Mom And Dad

 I took these pictures out of the frame to take a picture for my genealogy file.  Helen made the copy of Dad and Mom for me in 1989.  On the back of Mom's, Momma wrote her picture was taken Christmas 1936.  She was 15.  Dad's was taken in 1944 and he was 29.  I wish Fleta would make a scan of Dad's as in the remake you can not see the Navy cap.  There needs to be more contrast between the white and background but in my copy you can't see much.

Happy Birthday, Jonell

This was taken our senior year in High School.  I recall the hair cut I have.  I got it for my senior picture so I think it was winter 1967.  Fleta and Jonell have on long sleeves.  We wnet to Silver Dollar City.  Jonell turns 65 July 31.  She got Medicare at the first of July.  Erin told me today that Medicare was 50 years old.  Bess and Harry Truman got the first two card numbers!  Hope Jonell has a great birthday.  Her sisters were taking her to lunch at Alpena.  The cafe is run by Fleta and Helen's Pastor's daughter.  I wonder if all the sisters were together or just part.  If all my sisters get together, it is only three now.

Crossing the Red Sea to Check on Neighbors

 I went out today to check on my neighbors.  There are still several here, but they tweeted to me that they were not hanging here much longer.  For one thing their water has turned to blood and they are going to fly over this red sea and head south to Brazil!

Poor Spud, Cora and Opal were totally aggravated by this possum all morning.

The Surprise Lilies are popping up everywhere.

To Hot To Trot

 I walked 4 miles yesterday and 2 today.  It was really hot.  The Surprise Lilies are springing up and that means cooler weather will be hre soon.  The sunflower makes me think "hot".  But the Lilies that shoot up overnight remind me of fall and cooler weather.  Both these pictures are from last July.  Last year the temperture averaged below 95 and this July above.  But we have had several rains so everything is still green.

Helen is about through with the back porch.  I wonder if she will start on that back bedroom next.  The bright white on the porch really made a clean statement.

So far Erin is liking the folks she is working with.  She is going to do the RN job in Boone County, but might transition to the other position someday.  She posted on FB that tall women make more money that short women!  They also can eat more without gaining weight.  Can reach stuff  on a tall shelf.  I am proud both my girls are tall!

All Wet!

 Erin took Clayton and Greta to Branson to swim.  Greg needed to sleep and it all worked out.

 She bought an underwater camera for a hundred dollars.  Kids love it.  Sigrid is saving money to by herself one.

 Greta looks like she has an umbrella hat here!

 Astrid has been catching fish.  I said she is Astrawatha!

 It rained one day this week and sit on the back porch and enjoyed it.  A good rain in the summer is a blessing.

Astrid finished painting my cabinet in the laundry room.  Larry is putting a shel on the boards you see but he said he would just spray paint it.  Astrid put a primer and then two coats.  She paints like a pro. Pop taught her how.  Astrid got a new Iphone for Christmas.  They cost about $700.00.  Hers has been messing up.  She asked me to take her to ATandT and I did.  The guy told her if she took it to the Apple Store at L Rock she would probably get a new one.  Her Dad did take her and she got a new phone.  For painting my cabinet, I bought her a waterproof cover for the new one.  We both were pleased with what we got!

Coxsey Graves

I received this video of George Coxey's family graves in Texas.  The gentlemen that sent it to me did so because we had a dna match.  George is a brother to our Benjamin Coxsey.  Yes, I guess they spell the name differently.  George and Benjamin were brothers.  Benjamin was Grandma Powell's Grandfather.

He said he went to Tennessee and videoed graves there so I will have to look at his videoes and find that one.

Century Ago

 Today, Daddy would be 100!  Poor Grandma Powell.   Wonder how hot it was a 100 years ago?

Walk On

Erin sent this of her Elephant Ear.  They need lots of water.  This one came back from last year.  I really like Elephant Ears.  

 Helen tore an old cobbled up closet off the back porch.  She is painting it.  It really looks great.  Well, this old doll head fell off a top shelf.  It was either Mom's or Hettie's.  I thought Hettie's but Helen said Hettie lived with Grandma when Grandma gave it to Momma so she thinks it was Mom's doll.  Fleta, I think the reason Hettie used Blevins as a surname again was the people where she was living figured out she could draw more income off Calvin.  They were married 10 years so she could draw off of him.  That is when she took the name Blevins back.

See how nice the back porch looks.  I see those hooks on the wall above the window.  I remember them.  I think Daddy had a gun hanging there.

 This little cabinet below the other one Helen found on the back porch.  I should have went above the fridge but Clayton decided not to have them put it up.  Helen was able to install it here.  She has most of the stuff (dishes) she uses everyday in the little cabinet.  Clayton has these cabinets built for his almost 6 feet height and Helen can not reach the stuff on the shelves without a step stool.  She also cleaned the doors.  Clayton had lived there over 20 years.  He loved to cook and I know he did not scrub the cabinet doors.  I am sure they were greasy.

