George Smith: 'Miss Jeanne' still walks aisles of Bluebird
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CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — A Friday's list ... of beans 'n' greens 'n' other things ... from up here and in-between:
THAT I got to Circleville a bit late for the 102nd (Great) Pumpkin was by design.
A pre-show story estimated 400,000 would visit here during the show's four-day run, and a good guess was my presence would not be needed or noted.
Besides, I hate crowds.
And there was nothing much new to report, in that this year's winner for the Greatest Pumpkin of '08 was the same as last year's, a Dr. Robert Liggett.
But he was a bit shy of last year's Great Pumpkin of 1,524.5 pounds. His winner this year was a mere 1,375.5 pounds.
That's still a lot of custard.
I also think a lot of custard is the claim that 400,000 come here for the show. There are only two highways feeding this town. It is a lovely town, but I think a local CofC is getting a bit carried away.
When I mentioned that to my Aunt Verna O'Hara, who lives here, you'd have thought I had burned the Holy Bible. I may not be welcome here in the future.
FROM BACK down the road in Bell Buckle, Tenn., a couple of leftovers, including one that claims Jeanne Haynes still walks the aisles of the Bluebird Antiques and Ice Cream Parlor, which she once operated as a general store.
"It's true," says Albert Phillips, who presides over the soda fountain. "There are times that cash register there opens for no reason at all. Then there was the lady who came up here one day from the back of the store asking about a woman in a print dress.
"She said she'd seen her standing in the aisle and then she was gone.
"It was Miss Jeanne," vows Albert. "She still walks these aisles."
Me, I'm sort of inclined to believe Albert, 'cause we have my grandmother's buffet in the living room and every now and then ...
Oh well, you unbelievers ...
Also, this is the kind of town that names its alleys. The reason I know that is an alley behind the Bluebird has a sign reading "Anne-White Scruggs Potter's Alley."
Oh, one other thing.
Bell Buckle is the sort of place where, if you want to, you just wander down the middle of the main street and cars go around you, not you around the cars.
IF YOU keep up with such things, you know that Ohio State was in East Lansing, Mich., this past Saturday and just waxed Michigan State, 45-7.
It was a real old-fashioned whipping, and you had to love the headline on the sports page of the Columbus, Ohio, Dispatch.
EASY LANCING
Get it?
C'mon ... Easy (East) Lancing (Lansing).
BIRTHDAYS: Oct. 16 — Sue Chandler; Oct. 17 — Frances Surrett; Oct. 18 — Jessie Burton, Mary Daviston, Jessica McGaffey and Rhonda McKenzie Burnes; Oct. 20 — Wynell Timmons; Oct. 22 — Gwen Amerson and Judy Parker; Oct. 25 — Shirley Howie; Oct. 23 — Bernice Ballard.
