Weights (revisited)

It's football season, one of my favorite times of the year. J.D. loves football, as does Elijah, so I am proud to revisit this story, which I originally posted in May of 2008. I hope you enjoy revisiting it with me. This is one of my most favorite stories.

Cassie, my little 8-year-old niece, came to my house the other day with my mom. Unfortunately, the kids and I were gone somewhere. When she got out of her car, mom noticed J.D.'s ankle weights lying on the ground over by the basketball goal.

That boy is constantly leaving something outside. One day he was kicking a football out in the yard, when he managed to get - not one - but TWO footballs stuck high in the tree out near the mailbox. Those were the only fooballs he had. J.D. tried for several days to bring them down by throwing rocks and other objects at them. Elijah and I also joined in the rescue operation, but none of us had any success. It appeared that J.D.'s footballs were destined to stay up in that tree forever.

And then one day (as J.D. would probably describe it) something miraculous happened. It was a power outage. Miraculous because the power outage sent Richie Richardson of South Kentucky RECC to our home. J.D. looked out the door and saw Richie standing beside his ladder truck, which just happened to be parked next to the tree, that coincidently held J.D.'s footballs. Well, you guessed it. In a flash, my oldest son was out the door. A minute later, I looked out the door just in time to see Richie using this long-arm apparatus to remove the footballs from the tree. Then, I saw Richie turn toward J.D. and point up to the sky in the opposite direction of the tree. I chuckled when I saw him do that. Later, J.D. said Richie told him to kick the football 'THAT WAY' from now on! I can still see Richie smiling as he drove off down the road waving goodbye to a very happy J.D. Speck.

Mom retrieved J.D.'s ankle weights from the yard and carried them into the house. Cassie saw her lay them down and went over to investigate. She wanted to know what they were. Mom explained to her how that J.D. uses the ankle weights to strengthen his leg muscles so that he will jump higher when he is playing basketball. A puzzled Cassie replied, "Isn't that illegal?"

When I recalled these two stories and began writing, I didn't think about how closely related they were. But when I began proofreading, the message was clear. Have you ever been at that spot in the road where you find yourself in a lull because of something that's weighing you down? And, no matter how hard you try, you're just stuck - like J.D.'s footballs? Even though it may be a hard battle, don't give up. GOD LOVES YOU. Reach out to Him. He will be reaching back for you. J.D. could not get those footballs to move until he asked Richie to help him. You see, no matter how far out of reach a solution seems, no matter how difficult the situation is - no matter the size of the weight you are carrying around - just trust in the Lord and He'll see you through. He will make a way for you. His strength is perfect.


Note: I am glad I reposted this story. I really needed to read it again.

The Miracle Tree

treesforlife.org says the tiny leaves from this tree could save millions of lives. That's because it is one of the richest source of essential nutrients often lacking in peoples diets.

Some call it a miracle.

It can even purify water.

Because of the moringa tree, I am now living my life allergy-free.

If it can do that much for me, imagine what it can do for you. Imagine a life free of inflammation, low iron, diabetes, stress, allergies, high blood pressure and more.

Another name for the moringa tree is 'Mother's Best Friend.' One thing's for sure...it is definitely my best friend.

It can be your best friend, too. See me, or click here.

Without You To Lean On

Love holds no ill toward its neighbor
Though envy and strife I sometimes feel
I found blest assurance at the top of a mountain
He filled my cup at the foot of a hill
I have it all with you right beside me
There's no place on earth I'd rather be
I could not make it, not one more hour, without you to lean on

A Good Deed Well Done

On October 28, 1862 Confederate guerilla Champ Ferguson and 22 soldiers in his group captured unionist brothers, George and William Thrasher. As they were taking them to a place of holding, they happened across the farm of Washington Tabor. George said, “I looked up and saw Tabor coming up a lane on a horse. When he saw Tabor, Ferguson dismounted and went toward him, accusing him of ambushing and killing three of his men. Tabor got off his horse as Ferguson drew near. Ferguson soon brought Tabor up to where we were and he was pleading for his life. “Oh yes, said Ferguson, you oughtn’t to die. You have done nothing to die for!” - all the while getting his pistol out of his belt. While the old man continued to beg for his life, Ferguson shot him thru the heart. After a second shot was fired, Tabor fell to the ground."

