Mike Martin

Happy happy birthday, James, and God bless you and your family this coming year.

Posted on: Apr 24, 2018 at 7:19 AM

Happy birthday! Bring out the Mallo-Cups!

01.20.2018 I just read that Barbara Jean Holt passed away in 2012. She was 67 years old. Many years ago, I would drop in on Frieda's aunt, Sandel Battle Beamguard, at a rest home in Cheraw, SC. Miss Sandel was approaching 100 years of age and occasionally I would relay the sad news to her that a neighbor, fellow church member or friend from her hometown of Clover, SC, had passed away. Miss Sandel would ask: "How old was she?" I might respond that the person had been 89 or 92 or whatever, and Miss Sandel would shake her head and say: "Oh how young, how young." When I read about Barbara I found myself thinking: "She was 67. How young, how young."

Happy belated birthday, couz...

Posted on: Oct 11, 2017 at 4:33 AM

Posted on: Oct 06, 2017 at 8:18 AM

Posted on: Oct 06, 2017 at 8:17 AM

So... the debate continues: Why are we South Carolinians called "Sandlappers"? Are all South Carolinians Sandlappers or just we from the eastern, mid, western, top or bottom portion of the state? http://www.sciway.net/hist/sandlapper.html offers their explanations of the origin of the label but I've always heard it comes from, and I quote: "Dirt eaters," also called "clay eaters," "sandlappers," and other names, are individuals who regularly eat soil as part of their diet. It has been generally accepted that the practice of soil eating (technically known as "geophagy") was brought to America through the slave trade with Africa and the West Indies. Dirt Eaters | NCpedia
www.ncpedia.org/dirt-eaters". This practice was more common in Mississippi but NCpedia alslo states: "Dirt eating was also observed among Indians in the region. In general, however, the phrase "dirt eater" in North Carolina referred to poor whites who engaged in the practice." NCpedia says that people continue to engage in geophagy in parts of North Carolina and the South and are most commonly poor women and children.

Posted on: Aug 29, 2017 at 9:43 AM

I just finished reading 'Gastonia 1929', written by John A. Salmond and published in 1995 by The University of North Carolina Press. It is the story of the Loray Mill strike of 1929. I found it to be a very interesting read. Many names and places jumped out at me – people I knew or knew of, places I’d lived or passed by. The book painted a pretty ugly picture of Gastonia, including politicians, the clergy, the police force, businesses, and the people. If you’ve read this book I’d like to hear your thoughts about it.

Posted on: Feb 15, 2017 at 3:00 PM

Posted on: Feb 14, 2017 at 8:16 AM

Anyone know Johnny Weathers? Is he okay?

Posted on: Feb 14, 2017 at 8:08 AM