Garnet Bernice: Spreading Laughter Across the Tri-State

Brett Johnson: This is the Tri State Time Machine, brought to you by Alex R. White, pllc@suedistractedriver.com each week, your host, Vanessa Hankins and her guests share memories and stories about the past, the present, and the future of the Tri State area. That's West Virginia, Kentucky, and the Ohio areas. If you used to live here or you currently live here, you're going to catch yourself saying out loud, wow. I remember that. Now here's Vanessa.

Vanessa: Happy January. It is: 2025

Garnet Bernice: I'm doing great. Thank you so much for having me. I was so excited when I got the message asking me to come and join you.

Vanessa: Oh, we are thrilled to have you. And a lot of my listeners have been asking about you, so I was thrilled that you didn't hesitate and were ready to just jump right in.

Garnet Bernice: Oh, well, y'all are my people. I'm here.

Vanessa: Oh, I love it. I love it. So how are you today?

Garnet Bernice: I'm doing good. It's cold outside.

Vanessa: It is very cold outside. It is very cold. I'm glad that you got the mink.

Garnet Bernice: I got the mink to keep you warm on inside.

Vanessa: It's a little chilly in here. Absolutely. You keep it on you. Be as comfortable as you can be. Thank you. Um, so when I asked you to be on Garnet, I noticed that you have 16,000 followers on social media. That is a lot.

Garnet Bernice: Well, I think people just like to see crazy. That's what I think. And I didn't know exactly how many followers I had, but I think sometimes people just like to get on that social media and see some happy stuff. Stuff that'll make them smile and not cry.

Vanessa: I would agree with that. I would agree with that 100%. Um, I think that it is fair to say that a lot of people, um, are your biggest fan. You have quite a few. You have, like, handfuls. Not just one handful. You have quite a few people that live to see you out at the bingo halls and places like that.

Garnet Bernice: Oh, it's fun to see people in person. I love it. Now it's easy for me at the house to sit behind the computer screen and to make the videos, but I love when I go out and run into people. It's a fun time.

Vanessa: Oh, I love it. I love it so much. Um, so, um, did you know, growing up that it would lead to having so many people? I hate this term because it sounds so stalkerish, but following you, so many people following you and loving everything that comes out of your mouth.

Garnet Bernice: Well, honey, back in my day, we didn't have the interweb or the Facebooker. But even when I was a young and when I was just a little gemstone, when Garnet was just a little gemstone, she knew she liked to do whatever it was to make people giggle, to make people laugh. So people who knowed me a long time ago, they can say that. Don't surprise me a bit.

Vanessa: I love that. I love that you knew early on that, um, you. You were gonna bring joy to people.

Garnet Bernice: I like that. A long time ago, I wrote a little phrase, and I've said it on my Facebooker before, but. And if you think about it, there's a lot of truth to this, and it's. You're born crying, you die crying. You gotta laugh a little in the middle.

Vanessa: Aw. I love that.

Garnet Bernice: Laugh is just more fun when you're laughing about it.

Vanessa: I agree. I agree 100%. So you sound really passionate about making people laugh and smile. What is your biggest passion?

Garnet Bernice: Hmm. Well.

Vanessa: Hm.

Garnet Bernice: I think it is just doing things that make people giggle. Um, I'll do just about anything for a laugh, and that's for sure. And then I have. Tell you what, my sister Irene, I have Irene, that. That helps me out a lot. And then my cousin Beulah from Ashtabula, if you watched, uh, us, we get together sometime and we carry on a bit. We do. But, uh, Irene, bless her heart, and she's got. She's got that husband Delmer that. That just won't stay in her bed. But, um, listen, I won't get into that on here. This is a rating. This is PG or better. And then Beulah sells everything coming and going. If y'all know Beulah, Tupperware, Amway, she sells Mary Kay, that Alouette. Y'all remember that? Alouette. Long time ago.

Vanessa: I do remember that.

Garnet Bernice: Yeah. She sells that. She sells.

Vanessa: I love it.

Garnet Bernice: Mm. She sells all kinds of stuff. I was telling somebody the other day, she had a knock on her door, and it was a Jehovah Witness. They said, do you know Jesus she said, do you know Ouija? She sold him a Ouija board. She is the sellingest thing you ever saw.

Vanessa: He left out of there not knowing what happened. Didn't. He?

