Country Gal

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell August 25, 2009

2009-08-25T21:52:00.001-07:00

Well, the new school year has begun. It is going to be a different year than any other. Since the kids will be going four days instead of five days. There will be many adjustments to be made by the students, faculty and staff. I know that the school board has weighed all of the facts and reached the best decision they could with the information that was available. When my kids were in school, they would have loved having Friday off. Jeff would have enjoyed getting those extra hours of work. Jennifer would have loved having the time to tweak and retweak her homework. I would have liked having that day to plan all of the appointments and a couple of shopping excursions as well. I am sure there are those who are not completely thrilled with the idea but overall I hope that we can support the board and try to make it a comfortable transition.
Schools certainly have changed from when my grandparents went to school. When the Bible was used as reading material and prayer was as common as recess. Even when I was in first and second grade, we said a prayer before we ate lunch. I do not remember anyone being offended. I cannot believe what our kids have to know in kindergarten. I did not go to Kindergarten- well, that is not all true- I went one day and that was all it took- for the teacher and me. I embarrassed Mom so bad that she made me take a little basket of apples to Georgia Sanders. I was to thank her for letting me come to class for the day. I thought that school was not for me- I really wanted to stay home and Dad could teach me all that I needed to know. When I brought home my reader from first grade, I soon learned that I did not want Dad to teach me to read, as he did not have the patience required. Mom was a good teacher and wonderful help with all of my homework. Mom was so much better at helping me out than I was with my kids- Jennifer learned rather quickly not to ask and to get help at school. Jeff was lucky enough to have Jennifer at home to help him.
Our parents never questioned the safety of the playground- Actually; even with the wooden teeter-totters that we got splinters from- or the wooden swing seats that would occasionally hit us in the head- or the merry-go-rounds that went very-very fast never once did I ever hear my parents say anything about it being dangerous. In fact, in many ways it was safer than what we play on at home.
We now worry if the playground equipment is safe and there is no lead paint on any of the swings. We never worried about the lead paint- my folks would have wondered why I would have been licking the swings in order to be poisoned by the paint. My parents never worried that the teachers were not teaching- their concern was that I had better been well behaved so that she could teach. If I had brought home a note that was saying I misbehaved to the point that I had to go to the principals office- life would not have been pretty in the White household. Now do not get the idea that I was a perfect child- there are many who could say otherwise- but I knew that the teacher was the one who we would respect and do as we were told. Dad told me that I might not be the smartest kid in class-(not that it was ever a possibility) but I could mind and I was to do the best of my ability. I think that maybe we all should be thinking on how we can make our kids education better. As we, all know it is easier to tear down than to build up- but if we tear down and destroy what are we going to have to show for our work?

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell August 18, 2009

2009-08-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

This summer has turned out to be the summer of visitors- Each May when school is out I always wonder what the summer will bring to our family and how it will change our life. When we built our home, I wanted extra space for family and friends so they could be comfortable in our home without feeling as if they were intruding in our lives. So we have six bedrooms and three bathrooms and since Jim and I are, alone you would think that we would only use part of our house. But I seem to be able to make a mess in all of the rooms- But having as much space as we do we have had the opportunity to enjoyed many people this summer. There was a time when I ran out of space for a couple of cousins so they had to get a motel room. We have had no less than twenty-four different people and two dogs stay with us. Six of the twenty-four came back to spend a weekend or a couple of days. Our company was very diverse in religion, politics, and all kinds of different jobs-. So I have learned about various lifestyles.
This week we have the opportunity to have Jim’s sister, Verna, and her husband, Weylin, here to stay for a few days. They live in Gautier, Mississippi so we do not get to see them often. I know Jim likes to have time with his sister as they have not had the chance to visit in the past few years.
When I was growing up the summer was so much fun. I had no cares in the world. Dad let me watch the sheep and try to keep them in the correct field that he wanted them to stay. The sheep never wanted to settle in the spot where Dad wanted them - they wanted to go south instead of north and when Dad decided that they needed to go to south they only wanted to go north. The coyotes liked to nibble on a tender lamb so I was to be on the lookout for the ornery predator.
I did most all of the sheep watching on horse back. After checking on the sheep, I would wonder around the pastures to see what I could see. My imagination ran wild. For some reason I was worried that the Russians were going to overtake us and I needed a place to hide. I do not know what I thought I was going to do after I hid as I could never sit still in one spot for a long time- But I had my plans. I liked to ride in the evening and feel the heat of the day leave the air and feel the coolness in the bottoms of a canyon. I would ride out our pastures day after day and never got tired of the scenery. Dad never let me go on anyone else’s property, unless there was a good reason and usually he would be with me if that were the case. I have always wanted to ride out Wildcat canyon. This pasture was not a half of a mile away from our home but Dad said that we had enough fields to play in and I did not need to be riding in someone’s pasture disturbing things. He was right; maybe I will get to do that some day before I am too worn out to enjoy the beauty of the territory.
Well, the summer is starting to wind down with school starting and things getting back to “normal” now it makes we wonder what the fall holds in store for us.

August 11, 2009

2009-08-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
Shopping is something that I have always enjoyed. I do not have to purchase something every time I just want to know my options. I love to window shop. Jim is not a window shopper- he knows what he wants and he goes to the store and buys it without looking to the left or the right. I might know what I want- but there may be something much better that would suit my needs. Years ago, people bartered for items. My grandparents would take in their milk, cream and eggs to town and trade for cocoa, flour, sugar- or whatever they needed at the time. I think that I would enjoy that type to bartering. When I came along people bought things much like we do now with the exception of the use of credit cards. But now I feel like I am being cheated, as I am not sure what I think of buying items on-line. Mom and I went to a couple department stores in Dodge City and she needed a pair of shoes. Mom has very flat feet and she is hard to fit. She must try on the shoes to make sure that they will work for her. In both stores when we asked for a narrow shoe, we were told that they only sell them thru the internet. I thought when a customer took the time to drive over sixty miles to make a purchase the store could at least stock the items they are suppose to sell. We came home empty handed and a little disgusted. I do not know how anyone buys shoes on-line. I know you can always send them back- but who wants to pay for all of that postage. And do not get me started on postage. I know that I am getting older as things that are not the way they used to be; is making me cranky.
People can buy all kinds of things off the internet- I am guilty of purchasing a couple of items- I have found that it could get to be addictive. You can buy almost anything and if you cannot buy it, you can find someone who does. Since I love to shop, and I can shop for anything. I think that I could get into a little bit of trouble. If this takes off our grandchildren will never have to leave their homes. They will be able order all of their needs off the internet-or whatever it becomes. They will never have the thrill of getting up early in the morning to take off with their mother to buy school clothes or to take that special day to go out and buy that one of a kind prom dress. They will not get the adventure of going to store after store after store to buy the perfect wedding dress. While you are shopping, you eat at a fun restaurant that your dad does not like. I know that some of my fondest memories I have with my mom is when we would go shopping- My mom could sniff out a bargain like no one else. When we went prom dress shopping, we shopped out Woodward and Alva Oklahoma. All of the dresses were too expensive so we went to Dodge City, this is when Mom told me that she was not going to spend over twenty dollars for my dress- otherwise she would just make one- I was so horrified that mom was going to make my dress- not that she was a bad seamstress; I just did not want a homemade dress. But we found a dress that was just what I wanted and it was marked down to eleven dollars and seventy- five cents. I was happy and mom was satisfied. If we could have just went on the internet, bought the dress we would have missed the hunt, and it is, most definitely, all about the hunt.
Maybe I am a shopahloic- I guess the first step is identifying the problem- Hello- my name is Vanita and I am a shopahloic.

August 4, 2009

2009-08-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
I feel that I must keep you informed on my cleaning process- we are still working on our garage- but there is a definite light at the end of the tunnel. Jim fixed the door so it will work the way it is suppose too. I can actually walk through the garage without worrying if there is a hidden critter somewhere- it would not be impossible if there was a critter but now he does not have thing to hide behind. I have promised myself that I will never let anything get in this kind of condition again- but I think that I am, more than likely lying to myself. Anyway- things are looking up and now all I have to do is to start on my closets- Oh boy, I think I might ought to rest up.
Coldwater certainly had a bang up 125th birthday celebration. I would like to thank all of those who worked so hard to pull off the event. I know that there was a lot of planning and sweat involved in the preparation of this past weekend. I love parades- the problem I have is that I like everything from hooves to wheels- That is why I have so many “wonderful’ things at my house and have problems with parting with some of my ‘treasures’. When I see Dennis Swayze and his team of horses, I am always wishing that I could have a team and a wagon. Midge Herd looked like she was having fun in his wagon. I was proud to say that I knew Emily Westrup Reif. We were in school together and were neighbors as well. I thought that she had out done herself with her team of Clydesdales. I do not know if I have ever seen a more massive amount of horseflesh on four hooves. They were absolutely beautiful. I did not get to visit with her after the parade as I was working at the chicken noodle dinner at the church. But I wanted to tell her that she was awesome. I loved the Viper car, too. I would have liked to look at it a little more. The kids pedaling on bikes and riding various things was entertaining. Thank you, Coldwater, you did yourself proud.

July 27, 2009

2009-08-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
We said our final good-bye to John Deewall Sunday afternoon- I have several good memories of John. One of my favorite memories is he was one of the only men besides Warren Branson who tipped their hats when they met a woman. Well, actually what I remember is that when John greeted my grandma- He would call her Mrs. Cary and he always tipped his hat. I appreciated that he showed respect toward her. I thought that she was a wonderful woman and it was nice to see that others thought of her as respectable. I think that we have all been so informal for so long that we have lost something. I think that Mom calls it - finesse.
John was so proud to have been part of the war effort during World War II. He took his VFW duties very seriously. He would bring Dad papers to sign and would stay and talk for a while. Dad always enjoyed his visits with John. They had been neighbors for years. One time John drove in the yard and informed Dad that we were out of water at the Eighty. When we got there the cows were in bad shape. We knew that the water there was not good but did not realize that the little pond had dried up. John told dad that he needed to go the Soil Conservation office and get some help to build a better watering hole for the cattle. Dad was a little hesitant but John insisted that they could help him out- John even went with Dad to the Soil Conservation Office and they got the job done. It was not long before we had a nice little pond. I always thought that if John had not helped Dad out things might have gone a little differently.
John and his step-son Bob Currier was our neighbors for many years. Between the two of them they really took good care of us. In the winter when it snowed our lane would blow shut. It would not be long before we heard the sound of a tractor and Bob would be there opening up our lane- we appreciated all of his efforts.
John and Bob always kept up more than their share of the fence. They could stretch a tight fence and a tight gate. I could tell that they did not have a lot of girls to open gates as I always glad to have a cheater attached to the gate post, as I needed help to get the gate open.
We bought some of our Hereford bulls from John and Bob- Dad thought that if we bought our neighbors bulls and the bulls got out- it might not be so bad since was the kind of bull that the neighbor was using. At least, it would be the same breed. I do not think that Dad ever picked out the bull; he trusted that John and Bob would choose a good one and they always did.
John and Jane gave Jim his first job washing dishes at the Branding Iron - Donna, Jim’s mom, loved working for Jane and John. She waited tables at the café before she went into nursing.
We will miss John telling us his war stories and seeing him drive around in his buggy. We will not forget him. The neat thing about memories is that our loved ones are never really gone as long as we can think about them and remember all of the good times that we have had in the past. So I guess that we should spend our time making good memories and remember to tell our children and grandchildren about the good ole’ days.

July 21, 2009

2009-08-11T22:04:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
This summer is going by way too fast. At the beginning of each summer I set a couple of goals that I would like to accomplish before school starts the fall semester. But usually the summer never goes the way I planned and this year has not been any different. The first thing on my list is to get the old house torn down. I think that the old house will out last me. I thought that I would ride horseback this summer and I have not had a chance all summer to ride. But what I have had this summer is company. We have had somebody in our home for the last 2 months. We have not been home alone very much. We have enjoyed the visitors- right now we are in a lull- but we think that there will be some family coming in a couple of weeks.
Come Home Coldwater will be here before we know it. I am looking forward to the festivities. The worst thing putting on a celebration is that those who have worked so hard to pull off the event- is they do not get the enjoy everything as they are busy with the details. Our church is doing the Chicken Noodle lunch on Saturday so we have been busy making noodles. I have just completed what I said I would make- I look like the ‘Pillsbury dough girl’. I have flour all over my kitchen- I had a fan going to keep me cool, but it also blew the flour everywhere. Flour on a tile floor can make it slick, then if any moisture gets on it, it becomes sticky- So I have cleaned and mopped floors and wiped off cabinets and everything else in the kitchen. But since we will be cooking Saturday morning there will be some of us that will not be able to see the parade. I have heard good things about the parade and those that will be participating. Everyone loves a good parade. I have also heard that there are many class reunions going on as well - so it sounds like there will be lots of activity going on in town. When I think of getting busy and trying to get things prepared for an eventful weekend reminds me of Dad- Many things reminds me of Dad but once when Vickie and I were planning on cleaning out Moms lily pond- which was not a pleasant task but an important one. Dad really did not want us to work on the pond, I think that he just wanted us to stay inside and visit with him. Vickie and I get along well, but for some reason Dad thought that this was going to cause trouble. So he sat the two of us down and said, “Now listen here, if you think you have to clean out that lily pond I just want you, two girls, to remember this one word, Attitude. Now you need to keep a good attitude.” Vickie and I looked at each other and just laughed- So all day when we were getting really tired we remembered our attitude. This might be a good thought for everyone that is working so hard to make this a wonderful celebration, and it will be a great time-Maybe when we get tired and cranky and we will get tired and cranky that we remember this one word --ATTITUDE.

July 15, 2009

2009-08-11T22:03:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
Our hearts are with the family of David Timmons. He will be missed not only by his family but the community as well.
The weather has been a deterrent to going outside. I cannot take the heat at all. So I am spending my time inside. I would like to say that I am using my time for good instead of evil- Well, maybe not evil so much as, not really getting anything accomplished. This would be the perfect time to clean out closets and drawers. I would like to get the closets all straightened up, by I am not sure that I have had the proper inoculations. But it needs to be done- no it must be done. But what brought this to mind was that Max and Rhonda came out to the house the other day and brought me a clipping from the Western Star. It was the announcement of the marriage of his mom and dad, Theo and David Cary. They had found it on the floor of one the closets in Aunt Theo house. We have no idea how long it had been there but it is good that it was retrieved. I liked the remarks that the writer of the article had about Aunt Theo- it told of her prior education of graduating from Coldwater High School and that she had attended Hays College and that she had taught one term in the Pike district, and that she had closed a ‘successful’ term of school in the Shimer district, that would have been a one room country schools. I would think that anyone who could teach all eight grades, without the help of a Para, or a janitor, and no one died including the teacher-it would be called successful. They had no heat except for a stove in the corner of the room. I think it would have been coal. I do not know what they did when it got too hot- they did not have fans- but they did not start school until after Labor Day and they let school out in April for the country schools so the kids could help out at home with the farming. Maybe the heat would not have been so bad. But there was no electricity; I just do not know how they did it. I just know that they were a tougher than me.
Back to the article- this is what I thought was interesting it said “Her many womanly qualities have won for her many friends”. I am not sure what exactly that meant but everyone who met my Aunt Theo loved her. She was a great gal. We do not write about peoples character much anymore in out wedding announcements. Maybe that is for the best for some but it is nice to see in print that she was respected. It did not leave Uncle David out it said he was a farmer after his graduation and that he “is an industrious and dependable young man”. It also said that “their many friends wished this worthy young couple many years of happy married life”. They did have a long life together. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and then some. I wish that all couples could live to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and do it happily.

July 7, 2009

2009-08-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Nothing ever works out the way you think it will- But not always for the bad. We had huge plans for the 4th of July, but different things happen with different people- I thought that I was going to have about 23 to 26 people running around my house blowing up things but the way it turned out I only had 13 and out of the 13 only 5 or 6 them were firecracker crazed individuals. We had Vickie and her daughter Wendy and her husband and family along with Vickie's son Mike and his wife and family. Mike's family has not ever been able to shoot off fireworks- since they live in a national forest. Well, their Uncle Jim and Cousin Jeff taught them all kinds of things. When Mike crushed a pop can his wife said that he should not have done that because she could have blown it up. It was fun to watch her enjoy the festivities of the day. Vickie and I like the homemade ice cream part the best. We are not that thrilled over firecrackers. It could have something to do with our dad. He loved to torture us with those small sticks of dynamite. He tormented Vickie more than he did me. Once when Vickie was trying to get away from dad and his insane need to horrify her with gun powder, she ran into our bathroom. Thinking that she was safe in our tiny, little bathroom with a hot water heater in it, along with a gas heater, but it was shut off, that did not stop him. He stuffed a firecracker under the door and when it went off -- well-- at least she was in the correct room of the house. Not only did it scare her half to death - it very nearly deafened her. This happened several years ago and the firecrackers had a lot more kick to them than they have now. It seemed that we always tried to hide in the bathroom when trying to get away from our persecutor. The reason we hid in the bathroom; it was the only room in the house that had a lock on the door. If Dad did not throw the explosives under the door he would spray us with the garden hose through the window in the bathroom. I might need to explain; we did not have air conditioning for many years so the bathroom window was normally open- it did have a screen on it but that did not keep the water out. When this happened mom was not entirely thrilled with any of us. Dad did quite a few naughty things, which stuck fear in our heart when the time of celebrating our country came around. So the 4th of July is not one of my favorite holidays come to think of it; it probably was not Moms favorite either.
The other thing was that made the July not real popular was if we were not through with harvest. If the wheat was cut dad was much more festive- if it was not Mom was not festive at all and neither was dad. If we were not done with harvest by the 4th of July we did not go to town unless it was absolutely necessary- because everyone would ask if we were finished cutting wheat and if we said no- you got the that poor- pitiful look. Since we no longer have wheat to cut our lives are improved greatly.
I hope that you had a safe holiday and most importantly you enjoyed your family- I know that we did.

June 30, 2009

2009-08-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
Well, I survived church camp---barely. Actually it was not all that bad. I did have a couple of flash backs of my one camping year. I was shipped off to the Boiling Springs Church Camp one year. I had never been homesick before and I had it really bad. At this camp if you got homesick they had you sit on a large rock in front of the mess hall. I spent many hours, or at least it felt like many hours, sitting on that rock crying my eyes out. I guess I must have gotten on the leaders nerves and they sent me to the camp nurse. She was very nice and talked to me, so I thought that I would spend the rest of the week with her. Then I learned that was not going to happen, so I had to go back with the rest of the kids.
One of the good things that we had at camp was the food, which is a little unusual. We were fortunate to have good cooks and we had a nice variety of food. Then they had mail call this brought back terrifying memories- when I was in camp if you got mail you had to do something embarrassing to get your letters. Well, my mom not only sent me letters but she drew cute little characters on the envelopes. That cost me- I almost let them keep the letters as after all it was not all that long before I saw her again- unless of course, I did not live through the week. You probably will not believe this but I was a little shy when I was younger- I have over come that obstacle- but getting in front of a group of kids who I had never seen before was not easy for me and to have to sing or say a poem in front of them was extremely difficult.
One thing that was different than when I went to camp was the chapel time- when we went to chapel- we were to bring dress clothes to were to the chapel service- Mom had even made a couple of new dresses for me to wear. I let one girl were one and she spilled Dr. Pepper on it. So I learned not to loan out my dresses. Now things are different - we do not get dressed up for anything. There are good points to that and bad- the good is that if there are those who cannot afford dressy clothing they do not stand out, not to mention that putting on hose in the heat is not a pretty picture - but I think that maybe we lose a little reverence when we do not dress when we go to the chapel. But this is the trend that America has taken. There are very few things that require coat and tie-and formals- we have taken to casual living.
The thing that just grosses me out the most and it still does is the community showers. I just hate those shower floors, it takes all of the nerve I have to go into the showers- Normally- I do not feel much cleaner when I get out the shower than I do when I went in- just wetter and hopefully cooler.
I know that this sounds like I am spoiled and I guess that I am- but swamp coolers are just a little bit better than nothing. They make everything moist and sticky. But it is a somewhat cool sticky. When I got home the jeans that were in my suitcase had a good crease in them from being packed in my bag and all of the moisture from the coolers pressed them nicely. I thought that they might have even been a little moldy but they weren’t.
This next week is full of activity- we are going to have all kinds of family coming in because of the 4th of July- I wish all of you a happy and safe 4th.

June 23, 2009

2009-08-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
I am not going to say anything about the precipitation that we have received- I know how it is when you are trying to harvest and it rains- Harvest is not a fond memory- well--- there were times that you had to laugh to keeping from running in front of an oncoming semi-just to end it all. Oh, it could have been horrible but we had the most wonderful neighbors that helped us out more than once. But even though the rain slows up the harvest the pastures are thirsty and happy to get the moisture.
Last week I was privileged to have Linda Winter’s sister and 2 nieces in my home for several days. They had brought Vivian Ruth to visit her sister, Rene Bruton. Sometimes when guests arrive you are anxious to see them leave- this certainly was not the case with these visitors. They were such a joy. The only thing missing was to have Dan and Linda here. Since all three girls have a wonderful sense of humor we laughed and giggled all evening long.
I think that the good Lord knew I needed the laughter to get me ready to go to church camp this coming week- Church camp is something that I never really cared for- however it was good for me and I learned quite a bit even though I spent most of my time with the camp nurse as I thought that I was homesick most of the week. I hope the camp nurse will be kind to me this time even though I will be one of the leaders. I went to church camp in Boiling Springs- I do not know why I missed home so much but I did. Mom sent me letters with cute little drawings on them which were really cute but it brought attention to me and at that time I was a little shy- I know it is hard to believe- but I was- kind of. Since she decorated the outside of my letters I had to do sing a song or do some little thing to get my letter- I thought it was terribly embarrassing.
I have had some interesting camp stories, but that is another story all together- I hope that I am tough enough to endure my week at church camp and if it would be possible and not to much trouble I would really appreciate you remembering me in your prayers- or maybe you should pray for those who will have to be around me for the next few days.

June 16, 2009

2009-08-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
It feels as if that the summer weather has arrived. We need the hot winds and the heat to get the wheat out of the fields. I took a friend to Freedom, Oklahoma to the Alabaster Caverns by way of Medicine Lodge. We went around the world so to speak. I was surprised that there was not many wheat fields that have been cut. Usually Alva, Oklahoma is cutting their wheat before we are, but we saw more machines working in the Buttermilk area than anywhere else.
There was however, some machines in a wheat field waiting to do a test cut. But there was a combine in one of the fields north of Alva that was different than any combine I have ever seen- not that I am a combine expert- in fact, I am so happy that I do not have to deal with wheat-but anyway-- this machine had an extra long header and it looked like it could flex with uneven ground. The header had an extension so it was farther away from the cab of the combine. Times like this are when I would like to talk to Dad about the newest equipment. I remember when the custom cutters would bring their big wheat trucks in the fields. Dad was so impressed that they could haul 300 bushel at a time. He thought that was something else- now 300 bushel trucks are the small ones. My, how times change!
As we were traveling down the road we noticed all of the different colors of gold that the wheat was turning. I think that there are more varieties of wheat to choose from than when I was a kid. Dad usually planted Scout and sometimes Eagle. Years ago, way before my time, Dad planted the kind of wheat that was beardless. I think that it was called- Red Man or Chief. His landlord, Perry Wall, told him not to plant it again- it was just too ugly to look at. From what Dad told me it did look odd compared to the neighboring wheat fields.
Anyway, we enjoyed the ride and the scenery was beautiful. We have had the moisture and it shows in the pastures. Most all of the ponds are full of water and the wild flowers are blooming. We have all kinds of different flowers and bushes that are in full bloom this time of the year.
It is nice to have friends that come to visit and I can show them our part of the world. And a very nice part of the world it is.

June 10, 2009

2009-08-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell I had a walk down memory lane today. I went to Kiowa to get some pork from the meat locker. Since Giz is at my mercy; he went with me. We went through the pastures to get to Kiowa. When we go this way- we go through my old stomping grounds. We checked a windmill on the way, and then we went through the Merrill Ranch- the Platt Ranch-- the old Z-Bar Ranch- which is also close to the Stewart Carthraes layout. The wild flowers are blooming and grass is growing tall, the wheat is turning golden- just a pretty drive.
There were some things are different than there used to be; houses empty and falling down or have been removed. The one thing that is sorta sad is on the road past the headquarters to the Z-Bar there used to be a booster plant. It employed a couple of men, I think, but anyway, there were a couple of homes there and now because of technology that job is no longer needed. So now you cannot even tell that anyone ever lived there. Technology is nice and I really like the advantages that I have that my grandparent did not have- but we do not need the man power that we used to employ. Now with people needing work; well, it just is kind of sad. In many ways I think that maybe we were better off working a little harder and not so dependent on machines.
Driving through the pastures - brought back the memories of the times that I rode and worked cattle with all of the cowboys on the Z-Bar and Stewart Carthraes. These guys were the real deal. When we worked for the Z-Bar there were about 25 of us and it took all of us to gather the West Pasture. The West Pasture was larger than most of our farms. I would be so excited to go with Dad that I could hardly sleep the night before we were to go on round-up. Working Stewart’s cattle we had to ride thru lots of brush. I see that the brush is thriving well- that was one of the things that had not changed.
The other thing that is different than when I was much younger- are the bridges. I think that all of the bridges had wooden floors - the really cool ones were metal structured. I loved driving on those old bridges-- except the ones that did not have any sides on them and Dad would decide that the nails were sticking up to high and he would try to dodge them. That was scary-- there were a couple of times I thought that he was going to drive us off the bridge. It did not do much for Mother’s nerves, either. It is nice to have pleasant memories and I feel fortunate to have them but it just makes me wonder what is going to happen next and what kind of memories are my grandchildren going to have.

June 3, 2009

2009-08-11T21:53:00.002-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell These last two weeks has been hectic. Fun and exciting but also tiring, I am glad that I do not have much on my agenda for the coming week. We have had a new addition to our family. Jeff and Chelsea brought their little girl into the world. They had help from the doctors and nurses, and of course, Chelsea had the love and attention of her mom to help her out. It is really nice to have your mom close by to give you the comfort that only a mom can give. There are times in a girl’s life that she really needs her mom and having babies is one of those times. I was glad that the hospital only allowed two people in the room with the laboring mother. I am not sure how or why having babies has become a spectator event. I know when I had my kids the last thing I wanted was to have the entire family there to-- do whatever -- What do they do? We were there to lend support- in the waiting area. We did not feel that it was our place to watch our little granddaughter make her entrance. But that is our personal opinion. We are happy that Chelsea is doing well and is a wonderful mother. I never had any doubts about her maternal instincts. Chaneill Elizabeth is a beautiful baby and I have the pictures to prove it.
I grew up in the Christian Church in Coldwater- so it is very dear to my heart. I was pleased to be a part of its 100th anniversary celebration. It was good to see Gib Clark and Bernard Plumb. They were past ministers that attended and participated in the Sunday morning church service. Janice Plumb, his daughter, accompanied her dad and Bruce and Nancy Plumb was there as well. Nancy grew up here; her parents were Wayne and Ruth Kirby. Debbie Hill Warren - Carol Monroe Clark- were a couple of others who came back to join us in our festivity. There were many hands that helped make the celebration a success and every one of them was appreciated.
My cousin, Mabel Crouse Conn, came and stayed at my house. I love it when she stays with me. She is helpful and helps me to stay on task- which is a job in itself. I am not sure I could have survived the weekend without her. Many of you might remember her parents- Hazel and Edwin Crouse. Hazel was my moms foster- sister- Hazel came to be part of the Cary Family before my mom was born. So she was always an important part of our lives. Uncle Edwin was one of the first custodians of the new high school. He was a kind and soft spoken man. Mabel has a brother Charles- he would have been here but because of health reasons he was unable to make the trip here from his home in Ashland, Missouri.
After our company left on Tuesday; we helped our neighbors work their cattle. It was a long day and after about 13 hours of gathering- hauling - working- loading again to haul back to pasture I was whipped. I think that we all were happy to call it a day. One of the guys that had really put in an extra hard day looked so tired that I think he hat was droopin’ down. I told Jim that I was so tired that I could not work up enough energy to die- Now that is tired. But maybe that is to be expected since I am- after all a grandma - now.

