Kansas Prairie Archives for June 2003

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Monday, June 30, 2003

LOTS OF BUSYNESS

You think you're caught up when you get the house cleaned, but in the meantime, the sheets are getting wrinkled, stomachs are getting empty and it's all to do over again. My mother used to say that a lot and she was wise.

Today was "scrub the kitchen walls" day. Until they were cleaned and white again, I didn't how grubby they really were. When you take a picture off the wall and you see the outline of the frame as clearly as if it had been spray painted on the wall you get the idea the walls are covered with something similar to pond scum. The thick "yeller" kind. It doesn't help to have smokers in the house. My kitchen looks pretty sparkly, at the moment which makes the rest of the houses look.....ya know.

Well, there is one wall that didn't get scrubbed. That's the one that has the marks the grandkids put up when they decided to measure themselves and see how much they had grown since the day before when they did the same thing. They'd make a crooked mark and write their name beside it. The walls being lumpy as they are makes it a little hard to read. There's a lot of magic mark on that wall. We need to do that again but we'll have to get out the step ladder to measure the grandsons.

I mailed a birthday card to a friend today. It will be late as her birthday is too close to mine for me to be prompt. She called me the other day with birthday wishes and said she was looking forward to getting her card late. This is the way this card thing works. Years ago my KC friend Pat started sending these hilarious cards to friends with sticky note messages (instead of writing on the card) so the card could be recycled. She sends one to my friend Joyce for her birthday with a sticky note message and Joyce sends it on to me each year on my birthday with another sticky note message on top of the old one, since we're all good friends. Every year I send it on to my friend Bev in Lincoln NE who sends it to her friend who has come to expect it. We all put our initials down in the corner. I've often wondered where the card goes. Maybe next year I'll put in self-addressed stamped post cards so each recipient can send me the location of the card. One of the reasons it's so much fun, is that Pat can find the funniest, most unusual cards in the world. They are side-splitters.

Tomorrow is more of the same, cleaning and waxing another car. That along with a double-header ball game tomorrow night here in town. The doting parents, grandparents and friends/admirers of the players gather at the ball diamond for five hours of sheer boredom. Six to eleven. That's how long it usually takes. Baseball is great if you happen to be a player, but otherwise it is about as exciting as a plateful of gray food. I think the parents go out of habit. They like the camaraderie. They team up throughout the school year and would feel denied if they couldn't find something to follow during the summer. Their sons dutifully oblige and play anything that requires using a ball. I have a personal interest and always look forward to scoping out the catcher. Take a hat, chair, jug of water and 10# bag of salted sunflower seeds and head to the Rec Center. You wade though an ankle deep layer of "spat out sunflower seed shells" from years of "spatting" by all those spectators. All kidding aside, it really is a fun and relaxing way to spend an evening.

I have meetings Wednesday and Thursday. Friday is an off day. Good for that. Maybe I can actually cook a meal and pretend to be domestic.

Goodnight to Annie on the farm. She checks in with me every night before she checks out for the night.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:10 PM CST [Link]

I GOT BLOGGED ON "GONE SOUTH"

Bloggers blog other bloggers and I got it from Janis Gore. She talks about "Life on the Mississippi, Lucifer's little acre, and Lucy, the blogging baby parrot".

This is what she had to say:

Let's talk "flyover country". Let's talk Kansas. Let's talk Mrs. Peg Britton. She's taken it upon herself to mother me during my trials (no easy task) and she's good at it. There's a girl. See what's happening in Ellsworth, Kansas.
posted by Janis Gore at 6:36 PM

Janis hails from Vidalia, Louisiana and really knows a lot about a lot of things and especially know how to put words together like an expert, which she is, and has the credentials to prove it. You'll enjoy what she has to say on GONE SOUTH.

Get well, Janis, and start pounding on that keyboard again.

Hurricane Bill is heading her way. I don't know where Challmette LA is from Vidalia but they had 6.57" of rain there today. I suppose they are mopping up a little in Vidalia too.

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

THE REEF

Don't worry if you have problems!

Which is easy to say until you are in the midst of a really big one, I know. But the only people I am aware of who don't have troubles are gathered in little neighborhoods. Most communities have at least one. We call them cemeteries.

If you're breathing, you have difficulties. It's the way of life. And believe it or not, most of your problems may actually be good for you! Let me explain.

Maybe you have seen the Great Barrier Reef, stretching some 1,800 miles from New Guinea to Australia. Tour guides regularly take visitors to view the reef.

On one tour, the guide was asked an interesting question. "I notice that the lagoon side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant and colorful," a traveler observed. "Why is this?"

The guide gave an interesting answer: "The coral around the lagoon side is in still water, with no challenge for its survival. It dies early. The coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves, storms... surges of power. It has to fight for survival every day of its life.

As it is challenged and tested, it changes and adapts. It grows healthy. It grows strong. And it reproduces." Then he added this telling note: "That's the way it is with every living organism."

That is how it is with people! Challenged and tested, we come alive! Like coral pounded by the sea, we grow. Physical demands can cause us to grow stronger. Mental and emotional stress can produce tough-mindedness and resiliency. Spiritual testing can produce strength of character and
faithfulness.

So, you have problems -- no problem! Just tell yourself, "There I grow again!"

Author Unknown

sent to me by my friend S. Wood

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:04 PM CST [Link]

Sunday, June 29, 2003

AN OVERFLOW OF WHEAT

From my friend, Jesse Manning:

I've been at the Kanopolis elevator during Harvests for the past 3 years. Kanopolis can hold 541,000 bushels, and as I understand it, we had taken in more than that (only because we had been loading out Semis and railcars at the same time), and all of that was taken in in the course of a week. Business picked up on Saturday the 21st with 25,000+ bushels brought in, and that number quickly went to 68,000 on Sunday, 72,000 on Monday, and over 80,000 for each of the next two days. By Saturday the 28th, the elevator could only hold around 50,000 more bushels, and they hit it. Trucks have had to be re-routed to Ellsworth until we can get some more wheat loaded out on semis or railcars. Blackwolf is in a similar situation, and I've heard that several other area elevators have filled up, too. I guess it's a blessing and a curse - this harvest has produced a lot of fantastic wheat, but it also produces a unique storage problem that I haven't seen before.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:18 PM CST [Link]

SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS

There was an echo throughout the crowd after the fireworks tonight ..."these were the best ever". They may be right about that. They were spectacular. Of course, one can't describe them and do them any justice. You have to be there to understand. The weather held, there was no wind and it was perfect timing.

The committee had everything placed very well, and attention to details paid off. It didn't seem at all as crowded in the area between the food booths as it did last year. The hamburgers were great and the funnel cake lines were very long. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. I loved the evening visiting with family and friends.

Afterwards, I sat in my car for half an hour just waiting for the line to start moving. But, I expected that to be the case and it's no bother. I never have figured out why some people keep their engines running all that time when they aren't going any place. It was a grand evening.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:41 AM CST [Link]

Saturday, June 28, 2003

CAPT'N ALLEN AND MISS CHARITY

I went sailin' down to Drovers awhile ago to blame the Cowboy for a couple birthday cards I received today that were postmarked in Geneseo. They were obvious forgeries and funnier than you can possibly imagine. There were "hidden" messages inside that made me howl. Anyway, I finally decided he wasn't the culprit and that someone I know well in Kanopolis has to be responsible. Upon closer examination, I noticed serifs with a certain familiarity that are a dead giveaway.

Anyway, while the Cowboy and I were wrangling over this, who should wander in but our friends Captain Allen and Miss Charity, just in from Edwards County. They'll be on their way soon to go see Ira E. Lloyd who is opening his house today to visitors. I suppose the Capt'n might get involved in a shoot out the way he was packing his pistols. Someone needs to watch the Derringer he has tucked into his belt in the back.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:55 PM CST [Link]

FOOD SALE BY THE SPANISH STUDENTS

Right there in front of La Prairie, where I happened to be going, was a table full of good things that were made by the Spanish students and their sponsors. They are raising money for their trip to Spain later this summer and have established a good reputation for good food. Before Christmas I bought a pick-up load of peanut brittle. It was as good as it gets...just like the kind my mom used to make. Today I came home with 3 quarts of Georgie's hot salsa, Kristi's pecan pies, and several cherry coffee cakes. That ended the sale for the day. Cheryl Rathbun was left alone in the hot sun to complete the sales and I don't blame her for wanting to fold up her table and head for a cool house. It's very hot in the sun...and getting hotter.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:44 PM CST [Link]

A TIME TO CELEBRATE

Many people probably don't remember, but it was in 1980 or close to it, when Dane returned from Houston to learn we no longer had nighttime fireworks for the kids in town and went about doing something to correct it. The CSB &T were the sponsors in those days and Shelly Thaemert spend a lot of time helping Dane organize the event.

It was held on the golf course which is still the most perfect of all places in town to have it. There were local food vendors, sky divers, musical groups and activities galore. Each year it became more congested and more like one great big family picnic. There was something about those days that haven’t been duplicated in other years.

That’s not to say the fireworks and activities now aren’t “Spectacular” as they are. It’s just different…more spread out, less congested, less personal.

The Ira E. Lloyd open house starts at 2:00 p.m. and I’ll be there for the tour, high tea and beans in the bunkhouse. The re-enactors, including Ira E. Lloyd, will be there. No doubt the cowboys in the bunkhouse will get into a dispute over a game of cards or a woman and a fight will take place. Dennis and Clovis Katzenmeier are celebrating the 130th year of the arrival of Ira to Ellsworth. They have planned this as a fund-raiser for the renovation of the Insurance building. Any donation, large or small, will be appreciated.

The three-on-three basketball challenge has been cancelled because of lack of entrants. That would have been fun to watch.

Other activities start about 6:00 with food, music, games and rides for the kids and other events at the Recreation Center. It might even be a cool evening. The forecast is for a chance of rain but we’ll just hope it holds off until after the Spectacular. I know how irate people can get about shooting off the fireworks if they don’t come off as planned. Weather has a lot to do in the production, so we can only hope it all comes together just right for a successful evening. Otherwise…it will be tomorrow night.

Come out and join the fun. It’s a great time to celebrate our many freedoms.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:00 AM CST [Link]

THE WILSON SQUABBLE

"I've heard" that the information on the flyers that was put on windshields in Wilson during church services a couple weeks ago was the same information sucked from the internet that was presented to the county commissioners.

Heaven knows if you go looking for it, you can find almost anything on the internet about "adult book stores" that will offend people. It doesn't necessarily follow that it applies here. That's a pretty big assumption to draw. Who knows?

It seems it would have been better to contact the individuals who intend to own and operate the store to see what they have to say. It doesn't seem exactly fair to accuse them of something that has not yet happened, or may never happen. It's too much like yelling "FIRE" in a crowded theater and patently unfair.

I'm just wondering....if the claims (i.e. pornography, XXX videos, books and sex toys, on-site gay sex booths) these individuals have printed, distributed and reported about the Adult Book Store are not true, what action might the owner take when he finds out about it? What if he's the kind of person who might be very civic-minded and give generously to community projects? It seems a wait and see approach might be far better than the one being used now. He has every right within the law to open any kind of store he wants. Who is it who is so mighty powerful and moralistic to say otherwise?

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:33 AM CST [Link]

Friday, June 27, 2003

SCREAMING TIRES IN DOWNTOWN ELLSWORTH

I was just crusin' slowly down town to mail some letters and came almost to a stop at the corner of 3rd and Douglas as there was way more activity than normal. A passel of young people taking advantage of a great opportunity with thirsty truckers driving by were selling lemonade in Frees' front yard. Someone in a big truck with trailer extending way down the street was in front of Farm Bureau yelling in the direction of the lemonade to see if they had change for a five. And there were enough red-bedded wheat trucks coming and going to start a convoy if they'd all been pointed in the same direction. The lemonade stand was doing a brisk business. That was one very busy intersection and I approached it very cautiously.

Well, as I was entering the intersection police cars suddenly came screaming from all directions, heading for ENNUI and me. Tires were screeching, guys with hands on their holsters were jumping out of their vehicles causing lots of activity. That's unusual because around here we usually consider sitting all alone at that one traffic light in town, waiting for it to change colors, a rather exciting event in itself.

I was smack dab in the center of the intersection when all this started to happen. I was barely moving, wasn't running a red light (that was my story anyway) and had my seat belt on. There was no reason for them to be after me, but that was my first thought and it certainly seemed like it. Anyway, there were way too many officers of the law to take me on, or so I hoped. I’d give up easier than that since most of them are friends of mine.

I pulled ahead in front of the church to get out of the way rather uncertain as to what to do next. I figured I should go on down the street so I rounded the corner, mailed my letters, then came down the alley and WOW...more activity. There was a police car backing up veryyyy fast, another one coming at me down the alley from the north, another by the church corner so I just pulled to the side of the alley and waited. They were after me!

One of our law-abiding citizens was standing in the intersection, arm extended with finger pointing south directing the officers which way to go. They were after some speedy guy on foot coming from the north and running south by the Methodist Church. I saw the chasers and chasee in one frame for a second then they all evaporated. Maybe they chased him to one of the upstairs apartments as they were no place to be seen. I looked.

I don't know if they caught the perp or not or where they went. It was three or four against one, so they should have, although the perp appeared to be the speediest of the lot. They just disappeared. I guess we'll have to read about it next week in the INDY. They were moving so fast I didn’t recognize anyone. Well, except the guy they were chasing who was a young male wearing black shorts or something or other and running so his legs were churning like a windmill. He may have been barefoot. There was a whole lot of action in those few minutes. The kids at the lemonade stand went about their business of making money and barely blinked at the action.

That was about as exciting as the time Mrs. Cajthml's hogs got out and ran down main street.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:54 PM CST [Link]

THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD OF MSIE

Well, I'll never understand computers. They should either work or not work. They are predictable, like machines usually are.

My MSIE stopped working, just out of the blue, a couple months ago. I couldn't call it up, it wouldn't do anything. Luckily, I also have Navigator and Mozilla installed on my computer, thanks to the foresight of my webmaster. It never occurred to me that I needed more than one browser, but now I understand.

So…all this time I have lamed along without IE and talked to every Dell techie in Asia and Indonesia about it. Eventually, after hours of trying this and that and running the repair program on IE, they all said I needed to clean my machine and reinstall my OS. That’s what the guru techie from Sunflower Bank told me when he was here putting in a new drive. They all said it was a missing or mismatched ILL or OCX file since my TCP/IP subsystem looked fine. Brad suggested I call the re-install team at Dell and “they would walk me through it”.

If I need a “team” for that, the image of horrific consequences loom in my mind. First of all, “re-installing” is no easy task to the uninitiated and causes shudders down my spine. I know a guy who does it a couple times a month to keep his machine clean but then he’s some kind of genius. No one who hasn’t called Dell lately understands that most of us don’t even speak the same language as "the team” to which Brad referred. My address book? No one cares as much about my address book as I do…all 522 names of people I don’t want to lose track of.

I can’t be certain, but I’m very suspicious that Weatherbug might have created the problem. I’m not putting that on my machine again…you can bet the farm on that. Something caused MSIE to go kerplunk and that’s as good a guess as anything. My local guru is of the opinion it’s nothing you want on your machine even if I did like the chirping warnings of impending storms.

Yesterday, out of the wild blue yonder, I clicked on MSIE, just because I was a little nostalgic and missed the old girl, and there it was back from vacation looking well-rested and ready to go. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Mark Gwinner was here and he was aware of the problems I’ve had so I had him double check that I wasn’t seeing things. Nope. He and Phillip both agreed that was the real MSIE and not an imposter. My bookmarks were still missing, but now they aren’t. My friend and computer helpmate found them for me this morning and put them back where they belong. Everything seems sort of back to normal and it’s a good feeling.

YEAH!

P.S. Wooooo....well, this is spooky. As I was typing this and reflecting on my conversation with a techie in Indonesia, a very large, very heavy ebony carving that we bought in Bali just crashed to the brick hearth below...undamaged it seems. It's been hanging there for 26 years and never fallen before. The wire holding it didn't break, the nail bracket holding the wire was huge and in place....it just fell...like it jumped off. Geez. I take that back about my impossible conversation with Maria, the Dell techie in Manila which is only a skip away from Bali. Maybe she's Balinese and sending me a message. This is too weird for me!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:37 PM CST [Link]

ONCE IN A LIFETIME CROP

What we are experiencing around here is a "once in a lifetime wheat crop", according to John Thaemert, president of the National Wheat Growers Association and finance man at the Citizens State Bank and Trust. It is phenomenal, according to the farmers I’ve talked with.

