As November slipped away, we were getting plenty of rain. I suppose the farmers appreciate all the moisture in the ground to nourish their pastures and help sustain future hay crops, but sometimes you can get too much of a good thing. I appreciate a variety of weather but, after several rainy days in a row, personally, I was beginning to long for some sunshine. At least we haven't yet been subjected to the icy weather our neighbors in Oklahoma have experienced.
We had an early deadline last week and an earlier printing schedule because of the Thanksgiving holiday, so I was busy proofreading pages the previous Friday that I usually tackle on Monday. That gave me a rare Monday off and I enjoyed making a trip to a home in Bentonville with Jim, where he installed a new dryer vent, repaired a kitchen counter and put some tar on the roof. We also did some shopping in Rogers for materials he needed the next day.
'Tis the season for bountiful meals and get-togethers with family and friends. We were treated to a tasty pasta meal featuring both lasagna and fettucine alfredo, salad and garlic bread, at the newspaper office in Siloam Springs on the 19th. Since I work from home now, it was nice to catch up with my coworkers and meet the newly-hired employee. Someone brought one of my favorites, deviled eggs, and there were an abundance of delicious desserts.
The youngsters have been enjoying a vacation from school and we were delighted to have our oldest grandson, A.J., home for a few days. We weren't expecting to see him so soon after his recent leave but we are close enough to his new post in Wichita that he was able to get away for the weekend. We had a good visit over dinner at our son's home Thursday evening. Then he and his family joined us again for a family meal at my nephew's home near Centerton on Friday.
Basketball season is off to a good start, but this past weekend it was football, football, football everywhere we turned. Our Razorbacks scored a nice victory on Friday and Jim's Chiefs added another win on Sunday. The Oklahoma-OSU contest was too one-sided to be very interesting, but Notre Dame and Stanford provided exciting watching with a game decided in the final seconds. Even though Gravette made it only to the first round, we're still following the high school playoff games. Like the Energizer bunny, Pea Ridge just keeps going and going and going, so we have two conference teams still in the running and will be tuned in next Friday night to hear the results.
It's always good to hear from distant friends as the year winds down. A letter last week from my friend in Tulsa reported her new little grandson, just two months old, is getting really cute. (You don't suppose that first-time grandma is a little prejudiced, do you?) She also informed me she was having outpatient surgery on a shoulder that had bothered her since June. She's facing eight weeks of follow-up therapy so she will be on our prayer list for awhile. My friend in Florida is having trouble with her eyes but, thankfully, she's still able to read and watch TV. She said she was reading John Grisham's latest book and expecting a grandson and great-granddaughter all the way from Washington State to visit for Thanksgiving.
Sister Nancy visited recently and brought me about three dozen quail eggs. I fixed some for breakfast one morning but it takes about seven of the tiny things to make a good serving of scrambled eggs. She returned last Friday and brought the broth from cooking her holiday turkey. Jim used it as the base for a big pot of turkey soup which we ate throughout the weekend. It was good but, by the first of the week, we were both ready for a change in the menu.
Folks in Gravette have made big plans for their "Come Home for Christmas" celebration Saturday evening, capped off with "A Christmas Carol" performances Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. They invite all in the area to come watch the parade at 4 p.m., stay for events at the historical museum and conclude the evening at the drama at 7 p.m. in the performing arts center.
Susan Holland is a longtime resident of Benton County and a reporter for the Westside Eagle Observer. She may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 12/02/2015