“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy,
and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~ William Arthur Ward
past
This is a cannon ball. It weighs eight to ten pounds. We found it in my parent’s yard not long after they bought their house in 1980. I don’t remember if it was uncovered when they built an addition, or when they built a new driveway, but someone was with me when I found it (mom, I think). In any case, it’s presumed to be a Civil War era cannon ball. There was a skirmish in West Liberty that resulted in the burning of the courthouse (typical for the Civil War). It was October 23, 1861 when Col. L.A. Harris’ 2nd Ohio Infantry fought with Capt. Jack Mays’ Morgan Guards along the Licking River just a stone’s throw from mom and dad’s house. There’s rumored to have been two other skirmishes nearby as well. I would love to know if this cannon ball was shot (it’s a dud if it was), or why it was discarded if it wasn’t used. Even more, I’d love to know the route the army took that put them in/near my parent’s yard. As far as I know, even the old Liberty Road didn’t exist in 1861. We first took the cannon ball inside their house, but strange things began to happen. Doors slamming shut, and lights turning on and off were the least of the problems. After just a few weeks of seriously escalating phenomenon inside the house, we took the ball back outside. The weirdness stopped (mostly). Since then, it has remained by the porch until a few weeks ago when dad decided to redecorate the flower bed where it had been all these years. Rather than discard it, I saved it. I didn’t bring it in my house (I learned that lesson the first time). Instead, it guards my house, just as it guarded mom and dad’s for over 35 years. I’ve never felt safer.
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