Susan Says . . .

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

— It was a busy weekend in Gravette as the town was alive with activities for the annual Gravette Day celebration. The pace was hectic but it was rewarding to see the culmination of the weeks of hard work by the event planners. It's fun to visit with friends and classmates we haven't seen for a year or more. The celebration gives us a chance to show off our town's assets to former residents and other visitors.

We started the week off with a bang when the kids invited us up for supper Monday night. It was nice to have someone else do the cooking after a long day at work. Joe grilled chicken and Heather prepared pasta salad, baked beans, corn and chips with homemade salsa. We enjoyed the tasty meal and the visit with the kids and grandkids. It won't be long till they're caught up in the busy school schedule again.

Jim finished installing and painting some clothesline poles and did some house painting while I worked a few hours at the office Tuesday morning. He added a couple more lights to our fish pond that afternoon and that evening I browned some ground beef, added half a Vidalia onion, some sliced boiled potatoes and leftover green peas to create a homemade "hamburger helper" for our supper.

I accompanied Jim Wednesday morning when he went to measure a roof, do an estimate for reroofing and go order the metal. Then we drove out west of town where he dismantled a couple of TV antennas and brought the sections back to town. We returned in time for me to take Mama to the clinic for her checkup. We dropped in to visit Aunts Leda and Leta and their caregiver on the way home. We enjoyed beef stroganoff for supper with sliced tomatoes, cottage cheese and crunchy cucumber slices.

Jim worked in Maysville Thursday morning while I went to pay some bills andvisit the library. I purchased a few books in the library sale room and when I got home Jim had come in from work. We made a trip to Siloam to return some vinyl tubing and Jim bought a new antenna while I did a little grocery shopping. When we returned I visited a neighbor and used her sewing machine to trim a baby blanket for my little great-niece.

I worked a few hours at the office Friday morning and stopped by the post office to buy stamps. When I returned home Jim was putting up a pole for our new antenna. I took my new plant basket and divided an underwater plant to fill it, adding another green accent to our fish pond. I went to Decatur that afternoon to buy chicken dinners for our supper. I got a few for Leda and Leta and delivered them on the way home. Then I visited the hospital's health fair for blood pressure, blood sugar and pulse ox tests, enjoyed the scavenger hunt and sampled some of the healthy snacks.

I went to the park Saturday morning to watch the judging for the Little Miss Tiny Tot contest. Great-niece Nevaeh, who had her first birthday the day before, was third runner-up in her division. I came home for a few minutes before going over to line up for the parade. I joined a few of my classmates as we wound through town and waved at friends and family. I checked out a few booths in the park before going home to clean up and change for our class get-together that evening.

Jim and I made a trip to Southwest City Sunday morning. We enjoyed a late breakfast and did a few loads of laundry when we returned. I drove to nephew Dustan's home that afternoon to join a host of folks in celebrating his daughter's first birthday. We enjoyed a hearty cookout meal and watched the birthday girl splash in her swimming pool and open her many gifts.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 08/12/2009