Thank you, MM!!!

We have been unable to mow our yard for a month due to our lawnmower not working. Stan, who can normally fix a dead dog, could not repair it. As you can imagine, our yard was turning into a JUNGLE! Tonight, our good friend, M.M., dropped by. He took a quick look at it, did a little of this and a little bit of that, and before we knew it, Matt had it running better than it had for the last year! We are convinced more than ever before that M.M. stands for Master Mind!!!

Thank you SOOOOOOOO much, Matt!!!!!!!

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H.C.--J.L. Property Care

Two young men have started a summer business, etc. One is Hunter Carson, the son of Rob Carson and Lona Sue (Elder) Carson. Hunter and Joseph want you to to know that they are available to do the following work in Wichita, Kearney, Scott and Finney Counties. They will also work in other areas in Southwest Kansas.

Landscaping

Mowing

Lawn Care

Bush/Tree Removal

Bush/Tree Planting

And MUCH More.

To set up an appointment, please call Hunter at 620.214.2162.

Thank you!!!

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Tribune--Movie--of--the--Weekend

SOMETHING BORROWED will be shown at the Star Theatre in Tribune on Saturday and Sunday, June 4th and 5th. Each movie will begin at 8:30 CST. Other details will follow the synopsis.

Synopsis: Rachel is a talented attorney at a top New York law firm, a generous and loyal friend and, unhappily, still single as her engaged best friend, Darcy, is constantly reminding her. But after one drink too many at her 30th birthday party, perpetual good girl Rachel unexpectedly ends up in bed with the guy she's had a crush on since law school, Dex, who just happens to be Darcy's fiance...

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance and Adaptation

Running Time: 1 hr. 43 min.

Release Date: May 6th, 2011 (wide)

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue, and some drug material.

Distributors: Warner Bros. Pictures

Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, Colin Egglesfield, John Krasinski, Steve Howey

Directed by: Luke Greenfield

Produced by: Hilary Swank, Molly Smith, Aaron Lubin

Tickets
Birth through 3-year-olds: F--R--E--E
4 through 12-year-olds: $4.00
Adults, 13 and older: $5.00

All refreshments are always very fairly priced also.

At this time, I do not know what movie will be playing on Saturday and Sunday, June 11th and 12th. Once I have that information, I will post it.

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Just an Observation

Abigayle and I just returned from a trip to the Leoti Cemetary. I was shocked at the difference between today's cemetary and that of the cemetary in recent years. In other years, M-A-N-Y flowers, both fresh and not-so-fresh, were laid at the graves of loved ones. People came from far and wide to honor their loved ones who have gone before them. This year, in comparison to other years, VERY few memorial gifts were left. We saw no headstones that were covered by flowers today. As a matter-of-fact, many of the graves had not one flower anywhere near them.

I am confident that the reason for this is the high cost of gasoline. Many of us only felt like we could afford to put out flowers on graves that are located nearby.

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Domestic Violence

Be a survivor--not a victim.

Call 1.800.275.0535.

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Want-to-Buy

In recent years, people who have owned garden ponds are now closing them down for various reasons. We are not closing ours down but we are needing supplies from people who may have decided to shut their's down. Right now, we are in need of a water pump and rock. If you have any of these and would want to sell them, please email us at slblaus@gmail.com or call us at 620.375.4584. If you have any other pond supplies that you want to sell, please let us know.

Thank you!!!

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An Extra Digit

Towards the top of my blog, you will see a small box with numbers in it. When I first began writing my blog, we started out with single digits in it. Everytime that someone types in www.lynnblau.blogspot.com so that they can view my blog, the counter adds a new number. For instance, if the counter showed 10, 151 when you first went on to my blog, and it shows 10, 154 when you are ready to exit my writings, it means that after you came to my blog just now, three more people followed you in.

Well, as of Sunday, over 100,000 people have signed in to view what I have written since I first started my blog in late 2009. I am TOTALLY shcoked that anyone would be interested in reading any of my ramblings!!! I thank each of you for joining me here whenever you have had the chance!

I never even knew what a blog was until late 2009. For the year or so earlier, I had sent out email to people on my email list whenever something of interest in Wichita County sprang up that I thought others would enjoy. Some appreciated it. Others did not. I had just sent out one of these email to a bunch of people from Wichita County. A former classmate of mine fired back a response to me. She told me that she was not interested in Wichita County happenings anymore. She also pointed out that she would have no problem banning any email from me to her account. To say that I was shook up would be an out and out minimalization to how I really felt! LOL!!! She suggested that I start a blog so that only interested people would see what I had to write. I was devastated.

Immediately, I called my sister, Lori, so that I could cry on her shoulder. Lori is VERY literate when it comes to computers, etc. She thought that a blog was just what I needed so she signed me up for one! That is how my 'Read All About It' was born. I learned later that Lori had assumed that only she and I would be the ones who would read it. I never thought anyone outside of our family would be interested in it.

Now, it is read throughout the world by people who have never even met me. Through its duration, I have gotten to meet some of the VERY BEST people that our world has to offer!!!

I just want to thank all of you who come in to check out what I have added recently to my blog! You make a REAL difference in my life...

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Lee Richardsom Zoo in Garden City

Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Whether you want to walk through the zoo or drive in a vehicle, you will not be allowed in after 6:30. These hours remain in effect through Labor Day.

Pedestrians and member vehicles are always admitted FREE. Any non-member vehicles who enter the zoo after 10:00 a.m., will have to pay $10.00 for the entire day. If you are interested in becoming a member, talk with employees of the zoo's hospitality house or the people who run the front gate.

You deserve to come and check out the zoo. Through the past several years, an AMAZING re-do of the zoo has been done. It is G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S!!!

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Bluegrass Music Festival

will be held at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Dighton this Saturday, June 4th. Come one! Come all! Don't forget to bring your lawnchairs. You'll need 'em! The festival will last from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. All times are based on central standard time. The festival will be held inside a large tent so people should be shielded from the wind and sun. Some groups that you will be hearing are Back Road Bluegrass, Born in a Barn, The Greenhorns and Irsik Brothers.

Food, drinks, etc can be purchased at the festival. On Friday evening, a potluck and jam session will be held. Bring your covered dish. The festivities begin at 7:00 CST.

Tickets will cost everyone, 16 and older, $10.00 each. Everyone 15 and younger get in F-R-E-E.

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Yesterday

Yesterday was such a dreadful day for anyone who lived in Western Kansas. We were bombarded by very hot and dry winds all day and most of the evening. The warning predicted that they would last until 8:00 p.m., CST. They slowed down to a heavy breeze by 8:00 but THEN, they sped right back up again. It is gorgeous outside today. There is hardly a breeze. Don't be fooled by that though. More strong winds are on the agenda for tomorrow's weather.

For people like us who have planted flowers and grasses in our gardens, we are having a terrible time keeping everything wet enough. I strongly recommend that if you have not already spread mulch out over your flower gardens, you should probably do that NOW. I think that that is the only way our gardens will stand a chance of survival this summer.

More importantly than our flower gardens, are the crops in our area. The dry land crops have had a MAJOR struggle just to stay alive this year. Our 2" rain helped out tremendously last week but we still need more. I don't pretend to be a farmer. My grandparents and all but one of my 7 uncles were. I remember them saying at wheat harvest time that the hot winds would help to mature the wheat to get it ready for harvest. On the weather last week, a meteorologist said that the temperatures and wind that we normally have in July have already arrived. I just wonder if they may be instrumental in putting the final coffin in our area's wheat crop.

People from all around this planet of ours rely on our wheat for their food. Everyone in Western Kansas is basically dependant on our wheat either directly or indirectly. Most of our farmers will tell you that their crops are their livelihood. If they burn up and blow away, they have no money coming in. This drought that we have had now for so many years has already ruined many crops in our area. Our farmers cannot afford any more of this.

When the farmers have no money coming in, they have no money to spend elsewhere, plainly and simply. That means that our local businesses suffer. Everything from automobile dealerships right down to the grocery stores pay the price.

I can already hear some of you snickering because we ALL know that the farmers can purchase crop insurance to safeguard their income. Yes and no. Have you priced out this insurance lately? It is ASTRONOMICAL! Given the fact that many, if not all, of our farmers have had to struggle for so many years, many no longer have the funds to purchase this safeguard. Through the past 5 or so years, many of the crop insurance companies have been forced into bankruptsy and demise because of all of the payments that they had to put out.

They are not the only ones who were destroyed by our drought. So have many family farms. Farms that were owned and survived for many generations, have had to haul their last truckload of grain to the elevator.

Each and every one of us who live in these drought-ridden areas and the ones who do not live out here, need to be praying for the much-needed moisture here. Whether or not you live in Kansas, you probably buy bread, tortillas, cake mixes, crackers, etc that are made of Kansas wheat. When we have poor yields of wheat, you get poorer every time that you walk into the grocery store and buy one of these items. Your price goes up big time.

On behalf of everyone in our drought areas, I thank you for your prayers.

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Veterans

Thank you, J, for sharing this with us!!!

