Author: lbeth1950

lbeth1950https://nutsrok.wordpress.comNow that I'm done with the bothersome business of workday world, I am free to pursue my passion, capturing the stories I've loved all my life. The ones you'll read on my blog are good old Southern stories, a real pleasure to relay. Here in the South, we are proud of our wacky folks. I've preyed shamelessly on my family, living and dead, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, often changing the names to protect the innocent and not so innocent. My mother illustrates my blog. I come from a rollicking family of nuts, hence the name of the blog Nutsrok Enjoy.
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Boring

What bores you?

I am rarely bored. At home, I have my reading, writing l, crochet, sewing, gardening, and dogs to occupy me. If I have to wait for an appointment, I thoroughly enjoy people watching. I am easily occupied.

My mother taught me a very valuable lesson about boring when I complained of boredom as a kid. She loaded me with enough chores I never complained of being bored again. Valuable lesson!

OJ and Sprite

What is your favorite drink?

First thing in the morning I fill my cup with lots of ice and top it off with OJ and Sprite. I sip along on that all day, I usually add to it mid afternoon. That keeps me hydrated.

Starry Night Part 2 The Snake Handling Church and the Rapture, a Story my Grandpa Told

When me an’ my brother Jim was boys, we heard they was gonna be having a camp-meeting at one of them snake-handlin’ churches up in the hills. Now we didn’ want nothin’ to do with snakes, but we thought it might be interestin’ to stir them church folks up a little. We slipped out with the Rascoe boys an’ caught us up some cats an’ a dog or two an’ had’em in tow sacks. We slipped up on the back side of the church an’ climbed up, pullin’ them bags behind us. With all that singin’ and testafyin’, and speakin’ in tongues, them church folks couldna’ heard the devil comin’ up the river in a sawmill, so we didn’ have a bit o’trouble once they got started. Them folks was naturally doin’ some carryin’ on!

Well, we give’em time enough to get to really git serious about their religion before we turned them dogs and cats loose on ‘em. Them cats tore outa’ them sacks, like their tails was on fire, screechin’ and spittin’, with them dogs right behind ‘em. Some of ‘em ended up bustin’ right up in the middle of them snake-handlers. I mean to tell you, they threw them snakes down an’ they all run outside screamin’ an’ carryin’ on about the rapture. You wouldn’a thought anybody that messed with snakes would’a got so stirred up about a few dogs and cats!

Everything Smells Just Like Poke Salad is available on Amazon.  To purchase, click on link above or image to right.  Please be kind enough to leave review.

Favorite People

Who are your favorite people to be around?

I am very fortunate to be retired so I am only around Bud most days. If I go out or have guests, it is people I care about.

Best shoes

Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.

My est shoes are old, soft soft that take me anywhere I need to go.

Starry Night Part 1

This is excerpt from my book https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Smells-Just-Like-Salad-ebook/dp/B01IVUXROQ

Like most of the people we knew, we didn’t have a car, so we never went anywhere at night we couldn’t walk, except for once. Mama got the news that there was to be a brush arbor revival in Cuthand, hosting a guest evangelist! To my everlasting amazement, we were going! We put quilts in the back of the wagon, since we’d be getting home long after dark. We hopped up in the wagon dressed in our best, headed for the revival, in a holiday spirit long before dark. I had no idea what a revival was, but couldn’t have been more excited than a kid headed for the fair!

We pulled up to find dozens of wagons parked next to a brush-arbor in a clearing, a simple roof of branches on a make-do support sheltering rough benches. Though it was summer, a few small fires were smoldering, their smoke intended to discourage mosquitoes. Before long, the song leader got us fired up with a rousing rendition of “Onward Christian Soldiers.” The singing was wonderful, but eventually gave way to the Hell-fire and brimstone sermon, something that didn’t thrill me nearly so much.

It was late by the time the preacher concluded the altar call, releasing us. After visiting a bit with our neighbors, we headed for home, long after the time I was usually in bed. I lay in the back of the wagon with Annie and John on the quilts, looking at the magical night sky. Travelling under its full moon and sparkling stars was a gift. A slight breeze cooled us, keeping the mosquitoes at bay. As the horse clomped along, Mama and Daddy told stories and talked amiably. With all those I loved around me, I never wanted this night to end.

 

This is from my book Everything Smells Just Like Poke Salad, available on Amazon.  Click on link to right to purchase.  I’d be grateful if you’d leave a review.

to be continued

Looking for Jesus

imageThe drunk stumbled up on a tent revival meeting just as they started up the baptizing.  The preacher put his arm around him, asking him if wanted wanted to find Jesus.

“Why sure!”

The preached dunked him, bringing him up spitting and sputtering.

“Did you find Jesus?”

“Naw!”

The preacher dunked him again.  “Did you find Jesus?”

“Naw.”

The preacher dunked him again, holding him under a while.  “Now, did you find Jesus?”

“Well heck no!  Are you sure this is where he went in?”

Rocky the Rocking Horse

Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received.

This is Rocky. Santa brought me this lovely fellow for Christmas. He was the biggest thrill of my life. We must have bounced thousands of miles together. In my mind, he transformed into a gorgeous black stallion when I climbed aboard.

Mother Always Loved Them Most

Mother and Daddy were bipolar, as a couple, not individually. Daddy was generous with tales of his life on the wild side intended to edify and occasionally entertain.  In his youth, he’d selfishly used up the family quota of sin, carousing, drinking, gambling, fighting, and honky-tonking to his heart’s content.  Reforming after marrying Mother, he Continue reading →