from-the-dead-end

Thoughts on greed

2012-02-02T09:46:00.003-06:00

Greed has been defined as an excessive desire to possess wealth, goods, or abstract things of value with the intention to keep them for yourself. It is a wish to acquire or possess more than one needs or deserves.

Even Spongebob Squarepants knows of greed. In the television show, Mr. Krabs’ avarice is clear throughout the series. He is always thinking of ways to turn a profit, even if it involves taking advantage of his friends.

If one finds that he or she has been greedy then rationalization becomes a handy way to deal with it.

Rationalization, a fancy word for making excuses, is a defense mechanism in which perceived controversial behaviors or feelings are logically justified and explained in a rational or logical manner in order to avoid any true explanation. By rationalizing one can explain to oneself or others behavior for which one's real motives are different. This then makes the actions tolerable to the greedy person. Some greedy people have become quite adept at rationlizing many of their actions.

Choices are an important part of life. You make the choices that lead you down life’s path. Towards the end of life, your life is defined by the choices that you have made throughout your life. For example, if you choose not to work most of your life, then your retirement income might not be what you desire.

In Christianity greed is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. I often ask myself “what makes a good Christian?” If you go to church and get involved and smile at everyone and take on a lot of responsibility have you become a “good Christian?” Or do we define a good Christian based on daily deeds and actions throughout life? Some among us profess to be Christians but when they walk out the door of the church they throw off that cloak of Christianity and become who they really are. Does anyone really know what lurks inside when you have a smile on your face and a kind disposition?

Change is a constant in life. “Times change, circumstances change, people change,” or so I have been told. But do people really change? Is losing part of your family really worth it just for material gain?

Party time

2012-01-22T21:30:00.002-06:00

Several of my closest friends gathered for what was supposed to be girl's night out to celebrate Kay's visit to Hot Springs for her monthly hairdo. What a gala event it turned out to be. I was surprised when Leon decided to go dine with 8 women but not as surprised as when my son-in-law, grandsons, and son showed up also. I don't know how Reid missed getting in the picture unless he hid!

Since 70 is the new 50 it seems it would have been just as easy to write Happy 50th!

Kay finally got a chance to open her Christmas gift from Will. What fun we had with the singing and dancing Razorback. Of course Lola thought it was for her.

Morning isn't the best time for photos unless you are opening a gift! Bad hair day!

Well Reid did not hide for this earlier picture with quarterback Tyler Wilson after a Razorback victory!

Cedar Glades hike

2012-01-12T08:51:00.001-06:00

A sixty degree day in the beginning of January tells me we had better take advantage! Off we went to Cedar Glades park for a short hike so we could check on some wet and missing geocaches.

The streams that drain into Bull Bayou were moving right along after the previous day's rain. I am glad they got the bridges replaced that washed out in last year's flood of the park.

This is one of my favorite little crossings. Sometimes we cross on ice but not today. I think Leon is wondering why he did not wear his hiking boots.

We replaced one wet geocache and the supposedly missing one was right where we had left it. New geocachers couldn't spot it! They will need to try again.

Life is good!!!

Nerd!

2012-01-07T07:49:00.001-06:00

I am such a nerd! I just love being in my little computer cave. I have forgotten more than I now know but it is a challenge to learn new things each day. This also gives me an opportunity to create. What I am actually doing is organizing and reorganizing which is what media specialists (librarians to you old timers) do and what I have done most of my quasi adult life.

I just uploaded this little photo from my photostream. Learning and experimenting with photostream has been my focus for a couple of days now. I am trying to send photos to the icloud, wherever it is, with not the best luck. But since Leon got me the ipad for Christmas I have been on a cloud of my own for sure! And now that my big Mac that I bought at an auction for $100 (previous post) has a new hard drive I can make simple little movies again. I am so excited that there is an Apple store just 50 miles away. At one time I had all my trips documented on my website. But that is so old hat now! Well, it wasn't really my website. So if you get bored you can go to you tube and see where we have traveled at soonbgone2 unless you have already followed us on Facebook or here on our blogs. I find all of this rather humorous as everything changes about as fast as I get caught up. Well back to the cave to see if my photos are streaming to the icloud yet.

Blackeyed Peas

2012-01-02T10:15:00.000-06:00

New Year's Day seemed a good time to share some holiday cheer and blackeyed peas with a few friends. But first a few Bloody Mary's. So let's eat, drink and be merry.

Half the fun was getting ready and the buffet is ready and waiting.

After a few Bloody Marys and mimosas it was time to for brunch. Kay and Barbara led the way.

Mel seemed excited to have some apple coffee cake for dessert. I am brave to invite Mel for brunch as she is the queen of brunches!

Things can get messy in a hurry but there was plenty of food.

Some day perhaps I will have a table large enough to seat everyone but I do have my doubts. It would require turning the living room into a dining room. We will see. Darla, Mary, Cissy, and Barbara seem to be balancing their food ok though.

Chris appears to be alarmed at someone's comments. That is not unusual in this group.

Carolyn, Sunnye, and Penny seem to think the food is ok. I think next year we will have "warm ups and waffles."

Oh deer me!

2011-12-30T19:26:00.000-06:00

So do you want the hammock first or shall I give it a try?

One doe came to visit and she was followed by four more. Yes, I live in the city - in the busiest part of the city! I have lived here 38 years and have never had such visitors, of which I am aware, stroll through the yard!

OMG - There is a house there!!!

Let's go girls, we have been spotted!

Oh, sure! Now I have to dodge the swing. When did she paint this thing green?

If we can't see her then do you think she can see us?

I think I can sneak through here!

Geocaching

2011-12-27T10:58:00.001-06:00

There is nothing like handing Flave and Reid a phone and sending them out the back door on Christmas Day to go geocaching. Once I steered them out of the neighbor's yard they were good to go for their first cache of the afternoon.

Jeff accompanied us to the small park below Carpenter Dam to pick up a few more caches. This was Jeff's first cache and I think he has decided this could be fun.

Reid and Flave with the dam in the background that was named after their great grandpa.

Reid had to do a little maintenance on this particular cache.

Christmas dinner

2011-12-24T10:19:00.001-06:00

Breakfast wasn't planned since we were having a big lunch but it just happened!

Flave figured out how to use Leon's new mandolin and was a great help slicing the carrots for lunch. I am thankful he did not lose a finger.

Next year I will try to remember to add both leaves to the table! The boys had never begun a meal with holiday poppers and could hardly wait.

They thought it was a pretty cool!

We do like to dress royally when we use the china and silver! Mary was having too much fun watching while Jeff and Kay donned their crowns immediately.

This was my first standing rib roast. What a fine experiment with an oven that never knows it's temperature.

Christmas

2011-12-24T09:34:00.027-06:00

Between brunch and lunch there were plenty of presents to be opened. Santa evidently sent an elf early. Kay did hear a reindeer in the yard when she walked Lola the night before! Reid seems pleased that he can now build a volcano.

Yes, Kay, I knew you wanted a gray vest and some blue baseball shirts! And Flave, what guy doesn't want a Star Wars mug!

It will be interesting to see if Leon wears his new socks. I am glad they will fit me too!!

This will give Flave something to do if he is every sitting at his desk and not studying.

Jeff is studying something while Reid gets to work building his lego bus.

Lola just takes it all in stride when she isn't napping in the middle of it all.