I am only TOO proud to post this here! Daddy, Pat D. Elder, and all 5 of his brothers, Leroy (Buck)Elder, Ellsworth (Red) Elder, Frank Elder, Richard (Dick) Elder and Lewis Elder, who so willingly joined the armed forces during war times have made me soooo proud to be in their family! Mama's brother, my dearest Uncle LaVere Pepper, also went in and did his service for our country. Thank you, one and all!!!

It is the
VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the
VETERAN who
salutes the Flag,

It is
the
VETERAN
who serves
under the Flag,

ETERNAL
REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON
THEM.

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How YOU Can Save $$$ Every Time That You Shop for Groceries

Thank you, L, for sharing this with us!!!

Keep in mind that supermarkets know how you operate and seek to exploit your vulnerability when you walk in the door! Make sure that before you leave home or the office that you make a list of the items that you need NOW. Once you get to the grocery store, stick to your list!!! By doing sos, you WILL save money. VLE-B

Here is a list of how to avoid supermarket's costly seductions:

1. Conquering the Entrance: Whenever you first walk into the store you're always bombarded with holiday specials, seasonal knickknacks, DVDs, or select sale items. Before diving into that mess of temptation and "deals" - evaluate. Do you need it? Surviving the entrance is just the first step. Think of yourself as Indiana Jones escaping a maze of booby traps.

2. Oh - Sale! BUT WAIT: The sales and specials will go beyond the entrance. They extend throughout the entire store. Especially those that have their own frequent customer cards. If it's not on the list, always ask yourself the same question: do you need it?

3. The Store's Personal Brand is Always Cheaper... Or is It?: Not so fast! Examine all your options! And do you have coupons? Brand names have to constantly compete and lower prices to go against the store's label, and more often than you might realize, brand names can be cheaper than the store! Check the price per ounce and do some comparison shopping. Phew, another close call!

4. Produce Doesn't Need to be Bought in Bulk: What most shoppers don't realize, is that produce brings in the highest profit margins for grocery stores. And that's typically the first department you wander into inducing shoppers to buy more produce than they probably need. It's good to eat your fruits and veggies, but buy what you need and leave the rest. If it's cheaper to buy a pre-made bag of potatoes than the bulk potatoes, but you only need 2 taters, in the long run, it's cheaper to pay for only what you need then to have those potatoes growing eyes in your pantry.

5. Let's Make a Deal: It's really easy and so rewarding! First, look for coupons and look out for double, even triple, coupon weeks! You will save an incredible amount and beat the system if you can manage coupons and be aware of sales before walking in. If you can buy an item you always need (say canned tomatoes) with coupons that are doubled or tripled, by all means, stock up! This is where penny pinching is fun.

6. Sale or No Sale: Sometimes a coupon and a store's promise to double or triple it doesn't mean you should buy it. Any junk food, even if it is only going to cost pennies on the dollar is not worth it. Don't get caught up in saving for the sake of saving. The food you buy and bring home will end up in someone's belly. Ask yourself if the food has quality nutrition before you buy. It's not worth it otherwise.

Go test the grocery store waters and see how skillfully you can avoid those trap doors when you enter armed with your list!

This list was compiled by C.N.C. Leanne Ely.

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Be Extra Careful

I just want to remind everyone out here in Western Kansas that we need to be very aware of the deer population that live near roads and highways. I recommend that we drive at nights with our high beamed headlights turned "ON". For the past couple of months, I have noticed a bunch of dead deer in the ditches. I am sure that no more deer are dying due to impacts with automobiles than before. We just notice it more now since State cutbacks have gone in to effect. No more do we have Kansas State employees out there whose sole job is to pick up the dead bodies from the road ditches and haul them off. Now, we are dependant upon wildlife and time to decompose these bodies.

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Leoti Cemetary

For awhile now, evergreen bushes and trees have begun covering headstones. Don and Carolyn Waldren, the County Cemetary maintenance people, have been doing whatever they could to trim these back wherever there were problems.

This past Spring, they really did a major cutting back at the Leoti Cemetary. I just want to thank them for all of the extra work that they put into this project. Honestly, I don't know how in the world they had enough time to trim all of the low growing trees and bushes!!! There are a lot of them out there!!! We also need to take into consideration that in addition to the tree work, they also had to mow ALL of the Wichita County cemetaries to have them all looking pristine.

Don and Carolyn are also responsible for most of the maintenance work that is done at the courthouse and all of the yard maintenance at the courthouse as well as the sheriff's office. They have a tremendous workload during the spring and summer months. Though they love their jobs and would never complain, we still need to remember to thank tham for all that they do. Thank yous and compliments go a very long way and never cost us a penny.

Thank you, Don and Carolyn!!! This family appreciates all that you do for our county!!!

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More Wind

The wind has been just terrible all Spring long. Tree branches have been falling all over town. A good portion of Leoti's wooden fences are not strong enough to stand up to the wind. They have broken and fallen to the ground. Shingles are flying off of the roofs. And now, the wind has gone to work on newly planted flowering and vegetable plants. If you have just planted gardens and/or new shrubs and trees, you'll probably need to water them very well in the mornings and in the evenings. Otherwise, they will probably die. I have heard that by the end of this week, 100 degree temperatures will make their appearance in Western Kansas. If that is the case, chances are that you may need to water more often.

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My Accident at Home

We had a great day yesterday! Stan's younger brother, George, and his wife, Shelley, came to spend the day with us. Most of the day was spent getting caught up with one another. Given the fact that we all enjoy food, we decided to have some barbequed ribs for dinner. We are once again having problems with our central air unit. Since it was very warm outside, it was even warmer inside. Cooking anything in the kitchen was going to add to the heat in here that we alreay had. Stan and George decided to run downtown and pick up some chips and pork and beans. While they were gone, Shelley and I kept an eye on the ribs cooking outside.

Our grill is located on our deck which is attached to our dining room. To get to it, we just had to walk out of our french doors. No problem. Right? Well, the answer is yes AND no. Going to the grill, I noticed that one of the boards "dipped" a little as we walked on it. Coming back into the house, I stepped on the same board. This time, the board BROKE! I was a goner!!! My right side from my toes to just below my hip disappeared below the deck. You talk about pain being involved, it was.

Everything happened so quickly that I was basically in a state of shock. I looked up and there was my hero, Stan. He stepped over me so that he could asess the situation. By the looks on his and George's faces, I could tell things were even worse than I thought. Soon, Stan was gone.

George and Shelley were gathered around me offering support. Leighlyn and Karla had been in the bedroom. As soon as they heard what was happening, they came out to see what was wrong. They stuck around to offer any aid possible. A couple of minutes later, Stan returned with his electric saw and a few other tools. I knew that I was totally unable to move anything on that leg. Tingling sensations were present though. I thought that I had just broken my leg. Whenever I tried to look at my leg, I was told that I needed to look elsewhere.

When I heard his saw humming away, I became even more concerned. LOL! Had my leg broken to such a degree that Stan was going to have to cut part of it off??? Fortunately, that was not the case. The problem was that my leg was totally stuck between three of the other floor boards. That explained why it could not move at all. Stan ended up having to cut out the 3 boards. Once he had done that, I was able to move my leg again. With some help, it was free and clear again!

I made my way back into the dining room and sat down so that I could see what issues there were. I discovered several major scrapes that were bleeding somewhat. I saw that one of my toenails had been lifted up as it plunged from the top of the porch to under the porch. It has a MAJOR bruise. Worst of all was the area of my leg that had been trapped in the boards. There is a bruise that just about covers the entire portion of my leg that was trapped.

I never went to the emergency room. The bleeding was very minimal. I was able to stand and walk on that leg. It was just full of pain. I didn't think that the hospital would have done much than just clean up the blood and send me home. We were able to do that right here and it would not cause the doctor to have to be brought to the hospital for basically nothing.

As soon as I was out of the porch, I took some Extra Strength Tylenol. Something stronger would have been great. Because of my bleeding and heart issues, they are not allowed. I can have prescription pain killers but I prefer to stay away from them whenever possible so that they can do their thing when I am in really bad pain. A couple of hours later, I took more Tylenol before I went to bed. I was a bit uncomfortable for the rest of the night. I am confident that my leg will return to normal little by little and lot by lot.

The deck needs to be replaced. It has been here for about 12 years and has steadily weakened. Last night is proof that it has gotten to the dangerous level.

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My Absence

I have been on here very little for the past few days. The girls and I have been helping others plant their flower gardens. Soon, we will be finished.

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Tribune--Movie--of--the--Weekend

THOR is running this Saturday and Sunday. Each show will begin at 8:30 CST. Tonight, our family will be running the theatre. Yay!!!

Next weekend is SOMETHING BORROWED.

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Plant Your Grass

Just a reminder that in Western Kansas, etc. you need to have your new grass planted before June 1st, Wednesday. You can get by with having it planted by June 10th. If you cannot have it done by the 10th, don't plant it until Fall.

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Blog

Good morning!

