Kermit Hocutt didn't know he was lost until Officer

Jamie Bridges knocked on the door of his shop one night last week and told him that a 911 call had said he couldn't be found. Kermit's aunt, Mable (Mae Mae) Fouche, who lives with him had become concerned about him when she couldn't find him to go out to dinner as planned. Most of the time Mae Mae was trying to find him, Kermit was in the shop which is adjacent to their home, getting things in order to leave.

My all-time favorite of plays presented by the Washington Little Theater Co. is the two "Nunsense" plays presented several years ago. "Steel Magnolias" presented last Friday and Saturday is right up there in second place as my favorite. If you haven't seen it, you need to. In my opinion, it is perfectly cast by

Director Bolton Lunceford and superbly presented by the cast. The play is not just a "goody two shoes" play of women in a beauty shop. It's a hilariously funny story of five women in a small town who are bound by their love and respect for each other. It has a true spiritual twist as the six "steel magnolias" support each other in a time of crisis. Take a box of Kleenex. You will need them for laughing and for crying. . . . There are three more performances: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 3 p.m. There was a full house last Friday night. You might want to call for a reservation.

We had interesting e-mail from

Roy and Julie Hughey Norman this week. They live in Colorado and are enjoying every minute of it. Julie says that they can see the Grand Mesa a little from their house and recently drove up there to see it. The Grand Mesa is the tallest flattopped

mountain in the United States and they thought they could see snow on it from their house. When they arrived at the mountain they found lots and lots of snow - "In September!" says Julie. She made snowballs while wearing a short-sleeved shirt. "Ahhhh, life in Colorado," she says.

By now, I think most of our readers know about the tragic accident involving Sarah Lynn Hyatt, 17-year-old granddaughter of Rosalyn Adams. Sarah and her family live in the mountains of North Carolina. Her mom is the former Charlotte Adams who met her dad when he was a Washington- Wilkes High School coach. Sarah was on her way home from a summer job on June 23 at the school where her dad is a coach and teacher. She was driving on winding mountain roads in a severe thunderstorm when her vehicle hydroplaned. When rescuers finally got her out of the wreckage she was paralyzed from the waist down and was diagnosed with a severed spinal cord. She was in Mission Hospital in North Carolina for two weeks before being admitted to Shepeard Center in Atlanta. The doctors said she probably would not walk again, but they didn't know Sarah. She has made miraculous progress, especially in recent days. She learned to dress herself, get in and out of bed into her wheelchair, and do other things that she was not expected to do. She was in much pain during all of this time, but had a good attitude about her condition. She worked hard in therapy and is home in North Carolina now. She started school on August 25, in a wheelchair, with her classmates. She began to have some feeling in one leg and foot. Two weeks ago, after wearing a cast for a while, braces were put on her legs. During a therapy session, she stood up, using the bars. She spotted a walker a few feet away and asked if she could use it. It was brought to her and she walked 15 feet! Sarah's plans are to walk across the stage to get her high school diploma in May, and she says she is NOT going to wear her senior prom dress while sitting in a wheelchair. She's going to walk. And I believe she will. She has received thousands of communications from friends and people that she doesn't even know. If you would like to see her progress or send her a message, log on to www.caringbridge.org/visit/ sarahhyatt

The Kiwanis Club used a 1950s theme for their annual banquet last week, and I hear they all had much fun. They dressed as they did in the '50s, with saddle oxfords, white socks, jeans, poodle skirts, etc. I heard of one Kiwanian who didn't own any jeans, so he went to Maxway and bought a pair for $10. The event was held at the Lions Club building on Spring Street and "15 folks spent five days decorating."

Enoch Booker, Robin Booker, and Joyce Williams were involved in a car accident last Friday night on their way home from the Washington-Wilkes and Banks County football game. A truck ran a caution light causing Enoch to hit the brakes suddenly. The car traveling behind them was following too closely and ended up ramming into them. Fortunately no one was hurt in either car, but to Robin's amazement, the truck kept on going - never stopped. Enoch, Robin, and Joyce are grateful to all the people who stopped to help and console them. Their son Thomas was on the band bus and band director Ryan Dukes made sure Thomas remained calm. "God bless all of you for the phone calls, visits, and well-wishing," Robin says. "We also ask that you keep in your prayers the Banks County football player who was air-lifted to Egleston Hospital in Atlanta."

The First United Methodist Church at the corner of Spring and Liberty streets will have a fall bazaar Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. They have all kinds of things for sale and invite everyone to come check them out. Proceeds will benefit the church's building program (which they are in the midst of) for a new fellowship hall.

Saturday is the last Market Day on The Square for this year, so rent your space, get your goods ready and head for Downtown Washington. Of course, Market Day is dependent on us folks to attend and buy to be successful, so make a stop at The Square sometime between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Time is running out to get tickets for the Celebrity Waiters Dinner on Tuesday, October 10. You can get tickets at Tena's Gifts and Jewelry or Bee Southern, or call 706-678-7259.