Grand children.....one of the best perks of growing older. I enjoy their company immensely and I want them to enjoy being with us as well. Our pastor encourages us to pray a fence around our kids and grand kids....I'm sure tryin! I hope that as they get older, they will still want to see us from time to time. God bless them and that's what I think about it.
The idea of entitlement....where is it written that if you are born in the U.S., you are "entitled" to a free ride in life? Doesn't our constitution entitle us to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Focus on the word "pursuit"! In my mind it means to chase something, which in turn implys action. The idea that a man can be or have whatever he wants in America as long as he's willing to work for it (pursuit of happiness) seems to have been replaced by the idea of entitlement. I despise the fact that I must give such a large percentage of my hard earned money to the government each year, knowing that it is used in part to fund these entitlement programs. Corruption is rampant. People who are perfectly able to work and be productive are taking advantage of the system. How else could a person drive a Cadillac and purchase groceries with food stamps? It doesn't seem right to me...and that's what I think about it.
Obamacare.....scares me to death! I have read parts of the original bill that I don't like at all. The full impact of this monster has not fell upon us yet. I believe it was designed to force hard working, honest people to foot the bill....another exertion of government control over the people. In time, healthcare as we know it will be no more. Look at countries that have government controlled healthcare systems. Ask their people if they like it...they despise it! People who are in great pain must wait weeks or months for minor surgeries that would alleviate their problems. In my own experience, I have paid out of pocket over $3000 more since the healthcare law has taken effect than I would have paid last year. Why?....Obamacare forced my insurance carrier to raise the out of pocket expense per person from $2500 to $6500! Thanks a lot Mr. President!
I worry for people my age and older. Healthcare for us will be sparse if the law is not changed or repealed. Of course our illustrious congressmen, senators, and president along with their staff are exempt, so, no worries for them. I cannot understand how a so called president was able to force such a burdensome and unpopular law on the people. It needs to be done away with...and that's what I think about it.
Strange coffee and grits....it is said that variety is the spice of life, but c'mon now! Since I am now retired, I get "sent" to the grocery store a good bit. I get to the aisle with grits or coffee on the shelf and I'm supposed to buy a certain flavor. Why does there have to be 40 different flavors of grits and 75 different flavors of "strange" coffee? Plain grits and plain coffee would make my shopping experience much easier.....that's what I think about it.
Gun control....another effort in futility. Recent random acts of violence have escalated the talk of gun control. Throughout the ages, there have been acts of violence whether calculated, premeditated, or random in which many precious and innocent lives have been lost. Whether it be with a club, sword, bow, or an AK-47, the act is heinous. How can it be prevented is a question like why is water wet! Taking away a man's guns is certainly not the answer. I understand why some people think that the average citizen does not need an assault rifle, but at the same time, this is America where we are guaranteed the right to bear arms, and, if a man is willing to work and pay for a rifle to possess legally, then by Granny, he ought to be able to have it. That's what I think about it.
Marriage....an institution ordained by God between a man and a woman. Call me a bigot, call me biased, call me whatever, but honestly, the thought of two men or two women interacting as more than just friends is repulsive to me. The mutual love and respect found in a marriage nourish and sustain peace, contentment, and fulfillment. Liberalistic views of today's culture condone and promote the so called "same sex marriage". As the Ol boy would say, "They ain't no such thang!". That's what I think about it.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Friday, June 13, 2014
Pierre's Ghost (The Legend Of Juzon)
We've all heard those scary, strange, unknown sounds in the night. Most could be explained away as a screech owl, bobcat, or some other creature that, once determined, is not scary at all. My generation grew up without air conditioning, so, we slept at night with windows wide open in order to feel the cool from the night air. As a result, we could hear many sounds in the night from the outside...some far off in the distance and some just outside the window.
One night the yard dogs began barking. Most of the time you could simply holler at them and get them to hush, but not that night. Suddenly, we could hear off in the distance what the dogs had been hearing all along. It was a hideous cry, and, it was getting closer....and closer! I promise it would make the hair on your body stand straight up! By now the dogs had crawled up under the house...the thing was close and its cry was deafening. Daddy made us get in the house and shut the doors and windows, I mean, it was right close and we didn't know what in the world it was...still don't know for sure. Speculation was that it was probably a panther, but, who knows.
