Uber Not Available!!

With Margaret (Mike's GPS voice) and the "Iowa Guide to Haunted Locations" directing us, we headed northeast out of Readlyn (that's what Mike said but it seemed, for some reason, like we were going south!) to Strawberry Point, Iowa.

Y'all know, I like Cemeteries.....and Cemeteries have dead people .....and often, living people claim that they see "dead people walking" (Ghosts) in Cemeteries.......Whooooo.

We had read, in our Guide Book, about Mossy Glen where people had died strange deaths, jumped off cliffs, had their heads chopped off.....and they are supposed to still be there.....walking around. In fact, if you call out "Lucinda" three times - she will appear......but....if she drops a rose at your feet, you'll die.....the next day! (I had stuff to do, the next day, so I decided against trying to see Lucinda.) There was supposed to be a man, walking around, holding his head. So much to see, so little time!

I was game....I'm "sort of a believer" (Yes, I've seen ghostly figures). Mike, not so much, and I was actually thinking that taking him along (you know, a "non-believer") might not be such a good idea. Would ghosts appear to non-believers? Was I up for going by myself? I'm pretty brave....well, I guess not THAT brave!

The rock road Margaret had taken us down had come to a dead-end, in the middle of a farmyard. To our left was the entrance to a cornfield that covered a rolling hillside and to our right was the entrance to a barn. In front of us, a rope tied across what had once been a road, blocked our way with a sign, "don't block the road." And about that time Margaret informed us that she wasn't going any further .....we'd have to get out and walk!

The old road was covered over with vines and a canopy of tree limbs and it looked ....well, it looked "uninviting!" I had on sandals (was that by design?) and it had begun to sprinkle rain. And then, the two farmyard guard dogs began to bark. (I must confess, they were old, fat beagles .....but they had a ferocious bark!)

We decided to try and find another entrance. Keep in mind, we were on rock roads in the absolute middle of nowhere. The hills were extremely steep. We saw a road sign that indicated a truck on a steep downgrade, and I was very thankful that it was summer. I couldn't even begin to imagine having to go down these hills in an Iowa winter with snow and ice! Whew!

We were surrounded by absolutely beautiful rolling hills full of corn. On one side of the road, there would be steep banks with layers of stone that looked like slabs of granite and on the other side a field, with the tall corn bending in the wind, on the roller coaster-like hills. I had to force the image out of my mind of a tractor trying to stay upright on those steep, hilly rows!

Mike had entered Mossy Glen Hollow into the GPS and after many stops and turns, Margaret informed us that we were at our destination. To our right was an overgrown ditch and a swamp and no road, and no way in!

Here we were, again in the middle of nowhere. We stopped at a crossroads that reminded me of my crazy little four-way stop, back home. Mike was trying to put a destination, any destination, in his GPS, and he kept getting the message, "GPS signal lost."

Suddenly a message popped up on Mike's phone, "Uber is not available!"

When a FedEx truck went flying around us, we decided to follow him. The road was paved, to a bridge, and then the rock began again with a sign ....." this road is not maintained, enter at your own risk!" If it was good enough for FedEx, it was good enough for us!! We followed and suddenly, at the top of the long hill, the "enter at your own risk road" dead-ended at a Paved Road!! And on our left, sitting atop the hill was a Cemetery!! (This trip might be worthwhile, after all!) The cemetery was shaded and guarded by several huge, old Cedar trees that had been there for many years.

Many of the ornate tombstones had Ireland inscribed as the place of birth. We viewed so many of the old stones that had begun to be covered by moss with engraving that was no longer legible. My mind raced back to my "own" cemetery in Mississippi and Stanley Jones, the young man who gives so much time to cleaning the old stones. This cemetery and these stones could use a Stanley Jones!

A young woman who was mowing the vast cemetery stopped and visited with us and pointed out the grave of Daniel Shine. We had learned about Dan in the "Hillbilly Homicide" in our Haunted Locations book.

