Can't Find Anything Anymore

I have been digging around in my big picture keg looking for the photo of the 3 Sisters where Helen is just a baby and Fleta and I are watching over her.  Well, I could not find it and finally gave up.  I am sure I have it posted on here but don't know what to search for to find it.  I looked at the date of Helen's birthday several times and most years I post the same old picture when I say 'happy birthday' to her.  My mind works just the same even though I think it is pickled.

I found this one of Pop and I from May 12, 1971.   

Ingrid's RJHS had a back to school dance last night and she looks like she had a great time.  Her friend Claire is posing with her.

Happy Birthday, Sister

I think this was the 3 Sisters in 1969.I have a wig on top of my flat hair.  We are now  lots older and look a lot different, but we are still the same on the inside and love each other just as we did then.

Helen showing her figure!

Kicking Kindergarten

 Greta was nervous about going to school, but she is doing great.

 Her behavior is amazing.

And they had to run at recess and she beat everyone in her class.  I sure hope she keeps up her successful work!

Making Do and Gettin' By

 Growing up, we did not have staples or paper clips.  We were lucky to have food to eat.   Things kids use in school today were not necessities at our home on Douglas Road.  So when we had several sheets of paper to keep together we did this.  I used my old technique  the other day when I wanted to keep my printed coupon list together and did not want to search for my stapler.  I have several.  When we did this growing up, we just tore the little ears and turned down the page.  Then we chewed it a little so it would stay together.  We also used egg white for clue on paper and we used canned milk for clue when a plate or dish was broken.  It could not be one you put in dish water, only one for decoration like something that sat on a shelf.  When we were sun burned, Momma put vinegar on the red.  She made cough syrup by boiling onions with sugar.  We had to be pretty sick for her to go to this trouble.  

Today at the grocery store, I saw a pitiful older lady--fat and hobbling--part of her foot was gone.  She covered it with a fuzzy blue sock.  Her daughter was chauffeuring her.  She had to put great effort into getting in the van seat.  Standing of the stub with pain, she climbed in and then let out heavy sighs.  I thought of how Momma had to use great effort to move when she reached 70.  My knees hurt and I huff and puff, but just seeing this poor old woman let me see my blessings.  As she tried to make it to the seat, her daughter finished a long drag on her cigarette.   The daughter looked strangely built--top half was huge but her legs were tooth picks and she had no hips or butt.  I know that old crippled lady felt she was lucky to have this daughter to take her to the grocery store for things she needed.  Our blessings are from an individual perspective.

Today, I am making it just fine.  It is cool.  I made it out to walk two miles.  Larry is outside busy cleaning up his shop.  If I called, he would be here in a jiffy.  My two girls are jewels.  Neither addicted to drugs or alcohol.  Both working hard to raise children who can be the best possible.  They are lucky as both have husbands that work and help.   What a wonderful life I have.  Thank you, Lord, for saving my wretched soul.

A Good Day For A Good Book

Laura has a source for great gifts for her friend's birthdays.  Astrid made this for her friend Amy at her School.  Oops, I hope Amy has received it!  Or I have spilled the beans or the gift!  I surely adhere to the saying. I am reading a book about Jimmy Stewart now.  It is really good.  Then after I finish, I am going to read the book Death of the Great Santini that Fleta recommended.   Hope I can find something else after that.  When you don't enjoy fiction good books are harder to find.

Hope my Grands all have a great day.   Each said their first day went off just fine and I am so relieved.  I love them all!

Tradition Continues

 My five reasons to live are back in school today.  I hope they all have a great first day.  Greta was scared but Clayton said he did not have time to mess with her.  She was on her own! ha

 Laura bakes homemade cinnamon rolls each first day for her three and their Daddy.  She brought Pop and I one--yes,, I was tempted to devour his, too, as he sleeps late and I get up at 5 or earlier, but I resisted temptation and saved his for him to enjoy.

Hope Hannah and Robert have a good beginning at GF schools.

My prayer for you today!

Last Visit Before Back To School

 Clayton and Greta came today with their parents.  Erin got about 3 inches cut off her hair.  The kids start to school Monday.  Greta is wondering what she will learn.  She was spelling her name for me and Clayton said "she can't read.  She just looks at the pictures and says stuff".  Clayton is an excellent reader.  I can tell every time he comes that he has matured.  He told me "I am not crying when I go to school".  I could tell he meant it.

