Columns

“Diddy” is the name my younger sister Ann gave to our dad when she was around five years old. It stuck.

Diddy is the one who brought us ice water before bed in a gigantic Coca-Cola Mega-Mug when we were little.

He took us to Wag-a-Bag in Mansfield almost every Saturday morning in the 80s, letting us buy a sack-full of penny-candy and an ICEE.

Diddy “skated” with us on our frozen pond in the winter.

He faithfully lugged a humongous old-fashioned video camera around, attempting to capture all of our childhood.

Diddy built us the coolest red treehouse, see-saw, and gymnastics balance beam when we were kids.

He loved to take us to Baton Rouge when he worked the Legislature, always fitting in time for dinner at Phil’s Oyster Bar in our favorite corner booth and a root beer at Frostop in their famous frozen mugs.

‘Afternoon Tea’ just sounds so elegant. I bet you are envisioning a table covered in white linen. Silver and china serving pieces. Trays and towers laden with delicate savories, scones and pastries, sitting demurely on white doilies.

Do you also ‘see’ ladies dressed in finery? Beautiful dresses, stylish hats and maybe even white gloves? This may have been the setting for a Victorian Queen’s Afternoon Tea, but originally it was a much simpler affair.

In 1840, Anna, the duchess of Bedford, found herself getting hungry around four in the afternoon. In her day, breakfast was served around 8 in the morning, with the evening meal served twelve hours later. A midday meal wasn’t usually served. Her cure was to enjoy a snack of bread and butter, and a slice of cake served with a cup of tea. It was just enough to hold her over until dinner.

Summers in the 1980s when I was a schoolage girl were the best. It wasn’t that we went on fancy vacations back then or had unique plans. It was the “gift of the ordinary days” when time seemed to stand still.

My sisters and I and local friends spent countless hours in our pool playing games like Sharks and Minnows and Marco Polo. We alternated swimming with riding the four-wheeler in the trails in the woods, our wet hair drying in the wind.

I can recall those trails, the turns and hills and shortcuts still clear in my mind from thirty-plus years ago.

Otter Pop popsicles that Momma bought from Sam’s Club in Shreveport were the go-to summer treat, and everyone tried to grab the Poncho Punch flavor first. Alexander the Grape was a close second. They still make those popsicles, but they aren’t quite as good or as big as they were in the 80s.

Uncle Red While unpacking an old box that has followed me on move to move I found my Uncle, Francis Arant ‘Red’ Marshall’s, WWII medals. He was my Mother’s older brother and manned a submarine during the Atlantic campaigns later in the War. Like my Dad and Uncles he was one of the “Greatest Generation” that won the war. He survived the war in spite of the hazardous underwater submarine duty but took his life after it was all over – despondent over a girl. Very tragic and I don’t think my Grandmother ever got over it.

At the height of the Great Depression – June 23, 1933 – what was life like in Mansfield? Of course, most of the front page of the Mansfield Enterprise dealt with cotton acreage cut for the farmers and a few other discouraging things but there was a big front page article announcing 200 young people registering for the Epworth League held at the Mansfield Female College. The Epworth League was for young people 16 to 23 years of age. The program for the meeting at the three story building next to and adjoining the College Administration building was “Thy Kingdom Come”. This was one of the largest attendances for a League meeting.

There are gifts that make your heart leap with joy, and then there are those that stop your heart in its tracks. The ones that make your heart leap with joy are usually items that you never expected, didn’t know you wanted, yet you love them at first sight.

The gifts that stop your heart in its tracks are the ones that you have long dreamed about, but felt deeply that having it would never be a reality. These are usually something you want to do, a place you want to go, or something you know will bring your joy in life to a whole new level.

The Country Boy managed to fulfill one of my dreams and stop my heart in its tracks. The gift? A spinning wheel.

With my love of fiber and creating things with it, whether through knitting, crochet, weaving or other uses, spinning just seemed like an extension of this craft. One that can move the projects I create to a deeper level.

We took our annual Davidson-Carpenter-Vidrine-Sonnier summer vacation last week.

“The Sixteen of Us” — as we refer to ourselves collectively — include four families — my parents, my family, and my two sisters and their families. We currently range in age from eight to 73.

And this year, the sixteen of of us became a total of twenty at the beach because my son Bryce brought a friend, and Ann’s daughter Sadie brought three friends. In all, we were responsible for seven teenagers on the trip.

This year we rented two houses in Rosemary Beach, Florida. My parents and my family shared a house, while my two sisters and their families shared the house two doors down.

The atmosphere in our house was like calm, babbling brook compared to my sisters’ house which was like Gulf of Mexico during a category five hurricane (all of the youngest kids plus five teens resided there!).

Back in the day bids were opened to build the Old Three-Story Jail on June 7, 1916 by L.V. Cook, President of the Jury but all bids were rejected since they were too high. Lots from Jenkins and Henderson had been purchased for this jail and bids were offered again and on Aug. 3, 1916. President Cook and the Jury accepted Corbin Bros. bid and the jail was accepted as complete on July 17, 1917. Corbin was a master courthouse jail builder having settled down in Mansfield and had built the John Blanchard house for his family’s residence.

The site of the jail is one of the most historic sites in Mansfield as this was the location of the first store in town. It was owned by William Crosby from the Crosby-Carruth Store in Screamerville, La. Mr. Crosby built his family’s log home due north of that store. Mr. Crosby became the wealthiest man in Mansfield during the early years.

If you have dearly loved and lost a pet, I have great empathy for you.

As I wrote in a recent column, I lost my little fur-girl, my miniature schnauzer Charli, in early April. She was only two and a half years old, and it was sudden.

We adopted Charli when she was just six weeks old, and I raised her with tender love and care. The way I loved Charli reminded me of the man who raised the small ewe lamb in the Bible in 2 Samuel 12:3 — “He raised her, and she grew up with him and with his children … in his arms she would sleep. She was like a daughter to him.”

Charli was like a little daughter to me.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Mansfield%20EnterpriseID391/

Memorial Day, the last Monday of May (many take the last Sunday of May) is the day we honor Americans who have given their lives in military service. Called Decoration Day when graves of soldiers killed in the Civil War were decorated with flowers. The earliest Memorial observances occurred in Waterloo, New York and Columbus, Mississippi.

The first widespread observance of Decoration Day to observe the dead was in 1868 when Gen. John Logan had all graves in Arlington National Cemetery decorated with flowers and flags. Pres. James Garfield gave a speech in which he said, “For love of Country they accepted death and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition. http://etypeservices.com/Mansfield%20EnterpriseID391/