Ol' Santa has come and gone at our house and it's kinda spooky with everything so quiet....the presents are all gone....the food's all gone....the kids are all gone. Only thing left is one tired ol' Kristyemac. But, boy, did we have a good time! Loulou breezed in with her daddy on Thursday and Christmas was on. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't have our baby around. The eyes of children see things we adults seem to forget sometimes. They find joy in the simplest of things....a certain ornament on the tree...a special song on the stereo...a stocking "re-hung" with the utmost care.
Thursday night was spent riding around looking at all of the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations here in Ocean Drive. The best stop was here in our own neighborhood where a family puts on a live nativity scene every night the week of Christmas. LouLou insisted that we get out of the car... leaving Daddy and Uncle Zack behind....to get as close as we possibly could so as to see the baby Jesus in the manger. Don't know what gets in to me but I cried like a baby when I saw her looking at the wise men, the shepherds, the angel, Joseph and Mary and the little baby doll lying in their makeshift manger. LouLou looked up at me and put her little finger to her lips and said "Sssshhhhhhhh, MeeMall..You'll wake the baby Jesus!". I coulda just pinched her jaws off right then and there.
Yep...Christmas is a wondrous time for children. LouLou has special ornaments on MeeMall's tree that she looks for every year. Wasn't hard to find them this year, 'cause I had left my tree up since last year....Yes, you read that right. But we didn't light it up until Christmastime! We got the tree lit and she was all smiles when Uncle Zack's childhood choo choo train ornament started huffin' and puffin' and blowin' it's horn. But her favorite ornament is a small church and she pushed a button so a choir inside starts singing old time Christmas hymns. She played and played......and played...that ornament the rest of the night.
MeeMall's tree has homemade ornaments that Daddy and Uncle Zack made when they were little, as well as some LouLou has added to the collection. She loves to hear the stories of when they were little and how much fun they used to have at Christmas.
We decided to open her gifts early because she needed to be back at her home, in her bed, by Christmas Eve so Santa Claus would be able to find her. The gifts were kinda slim at our house this year, but you wouldn't have known it. LouLou opens every one of 'em like they were worth a million dollars. She even got excited about her new toothbrush and toothpaste in her stocking!
And oh, Lordy.....that singing Santa Claus. Now she's big enough to shag dance with him...he just didn't want to cooperate with his male lead the way he was supposed to! The dancing didn't last long, but MANY songs were sung with him...over and over and over. :)
We had three days of laughter and fun and going out to eat. MeeMall didn't cook anything this year...A little Christmas gift to myself. We ate pretty good and there were lots of homemade cookies and fudge, thanks to wonderful friends!
LouLou departed on Saturday afternoon and there's just my oldest son left at the house with me. We had a few visits from friends, watched a couple of movies and did a whole lot of Facebookin'. The evening was topped off with a steak dinner and sharing memories of bygone Christmas mornings. Turned out to be a great evening...some quality time with a grown son who wanted to be Mama's little boy one more time.
Now it's Christmas day...mid-afternoon. My boys were up and at 'em early, opening gifts and checking out which one might have gotten more than the other. We laughed...MeeMall cried a little bit...the youngest left for more holiday festivities...the oldest took my old pickup and car and washed 'em up for me....then he left, too. I'm not sad...I'm happy with my memories and feeling blessed with grown children who still like to spend time with their old Ma....but it's mighty quiet! Josey, my canine baby, seems quite content to have things back to normal...and quiet! She's actually snoring.
While on my computer the past few days I have had one of those internet radio stations playing Christmas songs in the background while I "worked". One artist kept getting my attention so I went to youtube and found some other songs by him. Leon Redbone...I think I'm in love. I can't believe I've never heard his music before and I absolutely love him! Very different, but there's something about his voice and style that has relaxed me beyond my wildest dreams. I have been a bit stressed lately and Mr. Redbone took it right outta me. Check him out...to each his own...but I hope you find him as entertaining as I do!
I especially like his version of "Christmas Moon"...Think it might be the whistling...My mother used to whistle just a pretty as he does when she was happy. I've always wished I could whistle like that!
Here's hoping all of you are enjoying (or have enjoyed) a wonderful Christmas! Kristyemac here is planning to just chill for a little while....maybe even take a nap...while listening to some Leon Redbone...and I might be snoring just like Josey in a few!
In the meantime...Remember...If all else fails...Keep on dancin'!
Kristyemac
I'm tickled pink you stopped in...Now won't you TALK to me and leave a comment?
Wow...At 58 I have a lot of Christmas past memories!
My first Christmas was in 1953...I was 6 months old. We lived in a little tiny "flat top" house on Prison Camp Road in Lillington, NC. My brother would have been 9 years old and it would have been his second Christmas with his new dad. I'm sure he felt a little pushed back with the new bundle of joy in the family getting the most attention! Oh well..it wasn't MY fault....and I WAS cute as a bug in a rug!
My brother and I shared many wonderful Christmas mornings and probably due to the age difference we never fought and had a great time together. Of course I don't remember that first Christmas, but remember MANY more after that! Tradition in our family was to go to bed on Christmas Eve with an undecorated tree...the PERFECT tree according to my daddy....and wake up Christmas morning to the most beautifully decorated tree I had ever seen! It had bubble lights, old family ornaments and tinsel....Tinsel like you've never seen! My parents would put 15 to 20 boxes of tinsel on that tree, one strand at the time...It had to be hung JUST right...only about an inch on the branch with the rest hanging down perfectly straight, over and over and over on each branch....It glittered like an icy wonderland with the bubble lights giving each strand a different color. I thought we had the most beautiful Christmas tree in the whole world....and I may have been right! And to think that Santa Claus decorated it made it even more special.
