Peeping through my Venetian blind, Miss Cora Covington said, “Here she comes.”

I had invited the Covington girls, Cora, Dora, and Flora, over for tea; and we were waiting for Miss Flora, who arrived about then with an armload of flowers – oakleaf hydrangea, cultivated hydrangea, roses, daylilies, magnolias, coreopsis, verbena, primroses, gardenias, honeysuckle.

I picked out a white rose to wear tomorrow, Sunday, Mothers’ Day.

I believe in that old tradition of wearing a white rose if one’s mother has passed away – a red rose if she’s still living.

Last Sunday at First Baptist senior adults were honored, especially Janette Carroll as outstanding senior lady and Benny Barrow as outstanding senior gentleman.

At First Baptist April 29, for the offertory, Stephen Caton, a guest from First Presbyterian Church, played “The Lord’s Prayer” on the piano, with Endsley Givhan Bolen on the flute. Stephen, valedictorian and president of his Senior Class of 20l2 at the Andalusia High School, is a student of Mrs. John Givhan, nee Martha James, organist at First Baptist and local piano teacher. Mrs. Bolen is the daughter of Mrs. Givhan.

Seen at the Piggly-Wiggly “deli” for lunch were James Bristow, Don Cotton, and Joyce Leddon.

Seen at David’s for Claudette Colvin’s birthday supper were Betty Trawick, Mary King, Mary Bonham, and Gladys Trawick.

Seen at Tabby D.’s last Friday for the seafood buffet were Rita Young, Willie and Emma Locke, Alvin and Sharon Cobb (out for her birthday), Willie and Thelma Thomas, David and Audrey Little, Esker and Ann Thomasson, and Wayne and Lenora Johnson with their grandson, Campbell.

Senior adults at First Baptist motored to Pat’s Secret Garden in Ozark April l2 to view the beautiful flowers spread over a ten-acre garden, which included a prayer area, surrounded with scripture verses on the walls and elsewhere. Hostess and guide was none other than “Miss Pat” herself, assisted by a helper named Debbie, who treated the Baptists graciously.

At the end of the tour each guest was given a potted plant from Pat’s nursery.

Heading home, the senior adults stopped in Enterprise at Ryan’s Restaurant to enjoy good food and more fellowship.

Traveling to Ozark were Herb and Sue Carlisle, Morgan and Wilma Moore, Gordon and Trudy Vickers, Betty Bass, Vivian Hickey, Jackie McDanal, Allene Ezzell, Myrtle Ruth Williams, Bill Law, Neal and Jennifer Dansby (Neal drove the bus), June Smith, Helen Johnson, and Carolyn Feagin.

Four from Andalusia, Curtis and Margie Thomasson, Robert Lee Holley, and Joe Wingard, drove up to Auburn Saturday, May 5, for the wedding of Will Holley and Sarah Ellis in Kiesel Park. Will is the older of the two sons of John and Sheila Holley of Moulton. John is Robert Lee’s younger brother. Curtis is a first cousin to Robert and John.

Guests were seated in white, folding chairs in the garden before a cottage that looked to be antebellum. The couple were married on the raised, columned porch of this cottage at twilight.

Modern, taped music floated through the hydrangea blooms and birdsong as the sun set and a full moon appeared.

Following a brief ceremony, guests adjourned nearby to a large, white, wooden pavilion where an abundant buffet was enjoyed.

The park setting was beautiful, as was the bride; and handsome was the groom.

Paper fans were provided; but the weather was pleasant, not hot. On each fan was a tropical scene, matching the Bahamas, where the couple planned to honeymoon.

The Andalusia Association of Educators, the Alabama Education Association’s “branch” here in the “Dimple of Dixie,” sponsored a reception at George and Brenda Gantt’s idyllic Hickory Ridge Lodge and Inn May 3 for the three retiring educators, leaving our local Andalusia City Schools this spring – Gloria Collier, Linda Mellown, and Katheryn Williamson.

Friends and family of the three ladies gathered around four in the afternoon at the beautifully landscaped lodge, high on a hickory-dotted ridge, with a wide, breeze-swept porch to sit and glance over a pond below – the headwaters of Five Runs Creek. The pond features a new fountain that jets into the air. The pond itself is accented with potted plants.

After a time of fellowship and a buffet, a brief program was presented by Karen Pass, long-time treasurer of the AAE, who had organized the afternoon. It is the remarkable Mrs. Pass who has held AAE together for a decade or more. Without her there would practically be no teacher organization in Andalusia.

Mrs. Pass led with a beautiful prayer, followed by recognition of each retiree, who received an inscribed cake server and tray from AAE. The three ladies had served a total of 87 years.

Ted Watson, the “Singing Superintendent” of the ACS, now completing his second year as “super,” shared memories of the three retirees and sang “You’ve Got a Friend” to taped music.

Gloria (Henderson) Collier, who teaches eighth-grade social studies and has been in education 33 years, was accompanied by her husband John and sister, Angie Scofield.

Linda Mellown, who has taught 25 years, spent the last seven of them, teaching English to freshmen at AHS. Four of those years she was also sponsor of the yearbook. She moved to AHS after five years in English at our middle school. Her record includes seven years at Holtville High School in Elmore County and three and a half years in Marbury in Autauga County. She was accompanied by her husband, Wem, president of Covington County Bank, and their son Matt.