Now…if we could only combine (pun intended) a great wheat crop with high prices. I should think with such an abundant crop this year the prices will go down as they usually do. They are already low.

I’ve been told, by those who know, that it is better to have low prices and an abundant crop than high prices and a meager crop. The math works out better for farmers. Wheat harvests the last few years have been nothing for farmers to brag about, but they will talk about this one for a long time.

Many moons ago, we’d pile the kids in the car in the evening and head to the elevator to watch our farmer friends unload their trucks. The kids liked watching the front end of the truck being raised so that the wheat would flow out the back. Kids were more easily entertained in those days. What a change today with many of the trucks being those huge, huge, huge busters rather than the familiar little (by comparison) red-bedded wheat trucks…most having no brakes. These days the streets and highways are jammed with wheat trucks heading for the elevator and it’s one pretty sight.

Harvest time always brings back memories of the year I hauled wheat for our good friends, Jessie and Cleo Rathbun. I rode on the combine with Ronnie late the night of June 23rd as he made the last rounds in the field that ended their harvest that year. It was a clear night and perfect harvest weather. It was a good feeling knowing the crop was in for another year. The dinners that Betty would bring to the fields were something to remember, especially her brownies. They were the best. Those were the good days spent with good friends.

I remember one year there was a good crop with such yields that the elevator ran out of storage space. They piled this huge mountain of wheat in the street in front of the old high school where it remained until school started. What a play ground that was for the kids that summer.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:16 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, June 26, 2003

NATIONAL DROVERS HALL OF FAME

As soon as the paperwork changes hands, the “Insurance Building” in downtown Ellsworth will be in the hands of thirteen board members who are dedicated to preserving the heritage of the cattle drovers who spread the cattle industry across America.

It only took three meetings for this group to form the National Drovers Hall of Fame Association.

Members of the board are: Jim Gray, president; Linda Kohls; vice-president, Phyllis Dolezal, secretary; Scott Moore, treasurer; Don and Garnell Hanson; Peg Britton; Dennis Katzenmeier; Mark Roehrman; Paula Svaty; Linda Mowery-Denning; John Curry and Ken Wasserman.

The National Drovers Hall of Fame Association seeks to acknowledge the endeavors of the drovers as the founders of the Great American Cattle Industry. The association proposes to recognize the unique history of the cattle drive era by honoring the drovers, the cattle, the horses, the men, the women, the railroads and the cattle towns which made it all happen by sharing the legacy, promoting the beef industry and preserving the cowboy way of life.

The National Drovers Hall of Fame Museum in Ellsworth intends to memorialize the cattle drive era through the preservation of the Insurance Building to house a portion of the museum. The organization plans to create a world class museum, singularly unique in that it will recognize and honor the people who made the era of the cattle drive synonymous with the development of the United States.

The drover rode over the rim with all of the abandon, energy, insolence, pride, carelessness and confidence that epitomized the booming West. The cowboy was largely responsible for creating the greatest nation on earth through the development of the western two-thirds of the United States.

The anchor building for the project will be the “Insurance Building” located two doors south of Drovers Mercantile. The distinctive oriel on the building naturally draws a visitor’s attention. The building is recognized state-wide as the “signature” of Ellsworth because of this unique feature which is visible when approaching the downtown area from both the north and south.

The building has remained vacant for over thirty years and will require extensive restoration to bring it back into use. Projected plans include the use of nearby buildings to house cattle drive exhibits, a theater, food bar/saloon, gift shop and a library/research center.

Donations to help in this effort may be mailed to:

National Drovers Hall of Fame
119 North Douglas
Ellsworth Kansas 67439
785.473.4703 for further information

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

NATIONAL DROVERS HALL OF FAME "FOUNDERS CLUB"

The board of directors could use your help and encourages you to become a member of the NATIONAL DROVERS HALL OF FAME “Founders Club” whose mission is to participate in the development of the National Drovers Hall of Fame in the old signature building in downtown Ellsworth. It costs $100.00, although you are invited to give more if you are able, and will be limited to the first 500 participants.

Make checks payable to:

National Drovers Hall of Fame
119 N. Douglas
Ellsworth KS 67439

For further information call Jim Gray, president of the board of directors:

785.472.4703
1.877.DROVERS

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:51 PM CST [Link]

ACCIDENT OR NO ACCIDENT, THE KILLER OF SHERIFF WHITNEY IS ON HIS WAY TO ELLSWORTH

Ben and Billy Thompson were brothers who hailed from Texans and had a reputation for fancy action with guns. Ben was also a highly respected gambler with Spanish Monte being his game of choice. He was a smoother operator than his younger brother Billy who was pretty rough around the edges.

Billy always seemed on the wrong side of disagreements and while in Ellsworth in the early days, one of his dishonorable deeds was to accidentally shoot Sheriff Chauncey Whitney on August 15th, 1873. The town folk haven’t forgotten that and have for years produced a summer pageant about the shooting of Sheriff Whitney.

King Fisher, also a noted gunman, was a friend of Ben Thompson’s. He had an interesting past and has been the subject of research and study.

You have an opportunity to learn about these men who were part of the history of early Ellsworth from Tom Bicknell of Crystal Lake, Illinois who is passing by this way and will make a single presentation here. He’s a researcher/historian who will present a slide show and recount the lives of these famous gunmen.

Tom is a member #289 our of C.O.W.B.O.Y. Society (Cockeyed Old West Band of Yahoos Society) and a member of the National Association for Outlaw and Lawman History, Inc.

The place to be for this interesting presentation is in the Methodist Church basement on Monday July 7th at 7:00 p.m.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:53 PM CST [Link]

CHAMBER GATHERING THIS MORNING

Robson's Card and Gift Shop was the setting this morning for the first of many Chamber of Commerce coffees. It was very nice with Ken and Alice Robson displaying the same wonderful hospitality that always welcomes people into their store.

George Stover, Chamber president, made some introductory remarks.

The Robsons gave a short history of their store which included a comment that Hallmark has been a presence in Ellsworth for 70 years. Ken and Alice have, during their ownership of the store for the past twenty years, made it a Gold Crown store.

They purchased the store from Callie Reber who owned it for seven years. Prior to that it was Grant's book store. And somewhere along the line, it was for many years Novak IGA Grocery Store. I well remember those days but those of us older folk who were there were a bit fuzzy on details of who owned what when.

Several chamber members in attendance gave two minute updates on projects and events. Sarah Grace Geiger, Chamber director, did her usual splendid job of organizing the event, spearheading others and giving Chamber members a run down of coming events they will want to attend.

Alice prepared wonderful breakfast treats for everyone. I had kidded Ken earlier in the week about serving quiche as I figured they’d only serve coffee at such a gathering. As it turned out, Alice had prepared a large bowl of watermelon and cantaloupe, several different kinds of muffins, coffee cake, cheese sausage balls, orange juice and coffee. It was delicious morning treat and very much appreciated by everyone. And it was better than quiche!

I’ve suggested on several occasions that perhaps the Chamber could come up with some kind of membership for people like me who don’t have businesses to make us legitimate members. We could be the support arm of the Chamber and I think if it only cost $20 or less to join, perhaps they would pick up additional members that way. I wouldn’t expect to vote on anything, although I’d have an itch to…but I could, perhaps, contribute in other ways. It’s only an idea.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:23 AM CST [Link]

196,433 Files

I have a scan devised for my system that goes through 196,433 files and folders. I run it a couple times a day and I download my Norton updates at least daily. And I still worry!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:55 AM CST [Link]

Wednesday, June 25, 2003

GOING TO NASA

"The granddaughter" is invited to explore the behind-the-scenes technology department at NASA where they are doing all the secret stuff for a Mars probe. Twenty-five from the NIST (National Institute of Science and Technology) program were selected to visit on July 2nd. She's pretty thrilled.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:44 PM CST [Link]

JULY 2ND WILSON CHAMBER BREAKFAST

From Brian Boisvert:

I hope you can join us at the July Business Breakfast. The meeting is from 8:00am — 9:00 am at Al's on Main St in Wilson.

This month's speaker is Dwight Smith, USD 328 Superintendent. Superintendent Smith has just completed his first year with USD 328. Dwight will share his insights and perspectives on rural schools and the future outlook of this vital economic and cultural element of our communities.

Following our Business Breakfast on July 2nd, please join us for the ribbon cutting at the Midland Hotel. We are all very excited about the opening of one of Wilson's grand landmarks. The hotel has been beautifully restored and is ready for business. I hope you can stay and join this historic event.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:16 PM CST [Link]

WE HAVE OUR OWN MARTHA STEWARTS

We just received the most beautiful gift of all from Bev and Rich, the newly retired people who are now gardening folk. How wonderful for their friends.

Rich jst arrived with a large basket of the most beautifully arranged veggies and herbs that is worthy of being on the cover of Martha Stewart Living. I've never seen anything prettier.

And, what is in the basket is every morsel of the best eating there is, freshly picked this morning: potatoes, onions, green beans, carrots, California peppers, two kinds of cucumbers, parsley, dill, basil and chives. Bev arranged it so that it is prettier than a picture...just gorgeous. What a wonderful treat for us.

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

CHICKEN DAY AT THE LORRAINE CAFE

Today is oven-fried chicken day at the Lorraine Cafe. I've pre-ordered a hold on our chicken since we don't get there until after the noon crowd has piled in a put a dent in the chicken. Donna only makes so much and when she's out, she's out. It comes with mashed potatoes and gravy, veggie or salad and roll. I can't remember the exact price, but it's very reasonable. If you've never been there, they could use the extra business. Lunch any day is good and you can always order breakfast if you're in the mood.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:43 AM CST [Link]

CIA AGENTS NAB SADDAM HUSSEIN IN TOPEKA

Saddam Nabbed Buying Potter Book
CIA captures former Iraqi strongman at Topeka Barnes & Noble

NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE

June 24 — CIA agents secretly nabbed Saddam Hussein at midnight last Friday while the former Iraqi dictator was waiting in line at a Topeka, Kan., Barnes & Noble bookstore. Saddam was waiting to buy the just-released Harry Potter book, the spy agency revealed today.

HUNDREDS OF CUSTOMERS were waiting outside the store for the midnight release of the book, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” little suspecting that the brutal dictator was in their midst.

But a sharp-eyed seven-year-old, Gavin Dineen of Topeka, positively identified the Iraqi madman waiting in line to buy the hotly anticipated J. K. Rowling book. “Mommy, I think that’s the ace of spades,” Gavin reportedly told his mother, who quickly notified authorities.

While White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said that President Bush was “pleased” by the capture of Saddam in Topeka, intelligence experts were holding off celebrating until they could determine whether the man they had in custody was in fact Saddam or merely one of his ten thousand-plus look-alikes.

The mustachioed despot has been known for dispatching his doubles to retail outlets around the world to procure the latest books, CDs and DVDS.

Two weeks ago, a Saddam look-alike was spotted at a Ticketmaster in Ft. Myers, Fla., buying tickets to the upcoming Justin Timberlake/Christina Aguilera summer tour.

In other Iraq news, today interim administrator L. Paul Bremer announced that he “finally had some good news to report.” Bremer said that while the process of reconstruction in Iraq remained slow, the good news was that he had just saved a bundle on his car insurance by calling GEICO Direct.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy Borowitz won the 2001 Dot-Comedy Award for Best Humor Columnist on the Net and is the author of the forthcoming book, ‘Who Moved My Soap? The CEO’s Guide to Surviving in Prison.’ His Web site is www.borowitzreport.com
© 2003 Newsweek, Inc.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:38 AM CST [Link]

DENA STOLTZ'S YOGA CLASSES

Dena is conducting her yoga classes in the meeting room of the Prairie Garden motel. The classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays are from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. On Monday and Wednesday the classes are from 4:30 to 5:30. You can buy a series of 10 lessons for $40 or, if you prefer, buy them individually for $5.00 a piece. The classes are for both men and women and are a real bargain at this price.

This is a wonderful opportunity and if you've ever thought about yoga exercises, Dena is a great one to lead you. Anyone of any age or ability can participate. She will adopt the program to individual needs. It doesn't matter if you just had a hip replacement, she has a chair and exercises for you. If you're stressed out, turn to Dena. Dena is young, enthusiastic, encouraging and knows her yoga. She's a very bright, nice, young lady with a lot of talent. Let's all hope she makes a success of this new business venture. It's a fine addition to other good things going on in town so join up and give it a try.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:40 AM CST [Link]

AFTER DARK VIDEO

There are some people in Wilson who are not displaying very good judgment in their reaction to the new adult video shop that will soon open where the Waterin' Hole was previously located. There is not a dern thing they can do about it and their efforts to run a business out of town before it even opens just make them appear like they are stuck in the Dark Ages. Wouldn't it be best to just Ignore it. No one has to frequent the store, although some may and have a right to do so if they wish.

I'm sure most people would have preferred a nice flower shop, ice cream parlor or barber shop, but that wasn't their choice to make. Someone could have bought the old filling station from the Wilson State Bank and started such a business, but they didn't. Instead, someone from outside the community is going to open a business that some find distasteful. That's the American way. We learn to live with our differences and move forward.

There is nothing illegal about anything they intend to do there and supposition that there is by some is only fanning the flames of the fire. No one knows how it will impact the town, but for some to pass judgment on the operation before it is even open seems supercilious at the least.

And, where are the individuals who started all this rumpus by passing out anonymous and misleading flyers going to step forward and take responsibility for their actions?

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:55 AM CST [Link]

KEVIN LUNDY, ARTIST

Stop in the Ellsworth Art Gallery while Kevin Lundy's art is on display. He has a fine show and it would be a good thing to stop in when you are downtown... take a look. His painting detailing bull snakes is his personal favorite.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:35 AM CST [Link]

YOU CAN BE A FOUNDER

For $100 or more, you can be a founder of Ellsworth's National Drovers Hall of Fame. There is a subscription drive going on right now so join the bandwagon to help restore this wonderful old signature building of ours. Help preserve our heritage...and the building that makes Ellsworth unique. Membership will be limited to the first 500 who sign up. Make out your check to "National Drovers Hall of Fame" and drop it in to Drovers or send it to Linda Kohls or Phyllis Dolezal.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:19 AM CST [Link]

TWO-BARBERSHOP TOWN

Ellsworth is now a two-barbershop town.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:10 AM CST [Link]

JERRY MORAN ON VISITING ELLSWORTH

"On Friday, I visited the town of Ellsworth on my way back to Hays. Congress concluded votes on Thursday evening, and I took the opportunity on Friday to visit the community. I visited with people along Main Street and at the pharmacy, bank, credit union, arts council, antique store and post office. Many of the concerns focused on agriculture and health care, with the debate on prescription drugs being a common issue."

We should add that he also took the tab for this week's paper to the Hays Daily News for printing. He's a nice man.

Jerry has a weekly newsletter that you can receive via email by CLICKING HERE It's another way to stay informed.

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

Tuesday, June 24, 2003

THE NAME LASTS FOREVER...STAR SPANGLED SPECTACULAR

I named it and the name stuck. STAR SPANGLED SPECTACULAR. It's entirely possible that I won because I was the only one who entered. The name will continue in perpetuity, even if I don't, and I'll always be there! It's my favorite holiday of the year.

The part I like best is done by pyrotech John Ziegler of Salina. The only part I wish were different is the location of the event.

Here's a rundown of the activities planned for that day:

The benefit tour of the Ira E. Lloyd House Bed and Breakfast starting at 2:00.

A three on three basketball tournament at the City Building.

Rides and food vendors will be set up on the grounds before the fireworks display.

There will be an area for children's games.

You will probably have to buy a glow necklace at some point during the evening.

The Jam Fest starts at 6:00

So, try to attend and enjoy the evening. It's like an old-fashioned 4th of July celebration where you will see everyone under the sun who is back home for the festivities. Bring chairs and blankets and plan to sit back and enjoy the evening. It only happens once a year and it's pretty special, in my book.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:02 PM CST [Link]

DON'T FORGET TO VISIT IRA LLOYD ON SATURDAY

There is a very active group in town working toward the restoration of the old insurance building down town...the signature building of main street and our town. That would be the building with the cupola, oriel, or bartizan (I'm the only one who calls it that) that makes our town unique.