I just wanted to apologize for my lack of postings during the past couple of days. Though I have plenty to write about, I am too busy right now. Without going in to much detail at this time, I want you to know that I will be back on here very soon. That might be tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, please continue to check in.

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Star Theatre Information

During the past two weeks, I have had several people ask me if the Star Theatre's Board of Directors would ever consider offering a Friday evening movie in addition to the Saturday and Sunday night shows. I did some checking on this. I was told that one of the current topics being discussed to provide the best theatre ever, is the possibility of showing movies 3 nights a week. Friday is definitely one night as a possibility.

As for me, I would LOVE to see this materialize! If I learn more, I will post it here.

Also, please remember that Summer Hours have now gone into effect for the Star. From now throughout the rest of the summer, the movie will be shown at 8:30 CST. This is done as a convenience for people who work longer and later during the warmer months of the year.

This weekend's movie is THOR. Its synopsis is listed on an earlier post.

The Comedy/Drama/Romance, SOMETHING BORROWED, will be shown at 8:30 CST on Saturday and Sunday, June 4th and 5th. Stars include Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson and Colin Egglesfield.

Synopsis: Friendships are tested and secrets come to the surface when terminally single, Rachel, falls for Dex, her best friend's fiance...

If there is something that you would like to see happen with the Star, please send an email to me at slblaus@gmail.com . I will forward those requests to Christy and Catherine.

Thank you!!!

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Wichita County School Move

As you know, the big move from RBSES to the brand new Wichita County Elementary School was to have taken 3 days. Well, I spoke with a teacher yesterday and she thought that everything would be in the new school by yesterday evening. Isn't it great when things move along quicker than expected??? Now, the teachers will have to unload their boxes, etc and prepare the rooms for the 2011-2012 school year.

I just want to thank all of the people who came together to make this all possible. Citizens and businesses provided a lot of the so-very-necessary cardboard boxes, plastic and metal milk crates, etc. Friends and family helped many of the teachers begin to lug over many boxes of supplies, etc starting last week. Various people donated trailers and horse trailers to haul furniture, etc on.

And, finally, the teachers deserve to be praised quite highly. These people practically spent every waking hour at the school for the last couple of weeks getting everything packed up and ready to go. As time neared for the move, many teachers took time out to go through supplies and see what they no longer needed. They either gave them to other teachers or tossed them out. There was no need in packing them up and taking them to the new school if no one had any use for them anymore. Most of us may think that teachers only have school books. But as the daughter of a teacher who has taught now for over 50 years, I can tell you that they have MUCH more than just books. A lot more goes into being a great teacher like Wichita County Schools are famous for!!! So all of the teachers knew that this move was not going to be easy. I am just glad that the moving was done before all of this wind came up so violently.

Again, thank you to all of you who made this move to the beautiful school possible!!!!!!!!!!

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More Rain!!!

God sent us more rain last night. I just checked our rainguage. According to it, we got another .70 . Thank You, Lord!!! That means that in less than 24 hours, we have had almost 2 inches. Fantastic!!!

By the looks of the clouds, it looks like we may be getting more today. Let us hope so!!! I don't know if our rain has arrived in time to do anything for our wheat crops. I would guess that it is probably too late. For those of you who do not live in Kansas. Our harvest normally starts in the month of June.

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49 Years

I am 49-years-old. For those 49 years, I have lived in Western Kansas. How much longer do I need to live here before I get used to this seemingly constant wind???

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I Need to Hear From YOU, PLEASE!!!

I just received email that says that whenever people attempt to go to my blog, they are told that it no longer exists. If you are able to get to my blog, I really, REALLY need for you to either leave a comment here or send an email to

slblaus@gmail.com .

I really would appreciate this!!!

Thank you!!!!!!!

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Goldie E. Nelson--Scott City

Goldie E. Nelson, age 91, passed away on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at the Park Lane Nursing Home in Scott City, Kansas. She was born on September 2, 1919 at home in Wichita County, Kansas, the daughter of Samuel and Dora Norton Wing. A resident of Scott City, Kansas since 1951 moving from Lindsburg, Kansas, she was a homemaker, type setter at the News Chronicle for 17 years and church secretary.

Her memberships include the First Baptist Church of Scott City, Kansas where she was an active member. She served as the church secretary for many years and was also member of the Quilt Group and the Goldie Circle/Mary Martha Circle and ABW including holding all officer positions.

On December 24, 1945 she married Eugene R. Nelson in Leoti, Kansas. He passed away on November 20, 1981 in Scott City, Kansas.

Survivors Include One Daughter - Donna & Roger Kaiser of Dodge City, Kansas, One Son - Dan & Kandy Nelson of Stephenville, Texas, One Sister - Vera Walton of Sterling, Kansas, Five Grandsons Darin & Teresa Hart of Wichita, Kansas, Jason & Julia Hart of Wichita, Kansas, Cory & Teresa Nelson of Texas, Clint & Mia Nelson of Stephenville, Texas, Clay Nelson of Stephenville, Texas, One Step Granddaughter - Renee & Mike Kappus of Broomfield, Colorado, and Eight Great Grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her Parents, Husband, Two Brothers - Willard Wing & Clifford Wing, and Six Sisters – Esther Smith, Edna Bartel, Mary Ann Schaumeyer, Carrie Neville, Mildred Metheney, and Mable Grusing.

Funeral Services will be held at the First Baptist Church in Scott City, Kansas at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 28, 2011 with the Rev. Kyle Evans presiding.

Interment will be in the Scott County Cemetery in Scott City, Kansas.

Memorials may be given to the First Baptist Church in Scott City, Kansas % Price & Sons Funeral Home in Scott City, Kansas.

Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Friday, with the family receiving friends from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Friday and 9:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Saturday @ Price & Sons Funeral Home in Scott City, Kansas.


Obituary courtesy of Price and Sons Funeral Homes of Garden City, Scott City, Leoti and Tribune.

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Wichita County Storm

Shortly after 4:00 this afternoon, a massive dirt storm struck the town of Leoti. I just knew that we were dealing with a tornado. Looks like I was wrong. Thank God!!! Soon after the blizzard of dirt struck, lots and lots of rain began to fall. Off and on, we received some very small hail. I doubt if it was even as big as peas. The hail lasted for quite some time.

We just returned home about 5 minutes ago. The wind is still very strong but thanks to the rain that we received, there does not appear to be any dust in the air. The rainfall has ended temporarily, at least.

Leighlyn and I just checked our rainguage. We received 1.20 of moisture. Fantastic! Every drop was very necessary! Downtown, water has flooded clear across the streets. The road directly north of Dollar General is completely under water. The curbs appear to be non-existent. In other parts along Main and Broadway, the water just barely misses going over the edge onto the sidewalk.

We continue to be under a Thunderstorm Warning until 10:00 tonight. I don't know if the Tornado Watch is still in effect until 10:00 or not.

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Tornado/Emergency Kits

You can go online and purchase these kits if you prefer.

FEMA recommends that all of us have the following supplies in our kit and ready to go at a second's notice. Keep these in a closet closest to your escape door and in your vehicles.

1. Medications: Prescription drugs and first aid supplies such as peroxide, alcohol, band aids, guaze/tape and neosporin, etc.

2. A battery or crank-operated radio so that you can keep in touch with what is happening in your area. Pack extra new batteries also.

3. A flashlight and several new batteries.

4. Canned meats, vegetables, fruits, etc. Make sure that you also pack a hand-operated can opener. Don't forget to have foods available in this kit for any of your family members who may be diabetic. Have plenty of supplies for your baby also.

5. One gallon of water for each person in your family. One gallon should be enough water for one person for three days.

6. New candles and matches

7. Strong soled shoes and workgloves for each person. If the worst happens, you will be trecking through devastation.

8. Emergency contact list including your insurance information and your utility company phone numbers, etc.

9. Money and/or credit/debit cards.

10. Cellphones and/or walkie-talkies

11. A 3-day supply of pet food and supplies

12. Pillows and blankets

Be prepared. The lives you save may be your loved ones and yourself...

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Deadly Tornadoes

Much of our nation has been devastated by tornadoes during the Spring of 2011 season. I think that most of us would agree that the worst tornado tragedy of 2011 is Joplin, Missouri. The survivors are still reeling by the death toll and the total destruction of their properties. Many victims were left with nothing but the clothes that they were wearing. My heart goes out to each and every one of them.

A couple of weeks ago, our family was visiting with my aunt who is a VERY wise lady. She has lived in Wichita County for all buy one of her 89 years on this world of ours. She told us that she is very concerned that major tornado/tornadoes will strike Western Kansas this year. In the past several years, we have been very fortunate. We all need to do whatever we can to make sure that we are as prepared as we can possibly be just in case. Families and businesses should be practicing tornado drills so that, just in case the worst happens, everyone will have a good idea of what they need to do to get to shelter as quickly as humanly possible. If you do not own a basement or cellar, find a neighbor or close friend who would welcome giving you and yours shelter. If you do not have access to nearby shelter, make sure that you know where public shelters are. In Leoti, the museum and the courthouse both have large basements and have made them available to any and all of us.

