A View From Arlington

Eight months before President John F. Kennedy was assinated he made a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. It is said that he passed beyond the soldiers' graves and walked to the top of a hill. The story goes that as he paused there reflecting on the beauty of the area, he was quoted as saying, "I could stay here forever."

On November 25, 1963, the President was buried on that hill after being shot dead three days earlier.

Senator Ted Kennedy was buried on that famous hill today, joining the other members from his storied clan.

At the site of the eternal flame rest four Kennedy family members: the former president and his wife; their baby son, Patrick, who died after two days; and a stillborn child. Robert Kennedy's grave is a short distance away.

Edward Kennedy was buried approximately 95 feet south of Robert's grave, according to NBC News.

His family said Senator Kennedy spent more days than most at Arlington visiting the graves of his beloved brothers.

A New Ending

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

My friend, Charley, just posted that on Facebook.

There are some things I wish I could re-start and make a new ending, one in particular.

How does one start today to make a new ending? How do you go about getting everything in place to do that. I wish.

Ten Lies

I love reading old newspapers. Here is an excerpt from the March 24, 1915 edition of the Livingston Enterprise (Tennessee). I love number three.

Here are ten lies which are often heard, according to the amiable Arthur Hull of La_____.

My wife and I have never exchanged a cross word.

Yes, we're out, but we've just ordered a lot of it.

I never would care to be rich, just comfortably fixed.

I'd just like to have been in his place. I'd have showed them.

If I'd catch a kid of mine at anything like that I'd blister him.

If you don't think it's a good thing for you I don't want you to do it.

If I had that woman for a little while I'd teach her a few things.

If I had just a little money I know here I could go out and make a pile.

I don't care anything for the money. It was the principle of the thing.

I've never seen such weather before.(

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