Dennis and Clovia Katzenmeier are throwing a celebration in honor of the 130th anniversary of Ira E. Lloyd's arrival in Ellsworth. You can take a trip through history by attending this celebration at the Ira E. Lloyd B & B.

From 2:00 until 5:00 tours of the Lloyd house will be offered, along with high tea...or if you prefer, beans in the bunk house. Or both. Re-enactors will tell stories from the life of Lloyd. Even Billy Thompson is expected to return and relate his experiences in Ellsworth.

Any donations will go to the restoration process and would be very much appreciated by the committee. The building, when completed, will house the National Drovers Hall of Fame.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:45 PM CST [Link]

CHAMBER GATHERIN'

Robson's is going to be the scene of a Chamber Gatherin' Thursday, June 26th at 8:15. It will end at 8:45 so plan accordingly. There will be light refreshments, good company, community information and door prizes. You don't have to be a chamber member to attend.

It is good that they are reviving Chamber coffee's so please try to attend and show your support for their efforts.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:32 PM CST [Link]

FIRING UP THE BARBIE

What is it with guys? Someone I know who only had a bowl of soup for lunch thought it would be good to fix a steak outside tonight. He offered to cook out on our fifty year old Char-broil and give me a break from the kitchen. "He'd fix" a couple of the bacon-wrapped filets that Dane, Barb and Mackenzie gave me for my birthday, he said.

I know exactly what this means. I've been on this journey a bazillion times during our married life. It hasn’t escaped me what his participation in this event is.

First of all, I have to go get the steaks out of the freezer, unwrap and marinate them in special seasonings….the way he likes them but can’t seem to duplicate on his own. Then I need to run to the store for potatoes to bake and salad makings….and clean all of that for later use. Mixing salads is not my favorite thing to do…as I like a lot of veggies and that seems to take a lot of time. Oh well…

Then he lays the fire for this operation using ten times as much charcoal as necessary. He just dumps from the sack while my calculating brother-in-law actually counts the number of briquettes he needs for each steak. When we’re finishing cooking whatever, we have enough fire left to roast half a hog.

Anyway, once the fire is started, I set the table, make the salad, check the potatoes in the oven, put the water on the table, pull out the steak sauce so he can ruin a perfectly good steak and get everything else ready. No problem.

Then it comes time to test the doneness of the steaks. That is interesting. Maybe you have to be a serious cook to know the difference between a hunk of raw meat and a medium cooked steak. I’ve pondered that a lot. We have a problem here as you can imagine. If it’s really soft and you can shove your finger in it easily, it probably is still possible for it to heal itself and go scamper off with the herd. If, however, it is slightly resistant to touch, it’s time to keep an eye on it as it is getting close to where you want it for doneness. I’m thinking about posting that information above the grill as it apparently is a very difficult concept to grasp.

Well, as he proudly removes the meat from the grill and brings it to the table for its presentation, it’s as if the rest of the dinner appeared by magic. Of course, by comparison to striking a match and sitting there waiting, fixing the rest of the meal is nothing at all. Right! I believe he really thinks he gives me the night off from cooking. But his heart is in the right place…I think. I’m still pondering that.

And then there are the dishes…..

Now I'll take my tongue out of my cheek ....

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:51 PM CST [Link]

OROZCO'S MEXICAN BREAKFAST

On this fine morning Orozco's was the scene of refried beans, hash browns and scrambled eggs swimming in pork chili (with extra juice) and extra hot salsa for the three of us stalwarts (Meredith, Cindy and me) who take this breakfast fare as a routine meal to get the old engine fired up for the day. Bev and Carol, whose engines were apparently already revved, opted for one egg, bacon and toast. I've never understood how anyone can eat just "ONE" egg or one potato chip or one strip of bacon. You get the idea.

That is the best group of gals ever to be with any time of day...hard-working, fun, giggly and possessing a modicum of sanity at times, just to show it can be elicited to emphasize authenticity for some of our outlandish statements and stories. These gals have made tremendous contributions about town over the years and I have all the respect in the world of their efforts and how they accomplish what they set out to do.

And after all the recent chatter over who was going to get stuck paying for my birthday meal, it just happened the Jesse said it was on the house. That was very nice of him, but I don’t think that should let the rest of them off the hook. After all, when it’s Cindy’s or Meredith’s birthday, I’m stuck to pay for it. I figure they owe me one and I’ll certainly remind them of that as frequently as I can.

I lost my pantry helper to the INDY where he does the tear sheets for advertisers. Maybe tomorrow he’ll be back…meantime…I’m headed back upstairs to work.

I can tell Brit is opening a can of soup for lunch. You need to know he is in the kitchen of a well-insulated house that is a “fer piece” from where I am way down below that in the basement with Tuck and Patti playing away. I know the sounds he makes. He gets a sauce pan, opens the can then BANGS it on the side of pan until the contents finally dislodge and slide out. Sometimes this takes a lot of BANGING ….like twenty or so hard BANGS like someone decided to take it upon themselves to re-shingle our house without asking. Eventually he has to get a spoon anyway, but that seems to escape him. Repeatedly, I have asked him to just get a spoon and scoop it out, since he has to mix the contents with whatever, but no…….no reason to do that, he says. BANG, BANG, BANG….. It has to be a guy thing.

Drew just came in to see if there was any more work that needed to be done. He looked a little dehydrated from basketball camp workout and I really didn’t have anything for him to do. They had another hard workout and the coach has them concentrating on defense. He said it’s the first time since the 8th grade that a coach has had them learning defensive plays. He’s anxious for the opportunity to learn. That is good news.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:35 PM CST [Link]

GRANDDAUGHTER BLOG

Mackenzie finally updated her blog, which I appreciated a lot. I really enjoy them as that's the easiest way to find out what's going on in her life, which is less complicated than finding her when she's not super busy so that she has time to tell me. I'm not exactly sure what her work involves at NIST (National Institute of Science and Technology) but it has to do with networking computers (not her favorite part of computer engineering) aka artificial intelligence aka coding. And, at the end she wished me a happy birthday. That was nice. Of course, she called and sent a card as well. She's a very thoughtful granddaughter.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:56 AM CST [Link]

Monday, June 23, 2003

THE BASIC BARBECUE RUB

Yesterday I smoked three slabs of baby back ribs and a fat hen by using the basic barbecue rub recipe that is way down below. Scroll a long way. We all liked it a lot. I made the recipe x 4 and sometimes that doesn't work too well when making a big batch of something, but it seemed okay in this case. I packed a lot of it on the ribs (both sides) and outside the chicken with a couple spoonsful inside. Then I let it just stand there for about 2 hours before putting it in the smoker. The meat smoked most of the day and when it was done, I slathered it with the Extra Innings barbecue sauce that I prefer since it is thin and very flavorful. I put the whole mess on a large jelly roll pan, put about 1/3 cup of water in the pan, covered it tightly with heavy duty foil and let it remain in the smoker. The fire was low and perfect. The ribs and chicken were perfect...moist and tender. Cooked to perfection. You might want to give the rub a try as it's surprisingly good.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:19 PM CST [Link]

HARVEST AND BASKETBALL

This may be the harvest to talk about for years to come if they can get it in. Summer dropped in and it's way too hot and windy for me, but it's the perfect kind of weather for a bountiful harvest. I hope it will continue until the last grain of wheat is in the bin.

Sixty and seventy bushel wheat is routine, according to farmers, but we heard of one who was cutting ninety bushels to the acre. Brit was saying in 1946 when he helped Fowler Sneath with his harvest the price at the elevator was $2.20 a bushel. A new self-propelled International combine cost $3,500 and Fowler bought two of them that year. Today wheat is $2.78 - $3.00 a bushel and a combine costs $130,000 to $150,000. Even with an extraordinary harvest, the price of wheat doesn’t seem to change very much. I don’t know how they manage.

Ellsworth High School basketball camp started today and I hear there was a lot of enthusiasm expressed by the players over the new coach and his style of play. He worked the socks off them and really provided a lot of direction. The kids liked that. I guess the coach can do a pretty good job on the court himself.

I've had a lot of phone calls and visitors today and the living room is full of daisies, Kansas gayfeathers and humorous birthday cards. There is a fresh lemon meringue pie in the kitchen made by the family specialist, top-of-the-line pie-baker and some great bacon-wrapped filets in the freezer for other times. It's been a very nice day and I'm enjoying it enormously.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:02 PM CST [Link]

SPRIGHTLY AND 75!

Speaking of being seventy-five reminds me of a couple we used to do business with in Lyons. I can’t remember their names now, but he was a gardener of geraniums with every variety known to man which he had in greenhouses next to his house. He was proud of his collection that he had acquired from all over the world and shared his enthusiasm over it easily with others. He was a very nice, gentle man in his eighties...tired and without any help to water and care for his plants.

His greenhouses were interesting. The main was was small but well-proportioned, as greenhouses go, but as his collection grew, he added a green house to the original, and another to that, and each was smaller than the previous one. Finally, when you got to the last one, about five houses down, you had to bend at the waist to walk through it as it was about five feet high. It was an experience. But stooping was worth it to explore his latest additions. I don't know how he managed, but age had made him a little stooped too so maybe he didn't notice. Brit never could get in the last and "shortest" of the greenhouses. Once you were bent over, you were committed as there was no room to turn around, you had to back out and hope for the best.

His wife was nice but a real “character”. I didn’t see her as often as him, but when I did, she’d stand there with a can of beer, lean against the door jamb, talk my legs off and always invite us to stay for lunch or dinner. Usually it was fried chicken and I bet it was wonderful, but we never took her up on her offer.

Now to the point of this story. "The Wife" looked as old as the hills, far older than seventy-five and much older than he did. Every one of our conversations started with her asking me to guess her age. Well, that kind of guessing is an embarrassing thing to do especially since she looked so incredibly old. The effects of the beer made her feel very sprightly…and inside, she probably was, but that didn’t help her outside appearance. Since she didn’t seem to remember these conversations, I learned to tell her she didn’t look a day over fifty-five. “That’s what they all say”, she said, “not a day over fifty-five”. And she’d continue, “I’m really seventy-five but I’ve never had anyone say I look a day over fifty-five. Won’t you stay and have fried chicken with us?”

That was a lesson to me. I never ask anyone to guess my age, sprightly or not…but I love it when someone volunteers and says “you don’t look a day over 74 ½!”. Actually, I think I'm holding my own pretty well...hardly look a day over fifty-five! Now where's that cold beer?

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:37 AM CST [Link]

HIPPO BIRDY TO ME AND KING EDWARD VIII

Today is my big 75th. Who would have thought I'd last this long? All I can say is that those years flew by. I’ve been very, very fortunate in many ways.

It's not hard at all to remember the birthday parties my mom had for me when I was a little person. There were girls galore in the neighborhood who came in frilly dresses carrying presents to our back yard. Then there was Jimmy Crawford. To this day, I don’t know why Jimmy Crawford came to my birthday parties. He was the only boy amid fifteen or so girls, but he appears in my birthday pictures every year. I never saw him at any other time and our parents didn’t do things together. He and I visited about this one time when I ran into him in Salina. He remembered the parties too and the fact he was the only boy. I think we decided he had a cousin who visited during the summer and she was invited so he was too. Something like that.

At some point we’d have homemade vanilla ice cream and angel food cake that mom labored over. Those things took time and were hard to do back in those days. She had a wire whisk, which lies motionless in my house, that she used to beat all those egg whites for the cake then gently fold in the flour mixture. I’ve never had angel food cake that would equal hers since then. The ice cream was another thing and there was always the worry about getting salt in with the ice cream. I wonder at that now.

So, today is my day for quiet introspection, reflection and figuring out what I could have done better. In other ways it will be just like any other day as I don’t consider it anything special. My mom did, and to me that counts for a lot. There is too much yet to do to dwell on all that very long.

My favorite daughter invited me to go to Salina for lunch or dinner, but I think it’s too hot for that. Anyway, Tyler offered to help me clean my pantry after he gets out of basketball camp. That sounds like a better alternative as it’s cool inside and I’d like to get that chore behind me. And I love having him around. That’s as good as a birthday can get.

Since Orozco’s is closed on Mondays, the birthday group will head over there tomorrow. Meredith, Cindy and I go early and stay until the lunch crowd arrives to celebrate our birthdays. Bev and Carol may join us this time too. Those are always good times with good people. We don’t lack for things to talk about.

Yep. King Edward VIII had his Wallis Simpson and I have my Roy P. I would have abdicated for him had an accident at birth caused such misfortune as to put me in the Royal family. How well I remember when Edward made the announcement of his abdication. I was thirteen. That doesn't seem so long ago.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:02 AM CST [Link]

Sunday, June 22, 2003

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LIFE IN PATTAYA THAILAND

I received a forward from the son of a long-time school board friend of mine. He retired to Thailand 1 ½ years ago and just loves it. He lives at Pattaya 90 miles south of Bangkok on the seashore. It has 1,000,000 tourists a year, beautiful scenery, wonderful food, and cheap prices. Every kind of restaurant……..you can even feed the elephants from a sidewalk café.

He owns and manages a small resort hotel. Lots of farangs (Westerners) live there. He has a car and driver/houseman who does everything for him. There are excellent, inexpensive hospitals with American-trained doctors where you just walk in and are treated immediately. He likes the Thai people and enjoys people from different countries who he has met. It seems that almost every kind of service is available immediately……telephone installation, computer repair, etc. That sounds good to me! Here is part of his letter:

"It's Sunday night here, and raining now, but I'm blessed to have hotel guests -- many walk-ins and same day reservations. I just sent Suchart(houseman) out to deliver 2 guests from Vienna to see the nightlife at 10:30 PM. I have one guest from Nepal who is a freelance travel writer that has many articles published in the most popular magazine in Thailand for our niche market -- I'm comping him, since he is writing a story for the August issue of the magazine.

"Nobody in Thailand likes for anyone to raise their voice and threaten anyone. The only worse taboo here is to say anything bad about the royalty, not take off your sandals when entering a house, temple, or small business -- not to mention pointing your feet at a Thai person. Craig Wolfe found that out the hard way when he had a temper tantrum and kicked in the sides of my car -- the Thais dealt with him because of his yelling and screaming. Not nice in the "Land of Smiles" when you are a guest here, as I am. And the Thai's" have much less tolerance for illegal immigrants, tourists who overstay their visas, or any foreigner who is arrested for whatever reason. They have blacklists preventing reentry into the kingdom after you spend jail time, and daily fines for overstaying your visa or not reporting your address every 90 days. An effective policy that the US could well use. And no free welfare, schooling, medical care, or other benefits for foreigners as in US...."

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:57 PM CST [Link]

I LOVE SIGNS!

Signs amuse me, as do slogans, play on words, puns etc. A Canadian friend sent me these and I haven't seen all of them before. Maybe you'll get a chuckle out of them too. It's summer outside and too hot to give serious consideration to just "thinking".

On a Septic Tank Truck sign:
"We're #1 in the #2 business."

Sign over a Gynecologist's Office:
Dr. Jones, at your cervix."

At a Proctologist's door
"To expedite your visit please back in."

On a Plumber's truck:
"We repair what your husband fixed."

On a Plumber's truck:
"Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber."

Pizza Shop Slogan:
"7 days without pizza makes one weak."

At a Tire Shop in Milwaukee:
"Invite us to your next blowout."

On a Plastic Surgeon's Office door:
"Hello. Can we pick your nose?"

At a Towing company:
"We don't charge an arm and a leg. We want tows."

On an Electrician's truck:
"Let us remove your shorts."

In a Non-smoking Area:
"If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action."

On a Maternity Room door:
"Push. Push. Push."

At an Optometrist's Office
"If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place."

On a Taxidermist's window:
"We really know our stuff."

In a Podiatrist's office:
"Time wounds all heels."

On a Fence:
"Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive."

At a Car Dealership:
"The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment."

Outside a Muffler Shop:
"No appointment necessary. We hear you coming."

In a Veterinarian's waiting room:
"Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!"

At the Electric Company:
"We would be delighted if you send in your payment. However, if you don't, you will be."

In a Restaurant window:
"Don't stand there and be hungry, Come on in and get fed up."

In the front yard of a Funeral Home:
"Drive carefully. We'll wait."

