Kansas Prairie Archives for August 2003

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Sunday, August 31, 2003

CAP'N ALLEN

My friend, Cap'n Allen, who lives 10 miles south of Rozell just wrote to say "there has been anywhere from 4 to 8.50 inches of rain out here in the past 2 ½ days." Today’s weather", he reports, is "drizzle and in the upper 50’s/ lower 60’s."

That's soggy weather for doves. I'd be in my little dove house if I were a dove.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:24 PM CST [Link]

FRESH AIR AND ASSORTED THINGS

I'm trying to pump all the stale air from our house and let in a lot of the fresh stuff we have surrounding us now. Nothing is better, imo, than clean air after a good rain...or while it is raining. Artificial cooling and heating does something to air...ruins it some how. Filters don't do that much good either. I know we can't really survive in Kansas without it, but I wish there were a way. Ocean air is the best!

It was cool enough today that I thought I'd brew up a batch of vegetable soup. I put almost every veggie known to man in it and figger it's good for us. We go through a lot of soup in this household. I also baked a pan of sour cream brownies laden with walnut halves and noticed a big bowl of that and chocolate chip ice cream just pass by me. He said it's easy to cook. Someone is hungry.

I thought the accident and the tragic loss of life of the Marquette boys would make the first page of the Journal. Not so. I think there have been so many teenage fatal car accidents in recent months that they are not "news" and relegated to obscure places toward the back of the paper. Such a tragic loss of life.

My plan to read my mail on the server is working pretty well. There hasn't been that much of it, but there is a preponderance of virus-laden mail still coming my way. I had a letter from a friend in Florida last night who said she had worms crawling all over her computer and was stymied as to how to remedy the problem. (She wrote me on another computer to tell me of her dilemma.)

Brit said they had 6" of rain down toward Emporia where 35 washed out last night. Seven cars were swept off the highway and four people were killed, according to early reports.

Our dove hunting friends might find the terrain rather soupy for scaring up birds. I don't know...there are so many doves, maybe they just use the gun stock and whack them. We feed them and try to keep them around. Different strokes!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:20 PM CST [Link]

COMPANY'S COMIN'

We have friends, slightly older than we are, who, annually, go dove hunting around Rozell. I think it is Rozell that is close to Larned. I guess you could say they like to hunt dove.

The good part is that they are going to stop and visit with us today. We've been friends since 1945 and that's a long time to remain good friends...and hunt dove. They live in Kansas City so we don't see much of them anymore. It will be fun and we're looking forward to it.

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

STRANGE SOUNDS OUT OF A FOX

I was dead asleep last night when I woke up to the strange sounds of somethingorother underneath my bedroom window. Loud sounds, "sort of" like a tom cat but not exactly. I couldn't decide whether to just flip on the spot lights or go downstairs for my tape recorder.

After pausing only slightly about which way to turn, I flipped on all the outdoor spot lights to see what could be making such a sound. It was our fox standing right below me where I could see it clearly.

I always thought fox "yipped" and I think they do, but this one was wailing or something. More a call of distress but it was frisky and nothing was after it. We frquently have fox in the yard, both day and night, and this is the first time I've heard this kind of sound out of one of them. In case you are "thinkin' it", it definitely WAS NOT a mountain lion/cougar.

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

Saturday, August 30, 2003

RADIO LOVERS.COM

I found the neatest compilations of old radio programs that you can ever imagine. You can listen to old time radio shows on line...free. It has complete programs, not just excerpts.

There are the old comedy shows: Abbott & Costello | Amos & Andy | A Date with Judy | Barrel of Fun | Benny Goodman | Bob Hope Show | Blondie | Evening with George Burns | Camel Comedy | More..

And westerns: Hopalong Cassidy| Death Valley Days | Gene Autry | Gunsmoke | More

And mysteries: Boris Karloff | Cloak and Dagger | Dark Venture | More..

Lots of big band music.

If you want to re-live some of those days when we sat around the radio listening to Abbott and Costello and Blondie, or hear what it was like before the advent of T.V., just CLICK HERE.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:26 PM CST [Link]

MARQUETTE TEENS KILLED IN WRECK

From EBCLink.com

by Todd Pittenger

"A Friday evening collision between 2 pickups near Lindsborg killed pair of teens from Marquette, and badly injured a third. According to the Mcpherson County Sheriff's Office, 15-year-old Brady Jones of Marquette was driving northbound in a Dodge Dakota pickup on 12th Avenue near the intersection of Shawnee Road in McPherson County, when he crossed into the path and collided with a pickup driven by 57-year-old Duane Johnson of Lindsborg. The Sheriff's Office says that 16-year-old Jeffrey Hopp of Marquette died at the scene, and that 15-year-old Michael Graham of Marquette later died at Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita. Brady Jones was airlifted to Wichita as well, and is listed in serious condition. Duane Johnson was taken to Memorial Hospital in Lindsborg. The accident happened at around 5:00 Friday evening."

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:01 PM CST [Link]

PEOPLE ARE LAPPING UP THE MEXICAN FOOD IN KANOPOLIS

We fell in the Mexican food line, quite by accident, behind the rest of our Ellsworth family. We even found a place where we could sit together. The food was exceptionally good today, we thought...particularly the hot tamales which contained a lot of lean pork.

The grandsons went back for seconds. I noticed #3 grandson had three tostados with meat, three hot tamales and 2 bowls of beans. There is no filling up that kid. It will coast him until they arrive at the football stadium where I'm sure they will tailgate and pull out more food. I'd like to see him level off at about 6"5" and 210#. He would be happy with that and so would #2, but the latter seems to have stopped growing. Right now #2 and #3 are at 140# (each...but you sometimes wonder) while #3 is taller at 6' 3" and still growing.

They have very good homemade pie at the fiesta which might require another jaunt over there tonight. It's a nice celebration they put on requiring many hour of preparation. I hope people aren't deterred by the rain and still show their support for a good cause.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:50 PM CST [Link]

VIRUSES ARE RUNNING RAMPANT

I don't know about you, but I've been deluged with virus laden letters with attachments. Every time I download my mail, I get 6 or 8 infected letters in each batch. Multiply that by the number of times I download mail and you get the idea of the number.

And, there is the worry associated with downloading mail. One slip of a click with one of those pieces of mail and my computer is doomed. All of this, whether deserved or not, I'm laying squarely at the feet of 18 year old thoughtless, self-absorbed 'teekid' for unleashing a version of "Blaster" computer worm. Jeffrey Lee Parson created one of the worst outbreaks this year and I hope he pays a heavy price for it He could face up to 10 years in prison and be fined $250,000. Compared to the millions of dollars of damage he caused, that's a small price to pay for his brand of "fun".

Having vented that, there is a way to ward off potential disaster and I've resorted to that, even if it is inconvenient. I just download my mail on my server and get rid of the bad mail there. That way it never gets to my machine. The "good" mail I want to save, I download to my machine.

For you classic net subscribers, you can go to mail.classicnet.net, feed in your user name and password and deal with your mail worry free. Inconvenient, but worry free. This should clear up eventually, but right now everyone is having this problem. Other ISPs work the same way.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:13 PM CST [Link]

LINDSBORG TRAGEDY

I heard earlier today there was a tragedy involving either two or three Lindsborg high school football players following practice yesterday. I haven't found anything on the news services yet... I hope it isn't true, but I'm afraid it is.

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

GUERRILLA WARFARE

Senator Pat Roberts says this country's military presence in Iraq is taking a new path. Namely, the troops are fighting guerrilla warfare instead of a direct war.

And I think it will go on, and on, and on....costing us billions.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:20 AM CST [Link]

RURAL TASK FORCE AND SCOTT MOORE

Governors throughout our state’s history have appointed task forces to study special issues concerning the state. All had good intentions but frequently the information they gathered just found a place with the dust on some shelf.

A new Rural Life Task Force has been announced by Gov. Sebelius. What makes this so special is that two dynamic people are co-chairing the group…Dan Nagengast and Marci Penner. They are very representative of rural Kansas and have proven track records among rural communities and rural Kansans.

Dan Nagengast is executive director of the Kansas Rural Center in Lawrence. His group promotes family farms and sustainable agriculture.

Marci Penner, executive director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, Inman, promotes rural communities and educates people about Kansas.

The 42 member board will examine issues relating to our schools, health care, and community access to the latest technology. Economic issues will also be examined.

Scott Moore, Ellsworth city administrator, has been named to the board. Others on the board from our area are: Laura McClure, Osborne; Gary Hobbie, Russell; Gary Gore, Great Bend; John R. Cyr and John Osse, Beloit.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:05 AM CST [Link]

WATER. WATER. WATER.

Driving home from Russell last night reminded me of what it must be like in a tropical rain forest. It has been a very long time since I've seen the skies open up as they did west of Wilson. All that water was an uncommon sight.

It reminded me of that vehicular proverb: People who drive in glass autos shouldn't have bones. There was almost no "drag factor" on the Interstate. With that kind of water on the highway, there is a substantial decrease in the amount of friction that can be generated between the roadway and the tires of a vehicle. It's easy to hydroplane under those conditions. And, I've been told you never use a cruise control under those situations.

Wilsonites might be bailing out this morning as it appeared they had lots of rain in the afternoon. The fields "were running", as they say. The additional rains last night had to make things very soggy.

It drizzled here all night...the kind of rain that does a lot of good. Now, if it just continues! Well, maybe it could stop long enough for the outdoor activities at the Fiesta. The "real" food is inside so rain won't matter.

We'll also hope the rains will help the state's economy which tends to lag from six months to a year behind the national one, according to our Governor.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:18 AM CST [Link]

Friday, August 29, 2003

THE HISTORY OF KANOPOLIS...IN THE MAKING. JESSE MANNING.

My friend, Jesse Manning, and I spent many hours this summer visiting about things large and small. One item in particular dealt with the "history of Kanopolis".

Since I wasn't aware of written history in existence, I asked if he would "put something together" for my website, which is very lacking in that area. History is a subject that I've noticed Jesse has become increasingly interested in. He took my suggestion and ran with it.

You'll find on my website the first part, or preface, of what I expect eventually will become an in-depth history of Kanopolis. Appropriately, it's under the heading of "Kanopolis" on the navigation bar on the left.

It is going to be a wonderful experience reading the material he is compiling. This first segment will give you an idea of his ability to choose his words carefully, words that come from his heart.

As Jesse said to me, "... here's what could easily be called the preface for my history of Kanopolis.... I'd love to have questions, comments, or suggestions. This is the first of what will be a long series of updates - as you can tell from this passage, a full history may be a lengthy process, though that's the route I want to take...I've got to do it right. Let me know what you think about it."

I hope you'll read what he wrote then write Jesse and let him know what you think. It's a masterful beginning and we want it to continue.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:42 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, August 28, 2003

IT'S FIESTA TIME!

Kanopolis is the place to be on Saturday. It's fiesta time...and that means tacos, tostados, hot tamales and American food, for the uninitiated. Serving starts and 11:00 a.m. and continues throughout the day. With careful timing, you can eat at 11:00 and return again about 6:00.

It is held in the basement and on the grounds of the Catholic Church. Follow the cars.

If you linger all day, you are bound to see almost everyone who lives in Ellsworth County. It’s a favorite county event and a good thing for Kanopolis. Great food always draws crowds.

There will be Mass at 4:00 and, following that, events for the kids and bingo for all. It’s nice to sit around and visit, particularly if the weather cooperates. I hope they will be serving pie again this year. If so, you'll find it outside next to the hamburgers.

Starting at 8:30, after all the food has been devoured, you can dance in the Community Center to the music of The Eclipse.

Your support for this event would be appreciated.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:36 AM CST [Link]

SARAH GRACE

I miss visiting with my friend Sarah Grace! I haven't seen her since she started her new job. I know she is around somewhere doing good things. Well, the best proof that she's still in our neighborhood is that her parents are still hovering around my website. That's nice.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:27 AM CST [Link]

WHAT A RAIN

Our gauge shows an inch and a half, but since it's located under an umbrella of tree limbs, I'm guessing we might have had more than that. I wish it would rain all day ...all night...all day tomorrow....

I love rain and have seen so little of it lately.

It's going to be hot again today, in the 90s, but that's cool by comparison to what we've been experiencing. Tomorrow a front is coming our way and it should cool things off rather nicely.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:15 AM CST [Link]

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

GOOGLEPLEX

I know where I want to work. I love the product and I think I'd like every last person who works there, all 1000 of them, especially Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the brains behind Google. Google is considered the best system for searching the internet and represents 75% of all searches. I love it and use it all the time. I will admit to having Googled myself.

Googol, after which Google is named, stands for the mathematical term of 1 followed by 100 zeroes.

Maybe I'm drawn by the perks the company offers: free food, unlimited ice cream, pool and ping-pong tables and complimentary massages, plus the ability to spend 20% of work time on any outside activity.

Larry and Sergey built Google to be their dream enviornment. Sounds perfect to me.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:50 PM CST [Link]

GUEST BLOGGER

Next month from about the 5th to the 13th I'm going to 'vacate' in Colorado. I think I'd like to have a guest blogger while I am gone and I'm working on someone to fill that role. A mystery blogger...that would be intreguing, don't you think? I know some people who can talk endlessly about a variety of things...very amusing/knowledgeable people. I'm going to try to enlist one of them. I may not have a job when I come home.

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

CAPPUCCINO

Josie fixed me a wonderful cappuccino this morning...extra strong with a touch of vanilla. It was good and gave me the jolt I needed. Next time I am going to try one of her teas. I hear they are excellent.

