tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55974072024-03-05T13:33:27.393-05:00Mountain MusingsMusings about Southern relatives and friends and backgound of writer.Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.comBlogger767125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-57509434568150937332017-10-21T15:39:00.001-05:002017-10-21T15:40:31.633-05:00Mrs. Olivene B. Godfrey age 89 of Chatsworth, passed away Saturday, October 21, 2017 at her residence.
Mrs. Godfrey was very active in her church and with local community affairs for many years. She was a member of Chatsworth First United Methodist Church, where she had served as the kindergarten Sunday school teacher, director of the churches children choir, and other church involvement. She was a charter member of the Pilot Club of Chatsworth, and charter member and first woman to serve on Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-35704431519577233382017-09-12T16:18:00.002-05:002017-09-12T16:18:37.632-05:00GRATEFULSeptember 12, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
I haven't felt well for a couple of weeks. I have some thoughts I want to share tonight (Monday). I will be 90 years old in December, Lord willing. I think my greatest achievement has been lovingly rearing my only child, son, Barry. He has become a good, responsible man who takes good care of me through good and bad times. He Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-3322338581186536292017-09-05T16:28:00.000-05:002017-09-05T16:28:00.206-05:00INSPIRATIONAL WRITERSeptember 5, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
I've loved books, especially novels, since I was 11 or 12 years old. My large office has floor to ceiling bookcases filled with books which I have read.
I was thinking today of the many bookcases that were in my late parents home when I grew up. I remember reading my first adult novel. The American novelist and newspaper columnist (July 16Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-11739573156849711342017-08-30T16:37:00.002-05:002017-08-30T16:37:51.781-05:00PUBLICITY FOR NOVELAugust 30, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
My final novel, The Bend in the Road, was recently published and friends who have read it have told me it is a good book. But, even the best novels need publicity. I can't afford expensive advertising and I am hoping the local newspaper, The Daily Citizen, will print an article on it being published. I worked for The Daily Citizen for 10 Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-12236144244093465362017-08-25T17:15:00.002-05:002017-08-25T17:15:58.326-05:00MANY THANKSAugust 25, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
I want to thank my blog and Facebook friends for buying my final novel, The Bend in the Road. Your comments always warm my heart.
While I wrote the novel, it had been a long time since I'd read it. Yesterday afternoon I didn't have anything in particular to do so Tam suggested I read the novel. While I was reading the book, I kept thinking, Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-31827920077961258002017-08-21T16:25:00.002-05:002017-08-21T16:25:13.387-05:00FINAL NOVEL RELEASEDAugust 21, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
My final book, "The Bend in the Road", has been published through Amazon. The book can be purchased through Amazon on a Kindle or paperback. I received my copy in paperback and am very pleased and impressed at how well it turned out.
I pray that the novel will be a success as I will soon be 90 and my lifetime goal will be a reality. Also, it Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-49473695994834544142017-08-10T16:15:00.002-05:002017-08-10T16:17:46.701-05:00NEW NOVEL AVAILABLEAugust 10, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
The following is the first chapter of my adult, contemporary mainstream novel, "The Bend in the Road", which has been self published through Amazon. The novel is available as a paperback, also through Amazon. I hope you will buy it and enjoy reading it.
April 1983
Divorce?
Ray Davis shook his head, trying to free himself from the feeling that he Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-14620375429604736002017-08-07T16:17:00.002-05:002017-08-07T16:17:53.795-05:00DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHTAugust 7, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
I have suffered for several days with my recurring IBS attacks and arthritis. I follow a strict diet my doctor gave me several years ago but nothing seems to help. I almost gave up and prayed to just die. But, I thought of several things I still want to accomplish. I remembered the famous poem by Dylan Thomas. The first verse goes,Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-59301326794569838902017-07-31T16:23:00.002-05:002017-07-31T16:23:42.182-05:00SPIN THE BOTTLEJuly 31, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
While thinking about what I would write about in this blog, I recalled that I've been writing this blog since 2003 and had previously written a daily newspaper column for 10 years. So, I'm quite sure that I've repeated myself over the years. I hope my long term readers will understand.
Barry told me this week, he is going to give me a party on my Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-51480993427648360352017-07-27T16:24:00.002-05:002017-07-27T16:24:39.802-05:00MY WAYJuly 27, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
Now at the age of 89, I find myself often thinking of my past life. This week, I remembered the song, "My Way", written by Paul Anka for Frank Sinatra who recorded it in the 1960's. Later, Elvis Presley recorded a slightly different version of the song which he included in his Vegas act.
The words of the song describe my personal emotions of my life. Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-53807953998219564322017-07-24T16:25:00.002-05:002017-07-24T16:38:00.539-05:00WRITING IS MY PASSIONJuly 24, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
Barry printed a list this weekend of my most popular blogs of the past six months. This list is further proof to me that I have no talent predicting any of my writing's popularity. Topping the list is Sand Mountain which has interesting history and was posted September 10, 2013. It has been on the list since it was first posted. Another Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-75397094372983529572017-07-17T16:17:00.001-05:002017-07-17T16:17:28.782-05:00FIRST DAY OF SCHOOLJuly 17, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
I was five years old when I started to school. A few years earlier my family had moved to a fairly new community (East Ridge) on the outskirts of Chattanooga where we had lived since I was one year old. My twin sisters who we referred to as "the babies" didn't have a babysitter at that time. So, a neighbor's daughter who would be entering the Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-91547886413789767002017-07-10T16:25:00.002-05:002017-07-10T16:25:54.590-05:00CAPTIVATING ELVISJuly 10, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
Now that I'm a frail 89, it tires me to write. I've always been a compulsive writer and I guess I'll dictate a blog to Tam on my death bed. I don't feel too good today (Sunday), but I have writing a blog on my mind and won't be able to relax until it's written. I've been writing a blog since 2003, so I've probably written on this subject.  Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-43869680820525080912017-07-05T16:20:00.002-05:002017-07-05T16:20:29.400-05:00RADIO IN THE 1930'sJuly 5, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
For the radio, the 1930's was a golden age. At the start of the decade twelve million American households owned a radio. By 1939 this total had exploded to more than twenty-eight million, according to research I've done. I had the privilege of growing up during this period.