At a Propane Filling Station,
"Tank heaven for little grills."

And don't forget the sign at a Chicago Radiator Shop:
"Best place in town to take a leak."

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:23 PM CST [Link]

CLASSIC CABLE...SPAM...SO FAR, SO GOOD

Most of the intricacies of the World Wide Web and my computer are a complete mystery to me, but gradually I have learned a few things over the past ten years or so since I’ve struggled with each. When I think back to the time I started with my first computer, I know I’ve come a long way. It just doesn’t seem like it when I encounter a problem. There is so much to learn.

It’s nice to have Classic Cable and high speed services. It makes a huge difference in the amount of time I spend trying to get things done on my computer. It’s a hundred times faster than dial-up, and there are other advantages too that I’ve noticed.

Before my switchover, I was being inundated with spam and viruses which I was positive were being generated by my ISP. It now seems that I was correct as my machine has been almost totally free of both spam and virus-laden emails since I switched to CC... and they don’t have filters, as the previous ISP supposedly did. Since I haven’t made any substantial changes I know my previous ISP was the culprit. I’ve never been deluged with such stuff as I was with The Nameless Provider in Salina. I hope it doesn’t happen again.

I know my freedom from these troublesome things can’t be attributed to an address change as I have several addresses that have been in constant use; all were spammed, but are all spam free since the switch. I don’t know how that happens inside ISP equipment, but I do know that is where it came from.

I do know that some who have really serious spam problems have eliminated old addresses (this isn't as easy as it seems) such one they may have had with a long-standing Dow Jones account. Getting rid of that address eliminated 80% of a guy's spam. There is something to be said about occasional address changes.

It is a good idea to have a special yahoo or hotmail address to use on the net when you order or sign up for something. I know people who do all of this completely anonymously without ever using a correct name, address…email or otherwise, birth date or anything of that nature. And, I know it is a good idea to use an address other than your domain or server address for such purposes. If you start getting spammed, you can easily change a yahoo or hotmail, or anyone of the free addresses. I have a yahoo address I use when I travel, otherwise I only check it every couple of weeks or so to delete about 100 spam emails. If I order anything, I do it with that email address. I don’t use it for correspondence or anything that really matters. I have a hotmail address for the same ordering purposes.

On the other hand, if you forward jokes and pictures without deleting the email addresses that usually accompany such mail, then you are setting yourself up for someone to pick up your address along with those of everyone else on the list and pass it on to spammers.

Spybots pick up addresses too. That’s why many of us with websites write out our addresses in forms such as prairie_at_classicnet_dot_net. Spybots can’t pick that up and pass it on to a spammer, but anyone who is reading it can tell what it means.

It’s not a good idea to respond to spam or check those boxes that supposedly allow you the opportunity to be deleted from their email list, unless it is a legitimate business. All that tells them is that you are alive and well, your address is correct and they can continue sending you more mail. I wish there were a way to respond by having the spam bounce back to them with the subject line …”DECEASED”.

One other thing: newsgroup users have long used a technique called "munging". What you do is set up something inside your email address in parenthesis when you sign up at eBay, Amazon etc. A human can see to remove the extra words, but a bot cannot. I haven't done it but it makes sense. I suppose it would look like this: prairie@(take this part out)classicnet.net

I know there are some government agencies working on the spam problem as it is a serious one to many using the net for legitimate purposes. But, I wonder what really can be done as no one owns the web or has any regulatory authority over it except in certain instances in various countries. Once they solve that problem, some clever person will find another way around or over it. Spam is as easily moved off shore as Dell tech services have been. I just know that, at the moment, I am free of it.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:52 PM CST [Link]

Saturday, June 21, 2003

NO ONE IS STEPPING FORWARD IN WILSON

I don't know how the rest of you feel about this, but I don't look kindly on people who disseminate inflammatory, unsubstantiated material and misinformation about which they are unwilling to take credit. They did it anonymously which makes the information lack credibility. It appears they didn’t gather their information from the individual who intends to open the Adult Shop and could have answered questions, but instead comprised the material to lead one to believe it was apodictic information.

Their idea was to inflame the residents of Wilson and get everyone as upset as they could about the new prospective business in Wilson, no matter the cost. That is what they did earlier this week when they sneaked around town distributing fliers at a time when no one could see who was doing it. Shame on them!

The fliers weren’t signed and no one has stepped forward to lay claim to writing and printing the material. That seems a very cowardly act by people who aren’t willing to verify their claims, but instead, would rather agitate others into action.

Like someone said, it’s very similar to yelling “FIRE” in a crowded theater.

Level heads should prevail and people should recognize that everyone has rights protected under our constitution that extend beyond the beliefs of a few individuals. Trouble-maker tactics have no social value whatsoever .

It seems it would be better to talk to the new owner, find out exactly what he intends to have in his business and go from there. No one is forcing anyone to enter the store. There is probably very little anyone can do to divert the owner from his chosen course as it is his right to do whatever he choses within the limits of the law. I’m surprised there are people who are so judgmental as to believe they have the right to tell him otherwise.

This is the bouillabaisse that is America.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:59 PM CST [Link]

MEXICAN BREAKFAST

It's about time for another Mexican Birthday Breakfast at Orozco's. I always look forward to these long affairs with Cindy and Meredith and this time maybe Bev and Carol will be there too. We're all at the age where we have to work around doctors appointments, chemo treatments, physical therapy and assorted other obstacles so we go with whoever can make it. It's one dandy breakfast and we always look forward to it. Needless to say, the conversation is all-encompassing!

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

HARD-BOILED EGGS

I bet you've all been dying to know how to cook eggs to the hard-boil stage without them cracking and making a mess. Boiling fresh eggs so that you can peel them without tearing them apart is a challenge. Do your deviled eggs look more like scrambled eggs than they should? Voila! I have a solution for you that is fool-proof. And, guess what? I figured this out all by myself after years of trying to peel fresh country eggs that I'd hard-boiled.

Put a pan of water on to boil...make it large enough for the water to cover the eggs when you put them in.

Meanwhile, instead of watching the water boil, here's what you do. Get a needle-sharp ice pick and poke a hole in the large end of each egg. You have to be careful to go only through the shell and not beyond that. It's pretty easy to do if you hold the egg firmly in one hand, with the big part of the egg "up", and gently grind the sharp ice pick through the shell forcing a little hole for air to escape from inside the shell. If you are careful, the shell won't break.

After the water comes to a full boil, gently slide each egg off a slotted spoon into the bottom of the pan. You'll see the air escaping from those little holes you made so carefully assuring you that the shell won't break and leave you with a mess of eggs you have to eat yourself. If you poked the pick in too deep, you will see egg white oozing out of the hole.

For large eggs, set the timer for 20 minutes and let them gently boil.

When the timer dings, take the eggs off the stove and gently poor the boiling water off the eggs. Place the pan in the sink and let cold water fill the pan....change it frequently so that the eggs start to chill. Then you can put them in the refrigerator if you want to. After all the heat is out of the eggs, or before if you want to, you can crack and peel them, starting at the top where you poked the hole, and they will come out perfectly each time.

Isn't that slick?

I thought of this since I bought farm fresh eggs this morning that once posed a peeling problem for me until I figured out how to circumvent it...and I just boiled a dozen eggs to put in a mess of potato salad. I like a lot of eggs in my potato salad and Brit really likes my potato salad. He's easy to cook for...he likes anything I fix for him, almost. AHA....I might throw in some of that pickle relish for extra measure.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:46 PM CST [Link]

FARMER'S MARKET

I was hoping that Caleb would have tomatoes this morning but he didn't. He has over 600 tomato plants in a hoop house and harvested his first two tomatoes yesterday. I think we all better get out the canners and take advantage of what looks to be his bountiful harvest. I could never have too many quarts of canned tomatoes or spicy salsa on my shelves.

He had some good produce this morning: beautiful heads of cabbage, green beans, edible snow peas, all sizes of beets already sorted, green onions of various sizes, cucumbers, Yukon, white and red potatoes, etc.

Other ladies were selling jelly, sweet rolls, kolaches, snickerdoodles, throws, homemade egg noodles and bread, angel food cakes, pies and fruit breads. I'm sure I've forgotten a lot of it. There were fresh barnyard eggs...the best kind that have bright orange yolks and stand up in the skillet. It's hard to enjoy a store egg after finding a source for the others. That means she might have chickens to sell later on.

It's a great thing to have a farmer's market in Ellsworth...as it's one of the hallmarks of a thriving town.... so stop by and support them with a few purchases. It makes a difference.

I didn't have any trouble getting to the market on time this morning. Brit and I enjoyed a leisurely cup of coffee this morning on our deck with our friend, Jerry Marsh, a little after 6:30. Jerry is always up about 4 am and I am too, frequentlly but irregularly. It's nice to have a friend to talk with at that hour when most people are still sacked in.

Now the kitchen calls. There are veggies to clean and prepare for the kettle tonight.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:14 AM CST [Link]

HANNES HOPLEY

Southern Methodist University thrower Hannes Hopley won the men's discus at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday, June 14, with SMU Mustang freshman Michael Robertson taking third. Hopley, a native of Rustenburg, South Africa, was the top finisher in the qualifying round and won the final with a heave of 61.25m. The win marked the sophomore's first NCAA title.

Michael Robertson and Einar lived right across the hall from my granddaughter last year at SMU. She was the dorm RA. Hannes, Michael and Einar are good friends and usually found their way to Mackenzie's stash of brownies and cookies. Einar is from Iceland and is one of the premier high jumpers in the world.

We're working on Mackenzie to bring the three men home with her sometime so Einar can help Drew and Tyler with their high jumping and Hannes and Michael can help Caleb with his throwing. That would be really neat.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:55 AM CST [Link]

FARMER'S MARKET

Don't forget the farmer's market in the morning. They should have a lot of produce, cakes, pies, rolls, jelly and whathaveyou tomorrow...and it's a good thing to do.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:34 AM CST [Link]

Friday, June 20, 2003

TWO DOZEN COZY INN BURGERS

David Morrison, like many aficionados, is a guy who would drive all the way from Denver to Salina for a sack of Cozy Inn's. His mother and our friend, Nancy, one of Brit's high school classmates, is here visiting and wanted to take some back to him on her return trip to Denver tomorrow. To save her driving to Salina for them, I offered to pick them up after seeing the doctor again about my sleeper machine and why I can’t smell anything. And after having lunch with Dane at Caper’s.

First, you have to know that there was a long time in our lives when Brit and I shared a car. That was from the time he first loaned me his snazzy green Pontiac convertible when I was at K.U. until the late 70s (we think!). There was a rule...don't eat or carry bags of Cozy's around in the car. It devastated the trade-in value. You never could get the smell out of the upholstery.

Well, I have my own car now with leather upholstery that is impermeable to the effects of Cozy grease and onion odors so I felt comfortable bringing them home for her. I put them in the refrigerator to chill so that she could later freeze them.

Well, when we went to retrieve them from the fridge, the smell just bowled Nancy and Brit to the far wall and it was all they could do to keep from eating them. To heck with David and his cravings. First thing first. And guess what? I couldn’t smell them in my car or in the refrigerator. It’s no fun not being able to smell that wonderful odor….but I remember what it’s like.

That reminds me. In our younger years, when I was a student at KU and he was a National Bank Examiner, way before we were married and I had a license to kill him, I invited Brit to a formal dinner dance in Salina. Before he came to pick me up, he went to the Cozy in his tuxedo to eat a stack of hamburgers because, he says, he thought there wouldn’t be enough to eat at the dinner. When he arrived to get me, he reeked of onions and grease. Well, that pungent odor never leaves your clothes and it was embedded in his tux. It's like the embarrassing smell of your wool coat your mom hands you the first cold day of winter that had been packed in all those loose moth balls all summer. You pray it doesn't rain because then you smelled not only like moth balls, but wet dead animal as well. You get the idea. Anyway, we were out on the dance floor in all our finery, spinning around, when someone waltzed by from the other direction, down wind, and said “Someone’s been to the Cozy Inn!” Everyone else had thought the same thing but had only smiled knowingly and whirled away. That was back in the days when my olfactory senses were very accute and he was about to lose his from one swift blow to the nose. He swears to this day that he never went inside the place and only ordered his half dozen at the outside window. Yeah righ!

That’s why there is a unwritten rule in many of the businesses in Salina, particularly those adjacent to the Cozy, that says employees who eat Cozy's will be fired on the spot. It’s like having a skunk run through the building spraying as he goes….as far as the odor staying power is concerned.

That little tiny place was packed today with 15 of us waiting for burgers at 1:30 p.m. I got my batch off the second grill. Everyone ordered a half dozen or more, enough to tide one over, except for me as I'd just eaten...and the two little old ladies sitting on stools in front of me who had one each. I hope I never get so old as to want only one.

Oh…there is a woman who works there now, the first I’ve ever seen.

Nancy’s two dozen burgers cost her $19.27, which is a far cry from the ones I grew up on when they were a nickel. That’s one place that hasn’t changed much at all over the years. The burgers taste the same. The cooks now wear gloves, the place is cleaner and they don’t have cream pies sitting out in the heat for days at a time as they once did. The Cozy is an institution where you eat them six at a time….and there is always a waiting line for one of the six stools. And for class reunions, it's not unusual to order up a batch of 40 or 50 dozen. I can almost smell them from here. They're addictive.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:44 PM CST [Link]

ELLSWORTH COUNTY INDEPENDENT/REPORTER

Our local newspaper "made the headlines" tonight on "On the Record", a KPTS interview program hosted by Dale Goter. Tom Eblen, a well-known newspaper evaluator/historian in Kansas was the guest on the program. He’s a retired professor of journalism from K.U. and a retired journalist. Recently, he's been evaluating the quality of the state's newspapers and making state-wide presentations on his findings for the Kansas Humanities Council.

When asked about daily newspapers in the state and which were the most outstanding, he talked about how they go all over the board in quality, but that the Lawrence Journal World was an excellent newspaper. Wichita and Kansas City papers were mentioned. As far as small daily papers, Newton and Emporia were tops on the list.

Now comes the good news. When Tom was asked to name the top three weekly papers that showed a degree of excellence superior to others, without hesitation he stated they were the Miami County Republican (Paola), the Marysville Advocate and the Ellsworth County Independent/Reporter. He then cited Linda Mowery-Denning as being an outstanding journalist who is recognized throughout the state.

Way to go, Linda. But we all knew that. She brought her outstanding reputation as a writer for the Salina Journal with her when she came to Ellsworth to start the newspaper here. We're very fortunate to have a Kansas Press Association award-winning newspaper of this caliber in our community.

And, always being pressed for time, as they are at the INDY, guess who took the tab for next week’s paper to the Hays Daily News for printing today? Congressman Jerry Moran was in town today and was headed westward and offered to deliver it. He’d been in to talk with Linda, John Thaemert, Mark Roehrman and others and ...well, one thing led to another….

Jerry always has my vote. He's a good man.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:36 PM CST [Link]

Thursday, June 19, 2003

SLEEPER MACHINE DOCTOR, BING CHERRIES, SCOTTY'S CAFE, ETC.

Tomorrow I go for another consultation; I guess that's what you'd call it, with my sleeper machine doctor. That would technically be the doctor who decides whether or not I get to keep my C-PAP machine for sleep apnea. I'm not quite sure of why I have to go, but I suppose he has to check to see that I'm using it and that is it working for me. He only has my word on that as there isn't any other way to verify that information. I just know there isn't any way they are going to come take it away from me! And that's final. I sleep too well with it to try to go back to life without it.

Bing cherries are in the grocery stores now. Every year about this time, I eat my weight in Bing cherries. Throughout the years I've ordered a case at a time from growers in Oregon and Washington. The Washington Royal Bing cherries this year are about $23.00 for a pound and a half. That's wayyy too pricey for me. I've found good ones in some of the area stores much cheaper than that. I try to sate my appetite for them during the season. It’s tough, but someone has to do it.

Cherries are low in calories and have no fat. They are high in potassium and vitamins C and B complex. Research suggests that eating cherries can help prevent heart disease and cancer. A substance found in cherries can help gout and arthritis pain; 20 cherries are said to be 10 times as potent as a dose of aspirin. Cherries have boron. Combined with calcium and magnesium, this helps keep bones healthy. Those are the excuses I use for eating Bing cherries!

