JSS: Billy Graham-- Warm Myrtle Beach-- Cold Here

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  BILLY GRAHAM--  I was listening to the Surf, WVCO 94.9 FM out of North Myrtle Beach this morning.  The song "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield was playing.  At the end of it, the deejay said that he had just gotten the news of Billy Graham's death.  Quite a coincidence.

2.  WARM MYRTLE BEACH--  I am a bit jealous of Myrtle Beach, S.C., though.  Temperatures there today are in the upper 70s, and even lower 80s in some places.  Must be a Southern thing.

3.  COLD HERE--  Well, as warm as Myrtle Beach is today, we are cold here in Northern Illinois.  Yesterday we had 55 degrees, but it rained all day.  We are so thankful it wasn't 21 degrees as it is today as we'd sure have had a real lot of snow.

Just Some Stuff.  --RoadStuff

N.C. Spring Trip, 2016-- Part 3: "Fiddler On the Roof"

MAY 1, SUNDAY:  Went to church with Mom and then Lantern Inn for lunch (old Lum's).  Saw an excellent local theater presentation on "The Fiddler On the Roof" at the restored Paramount Theater.

MAY 2, MONDAY:  Went to several of my favorite Goldsboro, N.C., stores including Big Lots, Books-A-Million and Ollie's.

MAY 3, TUESDAY:  Huge storms last night.  Went to Sam's Club, K-Mart (we have none of these around home), Goldsboro Antiques, where my brother Bob has a space and Trade-It.

MAY 4, WEDNESDAY:  Went to the Wayne County Museum with my brother Bob.  Checked out their new collection of weapons picked up from the Battle of Averasboro Battlefield during the Civil War and joined the historical society.

Went to Bible Study with Mom and made up flower containers for the first graders Mom is going to talk to tomorrow.

--RoadDog

YOU'RE OLD IF YOU REMEMBER:  When you'd reach into a muddy gutter to grab a penny.

NC Spring 2013 Trip: March 27th and 28th: It's a Church Thing

MARCH 27TH--  WEDNESDAY

Lenten Service at First African Baptist Church in Goldsboro.  Every Wednesday during Lent, the churches of Goldsboro have services at different churches, black and white.  This one was at a black church which was formed from Mom's First Baptist and is getting ready to commemorate their 150th anniversary.

Afterwards there was an excellent lunch served.  I had a talk with one of the board members who was also on the Waynesborough Commission about the possiblity of saving Goldsboro's Rosenwald School and movong it to Waynesborough.  Rosenwald Schools were built throughout the South for the education of blacks, something that was sadly lacking in the early 1900s.

Aftrerwards, got to meet my Aunt Louise and cousin Joe.


MARCH 28TH--  THURSDAY

Went to the Goldsboro First Baptist Church's Fellowship dinner and afterwards to Maundy Service marking the Last Supper.  Quite sad when they stripped the sanctuary of its religious items.

RoadDog

Here in North Carolina-- Part 2: Too Much Old Time 'Ligion?-- 'Cuein in the Tarheel State

MARCH 23RD-- WEDNESDAY: ONE DAY, FOUR CHURCHES

Went to the Salvation Army building in Goldsboro to prepare for tomorrow's barbecue dinner. Then went to Lenten services at a black Baptist church outside of town and had lunch.

At 5, went to dinner at the Fist Baptist Church and part of their Bible study. Left early and went to the Madison Avenue Baptist Church for a show presented by the Chowan University Singers, a forty member group. Instead of spring break at a beach, they were doing their spring concert tour. Quite impressive group.


MARCH 24TH-- THURSDAY: THAT'S A LOT OF 'CUE

From 9:30 to 2:30, I was at the Salvation Army for the Women's Auxiliary annual Barbecue Dinner. The 'cue was from Wilber's so you know it had to be good. Not a bad deal, either and for a good cause: barbecue, potato salad, cole slaw, hush puppies, dessert and drink for $7.

I ended up spending most of the time on delivery to various places with Norman Edgerton and had a great talk with him when I found out he was the go-to guy in Goldsboro on all things East Carolina University. I'm a big fan too so we had great talks driving out to the places.

Aunt Louise came over from Mt. Olive as well.

Love That Wilber's Barbecue!! -- RoadDog

Road Trip- 34th Wedding Anniversary Part 1

In honor of our 34th wedding anniversary, Liz and I took a road trip, essentially reversing what we did all those many, many, many, many years ago. Back in 1973, we got married in DeKalb, Illinois, and went to Galena, Illinois, for our honeymoon. This year, we went to Galena first then to DeKalb on the actual same day of the week, Saturday. We drove by the current Best Western (Holiday Inn in 1973), where we had the reception. We also went inside NIU's Newman Center where the marriage took place.

Along the way, we encountered floods, forded flooded roads, played NTN, crossed the Mississippi River in a downpour, went to two festivals, visited a Japanese garden, drove some absolutely beautiful roads, saw lots of corn, ate lots of corn, dripped butter on myself, did some Lincoln Highway stuff, DID NOT buy any souvenirs, and went to a museum/aquarium.

I'll be highlighting the trip here, but will go into greater detail on the roaddogsroadlog blog.

More to Come Later. --RoadDog

Aunt Dot's Funeral

I called Mom last night and found out about the funeral on Sunday. As would be expected, with all the years of service to the community and church, there was a large turnout of people. Plus, Mom said she had never seen so many flowers at a funeral.

Unfortunately, it was very hot and humid, as it was here as well. The mourners suffered in the heat and the flowers certainly wouldn't last for long. The First Baptist Church of Goldsboro also hosted the luncheon afterwards and there was a huge amount of food as well as McCall's barbecue.

Aunt Dot was buried at the Hood plot alongside her first husband and by my maternal grandmother and grandfather.

Visiting Goldsboro Just Won't Be the Same. --Don

Aunt Dot

I was very saddened Thursday to find out from my mom that Aunt Dot died in Goldsboro, NC. She had been in failing health for the last several years. Giving of her time and efforts was a way of life with her.

She was 82 and had been very involved with the First Baptist Church of Goldsboro for much of her life, serving as a deacon, Sunday School director and many other jobs over the years.

For 24 years, she was with the Goldsboro Chamber of Commerce and then ten years as executive director of the Wayne County United Way.

She was originally married to my mother's brother, Uncle Billy, and then, after his death, Aunt Dot married Bo and was with him for nearly 30 years.

My condolences go out to Bo's family and my cousins Gayle and Graham.

Every time I visited Goldsboro, Aunt Dot and Uncle Billy, and later Uncle Bo, couldn't have been nicer to me and then Liz after I got married.

Every summer, my family would visit my grandparents in Goldsboro and Mount Olive. This was a much-looked forward to trip, but by the time I got to my teenage years, I would get a little bored. You know how teenagers are. Aunt Dot saw this and was kind enough to introduce me to Ronnie and Keith, two boys about my age. We had some great times together.

Then, she even went farther and let me use her 1967 Chevelle Malibu, quite a sporty car. Can you imagine a teenage boy driving a sporty car around? That was a pure joy, even if sometimes I would return it with very little gas in it. She still let me borrow it on future trips.

Aunt Dot will surely be missed. Don