Prairie Flower

If you're interested in what is new with Leoti's Prairie Flower Quilts, please go to their website at

http://www.prairieflowerquilts.com/



While you are there, you can sign up for their FREE newsletter and sign up for sewing and quilting lessons, etc. You can also see their pictures of new fabrics and all kinds of quilt designs, etc.



Their phone number is 620-375-2044. They are located at 102 S. Indian Road.

Hours:
Mondays: Noon to 8:00 CST
Tuesday through Friday: 10:00 to 6:00
Saturday: 10:00 to 4:00
Closed on Sundays

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Joseph Rodriquez

Joseph Rodriquez, 66, of Deerfield, Ks. passed away on 08-26-09 at Christi-St. Francis in Wichita. He was born on 05/19/1943. He is survived by his wife, Susanna (Hernandez), 3 sons, 2 daughters and 7 grandchildren. Johnnie Rodriquez of Leoti is his brother.

His funeral service was held August 31st in Lakin.

His family requests that memorials be given to Via Christi Regional Medical Center--Burn Unit in Wichita, in care of Garnand Funeral Home, 412 N. Seventh Street, Garden City, Ks. 67846.

Condolences may be emailed to garnandfh@sbcglobal.net

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Question

Anyone who knows us know that our pets are much more like family to us than just pets. Though we believe that each of our "family members" is very special in many different ways, I have to wonder if our Saudy is truly an original or not. I sincerely want to know what you think. Please send a comment to my blog or send me a note at slblaus@gmail.com .



When Abigayle was turning 3-years-old, she asked us for a puppy of her own. Leoti is not a very large town so finding a suitable puppy can be rather difficult at times. In my mind, I wanted her to find a cute little fluffy MALE puppy. Abigayle is like me. She doesn't want to have to wait for anything. Well, I made some calls and found out that Matt and Sara Comfort also of Leoti, had a litter of puppies looking for homes. We went to take a look. Honestly, I have to admit that I was not completely in love with the puppies. They were free which I had no problem with. We're the kind of people who do not believe that only dogs with an expensive pedigree are worth having. We fall in love easily with all breeds including mixed breeds. There were only two things against these puppies. 1. There was only one male and the Comforts were already keeping him. 2. The puppies were anything except fluffy.



I tried to convince Abigayle that we needed to keep looking. No matter what I said, Abi just couldn't hear me. She had already fallen for a short, long-bodied puppy with SHORT hair. To look at her, it was easy to see that she would never be a fluffy ball of fur which I love. The mommy was a dachshound who evidentally wasn't too choosy when it came to selecting the daddy for her babes. He must've been ugly. Though she was cute, her babies were not. For me to say that these puppies were not cute is a major thing. I never thought there was such a thing as a homely puppy until I met these guys.



Since the puppy was to be a birthday gift for our little princess, her own choice of puppies was a must so we took this homely little thing to our van. Once we were in the van, everyone started suggesting names to Abigayle. No matter what name was suggested, Abigayle refused it. She had already decided that her new baby was to be named Saudy. To this day, we have NO idea where in the world she came up with that name but today, we wouldn't change her name even if we could.



Fortunately, our Saudy was smart. Within just a few days, she was completely housebroken. Honestly, I don't think that we have ever had any dog that trained so easily. I am sure that that was one of the many reasons that we fell totally in love with her in a very short time period.



Saudy is almost 5-years-old now and is truthfully my best friend other than Stan. I can tell her anything and she keeps it a secret. Ha! Ha!



Everyone including my mom has great feelings for our little Saudy. She's still not very tall and is even longer than she was when we brought her home. For the first 4 years of her life, she never had any babies. We were convinced that she was barren. However, last summer, she surprised us with 6 little babies of her very own. Honestly, they were not any better looking than their mommy started out. But, they were still just as loving and loveable. We decided to keep one of her puppies. Leighlyn and Abigayle chose Cinderella for her name.



Well, just in the past few months, Saudy has literally become a peace-keeper in our home. Personally, I have NEVER seen anything like it. We have a total of seven 4-legged family members in our family. Occassionally, trouble brews between them. Now, though, whenever two of them start to grumble with each other, she intervenes immediately. She goes to the bigger pet involved and puts her front legs on their shoulders and holds them in place. She won't return all four feet to the floor until all growling and snarling has ended. Once the nastiness ends, she rewards the bigger animal with a thorough ear washing. Seriously, no one has tried to mangle someone else in months now. Have you seen any other dogs do that? I'd really like to know!

Then, yesterday, Leighlyn noticed that Saudy was chewing on her shoestring. She did more investigating and realized that Saudy was ripping a sticker out of it. Once the sticker was out, Saudy jumped up on Leighlyn and kissed her. Has anyone seen something like that before???

Anyway, if you're interested please comment on this in the blog or send me a seperate email. I want to see just how extraordionary our Saudy is!!!

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Adopt a soldier or an entire platoon

Words from an American soldier: "I tell everyone that a letter or package from home is better than a hot meal in the field."

We have no idea how happy we make a soldier who is deployed just by writing him/her a note of praise and saying "We're praying for you."

Right now, we have soldiers on two fronts--Iraq and Afghanistan. If you are able to be a pen pal or to adopt an individual soldier or a platoonof troops, please contact www.adoptaplatoon.org as soon as possible. This would also be a great project for students, churches, clubs, etc. In some cases, you can communicate with your soldier through email.

Right now, THOUSANDS of soldiers are requesting that they be adopted by our citizens who care. On a personal note, our family has done this. It is amazing how much we have gotten out of this.

