and their families. They came from North Carolina where there were very few Indians at the time and settled in the mountains of what is now Gilmer County, in the midst of the Cherokee Indian Nation. They made friends with the Cherokees, bought land from them and employed them to help build their log cabins. The year 1828 was an unsettling time for the Cherokees. Gold had been discovered at Dahlonega, with the Indians claiming most of the land. The State of Georgia was making it very difficult for them, by making laws affecting the Indians that almost bordered on persecution. However, of great consequence, Andrew Jackson was elected president that year and was soon warning the Cherokees that if they did not obey the laws of Georgia they would be removed to the West. When the Cherokees were removed in 1837 and 1838, the state divided the land in the former Indian territory of North Georgia by lottery. My ancestor was allowed to keep the land that he had purchased from the Indians but had to pay for it a second time in the land lottery.
By the outbreak of the Civil War, my relatives were numerous in the mountains of Gilmer and Fannin counties, coming mainly from Pickens County, South Carolina and Western North Carolina at the time of the North Georgia land lottery. Those coming from Northern South Carolina had migrated there from sections of the Appalachian mountains and were mainly of Scotch descent. My grandfather, born in 1836, hereafter will be referred to as “Pap.” He served in the Confederate Army, two years in the home guard and two years in the regular army. The home guard was a very unpopular organization in this area due to the fact that most of the mountain people were Union sympathizers, and the majority of the men and boys eligible for military service fled to the North and served in the Union Army. As a result of this situation brother fought against brother and neighbor against neighbor and the animosity generated during the conflict prevailed for the remainder of the century. After the war, Pap married and settled down at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains to wrest
“I’m as American as apple pie.” - Paul Mooney
a living from the rough land which had been drawn by his grandfather and purchased at the time of the North Georgia land lottery. He reared a large family at this location. When a new settler built a house on the land lot it was usually located in a cove at the foot of the mountain near a spring or water. The fields would be cleared above the house, up the mountainside. This was necessary because the water had to be carried by hand and a crop could be harvested and hauled downhill on a sled to the house and barn. These mountain people usually reared large families. Pap had nine children, and his father reared 10. When one of the children married they would move up the mountain near another spring, build a cabin and clear more land. This process continued until by my father's time, A. L. Holden, born in 1875, people were living all along the Blue Ridge divide. My ancestors did not have an easy life. Due to the isolation and lack of cash money, if they did not grow it or get it from the forest, it was usually “do without.” The main crop was corn interplanted with
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the other end, except when she was up pouring milk or coffee or getting another cake of hot bread from the dutch oven, cooking on the hearth by the fireplace. There were few good schools in the mountains. Most were the oneroom and one-teacher kind, poorly constructed with no desks. The students sat on benches made with “sawmill” lumber and no backs to them. The subjects were confined mainly to the “three Rs” and Webster's “blue-backed” speller. The children who attended the three-month sessions regularly were good in arithmetic and spelling, although their teachers probably had no more than a seventh or eighth grade education. Many of the schools were held in church houses, as the county had little money to spend on education. They would hold about a two-week teacher training session in order to license those eighth grade students as teachers. Some of Pap's children got a fair education measured by the standards of the times; others did not, having, they thought, to work at something to make a living. There were no blacks or foreigners in these mountains during the last half of the 19th century. Moreover, there were very few “flatlanders,” a name given to persons from the Piedmont and Coastal sections of Georgia and North Carolina. The people were mostly of Scottish decent, mixed with Irish and English. Their politics varied about as much as in other parts of the country until after the Civil War. Since they owned no slaves, objected to Georgia's leaving the Union, and sent many soldiers to the Union Army, they chose Abe Lincoln and the new Republican Party. However, there were a few strong Democrats in the area. They, like Pap, were strong state’s righters and supported their state to the end. The mountaineers of Southern Appalachia were basically religious. The churches in the Gilmer and Fannin county mountains were for the greater part of the Methodist and Baptist faith. When the Scotch-Irish left Western Pennsylvania they were all Presbyterians, but as they became scattered and isolated in the Appalachian mountains, that church could no longer maintain its mission to them. Soon the traveling preachers of the Methodist and Baptist faith were covering the area and preaching to the mountain people. A large number of small churches established in the mountains of Fannin and Gilmer counties were Primitive Baptists, called hardshelled or footwashing Baptists. The preachers traveled over a large area and were able to hold services only once per month at each church. They would hold services on both Saturday and Sunday.