Remote control vehicles seemed to be a big hit this year. Mary watches as Reid tries to get his Milennium Falcon off the ground.

Will did not get to town until Christmas Eve so we started all over on Christmas with a little brunch. Jeff and Will at least made a cousin picture possible this year.

Garvan Gardens revisited

2011-12-23T21:51:00.001-06:00

Kay and her family came early for Christmas so we joined them for our second annual visit to Garvan Gardens. The rain subsided and the temps weren't so frigid as last year!

After the drummer boy came the gingerbread boys as Reid and Flave imitated the glowing one.

Reid is the cameraman for Flave and Kay.

Merry Christmas to All

Garvan Gardens - Trip 1

2011-11-30T19:57:00.000-06:00

Garvan Gardens is transformed into a magical place at Christmas. My new green UGGs did the trick and I was not cold at all!

I must admit my sister took this picture and it was better than mine!

Last year the place was packed and the kids swarmed the train. This year Leon and all us big kids got a turn.

In case your eyes play tricks this is a swan on the pond with the reflection of blue lights from beyond.

I adore all the flowers in so many various colors. There are butterflies flitting among them but they go on and off faster than my finger can click the shutter.

A new theme this year was all the mushrooms. This little animated turtle was busy eating.

We parked under the red reindeer. Without the color coding we might still be looking for the car.

Couchwood

2011-11-26T10:50:00.001-06:00

I have been curious for some time as to what was still at Couchwood, an old homeplace on Lake Catherine several miles east of Hot Springs.

In November I noticed an announcement that the AHPP (Arkansas Historic Preservation Program) was having an open house there and I quickly cancelled my hair appointment to go. We met in front of the "big house" built in 1927 from Oregon Cedar logs. Rachel again talked too long about the history of the family and their property and then we were free to wander.

The complex includes 4 houses and some cabins on Couchwood Road that have been deemed to be historic.

Harvey Couch was the head of the electric company and built Lake Catherine when he dammed the Ouachita River. As one would expect, he picked this nice property on it's shore for his lake home.

It is simply decorated as a lake home would have been at that time.

I would imagine many of these Indian artifacts might have been found on the property or nearby.

I kept thinking how nice it would be to have an old place to keep your stuff and not have to have garage sales and get rid of it for newer stuff.

The Couch and related families still use the property in the summer but it is available to be rented the remainder of the year.

Theodore Roosevelt was one of many "notables" that visited the well known businessman Harvey Couch.

I imagine they had several fireside chats in the main room of the big house. Behind the big house is a smaller house on the edge of the lake where Harvey could sit and fish from the porch. I forgot to go down there.

I guess they haven't used this boat since registrations were required in the 1950s or 60s.

Up the hill is the house that the Remmels own. It was built from Arkansas Cedar logs in 1941 and named Remmelwood. It was the vacation house for Pratt Remmel and his family. He was the mayor of Little Rock at one time and married to Couch's daughter Catherine.

Remmel Dam is named for Pratt Remmel and the lake for Couch's daughter Catherine.

Harvey Couch and some investors gained control of Louisiana and Arkansas Railroad in early 1928. Years later someone located this train rusting in a field somewhere and had it loaded on a truck trailer and brought to Couchwood.

Little Pine Bluff was built of Oregon Cedar as a guesthouse in 1932.

This bench is built of concrete to resemble logs. A mason that worked on the property did several projects similar to this.

Couch's old rocking chair is still on the screened in back porch.

Herbert Hoover was another visitor to Couchwood. I wonder if they found these furnishings to be just a little rustic?

Harvey Couch intended to build more cottages for his family but he died in 1941. Seventeen first cousins and their families enjoy summers at Couchwood. The rest of us can rent a place during the off-season. Some of the family member were there and were most friendly and gracious to share their family history.

What I am thankful for!

2011-11-26T09:45:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving began as usual with plenty of food. Kay and her family came down from Searcy and Will drove down from Fayetteville. We had a good visit and I learned what FaceTime on my iphone is all about. (Yes, I got a comment about that butter container on the counter!)

After plenty of food and visiting we convened for the cousin photo. We are so blessed to have these people in our lives.

OK, let's try this one more time.

Flave, Jr., Reid with Lola, Flave, Kay, Jeff and Will

End of an era

2011-11-23T19:17:00.000-06:00

About 1986 I enjoyed getting my amateur radio license. I had wires strung all about the yard for an antenna and eventually got this 3 element beam, which literally opened a whole new world to me. DX'ing, or talking to hams (radio operators) in foreign countries, was my hobby. Recently I decided it was time to take down the antenna and tower as, for various reasons, I was no longer using it. I finally found someone who was willing to take it down for the equipment. It helped that he was quite experienced in working on towers and had the right tools.

I guess he just trusted that I did a good job putting up the tower. I was a little nervous to say the least.

He worked with confidence on a windy day. Thank goodness it didn't gust while he was up there.

Piece by piece it came down and is now just a fond memory. I hope the new ham will enjoy it half as much as I did.

73's,

KB5HPH

Singin' with Willie

2011-10-08T07:51:00.000-05:00

We are finally on the road again. We travelled all of two hours the first day to Searcy and had a fun visit with my daughter and her family. After a trip to Fox for Leon's family reunion we will head east. We plan to stop in Florence, AL; Lake Sidney Lanier in Georgia; Rock Hill, SC; Charleston, SC; Savannah, Ga; Tybee Island, Ga; and Jekyll Island, GA. After that -- who knows?? We are open to suggestions. You can ride along in the right lane while we mosey down the backroads on our other blog.

Leon has switched to singing "Hear that lonesome whistle" as the trains rolled through town all night long. I heard nothing! The Elks has a nice place for us to park in Searcy with electricity and they even have a swimming pool. We might have to return in the summer.

Little Rock Food Truck Festival

2011-10-05T10:44:00.000-05:00

Bicycle shopping led us to Little Rock so we stopped downtown at the Food Truck Festival on Main Street.

The first order of business was to check the progress of the Arkansas - Texas A&M game!

Greg Dee and Leon seem to be happy to have found a vegetarian option!

Philly cheese without the cheese .. think what that could have been with cheese!

There were perhaps 10 food trucks there offering everything from fried snickers to Thai food.

Greg Dee stopped eating long enough to give a KARK weather report. I gave him a four and a one!

I might have bought a hot dog from this lady but we already had used our food tickets and I did not want to go stand in line to buy more.

It is hard to tell but above the Grills on Wheels lettering are 2 tv's. Nice! Overall, I was disappointed with the festival because there was little more than food trucks. It would have been nice to have lots of arts and crafts booths and other forms of entertainment which could have made for a really nice festival. Perhaps things picked up later in the day.

Had Kay been in the office this day she could have joined us, but it was a Saturday!

After a trip to Sherwood the mission was accomplished.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2011-10-03T20:17:00.001-05:00

We were quite surprised on our morning walk at Garvan Gardens. They begin decorating for Christmas in mid September. Here comes the fish!

I guess when you decorate the woods you need a large ladder. This is not one that I would want to climb.

Even with the Christmas lights twinkling we had some fall azaleas blooming.

The candy canes are up and many of the little houses. Still there is much to be done.

Arkansas mosquitoes can be quite a reckoning force.

Lovely little summer plants were still blooming and soon I bet the place will be overflowing with mums.

Progress on the bonzai house seems slow but I think it will be worth the wait. Garvan Gardens is just a first class operation and a marvelous place for a morning stroll.