We really need to be praying for the people of Joplin who have lost so very many people and property. Now, today, I ask for all of you to pray for people in Central Kansas. They are under advisement of severe weather and probable tornado/tornadoes. The scale runs from 1-10. Any counties that have scores from 8 on up, are in great danger of having tornadoes. People in Central Kansas are listed in the 9 point range which means that they have a 90% chance of having tornadoes in their area. That is extremely high and terrifying.

One of my friends who lives there, has sent me this website for people to view 35 pictures of the destruction left behind in Joplin. Once you look at these pictures, you will see just what all people in Tornado Alley dread every year...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/devastating-pictures-of-the-joplin-missouri-torna

VLE-B

Handyman Service

Just a reminder that you can call Adam Blau to do any kinds of work such as concrete, landscaping, cleaning, plumbing, moving, odds and ends, etc. He is now bonded and insured. Give Adam a call at 620.874.8216. He can provide references.

VLE-B

Upcoming Movies at the Star Theatre in Tribune

This next weekend, THOR, will be playing. Other hits that will be showing very soon in Tribune are as follows:

1. SOMETHING BORROWED

2. RIO

3. BRIDESMAIDS

4. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

At this time, we do not know when these movies will be playing at the theatre. You can count on me to keep you updated.

VLE-B

Tribune--Movie--of--the--Weekend

The Action/Adventure/Fantasy, THOR, will be playing at the Star Theatre at 8:30 CST on Saturday and Sunday, May 21st and 22nd.

THOR is the adaptation of the comic franchise that was launched in 1962.

Thor is a blonde-tressed, hammer-wielding hero who's sent to Earth to protect all mankind.

Stars include Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth, Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins, etc.

Our family will be running the theatre on Saturday evening. We'll look forward to seeing you then!!!

VLE-B

Everything That We Need to Know About Deals-of-the-Day

Andrea just sent me this information. I found it to be something that most, if not all, of us can appreciate. Most of us are struggling to make ends meet in the current economical problems that we face each and every day. Thank you, Andrea!!! VLE-B

Hi Lynne,

Group-buying coupons are everywhere, from the monolithic Groupon to sites that service just one or two cities. Some of the coolest coupons are for stuff you never imagined doing, like skydiving. Others offer deals on movie tickets and -- most popularly -- spa services.

Groupon, which recently was heavily courted by Google, is coping with competition from Living Social, which is backed by Amazon.com. Facebook recently launched its own daily-deal program for five markets, and rebuffed Google is now going at it alone in several test markets.
With all this competition, many offers seem irresistible, but how do you know when it's truly a good deal? Here are eight ways to get the most out of your deal-of-the-day.

1. Location, Location, Location While the larger group-buying companies have expanded into smaller cities, many deals are still offered only for metropolitan areas. Before clicking on the offer, consider whether you'll really make that long drive, particularly when taking into account the expiration date.

2. Travel Destinations
On the other hand, you don't always have to live near a deal location to use the coupon. Check out potential vouchers for places you'll visit on your next vacation. You might want to wait, however, until all your plans have been confirmed before closing the deal, but you can certainly save anywhere from 50 to 70-percent by taking advantage of such group offers for restaurants, spa services, entertainment and even museum admissions.

3. Combine Offers
Put together your own special deal by applying coupons and discounted gift cards to those deal-of-the-day vouchers.

4. Is It Really A Deal?
If you're going out of your way to patronize a new business, check their website to see if they extend any similar offers on an everyday basis. You'll also want to compare prices at businesses you prefer to regularly patronize to figure out if the deal is really worthwhile.

5. Restaurant Coupon Comparisons
A lot of coupon offers involve restaurant meals at a discount. Some require you buy two meals to receive the deal of the day. Before you buy, always review the rules and restrictions of the vouchers and look for restaurant coupons on other sites and see if you can beat the offer without paying anything.

6. Figure In The Tip
Group-buying deals for services don't include the amount of money you'll spend on a tip. You'll need to tip 15 to 20 percent on the full cost of the service, not the reduced amount you paid so keep this in mind when considering purchasing the offer.

7. Plan Ahead For Presents
Some offers have extended expiration dates and would make great gifts for just about any occasion. You'll have to suit the gift to the recipient, however, free spa services or dinner in an upscale restaurant make ideal presents to just about any adult celebrating a special event.

8. Resale Value
People occasionally sell vouchers on sites like Lifesta to others for a profit once the deal is no longer available. This works well if you're the one selling, but you might want to check the original price if you're the one buying.

Thank you, Andrea!!! I am sure that all of us can learn so very much of everything that you have offered to us!!!

VLE-B

May 23rd

In April of 2002 while I was pregnant with our baby angel, Abigayle Joy Patrice, we learned that I was dying unless I received heart surgery to replace my aorta which was stuck in open position. My heart was so swollen that it took up all of the space in my chest. I never would have had any symptoms if it had not been for my pregnancy. Abigayle was born on April 17th. My cardiologist in Denver wanted to put my heart surgery off for 3 months so that I could gain some strength after giving birth. At that time, we were planning a surgery in July.

Instead, I was lifewatched from the Wichita County Hospital to Denver in May when things went from bad to worse. By the time that I arrived in Denver, May 15th, doctors needed to wait to do surgery until they could strengthen me some more. I spent 8 days there while that was being accomplished. My life-saving surgery was done on May 23rd--9 years ago today. It was absolutely one of the most terrifying days in my life. There was no guarantee that I would ever see my loved ones again. At the time, Leighlyn was 5-years-old and Abigayle was 5-weeks-old. Leif and Lori Christensen took great care of our babies for over 3 weeks while I was in the hospital. Thank the Good Lord!!!

Mama, Aunt Neva and Stan's brother, George Blau, were in Denver to support Stan and I. Surgery took longer than expected for just removing the old aorta and installing my new mechanical heart valve that took its place. After the doctors had broken my ribs and pulled out my heart to work on it, they discovered that I had a previously unknown aneurisym in my heart. It was so close to rupturing which would have surely killed me, that the walls in that vein were so thin that the blood's bubbles were quite visible. It was also removed and a tube that is basically a very tiny PVC pipe was inserted so that the blood could continue to flow through my new mechanical heart valve.

After several hours, the surgery was completed and I was returned to the Intensive Care Unit where my doctors believed I would remain for the next few days. They did not believe that I would be capable of being removed from the life supporting respirator for 48-72 hours. They also did not think that I would wake up again until sometime the next day.

Instead, nurses contacted the surgeon the same evening and told him that my condition had improved so quickly, that the respirator was probably no longer needed. He came in to see for himself. He agreed so they took me off of the respirator. All of them were very surprised with all of this. Later that night, I awakened with the worst sore throat ever! The tube is plunged through your mouth and throat. I am sure that if the patient were not asleep when the tube went in, the pain would be HORRIBLE! It probably was no joy when it came out either. LOL! About the time that I noticed the severe throat pain, I realized that my chest hurt also. When I touched my chest, I realized that there was a very thick pad (of guaze) on top of it. Finally, it sunk in that I had just survived my surgery!

This pain was the most intense that I had ever had. Since doctors and nurses were not thinking that I would waken that soon, they had never given me a button to push to gain my nurse's attention. The pain continued to increase so I had no choice but to holler for her even though my throat was RAW. My nurse was not happy about me waking up so quickly. As a matter-of-fact, she was downright rude about it. I imagine that she was expecting an easy 12-hour-shift. I will not name the hospital now but it had a policy that there was one nurse per every patient. Until that evening, my nurses had just been the best. This woman had a boyfriend who was also working in the ICU. She was more intent in hanging out with him instead of me.

While I waited to get my pain medication, I remember praying to God to just take me right then and there. Just at that time, God presented me with two visions of my little darlings waiting in Leoti for me to come home. At that point, I apologized to God for my previous prayer and just asked him to help me get through the days ahead of me.

My surgeon and cardiologist were amazed when they came in early the next morning to see how well I was doing. They had never seen a patient who had gone through my previous surgery do so well so quickly. My stay in ICU was no longer needed. I was then taken to the Cardic Department of the hospital where I would remain for the rest of my three weeks.

After that, I came home to begin my life all over again with my two dollies. It took several weeks for my ribs to be totally mended. During that time, I could not lift my baby. Someone had to give her to me. I could not sleep in a bed for about 3 weeks. We were very fortunate and had a Lazy Boy sofa that reclined at each end. That is where I slept. It took me about 2 months before I was able to sleep on my side and 3 months before I could sleep on my stomach. The thing that took Stan and I a full year to get used to was the very loud ticking of my new valve. Over time, I learned that if I laid on my left side or my stomach, the noise was lessened. My doctors had agreed the the size of my heart would go do some but would never be the normal size again. Just a year later, tests revealed that my heart was the normal size. My doctors still cannot believe it!