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The Saturday service was called “Saturday Meetin',” and at this session all of the official business was conducted. One such business was an open trial of a member who had been accused of misconduct. If the offense was serious enough and the offender was found guilty, he or she was “churched.” This was a term used for the discontinuing of membership for just cause. These organizations were very strict, and members were “churched” for cursing, lying, gossiping or other similar offenses. By the 1850s, the greater number of churches were Missionary Baptists. My grandfather, Pap, and his family and most of his relatives were members of a Missionary Baptist Church. Pap's father, the Rev. John Holden, born in 1822, was a Missionary Baptist preacher. He established two churches, one each in the mountains of Gilmer and Fannin counties. These were Sugar Creek in Fannin and New Liberty in Gilmer in 1855. He rode horseback over miles of mountain trails, pastoring these churches. These churches are still having services to this day. The religion practiced in the mountain churches was very emotional, and it was not uncommon for some “shouting” to take place during the service. One of my aunts was such a consistent shouter that it was not considered a good “meetin'” if she did not “take a through” (shout). Pap, himself, was a religious man. He opposed liquor, not only the manufacture and sale of it, but the consumption of it also. His sons were divided on the liquor issue. One son was a federal revenue agent, and another sold illegal liquor. Another son, my father, was a non-drinker and also opposed the liquor traffic. Toward the end of the century it became harder for these mountain farmers to support their large families on the small mountain farms. The soil was getting poorer each year they were cultivated without any soil improvement practice. The railroad came to the county in the 1880s, and some timber companies came in and set up sawmills which furnished some employment for the young men. My father was employed as a steamboiler fireman at the sawmill for five or six years before he married and left the area for the “flatlands” in 1901. By early in the 20th century nearly all of the high mountain farmers had sold their land to the timber companies on the U.S. Forest Service and migrated to the textile mills and cotton fields of Piedmont, Georgia. The worn-out mountain cornfields were returned to growing trees, the only crop for which they were really suited. Pap and all his clan had left the area by about 1902. All that remains of the cabin where he raised a large family is two piles of rocks of which the chimneys were made. The important thing that remains is the great heritage left to me and my family by the foundations laid by my mountain ancestors.
“If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.” - Carl Sagan
kiln fightingtown tavern
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to encourage the deer plan stews and soups and pies to move somewhere and cakes. I really come alive else. That might take during autumn. some time and reNot only does my family search! I could possibly benefit from my autumn mood, be famous if I manage but my animals do too. They all to figure it out. love pumpkins, and they get one I get excited about at least once a week to devour. autumn for a lot of They say that pumpkin seeds are reasons, not just the natural wormers for chickens. I apples. I love the don't know if that is true, but I leaves changing and don't have worm issues with my the cool evenings and livestock and I like to think it's mornings. from all the pumpkins and other I love all the festivals natural herbs and veggies they eat. that are around this I like that the animals love all time of year, and I love the scraps that they get during the approach of HalYou just can’t beat homemade apple bread pudding! the fall clean up. They seem loween and Thanksgiving. I get the crafting so happy and excited to see bug and can't wait to make all sorts of wreaths, candle holders and other whatever I have to offer. I open up the gates to my garden and let them help me clean up and get ready to prepare the ground for next year’s pretty things to set around the house. gardens. I love the smells of autumn, especially the cinnamon and nutmeg that fill the house when I'm baking. I like to cook, and it's the perfect time to September is the beginning of clean up and preparation for winter too,
“Tolerance is the value that was selected to put on here, and tolerance is as American as apple pie.” - Jay Inslee
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so there is a lot of hard work to get done. I like to save all my feed bags all summer, and when fall comes around I start stuffing them full of leaves and straw and attach them to the walls of the animal house to help insulate for winter. I start to fill the animal house with tons of hay and straw to help get them ready for the colder months. I make sure all the drafts are plugged up and that the animals will be as warm as possible during winter. I have to get all the garden beds cleaned up and covered up for the winter. I like to prepare my roses, azaleas and hydrangeas for the cold. I put chicken wire around them and start filling the base with leaves and pine straw. It helps protect the roots, and the rotting leaves and straw turn into mulch and feed the shrubs over the winter. It's a little extra work, but it's so beneficial and it really gives them all a good start in the spring when it's time for them to flower. Another fall activity is the big clean up and clean out. I know a lot of people do “spring cleaning,” and I do that too after being stuck inside all winter. I do like to get ready for winter and do a big cleaning before I am house bound and bored. I get rid of all the clutter and things of summer that are all over the place. I bring in all my plants that have been enjoying the summer outside. I get them prepped for living in the house and find them all nice sunny spots near windows. I like to clean out closets and get all the summer clothes pushed to the back so that my sweaters, flannel shirts and jeans are right up front. My favorite fall activity is going shopping for new winter boots. I like a nice fur lined rubber boot. Something that goes well with fuzzy, fleece pajama pants and my big red winter coat. I am not ashamed to admit that I am out mucking around in the cold and rain and mud in my pjs every morning. I figure if someone sees me they will just think I'm sleepwalking or is that sleepfarming? I guess now that I've shared my winter wardrobe with the world, you can tell I'm not a designer diva! Autumn is my favorite time of year, and I am thrilled that it's finally here after a humid, hot, dry summer. Let the pumpkin spice everything begin!