Dan was a 58-year-old farmer and confirmed bachelor who lived in an old house on his 80-acre farm, in the area. His 70-year-old bachelor brother, Timothy Shine, lived with him. Pearl Hines, a young (33 years old) "Hillbilly girl" lived with relatives, in the area. The story goes that Pearl worked, for a few months, as a housekeeper for "old Dan Shine." The relatives with whom she lived, a 26-year-old uncle, Jim Hines, and his 51-year-old common-law wife, Minnie, were poor. They lived in a log cabin with 18 of Minnie's children - with no electricity and no running water. A plot was hatched for Pearl to marry Dan Hines, murder him and get his farm, so she could help her uncle and his wife.  Pearl married old Dan and 5 days later, he was dead! 

We hadn't gotten to Mossy Glen, but we'd seen beautiful countryside and we'd ended our trip in a Cemetery.........without waking any of the Ghosts!!

 

It's RFD .......

Some people (and unfortunately I am one of them) never know what might come out of their mouth ..... until it does!!

Such was the case, recently.

I had driven Mike to the doctor. Since he has Shingles, in his right eye, he's unable to drive until ..... well, until he can see!  So, whether he likes to ride with me, or not ............

He can still watch television or check his phone or Facebook. You know, all those important things in one's life!

Anyway, we left the doctor's office and headed to the Pharmacy in the HyVee Grocery Store. I was pleased to see that the store was following the guidelines set out by the CDC or Prez Trump or somebody!

The Pharmacy had the floor marked off, with blue tape, to indicate 6-foot spaces between customers. Store employees were "masked up," although shoppers (other than me) wearing masks were few and far between - even though the store is in Waterloo, Iowa; a "hot spot" for the Covid-19 Virus.

While waiting for Mike's prescription, I went to pick up some Tylenol and the shelves were bare, other than Tylenol PM. It has been said that  Tylenol is more effective for pain control than Ibuprofen against Covid-19 symptoms. That's okay, 'cause I can't take NSAIDS, anyway (but I have no symptoms ...so no panicking!)

I went to the Pharmacist and asked, "do you not have any Tylenol?"  He came from behind the counter to search and advised that "Tylenol has really been in short supply, since the Virus."

Then he asked, "What do you take Tylenol for?"

And I answered, "RFD." (What?  Where did that come from?)

That poor Pharmacist had one of those "deer in the headlights" look, but he didn't say a word nor did he ask a question. He just looked really puzzled and confused.

It would have probably helped his feelings if he had known that I was feeling puzzled and confused, too!!

He fumbled around and suggested a bottle of the HyVee "they're just like Tylenol" brand, and I took them and made a quick escape before he could decide to ask questions about this "RFD disease!"

The answer should have been "RLS" (as in Restless Leg Syndrome) but nowhere in my brain was that acronym going to be found, at that moment.  Why I didn't just say "headaches??"

I'm sure, with my southern drawl, he probably thought it was some kind of new southern diagnosis......like maybe "Redneck Foreign Disease."

It's just a fact, I never know what I might say.....until I hear me talking!!

Little Bella's New Home is finally ready!!

This little girl was just 4 weeks old when she came to live with us, back in 2012.

I often call her "Bella the Beast" because even though she's smaller she holds her ground.

Bellas is forever taking her sister, Precious, bones. Precious won't try to get them back......she comes

 barking to me!! Just like many "human" sisters they get into skirmishes.  I stay out of the way and let them have their "battle."

Precious was three months old when she came to us.  She always loved hiding under tables and things, and she still does.  When I miss her, I just have to look under the Buffet, in the Dining Room, and there she is!!







These two little noisy girls have brought much joy to this house, and I decided it was time to begin sharing their stories with others.

Yesterday, "Little Bella's New Home" became available (on Amazon) as a Kindle download. It will soon be in Paperback.  I plan to follow Bella's story with a book about Precious.

Bella's Book can be found by clicking this link!!

