Dear Smiley: A quick VW Beetle story:
Rick Marshall adds to comments about "Hurricane" Barry:
"Human nature sure is fickle," says Bo Bienvenu, of Prairieville:
Dear Smiley: As an avid reader, I heartily endorse your recent contributor's wish for more people to check out e-books, audio books and print books from their local libraries.
Russ Wise, of LaPlace, comments on The Advocate's Wednesday story about the last Volkswagen Beetle to come off the assembly line in Mexico, to make room for an electric car:
Richard Fossey, of Baton Rouge, tells a tale of two veterans:
"A little anecdote from the past concerning keeping barnyard animals in one's backyard," says Duke Rivet, of Baton Rouge:
"I know you are trying to wrap up the outhouse stories," says Vickie McWaters, of Metairie, "but I have one more.
Katie Nachod, of New Orleans, says, "I was a Yankee child, born in Philadelphia, and I had a lot of linguistic difficulty after moving here at age 9.
Dear Smiley: My stepfather decided to move my mother, my 5-year-old brother and 7-year-old me from New Orleans to his hometown of Marksville to be near his folks.
Ferd Guttierrez, of Lacombe, says, "Back in the late 1970s, my son, who is physically challenged, and three of his buddies decided to play a round of golf.
Ward Landry, of Scott, an avid fisherman, won first place in a 1977 liars' contest with this story, shortened significantly:
The Louisiana oyster industry's current problems with freshwater from the Mississippi River (due to the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway) brought to mind one of my favorite oyster stories (and favorite New Orleans stories too).
I always enjoy hearing stories about "childspeak," the unique way kids express themselves. Sometimes their expressions are somewhat poetic.
Ross DeNicola says, "I have read in your column about things we no longer see — dial telephones, outhouses, etc.
Dear Smiley: Because of major World War II battles fought and won by our troops, May, June and July are months we quite appropriately celebrate our heroes.
Paula Willis, of Algiers Point, was inspired by our outhouse series to pass along this tale:
Russ Wise, of LaPlace, says when Terry Palmer told of a band called "Hell" he was reminded of this:
Claude Lafleur, of Baton Rouge, shares this "wild hog going hog wild" story:
Alex Crochet, of Abbeville, joins our outhouse discussion with what might be a "rural legend," but is still a good story:
When I learned that Holly Clegg was entering hospice, I was on my way to pick up some ingredients for a chicken dish of hers I had seen in the Thursday Advocate.
Dear Smiley: I sent my daughter, Lee Pickett Dale, to Colorado University in Boulder, and she never came back to Louisiana.
Perry Snyder is kind enough to share with me the deliberations of The Biscuit Boys, gents of a certain age who meet weekly at Baton Rouge catfish house Crawford's 2 for breakfast at the far-too-early-for-me hour of 8 a.m.
Russ Wise, of LaPlace, calls this story "a lesson in humility:"
Bill Johnson, of Baton Rouge, tells of the death of his wife, Dorothy, one month before their 76th anniversary:
Oscar Lofton, of Baton Rouge, says he and his wife, Billie Jean, visited the state of Washington for their grandson’s graduation. They went to Indulgences, a coffeehouse in West Richland, Washington, where he says "some cute signs posted there bro…
Neal Poche says, "Recent mention of camouflage reminded me of a story that involved my grandson Eli years ago.
Dear Smiley: One of a multitude of things we teach in Wildwood Elementary's pre-K is conflict resolution.
Lelia Duplessis, of Baker, tells a flood story:
P.J. Bourgeois, of Opelousas, says D-Day on June 6 reminded him of this story:
Ken Best, our unpaid fashion consultant, offers this thought:
Joe Billodeaux, of St. Gabriel, says, "Continuing with alligator stories: When I was a young boy, I had a 12-inch pet alligator I kept in a wooden trough.
Gail Stephenson, of Baton Rouge, says, "During elementary school, the music teacher came to our classroom weekly for a lesson in American folk songs, like 'Erie Canal' and 'Shoo Fly.'
Dear Smiley: Kitty and Ivy Alford, my parents-in-law, have been married more than 65 years, but their 50th anniversary was especially memorable.
Byron Davidson says, "Mike Manes' story (on misconceptions about Louisiana) in the Wednesday column reminded me of a similar one.
Anita Adams, of Baton Rouge, says, "I was working in my yard one afternoon — cutting back old growth and planting some of my new plants — when a truck filled with guys and machines stopped in front of my house.
When The Advocate was located in downtown Baton Rouge, on the banks of the Mississippi River, folks floating down the river on canoes or rafts would often stop by.
Every year on this date I mention that we started this column on June 4, 1979.
Linda King, of St. Francisville, says, "My 5-year-old granddaughter, Aubrey, keeps us on our toes with her imagination.
Dear Smiley: When I read the saying, “Everybody is brave until the roach flies,” in your column, I remembered a winter when we exchanged our house for a studio apartment in New York City.
"I have one more coffee story," says Robert Nethken, of Slidell:
Joe Fairchild, of Thibodaux, tells a couple of tales about the adventures of his grandparents:
Joseph W. Berey, of Covington, combines two of our recent subjects — banking experiences and western movies/TV shows — in one story:
Gail Stephenson, of Baton Rouge, says, "The story about the first speeding ticket reminded me of this story my grandfather loved to tell.
Keith Horcasitas, of Baton Rouge, says Memorial Day and the June 6 D-Day anniversary remind him of this story:
Dear Smiley: Some Americans have only the foggiest notion of what this country is like.
Lillian Miller, this column's unpaid Seasonal Poet, ponders the joys and sorrows of the upcoming season:
Marsha R., of Baton Rouge, titles this story, "Just like the South," and I have to agree with her:
Richard Orgeron, of Lafayette, tells this story of an educational experience:
William Torres says, "Our great-grandson Parker, 6, bought a birthday present for his brother Logan, 4, with his own money he earned doing chores.
John Gallaspy, of Bogalusa, adds to our recent mention of Tom Conklin, the 6-foot-10 center for De La Salle High and LSU basketball teams: