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| Class Action By Alonzo Fugate http://www.alonzofugate.com |
| 1-01-07
While traveling around yesterday, Lisa and I found a new favorite spot to shop, the Richmond Mall. We were on one of our little adventures where we just get in the car and take off, not knowing where we will end up for the day. It was a beautiful day, and so we wandered through a lot of back-roads until we just happened to find ourselves in Richmond. We hadn’t been there in a few months, so we decided to do some shopping. Since we were having an early Christmas with our friends, Rod and Corrinna Middleton, from Morehead the next day, we decided to start at Goody’s. They have great shirts at a reasonable price. Also, Rod loves long-sleeved polo shirts, and Goody’s is one of the best places to get them, in my opinion. While wandering through Goody’s, I finally realized that it was part of the Richmond Mall (duh!), and that we could go out into the mall and shop around at the other stores. Since we didn’t find what we wanted at Goody’s, we went looking around and stopped in at Dawhares. Luckily, they had an abundance of long-sleeved polos. We got a green-striped one that just looked like Rod! When we left Dawhares, I spotted a Bath and Body Works right across from it! Our friend, Corrinna, loves Bath and Body Works products, so we jaunted on over. We quickly found her a nice bottle of Orange Ginger lotion. We also picked up some shower gel and Spicy Gingerbread lotion as well. Bath and Body Works is the best for last minute gifts! Walking around the mall, we were amazed that we had never shopped here before. It isn’t a very large mall, like the Fayette Mall. However, that is a good thing. Sometimes I feel like the Fayette Mall is a black hole, sucking in everything until there is no escape! This was a good sized place with every store that one would need. It even has a theater…Movies 8! We decided to see The Holiday one more time before we headed back home. This is a great Christmas movie that is currently playing in theaters everywhere. Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet star in the movie as two women who switch houses for the Christmas holiday. They are having trouble with love and decide to get away for a while. Of course, it wouldn’t be a romantic movie if they didn’t just happen to find love while on their vacation! It is a great movie. We have seen it twice, and Lisa wants to see it again before the holiday season is over. Coming back home after the movie, we got to partake in one of the simple, free pleasures of the Christmas season….looking at Christmas lights. Some people just put up a few lights while others must have to take out a bank loan in order to pay the electric bill. We saw some really great displays. One great one was just outside Irvine. It was a huge star with sparkling beams of light that came down to a full-sized Nativity scene. The rest of their yard had reindeer, Santa, and other traditional objects of joy. Their house was aglow with Christmas cheer! If you haven’t been out driving around to look at Christmas lights, then you are missing a free show! You can literally go someplace new every night and see something different! I hope that everyone has a great Holiday Season! Merry Christmas to all of my readers. I hope that you have a great time this year and that the new year brings you luck and prosperity. Be joyful…..be thankful…..and be safe! I want to see you back again next year in 2007! 12-14-06 Hello everyone! I hope that you all are having a great holiday season. I know that everything is just peachy in the Fugate household. In fact, I just spent the last 20 minutes playing chase with my beagle, Sadie. She’s getting fat with all of the holiday treats and needs the exercise. Ok…ok…so maybe I could use some exercise as well! How can something so good as chocolate covered cherries be so bad for you? They have fruit in them…right? They should be considered a health food! This is a special Christmas for Lisa and me. This is the first Christmas in our new log home. We have the place all decked out for the season. Lisa insisted on a 10 foot tree for the living room. It is enormous, but it really works! I’m very impressed with the vast amount of decorating knowledge that my wife seems to easily incorporate into our lives. Honestly, if it was just me, I would have that little scrawny tree you see on The Charlie Brown Christmas Special! Lisa is definitely my better half on matters of decorating! I think that she invokes the spirit of Martha Stewart. Since we live in a log home, we have been trying to decorate with a theme. I guess that you could call it Christmas at the Lodge. We have been decorating with items such as a giant bear holding a sled. We also place a great big moose in the corner that we picked up at Home Depot. Our upstairs tree (we have three trees in all) is decorated with homemade ornaments made by my beloved. Now….all we need is a good 2 feet of snow, and I could almost believe that I was spending the holidays at a mountain resort! HA! I wonder if Lisa would serve me breakfast in bed? My eggs would be served over easy….over my head! Winter officially begins with the solstice on December 21st. Although that is the darkest day of the year, it is also a point when the earth starts returning to the light side of the year. It is always darkest before the dawn. After the longest night of the year, the sun is once again reborn and will start to gain strength. Hopefully, all of us will able to gain strength in this knowledge. Christmas is a special time of year. I love everything about the season…the trees, the special treats, and the music. I am especially loving Sammy Davis Jr’s “Christmas Time All Over the World!” It is the best! I guess the most important part of this season is the time that family and loved ones can spend together. MOST of the people in the world actually take the time to stop, breathe, and interact with other people. In today’s rushed society, that is quite a feat indeed! Spend some quality time with the ones that you love this holiday season. This may be the last holiday season that you get to spend with them. Sad…but true. As for me, I’ll lift a glass this year and wish a toast of joy and happiness to every one of my family and friends…..and to you. Yes, you….the readers of this article and the Kentucky Mountain News. I hope that you find a special joy with those you have around you….and make a toast to absent friends. 11-18-06 When you read this, I will be enjoying (hopefully) some warm, sunny weather in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. My passport is ready and so am I. This Breathitt County boy is going to experience yet another culture. When I was growing up in Hardshell in Breathitt County, the world seemed like such a big place. Now, it has gotten a lot smaller. When I was younger, I can remember thinking that a trip into Jackson was a big deal. I might get a hamburger at the White Flash and (if I was really good) get a toy from the Five and Dime. To me, that was one of the highlights of my young life. When I grew older, I still thought that the world was a big place. My area of roaming had grown to include areas of Hazard and even (gasp) Lexington. However, those places still seemed strange and almost alien to me. You have to remember that I was just a country boy growing up on a little farm on Fugate’s Fork. There wasn’t much of a chance for adventure or exploration. I am now a grown-up (whatever that means), and I have found that the world isn’t such a big place after all. I have been to many, many places in the world and plan on visiting as many places as I can. This year, it is Jamaica. I guess that I have been blessed with the ability to have the time to visit some of these places. I have waded the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, traveled to the desert in Nevada, walked the sands of Key West, seen a salt-water crocodile on the Dry Tortugas at Fort Jefferson, and even eaten fried conch in Aruba. Last year, I tasted some of the cuisine that Jamaica had to offer. They made a really spicy “jerk” sauce that they serve with practically everything…beef, pork, chicken, and even goat. If you remember from last year….yes, I ate goat. Who