May 19, 2009

2009-08-11T21:53:00.001-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
If one way to tell your age is telling on you is how you handle change; then I am there. I do not mind change if I can see that it is needed or necessary. But to change things just for the sake of change really upsets me. I do not like it when stores changes their merchandise to different aisles. To me it is the stores telling me that I have nothing better to do than look for every item that I need, when I knew exactly where the items were last week. Sometimes I just give up and go home, maybe I did not need the items after all. I guess this is really a sore spot with me anyway, because I hate to search for things- I look and hunt for things that I hide from myself all the time. I should be excellent in finding lost or hidden things- instead I just yell and whine.
Since Giz has been laid up he likes to watch these home shows. Different ways to change or build your home in a newer and better styles. The show starts out with these people who want to change their home to a new design. This is fine, but part of the time when they show the before and after; I prefer the before rather than the latest way to paint the walls. I really hate it when they talk about how ugly wall paper is, when just a year or two ago it was the rage. But I love wallpaper, Granddad Cary hung wall paper for many people in his day and he always said that you could hide a multitude of sins behind wallpaper. I will admit that there are some really good ideas and I would like to implement some of the ideas for my kitchen. But then you must get your head out of the clouds and realize that even though the ‘want to is there’ the money is not. Then newest thing is using concrete for countertops and Formica is out. Granite is still alright to have - but if you want to run with the ‘big dogs’; you need to have a concrete countertop. It sounds odd, I know, but they do all kinds of things to the concrete to make it pretty. But I look at my Formica counters and they are serviceable and they clean up nice and I figure I will keep them until they come back into fashion, and they will… sometime.
On one show there was a question on how much money would be spent in the next year on remodeling kitchens in America. The answer was shocking to me it was several billion dollars. Billion not million but billon U.S. dollars. I was absolutely shocked that Americans even have that much money to spend. I cannot even envision a billion dollars, just think of all of the things you could get with that much money. I have many projects that need attention and having a cash roll would certainly be helpful. But then you must ask yourself would you really be a billion times happier- would you enjoy your family more, would you help your fellow man more- would you give more of yourself to worthy causes, could you be a billion times a better person- I would like to think that if I had a free flow of cash that I would make the world a much better place to live - but the answer to this and many other inquiring questions we will never know the answer.

May 12, 2009

2009-08-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell For the college students it is a hectic time. Jennifer is in the process of taking her finals for this semester. She is a good student and she takes her grades extremely serious. She has been studying only to get the worst flu she has ever had to endure. I am not the kind of mother who never got sick and cared for her children with lots of patience and kindness while they were rolling around in their feverish sheets. I am the one who gets ill right along with them and is a little irritated that I have been unconvinced. I know that is not the way it should be- Jim on the other hand rarely gets a bug and he is a good care provider. Jennifer was telling me of her symptoms and I think she gave her germ over the phone- Is that possible? Dad swore that is was not only possible but probable. When Dad got a bug, he could not rest until he found the source and confronted him or her. It was always his germ infested children. And it was not only our fault; it was the schools as well, since that is where we were infected. When Dad was sick he was the worst one of us. I think now I could give him a run for his money- I think that I can moan and groan just as loud and often as he could. We all have our goals that we reach for - I guess somewhere in my sub-conscious I want to be able to moan and groan with the best of them.
A good mother would run to Hays and get Jennifer on the mend by helping her out- and I would do that- but I do not want what she has if I already do not have it now.
I have lots of other things going on- we the 100th anniversary of our church coming up on May 24th. Not that this is more important than my daughters health- but Giz is laid up, too. He had some knee surgery this past week - he is doing very well. It seems that when one thing happens you can bet everything else will fall apart at the same time.

May 5, 2009

2009-05-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
The last month I wrote about mothers - I guess I should have saved one for this week since Mother’s Day is this Sunday. But remembering when I was in grade school we made gifts or cards for Mothers Day. I always got excited when the glitter came out of the teachers cabinet. I was never creative but I liked gluing as much glitter on a card as I could.
One year in Girl Scouts, Lila Trummel was our leader and she had us bring an egg carton from home. She supplied potting soil and flower seeds. We planted our seeds in the egg carton and by the time Mothers Day had arrived our seeds had sprouted and each one of us had an egg carton full of plants to take home to our Mom. Mom planted the flowers by the back door and they came back every year for several years. I can not remember what the name of the flowers were, but they had small bunches of little purple blooms on each stalk. I was really impressed that they grew since our soil at the house was not real good for raising flowers. At our house we did not do a lot of yard work. I think Dad thought he had done all the planting and worrying getting things to grow without adding a grassy yard with flower beds to his problems. Dad did not enjoy farming like some people do- he enjoyed his livestock more than pulling a plow behind the tractor.
I do not think that years ago a holiday like Mothers Day was a huge affair. I cannot remember doing much else, I am sure that we had Sunday dinner with family but we did not go all out for the holiday.
At Church, they would recognize all of the mothers- I thought that was lots of fun- they acknowledged the youngest, and the oldest mother - the mother who had the most kids- you could spot that mother right off she was the woman who also looked the most exhausted. They always had a flower for the mothers that attended the services that day. It was usually a pansy or a petunia. I loved to look at the box full of different colored flowers before they were handed out. I thought that the pansies were the prettiest with the bright purple or the deep burgundy- or the brilliant yellow I was glad that I did not have to choose which one to take. The petunias were nice too, I liked the ones with the stripes and the deep purple flowers were Grandmas pick. It made me feel good to know that women were honored and played an important role at church.
Thinking back about the past mothers days it is hard to believe that not only am I a mother but soon to be a grandmother. Just does not seem possible- where did all the time go?

April 28, 2009

2009-04-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
Motherhood is something that is instinctive to most females whether human or in the animal kingdom. Even if a female does not physically give birth we have a mothering character. Before all of you guys start up with me, if you have been having problems with cows pairing up with a calf or two- there are exceptions to the rule- But for the most part the female species are nurturing by nature. Last fall I bought a couple of horses. I have enjoyed them and since I have been watching them from the window of the living room I have noticed that they are a little different than some of the others horses I have owned in the past. We keep our horses separate from the cattle since dad had had a bad experience with keeping horses with cattle- well, actually it was burros and they chased dad’s young heifers and he lost several calves as a result. So we did not keep horses with the cattle on a regular basis. But a month or so ago a newborn calf got in with my horses. I thought that I should get in the pen right away and get the baby out before they hurt the calf- but I started to watch the horses- What I first thought was aggressive behavior turned out to be a protective behavior. Both the mare and gelding started to lick and clean the calf then they kept the calf in between them and was a defensive with anything that got close to the calf. The calf seemed alright with all of the attention it was getting. When I went out to get the calf out of the horse pen I was not sure that I was going to get out of there with all of me intact. But I retrieved the calf with the help of Jeff and my nephew, Jason.
The horses are a good ‘watchdog’ for coyotes. They perk their ears, and get a little testy when they spot coyotes in the pasture, and they watch the coyotes until they are out of sight. I have wondered what they might do if they were loose and free. I think that I might know. Our barn has a door that goes into the corral where the horses are kept and the door does not go to the bottom of the barn doorway. In fact, there is two and half foot gap so small animal can come and go into the barn. A couple of days ago I went to feed the horses and I found the carcass of a young coyote at the entrance of the barn door that goes to the corral. Since I could not found any reason for this animal to have died at the door. I am thinking that the horses were just taking care of business. Just another thing that makes a person wonder what goes on when they are gone.

April 21, 2009

2009-04-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
We have passed the middle of April- I am one of those who puts off getting my taxes done until the last minute- I do not know what we would do without Johnita Stalculp and Joe Vance and their crews. Tax time is a lot like Christmas not that we receive an unexpected, undeserved gift- and we do not decorate the house or the neighborhood in lights- and we do not get family together to have a large meal and we do not get the day off from work. So I guess tax time is nothing like Christmas except that I procrastinate both of them.
The best thing about April 15th is it is my mother’s birthday. My mom has been and still is a wonderful mom. She set the bar really high when it comes to the wife and motherhood department. Mom rarely was ill while I was growing up. I do not think that she ever got the flu. Well, maybe not never - but she was more resistant to viruses than the rest of us. Dad on the other hand got the flu bug and he usually got it worst than the rest of us. Mom was a good nurse, she made us jello molds and brought our aspirin, and a Pepsi on a little tray. She would make us soup or whatever we wanted and never seemed to mind all of the whining and moaning. And we are a family of moaners. We makes all kinds of sounds. I think that we think as long as we are noisy we are still among the living.
I can remember when Dad and I would come in from whatever we were doing at the yard gate we could smell what we were about to eat. I do not mean this is a bad way- it was wonderful to smell what mom had decided to make for our next meal. I loved it when she would fry chicken and have gravy- or roast beef. Mom always had a meat, veggie, fruit and dessert at most meals. She made sure that there was something there that we liked. Meal time was never a stressful time and the folks never made us eat anything that we did not like. Dad would encourage us to eat everything and would tell us how good it was and what we were missing. Mealtime was when we would tell about our day and what we were planning to do, we would talk about anything and everything. Mom still makes the best baked chicken gravy that I have ever had- I have watched her make it and I do not know what she does differently- but it sure is good.
Mom had different dishes for different types of food. I would get so excited when I saw that she had set the table with the blue and white dishes. That meant that we were going to have spaghetti. We it not have Italian often so it was a real treat. Sometimes she would make floating islands (custard) for Vickie and Virgil when they came home from school. I thought it looked so good- but I do not like custard. She always tried to make something for us or have something for us to eat when we got home from school. If she was not at home- which was not often, she would leave us a note. In the note she would tells us where she had gone when she would be back and then at the end of her note she would always put be good and do not put any beans up your nose. Since the only bean I liked was green beans I could not understand why she thought I would open a can of green beans and stick them up my nose. It was not until I left home that I realized that she meant a dry bean, but still --- why?
Mom turned 89 this year and she is perking right along and doing better than I am most days. So Happy Birthday, Mom! You always made me feel safe and happy.

April 13, 2009

2009-04-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
We made it through another Easter. Ever since we built the house I always thought that we would have someone out for lunch after church. I think in the past 15 years we have had guests less than ten times. I must admit I am ashamed of myself. But this Easter we had a total of 10 people around our table. It was nice to have lunch and visit with friends and family. Easter has changed for us since we do not have any little ones at the house to color eggs then the Easter Bunny arrives and hides the eggs. Jennifer was the one who got the biggest ‘kick’ out of the finding the eggs and the few little gifts that were hidden. Jim helped the Easter Bunny hide the eggs and there were times that they hid the eggs too well and they were found later- or should I say the odor gave away the hidden egg. I would rather that the bunny would hide the plastic eggs than the real ones. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out that we needed to count how many eggs the bunny hid so we would know when all of the eggs were found.
When I was little and we would hunt the eggs- my favorite was the solid chocolate eggs. The brightly colored eggs that were large I did not like. I am not sure what they were- but they were prettier than they tasted-it was quite a treat to get candy when I was growing up.
When Jim and I started our own family we did not like the peeps (the colored marshmallow chicks). Since Chelsea has joined our family - she is the peep eater. Jim’s favorite is the chocolate marshmallow eggs and bunnies. Jeff was not a big candy eater- Jennifer liked most anything chocolate-
Easter is not what it used to be when I was a little girl. There was not one Easter hat in church Sunday. I can remember when I always got a new dress and white shoes and gloves for Easter. When Jennifer was little I sat up nights making her a new dress and then we made sure she had the bonnet-shoes and gloves to finish off her outfit. I can remember thinking how cute she looked all dressed up.
Some people have memories of eating a sunrise breakfast early in the morning. We never did the sunrise breakfast as a child. Since we lived out in the country and Dad was still feeding cattle we were doing well to make it to Sunday school and church on time. I never really got into the sunrise breakfast since we ate breakfast at sunrise most mornings anyway. We would have lunch with the grandparents, Aunt Theo and Uncle David at one of our homes. When Jim got in the family and we ate at Uncle David’s. Aunt Theo fixed a wonderful meal that usually consisted of at least two different meats. One meat was something we would consider common, such as ham, turkey, or chicken then she would fix something a little different like- lamb or duck. Jim said that Aunt Theo was an exotic cook. That really tickled Aunt Theo since she was a humble person and did not consider herself a skilled cook. Actually, she was a very good cook and we loved going to her home.
We are looking forward to next year as we will have a little grandbaby to share the holidays. Jim has already told me that he wants to continue his grandmother’s tradition of making sure the grandkids have plenty of candy for Easter. He can remember that his grandmother always sent them a goodie box each year. That was a special memory for him; so next year - look out Chelsea the Easter Bunny is a comin’.

April 7, 2009

2009-04-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
There are several things that you do not want to be without during a snow storm. Even though last week I told you that I was convinced that Jim is trying to kill me; I would not ever want to be without his help or company. He is very helpful and resourceful in difficult situations. I have said many times that I married much better than he did.
Last week when the snow was deep - we were trying to get the tractor out to the alfalfa bales. Now this may not sound like a problem to some of you- but when the dog got stuck in a snow drift you can imagine how hard it would be to get a tractor around in the snow. As we were working on getting the cows fed, we heard the most glorious sound. It was the sound of the Comanche County road grader equipped with the snowplow on the front. I am not sure the County knows how much we appreciate all of their efforts. It was so wonderful to be able to get down the road. I thought that if we had had an emergency I do not know how we could have gotten help. Because there was no way to get out- we were really stuck. Since the county had cleared the road we decided that we could get to the cattle on the highway. The State road crew did a remarkable job, as well. Jim was ahead of me in the tractor and I was in the 4 wheel-drive truck with the cake and a bale of feed. I needed to get off the highway so I followed Jim into the pasture- not my best idea. I got stuck in the driveway of the pasture- this is when I realized that my 4-wheel drive was not working. A working 4-wheel-drive is a must in the snow and mud. So I was stuck and Jim was not entirely happy with me, I was not too thrilled either. Jim was getting ready to pull me out when one of the State road men stopped to see if we needed help or if we needed to use his chain. We had what we needed but it was a so nice to know that he was willing to help us out of a tight spot. He cleared a path for us which was most helpful and appreciated.
I have been known to give my son, Jeff, a really hard time, and I tease him unmercifully- But when push comes to shove I can count on him to help me out. After Jim went back to work I took the truck in to get the 4 wheel-drive fixed. Jeff and Tyson got the truck repaired - Feeling powerful once again I tried to go through a snow drift that I should have left alone. I buried the truck--- again- so I called Jeff and he came and pulled me out. His truck is not much to look at but it will do the job that needs to be done.
We were fortunate that we kept power and our phones. So with the power staying on- the phones were in working order- the County and State workers going beyond the call of duty- my husband helping me -my son willing to keep me going- What more could a girl ask for?

March 31, 2009

2009-04-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
The weather man was right about the snow- he missed on how much we were to get- the last I heard on Thursday was 8 to 12 inches- not 24 to 28 inches- I must admit I thought that he was way off base and that the snow would be minimal. I was really wrong- Since we had the snow- Jim and I have had a lot of time together- During this time I have decided that Jim really is trying to kill me and when he does it will look like an accident. No one will ever be able to prove him guilty.
I have found out that I am in horrible physical shape. It is bad when the wife makes deeper tracks in the snow than her husband. We had to do things quite differently than our every day chores. We feed alfalfa round bales to our cows- which is wonderful when you can get to the bales. We have another group of cattle that we care for that gets cake (protein pellets) everyday. That is never a problem as we have an over head dispenser and it works wonderful as long as you can get under it to fill your caker or buckets. Well, we could not get to the bale pile and to get to the cake dispenser was a little tricky and impossible for the truck to get to and the tractor just did not work for this particular task- this is the part where I know that Jim is out to get me. In order to fill our buckets you must be able to turn the pipe that opens and shuts the cake dispenser. Since I am a weenie arm I cannot turn it while hanging on the ladder. Jim said that he can turn it off and on if I could stand underneath and catch the cake- Since it is quite a distance; and the cake falls at a high rate of speed and tends to fall in a scattered fashion and it is difficult-no impossible to catch each and every pellet. So I needed to be up closer to the opening- Jim put two empty buckets upside down on the ground and told me to hop there and hold another empty bucket over my head to catch the falling pellets. After seeing that the buckets were a little wobbly and I was still a little too far away from where I needed to be- he decided that he could ‘help’ me even farther by placing a 4x 6 wooden block on top of the buckets. Then he told me that this would be much better and would take to wobbly out of the buckets plus it made me that much higher. Yeah- higher to break my neck- and taking the wobble out was not entirely true. After filling a couple of buckets he said that maybe I should take the block of wood off the buckets. I thought removing the block was the best idea he had all day. We did get to all of the cows and they seemed happy to see us- even happier to have some dry food to eat. Everything worked out- the cows are happy and we could go home and rest well after a hard days work.
All I can say it was wonderful to have all of the moisture of the snow and the beautiful weather that followed after the storm. For all of this I am especially grateful.

March 24, 2009

2009-04-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
One way of marking time is counting how many vehicles you have owned through the years. To some people the automobile is just a form of transportation to others it is a way to show your style and character. My dad used his vehicles as a tool or a means to an end. I do not think that he ever washed the inside windshield and he never worried about a dent or scratch. Mom on the other hand always tried to keep the family car neat and clean. Living twenty- three miles out in the country and 19 of those miles were on gravel roads our car was dusty more often than not. While I was growing up Dad taught me to love horses, but my brother, Virgil, showed me how to appreciate the sound of a smooth running engine.
Dad and I would saddle up and ride and Dad would show me how to get pleasure from the canter of a well-bred horse. It is not that we raised exquisite equine but he broke many horses for other people. Some of those people paid a lot of money for a good horse. So I had the opportunity to see different kinds of horses. When I would fall in love with one that he was breaking- I would try to get Dad to buy it for us. That is when he would explain that we could not afford to spend that kind of money for something that we already had. But when I would tell him that I liked the other better than what we had already in the corral- That is the time that I would get the talk on being practical and that I should be happy that I had the chance to ride such an animal. It was hard to understand but deep down I knew he was right, but that did not keep me from wishing that the owners would forget that they had left their horse with us. They always came for their horse and I would ride it for the last time and show them how well the horse responded to its training.
Virgil would let me go with him sometimes after he had worked hard on getting a vehicle to run. We would sit in the car or truck- in the front yard and he would rev the engine and ask me if I could hear whether it was missing out or not. He taught me how to listen to the engine and try to understand what it was trying to tell us. Whether it was getting enough gas or too much- He got as big a kick out of a hot rod that Dad did out of a quarter horse. So between the two of them they ruined me. I love hooves and wheels- none of which is a money maker more of a money taker.
Back to marking time by the cars that you have owned. When I dated Jim - he had a beautiful red Mercury Cyclone with white interior and had a 351 Cleveland engine. I loved that car even though it had electrical problems- when Jim traded it in for a Ford Pinto- I was crushed. I know that it was a lot cheaper to run- but --it was soooo coool. Jim has always been more practical than me. I wished we still had the Cyclone as there were not many of them made and they are collector’s item now. My first car was a Chevy Vega- then after Jim and I got married we bought our only brand new car- a black and silver 1978 Mercury Cougar XR7. Oh, I thought we had really done it. We have had several cars- and each one holds a special time in our lives. Maybe things have not changed all that much since the early years of our grandparents- I am sure they could have marked time by the different teams of horses, buggies, and wagons. Funny how different we think things are or are they?

March 17, 2009

2009-04-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
Spring break is finally here. Jim is off for the week and we have all kinds of things that we would like to get accomplished by the weekend. Jennifer is home for the first time since she left for Hays in January. It was good to see her and hear about all of her classes and her stories about working at Wal-mart.
I met my neighbor on the road today and stopped to visit with her and she reminded me that it was St. Patrick’s Day. I had not given it a second thought. St. Patrick’s Day is the day that we are to wear green- eat corned beef and cabbage- and most importantly we are to plant potatoes. My Grandma Cary always had a large garden with all kinds of vegetables and two rows of flowers. One year that sticks in my mind is the year she had Charlie Lenertz plow her garden for her as he had a ford tractor that would fit in her garden and he was able to plow the ground up for her. Then we had to rake it all down. Granddad must have not been well and able to help, but Mom and Dad and I were there to lend a helping hand. Dad got Grandma the seed potatoes and they cut them up so they would be ready to plant. This particular year we planted potatoes by the light of the moon on St. Patrick’s Day. I thought that was kind of odd since we did not plant anything else at night and we were to wait at least to the 15th of April to plant the rest of the garden. Grandma always wore a gardening hat and gloves. She wore a hat she got when we went to California in Disneyland. It was an aqua blue and white straw hat with a large brim and the scarf that went around the top part of the hat, then down through two holes in the brim and she tied it under her chin. Of course, she always wore a corset, a dress and stockings to whether she was to work in the yard, garden or if she was going to town. I do not think that she ever owned a pair of tennis shoes- she usually wore black leather shoes with a small heel. She was quite a lady.
I have said before that I do not plant a garden as it would be wasted time and money as I would kill it before it even got started. But with the economy the way that is now maybe I should put in a little more effort and try a little harder. But maybe this is just the Spring Fever talking. I always think that I will do better this year - but then the hot summer winds blow and it is just plain hot out, the plants wilt down and the weeds sprout up and the fun of the garden is lost and I no longer have to desire to keep it going. But Grandma never lost her zeal to keep puttering around with the plants, hoses, fighting the heat, the bugs and the gophers. What can I say- she was just a better woman than me.

March 10, 2009

2009-04-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
March is here and the wind is certainly blowing. Most of the time when you think of March you remember the saying that if March comes in like a lion it will go out like a lamb- or in like a lamb and out like a lion. I think that it is more lion than lamb, at least so far. I went to Ruidoso New Mexico to help with a surprise birthday party for my brother-in-law, Randy Widener. The wind blew and the thistles were on the move. By the time I reached my destination, there were several thistles embedded in the grill of my car.
Randy and Vickie’s kids put the party on and the middle girl, Casey, was the one who organized it and made sure everything was just right. She found Randy’s old roommate, and invited him and his wife to the festivities. They accepted and they were delightful company. Come to find out they live in McPherson and he had ridden horseback on the Merrill Ranch when they had the benefit trail rides. The unusual thing is that he had lost his leg due to a motorcycle accident several years ago, but he still loves to ride horseback. He does not, however, ride a motorcycle often. I found him to be inspirational.
Sunday afternoon I spent with my niece Casey, her son Gage, and my other nephew Little John, Sheila and John Martin’s son. We decided that we should fly kites. It has been years since I tried to get a kite in the air. I was wishing that Jim was with me as he is very good at getting kites in the air and keeping them there. I never was very good at that sort of thing. Come to think of it neither was Dad. I do not think that he ever flew a kite with me, but if memory serves me correctly he tried with Vickie and Virgil. To make a long story short - Vernie was not ever intended to fly a kite. I have been accused of being somewhat like my dad - and in this case- it is true. We were in Casey’s back yard and we had assembled the kites- even though the outside of the bag said the kites were flight ready- we still had to put them together. It was fairly windy out and we thought that we could get them up in no time. WRONG! Yes, the wind was blowing but not consistently. It would gust then die down to nothing. We would just about get the kites in the air and above the house then we would lose the wind and the kites would come down. I was getting disgusted and so was Little John, so I decided that we should go to the front of the house- I thought that the house was blocking the wind. I took Little John to front of the house which is a large gravel rock driveway - Casey and Gage joined us. I thought that I would show Little John how to get the kite in the air- finally- but instead-- well-- I got the kite started going up and I started to run but in order to know how much string to let out, you have to see if the kite is on it’s way up- so that means that you run while looking backwards- I was doing pretty well but what I did not know was that Manny, Casey husband, had dug a small trench for rain run off. Yes- you have - I hit the trench fell and went *** over teakettle. After the dust settled and the laughter of my loving and caring niece- who was in my will- asked if I was hurt- only my pride and of course, my knees. I think that Manny may have to haul in some more gravel as I think I dented their driveway. After it seemed that it was not the day to put the kites in flight- Little John asked if he could go inside and play- I thought that was a wonderful idea. After all of that excitement I think it is really true there is no place like home-

March 3, 2009

2009-04-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
Pinocchio had Jiminy Cricket to help him make decisions. I always thought that he was Pinocchio’s conscience but maybe he was more than that. Maybe he was also a warning system as well. I think that I need Jiminy to follow me around. What has lead to me to this conclusion is that with dad’s devils sitting on every fence post just waiting to jab me and keep me in total chaos, I feel that I need Jiminy. Perhaps even more than Pinocchio. Let me explain what happened. I was feeling rather frisky the other day. The weather has been so nice and I was starting to get a little spring fever. I went to the feed store to pick up some salt blocks and some calf feed. I have done this many, many times so I am not unaccustomed to what I need to do. I backed to truck to the dock and got out visited with the feed man telling him what I needed. When I got on the dock and I noticed that I left about a foot or so gap between the back of the truck and the dock. Sensing that I should go back down and back it closer to the dock- but I thought that I would be careful and it would not be necessary. Since the feed man did not say anything I figured it would be fine. I helped him load the salt blocks in my feeble way, thinking how good I was feeling. I was putting the sacked feed on the back- not as quickly as the feed man was but for an old fat woman I felt I was doing fairly well. While I was patting myself on my back, (figuratively speaking), I grabbed a sack of feed went to put my foot on the back of the truck and only found air. I fell off the dock. Talk about a humiliating experience not to mention painful. I thought that maybe the earth shook and might have gone out of orbit. I bounced back up that told the concerned man that I was fine, thinking that after I got back in the truck I just might die. But actually, it did not hurt me near as bad as I thought it should. Before anyone thinks that the feed store clerk should have done something different that is certainly not the case. I heard that still small teeny-tiny voice that said I should have backed the truck closer to the dock- so it was no ones fault but my own- Reflecting back I am so grateful that I was the one to take the tumble rather than the feed man. I would have felt really bad and it would have been my responsibility. I guess that I do have a Jiminy Cricket but like Pinocchio I did not listen to him. I have a couple of t-shirts that I like to wear- one says ‘I know that the voices are not real but they have some really good ideas’ and then I have another one the reads ‘Four out of five voices say eat the chocolate’. I think that maybe we should stop a listen to our own ‘Jiminy’s’ and maybe there will be a lot less pain in the world. Possibly there is hope for me and someday -maybe just maybe -I will become a real girl.