“I’m from Maine. I eat apple pie for breakfast.” - Rachel Nichols
teenager. Now we live in Oakman, Ga., which is a little town by Carter’s Lake with a couple of gas stations and a post office. Not too far from Jasper, Calhoun, and Chatsworth. Lora: Do you have another job? Cameron: I am the talent buyer and do PR for a music venue in Marietta/Kennesaw area, called Gardens at Kennesaw Mountain. Lora: What’s the biggest show you have ever done? Cameron: I am not really sure. We have played a lot of festivals with large audiences like Pickathon in Oregon, Bristol Rhythm and Roots in Virginia, Dogwood Festival in Atlanta, the outdoor stage at Athfest, and American Music Festival in Nashville. Lora: Do you have any unique fans out there you want to tell us about? Cameron: Yes, several! There are two little girls in Nashville who have learned some of our songs and have made videos of them singing them. I hope to have them join us on stage next time we play there. We used to have a guy that would come out and tape a lot of our shows, and one day he gave us a goat. I
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haven’t seen him in a while though. There is a sweet man named Martin who is now a dear friend and travels great distances for some of our shows. He’s a fan of a lot of music and is always headed somewhere to see somebody play it seems. Lora: What are three things you cannot live without? Cameron: Russell, Frankie, and Asa. Lora: What are the top songs on your play list right now? Cameron: I am still trying to figure out how to create a play list. Probably something by Slim Whitman, Guy Clark, or Emmy Lou Harris. Lora: If you could open for anyone who would it be? Cameron: Most of the people I would love to open for are no longer living, but it would be pretty amazing to open for Buddy Miller and Emmy Lou Harris, or Ricki Lee Jones, or Bob Dylan. I could go on and on. Lora: What hobbies do you have outside of music? Cameron: I love being on the water and in the outdoors. I also love traveling and doing fun
things with my kids. Lora: What is a great story you have about a show on the road? Cameron: Running into friends from Georgia at festivals we are playing at out in Oregon, who ditched their flights and rode back with us in our van in their camping chairs, on tour with us, until we broke down in Colorado, then they got some new flights home. Lora: What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous? Cameron: Nervous is good, it means what you are doing is meaningful to you. You rarely look or sound as nervous as you feel. There are so many sides to Cameron in the arts that I could do many interviews with her and not be able to cover it all. I look forward to seeing what all she and Russell come up with in the future. I know it will be amazing and a wonderful contribution to the arts. When I asked Cameron, “What do you want people to know about you and your band?” her response was, we are nice people who will most likely like you a lot.
“We are born believing. A man bears beliefs as a tree bears apples.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sheena: I honestly don’t think I have a favorite. I love almost everything I do, but I also see room for improvement on everything I have done. I believe that if you can see your own flaws and always keep trying to get better, then you will always leave room to improve your skills. Lora: What art shows have you done? Sheena: I have traveled around and done airbrushing at many of the festivals in North Georgia. Lora: What hobbies do you have? Sheena: I like to go kayaking and spend time with my family. Lora: What are your goals as an artist? Sheena: My goal has always been to tattoo. Most of my life I remember wanting to be a tattoo artist, but I thought I was too afraid to try it. But now that I have accomplished that goal I couldn’t be happier. Lora: Where can people find your art? Sheena: I have a tattoo portfolio at American Ink and Iron where I do tattoos in Jasper, and I have folders full of pictures of my art on my Facebook pages. Lora: When did you get into tattoo art? Sheena: I have always drawn things that I said was going to be tattoos one day. I have always had that interest, but I started tattooing in 2014. Lora: How is it different being a female tattoo artist? Sheena: I wouldn’t say that it is different being a female tattoo artist. I believe it has become more common, but sometimes it does draw in customers who are seeking a female artist. Lora: How is tattoo art the same and different from other art forms? Sheena: Unlike just being able to draw there is a lot more that comes with learning to draw/tattoo on the skin. Lora: Where can people find you if they want a tattoo?
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“I don’t want to spend my life not having good food going into my pie hole. That hole was made for pies.” – Paula Deen
Sheena: If someone wants to find me for a tattoo they can come to American Ink and Iron Tattoo Company beside Rocco’s Pub in Jasper. Lora: Do you have any advice for beginners? Sheena: If I were to give any advice to someone wanting to do tattoos it would be to learn it from a professional and do not try to teach yourself. Go and become a tattoo apprentice and learn to do it the correct way because there is a lot more to becoming a professional that just drawing on skin. Lora: What do you want people to know about you and/or your art and your tattoo career? Sheena: I want people to know this is a real job and not just something you do for fun. I love this career, and when you find something you’re good at and enjoy doing, then you should go for it. When work doesn’t feel like work, then you are right where you need to be. Sheena is a woman who knew who she was and what she wanted and went for it. This is something we all have inside of us but often let fear of failure, being judged, and all our other excuses stop us from going for what we want. I am positive at times Sheena felt this way, but the message here is to not let that stop you. Do not give up and find your passion so that work is satisfying. The goal is to live a life that makes you happy and from which you do not need an escape. I let the words Sheena spoke resonate with me for a while and came to the conclusion that this is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves and the world around us. I truly hope you enjoyed reading about Sheena and got a little something from her story that you can carry forward and apply to your own happiness and pursuit of your own dreams.
