Seasons Greetings
Howdy. Howdy:
Another chapter of my life novel is coming quickly to a close. I swear these chapters are getting shorter or my typing is getting somewhat more proficient. I always run a copy of my lasts years letter to y'all before I begin, just to jog my memory as to what happened this year or last, a sign I am told of getting older. Yeah right!
Well lets jump right in here and let you know that I am now gainfully employed. And if any of you let out word about this before April 15th, just remember we Southerners always get even. Last March I got a call from a friend who worked at Hardin Construction at the same period I did. He had been offered a job with a young aggressive construction company named W.H. Bass, based in Norcross, to head up field services. Marty had been in touch with me over the past year but the timing wasn’t just right till last March. I had just finished some mediocre shows and just gotten a thanks but no thanks letter from a catalog company on featuring my “Chef’s Helper”. By the way, I still have about 90 wonderful wedding, house warming, or Christmas presents available to those of you familiar with my crafts. And of course you all know I’ll extend to you the “family” discount. Well, back to my new job; I’m back to my original lot in life, Commercial Construction Superintendent. I have just gotten back from building a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in Moss Point, MS. What a lovely little place to be from, if you know what I mean. I’m leaving this Sunday for Orlando, FL to start another job. Back on the road again, as Willy says.
Enough on me, let’s get on to the rug rats and the OLD Lady. Susan is still at Fannin Regional Hospital and still enjoying herself. She finally put enough miles on her car that I felt bad and got her a new car for her Christmas present. Besides it was going to be a long drive for me to Orlando to come get her when the old one broke down. She’s fallen in quite well to the Grandma position and is always ready to give advice whether it’s asked for or not.
Melissa, Andy and Kyle are in Charleston, SC right now, but should be getting a new assignment shortly. Melissa passed her GED last year with flying colors and is looking into different colleges for the future. Maybe one of our bunch can get a college education. I’ve got to start planning for retirement and who we can go mooch off. Kyle is up and running, literally. That kid can get around quicker than a jackrabbit and would have no chance at all of passing sobriety line walking test. Me and Maw are real proud of the little rug rat and really enjoy the grandparent gig of enjoying them and then sending them home.
Carrie, as I stated last year was growing like a weed; well the weed has blossomed and is now a young lady. She attends Ellijay Middle School, and we are very proud of her being on the honor roll. We just attended her first piano recital and she did real well. She also reached one of Melissa’s mile posts this year and got braces; a Tidwell trait. Then there’s the boy thing and the growth on her ear (possible a phone) which the doctor says comes with the distinction of being a teenager. Glad I never went through that stage, I got out of grade school and matured IMMEDIATELY. I can get away with saying this because all of you are as old as I am and your memories are so bad you can’t contradict me.
My parents’ health still hasn’t been the best this past year but they aren’t giving up on better times to come. We’ve been fortunate to find two ladies to stay with them, one during the day and another at night. This is mostly to keep them from going out partying every night and not getting enough rest. Just like having kids!!!!!!
Susan’s mom is still trying to live amongst all our Northern brothers and sisters who come South every winter. (Aren’t you impressed with my mellowing at age 42, I used to just call them Those Damn Yankees?) Alma’s had her health problems too but feels that quitting smoking wouldn’t help as then the Doctors would charge extra to find something else wrong. I tend to agree with her logic after having some dealings with the doctors myself this past year. Let’s just say that I can appreciate Doctors with long slender fingers and I don’t laugh nearly as hard at Ned Beatty in Deliverance. Ahum…
You know it really makes us Southerners proud to see one of our own making a good living on our Southern wisdom and colloquialisms. That Jeff Foxworthy would have made a good son-in-law, until he moved to L.A., out amongst those poor creatures who can’t claim to be Yankees or Southerners. The nice thing about we’uns on the east coast, we can take a joke and we know how to laugh at ourselves. Those yokels over there take everything so serious. And those Damn Yankees that come down South and stay, at least they show good sense when they find a great place to stay. Those folks in California… God’s shook them…… burnt up their yards……. And they still don’t have the sense God gave a Yankee!!!!!! Till they get a sense of humor though it’s just as well they stay over yonder. Some of my subs and fellow workers have noted that I’m usually upbeat and laughing around the job and trying to be in a positive, “can do” mood. It’s just that I don’t want them confusing me with someone from the fur coast. I’m proud to be over here amongst folks that realize life is much too precious a gift to waste being negative and depressed all the time. Sometimes maybe, but not all the time.
My friends, from all over these United States, this Christmas season take time to reflect on the positive things around us. The negatives seem much more prominent mostly because it takes a lot of effort to deal with them but believe me, the time it takes to stop and roll over in your mind the good aspects of your life is time well spent. Please don’t think I’m trying to philosophize, as then you might mistake me for someone from England or Europe (next years soapbox preachin), but mostly I’m trying to give myself some advice. Thanks for hangin in here with me, there’s a lot more fun comin up, just over the next hill and through the holler!!
Merry Christmas Y'all from
Buddy, Susan, Carrie and all the Animals
alias
The Tidwells