knows what I’ll end up eating this year!!! Hey…life is an adventure! Now, as you know, I am a teacher. I always tell my kids that they need to travel as much as they possibly can. Travel can be very broadening and can really teach us a lot about ourselves. In fact, traveling can be one of the most educational experiences that a person can have. I can’t wait to share my latest travels with my students at LBJ Elementary. If there is one thing that I have learned in all of my travels, it is that everyone is basically the same all over the world. People are people no matter where you go. While I was in Aruba, I was able to drive past several of the schools. Being a teacher, I was naturally fascinated about their system of education so I watched as the children were playing in the schoolyard. Except for the color of their skin and the fact that they were all wearing school uniforms, they could have been the very same kids that I taught at LBJ. In fact, they were playing several of the same games…basketball, jumping rope, talking, singing, and generally just being kids. Another thing that I have learned in my travels is that no matter where you go, it is always nice to return home. Nothing makes you appreciate your own country more than being out of it. It is always nice to step back into U.S. territory and hear that voice say “Welcome back to the United States.” Everything just seems to be a little brighter. In turn, these travels also help me to appreciate my life here in Breathitt County. After being in the noise and crowds of other places, it is great to return to the peace and silence of my life here in Eastern Kentucky. I love this place. Someone recently asked me how I could just take time off from work to travel. I look at it this way. Life is short. We could all die tomorrow. At the end of my life, do I want to look back and say “If only I had worked more” or do I want to cherish the memories that I spent with people I care about. I think that they answer is obvious. In addition, I can share these experiences with my marvelous students. They can get a taste of what life is like outside Breathitt County…and some of them may never get another opportunity. I know that I didn’t continue my story about Ray Smith in this article. We will let him take a breather for a week. Maybe he will find out who was on the other end of that phone next week! 11-09-06 Ray Smith sat in his broken down truck, staring at the crumpled bit of picture that he held in his grubby paw. He couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. He had expected a picture of an apple or at least a plant. But not this! It was a picture of Trisha…one of his old girlfriends. They had been quite the couple while they were still going to Breathitt High School. That had been….what…20 years ago or something like that. Ray rubbed his eyes. Sometimes the past was a little fuzzy. Of course, he had been drinking quite a bit back then. Like I’m still doing right now, he smirked. Trisha Miller hadn’t been much of a looker. Her hair was stringy and looked like it hadn’t been washed in months…even when she was fresh from the shower. Her teeth were crooked, and she looked like she was snarling at you whenever she smiled. And the pimples! She had had so many that Ray had wanted to take out his ink pen and connect them at times. She smoked a lot. Of course, Ray had as well. Ray remembered that the students had been allowed to smoke at school. Trish and he would often get together in between classes to catch a quick puff…and a quick kiss. God…that girl could kiss! That’s why I dated her! Ray suddenly remembered. And here she was…just like she had been back in high school…staring at him from the crumpled photo that he was holding while his truck sat smoking beside Highway 15. This wasn’t a hedge apple. What in the world had that old woman been thinking. “Crazy old bat,” he muttered, trying to rub the crinkles out of the picture. He still couldn’t believe it. Trisha Miller! He hadn’t seen her since…well, since… “Since she disappeared,” he whispered, suddenly remembering. They had been quite a couple alright…back in high school. They both hung out with a rough crowd…a loser crowd. Most of their old friends were in jail right now…or dead. But Trisha had been something special. She was different than the rest of the losers that he hung around with. He had thought that they had something special. In fact, at one time, he had seriously considered asking her to marry him. He had had it all worked out. They would get married, quit school, and then he would get a job…somewhere. True…there weren’t many places hiring back then…or now, he thought. They would have lived with his parents until they could save up enough money to buy their own trailer. And if all that failed, well, they could always try to get on the draw. Heck, everyone else around here did it. Ok….so maybe he hadn’t had it all figured out perfectly. But it hadn’t mattered in the end. One day, Trisha had just disappeared. She didn’t show up to school. She didn’t show up at her home. She didn’t even call anyone. It was like she had vanished off the face of the earth. Ray could remember the months that had followed. Her parents had been frantic. The police had been called in to investigate. They had searched the hills and hollows of Breathitt, Wolfe, and Perry counties. They had even followed up on a tip that she had been seen working as a stripper in Lexington. Nothing had ever panned out. Of course, being her boyfriend at the time, Ray had been high on the suspect list himself. He had cleared himself with the cops, but he didn’t think that her parents had ever thought that he was completely innocent. They had always been cold…distant…after that. Eventually, after a year had passed with no sign of Trisha, they had moved away. He had never heard from anyone in her family since. And…he had never seen Trisha again. Until now… “What in the world is going on?” he wiped the sweat that had suddenly broken out on his forehead. A million questions were running through his mind. How in the world did that old woman get this picture of Trisha? How had she known about his past relationship with her? Why had she been going on about hedge apples? Why hadn’t she just given him this picture about Trisha and told him what she knew? His heart was racing. He felt like something was wrong. Heck…he knew that something wasn’t right. Things like this just didn’t happen. He just had to get back to True Value and find that old lady. Maybe she knew something about Trisha. Maybe she knew what had happened all those years ago. Maybe she was involved somehow. Not that it was going to do him any good at the moment. His truck was broken down, and for the moment, he was going to have to hoof it to where he wanted to go. He stared at Trisha’s picture again…trying to get some bit of information from it. It had been taken while she was still in high school. He could see Breathitt High School in the background. Had he taken this picture? He somehow thought that he had taken it. How had that old woman gotten hold of it? He turned it over and was amazed to see something scribbled on the back. It was a number…a phone number. His hands started to shake. It couldn’t be that easy. It just couldn’t! Taking out his TracFone, he dialed in the number with shaking hands. Hitting the send button, he waited. It’s not gonna work. It can’t work. It won’t be her. It will be a prank. That’s all. One ring. Not gonna work. Two rings. Can’t work. Three rings. Can’t be her. Click….someone answered the phone. Ray heard breathing on the other end of the phone. “Hello?” he voice was shaky…it didn’t sound like his own voice at all, “Ummm….Trisha? Trisha Miller?” Suddenly his ear was filled with screams…screams of fear! “Oh God!” the voice screamed out, “Help me. I can’t believe….someone…someone called. They finally called. Please help me!” “Trisha?!” Ray shouted into the phone, “Trisha? Is this you? Where are you ? What’s going on?” “Ray?” the voice had stopped screaming but Ray could here sobs breaking through as she tried to talk….was this Trisha? “Ray!” the voice screamed again, “Help me! I don’t know where I am! Help me! Come find me! Help me! Oh my God…it’s here again! NO! STAY AWAY FRO…” Click! The connection ended. “Trisha!” Ray