One of the churches in the association where I serve is Bethel Baptist in Fort Deposit. It is one of the oldest churches in our association, and geographically is one of the southernmost. It takes about 45 minutes to drive there from our house. One of the side attractions while visiting there is the opportunity to visit Priester's Pecans on I-65.
Helen and I got caught in construction traffic in Montgomery and were a few minutes late for the service. Eric, the pastor, was a student involved in our BCM while he was a student in Troy. His wife, Vickie was also a student during those years. They have done well at Fort Deposit. After church one of the deacons and his wife took us all (Eric and Vickie, daughter and son) to eat at Priester's, an unexpected but certainly appreciated gesture. We enjoyed our meal.
Eric is the director of the River Region Chaplain Service, a newly formed 501-c-3 ministry that originated as a police chaplaincy ministry in our association. Now they have launched out on their own with our blessing. Nine volunteer chaplains serve the Montgomery Police Department, Montgomery Sheriff's Office, Emergency Communications, Montgomery Fire Department, and now have spread across the river to Prattville and Millbrook. Say a pray for Eric. He has a lot on his plate and is doing a great job.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Eating at Red's
Just south of Montgomery on AL Hwy 94, between US 231 and Ramer, sits Red's Little School House Restaurant. Locals know all about it. Others need to know, so I am telling you.
Here's the story as I understand it.
Red wanted to open an antique store and his daughter, Debbie, wanted to open a barbeque restaurant. They decided to try both for a short while and see which one did better. (I don't know if this is really true or not, but it sounds good!) The Barbeque won. My first taste of Red's was back in the early 1980's when we ordered some Ribs for a staff party. I don't remember my first trip to the old school house, but it has been repeated many times over. Helen and I had lunch there on Sunday. (In case you are going, it's open Wed - Sunday). They have a menu but most folks enjoy the buffet. The fried chicken is the best, the barbeque is very good, and the apples and cheese are out of this world. There are usually a number of vegetables, and most of the time the peas are home grown. Don't forget the pies!!Chocolate Meringue, Pecan, and Coconut Meringue are outstanding.
Last year when I preached a revival at the church Debbie belongs to, we got a bag of those fresh peas put in our back seat. And, when the church has a pot luck dinner, those pies from Red's tend to show up. I have taken a whole one home with me before.
So, friends, stop by and see Debbie some time, and tell her I sent you!
Here's the story as I understand it.
Red wanted to open an antique store and his daughter, Debbie, wanted to open a barbeque restaurant. They decided to try both for a short while and see which one did better. (I don't know if this is really true or not, but it sounds good!) The Barbeque won. My first taste of Red's was back in the early 1980's when we ordered some Ribs for a staff party. I don't remember my first trip to the old school house, but it has been repeated many times over. Helen and I had lunch there on Sunday. (In case you are going, it's open Wed - Sunday). They have a menu but most folks enjoy the buffet. The fried chicken is the best, the barbeque is very good, and the apples and cheese are out of this world. There are usually a number of vegetables, and most of the time the peas are home grown. Don't forget the pies!!Chocolate Meringue, Pecan, and Coconut Meringue are outstanding.
Last year when I preached a revival at the church Debbie belongs to, we got a bag of those fresh peas put in our back seat. And, when the church has a pot luck dinner, those pies from Red's tend to show up. I have taken a whole one home with me before.
So, friends, stop by and see Debbie some time, and tell her I sent you!
Peas and Cornbread
When I was growing up we would occasionally have "peas and cornbread" for supper. Of course, most of the time we had a meat and some vegetables, but every once in a while it was "peas and cornbread." Well, when I got in from work this evening, Helen said she was cooking some black eyed peas. "That's all I have cooked," she said. "Well," I said, "do you want me to cook some cornbread?" And of course I got started. It was really close because we almost did not have enough cornmeal mix. (I use Martha White self-rising corn meal mix!) My recipe uses non-fat yogurt in the mix instead of oil, but of course I put a little oil in the iron skillet. It turned out great!!! Maybe it was the best cornbread I have ever made! It sure was good!
The peas were great, too! Helen cooked them with onions and they tasted super!
All you cornbread conniseurs, I have a question. When you hear the word "cornbread" what do you think of. For me, it was always baked in an iron skillet or in iron muffin or corn stick pans. When Helen and I were dating, I learned about fried cornbread. I did not like it as well as baked. Her mother, and all the friends down in the Wiregrass call my kind of cornbread, "eggbread." I had never heard of the term "eggbread." To me it was just cornbread! I will have to admit that when we go to Red's Little School House Restaurant in Dublin, south of Montgomery, I have to eat their fried cornbread. It's the best ever made.
