A TENNESSEE TALE
BY LILY CORMIER

Somewhere deep in the woods and mountains of Tennessee lived a man and his wife who really and truly loved nature.
They hiked on the mountain trails and swam in the sparkling clear rivers and streams.
One day mister Jones (that was his name) said to his wife Mrs. Jones, " I am going to plant some fruit trees out in our back yard and I am also going to plant a vegetable garden  so we'll have healthy and tasty things to eat".  Mrs. Jones agreed that it was a wonderful idea since in just a few months they would have two more mouths to feed. Mrs. Jones would be bringing twins home at just about the time the vegetables would be ready to eat. Mr. Jones was so excited, and happily went to the shed to get his garden tools. He chose a sunny spot and started to dig for the vegetables his family would be eating in just a few months. Mr. Jones planted cabbage, lettuce, beets, potatoes and squash. It would be so much fun to watch the garden grow.
Then Mr. Jones started to dig the holes for the fruit trees and it wasn't very long before the trees were safely in the ground. There was a banana tree, a cherry tree and an apple tree. Of course it would take a few years before the trees gave fruit but Mr. and Mrs. Jones were very patient people.

At just about the time the vegetables were ready to eat Mrs. Jones brought the twins Mary and Martha home from the hospital. They were so soft and cuddly and HUNGRY so Mrs. Jones mashed and creamed the fresh potatoes and squash for the twins. It was so delicious they SMACKED their little lips! It made Mr. and Mrs. Jones smile to see how much they enjoyed the healthy vegetables.
One day as Mr. Jones went out to tend his garden he noticed that some of the lettuce and cabbages had big holes in them. He thought that was pretty strange so he and Mrs. Jones Mary and Martha hid behind the curtains early in the morning hoping to see who or what was eating the lettuce and cabbages. Sure enough, as they peeked through the windows, they noticed that right in the middle of the garden was a family of rabbits. Mr. Jones cried, what are we going to do?  Mary, Martha, and Mrs. Jones said the rabbits must be VERY hungry and we still have the potatoes, squash and beets! You are all so correct said Mr.Jones as he set the cabbage and lettuce leaves aside for the rabbits. He said to himself, I'm really happy that my family cares about the hungry rabbits.
Mr. Jones planted his garden year after year and the rabbits were allowed to take their meals along with the Jones' because there was plenty for all of them. 

Four years went quickly by. Mary and Martha were now old enough to help Mr. Jones with the garden and the fruit trees. The fruit trees were full of bananas, cherries and apples. Mrs. Jones made scrumptious apple pies and she made lots of banana pudding. Mary and Martha helped Mrs. Jones take the pits out of the cherries so she could make cherry cobblers. All of the goodies were so delicious that they all SMACKED their lips.
One Sunday morning after the Jones family came back from church Martha and Mary decided to stay outside to play. They noticed that there were bananas missing on the tree. They thought that was strange, so the next day, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Mary and Martha hid behind the kitchen curtains and waited. Sure enough in no time at all as they peeked out the window they saw a monkey swinging from limb to limb in the tree helping himself to a banana. He had a sack with him and put a few bananas in that too. When he was full of bananas he jumped down from the tree and ran off into the woods while Mr. Jones wailed, what are we going to do?  Martha, Mary and Mrs. Jones said the monkey must be VERY hungry and we still have quite a few left! You are all so correct said Mr. Jones. He said to himself, I'm so glad that my family cares about the hungry monkey.
A few days later as the Jones family were having their healthy lunch which consisted of a little lettuce, cabbage, squash and beets, they heard something stomping around outside. They hid behind the kitchen curtains. Lo and behold there under the apple tree were three huge horses munching on the apples. They were eating so fast that many of the apples fell to the ground. OH! Mr. Jones exclaimed what are we going to do?  Mrs. Jones, Mary and Martha said, they must be VERY hungry and we still have some left to make pies. Mr. Jones had to agree with his family so he let the horses enjoy the apples that had fallen to the ground before he shooed them away. He said to himself I'm so happy that my family cares about the hungry horses.
Mr. Jones thought that must be the end of the animals eating the fruit from his fruit trees but that was not yet to be. The very next day Mr. Jones and his family heard grunting and scratching under the cherry tree. They peeked out the window and there standing big and tall was a brown bear guzzling down those cherries and it didn't even take time to spit out the pits. Oh my Oh my, moaned Mr. Jones, what are we going to do? With a twinkle in their eyes, Mrs. Jones, Mary and Martha said, that bear must be VERY hungry. Mr. Jones said, I do have to agree with you and he said to himself I'm so happy that my family cares about the hungry bear.