Feb. 16, 2009

2009-04-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

I feel the need to give you a Valentine report. This year I did not have to buy my own roses- Jim and the kids sent me 6 beautiful roses. Life is good at the Blundell household.
Since it has been unseasonably warm I am expecting the Killdeers to show up early this year. The little bird is due to be seen running up and down the creek bottoms and running around the stock tanks on the 20th of February. I hope that he does not show up just to freeze his little tail feathers off, but that has not stopped him before.
We had the pleasure of the company of Jim’s Uncle Larry and Aunt Pasty Blundell Sunday evening. They live in south-western Colorado. It is so much fun to visit with them. They spent the night with us as they were going to a funeral in Greensburg on Monday afternoon. Larry has the most entertaining stories. Then Aunt Pasty tells us what really happened. He has the same kind of luck that we have endured through the years and does not mind telling us about the predicaments he finds himself. Some of them are really funny now that we know that he survived. He married very well, Aunt Pasty is a gem. She is a great rancher’s wife and Larry actually appreciates all that she does for him. Their children do not live too far away so Larry and Pasty get to enjoy the grandkids. Since Larry grew up in the Springfield area he has other family close by as well. On their ranch they have elk, antelope, deer and all kinds of wildlife with all kinds of stories that pertain to each species. They have about three times as many cattle as we have but they have eight or nine times more land than we operate. One of Jeff’s favorite stories is how they feed cattle in extreme conditions. When they need to feed the cattle in an emergency, such as blizzards, they burn the needles off of the prickly pear cactus with propane burners for the cattle to eat. But with the cost of propane, it is not as feasible as it was years ago. Uncle Larry was telling us about burning the cactus needles and how the cattle really like to eat the once pokey plant, but he said that it was not as much fun as it sounds. I might no know much-- but I do know that does not sound like fun.

Feb. 10, 2009

2009-04-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

Valentines Day is upon us once again. Romance is in the air or so they say. The guineas are running in circles and chasing each other. At our house we say that it is ‘twitter-paitting’ season. The term comes from the Disney movie ‘Bambi’. Soon there will be a guinea sitting on a nest full of eggs then the little hatchlings will show themselves. Ah- the circle of life.
I just love the comic strip the ‘Lockhorns’, the TV sitcom ‘Everyone Loves Raymond’, ‘Two and Half Men’ and other shows that people get themselves in a predicament and in thirty short minutes they resolve the issues in a odd and comical ways. It seems that I take a lot of pleasure in other people’s misery.
Misery loves company or so the story goes- My story is not so much misery as Achhhhh!
Jim came into the kitchen and noticed that I had the silk roses he had given me a year or so ago. These roses have been out most all of the time- but he chose this week to let me know that they look as good now as they did when he gave them to me- Having spent 32 Valentine Days with this man I knew just exactly what he was getting at- I told that they were very nice but I am sure the flowers that I pick out for myself and let him pay for will be just as pretty. I am learning a few tricks of my own.
The other day I received a little ‘ditty’ that I found entertaining I hope that you do, too. It is entitled ‘And then the fight started…’ the author is unknown.
My wife sat down on the couch next to me as I was flipping channels. She asked, 'What's on TV?' I said, 'Dust.' And then the fight started... My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary. She said, 'I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3 seconds.' I bought her a scale. And then the fight started... When I got home last night, my wife demanded that I take her someplace expensive... so, I took her to a gas station. And then the fight started... I took my wife to a restaurant. The waiter, for some reason, took my order first. "I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please." He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?" Nah, she can order for herself." And then the fight started... A woman is standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror. She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, 'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment.' The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's darn near perfect.' And then the fight started..... My wife asked me if a certain dress made her butt look big. I told her not as much as the dress she wore yesterday and then the fight started..... A man and a woman were asleep like two innocent babies. Suddenly, at 3 o'clock in the morning, a loud noise came from outside. The woman, bewildered, jumped up from the bed and yelled at the man 'Holy crap. That must be my husband!' So the man jumped out of the bed; scared and naked jumped out the window. He smashed himself on the ground, ran through a thorn bush and to his car as fast as he could go. A few minutes later he returned and went up to the bedroom and screamed at the woman, 'I AM your husband!' The woman yelled back, 'Yeah, then why were you running?' And then the fight started..... Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, made my lunch, grabbed the dog, and slipped quietly into the garage. I hooked up the boat up to the truck, and proceeded to back out into a torrential downpour. The wind was blowing 50 mph, so I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad all day. I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed. I cuddled up to my wife's back, now with a different anticipation, and whispered, 'The weather out there is terrible.' My loving wife of 10 years replied, 'Can you believe my stupid husband is out fishing in that?' And then the fight started…
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Jan.13, 2009

2009-02-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

This week is a first for me- I am going to Hays to help Jennifer get settled into her apartment. She is going to school there and working for Wal-mart. Giz helped get her moved in and I will be going to help put on the finishing touches. Jennifer and Giz are both more than capable of doing it themselves, but they let me come and put in my two cents. Giz will be home alone for awhile and Jennifer will come home when she is able. She is taking a full load of classes and working a lot of hours- I can tell that all of this is for the younger generation. She makes me tired just talking to her about her schedule.
My father-in-law called me bright and early Sunday morning to talk about the article in the Dodge City paper about the dairy farmer who is worried that he is going to be taxed for cattle gases. I know that people think that this tax will never pass- no pun intended- but we really do need to keep our eyes on this silly tax. If the EPA gets this through beef and milk prices will go through the roof and no one will be able to afford to buy these products. Does not look good for the ranchers and dairies.
The weather has been great for having baby calves- We had to help a young heifer Friday. She picked a good day to have her baby- everything worked just right and the calf and momma are doing fine- she was one of those heifers- who had problems understanding just how the calving process worked. After it was all done and over with she seemed happy with the outcome. She made me think of young people when they are to have their first child. They really want a baby but not quite sure how everything is going to work out after they have started the pregnancy. I love to hear new parents and their ideas of how they are going to raise their family. They have all of these ideas and the ideas are not much different than the ones we have before we had our first kids. When you start out you think that you are going to really change the world. Then reality sets in after you have bought the bundle of joy home. Instead of changing the world you just pray that you will survive the next day.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Feb. 3, 2009

2009-02-03T09:01:00.001-08:00

Mom and I went to the movies last Saturday. I always think that we will go to the movies more than we do, but it seems that something comes along and we unable to go. I must say that our theater is so nice and I think that most of the credit must go to Debi Sherman. I hope people let her know that all of her efforts do not go unnoticed. She puts in a lot of time at the theater when she could be doing something for herself. So Debi- Thank you for all that you do to make Coldwater a better place to live.
I received a call from my Tuscan, Arizona friend- He was telling me that the Gem and Mineral Show is going on in Tuscan this month. He said that there are vendors from all over the world there to sell their products. He was telling me about all of the different and beautiful rocks and gems that would be there. I think that it would be fun to go to something like that and take in all of the festivities. My family has a love for rocks as well. My Granddad Cary loved rocks. So much so that he bought a rock saw and polisher and he had a little building just for his rock equipment. The little six sided building was known as the ‘rock house’ He had all kinds of equipment. He made jewelry and a paper weights with a pen attached to the slab of rock he had sliced. He would always have a pocket full of necklaces and bracelets that he would give to children and almost anyone who showed any kind of interest in the rocks he had set. When he went to the hospital he would tell Grandma to bring a certain piece of jewelry or paperweight so he could give it to a particular nurse.
I do not know much about gem and minerals but he taught me all that I know about rocks, and he had a way of making you want to know more. Grandparents have a way of teaching grandkids things where no one else would have a chance. Thinking about sitting in Granddad’s ‘rock house’ brings back a flood of memories. He would let me pick out a rock and he would cut it and then he would let me shape it and then polish it. Sometimes he would bring in a rock that he had found out in the pasture or wheat field and say ‘come on, let’s see what it looks like on the inside’. Usually it was prettier on the inside than the out - some were not so pretty on the inside but then there were rocks that were the same inside and out. Come to think about it rocks are not all that much different than people.

2009-02-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Jan. 20, 2009
I was sad to hear that Diana Smith Bilyeu passed away. She was a little older than me and I did not know her well. In high school she was friends with Betty and Dorothy Gobel. Whenever she would go out to visit them she would have to go by our house. We had a little cocker spaniel named ‘Butchie’ and she loved to chase cars. As everyone knows if your dogs chase cars he will catch one sooner or later and that will be the end of him. We lost a couple of dogs to the road. Sometimes people would stop and tell you that they had ran over our dog and sometimes they would drive on by. Well, Butchie caught Diana. I can remember this so clear- Diana's car was pulled off to the side of the road by the barn and she was holding and petting Butchie. She had cried and felt so bad. I do not know how long she had been there but I think that it must have been quite a while.I know that it ruined her day and her visit with her friends. The worst thing was that it did not kill the little car chaser- it paralyzed she from the lower back down. The dog did not learn her lesson she still tried to chase cars. Instead of running from the house to the road she stayed closer to the barn as it was by the road and she would pull her hiney and try to catch yet another car. Dad hated to put anything down- his theory of ‘where there is life there is hope’ but in this case, sometimes you gotta do what needs to be done. But I always had a soft spot for Diana - she could have left little ‘Butchie’ by the side of the road, but she stayed and comforted the little car chaser. We thought that Diana must have had a really kind and tender heart.
We lost Mary Pierce, a good family friend early Tuesday morning. Her husband, Bob, and my folks were friends. We had many good times with Bob and Mary. Mary liked more sophisticated music than our family. I always she added a little class where ever she went. She taught music in Wilmore my sixth grade year. We had 17 kids in school; it was 3rd thru 6th grade. She had me sing a solo in the spring program. She had a way of getting you to do what she needed you to do without any pressure. It was not until the time of the program that I realized that I had to sing by myself. I remember being really scared but all you had to do was to look at Mrs. Pierce and all of your fears went away. Then she talked me in to singing to a ladies group in our church called the ‘Dorcas Circle’. I will never forget it- I sang ‘Let There Be Peace on Earth’. I was terrified but Mary got me through it. She gave piano lessons to many kids in the area.
Mary always had her hair fixed perfectly. Many of you remember the Wilmore Halloween Carnival. Everyone in the area came to the carnival it did not matter where you went to school - everyone that attended had a wonderful time. At the carnival you could buy little sacks of confetti. Dad loved to throw confetti on everyone he got near. Mary had just got her hair fixed at the beauty parlor. This was during the beehive hair style days. Mary’s hair was done just perfect-Dad dumped a whole bag over her. I thought that she might cry- there was confetti all over her and it went down in her hair. I bet she still had a few little pieces of confetti when she went back to the beauty parlor the next week. Needless to say that Mom had a talking to with dad. But if he had to do all over - he would have done it again. He loved getting reactions from people- Mary certainly gave him one.
Mary had Parkinson Disease-Parkinson’s is a cruel and awful illness, I guess most ailments are horrible. Mary was loved by many people, but we know that she is in a better place. I bet she is singing her heart out to the angels.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Jan 27, 2009
It is nice that the January weather has been kind to us considering it is in the middle of winter. I guess the Good Lord knew that we needed some sunshine. I appreciate that as we have to windmills to repair. I think that windmills must get a virus. It seems that once one mill has problems another one will quit working as well - it may not need the same repair but it will be needing some type of attention. Working on windmills in the extreme temperatures is not something I like to do. In the summer, the pipes and the wrenches get so hot that they are too hot to touch barehanded and you pray for a breeze to cool you down. As you pull a mill we normally get water on us which feels pretty good even though it may not be the kind of water you want poured all over you but when you are hot cranky you will take what you can get. I get really cranky when I get hot and I think that there are times that Jim either would like to drown me if he could find enough water or just hit me in the head with a hammer and tell God I died. There is not a jury in the world who would convict him as I am sure he could prove it was justifiable homicide.
Dad had almost every kind of you would need to pull a mill. He had a little set of pipe wrenches that we used for the jet rod. He was very particular about these tools- he just knew that I would drop one down in the well and that would not be a good thing. If Dad was worried about something like ruining a windmill he had his ways to letting you know that life would never be the same if you were responsible for dropping something down in the well. When we would get done with the well work he would make sure that all of his tools were accounted for and put in the ‘well bucket’. Dad was really organized in his own way- some might even say he had organized chaos- which was really the truth. But he did have some things that you would never even think about not putting away- His little well pipe wrenches were extra special so they were always in the well bucket.
In the winter the wind will not stop during the time you are in the process of pulling rope. Then when you unscrew the pipe -it is always full of water and you get soaked. The moisture that you get on you is not a blessing as it can freeze. Then your gloves freeze to the rope, the pipe, the wrenches and anything else that the devil thinks will make you cuss. Not to mention that your fingers and toes are so cold. Your eyes water, your nose runs, which is no help as it just adds to the freezing moisture on your face. and you are just flat out miserable. If it is at all possible we try to wait for a break in the weather. But I hate to haul water it is wet and cold and it is something that I would like to try to avoid. The strange thing is that all the while you are pulling the mill that there is a strong current of air - whether it is a scorching, burning, dry, chafing or bitter cold, frosty, and skin stinging wind. But as soon as you are finished and you want to see if you were successful in your efforts the wind stops. I mean it stops dead still and you cannot buy a breeze. It is just one to those things that make you go ‘huhhh’.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Jan. 06, 2009

2009-02-03T08:56:00.000-08:00

We have started a new year. I cannot say that I was unhappy to say good-bye to 20008. I think that this year will be one of new beginnings for all of us. I will not go into the president issues as I think that topic is totally exhausted. I was listening to the radio and they were telling about how part of the ‘bail out’ was being spent. It just made me angry and that is one reason I do not like to listen to the news. I know that it is like putting your head in the sand- but I figure that there is nothing I could have done before and there is nothing that I can do now- so I might as well get over it.
I can remember going to new year eve parties when I was a growing up. When Bernard Plumb was our minister - his family liked parties. His wife Betty was a wonderful cook and she always had good ideas for throwing a party. Of course, the rest of the church helped out a lot. We had new years eve parties at the church and at midnight the adults would let the kids ring the bell at the church. I thought that was really ‘cool’.
Thinking about all of those who were involved with the activities at the church I realize how many have gone on before us. Many of them I miss even though they have been gone for many years. I will probably write more as our church will be 100 years old this year and we are planning on a whing-ding, Memorial Day. Bernard Plumb was one of the first to call to see what he could contribute to the festivities.
We have started the new year off with a new puppy- I know that I was going to wait but I found a pup that I have been wanting and the price was right so we took an excursion and picked up our new addition. ‘Gus’ is a Bernese Mountain Dog. He has just turned eight weeks old and he is adorable. He is completely different than any dog I have ever owned. We had to leave him home alone Sunday and I told Jim if something would have happened to him while we were gone I would have to search the world for another one and no one would ever be the wiser.

Dec. 30, 2008

2008-12-29T00:09:00.001-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
I hope that you had a bountiful Christmas both in gifts and family time. We had our daughter, Jennifer and her husband Giz along with Mom and Joe for lunch. We had a nice time together. We had gotten a 3-D puzzle of penguins and snowflakes to put together after lunch on Christmas Day. It proved to be challenging and I found it slightly irritating.
It was Jeff and Chelsea’s year to go to her family on Christmas day. One thing when your kids marry you must share them with the other side of the family. In our situation with both parents living close to together is makes is easy for the kids to spend time with both sides. Chelsea is very cautious that they spent the same amount of time with us as they were going to spend with her family- We told her that life is way to short to keep score. We are happy to get them when it works out the best- but it was nice that she wanted us to feel loved and not left out.
We had a nice time in the afternoon with my brother, Virgil, and his wife, Karen. They dropped by after they had a good Christmas meal with Karen’s mom. We caught up on their busy lives and heard stories of their grandbabies. Virgil and Karen think that having grandkids is one of the best things that have ever happened to them- I am thinking that I will think so too, when that day arrives for us.
Always when the holidays come along with the good there is always something sad that happens as well. This holiday season was that way for us- many of you have inquired about our dog situation- and have asked about our new puppy- I think that maybe I am not meant to have a dog at this point in my life- We were really enjoying our little girl- but she got really sick and even though we went to the vet we still lost her last night. I knew that she was not feeling a bit well and she was not eating very much. I am waiting to hear back from the blood tests that were taken on Friday. I just hate being home alone when Jim is at work and when I feed cattle, I like having a companion with me. But I think I should wait and let my heart heal up- before getting another little furry friend. I think that I have had enough death for a while.
Speaking of death- my mom keeps a tally of all the people that have died in the past year- that were close friends or others that were acquaintances - but her tally for the year is now up to 59 for the year 2008. I am ready to see the year 2008 behind me. I know that one way to tell that you are getting older is that when you get the paper one of the first things you check out are the obits. Maybe it is to see if your name is there-

Dec 23, 2008

2008-12-29T00:08:00.000-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
By now I am sure that you have completed your Christmas shopping- I actually got mine done early for me- meaning before Christmas Eve. I was having some problems with getting in the Christmas spirit this year. I just could not face pulling out all of the Christmas decorations- while shopping I found a small cheap little fiber optic tree. I also found cheap small ornaments to decorate the little tree. It is great. One reason that I needed something a little different this year is the puppy is driving me crazy- Having her in the house is like having a very curious two year old turned loose in my home. I can remember when Jennifer and Jeff were little and got into everything and scattered anything they could get their little fingers wrapped around- Dad called the kids ‘thrashers’. Well, they pale in comparison to our little Jezebel. Dad would not appreciate our little Jezzie as she is into everything- she loves to find a book and rip the covers off and as many pages as she can until she is stopped. She loves trash and candy wrappers- I have forgotten what it is like to have a puppy in the house again. She just makes me tired. But I am not lonely or bored or sleeping or getting any work done while Jim is at work. Wrapping presents proved to be a chore in itself. She loves to run off with the scissors. I have told her not to run with scissors- but she is just like most kids - she must be told over and over. The wrapping paper she found lots of fun to rip and tear into many pieces. The ribbon was one of her favorites. I had problems finding where she had hidden the ribbon. I have enough trouble trying to find the things that I have misplaced with out having her helping me loose things.
We are going to have a small family Christmas this year. I love having large family gatherings, but having just a few is nice, too. You can enjoy everyone more than when there are so many that you do not get the chance to visit with them. But we are looking forward to celebrating Christ’s birth. I hope that you all have a wonderful and a very Merry Christmas!

Dec. 17, 2008

2008-12-29T00:06:00.000-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
WOW!! Is it cold? When the wind chill is below zero it is cold - I do not care who you are it is cold. I can take the cold better if the wind was not blowing (duh- I am just like everyone else). The wind in this case is not our friend. It does not look like that it is going to warm up anytime soon. As bad as I hate to be hot and sweaty- being cold and frozen is not much better. I really do not have that much to complain about as I do not have to be out in the elements as long as some people. I do not know how they take the cold for hours on end. Those people have my admiration. The only plus to being cold as compared to being hot is that I am not as mean and grouchy. Probably still mean and grouchy just not as much. I was chopping ice out of the stock tank and my fingers got so cold so quick- I hate it when it hurts to bend my fingers- it is like they will shattered if I move them a lot. But you know that they will feel better if you can just get the blood to flow and they will warm back up. It seems that it does not take a great deal of the cold weather to get me to yell ‘calf rope’. I had always heard that fat people were warmer than thin people- I have found that is a huge lie- I have been both. When I was thin I could handle the cold weather better than I can now that I have many more pounds - some might say insulation- they would be wrong. There is nothing insulted about fat- I figure that all of my fat gets cold, it congeals and hardens and this is very hard to thaw out. Not being able to handle the cold has been a bitter disappoint to me as Dad could always take the cold. I thought maybe that came from his age- well-- that is another thought that was completely wrong. I do get warm in surges- from time to time but that is another story. We could be in the same place and he would be dressed for winter but so was I and I think that I had many more layers than he did. He never - well- hardly ever wore gloves. I had gloves and scarves but I could reach over and touch his bare hands and they would be sooo warm. I could feel the heat through my layers of gloves. Jim and Jeff can handle the cold they do not always were a coat- in fact- one time one of the Principals bought Jim a coat because he thought he did not have one to wear. Little did he know that Jim had a closet full of winter wear that he seldom used. I can tell you that as hardy as Jim and Jeff are they were bundled up this week. When they tell me that it is cold - that means I do not want to stick my head outside. I guess that it just means that all the men in my life are really tough and I am a weenie.

Dec. 9, 2008

2008-12-29T00:02:00.000-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
Dennies just might put a disclaimer on this article so I will do it for him. These are certainly my ideas and do not in any way reflect the thoughts and beliefs of this newspaper.
Our government is in the process of trying to bail out the auto industry and I would not even try to tell the powers that be how to do such a thing. I figure that is not my department and I should mind my own knittin’. I would not attempt to try to tell someone how to do their job or even advise them on something I do not even understand. I think that it would be nice if others would follow suit. I also have decided that with all of our time saving devices it has given people too much time to think. After all busy hands are happy hands.
This week I have been unhappy with an article Jim was reading- he was telling me he read an article that the EPA thinks that cattle are giving off too much gas. Who could possibly come up with this ridicules idea? They must be joking- First of all can you imagine who they hired to meter the gas off of a cow? I would love to meet the guy who had that job. The EPA would like for all of the cattle owners to pay a gas tax per cow. It was quite a sum of money they were talking about charging us. Maybe we could cork the cows. Then take them daily to an air tight facility that we would have to build at our expense and uncork the girls and let it fly. This is almost as silly as wanting to the land owners to fence off the rivers and streams as a cow might once in awhile potty in the water. My feeling on that is that if they can keep the fish, who never leave the water,- the birds, ducks and geese from doing what they do best in the water then we will talk about the cows. Have you ever cleaned a fish tank? I rest my case-
If it is toxic gas that they are worried about- maybe they should be more concerned with a van load of kids who has just over ate on pizza- candy and junk food. Now that is lethal.

Nov. 25, 2008

2008-12-28T23:59:00.000-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
Last week was a tough one. I not only lost my female Dane, Josie, but my male, Jake died also. I know that they were just dogs- but they were my buddies. Jake usually slept in our bed and Josie slept at my feet when Jim left for work. In the past 3 years when Jim was spending weekend or two with his mom while she was in the Tulsa Cancer Hospital- the dogs were a lot of company for me. I am really going to miss them. I can not remember when I have been without a dog. So I am in the market for a companion of the canine variety.
Christmas has Santa Claus- Easter has the Easter Bunny- New Years has the New Years Baby- Valentines has Cupid- Thanksgiving has squat! I can not believe that someone has not come up with some sort of gimmick. The main thing is that we try to almost forget Thanksgiving so we can get to the commercialization of Christmas. The stores start their sales early in the morning after Thanksgiving- I mean really early- so if you want to get to the early bird sales and save some cash you need to get to bed early Thanksgiving night-this cuts into my visitation time with family. I guess that I am getting old and cranky. I do not like change or anything getting in the way of my time with my family.
Since Thanksgiving is here already I am busy getting ready for family. This year our family, which is the White Cousins, are getting together, but I do not have to fix as much of the meal as I have done in the past. In fact, I feel sort of guilty. But we have so many good cooks that we will have a good meal but more importantly we will be together.
I just love hearing some of the same old stories and the stories of cousins tell about their childhood- Some of my favorite story tellers are Jim and Mike Jesseph. They have some wonderful stories and I laugh till I cry. I wonder sometimes how any of us grew up. Most of the stories you hear, are not what you will read about in the baby books- If the stories were published it would probably put an end to the human race. Virgil has some good tales, as well. Vickie likes to get her yarns in, too. Mom always says that she does not remember any of our adventures. I think that she has blocked most of them out- probably a defense mechanism.
We also have many stories of the family members that have gone on before us. Janet Marsh is our family historian she has all kinds of pictures and is full of information. Virgil has quite bit knowledge on the Alley Family.
Sheryl White is our family pianist- I am hoping that we will get to do a sing a-long. We like to sing- and talk and talk and talk--
I sincerely hope that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving- if you can not spend it with family I hope that you get to spend it with friends- While we gather and have fun I do want you to forget to give thanks. This is a blessed country we live in and we need to be grateful. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Nov. 11, 2008

2008-12-28T23:58:00.000-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
One wonderful thing about living in a small community is that we help each other out. I have mentioned numerous times my neighbors have help us out time and time again. But the thing about residing in our area is that everyone is willing to help each other out. Years ago when Skeet Willard died, I remember his wife, Barbara saying that she could go down the phone book and pick a name at random and whoever it was would be willing to help her out. I have thought of that often- How nice it is to know that there is help. Many of us do not ask for assistance but we know that it is there if and when we need it.
What has brought this to mind was when I was thinking about the kindness we felt when Jim’s mom past away. The weather was not good for travelers as it was rainy and the roads were muddy. It takes quite a bit of rain for our sandy roads to be slick and nasty. Our road was washed out in a couple of places. We had family staying at our home and most of them were not used to driving on dirt roads. Some of them would not arrive until late evening. I called the county shop to ask them if they could flag the wash-out, so that no-one would not hit the large rut and damage their car, not to mention jarring their teeth out. It was late in the afternoon when I called- they said they would try to flag the hazard. Much to my surprise they not only flagged it - but they had come out and fixed the wash out. You can not imagine how much that relieved my stress. I am sure that if we had lived in a large community and asked for some assistance they would not have been so nice as to go over and above the call of duty.
Living on dirt roads most of my life is a normal way of living- but to those who have had the luxury of living on pavement- have problems traveling on the bumps, ruts, loose gravel that is just part of the charm of gravel roads. I feel that the roads are better than they were when Mom and Dad were married. They would tell stories of how after a rain they would plow mud up to the running boards of their vehicle. If it had rained a lot there were time that they would not go out any more than they had reason. But now we have ditches for the water to run off and some gravel to hold us up. I remember one time when we went to church and it was really muddy and the roads were bad, so we went to town cutting across pastures. I thought that was really exciting. Mother was not as enthused, but we made it to church on time. I can not think that we did the pastures any good but I can remember only doing that one time. I guess when we went home the roads had dried out some and was not quite so bad.
So we are grateful to the road and bridge crew. If you consider how many miles of road there are in the county, I do not know how they get done what they do accomplish. It is easy to complain about things- but with the price of fuel and other expenses, I am not sure how we afford to do what does get done.

Nov. 4, 2008

2008-12-28T23:57:00.000-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
We have been busy just like everyone else. After I got home, I needed to get a pair of horses that I purchased. I am hoping to spend many hours in the saddle- and that might prove to be a little uncomfortable for a while - but if I live thru it - it will be worth the pain and agony to get back into shape and enjoy what I love most.
We gathered our calves last Monday, and Jim and I were so tired when we finished. We had trouble getting to sleep. I told Jim that I could not find a comfy position to sleep- Jim told me there is no comfort- just find a position that hurts the least and go from there. I was tried his method and it must have worked but I kept hearing a terrible noise- it was a whimpering and groaning sound and it was as if someone was in a lot of pain. I could not figure out where it was coming from- then I realized that I was sleeping and the mournful sound was me. Nothing pains me more than to admit that there are times when I might snore or make some sort of rack in my sleep. Now I guess there is no question that I am almost as noisy in my sleep as I am when I am awake.
After we finished getting the cattle taken care of, I decided to saddle up and try out my new mare. I am thinking she will be a really good old lady horse. She saddled up nice and did not give me any trouble at all. The one problem that I am having is getting my foot up high enough to get in the stirrup. I would like to blame it on my jeans being a little too tight. But, in truth I am just out of shape- even though round is a shape. I cheated the first time- I mounted her from the flat bed trailer. I know that was childish but you do what works for you. I rode around the barn a little then I thought I would go out in the pasture and check things out. That went really well- then I decided that I would go open a gate that had been shut while we were gathering the cattle. That was going very well until we rode though the little tiny flies. It is amazing what you forget when you think back about things, I had forgotten about the bugs. Why is it when it is a beautiful day that you have to have bugs? They were terrible- they swarmed all over the mare and me. She was trying to get them off of her while I was swinging my arms wildly at the flying insects to get them off of me. I just knew she was going to pile me when she ducked her head but instead she lifted her front foot and was trying to remove the bugs from her face. After we got through the bugs without anyone getting hurt-, I had to get off to open the gate. I must admit that it felt good to get off for a few minutes- but getting back on seemed to cause me some stress. I have found that the mare stands fairly well if she is in an enclosed pen, not so much in the wide open. Getting the foot in the stirrup was not any easier than it was when I started- but thank goodness, I was not where any one could see me - I finally made it back on to the horse. However, with all aches and pains it was worth it and I enjoyed the time I had riding maybe not like when I was 10 but grateful that I could still get in saddle. It will be easier next time.
After I write this article, I will go down to the polls and cast my ballot. I feel that it is a privilege to be able to have a say in our country. It seems that freedoms all over the world are getting fewer but we are still able to vote and let our voices count. I hope that all of you voted to have your voice heard as well. This election for me has been the most crucial election that I have had the opportunity to vote. Regardless of who wins, I think that our country is in for many changes.

