Reed Family History & Genealogy

Looking in the Reed Family Tree, Adam Reed 1868-1938 I need help.Thank you Donna Reed

Samuel Reed married Sarah last name unknown. They had a son named Samuel who married Elizabeth Lackey and one of their children was Josiah Reed who married Jane Anderson. One of their children was James Brackenridge Reed who served in the 32nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry and who married Emily Keyes. One of their children was Ralph H. Reed born in 1875 and he married Barbara Ann Bradley. They had one son, Joseph B. Reed who married Ivy Marie Werner, who are my parents.

i am sorry to do this on the story page, but i am living in south africa and are a reed out of marriage. i don't see any information regarding other reed's living in south africa. can someone please e-mail me if they have information. [contact link]. regards liza

"THE GENERATION GAP"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy


I've heard for years about the "GENERATION GAP,"
Thought of it as my babe slept on my lap;
Folks said, "They're near, and yet so far!"
And talked of TIME as a "shooting star."
The years came soon, and then were gone,
My lap was empty, but joy filled my home;
He was by my side for hours each day,
Just to help his Mama, or chirp, "Let's Play!"
Then one day it was time for school,
"Learn all you can, obey the Golden Rule,"
Still our life was full with A, B, and C,
At night it was always "Come read with me."
We'd learn great things from the t.v. set,
In 4-H and Scouts, we were busy as you get;
Doing things together, we were busy day and night,
But still no signs of the "GAP" were in sight.
A few years passed, the computer came along,
My son was quickly marching to a "brand new song,"
I can't "hear the music," am "lost without a map,"
The computer "programmed me in" to the "GENERATION GAP"!

WRITTEN 1988 MY FIRST INTERNATIONAL POETRY AWARD WINNER

Dreamer's Christmas Eve
by - Patsy Jo Reed Sircy

Once upon a time, on Christmas Eve,
I vowed to stay forever, never leave;
I knew to grasp the moment, hold on tight,
Save a memory that would fill a future night.
I sipped a mug of eggnog, as I tried,
To finish wrapping gifts I had to hide;
Each one seemed as lovely as the last,
As the present intermingled with the past!
I was grown, and yet a child, in some strange way,
Realized, Chrstmas is always time to play;
The child that lies within me never dies,
Youth and laughter, precious take-outs of the wise.
I heard the sleigh bells, coming down the lane,
Wiped the window clear, the lower pane;
As I peeked out, to Winter wonderland,
I saw the jolly, bearded, little man!
He tiptoed to the window, and looked back,
Motioned me outside, to see his sack;
His sleigh was filled, with every kind of toy,
One to strike the fancy, of every girl and boy!
The snow was swirling 'round his smiling face,
And elves scurried to and fro, with style and grace;
Their antics made me stop, and laugh, out loud,
I was then reminded of a happy shopping crowd.
The ones who made "traditions" did a special thing for me,
The wreaths and bells, the carols, the decorated tree;
The sights and smells that lead us to a table, filled with all,
Add right up to total pleasure, forever to recall!
I saved some pictures, in an album, so I won't forget a thing,
I close my eyes between the pages, hear the sleigh bells ring;
I relive it, then relive it, relive that special Christmas Eve,
Reserved only for the Dreamers, we children who believe!!

29 Nov. 2005

"CALM to CALM"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy

Peaceful scene, disturbed by naught,
Click of my word shutter, vision caught;
Meandering stream, with gentle ripples' flow,
Forever imprinted, memory recall show.
Wading children's quest for pebbles, dear,
Recalling treasures of all they hold near;
Swinging bridge, many precious bare feet trod,
Reflecting clouds and rainbow, sent from GOD.

Violent temper, underneath beauty's disguise,
History's markers to record water's rise;
Recall surging, raging, wet claws of death,
Terror of sinking LOVEd one' last breath!
Disappearing houses pass bending trees,
Congregation scattered, all still on knees;
Season's crops, stock, farm life's blood,
All swept away by last night's flood!

A child's limp body, baby bed, and toys;
Found in trees, by Volunteer rescue boys!

Where's the devastation, now? Long since forgot;
'Neath serene lake's surface, dam's invisible blot!



..................................................



"Me-an' - - - Share-own"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy


TVA lakes are "Me-an's", you see,
Somebody else owns them with me;
Me-an' you's land and pride they take,
So Me-an' you all "share-own" the lake!

Me-an' my family's land is under there,
Unmarked ancestors, some with raven hair,
Me-an' my son hear faintly, on the wind,
An eagle's scream, fright his world will end!

Me-an' my people proudly walked this country new,
We fought for many freedoms, to think and do;
It was always so, still is, to this very day,
Me-an' mine will die for "right to say"!

We-an' Uncle Sam send our kin way-off to fight,
Our lakes gently lap home-front shores each night;
If we sell our waters, it will be Freedom's shame,
Me-an' you's GI's long to return, from whence they came!

They plowed up trees, and cut homes down,
Tears filled the lakes, then spilled all around;
We-an' TVA can't sell water, blood, sweat, and tears,
Me-an' others "share-own" with GOD for our Earthbound years!

2 MAY 1996

"BYGONE"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy


Memories crowd in as the calliope plays,
Soundtrack to "BYGONE" stories of who goes, who stays;
I thought I saw a tear on the Cameo's cheek,
Your horse still wears the saddle you rode last week.
Was it just this morning, or a hundred years ago,
When you whispered that you loved me, and you had to go?
Am I living with a nightmare that a boat sailed away,
Is a slipper in the orchid that I found today?
Help me know what's real and lasting, point it out,
My little World is "topsy-turvy", fate has turned it about;
I see the cards are really postmarked from a far-off land,
My band of gold's not on my finger, things are not as planed!
The chain with your medallion's in my seashell box,
I'll keep it safe like it was guarded by a thousand locks;
If you're really over yonder,say a prayer for me,
Maybe GOD can show the reason in some light I'll see!
All the pictures from the folder, I will keep in sight,
Every night will see the flicker of my window's light;
Where the carousel completes it's circle, where home fires burn,
My CRYSTAL SHOE waits, in the ORCHID, for my PRINCE to return!

24 MAY 1997

"TINY TRASH TALKER"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy


Trash Talk is not really new to the GAME,
I got in opponents' heads, back then, the same;
I looked up into their faces, right away I knew,
To reach the GOAL, I'd better give them else to do!
So I said "LOOK OUT!" and "WATCH IT!", to occupy their mind,
My plan was, as they thought there, I'd leave them behind;
"I'm going for the basket, and leave you here!" I said,
Oft' times, "SMACK!!". then I shot foul shots, instead!
My nickname was "SPEEDY", and I earned it every day,
A girl of ten couldn't get that "RUSH" any other way;
"Now fake and drive!" Coach's echo came through the air,
I gave them a smiling "Bye-Bye!" just as I left them there!
"You know, you're tall and clumsy!" was my parting shot,
Even while getting clobbered, I'd always laugh a lot;
The ROUNDBALL gave me FREEDOM, I got BIG if they were TALL,
Big at insults, equalizer, if you're fast, but very small!
"I think you've got a case of ugly!" just before I got knocked down,
Turn it loose and draw the foul, shoot free shots, no one's around;
TALL as TIMBERS, girls were looking, telling what I did,
"TINY TRASH TALKER" took speedy exit from dressing room, and HID!!


