OLD KATE MULLINS

I have to tell you about Old Kate Mullins. In my home town people occasionally referred to some people being as dumb as Old Kate Mullins. I heard it all my early years. I asked my Mama one time who was Kate Mullins and why people said she was dumb. Mom wouldn't tell me, only smile and say she was a woman in town that people thought was dumb.

When I became an adult I asked Mama again about Kate Mullins and why people thought she was so dumb. Mama never talked bad words around us kids and I had never heard her use any. She said, "well if you really have to know, Old Kate Mullins was so dumb she wiped her ass before she shit". Well of course I was first shocked that Mama had said those two words out loud and then I started thinking how dumb that really was. I asked if she was real and Mama assured me she was.

I had kidded around with the saying in front of Wendy and Pam a lot after they grew up, and after numerous questions about her I finally told them how dumb she was. They never believed that she was a real person, just a joke.

A couple of summers ago my brother Bob, the slow talking brother, came out to stay with me for about a month. We stayed up at my lake house and we had a ball, sitting around all day, swimming in the hot summer sun, and reminiscing about old times. One night Wendy came up to visit us and we went out to supper at a spaghetti, pizza place. We were having a good time and Wendy loved to hear Bob tell his yarns and to just talk in general. Out of the blue Wendy said "Bob do you know Old Kate Mullins"? What happened next was good enough to be on T.V. Bob leaned up in his chair and said in his s l o w southern drawl, "awl----I knew ALL the Old Kate Mullines". At that Wendy, who had just took a big drink of her coke, spit all of it across the table all over Bob's pizza and in his face. Wendy immediately apologized, still laughing. Bob said, "awl---that's alright, the wet coke will make my pizza easier to chew".

I sure have got my money's worth out of Old Kate Mullins. Sure would have loved to met her. I've picked on Bob enough for now. See ya, as Bob would say.

Kate Mullins

This is not Kate Mullins, but I think Pam might be dumber than old Kate Mullins. She was walking around out in the storm.

ROBERT LEE REAVIS

My second brother is Robert Lee Reavis (Bob) or Bobby we called him when he was a little whippersnapper. I have written some stories already about my brother Bob. He's the one responsible for the "Trials and Tribulations" yarns I have talked about.

When Bob was little he and my brother Joe were real close and remained so til Joe's death. They use to play together a lot but their most favorite thing to do was to play pranks on me or scare me then run so when I screamed to the top of my lungs Mom wouldn't catch them.

Bob enlisted in the Marines in his junior year in high school, I think. I remember the letters he would write to Mom all the time telling how he was doing. A long spell went by one year and we didn't hear from him. Mom started calling everyone in the Marines she could dig up. Finally she called the Red Cross I think, anyway they said they would find Bob and call us back. They called and a letter came also saying Bob had been the hospital and remained so because he had come down with malaria. Mom was so worried and cried a lot. Bob finally recovered and finished out his tour of duty and came home for good.

Bob has been a fun brother to grow up with except when his temper would get the best of him. He sure inherited that from Dad. He could be happy one minute and mad the next but it sure kept things exciting.

Later in life he married and had two sons. I must say he has had his share and somebody else share also of hard knocks. He has had a heart attack, triple bypass surgery and now is dealing with throat cancer. He keeps fighting back on all these "Trials". I have always heard the Marines were few and strong and I believe Bob deserves the title.

I can't wait til Bob is over this. He better be by spring cause he has to be back on that porch contemplating on a new "Trial and Tribulation". That is the title of his book. Only thing is he hasn't put any of his stories on paper to date. He has a lot in his head and he can sure keep you spell-bound with his yarns. You must have the patience of Jobe though cause he talk real slow and it takes quite a spell to get to the end. I didn't care though cause it gave me good reason to have another beer.

Well before I run out of paper I will end for now on Bob, but my love for him will never end.

I have been closer to my brother Bob, only two years older than me, than most people think. I looked up to him when I was just a wee lass and I still do.

Bob, put the Marine back in you and win this latest battle so we can chat on the phone again. I always enjoyed our afternoon conversations. BIG phone bills cause of his slow drawl but worth every penny. Hope to chat with you soon brother. I love you, Sis

JOHN WAYNE REAVIS

I want to tell you about my oldest brother, John Wayne Reavis. His initials are the same as my dad's but instead of William for a middle name like dad's Mama wanted to name Joe after John Wayne, the actor. I think Mama had a crush on John Wayne. Yes I called my brother Joe. Mama said when Joe cried as a baby he opened his mouth as wide as Joe E. Brown, another actor/comedian. I always called him Joe-E when I was little.