Oct. 28, 2008

2008-12-28T23:56:00.001-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell
Life certainly seems to stay in some sort of chaos most of the time, well, at least in our household. I would like to say that it is organized chaos- but that is not even close to the truth. I have been in hunting camp most of the month. I had a very nice place to cook and the rooms that we stay in are nice. In hunting camp, nice means that you do not have rodents running over your feet in the night. It is not a five star accommodations but to some of the hunters they think that it is too comfortable to call it a hunting camp. I can not imagine what too comfortable means but I do know what uncomfortable is and I do not care for the experience.
The great thing about going away to cook for the hunters is that I get the opportunity to meet so many different people and all of the different types of occupations that gives them to means to afford an elk hunt.
I had for the first time in camp, a plastic surgeon, a banker and a man who owns and raises kangaroos. Actually, it was his wife who raises the roos. He made his living in investments. I have never met anyone who has actually raised kangaroos- I found that interesting and probably annoyed him with all of my questions. We also had two editors of two prominent sports magazines there to write an article on elk hunting- I wanted to know when one of the articles would be in print and he told me that it would in about two years as that particular magazine is that far ahead in their layouts.
There were also a couple of hunters who have their own television sport shows. They are very nice and easy to get along with. However, the hunters rarely do things to upset the cook. We do have our ways to getting even.
We had two sets of father and daughter hunters. It was nice to see dads and daughters together enjoying the same pastime. One daughter told me that her parents were divorced and since there was two daughters they split them and the mom took one and the dad took the other. She was the one who went with her mom. So this is what her and her dad share when they get to gather each year.
There was a group of three hunters who had come from Ohio. When I asked them what all they did - They were in construction and they told me that they raise Tennessee Walker horses. That was of interest to me as I have just purchased a Tennessee Walker. I asked them if the horse price in Ohio was as low as it is here. They told me that their show horses that are worth $10,000.00 -they were selling for $1,500.00. So I guess that means that horses are not worth much wherever you go. One of the hunters had an elk is his crosshairs and was ready to pull the trigger when his guide stopped him as he had heard a rumble. The rumble was not thunder or a rockslide it was the wild horses that run on this ranch. They were telling me that the wild horses cause more trouble than the elk. The horses run thru the fences and run the cattle and elk. Since we were talking about the horse prices and we are thinking that there will be many more horses turned out to the wild as there is no other place for the undesirable types. I would hate to ever turn anything out to fend for itself -but there are some who see it as their only alternative.
The sad thing about my return home was the news that Anna Lou Einsel had passed away- She was a wonderful lady and we will miss her. One year at Christmas she brought us the most beautiful tray of homemade goodies. There were little tarts and cookies and all kinds of Christmas treats. I think that she was a really good rancher's wife and mother. Every time that I saw Anna Lou, she always had a positive outlook on life. We will miss her here but heaven just got a little better.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell---Oct. 1, 2008

2008-12-28T23:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas is not the only time a person is anxious. I get excited like a child when I think that I am going to get something new or different- it can be almost anything. I guess it does not take much to ring my bell. I am in the process of looking at a different horse. Horses are really cheap since there is an over abundance of our equine friends. I think shopping for them is more fun than actually making that final decision.
When I was growing up Mom and I went shopping sometimes Dad went with us. He would make us buy a pair of shoes even if we did not like them. This was the rule, only if, we had made the shoe clerk get out tons of shoes. This was the era of shoes stores and they had clerks who would help you purchase the correct size and the correct shoe for the occasion that had brought you into the store in the first place. I love shoes and have more than I probably need- but then I think most of us have more things than we need- not want - but need.
I enjoyed going to the auction on Sunday afternoon- It was a pleasant day and it seemed that people were really enjoying themselves- I had the opportunity to see a classmate that I had not seen in quite sometime. Kathy Adams was in my class at school and always had such a delightful personality. I must say that the years have been very kind to her as she looks wonderful. I do not think that it is fair that some people just wake up in the mornings and look good- while the rest of us have to spend hours to be presentable- if we do not, we scared small children.
A good way to spend an afternoon is at an auction. They are a good source of entertainment - at these kinds of sales you never know what things will bring- sometimes you just shake your head and think ‘what are they thinking?’. Usually things that are practical go dirt cheap and things that you can live a long and happy life without - the price is high. You never know what some people think is valuable- I can remember I was at a sale one time and a lady got really mad because someone kept out bidding her- I do not see why you would get upset after getting out bid it just means that the other person either wanted it more than you - besides after all there will be another auction.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Sept.23, 2008

2008-09-22T21:48:00.000-07:00

Life certainly is full of surprises. Jim and I had our first dance in Junior High which was many years ago and we never thought in a million years that we would one day be married. But I remember how much I liked to dance with him. Well, in Junior High we never really danced- I am not sure what you would call it, but I thought I was having a good time. Once when Jim and I went to the 1991 Junior and Senior Prom, Keith Custer was Principal, and he had a dance with his daughter Amy. They looked so sweet together plus it looked like they were having so much fun. At Jeff and Chelsea’s wedding I noticed there were a couple of Dads there showing their little girls how to do different dance steps. I thought that it looked like they were really enjoying themselves.
My family was not the traditional cowboy, boot-scootin’ family - the Jitterbug- the Two Step- the Cotton-Eyed Joe- Foxtrot -or even the Waltz -never occurred in our home. My folks did not dance and we never went to the rodeo dances. My grandparents, on both sides of the family were very much against this pastime. Mom took dance lessons in college (she was quite a rebel back then) and found that she was not cut out to ’cut the rug’. I do not think that I ever saw my dad show any interest in gliding over the floor. So I am not a bopper. However, I am a huge ‘Dancing with the Stars’ fan. I think that all of those dances look like so much fun. I have always thought that it was an entertaining way to spend your time. When I was little I watched American Bandstand with my sister, Vickie. I wonder how one would be able to be a Go-Go dancer and then you could be in one of those cages. Even though our television was fuzzy I was impressed.
At Christmas I told Jim that I would love to take dancing lessons- I thought it would be fun and good for us- might help me lose a little weight and it would be something that we could both learn at the same time. He told that me he had absolutely no interest in becoming a ‘toe tapper’. Well--- I learned from his very informative aunts that Jim was, at one time, quite a little dancer. You can imagine my surprise when they told me how he would beg them to dance with him when he was a kid. I was told that he can do the Jitterbug- Bop- Jerk and many others- You can visualize my total shock of this information not only does he have the knowledge but he really enjoyed this particular activity. He claims that he has forgotten everything that he knew- I somehow think that he just might be fibbing.
At this point - life does not look good for Jim.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Sept. 16, 2008

2008-09-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

The Blundell family has had a very long two weeks. We had funeral services for Donna Bowlin, Jim’s mom, last Friday. Jim had spent time in Tulsa at the Cancer Treatment of America with his mother. She had called and asked for all of her kids to come she wanted to visit with all three of them. His sister, Verna, his brother, John, and Jim had not been in the same place at the same time in over 18 years. It was not that there were problems- they had got caught up in raising their families and Verna has many health issues that made travel difficult. Donna was fighting for her life- along with her lung cancer she had an infection in her lungs- her platelet count was down to three- and she had developed congestive heart failure. Even with all of those things against her she never gave up she fought to the very end.
Donna had many accomplishments in her life. After her divorce from Vernon Blundell she went back to school and received her RN degree. I was told that she was an excellent nurse. She had worked in Branson Missouri in the hospital there. She had a heart for those who had been abused whether it was babies- children, wives, or anyone else. She went to work for the Government in the Indian Health Department. Her husband, Jerry Bowlin, moved with her to the Shiprock, New Mexico area and White River Arizona area to work on the Reservations. She was quick to love the Indian babies- she told me that the babies did not have blankets or clothes when they left the hospital. She had a way of making you want to help out so I talked to the ladies in our church and we made a baby blankets and gowns. Donna was really pleased when the hospital received the huge box that we had sent. Later on they moved to Biloxi, Mississippi and she worked there in the hospital- when she was unable to work on the floor- she worked with heart patients watching heart monitors. She was very involved with the Cancer Treatment Center- she talked with the legislators of Georgia to help convince them to support the construction of a Cancer Treatment Center in Atlanta. She was successful in persuading them to build.
There was nothing lazy about Donna. One of her sister-in-laws said that Donna was always busy even if she was sitting under a cedar tree she would be cleaning the dirt.
I learned many things from my mother-in-law. I learned was that she thought her children were as near perfect as possible. Living with one of them I knew that was not entirely true. I learned that it was not a good idea to point out that there might be a flaw. I learned that I was mistaken. I found out and try to pass on to newly wedded brides that no matter what - you never complain to the mother-in-law about men, especially, your husband. Even if she is grumbling about men- you either stay silent (which I have never been good at) or you say that your husband never does anything annoying. Then you thank her for raising such a wonderful man. This means that you are more than likely lying through your teeth but it certainly makes life easier. But I really do have a great husband and have very little to gripe about, but I did not whine to Donna, not over three or four times, I am such a slow learner.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Sept. 9, 2008

2008-09-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

Horses have always been extremely important to me. Most of you know that the love of horse flesh was something that Dad and I shared. I was visiting with my neighbor and we were discussing how we try to encourage our children to share the same interests. We all want our family to enjoy the same things. I was trying to think what Dad did to encourage me- I think more to the point- he did not discourage me. I can remember always wanting to climb on any four legged animal. I usually rode bareback because Dad said I could ride my horse anytime I wanted but I had to catch it, bridle it, and saddle it myself-Dad did not have the time to chase a horse around just because I to go for an adventure in the pasture. I was too little and I could not lift the saddle, but I could reach the bridles and the lead ropes. So I would go out and rattle a bucket to trap the horses. Sort mine off and catch him and the fun was just beginning. I am not sure that I have ever been happier than I was then-Raising my family has been a joy as well- but be on the back of a horse was something I am not sure I can ever reclaim.
Dad would have horses in the pen as he broke horses for many different people. He had an appaloosa mare he had been riding. I think maybe she was the first appaloosa I had ever seen. He was doing the evening feeding when he got the her trough and poured in the grain. He was telling me how nicely she was coming along. I was wishing that I could have ridden with him that day, I asked what he thought she would do if I hopped on her. While he was telling me he thought she would not do anything - he grabbed a belt loop on each side of me and threw me up on the unsuspecting mare. Well--- he was wrong about her being calm- she cut loose and I never really got in the middle of her before she tossed me in the air- each time I went up, I gained altitude. I hit the corner post of the pen and slide down. Dad was laughing so hard and slapping his leg saying that he would have never thought she had it in her. That broke me of thinking out loud- but it did not break me of wanting to ride. I do not think that I hopped on an unsuspecting horse again. See I do learn- Some of us must learn through pain.
Dad never made me feel like I had to like horses or he never forced me to ride- in fact, Mother kept telling me that I was a girl and I did not have to go out in the barn lot and get dirty- I could stay in the house and do other things- I would rather go out in the corral and see what Dad was up to- You must admit life in the corral was more exciting than anything that ever happened in the house or at least in our house. Mom kept a very tidy home and tried to keep some type of order. She was always on hand to clean up the blood and patch us up so we could go out and do it all over again-
After visiting with my neighbor - it brought back so many fond and scary memories. One was remembering when I had my very own horse and dad tether me to him- Which is another story all together- But we were bringing in a cow that had gotten out- he had taken me as far as he could with me tied to him. He untied me and told me to make the horse do what I wanted and not to let him ran away with me. I was so scared that I would get lost and he would not ever find me again or that I would get dumped and he would be disappointed that I could not do what he told me. I told my pony to be really good and lets not run and we would be okay. When you lean down and talk to your mount and pat him on his neck let him know that together if things go just right you will make it back to the barn without either one of us getting hurt. This does not always work but
for some reason this time the horse did just what he was suppose to do, I found Dad and we brought in the cow. He let me know that he was proud of me- maybe that is what we really need to let our kids know- we love them and we are constantly proud of them.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Sept. 1, 2008

2008-09-16T20:09:00.002-07:00

September is the time years ago that kids started to school. I think that I started to first grade after Labor Day, but then with the use of air conditioning they decided that we could begin earlier. When Mom and Dad went to school, they had to pack a lunch. I asked Mom what she got in her lunch- She said that in the early fall if she was lucky she would get a piece of fried chicken. Usually there was piece of bread or a biscuit and what ever else her mom had handy for a sack lunch. Sometimes there might be a piece of fruit when it was available. She said that some kids would only have a biscuit and it was hard. I asked her about how they wrapped up their lunches. Did they use wax paper or what? Now we have a variety of things to use to keep our food fresh and clean. She said that she thought that they did not wrap up any of the items in the lunch. I would have thought that the sandwiches would have dried out so much you could not eat it. But times were so different then. Can you imagine what a health inspector would think if he saw a someone eating a lunch that had not been in a refrigerator and it was not wrapped- The lunch would have been carried in tin lunch box or a paper sack that had been used many times. It is a wonder that the human race has survived. Now the kids go to school and get breakfast and a hot lunch. My generation is spoiled and my kids’ generation is worst. If we actually had to survive as my parents had to, I am not sure we would make it. Milking cows and raising chickens, not for pets, but for the sole purpose of eating them. Having chores that had to be done each and every night. There was very little time to play, let alone practice ball. I can just see the farmers that sacrificed to let their kids attend school would tell them that they could spend an extra hour or two after school so that they could practice the sport of their choosing. Kids had chores that had to be done before the sun went down. The sports were played during recess.
Sports were something that you did when and IF you had the time. Now it appears that the whole world stands still for a sport activity. I guess that I am getting old and realizing that getting a good education is so much more valuable than being able to hit- kick- bounce or throw a ball better than anyone.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell August 26, 2008

2008-09-16T20:09:00.001-07:00

Last week I told you how I had gone down home and was reliving parts of my childhood. I know that there must have been some bad things that happened. But as I get older I do not seem to remember very many bad times. I was very fortunate to have the family that I had and that they did not talk a lot about how the world had not gone the way they thought it should have gone. I can remember Dad telling me when I complained about someone not being a nice person- or something that I thought was not right- He would tell me that is was not good to let people bother me like that and that I should learn to love them the way God had made them. That was not what I wanted to hear. But he would just laugh and say not to let them get under my skin and go on with life.
One of the things that I did when I was little was to get the mail. Maggie Alder was our mail carrier - then when she retired, her daughter, Bea Odell, took the mail route. One time when I was going to the mail box I looked at the barn while I was walking by and there in the open hay mow door was an owl. I do not think that I had ever seen an owl before. But there he was sitting there just looking down at me like I had done something wrong. I think that he was a horned owl as he had those feathered ears that stuck up from his head that looked like horns. I wondered what he could do with those horns. I was sure that it could not be good -it was like looking at a huge mean looking chicken with the capability of a bull. All of these things just did not sound like it was something I wanted to get involved with, so I did what all children do when frightened. I ran to the house for my mommy. I told her that there was a big bird in the barn and he was really mad at me and I had not done anything to him. Mom went out to see what I was talking about and sure enough he was there sitting in the open door and he looked like he was mad at Mom, too. She told me that he was an owl and that is how he looks and that he was not angry.I think that every time, since that day that I look up at that hay mow door I remember that owl. When we went down home last week we were walking toward the barn and there was an owl in the barn. This time, however, he was white I did not get a good look at him and not sure if he had the tufts or if his head is smooth and round like a barn owl.. My first thought is that he is a snow owl- but not sure that is correct. I will do so more looking and checking my bird books to see what he is and will let you know what I find out.
After thinking about how unkind that owl looked- It made me think about how Mom and Dad always tried to teach me that you must get to know someone before you make any judgments on their character.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell August 19, 2008

2008-09-16T20:08:00.001-07:00

Last week I went down to my old home place. I was looking over the place where I had many memories. It was kind of like when you watch a movie and you see and hear the characters thoughts. As I was walking around I saw the gates that were painted silver. I can remember when they were painted. Vickie and Virgil got to paint, Dad would not let me as he said I was too little and would make a mess. That was one time where I felt I had really been slighted. After all, it was not my fault I was younger than my brother and sister. I just knew after Dad thought more about it he would relent and let me paint. That never happened. I imagine the more he thought about the more he was positive that he had made the right decision.
There was the brooder house where we kept the baby chicks. That held a special memory as well-I would go down to the brooder house and open the door when Dad had bought more chicks than he was suppose to purchase from the hatchery. The door swung in so you had to be really careful and not open the door too fast or you might smash a chick. Smashing chicks was something that was frowned upon by Mom and Dad. One had to be very cautious as the chicks were frightened of every thing. They would bunch up in a corner and pile on top of each other and that was not good. After I would get in and get sat down- I loved to watch the little chickens running around pecking and cocking their head to one side and then the other as they listened to new sounds. I liked to pick them up and hold them and talk to them. I usually was not in their too long before Dad would catch me and say, “Vanita get out of there, if you handle the chicks too much you will kill them.” I thought that was unfair. I was not just handling them- I was taming them. I figured one day he would thank me for having such nice tame chickens. One time, for some reason I got to keep a chick in the house. I cannot remember the reason for this, as we had a place for him to live. Anyway, he stayed in a box- I would catch him and play wit him all the while Dad said that it was not good for him to be handled all the time. I must have been about four or five years old and that made Virgil fourteen or fifteen years old. We had a rainy day and Virgil decided that my newly found pet needed a special place to live. He built ‘chicken little’ (oh, that was an original name) a little house out of a box. He made a two story house. It had an upstairs, that the chick could actually climb, and I thought it was great. I do not know where Virgil got his idea, but it was a nice thing to do for his little sister. Since Chicken Little was a rooster- I found that raising a rooster was not the best thing to do. After he had grown into a full feathered cock, he would chase me and flog me from the house to the mailbox and back to the house with me screaming both ways. This is where I lost my interest in grown feathered birds. Even now going into a chicken house is extremely difficult thing to do. It is a sad thing when you are chicken of a chicken. I can tell you that ‘Chicken Little’ was not all bad- he made good chicken and noodles.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell August 12, 2008

2008-09-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy week- of course; it seems every week has been full of things to do. I realize that I am not busier than anyone else- my problem lies within myself, as I am not the most organized person. I went to Ruidoso to help my sister. This is kind of like the blind leading the blind as sometimes she is not organized either. But to her defense, she has many more people in her life that requires her attention. But we have a good time, anyway. Her daughter, Casey, got married on the 2nd of August, so I went early to help her get things ready. It was not to be a huge wedding, just family and a few friends. It turned out well and we had a good time. The thing is - with Vickie’s family is that even though their four children are spread out in age, 37 to 26; - they all had babies close together. Along with Vickie and Randy’s grandchildren, we had Randy’s sister’s grandbabies as well. Every child was adorable and certainly had their own personality and wanted their due of attention. While we were working on the food for the reception we had nine kids running around all under the age of seven. Boy, that was a busy place. We did not have all nine kids there constantly, but was a little tot around there most of the time. Actually, it was not bad at all. Wendy, Vickie’s youngest daughter, took control of the kids and she was wonderful. She has a unique personality and she was a lot of fun for all of us. I stayed one extra day after everything was over, we were sitting in the living room in Vickie’s home and Randy was just sitting in his chair and we discussed how quiet it was and how tired we were. Do not get me wrong Randy and Vickie love their grandchildren, nieces and nephews, but they like the quiet life too. I must admit I was enjoying the silence, as well. We were talking about how we understood why God gave children to the young and let us older people keep them from time to time. It is not that we no longer love children, we just do not have the patience that we used to have. I can remember Mom telling Dad to quit teasing the grandkids and keeping them all stirred up. He would have them running through the house screaming and running to Mom to protect them from getting their ears chewed- or just from the awful faces he could make to terrify them. Mom would tell Dad to go outside and leave the kids alone as she felt like she was going to fly. I never understood that- Now I do! I think that I owe Mom a hug, now that I think about it.
There seems like there is always something to do around here. It may not be what you want to do but there is something that needs some attention. I went down to check on the water down home and sure enough one of the windmills was dribbling water. The tank was full, but it was not going to stay that way. I knew that the mill was going to need to be pulled and new leathers would have to be replaced. I was hoping that we would not have to replace the pipe also. Jim had just got back from spending the weekend with his mom in Tulsa- I did not want to tell him that we had a well job to do when he got off work. Jim is the kind of man that does not yell or whine often, he does what needs to be done. We got the mill pulled, replaced the leathers. Fortunately, the pipe was in good shape but what we did not have was the correct size of jet-rod connectors as they were worn completely out. We got as far as we could and quit for the night. Today, I purchased the right connectors and we are ready to finish the job. The best thing about going down home, if we are lucky, we get to visit with the neighbors along the road. We visit with them and find out what things have happened to them and about their kids and grandkids. After visiting with them I think that most of the time Life really is good.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Aug. 5, 2008

2008-09-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

Last week I wrote on lazy Sunday afternoons the other great thing about Sunday’s was the comic. We love the comics. At home we got our Sunday paper on Monday. This meant we received two papers on Mondays. I think that the comics helped us learn to laugh at ourselves. Poor old Dagwood was always in trouble. We were in the Viet Nam conflict so Beetle Bailey gave us something to amuse us. Those that were in the World Wars might it a little more humorous than the rest of us or maybe not. I am sure some of them could identify with one to the characters in that strip. Mothers and Grandmothers enjoyed Dennis the Menace quite often, along with Family Circus. Mom and Grandma always read the serials- Brenda Starr- and Rex Morgan. I never got into Gasoline Alley or Dogpatch- I liked Nancy and one of our top favorites was Peanuts. Then there more different comic strips that the Hutchinson News carried- Hi and Lois quickly became a favorite- We did not get the Wichita Eagle so when we went to Uncle David’s they had a whole new set of comics. There was Pogo, Shue, and BC, those were alright but they did not have some of the ones I liked the best. I thought that Uncle David and Aunt Theo must have been very intelligent as I thought that some of the ‘funnies’ were hard to comprehend. Those that were political I never did get and most of the time, I still do not understand.
Through the years humor changed. Some of the comics became more vulgar, that might be little harsh, maybe lewd is the word. I love the Lockhorns and I learned to like the Far Side. Baby Blues and Zits are entertaining along with For Better or Worse. It is kind of sad once in a while, but sometimes life is sad. I think that our music reflects our lives and I think that the comic strips are the same way.
If it had not been for the comics I am not sure that Jeff would have ever learned to read. Jeff went to summer school and Rocky Stewart told the kids that they could read anything that they wanted to read. He wanted them to understand that reading could be enjoyable and it was not always something that they would be tested on later. Jeff loved Calvin and Hobbs. Calvin was the only thing that he liked to read. The worst thing was that he liked to become Calvin. This was not always such a good idea- As I told him time and time again- Calvin is fun to read about not so much fun to live with.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell July 29, 2008

2008-09-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

Just a word about Joe- As you know he had heart surgery a week ago Monday- he is home and doing very well. We are glad to have him back.
I am writing this on Sunday afternoon and it brings to mind what Sunday afternoons used to mean. Before I came along Sundays were spent with Moms family. (When I came along all of the other kids were grown and were starting their own families away their hometown.) After church they would either go to Uncle David and Aunt Theo Cary’s, or Uncle Edwin and Aunt Hazel Crouse’s or Mom and Dads or Grandma and Granddad Cary’s house. They all had kids about the same age- Patty and Max Cary- Charles and Mabel Crouse and my sister and brother, Vickie and Virgil. Vickie and Virgil were a little younger than the others, but they had a great time playing together. There was always plenty of food to enjoy and I am sure plenty of dirty dishes to wash. But when you have all of the family together many hands make light work. Grandma could fry the best home-grown chicken and of course gravy made with the good fresh cream gravy. I am not sure but I think that Grandma made most of her bread- so there was homemade bread with freshly churned butter- I do not know how they had the time to fix all of the food without the conveniences that we have now. They had to work so hard just to put a meal on the table. It seemed to me that Grandma kept house effortlessly. Her home was always neat and clean- I never remember her complaining about having to clean up. If I know that I have company coming I have to put everything on hold to get things to where I am not embarrassed. If I do not know that I am having company there will more than one of us surprised.
Years ago when kids had a Sunday afternoon they could play outside, Since it was really not much cooler inside as it was under a tree or in the side of a hill that could work as a fort - house- an inn- or whatever their imaginations could dream up. Mom tells of the countless times that when she was little, that her brother, Harland and her would play out in the pasture or just go on walks.
As I was growing up we went often to the grandparents and Uncle David’s, do not remember much about going to Aunt Hazels much. Uncle Edwin died when I was quite young- and Aunt Hazel remarried a man by the name of Ray Wilcox- he was not from here and they made their home in Garden City.
I when was younger- Sunday afternoons were one time that we got to eat sandwiches- This did not happen often- but sometimes after church we would go to Norman Hadley’s and get lunch meat- He was one of the only businesses open on Sunday. Mom and I would get liverwurst and dad would get what he called dog, which to everyone else was bologna. Norman had the best lunch meat around. He would slice however much you wanted. With the liverwurst he would put thin paper between the slices so it would not stick together. Oh, I thought we were living ‘high on the hog’ when we had sandwiches because we also got potato chips and that was a treat in itself. My how things change- I hope that you all have a lazy Sunday afternoon and take time to enjoy all of your blessings.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell-- July 22. 2008

