6-30-06

 

My Visitors

Well, my visitors are headed home. We had a nice visit. It's weird to have the house in silence now. I think I'm gonna have to turn on the tv. 

Tysons

I applied for a parttime job at Tysons. (mainly just to find out pay, benefits , hours, etc.) Well, I just filled out an online application and it asked for the names of my relatives that worked there. My gosh. I mentioned Clayton and Fleta and added that there was probably many more but I didn't know who. I couldnt imagine.

Deer

 

Pea Ridge

Yesterday, we went to Pea Ridge Battlefield. Greg had a wonderful time. He even asked "Are there any more battlefields in Arkansas?" I told him I bet we could for sure find some in Missouri -- like on Battlefield Road in Springfield. Then he wanted to know if the Battlefield was at the mall. Men.

I did scare him some. I told him we had to duck when we saw the cannon's -- you never know when they would fire. I think he was scared. We were on the look out for soldier's in the wood's. But we didn't see any -- only deers. Lots of deer. I think that's why he liked the battlefield.

Here's a picture of our day. I almost sprained my ankle running to get behind the cannon. It was a good day. Tonight I have to work. 8 hours of time and a half and 30 %. I'm happy. :) 

News Flash

I'm up late because I have to work tomorrow night. I found this disk of pictures Aunt Fleta took and gave to me. I've decided I'm getting healthy again. That's all my news. I do have a cold and if anyone wants it just let me know. I will gladly give it away! 

New Phone

A few days ago I took the plunge -- I bought something on EBAY. Not just something -- a cellular phone. A Razr. And it is HOT PINK. I'm sure that if it doesn't work out for me I can sell it to Ingrid for a penny or two. I should get it from the UPS man in a few days. I'll let you know how it all turns out. 

Happy Anniversery to Greg

Today is Greg's anniversery. He quit smoking one year ago today. Yeh! For Greg. I said I'd give him a 100 dollars for every year. I've still got to round up 60 dollars for this year.

He had his appendix out last June. He was in the hosptial a whole week because his belly was infected. We told him he would not be allowed to smoke -- and none of us were pushing him outside to do so. He didn't smoke all week but when he got home he smoked two cigarrettes. He told me about it and I cried and cried and cried. I threw a big baby fit and he threw his cigarrettes away.

I'm not sure if this is the anniversery of his appendix removal or my big fit. 

My Dad

Today is my dad's birthday. He is a special dad. I can think of lots of words to describe him.
Intelligent, big, compassionate, tender hearted, family oriented, giving, and the list could go on and on and on.

My dad has always dropped everything for me whether it was changing a tire or lending me a shoulder to cry on. My needs came first. He is definately my hero. It was always a problem when I was dating. No one measured up. Greg certainly doesn't measure up (though he's a close second) -- but that's just something you deal with. I guess there's only one perfect man.

I'd like to share with you an column that was in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette on December 27, 2002 This is Charles Allbright's column titled the Arkansas Traveler. I think he's since been replaced or forcibly retired...

Ruby-throated resuce

Larry Renfroe and his wife, Betty, live at the foot of Crow Mountain, the western end inPope County. Some famous people are hiding out on Crow Mountain. Among them Leland Duvall, our longtime friend and mentor. Duvall wouldn't recognize his fame if a UPS guy stood at the front door and delivered it in a song.
Larry Renfroe fixes things, notably air conditioning systems. And just about anything else capable of collapsing. Larry was opening the huge overhead door to his shop when -- but hold up, and let John Joe Harris tell it.
"Larry is a friend. To my good fortune, I get to hear his stories. Over Waffle House coffee, with hashbrowns, scattered, smothered with chunks."
Sounds like scrambled eggs and something. These two boys, John Joe and Larry, they are too fast for those of us trapped in thickening larger towns. John Joe here helps Larry get the shop door opened.
"Just as he riased the door he spotted something in the middle of the concrete floor. A small bird. ruby and green. A hummingbird."
Larry Renfroe reached down and picked the bird up. The bird trembled. Holding it gently in his palm, Renfroe took a couple of steps toward the shop's open door and daylight.
The trembling bird gathered strenth and flew out of his rescuer's palm. Only to plop down in the grass just outside the shop.
Renfroe approached the bird and picked it up a second time. He would report to John Harris later, wolfing down whatever they wolf down, the bird weighed "no more than this," a small plastic container with the cream poured out of it.
Apparently when the bird flew into the shop the previous evening, it managed to get entagled in a spider web.
"Larry said the silver strand of web was wrapped around one of the hummingbird's feet, and also one of its wings."
Mr. Fix Everything. "using a pair of tweezers, he unwrapped the web from the trembling victim's parts. The instant it became free, the tiny bird took off with a buzz."
Who knows what the hummingbird estimated its rescuer's size to be? Children have looked up at Larry Renfroe -- how's the weather up there?
Larry's answer, "I'm 5 feet 21."
We have not yet had our mornings replenishment of hash browns, scattered, smothered with chunks. But 5 feet 21 sounds a lot like 6 feet 9. Land in one of that giant's palms, ruby and green are gonna give way to white as a sheet and yellow as the nearest brick road.
John Joe Harris and his wife, Karen, took disclosure of this rescue with them out to Phoenix. The Harrises keep reflecting on it, out there in the Valley of the Sun.
"We'll always be Arkansas Travelers" -- late of Russellville and Dardanelle -- "but right now we're spending time in Arizona, two of 3 million warm bodies' keeping their bodies warm.
John Joe cherishes his friendship with Larry Renfroe.
"This is a wonderful story, just by itself. but my take on it is, this is the way we are. We get all tangled up with our lives until it gets so bad we plop down in the grass and call out to God."
God doesn't care what your color is. If so, all His children would look the same.
"He reaches down and holds us in His everlasting arms. We stop our quivering and trembling. God untagles the mess we've made of our lives, then off we go. Forgiven and free." 

