On the Hill

I remember, in my early years (really early years, Grandmaw had an old pot belly stove in the rear bedroom of the house. Since there was no insulation (the wall you would see on the inside of the house was simply the other side of the wall you saw outside), this room was a magnet during cold winter nights. I remember that old stove would heat that room up to almost unbearable conditions. To this day, I'm not certain whatever became of that stove. I just seem to remember it being there one day and one day it was gone. With it gone, that left only a small space heater in the living room. If one had a cup of hot coffee or hot chocolate and a heavy coat on, not to mention a healthy imagination, one could almost detect heat from that thing.

I never walked through five miles of snow, bare-foot, to get too school. However, I didn't miss out on all the fun. The house on the hill was surrounded by woods, with the exception of the cow pasture behind the house. We had a gravel driveway that cut into and through a hill that we grew up calling "paint rock hill." This old driveway was several hundred feet in length and I would walk to the bottom end of it to catch the school bus. We lived far enough from town, and thusly the school, that I would be standing at the bus stop well before sunrise. Man oh man, the things one would hear in those woods, just a few feet away. I never had to worry about falling asleep at the bus stop. Now, falling asleep on the long bus ride, well, that was a different matter altogether.

At one point, we had at the home place, seventeen dogs, four wild Persian cats (can't imagine why they were wild), one pig, a coop full of chickens, cattle and an old blind mare. We also had a pecan tree, a walnut tree and a pear tree. Fortunately all of these trees bore fruit and it was more than one day I went in the house, at the end of a hard day of playing outside, with a stomach-ache that led me to believe I was dying. Of course, the first time this took place, Mom asked me what I had eaten. I replied "nuthin" thinking that by "eating" she was referring to chicken, rice and gravy, dumplings, etc.. On that particular day, it had been five raw pears that didn't set well.

There's a lot more memories that I could bore you with but this piece wasn't written, for anyone to read (now I tell you huh?). This was written more for me, as I can remember some things now, that I have no doubt later, won't even be a flicker. Well, there is one more reason for having written it too.

I just saw, on the news, where kids no longer go outside to play. They stay inside, watching TV, playing their x-box or on the computer. As one might guess, obesity is running rampant with our youth. I can't help but wonder if any of these kids know what they're missing out on? I've got to admit, I don't see kids riding bicycles down the roads, like I did when I was growing up. Do kids still wish for swing sets? We were truly Blessed in that we had literally hundreds of acres of woods, at our disposal, to run amok in. To form clubs (TrailBlazers) and explore. We would camp, go hunting, swim in the swimmin' hole and cross from one side of the creek to the other, by way of tree roots, which over time, formed a great walkway for a bunch of wannabe Daniel Boone's. During summer vacation, we would hit the outside at first sunlight and unless Mom tracked us down with her Tarzan-like yell, many times we wouldn't see the inside until supper time.

The times were simpler. Folks still respected each other. It was fun to go 'visiting' cousins and the like. We depended on each other. When someone died, I thought it must be incumbent on everyone to cook a meal, to take over to the families house. That was just something that was done. I don't recall anyone telling someone they had to do that. It was what neighbors did.

Folks, God knows I'm far from perfect. I just know that those simpler times, when we were all in this together, and not trying to see who could be the biggest victim or file the largest suit; when we instilled respect in our kids, as opposed to a sense of entitlement, when we would rush to the aid of someone who needed help, instead of filming it for everyone to see; it makes me yearn, at times, for the return of those times. No, things were not perfect then but when have they ever been? I can say, with a great deal of certainty that they have gotten worse. Yes, there are families still instilling those values today but by and large, that isn't the case.

When you hear your final Merry Christmas, When you find yourself wondering just how Easter came about, with the Easter bunny and colored eggs, when Thanksgiving becomes just another day, some of you will also take the time to wonder...."what happened?"

This message, below, is to any and all of my final remaining family members.

We had many wonderful (to me they were but I was a kid) family reunions on that old hill. Family drove in from just about 'everywhere' with Uncle Jim and Aunt Jerene flying in from Shreveport, in his Cessna. To this day, I remember Uncle Jim flying over the hill, and with everybody outside, he swooped down low enough for us to easily see them in the aircraft. This was also a pre-arranged sign for some of the menfolk to drive out to the small airport in Jena to pick them up.

The last reunion, on the hill, took place in 1969. For my family, I have included one old photo of aunts & uncles, from the 50's and almost the same group from this last reunion, in 1969. 

Finally, I have included a recently 'rediscovered' video of this reunion. Now, I've seen and sent out a similar video previously, however, (and my failing memory may deceive me on this), this one is not only in color, it's also somewhat longer, containing more 'production,' if you will. I have posted the video so that it can be played, here and I have also included a download button, for those who wish to save it for themselves. This video, is a result of our awesome, intelligent cousin, Charles Boyd, whose keen foresight and gifted abilities with little known, much less, owned, devices (movie camera and professional still-camera) recorded these memories I now simply share.

I hope you enjoy. To each one who reads this, please know, I love you one and all. You each hold a special place in my heart and memory. God Bless.

Photo from the 1950's. 
Standing - left to right, Aunt Jerene, Uncle Ollie, Uncle Lloyd,

Uncle Tommy (I think - I never knew him), Grandmaw (my term for her), Uncle Billy and Uncle Ed

Sitting - left to right, Mom (Aunt Nell to some seeing this), Aunt Sara, (I'm sorry, I cannot make out who this is) and Uncle Bruce

Photo from 1969, the last reunion on the hill.

Left to Right, Aunt Sara, Aunt Lillie Mae, Mom (Aunt Nell), Aunt Jerene, Uncle Rollo,

kneeling is Uncle Ercel and directly behind him is Uncle Ollie and on the end, Uncle Bruce

Thank you Charles Boyd (R.I.P.)!!

Clicking this download link will open another page, where you can

easily download the video, from my Google Drive account.

Download

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