Cruizin' for a Cause

2011-09-18T10:11:00.000-05:00

So much starts on facebook these days. While posting on the Remember in Hot Springs site Brad commented how fun it would be to cruize Central like in times past. It grew into a plan and became a benefit. How could the police interfere with a benefit drive? In the fifties it was quite popular with my group to go around the fountain. By the eighties the traffic got so bad around K-Mart and Burger Chef that the city put a stop to it.

Kay Ekey and group visiting with Brad Lovell in the old K-Mart parking lot.

These girls had a blast and let everyone know they were in the HSHS class of '75.

Always nice to have our sheriff get out and have some fun too. Larry was surprised that I remembered what color his panel truck was when he drove it to Lake Hamilton as a student there.

Folks seemed quite interested in this Cobra.

Yep, this is Arkansas..anything goes!

And around the fountain they went. We chose to drive to the Arlington and sit on the bus bench and watch. Had it not been a Razorback game night and a Friday night of the county fair there probably would have been a much larger crowd.

I was surprised that nobody put soap in the fountain!! I had my turn long ago and wanted to give others a turn.

Lots more photos on Facebook.

Hot Air Balloon 101

2011-09-11T12:03:00.000-05:00

So we were on the way to breakfast and as we passed Cornerstone we spotted Spa Force One and the early morning crew. "Brakes, Leon!" How fun to watch from beginning to end.

I never realized how really small the baskets are!

Good idea! Especially if you are pilot Mike Hickey.

Things are starting to take shape - it does take a crew.

It is eight stories tall and 58 feet in diameter and has 872 yards of nylon material held together by seven miles of thread.

Up, up and away! It contains 90,000 cubic feet of air when inflated and can lift 1,980 pounds.

At last .. on to the English Muffin .. I am starving! But what a great way to start the day.

Spa City Blues Society Festival - final night

2011-09-06T22:22:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed 4 nights of fabulous blues music. No doubt, it was the best festival yet. Wheatley Plaza is a good location with the Army Navy Hospital in the background.

Leon was quite excited about his dessert while I was enjoying bar-b-q.

I instantly became a fan of E.C. Kight, aka the Georgia Songbird.

I didn't expect to run into so many cousins but had a nice visit with Greg and Barbara.

Then along came Steve.

Scotty Harris was amazing on saxophone and Roxy joined the group on her viola.

But the highlight, in my opinion, was Greg and Lee Oskar, and the crowd seemed to agree.

So we enjoyed the festival tremendously and got the shirt to prove it!

Gallery Walk

2011-09-04T21:00:00.001-05:00

I was hungry for a cookie after supper and knew where to get one! Off we went to town for Gallery Walk. After our monthly cookies at our first gallery stop we came upon Lee Oskar selling prints in the Blue Moon. He was in town as the headliner for the blues festival but I guess some people just have more talent than others! His fame comes from his years in the band War!

As we strolled up the avenue, Central that is, I wished for more of a camera than my phone. I do love to take photos of buildings. If one makes it to the top of these steps they also offer wifi.

This reminds me of the years various people, including Mari, drove the mule wagon around town to entertain visitors. I guess nothing lasts forever but we did see several white horse drawn carriages carting tourists around town.

I thought it would be nice if we punished ourselves for eating out so much recently and just walked on up to the art church. It never ceases to amaze me at the trash we have to walk by on Friday evenings in town. I do realize there is no other place to put this trash but on a Friday night in the middle of one of the busiest tourist weekends?

OK, I am strolling on up the avenue. Who knows what and where this is?

And then we come to some more trash! I did not go back to see if the garbage trucks come on Saturday morning but I rather doubt it.

So we walked a mile to go to the Art Church for the first time. I guess they should rename it the music chuch because there was a sign in the window that they were closed for gallery walk so they could go to the blues festival. Go figure!

But at least there was an art display at Mountain Valley Water Company. And they had some snacks, and cold water, and coffee, and a restroom and cool air instead of the 90 degrees outside.

And where else can you see old moss, an old cash register, an old safe in an old building all at the same time!

And did I mention cold water. Thanks, Mountain Valley.

More blues!

2011-09-04T13:34:00.001-05:00

Back to the Ohio Club for the beginning of the Spa City Blues Festival. This just happens to be one of my favorite buildings, architecturally speaking, in historic downtown Hot Springs.

Leon is a little worried about the circles under his eyes and wonders if they will ever go away after one late night out. He ain't seen nothin' yet!

The Stella Vees have come to town for the blues festival from Lexington, Kentucky. They have driven since 4 am and look a little weary but that did not stop them from a superior performance.

It is nice to run into Sarah. She has moved back to town and joined our group.

Marc Breitfelder, from near Hamburg, Germany, put on quite a show with his harp. He was a winner in the 2011 International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

Getting ready for travel

2011-09-01T14:03:00.000-05:00

I ordered a hitch immobilizer from Blue Ox to keep the bicycle rack from bouncing. Tomorrow I will flush the black tank. Not one of my favorite things to do. We are going to be heading for Savannah, Georgia in October. Should be fun.

Goodbye to toys

2011-09-01T13:25:00.000-05:00

I said goodbye to my motorcycle and my Hobie Kayak. The motorcycle went to a young man in Springfield, MO and the Kayak went to a gentleman from Tennessee. There was a time when I would have used them but that was long ago. Well on to the next project, maybe another quad or a sail boat, or how far our we from the sea I've always wanted to surf?

Singing the Blues

2011-09-01T12:54:00.002-05:00

Wouldn't you rather be geocaching? Decisions, decisions! We were over in Malvern locating a few caches and these folks kept being in our way as they were cleaning up the city parks. We have done most of the nearby caches and have to travel a little further these days.

Let the blues begin!

2011-08-30T23:30:00.005-05:00

The 106 year old Ohio Club is still a pretty popular night spot in downtown Hot Springs. Each Wednesday night they have a spa city jam but this Wednesday was special so away we went. After a delicious supper we listened to the band and visited friends. There was an amazing crowd.

We had just about given up on Lee Oskar showing up but his plane had been delayed an hour. Show up he did and what a musician. I have never heard an accordian sing like his did! And I did not know about Scotty Harris on sax but I do now!

The Spa City Blues Society will be keepin' the blues alive in Hot Springs beginning tomorrow! Check their website for a list of the performers and location of the venue. We will see you there!

Lee Oskar and Scotty Harris performing at the Wednesday night jam at the Ohio Club! What an evening.

A little shopping flurry!

2011-08-25T15:44:00.000-05:00

I seem to have a pretty good reputation for doing all my shopping at once. I might not shop for months and then .... and then .... well my friends know the rest. So I had to go get a new basic black dress as mine just seems to keep shrinking. And what did I spot but some UGGs. My friends also know I rarely shop anywhere but TJ Maxx so they seemed like a good deal ... kind of like a half price sale! Come on winter!

I then stopped in next door to check out the new Home Goods store. I don't really feel a need for much new in the home goods department but there was the chair I have been looking for! Today after Leon and I hauled some tables for my sister and just happened to have the trailer hooked up it was time to nab it! Well if I don't spend the winter on the Florida beaches I will be all comfy in my new chair donning my new boots!

Marcus, Arkansas

2011-08-15T08:57:00.001-05:00

I think I have always had a passion for old buildings. I just like old wood, old metal and stone. The highlight of a recent geocaching loop was coming across this old homeplace.

