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Thursday, May 17, 2012
Not seeing it does not mean it is not so (05/15/12)
A number of years ago, my ex-husband's mother died. This in itself was not unusual, although she was fairly young, in her early 60s. What was notable was that it was only two days before she passed, after she had been in a coma for weeks, when she was finally diagnosed with something she knew she had for most of her life: Lupus.
Book Review: "The Affair" (05/08/12)
Sometimes going back to the very beginning is the best way to move forward, and this latest paperback by Lee Child does that very thing times two.
Elections should be more than an inconvenience (05/01/12)
I was disappointed Saturday to see the very small number of Mississippi County residents who came out to meet and greet our candidates for the upcoming elections for the offices of state and U.S. representative, among others.
A few random springtime musings (04/24/12)
Well, the prom was all the rage on Facebook this weekend. So I got to see the children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews of all my Facebook friends as they headed out to prom this weekend.
Book review: "Escape from Botany Bay" (04/17/12)
Did you ever pick up a book almost as an after-thought and find it is one of the best reading experiences you have ever had? This was the case for me with a children's non-fiction work I stumbled across by accident, while researching something else.
The continuing search for Amelia Earhart (04/10/12)
On May 20, 1937, America's darling, Amelia Earhart, began what was to be her last monumental feat in a lifetime of such achievements.
It's not your grandmother's Red Cross (04/03/12)
Are ya bored? Well, are ya? Then have I got just the thing for you, to rid yourself of those springtime doldrums and let you do something important for your community.
Space: It is still the final frontier (03/27/12)
For those of us who are passionate or even just sort of interested in outer space, science, science fiction and what new wonders and discoveries await us in the future, this has been an extraordinary month.
Book Review: "Beyond 2012 The Omega Point" (03/20/12)
There are some authors out there who just write good books, and Whitley Strieber, author of "Beyond 2012 The Omega Point" is one of them.
Grandma, where do U.S. presidents come from? (03/13/12)
I think it would be fair to say that I am a political junky and a history geek. This past three months or so, however, have been a little more entertaining than most.
"When the world and I were young ..."
 (03/06/12)
For the last couple of years before my dad died at the age of 83, he would say, usually out of the blue, "I don't have any friends anymore. They all died!"
By the light of the silvery moon (02/28/12)
Since man first appeared on Earth, we have been mesmerized by and obsessed about the moon. Oh, the sun was worshipped as a greater "god" by the ancients, but the moon has always held a special place in our hearts for many different reasons.
Taking a stab at book reviews (02/21/12)
One of the things I enjoyed most but did not have many opportunities to do as a reporter with the Courier News was the book reviews.
St. Jude: The absolute gift of love (02/14/12)
Once upon a time in America, there was a young, struggling actor whose wife had a baby. The actor did not have enough money to pay the hospital to bring his wife and baby home, so being a devout Catholic, he went to church and prayed to St. Jude Thaddeus for guidance.
Blytheville loses a great animal rights crusader (02/07/12)
Blytheville has a number of wonderful nonprofit and community service organizations, and all of them depend on their dedicated volunteers to do the good work of this area. This week, we lost one of the best.
PIPA and SOPA: What all the fuss was about (01/31/12)
Toward the end of 2011, with millions of people still unemployed or underemployed, the threat of rising taxes being faced by middle and lower middle income families, and skyrocketing costs on everything from food to medicines to gasoline, our elected officials in Washington used their last weeks before the holiday break to put together two pieces of legislation and try to get them pushed through.
A couple of mixed-bag weeks (01/24/12)
The last couple of weeks have been a mixed bag of extremely good and extremely bad things, with a few oddities scattered in just for good measure.
Time to make some turkey soup (01/17/12)
Everybody always talks about depression rates climbing during the holidays. However, it is this time of the year when I find myself, at times, literally bored out of my mind.
A question from the grandkids (01/10/12)
As I was riding down the road with my grandkids earlier this week, one of them asked me a really interesting question. Actually, the 4-year-old asked the 8-year-old, who answered, and then an argument ensued which Grandma had to settle.
Vietnam veterans still fighting the effects of herbicides (01/03/12)
Those of you who attended the Mississippi County Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 at the county courthouse in Blytheville heard a very informative and well presented talk by Mike Freligh on the plight of our nation's service men and women.
Time to make those New Year's resolutions (12/28/11)
Well, here we are, at the beginning of another year, at least according to the Roman calendar. Most ancient civilizations use the winter solstice (northern hemisphere)/summer solstice (southern hemisphere) on Dec. 21 as the beginning of their year, including the ancient Mayans, but that is a topic for another column...
Here we come a-caroling (12/20/11)
I truly hope all of you are having a great Christmas season, and of course that Santa brings you everything on your list.