Memories of tricycles, banana bikes and Schwinn's....Betsy Wetsy dolls, Chatty Cathy, Thumbelina and Barbie...Lots and lots of games and gloves. Sweet memories of growing up with a great family at Christmas! I still remember the first presents that my brother picked out, bought and gave to me. He was working at Kelly and Randall Drug Store and with his hard earned money he bought presents for everybody! I got a green alpaca v-neck sweater and a bottle of White Shoulders perfume. I wore that sweater til it was was just totally worn out and still think of Bobby when I put on my White Shoulders. These two presents were probably the best ones I ever got because I worshipped the ground he walked on...and he had picked those our JUST FOR ME!
I guess the next big Christmas memory for me would be my first Christmas in my own home with a new husband and a new life. Hang on to your hats...I got married my sophomore year in high school...to my BEST friend. We had 11 fantastic Christmas' together....lots of laughter....making $50 turn into 50 gifts...Christmas Eve parties at my parents, Christmas morning at his parents...lots of pretty silly looking Christmas trees. Oh and let's not forget Christmas Eve at my Aunt Leona's! She always included us just like we were one of her children and laid out a spread of the BEST food in town, including her famous homemade ham and biscuits! Miss Randy, my parents and my Aunt Leona...but still have fun holiday memories with all of them.
Then comes parenthood and having children of my own to start our own Christmas traditions! How sweet is that? There can't possibly be better memories than your own babies growing up and being able to play Santa Claus. Our Christmas Eves were spent at my parent's house where their annual Open House would be held. Friends, old and new, gathered at their house for fun, music, holiday cheer (if you know what I mean) and lots of good food. This was my father's favorite night of the year. There were people that came year after year from my first Christmas til it was now my boy's waiting for St. Nick. Sometimes Tommy Brown would show up in his Santa suit....some couples would bring their children who were now grown and home for the holiday..and there was always a dog or two in the mix. Many, many fond memories of Christmas Eve at Paul and Dolores McDonald's! Then it was back home to get the boys in bed so Santa could come. Believe me, they were always passed out within minutes after the party at Grandaddy and MeeMa's! I'd be up the rest of the night putting Santa Claus together and getting food ready for Christmas morning brunch. The boys always got up and were allowed to see and play with their Santa Claus goodies but we had to wait for the others before the gifts were unwrapped. Granny Ann, PaPa Eldon, Meema, Grandaddy, usually Johnny Todd and Aunt Bea from across the street....what a great crowd to enjoy presents and then the adults had a Christmas morning casserole with fresh ambrosia and ham/biscuits while the kids played with their new toys. I sure do miss the look on their little faces when they'd come out of their bedroom to see what Santa had left! We'd have the early afternoon for ol' Ma to relax, then head up on the hill to Meema's for gifts and dinner with the whole family. We had some wonderful Christmas day's up on that hill!
I guess the most out of the ordinary Christmas memory we have is the year my son Zack and I decided to just get outta dodge for the holidays. My parents had passed away. My other son was not going to be available for Christmas...and there was just the two of us. At the last minute we decided to heck with sitting around during the holidays with our lips poked out.....So we booked a cruise and off we went. Definitely a different holiday for us, but we had a ball....A one time event, as we now know that no matter how small the family Christmas needs to be at HOME! Home is the magic word.
Now I've got LouLou. My boys are grown...My parents and grandparents are gone...I'm the old one and the festivities have gotten a whole lot smaller....But we still have a fun Christmas...with family and friends. I have continued the tradition of the Christmas Eve party, but this year that's been put on hold. Just not enough time with the new job to get everything in order. LouLou is what will make THIS Christmas so special. I get another chance to see the excitement of Christmas through the eyes of a child...and LouLou does the bestest job of entertaining MeeMaw!
Looking forward to making more memories in years to come...Wish I could get all of my photos on here, but alas, the old scanner has conked out on me as I work on this project. I guess the purpose of this particular blog is to remind us ALL that Christmas is a time for family...as we grow older our families change...as do our traditions....but Christmas still comes and Christmas still goes...and it's in our hands what we choose to do with it. I choose to cherish every minute of it!
Merry CHRISTmas to you all...and don't forget...keep on dancin'!
Kristyemac
I'm tickled PINK you've read my blog...Now won't you PLEASE talk to me...and leave a comment?
Being raised in a small North Carolina town I feel right at home when Christmastime arrives here at Ocean Drive. Driving down Main Street OD it's hard to tell the difference between here and Lillington, where I grew up. There's the same lighted decorations and Christmas flags on every other light pole and the store fronts are all cheerfully decorated by the owners and their staff. We have some great shops that SHOULD be bustling with holiday shoppers but everybody has headed for the malls. I'm gonna do my shopping downtown.
Beach Memories, owned by local artist Becky Stowe, has something for everybody on your list that loves Beach Music and it's history. From Williams Lake to Pawley's Island, there are books, prints and framed artwork depicting memories of our youth. You can spend $5 or $500, depending on your budget and your shopping list. If you've never stopped in at Becky's shop plan to spend at least an hour. You'll still leave without seeing everything she has.
