Finally Autumn

I bought a pumpkin yesterday.  It was a small one, but I needed a sign of fall since there weren't too many others at hand.  My youngest granddaughter and I were shopping at the thrift stores.  She is a member of American Heritage Girls and needed a white shirt and navy blue pants or skirt.  We finally found the shirt, but I'll look later for the bottom half of the outfit.  

In the meantime, we passed the pumpkin patch held every year by the Southern Hills United Methodist Church Youth Group.  I got my small pumpkin and she picked one she could hold in her hand.  Here's mine.

I sat out on the porch one evening and made the honeysuckle wreath.  It's only about 12 inches across and took about one hour to cut the vines then weave it.  The crock is a Love Field crock that I use to corral my garden gloves and saw and pruners.  The lid is from a small enameled roaster which I began using to keep the rain off of my tools.  I didn't realize how many crocks I've acquired.  I can't say collected since I don't actively look for them - just take home the ones that occasionally come into my life.  I'll take some photos one of these days.

We've had wonderful weather this week.  I've worked outside in the coolness and can hardly make myself go inside at the end of the day.

One of the things I did was to set up my tent.  Steve and I each had a backpacking tent - mine a Marmot Swallow and his an Exped Sirius Extreme.  I wasn't sure I would remember how to set up mine since it has been such a long time since I've used it.  I managed to do so and was lying in the tent, watching the sky through the netting on top and enjoying the cool breeze, when a granddaughter came looking for me.  I think she wondered what I was doing.  I didn't explain.

The last time I used my tent was one November at Quartz Mountain State Park in southwestern Oklahoma.  There was only one other camper on the grounds so we had the park pretty much to ourselves.  It was a wonderful place to be.  Drought had, for several years, lowered the water level in the lake by about 10 or 15 feet and we were amazed at the markings on the rocks.  

That was also the only time I've ever heard a bird fly.

We were up early one morning and climbed a cliff path to sit on the top and wait for the sun to come over the horizon.  We were quietly sitting when I heard the softest noise and moved my eyes around to figure out what it was.  A bird - don't know what kind - went by within a few inches of my face and I heard the swish-swish-swish of the air as it went by.  That was a once-in-a-lifetime moment!

The 11th of this month will be the 5th anniversary of my husband's death.  Moving on?  There is no such thing.  That implies leaving something behind and I have no desire to do that. 

Planning

I've been sorting out photos for weeks.  It's a depressing job, for the most part.  

I'm pitching into the trash plenty of pictures I no longer want.  What constitutes "not wanting" varies from time to time.  

Sometimes I discard a poorly lit photo and sometimes I keep one such, because of who is in the photograph.  Sometimes I laugh at a picture, sometimes I cry.

Lately, I discard photos that are from my past - trips I've taken by myself - and which have no meaning for anyone else.  

I've also rid my albums of photos from trips Steve and I took together.  When you can't share the memories with the one who was with you, there's very little reason to keep those pictures.  I have kept some, but very few - from two special trips.

I've almost overwhelmed myself with my project.  I thought, as I sorted and grouped, that I needed to make an album for each of my 5 grandchildren, an album for their parents, an album for myself, and one for each of my brothers.  Am I digging a deep hole there, or what?!

I finally decided that after scanning all the photos (which I was doing anyway) and putting together pages of each person, printing them would save me a lot of time. Then all the paper photos of the grandkids can go in my album.  Yes, we Oklahoma dinosaurs still use film.  I take a lot of digital pictures so they can go on the computer, but film is still my favorite way to photograph.

So, tiring of looking at the pictures, I hauled out my atlas and thought once again about the trip I'm planning for this fall.  I intend to leave about the middle of September and head on a route that will take me to a lot of interesting family history places.  I'm calling it my "Where They Lived Trip".

I intend to use land records to stand in the exact spots where all the direct ancestors in my Dad's line lived.  Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia. Since my husband's family came from almost exactly the same states, I'm adding those locations to my travel list along with Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and North Carolina.  You can see that it will make a fine, long trip and a pretty big loop.

Mom and I did this on our trip-before-last to Wales.  We went to her mother's birthplace and found the house her family lived in; her father's birthplace and some of the houses he lived in.  We also added a few we weren't positive about yet, but were probabilities.  I'm still working on our Welsh line and it's probably going to the next to the last family I "finish".  (I suspect my German from Russia Grandmother will be the last.)

Back to the sorting and scanning . . . 

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig

We got up early Saturday morning, intending to look at antiques in Conway before we left town.  While cruising their wonderful downtown, we found a Farmer's Market.

There were quite a few vendors and they had been there since 6:30, many of them nearly sold out.  We enjoyed visiting with them.  One veggie stand had ice-cold lemonade that was so refreshing in the morning's heat.  

This is what we bought to take home - that jelly label got a little turned, but it says Moonshine Jelly.  Both breads were from one table and they were wonderful - a wheat loaf and the Very Best Zucchini Bread that I've ever eaten. 

The gal behind the jam table explained that the lady who made the jelly named it for fun. Conway has a festival called Toad Suck Daze and that's where she first sold the Moonshine.  It's very good and I'm not going to tell you if it actually has moonshine in it.  You'll just have to go to Conway next summer and get some yourself.  Check out this link.  The photo they have posted also shows how interesting downtown Conway is.

From Conway we headed to Ft Smith for lunch and antiques.  Belle Starr Antiques was where we stopped to ask about a good place to eat.  It was a wonderful store and the owner, a vivacious young woman, helpful as could be.  We bought several things there.  Once in the car, Mom and I commented that she was the perfect person to own a shop and deal with the public - we were so impressed with her.  

