Sunday Free-For-All

Good morning. What’s up?

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Mississippi Delta Stories

A few stories that I’ve written that are set in the magical land we know as the Mississippi Delta.

The Storm: A story set in the Delta about the amazing power of forgiveness.

The Unanswered Prayer: A man of faith loses it and then regains it in a strange place.

Fairy Godmother Poker Night & The Magic Within: A weekly card game reveals what true magic is all about.

The Harvest: A farmer grows an amazing crop.

Miracle at the Panther Burn International Airport: The story of a grandfather, father and son told through flight.

The Bet: Good and Evil make a wager in a flooded Tunica casino.

The Two Travelers: Two mysterious strangers plant a crop in a fertile land.

Up in the Delta Sky: A crop duster pilot reveals why he takes to the sky.

The Notch: A man’s journey home during the Great Flood of 2011.

The Flood: A man watches history rise at his feet.


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Smoky Mountain Stories

Here are the stories I’ve written that are set in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park:

A Smoky Mountain Lesson: A man learns an important lesson from his grandfather.

The Ghost of the Smokies: A true ghost story I made up.

Smoky Mountain Sunrise: A man takes a hike on the path of life.

Abrams Falls: Making memories in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Going Home: A Smoky Mountain Tale: A father takes his son “home.”

The Final D-Day: A Heroes last forgotten but glorious battle.

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Daily Blog Oct. 29

We lean another ladder against the wrong wall
And climb high to the highest rung, to shake fists at the sky
From Nickel Creek’s song  Reason Why

Leaning your ladder against the wall. How many of us have done that?  We work hard, climb to the top rung and find out we’ve been working for something we really don’t want. It’s a sobering thought.  I’ve been blessed to have climbed some pretty awesome ladders. But sometimes in life you find out that the ladder isn’t that great after all.  Sometimes you just have to find a new ladder to climb.

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The Ghost of Smokies

In the backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is an old wooden cabin. Some say it’s haunted. Some say it’s possessed. Hikers have reported strange sounds and sightings near it for years. Animals won’t go near it. And Park Rangers have logged equipment failures as they have passed by it.  No one remembers whose cabin it is — there is no record of it in the Park Service’s files.  Unlike most structures in the park, it was not removed when the Park was formed.  For some reason it just sits there, never decaying.

The cabin was owned by Oliver M. Sydney, trapper, hunter and storyteller. He was a tall, thin man who possessed the deepest, most piercing eyes of anyone in East Tennessee. He roamed the mountainside, trapping for fur and killing for meat.  He built a small, one bedroom Chestnut-log home on his claim in the shadow of Mount LeConte.  The timber barons never messed with him.  They called him “The Devil,” because of his legendary meanness. He just lived his life in peace trapping and hunting until that fateful day in October 31, 1935. That’s the day when the man from the U.S. Government knocked on his door with an eviction notice.

The man from the U.S. Government left with a gunshot wound to the leg.

No one was takin’ his land, Oliver swore. He’d stay on that land forever.

He might have been permitted to stay, but the U.S. Government is kind of funny about people who shoot their agents.  The don’t like it. So the next day, several more agents hiked up the knoll and surrounded old man’s cabin.  He promptly sent them diving behind trees and into ditches with a barrage of gunfire.  The Siege of LeConte had begun.

Four days passed and the agents held their ground. So did Oliver.  As the world went on its merry way, time stood still in the Great Smoky Mountains.  There are few things more stubborn than a mountain man.  Oliver M. Sydney was going nowhere.

Or so he thought.

Fred Whitehorse, a tracker from the Cherokee reservation in North Carolina, was brought in to sneak up to the cabin to smoke him out.  Fred crawled behind it and then climbed on the roof.  Oliver, tired from being awake for so long, did not notice that his chimney had been covered. His cabin quickly filled with smoke.

Oliver came out with guns blazing.  But there was only one of him. And a dozen U.S. agents.  Oliver M. Sydney was buried where he fell.  The Government, not wanting bad P.R., swept the incident under the rug. Reports were burned and careers were threatened. No one was to hear about the mountain man’s death.

So to this day, when you walk by the old cabin in the woods you might see Oliver M. Sydney’s ghost on the front porch and hear his cries. Or if you are a Park Ranger, you might have your radio or phone die.  Because the old mountain man was right about one thing — he will stay on his land forever.

