| LIFE Charles Dickens had a "Tale of Two Cities" and I have a "Tale of Two Families"

[Bamabww]

In mid November 2022, I fell down a steep hillside in the Bankhead Forest while exploring Indian Creek and the end result was this book. I split the bone in my leg under my kneecap but hobbled around on it until May 2023 before going to an orthopaedic doctor. A MRI showed a stretched meniscus and a broken bone but one that was healing. He told me I could avoid surgery by staying off of it through the summer as much as possible and he'd check it again in September.

I did mechanical work most of the summer, putting a rear end in a recliner, and it worked. The September MRI showed the bone had healed. During that recliner time, I gathered notes from 30 to 40 years ago and put together a book of memories that details, in part, my and my wife's family life up to a couple of years ago.







I had thought about doing this for some time and the hurt leg gave me the opportunity I needed. Maybe it will help preserve a little of our personal family stories / history for the future generations of our family. I wish I had a book written by my grandfathers of their family stories from their point of view.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

That's outstanding! That has to be so satisfying to be able to wrap up something that you've had on your mind for a long time - and to be industrious when you could've (justifiably) languished during recovery. I noticed a Georgia photo made your back cover.

We (some still with my Mom, some with us in a display cabinet) have a good number of quilts from both sides of my family. My Mom has a name , and a story, for each one. A good number were done by my Mom over the years, and many by other family members as old as the late 1800's. Each has a story about who made it, who it was made for, or a time in family history. One was quilted by the sisters (great-great aunts) after one had lost a baby - my Mom said that it was a quilt of many tears. Some have rings of rust on them from being stored during the summer between the mattress and box springs - no one had closet or trunk space for that.

My Grandmother (Mom's side) was not a quilter. For my Mom's hope chest, a great aunt pieced the top for her hope quilt, and my Grandmother hired a couple of local women to quilt it, they didn't know them, just heard they took in sewing work. Fast forward four or five years, and when my Mom met and married my Dad, she found out two of my Dad's sisters were the ones who had quilted it. They took my Mom under their wings and taught her to quilt.

I need to finish my notes on the history of those quilts while my Mom's still healthy. Much family history there.

RTR,

Tim

 

[TerryP]

I noticed a Georgia photo made your back cover.

How did you recognize that?

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Wood’s Hole Shelter is just off the AT near Blood Mountain.

 

[Bamabww]

Tim,

……have a good number of quilts from both sides of my family. My Mom has a name , and a story, for each one.

I appreciate your kind words and actually thought you’d recognize the picture. Very interesting quilt story.
I have a similar one. My aunt passed away last year at 100 years and 6 months old. Still had her right mind but her body was just worn out. She died peacefully in her sleep. Couldn’t be much better way to leave this world.

But the story involves her quilts. She had 7 children and had each one of them a set of three quilts rolled up together and tied up. Each one had one of her children’s names on it. After a while the children met to settle the estate and divide her personal belongings and they found these 7 bundles of quilts, each with the person’s name on the bundle.
Of course they were happy that their mom had done that before so they didn’t have to do it. When they got home, the cousin nearest my age opened his roll of quilts and inside was a note from his mom explaining who made the quilts and what year they were made!
Each one had one quilt in their bundle from before 1920.

I had put this off so long but you’re right, I’m so glad I did it now.

 

[TerryP]

Where is it available, Wayne?

 

[rick4bama]

Where is it available, Wayne?

What Terry said!

 

[Bamabww]

Where is it available, Wayne?

What Terry said!

Only from me. Please don’t waste your money. I had the option to sell it on Amazon but only if I agreed to their pricing, $24.95. I would make a $1 a copy when they sold one.

I couldn’t do it.

I ordered a hundred copies and they cost me $14.55 each. I’m selling them for the inflated price of $15 plus mailing. I can mail them anywhere in the lower 48 for $4.87 plus a $1.25 padded envelope. If you’re really interested, PM me with your address and I’ll mail you a book. When it arrives, mail me a check for $21.12.

Fair enough?

 

[TerryP]

When it arrives, mail me a check for $21.12.

I'll have to order checks! PayPal, Venmo? I guess I could put cash in a piece of paper and no one would notice...put it in an envelope.

We'll figure it out...I'll send you a text now.

 

[TerryP]

Only from me. Please don’t waste your money. I had the option to sell it on Amazon but only if I agreed to their pricing, $24.95. I would make a $1 a copy when they sold one.

There are several self-publishing companies you can use.

 

[Bamabww]

There are several self-publishing companies you can use.

