Newspaper Page Text
4C
SATURDAY, JULY 8, 2006
Jane Winston
The Left Rail
JWlNSl939@aol.com
Buon giorno a
tutti! - Part IV
An apology - since I
last wrote about
Italy and spoke of
our bus driver, I discovered
the “real” spelling of his
name: Gian Battista (my
Georgia hearing heard that
as John Baptista—sorry
Gian). At any rate, once
we were unstuck from the
overpass we drove into
the town of Pisa where we
saw the Duomo, Baptistery
and Campanile, the world
famous Leaning Tower of
Pisa. The area was disap
pointingly crowded and
commercialized, but I over
looked all of that as I real
ized I was standing in front
of the eight-story free
standing bell tower—with
a considerable list—whose
construction was begun in
1174—1174!! I had now
seen the Eiffel Tower and
The Leaning Tower of Pisa,
two structures I had heard
and read about all of my
life. My folks would be
proud!
From Pisa we drove on to
Stresa nestled on the banks
of Lago Maggiore and at
the foot of the Swiss Alps.
In the middle of the lake
are the Borromean Islands,
a chain of tiny islands
that were turned into
sites of lavish villas and
gardens by the Borromeo
clans. We visited two of
the three Islands, Isola
Bella (Beautiful Island)
and Isola Madre (Mother
Island). Isola Madre is the
largest and most visited of
the three Islands primarily
because of the magnificent
Botanical Garden there.
And while there I actually
saw several albino pea
cocks—-white as the driven
snow, and loud as anything
I have heard before!
The group went into
Milan for the day, but
Susan, Carol, Vicki, Cathy
and I opted to stay behind
and do some mountain
climbing! First, a moun
tain lesson: der Mont
Blanc located in Italy is
the highest peak in the
Swiss Alps at 15,771 feet.
We could not see it from
Stresa, but we could see
the second highest peak,
der Monte Rosa, which is
BIRTHS
From page 1A
Avery Rose Parrish
Kevin and Kelly Walsh
Parrish ofßonaire announce
the birth of a daughter,
Avery Rose Parrish, at
Houston Medical Center
on June 2. Grandparents of
the baby are Paul and Joan
Walsh of Tyler, Texas and
Cary and Karen Parrish of
Euless, Texas.
Kameron Dennis
Williams
Denise Williams ofWarner
Robins announces the birth
of a son, Kameron Dennis
Williams, at Houston
Medical Center on June 2.
Grandparents of the baby
are Mary Ann Williams of
Warner Robins and the late
Yewell Dennis Williams of
Warner Robins.
Zackhary Lee Cook
Ashley and Brandi Oliver
Cook of Warner Robins
announce the birth of a
son, Zackhary Lee Cook, at
Houston Medical Center on
June 2. Grandparents of the
baby are Eddie and Debra
Oliver of Warner Robins.
Lawrence Williams 111
Nicole Winston and
Lawrence Williams, Jr.
of Perry announce the
birth of a son, Lawrence
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actually in Switzerland and
stands tall at 15,203 feet.
Putting it in perspective
for me is that while we
were stationed at McChord
AFB in Washington, on a
clear day (not all that many
there, however,) we gazed
at Mount Rainier that is
14,410 feet high.
We five ladies shared a
ride on the funivia (cable
car-like thing) with men
-who take their bikes to
the top of the mountain
and then ride them down
the mountain multiple
times a day --to the near
top of Mottarone mountain
where we disembarked and
walked to the peak which
was 4,890 feet. A mere
mole hill when it comes to
mountain sizes; but, none
theless, we were winded
when we reached the top
and thrilled as we gazed
down at seven different
lakes of the area and gazed
up at the various mountain
peaks between 4,890 feet
and der Monte Rosa at 15,
203 feet.
While near the top we
enjoyed the most delicious
bowl of minestrone soup
ever made served by the
most authentic Italian
waiter ever created. And he
served us Coca Cola which
they refer to as American
wine; he also laughingly
shared how the first words
out of all Italian babies
is Coca Cola, and that all
Italians have Coke in their
homes. Made me proud to
be from the state where Co-
Cola is king!