The next time you are in Salina, try eating at Scotty's Cafe in Sunset Plaza...if you haven't already done so. I'd heard about it but had never been there until yesterday. It's easy to see why it's the hottest new spot in town. I knew many of the people in there, including some Ellsworth friends. It's one popular place because of their "home cooking" with every thing made from scratch, just like the food your mama cooked for you. Scotty gets up at 4 am and bakes his pies which are wonderful. They are meringue topped, as pies are supposed to be. They have daily specials on a menu board, serve breakfast all the time they are open which is until 2 pm. It’s the kind of place where you’d go eat every day and feel like you were eating at home. Their prices are very reasonable. The restaurant is small so expect to stand in line by the door within inches of a diner while you wait for a table.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:30 PM CST [Link]

PICKLE RELISH

Men who barely know how to find the kitchen and heat water for a hot dog should not be allowed refrigerator privileges. It should be a law, written or unwritten.

If they played all the games of a world series in one stadium and passed out an unending supply of free hot dogs to all the spectators, there is enough sweet pickle relish in MY refrigerator to cover them all from end to end. I'm sure of it. I just counted six jars of slightly-used relish. Plus, I have one of those half gallon jars of it in a refrigerator outside so that buying a small jar of relish for each hot dog would be unnecessary. The message got lost somewhere, as it always does. When I stop and think about my life, after 52 long years of contending with half-used jars of pickle relish, ketchup and mustard, I feel exhausticated. There's just not a whole lot you can do with the stuff.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:55 PM CST [Link]

JUNE 19TH ODDS AND ENDS

Our tree house backyard is miles distant from the landscapes of Yosemite, but I am reminded daily of the man who captured those marvelous pictures of that place far from here. As I sat outside enjoying my morning cup of dark roast Community coffee (along with my new friend in Vidalia LA who is probably doing the same), I watched the colorful birds flitting around, mostly in pairs. There were cardinals, finch of several varieties, blue jays and thrashers and then there were the starkly contrasted black and white chickadees and nuthatches that were busy at the feeder close to where I was sitting. Ansel Adams must have had a hand in creating these birds. They are so like his landscape photography and I can't help but make the comparison. He’s my favorite landscape photographer and I have always marveled at his work.

Mark Gwinner was by early this morning to lay a new cable line. Since the grass needs mowing, we decided to put it off a few days when everyone's schedule better accommodates contending with all the inevitable severing of telephone, gas, sprinkler system and water lines. We have a network of assorted conduits and lines in the front of our house that looks like the jumbled mass of cables behind my computer. Our house is Mark’s nemesis…I don’t know how many cables he has put in during the 27 years we’ve lived here…but “a lot”. We’ve both lost count. And the confluence of cable and satellite lines inside our house looks as ominous as a pit full of vipers and takes a genius to sort out. Mark’s the man.

The plans for the restoration of the sig building …the old insurance building…is making progress by leaps and bounds. Jim Gray, president of the organization, and Linda Kohls, vice-president, are providing outstanding leadership for the board. It’s a wonderful group of people with whom to work and be associated. Organizations in town are beginning to offer their support and that is most gratifying. These are very good signs that people in town are beginning to work together as they should. Our survival depends on it.

Remember to stop in and purchase an item of $5.00 or more at La Prairie this month…for June Make a Difference Month. And try to find a new place to eat (that isn’t easy) in the county where you haven’t been before. I think Jayne Reilly’s Made from Scratch Restaurant is open now in Wilson. They serve fried chicken at noon on Wednesday at the Lorraine Café and breakfast on Thursday evening. Those are my two favorite times to eat there. There is also the Lunch Box in Kanopolis where you can order both Mexican and American fare. Is there a difference?

And to Miz Gore in Vidalia, we wish you a speedy recovery.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:38 AM CST [Link]

Tuesday, June 17, 2003

DELL HAS GIVEN UP WITH ME....AND RELENTED

Another hour spent with Pranitha in India discussing my window media player has resulted in their exasperation with trying to solve my problem. I’ve begged them since the beginning to replace my DVD/CD drive and finally they agreed to do that, although they are sure that isn’t the problem. I’ve already gone through Maria in the Philippines and Madhu in India with this problem. You can see I’m known worldwide. I think the secret is not to be as nice as I have been over all of this, so I’ve been told.

They insist it is not the hardware and that the problem rests with the software. Initially, I downloaded a new player and that didn’t help. Maria had me tear into my register and delete some files which made me very edgy…it’s a scary place, the register. Madhu made me deal with dos and everything imaginable and we couldn't fix it. Now we can try a new drive to see if works. It is my hope the techie can get it working. I hate to listen to my good music where all the vocalists sound like they are singing with hiccoughs.

So, if you call Dell make sure you get the extension number of the techie who is helping you so you can call them back. It’s not every day you know someone to call in India or Manila. You can even borrow a phone to do it!

It’s a small place…this world of ours…and getting smaller all the time. We need to take better care of it and the people in it.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:13 PM CST [Link]

ONE MOSQUITO

Aha! There is one mosquito in my mosquito trapper-thingy. That must be the signal it's going to work. Dream on.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:53 PM CST [Link]

FROM TEXACO GAS TO XXX VIDEOS

As I mentioned in another blog, there are feathers flying around Wilson in regard to the recent sale of the Texaco station north of town and the intended use for the building.

Here is what the notice said that was passed around Wilson and put on car windshields on Sunday while people were inside attending church:

"A group from Wichita is opening a pornography store at the old Texaco station at Exit 206 on the south side of I-70. In addition to XXX videos, books and sex toys they will have on site gay sex booths. As for the element this will attract, children in Wilson are at risk with predators cruising the area. If you are concerned CALL NOW."

Then it goes on to list the phone numbers of the Ellsworth County Commissioners, the “Ellsworth Attorney” and Wilson City Hall, as if any of these people had the legal right to do anything about this, which they most likely don’t. They are aware that any kind of action on their part would bring the wrath of the ACLU down on the county. These local officials needlessly have been deluged with calls, due to the unthinking, unnamed distributors of this material.

It would seem logical that the people to contact would be the two men who purchased the building and intend to open it as an adult book store.

Don’t be surprised if they don’t answer calls.

Of course, the Notice wasn't signed and, so far as I know, no one has stepped forward to claim writing and distributing it. And, in my opinion, the connection they make between adult sex movies and child predators cruising the area is one giant unsubstantiated leap.

It is known that the Texaco property was purchased April 2003 by SS JETS, L.L.C., a Kansas Limited Liability Company whose offices are at 1999 N. Amidon, Suite 390, Wichita KS 67203.

The managing members on the part of SS JETS, L.L.C. appear to be Stephan N. Sonneman and Ernest C. Doyon. If people are concerned about this, they should call the two principal owners and ask them for explanations. Certainly they are the logical ones to provide answers.

We can’t always pick our relatives or neighbors.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:00 PM CST [Link]

BASIC BARBECUE RUB

I've been looking for a bbq rub that is a bit different from the one I use for pork and chicken. My faithful recipe is a marindate that doesn't have salt in it, as I think it tends to draw out the juice from the meat. This has brown sugar which can be a good thing to bring out the flavors. As soon as I get some baby back pork ribs, I'm going to give it a try. Here it is, in case you want to try it too:

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
3 Tablespoons course black pepper
3 Tablespoons course salt
1 Tablespoon hickory flavored salt.
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

You know how to vary the ingredients to suit your taste. Combine ingredients thoroughly. Apply to meat a day before cooking, if time allows, for large cuts. A couple of hours will do for ribs. You can also use the seasoning after the meat is done. It will keep in an air tight jar away from heat and light for at least six months.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:16 PM CST [Link]

MEET THE CHALLENGE OF ANU GARG

Last week Anu Garg of wordsmith.org challenged readers to find out what was common among the five words for the week: extemporize, impresario, macroscopic, postdiluvian, and plausive. That was a tough one and I didn't even come close. I guess only two people did figure it out.

Each of these words employs all fingers of both the hands at least once to type it on a standard qwerty keyboard. Go ahead, try them out.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:00 AM CST [Link]

RAY ROBERTS IS LEAVING

Ray Roberts is going to El Dorado, which means Chuck Simmons is returning to Topeka. Louis Bruce will become the temporary "in charge" person here until the first of August when it is the intention of the Kansas Department of Corrections to have a Roberts replacement here and functioning.

Everyone will be sorry to see Ray leave. He has been a part of and contributed to the community as no other warden since Mike Nelson. The inception, fund-raising and construction of the Spiritual Life Center can be attributed to Ray. He's a remarkable fund-raiser. He's been cooperative with community leaders and always accessible to the press. The motorcycle poker run, so far as I know, was another idea of his. Certainly, he has been the momentum behind it every year. We know he'll still be active in fund-raising for the Center and will rev up his cycle for future poker runs.

Most important is the respect the staff at ECF has for Ray and the work he does keeping peace within the wire. Ray is just a likeable guy. That has been a good thing for us and our community.

Ray not only has done an excellent job here, but he has been successful in every correctional facility where he has worked previously from Mississippi to Alaska, if I remember the locations correctly. We know he will be very successful in El Dorado and we wish him the best there. We hope he doesn't forget to return to Ellsworth once in awhile.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:34 AM CST [Link]

CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK

KC's Cafe is going to make the Explorers Club list of the Kansas Sampler Foundation for their preparation of chicken-fried steak. There are only a few restaurants in the state that meet the stringent requirements of this group dedicated to keeping things they way they were meant to be.

Most short order fry cooks in restaurants pull this frozen, breaded mass of you-don't-know-what out of a supplier's box and throw it in a deep-fat fryer then flop it on a plate. No thank you.

At KC's, they start from scratch with meat purchased locally from JC's. Curtis has special seasonings he uses on the beef, then he hand dips it in batter and cooks it on the grill until it is brown and crispy. With mashed potatoes and chicken-fry gravy on the side, or all over everything....well, now that's true chicken-fried steak the way it should be prepared. It's the Kansas Explorer way.

If you aren't a Kansas Explorer, give me a call and I'll sign you up. It's only $18.61 a year and it's worth every single penny. You'll be a part of a group dedicated to preserving and sustaining rural culture in Kansas.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:25 AM CST [Link]

LEMON FRESH JOY

My white plate filled with water and topped with two drops of Lemon Fresh Joy is on the patio table waiting for the solid flight of mosquitoes heading this way so they can drop dead in its wake. Soon I will have to put mosquito netting around my work area and play a tape of jungle sounds all day.

Brit asked what the plate was doing outside and I just shook my head and said it belonged there. He didn't get it and wouldn't have quite understood my rationale for putting it there in the first place. It's very strange. The evidence of its worth will be in the profusion of mosquitoes that we'll have to shovel to one side in order to pass by.

Placed beside the white plate is my gallon jug of horrible-smelling, fly-catching witch's brew. Maybe it will deter the mosquitoes from gathering in the white plate. I suppose I should separate the two so the little beasty insects don't get confused about which death trap they should enter.

If I ever see a dead mosquito or house fly, I'll let you know. It will surprise me.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:08 AM CST [Link]

SLOW GOING TO BROOKVILLE

It looked like the Beltway today between Salina and Brookville only the traffic was "two way" and going at a snail's pace. As I pulled onto highway 40 off Crawford Street, I looked west and all I could see was this long string of cars unlike anything I've ever seen in these parts before, snaking its way westward. Not to be deterred, I contributed to the line and found my eyes hadn't deceived me...25 miles and hour, max. Opps, down to 15 mph. Since there were semis and all manner of vehicles, it was hard to see ahead as to what was going on.

After I got past the Bavaria curve I could see cars pulled off on the south side of the highway and I thought I caught a glimpse of flashing lights about a half light year ahead of me. A wreck? Didn't seem so as the traffic was moving, but ever so slightly. After I met the first of the on-coming cars as they pulled back on the highway, it dawned on me. It was the longest funeral procession in the history of mankind and I hoped it wasn't going all the way to Ellsworth. It didn't. They turned off the highway at the east edge of Brookville and headed north to the cemetery.

After that, the traffic couldn't seem to reestablish itself. West of Brookville I noticed that what had been the lush fields of tritacale with the cattle grazing on them only a few weeks ago, are no longer. The cattle devoured most of the plants and the rest appeared to have been cut. Apparently, there wasn't enough left to bale. As we entered the hills, only a couple foolish drivers tried to pass, while the rest of us just bided our time and enjoyed the scenery. I gazed at the flag pole atop the hill on the north by the old Chicken House Restaurant (and hot poker place back in my parents' days). Chandra Miley's dad built that when he was a boy. We always thought it was some kind of geodetic marker or historical monument when, in fact, it's a flag pole! It was a wonderful opportunity to look at how much the rain and sun had caused the prairie grasses to grow lush and tall. I had a good opportunity to see the hole in the rocks south of the highway on the Vanier ranch near the turnoff to Kanopolis Lake. You don't have long to catch a glimpse of it. The yuccas have stopped blooming but in their place a wide variety of colorful prairie flowers have emerged. The early summer rains have made every thing grow in profusion and take on a new hardy look. The herd of longhorns was grazing peacefully by the road putting on a show for those just passing through. Sometimes we get in too much of a hurry to slow down and enjoy the beauty of our countryside. And it is truly beautiful right now.

.

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

Monday, June 16, 2003

FEATHERS ARE FLYING

Apparently there was a very, very interesting meeting tonight with a lot of things being said that we need to sort through. Some of it was pretty funny.

A group of citizens who are genuinely concerned about preserving the historical aspects of Ellsworth are taking great strides working toward saving the old Insurance building on Douglas Avenue and turning it into a National Drovers Hall of Fame. They're also working toward making Ellsworth the Drovers Capital of Kansas. This has far-reaching implications for the future of tourism and preserving our heritage as a cattle town, where the beef industry for the nation began. Jim Gray is the president of the group and the one with the information about the group's purpose. He's being interviewed by newspaper editors throughout the state. It is all very exciting and I'm thrilled to be a part of it.

In the meantime...it is well-established that two men from Wichita have purchased the old Watering Hole north of Wilson and intend to put in an Adult Book Shop, carrying a lot more "adult" material and activities than just books. There are fliers about it all over Wilson. The cars were plastered with them while everyone was in church yesterday. Press releases are in such abundance you can trip over them. My guess is that no one from Wilson or Ellsworth County will be caught dead driving less than 185 mph past that store. You know the saying: "You can't get rich in a small town. Everyone is watching." Well. we know everyone is going to have their eyes on the new shop north of Wilson. Whatever floats your boat!

It's nice to be outside that circle of frenzied activity.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:34 PM CST [Link]

POSSUMBLOG'S ACCOUNTING OF FATHER'S DAY IS A RIOT

Terry Oglesby is one funny guy. And....

Miz Gore revealed herself in a comment on my blog:

Ms. Britton, before I started reading your site, Kansas was just a conduit for the Canadian wind. I'm enjoying your writing and the other features of your page. Thanks.

Posted by Janis Gore @ 06/16/2003 11:08 AM CST

You can find her blog, which I just discovered, HERE. On Friday June 6th, she wrote these peaceful words about her mother, which I believe said as much as need be about the wonderful relationship they must have had.

"Mother died about 10 minutes after I boarded a plane in Baton Rouge. My sister and sister-in-law who were present tell me that she departed peacefully and quietly, slipping away while they were talking in the room. My sister tells me she had checked on her only a couple of minutes before. She did not die alone, which was a fear for us while she lived in her house. This year had been a particular struggle for Mother, whose world was becoming smaller and smaller as her breathing capacity diminished until she was finally bedridden. Cliched as it is, her sufferings are over.

"I had no issues with my mother, so my grief is mainly sadness that she is gone. We had no long-standing scores to settle, no bitterness between us, no regrets. She was a hard-working homemaker whom God will happily invite into his Heaven because she made the best chocolate cream and coconut cream pies (and apricot fried pies, BJB) in all creation.

"Ecclesiastes is the scripture for me right now. And the angels better watch their weight."
posted by Janis Gore at 12:47 PM

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:53 PM CST [Link]

Sunday, June 15, 2003

PERFECT MORNING

There couldn't be a more perfect morning to sit outside and enjoy a cup of coffee and watch the birds fly by. I notice the early bird still has to eat worms. How spoiled and soft we'd get if every morning were like thiis.