“He must be the only man alive who can eat an apple through a tennis racket.” – Gary Linker
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a booming construction landscape. Glenn’s intent was to help his brother and provide a livelihood for himself. But by the time he left the Central American country that borders on both the Caribbean and Pacific oceans, he’d also acquired an education. He was now versed in how to build houses very different in architectural style from those he’d brought out of the ground in the northern Atlanta suburbs. Spanish and Italian architecture are popular home design styles in the Costa Rican housing market. With their vaulted ceilings, open plazas, covered lanais, interesting window designs and eye-catching balconies, these new architectural styles captivated Glenn. Suddenly he looked at the past homes he’d built in a different perspective. Fortunately for him, he was in a great place to see and absorb and enjoy this metamorphosis. According to Internet postings about Costa Rica, it’s home to the most examples of modern and post-modern architecture in the Central American region. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the country’s capital city, San Jose, where nearly every architectural movement in the 1900s and 2000s can
“Cut my pie into four pieces, I don’t think I could eat eight.” - Yogi Berra
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be found. From Art Deco to starkly modern, to neo-classical interpretations of both Spanish and Italian influence, Glenn was able to immerse himself in it all. He self-educated himself. As the Costa Rican economy began to suffer some hits, Glenn left and headed to Florida, where the building boom was reigniting. The worst of America’s economic woes were fast becoming history, and people in Florida wanted homes. Glenn obliged. Working off the knowledge and design techniques he’d observed and honed in Central America, Glenn translated those concepts into new homes for Sunshine State buyers. He explains very modestly that he considers himself a house artist, not just a builder, although his emphasis has always been to build a sturdy product. Glenn pays attention to the smallest details. One classic example of this concern for minutia can be found in the home he’s recently brought to pre-purchase completion in Gilmer County. The architect’s plan didn’t call for this little detail, but it’s certain whoever buys the property is going to appreciate Glenn’s efforts. In the kitchen, a wall is to the right of the sink that both boxed in the space and blocked the view. As an afterthought, Glenn cut a window opening in that wall, and the key word here is opening. Suddenly the space was no longer confining, and the person at the sink will have a beautiful vista almost at their elbow. But long before Glenn ever arrived in the North Georgia mountains, where he established Southern Crafted Homes, he was investing that same attention to the little things into every home he built in Florida. He enjoyed success and satisfaction in Florida, but eventually, the call of the mountains was too strong to resist. The urge to return to where he began was overwhelming, and Glenn packed up his tools and his skills and headed north. The Ellijay and Gilmer County area was where he landed this time. It didn’t take long before he knew he’d found his niche. The mountains enveloped him, wrapped themselves around him, and let him know he was
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An apple a day will keep anyone away, if thrown hard enough.
where he was supposed to be. It was a feeling he savored and protected and nurtured. But it also gave him a new and different perspective. Suddenly he was able to put himself in the shoes of those buyers from Florida who come to the mountains in search of a sanctuary. That’s when the idea for a house unlike anything he’d ever built came to him. He envisioned a mountain home for sure, but with detail and livability that he knew would speak to someone seeking solace in the hills of North Georgia. A home imbued with the same elements he’d employed in those Florida homes, but with a mountain twist as his goal. Or, to put it another way, the best of both worlds. A plan was born. Literally. Glenn used an architect’s design as his launching pad. But he didn’t stop there. Instead, he added a few additional feet to the width of the footprint, which gave the Great Room more livability. He sought to orient the structure to take maximum advantage of the panoramic views surrounding the lot. And he chose exterior materials and finishes that allowed the home to blend with its surroundings in an unobtrusive way. But it was inside where this house artist truly found himself in his element. The floor plan is spacious and livable on three levels, and the abundance of windows brings the outdoors inside. It’s the finish, however, and Glenn’s signature dedication to detail and over-the-top that bring the interior alive. Even though the house is waiting for the buyer to select flooring and appliances and other specific finishes, it’s tempting to begin getting your mail delivered to River Escape in Cherry Log, Ga., immediately. Never mind the completion details! The reason the house appears instantly livable can be found in the details that wood craftsman Glenn executed. Working in tandem with the house artist side of his creative personality, Glenn spent most of a month concentrating on the trim finishes. Rather than ordering his trim materials from a traditional building supply business, he frequented antiques shops and investigated piles of
“When God ripens apples, he isn’t in a hurry and doesn’t make a noise.”
