Southwest Georgia Labor Day Good Times!

Happy Labor Day! I used to have great times on Labor Day when I was growing up in Cairo deep down in Southwest Georgia. My Daddy and Mama and I would quite often go to one of my uncle's houses. The whole family (on my Daddy's side) would come to the event and bless me there was good food. It'd be so raging hot you could feel the huge squirting sweat coming out all over you and all the flowers in the huge back yard would be potently redolent with the giant Southwest Georgia aromas. One uncle of mine a big, tall guy named T.W. would do all the wild frying of the fish. He got the fish amazingly hot. He said he wanted it "John Brown" crunchy. My Mama liked the natural grits ole' T.W. cooked. He threw a huge heppin' of cheese in the big grits pot and Lord did he cook the daylights out of that grits. It was good time Charlie, that's what this scene was. After awhile when things eased up a little then my Uncle Clower (a huge man with incredible strong handshake) and my Uncle T.W. and Byron (another uncle) and my Daddy would get out some bourbon. Little toddy time then. It was a time to remember. Now those folks and days are gone and my life is so calm....yet, I tell you something...those crackling good times....they provided some mighty fine memories. Mighty fine!

Labor Day, Chagall, Monet and Renoir

All sorts of brain waves are poppin' today. First, Labor Day is here again, coming on early in the morning. It brings a flood of memories cause it makes me remember what it is to be a southern man and to respect the work ethic. It is so good and real and most of all I recall what my grandfather said about respecting the value of working hard and Lord as a man of the Depression he sure knew what this wild thing called life truly means. Went to church today, a grand place in fine university environs. Heard a superior, soprano solo. The woman was so beautifully great. Thought about how marvelous our music can be with all its very intricate layers of gorgeous sounds, at times gospel, a bit of blue notes and a terrific zesty modernism that suddenly shows up giving us the vibrant surprise. The church had communion today and one old man had trouble walking but fantastically he hung in there and in his own way he was there for all to see...a symbolic representation of southern soul. After lunch I got into some art fun cause I looked over some of the imaginative works of Monet, Renoir and even the elegant perhaps a bit of a mystery persona, the vital one of intrigue, Mr. Marc Chagall. The brain is driving fast now kind of like welcome to good 'ole NASCAR, buddy. Yesterday, the DAWGS had problems but oh well. Hope things get better soon. Indeed, there is nothing quite like Labor Day, a good day for thinking over life's treasures. Those excellent vibes that flow into us from art, film, jazz, blues and culture can fill our big glass up just right. Get some good times today, people.