Today, I am doing very well as far as my heart is concerned. I continue to see my cardiologist who is very pleased with my heart condition. My rapid recovery is due to my Lord. When I had my surgery, the Mechanical Heart Valves were brand new. Little is known about how long they should last. Some experts believe anywhere from 20-30 years. For as long as I have a MHV, I will have to take blood thinners so that the blood goes through it easily, therefore, reducing my chances of a blood clot there. When it is time for my next replacement, we will decide whether or not another MHV will be installed or if we will go with a natural animal valve. Natural heart valves do not last as long as the MHV do usually. Therefore, major surgery is required more often. Once I receive a natural valve, I will no longer need blood thinners.

My aneurisym was produced by my Tachysus and Giant Cell Arteritis which were discovered right after that surgery. They continue to attack my brain. That is what is responsible for me seizures. My neurologist has prescribed the best seizure drug that I have ever taken. My seizures are better controlled now than they had been since 1981.

My health problems have convinced me that no day should be taken lightly. Every day given to each of us, is truly a gift from God...

VLE-B

Correction on the Corrigans

The Today Show on NBC which will spotlight Ireland's Corrigan Brothers, the music sensation responsible for the O'Bama songs, will not be shown until Tuesday, May 24th. I apologize for the previous mistake.

VLE-B

Wichita County Alumni Reunion Information

If you ever went to school in Wichita County, you might be interested in knowing that there is a website that you can go to to get all of the information on upcoming class reunions. While you are there, you can pay a one-time-only $20.00 membership fee. As usual, the reunions scheduled will be held during the Wichita county Fair in late July.

www.alumniclass.com/wichitacounty/load?MTEy

VLE-B

Main Street Flower Planters

Yesterday, the folks at Modoc Miracles brought their new plants to town and planted them. Gone are last year's skeletal plants' remains. The new plants are just beautiful! In case you want to know who purchases these delights, it is the City of Leoti. I, for one, am very pleased with how Main Street looks now with the trees that were planted several years ago and the brick planters.

Employees of the City of Leoti will water these plants every week throughout the summer. Many businesses that have a planter in front of their store also provide water on very hot and/or windy days.

I must admit that my favorite planter is the one that stands in front of the Farm Bureau Insurance Agency. For the past few years, Sherri (Brack) Zellner has planted a gorgeous lime green vine that ends up "walking" all over the sidewalk there. I believe that it is a Sweet Potato Vine. Ask Sherri about it. She'll tell you if I am right or if I am wrong. LOL!

I would like to thank the City of Leoti for providing these colorful touches to our Main Street!!! They really make a difference!!!

VLE-B

All-Day Wine Festival

I have mentioned here that one of my most favorite places on this planet of ours is Manitou Springs, Colorado. This is basically attached to Colorado Springs. It takes just over 3 hours to get there from Leoti. Manitou Springs is an artsy town that is so unlike most areas around us. Shopping is great there and includes everything from leather boots to gorgeous site blown glass objects. Everyone is welcome there including your pooches on leashes. You really do need to check it out some time. I really think that you'll also fall in love with it! By the way, if you like mineral waters, bring containers with you to take some home with you. Several springs with different tasting water flows most of the year. There is no cost for any drinks that you take. While you are at the sampling stations, read the information posted there about that spring. It is very informative.

An all-day wine festival which is a favorite festival in M.S., is scheduled for Saturday, June 4th, at Soda Springs Park. It begins at noon and lasts until 7:00 p.m. CST. Each adult ticket is $30.00 unless you are able to find the online $15.00 tickets. While you are there, you will find specialty foods and wine-related items that you can purchase. Twenty five different Colorado vintners will bring their wines with them that you can purchase. Purchase a case of your favorites while you are there. While you are at the festival, enjoy the live music. The views of the beautiful mountains around Maniitou and Colorado Springs cost you nothing.

By the way, I have the information that I can send to you on the $15.00 tickets. Send me an email to slblaus@gmail.com and I will send it to you right away.

Enjoy!!!

VLE-B

Final Post

Last week, Stan and I started a very large project--revamping our front porch. We started the project on Stan's birthday, Wednesday, the 18th, and for the most part, finished it yesterday afternoon. Much work and sweat, very little blood and no tears went into this project. All was very worthwhile.

The new steps are just where they need to be, the new landscaping slope is in place and most of the plants have been planted and seem to be doing well. Stan completed the brick pathway just in front of the landscape slope. It looks GREAT!!! We still need to construct a small patio just out in front of the steps where we will place a couple of chairs. We still need to find some ferns that will be planted on the other side of the steps where dirt also is located.

We are not quite finished with the top of the porch yet. Little things like buying a few flowering plants for our urns remain. In time, we are going to build a roof above the flat portion of the porch. After that, we plan on purchasing some tiles that can be outdoors. They will cover the flat portion of the porch.

Stan and I really enjoyed our 5 days together and doing this work. He went back to work this morning. Only this time, it was to make more money. LOL! It is not yet 9:00, and I already miss him. His vacation time starts over on June 1st. He is planning on taking part of his vacation days for the Wichita County Fair. We'll all look forward to that!

VLE-B

Additional Information on Yesterday's Post

I posted about our front loading washing machine's problem with its clogged filter yesterday. Remember? Here is another tip on the same subject. UGH...

When we purchased our washing machine and dryer, we also purchased the drawers that go under them. Not only do these drawers provide more storage, but they also serve to hold the machines much higher so that it is much easier to load and unload clothes. For average height people, the machines wind up being practically eye level. They are great! But what we did not know until last night was that they also hold A LOT of wash water!

Now you are probably wondering why we would have had occassion to want to have them hold wash water, aren't you? Well, shortly before we went to bed, I decided to start a load of laundry. I had the dirty clothes in the machine. The next step was to load the handy dandy drawer which holds your laundry soap, fabric softener, liquid bleach and dry bleach for an individual load. That meant that I needed to open up the big drawer directly under the washing machine where the large containers of all of these chemicals are stored. Let me tell you that it is a good thing that all of these chemicals were in plastic bottles! Paper and cardboard boxes would have been ruined. Imagine just how miffed I was when I discovered about 3 inches of water in the drawer!

Poor Stan had already gone to bed. Fortunately, he was not yet asleep. I told him that we had water in the drawer. He got up out of bed to find out just why we had this problem. Hmmm, guess what he found! The repairman had neglected to install the filter again after he had dumped out the cushion stuffing that had caused another major problem last week. So when I had started the load of laundry just before the repairman left, so that we could make sure that the machine was now draining properly and that our clothes were wrung completely out, all of the water poured into our drawer instead of going to the sewer system. Two good things here: 1. Our machine is very energy efficient and that includes using much less water than a top loader. 2. We had only done one load of laundry which meant that we had less water in the drawer. LOL!

My tip of the day to you is this. Whenever your washing machine repairman makes a visit to your house, make sure to question him as to whether or not he bothered to take out time to re-install your filter. It really does make a difference. LOL!!!

VLE-B

Seniors Texting Codes

Thank you, B, for sending this to us!!! It is just too funny! VLE-B


Since more and more seniors are texting and tweeting, there appears to be a need for these:

A STC (Senior Texting Code).

ATD: At The Doctor's
BFF: Best Friend Fell
BTW: Bring The Wheelchair
BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth

CBM: Covered By Medicare
CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center
DWI: Driving While Incontinent
FWBB: Friend With Beta Blockers

FWIW: Forgot Where I Was
FYI: Found Your Insulin
GG...PBL: Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low!
GHA: Got Heartburn Again

HGBM: Had Good Bowel Movement
IMHO?: Is My Hearing-Aid On?
LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out
LOL: Living On Lipitor

LWO: Lawrence Welk's On
OMMR: On My Massage Recliner
OM!...SG: Oh My!... Sorry, Gas.
ROFL... CGU: Rolling On The Floor Laughing... And Can't Get Up

SGGP: Sorry, Gotta Go Poop
TTYL: Talk To You Louder
WAITT: Who Am I Talking To?
WTFA: Wet The Furniture Again

WTP: Where's The Prunes?
WWNO: Walker Wheels Need Oil
LMGA: Lost My Glasses Again
GG...LKI (Gotta Go, Laxative Kicking In)

VLE-B

Want-To-Buy

A family in Wichita County is in need of a king sized bed frame with or without a headboard. If you are interested in selling this, please call 620.874.0715.

Thank you!

VLE-B

Choosing Garden Plants for Drought Areas Tip

Many of us in our area, are looking for plants that do not require a great deal of water. I just learned that we need to look for plants that have a silvery look. Many of these plants are great in hot and dry locations. Always check the instructions that come with plants in greenhouses BEFORE you purchase them. The plant's details should tell you if the necessary conditions for that plant include drier conditions and less water.

VLE-B

City of Leoti

For 3 days last week, our City employees and employees with other nearby City departments, came to Leoti to take part in a major education that was given in the Wichita County Fire Barn. For those three days, our City Hall would have had to be closed if it had not been for Mayor Lori Christensen. She volunteered to work so that business could go on as usual.

Thank you, Mayor!!!

VLE-B

A Big Thank You

goes out to all of you who have supplied empty boxes, etc to the teachers of RBSES!!! Without these boxes, moving everything from one building to the other would have been very difficult. LOL!