Suddenly Mr. Jones clasped his hands together and said to Mrs. Jones, Mary and Martha, we are all so fortunate to have these healthy fruits and vegetables it would be a shame not to share them with the hungry animals. Mrs. Jones, Mary and Martha had to agree with Mr. Jones and   they said to themselves we are so glad that Mr. Jones cares about all the hungry animals. Year after year Mr. Jones did care enough to share the family's healthy garden with the rabbits and the family fruit trees with the monkey, the horses and the bear deep in the woods and mountains of Tennessee.

TEN GIFTS

In the year of Our Lord Nineteen Hundred Forty Seven;
We thought we’d reached what we called Heaven.
September the twenty eighth was our wedding day,
Little did we know the dues we’d have to pay!
We pined for three months for a newborn babe;
And nine months later our blonde blue-eyed boy was made.
Jim was a joy from his head to his feet;
We thought that our family must be complete.
But lo and behold just fifteen months later;
To another little boy our hearts were to cater.
Tom entered our lives full of bluster and fun;
And many a heart in his life he has won.
Imagine the shock just eighteen months later;
When the doctor exclaimed there are two in there.
Jim and Tom had our twins John and Joan to share;
Two happy babies though not much alike.
Always ready to share a hug that was tight;
“Enough is enough” we were both heard to say.
But remember the dues that we both had to pay?
Yes, fourteen months later along came Sue.
We were so happy a cutie was she;
A little girl so carefree and free.
O.k.  Dear God, this must be the end!
But someone was waiting around the bend, five years to be exact.
Kathy’s beautiful voice soon became quite a fact;
When two years passed and we both breathed “Whew!”
It was then we found out that another was due.
A dimpled-cheeked Tim did now join the group;
It was time to add more water to the kettle of soup.
We never got tired of Tim’s funny chuckle;
It made us all laugh, right down to our buckles.
“Uh OH!” Said God, time’s just right for another;
So He sent to our family a new little brother.
Danny joined in as he had no choice; Everyone loved his high squeaky voice.
We said, “By gosh this must be the end.”
But you guessed it, two more did He lend.
Next came our Joe, brown eyes bright and shiny;
Never a day was he fussy or whiny.
Last but not least our son Michael was born;
He arrived on one early September morn.
A smile that was glued from ear to ear;
He carried it with him year after year.
The years have flown by for each girl and each guy;
The bonds of true love we hope we did tie.
To last a whole lifetime for them to pass on;
Today and tomorrow, long after we’re gone.
his poem about my family.

