The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

Christmas will be here before you know it




Hello again, everyone!

Do you realize it is five months and Christmas will be here once again, along with cold snow?

When I drove to the mountains last week to my visit my family, I grabbed a cassette case full of tapes, not looking to see what I had gotten. On the way back I really had to laugh as I listened to a tape from a radio station that was made in 1997. It was ‘Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer’ and the next was ‘Christmas Time Is Coming’.

As I listened to them and sang along with the tapes, I was glad no one could see or hear me listening to Christmas songs in June and it almost 90 degrees. I did call my brother Richie Hall’s number and left ‘Christmas Time Is Coming’ on his answering machine!

Did I ever say I was mischievous?

Then I called my daughter Anna Nottingham and let her listen to ‘Rudolph’. Anna asked if I had my seasons mixed up.

As I listened to my tapes I would have liked to pull over and dance a few times.

As I was leaving Letcher Manor Nursing Home, I passed someone in the hallway that seemed familiar to me. Evidently I did to him too. It was none other than Jr. Kuracka, Crockett as I always heard it pronounced. Jr. went to see my sister Loretta Church and she told him I had just left. Someone banged on the trunk of my car as I was leaving the parking lot and it was Jr.

I told him he looked familiar and I couldn’t place him as it has been several years since I had seen him. I enjoyed talking to him very much and said I had to leave. I stepped out of my car and hugged Jr. (yes, Loraine) in broad daylight, and got caught by my little brother Richie Hall, who came looking for me.

Now you see I can’t do anything without someone getting caught.

Jr. and Loraine are both really good about going to visit everyone in the nursing home, and from what I understand have been doing this for years even though they have no relation there.

Jr. brought Daddy and Mommy and the younger kids to our house over 37 years ago. He goes back many years with the family.

It is good to have people like Jr. and Loraine in this wicked world. I always enjoy the creeping phlox that grows down the embankment from their home when I am fortunate enough to be in eastern Kentucky in the spring. One year Richie and Wanda went by there and took pictures of this and sent to me.

I forgot to mention I got to talk with a very beautiful lady while I was at Letcher Manor, Beulah Back. I had met Beulah some time ago while I was there visiting Loretta, Wallace and I believe Jr. Calihan. Beulah is very alert and loves to read The
Mountain Eagle
and says she really enjoys my column.

Beulah also knows our uncle Charles Barton. Charles had heart surgery some time ago.

I am glad to say my dear friend Willamae Boggs is fi- nally out of the hospital and is doing pretty well after her heart surgery. Willamae has a long way to go as she has a few other health problems that slow her down. I hope she is soon going full speed.

Her husband Carl Boggs is such a wonderful person and he tries to take good care of Willamae. He even declined my suggestion that we go listen to music at Hindman and maybe sneak in a dance or two.

I am joking as my dancing is very limited. I am having a few health problems of my own as I am having quite a bit of shortness of breath. I have danced a few times and held my breath while dancing, and that isn’t an easy task to do! I go for a pulmonary test and a chest X-ray as soon as I get it scheduled.

It seems like it has been one thing after another with me lately. I stay so tired and no energy. I told my daughter Kay Gray I was going to the Coon Hunters Club and really didn’t feel like it. She said, “Mom, I have heard if you die doing something you enjoy,” and she started laughing and said, “not that I want you to die!”

I went to the Coon Hunters Club. It was so crowded you couldn’t hardly find a place to sit, and so hot. When it is carry-in food night I think people come out of the woodwork. I don’t eat, I just go for the music. There were only two groups to play so the night ended rather early so I stopped by to see my two dear friends Chris and Juanita Lanham at Ross, Ohio. I always enjoy being with these two special people.

One evening driving home from helping my friend, I once again realized how very lucky I am to be able to walk, then get in my car and drive, to enjoy the sun going down on the Ohio River and watch a barge on its way to wherever the destination is. Just everyday simple pleasures that I take for granted so often.

I kept my little sidekick Bennie Wiederhold, who is growing like a weed. When I picked Bennie up, he told me he wanted to go to Kroger’s, K-Mart and McDonald’s. Somehow his mother Angie Wiederhold had lost one of his sandals. I won’t let him go barefoot in the yard, sometimes there are thistles, so I took him to K- Mart and got him a pair of Toy Story gym shoes, along with socks, and a toy called Buzz Light year, of course Oreo cookies. Then to Mc- Donald’s.

I wonder if his Mommaw spoils him.

The shoes light up when Bennie walks. He didn’t want to take them off, so when his mom picked him I didn’t have his pajamas on him.

I really enjoy this threeyear old child that seems more like an adult. When we were in the yard Bennie remembered that I had shaken a tree branch and let rain fall on him, so he asked me to Try it again, meaning shake the tree branch again.

Have you ever seen a child that won’t eat candy? Bennie will eat a certain kind. If you give him just any candy, he will hand it back to you, the same with cookies. Bennie likes fruit and will eat a very little bit of meat.

Gwen Huff Farmer is getting an abundance of vegetables from her garden. First she has too much rain and then not enough. She did manage to go shopping with her friend for a while.

I bet Richie and Wanda will be having a good time at their house as they always have company on holidays, plus Wanda cooks all the time.

I know Shirley Wells will be at one of her kids’ house for a cookout.

I haven’t talked to Ann nor Johnny Calihan to see how things are at their place so I guess everything is alright.

Emma and Red Engle, I hope you are feeling better and not working in your garden too much.

Clarence and Arlyn Halcomb, I haven’t heard anything from you in a couple of weeks so I hope you both are alright. Clarence, this joke is for you.

My quiet Saturday morning ended abruptly when my 12-year-old son, Billy, and one of his friends burst through the door. “Hey, Dad,” announced Billy, “have you met the new neighbors?” “No.” “Come on, Dad, you have to meet them.” “Some other time. I’m busy.” “Dad, you have to meet them now.” From the urgency in Billy’s voice, I assumed the neighbors were waiting outside. I set aside my project and went to the front of the house. No one was there. “Where are they?” I asked. “Well, Dad, “ he explained, “we haven’t met them yet either, but our baseball is in their living room!”

I guess I had better get this on its way. As usual I am waiting until the last minute to get it finished.

Until next time: Rose Ballard, 9110 Lawrenceburg Road, Harrison, Ohio 45030, email Bluegrass mama4@ aol.com, telephone 513- 367-4682.


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