As technology improved radio's became smaller and less expensive. Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-39909298161091212242017-06-29T18:26:00.002-05:002017-06-29T18:26:42.589-05:00FINAL NOVELJune 29, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
My final novel will be published soon by Amazon. I may have mentioned before that it is set and originally written in the 1980's against the backdrop of the multimillion dollar carpet industry in North Georgia and a cattle farm. The theme is divorce and how it affects the entire family.
Barry has said he remembers when I worked for the newspaper, wasOlivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-5446080443049425662017-06-23T15:19:00.002-05:002017-06-23T15:19:50.144-05:00NUMBER 744 & STILL WRITINGJune 23, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
The reason I'm late in writing my blog is that I have been suffering from a bout with IBS and other old age ailments. It's not easy being old.
Does anyone remember S&H Green Stamps? They were popular from the 1930's until the late 1980's. They were distributed as part of a loyalty rewards program operated by the Sperry & Hutchinson Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-36243058376305835862017-06-12T16:20:00.002-05:002017-06-12T16:20:17.681-05:00RECENT VISITORJune 12, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
I had a delightful and inspiring visitor recently. She is Rev. Tamlyn Collins, pastor of Chatsworth (GA) First United Methodist Church. For a number of years I was an active member of this church. I taught the Kindergarten Sunday school class and enjoyed it very much. Rev. Collins was interested in my ties to the Methodist Church. Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-76251436296532481852017-06-05T16:13:00.002-05:002017-06-05T16:14:15.085-05:00OLD MEMORIESJune 5, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
The nurses that come to see me twice a week always ask me to evaluate my almost constant pain on a scale of one to ten. Today (Sunday), it has been a ten all day. I had planned to write this blog so I'm going to try. Barry says my COPD is worse which makes me feel bad almost constantly.
I still have many stories of the past to share if I can Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-21345546324711795042017-05-30T16:56:00.001-05:002017-05-30T16:56:46.778-05:00BROTHERMay 30, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
A few days ago, Tommy Deals, Hamilton Health Chaplain, visited me. I enjoy his visits and he says he likes to hear my little stories of the "old days" when I was young. I was talking to Tam later and she said she enjoys the stories, too. She suggested I write a blog about my first cousin, which I and other in our family called, "brother" who wasOlivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-59092700799221689392017-05-22T17:24:00.002-05:002017-05-22T17:24:06.848-05:00EIGHTEEN & FEARLESSMay 22, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
A few days ago, I told Tam about an "adventure" I had when I was 18 and "fearless". She suggested I write a blog about it. Since I wrote a daily column for Dalton's Daily Citizen editorial page for 10 years and have been blogging for several years, I've probably written about it. But, I'll write a short version today for those who hadn't read itOlivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-45837195892824574812017-05-19T17:49:00.002-05:002017-05-19T17:49:58.363-05:00MORE MEMORIESMay 19, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
I was thinking this week what it would have been like if my late husband, Ralph, hadn't bought a used Oldsmobile 88 with an automatic transmission in 1953. No matter how I tried, I couldn't drive a car with a straight shift.
I loved that car. It gave me freedom. I recently wrote a blog about our little doll house in a rural area. Before Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-61594423105483143742017-05-15T16:14:00.003-05:002017-05-15T16:14:35.253-05:00THOSE WERE THE DAYSMay 15, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
I've written previously about how hard my late husband, Ralph, worked in our yard when we moved here to achieve his dream on how he thought it should look. This week Barry said he believed that Ralph's dream had finally come true. Our yard is beautiful.
It's true that just a whiff of memory can send your thoughts back to another time and place.  Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-65583604573599241982017-05-08T16:05:00.003-05:002017-05-08T16:05:15.529-05:00PRECIOUS FRIENDSMay 8, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
I had planned to write a short blog on Sunday afternoon. Here it is Sunday, so I'm going to give it a try even though I'm feeling pretty tired.
Last Friday, Tam's daughter, Carrie, a beautiful hairdresser, came to our house and gave me a pretty, and much needed haircut. Barry posted a picture of me that night which got a lot of response. Thank Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-13199629462597101372017-05-02T16:26:00.001-05:002017-05-02T16:26:44.302-05:00OLD TIME STORIESMay 2, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
Barry and I have had a quiet weekend at home. I haven't felt the best but hope tomorrow will be better.
My late husband, Ralph, was one of the best men I've ever known. He wasn't perfect. For instance, he was quite a cusser. When he knew he was dying, he would often cry and say he was worried about "Little Barry." I assured him Barry Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597407.post-31477950801902627932017-04-26T16:08:00.002-05:002017-04-26T18:46:01.467-05:001947 WAS A VERY GOOD YEARApril 26, 2017
By Olivene Godfrey
If my late husband, Ralph, was still alive we would be celebrating our 70th wedding anniversary May 1st. My thoughts this week have lingered on that time.
The year was 1946 when Ralph and I met. The Big War (World War II) was over and the veterans were returning in droves to the delight of we single girls.
Let me give you a bit of background. Olivenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06012498143244387423noreply@blogger.com0