Eric's Story, by His Nana

Hello there, called Nana to Eric. It was a beautiful sunny July day and he was trying out his new bike his Mom and Dad had bought for him. He was excited because he was almost ready to have his Daddy remove the training wheels. He knew that when that happened it would be a very special day.
Eric rode his bike back to where his Nana was standing, jumped off his bike and ran over to give her a big squish. Oh my, did Nana love those squishes. She planned on having a lot of them for Eric was spending his whole school week vacation with her and his Papa in Tennessee.
Eric was anxious to have Papa see him ride his bike too but Papa was golfing with his friends and wasn’t home when Eric arrived. He would be home soon though and would be all excited to see Eric.
When Papa did come home there was Eric riding around the cul de Sac in front of the house. Papa couldn’t believe his eyes. He said, “I had no idea you had a new bike.”  “Eric said, we kept it as a surprise for you”.  Papa asked, “How do you like your new bike? You’re doing so great.”  Eric said, “It’s awesome Papa, I love riding it”! Papa reminded him to stay in the cul de sac where it was safe. He said, “I will Papa, I promise” and he did. Papa stayed around to watch Eric ride.
Suddenly a man and a dog appeared out of nowhere. Eric stopped riding and got off the bike to pat the little dog. The man said the dog was lonely and didn’t get much exercise. Would Eric mind if the dog ran along beside him as he rode his bike. Eric told the man he would love it. He can keep me company. I had to leave my dog back home in Florida. He asked the dog’s name and couldn’t believe it when the man said his name is Dusty. “What a coincidence cried Eric, that’s my dogs name”! That made the man laugh and Eric laughed too. Papa and Nana laughed too!
Dusty looked a lot like Eric’s dog. He had gray curly fur and sparkly eyes.  Eric knew Dusty wouldn’t be lonely until he had to leave Tennessee and that wasn’t for a whole week. He would ride along beside the bike every day until Nana called Eric in for dinner, then Dusty would trot home to his house that was just up the street from Papa and Nana’s house.
Eric was always ready to eat his supper as he worked up an appetite riding his bike. Dusty was anxious to get home to eat too but he hated to leave his new friend.
Before they knew it the week was coming to a close and the friends had to say goodbye. Dusty sat with his tail tucked under his body and wouldn’t even lift his head to look at Eric. That made Eric feel sad but he said to Dusty, “Don’t be upset, Mom and Dad are planning to come back to Tennessee for Christmas and that means me too. It will still be nice enough for me to bring my bike so we can spend time together again”. Dusty started jumping up and down as if he really understood what Eric was saying.
August, September, October and November flew by. Eric asked his Mom and Dad if it was still in the plans to spend Christmas at Nana and Papa’s. Yes, we are hoping to do that as we all miss each other so much. Why are you asking? Eric’s eyes filled with tears. He told them how much he missed the other Dusty. Dad said,  “Maybe we could bring your Dusty to meet your friend Dusty in Tennessee”.  It was Eric’s turn to jump up and down! He cried, “Mom I love you and Daddy so much. You sure do know how to make a little boy happy”.
December seemed to crawl by. Eric, Mom and Dad were all excited to be coming to Tennessee. They wished time would pass more quickly. Finally the day came to pack up for the trip. The bike was in a safe place in the trunk.
Eric was especially excited because he could ride his bike now without the help of the training wheels. He could hardly wait to see if Dusty would still run beside him.
December 25th finally arrived and so did Eric, Dad and Mom at Papa and Nana’s house.
After everyone opened their Christmas gifts Eric asked his Dad and Mom if he could ride down to Dusty’s house. They gave their permission and off he went.
Minutes later everyone looked out the window to see if he was back yet and there was Eric riding around the Cul de Sac with the two Dusty’s running alongside of him. He had a huge smile on his face and so did Mom, Dad, Papa and Nana.

PUNISHMENT CAN BE FUN

Caroline-My Friend Chapter One

My family moved to Waltham Massachusetts& lt;/st1:place> when I was but two years old. The house next door was separated by just a few feet. It was a two story apartment house and on the second floor lived a little girl named Caroline who at the time was only one year of age.

We lived next door to each other for the next twelve years and became very close friends. I had other friends that lived on our street as well but for some reason they didn’t care for Caroline. I believe it was because she had such strict parents that kept her busy in the house doing chores. But she and I had our own special times together when we played with our dolls, dressing up in our mother’s old clothes pretending we were mothers ourselves. We played hop-scotch and marble games in our dirt yard. We shared a pair of roller skates and sailed down the street pretending we were ice skating stars.

There was no such thing as staying in the house unless it was raining outside and then it had to be pouring rain.

Caroline came to my house on one of the rainy days. We had a piano. My mother could play and taught me a few chords. They were just enough to sing along with so Caroline and I would sing our hearts out for hours. They were such innocent years.

Her mother was very selective about whom she invited into her house so on the day that Caroline announced that her mother had invited me to dinner on the following night came as a big surprise. I considered it such a privilege and so happy to go.