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The Unanswered Prayer

There was a brown stripe on the white wall of the Riverside First Baptist Church.  It was the same church where the people had prayed for the town to be spared from the great flood of 2011. The brown stripe –the high-water mark — was proof that sometimes prayers go unanswered.

Carpets, hymnals and ruined Bibles lay in a ruined heap by the street.  Sheetrock was stripped and the sanctuary smelled like Clorox. It was a war on mold and this was the main battlefield.  The pastor rolled up his sleeves and scrubbed. And scrubbed some more.

It was the Lord’s work — To clean up the Lord’s work.

During the flood (when  most of town was completely submerged), Pastor Raymond D. Jones read a sermon based on this scripture from Genesis:

And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a aflood to bdestroy the earth.

There was a loud amen and a standing ovation from the town. That was then.

Now it was time to clean up.  When the water receded, it left a coat of smelly muck and water moccasins over much of the town. Citizens were toiling over piles of ruined carpet and destroyed memories. It was hot work. It was dirty work. And the good pastor had never felt more alone.

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Sometimes even the most Godly men forget that.

The hot June sun broiled the soaked church.  Sweat poured through his work shirt and mud stained his pants.  He squeegeed the water out of the sanctuary and onto the front drive and into the gravel parking lot.  A four-foot water moccasin hissed at him in the corner.  The pastor thought of the first serpent as he chopped its head off with a hoe.

He turned around, walked back into the sanctuary and came up to the altar. He dropped to his knees and prayed.

Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

“Why did you forsake us?”

Silence.

The preacher threw the hoe down in disgust.  He had had enough.

Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

The pastor was defeated.  Fatigue had tested his faith and it had cracked.  He sat down, in the muck and buried his head in his hands.  He had never felt more human in his life.

And then he heard a vehicle pull into the gravel lot.  And then he heard another.  And another.  Fifteen church vans pulled into the church’s parking lot with names on them as diverse as Missionary United Methodist Church,  St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, St. James’ Catholic Church,  Broadway Presbyterian Church, First Bible Church, Am Yisrael Synagogue, First Street Baptist and others.  Men and women carried tools. Men and women carried food. Cars filled in behind them. His own church members had stolen away from their own homes to help repair the church.  The pastor watched the crowd coming in to rebuild his church, looked up to the sky and said, “thank you.”

Matthew 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

And as the crowd worked on his church that hot Mississippi afternoon, Pastor Raymond D. Jones learned the magic of unanswered prayers.  And he never doubted his Boss again.

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Saturday Free-For-All

Good morning! Hope you have a great day!

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Daily Blog — October 28

Tired

Ever been so tired that you just wanted to stop and sit down?  I have. In fact, I felt that way this morning.

This time last year I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. It was 26.2 grueling miles through the historic streets of Arlington, Georgetown, Crystal City and Washington D.C.  I was tired then.  In fact, I was so tired (and cramping) at mile 20, that I wanted to stop and sit down.  I wanted to quit.

But I didn’t.  I kept moving.

Why? Because I knew that the finish line was in sight. My goal was almost in hand. And that kept me going.  As Winston Churchill said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

If I had not had a goal, I would’ve been more likely to quit. My brain would not have known when it could rest.  Hopelessness would have set in and I would have given up.  That’s why having set goals (and set rest periods!) is so important.

Right now I am tired and would like to quit. But I won’t. Because the glorious finish line is in sight.

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Monster Chronicles

Frankenstein reclined awkwardly on the psychiatrist’s couch.  It was made for a man half his size and no matter how hard he tried, he could not get comfortable.  Of course, his comfort issues were internal. And that’s why he was there.

“I HAVE MUMMY ISSUES.”

The psychiatrist looked up from her pad and said, “You mean, “mommy” issues?”

” NO MUMMY ISSUES. I CAN’T GET THAT DAM’ MUMMY TO GET OFF MY COUCH AND KEEP RAIDING MY FRIDGE.”

So began the 45th therapy session for one Mr. Frankenstein.  The psychiatrist scribbled madly into her notebook.  Her life had gotten much more complicated when he had walked through her office door.  In fact, she had screamed when he walked through her door.

“NOBODY LIKES ME.  HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF PEOPLE SCREAMED WHEN YOU WALKED IN THE DOOR?”