Written 22 April, 1996 by the
TINY TRASH TALKER of 1956.
I can't walk due to M.S. since '88,
but I still get the same rush when
I WATCH THE LADY VOLS or fly
with MIKE!! WINNERS NEVER QUIT,
QUITTERS NEVER WIN-- I'm waiting
for the CURE so I can hit the hardwood
again!
PJRS - "SPEEDY " REED of JACKSON CO.
HIGH SCHOOL GAINESBORO, TN

"THE TIMEWALKER"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy

Come with me, and SHARE what my eyes have seen,
Locked in my memory, I've trapped waters, sand, and the grasses, green;
I've walked this Earth with all who trod on History's pages,
Sank to calm seas' deepest fathoms, weathered mighty gales' violent rages!
The Winds of TIME have swept me onward, ever enlightened,
Carried in GOD's own Hands of Protection, I'm never frightened;
I went down with Thesius to slay the Minitor, and set my people free,
Roamed Slave Quarters of the SOUTH, as my family were chained,
and sold away from me.
I painted my story on the walls of Theira, so you would know the
BEAUTY and PEACE of my life,
Sat at Plato's side, as he painted pictures of Atlantis' utopia, without strife;
I promise, never fading, ever before you, I WAS, and will forever remain,
"WISDOM of the AGES," ever pointing your way forward, and
recalling from whence you came.
I fought at Shiloh, and fell to rest forever on the blue side of the Gray,
Ordered my servants buried with me in depths of Pyramid's tombs, to be
unearthed another day;
I saw the great Tribes of America, and buffalo herds, from the Rivers,
as I silently floated by,
Picked flowers in bell bottoms, lived in PEACE with all the World, and
was really unafraid to die.
I heard the cry of children's hunger, got the drift of RAP's anger,
another CENTURY passing on,
I am "THE TIMEWALKER," endless spirit, wandering forever,
transcending flesh and bone;
My PATH and WISDOM varied, depending on WHAT and WHEN
I was passing through,
But my MEMORY is your TREASURE, the "WISDOM of the AGES,"
MY EVERLASTING GIFT TO YOU !!


10 SEPT. 1995

"TURKEY CREEK ROAD"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy

TURKEY CREEK ROAD was my shortcut,
The miles passed by unspoiled PEACE,
I drove my small son there often,
In years gone by, my little niece;
The kids grew up and left me,
But all the memories will remain,
My Mother and my Nephew laughing,
Echoes mark the paths we came!
I have a map inside my mind,
A million little lines converge,
I can close my eyes and travel,
Just any time I feel the urge;
I went there with my Husband's Sister,
Thought we'd take a memory trip,
We stopped again at Shorty's Market,
Bought orange juice, and took a sip.
Opened a box of Salt Water Taffy,
Picked our flavors each would eat,
Allowed as how we'd see some horses,
Drive forever, no cars we'd meet;
We got our chips, and fixed a sandwich,
Relax and snack along the road,
Then we wheeled into my shortcut,
A SIGN MARKED WHERE THE BUSSES LOAD!
You see, the land now belongs to MICKEY,
DISNEY COMPANY bought my route,
Four high-rise HOTELS a marker,
Of the IMPROVEMENTS we've heard about;
The tram-stop took away my stable,
Not one armadillo wandered through,
Nobody seems to miss the SILENCE,
Too busy rushing, too much to do!
The RADIO STATION was really loud,
We passed the TOWER in my lot,
We stopped to watch them film a MOVIE,
SHOPPED and sorted things we got;
DISNEY VILLAGE, PLEASURE ISLAND,
Join the crowd and come along,
I HAVE LOST MY WORLD TO PROGRESS,
BUT I STILL HEAR THE CRICKET's SONG!

7/23/96

"THE VIEW FROM THE BALCONY"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy


I grew up in a WHITE small town,
That meant no NEGROES lived around;
A slight exaggeration, there was one house,
On a hill, one BLACK family, quiet as a mouse!
My FRIEND, Uncle Tom, Sister Jessie, her three little girls,
Special to me, then as now, like five precious black pearls;
Big SMILES they wore, always made me happy,
I wondered what it meant when they called each other "nappy"!
Jessie ironed clothes for white people, small her fee,
Sometimes doing "day work", but not for poor folks like me;
When they walked past, Mother called, "Won't you all come in?"
She really was glad that Jessie was her friend.
My Mother never told me they "were not our kind",
I never understood why they walked a step behind;
By time I reached age six, I had a big mystery,
A full movie theater, but no one in the balcony!
I, one day, told my Mother, "Let's see the show from up there,"
She said, "There goes the manager, ask him does he care";
It was "seats saved for COLOREDS" to watch "GONE WITH the WIND",
We liked THE VIEW FROM THE BALCONY, it was never roped off again!!

26 APRIL 1996

"THE VISITOR"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy

One April day, a VISITOR came, blew in without a date,
A TOURIST by another name, the "TORNADO of '98";
"Just come to Nashville!" we told the world, a spiel laced with excitement,
For every man, woman, boy, and girl, a source of great enlightenment.
For young and old, big and small, for all folks, straight and curly,
The MUSIC CITY has it all, so buy your tickets early;
Come one, come all, and take a look, just stand back and admire,
A million stories, flick and book, a good place to retire!
We have the OPRY, and the BLUES, the music from all walks,
The lift that all the World can use, even the River talks;
A narrow miss in "THIRTY-THREE," a preview for this hit,
The signal for both you and me, "Be close as you can get!"

One April day,a VISITOR came, blew in without a date,
A TWISTER by another name, the "TORNADO OF '98" !!!

3 MAY 1998

"VERY IMPORTANT CHAMP"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy


Anyone can run the ball, they all can likely punt and pass,

But the ONE who keeps the RECORD straight's not even on the grass;

"Someday" will look, and clearly see, long after this game's fog,

The STATISTICIAN's NAME in WINNER's GOLD, the Keeper of the LOG!

TIME does not care of TOIL and TEARs unless the RECORD's kept,

In YELLOWJACKET's PURPLE ink, JASON said how far we swept;

The DRAFTED MEMBER of the TEAM, the COMPUTER was his KEY,

He did a job for the CHAMPION TEAM that none could do but he!

Some said nobody would know next year, what happened on the CREEK,

The MAGIC answer to the prob came to me last week;

The one and only JASON came to solve it, HE's the BEST,

So HISTORY hears how it was done, here in the JACKETs' NEST!

Oh, take me back to Hartsville days, to the JACKET with the SMARTs;

Let us recall his GOLDEN PEN, and the SMILE THAT STOLE OUR HEARTS!!


written for and about my special son,
JASON SHAWN SIRCY, 1990 TN State
Champs, Clinic Bowl - Trousdale County
YELLOWJACKETS football team PJRS
written 9 NOV. 1997

"STRONG CONNECTION"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy

You might have thought we had no LINK,
Now, let us examine, Spirits, side-by-side , to think;
Shared paths our ANCESTORS often took,
Led past material for many-a-book!
Meandering there, in the Tennessee hills,
Are ghosts of TALES, with world class THRILLS;
GAINESBORO guards the upper CUMBERLAND shore,
Has it's own Swiss Alps, Lost caves, and more.
Strong JACKSON COUNTY foremothers did it all,
Sent the Volunteers to answer FREEDOM's call;
Dug the roots, boiled the bark, were Doctor and Nurse,
At forefathers' sides, played roles you can't rehearse!
JACKSON COUNTY "COUSINS" wander every corner of the WORLD,
Held together by winding YARNS, some TOLD, some PURLED;
Afghan or Patchwork, common cover forms a bed,
Trailing THREAD of STEEL connects to anywhere you're led.

TAKE A MEMORY TRIP back with me, on the RAILWAY of the WORD,
Wade the CREEK, catch a FIREFLY, heed each "RATTLER" ever heard;
Stretch a CHAIN ACROSS THE AGES, COUNT the MILES, stop to THINK,
Scrutinize, you'll find NO WEAKNESS in a JACKSON COUNTY LINK!!!

