with Dot Patterson
Greetings from Hickory Corner!
Everyone enjoyed good food and fellowship at the HCC Center on Saturday night, Oct. 22. After our meal, we had fun playing bingo and answered or tried to answer some trivia questions! Lots of prizes covered the table and all went home with something. Lonnie and Shirley Morton from Memphis attended, and Lonnie won several door prizes: two big pots of yellow Mums. Thanks to all that took part in planning the event and to all that came. I enjoyed visiting with everyone. If you were not there, you missed out on a good time.
New Home Church shared a meal after the service on Sunday, Oct 23. The younger ladies of the church made all kinds of delicious soups and dips. Older ladies made desserts. Yes, I took a dessert! It was a nice time with good food and good fellowship.
“October is pumpkin time, The nicest time of year. When all the pumpkins light their eyes, and grin from ear to ear. Because they know at Halloween, They’ll have lots of fun. Peeking through the window panes and watching people run!” – author unknown
Want to hear a spooky tale? Well then turn down the lights and make yourself comfy as I tell you this story of long ago.
When I was a little girl, growing up, we lived two miles from our nearest neighbor. We had heard there was a log cabin deep into the woods but were told by our Pa to never go there. We heard talk from folks that an old lady named Aunt Toogie lived there. People said there was something spooky about her. Pa said she wore a big black bonnet and a long black dress all the time. Others said she could make a table walk across the cabin floor. Folks said Aunt Toogie spent most of her time on the front porch blowing clouds of blue smoke from her corn cob pipe and drinking black coffee and eating cured ham. So, on one Halloween night, since my brother said he wasn’t afraid of the dark, I double dared him to go to Aunt Toogie’s cabin. As we walked deep into the woods, we heard an owl hoot and other scary night sounds which made the hair on my arms stand up. My brother carried a big hickory stick and said he was not afraid. We made our way into the dark woods by the moonlight until we finally saw the rickety cabin which was covered with vines and surrounded by tall weeds with a small dirt path leading to the porch. My heart was racing, and I was so scared that I crouched down behind the weeds. My brother slowly crept up on the porch and hit the door with his stick. Slowly, the creaking door barely opened, and a big black cat ran out and jumped over my head. I stood up screaming and yelled, “Help me! Help me!” About that time my brother yelled, “Trick or Treat.” Aunt Toogie opened the door wider and told us to come in. She said “I’ve been waiting for you; the man in the moon told me you were coming.” As we slowly stepped inside, I was scared and shaking. My brother held tightly onto his stick, and I noticed he was shaking, too. We saw a big black kettle on the stove, and a plate of cookies sitting on the table. Aunt Toogie told us to sit down. She served us cookies and some kind of hot brew from the big black kettle. We found out that she was not really all that scary but maybe just lonely. Afterwards, as we got up to leave, she was so nice and asked us to visit her again. After that night, my brother and I visited Aunt Toogie many times. (a Dot Patterson original told to grandkids many times)
Happy Halloween and Stay Safe!
