“A S D F ; L K J”

How many times did I type that in Mrs. Kellam’s typing class on that Royal manual typewriter with unmarked keys? 

My fingers and the typewriter keys were never good friends. When we had speed timings, I would come up with negative words per minute after I subtracted words for each typing mistake. Thank goodness I went through Longwood when professors accepted handwritten essays. 

When I began teaching, I met ditto masters and quickly found out that it was quite a chore to try to correct a typo; therefore, my students took a lot of tests that I had carefully printed on those masters.

In the mid-1980’s I was quite excited to discover the Radio Shack Tandy 1000 computer and a dot matrix printer and so were my students. Thank goodness for “back space” and “delete” keys.

Now I have taken on a new adventure. I want to teach myself to play the electronic keyboard. I cannot even read music. The Internet has been very helpful with all sorts of videos and how-to lessons. 

But that keyboard is like that unmarked Royal typewriter. Where is middle C? How can my fingers stretch from A to G and strike C or E flat or whatever?  My mind tells them one thing but they seem to want to do their own thing.

Tempo?  I have to think C, C, E, D C and repeat. How can I speed that up? 

Poor Julian, he is going to have to hear a lot of sour notes and off beat music before I am ready to play my first Christmas carol.     

Community Communiqué

This Saturday and Sunday the Prospect Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary, along with help from the fire department, will be selling food at the annual Christmas Show being held at the STEPS Building in Farmville. The show times are 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. on Sunday.

On Nov. 21 the Prospect Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary will be having the annual Pig Picking Supper from 5-7 p.m. at the firehouse. The meal will include pulled pork, limited number of chicken tenders, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, apples, bread, drink and dessert. The cost is a donation at the door.

The Glenn Memorial Baptist Church Senior Adult Ministry will host its senior meal on Friday, Nov. 27, at 6 p.m. Come out and bring a covered dish or two and a friend to enjoy good food, fellowship and musical inspiration in the sanctuary at 7 p.m. from the Oak Hill Boys.

Laurie Justus spent last Monday and Tuesday night with Hilda Allen.

The Pray and Stitch Group of Prospect United Methodist Church met with Sue Case. Those present were Cary Reed, Eileen Fiscus, Dot Campbell, Sherry Sweet, Mary Sone, Kitty Miller and Sue Case.

On Nov. 7, Barbara and Earl Pickett, along with family (many from Maryland) and friends, attended the wedding of their granddaughter, Danielle Lee Pickett to Joshua Eli Jennings at Evergreen United Methodist Church.  A joyous reception followed at Falling River Country Club.   

Hilda Allen and Lois Johnson attended a surprise 88th birthday celebration for Ester Coleman at Hollywood Church this past Saturday.

Sheri Hicks visited with Kenneth and Bettye Brisentine from last Thursday to Sunday. They celebrated Kenneth’s 86th birthday.

Hilda Allen and Lois Johnson visited with Alice Campbell at the Wilson Center on Sunday.

Please keep the following people in your thoughts and prayers:  Sue Franklin, Julian Covington, Alice Campbell, Wendy Richardson, Nancy Dickerson, Martha Whitehead, Kenneth Brisentine, Dorothy Womack, Betty Jean Bolt and Gary Fiscus.

Sympathy is extended to the family and friends of Wilson Mayo and General Alfred “Butch” Brown.

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” – Albert Einstein

If you have any news, call Edwina Covington (434) 574-6576.

EDWINA COVINGTON is a retired teacher and columnist for Elam. Her email is ecovington@centurylink.net.