Burning leaves by the curb reminds of sweeping the yard all day with your mother and sisters. I am sure all of us did this, and while we did, we visited with neighbors and friends. We would talk and laugh while taking care of this chore. We knew all our neighbors and our parents knew all the children in the mill village. We all grew up together, attending the Porterdale schools.

We would even fight and argue on the playground together. But it would not last very long as we would get over the problems because we were all friends.

I remember one thing for sure: We as neighbors would look out after each other. Whenever there were deaths or sickness in the community, neighbors would raise money for flowers and food, going door to door. After they collected the funds and food, they would take them to the families in need. This was a showing of their love to each other, neighbors helping neighbors. I believe there is a verse in God's word that tells us to love thy neighbors as we would love ourselves.

There are those who are doing this very thing now in the city of Porterdale, following the same neighborhood belief. This group is called C.A.R.E., Community Assistance Relief Effort. It was formed in January to help needy families. It is only funded by donations and fundraisers that make the program possible. To learn more about this organization, contact Sally Jarrett at (770) 385-8961 or Linda Finger at (678) 859-2496. Let's be neighbors, helping neighbors, and support C.A.R.E. I'm sure they would say thanks for your efforts and I will say it for them. Thanks, neighbor!

OK, tell me. I am sure there are those who remember the line walk, a long white building that was behind our house on East Palmetto Street. We kids would gather together for a game of baseball or softball there. My twin, Jane, said we even played football there. Sometimes after playing our games, we would leave there with stumped toes or having a ball hit us in the stomach or even in the face. Now that hurt. I remember sometimes the ball would get hit over the tallest part of the line walk (by the way, not by me), and then someone would have to climb up and get the ball. We couldn't afford to loose it because we didn't have but maybe one or two.

Another memory I have is that in our gym classes we would walk from the school down Broad Street to cross over off Hemlock Street to have field day events. We all tried to do our best in hopes of winning a ribbon or some recognition. I don't remember winning any of these, but we sure had fun.

On our way to the ball field, we would go through the alley between the gym and the old company store toward the Anderson Building. This building housed the men's club room and Dr. Peachy Smith's dentist office. As we would go by the windows we would look in and see kids getting their teeth pulled or cleaned. We would laugh at them and be so thankful it wasn't our time to visit the dentist.

I feel like we really had it made. We choose to remember the good times, growing up in a town where we had real neighbors, where folks rallied together, worked together and played together. I am so thankful to have been a part of this wonderful place called Porterdale.

E-mail me at garnerjean@aol.com, and thanks for the memories.