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Afterthoughts The end of next month my dear sweet husband Billy Ray and I will celebrate our first anniversary. He jokes and says he kidnapped me from Florida and brought me up here to Clarke County. Ours has not been what you would expect from a first year of marriage. When we began dating my youngest daughter, Dani, was a junior in high school. Neither of us planned on getting serious and we agreed up front that I had to get Dani grown before any thoughts of a relationship would be entertained. That was May. In August he gave me an engagement ring and in September we were married. So much for not getting serious! But we kept our promise to Dani that she could finish her senior year at her high school. So for the past year Billy and I have been back and forth between Greenwood and Century, Fla. planning our weekends around Dani's senior activities. I'm sure any parent who's ever had a high school senior knows what I mean. There are football games, homecoming court, drama club presentations, beauty pageants, proms, baccalaureate and let's not forget graduation. Now with all that behind us, and Dani settled into the house she'll be living in for the next two years while attending the Gulf Coast Culinary Institute, I have officially arrived in Greenwood. The good-byes were difficult but those wonderful grandchildren (seven all-totaled counting step-grands) and their parents - my three oldest children Ronny (and wife Robin), Charity (and Don) and Beth (and Dwayne) - are only about 2 hours away. Before arriving in beautiful Clarke County, I was the lifestyle editor at The Tri-City Ledger in Flomaton for 15 years with more than 20 years at the paper. With all those years working and plenty of roots in the area, I was affectionately known to some as the "geriatric news department" and "the resident historian." As time goes along you'll realize I have a soft spot for all types of historic feature stories. And since I am a newcomer to the area, I hope you'll give me a call when you have any type of feature you'd like for us to highlight. On a lighter note, here are a few things I've noticed in the past few weeks and adjustments that have had to be made since arriving in Clarke County. 1.) Hills. I'm getting plenty of exercise just walking in the yard or to the post office. I've also had to give up almost any type of heel since it makes the slopes even more steep. 2.) Sugar ants (Billy calls them by another name, but I'll just stick to sugar ants). Don't dare leave a package of chocolate chip cookies on the counter after they've been opened! Always remember to store them (the cookies, not the ants) in an airtight container. 3.) No children at home. I sure hate to see Dani's cell phone bill this month. I know how much I've talked with her, not to mention all of her other siblings and friends. 4.) Cooking. My motto before Billy and I started dating was "I only cook at gunpoint."
5.) The many wonderful people who have welcomed me to Clarke County.
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