According to George, after Ferguson had shot Tabor, one of Ferguson's men, Frank Burchett, said, “D--n him, shoot him in the head!” And with that, Ferguson put the pistol close to Tabor’s head and pulled the trigger. Ferguson then told George, “I’m not in favor of killing you, Thrasher, you have never been bushwhacking or stealing horses.” He said, “I have killed Wash Tabor, a D--n good Christian, and I don’t reckon he minds dying.”

Tabor’s body was left lying in the lane, as Ferguson and his men continued on their journey with the Thrasher brothers in tow. They had not gone more than a mile when they were attacked by Unionist Elam Huddleston and about 80 of his men. Ferguson had previously told his men that if any skirmish came up to be sure and kill the Thrasher brothers first. Luckily for them, during the excitement of the attack, George and William were able to slip off their horses and escape on foot.

At the conclusion of the war, Champ Ferguson was arrested at his home near Sparta, Tennessee and charged with the murders of 53 people. At his trial in Nashville, he admitted to killing Tabor, saying, “It was a good deed well done, and that Tabor’s death had been delayed too long as it was. I killed [Tabor] as a bushwhacker. He had killed three of my men three days previous. He was in front of his house when I shot him. He ought to have been killed sooner.” On September 26, 1865, the jury found Ferguson guilty. He was hung on October 20, 1865.

Thomas Washington Tabor was born around 1807 in Rutherford, North Carolina. He moved to Stockton’s Valley in the late 1820’s and married Julia Kelly, who lived in present-day Wayne Co. After his death, Julia and her children moved to Kansas.

Wash Tabor page at genealogy.com

Wash Tabor page at ancestry.com

On the morning when Tabor was killed, William, said, “...while we were eating breakfast, Ferguson sat down by me and asked me if I didn’t think he ought to kill me. I told him it would be hard to kill an unarmed man. Ferguson said, “No, it wouldn’t, and asked me if I didn’t think it would bring the War to a close much sooner if he killed all he took. I told him I didn’t know.”

Wash Tabor’s grave was recently discovered by Gary and Nancy Norris, some four miles north of Albany.

I Heard The Bells

It was Christmas 1864. Everywhere there was blood shed. It was brother against brother. The American Civil War was at its climax. The thought of peace weighed heavily upon the mind of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, for in every single stanza he wrote, "Peace on earth, good will to men!"

"Peace on earth, good will to men."

Peace on earth, good will to men?

During the Civil War?

Those words - peace on earth and good will to men are definitely out of place.

Who could imagine Henry Wadsworth Longfellow as a hymn writer! Who would have thought it? With the mere mention of his name come thoughts of "the village smithy," "the chestnut tree," "three doors left unguarded," and the stair clock tirelesly ticking away, "Forever - never! Never - forever!" But at Chrimast time during the year 1864, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow took out his pen and wrote...

I heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the chords repeat of peace on earth good will to men. And thought how, as the day had come, the belfries of all Christendom had rolled along the unbroken song of peace on earth, good will to men.

The next two verses echo strongly what Longfellow must have been feeling...

And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth, I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men

But it is the final two verses that tells the tale. The verses are normally left out of hymnals.

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South
And with the sound the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent
And made forlorn, the households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men


What you may not know is.....