shouted again, holding the phone so close to his head that he could have probably inserted it into his ear, “Hello? Hello? Who is this? WHAT’S GOING ON?!!?” 11-02-06 Ray Smith stood in the parking lot of True Value, staring at the old woman…Elsbeth…who was still staring at him with the bluest eyes that he had ever seen. “So….are you ready to listen to what I have to say?” she asked, once again licking her dry lips like they were a piece of cherry candy, “Or do you just want to hop into that rust bucket you call a truck and speed off for the nearest beer joint?” Really, he wanted to do just that. He was really thirsty and this old woman was starting to get on his nerves. But…if she could help him get rid of those pesky ladybugs then it might be worth it to listen for a second longer. “Ok…ok,” he shrugged, “So how do you suggest that I get rid of my problem? Those bugs are killing me!” Elsbeth smiled at him, “Not yet…I mean…not really. But I do know what you mean. They can be a bother to some people.” “Tell me about it!” Ray grimaced, remembering the taste of the bugs in his bowl of soup beans, “So…how can you help me?” “Well….” Elsbeth began, “To tell you the truth….I’m never bothered by ladybugs in my house. And my secret is…hedge apples!” “What?” Ray stammered, “What are those? Do they sell them at IGA?” “No…no!” Elsbeth laughed, “They aren’t really apples. It’s just the name of a plant. And let me tell you….those pests can’t stand them!” “Hedge apples,” Ray continued to work the sound of it around in his mouth like an old piece of steak. “Yes,” the old woman was smiling at him again, “They will do the trick. Most people don’t know this little secret. Most people don’t even know where to get hedge apples!” “Wait a minute,” Ray suddenly cried out, “I…I am one of those people! Where in the heck do you find hedge apples?” The old woman looked around as though she were about to reveal the most sought after secret in the world. She took two small steps toward Ray and leaned in next to him. Ray’s nose wrinkled as he caught whiff of her scent….a mixture of rose perfume and something that smelled horrible. Like the grave, he thought to himself…but that was ridiculous. “Well,” her breath, stinking and hot, woofed into his face, “Not too many people know this, but there is a whole bunch of hedge apples growing in the hills. In fact…this is the perfect time to pick some.” “Well,” Ray backed off a step or two, “I wouldn’t know what I was looking for. Thanks anyway old gal.” He hopped in his truck and actually had it started when she banged on his window. Sighing loudly, he rolled it down. He was really tired of this old woman and her foolishness. He had business to attend to…a cold beer was waiting for him at the county line and he didn’t want to disappoint it.“Here you young fool!” the old woman screeched out at him, “I just happen to have a picture of what you need. Take care not to lose it!” She flung a crumpled up dirty photograph at him and then quickly turned around and walked away. Staring at her as she left, Ray felt anger rising inside of him. Who did that old bat think she was anyway? He had a mind to get out of his truck and chase her down. Maybe if he crammed the picture down her old throat then she would go around bothering people anymore. In the end, he decided that she wouldn’t be worth the trouble. He sighed loudly and roared out of the parking lot. Heading toward Wolfe County was the only thing on his mind at the moment. He almost made it to the county line. He was so close that he could practically smell what he was after. Then the rattling started. It was small at first, but it quickly got louder and louder. “What in the..” Ray exclaimed as every light on his dashboard panel suddenly lit up. It was like a Christmas tree. Only this one wasn’t bringing tidings of comfort and joy. With a sick squeal, his truck started to slow down. He barely managed to get it to the side of Highway 15 when black smoke started to pour out from under the hood. The old truck had finally traveled its last mile. In the silence that followed the motor’s death, the only sound that could be heard was Ray’s voice, cussing and snarling. After about 10 minutes of frantic raving, Ray sat back and closed his eyes. How had this day gone so wrong? With a loud sigh, he slammed both hands down on the steering wheel and then onto the dirty cloth seats. One of his hands brushed against a scrap of paper….no…not paper. It was the crumpled old picture that the woman had thrown at him. Picking up the paper, Ray stared at the photograph. He was amazed at what he saw! 10-26-06 They weren’t really ladybugs. They were some sort of little beetle that swarmed the houses and trailers of Breathitt County every autumn just before it got really cold outside. But Ray Smith didn’t care. Just like everybody else, he called them ladybugs. He stood and stared as they crawled all over his living room walls. “Geez, they’re really bad this year,” he muttered to himself. Dressed in his usual pair of dirty jeans and equally filthy t-shirt, he grumbled his way into the hallway. Dragging out a seldom used vacuum cleaner, he managed to get his leg tangled up in the frayed cord and almost tripped and killed himself right then and there. Instead, he just managed to stub his toe against the door jamb. A stream of curse words erupted from his mouth as he danced around on the dirty carpet. The ladybugs had already brought him some misery, and they had just now arrived. He should have moved away from this blasted place years ago. That’s what had driven his wife Mary away two years prior. Well, he guessed that it could have also been his habit of drinking a case of beer each weekend and beating up on her a little. But women liked that…didn’t they? He guessed that Mary hadn’t. Oh well, she could just go to… A ladybug flew in his ear. “Hey!” he barked out, slapping his hand to the side of his head. His world went fuzzy for a second and a sharp ringing buzzed his brain. He could feel the bug scrambling around in his ear canal. Fortunately, Ray never cleaned out his ears, so there was a thick layer of earwax blocking the ladybug from crawling in too deep. Digging out his keys, he quickly plopped one inside his ear and dug out a yellow blob of wax with the struggling insect stuck to it. He opened the door and flicked the mess out into the yard with his fingernail. While he was doing this, about 200 ladybugs flew inside. “Dang it!” Ray yelled, as about 30 of the crawling pests landed on his shirt. Attracted to the stench, they grouped together near his underarms. Brushing his shirt off as he tromped through the shoddy trailer, Ray once again managed to stumble over the forgotten vacuum cleaner. This time, he managed to fall. With a smash, his 300 pound frame landed on the vacuum, crushing it into several pieces. When he managed to get himself up off of the floor, he saw that there was no way to repair it. It was history. “Great,” he mumbled, “Now what?” It was just the middle of the month, and he wouldn’t get another check for two more weeks. He had already drunk up what little bit of monthly income he had already received and was down to just living on soup beans and whatever he could kill. Squirrel was mighty good, but it got old after three weeks. Especially when you were practically shaking for a cold beer. Thinking about food made Ray’s stomach grumble impatiently. Since he couldn’t vacuum up the ladybugs now, he decided to have a little lunch. He had been cooking his latest pot of soup beans on the stove all morning, and they were just about done. Maybe a little food would clear his head and make him feel better. Heck, he might even clean up this place a little. Maybe. When he walked into the kitchen, he was able to see that the ladybugs were even worse in here. They were scrambling all over the walls and were practically swarming on his ceiling. This room got the most sunlight. They always seemed to go to the warmest rooms. He waved his hand in front of his face as he plodded over to the sink. All of his bowls were dirty and crawling with ladybugs. He half rinsed one out. He didn’t feel like washing dishes right now….he wanted to eat. Dipping out a huge ladle of beans, he waddled over to the card table in the corner and sat down. Beans