Kansas Prairie Archives for May 2003

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Friday, May 30, 2003

WOW! HIGH SPEED IS REALLY FAST AND WONDERFUL

I'm connected to the wonderful world of high speed internet through Classic Cable. Of course, I posed a difficult problem, as expected. The minute Mark tried to connect me to their service, the whole system...that would be nation-wide...crashed for the first time that anyone who works for the company remembers. It had nothing to do with my connection, but I wish it had occurred yesterday rather than today. It was a momentous occasion and a tad worrisome.

So far everything is working like greased lightning. My mail downloads instantaneously which is a huge improvement over what I am accustomed to. I sent out change of address notices this evening in a matter of minutes. At other times, it has taken literally an entire day to send dozens of letters with just a handful of names in each To box. I haven’t done much with websites, but I can pull up mine and my granddaughter’s much faster. I’m presuming downloads will be speedy as well.

So as far as cost is concerned, it’s about a break-even thing for me. I can get rid of my dedicated phone line and my ISP which combined run somewhere close to $40 a month. Then, since I have cable TV, they give me a $10 deduction every month on the price of that. Classic internet runs $49.95 a month…and the first month is free. So is installation. So it’s about a wash.

If I blow a modem, they replace it. It’s a really cool looking modem, compact and sleek. I have it on my monitor. It matches!

You get 5 megs of webspace free with the service. My website is way over 15 megs now, and growing daily, so I have it hosted at MetaPros in Wichita.

You get 5 email addresses and they all connect to @classicnet.net. That's not the best, but there are no choices in the matter. I took all 5 but peg was already taken. Too bad. I got some other favorites. I know that Wes, who signed me up, wondered what in the world I'd want with 5 email addresses. I guess because they wanted to give them to me. Certainly I won't need but one since I have others with my domain name.

They have support but there shouldn’t be much need for it. Not much can go wrong. When the system went down today, they had 1,200 calls within minutes. It was such a rarity users were astounded.

Mark has connected 44 people to Classic Cable Internet in Ellsworth and has another 40 on the list to get to eventually. Their systems all seem to be working fine and if there is a problem, he can detect it. He checks on everyone every morning to see that they are up and running. That is a nice, comforting thought. And he makes house calls.

Speed makes a difference to me and I can justify the price based on what I was paying. It's just going to be very nice not having to dial up a number a bazillion times a day for a connection. I'll love the speed and convenience and such other things that go with high speed broadband.

That's about all I know about it!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:01 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, May 29, 2003

WHAT HAPPENED TO SPRING?

We had such a glorious spring and now it is summer. I'm just not a summer person at all. I like the weather the rest of the year, but heat and I don't get along at all. I've found lots of friends who share that same feeling. It's a good thing Randy came to fix all the "water stuff" in our house yesterday because I know he doesn't like hot weather and getting him out in it isn't easy. I don't blame him.

Mark tried to connect my cable modem and something happened to the system. No doubt I fried Classic Cable. They are trying to fix the problem and he'll return later to try once again to make the connection. I am so excited! I have the modem with the blinking green lights on my monitor so there should be some action soon. I think I'll find a hood for it so I won't have those lights blinking in my field of vision. I hear they have a good support system through the company...so that is good. I don’t want pretend fixer people. There shouldn’t be much to complain about since we won’t be troubled by SBC.

I rather imagine SBC will lose a noticable amount of business because of this. So will the internet providers who were not first in line with broadband. Broadband high speed internet connections are very important to the future potential growth of Ellsworth. That is one thing that people require who might consider moving here. We've been saying this for years, and now it's becoming apparent.

Tonight is breakfast night at the Lorraine Café. Their Thursday night breakfasts are good, plentiful and reasonable. Besides, it’s fun going to Lorraine and talking with the people at the café. I had lunch at Orozco’s with friends so I shouldn’t need to eat at all……but…. well….

I'm interested in my granddaughter's blog about life on the east coast. It's fun to read about her new experiences. Her researcher/boss arrived today so it should be another interesting day for her. She's getting acquainted with her roommates and one is actually younger than Mackenzie so she likes that. Being the youngest is always disconcerting.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:25 PM CST [Link]

YEAH! MARK GWINNER IS HERE INSTALLING MY HIGH SPEED CABLE CONNECTION FOR MY COMPUTER

Mark is here a day early to make my high speed cable connection so that I can zip right through my internet "stuff". He actually thinks it will work.

I have the most complicated cable set up in town...no, a local doctor has joined us with the same crazy stuff too...so everything we attempt to do is "iffy". Mark has worked with our cable cables for 25 years...so he knows where everything is. You can't string new wire in the this house, but my computer is right by the spot where all the wires come into the house, so the 8 foot connection should be easy. He'll even put in a TV cable for me too so I can have my own TV by my computer. Hurray...now I can watch what I want to watch when I want to watch it.

Mark said he's already hooked up about 40 to Classic Cable and has another 40 to go that are on his list. I'm sure as word spreads, there will be more. It's a very good deal for those who have two phone lines, one dedicated to a computer as you can eliminate a phone and an ISP.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:05 PM CST [Link]

ECED, INC.

Monday night the Ellsworth City Council, in a unanimous vote, gave ECED, Inc. $4,500 of tax payer money and suggested they might give more at a later date.

ECED, Inc. still owes the county $4,767.70 in unpaid 2002 taxes. One could draw conclusions, but I won’t.

I can say, in my very own personal opinion, that I believe ECED, Inc. should work altogether from donations from people who believe in what they are doing. I don’t believe they should be using my taxpayer money for their private corporation projects. But as I say, that is only my opinion. I presented my viewpoints to the entire city council so they know my position on the matter. At least the County Commissioners concur. That's all I can do for the time being.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:16 PM CST [Link]

DENA'S FREE YOGA CLASS

Dena Woods Stoltz is teaching a free yoga class on Monday June 9 at the Methodist Church from 7 to 8:30 p.m. She will be explaining a little about yoga and then will do a short class just to give everyone an idea of what she will be teacing. Following that, she will have a question and answer session. Anybody who is interested is welcome - young or old, male or female. Any questions can be directed to Dena (Woods) Stoltz at: 531-0902.

Now if I could just figure out a way to sit on the floor, yoga style, and then manage to get upright again. I've always wanted to learn about yoga, but I have a feeling that Tai Chi is more along the line of what I am capable of doing.

Dena is great at teaching yoga and giving instructions in relaxation techniques. I've enjoyed what I have learned from her. I think you would too, so why don't you drop in and see what her free session is all about. You won't be disappointed.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:50 PM CST [Link]

Wednesday, May 28, 2003

CONDITIONING AT THE HIGH SCHOOL

One of these days soon I want to blog the conditioning program at the high school. I have an invitation to visit the weight room and read what is written on the wall. Stix said he wouldn't mind if I appeared there as an observer so I don't imagine Twigs will either.

There are about 140 students who are involved in the program and between one-third and one-half are girls. Coach Ken Windholz does an excellent job of promoting strength and fitness in students regardless of their athletic or academic interests and I find that very commendable.

Young people seem to be increasingly bi-polar: those like my grandsons who are very fit and those couch potatoes who face real health risks from inactivity and poor diet. This program offers a wonderful opportunity for every student to participate regardless of ability. So, I want to go see for myself what it is all about as I know it has vastly improved since as a school board member we bought the first Universal Gym. I've seen the results of daily conditioning in the growth and maturity of my two grandsons and others who are in the program. Kids are very much stronger than they used to be and conditioning programs make a difference.

The program is not just for football boys, as some presume. It's for everyone and it would be wonderful if everyone who was able participated.

One of these days, I'm going to check it out. I'll get back to you so stay tuned.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:19 PM CST [Link]

STIX AND OTHER FRIENDS

What a day this has been. It has been very productive but not without its problems. After all was said and done, I managed to get two trucks stuck in our backyard and finally had to call Corey to come winch them out. He just giggled. His dad has been up here sooooo many times winching trucks out of our back yard that I'd hate to try to count the times. Once we had to get the wrecker to winch the winch to winch the truck. We never learn that fescue is slick, even if the ground is bone dry.

Well, I borrowed a truck from Todd without really asking permission and thought maybe we could use it and return it before he knew it was missing from the prison. It's a family thing that we do. I got that one stuck. Randy Kempke was here working so I sort of borrowed his truck too to help pull out the first one and got that one stuck too. It's a pattern.

Stix created some beauty today where before it was a mass of jungle growth. One thing led to another, as yard work is inclined to do, and there is one corner that is vastly improved over what it was at eight this morning. That kid worked so hard that I don't think there is anyway he can go to conditioning. He sawed and clipped and axed and hauled stuff to the tree and limb dump until he was dragging. The only thing left to do is to plant some flowers and ivy. That's the plan. We've made one corner of the yard much nicer. It satisfies every claim to scenic magnificence.

And it has been one of those days where I wonder what I'd do without Rachael Carrell, Randy, Stix and Twigs, Todd, Ted Edgerle, Brit, Edie Grogg and Corey Minear. Each and everyone had some part in making today a successful and pleasant one for me. I thank them.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:05 PM CST [Link]

Tuesday, May 27, 2003

WHO UNDERSTANDS EVERYTHING ABOUT MSIE?

My MSIE bit the dirt and for the life of me, I can't figure out what is wrong with it. It acts very much like there is a switch some place that has been tripped that prohibits MSIE from connecting to the internet. I've tried everything from resetting all my defaults, to checking all the connections and going through everything on my computer that relates to it. I spent two hours working on it Saturday with a friend in Texas who knows all these things, and we couldn't fix it. I've even thought about taking my present version off and downloading a new one, but I've already done that once on this machine and once is about all they want you to do. I am not sure what it will do to Outlook, if anything. All the warning popups say to leave it alone. Well, fine...but how do I fix it?

Fortunately, I have both Netscape and Mozilla humming away so all is not lost. I'm using Netscape as my default browser as I did when I first started on the net. It's fine. I just don't like having something not working on my computer and I do like MSIE for some things and I'd like to have it operational.

So, if there is someone close by who has a clue as to what I should do next, please let me know.

Thanks...

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:33 PM CST [Link]

PROOF THAT BLOGGING PAYS

Blogging pays off in the best way imaginable....I was showered with produce from Annie Hochman's garden today. It just so happens that she reads my blog every day and when she had extra fresh spinach and lettuce today and wondered who might enjoy it, she thought of me. And we will enjoy it enormously. Just as we have enjoyed her tomatoes and other wonderful things she grows. She has that green thumb and can get more tomatoes off 6 plants that any human alive. She has a miracle spray she attributes it to, but it really is her thumb. I know.

