True stories

How ya like my hat? Home Depot hat

/ Jim McDonald / 14 Comments

How ya like my hat? Home Depot hat

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I’m sure you can’t make out what’s written on this hat; so I’ll tell you, it’s a “Home Depot” hat. I paid a dollar for it in Waldorf, MD., but haven’t worn it till we were in Murphy, NC.

 

I wore my “Home Depot” hat; while shopping for thumb tacks, roofing nails and water filters in “Lowes”. We walked right past the thumb tacks on aisle three heading to the fasteners on aisle five. After we picked up the roofing nails, I stopped a Lowe’s employee and said, “Thumb tacks?”

 

He thought for a second then told his boss, Mike, “He’s looking for thumb tacks.”

 

Mike said, “They’re right over here sir, on aisle three.”

 

I asked Mike, “Why didn’t I see them when I walked in?”

 

He replied, “You might be blinded by that hat you’re wearing.” We laughed and I was happy that he noticed my hat.

 

As we were hunting for the filters, I mentioned to another employee, “You know my aunt Betty died a couple months ago.” She looked a little befuddled, then I said, “Sometimes you would sit next to her in church.”

 

She said, “Is she the one that…”

 

I cut her off and told her, “I’m messin’ with you. I just wanted to flirt a little.” She smiled as I walked away.

 

I didn’t get as much fun out of this hat as thought I would, but I got enough to write this little story.

Marble, NC trip: day 1

/ Jim McDonald / 6 Comments

Marble, NC trip: day 1

My buddy, Raymond, has enjoyed genealogy for decades and through his research he found a lot of his family tree in the mountains of western North Carolina and Georgia. This prompted him to buy a vacation spot twelve years ago in Marble, NC., that he visits a half a dozen times a year.

He asked me to go with him this week and of course I said, “Yes.” When we left Southern Maryland on Wednesday at 3 am, it took us twelve hours to get to Marble. However, I let him down because I wasn’t able to drive, at all. Poor guy caught thirty minutes of shut eye half way down so he could finish the trip.

Hurricane Matthew was getting ready to pound the eastern shore of Florida and Raymond’s son lived directly in the deadly storm’s path. This added heartache on top of the exhaustion. After much worry and prayers, we found out that his son was alright and never even lost power.

After we arrived in town; we cut the water on; plugged in the refrigerator and checked a few other items off of his check list. Being a glutton for punishment, but a lover of ice cream we went out to a town called Murphy to satisfy our sweet tooth.

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Amie Sue

Raymond knew of a place called “No Name, Old Fashion Ice Cream Parlor”. Fantastic place with a charming shop owner named Amie Sue. We sat at the counter of the fifties styled business establishment and enjoyed two delicious banana splits. Met some nice people then went home and recharged for day two.

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No Name, Old Fashion Ice Cream Parlor

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No Name, Old Fashion Ice Cream Parlor

Richard R. Clark Senior Center: 10-1-16

/ Jim McDonald / Leave a comment

Richard R. Clark Senior Center

 

The, “Clark Senior Center” is one of four senior centers in Charles County, MD. It’s the cream crop and located at the intersection of Rt 6 and Rt 488 in La Plata, MD.

 

The membership requirements are minimal, you need to be at least sixty years of age and reside in Charles County, MD.

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It offers many activities; such as, large gatherings of card games, an inviting fitness center and three pool tables. All of these are well attended in the mornings. They also offer computer classes and Creative Writing classes and all of the above are free.

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This picture is not at the center, but it does fit the post

You can attend guitar, piano, Spanish, classes for a dollar a lesson. There are so many more activities for free and for nominal fees.

 

My buddy, Raymond and I, walked in at 9:30 am and didn’t leave till 3:30 pm. We met so many nice people, that it didn’t take us long to make this one of our favorite places.

 

How ya like my hat? Hog hat

/ Jim McDonald / 7 Comments

How ya like my hat? Hog hat

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Sometimes I ask people questions that I already know the answers to. If they tell me a lie or act like they know something they don’t, then I can place them in the category they belong.

