Firecracker Baby

Never a Dull Moment...

2011-12-27T23:13:00.002-05:00

I know, I know... it's been nearly three months since my last post. To sum up what has been happening, let me just say... Mam-ma Polly, Timothy, and the holidays!

Timothy spent several months visiting with us and my sister and her husband. He returned to live with his mother and baby sister, Zola, in Texas on December 3rd, and we miss them all dearly.

Mam-ma spent six days in the hospital in early December, then fell on Christmas Eve as she got out of the car at our house and suffered a head injury. Thankfully it was not too serious, although she did spend two nights in the hospital. To read more about all of this, visit my blog at The Deli.

We are looking forward to a quiet start to the new year. We've enjoyed watching songbirds in our back yard and an occasional sighting of a bald eagle that appears to be wintering in our neighborhood. We saw him soaring over the river on Christmas Eve... he is majestic! We've also enjoyed seeing the Trumpeter Swans and hope to visit Magness Lake again soon to see if even more have arrived for the winter.

In case I don't get back to this blog in the next few days, Greg and I wish you all a very happy, healthy New Year. We hope that 2012 is filled with joy and blessings and an abundance of prosperity.

Remember to eat your black-eyed peas and greens!

Happy New Year!

Swimming with Great-Granny

2011-10-02T22:06:00.002-05:00

Timmy is loving his swims at the Community Center with his Granny - my mother. Last week while we were at the pool, the swim team came for practice. Timmy was so intrigued with all of the children who were swimming and splashing. He will be joining them soon, at this rate!

New Pictures to Share

2011-09-14T12:45:00.003-05:00

We're having a lot of fun these days spending time with our favorite guy, Timothy. Here are a few new pictures to enjoy...

Timmy and our neighbor Wilda greet her dog Dolly.

So Long, Birthday Buddy...

2011-08-29T16:19:00.011-05:00

For as long as I can remember (and that's probably better than 50 years now!), almost every time I'd see Geraldine McCurry, she would tell the story of how she met my mother in Kendrick's Jewelry in late June 1957, and my mother was already overdue to deliver me. "MawMac," as I came to call her, said she told my mother, "You've waited this long... just wait and have her on my birthday... and she did!" Of course, there was great detail to the story that I won't share here, but suffice it to say, this began a long-standing tradition of sharing birthday cake, cards, phone calls and more every July 4th for 54 years. I made her a card this year for her 93rd birthday that said, "You're the Queen of Birthdays"... and in my book, she really was.

MawMac died last night, two days after the death of her youngest daughter, Mary. We were not surprised by either death, but you are never quite ready. Mary was born with cerebral palsy, and she truly was a brilliant girl trapped in a crippled body. Mary would have been 60 in October. To the credit of her family, she was always treated the same as any other child, save her physical limitations. In the era in which we grew up, children with CP and other disabilities were often sent to live in facilities where people felt they could receive better care from trained professionals. The McCurrys had none of that! It helped that Mr. McCurry owned the local Chevrolet dealership and they were able to afford live-in help to assist them, but I have a feeling that they would have figured out a way to care for Mary on their own anyway.

Photo of Paul Logan's 2nd birthday party in 1957.
Mary McCurry, Paul's neighbor, is on far right.
Thanks to Paul for sharing this photo on Facebook recently.

When Mary's caregiver became unable to work any longer, and MawMac reached an age where she could no longer manage, the family agreed for Mary to move to Conway to the Human Development Center. But MawMac didn't just leave her there. She trekked to Conway frequently... and she told me she always took Mary a beloved hamburger from her favorite fast food joint when she visited. More than once later in life, MawMac suffered debilitating accidents that would have been the end of most women her age. But she would say, "I have to get well, so that I can drive again and go see about Mary!"

Every year when I was a child, I would exchange birthday cake with MawMac. At that time, her mother, Granny Monroe, made her cakes. Granny Monroe always inserted a dime and a button in the batter. The story was that whoever got the dime would marry a rich man, and whoever got the button would remain an old maid! I've had both!

As the years came and went, MawMac began to shrink. In medical terms, she had osteoporosis. But when I would see her, she would say, "You know, I'm shrinking!" I remember seeing her one day in Wal-Mart, and she needed an item from one of the shelves, but she had no way of reaching it... and I'm not talking the top shelf! Gladly, I retrieved the item for her... I wish now I could remember what it was, because it was something that most cooks don't even have in their kitchen today - but she still used it!

Andrea, MawMac's oldest daughter, likes to tell how they would come home from school in the afternoons, and MawMac would be doing her household chores - in a dress, nice jewelry and high heels. In fact, until just a few years ago, you never saw MawMac without her heels. I wouldn't say they were still all that high, but she was always nicely dressed and considered it poor taste to go out in public otherwise.

A few years ago, my church's Praise Band was asked to perform for the Rotary Club Christmas party. We were told to bring our spouses, but Greg had something else to do that evening. So I phoned MawMac and asked, "Would you like to be my date?" She was thrilled. Her husband, Andrew, had been a Rotarian, and it brought back so many happy memories for her to attend this dinner. When I picked her up, she looked darling - all dressed up and wearing her mink coat! She looked like a little doll... and we had such a good time together.

In recent months, MawMac moved to Southridge Assisted Living Facility, where my grandmother now resides. In fact, they shared a table for meals with two other ladies who have been part of my life forever... Mrs. Evelyn Alexander and Mrs. Ruth Garner. I visited MawMac frequently, and just before our birthdays, I went to see her and we swapped stories of the "old days" in Heber Springs.

She showed me the blouse that Andrea had made her for their July 4th festivities... a darling little number in golden beige polyester with red/white/blue stars, and buttons in red, white and blue that looked like it would fit a small child. She had white pants and red/white/blue shoes to match... and a red/white/blue headband with shooting stars to boot! She never lost her zest for birthdays and celebrations, and while she had been quite ill and lethargic for some time, she rallied to attend more than one party that holiday weekend.

I loved MawMac's dedication... to Andrew, her daughters - especially Mary - to her community, and to her church. I will never forget her standing up at the 50th annual Little Miss Cleburne County contest in Spring Park and telling the emcee, "I've never missed a one!" I don't think she missed many church services, PTA meetings, weddings or funerals, either. You could always count on MawMac for support... in everything. Someone recalled on Facebook yesterday the Sunday that MawMac wheeled Mary to the front of the church to profess her faith in Jesus. She recalled that "Mrs. McCurry said, 'I just couldn't hold her back any longer, she just insisted that I roll her down here. Mary spoke with her eyes, and said she wanted to be saved. It was so moving!!!'"

MawMac gave me so much good advice, and for the life of me, I can't come up with a single line to share right now. I'm overwhelmed by thoughts of her and Mary, standing tall, whole and upright in heaven at the feet of Jesus. What a sad day for us... but what a great day for both of them.