might get old after a while, but they were still pretty good when you were hungry. Licking his lips, he spooned hot steaming beans into his mouth. He smiled contentedly as he started to chew…munch, munch….CRUNCH! As he bit down on the ladybugs that had fallen into his bowl of beans, a flood of sour liquid filled his mouth. “Bllaaaa!” he gurgled, spewing a mash of beans and ladybugs all over the table and floor. He looked down and saw a few ladybugs, swimming and drowning in the brown bean liquid. With one mighty paw, he angrily swiped the entire bowl into the floor. “That’s enough!” he screamed, standing up so suddenly that he knocked his chair over, “This has got to stop! This has got to….YACK!” 20 ladybugs had flown into his open mouth and tried to scramble down his throat. He spent the next 7 minutes throwing up out in the yard while ladybugs tried to crawl up his nose. Something had to give! And then he realized what he had to do… What is going to happen to poor Ray Smith? Find out next week! 10-12-06 October is here but with these high temperatures, it still feels like summer is hanging around. We are supposed to get some cooler weather soon. I am a fan of cooler weather, but I am not looking forward to those cold chilly mornings at all! That is especially true if I have to stand outside of the school for morning bus duty…brrr! I hope that everyone took some time to enjoy the Breathitt County Heritage Festival. It was great! It is nice that we can still celebrate our heritage. My wife Lisa and I went to the Lexington Opera House this past weekend to watch a performance of the musical Cats. We had excellent seats, and I was just amazed at what a wonderful job these hard working actors did on stage. I love the theater and this was definitely one of the better performances that I had seen. Our next musical that we will see is Hairspray in November. I saw where John Travolta is making a movie version of this. I can’t wait to see the real thing though! My Aunt Christine and her friend, Homer, are visiting with my mom and dad this weekend. The weather is beautiful, so they picked a good time to visit. We all may go out into the country for a nice drive later on today. Lisa and I picked up the new CD by the Indigo Girls. It is called Despite Our Differences, and it is great….as usual. I love to drive around in the country during the fall weather and listen to good music. The wife and I are planning a little trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic in late November over the Thanksgiving holiday. We have our passports in hand and are ready to go. The resort we are visiting, the IFA Bavaro, is a huge resort. I read on the internet that not many people at the resort speak English. However, I am ready for the adventure. I have been listening extra hard when my class at LBJ has Spanish…LOL! I will close this week by saying that no matter what happens in your life, each day is a new beginning. You may have had the most horrible day ever, but you can rest assured that when you wake up tomorrow morning that you will have a clean slate with which to start. 10-01-06 You can feel it in the air at night. That brisk kiss of frost that whispers in our ears that autumn has arrived. The air doesn’t have that sensuous feel of summer anymore, and we know that the days will continue to grow shorter and shorter as we progress even further into the dark side of the year. Like everything else, the year is growing old. Earlier this evening, I sat on my front porch and marveled at the sights and sounds of nature all around me. The sun was slanting through the trees like a stream of liquid gold. As it brushed against the leaves, it painted them with its brilliance and reminded me that soon the leaves will have a brilliant color all their own. This is when Mother Nature puts on some of her finery for a fashion show that has the rest of the world in awe. Everyone else tries to mimic it, but you can’t beat the original. I also noticed that the world has taken on the slow gentle pulse of a watch that is winding down. Everything seems to be going at a much slower pace. By now, most of the crops have been gathered. The last remaining bounty of fields could possibly be the bright orange pumpkins and other fall squash that are appearing in the stores and at roadside stands. Let’s just hope that Sally Johnson or Elsbeth are selling pumpkins…LOL! This winding down is one thing that I love about autumn. Nature is a smart woman. She is telling each of us…in her own subtle way...to slow down and take a look at the world around us. In this age of everything on demand, people are often impatient and want everything yesterday. We have fast food, fast cars, and even drive-in churches (I saw one at Daytona Beach!). Why not slow down for a while and actually live your life instead of letting your life get out of control? The world isn’t going to end if you stop for just a second to breath in some of that crisp autumn air and enjoy a cup of warm cocoa or apple cider. The Earth knows that now is the time to stop and rest. Through this rest, there is renewal. We as human beings can’t just stop living. However, we can slow down and reflect on our lives and the direction that we are taking. Perhaps we have strayed from the path upon which we intended. Maybe this is a good thing…maybe not. At least we need to consider our life choices and the consequences that we are facing. If we don’t like them, we can change them. However, if we don’t reflect…we can’t change. Take some time to enjoy the season. Heat some cider. Bake some cookies. Pick a pumpkin. Plant some mums. Whatever you do…enjoy life. It is the only one you have. Here is a recipe for Autumn Cider. I love it and have enjoyed it for years. This is an old family recipe that I now pass on to you! Enjoy it with my blessings! Spiced Autumn Cider Ingredients ·one gallon apple cider ·one cup orange juice ·one lemon, thinly sliced ·4 cinnamon sticks ·2 whole cloves ·1 teaspoon allspice 1. Place all of the ingredients in a sauce pan. Cover pan and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes. 2. Strain into a large bowl and enjoy! You can also strain this and then put it in a crock pot to keep it warm throughout the day. 3. Sit outside in the cool, crisp air. Inhale deeply over your cup of hot cider. Drink! The Headache, Part IV Mary Johnson lay in bed with a cool washcloth over her eyes. Her head was killing her…as usual. She didn’t know how long this headache was going to last. They usually didn’t last over a couple of days, but this one had hung on for almost a week. She was a little worried. Even the pills…the small blue ones that made her go deliciously numb…didn’t seem to be working. She still felt a little guilty about snapping at Sally the other night. She hadn’t meant to be so cross! But her stupid sister knew better than to give her cold water. It always made her headaches worse. Deep down, she was afraid that her sister would get fed up with her antics and leave her all alone. So, she had tried to be a little nicer to Sally since that night. She had even listened to her when Sally had started driveling on and on about something that she was growing in the garden that was going to take care of Mary’s headaches! Mary had snorted a laugh out of her long, thin nose at that one. She had been to some of the finest and most expensive specialists in the world! How was her silly mule of a sister going to help her with a folk remedy? However, she was still trying to make nice, so she just nodded her head and acted interested whenever Sally brought the subject up. She actually wondered how Sally was growing anything in that weed patch that she called a garden anyway. It was already starting to frost outside. Surely most of her plants were dead…or dying. Two days ago, Mary had struggled out of bed and hobbled over to the window to take a peek at the garden. She had seen Sally bent over some strange looking vines that seemed to have exploded right out of the ground. It looked like Sally was doing something with a knife. Was she cutting herself? That would explain the bandages that Sally had taken to wearing on both of her hands. But why would she be doing such a thing? She shivered and decided not to let on that she had been spying. She just decided that