The Sign Jumping Contest

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I drove up on the mountain and when I arrived, I found that the sign I had carefully placed had jumped out of the ground and was lying on its side. It had jumped out of the ground the day before that and I had received a call the night before letting me know it was down. Once again the same lady called to let me know it was down again, it only made it about three hours.

When I arrived back the day before from putting it up, there were three others along my route which had also jumped up out of the ground and laid down on the ground.

Well, one of my cousins once wrote a short story about “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.”

His story was amazingly entertaining, I am afraid this one will not be.

I am not quite sure yet whether the worms in our neck of the woods are rebelling against us, frustrated by the addition of so many metal sign posts being pushed down into the ground.

Of course, it might be a joint effort of the gophers, chipmunks and the ground hogs. They could have formed an army and are slowly and strategically digging beneath the ground finding each and everyone and pushing them up until they jump out of the ground and land a few feet away.

There might have been a geological shift in the hydrology of our community and water could be forcing them up. Although no new springs are found.

Maybe Mark’s jumping frogs from Calaveras have moved to my county and are hiring out to push the signs up out of the ground.

God has blessed me with knowing many great people in my life, some were friends, some were relatives, some were encouragers, some were up lifters, some were acquaintances, and some were just folks I have met.

While I know there are bad people in the world with ill intentions and a desire to hurt others, I have only had limited encounters with their type. When I started in reporting on politics, and eventually running in local elections that continued to be true until just a few years ago. Then a new breed of folks began entering the fray and with them they brought along the school yard approach to attacking their opponents.

This year as I am running in my local election cycle, they are having a ball encouraging the signs from jumping out of the ground. Of course, I am only seeing this primarily with mine and others are left standing within sight of them.

Perhaps I need to check in with my sign company, perhaps it is the metal sign stakes, maybe it’s something in the metal. I want the think the best of everyone, but the evidence seems to continue to pile up against my keeping a positive opinion on some.

Activity helps strengthen each day

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Click, click, click, click, emanates from my sneakers as I walk along the hiking path ever hopeful that with each passing mile I am a little more fit and well on my way to losing the few pounds I am seeking to shed.

After opening boxes, and pulling jeans up only to find they will not close and a crowbar will be needed to get them back off. Read more

NQC is a slice of Americana that fills the soul

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I entered the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. and found myself in a sea of smiling faces.

They were looking forward to hearing and seeing their favorite gospel music performer either on the stage or in their booth at the National Quartet Convention.

The people walked gleefully towards their seats for the event only pausing as they passed a familiar artist standing in their booth where they stopped to say hello or to see their latest album.

Once inside the auditorium, the seats filled the room that guided your attention to the stage where stood one of the up-and-coming acts performing three songs for the crowd.

The talents of act after act crossed the stage only broken in speed by the emcee’s introduction.

A non-stop cavalcade of stars and upcoming talents kept the audience in the Spirit of their performances with old and new gospel songs.

As part of the week-long event, the stage also featured the Singing News Fan Awards, the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductions, numerous ministerial messages, special showcases, and special feature events.

There were numerous worthy award winners at the Singing News Fan Awards outstandingly hosted by my former bosses Jeff & Sheri Easter. Two of my favorites presentations included two of my friends Karen Peck Gooch won Favorite Soprano Award, while The Inspirations, including my former Americana Youth of Southern Appalachia participant Isaac Moore (Favorite Young Artist Award), won Favorite Artist Award; Favorite Soloist was Joseph Habedank; Favorite Mixed Group went to the Collingsworth Family; Triumphant Quartet took Favorite Quartet; Connie Hopper received the Favorite Alto Award; among a list of other recipients. Visit singingnews.com to find out more.

This year’s Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductees included Sue Dodge, Danny Funderburk, Norman Holland & Reagan Riddle! I was especially please to see my encouragers Norman Holland who helped me launch my career at Benson and now retired Primitive Quartet performer Reagan Riddle. Their music fueled my youth and performing hopes. Be sure to support their new museum at Biblical Times in Pigeon Forge. Find our more at Sgma.org.

Friends, if you would like to experience a true slice of Americana, I urge you to make the National Quartet Convention 2024 in Pigeon Forge part of your plans. Great music, great people and down home fun. Visit NQConline.com to learn more.

The Little Things Mean a Lot

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When I was growing up, I had many role models. My parents were great role models imparting many lessons. Some were easily learned while others took a bit of strict discipline to get them through my thick head.
My grandfather Jesse and both my grandmothers were role models. My older brothers in a way, even though they were ahead of me a few years on the learning curve, taught me a lot. Some of the key lessons was missing out on the discipline they received by proper coaching away from some of the mistakes they made.
Several of my parent’s friends and extended family also at times found their way into role model list as I was growing up imparting bits and pieces of wisdom on various topics as life’s opportunities afforded. When we remodeled our bathroom, I learned a lot from my Uncle Clarence about building and doing tile work. My Uncle Waymond taught me a lot about trapping and hunting.
Standing alongside my father as he worked on various projects, I saw him pull his tools from his black tool bag. He would lay out the tools he might need, in a neat order, he then began his diagnostic approach to figuring out what was wrong with whatever device he was fixing.
I stood there watching what he was doing as he strategically isolated the potential issues until he deduced the solution and used his tools to make it work again. He then cleaned up his tools and packed them away into his leather bag like a doctor with his instruments.
He told me that it might seem like a little thing to clean off your tools and properly pack them away until next time they are needed. But if you do it, he said. You will have them ready when needed again.
It’s a little thing, he said, but if you don’t take care of the little things, you won’t take care of the big things.
As time has went by, I have learned that lesson well. I have seen people who do not care for the little things lose sight of the importance of caring for the big things.
Perhaps that is why I have always looked towards the details in every project.
If you take care of those, all the others parts will fall into place.
Learning the lessons passed on from others can make each of the tasks we take on in life find greater success.
The little things really do matter!