The peas were great, too! Helen cooked them with onions and they tasted super!
All you cornbread conniseurs, I have a question. When you hear the word "cornbread" what do you think of. For me, it was always baked in an iron skillet or in iron muffin or corn stick pans. When Helen and I were dating, I learned about fried cornbread. I did not like it as well as baked. Her mother, and all the friends down in the Wiregrass call my kind of cornbread, "eggbread." I had never heard of the term "eggbread." To me it was just cornbread! I will have to admit that when we go to Red's Little School House Restaurant in Dublin, south of Montgomery, I have to eat their fried cornbread. It's the best ever made.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Walking Early in the Morning
I finally have gotten back in the habit of taking that early morning walk. For the past few years, I walked with a neighbor or two very early in the morning. My Indian neighbor moved away from the neighborhood in May and away from Montgomery in August. I continued to walk until I suffered a severe sprain of my ankle in August. This has resulted in pesistent foot pain, usually aggravated by the particular shoes I wear. A few times I have walked with some other neighbors, an older cute couple who walk religiously every morning and whoever happened to be with them.
Last week I got back in the routine with one of my former collegiate ministry students, Luke. We walk 2.5-3 miles each morning beginning around 5:25 or 5:30.
Luke was a student in my earlier days at AUM and served on our leadership team. He owns a business and serves as a bivocational pastor in a neighboring town. We get to talk "shop" when we want to, something my Hindu/professor did not really enjoy.
Not only are the walks good for my body, they do my mind and spirit good too. This morning we made the 3 mile route. Maybe some day I will return to jogging. See you in the morning, Luke.
Last week I got back in the routine with one of my former collegiate ministry students, Luke. We walk 2.5-3 miles each morning beginning around 5:25 or 5:30.
Luke was a student in my earlier days at AUM and served on our leadership team. He owns a business and serves as a bivocational pastor in a neighboring town. We get to talk "shop" when we want to, something my Hindu/professor did not really enjoy.
Not only are the walks good for my body, they do my mind and spirit good too. This morning we made the 3 mile route. Maybe some day I will return to jogging. See you in the morning, Luke.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Yard Sales
Saturday I held a yardsale in Enterprise to try to get rid of some stuff we had accumulated. I did not know how it was going to go, because the weather was very cold early, and I did not put an ad in the paper. I did put up seven signs around at some busy intersections, and the overall traffic was good. I sold most of the stuff and came out pretty good. I sold zero books, even at $1 or $2 for hardbacks. I had an almost new Mr. Coffee in the box and it did not sell. THere were some clothes that did not sell and one Angel from Christmas that a lady offered me 50 cents for. I was insulted. Those unsold items were donated to the Christian Mission. I even sold a pair of my old shoes and one man came back at five and wanted the shirt he had not purchased that morning. Of course, it was gone, and it was not one I gave to the Christian Mission. I gave my brother-in-law the corner desk for his bedroom and my mother-in-law took three little left over items. I was glad for them to have those things.
Two of the best sales were the washer bought by a young lady and the apartment stove bought by a man whose other one had stopped working. I also sold an old window air conditioner.
The man who came back for the missing shirt wanted me to have another sale next month. Ha! That is just way too much work. I would have to accumulate more stuff to junk up the house I am working on, and I certainly don't want to do that. But if I do, I will let you all know so you can come buy some stuff.
Two of the best sales were the washer bought by a young lady and the apartment stove bought by a man whose other one had stopped working. I also sold an old window air conditioner.
The man who came back for the missing shirt wanted me to have another sale next month. Ha! That is just way too much work. I would have to accumulate more stuff to junk up the house I am working on, and I certainly don't want to do that. But if I do, I will let you all know so you can come buy some stuff.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Shocco Springs
I wrote a wonderful blog the other night while I was sitting up in my bed with my computer on my lap. The setting was Shocco Springs where I was present for a trustee summit, and since I serve as a trustee for Shocco Springs Baptist Assembly and Camps, I thought perhaps a few of us should attend. However, attempting to correct some spelling or grammar, I must have hit two buttons at once, and those wonderful words went to ethernet land, whereever that is.
First of all, let me tell you that I LOVE SHOCCCO. It is a long lasting love affair.