The old well and outbuildings were still there and I wondered what must be in the house, but I did not trespass.

Marcus was an old community on highway 84 west of Bismarck. There were many families living in the area and it was pretty decent farmland.

Further down a dirt side road we passed this old barn. The house wasn't much newer but there were folks living there. Just good country living I guess.

And I thought July was hot!

2011-08-02T08:21:00.000-05:00

July started out with a bang as usual but turned out to be one of the hottest I recall. It is usually hotter in August. So that I won't be disappointed the heat index yesterday was 109. The temperature should be at least 104 for the next three days and when it is only 98 on Sunday perhaps it will feel nice.

As soon as it does get cooler we have some trees waiting to be cut. While out marking trees we noticed this very long black snake and he noticed us. Now how does he know that he blends with that coax cable?

Up in NWA (Northwest Arkansas) my nephew is feeling the recession crunch I guess. He has a recession garden, a goat for milk, and now some Dixie Chicks. He was surprised one night when he went out to gather sticks that Nibbles was giving the chicks a ride. The sticks in July were for his prototype heating system that he was building.

So life goes on in Arkansas and I look at photos of my friends kayaking on beautiful mountain lakes in Oregon and wonder why we are still here. Last year when the temps were like this we ran to Michigan. Oh yeah, the dentist appointments! It is his fault that we are still here!

Arbor at last!

2011-07-23T22:54:00.000-05:00

Several years ago I got creative with a leftover piece of plastic tubing to see if the muscadine vine in the yard would grow on it. And grow it did. All looked well until it got too heavy for my arch.

I backed the van up to the drainage canal from the church parking lot and managed to get my new materials to the constuction site.

Leon to the rescue with the post hole diggers. In no time, one post was set.

And then another. It appeared that it was actually going to happen!

Now we can go sit under the new arbor which I think might never fall!

On the way back to the house I stopped to study this unusual tree. No wonder, not a leaf on it except for poison ivy. That will be another project, maybe for August.

Hanging out!

2011-07-01T20:31:00.002-05:00

Sometimes it is nice to stay home in summer and enjoy what so many others come here to see and do when on vacation! We have been taking lots of early morning walks at Garvan Gardens before they open. Members can go in the delivery entrance as early as 6 am and if one isn't walking by 8 they should forget it! Hot weather seemed to arrive early this year. This was one of the many whimsical art pieces we saw in the children's garden.

Downtown we went one night to take in the Wednesday night blues band and listen to Greg join them on his harmonica. What a treat. All sorts of talented musicians showed up this night and we were out way after dark!

Don came down for a visit at the end of June on his way from Tulsa to Houston. We did not let a 98 degree heat index keep us in the house all the time! This is not what I expected to find at our first geocaching stop at McGill Cemetery. Thank goodness he had jumped out of his skin..I almost did too!

After a while Don and I realized it was easier to just climb on the running board of the truck as the caches were only .1 mile apart.

We were excited to come to this cooling spot about half way down Huddleston Springs Road. We did not find the springs but this was good enough. We took the wet way to the cache!

There is just something refreshing about a shady spot on a country road in July. OK, I admit we did not even know what road we were on until we got to the end and ran into Mtn. Pine Road.

Summertime

2011-06-21T07:47:00.000-05:00

Welcome, summer! My pentas have really put on a show. I have them planted where I can sit in the a/c and enjoy them.

Then I go out the front door and what do I spot...the uglies of summer! This guy was very small and hopefully non poisonous so I left him alone. When he gets big I hope he will leave me alone.

While strolling across the back yard I noticed this 20 foot tall dead tree...but alas, it has turned into a poison ivy tree! It won't be around long.

Kay, Flave, and Flave, Jr. came to town for the weekend and a baseball tournament. We had a great visit, much of it at the ball field, as Flave approached third base.

After their Saturday morning baseball game, 96 degrees did not seem to hot to go geocaching. Flave is at the boot tree near where he found the cache that Leon and I had looked for several times.

You never know what you will find under a guy wire cover...

or under the edge of a railroad track...

After seven caches we stopped at the park so Flave could check out the old tank. I was baffled as to why they have put a fence around the tank, but glad they left the lock open. Is it now unsafe for kids to climb on tanks? might there be a lawsuit? can a kid really damage a tank???

So how does one end an outing on a 96 degree day? Our next stop was the Gulpha Gorge for a wade in the creek, then on to Nom Nom's for ice cream. A fun weekend indeed!

Dog days in June??

2011-06-13T15:48:00.000-05:00

So what have we been doing lately? Not much. It has gotten hot and humid too early this summer. But the veranda of the old Hale Bath House provided a nice place for some friends to visit while having lunch. I now know why old ladies are fat! We go out to eat too much but if not, then we would have no excuse to shop!

We did go out to Garvan Woodland Gardens one morning to walk out and see the new wildflower pavillion. There was plenty of color and it felt cool under the tall pines. We did learn that we can go as early as 6 am and go in the service entrance. Next we will explore the children's section. I will bet we will see no children! I love all the shades of pink.

The hydrangeas are especially showy this time of year.

Most of our time has been spent over on Woodlawn fixing up "this old house" for renters. Leon thought that I could not make a back door out of this junk one but I was determined.

We have gone to several geocaching events. This one was held at Lake Ouachita State Park and it was too hot to be out in the woods and not in the water. I did have a nice visit with lots of people and meet some new geocachers.

Baseball

2011-05-17T10:24:00.001-05:00

Now this is how it should look after 5 games. We were excited that Reid was in Hot Springs for baseball this weekend.

Reid did an outstanding job in the outfield and even hit his first homerun in one of the games. We look forward to watching this team play again!

Don't try this at home

2011-05-14T21:23:00.000-05:00

We just never know what the day will bring - Tree and a friend were practicing in the church parking lot behind the house! Their skill is quite impressive.

Moving on......

2011-05-14T15:17:00.001-05:00

Kay and Laryssa are both leaving National Park Community College to pursue other careers. When they got word of the theme for their party I think they got the last laugh. They are a couple of angels indeed.

Their coworkers had a funeral theme for their going away party.

Kay made some excellent wings from coffee filters. At least she did not cut her bangs to within 1/2" of forehead like she did the last time she was an angel..oh, but that was grade school!

Running of the Tubs

2011-05-14T15:05:00.001-05:00

Several years we had rain but this year it was a blustery 56 degrees at the 9:25 start of the running of the tubs.

The fire department and police department began the races with a grudge rematch.

When else can kids take their water guns to town and squirt people.

Their steering was a major problem for this tub.

This horse was getting pelted with water balloons as he ran down the avenue. At the time I did not realize that Otto, the jockey who rode Secretariat in the movie, was driving this team. He faired better in the movie!

This was the third of three stopping points before reaching the end. I am not sure what they did at this point.

Clyde is really getting into these new hair styles. What a guy!

The Love Boat is walking back up to the Arlington Hotel where the races begin.

At the first stopping point everyone, including the driver, has to run around the tub.

Batter Up!

2011-05-05T09:27:00.001-05:00

Leon and I have a new interest for this summer, but my daughter Kay welcomed us to our first baseball game in the rain!

Flave and Kay seemed to be prepared for any occasion - rain or sun. I think Flave was trying to catch a few winks before the game as he had been in Hot Springs with Entergy helping 800 workers repair the electricity damage from the April 25th tornadoes.