So I will just end this with a happy story. When MawMac turned 90 three years ago, I wanted to get her something special... something useful, but original. Since every time we met, she would say, "You know, I've shrunk four inches (or five)," I decided she could use a booster seat. Not just any seat would do... I found one that looked like the yellow pages for a major metropolitan city. I ordered it, and when it arrived, I wrapped it carefully and delivered the package to her house. She wasn't home, so I left the package and a card on her doorstep.

The next thing I heard was that she had carried her "phone book" to church and used it at a church dinner. Subsequently, she took that thing everywhere with her... and she LOVED it! I loved that she got the joke... and used it anyway! Here are pictures taken at MawMac's 90th (and my 51st) birthday... and a great one taken the same day of MawMac and all of her daughters.

We're going to miss MawMac and Mary, but Heaven just got two humdinger angels for the bridge club. I like to think that they are there ahead of us, getting things in order. And I'm sure MawMac has on her pearls, her high heels, and maybe her shooting-star headband!

Timothy is Here!

2011-08-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

Timothy is here for an extended stay. His family came for a visit, and he stayed to spend time with his GaGa, Paw-Paw, and us for awhile. He was just at our house for three days, and I noticed he picked up our ceiling fan remote, held it to his ear, and pretended to "talk talk", as he puts it, to someone on the telephone. Later, I saw him do this again and grabbed the camera. Here's what happened next...

New Pictures of the Babies

2011-06-30T20:50:00.000-05:00

These are the latest pictures of our babies, Timothy and Zola, taken this week. They are in Texas with their mother, Jasmine, and Zola's dad, Jamison... visiting Jamison's family. We miss them so much, but we are thankful to have the Internet and Facebook so that photos can be shared. They are both growing so fast. Hopefully they will be home soon, so we can snuggle them and spoil them rotten!

Welcome to the World, Zola Claudette!

2011-06-07T17:17:00.001-05:00

Our newest family addition arrived last Tuesday, May 31st. Zola Claudette weighed 5 lbs., 15 oz., and measured 19 inches in length. She is beyond TINY... delicate and beautiful. Greg and I kept Timothy for a week while she was making her debut and getting settled at home with her mom and grandparents. We took Timmy to the hospital to see her, and he kissed her, patted her head, and then whapped her! His visit was, understandably... brief!

Since he has gone home, Timothy has been a model big brother. Jasmine reports that he kisses Zola, pats her head and talks to her, and that he even placed his most beloved Puffalump stuffed toy in her bassinet. Hopefully this trend will continue... yeah... what am I thinking?!

Happy Birthday, Timothy!

2011-05-18T15:00:00.002-05:00

Our little Timothy turned TWO last week. We had a birthday party at our house to celebrate with family and friends. Timmy loved it! His PawPaw made him a cake that resembled "Jack" from "Jack's Big Music Show" on NickJr.

Earlier in the week, we had kept Timothy for the day, and he had such fun playing on our stairs. We've only recently let him climb up and down them, and this is now his favorite pasttime - besides watching "Jack's Big Music Show" on NickJr. While he was on the stairs, an episode of "Jack" was playing, and Timmy could hear the music. He decided to sing along. This was the result...

Remembering My Cousin, Carla Lou

2011-05-15T22:52:00.001-05:00

Four weeks ago tonight, Greg and I were having dinner when I received a phone call from my friend, Scott Westerman, who is also a classmate and dear friend of my cousin, Carla Lou Huson. Scott was frantically telling me "urgent news" about Carla, some guy named Mark, a brain bleed, and Baptist Hospital in Little Rock. I could not put it all together.

My cousin Carla Lou moved to Columbus, Ohio, almost 15 years ago. Eight years younger than I, we grew close in adulthood and remained so until a number of years ago. Carla's mother, Luella, was my dad's first cousin. Luella suffered a stroke in the 1990s that left her unable to speak more than a word or two... and in 2004, she died. Carla's grandmother, Bessie, and my Mam-ma Polly were sisters. Carla's paternal grandmother, Ethel, was a sister to my great-grandmother Myrtle. So Carla's dad and my maternal grandmother were first cousins. We referred to ourselves as "double cousins."

But back to Palm Sunday. Scott was finally able to make me understand that Carla was in Little Rock attending a 25th reunion of her college class from Hendrix. While sitting and visiting with classmates and friends on the patio of a friend with whom she was staying, Carla became incoherent and collapsed. Her friends quickly rushed her to Baptist Medical Center, where doctors decided she had experienced a brain bleed... and it did not look good. As the night progressed, the diagnosis changed to aneurysm. Carla was on a vent and unresponsive. Her friends held vigil at the hospital.

Carla's fiance, David, flew to Little Rock on a chartered plane to be at her bedside. He was able to speak to her and spend some time with her before she died around 1:30 a.m. on Monday, April 18th.

A graveside memorial service was held for Carla on Wednesday, April 20th, followed by another memorial service that evening on the Hendrix College campus. I did not attend the Hendrix memorial, but I hear it was a great evening of remembering Carla with stories, music, and more. Dozens of her friends, including many college classmates, came for the service at the cemetery. It was bittersweet to meet so many nice friends of Carla's... but not until she was gone.

Carla and I had not spoken in about 7 years. I had suggested she do something she didn't want to do, and that was that. As I talked with friends of Carla's at the cemetery, several shared their experiences with Carla and "the time when she didn't speak to me for xyz years!" That was Carla... when you crossed her, she cut you out of her life for awhile... but rarely forever. Given enough time, I am sure that we would have reconciled... and I know she knew I loved her. I had sent her birthday wishes via Facebook on February 27th - her 46th birthday. Though she never responded to my Facebook posts, she had accepted my friend request, so I know she saw at least some of them.

Carla was a brilliant, beautiful woman. She followed in a few of my my footsteps and finished high school early, moving on to Hendrix after her junior year. She became an elementary school teacher, then a reading specialist, and when she passed, she was a behavioral specialist for the Columbus Public Schools. I'm sure she was great at what she did.

Carla loved books and often read a book a week, or more. She was one of only a few women I know personally who truly loved football and longed for an entire Sunday of football games to watch on TV. And Carla loved pink. Some of the guys from her class wore pink ties to the memorial service in honor of her memory. Carla had her dad's quick - and sometimes sharp - wit and her mother's tall, dark-haired beauty. Carla missed her mother terribly - and one of our last visits was spent sharing recipes and household hints and tips - things she said "I wish my mother could tell me, but she can't."

I know that Carla is so thrilled to be with her mom and her "Nonnie" (grandmother Bessie) and other loved ones once again. I'm sure they have not hushed since she got there. I'm going to miss Carla so much. I know her friends will truly miss her - and David will have a huge hole in his life with her gone. But I will remember the fun times we shared - the trip to the flea market in Canton, Texas... secrets shared...and family ties. I will remember Carla often, with love... and smiles.

Most of the photos published here were taken during the 25th class reunion held the weekend Carla died... and posted by her classmates on Facebook. I am forever grateful to them for sharing these photos and allowing us to see Carla happy, beautiful, and having such a wonderful time. Carla loved her friends dearly, and after meeting many of them... I can see why.

