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    Nana’S Scrambled Memories
    Nana’S Scrambled Memories
    Nana’S Scrambled Memories
    Ebook96 pages1 hour

    Nana’S Scrambled Memories

    By Jodie Blevins Ratliff

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Columnist and humorist Jodie Blevins Ratliff offers her first collection of amusing anecdotes detailing life in the small town of Preston, Kentucky, where the grocery store lacks running water, restrooms, heat, and air conditioning; unpaid charge books line the shelves under the cash register; and patrons sit on old benches next to the coal stove to exchange yarns.

    Ratliff, a weekly columnist for her hometown newspaper Bath County Bulletin, is known for telling it like it is and she does just that as she narrates entertaining and timeless stories about her childhood in Preston. Youll hear tales about her familys store, notorious for Preston Steak sandwiches and cold Ale 8; sleigh riding on Blevins Valley road; nurturing her passion for pot pies, moon pies, and mud pies; and eating fried squirrel at her grandparents house. As she concludes the collection by retelling present-day stories about marriage, grandchildren, and the contents of womens purses, Ratliff offers valuable life lessons and food for thought.

    In a tiny town with only two hundred residents, time seems to stand stillleaving one woman a wonderful opportunity to share scrambled whimsical memories sure to bring a smile to all ages.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTrafford Publishing
    Release dateFeb 3, 2011
    ISBN9781426957031
    Nana’S Scrambled Memories
    Author

    Jodie Blevins Ratliff

    Jodie Blevins Ratliff is a columnist for the Bath County Bulletin, the local newspaper for Preston, Kentucky, where her parents have owned Blevins Grocery for over forty years. A country gal at heart, she and her husband enjoy spending time with their adult daughter and their two grandchildren.

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      Book preview

      Nana’S Scrambled Memories - Jodie Blevins Ratliff

      © Copyright 2011 Jodie Blevins Ratliff.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

      Printed in the United States of America.

      isbn: 978-1-4269-5695-9 (sc)

      isbn: 978-1-4269-5703-1 (e)

      Trafford rev. 01/27/2011

      missing image file www.trafford.com

      North America & international

      toll-free: 1 888 232 4444 (USA & Canada)

      phone: 250 383 6864 fax: 812 355 4082

      Contents

      Acknowledgements

      Introduction

      An Original Country Store

      Born With A Silver Spoon

      Winters In The Valley

      Pot Pies, Moon Pies and Mud Pies

      The Little White Church

      School Daze

      Hey Grandpa, What’s For Supper?

      Fish Gigging

      It’s Christmas Time In The Country

      The Land of The Misfit Toys

      In MY Bedroom

      First Kisses, First Loves

      Rudolph IS NOT a boy’s Name

      UGGGHHHH, CURFEWS!

      Driving Dilemmas

      I Was Country When Country

      Wasn’t Cool

      What’s That Smell?

      Nightmares On Blevins Valley Street

      Instant Nostalgia

      You Ain’t The Boss Of Me!

      Breakups, Breakdowns, and Unanswered Prayers

      Simple Pleasures

      Let’s Make A Deal

      My True Love Gave To Me

      What Women Want

      Jack of all Trades MEETS Jill

      of all Skills

      Remind Me

      Inside My Heart

      Knight In Shining Armor

      Pop A Fix It

      This book is dedicated to my daughter,

      Candice Kimsey, and my two beautiful grandchildren,

      Abigail and Preston. Also, to my wonderful husband, Mike.

      Thank you for listening to my stories over

      and over and over, yet laughing each time—like it was your first!

      Acknowledgements

      Chris Bailey, Editor: Bath County Bulletin. Owingsville, Ky. Thank you for giving me my own column in your newspaper!

      Kymberly King, Contributing Writer: Bath County Bulletin.

      Thank you for inspiring me to write again.

      Rhonda Blevins York—My sister.

      Thank you for letting me talk about you!

      Rube and Helen Blevins—My parents.

