The Mail Box - January, 1990

Issue: January, 1990

Hello to you all,
Enclosed you will find a check for two years [renewal]. I don't want to miss any.

This summer I wore the mail box out looking for The Mountain Laurel. I sure hope things are going well for you all at this time. You all are doing a good job or I just enjoy reading The Mountain Laurel more as I get older. We seem to know the better things and its real meaning. Keep on printing so I can keep on reading.

Merry Christmas to everyone and a good 1990.

Love you all,
L. Hooker
Williamsburg, Virginia

P.S. I sure hope to get to Wytheville some time. We come I-81 and pickup I-77 to Mount Airy [North Carolina] and that is close to you all.

Dear Readers,
The place where I-81 and I-77 come together is at Fort Chiswell, a mere eight miles from Wytheville.

We would like to thank all of our readers for the holiday greetings and cards. We put all of the cards up in our office. The most unique one we received this Christmas was handmade and from one of the people who contribute stories to The Mountain Laurel. The card we received from Virginia Kroll had a photograph of her 18 month old child on the front of it. The baby was holding a drum, waving drum sticks and smiling brightly. On the inside of the card, in the lettering of another of her children, Hannah, was, "I played my drum for Him!!!"

We sincerely appreciate the warm wishes and feeling of closeness with our "family of readers."

Susan Thigpen, Editor

Dear Mountain Laurel,
I am sending you my year's subscription to The Mountain Laurel.

I missed your good little paper, there for a while, but I'm so glad everything's back to normal and I'm receiving it again.

I just love that little paper. It has so many nice, funny and interesting items in it. I can hardly wait each month to receive it.

Keep up the good work, and be sure and let me know when my subscription runs out, so I can renew it.

Thank you again, for so much enjoyment in reading your paper.

Mrs. F. Scarcella
Bridgeport, West Virginia

Dear Susan
Patrick County will be celebrating its Bicentennial in June of 1991. We are collecting information from all communities and looking for old photographs to copy, old letters and things. We would appreciate any help. If anybody has anything of this nature to share, please contact me.

Bobbie Clement
Route 1, Box 101
Ararat, Virginia 24053

Dear Editor,
Two years ago my son was a guest in the home of a friend, here in Jonesboro, Arkansas and he saw a copy of The Mountain Laurel. He sent for it at once for a gift for me, his ninety-four year old mother, who was born in Carroll County, Virginia and spent her girlhood years in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I have adored every copy! And now it is time to renew, for I don't want to miss a copy.

You have mentioned many people and places I've known. The last issue gave the history of Geo. L. Carter, and his connection with so many places I have visited and mentioned names so familiar to me.

Another issue in this year, mentioned the Tidline family. The family Sam worked for were friends of mine, also I knew Aunt Matt Tidline, his mother who worked for other friends living in Galax.

Then when you moved to Wytheville, and gave us a tour of it, I knew every street you mentioned. I went there to visit each summer - it was quite a summer resort - people came from eastern Virginia and other warm summer climates to enjoy the cool Blue Ridge mountain atmosphere.

As a little girl, living on a farm in Carroll County, it was very different and lots of fun, for the summer boarders, as we called them, always "dressed for dinner," so we did the same. We put on our Sunday best and went down to the post office or drug store or "out walking" just like the visitors did. It was one of those occasions that I attended my first colored movie.

Then later, when I was a teenager, I was in Wytheville and attended a part of the Allen trial.

In my imagination, I can see the Blue Ridge Mountains which you can see from Wytheville, looking toward Ivanhoe, where we drove many mornings to catch the little train which took us on the way home, by way of Fries, a cotton mill town. I loved every mile and still remember so clearly the beautiful blue mountains and misty pink mountain laurel growing by the road side.

E. Burns
Jonesboro, Arkansas

Dear Mrs. Burns,
Yours was one of the most beautiful letters we have received in a long time. I know the very mountains you mentioned in your letter. I am looking out at them now and they are covered in snow.

Susan Thigpen, Editor

Dear Mountain Laurel,

Enclosed is check to pay for another year, for I don't want to miss getting your wonderful paper. I think it is the "greatest".

It reminds me so much of my dear old dad telling me about how he grew up, over in Patrick and Franklin County [Virginia]. He has been gone now for several years. I am 78 years old now, and enjoy the old timey write ups you put in the paper. I have a bad heart now and not able to do much, but sit around and piece quilts and do quilting and crocheting. I also make a lot of baby gowns with crocheted edge around neck, sleeves and a little opening in front. I give these at shower parties and sell a lot to people for gifts. They are the little long ones like my babies wore when I had them. I have seven children, four girls and three boys. Also 19 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren and expecting another one any time now. All living and doing good. So I thank the Lord every day for his blessings on us all.

Please keep up the good work. Thanks a lot.

M.J. Viers
Hiwassee, Virginia