The Church Lady and the Turkey Deal at Food Lion

Beware of little old Church Ladies who stalk you at Food Lion.  Not kidding......

I went to Food Lion after work Friday just to get my weekly groceries.  I met this petite older lady pushing one of the small carts on one isle and I smiled as we met.  Then in a few minutes, a few isles over, I was looking at toilet paper to see how many sheets were on  the rolls of different brands.  Yes, I know I have an exciting life....and there will be a toilet paper post soon.

She came up to me and asked if I thought I was going to spend $35.00, while eyeing my half full cart.  I thought to myself, its kind of hard to get out of here and spend less than that, but I told her I wasn't sure. She wanted to know if I would buy a turkey with my order and let her pay me for it.  I wondered if this was some kind of scam.  I don't usually buy turkeys for strangers, but I couldn't say no to this sweet little lady.

She said she was helping her church and they were going to cook 20 turkeys for Thanksgiving and you have to spend $35.00 to get the turkeys at 37 cents a pound.  I said OK, but its going to be a few minutes.  She said she would go get the turkey and meet me at the front.  I thought to myself, what have I gotten myself into?

So she went and got the turkey and put it into my cart and gave me $6.00 to cover the cost of the turkey.  I didn't want to take her money, but she insisted.  She said I could give it to my church if I wanted to.

Sure enough the turkey would have been over $25.00, but with my MVP card and since I spent over $35.00, the turkey was only $5.82.   Who knew?  Not me.  She then said she wanted to thank me from the bottom of her heart and told me to have a blessed day. 

So the moral of this story is:  Go to Food Lion and buy $35.00 worth of groceries, (not hard to do) and get yourself a turkey for 37 cents a pound.  Even if you don't need one for Thanksgiving, they would be great to have in the freezer at such a low price.  Or you could give it to the little old church lady in line behind you.

The End.

Small Town America - The Famous Hamburger Joint

It seems to me that there is a legendary hamburger joint or "grill" in every area of the rural South.  In North Carolina, I know of several.  They are usually small places, with a limited amount of seating space.  The menu is very limited and is only written on a board on the wall.  The burgers are hand patted out.  You won't find any low fat meat or whole wheat buns. 

If you want to eat during the lunch time rush, there will be a line waiting to get a place to sit, or to get a take out order.  Its a little chaotic!  You need cash, because they don't usually take debit or credit cards.   New customers may be sent to the ATM down the street, if they thought they could pay with plastic.  No wonder people on their lunch hour prefer drive through restaurants!

The waitress may be cute, but wears very tight clothes, has big hair, lots of makeup and big earrings.  She is so busy, that you won't get any special service.  Your burger and fries may be tossed on your table as she runs by.   On the other hand, she may be a little old lady wearing black reebok tennis shoes and a cotton smock.

There may be a counter where people can sit in swivel chairs, watch their food being made, and then eat it.  There are usually booths, or maybe some tables with red checked plastic table cloths.

There are napkins in those spring loaded metal dispensers.  They are thin and you will need lots of them to wipe the stuff off your face that oozes out of the hamburger bun.

The fries are served in a red plaid paper basket.  Then you squeeze ketchup from a red plastic squeeze bottle.

Hubby and I just got back home from a little road trip and we ate at 2 such places.  One was the Snappy Lunch in Mount Airy, NC, which is a famous place to eat because its the town Mayberry was modeled after on the Andy Griffith Show.  We ate the famous pork chop sandwich, but could have had a burger.  The second place was Johnsons in Siler City on Highway 64.  Both of these gave us a taste of real small town America!

Now back to our previously scheduled healthy eating plan!

Tobacco Stories

Having tobacco planted behind and beside our house this Summer has brought back many memories of my childhood and it occurred to me that many of the people in this world have no idea how tobacco is harvested and especially how it was done back in the day when I was young, in the 1960s and 1970s.  Of course my elders tell me about more primitive ways of harvesting tobacco that make the way we did it look modern!

There was a whole language associated with tobacco in the South during those days. When young people hear me use some of these terms, they do not understand.  Here are some that I remember.

1.  Barnin baccer:  The entire process of harvesting and putting the tobacco into the barns to be cured.

3.  Settin out baccer:  The process of pulling the plants from a bed and then sitting on a "setter" pulled behind a tractor.  You lay the plant in a little hopper thing as it turns by you and it puts the plant in the ground.  You have to be quick and ready for it every time it comes back up.