Caroline’s parents immigrated to the United States from Italy and many nights I enjoyed the smell of her mother’s spaghetti sauce cooking as I played in my yard.

My mother gave me the permission to be there at six o’clock sharp. Here is what I experienced at the dinner.

Caroline’s father sat alone at the table while she and I waited to be called.

Her mother first put a platter of meatballs and sausages in front of her husband. I thought, “He’s not going to eat all of that”. I was wrong.

Next came a large bowl of spaghetti. He ate that too! By this time I was salivating.

Oh yes, a large glass of Chianti accompanied the dinner.

Then I watched the last of the meal that this not so large man was to consume. It was a large tossed salad and homemade bread. ARE YOU HUNGRY YET?!!!!!

Let me tell you that by the time we were called to the table I thought I could easily eat everything that man devoured. It was a challenge for an eleven year old but I gave it my best shot and couldn’t wait for my next invitation to Caroline’s for dinner.

My parents moved to the other side of Waltham when I was twelve years old. Caroline and I sat on our steps and cried. She was to be left behind with the neighborhood girls who always chose to ignore her. Anita, one of the girls, gained pleasure from throwing rocks at Caroline. This made Caroline so mad. She claimed that someday she would have her revenge.
There seemed to be no way for us to keep in touch at such a young age so we lost contact for years.

My husband George and I were married for eight years when we settled in Natick Mass. with our five children. Much to my surprise and delight I discovered that Carol, {as she was called now} and her husband Norman lived just two blocks away from us. We immediately renewed our friendship. The four of us along with our children had many happy years together.
Carol and I loved shopping even though most of the time we didn't have much  money to spend. We were considered to be adults but we used to do silly fun things when we shopped OR pretended to shop.
This is an example:
Every so often the two of us would buy a five dollar glass diamond stone ring. The sparkle only lasted long enough to play a joke on our husbands or friends. One time we actually played the joke on each other and got away with it!  Really and Truly!!
One day after just purchasing one of these treasures Carol spotted rock throwing Anita at a counter waiting for her purchase to be wrapped. "Here's my chance she grinned" and made it a point to say hello. I knew she had somthing up her sleeve as she never seemed to get over the childhood harrassment. Carol knew her brand new diamond was shiny and hard to miss, so she proceeded to wave her ring hand around while she and Anita were talkiing. She even placed her hand on the counter right next to Anita's. I knew what she was up to. All of a sudden I knew I had to get her atttention so I started waving my hand and tried to make her stop the antics. She thought I was mimicking what she was doing. What she hadn't noticed was, while she was waving her hand around, the stone had fallen out!!!! I can still see her face when she dicovered that her joke had backfired. I said "That'll teach Ya"!  She replied, "Guess I better start behavin". She didn't, because Chapter Three was about to begin.

It was to be another fun day of shopping for my friend Carol and me. We went to the then famous Filene's Basement in Boston. It was where most entitiled women shopped in those days. We didn't mind pretending, it was a day out for us while the children were in school.
We loved going to the perfume counter to try out all the free samples. Carol's favorite colongne was Jean-eTe' and she never left the house without dabbing some of it on. I probably mispelled the name as it was more than forty years ago when this happened.
Anyway, Carol was standing there minding her own business when an extremely well dressed woman sauntered up to her, and bent down to smell her neck. She shocked Carol when she asked for the name of her perfume. Carol's colongne was one of the less expensive ones on the market. I didn't hear Carol's response so on the way home I asked her what she told the woman. With a mischiefous smile she said, "When she asked me the name of my perfume, I told her it was the Newest and most Expensive perfume that had just arrived from Paris. The name is Liquiere Plumiere."  " Lil,have you ever heard of Liquid Plumber?"

There is much to be admired in all of my seven sons and three daughters but I think James George is at the top of the list.

After being married for three months, my husband George and I were expecting our first child. Our apartment was in Waltham, Massachusetts& lt;/st1:place>.

We both loved children and couldn’t wait for James George to be born. I knew he was going to be a boy as the whole time I carried him George called him by name.