The new Clothes Center, owned and operated by Richard Taylor, has some really good buys on designer clothes for men and women. He has new merchandise every time I go in there. My favorite thing he's carrying this season are his Tommy Bahama style silk camp shirts with Santas and other Christmas embroidery. I LOVE them! Richard is a likeable guy and takes the time to get to know his new customers. You're not gonna get that at the mall!
Need something for that person who has everything? How many of you folks that live in this area have never stepped into Two Blonds On The Beach? These gals have some fun gift items, as well as clothing. Never fails to put a smile on my face when I go in there. Great prices, too!
If you live in Ocean Drive....or just come here for SOS...EVERYBODY has to visit Judy Collins at Judy's House of Oldies. There's something there for anybody who loves our music. If Judy doesn't have a CD or 45 that you're looking for she will get it and ship it to you. Great selection of dance shoes and other dance memorabilia from yard flags to glassware.
I can't go in Hope Taylor & Company and leave empty-handed. This shop has some beautiful items and also carries the Tyler Candles that I love so much. The perfect place to shop for the ladies on your shopping list..and she has some good sale items all the time!
North Myrtle Beach has a good variety of shops...all downtown...and we need to shop LOCAL and SMALL BUSINESS to keep our downtown alive and prospering. It's not ALL about the clubs and restaurants. Please consider shopping local, whether you live here or in another town.
Well, now....I guess I'm through with my "Chamber of Commerce" rant...Let's get back to why I love Ocean Drive at Christmas!
Christmas kicks off here every Saturday following Thanksgiving with our annual Intracoastal Christmas Regatta! How can you NOT get into the spirit of the holidays by bundling up.....joining friends old and new...whether at Captain Poo's...on the deck at Filet's...on the bank at the old swingbridge...or from the deck of a good friend's waterway home....sipping on hot chocolate or adult beverages...and watching the hard work these boat owners go to providing a wondrous light display on the waterway? Kinda gets me all tingly inside every time I see it! My favorite memories of the Regatta are when my mother was still alive and living in a condo on the waterway. We'd gather our chairs and flashlights....traipse out to the water's edge...and anxiously await the first boat coming down the waterway...always late, of course! Flashlights are VERY important during this boat parade...whether showing your approval by madly swinging the beam onto your favorite boat(s)....or shining the light onto your face while hollering to friends on the boats going by to show 'em it's really you hollerin' at 'em. Mother always loved the Regatta and usually had a house full of folks partaking of her warm hospitality, cocktails and FOOD before and after.
We still have an old fashioned Christmas Tree lighting and I am always amazed at how many folks come out for this. Gets you in the real spirit of Christmas! The town of North Myrtle Beach does an awesome job putting this together. They have Santa Claus for the kids and complimentary hot chocolate for everybody. This is usually the kid's first visit of the year with Santa and it's always fun to watch their eyes and smiles. I always find myself singing Christmas carols to myself on the way home.
Then it's time for the Parade! We have one of the BEST small town Christmas parades....hasn't changed much in many, many years...other than getting larger. We still have girl and boy scout troops... local churches with pickup trucks loaded down with kids...lots of fire trucks...local high school marching bands...small business homemade floats...lots and LOTS of golf carts...and of course, Santa bringing up the rear! Beauty queens riding in convertibles...clowns...rescue squads beep-beep-beeping their horns..and local TV personalities! Bring it on, Ocean Drive! You just can't beat a small town parade where you know just about everybody in it. I LOVE a parade! Can you tell?
Usually by this time I have all of my decorations up and running...presents bought and wrapped...plenty of holiday food in the fridge and pantry...and nothing to worry about except which Christmas party to go to and what to wear. Gonna be some disappointed folks this year, especially LouLou. Luckily, if you've read my previous blog posts, I never took my tree down from last year...Yep...it's still up. I plugged the lights back in last night and I think that's all I'm gonna get done this year. No big parties planned...no time for shopping...and I just can't seem to find the energy to get the yard decorated or the rest of the house. I am SO glad I left my tree up..and ya'll thought I was crazy! Smart, if you ask me! Tree looks just as pretty as it did last year when LouLou and Misty decorated it for me....thank goodness. All I had to do was knock the dust off of the bow at the top...Hehehehehehe!
Yessirree...Can't beat Christmas in Ocean Drive...I think I'll put on some boogie woogie Christmas music and chill out.
Remember the reason for the season, my friends..and until next time, dance on!
Kristyemac
I'm tickled pink you've read my blog...Now, won't you TALK to me? Please leave a comment!
I remember Thanksgivings of my younger years. We lived "across the field" from my Mama Mattie and Daddy Stewart in Lillington, NC. Thanksgiving at my Mama Mattie's was always a treat....having borne 5 children and spreading out to lots of grandchildren and great-grandchildren we could usually expect at least 30 family members every year. Everybody was to be in place at the dinner table(s) by 12:00 sharp! That's when those homemade biscuits came outta the oven and we had to get them while they were hot. Mmmmm mmmmm....they were something to be thankful for if nothing else! We had family members at the kitchen table, the dining room table, several card tables and some of the kids would eat wherever they could land. Let's see... A giant golden turkey, baked ham, Mama Mattie's cracker dressing, mashed potatoes & gravy, baked sweet potatoes, creamed corn, butter beans, field peas, potato salad, congealed salad(s), pear salads, jellied cranberry sauce and desserts that seemed to never end. It seemed like my Uncle Percy and Uncle Bickett always sat at the kitchen table and one of my fondest memories would be Uncle Bickett asking for the biscuits to be passed and Uncle Percy would ALWAYS stick his thumb in the middle of a biscuit and toss it in the air to him. All of us kids would laugh and laugh...and Mama Mattie would ALWAYS pretend to scold them. I can still see her with her tight little permed hairdo and her pretty little apron standing at the kitchen sink putting the last touches on something to serve.