Besides getting a generous supply of both spinach and lettuce, she handed it to Brit cleaned and ready for the table. That goes above and beyond any standard. It is beautiful. And we’re having it tonight fixed our favorite way, "wilted style" with a homemade sweet-sour dressing, topped with chopped sweet onions, crisp bacon crumbles and sliced hard-boiled eggs. It’s to die for!

Thanks, Annie.

P.S. After dinner report: We just ate the whole thing and it was THE Best.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:02 PM CST [Link]

JUNE MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONTH

Starting next week we are doing a little experiment to see how many people will go to La Prairie for “June Make a Difference Month”. Lori Park is the owner of the store and has it stocked with unique items. You're bound to find something there that you'd like to have.

I'm suggesting that you go in her store and spend $5.00 on an item that you would like for yourself or as a gift for someone else. It isn't very much to spend, but if enough people would do that, it would be a way for us to show that we appreciate her store, her energy, her creativity and willingness to support our town. It would make a difference to Lori and her business to have that income.

I asked exactly what she had that only cost $5.00 and here are some of the things she mentioned:

Bracelets, Trapp candles, hand lotion, picture frames, jewelry, kitchen spoons, utensils, measuring spoons, European wooden spoons, Gel Gems (she’s about sold out so I bought a package of them for a bathroom window), dip mix, canisters, beaded tassels and colored glass candle holders.

I posted a sheet of paper on a filing cabinet so everyone can sign it who specifically goes in to "Make a Difference". Let’s see if we can make it work. I think you’ll be glad you were a part of this effort.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:42 PM CST [Link]

NOISES HAVE CHANGED

We moved into this house 26 years ago when things were quite different at this corner of town. For one thing, it was very quiet as there wasn't much activity around here. There was no prison or hospital and nothing to create any traffic other than people coming to and leaving town. Traffic was slow and easy and the Y shaped intersection had been a presence for many years.

That all changed with the construction of the prison and the increased activity that came about because of it. Buildings were constructed near by. Then the hospital was built a few years ago further increasing the traffic at this end of town. Traffic can get pretty brisk around here at times with employees coming and going to work.

The sirens are most notable especially when they call out all the emergency vehicle crews at one time. We do have our share of sirens in this town, but at least they aren’t blowing the town's emergency sirens to call volunteer firemen to duty as once they did, even during the middle of the night. There is nothing to complain about as we're very fortunate to have a new hospital with emergency medical services available, an excellent volunteer fire department, law enforcement and all the other services who need to crank up a siren now and then.

And those are all good things, but I do notice the noise from the traffic that once wasn't very noticeable. There are rumble strips that carry the noise of vehicles crossing over them. It’s like an echo when I hear a car hitting the first batch heading north, then turn and hit the second batch of strips going east. That noise carries for long distances, but I think the strips are a very good thing.

The hidden noise of car stereos is something I can feel in the house. It’s a rumble you can feel in your body and a concussion to the head without really hearing a lot of sound. I don’t think these kids have any idea what it’s like to be deaf, but surely they will be when they are older. It’s bound to happen.

There are endless streams of big trucks and semis that once were a rarity. When they stopped sending everything by rail and switched to trucking, it made a big difference every where on our highways. I’ve never tried to drive one of those huge monsters, but I know from the sounds I hear from the gears about how to do it. Then there are Jake brakes.

This is the after-effect of progress. It was bound to happen. All we can do is plant more trees to help muffle the sounds. Trees are good as they help reduce sounds and clean our air of exhaust fumes. And if you plant enough of them, you can pretend you are living in a tree house.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:07 AM CST [Link]

Monday, May 26, 2003

THE 100 BEST SCHOOLS IN AMERICA...according to Newsweek

The 100 Best High Schools in America
The surge in the number of students taking AP tests is changing life inside America’s classrooms—and altering the rules of the college-admissions game. A look at a new set of winners for 2003.

By Jay Mathews
NEWSWEEK

June 2 issue — In the 1970s, Mike Riley was a young Chicago teacher trying to save failing inner-city students. He found they blossomed if he simply sat them down each day after class and made sure they did their homework. “They went from F’s to honor roll, and I realized that... they weren’t dumb kids, just kids we hadn’t connected to,” he says. Riley learned that even the most apathetic students responded to a challenge—as long as they had the right support.

Rank / School Name / City / State / Score
1 . International Academy* Bloomfield Hills , Mich 6.323
2 . Stanton College Prep* Jacksonville , Fla. 5.639
3 . Paxon* Jacksonville , Fla. 4.668
4 . Alabama School of Fine Arts Birmingham , Ala. 4.567
5 . Jericho Jericho , N.Y. 4.519
6 . George Mason* Falls Church , Va. 4.365
7 . Myers Park* Charlotte , N.C. 4.086
8 . Science Academy of South Texas Mercedes , Tex. 4.024
9 . H-B Woodlawn Arlington , Va. 3.961
10 . Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies Los Angeles , Calif. 3.893
11 . Manhasset Manhasset , N.Y. 3.840
12 . Wyoming Cincinnati , Ohio 3.782
13 . Bellevue Bellevue , Wash. 3.755
14 . Highland Park Dallas , Tex. 3.693
15 . Edgemont Scarsdale , N.Y 3.673
16 . International Bellevue , Wash. 3.643
17 . Great Neck South Great Neck , N.Y. 3.640
18 . Newport Bellevue Bellevue , Wash. 3.625
19 . Cold Spring Harbor Cold Spring Harbor , N.Y. 3.573
20 . Mills University Studies Little Rock , Ark. 3.564
99. Sumner Academy in Kansas City, Kans. 2.340

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:29 PM CST [Link]

A FAMILY TRAGEDY

There was a family tragedy that occurred Saturday in Abilene. My daughter called right away as she was so upset about the event involving a woman who worked for her at the Country Club. As it turns out, it was a tragedy that touched many lives and families not only in Abilene, but in Wilson, Holyrood and Ellsworth. It was a tragic and sad ending to two young lives. You wonder why it couldn't have been prevented.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:51 PM CST [Link]

SPRING CLEAN UP

This has been a long week of spring cleanup. It’s very nice to have two willing grandsons who lend muscle to some difficult chores to help “the elderly”. Once those chores were very routine for us, but time takes its toll.

Have you noticed how much stronger kids are these days? They go to conditioning early every morning to lift weights and run. The two who help me are nothing but muscle and bone (how delightful it would be to be like that!). They are trying to “bulk up” this summer, as they say. That means they are eating all the time too.

Anyway, the thing about tending to plants is that as they grow, they need larger and larger pots. And they get heavier. Even the boys can only barely budge the pot the century plant is in. It has a large part of the century to keep growing so I don’t know what the future holds for it. I wonder what happened to the century plant that was about 8 feet tall that lived in the nursery south of Lyons? The nursery is no more, but maybe the plant found a new happy home. I wonder about it.

Morfords are closing out some of their plants at greatly reduced prices. We took advantage of that yesterday and planted more things of beauty around the house. Mrs. Morford gave me some larkspur out of her garden which Tyler planted for me in ours. My grandmother always had larkspur around her house and it is sort of special to me in that regard. I’ve just never had any luck getting it to grow here.

We also bought more of their eggs…those pretty little pastel blue and green ones that my friend in England steadfastly denies exist.

All this is to say, I'm getting a hold on the plants and clutter and making some headway. It always feels good this time of year to clean things up that seem to accumulate during the winter. What I need most of all is for three offspring to come claim what they want out of this house and take it home with them. The other alternative is to wait a few years and just let Tyler come take it over. For many years now, it has been "his" house too.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:59 AM CST [Link]

OROZCO'S MEXICAN BREAKFAST

Saturday I had breakfast at Orozco's with two of my most favorite people in the world (that would be Cindy and Meredith). It is something we do occasionally in the summer when they aren’t teaching. I almost never see them during the school year as they are as consciencious about their work as any teachers anywhere. On one of our leisurely mornings during the summer when they take time to slow down, we start at nine and usually wind up our visit about noon when the lunch crowd arrives.

Orozco’s Mexican breakfast is the best….scrambled eggs, hash browns and refried beans smothered with pork chili with "extra juice” so it fills the “round” plate. It should be a traditional round plate, but it depends on who is cooking. Then we cover it with hot sauce. They serve warm tortillas on the side. If you haven't ever tried it, I'd suggest you do. Life is too short not to enjoy it. When I take my grandsons, they have a stack of pancakes on the side. They make great pancakes.

That breakfast made the fourth meal of Mexican food I had last week, which was just fine with me. You can tell I like it. That's the thing with Mexican food...it all tastes different depending on who's doing the cooking....so it's always a treat. I never tire of it.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:44 AM CST [Link]

RICH VARGO, THE VINTNER

Yesterday I discovered a new treasure in an old friend…a vintner with extraordinary talent and skill…Rich Vargo. I don’t pretend to be a wine connoisseur, but I do know an excellent glass of wine when I taste it. And his is excellent and the kind I much prefer over other labels. It is fruity and full-flavored with a perfect degree of sweetness. He raises his own grapes and fruit for his several varieties of wines, ages and bottles them just like the professional he is. He even encases the corks in his special wax seals. I’ve been treated to some very expensive wine in my lifetime, but I don’t think I enjoyed any as much as I did that glass of Rich’s wine yesterday. It was a perfect. And there isn't anything that I know of that this guy can't do. No wonder that kindergarten teacher married him.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:22 AM CST [Link]

CSB AND T

The new bank clock is a fine addition to the town especially for those of us who like to keep track of the time and temperature. It's a great looking clock and a nice change from the old one it replaced. Thanks to the board of the CSB and T for this nice downtown improvement.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:52 AM CST [Link]

MACKENZIE'S SUMMER INTERNSHIP

If anyone would like to learn about what computer science/mathematics majors do during their three months of internship researching artificial intelligence at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, you can follow her blog by going to CLICK HERE FOR MACKENZIE .

Then again, it might be more about her life in and around Gaithersburg MD. We shall see. It's a completely new experience for her.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:50 AM CST [Link]

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Birds are so interesting. I guess that's the reason so many people like to follow their strange, yet predictable habits.

For the past twelve days, we’ve had a bird with a beak full of nesting material trying to get in our house to build a nest. I’m almost to the point to just open the door and let him in. The pecking starts at dawn and is relentless through most of the day. At first glimpse, I thought it was an oriole, but since a glimpse is all I ever get of it, I’ve changed my mind. It looks more like a black-headed grosbeak, but they aren’t all that common to this area. At least I don’t think so. Someone can let me know. Sneaking up on it to get a good look is almost impossible.