It was nice to see people in there drinking coffee (or something), visiting and enjoying a very nice, new place in town. The Antique Mall is a good place to stop. I was happy to learn their traffic has been brisk.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:54 PM CST [Link]

K.C.'S CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK

Yesterday's lunch from Martinelli's ran out about noon today, so Brit and I went to K.C.'s to fill us up again. The special was chicken-friend steak...an 'unfavorite' of mine. But, I know exactly how Karen and Chris make theirs and it is the best.

They start from scratch with fresh, tenderized meat from J.C.'s. Chris has special seasonings he adds then he hand dips it in some kind of mixture/flour/crumbs, and grills it to perfection. It never sees the inside of a deep fat fryer which really ruins it for me, and ruins it for other Kansas Explorers as well. No kidding! K.C.'s make great chicken-fried steak.

They also cook real potatoes, season, and mash them. They can't be beat either. And they make excellent gravy. All in all, it's as good as it gets.

Today they had that, served with corn, home made dinner roll and salad for $5.50.

Usually they just serve KFS on Thursday nights. I don't know what the occasion was for today, but it sure was good. They were packing the place at noon, yet the service was quick and good.

I like going there to eat. Nice and clean...and the food is always good.

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

SEIBELIUS LAUNCHES STATE 'E-NEWS'

You've got mail -- from the governor.

As of Tuesday, state employees began receiving an electronic newsletter from their boss, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, an effort of the state's chief executive to improve communications.

Sebelius' 'E-News' will be sent to all state employees with e-mail accounts, as well as residents who subscribe to the newsletter through the governor's official Web site. Sebelius said the newsletter is a response to requests statewide to be better informed about her activities.

"We have great things happening around the state and this 'E-News' will enable us to share some highlights that I am able to be part of," the governor said.

The first edition included photographs and short news items from Sebelius' visit to a General Motors plant, where she picked up a new Chevrolet Malibu and the dedication of the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at The University of Kansas.

Sebelius also mentioned in the newsletter progress of her Budget Efficiency Savings Team process, which she claims has identified more than $60 million savings out of the state's $10 billion budget since January.

The initial newsletter had a few glitches. Of the 10,013 newsletters sent, many were returned because of security programs in the state's e-mail system. The format was revised, without photos, and newsletters retransmitted. Those who don't wish to receive the newsletter can unsubscribe to the service and view it instead on the governor's Web site.

According to Sebelius' staff, the governors of Hawaii and Washington also use electronic newsletters to communicate with employees and the public.

Not everyone was enthusiastic about the new service.
House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, said he found it ironic that the governor was sending out thousands of unsolicited e-mails at a time when federal officials are looking to eliminate so-called spam messages.

"I think we're going to see a little loss of productivity," Mays said.
Nicole Corcoran, the governor's spokeswoman, said she had received telephone calls from employees Tuesday who were "excited" to hear what is happening in Kansas.

"This is a governor who wants to be forthcoming with information," Corcoran said.
She said the newsletter would be sent every other week, or more frequently as events warranted. The next newsletter will have details of Sebelius' trip to Bosnia to visit Kansas National Guard troops, Corcoran said.

If you'd like to subscribe to the Governor's newsletter, CLICK HERE.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:26 PM CST [Link]

NOAH GREY

Noah Grey developed the program for this manner of blogging. There are several programs out there, all with flaws of one kind or another, but this is one where you can keep the material on your own server and have control of it. That's why I switched from Blogspot to this. One of the reasons. Blogspot has a habit of losing archived material.

But this is a very fragile program, particularly after you get so much stuff on it. Noah only wrote it then let loose of it, gave it to anyone who wanted to continue with it, I guess. He wasn't interested in dealing with the small kinks here and there. There are people who have gathered information about it, they know what the program does at times, but can't explain why.

As I was rebuilding files yesterday, the program stopped dead in its tracks. My friend tried to get it rebuilding from her string of computers in TX but it was incredibly slow there as well. We thought perhaps it was server problems, but it wasn't. This program is incredibly fragile.

One of the solutions may be to take off my 2002 blog archives and store them on a separate hard drive, or disks, etc. A 40 mg hard drive would be good to store a lot of stuff I have on my computer. So, we're going to work on that.

If you should want anything I wrote last year...and I can't imagine why anyone would...I could access it and send it. Eventually, we may have available a six month archive for readers, the rest we'll store elsewhere. I have 75 mgs of storage space on my server...MetaPros... and have filled close to half of that with my website, blog and the engine that runs it.

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

MARS AT 4:51 A.M.

It was a beautiful clear night and Mars put on an unbelievable show. I think it was closest to earth at 4:51 a.m. on this day and as I was gazing at it, I wondered at the millions of people who were also doing the same thing.

Even without a telescope, and not very good eyes, the impact of that thing just hanging up there, the brightest thing in the sky by far, except for the moon, was spectacular. All I had to do was walk out my front door and there it was waiting for me. It wasn't in the details that I watched it.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:24 AM CST [Link]

Tuesday, August 26, 2003

ELLSWORTH ESPRESSO

The menu at Ellsworth Espresso is outstanding! You can tell that Mark and Josie have worked long and hard in bringing this wonderful new addition to Ellsworth in the form of a high-quality coffee bar to the Ellsworth Antique Mall. They serve many varieties of exotic tea and other drinks you'll find very refreshing.

Here is a small sampling of what you'll find at the coffee bar in the Antique Mall:

Latte
The Latte is very similar to a Cappuccino. this favorite espresso drink combines an espresso shot with an almost full mug of hot steamed milk, capped with a thin layer of foamed milk. It offers a smooth espresso flavor. Lattes may be ordered with syrup flavors added and/or iced.

Breve is very similar to a Latte. This rich drink combines an espresso shot with an almost full mug of hot steamed half & half, capped with a thin layer of foamed cream. It offers a decadent flavor. Breves may include syrup flavors and/or be iced.

Cappuccino
This drink is based on an intense espresso shot. When you order a cappuccino, you will receive a mug half full of hot steamed milk blended with a shot of espresso, and half full of creamy foam. If you like strong coffee you will love a cappuccino.

And the favorite of my grandchildren:

Italian Sodas
A refreshing, fizzy combo of soda and syrup brings old-fashioned smiles. Add cream for a delightfully rich version. They definitely like the cream.

Green Teas
Citron Green: Blend of citrus, orange flowers and Japanese Bancha.

Peaches and Ginger: Poetically blended Ceylon black tea with peaches and ginger.

Stop in and show your support to Mark and Josie for this all-out effort. They really have taken Ellsworth a step beyond the ordinary.

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

DAN RATHER AGAIN

In response to my blog, I had a call Sunday morning from an Ellsworth man who was in a particular store downtown paying a bill Thursday morning at the same time Dan Rather was there with his film crew, so he said. When he was in the military, he said he had personally met Dan Rather. Although he knew, he said he wasn't at liberty to say why Dan Rather was in town. He and the store owner have been friends for "several years".

So, there you have it!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:53 AM CST [Link]

PETE SAMPRASS HANGS IT UP

The champion says his retirement is final.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:06 AM CST [Link]

SPAM

On average, we can expect to get 1460 pieces of spam a year...or about 4 per day. That's manageable, just annoying.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:57 AM CST [Link]

MARTINELLI'S

Yesterday I had lunch with my friends at Martinelli's, the Italian restaurant across from the Fox Steifel. I'd never eaten there before as Italian is not a food taste I seek out on purpose. I'd been able to adroitly sashshay around it on other occasions. Now I'm stuck.

When I came home I told Brit about it as I know he will love it. Actually, I've known it all along, and I've adroitly sashshayed around that too. He loves Italian.

Since he has to go see the podiatrist today to have stitches removed, he asked if I would go with him to have lunch at Martinelli's. I knew that was coming!

I know what I'll get... a one-quarter order of their Italian salad. Yesterday it looked really good except for the fact they use iceberg lettuce. And, yes, a one-quarter order is large, very large. It has lots of good stuff in it aside from the wrong choice of lettuce. I can't imagine what a full order would be like except to say, based on the size of the one-quarter order, would be a generous amount for a table of ten.

If they have antipasto, I'm sure Brit will have that. When we lived in Kansas City we ate at the Italian Gardens, when we could find some money for it. He loved their antipasto and still talks about it so I'm sure he has it in his heart that Martinelli's will have it and it will taste exactly the same. You know how that is. Plus, he'll want to have a full order (despite my protestations that it's TOO large) of something Italian, maybe lasagna. I'll eventually talk him into a quarter order and he'll have trouble getting around it. I saw a quarter order of it yesterday and it was enough for two meals for my friend, as she planned. A bowl of ice cream is all he'll want tonight. I know about those things.

Speaking of the Fox-Steifel, as I was....people in Salina who have finally given up the war about the name are now at war with management about the rental fees of $900 per event, so my friends said. It's going to take a lot to keep that place up and running. They also say the acoustics aren't all that great.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:24 AM CST [Link]

TIPTON SCHOOL

The Tipton school was a community project where everyone in town gave money and helped construct the half-million dollar school. Money came from as far away as Michigan. It is a good example of what a community can do when all the residents band together in common cause.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:09 AM CST [Link]

I'M WONDERING....

How could you possibly defame someone who is creating so much fame for themselves?

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

MARS IS SPECTACULAR!

I wish I had a telescope to see Mars early tomorrow morning, but even without one, the view will be spectacular. It was this morning. It was hanging up there over the school at 5:00 a.m. and was as spectacular as anything I've seen in the sky that is supposed to be there. I have a full view of it right outside my front door at that hour and it's something you'll never forget. Beam me up, Scottie!

Since some weather might be moving this way, I wanted be sure to get a look at it this morning. Tomorrow morning is the big event as it will be the closest to earth in 60,000 years, give or take a few thousand. It's well worth crawling out of bed to see. The next time when it's going to be this close again is 285 years away.

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

WHAT IS THE TRUEST DEFINITION OF GLOBALIZATION?

Answer: Princess Diana's death.

Question: How come?

Answer: An English princess with an Egyptian boyfriend crashes in a French tunnel, driving a German car with a Dutch engine, driven by a Belgian who was drunk on Scottish whisky, followed closely by Italian Paparazzi, on Japanese motorcycles, treated by an American doctor, using Brazilian medicines!

And this is sent to you by an Armenian, using Bill Gates' technology, and you're probably reading this on one of the IBM clones, that use Taiwanese-made chips, and a Korean-made monitor, assembled by Bangladeshi workers in a Singapore plant, transported by lorries driven by Indians, hijacked by Indonesians, unloaded by Sicilian longshoremen, trucked by Mexican illegals, and finally sold to you by Jews.

That, my friend, is Globalization!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:53 AM CST [Link]

Monday, August 25, 2003

MORE ABOUT THE HAMBURGER MAN

From Renee Lippincott, the Main Street director in Sterling:

We had fun in Sterling last week when Bill Bunyan, The Hamburger Man, ate his 105th county burger in Sterling last week. As a Kansas Explorer, he had a goal to eat a burger in all 105 Kansas counties! It is amazing how news like this will spread! Below, find an article on CNN.com. Also check out this link to the Topeka Capital Journal CLICK HERE. Marci Penner, Kansas Sampler Foundation director, also tells me the story was front page in the Wichita Eagle and that there have been radio interviews in Seattle, Chicago and Japan! Wow!

To read about the biggest hamburger in the state, a three pound monster at the Seabrook Tavern and Grill in Topeka , and more about Bill, check out this story: CLICK HERE

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:41 PM CST [Link]

TONY'S RESTAURANT BLOG

Maybe you remember my recent blog about the friend who experienced the gaseous explosion at Tony's Restaurant in Salina, many years ago. I never think of that incident but what it doesn't bring tears to my eyes with laughter.

I had a call yesterday. It seems the widow of our gaseous friend absolutely loved my recollection of it, as it was related to us on frequent occasions. She's showing a copy of it to everyone who will stand still long enough to read it.

That's good. It's a good thing to be able to enjoy humor like that. Life is humorous. I couldn't live without it.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:52 AM CST [Link]

RED HAT SOCIETY

Do you remember my blog about our most recent trip to the Midland Hotel where I mentioned all the women who arrived in their red hats?

It seems they belong to the Red Hat Society, a national women's organization created for women over 50 who wish to greet middle age with verve and humor.

According to their website CLICK HERE, the purpose is to be a haven for "silliness and unfettered happiness among women of a certain age", but underneath the frivolity, "to share a bond of affection, forged by common life experiences and a genuine enthusiasm for wherever life takes us next."

I mean, I don't know that for an absolute fact as I didn't talk with any of them, but I can't imagine what else they could have represented. There is a chapter in Salina and I presume they were on a field trip which included Wilson.

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

LINDSBORG...CHESS CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

It won't take much to make Lindsborg the chess capital of the world. They took an idea and made it grow.

Now, they've done it again. It will be the site of the U. S. Chess Federation National Junior Championships next July. This is the first time the championship has come to Kansas. Bethany College, the Lindsborg Chess Club and the city worked to get the tournament in Lindsborg. Players under age 20 will compete July 23 to 25 at Bethany College. About 200 players, plus their coaches, families and supporters, will attend the contest.

It's "events" that bring people to town. Lindsborg has learned that lesson well.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:27 AM CST [Link]

Sunday, August 24, 2003

CUTE THINGS OUT OF OUR CHILDREN'S MOUTHS

Studentr: "Do you know where I live?"
Teacher: "Why don't you tell me where you live."
Student: "I live on the backside of nowhere...but I can go naked in my yard."

