The Dangest Thing

I ain't never sick much. But I waked up this morning with aches and chills. I reckon I had a little fever too but not too much. So I started doing what I know to do. I started taking CitriDrops (10 drops in a little water, followed by a full glass of filtered water.) The main thing I don't want in the water is chlorine. A doctor in Atlanta told me one time that chlorine warn't good for you to drink. It's good up to the point where the water comes out the tap. Then you need to filter it out. A funny story about the Harper water supply. For years and years old man Chester Dawes run the water plant. Peoples just loved Harper water to the point what peoples what was visiting in Harper would take home jugs of Harper water cause it were so much better than what they got at their towns. Well, old man Dawes died a few years back and the water started to taste real funny like. That's when we found out the only chlorine in Harper's water were in the samples he sent off to the state to be tested for how much chlorine were in it. I gotta get well 'fore Saturday 'cause that's when I am getting hitched.

Clothesline

We got a real nice washing machine and clothes dryer. I got 'em from Sears and Roebuck up in Jackson. Me and Willie went up in my truck and loaded 'em up and brung 'em home. And me and Dorothy gonna use 'em too. Except Dorothy likes to hang clothes out on a clothesline for the most part. She says the fresh air purifies 'em. I reckon she's right, but when we get married I plan to continue to wash my own clothes and use my new dryer to dry 'em. She said she didn't mind keeping up with my washing along with hers and I wouldn't mind but I'm kinda use to taking care of myself and as long as I'm able I plan to do just that. It ain't like it's a lot of trouble with the new machines to do all the work. I told Dorothy I didn't mind helping her taking clothes off the clothesline since she are still gonna run the cafe. I think me and Dorothy is gonna get along just fine.

Dorothy at Millsaps

When I were back from Korea living in Harper I run into Dorothy a lot. She were just a young girl and I were married and raising a family. She tells me she had always taken a liking to me, but just kinda an admiring kinda thing. She were raised a Methodist so it seemed like it were natural to go to Millsaps. She got a degree there in what they call liberal arts. But she never put it to no good use. Her mama needed her to work in their cafe. It were their only means of income and they done good at it. Dorothy don't talk like me, but she don't hold that over my head none. She said I could talk anyway I want to as long as she can understand me. So I ain't never seen no use to clean up my language. I figure that living in the same house with Dorothy some of her good English will rub off on me though. She said she don't care one way or the other. I reckon that's one of the things I love about her. We getting married this weekend. Hope y'all will tune in and read about it.

                                                     State Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi

Hollis Are Up At Millsaps

I think I told y'all Hollis decided to enter the writing program at Millsaps College in Jackson. His girl goes there. He said that didn't have nothing to do with his joining up there, but.... Y'all all know that Hollis wanted me to start this blog thing and have been trying to write it up in my words as close as possible. He has material for six more posts after this and then we gonna stop doing it ever day. That's 'cause of his school work and all that stuff. It were a lot of fun doing it and I still got to tell y'all a few more things before I quit. Hollis says after we finish up the daily thing he are going to leave the information up and peoples can go back and read all the days as they want to. He says he might post something ever week or so. Dorothy are real happy Hollis are going to Millsaps. That's where she went to school. I'll tell y'all all about that tomorrow.

Old People's Names

A lot of the names peoples my age has, ain't being used no more. Boys was named: Cecil, Eugene, Randolph, Leon, Leonard, and of course Harvey. Girls was even worse with names like: Mildred, Hazel, Pearl, Opal, Laverne, Beulah, Dorcas, Hortense, and of course Dorothy. My name come from a old uncle on my mama's side name of Lee Harvey Thompson. He were from Selma, Alabama. Dorothy's name come from the Wizard of Oz in the person of Dorothy Gale played by Judy Garland. For that reason Dorothy have always been proud of her name. You ought to hear her sing "Over the Rainbow." It would be nice if some of these new mamas and daddies would pick some of them old names, just so ever body wouldn't be named Brittany and Sean.

Chopping Block

One of the things what Dorothy wanted moved to the big house were a enormous chopping block. It warn't all that big, but it were unhandy and weighed about as much as one of the big hogs out at Westminster Jenkins' farm. It were about as unhandy to carry as one of them pigs too. Me and Willie had it all to ourself and we was up to the job. Sorta. It taken us several tries before we got it up the stairs and into the back door. Then Willie brung out these little plastic thing what we put under each leg and it slud just as easy as pie. When we got it where Dorothy wanted it, right in the middle of the kitchen, we took them plastic movers out and the job were done. We both taken out our handkerchiefs and wipe our brows. Willie said that block should be called "death in a table." I think he were right. Then Willie started teasing me some. He claimed that my head were soon gonna be on that chopping block, talking about me getting hitched and all. It didn't bother me none 'cause that's just the way me and Willie is and always has been. You know, teasing one another and all.

Everything White

When me and Trixie was living in the big house before she run off with the tent preacher, she wanted a lot of color on the walls: red, purple, forest green, and even one room solid black. Dorothy are different; she wanted all the rooms white. She allowed that white walls show off colorful accessories so much better. I ain't gonna argue with her just like I didn't argue with Trixie. So me and Willie, my good friend, cleared ever thing out, one room at a time, and commenced to paint all the walls white. We both pretty good painters and knew how to use a primer to the best advantage. I will say all the rooms took a bunch of coats and that black bedroom took more than I want to count. Now that ever thing is white I reckon it's time for Dorothy to start moving her things over. And she does have some nice stuff. Why some of her stuff is old enough to be antiques. Tomorrow we borrowing Jed Simonton's big truck and we gonna try to move it all in one day. Then we'll see how much them white walls show things off.