Photographing the Clinton's......yea Bill & Chelsea

I may have missed Bill stoppin by the DQ in Fleminsburg, actually I did see him exiting from the back door and makin a run for his SUV, holdin' tight to his O'Boy!!, but I was at the Mason County Event and got to photograph the man up close and personal...haha......and then when Chelsea stumped for her momma Hillary at Caproni's on the River, well I was right there. Now, Chelsea was so very kind, but that one Secret Service feller, kept his eye on me. I reckon he thought I was plannin' on kidnapping Chelsea. However, what I did want to kidnap was my friend Terry Prather's fine Camera!!!!
I followed Bills Black SUV all the way into Flemingsburg but they turned off on the by-pass. Word was his SSM decided they didnt have time to stop at the DQ. I went on down to the DQ and waited along with nearly every citizen in Fleming County.

The last pic is Terry's backside, and I think I stepped on his heels......but wow i sure do love that camera!!

Confessions of a junk'n fool

Photos are from the 400 mile yard sale. One year Tisha and I covered the event for the Messenger. We traveled down US 68 in to Paris and hit nearly every sale along the way.

 This is my column that appeared a few weeks before the 400 mile sale

I have to admit that I am a yard sale junkie!

I remember back in the early 1970’s when (gasp) it was considered tacky to even have a yard sale, let alone be caught shopping at one.

But thankfully times have changed and some of the most elite citizens of society can be seen wrestling another shopper for a great bargain.

And if you think folks don’t get a little hostile when it comes to someone else getting in their territory at a yard sale, think again.

I have actually seen grown women in a hot game of tug-of-war over some item they both desired.

The rule of what is actually your domain at a yard sale is a spoken one. If you happen to put down something you plan to purchase, then you just lost that item. Every yard sale junkie knows that cardinal rule.

And you can bet there will be several others who have their eye on that very item you put back on the table, like vultures, they will swoop down and snatch that item up.

When I first started hitting yard sales, I didn’t know about the “put it down rule and you just lost it,” and lost out on some great bargains.

Now if I find something I know I can’t live without, well I hold on to it for dear life.

Old pros like me have learned to start scanning a sale while driving up to where it is being held. No kidding, as soon as you get near the site, your eagle eyes take effect and you can spot items even before putting the car in gear. Just don’t forget to put the car in gear before jumping out and racing toward the sale in a mad frenzy to beat that lady in the blue dress that is already walking toward your claim.

If you really have to have that item you can always resort to screaming, hey, don’t touch that bookcase, I have already decided that it is mine. That is if you don’t mind all the evil stares you will get.

Serious yard sale shoppers will stop at nothing to seize the deal of the day, so you do have to be prepared when you are going to a yard sale.

For starters you have to study the yard sale ads like you were going to have a final exam on them the next day. Then you have to circle in red the ones that sound the most promising. Next, especially since you may even have to take out a bank loan in order to gas up the car, you have to plan your route. Don’t forget to eat a good healthy breakfast before heading out because believe me you will need plenty of energy for a full day of running around to at least 20 yard sales. That is if you have done your homework and you have circled sales from at least five different county newspapers.

Now that you have the best laid plans mapped out you need someone to ride shot gun so you will have an extra set of eyes to spot the great deals, and you’re good to go.

A seasoned yard sale junkie will start out before the crack of dawn, so if you plan to get any bargains for your self you had better learn to wake up very early beginning on Thursday mornings

Every year I have noticed that there are more and more yard sale shoppers to compete with, so getting to the sale early is very crucial.

Home decorating items seem to be the first bargains to go and they are my absolute favorite. You can redecorate your entire house on even the tightest budget by shopping at yard sales. I happen to love good quality cooking pans, but could never afford their hefty price tag. Thanks to others who buy them and for some reason decide they don’t need them anymore I have been able to fill my cabinets with all different sizes of quality pots and pans, and some good baking dishes too!