she would act like nothing was wrong. Sally prattled on and on everyday about how quickly the plants were growing. “They should be ready soon!” Sally had laughed out last night, a feverish glow in her eyes. Mary didn’t think that her sister was looking all too healthy. Mary was just thinking about calling Doctor Kern at KRMC….not for herself but for Sally….when Sally burst through the bedroom door and cried out, “Come on Mary! It’s time! The plants are ready!” “What!?” Mary snapped, jerking the washcloth from her face, “What in the world are you talking about Sally?” “The garden!” Sally had giggled, “We’ve got to go to the garden. Right now! They’re ready….the plants are ready! We can get rid of your headache once and for all!” “Really Sally,” Mary had snapped…she was feeling so angry right now because of all the pain, “You know that I can hardly get out of bed. How am I supposed to get all the way to the garden?” “Come on!” Sally cried out, looking half-crazed, “We’ve got to go…NOW!” Mary decided that she would humor her sister…go to the garden…and then call the doctor. She couldn’t have her sole care-giver having a nervous breakdown. “It’s probably just some old weeds,” she thought to herself, “I’ll have to act like I am really cured or she will go crazy!” Working together, Sally half supported and half carried Mary down the stairs and out the door to the garden. As Mary drew closer to the garden, she saw the vines that Sally had been so carefully tending the entire week. They were enormous with large fleshy leaves that were a dark green, tinged with red. Something about the size and color of them made her feel uneasy. “How long have you been tending these Sally?” she croaked out, seeing that the vines ended into some equally large orange globes. Were those pumpkins? They looked funny some how…distorted. “Only a week,” Sally’s voice was behind her…urging her closer to the vines that lay sprawled in the ruin of the garden. Mary shivered again as she thought she saw one twitch. It was probably just the wind…or a mole. Standing next to the vines, Mary saw that they were indeed pumpkins. But they were the strangest looking pumpkins that she had ever seen. They were so big that they looked engorged. Each of them was striped with that same sickly red color. Like the color of blood, she thought. She bent down to touch one. “That’s…that’s impossible,” Mary said, her voice barely a whisper. Something wasn’t right about this. Everything about this was all wrong. But her head…her head….it was just killing her! The pain had actually become a steady throb that never ceased. She didn’t know how much more she could take. “So…how…how are these supposed to help…my….my headache,” Mary managed to croak out over the throbbing pain that had spread from her head and down into her neck. Behind her, she heard the rustling of leaves. It’s going to eat me, she thought. She could imagine the vines wrapping around her body. She quickly turned…only to discover that it wasn’t the plant moving at all. It was her sister. But…no! It couldn’t be! Sally stood over her…one large pumpkin held high over her head. She had that glazed look in her eyes once again. It was almost like it wasn’t her sister at all anymore. “LIKE THIS!” Sally screeched out suddenly bringing the pumpkin down on Mary’s head, knocking her to the ground. It was the last thing that Mary ever saw as her world exploded into a bright red supernova that faded to black. Sally began to laugh as she brought the strange, warped pumpkin down again and again on Mary’s smashed-in head. As the pumpkin rose back up into the air, it changed color from orange to orange-red to red….a wet, runny red. The whacks began to take on a thick, wet, meaty sound. Sally saw that the pumpkin was now speckled with bits of white and gray. The pumpkin never smashed open. Sally looked down at the remains of her sister’s head. She had seen a raccoon once that had been run over by a coal-truck. What she saw now was worse…but only slightly. She giggled….Mary wouldn’t be bothered by her headaches ever again. “I’m free,” she whispered. Only the wind was there to listen to her. Hours later, Sally sat in her kitchen eating a piece of freshly baked pumpkin pie. She took a deep breath. It felt so good to be free. Nobody would ever come looking for Mary. Mary hadn’t had any friends…just doctors. No one would miss her at all. No one would suspect that she was now safely buried in the garden. “At least now she can do some good,” Sally mumbled as she shoved forkful after forkful of hot, steaming pie into her mouth, “She can fertilize the corn next year!” As for the murder weapon….well, it had finally taken a chisel and hammer to crack it open….but she had finally succeeded. Now, she was eating the last remains….freshly baked in a pie. Nothing had ever tasted so sweet! Cleaning up after herself, Sally marched upstairs. She was giddy! Tonight she could sleep and not have to worry about taking care of Mary…or her blasted headaches. She was free from that curse forever. She silently….oh, the blessed silence!....put on one of Mary’s old gowns. Mary wouldn’t need them anymore! She quickly climbed into Mary’s soft bed…much nicer than her own had been. Slowly she lay down on Mary’s soft pillows and closed her eyes. She lay there for a while…trying to get to sleep. If only she could sleep! Everything would be even better. But try as she might….all she could do was toss and turn. It had started as soon as Mary had died….that pain….small at first but growing with every passing second. It was really bad now! The worst that she had ever felt. Jumping up out of the bed, she clutched her throbbing head. It was the worst headache of her life…and somehow, she knew that this one wasn’t going to end….ever. No pill or potion would ever cure the torment that she was now suffering. As the pain started to shoot through her head like a shotgun blast and claw its way down her neck and into her entire body, she began to scream. She never stopped. The Headache, Part III Sally Johnson slowly walked up the little dirt lane toward the home that she shared with her sister Mary. Although Breathitt County was getting more and more pavement on the county roads, Hardshell still had more than its share of little dirt trails that could hardly be called roads. Every now and then she would stare down at her hand that was clutched tightly at her waist. Mary was probably foaming at the mouth at this very minute. It would take hours for Sally to get her calmed back down again. She opened her hand and stared at the five tiny seeds that were hidden inside. They were as black as a cold miner’s grave, but they weren’t cold. Instead, they seemed to pulse with a life of their own. “Take these, child,” Elsbeth Warding had crooned, producing them from some secret pocket in her bright blue and red dress, “Plant these tonight.” “But…but…” Sally had started, “It’s September! Growing season is over with for the year. What could possibly grow from those seeds at this time of year?” Ms. Elsbeth…that’s what Sally had called her….had just chuckled in that low, throaty way of hers…smoke curling up from her pipe and nostrils. Sally had felt a chill run down her back…just momentarily. It wasn’t like someone had walked over her grave…it was like a whole marching band had tromped over it! “Child…child,” Ms. Elsbeth had chortled deeply, “These seeds are a special secret of mine. They’ll grow…believe me. And the results…well, you’ll just have to see it to believe it. But just know this…it will take care of your sister’s headache.” “How?” Sally had asked, suddenly interested. Anything that would cure Mary of those blasted headaches was worth her very soul itself. Had it just been her imagination…or had Ms. Elsbeth’s eyes seem to glow a little brighter at that exact moment? She shook it off as a trick of the fading light as the sun began to slip over the tops of the mountains. “Hurry child!” Ms. Elsbeth had forced the seeds into Sally’s left hand, “There isn’t time to waste. You’ve got to hurry home and get these planted before the moon rises tonight. Now listen carefully…” Sally had listened intently as Ms. Elsbeth had leaned close and whispered some feverish instructions to her. At first, Sally hadn’t been able to pay one bit of attention. The old