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Epilogue - The Final Post

RAISIN'

34. Epilogue August 5, 2009

I hope all of the readers of this totally out of any sort of a story line but just some of my memories of growing up on the farm in the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s and the later years after I left the farm and started a family of my own.

As I noted in the Introduction, what I have written are MY memories the way I recall them. I apologize if I have left out any one or any special times in that person’s life.

When one starts to write about almost 72 years of memories, it almost has to be disconnected as a person’s memories do not come in any sort of chronicle or time connected order.

As I also noted in the Introduction, I started noting this while working in Athens, GA in 1997. It lay dormant for several years and actually made it through about six different computers without losing any of the data.

We are enjoying living back at the old homestead in our retirement with our two dogs, Foxy Lady and Sport. The only inconvenience we have is the distance we live from medical care in Mobile.

Both of us have been having some medical problems of late. JoAnne is taking medications for A-Fib, an irregular heartbeat if she does not take her medicines regularly. Also, she has been diagnosed with sleep apnea and uses a C-pap device to allow her to sleep better. Also, with her age of 71, she gets some more aches and pains all along, but otherwise she is in pretty good health.

I have had a light case of Angina since 1985 that medication keeps in line. I am under Doctors’ care for some Para-thyroid problems, some neuropathy especially in my right leg and foot, and the latest thing is that I have B.O.O.P. (Bronchiolitis, Obliterans, Organizing, Pneumonia.) This was discovered about a week before Easter this year during a hospital stay.

The effects of this disease are extreme shortness of breath, especially when I stand and move about. These effects are not as extreme while I’m sitting. I have no problems with driving, car, truck, tractor, mower, etc. but when I’m up and moving, it feels like an anvil is pressing against my chest limiting air intake and all necessary air needed is insufficient. The common cure is heavy doses of Prednisone. I have been on the Prednisone for 14 weeks and still have the problem.

The Prednisone has caused my blood sugar levels to go up as high as 396, therefore, I am now diabetic and am on Insulin for that.

My Doctor in Mobile has me scheduled to go to the University of Alabama – Birmingham Hospital on September 8th for further testing. I will be able to take all my test reports and x-rays with me that will prevent my having to go through lots more testing. I’m sure they will do more lung biopsies, etc. I just don’t know how or what they’ll do.

The diabetes should go away after I can get off the Prednisone, according to the doctors. I would like to hear some feedback on your opinion of this long, (I guess you would call it) autobiography, or just plain REMEMBERING or RAISIN’.

We have been doing a few things around the place to make it look much better. Joe and I finally cut and fit lattice work and erected it at each end of the tractor shed.

Andy and I did some repair work on the old smokehouse/shop by replacing the old door and several boards along the walls. Then Cassie and Curtis came over and painted it. Lookin' good!!

Then today and yesterday, Bradley came up and did lots of painting on the gates and board fences that I had started back in March this year. There's still more to go, including putting a regular paint over the Kiltz prime coat on the metal gates and all the back lot fences in the cow lot.

The doors are open, beds are ready, and if there are not enough spaces, we'll just pitch a tent or drive another nail in the barn walls to hang ya up to sleep.

Y'all Come.

Jim

Part 33. - Great Grand(s)

RAISIN'

33. GREAT GRAND(s)

On May 12, 2008 our first GREAT GRAND, Laura Kate “Button” Wiley was born in Texas to Carrie and Kyle. I just happen to have a couple of hundred pictures of her taken over the past year. As soon as Carrie told us that she was pregnant, I gave her a Great Grand Paw name: “Button.” When I started calling her Button, Carrie asked me why I called her Michelle, (her middle name); call Cassie, Marie; and Robin, Leigh and didn’t call LK, Kate. I told her that she was SPECIAL!!!

We’ve only had the opportunity to see Button twice, once when she was a month old and again when she was 11 months old. But, her Mommy and Daddy and her Papa and Grammy keep us updated with pictures so we can keep up with her growing and the changes in her development.

