Today, Monday is another beautiful autumn day in our Ozarks and I appreciate every one we are afforded. I’m not looking forward to winter even though it can be beautiful too. I guess it makes us look forward to spring.
I visited by phone with good friend Hester who was preparing supper to share with her brother, Frank McDaniel, and sister, Lavon Twitty and son, Greg. Hester’s daughter, Joyce, had visited earlier. I extend condolences to Hester and famiy at the loss of Ray. I have known Ray Tidwell ever since he came to Wasola. He and Hester have been good neighbors and friends and I have cherished their friendship.
And we lost another friend, Max Roberts, who spent part of his childhood on Little Creek. I will say how sorry I am to Linda and family.’
My son, Kasey, came one evening for supper with me.
Charlie picked the last green beans of the season and brought them to me Sunday. He has been harvesting the last of the garden and getting ready to plow it up in preparation for next year.
The garden produce is over and I have enjoyed it all and appreciate everyone who shared with me. No one will understand how much until they are unable to make garden themselves. I especially liked that it afforded me so much time with my son, Kasey, who did his canning here. He learned a lot this summer by growing his first garden and preserving the produce. I do believe he is now a garden addict.
The Nimble Thimble Quilting Club had our summer outing a little late this year, but the time couldn’t have been more beautiful. We were all able to be there with extra guests. We missed Ruby Sievert who is not able to come to club and our beloved Norma Frye. Next week it’s back to work to earn enough for our Christmas trip.
My daughter, Karen, came for a visit and was rewarded with chicken and noodles to take home for supper. Vonda Stine had made a double batch of noodles to go in my broth. That is the best meal I’ve had in awhile for I dearly love good homemade noodles or dumplings.
Jim and Jean Frye and great granddaughter, Autumn Miller, drove to Bolivar for a weekend with daughter Katrice and Tim Kirlin and their son, Landon. They all were with Jim’s sister Martha Lee Marshall and John on Saturday for a Halloween party. All of Martha Lee’s family and all of John White’s family were there together with Jim’s sister, Luna Belle White and Bob and Janice White. Jamie and Danny Dry drove up for Satruday’s event.
Jean told me of George Neal’s death due to diabetes. Rusty Frye was a long time friend of George as was Jim Heath. My condolences to friends and family and as George never failed to say when telling you good bye, “Peace my friend.”
I enjoyed very much a trip to town with my daughter, Karen. My excuse for going being that I needed a few things. Not that I actually do need anything except some time with Karen and for enjoyment of the scenery. I have never seen a more beautiful autumn and what more do we need than time with loves ones and appreciation of our surroundings and what God has given us. I have lived without Kleenex, paper plates, garbage bags and even toilet paper, but it seems as if our society lives thinking happiness is only one more purchase away. Contentment seems to have fallen by the wayside. But Paul tells us it can be learned. Phillipians 4:1-7.
Remember a time not so long ago when we managed to survive without television, credit cards, e-mail, power steering and when our dish washers had two hands. Some of us can remember when girls who had nothing to wear stayed home, when kids were happy to spend hours with a hapless June bug tied to a string, when they didn’t have a cell phone glued to their ear, only two cans, two buttons and a lot of string allowing them a telephone. We can recall when singers sang, grass was moved, coke was sipped and pot was what you cooked in. Makes us oldies wonder what today’s generations “good old days” will be.
In closing I’d like to share a pattern for life written by Mother Teresa:
People are often unreasonable and self centered’ forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives; be kind anway. If you are honest and frank; people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, people may be jealous, be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough; give the best you’ve got anyway. You see in the final analysis it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.