During this time of year, since all the windows in the house are open, the first morning sound I hear is one of our faithful cardinals, who at five twenty five, belts out his loud abbreviated half song and then stops. I’m sure he’s hit his snooze alarm so he can sleep for another fifteen minutes. Silence. All I can hear is the sound of vehicles going over the rumble strips on the highway. Then he comes up with another longer song, but still not the full thing. None of the other birds respond. Finally, after about half an hour, he tackles it again and by this time, his other feathers friends are rustling in their roosts and slowly come out to play. It’s not long until the cacophony of bird sounds will roust anyone out of bed. That noise is soon followed by the constant pecking at our window by Mr. Groesbeak.

I hear lots of mourning doves too....always from a distance. We have them in our yard all the time, feeding on the ground under the feeders, but they never sing their mournful song where I can see them. Their song is sung by some dove far away. I've never heard one sing close to where I am.

Well, spring is always interesting around here. I wouldn't trade this location for for barking dogs and howling cats in town...fur nuttin'. I remember what that was like.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:11 AM CST [Link]

Friday, May 23, 2003

HIGH SPEED INTERNET....I'M DOING THE MATH

Over dinner with the family last night (Mexican food for the third time this week), my computer-literate granddaughter and my financial manager son convinced me that the offering by Classic Cable for high-speed internet service was the “way to go”.

Their reasoning is sound:

• We get $10.00 off per month...forever... on our limited cable TV service fee as long as I subscribe to both cable tv and internet service. We pay $15.95 now so we will be billed $5.95 for cable TV.

• I can eliminate the phone line to my computer which costs about $20.00 per month.

• I can eliminate my ISP service which also runs about $20.00 a month.

• The installation for the high-speed service is free at this time. I won’t have to invest in a $150 modem as they provide it free.

And the price for it is $49.95 a month plus the $5.95 ($15.95 less $10.00 credit) cost for our limited cable TV.

This sounds like a great opportunity to get high-speed service for the right price which will run about $10 more than I'm paying now. I will always be connected to the net and won't spend time waiting for downed services to right themselves or tapping my foot during downloads. Ha...I will extend my life span.
l
The technician is coming next Friday to do the installation. He will do the whole thing so that all I will need to do after he leaves is call and disconnect the services I will no longer need. He’ll also tweak my cable TV adjustments as they need it.

I’ll learn then about my email address options. I just notified everyone of my change of address, so now I’ll have to do it again. It’s easy to lose track of people when you do that. Someway or other my kansasprairie.net domain name address will still work. I hope the cable internet people have a spam filter as I’ve really appreciated that with KIT.

I’ve wanted high speed internet since I bought my first computer many years ago and now seems the logical time to make the switch. I’ll let you know how it works.

The toll free number to call, if you are interested, is: 1.866.999.6845.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:23 PM CST [Link]

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

The third annual Relay for Life will be June 6-7 at the Ellsworth High School football field. For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce, or call 472-4569.

Dena Woods Stoltz will be offering a FREE YOGA NIGHT on Monday, June 9 from 7:00 – 8:30 at the United Methodist Church in Ellsworth. Yoga is for EVERYONE—from children to senior citizens, males and females. Yoga is a great way to gain and maintain your health!

The Salina Arts & Humanities Commission will host the 2003 Smoky Hills River Festival on June 12, 13, 14, 15 at the Oakdale Park in Salina. This year’s event features: The Fabulous Flippers, The Waifs, Grasshopper Takeover, Mark Selby, Wendy Woo, Donald David, Hackensaw Boys…and many more! Make plans to attend this year’s festival!

Take in a Movie at the Kanopolis Drive-In!

Friday – Sunday, May 23-25 Die Another Day, PG-13
Friday - Sunday, May 30-June 1 The Hunted, R
Friday – Sunday, June 6-8 The Core, PG-13
Friday – Sunday, June 13-15 Holes, PG

Admission: Adults-$6.00; Children Under 12 & with Parent Admitted FREE. Without parent-$4.50.

The Texas Date Nail Collectors Association will be hosting a Railroad Memorbilia and Datenail Show on July 25-26 at the at the American Legion Hall in Ellsworth. For more information, call Marvin Bush at 472-4274.

The Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce is planning the 2nd Annual Flea Market Festival for June 7, 2003. Vendor spaces are still available. For more information, contact the Lincoln Chamber at 785-524-4934 or call the Ellsworth-Kanopolis Chamber of Commerce at 785-472-4071. We have vendor registration forms available.

Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:44 AM CST [Link]

Wednesday, May 21, 2003

SPEND $5.00 IN JUNE AT LA PRAIRIE

I'd like to suggest something that I've mentioned before that could be a terrific help to our local businesses, particularly the ones out of the main stream that could use a boost now and then. We need to encourage our local business people and show our appreciation to them by shopping at home whenever we can.

I'd like to see how many people will respond to this by making a special trip to Lori's store and spending at least $5.00 during the month of June. Maybe it will be the first $5.00 you've ever spent there, or maybe you are a regular shopper and this will just encourage you to make that extra effort in June.

She has a wonderful supply of wedding, shower, birthday, etc. gifts. She does special arrangements and decorations for weddings and parties. She will do almost anything to please a customer as she did for me today when I asked about providing me with an extraordinary arrangement. I didn't want to buy it; I just wanted to rent it for a couple days. She was delighted to help and the fee is very reasonable.

It's not a huge store, but for gifts, it's hard to beat. She has some out-of-the-ordinary things that provide wonderful options. I love the ease of shopping there as she has great ideas and her gift wrapping puts the final touches on any present. Recently I needed a stainless steel mixing bowl and found one the exact size and shape I had in mind. The price was right and less than I expected. And she has great ideas to share. If she doesn't have it, she can usually find it for you.

So, how about let's give it a try and find something in her store in June that we need or intend to buy anyway...for our home, ourselves, a gift for someone special. Let's see if we can make a difference. It will be an interesting experiment in the spirit of cooperation.

When you go in, tell her you are there to "Make a Difference". She will really appreciate it.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:47 PM CST [Link]

8th GRADE PROMOTION

We “experienced” the last 8th grade promotion where family attendance is mandatory. The final grandchild went through this anachronistic ritual last night, which is meaningful only to people in this school system. I guess that's enough, but it is a throw back to the days when most kids, particularly the boys, didn’t get to attend high school. It’s a little like the rural schools that dismissed school in April so the kids could hit the fields and help with the planting and farm chores. Those were events that weren't even pertinent when I taught at Oak Creek School, a rural school of eight grades four miles north of town, 40 years ago.

As with other such ceremonies, it wasn’t without its humorous moments. Someone doesn’t like to alphabetize so the certificates weren’t in order. Some students received them later off stage. It enhanced the evening in a way. The speeches were short, the music good and all it all, it was a nice exercise. It’s not a serious event anyway, so it was fun and everyone enjoyed it.

The PAC was packed to the rafters. That is always a wonderful thing as it brings people together in a comfortable, luxurious setting that is very special and unique to a community this size. Certainly it is outstanding by any state-wide standard. Few school systems in Kansas can boast of a facility such as this.

The best part was our family gathering before and after. The food was good on both sides of the ceremony and the conversation lively and enjoyable. The “granddaughter” was here for a few days so she got to attend. She leaves Friday for Gaithersburg MD where she will work for three months, one-to-one, with one of the foremost researchers in artificial intelligence at the Institute of Standards and Technology. That should be a wonderful experience but I doubt we’ll understand anything she’s be doing in her work. We didn’t understand her explanation of it last night, but it was nice to hear her words flow.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:08 AM CST [Link]

Tuesday, May 20, 2003

A SNARL OF TRAFFIC AROUND CSB AND T

From the appearance of all the trucks, ladders and hoists, I suspect we're getting a new time and temperature clock at the Citizens State Bank and Trust. It's a good thing as people have been guessing at the temperatures with dismay.

What can we go by this summer if we don't have that to rely on when it's 112 and climbing? It's the final authority for heat referrals in town..."Well, it says 112 on the bank thermometer". That's it. Of course, I've always thought it ran a little high because of all the accumlated heat coming from the concrete below and the building next to it. In any event, we now will have something to talk about.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:49 PM CST [Link]

ELSIE DRISCOLL'S LEFT-OVER HERBS

There are herbs left over from Denmark's Herb Day, according to Elsie Driscoll. They will go on sale May 21st through this Saturday. Hours are 12-6 pm, and Saturday 9-3 . If you need herb plants now is the time to cash in on some big savings! There will also be an auction in the community this Saturday.

The sale will be held at Denmark. It's a beautiful drive and well worth the trip to visit this unique community.

Denmark is located 7 miles west of Lincoln, Ks on k-18 highway and 3 miles north, and a quarter mile west.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:38 AM CST [Link]

Sunday, May 18, 2003

FASCINATION WITH VISITORS TO MY WEBSITE

In looking at my some of my visitors today (not counting the locals) they come from Dublin, Ireland; County Durham, England; Sandford Gate, Oxford, UK; Reston and Herdon VA; Milton Australia; San Francisco; St. Louis; KC; Girard; Home, Kansas (wherever that is); WaKeeney and other such places.

Of course, I don't know who they are, but I do appreciate their stops at my website and blog. I don't have many visitors from universities on the weekend, but they flood here during the week.

Lots of people are learning about Ellsworth. Maybe it will pay off some day in subtle ways.

Now...if they would drop me a line, that would be nice.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:18 PM CST [Link]

MARY B. MCCANN

Growing up in the 800 block on Highland was quite an adventure. It was the best block in Salina for that, not by any means in terms of affluence, but in the proliferation of progeny and what they grew up to be.

On the two sides of our street, I recall we maxed out with 26 kids. Taking the ones who "lived around the corner" or in the next block, who were also part of our group, the head count made up a major part of the enrollment of Franklin Grade School (which shut its doors last Friday) and Sacred Heart.

From this group we had many successes: several doctors of the MD variety, numerous teachers, chemists, oil executive, a nationally known real estate guru, president of a national grain company, a movie star (Patrice Wymore, my next door neighbor) who married Errol Flynn, a tap dancer...and Jerry, who routinely stuck his tongue on the icy Jungle Jim at school which necessitated his mom coming to school and plying off what was left of it. He grew up to be a pole vault champion and later a well-known doctor in the Denver area. We were a microcosm of kids everywhere, but we seemed to have more than our share of gifted, hard-working, studious kids.

We grew up in the depression and there was little money for anything, yet families, through a lot of hard work, managed to get their kids through college. The McCann family who lived across the street and where I spent a great deal of my time had six children, all exceptional. Mary McCann who was three years older let it slip to me that Santa wasn’t “real”. She apologized for years after that. At the time she told me, I think I was pretty old to still be a believer.