VLE-B

Wichita County Elementary School

If you missed last Sunday's Open House, you missed out on some great beauty! I really wish that all of the naysayers who are against this building and restoration of the former Junior High Building would have come out to see this! I believe that they would have been quite impressed with how far our tax dollars have gone on this major project that I, for one, am totally convinced that we need! The former Junior High building will house the fourth, fifth and sixth grade classrooms. The seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelveth grade students will continue to go to school in the High School Building which was constructed in the 1970s. It is located directly across the street from the other school.

Some of us, including Stan and I, have been very concerned about the street that seperates the two schools. The street will now be converted from a 2-way street to just a 1-way street to aid in the safety of our children. The street to tne south of RBSES is just a 1-way street and it has served the grade school students very well.

For years, various school superintendants have tried to get the new school bond issue passed. All were unsuccessful until Dr. James Hardy came into the picture. Dr. Hardy made it a priority. He went out to people all over Wichita County and asked them how they felt about the prospect of a new grade school. He found a great deal of resistance to this prospect. At the same time, he learned that many of these people did not want the new school just because of the major expense that would be involved.

At that point, he spent M-A-N-Y hours, 7-days-a-week, going through various ideas of how thay could built an extraordinary school but with fewer dollars than had been proposed earlier. He ended up with three different options. He made each of these well-known by having a great amount of meetings that were open to the public so that we could see just what was on the drawing board. Each proposal had a different price tag. The next time that the bond issue was voted on, it passed overwhelmingly. The people had spoken and a very large majority wanted the new building. Of course, there was a good-sized minority that was still totally against the new building. Many of these voters no longer had children who would be attending Wichita County schools. They did not want to have to pay additional taxes to support a school that their families would not be using. Many failed to realize how much a new school would help our county. New people would want to move here of we had top-notch school buildings rather than an elementary school that was in great danger of being closed down permanently which would have meant that our students would have had to be bussed to our nearby counties. The new people would have brought in extra money that would have been used at our local stores which, in turn, would have helped to keep the stores in business.

So, anyway, our family made the tour last Sunday. We were prepared to see great things. Though this is what we had expected, we were still MAJORLY shocked at what we actually saw!

We toured the former old school first. Wow!!! What a difference! These rooms were restored to such beauty as what they probably looked like when the school was brand new only much upgrading had entered into the mix. The architects had included a great deal of storage that had not been there before. Each room received the following:

1. New flooring
2. Taller and more beautiful windows and window sills
3. New Walls
4. Electic wiring
5. Computer wiring
6. Air Conditioning and Heating

The end result? Much more safety and energy savings. Our children will be much more comfortable than they were at this school or the former RBSES. They will also be able to be tuned into the much needed computers. These rooms are BEAUTIFUL!

In 1927 when this school was built, an entrance to the south was put in. In past years, it never received much interest. It will now! It contains a composite picture of the class of 1927, the first class to graduate from this building, and pictures of the building as it was being built. To remind us of the original building, one of its original radiators, speakers, etc has been put into place. Dr. Hardy's wife, Jo, has put in a great deal of work decorating this work of art. Go through it sometime. It is a work of art.

The current gym which was built in the 1950's, the kitchen and former vocational-agricultural building were updated to match the rest of the building by having their brick stained to match the 1927 building. Though these rooms were attached to the older building, they did not receive the same color of brick. Their brick was ORANGE. The architects put great work into finding the color formula for the older brick. Once they had it, a man was employed to stain the orange brick the same color as the older building's brick. The result? Uniformity and beauty.

Speaking of color, As soon as our family walked in through the Eastern entrance, I was totally impressed by the color of paint that we found on the northern wall. Most old schools and many new schools incorporated white paint throughout the buildings. Through recent years, it has been scientifically proven that color actually makes great differences in our learning abilities and mood differences and control. As we toured the old and the new buildings, the same color and a great shade of cream continuously popped up. As a major fan of color, I was immediately impressed. I talked to Mr. Keith Higgens, the current principal of WCJ/SHS and the soon-to-be superintendant of Wichita County Schools about this. I asked him who had come up with the color selections. I found out that the the Elementary School Principal, Dawn Haverfield-McKinney, and the architects were the ones who chose them. They did an exceptional job of this!

The gym that was built in the 1950s received new and very necessary upgrades in 2009. It probably looks better today than it ever did.

The former lunchroom is currently being transformed into a gorgeous library. You may wonder what happened to the former library that was located upstairs. It was divided up and is now being used to add more classroom storage and to provide a great new science lab.

As you remember, a dome was built that now contains a large room that is used as the new lunchroom/physical education gymnasium and 2 restrooms. The lunchroom will be used now to feed all of Wichita County's students. Early on when Dr. Hardy was determing just how he could cut back on expenses, he realized that having the gymnasium built large enough and with bleachers built, was going to cost MUCH more money than it would if it was just constructed for students to use it for physical education. The people voted in favor of NO public basketball games there, therefore no bleachers needed to be built. We still have the High School gym as well as the former Junior High gym to handle the varsity and junior varsity games. Stan and I are major fans of only having two gymnasiums for basketball games that are open to the public.

We were shocked at how you never know that you are leaving the old school and entering the new school and visa versa. The transition is flawless. The older building will house the kindergarten, first grade and second grade classrooms, restrooms, teachers' workroom and teachers' restroom. All are just GORGEOUS! It was interesting how each classroom was has its own personality. Early on, citizens of Wichita County were concerned of the fact that no windows were being put into the new classrooms. Believe me, you don't miss them! Each classroom has 2 full glass doors to the outside. A great amount of light is filtered into each room. Two doors were built in the classrooms for easy and quick exiting from the room. And again, much storage was built into each room. Teachers are going to love that!

An elevator is currently under construction that will allow adults as well as children with injured legs, etc to travel from one level to the next.

The former Vocational/Agricultural Building is now used for the the third grade classrooms and the new offices. Again, beautiful.

Many of the students who toured the building and their teachers can hardly wait for the 2011-2012 school year to begin! LOL! My mother, Donna Lou (Pepper) Elder, is a school teacher in Leoti and has been since the late 1950s. She is so impressed with the new building that she has decided to not retire this year. She is looking forward to teaching in the new school!

Some work continues on the school building including the very old red tiled floor in the former junior high building. Once all of the furniture, boxes, etc are moved into the building this week, people will go to work on the old floor. It will be stripped and re-done so that its formal glory reappears. I know that it will be stunning!

Volunteers are asked to join Wichita County teachers and employees as they move everything from the Robert Bruce Stewart Elementary School into the new building on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I am only sad about one thing. That is the fact that Dr. Stewart's name will not be a part of the new building. It is very understandable though considering the fact that he was never a part of the new building. I am sure that he would be quite happy with the fact that our new school will be known as the Wichita County Elementary School.

Many, M--A--N--Y thanks go out to Dr. Hardy, the Wichita County School Board and the voters of Wichita County who voted in favor of all of this for making these dreams become a fantastic reality!!!

VLE-B

Thank you, G.C.!!!

I have come on here several times and asked if anyone had any extra garden plants that they needed to thin out. On Thursday, I received a phone call from G.C. She told me that she just happened to have a "few" extra Hens and Chicks laying around. LOL!!! On Friday, we went over to pick them up. We ended up with just over 50 of these succulents. We were thrilled! Well, one of us was not. Abigayle, our 9-year-old, had overheard the phone conversation. When I said something about Hens and Chicks, she thought that we were talking about the birds! She could not have been more excited!!! Once she realized that we were talking about plants, she lost some of her enthusiasm. LOL!!!

So yesterday, our brand new slope was completed. Leighlyn and I went out to plant our new plants. I could never have done it without Leighlyn! We planted a mixture of Rose Moss and hens and Chicks on the slope. We still need some more Rose Moss. We should be buying some of it later this week. Along the edge that follows the steps, we did as Stan had suggested. We planted some of our purple Phlox and a flowering plant that we LOVE dut do not know what its name is.

At the top of the porch where the ground is level, we planted a Sedum plant, some coneflowers and something else that we do not know the name for.

The final result? We are just thrilled with the outcome! In time, all of these plants should grow and flourish. Phlox and the flowering plants spread very well and easily. I am sure that we will be quite pleased!

After planting all of these, we dug up a few Daylillies and transfered them to another garden that the grubs had ruined. Earlier, we had planted a few Peonie plants. We planted these Daylillies right in front of them. A couple of pink double Wave Petunias that should spread for a few feet are planted in the very front. We are really looking forward to seeing how the new garden turns out!

My grandmother, Vera (Stinchcomb) Pepper had a green thumb and a half. Her gardens were always beautiful! She loved Dinner Plate Dahlias as do I. We have looked all over for these for the past several years and have not been able to find any bulbs for them anymore. This year, we found Dahlias that appear to be just a bit smaller than these. We have 3 bulbs to plant of them today. We're looking forward to that!

So far, we have transplanted several plants that are doing very well. Soon, our front yard will be totally power raked. Once this has been done, our new grass seed will be planted and once it has come up well, grub killer will be spread over it. Hopefully our yard will be beautiful again.

