She Inspires Me

When I visited my Sisters last weekend, I thought about how lucky I was to still be able to go home again.  I know where I live is home but the farm I spent my first 18 years, I still call "home".   Sister Helen is the best hostess and I get to walk with Sister Fleta.  My Sisters try to be useful.  Sister Helen is remodeling and repairing the home place.  I can’t imagine putting down floors and a new sink.  Next birthday Sister Fleta will celebrate her diamond jubilee.   She still has a full time job and  walks a few miles everyday.  As she walks she picks up trash and sticks the bottles and cans on twigs and limbs of trees.  Then at least once a week she carries a bag and takes it all home to dispose of it.  Maybe some of the offenders will see their error and cease, but it doesn't seem to be working because along the country road an endless abundance of trash is present.  Around my Sisters I feel quite a lazy bum.  They are pushing on....

Push on, Ole River

This is the Arkansas River.  She is flowing.  A dam has her blocked but she keeps moving on.  I am going to do that as long as I can. I will keep flowing on doing as I have always done. If you have troubles and wonder "what am I going to do". My advice is to just keep flowing. Your path may be blocked but just keep flowing on and one day you will have the victory!

In the dark of the midnight, have I oft hid my face 

While the storm howls above me and there's no hiding place

Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry

Keep me safe til the storm passes by.

Treasures of the Past

Treasures of the past… This was Granny Renfroe’s lamp.  I know it came to Arkansas from the Humphrey’s in New York.  Granny got it from her Mother Mary Humphrey Standridge, Granny passed it to Larry’s Mom, she passed it to Gary Renfroe and in 2018, Uncle Gary passed it to Laura.  At one time I knew the exact story of the coal oil lamp, but now the details have escaped my mind.  I should written it down.   These lamps were once a new invention, much desired over candles.  In 1846 Abraham Gesner invented a substitute for whale oil for lighting, distilled from coal. Later made from petroleum, kerosene became a popular lighting fuel. Modern and most popular versions of the kerosene lamp were later constructed by Polish inventor and pharmacist Ignacy Łukasiewicz, in Lviv in 1853.  It was a significant improvement over lamps designed to burn vegetable or sperm oil.

Days of trimming a wick are over.  We just buy a little battery light at Harbor Freight.  I don’t think the new light will last to be passed down 100 years from now.  I’ve had to toss several in the trash.  Old refrigerators used to last 50 years.  Now, many are history in two.  The average life of a fridge today is 13 years.  Something seems amiss.  Are we really smarter?

 

One Step Closer

 Astrid and her nursing class wrapped up another semester.  She has one more.  She is learning so much.  The nursing program at ATU is very strong.  I am proud of all her hard work.  

Ingrid finished year two of College.  She hopes she gets accepted in the nuclear medicine program.  Her classes are really hard.  Lots of physics.  I don’t know anything about that. I never had any physics.  I am extremely proud of Ingrid’s hard work and diligence.  

When you speak of your grand children’s accomplishments it not boasting, it’s love.

Practice, Practice

 Greta went to Tulsa last Saturday keeping her Dad company.  She bought lights for her badketball goal.  She practices every evening. She is shooting a left hand lay up here.  Practicing is good but to be good, one needs perfect practice.  Practicing doing something incorrectly will not make you better.

Momma’s Lilac

This is Momma’s lilac blooming.  The bush is older than me—seventy something years.  She got a sprig from her mother, Irene Gaddy.  Momma had Daddy plant it near the road but in the yard.  Over the years the road got wider and the county grader almost killed the bush.  Helen has revived it in Momma’s memory.  My Momma didn’t do yard work or gardening.  Daddy did all that.  He hoed, plowed and picked what was grown.  We children helped him.  Momma put it away but he carried it in.  She canned lots and froze too.  My Momma broke her ankle in 1948.  She was washing clothes at the creek and slipped on a mossy rock.  We only had a spring for water then and in the summer water wasn’t as plentiful.  Her ankle break was severe.  They rebroke and reset it twice.  It was painful the rest of her life.  My Daddy even did a lot of the work in the house after he retired.  They were a good team, a blessing to me.