Mary died March 11th and I’d like to share her obituary with you because she accomplished great things and her contributions to society were outstanding. She was my friend.

Mary B. McCann was born May 20, 1925, graduated from Sacred Heart high school then Marymount College in Salina in 1946. She earned a master’s of public health from Harvard University in 1955 and became a medical doctor in 1965 upon graduation from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. She was a nutritionist and dietitian in hospitals around the United Stated and was a deputy director of the Nutrition Program of the Center of Disease Control for the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

She became a professor and chairperson of the Nutrition Program, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, and was professor of nutrition in the Graduate Program at Sargent College of Health at Boston University in 1973. She wrote dozens of articles and was published numerous times in her field. She earned a doctorate in pediatric psychiatry at the Maine School of Medicine in Portland, Maine, where she established a private practice. After several years, she returned to Boston and maintained a private practice in psychiatry, retiring in 1990. She devoted time and resources to the development of equal roles and influence for women in the Catholic Church. She had a passion for gardening and traveled for the government, giving seminars ad speeches on nutrition and proper diet.

In addition, it is Mary’s niece, Peggy, who is my namesake, one I have mentioned in previous blogs. Peggy is the daughter of Rita McCann Bland, Mary’s older sister. Peggy and I will meet Friday for the first time at Mary’s memorial service in Salina. I will also see Mary’s brother John, after many years, and will meet their many nieces and nephews who will be there to bid farewell to Mary. I will join them on their bus for a tour of Salina as most have never been there to see where their parents grew up.

The 800 block on Highland will be one of our stops.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:42 AM CST [Link]

SARA SOUKUP AND THE SMOKY HILLS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Yesterday at the Citizens State Bank, the Ellsworth-based Smoky Hills Charitable Foundation awarded $2,500 in grants to four local groups.

The Foundation, now three years old, is affiliated with the Greater Salina Community Foundation and has $390,000 in assets and $110,000 in unrestricted funds, according to Sara Soukup, Foundation chairman.

The mission of the Foundation is to enhance quality of life in and around Ellsworth County, both today and in the future by:

*enabling donors to fulfill their charitable desires
*building a permanent endowment
*facilitating prudent management and care of funds
*meeting needs through grants, awards and scholarships

The Founders include: Anonymous, Citizens State Bank and Trust, H & B Communications, Doc and Lu Jarus, Imo Sundin Trust, Randy and Judy S. Mills, Stumps Charitable Trust, Donald Hunter, Kirkham Michael and Associates, Mr. and Mrs. Don Kozisek and Jon and Pat Mollhagen.

The first awards being made by this group went to:

Post Rock Opportunity Foundation, Wilson, for $1,000 to buy 40,000 rack cards that will be placed in restaurants, hotels and tourist centers along Interstate Highway 70.

Ellsworth County Historical Society, $500, to help restore the Fort Harker Junior Officers' Quarters built in 1867 in Kanopolis. It will be used for historic relics and memorabilia and community meetings.

Ellsworth Area Arts Council, $500, for a wood-carving extravaganza with Stu Martin, a carver from Goddard. He will give a workshop for local area wood-carvers.

Quivira Heights Elementary and Junior High School, $500, to bring in Dr. Nolan Carlson, a Kansas author, to speak to the students. Some of Carlson's book also will be purchased for the school library.

Rani Haun and Camille Wehling each received a college scholarship of $500 from the Eleanor Hunter Scholarship Fund.

Also Friday, Sara Soukup announced that a check in the amount of $30,000 from the estate of Joyce Nagel, Holyrood, was presented to the Foundation. Twenty-five thousand dollars will go into a fund to benefit health care, education and youth recreation programs in Ellsworth County, and $5,000 will be put in an unrestricted fund.

The Board of Directors for the Fund include, in addition to Sara Soukup, Dave Brownback, David Hand, Eleanor Hunter, Rob Koch, Jon Mollhagen, Cherie Sauers, Alice Macek and Don Kozisek.

Russell County Area Community Foundation, Cloud County and the Smoky Valley Community Foundation of Lindsborg are also affiliates of the Greater Salina Community Foundation.

No gift is too small to give to this very worthwhile Foundation. Even a gift of $1.00 can be made to an existing fund. That is what makes this truly a community foundation.

USD #327 Student Benefit Fund
USD #328 Student Benefit Fund
J.H. Robbins Memorial Library Fund
Unrestricted Fund
Eleanor Hunter Scholarship Fund

Other component funds:
First Bank Kansas Fund
Imo Sundin Trust, Randy V. and Judy S. Mills

If you wish to contribute, please make your check payable to: Smoky Hill Charitable Foundation and mail it to: Dave Brownback, president, Citizens State Bank and Trust, Ellsworth KS 67439

A gift in any amount would be very much appreciated.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:09 AM CST [Link]

MAKING THE EXTRA EFFORT AWARD

It isn't obvious to a lot of people, but one person who does an enormous amount of work for rural Kansas is Dennis Katzenmeier. He was recently rewarded for this by Marci Penner at the Kansas Sampler Festival earlier this month. He was the winner of the "Making the Extra Effort Award."

"Most of Dennis' work is behind the scenes and he seldom get recognized for the extra effort that he continually makes. People all over Kansas know and appreciate Dennis", Marci said. "As a volunteer, Dennis has given a great deal of time and effort to the Kansas Cattle Towns Coalition and to projects in Ellsworth."

Dennis is vice-president of the Ellsworth-Kanopolis Chamber of Commerce. He originated and organizes the Chuck Wagon Cookoffs and Ranch Rodeos that are held in conjunction with the Spring Gather and Fall Roundup. He serves on the Amazing 100 Miles board and other boards within the community.

Way to go, Dennis!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:29 AM CST [Link]

Friday, May 16, 2003

WONDER ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON?

What’s happening here on this side of the creek:

On Friday, before a crowd at Citizen’s State Bank & Trust, the Smoky Hills Charitable Foundation announced the first-time grant and scholarship recipients. Awards were presented to: Post Rock Foundation, Ellsworth Historical Society, USD 328 Elementary and Middle School, Ellsworth Arts Council, and to the recipients of the Eleanor Hunter scholarship. The Foundation seeks to enhance the quality of life in and around Ellsworth County, both today and in the future, by: enabling donors to fulfill their charitable desires, building a permanent endowment, facilitating prudent management and care of funds, meeting needs through grants, awards and scholarships. Congratulations to the recipients!

The group formed to develop a New Resident Incentive Package will have their second meeting on Tuesday, May 20 at the Correctional Facility’s Training Center. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:31 PM CST [Link]

WE WELCOME THE RAIN, ETC.

The rain is great and we need every drop we can get, but it did curtail some activities we had planned. Last night the lunar eclipse just wasn't visible through all the atmospheric soup. And today, the thought of sloshing through the rain for the prison tour was just a bit over the edge. I was really looking forward to that as many changes have occurred since the last time I was "inside".

The Middle School music program last night was a delight, as it always is. The music teachers and students all gathered together to put on a wonderful performance. They always provide a lot of variety in their music so that it is something new for the audience and challenging to the student. The band did a very good job with sight reading a musical score they had not seen previous to last night. It is so rewarding to see their improvement during the school year. A little practice tooting a horn can go a long way to make a better musician.

But the thing that is most enjoyable is seeing the fun the kids have in performing and how seriously they take it. At least during a performance that shows. They are quiet and attentive to the director whether it is Boley, Webster or Hakoda, and they seem to love the sounds their combined voices or instruments produce. That's something the audience appreciates too.

Someone I know was given the High Five award at SMU on Wednesday. The selection was made by the housing directors and deans based on who best displays what SMU should be in every respect; their residents, their leadership, their ability to solve problems...in other words, who they think is the best role model of what an Resident Assistant at SMU should be. They reviewed all 52 RA's for the award and someone special to me has a beautiful plaque to show for her hard work. She'll be home on Sunday only to leave on Friday for her 12 week internship in Gaithersburg MD with the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Our only family gathering during her time at home will be Tuesday evening for dinner and the middle school promotion. A special guy is being sent to high school, and I think he is well-prepared for that, thanks to the great teachers we have in the middle school. If he doesn't stop growing, we may have to send him straight to the NBA. Not really!

Speaking of family, our oldest grandson has recently moved to Manhattan so he is around now for our family gatherings. The company he works for appreciates his contributions to the company so much that they allow him to live anywhere he chooses. They will just fly him out of "anywhere" to go to work, which is really nice. He's lived and Omaha, Kansas City and Chicago. He toyed with moving to Boston but finally discounted it because of the logistics of living there. We're happy he has chosen Kansas again as his home. He did it the way I think our young people should: go out in the world and make their mark, then proudly return to Kansas where their contributions are needed and will be greatly appreciated.

I'm looking forward to Friday as I'm going to meet my namesake. Only in recent months have we discovered this connection: her mother, who was my neighbor in Salina when we were young, named her daughter after me. The daughter knew of the connection, but never knew my last name. We discovered each other through my recent connection with her brother and completed the circle. Peggy is a veteran CIA agent...the equivalent of a two-star general. That's a pretty lofty achievement, I'd say. I wish we would have time for a long conversation, but the circumstances of the day won't allow that. A little will mean a lot.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:46 AM CST [Link]

Wednesday, May 14, 2003

A LOVELY FIELD OF TRITICALE

When you go to Salina, as many of you who read this will do, notice the field of triticale that is just west of Brookville on the north side of 40. At least that's where I remember it being. West of the big red barn. If the cattle are still grazing in it, you can't miss it.

First of all, you will mistake it for wheat, but it isn't that. It's an amphidiploid hybrid between wheat and rye that has a high yield and rich protein content. And it has big leaves at its base that cattle love to eat so you won't see a sign of their heads.

When I drove by on Monday, I was just taken with the beauty of it all...the cattle grazing with their heads to the ground and the triticale half way up their bellies so that the only thing you saw was the tops of their backs and where their tails begin.

I knew the wheat had headed out and that they wouldn't have cattle in that kind of field, but I didn't know what it was.

It's triticale, an experimental plot with seed provided by K-State, so my friend Marvin Schneider tells me, but he couldn't quite remember the name. Sarah Grace had to help me with that and how to spell it, but she learned it from Brent Goss who knows all about those things. I wonder where Brent learned it? We can eventually get back to the source!

These learned farm people!

Take your camera for a beautiful Kodak moment for the disbelievers back east!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:14 PM CST [Link]

ABOUT YOUR HEALTH...a little humor!

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it. Don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable slop.

Q: Is beer or wine bad for me?
A: Look, it goes to the earlier point about fruits and vegetables. As we all know, scientists divide everything in the world into three categories: animal, mineral, and vegetable. We all know that beer and wine are not animal, and they are not on the periodic table of elements, so that only leaves one thing, right? My advice: Have a burger and a beer and enjoy your liquid vegetables.