3.  Toppin and succering baccer:  The tobacco plants get flowers on top and little side shoots that have to be picked off.  You "top" the flowers and "succer" the side leaves. 

4.  Croppin baccer:  The process of picking the leaves off the stalks.  The leaves were cropped starting with the bottom leaves.  Each tobacco plant was cropped several times over the summer, going up the stalk until all the leaves were gone.

5.  Sand lugs:  The bottom leaves that start turning slightly yellow first and are cropped first.  They are full of sand because they are near the ground.  These aren't as valuable as the leaves higher up on the stalk.

6.  Tyin baccer:  The process of sitting on the harvester and tying handfuls of tobacco on a  tobacco stick.  There was an art to this and I became pretty good at it.  My tobacco leaves did not fall of the stick after I tied them on there.  On the other hand, it had to be put on there in such a way that it was easy to take off the sticks as well.

7.  The baccer harvester.  This was way more labor intensive than it sounds.  The harvester was a contraption that was pulled by a tractor, had a shelter over it and pulled a baccer trailer behind.  The tobacco was planted with 4 rows on each side of a "middle".  the workers sat on the harvester as it slowly crept down the rows.  There were 4 pairs of workers, usually 4 teenage or adult guys who sat down near the ground in a seat and as they cropped the leaves off the plant, they would hand the handfuls of leaves up to the tyers, who sat up above them and who were usually girls.

There was also a person driving the tractor.  I was doing this at 8 years old with no umbrella over me in the hot North Carolina Summer sun.  Sun screen did not exist.  I had to know what to do when they said "whoa!", "slow down", or "speed up".  I stopped when I got to the end of the row and let an adult turn the thing into the next row.

The work crew was rounded out by another guy, who took the sticks of tobacco when they were full and tied off and layed them on a trailer that was being pulled behind the tractor.  Another job that a young child would do is to walk behind the whole thing and pick up any dropped leaves.

On the harvester there was usually a water cooler which was filled with a big chunk of ice and water each morning.  It was very important to have this water for the workers so that they could keep hydrated during the hot weather. 

Humid and hot does not even begin to describe what it felt like down there in the middle of those rows where no air could get to you.

8.  Baccer gum:  This is a nasty thick black coating that would get all over your hands by the end of the day.  Most of us didn't wear gloves because it was too hot.  At the end of the day it was nearly impossible to get this gum off your hands.  The only thing that would take it off easily was bleach!  I am assuming that this is what a smoker's lungs look like from smoking!

9.  Handing up the sticks.:  At the end of the day all those sticks of baccer loaded on the trailers had to be put into the barns.  The barns were very tall and had what were called tier poles in the top to hang the sticks on.  On the dirt floor were gas burners that would be lit to cure the leaves.  An assembly line was set up that ran from the trailers parked outside the barn, all the way to the top of the barns.  The teenage guys were usually up in the top of the barns, since they were usually strong and agile and could stand the heat.  and I mean HEAT!  Not to mention snakes....

This is an old tobacco barn.  There are many of these old relics all over the countryside in rural areas of the South.  Most are falling down and are covered with vines.  Some have been fixed up into nice storage buildings or even apartment type homes.

 

 

10.  Taking out baccer:  After the leaves had cured out enough they had to be taken out of the barn.  The assembly line was then done in reverse order.  The barns had to be emptied regularly to make room for more green tobacco.  This was often done before day on the same day that more tobbacco was to be harvested.  This means that many days started at 4:00 A.M. so that the barns would be ready.  The cured sticks of leaves were piled on trailers and taken to another barn or old deserted house called pack houses. 

11.  Taking off baccer:  This usually took place on rainy days when harvesting could not take place or in the fall. The leaves had to be taken off the sticks, sorted and put into baccer sheets, which are made of burlap.  These big sheets full of tobacco were taken to a tobacco warehouse where they were auctioned off. 

Taking off baccer was a much more pleasant job than barnin baccer!

12.  Getting the baccer in order:  Sometimes the tobacco leaves would get too dry in the barns and would be brittle and crumbly.  I have seen my Daddy have us lay all the sticks of tobacco all over the yard over night so that the dew would moisten them some and get them into "order".    That was a sight to see.

This only scratches the surface of the whole Southern Tobacco Society.  These days there are machines that crop the tobacco and they are put into bulk barns.  Its way less labor intensive, as far as I can tell.  I left those days behind over 35 years ago and don't really know the details of how it is done anymore.