I am proud to say that Jim is my son and he is someone I love and admire very, very much.

He was such a good baby, that my mom volunteered to take care of him while I worked part time at a small restaurant that I could walk to only two blocks away from our apartment.

It was an unforgettable day that I stopped to pick Jimmy up at my mom’s. She said “Jimmy has been fussing ever since you left. He’s been rubbing his eyes as if they are painful”. She knew that this was very unusual and knew I would think so too.

We lived down the Lane from my mom and by the time I got home and laid Jimmy on his changing table, his right eye had no color at all, it was completely white. I immediately called our family doctor and he quickly said, “Take him into The Boston Eye and Ear in Boston immediately”!!!

We didn’t have a car at the time so I called my brother in law Leo, (my sister Judy’s husband) and he was at the house within five minutes to pick up George and me. I was shaking. What in the world was happening to our precious little baby boy.

Jimmy was whisked away as soon as we arrived at the hospital. We were worried, scared. out of our minds.

Finally the surgeon came and told us Jimmy needed to have an emergency operation on both of his eyes and they couldn’t promise us that he wouldn’t be blind.  Jimmy had Glaucoma. At nineteen years old, I had never heard of it or any other eye diseases. I found out later that the disease is silent and effects both young and old. There is fluid in our eyes that enters one side and goes out the other. If it doesn’t flow the fluid builds up pressure in the eye which if not taken care of can and will cause blindness. Jimmy was Blessed by having the best doctors perform the surgery. They saved his left eye but said the right one was completely hopeless.    We were totally confused and heartbroken. The doctor told us to go home and come back tomorrow as we couldn’t visit him anyway.  George and I cried on the way home and through the night.

During the next five years our brave little boy suffered through nine more surgeries on his right eye with the doctors trying to bring the pressure down. The nurses loved him and couldn’t tell us enough about the good baby he was. Many times we would not let him see us when we went to visit as we didn’t want to upset him, and we’d peek at him around the corner with his baby arms tied to both sides of the crib so he couldn’t disturb the bandages. That was so upsetting to us!

In between these trips he was required to go to the clinic once a week for tests during which he was put under ether. He wasn’t able to have a bottle or eat from midnight the night before. When he was an infant I would walk the floors of the clinic with my tears mixing with my baby’s.  He was so hungry and unable to eat until we were on the way home.

 That wasn’t all this little boy had to endure. Twice a day I had to massage his right eye with my two index fingers. Who do you think cried hardest?

George and I were so grateful to a lady who worked for the Red Cross who was the one that drove us to the hospital once a week for Jimmy’s treatments. It was either she or a taxi we had to depend on for transportation.

 Jimmy was five years of age the doctor suggested that he prepare for the last surgery and remove Jimmy’s right eye. He said it would make him a lot more comfortable with a prosthesis. We agreed of course, anything to help our precious baby.

It wasn’t always comfortable either as twice a day I had to remove the prosthesis and flush out the little socket to prevent infections.

At this writing, Jimmy is sixty years old and now I will tell you why he is the one I chose to be the one most admired.   This is what he has accomplished while not having peripheral vision.

He played on the Farm league baseball team at seven years old and played ball all through high school.

He was on the high school wrestling team.

He’s a great tennis player and golfer.

He’s a wonderful singer and entertainer.

He is a member of The Mudville Senior Baseball Team.

Here’s the real stuff!!!!

He is a Shihan (means Master).

He is a 7^th Degree Black belt in Okinawan Gojurya Karate

A 4th Degree Black Belt Yoshitsune Jujitsu.

A 3^rd Degree Black Belt Hakkoryu Jujitsu

He is a member of the Martial Hall of Fame and Master Instructor for the year 2000.

Jimmy has owned his own successful Martial Arts Academy business for many years.  He is admired and respected by the parents of all his students for what he does to help them gain self confidence and respect for themselves. He especially loves his work with the youth and has never considered himself handicapped.   .

Jimmy and his wife Claire who have been married for more than twenty five years live in Holliston Mass. and have two daughters. Aimee is a high school teacher and Kelly is in her second year of nursing.