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body, and you have body fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good.

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: You're not listening. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: What's the secret to healthy eating?
A: Thicker gravy.

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO ..... Cocoa beans ... another vegetable!!! "It's the best feel-good food around!"

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. Have a cookie... flour is a veggie!

One more thing... "When life hands you lemons, ask for tequila and salt."

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:30 PM CST [Link]

THE SPAM FILTER AT KIT IS WORKING

Service provider filters can't work all the time or filter all the trash that comes in. Very recently, I've been added to another spam list as today 38 trashy letters made their way to a trash can that KIT provides for such things until I go through it and see if there is anything I want that shouldn't be there. (There wasn't). I didn't open any of them.

Like almost everyone else, I had offers for lower mortgage rates, finding my missing high school pals, free life insurance give-aways, making $2,000 a day working right out of my own home (I wish!), buying on-line drugs of every kind and for every purpose, and obtaining the usual amount of urgent business information. In addition, about a dozen such letters did make it around the filter to my inbox. It's annoying.

KIT's virus and spam filters do help and what I do receive is greatly reduced from the amount of trash I was getting from Informatics. If you haven't switched over from Informatics to KIT (both owned by KIT) you might give it serious thought. The service is much improved and you can get the x4 Accelerator for less than $2.00 a month. It seems to work too.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:28 AM CST [Link]

ELLSWORTH CORRECTIONAL FACILITY OPEN HOUSE

A reminder:

On Friday, May 16, 2003, the Ellsworth Correctional Facility, located at 1607 State Street in Ellsworth, will be having its ninth annual Open House. Tours begin at 8:15 a.m., with the final tour commencing at 10:00 a.m.

Visitors are reminded to wear comfortable shoes and to dress appropriately. Tour participants must be 10 years of age and over.

Novelty items will be available for sale to the public. For further information, contact Jina J. Murrell, 472-5501 x 427.

Scroll down for further information.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:06 AM CST [Link]

Tuesday, May 13, 2003

NEWS RELEASE

FROM: Kansas Sampler Foundation

RE: Local person recipient of Kansas Explorer Club award

KANSAS EXPLORER CLUB AWARDS

The Kansas Explorers Club presented six members with awards at the Kansas Sampler Festival. The unsuspecting award winners were Peg Britton, Ellsworth (Explorer Ambassador award), Bill Bunyan, Dodge City (Cuisine award); JoAnn Combs, Liberal (Enjoy the Journey award); Emma Crites, Fredonia (Make A Difference award); Gene Merry, Burlington (Feeling Good about Spending Money award); and Charles & Ina Kay Zimmerman, Olathe (Dare to do Dirt award).

Kansas Sampler Foundation director Marci Penner said, “We have so many fabulous Explorers who display an enthusiastic appreciation for the state. It’s important and fun to recognize the efforts of members who have made a difference as they explore the state.”

The Kansas Explorers Club is a project of the Kansas Sampler Foundation. For more information go to www.explorekansas.org/
..........................................................................................................................................

Well, I couldn't be more honored or pleased. This is very special to me and I just wanted to shout about it from the top of the mountain. The award is in a lovely wood frame, like straight out of Kansas. I have it right by my computer.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:47 PM CST [Link]

13 May 2003 / 02:52:06 AM cacheout.kuwait.army.mil

Someone who is in kuwait is checking on what is going on at home. It could be any one of our many service personnel.

Whoever it is, you are very much in our thoughts. Thanks for checking on us at home.

12 May 2003 / 09:28:51 AM WCS2-SCOTT.NIPR.MIL This entry appears frequently. I'm glad they found my blog. I also have several other hits from military bases but only these two to show you at the moment.

Small world, eh?

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:37 PM CST [Link]

EHS CHOIR

For anyone who understands the value of the conductor to a piece of music, last night's performance in the PAC by the EHS Choir should be well-noted.

The last two numbers they sang, "Hear my Prayer" and "The Awakening", were as well delivered as anything I've heard by major choirs anywhere. Anyone who was not reduced to tears hearing them sing was not listening. It was perfection.

Most of those students don't have truly outstanding voices, but collectively they have voices good enough to make outstanding music when they follow the directions and understand the feeling coming from their conductor. Ken Hakoda made the difference. Anyone can stand in front of a chorus or band and wave their arms, but not everyone can produce results like he can. Therein lies the difference in the music program. He produces the magic.

As I left the concert, I overheard one grandmother say, "He's a genius". I knew who she meant.

At a very young age, he grasped what it meant to transcend the ordinary to produce exceptional music. Individuals who can do that don't come along very often, and they are truly gifted.

What I would like to see is for him to be contracted to compose a band and chorus musical piece next year especially for Ellsworth. Something incorporating our early history of drovers, cattle and settling the west that would capture our unique identity and could be used for special concerts over and over for years to come. If anyone could do it, I think he could. Does anyone else share that idea?

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:32 PM CST [Link]

Monday, May 12, 2003

"A BILLION" IS A NUMBER TO PONDER

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that
figure into perspective in one of its releases:

A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive

A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate Washington spends it.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:48 PM CST [Link]

ECF OPEN HOUSE

On Friday, May 16, 2003, the Ellsworth Correctional Facility, located at 1607 State Street, in Ellsworth, Kansas, will be hosting its Ninth Annual Open House. Tours will begin at 8:15 a.m., with the final tour commencing at 10:00 a.m.

Visitors are reminded to wear comfortable walking shoes and weather appropriate clothing. The following types of dress are considered inappropriate attire for visitors:
Ø Revealing clothing such as tank tops, halter tops, tube tops, spaghetti strap tie tops, low-cut necklines, and tops revealing bare shoulders or a bare midriff;
Ø See-through or braless attire;
Ø Backless tops/dresses;
Ø Mini or slit skirts/dresses (kick pleats/back vents are allowable);
Ø Shorts or culottes;
Ø Capri pants that do not extend below the knee;
Ø Lycra-spandex items;
Ø Any attire that proclaims gang affiliation or promotes drug/alcohol use.

If attire is not appropriate, admission will be denied.

If you have never taken a tour of the Ellsworth Correctional Facility, I suggest you take the opportunity to do so on the 16th. The facility is the town's largest employee base and it would be nice to show your support for the work they do.

And, if you have not taken a tour recently, you will have an opportunity to see the progress being made on the Spiritual Life Center and other additions to the complex.

Just wear comfortable shoes, expect to walk, and enjoy the experience. You need to remember you are in a prison so dress accordingly.

See you there!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:09 PM CST [Link]

Sunday, May 11, 2003

MOTHER'S DAY AND THE MOON

Mother's Day was wonderful as usual, another in a long series of cherished days with my family. Who could ask for more? I've watched my two grandmothers leave the group, watched my children grow, watched my mother leave the group, then rejoiced with the new additions our children brought to our family. They added four grandchildren who now help me celebrate. Becoming a great-grandmother seems very distant, but I look forward to it with wonder-filled anticipation.

Thursday night something special is going to happen in the sky. It’s free and wondrous. It will give you time to pause and reflect on the enormity of our universe.

The moon is going to do something very spectacular and I've always been partial to spectacular lunar events. According to the schedule, there will be a total lunar eclipse. The moon is going to change its appearance from silvery white to deep red when it passes through the Earth's shadow. This hasn't happened for three years so you might want to step outside and take a look to the southeast. It should be pretty spectacular as moon events go.

Luckily you don't need to look into one of those little boxes, worry about going blind or even be in a dark place. As long as you can see the full moon, you'll see the beauty of it. You just need a clear view of the southeastern horizon. That's where the moon is rising this Thursday and that's where the action begins....about 9 pm if you live in Kansas.

By CLICKING HERE you'll find a lunar eclipse finder chart and tons of other information, should you care to know.

One of my faithful readers, who generally agrees with me, found my security blanket comments a little off base for him. That happens. Such is the nature and purpose of blogs. I create a forum where we can consider issues, some slightly controversial, and I'm usually aware when I am doing it. I knew that one would cause some rumbling. We need to learn to share diverse opinions and still remain friends on the same course.

Occasionally, I push a button where it draws responses both in agreement and and disagreement. I like that and I've often said it is good to voice both sides of issues.

I think this individual will shoot me a letter and I'll post it...probably anonymously. He's a good thinker and has a lot to say. I like it when he comments.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:41 PM CST [Link]

Saturday, May 10, 2003

A TWO DAN STORY

One Dan was here the other day working on my water system when the conversation strayed, as it often does, to other things. We always find a lot to talk about. He told me about the new SBC phone package that he signed up for that is proving to be a real money-saver for him.

For only $48.95 a month, you'll get:

Unlimited nationwide SBC Long Distance domestic direct-dialed calling from home. Call anyone, anywhere in the U.S., anytime 24/7.
Unlimited local calling plus our most popular calling features, including CallNotes®Plus, Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Waiting ID, Three-Way Calling and InLine ® inside wire maintenance.
SBC local and SBC Long Distance services on the same bill.

That's a heck of a deal.

I called 1-866-999-6181. Enter Dan number two at SBC. Providence, I think.

Dan pulls up my phone bill and I can hear the groan at his end. I can tell he is happy it isn't HIS phone bill and he wonders at this person on the other end of his line in Kansas.

First, I tell him of my pic freeze so we undo that. Customer choice protection. I'll reinstate that later after our due date for my new, I think, service so I never get slammed again. You never want to experience long distance slamming. It can make your life miserable.

He goes over the surcharges...what's this, he says to himself...$10.54...ummm interstate access. We don't have that in Texas. I bet not. My constant question is...will this save me some money. No answer. I mention that I use a Sam's card for long-distance calling so that isn't included. More and deeper groans...and I sense compassion coming from Austin TX.

There are choices...caller ID, call blocker, call waiting, 3-way calling, in line protection, auto-redial, call forwarding, priority call, speedway...other things depending on cordless or corded phones. Scrap the cell phone stuff, as I don't have that. I only use caller ID. It helps a lot when you have a husband who can't hear and confuses Rosie Levra with Yogi Berra.

We go over why I have a dedicated line for my computer. Take a look at my website and you'll understand, I say. He took notes on that. He explains how he manages with one telephone line and caller ID on line. That would never work for me, and I explain why. Basically, I spend too much time talking on the phone and typing on my computer at the same time. And, it's annoying to callers, especially ones my age who don't have computers and are annoyed that I do, to find THE line always busy. So, I've never settled for one line.

Anyway, after a very, very, very long time, he determines this wonderful service isn’t available in Ellsworth. I remind him the other Dan who lives eight miles north has it, but he finds that not at all surprising.