R.I.P. Carla Lou Huson - February 27, 1965 - April 18, 2011

When the Moon Hits Your Eye...

2011-03-21T12:44:00.004-05:00

Okay, I'll admit... I'm obsessed with the moon! I've tried for several years now to get good shots of it in all its glory. We have a perfect observation point from our back porch, and some of the moonrises we've seen here in the last nearly four years have been nothing short of spectacular.

Additionally, after months of reading to Timothy from his storybooks about the moon and the night, he finally discovered that big ball in the sky for himself last week, and I told him, "That's the moon!" When his mother arrived to collect him, he pointed to the big yellow ball and said, "MOON!" Made my day!

So when the "BIG MOON" hype started last weekend, and the moon rose over our valley, I was determined to get some pictures. Here's a sampling of what I've gotten in the last two nights. (Click any photo to see larger size.)

Been a Busy Month...

2011-02-19T13:24:00.000-05:00

Please forgive my lack of posts to this blog lately. It's been a busy month. We've had a lot of snowy weather, which has been beautiful, but it has presented challenges, too. We're still working on getting my grandmother moved to an assisted living facility, and praying that THIS is the week that it happens. You can learn more about that journey on The Deli... my blog for such things.

Meanwhile, here are a few pictures of the last beautiful snow we had in February... spring is surely on its way, and I'll post more soon!

BIG Bird!

2011-01-22T12:35:00.002-05:00

Greg snapped these photos of a pileated woodpecker feasting at our suet cake on Wednesday. We see one quite often - possibly this same bird. He is amazing... and very big! Keep in mind, the suet cake cage is about 5" x 6"!

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

2011-01-22T00:28:00.001-05:00

It's been wayyyy to long since I've updated this blog. Been busy with Christmas, antiques, and getting my grandmother admitted to an Assisted Living Facility, with a little Timothy time and "life" thrown in as well. We have now had two nice snows...each about 4" or so. The bluff is beautiful in snowfall... and more is predicted.

We're enjoying watching the birds... have a pileated woodpecker who is frequenting our suet cake with the downy and hairy woodpeckers. The cardinals are always fun, and we're having quite a few pine warblers. Greg is staying busy keeping sunflower seeds in the feeder!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T22:53:00.000-05:00

We had lunch at my mom's house today. There were ten adults and Timothy. Mom's sister, Diane, drove down from Fayetteville to join us. I don't think I had seen her in almost nine years. I messed up and deleted some early photos from my camera, so I am missing some shots of Greg with Timothy and some darling pictures of Timothy helping his Papa Lee load the dishwasher... as fast as Lee put in silverware, Timmy took it out or rearranged it! And a good time was had by all!

Halloween on the Bluff

2010-11-08T14:00:00.009-05:00

I have tons of cute pictures from Halloween, but uploading them on this blog is taking FOREVER... the new blogger upload device is not user friendly for vertical shots! Sooo you will just have to go to my Facebook page to see all of the cute photos. BOO!

Chili Supper on the Bluff

2010-11-08T13:41:00.003-05:00

We had "chili supper" for my family one evening in late October. We invited my mom and her husband Lee, my sister and her husband Mike, Mam-ma Polly, Jasmine and her boyfriend Jamison - and Timothy, of course! We also included my cousins - the "Falls" - Janette, Natalie and Darrell and their children - Olivia and Owen, and Franklin and his wife Tracy. We had such a good time... Timmy had never met Owen and Olivia, and he was enthralled with them. Everyone enjoyed visiting and watching the kids play and dance. As we like to say in our family... "A good time was had by all!"

Long Time, No See...

2010-10-17T13:35:00.001-05:00

I did not realize it had been SO long since I last posted to this blog. A lot has happened since the middle of August. Greg's mother had serious back trouble in early September that kept her in bed for about 2 weeks - and kept us busy. Then I caught some sort of respiratory "bug" and literally lost my voice for 8 full days. Sprinkled in were auctions, errands, visits from Timothy, a family dinner, and "life."

There have been a couple of interesting "photo ops" along the way. We have a resident black squirrel - a novelty in our neck of the woods that is more commonly seen in the northern climates of Canada and upper New England. He is a mutation of a grey squirrel, and we've seen him twice now - both times in the company of smaller grey companions. (Greg took the squirrel photos - as always, click for larger view.)

Fall weather waxes and wanes on our bluff, and one crisp afternoon I coaxed Timothy to take a nap while bundled snugly in a throw on our back porch glider. He slept like an angel, and I couldn't resist getting a picture!

Last week, we had a brief tickle (or was it a trickle?!) of respite from our better-than-month-long drought, as the tiniest of rain showers grazed our yard. However, it brought more substantial rain, lightning, thunder, and this amazing rainbow to points just north and east of us. I followed the track of the storm as it created a full arc of rainbow from just over Greers Ferry Dam to the Little Red River Valley and beyond in the direction of Wilburn, Arkansas. It was an amazing sight, and I was glad my camera was handy!

Baptism at Sandy Beach

2010-08-17T09:33:00.002-05:00

Saturday, August 14th, four young people from our church were baptized at Sandy Beach: our niece Erin Rezanka, Hailey Crowder, Alexis Evans, and Bryce Strawn. There were probably 50 or 60 people there on a very hot Saturday morning - about 100 degrees by the time we finished shortly before 11:00 a.m. But we wouldn't have missed it for the world. We are very proud of Erin and her friends. What a great day we had celebrating their new lives in Christ!

A 101st Birthday Party...

2010-07-18T20:28:00.002-05:00

Today I took my grandmother to the 101st birthday party for her lifelong friend, Lois Crook Taylor. Mrs. Taylor's children and grand-children have hosted a party for her at Wagon Wheel RV Resort, which they own/operate on the Little Red River. Mam-ma Polly is always an honored guest. Today was no exception, as nearly 100 people gathered to celebrate this grand lady. Mrs. Lois looked great, and Mam-ma was dolled up and looking better than she has in weeks! She was so excited about this birthday party.

People marveled that Mam-ma will be 98 in November. Mrs. Lois' brother, Grimm Magness (I hope I spelled his name correctly), came from Oklahoma... he will be 90 soon. He is the man posing in some of the photos with Mam-ma Polly. A delicious buffet meal was served, including fresh fruits, grilled pork loin and fried chicken... and two kinds of cake!

When we left, the family was already talking with Mrs. Lois about her 102nd birthday party. Somehow, I think she might just make it!

Summer Visit from the Dollar Family

2010-07-17T17:24:00.000-05:00

My friend Marla Ann ( Baker) Dollar and her grandchildren... Griffin, Ruby Ann, and Roman Guy... came for a visit last night. They try to visit Heber Springs once each summer for a few days. They live in Fayetteville. The children belong to Marla's daughter, Molly. Griffin will be 12 in October, Ruby will be 9 in August, and Roman will be 7 in December. They had never met Timmy, and he surely had fun with them... especially playing with Ruby and trying to emulate the "big boys" with the legos and cars.