2008-09-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

Good News - Bad News-
Bad News- Joe Spence had to have a new valve replaced in his heart- Good news- he is doing fine and is recovering quite nicely.
Bad News Joe is out of town and the townspeople are worried if they are going to be able to get some of his wonderful tomatoes- Good news- yes, they will be able to get the produce as it becomes available- Bad News- I am take care of the garden- I have the rare ability to kill any living plant known to mankind- good news- I have help, not with the killing-but with the watering - consulting- picking and whatever else needs to be done - Hopefully they have better gardening skills than I do.
I just do not understand why some people can grow things while the rest of us can not grow mold. I have three; I started with four, tomato plants. When I got them they were pretty and nice. Thinking that I would be smart, I planted each one in their very own planter. I thought they were growing and looking good- until I went into Joe’s garden. His are about four to five feet tall and are producing tomatoes. Mine are about two and half feet tall and have three puny little tomatoes. I do not think they have the will to ripen. While Joes are grwong quickly and are fat- plump and ripening to a beautiful bright red. I do not try any other vegetable- there is no point in wasting the time, the energy and the water to kill some poor, innocent plant. One time, many years ago I had a lovely garden and the grasshoppers ate it up in two days. I found that to be very discouraging- I guess there are two types of people in this world- growers and consumers- I am definitely a consumer. My Grandma Cary and I am told that Grandma Alley were extra good gardeners- they could grow anything and they liked to eat what they planted- Aunt Zora (Dads sister) could grow flowers on a cement slab. She had the knack of knowing just what to do to make the plant want to live. Dad liked to try to garden but his heart was not completely committed to the cause. Uncle David was another one who could really makes the soil and seed do what he wanted them to do. He was a very good farmer - he had a way about him that worked well.
I just hope that Joe gets back on his feet and can enjoy the fruits of his labor- literally. And I hope that he will still be talking to me when this is all over and done with.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell July16, 2008

2008-09-16T20:01:00.001-07:00

This week we have had some sadness as we have lost another good friend, Bonnie Frazier. Bonnie and I have worked together for several years at the church. Together, we co-chaired the funeral dinners. Bonnie was much better at fixing just the right amount of food. She rarely had an over abundance of leftovers. We have served many meals together and I will certainly miss her.
Joe Spence is in the hospital getting some heart work done- We are hoping that he gets back in the swing of things soon. His garden is starting to take off and he needs to be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He has some onions that weigh over two pounds each. Way to go, Joe!
One thing about the lifestyle I have chosen to lead is that I am never bored. This past week proved to be no different. We finally got some of our cattle moved to where they should have been 2 months ago- but with Jims work and all kinds of other events we felt we had to do, the cattle work got put off. Working with the cattle is one thing that Jennifer does not miss being included. When we did cattle work she was the one who kept the home fires burning and the house intact. Jeff helped us out when he could. Friday, we got the ol’ girls in and paired up and hauled to the appropriate pasture. We did not get completely done so we kept them penned and continued to pair up on Saturday. Jeff and Chelsea came out and helped us. It was either the weather or keeping them penned up had made a few of the girls really cranky. Jim had taken a load to pasture while Jeff and I stayed to pair up a few more. We located a pair and by the time we got her and her calf in the loading pen she was not entirely happy. But, of course, when the pair went in the loading pen another cow which did not have a calf with her went in the pen also. I thought, ‘no problem, we will just sort her off and that will be that’. WRONG. We started to get the unmated cow out and she would not budge. The paired cow about ran over me to get out. About the time I thought I had the odd one to the gate she would just stand there and look at me while the other was wanting out of the pen, desperately. I saw that the mother cow was almost to the point of getting nasty- but I thought if I could just get the other one out, then I could leave everyone alone. Jeff saw that I was having some difficulty and got in the pen to help me out, I told him to watch Momma as she might ‘get’ him. He did not seem too concerned until we started to move them around. There are times when you wonder how someone might react in a certain situation. I always thought that when push comes to shove my family would protect me. Well…. I found that when a cow is blowing snot and makes a run, my son, who I spent hours in labor and gave him life, will actually crawl over the top of me to save his own skin and leave his poor, old, fat, defenseless mother to save herself. The cow did not make any contact - but she did make a believer out of us- We decided that maybe we ought to let her cool down a little and see what Jim could do with her. At least, we did get the job done, maybe not in the most efficient way but life will go on.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell July 8, 2008

2008-09-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

We are almost half way through July and I still do not have the work done that I wanted to accomplish. I am amazed how long it takes me to do things. Jim and I worked about 50 head of calves the other day and I cannot believe that it took the whole day. I know that when Dad was in his late seventies and early eighties he worked faster than we did. Of course, the weather was not exactly the best- but Dad worked in the heat and he never complained as much as I did. Maybe no one complains as much as I do. I know that we could work and pair up 50 head in a day, easy, with daylight left over- the other thing is that I have lost all of my strength, not that there was ever that much there to begin with but there was more than there is now. I think that it must be Jeff’s fault. When he was at home he was my muscle. He pulled and tugged and moved whatever I wanted moved and I was the overseer. Now that he is no longer at home I have to do those things he was doing. He sure did make it look easy. Jim can only do so much and probably if the truth was known most men would send me to the house and find some good help. But he puts up with me and my moaning and groaning. I thought that I was ready to get these calves worked, but there are things you forget about; such as getting rid of the wasp nests on the chute. We were doing fairly well and minding our own business when a wasp flew by me a stung me right above my elbow. He really shot the jazz to me. I think that you could call it a ‘fly by’. Wasp stings have never bothered me but this one swelled up and was uncomfortable for a few days. We fixed him, I had the burner from the branding irons and we burnt his happy little home. There were a couple other nests that got our attention, as well.
When I was a little girl the Cary place seemed to have more wasps, bees and grasshoppers than we did down home. Grandma had a dinner bell and I liked to ring it for Granddad to come in from his rock house. I soon learned to check inside the bell first. If you did not the wasps did not like for you to ring the bell at all. They would come barreling out of the bell and they meant business. I can remember running away from those winged bombers and screaming like the little girl that I was.
Wasp can make their homes almost any place. I thought that they had to build on something solid. That is not the case or, at least, not at our current house. We have wasp that make their nests in the trees. Boy, that really is a shock when you walk under a tree limb and look up and there is a wasp nest the size of a pie pan. It is a good idea to just walk away. Dad, on the other hand, declared war on them. He would get a newspaper and roll it up and make a torch out of it and set it on fire and burn them out- he would do the same for bumble bees- I do not ever remember him ever getting stung. If he did he never would have admitted it. It is a wonder that he did not catch the building on fire in his attempt to get rid of the stinging bugs. Maybe that is why we did not have the flying stingers at my childhood home.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell July 2, 2008

2008-09-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

This has certainly been a wild week. It is just amazing how quickly things change. We were fortunate to have Jims Uncle Larry and Aunt Pasty visit us Tuesday Evening. Wednesday evening, Lisa Ballot and two her daughters along with her mother, Addie Ellen Burnett came into town for a quick visit. Addie Ellen is a sister to H. R. Burnett who was a causality of World War II.
While we were visiting we were talking about our childhood. I was telling her about the time that my lovely mild-mannered mother chased me down the road. It seems that I lead an interesting childhood as compared to other kids. Or maybe I just have a better memory than some other people. I really believe that country kids have such an advantage over town kids- We have so much more room to run around and find various things to amuse us. Do you remember finding a litter of kittens in the hayloft? I would find a momma cat and try to mimic a kitten so she would give away the location of her babies. This worked sometimes- but there were a few that would not fall for my impersonations. Or how about a mother hen who proudly brings out her chicks and is very cranky with anyone who approached her- One time we had a strong wind in the spring and the bird nest blew out of the trees. Virgil and I went around picking up baby birds and brought them in the house. We attempted to save them from the cats. We had a little bird cage we put them in and we worked hard to try to feed them. I got a whole new appreciation for mother birds; they must have a lot of patience.
Sometimes just sitting under the tree and making mud pies was delightful. Going out in the pasture was my all time favorite whether it was on foot or on horseback. You could let your imagination go wild and have all kinds of fun with out any high priced toys or gadgets. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell June 24, 2008

2008-09-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Summer is certainly in full swing- One thing that you can be sure of is, that it will rain during harvest and state fair time. The rain that we have been having reminds me of when dad farmed and it seemed just as he got all of the repairs completed and the combine in the field then it would start to shower. Harvest is, at best, an extremely frustrating time of the year. My heart is with all of the farmers as it seems that this year has been full of aggravations with the weather, the fuel prices and I am sure that the repairs are enormous.
I like to watch how the animals cope with the heat. Jeff and Chelsea have two new puppies and they love to lay in a pool of water, not much different than the human species. In the hot summer you can be sure that the lake and the pool are full of those who love to splash around in the water. Personally, I do not care to go the lake or the pool- It might have something to so with being twice the woman that Jim married. Just cannot find that swimsuit that is flattering. You know the kind, the ones that make you look like a size two- oh, that is right, there is no such thing. All of this brings to mind how some think that cattle should not stand in the water. I am not sure that those who worry about such things are aware that in the winter the cows normally only drink from the creek and do not lounge in the creek and contaminate it. Where as the fish are still living in the water and the ducks are still swimming and bathing in the same water. I have heard that they worry about the animals depositing some kind of nasty things in the water for those people who like to play in the water. Frankly, the fish and birds bother me more than the cattle. I do not, however, want to remove the fish or the birds as I think that God must have thought they were a good idea since that is where he thought they should be located. I just cannot understand what those people think that the cattle are supposed to do? I would like to see those individuals wear a leather coat in the blazing sun. I would bet you, that they would want to stand under a tree along the creek bank in the cool, cool, water. I mean, do you really think that in the heat of the day that a cow would like to go stand on top of a hill and let the heat suck out every bit of moisture that her body can produce and have a sun stroke? I think--- NOT. Maybe that is how some of you deal with the heat -but I can guarantee that you will find me in an air conditioned room or vehicle, if I am not cool- life is an ugly place. I can not tolerate the heat like I could when I was younger- Some may think it is my age- I guess everyone is allowed to have an opinion.
We have a stock tank (metal tank) close to the road and this was late spring I drove by and had to take a double look as one of our cows was standing in the tank. I thought that maybe something had scared her into the tank-I thought that it was a coincidence as it really it was not hot out yet. Later when I went by again, it was not just one the cows it was several of them standing there in the tank. They made it look so natural, I left them alone. I have wondered - maybe the cows are about my age, in cow years. If that is the case I think that I will let them enjoy themselves.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell June 17, 2008

2008-09-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

I was told one time that when one generation plants a tree and the next generation will chop it down. I was almost offended by the remark as we were cutting trees down for fire wood. But in our defense we were cutting trees that were already dead. When Jim and I moved back home after living in Texas for a couple of years, our home was heated by firewood only. We chopped wood for twelve years. Well, actually, Jim chopped - cut- split- loaded- unloaded- stacked wood. We have a fifty-fifty marriage- He brought the wood in and I burnt it. It was not quite that lopsided but Jim did most of the hard work to keep us warm. The kids got to help their dad out many times. When wood is the only heat that you have - you do not leave home for extended periods of time in the freezing weather unless, of course, you do not mind chopping ice in your toilet or thawing out pipes and all of the other ‘wonderful’ things that goes along with frozen water lines. What reminded me of this was when a friend called me yesterday and was telling me how he would like to plant an apple tree.
When I was a kid growing up we did not have a wide variety of fruit trees but we did have one cherry tree, one mulberry tree, three pear trees and a few peach trees. Come to think about it I guess we did have more than I thought. Living in Kansas you do not get to harvest the fruit every year, which did not hurt Moms feelings. As I have said before mom did not like to can but she was great at freezing peaches. They were so good in the winter, Mom and Dad liked to pour cream over their peaches, I liked mine plain and still a little frozen. Aww-- that was good eatin’. The cherry tree died when I was quite young. We did not use the mulberries for anything. I have heard that some people make jelly out of them. One thing is for sure - the birds really like the purple fruit. I use to eat them until one of my brother’s friends told me that they were not good to eat and that they were full of worms. So I never ate another mulberry. Since he was older and wiser I just knew he would not lead me to believe something that was not true.
Grandma Cary had a crab apple tree but we never used the fruit for anything- with the exception of throwing them at each other. The first good edible apples that I can remember were from the Ray Parcels. They had an apple orchard across the road from their home. Ray and Winnie Parcel were wonderful, kind people and they were delightful to visit. I thought that they would be really neat grandparents and I am sure they were. Now the apple trees have all died out and all that is left are the memories.
The apple orchard that I remember well was the one at Cashes Grove. Bob and Mary Pierce purchased Cashes Grove and made their home there for many years. I was impressed that a tree could produce so many apples. Bob was very proud of his home and the trees. I learned that the deer love apples from Bob and Mary. At that time the deer were not as plentiful as they are now and to see a deer was a treat.
With the prices the way they are now we might be smart in planting some fruit trees and start being a little more self-sufficient.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell June 11, 2008

2008-09-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

While I was getting ready for the Wilmore Opry last Saturday afternoon I realized that I needed some improvement on my appearance. There are some things that can not be fixed but I know that I need a hair cut and some more color put back in my hair. Then I was thinking who came up with the idea that an arched eyebrow is more attractive than a thick bushy eyebrow? I mean, a bushy eyebrow would catch more dust and dirt that would fall and it would catch a lot more sweat before it came running into your eyes. I decided that my eyebrows were in severe need of plucking. You would not believe how many different ways there are to remove those unwanted hairs. You can have them removed by a professional (which is the best) who has different tools to use than the average person. They can use electrical gizmo that is suppose to eliminate hair- there are waxes - creams- razors and the old stand by, tweezers. I had procrastinated getting an appointment to get professional help on my appearance, which I am in desperate need, so I looked in my medicine chest to see what torturous contraption I had purchased before. There are things out there that are just painful and are not that effective. There was some wax that had dried up and was not useable. The wax works ok if you have someone else apply it. This particular wax you put in the microwave to heat it and there is an applicator that if the wax is too hot little letters show up on the stick that say HOT. I thought that it did not feel that hot so I applied it anyway. I learned that even though you think that it is just warm, on your eye brow area it might just blister. It is so attractive to go around with a blister or a scab as an eyebrow, or a mustache.
As I was looking I found a box of wax tape made just for this purpose. It is arched just right for the top and underneath of your eyebrow. I thought that I would try it as there was nothing else left but the tweezers. I kept thinking that there was a reason that I did not use these handy little strips. The instructions said to simply apply the strip on the unwanted hair hold the skin tight and then rip it off the opposite way the hair was growing and do not leave on for more than ten seconds. I slapped the strip on my left eye brow, rubbed it so that each and every hair would stick then I ripped it off- then I remembered why I had not used these again. It works very well and it removes the hair-----along with the hide that the hair was attached to. Now what do you do? I had to get the other side to match-this is a real trick anyway, I did not want to remove the delicate skin above the other eye- so I put the strip on the other brow did not rub it as much and then ripped it off- but since I had not rubbed it as much I did not get all of the hairs so I had to do it again and once more. It took quite a bit of make-up to cover the painful - hairless brow. Even Jim noticed that something was amiss yesterday as the wounded brow is trying to heal. Maybe I should leave these things to the professionals. I guess that I should say that I should work harder on my inward self rather than my outward appearance, after all, as my mom used to say ‘pretty is as pretty does’.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell June 3, 2008

2008-09-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

This has been a windy and stormy spring. I think that the wind could very well be partly my fault. I thought last year that we had not had the wind that we used to have when I was kid. I guess the powers that be must have thought that I was complaining. That certainly was not the case. I have had enough wind to last for quite sometime. I can remember that one thing that really got on my dad's nerves more than anything was a windy day and a whining kid. When the wind would gust, it would blow dirt and sand in his eyes. Then the worst thing of all is that the wind would blow his hat off. On horseback the wind made life much more difficult. It would blow things around on the ground and the horses would be uneasy. If something was going to bust loose, this would be the time it would happen.
Our house had a big picture window in the north. When you looked out of it you could see the driveway and the road. When a dirt storm came from the north you could watch it come down the road and right into our house. It seemed it was usually on Saturday night after Mom had spent the biggest part of her day waxing our hardwood floors. That dirt would blow into the house and all of the dirt and dust on her beautiful floors was heartbreaking. I not sure Mom ever cried- but I know how important her housekeeping was to her and it made me feel sort of sick inside.
When a storm would come up Dad would get antsy and thought they should to go the cellar. Mom was not a cellar goer. She might have been more likely to go to the cellar if it was a pleasant place. But the underground crypt was buggy, musty and all around yucky. Once Dad was sure that they were about to be blown away, so he told mom that they must go to the cellar. This was a Saturday night and Mom had worked hard all day with her Saturday cleaning and she just got Vickie and Virgil to bed. She was so tired and was not interested in going to the cellar. She told Dad to go on but she was staying in the house. Dad said that it would not look good if the house blew her and the kids away while he was in the cellar safe and sound. Mom won that round and he stayed in the house with the rest of his exhausted family. Luckily, the storm passed over without any harm. I think by the time I came along they were not as concerned with the weather since I never remember going to the cellar for safety. This did not bother me as I was with mom on her thoughts of the cellar-spiders, bugs, toads and snakes are not my idea of a good time.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell May 27, 2008

2008-09-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

In January I realized that my husband was going to turn 50 years old this year. His birthday is on the 25th of May. I decided to get a head start on what I was going to do for his birthday. I am not very good at gift giving, but for Jim 50th I had to do something special. This always makes me think of whenever Dad would want to give Jim a gift. He wanted to get him something that would please Jim. I never had a clue what he would want. But this year, I come up with the perfect idea. I decided to surprise him with family. Jim has two aunts, Donna’s sisters, that he has not seen in years. The last time he had any time at all to visit with them was at his grandmother’s funeral 21 years ago. I got to thinking that it is a shame that families only get together at funerals- so I called his Aunt Margie from Las Vegas, Nev., and his Aunt Linda from Delta Co. and they agreed to come out for his birthday Memorial Day weekend. Linda was able to bring her two daughters, ages 18 and 22, that we had never met. When planning this all out I realized that Jim’s mom had appointments in Tulsa at the Cancer Center, so she did not have to make a special trip from Biloxi, Ms. Her birthday is the 20th so we could celebrate her birthday, as well. I am not sure how long it has been since she was able to be with her sisters for a birthday celebration. We did surprise Jim with his Aunts visits, his dad and brother, John and family, came from Dodge to enjoy the occasion. Everyone from out of state stayed at our home and I must say it was wonderful. It is a good thing that I am not as old as Jim or all of this excitement might have killed me, but I will admit I am really tired. This worked out so well that I would encourage all of you who have lost touch with family to get back in contact with them and please do not wait for the next funeral.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell May 20, 2008

2008-09-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

Memorial weekend is upon us. Memorial Day is a holiday when we remember those gone on before us. Each year we have more flowers to take to the cemetery. Our soldiers have a special mark by their graves. I think that it is good that we remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice so we may remain free. Regardless of your stand on war - we still honor those who have served by giving their lives. I have a good friend,Jerry Ferrin, who is very interested in those who have served in battle. He sent me an e-mail telling me of a new way to identify the remains of our soldiers. There is an agency that will help out families get some closure on a loved one who never returned from the war. Since DNA has become an efficient wayof detection, it has made identification much easier. There is an agencythat has devoted its resources to finding and identifying those who havelost their lives in War.This is what Jerry had written. "JPAC is a government agency (Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in ActionAccounting Command) located in Hawaii which is responsible for identifyingWW2, Korean War and Vietnam MIA remains. There are 32 known casualties of World War II from Comanche County, Kansas,and information can be found on them at the following web page:http://tinyurl.com/6raj4m Those whose bodies were not recovered for burialat a national cemetery or returned for burial in the USA were:Lt. H.R. Burnett, USNR; Pvt. William H. Finney, Coast Artillery Corps; MMMate 2nd Class John Jenkins, USN; S.Sgt. Ira Leighton Metzger, USAAF; CPOAlfred Glenn Seidel, USN; Corporal Elwin Edward Smith, USMC; Lt. Ralph J.Sooter, USAAF; 1st Lt. Hobert H. Thompson, USAAF; T.Sgt. Leo Curtis Thrall,USAAF: Sgt. Ernest Trummel, USAAF; Ben Vonachen, USAAF; 1st Lt. Donald G.White, USAAF; Lt. Donald E. Wright, USAAF; Watertender 1st Class Squire B.Zane, USN.JPAC is seeking DNA samples from relatives of service men who are missingor lost in action to keep on file for possible use in identifying thosewhose bodies have not yet been identified. More information on this simple,painless DNA donation is on the JPAC web site at http://tinyurl.com/594z6e- it involves only a simple swab inside the cheek with a cotton-tipped swab."Some may think that we spend too much time and money on the dead; but Ithink that if someone can help others to get some peace of mind and gettheir loved ones home where they belong, my heart is with them.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell May 13, 2008

2008-09-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

Have you ever stop to consider how much dishonest people have cost us? Not only monetary but we are suspicious of each other. Have you ever had someone come to your home and steal your belongings? They not only steal your things - they steal your time looking for them. I am not sure which makes me the most angry- By the time I figure out that the item is gone, I am so irritated and livid, that I am fit to be tied. To top things off it ruined my day and this is very bad for Jim. I figure that my time is just as valuable as anyone’s. When I was a little girl, my dad told me that once you break a trust it could never be repaired. As sad as that statement is - it is true.
If we could trust each other, we would never need a lock - we would never have keys to lose. I get so tired of losing keys or not being able to do what I started out to do because I left the keys at home or the key ring is in the other vehicle. Lock and keys are just the tip of the iceberg. We have people that make a living installing security systems to keep the thieves out. Businesses must employ security guards and that expense is passed along to us, the consumer. How nice it would be if our law enforcement officers could spend their time doing something else besides working robbery cases.
I guess I have my knickers in a twist and maybe if we could prosecute and let the punishment fit the crime as they did in the old west- maybe we could rest a little easier at night. But that is just way this country gal sees it.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell May 06, 2008

2008-09-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

The month of May brings to life many memories- In May we have May Day. Not many people still recognize this tradition. When I went to school in Wilmore - we had the Halloween Carnival and the Coldwater School celebrated May Day. Sometimes Mom would take me to the Grade School to watch the winding of the Maypole. I thought that it was a beautiful program with all of the pretty ribbons and the singing. It made quite an impression on me.
The maypole made me think of the pole that was on the Coldwater Grade School playground. The pole stuck out of the ground at least twelve feet. Of course, I was small so it might have not been that tall, but seemed like it was. I think that maybe it was an axle of some sort. It had several chains hanging from the top, at the end of each chain there were 2 handles of horizontal pipe that one was probably 6 inches above the other. I remember watching kids play with device one time while I was waiting for Vickie to get out of the high school. I was sitting outside of the playground on a bench waiting for school to get out so I could ride the bus home with Vickie. I think that I only did this one time and I can not remember what the circumstances were that I was allowed to ride home with my sister. I was really scared as I sat there- but while I was waiting, the lower grades was having recess. Those kids were having such fun on the playground equipment. That pole with all of the chains was a little brutal, but they had such fun on it. You could get several kids one per chain they would grab on to the handles and start running slow at first then faster and faster until they were airborne. Now they were not airborne long as someone would either fall off or they needed to stop. If they just needed to stop that was not so bad, but if they had fallen, they would get trampled, and when not if they let go of the chain it would, of course be flying and would hit you in the back of the head. It was terribly painful, but that piece of equipment was one of everyone’s favorite. Kind of makes you wonder - why? When I went to Jr. High in Coldwater as Wilmore was closed I got to play on it. I learned pretty quickly that it was important to have a person per chain. If there was a loose chain swinging, it could very well have been lethal. But that did not stop us; it was as much fun as I thought it would be, when I was watching as a little girl.
Another thing on the playground that they on longer have are old tires. Tires were great fun especially if they were large enough to crawl into and have someone else roll you down a hill. Oh, boy! If you could stay in it to the bottom, you were really ‘cool’. Remember the teeter-totters? I can remember giving and getting bounces on those long boards. Sometimes the bell would ring and the kid on the bottom would get off and send you to the ground just a little quicker than you would like. I can still remember the board and the ground meeting and it seemed that the ground shook. If that would happen to me now… Oh, I do not even want to think about it.
I loved the merry-go-rounds. In Wilmore we had two; one we pushed from the outside of the merry-go-round and the other we pushed from the inside. The first one was what the littler kids used, but the one that we pushed from the inside was awesome. We could get at least three kids to push really fast and I thought that we just might fly off into outer space. I always thought that it looked like a flying saucer.
Kids now do not have the same playground that we had because it has been deemed unsafe. But what fun we had playing on those contraptions. I am sure Moms did not appreciate the tire marks, dirt and blood on our clothes. But the clothes washed and we healed up, and were ready to go again. I guess, I can tell I am getting older as these memories seem like the good old days.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell April 29, 2008

2008-04-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

We were sad to hear that Kent Hart had passed away this past week- I did not know Kent all that well. What I did know of him was that I thought he was a good cowboy and enjoyed living the farm and ranch life. He had a dog with him most of the time. I always thought that anyone who loved a dog enough to keep it with him was a good man. I know that his family will have a void in their lives that can never be filled. Our hearts are with them.
One thing that I have found more annoying than telemarketers is accessing an account on-line. Once you finally figure which site you need then there are user names- passwords- One has to have a notebook to keep track of what user name you use and what password you have used. I have one account that requires three passwords. By the time I get there, I cannot remember what I wanted to do or I am so tired and irritated that I no longer care. Then you have to be able to ask the question that you need to know in the only way that the computer recognizes.
When you get so angry at the on-line site, you could call the head office. Oh, that is fun. NOT! It would be all right if you could speak to a person instead of an automated system. Those are exasperating. They ask you to push one number after another and the list keeps going on. They ask so many questions that you are not sure that you ever had a problem, in the first place.
I have found that if you get so infuriated that you cannot push one more number and you have been patiently doing everything they ask, there is something you can do. If you yell a naughty word at the automated system, you will be connected to a representative rather quickly. I am aware that many of you are too nice to do this and I am sad to say that from personal experience I know this really does work.
Do you remember when you could go into or even call a business office and ask about your account and they would go to the long rows of file cabinets and locate your file. In that file was all of your information then they would be able to tell you what ever you needed to know? You could find out if you had paid the bill or if they owed you, which is never the case. They had all of the information at their fingertips. They could answer any question you had asked them. Now when you go to an office and ask a simple question, they are more than happy to assist you if the computers are up and if the internet is working properly. If not you will just have to wait until the computer world is up and running again.
I know that computers certainly have helped us out in many ways; I just get so frustrated with the system. I guess you could say that I am computer challenged.