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ancient Cherokee Indian directional stone. The dishpan size rock, which came from Turniptown Creek, was placed there and oriented to give silent direction to Cherokees who encountered it. Glenn found it in an antiques shop. Now it occupies a space of prominence in the Great Room, within the soaring stackstone fireplace surround. Glenn Sanborn is a well-rounded, talented versatile artist. His work is something you literally have to see for yourself, but you’ll agree that craftsman Glenn Sanborn has outdone himself on this house. As for what comes next, he already has other plans for building in both Gilmer and neighboring Fannin counties. He hopes this house he’s just finished will become his signature home, because it’s his initial effort in building mountain homes. But he vows to invest the same attention to detail and creativity into every house he builds in the future. If you want to meet and talk with a true house artist and craftsman, Glenn can be contacted at gsanborn06@gmail.com or at 678-431-5176.
Discovery of the Cherokee direction stone altered for the better, Glenn’s plans for the fireplace surround in the Great Room.
“Statistics are to baseball what a flaky crust is to Mom’s apple pie.” - Harry Reasoner
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“I love to eat an apple after a meal, just to cleanse my teeth - they always look polished afterwards.” - Catherine Zeta-Jones
tree in various directions. Once Tristan was satisfied with the look of the tree and its limbs he decided it was time to put some fall colored leaves on the tree using cotton swabs. He chose a deep red, an orange, and a yellow to use for the leaves’ colors. It is best if you use a different cotton swab for each color so that you don’t get mixed colors and shades that would take away from the fall theme. He carefully but generously dabbed the cotton swabs into each color of paint and them tapped them on the paper around the limbs he had painted making a full fall tree. It is a simple yet fun way to paint a beautiful fall painting to hang and enjoy for your fall season.
Once we finished the fall painting we put it to the side to dry and began to gather the supplies for our second fall craft. This one we are both very excited about because it is cute, fun and scary. We are using a small brown lunch bag to make a monster puppet for Halloween fun. You will need a bag, paint in colors you choose, paint brushes, construction paper, glue, googly eyes and any other art supply you can think of to make your puppet creation your own. You can always substitute any other supply when it comes to this type of craft. It is all about what you want to make it look like. Tristan decided he wanted to paint his monster puppet a deep blue so he took a larger paint brush and painted the entire side of the bag with
“We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.” - David Mamet
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the flap in this color. Once he had it coated well we used a hair dryer to dry the paint on the bag so that we could move on to the decorating phase of the craft sooner. We cut the big circles around the eye out and glued them onto the bad. The next step was to glue the googly eyes into the center of the big circles. Tristan wanted to give his monster big sharp teeth so we cut little triangles out of construction paper and glued them under the flap where they are hanging down. Last of all we used some of the fuzzy craft balls to glue down the center of the bottom of the bag like buttons on a shirt would look. Our monster is complete and adorably scary. This craft was one of Tristan’s all-time favorite crafts we have done. The ideas for fall crafts are endless and timeless. We could literally find a new one to do each day of fall and never run out of ideas. These two are both easy and inexpensive ideas that we love. I hope that each of you can take some time to do one of these crafts or find another fall craft to do together with your children. This time of year seems to be the perfect time to bring families together in many ways. We plan to enjoy the apple houses, pumpkin farms, and hay rides, but there is nothing like a day at home eating homemade cookies, drinking apple cider, and making crafts together as a family. Happy Fall Y’all!!!
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The average person eats 65 apples per year.
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at the creek, Granny Taylor would holler, “Bensy Taylor, you git in here right this minute!”
And my granny would commence, “Charles Ray Simpson, come here to this house lickity split!” I reckon they thought misery really did yearn for the company of other poor souls, and they was determined to make me and Bensy as miserable as them. For our grannies had been friends for many years, all the way back to their own childhoods. Durin recess, we would try to come up with a good plan, but at age 6, good plans was hard to come by. We watched our fam’lies become embarrassed, even at church. Me and Bensy still sat together at church. Our mamas said they was the boss of us, not the grannies. They could set wherever they pleased, which was as fer away from each other as they could git. Even the preacher, who fin’ly got wind of the situation, put his two cents worth in, preachin behind the pulpit. He talked about how we are to love each other as ourselves. He said there couldn’t be no fussin in the body of Christ without it hurtin the whole church. When the preacher said such, our grannies turned and glared at each other. My Granny Simpson said after church, while we was eatin fried chicken, that it was all Bensy’s granny’s fault and the Lord would judge her. My daddy ’bout choked on his cornbread. “Mama,” he said, and I felt my whole body cinch up. “How in the world can you say anythang like that when you’s as guilty as Miz Taylor?” He throwed down his napkin and stomped out of the dinin room, takin a chicken leg with him. Of course, Granny Simpson commenced squallin, which, bein only 6, I joined right in. My mama picked me up out of my chair and took me to her lap. She looked at Granny Simpson and said, “This is ruinin our lives, Rena. And it’s senseless. If you love that man, quit playin mad with Gertie and tell him. And I’d say the same to her. He’s not a toy younguns are fightin over. He has a mind. Let him make it up.” And with that she toted me out of the room, got her pocketbook, and told my daddy she was ready to go home. From what Bensy said, their fam’ly was in the same mess. It got to where we saw each other only at school and Sunday School. We was afraid to even set together durin church meetin, even though our mamas said we could. The odd thing was, that dang creek near dried up durin all this ruckus. Thanksgivin was better, such as it was. I don’t know if Granny Simpson ever talked to Mr. Wright about her feelins, or if she just sent him hints and dropped by the school when she could scrape up a excuse about me to visit.