Reid is the team member with his favorite water jug. The team is not so excited as they lost the game but they are an excellent team for 8 year olds.

Flave and Kay do what parents do after each ball game - Wait! It was a fun experience even though we had showers and we now look forward to seeing Reid's older brother play.

Tornadoes

2011-05-01T09:11:00.001-05:00

Three tornadoes ripped through Garland County late Sunday afternoon on April 25. We had just returned from a weekend at Big Cedar with friends in Missouri. Lowe Cemetery on Ragweed Valley Road was covered by the giant oaks that fell during the storm.

We waited several days to take a look so as to not be in the way. The damage along Ragweed Valley, Old Dallas Road and the area around Sunshine, west of town, was still very obvious.

Entergy brought in approximately 800 people to restore power to the 20,000 plus who lost electricity.

The sign at Kilkerry Farms on Old Dallas Road.

Several people posted this picture of the Sonic on Hway 70 west. I still maintain that Sonic is not the healthiest place to dine.

Two of the tornadoes were on the western side of town and another did extensive damage north of Hot Springs along highway 7 north towards Jessieville. We were extremely fortunate that more damage did not occur and only one life was lost. I watched as the trees swirled in the back yard and then the green skies released hickory nut sized hail that covered the ground. It was a tense night to say the least.

Easter holiday

2011-04-25T16:22:00.000-05:00

Easter started in typical fashion when Will, Hayden, Patrick, Brian and Jennifer all came to town. After they rode through the woods someone misplaced my camera. But trust me, Kelly and Sean also came to town for a few days. We all had a wonderful visit. Then Leon and I took off to visit friends in Missouri. I hope everyone else got to spend a special holiday with friends and family.

SWAGville aka Jessieville

2011-04-08T18:49:00.000-05:00

Some of the local geocachers have organized a group and we call ourselves S.W.A.G. This is the second year we have hosted an event and we about 100 in attendance from Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Charles explained to Leon (ltp to fellow geocachers) what he should do with his pocket cache.

The highlight for me, I think, was running into this couple (Old Paint Man) from Russellville. In the late 1960's they attended the junior high where I was the librarian. We had some fond memories to share.

After a morning of donuts, temporary caches placed near the church where we met, lots of fun with ice breakers, and a bar b q lunch many in the group climbed aboard Jim's (likestocanoe) trailer and off we went down the backroads in the country on an exciting hayride.

Kay and Charles (Zeke and George) brought up the rear and I (trekkin'arkie) was certainly glad they had an extra chair. Well, I guess I am glad Jade, their granddaughter chose not to sit in it.

There are a lot of caches hidden along the Main Haul Road which runs alongside the Ouachita National Forest. In the past Weyerhauser used these roads to haul their timber over to Mtn. Pine to the sawmill and this way they could fly along and not worry about speeding and heavy loads, not to mention much traffic.

For supper we had a big bonfire and cooked hot dogs or in Leon's case, soy dogs.

Now Kay (arkekey) knows what a real hot dog looks like. And of course we followed that with s'mores.

Holly (gingerose) was proud of all the work she and the team had done, as well she should be. It was a great success. I don't know how we can improve for next year.

Fun times

2011-03-24T19:51:00.003-05:00

My BFF Becky and her daughter Lisa came to town for a few days. While Lisa visited high school friends Becky and I visited Garvan Gardens. The flowering trees were lovely on the side by the waterfall and koi pond.

The highlight this time of year are the tulips which are just a couple days past peak. We also enjoyed the end of the camelia season and noticed the azaleas and dogwoods are just beginning to bloom.

My new purse from Florida is very handy if I want to transport a beverage. We had a delicious supper and a great visit with Marge at J&S Italian Restaurant overlooking Lake Hamilton. We first were entertained by Mark Ayers, who was quite busy at the piano bar pleasing a good Wednesday crowd.

I always enjoy visiting with Lisa.

Leon, Becky, Lisa and I ventured on to the Big Chill so Lisa could hear a really good twelve string guitarist. Dayton Waters is a regular here and although we planned to be there for a couple of songs it turned into 3 1/2 hours. I can never walk away from his music.

It was nice how he left the stage and wandered among the crowd. We were going to leave when he took a break but midnight came first. Lisa is a new fan!

Dashing to the tulips!

2011-03-24T16:42:00.003-05:00

We are two days past peak for the tulips at Garvan Gardens and are eager to see them (again for me) before they wilt. But first sustenance at the Filling Station in Red Oak before we wilt. This was once waaay out in the country... now, not so far.

Since I spent many years rv'ing in a volkswagon I really liked this sense of humor.

Chris had a little Photo Uploading 101 lesson with Barbara.

Any excuse to share a cake is good and today it was two days before Diane's birthday!

Happy Birthday, Diane!

A full moon with Chris, Diane, Cissy and Darla. We enjoyed the flowering trees and shrubs near the koi pond. Soon the azaleas will burst into full bloom.

Barbara rode along the trail with Kay and her new knee.

And then we arrived at the tulips!!! The fragrance in the air and the rows of blended colors just take my breath away. It was the third time in a week for me.

Well over sixty years of librarian / media specialist duties between the two of us. No wonder we know how to make bookends!

That Chris sure knows how to spot a snake in the wild. We had a big discussion and the concensus was it is a speckled king snake.

Big Smith

2011-03-20T20:14:00.001-05:00

The Valley of the Vapors Independent Musical Festival began today at the Low Key Arts Center. The center, housed in an old warehouse, is a favorite of many of the younger artistic types in town. I thought it would be a fun and different adventure for the day.

The opening act, Big Smith from sourthern Missouri, has been a favorite bluegrass band for me since I saw a documentary about them and heard them perform several years ago. Several friends met us for breakfast at the crowded Colonial Pancake and Waffle House before we ventured further north to listen to the band.

It was nice to run into Amy and her dad enjoying the excellent musicians.

Cissy and Kay seemed to enjoy the outing though I worried this might not be Cissy's cup of tea!

The venue is small and the seats are limited. There was an eclectric group of young and old and all seemed to enjoy the sound. Why the younger group stood in front of the older seated people the entire time I will never understand. Maybe it is just a generation thing!

Tiptoeing thru the tulips again!

2011-03-19T14:57:00.001-05:00

Garvan Gardens Woodland Gardens

The tulips are breathtaking each year.

The redbuds blooming above the daffodils in the distance made a nice view.

Always progress being made at Garvan Gardens

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T20:09:00.059-05:00

Yes, that really is the official name of the parade!!! It takes place on Bridge Street which has been proclaimed as the shortest street in the United States. The parade is 98 feet long!

Right off the bat I run into three high school classmates! What a treat.

There was a sea of green on Bridge Street and Ned was spotted giving the channel 7 weather .. even without him we knew it was perfect!

The Spa City Pacers entertained us before the parade started as if we cared what was under their kilts .. they have no shame!

We parked near the end of the parade and hopped up on the tool box in the truck for front row seats!

Why there come Pat and Butch! They seem to make all the parades.

I was impressed with the lucky librarians and their bookcarts .. kinda quirky .. kinda in keeping with the theme of the parade .. it just gets quirkier each year.

OMG! Is that really Clyde? Why yes it is!

There were even several nice floats.

Amy hoola hooped through town.. she looked mighty festive in her green.

When you are a championship coon dog and have been to major dog shows then you don't have to walk. Elvis recently won best of breed at the Westminster Dog Show!