Intertwined

Often, families can become so intertwined that we feel as if we are related. That's what happened, on Saturday. Years ago, James Bennett Nicholson (who was the son of a Methodist Minister, and who became a Methodist Minister) married my dad's sister, Alice Walker. Aunt Alice and Uncle James were like a 2nd set of parents, to me....and their children, Jimmy, Howard, and Teresa were like another set of siblings. The life of Uncle James' next to the youngest sibling, Georgia Nicholson Lane, was celebrated in a small Methodist Church in Lone Star, MS. I had the honor of being able to play the piano for Georgia's Celebration of Life. There's a hymn, "Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place".....and it was evident. There was so much love, in that small church ....where the sun was shining through the beautiful stained glass cross above the Altar. I felt as if I had also lost a member of "my" family. She was one of those women who wore a constant smile. She was loved by everyone who knew her. Georgia would have been so proud of her granddaughter, Jennifer Lane Domingos. Through tears, Jennifer told about her Christian, loving grandmother. I could visualize Georgia, as Jennifer spoke. Georgia's death had left a hole in the hearts of so many. I was reminded of the death of my own grandmother ......I knew exactly how these grandchildren felt. Charles Warren Nicholson, also a Methodist Minister and the youngest of the eight children of Rev. T. E. and Sara Nicholson had married into another branch of my Walker family. The two families were truly "intertwined." And many years ago, Cecil (one of the older siblings) and his wife, Millie, were good friends of hubby Bob and me. Cecil, who was also a Genealogist had found that a distant Walker relative (Betsy) had married a distant Nicholson relative (George). Maybe we were more than just "intertwined??" RIP sweet Georgia. You're going to be missed by so very many who loved you, who admired you, and who are so very happy that God has now restored your memories. Alzheimer's is the disease that robs one of all the memories of a lifetime.

Too Much Thinking.....

It's a given, sometimes I do too much thinking.

Well, last night, when I couldn't sleep, I had to do something and getting out of bed wasn't an option. So, I had to find something about which to think.

And, I have to say that writing can sometimes just be a pain. Like the sentence above about thinking. One should NEVER....I mean NEVER ....end a sentence with a Preposition, so one has to rearrange one's sentence so the Prep isn't at the end. Such a pain!!

For some reason, I chose my trip to the "Inhouse Outhouse" in the Amish home. Now, I really am not intending to offend anyone.....so, if you have Amish friends or if you are particularly close to some Amish people, you may just want to stop reading.

Last night, it occurred to me that there was no sink in their "Inhouse Outhouse."  Does that mean that they don't wash their hands after going to the "Inhouse Outhouse?" 

I thought I saw a sink, in their kitchen, but I later learned they DON'T have running water. They use a hand pump (like my Granny once had).
And certainly, there's no running water at Outhouses.

And they have Bakeries and Jelly and all that good stuff!!

Then, I thought a little further and my thoughts included me and my own hands!!  And we went to lunch after my "Inhouse Outhouse" visit.  OMGoodness, I think I may just be sick.

I've got to be a little more selective in my middle of the night thoughts!!  YUCK!

Just a bunch of Geminis!!

Happy 4th of July, y'all!!

You know, we (in the South) might as well have all been born Geminis. Why? You ask.

Because Geminis may forgive but they just never forget. I know this personally - my youngest daughter is a Gemini. She remembers things that I actually question if they ever happened!

We, in the south, remember that it was July 4th, 1863 when Pemberton surrendered to Grant. He did it, on a Holiday, thinking Grant would give the South better "terms."  They did. The people of Vicksburg were starving and the Union troops shared their food. Neither did they take the Souths troops as prisoners. Okay, so they were good guys about it!

For years, the South continued to "fight the war".....the 4th of July wasn't celebrated. Nothing was closed, in Vicksburg, on the 4th. I'm not sure about the rest of the south.

We might as well have been Geminis -----we just never forgot!!

Finally, after the allies won WWII we began minor celebrations. However, after the BiCentennial of 1976, we finally "rejoined the Union" and the celebrations began. (I, personally, think it's just the fact that we were missing out on those days off from work, picnics, fireworks, etc.)

Yep, we were all just a bunch of Geminis!!
(Parts of this were copied from 'Today in Mississippi.')

Flipping Through the Memory Book.....

What an absolutely wonderful day and afternoon! 

Between the time my flight from DFW to DSM arrived, breakfast at Perkins, and Mike's doctor's appointment to remove the stitches from his nose surgery, we had time to kill.

We decided to take a trip down "Memory Lane," back to the small town where both our families had lived almost 50 years before. We took off down Interstate 35, from Des Moines, and exited at 'Bevington/Indianola" exit.

