News For the Week of March 21, 2018

I do believe Spring is actually on the way for sure. The calendar says it is here. The weather needs reminding once in a while but I am sure before long we will be talking about how hot it is and if we are going to get all the rain we need for the summer. I sure hope the rain is spaced out a little differently than last year. It was so disappointing to the grandkids when the lake flooded. They had big plans to camp and play in the water all summer. We did camp a couple of times anyway, and it was fun.

It is time to start thinking about the garden. I am just itching to plant potatoes this year. I haven't planted any for several years because the last few times I planted them I just got a crop about the size of ping pong balls. This year I am going to try something different and plant them in our empty cattle mineral lick tubs, full of good soil and compost. I have heard to plant them on St. Patricks Day, while others say Good Friday, some say do it in the dark of the moon while others say it doesn't matter at all. I think I will plan on Good Friday since I have already missed St. Patricks Day. Bob always says “not too early” or you'll be planting again. It always ends up being the last of May before I get everything planted, so I don't think that will be too early...sarcastically speaking, of course.

My daughter, Lynn got me a Witch Hazel tree several years ago for Mother's Day. In fact, she had a few shrubs she had bought and gave me a choice of which one I wanted. It was no contest, I wanted the Witch Hazel. Every year I would read the news column that Herman Rossner wrote, called High Country and he would always write when he saw the Witch Hazel blooming. I so enjoyed reading his column and now I really enjoy looking for the blooms on my tree.

We had a birthday party at our house for our great grandson, LJ Laughlin last Saturday evening. He turned one year old on March 7th. We had a supper of pulled pork and other good food, and enjoyed ice cream and a cake that looked like Mickey Mouse. We had most of our grandkids and great grands here, ranging in age from 25 year old Kyle, who is LJ's dad to 8 month old Rylan, our granddaughter Courtney Laughlin and Andrew Lovelace's baby. Other grands and great grands included Jessi Laughlin, Danielle Lee and husband Jared and one year old Eli, Hayden Crouch, Ethan Powell, Gavin Powell, Garrett Lawson, Emmett Lawson, Makenna Lawson, Caiden Lawson, and Avery Laughlin.

I was supposed to put this in the paper several weeks ago but kept forgetting. Michelle Todd wants to remind everyone that the Fire Department dues are now due and payable. She said she didn't get letters mailed to everyone this year. They are $40 per year and can be mailed to PO Box 78, Bradleyville, MO.

Well, it's that time again! This is the year of the Bradleyville School reunion, which is held every other year. This year it is going to be held on Saturday, June 9, 2018, starting at 5:00pm, at Bradleyville School. The Beta Club will be offering a meal for a fundraiser. There will be lots of visiting, and recognition of some former students and/or community members. Everyone is welcome to attend, if you were ever a student, faculty or staff member, or if you would just enjoy visiting with those people. If you have any questions about it you need to get hold of Ed Hunsaker, who is president of the Alumni Association. You can call me also, I'm not sure I would have the answer to your question but might head you in the right direction to find an answer.

News is hard to come by for me, so if you have some news to include in the paper, please let me know. My deadline for each week is Monday at noon.

News For the Week of March 14, 2018

We were excited to get to go watch our Bradleyville Lady Eagles as they played in the State Championship tournament last week. It was called the Show-Me Showdown and it was really fun to watch. We joined hundreds of others from the area to watch as the Lady Eagles played Glasgow last Friday morning and had a huge win. A fun fact is that Glasgow is the same team that the boys State team from 1968 played, in the exact place in the tournament as the girls played 50 years later. Then on Saturday the Lady Eagles went up against Mound City in the Championship game. The girls played hard and well, but Mound City prevailed to take home the number one spot in the state for this year. We are so proud of our Lady Eagles, the “Chicks From the Sticks” for advancing so far this year. Second place in state is nothing to sneeze at and as one of my friends commented, there is only one other team in the state that wouldn't trade places with them. The Lady Eagles had a wonderful season and we are expecting great things from them in the future.

Lady Eagles coach, Autumn Thomas earned the well deserved honor of “Coach of the Year” from the Mark Twain Conference, while Kourtney Shipley received the MVP award from the MTC. Gracie Shipley and Emily Williams made the 1^st team, all conference, Anna Turner made 2^nd team, all conference, and Dorian Hayes and Tay Sims got honorable mention. I don't want to forget the boys team either, they did very well this year and several of them made the conference teams also. Brady Rogers and Ethan Todd both made the 2^nd team, all conference, while Riley Combs and Caleb Blair both got honorable mention. The Bradleyville community is a basketball loving community and we are all proud of each player that has worked so hard for these accomplishments.

