Author Archives: joinerscorner

My scant knowledge of criminal investigation techniques came from watching Columbo. The bumbling detective would often pose a question as he was about to walk away from a suspect. That recurring scene came to mind as I pondered over Buddy … Continue reading →

Buddy Bellflower died way too young. This story begins a few years before. Buddy rode our school bus for a short time when I was a youngster. He was eight years older than me and made a big impression on … Continue reading →

Angela Barentine warrants an early mention among those who have helped me along the way. After reading my short book, Lessons From The Ladder, she asked if I would be interested in writing a weekly column for the Cordele Dispatch.  … Continue reading →

I’ve run out of gas more than once, but the only time I clearly recall was in 1974. I had graduated from Valdosta State College and was living in a Tallahassee apartment working with Burroughs Corporation. Jane was staying with … Continue reading →

As we slowly improved the interior of my mother’s childhood home over the past two years, the outside patiently waited its turn. In late 2023, however, the neglected exterior began begging for attention. That’s why we’re putting new boards on … Continue reading →

Jane and I moved to Vienna in December of 1975 and soon joined First Baptist Church. The building’s third-floor hallway had an in-wall cabinet with a “LOST AND FOUND” sign. Only one item was displayed, a green Pyrex bowl.  That … Continue reading →

The list of things I don’t understand continues to grow. Two columns in 2019 covered this topic, so I refreshed my memory on what was mentioned. One area that continues to puzzle me is silent letters. Why waste ink and … Continue reading →

Several families who lived on the Scarborough Farm were mentioned in the original column. The aged homestead could tell countless stories if walls could only talk. There are two extraordinary bits of history I’m acquainted with. The earliest rarely comes … Continue reading →

I don’t expect to see these headline wishes fulfilled, and maybe folks are right who hope some never will. I’m just “speaking my piece” as people used to say, but trying to do so in a friendly way. Craddock Durham, … Continue reading →