In 1861, Longfellow had an ideal home; a lovely wife and 5 children. When the Civil War started a sorrowful tragedy occured. Longfellow's wife had been cutting their youngest daughter's hair and wanted to save a lock of her curls. She was heating some sealing wax and a breeze blew some hot wax onto her dress, igniting it in flames. She ran to her husband's study where he tried to put out the flames with a rug, but it was too small, so he embraced her with his own arms and put the fire out. His hands, arms and face became severely burned. His wife had been so badly burned that she died the next morning and he was in the hospital for the burns he had suffered. For three years he wrote in his journal that he no longer had peace or happiness in his life. To make matters worse, his son, Charles, was wounded in battle with the bullet hitting his spine. In 1864, just as the war seemed to be coming to an end, Charles became healed of his wounds. Longfellow's faith was restored. That was the basis for I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day, written during Christmas of 1864.

Christmas in July

Yesterday and today have seemed like Christmas in July to me.

A friend of mine, Jim, gave me a nice present yesterday. Fifty-nine 78 r.p.m. records. Today, he came back with more to give me. I counted 121 records. Thanks, Jim!

I started collecting 78's a few years ago, after I was given a 1918 Edison Disc Phonograph that used to belong to my grandfather, Elmer Boles. There were 30 Edison Records with it. The records only play on an Edison Phonograph.

For my last birthday, my aunt Donna gave me a Philco record player/radio. Just like my Edison, it is in mint condition. She also gave me eighty-eight 78's.

So now, the number of 78 r.p.m. records in my collection has grown to 250.

I love listening to them. Many are 90+ years old and those artists are among the very first recording artists ever. What an exciting time that must have been.

Edison would put his phonographs in a big music hall and invite the masses to come listen to his invention. He believed that people would rather listen to a record than hear the singer perform live. Naturally, that was years before Elvis came on the scene. LOL!

I would have loved to have been a member of those audiences. You know how we reacted to the internet, the iPod and text messaging. The fax machine blew me away when it came out. Imagine what people thought about the phonograph when it first came out.

The photographs of singers like Billy Murray, Elizabeth Spencer, The Edison Quartet, Henry Burr and countless others recording the very first records are amazing. Backed by full orchestras, you can tell they are enjoying what they are doing. Why wouldn't they? It was all brand new to them.

Edison, Victor, then RCA Victor and Columbia were among the biggest record companies at the beginning of the 20th century. I have many of those labels in my collection, along with great labels like Decca. I enjoy studying each record, tracing down the history of the song and/or the artist, and sometimes being able to learn some amazing facts about both.

It's a great hobby and I love it.

Most kids today don't even know what a record is. As a child, I could not wait to go to the local store that sold records and see the latest releases. I used to always try to purchase as least one or two records whenever I went there. Three Dog Night, The Beatles, Elton John and on and on.

I remember the day dad brought home 'Green Eyed Lady' by Jerry Corbetta & Sugarloaf. The organ solo in the middle of that record had a huge impact on me. So did The Five Americans 1967 album, Progressions, which includes great songs like Con Man, Black is White, (But Not) Today, Zip Code, Evol Not Love and more. A few years ago I had the great opportunity to talk to lead singer Mike Rabon a few times. Last I heard, he was teaching at a high school in Oklahoma. Two summers ago, I met Jerry Corbetta. It was the thrill of a lifetime for me. I shook his hand and told him he had a big impact on my life. He sort of looked at me funny, but later we exhanged a few e-mails. He said his biggest influence was Elvis.

Having records and phonographs lets me remain a kid. It's a great escape.

One other thought. Every time Edison had an idea for an invention, he took a nap and when he woke up, he would know how to proceed with his idea. I wish I had a job like that. Not that I have an urge to invent something, but the taking a nap part during work. That's kind of a neat idea.

Life Is But A Vapor

Have you ever looked out a window after it has rained and noticed those tiny raindrops on the window pane? Imagine the smallest one. That's like our lives....but a vapor.


We are born and if we are lucky we get to live to be 70, 80, even 90 and above. Bill Johnston lived to be 95. Before he died, he told me that he had lived a 'short life.' I used to think that did not make sense, but now it does.

