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THE HOGANSVILLE HOME NEWS
USPS 620-o4o
JOHN KUYKENDALL
-~'. ":~" (" .s~!~" PUBLISHER/EDITORLAuRIE LEWIS
ADV~Cl3SING DIRECTOR
ROB RICHARDSON
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Phone (706) 8~16-3188 Fax (706) 846-2206
A (~$i ~1~]l~ [~ P.O. Box 42~i
l% anchester, Georgia 31816
Millard B. Gdmes, President
For the first time in sev-
eral years, all my kids and
grandchildren were home for
Thanksgiving. To say it was
a wonderful- Thanksgiving
would be an understatement.
There was only one family
member missing this year,
and that made me a little sad.
The only person missing
was my son-in-law Travis, he
is currently in Iraq and will
be there for another year. He
was missed by all of us and
remains in our prayers, along
with all the men and women
that are serving our country.
When I give thanks each
year, for all the Lord has
blessed me with, having a
wonderful family is always
at the top of my list. A wise
man once told me that a man
should prioritize his life and
remember to always put God
first, family second and
career third. It took me a lot
of years to realize that no
wiser words have ever been
said to me.
I've always felt that I've
kept things in priority, but
during the time that I was
raising my children, work
seemed to always be one of
the, most important things.
I'm, sure every father knows
what I'm saying. It is diffi-
cult sometimes to keep a roof
over the family's head,
clothes on their backs and
shoes on their feet, let alone
finding money for the extra
things.
WI- N MY children were
growing up, I always tried to
find time to do things with
them. I spent a great deal of
time on the baseball and foot-
ball field with my son,
Brannon. Bethany was a dif-
ferent story. Bethany played
softball and was a cheer-
leader, but sometimes it was
difficult to find things to do
with her that a father and
daughter could share.
As she grew older how-
ever, we became much dos-
er and spend more time
together.
Of course, both of them
got married, moved away and
that makes spending time
with them difficult some-
times. However, even when
my children and grandchil-
dren are hundreds of miles
away, tl/ey are stillin my mind
and on my heart.
I try to call them at least
once or twice a week and visit
as often as possible. Distance
makes that difficult some-
times, but not impossible.
There is not a day that goes
by that I do not think of them,
pray for them and wish I could
be with them.
WHEN I heard that both
my children and all the grand-
children were going to be
home for Thanksgiving, I
can't tell you how I felt. To
have them all together at one
time is a real treat and an
opportunity to make memo-
ries that will last each of us
a lifetime.
Just being able to have
them all around the dinner
table, to talk about things
going on in their lives and the
lives of my grandchildren
was the greatest gift that God
could have given me. I'm so
thankful that he has watched
over my family, kept them
safe and continues to bless
them.
I hope that each of you
had a Thanksgiving that was
as wonderful as mine and that
God has kept your family this
year and blessed them as he
has mine.
that some peo-
ple did not have such a won-
derful Thanksgiving. I've lost
several friends and family
members this year and
understand how difficult it is
for a family after a loss. My
father passed away only a
couple of weeks before.
Thanksgiving,when I was 15
and to this day, every year at
Thanksgiving I can't help but
remember that Thanksgiving
and what a sad and difficult
time it was at our house.
My heart and my prayers
go out to those that have lost
family members this year. I
wish there were words I could
write to bring comfort to
them, but there isn't. The only
thing that is going to help ease
the pain is time.
wrH-I THANKSGIVING
behind us. We will all begin
to think about Christmas and
th at makes me a little sad.
My daughter will be home
for Christmas this year, but
Brannon and his family will
not be able to come home and
of course, Pawpaw is going
to miss them greatly.
I've always been a firm
believer that holidays are for
sharing with family and
friends, but we can't always
spend the holidays together.
That is why it is so important,
when you can spend time with
family and friends to do so.
As I mentioned, I lost my
father at age 15 and a few
years later my mother passed
away. I lost my sister last year
and now there is only me left
to remember.
With everyone gone, there
is no one to sit down and con-
verse with and share memo-
ries of the family during my
childhood. However, I dohave
those memories and cherish
them greatly.
With as much time as I
spent with my mother, father
and sister, I can't tell you how
many times I've wished that
I had spent more time with
them to make even more
memories.
So, I encourage each of
you to spend time this holi-
day season making memories
with family and friends. One
day you will cherish those
memories more than you will
ever know.