woman’s breath had been horrible. It had stank of…of…the grave? “Don’t be ridiculous,” Sally smirked to herself. It had just been the sour breath of an old woman who obviously didn’t practice good oral hygiene. That pipe probably didn’t help matters much either. Now that she was almost home, Sally’s heart began to beat a little faster. What if this actually worked? What if this took care of Mary’s headaches once and for all. She quickly ran to her work-shed and grabbed a hoe. She thought quickly for a second and then grabbed the pocketknife that she kept for cutting twine and rope in order to tie up her peas and beans. She slipped the knife in her pocket and ran back to the garden which was overgrown with late summer weeds. Working with a feverish pace, she started clearing away a little patch of land on the far side of the garden. The soil looked tired after its long summer’s toil. Sally doubted if the seeds would do anything at all. It was probably just some old woman’s mad ravings. Still…if there was even the slightest chance that this would work….she would have to try it. Bending down and feeling the ache in her lower back, Sally made a hole and quickly planted the five seeds. Then…acting on Ms. Elsbeth’s instructions…she took out the pocketknife that she had grabbed from the work-shed and quickly sliced open one of her fingers. Squeezing sharply she let three drops of blood fall onto the seeds. “This is so crazy,” she muttered as the blood dripped down into the soil, “But she was very adamant about this part. She said that I had to do this or it wouldn’t work.” She had been slaving away her blood, sweat, and tears for most of her life anyway. What were a few more drops? Finishing up, she covered the seeds with a layer of dirt just as the sun began to set. An owl hooted in the distance and a sharp cold wind blew across the back of her neck. She shivered convulsively and jumped up. There was that feeling again! The feeling that there was a whole crowd of people dancing on her grave. What in the world was going on? Turning toward the house, Sally saw that her sister’s bedroom lamp was on. That meant that Mary was still awake….and probably suffering more than ever. In turn, Sally knew that she would be suffering more than ever. It was going to be a late night. It was going to be a long night. It was going to be a bad night. There would be cold compresses to make…pills to fetch…and water. But not cold water…no, never cold water. She bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to bring blood and marched toward the inevitable. “Might as well get in there and get it over with,” she groaned. In the distance, it sounded as though a pack of wild coyotes were howling and fighting over something. Probably the remains of a deer or elk from the sound of it. She thought that she could actually hear the crunching of bones. It made her feel slightly nauseous. If Sally had chosen to turn around at that very moment, she may have been surprised to see that five little sprouts had already broken through the top of the soil. Five little sprouts that were a deep, dark red….as red as blood. She may have also been surprised to see that these sprouts were quivering in the increasing chill of the evening. Quivering…as though they had a life of their own. But Sally did not turn around. Instead she slowly walked into the house, hearing her moaning sister calling out for her from the upstairs bedroom. The door quietly closed behind her with an audible click. The howling and fighting of the coyotes continued to ring through the hills of Breathitt County in the approaching night. Somewhere in Hardshell, evil had sprouted. What will happen next? Find out when I continue with The Headache! The Headache, Part II Sally Johnson was out of breath, having just run from her shrieking sister, Mary. Mary was probably still at home, complaining to the four walls about her sick headache and her uncaring hog of a sister. But Sally wasn’t thinking about that right at this moment. Instead, she was looking at something that she had never seen before…an old house. The house stood on a small hill. In all of her years of living in Hardshell, she had never noticed this house before. True…it was partially hidden behind two very large weeping willow trees, but Sally could have sworn that nothing had ever been there…except maybe an old, broken down barn. “Strange,” she whispered to herself, walking slowly toward the neat little cabin that had so mysteriously appeared…not twenty minutes from her own home that she shared with Mary. Just then the front door opened and out popped a little old lady with bright silver hair and an equally bright (but blue and red) dress. The old woman waved and smiled cheerfully at Sally. Sally waved back and then turned to go…she guessed that she had better get back before Mary threw a righteous fit. “Hold up there young lady,” the old woman called after her as she turned. Sally stopped. Young lady? Well, she guessed that a 42-year old woman would be considered young by someone that old. How old did the woman appear? 75? 80? It was hard to tell. “Can I help you?” Sally turned back toward the cabin and smiled at the little old woman who was now motioning her to come up to the porch. With a small sigh, Sally climbed up the steps. “Sit…sit!” the old woman smiled at her, bright blue eyes twinkling with amusement, “I saw you from my window. You were running down this road like the Devil himself was after you! What’s the matter sweetie? Man trouble?” Sally sank down in one of the old porch rockers that resided on the old woman’s front porch. “No…no,” Sally said, “Nothing like that….its just…well….complicated.” “Mmmmm,” the old woman took a seat in the rocker next to Sally, “I understand….don’t want to talk to some crazy old lady. Hee hee…well, we all get old, I guess.” Sally was shocked, “No…no! Its not that…exactly. Well…I guess that is part of it. I mean….I didn’t even know that you lived up here. I only live a few minutes away, and I have never even seen this house before!” “Sally Johnson…right?” the old woman smiled over at her, taking out a small, dark brown pipe and lighting it with one swift movement of her gnarled hand, “You and your sister Mary live in that big house…the big white one with the garden. Lovely garden, by the way.” Sally was flattered, “Yes, the garden has always been my pride and joy. I’m sorry though….I have no idea what your name is. Have we met before?” “We’ve passed in Jackson,” the old woman smiled, puffing a small curl of smoke between her cracked lips, “I don’t think we’ve ever spoken though. My name is Elsbeth….Elsbeth Warding.” “Well…it’s nice to meet you Ms. Warding,” Sally reached out her hand. The old woman cracked a big grin and started to laugh, deep and throaty. It sounded like a cat being run over by a coal truck. Sally grimaced slightly at the harsh sound. “Lord, child,” the old woman chuckled, tears running down her cheeks, “Don’t call me that. Call me by my name…Elsbeth.” “Well….its nice to meet you Ms. Elsbeth,” Sally smiled, shaking the old woman’s hand at last, “Sorry…I just have to put the Ms. on there. It’s just the way my momma raised me.” “Oh…that’s alright,” Elsbeth was still chuckling softly, smoke escaping from her nose and drifting into the mountain air, “Just don’t call me Ms. Warding anymore. You sound like one of them bankers at the First National!” Sally smiled softly and then wiped the back of her right hand across her eyes. They were still wet with tears. She wondered how Mary was doing. Stop thinking about that old sister of yours, she thought to herself, Can’t you even take five minutes to visit with a neighbor! Elsbeth reached out and took Sally’s hot palms into her own cool ones. She took one more puff off of her pipe and looked deep into Sally’s eyes. “Child….something’s bothering you,” she said softly, “I wish you’d tell me. Sometimes it helps….sometimes its better.” Then something clicked in Sally’s chest and the tears started to flow. Not just little tears….great, burning tears that ran down her cheeks in a heavy stream. Her voice hitched in her throat. Finally, she started to talk, and all of the pain of the last twenty years came spilling out of her mouth. She realized as she went along that she was talking faster and