 I stayed outside with him the entire time they were here.  He had a war.  There are two groups of men.  Good guys vs bad guys.  The ones on that center peice are injured--some dead he said.

 It took him a long time to set it all up.   When they came I had a fire in the fire pit I have and for several hours they picked up all my sticks and burned them. I set outside with them during this.  I knew Clayton would like it and he did.  I killed a snake this morning.  He got the hoe and moved it away from the big swing under the tree.

 This is the school calendar for high school fall sports...if you look closely you will see a pretty girl running near the bottom of the calendar.

 Astrid bought this shirt or jacket (don't really know which it is) and then bought the piece of material and sewed in the back panel.  Guess she saw them somewhere and decided she could make one.

 Laura's long time friend has a birthday soon.  Astrid painted this on one of her blocks of wood for Katie.  Katie's husband went to West Point.  He is a big time guy in the military.  I bet Katie loves this.  Hope Astrid signed it.

Pretend You Are A Goat

Or a nasty deer!  Would this shirt over a bucket scare you away?  If I were awake when they came by and ate the heck out of my okra, I would shoot them but they sneak in in a middle of the night.  So I am trying this gray shirt and old hat on a fan stand.  Yes, I kept it after the fan died, you know I keep everything.  I got Grandma Powell's "keep it" gene.  Fleta got Momma's "throw it away" gene.

Another Funeral

A lot of the folks I worked with are passing away.  Since I am retired, I feel an obligation to attend their funerals.  Bobbie Hamilton Kinslow was the secretary at RMS for a number of years.  I went to pay my respects to her today.  Down one hallway in the school I worked at I can count bunches of women who got breast cancer.  Two died from it.  I would see Bobbie in the grocery store once and a while.  Our paths crossed.

Bobbie Kinslow, 80, of Russellville, died Monday, August 8, 2016 at St. Mary's Regional Medical Center. She was born on February 22, 1936, in Hector to Emmett Andrew and Florence Mabel LeFan Hamilton.
Bobbie had many roles at the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church and was the first female ordained elder. She enjoyed her family, church, camp families, helping others, cooking and sewing. She loved her work she did for Camp Peniel where she served on the board of directors as president and secretary for the camp. Her main love was cooking for senior high camp.
Bobbie was a school secretary from 1971-1998 at the Russellville Middle School and for the Center Valley Elementary School.
In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by two sisters, Emogene Coffman and Kathleen Goats.
Survivors include her husband of almost 61 years, Thomas "Tommy" Kinslow; two sons and their spouses, Andrew "Andy" Allen Kinslow and Russ Kirckpatrick of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Eddy and Lucy Kinslow of Rogers; two sisters, Marcalene Butler of North Little Rock and Agnes Cochran of Rogers; one granddaughter, Jill Lauren Kinslow of New York, New York; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Three Sisters

Well, here you go...this is us, Sisters.

When we were young
We worked real hard
Kept our house clean
Cooked without lard
But now we are old
We just say "fry it"
Not much time left
We are going to try it!
We leave the house dusty
And read our good book
We head to the store
With no care how we look.

Hot and Humid

I found this old picture of Ingrid's first locker.  She surely had it fixed up.  I bet she is the one that advised Sig to just put up a few pictures and forget it.

It was cooler this morning.  I got my shoes on to go walk but decided to stop by Walmart about an hour later I came out of the store to hot and humid temperatures and I just came back home.  I hope to get to the library today.  I need some reading material.

I enjoyed Killing Reagan and wonder if it was a true take on his presidency.  I really don't know.  I think one could go back and review some of his speeches and such and see if Bill O'Rielly was truthful.

School is starting without me Monday.  This will be the start of five years away from education.  I am glad I am not going this week.  On the last, it literally made me sick.  I would get fever blisters from stress.  So much stress.  Teachers need to be young.

Helping Hand

Ingrid and some friends fixed a bulletin board for Mr. Rogers.  Most teachers hate doing bulletin boards unless they are real artsy.  I doubt Mr. Rogers is.

Clayton had a tooth pulled today.  Greg took him, which is usually the case.  Erin makes Greg do most of the unpleasant tasks in the family.  I texted to check on him and Erin said Greg said he was begging to go to Western Sizzlin' to eat so he must be ok!