One medium apple contains about 80 calories.
I know Bensy’s granny was doin the same thing. I was beginnin to wonder if this mess was ever gonna be cleared up, when Mr. Wright cleared it up hisself. Christmas vacation time come, and Mr. Wright went back to where he come from for the holidays. And guess what? He took Miz Rogers, the school secretary, with him! She was 20 years younger’n Mr. Wright was, and had never been married. Until Christmas day. A’course, none of us knowed such until it was time to start back to school. Mr. Wright didn’t show up. Miz Rogers didn’t show up. Nobody knowed where they was. Fin’ly, about nine o’clock, the principal’s telephone rung and it was Mr. Wright. He explained that him and Miz Rogers had done got hitched and would not be returnin. He said he had plenty of retirement pension and they was gonna take it easy fer a while. Well, upon hearin that bit of news, Granny Simpson took to her bed for three days. Granny Taylor left town, herself, and visited Bensy’s Aint Susan. When she come back, Granny Simpson got up outta the bed. It come a good rain ’cause the weather warmed up some. The creek filled back up right full. Me and Bensy visited our grannies at the same time, and when we met at the creek, nobody yelled at us to get back to the house. And, although we didn’t git to hear it first hand, our grannies made up. They said they was fools; old fools. Their friendship run deep, and I reckon that’s why it survived Mr. Wright. Imagine how bad it would have been if Mr. Wrong had showed up! Anyhow, this here story is the one me and Bensy will share with our younguns. Cause me and her, we got married right outta high school and lived happily ever after. So far.
There are more than 7500 varieties of apples grown in the world. About 2500 varieties are grown in the United States.
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From commander to author
Troops unloading on the battlefield. (Photo courtesy Jimmy Blackmon)
Gordon County native Jimmy Blackmon credits his military service with shaping his life for the better It’s a Saturday evening at the Harris Arts Center in Calhoun, and Gordon County native Jimmy Blackmon is in town to speak and sign his newly released book, Pale Horse. The bearded man setting up his props is relaxed and in command. Dressed in jeans, an open collar red shirt beneath a sport coat sporting patches on the sleeves, he’s a reminder that still waters run very deeply. And appearances don’t always tell the entire story. This young man in his 40s is very much in his element. “I hope someone will come out,” he says to the empty room almost an hour before the specified 6 o’clock start
By John Shivers 48
Red Delicious is the most popular and most-produced apple in the United States. Golden Delicious is the second most popular.
time. Yet his words don’t convey concern, as much as curiosity. It’s a case of local native come home for the night. Thomas Wolfe maintained that you can never go home again. An unspoken question hangs in the air about how much validity there is to Wolfe’s opinion. The boy, who grew up in the Red Bud community in eastern rural Gordon County, has traveled literally hundreds of thousands of miles both geographically and professionally since he graduated from Calhoun High School in 1987. But he admits he couldn’t have envisioned then, that almost 30 years later, he would, in effect, graduate again. This time retired with the rank of colonel from the United States Army. In between, would emerge a story that would be the makings of a good book. With the publication of Pale Horse, he tells just a Gerald Hite, long time math instructor now retired from Calhoun High School, was just one of many educators who came to hear Jimmy Blackmon and stayed to visit. (Photo by John Shivers)
Johnny Appleseed was the nickname for John Chapman, a pioneer born in 1774 who planted apple seeds in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.