19 JUNE 1996

"SOUTHERN SCAR"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy


The BLUE and GRAY are coming soon, to play the game of WAR,
Lines are drawn in mind again, and signal who you are;
Some fallen stars land in an X on plantations swept away,
The NORTH will play it to the hilt, with drum and fife, they say.
Creeks will once again run RED, but the River hides the BLOOD,
Romantics view the spoils in shades, masking bodies in the mud;
Every MOTHER's PULSE will SKIP, recall when SON KILLED SON,
BROTHERs FRACTURED FAMILY TIES, NEVER again to be AT ONE!
REAL WAR is made of BROKEN HEARTs, loved ones GONE from sight,
My eyes will watch with all the rest, yet my Soul SCREAMs in the night;
"How can you HATE my JOHNNY REB, cast him in a VILLAIN's part?
Astride a rearing, FIERY STEED, he's just FOLLOWING HIS HEART!"
The SOUTH will RISE AGAIN to FIGHT, pass in Honor, heads held HIGH,
To PAY TRIBUTE to the MEN we lost, KISS A WAY OF LIFE GOOD-BY;
A horse-drawn CARRIAGE takes us back, for one LAST forlorn LOOK,
Too VIVID for our GRANDPAs' LORE, MEMORIES not from book.
The BUGLE will sound "TAPS" again, for the SOUTH that died that day,
Big BROTHER of the BOYs who SLEEP, on the BLUE side of the GRAY;
An ECHO CHILLs our NEIGHBOR's SPINE, still reaches LANDs AFAR,
A PATCHed-Up RIFT with Jagged Edge, never healed, just grew a SCAR!

23 NOV. 1996

"WAR INSIDE, WAR OUTSIDE"
by- JaDoM

We didn't believe in WAR, but it took our lives,
We all faced our dangers, smiled, and took our dives;
The WAR raged on within us, it was pain as wings unfurled,
But the WAR called "GROWING UP" was removed from all the world!

There was not a mile to travel, or a letter to write home,
As we sat there, in our bodies, watching our imaginations roam;
Then a letter came by mailman, up our private dusty road,
And instead of only our own weight, now the WORLD would be our load!

We WENT, we FOUGHT, we KILLED the others, and came back without one plan,
But , for all the world to see now, we each were left an EMPTY MAN;
The WINDs of WAR have KILLED ME slowly, and my children, and my wife,
Now I will NEVER live to GROW UP, WAR sure TOOK MY LIFE !!


JaDoM is a pen name of Patsy Jo REED Sircy,
a walking victim of the effects of WAR

"MEMORIES OF GOLD"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy


My DADDY gave me a little GOLD hook, to FISH with luck,

It was tiny, insignificant, didn't even cost a buck;

So many more important items are long since gone,

But I still have my lucky fishhook, TREASURE brought along !

Just to get to FISH with DADDY is the funnest time I know,

Nothing seems so great as hearing, "Going FISHing, can you go?";

I caught the bug as just a baby, I ain't never seen a cure,

I ain't looking, I ain't searching, just trying to endure !

Grab your pole, the pressure's rising, always living on the edge,

Storm's a coming, short-term refuge, under some old bluff or ledge;

"Fishie" thinks my HOOK's a "goodie," bites to eat the shiny flash,

GOLDEN HOOK's my GOLDEN TREASURE, worth a million bucks in cash !


If you've heard the SONG my HEART sings, bait your HOOK, and come along;

I'll let you touch my LUCKY fishhook, your HEART can learn the Golden Song!!


11 APRIL 1998
IMO my dad, Lester G. REED

"OLD PICTURES"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy


LIFE's STREAM, the MEMORY trip, a million MILEs,
Some Lady's HAT, the Children's SMILES;
The little known, the tried and true,
BELL BOTTOMs and TIE knots, the OCEANs blue.
In old SAN JUAN, off GIBALTRA's shore,
In GIANT REDWOODs' shadows, at play, and more;
In a RUFFLED DRESS at a PIGPEN's edge,
A Colorado LAD who dares the LEDGE.
All the FAR-OFF SIGHTs my eyes can't see;
Came HOME today in your GIFT to me!
That naught be lost at a GENERATION's turn,
I will SAVE and PASS all the things I LEARN;
OLD PICTUREs and LOVE in a treasured stack,
Black and white, over shoulder, from UNCLE's back!!

19 OCT. 1997
IMO Virgil Garrison,
US Navy photographer,
husband of my aunt Ruth Nelson REED

"THE ROSE"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy

I saw the BUD at dusk last eve, wistfully I sighed,
I rushed time to have morn' when it would open wide;
The moon's tears were there, to hint a moment's stay,
My memory seized the Blink in TIME, then it flew away!
The petals bulged to show their beauty, I fought a tear,
I strained to think, recall why I felt a Fleeting FEAR;
Hauntingly I reached for shifting grains in Sands of Time,
The CALLIOPE played on, no pause for reason or rhyme!
One Blink, ONE BLINK, I held the precious passing Bloom,
The whirling CLOUDs became a ceiling, with no room;
Would I had turned the GLASS to try to buy some Sand,
A few more grains, but now my ROSE grows in another Land!

No brighter ROSE will ever bloom, none to match that SMILE;
Now GOD smiles down, with ROSE in Hand, the one I had awhile!

7 SEPT. 1997

IMO my REED cousin,
Edna Diane DeMontbreun Eagar,
gone too soon!

"WHAT GRANNY GAVE"
By- PATSY JO REED SIRCY

" WISDOM OF THE AGES " REACHED OUT TO ME,
FROM " BEHIND THE WRINKLES " LONG AGO , YOU SEE;
NO KNOWLEDGE, OR INTENTION, TO EVER GROW OLD ,
PRICELESS "GIFT OF LOVE ", NEVER BOUGHT OR SOLD !
GENERATION TO GENERATION, PASSED EYE TO EYE ,
ALL-INCLUSIVE, NO COMPREHENSION OF "YOURS" OR "MY" ;
OURS WAS A TREASURE HANDED DOWN FROM ABOVE ,
TIMELESS, AGELESS, UNCONDITIONAL, EVERLASTING LOVE !
UNSEEN WATERS, FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH, IN ENDLESS FLOW,
GENTLY SOAKED A FAMILY GARDEN WHERE FLOWERS GROW;
LIFE'S JOYS ARE VIVID BLOSSOMS ON THIS PATH WE TROD,
NO COMPLAINTS, JUST CELEBRATION, AT ONE WITH GOD !
AM I AGING? MAKE YOUR JUDGMENT, NEVER, DEAR ,
WAITING FOR MY NEXT ADVENTURE KEEPS CHILDHOOD NEAR;
SOUL to SOUL, shared LAUGHs transport us on HIGH ROAD miles,
PRECIOUS MEMORIEs ARE THE MAGIC OF LIFELONG SMILEs!
NEVER LET your SENSE OF HUMOR GET LOST BY THE WAY,
IT WILL KEEP YOU OUT OF REACH OF "COME WHAT MAY";
WRAP your TROUBLES, BIND them TIGHTLY with STRANDs of JOY
Every SENIOR's CHILDHOOD LAUGHs were the "FAVORITE TOY"!

26 OCT. 1996
IMO "Granny",
Margaret Nell BERRY Reed

"ROARING RIVER"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy


My GRANNY said that "ROARING RIVER" is a name for our Family's untitled song;

A tune that times your cradle's rock, but lasts your whole life long;.

I take you with me every day, hear you in my sleep at night;

Whoever named you "ROARING RIVER" said it all, a River named just right!


The current surges through my veins, the River is my Family's BLOOD

No need to search for HIGHS, life skirts an edge, "IMPENDING FLOOD"!

Every Bend hides a new adventure, another page in Life's future log,

Just out of sight, the "RUSH" is lurking, enhanced by the shifting fog;

Each rock is different, but they all find a way to fit into the BED,

A stormy night takes a restless turn, the River wanders EVERYWHERE instead!

Some morn' could bring PEACE that looks as if nothing's changed at all;

Another might show everything, the depth's deceit that makes the trees look small.


ROARING RIVER, ROARING RIVER, don't ever let the lonely silence fall on my ear;

A fading ROAR, my Family's River ceasing flowing, last worldly sound I'll ever hear!!


7 JULY 1997

"O CUMBERLAND"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy

O CUMBERLAND, rolling wild and free,
keeper of the log, to things we cannot see;
Would that you could tell, stories from days past,
early history's till your last.

O CUMBERLAND, your knife has shaped the shore,
carved from joys, and trials, and more;
Beneath the surface, lie the tales,
that never reached, or rode the rails.

O CUMBERLAND, one inch draft can shape it all,
certain list can fell the tall;
You often pause to pass the blocks,
with disdain, you use the locks!

