An Exquisite and Substantive Memory of Paul "Bear" Bryant

http://www.tnr.com/article/goodbye-the-bear

Make sure it registers with you this Howell Raines Piece was written in 1983

I heard Raines speak at Samford back about 1993 in the presence of JFK Profiles in Courage Winner Carl Elliot.
It would be grand indeed if every school child in Alabama knew as much about Carl Elliot, Gov. Brewer and Judge Frank Johnson as they do about Paul Bryant; but that may be asking too much.
Still Raines does a grand job here and I thought I would share.

George Washington and Collinsville, Alabama

My Mother's family goes back to 1845 in Collinsville almost the time of the country's first President George Washington.
As it turns out from Mr. Wilson with whom I had delightful conversation Friday at City Hall in Collinsville, Momma's Hometown has a connection to Washington.
http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20091114/NEWS/911139995

In the Gads Times story link you see where Wilson worked on the clock at Historic St. Michael's Episcopal in Charleston. I think my friend John Baker along with SC US Senator Fritz Hollings were members there.
I'm trying to verify and will add a comment to this blog if it turns out I am mistaken about Hollings and Baker.

Wilson said Washington worshipped at St. Michael's when in Charleston and there is a marker at foot of front bench marking where he sat.

Enjoyed talking to Mr. Coulson from Ooltewah as well. Jokingly told him I had the clock worker's society all figured out; they were all card carrying members of the Republican Party.
Told him I voted for Obama, but then told him Uncle Fremont's great joke at the Democrats expense. He liked it a lot.

Congrats to Collinsville and getting their clock guts back in working order. I am happy for us all.
Wish you all coulda seen Ms. Turbyfill's Burma Shave like signs welcoming the honorees into town the mile from the Interstate to downtown of our Fair Burg Friday.
She did a grand job.

Sfox

Harvard Examines Collinsville

http://bteditor.blogspot.com/2009/11/toms-tidbits-for-church-leaders.html

Brown U Proff Kiri Miller and her Harvard Dissertation examine the view from my front porch as well as other key stations of the Sacred Harp Diaspora; looking at things like Sacred Harp's Double History, A Home in Transience and the Toleration Paradox.

Read the first comment in the worthwhile blog above

And here is a review of Miller's great work that features Collinsville's Pine Grove Singings and Liberty Baptist in Henegar in the Upper Part of Dekalb, County, Alabama

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_1_126/ai_n31325293/

Ted Kennedy and Cormac McCarthy

I am reading Ted Kennedy's moving and at times hilarious Memoir True Compass.
On page 49 and a couple pages preceeding he has great coming of age story.

In last several days I have also been pondering the strong musings of Cormac McCarthy in the Crossing, trying to get my hands around whether the Tragedies Ted Kennedy lived through and his concluding testimony of personal faith resonates with the 11th Chapter of Hebrews, and the pages circa 150-155 in McCarthy's Crossing, the parable of the Priest and the Old Pensioner.
I may post couple paragraphs from there a little later.
McCarthy has roots in East Tennessee like my Fox Family--I was born in Newport--and wrote the Oscar Winner No Country for Old Men and the upcoming The Road.