Where In The World Is Jimmy Stegall?

In the fall of 1970, the Oakshire Raiders football team went undefeated. Coached by Coach Doug Daniels (full time postman and part time coach), the Raiders won the Whitehaven Elementary Athletic Association Football Championship. Oakshire Elementary is still located on Holmes Rd, near where it crosses I-55. In the late 60s and early 70s, Oakshire… Read more »

The Day The Music Died

In the early 1960s, just as the The Beatles brought a new sound to America, he brought rock and roll to Birdland. He taught every kid in Birdland to sing Herman Hermit songs with a “proper English accent”. Ponder that for a minute. He saw doing what he did as something of a public service…. Read more »

The ‘Cup’

Photo Credit Jeff Presley

Cajun Greenbeans

My son recently asked for my recipe for cajun green beans. He and his girlfriend Laura are spending Thanksgiving at Laura’s parent’s home. Ratboy is a pretty good cook. He understands that he has to bring something really good, and this is it. This isn’t a completely original recipe. I got the bones of it… Read more »

A True Story

In the July of 1976, I had just got my truck out of the shop after I hit a deer with it. A deer will do significant damage to a 1975 Toyota Hi-Lux pickup truck. I must say, Dad was not amused. The truck was in the shop for about two weeks while it was… Read more »

Aunt Lottie

Sometimes in quite moments, just out of the clear blue sky, a random thought brings a memory back to life. I just thought of my Aunt Lottie. Aunt Lottie was a tiny woman with a big laugh. She had an exasperated way of saying “Randy!” She broke it into three syllables: “RAY-AN-DEE!” She was right… Read more »

The Witches of Shrewsbury – the Wives of Richard and Thomas Garner

In 1636, a woman in Shrewsbury, England was accused of witchcraft and sorcery. In a trial by water, her death established her innocence. She died by drowning in the dunking stool in the pool at the Square in Shrewsbury. Her name was Katharn, wife of Richard and mother of John, and she is buried in the Old Churchyard at St. Chad’s Church in Shrewsbury, England. From this family, my branch of the Garner family was born.

Remembering Rocket

When I was a child, the 4th of July was always a special time to me. It wasn’t special because that’s the day the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, or because it is the day Vicksburg fell in the Civil War. No, as a small child, I didn’t know about any of that…. Read more »

At Least I Can Sing

Fifty-some-odd years ago, a friend of mine, Jimmy Bolin, decided he wanted to open a guitar store. It didn’t matter that he was in high school or that he didn’t have any money to work with. He loved playing guitar and he wanted to open a guitar store. He taught private guitar lessons until he… Read more »

These Boots Weren’t Made For Walking

At lunch yesterday, I received a call that was a survey checking attitudes about smokeless pouches and vaping. Landi and I were at lunch with friends, so I stepped away from the table to take the survey. It was long and extensive. In our exchanges, I learned a lot about legislation and the positions various… Read more »

◀ ▶
Latest

  • Attacked by a Mad Dog

    I am distraught.  My chocolate lab Dixie, whom we have raised from a pup, came to me this morning and informed me that I had offended her and that due to the racist connotations of her name, she will no longer answer to that name, preferring to be addressed as “Svatchime”. “What?  Offended?  How can… Read more »

  • The Return of the Beer Monkey

    When he was 3 or 4 years old, I could look at him and say ‘Beer Monkey!  Fetch me a beer!”, and, smiling like a miniature lunatic, he would run down stairs to the fridge, get a beer, open it, and bring it to me.  Life was good!  “Beer Monkey!” I would say and boom!… Read more »

  • The Bolivian Two Step

    Several years ago, I was shopping at Costco. As usual, I got steaks, bourbon, wine, and a mountain of other necessities. As with many big box stores, the downside of shopping at Costco is the checkout process. On weekends, the lines are invariably long and slow moving which is why I choose to go on… Read more »

  • Goodreads Book Giveaway!!!!

    Goodreads Book Giveaway Me, Boo and The Goob by William L. Garner Giveaway ends August 15, 2017. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway

  • A Good Kid

    Several years ago, a kid about 15 years old punched Catfish.  The Fish was about 8 at the time.  As you would expect, I was not happy and I went to have a chat with the kid’s parents.  On asking one of the neighbors where the kid lived, I went there.  When I found the… Read more »

  • Payback Is Hell

    Sometimes, I still hear him laugh. Several years ago, while mowing the yard, Catfish somehow failed to see a 6 foot umbrella lying in the yard.  He destroyed both the umbrella and the hours old lawn mower. I heard him laugh then.  I could see him tilt his head back just a bit, and look… Read more »

  • 37 West 65

    Sometimes you run across something that really puts life in a new perspective. You pause for just a moment, and reflect on the blessings that you have been given. Several years ago, Catfish’s 8th grade class went on a three day trip to Washington, DC. One of the places we visited was Arlington. It may… Read more »

  • Twenty Three Years in LandiLand

    Wedding bells in Bethlehem. Condo Hell. A House in South Plainfield. ‘Landi, did you pick this color?’ A dog named Buckwheat. A boy named Catfish. Jordan arrived in Jersey. Chaunti. Fish pond in the back yard. Jenn went to Australia and came home to Jersey. The Jersey Shore Hello Wardlaw-Hartridge. Good by money. Barbeque Professionals… Read more »

  • Don’t try this at home. We are professionals.

    Well, you’ve heard the saying ‘at least we weren’t DAL’? We don’t use that expression anymore. The event was ‘Smoking on the Square’ in Pensacola, and site was great….. except for the reserved Port-a-Potties.  We didn’t know anything about them, so we didn’t reserve one.  Let me just say that would have been a right… Read more »

  • Memories of Christmas Past

    I miss them most on Christmas Eve. Every Christmas Eve they came to my parents house and we had quail for dinner. When he and Dad were younger, they would go quail hunting on Christmas Eve.  The quail they killed that morning were the quail we would have for dinner that night. They were quail… Read more »