I attended a funeral the other day and I couldn't help but notice a framed photograph sitting at the end of the casket. It was a photo the departed loved one and her nine siblings, taken when they were all very young. My mind was drawn back to my own childhood and all the fun I had. I thought, what if I could live my life twice, just to be able to be with my friends and loved ones more? I would want to spend one more hour each day playing baseball. I would visit my grandparents more often, I would sit and talk to my dad more.

One thing I would not do again is climb up in that tree with my friend, Tim, and skin all its bark off like we did that day with our pocketknives. Don't blame him, it was my idea. I really thought that naked tree was a work of art...and then my mom looked out the window and saw it. A couple of days later, I asked dad why the man was cutting the tree down and when he explained it, I understood.

None of us know how much time we have left. I often think about Oren Reneau, a local drug store owner and son of the legendary preacher, Isaac Tipton Reneau. The date was July 20, 1965. Harlin Dyer, a local businessman, bank cashier, former state representative and a prominent member of the methodist church in town, had died two days earlier. As they were rolling the casket out the Church door to go to the cemetery, Oren was heard to say, "I wonder who the next one will be?" Two days later, it was him.

Life is a vapor, but in Heaven there awaits an eternity. There, life will become more than a vapor, and I will get to be with my friends and loved ones for ever and ever and ever. There will be no end in Heaven. There will be no vapors to speak of.

In the Bible, James says not to worry about tomorrow, because we don't even know if we will be here. "It's like a vapor, here for a minute, and then it's gone," he says.

I like what Helen Keller said. "Live your life as a magnificent adventure, or don't live it at all."

In Memory of Bess Farmer

Previously, I wrote a story about Ruel Thomas and his involvement at Renfro Valley. If you do not know about Renfro Valley, click on Ruel's name above to read that story. Anyway, before Ruel left the Renfro Valley Barn Dance he introduced the audience to three young school teachers and gospel singers. They were Bess, Marie and Hazel Farmer. Little did anyone know that those three young ladies who were from my town would have a huge impact on the Renfro Valley Barn Dance over the next 25 years. As far as service to the barn dance goes, the Farmer Sisters went on to equal or surpass the legendary Coon Creek Girls. They quickly established themselves as permanent fixtures in all activities in and out of Renfro Valley. Bess would play the accordian on the Saturday night Renfro Valley Barn Dance and Ma Lair's old parlor organ on the Sunday Morning Gatherin' Radio Show. The Farmer Sisters talents fit the 'Gatherin' to a T, and their personalities made for a fun-loving Saturday night at the barn dance.

Bess Farmer died today at the hospital in Glasgow.

The Farmer Sisters

Rehobeth Springs

It is the perfect setting for a community, is what Thomas Stockton must have thought when he was the first to arrive in this part of Kentucky in 1798. The man who had built one of the first grist mills in the Smokey Mountain area of Tennessee had crossed over Cumberland Mountain and as he stood on a spur of that elevated platform, later to be called Poplar Mountain, he looked down at the area below him....an area he named Stockton's Valley. According to "A History of Kentucky," written in 1847 by Lewis Collins, on the subject of Poplar Mountain, he wrote, "On a clear morning, the fog seems to rise of the water courses in the distance, and stand just above the trees, when the eye can trace the beautiful Cumberland River in its windings for at least one hundred miles, and may distinctly mark the junction of its tributaries, in a direct line, for thirty miles." "On top of this mountain," he wrote, "lays three chalybeate springs. These waters, combined with the purity of the atmosphere, proved to be of immense benefit to invalids who resorted there for their health. It is believed that, in the hands of an enterprising proprietor, the springs would soon become a place of great resort. The elevation of the mountain, which is 1,745 feet above sea level, and the consequent purity of the atmosphere, the beauty and magnificense of the scenery and prospect daily presented to the eye of the visitor, combined with the medicinal virtues of the water, a good host, and intelligent and refined association, would make these springs a most desirable point for a summer excursion."

