Over a quarter of a century ago there stood between the towns of Trezvant and McKenzie Tennessee a small country store and Texico station known as Traywick’s Grocery.  As my family had a charge account there, and the family farm had an operation nearby, I found more than a few occasions to pull my truck or tractor up to Traywick’s and stop in for one of Gene Trawick’s personally made ham sandwiches.

Gene and Marvin Traywick owned and ran the store, and Marvin farmed several acres nearby as well.  Often when I dropped in at lunch time Gene was busy behind the counter, and Marvin was sitting in the back on one of several chairs positioned strategically around a big pot-bellied stove.  Usually there were a few other locals sitting around, discussing either the crops of the news of the day.

Today Traywick’s grocery has been entirely erased from the landscape.  All that remained the last time I drove by was its small concrete foundation.  This blog is named in memory of that simple, little country store where farmers and other “regular people” – the very essence of America – gathered around a pot bellied stove to share thoughts about “the way things ought to be”.   Here I will endeavor to be faithful to the spirit of that little corner of America, where freewheeling opinion was shared and dissected, and disagreements never transcended friendship and camaraderie.