 Whoever built the cabinets for him used little cheap shelfing boards.  They were about to fall in.  Helen flipped them over so they can "warp" back into the correct shape.   Fleta is getting her money's worth with Helen in the old house.

 Helen said the shelfing was just on little brackets.  Larry puts a small board to place the shelf on.

 Ingrid got a bling bag for the dance team.  Sister's can you see she uses our Daddy's bed?

Siggie took this of little Winnie hiding in the monkey grass.  So sweet. Stay away snakes.

July Jam

Helen is redoing the back porch of the home place.  It looks so much better.  Our dear brother had to sleep out there.  When she sent the picture I actually thought "that looks good enough to sleep out there".   Sleeping on a back porch is nice in hot weather.

 Sigrid took this with their Ipad.  With the Ipad (it is connected to Ingrid's phone number), Laura can text Sigrid at home.  The picture has either a spider or some other bug on Sig's flower.  I like the picture

 Larry is putting a cabinet over my washer and dryer.  It will be white.   I think Astrid is going to paint it for me.  He is still working on it.  There will be a shelf where you see that board across.  It is 14 inches tall there and then about 10 on the top shelf.  I have to get something to stand on to get to that shelf so I will just put stuff there to store it.   Larry redid the entire laundry room.  So I am glad to have a place for my detergent, etc.  I have my washer and dryer covered so he does not have to worry about marring them if he drops something.

Larry and Ingrid finished her bench.  They took it to her house.  After she paints it and puts a cushion it will look different.  I really like the bench.  It only took Larry a little while to make it.  He would wait for her to help or he could have had it finished in no time.  He put little feet on it.  You can barely see them.

 Astrid made this picture frame with a paint pen.  It is her at the beach.  The frame is really neat.  I was supposed to take Astrid to Cross Country practice today (Tuesday) but I just forgot her.  She called as I was finishing mile 3 at the trail.  I could not have gotten back to the truck and out to get her in time for her not to be late.  Her Dad was able to take her.  I have to have things written down or be reminded for I often just forget.  She came and helped me with the pups so I guess she was not mad at me.  She will be one of the fastest girls on her CC team.  Maybe the fastest.

We have two Feist pups.  Sigrid let them out today.  We weaned them today.  So this will be a record of the date of weaning.  They were born June 1.  Their names are Benbeau and Winfred.  Sig named them.  We call them Winnie and Bennie.  We sold the other young Feist we had so we can keep these two.  They cried for their Momma a little today and she cried for them.

Ingrid's Turn

 Ingrid and Pop are making a storage bench for her room.  They will finish tomorrow.  She will be painting it white and it will have a cushion on top for a seat.  In the cubby holes she will put bins and use it store books or whatever she wishes.  I think of it as a sideways book case.  Below she is painting this with the Harper Lee quote.  I like it.    Ingrid and Pop are still driving several days each week in the afternoon.

Winn, Winn, Winner!

Clank, Clank, Clank!

Pop and I heard all this clanking going down the road by our house.  Low and behold, it was Sigrid bringing home all the heavy metal she won.  She thought she only took two medals but she captured four!  Two were individual ones for backstroke and butterfly.  She is surely a shark!  Her team mascot is a shark!

Life Is Short

Erin graduated with David Wyatt.  I may have taught him in Middle School, but right now I don't recall it.  He had brown hair and the close cut makes him look different.  God bless the family of David Wyatt.
Sister wrote this in memory of an Iraq casulaty that she knew personally.  Sharing it here in David's memory.

                        One of Our Own

At first the news is distant and vague, like many others…

      Another soldier gone

      Dead in a far off land

But to us, this one is different,

                A familiar face on the news

         He is a Local Boy

        One of Our Own…

Another citizen soldier sent off long ago, with best wishes and Prayers...

      to that distant place

       never ever to return

But to us, this one is different from the others

                Not a stranger from another town

        He is a Local Boy

         One of Our Own…

But in our hearts we know…

To Some One, Some Place

Each and Every One

         Is a Local Boy

         One of Our Own…

October 5, 2004

Fleta Aday

Handing Down

 Isn't this neat.  Sigrid handed this dress down to Greta.  Erin had to put it away several years, but the big day came.  Here she is tall enough to wear Sigrid's dress.  Laura will know if Ingrid or Astrid wore the dress.  I saved two of the dresses Momma made for Laura and Sigrid, Ingrid, Astrid and even little Greta wore them.  Maybe just for a picture but the memory is precious to me.  All Momma's little girl dresses had a gathered skirt, short sleeves and a sash to tie behind.  I can remember her sewing in the gathering string and getting it just right to sew on the dress waist.  She could cut out most simple dresses with no pattern.  I can see Momma setting and sewing on an a little dress. It was enjoyment to her.  When I left home at 17 to go to college.  She bought me a sewing machine.  It was from Sears and in a case.  I so wish I still had it.   I made clothes at S of O and repaired things for the girls in the dorm.  I recall making this pillow case like sack with a sting in the top and I carried my clothes to college in it.  I had a small make up suitcase, but everything else I put in that sack.  I have a cup that I "carried off" from the cafeteria.  Notice I did not say stole!  I bought instant Nescafe coffee and would make me a good cup of coffee from the hot water in that fourth floor dorm room.  We wanted to sun bathe and we did on the roof.  We would crawl out the window, put a blanket on the roof and lay in the sun!   I wonder who could see us.  Now we had on bathing suites but still I don't recall worrying about who might be watching us!  Precious memories.

