Stroke of Country

By Doris Autry

The title of my book, Stroke of Country, is something I have dreamed about for years. I have been drawing and writing all my life. I first started painting professionally while working in sewing factories. The extra income helped in raising my family of three lovely daughters, Lakricia, Vicky, and Daisy.

I was to have a hysterectomy. Through prayers, I was healed, and about fifteen years later, I gave birth to a son. I named him Jonathan, which means "a gift from God."

When Jonathan was eight, I applied for a divorce and the sewing factory was sent overseas about the same time.

I attended college for the next four years and earned my BA in business. During this time I was still writing poetry and painting. It has always been a source of joy for me.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503572362

Doris Autry

Doris Autry was born in 1937 to Leona and Robert Griffin. She was married at age sixteen and is the mother of four children, eleven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Doris began drawing when she learned how to hold a pencil. She studied cartooning, sign painting, perspective and design with Continental Schools Inc. in her late teens and early twenties. She sold her first painting to Robert Porterfield on the Barter Green in 1956. Doris has published poems in five national libraries, also in magazines and newspapers. She earned her associate degree at Virginia Highlands Community College in 1987 and received her BA at Bristol University in 1993. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Doris began painting primitive style with her mother in 1987 at local fairs and in the Washington County Schools of Virginia. She still takes orders for special places, such as an old home place, favorite mill, etc. Faith Baptist Church plays an important role in her life. She sometimes sings with their quartet. She gives God the glory for her talent.

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 by Doris Autry.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 05/19/2015

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Contents

The Young Artist

When We Had the Measles

Friends

The Graduate

When I was a Child

Our New Baby

Ode to Grandpa

Sisters

The New Brother

Rebecca

My Love

My Love is Gone

Needing Someone

Jonathan

Kaylee

In the Hospital

Lakricia and Buddy

Alyssa

Angela

Not Alone

Miss Prickles and Joy Bright

Miss Prickles at the Zoo

Miss Prickles Dog

Miss Prickles Goes to Town

Our Trip to Tweetsie Railroad

The Artist

Reflections of a Mother

Friends Are Special

No Room

Put Your Smiler On

My Father

A Journey

Little Laughing Brook

A Pilgrim

My Father Loves Me

It’s January

Sunday Morning Again

Three Little Girls

Baby Girls

The Friendship

The Little Artist

The Ballad of Sweet Ruby

Feeding the Birds

The Powers of God

The Most Beautiful Pictures of All

The Crystal Clear City

Jesus the Master

When I think about Christmas

Springtime Music

Fall is in the Air

The Most Majestic Nation

Fall is Here

The Dogwood Tree

The Hardest Working Bird

What Happened?

The Falling Rain

You’re Home

Kids

Sleigh Riding Fun

The First Snowfall

Jesus Christ Super Star

American Freedom’s At Stake

Baby Jonathan’s Birthday

When Grandma Talks To Me

Friends Are

Grandma Makes a Trip to Town

My Tennessee

God Bless America Again

Freedom to Worship

Evening

Spring Awakening

Lazy Summer Days

Spring Sky

Christmas Magic

To the Trees

The Special Creature

Then Satan

Then Adam Eats

It’s Halloween

Ode to the Sewing Factories in the USA

That Rock Won’t Move

Fishers of Men

Rebellious Children

He Went to Calvary For Me

The Angels Cried

Sunday Morning Again

Toss a Little Pebble for Jesus

Lord, I’m so Thankful

I want a Know-So Salvation

When I Got Saved

My Girls

Light My Path

Be a Reflection

I’ve Never Been to Heaven

The Reason We Have Christmas

Two Roads

Ava, My Princess

I Need a Miracle

Dedication

I would like to dedicate (Stroke of Country) to my children

Lakricia Duncan

Vicky MCcracken

Daisy Worrock

Jonathan Autry

and my English Teacher Mary Rhoten Grindstaff

who have always encouraged my every endeavor I love you all

My Inspirations

My Mother and Dad were an inspiration to us. I had four sisters and two brothers.

We grew up and sung in Quartets, trios As the Griffin Family.

I am a member of Faith Baptist, and my Brother Robert Griffin Jr. is the Pastor.

A quartet with beautiful harmony is the greatest joy to me! A touch of Heaven.

The Lord has been my constant help through bad and good times.

The Young Artist

When I was young I used to draw on everything around

A bare white page within a book was treasure to be found

One day I saw a bare white wall, an invitation fair

I left my mark behind the door and mother caught me there

She made me clean it off and said, We don’t draw on the wall.

I wished I’d found another spot, not tried it there at all!

My father had some special books we weren’t allowed to touch

And there I found a bare white page, the kind I loved so much.

A girl flew off my pencil lead and landed on the page

Then who walked in? My daddy, his face was in a rage

He stationed me across his knee and paddled my behind

My sweet and loving daddy, so gentle and so kind.

I went outside to walk and think about my awful plight

I couldn’t draw all over things, my mom and dad were right

I found a quiet little cove