Anniversery

Happy Anniversery to me!!! Nope, today is not my wedding anniversery -- that is August 15th. As of a year ago today I took at passed my national nursing boards exam the NCLEX. I was sure I hadn't passed when the machine shut off at 90 questions. I h0pe my next year of nursing is a breeze.

We went to look at boats yesterday in Rogers and came back by Eureka/Green Forest way. We stopped at Jim's Drive In on the way home and had a burger. I had a milkshake. My cousin Melissa said they had the best milkshakes -- so I thought about her while I was drinking mine. There was about 8 old men in overalls drinking coffee while we were there. I wondered if I was related to any of them.  

She is dangerous 

My girls 

Jones Service Station

Greg's family had a service station at Agnos, Arkansas. This is his great aunt and uncle I believe. I'm kind of tired right now so my judgement is a little off. But mother, yes it does look the same. 

June 6th

A long day, we woke up at 4 am (after about 4 hours of sleep) to go fishing on the Cricket Creek arm of Bull Shoals Lake, that didn't last long because I was impatient. Then we went to Agnos, Arkansas to see Greg's paternal grandparents graves. Then we came home and went to Springfield, Mo to look at ski boats. Then we decided since we were in Springfield we might as well go to Joplin to see Greg's dad. And now we are home at 2 a.m and I am very very sleepy. Will publish more pictures later, I think I took a total of 100 today. 

Harrison

I overheard a few managers at work yesterday talking about Harrison. They said they didn't like it because there wasn't much to do. My direct nursing supervisor was on vacation last week. I guess she went to see a play -- Kats or something like that. I wouldn't know.

I like to drive around. It is weird, but I'm constantly scanning the scenery for something to take a picture of. I love living in Harrison. The scenery is much better than in a big city -- even the size of Russellville. Going on country drives relaxes me.

It is much better to live here and travel out of town any time you want to do major shopping or watch a 'play.' Or better yet shop on the internet and rent a movie. Or better even yet -- just sit and read a good cookbook and listen to the NPR. I think it'd be difficult to even get out of the big city for a country drive.

I told Greg I was going for a 'pop.' My drive for a Diet Coke took me past these two beautiful scenes -- all within about 10 minutes of my house. When I came back he said I must have gone to Missouri for my pop. If he only knew. 

Mom on a Big Rock

I thought I'd share this with you sisters. Just to let you know what the middle sister has always enjoyed having fun. This is on Richland Creek. The Boulder is about as big as my 3 car garage. 

Sisters

3 Ingredient Brownies

I made these Brownies a few weeks ago. One night Greg took some of my really good home made brownies to work with him.. He took these the next night. One of his work buddies said these were better than the recipe with 8+ ingredients. Greg said he also said I should have been more help with the fence. I told him he couldn't have any more brownies.

These are the ingredients:

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
12 oz package of semi sweet chocolate chips.

That simple. Combine all the ingredients put in 9x9 greased pan and bake for 30 -40 minutes at 350. They didn't taste half bad. They looked like bars with chocolate chips in them rather than 'brownies.'

See my pretty new rug. Greg even liked it. I hope it stays clean. 

I am forgetful

In one of my spare closets I keep gifts that I'm going to give people. I went to Branson yesterday and did a little shopping and bought someone a gift. I just went to put the gift in the closet and I discovered mom's mother's day present. I don't know what I was thinking. I bought this about 3 months ago. I actually went and bought her a bowl right before mother's day. I guess I won't have to go birthday shopping!!