Still not convinced, I ask him to try my son’s number down the street…nope he says. How about my next door neighbor? He checks them as well. Nope he says. Then he suggested I try someone who lives in town two or three miles from me. I have to explain that the town is only one mile from one end to the other in any direction. Finally, I suggested he try Fritz Pflughoeft and gave him the number. He lives in town about as far away from me as one can get. Nope. No service available to Fritz.

So, I ask him. What is going to have to happen to make this service available here? Well, he says, get a chunk-load of people to move to Ellsworth so it will be profitable for SBC to put in a line so they can provide this service! Here we go again, clawing our way up the mountain so we don’t fall off.

Since Dan and I have gotten to be such good friends by now, I explain that SBC likes to get control of rights for fiber optics, broadband etc. through legislative means, but they will not commit to putting in the service in rural areas once they get those rights.

Then he said we could get all the telephone service we wanted for $2.00 a month if we lived on tribal lands. Well, they deserve to get it for $2.00 a month, imo. But why is it that someone living 8 miles north of here, with only one neighbor for miles around, can get it? Can't they tap off whatever that line is and bring it 8 miles south? Nah...that's a simple answer for a very complicated problem, I suspect.

If you want to give it a try and see if you are in the right service area, call the number I listed or
CLICK RIGHT HERE I suggest you ask first if you happen to fall in an area where the service is available, before you move on to examining your bill. Inquiring about your bill won't make your day bubbly.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:55 PM CST [Link]

Friday, May 9, 2003

WE'VE LOST OUR SECURITY BLANKET

I don't talk about this subject very often, but I sure think about it a lot.

Our basic foundations on which we have long relied are suffering. The whole system is being gutted. It has taken a long time for people to realize what happens to programs we hold dear when you cut taxes and build a military empire. Our lives aren't improving despite a brilliant public relations campaign to convince us otherwise. The jigs up!

This was once again brought to mind when I thought about what President Bush really meant when he promised to "leave no child behind". What that says is that he set standards that break the back of our educational system yet he failed to fund the program for school districts in his 2003 and 2004 budgets. It can make dedicated teachers angry enough to quit.

Among other industrial nations, the mortality rate for our children under age five is shared by Croatia and Malaysia. We are 54th down the line when it comes to access to health care for women and children. When it comes to taking care of mothers and children, we don't even rank in the top ten of all the industrialized nations in the world. That is simply deplorable and Bush made it all possible. I won't even get into what he did to family planning programs, AIDS support and women's issues that will only compound the problems we already have.

We don't even rank high in our domestic national security. That should now be obvious.

Last night I attended a meeting where members were asked what we'd do if we were President Bush for a day. We could only mention one thing and we had to be nice, however, my list was endless. I chose to say that I would see to it that every child in the world was fed and none went to bed hungry.

No one else even came close to thinking about the world's children. One man did say he would "take care of our own", but neglected to realize our global society doesn't allow us to separate "us" from "them". Most of the respondents had tax fixes. Several honed in on the environment and heath care. Good for them. If we take care of our children, everything else will follow, but we are not taking care of our children.

Our schools are all experiencing the same critical situations with teacher layoffs and program cut backs. They use euphemistic terms for this to make us feel better. Teachers who remain will have more students and less time to teach, more competency tests to teach to. We can see our schools precariously balanced on the brink of financial insolvency. What we want for our children is slowly being taken away from us. We struggle to hang on for what we have.

We once had a blanket under mothers with small children, the ill and infirm, the elderly and the unemployed. It was called the New Deal and has been in place for almost as many years as I am old. The rhetoric of compassionate conservatism has unraveled this social contract with our citizens. It erodes the sense of the common good. It places everything we have known to balance our social order in jeopardy. We exchange this for tax cuts targeted to the wealthy. Not all of us are wearing blinders.

We need strong public schools, programs for women and children, health insurance for families, home health care for our elderly, Social Security, strong systems of public education and higher education, and reinforcement of our infrastructure. If we don't protect the organism on which we live, we will no longer have a place to live.

Once Bush decided to strengthen our military and create tax cuts, it just wrecked havoc on all our public institutions and programs. We'll lose more of it if we don't act soon.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:03 PM CST [Link]

MORE MILAGRO

Milagro means miracle - "Miracle" ranch (or so I've heard) is so named because of the "rodeos" that occur out there. It is said no one has been hurt yet, so it's a "miracle".

The rodeos seem to be warm weather events that start about 4:00 Saturday afternoons and linger well into the night. If you want to know what is going on, you better brush up on your Spanish as there is no English spoken there. And talk to someone who knows more about it than I do.

I've also heard there is dancing as well. Rodeo, roping, dancing and with all of that, I bet there are tacos and hot peppers too. Everyone is just having fun right here in Ellsworth County.

The signs along Highway 40 indicate you're getting close to the scene of action. One of my college pals is going to attend one of their rodeos so he can fill us in about what goes on down the road. I guess the crowds are sometimes very large. Just turn where the sign says "Milagro" and check to see if the welcome mat is out.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:19 PM CST [Link]

SPEAKING OF...

Speaking of the Milagro Bean Field War, as I was, who can tell me what the signs on old 40 mean? The ones that say "Milagro" and are located somewhere close to Jesse Magana's farm...maybe a little east of there. Someone enlighten me...

I thought when they first went up that someone was having a "gathering"....but they are still there.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:38 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, May 8, 2003

FOUR NOTEBOOKS, JESSE OROZCO, DON PANZER, BARB HOLM, MARCI PENNER, JAN ESSICK, PAT BENDER AND DENNIS KATZENMEIER

This feels like college again...toting notebooks around. I have four that keep me organized for four committees that I'm on. That's down from six, so that's a good thing. I think four are enough to manage for now. I'm heading to Great Bend with one of them this afternoon....and missing a grandson's try at beating the school record in the high jump. That's the downside to community service.

Lunch at Orozco's is always good. Today it seemed better than ever as I was exceptionally hungry. I particularly like their flour tostadas loaded with extra hot, hot sauce. Good vegetarian food. I finally remembered to use my discount card. 10% is 10%.

My car needs scrubbing. I was going to head to Panzer’s car wash, since I love the way he gets the road kill off my windshield, but it looks too much like rain. Waiting might be a good option.

Barb Holm is now syndicating her cartoon to other newspapers. She has the best newspaper cartoon in the state and it is featured every week in the INDY. It has gained a lot of attention state wide and rightfully so. She’s right on target with its timeliness and cleverness. Congratulations Barb. That goes right along with the INDY that is used as a professional standard for weekly newspapers statewide. We are very fortunate to have such an outstanding newspaper representing Ellsworth County.

The Kansas Sampler Festival was a huge success once again. The attendance wasn’t quite at high a last year, but they had good traffic and the vendors were very happy. Marci gave the storm warning alert at 3:00 on Sunday to get everything packed up and put away. The cooperation was phenomenal and everything went like clockwork. Dennis Katzenmeier got a huge boost in the help department from Jan Essick and Pat Bender as they ran the Ellsworth booth. Next year the festival will be in Newton and we need a team of people to broadcast the word about Ellsworth. How about the initiative coming from the Ambassadors? They would look very spiffy in their red jackets walking up and down the midway passing out literature about Ellsworth.

Dennis Katzenmeier won the very prestigious We Kan! Award at the Sampler Festival. I’ll get all the particulars to you later…but this is an award that is given only once a year to the most deserving person in the State. Congratulations, Dennis! You're outstanding!

And congratulations to Marci Penner for staging another very successful Kansas Sampler Festival. It's for Kansans and about Kansas. It's the best reason in the world that I know of for each and every person in Kansas to join the Kansas Explorers Club. It's only $18.61 and the information in the newsletters will make you a better Kansan. It's the right thing to do...call me and I'll handle it for you. 472.3844.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:41 PM CST [Link]

CONTACTS AND NETWORKING

This has to be the central fiber of what constitutes a successful project or business. And a successful person. With it, town projects can hum. Without it, projects falter. People either have it or they don't…they get it or they don’t…and once something gets on a roll where contacts and networking come into play, progress can be amazing. Not everyone has the gift.

I see several organizations in town pulling in resources they haven’t used in years. Prior leadership, if that’s what you want to call it, wasn’t able to function in that capacity. If you think you know it all, you aren’t inclined to make valuable contacts. Additionally, the networking possibilities aren’t willing to connect to us. Many have backed off in the past.

It’s great when you see the cooperative element at play, the networking involved and what a unified effort can produce. This town is full of gifted people in this regard. Recognizing that is an enormous asset in getting things done. It is said that anyone of us, knowing the technique, could locate anyone in the world….such as the head of the water department in Timbuktu… through only a couple of other people. Closer to home, we are able to find people rather quickly who can provide information that we need.

I’m particularly pleased to see how fast Sarah Grace Geiger shot out of the starting blocks and got up to speed. For a beginner right out of college, it’s amazing the number of contacts and the networking she has established that have already benefited many of our efforts. She has quickly earned her place with other people in town who have been galloping around doing this for years.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:03 AM CST [Link]

RUN FOR THE SOUL...MAY 10...DESERVES OUR SUPPORT!

Pull out your helmet, clean up the cycle and head to the Rec Center Saturday for the Fourth Annual "Run for the Soul" benefit for the Spiritual Live Center construction project.

This event, sponsored by the Ellsworth-Kanopolis Chamber of Commerce, is a most worthwhile fundraiser and all the proceeds will benefit the construction of ECF's Spiritual Life Center project.

If you are on foot, you can still enjoy some of the events of the day. There will be a tour of the Spiritual Life Center and a roarin' parade that is always lots of fun for sightseers and dreamers. Take some time to walk around the Rec Center to check out all the bikes and give the participants your support.

Here is the schedule of events:

7:00 to 9:00 a.m. -- Freewill donation breakfast (biscuits, gravy, and scrambled eggs)

8:00 a.m. – Registration begins

8:00 to 11:00 a.m. – Tours of the Spiritual Life Center (interested individuals are requested to report to the ECF officer’s station at the front entrance between this time frame)

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. – Praise and worship band performance

11:30 a.m. – Blessing of the bikes/vehicles

11:40 a.m. – SLC update (PowerPoint presentation)

12:00 Noon (rain or shine) – Prayer and departure (The public is invited to attend the parade in downtown Ellsworth led by the ECF color guard.)

4:00 p.m. – Approximate return time.

The trip consists of approximately 125 miles and will include stops at Bunker Hill and Lincoln.

Hamburgers and Polish sausages will be available for sale at the Recreation Center throughout the day. Upon conclusion of this event, a prize drawing will take place, with many of the prizes donated by local businesses and handcrafted by ECF inmates.