Student: "I think my mouth dried out."
Teacher: "Why don't you get a drink."

Student: "It's Warthog Day."
Teacher: "I think you mean it is Groundhog Day."
Student: "No! It's Warthog Day."
Teacher: "Why do you think it is Warthog Day?"
Student: "I know it is because I drew a picture of one."

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:17 PM CST [Link]

KANSAS SAMPLER FESTIVAL

The Kansas Sampler Festival is being held in Newton for the next two years...2004 and 2005. They hold it on the first full weekend in May. Next year it will be May 1st and 2nd.

"Do you wish that you could go to one place and experience a living brochure of what there is to see and do in Kansas? You're in luck!

"The Kansas Sampler Festival was designed to bring communities and attractions from all over the state together to make it easy for the public to discover day trip possibilities. In other words, the primary purpose of the festival is to provide the public with a sample of what there is to see and do in Kansas.

"Whether you are looking for trails, historic sights, natural landmarks, unique restaurants, off-the-beaten-track eateries, architectural gems, hole-in-wall performing centers, artists-at-work, specialty shops, or have-to-be-there Kansas events, this festival is for you".

The above was taken from the Kansas Sampler Foundations website. For more information CLICK HERE

I will continue to blog it to remind everyone what a great event it is.

Today I made my reservations to stay in Newton Friday and Saturday nights. I don't want to spend my time commuting and missing out on the fun. There will be lots of people there who I know and work with. The Explorers Club meeting Sunday morning is going to be a must for me. Last year I waffled about going until there were no rooms at the inn. Now I don't have to do any waffling. I'm ready to go.

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

Saturday, August 23, 2003

MARS IS OUT THERE

Mars watching is interrupting my sleep pattern. That's okay. I've finally decided that taking a flash light helps when I'm out wandering around the neighborhood trying to find a clearing through the trees where I can spot Mars. I've had the best luck about 4:30 in the morning. I'm sure the shine of my flashlight raises questions with the passersby on the highway...and there always seems to be plenty of them.

Here's is what one website had to say about the evernt:

"This month, Earth is catching up with Mars, an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years but it may be as long as 60,000 years.

"On August 27, 2003, the fourth rock from the sun will be less than 55.76 million kilometers (34.65 million miles) away from the Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky....that may seem like a large distance, but Mars was about five times that distance from Earth only six months ago.

".... So, mark your calendar to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month. Share this with your children and grandchildren. No one alive today will ever see this again."

CLICK HERE for more information.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:03 PM CST [Link]

MY PLAN FOR MONDAY

There were 9 of us "girls" (we were girls back then) who ran around together when we were in grade school, junior high and high school growing up in Salina. Some of us went to college together. One never married, one divorced and re-married, while the others are still married to the same guy they started out with, except that one is now a widow. Two committed suicide and one died of cancer. The rest of us are alive and well and racing past the three-quarter century mark. That's pretty good, I'd say.

We don't make the kind of effort we should to stay in touch as we're pretty well spread out across the country. We just hear about one another through relatives and friends. Ivy and I always attend the class reunions, but the others rarely show.

Three of us are having lunch together on Monday and a fourth may be joining us later in the afternoon. She's here from Florida. At least that's the plan. I'm really looking forward to it as we'll just pick up where we left off the last time we were together, somewhere in mid-sentence. It's nice and easy.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:44 PM CST [Link]

SEABISCUIT

I went to see Seabiscuit last night on a friend's recommendation. He said it was a nice gentle movie without the ususal blood and mayhem. It was a true story, had some nice features and was okay. There just didn't seem to be many choices in Salina and when you have to make compromises with your movie companions you sort of go with the least controversial movie.

The movie I really want to see is The Hours, with Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. It was the winner of two Golden Globe Awards including Best Picture. It's one of the top 10 films of 2002...and I think it has already been shown at the Art Cinema. I've had friends tell me not to miss it but none seem able to tell me what the movie is about.

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

ANOTHER RACCOON

We have another raccoon who needs relocating so he can be with all his brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and distant coursins. Larry, our friendly relocater man, just came with his trap and baited it for a catch tonight.

Last night was noisy. I was up working late and at 1:30 a.m. on the button there was a crash on the deck that let me know something was cavorting around. I flicked on the lights and saw the guilty party...Roger Raccoon XVIII, or close to it. We've lost track of how many we've had relocated to Rice County since the first of the year, but you could say it was a whole "racket of raccoons". I coined that collective noun just now!

We may not catch him tonight, but he's been around often enough that he'll come back. They can't seem to resist climbing all over our house and they are noisy enough I usually hear them. They love frolicking on our roof and decks, knocking things over and just having fun.. I don't blame them as it is fun.

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

AS A U.S. CITIZEN, I HAVE RIGHTS...don't ya know?

Demanding removal of information from my blog that is true and correct is a violation of the first amendment to the United States constitution.

I receive nice, interesting letters all the time about my blog entries...people add comments, suggest other avenues to explore, share stories similar to mine. Occasionally I play the devil's advocate to get people thinking. Sometimes they think I'm dead wrong about something I've said and let me know, in a kind and understanding way...but they definitely make their points. I like that. What I write is occasionally misunderstood, and I appreciate an opportunity to further explain my thoughts on the subject. This is a blog, after all, and new to a lot of people. There isn't a lot of room to explain much about anything so material becomes abbreviated.

If someone decides to call me, ranting and raving, and insisting that I change something on my blog, they need to remember that I am a citizen of the United States of America and my constitution guarantees me the right to not only speak my mind but to repeat facts and known rumors. My opinion is protected and I don't fall under the same standards of a newspaper. And there is that matter of someone "becoming a public figure," which protects me even more.

I am more than happy to correct mistakes or present a different viewpoint as I see fit and have often done exactly that. This is MY forum for speaking to the world at large, but I am not expounding a particularly partisan view and I like conversation. Anyone can get their own blog. There are free blog programs available at several sites...just google it.

My right to free speech takes priority over the desires of anyone to silence me because they don't agree with what I say.

I am not a contentious person and my regular readers know that. Most of my entries are light and humorous...and informative about what is going on in our backyard. I stick my tongue in my cheek and proceed. Blogs are frequently directed at me and my family and what we do. When good deeds are done, I try my best to compliment these people. I like to promote good causes and Ellsworth. My intention is clearly stated on my blog: "Backyard adventures, community commentary and essays. No deep philosophy, no pandering to partisan views, just plain talk. Also, I mowed Kansas, just so you know." Aside from the mowing part (which is a joke of sorts), this statement is true.

I have in the past removed articles I've written on the presumption that sometimes it is not necessary to be 'right' about something. I was always right when I was about 12, but by the time I got to be about 27 I gave that up. It's a burden to be right all the time and learning ceases... not a good thing...and I can't imagine anyone aspiring to that.

Hurting someone's feelings is not libel; however, I am not a person who would deliberately hurt someone's feelings. I am amenable to the notion that words can harm people; however, a short look at libel law on the internet might be in order. I would never do that intentionally. Please, if you're concerned, take a look at these:

CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE

AND CLICK HERE

I have had only one disturbing call about my blogging in the 14 months it has been running, and that was this morning. Please, do not call me on the phone and proceed to yell and scream, rant and rave at me and deny me the opportunity to respond. I find that particularly offensive especially when you admit what I said in my blog was correct but then demand that it be removed. I could have hung up on the caller, but I didn't. I heard him out. If you want to have a rational discussion about one of my blogs, I'd appreciate having the opportunity to engage in that discourse.

But threats will not be honored.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:15 PM CST [Link]

DAN RATHER WAS HERE YESTERDAY

I'd love to blog the wild stories going around downtown about the "cat", but perhaps I better not. If anyone saw Dan Rather and his camera crew on main street yesterday morning, please let me know. (I'm not going to sit and wait for you calls...smile.)

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:27 AM CST [Link]

Friday, August 22, 2003

EASY TO UNDERSTAND WEBSITE ABOUT MARS CLICK HERE

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:52 AM CST [Link]

EDITING IS A PLEASURE OF BLOGGING

One of the nice things about blogging is that I can edit as I see fit. And I do that quite often. My blogs change character as they drift south into the archives. I can also correct mistakes as I discover them, make additions in an effort to clarify what I'm attempting to say, etc. All in all, it's a great pasttime and I enjoy writing. I hope my efforts are improving...I know I have a long way to go.

So, as a reminder, keep hitting your refresh button.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:45 AM CST [Link]

GONE SOUTH

I miss seeing "Gone South" blog writer, Janis Gore, on my blog. She's a frequent visitor...several times a day she is there, which is very flattering. She's gone to Dallas. She and her sister are cleaning out and selling their family home. It was a large, close family and with the recent death of her mother, there was no reason to further maintain the home. Sorting through family treasures, finding a place for some of them and parting with others is a very difficult and stressful thing to do. My thoughts have been with her during this process.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:37 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, August 21, 2003

VEGETARIAN PLATE

That's what I would have ordered tonight, if they had had it...a vegetarian plate. I bet Midland John can do a good job with that. A plate full of exotic veggies fixed with all kinds of herbs, sauces and spices would have been wonderful. The centerpiece should be a generous amount Eggplant Parmesan.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:58 PM CST [Link]

DROPPING OFF LINDA TONIGHT

My eyes were peeled tonight for foreign objects and coming home from Wilson I kept asking Linda..."Do you see it?" "Do you see Mars?" She wasn't interested and her thoughts were elsewhere. I couldn't get her attention.

I had the interior lights of my car dimmed so I could look skyward. Maybe she was asleep.

When we came in to town, I asked again. "Do you see it?"

Finally she said, "What are you looking for, the cougar?".

"No...Mars", I said.

Good thing she had the safety of my car surrounding her as she wasn't wearing her whistle.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:55 PM CST [Link]

A BAD NIGHT AT THE MIDLAND

Knowing where to start describing our effort to eat at the Midland tonight will take more energy than I have at the moment. Our expectations for dinner and an enjoyable evening were not within the Midland range. Marion is going to get a call from Russell County tomorrow.

I made reservations Monday, I think it was, for dinner for three of us for tonight in Drummers. I talked with Marion, she knew who I was, we chatted and she asked for my phone number. I notified my group...the other two musketeers...and plans were made to meet there at 7:00.

My friend from Russell arrived early and saw the same sign on the front door that we did..."Drummers is closed tonight because of a private party." She had already gone through all her complaints with the desk clerk and the girl who seats guests. We specifically didn't want to sit upstairs. I asked what happened to our reservations, and why we weren't notified they couldn't be honored. Of course, none of them knew anything about it, it wasn't in any of their books and Marion had just gone home.

Drummers was not an option. We finally decided we'd stay and eat back in the corner of the main restaurant, but by now, we were all pretty irritated. It wasn’t our fault they messed up.

It's so noisy in the main restaurant you can't hear yourself think and the staff needs light years of training. Our waitress was so eager, probably for lack of other diners, she should have just pulled up a chair to our table. We couldn’t talk for all her interruptions. We ordered drinks…standard fair. Mine was absolutely unbelievable when it came and I refused it. And that’s a rarity for me. We still hadn’t been served our drinks when she was back for the 6th time to get our dinner order…and we still had 2 hours before closing time. We were rushed to death.

Our salads came before the drinks…and the second one they brought me wasn’t even close to what I ordered and I sent it back and said to forget it. None of us could tell what it was. I settled for water.

My friend ordered a pepper steak with brandy sauce. I think the price tag on that was $28.00 and although it appeared beautifully prepared when it arrived, it wasn’t all that good. I know how she eats, she enjoys good food and she will make three meals out of a steak like that. Meantime, the waitress had interrupted us repeatedly, thinking she was doing a good job, and was bouncy wanting to talk. Certainly, she was nice, but that wasn’t her role. We were poised with forks in hand and she wanted to clear the table.

It was hopeless so we decided to move on to the parlor to talk. We asked that our food be boxed which means they should have taken it to the kitchen and boxed it. That’s what you do if you eat at a restaurant that advertises fine dining. But no…they brought the box to the table.

Meantime, our waitress got very excited and told us about a man who called and said 35 people were coming for dinner. It was 20 minutes until closing time. They got 35 glasses of water ready. Then she reappeared offering that John thought it was a hoax call.

Then through the front door come a group of women...maybe 30 of them...and it was suggested we all do a 90 degree turn in our chairs. It was a sight I'd never seen before as all of them were wearing red hats, of every size and description imaginable. It's one organization I'll never join, or be invited to join. They had already eaten so the thought of a hoax call became a pretty substantiated hoax. The Opera House was mentioned. Our waitress filled us in on all the unsolicited details. I finally asked why they didn't get the phone number of the hoax caller, like they did me, so they could check. I think getting our phone numbers is a hoax.

The noise was terrible. Every sound in that room echoes and the doors to the kitchen bang each time they close…and they were banging a lot. The wooden floors and high ceilings are conducive to that. There wasn't that kind of noise when we ate there in the 70s so I don’t know what happened.

We looked in the bedrooms downstairs that were opened for inspection and noticed quite a few things that needed fixing. They missed a lot of things in their check-off inspection, it seemed to us.

We sat in the parlor for a few minutes to talk and started to get rigid. They could store bodies in there it's so cold.

The private party had long since left Drummers so we took our stiff, cold bodies downstairs. There were just the three of us in there. We talked about a lot about things we like to talk about...school costs, state problems, political stuff, money stuff and that was nice. No interruptions. There are some interesting business start ups, particularly in Russell County, so we hashed over those as well as those in Colby. I must go see the palm trees!