According to "Kentucky: A History of the State (Battle, Perrin & Kniffin, 3rd ed., 1885), sometime after that, such an enterprising proprietor by the name of Joseph Perkins, did in fact own a resort atop the mountain at the springs. Perkins was a farmer and extensively raised and sold livestock. This book also says that Perkins also engaged in the distilling business and owned a hotel and mineral springs near Albany.

A Chalybeate spring, (pronounced Cle'bit), is a name given to a mineral spring which contains salts of iron in quantities sufficient to be of some therapeutic value. These salts are usually the carbonate and the sulphate.

In the book, A History of Kentucky - Embracing Gleanings, Reminiscenses, Antiquities, Natural Curiosities, Statistics and Biographical Sketches of Pioneers, Soldiers, Jurists, Lawyers, Statesmen, etc., (1872), author William Allen wrote that the three chalybeate springs "have been visited a great deal over the last twenty-five or thirty years and have proved a great benefit to invalids."

A geological survey of Poplar Mountain, taken in 1888 by R. H. Loughridge, showed iron, lime and magnesia carbonate, silica, potash and soda salts in minute quantity. The summary revealed it was a weak chalybeate water, good of its kind.

According to the WPA Guide to Kentucky (Federal Writers Project's American Guide Series written in 1939), "On a foot trail that follows the old overgrown carriage road to the summit of Sewell Mountain, here is Rehobeth Springs, a watering place of the early days, near three chalybeate springs. Before the War between the states, the springs were visited by many invalids, who proclaimed numerous benefits and cures. From the top of the mountain, on a clear day, the surrounding country is visible for a distance of about 75 miles."

According to "Report" by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Labor and Statistics (1908), "There are chalybeate springs on Sewell Mountain, a high plateau northeast of Albany, the county seat, where a view of the surrounding county for several miles can be had, which gives great pleasure as the scenery is so varied. A hotel has been erected and pleasure grounds laid out, which makes the place very inviting, as it is perhaps the coolest summer resort south of the Ohio River."

Another book, Historical Sketches of Kentucky by Lewis Collins of Maysville, Kentucky, published in 1850, also talks about the hotel and mineral springs.

On his 73rd birthday in 1908, J.C. Bristow wrote about visiting the top of the 'great Poplar Mountain' and about a little log cabin and two women living there. He wrote, "There is a medical spring and father's second wife and another woman are there for their health." He wrote about "looking down on the old ranch, upon the great scene where the youthful wonders of my father were displayed. And there on my right is a large sugar (?) orchard and between it and the house lies what was called the poplar field. I remember lying down on my back one day in that field. I looked west and I wondered what was far away in the west. I did not know then but I understand it all now."

In "Every Creeks A Story in Clinton County Hill", originally published in the 1930s, Howard Hardaway wrote, "Next morning, I started north, leaving to my right Sewell Mountain with it's mineral springs near the top, an ideal location for a summer resort or, best of all, for a youth hotel."

Today, for the most part, all that is known is that the hotel and mineral springs did exist. The hotel foundation is still there. Perhaps one day more information will surface and we can have stories regarding its existence.

Here We Go Again

"Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, suddenly the clouds opened up and God said, 'I hate you, Alfalfa!'"

Stay Forever

Maybe I pray too much, maybe I'm wastin God's time
Livin without your touch, is driving me out of my mind
If you could only see, how much you matter to me
Maybe you would stay forever

Maybe I care too much, maybe I'll push you away
Maybe I'd have my doubts, if I were in your place
And if you could see inside, this achin' heart of mine
Maybe you would stay forever

You don't have to go on livin'
With your back against the wall
Let my lovin' arms surround you
I won't let you fall

And if you would trust in me, and this love of mine
We'll sail an endless sea, under a starry sky
And when the cold wind blows, we'll hold each other close
Maybe you will stay forever

And when the cold wind blows, we'll hold each other close
Baby you will stay forever




Words and music by Bentmont Tench and Hal Ketchum.