As dusk descended along came a group representing our sister city Hanamaki, Japan.

And who was on the front row but Joy and Chris. I bet they had that much fun in Japan also.

The crowds remained in town for a street concert which was a really big hit!

John Corbett was the grand marshal for the parade and then the John Corbett Band entertained afterwards. It all made for a fun evening on the city streets. We are already looking forward to the 9th next year!

Springing forward with flowers

2011-03-14T14:02:00.000-05:00

We took advantage of a beautiful sunny Saturday to go to Garvan Gardens and see the daffodils. And perhaps we would see a few tulips blooming. Just the opposite seemed to be the case. We did see some daffodils but the tulips were approaching peak. So many different colors and varieties all blended to perfection.

I don't recall ever seeing such a pretty arrangement of pastel hyacinths. The are one of my springtime favorites.

If the daffodils are past peak here they must be still blooming profusely on Wye Mountain as it is advertised on TV as being the first weekend of the daffodil festival in Little Rock. The enjoyable part was taking this dirt road across the top of Wye Mountain for many miles through the Ouachita National Forest.

And there it was. A large field full of daffodils with almost as many people. There was a small crafts barn and food to eat. I had never been to Wye, Arkansas. It amazes me how you can be in the city one minute and in the country in such short order. Leon would not stop for me to photograph a nearby property that was not so pretty because he thought I might get us shot.

For a few dollars you can even pick some daffodils or buy a clump.

Having your picture taken among the daffodils seemed to be the most popular thing to do. So we did!

Then we explored the Pinnacle Mountain State Park and visited Maumelle Corps of Engineers Campground situated alongside the Arkansas River in case we ever want to vacation in Little Rock. We took the less traveled roads back home coming back through Ferndale and Congo.

Trippin' with the Girls

2011-02-08T21:34:00.000-06:00

Enough cold weather for a while. Catch up with Darla, Chris, and me as we explore a warmer clime.

Snow again!

2011-02-04T10:37:00.000-06:00

And again we have a snow forecast for 1-3" but compared to the rest of the country we are lucky!

Here comes Jeff .. now that his Jeep doesn't run he travels on the 4 wheeler!

Traffic is moving slowly on Central at the bypass

Chilly it is! So glad I bought new snow boots!

Can't keep the bird feeders full!

Lola's day at the capitol

2011-01-27T06:47:00.000-06:00

My granddog Lola and I toured the capitol grounds in Little Rock recently.

Lola stopped sniffing long enough to pose on the capitol steps.

The place was bustling as the legislature was in session.

It is always nice to know what your senator stands for.

What a beautiful sunny day we enjoyed with the temps warming into the fifties.

Snow daze

2011-01-10T15:32:00.000-06:00

The snow moved in an hour earlier than expected and within two hours traffic on the bypass had slowed considerably.

We did not loiter long as it was a cold blustery wind blowing with the snow.

We ventured over to the Presbyterian Church parking lot to see what things looked like on the avenue. This guy had just sanded Central south of the bypass.

The folks that were apparently lined up behind the sand truck waiting to ascend the hill were no doubt delighted that he came along.

Looking south on Central Avenue it was almost deserted and this was only at 4:30 pm.

The snow quit in the night and by the next morning we were greeted by a glistening white countryside.

I am not sure why so many people take pictures of their decks in the snow but here is ours.

The snow measured 4 1/2 inches but I am sure some had "settled." We probably had 6 inches.

Leon drove the truck around and soon realized how slick it was so we decided to go for a walk. It was hard to tell when you were stepping on slush or ice as we traversed through the church parking lot.

All was quiet on the bypass and when cars did pass by they were creeping along.

Aha! It looks like Books a Million might be open.

We settled in for a cup of hot coffee and some chocolate chips in a cookie while I perused some David Sedaris books. I plan to go see him in Little Rock in April. We were their second customers of the day.

After Leon bought some gloves at TJ Maxx we started the trek back home. If only Belks had had some snow boots in MY size. Mine are not waterproof.

This is the reason we chose not to drive. Jason had no clue this hill could be so steep and slick.

Why there is Jeff. Now this is the best way to come up our hill.

People keep giving him hats for Christmas. I think that might be a good thing.

He went over to Pakis and pulled Jason out of the ditch.

I caught a ride back up the hill before we did a few wheelies in the church parking lot. Parts of it were frozen. Leon did a little ice skating unintentionally!

All seems peaceful again at the end of the dead end.

Oklahoma City Jan 2011

2011-01-04T11:14:00.001-06:00

Leon's grandson, Gunnar, had a layover in Oklahoma City for a couple days while returning to Shepherd Air Force Base from Christmas in California. Time to go visit! He couldn't wait to get hold of his great granddaughter Amalie. She seemed to remember him from his previous visit.

Look what I can do now, Great Grandpa, as long as mom Melissa holds me up!

I bounce and bounce and bounce!

I really like this teether you sent me for Christmas! I am cutting a few teeth.

OK, here we go! Just wait til the next time!

It was great for Gunnar to get to spend some time with his niece.

We admired sister Abbie's new haircut. She is so adorable. She is teaching Drew about Fancy Nancy.

Now right here is where my teeth are giving me fits today!

We visited the Cowboy Museum. It is a quality museum with a large collection of western paintings and sculptures, Indian artifacts, military weapons, displays of western movies, a rodeo section including much of the history of rodeos, and more. I like this end of the trail sculpture.

C'mon, Gunnar, have some fun! No, Grandpa, not for me!

While we were away Amalie practiced sitting up.

It was quite chilly while we were there. Can you tell?

We stopped by Sheplers, a huge western store we recently learned about.

What a selection of boots. I wish I needed some.

No, Leon, you don't need those either!

Toby Keith's I Love this Bar & Grill gives free burgers to active and retired military so we took advantage. We enjoyed eating alongside the canal in Bricktown. It was a great visit with Gunnar.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-28T13:11:00.001-06:00

We celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve this year. Rose and Zane started early with stockings. For those of you who couldn't be here this is the fun you missed.

Zane was beside himself when he discovered his Pokemon games.

The Carpenters soon arrived and we settled down for our traditional Christmas brunch.

Reid and Zane are happy at the counter.

My grandsons, Flave and Reid, will graduate to the table when I get a larger table!

Flave received the shirt to go along with Splosion Man, a recent game written by my nephew's company. Watch for Ms. Splosion Man to be out in time for next Christmas.

Leon and I are so cute in our matching jammies.

It was a real delight to have Zane and Rose join us this year. Dude on the right is Jeff!

One of the family gifts for the Carpenters seemed to evoke some grins.

Jeff is proud to have some water. I need more explanation on this.

Hmmm! An electronic Christmas perhaps?

Flave is ready to be a rock star!

Leon is quite proud of his grandson Gunnar!

Jeff seems to get hats every Christmas. I guess folks just worry about his head staying warm!

Kay came dressed as a pixie. Reid was more interested in the pixie sticks!

Lola dressed for the occasion as usual.

The Carpenters headed back to Searcy with their loot. I can never get all of their eyes open in the same photo. New Year's Resolution: Always take 2 photos.

Later in the day Will arrived from Fayetteville so on Christmas day we had a Little brunch. I know, I could not find the larger table cloth that fits the table.

Rose had a sack full of goodies. Will carries scissors and tape in his pocket with his red and green markers and wraps as he goes!

