Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Repost,, haven't written anything lately but this is still timely.




 
CWM  "TOODLUMS"    July 24,1949  -  August 9, 2010
There is nothing like the glowing warmth of a campfire. Snapping and popping, the oak logs piled high with the yellow and orange flames squirting upward through the tightly stacked cracks from the bark still on the wooden fuel.

Too large to be intended for the fire, cut sections of trees served as resting stools for more than one annual trip to the familiar river bottom. Without confirmation, each has in intended occupant. Time has a way of etching routine without formality. The unceremonious act of who takes their place in cadence is stamped in time.
It seems one always has “one more thing” to sort out and put in its place. The last to take his place in line. The last to turn out the lantern. Beyond the reach of the campfires shine clattering of assorted gear indicates the restlessness. All, except this one, have gathered at their appointed places amongst the bark covered thrones.
“What are you doing out there? You gonna come on or what? We ain’t gonna wait all night.”

The strings are tuned and the whistles are wet. We wait momentarily.

“Well, are ya coming?”

From the darkness and damp, with clarity comes a chuckle and reply.

“In a bit, perhaps, you old codger, In a bit.”

The usual banter and ribbing of “always late” and “it’s gonna be daylight soon" offers a familiarity to the situation. We know we are going to have to wait. A round with flask and a dirge of song pushes the hour past.

The shifting of logs and flicker of flame, upward the embers struggle to rise. The glow still strong but not quite as bright, the warmth still surrounds us all. The sweetgum stump, awaits in quiet with sounds from just beyond. It seems the clatter is not intense as it was some time earlier.

“The music is old and bellies are full, if you’re coming on, then ya gonna have to do it soon. Not sure of the duration with this routine of fun.”

A chorus of laughter votes in favor of wit, but certainty not at all certain. Waiting for a reply I sit suddenly quiet as I listen for anticipated answer.

“In a bit, perhaps, when I finish. In a bit.”

The campfire out, the reminding ashes, what’s left of the mighty oak, a reminder that dawn is near. The river fog cloaks the forest near and water still between the banks flows. The cold ashes swirl about and, with a grin, I answer the wind’s invitation ; “are you coming”.

My reply: “In a bit, perhaps, you old codger, In a bit.”

CWM  "TOODLUMS"    July 24,1949  -  August 9, 2010

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

May Issue of East Texas Writers Guild newsletter, The Next Chapter

I you would like to look over, this is the May newsletter for The East Texas Writers Guild;

The Next Chapter.

Friday, April 26, 2013

"The Possum",, another Texan Gone...


...Who's gonna fill his shoes,,Who's gonna stand up Tall?
Who's  gonna sing the "Opery",,, and tha The Wabash Cannon Ball"?

I don't know a country (Texas) "picker" that has not worn out a pick-up load of git-tar strangs picking  George Jone's songs.

http://youtu.be/xi3GgoLtlWk



http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/04/26/george-jones-dead-country-superstar-was-81/?intcmp=features

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Wanna See What's Happening At or EAST TEXAS WRITERS GUILD

Instead of reposting my article here, right now, you can just click on link
 
 
and then Click on  the  (red)The Next Chapter April 2013 and you can read the "pdf" .  My article is on the second page.
(read the entire thing)
 
I hope to get back to writing stoies in the near future.  I haven't forgotten "all-ya'll",,, It's just been kinda crazy down this way..

Thanks, Glenn

Monday, February 11, 2013

Up Dated Pre-Post for East Texas Writers Guild Newsletter



Presidential Perspective                   Glenn B Rawlinson

I am influenced by many people from my past. Obviously our parents and kin folk were there day in and day out and they get the “lion’s share” of the credit, but I give a lot of appreciation for me staying out of prison to a long list of teachers and professors as I was getting my real education.

“The Boss” and I spent a lot of conversations regarding the raising of out three girls and I suppose I have to include them also when presenting my argument that the public school system (teachers) has saved our youngsters from those similar penal institutions. I can see that you are looking around trying to figure out how this can be connected to writing. Directly, it doesn’t. Certain basic principles apply to any endeavor whether it is writing, football and including cooking, at least for me. One of these basics, maybe not in the order of importance, is confidence. One of the members mentioned this at our last board meeting and, as a group, we decided that would be a great topic of discussion at our Nutz & Boltz meeting next week Kay Sellers has an article about the Nutz & Boltz in this issue of The Next Chapter.

I immediately thought about one of my coaches that coached me in junior high as well as high school. This was long ago in a land far away. Not really, it was right here in East Texas but it was a few spent moon cycles in the past. It was long enough back that a teacher, and especially a coach, could give you swift and just assurance of which direction you wanted to take. These nudges in the better direction were always with an element for my benefit in the formula. By knowing the guidelines and direction of the instruction, I realized that there were fewer variables that I had to worry about and I could concentrate more intently on the objective.

You fellows and ladies that read this will probably remember the term “skull session” or “chalk session”. These are meetings where you review the football or basketball play book in order that everyone would know what everyone else was supposed to do when the play started. This was the basics for building confidence so that you could perform to the highest expectation. I don’t know about everyone else but we always “got it” at least by the second time the coach went through the play. Well, maybe not every time.

The first thing that came to mind, as mentioned earlier, was an inspiration that came to our coach during the many, many times that we didn’t get it. He made this sign and it stayed in the locker room until many years after I graduated from high school. It may still be there. I am going to pre-tend that it is. It simply said:

“A VICIOUS block on the WRONG man, is much, much better than a

TIMID block on the RIGHT man”.

Thanks Coach, I needed ,or rather, I need that.

Monday, January 14, 2013

"Why?"


….Hank and Billy Ray sat on the curb gasping for that elusive breath  that would still their dizziness.  The scuffle was minor compared to the scars that could last forever.

 The only word  spoken was a mere whisper, “why?”

Thursday, January 10, 2013

The Boss,,,Netfix Lady

I had never seen the movie.  The Boss had seen the movie.  She ordered it from Netflix.  We still do the DVD routine.  The movie is 20 years old but it will always be timeless, unless, of course, we should forget.  History should be our teacher.  If you haven't seen it, I will not say, "you should see it".  Each has their own flavor but here is the trailer if you would like to see.

 
Was it all a hoax?