Finally, it was 10 p.m. and time to head home. We went outside just as some of the help were leaving. They had taken the best parking places smack dab in front of the hotel while our Russell guest had to park at the far end of the block to the west and across the street. I think that bothered us more than anything as it truly shows they have had no real training in customer service. Learning the fine points of how to wait on customers is one thing, but to have no basic consideration of guests and what their role should be in making the visit a comfortable one is quite another thing.

Avoid walking over the lights they have embedded in the sidewalk. You'll go blind. And they were each covered with a mound of elm bugs. They will be the scourge of us this winter. The elm bugs, that is.

I think we’ll wait until they get things better organized before we go back to the Midland. Thursday nights might just be off nights for them. I don't know.

The reports I’ve had from other friends who were there last Sunday for the noon buffet said it was wonderful. It cost almost $30.00 for two, with tax and tip, just so you'll know. We have to try to catch up with the world around us so we can't object to those prices, but the service should compliment it as well. Try going on the weekend instead. Let me know how it is.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:36 PM CST [Link]

BLOW YOUR WHISTLE

It seems if you want to ward off cougars, you're supposed to wear a whistle on a string around your neck. Or a fancy Boy Scout lanyard will do. It probably doesn't matter. But, it is said about town you need to walk and whistle for it to work. Walk. Tweet. Walk. Tweet. You get the idea.

The fish and game people are chuckling.

If the Fand G people have invaded our woods looking for big cat tracks, I haven't seen them, but then I miss out on a lot. Maybe I'll hear the helicopters and get picked up with their heat-seeking instruments as I'm roaming around the yard in the middle of the night trying to keep an eye on Mars. I wear shoes. Maybe I'll tweet my whistle too. That ought to make a picture worth 1000 words.

It's the heat!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:55 PM CST [Link]

BILL BUNYAN THE HAMBURGER MAN

Explorers Club members gathered in Sterling at noon today from all over Kansas to celebrate a silly, fun "happening". That's what explorers do...have fun. They “Dare to do dirt”.

News reporters and photographers were there from the Wichita Eagle, Emporia Gazette, Ellsworth County Indy, Norton paper and the Sterling Bulletin (by way of an intrepid Explorer). The Wichita Eagle photographer was focusing and clicking as fast as anyone I have ever seen…and popping her gum. She can multi-task.

Bill Bunyan, who's from Dodge City, confronted his 105th hamburger at Paddy's Restaurant, our gathering place. It was cause for celebration. There were about 50 or so persons there, young and old.

Today marked the completion of Bill’s quest to eat a hamburger in each of our 105 counties. He says he isn't finished exploring and as a matter of course and habit will find another quest. He's a true explorer.

Bill's cholesterol levels seem to be cooperating with his efforts and he looks trim and fit. We should expect that from this KU Ellsworth Medallion winning, diehard Jayhawk fan. He was featured in the KU Alumni Magazine and that was good publicity for both Bill and the Explorers Club.

Driving the back roads from Dodge to KU athletic events has provided many of the opportunities for hamburger stops. He displayed a map showing when and where he ate each hamburger in setting this auspicious record.

Bill, and his wife Susan, also checked out other things in the counties they visited like the Eisler Brother's Market in Riverton on famous Route 66 and the Beaumont Hotel where they toured the rooms and had catfish filets. He doesn't live on hamburgers alone. During their stops, Susan contributes to the "spending money and feeling good about it" department.

Bill's top hamburger places in Kansas will be featured in Marci Penner's Kansas Guide when it is published the first part of 2004. You'll want a copy of this book to carry with you in your car. It's a necessary piece of equipment like seat belts.

Larry the Bowler bowled his 79th and final game (in his quest to bowl in every Kansas county with a bowling center) in Sterling on June 9, 2001. Fans came from far and wide to help him celebrate. Sterling is a hub for Explorers' celebrations.

I think every Kansan should be a member of the Kansas Explorers Club. It will help your awareness of what is going on in and around Kansas. It's all about networking and meeting people who share similar interests from across the state. It is also the right thing to do as it shows support for the one person in the state, Marci Penner, who probably does more to promote and sustain rural Kansas than any other.

Give me a call and I'll see that you become a member. It only costs $18.61 a year and you get six great newsletters from Marci during that time.

It's good to learn as much as you can about Kansas and support the owners of establishments who are trying their best to keep rural Kansas alive and well. Explorers are great people. Join the club!

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

Wednesday, August 20, 2003

A LETTER FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC

From a friend who's been performing/traveling in the CR for the past six weeks:

Ahoj,

This will be my last message before returning to Canada, which I look
forward to with mixed emotion. Prague is so beautful, so interesting from so
many angles, that I wish I had more than these last three days to explore.

A highlight was the Mucha Museum. Never having been a fan of Art Nouveau, I
was intrigued by how, during my last trip, it began to make some sense for
me, seeing it in this historic context. I discover that Mucha was quite the
Czech patriot, very active in the development of the newly formed country in
1918. Of course, the history of this country is fascinating.

The Museum of Decorative Arts is also brilliant, and the building itself is
awe-inspiring.

We've had great luck with food this trip. Last time I lost 15 pounds; this
time...well, let's just say that I didn't.

And, of course, just walking was a treat for me, having driven more that
5000 kms over the last 6 weeks. The heat has been challenging, of course,
but I'm hot all the time anyway, now.

But I now await the retrieval of the car (which is parked in a safe place
far from the hotel) so that we can return to Jihlava. Then, it's laundry,
change strings, start to organize to pack, and then do our three final
shows.

Thanks to all of you who wrote me. I was glad for your messages, and look
forward to catching up when I'm home on the 30th. I arrive in toronto on
the 27th, master my new CD on the 29th, and I hope to be sitting on my deck
on the morning of the 31st, drinking my coffee and wondering where the
summer has gone.

Ahoj,

susan

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

Tuesday, August 19, 2003

IT'S TOO HOT TO THINK

With all the rumbling last night and tonight, our rain gauge only showed 1/2 inch. Bummers.

Brit heard on the news where a guy was arrested in a car wash. Seems he was naked and going through the wash/rinse cycles. A little wax might not have hurt. The heat will drive you to it!

We had to go to Salina today so Brit could see the podiatrist. All is well, but he thought he should have a handicapped parking permit so he wouldn't have to walk so far with a foot that hurts. I wouldn't let me do that but I did find a stall right next to handicapped which appeased him.

We ate at Potrillos, or however it is spelled. I like #19, Brit had #15. Actually, I like them all.

When we arrived home, I walked in our back door and knew our #3 grandson was doing his magic. All the furniture was pulled away from the walls and there were sweeper tracks everywhere. He runs a sweeper better than anyone I know. He's a sweeper magician. He also pointed out some brass ducks that he had polished and he cleaned my kitchen counter, washed dishes, put them away. He's an amazing kid. And the nice thing is, he enjoys doing it and gets pleasure out of doing it for me. He likes things neat and tidy. I hope our timing in life is right so that he can just move in here and take over when we are through with it. That should be in about 12-15 years for him. Ooopss...that's stretching it from our end, but we'll see. Who's to know?

The pastures that were so lush and green a month or so ago are brown and crisp. The water shortage is really critical.

I guess the fish and game people want to come explore the woods behind our house for tracks. We said that was fine but it will probably be very dull work. About the only thing they'll find is a bountiful supply of poison ivy and those stickery things that cling to Jack's coat. Jack makes a few tracks here and there and there are other little critters wandering around too. The thing is, we've caught maybe 15 raccoons since the first of the year and there are still more around. I'd think a hungry cougar could have wiped them out in short order....along with Jack.

EHS boys are practicing football now...some practices are being held inside, I've been told. I'm sure the coaches are watching them very carefully and seeing to it they drink a good supply of water. We have a very conscientious coaching staff so that takes a lot of worry out of practicing or playing games in this heat.

Thursday I'm going to Sterling to eat a hamburger with Bill Bunyan #1033, a Kansas Explorer who has eaten a hamburger in every county in the state. It is his birthday and he has chosen to eat his last burger at Paddy's with his fellow Explorers, and others. Sterling also hosted Larry the Bowler's last bowl. Everyone is invited to attend. They'll ask Bill to make a few remarks; we'll ask him questions (no doubt regarding hamburgers) and eat a hamburger with him in the back room at 1:00. Just show up. He and his wife, Susan, have done a good job of exploring the sites in each town and his wife contributed in the "spending money and feeling good about it" department. Of course, he has eaten all his hamburgers in locally owned restaurants and cafes…the mom and pop variety.

Thursday night is Hoop and Holler night with a couple lady friends. We're going to Drummers again. Reservations have been made.

Granddaughter #1 is settling in her apartment to begin her third year at SMU. She picked an area midway between the University and Plano where she will be working at EDS (Electronic Data Systems Corp). She was one of three who was named an industry scholar and it's a good deal. She works 10 hours a week for them this year and they plunk down a whole lot of money for her education. Next year she works 20 hours a week and they plunk down even more. Next summer she will work for them full time. She's worked very hard for it.

We saw several B-1 bombers today hovering around Salina. We think that's what they were. Brit says he thinks they are stationed at Barksdale AFB in Shreveport, LA. He knows those things. They find Kansas a convenient place to practice their maneuvers. I'd love to hop a ride in one.

Brit reads a lot. I should get some of his book recommendations to share. He's gives the ones he particularly likes to #2 grandson who is reading a lot these days.

A friend from Pawnee Rock is coming tomorrow for lunch and a visit. I’m looking forward to that. Big salads are on the menu along with a side of white-fleshed nectarines. I bought some today and they are almost too sweet to eat. They are marvelous.

Oh, one more thing. I'll divulge a secret combination that is my own creation. Toast two slices of whole wheat bread and spread both slices liberally with Jiff extra crunchy peanut butter. Then take a ripe, homegrown tomato that has never seen the inside of a refrigerator and peel it. Slice it thick and put the whole thing, one way or another, on one of the slices of toast. Then take a very thick slice of icy cold Walla Walla, Vadalia or some very sweet onion and put that on. A thick slice! Put the sandwich together and enjoy. It's an incredible combination. Really it is. I have variations on that theme too, if you really twist my arm!

I got some stuff today to treat my impending baldness. I can't imagine it will help, but at this point, I better try something.

One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been. Goodnight.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:11 PM CST [Link]

Monday, August 18, 2003

MORE ABOUT CA-125

From my niece: Actually, I just had that exact test last week - it is also a predictor of endometriosis activity, believe it or not. I have that test every year, and insurance has always covered it.

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

THE NEXT BLOG

I know the next entry is very long, but if you are a woman, you really should read it as you are responsible for your own health care. If you are a man, you need to read it too.

Please.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:18 AM CST [Link]

Sunday, August 17, 2003

CA-125 BLOOD TEST

I received this in the mail and have been asking questions of friends of mine who have had ovarian cancer. The CA-125 blood test is available to any woman who asks for it, but it is not done routinely with annual physicals, or other blood tests, or so it seems. I don't know why is isn't. But I suggest you read this and learn why it is so important to have it. Like a friend of mine said, the test wasn't available to her when she was just out of college and had a very serious bout with ovarian cancer. Had this test been available, she could have avoided the aggressiveness of her cancer by the time they discovered it. She learned of the test when it was first developed and has it run routinely. She strongly suggests every woman should inquire about it. Here is the text of the letter:

Years ago, Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer. Her symptoms were inconclusive, and she was treated for everything under the sun until it was too late. This blood test finally identified her illness but alas, too late. She wrote a book to heighten awareness. Gene Wilder is her widower. KATHY'S STORY: As all of you know, I have Primary Peritoneal Cancer. This cancer has only recently been identified as its OWN type of cancer, but it is essentially Ovarian Cancer. Both types of cancer are diagnosed in the same way, with the "tumor marker" CA-125 BLOOD TEST, and they are treated in the same way-surgery to remove the primary tumor and then chemotherapy with Taxol and Carboplatin. Having gone through this ordeal, I want to save others from the same fate. That is why I am sending this message to you and hope you will print it and give it or send it via E-mail to everybody you know.

One thing I have learned is that each of us must take TOTAL responsibility for our own health care. I thought I had done that because I always had an annual physical and PAP smear, did a monthly Self-Breast Exam, went to the dentist at least twice a year, etc. I even insisted on a sigmoidoscopy and a bone density test last year.

When I had a total hysterectomy in 1993, I thought that I did not have to worry about getting any of the female reproductive organ cancers. LITTLE DID I KNOW. I don't have ovaries (and they were HEALTHY when they were removed), but I have what is essentially ovarian cancer. Strange, isn't it?

These are just SOME of the things our Doctors never tell us: ONE out of every 55 women will get OVARIAN or PRIMARY PERITONEAL CANCER. The "CLASSIC" symptoms are an ABDOMEN that rather SUDDENLY ENLARGES and CONSTIPATION and/or DIARRHEA. I had these classic symptoms and went to the doctor. Because these symptoms seemed to be "abdominal", I went to a gastroenterologist. He ran tests that were designed to determine whether there was a bacterial infection; these tests were negative, and I was diagnosed with "Irritable Bowel Syndrome".

I guess I would have accepted this diagnosis had it not been for my enlarged abdomen. I swear to you, it looked like I was 4-5 months pregnant! I therefore insisted on more tests. They took an X-ray of my abdomen; it was negative. I was again assured that I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and was encouraged to go on my scheduled month-long trip to Europe. I couldn't wear any of my slacks or shorts because I couldn't get them buttoned, and I KNEW something was radically wrong. I INSISTED on more tests, and they (reluctantly) scheduled me for a CT-Scan (just to shut me up, I think).
This is what I mean by "taking charge of our own health care". The CT-Scan showed a lot of fluid in my abdomen (NOT normal).
Needless to say, I had to cancel my trip and have FIVE POUNDS of fluid drained off at the hospital (not a pleasant procedure, I assure you), but NOTHING compared to what was ahead of me.) Tests revealed cancer cells in the fluid. Finally, finally, finally, the doctor ran a CA-125 blood test, and I was properly diagnosed.

