When I saw the little pixie flower, 'Bloom where you're planted' occurred to me. I discovered that Saint Francis de Sales, who served as the Bishop of Geneva from 1567-1622, is credited with the quote. Mary Engelbreit's artwork added to its later popularity. Image below is by Mary.
My sister had a flat tire going home and then a problem with the donut. She had to call AAA. I hope Fleta’s son will help her get it fixed. Always something.
Laura created the little totes for her girls for Easter plus a pretty towel. I’m thinking the one with pink is Ingrid’s. She loves pink.
Helen headed home at 7:30 AM. She is carrying eggs. The wind is strong. She may end up in Kansas like Dorothy.
Ran across this older picture of Siggie holding a starfish at the beach. I think she’s brave just to hold it. Starfish aren’t fish. They have no brain or blood. They can grow back lost arms. They eat mussels, clam, oysters; they’re mostly carnivores. They have little suction cup feet structures that capture their food. Their stomache comes out of them to nibble. They can’t live in fresh water.
There is a parable about a starfish. A child walks along a beach after a terrible storm that washed up thousands of starfish. The child is throwing starfish back into the water, when someone states the child cannot save them all, cannot really make a difference. The child replied—I made a difference to that one. Al Harpenau once gave me a starfish pin to remind me a teacher may not be able to a make a difference to all…but even to one will make a difference.
More early flowers bloom. Helen is here with me. The news had me down and I welcome a change in my everyday existence. It’s so nice to have a sister who is also a friend.
I hope the Lord blesses you today and you get to uplift someonebwho is feeling down or is hurting!
Finished another baby set. This one is acrylic soft yarn. I just make up most of my patterns. I don’t follow recipes when I cook either. I add something to the bowl or decide to omit an item. 🤭
Laura took this one for someone at her school. I’ve started another for soon it’ll be too hot to work on these.
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Larry passed five years ago on leap year February 29. I guess it would be today. It seems long ago but also like yesterday. Part of me died too. I’ll never be the same.
I was editor of my a high School paper. I put out a little paper either once a week or twice a month. We had a sports writer, a feature writer, news page, proofreader. I did the editorial page. We had to have a good typist. Patsy Gardner on the left had that job. She typed the paper on those mimeograph pages that were thin plastic stuff and more than one layer. Then Kenny Harvey and I ran them off on one of those old machines with the purple fluid. The staff correlated them and went from to room selling the editions. They were a nickel or a dime. I only have the last one we printed. On the feature page we did a bio of a senior. The one above is my interview.
Left to right and what happened to them.
Patsy got pregnant that year. By graduation she was showing. She had 2 boys and divorced. She was so smart, our valedictorian. She lives in Florida.
Dortha works in hospitals in records. I met her once a a few years back. She was administer of records at a hospital. She married but later in life. No children.
Our teacher Mrs. Smith is next. She retired soon after this. Her husband taught science.
Kenny Harvey is next in the photo. He attended U of A on a scholarship and became an engineer. He passed when fairly young.
Patty Davis is next. She married Junior Norris after graduation. They had a dairy farm.
Steve Vowell is next. He’s a lawyer and bald headed now.
I’m seated next. My life has not been the one I had dreams of.
Hope Arnold is my assistant. She’s the only junior on my staff. I don’t know what became of her.
Linda King is next and she was one of my friends. She went to U of A majoring in home economics. Her last job was home economics director for an Arkansas county. She lives in Green Forest. No children. She married but divorced.
Steve, Patty, and Linda are all my distant cousins. I didn’t know this fact then.
There weren’t many majors. So I picked education. My older brother was an athlete and had a scholarship for four years of college. He majored in physical education. I just picked the same major. Only sport I was good at was running. I had no dreams of being a coach. I wasn’t even that interested in sports. I was into health, but they didn’t offer that degree choice. I stayed at School of the Ozarks, two summers and 3 semesters before transferring to Arkansas Tech.
I don’t know how I even got to Russellville. Maybe Fleta or Clayton brought me. I don’t think Dad did, but I’m slipping in memory. I was at tech without a car and very little money. I survived, but I soon gave up more of my dreams to survive.
I started earning my way at 14. I was a live in baby sitter for 12$ a week. I got Sunday off. I turned 15 that June. That little money gave me better clothes and I started to dream of what I wanted in life. I was not dreaming of getting married and having children. I was different from most of the kids I went to school with at Green Forest. I found friends with like goals. Other groups were into boys and finding a mate for life. I wasn’t thinking of the same things. Some were drinking and searching thrills. Not me. Some of the boys were getting drafted and going to Vietnam. Drugs were not a big issue in my little town. Kids didn’t get involved with drugs very often. Alcohol was the drug of choice. Smoking was the “thing” a lot of kids did. I didn’t do either.
The goldfinches aren’t sick—they’re molting. Every spring, goldfinches replace their dull body feathers with yellow ones for the summer. The new feathers come in one by one, giving the birds that strange patchwork appearance. Unlike most songbirds, goldfinches molt twice a year, early spring and late fall. They grow in a complete set of feathers having a strange, patchy appearance for a few days. Soon in spring they’ll be vividly beautiful but in the fall turn dull again. God created them in this manor for protection camo. I praise his creation today.
I helped my sister with a baby blanket project. She’s been crocheting this winter. I love the little bonnet. She’s doing these for grandchildren to have in the future “if” they have a family. She said this is the last one. I think completing stretches is relaxing. Helen said “it makes my jaw hurt”. She grits her teeth as she works!
Didn’t have to make myself stroll today. It was a beautiful day. I walked my mile plus early, but by after noon the sunshine called my name and I went over to Pop’s Pond and sat in Astrid’s swing absorbing much needed vitamin D.
The Christensen’s met the Loveless’s in Conway for dinner. They were glad to get out after being “snowed in”. Looks like a fun time!
Sunset through barbed wire
I am a DNA sorter. I have helped several folks solve mysteries in their DNA. During this cold spell, l was connected by an adoptee who wanted to know who she was. Someone else I helped told her about me. She was born in 1990 in Fort Bragg, California. Sorting DNA into family lines is not an easy task. I can’t always solve the case, but in less than 24 hours of working, I cracked it. Her father’s name was a gift I could give her that will stay with her the rest of her life. She had her mother’s name and all I had to do with that DNA was confirm. I build a tree from the DNA matches. It’s quite complicated but I love it. I don’t advertise and do it for free. Some call me a search Angel. Her father was in prison for murder. He passed in 2020. I always give the final name by voice not in an email or text. It was hard information to relate, but now she has a family tree.
Oh, woe is me. It’s so cold, I just sit under a heated blanket. I did walk outside, but only a mile. Tomorrow is new day and it’ll be a little warmer. I really am exhausted from thinking about water freezing and central heat bursting. I’m making sure the chickens have water and food . The birds have food too.
Hope you are warm and have no frozen pipes.
