and there always glad you came." You're right those are lines from the Cheers theme song, and they are so true about Stompin Grounds located in the Soco Lofts in South Austin. For those of you that are impatient, save yourself the trouble of reading the remainder of this blog and go there right now and enjoy the rest of your day. Go on now, your dismissed.

Joking aside Stompin Grounds, a cocktail and coffee lounge, is in my building and no that is not the only reason why I love this place. It has become a haven for local groups and clubs to hold meetings and mixers. Happy hour specials are great and did I mention Pizza? They have a great menu of pizza's, an assortment of java, and bartenders will be more than happy to make your favorite drink or hand you a beer. All things considered you need to stop by and check it out for yourself. As many of you know I am quite the critic when it comes to a good bar, and I will let you in on my secret. It's all about the staff. The owners and staff at Stompin Grounds make you feel at home and as much apart of any event or hour passing by as the guy on the next stool. This charming spot is a great place to relax, celebrate, or just kill time. Make it the next stop on your list and if you are disappointed, well, you won't be!

Remember! This message was brought to you by:

Stompin Grounds
3801 South Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704

Stay tuned!

When We Walk in Fields of Blue

So I was told that a fall with plenty of rain would lead to a rich "wildflower spring." If that was true we are in for a real treat this year!

Upon moving here last fall from Nashville, I knew little about Texas. I knew some general geographical facts about the state, I knew about Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and of course, Austin. What I didn't about these cities was their cultures and vibes. When I thought of the Lone star State I thought of it as the beginning of the West, the Alamo came to mind, George Strait's songAmarillo By Morning, Lyndon B. Johnson, and because of Lady Bird Johnson; I knew about the wildflowers of Texas.

Needless to say I was a little disappointed last year with the wildflowers. They were a little sparse due to the drought the region had been suffering. However this years rainy season should bring out those little miracles in full force. I am told that the roadsides and pastures will be filled with bluebonnets and I look forward to seeing them.

In the words of Dolly Parton: "Wildflowers to care where they grow!"

Well that may be true Dolly, but let's hope bunches and bunches of them paint the hillsides around Austin! We're ready!

The World of Television.

After being laid up for a couple of days with the annual head cold I became reacquainted with the world with in ours; which is Television.

Was it the cold and sinus tablets or did my mind really get trapped again watching the infomercial depicting knives that cut through bricks and aluminum cans. And by the way, who cuts up bricks with knifes?

Regardless, it is what it is. Television has something for all of us. Yesterday I got to explore that medium more than usual. Which brought me to a few conclusions...

In many ways TV personalities go places we can't go; they speak truths that we may not feel comfortable speaking. These people can come into our home and take us on an exotic vacations, cook a gourmet meal before our very eyes, fall in love, solve mysteries, and compete in contests. No matter what ideas they are pursuing for thirty minutes and sometimes more, we as viewers get to go along.

Throughout televisions, still young, history the trade has improved in leaps and bounds and there is no possible way to predict where television will take us in the future. Ever since it has existed it has created controversy. But why?

Here are my thoughts.

Too much of anything is not good! Spread yourself around when it comes to TV, especially with your children. Don't just keep it on, you can learn more from a book or a hike. Get outside when it's warm and nice. Make up your own mind, do not rely on news casters, actors, or writers of film or TV programs to tell you what is right or wrong.

Don't get me wrong, I love cable. I pay dearly just like everyone else to be able to browse through hundreds of programs daily. I enjoy all sorts of shows and movies on the tube. This season in fact I am following two programs: American Idol, for some odd reason and A & E's: Hoarders, which is reminiscent of my former occupation. I'm hooked and it is easy to do.

Censorship has been an issue since the beginning of "TV Time," and there is an answer to that too. Don't watch what you don't like. It is that simple, these programs stay on the air based on viewers and ratings. You do have a voice!

But not so fast. Don't get the idea that you are going to stop the hands of time in a way that keeps language or nudity or public agenda off your screens. That is not going to happen. These things will march on just like time. For those of you that know how much I love to use clichés you will appreciate this one: "Chivalry's dead and we killed it."

Give TV a break! Enjoy it in moderation and under no circumstances let it rule your life. And when controversy arises, take a look at the world that we live in. We beg to be shocked and surprised. We live in an age that is progressive and in many ways we should be proud of that. We should look back at TV history as something that is innovative and entertaining. A field that has constantly raised the bar. Have they raised some eyebrows? Of course. But who doesn't?

TV, can't live with it, can't live with out it! Ha!