Remember the children at Christmas (12/13/11)
Steve and I are not big partiers. As a matter of fact, we don't stay up until midnight on Dec. 31; we watch fireworks from our own back yard on July 4; and one of our biggest joys is passing out candy on our own porch on Halloween, just us and maybe a grandkid or two.
Take time to remember the fallen (12/06/11)
Dec. 7 marks a very solemn anniversary in the history of our country, and I think it would be appropriate for all of us to pause in our shopping, baking and decorating activities for just a few minutes in remembrance.
German shepherds, healthy grandkids and other blessings (11/30/11)
I hope you and yours had a blessed Thanksgiving, and that you were able to spend at least a part of it with family and friends.
The wind made me do it (11/15/11)
I had intended to do something on part of the wonderful address presented at the Mississippi County Veterans Day Ceremony at the courthouse Friday, but that was going to involve some research.
Butterflies are back ... and other things (11/08/11)
Over the past few weeks I have enjoyed my twice daily walks around our yard more than usual because of the reappearance en masse of an old favorite.
Nosy neighbors mean a safe neighborhood (11/01/11)
I received an email from a reader this week concerning the dog issue in Blytheville. So I did a little checking and have some information to pass along. However, one issue temporarily solved does not settle the whole problem.
Safety is important during the fall months (10/25/11)
All of you who read my columns know that this time of year, with the temperatures cooling and the garden finally producing, all the flowers blooming, the cotton pickers working in the fields, and the holidays about to start, is my very favorite time of year.
Hummingbirds: Little warriors of the air (10/18/11)
Those of us who plant a lot of flowers for the purpose of sitting outside and enjoying the brilliant colors and the wonderful scents usually plant at least one good big patch of flowers within sight of our favorite lawn chair or porch swing that will attract hummingbirds.
The Boo Pooh: A sure sign the holidays have arrived (10/11/11)
Well, we did not make it to the first of October, not even close. One day about two weeks into the month of September, I walked out the back door -- and there it was. Laying on the porch swing. The Boo Pooh.
United Way: more than just a funding agency (10/04/11)
As most of you probably know by now, the United Way of Greater Blytheville-hosted 31rst Annual Championship Chili Cookoff takes place Saturday, Oct. 15.
Another worthy cause in need of help (09/27/11)
Throughout the next few months I am probably going to be passing along information about various local organizations which do great work in our community and that need the help of the community to continue those efforts.
Thank your lucky stars and open your wallets (09/20/11)
We are so lucky as a community to still have a local chapter of the American Red Cross.
A little excitement on a Friday night (09/13/11)
When you live in the country, and I have lived in the country most of my life, things go on pretty well on an even keel most days.
Significant bits and pieces (09/06/11)
Today is the day after Labor Day, and since grandmas deserve to have some time off for the holiday as well, I did not do any research and am not writing a long-winded column about bugs or patriots or any other such thing.
These are a few of my favorite, uh ... things (08/30/11)
Yes, there is a photo of a very ugly bug inserted into this column, and I am going to explain that fact in just a moment.
Participation is the key to a successful county fair (08/23/11)
While you are reading this on Tuesday, I am actually writing it on Sunday, one day before I will find out what, if anything, I will have to enter in the exhibits at this year's Mississippi County Fair.
Not all elected officials were meant to be paid (08/16/11)
Our founding fathers, back in the mid-1700s, were an interesting and entirely dedicated group of fellows. They were a mishmash of societal groups, from cobblers and handymen to lawyers, doctors, pastors and bankers.
Blessings can come in all sizes (08/09/11)
When you really think about it, everything we have, everything we experience, everything that exists around us is a blessing.
Local horse shows provide good family entertainment (08/01/11)
This column falls under the category "For those who say there is nothing for kids to do in Blytheville." That statement is, of course, about as false as it can be.
Everybody deserves to have a forum (07/26/11)
There has been so much happening this week, it was really hard to pick one topic for a column. After looking at all the things about which I was receiving emails and other communications, I decided to come out in defense of Fox News Network.
Vacation Bible School more than just summer fun (07/18/11)
The grandkids were here this weekend -- Leah, Scott and Amy -- to attend vacation Bible school at the First Christian (Disciples of Christ) Church. And I think it is safe to say a great time was had by all.
It's time we ratified the Equal Rights Amendment (07/11/11)
You are a woman of a certain age, and you have worked at the same job for most of your adult life. You have a great health plan, and a good retirement plan, and only a few years to go before you can retire on that plan.
Everything changes, including food pyramid (07/07/11)
I hope everyone enjoyed their Independence Day. We certainly did. For those of you who don't know, July 4 is our anniversary. That means no matter where we are on our anniversary, they put on a fireworks display in our honor. This year we had the grandkids to celebrate with us. We swam in the pool, had watergun fights in the yard, shot off fireworks (we live out in the county), and of course barbecued as did, I am sure, most of you...