After the meal (with lots of laughter and family talk) we would go outside...The house was way too small for all of us to stay inside. The women would be busy clearing the tables and washing up the dishes.....The menfolk would gather under her big ol' oak tree and start swapping tales...And us young'ns would head to the big empty field behind the house. We played and fought and cried and laughed and had us the best 'ol time.
My other grandparents, MaMa and Grandaddy Johnson, lived in Dunn..about 20 miles away. My MaMa ALSO had the family over for Thanksgiving. We had to sit down at HER table by 5:00 for Thanksgiving dinner. I remember how sad I'd be when my mother would come out and tell me I had to leave all of my cousins and load up in the car for the trip to Dunn. My lower lip would pull back in about the time we'd hit the driveway at MaMa's. There'd be cars lined up on the street outside of her house and MORE cousins playing in her HER backyard! We could always expect at least 20 family members for this second meal. Already stuffed to the point of delirium, my brother and I had been drilled to fix a plate and eat it like we were starving. My MaMa was much more formal than my other grandmother and everything would be all shiny and prim & proper at her house. I always thought it was the fanciest place in the world. The best linens, the good silver and china....and tea glasses that looked like wine glasses! My favorite memory here is my Grandaddy always stood and carved the turkey at the table after the blessing. I thought that was the fanciest thing I'd ever seen!
In Dunn the children were NEVER allowed to sit at the main dining room table...or even in the dining room! We were in the den or kitchen and had to be on our P's and Q's. Two totally different Thanksgivings on the same day every year growing up...both of which I love to remember.
I don't know why, but it seems we never took photos at Thanksgiving. These are the only two that I can dig up or remember ever having. I don't even have photos at my Mother and Daddy's or photos from my children at Thanksgiving as they were growing up.
The years have passed....my grandparents and my parents are all gone. Along with their passing also passed the Thanksgiving tradition of large family get-togethers. I really miss that. When it got down to my parents being the older generation, we always ate at my Mother's and she would put a fine spread together, too. The tables were fewer...the family was fewer...those fabulous desserts were fewer! Good memories, but there was only me and and two boys and my brother, his wife and their son.
Now I'm the older generation. There is only me, my two sons and my granddaughter, LouLou. Makes for a small table at Thanksgiving. I have tried to impart some kind of tradition onto LouLou for her to remember, but those memories will never be the same as a house full of cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings, parents and grandparents.
This year, there was just me and one of my sons. We went out for Thanksgiving. It was really nice to have some quality time with him....but I kinda missed the hustle and bustle of cooking for days and fussing about all of the dishes. As we sat at the restaurant, enjoying an absolutely fantastic meal, I couldn't help but look at him and wonder if he was missing all of that, too.
On the way home the Christmas decorations were in all of the store windows and on every other street light down Main Street. The radio was already playing Christmas songs....and on the 6:00 news the big topic was Black Friday shopping coming up the next day. There wasn't much mention about Thanksgiving...no film clips of the hungry being fed or families gathering from far away corners. Kinda sad.
Well..You guys better watch out...Ol' Kristyemac's decided that next year there's gonna be a turkey in the oven and lots of faces around the table. There's gonna be some kids playing out in the yard...and if I can get the biscuits right..maybe somebody will pass one to me!
We're gonna get out the best china, silverware and even those fancy tea glasses....LouLou's gonna baste the biggest turkey she's ever seen...We're gonna get back to doin' Thanksgiving the way it's supposed to be.
Until then...Keep on dancin' my friends.
Kristyemac
Now that you've read my blog...TALK to me! Please leave a comment.
Well, Folks...It's been a whirlwind week for me. Started out with a phone call from childhood friends I haven't physically seen in MANY years. NEVER underestimate the power of true friends! It seems a co-worker of theirs (their boss, to be exact) was looking to hire for a position in Myrtle Beach. After hearing the requirements and what they were looking for these friends said my name popped up out of nowhere, evidently hidden in the deep recess of their minds to be pulled back out with the who knows what trigger.
A phone call to me followed their conversation...I was put on the phone with the most dynamic sounding woman I've ever had the pleasure of speaking with. Within minutes I had the first job interview of my life scheduled. Yes...you heard that right...the FIRST job interview of my life. I am 58 years old and have had some pretty good jobs throughout the years. Once I got to thinking about it, I realized they had all "just happened" and I had never been through the formal interview process.
Once off the phone and this realization sank in I can't begin to tell you the panic that set in. Jeezo! I've been wearing flip flops for the past 10 years! Holy Moley! I've gained 30 pounds and don't have a decent outfit to show up in! Sufferin' Succotash! What in the world will be expected during a formal interview? I guess the positive part is that this interview was to take place the next day, so I didn't have but 24 hours to be a total wreck.
Tearing my closets up and finding NOTHING that my new rear end would fit into I fled downtown the next morning in search of ANYTHING that would be presentable and not have to be majorly altered, as this interview was to take place immediately after lunch. For those of you who don't know me and where I live, it is a small resort town with limited downtown business.
