---------- From: G. Lee Hearl <glh@naxs.com> To: Cyberbay77@aol.com Subject: Re: Bean Stringin' Date: Tuesday, February 23, 1999 12:07 AM My Grandpa and Grandma made a lot of molasses, they had fourteen children! They always had music and dancing the whole neighborhood attended. Grandma always popped a dishpan full of popcorn and poured it into the pan after the molasses had been dipped out and mixed it with the remaining molasses so the children could have popcorn balls to eat. Uncle Charlie always liked to wear nice clothes and acted older than his age and one time he put on his new overalls and was standing around trying to look "grownup", hands in his pockets, leaning back slightly.. They took the pan off the fire and placed it on an incline so the molasses would run to one end..The molasses were dipped out and she poured in the popcorn and about that time, Charlie stepped backward and fell into the high end of the pan, slid down to the lower end and the popcorn flew everywhere! The pan was hot and slick and he rolled over several times trying to get out! When he did, he was covered with popcorn and warm molasses. He ran over and jumped in the creek and that cold water hardened the molasses on him! Luckily he wasn't burned and he grew up to be a pretty good feller' Infact, he turned out to be a Crackerjack!! I'm looking for information and stories on Herralds etc. in Southwest Va. and N.C...... Ye Ole Storyteller G. Lee Hearl Abingdon, Va..