Well, we were informed a couple of weeks ago that there’s another GREAT grandchild is due to arrive to Cassie and Curtis. He/she already has a “Great Grand Paw name; “Punkin’!”

Part - 32. - The Grands

RAISIN'

32. THE “GRANDS”

Oh, yes! That’s the proper name for the five Grand Children that we have. Of course no other Grandmother’s and Grand Paw’s Grands are as GREAT as our GRANDS!

Of course, I’ve covered some space about the grand younguns along with their Maws and Paws, but thought they should have a small chapter dedicated to them.

Grandchildren are really special. You can spoil them, then send them back to their parents to deal with it! The main problem we have is that they all live too far from us. Lubbock is 925 miles from Millry and for a while the other two were half way around the world in The Netherlands, Paris, Berlin and Cyprus.

All the grand chillun LOVE to come to the farm, in Millry. Most of the time, especially in winter when the snakes are not out, we just "let the varmints beware," the grand younguns are here! They all like to get out amongst the cows. They have gotten several that will let them pet them. Grandmother usually took some time off work each summer so they can visit.

The most “Un-grand” thing about them is the fact that, right now, three of them are 800 to 950 miles away in Texas and the other two are 85 miles away in Mobile. This causes us to get to see them not nearly enough. (Guess that could be a pun! They’re FAR away, so they aren’t NEAR enuff!!!) At least, we get to see Ashley and Bradley a little more frequently than Carrie, Cassie and Joel.

Carrie and her husband, Kyle Wiley and daughter, Laura Kate “Button” live in McKinney, TX, north of Dallas, and are missionaries with NEXT World Missions. Cassie and her husband Curtis Thomas have recently moved to Rowlett, TX, near East Dallas. Cassie has one more semester to go in Seminary to get her degree in counseling. Curtis is Youth Pastor at a large Methodist Church. Joel and his wife Ashley are returning to school in Abilene to get his Masters degree at Hardin Simmons University. He has been serving as Youth Pastor at a large Methodist church in Tyler, TX.

Ashley Hughes has completed all her coursework for her BS degree and is beginning her Masters quest at the University of Mobile. Bradley will be going into his Junior year at Auburn University in the fall of this year. He is majoring in International Business with an emphasis in German. He spent this summer as an Intern at Degussa Chemicals a German owned plant in Theodore

They all love to get out amongst the cows in the pasture. Even though I’ve sold all my cows to David Atchison, they still get out amongst all his cows. A couple of them can still be petted.

I guess that they kinda get a little taste of doing some of the things that the four of us used to do for fun while growing up there on the place.

They used to make an effort to spend a week or two with us each summer. But since all the Texas ones are married and working full time, they don’t get to come as often as they and we’d like for them to. And, Ashley and Bradley are either in school, or in school and working, they don’t get up very often.

Whoever came up with the title GRANDchildren, really called them by the right title. I just hope that all grands are as grand as our GRANDS!

Part - 31 - Andy & Debbie

RAISIN' 31. ANDY AND DEBBIE

Both of them played in the band at Davidson High School. Both played double-reed instruments. Andy played bassoon and Deb the oboe. Both are concert instruments and not used in Marching bands. So, Andy was Drum Major and Deb was in the Flag Corps of the Marching Band.

Both kids graduated with honors from Davidson. Andy went four years to Mobile College (now The University of Mobile), graduated with honors and earned a degree in Religion. Then, he got his Masters of Divinity from Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX. In recent years he has completed his Doctorate in Organizational Management from Regents University.

Deb attended Mobile College for one year, two quarters at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge, and two plus years at the University of South Alabama. She was on the President’s list (all A’s) all during her time at USA, but was not allowed to graduate with honors since she’d been to the other schools. She, also got her Masters at USA in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She is currently teaching fourth grade at Cottage Hill Christian School.

Part - 30.c. Children +

RAISIN'

30c Ashley & Bradley Schooling +

Both Ashley and Bradley love singing. Bradley has written several songs that may be heard on his My Space web page. He plays guitar well and is working on the mandolin and piano. Ashley uses her voice as her instrument.

