Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4B
• FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Sundty, April 12,1998
Weddings
April Michelle Guthrie
Jonathan Wade Reid
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald W. Guthrie,
of Cumming would like to
announce the engagement and
forthcoming marriage of their
daughter April Michelle to
Jonathan Wade Reid, son of Mr.
and Mrs. H. Jerry Reid of
Carrollton.
The future bride is the grand
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.T.
Smith of East Point, and Mr. and
Mrs. James Guthrie of Murphy,
N.C.
Miss Guthrie is a 1995 graduate
of Forsyth Central High School
and is attending Gainesville
College pursuing a degree in mar
keting management. She is
Book review
‘Divine Secrets of the
Ya-Ya Sisterhood’
Review by Ruth Zehfuss
Humpus Bumpus Bookstore
What a weird title for a great
book! The Ya-Ya sisterhood slart
ed when four 8-year-old girls in
Thornton, La., vowed eternal loy
alty and sealed the pledge with
blood from their pricked fingers.
It ends with four women in their
sixties revealing the secrets of
theix lifelong friendship to
Siddalee Walker, Vivi Walker’s
40-year-old daughter.
Siddalee Walker is a theatrical
director with a play opening at the
Lincoln Center. The drama critic
of the New York Times inter
views her and digs out the dirt on
her mother in Louisiana. The
headline reads like something
from Momm,v Dearest—battered
child with a tap-dancing child
abuser for a mother. Back home,
Vivi Abbott Walker (Vivi Dahlin)
hits the roof and severs all ties
with her daughter. Vivi’s Ya-Ya
sisters, Teensy, Caro, and Necie,
mobilize to help their friend.
The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya
Sisterhood are contained in a tat
tered scrapbook that Vivi Abbott
Walker has treasured since she
was a child. Siddalee starts to
page through her mother’s past,
revealed in ticket stubs, pressed
corsages, a mysterious key, frag
ments of a nut shell, newspaper
clippings, and a pawn ticket.
The novel is fun to read, heart
warming, and projects Vivi’s
gusto for life. The friendship of
the four little girls begins at a
Shirley Tbmple look-alike contest
in Thornton in the ’3os. The
girls’ mothers wrap their hair in
rig curlers and order Shirley-
Itrnpie-like dresses for the con
test at the local movie theater.
The kids bring down the house
aad send the promotion agent
screaming back to Hollywood.
Contained in Vivi’s scrapbook
are letters she wrote in 1939 on a
trip to Atlanta to see the premiere
of "Gone With the Wind.” The
13-year-olds travel on the
Southern Crescent, chaperoned
by Vivi’s family maid, Ginger,
employed by Smart Corporation.
The future groom is the grandson
of the late George E. Tweed and
the late Herman J. Reid and Mrs.
Linnie Mae Copeland of Carroll
ton.
Reid is a 1991 graduate of
Central High School in Carrollton,
and a 1995 graduate of West
Georgia College with a bachelors
of science degree in math and
computer science.
He is employed by U.S.
Communications.
The wedding will be June 20,
1998 at Harmony Baptist Church
at 3 p.m. in Carrollton. All friends
and relatives are invited.
who has to ride in the colored car.
They stay with Teensy’s snobbish
aunt and uncle, wear hoop skirts
to the Junior league ball, and fall
in love with Clark Gable and
Vivien Leigh. They also cause a
ruckus when the host family
insults Ginger—the Ya-Yas don’t
tolerate phonies and snobs.
One of the best images of the
book is the four girls curled
together in hammocks at sleep
overs on each others’ porches.
16-years later, as they pile into
Teensy’s red convertible, they are
still the same girls, although their
hair is dyed and their skin is age
spotted. Together they have seen
each other through deaths of
loved ones, teenage trauma, mar
riage, childbirth, and mother
hood.
The Ya-Ya’s have a sort of lan
guage of their own. In Cajun
country, their children are
“petites Ya-Ya’s”, their combined
scent is “Gumbo Ya-Ya”, which
is the combined smell of tobacco
on an angora sweater, the oaken
smell of good bourbon, the lin
gering of old rose. As young
mothers in the ’sos and ’6os, the
Ya-Yas take their children for
picnics and swims at Spring
Creek, where the children splash
and play and the mothers swim,
laugh, and talk.
The novel makes you laugh and
pondSr as it moves back and forth
between Siddalee’s career and
approaching marriage and her
mother’s wonderful, crazy,
painful life. The best part, to me,
is that Rebecca Wells does not
linger on the pain. Instead she
puts it into context and shows
how true, loyal, lifelong friend
ship acts as a kind of balm for the
bad things that happen in life.