O CUMBERLAND, you still view the countryside,
watch as different worlds collide;
Swiftest currents hide below,
reflected beauty's what you show.

O CUMBERLAND, your secret's safe with me,
I know the you they cannot see;
Would I could live to tame the asp,
but your writhing power evades my grasp!!


22 MAY 1997

"MY TREASURE"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy
Linked by intertwining BRANCHES,
Growing on a FAMILY TREE;
Through summer storms, and avalanches,
I stood by them, they stood by me!

My COUSINS wandered all the Earth,
Seeing sights, and in search of GOLD;
Discovered the TREASURE of Life's TRUE WORTH,
Paths that led HOME, FAMILY to HOLD!

Our TREE grows heavy, with thickest BLOOD,
From the TAPROOT to the smallest TWIG;
We've weathered illness, fire, and flood,
TOGETHER, WE STAND, STRONG AND BIG!


When the WORDS are all written, and we all meet Up There,
When we each bring some pictures, and a smiling face,
When the COUSINS are gathered in from everywhere,
Say, "ALL's RIGHT with the World, and GOD's in HIS Place!"

"MY BROTHER"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy


I have a special BROTHER, who is closer than a twin,
He LIVEs in my HEART daily, that's how it's always been;
His FATHER was MY UNCLE, his Grandma my GRAN, too,
My DAD was his DAD's BROTHER, he wears their EYEs of blue.
My little brother's sleeping, on the far side of the bar,
He took his place, and shared my all, from my cradle to my car;
It mattered not what price I paid, his wish was not denied,
Our dollars shared, overshadowed by what we shared inside!
I felt his hurts, he sensed my every feeling of the heart,
Never failing, selfless care, TOGETHER though far apart;
He stood with me in all I did, from fishing to the aisle,
Every pain could fade away, if we saw each other's SMILE!
We argued if 'twas needed, and can both recall a fight,
My needs could never hide from him, he knew them day and night;
He should have been given combat pay for countless years on end,
For stress incurred, resulting from being his "SISTER's" FRIEND!
We shared a bit of Family Pride, in standing behind our word,
To "DO IT IF YOU SAID IT", important as that truth be heard;
A secret shared is a secret kept, FOREVER, without fail,
We'll always be TOGETHER in our hearts, wherever our ships may sail!
12 APRIL 1996
for my cousin,
Rodger REED Sr.

"MY FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy


Me, Me, Unlucky ME,
I don't even have a TREE;
Good, Good, tree in trash,
To dime store with all my cash!

Gee, Gee, Lucky ME,
Someone's limb is now my TREE;
Shop, Shop, pay the man,
Helping me is now his plan!

Hee, Hee, Happy ME,
Just can't wait to trim my TREE;
Look, Look, Come and see my pretty lights,
Rainbow MINE for days and nights!

See, See, Happy ME,
Silver GLITTERs on my TREE;
Smile, Smile, packages, and no one knows,
Can't wait 'til MOTHER opens those!

Me, Me, Unhappy ME,
Now I must take down my TREE;
Cry, Cry, in the trash and store the TRIM,
MANY YEARs, MANY TREEs, none so
SPECIAL as MY LIMB !!! !

WRITTEN FOR MR.H.I.HOLT,
WHO SOLD ME EVERYTHING
I NEEDED TO DECORATE MY
TREE FOR MY $ 3.61, and gave
me $.17 change, so I wouldn't be
suspicious.........written 22 Apr. 1996
I read it to him on the phone, then
mailed him a copy. PJRS

Mango Salsa - Taste the Tropical Side of Mexico!

An unusual twist on an old favorite. Tomatoes and cilantro

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup ripe seeded tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup mango, diced
1/2 cup finely diced cilantro
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt (use more if needed)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 serrano chili, seeded and veins removed, finely diced

PREPARATION:

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate overnight to enhance flavors.
Serve with tortilla chips or on top of carnitas.

FROG LEGS in BEER Batter

3 pounds FROG LEGS
1 cup Flour
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. chopped Parsley
1 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
3/4 cup BEER

Cur meat off Frog Legs and chop into chunks.
Combine flour, paprika, and s & p in lg. bowl.
Whisk while gradually adding BEER, blending til
smooth. Pour 2" cooking oil in deep saucepan and
heat to 350 F. Place meat in batter and coat well.
Place 6 to 8 pieces in hot oil, using tongs. Cook
til meat is no longer pink in middle - 3 to 5 min.
Repeat with remaining pieces. Remove from oil with
tongs and drain on paper towels. Keep cooked meat
warm. Serve with sauces for dipping - any or all
: your favs. Teriyaki, Sweet and Sour, BBQ.

Florida Key Lime Pie

3 eggs separated
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of Key Lime juice
1 pie shell - already baked (Graham Cracker)

Take the separated yolks & beat well, add 1/2 cup of sugar & remaining
ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour into the top of a double boiler & cook
for 10 - 12 mins, stirring constantly. (Start the water in the double boiler
when you get started)
Remove from heat and let stand until cool.

Beat egg whites until fluffy & beat in remaining 1/2 cup of sugar until
thoroughly dissolved & mixed. Fold beaten egg whites into lime mixture when
it's cool.
Pour into pie shell & bake in preheated 400 oven for 10 mins.

Greek Chicken Tenders


These chicken tenders are seasoned, then breaded
and oven-fried.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound chicken tenders
Greek or Mediterranean seasoning or other seasoning blend
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
Italian seasoned bread crumbs

PREPARATION:

Sprinkle chicken tenders lightly with Greek seasoning.
Prepare a cookie sheet with foil sprayed with non-stick
cooking spray. Mix coating of wine and mustard and dip
chicken pieces. Roll in bread crumbs.
Place on cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 475F put chicken
in and bake for about 12 minutes, or until chicken is cooked
through.

Serves 4.

CHILI PIE

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

2 cups (1 large) onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup water

1 tablespoon chili powder

4 teaspoons TABASCO® brand Habanero Sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 (15-ounce) can pinto or kidney beans, drained

1 (10-ounce) bag corn chips

2 cups (one 8-ounce package) shredded cheddar cheese

Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet over high heat until beef is browned; pour off excess drippings. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water, chili powder, TABASCO® Habanero Sauce, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans and cook 10 minutes longer.

To serve, divide chips between six bowls; spoon chili over chips and top with cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

Mexican Fajita Kabobs

If you like fajitas, you'll love these - flavored with c
umin, cilantro, garlic, and lime marinade. Serve over rice with
tortillas, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream for condiments.
Plan ahead for marination time.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 serrano chile pepper, sliced into thin rings (optional)
1 red bell pepper (sweet capsicum), cut into 2-inch chunks
1 green or yellow bell pepper (sweet capsicum), cut into 2-inch chunks
1 medium sweet onion, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 pounds (1-1/2 inches thick) top round London broil beef steak, cut into 2-inch chunks
Tortillas, fresh salsa, guacamole, and sour cream for condiments
Additional fresh cilantro for garnish
PREPARATION:

In a large heavy freezer bag, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar,
lime juice, cumin, oregano, garlic, and cilantro.

Add the chile pepper, bell peppers, sweet onion, and London broil
to the marinade.
Seal bag and toss to coat all pieces. Reopen the bag, squeeze out all the air,
re-seal, and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Soak wooden bamboo skewers in cold water for 1 hour prior to assembling kebabs.

Preheat grill or broiler.

To assemble kebabs, thread two skewers through the beef and vegetables,
beginning with the beef and alternating with the vegetables. (Double skewers
makes the kebabs easier to turn.) You should be able to get about 5 beef chunks
per pair of skewers. Reserve marinade for basting.

Grill kebabs ver medium heat, basting and turning to cook all sides, until the beef is medium-rare, about 15 minutes.

Creamy Butterscotch Fondue Recipe

Ingredients
1-3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

Possible Dipping Items:
Cubed pound cake
Soft ladyfingers
Cubed brownies
Banana chunks
Fresh strawberries
Orange segments
Sliced pears or apples
Dried fruits
Chocolate chunks
Chocolate chip cookies


Instructions
In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and water and cook
over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Use a
pastry brush dipped in hot water to brush down any crystals
from the sides of the pan. Increase the heat to high and continue
to cook until the sugar is a medium-dark amber color, about 8 minutes.
(The length of time will vary depending on the stovetop as well as on
the saucepan you are using.)