In fact, all of our grand chillun are excellent students. I know they take it from their Grand Paw, because I’ve always been a terrible student! That must be where all my smarts went to!!

After Seminary, Deb and Tommy moved to Montgomery, AL where he was employed by the Alabama Baptist State Convention as Associate Director of Communications. He produced many audio and video programs for various uses, such as news programs, training programs and documentaries taken in various areas of the State of Alabama as well as all over the US, South Korea, Spain, etc. He has was asked to go to the 1998 Winter Olympics for the Georgia Baptist Convention to cover some Mission work for them.

Debbie decided to be “her kids Mom” when Bradley was born. She didn’t work for about five years. Then, she began working “part time” as Childhood Director for Taylor Road Baptist Church in Montgomery. Later, she increased her work to something slightly less than full time.

At one time she had the “honor” (?) of being President of the Alabama Baptist Association of Childhood Directors (or pretty close to that name).


Once, while visiting a Sunday School Class at Taylor Road, we told someone that we were Debbie Hughes’ parents. They said, “Oh! You mean that pretty Red headed lady that’s all over the place seeing about all the children!” She “did stay busy.

Deb and Tommy talked and prayed about going to the mission field with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board. They applied for and were accepted to go to The Netherlands about the middle of June, 1999. Selfishly, we kinda hoped they would decide the Lord wants them where they are. But, when Deb was in the ninth grade, she said that she felt she was called to Foreign Missions. So, apparently that’s the case and, of course, we’ll back them all the way, as we gave them to The Lord when they were born and they have to seek His will in their lives. Jo Anne says that they can go just as long as they leave the kids with us!

They spent time serving in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Paris, France, Berlin, Germany and Limassol, Cyprus. They came home for a long Stateside assignment just as Ashley was finishing high school through North Star On Line and she enrolled at UM. At the same time, Bradley started his Junior year at CHCA.

They decided to pull out of the IMB and Tommy worked two years at CHCA and Debbie is teaching fourth grade at Cottage Hill Christian School. This past year, Tommy started working as Media Director for Open Doors a Mission Organization. They are based in California, but he has his office at home and has to do quite a lot of traveling, to CA, The Netherlands, England, Cyprus, UAE, Turkey, and several places in the US.

Part - 30.b. - Children

RAISIN'

30b Children

Then, on July 3, 1987, Ashley Nicole Hughes was born in Ft. Worth. A sprout from her Mother’s tree by being a “red head.” Of course, we wouldn’t bother to go from way over in East Tennessee all the way out to Ft. Worth, TX just when she was a coming.....We only made it to Texarkana before she was born.

We managed to get there and celebrate “the fourth day” by seeing our new granddaughter.

Ashley has many interests. She is an avid reader. She has a beautiful singing voice and sings with the University of Mobile Choir and has been in several operettas besides the choir's performances. She even played the role of Ahmel in “Ahmel and the Night Vistitors.”

She started out at UM to major in Music, but changed that to a Minor and changed her major to Business. She has completed her four-year curriculum and is now beginning work on her Masters degree.

Besides going to college full time, she works pretty much full time at Starbucks near the Bel Aire Mall. She is shift manager there and really enjoys her coffee.

She has a pretty fair sized doll collection, including most of Debbie’s old dolls. She has lots of “Barbie” dolls and accessories. But most of them are packed away.

Bradley Thomas Hughes was born, in Ft. Worth on July 26, 1989. His grandmother flew out from Maine to be there for that special event. There were now three “reds” in the family. I couldn’t go out as I was tied down at my job in Maine. Guess what! Bradley came to see me when he was about two weeks old.

He’s “all boy”, a big Auburn Fan, especially since he is a Junior there now, majoring in International Business with an emphasis in German.

While living in Montgomery he developed into a good soccer player. This carried over to Europe with him as he honed his skills with the help of their back door neighbor, Marco Rhymer who played on the German National World Cup team.

After they returned to the states, he went to Cottage Hill Christian Academy and was the kicker for their football team for two years.