I HAD THE CLASSIC SYMPTOMS FOR OVARIAN CANCER, AND YET THIS SIMPLE CA-125 BLOOD TEST HAD NEVER BEEN RUN ON ME, not as part of my annual physical exam and not when I was symptomatic. This is an inexpensive and simple blood test!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR FEMALE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES TO INSIST ON A CA-125 BLOOD TEST EVERY YEAR AS PART OF THEIR ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAMS. Be forewarned that their doctors might try to talk them out of it, saying, "IT ISN'T NECESSARY." Believe me, had I known then what I know now, we would have caught my cancer much earlier (before it was a stage 3 cancer).
Insist on the CA-125 BLOOD TEST; DO NOT take "NO" for an answer! The normal range for a CA-125 BLOOD TEST is between zero and 35. MINE WAS 754. (That's right, 754!).
If the number is slightly above 35, you can have another done in three or six months and keep a close eye on it, just like women do when they have fibroid tumors or when men have a slightly elevated PSA test (Prostatic Specific Antigens) that helps diagnose prostate cancer. Having the CA-125 test done annually can alert you early, and that's the goal in diagnosing any type of cancer - catching it early.

Do you know 55 women? If so, at least one of them will have this VERY AGGRESSIVE cancer. Please, go to your doctor and insist on a CA-125 test and have one EVERY YEAR for the rest of your life And forward this message to every woman you know, and tell all of your female family members and friends. Though the median age for this cancer is 56, (and, guess what, I'm exactly
56,) women as young as 22 have it. Age is no factor.

A NOTE FROM THE RN:
Well, after reading this, I made some calls. I found! that the CA-125 test is an ovarian screening test equivalent to a man's PSA test prostate screen (which Ron's doctor automatically gives him in his physical each year and insurance pays for it). I called the general practitioner's office about having the test done. The nurse had never heard of it. She told me that she doubted that insurance would pay for it. So I called Prudential Insurance Co. and got the same response. Never heard of it - it won't be covered. I explained that it was the same as the PSA test they had paid for my husband for years. After conferring with whomever they confer with, he told me that the CA-125 would be covered. It is $75 in a GP's office and $125 at the GYN's. This is a screening test that should be required just like a PAP smear (a PAP smear cannot detect problems with your ovaries.) And you must insist that your insurance company pay for it.

Gene Wilder and Pierce Brosnan (his wife had it, too) are lobbying for women's health issues, saying that this test should be required in our physicals, just like the PAP and the mammogram.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:49 PM CST [Link]

103

It was 103 degrees a tad after 7:00 p.m. when we pulled out of Salina this evening.

I'm ready for sweat shirt weather.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:54 PM CST [Link]

FROM A FRIEND IN LEAVENWORTH

"Cougar sightings here remind me of UFO days! However, a few of our more sober citizens do claim seeing cougars....

I will believe the cougar stories when they find a deer carcass that was killed by the cat."

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:21 PM CST [Link]

THE CARNEIRO CHURCH

If you want a really nice, unique experience, something that you can't find just anywhere, try attending the Carneiro Church next Sunday or the Sunday after that. I believe those are the last two Sundays where Josh Svaty will be preaching. If slightly encouraged, he also sings. He has a beautiful baritone voice.

Josh is an interesting, unusual kind of man. He conducts the services as if he'd been doing it for decades when, in fact, I suppose it's only been a matter of a couple of years. He's only 23 and fills in as lay minister where they need him. He's excellent. He says what he wants to say without relying on notes (he's brilliant, you understand, and very well educated) and you're out of there in 40 minutes, start to finish. He articulates his message in a very concise manner, with meaning and sincerity. His mastery shows.

Whenever someone walks in the door of this wonderful old church, people turn around in their seats to see who it is. Whoever is closest to the door reminds you to sign the register and take a program. Everyone says "hello" and makes you feel welcome. They just talk among themselves until the service starts.

About a dozen people attend the Carneiro Church on a regular basis, but lately, with Josh preaching, their numbers have grown to the 30s. The regulars appreciate having visitors and are quick to invite you back. During the "greeting" part of the service, everyone mills around, shakes hands with everyone else, and imparts bits of information.

Today everyone was congratulating Lucille Svaty, grandmother of the preacher, on her 84th birthday. We all sang happy birthday to her and she was very pleased that her grandson mentioned the occasion from the pulpit. She is being hosted at a family dinner where preparations were made for 40. She baked the kolaches, among other things.

Later today the church members were having a community pot luck dinner, a monthly occasion. They also have an annual community bazaar which I have attended in the past. It's the best place I know of to buy tea towels.

Services start promptly at 9:45. Josh conducts the service in Kanopolis after the one in Carneiro so he keeps things moving along. They share programs. I understand their attendance in Kanopolis has grown as well since Josh just natually gathers a "following".

If he wanted to, Josh could bring together a congregation of thousands. He’s just that kind of guy. He does things for other people in a good way.

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

Saturday, August 16, 2003

IT'S NOT A DONE DEAL YET....BUT

It appears there is a good chance my favorite traveling companion, Ally, and I might be heading to Colorado for a week or so next month. We'll stop in Denver to see relatives and friends then go on to Vail for a week. The weather should be nice and maybe some of the aspen in the high country will be turning. I love being in the mountains in the fall.

I'll have withdrawals with no computer around and no blog entries. I'll take notes so I have something to write about when I get home.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:22 PM CST [Link]

TRUCK CRASHES, SPARKS GARLIC-SCENTED BLAZE THAT CAUSED MY GRANDDAUGHTER GRIEF

Friday, August 15, 2003 Posted: 11:01 PM EDT (0301 GMT)

"BELLE VERNON, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A tractor-trailer hauling seven tons of garlic powder crashed on a bridge and caught fire Friday, filling the air with the odor of burning garlic and fuel.

No serious injuries were reported, and the blaze was extinguished quickly.

The span -- on Interstate 70 over the Monongahela River, about 25 miles south of Pittsburgh -- remained closed for more than seven hours as crews checked for damage.

Authorities said driver Victor Nikitchuk of Antelope, California, lost control of the tractor-trailer. The fuel tank hit steel girders and ruptured, while the cargo area with the garlic powder also tore open.

Sparks may have ignited the fuel.

Nikitchuk was able to escape and was treated on the scene."

And Mackenzie was hung up in this mess for 6 1/2 hours!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:11 PM CST [Link]

ELM LEAF BEETLES

I dread winter. We are going to have elm leaf beetles everywhere, as we had when we first built this house. During that time, they infested the heavy shake shingles that were stored on the ground until they were installed. We swept up elm beetles off windows and screens with a vengence for two years. Sweeper bags full of them.

It has been reported that the Elm leaf beetle population is out of control this year. Yikes! I know what that means. The trees may look dead, but the damage is mostly to the leaves. They nest around the base of trees, as I recall, and you can put insecticide around for that...but mainly they are just a terrible nuisance.

They want to be inside for the winter. Our decks and window sills outside are covered with them. We could shovel them off, but we're waiting for a grandson to come put a blower to them. They don't really "do" anything and are harmless, but they are a mess and smell terrible.

The only way to rid yourself of them is to get rid of the elm trees.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:53 PM CST [Link]

THE COUGAR STORY

I don't even want to get into the story being circulated about town about a cougar roaming these parts. I think the fish and game people who came to take a look and couldn't find a trace of it said they hadn't seen a cougar in Kansas since the turn of the century...1904 or something like that west of here. That isn't to say one isn't here, but then the likelihood of it is pretty remote.

We need a sighting of some kind to bring folks to town.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:24 PM CST [Link]

#1 GRANDDAUGHTER IS HEADING THIS WAY

What a relief cell phones can be. Everyone ought to have one, with a permanently assigned number that never changes. Then, when you get a name at birth, you also get a cell phone number and both last your lifetime. No changes or alterations allowed. If your name is Henry Huckleberry Humperdinck, so be it. There would be no taking on of husband's surnames or hyphenating surnames, none of that stuff. With hard and fast rules like that, everyone would have a name and phone number for life. Yeah, yeah...I know there is the matter of what you call your kids and what you do about screaming genealogists, and who is going to maintain the world book of cell phone numbers...minor details all. Just go work them out and get back to me.

The granddaughter is back in civilized land, west of St. Louis. I know because I can call and talk with her as she drives along. She'll soon be west of Kansas City where the world begins.

For people you worry about, as in her case when she was really stopped dead in her tracks yesterday for hours somewhere in Pennsylvania, cell phones are just the greatest thing since the advent of Kleenex. Brit and I don't happen to have them, but everyone else in our family does, even the grandsons. There isn't any reason to worry when you can pick up that thing that is stuck to hips world-wide and call. For busy people, they are a must. There is less and less reason to have a permanent phone at home when no one is ever there.

After huge delays when they routed traffic off the turnpike because of road construction, wrecks, and bridges that were out, she finally got across the river and back on the turnpike. Then there was a torrential downpour with zero visibility. With that, she pulled off the road and found a motel.

This morning, there were more problems...fog. The radar screen was green with it. It was so thick it was showing up as rain. Well, finally that lifted and the traffic started moving for good about 6:30 am.

Tomorrow the family is gathering at the Mongolian BBQ in Salina for a quick visit over dinner between Mackenzie’s packing and the boys checking out their football equipment. Monday morning she’ll be heading to Dallas and the boys have football practice. Schedules are returning to “normal” and we know what to anticipate for the next nine months.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:13 PM CST [Link]

Friday, August 15, 2003

GRANDDAUGHTER

I wish I knew where my granddaughter is right now. I just hope she is not stranded out on the highway in a line of traffic 20 miles long. It would be nice to know she is east of Pennsylvania heading this way.

One of these days all those swarming masses of humanity on either coast are going to discover Kansas.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:46 PM CST [Link]

DINNER AT THE MIDLAND

I promised a full and comprehensive report on our dinner at the Midland tonight, but I got distracted. All I really need to say is that the food was very good and the service was fine. I will provide a few details.

They had several specials...stuffed shrimp, grouper, salmon, prime rib on Texas toast and mashed potatoes, etc. I saw several large platters of chicken fried steak go by. The regular menu looked good too and I ordered from it.

The salad came promptly and I had mine with raspberry vinaigrette. The French greens (no iceberg) were cold and crisp and there was an interesting array of other things in it...tomatoes, olives, shredded cheese. The dressing was on the side. It was very good. I think the salad is always a true test of what is to follow. If they put a bowl of iceberg lettuce in front of me and call it a salad, I know it's going to be downhill after that.

Dinner came on the heels of the salad and there was very little waiting. It didn't matter anyway. It was good...all of it. I'd been warned about the baked potatoes, but mine was baked (no aluminum foil...hurrah) the way it should have been....hot and mealy. I tried one of John's desserts and it was good too.

The place was packed. People were milling outside before and after our arrival. The parlor was occupied as we entered. The tables were all occupied, both upstairs and down during the time we were there. There were a lot of Ellsworth people having dinner. I ran across friends from Sylvan Grove who I hadn’t seen in ages.

We saw a couple of the Foundation members, John K. and Fred A., working and they were a big help. They are obviously short of wait staff and everyone is filling in. They are trying very hard to get everything finely tuned. It's not an easy thing to do and it just takes time to train employees and figure out how best to organize everything. Tonight was a good indication they are on their way to a very successful operation.

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

AWAY TO THE MIDLAND

We're heading out to the Midland for dinner tonight. I think I'll take copious notes so I can give you a full report on what happens.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:15 PM CST [Link]

THE PERILS OF TRAVEL

My granddaughter left Gaithersburg MD over six hours ago to head home. She hasn't even gone 150 miles in that time and she's not even sure where she is...somewhere in PA. She was on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and then traffic just stopped. There was an accident on a bridge at 9:30 this morning, long before she even got on it. Now they have re-routed everyone to a two lane side road and they are just sitting there. She still has to get over a river sometime and doesn't even appear to be heading in the right direction. Her dad figured out most of the problem while searching the internet and is trying to determine her location so she'll know where she is...once she starts moving again. She'll stop at the first opportunity, I'm sure of that. This is one of those times when you just wish you had a GPS in your car....and alternative rest stop facilities. She had planned to make it half way to Kansas tonight, but there isn't a chance of that now. She's just hoping to get out of PA.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:08 PM CST [Link]

THERE ARE NICE FOLK IN KINSLEY

I had a meeting in Kinsley yesterday...actually, we had two meetings, two ribbon cuttings and a potluck picnic barbeque. It was a lovely evening with great friends.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:27 AM CST [Link]

BLACK OUT

The officials on the east coast don't seem to know what has caused the worst black out in U.S. history. It was a major power outage covering states from Michigan east and into Canada.

It takes a lot to keep the lights on; and we count on it without giving it much thought. When the power goes off and you are stuck in a skyscraper in 90 degree heat with no hot dog vendor in sight well...well, I'm sure that is unsettling to say the least. Newscasts from all over that area indicate it was chaotic.

Although the lights are slowly coming back on, there are millions without power. It will be this weekend before they get them back on.