Garnet Bernice: Didn't know. And she made a quick 50 bucks. But, um, yeah, just whatever makes people laugh and giggle. Because right now, the Facebooker, you get on there, and a lot of people, they say stuff that make people sad. They do. And there's. There's.

Vanessa: They can get angry. I think they get a little hostile.

Garnet Bernice: And if I can make them laugh for a minute or two, that's what I'm gonna do.

Vanessa: Absolutely. I love that. Obviously, this. This has become a passion of yours early on. You've. You've continued it into your older age, and you. You inspire people to set back and not take life so seriously. And that's something that I really appreciate about you, Garnet. And I'm, um, thankful that you wake up each morning and that is your passion. So thank you for that. Thank you for sharing it with the world.

Garnet Bernice: Thank you so much. But I do. I think that it's important to. Not really. I think a lot of people in the world are too worried and stressed on what other people will think about them.

Vanessa: Absolutely.

Garnet Bernice: And they. They hold back because they're afraid of what their neighbor will say or what their friend will say.

Vanessa: I would agree with that. I would agree with that wholeheartedly.

Garnet Bernice: I definitely. And I think that too many people hold back because if you want to do something, you do it.

Vanessa: So advice from. From Ms. Garnett herself. Don't hold back.

Garnet Bernice: Don't hold back.

Vanessa: Live life, guys.

Garnet Bernice: You do it. And you know what, too? I have to tell you, I was diagnosed years ago with breast cancer. True. And, um, I'm. You know, I know how short life can be. And when you get a diagnosis like that, it puts every. Even though I was. I like to make people laugh for years and years. And when you get a diagnosis like that, it puts things even more into perspective of, enjoy every day.

Vanessa: Absolutely.

Garnet Bernice: And what makes you happy.

Vanessa: Yeah, I would agree with that. Um, my mother had breast cancer. Um, we lost her not to breast cancer, but she battled it and beat it twice. So I know that feeling of that diagnosis and dealing with it as a family member of a loved one. And, um, it really does put a lot of things in perspective for you. So thank you for sharing that with us. Um, we talked a little bit before we started recording, um, about how long you've been in the public eye. Do you want to talk about that for a little Bit.

Garnet Bernice: Well, I first went on the air on the Facebooker back in April of a 20 and a 24. And I'll be honest with you, I've posted something every day since then. Every day? Every day.

Vanessa: Oh, wow.

Garnet Bernice: Not missed a day now. Yeah, some. I try to let people know the weather report because that's how Garnet started. A Nader was coming, and she had to let the people know they needed to go get the milk and the bread.

Vanessa: You've got to have the milk and the bread. Yes, absolutely.

Garnet Bernice: And then. And then I was a little concerned whether Bingo was still going to be on or not, because sometimes the weather can cancel stuff like that.

Vanessa: Right.

Garnet Bernice: So I had to let the people know that. And so that's. I get up every day. And, um. And let me tell you something. And I know I've talked to other people about this before, but, um, people think I wear a wig that has rollers in it.

Vanessa: How dare they?

Garnet Bernice: This is my real hair. Mm. I think that there was some wagers on that. Draftking. Um, but it's my real hair. It is.

Vanessa: Wouldn't you gotta put that many rollers in it? You know that it's yours, right?

Garnet Bernice: I do know it. Need some m. Good conditioner on that scalp.

Vanessa: I love it. I love it. Um, so you've been doing this. You said a little over a year.

Garnet Bernice: And almost a year in April to.

Vanessa: Be a year with the public following you after going on the Facebooker. And, um, I think that, um, in your doing that, the resilience that you're showing and getting up every single day is a testament to your fans. So I think that's. That's pretty awesome.

Garnet Bernice: Thank you, honey.

Vanessa: Absolutely.

Garnet Bernice: I've got other. I've got other places, too. Um, but I'm just. I'm a creature of habit is what they call it when you just keep going back to the same thing. And Facebooker is where I. Where I go every day. But I do have on the other sites, I got a, um. I got a Tiktoker.

Vanessa: Okay.

Garnet Bernice: And I got an Instagram on everything that's out there. Garnet has something. But I need to start sharing more stuff on there. But I'm regular. I'm about as regular as Miralax with the Facebooker.

Vanessa: So, um, what are some events that you've done in the community so far?

