News for the week of August 13, 2014

So thankful for the nice rains we have been getting. It should really help with our fall pasture and the next hay cutting. My flowers are sure enjoying it. I am not the the most consistent when it comes to watering flowers and it has finally dawned on me that is why they don't look so good during the hot summertime weather we usually have, so I have tried to be better this summer and water almost every morning.

I met up with Ann Fuller last week and got some pink, single bloom hollyhock seeds from her and also some winter creeper. I love the old fashioned, single bloom hollyhocks. My Grandma Sloan had a backyard full of hollyhocks and I remember them so fondly. It is hard to find seeds for the single blooming ones. The seed companies, even the heirloom seed companies I have tried don't usually have them. I have a few burgundy colored ones but crave a few different colors.

School will be starting this week and I encourage everyone to stay aware and watch for the bus stops. The highway department puts up the signs and orange flags to remind us also which is wonderful. Along with school starting there will be volleyball games and Jr. High basketball through September and October.

Don and Robyn Whittaker and daughter Sarah took a 12 day trip out west. They went to the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Devil's Tower, Glacier Park, Logans' Pass, Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, Berthoud Pass and Kremmling, Colorado. Donnie and his family lived in Kremmling for a few months in 1952 and they took a picture of the place they stayed in. Robyn said they saw elk, moose, deer, antelope, buffalo and a momma grizzly and her two cubs. She said the best part of the trip was seeing daughter Sheila and family in Everett, Washington.

Last Saturday New Mansion Church youth group made a trip to Dickerson Park Zoo. Julie and I took all four of her kids. We were very thankful Alicia, Jason, Danielle, Jared and Hayden were there also to help wrangle all of them. Of course we were a half hour late because we are always a half hour late when it involves all the kids but they enjoyed it and so did we. Garrett thought the tiger was cool because it started growling and walking while we were looking at it. The black bear was really up close to the viewing glass when we were looking at it and he thought that was really funny also.

Next Saturday is going to be fun too, we are going to attend the talent show and chili/spaghetti dinner to raise money for the New Mansion Mission Team for the mission trip to Faith Home Orphanage, Honduras. There are around twenty entries from the area that are going to be in the talent show and there will also be a silent auction. The Hunsaker Family will be singing before and after the talent show. Sounds like it will be a wonderful time. It will start at 2:00 in the afternoon on Saturday, August 16 at the Whiter River Youth Camp in between Taneyville and Kissee Mills Jct.

Gene and Louise Stevens and grandson Brady took a week long road trip to Colorado last week. Louise's mom, Juanita Shortt went with them. They had a great time and saw lots of pretty scenery.

Birthdays for the coming week: August 13: Kirk Baird, Delbert Johnson, Tamra Whittaker; August 14: Joyce Adams, Larry Clark, Roger Hodges, Bonnie Hurst, Danny Williams; August 15: Donna Blair, Ally Swift; August 16: Sue Birdsong, Teresa Koenig, Joe Sartin; August 17: Micah Dayne Howie; August 18: Weezie Butler; August 19: C.G. Paul; August 20: Sara Jo Nash.

Anniversaries for the coming week include: August 16: Scott and Julie Lawson; August 17: Gerald and Karla Yeary; August 18: Bill and Melba Austin.

News for the week of July 23, 2014

This summer seems to be flying by. Maybe it seems that way to me because I have been having so much fun playing with our small grandchildren. We have four of them age three and under and they sure do keep us on our toes. The twins have started the climbing phase with nothing too high for them to try to climb. Then it's a race to see who can reach them before they tumble to the floor. In the meanwhile the new baby who is almost two months old is making his voice heard in the background.

Our great-granddaughter Avery celebrated her first birthday with the family at the park in Ozark last Saturday evening with cake and gifts. It was a wonderful evening and the weather was perfect.

Bob is still hunting the black cow that took off when he brought her home from the sale barn. Bob has walked miles and miles hunting for her and has found some sign but no cow yet. She has been gone right around a month now and may have a new calf with her by now. We sure would appreciate it if anybody notices an extra cow hanging around to let us know.

Got a card from Sharon Grider a few days ago from Wyoming where she has been visiting some friends. Beautiful mountains and scenery. I think they are planning a trip to Yellowstone before she comes home. Definitely a place that is on my bucket list.

Stephen Thomas has just returned from spending almost two weeks gone on a mission trip to Quito, Ecuador. I'm sure he will have many amazing things to tell about from his trip.

Birthdays for the coming week include: July 23: Danny Hampton, Joe Horner; July 24: Paul Horton, Keshia Mann, June Rhodes; July 25: Reggie Badovinatz, Amanda Heun, Greg Lumley, Josh Marsh, Amanda Puckett, Dean Nelson, Amanda Schreier, Gina Swift, Wayne Yeary; July 27: Hannah Guerin; July 28: Bridgette Storts, July 29: Steve Hunsaker; July 30: Jessie Case, Dot Combs, Rick Pollard, Deborah Rogers.

Anniversaries for the coming week include: July 26: Kent and Darla Day; July 29: Roger and Dee Dee Hodges.