Remove from the heat and carefully add the butter. Using caution,
slowly add the heavy cream -- the mixture will splatter and bubble up.
Swirl the pan until the sauce is smooth and the heavy cream is thoroughly
combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts. Let cool for 15 to 20
minutes, then transfer to a fondue pot over a low flame and serve warm,
with dipping items of choice.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Tennessee Cornbread Salad

PREP: Chill
Cuisine : COUNTRY - SOUTHERN USA

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe of cornbread
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cans (16 oz each) pinto beans
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
10 slices bacon, fried very crispy, and crumbled
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup each of chopped red bell pepper, green bell pepper,
green onions and several chopped tomatoes

PREPARATION:

Make up the cornbread, cool. Stir together salad dressing mix,
sour cream and mayonnaise until blended; set aside.
Combine tomatoes, bell peppers and onions. Toss gently.
Crumble 1/2 of the cornbread into a large bowl.
Top with half each of beans, tomato mixture, cheese, bacon,
corn and dressing mixture. Repeat layers. Cover and chill for
at least 3 hours. When ready to serve, stir the whole mess
together!

This is also great without ranch dressing package mix.
Plus, you may add any veggies you want.

"MEMORIES OF GOLD"

A poem about fishing by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



My DADDY gave me a little GOLD hook, to FISH with luck,

It was tiny, insignificant, didn't even cost a buck;

So many more important items are long since gone,

But I still have my lucky fishhook, TREASURE brought along !



Just to get to FISH with DADDY is the funnest time I know,

Nothing seems so great as hearing, "Going FISHing, can you go?";

I caught the bug as just a baby, I ain't never seen a cure,

I ain't looking, I ain't searching, just trying to endure !



Grab your pole, the pressure's rising, always living on the edge,

Storm's a coming, short-term refuge, under some old bluff or ledge;

"Fishie" thinks my HOOK's a "goodie," bites to eat the shiny flash,

GOLDEN HOOK's my GOLDEN TREASURE, worth a million bucks in cash !



If you've heard the SONG my HEART sings, bait your HOOK, and come along;

I'll let you touch my LUCKY fishhook, your HEART can learn the Golden Song!!

***********************************************

My poems go back to when I was learning to write my name & my fishing goes back to before I could walk. My dad, Lester G. Reed, (to his friends often "Little Reed" or "Shorty Reed") was a TN Game Warden before I was born. My dad practically lived on Dale Hollow Lake when I was a baby, and I cried to go to the lake, and jumped in the water every time I got a chance. I screamed "I want to go down with the fishes!" and cried to stay when they tried to take me home. In Gainesboro, Dad owned L.G. Reed's Feed Store & (chicken) Hatchery. My mother tagged along to watch me, so I wouldn't drown while Dad was fishing (or talking about fishing). Dad always had to catch "just one more" (is that familiar?) so we ended up doing things like getting caught in storms, by darkness, and floating around while Dad tried to fix an outboard motor that had croaked! We had only chocolate chip cookies to eat for the whole day when a "quick run" to a secret cove turned productive, and too enticing to abandon. Dad took the hooks off some big baits, and they were my teething toys. They will find a cure for multiple sclerosis someday, but the love of fishing has no cure, and never will! Once when I was a little bigger, I was with Dad and Mother, Eliza Jo Lynn Reed, a teacher when not chasing me and 40 when I was born, was at home. The lake was rather choppy, and the wooden boat was one Dad had built for shallow water. The sides were low, and Dad was afraid of sinking if it got rough, so didn't take me out. Instead, he left me at the Cedar Hill Boat dock to play. I borrowed a pole from Dad's friend, Johnny who ran the dock, then baited with some bagworms from the cedar trees. I caught more fish than Dad that day, much to Johnny's amusement, and Dad's dismay. My dad did not like to be outfished, even by a tousled blonde with blue eyes. Wearing tiny overalls, brown high top leather shoes, and the magic smile of love, I slipped my hand into his.

Memories ......soon, Pat

BIO:

(pen.) pattijo rainbow, JaDoM, Rastus, Screaming Eagle, Sista (b.) February 8, 1944 Gainesboro, TN (p.) Lester G. Reed, Eliza Jo Lynn Reed (ch.) Jason Shawn Sircy (ed.) Gainesboro Elem., Jackson Co. High, Gainesboro, TN, St. Thomas School of Nursing, and Aquinas Jr. College, Nashville, TN (occ.) ret. Registered Nurse for 29 yrs.(ret.due to M.S.in 1991) (memb.) F.U.Meth.Church, Gainesboro, Cub Scout Leader, Red Cross Nurse, NAACP, INSPoets, N&INPoetryHof F, MADD, prev.Beta, 4-H, Science Cl., "J"Athletic Cl., HSYearbook St., HS & Col.NewsP.St., Honor St.for 95.18 av.4yrs. Basketball ES,HS,NS&Col.(Capt.), Volleyball Col., Cheerleader HS, Majorette HS, Ten.Col., JDMFC. (hon.) 8 Ath.Letters HS- 4 Basketball, 3Maj., 1 Chl., WofP IN Golden Poet Awd.1988 (first yr.inWC) & IN Awds each year since incl.NLibP, IN PoetryMuseum, Poetry Today radio IV, incl.Broadcast IV Source YBof Experts, Authorities, & Spokespersons (oth.writ.) Sev. Poems pub.in local newspapers, magazines, and anth. Pub.each year since 1988, but some written as early as 1954 at age 10. Articles in sev. magazines, incl. article in TN Conservationist Mag. at age 16 which helped bring attention and action to flood control in TN, also stories, both fiction and non. some childr. (pers.) GAP is diff.in what you know & what you think you know.ADVICE:Don't let your GAP get too wide! I have M.S. but nobody is promised a day and mine are well spent, with no prejudicial thoughts or judgements. Capturing in words the elusive beauties that only exist in the realm of evoked emotions, my RUSH comes from again setting them free when I share the words with others in LOVE. I AM RICH! I'm never bored.

My Dad, LesterG.Reed, was a
Taxidermist (as well as a
Vet.,barber,carpenter,etc.,etc.).
When Lonnell was a child Dad
mounted a large GAR someone
caught at Reelfoot for the TN
State Children's Museum in
Nashville. I saw it on my school
trip. It hung over Lonnell's bed
when he wasn't working on it
until it was finished. That was
before I was born. PJRS

In 1961-62 there was much
attention given to the "Civil War
Centennial" in J.Co.&many store
windows displayed large poster
soldiers I drew & painted with
Tempra in authenic uniforms
copied from history books. I did
them for Alberta Williamson, my
English Lit. teacher instead of
reciting in class poems I was
required to memorize. I knew the
poems, but hated getting up
before a crowd! PJRS