Thus ended my wonderful
trip to Italy with a terrific
group of folks currently liv
ing and working in Illinois.
We shopped, dined, walked,
climbed, laughed, solved
Sudoku puzzles and all of
the world’s problems along
the way.
We then flew out of Milan
back to Chicago where we
were bussed back to real
ity in Champaign-Urbana,
picked up by loved ones
and headed home to try
and share with others the
beauty of the country, the
people and the experience.
Until next week and
Mackinac Island. Caio
Williams 111, at Houston
Medical Center on June
2. Grandparents of the
baby are Carol Neil of
Montezuma; Carlton Argo
Winston of Marshallville;
Carolyn Williams and
Lawrence Williams, Sr. of
Americus.
Grade Loren Bliss
Michelle Berrier and
Landon Bliss of Warner
Robins announce the
birth of a daughter, Gracie
Loren Bliss, at Houston
Medical Center on June 3.
Grandparents of the baby
are Christopher Berrier
of Warner Robins; Sharon
Seabolt of Warner Robins;
Frank and Brenda Doss of
Warner Robins.
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Blind dates and dates that aren't
I think it’s safe to say that I
am now officially through
with blind dates.
After all, I am usually the
only one blind on the date
because chances are that
the other person has some
kind of acquaintance with
me through the media. It
is, I have decided, an unfair
advantage.
I washed my hands of blind
dates after a recent one in
Louisville, Kentucky.
“You’re going to kill me,”
my friend, Deb, said when
she called my hotel room. I
was in Louisville for a speak
ing engagement so we had
made plans to dine together,
along with her husband.
Deb had a friend, recently
divorced, who asked if he
could join us. “I didn’t com
mit,” she continued. “It’s up
to you.”
Since I am an eternal,
undying optimist, I agreed.
Though I nave never gotten
my hopes up over such intro
ductions, I am of the opinion
that you never know when
a prince rather than a frog
might appear.
The guy was nice enough
but halfway through dinner,
I realized that something
wasn’t right. The only time
he glanced in my direction
Remembering G.K. and the Bantam Rooster
By Janette Ferguson
Special to the HHJ
Childhood memories.
Everyone has them, and I
guess each one is unique
and yet personal to that par
ticular family. When the
hot summer days come, the
humidity in Georgia gets
really bad compared to other
southern states. The sun
beats down on us children
like the heat of a hot pot
belly stove.
Me, well, I hated the sum
mer, for it was usually too
hot and humid. I would just
try to find shade to sit and
read, which was my favorite
pastime. We did not have
air conditioning back then,
we had fans (I guess we are
spoiled now with air condi
tioning.)
When school was out, we
were left (my two brothers
at that time) wanting some
thing to keep us busy - and
to have fun doing. We were
told to find our own fun, but
to stay out of trouble. My
parents had always taught
us to help each other - to
stick up for each other. I was
responsible for their actions
being the oldest child. I
tried to protect them or else
my parents would fuss at
me. But family stuck up for
family.
Growing up on a farm,
we had all sorts of animals:
chickens, a bantam roost
er, cows, pigs, and even a
goat or two. At one time,
we had a horse. Usually
the chickens and roosters
were in a chicken pen or
the barn unless someone let
them out. (Usually, G.K.,
love to let them out. Which
meant someone else had to
get them all back in - mostly
my mother and I had that
responsibility. ) They were
pretty good about running
around the back area for we
had 3.6 acres of land.
Looking back over the
years, I can remember many
funny things from my child
hood. My idea of fun was
different from that of my
brothers. Among those, one
stands out. That one fateful
summer day! One brother,
G.K., in particular, seem to
enjoy trouble more than the
other.
G.K. was a very mischie
vous, adventuresome, fun
loving, and mean child. He
could figure more things to
get into trouble. Anyway,
G.K.decided to have some
fun (he was around the age
of five.) He decided one
day to continue his habit of
harassing the chickens and
roosters we had.