After a long day of bargain hunting you can relax with your yard sale buddy and enjoy a cold drink and get a head start on planning your outings for next weekend’s yard sales.

Christmas Memories from the Original Messenger Staff

The photo above is of our Messenger staff Christmas trip to Gatlinburg Tennessee. The late Ernie Cox, with Charter Bus Tours, was our driver as was Fred Crump.
The Messenger is no longer in publication .

 Tisha's Memories

 I remember one year I was probably 11 or 12.  The stores came out with these miniature arcade games. They looked like the full size ones, but they were table top size.  Well, I wanted a Pac Man one.  I knew mom had “stuff” hid in her closet.  So one day while she was at work I dug in the closet until I found it; the Pac Man game.  I searched the house over for batteries.  I was so desperate I went over to my next door neighbor Bobby’s house and asked him for some batteries.  Of course he asked why, and I told him.  Well, he had no batteries so I went home and put everything back up.  A couple of days later he asked mom if I ever found any batteries for that game.  I got myself caught.
 My birthday is December 24 and mom always let me pick out something from under the tree for my birthday present.  One year I got a pink Barbie corvette.  My girls today still play with it.  I never got to have a birthday party, but I always felt special because my birthday was on a special day.  On Christmas morning we’d get up and open the rest of the presents.  It is different I guess than having several brothers and sisters.  Being an only child Christmas morning at the Thomas house was a quiet event.  My mom and dad and I would eat dinner then we would hand out the presents.  There is a little more excitement on Christmas morning at my house as Tabitha, Larissa, Lonnie and I open our gifts.  When I was young we’d go to Mamaw Thomas’ house first.  Mamaw would be in the kitchen cooking and papaw would be sitting in his chair.  We were always the first ones to arrive at Mamaws house.  My dad’s brother, Doug, and his family would stop by. We’d eat dinner and then go to Mamaw and Papaw Landsaw’s and would stay at their house for a while.  Then we’d stop back in at Mamaw and Papaw Thomas’ and visit with my dad’s brother Allen because he came in later.  That was Christmas for many years as I can remember. Tisha Thomas Mitchell

Debbies Memories

My favorite Christmas memory was the year I got my record player. I really thought I was cool when I got to play and sing along to the songs on my Partridge Family album. And did I ever think David Cassidy was it as I listened to him belt out the tune of I think I love You.

Christmas at the Gardner house was a fun filled holiday as my brothers Rod, Gary and Jeff opened their gifts of fire engines and BB guns and my sister Rhonda Faye and I opened our dolls. I loved baby dolls but didn’t much care for Barbie dolls. Santa always brought us the prettiest baby dolls. My brother Rod always wanted to do art work on our dolls and would draw them some new eyelashes among other features I won’t mention.

We would always be happy with the gifts we got and we played with them year round. We got things we needed too like hats and gloves to keep us warm in the cold winter months. Mom always cooked a wonderful Christmas meal and each year she would make us some chocolate fudge and cream candy, which was a big deal to us. Just the idea of knowing that our mother made it for us was made the candy very special. Anything that a mom makes for her kids is always special and I realized that even when I was a child. I think we should all truly appreciate each year that we are able to celebrate such a blessed season with our family and loved ones.  Having family who loves and cares for each other is reason enough to celebrate anytime of the year. I try to keep the spirit of Christmas alive in my heart all year long.-Debbie Gardner McCord

Kym's Memories

All my childhood memories of Christmas are special. Back in those days we didn’t get stuff year ‘round so the anticipation of Christmas morning was pure exhilaration.

Mommy always made sure that first and for most we understood the true meaning of Christmas. She would tell us about how Jesus was born and about the Star of wonder and how the kings and wise men followed that bright star to Bethlehem to give gifts to the Holy child.  Daddy loves Christmas and he always made sure all our childhood Christmas mornings were memorable. To this day I don’t know who is more excited, daddy or all the grand kids when we open gifts.