First, we went toward where Mike's family had lived. Our first detour was to the home of old friends, Jack and Marguerite Gray. We had disagreed on where they had lived. They no longer owned the home, in fact, Jack had passed away many years earlier and Marguerite lived in Indianola. Even though I had never been to their house, I thought I knew which one it was. Mike was right - I was wrong. As we drove into the driveway of the old house - I spotted a statue of the Virgin Mary and knew Mike was right, this had been their home - they were devout Catholics.

We drove by the old Bellile house, and "going home" is always difficult because things never look the same.

We continued on our journey, turning down the road where we had once lived - passing the home of Chuck and Wilma Seymour who also no longer lived there.

As we got to the home of our old "next door - down the road" neighbors I begged Mike to turn into the driveway. It was noon and we knew we shouldn't stop .....but we did anyway.

I went up to the door and knocked.

The lady came to the door and I asked, "Do the Hayes still live here?"

She smiled and said, "Yes, we're the Hayes."

I said, "I'm Sarah Gorrell, we once lived down the road from you," with absolutely no idea if she would remember me.

Suddenly, there was laughter, hugs, and smiles.

I'm going to interrupt my story with an explanation....

On August 10th, 1969 our family of three (our youngest daughter, Robbie, wasn't born, at that time) moved to Martensdale, Iowa. My city-born hubby had decided that he wanted to raise hogs....yes, hogs! Even though I was a country girl, I had never helped on the farm. Suddenly, I was cast as the "farmer's wife" and I was expected to do all the things a farmer's wife does. It just didn't work!  Lonnie, the teenage son of the  Hayes, became Bob's helper. It worked much better because on the days hogs were to be loaded for the market - Lonnie didn't pray for rain or snow like the farmer's wife did! (And sometimes God heard my prayers!)

The Hayes family consisted of Darrell, the father who had worked for the Iowa Fish and Game Commission. Injured in an accident while on duty, he was wheelchair bound, but with the best sense of humor, I had ever witnessed in a Paraplegic. Karen, their mother, worked in Des Moines at Meredith Publishing (too bad I wasn't writing books, back then!). Lori, the oldest daughter, became a babysitter for Gale and Robbie, and Karla, the youngest was just three years younger than Gale and three years older than Robbie.

In 1977, not long after Lonnie's 18th birthday - soon to graduate from high school, he was killed in an automobile accident.  I realized that this young man, taken much too soon, would have been 60 years old, now. He would probably have children and grandchildren. My memories took me back to the horrors of hearing the devastating news, all those years ago.

We talked about people we had all once known - many now gone. Darrell still had the same great personality. Karen now retired was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother. We didn't get to see Lori, and it was unbelievable that this tall, beautiful woman standing before me - with her father's smile - was Karla. She showed the picture of her sons - both tall and good-looking.

So much conversation, so many names, crammed into a few short minutes. (We couldn't miss the appointment to get the stitches out!) We had reconnected with friends from over 40 years before.

I agreed that when RAGBRAI went through the area, the end of July, while I was to be Mike's "support" - I would stop by for another visit.

I was so glad we had turned in this driveway while touring down Memory Lane. Making contact with old friends warms the heart and helps to flip through some of the worn pages in the Memory Book, in one's mind.

We Stop for Cemeteries and Churches!

I had seen the beautiful church steeple, on our way to Rochester, but we were running behind schedule (and Mike was taking a nap while I drove), so there was no stopping for pictures.

On our way back home, once we crossed into Iowa, I started watching the skyline. Once I spied the steeple, Mike began to look for the road to get to the church. He turned on Lourdes Road, in Lourdes, Iowa, to get down to 'Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.'

It was late Saturday afternoon and the cars in the parking spaces indicated that Mass was in progress. Our Lady of Lourdes is in the Holy Rosary Cluster, with churches from four other towns, and they are all under the direction of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

The Gothic Brick church was built in 1901, and at one time there was a Convent and School. Sisters of Saint Francis from Clinton, Iowa served the Parish until the school closed in 1969. Originally, the church was named "The Immaculate Conception," and that is the name inscribed on the cornerstone. However, during the dedication, Archbishop John Keane promised to obtain a statue of "Our Lady of Lourdes" and directed that the name of the church be changed.

