Exciting things are happening in Gravette

Lots of exciting things have happened since I last penned this column. Our new Harps grocery store is open, Gravette Day is coming up this Saturday and next Monday will be opening day at school. It seems the summer slipped away all too fast, and I imagine the youngsters feel that way too.

Last week was an especially busy one. I sat down and wrote a long-overdue letter to my aunt and uncle in Kansas City on Monday. On Tuesday, I attended three meetings, Lions Club at noon, a Gravette Day planning session and a library commission meeting that evening. Wednesday was grand opening day at the new Harps store and I went to photograph the ribbon cutting, then on to the museum for an interview with their new curator.

Thursday morning, I did another interview, this one with the owners of the Drunken Sailor, a shop opening this weekend on Main Street. That evening there was a special school board meeting to cover and on Friday, just after lunch, I drove out to the Barn at Big Springs on Beaty Road to help decorate for the annual library gala. After putting some of the decorations on display, most of the crew went back to town to load tables and chairs and I had a little break. It was relaxing to sit on a bale of hay and watch the buzzards flying lazily in circles overhead.

A nice shower Saturday morning cooled things down for a bit. I made a quick trip to the farmers' market and bought a box of green beans, a couple of zucchini squash big enough to fry and a few nice red tomatoes. Our vines have several tomatoes but they seem to have come to a standstill and are ripening very slowly. One of the farmers' market vendors said we need to have cooler nights before the tomatoes begin to produce well again.

I called early Saturday afternoon and had a short visit with my sister Nancy. We hadn't talked for a few weeks so had some catching up to do. I reminded her of the Dutch oven cook off planned for Gravette Day and hope to meet her that afternoon for the tasting. Shortly after our visit, I drove to Decatur and picked up some chicken dinners from their annual barbecue. I took a few minutes to admire the entries in the car show and stroll down through the craft and food booths, then headed back home to work on a story I needed to write.

The weather warmed up in the afternoon and humidity was high, so the Barn on Beaty Road was pretty steamy that evening for our library gala. It was not bad though, with several large fans going and an occasional breeze, and the guests all appeared to be enjoying themselves. The food was good and plentiful and the cloggers from Dynamic Rhythm put on a good show. Trey O'Dell captivated the audience with his mellow voice and had to pose for several pictures with the ladies. David Barber did an excellent job drawing out bids, as usual, and the auction brought in about $1,400.

With our hectic life, sometimes we fail to take good care of ourselves. I did take time for my regular six-month checkup about three weeks ago. I got a good report from the clinic but that visit led to a trip to Siloam Springs for a bone density scan and an injection about a week later. Seems they think these old bones get more brittle with age and I'll hit the 70-year mark later this month.

The final Gravette Day planning meeting is scheduled this week along with an interview with some of our EMS crew and this month's Committee of the Whole meeting. Gravette Day events are shaping up nicely with lots of our old favorites and some new activities. Be sure to come to Gravette this Saturday. You'll enjoy the day whatever your age.

Susan Holland is a long-time Benton County resident and a reporter for the Westside Eagle Observer. She can be reached by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Editorial on 08/10/2016