The psychiatrist blushed.

“HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF VILLAGERS CAME AFTER YOU WITH TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS?”

The psychiatrist looked up again from her notebook. Making eye contact with Frankenstein was not the easiest thing to do. “It’s not about me, Mr. Frankenstein.”

Frankenstein made a grunting noise.  In fact, that was part of his early problem. Due to a speech impediment, he scared people just when he tried to talk. Two years of speech therapy had allowed him to become quite articulate.

IGOR MAKES FUN OF ME.  HE HASN’T LIKED ME SINCE I TOLD HIM TO HAVE A HAPPY HUMP DAY.  HE SCREAMED AT ME THAT HE WASN’T QUASIMODO.

There was a brief pause while Frankenstein wiped his eyes.

I’M JUST MISUNDERSTOOD. I’M NOT A MONSTER. I’M JUST A HUMAN BEING.

The psychiatrist closed her notebook and said, “Time’s up. See you next week.”

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Ichabod Crane’s horse galloped wildly toward the bridge.  If he could just make the bridge.  The Headless Horseman was gaining on him.  Crane didn’t dare look behind him, but if he had, he would’ve noticed the Jack O’ Lantern being raised.  His heart raced.  The bridge was in sight.

Crane pulled back the reins, stopped his horse and leapt off, rolling on the ground when he hit.  The horse continued to run across the bridge as Ichabod ran to the side.

It was time to set the trap.

He found the rope and pulled it with all his might.  He looped it around the bridge post.  The Jack O’ Lantern fell harmlessly on the bridge’s deck, scattering into a million orange pieces.  “Use a gun not a pumpkin next time, you idiot,” thought Crane as he tied the rope. Then came the horse and rider.  Who never saw the rope.

The horse tumbled and the Headless Horsemen flew over the stallion’s head.  He hit in a heap next to the horse on the bridge.  Ichabod crane ran over to him and gave him a quick punch to heart, knocking the wind out of the Horseman.

While Ichabod Crane was seen as a wimp by the townspeople, he was a black-belt in Karate.  The Horseman moaned in pain. Crane did a roundhouse kick and knocked him back to the ground.  When he hit, his costume came loose revealing Abraham “Brom Bones” Van Brunt.

“Hessian solider my  *ss.” Crane spat. “Stay away from Katrina. She’s mine.”  He punched Van Brunt in the face, knocking him out.

And that night, Ichabod Crane, Ninja, vanquished a bully. It was the untold legend of Sleepy Hollow.

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In a Coastal bar, Dracula and a shark sat watching Monday Night Football.  A bartender walks up and asks, “Who ordered the Bloody Mary?”

Both went into a frenzy.

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The Bride of Frankenstein (BOF) was at the same bar and wearing a low cut dress. She was on a mission. Since her and Frankenstein’s divorce, she was back on the dating scene.  She was out to find a new man. Or a monster.

The Wolf Man was lapping his drink out of a bowl and scratching a flea behind his ear.  He saw BOF standing seductively in the door.  He loved the way light illuminated her crazy eyes. His heart started the pound.

The bartender held up a Coors Beer and said, “WHO ORDERED THE SILVER BULLET?”

The Wolf Man dove under the table.

BOF walked over and peered at the handsome stranger. “You come here often?”

“Only during a Full Moon. And you? BTW, I love what you’re doing with your hair. Very electric.”

BOF wasn’t wasting any time.  “Let’s go dance.”

Later than night, BOF sat at the bar, alone while the bartender cleaned glasses.  He looked at her and said, “Looks like you’ve had a rough night.  Where’s your canine friend?”

“I told him to get lost. He kept humping my leg.”

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Casper the Friendly Ghost was on CNN being interviewed by Piers Morgan.  Studio lights made him glow:

Piers Morgan:  What makes you so friendly?

Casper: I used to be Casper the Moody and Grumpy Ghost but my doctor changed my medication. I now take Xanax.  In fact, some days I’m Casper the Mellow Ghost.

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Zombies marched down the Washington Mall.  Park Police fired at them, but to no avail. It was a “Million-Zombie March.” And they were hungry.

They went up the steps of the first building they came to and marched up looking for their meal of brains.

But unfortunately they entered the halls of Congress.

They went home hungry.

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Friday Free-For-All

Good morning! Hope you have a great day!

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