When we posed, I asked the kids to give me one "silly face," and they delivered! Great kids... always fun to see them! I just realized I didn't get a single picture of Greg with the kids... so sorry, honey!

Timmy's First Haircut

2010-07-15T21:57:00.003-05:00

I took Timothy to get his hair cut today at the barber shop of my friend since childhood, Roy Dale "Tiger" Archer. Timmy sat as still as a churchmouse... Tiger worked like lightning... and the result was perfect! What a wonderful experience! Yes, we got curls for the scrapbooks! BTW... Timmy fell down and put a "boo-boo" on his face at his mom's over the weekend.

A Photo from the Past

2010-07-03T14:14:00.000-05:00

My mom brought me an early birthday present today, and in the sack were photos from a trip she and my daddy took to Silver Dollar City in 1997. They were "craftsmen" for a day, and tried their hand at such activities as running a band saw. This photo was taken in September 1997, shortly before my dad had the arteriogram that brought on his renal failure. That was a happy summer for my dad, and I'm thrilled to have the photos.

Fun With Kelsey!

2010-06-01T22:52:00.005-05:00

Recently our nephew John and his wife Leslie came to visit John's parents (Greg's brother) in Little Rock. John and Leslie live in St. Louis with their baby, Kelsey, who turned 6 months old while they were visiting. We had fun watching Kelsey roll over and coo and "perform" as babies do... and of course, we snapped dozens of photos!

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-10T10:51:00.000-05:00

Greg and I hosted everyone for lunch at our house on Mother's Day. We had lunch and a visit - lots of cards and gifts - and of course, a "floor show" from Timmy. Everyone seemed to enjoy the time together - FIVE generations represented... my Mam-ma Polly, Mom, my sister Suzanne, Jasmine, and Timmy... plus mom's husband, Lee, Greg and me, Suzanne's husband, Mike, and Greg's mother, Elaine... known to Timmy as "Grandma Elaine!"

Mam-ma is so crazy about Timmy, and he was very sweet with her. He even gave her kisses! Happy Mother's Day to all the moms!

Busy Weekend - Busy Month!

2010-05-08T21:01:00.004-05:00

May is turning into a busy month! This morning we went to the wedding of a family friend... and the bridal shower of another couple who will marry in July and attend our alma mater, Arkansas Tech. My Sunday School students and those I worked with in youth group a few years ago are now all getting married! As if this weren't evidence enough that time marches onward, Timothy will be one year old this week! We recently enjoyed a morning breeze on the back deck and got some great pictures of him. Click any image to enlarge.

Everyone is coming to our house for Mother's Day lunch. It will be good to be together. Graduation is Friday night - our "step-nephew" and the sons and daughters of several close friends are graduating. More evidence that time does NOT stand still!

We Were Here First!

2010-04-06T22:41:00.001-05:00

This photo is a few weeks old now, but for the most part, our cats have either ignored Timothy or cut him a wide berth... until this.

Mabel discovered the playpen... and Lucy found some of Timothy's toys that were on a blanket in the floor and batted them around for a while.

Mabel jumped up on the window ledge, then down into the playpen. Once there, she had trouble determining how to exit. She could have eventually figured it out, but I gave her a little help, and she has not been back in - as far as I know!

Our Little Buckaroo is Growing!

2010-03-11T16:22:00.006-05:00

Our little buckaroo" will be 10 months old this Saturday... hard to believe. He's just spent a couple of days and nights with us, and we had such a great time together.

This little outfit - an "OkieDokie" - came from the consignment shop... I think it was $1!!! Whoever left it there... THANK YOU! It has a horse with a "mane" on the front, and on the back it says "Giddy-Up!" But this kid would be adorable in anything, don't you agree?!

Let's Hear it for Arkansas Tech - Go Wonderboys and Golden Suns!

2010-03-10T11:39:00.001-05:00

Greg and I traveled to Southaven, Mississippi (just south of Memphis) on Sunday to attend the Gulf South Championship basketball tournament finals. Both the Wonderboys of Arkansas Tech and the Golden Suns won to take home their conference championship trophies. We enjoyed watching two great games. The girls won at the buzzer in double overtime. The men won on a 3-point shot right before the buzzer.

Heber Springs' own Laithe Massey is a junior guard for the Wonderboys. Laithe had the assist for the winning basket in the tournament. We've watched him since he played in high school for the Panthers, and we are proud of him on and off the court.

Tech will host the first round of the NCAA Division II tournament this weekend in Russellville - for women AND men. We hope to make it to a few games and cheer on our alma mater. It's great to be an ATU alumnus these days!

(Thanks to the ATU athletics web page for the photo! - www.athletics.atu.edu)

Big Snow of January 2010

2010-02-01T11:27:00.002-05:00

We got a beautiful winter snow the last few days of January... seven inches or more in a few areas. We measured 9.5" in a snowdrift near our garage. Timmy has been with us for more than a week, because his mother is working and his grandparents are iced in... so he has been stuck with us! He doesn't seem to mind. It should warm up this week and melt much of the snow and

ice. Wonder what February will bring?!

(The Dam is there! It's hidden by snowfall!)

Backyard Bird Watching - January 25, 2010

2010-01-25T18:46:00.007-05:00

Greg and I spent better than an hour watching birds in the backyard this morning. First we spotted a hawk we think is a Broad-Winged... then we saw a pair of bald eagles. We also filled our bird feeders and got LOTS of songbirds... they say a winter storm is coming late week, and I think the birds, squirrels and chipmunks "power-loaded" today!

New Year, New Booth, and More!

2010-01-05T20:55:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year! I am now officially a booth tenant at T.P. Lillie & Co. on Main Street in Heber Springs. I moved in Saturday, and people were buying my treasures as I pulled them from the boxes! The store is bright, clean, cheerful, and just a wonderful place to shop, so I hope lots of people will do just that!

Yesterday was "the day" for taking down Christmas trees and packing away Santas, nativities, and all things that related to Christmas. I left out some greenery and the snowmen for winter... and we are certainly having winter these days, with highs below freezing and lows in single digits... and SNOW!!!

Last night as I undressed the big Christmas tree, I spotted the moon rising over the valley, and it was eerily spectacular, even in its reduced state. As it rose, the orange glow became more yellow and bright, but it was all beautiful.

Hope you are warm and dry this week!

The View from Our Window

2009-12-23T15:15:00.003-05:00

Timmy is here... sick with stomach flu - his grandmother has it also. We are trying to get well for Christmas. We were rocking in the sun room, and this is what I spotted out the window... we've seen one mature bald eagle flying around here a few times, but to see TWO mature bald eagles sitting in the trees below our house is amazing! One turned and looked right at me!!!

2009-12-09T18:15:00.007-05:00

Season’s Greetings!

