DECATUR — Here it is after the big snow of “Ought-nine.” Can you believe we had a white Christmas, then a white New Year, and it just did not want to leave us?
I was so happy to see brown, be it dirt, or concrete, or even dirt on the ol’ van. The white is so beautiful, but after three weeks of white, it gets to be murky and old. Then, we get more snow, so we can see more beauty, less mud. I guess the white is okay, if it were not so cold.
I have decided I’m almost ready for spring. I also have more sympathy for my cousin in Michigan who says she shovels snow for an hour-plus at a time. It’s quite the job; believe me!
Our condolences go out to Kendall Harrelson and his family, at the death of his brother Floyd. Since Floyd was so close to my age, it seemed he was too young to go.
Ruth Holzkamper, who was 100 years old and the sweetest lady I have ever known, died this month. I’m sure she was ready to lay down her burdens, but her sweetness and good cooking will be missed by all who knew and loved her.
Also, to the Rankin Family at the loss of Bill, and to the Schrock Family at the loss of their brother and son. Seems like a new year starts but the same old sadness continues with death all around us. Proof of this is the loss also of Ravenna Floyd, a nurse from the Gravette Medical Center, killed in an accident just outside of Gentry. Those kind of shocks are hard to take. She used to be Dr. Poemoceah’s nurse, for those trying to place her.
For a little personal story, I enjoy cleaning the post offices because I get to visit with people who have the patience to visit with me. Anyway, I saw Leonard Truitt after New Year, and he was picking up the mail for Simmons. He has been so faithful over the years to be their mail man and deliver mail for Peterson’s and now Simmons. It was a snowy day and there was Leonard, not even minding the weather.
So, he was telling me how he had kind of a hard Christmas, and I asked why? He said, “Well, my parents always taught me to respect my elders, and over the holidays, I was having a hard time finding any one to respect.”
Did I forget to mention that Leonard is 93? Well, he said there were two people in Decatur who he respects, one being Wayne Meigs. Wayne, keep that boy in line, OK?
I heard that Wayne was also a little under the weather lately, so we hope Wayne gets to feeling better. I know your family is watching out for you, but I sure miss visiting with you at the Post Office.
I also heard that James Tucker has been under the weather a bit. We hope you are feeling better soon, James. I know it is awful to be feeling bad, and I am glad you have such a good wife to be with you during your doctor’s appointments.
Happy Birthday to Brenda K. Coones! Also to Regina Foreman, who is closing in on her mid-20s. Wow, kids do grow, don’t they?
I hope many of you got to read the Profiles section from last week’s paper. It was fun to be able to participate in the twenty questions, and it was fun to see how other people answered the questions.
During this inclement weather when mail carriers deliver so faithfully, breaking the ice on the mailboxes would be a great help. Some carriers have 500-800 customers, and breaking open mail boxes 400 times gets a bit old, and takes a lot of their time. Just a thought for the benefit of your friendly mail carrier.
Opinion, Pages 6 on 02/10/2010