In the beginning, Lourdes was an Irish Settlement but through the years, Czech, Slovak, and German Immigrants have moved into the area and make up the membership.

If, ever, you are in Iowa and headed north on Hwy 63 train your "eye to the sky" and search for a beautiful, tall church steeple ....reaching for the heavens. It's worth a quick detour to see this beautiful church, in the Iowa countryside.

Yes, we do stop for cemeteries and churches!!

We welcome your comments!

Mayo Clinic is Rochester!!

We left Readlyn, Iowa headed to Rochester, MN behind schedule, but I figured that Mike's "pedal to the metal" would get us there "almost" on time. We were on our third day of "road trips" and this one would take us to see one of his twin granddaughters, Morgan, who is in the Finance Department at IBM. 

                                         

As we stopped, at a light, on the south edge of Rochester we noticed that their Water Tower was shaped like an Ear of Corn!

Mike did some research (Iowa is the Corn State, why does Rochester have an Ear of Corn for their Water Tower?), and we learned that the town is either going to "paint it or take it down" because, at night, kids are enticed to try and climb it. It has become a dangerous situation. Ever thought about putting a locked fence, with barbed wire, around it?

We never learned why it's an Ear of Corn!

We followed Margaret's directions (the name we've given to the female voice inside our GPS) to get us to Morgan's address. A quick tour of her apartment and we were off to eat and see Rochester.

Morgan took us on a walking tour of downtown Mayo, I mean Rochester! This was to help "juggle" around some of the pasta and bread and wine we'd eaten at Victoria's Ristorante and Wine Bar. 

After all, we had to get enough strength to walk around town! We highly recommend Victoria's, if you're ever in Rochester. It's within walking distance to Mayo and all the hospitals with which Mayo is connected.

Mike and I were surprised. I think we had both envisioned Mayo to be a huge hospital located on a street "near town." Mayo isn't huge - it's massive, enormous, gigantic  - okay, there really aren't enough adjectives big enough to express just how large it is! Mayo actually consumes the downtown area. As Mike said, "Mayo is Rochester!"

Morgan and her grandpa walked ahead of me, visiting (actually, I "lagged behind" taking photos!) Ever so often, they'd stop, turn around, and ask, "Are you coming?"

To say we were impressed with Mayo would  

be putting it mildly. Bob's mother loved

hospitals and always talked about, "the next time I go to the hospital, I'm going to .....". I just know she would have loved the "idea" of going to Mayo had she ever seen it!

The Gonda Building Main Entrance, for patients, has Valet Parking, like an expensive hotel! However, don't think you can just "drive up and check in." Patients must be referred to Mayo.

        

Concern for patients health and safety is of the utmost importance to Mayo. There are connecting walkways, between buildings, over Rochester streets. These enclosed walkways also provide much-needed warmth in those snowy, cold Minnesota winters! (We were told that Rochester had 86" of snow, this winter!)

  

    

In November 2018 Mayo Clinic School of Medicine was renamed Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in honor of the $200 million donation given by businessman Jay Alix. His was the largest donation ever given to Mayo.

Mayo Clinic is home to many statues, by well-known sculptors. It would be worth another trip to see those that we missed. Statutory Park, across from the Gonda Building has four major statues. The images of the Mayo Brothers, titled "My Brother and I" by Tuck Langland is of Dr. William J. Mayo and Dr. Charles H. Mayo. 

Statues of their father, Dr. William Worrell Mayo and of Mother M. Alfred Moes are also in the Park. All the statues are cast in bronze.

Additional sculptures are placed about the properties and on the walls of buildings.

  

Mayo Clinic is surrounded by various faiths and churches. Historic Calvary Episcopal Church was built in 1862, during the Civil War. It is the oldest church building in Rochester and the oldest Episcopal Parish in Minnesota. It has been designated a Historic Site. There are a number of Stained Glass Windows from the 19th and 20th Century - four were made in the Tiffany Studio in New York.

While doing research for this blog article, we discovered that we need a return trip!!  Mayowood, the 48 room Mansion of the Mayo family, is open to the public, for tours, March - October. For 60 years, it was inhabited by family members!