When I think back to those days of Christmas when I was a little girl I remember the excitement of knowing that on Christmas morning we would wake up to find all kinds of new stuff to play with. By the time all six of us had opened our gifts our living room looked like a toy shop.

I can’t decide whether my favorite memory was the Christmas we all got new bicycles or the year I got my first tape recorder or the year we got those big wheels or maybe it was the year Dwayne got that race car track. I didn’t really like baby dolls or Barbie dolls. I loved the dump trucks and BB guns my brothers opened on Christmas morning.  Our house was filled with lots of noise as we tore into our gifts. Christmas Eve night was our traditional time to go to Mamaw Pettit’s house to open gifts and to have our Christmas dinner. Papaw always had each of us a little brown bag filled with fruit and holiday candy. I remember how I was always fascinated with the nativity figurines that always sat beneath mamaw’s Christmas tree. I loved the tiny and delicate baby Jesus in the manger and the rich colors of the wise men’s robes and turbans. Somehow I managed to get mamaw to give me those old family heirlooms that once belonged to my great grandmother.  Each year I carefully unpack the time worn figures of Mary, (uh, well I have lost Joseph) and the three wise men to be placed among my own Christmas decorations.

Our house is still filled with lots of noise on Christmas day when our family gets together to celebrate. Each year it is like having an extra special gift to open as we watch our kid’s excitement on Christmas morning and we let our memories drift back to our own childhood.

Kymberly Hawkins King

From the hearts and homes of the Messenger Staff, to the hearts and homes of everyone, we wish you a Very Merry Christmas season and a truly meaningful New Year filled with love, health and prosperity.

Fun in a small town

Roller skating was so much fun. My sisters and I would skate all over town and a few times April and I roller skated all the way down Flat Creek road to our friend Diane Whites house. 

My sister Claudia was quite brave on her roller skates. One day she told me how much fun it was to grab hold of the back of the garbage truck as it came down the stop light hill. Well, she was right; every once in a while we could both be seen rolling down the hill holding on to the back of the garbage truck. (Please do not try this).

In the summertime, when it got dark, we would go up town and skate down Sharpsburg’s main street. We would skate for a while then go down to Burton’s Country Boy’s Grocery and buy us a fresh peach and sit on the side walk in front of Richmond’s pool room and eat our peaches.

Skating under the stoplight made us feel like we were stars in a skating show.

When the light would change it would cast pretty colors of faded green, red and yellow on the highway.

Sometimes my best friend Missy Pettit and I would start at the top of the stoplight hill and skate all the way down the road to the entrance of the Sharpsburg School house.

One time we only made it half way down the hill before crashing into the ditch. That was not so fun. But no matter how many times we fell and busted our butts, we loved lacing up our skates every day.

Sometimes we would get to go the Salt Lick skating rink where we got to skate to music. But the best fun was spent skating on the streets.

When it turned cold and the ground was covered with snow we would spend hour’s sleigh riding. Sometimes the whole community would get together and build a bon-fire to keep us warm.

I remember the Martin’s, Doug, Mike, and their parents, Dorothy and Raymond, Daphne, Larry and Donna Fair, Jeff and Greg Martin, Mike and Danny Warner and a most of us Hawkins’  sledding down the alley behind our house.

Most of us had a sled but we also used old car hoods.  We would take the car hoods over to the Hart farm where there was a big hill to slide down. The car hoods would go down a hill super fast. Please don’t try this either, car hoods have sharp edges that could be very dangerous.

During the long days of no school we would spend nearly the entire day out side playing in the snow. April and I loved to make snow angels, and William always made him some kind of snow skies out of old curtain rods and would ski down the hill behind the Marathon station.

We would have snowball fights and build snow houses and just plain old had a lot of fun back in those days.

It would be fun to go sleigh riding again and join the whole community in keeping warm by a bon-fire, and it would really be fun to put on a pair of roller skates and skate to my hearts content then sit on the side walk and eat a fresh peach.