This was good for some laughs. It matches the mola that Jeff already has.

Leon got his first Rubix cube.

Won't Will have fun on Dixon Street.

This was an excellent Christmas. Wish y'all could have all been here.

A visit to the Blacks' the day after Christmas took care of our holiday season! It was fun to visit with so many friends. Thanks, Sara, Joy, and Chris.

Christmas Eve Eve

2010-12-25T10:13:00.002-06:00

My grandsons, Flave and Reid, were in town for the holidays so we seized the opportunity to bake some Christmas cookies after our afternoon of geocaching.

While the cookies were baking Flave dashed out to the fire Leon had prepared in the back yard to cook a hot dog.

Soon little hands were busy again!

Zane, Jeff and Rose got back from the movie "Tron" and Zane wasted no time heading to the fire!

Now how did this happen? I am not sure about that boy!

It was interesting how all the boys had on black shirts - but not for long.

Jeff, Kay and Flave are watching the slide show video that was running of Christmases past.

Reid and Flave are wondering who is who while Rose texts in the den.

Flave and Reid put the finishing touches on some of the cookies.

Then Reid serves Kay and his dad some of the finished product.

Reid and Flave at the gingerbread house in the Arlington Hotel.

Roasted marshmallows and cookies! What a sugar high.

Reid: "I think I can cook these with my eyes shut!

Zane had time for a little Wii fishing early in the day.

I hope Flave did not eat these after I had him wait while I got a photo!

Garvan Gardens

2010-12-24T09:19:00.001-06:00

Our annual trek to Garvan Gardens was delightful and the weather couldn't have been better: nippy but not too cold!

Flave, Zane and Reid pose for us.

We couldn't begin to capture all the lights. They have added many!

These flowers are among our favorites.

Leon and Zane having fun in the gingerbread house!

These beautiful lights twinkled above the pavillion.

Flave, Kay and Flave studying the overhead lighting.

We shared the experience with Jeff, Zane, Reid, Flave, Kay and Flave.

Reid, Flave, Flave and Kay sipped some hot chocolate while watching the train.

Zane and Jeff were impressed on their first visit to the gardens.

Geocaching

2010-12-24T06:50:00.001-06:00

There is nothing like a pile of crystals in the yard to interest young boys in a little yard work. Reid and Flave selected a few to take home with them.

Then it was off for a few hours of geocaching. They are quite good only having about 20 under their belts. Reid returns a cache to the "Fish Tree."

From there it was off to Hollywood Park alongside Hot Springs Creek. Time to do a little running and frolicking in the fresh, cold air!

Hmmm, now which way could it be? Flave soon spied it under an oak tree.

For another cache they had to pretend they were skipping rocks as three muggles came by.

Trickling water seemed to be an inspiration. Too bad I don't still have my creek in the back yard.

The smirk on Flave's face shows that he has already found the cache at the Boys' Club baseball field.

As dusk descended they made a short trek into the woods to find "Shark loves pink."

So this is how the firemen find those fire hydrants at night! One more after this was a nano in a cemetery. What a fun few hours and 12 new caches to add to the list.

Tis the Season

2010-12-23T08:44:00.000-06:00

Chris and I delighted in going to hear Deleen Davidson and the Muses at their Christmas Concert in the Arlington Hotel. Hot Springs is so fortunate to have this quality of talent in our midst.

First stop in the Arlington Hotel is a visit to the annual gingerbread house. It is one of my favorites.

On another night Leon and I drove down to DeGray Lake to see the Christmas lights. We stopped at DeGray and enjoyed their warm fireplace and tree along the way.

The Iron Mountain Marina decorates to the hilt on their property and along their boat docks. Many of the boat owners decorate their boats also and some served cider, hot chocolate and cookies.

This western theme on one of the boats was cute. Along the fence in front they had stick horses lined up and when you pushed the ear they neighed for us.

There was quite a crowd on this very chilly night. This little friend kept visiting with us along the way.

Poor Santa.

I had no clue there were so many large boats on DeGray. We have intended to do this for years and then forget until it is too late. It was so worth the trip!

Jiggety jog

2010-12-13T13:20:00.000-06:00

So we got home from Texas to very chilly temperatures. There was actually snow forecast on our route which gladly failed to materialize. We spent our final Texas night in the Elks' parking lot in Tyler.

We have had fun shopping this year. All of a sudden there are kids to shop for! Leon has a new great granddaughter, Amalie. He sent a package to Amailie and her big sister, Abbie, today.

I have two new grandsons! Or at least they are new to me. Flave and Reid will be here for Christmas Eve. How fun it will be to share Christmas with kids.

Between shopping trips I spend my time watching the birds dance on the ice in the bird bath looking for a drink while keeping warm in front of the fire. Periodically I go out and add warm water. Lucky ones could get a warm bath!

Gone to Texas

2010-11-29T16:37:00.003-06:00

We have gone to Texas for Leon's grandson's graduation. Click here to travel with us.

Black Friday

2010-11-26T09:20:00.001-06:00

After a big Thanksgiving dinner Jeff and Rose kept an eye on Best Buy. They were determined to be in line early to take advantage of the laptop offer available at 5 am. At 4:30 they settled into line to be first! With the temperatures dropping from 70 to 32 for the evening the van seemed the way to go.

Later they learned that vehicles were not an option so Hernando was replaced by a tent. I am not really sure what the difference is.

Rose was just pleased that I came with my down coat that I bought for Maine weather!

Jeff was happy that the second in line people had a propane heater.

And then of course there was the obnoxious family that came and crowded right into the middle of everything. We left Jeff with our list and settled for the warmth of the fire and a good football game.

Wedding time arrives

2010-11-26T08:54:00.001-06:00

Friends and family gathered at the Methodist Church in Searcy for Kay and Flave's wedding on Thanksgiving Eve.

The Bowmans arrive as well as Flave's boss and his wife. Allie looked so cute in her red dress and Hayden was especially handsome.

Dee Harper performed the wedding.

Mary helped Reid with his boutonniere. It is a "right handed task."

Flave and Reid chose their tuxes and looked so handsome escorting Kay to the sanctuary.

All of a sudden we have two instant grandsons. What a nice family!

We had a "stand around" after the ceremony so that Kay and Flave could get on the road for their honeymoon and the church personnel could close up shop as well.

Kay' parties

2010-11-26T08:20:00.001-06:00

I enjoyed a couple of really fun parties in November in preparation for Kay's Thanksgiving Eve wedding. Her work group gave her a bachelorette party at the Brickhouse that was loads of fun. After we toasted and ate we played some fun little games! Most of the photos can't be shown! I guess I need a new phone with a flash for evening events.
My sister hosted a little shower for close friends at her house. The table was set and just waiting for folks to arrive. A simple but lovely arrangement of Bells of Ireland were in the center of the table surrounded by stuffed dates, smoked oysters, fruit kabobs, and more.

Chris, our awesome mixologist, used the ocean themed counter to mix her Southern Belles. Oh what a treat but a little strong perhaps. Mix 1 oz. Apricot brandy, 1 oz Amaretto, and fill the glass with champagne. Then add some fruit for fun and you too can feel like a southern belle!

Mary later served the group stuffed shells. Cissy, Kay, Mel, and Chris eagerly awaited the delightful meal.
We were sorry Patti had to leave early.

It seems that Mary's Italian creme cake was the hit of the evening. Absolutely scrumptious.

