My Youngest

My two youngest grands are years apart but are both the babes of their families.  Both like just having fun and love all kinds of people.  Sigrid went to her first “frat” party. She is open about her life and discussed her doubts with her Mom.  She worried about drinking.  They developed a plan.  Take nothing not in container.  Don’t actually drink any.  It all worked as planned.  Hope Ada will be able to express her fears and face them as she grows up.  Youngest kids love attention and seek it.  They like to make you laugh and smile.  They use manipulation to get what they want!  They are often spoiled and “petted” even by their siblings.  They are carefree, charming, easy going, affectionate.  They bend the rules and are persistent.  They don’t worry a lot as all their family does things for them.  I wish I’d been the baby instead of an “in between”!

 

Borrowed Shoes

I graduated from College in May of 1972.  I finished in December of 1971.  They didn’t have December graduation then.  I’m wearing Larry’s mothers shoes.  I wanted black heels.  Her foot was long and skinny and you can see these look funky on my feet.  I believe one way poor people can rise from poverty is through education.  The best degree is a licensed one.  Then no one can just walk off the street and be eligible for  your job.  I was at the bottom of the poverty scale.  If you want an education you can get one.  It’s takes commitment and sacrifice, but the benefits are worth it.   Glad my parents held the belief that their children could succeed.  Parent’s not believing that education is worthwhile or their child is not capable is the biggest hinderance to a child’s success.

Hope you didn’t just sit in your chair last night with eyes glued to the tv.  TheHarvest moon was so beautiful.  You can still go out tonight if you forgot.  It’s a super moon meaning it’s closer to the earth

 

Cowgirl Boots

Ada is a happy child.  She’s sporting new cowgirl boots for western day at Pre-k. Looks like she’s used hat rather roughly.  While attending sister’s volleyball games, she gets to have popcorn and 15 minutes use of her iPad.

Happiness is something if you give it away,

you give it away, you give it away.

Happiness is something if you give it away,

then it comes right back to you.

 

Shine On

Every evening at dusk, I go lock my chicken pen gate.  Lots of coyotes room here at night.  Chicken is their favorite snack.  The harvest moon was shining on.  It isn’t full til Friday but looked enormous up in the cloudless sky.  I’m amazed every evening when I walk back to the pen.  I see so many beautiful scenes and am thankful the chickens send me out each evening.  If not for this chore, I’d miss many beautiful sunsets.    

I took my Rav4 to the dealership today.  It has 22 thousand miles.  It groans when shifting from first to second and when it downshifts.  As he rode with me, it did not make the noise.  He said he’d have to hear what it was doing before he could proceed.  Well, heck.  I just came back toward home and within  a mile away it did it again.  I went straight back and this time he could hear the sound.  It’s something to do with the crank shaft.  He ordered the parts and hopefully my car will quit groaning when I drive it!

 

Gotta Yell—Go Greta

 Got to watch Greta play volleyball yesterday in Greenwood.  She’s never played this sport, but made the team and now is in the starting line up.  Thankful Laura took me to see her play.  She’s loving the game and learning how to fill her roll.  “Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.” - Bethany Hamilton, surfer

He’s In The Mail

Laura has a friend that works delivering mail at USPS and my friend Jonell worked in the local Green Forest Post Office.   Today, local carriers have huge packages to deliver for Amazon and other internet sellers.  But between 1910 and 1920 some mail carriers had children in their jalopies.  1913, the US Postal Service introduced parcel post service. Customers took advantage of the new expanded regulations to mail things like eggs, live bees, harmless live animals, produce, and even an entire building, one brick at a time. The most unusual deliveries occurred between 1910 and 1920, as numerous customers mailed children via parcel post. The most famous mailed child, May Pierstorff, was indeed sent by an Idaho railway mail car in 1914 with the appropriate stamps stuck to her traveling coat. Her adventure made it into a children’s book, “Mailing May.” May’s picture survives, but no physical evidence of her trip. In 1920, this practice was officially banned.

 

Decorating for Fall

Sigrid changed her decor to a fall look.  She’s on a tight budget and found this at Ross.  Changing the scene in her little apartment will brighten her days.k

Laura, Astrid, Ingrid and Siggie painted new fall door hangers.  