When you visit the website, you can choose to be a pen pal or to sign up for monthly or holiday care packages that contain such things as gum, candy (no chocolate as it melts), toiletries, a pair of socks and a letter or card. You choose what to send. We can't imagine what these simple things mean to these soldiers who are giving their all to protect us and to bring peace to people in other countries. I hope that you will do this.

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Serious accident --Part 2

Earlier I reported on Jeremy Long's accident. I have more information now. A vehicle ran into the back end of his bicycle and forced him into the back of the vehicle in front of him. He is still in a Boston-area ??? hospital. Originally, an air tube was in his neck. Fortunately, it has been removed now. His jaw is broken so it will continue to be wired shut for a few more weeks At this time, his parents, Todd and Diana (Simons) Long are still with him.

I heard yesterday that he may return to Leoti with them while he recovers.

At this time, that is all that I know.

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Serious Automobile Accident

Last Friday, August 21st, Jeremy Long was involved in a very serious accident. I THINK that he lives in the New York City area.

His parents, Todd and Diana (Simons)Long, flew out to be with him the following day.

If I learn anything new on this, I will post it. Please keep him and his family in your prayers!

Local prayer request

Sherry Brack-Zellner suffered a very dangerous heart attack 2 weeks ago. She is now at her home and is recuperating. Please keep her in your prayers.

Farm Bureau Awards Three Students

Three current students of the Wichita County 6th grade found out last week that the posters that they created last year were winners. Tonight, one of these recipients attended the annual Farm Bureau meeting and claimed her prize. The other two students can claim their prizes from the local Farm Bureau.

Cole Dierks received top honors, followed by Leighlyn Blau and third prize went to Richard Garza.

Leighlyn's prize was just adorable! It is a large Farm Bureau bank FILLED with candy and cute decorations.

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Ron Blau

Stan's brother, Ron, had brain surgery at KU Medical Center but nothing could be done to remove any of his malignant tumor. He was dismissed from the hospital yesterday, August 21st. He went back to their home in Hays.

This morning, he was not acting right when he got out of bed so his wife, Pam, took him to the Hays Medical Center where it was determined that he is having bleeding of the brain. Soon after, he was flown to KU Medical Center.

Please pray for Ron and his family.

At this time, our family is still at home, however, we are prepared to leave at the drop of a hat if we are needed in Kansas City. Fortunately, Ron's two sisters, Sandy and Christine, and his brother, George, live in Manhattan and St. George so they are just an hour away from the medical center. At this time, we understand that they are with Ron and Pam.

If you want to call us, here are our contact numbers:

Home: 620-375-4584
Stan's cellphone: 620-874-0698
Lynn's cellphone: 620-376-8922

slblaus@gmail.com

Ron owned a body shop in Leoti in the 1990s before moving to Hays in 1997. Ron, Pam and their children, Josh and Chelsee, were well-known in Leoti.

Something EVERYONE should know

Many Americans are facing such problems as

1. Recurrent sugar cravings
2. Fatigue
3. Constipation--frequent or off and on
4. Acid reflux
5. Digestive issues (f.e., heartburn, etc)
6. Acne and skin problems
7. Bad breath
8. Frequent flus and colds

Believe it or not, many of these problems are caused by an imbalance of the good and the bad bacterias found in our colon. If left unchecked, they can actually cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Chrohn disease and COLON CANCER. Another effect is malnurtrition. Yes, people inthe United States also suffer from being malnourished. You'll learn more about that later in my article.

These conditions cause the following to occur:

1. Illness
2. Sluggishness
3. Drowsiness

Modern food processing is taking out MUCH of the good bacteria that we need for our colons to work properly as they were intended to do. That is how our malnutrition starts. Therefore, our good colon bacterial is depleted and our bad bacteria takes over causing REAL problems. Recently, you have probably either seen or heard commercials on TV or the radio advertizing colon cleansers. Pharmacists are recommending that people use them to rid their bodies of the toxins that otherwise are not being removed from our bodies. I asked about people with heart issues. The pharmacist who I consulted told me that these cleansers actually help people with heart problems. I want you to know that this is NOT a cure for heart problems. IT IS NOT!!! But, it will help your heart to function better because your body's toxins are being eliminated as they should be. Actually, every one of your body's systems will run much more smoothly.

Cleansing systems are usually consumed by drinking a shake. I was told that Evercleanse is a great cleanser. The pharmacist told me to start taking a probiotic as soon as I finish the cleansing process. However, when I did my research on the internet, I learned that you should actually take your probiotic at the same time so that your good and bad bacterial balance is acheived sooner. Probiotics are taken in pill form normally. Patients usually take one pill once a day. Both the cleansers and the probiotics are purchased at most pharmacies with NO prescription being necessary.

I consulted two nationally known pharmacies in Western Kansas. I found that you should expect to pay anything from $10.00 to $40.00 for the cleansers. Not bad at all if you can have your health restored to your colon which in turn, restores your vitality. Cleansers and probiotics can also be purchased over the internet.

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Death in Marienthal

Jerome (Jack) Wimmer of Marienthal died at St. Catherine's Hospital in Garden City on Wed., August 19th. He was 84-years-old. His vigil will be at 7:30, Friday evening at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Marienthal. Funeral mass will be at 10:30, Saturday morning at the church. Visitation is until 5:30 p.m. today at Price and Sons Funeral Home in Leoti.