We did, indeed, learn that Mayo IS Rochester!!

We invite comments!!

How Did Louisiana Get Its Name?

Ever since my sidetrip in November, 2014, I had wanted to return to the  town of Louisiana, Missouri. It was deemed Historic by one of the brown, Historical markers on Hwy 61, which is also called the "Avenue of the Saints."  I suppose I was intrigued by the name. Why is a town, in one state, named for another state?

We left our Cozy C campground on Hwy 54 with the address of Bowling Green, and headed east to Louisiana. I assured Mike that he just "had" to see this quaint little town, on the banks of the Mississippi.

We stopped at a Convenience Store and upon asking the young 18-19 year old clerk (why did I think he would know?) "How did Louisiana get it's name?" His reply was, "I don't know, but many years ago we had lots of people coming here because "Bigfoot" was sighted."  Bigfoot? Really?

So, to Google I went. And yes, in 1971-1972 there was a sighting of a "Bigfoot-like-creature."  It apparently was one of those legends, passed down through the years, and maybe that was what made Louisiana "historic!"

From Google: "Following sightings in 1972 beginning at 3:30 pm July 11, first reported by Terry, Wiley, and Doris Harrison, and lasting for about two weeks, tracks were found and submitted to Lawrence Curtis, director of the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden. He deemed the tracks to be that of an unknown primate species." This Bigfoot is known as MoMo - the Missouri Monster. Bigfoot apparently died or had no little "Bigfeet" .....he hasn't been seen since!

We had made the decision to find food, and take it back to the RV - after touring Louisiana. Mike stopped at "Fat Boys," one of the three restaurants that we found online, and I went in to pick up one of their "Handmade Tenderloins" (advertised online and with signs painted on the restaurant window) for our supper. Sidenote: The tenderloin was the size of a BIG plate, and enough for three sandwiches!  No joke! We both love Tenderloins (Iowa Tenderloins) - and Fat Boys Tenderloin didn't compare!

While I waited in "Fat Boys,"  I climbed atop a barstool beside a young man.  I learned that he had been born and reared in Louisiana (Missouri). He told me that "nobody ever leaves here."

I was determined to get an answer to my burning question, "How did Louisiana get its name?" He advised that I would "probably have to talk to George Washington to find that out!" I shook my head and responded with, "Well I really doubt ole George had anything to do with it!"

While he played on his cell phone, he asked "Where you from?"  I answered his question, and after no response I asked, "Do you know anything about Misissippi?"  His reply was, "Yeah, I been there one time, and I didn't like it!" When I asked "Why?" He responded with, "It wadn't (not wasn't - wadn't) no fun."  I suggested several Mississippi options, but his phone was obviously more interesting. He said, "I'm going to Florida."

I finally decided that "how Louisiana got its name" had possibly not been included in local History lessons....and once again, I turned to old-reliable Google for my answer.

Louisiana, Missouri, founded in 1818, was named for Louisiana Bayse,

the daughter of one of the first settlers. I think I was disappointed!  I had hoped for a grandiose story about someone from the Bayous of Louisiana (the State) founding this quaint town on the banks of the Mississippi River!

There are about 4,000 residents - most of whom are descended from the original settlers. As my young neighbor, on the barstool, said......nobody ever leaves.

Louisiana is a beautiful little town in various stages of decay. On one hand, there are many beautiful, well-kept, 19th and 20th Century Mansions.  Many have wrap around porches, tall columns holding up second floor balconies, widow walks, and beautifully landscaped yards, but next door there will be a house either in a state of collapse or long overdue for maintenance.

Lloyd C. Stark, the 39th Gov of Missouri from 1937 - 1941, was born and lived in Louisiana and his beautiful, still well-maintained Victorian home is on the National Register of Historic Places. There were too many beautiful homes to photograph.



The only reason Governor Stark's home became the object of our camera was because of the strange scene in the picture window.                                                                                         
The ghostly (ghastly) figure of a man, dressed in black formal attire, with rabbit ears on his head, holding what appeared to be an Easter basket - and in front of him was a pig??




















There were several pretty churches - many with beautiful stained glass windows. The Methodist church sat on one corner and across the street, on the other corner was the Baptist church.


