It’s time for another update from the Tidwells here at Burnt Mountain. It’s been a fairly quiet year here, but momentous also……… Now all of y’all with kids know that, as history is denoted as B.C. or A.D., so family life uses the designation of P.K., meaning either pre-kids or post-kids. Susan and I have gloriously made it to the post-kids stage. And this Christmas will be the first time in 23 years that we won’t have any late night assemblies to either do, or observe others attempting. So, while many of you are enjoying Christmas by being awakened at 3 in the morning, to see what the jolly ol’ boy has brought, we will roll over and think of you… uh-huh! So let us send encouraging words to all of you out there who wonder if there really is still the possibility of having hot water to take YOUR shower, or your monthly car insurance being less than the total cost of the car… yes, it will all come back to you as it once was! Now, not to overfill your cup of joy, they will come back, and bring more with them, and the feeding ritual really doesn’t change……. but to sleep in on Christmas morning? I promise to let you know in next year’s message how wonderful it was!
I’ve come back home to W.H. Bass after a two year foray, and am currently building a Museum/History Center on the Brenau College campus in Gainesville, only an hour from home. No greater joy than listening to WSB radio in the mornings and evenings, to hear of the never-ending traffic woes of the city folks. Been there, done that. My worst problem might be a chicken truck struggling to climb a hill, or one of my fellow Southerners out for a Sunday drive, and beginning it on Wednesday morning.
Susan is working at the house (take note IRS!) doing medical transcription over the internet (hence the new computer IRS!) and of course, that is ALL we use it for… I would NEVER use it for surfing or playing games!!!! Susan enjoys the “drive time” as I do, since it consists of climbing the stairs with her coffee in hand, from the kitchen to the balcony/office, and turning the heater on to keep her feet warm, since she doesn’t wear shoes to “work”, yes, we are hillbillies.
Susan’s mom, Alma, got her a new ‘puter this year to keep up with her gaming skills, and also acquired a new scooter to get around. The salesman claimed it would go 15 miles on one charge, so I think I can now sell the kids’ 4-wheeler, and we can just use Alma’s scooter to go loafering on the old logging trails. Will carry an oxygen tank too, I guess for high altitude roaming. Or we might get some of that laughing gas, so we can just sit in the drive and think we are having a lot of fun.
Melissa and Keith, with Sarah and Racheal, moved here to Ellijay after Keith got out of the Navy, and live in town after staying with us for a little while. Melissa is working in Canton, and Keith is traveling and doing repair work at industrial plants in the south. Madison and Kyle have been busy as usual, into lots of things like baseball and beauty pageants. Madison won the Miss Apple Bud pageant as part of the Apple Festival doins. She looked real pretty, and even her brother seemed to take a little pride in her winning, as he was grinning like a Cheshire cat in a tree. Now on weekends when the kids all come over, we are talking a house full, and the swing set Dad and I built for my kids is now serving the next generation of kin. It, like I, have a few bowed timbers, but hopefully will last a few more years. Kyle even started using my scroll saw some this year, and I hope to lead him along the path to satisfying poverty, as I have achieved in construction and crafts.
Carrie and Ryan were living with us at the start of the year, but have since got their place finished and moved into, out on the other side of town, and are already enjoying the joys of home ownership, cutting the grass, the furnace had to be replaced, the A/C quit working… ah yes, the joys. Now when I answer the phone and hear Carrie’s voice, I say “Hello…. What broke?” And 9 times out of 10 after a disgruntled “Dad?!”.. she gets around to what is broke. It’s nice to have job security in maintenance. Ryan is still in the concrete business, but I think would consider a change if the right job came along, say, anything that would not involve finished concrete or being out in the insufferable cold or heat. Also been there and done that. I did not suggest the craft business!
Susan and I replaced the deck on the house this year as a summer project, since I was home in the evenings for a change. We put a hot tub out on it and have enjoyed it a lot this summer, and have thoughts of trying it when it snows this winter, so if your driving by and see a bunch of steam rising off the deck, we don’t have a moonshine still going (at least not on the deck!) It’s been a wonderful year, being close to home, and while I’m home I would hope that a bunch of you would take time to leave that city traffic behind you and come up an visit us hillbillies and leave your cares behind for a spell, to come share a little piece of heaven that Mom and Dad found for us back in 1953, the year I was born (ALMOST 50 years ago). They left this for me and my two OLDER sisters, and we would love to share its beauty and fine country neighbors with you and yours.
And to you and yours, A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! May the coming year bring you tranquility, fulfillment and blessings. And may God Bless America, truly our home sweet home.
Your Friends for life,
Buddy, Susan and family.
PS: To all the other PK’rs…. ain’t it GREAT?!!!!
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