News from the Mountain

By CAROL GUNTER

Weather's finally changing after today's heavy rainfall and we will be getting back to what winter weather is supposed to be like. We have all been spoiled by the summer-like temperatures we have been having in the 70s. The 40s for highs and the mid-20s for lows will soon be giving us a reality check.
I can't remember a Christmas when it wasn't cold so this one will be for me a Christmas to remember and put down on my calendar. Maybe we will have snow and cold weather next year at Christmas time. Now that would be ideal -- so keep your fingers crossed.

Are you getting ready to have some New Year's resolutions that you just know you are going to keep this time? Cleaning out some clutter in our house would be a nice gesture I imagine. If I don't do it now while I'm being held hostage in our house, it will not get done for sure if Spring comes early. Everyone around here gets "cabin fever" especially when March 20th, the first day of Spring, officially arrives. Getting out of prison probably describes it best as so many of us take to our lawns to remove debris and get the mowers all cranked up and ready for duty.

The smell of wild onions with the first mowing will take you away better than "Calgon" ever did to only a few of us according to a random phone survey made in February 2014 to make a new people answer their phone because some just don't care for telemarketers.

Saw a ton of people at Short Mountain Market/the meeting place on Thursday, Christmas Eve. Ralph Gunter, Barry Bogle, Chloe Evelyn Bogle, Joe Gunter, Ralph's mom, Sonya, Matthew and Eric and Ralph and Debby. Some of the people at the tables I did not know. It was a full house for sure. Just like at Thanksgiving, customers were served a treat with a plate of great food for their patronage to the store during the year. This is an annual tradition for Ralph and Debby to do. My hat is off to you guys for your generosity to so many people.

People we need to keep praying for the family of Kathy "Kat' Martin, Mai Nell Melton's daughter. She passed away December 16, 2015. Kathy had cancer and was only 47 years old. She had accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior so we know she was celebrating His birthday on December 25. No better place to be than in the presence of Jesus. All of us who have accepted Jesus Christ want to make that "victory lap" someday like Kathy, don't we?
Others to keep in prayer: Ruth Brown, Chloe Evelyn Bogle, Fay Pitts, Tracy Neal, Edith Miller, Denise Stanton, Luther Lawrence, the families of Wanda Zeh and Brenda Vanderpool, and also Carlon Melton.

We have some January birthdays to let you know about: Tony Neal, 1st, Faye Ferrell, 1st, Melvin Ferrell, 9th, Houston Parker, 14th, Debby Harvey, 21st, Rodney Young, 21st, our grandson, William "Aubrey" Fryar, 22nd, Fay Pitts, 24th, Reese "Liz" Mendenhall, 24th, Nancy Clement, 26th, Henry Fisher Melton, 27th, and David Melton, 31st.

Visitors at hour house recently were Rick and Beverly Hubler and granddaughter Kayla. Also, Lynn and Brenda Underwood, Katie and Hunter.
Christmas Day brought quite a monsoon with a raging river of water in the ditch behind our house and another river in front of the house going down the road with some in the yard. It was probably too wet for even the "little green men" or that "invisible cow' as they would have likely drowned with that kind of conditions.

I guess they are a lot more cautious about getting out in the open after Bobby captured them a little while back. They could have pulled off that caper (to disrupt our party and would not have been noticed if it had been Halloween night with so many people in costumes. Lady Luck was on our side December 11 thanks to Bobby's quick action on the matter.

If you have any news for the column, just give me a call (615) 563-4429. Have a great day!

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In all these things we are more than conquerors though Him that loved us. Romans 8:37