To the editor:

I have really been enjoying your monthly “Life in our Foothills” magazine!

The full color photographs of so many of my friends coupled with those of places in Our Area just make for delight after delight. I was tempted to frame that cover photo of Eleanor and Carroll Rogers . . . she laughs at my jokes, and while he has retired his motorcycle, we can still talk of flying airplanes in our day.

If you enjoyed reading about those carrying on the century-old businesses in the current issue, perhaps you would also enjoy reading first-hand stories about the founders featured in the first book of my “Remember When” columns. “A Boy in the Amen Corner” is available in local book stores and libraries or from me, and tells of my associations with Seth Vining Sr, John Cowan (whose weekly double-page ads in the Bulletin went a long way to sustain two generations of Vinings!), Elbert Arledge, and all three generations of Bradys, including Holland Jr.

I went to school with friend Cindy Walker’s mom and her siblings, and wrote about her uncle Ben Cromer, who danced with all the girls and who would play Chopin’s “Minute Waltz” for us if begged. The others were ahead of me in Tryon School, but I knew them all.

I have not eaten at Wards many times because the place is always full, with people waiting outside at lunch time! It is still like an old country store inside, but without the fly-paper strips that used to hang all around . . .

They leave stacks of the magazine lying around everywhere, so go ahead and pick one up. You will be glad you did. And you can subscribe if you want to be sure of getting every issue.

–Garland Goodwin, Columbus