*FAIR USE** Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
Join LadyG as she shares off-key singing, storytelling and a few of her favorite soul/R&B jams from 1972.
*FAIR USE**
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research.
Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
“A Family Conversation” is a storytelling audio series that features weekly discussions between blogging cousins LadyG and Ron Brown on current events along with favorite posts from each other’s blog.
“A Family Conversation” is published on Wednesdays.
This week, Ron and I discuss the post (cowritten by me and my Dad), “A Grave Encounter: The Four-legged Ghoul,” based on a real-life event that my father experienced as a child in Eufaula, AL (Circa 1955).
In this week’s conversation we discuss everything from Haints to the “Hogbear” of Cuthbert, to time travel to the origins of Memorial Day.
Trust me, if the subject pertains to the supernatural, we touched on it in some way.
Enjoy!
NOTE: Adult Language and Situations
“A Grave Encounter” Pt 1: A reading of the post and what inspired it
“A Grave Encounter” Pt 2 : What is a Haint?
Pt 3: Hobgoblins, Eliza’s grave and Fear
Pt 4: Time Loops, Different Dimensions
Pt 5: Decoration Day and the Origins of Memorial Day
***Check out this excellent article by fellow WordPress blogger, Keith Dotson, that offers a definition of the term “haint.”
Remember, you can also find Ron here under categories, “Ron’s Time Tunnel” on the right panel.
Find my Dad’s stories, or stories about him under categories:
“True Railroad Stories”
“Daddy’s Stories”
“Greens From Daddy’s Patio”
NOTE:
In audio 4, when I was referring to Charleston, I meant to mention that I’ve noticed that lot of people enjoy visiting historic cemeteries where they like to do grave rubbings.
Of course, I got sidetracked with the ghost story!
Anyway, I saw a lot of people doing grave rubbings at one of the churches there. I cannot be bothered to google this, but I think it had something to do with the French Hugenots .
Also the area that I mentioned downtown where the African Americans were doing traditional African basket weaving was previously used to sell slaves; it is known as The Charleston City Market: https://www.thecharlestoncitymarket.com/
The Hotel that I referenced appears to have been changed up. I believe that it is this one: https://www.belmond.com/ideas/articles/belmond-charleston-place I think that it is this hotel because I remember the distinct double stairway with the chandelier at the entrance.
I couldn’t find much history on it though. I just remember it being quite classy. I do not think it had the “Belmond” name when I stayed there. If anybody knows anything about it, please let me know. Peace, LadyG
His tongue was flickering in and out of his mouth.
When my grandmother saw him, she raised her garden hoe in his direction.
Unfazed, he slowly turned away and crawled behind one of the graves disappearing into the woods.
My grandmother said later she believed he was a haint.
-Daddy recalls an event that occurred around 1955 in Eufaula, Alabama.
Daddy tells the whole story
When I was little, my grandmother would often grab us kids to go with her to the cemetery to help her and her sisters clean up our family’s graves.
Usually, this would take place early on Saturday mornings.
On those days, we’d all gather our tools and walk down the railroad track to the cemetery where most of my mother’s side of the family was buried.
We’d typically be out there working all morning.
One day, when I was about ten years old, it happened!
Me, my grandmother, and aunt were clearing away some brush when we spotted the scariest looking thing we had ever seen standing on top of an adult-sized grave.
It was grayish black, and spanned, from his nose to the tip of his tail, the entire length of the slab.
The monster, who weighed more than I did then, was facing us from about two plots away–toward a branch that ran through the middle of the cemetery.
It was like nothing we had ever seen before.
I still remember how large he was.
His tongue was flickering in and out of his mouth.
When my grandmother saw him, she raised her garden hoe in his direction.
Unfazed, he slowly turned away and crawled behind one of the graves disappearing into the woods.
My grandmother said later she believed he was a haint.
I remember my Dad telling me this story over the years and I often wondered about the creature that he and his grandmother, Ma Allie, had seen that day.
Daddy said that it looked kinda like a Komodo dragon…
But not exactly.
He also said that this four-legged ghoul was probably feeding off corpses that were not “housed” in a vault.
A grave-robber of sorts.
Just so you know, vaults were not always used back in those days; especially in African-American cemeteries.
Anyway, it is important to note that Komodo dragons are not native to Alabama, or anywhere nearby, so we figured that whatever it was must have gotten loose from someone who had owned him as a pet.
At any rate, Daddy was never fully content with the fact that he could not positively identify that reptilian gargoyle of yore.
So for 64 years, the whole thing remained unsolved…
Until…
Last week, when I sent an article to my Dad about this reptile called a “Tegus” that had been spotted in South Georgia.
The article included a picture of a reptile that fit the description that Daddy gave based on his childhood memories.
After receiving and reading the article, Daddy immediately called me back and said, “That’s it! That’s EXACTLY what I saw!”
He seemed excited that the mystery had been solved.
Apparently, the Tegus has been around the South for much longer than the wildlife folks think!
But, secretly, I prefer Ma Allie’s belief that it was a haint!
“A Family Conversation” is a storytelling audio series that features weekly discussions between blogging cousins LadyG and Ron Brown on current events and featured blog posts.
Yep, that’s precisely how Ron describes my Daddy’s vibe from his younger days as a MP in the United States Air Force.
Folks said he was as cool as a cucumber…
A tall drink of water…
A pretty redbone…
Clearly, LadyG loves a good cliché
LOL!
All that aside, Ron’s cool uncle tells some awesome tales from his post-military days working on the railroad in the late 1960’s through the late 1990’s.