The next day while visiting with my grandmother, we told her of the strange sound that scared us nearly to death. With a funny look on her face she said, "It was probably Pierre's Ghost lookin for gold to steal and murder on his mind!". Of course, being 8 or 10 years old, we begged her to tell us the tale and so she began..."Well boys, back before the civil war, a Frenchman named Pierre Juzon came up here and settled on some land along side the old Jackson Military road down yonder just north of Hickory. The Talasshee creek ran through his property and fed a small lake and they say it was a bottomless lake! Ol Pierre built himself an inn on the bluff overlooking the lake and along side the old Jackson road, where he lodged weary travelers as they moved between Jackson and Mobile. He had buddied up with a ol Choctaw Indian that he called Billy. They say Ol Billy was a mean'un and they couldn't nobody do nothin with him, 'ceptin Ol Pierre himself. He'd take in the farmers and traders who had sold their goods in Mobile and were heading back home with their money. People say that many boarders were never seen again..that Ol Pierre would send Ol Billy to sneak into their rooms at night and cut their throats for their money and jewels. They would then gather up their bodies and throw them into the bottomless Juzon lake where they could never be found. Some say their spirits still haunt the lake and a lot of folk claim to have seen ghosts flittin just above the water on moonlit nights. Folk say that when Pierre heard that Sherman's army was headed his way, him and Ol Billy took all the blood stained gold and jewels they had gathered up and hid them in the lake somewhere. Later on when they went back to get it, they couldn't find it and in a rage and blaming the Indian for losing the hiding place, Pierre pulled out his pistol and shot Ol Billy dead. Screaming and cussin and moanin, Ol Pierre searched the Juzon for his lost gold...he never found it and nobody knows what become of him to this day. Some think the ghosts got him, some say he drowned, some say he just disappeared, and on some nights you can hear him squalin and moanin as he wanders around lookin for his gold." Then with a wry smile Grandma said, " I bet that was Ol Pierre y'all heard last night!". We sat there for a minute thinking about her tale of murder, then after looking at one another, I said ,"Aww, Grandma it wad'nt no ghost we heard..had to be a animal of some kind." She just smiled and said, "Well maybe so....maybe not!"
There is another version of the tale where Confederate soldiers on the run from Sherman dumped a load of gold in the Juzon lake in order to keep it away from the Union army. In either case there is some truth in the tale..there actually was a man named Juzon who owned the property there, many folks through the years have tried to drain the lake in search of the treasure to no avail....just can't get the water out! You can google Juzon lake, Newton County, Ms and read about it if you like. I found that the Choctaw Indian friend was not named in the historical record, so, Grandma must have just used "Billy" in her story to aid in the telling of it.
Anyway, the next time you hear a strange, eerie sound in the dark of the night, as your skin begins to crawl, just remember....it might be something as common as a screech owl, or, it might be Ol Pierre"s ghost looking for his gold...who knows? Bwoo-ha-ha-ha! *evil laugh*
One night the yard dogs began barking. Most of the time you could simply holler at them and get them to hush, but not that night. Suddenly, we could hear off in the distance what the dogs had been hearing all along. It was a hideous cry, and, it was getting closer....and closer! I promise it would make the hair on your body stand straight up! By now the dogs had crawled up under the house...the thing was close and its cry was deafening. Daddy made us get in the house and shut the doors and windows, I mean, it was right close and we didn't know what in the world it was...still don't know for sure. Speculation was that it was probably a panther, but, who knows.
The next day while visiting with my grandmother, we told her of the strange sound that scared us nearly to death. With a funny look on her face she said, "It was probably Pierre's Ghost lookin for gold to steal and murder on his mind!". Of course, being 8 or 10 years old, we begged her to tell us the tale and so she began..."Well boys, back before the civil war, a Frenchman named Pierre Juzon came up here and settled on some land along side the old Jackson Military road down yonder just north of Hickory. The Talasshee creek ran through his property and fed a small lake and they say it was a bottomless lake! Ol Pierre built himself an inn on the bluff overlooking the lake and along side the old Jackson road, where he lodged weary travelers as they moved between Jackson and Mobile. He had buddied up with a ol Choctaw Indian that he called Billy. They say Ol Billy was a mean'un and they couldn't nobody do nothin with him, 'ceptin Ol Pierre himself. He'd take in the farmers and traders who had sold their goods in Mobile and were heading back home with their money. People say that many boarders were never seen again..that Ol Pierre would send Ol Billy to sneak into their rooms at night and cut their throats for their money and jewels. They would then gather up their bodies and throw them into the bottomless Juzon lake where they could never be found. Some say their spirits still haunt the lake and a lot of folk claim to have seen ghosts flittin just above the water on moonlit nights. Folk say that when Pierre heard that Sherman's army was headed his way, him and Ol Billy took all the blood stained gold and jewels they had gathered up and hid them in the lake somewhere. Later on when they went back to get it, they couldn't find it and in a rage and blaming the Indian for losing the hiding place, Pierre pulled out his pistol and shot Ol Billy dead. Screaming and cussin and moanin, Ol Pierre searched the Juzon for his lost gold...he never found it and nobody knows what become of him to this day. Some think the ghosts got him, some say he drowned, some say he just disappeared, and on some nights you can hear him squalin and moanin as he wanders around lookin for his gold." Then with a wry smile Grandma said, " I bet that was Ol Pierre y'all heard last night!". We sat there for a minute thinking about her tale of murder, then after looking at one another, I said ,"Aww, Grandma it wad'nt no ghost we heard..had to be a animal of some kind." She just smiled and said, "Well maybe so....maybe not!"
There is another version of the tale where Confederate soldiers on the run from Sherman dumped a load of gold in the Juzon lake in order to keep it away from the Union army. In either case there is some truth in the tale..there actually was a man named Juzon who owned the property there, many folks through the years have tried to drain the lake in search of the treasure to no avail....just can't get the water out! You can google Juzon lake, Newton County, Ms and read about it if you like. I found that the Choctaw Indian friend was not named in the historical record, so, Grandma must have just used "Billy" in her story to aid in the telling of it.
Anyway, the next time you hear a strange, eerie sound in the dark of the night, as your skin begins to crawl, just remember....it might be something as common as a screech owl, or, it might be Ol Pierre"s ghost looking for his gold...who knows? Bwoo-ha-ha-ha! *evil laugh*
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