Nothing Like Having a Sweet Sis!

 Astrid left Sigrid this sweet note telling her to swim fast!  Which she did.  Above the photo was taken at Crystal Bridges.  Laura and the girls went there on Thursday.  Astrid loved it as did Sigrid.  Laura let Ingrid invite a friend and she had a great time too.

Sigrid came to visit.  She told us she qualified for medals too in two of her races.  Next Friday, Pop is going.  The meet is at Alma, AR and he and Sigrid always go to Braums for ice cream after the meet.

Astrid went to the trail with me this morning.  I walked 3 miles and she ran 6 miles.  We were both pretty sweaty.  I started trying to walk regularly about the last week in May.  Soon I will be at it for two months.  I hope I don't quit when it gets cold.  Unlike Fleta, I don't like the cold.  Well, I don't really like 100 degree hot either!

Sigrid Has The Blues!

 Well, blue ribbons that is!  She went to Paris to to swim.  Sig was in 5 races and took 4 blue ribbons.  Now, that was in Paris!  We are so proud of our swimmer!   She won the backstroke race and the butterfly.  Her other two races were probably relays.  I think the backstroke is her favorite stroke!

Yay, Siggie!!

On Being A Christain

 July 15, of this year, Grandpa Powell has beengone over 60 years.  I own two of his books and Grandma Powell's Bible, plus Betty Lou's little Bible that I am sure she had from a young age.  The name of this book is Life on the Highest Plane.

 I am going to read the entire book and I am writing in it so it will not be valuable.  This book is still popular.  I wonder when Grandpa got his copy.   I would say surely some time in the 1930s or 1940s. I am wondering is Cuz Winnie knows anything about the book and him.

I am past page 100.  I read only a chapter or two at a time.  Paxton says there are three planes that man can reside in on this earth.  The natural is the lowest and this man does not believe in God but in his own abilities.  He is lost.  The next plane she calls the home of the carnal man.  This man has accepted Jesus Christ as his savior and believes in the new birth of man.  He is saved but is wasting his life by still being drawn into sinfulness.  All men sin but the carnal man is knee deep in sin.  The carnal man is a saved man.  The third plane is the spiritual plane.  When a Christian moves to this plane, he takes full advantage of a righteous life communing with God.

The book points out lots of things I have never thought too much about.  God is light.  Satan is darkness.  The two can not mix.  God is love.  Satan's big sin was wanting to be God.  Of course, God knew Adam would fall when he created him.  God created Adam in his own image.  Since God is all knowing, he knew what would happen in Eden and it did.  Satan was on the earth when God created Adam.  I am enjoying the book and trying to read it slowly.  Sometimes when I hurry through a book, I just don't "get" it all.

Today is Erin's last day with Boone County Hospital.  She has been there 10 years.  I sure hope she loves her new job.  Maybe it will open more doors for her.  She said a "big" billing lady was there yesterday.  Sort of worrying and fidgeting about what was going to happen after Erin was gone.  She asked Erin--what do you do?   To which, I think Erin should have said "everything"...but she did not. Erin told her to ask her a question and she would try to answer it but she did not know how to respond to that broad, open ended question.  I do hope they miss the hard worker they are losing.  They will not find one person that can do all Erin does.  Coding alone is a full time job.

Erin is going to be over the RN's for a non profit in a big area.  I think she said 5 counties in northwest, AR.  So maybe Boone, Carroll, Madison, Benton, and Washington?

I walked 3 and a half miles today.  I am able to go farther and faster than before.  I was walking pretty steady by the end of May so soon it will be two months of moving on.  I feel like my head is coming out of a fog.  It is a good feeling.

Settling In

 Princess is getting used to her new home.  Astrid thought she had cuts on her.  She said she was bleeding.  Mr. Combs checked and it was horse fly bites.  He put insecticide on her and doctored the places.

 Yesterday, Sigrid brought Princess and apple and some pineapple.  I said I don't think horses like pineapple, but Siggie said Princess loves pineapple.

 You can see the grass is above belly high on princess so she will have plenty to eat.  Mr. Combs also brings her some feed each day and puts it in her feed pan.  Today, Mr. Combs paid for a year in advance for the pasture.