And so…
We invite you to join us in today’s sessions as we talk about Ron’s cool uncle (my Dad) RailroadConductor67’s post, “Santa’s Helper.”
As usual, Ron and I often found ourselves sidetracked!
Our conversation quickly galloped from Lysol to Clorox to wild game to storytelling where it crashed, head on, into Rickie Lee Jones.
But it gets better considering the fact that Rickie Lee wasn’t supposed to be a part of the dialogue.
AT.
ALL!
(Warning, a shift from first to third person is coming up so that I may distance myself from “LadyG”)
Yeah, so, you see, it all started when LadyG went on this tangent about Tommy Lee Jones, whom she thought was named Rickie Lee Jones.
Just so you know, Rickie, the female singer, should NEVER be confused with Tommy, the male actor.
They aren’t even kinda the same.
But of course, LadyG cannot be bothered with “facts.”
And, if you stick around to listen to the part 2 audio in this post, you will hear this for yourself.
Anyway…
Remember, you can find my Daddy, Ron’s cool uncle, here under category: “True Railroad Stories”
You can also find Ron Brown under category “Ron’s Time Tunnel” and at his blog “Time Tunnel”
Daddy and I purchased the seeds for our patio garden back in late January/ Early February of this year.
We had planned to get started with this project much sooner.
But, life happened, and one day in mid February, out of nowhere, Daddy collapsed and had to be rushed to the hospital.
As a result, he spent some time in the ICU.
But thank GOD, he was released ONE WEEK after his emergency admission date.
God was with him the entire time!
He was truly blessed and so were we!
We thank every doctor, nurse, assistant and therapist involved in his care.
Special thanks to my son and daughter who were with him when he collapsed.They took immediate—lifesaving action.
Remember, in an emergency, it is best to call 911 because they bring help; they are NOT just there for the ride!
They can make ALL the difference between living and dying!
Thank you to those first responders (Paramedics, EMTs and Firemen ) who arrived on the scene to care for my Dad.
Also, special thanks to the anonymous witness who called 911 seconds before my daughter did!
That said, after spending several weeks in physical and occupational therapy, Daddy is now recovered.
No doubt, we lost some time starting our gardening project, but his well-being was much more important to me.
AND NOW……
Enjoy the post and the video!
___________________
I think it was 2017 when I first revisited a recurring idea of setting up a patio garden.
Sadly, Covid-19 has recently come to town and highlighted, among other things, weaknesses in our food supply chain.
As a result, you can best believe that I am now moving this project to “on fire” status!
I’m dead serious!
Anyway, a critical piece to this garden project included having my daddy teach me how to set it up—mainly because that dude has a…
Mint
Jade
AND
Emerald
Green thumb mix!
His daddy taught him.
I’m a Georgia girl, so frankly, as far back as I can remember—and I am about 50 :), my dad, who is a native of Alabama, maintained a garden in our backyard.
He kept that practice up for years!
Later in life, maybe 15 years ago, he transitioned to apartment living, and continued gardening on a smaller scale.
Neighbors, who passed by his patio, would ask, “Hey man, how do you grow such beautiful greens?”
He’d just smile and offer some form of pleasant response and continue on with tending his “crops.”
And when the crops were ready to be harvested, mama made sure to cook them up just right!
Queen Diva Eva!
YAASSSS!
Now then,
Let me be frank, there is NO way in hell that my dad would consent to appearing on camera so I had to secretly record the action!
God knows if he reads this….that’s my ASS!
Oops!Did I say that?
Forgive me Daddy!
That said, I am going to post an audio of him supervising my steps toward establishing our little family garden along with a short video and some pictures.
Forever the conductor!
But he’s cool about it
Anyway…
Enough of my rambling.Check out the video.
LadyG loves YOU!
*** WARNING: This video contains strong Southern accents so may the peace of the Lord be with you if you are not used to it! A bit of translation is included 🙂
Comment on your experience with gardening, or if you’d like to leave a tip!
Check out Daddy’s railroad stories by going to category: “True Railroad Stories.”
*See pictures of one of his gardens in the first post I did about his gardening here!
When I was a kid, the best breakfast was cooked and served by my Aunt Nell!
International House of Pancakes didn’t have ANYTHING on her!
She cooked those grits to perfection…
Her country ham and biscuits were unsurpassed…
And the fact that she let us kids drink Pepsi with our meal was freaking ingenious!
Clearly, she was a woman ahead of her time!
But, the thing that I remember most of all about breakfast with my Aunt Nell was her unrivaled ability to spin a good yarn!
I’m talking about good ole Southern Mama storytelling!
Baby, “captivating” ain’t the word for it!
From the moment Aunt Nell began to tell a tale, everybody in the room was completely mezmerized!
She’d intonate…
She’d gesticulate…
She’d immediately grab your attention and hold you in complete suspense!
A masterful comedienne, Aunt Nell’s timing was IMPECCABLE!
By the end of each story, EVERYBODY would be in tears laughing as she calmly sashayed away to tend to her dishes….completely unbothered!
In essence, she ALWAYS dropped the mic…
EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!
And, as you might have guessed, I wanted to be just like her!
And so…
A lot of the sass that you “hear” from LadyG can be directly linked to my Aunt Nell.
And, as I sit here, approaching my 50th birthday, I can’t help remembering her and everyone else who poured so much into my life; especially her husband, my Uncle Leroy!
I’ve mentioned him a few times before.
At any rate, one thing’s for sure, I’ll always think fondly of Aunt Nell, and will, no doubt, burst into ugly laughter whenever I do!
In this way, she’s just as much alive today as she was in that Alabama kitchen from 1975.