faster….sounding hysterical. She silently prayed that she wouldn’t scare the old woman. Finally, it was over. She finished up by explaining the mornings events and how Mary had finally just criticized her one too many times. “I just had to get out of that house,” she whispered, looking up from the porch floor into Elsbeth’s eyes. Elsbeth Warding stared back at her. Her eyes glazed over for a minute as though she were deep in thought. She thinks I’m a nut, Sally’s mind was racing. She prepared to stand up and leave. At least she got to talk to someone…even if they thought she was some loon job who was running around the neighborhood. “Hold on child,” Elsbeth finally whispered, clutching Sally’s hands painfully tight, “I think that I might have just the thing that’s gonna solve all your problems. That is…if you want to take it.” Sally’s breath caught in her throat. She waited for what the old woman was going to say next. What will Elsbeth offer Sally? Find out next week, when I continue The Headache Sally Johnson walked into the small house that she shared with her sister, Mary, and knew right away that it was going to be bad. Actually, it was always bad when you considered Mary and her shrill, piercing voice. However, Sally knew that it was going to be really, really bad because the drapes were closed and the house was still as a tomb. She tried to tiptoe into her room without notice, but it was too late. “SALLY!” her sister’s grating voice clawed its way into Sally’s head and scratched down her spine, “Come here at once! I’m having one of my…” “Sick headaches,” Sally muttered under her breath, walking toward her sister’s darkened bedroom…the best room in the house. “Sick headaches,” her sister Mary finished. Sally sighed and climbed the stairs to her sister’s room. How long had this been going on? Five years? Six? Ten? It was so long she couldn’t remember. All of her days and nights had just started to blur together into one long day of taking care of her sister and treating those headaches. Dr. Kern at KRMC had given Mary a complete examination…CAT scan, X-ray, the works….years ago. “Sally,” he had said, “Let me give it to you straight. There’s nothing physically wrong with her. I can’t explain her headaches except to say that it must be something…well…in her head. For some reason, she is just willing herself to believe that she is in pain. I suggest a good psychiatrist.” Well, of course, Mary had refused to believe that. They had been going to doctor after doctor for years. Since no doctor in Jackson had given her what she had wanted, Mary had gone to doctors in Mt. Sterling, Lexington, Louisville, and even Chicago! She never got the satisfaction that she needed. The worst thing was that she always seemed to drag Sally along with her. “Oh but you just HAVE to go!” Mary would wail, clutching her chest as if her heart was paining her instead of her head, “Whatever shall I do without you?” In spite of it all, Sally loved her sister Mary. She had to love her sister. She had given up so much in order to take care of her. For one thing, she hadn’t had much time for dating. Her one true interest had given up on her two years ago when it had become apparent that she wasn’t going to leave Mary to take care of herself. “Marry me,” he had whispered to her under the August moon. When had that been…two years ago? She had wanted to say YES....yes, I’ll marry you. But then the cold, hard reality of Mary had stormed to the front of her mind. She couldn’t just leave Mary all alone. Finally, he had given up. She had loved him so much and had just let him go. He had given her one last kiss goodbye and then had driven off while Mary screamed about her head in the background. Now, at 42, Sally was facing middle-age with nobody to share it with but her screaming, clinging sister. “SALLY!” Mary screamed, “Where in the blazes are you? My head is killing me! I need my pills! Where are my pills?” “Coming Mary,” Sally called, reaching the top of the stairs with a low ache starting to form in her back. It had gotten worse over the years of tugging, lifting, and taking care of Mary. Moments later, Sally entered Mary’s bedroom carrying a tray of assorted pills and a cold glass of water. She carefully tiptoed over to her sister’s side of the bed and set the tray down on her nightstand. Mary lay moaning with a washrag draped over her eyes. “Mary?” Sally whispered cautiously, “I’m here. I have your pills. Try to sit up darling and take these.” “Ohhhhh,” Mary whined out loudly, “Why even bother. They never really do any good.” “Come on Mary,” Sally begged, “Please take the pills…for me?” Sally was tired. She just wanted Mary to take the pills and go to sleep. At least if Mary was asleep then Sally could get some much needed rest. She was exhausted from doing the laundry, cooking the meals, washing the dishes, mopping the floors….well, basically everything. Mary hardly ever got out of bed anymore. With one loud grunt, Mary propped herself up in the bed and opened her large, gaping mouth. Sally placed one of the pills on Mary’s tongue and then held out the glass of water. With one sip, Mary’s eyes went wild and wide. “Pffft!” Mary spat the water into Sally’s face, wetting her with a hot shame, “What in the…you know better than to give me cold water. It aggravates my headaches! I need water that is exactly room temperature. How DARE you!” With a horrible shriek, Mary smacked the glass out of Sally’s hand sending water and pills flying all over the floor. The sound of broken glass cut like shards into Sally’s mind. “Just look at this MESS that you have made!” Mary cried out, grabbing Sally’s arms with her talon-like fingers, “I’m sick. You know how I am when I am sick, but YOU DON”T CARE!” “Mary, I’m sorry,” Sally’s eyes were filling with hot tears. She could feel them running down her cheeks. “Sorry? Sorry?” Mary mocked, “Is that all you can say. You cow! Clean this mess up and get me some more water…at room temperature. And hurry! My head is killing me.” The room seemed to swirl in front of Sally. Those words…those horrible mocking words were still ringing in her ears. She started to cry a little louder as she bent to pick up the broken glass. She cried out as a sharp edge bit into the fingers of her left hand. “Quiet, you idiot,” Mary screeched, settling back down into the bed, “Remember…I’m the one who is sick…..my headache.” Suddenly, Sally found it hard to breathe. All those years…those wasted years…taking care of Mary. She saw herself in the future…a broken down old woman taking care of her still shrieking sister. What did she have to look forward to except death? The room started to sway in a sickening manner. She had to get out…get away from Mary. Without looking back, she ran out of the room and bolted down the stairs. It was at least twenty minutes later when she realized that she had run out of the house and down the little dirt road beside their house in Hardshell. The ache in her side was fierce, biting at her like a wild animal. She stopped to take some deep breathes and to clear her head. It was at that moment that she saw something that would change her life…and Mary’s life…forever. What did she see? Find out when I continue the story! 