Laura with Momma’s Lilac…long time ago.

 

Second Hand Rose

Laura bought some second hand clothes for Ada off FB for me.  Ada was thrilled.  She tried on several putting them on herself.  She had about 5 layers finally.  She likes getting new clothes and doesn’t know they’re second hand.  I remember my Aunt Helen Gaddy Luckey sending us boxes of her clothes.  She was administrative secretary to President Truman at his library.  You can imagine how professional the outfits were.  I recall being so excited pulling them from the box.  Did you get second hand clothes as a child?   I still do and still love getting ‘em.   Aunt Helen is to President Truman’s right.  She worked for him over 30 years.  

 

Spring Blooms

Coral Honeysuckle 

I weighed this morning and want to report that Sister Helen’s Day Spa is NOT a weight loss facility.  Laura and I walked at Lake Dardanelle.  I saw more wild flowers blooming.  It was a nice sunny day.  I’d thought we were going to have rain—sunshine blessing instead.

Pink Dogwood

Spiderwort

 

Early Azalea and Columbine 

Spiderwort

Great Visit

I had a wonderful sister visit.  💙 We had a delicious lunch, I sat in the massage chair 30 minutes, walked to Callan Branch Graveyard.   It was a relaxing time.  I hope to go again in May.

 

I See the Sun

Phinnie and I strolled early.  There was no rain.  Rejoice.  We saw the sun rising on a day of promise.  I spied this pretty dainty wild flower.  A wonderful start to another day.   Each day is what we make it.  I will strive to make this a good day for this is the day that the Lord has made—a one and only.  What I do today can not be undone.  I hope to act in a manner that is pleasing, but the Holy Spirit will have to help me as I can do nothing on my own.

Star of Bethlehem blooms are appearing now.  The little flower was named after Jesus’ star.  

 

Back Door Company

Yesterday it rained nearly all day.  At least it wasn’t snow.  In 2021 we got frost and my Sisters had snow on April 20th.  During a rain break, I let my chickens out.  Before long I looked out and they were gathering on my back porch asking for a snack.  I shooed them away as they leave gifts on the porch.  I like letting them free range everyday.  Eggs are much more nutritious this way and feed bill is less. Tomorrow I’m going to the home place and staying over night.  My Sisters are back door company.

You see there’s front door visitors and back door ones.  Back door friends are the dearest to the heart.  I keep the front door locked but my back door is unlatched.  

 

Potato House

One of the group sites posted this.  It’s Johnny George’s potato house.  Wouldn’t it be great to have a potato house again.?  You just take a bucket out and bring in what you want.  You might sprinkle a little lime on them to help preserve them. Growing up we kept our potatoes under the house.  It was my job to go get them for Momma some times.  We ate potatoes everyday and usually pinto beans and corn bread too.  It sounds good today, but then I thought it wasn’t appetizing.   Before spring we used all of our potatoes and we were happy when we could “gravel” a few.  You scrape them as the peel is just too soft to use a knife.  We dug potatoes in July.  Here, larry and I dug them in June.

 Granny Renfroe cooked the first ones with green peas and later we cooked them with fresh green beans as green beans weren’t ready early.  Momma never taught me to cook.  She didn’t want you “in the way”.  I learned from Larry’s Momma and Granny.  Granny said when cooking new potatoes and green beans—“you have to cook all the liquid out but don’t scorch them or you’ll ruin that “mess”.  🥰

 

Sigrid Gets Award

Sigrid attended the swim team banquet last night.  The Girls were big winners this year.  Won State.  The one photo is with Coach Ben Goodman and his daughter.  Sigrid says she’s his favorite student.  Now, Sig says this not Ben.  🤣 I remember Ben as a one of my sixth graders—makes me feel very old.  Oh, yeah, I am very old.  He’s still as nice as he was then.