County Gal by Vanita Blundell April 22, 2008

2008-04-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

Last week’s article reminded me of the times that Dad tried to patch up various animals. I think that if Dad would have had the opportunity he would have made a great Veterinarian. He always wanted to fix something. One time Dad had pulled a calf and unintentionally broke both front legs. Well, he devised a splint made of a piece of plastic pipe. He split the pipe in half and drilled holes on each of the sides of the split. He carefully placed the broken leg in the pipe then laced up the pipe with twine or was it baling wire? This worked out well as he made the splint longer than the leg so the calf’s weight was on the splint and he could walk with out hurting his legs. He looked peculiar in the barn lot but he did not seem to mind. When the time had come to undo the pipe we had lined up one foot really well- but the other we had it slightly off and the hoof was turned to the inside but he did not know any different and he walked in a satisfactory pace.
We have had horses break their legs and Dad always thought that he could fix them. We were never successful with the horses. If heart would have mattered, in both the horse and Dad it would have worked but heart does not mend broken bones. Putting a horse down was something that Dad had a hard time doing. Mom’s nephew, Charles Crouse, just happened by one time, when Dad knew that a horse had given his all and the time had come for us to give up, as well. Charles was kind enough to help Dad out by doing what had to be done. I always appreciated him for that act of compassion for both Dad and the horse.
Many years ago in the cold freezing weather and there was ice on the ponds, a neighbor’s calf had fallen through the ice. Dad was with the ranch foreman and saw what had happened and he decided that they needed to save the calf. Knowing that it was one of the ranch hands calf and at that time the ranch hand needed every calf and could not afford to lose one needlessly. Dad jumped into the freezing pond in his Skivvies and saved the calf. The calf survived the ordeal.
Once in while, if a pregnant cow died, Dad would try to save the calf by doing a c-section to get the calf out. A neighbor lady called me and wanted to know if I could do a c-section and retrieved a calf as the cow had died but they could tell that the calf was still alive. I made a quick call to Dad to ask how to do it and how much time I had to do the deed. I was telling Dad the situation and when I asked about the time. I will never forget the hesitant tone in his voice, and his words. He said, “Well, how long can you hold your breath, little girl?” He certainly had a way of letting me know just exactly what he thought. I must say that I was sadly relieved as I was not sure that I could have done what they were asking me to do. Where are our husbands, anyway?
Another time we had a cow down and Dad fixed up a sling so she could stand. It was attached to the rafters of the barn and she could swing since she had lost control of her back legs. Thinking that we were doing her a favor and she should be grateful, she was in fact, angry. And every time I went in to the barn, she would try to hit me. The sling was a success. She got to where she could stand and walk on her own and it was time to turn out her out to pasture. She was doing really well and was minding her own business when storm came through and lighting struck her and killed her dead. It sometimes makes you wonder if all the time we had worked with her and put up with her nasty deposition, if it was really worth it, not to mention her point of view. But who knows- Hindsight is 20/20.
I have heard that some veterinarians think that some of our home remedies are ‘barbaric’. And maybe they are, sometimes. But most of the time we try to do what is best for man and beast.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell April 15, 2008

2008-04-22T21:04:00.002-07:00

Last week was extremely stressful- but it was not with out a little fun. Jeff and Chelsea took pity on me on Sunday and helped me out. Jeff has been working for a local rancher after work and on weekends. He has been learning some ‘cowboy tricks’. You might be thinking ‘what is a cowboy trick’? A cowboy trick is something that country people do that may only work once but it takes care of the problem at hand. Well--- I have a few ‘cowboy tricks’ of my own. Some of Dads ’tricks’ I thought might be the end of me and so I have decided to see if I can teach Jeff a few death-defying antics. I had a downed heifer that I had helped calved-out in the pasture. I needed to get her to the house. Thinking that I needed some kind of a sled or sling to get her transported to the house. One good thing about never throwing anything away we have numerous items scattered around that might be of some use. We have many odds and ends, that some might call junk, but when the junk becomes useful it, then, it turns out to be valuable and no longer rubbish. I had many items to choose from- old pick-up hoods, assorted pieces of tin, large pieces of plywood, and many other things too numerous to mention. Jeff had told me that he had assisted his cowboy boss moving a cow with the tractor scoop. I will not get into details- as I am not completely sure I understand exactly how they managed it and not real sure, I want to know. After looking at our tractor scoop Jeff did not think that it would have worked the same. I must say that I was slightly relieved. Well, we found a discarded, metal, short bed, pick-up liner. It was lightweight and easy to move. We put two holes in the front of the liner so a chain hook could be used to pull it. We hooked a heavy log chain to the bed liner now a makeshift sled. We loaded it in the back of Jeff’s pick-up and took it out to the heifer. Now we had to figure out how to get her in the sled we had made for her. With the assistance of Jeff and Chelsea-, we ‘simply’ rolled her on to the sled. The little heifer did not seem to be alarmed by the activities, which made me wonder if she was all right. Chelsea rode in the back of the pick-up that was towing the little momma- Jeff was driving the pick-up (this could have been a disastrous as he is Vernie Whites grandson) but he was on his extra good behavior. I rode with the heifer on the newly made sled. We only had to stop a couple of times- we did have to add a rope halter to help her with balance. We got her to the house and got her unloaded and watered and fed. She seemed to be content grazing on the cheat grass. It was incredibly successful. I am not sure that it will work on the next animal that will be needing assistance but it worked this time. And that is how a ‘cowboy trick’ works.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell April 9, 2008

2008-04-22T21:04:00.001-07:00

Dad’s devils who are sitting on fence posts to cause havoc have certainly been busy. I guess, I should say that my guardian angels have been working over time this past week. I have said that if you have something different happen on Monday the rest of the week is going to be chaos- It throws your whole week off. Well… that is way my last three weeks have started. But I have to remember the scripture that reads in Philippians 4:13: I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
I did something Saturday that I have never done all by myself before. As most of you who know me know that I when I grew up I was with Dad whenever possible. With that in mind - I helped him with all kinds of livestock ailments and with little medicine. We sewed up prolapsed heifers along with sewing up horses who cut themselves up with barbed wire- Some cuts were deep and he somehow knew how to put them back together. He had learned how to make surgical knots from Dr. Shelley after Granddad White had split his head open and Doc was too shaky to do the job - so he talked Dad through the procedure. Can you imagine that happening today? Dad used this little piece of education every chance he got. You would not think that would have been that useful of a tool. Actually, knowing that he had this knowledge - it made me a little nervous. I was fortunate enough to never to need his assistance as I was never in need of his surgical skills. Until I was married and I had to have a C-section delivering our daughter- I just knew that Dad thought that he could have helped, I was grateful that he chose to stay in the waiting room.
Back to my new experience, Jim had gone to Tulsa over the weekend to visit his mother. She has been in the Cancer Treatment Center for over 4 weeks now and he went to give her some moral support. I have been watching a couple of heifers and, of course, they decided to calve Saturday morning. I had to assist in the birthing of two calves. I was not sure that I could actually use the calf pullers by myself but I did it. Things are certainly easier with help. I was pleased that I did not have to break ruler #1 which is - ‘Do not stick your hand anywhere you cannot see the other end’. Well, I might have bent this rule a little but not completely broken. It is a good thing that the heifers can not talk- I am sure that they would like to sue me for malpractice.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell April 1, 2008

2008-04-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

It seems in the past few weeks I have mentioned someone who has passed on from this life. I think that maybe I have buried more people than I know. This week is not going to be much different. I am certainly going to miss my feeding partner, Wendell Brown. I had the opportunity to help Wendell feed his cows this winter. In some ways it was almost like having Dad back. He was a delight. Every one had their own ways of doing things and Wendell was no different. But he had a method to his design and it was quite effective. He had equipment not much different than I grew up with - but he did things more like my Granddad Cary. He enjoyed repairing anything that was not functioning just right. Then he would fix it with out buying anything new, as he would have just the right piece to make it work. It may not be what it was manufactured with but it would operate correctly. That was the way my Granddad did things. Dad fixed things - boy, did he fix them- He had a saying “it would either come or bleed” one of us usually bled. Wendell was calm and a thoughtful man and I am going to be very sad to say good-bye.
Monday, I went with my sister, Vickie, to purchase a new puppy. This was another adventure for us. We went to Noble Oklahoma to look at a Chinese Imperial pup. Randy went with us; he is a really good sport to put up with our crazy ideas. Since we can use the computer to find an address and the exact directions to get to where we need to be going - that keeps us from getting lost. Actually, Randy got the directions so we would not get in an uncomfortable situation. We found the pups and, of course, there is no ugly puppy. I showed great restraint as I did not come home with another addition to the family. It was really hard, too, but I just kept thinking how I was going to rationalize another dog to Jim. Thank goodness, for Jim! Vickie and I have had some interesting outings looking for some sort of pet. We have bought puppies, chicks, guinea pigs, and birds. One thing my life is never boring.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell March 25, 2008

2008-04-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

First things first- Gods garbage disposals have returned- the Turkey Buzzards- Dad always looked for the Killdeers - I watch for the buzzards- I know it is weird- I think that I have death issues. The buzzards usually get here between Dads birthday (March 21)and Moms birthday (April 15th) and this year they are right on time.
We enjoyed our Easter, even though we did not have any little ones to hunt the colored eggs - we somehow made it. Do you remember coloring eggs when you were a kid? We had our own eggs and that might give you the idea that we could color as many eggs as we wanted. That was not the case- I think that Mom gave me a dozen eggs to decorate- In my school years we were to bring some eggs to school so we could have an Easter Egg Hunt. I am not sure whether it was a half a dozen or a dozen we were to bring and maybe it was not that many- but we were bring our colorful eggs and then someone would hide them and we would have this huge hunt for the eggs and we would take home whatever ones we found.
I thought it was great fun.
While shopping in the stores I would like to know who has turned Easter into this huge commercial thing. We went out of town Saturday and the stores were almost as busy as Christmas Eve. There were huge pre-packaged baskets with various themes. Parents do not have to put any kind of thought into the basket gift. Then I saw where some of the kids had picked out their own baskets --- I guess all of this is ok- it just seems that the Easter Season has been cheapened and very little of the reason why we celebrate it is even mentioned or if the kids know why they get out of school on Good Friday.
Jennifer and Giz came out for the day and then Mom and Joe came out to eat supper with us. At the last minute I found out that Virgil and Karen were going to be around so they joined us for an early supper. It is so great to have closer to home so we can get together more often. I did not find any lamb to fix for Easter, this did not seem to bother Jim, in the least. Since it was such a beautiful day we used the grill and grilled some burgers- steaks and salmon. After supper some went to the Cantata at the Christian Church. It was a good day. I have said it once and I will say it again- It is great to have family!!!

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell March 4, 2008

2008-03-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

We were sorry to hear of the passing of Carlene Reed and Eunice Schenk. They were both special women and we will certainly miss them.
I have broken something that I have never broken before. I broke the arms on my bale bed. I thought that I had really done it this time- but after talking to others this is a common occurrence. Come to find out that I could have broken them completely off. That would not have made me a ‘happy camper’. It was nice not to be the only one who was ever done this- It is a little embarrassing to go to get a broken item fixed then having to explain how it happened.
But sometimes don’t you think that there are things that are just made-to-sell? They are not the least concerned with the quality or if it will work the way it is supposed to. I have found that I can normally break most things and if I do not break them, I can melt them. In the kitchen, I have broken more plates, cups, and utensils than most people have ever owned. And who got the idea about making cooking utensils out of plastic? I have melted almost every piece of “Tupperware” and “Rubbermaid’ ever made. My family has learned is when they smell the familiar aroma of searing plastic, they know that once again the measuring cups are too close the stove. I know that you are thinking that I should just use metal cookware- Well, metal- rusts, bend, and can be crushed. If you have a bent up measuring cup, is it still the correct amount that it is suppose to be? And those cups may not melt but they can still burn marks into your counters, and tabletops. One of my favorite’s kitchen items is my beautiful wooden rolling pin that Larry Harvey made for me. It is almost too pretty to use- but I do. I have yet to burn it, dent it, or break off the handles. This makes me think that if you want something really good, you have to either make it yourself- or find someone who can do the job, who knows how to build something they can be proud of. Or at least that how it is with this country gal.
Country Gal by Vanita Blundell March 11, 2008
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about communication. Well, maybe more accurately the lack of communication. There really is no excuse for not visiting or expressing our feelings, since we have so many different avenues to correspond. There are many more ways to communicate than our grandparents had. I am assuming that the caveman wrote on a rock and threw it. Maybe this was the first air-mail- I would guess that there would have been many ‘return to the sender’ rocks. The carrier pigeon was an interesting way to send messages - this worked ok- unless it was foggy out and pigeons can not find their way in the fog. Or unless, it was pigeon season and some hunter would shoot him out of the sky. And I am sure that almost everything eats a pigeon. So that was a flawed tactic.
The pony express was good- the horses would tire and the riders were far and few between. I always thought that being a pony express rider would be quite an adventure.
Then we had the telegraph. The telegraph was a way that those who had moved far from family could correspond with each other but was used mostly for the emergencies that had occurred. I think that is when the thinking that a telegram was a bad omen.
The telephone was something that astounded the public. When my granddad moved from his beloved State of Virginia he did not get to hear his mother’s voice until several years later when he took his family back for a visit. Now we have families who move across the ocean and they can not only talk, but they can send video back and forth.
Radio and television are remarkable to tell and find out all kinds of information. This does not even cover the CB’s- two- ways- and business band radios and now the fax machines, cell phones, internet along with e-mail, satellite radio and television. Can you imagine trying to explain the internet to our grandparents? They were thinking that the telephone was a fad. For me, this would be an impossible task as I have no earthly idea how or why it works. Just makes me wonder what is next?

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell March 18, 2008
We were so sad to hear that Elizabeth Adams passed away this week. I did not know Elizabeth well, but the times I had visited with her I found her witty and a wonderful sense of humor as well as an intelligent lady. I know her family will certainly miss her and there will be a hole in their hearts that never can be filled.
According to the calendar this week the long-awaited spring begins. I think this year everyone is ready to see the spring colors of the crocus, tulips and daffodils. There is a slight tinge of green in the pastures- the cattle are as anxious as we are to see the warmer weather begin.
The first day of spring reminds our family of dad’s birthday. I have been thinking a lot of dad accomplishments. Everyone thinks that their dad was extra special and I am no different. My dad worked so hard to get what little he had, so everything that he did acquire we want to keep. There is an eighty acre pasture that he bought and his dad told him that he would never live long enough to pay it off. Times got better and he paid it off. And later on the purchased the Alley land, his grandparents place. At the ‘Eighty’ dad’s parents, Neil and Elizabeth, lived their last days there. A few years after Grandma had died of cancer, granddad caught his house on fire and because of the location and not having the fire fighting equipment we have now - he died as a result of the fire. This pasture is in the middle of a section and it is difficult to get to. Getting there was always an adventure. There was a creek that we had to cross and we always got stuck- well-- not always -but it was not uncommon to get wet when getting to the pasture. Over thirty-five years ago we had to find another route, since the beavers have dammed the creek up, it is a huge swamp and impossible to cross. When I was a little girl, the ‘Eighty’ was the place where dad kept his horses. When we would finally get there dad would honk the pickup horn and the horses would appear. Oh, it would do your heart so much good to see those beautiful animals running out of the trees. We had all different colors- sorrels, bays, and one with a glass eye. Dad had a very small fruit orchard there for a while. In the summer he would bring Mom peaches to put up. My mother was a wonderful cook and homemaker, but she hated to can anything. And in moms defense, he would bring her some fruit that was not in the best conditions- buggy- wormy- and sometimes it was more seed than fruit. When he kept the horses there, they took care of the fruit trees. Now we love to go down to the ‘Eighty” and picnic and make memories with our kids. Dad had a pond built there- due to the help of our good neighbor John Deewall. We had run out of water and John helped Dad get the help he needed to get a pond dug for the cattle. So our kids have good memories of going down there to skate on the ice. They did not actually skate- but rather slide around on the ice. Then we would build a fire to warm up to and if we were not completely frozen we would cook some hot dogs. In the summer we could fish and picnic there, as well. Once on Mothers Day we had a picnic there, with Mom and Dad - we had an extra good time. It was really special day- Not knowing that the next day Dad would have had a heart attack. But it was a good memory and maybe sometime in the far away future we will be making memories with our grandkids. Mom has had several offers to sell this piece of ground, but there are things that money will never be able to buy.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Feb.26, 2008

2008-02-25T19:30:00.000-08:00

Spring is definitely on its way. There have been at least two sighting in two different parts of the county of the long awaited Killdeers. They were actually one day early this year as they were seen on the 19th. I would imagine that they wished that they had stayed where they were as this week has been a roller coaster of weather. But that is the beauty of living in Kansas.
I gave my sister a hard time last year at this time for turning 60 years old. This year, however, I am feeling a little bad about all of the teasing I put her through.
Music was always a part of our lives and one of my best memories with Vickie was listening to music with her. She liked “American Bandstand”. I was so impressed with the Go-Go Girls. I wondered how you could possibly get to be one and how much fun that would be. I thought that the fringed outfits were far-out and groovy. The only dance I could almost do was the ‘Twist’. I am sure that I can not do it now as there is considerably more to twist than there was 45 years ago. One of my favorite records was “Lets Get Together” from the movie ‘Parent Trap’. There were all kinds of fun songs during that time-
A cousin of mine sent me this article I think that it is timely and maybe this will make Vickie feel better ----or not. See if you can remember these songs with the correct titles. The original author of the e-mail is unknown to me.
Here it goes.
It was fun being a baby boomer... until now. Some of the artists of the 60's are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers: They include:
Herman's Hermits --- Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker.
Ringo Starr --- I Get By With a Little Help From Depends.
The Bee Gees --- How Can You Mend a Broken Hip?
Bobby Darin --- Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash.
Roberta Flack --- The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face.
Johnny Nash --- I Can't See Clearly Now!
Paul Simon --- Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver
The Commodores --- Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom.
Marvin Gaye --- Heard It Through the Grape Nuts.
Procol Harem --- A Whiter Shade of Hair.
Leo Sayer--- You Make Me Feel Like Napping.
The Temptations --- Papa's Got a Kidney Stone.
Abba --- Denture Queen!
Tony Orlando --- Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall.
Helen Reddy --- I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore!
Leslie Gore --- It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want Too!
And my favorite:
Willie Nelson --- On the Commode Again!!
I am sad to say that I can identify with a few of these songs. But I am not telling which ones.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Feb. 19, 2008

2008-02-18T19:57:00.000-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Feb. 19, 2008
This week is starting out with a bang. It seems that I can go for several weeks without having a lot of extra things going on. I know that I am not the busiest person in the area. In fact, when I hear of others who live a more chaotic life than I do. Especially, when they are facing health issues and still keep on top of things, makes me ashamed of myself.
Someone once told me that if you have something extra on Monday hold to your hat, the rest of the week will be extremely full. I have found that to be true. I always like to do my laundry on Mondays and if something happens and I do not get that done--- well- poor Jim may be in a world of hurt by Friday. I know that some people do their laundry every day. I hate to do that because if I do laundry every day- I would never get it put away. My brain just does not work that way. It must go back to childhood - that is the way Mom always did it. However, I will never be the organized woman my mom is. She could do all kinds of things and always keep up with the everyday chores. I guess, I am not geared that way.
This week will be tough on all high school students, staff, faculty and parents, as this is Regional basketball week. The games are here which is good and bad- Good that we do not have to travel to see the kids’ play- bad that it is a lot of extra hours of work with less sleep to keep the tournament running smoothly. So sometimes by Saturday night things get a little intense. But that is all part of living.
I think that people who live in small communities very rarely get bored. I know that we do not have all of the activities that large cities have but we have plenty of services that we can do for each other. There are those who help others with gardening, lawn work, cattle work, painting, quilting and kinds of fun things. We have to make our own kind of fun just like we did when we were younger. Of all things in the world I could not stand to hear my kids say was that they were bored. I had a real good remedy for boredom- sticker pulling- there were always stickers of all varieties to pull. Or if they thought sticker pulling did not meet their ability, I had a barn that could be scooped out. I had a scoop shovel they were welcome to use any time they felt the need. When I hear a kid say that they are bored it sets off something in me that makes me want to show them the sticker patch. My kids refer to the word ‘bored’ as the “b” word. They did not have to pull very many sandburs, before they thought of something to do. So if any of you out there are the “b” word just let me know as I have a sticker patch just waiting for you.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Feb. 12, 2008

2008-02-18T19:55:00.000-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Feb. 12, 2008
This has been a good week. I had the opportunity to spend time with my sister, Vickie, and my brother Virgil and his wife Karen. The reason for Vickie being here was to attend our Uncle Bobs funeral. His daughter, Sheryl had asked Vickie, Virgil, and myself to sing at the service. Since I have never sang at a funeral before I was quite nervous. In addition, the songs that our cousin had chosen for us to sing were two songs that I had never before. We practiced and practiced. I was so pleased that I did not humiliate my siblings or at least while we were singing. Then after the services, Virgil asked if Vickie and I would sing at his church in Minneola. We were so tickled that we eagerly agreed. We had a great time meeting his congregation.
This singing before an audience thing is new to me. Vickie has always sung for church and she sang with Dad some too. Virgil has taken up singing and is enjoying singing with a quartet. I have not really sung with anyone since my freshman year high school with the exception of Linda Winter. We sang a couple of times at the Wilmore Opry. People have been very kind - they have not thrown things at me, which is greatly appreciated.
As we grow older sometimes, there are times when we think back and see that there are things that we would like to change. I wished that I had taken music in high school more than the one required year. As odd, as it sounds I did take a Music Appreciation under Cindy Anthony my senior year. The year before this class was nothing and the kids did not do all that much or so I thought. I saw it as an easy A. However, this was Cindy Anthony’s the first year at Coldwater High School and she took this class very seriously. Since I was not out for music, she found me to be a frustrating student. But I must say that I learned a great deal under her. I found that I did enjoy music and I also learned that I get pleasure from many different kinds of music as well. I guess I need to look her up and thank her for patience with me.
I also wished that I sang more with Dad. He was always singing some little ditty. I wished that I knew all of his songs. There were some real heartbreakers, - ‘The Baggage Coach Ahead’ and ’Poor Charlie’ were the two that always made me cry. Mom had all kinds of little songs that she would sing, too. Hers were usually not so heart wrenching. Tuesday when Mom and I were coming home from Elk City, we sang a couple of songs and were commenting on how many words we had forgotten.
I think singing is a mirror to your soul. Consequently, when you sing it unlocks your heart and leaves it wide open for all of your emotions to pour out of your soul. So if you have any sadness, heartaches, or anger it will come gushing out. At least that is the way it is with this country gal.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Feb. 5, 2008

2008-02-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

Our family has lost another member. My Uncle Bob passed away this week. He was the youngest and the last of Dads brothers and sisters. Uncle Bob was always so kind and nice to his nieces and nephews and very witty. All of Dads family was unforgettable characters. Uncle Bob had all kinds of stories of Granddad White. He lived through many traumatic experiences with Granddad at the wheel. Since he was the youngest he spent more time with Granddad one on one. I think that during that time you could say that it built moral fiber.
Bob might be remembered as someone who never got in a real hurry. He took his time and whatever he was doing he did it right. He helped us build our house. He was very methodical in every thing that we wanted him to do. He would measure twice and cut once. Instead cutting a board twice and it still would be too short. We will miss him greatly, but he has so many other family members waiting for him in heaven.
Baby calves are hitting the ground fast and furious. I was lucky and had several babies when the weather was nice. I have a real problem being able to tell a dead calf from a frozen calf. There really is little difference they are both lifeless and stiff and cold, so you see my dilemma. Dad would bring in a stiff, frozen baby and it looked dead to me -but after putting it under the heat lamp it would thaw out and start moving and bawling. This is when I really miss Dad with all of his expertise.
With the weather aside baby calves have other nemesis besides. One being coyotes. I had one red white-face calf come in with his tail ate off. I am glad that those ornery critters quit at the tail- I am guessing that the mamma cow took care of business. The coyotes seem to be a real problem this year. They love to torment our dogs by coming to the yard fence and taunting them. Since I finally got the dogs successfully penned they can only growl and bark at the intruders. I glad that we do not have chickens or they would be at the house during the daytime as well, stealing their breakfast, lunch and dinner. They must be eating the rabbits, quail, and pheasants as we have not been seeing as many as we used to. I wished that they would spend more time catching gophers. We seem to have an abundance of the little mound makers. Just shows once again that I am not in control of the universe.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Jan. 29, 2008

2008-02-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

It seems that the most common conversation is the weather. Whether is it too cold - unseasonably warm- too wet - too dry whatever Mother Nature decides to hand to us we like to talk about it.
I have told how my dad hated for anything to bother his hat. If I really wanted to get into trouble, all I had to do was the flip his hat- that got his attention and it was not the good kind. He could, however, flip your hat off your head and send it flying across the pasture and it was funny - if I even thought about doing that to his hat, I would get the “look” I never actually ever tossed his hat inside the house -as there were things that one just did not do.
When dad would come in at night it was always apparent of what kind of day he had just by the way he entered the house. If it was a windy day, you could be fairly certain that it had not been a good day. Since the wind would blow things around, blow dirt in your eyes, and it just might blow your hat right off your head. This was not good.
The wind that we have experienced lately made me remember the effects that it had on my family. Before we had rural water, our water supply depended on the wind. We had a supply tank by the windmill that kept our water. Every now and then if the wind did not blow, enough we would run out of water. Can you remember when it would freeze, the water that had run out and over in the supply tank, would be all icy? Looking back on it now, I am sure that the EPA or someone would try to do something about those tanks. I am sure that most the supply tanks would not meet their regulations. And they probably were not, but we somehow survived. I never remember having the water tested or the tank checked out. If it held water, it did the job. I know that our water was hard and it was not good to wash our clothes in. However, it seemed to be okay to drink. I had an aunt that always brought her own drinking water, as she would not drink ours. Mom had told me that the water had mineral in it and I thought maybe it might be good for me as when you take vitamins it would say on the box ‘vitamins and minerals for all of your daily needs’.
A little before my time Mom and Dad had a wind charger. The wind was important for us to have power. Now there are in large wind generators that create energy. I hope that we can make more use of our natural resources than we have been.
We have one water mill that if the wind blows to hard it will shut down and that some of the wind generators are the same way, or so I was told. As a result, a little wind is helpful, the weather we have been having has been it little more helpful than necessary. Especially when you can hear the wind whistling around the buildings is enough to chill you to the bone. It reminds me that wind, just like anything else, is good as long as you do not get too much of it.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Jan. 22. 2008

2008-02-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

Old man winter is showing his face this year. It may not be the coldest winter ever, but I think that it has been colder than it has been in the past few years. Winter has always been hard on me even when I was a kid. I can remember when I was much younger and Dad and I would be riding horseback in the cold. I would put on a stocking hat and gloves and as many layer of clothes I could and still be able to get on my horse. Dad always had a pair of insulated coveralls and his cowboy felt hat. Mom would warm my clothes by the stove for me, so I would have a good warm start along with a nice hot breakfast. Dad and I would get on our horses, which was a jolt to start with as the saddles were not warmed by the fire and when you sit on a cold saddle… if you were not awake by then you would be. We would be riding out in the crisp morning air and the cold would somehow manage to penetrate all of my layers of warmth. It seems that the cold would start at my feet and hands and work its way inward. Toes would get to hurting and the fingers stiff. Dad and I separated and rode a distance apart- other wise he called it ‘one horsin’ it. He would tell me if I was goin’ to ride next to him or directly behind him I might as well go home as I was not accomplishing anything. So I was a ways off from him. When we would get back together he would say that I looked cold. I was not sure where the clue was that I was nearly frozen to death- it could have been- the ice that had formed in my hair along with the ice on the horses eye lashes or my teeth chattering so loud that you could hear me before you saw me or the way that I could hardly move as I was frozen in the saddle (or thought that I was) or the fact that all my blood had settled and froze in my lower extremities. Dad would get the oddest look on his face and ask me if I was as cold as I looked. I would ride next to him and grab his bare hands as he rarely ever wore gloves and he felt hot. It was like the cold weather had no effect on him. I never could understand why he was always so warm. I had thought that maybe it was because he was older- Well, I am older and winter freezes me just as much as it always has. That is not completely true as I do get heat in waves from time to time.
When you hear of a group people freezing to death, I would bet you that the women were the last to go. Unless, of course, they were killed by the others who were getting tired of hearing shivering and then seeing the red face and the sweating and the pulling off the sweaters and jackets then the shivering again. It is a viscous cycle. Well, I hope you all keep warm and remember that spring is getting closer.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Jan. 22. 2008

2008-02-05T18:54:00.000-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Jan. 15, 2008