Therefore, the pickin's are slim. Luckily we DO have a new discount ladies clothing store on Main Street. Drove downtown...parked...went in...and came out 15 minutes later with a $12.50 pair of dress slacks and a $15.00 top. Did I fail to mention that I HATE to shop and that I even HATE trying on clothes more? Got home...got those suckers hemmed up and made it to Myrtle Beach with 5 minutes to spare.
Long story short, I GOT the job and needed to start immediately! Now, they're "emphasizing" that this job will require me to "dress to impress". Woe is me...WHAT have I gotten myself into? Rushed back to North Myrtle Beach, got to the clothing store right at closing...bought 2 more pair of slacks, 2 jackets and a couple of tops...$119.29 total! Did I also fail to mention that I am broke?
Now I'm looking forward to Monday and my first full day of work. Then I realize I have nothing but flip flops in my shoe rack. 10 years of wearing these will make your feet TOTALLY unresponsive to real shoes....Believe me. I will be going into my first day of work... where I am expected to look like I stepped out of a fashion magazine...in a $50 outfit that includes a wool jacket to cover up the imperfections (or TRY to cover up)... On my feet will be some widower maker shoes...and I'll have my flip flops in my purse. Now the weather man says it's gonna be 74 degrees on Monday! I'm working on the story I'll give as to why I won't be taking this hot as hades jacket off.
This is a job I know I will love. This is a job I know I can do. Now all I'm worried about is making the wrong impression with what I am wearing! Oh, Poo! I'm just gonna march right in there and go to work with the self impression of having stepped out of Vogue Magazine!
Sure do hope they have the A/C cut WAY down!
I can do it and I'm GONNA do it! I'm NOT gonna let these friends down...Believe me, friends like this are not a dime a dozen. Thank you, thank you, thank you to my wonderful friends! I'm gonna do my best to do ya proud!
Friends? The past year has put that word in a totally new perspective for me. I'm on Facebook a lot and every day I see people pouring their undying love out for "friends" they've never met.....just accepted a friend request by tapping a key on their keyboard. A few days later, they "love" them....pour their hearts out to them...offer life-altering advice to people they know nothing about. Don't get me wrong...I've "met" a lot of interesting people on Facebook and there have been some instances where these new "friends" have impacted MY life in one way or another. But, there's still nothing like REAL friends...the kind who know you inside and out...may even know some real dirt on you and wouldn't tell a soul...the kind of friends who are really there through thick and thin.
Yeah....THAT kind of friends! My grandma always told me you can count the number of TRUE friends on one hand...two if you're lucky. I'm finding this true the older I get. There's a major difference between friends and acquaintances. I have MANY acquaintances! And I'm thankful for each and every one of them. But it's the friends that get me through life. The ones that show up when no one else will knock on your door....The ones that know how to offer a hug or a smile when there are no words to ease your pain...The ones that pop into your head and make you smile when you hear a certain song or see something funny on TV or in a movie...Yeah...The ones that are there even when you don't know it! You know what I mean? The ones who call you after many years and you automatically start talking like you just saw them yesterday!
Thanks to friends like this, I am embarking on a whole new career...working with a woman I'm pretty sure will impact my life greatly....learn new things and meet new people...and hopefully after that first paycheck be able to please the new boss by really dressing while impressing!
I am thankful for my life. I am thankful for today...and tomorrow...and the future. I am thankful for FRIENDS! Where in the world would we be without them?
I will keep you posted and until then, don't forget that when life hands you lemons make a pitcher of lemonade and share it with a friend....a REAL friend!
Dance on, my friends...Even in the rain!
Kristyemac
Now that you've read my post let me hear from you! PLEASE leave a comment!
My, my, my....How this dance I love has evolved and changed over the years! Fas' Dancin' is what I learned and grew up with. Somewhere in the 60's when the term "Beach Music" became popular the dance was being called the "Shag". This ol' dancin' queen just can't bring herself to say she "shags".... I "fas' dance".
There are many versions of how this dance, the official State Dance of both North Carolina and South Carolina, came to be. I am not, and will not claim to be, an historian. Growing up I was always told that this dance was developed in the late 40's as a slower version of the jitterbug. Gonna tell ya' right now that Kristyemac here is NOT gonna EVEN begin the debate on the history of this dance. Folks from NC and SC and several different eras have argued over the facts for years...I'm just gonna say I LOVE this dance and the music that goes with it.
Everybody has their memories of how and when they were first introduced to "fas' dancin'". My memories go back to about the age of 9. I had a brother 9 years older than me and in high school my parents would let him have the family car if he took his little sister with him. They figured he would NEVER misbehave if he had me in the car with him. Lord have mercy...If my mother had any idea of some things her baby girl was exposed to back in those days! There was a grill "across the river" called Lynn's. I remember the jukebox in the back room and the high school kids (my idols at the time) laughing about Lynn's "grape drinks". Seems to me there was somethin' else in those grape drinks besides soda! Anyhoo my cousin, Judy, had taught me to dance with her and because I was just a young'n she would throw me between her legs, do a "little apple" and a "big apple", where I was thrown up in the air and around her back. They would take me to Lynn's, put some quarters in that jukebox and turn me on. We really put on a show! My love for fas' dancin' was born.