"Ten Years From Now"
by- Patsy Jo Reed 25 March 1957

Yesterday, as I was walking down Beale Street in Memphjis, I
met a man. He seemed familiar, but, yet I could not place him. He
turned, walked into a meat market, put on an apron, and started w
weighing up some meat. Not until I saw the sign "STONE's MEAT
MARKET" did I realize that it was my old friend, Jimmy Stone. He
asked me to go home with him and meet his family. At the door, we
were met by three boys, and a tall, slender woman whom I
recognized at once as my old pal Patsy Ellen Anderson.
Later some neighbors dropped in for a visit. They were none
other than Jane Ellen Pharris and her husband Jere Apple.
As I left a man was outside reading meters. He turned around
and, at once, I saw that it was Joe Halfacre. He told me that he had
married a former school-mate of mine, Etta Faye Cassetty, but she
was away on a trip, so I didn't get to see her.
I walked on, and in a few minutes I saw a sign that said, "York's
Shoe Shop." I had known a boy named Troy York in school and I
thought they might be some relatives of his. I walked in and there
stood Troy himself. He invited me to go home with him and meet his
wife. She was, I found out, an old friend of mine, Carol Henson.
I ask Carol if anybody else I knew lived near.
She told me that on one side of Troy and herself Wesley and
Patty Ragland lived, and on the other side Larry and Jo Ann
Whitaker.
Next, I went downtown to an insurance office and who should I
see behind a desk but Ellen Cassetty. She told me she hadn't gotten
married because she couldn't make up her mind between Paul Huff
and Bobby Clemons.
She told me Richard and Nancy Hickok lived next door to the
rooming house where she was staying.
page 2 of story written 25 March 1957 "Ten Years From Now" by PJR
When I left the office I decided to get my hair fixed. I walked
across the street to "Geraldine's Beauty Shoppe." and who should I
see, but an old friend of mine, Geraldine Chaffin. When I ask her
why she didn't put Chaffin on the window she replied that her name
wasn't Chaffin, it was Bailey. She had married Billy Joe Bailey better
known as Wild Bill Bailey.
She had two helpers. One was Carol Long. She told me she
had married Barry Kennedy.
The other one was Donna Kennedy. She had married Billy
Wooten.
There was another customer, too. Carol told me that she was
Naomi Stephens. She had married Jimmy Birdwell.
Today, I am happy because I saw so many of my old friends,
yesterday.
I FOUND THIS STORY IN MY SCRAPBOOK. It was on pink
notebook paper with rounded corners, and neatly written with a no.2
pencil. I wrote only on one side of the paper, and had kept it without
wrinkling or folding it. 20 Dec. 1998 PATSY JO REED SIRCY.

FEB.1999
"GRANNY's FARM"
by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy

