Phase IV
1959-to-date 1977 - Retirement

• My retirement was forced in 1959 by some heart attacks, and this changed plans for my future, and I accepted them cheerfully.
  
  
• I get much pleasure now in retirement thinking of the co-operation I received from my associates in the army, at Reeder's and Metropolitan, and the help I was able to give younger men, and their willingness to accept and build on it.  I used this condensed guide of pertinent success factors in revealing where improvement is needed (effective for any occupation) -- a student, a ball player, a doctor or a salesman, etc.  Knowledge -- Is more knowledge needed?  Of one's self -- or his business?  Attitude -- How about his (my) attitude -- good or bad?  Skill -- Can he (I) perform skillfully?  Habits (work) -- Does he (do I) work to improve knowledge, skill, attitude?
  
  
• My outside yard and garden work and growing the herbs and roses for preparing potpourri, making native wood walking sticks, assembling. old coins, and compiling unusual questions and answers (I have over 800) -- occupies most of my working time.  These varied interests enable me to stay busy and change my days' work to conform to the weather and my desires -- important factors in retirement happiness.
  
  
• Here are some examples of my 800 questions-and-answers:
  
  Q. What four-legged animal's all four knees bend forward?
  A. The elephant -- on all others the hind knees bend backward.
  
  Q. What does "corned" in corned beef mean?
  A. Preserved with salt or brine.
  
  Q. Is the U. S. flag ever flown up-side down?  Or below another flag?
  A. Yes, a distress signal at sea.  (2) Yes, at church services at sea.
  
  Q. We know the removal of the appendix is called an appendectomy, the removal of the tonsils a tonsillectomy.  What's a removal from the head called?
  A. Some call it a "hair cut."
  
  Q. How do dogs perspire?  (2) Cows?
  A. Dogs perspire through their tongue.  (2) Cows through or on the nose.
  
  
• Thinking of picturesque expressions and words peculiar to the hill country of East Tenn. (largely inhabited by Anglo-Saxon descendants) heard in my early years in Sevier County:
  

  Set a SPELL	(stay a while)
  I AUTO go to the store today	(should)
  Here you NUSS the baby	(hold or feed)
  Pick a MESS of greens	(enough for a meal)
  Bring some ROSNEARS	(fresh corn - roasting ears)
  He has RIGHT SMART stock	(many)
  Tough as WHITLEATHER	(harness leather)
  This water isn't FITTEN to drink	(no good)
  He owns NARY a thing	(nothing)
  All TUCKERED out	(exhausted)
  As PERT as a cricket	(chipper)
  I AST where he lived	(asked)
  Charlie is feeling TOLERABLE today	(fairly well)
  That weed is PIZEN	(poison)
  Don't touch the hot ARN	(iron)

  
  
• And these colloquial words:
  

  JINE	(join)
  GIT	(get)
  YANDER	(yonder)
  SKEER	(frighten)
  POKE	(small bag)
  FETCH	(bring)
  ATER	(after)
  LEARN	(teach)
  FAR	(fire)
  RECKON	(believe)
  HERN	(her's)
  HISN	(his)
  KIVER	(bed cover)
  MATER	(tomato)
  TATER	(potato)
  SHORE	(sure)
  FRASH	(fresh)

  
  
• Remembering when:
  Only two small hotels in Gatlinburg, Mt. View (Andy Huff's) and Riverside (Steve Whaley's).
  No motels - now many dozen.
  Fire department equipment pulled by horses - a barking dog on top.
  Riding logging train to Townsend and Elkmont.  No other way available.
  Pharmacists compounded all prescriptions.
  5c and 10c stores sold nothing higher, later increased to $1.00.
  Regas Restaurant located on S. Gay Street between Wall and Commerce [Knoxville].
  Road to Maryville two-lane dusty macadam.
  No Alcoa road - no Alcoa either.
  No airport.
  Oak Ridge not dreamed of.
  Many rafts (of logs) floating down the French Broad and Tennessee Rivers to D. M. Rose Lumber Company.
  U of T playing football and baseball on Waite Field corner Cumberland and Fifteenth Streets.  Wooden stands for a few hundred - now 82,000.
  Great Smoky Mountains National Park merely a dream - a vision - of Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Davis, later supplemented by Col. David Chapman's energetic interests.  Many people gave valuable assistance.  Details given in "The Birth of a National Park" by my brother, Carlos.
  First Baptist Church in 600 block Gay Street [Knoxville].
  Knoxville News published 100 block S. Gay, later combined with Knoxville Sentinel, Gay and Church, to form present Knoxville News-Sentinel.
  Norris Dam 1936 only a dream of Senator George D. T. Norris.  The first of T. V. A.'s many dams, about 50.
  Band concerts from specially built marble stand in Chilhowee Park by Crouch's Band, Sunday afternoons.
  Easter egg hunt - Chilhowee Park.  Prize for gold egg.
  Gay Street paved with rough brick - electric trolley line in middle of street - later street car tracks were installed, then buses.
  Southern and L & N Railway passenger stations waiting rooms always crowded until passenger trains stopped in Knoxville - L & N on 3/7/1968 and Southern in August, 1970.
  Market House, long two-story brick building center entire block between Wall and Union Avenues, on Market Street.  North end built 1888 (2nd floor used as city offices).  South end completed 1897.  First floor filled with vegetable, fish, and meat stalls.  Farmer's produce wagons parked perpendicular to curb on either side of the Market House. Retail on east side - wholesale on west side.  Merchants came about 4:30 A.M. for fresh farm produce.  Truly a landmark.  Demolished to make way for Market Square Mall 1960.
  
