When I was a child I often heard it said that the Roberts’ were God’s Chosen People. I don’t know who the originator of the statement was, but that conclusion was drawn, in jest of course, from Deuteronomy 14:2 where it is said of the Children of Israel: “For thou art an holy people unto… Continue reading Irish Connections
Author: townloopmusic
One, Two, I Can Buckle My Shoe
Spring is a time for new things. On the farm there were cute barnyard babies to be petted, new green grass to be run through barefoot, and the redolence of new apple blossoms to be savored. And always, there was a family of robins in the lilac bush in the front yard. For the parent… Continue reading One, Two, I Can Buckle My Shoe
Of Dandelions and Railroads
My oldest sister, Winifred, dressed me in my finest that morning, a white organdy dress with a blue satin sash that tied in the back. At three, almost four, I knew that this was going to be a special day. I didn’t understand Winifred’s lack of enthusiasm as she chided me for squirming while she… Continue reading Of Dandelions and Railroads
If Winter Comes, Can Long Stockings Be Far Behind?
Oh, the exhilaration of the walk home from school on a brisk autumn day! We shuffled through piles of leaves along the road and crunched acorns as we walked. Flocks of birds resting on their way southward often twittered from the sparsely clad limbs overhead. The clear blue sky and the portent of frost in… Continue reading If Winter Comes, Can Long Stockings Be Far Behind?
Things That Go Bump in the Night
During my childhood I had recurring nightmares about little red and green elves climbing over my bed and hanging from the ceiling. Their unintelligible chatter and ghoulish laughter were akin to the buzz of a marauding mosquito circling one’s head at night. The frequency and severity of the their intrusion was probably in proportion to… Continue reading Things That Go Bump in the Night
Spring Is for Poets
Most of the homes in Grayson County had red, pink or white roses climbing over the yard or garden fence, blooming with a profusion of small flowers in the spring and early summer. Ours grew over the embankment at the road in front of our house. The roses and an old hymn often sung at… Continue reading Spring Is for Poets
Snakes I Have Known and Loved – NOT!
My sisters and I have an inbred aversion to snakes. It runs in the family. Our Mother feared the repulsive things, as did Grandma, as did her Mother, and so on back to the Garden of Eden. Who knows but that the Genesis story may have underestimated the situation when it says that Eve was… Continue reading Snakes I Have Known and Loved – NOT!
Rites of Fall
Seasons in the Blue Ridge country of southwest Virginia march by like a colorful parade, each with its own display of unique beauty and drama. As children, we greeted the seasons with eager anticipation. The seasonal activities we observed became like rituals that we established without realizing it. Among the rites of fall was the… Continue reading Rites of Fall
Gardens Are for Sharing
Aunt Viola’s Gift Like the flower for which she was named, my Aunt Viola was a vibrant, colorful person. But she was no “Shrinking Violet.” Typical of the mountain women of her time, she lived the harsh life of the Appalachian farm wife of the 1920-40’s. She was robust and strong, as she needed to… Continue reading Gardens Are for Sharing
Billy and Me
He was my first sweetheart. Grown-ups in our lives might have called it “puppy love.” Actually, it was more like a special friendship than love, and it lasted throughout our years at Major Elementary School. I liked Billy because he was not “bratty” like the other boys. He did not tease girls and did not… Continue reading Billy and Me