      Thank you for creating ME.

      Nancy Lane-Miller—Friend and Editor

      Mrs. Rosalyn Vanlandingham,

      my High School Business & Typing Teacher.

      Thank you for being the best teacher I ever had.

      Introduction

      missing image file

      A Country Gal’s Thoughts—that’s ME—was first published in the Bath County Bulletin on November 12, 2010. The Bulletin is my hometown newspaper. The editor allowed me to publish some of my thoughts. He then gave me my own column. I don’t live inside the main city where the newspaper is published. I live out in the country, the boondocks, some might say. Growing up in the country brought forth a recollection of thoughts and memories for this Nana. My book writing adventures exhumed as well.

      I can’t recall getting to see any written memories of my grandparents, much less reading their thoughts. When I’m dead and buried under the old oak tree, out in the country, I want my grandchildren to have this book. They will not only have the opportunity to touch something I’ve written myself but they will be able to hear my voice in every single word.

      My title comes from just what it is, scrambled! My memories go all over the place. They jump from my pre-teen years, my adult life, my teenage years, my old boyfriends and husband(s), and back to my pre-teen years again. I might not be your Nana but I’m guessing you’ll laugh at my stories anyway. Your own grandparents will probably identify with some of my stories as well. Heck, I’m thinking EVERYBODY in your family might just love reading these stories.

      Pull up a chair, have a cup of homemade, hot cocoa (if you don’t have a piece of fried squirrel) and ENJOY.

      An Original Country Store

      I spent most of my years growing up in a little country store. My parents bought the store when I was eight years old. The store is now 82—yes, 82 years old. My parents have owned and operated it for 42 years. When I say original, I really mean ORIGINAL. There’s no running water, no restrooms, no electric or gas heat and no air conditioning. You warm up next to the old coal stove and you cool down next to the window fans. When I was little, I used to hop upon the freezer so I could reach the window fan. I would sing my heart out into that fan! Singing into a fan makes you sound like you can actually sing. It also puts an extra vibe in your voice. If you’ve never sung into a fan, try it! That is so cool!

      Now to get warm, or hot, all we had to do was stand next to the coal stove. That’s the warmest heat in the world. You just have to be very, very careful if you back up next to it. I’ve watched many people back up next to that stove and burn a hole in their coats. They burnt other places on their bodies as well. Yes, I’ve burnt my coat and my bottom too! Even now, driving by the store on a cold day , you will see the smoke making its way out of the chimney and dancing into the sky. The smoke doesn’t smell so good but it’s a sight to see the shapes it makes as it’s coming out. With a little imagination, you can see animals in that dancing smoke, just like you can with clouds. There’s not many of those old coal stoves in use anymore. I’m guessing our little store will always have one.

      My sister and I were thrilled when we finally reached the age that my parents thought we were old enough to really work in the store. We had something to do besides just eat junk all day. We had all the pop and candy

      any kid would ever want. We had that everyday! Back then, we had two gas pumps in front of the store, Regular and High Test. High test is premium or unleaded gas. I loved pumping gas. Well, for several years I loved it. Customers would pull up in front of the store and toot their horn. If we didn’t make it out to their car quickly enough to please them, they would lay on their horn. I’d run quickly then! Regular or High Test? I’d ask. Sometimes I’d go over the amount they would ask for. My dad would never let me charge them if I accidentally went over the amount they wanted. I got the hang of it pretty quickly though. I never went over more than fifty times or so. I definitely never went under! Dad would have never allowed that! I’m sure the customers wouldn’t have either. When I was a little older, I didn’t like pumping gas so much anymore, especially when customers would lay on their horn. I’m sure I used some colorful language then!

      In our area we have a tradition known as Court Days. This tradition began many years ago when farmers would bring their goods to town on the first day of the court session, to sell and trade their items. People would come to trade dogs and knives one weekend a year. Over time, the gun and dog trading found it’s way to Preston. Now, thousands of people attend each October. You can find anything from antiques, new

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