  
• Yes, and thinking also of these simple, yet majestic, scenes.  When young and living in their midst, never thought of them being "majestic."
  Woodland covered with snow, with snow birds flitting among the trees.
  Wooden fence rails enclosing a pasture filled with cattle grazing.
  Blue wood smoke lazily curling from a farm home chimney, with children and dogs playing in the yard.
  The distinctive fragrance as one passes a field of new mown hay or clover, conjures aha's and oha's.  This delight can't be captured by pictures.
  A prized water pitcher in a decorated pottery wash bowl on a wash stand in the bedroom, porch or in the kitchen.  A necessity.
  
  
• [In another section] Central High School was mentioned - well for several years former Centralite friends and I have belonged to the same church - First Presbyterian, Knoxville, and in the same James Park Sunday School Class.   In 1975 we were joined by another classmate, making 5 former high school friends still together - rather unusual, I think.
  
  
• To exercise your thinking mull over this:  Much progress is continually made in earth science (earthquakes), oceanography, electronics, computers and outer space.  U. S. has landed men on the moon (viewed on television).  Viking 1 and 2 landed on Mars (sending back good pictures), traveling 57,000 miles per hour, and taking 11 months to go the 220 million miles.  But think how insignificant compared to this:  A light year is 6 trillion miles (the distance light travels in one year at 186,282 miles per second).  The closest star (Alpha Centauri) to earth is 4.3 light years away and 98 light years from Canopus.  The North Star and the nearest galaxy (Andromeda) are much, much farther away, hundreds of light years., etc.  Difficult to visualize?  Yes!  What awaits us in the future?
  
  
• Rudyard Kipling said, "If you don't get what you want it is a sign either you did not seriously want it, or that you tried to bargain over the price."  Oliver Goldsmith said, "You can preach a better sermon with your life than you can with your lips."  Note: For every day living I'd say these two precepts are good to emulate.
  
  
• During my father's life-time (my mother died in 1910), my brother and three sisters and spouses met the first Friday each month for dinner to be with him.  He died in 1957, but we still meet at the same place and time for an enjoyable family gathering - as we have now (1977) for some 30 years.  In retirement Nell Mae and I look forward to these monthly meetings and they enhance our family's fellowship.
  
  
• All the preceding are simple facts, now an opinion or two and some unanswered questions.  Nature hasn't changed - just people.  Chickens still cackle, doves coo, cattle graze headed in the same direction, etc.  We have the same sun, moon, the seasons, etc., now as when I was eagerly waiting fox that square, ribbed stick of candy at Christmas.  But with some, it seems to me, morality, sense of values, and faith in God have changed.  Why???  Simply and logically who or what, but an Omnipotent God could make a small acorn to grow into a mighty oak, or put together a tiny seed that would develop into a plant producing many luscious tomatoes?  Yes, and what could hold, or keep, a planet - like the earth - or a satellite like the moon - revolving in their orbits - in space?  We have a choice.
  
  
• Since last printing we have sold our home (1974) and moved into an apartment.  I miss the garden, roses, herbs, etc.  My health prevented me doing the garden and yard work.  However have been fortunate having friends to share their garden and garden plots, and I am thankful.
  
  
• My eye-sight has gradually improved since the detached retina operation in 1965.  For this I am thankful, along with my good recovery from the heart attacks, and many, many blessings all through life.  And, yes, I enjoy and am thankful for cherished friends.