Newspaper Page Text
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Elberta time
You’ve got just five or
six more days to buy
fresh Elberta peaches.
I have this firsthand from
Debra Brown at Farmer
Brown’s market. I was over
there on Thursday buying
Elbertas (along with fresh
green beans and zucchini).
For any of you who were
raised way off yonder some
where, the Elberta is the
best peach
in the
world, and
the best
Elbertas
come from
Peach
County
or Macon
County
(They
were first
developed
llh ■%
.?a&
Charlotte
Perkins
Lifestyle Editor
in Marshallville). Debra
says that they’ll all be gone
in about a week.
How should you eat an
Elberta? Forget the fancy
recipes. Peel the peach.
Slice it. Eat it.
Summer reading
I have just finished
China Road by Rob Gifford.
This is a wonderful book
based on Gifford’s journey
across China from Shanghai
to Kazakhstan border on
China’s Route 312. Gifford,
who is an NPR correspon
dent and fluent in Mandarin,
talks to people all along the
way while riding in buses,
or hitching rides in trucks,
and weaves a good deal of
Chinese history into his nar
rative. Best of all, it’s a very
readable book by a man who
seems like the ideal com
panion for a long trip into
uncharted territory. I really
like it.
*' o♦* ** *
Ms " ’’’WRI , A
I
Lgfeil. : I
Cat Tax
I hadn’t been aware that
if you own a cat in Perry
you’re supposed to pay a
cat tax. I learned this in
our own newspaper. You
have to take your cat’s
rabies innoculation papers
to city hall, and give them
$7, and they will photocopy
your cat’s papers from the
vet and give you a tag, which
you must attach to a collar,
which you must keep around
your cat’s neck at all times.
This is the LAW, folks.
I gave some thought to
protesting this random
demand for $7 in view of the
fact that my cat already has
an up-to-date tag from the
veterinarian who gave her a
rabies shot.
However, Carol Fudge, the
city’s tax clerk is entirely
too nice to protest against,
and it also turns out that
the city is not exactly mak
ing big bucks on this cat tax
since only a dozen cats were
registered with the city tax
office in the last calendar
year. Probably, once you fac
tor in the photocopying and
the fancy green metal tags,
the year’s proceeds from the
cat tax wouldn’t even pay
for the word “cat” in the
public notice.
I asked another cat owner
if she was going to go to
city hall and pay $7 for a
redundant rabies tag for her
cat. She said, and I quote,
“Patootie!”
Emily Jane liked the new
tag, though, and batted it
all around the department.
I think it’s under the sofa
now.
SATURDAY,
AUGUST 4, 2007
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—_
Derry
; -Watson
honored
Speacial to the Journal
Friends, family and
co-workers gathered
recently to honor Derry
Watson on his retire
ment as President of
Security Bank in Perry.
When Watson, a native
of Perry, took the posi
tion, the bank was locally
owned and organized as
Crossroads Bank. He
served for 21 years, and
is planning to enjoy golf
ing and time. with his
family.
He was presented
by the bank’s employ
ees with a painting of
the original Crossroads
Bank, and also received
a set of Hogan irons and
other gifts.
Among the speak-,
ers were Georgia DOT
Commissioner Larry
Walker, Sheriff Cullen
Talton, President George
Slappey of the Houston
County Security Bank,
and members of the staff
of the local bank.
Looking back on the memories on our clothes
I listened as a young
mother spoke about her
family laundry.
Earlier, she had been
searching for a pair of miss
ing shorts and was wonder
ing if they had somehow
ended up in a drawer with
her son’s clothes.
Her husband’s chosen
chore about the house is
laundry, she explained, and
it is not uncommon for a
search, and rescue mission
to take place regarding
clothing.
She had cringed one day
when she spotted her pre
teen son sporting a favor
ite white golf-type shirt of
hers.
Could she get it off of
him before it shouted to
the world the wearer (or at
least one of them) was a fan
of grape popsicles?
It would then'look much
like another similar type
and color shirt that relayed
the message the owner
eryoyed a good plate of spa
Lifestyle
Hl| y Tjp?
.
V *£&**&*
IHHI I
Journal. Charlotte Perkins
Three of Watson’s granddaughters enjoy the ceremony. They are, from left, Campbell, Sara Kate and Ella Watson.
ghetti during a family out
ing, all efforts to remove
stains having failed.
“We have memories on
our clothes,” she comment
ed with a sigh.
I imagine most of us have
I
•
Emily Johnstone
Columnist
ghetti shirt the memories
some of these stains may
conjure are pleasant.
Forget ordering that con
tainer of product that is
advertised on television as
being able to remove any
thing from grape juice to
chocolate. (Those folks who
dump all that different stuff
on the clothing for a demon-
M. mS \t :
Journal/Charlotte Perkins
LEFT: Larry Walker kept the audience laughing with his memories of Derry Watson’s
teen years and his 1955 Mercury metallic blue and white car, and “ducktail” haircut.
ABOVE: Employees of Security Bank were there to say goodbye with hugs and gifts.
stration look like they are
having a lot of fun - maybe
they were not allowed to
go out of the house with
out clean underwear when
they were young and this
is somewhat of a dream job
for them!)
Just put the shirt in a
stack of Saturday wear and
allow the stain to tell the
world a little bit about you,
much like logos or messages
on T-shirts.
Motor oil tells the world
you tinker on cars. Paint
tells the world you may be
an aspiring Van Gogh. Ink
may reveal you like to sleep
in your chair with the news
paper across your chest.
■ ■■
People who are in my age
bracket or older will prob
ably relate to an observance
I made recently.
Remember when you
combed your hair before
walking out to your mail
at least
one piece
of cloth
ing that
reveals
a slight
accident
from our
plates
to our
mouths,
but like
the spa-
box? And you would never
go into town without mak
ing sure you were clean and
groomed.
It has come to my atten
tion that many people you
spot out running errands
or shopping'in public places
are dressed like they think
they are sitting in front of
their computer ordering
stuff online.
In other words, I do not
think a good number of
folks today put as much
emphasis on looking their
best when going out into
public as they did in the
past.
Now, I could be wrong as I
have heard our memories of
the past can become some
what skewered with time,
but I do not think the mem
ory of my grandmother giv
ing me the once over before
I trotted down to the corner
store is incorrect.
You wore a clean shirt,
combed your hair and
washed your face before
1B
In his brief remarks at the
Houston County Country
Club party in his honor,
Derry Watson said of his
wife, Jane, “without her,
I’d never have gotten out
of the gate, let alone fin
ished the race,” and also
referred to his offspring as
“the three best kids that
God ever gave a man, and
the seven best grandchil
dren.” The family, from
left, Casey Martin, Kristen
Martin, Jeb Martin, Jane
and Derry Watson, Trina
Martin, Elizabeth and
Guy Watson, Ella Watson,
Sara Kate Watson, Erica
Martin, Melanie and James
Watson, holding Campbell
Watson.
Journal/Charlotte Perkins
stepping out into public.
Do some of you remember
those days?
I am quite sure I spot
ted someone a few days ago
walking into a grocery store
in their pajamas.
■ ■■
Here are a couple of inter
esting headlines we might
see in the year 2029, accord
ing to a humorous email:
“New federal law requires
that all nail clippers, screw
drivers, fly swatters and
rolled up newspapers must
be registered by January
2036”
“Florida voters still hav
ing trouble with voting
machines”
Thanks to the Greers for
sharing!
■ ■■
Check the skies after mid
night Aug. 11 and 12 for the
Perseids meteor shower!