It was three weeks until my school vacation started, and my mind
raced and soared, as my seat became the perch from which a ten year old
tomboy could glimpse the future! I knew the summer would be an exciting
adventure with cousins and friends on the river bottom farm of my
Grandparents, now to avoid the teacher's wrath reserved only for
daydreamers. Too late! Miss Vera had seen me looking out the window
again, and I longed for recess to come so I could escape to the playground
to think.
Each day dragged more slowly than the one before as I endured the
Spring days of Fourth Grade, finally arriving at "report card day" to deliver
the word PASSED to my mother with pride. I waited at the grocery store,
impatient for the customers to leave, but knowing not to interrupt when
Mother was busy. Through the open door, I could hear the other children
laughing, and a song (in an unknown key) "School's out, school's out,
teacher wore her paddle out!........"
The sidewalks were filled with signs of Summer such as the dusty
seed rack filled with bright packs. They tempted the farmers' wives to
spend their egg money, in the hope of growing food to can for Winter. I
gazed at the pictures on the packs, wondering if Granny had her seeds yet.
Suddenly the impossible happened! My mother's soft voice broke my
concentration, "Your daddy called today, and he will be after you on
Sunday to take you to Granny's house." I held out my report card, with a
big grin, covering the word PASSED with my hand. "Why, Patty Jo, you
passed to Fifth Grade!" my mother remarked, with fake surprise. A white-
haired lady smiled as Mother turned to her, basket in hand, to pay her for
the eggs she'd sold, and point at a sack of flour. "I found the flour sack you
wanted with yellow print," I heard my mother's fading voice say as I ran out
the door.
I had to get home to add my gold fish hooks my uncle had sent to my
page 2. "Granny's Farm" by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy FEB.1999
other neatly packed things in my cardboard suitcase. My heart pounded as I
heard the echo of my mother's voice, "Granny's house, Granny's house."
Finally Summer vacation was so near I could smell biscuits, taste honey,
and feel cold plowed earth under my bare feet!
I always thought of "Granny's house" and "Granny's farm", although
Pa would also be there. My grandfather Reed was a farmer, and he kept
farmer's hours, early to bed and early to rise. But my Granny was different!
At night it seemed so very peaceful in the big house, always well lit with
the yellow glow of special "bug light" bulbs. As a special treat, Granny let
me read or play by the soft flicker of her coal oil lamp. (That very lamp is
on my hall bookcase now, and I give it a fond glance as I pass it every day.)
Granny had boxes, and boxes, of little treasures to share, and our nights
were a private rebellion against the myth that a "generation gap" could
exist. We shared hours of time alone just making happy memories together.
Granny's farm was everything good I could have imagined in my
wildest daydreams! My cousins, Rodger and Ronnie, lived on the same
farm in a smaller house across the road with their parents, Uncle "Mann"
and Aunt Dot. Granny's house was huge, and she had a permanent "Open
House" which was frequented by family and friends in great numbers.
When you went to sleep, you never knew who all would be there when you
woke up, and there was never a dull day! It is hard now to decide which
memory to savor first!
In Trousdale County, the smallest county in the state, the rolling hills
and valleys of Middle Tennessee stayed post card clear in my mind from
one Summer till the next, helped by shorter visits at Holiday times in the
Winter and Spring. The farm was over two hundred acres, and varied in
terrain. From a steep hill with a fantastic view of the Cumberland River
and the whole area, my eyelids were shutters for the memory imprints
which can never fade. The grass on Granny's farm was the greenest grass
on Earth, and the vivid wildflowers dotting the pastures exploded each day
as the dew gave way to the Summer sun. There were creeks and ponds for
page 3. "Granny's Farm" by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy FEB.1999
fishing, as well as the river. There were caves and rocks at places, mixed
among the fertile fields used for crops and gardens. Granny had all sorts of
domestic animals, and the wildlife was plentiful, and of much interest to
me! Along with the animals of specifically assigned living places by
fences, there were chickens, geese, ducks, and guineas wanderng the farm,
and sometimes Granny had Peafowl. Quail and pheasant were hunted by
my uncles and cousins, as well as rabbits, squirrels, and other small game
animals, but I always thought of them as my friends and loved to watch
them. The animals, and even the songbirds seemed to sense that they had
nothing to fear from me, often coming daringly close as I sat motionless
and spellbound. Any little fish I caught might just end up as my pet in a
fruit jar or bowl. I used an old bird cage as a rehab hospital for injured
birds, and was very ceremonious on the release days. Doll bottles were
used to feed abandoned or orphaned baby rabbits,(and mice when Pa didn't
find out about them). I was a nurse, and my life's path was chartered in
those days of love. As a Registered Nurse after I grew up, I still wanted the
best recovery possible for each patient, as with my little patients of
childhood days. My Granny loved the animals, and I guess she taught me
her tenderness by example. We were close companions for countless hours
of fun, both day and night.
My grandfather had horses, and his mare was his mode of
transportation on the farm, and on visits with neighbors, even across the
Cumberland River Bridge to the town of Hartsville. Hartsville was small,
but a busy place in the middle of the tobacco growing country. Sales
warehouses helped make it a social gathering place for farmers and their
families. Pa would dress very nicely with a crisp clean shirt when he rode
to town on his horse. Also Mr. Hubert Ward, Pa's best friend rode his horse
and often visited Granny's farm, which had been in his family in years gone
by. I loved Mr. Ward dearly and he always treated me to a horseback ride
about the yard when he visited. He told me stories of his family, and the
farm, and so many interesting things, and we were friends for life. My life
page 4. "Granny's Farm" by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy FEB.1999
has a dimension it might not have included if I had not made friends of all
ages, instead of just in my own age group. My school was out earlier than at
Hartsville, so I had the full attention of the adults for the first few weeks of
my vacation, while my cousins and the other kids were still in school. I
enjoyed that attention! My times alone in the woods watching my animal
friends were spent in elaborate imaginary adventures based on books I read,
and Granny's stories about my Native American ancestors, the "Indians"
she called them. An elderly man came to the farm sometimes, the home of
his ancestors. A very good hunting ground of his people, and burial ground
were on the farm. I still have many arrow heads I found there as a child.
My home with my mother was in Gainesboro, Tennessee, safely
tucked between the beautiful hills in Jackson County. We lived in town, so
the fresh air and exercise I got on the farm made for a healthy and happy
vacation. Mother always remarked how much I grew during the Summer. I
was very active, an athletic tomboy type, and every day was a whole new
beginning! Ronnie and I learned that redworms stayed where the ground is
wet, so we created our own worm farm by watering the ground. In later
years, we spent a lot of hours in an apparent fruitless search for redworms
when we were really searching for a fruit jar we saw Pa bury with some
money inside. We never found it, but we never officially gave up either. It
was just weeks before his death when we saw him bury it. Our sense of
adventure kept us from telling anyone else, so . . . .the farm had "buried
treasure," along with all the treasures that make hearts sing. One of the
farm ponds had minnows in it, but I seldom used the minnows for bait,
finding it easier to murder a redworm.
Rodger was afraid of his dad (and his belt), so it was often Ronnie
and I who got into real trouble. We managed to steal the tractor of Harold
West one morning, though we just thought we borrowed it. Harold was a
family friend, and his tractor was parked in our barn lot. The tractor had a
cab on it, the first one we had seen. The morning seemed chilly as Ronnie
and I set out for the Willow Spring Creek that ran into the River. We got
page 5. Granny's Farm" by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy FEB.1999
up before good daylight to "beat the fish getting up", and decided it was
pretty silly to walk that mile or so with Harold's "Cadillac Tractor" (as we
called it) sitting idle. we drove the tractor down the dirt road, feeling very
smart and warm, to our fishing spot. We had a great morning, completely
unaware that a search for the tractor was going on in several counties!
Needless to say, Uncle Mann was not happy at all! Another time, a similar
thing happened when we took Uncle Mann's boat fishing. We had asked his
permission, and he said okay to it, but thought it was a joke because we
couldn't physically do it. He was wrong! He was so mad at us he was
yelling threats, and I never started for shore until I saw him laugh. We had
one broken paddle and one pole, so we had kept a large carp Ronnie hooked
on the line, and the fish had pulled our boat along as he swam in the creek.
We had managed to navigate our boat to the place where the creek ran into
the river, then back up the creek safely, staying far enough to avoid the
swift currents of the muddy Cumberland. Uncle Mann probably had visions
of our boat sinking, or us waving as we went out of sight on our way to
Nashville in the wayward boat!
The balcony of the big house was one of my favorite spots on Earth.
Like Granny's upstairs, the balcony held secrets of the bygone days, the
inspiration to set my imagination afire! The old movie magazines were a
trip to Hollywood and New York, and parts unknown. The covers of
Progressive Farmer took me down every dirt road in Middle America on a
tractor, at a pace so slow I had time to take in all the sights in detail. I saw
deer grazing by the road in the mist of early morning, and an Eagle flew
right off the page and landed on my shoulder! I sat calmly in the wagon I
had filled with geodes on a steep and rocky yesterhill, then scrambled
wildly to the ground (and safety) when the rocks rolled suddenly toward me
(as the valley again became a hill, then another valley, and another hill).
A huge cedar tree stood directly in front of Granny's house, and it got
hit by lightning nearly every storm that blew in. Nobody ever suggested
cutting it out of the way, even if it was a hazard, because Mr. Hubert Ward
page 6. "Granny's Farm" by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy 8 MARCH 1999
had set it out there when he was a little boy, and it was just a twig. And
that was the way it was! Nobody even remotely suggested, or seemed to
think, that sensibility should rule over sentimentality in any instance! That
was the way it was at Granny's Farm.
The search for four-leaf clovers was a regular activity, done almost
daily, which could begin spontaneously at any time. Frequently a baseball
game would get interrupted by an impromptu search for the valued lucky
charm. The search might involve three generations crawling about together
on the lawn, but usually was just us kids with Granny joining in. I found
the four-leafers by the handful, but my Dad was not so lucky. They couldn't
seem to find him, and neither could good luck!
One day we were in the middle of a big clover search which involved
several people when Uncle Amon drove up in Granny's yard in his car, and
parked under the cedar tree. Sticking out the backseat window of the car
was the head of a black Welsh pony. He had taken his back seat out and left
it at home, then led the pony right in and closed the door. The pony was a
wild unbroken pony, of course, and Dwight Terwilliger, the son of Alice
Ward Terwilliger, gave up the clover search and became an instant rodeo
star! By dark that afternoon, that pony was "well broke" and had a new
home. Granny not only had "open house" for people, but for animals. Her
house, yard, barn, and pastures were always available to anybody who
needed shelter, man or beast. She ran a limited adoption service from there,
too. If you saw an animal you liked, for instance, Gran might just say,
"That's Penny's Easter rabbit, but I know she won't mind if you want him
now." And nobody ever minded, and so your pet was really the family's pet,
and everybody helped in caring for the animals. I saw Uncle Mann's coon
hound eat breakfast three times one morning, but he seemed happy with the
situation.
Sometimes the animals needed instructions, and I was always willing
to help out. Unfortunately for a baby duck I was trying to teach how to