The information is there, you just have to read it (06/27/11)
For the vast majority of you who read this column each week, it may come as a surprise that, along with four of my colleagues, I was part of an online popularity contest run by the Courier News on its website last week.
Father's Day was a time for reflection (06/21/11)
Though you are reading this column on Tuesday, I am writing it on Sunday, Father's Day. In our household, the day was one more of reflection than celebration, as both of our fathers have passed from this life.
Today we honor our nation's flag (06/14/11)
Today is Flag Day, June 14, a day set aside to honor the symbol of our nation. As with many aspects of American history, there is a good deal of speculation as to the exact origins.
Listen my children and you shall hear (06/06/11)
OK, so Henry Wadsworth Longfellow took a great deal of poetic license when writing that famous poem we all had to memorize in grade school about the ride of Revolutionary War hero Paul Revere.
Lions and tigers and ... beer (06/01/11)
Boy, if there ever was a week where it would have been appropriate to use the old exclamation from the Wizard of Oz, "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" this would have been the one.
Birds, bugs and the end of days (05/23/11)
The first sure sign that we are well into the spring season around our house is the arrival of baby birds of all types, colors and sizes.
Something good, something bad and something bittersweet (05/16/11)
This has been a week (and a half) of extremes for us. Ups and downs are part of life, but it seems this week we lost our center altogether. Strange how that happens, and when it does, it comes in bunches.
It's only farmland, right? (05/09/11)
Those of us along the mid-Mississippi River valley are still watching the big muddy, even as its crest passes this week. It has been near or possibly even at record-high levels.
The swamp shall rise again ... (05/02/11)
It is an old and very true saying that nature will always take back her own, and we are getting a big taste of that here in northeast Arkansas.
It's a high tech jungle out there (04/26/11)
Doesn't it just seem that the more we learn about technology, the more enslaved we become by that technology?
Gardening season well under way (04/19/11)
Well, we just came in from planting two new and already flowering grape vines in the garden. They were actually replacements for the one we lost last summer. Of all the more or less permanent features of my garden, I really did not expect to lose a grape vine to drought.
Education should prepare children for life (04/12/11)
In his column of this past week, Andy Weld spoke of the importance of public education, and the additional importance of support of that institution by the entire community.
America's roots lie with Liberty Tree (04/04/11)
This week I am doing a rundown of one of the first icons of this country's struggle for independence: the Liberty Tree.
The Sons of Liberty (03/28/11)
As a child growing up with the very new technology of television, one of the weekly shows I remember vividly was the Wonderful World of Disney.
Disasters closer to home have been overshadowed (03/22/11)
Once again, the turning of events around the world have kept us glued to our televisions or Internet news services this week.
Do you have your disaster kit ready yet? (03/14/11)
There is just no sense in pussy-footing around this issue, so I am going to ask a couple of questions right off. Do you have your disaster supply kit ready yet? How about your disaster plan?
Taking baby steps in a vanishing art (03/08/11)
With the closing down of Borders Book Stores, I think we are all beginning to accept a harsh reality -- nobody reads anymore.
Spring has sprung, the fairy hats are blooming (03/01/11)
Although spring does not officially begin until the spring, or vernal, equinox on March 20, meteorologists and a whole lot of us crusty old gardeners consider March first the beginning of the spring season.
It's enough to make an old hippie proud (02/21/11)
For those of us who are part of what is called the Baby Boomer generation, all the protesting and civil disobedience currently taking place both in this country and around the world should be bringing back a lot of memories.
Once again, my column is for the birds (02/14/11)
Well, it seems spring has finally arrived. One way or another, all of us are finding ways to do something outside our homes and offices for at least a small period of time each day.
The best valentine you can give yourself (02/07/11)
Valentine's Day is just a few days away. But while you are rushing around trying to find the perfect token of affection for those you love, why not consider giving yourself a gift as well.
Teeth: The stuff you don't know (01/31/11)
By the time humans reach my age, which is by the way older than dirt, we are very conscious of the condition of our teeth. Unfortunately, by this time we have all usually done so much damage to those underrated and under maintained parts of our anatomy there is not much that can be done to reverse it.
The power of prayer becomes the power to heal (01/25/11)
No one should ever have to deal with the loss of a child. Unless you have experienced this devastating loss, you cannot understand how much of your own life is lost with that one event.
What is it with Arkansas and birds? (01/10/11)
During my 10 years as a reporter for the Courier News, there were numerous stories about Arkansas that went national, and if Twitter or Facebook had been "born" back then would probably have gone viral as well. And almost all of those stories had something to do with birds.
A new year means a new garden plan (01/03/11)
One of the surest signs of the start of a new year at our house is the arrival of the latest edition of the Old Farmer's Almanac.
Pat Ivey
Ivey is a former staff writer of the Courier News. Her website is at www.plenbooks.com.
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