Survivors include his wife, Celine (Baker) Wimmer, son, Cary of Garden City, 4 daughters, Jackie Schreibvogel of Holcomb, Nancy Baker, Gail Hunt, both of Marienthal and Celine (Cindy) Govert of Tribune, 15 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

Memorials to the Jerome Wimmer Memorial Fund may be sent in care of the funeral home. Memorials may be sent to www.priceandsons.com

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Pest Precautions and Treatments

Here in our neck of the woods, people are already complaining of having to share their homes with unwelcome guests--MICE and BUGS!!! So, now is the time to gather our defences against them BEFORE they take hold.

I have spoken to people who had to put up with the nasty mice all fall, winter and most of the summer at their houses. Today, I learned of a recently human vacated house in Wichita County. Unfortunately, the people forget to pack their mice to go with them to their new house--or maybe they never planned on taking them with them. Hmm...

First of all, prevention is always the best measure when you don't want mice or bugs. On the exterior of your home, make sure that grass, flowers, etc. are cut short and that dead leaves, etc. are raked away from your home. Mice and bugs use the overgrowth of this as a hiding place. Hopefully, when they do not find a hiding place at your house, they'll move on down the road.

Take a good look around the exterior of your home. If you find any unnecessary cracks, holes such as around dryer vents, fill them up with steel wool, caulk, etc. Use steel wool around any and all pipe that goes in or out of your house. This filling in around your pipes alone will go along way in keeping bugs and mice OUT. Remember that mice and bugs need a gap only as big as a DIME to get into your home. Plus, any size of gap allows drafts and moisture to enter your home. Of course, that is not good either.

Cleanliness goes a long way in the fight against pests. Mice and bugs take cover behind trash and clutter. When bugs and mice cannot find any easily accessible food, they are forced to move on. Any crumbs or liquids left on counters and floors, will only serve to keep your pests around. Flour is a major attraction for bugs and mice. It should be kept inside your refrigerator or in canisters with seals such as Tupperware. Since mice and bugs need water for survival also, make sure that any water leaks are fixed immediately.

Here are some natural and HEALTHY remedies against these varments:

Ant problems? The most common "house ants" are grease and sugar ants. Deter them by sprinkling cayenne pepper or paprica or peppermint leaves across their trails. If you are feeling that they have invaded your house, dust Boric Acid into cracks and crevices with a soft paintbrush. Hardware stores usually sell Boric Acid.

Cockroaches??? Cockroaches are devious little creatures. They've been here for millions of years and there is a reason for their long existence. Their antenae can actually sense chemical pesticides which will cause you a very difficult job of ridding your home of these nasties. The strong scent of SOAP actually repels them so clean, clean, CLEAN! Catnip Oil is a big turn-off for cockroaches. Prepare catnip tea to "serve" to them by mixing 1 tsp. of the oil to 1 quart of water. Place it in a spray bottle and then spray it around baseboards.

Are beetles, weevils and grain moths buggin' you? All that you need to do is place a cinnamon stick or a bay leaf in your flour, pasta or grains. These strong-smelling spices will repel or kill insects without affecting the foods flavor or smell.

If flies are getting to you, go to a hardware store and buy a non-treated sticky flypaper and hang it from your ceilings near exterior doors and it will catch and kill them.

Use great caution whenever you are handling concentrated essential oils. Always wear gloves, long pants, sleeves and a face mask. If you don't want to do that, try MITESOUT!, a cleansing spray that uses neem oil to kill dust mites, a common allergen. Spray it directly on fabrics, mattresses, carpet and other cloth surfaces.

Orange GUARD, a water-based indoor/outdoor insecticide may be used around food, humans and pets since it is made from extractions from orange peel, it works on ants, roaches, fleas and silverfish.

VICTOR POISON-FREE ANT AND ROACH KILLER uses a mint oil and a lecithin formula to help kill soft-bodied insects.

One or two pests are nuisances but if you do nothing to rid them from your home, you are looking at a nasty invasion of your home. Besides being unsightly, they are real health hazards. Chemical pest control can be very dangerous to adults and children.

1. Pyrethrin-based pesticides can effect neurological development, disrupt hormones, intice cancers and suppress the immune system. Pregnant should really be aware of these poisons because they can harm a fetus' developing nervous system. They also cause miscarriages a long time before the mother shows any other signs of being poisoned herself.

2. Roach and Ant pesticides can depress the central nervous system and respiratory tracts and cause muscle weakness, dizziness, headaches and nausea. Research has shown that they are capable of damaging DNA and negatively affect neurological and respiratory health in children. Bottom line: DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!

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Charlie's Restaurant's Changes

Earlier, I reported that Charlie's would be open on Sundays. They have decided against that now. However, they are still open in the evenings and from 11:00 to 1:30 for lunches.

Abigayle's latest comment

About a month ago, our family was out in that terrible hailstorm that hit Wichita County. It was a terrifying experience for our 7-year-old daughter, Abigayle, just as it was for other local children. Since then, she has been more in-touch with our weather. After school today, she went to the computer to check our weather forecast. I was cooking dinner at the time. Since Abigayle is just learning how to read, she relies alot on pictures and symbols. She called out to me that the weather would be SUNNY today and MOONY tonight.

Just thought that you might enjoy a chuckle today!

FOUND in Leoti

A kitten has been found in the parking lot at Dollar General. If you think that this might be yours, please call Jeanette Miller at 620-214-3511 to identify it.

Thank you!