8-23-06 My wife Lisa and I have are friends with a great couple from Morehead, KY. Their names are Rod and Corrinna Middleton. Corrinna is originally from Breathitt County. We went to high school together. Her name was Corrinna Trusty then. Her parents still live here in Breathitt County. Anyway, they are a great couple of friends. We have been traveling with them for years. We have gone to Daytona Beach, Orlando, and Key West, Florida. Outside of the country, we have traveled to Cancun, Mexico, Aruba, and Jamaica. This year, we are planning on going to the Dominican Republic with them. Lisa and I have been married for 15 years. We have no children of our own and are perfectly contented with spending our time and money on world travel. We both love to experience new cultures and meet new, exciting people. Of course, the beaches aren’t too bad either! Up until a couple of years ago, our friends were in the same boat as us. That was…until…the birth of their daughter, Hailey. Hailey is a sweet little bundle of joy. When she was first born, I was sort of worried that her arrival would put a damper on our travels with our friends. However, I didn’t have anything to worry about. We have just acclimated little Hailey into traveling around with the rest of us. On any given weekend, you can find all five of us in a car headed to someplace “nearby” for shopping and dining. The only difference is that we now head to a playground so that Hailey can run off some of that youthful energy. I always wanted to have an excuse to get on the swings anyway….LOL! Hailey is going to be 2 years old this year. Her parents have decided that she is old enough to have her first experience with the ocean. Next week, they are going to be taking her to Myrtle Beach in order to enjoy the sand and the salty waves of the Atlantic. Lisa and I contemplated on going with them but decided to let them experience it as a family. After all, who wants to be in a car for 30 hours with a 2 year old…LOL! No, seriously, she is a sweet baby. We just thought that this would be a special time for them to bond. We will have plenty of time to travel later. As of yet, they are not taking her with us on our international trips. I am sure that when she gets a little older that Hailey will start traveling with us when we go out of the country. I am very excited about being a part of this. Her parents have already decided that they want her first trip to be to Aruba. There are some beautiful beaches there. One of them is called Baby Beach because the waves are “calm enough for a baby.” At least, that is what all the brochures say. While we were in Aruba the last time, I went to Baby Beach and went snorkeling with Rod. We were out in the water looking at a brain coral. I noticed that the waves were a little rough because a storm was starting to come in. I kept getting closer and closer to the sharp jagged edge of the coral reef. Needless to say, the rough water made it very difficult to get back to shore. For a minute or two, I wondered if I would even make it to shore!!! I haven’t gone snorkeling since then except in very, very calm waters. My momma didn’t raise a fool…LOL! Travel is so educational. I know that not everyone has the opportunity to travel. Growing up in Hardshell, I never thought that I would either. However, just like anything else, I had a goal and I worked toward it. Hopefully we can all have the opportunity to do things which make us happy. Life is too short to “wait until later” or to “wait until retirement” to do the things which bring us joy. Don’t wait…life is too short. Go out today and do something that you enjoy! Hey…I’m a teacher…I give you permission…LOL! 8-13-06 It was such a relief to have a change in the weather yesterday. The power of the storm drove away some of the oppressive heat and made for more enjoyable day today. True…it was a rather damp day but much improved from the heat and humidity which blanketed the area in the weeks before! I love to go outside just before a storm. The air is charged with so much power. The more lightning…the better. I feel like I could do anything at times like this. I feel so alive. This is especially true when the rain begins to fall. The water that falls from the skies is part of cycle that has been continuing since the beginning of time. Life began in water, and water still remains necessary to life. Changes in the seasons bring about changes in our lives. The wheel has turned once again. As I drive to and from work each day, I see people harvesting their crops from their gardens. Like these hard working gardeners, we can also take some time to harvest the things that we had planted earlier in the year. Maybe we worked really hard on forming a new friendship with someone. Perhaps we planted the seeds toward building a new career. Now that job is within reach. Or it could be that we have been working on gaining new knowledge or finding that special someone! Whatever it is, now is the time to harvest our crops…to reap what we have sown. Don’t be afraid or feel unworthy to achieve happiness. Each of us has a right to gain happiness. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. There are too many unhappy people walking around on this planet. Summer’s end is near at hand Fading sunlight on the land A touch of death as time decays We sense the fall of passing days For some the fields are full of bounty Other ones have wasted crudely A gathering of minds and men In prayers the sun returns again Just remember to never wait to do the things which make you happy. You may not have a chance tomorrow. 8-7-06 Summer vacation is just a sweet memory for the children of Breathitt County. School is officially open. I, for one, am glad to be back in the classroom. It was a great break, but I had gotten totally out of my daily routine. Something is to be said for being a slave to the clock! As most of you know, I spent this summer writing a little story about a girl lost in the woods. It turned out that the woods happened to be right here in Breathitt County. Of course, things didn’t turn out too good for her though. That just goes to show you…don’t mess with strange bags of powder you find in the woods. Seriously though, while doing research for this story, I came across some interesting facts about Breathitt County. It turns out that there really was an Elsbeth. Believe it or not! Back in the early 1800’s, Breathitt County hadn’t been formed as of yet. A woman named Elsbeth (probably a mispronunciation of Elizabeth) Warding lived near where Beaver Dam is today…up in the Hardshell area. That area was still part of Perry County at the time. Surprisingly there were quite a few people living in the area, considering the poor condition of the roads. Back in those days, it was hard for people to get to the doctor. Doctors were more often than not considered to be outsiders and weren’t trusted. Most people just used home remedies when a member of the family got sick. If it was really bad, they often went to a local member of the community who knew how to use mountain herbs and such for healing. Elsbeth Warding was one of those people. In March of 1824, several children in the community accused Elsbeth of luring them into her home to draw blood from them. People accused her of being a witch. On March 23, 1824, several men from the area broke into her home. Tying several large stones to her body, the men threw the old woman into a large hole of water in Troublesome Creek. Supposedly Elsbeth drowned, but there is no record of her body ever being found. In June of 1824, nine witnesses testify to seeing a pair of bony hands reach up and pull seven-year-old Arlie Smith under the water of Troublesome Creek at a family reunion. His body was never recovered. Ten days after the apparent drowning, a large dark dog was seen prowling the area. Several chicken houses were broken into and many small pets went missing. It was at this time that many of the people who had accused Elsbeth Warding of being a witch started to leave the area. Many of these people headed north, and their descendants are still living in areas of Indiana and Illinois to this day. In December of that same year, two children were reported missing in the woods just five miles from the old cabin where Elsbeth used to live. One was a girl, Sarah, and the other a boy, Thomas. I couldn’t find any reference to a last name. Anyway, the boy was found frozen to death and half eaten (wolves, coyotes..???) six days later up near where Little Buckhorn is today. His sister was never found. However, there are reports that another large dog figure was seen running in the area soon after. I didn’t find any other references to Elsbeth Warding or the history of this part of Breathitt County. I’m still researching it though. It seems that some people still report strange happenings in the Hardshell part of the county. Some have reported weird glowing lights at night. Others have reported to seeing an old woman walking in the woods at night. Strange voices and sounds of howling have also been heard. Is this just coincidence? Or is something about the story of Elsbeth really true? We may never know. If you would like to report a strange occurrence that you have had concerning this little known piece of Breathitt County history, just email me at alfugate@yahoo.com. I may even share your story with the world! |