Tree’s up

 My little tree

Angel Ingrid made long ago tops Laura’s tree.

Laura gave her old tree to Astrid’s friend M. K.  Isn’t it pretty?

Sigrid decorated their tree.

Erin’s tree is going to have all hand made decorations when Clayton abs Greta create them.

Fleta’s tree

Nutcracker Party

Astrid had a Nutcracker party.  Each person painted their special Christmas Nutcracker.  Siggie’s is pink, Ingrid’s blue, Logan’s red and black, Justin’s white and gold with black drum, Astrid’s red and green, and Laura’s is gold and white with silver drum.  Astrid hasn’t quite finished hers.  She has to paint his face.  I am very impressed.  They all look like professionals painted them.

 

Alum Cove

Lots of folks have stopped and carved messages on the trees in Alum Cove.

There are beautiful rock formations.

These little holes in the rock are called goat caves.  Wild goats used to use the for shelter.  Bet some children spent a few hours building this wall.

I’m under the natural bridge.  Wagons and horses used it for a bridge long ago.

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It took a while but I climbed in here for a photo because I recall my girls did it and I have a picture of them here.

This is from 5 years ago.  Sigrid and Astrid sitting where I climbed.

This is the top of the natural bridge.

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Under the bridge looking up.

A goat cave
 

Lots of benches to rest on.  I rested some on the climb up and out.

Selfie by Laura.  Sisters say I never smile.

Visiting Today

 

Had a great visit today with my besties🧡.  I always get a free massage now when I go to the home place.

Ada Yesterday

Ada usually gets Phinnie’s dog toys to play when she comes to see me, but yesterday I had a surprise for her.   No, dog toys, just Ada toys and new purple fuzzy inside shoes.   I did catch her trying a Phinnie dog treat biscuit 🤣.

 

Thanksgiving 2021

Thankful for these six grandchildren.   Proverbs 17:6  “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,”. And what is a crown?  Well, it could the highest point—yes these are the peak of my life.  Also, a crown is a reward of victory or mark of honor….and yes, they are.  They are my heart, my reward, my everything.   Blessed 🧡🧡

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving.  Laura’s Pear tree is colored just right for our celebration today.  I am grateful she still wants us to gather and be connected.  I praise the One who gives.

“The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” 2 Chronicles 5:13

 

Sigrid Has Friends

Sigrid has lots of special friends because she’s such a special friend.❣️

 

Two Score Plus Two

 Erin is older today.    She wasn’t 6 here but probably wanted all the candle holders filled.  This was a strawberry cake decorated with one of those bought candies.  You can tell she’s ready to have a slice of her cake. This picture was taken in the old farmhouse I live in today.  Happy birthday to the best little girl.  She could play by herself, didn’t need a bunch of kids around.  She could imagine them.  She didn’t need a bunch of toys.  She was happy playing outside with rocks and sticks.  She didn’t need a bunch of special food.  Peanut butter sandwich was good enough.  There’s been a few bumps in her road but she whizzed right over them.  Happy birthday.

Walking in a Misty Drizzle

Laura, Frodo, and I enjoyed a good hour walk at Lake Dardanelle Park.  I spied a beautiful Japanese Maple, Arkansas Holly, and a Sycamore.   It misted a little, just enough to put pep in our step.

 

Reading about Butterfield Stage

 Donna, my friend, spoke of reading and I thought I’d share this book with everyone.  I lived within a few blocks of one of the stopovers for the Butterfield Stage from 1972-1982.   The Butterfield company only ran this line a few years.  The purpose was to carry mail from the east coast to the west.  The stages could carry 9 passengers, but mainly they hauled mail.  They would not carry gold, valuables or cash.  Those riding couldn’t either.  No robbers were interested.  Most valuable thing was their mules or horses.  Each stage had a driver and an engineer riding shotgun.   The stage stopped every 10 miles.  Horses or mules were switched.  Passengers could go “pee”.  Often, men to the left bushes and women to the right.  At layover stations, like the one of Kirkbride Potts near where I lived, they stopped 45 minutes.  A meal was offered here for 40 cents.  If the road was muddy, passengers had to get out and walk sometimes for miles.  Mark Twain road the Butterfield from St. Louis to California and wrote of his wild adventure.  He carried a huge unabridged dictionary along on his lap as they flew down the road and around bends and dips his big book almost killed several of his fellow travelers.  The Butterfield route went south through Texas not through Utah and those mountain passes that would be snow covered in the winter.   

The book is interesting and informative. Butterfield's stage (celerity) wagon partly designed by John Butterfield. Sixty-six were employed from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Los Angeles, California.  They had an enclosed coach too.   If 9 passengers rode, 6 had to insert knees to those across from them and they were snug.  

The Route on the map below does not show Memphis to Little Rock.  The mail traveled from St. Louis to Fayetteville, too.  These routes converged and by the time the route entered Texas mail was everywhere on the coach.  Passengers had to hold their luggage at times.  Lots of pounds of mail were carried.  Mail was the object.  Passengers were just an extra.  

This the the Kirkbride house today.  Of, course it wasn’t this fine then.  Today it is a museum. The Potts Station was the only known scheduled stop between Little Rock and Fort Smith.  Extra barns were built on the premises to house horses and extra harnesses, etc., for the stagecoaches to change out when they stopped. People liked to stop at the Potts home, whether on the stage or just traveling through by buggy or horse.  

Mrs. Potts was well known for her clean beds and good food.  Of course, you could also get a bath.  The first person would pay the most for his/her bath and each person thereafter would pay a little less.  The last person would pay the least and have to empty the tub.  Just like in those days, the bathtub is once again in the kitchen.  It was easiest to keep it there so you wouldn't have to haul the heated water very far to put it in the tub.

Mount Nebo Today

I walked the high road today.  Laura and Astrid walked the trail up Nebo and they dropped me off on the plateau.  It was a beautiful stroll.  I’m thankful for all scenic Arkansas.