jerry.dot.com

Is we ever again gonna be allowed to experience a sweet, Southern spring lak we had back yonder? Skeletons of mangled trees near our landscape. Small trees want to leaf out, but can't seem to make it. Katrina, GUstav, Ike and Snow have left ugly marks all over the place. The tree at the corner of my house usually sprinkled the ground with pretty, pink petals. Not so many any more - the petals are black. Don't know whar the squirrels are finding foods. The yard is littered wid pecan shells whar squirrels have bitten the shells open only to find black, uneatable pecan meat. Back in the early fifties, Genie McKneely and members of the Amite Garden Club made a trip to Alabama and brought back loads of Azalea bushes - planted 'em all over Amite. Added a beautiful touch to our Town that has lasted all these years. This year the Azaleas show the damage done by these awful storms. They are trying to blossom out, but the flowers look brown and scalded. Sho' hope the outlying farms ain't suffering too much damage. Please, Lord, heal our land.

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We continue to pray for comfort for Millie Simpson. She has been seriously ill. She lives at Doe Run.

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Also - continue to remember the Amite Fireman Mark Oliver in yo' prayers. As of 03-05-09, he is having extreme difficulties with medical treatment in a Chicago Hospital. We hope the doctors wid the Lord's help can solve his problems.

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Sorry to larn Kyle Brabham, age 47, has passed away. He usta live in Greensburg, but he, his wife and family had moved to Mississippi. He wuz suffering wid cancer. Condolences to his family . (Sorry can't report this wid mo' information. Lost contact over the past year. He wuz a student at Valley Forge.)

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Guess they ain't too many readers kin remember the Tom Carney family what lived on the South end of Laurel Street. Wal! His daughter, ELouise Carney, and I, started school at Ella Strickland Elementary back yonder in 'bout 1933. Became fast friends fust day. Graduated from Amite High in 1944. We been friends fer life. She up and married Frank Lee (who has passed away) and moved to Picayune, Miss. - whar she has lived and raised her family. Jes' larned Elouise had open heart surgery this past week. She wuz horsepitalized fer a few days, but is home now, making a pretty good recovery. Sho' glad to know she is doing o.k. after her heart surgery.

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Nick and Shannon Lascaro, (both state retirees after serving many years as administrators for the Tangiphahoa Parish Family Support Dept.) decided to take a well-earned vacation. So - they - accompanied by Shannon's daughter Kelly, and granddaughter, Alex, age 13 drove to Disney World in Florida. They spent a few days - riding ever thang and having fun. Howsomever, Nick became ill and by the time they got home, it wuz decided he needed a horsepital - so he entered North Oaks Saturday - Feb. 28, 2009 whar he underwent emergency surgery for trouble wid his stomach. As of today, 03-05-09 he is still in North Oaks. But he say most of the tubes and needles (which wuz jes plumb aggravating) is been took out. He feels much better and 'speaks to be going home soon. Good luck, Nick. Hope ya' has a quick recovery.

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The Bible tells us to pray for and support our leaders. Obama sho' needs prayer. He has inherited an America dat seems to have turned away from God by allowing the Supreme Court by allowing the Supreme Court and the A.C.L.U. to take prayer out of schools. Don't know how this travesty can be corrected. Next best thang is to keep prayer and discipline in our homes and hearts. God bless us all.

Marie L. Pulliam