I would like to thank everyone for all the help and support given with the eighth annual Cox Hill Fall Festival benefit. Every year we as family and friends work hard to make this event a special time.

For those who don’t know, every year we choose someone who is having a hard time financially. This year was even more special because the person who benefited was my own mother, Louise Cox Buckles.

Several months ago, family and friends began tearing her kitchen down because termites had eaten into her flooring and walls.

We went as far as we could go financially. During this time, she went to the doctor and found she had breast cancer.

We were told that in order to save her live she would have to have her left breast removed. Thank God she went to the doctor when she did. Early prevention saved her life.

Everything was going well for her, but at home she had no kitchen. On her front porch were a table and two buckets of water, one for washing and one for rinsing; an electric skillet with extension cord for cooking and a refrigerator — all set up on “Granny’s” front porch.

I picked at her and told her she’d turned into a redneck. We laughed. Mama said she was blessed because a lot of people didn’t have a front porch.

The benefit was successful and hopefully we can get Granny off her front porch and into her kitchen before winter starts.

I thank God most of all. But I also thank those who helped make a difference.