Being from Lillington, NC and having a father who was good friends with the Driver "boys" from Dunn, I was exposed to Harry and Dottie Driver's dancing around the age of 11 or 12. My daddy had always talked about how Harry could dance and I was lucky enough that Harry put himself in charge of youth dances at Chicora Country Club outside of Dunn. It was here that I was exposed to the REAL music and the REAL dance. I've never turned back.
It was in the mid 60's when my brother introduced me to Williams Lake. Since I knew to keep my mouth shut if I was allowed to continue going with him on his high school shenanigans this mythical party palace was my first eye opener to the world! It seemed like we drove for HOURS to get there, out in the middle of nowhere. I had heard stories from my mother about how she had danced at Williams Lake back in her teenage years. What was once run by the Williams family was now being run by two brothers, Robert and Wyman Honeycutt. And run it they did! Some of the best bands to play what was now known as Beach Music were always at "the Lake". Here's a note from my friend Mary Lemuel Blaylock about Williams Lake that says it best:
"Imagine a rough timber dance floor, built over water, and located out in the middle of rural Sampson County, North Carolina. The entrance road is dirt and dust, and the closest small towns are Dunn and Clinton, 15 miles west and east, respectively. You can hear the crickets chirping and the frogs croaking; and the mosquitoes are biting? Welcome to the 38-year phenomenon known as—Williams Lake.
Clayton and Lillian Williams owned Williams Lake. They lived across the road from The Lake and spent the majority of their lives giving young and old, alike, a place to go and have fun. All you could ask for, and more, happened at The Lake from 1932 to 1970 … jitterbugging to music on the jukebox in the 30s, 40s, and 50s and bopping to the sounds of live music in the 60s.
It was the Swing Era—early 1930s—a time when uncertainty was building around the world. Little did people realize that in a few years there would be ultimate chaos that would affect their innocent and uncomplicated lives forever. For the present, leisurely summer days of swimming and picnicking, with families, is all that seemed important.
The Depression had a big effect on music in the 1930s. People needed security and wanted to hear lively and spirited sounds; it was a reflection of the way they were feeling. They wanted to feel happy. In 1934, a bandleader known as Cab Calloway introduced a cut-time, four-beat energetic tune, and it would evolve into a dance that would take the nation by storm. The song was titled—The Jitterbug.
Mr. and Mrs. Williams would eventually provide a haven for protection during the Depression by introducing a new addition to their lake pavilion—Music; and it would be provided by a generator-powered jukebox. Teenagers from surrounding towns heard about the arrival of the jukebox and set off on those sandy and dusty roads to Williams Lake in order to dance the Lindy Hop and the Jitterbug. The music of recording artists Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, and Duke Ellington was gaining fame in a small wooden shelter in the middle of a place that no one outside of two or three counties knew existed—Williams Lake!
Eventually, those 1930s fun and carefree days ended. The world was at war in the early 1940s, and it was a sad and lonely time for most families who had at least one child defending our nation in World War II. However, one local sanctuary remained positive—Williams Lake! Mr. and Mrs. Williams continued to provide a place for families to come together and forget about the oppression of war.
Times had changed and so had the music genre. The combined styles of the 20s, 30s, and 40s would eventually come to be known as Rhythm and Blues and Rock and Roll. Nonetheless, the music from Miller, Goodman, Shaw, and others, bounced around the nation; but sounds from other artists as The Mills Brothers, Louis Jordan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatrawere taking shape. Two O'clock Jump, Shoo-Shoo Baby, and White Cliffs of Dover were reverberating over the radio and on the jukeboxat—Williams Lake!
By the late 1940s and early 1950s, we were in the middle of the Korean Conflict. Rhythm and Blues was in full influence and recording artists as Dinah Washington and Buddy and Ella Johnson were paving the way for another generation of teenagers. It was not uncommon to hear Evil Gal Blues, Caldonia, and Old Maid Boogie on the jukebox at—Williams Lake!
In 1953 and 1954, Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters and The Dominoes were recording influential songs as Money Honey and Sixty-Minute Man. The dance known as the Jitterbug had now evolved into the Bop and was ultimately popular on the East Coast and in clubs from Virginia to Florida. One such dance club in NC was—Williams Lake!
A further music style was additionally coming into existence—Doo-Wop—a Rhythm and Blues character of music with vocals. This method originated in the northern black communities, became popular in the 1950s, and blossomed throughout the 1960s—resonating of tranquil harmonies from The Platters, Little Anthony and the Imperials, and more. These groups made it possible for people to slow dance with each other. Sometimes couples could be seen standing in a close position and just swaying back and forth to songs as Only You and Tears on My Pillow … yet one more reason for sweethearts to flock to—Williams Lake!
About 30 miles from Williams Lake, another small town was also about to enter the music arena. Dynamic musicology was catering to another teenage era in Faison, NC; and it would feed the high school and college enthusiasm by introducing live R&B music to surrounding NC counties.
In 1960, Mr. C. P. Ellis opened up his produce warehouse in Faison showcasing a little-known black band called Ulysses Hardy and The Mighty Blue Notes. Ulysses excited the crowds with his rendition of James Brown's Please, Please, Please by hanging from the rafters during the song. One of the Blue Notes musicians was a 15 year old saxophonist who would later go on to play with James Brown and become one of the most eminent national and international Jazz and R&B artists of all time. His name—Maceo Parker!