For additional information, individuals are requested to contact ECF Chaplains Greg Garringer or Herbie Harris at 785-472-5501, x448/459 or LeeRoy Charvat at 785-658-3687. Monetary prizes will be awarded for the top poker hands as follows: $1,000 Grand Prize; $300 Second Prize; and $100 Low Hand.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:06 AM CST [Link]

Wednesday, May 7, 2003

THE MILAGRO BEAN FIELD ROAD WAR

Remeber the Milagro Bean Field War? Well, something similar to that has been waging on the Ellsworth / Lincoln County lines for months, maybe years. It's been a war for a long time now with attacks coming from the north then the south by the contending County Attorneys.

The weapons come mostly from Lincoln County in the form of paper from the court house, strange legal writings from their County Commissioners and huge earth moving machines, earth graders and signage. Yesterday, Lincoln County had three huge road graders on the scene, their weapons of war. The scene being very hard to find and totally crazy.

I've heard the Lincoln County road crew went out the other day...maybe today...and repaired the road. That means it is really fixed on the Lincoln County side, but they probably created a twelve inch drop off on the Ellsworth side. We played this stanza before. I should go look at it, if I can find it.

There could be a book written about this. A movie might follow. It is material for another Milagro Bean Field War. This is an incredibly pointless story, with no logical conclusion...just a mess of bickering over a little dirt dirt...soil...a road that doesn't exist...etc, etc, etc.

Maybe some hot summer day when I want to be inside, I'll go dig the stuff out of the courthouse so we'll all have something to talk about.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:12 PM CST [Link]

JERRY MARSH

There are no words that I can find that will be adequate to describe Jerry Marsh or the enormous impact he has had on education in our school district. I just assumed he would always be here for all our students who sought him out for his ability to teach.

We each have our own image, our own idea of Jerry and his many contributions to our educational system and our town. I’m certain he will still be a major player in our community. We’ve seen the lives he’s touched and where he has made a difference.

He now chooses to retire and although he seems much too young for that, he deserves to cut out early to follow other pursuits. He’s put in his time, and then some, and has concentrated all his effort in teaching students, working to improve performances and molding character. His standard has been set so high that few others can match what he has accomplished.

One student I know, only one of many, enrolled in every course he was going to teach next fall. Her disappointment is great. I have two grandsons who will not benefit from his efforts. That is our loss. He has been one tough, demanding teacher that students and peers alike have good reason to respect.

I don’t know what he is going to do now, and maybe he doesn’t either. It’s a choice he can freely make. We’ll support him in any endeavor he chooses. I do know he and I will continue exchanging letters and ideas. He is usually on my blog before sun up every morning and I don’t expect that to change.

And, when Mark Roehrman has his coffee machines humming, we’ll meet there for a cup of one of his new exotic blends.

And it will be nice to see him more frequently on the streets of Ellsworth.

Thank you, Jerry. You have positively touched many lives.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:01 PM CST [Link]

THOSE MOREL SLEUTHS

Ah...morel sleuths are coming out of the walls and identifying themselves to me. I'll keep their identities hidden and wouldn't think of divulging their most secret hunting places to others.

Here's one of the letters I received from one of my readers:

My spouse and I are avid mushroom hunters but we have been very disappointed in the 12 years we have lived here because we just have not found the right spots. We have found a single or maybe two in spots that should have had many.

Once we were coming back to old 40 from the river --having had no luck, and lo and behold there was a single morel growing out of the railroad rocks right next to the tracks. Not a likely place!

When we lived east of here, we found morels by the grocery sack full and also oyster mushrooms. We go back there to our favorite spots when we get to craving the tasty morsels. We will continue to search every creek, riverbank, wooded area in Ellsworth County until we do find a good bonanza. We quit going this week because the sting weed is about 3 feet tall and the poison ivy about a foot tall. I've had my experiences with poison ivy and I don't take chances anymore.

Half the fun is getting out to go looking and enjoying the trek and it's a bonus to find a mushroom or two. I found the one and only for this year just last week when the poison ivy was only about 5-6 inches tall. It was big enough that I sliced it lengthwise and we each had a good taste. Yummy!

Do you like puffballs? They are delicious! But you have to be sure that they are perfectly white like a marshmallow in order to eat them. When they start turning tan or yellow on the inside, it's too late. When I find one, I slice it from top to bottom and if there is a core or anything but pure white, I toss it.
We slice them about 3/4" thick, dip in egg, than cracker crumbs or flour and fry. Lord, I'm slobbering now. Ha. Oysters and puffballs can be found almost anytime of the year when conditions are right. We've found oysters in winter time growing off a dead ash limb covered with snow.

Well, keep tramping in the woods but watch out for the ivy and ticks.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:45 PM CST [Link]

Monday, May 5, 2003

MESS OF MORELS

I wish I'd taken advantage of lessons in morel hunting when I had the chance. If there are avid morel hunters around here now, I don't know who they are. Well, Tom Eblen but he doens't live here. I know I'm missing out on a lot by not being out tramping around in secret morel haunts loading up on those elusive, musky-tasting, honeycombed members of the genus Morchella. It makes me salivate just thinking about them. I suspect they may be lurking in my backyard, as they once did.

The last time we had a batch large enough to fill to the brim our family of five was about forty years ago. Emil Prochaska brought us a grocery sack full and we ate everyone of them. I remember that day well.

I suppose it is never too late to learn. There must be a lot of existenialist, assymmetrical and by-themselves people out there hunting morels, who could teach me, if I could only figure out who they are. Now is the season.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:25 PM CST [Link]

WILSON CHAMBER BREAKFAST MEETING

Please join the Wilson Chamber of Commerce at its monthly business breakfast on Wednesday, May 7th. This month’s featured speakers are Ellsworth County Commission Chairman Terry Kueser and Ellsworth County Community Development Director, Sarah Geiger. Terry and Sarah will be discussing the latest in County business and development

So, please join us the Wilson Chamber of Commerce monthly business breakfast, Wednesday, May 7th, 8:00- 9:00am at Al’s Bar and Grill on main street in Wilson. We hope to see you there.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:54 PM CST [Link]

TORNADOES RIP MISSOURI, KANSAS

"Wyandotte, Leavenworth counties hit; twisters slash across Northland.

All across the devastated Kansas City metropolitan area, the emotions were the same. Shock. A sense of loss. But also a feeling of being lucky to be alive.
Information, resources for storm victims | Midwest update: Twisters kill 19 in Kansas and Missouri; 8 more feared dead | National update: 34 feared dead across three states

» Tornadoes spin shock, sense of loss across KC area
» Emergency crews scramble to help damaged areas
» Twisters' impact widespread, devastating in some areas
» Sunday's tornadoes could rank among biggest storms in area's history
» Hospitals prepared for worst but relieved that human toll wasn't higher
» Storms cause heavy damage at several schools
» Agencies ready to provide food, shelter
» Insurance adjusters begin figuring storm damage
» Aaron Barnhart: Television coverage of storms may have saved lives
» Storms crashed into moisture-laden winds to create Sunday's tornadoes"

Taken from Kansascity.com; Kansas City's home page.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:24 AM CST [Link]

MOTHER'S DAY

Sunday is going to be a special day for mothers everywhere, but this mother is especially filled with happy anticipation. Our second son made all the arrangements to go to the Brookville Hotel for dinner, lined up the family members and found a time for the gathering that was agreeable to all. I haven't eaten there for a long time so it will be a special treat.

Number one grandson is living in Kansas now (he bought a house Manhattan) so he'll be there. For the past several years, he's missed many of the family gatherings. He still travels with the same job, Overnight Trucking, but they like him so well he can live anywhere in the US and they will see to it he gets to work. What a deal! That's one more fine resident who has returned to call Kansas home.

Our granddaughter is still taking finals at SMU so she is the only one who won't be with us as we converge over the Cole slaw, which is about the only part of their menu that hasn't changed over the years.

I liked it back in the old days a lot better when they raised their own chickens, cut them the way they should be cut in identifiable parts, dipped in seasoned flour and fried in lard in heavy cast-iron skillets. The way Frances Hulse, who worked for them for many years, knew how to do it. The way my mom and about everyone else fried chicken. That deep-fat-fried-in-batter-hunks-of-oily-tasteless-chicken came along a lot later, thanks to the health department. Back then they used real potatoes and mixed their biscuits so they tasted like biscuits. Their ice cream was homemade and came out of hand-cranked churns. They had fresh green beans, homemade sweet pickles and home-canned peach halves. The creamed corn seemed better. The pan gravy had lumps of good stuff scraped from the bottom of the skillets and it tasted like gravy. Things change, but not always for the best.

But, I don’t have to cook and it is always fun when we get everyone together. We make good memories and that is what families are all about.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:06 AM CST [Link]

Sunday, May 4, 2003

PSYCHO ITALIAN MOTHER

The twelve pound sirloin roast was in the oven "slow cooking" a hundred miles from here but I could smell it this morning when I woke up. That wonderful aroma wafted through my bedroom window and I couldn’t resist it. It wasn't my fault. It reminded me of the days of my youth. It made me get in my car and head west ...just like that. I followed the scent, which was so familiar and heavenly.

Two hours later I arrived at my friend's Downer Creek Inn and Restaurant in Trego County, as it is known to her friends. It’s a wonderful remote farm out on the prairie where she grew up as a child, and after years in the city making her very successful mark, was drawn back to. It belonged to her grandfather and her father, and now is the place she once again calls home. Her ancestors build the home and the out buildings on their acreage. You can feel the warmth of her ancestors all around. It’s a place where you just naturally feel very welcome.

Her friend of many years who farms her land and helps with keeping the place tidy was there when I drove in. We hit it off right away. We examined all the nooks and crannies of the farm. The Quonset hut which housed her father’s machine shop, and been idle for seventeen years since his death, has been cleaned up and made to look like new. Her friend stores his equipment in there. It is alive with activity once again, as her father would have wished. I looked like a wide-eyed naif as I gawked at the biggest combine and wheat hauler thing you ever saw. As you know, the farther west you go, the larger the farms become and the equipment that is needed for it gets bigger and more expensive. It takes a lot to dwarf me, but I was certainly very small by comparison.

We wandered to the house and into the kitchen where the roast was about to come out of the oven and my friend was stirring and hovering over all the other good things simmering on the stove. You must understand that this woman is like a psycho Italian mother who measures your love for her by how much you eat and like her food. I complied across the board. There were only three of us to work our way around this enormous roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, fresh asparagus, homemade biscuits, and a bowl of lovely browned onions that had smothered the roast, giving it that wonderful aroma that drifted on the early morning breezes to Ellsworth. She has a hands on approach to rural living, in every way, in everything she does. Dinner was perfect...so delicious...the kind that will never fade from my memory. I related completely to her Italian mom syndrome and let her know that in every way I could.