A lot of people there, who probably never counted on it, got to see Mars. You can see a lot when you are sleeping on a dark street with not a light in sight.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:24 AM CST [Link]

MARS LOOKS REALLY WEIRD

If you haven't been out early in the morning ...like about 4:30....to see Mars, you ought to do it at least once. You won't mistake it...it looks really weird. It's very impressive. No one living today will be around when Mars wanders so close this way again.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:17 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, August 14, 2003

THE SCHEME, DUANE BILLINGS AND A& E

Son Dane sent this to me this evening and I'd like to share it. I think you'll find it interesting . Duane is the son of Roger Billings from Delphos who was a good friend of ours in banking for many years.

I often eat lunch on Thursdays at the Scheme, 123 N. 7th, a unique little upscale Pizza and sandwich restaurant. Duane Billings is the owner. All of his pizza and sandwiches are made from scratch. His pizza is considered to be the best in Salina. While you are waiting for your pizza, you will enjoy Duane's music selections from over 3,000 CD's and tapes which fill a huge wall near the bar. Don't ask for the music to be changed or a special song to be played. The music, a broad range of classics, show tunes, opera to light rock depends on his mood, and his alone.

What will make your visit more interesting is what is bringing A&E television to his restaurant this Sunday and Monday. His great grandmother was Grace Billings. In 1860, at the age of 11, Grace wrote a beautifully penned letter to Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln from her home in New York expressing her feelings that he would look much more Presidential if he would grow a beard. As all of us know, Lincoln did grow that beard. After being elected President in 1860, he visited Grace while on a trip to New York and told her that she did convince him to grow the beard for the election. Thus began a series of letters back and forth between this young girl and the President of the United States at the start and during the Civil War up until his death.

A&E television is producing a special series "Presidential Letters" to be shown later this year or early in 2004. Grace Billings letters from President Lincoln have been passed down to Duane. The originals he holds in a safe, climate controlled location. However, copies of some of the letters from Grace to Lincoln and Lincoln to Grace are on display on the south wall of the restaurant. Grace died in 1936, having moved and homesteaded in Delphos, Ks. from New York after the Civil War. Articles of her death and her childhood friendship with President Lincoln were front page news in 1936 throughout the United States..

A&E will be filming at the family farmstead in Delphos as well to capture what this one small child's influence was on one of our greatest Presidents.

The Scheme is open Thursdays and Fridays for lunch, and Thursdays-Saturdays for dinner. Reservations are recommended. Yes, you heard me right--you often will need a reservation to get a table at this pizza restaurant. Duane stocks a full service bar as well as his pizza. The music and the history come with no additional charge. (785) 823-5125.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:48 PM CST [Link]

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

ODDS AND ENDS AND BOOTLEGGER TURNS

We made a flying trip to Salina today. It was close to a record trip. I dropped Brit off to meet a podiatrist who had designs on surgically changing one of his toes. During the 45 minutes it was to take, I ran a bunch of errands and crossed off everything on my list. We ended up "finished" at the same time. He had aspirations of running down an air compressor but instead I brought him home, on doctor's orders.

As we were leaving Salina, Brit spied a semi in the parking lot of that last filling station on West Crawford. It had a big sign that said "COLORADO PEACHES". I can stop run-away horses when I see signs that say that. I made a quick exit on Fairchild and pulled a really nifty bootlegger turn to back track to the trailor. Brit says I do the best ever bootlegger turns. I learned how from him about our first day living in Ellsworth County where such turns are common skills learned early in life by the country boys. Two quick spins of the steering wheel and I'm heading the other direction. Maybe I could be the bootlegger turn stunt person on a movie set. Suppose?

Anyway, back to the station I went where the semi was sitting with that sign emblazoned on its side, but no one was tending the peaches that weren't there. The semi was locked tighter'n a drum. After hunting down a tire-changer person nearby who was working at his trade, I learned there would be peaches on Friday. You just need to know the right person to get the answer you want. So.. my guess is, I think you 'd be safe in getting the jars out anytime, sterilized and ready for a weekend of canning. Anything to avoid eating those things from Chili next winter.

Coming back home I saw a rare sight...a flock of 10 or more prairie chickens were trying to cross the highway just like a gaggle of geese. It was quite a sight, but they retreated very quickly as the car ahead of me sped by them.

Grandson #3 came over to do some chores that Brit usually does and during one of his passes by my computer he downloaded the patch for the RPCworm (see the Symantic website). Slick as a whistle that kid is. I have four more years of his help and I appreciate every minute he is here lending a hand. He's getting very good with computers.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:57 PM CST [Link]

NOTES FROM KRISTOPHER THOMPSON

"Just have a minute to write. Got the package with all the canned "goodies" today. Thanks a lot. I peel the lables off the soup cans and put them on my roof. They are hot enough to eat in about ten minutes. After about 20 minutes they are too hot to handle! It was 134 degrees here today. My soldiers are having a hard time staying cool and not getting heat injuries.

I'd tell you where I live, but you wouldn't be able to find it on the map anyway. I live on an air base north of Tikrit. Things are still a bit dicey around here, but The base I live on is very safe."

(P.S. I've read where summer temperatures in the desert can reach 146 degrees. 134 isn't far from it. Kris isn't due to return home until April. Kris is the son of Cindy McAtee)

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:20 AM CST [Link]

Tuesday, August 12, 2003

CHIPOTLE

Well....no one said anything. At least I was consistent. I spelled chipotle wrong seven times...no eight times.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:40 PM CST [Link]

DAVID CRISWELL

Under "Wilson" we have added the link to David Criswell's straw house contructed duplexes in Wilson. It is affordable housing for senior citizens. They are energy efficient and across the street from the senior center and between the library and post office. That's a combination that is hard to beat. Take a look...

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:06 PM CST [Link]

DO YA WANNA HEAR SOMETHING REALLY AMUSING?

You know how it is with the Cozy Inn and the smell their burgers inpart? It is legendary. It permeates every fiber of your clothes, your hair, your skin, and creeps inside your eyeballs. It is unavoidable. The odor finds a direct interstice to all your moving parts.

Because of that, most businesses have a ban on employees eating Cozies during their work shift. It is verboten.

So, guess what happened recently? At least this is the way it was reported to me, but I'll have to admit I haven't verified it with a family member who works there. It seems the smokers who work A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. (Investments since 1887), which is next door to the Cozy, gather around outside their own back door on the north and light up. Smokers who work at Caper's wander out there too.

Now they have been asked to desist from smoking there as, they say, the smoke wafts in the back door of the Cozy and bothers the "diners"....all six stools of them. This came in the form of a no-nonsense letter from the Cozy Inn to A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.

I don't know about you...but I think this is pretty funny.

Yesterday, the Salina City Commission approved a project that will provide outdoor seating and a walk-up window "at Salina's landmark burger joint." Well, that's okay for those who didn't grow up on Cozies, but part of the fun is sitting inside, ordering a half-dozen burgers and having them slap them in front of you on that little piece of waxed paper, two by two, hot off the grill as you eat them. Then you drink a bottle of pop, and wander outside and wait for the bread, grease, onions, meat and pop to ferment so you can blow up. It's part of the ritual.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:48 PM CST [Link]

ANOTHER WORM

There is another worm devouring everything imaginable on computers. It is so bad, according to what I've been told, the Pixius managers are notifying their customers of its dangers. They don’t have a patch for it.

It has already devoured my daughter's calendar at the club so she'll have terrible time trying to figure out whether she is preparing for a wedding reception or a men’s golf tournament.

I don’t know why people choose to do things like this. Well, yes, maybe I do. Most of us feel so lost in this sea of humanity and disenfranchised from our government….local, state and national…that it’s a way to say…”See? I can make a difference too.” And they do. It is sure a way to cause a lot of chaos and get all the wrong kind of attention. They never seem able to trace it back to the perpetrators.

Alas!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:55 PM CST [Link]

FROM A FRIEND WHO IS PERFORMING IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

This is another magical city. It's truly a gem with a mix of architectural
styles that somehow add up to splendid. We've been here since Sunday night,
but sadly have to leave tomorrow to head back to CR and our remaining dates.
Five shows to go, and then home. We will get another short break which we
intend to save for Prague. I've been there twice, but have had no time to
relax and watch the world (and I do mean the world) go by.

Krakow is a lovely place to visit, and we lucked into a small hotel which is
luxurious in comparison to some of our recent lodging. Think communist
dormitories when you try to imagine our recent hotels. Not all, but many.

Vienna is very grand, but we are spoiled by Prague. If I had not seen Prague
first, I would probaly see Vienna as jaw-droppingly beautiful. It is lovely,
but it lacks the ineffable magic of Prague. I look forward to our next
little break there. And Vienna is expensive....

But, these few days in Krakow rival Prague. Food has been great, the weather
has blessed us by not being too hot (I've been melting in other places).

Must go....it's too beautiful a place to sit in an internet cafe....safe travels.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:41 AM CST [Link]

I TREASURE MY FRIENDS

Friends are family to me and like my child who is sick or the one who is away when the family gathers for a good time, I think about that one the most. Right now there is one who is going through some really tough times so she's on the top of my worry stick...she's an Indian girl raised by Russian Germans who cooks Cajun and Mexican and swears in five languages. Friends like her only come around once in a lifetime.

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

Monday, August 11, 2003

CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK

Chicken-fried steak goes back before the ice age in Kansas. At that time the natives made it out of bison steak, and along with grains, buffalo fat and sticks, they improvised the rest. Well, it's possible.

Chicken-fried steak is as much a part of Kansas as are our sunflowers and native grasses. Chicken-fried steak has been uniquely shaped and fashioned by its history and intimate bond with the people who live here. Yeah! It can be lip-smacking good especially as it is served with a mound of mashed, "real potatoes" with gravy on top and gravy under the steak.

But all of it is not the best. There are rules for preparing it that must be followed. No shortcuts allowed.

It's only natural that someone in Kansas would want to find out who among us makes the perfect chicken-fried steak, someone fastidious in her choice and enjoyment of food, just a soupçon more expert than a gastronome. That has become a mission of The Kansas Explorers Club and the most discriminating CFS connoisseur among them, Marci Penner. A true leader.

Explorers are looking far and wide across the state for restaurants where it is served according to the established standards of this group of intrepid gourmands.

Here are the rules. True CFS must be made from fresh beef, purchased from a meat locker or local grocer. That's a must. The seasonings and batter are secret and within the latitude and purview of the various cooks who seek to impart a distinctive flavor to their CFS. Finally, it must be pan-fried or cooked on the grill. It absolutely cannot be deep-fat fried.

So, you chicken-fried steak lovers out there, keep your eyes open for those restaurants where the above criteria are met. Drop an email to marci_at_explorekansas.org or if you don't understand how this works, you can find it on the website I cite below. It would also be nice if you'd snail mail $18.61 to her and become a member of the Explorers Club. We have a lot of fun, as you can see. That comes straight from member #1224.

To see the growing list of the best places to eat chicken-fried steak in Kansas, CLICK HERE

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

MY WEBMASTER KNOWS

My webmaster has told me so many times not to compose text in Word and then transfer it to Greymatter as the code follows. I usually compose in Greymatter then transfer it to Word to spell check then copy it back to Greymatter.

Usually, I can slide by but my entry about the Chipolte Sauce was riddled with code and strange stuff. I hope I have it cleaned up. I never know for sure how all of this looks on a computer other than my own.

I live and learn.

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

OXICLEAN

I bought a big bucket of OxiClean expecting my clothes to live up to the hype in their specious testimonials. Not a chance. Maybe I'm missing something, but, just for the record, I won't buy any more.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:26 PM CST [Link]

MCILHENNY'S TABASCO CHIPOTLE SAUCE

I don't get it. Sonic is advertising their "Chipotle sauce made with Tabasco". They could just say they just threw some smoke flavoring in Tabasco sauce.

That makes NO sense to me. It's akin to saying they make banana smoothies out of prunes. If they said they used Tabasco brand chipotle sauce, that would work for me.

A variety of Tabasco sauces are made by the McIlhenny people. Their original, most famous sauce has three ingredients: fully-aged red Tabasco pepper mash (made with vine-ripened red hot, hot, hot peppers from Central America, I think), all-natural high-grain vinegar, and a small amount of Avery Island salt. You can buy it in 50 gallon barrels and once Dane was tempted to give us a barrel. It would have been a big savings on the family budget.

The Tabasco brand Chipotle sauce is made by infusing vine-ripened, mild red jalapeos with a rich, smoky flavor. Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapenos and come in at least three different forms -- dried, in adobo, and in escabeche. They're not so hot but are smoky and add a wonderful flavor to whatever they are used in. I don't like them all that well. I like roasted peppers, but I don't particularly like the smoky flavor of chipotles unless they are on something that has been smoked.

It would work for me if they would say they used Tabasco's Chipotle Sauce or chipotle sauce made by McIlhenny, makers of the famous Tabasco Sauce.

P.S. I should add that my friend, Janis, in Vidalia will straighten me out on all this. We're talking Looziana here.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:01 PM CST [Link]

IVAN STOPPED BY

A friend of ours who we came to know well years ago stopped by to see us on his way to Garden City for a meeting where he is the keynote speaker. We don't see enough of him. The last few times when he has stopped, I've been off somewhere. He said I was in Wilson the last time. This time he sent me an email...as he knows I always check my mail.

It was wonderful getting caught up with him and his family...and he wanted to know about ours. The last time he heard about our #1 Granddaughter, he said, was when she was flying off to Shanghai by herself to look around. Well, she was 16 when that happened and she's now 20. We had a lot of catching up to do.