 

Dad taught me, “You can ask a person who they are and learn what they tell you. Or you can watch a person and see who they are.” I didn’t understand what that meant then; but decades later I realized my dad was wiser than I gave him credit for.

 

I’m a Washington Redskin fan and have been for a long time. I wear my Skin’s Jersey during every game; and, if we win I may not wear it the next day, but if we lose, I always wear it the next day.

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I was at a bar on a Monday evening after a Redskin’s loss, so of course I was wearing my jersey. There was a Cowboy fan there and after following my dad’s advice, I knew what category this guy belonged in, the know it all category.

 

He told me, “If you wear this hat for an hour, I will buy you a beer and give you ten dollars.”

 

Not being one to pass up a picture of any head gear for my hat gig, I said, “Sure.” He ended up drunk and forgot about the hat so I gratefully took it home and the ten dollars.

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Just messin: My grandson, Blake, gave me this hat for Christmas a couple years ago. It’s too hot to wear in the summer, but I do wear it in the winter. I’m sure him and his mom, Maria, bought it as a joke gift, but I cherish it.

 

Note: paragraphs one, two, three and seven are true, but paragraph four, five and six are not.

 

Meet the Author: Mary Ann Jenkins

/ Jim McDonald / 8 Comments

Meet the Author: Mary Ann Jenkins

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My friend, Matt, and I met in a Creative Writing course at College of Southern Maryland (CSM). We are both trying to become writers. He’s writing his autobiography and I’m writing a novel and a small blog of short stories. In class I use to say when I become a writer….. Our Professor asked me, “Are you writing?”

 

I said, “Yes mam.”

 

She replied, “Then you’re a writer.” We might be writing every day, but we both know we have a lot to learn, so we go to as many free writing courses and book signings as we can. I can afford free!

 

I had the pleasure to attend a, “Meet the Author”, event on September 6th 2016. It was coordinated by the Jaycees Senior Center in Waldorf, MD. When we walked into the building; almost immediately to our left was a sign in sheet in front of a large open area. On the far wall of the space was where the event was held. Sixteen people were already seated and Matt and I made it eighteen.

 

Mary talked of her childhood for about five minutes; she mentioned that her family was poor and they couldn’t afford a crib. Her first bed was the bottom drawer in her parent’s dresser. She joked about, “I believe they closed the drawer sometimes.” We laughed, then she said, “Try to write about what you know. “ She moved onto her married life and said, “We had a good relationship and we enjoyed our life together, but one morning I woke up and he didn’t.” She said that kind of matter of factly. She told us she worked for a podiatrist, then for the government as a proof reader. Proof reading helped her in the grammar and punctuation aspect of her novels so she didn’t have to pay the extra six hundred dollars for editing.

 

Her first novel was a collaboration with her friend Mary Ann Enslow. Sadly her friend didn’t live long enough to see the fictional publication of their book; “The Cardboard Box”, in October of 2009. Their novel is about a young assistant editor, living with her uncle Charlie in New York. When he died, he left her a house in Georgia that she knew nothing of. She questioned why he never told her about the house, but she moves there anyway. She finds love while strengthening her Christianity from a cardboard box.

 

Mary Ann’s second novel is called, “The Witches Journal.” Sadie Fergusson leaves London and her father, in the 1800’s, to start a new laugh in America. She knew her journey held unknown risks, but she has faith that God will carry her through. Her third novel, “The Journal Reopened” is a sequel to, “The Witches Journal.” All of her novels are good easy reading.

 

She explained her experience of self-publishing and the cost of a quantity her novels sold directly to her. She told us, “I have more control of the resale price of my books, when I sell them from my own stock. Amazon sells them at a much higher price.” Tate Publishing, is a Christian base company and that’s one of the determining factors that influenced her decision to go with them on her second and third novels. I thoroughly enjoyed the day.