THE HOGANSVILLE HOMZ NEws is published weekly by the Star-Mercury
Publishing Company, a division of Gdmes Publications, at 3051 Roosevelt Highway,
Manchester, Georgia 31816. USPS 642-040. Subscription rates by mail: $20 in
Troup, Hanis or Meriwether Counties; $26 a year elsewhere. Prices include all
sales taxes. Periodical postage paid at Hogansville, Georgia 30230.Single copy
50 .
FOR ~ONS call (706) 846-3188 or write to Circulation Manager, Star
Mercury Publications, P. O. Box 426, Manchester, Georgia 31816.
POSTMASTFat: Send address changes to P. O. Box 426, Manchester, GA 31816.
PAGE 4 - HOGANSVILLE HOME NEWS - FRIDAY, DEC. 4, 2009
Some years ago, my step-at her house on the road trip
brother, BobHanson,became to play a team from a
Ludlow Porch. Kentucky post.
He is Atlanta's favorite "We brought in cots for
radio talk-show host. the boys to sleep.
He is a sought-after = loved yma-r
speaker. He is the author of father. He so
four hilarious books, sonl = - :
I write a syndicated news- He borrowed $300 from
paper column in which I at my husband before he left.
least attempt to be humorous. We never got it back, but
I've spent a lot of time we wanted him to have it for
behind an after-dinner dais what he did for our boy."
myself. This is my eighthThat's my daddy.
book. I was doing a book amo-
We both are still stealing graphing in Birmingham
Daddy's material, onee ,: : : :
We both owe him dearly A man came up to me and
for the success we have had tookmyhandandheldittight-
in our carreers, ly.
He inspired our brand of He said. "They last time
humor. I saw your daddy, we were
We both know that and fightin' "Krauts in Belgium."
accept that and are proud of
the influence he has had upon A FEW years later, I was
us. on a boat taking a cruise down
Bob Ludlow has said it the Rhine River through
often: '.'Wouldn't it be won- Germany.
derful if we had him? Several veterans were on
Wouldn't he be proud of theboat, returning to see what
us? they had left as service men
I wish my daddy could in 1945.
read one of my columns. There was a one-armed
Hear me make my Texan who was shot down
speechs. Listen to the inflec- during an air raid over
tions of my voice in which I Germany.
imitate him. There was a Canadian
I wish he could read thiswho drove a tank from
book. It says what I did not Normandy to Berlin.
know how to say to him when We were at a table in the
he was alive, ship's bar one night.
The Texan and the
I ONCE received a letter Canadian told their stories.
from a woman in Kentucky I told my father's.
who said Daddy had coached I told how the war had left
her son in basketball at Fort him. How I held it to blame
Benning. for ruining his life and, even-
She said he had been verytually, for killing him.
kind to her son and that he There was an old German
and the team once had stayed at our table.
'Any of you husbands that
allowed your wife to drag you
shopping this weekend
deserve some type of award.
Frenzied Christmas shop-
ping the weekend after
Thanksgiving has become a
ritual.
More than just a ritual,
some women anticipate this
shopping event with all the
zeal that many guys await the
annual Thanksgiving Day
football game.
So do the retail stores.
Butfimes have changed
and the economic malaise
appeared to impact sales.
He spoke only a little
English. He had said he had
once been held prisoner by
the Americans during the war
that they had treated him
we!!.
he heard my
father's story, when he saw
my tears, he put his arms
around me and said,
"Forgive. Your must forgive."
I never answered.
ECONOMISTS HAVE
reported mixed opinions on
Black Friday and the week-
end after Thanksgiving.
From a personal view-
point, I can say the places we
visited on Saturday were not
nearly as crowded as I antic-
ipated.
An unemployment rate
higher than in many years has
resulted in a large number of
people just not having money
to spend.
Being scared of what yet
might happen has resulted in
other people not spending as
much as they might have in
past years.
I know that we have cut
I SEE my father in myself
more than I do anywhere else,
however. Some of my friends
have said they worry about
the fact I often emulate him.
They say they do not want
to see me come to the same
end as my father.
I don't think I will go that
far. I have three marriages
behind me, but I do not want
to know the pain he tried to
wash down in all those
binders.
the story of his daddy on any-
thing that has to be plugged
in.
I wonder what this book ,
will bring about. I have a feel-
ing it will b g contact from -
a lot of other people who were
somehow: touched, by my
daddy.
Please know, however, I
am not responsible for any of
his long-standing debts.
Like Bob asked the man
in B gham, how long did
you kn0w.the Major before :
you allowed into your
watler?. :
I may even get some
answers from this book.
There may be somebody
out there who knows what
demon got hold of Lewis
McDonald Grizzard, Sr and
will tell me.
