Two Stoplight Hometowns

My hometown – where I was born, where I was raised, where I keep all my yesterdays. ~Unknown Author

It’s been a busy birthday month for me. I had this fun Caption Game going here on my blog posts, and thank you all so much for playing and making it so much fun. You did come up with some great captions for the pictures. We’ll do it again in a few months. Might have to figure out something else fun to do next month. This may have been my best Caption Game yet. I’ll post the four winners at the bottom of my post. I’ve already contacted them and they’ve responded.

But I also sent out a newsletter this month with information about Murder at the Courthouse being on special e-book sale for less that two bucks. That sale may end today, so if you go to check it out, be sure to note the price so you’ll know what you are paying. The e-book versions of the Hidden Springs mysteries are usually nicely priced anyway, but it might be more than $2.00.

Anyway, I’m having a giveaway chance in my newsletter too. I’m giving away books and gift cards to buy more books. If you didn’t get one of the newsletter, just let me know and I’ll send one out to you. Sometimes those newsletter get caught in your spam mailboxes. I’ve been busy answering the many entries I’ve gotten. I asked readers to share about their hometowns if they wanted to and they did. I loved learning about where they lived and the stories they shared about their hometowns. So I’m sharing a few of their messages forward.

This first one is from Pat who lives over in the next county from me. It’s always fun to hear from Kentucky readers. So tell us about your hometown memories, Pat.

My hometown of Harrodsburg, or the little village of Mayo, provided me with many happy memories. There were the times on Saturday night when we watched the new gadget, the T.V with lots of neighbors. There was one lady who particularly liked the fights and she hollered out at the excitement too. Then there were the Rook games being played at one table and checkers at another. There were also men’s haircuts in one corner where a neighbor completed them for 25 cents, some bargain. Occasionally my grandfather would have in gospel quartets from Renfrow Valley . I loved the harmony and message behind those songs. Those were the days.

Those do sound like good times, Pat. Now Erin shares one of the neat things about small town life.

Most of my growing up years were in a small town on the outskirts of Cincinnati. Both of my parents also grew up there and we attended the same church as both sets of grandparents. I attended the same schools that they did and even had a couple of the same school teachers as my mom (and my 13 year old niece has a teacher or two that I had in Jr. high 25 years ago). Several of my classmates’ parents were classmates of my parents. That’s a thing with small towns – no one ever seems to leave!

I guess why leave when you feel at home where you are? Next up is Susan who had some of the same small town experiences as Erin about how things stay the same. She also shares a funny story about how people can confuse similar town names. Here’s what Susan shared.

I live in the small town I was born in.  I have taught 3rd grade for 37 years in the same elementary school I attended.  (new building now)  My almost 96 year old father attended the same school from 1st-11th grade.  (no 12th grade then)  He walked to school and in the winter, took 2 hot sweet potatoes in his pockets (no gloves) to eat at lunch.  He grew up on a farm as most people did in NC then.  Our hometown is Henderson on the NC/VA border, but many people mistake it for Hendersonville, which is on the opposite end of the state near TN.  My late husband was a lieutenant on the police department and told many stories of truck drivers thinking they were in Hendersonville but couldn’t find such and such.  He always said, “It’s up the road about 5 hours up the road.”

I love the part about her father taking 2 hot sweet potatoes in his pocket while he walked to school to keep his hands warm. I need to use something like that in a story someday.

I asked about hometowns because I used my little town’s Main Street as the model for the setting in my Hidden Springs mysteries and also in my Hollyhill books. A two stoplight town. Up top is a picture of our Main Street with a more modern double light than I used in my fictional towns, but they did have two stoplights and the courthouse as a focal point in the towns.  I did move some stores around and maybe opened up a few new ones in my fictional world, but the setting rings a small town setting bell.  I sometimes tell people that my genre is Small Town Stories.

So last we have a post with Becky’s wish that she did live in a small town like Hidden Springs.  So here’s Becky.

My hometown is nothing like Hidden Springs, but I wish it were.  I always wanted to live in a small town.  Instead, I grew up in a downtown neighborhood.  It was a good place, though, because I had grandparents and two aunts that lived within a 2 block area from me.  As baby boomers, my two neighborhood friends and I could wander back and forth to our homes, and my relatives, with no harm ever coming to us.  In fact, my friends called my grandmother, “granny” just like I did–and she answered back.

Becky, you might not have lived in a small town, but you definitely had a small town feel to the neighborhood where you did grow up. Wasn’t it wonderful when everybody watched out for kids all around town and kids played with everybody on their street or the streets over?

I loved all the stories people shared with me and may share more of them in the days and weeks ahead.

And Now for the Winners of the Caption Game

I picked four winners by giving each comment a number. Then I put the numbers in the random.org spinning wheel and out popped four winning numbers. The name next to those numbers were my winners. We have Hope from Pennsylvania who chose my book, An Appalachian Summer. Melanie from TX and Lee from NC both also picked  An Appalachian Summer.  Last was Paula from Missouri who chose my book Small Town Girl. 

Again, thank you so much for joining in with my giveaway fun. Maybe you’ll be a winner next time I have a giveaway on my blog or in my newsletter.

Do you like to read stories set in small towns?