Brookside Greenway Festival- March 17

2 responses

1. Hi! My name is Lisa Ray Aldridge & I grew up in Brookside, AL with my three siblings Kathy Ray Goode, Amy Ray Parsons and Carl Ray. We all roamed the woods and swam in Five Mile every single day during the summer. I lived right next to the creek so we were down there each and every time we could slip away. We loved it. We were forbade to get in the creek unless a parent was with us. Did we always obey that rule? Uh, no…I remember one time I was pulled in by an octapus. My parents didn’t go for that one. I’m not sure why. We were there when the “new” bridge was built next to the ball park. It used to be an old crooked wooden bridge. I have three scars from that project. I two inch scar over my right eye where a cement pipe broke while I was inside it almost crushing my head; a scar on my right hand where I fell on a rusty nail sticking out of one of the boards they were using as a form; and last but not least – a scar on my right leg where I was on the handle bars of a bicycle when the person driving jumped the big dirt pile at the end of the bridge and wrecked causing me to break my right thigh bone in two places. I spent the summer of first grade with a cast all the way up to my hip. We fished off the banks. We camped on the banks of horseshoe bend. We loved it. I still love it. We even loved it when it flooded. That is until the flood of 2003. It broke my heart to see that my town is almost gone. Every time a house torn down, I cry. When MY house was torn down, it really broke my heart. I love my parents’ new home, but I really miss the old home that I grew up in. I just THANK GOD that we were already in our new home before the flood of 2003. My grandmother was not so fortunate. She lost every single thing she owned. Every single thing….eighty four years worth of memories. She lived less that 100 feet from the banks. We also thank god that we stopped and picked her up prior to the water getting up in her house. She was not harmed.

   We all played baseball/softball there also. I remember my first coach – Jan Bensko. I will never ever forget her. She is now my Sunday School teacher. She is great. I also remember Mike & Gail Gooch; LaWanda Fredrick & Chris Harris; Jim Carroll – some of my fondest memories are from playing ball with Heather Smith; Leigh Ann Mahaffey; Kelley Bensko; Donna Pickle; Christie Dosier; my sister, Amy Ray; Leslie Keedy; Jennifer and Monica Gooch; Shelby McAlpine; Tina; Rachell Doss; Rachell Cupps; Apryl Humphries; Mandy Fredrick; Amanda Stewart; Kristy King; Angel Jones – makes me want to have a softball reunion!

   Now that I have three children of my own — yes, we still play in that creek. We fish, we camp out, we canoe, we wade, we ride in it in my husbands Jeep.

   So will I be at the Greenway Festival? If this is something that will be the beginning of new memories and something new for my children to develop as many great memories that I have of my great town, YES – we will be there. I hope it’s a huge success and it starts to be an annual event. I have told every single person that I know about it. If I can help with anything, please email me. I would be thrilled to assist anyone. I plan to look through all my pictures to see if I have any that I can add to the archives

   aldridgefamily5@aol.com

   Reply

2. Hi! My name is Lisa Ray Aldridge & I grew up in Brookside, AL with my three siblings Kathy Ray Goode, Amy Ray Parsons and Carl Ray. We all roamed the woods and swam in Five Mile every single day during the summer. I lived right next to the creek so we were down there each and every time we could slip away. We loved it. We were forbade to get in the creek unless a parent was with us. Did we always obey that rule? Uh, no…I remember one time I was pulled in by an octapus. My parents didn’t go for that one. I’m not sure why. We were there when the “new” bridge was built next to the ball park. It used to be an old crooked wooden bridge. I have three scars from that project. I two inch scar over my right eye where a cement pipe broke while I was inside it almost crushing my head; a scar on my right hand where I fell on a rusty nail sticking out of one of the boards they were using as a form; and last but not least – a scar on my right leg where I was on the handle bars of a bicycle when the person driving jumped the big dirt pile at the end of the bridge and wrecked causing me to break my right thigh bone in two places. I spent the summer of first grade with a cast all the way up to my hip. We fished off the banks. We camped on the banks of horseshoe bend. We loved it. I still love it. We even loved it when it flooded. That is until the flood of 2003. It broke my heart to see that my town is almost gone. Every time a house torn down, I cry. When MY house was torn down, it really broke my heart. I love my parents’ new home, but I really miss the old home that I grew up in. I just THANK GOD that we were already in our new home before the flood of 2003. My grandmother was not so fortunate. She lost every single thing she owned. Every single thing….eighty four years worth of memories. She lived less that 100 feet from the banks. We also thank god that we stopped and picked her up prior to the water getting up in her house. She was not harmed.

   We all played baseball/softball there also. I remember my first coach – Jan Bensko. I will never ever forget her. She is now my Sunday School teacher. She is great. I also remember Mike & Gail Gooch; LaWanda Fredrick & Chris Harris; Jim Carroll – some of my fondest memories are from playing ball with Heather Smith; Leigh Ann Mahaffey; Kelley Bensko; Donna Pickle; Christie Dosier; my sister, Amy Ray; Leslie Keedy; Jennifer and Monica Gooch; Shelby McAlpine; Tina; Rachell Doss; Rachell Cupps; Apryl Humphries; Mandy Fredrick; Amanda Stewart; Kristy King; Angel Jones – makes me want to have a softball reunion!

   Now that I have three children of my own — yes, we still play in that creek. We fish, we camp out, we canoe, we wade, we ride in it in my husbands Jeep.

   So will I be at the Greenway Festival? If this is something that will be the beginning of new memories and something new for my children to develop as many great memories that I have of my great town, YES – we will be there. I hope it’s a huge success and it starts to be an annual event. I have told every single person that I know about it. If I can help with anything, please email me. I would be thrilled to assist anyone. I plan to look through all my pictures to see if I have any that I can add to the archives

   aldridgefamily5@aol.com

   Reply