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Great NEW Recipe

Tenderloin Stew

1 Prairie Fresh tenderloin, cut into bite-sized pieces
6-8 potatoes, peeled and chunked
1-16 oz. pkg. of frozen vegetables (your choice of what variety)
2 regular-sized cans of cream of mushroom soup
2 envelopes of dried onion soup mix
1 cup UNCOOKED barley (optional)
1 or 2 soup cans of water

In bottom of crockpot, place your potato chunks. Place meat on top of them followed by the bag of vegetables.

In a seperate medium-sized bowl, combine the concentrated soup and the dried soup mix. Stir well. Gradually, add 1 can of water until thoroughly mixed. If you are going to add barley, this is the time to do it. Add 1 cup of barley and mix well then slowly add another can of water. Pour this soup mix over the ingredients already in the crock pot.

Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. Enjoy!!!

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Wichita County Cons

Beware! Especially if you or someone you love lives in Wichita County.

As you know, a month ago, Leoti was bombarded by HUGE hail. Many people woke the next morning to find out that their automobiles were totalled or at least seriously damaged. House roofs were totalled out. Many windows were broken. Some people are now having to re-side or stucco their homes. During the past month, crews from all over have converged on Leoti to offer their services in repairing this damage. It has been interesting seeing all of the ad signs appearing in yards to advertize who did the restoration work.

Unfortunately, not everyone who has come in to do the repairs is a hero. Some storm victims are being conned by some vendors. I have heard today of one set of homeowners who had just had their roof, etc. repaired to their homeowner's insurance satisfaction as well as their own. Then, the doorbell rang...A man introduced himself as a roofing contractor. He told the homeowners that it was easy to see from the street that they "have" a totally destroyed roof. He then offered to do the work necessary to restore the roof to an excellent state. Of course, his offer was denied.

Years ago, a major hailstorm hit Syracuse, Ks. where my grandmother lived. Ordinarily, my father would have done the roofing but he was battling cancer and just couldn't do it. He did, however, offer his professional advice. Unfortunately, my grandmother took the "best" offer from a fly-by-night outfit. They offered to spray a cure-all chemical on the roof to do all of the repairs necessary. One of the best things about this miraculous chemical was that it could be tinted in any color that my grandmother requested so she chose peach. It was to last for many years. When my father went to visit a week later, he was stunned when he discovered that the chemical was nothing other than peach PAINT!!! By that time, the company had left Syracuse and no one knew where they went. This paint treatment cost my grandmother hundreds of dollars.

Anyway, I am very concerned about elderly people who are often targetted by these unsavory people. If you think that someone might be trying to pull the wool over your eyes or someone else's, please contact City Hall or the Sheriff's Office.

620-375-2341 City Hall
620-375-2723 Sheriff's Office

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Yummy Recipe

This is a real pleaser for EVERYONE! It makes a bunch for groups or you can refrigerate or freeze what is left over. If it is possible, they may even be better once they are re-heated.

BARBEQUED MEATBALLS

3 lbs. hamburger
13 oz. milk--evaporated or regular
2 c. quick oats (not cooked)
2 eggs
1 chopped onion or 3 tablespoons dried onion flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 T. chili powder
2 tsps. salt

Sauce Ingredients:

2 cups catsup
2 c. brown sugar (packed)
2 T. Liquid Smoke (optional)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. minced onion OR 2 tablespoons dried chopped onion

Directions:

Mix all meatball ingredients together. Roll and place into greased baking dish (9" x 13"). Drizzle with sauce. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour. NOTE: This sauce is excellent with pork.

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Swine Flu ShotS, etc. Information

I called our local health depertment this morning to get information on the regular flu and swine flu shots. As of this time, they have received no serum. They are hoping to receive notice soon that the vaccinations are on their way to Wichita County. They order the serum last February.

Normally, they urge people to have their regular flu shots in October however with the very real threat of swine flu, they are going to want people to get them sooner than later. They are expecting that people will need two swine flu shots. They do not expect any shortages of either the regular or the swine flu vaccinations. However, people in select groups will probably receive the first vaccinations. Those groups include pregnant women, people aged 5 through 24 and anyone who has major health issues already, f.e., heart, lung, cancer, compromised immune systems, etc. or people who live with of care for children younger than 6 months of age and health care and emergency personnel. Here in Wichita County, if you have any questions, please call the Wichita County Health Center at 375-2222 or the Health Department, 375-2289.

I think that most Americans are concerned in one way or another about Swine Flu and for good reason. It is expected by government officials that It is believed that as much as 40% of all our population (that would translate into 1.1 million Kansans alone) are going tobe sickened by the H1N1 Virus within the next 2 years. Scary, huh? The Ks. Dept. Of Health and Environment believes that there have already been 10,000 cases in the United States just in the past 4 months based on the federal government's estimations nationwide. Here in Kansas, 281 cases have been detected through blood tests. These numbers will increase in the next weeks and months.

Because of the fact that there are approximately 450,000 students in pulblic schools statewide, it was found that 53% of the reported and confirmed cases were Kansans who were aged 5 through 25. The federal Centers for Disease Control has identified children and young adults as one of the high-priority groups for vaccations.

It has been determined that because of the high amount of children who could become affected by Swine Flu, authorities now believe that nurses should go to the schools to vaccinate all students. Of course, no student would be vaccanated if his/her parents do not sign the consent forms. It is believed that each person would need two shots. Some school districts will begin vaccinations next Wednesday, August 19th.

A statewide health conference has been scheduled for October 21st so that all health officials can discuss what needs to be done in preparation for the influx of the Swine Flu.