Additionally, appearing on the scene and playing with The Blue Notes for several years, was Henry Slocumb, a white teenage bassist from Dunn, NC. Henry would maintain the distinction of being the only white musician to perform with The Blue Notes at Faison. The Blue Notes played in Faison from September to Easter, and Williams Lake opened the Wednesday before Easter and remained operative through Labor Day … Faison in the fall and winter and Williams Lake in the spring and summer. It was a dream come true for teenagers.
The British groups were invading the music industry by 1964. Faison's entertainment future was uncertain; so the doors to the C. P. Ellis Produce Warehouse Shed 403 closed for good that year.
Mr. and Mrs. Williams were now physically unable to continue operating Williams Lake; in 1965, they turned the management over to 22-year-old Robert Honeycutt, who had begun working at The Lake when he was 14. Robert would introduce a regenerated remembrance and forever put Williams Lake on the map.
The Lake would, undeniably, become unprecedented for the appearances of NC bands, as well as, premier national recording artists as Martha and the Vandellas, Maurice Williams, Billy Stewart, Jackie Wilson, The Coasters, and many more.
The inaugural band to perform at Williams Lake on April 21, 1965 was Bob Collins and The Fabulous Five out of Greensboro, NC. The Five was considered to be one of the top three favorite bands to play at The Lake, and they are still entertaining audiences today in 2008.
Another local band that gained popularity at The Lake was Gene Barbour and The Cavaliers from Dunn, NC. The Cavaliers often backed up celebrity groups as Joe Pope and The Atlanta Tams, Clifford Curry, Major Lance, and other prominent recording artists. In 1969, The Cavaliers merged with another Dunn band, The Tymes, and adopted the name Men of Distinction. The Men continued to perform throughout the Southeast through the 70s and will always be remembered as emissaries of music from the small town of Dunn, NC. Later to become Harry's Band, named in honor of their long-time manager and mentor, the late Harry Driver, the power show band continued to excite audiences until 2005.
Rounding out the top three best-liked bands was Ken Helser and The Tassels, later called Pieces of Eight. Reminiscent of Ulysses Hardy, as he did at Faison by hanging from the rafters, the crowd was energized by Ken when he did the same at The Lake. Ken Helser continues to electrify audiences today through the power of his ministry, A Place for the Heart.
Charles Dickens wrote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times [...], we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way." Vietnam, Woodstock, Anti-War Protestors, Drugs … Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Joan Baez … And so it was that in the early dark hours of January 1, 1970, an era ended with the closing of—Williams Lake!
Thirty-eight years have since passed. Nonetheless, anytime you happen down NC Side Road 1002 in Sampson County, the crickets are still chirping; the frogs are still croaking and the mosquitoes are still biting. And if the summer breeze is blowing just right, you can also hear the faint sounds of Joe Pope and The Atlanta Tams singing those familiar words, "There's a ram shackle shack down in old Caroline; And it's calling me back to that heart of mine"—Williams Lake!"
WoooWeeee! I remember being put in charge of the Tams' catfish trot line at the Lake so I would be taken care of while the Lillington boys were fighting the Dunn boys out in the parking lot. But don't think for one minute that I didn't keep sneaking back inside to watch the sweaty teenagers fas' dancin' to the music. I would be mesmerized! And when I was still much too young to be legal I was finally on that dance floor with some of the best dancers Williams Lake could muster up. Man, those were the days!
By the time I was in high school, fas' dancin' was being called the Shag. Beach Music was the term of the day for the music being played to "shag" to. Somehow I just couldn't change with the times. Give me that good 'ol Jump & Jive music of days gone by. My style of dancing has always been what I considered "street dancing". The man was ALWAYS the lead and the woman was ALWAYS the follower...It was supposed to look that way, but many 'a female fas' dancer had her way with the men on the floor! One such was my bud, the late Sandra Schwartz. I NEVER saw Sandra shag...she was ALWAYS fas' dancin'...and what a sight! Also a street dancer, Sandra found it hard to teach anybody her steps...they were just there...and they were always perfect. Sandra taught me to step up for myself and get those men on the floor. Give me some good 'ol Sandra Schwartz street dancin' any day!
A beautiful lady....and a beautiful fas' dancer!
I've been lucky enough to have a son who loves fas' dancin' as much as I do. He, too, is a street dancer. Turn that ol' boogie woogie music on and his feet start moving! Love this boy and look forward to him carrying on the dance. This clip is from a dance contest, which I don't really care for, but it shows what Mama's Boy can do:
The dance I love is changing and I fear for it's survival. We have some mighty fine young folks that are learning our dance and our music, but as with all new things there are changes. These changes are turning the shag into a new dance some of us are calling the "Swag"...a take on good ol' fas' dancin' with a lot of swing dancing thrown in. Makes for a beautiful show and wins a lot of contests...but it ain't fas' dancin'! I accept these changes and enjoy watching some of the younger ones gettin' out there and struttin' their "swag" steps...but I also support and encourage that they remember the ROOTS of our dance...the fas' dancin'.
Not all of the kids today are swaggin'...We still have those that have wrapped their arms (and legs) around the dance as it was started and hopefully will help the dance as it was to survive. One of my favorites at this time is a young man named Garrett Spencer. Garrett has watched and learned from some of the best old school fas' dancers and really puts on a show. If I was a teenager today, this boy would be MINE! He definitely has my attention and we are all so proud of him.
