News from the Mountain



By CAROL GUNTER

Our community extends its sympathy to the family of Shirley Ann Neal, age 67, after her passing on Friday, March 6th. She was my cousin (the one I called a trooper) and such a wonderful person who brightened the lives of everyone around her with that smile and jovial disposition of laughter.

espite her medical problems, she remained upbeat meeting any obstacle headon and coming out a winner. In her toughest battle, a winner again, she was as she is now in the presence of Jesus. We all want to win that battle like Shirley did, don't we? A memorial service was held on Saturday, March 14th, at J.C. Kirby and Sons - Lover Lane Chapel in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Please keep the Neal family in your prayers.

It is March 5th, Thursday morning, and I am wondering what happened to that two to four inches of snow we were supposed to get around here after all the sleet we got. Of course, all schools in the area and beyond are closed today because of the dangerous driving conditions. This might be the last hurrah of winter weather we have I am hoping, and the kids have got to be disappointed not to have a lot of snow to get outside and play in. A good snowball fight or maybe a mini snowman might just salvage something out of the day, and it would not be a total loss. There is supposed to be quite a warm up in the weather next week. It will not be soon enough for me.

Wayne Gunter gave me a call on Saturday to see how we are all doing up this way on the mountain. He's still doing quite a bit of writing as that is a passion of his and I personally can say Wayne is really good at it.

I was in Smithville on Wednesday and had to stop by Glenda's store, DeKalb Market, to see our girls, Deb, Spider, and Skeeter. All are doing well with a lot of customers in and out while I was there. I was glad to get to see them before this bad weather moved in. I had seen Jackie on Sunday after church.

Brenda Phillips, a friend of mine from our days working in the office at Colonial Shirt Factory, called the other day. She's doing well, and she, like me, is just waiting for the weather to get warmer to get outside and get some things done. She was telling me about someone sometime back seeing a big round ball with a lot of green lights under it land in a field and only stayed in the field for a little while. Then it went up in the air and was gone. Could this have something to do with those little green men? It might have been their spaceship. I do not know, but it does seem odd there have been so many sightings of strange and bizarre things that cannot be explained over the years.

Some people to keep in prayer: the Shirley Neal family, the Ronnie Barrett family, Edith Miller, Thurman Bogle, Jeff Brown, Donna Lawson, Kathy Martin, Carlon and Mai Nell Melton, Bernie Braswell, and Denise Stanton.

I spoke with Ann Warren, my sister-in-law, on Sunday evening. She and the family are doing okay. I loved talking to you, Ann.
Donna Lawson is doing somewhat better as I got a call from her on Saturday.

Martha Parker was telling me Sunday evening that Bernie Braswell, her brother, is still doing better, also.
Betty Gunter is recuperating very well now, when I talked to her on Sunday. Do keep Betty in your prayers.
Everything is running pretty smooth up at Short Mountain Market. Debby and Ralph are the same. I saw Ralph Gunter, Russell Taylor, Mike Melton, and Edward Sissom the other day.

Neighbors are doing pretty well around here. They include Chloe Evelyn Bogle, Diane Evans, Brenda and A.J. Neal, Lynn and Brenda Underwood and family.

This daylight savings time I am adapting to okay. Having to put in the area code before you can dial the party you want to talk to on the phone is really a hurdle for me as I keep forgetting to dial those three digits. I was having a hard enough time with the seven digits. Now ten digits will probably only make my life more complicated than it already is (just kidding). I guess this is called progress for some reason. You are thinking that too, right?

One last note: Everyday a miracle and a true blessing from God has been given to you. Cherish your family and friends you have in your life, and always be there for them. A legacy of love you will leave behind for them for the life you lived while you were here.
If you have any news from the column, just give me a call at (615) 563-4429. Have a great day!

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepard of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.

Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13: 20-21