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Front Loading Washing Machines

Whether you already have one of these or will have one of these dandy machines, you should know that many, if not all, front loaders have a filter built in to grab any large pieces of lint, etc before it reaches the pumps and locks them out. I learned this yesterday.

For the past few days, I have had a problem with clothes coming out sopping wet so I need to run the extra spin out cycle. Still, there was no guarantee that everything would be any better. This was strange considering the fact that our clothes were practically dry right after the washing and rinsing cycles had been completed.

On our machine, is a little window that tells us what cycle our load of laundry was currently going through. For example, washing, rinsing, spinning. A couple of days ago, it read E21. I went clear through our book and could never find what this meant. I then called the manufacturer and asked them. I was told that this meant that the water was not exiting the machine quick enough. It could have been a kinked or blocked drain hose. I called the store where we had purchased this about 3 months ago. They sent a repairman from Garden City to our house within just 3 hours. It did not take him long to locate the issue. Our filter was plumb full of cushion stuffing. Go figure! Ever since we purchased our new setting, we have washed many pillows and cushions. Our set was built to wash and dry very large things such as these. When the cushions and pillows come out of the machines, they are all fluffed up just like they were when they were brand new!

Though we had never had any problem with this before, I had washed a cushion last week. Evidentally, there was a small hole in it somewhere because when I went to take it out of the washing machine, LOTS AND LOTS of stuffine was everywhere EXCEPT for inside the fabric that at one time, had contained it. I gathered it all up and threw it away. unfortunately, a bunch of it had made it's way to the filter where it was lodged for several days. That is what had prevented all of the water from exiting the machine.

Anyway, you might want to remember this just in case you have a similar problem. We are very thankful for having this filer. Our pump might have been ruined otherwise.

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Monday's Today Show

I just heard from Gerry Corrigan of the Corrigan Brothers in Moneygall, Ireland. NBC's Today Show's hostess, Norah O'Donnell, taped a segment with the famous brothers yesterday in Moneygall, Ireland. The brothers are famous for such hits as "There's No One as Irish as Barack O'Bama. We can watch it on Monday morning's show. You might want to set your DVR to record this. These guys are GREAT! I have listened to several of their songs and I am TOTALLY impressed!!!

Thank you, Ger!!!

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Tribune--Movie--of--the--Weekend

FAST FIVE starring Vin Diesel, will be playing tonight and tomorrow, May 21st and 22nd, at the Star. It is rated PG-13. Remember that tonight marks the beginning of Summer Hours. Both evenings, the movie will begin at 8:30 CST. Summer Hours will continue until sometime after the 2011-2012 school year begins.

The synopsis of this hit movie is posted earlier in my blog.

Adults, 13 and older: $5.00
4-12-year-olds: $4.00
Babies through 3-year-olds: FREE

Refreshments are VERY fairly priced.

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Medicines

I just got home from having a doctor's appointment at the Wichita County Clinic. While I was there, the nurse told me that from now on, patients are requested to bring any prescription drugs with them to the clinic whenever they have appointments to see the doctor. Once there, the doctor can see just what all medicines you are taking--especially when different doctors have prescribed some of them. It makes a great deal of sense to me that they are doing this. In my case, I have a neurologist and cardiologist whom I see regularly. Both of these doctors have prescribed medicines for me.

I imagine that other clinics are requesting the same thing.

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Marvin Everett Green--Scott City

(December 29, 1931 - May 18, 2011)

Marvin Everett Green, age 79, passed away on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at the St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, Kansas. He was born on December 29, 1931 in Lakin, Kansas the son of Everett Anderson and Winsome Adele Hart Green A resident of Scott City, Kansas since 2007 moving from Garden City, Kansas, he owned and operated Central States Construction, Inc. which dealt in highway construction. He also owned and operated Central Equipment Company specializing in construction and irrigation equipment.

He was a member of the Methodist faith and was a Decorated US Marine Corps Veteran serving during the Korean Conflict. He also belonged to the Elks Lodge and the American Legion both of Garden City, Kansas.

On January 1, 1949 he married Royann R. Yount in Amarillo, Texas. She survives.

Other Survivors Include: Two Sons, Donald W. Green of Garden City, Kansas and Everett M. (& Kristi) Green of Scott City, Kansas; One Daughter, Loretta A. Alfrey of Edmond, Oklahoma; Two Sisters, Lois Humphreys of Newport Beach, California and Wanda Jo Craig of Garden City, Kansas; One Grandson, Christopher Green of Scott City, Kansas; Three Granddaughters, Jessica Alfrey-Horne of Corona Del Mar, California, Brooke Alfrey of Edmond, Oklahoma and Lila Nicole Green of Scott City, Kansas. He was preceded in death by his Parents, A Brother, Clyde Green and Two Sisters, Winona Breitkreutz and Lola Norton.


Funeral Services First Baptist Church in Scott City, Kansas 2:00 p.m. Monday, May 23, 2011 Officiant Rev. Kyle Evans

Interment Scott County Cemetery in Scott City, Kansas

Memorials Arthritis Foundation % of Price & Son Funeral Home in Scott City, Kansas

Visitation 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Sunday @ Price & Son Funeral Home in Scott City, Kansas


Obituary courtesy of Price and Sons Funeral Homes of Garden City, Scott City, Leoti and Tribune.

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John Wayne

Many of us are big fans of John Wayne. If you are, you may be interested in knowing that the Encore Channel will be celebrating Memorial Day, Monday, May 30th, by having a steady stream of his greatest westerns. If you are not going to be at home, don't forget to set your DVR to record the movies for you!

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Sounds GOOD to Me!

If you live in Leoti, you have probably noticed that our local meat butchering store, Heritage Meats, has been going through a major exterior face lift. It is really looking nice! The work is still in progress. Changes are not limited to the outside of the store. Inside the store, they have a new change. Customers can come in and choose their steaks. If they are interested, they can choose a seasoned marinate. The marinate is put on the steak just before it is vacuum-packed. From what I have been told, people who have tried this, LOVE it!

And please don't forget that D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-D baked goods are brought in every Thursday and Friday that we can all purchase. They are fresh and wonderful! Maybe you are in the market for some hand made jellies and jams. They are there also! Hot sauce, jellies, jams, etc are kept in the store all of the time.

Wichita County is soooo fortunate to have Heritage Meats in our community!!! The owners are great people and serve only the best meat out there! By the way, they also carry buffalo and cold cuts for sandwiches also.

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Last Day of School

Wichita County students begin their Summer Vacation tomorrow morning. They can hardly wait!Some of the high school students will finish their semester exams today. Junior High students finished their exams yesterday. The RBSES kids will go to school all day today. I would like to remind everyone out there that our students will be very excited as they walk home today. They may not be as watchful as they need to be so please drive extra carefully.

Thank you!!!

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2011

This year we are going to experience four unusual dates: 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11, and that's not all;

Take the last two digits of the year you were born and the age you will be this year and the result will add up to 111 for everyone!!!! This is the year of MONEY.

Also, this year, October will have 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays & 5 Saturdays. This happens only once every 823 years. These particular years are known as Moneybag years.

Thank you, J.J. for sharing this with us! I think it is really amazing to think about...

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Boxes

Just a reminder that more boxes are needed at the grade school to move supplies from the old school to the new school. Teachers are practically working day and night to get everything that they are not currently using, packed and ready to go.

Thank you for any and all help that you have been able to give throughout this whole process!!!

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Corrigan Brothers

As you know, I am a major fan of the Corrigan Brothers from Ireland. Little by little and lot by lot, they are gaining MUCH popularity. Today, Ger released information that they have just signed a contract with HBO USA to be a part of the new documentary about President Obama that will be broadcast in November.

Some of their music is located on earlier posts of mine. Enjoy them!

Ger, thank you very much for sharing this information with me! I am very proud of you!!!

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Update on Our Newest Project

As I told you yesterday, Stan and I are busily renovating our front porch. We have some really great ideas but everything takes time to get them put into action.

Today, we moved a couple more HUGE railroad ties to their new location. Yesterday when we lifted one tie, we discovered a HUGE ant den under it. Itty bitty ants were going everywhere very, very fast. Stan sprayed them with some Raid Ant Killer. Within just a couple of minutes, they were all dead. Today, we saw one red ant. I sprayed it and it died immediately.

Then Stan lifted another tie and we saw one of the creepiest things I've ever seen--a very long centipede. It must've been at least 6 inches long. It didn't take Stan long to locate a shovel and dice the feller up into several pieces. Shortly after that, we found a large garden spider and some worms. I was kind of surprised to see how many varmints we have living in our porch! Chances are that there are many other bugs and critters that we probably do not want to know about. LOL!

So tomorrow, we will be building a couple more steps and hopefully will be ready to start planting our creepers on it.

I am sooo proud of us! This is a very large job and we are doing all of it without spending a single penny. We're just using things that we already have. People should do more things like this. When you don't want to spend any money on it, you rely a lot more on your imagination.