We can sum up this past year in two words… “OH BABY!” We added three new babies to our family in 2009:

• Timothy Michael was born May 13th to Debbie’s niece, Jasmine.
• Owen Nicholas became Debbie’s newest cousin – born to Natalie, Darrell and Olivia Norton on June 23rd.
• Kelsey Lynn Robus became the newest addition to Greg’s side of the house on November 23rd… she was born to Greg’s nephew, John, and Leslie Robus in St. Louis.

All three babies are healthy and well and pure delights.

Jasmine is attending college at ASU-Heber Springs and working as a Certified Nurse’s Aide (CNA) at one of our nursing homes. So while she is attending classes and working, we help with Timothy! He is at our house at least two afternoons a week, and sometimes overnight. We never dreamed that at this stage of our lives we would have all of the baby trappings – crib, high chair, car seat, playpen, stroller, and more… but we are having so much fun! We don’t see as much of Owen, because his family is so busy, and of course, we have yet to meet Kelsey Lynn in person – but we hope to meet her very soon!

Other than that, the weather was probably the big story of the year. We had two major ice storms in January and February. Then in the spring - and again in the fall, we had flooding. We were fortunate that we made it through all weather phenomena unscathed, but other family members and friends were not so lucky.

We celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary in August. It seems like those years just flew by, and we are quite sure we have not changed since 1974… well, almost! Debbie’s grandmother, Polly, celebrated her 97th birthday in November and continues to live alone in her own home, for which we are thankful.

Greg’s mother, Elaine, traveled to Iowa in July to celebrate the 100th birthday of her Aunt Vivian Setterberg. About a month later, Aunt Vivian passed away. Shortly after that, Elaine’s brother, Donnie, succumbed to leukemia. So it has been a year of loss for her. However, she is doing well, and she has taken on a new “avocation” – dog sitting. She has about six families for whom she dog-sits when they travel, and she really enjoys her four-legged charges.

Greg still delivers meals on wheels, and Debbie is still writing daily devotionals, maintaining blogs, and writing for a website called Helium.com. We still go to auctions and garage sales and sell a few things on Etsy and eBay. We are grateful for good health and this “transition” time in our lives that enables us to help with the babies and the senior citizens!

As always, we are grateful for the gift of Jesus Christ, because without Him, nothing else would matter. In this season of remembrance, focus on Jesus. Make Him the star of your Christmas, and everything else will fall into place. We pray that each of you will be healthy and well this holiday and in the coming year!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Greg & Debbie

Timothy Michael

Owen Nicholas

Kelsey Lynn

Roaring - and Rare - Sight

2009-12-04T23:14:00.006-05:00

Because of all of the heavy rainfall we had in 2009, including spring AND fall floods, Greers Ferry Lake is being drawn down to normal level. This is happening now, when crops are hopefully "in" - and before more rains occur. So yesterday morning at 8:00, the horn blew at the dam, and two gates were opened. This morning around 10:15, the roar increased, and we looked up and FOUR gates were open!

The gates have been opened for a few minutes about three times since we moved to the bluff, but never for very long. However, these are scheduled to be open - to some extent - for as much as a month, according to some information. The Corps of Engineers closely monitors the lake level, and the officials have a goal in mind for a suitable lake level, so they will know how long it will take to attain that. Several swim/launching/camping areas are presently under water, so I'm thinking it might take several weeks, at least, to drain down that much water. Meanwhile, I noticed on Facebook that several who live along the river are mighty unhappy and not excited about potential flooding in their direction - or at least an increase in the water level.

At any rate, it's made for some exciting photos on our end. This morning we went down to the power house and took some up closer and over to the JFK overlook for a few. Greg even shot some video. Greg's mother, Elaine, went with us. There are still two gates to go - will they open, too?!

Thanksgiving on the Bluff

2009-11-30T16:48:00.010-05:00

We had a beautiful, crisp fall day for Thanksgiving this year. There were nine at our table, plus Timothy, who played in his Exersaucer and playpen while we ate. We had all the usual delicious dishes - roast turkey breast, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes (with marshmallows, of course!), green beans, seven layer pea salad, cranberry chutney, hot rolls, rice and green chiles casserole, deviled eggs, and of course, desserts - pumpkin and pecan pies and Italian cream cake - YUM! Did I mention we were stuffed?! And in four weeks, we'll do it all again!

Over the weekend, the house went from being filled with autumn/harvest colors to a Christmas wonderland! Mom and Greg helped me... and Timothy was around to provide sideline entertainment and diversion! But it's all done... bring on the snow and Santa!!!

Happy Birthday, Mam-ma Polly!

2009-11-04T16:18:00.007-05:00

My grandmother will be 97 years old on November 5th. We all gathered at the hospital cafeteria today for a celebratory lunch. Everyone was there... my mom and Lee, my sister Suzanne and her husband Mike, Jasmine, Timothy and Joseph, and Greg and me. Mam-ma had a good time, lunch was tasty, and she even saw some old dear friends who came by to wish her a Happy Birthday. (As always, click on any length to see larger photo!)

Trick-Or-Treating With Ada and Ladd

2009-11-02T21:40:00.004-05:00

Ladd and Ada Jane Choate and their parents, Stephen and Melissa, came by for some early Trick-or-Treating and a visit Saturday. Ladd was an alligator - Ada was a Ladybug. We were so glad to see all of them and catch up on things. Ladd will be 4 in December... Ada was 2 the end of August. We think they are adorable... don't you?!

Olivia and Owen were supposed to come by, but they got the flu, so we will have to "treat" them later!

Timmy Time!

2009-10-20T16:39:00.005-05:00

Granny and I caught Timothy in a very happy mood today and got some fun photos. If you are tired of looking at pictures of our baby, click to another site now!!!

Overdue...

2009-10-19T20:24:00.004-05:00

WOW... sorry! I didn't realize I had not posted in over a month! Guess I posted on Facebook and forgot this blog. Oh, well... fall has arrived on the bluff, and Timothy is growing like a weed. He now squeals and is very near having two lower teeth! He eats baby food and is still a very happy baby most of the time. We love having him with us on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons while his mom goes to ASU.

Writing and keeping up with Timothy, blogs, Mam-ma Polly, and daily life have kept me busy. We have had more than our share of rain and are now ready for a beautiful fall and some time on the back porch!

The first pictures were taken on October 13th. My mom - Timothy's great-granny - put him in the little oak rocker that was mine as a child. He wasn't quite sure what to think! The pictures of Timothy in the red shirt were taken September 24th. Greg's mother was here, and we made some pictures of her with the baby. The last two are OUR babies... Mabel and Lucy. They love the fall decorations and amuse themselves occasionally (or get our attention) by digging in the leaves!

Timothy's First Overnight on the Bluff!