That's what I did. Getting an ISBN puts your info out to every book seller in the world. Amazon is only one of the big boys who threw a hook my way to get me to swallow their bait.

If you want your book in a library, which I did, you have to have an ISBN.

I've sold several books to people who paid my cash in a folded piece of paper inside an envelope. I once had a paypal account but don't anymore.

 

[TerryP]

If you want your book in a library, which I did, you have to have an ISBN.

I went fishing with a guy years ago and all he could talk about was putting a book in the Library of Congress. I can't remember his reasoning. I DO remember thinking, "shut the hell up" pretty quickly.

 

[Bamabww]

Here's a sample of the contents of the book. Chapter 28 of 58. 358 pages in all.​

My wife's daddy made Moonshine for 35 to 40 years. Her mom never wanted him to talk about it and Patsy said they kept it contained until she was in high school. Her mom's name was Eva but Mr. Whisenant called her E-ver. ​

​

Chapter Twenty-eight​

Whiskey River take my mind​

In February 2003, Patsy and I carried Mr. and Mrs. Whisenant to the Jack Daniels’ distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, to let them see how they made whiskey. Mr. Whisenant read all the placards inside the museum prior to the tour. He was fascinated during the first part of the tour by the tour guides explanation of the process. He grinned several times as the guide would point out how “the moonshiners” would do a certain process and many times nod his head in agreement. As we passed by the huge vat where the whiskey was working, the tour guide lifted the lid on the vat to let us smell the fermentation. Mr. Whisenant said, "That smells just like corn whiskey when it’s working.”

When we reached the room where they show the ingredients used in Jack Daniels’ whiskey, Mr. Whisenant noticed there was no sugar. There was rye, barley, and corn, but no sugar. The tour guide finished his talk, and everyone started to leave the room. Mr. Whisenant grabbed my sleeve and said, “Let everybody get out ahead of us. I want to ask him (the tour guide) a question.”

We waited until only the tour guide, me and Mr. Whisenant were in the room. Mr. Whisenant, pointing at the ingredients that were on display, asked the tour guide, “Where’s your sugar for the whiskey?” The tour guide looked at him, turned his head to the side, spit on the floor and said, “Sugar? Sugar in whiskey! That’s Alabama Whiskey, good gracious man! There ain’t no sugar in good whiskey.” Then he turned around, and left the room.

Mr. Whisenant’s face turned blood red. I could tell he was mad. He grabbed my arm and said, “By God Wayne, I’ve made whiskey with sugar in it, and it was damn good whiskey. I’m ready to go if you are. Let’s get E-ver and Patsy and go home.” He was finished with the tour even though we were only halfway through! I finally got him cooled off enough to rejoin the group and finish the tour. He didn’t say another thing, until we got to the barrel house where they store the whiskey while it is aging. A smile came to his face as he saw the hundreds of barrels of whiskey, and said, “Wayne, that’s a lot of whiskey.”

Mr. Whisenant and his brothers were men of their word. They minded their own business and expected everyone else to do the same. Their mindset was such if it didn’t happen on the Ridge Road in the Bankhead Forest, it didn’t concern them.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

That's really cool stuff @Bamabww!

The quilt stuff is neat. I guess that was a big thing in the south... both my grandmothers made quilts... some were more patchwork style where they just used their leftover fabric scraps... others were more intricate, with designs or themes. Much like women who can cook anything and everything (from scratch), and it all tastes good... the quilt making generation is a dying breed.

 

[alabama mike]

Wayne I am so happy for you and Mrs. Pasty!!! This is something I would love to get for my dad since many of his kin folk was raised in the forest. His great grandfather, Leroy Armstrong is buried across Hickory Grove Rd. across from the church. Is the photo of the old Pine Torch Church? Daddy went there when he was a kid visiting relatives, he is now 91.

 

[TerryP]

Wayne I am so happy for you and Mrs. Pasty!!!

Racist.

 

[PurlJam]

Don't need to mail me anything. PM an address I'm close enough for a face to face visit. It would be my pleasure to meet you in person, when you have time.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

I know it's off-topic, but it's in your corner of things. @Bamabww is Dismals Canyon worth the trip? Thanks.

 

[Bamabww]

@It Takes Eleven Yes. We’ve enjoyed the hike and history there. Plan to go after a couple of good rains if possible.

 

[Bamabww]

The quilt stuff is neat. I guess that was a big thing in the south... both my grandmothers made quilts... some were more patchwork style where they just used their leftover fabric scraps... others were more intricate, with designs or themes.

Thanks for your kind words. Yes Patsy has a dozen quilts her mom and grandmother made as well as one her great grandmother made from pig feed cloth sacks.