We met Ivan over a hot tub in Topeka in the late 70s. That was back in his younger days when he was selling and installing them. His children were very young then. Now he works for the state...well, he has for many years...and is doing some very interesting things. He's way up there now. He's one of those guys who is good at everything he does. He and his wife are very involved with helping people who need help....Habitat for Humanity and Hospice.

He told me some things about the Gov. that make me feel good about what she is doing. Even though I supported her election and certainly voted for her, I've been a tad iffy about her connection with the trial lawyers association. I guess I can put that aside as every governor seems to be aligned with one group or another. One of the projects, initiated by the Governor, Ivan just completed. It was covered by all the papers in the state yesterday. I read and figured since it was GPS work he had his hands in it. Interesting work he does.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:39 PM CST [Link]

I'M GOING BALD

I'm going bald and that's a fact. I watch it collect in the shower drain each morning. Whoops...there go more of my golden locks that I disguise with grey circling round and round until the flooding begins as there is no place for the water to go.

And, my hair is gone from all the places there once was hair...arms and legs mostly, but that part is okay. It's just hair.

There hasn't ever been any baldness in my family that I know of. I have ancestral pictures going back several generations and they all had an ample supply of hair covering their heads. My parents had plenty of hair when they died...but they didn't reach 75 either. My grandmothers had hair. There is no male pattern baldness in either my or Brit's side of the family. Our children have plenty of hair...they greyed prematurely, but they have hair.

I had my thyroid tested and it is normal so I guess I'll just resort to wearing baseball caps and live with it. Who knows, maybe my readers will each send me one. That would at least make it interesting. At the rate it is falling out, I'll soon need them. If that is all that I can find to complain about, I'm pretty dern lucky. Very, very fortunate.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:35 PM CST [Link]

THE NORTHEAST SECTOR

I seem to have picked up several new readers from the Lawrence/Kansas City area. Thanks...whoever you are.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:17 PM CST [Link]

AIR FORCE ACADEMY

Congressman Jerry Moran's comments about meeting with Kansas Air Force Cadets:

"Each year, I have the honor or nominating bright young Kansas students to the four U.S. Service Academies, including the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. This week, I had the opportunity to meet with Air Force Cadets hailing from the First District, during a family visit to Colorado Springs.

I am proud of these young men and women who are committed to protecting the future of our country through military service. Current Kansas Cadets include Bryce Batchman of Great Bend, Blane Neufeld of Inman, John Schwartz of Pratt, Aaron Bandy of Canton, Tanner Gibson of McPherson, Michael Hershey of Hugoton and Ashley Phelps of Belleville, as well as two first-year cadets - Erik Runge of Emporia and Cody Fabricius of Hill City."

Grandson#2 has expressed an interest in the Air Academy and flying. If he really wants it, he can do it. It's up to him. He wouldn't have any problem with the discipline or physical part....but he's going to have to hustle with his math.

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

THE DOGS OF SUMMER

It's as they say: having two dogs is easier than one. We’re dog sitting with the grandsons' dog, Smoky.

Except with two you have two panting dogs, rather than just one. In this case, two Australian Shepherd brothers. Smoky was the pick of the litter. A blue murl…mottled...with one blue, one brown eye who is about the size an Aussie field dog is supposed to be. Brit’s Jack (notice how cleverly I worked in the fast that it is his dog), on the other hand, is a tri-color (mostly black) and was the runt of the litter that no one wanted. He was an instant charmer so he became ours. He’s larger than any show Aussie you ever saw. He’s huge and larger than Zack, a very fancy show Aussie who is coming to visit soon.

It’s a good thing I can’t smell as two dogs panting in my face aren’t as bad as once they would have been in the days when I could taste and smell. Not that tasting is an issue, but it’s aligned with the ability to smell. And, yeah…well, there are things you smell that you taste for hours afterwards. When my net granddaughter, Briana, was here visiting, she told me Jack was in serious need of Tic Tac’s.

Jack seems to like having his little brother Smoky around and so far he’s been the perfect host. He’s stood back and let Smoky eat all the dog food out of both bowls that Brit puts out for them this morning. Now there’s a dog that has been socialized.

And when 10 pm rolls around and Jack routinely gets on Brit’s lap, he scooches over so that Smoky can be included too. No matter that Brit’s legs are paralyzed from all the weight. They are two happy dogs.

Most of the day Smoky lies next to me wherever I am, and Jack still tails Brit around. It’s the herding instinct in them that they won’t let us out of their sight. Jack has never left the yard. I don’t know why it took us so long to discover Aussies, but I don’t think I’d ever want anything else. For a few days, we’re a family of four.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:04 PM CST [Link]

Sunday, August 10, 2003

I HAVE FRIENDS WHO WANT TO MOVE HERE...

They would like to find some rural property in eastern Ellsworth County, 5 to 20 acres. They need space for the horses. They would prefer a 3 bedroom two bath home with out buildings.

If you know of anything, please give me a call. 785.472.3844. Thanks.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:28 PM CST [Link]

Saturday, August 9, 2003

CARNEIRO CHURCH

I'm heading to the Carneiro Methodist Church tomorrow morning. Josh Svaty is the interim pastor so it seems a good opportunity to hear him preach. I love that little church and haven't been inside for years...so it will be a nice place to spend about 40 minutes tomorrow morning. I'm tagging along with Mazie and Jack Grothusen.

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

ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK

A forever favorite song of ours is Englebert’s After the Loving. He just sang it on a PBS program we are watching. It brought back lots of happy memories for us as we've danced our way around a good part of the world to it.

But…the rendition we remember best was in a little out of the way bar in Bali when a small native band from the Philippines played it for us. That was back in the early 80s. We grinned through the whole dance as we had no idea they would know it...and it not only was recognizable, it was pretty dern good. We loved it. In fact, it was such a big hit, they played it several times that night…and we danced each time. Those were the good old days...our dancing years!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:59 PM CST [Link]

Friday, August 8, 2003

COLLEGE KIDS

The college kids are heading back to school. Some left this week and most will be leaving next week.

They revitalize our communities when they are home...help on committees and boards and work as volunteers to lend a helping hand wherever they can. They have new ideas, fresh from the environment that initiates creative thinking, balance and fairness.

I miss them when they aren’t around and I miss the vigor and enthusiasm they impart. They represent our future and I like talking with them about their hopes and dreams. College life and academics are a good thing for almost everyone. I wish them well and remind them to keep in touch.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:25 PM CST [Link]

ASHCROFT SYNDROME:

A constant fear and dread that somewhere, someone is having a good time.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:25 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, August 7, 2003

#1 GRANDDAUGHTER

Mackenzie has had a world of experience this summer as an intern at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In addition, she and her roommates, and the friends she has made there, have taken advantage of every minute to explore the area and become familiar with Washington D.C.

Her lastest solo adventure Saturday took her on foot over much of the monument area. She's not afraid to venture out on her own to do what she wants to do. In addition to all the brainy things she's been involved in, she found her favorite park bench in the whole world that she'll always remember and she's learned to delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

If you want to see some of her pictures and learn a little about how life has been in Gaithersburg this summer, CLICK HERE.

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

THERE ARE CHICKENS IN THE SMOKER

A couple of big ole plump Butterball hens are smoking away out on the deck....one for us and one for Tyler. That kid loves to eat. I slathered them with veggie oil and a lot of the barbeque rub I blogged a few weeks ago. They cook to perfection in a smoker.

That will be Tyler's tip. He's been here most of the day running the carpet vacuum and sucking up dirt, dog hair and fuzz balls. Old people with bad backs can't do that anymore so he comes and spends the day sweeping everything in sight...all the carpeting, up the stairs, all the upholstery...the works. He does it right....moves everything and gets in all the nooks and crannies. Our new sweeper is bagless so you can see what you are sucking up as you go. That makes it challenging.

He gets paid well, of course, according to what I would have to pay anyone else and he also gets a tip. The chicken! He can devour that in nothing flat!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:13 PM CST [Link]

THE GUYS AT OROZCO'S

There is a group of "hoop and holler" guys who congregate every morning at Orozco's in Kanopolis. Starting about the time Jesse opens the doors, they trail in, one by one, and gather around the long center table that's closest to the kitchen. They do it without any fanfare and hardly exchange any greetings. They just come in and sit, as they are expected to do. They've done it the same way for ages.

When they feel like it they talk. They exchange information that is important to such fellows...farm stuff mostly... weather...local news...and they pass the paper around and eat. They drink carafes of coffee. That's the way they start their day....almost every day. I like the regularity of what they do. It's sort of like a silent bond of friendship.

Today there was a deafening outburst from all of them....something was really funny, but Jesse and I missed it. Dern. You could ask one of the guys to explain what was so funny....Gary Donley, Buck Ploutz, Jeff Freeman, Dave Essick, Fred Peppiatt, Dennis Vernon or Marvin Schneider. They know. Those are the regulars. Great guys.

Jesse's Huevos Rancheros were great. I love that breakfast dish he puts together...and then I slather it with hot salsa. It keeps my engine running all day.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:38 PM CST [Link]

ELLSWORTH KANSAS....OUR FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME

Wayne Indiana, August 2, 2003:

"Ellsworth, Kansas-AP -- Who says nothing's free anymore? In a small city in the heart of Kansas, officials are giving away land and more.

Four cities and a school district in Ellsworth County hope to attract new residents with the land offer. Commissioners are even throwing in a year's worth of free golf or swimming and maybe even help with a down payment on building a house.

Officials see new residents as sources of new revenue. They're calling it the "Welcome Home Plan."

Ellsworth County commissioners also hope to offer down payment assistance, with the amount of money offered based on the number of school-aged children in the family.

Authorities will give away 23 lots through a drawing on August 21st. Applicants must agree to build and occupy a home within a certain timeframe."

Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. (oops)

The story about the Welcome Home Plan hit the AP news wire, and it’s been seen all over the country...the San Francisco bay area, New Bedford, Connecticut, Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the list goes on and on. There have been great articles about this program in Ellsworth County all over the country! How exciting!!

If you go to this website, you will find forty or more articles from papers all over the United States:

CLICK HERE

We're making headlines and Sarah Grace is getting enough calls from interested people to give her cauliflower ears. Our fifteen minutes of fame is in play. Enjoy it!

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

JESSE MANNING

I'm off to Orozco's this morning to have breakfast with Jesse Manning one more time before he heads back to school. I'm in a mood for early morning breakfasts these days and hate to miss any opportunities for same. It's my favorite meal of the day.

Yesterday I attended the Wilson Chamber breakfast meeting at Made from Scratch. I had not been in Jayne's new restaurant since it has opened and found it very nice...and, initially, very cold. The breakfast was good and the meeting informative. Don Hanson, Scott Moore, Linda and I were there from Ellsworth.

Jesse and I just like to visit about common interests. I like staying in touch with him...he's an interesting fellow. He reads my blog every day and sends me email messages regarding it. He's compiling a history of Kanopolis for me to add to my website. My blog is his way of staying in touch with what is going on about the area until he gets the Independent.

Besides, where can you go to get anything that equals Jesse Orozco's huevos rancheros? That's a platter loaded with scrambles eggs, refried beans and hash browns, all topped with pork chili until it is running off the edges. Then you carefully load it with hot salsa. Warm tortillas are on the side. There isn't a better way to start the day, in my opinion...good conversation with a friend and spicy hot Mexican breakfast. Ole!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:05 AM CST [Link]

COMMANDER ROBERT C. LAUBENGAYER

Ellsworth graduate, class of 1982, Commander Robert (Bob) C. Laubengayer takes command today of Helicopter Combat Support Squadron Five today on Guam.

Here is a note from a teacher that tells a lot about the character of Bob Laubengayer:

Whenever I think of Bob one particular image comes to mind. During his freshman year of high school our football squad was short on numbers, much like it is today. The coach that year was Brady Burton. He needed a linebacker and Bob filled the position. I can still see Bob during those hot early practices struggling as a freshman to play the middle linebacker spot on defense, a tough job for anyone let alone a freshman. Battling the heat and the upper classmen to play the position. He was small and inexperienced, but also determined and tough. I cannot help but believe that the toughness and determination of that young freshman played a key role it taking him where he is today in the defense of his country.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:52 AM CST [Link]

Wednesday, August 6, 2003

SARAH GRACE...MOVING ON

What a fine person she is!

From what I've observed in the short time I have known her, everything she does, she does well. She's smart and capable. She has made strides with the County in community development and the Chamber with their activities during the time she served as the director of each group. Having two half-time jobs, with two different offices, is a big chore as she never has enough time for either job during the day...and the work continues at night and over the weekends.

We have to admire Sarah Grace for accepting new challenges and moving on...taking advantages of opportunities that come her way. It will be difficult to find someone who can fill her shoes, but we hope both groups will choose her successor with the same diligence they used in finding her.

Sarah Grace has created and provided insight into several new projects in town and has the capacity to generate a constant stream of new and refreshing ideas. She networks and coordinates beautifully and draws people to her like a magnet. She exhibits the kind of personality people enjoy being around.

The very good news is that she's staying in Ellsworth County. She has several good reasons to stay and we like that. Her involvement and influence around the county will be ever present.

Sarah's father is a banker in Troy, Kansas so Sarah has grown up in a banking family. Her studies at K-State make her a logical person to work in a bank, and that is the course she has chosen. She has taken a job with First Bank. They are to be commended for recognizing quickly the value she can be to them and the community through them.

I wouldn't be talking about this here as I only just learned it from her this morning, but it seems to be general knowledge about town so I don't think she will mind. I hope not. I think she just wants the transition to be easy and quiet. Our good wishes will always follow her.