 

Flying Flowers

This butterfly is a swallowtail.  Black swallowtails, like other butterflies, prefer flat-topped flowers or plants with clusters of small flowers. Favorites include phlox, gaillardia, zinnias, butterflyweed, and milkweed. This is phlox. I like watching butterflies like I love watching birds.

Erin told me she was a 6 not a 4. She also said, “Mom, that’s just a bunch of made up stuff”. Oh, 6’s are skeptics. Sadly, 5’s are usually stingy. Oh, dear that smarts. I don’t put lots of faith in the test being good for anything.

I finished Root Beer Lady that Connie spoke of on her blog. I really loved it. Dorothy identified with her island. Made me recall how I feel about Galla Meadow. Friday, I’m carrying the book to Sister Fleta.

 

Never Too Old

Never too old for Momma to get you an Easter outfit.  Laura got a 40 % off at Penney’s.  She said she might get a new outfit for school.  This is what she picked.  She purchased a skirt too.  She always loved clothes shopping and even when young wanted to find a bargain.  Erin always hid in the center of the circle clothes hangers and ran helter skelter through the store.  When she got older she still didn’t enjoy it.  She found something sometimes, but didn’t want to spend time looking and trying to find a bargain.  We’re all different.  Sigrid studies personality anagrams.   Laura is a 2–a giver.  I’m a 5–an investigator.  I seek understanding and knowledge.  I like data more than people.  Erin is a 4–an individualist.  Sigrid is 7–an enthusiast.   You take a fairly long test to see what you are.  Sister Fleta may be a 4 like Erin and Sister Helen may be a 7 like Sig, but they’d have to take the test to really know.  It’s really interesting I think, but I seek knowledge and understanding and data so I love it.

Here’s the link to test 

https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test

It’s pink Dogwood bloom time.  I love seeing all the spring blooms.  I always want to know what each bloom is.  That goes with being a 7 personality.

 

Easter Blessings

Ada had to wear her water boots to church with her Easter dress.  It has rained and rained and then rained more.  Erin bought nice anklets for her to wear but Ada wanted an Easter hat and gloves.  She wore her new socks as gloves.  She got to hunt eggs as the rain stopped for a while.

Laura made Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls and brought me one for breakfast.  They were heavenly.  I have one saved for tomorrow morning.

Sigrid and her friend Ellie when to church at Dover.  Sig shared this photo.  There was a gaggle of boys around them.  I  cropped them out.  Siggie and Ellie have  been friends for a long time.  Sigrid was elected secretary of the student council for RHS.  Next year, I think she will read the school announcements each day—just one of her duties.  She was selected to attend Girls’ State.  I’m really proud of her accomplishments.  

Sigrid and Ellie have grown up together.

Eric grilled steak for lunch.  They were really good.  I fixed mashed potatoes and Laura made roasted asparagus, rolls, a beautiful salad, and lemon coconut cake.  Erin and Greg had dinner at church.  Erin said there was a nice crowd.  Another Easter is passed.  Everything is so different without Larry here.  I miss him always but at holidays I’m really sad. He loved having our family together.  If he were alive, we would have had ham and all the trimmings.  Seven layer salad he loved.  After Easter, he’d have salad for supper until it was gone.  

I finished my books and hope I can find something at the library when I return them.   I am reading Root Beer Lady.   Connie spoke of her book club reading it.  I ordered it from Amazon.  I’m going next week to see my Sisters.  I will stay one night.  I’m looking forward to taking them stuff can unload on them—clothes, shoes, junk, but they are collecting the same so I can never get ahead.  Sister Helen says she has a big pile for me.  My goal is for my pile to be bigger than their’s.  I’ll take Root Beer Lady to Sister Fleta to read.