Down another street, with a handful of Saturday evening Mass communicants leaving, sat a Catholic church. While steeples  reached for the sky, a Cross had been worked into the shingles on the roof of the Catholic Church.

On the side of the church, above the door which also held a cross, was another cross. As we drove away, we mentioned to one of the Parishioners how much we "loved her little town" and she replied "we do, too, isn't it lovely!"

As we drove down Georgia Street, toward the river, the wind had Old Glory unfurled and waving, as if to welcome us toward Old Man River.

The town boasts 24 wall murals, painted on the sides of buildings. One of the most outstanding was that of the Steamship Delta Queen on the river headed toward the bridge. This was the first mural and was painted by local artist, John Stoeckley. It is titled "Delta Queen approaching Hwy 54 Bridge." (This bridge crosses the Mississippi into Illinois.) Notice that the painter of the mural also painted the image of a man, on a ladder, as if he was painting the mural! There has also been local controversy regarding the huge frog, in the left corner.

This mural, in honor of George W. Trimble, acknowledges that after making his fortune out West, he then returned to Louisiana to help the poor.


Remember the catalogs you've received, from Stark Brothers Nursery? They've been in business in Pike County, where Louisiana is located, since 1816. I haven't worked on Governor Stark's Family Tree, but I'm assuming this was his family. We missed photographing the massive mural on their wall!

Not only are the murals plentiful and colorful, they are a view into the community's past and they honor America, our flag and our emblem - the Eagle.

Louisiana, Missouri was well-worth the time we took to tour. However, there were two disappointments: The "ghost on the bicycle" was no longer there, and Mike really wanted to continue west on Hwy 54, across Hwy 61, to see Mexico!  Mexico, Missouri will have to be included on our next trip south.

Stay tuned, we'll be asking "how did Mexico get its name?"
#LouisianaMissouri #MoMo #24WallMurals

Be Careful What You Offer......

My youngest great-grandson turned one year of age, this past week, on April 17th a couple of days after "Tax Day." His mommy, my youngest granddaughter, (we've got a trend going, here) has been planning his big First Birthday Party for months. 

She took after her own mommy, my oldest daughter, who is very creative and talented in the creativity department. Now, that daughter DID NOT take after her mommy (me). I've decided she inherited her creative talents from her dad.

Anyway, having said that, there's going to be a party centered around the farm and farm implements and farm animals. Why? They don't live, on a farm, so I don't know. This First Birthday isn't going to be just a birthday, it's going to be an event.....with food. 

And, I said, "what can I do, to help?" You know, that's what grandmothers or, in my case this time, great-grandmothers do.

She (the granddaughter) gave me the menu, which included stuffed eggs, or as some people call them, deviled eggs. ((That was something easy (I thought) that I could do.))  So, I said, "I'll make those!"

And then came the zinger (at least, for me, now known as "one who isn't very creative...except as a writer). 

She said, "Granny, they've got to look like this."

And right then was one of those times when I wondered why I thought I needed to do anything other than "go and eat and sing Happy Birthday!"

So, I said...."HOW am I going to do that? What will I use for eyes? What will I use for their beak? Do they really need feet?"

The answer was, "go to Pinterest."

Now, I'm not really a Pinterest person, but I tell you....this time.....that website looked pretty good. Well, the creative, talented woman who made these.....made it look so easy. 

(The problem is, I think my right hand becomes another left hand when I get myself into these kind of situations!)

So far, this is where I am on this project (and I've got about 3 hours to finish!) 

Got 'em boiling.

Got 'em cooling.

To tell you the truth, I am half-scared to death to start the rest of this "project." Well, not the peeling, but the "other" part.

It didn't help one bit when Mike looked over at the picture of the "deviled egg chicks" and said, "I've gotta' see this. I didn't know you were THAT creative!"

Stay tuned for "the other part." (It's probably gonna' take the entire three hours!)

Like I said, "be careful what you offer to do!"

Rosie's Diner Was More Than Just Food.......

Yesterday, on our trip 'cross the MS River Bridge to check out Helena, AR we had a wonderful unplanned experience.