Kathryn Williamson, who has taught 28 years, spent all of them in special areas at the Andalusia Elementary School. She was accompanied by her husband, Ronald, AHS Class of l97l, their daughter, Amanda (Mrs. Chris Bradley), and son, Josh. With Amanda were her three children, Sara, Evan, and Emily. With Josh were his wife Angela and their Isabella and Ivy. Said Mrs. Williamson, “I really enjoyed my time at AES.”

The buffet included home-fried chicken nuggets, dips and crackers, a cheese ball, open-faced, tomato sandwiches, sugar cookies, and lemonade.

Seen at David’s Catfish were Ronald and Kathryn Williamson and their son Josh and their daughter Amanda, all there for Josh’s birthday April 23.

Officers for AAE this year have been Perry Dillard, president; Daniel Bulger, vice-president; Karen Pass, treasurer; and Marcus Taylor, secretary, who took a job elsewhere in the middle of the year, leaving his AAE position vacant.

Officers for AAE next year (20l2 – 20l3) are Perry Dillard, president; Daniel Bulger, vice-president; Bennie Shellhouse, secretary; and Karen Pass, treasurer.

The Covington Rifles, Camp # l586 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, met May 3 for a monthly program and business in the Dixon Memorial of the Andalusia Public Library.

Sir Francis McGowin, commander in his second term, called the men to order.

John Allen Gantt, chaplain, led in prayer, asking his compatriots to remember in a moment of silence the late Rick Boswell, who died of a heart attack recently. Gantt also invited his friends to visit the l00-year-old log cabin re-assembled on his property. Gantt also led later in the benediction.

Derek Davis led in pledges to the American, Alabama, and Confederate flags.

Larry Shaw led all in “Dixie,” standing.

Nominations for officers for 20l2 – 20l3 were submitted.

The next meeting was set for June 7. All were asked to take “potluck.”

Ken Reeves of Opp, who has applied for membership, presented a program on the Northern General Benjamin Butler, a political general who was a “dictator” in New Orleans, once it fell to the Federals.

Butler issued General Order 28, which forbade women in New Orleans to speak their minds about the Federals. Those who did were classified as prostitutes. Butler also had the reputation of stealing silverware from the great houses of New Orleans, thus earning the name of “Spoons” Butler. He later served in Congress, became governor of Massachusetts, and died a millionaire. Reeves also mentioned how altars in churches were used by the Federals as troughs and how churches were used to stable horses.

Jimmy Mott reported that he attended the Confederate Memorial Day celebration in Montgomery April 28. Mott is one of 2,000 Mechanized Cavalry of the Alabama SCV, who were on hand for the special day.

A round-table discussion ended the meeting.

Also attending were Jimmy Cobb, Vaughn Bowers, Hank Roberts, Curtis Hampton Thomasson, Morris Mullen, Perry Dillard, and Joe Wingard.

Jasmine Hills Gardens above Montgomery but below Wetumpka is open “for the season” now through June, each Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon – 5 p.m..

The celebration of the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens, English novelist, continues. His own favorite novel of his own “children” (books) was David Copperfield, which mirrors his own life. If Dickens thought that novel his best, and if he is the greatest novelist in our language, then David Copperfield is the greatest novel in our language. Turn the first letters around and you will find C D can stand for Charles Dickens.

This year is also the l00th anniversary of the birth of the movie cowboy, Roy Rogers, born November 5. Can you identify his associates? Dale Evans? Trigger? Bullet? Nellybelle? Pat Brady? Buttermilk? Roy married his leading lady, Dale Evans. They turned into two of the greatest Christian witnesses in American history. I believe God blessed them because they followed Jesus.

This year is also the 200th anniversary of the War of l8l2. My friend in Savannah, S. Daniel Shehan, tells me that the tall ships that were “kicking off” the big celebration in New Orleans were in Savannah last week and left there for New York.

Again, I ask that each citizen of Andalusia join the Covington Historical Society and pay its annual dues of $25 so as to help preserve the history of our county, whether you attend meetings or not. Mail to CHS, P.O. Box l582, Andalusia, Alabama 36420.

To commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the War Between the States, let us return to this week l50 years ago.

The Federals were still advancing up the Virginia Peninsula in the famed “Peninsular Campaign,” “licking their lips” at the prospect of taking Richmond, the Confederate capital. The South was making a little recovery with victories in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Around Norfolk, Virginia, though, Southerners evacuated, leaving behind some valuable materials that the Federals found and used. Down in Pensacola the Federals took that coastal city. The South destroyed its own ironclad, the Merrimack, rather than have it fall into Union hands. Things were looking pretty bad for the South in May of l862.

The cluegram for its fifth week is that he lost his teeth in the World War.

Birthdays this past week included those of Robert Browning, English poet of the Victorian times, a rival of Alfred, Lord Tennyson; Johannes Brahms, German composer and pianist, composer of the famed “Lullaby”; Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky, Russian composer of The Nutcracker Suite; James Matthew Barrie, Scottish author of Peter Pan; and Edward Lear, English painter and nonsense poet, famous for his limericks.

Now, gentle reader, allow me to encourage each of us to be in his place of worship this weekend, Lord willing; and don’t forget your mother, bless her dear and precious heart!

Fare thee well.