We have LOTS of the younger ones that are fas' dancin'....Just using him as an example. Now to get to "Swaggin".....It is definitely a beautiful dance, much more choreographed and mirror step oriented. It's just not for me. I enjoy watching it, but I also consider it a totally new style of dancing....One that will continue on long after I am gone. Here's a good example of what I consider the "Swag"...
Brennar Goree and Torri Smith are absolutely the best! This, my friends....is the Swag. A beautiful mixture of shagging and swing dancing. Poetry in motion...dance motion, that is!
Videos were not around when the great fas' dancers were in their prime...We don't have videos from the 50's and early 60's showing some of the great pioneers of our dance.....Jimmy Calcutt, Billy Jeffers, Chicken Hicks, Shad Alberty, JoJo Putnam...just to name of few of the bad boys of fas' dancin'. The best I can do is this one:
Now understand that this was in 1983...Can you imagine the fas' dancin' JoJo Putnam and Joanne Johnson were doing 25 years earlier? Gotta love it!
This has been a long winded blog post and hasn't even started to define this dance and music that I am madly in love with...I'll end it with MY next generation of fas' dancers...my granddaughter LouLou...Here's hoping that she will continue on...learn the roots of her MeeMall's dance and carry on some street dancin' when I'm gone!
Kinda brings a tear to your eye, don't it? Hehehehehe..
Anyways...No matter what you call it...Fas' dancin', Shaggin' or Swaggin'...Keep on keepin' on and don't forget...If you stumble make it part of your dance!
Dance on, my friends.....Kristyemac
Now that you've read my blog...How about TALKIN' to me? Please leave a comment!
2011 Veteran's Day will be celebrated this Friday, November 11th. It's a time to reflect on the memories and honor all of those that served or are serving in our military. I want to take the time today to reflect on MY veterans....the ones that were and are a part of my life.
First and foremost would be my daddy, Paul Braxton McDonald. Daddy served in the Korean War and married my mother on his return in 1952. I only know that he served at a Post Office while in Korea and did not actually see any war action. He didn't speak much of the war other than the horrid conditions and the long trip to and from Korea on a ship filled with very young men. When duty called Daddy left a job with Acme Cleaners in Fuquay, NC and on his return started his own dry cleaners in Lillington, a partnership with Billy Ray Matthews. The only souvenir brought home was a beautiful handmade shawl which I took to school for a long forgotten project and failed to take back home. I don't think my parents ever questioned it's whereabouts as it had been stored with those things one doesn't know what to do with but can't be thrown away. Thank you, Daddy, for serving your country in what is sometimes known as the "Unknown War", as these young men and women didn't really know what they were fighting for.
I was in Jr. and Sr. High School during the Viet Nam war era. I lived through the fear of friends and classmates being drafted in droves to be quickly trained at a six week boot camp and then shipped off to a faraway land where death and destruction were the news of the day. There were protests in every large city and a peace movement that has yet been rivaled. Many of these young boys were drafted and returned as men that had lost some, if not all, of the zest for life and fun they had once known. I had one friend who did not return in whole, but in a flag draped coffin. It's to this friend I honor on Veteran's Day the most. Here's to you, Monroe Parrish....you have not been forgotten! The memories of riding around the Tastee Freeze singing at the top of our lungs while listening to late night WOWO radio always come to my mind when I think of you.
My hometown of Lillington, NC is located right outside of Fort Bragg...Fort Bragg is known as the home of the US ArmyAirborne Forces and Special Forces, as well as U.S. Army Forces Command and U.S. Army Reserve Command. Because of this I grew up surrounded by young military couples choosing to live "off base" in Lillington. They came and went through the years, but the ones that have always stayed on my mind the most were the young women left behind when their husbands were shipped off to Viet Nam. Mostly teenagers they spent their days back and forth to Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base sending and receiving letters and without much moral support from neighbors who were strangers. Many were pregnant and had their babies without close friends and family present to share in their joy. Some received that much dreaded visit to the door informing them that their loved one wouldn't be coming home. I salute these families as well and remember you this Veteran's Day.
I had a hero in those days, and he remains my hero although he passed away this past year. Carlos Wayne Lanier...served 27 years in the Special Forces...and saw atrocities I never even want to think about. Wayne could be the most fun person I had ever been around...but when the conversation turned to something bringing back unpleasant memories he could turn into a quiet and stern faced man. It wasn't until years into my adulthood that I found out some of the things this dear man had encountered during his many years in the armed forces. I can still see Wayne coming home with his little beret cocked to the side of his head and that "grinch" smile plastered on his face. To you, dear Wayne, I honor your memory and the many sacrifices your family endured through your years serving the good old USA. You will NOT be forgotten!
Now I have friends with children and grandchildren serving in our Armed Forces. More sacrifices and lost time with family and friends....surrounded by fellow comrades in faraway places. It is to these families and these young men and women that I bow my head and say a prayer for safe return.
Please remember to honor our veterans and those presently serving this Friday. When you come across one of these unsung heroes...take the time to stop and shake their hand....and tell them how much you appreciate their time to keep our country free. Whether you agree with the war (or wars) or strongly disagree, PLEASE show these men and women that they will not be forgotten and give them just a minute of your time to honor their sacrifices....not just on Veteran's Day...But EVERY day!
I PROMISE not to be sad for my next blog..but gotta end with this video clip. Gotta love it! Long, but I think it's worth the time:
Until next time.....Kristyemac
Now that you've visited with me how about TALKIN' to me? Please leave a comment!