My first visit/stay was in 1961 for Church Music Week. I stayed at the then 'new' Mt. Moriah Hotel. It was nice for the time period. We took a group from our church. I "studied" beginning music reading and beginning voice. Our project for the week was to learn and sing Mendelsohn's oratorio, Elijah. David Ford, then a young man, was the baritone soloist. Charles Crocker sang the tenor solos. Eleanor Ousley was a soloist as well, and Dr. John Sims, directed the mass choir. I remember the great family style meals, the swimming pool adjacent to the snack bar in front of the auditorium, filled with cold green spring water. I remember the old hotels "500" and "400" and the cottages. RA campers were in cabins up the hill and Mr. B (F. Eugene Brasher), our minister of music, took us guys up a hill through the woods (seemed like forever) to a field to play football.
My next trip came during the Spring of 1968, as I delivered the Jacksonville State Baptist Student Union Choir to sing at the Spring Leadership Conference for BSU leadership. Of course, we sang and got back on the bus and I took them home. The next year, however, I was an attendee at the conference. During those days, we stayed in the cottages where you did not have any heat, and you had to furnish your own linens. Those were fun times, except when it turned cold.
The summer of 1968 I worked at the adjacent Royal Ambassador Camp for boys. That camp was operated separately from Shocco by the Brotherhood Department of the State Baptist Convention Executive board. Our outstanding director was Clayton Gilbert, a super individual who taught me many things (maybe a post for that alone)about leadership, myself, and serving God. I will also save RA Camp for another post.
During those days the Shocco summer staff was composed of a few college students and many high school students. The GA (Girls Auxiliary) Camp was up the hill behing Shocco. RA staffers often dated the Shocco staffers or the GA staffers.
Dr. Waymon Reese was the director the first two years I was at camp. Dr. George Ricker came in 1970. Dr. Reese usually had a couple on staff who helped chaperone and manage the summer staff. He did not put restrictions on some of the college students, and I remember a few who lived in cottage "G" and they did not have a curfew. When Dr. Ricker came, he stated very convincingly that he believed in the Virgin Birth, the Inspiration of Scripture, the Second Coming, etc, AND CURFEW.
Helen came to work in the office the summer after her freshman year at junior college. That summer I was the assistant director of RA Camp and Stan Stepleton was the director. Mr. G had resigned and left in May and we were quick fill ins.
One of my jobs each day was to pick up the mail, both at the post office and at the Shocco office. So, I got to know the girls in the office. They were a very friendly bunch. I was not. But they managed to engage me in some conversation, though since I was a college grad, I thought these were just kids.
Well, later I double dated with Helen, Debbie G. and Johnny C. We went bowling.
Nearer to the end of camp, I wrecked my Opal Cadet on the camp road. Helen offered to sell her car to me, but I would have to take her home after camp was over. Well, she has been my wife for almost 36 years, so you know Shocco is special.
When I wanted to take her to Jacksonville one day and evening to meet my friends, Dr. Ricker got her to get her mother on the phone to get permission. He did look after his staffers.
Five summer on camp staff were enough for me, but that did not end my Shocco days.
We took college students there every Spring and some Fall's for 19 years, took a youth retreat there, and I spent numerous cold days in January at staff retreat.
I have attended Sunday School conferences, Brotherhood conferences, music and youth conference, campus ministry retreats, associational leadership retreats and many other events there.
This past December Shocco celebrated our 60th annivesary. Helen and I sttended the weekend and reuninted with some old friends and made some new ones. Dr. Ricker released his book on the history of Shocco. (It's a great read.) We reunited with another couple that met at Shocco. They married in the chapel in 1969 and I served as best man. She had been the food service manager and he had served with me at RA Camp. Back in the early 90's, our sons were in the same camp group at RA Camp one week. Talk about coincidences, or is it Providence.
For the past five years I have served on the Board of Trustees at Shocco. It is just one way for me to promote the facility and give back to the place that gave me so many great life experiences.
First of all, let me tell you that I LOVE SHOCCCO. It is a long lasting love affair.
My first visit/stay was in 1961 for Church Music Week. I stayed at the then 'new' Mt. Moriah Hotel. It was nice for the time period. We took a group from our church. I "studied" beginning music reading and beginning voice. Our project for the week was to learn and sing Mendelsohn's oratorio, Elijah. David Ford, then a young man, was the baritone soloist. Charles Crocker sang the tenor solos. Eleanor Ousley was a soloist as well, and Dr. John Sims, directed the mass choir. I remember the great family style meals, the swimming pool adjacent to the snack bar in front of the auditorium, filled with cold green spring water. I remember the old hotels "500" and "400" and the cottages. RA campers were in cabins up the hill and Mr. B (F. Eugene Brasher), our minister of music, took us guys up a hill through the woods (seemed like forever) to a field to play football.