Garnet Bernice: Well, I've been to, um. I've been in several parades, and I always have to remind myself to throw the children. To throw the candy to the children and not at the children. And it's, um, hard. Sometimes it's hard. I know. I've been to that. Um, I've had a ladies group invite me over. We've done that. I've been to the local. Bingo. I, um, tell you what, I made my way to Indianapolis, Indiana, went to the Indiana State Fair. Complete strangers came up to me wanting hugs. It was wonderful. Um, I went up to Minnesota and interviewed some folks that were from here.

Vanessa: Oh, wow.

Garnet Bernice: Um, we're up on the. Yeah, I sure did.

Vanessa: What a small world.

Garnet Bernice: That were up there on the Vikings. They were trying out for the Vikings. The NFL team went up there and we interviewed. I love that up in Minnesota. We did. Trying, um, to think what else around here. I just, I go out and about. This is what I do. I go out and promote the good stuff that's happening around here. The local, the cheer teams, the ball teams, the stuff that's happening down at the Pullman in the square, like in the summertime when they have that music stuff going on. And we've had all these festivals. We got the Hot Dog festival.

Vanessa: We have so many around here locally. We really do. There's so many great things to do and see in this community. That's a big reason why I started this podcast was I wanted to showcase the wonderful things that we have in our tri state area. So I love that you're out and about and enjoying them.

Garnet Bernice: It's fun when you go out and you hobnob with these highfalutin people.

Vanessa: Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah.

Garnet Bernice: It's a fun time.

Vanessa: It's fun to get dressed up and, uh, go out and just let it all hang out.

Garnet Bernice: You know, I get my fanciest house coat on and I do.

Vanessa: I love it. I love it so much. So, um, the first video that you did, were you shocked by the support when you went live for the first time?

Garnet Bernice: I have to tell you, I really was. I was really shocked that people were liking it and sharing it. And I don't know, I don't always go back and look at that stuff because it's. I'll be honest with you, it's not. That part's not real important to me as far as number. I love to make people laugh. However many followers or likes I have. That part is not what I put a big emphasis on. Because if I make one person laugh, that matters to me.

Vanessa: I love it. Yes, I love that. So when you started getting all the followers, did your sister get jealous? Was she jealous of the attention?

Garnet Bernice: No, not at all. I tell you what, Bless her heart. But, uh, we love to get together. It's a fun time. And I tell you, I was telling. When I had the first one, Melba and Cecil are my neighbors and I was telling them that they got to get ready for it too. So I think that everybody in the world helping everybody and building everybody up and not breaking everybody down is what it's all about.

Vanessa: I agree with that. Um, I. I love the support that your community shows you.

Garnet Bernice: They're wonderful. I love it.

Vanessa: They are so good to you. They're good to you.

Garnet Bernice: They're really good to. Tell you what. People have even sent me gifts in the mail. They sent me a gift.

Vanessa: What have they sent you?

Garnet Bernice: They have sent me brooches. They've sent me earrings.

Vanessa: I love it.

Garnet Bernice: They have. Yep. They've sent me signs. They. Yes.

Vanessa: I love that.

Garnet Bernice: They send me cards.

Vanessa: Cards are the best. That is a lost art.

Garnet Bernice: Because they write down. Yes. They have such nice things to say.

Vanessa: Well, I love that. I love that people are sharing their joy back with you because you're bringing them joy.

Garnet Bernice: I think I'm bringing them a piece of their memory of, uh, maybe their childhood of their great grandma. Their grandma. Their aunt. Yeah.

Vanessa: Yeah. Sitting here across from you, I feel like I could be going to Sunday school with my grandmother.

Garnet Bernice: You can almost smell fried chicken.

Vanessa: Yes, absolutely. Pecan pie. It's a good time. It's fun to have these memories while we're sitting here talking. Um, I think we've covered everything. Um, there is one little thing that I'd like to talk on. Um, I know that you are a big fan of the Goodwill.

Garnet Bernice: Love the Goodwill. Most of my house coats come from the Goodwill.

Vanessa: Do they?

Garnet Bernice: Yep, I do. And I go to. I tell you, wherever I'm visiting, I find a Goodwill too. So if I'm in any.

Vanessa: So you're for traveling. Okay.

Garnet Bernice: Oh, and I did forget to tell you, I went on a cruise this past summer.

Vanessa: Oh, let me hear about that.

Garnet Bernice: I was out in the Caribbean and so that was one of the travel that I did do. And it was a good time too. There wasn't a Goodwill on the boat, though.

Vanessa: Oh, that's a bummer.