In the meantime, EVERYONE needs to practice GOOD hand washing hygiene. Of course, SOAP is a must. In public areas, paper towels or heated air should be provided instead of cloth towels.

In school, students, teachers and staff should put a kleenex between their mouth and their hand whenever sneezing or coughing.

Sick students, teachers and staff should remain home for at least 24 hours AFTER they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever.

Clean all sufaces often where frequent hand contact takes place. F.E., desks, doorknobs, keyboards or pens with a cleaning agent.

In schools, the sick should be moved to a room set aside only for the ill. Then the sick person should wear a surgical mask until they arrive at home with their parents. That includes when going to clinics and/or hospitals.

If a person is exhibiting symptoms of swine flu, they need to receive IMMEDIATE medical evaluation.

Finally, keep up to date on what is going on with your local health officials' updates.

The Center for Disease Control is encouraging EVERYONE to receive both regular and swine flu vaccines. They are expecting the 2009-2010 flu season will be worse than before. Once the first swine flu vaccination is given, the second one should be given 21 days later.

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Shad Mehl's Website

As promised, I found this information for you. I think that you will really enjoy it!

http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=563656994

Enjoy!!!

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LOTS of Wichita County Information

Here are three other local websites that I think that you would enjoy to get you even more updated on our people and events.

Janice and Ellis Rewerts:

http://leoti.info/ AND http://www.wichitacountyfair.com/

Shad Mehl also has a really neat website! I have managed to lose that address. I will find it and post that information for you also.

If you would like for me to add different info to my blog, please let me know. Also, if there are things that you do not like in my blog, PLEASE pass that information on to me also. My humor may not be what others appreciate, etc. You can either leave those comments on my blog or email me at slblaus@gmail.com . I don't want to put information on my blog if people are not interested in it.

Also, if you have information that you want me to include in my blog for others to read, PLEASE send that to me. People would really enjoy getting to know the information that you have to offer!!!

Thank you!

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Additional Leoti Information

Ellis and Janice Rewerts of Leoti have just updated the Leoti website. Please go to the following website:

http://leoti.info/

Check in on a regular basis for continuing information.

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The herd of goats was EVERYWHERE!!!

WARNING: This story should be XXX rated. If you are faint of heart, PLEASE do not read the remainder of this article. If you are NOT faint of heart, please proceed with caution...

Last Monday, we went to a water park in Denver, Colorado. STUPID ME, I forgot to put sunscreen on first. I wound up with the worst sunburn on my back that I have EVER had. It was sooo very painful, especially whenever it was touched by any one or any thing. That included my clothes.

If you are of the female persuasion and you have ever endured a sunburn on your back, you KNOW how a certain female undergarment feels when it presses against your back. OUCH!!! doesn't even come close to describing the pain.

God blessed me with more than an ample bossum. So, I really, REALLY need that particular garment. As long as I was in the privacy of my own home, no problem but whenever I needed to go into the public, well, it wouldn't have been a pretty sight so I elected to stay at home. However, since I am the "sanitary engineer' for the offices at Seaboard Foods, I HAD to leave the privacy of my own home and face the prospect of being in the public eye.

I am allowed to work at any time of the day or night that I choose so since there are fewer people in and out of the offices, breakroom, restrooms, etc. at night, I chose to go out every night at 10:00 to do my magic. It worked! No one ever saw me which meant that they never saw the herd of goats fighting to get out from under my shirt!!! Good news! My burn has really mellowed now which means that I have now been able to corral the goats. Whew!

Please share your "goat" stories or other funnies with me!

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Personal Wants

People would be much happier and might even live longer if they were able to grasp this concept: Want what you already have and not what you don't have.

Albert Einstein's Belief

I read this on a Vietnam soldier's vehicle in Colorado Springs. The ex-soldier drives an old Vega that is almost plastered with very interesting bumper stickers. This was one that really caught my eye. I wish that we would have been stuck in traffic abit longer so that I could have read more.

"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be acheived by understanding."

Randy Applegate

Randy Applegate, a former citizen of Leoti, will be on RAGING PLANET in regards to his 2008 experience with a tornado on I-70 near Quinter, Ks. You can also check out his powerpoint at the following address:

http://randy.applegate.home.att.net

This information is courtesy of Steve Glanville.

Official ticket sales for 2009 Wichita County Fair

Even with the carnival being shut down early 2 nights because of rain, hail and lightening, the Amusement Association still managed to break their ticket sales record. In 2008, they sold 111,736 tickets. In 2009 they sold 115,500 tickets. That is a difference of 3, 764 tickets! Kudos to the Wichita County Amusement Association for your never-ending work to provide a better and better carnival year after year! Our fair wouldn't be the same without you!!!!!!!

Birth Announcement

Its a girl!

Gina and Ryan Mazanec of Marienthal welcomed their first daughter, Joleigh Faith Mazanec, into the world on July 27th, 2009. She weighed 5 pounds-13 ounces and is 19" long.

Proud grandparents are Major and Cheryl Whalen of Leoti and Albin and Geri Mazanec of Marienthal.

Maternal great-grandmother is Evelyn Whalen of Leoti.

Combes-Long Engagement Announcement

David and Sara Combes are pleased to be announcing their daughter, Jenny Lee Combes' engagement to Matthew Wade Long, the son of Todd and Diana Long of Leoti, Ks.

Jenny graduated in 2006 from Marais Des Cygnes Valley High School and will also be graduating from Ks. St. University in Dec. of 2009. She will be receiving a Bachelors degree in Agribusiness.