2008-02-05T18:51:00.000-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Jan. 15, 2008
Babies are Gods way of letting us know that the world should keep going.
Twenty-one years ago on the sixteenth of this month the weather was snowy and cold. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground and our driveway was almost snowed shut. Bob Currier came and opened up our drive as he knew that we were close to having a baby. But what he did not know was that we were already in Medicine Lodge having our second child - our son Jeffery Alan. Jim had a terrible cold and felt really bad so when he came home the opened drive way was a welcomed sight. Our world has not been the same since January 16, 1987.
It is something how our lives change- With births and deaths, alone, our lives are forever altered. Our children have certainly made a huge difference in our lives. Kids change the way you spend what little money you have, and the way you spend your time. You end up finding out all about the new toys and gadgets just to find out that the kids like the box better than what came in them. As your children grow up they let you know that you are getting older. You become a referee from all of the altercations in the back seat of the vehicle. You are either the smartest person alive or they think you have no idea what is going on in the world.
When you have children you have a huge responsibility to create a new life and try to make them good honest people. Someone who you will be proud of. You try to instill the values that you think are important. Parenting is probably the most difficult thing you can do.
Some people have pets who are like children and sometimes are better behaved than most kids. While you were Christmas shopping, did you notice all of the clothing for pets? You can dress your pet in a tux - ballerina- like other animals- t-shirts with your favorite team- bandanas- sweaters and fluffy dresses. Not only can you buy clothes, you can get hats and shoes as well. I must admit that Jake (the dog) received shoes for Christmas. He gets so cold outside and he really does like his new footwear. I did not think that he would leave them on, but he does. I have heard that other pets in other households have been donning various apparel. Can you imagine what our grandparents would think of all the toys kids have today and the treatment of pets? As I have said before the only thing consist in life is change.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Jan. 1, 2008

2008-01-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

The saying for the year- Never put off what you can do today that you can put off tomorrow. I am not sure what that means but I think I like it. I have a favorite shirt with a motto printed on it, that reads, “Procrastinators unite-- tomorrow”.
This is a new year with new beginnings- We started the year with friends- we had a great time and I learned a couple of new games which really taxed my mind. The guys played pitch and I think they really enjoyed themselves.
I hate New Year’s resolutions as I tend to break them before the week is out. I went on-line today and looked at the headlines some were for weight loss- find a date- how to get ahead at work and looking at your horoscope for the year of 2008. The merchants are looking for all kinds of ways to get their product to the general public. Since I do not like to make resolutions -But---- this year my plans are to dejunk my house. I am not sure that I can get it done in a year. I am totally disgusted with myself by having so much junk around me that I do not want or need. So my plans are to tear each room apart - clean, throw away trash, get rid of the clothes that I will never, ever wear again. It is amazing what you can accumulate without even trying. So this might be a good time to invest in the “tote” stock market since I will be buying several totes to store things away. This does not sound like I am throwing much away, now does it. So you can see where the ‘rub’ is. The worst thing about getting rid of stuff is that you will probably be buying it back within six months.
Since Giz and Jennifer have been living with us, they watch home improvement shows this may prove to be not so good for Jim. I have seen all kinds of fun projects for him to do for me. After thirty years of marriage, mine may not be able to stand up to the pressures the home improvement shows are handing out. I want to do something different with my house and I do not do ‘change’ well. I am not really open to change. So you can see how difficult this is going to be. I can do it, I think, but it is going to take hours, maybe even days and possibly weeks of looking at color charts- floor types- paint samples and then thinking that maybe everything is just fine the way it is now. I think that I am a hopeless. Now that I am thinking about all of this I think I will get great things done. I will make a huge difference - I am going to put the fear in every dust bunny in my house -I think I will get started tomorrow.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Dec. 26, 2007

2008-01-02T19:39:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas has come and gone and as we grow older Christmas is not the same as it was when we were young. My kids have said that Christmas just does not feel the same. Well, welcome to adulthood, that is the way it is. It is not a bad thing really; it is just a sign of growing up. I think that I fail to get the same enthusiasm as when they were little. This Christmas started out a little different and could have ended in disaster. As I got up and went to the kitchen to turn the coffee pot on and put the turkey in the oven - I needed the lid to my roaster. I went to open the door of the garage which is the kitchen door, as well, and there was a skunk- I yelled and he ran without spraying- thank goodness! I got Jim, and told him to do something I was not sure exactly what I wanted him to do, but something. He opened the garage door so the little visitor could leave on his own.
We had a nice Christmas, after I settled down a little. It was just the kids and us. It was our turn to have Jeff and Chelsea this year and it was really quiet, even though Jeff was here. Chelsea has been a wonderful addition to our family. I think that she is starting to get use to us. Jennifer’s husband, Giz, is certainly becoming one of us, as well. We are fortunate to have our kids close to home so that we can all get together; it makes for a nice Christmas. After we opened our presents and ate our lunch- we put a puzzle together as we always do - then we watched some new movies that were gifts. I have found that I do not follow movies that leave the realm of reality. I was so confused by the end of one movie that I had no idea what had happened. The kids laugh at me and point out that it must be a sign of getting older- I tell them that I am just too smart for the movie makers. So that is about all that we could do for this year. I hope that you all had a good Christmas.
This year we have had a few additions and sadly some subtractions to our family it makes me wonder what the New Year has in store for us. But ready or not here it comes.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Dec. 18, 2007

2008-01-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

I am proud to report that I have electricity this week. I am ashamed to say that it is extremely difficult for me to write without my computer, in fact, it is almost impossible. But I feel that I must say a huge thank you to our electric co-op. We had power out all over the county and they worked until we were up and running again. I asked one the crew how much sleep he had and he told me that he had four hours in 48 hours. I cannot imagine having a job that I would be my busiest in the worst conditions that Mother Nature has to offer and to top it off with little or no sleep. I think our power company CMS is the best around.
With Christmas right around the corner I want you to watch your family table manners. While I was in northern Kansas cooking for hunters, I noticed something that really bothers me. In camp there were only four hunters and two guides so I set the table just like my mom had taught me when I was a little girl. They did not sit at the table and pass the food, not even the salt and pepper. Each one got up from his chair and got the food that they wanted on their plate. The first night I thought maybe they were not sure what was going on, but by the third night they were not doing any better. It got me to thinking why this has happened and the only explanation I could come up with is buffets and restaurants. People do not eat at home as much as we used to and I think that we have lost something. As a child growing up some of my favorite memories was at the table. Mom always had good meals; we always had meat, vegetables, fruit and dessert at every meal or almost every meal. We raised sheep so it was not uncommon to have lamb or mutton or our own farmed raised chicken, beef or pork. The folks never made a big deal over what we were eating- We ate heart, other parts, and once in a while, we had liver and onions too. After I was older that was not one of my favorite meals. Mom made sure that there was something that we would eat. I can not remember any time that there was any trauma over what we ate or would not eat. We took what we liked- It seems to have worked out okay as there are very few things that I do not like. Dad always bragged on Moms cooking so if I did not take something dad would brag on it and make me feel like I must have really missed out on a delicacy, so I would make sure and try it the next time. Not only did we have our own meat we had eggs- and milk, too, which meant we had lots of fresh cream- and one of dads favorite menu items was gravy.
At the table was when we talked about our day- either what we did or what we were about to do. Mealtime was never the place where correction took place, unless it was on our table manners. In the morning at the breakfast table Mom would read the daily devotions and the daily scripture. The one rule that Dad had was that we were never to sing or hum at the table- but once in a while we would play some sort of a game at the end of the meal- I would want us to do something fun and long, especially if it was my turn to do the dishes. I wanted to put that chore off as long as possible.
One time I was at a friend’s house and meal time was when the dad would point out to each family member what they had done wrong that day. I can tell you that the meal that his wife had worked hard on did not set well, at all. It was an uncomfortable feeling and it made me feel bad for everyone concerned.
When you sit down at the family table the next time, watch and see if you can actually pass the food to each other and remember to enjoy the food but more importantly each other.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EACH OF YOU!

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Dec. 04, 2007

2007-12-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

I went to cook for hunters again last week - this time I was in the small town of Herndon, Kansas. Herndon is found northwest part of our state. This is a tiny town that has a Co-op, Post office and a recently opened café. The people there were very friendly and I enjoyed the hunters, too. I was in a nice house with all of the modern conveniences. I even had access to a television but no cable or a satellite dish. So I watched or listened to the one channel that was available and remembered why I quit watching soaps and talk shows. Both of these shows drive me nuts. Actually, there are not a whole lot of differences between soaps and all of the drama found on Dr. Phil and Oprah. Most all of the problems are a product of something crazy people have done to themselves. People cannot figure why their kids have a weight problem when they eat take out- order a large pizza for each member of the family, keep candy in every candy dish in the house, refuse to tell their kids no when they want to eat something sweet in the middle of the night and the most exercise they get is running to the toilet and they wonder what the problem is. I have trouble understanding that people cannot figure out where the dilemma could possibly be. I know that I am carrying several extra pounds, but I can guarantee that I am not going on a talk show to ask why those pounds have “mysteriously” appeared. I can tell you exactly where they came from but I really do not think that you want to know or even care. Or how about the guy who beats his wife. The unhappy couple comes on the stage and she says to the world that she does not like getting the sap beat out of her by her ‘loving’ husband. The husband, who is always sorry that she made him angry enough to hit her head against the wall, can not understand why she wants to leave. The host thinks that maybe the wife might not to want to live with the husband anymore. Well, Duh! I mean really, who wants to live with someone who will smack them around whenever life does not suit them.
Of course there are the mother-in-law issues. I imagine every married couple could tell something about their in-laws. Some have wonderful relationships where others have the mother who can not let their grown children have a life of their own and make their own mistakes. Here again, I am not sure that I need to hear about all of the gut wrenching heartaches.
With these kinds of shows on, this is why I watch the old shows where all of life problems can be fixed in thirty minutes. Life is hard enough without trying to fix the rest of the world not that any of us can. We certainly have our own problems just like everyone else, but nothing worth involving the media. However, would like to know why we spread rumors that have no truth to them. I have been guilty of telling something that was not even close to the truth. I have been told that before you even think that something might be true, you should wait to hear the same story three times and not by the same person. Then maybe just maybe there might be a little tiny bit of truth to it. And if it is not nice maybe it should go no farther. I guess that would be if we lived in a perfect world and we all know that our world is not flawless.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Nov. 27, 2007

2007-11-24T21:23:00.001-08:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Nov. 27, 2007
Have you figured out what you are giving everyone on your Christmas list? I have received an early gift this year and I must say it is one of the most wonderful gifts that I have ever received. It was not extremely costly but it took a lot of time and thought, and I am not sure that I deserve that much effort.
I never had the opportunity to know my Dads mom, Elizabeth White, since she died ten years before I was born. From what I have heard from those who knew her, she was a very special woman. Dad held her in high regard and loved her dearly. My grandparents were not wealthy in terms of money, but they were rich in children and family. They had high moral standards and worked hard. If we can ever find anything that belonged to them it is very precious to any of the grandchildren. Granddad White burned down his home (well, not on purpose) is the reason that we do not have many items left to remember them by. (Granddad house is another story entirely) Many of the other grandkids knew Grandma White quite well- My cousin Sheryl and I would talk for hours about how much we would have liked to have known Grandma White and wondered if she would have liked us. We were pretty sure she would have as everyone else said she was a kind and loving person, after all she had six children and she was used to noise and tall tales and she loved them.
My cousin, Margaret Greene, is one of these people who can do anything. She can cook, sew, she is an artist, and a published author, she is intelligent and to top it off she is pretty. Anyway, she had a necklace that was Grandmas. As I said before Grandma did not have a lot of expensive jewelry and what she had was probably not valuable to anyone else, but to her. Given that Grandma has been gone for over 58 years there is not many things left that was hers. Margaret took the beads of Grandma’s necklace and made each one of the granddaughters a necklace. (Oh, did I forget to mention that she makes beautiful jewelry, too?) Each necklace was distinctive just like each of us are different. Some are shiny and others are plain- Some larger than another- some small and petite, but each necklace was just beautiful. She did not stop there she made each of us a card with a portrait of Grandma White that she had drawn and a touching note to tell us about Grandma. I can not tell you how much the necklace, card and note has meant to me. For once, I was almost speechless.
Since it is the Christmas season and you are stumped by what to give that special someone. Maybe you have something in your jewelry box or tool box that you could fix up for them. I have heard of people making picture frames out of barn wood of the family barn, just make sure that the barn is not in use anymore, and do not be ripping off any boards that just might be the support board of the whole barn, you could get hurt. There are so many things that can be done once you put your mind to it. It is fun to try to come up with something clever. Nothing is more meaningful than a gift from the heart.
Life is really tough at its best and when someone does something kind it makes life worth living.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Nov. 20, 2007

2007-11-19T20:23:00.001-08:00

I hope most of you are ahead of me for the Thanksgiving Day Dinner. I have not done a thing for Thanksgiving yet. There are some people, who know that they are going to have a large number of people to cook for and they start way early and get their pies made, the turkey cooked, boned, sliced and the broth in a container ready for the dressing and gravy in freezer just waiting to be finished up. My turkey is still at the store along with everything else. I just now made my list and figured out what I would like to fix this year. I do not know about you - but I think that either I have been busier than ever or I am even more disorganized than normal- It just seems that I am running all the time and I get one thing done and there are ten more things yet to do. I know that I am not any busier than many of you, I am not as organized.
I have an easier Thanksgiving this year .We always have the White cousins reunion on Thanksgiving- but there are those who are unable to attend this year so I do not have as many to cook for. And to make things even easier Myrna has offered to make several items and with the two of us it will be a lot of fun. One year I prepared a duck along with a turkey and a ham. My kids really like having the duck. Another time I bought a turducken. What is a turducken you might ask- it is just what it sounds like- it is a turkey with a duck inside and a chicken inside the duck. No wonder it died! I could go on but I won’t. As strange as it sounds the turducken was really tasty. I think that it was more of a conversation topic than anything. I always like to fix something a little different just to make people wonder. This year I brought home some elk meat, I am thinking that I might try to do something with it. That way if anyone would like to try elk this will be their chance.
Different parts of the country have different traditions for the holidays- well, I guess not just different areas but families have different traditions. I like to find out if there is some food of a new family member that they like to have and have it there for them. Sometimes this is not a good idea as when you think you have done it just right, the comment is made that it is ok-- but not like what Mom used to make. But that is the chance you take.
It is good to have family and friends- I am going to brag here just a little bit. I have the best family anyone could wish for and wonderful friends. For this I am so thankful. I know many of you feel the same way towards your own family and friends. Please remember to let them know how much they mean to you this holiday season.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell-- Nov. 13, 2007

2007-11-13T20:33:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it is almost Thanksgiving? I am just getting over Independence Day. It seems that the stores buzz over Labor Day, Halloween, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving and right in to Christmas. I do, however, love the animated toys. One of my favorites is the grandma reindeer sitting in a rocking chair - she sings ‘Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer’ while actually rocking. My newest one is a caroling dog with a hat that resembles a spring with a bell on top and he sings a Christmas version of ‘Shout’. His ears flap while he sings- he is just precious. That was something that Dad just loved was toys that did some sort of action. Whether it is nursing puppies with a momma dog or a dancing hamster it was a delight to him. So I guess I have inherited that from him.
We are in the process of trying to find Christmas gifts for everyone on our list. Our list is not large but it does not take a long list to make you nervous. But the most fun is the shopping. I love to shop I can enjoy looking at almost anything. From farm tools to jewelry I am happy just to see what there is to be had. So that means that there is no place safe for Jim. He gets nervous anywhere I go- for fear of what I might bring home. I have brought home a live glass eyed colt, goats, calves, chickens, wallpaper, camo overalls, black powder guns, strange clothes, carpet, elk meat, just to name a few. There are so many things to see, but as Jim has tried to explain to me is that I do not need to bring all of them home.
When shopping with Jim it does not matter what I find he says, “I can make that,” or “you really do not like that, do you”, or “you can make that” or “That is made too flimsy I can not believe anyone in their right mind would buy something made that poorly”. All of those comments are well and good with the except of that he never has the time to make a solid wood bed frame, headboard and footboard with all kinds of fancy carvings or the solid wood table with the cowhide padded chairs. He swears that it would be no problem to make. Or picture frames that he says he can make it would not take that much time. The thing is, he can make all of those things except that there is no time for him to make them. That is one thing that I have not ever found was a box of extra time. Now that would be a hot seller- if only, we could just figure that one out.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Oct. 16, 2007

2007-10-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Oct. 16, 2007
People are made up differently- I am not a postal person. I really do not know why- I have been the recipient of many thoughtful and kind letters and cards in the mail. But the thing that really annoys me is chain letters. I hate to be threatened and that is exactly how a chain letter affects me. I know there are the neat recipe chain letters and if you do not break it you will receive all kinds of different- delicious recipes. There were the ones where you were to send a dollar bill to the person at the top of the list and it was guaranteed that you would receive hundreds of dollars for your one dollar investment IF no one broke the chain. Then there are the ones that would tell you that just by making twenty copies of the letter and mail it to twenty different people you were to have instantly good luck. If you were to break this chain you were doomed to all kinds of sadness and horrible luck. Why if you were to break the chain someone in your family might die. I have received two of these kinds of chain letters and the thing about them is that you do not know who sent it to you. The two that I received was when I was about 2 weeks from giving birth. I did not find any humor in the letters at all. Maybe some pregnant woman would find that entertaining, I was not one of them. In fact, I was upset and wondered where the letter came from. Since I have an awful time getting any letter to the mailbox sending chain letters are not one of the things that I do even if I could get it to the mail box. Now that the internet has come along and I really enjoy getting e-mails. I have received many funny and thought provoking items, but the chain letters are worst than ever. Now not only are you threatened that if you do not send the letter on to twenty different people you are either a bad American- unfaithful Christian- your selfish- or just an around jerk. Insulting me is not the way to my heart but it seems to work on some people. I guess that I have had enough bad luck without getting a chain letter that they do not threaten me as much as they might to someone who has lived a more sheltered life. The first one I got in the mail worried me a little- but after thinking about it and knowing that I had and all kinds of scary things happened before I ever received such a letter. I am, after all, the daughter of an accident prone farmer/rancher. My family could write a book on bad luck- here are just a couple- Never chase an egg-sucking dog in the barn - you might experience a great fall. Never grab a wire that is connected to the chicken house while riding on a horse bareback-you will having a shocking turn of events- I can tell you for sure both of these things are a painful experience whether you sent a chain letter or not.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Oct. 31, 2007

2007-10-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Oct. 31, 2007
Home remedies are something that has always been around. Each family has their own thing. My Grandma Cary liked to use menthol and camphor. But my dad’s family remedy was to use laxatives for everything that was wrong with you. It did not matter what ailed you, from headaches, upset stomach, sore muscles, fever, coughs, colds, flu, poor vision, the cure was always the same, a laxative- if it did not work, you did not use enough of it.
Lately, I have had some neck problems- it was a kink that would not go away. Not really a stiff neck but it was getting there. I have been whining around the house, especially in the mornings. It felt like I had something out of whack. I hate to go to the doctor so I have been putting ice on it, and making Jim rub out the kinks. I even considered Dad method, but had not gotten that desperate. Now I have a remedy for my problem. I would not promote this particular method as I think that maybe the side effects may be worst than the disease. In fact- I am telling you this should not be tried at home- but this is what happened. We gathered our calves this past week to send them to market. After we got the calves loaded on the truck we were going to work the heifers that we kept back. And since I had a couple of baby calves we would work them also. When we work calves my job is to catch the head and Jim pushes them down the alley and into the chute. Well, the heifers were too big and I am not as strong as I once was, if I could catch the head she kept lifting me off the ground while I was trying to pull the head catch down. So Jim and I traded jobs- he would catch the head and I would get the heifers in the chute. This was working great until one heifer decided that she was going to back up- that was not so bad as I had put a pipe behind her so she could not go too far back- but I was on top of the corrals and so how- I do not know how this happened - but she some how knocked my feet out from under me and I was falling backwards and my knees caught the pipe so I fell backwards with me on one side of the pipe and my knees and feet on the other side and a heifer that kept going backwards and forwards again and again. When I hit the ground I first thought that maybe this was it- but after seeing the heifers behind coming at me, I was sure that I was definitely still among the living and I was about to get in real trouble. The heifer did not, however, go over the pipe, for which I am very grateful. Every time she came back I kept kicking her forwards. Finally she went in the chute and I got up and dusted myself off and took inventory of all of me. I seemed to be alright. That night I had really bad muscle spasms in my neck and I took some pain relievers and went to bed. The next morning my neck was better and I now I feel much better. So if you have a neck problem just fall off the top of corrals and land on the back your head and shoulders and you could possibly knock whatever is out, back in. This is not a perfect solution and again may not work every time but does anyone know how do you get rid of double vision?

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Oct. 16, 2007

2007-10-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

People are made up differently- I am not a postal person. I really do not know why -I have been the recipient of many thoughtful and kind letters and cards in the mail. But the thing that really annoys me is chain letters. I hate to be threatened and that is exactly how a chain letter affects me. I know there are the neat recipe chain letters and if you do not break it you will receive all kinds of different- delicious recipes. There were the ones where you were to send a dollar bill to the person at the top of the list and it was guaranteed that you would receive hundreds of dollars for your one dollar investment IF no one broke the chain. Then there are the ones that would tell you that just by making twenty copies of the letter and mail it to twenty different people you were to have instantly good luck. If you were to break this chain you were doomed to all kinds of sadness and horrible luck. Why if you were to break the chain someone in your family might die. I have received two of these kinds of chain letters and the thing about them is that you do not know who sent it to you. The two that I received was when I was about 2 weeks from giving birth. I did not find any humor in the letters at all. Maybe some pregnant woman would find that entertaining, I was not one of them. In fact, I was upset and wondered where the letter came from. Since I have an awful time getting any letter to the mailbox sending chain letters are not one of the things that I do even if I could get it to the mail box. Now that the internet has come along and I really enjoy getting e-mails. I have received many funny and thought provoking items, but the chain letters are worst than ever. Now not only are you threatened that if you do not send the letter on to twenty different people you are either a bad American- unfaithful Christian- your selfish- or just an around jerk. Insulting me is not the way to my heart but it seems to work on some people. I guess that I have had enough bad luck without getting a chain letter that they do not threaten me as much as they might to someone who has lived a more sheltered life. The first one I got in the mail worried me a little- but after thinking about it and knowing that I had and all kinds of scary things happened before I ever received such a letter. I am, after all, the daughter of an accident prone farmer/rancher. My family could write a book on bad luck- here are just a couple- Never chase an egg-sucking dog in the barn - you might experience a great fall. Never grab a wire that is connected to the chicken house while riding on a horse bareback-you will having a shocking turn of events- I can tell you for sure both of these things are a painful experience whether you sent a chain letter or not.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Oct. 9, 2007

2007-10-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

Last week we had to say good-bye to my Aunt Alma Haas. She was the last of Dads sisters to leave this ol’ world. Aunt Alma had a hard life- but she was a fighter she had gone thru many hardships, which was not uncommon for those who grew up during the depression. When we had family reunions she was always on top of the game-, she was a great cook and always looked like a million bucks. She worked hard and she never broke a sweat- I could do the same thing and I would look like I had been drug thru a knothole. I never knew her secret. Alma had two children - one boy - Jim Huddleston and one daughter Liz Dean. The neat thing about having children is that you are never really gone. You leave a little bit of you behind when you go.
This past weekend Mom and I got to be a part of the city wide garage sale- this was due to Deanna and John Chenoweth. Deanna wanted to bring some things to sell from Texas, so she did all of the legwork to get in on the city wide sales. They brought some awesome stuff. Mother decided that since Deanna was selling some stuff that she would sell some of her things as well. We had a good time Saturday visiting with all of the shoppers. Everyone looking for a good deal- and we were willing to give them a bargain you could not refuse. Some were looking for that one certain item; others just seeing what was there. People are so much fun to watch. You can see sisters and friends shopping, it is a way for mothers and daughters to have a good time. Some of the men look like they would rather take a beating than be there, but they are smiling in the hopes that the torture will end soon. No telling what the women had to promise to get them to go and to carry all of their numerous treasures to the car, time after time. Of course, the car had to be parked several blocks away. You can tell the husbands that are not crazy about his wife’s purchases as they are muttering to themselves about where they are going to put this new acquisition. Some men are mumbling about having to build another shelf- Others are just softly sobbing and quietly praying that this will be their last trip to the car or if not maybe, they could be hit by an on-coming car and get them out of their misery.
When I go bargain hunting I love find pretty dishes, plates, bowls, etc… - Jim likes tools- Jennifer likes drinking glasses- Jeff is not a shopper, but he does prefer garage sales to auctions-
What is surprising is what sells- the things that you are certain will sell right off are the things that end up in the free pile and the things that you think are a waste of time to even set out are the first things to go. Life is funny that way-

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Oct. 3, 2007

2007-10-03T07:55:00.001-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Oct. 3, 2007
Fall is in the air, I do believe. The air is getting crisp-fall means many things to different people. To some it is the football season, some people just feel better as the cooler weather starts to some it is the fear that the snow is just that much closer that they are going to have to work in. For me it is a mixture of feelings-but the best thing about fall I that loved growing up was ‘fall round-up’. I liked the ‘fall round-up’ more than the ‘spring round-up’ because in the spring we had to work the calves and pair them back up with their mothers. Fall round-up you gathered all of the cattle from every nook and cranny- every little gully and out of the brush- every cow, calf and bull must be brought in.
I can remember my first and only pair of chaps- it was getting close fall and we were at the Coldwater Sale Barn and a man was there selling tack and other assortments that a cowboy might need. I had never even thought that I would ever get a pair of chaps - but Dad thought it was time - maybe he thought that I might not get much taller and this pair would last me for many years to come. I was so excited to get them I could not to wear them. Dad knew that we would be going to Stewart Carthraes and that the chaps would be beneficial for me.
Stewart and Marion lived near Aetna and Dad had helped them gathered cattle for many years. The Friday night before we were to go, as usual, I could hardly sleep, but knew that I had better since we had to get up in the wee hours to make it to Carthraes by sunrise. I think it must have taken up at least 30 to 45 minutes to get there, if the roads were not muddy. Sometimes we would stop and pick-up Short Goebel- Short was fun to ride with, he was almost as ornery as Dad. We would get to our appointed spot and unload our horses. The only worry I had was getting lost. Dad would give me a landmark to follow and told me to listen for the truck horn that would be honking to help lure the cows in- My landmark was Carthraes TV antenna. It was very tall and you could see it from almost everywhere on the ranch. Dad would tell me to ‘push’ the cows toward the antenna and the sound of the horn and I would find everyone else, eventually. Dad would go one way- Short would go another and I would go somewhere in-between. Gathering cattle for the Stewart was more of a challenged as he had brush that went up and down the river. That to make things even for exciting was the fact that there was quick sand in the river, as well. In the fall, the brush was filled with heavy dew in the early morning hours and when you would disturb it you would get soaked to the skin. So I thought since I had my new chaps I would hardly even notice the heavy dew- but that was not entirely true- my chaps were leather, of course, but they had the rough out and not smooth like Dads. Because the rough was out I think that the leather just absorbed the water, instead of shedding it. It was still better than not having them as they protected my legs from the thorns and sharp limbs. Since I had the shorter horse Dad would send me in under the brush and trees to get the stubborn cows out. Some of the cows would let you ride right over the top of them and not budge hoping that you would not see them. Once a cow gets in the brush and likes it there it is very difficult to get them out. Stewart tried many different ways to get the cows out of the brush, but that is another story entirely.
I was sad to hear that Marion passed away last week. I know her daughters and family are going to miss her terribly. But as we all know, we do not live forever and she has gone to a better place- For me- if heaven is no more than a beautiful valley with a ridge. The mornings are clear and still, the air is crisp - you can sit on top of a rim rock on your favorite, faithful pony. You look down and see the morning fog rise up out of the river bottoms and the cattle are grazing unconcerned, you watch as the deer come out of the river brush, - you can hear nothing but nature waking up to face the day and the occasional calf cry for his mother and your horse is relaxed watching to sunrise with you- what more could you possibly want?