I’ve been itching for a road trip and when she wrote this morning to say I could be there in time for dinner, I hopped in the car and headed west. We had a wonderful visit, as we always do.

By mid afternoon, as we were sitting at her kitchen table gazing out the window to the southwest, I could see the threatening clouds starting to build up a short distance away and head our direction. I know the signs and knew it was time to head out ahead of the storm. And quite a storm it turned out to be. There were many deaths and a lot of destruction in the eastern part of the state and in Missouri. It will dominate the news in the morning.

And I wonder about the Sampler Festival…if they got the tents taken down and the exhibits removed before the storms hit. The counties in southeastern Kansas, as well as the Kansas City area, were hit very hard and experienced extensive damage.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:51 PM CST [Link]

Saturday, May 3, 2003

WEBSITE HOSTING

My first year with MetaPros will come to an end the first of June. It has been the best web relationship I've had in all the years I've been thumping this keyboard and they'll continue to get my business.

Their support is fantastic and I've not had one ripple of difficulty. They keep my website up and running better than anyone has in the past.They took me as a refugee from another host and handled the transition expertly.

I originally got my domain name and signed up with Informatics but they immediately sold it to someone in Melbourne AU where it was unreachable except during Informatics working hours...which wasn't often. Weekend work was out. Some one at Informatics had to access my site so I could work on it. I also paid them waaayyy too much for it. Their whole approach to webhosting was three years behind the times and totally unacceptable so I switched. My domain name, contrary to my belief, wasn't even registered in my name. You better run a check on yours and see who holds the registration. Of course, they don't tell you these things up front.

MetaPros was recommended to me by Susan Howell, who with husband John, construct all the Blue Skyway websites. It's also where the Kansas Sampler Foundation website, constructed by the Howells, is hosted. These are top rung sites, so I figured it had to be a good place to go.

MetaPros handles all those things for me. They have a delightful guy, whose name is Brad, who deals with me with patience and understanding as if I were his mom. I love doing business with these people...or Brad, as it were. He may be their only employee for all I know, but he does have a wife who hovers, so I learned. She may work there too. Or he may run the whole operation out of the corner of his bedroom with the help of six kids. I donno. It doesn't matter, but whatever he's doing, he's doing it right.

I look forward to many happy years to come with Brad, his wife, their six kids, five dogs and cats, two ferrets, a canary and MetaPros. Thanks, Brad!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:56 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, May 1, 2003

THE SILVER DOLLAR IS BACK!

In 1944, right before he left for military duty in the Army Air Corps, some old-timer gave Brit a new silver dollar to carry with him. I can't remember now who it was, but he gave one to each young person leaving for military service. I've known him since 1946 and he was carrying it then. He has carried it in his pocket since 1944 and lost it close to 1,944 times. I don't know how often we have searched pockets, chairs, and everywhere for that silver dollar.

Once many years ago Ally gave him a new one as he was sure the old one was gone forever. I think that new one is permanently gone, but for many years he carried two silver dollars.

Well, the well-worn silver dollar from '44 that is thin as a dime, with no distinguishing characteristics to suggest it was ever a silver dollar, recently was lost again. This time forever, he said. He had looked everywhere and could not find it.

Yesterday he went out to play golf. Mason May was there and handed him his silver dollar. He had found it on the tee box on three. Brit marks his ball on the greens with it instead of the usual penny or dime so everyone makes fun of him doing that. Mason May remembered what it was, who it belonged to and returned it. My thanks to Mason May for returning one of the family treasures. I think we need to drill a hole through it, put in on a chain and hang it around his neck for safe-keeping, but well...he'd probably just go ahead and mark his ball with that too. Maybe we'll just let well-enough be.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:00 PM CST [Link]

MAY DAY, MORE ODDS AND ENDS, CHOPIN, FAMILY, SCHOOL BUDGETS, TEACHERS AND WHAT'S FOR DINNER

HAPPY MAY DAY!

Clouds and overcast conditions appear to prevail today. Comfortably chilly.That’s okay with me. It’s the kind of weather I prefer. As long as it’s going to look like it, it might as well rain. There was someone from Wisconsin on my blog this morning who may want to know what the weather is like in his home town.

As a May Day celebration, most of the family came by last night to enjoy dinner and some togetherness. The Abilene chef and the Salina doctor rarely can make it as they are “on call”. I loaded the smoker with everything under the sun and I can tell you right now that two teenage boys, our “runners and jumpers”, can devour most of everything after track practice. One is nearing 12 feet tall and hollow from stem to stern. It all just vanished except for a few baby back ribs I salvaged for ME later, since I really need to sample them. Yeh! There were 3 slabs of baby back ribs, a 10# boneless rib roast and a 5# hen….all gone! Well, they will have some leftovers for a few days of lunch material. Everything else vanished.

Dane stayed so we confiscated the TV and watched West Wing, a new program, and our favorite show. I usually get voted out on it, with the vote always being 1 to 1, but last night the vote was 2 to 1 and we prevailed. I really enjoy that show and marvel at the close resemblance between CJ and the White House spokeswoman, whose name I can’t recall, who was on frequently with White House responses during the war. It was so striking it looked as if they tried to find someone who looked like CJ.

I understand the war will be “officially” over today. The President is going to say so which makes it final.

Yesterday, before all the smoking and mise en plase, I had big toe surgery. Yep, that buster who can cause discomfort got straightened out yesterday. "They said" I wouldn’t feel any discomfort and I didn’t. How they can rip out a good part of a toenail and not have it hurt later is a mystery to me. It makes me cringe to think of it, but it was no problem, no inconvenience and no discomfort. My podiatrist is one tall handsome dude so there is NO pain in going to see him. I just wish I’d known about such toe things 10 years ago.

Speaking of the Abilene chef….she got an A++++ on her kitchen inspection from the state people who like to look under and over things to find a bit of glob stuck where it shouldn’t be. I guess one of the restaurants in west Salina recently was shut down because they flunked their inspection. Another closed for some other reason…but two Mexican restaurants are gone from Salina. I think the new one, Los Portillos, and La Casita get most of the business anyway. But one has to wonder about commercial (and some domestic) kitchens. The only one I feel really comfortable with is whatever one Ally is managing. She scrubs it from the ceiling down, including all the equipment and prep surfaces..and the floor...with Clorox every night…just as she has done with each and every restaurant she has managed. She has horror stories to tell about restaurant kitchens. Beware!

And, that person to whom I’m related who attends SMU and doesn’t like for me to mention what she accomplishes, was just elected president of Tau Beta Pi, the honorary engineering fraternity. That’s the one she was just elected to on her grades and other accomplishments. She looked at the list of two senior male candidates and thought..."hum, I think I should run for that office." One was campaigning via the internet from England where he was doing a semester at Oxford. She threw her name in the hat, campaigned and won. That is sumpin’. She's a worker.

The Combo Group (Chamber, ECED, Inc. and County Community Development) will be at the prison this morning to talk with employees who don’t live here about the possibility of moving here. It’s a very good plan and one that will require persistence, repetition and sheer doggedness. The Group needs our support as this is very good plan. I think they should take students along with them, as they are able. Young people need to be very involved in everything we do and they need to understand the value of loving where they live. Ellsworth is a very much under-appreciated treasure.

We have to do something right now to get young families to move here….we need breeding stock! We need children for our schools, people to buy groceries and supplies and use all our other services that we have provided. We need to grow. Stop and think where this county would be right now without the prison.

We've sat on the idea that we have the prison forever and don't need to do anything else. The day after it was announced we were being awarded the prison, Dane told me we have to work every single day to bring new businesses to town or we fall behind. It's a daily effort that we must make...constant and relentless. Well, fall behind is what we have been doing for the past 5 years, at least. We've lacked the leadership to do more.

It’s a morning for the Chopin Collection …Arthur Rubinstein, op. 9, 15, 27, 32. I have them all and particularly like them for morning music. Well, this morning anyway. My E drive is messing up. I might have to give Dell a ring.

Ken Hakoda has decided to stay one more year to see the group of students he started with as freshman graduate from high school. That is a good thing and maybe we can figure out a way to keep him after that. The numbers in band and chorus under his leadership continue to grow. It is a sign the music program is giving to students what they want and deserve. The parents certainly approve. Students respond when the right person is at the helm. When they withdraw from programs and quit athletic teams in numbers, then you have to realize there is something wrong with the leadership. Kids understand when they aren’t treated fairly and equitably and they respond accordingly.

When we are losing really good dedicated teachers, as we are, because of budget and program cut-backs, you can understand the necessity of working to bring new people to town to increase our school population. The Combo Group arose out of the awareness of the school fiscal crises. Some good has come from that. If all the groups in town can learn to work together, and leave the disputatiousness behind, then we can show progress as a community. Individuals have to learn to step down from wanting to lay claim to every accomplishment, many gained by others, if they want to enjoy success in their endeavors. We are all in this together and we are at the "sink or swim" stage of our survival. We have an excellent school system, far superior to most across the country, and we need to work together to keep it that way, in my opinon. That will mean we have to do something to make the town grow.

We need small businesses to see the value in coming to Ellsworth. We must provide incentives for them to locate here. We must provide the services they are accustomed to where they live now. We need more “Mom and Pop” shops who can join the ones we already have and lend stability to our town. We don’t need a gigantic smokestack operation that might leave after a couple of years.

Eventually, people are going to realize that until we have available something more than land lines for our internet services progress isn't going to occur. Some companies simply won’t establish themselves here without high speed internet. It’s the way progressive companies do business. There is no sign on the horizon that anyone is going to do this for us. The city ought to build their own cable and high speed internet services so they can control them and assure us of their continuation. It’s hard to convince people who don’t even own computers that this is one of the essential components of a successful town. If we are to grow, there are several basic things we must have, and this is one of them.

In another light, Mike Tyson is suing Don King for $100 million claiming King stole huge chunks of his earnings during their long and lucrative association. King is countersuing for $110 million. These two guys really deserve each other.

Lastly, and best of all, our middle grandson has completed all of his work to become an Eagle Scout. Now he has only his board of review and his award ceremony remaining to fulfill. I am so very proud of him. It takes a lot of hard work and perseverance to complete all that is necessary to achieve this particular award. Most young men give up on it about the time they reach high school because it's too hard and then they get interested in other things. Drew is exceptional in many ways, this being one that shows his quiet and thoughtful leadership qualities. He is self-directed in a very positive way.

Have a very happy first day of May.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:43 AM CST [Link]