Garnet Bernice: I know. But Goodwill, I do love it. Um, it goes to a lot of good causes. It helps a lot of people here. And I tell you what, I took a tour one time in the back that shows you where all the. A lot of the proceeds go into helping people who work Back air.

Vanessa: Mhm.

Garnet Bernice: And uh, they give a lot of second chances to people that other People wouldn't give second chances to.

Vanessa: I love that. I didn't know that about Goodwill.

Garnet Bernice: They do. And they give a lot of people jobs that have abilities, not disabilities.

Vanessa: I love that.

Garnet Bernice: Uh, yep. Everybody has a place, and Goodwill is a place that makes them feel like what they do matters.

Vanessa: Oh, I love that.

Garnet Bernice: That's wonderful.

Vanessa: I love that you're supporting that across the nation. Wherever you're traveling to, you're not just doing it here at home.

Garnet Bernice: Wherever I go, I love it.

Vanessa: I love it so much. One more thing I wanted to ask you was, where is your favorite place to go in our community? I love to ask all of our listeners, what is your favorite place about our community here? Well, m. If you had someone come in town, you had to show them one thing.

Garnet Bernice: Goodwill. Of course. If we're gonna go shopping, you're gonna go shopping. I like that I will say this because, as my daddy would call it, it's an eatery, but I love, love going down on the west 14th at that central City Cafe.

Vanessa: Oh, that is a winner. Yes, that is a winner.

Garnet Bernice: Tell you what, they got the best tomato soup.

Vanessa: Yeah, I was getting ready to say my favorite is the a bisque. It's so good. It's delicious piece of cornbread.

Garnet Bernice: And the folks who run that place, I'm telling you, it needs. If y'all come in town, you gotta hit that.

Vanessa: You gotta. That is a. And, you know, the. The West End has really been revamped in the last couple of years.

Garnet Bernice: It has.

Vanessa: And it is beautiful down there, especially this time of year. They've got new Christmas lights, and it is just beautiful. I. I love that that was your choice of place. Somewhere you would take an outsider.

Garnet Bernice: I would.

Vanessa: And I love that we both share the love of the tomato soup.

Garnet Bernice: Delicious.

Vanessa: Um, so is there any future, uh, plans for events or appearances that you should. We should be looking out for?

Garnet Bernice: Well, I've been invited a lot of places, so we're gonna start filling my calendar up. Uh, I do know in the near future that, um, I did have someone reach out to me down in Tennessee. And, uh, she runs the entertainment at a retirement community. And, um, she invited me down there to stay and to play bingo and, um, to, uh, entertain.

Vanessa: I love that so much.

Garnet Bernice: I think it's called, uh, maybe a bean auction or a pinto bean. I'd have to look back at my paperwork, but they do an auction. Everybody gets about 10 beans, and they start auctioning stuff off.

Vanessa: How fun.

Garnet Bernice: And you, yes, you cash in your beans for the bones.

Vanessa: I love it. That sounds so fun. That's worth traveling to Tennessee for.

Garnet Bernice: Uh, that's gonna be coming up. And here's a little secret here. Soon y'all are gonna see Garnet in Disney World.

Vanessa: Not Disney. Oh my goodness.

Garnet Bernice: Uh huh.

Vanessa: You're gonna have so much fun.

Garnet Bernice: You've got a date with a mouse down there.

Vanessa: I love it. I love it so much. You're gonna have such a good time. Such a good time.

Garnet Bernice: Minnie's gon jealous, but that's okay.

Vanessa: Well, it's that mink. You've got to recover.

Garnet Bernice: It's the mink.

Vanessa: You're beating her out. Beating her out every time.

Garnet Bernice: Sorry, Minnie.

Vanessa: All right, well, I appreciate you being on the show and we love you. And I am seeing now why you have so many fans. Thank you for being on.

Garnet Bernice: Thank you for having me. Honey.

Vanessa: Not a problem.

Garnet Bernice: I'll be seeing you at bingo.

Vanessa: Um, absolutely.

Brett Johnson: Thanks for listening to the Tri State Time Machine. Brought to you by Alex R. White pllcudistractedriver.com if you have a memory you want Vanessa to talk more about, just send her an email@tstmail m.com or post a comment on the Tri State Time Machine Facebook page. Did you like the episode? Be sure to share it with friends and family. It's the only way we can continue this fun work that we do. You can find a link in the Show Notes that you can use to share it. And be sure to let our split sponsors know you like the podcast as well. Their contact information can be found in this episode's Show Notes.