The son and grandsons came by with a card and a big bag of those tiny licorice pastels for grandpa. Those are his favorite and the boys remember him on every possible occasion with two or three pounds to tide him over until the next special occasion.

Ally is cooking for her father so we're going to partake of her buffet where she works. It's always good and something to look forward to. Brit and I just naturally fell into the "you're not my father and I'm not your mother" routine when we were married. We sort of celebrate every day like it's father's day and mother's day. It's nothing to exert effort over by hitting the shift key. It was different when our parents were alive.

One of these days...it hasn't happened yet...I'm going to pass through Abilene when I'm hungry and Russell Stover's is open. They have that great Texas ice cream...Blue Bell, I think it is, that I haven't seen anywhere else around here. It's pretty famous stuff in the Lone Star state. Anyway, if both those things come together at the same time...hungry/open... I'm going to stop and get an ice cream cone. I gaze at the case every time I'm in there, but am never in the mood for it.

This morning I watered the plants that Drew put out for me....all fifty-three of them...and the dozen or so Tyler planted. Among them is some English Ivy, or an ivy variety I'm obviously not that familiar with. I've been forewarned by Terri Stevenson, who visited the garden, that I made a huge mistake planting it where I did and that soon it will devour that part of the yard, take the house and everyone in it and start its march on the entire town. From what I have already observed, I'm sure she's right. It grows about a foot a day, like bamboo, and the runners are reaching out to strangle anything in sight. I screwed up, but in this case I can't push Ctrl Alt Delete.

Jim Morford didn't have any to sell for that reason, but in my eagerness to contain the slope and prevent it from washing down to the creek, I wanted any kind of fast growing ground cover I could get. I didn't know anything grew this fast! My bedroom is close by so I suppose I will have to worry about tentacles coming through the windows at night on the attack. What I really wanted was vinca, but I couldn't find any perennial vinca and settled for ivy. The kind of ivy I have elsewhere is very slow growing and has taken 25 years to cover the area where I planted it. If anyone out there has any perennial vinca starters to pass along, give me a call.

MAYB is in full swing in Salina. Maybe we have time to go catch one of Drew's games before we go to Abilene. Then food. Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:48 AM CST [Link]

Saturday, June 14, 2003

KANSAS CITY BRINGS JAZZ TO NICODEMUS

I know where I want to be next Saturday, June 21st....in Nicodemus with Angela and Barry Tompkins and her Aunt Ernestine. Nicodemus will be the site of the Coors Original First Annual Nicodemus Jazz and Blues Festival. There will be live music by Mud Bone from 2:00 until 4:30, Acoustical Blues. (Members of the Code Blue Band.) From 5:00 until 9:00 p.m. the BMW Band (Brothers Making Waves) will be playing.

Angela will be serving Ernestine's famous smoked beef, hot fried chicken and plenty of beer. Coors, no doubt. Take your lawn chairs and sit back and enjoy the music and good food. They ask for a $3.00 donation. I'm sure the food and beer are not included in that price.

Nicodemus is on highway 24 (the famous one) between Hill City and Stockton. If you want an interesting day trip, become informed about the Solomon Valley Highway 24 Heritage Alliance CLICK HERE and spend a day heading west, stopping along the way. There are twenty-four communities to choose from, all with a common agricultural heritage, yet each with a unique personality that have collaborated to interpret, preserve and promote their heritage. I'd definitely suggest you include a tour of the Cottonwood Ranch among your stops.

Stretching from the high plains of western Kansas, from which the Solomon River gets its start, the Solomon Valley slopes gently down as the river flows east along Highway 24. It's a great experience to leisurely follow this route to Nicodemus.

Once you reach Nicodemus, you can eat and listen to the music, then start home later in the evening. Sounds like winner to me.

The original Ernestine's barbecue was in Nicodemus. It burned down years ago so eventually Ernestine's niece, Angela, reopen the restaurant in Bogue. Just recently they moved the restaurant back to Nicodemus where it belongs. Nicodemus is definitely worth a visit, especially for this special occasion.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:27 PM CST [Link]

THIS IS BLOG ENTRY #376. If I didn't know better, I'd think I needed to get a life. [more]

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:22 PM CST [Link]

SUMMER PESTS

It is fly and mosquito time. Along with intense summer heat, they can make life rather miserable. I’m ever-ready to try any home remedy that might deter their presence around my home and body. Here are a couple of remedies I’m trying and thought you might give them a fling as well.

My friend Rachael swears this works for flies. Take a gallon plastic milk jug or one for vinegar. Rinse out the milk container. The vinegar one is okay as is as you’re going to put vinegar in it anyway. Take some handy sharp hole-poking object and while aiming away from your innards, jab a hole in the middle of the neck of the container about the size of large fly. Put the hole a couple inches or so down from the lid. I don’t know if position is really important or not, but that’s where she told me to put it, so we’ll go with her instructions.

To the container add ½ cup sugar, ½ cup vinegar (any kind…I used distilled), 1 cup water and two banana peels. Pull the banana peels in strips and drop them in. Put the cap on. Then let this ferment, rot and smell to high heaven in the hot sun until you can’t stand getting close to it. Keep the lid on all this time. Hang it in a tree, one presumably not close to where you’re going to be sitting. Rachael claims this draws flies like crazy. Once you can’t stand it anymore, start another. I’ve got a couple jugs of stuff fermenting and when I see the first fly crawl into that mess, I’ll let you know.

The other is from my friend, Sandra, who has not tried this but figures it’s worth a try. I agree although I don’t know why it would work. It was given at a gardening forum so depending on how you feel about gardening forums, go from there.

Put some water in a white dinner plate and add just a couple of drops of Lemon Fresh Joy dishwashing soap. Set the dish on a porch or patio. They aren’t sure what attracts them, the lemon smell, the white color, or what, but mosquitoes flock to it, they say, and drop dead, or fall into the water, or on the floor within about 10 ft. Ridding ourselves of mosquitoes is a good thing as they carry too many bad things along with them. Get a shovel ready to scoop them up.

No more pesky pest hints today!

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

MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONTH FOR LORI

I heard a Salina reader was in town and dropped in to La Prairie to participate in the June Make a Difference Month for Lori Park. That's good because he spent a lot more than $5.00. We need to get all of that Salina money that we can as we take a good share of ours over there.

Spread the word as every dollar spent in Ellsworth Makes a Difference!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:33 PM CST [Link]

SUE EMMA CHASE

Sue Emma Chase spoke in Wilson at one of their Chamber breakfasts so many of us were exposed to her energy at that time. She is terrific and one of the most innovative people you'll ever meet. She has more action going on in her cafe in downtown Cottonwood Falls than you can ever imagine. The lastest is her official wavin' license.

The Kansas Department of Public Wavin' is now issuing an official license. The "department" is based in the Emma Chase Cafe. You're supposed to let the director of the department, Sue Emma Chase, know that you are there to be trained and apply for your license. It's recommended that you bring your lawn chairs along so that after you eat at the cafe you can practice your traffic watchin' and wavin'.

For an interesting read about the Emma Chase Cafe CLICK HERE You can read about Tea at Three on the Third Tuesday, Friday night Catfish dinners, biker breakfasts on the third Sunday and the variety of live music she has every Friday nite.

Sue Emma Chase, through her innovative ways, pulls business in from all over the country side to this very small tall grass prairie town. It's pretty amazing what one person can do to flourish in a small town and keep a small town flourishing.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:30 AM CST [Link]

RIVER FESTIVAL

We closed down the River Festival last night. After sitting in one of those bucket-type sling chairs all evening I emerged from bed this morning bucket-shaped.

It was a nice relaxing evening. The food was good and was devoured in huge quantities by the hundreds of people who were there. A young, thin daughter of a friend of mine who lives and works in Kansas City announced early in the evening what she intended to eat: corn on the cob, funnel cake, gyro, kettle corn, onion blossom and something else. Maybe German sausage with kraut. And she did. Collectively, they weighted more than she did.

My Eulenspiegel Puppet Theater friends, Teri and Monica, were there but I only got to visit a short while with them. They were heading to the ACC to join my daughter for dinner and the evening. They are consistently one of the best performances at the Festival, imo, as they have one terrific show for children that adults love too. Back in the days when I was doing promotional concerts, I was on the road to bringing them to Ellsworth. It would be great to have them perform here.

As the evening ended and people were gathering up their kids, blankets, chairs, coolers and trash, I ran across Jack Stewart, a close friend of over 70 years. We quietly agreed the music wasn't exactly what we we grew up and most enjoyed. Time marches on!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:05 AM CST [Link]

MR. FOX

Mr. Fox ran through the yard this morning, stopped and looked up at our house, then darted off into the woods. He was covered with mud from nose to tail. I wonder what he's been up to?

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:40 AM CST [Link]

AN OUTDOOR THEATER

I love this from The Explorer. There is an outdoor theater in Dearing (Montgomery County) located behind the Wren home at Lemon and Poplar where movies are shown every two weeks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Each performance starts with a cartoon and there are concessions sold out of the garage. You need to take your own lawn chair or blanket. Typical audience ranges from three to thirty people but still this three year old local theater has been so well received that garage sales are being held to help raise money for restrooms. This is a perfect explorer place.

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

THE BOWLER AND THE HAMBURGER MAN

First, there was Larry Woydziak bowling in every county in the state. Then came Bill Bunyan eating a hamburger in every county.

And now, Kansas Explorer Club member #1033, Bill Bunyan, is on the homestretch in his quest to eat a hamburger in every county in Kansas. His latest stops have been at the Dusty Farmer, St. Francis in Cheyenne County; Charlie's, Leoti in Wichita County; Scotty's Care, Lakin in Kearney County; J.B. Stouts, Lawrence in Douglas County and Uncle Jack's, Independence in Montgomery County. As I recall, his Ellsworth stop for a burger was at the Rec Center in Wilson.

The next Explorer newspaper, according to editor Marci Penner, will give us an idea where his last stop will be so that other explorers can join him for his last burger. His top dozen hamburger joints will be listed in the Guidebook for Kansas Explorers.

Now we have Elaine Miller, Explorer #2696, of Wamego, and her husband Greg, visiting every couthouse in the state. To date, they have visited 35 with only 70 to go. Did you know the entrance to the Mitchell County court house in Beloit is a screen door?

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:26 AM CST [Link]

Friday, June 13, 2003

COLLECTIVE NOUN FOR BOYS?

There were two comments about my blog on boys pertaining to what the collective noun for them might be...one said it was definitely a "blush of boys". A "bravado of boys" was suggested by Deb. Whatever fits the situation works.

One of my all time favorite collective nouns is "an exaultation of larks". I once had a book by that title, but it went out the door at some point, never to return. I have an African cookbook, spiral bound, out there someplace too. Alas!

Most often I would refer to teen age boys as a "boisterousness of boys", but in this case, they were very well-behaved and invitied to return.

There was also a blog comment from Mark V about my kolache comments...and Terry Oglesby thinks I'm too kind :) I love getting comments. They are fun to read. I wish for more of them.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:52 PM CST [Link]

DROVERS CAPITAL OF KANSAS

WHEREAS, The National Drovers Hall of Fame Foundation seeks to build a cornerstone of commitment, dedication, and loyalty within our community, state and nation, as the Drovers Capital of Kansas through the restoration of the Insurance Building and the establishment of The National Drovers Hall of Fame.

WHEREAS, The National Drovers Hall of Fame would recognize the endeavors of the drovers as the founders of the Great American cattle industry.

WHEREAS, The National Drovers Hall of Fame would also recognize the unique history of the cattle drive era by honoring the drovers, the cattle, the horses, the men, the women, and the railroads that helped define Ellsworth, Kansas and the other cattletowns.

WHEREAS, By sharing the legacy, promoting the beef industry and preserving the Cowboy way of life, The National Drovers Hall of Fame Foundation requests the Ellsworth City Council to designate Ellsworth, Kansas as the Drovers Capital of Kansas.

NOW THEREFORE, I Robert S, Homolka, with unanimous support of the City Council, do hereby declare the City of Ellsworth, Kansas, the Drovers Capital of Kansas.

IN WITNESS, WHEREOF, I have here unto set my hand and caused the Seal of the City to be affixed on this 9TH day of June in the year of two thousand-three, designating Ellsworth, Kansas as the Drovers Capital of Kansas.

Robert S. Homolka, Mayor

Resolution:

WHEREAS, The Ellsworth County Commissioners recognizes and supports the National Drovers Hall of Fame Foundation and their efforts to build a cornerstone of commitment, dedication, and loyalty within our community, state and nation, as the Drovers Capital of Kansas through the restoration of the Insurance Building and the establishment of The National Drovers Hall of Fame.

WHEREAS, The Ellsworth County Commissioners acknowledges The National Drovers Hall of Fame Foundation vision to recognize the endeavors of the drovers as the founders of the Great American cattle industry.

WHEREAS, By preserving the unique history of the cattle drive era by honoring the drovers, the cattle, the horses, the men, the women, and the railroads that helped define Ellsworth, Kansas and the other cattletowns, The National Drovers Hall of Fame Foundation requests your support in identifying Ellsworth, Kansas as the Drovers Capital of Kansas.

IN WITNESS, WHEREOF, I have here unto set my hand and caused the Seal of Ellsworth County to be affixed on this 10TH day of June in the year of two thousand-three recognizing the City of Ellsworth, Kansas as the Drovers Capital of Kansas.

Terry Kueser, Chairman

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:39 PM CST [Link]

KC's Cafe

Last night I made arrangements at KC's for dinner for a group meeting here at the ECF Training Center. There were 15 or so of us and there wasn't a single complaint uttered about the meal. It was delicious. Some of us had 16 ounce smoked pork chops and the others had chicken fried steak, a long time favorite of many. One had an omelet which she proclaimed was delicious. I mention this as I don't think you could have found similar food that was any better.

The meals came with a choice of potato, veggie, salad and dessert. It was all exceptionally good.

Their chicken fried steak will be included in the short and very exclusive list compiled by the Kansas Sampler Festival as it adheres to strict criteria for admission. Karen buys her meat locally from JC Packing so it is fresh, and not frozen. Curtis has his own special seasonings, then he hand-breads the steaks and cooks them on a grill. Chicken fried steaks come and go, but the best have to adhere to these standards. Deep fat fried steaks pulled out of a box of frozen, battered hunks of meat just don’t cut it.

The other Kansas restaurants in this very exclusive group include the Prairie Nut Hut, Altoona; Iris’s Country Kitchen, Ulysses; Bubba’s, Brewster; Pinky’s Bar, Courtland; The Paddock, Eureka; Herrman House B&B, Scandia; Otto’s Café, Pittsburg; Cassoday Café; Trapper’s, Simpson; and Sue’s Kitchen, Hope.

Congratulations Karen and Curtis!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:32 PM CST [Link]

Thursday, June 12, 2003

iT'S NICE TO SEE MARK GWINNER AGAIN

I've seen and talked with Mark Gwinner a lot recently. Like the old days when he put the cable lines in our house. He's the one who keeps our "entertainment" base in the house functioning.

Last night the cable system for the new computer hookup's in Ellsworth crashed. As it wasn't yet 10:00 p.m., I figured it was alright to call Mark and alert him to the situation. Not that it would make any difference to Mark...he's so busy that I wonder when he finds time to sleep. He was on his computer too so he knew it was off.

I wasn't sure if it was just my modem sans a green light or if others were off too. As it turned out, all of Ellsworth "bounced a Q", or something like that. Kanopolis was still fine. It was something that happened at the home base in Tyler TX. It was not an error at Mark's end.

It was fixed in a short while and I was back sending mail again. It really is nice to have some speed at my finger tips so that I don't wait around for things to download. It has saved me enormous amounts of time. In addition, my mail system, Outlook, is working much better now that I've eliminated the virus check for mail. It's a redundancy as I have my virus scan going all the time. I also run a daily live update and my "bad guy" scan I devised hits everything in my system almost constantly. That's about the best I can do to remain virus free.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:58 AM CST [Link]

A PASSEL OF BOYS

I'm sure there is a collective noun for "young boys", or there should be. I'm just not swift enough this morning to think what it might be. Bevy of boys?

Yesterday afternoon was reminiscent of summer days forty some years ago when every day all day, without fail, I had a yard full of boys of all ages plus Ally. Back in those days, every morning the neighborhood parents would march off to work and leave their offspring at home alone with a list of do’s and don’ts, as if that mattered at all to kids. The minute the parents left home, the floodgates opened and all these kids washed over to our house. Or to Carol Larsen’s house across the street.