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Sept. 25, 2007

2007-09-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Elk Season is going strong in New Mexico- I made it to the camp with eight hunters, one spectator, and seven guides. Since this is archery season it is more difficult to get the elk. The guide tries to call the elk within 50 yards or less of the hunter. Some of the hunters can shoot up to 65 yards, but most of them would like the elk 30 yards or closer. If the hunter has not ever been around elk before it is a little over whelming as the bull elk are in rut and they are bulging and screaming so when they come within 20 yards of the hunter sometimes he freezes and is unable to shoot the elk. But he has a great story to tell in camp. However, out of the eight hunters seven went proudly home with their elk and the other hunter had tales to tell of the ones that got away.
In camp we had two pharmacists, a dentist, a mechanic, a financial adviser, a tomato farmer, a deputy, a truck driver and a real estate broker. With all of the diverse ways to make a dollar we had plenty of interesting conversation. I can remember something that Rocky Stewart said ‘you learn more with your mouth shut than you do with your mouth open’. That is so true, one time in camp one of the hunters was talking about looking for sheds. I should have just kept quiet, but oh, no not me, I just had to put in my two cents and told them that Mom likes to look at different kinds to barns, as well. I had no more than said that than I knew that I had inserted my foot so far in my mouth I should have choked on it. They were talking about the antlers that the deer and elk shed every year. I was so embarrassed but I have learned my lesson. I am trying to keep some of my opinions to myself but there are times when I just cannot keep it in. Such as when one of the guides was telling us that his wife was about to deliver their third baby and the other guides told him that the third baby did not count and he was not required to be there. Where do guys get that kind of information? I just had to give them my opinion and did my best to shame all of them. The expectant father went home the next morning. Jennifer and Jeff say that I have a passive aggressive personality so I am good at giving guilt.
While I was away Jennifer sold a puppy for me, so I have 6 down and 2 to go. Life over all is good.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Sept. 18th

2007-09-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Sept. 18th
The State Fair has come and gone by the time this article is published. I have fond memories of the State Fair. I still get excited just thinking about it. As a kid I liked the rides- except for the Old Mill- I was a fearful child and the dark tunnel with things jumping out at me was not what I thought was fun. My sister, however, thought it was wonderful. So much so that she spent her hard earned money to buy both of us a ticket. I think at the time it was either a quarter or fifty cents to ride- she insisted that it would be fun. I very cautiously got in the boat; I got to sit in the middle between Vickie and a complete stranger, which was terrifying in itself. After getting seated I prepared myself for what was lying ahead. I did what, all brave people do I shut my eyes and did not open them until the ride was completed. . When Vickie had realized that I had shut my eyes she was disgusted with me. Oh well, like that had not happened before. I worked hard sometimes to disgust her. However, I must admit that I did not see anything to scary.
I loved the carousal and the Scrambler. I could usually talk Mom into riding a couple of rides with me if they were not too wild.
The worst thing that I ever did to my family was that I wanted to ride the roller coaster and I wanted Vickie and Dad to ride with me. They half-heartedly agreed to ride with me. After all, Vickie had just tried to scare me to death in the Old Mill. So I figured she owed me. When we got in line Vickie and Dad tried to talk me out riding the death trap. I figured it would not have been as scary as riding with Dad when he was after a cow in the pick-up. But then again why would I need to pay for a ride that I could get at home for nothing? Dad said that if I wanted to go up and down hills at a fast pace just ride with him the next time the sheep got out, he promised that it could be exciting. But nothing would have it; I had to ride the roller coast. The seats were made for two passengers not three but the carnie allowed the three of us in the seat- but before Dad could get seated and secured they started the ride- we started the slow uphill climb with Vickie franticly trying to get Dad the rest of the way in the roller coaster car, by the time we had rounded the curve Dad still had one leg hanging out and Vickie, being the dramatic one, was yelling for me to help hang on to dad as we were headed for the downhill slope, we were yelling and Vickie was pulling then we had a couple more turns and a couple more bumps. I am not sure if we ever got Dad all the way in the car. By the time the ride was over I thought it was great - but by the looks I got from Vickie and Dad, I did not have the nerve to ask to ride again. Vickie was wild eyed and Dad went to find some Pepto- Bismal. I did not think that I ever got Dad to ride a roller coaster again. Then several years ago I took my kids to the Fair. I thought I would take Jeff and Jennifer on the coaster of death that Vickie, Dad and I had ridden years before. Sure enough the very same ride was there. I learned my lesson I did not try to get the three of us in one car. I was telling the kids how much fun they were going to have. When the ride started Jeff was not impressed at all and all during the ride Jeff screamed ‘you lied, you lied, this is not fun’. I must admit I did not feel too good when it was over- but I did not want to kids know.
Now when I go to the fair I enjoy the exhibits and the animal barn and yes, the food. Where else can you get flowering onions, potato curls, salt water taffy, carmeled apples, chicken and noodles, and bierocs? No more roller coasters for me as I do not like to ‘toss my cookies’ in public. I like to see all the free stuff and the pig races. The next time I make it to the Fair; I think I will see if I can get a golf cart to ride around. This is just exactly how I keep my nice round figure- I certainly can not maintain it by walking and exercise.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Sept.11, 2007

2007-09-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Sept.11, 2007
I was sad to hear the news of Rocky Stewarts mother, Betty Stewart had passed away. She had a long battle with cancer. Although I did not know Mrs. Stewart, personally, I knew that she must have been a wonderful woman since the daughter-in-laws said that they always felt to be part of the family- not just someone who her sons had married. Acceptance is so important to have a happy family. I went to funeral with friends and it was good to see Shelly and Brandi Stewart. Rock and Libby must be proud to have such beautiful and gracious daughters.
This past weekend was Football Homecoming. We had the King and Queen candidates and their attendants. It seems that everything pertaining to school events, I have tendency to compare them to my school years. As I said last week everything changes- Do you remember when one of the organizations sold the huge Mums? If memory serves me, you could buy them in red, white, or bronze. Bronze was my favorite. When I was living in Texas, at their homecomings they had the big Mums then if a boy liked a girl, (whether romantic, secret admirer, or as just friends) he would buy her a ribbon to add to her flower. The ribbon was in one of the school colors and was at least two inches wide and over twenty-four inches long. Some girls might have eight or more ribbons to add to her corsage. When I was in the lower grades I could not wait until I could either buy a mum or better yet receive one from that someone special.
The other day I was looking an annual from the 60’s and the girls had the long white gloves and the enormous evening gowns and the ‘beehive’ hair. They must have had to make the platforms for the Kings Court larger than they do now, just to hold those dresses and their hair. I am sure there were times when parents were relieved when their daughter was not chosen to be a candidate as the purchase of a dress would have been a hardship for them.
Homecoming, years ago, was later in the school year and the weather was usually cooler and sometimes downright icy out, those poor girls were so cold - I have been told that some of the girls had long johns on under their gowns to help keep them from freezing to death.
My senior year when we had our football homecoming, I was dating Jim and he was so beat-up and exhausted from the game. I was excited to go to the dance since I had a date and everything, but at the party he actually nodded off while we were dancing. The only thing that kept him awake was the throbbing pain from the beating he took during the game. I guess does not say much for my company, but he was really ready to go home and be left alone. And besides, the dance started so late and I had to be home by 11:00, and since he was so tired, we left before the dance was over and he got me home early- Which made my dad very happy. I have always thought we would have enjoyed the homecoming dance more if it would have been the following evening rather than directly after the game and it might have helped if we would have won.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Sept. 04, 2007

2007-09-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Sept. 04, 2007
Another Labor Day has come and gone. This is the time of year that school should be starting instead of two or three weeks ago. I have mentioned before that school was not my favorite thing to do- but it did have its merits- such as recess - gym class- music - and lunch. I had a strong dislike for phonics - SRA readers- and nap time. As most of you know I went to school in Wilmore until it closed in 1971. I loved the playground at the school- there were two big trees that we found to be suitable for playing house in. We would pick weeds and make little brooms and we would clean out the bottom of the tree around the roots and make a playhouse there. We had found some left over coal and we used the coal for ‘gold‘. We would have our ‘husbands’ go out and get us some ‘money’ and the bad guys would rob them and we would spend the rest of the recess time chasing the robbers to get our ‘gold’ back. Now when I go back and look at the trees that we played in they do not look nearly as huge as I had remembered them and the roots that we sat on are not as big and wide as I had pictured in my mind. Of course, I am considerably larger now so I guess everything has a way of evening out.
We had music every year at Wilmore. I was annoyed when the Music teacher would teach us about time and notes and sometimes even about composers. I just liked to sing - but as I got older I realized how much I had learned. Mrs. Miller, Mr. Haynes, Mrs. Hosey, Mary Margaret Pierce, there is one more music teacher that I cannot recall, were our music teachers. But they had actually taught me something and it did not hurt one little bit. I can still remember the teacher with her pointer, pointing out notes on a board and she was showing us all about the different kind of notes and counting them.
I always liked P.E. class- we had two ropes that was attached to the ceiling of the gym and we took turns trying to climb to the very top. It scared me to death when I finally made it to what seemed like the top of the world. Almost everyone made it to the top at least once. I think, I was in fourth grade when we got the dreaded ‘peg board‘. The peg board was the worst thing. It had to have been inspired by the devil himself. It was a 2x12 board with large holes drilled in to it that was bolted to the wall. At the time, I thought that the board must have been 20 feet long. The idea was to climb to the top of the board by using a peg in each hand to climb the board. I do not think that I ever got past the first or second row of holes. It seemed to me that the first row of holes were, at least, five feet off the gym floor so I had to stand on my tippy toes to even get started. It was truly a terrifying experience. I always thought it was a ‘guy’ thing as the guys did not seem to have the problems with it as the girls did.
Then we had lunch time- Lunch at the Wilmore Grade School was great- Our last year there was the best- the other years were good, too, but the last year so extra special. Since there were only17 students- we had home cooked meals- We had fried chicken- always homemade bread. I am sure that all of the schools had good food as well- but I always thought we had the best.
Now I am older - my school days are over, the Wilmore School is gone, I doubt that I can climb any rope and I do not mind taking a nap once in a while, but I still love music and I still like lunches. It seems that life is ever changing and the only thing that is consistent, in this ole’ life of ours is inconsistency.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Aug 28, 2007

2007-08-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

While wondering about what I was going write about this week it got me to thinking about Labor Day and the all of the traffic on the roads. It is a common comment that farmers and women are bad drivers. When a farmer/rancher travels they are interested in the crops and livestock along the highways so they might weave a little or if they are really curious they will pull over and look at whatever it was that caught their eye. It does not make them bad drivers it just makes them aware of their surroundings.
Women are not necessarily bad drivers we just think about other things- we are thinking about what we will do when we get to our destination. That does not make us unsafe- just organized.
Living in a small community we know our neighbors vehicles and we each other enough to know that even though we do not always use our blinkers- we know that the other person is turning to go home or into their pasture. We never honk unless there is something on fire or something is wrong with your vehicle (like maybe you forgot to untie rover from the bumper) or we honk passing by to say a friendly hello- If you honk at us trying to correct us while on the road we are libel to run into something or we will hit the brakes and if you are following too close you will rear-end us. One of my huge pet-peeves are honkers- those people who think that they need to correct something I have done- what it does is - it makes me do something else even worse. Now this does this mean that I do not make some really big mistakes? Of course I do, but someone blowing their horn at me just makes me angry and causes me to have some really ugly thoughts- it does not make me a better driver just an angry driver- then there is road rage, I truly believe honkers are the source of all road rage.
I am certainly not a world traveler but have you noticed what people do while they are driving? While on the road I have met people who are putting on make-up, reading not only maps but books, some even work on the their upper body dance moves or they are using this time to do their upper body exercises. Now that everyone has cell phones I honestly believe that over 80% of drivers that you meet on the roads are talking on a cell phone. Have you ever tried to dial a phone while driving? Some even text while driving. That is why the lawmakers are wanting to make it illegal to use a cell phone while driving.
I recently heard a story that I will share with you - it is about a man, who we will call George, was going to work in the city that must travel on the interstate to get to work. Here it goes-
One morning while on the interstate, George looked over to his left and there was a woman in a brand new Cadillac, doing 65 mph with her face up next to her rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner. He looked away for a couple seconds! And when he looked back she was halfway over in his lane, still working on that makeup. As a macho man, he does not scare easily. But she scared him so much; He dropped his electric shaver, which knocked the donut out of his other hand. In all the confusion of trying to straighten out the car, using his knees against the steering wheel, it knocked his cell phone away from his ear which fell into the coffee between his legs, splashed, and burned him, ruined the darned phone, soaked his trousers, and disconnected an important call.
Whether this is true or not I thought it was entertaining but after hearing this story I want you to be careful, please, when you are traveling-- you never know who you are going to meet out there on those roads.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Aug.21, 2007

2007-08-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

There are two kinds of people in this world - those who sell and those who buy. I think that I must be a buyer as I am not a very good seller. My salesmanship leaves something to be desired. I am so glad that I do not have to find a buyer for my calves in the fall- I would probably end up giving them away. It seems that whenever livestock is in my corral it is not worth too much- but you take that very same animal and put it in someone else’s corral it automatically gains in value. I do not understand why. I am just not real comfortable in the selling field. I have learned this lesson in selling the pups. I want to find good homes for the little boogers. That is the most important thing to me. Jim has a little different outlook which is good, I think.
There are some who absolutely thrive on promoting a product. I have found this out while looking on the internet at others who are selling their animals. I could not believe my eyes when I found a site on designer dogs. You might be thinking, what is a designer dog? Well, I am glad you asked, a designer dog is a mutt. I thought to myself that whoever came up with that idea is a true salesman. When you have a dog and your neighbor has a dog and they have pups together- instead of wondering how you will get rid of the offspring- you decided how you are going to market them.
Labra-oodles were the first designer dog that I had heard of- They are a cross of Labrador Retriever and a Poodle - the advantage is that the offspring is suppose be hypo-allergenic the only thing is that they are not hypo-allergenic until the second generation, or at least, that is what I have been told. They are crossing almost everything with a Poodles- Cocker Spaniels- Yorkshire Terriers- Pomeranians- Pekinese - everything. They cross the bird dogs up with the coon hounds and the shepherds the up with the heelers and the Rottweilers with Labs. I know the argument is that when these are crossed up you get the best of both breeds, however it does not always work out that way. One of the strangest crosses that I heard of was a Red Heeler and a Greyhound, which just sounds awful to me. I bet it can outrun a calf and it will heel the coyotes. But the clincher that just kills me is that these mongrels are selling them for more than the purebreds. Now don’t get me wrong some of the smartest dogs that I have had were mutts and I could not have loved them anymore. But that is my luck- I bought a diesel truck since I thought that it would be cheaper to run- then the diesel prices went up over the gasoline prices - Now I have purebred puppies and I could have sold them for more and faster if they were designer dogs aka mutts. Sometimes it just does not pay to get up in the morning.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Aug. 14, 2007

2007-08-21T21:09:00.000-07:00

Mom and I made it back home It is great to go to visit- I love Ruidoso it is cool in the summer and there are very few bugs, the shopping is fun and I have heard that there are a few horse races going on as well- Oh- yeah and my sister and brother-in-law and her family are there, too. No, really it is so much fun to be with the Wideners.
Mom and I made a huge circle. We left home Thursday and went to Pueblo to deliver a pup. We stopped at a farmers market and bought a box of peaches. We do not think that you can find a better peach than in Colorado. The new owner of the pup seemed to be happy- so then we traveled to Las Vegas, New Mexico. We spent the night and made it to Ruidoso early the next day.
Friday, Casey, Vickie’s second daughter, bought 2 tickets to the Fur Ball. She asked me to attend the function with her. It is a fund raiser for the humane society. It was a lot of fun and the food was wonderful. There was a silent auction and a regular auction. It was little different than the auctions that I normally attend. There were no bargains for example a gold necklace went for $1,300.00 and a painting went for $6,500.00. They were trying to raise money for a spay and neuter clinic.
On Saturday 6 of us girls got all dressed up and went to the Vickie Lawrence Show. It was called a two woman show- Vickie and Momma- She was entertaining and funny and a little bit naughty.
Mom and I were talking about how beautiful the scenery was. The corn fields were tall and the Milo fields were heading out- the wheat ground had been tilled and getting ready to be replanted. There were the onion fields that had been just picked and you could smell them as you passed by them. There were workers out in the fields picking vegetables. They looked really hot- I mean, sweaty and miserable not ooooh-la-la.
Ruidoso has had more rain than normal so things looked better than it has in the past few years. The fire hazard was low, which is good for them, at this time of year.
We left for home on Tuesday morning after thoroughly enjoying the Wideners - so we made a circle of over 1,500 miles and we were glad to see the ‘Welcome to Kansas’ road sign and even happier to see the Coldwater City limits.
So I think that the saying is right, “there’s no place like home.”

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Aug. 7, 2007

2007-08-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Aug. 7, 2007
While growing up in the country our television viewing was limited. We only received one station and on a very clear and still day we might have been able to view two stations and the regular one came clear- as- a -bell. Of course, we only had black and white. We did not get color TV until I was in Jr. High or High School. I have always liked TV even when it was hard to make out the features of the people as the screen was snowy. I can remember when I found out that Matt Dillon’s horse was a buckskin horse. Since I had only seen Gunsmoke in black and white I thought his horse was a grey. This was important to me as I always wanted a horse just like his. I watched the show with Dad and he would always point out what good horses they had. He would say just look at that good ‘horseflesh”. I figured if that impressed him it was even more impressive to me. I loved Gunsmoke; I thought Miss Kitty was a wonderful woman. She was someone who I wanted to be like; it was until much, much later, after the show had been off the air for years that I realized that Miss Kitty was a harlot. I always thought that when other women did not approve of her, on the show it was because they were jealous of her- since she was beautiful, smart, and Matt’s girlfriend.
Not counting Gunsmoke, comedies were our favorite. Lucille Ball was one of the best- but Dick Van Dyke was good, too. We enjoyed My Three Sons, Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan’s Island, it seemed that if it was not a western it was a comedy.
Then the variety shows started, Rowan Martin Laugh In, Jackie Gleason Show and later The Sonny and Cher Show. Our family’s favorite was “The Carol Burnett Show”. She was sooo funny along with Harvey Korman, Vickie Lawrence and Tim Conway. No’ I did not forget Lyle Waggoner. Their sketches were original and I thought they were just great. My favorite characters were Eunice, Mrs. Wiggins, played by Carol, and when Tim Conway played the old man who was so slow. I loved to watch Harvey get tickled and broke character, it made the show seem like it was performed by real people with real emotions. Vickie was great as well in her roles - my favorite with her was ‘Mama’.
What has reminded of all of this is that I get to go to Ruidoso and see Vickie Lawrence. For Mothers Day, my sister, Vickie received tickets to see Vickie Lawrence, as she will be in Ruidoso, performing. My nieces bought me a ticket to go with them. So Saturday evening I will be enjoying life to the fullest.
I think what we watch as we grow up forms us in some way- I grew with comedies and westerns - Where the good guy always wins - It makes me wonder- the networks are mostly crime shows with death and destruction. I think we need more humor less death.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell Aug.2, 2007

2007-07-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

I do not know about you but I think the more I know about the outside world- there are times when I would just like to go home and never leave. I call it the ostrich effect. You know, when you want to stick your head in the sand and let the world go by and hope that no one can see you.
Since I have been in the process of selling my pups, I have encountered an entire different type of people. I have been around horse traders but some of these people would make the most unscrupulous individuals look like saints. Technology has come so far that when you put ads in some papers, those ads go on-line. This is a good and bad situation. The good being, that the on-line ads has the potential of reaching many more people. The bad is that some people use the on-line ads to defraud the advertiser. I have received as many as seven different relay calls (normally used for the hearing impaired or those that are unable to speak) that were bogus and a couple of e-mails that were counterfeits. It has not been all bad as I have been in contact with several nice people. But I never imagined that someone in another country would see my ad and contact me for the sole purpose to swindle me. That whole concept is just overwhelming. I guess that I am more naïve than I thought. I did, however, catch on fairly quickly with the assistance of others who have been in the same situation. I wrote a friend who is all knowing of the internet and he gave me a site to look at. On that site, there were many people who had been taken with similar scams and warning others on what to look for. One doctor had been taken for over $200 thousand. So, I feel lucky that I received good advice and have not been taken, so far.
Do you remember when you were a kid and your folks ask you to do something that you did not want to do - so you come up with all kinds of devices to keep from doing the chore? I can remember sitting in the hot bathroom at harvest time after lunch to try to keep from doing the little dab of dishes that we had to do. I spent more time trying to keep from doing the dishes than the job actually took. Or when you were in school trying to keep from doing your homework, all the time and scheming you went through took more brainpower and time than the actual assignment.
If all of those people who work so hard to defraud others would put their efforts into honest labor they would be rich beyond their dreams or at least able to sleep well at night. My cousin gave me some wise words of wisdom- he said that he did not understand the 'thing' with money; you can work for all you want. The key word being ‘work’.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell July 24, 2007

2007-07-31T12:29:00.000-07:00

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell July 24, 2007
Can you believe that I have been out of high school for 30 years? I was having a little trouble believing it myself. Class reunions are great. It is nice to see what your classmates have done in the last 30 years. Our class has not moved all that far away. We go as far north as the Kansas/ Nebraska line and as far south as Houston, Texas area as far west as Ft. Collins Colorado and east, no one lives farther east than the Kansas/ Missouri line. However, we have three missing classmates that we cannot find- so we may be scattered more than we thought. Some classmates look almost the same and others I could not recognize. There are nine of us who live here in Comanche County - so- many hands makes light work. Tony Koehn smoked an assortment of meat for our lunch and he did a wonderful job. Marty Dillinger did all kinds of work to get us organized. The rest of us did what we could. We had 34 in our graduating class and we have not lost anyone to death that we know of. To my knowledge, we have not lost anyone from first grade on. That is really saying something.
I cannot believe all of the different occupations that my classmates have found for themselves. We have a Chief Financial Officer- Nurse-Cowboy- Assistant Vice President of a Savings and Loan- Teachers-Electronic Technician- Carpenter-Custodians-Food Service- Coca Cola employee- Gravel pit owner - Departmental Managers. I am very proud of our class’s accomplishments. I would say that if you need any of these services you would be hard pressed to find anyone any better than my classmates to do the job.
We talked about the jobs we did to raise money for the Senior Trip. Our class had to raise over $5,000.00 to go to California. We did all kinds of odd jobs and the boys worked really hard- chopping firewood- bucking bales- we all painted houses. We had a great time on the west coast.
For the ones who have not been back for a few years the tour of the school was a little shocking. They had a hard time adjusting to the Green and Black and not an eagle in sight. Other than the color and mascot change, part of the grade school being torn down and a playground in its place, the school had not changed all that much.

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell July 17, 2007

2007-07-15T22:09:00.000-07:00

As I was sitting at Bill Hoofers funeral and heard what Mike Crowe had written about Bill- It brought back a flood of memories. I can remember going into Hoofers Grocery Store and the sound that the wood floors made was unique to that particular store. We would get our shopping cart and when we got to the meat department, Mom would tell Bill or Ralph how much bacon and lunch meat she needed. I did not know that bacon came prepackage until I was in high school. I just loved to go behind the counter and watch them slice our bacon. I can remember seeing that big slab of bacon all covered with pepper, then they would slice the bacon however thick you wanted it. They would layer the bacon in-between papers and wrap it up in white butchers’ paper. If you wanted liverwurst they were very nice to always put each slice between papers so the slices would not stick together. I liked liverwurst and chopped ham. Dad liked bologna. Do you remember when we learned about shredded ham? I bet that was a nightmare for the guys, but I never heard them complain.
After we got our shopping done we would roll our cart to the counter- We ran a bill so either Bill or Ralph would write down everything that we had put in our cart. That must have been quite a chore but they never seemed to mind. As you were getting checked out they would put your groceries in a nice sturdy box- And the box would either sit on the counter, if you did not have a lot of groceries or it would sit on a lower counter that was at the end of the taller counter. The lower counter was just the right height to double as chair. I thought it was nice for them to provide a spot for husbands or old people to sit while they were waiting for their wives or mates to finish up the shopping. Since we usually got a box, they would tie string around the top of the box to help hold up the sides up. I can remember wondering if they ever would run out of string, as it looked like to me that it was sort of magical how it came out of the hole in the counter from an unknown source. It did not take much to amuse me. Since we ran a bill there I thought that it was really neat, once when we went to town I got away from Mom and went into Hoofers to get an ice cream bar - Ralph asked me if I was going to pay for my ice cream I told him to just put it on the bill, he asked me if mom said it was ok. I was shocked that he thought that I would have to ask Mom. Well, Ralph was right. I should have asked Mom. I learned then, that just because you put it on the bill does not mean that you do not have to pay for it.
As time went on the Hoofers moved with the times as it got to where they did not have to write down each article that you purchased as the new fangled cash register helped them out and saved them a lot of time. They moved across the street to the old Gambles Store which is now Dave’s Pizza Oven. They had more room and could sell more products- but somehow I missed the creaky wood floors. I know that the only thing that stays the same is that the world is ever changing. We are going to miss Bill Hoofer- but it is not too late to let Ralph know what much we appreciated their store and their kindness.
Thanks, Ralph!!

Country Gal by Vanita Blundell July 4, 2007

2007-07-11T13:00:00.001-07:00

When I was growing up it was a goal at our house to have the wheat cut by the 4th of July. If we were not done Mom was not in the mood to go town. It was real hard for her when people would ask if we were done with harvest. Dad’s mood was not perky to say the least. I can not imagine how he would have been this year- I am sure that would have been a lot of tears. I enjoyed harvest - riding the combine with Dad or sitting in the wheat truck and going into town to the elevator. If things went just right and harvest was over and Dad thought that he could afford it he would buy a few fireworks. Oh, that was so exciting! Virgil showed me how to do the snakes and when I got older we blew up ant dens with firecrackers. We quickly learned that when you blow up ant dens to RUN away from the den as the ants that were air born would land in your hair and shirts, ants do bite and it hurts. Virgil was a great older brother he taught me all kinds of important things like how to strategically place the firecracker that would make the biggest hole. After I married Jim, he showed me how to blow up gourds. The gourds are like little grenades. They were a lot of fun. The firecrackers now do not have the kick that they used to. That is probably because of all of the fingers, eyes, burn holes in legs arms and other places and hearing people lost during this time of celebration.
This year will be different than in the past years. We usually stay at home - and go to Myrna Bumgarner’s but this 4th we have been invited to go to Sharon and celebrate with the Sharon folk as they are dedicating their city park. When I went over to Sharon during Christmas they had nice decorations in the park. For such a small town I was impressed that they had any thing at all. We will miss Myrna’s cookout as she is such a good hostess. She always makes sure her guests are well taken care of.
I wish you all a great, and safe 4th of July.