2009-09-11T17:40:00.005-05:00

Timmy spent the night with us last night. Mam-ma Polly has been diagnosed with the shingles... see my posts at The Deli for details. Yesterday morning, Jasmine awoke dizzy and thinks she might even have passed out briefly. Diagnosis... inner ear infection. So Timothy was dropped at our house about 7:30 a.m., on the way to the ER with Jasmine. He stayed until noon today. We had a great time. He sat in his high chair and played with some toys, and he also discovered himself in the mirrors. Probably his favorite thing was watching TV with Uncle Greg... they watched NFL and college football, NASCAR qualifying, and CNBC! Timothy will be back on Tuesday afternoon while his mom goes to algebra class... we'll be ready!

Lucky on Labor Day!

2009-09-07T16:24:00.004-05:00

This morning I went out to clean my front porch. I have a metal bench there with an afghan and a large "quilted" pillow. When I picked up the pillow, it "stuck" to the afghan briefly, and when it pulled away, it opened this nest of bees/hornets/something buzzing! I ran inside and managed to avoid being stung. The nest is not as puffy in these photos because Greg had already sprayed it with something. I felt very lucky that neither of us got stung... Greg had just been sweeping in that corner a little earlier! Guess we won't be keeping an afghan/pillow on the porch again!

Happy 19th Birthday, Jasmine!

2009-08-29T20:04:00.006-05:00

Friday was Jasmine's 19th birthday. We celebrated with lunch at Michael's. Greg and I met Mom, Lee, Mam-ma Polly, Suzanne, Mike, Jasmine and Timmy there. We had a good time and got some great pics!

Where Did 35 Years Go?

2009-08-17T09:29:00.008-05:00

Sunday, August 16th, Greg and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary. Where did 35 years go? This is a photo of us that was taken in 1972... we were in high school. Greg was a senior - I was a freshman. We started dating in September 1971, when the school year began. Three years later, we were both students at Arkansas Tech and a "married couple!" We don't know what is next, but we know it will be an adventure! I've asked for 35 more years! Greg said he would be "old and crochety." I told him I would be, too, so that will be just fine!

We Were Together...

2009-08-12T11:47:00.004-05:00

This is pretty much all that is left of a family dinner that my grandmother prepared last night. She phoned me early afternoon and said she was preparing dinner for my mom and her husband, Lee - did Greg and I want to come? I told her I would check with Greg, and she said, "I don't know what you and your momma will eat (mom is diabetic - I have a corn allergy). I'm fixin' green beans, corn, sweet potatoes and a lemon pie." I asked her if I could bring some chicken, and she said, "Well your momma is bringing ribs. I told her I would just go out and get some ribs, and she said she already had ribs cooked." (How did Mam-ma think she would "go out" and get ribs? Mom says she never mentioned getting them to her... Mom offered to bring ribs, and Mam-ma accepted.)

I called Mam-ma back to tell her we would come for dinner and that I would bring some roasted chicken breasts, and I had checked with my mom, and she said she would take Mam-ma some potatoes to cook (Mam-ma's comment was... "I only have 2 Irish potatoes.") We hung up, and Mam-ma called back ... "You can't eat cornbread, can you?" "No, but that is okay," I assured her, and she said, "Well, now... I'm gonna make a pan of rolls, too." Now, for those of you who make homemade rolls, you know what a process this is! Granted, the more you do it, the faster you become, and Mam-ma has done it for 90 years, probably, but it's the stirring of that stiff dough that gives us trouble... and for someone nearly 97 with limited arm strength, it's a definite challenge - or should be. But as you can see, the results were light, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious... and she sent the leftovers home with us! Yippee!!!

Call #4 was to ask if my sister and her husband were babysitting grandson Timmy. I told her I didn't think so, and I asked, "Can you not reach them on the phone?" She replied, "Well, no, but I haven't tried... I wondered if they would want to come to supper, too." I told her to call and ask them, but... "do you have enough food?" She said, "Well... I don't know... but if we don't, at least we'll all be together." When we arrived, not only were my sister and her husband there, but my niece Jasmine and baby Timmy were there, too... and we had more than enough!

Such a seemingly simple thing as a family supper... such a day-long chore for the woman who prepared it. Mother and I cleaned the kitchen as Mam-ma tottered in and around us, finding containers for a "dab" of this and a "dab" of that to save as leftovers. I showed her the leftover roasted chicken breasts and broth I had brought and suggested she combine all of the vegetables with the meat and create a stew... a dish she seems to be enjoying of late because she can chew everything in it. The dentist says her jawbones are eroding after years of grinding food with her dentures, and her "teeth" now slip and slide and create blisters on her gums frequently. So she likes soft foods that are easily chewed, and the stew is hearty and nutritious for her. Mam-ma put everything into the refrigerator individually, but hopefully she will make a stew today.

One day I think that my grandmother is declining... and she is... and then I look at all she still does for "96 and a half," and I am amazed and bewildered... and extremely grateful. As she sat and held Timmy in her arms last night - all 15+ pounds of him - and never faltered, I thought, "Her arm strength may still surpass mine!" I was reminded that hard work is good for the body - and the soul - and we must never quit! I probably need to make more rolls... but then, that perpetuates the need for even more "work!"

So it was a good evening. We gathered, we ate, we played with the baby. We were together, and truly, it was enough.

We Can't Get Enough of Timothy!

2009-08-11T08:56:00.003-05:00

Our great-nephew Timmy came to visit us Sunday. He is growing so quickly and will be 3 months old on August 13th. He sits up well and coos and "talks" to us. Greg's mother gave him a rattle, and Timmy's Uncle Greg showed him how to use it! Yeah... it's the little things that excite us! ;-)

Are We in the Ozarks or the Smokies?

2009-07-25T21:00:00.005-05:00

Rain, heat and humidity have created quite a fog over the river tonight...

Evening Boat Ride on Greers Ferry Lake

2009-07-20T10:21:00.008-05:00

Steve and KathyJo Anderson invited us to take an evening boat ride yesterday. Steve and KathyJo maintain Fred Davis' boat in the summer while he and Tempa go home to Michigan... and they have use of the boat in return! Thanks, Fred, for leaving such a wonderful boat here!

We motored up to Peter Creek and dropped anchor... sat and enjoyed fruit, cheese, crackers and bottled water and a lake so "glassy" that pretty much the only thing that broke a ripple was fish that were jumping! Peaceful... temps cool enought that there were no flies or bugs... and a beautiful sunset on the ride back to the dock! We had incredible weather Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - unseasonally cool temps and crisp, clear skies. The boat ride was a great ending to a really amazing weekend in Heber Springs!

A Visit From the Dollars

2009-07-12T23:00:00.006-05:00

Marla Ann and her grandchildren, Griffin (almost 11), Ruby (almost 8), and Roman (5½), came for dinner and a visit tonight. They are staying in Heber Springs for a couple of days... their annual summer visit. The kids have really grown, and Ruby enjoyed showing the boys around... the room she and Grandma slept in back in the winter, and where all the toys and games were! Tomorrow they will swim some more, visit more friends, and go for a boat ride in the evening before they return to Fayetteville on Tuesday.

(click on images to see full size)

It's Been a Great Birthday!