It was time to head home.  We crossed quickly into Oklahoma, stopping one last time in Roland for gasoline, then Mom drove the rest of the way home.  Not bad for an 86-year-old!

Our Last Day

Yesterday was an adventure - or rather a mis-adventure - but more on that later.  Mom and I were up-and-at-em and on Main Street at 10 o'clock when the shops opened.  We visited several and made small purchases.  Then, at the last one, I hit paydirt.  Or I think I did.  At least I found something that jumped off the shelf at me and - after a little consideration - I paid an arm and a leg for this wonderful piece of the unusual at Back in Time Antiques - 10,000 square feet of antiques!

I have yet to figure out what CMT&DA stands for and what they celebrated in 1910, but I will certainly enjoy having this beauty on my desk.

After shopping we were headed for the grocery store when we spotted some shops we had not taken time to visit the evening before.  They were in an L shape, 6 buildings, some connected, and looked like this.

Natalie's is where we ate lunch - sitting out doors.  Mom had meatloaf and I had a bean salad.  Excellent food and a very interesting place. O! I had a white cake with chocolate icing and the surprise was almond flavoring in the chocolate.  Mmmmmm.

Now our mis-adventure begins.  Leaving Batesville on the way to Mountain View, Mom says the navigator (that would be moi) directed her to go on a road that eventually did not lead to the northwest.  Since Mom's car has a compass in it, I shoulda looked at it miles and miles sooner to notice that we were heading southeast.  I guess my excuse is (take your pick) . . . getting old, getting tired, thinking about something else rather than directions - or I could blame it on the Arkansas roadway department who apparently spare all expense putting up road signs.  I hardly ever knew which highway we were on due to lack of information from aforesaid government service.

Our 'eventually' turned out to be Heber Springs which was fine with us.  We found the Jitterbug coffee house and had an ice cream cone while admiring their music and decor.  We also found a little shop around the corner that was lovely and had home-made baked goods which we managed to resist since we were still enjoying our lunch at Natalie's.

After that, on track to Conway to spend the night, we swung into this parking lot.

It took us a while to look at everything inside and out, but I think we were most fascinated with the porch and it's holdings.

Then on to Conway, passing a dozen more antique malls and flea markets that will have to wait for another time.

Saturday we'll work our way home.

Still in Arkansas

Yesterday Mom and I made the trip to our first US Newport - this one in Arkansas.

I'm sorry to say that the best thing about the town was the welcome sign.  Established in 1875 (you can barely read it for the shrubbery), the downtown is deserted except for 2 businesses; most of the commercial enterprises are to the north of town, along the highway heading to Batesville.

So, having marked Newport, Arkansas, off of our list, we moved on to Batesville.  It's a nice place with a good downtown.  They claim to have 13 antique shops, but we managed to get into only one yesterday.  Well, two.  

We ate lunch at Elizabeth's Restaurant.  The building is on the National Register of Historic places and is open inside to the 20? foot tall tin ceilings.  One very long wall had excellent black and white photographs taken, we suppose, by a local photographer - since some includes signs of Batesville.  The tables had white cloths and the food was delicious.  Our waitress at lunch was excellent and we Okies were tickled to listen to her Arkie drawl.  

We highly recommend Elizabeth's.

We were tired and ready for a nap after the first antique shop so found a motel - Comfort Suites not too far from downtown.  But the room was so cool and the beds so comfy that we napped way too long.  Going back downtown the shops were all closed or closing - except for one where the owner allowed us a quick run through.  Mom found two more blue and white small plates to add to her collection, so we were both happy.

We saw a sign for a RiverWalk and followed more signs to this spot on the White River.

Then walked over to the lookout . . . 

The RiverWalk is under development, I'd guess, from all of the construction equipment, but they have a nice start.  Just to the left in this photo is a low dam.  The breeze was cool and the view nice, but we were winding down again and headed back to the hotel for an evening's rest and a good night's sleep.  

86 years

Sunday was Mom's birthday.  She is now officially 86 years old.  My Uncle was 86 yesterday.  He and Mom are the only in-laws of the Simmons kids still living, so we decided to head for North Little Rock and a visit.

We left Midwest City late enough that we were in Okemah by 11 o'clock and ready for lunch.  Once on I-40, our favorite place to eat is in Okemah, at the Hen House.  The food is so good, the service great, and the inside interesting to look at.  Once upon a time they had antiques and kept quite a few for decorations.

This shows Mom sitting on the side porch waiting for them to open . . .

While I parked on the front porch in the shade, rocking, and feeling the cool breeze coming by . . .

The Hen House is open only for lunch - beginning at 11, but I haven't noticed when they close.  It's worth getting off the highway for one of their meals.

After lunch we headed east again.  It's sure a long drive to Little Rock, especially once you get past Ft Smith.  The road is good, the scenery mostly trees, but being Interstate highway, there's nothing to see or to do unless you get off to explore.  We'll do our exploring after our visit.

We're headed Thursday for Newport, Arkansas.  Mom grew up in Newport, Wales; cousin Pam lived for many years in Newport, Oregon.  I made up a list one time of the Newports in in the US and we had a plan to visit as many as we could.  We've finally gotten around to it.  Someone asked why visit all the Newports? - because they're there!

We'll also go to Batesville and Mountain View where, according to the brochure we picked up, they have folk crafts aplenty.  That's the plan for the day - we'll see how it works out.