Yesterday was like that as there were four 7th graders and one 8th grader, the one I was tending, hovering around all afternoon. They are good kids…Buchholz, Wright, Goddard, Demming and Britton. They watched TV and were run off my computer. They took their shoes off when they came inside without me asking they do that. They were quiet and respectful. When they were down to three…Buchholz, Demming and Britton…they asked if they could get in the hot tub. They spent an hour or so in it (it wasn’t that hot) talking and relaxing. Since they all participate in conditioning, they said it really felt good. Good!

The day brought back lots of memories with Larsen, Larsen, Irwin, Irwin, Seitz, Britton, Britton and Britton. Those were busy, tiring days and some times I wonder how I survived.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:35 AM CST [Link]

Wednesday, June 11, 2003

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DREW BRITTON

Tomorrow, June 12th, is Drew's 17th birthday. That seems impossible. Those 17 years just flashed by.

It's a struggle trying to find time for a celebration. Everynight there is something. He umped a baseball game last night. Tonight the baseball team he plays on is in McPherson for a double header and the second game won't be over until 11ish. I think it is Sr. Babe Ruth ball, but I'm not really sure of that. By the time they get home, it will be after midnight.

Tomorrow he and his brother run at 6 a.m. then work all day.Tomorrow nite he has to ump another game for the younger baseball players. Friday, Saturday and Sunday they play MAYB basketball games and Sunday late afternoon they go to basketball camp at Hutch Community College where they play basketball from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. with very few breaks...mainly just to eat.

We'll celebrate sometime, just not on the 12th. Being seventeen is very special.

There is something to be said for having time to lie on your back on the cool grass and watch the clouds pass by overhead, maybe for hours. Kids need to have time to do that, I think.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:41 PM CST [Link]

POSSUMBLOGGER TERRY OGLESBY

I do...

...or rather, have been doing, a really pitiful job of keeping up with folks on the blogroll lately (due to my job of protecting the kudzu) and so I have missed out a bit on reading my favorite Kansan, Peg Britton--Miz Gore sent me over there just now for a good story Peg posted today about Doc Morrison.

He seems to have been, as we say, "a character".
posted by Terry Oglesby at 12:04:35 PM

Terry is one funny guy. I love his stories about Miss Reba and his kids. You can follow his daily tales and about living in Birmingham, walking in summery temps about 540°R, humidity about 60% and looking as if he'd been sloshed around in an industrial washing machine.

To put a grin in your day, you can find Possumblog by clicking right here

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:18 PM CST [Link]

PAULINE BAROFSKY GIMPEL

Pauline was in town for a couple days and we managed to get together for a short visit. When she comes to visit her hometown, from her home in Great Neck, New York, she never stays long enough to suit her old friends. There is always so much to talk about. And her visits always bring back good memories of her parents, Hat and Helen Barofsky. Helen was famous for her kolaches as they were made out of very light sweet roll dough, with made-from-scratch fruit fillings...then tied into little basket-shaped tasties with a little light butter icing drizzled on top. There were none better, in my humble opinion.

Years ago, on a trip to Salina, Pauline and I spotted a hawk we couldn't identify hovering near the Vanier ranch. We immediately named it the Britofsky hawk. I'd like to think the area is filled these days with Britofsky hawks.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:17 AM CST [Link]

HARLAND J. SCHUSTER, ETC.

In the summer 2003 edition of KANSAS!, there is a terrific picture of the old grain elevator in Wilson taken by Harland J. Schuster. It's a masterpiece of photography. It's the type of picture you'd think every home in Wilson might want to display. It captures the nostalgia of earlier days in Wilson.

The red fox appeared in our yard again this morning and took a long look at our house before scampering into the woods. He hadn't been around for awhile so we were happy to see him again.

My grandsons told me the other day we have a new basketball coach and science teacher. Travis Powell taught here before and has returned once again. I think he will fill the classroom vacancy created by Kenny Cravens transfer to the middle school.

MAYB basketball is in full swing. That means parents spend each weekend someplace in Kansas watching their kids play in various towns where games are scheduled. This coming weekend the play will center around Salina, Lindsborg and ?...hum...maybe Minneapolis. Last weekend it was Marion, Halstead and Hesston. Maybe. It's hard to follow. There is a lot of driving involved and hustling kids from town to town for games. It's hardly manageable with two boys playing on two different teams, but everyone seems to love the experience. I just hope they pick up some ball-handling skills along the way.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:03 AM CST [Link]

Tuesday, June 10, 2003

KEN WINDHOLZ

I want to make a few remarks about Ken Windholz that may give you an idea of his connection to our students and the community.

Ken is a fine young man, by all accounts, and we are fortunate to have him here. He wants to remain in Ellsworth and make this his home. I hope he is able to do that.

I have concluded from my observations as a life-long resident of Ellsworth and from listening to others that there are two basic categories of head coaches. One is the career coach whose concern is advancement in his chosen profession and they seldom remain in one place very long. If it looks like there will be little chance of winning, they will be looking for a job elsewhere. Second are those who want to become part of a community and still coach; Ken is in that category. The pressures that accompany coaching make it hard to succeed at the second. Often staying in a community means giving up coaching or becoming an assistant.

Others close to Ken have told me how hard Ken works to build a quality program. I saw a lot of that yesterday when I visited his conditioning class. There may be coaches out there who will out coach him, but it will not be because they outworked him. I should think that our greatest hope for the youth of this community is that Ken will be able to remain here and continue doing what he likes: coaching young people to be more fit, to be better athletes, and to be better young men and women. Everyone likes to win and none more than Ken; however, with Ken I am convinced that our youth will win in long term regardless of the score at the end of the game. I'm proud to have my grandsons in his programs of conditioning and football. They can only become better young men because of their association with him.

In addition, he and his wife, Jill, are going to have a baby any day now. It is an event for all of us to look forward to for them. We wish them the very best.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:22 AM CST [Link]

TACKLING THE GARAGE

Today the grandsons and I are tackling our garage. We (I use that word liberally…it is actually “they”) are moving stuff off the floor, scrubbing and putting a liberal amount of Thompson’s Water Seal on it. It hasn’t had a new coating for many years and I think it’s time has come.

Our grandsons are splendid workers and have the time now to help us play catch up during the week. On weekends they play MAYB basketball all over the state. During the winter months, things around here slide.

Yesterday they operated on a huge group of junipers that are supposed to be next to our driveway to form a break from the highway. They had actually grown to become “the” driveway and were about to devour the house. They needed to be contained and put back where they were supposed to be. That area looks so much better now. I just stood and gazed at it when the boys were finished with their work…which was two pick up loads of trimmings and 4 hours later. It was a lot of hard work getting it back in shape. Now we can find the driveway.

The boys have conditioning at 6 a.m., the time for football squad members, and then they come here to work. That makes a long day of physical exertion for them but they don’t seem to get tired. They always ask for more work at a time I’m about to drop just from watching them work. They need the work and money and we need their help. I'm just grateful they are so willing and good-natured about it as many kids aren't. They are good kids...and very special to us.

I notice my times designated for my blogs are an hour off. The time is an hour ahead of where it should be. I'll have to go someplace and find a manual switch to throw to get it right, but that can wait. It's 7:50 and the garage calls

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:48 AM CST [Link]

MACKENZIE'S BLOG

Being a summer intern working in the D.C. area of one of the country's more interesting institutions...the National Institute of Science and Technology....commonly referred to as "NIST" ... has to be an exciting adventure for a young woman from Kansas. NIST is where all the standards for the U.S. are established. All the research and technology standards for industry are formulated here. It's the old Bureau of Standards that has expanded its scope and direction.

Anyway, she is having some interesting experiences at work and during her free time. Sunday evening she met for the first time my namesake, Peggy, and her husband, Bill, who showed her the heart of D.C. It's an interesting story and if you care to read it, along with her other blogs, you can find it at MACKENZIE. She's really taking advantage of the time she is there and having a good time in the process.

Her blogs are pretty brief compared to mine and she doesn't have much time to write.

She is also finding a different church to attend each Sunday and hopes to attend as many as possible while she is there. She has a little cult following of friends here who anxiously await to see which church she selects the following week. She has the one picked out for next Sunday but isnt telling us which it is. I'm guessing it is the National Cathedral, but we shall see.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:17 AM CST [Link]

Monday, June 9, 2003

SUMMER CONDITIONING PROGRAM....A FEW MORE THINGS

Watching the high school wrestling team perform, where you can see broad, thick shoulders and bulging biceps up close, will make you wonder where these young kids get all those muscles.

Think what has happened to the game of basketball. Once it was strictly a game of finesse and the slightest physical contact resulted in a foul. It was played by tall, lanky young men and women with hardly a muscle showing. Basketball today is a physical contact sport with big strong men and women playing the game. It seems apparent that to compete in athletics one first has to be strong and well-conditioned, and following that, finesse and the fine points of the game can to be perfected.

How did all of this change in physical stature occur?

I think the best thing I can suggest to you to understand this transformation is to take a look at the summer conditioning program that helps make physically well-conditioned bodies out of spindly kids. You can experience this by going to the high school and taking a look for yourselves. I think you will be very impressed by what you see.

From the high school parking lot you will see open doors to the weight room with high and middle school students sweat-less walking in and dripping wet coming out. You’ll see students coming and going between 6:00 and 8:30 a.m. MWF and evenings 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. MW.

Inside you will find a room full of eager kids, working together, spotting each other, lifting weights and doing other conditioning exercises in clean and jerk, squats, footwork drills, jumps, dips, chin-ups, hang cleans and other such terminology I am uncertain about. There is an overall list for each participant showing his or her progress every nine weeks in each event. It’s impressive. It’s rewarding when students can see improvements they have made each period. They receive encouragement from coaches and peers giving the program its own momentum, energy and strength.

Football coach Ken Windholz is in charge. You’ll also find others instructing students in procedures and safety. Today Jerry Marsh and Clay Manes were there. Bernie Schulte and Tina Bruning were casual drop-ins. I forgot to ask if any of the women teachers also help with the coaching.

This free weight program offers a wonderful opportunity for everyone to participate regardless of ability. A weight program that will be both physically and mentally beneficial can be designed for anyone of any age. Working with free weights can lead to improved balance and allows doing multiple exercises, with greater range of movement, such as walking lunges. It helps individuals gain self-confidence and makes them feel better about themselves and their abilities. It instills in our youth life-long exercise and eating habits that are so important in combating illnesses later in life.

“The program does not do for people; it does however give them a great opportunity to do for themselves. Trey Coats perhaps availed himself of that opportunity far more than most. It is an opportunity we need to make sure remains available to our students”, according to Jerry Marsh. Trey is on the leader board with 64 dips and 37 chin-ups, records that will be very difficult to beat. He has done an outstanding job and is an inspiration to others.

Also, according to Marsh, “much PE time in the lower grades has been lost due to lack of money. It is a loss that we need to try to repair. Young people need physical activity, especially boys.” For anyone interested, everyone in the district has access to the equipment during the hours devoted to conditioning.

I didn’t count all the participants this morning but it would appear there were about 30 boys and 15 girls from the high school and 25 middle school students. There are about 140 boys and 53 girls who regularly participate in the program. A few recent graduates stopped in to work their muscles back into shape.

In July, the program will step up to five mornings a week as students gear up for football and other fall athletic programs. The football boys go for training at 6:00 a.m. each morning. It’s important that these athletes be in top physical condition to play ball as their opponents certainly will be. To win ball games, players have to be in good physical shape. If they lose, think about how much more they would have lost by had they not been in good shape.

The walls are full of outstanding achievement awards in strength and conditioning. Some of the names on the list for 350 squats were Dustin Wacker, Ben Vague, Micah Steinike, Charlie Parsons, Caleb Svaty, Will Hymer, Drew Miley and Jared Jewell.

Names frequently seen on the Ladycat records are Lindsey Stevens, Mindy Parry, Kim Wright and Sara Goddard. And for the Bearcat board you’ll find Bill Finke, Ian Gray, Charlie Parsons and Trey Coats hold some of the top records.

There is a 600# club achieved by Lindsey Stevens, Maggie Finke and Sara Parsons. The Ladycat Top 5 has 62 names with many repeats. The Bearcat Top 5 1000# club has 13 certificates displayed.

There were 7th graders getting their first lessons in free weights today. They were a little wobbly but you just know they will advance fast through repetitions and soon be on the boards. Weight training can benefit anyone if it is adjusted to fit individual needs. It makes a difference and I can certainly see that in my two grandsons, my next door neighbors kids, and a good many other kids about town who have made the effort and proved something to themselves about the importance of good physical condition.

One observation made was that there is talk about doing away with the wrestling program. Those whose sons participate in the program and others certainly don’t agree with that. And, consideration must also be given to the fact that if the wrestling program were discontinued, several students have indicated they will transfer to Lyons which means a decrease in enrollment for EHS and money lost from the budget…more money lost that the program costs.

We need to provide athletic opportunities for our students and the students must understand the necessity to be in good condition, but that necessity must come from within and be self-motivated. It is a state of mind that must be nurtured.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:59 PM CST [Link]

ELLSWORTH HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER CONDITIONING PROGRAM AND LA PRAIRIE, ETC.

Muscles, good health habits, life-time skills are being built every morning and evening in the high school weight room. I went there this morning to see for myself and I was very impressed. I want to tell you about it, but right now I have two grandsons coming to help me out with household and yard chores so I'll have to save it for this evening when I have more time.

I was pleased to see the growing list of boys who have signed up for football and are doing special conditioning exercises at 6:00 a. m. each morning for Coach Ken Windholz. That's dedication.

Meantime, if you are downtown today and have a few minutes to spare, stop in to see Lori Park at La Prairie. You might find something in her store to buy for $5.00 to help us on our mission of "June Make a Difference Month" for her. It’s good to support our local businesses as they really make an all out effort to help the town. We need to reciprocate as frequently as we can.

I am impressed with the quality of tech support from Classic Cable. I've only managed to get one arrogant guy who was distracted and bored with offering help. But Machele, Scott and Stacie have been wonderful. I think there were a couple others whose names I didn't get. Scott helped me enormously to get some of my Outlook/Classicnet.net problems cleared up. He followed me through my explanation of problems and logically came up with some solutions that appear to be working. Finally, I'm able to do a little of that myself, but I have a long way to go. I'm not about to explore my registry in win 2000. It's great not to be afraid to try new things while exploring and problem-solving. Now, if I could get my Explorer to work.

Larry Adamek is going to come by and help us reassemble our refrigerator we have in the garage. For some reason the glass shelf that came out during the process of cleaning expanded by a half inch or so in the warm water and is now too large to go back in where it should. Well, that's what appears to have happened! It's exasperating. Anyway, neither Brit nor I can bend over for very long, him because of his neck and me because of my back. We're a lame twosome to try doing anything like cleaning a kiw cupboard or the floor if it's below waist level, as most floors and low cupboards are. Old age ain't for sissies. Thank goodness for willing grandsons.

It's another beautiful day. We need to take advantage of these nice days while we can.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:41 AM CST [Link]

Saturday, June 7, 2003

DAS BORELL HAUS PHONE NUMBER

People notice the most unusual things sometimes, but usually there is a reason they do. I received a note from Merril Teller, the Wichita weather man, informing me that I had transposed two numbers in the phone number for the Das Borel Haus Bed and Breakfast in Wilson. It's been corrected and I thank him. It's been up there for a year and finally someone noticed the mistake.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:22 PM CST [Link]

Friday, June 6, 2003

LA PRAIRIE....MAKE A DIFFERENCE IS WORKING!

Our Make a Difference request of all our readers to stop in La Prairie and purchase something from her during the month of June that costs $5.00 (or more if you like) is working. Let's spread the word that this helps our local economy, helps La Prairie and Lori continue doing what they do for our town and is good for everyone. Encourage your friends to stop in and see the wide variety of items she has in this price range. Remember to sign the sheet on the filing cabinet in the back.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:34 PM CST [Link]

END OF THE TABLE STORY

You remember the tale of the state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line-redwood picnic table Brit bought at Dryden Hardware about 38 or 39 years ago? The one that has been in constant use since then? The one that repeatedly flipped people off the benches? The same one that I said was out in our driveway for anyone to take off our hands?

Well, there's more to the story.

