Betty’s Week

By Betty Shearer

    Had a call from Sister-in-law Faye Poindexter Shearer of Pascagoula this afternoon (Monday). She reports that the weather there is also unseasonable cold. She called to tell us how much she enjoyed Jack’s story about the little lost dog who was determined to go home with someone. Was great to visit with Faye and catch up on her, her  sons, Steve, Bill, Jeff, and Michael, and her grand (Steve’s little daughter, Allison, who is celebrating her 5th birthday this week).

    We admitted that we’re getting old—all four of her boys are older than Jim, and he turned 45 yesterday.

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    Another enjoyable phone visit today was with Albert Wilbourn, who now lives in Wiggins. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him and Janie. He’s still works for the Post Office, but is now a letter carrier in Wiggins. Says they have two city routes and five rural routes—same as the Valley. We got around reminiscing about our early days as friends, his parents, and siblings which naturally brought on the subject of food. Faye Wilbourn could cook the best quail I’ve ever eaten and her red velvet cakes were wonderful—no one one makes them like that anymore. Faye made hers from scratch, by the original recipe, only she added a sprinkling of fresh grated coconut, yum-yum! It’s always good to hear from old friends (old, yea, I still think of Al as being a smart-mouth teenager).

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    Made the final First United Methodist Church Lenten Luncheon last Thursday. Robbie Parsons sang “He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels”, and it brought tears and made my hair stand on end. His rendition of this song was one of the most beautiful worship experienced I’d had. Never thought Robbie looked like his father, the late Oscar Parsons, but on Thursday there was something of Oscar in his facial features and expression, and also his singing. Oscar had a marvelous voice, but Robbie is even better. Then Rev. Barry Dickerson, pastor of FUM, brought a very timely Easter message, one that I appreciated very much. Was great to finally get to hear Bro. Barry preach. Food was delicious—think Brad Sartor was chair of the food committee last week and they served taco salad. Brad stated that it was easy to serve a great meal if you had folks helping who knew what they were doing. Ate at the table with Lynne and Taylor Trusty. Enjoyed visiting with them. Taylor and Jim were both members of the WVHS Class of ‘82 and have been good friends most of their lives. His mom and dad, Dot and Mark Trusty. and Sister Toni, were some of the first folks I met when I came to the Valley.

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  At Prayer Meeting last Wednesday night Barbara Warren asked if I’d seen the tulips around the Square in Oxford. Well I went around the Square on Tuesday afternoon, but all I see when I’m driving is the street and the vehicles around me. She advised me to take my chauffeur, Sister Jimmie, and tour Oxford. This we did on Friday. We not only went around the Square, but up and down University, Jackson, Lamar and through the campus. The tulips were beautiful, as were the pink and white dogwoods, other trees, shrubs and flowers.

  Since we were in Oxford we took advantage of the outing to eat at one of our favorite spots, The Beacon. Had chicken and dumplins, green beans, a baked sweet potato and their great cornbread and rolls. Ate way to much and wanted some lemon pie, but knew that was impossible.

  Then we checked out The Depot and got to visit a little while with Owner Ben Haney. Bought very little here (saw lots of great stuff, but I have no room to put anything, so I have to pass it up). After this we toured Sugar Magnolia (didn’t buy a thing—minor miracle), and then it was on to The Mustard Seed. Here we bought some Gail Pittman pottery, in a couple of patterns I’m not familiar with, but that were very pretty and in my colors of burgundy and navy.

  In one of the shops there was an Empire petticoat table. If Ed had been with us it would have become Shearer property—this was a piece Ed always wanted. It was in immaculate condition, even the marble top was perfect. A piece I wanted was a little slipper sofa, but to buy it meant that something I had in my bedroom would have to go and I like all my furniture and I’m now willing to sacrifice anything—so that piece also remained with the dealer. There was also a twin size half-teaster bed that I really liked. Jimmie suggested that maybe I needed to add onto the house. “No way,” I answered, “I can’t keep the house I have now clean.”

  The stores all closed so we had to go home. She said she was so tired from our shopping spree that she had to take Bill out for supper—and she didn’t buy a thing. I just ate a bowl of soup. Shopping is hard work, though, even if you don’t buy much.

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  The roadsides on the Pope/Water Valley Road were still very pretty on Saturday and Sunday. Wisteria is hanging on longer than I can every remember, even with all the high winds we’d had. Also I think every azalea that has ever been planted is in bloom  this year. I have a couple of hot pink ones that I don’t ever remember blooming before and we’d not planted an azalea in over ten year. I think I’m now up to about a dozen in boom.

  Hope the extremely low temp predicted for tonight (30 last I heard) does not bring all this beauty to an abrupt end. More than this though, I hope it does not destroy all the fruit. All the pears, peaches, apples, and plums are in bloom, with some fruit already set. If this freezes it will just fall off and again we’ll have no fresh fruit in our area.

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  Jim called Friday night and we caught up on all our goings on. He’s coming to the end of another school year. Celeste was on her way to play with the symphony in Roswell. Jim said they’d had very windy conditions for most of the month of March—told him that so had we.

Knowing I’d be busy all day Saturday and Sunday, I wished Jim a Happy Birthday. My Mom for many years called me very early in the morning on my birthday, saying that I’d awaken her at that hour on the day I was born. I don’t do that to Jim, since it would be 5:10 a.m. where he lives—Jim was born at 6:10, April 5, 1964, in Dr. Spears Clinic. It was a a very cold day—even colder than it has been this week. Jim’s birthday is a very special day for me, for him, and it certainly was for his dad, because he helped deliver him.

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  Good Friday will be a holiday for the schools and also for many businesses—including the Herald. The schools will also be closed on Monday. However, on Monday we’ll be open at our regular time of 8:30 a.m.

  Many churches have scheduled special Easter Services for Sunday, with a few Sunrise Services on the agenda. This is, I think, the most special Christian holiday of the year. Christmas is wonderful, but if it were not for the events of Easter, Christmas would just celebrate the birth of another beautiful baby. I do urge each of you attend the church of your choice and worship the Risen Lord.

  Happy Easter!