Joe was the quiet type and didn't tell stories like Bob, but he was always pleasant to be around. I took Bob and Joe to a Country-Western bar in Dallas one time and Joe and I did the two-step to a country song. After it was over the lights came on and a man said we were the winners of the two-step. We won free drinks for the rest of the night. We didn't even know we were in a dance contest. I asked Bob to dance with me later but he said in his slow southern drawl, naw, you and Joe just keep on dancing and I will take care of the drinks.

One summer day a boy drove by my house and stopped when he saw me outside. He told me his name and asked me if I wanted to go to a movie that night. I told him I would have to ask my mother and I did. She said NO! She wasn't going to let me go off with a boy she nor I knew at the age of thirteen.

Joe was home on military leave and he told Mama to let me go cause he knew Steve and he was an okay guy. Joe told me later he didn't know Steve, he just had heard him on the Galax radio station on Teen-Talk telling the latest news from Galax High School. THANKS EVER SO MUCH JOE. A month later Steve and I were going Steady and he gave me a silver friendship ring and two and a half years later we got married with that same friendship ring. I owe Joe for giving me the love of my life.

I use was when I speak of Joe cause he went to Heaven back in 2002 I think. It seems like forever since I sat and talked to Joe and I miss him but I have many wonderful childhood and adult memories of my brother Joe. I have a lot of stories to tell at a later date about Joe and Bob. They liked to pull pranks on me and I still remember them helping Mama catch me to give me a spanking. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't have had to feel the sting of that switch, at least not till I ran out of steam.

I miss you Joe and I will always be grateful that you were in my life and my brother. I love you. Love, Sis

Memories and Childhood Stories

Dear Bob,

Wendy and Pam got me a laptop computer (used) for my birthday in September. Since then I have on occasion written down some of my thoughts ( for what they are worth ) and recalled some of our childhood stories. I wanted to share them with you since I have taken the liberty to tell some of your Trials and Tribulations. I am not in any way recalling them the way you told them because that would be impossible, and they don't come off on paper the way you told them. Believe it or not, I can type faster than you can talk! It does take you a long time to spin your porch yarns but it is well worth the wait.

I like to look back on some of the things we did as kids and I have not begun to tell all the things you and Joe did to us, or me anyway. You wouldn't let me play marbles with you even though Mama told you to, and then there is the time you and Joe dressed up like cowboy ghosts after I was in bed and came into my room and scared me out of my pajamas.

I will continue writting and sending them to you to read if you wish, or you can make a nice warm fire with them to keep warm this winter.

I think of you daily, Bob, and wish I could do something to get you through this tough time. I know you will get through it though and I expect to hear some more Trials and Tribulations from you that I can write about. Wendy and Pam love to read them, and they have been fortunate enough to hear you tell a couple of them.

I love you Bob, and I am praying every day that you will soon be over this very tough "Trial" and be ready to get back to the porch when the winter gives out and start spinning some more of your yarns.

Bye for now. I look forward to the day you can talk to me again. I miss our chats.

Love, Sis

Real Trials and Tribulations

It is the beginning of a new year, 2010, it hardly seems possible. Ten years have gone by since Steve agreed to go to California and live and work for three years. It has been five years since his death.

The time flies by and so much doesn't get done. I want to do so many things but somehow the day is gone and they don't get done.

I want to talk about my brother, Bob, the one who is writing the book on Trials and Tribulations. Of course , Bob has only come up with the title. All the stories are still locked away in his head. They are good stories and should be told. Bob puts in a lot of porch time thinking about life and he can really keep your attention when he is spinning one of his yarns.

Recently, however, Bob has been in a battle against throat cancer and then through tough times with radiation. It has left him unable to eat solid foods and has a hard time drinking liquids. I think of Bob often now more than ever because of the war he is trying to win. It makes my little battles seem so small and petty. We all have to fight our own battles but most of them, in my life anyway, aren't worthy of losing sleep over or fretting all day about them. Sometimes when I have a complaint I try to hold it up beside Bob's battle and boy does it seem small. Most of them I couldn't say out loud, they would seem so dumb.

It amazes me the courage people have that go through such terrific hardships in their life and then say "Oh I'm doing okay". I know my brother was a Marine and they are suppose to be tough but it takes a brave soldier to endure the war he is going through now. I pray that God will give him the strength to see this one through because we all need him to be out there on that porch spinning us a new yarn. Meanwhile I will try to recall some more of the yarns he has spun in the past. Here's one to you brother. I hope to be able to talk to you soon. Love, Sis

PS: In looking back on what I said earlier, I guess we do have enough time in the day, at least for the things that are important to us. And I guess it is okay sometimes to take time out of the day to do nothing except maybe dream, think, or just to gaze at the sky.