LIFESTYLE
Ronda Rich
Columnist
was when I was bold enough
to inteiject myself into the
conversation.
“How was your date last
night?” Karen called to ask
the following day.
“Terrible. I could recom
mend a good book on flirting
to him. Do you know that
he did not ask one question
about me all night?”
Two days later, I found out
why he hadn’t asked when
Deb called.
“Steve is furious with me,”
she reported. “He said he
was in over his head because
he didn’t know you were so
well known.”
“How would he know any
thing about me?” I retorted.
I was still plenty aggravated
over his rudeness to me. “He
G.K. was into chasing the
chickens - or any animal he
could chase, as long as his
small legs would hold him
up. To him, it was fun to see
them run and cackle trying
to get away, wings flapping
wildly. His favorite pastime
was to throw rocks at the
animals. Rocks were fly
ing, for he usually grabbed
a couple of handfuls before
he start throwing them. He
even decided to pick up a few
sticks and throw them if he
ran out of rocks. If he could
get close to them, he would
poke them.
Naturally, I was the one
that tried to stop him as
otherwise; I was the one to
get into the most trouble,
as his big sister, and the
one that was suppose to be
responsible since I was five
years older
than him.
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didn’t ask anything.”
“He googled you before
the date.”
Google. There we go again.
I’m always getting googled.
It’s an unfair advantage.
No wonder the guy didn’t
ask any questions. He didn’t
need to. Thirty minutes on
line and all mysteries were
revealed. But once upon a
time, I did have a great blind
date. Perfect blind date, in
fact. It was in the pre-histor
ic times before googling had
been invented and before, if
it had been invented, that I
was google-able. Aw, those
were the good ole days.
I was set up with a guy that
his friends called “attractive
and nice.” The same words
they used to describe me to
Usually, his aim was not
the best, but it sure scared
the chickens and roosters.
He would run throwing the
rocks, usually aiming for
their bodies, but missing
the animal completely. It
did not matter. It was fun
just to chase them, throwing
whatever was available.
That summer he decided
he wanted to give the ban
tam rooster the gift of his
heckling, throwing rocks
and sticks. Until that red
and black bantam changed
course of history. It appar
ently got tired of being
chased, because it turned
around and started chasing
back.
G.K. turned around him
self and started running.
But that rooster was deter
mined! It caught up to him
and started pecking his little
fat legs. He began to scream,
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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
him. Now, anyone who has
ever been on a blind date
knows that “attractive and
nice” translates to “average
and bland.” In other words,
don’t get your hopes up.
When I answered the door
that evening, I was speech
less. There stood the most
beautiful guy I have ever
seen. Tall, lean and muscled
with stunning blue eyes and
a mop of silky blonde hair
that curled quite nicely on
the ends. He looked like a
movie star. His eyes wid
ened. “You’re beautiful,”
were his first words.
I blinked hard. “And,
you’re gorgeous.”
Superficial, yes. But every
woman, at least once in her
life, should have a blind date
like Bobby O’Hoppe show
up on her doorstep. That
first date was followed by
another then another then
another. Then I - and it was
all me - let the most perfect
blind date ever slip away.
Gee, I wonder where
Bobby O’Hoppe is now.
Maybe Google will know.
Ronda Rich is the best-sell
ing author of What Southern
Women Know About Flirting
and The Town That Came
A-Courtin’.
and naturally, I thought it
was funny. At first. Then,
realized it was hurting him.
So I picked up a stick and
tried to distract it. No good.
That bantam was deter
mined and kept on chasing
G.K. No matter how hard
I hit it, I couldn’t make it
stop. G.K. was screaming
bloody murder! Which also
brought me to yelling and
hitting, trying to get the
rooster to stop.
Since I couldn’t get it to
stop, I started yelling for
our mother. She came run
ning, saw what was hap-
Eening and quickly grabbed
er broom. She then began
to hit the bantam. It took
several hits before it finally
stopped. Needless to say,
G.K. gave up chasing the
bantam rooster and by the
next Sunday, we had chicken
and dumplings for dinner.
*