Wednesday, September 22, 2004
FROM MAY TO SEPTEMBER.....1979
My birthday occasionally falls on Memorial Day and this was one of the years. Warren had an Army buddy who had retired and moved to a home on a lake in Arkansas. He, his wife and grown son, came to visit the day after Memorial Day. They had a nice travel trailer that they roamed the country in to visit friends and family so they were “self contained.” They parked in my son’s vacant lot next to us.
The guys were both in Military Intelligence and so occasionally were at the same Post together. Now they were both retired and living a more carefree life. They always kept in touch and were very close. I met them for the first time on this visit and became fond of them immediately. They were well traveled, educated and personable. Their son was living with them at the time as he suffered from severe diabetes and ‘mom’ knew how to cook for him and deal with his needs. Warren had known him from the time he was a little boy and was fond of him.
The next day we took them around our area to show them our usual “visitors menu” of the mills, streams and gorgeous look-outs. The Ozarks has a wealth of quaint out-of-the-way places that positively will heal your soul. If you like stress and the “rat race” of city living….this place is not for you. High achievers would go mad here….for nothing is achieved in a hurry. That is one of the main reasons that many folks move in here from either coast, only to leave after a year or two, complaining that “you can’t get anything done here.” It is true….IF you like to tell folks how to do their job, complain about the time it is taking, constantly lecture on how great it was where you came from……you get the picture.
Folks in the Ozarks….the real natives of our area….are for the most part, good, hardworking people. If you move in here and are willing to learn how things are done HERE and listen to their advice, you will be accepted and respected. However, they don’t take kindly to “know it alls” or folks that “talk down to them.” Mutual respect is exchanged very well.
I am saddened because the folks who have grown up here from generations past will never ask for help. They are proud people who take care of their own and tough it out when the going gets tough. The part that makes me sad is the fact that many people move to Missouri ONLY because of the “great welfare” they can get here. They have no shame about using and abusing our system. This leads to unproductive folks who are using up State funds and think they deserve a free ride.
The summer months passed with visits from aunt Beulah and her sister, Mildred; uncle Tom and aunt Inabelle from Virginia and aunt Sally and aunt Mary from Nebraska. Company was always welcome and I loved to cook for people who loved to eat. You never found a “picky” eater around my table……and I always cooked too much for fear the food would run out ahead of the appetite.
John worked during the summer with Gene again, mixing concrete and carrying it to him. Warren worked with friends from church, helping them put up their hay. When John was unavailable to work with Gene, Warren filled in for him. They both kept busy during the summer months. John decided he needed to go on to seminary to further his ministerial education and after considering his options, chose to go to the Baptist Theological Seminary of New Orleans. It was a life-changing decision…….he fell in love with the South at large and never really left. However, he was to take a few detours as we shall see in the coming years.
Our good friends, the Ross’ moved him down to New Orleans and I’m sure they felt like they were losing a family member. John spent lots of time in their home and riding around with Bob on his night patrol…….they were good folks who are some of the most unselfish and generous people we know. And so….John’s grand adventure begins, being transplanted to New Orleans.
George Jr. came down to visit and we all worked on his lot with him to clear it up some and cut the weeds. Thankfully, weeds don’t grow good here, either. Grass is a hard won luxury but to make up for it the weeds don’t advance very fast. Warren used to love it when George was coming because he knew I’d bake his favorite….a cherry pie. If there was ever any left over it went home with George much to the chagrin of Warren. They always fought over the cherry pie.
We took mom to the airport to catch a plane to Seattle, Becky was working at Rawlings, the boys were gone and Warren went to work for the local school here as custodian. Summer was over, school bells were ringing and it was time to get organized for Fall festivities. Winter winds would soon be blowing across the Ozarks……….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
The guys were both in Military Intelligence and so occasionally were at the same Post together. Now they were both retired and living a more carefree life. They always kept in touch and were very close. I met them for the first time on this visit and became fond of them immediately. They were well traveled, educated and personable. Their son was living with them at the time as he suffered from severe diabetes and ‘mom’ knew how to cook for him and deal with his needs. Warren had known him from the time he was a little boy and was fond of him.
The next day we took them around our area to show them our usual “visitors menu” of the mills, streams and gorgeous look-outs. The Ozarks has a wealth of quaint out-of-the-way places that positively will heal your soul. If you like stress and the “rat race” of city living….this place is not for you. High achievers would go mad here….for nothing is achieved in a hurry. That is one of the main reasons that many folks move in here from either coast, only to leave after a year or two, complaining that “you can’t get anything done here.” It is true….IF you like to tell folks how to do their job, complain about the time it is taking, constantly lecture on how great it was where you came from……you get the picture.
Folks in the Ozarks….the real natives of our area….are for the most part, good, hardworking people. If you move in here and are willing to learn how things are done HERE and listen to their advice, you will be accepted and respected. However, they don’t take kindly to “know it alls” or folks that “talk down to them.” Mutual respect is exchanged very well.
I am saddened because the folks who have grown up here from generations past will never ask for help. They are proud people who take care of their own and tough it out when the going gets tough. The part that makes me sad is the fact that many people move to Missouri ONLY because of the “great welfare” they can get here. They have no shame about using and abusing our system. This leads to unproductive folks who are using up State funds and think they deserve a free ride.
The summer months passed with visits from aunt Beulah and her sister, Mildred; uncle Tom and aunt Inabelle from Virginia and aunt Sally and aunt Mary from Nebraska. Company was always welcome and I loved to cook for people who loved to eat. You never found a “picky” eater around my table……and I always cooked too much for fear the food would run out ahead of the appetite.
John worked during the summer with Gene again, mixing concrete and carrying it to him. Warren worked with friends from church, helping them put up their hay. When John was unavailable to work with Gene, Warren filled in for him. They both kept busy during the summer months. John decided he needed to go on to seminary to further his ministerial education and after considering his options, chose to go to the Baptist Theological Seminary of New Orleans. It was a life-changing decision…….he fell in love with the South at large and never really left. However, he was to take a few detours as we shall see in the coming years.
Our good friends, the Ross’ moved him down to New Orleans and I’m sure they felt like they were losing a family member. John spent lots of time in their home and riding around with Bob on his night patrol…….they were good folks who are some of the most unselfish and generous people we know. And so….John’s grand adventure begins, being transplanted to New Orleans.
George Jr. came down to visit and we all worked on his lot with him to clear it up some and cut the weeds. Thankfully, weeds don’t grow good here, either. Grass is a hard won luxury but to make up for it the weeds don’t advance very fast. Warren used to love it when George was coming because he knew I’d bake his favorite….a cherry pie. If there was ever any left over it went home with George much to the chagrin of Warren. They always fought over the cherry pie.
We took mom to the airport to catch a plane to Seattle, Becky was working at Rawlings, the boys were gone and Warren went to work for the local school here as custodian. Summer was over, school bells were ringing and it was time to get organized for Fall festivities. Winter winds would soon be blowing across the Ozarks……….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