swim underwater, the lesson resulted in his untimely death by drowning!
page 7. "Granny's Farm" by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy 9 MARCH 1999
The Wards were always good with horses, especially Lewis Ward.
He seemed to be able to break and ride, with ease, horses other people just
gave up on! Uncle Mann and Pa had a mare that had been on the farm for
some time, and she just seemed to have a wider "wild streak" than most.
She was labeled an outlaw, and Lewis decided he would ride her one day.
Several of us gathered at the end of a plowed field as Lewis prepared to ride
her there. The thinking was that she couldn't buck as well on the plowed
ground, also the landing would be softer if she managed to throw Lewis,
which we considered unlikely. Uncle Mann and Lewis bridled and saddled
the problem girl, and we all were excited about the ride. I stood with
Ronnie near a thorn tree at the edge of the field, planning to take cover
behind the tree if she headed in my direction. Lewis was ready and he
swiftly straddled her back atop the tightly girted saddle. Uncle Mann
turned the bridle loose, and the ride was on! The mare (who had no name
that I know of, rare for any animal we associated with) bucked as hard as
she could, jumping skyward with Lewis still in place, one jump, two jumps,
three jumps! On the third jump, Lewis continued his journey toward the
sun as the mare returned to Earth! The saddle girt had broken, and Lewis
still was in the saddle, but not attached to the horse! Lewis made a high
dive for the plowed dirt, first leading with the top of his head, but
continuing his flip and landing on his shoulders with the saddle sticking up
toward the sky, still between his legs. The mare headed straight for Ronnie
and I, still bucking and jumping at top speed. I ran behind the thorn tree for
protection, but a bumble bee was back there, and I came back out, waving
my hands wildly at the mare. I trusted my safety more with the wild mare
than the bumble bee, and Ronnie's safety was in his own hands as I had no
ideas except to save myself! The mare continued her rebellion against all
concerned and went down the creek bed through a line of trees, many of
them thorns, cutting herself up until she was a bloody mess! Lewis wasn't
hurt, or didn't admit it if he was, and he handed the saddle to Uncle Mann.
Uncle Mann just said, "You know, I think I'll sell that mare," and that is
page 8. "Granny's Farm" by Patsy Jo Reed Sircy 9 MARCH 1999
exactly what he did after her cuts had time to heal!
Pa had a roan walking mare called "Shaggy" and she was very gentle,
and liked children. When I would ride on the farm away from the area near
the house, I was always afraid I would let "Shaggy" get away from me, so I
would sit near her when I got off, using the shade of her body to shield me
from the hot sun. When she changed the position of her feet, she would feel
very carefully to make sure she was not putting her foot down on me.
"Shaggy" was an important member of the family.
Pa got a white mare once that I thought was my dream come true!
She had "glass" (blue) eyes, and she was about 14« hands (a hand is 4 in.).
I couldn't wait to ride her, because I could be a movie star when I rode her
(in my imagination, of course). It was Sunday afternoon, so I would have a
good audience to see me ride, which was even better! Uncle Tommy and
Bobbie Jean were there, and Uncle Tommy was looking under the hood of
the cars parked in the yard, and he sat down in one of them. Granny was
walking around the side of the house on the path she had worn in the grass
there. Everybody seemed to be looking, so I swung up into the left stirrup,
then put my right leg across and settled into the saddle. About that time,
Uncle Tommy started the engine of the car he was in and revved the motor
loudly about three times. The mare made a lunge through the air with me,
barely missing Granny and her little dog, Randall. Randall ran for cover
when Granny screamed, "Whoa, WHOA!" Granny had on an apron, and she
flapped her apron as she threw up her hands and screamed. Granny kept
jumping in the air, flapping her apron, and screaming "Whoa, WHOA!" over
and over, frightening the already out of control mare more and more. Plus
Uncle Tommy and some others ran in my direction to try to assist, but the
frightened mare started running and bucking in the other direction. I was
laughing so hard I was limber, so miraculously stayed on the mare until she
calmed down. I rode that mare many times after that, but was ever mindful
that she was "car shy". I sure was glad we hadn't met a car crossing a
bridge instead of in the yard!
page 9. "Granny's Farm" by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy 10 March 1999
Uncle Mann's wife, Aunt Dot (called Red Dot because of her red hair,
since my Dad had three brothers, and all three managed to marry a woman
named Dorothy) was a city girl from Detroit, but everybody wanted her to
"fit in" and be able to do all the things the rest of the family did. Aunt Dot
was fearful of the horses, but she did ride one day. As Usual, Granny's yard
was the scene. Nobody ever seemed to do anything without an audience, so
Aunt Dot got on a pony some kids had trained to run fast when they
dropped the reins. She dropped the reins, off he ran up the highway at top
speed with her red hair flying in the breeze! I still think of Aunt Dot's wild
ride every time I see one of those old Mobil gasoline signs with the picture
of the "Flying Red Horse." Uncle Mann jumped in his car and drove up the
road to try to rescue his "damsel in distress" and met the pony running in
his direction, just as fast, and they passed. The pony ran back into Granny's
yard where he had started out, and slid to a stop. That was the end of Aunt
Dot's riding career, and if she ever even sat on a real horse again, I am not
aware of it!
Ronnie and I both loved to ride, but neither of us really liked to sit
behind the saddle and get all wet with horse sweat, so we would both sit in
the saddle. We would ride on the farm, but loved to venture off on
horseback to visit neighbors, or just ride up and down the highway. We
rode many many miles like that and would sing as we went along, most
often the song, "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor On the Bedpost
Overnight?" I don't recall us having an argument. Once we were walking
down a steep hill and leading the mare. She started jumping around
because there was a horse in a lot we were passing, so we both got on her
because we thought that was a safe place. You see, it never entered our
minds that she might be able to throw us off.
Once Ronnie decided he wanted a Western style horse, and he bought
a Quarter Horse mare, trained for cutting cattle. If I rode her faster than a
walk, I was in danger of getting left sitting on the ground instead of the
saddle! She turned around so fast, she gave me a crick in my neck! She
page 10. "Granny's Farm" by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy 10 MARCH 1999
also had a bad habit of going back to the barn when she decided to, no
matter how much you tried to rein her in the other direction. Just give me a
good walking horse you can steer in the right direction!
Rodger always seemed to get the bad end of the deal with anything
connected to horses. When he was young, he rode an old clubfooted mule
of Pa's, also "Old One Eye," one of Pa's cows. When he was riding at the
Ward farm once, he got hung by the neck by a grass string that was hanging
down from a tree. His life was possibly saved by the string being rotten,
and breaking. Rodger had a beautiful black and white spotted mare in later
years after I was already a nurse. He was sitting on the mare in his yard
relaxing when a bird flew down, and landed on a nearby electric wire,
startling the mare. She threw Rodger high into the air, and he landed on his
back, knocking the breath out of him. My boyfriend, Jean Marie Leclerc
from Canada, stayed with Granny while Uncle Mann took Aunt Dot and
Rodger and Ronnie to Michigan to visit Aunt Dot's parents, Galon &
Mildred "Minnie" Stephenson. Rodger's mare died while they were gone
and Jean was caring for things. Jean was very upset about the horse dying!
When I was very small I can remember that Pa had a little pony that
could "count". Pa would signal the pony and have him to move his foot in a
pawing motion repetitively to do the "counting." The pony was named
"Cutie Allen."
Prince Allen was a Tennessee Walking Horse stallion that belonged
to Uncle Mann. he was very big, and I was not allowed to ride him he was
so spirited. Sometimes he would play, jumping the fences into other lots, as
if it was a game he enjoyed. He once jumped over me when I saw him
coming and got near the fence so he wouldn't step on me after clearing the
fence. I have a picture of Prince Allen at the barn with Uncle Mann,
Galon, and "Minnie."
Cane poles were kept at the pond, nearby, and beside Granny's house,
always ready for grabbing on short notice. The pond seemed huge when I
was a child! There was a fence in the middle, half on the Jim Stone farm,
page 11. "Granny's Farm" by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy 11 MARCH 1999
and half on the Reed farm. There was a spring that fed the pond, and the
water at that spot was deep and cold. Aunt Dot's cousin, Carolyn Bell,
almost drowned when I was not there. I never swam in that dirty water in
my life! Besides, it was full of snakes, as I remember! But Jo Ann, my
cousin, and others did swim in it. There were hats you could use to keep
the sun off while fishing kept at Granny's house, too. Two of them were
huge, and the wind always blew them into the pond. Then they floated
patiently, waiting for somebody to hook them with their line, shake the
water off, dry them in the sun, and put them back on their heads.
The creek that ran to the river was essentially the line for dividing the
farm from the old Lyles Place in the direction of town, which I believe was
West. I knew exactly at the time because a compass was part of my
treasured equipment for adventures (of a magnitude to exceed adventures
other kids had, in fact or fiction, I thought). This equipment varied
according to what I was doing and/or what I had on hand. My next
adventure was in fact sometimes dictated simply by what equipment I had
on hand! Anyhow, the creek was as far as we were allowed to go routinely
to play without special permission. Being off our own land was frowned
on, usually denied unless it was a joint adventure with members of our
friends, the Ward family, and always required special permission. The
creek was therefore thought of as top level play, the frontier of the farm, if
you will, big adventure territory. The creek had a personality of it's own. It
could be violent, meandering and peaceful, dried up and angrily thirsty, or a
combination. Deeper pools dotted it's length, and became fishing holes or
play sites during the hot days of Summer. Flash flooding would occur
during a storm, just to be absorbed by the dry snakelike stream that wound
through the fields and woods. Deep pools of water were left as the creek
dried back up, and hordes of fish might be trapped there if they had swam
upstream while the creek was flowing.
One particularly hot July, there were large numbers of fish trapped in
page 12. "Granny's Farm" by- Patsy Jo Reed Sircy 12 MARCH 1999
some pools which were located in the woods, just right for kids looking for
a cool place to play. We discovered that some fish were hiding under the
rocks in the more shallow end of the pool, so we could wade (allowed in
water shallow enough to avoid getting your clothes wet, a loosely defined
and loosely enforced rule which could and did change several times in one
day), and reach under the rocks with our hands to catch the fish. We spent
two or three morning hours taking turns wading and reaching, all managing
to get our clothes wet and get cool. This involved my younger nephew,
Don, my cousins Rodger and Ronnie, and I, and later Granny. We dashed
home at lunch time to grab the fixings for a picnic, and returned to eat on a
small island in the creek. While we were on our picnic lunch break, Granny
joined us, and so did another visitor, a snake. The snake was a Cottonmouth
(poisonous water snake) and he was sticking his head out from under one of
the very rocks we had been reaching under to catch the fish! I guess he was
fishing, too! We spied a fence post which had been left by the receding
water, and that became the weapon to be used to kill the snake. We soon
found out that every time we jumped on the rock, it moved and the angered
snake stuck his head out from under the rock. When we took a swing at him
with the fence post, he pulled his head back under the rock. We each took
turns at batting at the snake as if we were Babe Ruth and he was a baseball.
It was a scary thought that we had been reaching under that rock where we
couldn't see, and he was probably hiding! By nightfall, we were all tired
and excited, and we discussed our day's adventures well into the night over
a game of cards. I guess the snake slept well, nobody ever hit him!