13.  Choppin baccer and standin up baccer:  Chopping the grass and weeds.  Standing it back up after a storm.  These jobs took several workers all taking a row at the time.




Tobacco Barn in Winter

Here are a couple of interesting memories from my baccer barnin days:

1.  My Daddy would catch snakes and chase some of the workers with them.  I. am. not. kidding.....  They were not poisonous, and he was just playing around.    He never did that to me.  I remember at least one teenage guy who never came back after one of those episodes.

2.  One of the tractors had to be cranked with a hand crank.  Daddy tried to crank it one day and didn't have the tractor out of gear.  It nearly ran over him and did in fact run into a barn and did some serious damage.

3.  Tobacco harvesting was so dependent upon the local children and teenagers, that the first day of school was often delayed by 2 or 3 weeks to allow the last of the tobacco to be harvested, without interfering with school.  I think this may be where my love of Fall comes from.  I was so glad that summer and tobacco harvesting was over each year.

Boo!

A lot of people had good memories of their baccer barnin days and had good times.  Most of mine were not good.  But, it was part of my life and I learned a lot from it.  It taught me how to work and how to persevere.   To this day I have a good work ethic and know how blessed I am to have an office job with A/C!

Small Town America

MULE DAYS!

Small Town America - A Mystery

I stopped by Walmart yesterday to pick up a few sewing supplies. I usually park near one of the shopping cart corrals, because it helps me to remember where my car is and there are less big SUVs parked beside me which make it hard to back out.

It wasn't there when I went in, but when I came out this Army dress uniform, hung neatly on a hanger, was hanging on the shopping cart corral. I don't know where it came from or why it was there.

Some ideas might be:

1. Someone hung it there because they went AWOL
2. Someone hung it there while they were putting something in their car and forgot to put it back.
3. Someone stole it and put it there to get rid of it.
4. They hung it there while they went inside to buy socks.
5. They left it there for someone else to pick up, but couldn't wait.
6. Someone just wanted to get rid of it.
7. It was a rainy day, so maybe they just hung it there to dry!

I just don't know! What do you think?

Small Town America - The Dialysis Center Waiting Room

(Not my mother's walker, but a nice one!)

My mother has shown some improvement in that now she can get around with her rolling walker and not the wheelchair so much. Our current problem is that its hard for her to get into those SUVs and pickup trucks that most of my family own. My Little Ole Lady car is the only one she can get into without the help of angels.



Who are the angels, you may be wondering.

...The van driver who helped me the first time I took Mama to dialysis qualifies as one. I was not used to dealing with wheelchairs. I parked too close to the curb. I didn't know you could push a button and open the door. But he did! I don't know what I would have done without him.

...A brother who works nearby and shows up at just the right time to help get her in and out, is another angel.

...My husband who has offered to drive us to dialysis on Saturdays and then to help me run errands and pass the time while waiting for the treatment to end.

....The two ambulance drivers who teamed up to put her into the front seat of a small SUV are also angels in disguise.

".... I was sick and you took care of me... (Matthew 25: 36)"

There are so many personalities in the waiting room at the dialysis center. Most of the patients are not able to drive themselves there and back, and the length of time of the dialysis treatment is unpredictable.... and so they wait... Because of this they all get to know each other and they love to talk. Kidney failure doesn't care what your walk in life is, so all kinds of people end up in one small room.

You can learn all about a person in just a few minutes, when that person is eager to talk. One recent new friend from the waiting room is who my husband has dubbed "The Cowboy".

The Cowboy is a small man wearing jeans and boots, probably about 70 years old, with a weathered face After about 15 minutes I knew his heart. He loves horses, riding horses, teaching kids how to ride horses. Sadly, dialysis has taken a lot of this away from him.



When I asked The Cowboy how many horses he had and if he still rode them, he said, "They ain't goin' to take everything away from me!". I hope the cowboy can ride horses for a long time to come...

An 11 year old neighbor girl, named Australia, is another love of his. Her mother was killed in an automobile accident in Texas when she was only 2 weeks old. So, he and Australia's grandmother, Ms. Helen, went to Texas and brought her back to North Carolina. Australia can ride a horse like nobody's business, right through the middle of town, in the mountains or anywhere, thanks to The Cowboy. She loves the cowboy and he loves her.



I caught a glimpse of Australia when she came to the door of the dialysis center to let him know his ride was there... She is as pretty as the place she is named after.