2009-07-04T20:04:00.005-05:00

This has been a really good birthday... lots of well-wishes... cards, e-mails, phone calls, Facebook "Happy Birthdays" - and even some presents! We went to garage sales this morning and had lunch at Seven Springs - a great local restaurant. I even had the cutest phone call from Stephen and Ladd Choate (age 3½) - and a wonderful visit from our great-nephew, Timmy (age 7 weeks!). He's spending the weekend with my sister and her husband while his parents work. Here are some pictures of Aunt Debbie and Uncle Greg with little Timothy.

Tomorrow we will go to church and hear Olivia play bells with The Little Ringers. It doesn't get much better than this!

Meet Owen!

2009-06-30T21:54:00.004-05:00

Today I went to meet my newest cousin, Owen Nicholas Norton. Owen was born on June 23rd to my cousin Natalie and her husband, Darrell. He weighed 8 lbs, 4 oz., and he was 20 1/4 inches long. He is adorable. Everyone seemed to be doing well. Olivia is off to a great start as a big sister!

What a Weekend!

2009-06-29T08:14:00.004-05:00

It's been a wild weekend... but a good one! Greg's mother was awakened about 3:00 a.m. Saturday by a wild noise. It was coming from her air conditioner. She later duplicated it for me, and all I can say is it sounded like the tornado siren was going off in town - SCARY! So she jumped up and tried to determine the source of the noise... then turned off her AC. (Repair is scheduled for Monday.) Since the temperature on Saturday reached 102 or better, her house heated quickly! She laid on her couch and watched a movie and tried not to stir too much, but Greg had told her, "If you are not at our house by mid-afternoon, I'm coming after you!" I think she arrived about 4:30 p.m., when her movie ended.

We had dinner and watched some television, and I checked Facebook. There was a post from a woman who lives one block from my grandmother - the power was out. So I called Mam-ma - no answer, and no answering machine. I called her friend Ruby, and Mam-ma answered the phone! She played "Chicken Foot" (dominoes) at Ruby's Saturday afternoon with her friends, and when she was driven home, her garage door opener would not work. A neighbor shouted to her that the power was off. She didn't have a purse or her house keys, so she returned to Ruby's. I determined that she didn't have her medications, so Elaine and I went to get Mam-ma and unlock her house so she could gather pj's and her meds. We did this, and while there, I discovered she had NOT locked her house up completely. I "battened down the hatches" and returned her to Ruby's house.

We made a quick stop at Elaine's for Sunday shoes, and the house was STIFLING! I couldn't believe how it had heated up... but that goes to show how hot the day got! Back at home, we watched another TV program with Greg, and around 9:15, my grandmother called - her power was back on, and she was at home!

Sunday was Elaine's birthday and also the first day for our new pastor, Bro. Tommy Toombs, to preach. We went to church and then out to lunch with our friends - Steve and KathyJo Anderson, and Fred and Tempa Davis. Then we came home to read the paper and rest. There were phone calls for Elaine, and a visit from Bruce, Caitlyn, and Chase, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Last night we watched an old Alfred Hitchcock movie, "The Trouble With Harry." It was a good one! Today we will hopefully get the AC repaired at Greg's mother's house - we have loved having her here, but we know she is anxious to get home. It's cooler here today, and maybe the week will be uneventful... MAYBE!

New Pictures of Timothy

2009-06-15T23:55:00.003-05:00

Our little Timothy was one month old on Saturday, June 13th. Doesn't seem possible. His mother took these photos... the second one is him laying in his high chair - and yes, it reclines! Newfangled gadgets! We don't know why Timmy furrows his brow and appears to frown so much... too funny!

Shower for Baby Owen

2009-06-08T13:14:00.010-05:00

My cousin Natalie is expecting her second child the end of this month. It's a boy - Owen Nicholas. Yesterday a shower was held at the home of Natalie's brother, Franklin - hosted by his wife Tracy. Owen got lots of darling things - he will be one of the best dressed babies ever! Olivia seems to be taking this all in stride - after nearly six years, she is going to have to share the limelight just a bit. So far, so good! I've included a couple of blurry photos of her to prove she is almost always in motion!

Snuggle Time with My Newest Great-Nephew

2009-06-02T17:08:00.006-05:00

I got to spend some time with Jasmine and Timmy today. He was a sleepy fellow, but we snuggled anyway... and I took pictures, of course. He and his mom are both doing well. I think he is adorable - and I know that's a biased opinion - but true all the same! I've been making some burp pads for Timmy... he won't know the difference, but his mother likes them!

Erin's Dance Recital

2009-05-24T22:43:00.009-05:00

We dodged the rain and managed to get the dance recital in without any hitches. Cindy came from Missouri and brought Caitlyn and Chase. We were provided with "side entertainment" by Chase during the recital... kept things exciting! Erin did a great job, and we were all proud of her! There are photos of our friend RaeAnn Allen, who performed her last recital, and a blurry photo of Kate Reese, who I think is an amazing dancer! You go, Kate! All did a great job... good work, girls!

There are also a couple of photos of Caitlyn, who lives in Missouri and is quite the dancer there!

I know a few of the photos are blurry. Chase is a moving target, and I'm learning a new camera. But I still thought the overal image was worth posting. Click on any photo to see full size. Enjoy!

Our Baby is HERE!!!

2009-05-15T15:11:00.004-05:00

Our new great-nephew, Timothy Michael Derryberry, arrived Wednesday, May 13th, at 9:54 p.m. He weighed 8 lbs 5 oz., and was 20¾" long! He has a full head of hair, as you can see. He and his mother, my niece Jasmine, are both doing well... my sister and her husband are new grandparents, and they are ecstatic!

Erin's Ball Tournament

2009-05-12T22:14:00.006-05:00

Saturday was tournament time for Erin's 12-and-under team. They finished in third place. Lookin' good, girls... lookin' good!

May 1 Weekend Rain Storm - Let's Have Some SUN!!!

2009-05-02T13:45:00.007-05:00

3.5 inches of rain and counting... it started raining here Friday night about 10:00 p.m. - big thunderstorms! Rained all night... we took a walk down Mossy Bluff Trail access road around 1:00 p.m. Saturday to see what is normally a gentle waterfall that turns into a creek running underneath the footbridge on the actual trail. It's one of my favorite places - a quiet canopy of trees that blocks out the rest of the world. Not today! It is raging, and if the weather forecasters are correct, this time tomorrow the water may be OVER the bridge! Stay tuned!

This is the creek/waterfall beside our house and some views of the rain from our back yard.

Morning Visitor

2009-04-23T20:32:00.003-05:00

I saw movement outside my office window this morning and looked up to see this little red fox sitting on our driveway, scratching behind his ear like a dog! We're not sure that it's a good thing to see a fox this time of day - hope he isn't sick - we usually see them at dusk! (Click images for larger views.)

Take a Shallow Breath!