My nieces decorated my brothers’ graves for fall.  Yesterday, was Clayton’s birthday, 79 years.  Been gone 10.

 

Back on the Porch

 Sister and I made it back to my home in Pottsville from the eastern side of TN.   Took us 10 hours to get home. We stopped several times.  Fleta drove but I was head sign watcher. This quilt was on the wall of the old Rhea County Courthouse.  

Rhea County, TN

Sister inside Rhea County Court House where the Scopes Trail was held.  She under Thomas Jefferson here.

Court House was built in 1891.

Clarence Darrow defended Scopes.  Spencer Tracy in the Movie.

Here comes the judge!
 

Campbell and Claiborne Counties

Today we visited two counties and copied a lot of records.  We have not found any new important facts but have loved seeing the land and meeting people.  One young archivist stated he had an ancestral line of one of the surnames we named.  Later that evening I checked my dna file and he and I matched a small amount of cm’s and we connect to the same ancestor born in 1757!

Our excitement today was Sister’s car keys went kaput!  The one she had me carry was dead as a door nail and the other one barely had any juice left.  We found a Chevy dealer early and they fixed us up.  Sister says everyone one feels sorry for us as we are two OLD ladies. 

One more day of exploring then we head home Saturday morning.
 

Anderson County, Tn

This is Clinton, Tn.  Today we’re going to check the court house for records.  Maybe the library.

 

Grainger County, TN

Crossing the Clinch River today and we visited the Grainger County Archives.  We found some records but Fleta wants to find who Benjamin Cooper wed.  Year was about 1805.  I am thinking we’re not going to succeed in that quest but other things will be discovered hopefully! 

This is downtown Clinton Tn.  We are starting here each night and going to places.  Coming back here each evening before dusk.  Clinton is the county seat of Anderson County but only 10,000 people.
 

Mission Not Going as Envisioned

 

Here we are at Sparta, TN.  This is the old Courthouse that was torn down and a new uglier building replaced it.

We took these before going inside.  We really made no earth shattering discoveries.  But we received free rein in the deed vault.  Those books were heavy lifting!  The old courthouse is were Eli Cooper and Elinda Adcock got a license to marry and where they lived until little James died in a fire when their cabin burned.  They are in Missouri shortly after this event. 

Trippin’

Sister Fleta and I are off on an adventure.  I have not been on a pleasure trip in 40 years.  I have worked and toiled my entire life. We are traveling across the top of Tennessee searching for our dead grandfather’s people.  Tonight we are in Cookeville TN.  We had to work together to get through Nashville as we are two hillbillies.  I said together we total one brain.  My Erin said Fleta was more than half our brain.  

Tomorrow morn we are off to Sparta County, Court House.    Today I thought about Ben Cooper traveling that 500 miles in a wagon and he was an old man.

 

Lucky Number 7

Lucky number 7 got to start today in her soccer game.  They won too.  Greta loves sports.

 

Up Early

Sometimes you get up so early that you need a nap by 7!  Scene in the pasture after a long morning graze.  I saw them eating at 5 and then they rested.

 

Ada’s Class

 Ada loves school and her friends and teachers.  Today was polka dot day.  She’s pretty lucky she only has to know two letters to spell her name!  She wanted tennis shoes with “ties”.   Her new ones have laces.  Her teachers may not appreciate them.  

Meadow Blooms and Get a Shovel

The magenta Missouri Iron weed is almost gone!  They are an aster.  Since they bloom late they are great late pollinators.  I split open a persimmon and found a spoon.  Get ready to shovel snow this winter.  I love the pink False Foxglove.  The blooms are like tiny bells!  The yellow bloom is an Ashy Sunflower!  You can tell them by the ashy look to the leaves!  They’re an aster, also.  I am thankful today to live in a beautiful meadow full of wildflowers!

 

Cut Your Grocery Bill

I spied these pretty wild Asters today.  I think they’re called Nahanni Asters.

How to save money on your grocery bill—don’t buy sodas!  It robs you of other nutrients and wastes money.  One 20 ounce drink has as much sugar as 6 donuts or 18 cookies!  It won’t help me ‘cause I don’t buy them, but I was amazed at the comparison.  Diet ones are even worse.