Matt graduated from the Wichita County High School in 2004. He then graduated in 2008 from Ks. State University with a Bachelors degree in Science Degree in Agriculture.

The paternal grandparents are James and Gloria Long and Robert Simons. All are from Leoti, Ks.

They are planning a November wedding at St. Anthony's Church in Leoti, Ks.

Death in Leoti

I have received additional information on the death of Mrs. Patricia Jane (Janie) Dizmang who passed away at her home on Sunday, August 2nd, 2009. Janie had been married to Charles (Chuck) Dizmang since Oct. 4th, 1954. Janie's maiden name was Lauber and she was born on July 18th, 1938 in Marienthal, Ks. Her gravesite service was held in Tribune on Wednesday, August 5th at the Greeley County Cemetary just south of Tribune, Ks.

Children include Greg Scott Dizmang of Leoti; four daughters, Belinda Gail Bauck of Longmont, Colo; Patricia Ann Harrison of Lakewood, Colo.; Debra Kay Henesey of Jacksonville, Fl.; and Kimberla Sue Kite of Scott City, Ks. Chuck and Janie had 9 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be given to the Leoti EMTS in care of the funeral home, priceandsons.com

E-condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website which is as follows:

priceandsons.com

FOUND

A Chihuahua has been found in Wichita County. Please call 620-214-3180. Please describe the dog and pay for the ad at THE LEOTI STANDARD--620-375-2631.

VLE-B

Hotel Adventure

If you spend much time with our family, you will soon discover that we are merely waiting for another adventure just around the next corner. In other words, we seldom have any dull moments.

Three weeks ago, Stan called a fine hotel in Colorado Springs to set up arrangements for our trip earlier this week. Normally, he calls Hotel.com to do this but we had recently heard that the nation's economic crisis has really put motels/hotels into a tight crunch. Because of this, people are finding out that many times if you call the motel directly, your room rates will be considerably less expensive. The rumors were correct, we got a great deal on our lodging. Our daughters and I were sitting in the same room as Stan when he set up the reservations. We heard him ask the hotel manager if pets were allowed. The manager told him that pets were welcome there.

I guess that I need to back up just a wee bit. A gorgeous Chinese Crested joined our family in April. In case you are not familiar with that breed, I'll give you a brief description. Chinese Cresteds are considered to be hairless although they do have some hair. Our baby, Chloe, has very long hair on the top of her head and down part of her spine. It greatly resembles a horse's mane. Then she has a bit of hair on her legs and a powder puff on the end of her tail. The rest of her body is naked. (Oops! Did I say naked???) Correction, the rest of her body is bare.

Well, Chloe and I are very close. We hardly ever spend any time without each other. That is great except when we do such things as travel. Though the rest of our herd stays home while we are gone, Chloe just cannot be away from us. She becomes EXTREMELY nervous and finicky. Therefore, we were all greatly relieved to know that we could take Chloe with us.

So, Sunday afternoon, we arrive at the hotel. Stan goes into the office to fill out paperwork, etc. My mom, the girls, Chloe and I remain in our van. Stan returns to the van with the room's keys. We then go to our room. After we had a chance to unpack and unwind abit, we leave for one of our favorite restaurants in the area. Since it is cool and comfortable, we decided to take Chloe with us as she can safely and comfortably await us in the van. After we enjoyed our meal, we drove around and then eventually returned to the hotel for the night.

We had to wake up the following morning at 5:00 so that we could head to Denver right away and beat the rush at the courthouse where we needed to pick up Abigayle's birth certificate personally. Before, we had sent a momey order in order for the officials to send the certificate to us. However, they chose to keep the money but never sent the birth certificate. Since we were also planning on spending the day at Water World, we thought that Chloe would be much better off just waiting for us at the hotel.

Chloe was left in the bathroom with a towel and the shirt that I had worn the previous day so that she could be "close to my scent." We also left her a bowl of her favorite food and fresh water that we brought from home for her so that her delicate biological systems didn't have to get "used" to foreign waters. (See how spoiled our Chloe is???)

Anyway, when we returned to the hotel before dinner, we were shocked to find that our room keys no longer allowed us access to our room. We couldn't imagine why we couldn't get in. While the rest of us remained in the hallway next to our room, Stan went to the innkeeper to find out what the problem was.

As soon as he introduced himself to the employees there, he discovered that they were mighty upset with him for leaving an animal in the room when we "had not" notified them that our dog would be traveling with us. As Stan tried to explain to them that he had relayed that information to the manager, they told Stan that they frown on people who leave their pets in rooms with no food and/or water, etc. Stan assured them that Chloe was well taken care of. The employees continued to say harsh things to Stan. They then demanded to enter our room so that they could see how much damage our tiny little Chloe had done. Stan had no problem with that. The only mess that she had made was with a box of kleenexes that were kept in the front of the bathroom vanity. While we were gone, Chloe had ripped each and every one of the kleenexes out and then shredded them all over the floor. When I had seen that, I picked them up and flushed every last shred down the stool. Um...I wouldn't be surprised if their plumbing clogs up somewhere down the line. Wallpaper hung from the celing to the floor. We were very relieved to find that in her temper tantrum, she had refrained from shredding it.

When the employee accompanied Stan to our room and saw for himself that all was in good condition, he relaxed. That was when we found out what had prompted the locking of our door. Other guests had complained of terrible noises coming from our room. As a matter-of-fact, two guests had just come to spend 6 nights at the hotel. The noises were so horrific that they demanded their money back and moved to a different hotel. Eventually, the hotel's employees made the discovery that our little Chloe was responsible for the problem. (Chloe really doesn't bark when she talks. She just has a high-pitched voice that says "Hi, hi, hi, hi" over and over again.