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small but poignant slice of the story that his military career spawned. “Growing up,” he recalls, “all I thought about was which shift I’d work.” He refers to the county’s heavy industrial presence, and the easy availability of employment in one of the plants in the late 1980s. Then he recalls, as his eyes take on a faraway look, the night the army recruiter visited his home in 1986. He offered the high school student an opportunity to enlist the military following graduation. Jimmy remembers two different emotions that simultaneously flooded his mind. The first concerned an Eisenhower waist coat that hung in a closet in another room, a relic of his father’s service in the Korean War. He had occasionally tried on the coat, and he could literally see himself in uniform. He liked what he saw. The other aspect of the recruiter’s invitation was the mention of a college education that Jimmy knew wouldn’t happen any other way. “My family couldn’t afford to send me to college,” he explains. The Montgomery GI Bill, he believed, was his ticket out of shift work. He signed on the dotted line. His military service did indeed provide him with an education. From North Georgia College where he earned a BA in History, he went on to get an MA from Old Dominion University and an MA in National Security from the National War College. In addition, he is Airborne, Ranger, and Air Assault qualified, and has earned the Combat Action Badge. He’s also a Master Army Aviator. Not too shabby for the guy who brought the character Lil’ Abner to life in the 1987 Senior Play staged at Calhoun High School. But just as he had command of that role during that time, he went on to command the Pale Horse Squadron in combat. Such responsibility included a battalion 3,000 soldiers strong, along with all the equipment necessary to make their operations successful. To succeed, he explains, “You have to shape the vision and then promote it.” From this end of the spectrum, Jimmy Blackmon can see how so many aspects of his life have fallen into place, and how both he and the military have evolved since the day he entered service during the Cold War era. “The Army was different then,” he points out. “Everything was top down driven.” Sept. 11, 2001 changed everything he’d come to understand.” In addition, he points out that in 1991, when the Berlin Wall went down and in 1993 when the World Wide Web went up, everything changed. “The speed of life changed and we became a globalized world. It changed the Army I was in, and it changed the way I saw myself.” By the way, someone did come out to hear the local son turned military commander turned author that Saturday evening. It was a nice contingent of people from around the community, a number of whom were Jimmy’s former teachers. They had to have left proud. For some 30 minutes, without
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Jimmy Blackmon in combat gear, on the job. (Photo courtesy Jimmy Blackmon) any notes, Gordon County’s native son transported the entire room back to Afghanistan, to the very valley where the 9/11 attacks were plotted and perfected. Before the eyes of the audience, this man, this master storyteller, brought the horrors and the realities of combat home to Gordon County. And he knew first-hand the story he related, because he had been the commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Task Force Pale Horse from 2008 to 1010 and the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade “Thunder” from 2012 to 2015. That Commander Blackmon had the deepest of respect for those men and
Archaeologists have evidence of people eating apples as far back as 6500 B.C.
women who served and fought, and in some cases died, under him came through loud and clear that evening. He went on to explain that because the Army was forced to transition from a top down hierarchy of command, the leadership model for those in command had to change as well. For starters, the validity of thoughts and opinions of the soldiers in the trenches was recognized. Individual strengths and weaknesses of those troops were considered and evaluated. Everything changed, and no one felt the transition more than Jimmy Blackmon, as he prepared to lead his troops into battle. Everything was predicated on maximizing individual soldier potential and matching those soldiers with jobs that held the greatest promise for success in battle, with as few casualties as possible. It was, as Jimmy himself shared with his audience, a heavy responsibility. And he credited those who were seated around him that evening, with providing the foundation that allowed him to advance to the job of Chief of the War Plans Division on the staff of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, before he retired earlier this year. His school career also prepared him to be a writer. “I’ve always loved good writing. I like the way it makes me feel.” He explains that he has an almost photographic memory and has great recall of what he has heard and read. “It allowed me to write realistically.” Jimmy recalls that when he was a boy, he gravitated to old men in bib overalls telling stories. One of those men was his grandfather, and
Another side of Jimmy in his dress uniform adorned with all his awards. (Photo courtesy Jimmy Blackmon)
Apples come in all shades of reds, greens, and yellows.