When a dialysis patient exits the treatment room to the waiting room, they look pale and weak. Some of them are nauseated and some of them experience cramps. Some of them have a loved one waiting for them and others ride a van or on a gurney in an ambulance. Some are amputees and use prosthetic legs. They are all ages.

But they all have one thing in common. Dialysis is their job. It keeps them alive and so they go.....

Beauty in Unexpected Places.

Sometimes I get caught off guard by coming across beauty in unexpected places.

This is a picture of the employee entrance at my office taken last week. My coworker received these on her birthday, but poor thing, she has terrible allergies and can't stand to smell flowers. So, she sat them on the back stoop.





I couldn't miss seeing these, but sometimes there are those magical moments that you can miss if you aren't paying attention. Lets be on the look out today for those unexpected ways to appreciate the beauty in an ordinary day. I'll let you know later today if there's anything in my day worth sharing. :o

Small Town America - An Inspirational Walk

As part of my Bible Study Wednesday, I went on a nature walk during my lunch break to reflect on Psalm 139.

I began my walk at 12:00 noon, just in time to hear a distant church's chimes to the tune of "Rock of Ages". Music always has a magical effect on me and this time was no exception, as I walked down this sidewalk toward the city cemetery located a couple of blocks from my office.



Walking through a cemetery is a good way to do a Bible Study! If you have the opportunity, walk around and read the scriptures and reflect on life's meaning.





These engravings made me wonder, "How will my loved ones remember me?"






This old hand pump was located in an old section of the cemetery. A sign of times gone by with its own rustic beauty.



A Beautiful tribute.



A few end of summer Marigolds and Morning Glories entwined together. Can it be that Summer is loosening its grip?



Crepe Myrtles are still blooming!



My walk carried me through the historical district of this small town passing beautiful old Southern homes.



I love this front porch with the vines growing around the top. There are rocking chairs and I can just imagine sitting there, drinking hot coffee or iced tea, watching the world go by.



One more.


These are the same lillies that have been blooming in the farmhouse yard:





Are these crabapples?



Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Small Town America - Going Hog Wild!

You know you live in a small town in the South when pig sculptures are painted by local artists and put on display all over the area. There is a map for those who wish to locate all the pigs in sort of a treasure hunt. You can also vote for the best in "Sow" by paying $1.00 and filling out a Hammy Award Voting Ballot.

Pigcasso:



Annie Blossom:



Wasn't it nice of the town to put Annie Blossom near these stepping stones and bench so she could have company? Don't you love her outfit and shoes?



Swine-nancial:



The Sunny Side:



Susie Sow:



There are 24 pigs, many of which are in store front windows. Some of the other names are: Pigsician, Heavenly Gunter, El Cerdo Feliz, Hog Heaven, Bensley Bill the Wakeboarding Pig and Art and Soul.

Only in a small town in America!

I added this picture of my office. I think the yard is very pretty with the Crape Myrtles in bloom. This is an old house that has been converted into offices. There is a lot of history in this house. I've never witnessed a ghost, but sometimes there are noises..... never mind.



***** I love comments!************

Small Town America

On any given day in a small town you will see or hear little things that make up daily life. You might see an unusual license plate, friends hugging, or hear a new song coming from a church's loud speaker.

Here are a few that I can remember from recent times that made me smile.

1. I parked beside a car similar in color and style to my "old lady car". The owner was coming out while I was still getting my packages together and tried to open my door thinking it was his car. He was so embarrassed, but I told him not to worry, I had done the same thing recently.

2. On my next trip to the post office, I parked beside a car and noticed a human-size stuffed ape in the back seat safely strapped in the seatbelt. I did a double-take, which I'm sure is the reaction the owner was getting up and down the streets of this small town. LOL

3. I was sitting in the drive through lane of the bank when I heard screams from the car beside me in another lane. I was taken off guard until I realized that a cute little Southern Belle was frantically swiping at a bee that had joined her inside her car.

4. I was walking to the door of Walmart which is located near a church with chimes on a loud speaker. It was 12:00 Noon and the music was "The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music". This shows that even a walk through a paved parking lot at Walmart can be magical.

5. I've noticed lately that there are lots of people using motorized chairs on the street. I think this is dangerous, but evidently when there's a will, there's a way. Some of them even have bright orange reflectors on the back. Watch out for them!

Keep your eyes and ears open and you will be amazed at what you will see!

Scenes from the Country

My son on his vintage tractor:



Going.... going....



Gone....



And you think you are overworked!



Have a great Friday and weekend!