The Telling Pool
                              By David Clement-Davis

This book depicts the world at the time of the Crusades (1100-1200 AD). A Welsh boy named Rhodri Falcon lives with his mother and father in the heart of England. His father is a falconer (someone who trains falcons) for Lord Pierre De Brackenois. Nothing much changes until Rhodri’s father is summoned to fight in the holy lands; which is the Middle East today.
Times are hard for Rhodri, but he takes care of his mother and the farm. When his favorite falcon flies into the woods he chases after her, and stumbles upon a hermit. The hermit takes him to his hovel where he shows Rhodri a pond called The Telling Pool. The Telling Pool is an ancient place where King Arthur himself once sat and gazed into the depths of the water where a chosen few can see the past, present, and future.
Rhodri sees numerous things in The Telling Pool, some of which he was not prepared to witness. The most shocking of all is when he observes his father on his way home from fighting in the Crusades. His father wanders into an enchantress’s lair where she takes out one of his most valuable possessions………his heart! When his father comes back much changed, (and not for the better) Rhodri knows he must travel to the enchantress’s lair and retrieve his father’s heart. Will he survive the witch’s clutches? Will he ever return home?
This book has enough twists and turns to keep any booklover reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful, action-packed book. I also learned a little medieval history and culture along the way. Whether you like action-packed thrillers, or are in need of a fantasy fix this is the book for you!

2009 Marriage Essay Winners for Conference Program

Alabama eighth grade students were asked:
Who do you know that has a GREAT MARRIAGE? 
Tell us about them.

The Alabama Community Healthy Marriage Initiative, in conjunction with the Governor’s Office, conducted an essay contest for all 8th grade students in Alabama. The students were asked to write a 1-2 page essay (500-1000 words) telling us about “The Best Marriage I Know.”  The essays were about marriages of parents/stepparents, grandparents, family members, friends, or couples from their church
or neighborhood. Seven winners were selected from over 400 entries, one from each congressional district.  The winners were recognized by Alabama First Lady Patsy Riley along with their teachers, principals and the featured couple at the opening plenary session of the 2009 Regional Healthy Marriages, Healthy Families and Responsible Fatherhood Conference on Best Practices on February 3rd at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center.

Eric Gist-
Congressional District One: Congressman Jo Bonner
School: Calloway Smith Middle School
Teacher: Sequau Malone
Principal: Dorothy H. Robinson-Walton
Featured Couple: Grandparents: Louis and Earnestine Rivers

Katie Clark-
Congressional District Two: Congressman Terry Everett
School: Marbury Intermediate School
Teacher: April Wells
Principal: Billy Hollon
Featured Couple: Neighbors: Bill and Cindy Walker

Luke Holt –
Congressional District Three: Congressman Mike Rogers
School: Clay County High School
Teacher: Barbara Wynn
Principal: Billy Walker
Featured Couple: Grandparents: Coy and Sybil Bolton

Hunter Cunningham –
Congressional District Four: Congressman Robert Aderholt
School: Vernon Intermediate School
Teacher: Rhonda Lindley
Principal: Vance Herron
Featured Couple: Parents: Tommy and Jennifer Cunningham

Corey Collier -
Congressional District Five: Congressman Robert “E” Bud Cramer
School: Madison County Elementary School
Teacher: Jennifer Talton
Guidance Teacher: Betsy Koger
Principal: Lizabeth Meador
Featured Couple: Parents: Corey and Patty Collier

Hannah Huguley -
Congressional District Six: Congressman Spencer Bachus
School: Clay Chaulkville Middle School
Teacher: Sheryl Spivey
Principal: Maurice Williams
Featured Couple: Grandparents: Phil and Lou Neel

Candice Elliott –
Congressional District Seven: Congressman Artur Davis
School: Carver Middle School
Teacher: Mashad Kimber
Principal: Garry Rice
Featured Couple: Aunt and Uncle: Joe and Mary Hall

Luke Holt
Clay County High School
Teacher: Mrs. Barbara Wynn
District 3

“The Best Marriage I Know”

The best marriage I know is my MawMaw and PawPaw’s. Although my MawMaw died from a brain tumor in 2005, while they were physically together, it was a still a very happy and godly marriage.

My MawMaw and PawPaw met when he was in trade school and she worked as a secretary there. They dated for a while but Pawpaw broke up with her because he said he didn’t love her, but MawMaw said, “You’ll be back,” because she knew he was the man God wanted her to marry. So, she waited. He came back to her and they got married on December 7, 1963. It was a good marriage from the start, but when my PawPaw was about thirty years old, he accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and that made their marriage even better. They had three kids and raised them all to love and serve the Lord.

My PawPaw, Coy Bolton, has always been a hard worker. He gets up early and goes to bed early. My MawMaw always worked with him in their heating and air‐conditioning business that they atarted together over thirty years ago. She did all she could to make PawPaw’s job as easy as she could possibly make it. Through all of the hard work they did, they always stayed close and always loved each other. They had to spend periods of time away from each other because of work sometimes, but they still loved each other more and more, no matter what happened. PawPaw always helped MawMaw with things she liked to do, like making Christmas candy or cooking big dinners for people. They even began a ministry together on my PawPaw’s old homeplace. They cleaned out old chicken coops and started a camp for churches to use throughout the year. My MawMaw would be proud that her husband and family are continuing that ministry today.

On November, 10, 2004, my PawPaw came into the office to check on his wife and when he saw her, she looked sick. He took her to the doctor and they thought she’d had a mild stroke. They found out later that day that it was a serious brain tumor. My PawPaw took care of MawMaw for the next five and half months but it wasn’t unusual for him because he had always taken good care of her. When MawMaw was on her deathbed, my PawPaw asked her to re‐marry him as a vow to love her forever. He bought her a new wedding ring and she accepted his proposal. It was a great example to me of loving someone “in sickness and in health.” After fighting cancer for five hard months, MawMaw died a peaceful death, with PawPaw and her family right by her side. To this day, PawPaw still loves her with all his heart.

My MawMaw and PawPaw are an example of an honest, patient, and healthy marriage. One day my Pawpaw will meet his wife again in heaven. My grandparents set a Godly example in all they did. They were and still respected by many people, young and old, for many different reasons.

They were known for their mercy, their kindness, their grace, their godliness, their loving spirit, and anything else good you can think of. MawMaw always spoiled her seven grandchildren and she wasn’t happy unless her family was happy. One of the reasons my PawPaw and MawMaw were always financially blessed is because they always tithed, first of all, and they didn’t use their money selfishly. They were always helping others.

There aren’t enough pages to describe everything there is to know about my grandparents, their marriage, and their lives. A verse in Proverbs 22 says, “A good name is to be more desired than great wealth.” I believe my grandparents not only had a great marriage, but their names and testimonies are great and their lives have influenced me and others in ways that they may never know.

On May 6, The Opelika-Auburn News will published a special section featuring Thank You notes to area teachers. Please join us to say Thanks to the teachers who have made a difference for you or other students you know.

Click here to submit a thank you note online.