The Joy of Country Living

Family

I Hate Snakes

July 30, 2017 Joy Dixon Payne 2

I hate snakes. What started out as fear of snakes, because of an early childhood experience, turned into outright hate. And thus the story is told… We grew up on a working farm and we loved to play outside from right after first daylight until the crickets signaled nightfall was on the way as the sun slipped behind the tree line. It was a hot July day and my brother had just turned six years old.  I was the big sister at seven. Outside there was always some cool place to explore and play.  Forty acres of the home place was filled with all kinds of wonderous adventure.  Ponds, woods, a dairy barn, tool sheds, […]

Family

The Tea Set and A Lesson

June 16, 2017 Joy Dixon Payne 2

The Tea Set I thought that china tea set was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.  Four little cups with saucers, four little plates and four plastic silver colored spoons and  a sugar bowl and creamer, painted with delicate pink and green flowers and edged in gold. Every time we went to Jitney Jungle on Saturday to buy groceries, I would head straight for the toy rack, holding my breath all the way out of fear the tea set would be gone.  It was always there.  I would pick up the box and stare into the cellophane window at the delicate little miniature dishes. I wanted that tea set badly but Mama always […]

Family

Who Would Believe? (A Holiday Story)

June 4, 2017 Joy Dixon Payne 2

A nine-year-old and holiday boredom and a remedy… Who would believe a nine year old girl would be moping around because she had nothing to do on a holiday? Mama and my oldest sister were in the kitchen preparing Christmas Eve dinner and just chatting away about the new baby due in mid January. My sister was barricaded in her room with her friend, Sue Nutt, listening to records play on the record player. My brother had ridden off on his scooter to who knows where with his buddy Clark Carter. And there I sat. I knocked on my sister’s bedroom door. She cracked the door open and I asked to come in and visit. […]