2009-04-23T10:24:00.005-05:00

I kept looking out my windows this morning and wondering, "What is wrong?" I knew it wasn't moisture or humidity that made the valley hazy. And then the sun hit things just right... and EVERYTHING was yellow! Absolutely unbelievable - the air was so full of pollen that it created a thick "yellow haze!" These pictures really don't do it justice... but I wanted to try to share this image!

I've seen a cloud of yellow stirred up by a wind gust before, but this was beyond that by a long shot! Get the Zyrtec, Allegra and Claritin ready - we're gonna need it!

Let's Play Ball!

2009-04-22T21:40:00.007-05:00

We went to Erin's ballgame Monday night. She scored 2 of the 12 runs. The Heber girls beat Shirley 12-0. This is a traveling team.

We're on Baby Watch!

2009-04-20T11:04:00.004-05:00

We're officially on baby watch. The doctor says Jasmine's baby is ready... now we're waiting on Mom to catch up! These pictures are from a baby shower held Saturday. Jasmine was glowing... she got some really wonderful things, and the nursery is ready. Now all we need is a baby!

Climbing Sugar Loaf

2009-04-08T22:20:00.010-05:00

We took advantage of a beautiful spring day on Tuesday and climbed Sugar Loaf. It's been so long that we can't remember when we did this last - at least ten years ago... maybe fifteen? One thing is for sure... it used to be a whole lot easier to get to the top! But we made it, and it was so worth the effort... and the sore legs the following day! The sky was crisp and clear, and we could see into the next counties in several directions. The temps were just right - not too cool, but not hot at all. We agreed to make this a more frequent hike in the future. The white house in the trees (18th photo down) is the house we built on the farm! The last photo is of a tree at the start of the trail (base of the mountain) -- we aren't sure, but we think this might be the work of woodpeckers. Any ideas?

Over the RAINBOW!!!

2009-03-24T22:41:00.006-05:00

We had a line of thunderstorms roll through about 5:00... lots of rain, some lightning and thunder, wind, and apparently in some spots... hail! By 7:00, the storms had passed our area. We settled in to watch a movie, and I caught a glimpse of sunlight on the hilltops across the valley. The next thing we knew, the sky was filled with bright orangey-red clouds... and the thickest, brightest rainbow I think I've ever seen! It didn't last long - maybe 10 minutes... and it was gone and thick fog and mist set in. But I grabbed the camera and caught a few pictures to share...

Happy Birthday, Caitlyn & Erin!

2009-03-22T16:05:00.009-05:00

Our great nieces are growing up! Caitlyn was 9 last week... Erin will be 11 this week! Saturday, we celebrated both birthdays at their Nana and Poppy's with cake and ice cream. Happy Birthday, girls!

iReport on Workamping

2009-03-16T09:55:00.002-05:00

I have watched story after story about joblessness and the failing economy, and I know there are jobs out there for Workampers. So I put an iReport on CNN last Saturday... and they posted it right away! It includes a photo of Mom and Lee on their bicycles in Maine... and the iReport has been visited over 713 times in just over a day!

Check it out at http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-229587

A Trip to Little Rock

2009-03-13T18:28:00.020-05:00

Friday, March 6th, we traveled to Little Rock to "play tourist" for the day. It was a very warm March day - but quite breezy. We visited the Central High Museum, built and operated by the National Park Service. True to form, it is top-notch in design and content. If you haven't visited, you should... the Crisis at Central High occurred a little better than two months after I was born... in some ways we have come so far... in others, not far at all. The museum is both informative and humbling.

Impressive and magnificent are the only words I can think of to really describe the Central High School building and campus. Meticulously maintained by the NPS, this building is amazing, especially given the fact it was constructed in 1927! What an honor and privilege it must be to attend school there. The gas station in the photo is the Magnolia Mobile that sits at the corner across the street from the high school. It has been restored and is now a facility for meetings and special programs, I think.

Directly across from the high school is the Washington Hospitality House. There were papers taped to the front porch windows that looked like they had announcements on them, so nosey me - I walked up on the front porch to read them! Out pops this lady, who is a descendant of the Washingtons, and she is so glad to see me and begins to explain that her parents bought the house in 1972, and she rents it out for meetings and small groups. She wrapped her arm around me and held me close for a photo or two... she was adorable. Notice her sequined Obama shirt - I complimented it, and she said, "Oh, YES, we CAN!"

After our tour of Central High, we drove through the Quawpaw Quarter and stopped at the Governor's Mansion. We drove down several of the streets and stopped at Villa Marre, which is featured on the old television show, "Designing Women." It IS a beautiful building.

From there it was on to the Historic Arkansas Museum downtown (formerly known as the Arkansas Territorial Restoration). We didn't tour the village because the timing was off, but we did visit the museum and tour an exhibit of approximately 100 swords - “A Double-edged Weapon: The Sword as Icon and Artifact.”

Then it was on to lunch at Big Whiskey's, a walk through the River Market, a short stop at the Clinton Store, and then a tour of the new Arkansas Nature Center, located on the river and operated by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The Center is very well done, with dozens of mounted specimens and several tanks of live ones (mostly fish)!

We took the trolley to the Clinton Library and the Heifer Headquarters, but we did not get off there... we rode the trolley back to the River Market and then over to North Little Rock, where we toured the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. That was neat! They had free admission because the women's SEC tournament was being held at Altel Arena. We enjoyed the exhibits... my favorite were a grizzly bear and a polar bear, both killed in Alaska by Ben Pearson with a bow and arrow. I didn't enjoy that the bears were killed, but it was amazing to see the size of these creatures, especially the polar bear.

There is more to see and do in Little Rock, but that was a full day. It seemed ironic this Thursday as the snow and sleet fell that we had wandered the streets a week earlier in short-sleeved t-shirts!

Boys of Summer...

2009-03-03T22:43:00.004-05:00

Our family will be getting two new boys this summer. My niece, Jasmine, is expecting a baby in late May, and my cousin Natalie and her husband, Darrell, will welcome their second child in July. His big sister, Olivia, is already practicing her "bossing!" My 96-year-old grandmother has fired up the "baby blanket" production line and produced several blankets for both boys.

Last week, Mom and Lee hosted a dinner for all of us, and Mam-ma took Jasmine her latest creation. She is looking forward to welcoming her first great-great-grandchild. Neither he nor the Norton baby will ever be cold!

February Picnic

2009-02-20T22:01:00.012-05:00

February 18th was one of those rare winter days when the temperatures reached about 75 degrees. We took advantage of the day, packed a picnic lunch, and headed out on a hike. We walked down the access road to Mossy Bluff Trail and entered the back side of DamSite Park. Lunch was eaten near the marina, and then we hiked on over to Trouble Island. Hard to believe all of this was under water as recently as last July and August!

We "made an afternoon" of it and had a great time. The park was fairly deserted - we pretty well had the place to ourselves - our own private rec area! BTW - in case you can't tell, we just got a new camera, and we are having FUN learning to take pictures with it!

In fairness to Lucy, and since she was not included in the photos with Mabel the other day, I am posting some of her now. She is not a big fan of having her photo made, so I felt lucky to get these!