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

GEORGE CARLIN

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways (and asses), but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air a lot, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and hallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember,to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there. Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

-George Carlin

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:49 AM CST [Link]

MORE OF PEG PLAIN AND TALL

While attending a marriage seminar on communication, Brit and his wife Peg listened to the instructor declare, "It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other."

He addressed the men, "Can you describe your wife's favorite flower?"

Brit leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "Pillsbury All-Purpose, isn't it?"

The rest of the story gets a little ugly....:)

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

Tuesday, August 5, 2003

METAPROS WEBSITE SOLUTIONS

These are the July statistics for my website:

Total hits (any request) 43,724
Total files sent (Code 200) 25,137
Total files saved by cache (Code 304) 16,037
Other response codes 2,550
Total page views 9,590
Hits per day maximum 2220 average 1410

People seems to be interested in learning about Ellsworth. I like these numbers. pb

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:15 PM CST [Link]

REMEMBER THE STORY ABOUT MONTY HUDSON'S BADGER?

Our story ended (check my archives) with the badger being hauled off from Monty's to Feris Caves only to return the next day. Those little short legs carried him back to the Hudson woodpile he called home...that is when he wasn't cavoting around inside their house, playing with the kids and rummaging about.

So, off they went again, this time to the river and taking Badge a little father away. Alas! He he found his way back to Monty's again.

And again. Another trip out, another trip back. The Badge returns.

The next trip was much longer and at last report, Monty hadn't seen the badger. That's because he ended up across the river at Brian Reed's mother's house....and get this....on her front porch playing with her 100-plus pound dog. I suppose the dog's initial reaction was one of aggressiveness, but one look at those badger claws made him have second thoughts about a fight. At last report, they were having a good time at the Reed's. I hope she doesn't have a doggie door.

Keep me posted on the whereabouts of the badger. (Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.)

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

Monday, August 4, 2003

WOMEN TALK MORE

A husband looking through the paper came upon a study that said women use more words than men. He was excited to prove to his wife that he had been right all along. It read "Men use about 15,000 words per day, but women use 30,000."

The wife thought for a while, then finally she said "It's because we have to repeat everything we say!"

The husband said "What"?

P.S From a reader: Hang in there Brit. The empirical evidence is on your side.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:33 PM CST [Link]

WHAT'S THAT AGAIN?

A staff reporter for the Salina Journal wrote this today:

"One Salina man was killed and another was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash just before 2 a.m. Sunday on Old Highway 40 at North Street.

Lt. Brent Melander of the Saline County Sheriff's Office said James G. Cooper Jr., 26, was riding a 1200 Suzuki sport motorcycle east on Old Highway 40 at a high rate of speed and missed a curve. The motorcycle hit two street signs, went into a ditch and then was airborne, he said.

Cooper and a passenger, Brent J. Kraemer, 22 Salina, were thrown from the motorcycle. Neither was wearing a seat belt. Cooper was pronounced dead at the crash site.....

....Melander said speed was a factor in the crash, and deputies were investigating whether alcohol was also a factor...."

What was that again about seat belts?

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:24 PM CST [Link]

WILSON CHAMBER BREAKFAST

The Wilson Chamber of Commerce’s Business Breakfast on Wednesday will feature Brenda Spencer as speaker.

Brenda is a Historic preservation consultant and is assisting Wilson in classifying part of its downtown as a Historic tax dictrict to be listed on the National Historic register.

Come and hear what this means for Wilson and its businesses.

The meeting will be held at Made From Scratch from 8am to 9am. Doors open at 7:30am. We hope to see you there.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:03 PM CST [Link]

SARAH GRACE

About the only news out of the County Commission meeting this morning is that Sarah Grace resigned as community development director, giving two weeks notice. The commissioners understood and wished her well. She is taking a full-time position somewhere in Ellsworth County.

It follows then that she will soon turn in her resignation as executive director of the Chamber.

She's done a remarkable jobs in both positions and will do well wherever she goes. She's smart, multi-talented, a good organizer with good follow through...and very likeable. And she'll still be in Ellsworth County which is a good thing.

Best wishes in your new position, SGy.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:18 PM CST [Link]

BUSH BRUSH

From a friend:

"I see President Bush is on vacation and clearing more brush. I have to wonder if Texas ever had so much brush cleared prior to Bush's presidency."

Dear Friend,

The Bush brush that Bush clears is a big govmint project now. Not much got cleared before he became prezdint but now it's a priority with him to get the Bush brush off the Bush brush land while he has free use of those Bush govmint big brush bash-benders.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:16 AM CST [Link]

Sunday, August 3, 2003

THE FOOD WAS GOOD...GOOD FRIENDS ARE GREAT...AND ASSORTED THINGS

I had a report that there were diners at the Midland today...and that the food was very good. Let's hope it is now really open. I'm anxious to have more of John's sauerkraut which tasted homemade. It was great. I could do "overs" on his mashed potatoes and dill gravy any day.

We had a late "breakfast" at KCs today and it was also very good. It would be hard to beat their country-style breakfasts. The place was packed. We waited for a table and got one in a lull...but after that, people flooded in from church and there was still a long line waiting for tables when we left. The buffet looked great.

Speaking of food, as frequently I do, the fried chicken dinner at the senior center on Saturday was excellent. I wish someone would fry chicken like that every day around here. And the parade got high marks from me. I thought it was the best of any I've seen this summer. There was a band and a big ol’ bull! And there was variety of entries. It was a great little parade. They just need to get the entries closer together.

We had iced coffee and a smoothie in the Antique Mall. The espresso machine hasn't yet arrived but that is a great place to stop in for coffee and drinks. Mark and Josie have done a lot of work to provide a new and interesting meeting place in Ellsworth. I think it is great.

We had weekend guests from Kansas City. It was wonderful having them here. Jack was thrilled having two dog lovers scratching his tummy and playing with him all the time. My net granddaughter who is nine also loved the water slide. The pool and slide are a wonderful part of our community and we are fortunate the city built it when they did. I sat by the pool for over an hour and, in my opinion, it was better supervised by Nancy Bolton and the life guards than I've ever observed before. I know that's not ample time for such rash assessments, but I've never been at the Ellsworth city pool when the kids were so well-behaved. It may not be that way all the time, but it speaks well of management. I can remember the mayhem in past years and this was a wonderful change from that.

Saturday night in the park with the band from Great Bend and all the other activities was just as it should have been. The night was free from the stifling heat and very pleasant. It was a good evening.

I made contact with another college friend with email today so that was nice. It has been an effort and taken several phone calls. She uses Earthlink and their spam blocker cuts out everyone until you're an accepted user. That is hard concept for a new user to figure out and we've all started out there.

The next two weeks I'll be attending meetings. It's that way the first two weeks of every month. I love the challenge and feel there is a lot of progress being made, especially with the National Drovers Hall of Fame. If you haven't become a founder, we could use your help. I'm amazed at the response...particularly from young people in college and you know how dear money is to them. They’ve come forward with $100 each as they believe so much in the project and how it could effect the future of Ellsworth.

Well, I've gone the rounds with my "sleeper machine", as a friend calls it. I've had it for over six months now and wouldn't part with it for the world. I was entitled to a new head set, and instead of getting one I KNEW worked, I thought I'd try the "pillows" or the kind that stick in your nose. Once committed, you’re out of luck to change. Well, I can tell you after 11 of nights of struggling with it, trying to adjust to it and going without sleep, I ripped it off in the middle of the night and went back to my old mask. Then I started sleeping like a box of rocks again. I had no trouble adjusting to the mask initially and I thought I could do that same with the pillows, or whatever it is called. Not so. I don't think I could ever adjust to it. So now I am stuck another 6 months, or maybe forever with the old one. I'll have to go to ALCO and get some Velcro strips and try to fix it. I have trouble keeping the head piece on as the Velcro is shot. I think I can patch it so it will function as it should. Live and learn.

Life is good.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:30 PM CST [Link]

Friday, August 1, 2003

IT HAS BEEN A VERY INTERESTING EVENING...I SHOULD GO OUT MORE OFTEN

Last Saturday I inquired from Marion Vaughn, the manager of the Midland Hotel, as to the food service hours at the Midland. I was told they were going to be open virtually any time I'd ever have a hankering to eat....from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 and even later than that in Drummers, the basement bar/restaurant. Great! Perfect!

My friend, Linda, and I made plans to meet a couple of girl friends from Russell at the Midland tonight for dinner. We had plenty of time so we headed to Wilson Family Foods to do a grocery run. We noticed there was only one car parked in front of the Midland and a lady with a Johnson County tag was just pulling away. Hummmm. They advertised in the Independent that tonight, the 31st, they were offering a full menu. It was 6:30 and I expected to see "traffic".

After laying in the groceries, we walked into the lobby of the Midland to look around before going downstairs to eat and saw that it was deserted. Hummm. I asked the lady at the desk about the restaurant and she said they were closed. "Closed?" "Yes, the restaurant is not open tonight." I then said, "I suppose Drummer's is open". Drummer's?” she asked quizzically. I continued. "Yes, could we eat in Drummers?" "What is Drummers?” she asked. I knew then we were in trouble.

I described one of my friends who would be inquiring after me and asked that she forward them on to Al's Bar and Grill. She was very nice about that and said she would...and as it turned out, she did.

The story gets better...or worse, actually.

First, we talked with a couple in Al's who live 7 miles south of Wilson who had come to town to eat at the Midland. They said another couple was leaving the Midland as they went in, also turned away. They also offered information that the Midland wasn't open on Sunday as they were supposed to be and the reason given them was "they were too tired from the festival". I shuddered. Now, can you top that one? And they haven't been open since for meal service, so they said.

I ran into three friends from Hays at Al's who have a boat at the lake. They had also gone to the Midland and ended up at Al's. And there were the four of us who ate at Al's. I bet Al was grinning from ear to ear with 11 people in his restaurant that he hadn't counted on. Who know how many other people intended to eat at the Midland. With all the new places in Wilson now open, people still end up at Al's Bar and Grill. It's easy to see why. You always know when they are going to be open.

The Hotel had an ad in the Independent this week saying they would be offering full services on July 31st so you'd expect they'd be open, right? That simply wasn't the case. I guess from now on out we better call and see if they are too tired or if they are in the mood to cook, or what.

It really makes me wonder where they are heading.

Now, the next bit of news, actually non-news, concerns the XXX Adult Arcade. I wanted to see if it was anything more than I imagined it could be or anything at all to raise such a fuss about as some have done. Since three of us hadn't been there, we decided to go see for ourselves what the ruckus was all about. I suggest all those who are complaining should to do the same thing.

We gave the place a good going over for maybe 45 minutes. We looked in every nook and cranny. We separated the beaded portiere (is that the right word?) and looked in all the booths in the back. We checked out the wall of "toys" and, since we had a medical doctor in our midst, we grinned and asked about the "anatomical correctness" of some of the items. We pondered the possibility of a near-by business making a killing selling batteries. I had trouble even glancing at the vast array of magazines and their explicitness. They are not for me, but obviously they were there for a reason. Somebody buys them. We all have our own thoughts about sexual ethics and practices.

During our time there, we carried on a conversation with Terry Yarbrough, the manager, (not the NASCAR driver) about his business. He was very nice to us and he knew exactly why we were there. We weren't shoppers, we were browsers. He has a lot of them.

Another employee who lives in Wilson was also there and told us that there isn't anything in the Arcade that wasn't also in the Waterin' Hole..."there's just more of it here". So, the magazines, videos (they run continuously and cost 25 cents a minute), booths and toys have been there for eight years, according to him.

The place was clean, Terry seems like a nice young man just trying to make a living and pay off some debts. He lives in Wilson and says he has nice neighbors, particularly an older lady who lives across the street. The owner's son used to work there but he left, so Terry is trying to hire additional employees. He has three now and business is good. It should be as everything there is very expensive. I was surprised...more like stunned...at that aspect of it. Items are very expensive. One item was brought to my attention because of the price...$19.95...humm...I thought. "NO", she said, "look again". Right! $119.95. Ooops. Most of their business comes from traffic off the Interstate but a lot also comes from Wilson, we were told.

Many long years ago, Brit and I and some friends of ours wandered unknowningly into such a store in Quebec City. It had a huge window display close to the Frontenac Hotel and we were puzzled as to what all that stuff was, so we went inside. It was a very fancy, very "French" shop. We were all clueless as to what it was but we poked around and finally the light dawned. There wasn't anything then we wanted to buy and the same was true last night.

There wasn't a thing in the XXX Arcade I would want to buy or have given to me. I don't mind that someone else looks at it differently as that is their right. Nothing there is illegal, but I'm sure there are those who think it should be. To them I suggest.... take your case to the Supreme Court and don't take it out on Terry Yarbrough or the owner.

It was easier to go tonight with friends rather than alone. Probably I wouldn't have done that. Now I can report with a little bit of authority since I've at least been there, seen what is there and I have no reason to return. It's like other places I find I have no particular interest in such as restaurants with bad food, stores with discourteous clerks, nail salons, country decor shops, etc. I have no interest in those places as they have nothing to offer that I want. Certainly I don't disagree with other people's right to patronize them.

We all have our own ethical and moral choices to make and, it seems to me that we have no right to try to impose ours on others. The owner's right to have that store there exemplifies the constitutional rights we demand for ourselves.

P.S. I wonder if "they" caught the four of us on camera coming and going or recorded my license plate as some area folk have threatened...I suppose in order to assauge their chronic insecurity? How utterly silly.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:24 AM CST [Link]