Outlook

As most of realize, time and life is marching on and it’s a losing game in many ways. Somewhere along the way, we may lose friends, money, good looks, weight, time, influence and other qualities.. Then, the pendulum may swing in the other direction. So, it’s largely up to us (with the help of the good Lord) to attempt to gain back some of the better attributes. So, here’s wishing all of us better things along the road of life.

As usual, my week began with my attending worship service on Sunday morning at Woodlawn Baptist Church. (And, I must confess that somehow or other I overslept and missed Sunday School altogether.) So, after church I just went home, ate a light lunch and plunked myself on my bed to read the Comics and take a brief nap. That’s always a good activity if you can manage it in your schedule. Then, I went on over to Colonial Manor and I’ll tell you more about that further down in this column.

I suppose the big highlight of last week was the celebration of my son, Kirby’s birthday on Thursday, July 15th. His daughter, Kristi Wiggins and her daughter, Abby, came up from their rural Mangham home and we all rode together in one vehicle to Bastrop. Now, I wasn’t asleep nor drunk or blind, but I can’t say exactly where we ate supper in that town. (It had been years and years since I had been there and it had changed considerably.)

My parents lived there briefly back in the fifties and my youngest brother and his wife lived there for a while. My late husband’s girl friend (before he met me) still lives in that city. (They were just friends - never even dated.) And, the whole town now looks nothing like I recall. The streets have been widened, many of the old buildings have been cleared away to make room for new and more modern structures. Of course, we didn’t travel all the way into town - the dining place was not too far from where we entered the main part of town. And, I think it was maybe originally “Catfish Charlie’s” or something like that. So, we grabbed a tray and began serving ourselves (family or country style) from the many platters and various containers of tasty food. As you might expect, fish was the main course; but, there were so many other items such as salads, breadsticks, a luscious bread pudding with butterscotch sauce and other desserts. None of us were bashful about trotting back and forth for second helpings. It was really a birthday celebration to long remember.

And, I think we all decided that “ole Kirby” is a pretty good fellow to know and have around. I believe he’s a “keeper” and will continue to be very special in our family.

CHUCKLE #1 - In chatting with a neighbor recently, he was telling how difficult the depression years were with money so scarce as he was growing up. I asked, “Jimmy, are you sure you were really that poor?”

“My dear,” he replied while straightening his posture and thrusting his thumbs through a couple of belt loops in his jeans, “we were so poor that I actually had a tumbleweed for my only pet!”

This past Sunday afternoon was the designated time for Woodlawn Baptist Church to hold the afternoon worship service at Colonial Manor Nursing Home; so, I trundled on over there about 2PM. One of our deacons, Larry Milby, led the song service and we all enjoyed singing several of the old fashioned hymns which you don’t hear too often in our churches these days. Woodlawn’s pastor, Rev. Roger Johnson, delivered a brief and most timely message from the Bible.

Afterward, I stayed on to visit with some of the residents. I chatted awhile with Ruby Sharbono and we raked up some old memories of the times we had shared in the long ago past.

Then, I moved on over to where one of the newer home residents, Mrs. Willie Gammill, was sitting and the two of us recalled some by-gone days, including the long trip made several years ago by Woodlawn’s senior adults when Rev. Freddy Franks was our minister of music and he headed up this special journey to Nashville, TN and other nearby places.

Mrs. Willie and I shared a room on the 12th floor of the hotel and one morning as we were getting ready to leave, I heard a rooster crowing. I thought I was loosing my mind - there was no way I could be hearing a rooster crowing under those condiitons. Mrs. Willie almost fell out from laughing and then showed me the watch (or clock) that was giving off the crowing sound. She still remembers that and is a pretty lively lady - interested in what’s going on around her. She ought to liven up things around Colonial Manor these days.

And, the construction work continues around our fair city - one section gets completed and the work crew moves on to the adjoining blocks. They are now right up to the edge of the downtown part of Rayville and that will be interesting to navigate and see how they manage to block off various sections of the streets with business owners needing access to the stores where they make a living. And again, referring to the advice given by the ancient wise man to the fellow with many great problems - “This, too, shall pass.” And, pass it will - one way or the other or the fellow may pass. It’s inevitable...

CHUCKLE #2 - A salesman was chatting with the owner of a motel. “Business is terrible,” said the motel owner. Really bad.”

“But every time I drive by here you have the ‘No vacancy’ sign on,” said the salesman.

“Yes, that’s true,” replied the motel owner. “But I used to turn away 25 to 30 people each night. Now, I only turn away 10 or 12.”

Have you eaten a watermelon this summer? I must confess that I haven’t treated myself to one of those juicy objects as yet in this season; but, I’m planning to enjoy one (or two or three) real soon - probably one every week while they are in season and plentiful.

Thinking of watermelons always brings back memories of the ones we grew on our farm in southeast Arkansas. Daddy would come in from plowing about mid-morning in the summertime and we would cut a watermelon on our front porch and enjoy, enjoy. I would go to the patch and always tried to carry back too many melons in the burlap sack. We also raised some tasty cantaloupes and I really liked them for breakfast. Still do....And, I have purchased some of those recently.

The children around town are enjoying the summer vacation; but, it won’t be long until the yellow school busses will be rolling about town again. The children get so many days out of school off and on during the usual school months that they have to make up the time by starting earlier - before summer has even turned into fall. All things considered, I am glad that I don’t have children in school these days. My granddaughter, Kristi is a teacher at the Mangham school and she has some real problems to deal with at times. And, to think that in my childhood days, that was my aspiration - to become a school-teacher. Not now - no way - under any circumstances - even if I were young enough to qualify. No way...Hosea!...no way!

And, that will bring another Outlook effort to a close for one more week. Hope you found something of interest or newsworthy or memorable - whatever. Some weeks just aren’t so newsy or I just don’t get “out and about” as much as I did in my younger days. There’s most likely a “combo” somewhere in all of that.

Birthdays are coming up soon for: Skyler Bennett, Pam Starks and Dolly Bridges on 7/22; for Lynn Smith, Russell Shoemaker and Leah Gilley on 7/23; Dana Townsend, Tut Bolton, James Barham, Kathie Smart, Cindy Hodge, Melda Silk and Michael Anderson on 7/24; Billie Jo Boughton, Monica Hog and Sidney Odom on 7/25; LaVerne Greer on 7/26; Darlene Siscoe, Lillian Hartman, Evelyn Sturgiss, Billy Boren, Sr., Jack Grissom, Windell Robbins and Dr. Chris Morris on 7/27; Burgess Cumpton on 7/28 and for Wade Morgan, Grant Blakeney, Savanna Madison, Rose Mulhern and Jim Berry on 7/29. May all of these birthday folks celebrate their natal day in a most special way and we wish them many more....

It will be a wedding anniversary for Billie Jo and Floyd Bruce Boughton and for Jane and Butch Salsbury on 7/27. May these two couples continue to enjoy wedded bliss for many years to come.

And, that will complete another Outlook effort for one more week. Hope you found something newsy or informative or otherwise interesting somewhere from start to finish. And, may we meet again through this “medium” next week. Until then, Adios....

PARTING THOUGHT: The trouble with losing weight is that you can find it again without even offering a reward.