My next trip came during the Spring of 1968, as I delivered the Jacksonville State Baptist Student Union Choir to sing at the Spring Leadership Conference for BSU leadership. Of course, we sang and got back on the bus and I took them home. The next year, however, I was an attendee at the conference. During those days, we stayed in the cottages where you did not have any heat, and you had to furnish your own linens. Those were fun times, except when it turned cold.
The summer of 1968 I worked at the adjacent Royal Ambassador Camp for boys. That camp was operated separately from Shocco by the Brotherhood Department of the State Baptist Convention Executive board. Our outstanding director was Clayton Gilbert, a super individual who taught me many things (maybe a post for that alone)about leadership, myself, and serving God. I will also save RA Camp for another post.
During those days the Shocco summer staff was composed of a few college students and many high school students. The GA (Girls Auxiliary) Camp was up the hill behing Shocco. RA staffers often dated the Shocco staffers or the GA staffers.
Dr. Waymon Reese was the director the first two years I was at camp. Dr. George Ricker came in 1970. Dr. Reese usually had a couple on staff who helped chaperone and manage the summer staff. He did not put restrictions on some of the college students, and I remember a few who lived in cottage "G" and they did not have a curfew. When Dr. Ricker came, he stated very convincingly that he believed in the Virgin Birth, the Inspiration of Scripture, the Second Coming, etc, AND CURFEW.
Helen came to work in the office the summer after her freshman year at junior college. That summer I was the assistant director of RA Camp and Stan Stepleton was the director. Mr. G had resigned and left in May and we were quick fill ins.
One of my jobs each day was to pick up the mail, both at the post office and at the Shocco office. So, I got to know the girls in the office. They were a very friendly bunch. I was not. But they managed to engage me in some conversation, though since I was a college grad, I thought these were just kids.
Well, later I double dated with Helen, Debbie G. and Johnny C. We went bowling.
Nearer to the end of camp, I wrecked my Opal Cadet on the camp road. Helen offered to sell her car to me, but I would have to take her home after camp was over. Well, she has been my wife for almost 36 years, so you know Shocco is special.
When I wanted to take her to Jacksonville one day and evening to meet my friends, Dr. Ricker got her to get her mother on the phone to get permission. He did look after his staffers.
Five summer on camp staff were enough for me, but that did not end my Shocco days.
We took college students there every Spring and some Fall's for 19 years, took a youth retreat there, and I spent numerous cold days in January at staff retreat.
I have attended Sunday School conferences, Brotherhood conferences, music and youth conference, campus ministry retreats, associational leadership retreats and many other events there.
This past December Shocco celebrated our 60th annivesary. Helen and I sttended the weekend and reuninted with some old friends and made some new ones. Dr. Ricker released his book on the history of Shocco. (It's a great read.) We reunited with another couple that met at Shocco. They married in the chapel in 1969 and I served as best man. She had been the food service manager and he had served with me at RA Camp. Back in the early 90's, our sons were in the same camp group at RA Camp one week. Talk about coincidences, or is it Providence.
For the past five years I have served on the Board of Trustees at Shocco. It is just one way for me to promote the facility and give back to the place that gave me so many great life experiences.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
I met a new cousin/figuring out relationship
Most of the folks who know me know I love doing genealogy, and am considered the source for information among my cousins for information on the May and Quinn families. Last night I had the wonderful privilege of meeting face to face for the first time, Mike and Mary Ellen. We had corresponded for several years via email, and had shared information. Mike and I are fourth cousins-twice removed on the May side. What does that mean? It means that his g.g.g.g.g.grandfather(Philip H. May) is my g.g.g.grandfather. What is totally wierd, is that we are actually more closely related on my mother's, mother's, father's, father's, mother's side. Got that?
We are fourth cousins ONCE removed on the Coffee side. BUT if you go back one more generation, Mary Ellen and I are related, TOO. (yes, that means she is distantly related to her husband - but weren't FDR and Eleanor cousins?)
Here is the easy way to understand - persons who share grandparents are cousins, or first cousins. Those who share great-grandparents are second cousins. If on either side one individual is a generation off, that is once removed. My first cousin's child is NOT my 2nd cousin, but is my first cousin, once removed. My second cousin's grandchild is not my 4th cousin, but is my second cousin, twice removed. Thus Mike's grandfather and I would be fourth cousins, and Mike is twice removed from that. Got it?
Now, to the good part. Mike and Mary Ellen took me to a wonderful steak place for dinner, the Railhead. We had a great visit over dinner, and then a very enjoyable time back at their lovely home. I probably stayed too long, but I just love getting to know my kinfolk. Thanks, Mike and Mary Ellen, for your wonderful hospitality.
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