We were looking for food - fast food, any food. We never saw a McDonald's, Burger King, Popeyes, nothing but I did manage to encourage Mike to continue in a direction that he really didn't want to go. (The River Bridge, back to MS, was the "other" way.)

Suddenly, around a curve, sat a small local restaurant. I convinced Mike

that we should stop. It said, "Rosie's Diner" and "Soul Food." (I had to 'splain to MIke what Soul Food was - and after my explanation, he had a strange look on his "I don't know if I want to stop or not," face. We did.)

We ordered what Mike said was the best Pulled Pork Sandwich he had ever had. They were cooking it, right there, in the little wooden shed out to the side.....where black smoke was just rolling from the roof and windows. OMGosh, I'm hungry for another one....but no, not getting out in this.....okay, not talking about that, again.

Now, Mike just has to open his mouth and people start asking, "Where you frum?"

Mike began a conversation with a man that we later learned was named Johnny White. Johnny had been a Psychotherapist (maybe he thought

we needed help), but was now retired. He offered to give us a tour of Helena.....and what a tour it was!! The display, in Freedom Park and everywhere, was amazing.

Our friends, Larry and Jamie Robinson, need to make a trip to Helena to see the Confederate Cemetery that sits at the top of Maple Hill Cemetery. The cemetery isn't easy to find - in fact, I'm not sure we could have gotten there without help. Down below the White Confederate Cemetery, beyond the cyclone fence down under the huge hill, sits Magnolia Cemetery where the Black Confederate Soldiers are buried.

It had begun to get late, so there wasn't much time for picture taking. That was okay, we now knew where it was and there could be more trips to Maple Hill, Confederate, St. Mary's Catholic, the Jewish Cemetery and Magnolia Cemetery for picture taking.

God works in mysterious ways - I know this from all the good things that have happened, in my life. Yesterday, a small local diner with good food introduced us to the kindest gentleman, ever. He was very proud of his city even though it needs some upkeep.

Thank you, Rosie's Diner for more than just food and thank you, Johnny White, for a great afternoon tour. #soulfood #JohnnyWhiteHelenaAR, #confederatecemetery, #maplehillcemetery #magnoliacemetery

Gretna Green or The Marriage Mill.......

I had just taken over driving (Mike usually does the driving, but the sun had made him sleepy) when I saw the Exit sign for Kahoka, MO. I said to him (who had already dozed off), "I really want to see this place."

Mike is "easy"......so he said, "I don't care, go ahead."  It was a good thing, because I had already gotten off at the exit!

Now, the reason I wanted to see this little town, which was about 10 miles off our route was because, in 1932, his parents had come here to get married. I had always wondered "why?"

We drove the 10 or so miles to Kahoka, which is the county seat of Clark County. It's the first courthouse in northeastern Missouri, just south of the Iowa border.

Back in 1932, there was no waiting period, no doctor's exam, nothing needed to get a Marriage License. This was the "Marriage Capital" of the Midwest. People came from Iowa, from Illinois, from wherever to get married in Kahoka, MO. It was the "Gretna Green" in this section of the US. (Gretna Green - taken from Scotland - is a term used to signify towns where one can get married almost immediately.)

Today, we stopped at the Kahoka Library to ask questions and the librarian told us that, back in the day, there were "shacks" all along the street where Justices of the Peace set up shop and performed marriages.
It was a "Marriage Mill."

Nothing was required to get a license (no name, rank or serial number) ,and get married and it could be done within a matter of minutes, by a Justice of the Peace for just $1.00.

Mike grew up in Hillsboro, Henry County, Iowa - not far from the Missouri border, and remembers when people would talk about "going to Kahoka" to get married, because it was so easy. That isn't the case, today. There is now a waiting period so times have changed.

We have a copy of Mike's parent's Marriage License....which was witnessed by his aunt (father's sister) and her husband. However, I still want to get into those courthouse records and see who else, in his family (I'm working on his Family Tree) might have slipped off to Kahoka!!

BTW, Mike's grandfather who was the Physician in Hillsboro was admantly against the marriage of his daughter to Mike's father!! And that.....is probably why.....they went to Kahoka!!!
#GretnaGreen #MarriageMill #KahokaMO