Yesterday Brit loaded it all on the back of his pickup truck. This is no ordinary pick up truck, it just looks like one. It's not a real truck. There isn't anywhere to haul stuff in it. It has a fake bed with a lid. You might get a small sack of groceries in it if you tried hard.

So as not to be deterred, he just laid this monster upside down on the top of the lid that covers his "bed". He put the benches and other accessories on top of that. He doesn't even tie it down or do anything logical like that. He just points the truck down the driveway toward the dump when I remind him the dump wasn't open. "It's always open", he replies. Well, I knew it wasn't open on Thursdays for anything other than tree branch "stuff". I know. We had gone through that last Thursday when we mired two trucks in our backyard. Men are hard to convince.

Well, he headed to the dump with this mass of redwood forest perched precariously on the rear end of whatever this vehicle is that he drives. I knew it would slide off on the highway, cause some kind of monstrous wreck and there he'd be... explaining all this mess, probably from a local jail cell. I just hoped his one call wouldn't be to me!

He made it there but was turned away...the dump was closed and not receiving ancient redwood picnic tables that day. Hummm.

Following that we had ¾” of rain. That was on top of inches of rain. Everything is water-logged. Petunias are crying for lifevests. EVERYONE in town knows you don’t go to the dump after a heavy rain. Our grandsons told him not to go to the dump today or he’d get stuck. There were admonitions from everyone about the inadvisability of trying to drive on the clay-based, gravel-less, slick as slime dump roads today. "You'll just get stuck!", they all screamed. Those words fell on “deaf ears”…pun intended.

Today we watched as he headed out again. I could see disaster looming on the horizon so, fearing the worst, and not wanting to "get involved" with a deranged partner, my brother-in-law and I got in my car and went to Wilson as it seemed a safe thing to do. We needed bacon and all those good things from Koettner's anyway. When we came home, his truck was in the driveway, it seemed to be in sound shape and the picnic table was no where to be seen.

As his luck would have it, he got to the gate of the dump where Jim Warta just happened to be biding his time with his big, real truck. He had a plan for this remarkable table with a history so they just loaded it on Jim’s truck and that was that. I’m sure Jim will use it for another 25 years out in his pasture and then someone else will inherit it. I should have written my name on the underneath side.

How can some guys be so lucky?

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

FRUSTRATION WITH DELL

Well, I can tell you right now that dealing with Dell tech service is not the piece of cake it was the last time I called, which was a couple of years ago. At that time, someone in Atlanta …or close to home…talked me through a problem. It was an easy operation. But, despite this, I doubt I would ever own anything other than a Dell.

Wednesday afternoon I needed help again as my media player skips when I play CDs. I figured the simple thing would be to replace the DVD/CD drive. After calling an entire bank of numbers that once worked, I tried a whole new bank of numbers trying to find one that actually took me where I wanted to go. Why do they put Os and 0s in service codes? How do you know if it is a zero or a capital O?

At last I got a techie to help me. Whew! What a relief. Only…I ended up with Maria who was in Manila in the Philippines. Her English wasn’t all that bad if we were having a casual conversation, but we weren’t and it was very difficult to understand when we are “spelling” stuff. She was very, very, very slow and kept leaving to go check to see what to do next. Once I figured it must be her lunch break. She’d be gone ten or twelve minutes, then come back and "hummm". She hummed a lot. She never explained what she was having me do and since I was in the registry, where I really fear to tread without holding a secure hand, it was very stressful.

Things can be bad on a computer, but they can usually always get worse. That’s what I was thinking. When she left the third time to go see what to do next while I listened to elevator music and Dell propaganda, I was fifteen minutes into the wait and the music and propaganda stopped. The phone went dead. She got disconnected at her end. I waited for her to call me. They say that’s why they want your phone number. Well she never did call. I was connected with her for an hour and forty-five minutes and didn’t fix anything. I'm glad I wasn't paying for the call.

I started all over again with Dell and all the numbers before me. It’s NOT EASY. By the time I got a real person who told me he would forward me to another real person who dealt with the business side of Dell computers, it turned out to be a wrong number. I tried again and by this time, they had shut down for the day as it was 5:00. I wasn’t livid as I wanted to be, but I was sure frustrated. I wasted an entire afternoon on it.

Having had a good night’s sleep and feeling rested, I tried again yesterday. Navigating their phone system is very exasperating. This time I found Madhu, just waiting for me in the southern part of India. I kid you not. Her English was worse than Maria’s but she was a heck of a lot sharper. She at least said she’d call me back if we got disconnected. She was helpful, she knew what Maria had done in my registry and explained it, but nothing helped. She did try but whatever my problem is was beyond her as well. She was very nice, sent me some emails on suggestions to try and I probably will hear from her again. All this because my Windows Media Player “skips”.

Today, my new Classic Cable worked then wouldn’t work. I've set and reset my "settings" so many times I can do it in my sleep. I figured something at my end was wrong as cable surely should not experience the same problems I've had with phone line connections. I couldn’t get or receive mail. I fiddled with all the settings again and still no mail. It worked last night so I called Classic Cable support. I had not been pleased with them either on previous calls, but today VOILA! I got Michelle who is a genius with computers. She and a partner own the company that does the contract work for Classic. She was a gem and had all the patience in the world. We went through a bunch of settings then she asked me if she could help me with anything else……..well, yes, I said…my Internet Explorer doesn’t work. She took me places I hadn’t been and then we decided to download it again. That didn’t work either so we decided I’d have to be happy with Netscape as a browser. Things could be worse. She was such a delight and did such a fine job…she made my Friday. Thanks Michelle.

Oh…the reason my mail wasn’t working is that Classic Cable had been repeatedly spammed and they finally just shut the system down. I guess you have no way of knowing that unless you call.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:34 PM CST [Link]

THIRD ANNUAL SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT

The Ellsworth Recreation Department is hosting the Third Annual Coed Softball Tournament on Saturday, June 21, 2003, beginning at 8:00 a.m., at the Ellsworth Recreation Department's softball complex. All proceeds will benefit the Ellsworth Correctional Facility's Spiritual Life Center project. There is a three game guarantee and T-shirts will be awarded to tournament champions and runners-up. Registration is limited to the first 12 teams and players can only play on one team.

Entry deadline is June 13, 2003. Entry fee is $100 per team. For additional information, please contact Ronnie Tenbrink, Ellsworth Recreation Director, at 785-472-4123.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:08 PM CST [Link]

Wednesday, June 4, 2003

MANDATORY

I just made a new rule. Let's make that a "Universal Rule for Committee Members". Stated thusly: anyone serving on a committee or board of directors is absolutely required to have a computer with e-mail and also a phone with an answering machine. No exceptions.

Whew. That would simplify my life.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:28 PM CST [Link]

Tuesday, June 3, 2003

MARTHA STEWART

They are going after Martha Stewart. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Despite all I know about her...even in a personal sense from those who have worked for her...I do enjoy her show when I happen to see it, which I will admit is very rarely. My guess is she had inside information to sell her stock. That's not a good thing.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:43 PM CST [Link]

LA PRAIRIE...JUNE MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONTH

As a suggestion, stop in La Prairie and buy something for $5.00 or more and let us see if enough people will do that to make a difference in her sales. It's a good thing to do sometime during the month of June. Sign the list of other Make a Difference customers that is on her filing cabinet in the back of her store.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:37 PM CST [Link]

DRYDEN HARDWARE TOP-OF-THE-LINE REDWOOD TABLE

No one has come to claim the antique redwood table that is in our driveway. I had hoped it would have disappered by now.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:33 PM CST [Link]

HONORABLE IRA E. LLOYD 130TH ANNIVERSARY SOCIAL

June 27th, in the year 1873, Ira E. Lloyd came to Ellsworth, Kansas to set up his law practice. A lawyer friend of his, formerly from the East, recommended Lloyd to move to this booming cattle town, stating that the town itself, located on the Chisholm Trail, was “red hot:” it’s streets filled with Texas cattleman, their pockets bulging with money. Ellsworth was at that time knows as the wickedest town in the West where murders were a daily occurrence. In fact, one paper was known to have expressed this fact by stating, “As we go to press, Hell is still in session in Ellsworth.”

Lloyd’s first office was located on North Main Street, which was downtown Ellsworth at that time. In the fall of 1874, Lloyd was elected County Attorney, serving two consecutive two-year terms. In 1877, while he was County Attorney, Lloyd prosecuted Billy Thompson for the killing of Sheriff Whitney. He was also elected to one and one half terms as Kansas State Senator in 1887.

Law was not Lloyd’s only interest. He built his luxurious ranch house just each of present-day Ellsworth, along Oak Creek, and was widely known for his fine Thoroughbred racing horses. He owned a race track north of Ellsworth and competed in area Trotter races.

The Honorable Ira E. Lloyd passed away at the age of 77 on April 29, 1928.

The re-live those days-gone-by, the Historic Ira E. Lloyd House has created what life might have been like on the Lloyd Ranch in the late 1800s: from the historic home of Ira E. Lloyd, furnished with period furniture, to gentleman and Victorian ladies, to the Maid of the House, to the working cowboys in the Bunk House. High Tea will be served in the house, and beans in the Bunk House.

Saturday, June 28, 2003 from 2:00 – 5:00 pm all are welcome to come and socialize with our ladies, gents, and cowboys. Enjoy touring the historic home and bunkhouse and take a scenic look around the grounds. Also included in the days’ activities are Mr. Lloyd telling the story of his life, Billy Thompson returning to relate his own harrowing experience with Ellsworth, and Mr. Lloyd’s close friends and cattlemen, Captain E.B. Millet recalling the days when the drover was king of the range.

Hosts for the celebration are Dennis and Clovia Katzenmeier. This event is also a fundraiser for the restoration of the Historic Insurance Building in downtown Ellsworth. The building is in dire need of saving, and donations will be taken at the door to help support this cause.

For more information contact: Clovia Katzenmeier
1575 Avenue JJ
Ellsworth, KS 67439
(785) 472-5100

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:39 PM CST [Link]

Monday, June 2, 2003

IT WAS A GOOD GUESS ABOUT DRYDEN'S HARDWARE

A friend wrote after reading my blog about the table Brit bought at Dryden's Hardware to say that she was married 39 years ago and remembers Dryden's quite well. It seems she had a rather large wedding and many of the wedding gifts came from Dryden’s. That was back in the days when brides didn’t really register and you got duplicates of everything, most of which came from the same store. I remember getting five of those shiny chrome Sunbeam toasters that were so popular in the 50s. (I wish I had one now).

Anyway, when my friend tried to return some of the gifts where she had as many as six duplicates, one of the Dryden employees, not the owners, chewed her out for returning them as she thought she ought to keep all of them. It was shortly after that when they closed their doors. That was about 38 years ago.

Jill and Bob Dryden moved to New Mexico with their children. Jimmy Dryden, brother of Bob, took his pottery talents and business and moved to Hot Springs Arkansas. The mother of the two boys, Alice Dryden, a dear friend of many, finally moved to the Good Samaritan Center where she remained active for several years.

The table and benches are topside now, in our driveway, waiting for a new happy home. It anyone wants the table, it could be fixed rather easily…if you’re handier than the handyman I have. The benches are very iffy. That furniture was state of the art cutting edge gorgeous almost 40 years ago. Brit said the entire set probably cost $25.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:42 PM CST [Link]

WILSON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BREAKFAST WEDNESDAY

Brian Boisvert of the Wilson Chamber of Commerce asks that you join him and others this Wednesday, June 4th for their monthly breakfast. The featured speaker this month is Rep. Joshua Svaty of the 108th district.

Rep. Svaty will give an update on the 2003 legislative session along with sharing his experience as a freshman legislator.

That will be this Wednesday, June 4th at Als’ bar and Grill on Main Street in Wilson. Doors open at 7:30 and the meeting will be from 8:00am to 9:00am.

This is a good opportunity to hear Josh and to meet others who are interested in the legislative processes. If you have never attended one of these breakfasts, I think you would enjoy going. They usually have very interesting speakers and it's nice to meet other people who attend.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:23 PM CST [Link]

BLOGGING AND CLASSIC CABLE

One of the frustrating things for me about blogging is that frequently I have typed a long entry only to lose it because I became disconnected from the internet. It was very frustrating as it meant lost hours, and I dislike that almost as much as anything. To do something over, after having done it right once, is exasperating to me.

Enter Classic Cable in my life. I no longer have that old worry to contend with. I am connected all the time, even during storms. Mark said if my modem fries during a storm, he'll just come put a new one in for me. Now that's service. Technically, it belongs to them and it comes with their service. That's a heck of a deal.

The only thing it doesn't speed up is the time it takes to rebuild my weblog files. The more I write, the longer it takes to rebuild them, which I try to do every day. This is entry #341 so I've put a lot of words here. And you can't do anything else during the rebuilding procedure. Even touching the mouse can cause havoc...so I go do laundry or something.

I've long wished that Ellsworth had fiber optic lines into town. Josh Svaty was on the committee to explore SBC and their fiber optic requests. He was on top of it. I personally don't think that will be a possibility for us for a very long time. The cost is just too great at the present time and the technology is difficult. But, I really hope my grandchildren have that advantage at some point in their lives as it will be 100 times faster than cable....and cable is so much better than dial up. It's wonderful. At least my experience with it since last Thursday has been great.

And their support people are very helpful. They seem to remember me when I call....I suppose it's because I blew up their system nationwide. That would incline one to remember.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:25 AM CST [Link]

A LOT OF RAIN

Yesterday, grandson Drew spent all day...the third such day...clearing the area and planting flowers for me on a steep area by the west side of the house. This has been a major project for him and he's done a splendid job with it.

After many runs to Morford's for more plants to even out the project, late yesterday afternoon we proclaimed it was finished. I took a positive stance and just let it be. I knew I should do something to contain the soil should it rain, but decided to give nature a chance to balance itself. I figured it would make it sturdy, if it survived.

Last night I was awakened by the sound of the first drop of rain to land on the fully saturated garden. Soon after I was sure I could hear the roar of the landslide of shrubs, plants and soil rushing to the creek taking the cottonwood trees along with it in its destructive path. As it continued to rain, harder and harder, I was more convinced all of Drew's hard work was floating down the Smoky. Even the gentle rain that followed, that was so delightful, aroused visions of a canyon left by the torrents. One more thing to contend with today...our house hanging over a precipice! I just couldn't bring myself to go look at the damage last night.

But, first thing this morning, long before sunup, I was out to inspect the damage. And I found it isn't all that bad after all. He did a great job packing the soil around the plants and they held tight, despite their roots still being all square or round-shaped from the containers they were in. Maybe they will spread out today and take hold. They need anchors quickly as it looks as if it could start raining again.

So, we may have flowers after all. Maybe.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:11 AM CST [Link]

DRYDEN HARDWARE

We have a redwood picnic table on our patio that has been on its last leg for a very long time. Every time I've suggested replacing it, it has mysteriously received a new coat of stain so that it didn't look quite so disreputable. Regardless, the table and the benches have been tipsy for a long time. They were tipsy 26 years ago when my sister and her family came to visit and we tried to use it. I remember that part, because one of my niece’s ended upside down on the ground after trying to negotiate one of the benches.

The other day I once again said we needed a new table. Just a small wrought iron table with four chairs. “Who's going to use it?” I was asked. Well, someone might just wander by and sit there, I replied. We’ve had people do that after all. He countered with the usual, “I just don't think we need a new table.” I suggested the next time he passed that way he should try sitting on one of the benches. The wheels on the table have been off for years and he used those to balance the table so everything didn’t run off one end of it.

Yesterday he says, “I think we need a new table for the patio. All the redwood legs have dry rot. It’s dangerous.” Then there was a long silence. He asked me if I remembered where he got that table and, of course, I hadn't the faintest idea. I just knew it had been in the family a long time, far longer than it should have been. “I bought it at Dryden's Hardware”, he said. “Yes, that is where I bought it. I remember distinctly.” Well, I’d bet my life that he is right about it. He remembers things like that. And I recall that at the time, it was sort of the cutting edge in patio furniture.

Someone is going to have to help me out here, but I think Dryden’s Hardware, which was for many years a mainstay in downtown Ellsworth, has been closed all of 40 years, at least. They were a wonderful family, the Dryden's.

A new table is our mission for today….and disposing of the old one.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:48 AM CST [Link]