The Ya-Ya sisterhood is friend
ship personified in the lives of
Vivi, Teensy, Necie, and Caro—
and finally presented as a legacy
to Siddalee.
Book reviews are coordinat
ed by Paul Cossman, owner of
Humpus Bumpus Books in
Cumming. 781-9705.
Pet of the Week
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Gentry
Mother and son ready for new home
My name is Gentry. I am a 1-1/2 -
year-old English setter. My 8-
month-old son, Tack, and I are
looking for new homes. I am shy
and gentle, which is why I am
named Gentry. Tack is named after
a tachometer because he loves to
run fast. We can go to the same
home or different ones. We love to
play tug of war, fetch balls and race
each other. We need a fence to play
in. We snuggle up together to sleep
F #?e T
Social Services a*,
Hr Ml Ct '
Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites
Kids, Contests and Catfish
Know a kid who is an accom
plished angler? Several Georgia
State Parks are sponsoring fishing
tournaments for children of all
ages. Contestants should bring
their own gear and bait. For more
information about these fishing
tournaments, call the host park.
To reserve a campsite or fully
equipped cottage, call (800) 864-
7275 (in Metro Atlanta call (770)
389-7275).
Parent-child fishing tourna
ment
Mistletoe State Park, Appling,
(706)541-0321
April 11,7 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Parents can teach their kids the
basics of baiting a hook, reeling
in the catch and good sportsman
ship while fishing from the banks
at night. We are smart and curious.
We love to chase and point at bum
blebees and butterflies. We are
affectionate and we get along great
with children. We are already
spayed and neutered, current on all
of our shots and on heartworm pre
ventive. We have pretty white coats
with red markings. Call our foster
mom, Terri, at (770) 889-6538 day
or night to make an appointment to
meet us.
of Clarks Hill Lake. Fishing holes
will be baited, giving contestants
a good chance of catching bream,
crappie, bass and catfish. No
boats allowed. Registration fee
and $2 parking.
Children’s Fishing Rodeo
John Tanner State Park,
Carrollton, (770) 830-2222
April 11, 8:30 - II a.m. Two
lakes will be stocked with plenty
of fish so children 15 and younger
can try their luck. After the rodeo,
play miniature golf or build sand
castles on the lakeside beach. $2
parking.
Kids’ Catfish Rodeo
Cloudland Canyon State Park,
Trenton, (706) 6574050 May 2,
10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
A stocked pond will ensure that
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Tack
Please call Joyce Richert,
Adoption Chairman, at (770) 889-
1365 for information on other
available dogs and cats. Foster
homes are desperately needed until
an animal shelter can be built. Call
Joyce if you would like to provide
a foster home. The Humane
Society of Forsyth County is look
ing for volunteers to help with any
of the events planned for 1998.
Please call Donna Vickery at (770)
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all anglers enjoy this day of fish
ing. Ages 7 and younger fish 10 -
11:30 a.m.; ages Bto 11 fish
11:30 a.m. -1 p.m.; and ages 12
to 14 fish 1- 2:30 p.m. After the
rodeo, hike into the canyon for a
close-up view of waterfalls. $2
parking.
Junior Fishing Rodeo
Black Rock Mountain State
Park, Mountain City, (706) 746-
2141
May 2, 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Children 15 and younger com
pete in age categories for trophies
and other prizes. This is
Georgia’s highest state park, fea
turing spectacular hiking trails
and scenic overlooks. Stop by the
visitor center to browse books
and maps and view wildlife dio
ramas.
887-4589 if you are interested in
participating.
April 25 “Cruisin’ for
Critters” Car Show will be at
Lanierland Music Park from 10
a.m. - 6 p.m. Admission is $2 per
person. There will be 200 cars and
100 Harley Motorcycles on dis
play. Registration is S2O per vehi
cle. Contact Patty Sledge at (404)
351-5735 for information.
Photos/submitted
Park Shore collects for The Place
The youth of Park Shore subdivision,
located on Mary Alice Park Road pitched
in to help the community by collecting
canned goods and clothing in their neigh
borhood. These items were then donated
to The Place in Cumming.
Children’s Fishing Rodeo
Reed gingham State Park, Adel,
(912)896-3551
May 23, 8 - II a.m. Two small
ponds will be stocked so children
14 and under have a good chance
of catching catfish, bream, bass
and crappie. During the after
noon, die-hard anglers can fish
the 375-acre lake and other park
visitors can hike nature trails. $2
parking.
Junior-Senior Catfish Rodeo
Victoria Bryant State Park,
Royston, (706) 245-6270
May 25,9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Grandparents over 62 can bring
their grandchildren under 16 to
compete in this fishing and cast
ing contest. Prizes awarded for
largest fish, youngest angler and
albino catfish catch. $2 parking.
Calendar of events