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Commander Blackmon addressing his troops. (Photo courtesy Jimmy Blackmon)
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Jimmy listened and learned. In time, he began mimicking the tales he heard, adding to and embellishing. The craft of weaving words in ways that entertain stuck with him. That night at the Harris Arts Center he demonstrated that he hasn’t lost the touch. If anything, he’s the consummate storyteller whether he’s relating stories of the South, or bringing the reality of a war half a globe away into three-dimensional reality. There’s an interesting explanation behind “Pale Horse,” the name of the Task Force, and in turn the title of Jimmy Blackmon’s second book. If you check out Revelation chapter six, verse eight, you’ll find, “And I looked, and behold a pale horse; and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed him.” Pale Horse both honors and commemorates the service of this elite task force from the unique vantage point of the commander who led them into battle. His first book, Southern Roots, is a series of stories about family and life in the South. He’s now at work on his third book, dealing with leadership from a military perspective. He’s also working to become more of a family man. Jimmy and his wife, Lisa, have four children, ages 22, 17, 15 and 12. With the two oldest, he readily confesses he missed six out of 12 years of their lives. The family has recently relocated from Virginia to Clarksville, Tenn. Jimmy works from home both for his writing and for the consulting company he co-founded named Out Front Leadership, LLC. He and his partner work with chief executive officers from large companies to train them to guide and motivate their troops. Their training emphasizes investing employees with emotional ownership in the organization. (Check out www.outfrontleadershipllc.com) When he’s writing, most of his work happens in the wee hours of the morning, from 4 to 6 a.m., or even earlier. He also makes good use of weekends. Pale Horse required a year and a half to complete. Jimmy is a runner and a bike enthusiast. “I write a ton when I’m running or riding. Then I come back all sweaty and grab something and let it spew.” Col. Jimmy Blackmon, Ret. readily confesses that there are parts of his former life that he misses. “People couldn’t believe I was going to walk away from my job with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But it was time to move on.” His many military accolades notwithstanding, Jimmy is more or less a renaissance guy. He holds three world archery championships won with longbows, he cycles a lot, and he made a U.S. Armed Forces world team in running. He also likes to hang out with his kids, backpacks and fishes. But what he’s most anticipating over the next few years, the reason he elected to move on at this point in his life and career, was the chance that retirement offered for him to be a dad. Jimmy Blackmon came back home that Saturday night, for a short time. The atmosphere of the room and those gathered was warm and welcoming, almost like a family reunion. At the end of the day, that’s what Jimmy is: the consummate family man. Only in this case, family takes on a broad definition. There are the men and women who served under him in the hills and valleys of Afghanistan and in other posts, his wife and children, classmates, friends and relatives, and the teachers who helped to shape him. They’re all family in one form or another to the man in the jeans and red shirt, and the sport coat, with the leather patches on the elbows. After all, where can you be more informal and relaxed, than with family?
Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie.
Deputy Gabrielle “Tater” Singleton and his partner, Deputy Shawn Giles of the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office, give it a thumbs-up on patrol last December. Below, the two deputies carry their “suspect” to the patrol car. (Photos by Mitch Talley).
the strongest officer we’ve got because he was battling a fight that most of us cannot identify with,” the sheriff said. “We can’t even imagine what that young man went through in his eight young years of life … what he battled.” Chitwood has been sheriff for 23½ years and has lost seven officers during his six terms, including two in the line of duty. “I have all their pictures up on the credenza behind my desk,” he said, “and I look at them every day – every day I look at those officers.” Now he will be adding an eighth photo, that of Deputy Tater, to that shelf “because Tater like the other officers had served this community with courage and respectability and he like the other officers was brave and strong.” Deputy Giles recalled taking Tater with him to make his first “arrest.” After getting confirmation from the sheriff’s office that their “suspect” had warrants out on him, Giles turned and said to his new partner, “You know what that means, Tater, you’re gonna have to go and arrest him, and he looks up at me with those big, scared eyes and I said, it’s time to be brave and strong, brother, it’s time to be brave and strong. I said, I’ll go with you.” Giles drew laughs from the audience telling about how he escorted Tater to meet The Rock, and how on the way back home, the two of them decided that Tater’s mom enjoyed meeting the handsome, muscular actor way more than they did! “I have everybody coming up to me, saying man, thank you guys, thank you Shawn, thank you for all the sheriff’s office for what you’ve done for Tater,” Giles said. “And I will continue to tell them, we have done nothing for Tater – Tater has done everything for us!” Tater’s mom, Lulu Singleton, honored her son with an inspired speech, praising him for never complaining, never crying, never asking why. “Throughout my son’s journey, a lot of people have told me I’m strong and I don’t know how you do it,” Lulu said. “First and foremost, my strength, (my husband) Jesse’s strength, and the girls’ strength (his sisters Kaylie, Layla, and Aliyah) comes from God; we alone wouldn’t be able to do this.” Calling it “a nightmare that we’ll never be able to wake from,” she says she is consoled knowing that she will once again hold her son in heaven one day. “Yesterday as my heart was beginning to break, I could feel Gabriel with me,” she said. “I imagined him next to me, hugging me, smiling, looking up at me with his big beautiful brown eyes, as he has always done. I hugged everyone yesterday as tightly as I could because I know that’s what Tater wanted me to do. He would tell me, it’s okay. Tater wouldn’t allow me to be sad or cry, ever. He always made sure I was happy regardless of what was going on.” Tater was praised by ministers Lamar Bond and Jeff Wilson for helping to spread the Lord’s gospel throughout his sickness, noting there is no telling how many people he helped reach. “Tater fought cancer for five years, but you wouldn’t know by the way he looked each day,” his mom said. “Tater always had a smile on his face. As we went for his treatments, he would pray for the safety of not just us, but for everyone on the road and everyone at the hospital. He had a loving heart. “After his procedures, he would always wake up from sedation smil-