Country ramblings – Oscar, Vince and Ricky

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When I made my first appearance for the Grand Ole Opry in 1984, I had already appeared on shows with one of the long-running stars of the show Rollin “Oscar” Sullivan of Lonzo & Oscar.
Lonzo and Oscar were one of country music’s best-known comedy duos. Although there were three Lonzo’s through the years that Oscar owned the name, there was only one Oscar, whose talents as a singer and mandolin player were top-notch. The country bumpkin costumes of their performances popularized in the heyday of classic country had eased to more of a leisure suit look by the time I came to know Oscar.

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Use the disappointments in life

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It is amazing how disappointments can take various forms in life.

I think often our childhoods are filled with little disappointments such as not getting something we really wanted – that pony.

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Some days you should stay in bed

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As I turned the key and the engine on the gray Murray riding mower was balking, I sort of knew it was going to be one of those days.

With a little prompting though I was off and running. Many people love to mow, although I started mowing other people’s yards at about age nine, I really am not a mowing fan. In fact I sort of take the Los Angeles film set approach, let’s kill it and paint it green.

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Thank your lucky stars

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Webster describes a star as a celestial body with twinkling points of light. The wise men of old followed a star to the baby Jesus. Centuries ago, sailors learned to navigate themselves around the world by the stars.

Today, many look at people who have reached a certain status in their field such as stars of sports, film or music.

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From where does honor come?

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When I was a little boy, I remember holding my dad’s hand while walking on the sidewalk along the main street of our county seat.

He seemed so big even though the large buildings of brick and stone along the street made even him look small by comparison. The cars seemed to speed buy as folks rushed about in life trying to fill their days with making a living.

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Where did I put you?

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Do you ever go to the back of the house, and when you get there you don’t remember what you went after?

How about do you ever go to the store without a list, only to return home with everything but what you went after?

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Could I borrow a shovel?

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It amazes me how things seem to accumulate in my house.

I really believe someone comes in while I am gone and messes everything up, I know I would not allow things to pile to the point of an avalanche.

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The seeds of wisdom spit forth

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As I sat on the back porch watching the grass die, I could not help but find myself in my mind’s eye sitting similarly on my grandmother’s porch. It was a summer where I spent a lot of time with my Grandma Kitty and Aunt Norma Jean. Flossie, the milk cow, was meandering through the yard headed for a shade tree where she laid down and tried to create a bit of a breeze using her tail to move an almost non-existent breeze.

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The day that follows sleep

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I got up this morning and wondered what will the day bring.

Each morning that I awake, I push myself from the bedclothes, I shake off the grogginess left by sleep.
I move my legs towards preparing myself for the day – wash, shave, brush, comb, fresh clothes and so then it begins. What will the day be?

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Soap, a brush and a baseball bat

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I held the Ivory soap close to my nose and breathed in deeply. There was nothing quite like the smell of a fresh bar of soap out of the package. The smell carried me back to my days of late summer evenings of avoiding my bath as a boy.

Needless to say I would always need one after playing ball in the light of the street lamps.
Around the bases were Charlotte, Clay, Bubba, Charlie and Jennifer. Some were on base while others anxiously awaited me as I prepared the swing the bat on Bruce’s pitches.

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