Working on Woodlawn

2010-11-26T07:59:00.000-06:00

We don't play all the time. November weather has been fantastic so we spent much of the month working on Woodlawn. This is a house that my aunt from Alabama once owned so she could come to Hot Springs and play. It seems the play continues. This was the tree trimming! We had five piles for the city to pick up.

I do have to remind Leon once in awhile that 70 is the new 50 and that this is play, not work. He does love to use a chainsaw!

While he cut trees I enjoyed painting. One day I painted the entire house with my sprayer so I would only have to clean it once. What fun it was. At the end of the day I was grey and matched the house.

Will to the rescue

2010-11-16T09:45:00.001-06:00

My sister Mary has moved to a smaller house and has a lot of furniture that won't fit. Her son Will came back from Fayetteville with us to help her out with the problem.

You think this will fit where?

Will and Mary are wondering if he should have gotten a larger truck.

Jeff's help was invaluable but he did stop to facebook an old photo of his cousin Kelly.

The smile tells it all. Everything fit into the truck including the last load. No, it isn't a mummy - just the guns he has wanted most of his life.

Where's Leon?

2010-11-16T09:31:00.001-06:00

While I was traipsing around in northwest Arkansas, Leon was in Oklahoma City teaching Melissa how to drive.

He got to spend a lot of quality time with his five month old great granddaughter Amalie also.

Amalie's big sister Abbie and their mom Melissa are real sweethearts and both appreciative and deserving of Leon's efforts.

Leon had flown to California to pick up a car that was being given to Melissa. He had a chance while there to visit with family and friends before driving to Oklahoma City.

After Melissa got her driver's license I drove over from Fayetteville and fetched Leon. Then we drove back to Fayetteville and spent the night in my nephew's front yard and fetched him.

Fall in Fayetteville

2010-11-16T09:11:00.001-06:00

On a beautiful Sunday in November I took off for northwest Arkansas to check on the folks in Fayetteville. The first stop was the Confederate Cemetery to check on my favorite Maple trees. They were still in their autumn glory.

I first discovered these trees in the early sixties while attending the university. At that time the main street in Fayetteville (Maple Street) was lined with beautiful maples.

Then if was off to visit with my friend Becky. Monday morning we went over to check on the boat.

This is where you will find me next summer!

Beaver Lake is just around the corner from Beckys and Ed's.

I like the way Ed provides water to the property. They are awaiting city water.

But not to worry. I brought my own water and bed.

When we are not on the boat we will have morning coffee on this deck and the giant oak will provide shade for our evening glass of wine.

There are no better people than these two. I am so happy they have moved back to Arkansas. Well, back for Becky; Ed never knew what he was missing.

We went to Springdale to visit Becky's daughter Lisa. I insisted on a house tour first.

Paul stopped fertilizing the lawn for a quick visit in the garage.

We then caravanned to Fayetteville to meet my nephew for lunch. I rode with Lisa and had a great visit. I want this car!

Lisa, Will, Becky and I had a four hour lunch at Pesto in Fayetteville. What a joy to get to spend time with three of my favorite people. It won't be long before I go back to northwest AR.

Geocaching 101

2010-11-01T09:57:00.000-05:00

I had a great opportunity over the weekend to introduce two young men to geocaching. I am not sure who had more fun, them or me! Their first cache was a skirt lifter - a new concept to these fellows!

Reid blocked the view from nearby muggles while Flave signed the log.

On the second cache they met the first of many "red men" they will come across.

They made quick work of the third one, another skirt lifter. They are wanting to look under every skirt in town now!

The iphone went a little haywire on the 4th cache but Flave used good geosense and spotted it in a hurry!

Then it was Reid's turn to score the smiley first! They make a good team.

Did I mention that was their fifth find of the day?

The sixth and last cache of the day was a camoflaged container. They kept going in and out of the cemetery looking for ground zero. I spotted it first, for a change, and gave them a couple of hints as we were in a hurry at this point. Flave spotted it and then backed up and waited while Reid found it.

Flave signed the log for the team.

Reid managed to get it back into its hiding spot! I think these boys are hooked!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T09:19:00.000-05:00

Creativity flowed in the Carpenter household in preparation for Halloween. Reid is painting his bat.

Kay is checking out Flave's progress on the Razorlantern pattern she created!

The porch was eventually ready to welcome any trick or treaters that might arrive.

Friends soon arrived and Flave and Allie posed. She was an amazing princess and Flave?

Young Flave and Reid welcomed the trick or treaters. I am not sure how welcomed the older ones were as a monster and scarecrow jumped out from behind the bushes!

A hippy, a scarecrow, a monster and a princess - what a combination!

My favorite was the knight in shining armor that appeared at the door!

The Razorbacks beat Vanderbilt 49-14 while the kids toured the neighborhood.

Flave, Reid and Lola, the morning after!

Talk about a treat - meet the soon-to-be Carpenter family, Lola, Kay, Flave, Reid and Flave. This was one of the best weekends I have spent in a very long time.

Balloon Rally

2010-09-27T14:54:00.003-05:00

This year we were finally home for the balloon rally.

There was a lot of hot air at the airport where a sizeable crowd gathered for the event.

This is the first year that Hot Springs has had a balloon.

At sunset they started the balloon glow. Twelve balloons from around the country were here.

After the balloon-glow we were treated to a concert by Clint Black. And all this for free!! Nice!

Cannonball Run

2010-09-20T11:03:00.000-05:00

Thursday the participants in the motorcycle cannonball run stopped over in Hot Springs for rest and repairs.

These antique motorcycles are traveling from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific on the backroads of the U.S.A.

We couldn't resist stopping to see them leave while we were downtown for the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning.

They left in three stages forty-five minutes apart. This was the final group leaving. I am not a motorcycle enthusiast but it was pretty neat.

I worried this guy wasn't going to get his started!

We're home!!

2010-09-12T10:39:00.000-05:00

The five weeks we spent on the road looping around Lake Michigan was an amazing and most enjoyable trip. It is at least ten degrees cooler here each day now. It still has a long way to go to equal the temperatures we were enjoying "up north." But we are settled in at the dead end for a while to accomplish some projects.

Enough is enough!!

2010-08-10T15:42:00.000-05:00

Arkansas is headed for the hottest summer on record; therefore, we are headed north! We will be in the right lane!

Christmas in July

2010-07-31T08:29:00.001-05:00

It seemed like Christmas in July! I am blessed to have my children living here but their cousins are scattered around the country. They used to all gather at Christmas but this year it happened in July. We convened at La Hacienda to celebrate Will's birthday.

Everyone seemed interested in what Kay was having. Hayden stopped by to see if he could try her sangria.

Well he couldn't so Kelly brought Patrick for a try.

Mary had everyone over for a nice meal. Patrick invited Lola to help clean his tray.

Kelly and Sean got to spend some quality time with their older nephew!

There was no room in the inn for Will, so we were pleased that he slept at the dead end. That gave him an opportunity for evening pool parties at Jeff's and morning exercise!

Patrick practiced his walking so perhaps next year he can try the Wii.

Leon enjoyed visiting with the boys as always!

They watched the tadpoles and looked for frogs in the pond.

While Leon and Patrick played by the pond, Brian and Hayden rode the 4 wheeler through the woods.

It was a good visit. If there is anything better than friends it is family. Next year I will take better pictures and try to get at least one of everyone. Who knew I would want to blog the happening??! ;-)