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Will Woods was our milk man when I was a little bitty squirt.
And by milk man, I don’t mean he picked up those small 5 gallon milk cans. He
drove a milk tanker and transported a gazillion
gallons of milk every day.
We lived down a long dead-end country road, and I could hear
a car coming from a mile away. So it was no wonder that I could hear Will
comin’ long, long before he got there.
Will gave me my first tricycle. Mama said Will didn’t have kids at that time, so I don’t know where he got the tricycle, but I distinctly remember that he brought it to me in the cab of his tractor-trailer for my birthday. I loved Will with all the passion of a pre-schooler who didn’t see anybody other than my parents and older brothers all week. Since my parents both worked on the farm, I didn’t go to pre-school or daycare: the dairy was my daycare; my brother, the dogs, cats, and newborn calves my playmates.
I have a good imagination (I’m a writer, after all), and
this is kind of hazy, but I seem to recall sitting on the cement steps at the
barn many a morning on those off days, and then trudging to the house when I
realized Will wasn’t going to show up that day.
She hadn’t heard a thing. But I had.
I’d heard that big motor, and those big wheels bringing my
friend to me. And it didn’t matter that on some days all he brought was a
tootsie roll or a piece of gum. He’d remembered me, and I was happy.
While I had a loving, Christian family with roots deep in
the red clay hills of
Jimmy’s home situation isn’t the best: His pa is a drunkard,
and they live in a shack that is falling down around their ears. Slade and Buck
Donovan see a bit of themselves in the little boy, and they befriend Jim.
Eventually, the caring and acceptance of the Donovans touch the entire Denton family, allowing
healing and family to mend. Jimmy’s story is not the main thread in Claiming Mariah, but it is an important
part. Jimmy weaves himself into Slade and Mariah’s story and finds a home
there. Right where he belongs.
Back to my friend, Will Woods. In my young mind, I assumed
Will lived far, far away. As I wrote this blog post, I couldn’t remember his
last name, so I called my mother. Mama told me she’d recently seen Will at a
Wildlife Jamboree in our community. Over forty years after he ran the route as
our milk man, some little nugget prompts me to write an article to honor the
attention a man showed a little girl who lived on the back side of nowhere,
only to find out he lives right here in my community, and not far, far away as
I’d always thought.
That God. He’s amazing, isn’t He?
And so are the men and women who take time for a child.
Pam is thrilled to announce the release of her second novel,
Claiming Mariah
Claiming Mariah Amazon link: http://tinyurl.com/apnzl5n
Claiming Mariah B&N link: http://tinyurl.com/ays6fq7
Claiming Mariah CBD link: http://tinyurl.com/bvjx3m7
Claiming Mariah Goodreads link: http://tinyurl.com/d9u2k6j
Claiming Mariah 1st Chapter: http://tinyurl.com/ageh54r
To celebrate, Pam is giving away two eReaders
(choice of Kindle Wi-Fi, 6" Display, or Nook Simple
Touch)
Two Winners: One on facebook. One through
Pam’s Newsletter.
Registering both places is not required but
will double your chances of winning. Also keep in mind that you will receive
updates more often being connected on facebook than through the newsletter.
Just sayin’
Contest runs from January 1st until March 31st, 2013.
And....that’s not all! There will be prizes offered randomly throughout the
tour.
(3 Pewter Bookmarks from Deirdre’s Handmade Jewelry PLUS 40% off coupon
at Deirdre’s online store. Click link to register and for coupon code)
PREVIOUS STOPS ON TOUR:
February 22nd: Blogging with Donna Winters and Mary Vee
NEXT STOP ON TOUR:
February 26th: Laura Hilton
Click
for a Complete List of Stops Along the Tour