We also have some of the finest music students in the state, along with our music teacher, Mrs. Chris Sprague. The Bradleyville Music classes had districts last Saturday and Mrs. Sprague reports that for the first time, each and every student that went to districts earned a spot at State this year. I am not sure when that occurs but wish them the best. I am sure they will all do a fantastic job. The Screaming Eagle Band also got to play at the State Tournament on Thursday evening and did a great job.

If you see Virginia Clayton this week, tell her Happy Birthday. I heard it through the grapevine that she is having a birthday this week sometime.

I ran down to Robyn's Treasure Barn this past Saturday before we went to the game and found a red Paula Deen pie plate to match the cake dish that son David got me for Christmas several years ago. Never know what you'll find there, but there is always something there I want...I mean need.

It's almost time for my annual, start seeds indoors fiasco. Every year I think I will start my tomato and pepper plants and a few other plants indoors to keep from having to buy the more expensive plants, and to get just the variety I want. I used to grow some good looking plants that way, but it seems I have lost my touch. Each year for the past few years I plant the seeds, do everything I am supposed to do, and end up with some nice plants, and some scraggly plants that might or might not grow. One year I started them too early, and didn't have my garden prepared for them when they got big enough to transplant. I have no idea what I am doing different, but each year I feel like I have to try again, so maybe this will be the year.

Not much more news can top the exciting games that happened this week, or maybe I just wasn't paying attention to anything else. Call me if you have news you want included.

News for the Week of March 7, 2018

This last weekend was quite an eventful weekend. Our daughter Julie and her kids stayed the weekend with us while Scott was on his drill weekend with the Missouri Air National Guard and that is always fun to have them with us. Lots of playing and fussing between the kids and we usually find something fun to do. This weekend we decided to all load up and go to the ballgame, so with the help of Kendra Day we all took off to Van Buren. All four kids plus us three don't fit in our Jeep, so Julie and two of the kids rode with Kendra and Grandpa and I took the other two and we made it there and back just fine. Makenna wore her tutu to help cheer the girls on, and all had popcorn, pop, and candy plus whatever else I could cram into my purse. I need a larger purse. The ride there and back was very entertaining too, with Makenna singing and talking all the way.

Everybody probably knows already but I am so proud to say the Bradleyville Lady Eagles made history again last Saturday when they won their game against Scott County Central in a big way, thirty two points big. It was a good game and so exciting. I think most of Bradleyville and surrounding areas were there to watch and cheer them on. Since they got a win, they are in the State tournament, the Final Four, and will be playing against Glasgow at the JQH arena in Springfield on March 9, Friday morning at 11:00am. If they win that game, they will play again Saturday, March 10 at 2:40pm for the championship game, again at the JQH arena. Everybody get out and support your Lady Eagles as they make history!

My heart was very full at church Sunday morning as I received one of the biggest blessings of my life. Our grandson, Hayden Crouch announced that he has been called to preach the gospel. Sunday night we were priveleged and honored to be able to hear the first sermon he has preached. His sermon was from Genesis 22, the story of God asking Abraham to offer his son, Isaac for a sacrifice and how God stayed his hand at the last moment and provided a ram for a sacrifice instead. It focused on Abraham's obedience and faithfulness. It was a sermon I know I needed to hear again. Our family has always been so proud of Hayden and what a fine young man he has grown up to be.

I mentioned last week that little Rhett Gailey had been in the hospital with RSV and am happy to report he only had to stay overnight and got to come home. His grandma Kim Norwine said at church he was doing very well.

Levi Lux earned a first place spot in the Science Olympiad he recently competed in with his “battery buggy”. The buggy had to go a certain distance and stop within a certain distance. Now he heads off to state competition.

Levi Lux and Emma Marsh have also been competing in Taneyville School's archery competitions and doing very well.

The bridge construction at Brownbranch is under way but they still haven't knocked the old bridge down. I won't report on it much because the last time I did I got it all wrong. I thought they were making a drive around the Caney side bridge but you can still drive on the highway right up to State Hwy W and turn. I am afraid I sent the propane truck driver around the ridge with my mis-information so won't say anymore.

Call, text, e-mail or facebook me with your news. Until next week, be happy.