If that be the case, fine.
There is no transgression for
which I will not forgive him.
None.
As I said earlier, I have
already thought the unthink-
able
to be continued next
week
THIS BOOK is on its thirdBY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
typewriter. The "E" charac- wrrHmswmow, DEDRA, THEHOME
ter came off the first type- NEWS IS CARRYING SELECTED
writer I used. COLUMNS BY THE LATE lEWIS
The ribbon stopped retun-GmZZARD, WHO GREW UP IN NEAR-
ing on another. BY MORELAND, AND BECAME THE
That is something I MOST WIDELY READ GEORGIA
believe in, typewriters. I did- WRITER OF ms TIMF. 6mZZARD'S
n't write one line of this book BOOKS AND TAPES ARE STILL AVAIL-
on one of those word proces- ABLEFORSAIJETHROI~GHBADBOOT
sor gizlTlOS. PRODUCTIONS, P.O. BOX 191266,
A man should not write ATLANT&GAamS-12(
we save by Shopping there.
I am looking for some-
thing in particular that I can-
rot find.
i" MLANAGED to find a
sales associate that actually
spoke English and asked
about the item that had been
advertised.
back. That is only an Internet
But with all that said, special she responded.
there was some fun to be had If I have to shop, shopping
shopping duringtheweekend on the Internet is much
after Thanksgiving. preferable as I do not have to
We were at one sports worry about crowds or park-
place when my cell phoneing spots.
began buzzing. I was already in the super
discount store prepared to
A PERSON I know had spendmoneyandlikelywould
sentmeaphotoofanlne-point have browsed and spent
deer he had shot. more. But now, I will endeav-
I told my wife about it and or to purchase the item online
a sales associate - obviously and the other spending will
a Bambi hugger working in a likely be done elsewhere.
sports store that sells hunt- Unlike the super discount
ing and fishing equipment - store, we stepped into one of
grimaces, the bed and bath places where
Seeing that girl's expres- the sales associates are real-
sion I could not resist saying, ly quite friendly.
loud enough for her to hear, I have never understood
"I bet his sister really killed thenameofthestoreasitcon-
it." tains no beds or bathrqom fix-
The sales associate looked tures. But they do have all
to be sucking on a sour lemon, kinds of smelly stuff.
We are in one of those While my wife was shop-
super discount stores; you ping, I picked up several bet-
know the one that is always ties of potions looking at the
telling us how much money labels.
There was one botiie'in
which the fragrance was
called "Moonlight Path".
ON NUMBER of
occasionsI:have been out at
night, in the moonlight, and
have yet to detect any partic-
ular odor attributable to the
moonlight.
So I had to ask the sales
associate exactly what
"Moonlight Path" smelled
like.
She failed to realize that
I was making a poor attempt
at humor and offered to give
me a card that I could scratch
and sniff - and then realized
I was being funny.
Okay, we are in the midst
of the busiest shopping season.
of the year.
Guys, you have got to take
the wife shopping at some
point.If for no other reason,
use the experience to under-
score why you hate shopping
and be glad it only happens
once a year.
And during the season, do
not fail to find something spe-
cial for the wife.
I might suggest a bottle
of that "Moonlight Path" but
I still do not know what it
smells like.
That's my opinion.
/i
mill mii~
In the
Hogansville Herald
Predecessor to the Hogansville Home News
Compiled by John Kuykendall
POLmCS CONTINUE - The election was finally over and became
a part of history The Hogansvil/e Hera/d reported on Dec. 2, 1959.
"One of the tightest races ever recorded in Hogansville's recent
political history occured here on Wednesday, when T.L. "Buck"
Meeks defeated Emery A. Eason by the slim margin of two votes
to caputure the City Council Post No. 1 seat. The vote in the race
was 322 for Meeks and 320 for Eason."
CITY SPECIAL GUEST - The Hogansville Hera/d reported
that a very special guest was coming to Hogansville on the front
page of the Dec. 2, 1959 edition. "Santa Claus, that genial old gen-
tleman from the North Pole, who annually through his mysterious
neipers make glad the hearts of children everywhere, will pay a
pre-Christmas visit to Hogansville hhis week to listen to the myri-
ad desires of the small ones, and to greet his many friends in the
community ."
MEDLEY NAMED STUDENT OF THE MONTH - Another front
page story honored Miss Karen Medley, daughter of Mrs. Margaret
Medley of Hogansville, for being chosen by the faculty of Hogansville
High School as the November student of the month.