Author Archives: joinerscorner

The late Don Joiner was a first cousin of mine.  He was 14 years older than me and was a gifted musician.  He played the piano and organ as a teenager at Harmony Baptist Church, the place where our family … Continue reading →

I’m not sure why distant memories surface unexpectedly.  I’m just glad they’re mostly pleasant.  I thought about Mrs. Balanis today, a sweet Greek lady I met in Valdosta during the 1970s.  I spent four years in South Georgia at Valdosta … Continue reading →

I retired from banking at the end of 2015.  Part of my retirement strategy was to find three free meals a week.  My Three for Free Program has not worked very well during the winter months, but summer is much … Continue reading →

By the spring of 1964 I was already a seasoned veteran of the Unadilla Chapter of the Dooly County 4-H Club.  I had completed some noteworthy projects, such as my entomology collection.  It filled two King Edward Cigar boxes and … Continue reading →

I don’t believe we spend enough time on porches.  During childhood porches ranked high on my list of favored places, four of them in particular.  My memories have perhaps grown more pleasant than the moments.  Tea is always sweeter the … Continue reading →

Mrs. Betty Maples left Albany in 1966.  She had a station wagon full of children but not much else.  Tommy, her oldest, was 15.  Her youngest, Michael, had just turned two.  Rudy, Marcia, Ann, and Kirby were scattered between the … Continue reading →

The cost of salvation has been on my mind for a while now, and I’m having mixed emotions.  I’m not referring to the price that Jesus paid with his shed blood.  I’m talking about the dollars that are spent collectively … Continue reading →

One of our grandchildren, Megan, had a school assignment in April to make a toy from items that could be found around the house. She made a little truck that was pulled by a string. It reminded me of such … Continue reading →

I never dreamed I’d be able to lift 300 pounds, and certainly not of attaining such a feat as I’m approaching middle age.  On a family vacation to Tennessee many years ago, my father told me about some mountain curves … Continue reading →

Ned Baynham is a member by marriage of my wife’s family.  He lives in North Augusta, South Carolina with his wife Kay.  Ned is a big affable man with a delightfully subtle sense of humor.  We were somewhere together years … Continue reading →