Since then, the employee apologized to Stan and Stan apologized to him for this inconvenience. And, yes, the hotel has agreed to let Chloe return with us another time only then, we will have to stay in a different part of the hotel where pets are much more appreciated.

Our advice to you is that when you check into a hotel, make sure that you remind the employees that you are travelling with a furry friend. It may save you ALOT of trouble somewhere down the line...VLE-B

Danger from last hailstorm in Wichita County

As alot of you already know, Wichita County was hit be a very bad hailstorm three weeks ago. Some hail was LARGER than baseballs!!! Many homes and automobiles received great damage. Our 2001 Buick Century was totalled in the storm.

Some people thought that they had gotten off relatively easy with the storm. However, last week, two ladies were driving in the country when they noticed that they had a little wind noise that seemed to be coming from the windshield but everything looked fine. Just to be on the safe side, they took it to the body shop to have it checked out. They were horrified to learn that their windshield was ready to fall into their laps!!! To the normal person, everything looked fine. Thank God they took it to a professional for his analysis. This may have saved their lives!!!!!!

So, my advice to you is if your vehicle went through that storm, have your vehicle checked even if everything looks fine to you.

VLE-B

New restaurant in Leoti

A special meeting was held at the Wichita County VFW last night, Tuesday. It was called to discuss the possibility of opening a public restaurant in the VFW building. It was determined that there are people who want to provide the money in such a business here. If you are interested in operating a full-service restaurant here, please contact Sharla Droste-Krenzel with the Wichita County Development Committee. She can give you all of the details.

People are sure missing being able to eat breakfast at a sit-down restauant here!

Wichita County Fair

Another fair has come and gone. This one was record-breaking as far as the sale of ride and game tickets are concerned. Many of us have said that there are getting to be more and more strangers at our fair. There is no doubt that our little fair is becoming more and more popular with each passing year. Our little town really swells up for the few days of our fair. All of this poplulairty is credited to our Wichita County Amusement Association volunteers who work MANY hours to set up and run the carnival rides and games and then to tear everything back down again. Many people do not realize that these people work on rides throughout the entire year to perfect them for the next years. Kudos to all of you! They admit that none of this would be possible without the support of the many people who help run these rides, games and to work in the food booths, etc. Many of us work all 4 days of the fair. I am proud of all of us who take precious time out of our schedules to help create a wonderful time for all children and adults who want to join the fun! I doubt if there are many carnivals across the United States who still offer 25 cent rides. Amazing!!!

Three new rides made their debut in our carnival this year. They were the new trucks that people of ALL ages loved either from getting to ride the trucks or just being able to watch the kids in the trucks. Too cute! Then we had the real thrillers--the Paratrooper and the Round-up. The lines to ride them seemed endless at times. Two of the new rides were purchased from the former Joyland Amusement Park in Wichita, Ks. Through the years, vandals had broken them into pieces. Then, along came our Association who brought them to their new home, fixed them, painted them and then set them up for their new life here. It was hard to believe that they had once been ready for the salvage yard. Their previous owner and his wife from Wichita made it to Leoti for the first night of the fair just so that they could see them in operation again. Both of them were overjoyed to see what our people had done for them and to see everyone's eyes light up when it was their turn to ride! And, of course, our other rides were all set up and going also for the fair.

This year, people remarked about the steady lines of people driving from Scott City to our fairgrounds each night. Some Scott Countians even commented that many of them don't even go to their own carnival. They just wait until our fair when the rides are very inexpensive and they know that the ride operators are people whom they can trust to be around their children.

Many former classes had reunions this year. People came from far and near to reunite with one another.

This year, people were disappointed that we had to close the fair down early two different nights because of rain. Everyone was so pleased that we had such mild temperatures though.

Once I know when the 2010 fair will be, I will let you know. In the meantime, I am getting ready to forward some fair pictures to people on my email list. If you would like to receive these pics, please send me a comment or email me at the following address:

slblaus@gmail.com

Who knows? You may even see yourself or someone you love in these pictures!

Have a blessed day!!!

VLE-B

Leoti's BEACHED whale

We went to Denver's Water World, a water park, on Monday. It was an unbelievable place! Honestly, I don't think that you could see, let alone, do, everything in a 2-day period. It was simply amazing!

Even though our family which consisted of my mother, our daughters, Leighlyn and Abigayle, Stan and me were very excited, I have to admit that I was quite apprehensive of people seeing me in my HUGE swimmingsuit. But, as I think about it, maybe my swimming suit was more embarrassed to be seen stretched out all over my HUGE body. Ha! Ha! However, shortly after I made my fashion debut, I was very pleased to see that people didn't seem to care how anyone else looked there. There were people from newborn to people well into their 80s there. There were short people, big people, wide people, narrow people, people with no tattoos, people who had hardly any untattoed skin left, people with body piercings, etc., etc. No matter how you looked, no one seemed to care. What freedom that allows everyone! After seeing how kool everyone was about this, I would recommend anyone and everyone to try this park.

There were a bunch of water slides, at least two wave pools, river rafting, a lazy river ride which everyone could do. You simply sit or lie on a clear plastic innertube and then relax while the water moves you all around a "mountain." It is a very relaxing ride. You can stay there for as long as you want. There are places where you can actually surf!!! I probably don't even know what else is available there. So, if you enjoy water sports, go check this park out. I think that you'll be impressed.

