Jim,I really enjoyed your speech at the GA Master Gardener convention in Augusta. You mentioned how it got away with you when a lady came up to you once and said she loved you – but we all do. You are a national treasure and people just like to be in your presence. Besides being a gardener I think you are best defined as being a Southern gentleman. Your story of how a teacher demeaned you the work you turned in for writing an assignment where she deemed it was too good for the likes of you, remained with me. It is a shame some teachers do things like that and do not recognize talent early on and encourage it. I also remember how you said “We weren’t poor but we shot every rabbit and caught every fish and picked every berry for miles around so we would have something to eat.”
I know you are a prolific author, past president of the Men’s Garden Clubs Of America, past president of the Garden Writer’s Association Of America, host of the Victory Garden for many, many years, spokesman for Fafard Soil and garden promoter extraordinare and a lot more that I don’t even know about.
I hope with your move to Missouri you can simplify your life and do some of the things YOU want instead of trying to satisfy the demands of everyone else. I am glad you have found Janie to share your life and bring each other joy, you certainly deserve it.
I remain one of your greatest fans,
Eddie Rhoades
BittersweetGardens.com 