For as much as I enjoyed everything that the park had to offer, I also spent the absolute WORST two minutes of my life there. As we had walked around the park, our family discovered a large wave pool. It looked so kool! Peope from very little babies to people in their 80s were enjoying the pool. Most people were just swimming in the water like normal. A bunch of others had brought in their innertubes and were either sitting or lying on them or had placed their body inside the hole. For a portion of the time, the pool was just like any other pool, but then, a sound was sent out to warn swimmers that the waves were coming in. People cheered with excitement at the prospect of the waves. Earlier, Abigayle and I had set up our innertube on the water and then Abigayle laid on top of it. She had both of her hands tightly woven in the handholds. I was hanging onto the tube also. We were ready or so we thought...

The first wave came through. It was high and strong but not TOO high and strong for us. Each subsequent wave was higher and stronger. At one time, the waves were 7 feet tall! Those are mighty high waves for these Kansas girls.

Keep in mind that there were MANY people in this water. As this water churned around us, we were thrown from one place to another. People were screaming and hollering. It was a thrill deluxe until...my hands were torn off of the tube where Abigayle was. For a few seconds, I was able to see her as she remained on the tube but then, another wave ripped away from her and I was totally underwater. I came up from the water screaming for her but she was absolutely no where to be seen. I cannot tell you the horror that I felt when I found our empty tube,. To complicate matters even more, the waves kept coming at us harder and harder. People came to me whenever it was possible to see what was wrong. I would tell them that my little girl was lost. I would describe her but no one had seen her. People began frantically helping me search for her. The whole while, many more waves took us under and over, etc., etc., etc. Finally, one of the searchers asked me if that little girl on the beach was mine. It was! Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!! Some man had rescued her from the waves and took her to the beach. I wish that I had known what man had done this. He was an absoulte hero in our world that day. We'll never forget what he did for our little darling!!!

Later, after everything had calmed down for all of us, I returned to the wave pool. ALONE, this time so that I didn't have to worry about anyone else. I didn't bring my tube either. I was ready to take these waves on all by myself. Or so, I thought...

On the edges of this very large pool are some handles which look much more like toilet paper rollers. The squimmish are invited to hold on to these to be secure against the waves. Shoot! In my opinion, if you're frightened by these waves, maybe you should stay on the beach instead...

I survived the first set of waves fairly decently. I can't say that I was proud of how I fared but at the same time, I wasn't embarrassed by how I did. After these waves had done "their toll", I stayed in the pool just taking a breather while the waves were on break. These breathers seem miraculous to the wave hoppers because the swimmers spend soooo much time under the water. When a person is swimming in a regular pool or other body of water, he/she can usually come up for air whenever he/she wants to. But, when a person is in a wave pool, he/she no longer has that option. Not only do the waves keep you under, but the other swimmers are being tossed all around also. Sometimes, they are tossed right on top of you, burying you even deeper in the water. There are points in time,when you don't know if you will survive what the water is dishing out to you. I guess that those times make your thrills just that much deeper.

After the waves' breaktime was over, I thought that I was ready for more. I told myself, that with each new experience, I would become better and better. Given the fact that I have never even been mediocor let alone good in any sport, I wanted to be able to "conquer" these waves. So, the machine let out the warning siren for people to ready themselves. I was standing up as straight and tall as I could. I took a couple of deep breaths. People closer to the wave machine began to scream in joy as the first wave was dispatched. Once again, the tossing of people and tubes began. More people screamed as the waves approached closer to us, casting even more people into the air. I soon realized that I was NOT ready for these waves after all. I tried to scurry off towards the beach as fast as any one my size could. Ha! Ha! Then, it happened. Someone who weighed about as much as I did, was thrown on top of my foot. Ouch! While that foot was being kept in place, the rest of my body just sank into the water. Then, the water totally engulfed me once again. For some reason, whoever was also standing on my poor little foot, just seemed to stay there.! My feet have plenty of weight to support with just me on top of them, let alone someone else my same size... Over and over, the waves came over me. I was hardly ever able to secure a breath. To make matters even worse, people around me began to notice that I was "in distress." They started to come over to try to rescue me. They would give me a hand to try to help me stand but once again, another wave came in and forced me further and further away. Eventually, I realized that I should just give up and let the waves win. Each wave pushed me further onto the beach. Of course, it also meant that the water was getting shallower with each wave. Therefore, securing air was easier and easier. I can only imagine how I looked to spectators. Yeah, the fat lady who couldn't get up was starting to get more and more attention from people in the water as well as from people who were not in the water. I was too embarrassed to look up at the sky but I'll just bet that local news crews were sent up in helicoptors to record the whole beached whale at Water World story. So, if you keep your eyes open, you'll probably see the whole story on news channels or on Utube.

A simple or not-so-simple question for you

Monday, August 3rd, we took our daughters to Denver's Water World, a great water park. When we first got there, I observed a lesbian couple. Yes, Lori, I KNOW that they were gay. It was QUITE evident.

Later in the day, I took Abigayle to the ladies room. Of course, there was a line waiting for the next available stool-it as Abigayle calls it. We were right in line behind one of the ladies from this couple. I spoke with her while we were in the waiting line. She was quite nice. However, I had a really strange feeling about it. Whenever women passed us by on their way out of the restroom, she would "check each one out" so to speak.

So, my question is, should lesbians be allowed to use the laides' room or should they use the men's room? If so, then gay men should use the ladies' room. Right???