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Creepers Wanted and Needed

We've spent most of today working on our latest MAJOR project--the front porch again today. Things are going well but just not as quickly as I would prefer. LOL! I think that there is a fairly good chance that we might have most of it done by tomorrow night. At least we hope that we do.

Now, I have another question for my readers out there. I hope that you can help me on this one. It is rather difficult to put all of this in to words. It is MUCH easier to show the porch and then tell you what we still need to do on it.

On the north side of the porch, a slope of dirt will be contained. It will slope from the top of the porch down to the ground. We will have it as smooth as we can possibly get it. We have to do something that will keep the soil together and not blowing in the wind. We have considered planting grass but we think that mowing it may be a bit on the difficult side. We think that we have come up with the perfect plan now. We think that we need to plant something that would creep and spread until all of the loose dirt has been covered. The first plant that comes to mind is Rose Moss. We like how it looks and we know that it grows well in our Zone 5. Does anyone out there have any other suggestions?

This slope will be about 5 feet high by 12 feet long. That would be 60 square feet. Knowing that, how many plants would we need to plant on the slope?

I don't know if I could find as many Rose Moss plants as we would need. Would it look dumb if we planted a variety of creeping plants together?

Maybe you can think of a totally different idea of what we could do. If you know of something else, PLEASE pass the idea on to us.

We really need your advice on this!!! Please leave your comment here, send us an email at slblaus@gmail.com or call us at 620.375.4584.

Thank you for ANY information that you can give to us!!!

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Don Platt--Colorado Springs

Don was married to my cousin, Shirley Strobridge. Her parents were Frank and Addie Strobridge who were former residents of Leoti before they moved to Colorado Springs decades ago. Our grandparents are Roy and Helen (Graham) Elder. VLE-B


Donald J. Platt, 70, of Colorado Springs, Colorado passed into the arms of the Lord at his home surrounded by loved ones on May 15, 2011 after a hard fought battle with cancer. Don was born on March 3, 1941 in Colorado Springs, Colorado to Morris and Stella (Prossen) Platt, who preceded him in death. Don served in the U.S. Navy as a Seabee, having served in Vietnam. He was a truck driver for N.W. Transport for over 30 years. After retirement, he went to work in Nebraska as a fiber optic inspector. Don was an avid outdoorsman that loved to hunt and fish. He was also known as the "camp cook" for Capital Peak Outfitters on the western slope. He was preceded in death by his parents and one grandson, Brandon. Left to cherish his memory is his loving wife of 46 years, Shirley(Strobridge)Platt. Carrying on his legacy are two sons- Duane Back of Colorado Springs, Cole (Julie)Platt of Falcon, two daughters- Kim Morriss (Doug Lambert), Shawn (Dave) DallaGuardia of Pueblo and one brother Bob (Nancy) Platt. Left behind are nine adoring grandchildren-Jason Morriss, David Morriss, Mandi Schultz, Chandra Schmehr, Vicki DallaGuardia, David DallaGuardia, Nick Guynn, Addie and Cooper Platt and sixteen great-grandchildren. Don will always be remembered by his friends and extended family. Celebration of his life will be held at noon on Saturday, May 21, 2011 at the Disabled American Veterans Hall 6880 Palmer Park Blvd. In lieu of flowers, Don requested that donations be made in his name to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 26 Broadway 14th floor New York, NY 10004 1-800-533-2873 www.jdrf.org

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To Give Away GIVEN AWAY

We have a brass ceiling fan light kit to give away. It has 4 side light globes and 1 center globe. It works just fine but we need to get it out of our storage.

If you are interested, please call me at 620.375.4584 or send me an email to slblaus@gmail.com .

Thank you!

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Crockpot Rice Pudding (Low Cal and Sugar)

1/2 gallon milk

1 C. regular rice (not instant)

1 C. Splenda OR Sugar

3 eggs

1 Tbs. Vanilla

1 can evaporated milk

Pam cooking spray

Raisins (optional)

Cinnamon (optional)


Spray crock-pot with Pam.

Pour milk and rice into pot, cover and cook on high for 2 hours (if using the crock-pot, it will cook up much sooner than 2 hours on high). Cook until soft and stir often. Mix sugar or the Splenda, eggs and evaporated milk & vanilla with whisk. Pour into crock-pot. Cook 45 minutes or so, once again stirring occasionally. I add raisins and cinnamon just before it is finished cooking.

This makes enough for 4 good servings


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Tribune--Movie--of--the--Weekend

The major hit, FAST FIVE, starring Vin Diesel, will be shown at the Star on Saturday and Sunday, May 21st and 22nd. Remember that the new time goes into effect this weekend. The new Summer hour is 8:30 CST.

I posted its synopsis earlier in the week.

See you at the movies!!!

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RBSES Students

I received an email from the manager of the Star Theatre in Tribune yesterday. A few classes from Leoti enjoyed a movie there yesterday while they celebrated the last day of school which is tomorrow. She was quite impressed and happy with how well our kids behaved. She said that it was great entertaining them!

It is always wonderful to hear such kind things such as this! Many kids are not that well appreciated in similar circumstances.

Thank you very much, Catherine, for the great report!!!

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Rain!!!

Last night, we heard loud thunder followed by heavy rain and some hail. I don't know how big the hail was but I do know that it was large for a few minutes. This morning, I checked the rain guage. It is official. We received a full inch of rain at the Blaus' house! Thank You, Lord, for each and every drop sent to us!!!

At one point, our entire street was under water. By this morning, there is nothing--not even in the gutters. Our land was so dry that it soaked everything up.

Some of our flowering plants were hit by the hail but I think that they'll be just fine.

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YAY!!! She Did It!!!

Leighlyn managed to do it again! She made us SOOOOOO proud tonight when she was chosen to be a cheerleader for the 2011-2012 school year!!! She is the first person in the Pat and Donna Lou Elder family to be a cheerleader!!!

Way to go, Leighlyn!!!

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Happy Birthday, Stanley!!!

Today is Stan's birthday and we made the most of it! Stan took a few vacation days so that he could stay home until next Monday morning. We had several landscaping projects that we needed to get to.

As far as we are concerned, we had a productive day today. Chris and Peter gave Stan some new power tools for Christmas. Given the fact that Stan has male chromosones, he has a great desire to operate them. LOL! First off, he cut down dead tree branches from our Red Bud Bush and some Elm Trees in our yard.

After that, he began major work on our front porch. Fourteen or fifteen years ago, a small pine tree was planted near our front porch. It has grown steadily since then and has become a gorgeous and very tall and round specimen. It is so close to our porch that it is actually pushing older people and young children away from where they need to be. Stan is now involved in building new steps further away from the tree. In our case, this is a huge job. Twelve years ago when we first purchased our home, we decided to build a large and very different porch than we had ever owned before. It consists of lots and lots of dirt and sand that we hauled in to be the base for everything else. Many railroad ties were set up to make several layers for our porch. The ties wound up being the steps. Soil was left uncovered on all layers except for the very top. We had this soil so that we could plant flowers, etc there.

I assume that if we are fortunate, we will have this project completed before Sunday. Of course, it is entirely possible that we won't finish it until later on. I'll keep you posted as we make progress.

When I am not helping Stan, I am working in our flower gardens--or should I say, what is left of them. The grubs have killed many of our gorgeous perennials that were such eye-catchers for so many years. We have been advised to plant our new plants now. Once they are in the ground, we will sprinkle grub poison on everything. If by chance, you are needing to get rid of any plants, please let me know.

We also need to do some major work around our pond area. We have decided to re-do our waterfall so that we can enjoy the sound more than we did last year. To have more "noise", we need to stack rocks higher than what they have been in the past. A few weeks ago, I asked for rocks on here. One person answered our call with a couple of stones. They will definitely be used in this project. Thank you, Dan!!! In the meantime, we will continue to be on the look out for more rock...

Well, as you can see, we plan on being VERY busy for the next several days. Drop on by! We'll put you to work also! LOL!!!

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Great Gifts for Today's College Graduates

Consumer Savings Expert, Andrea Woroch, sent me this information today and I am quite impressed with her ideas on this matter. I think that it is entirely possible that you might appreciate it also. There is more information about Ms. Woroch at the bottom of this post. Thank you, Andrea, for sending this to me!!! VLE-B

Sure, an all-expense-paid trip to Europe seems like the ultimate graduation gift. However, college students who face thousands of dollars in academic debt may need to jump on the job hunt sooner than expected. With new financial responsibilities looming, recent grads will appreciate whatever help they can get.

To help soften the real world blow, here are seven practical gifts job-seeking college graduates will appreciate.

Resume Service

The first thing employers see is an applicant's resume and cover letter. Unfortunately, the style of these documents has become more complex in recent years. Graduates won't get noticed using the old method of simply listing experience by date. Cover letters are now approaching works of art, mentioning much more than that applicant is interested in the job and is a good team player, trustworthy and a hard worker.

A resume service will create updated documents so subsequent resumes and cover letters live up to modern standards. Costs run roughly $100 to $200, depending on the services you desire. It's worth paying extra to have an expert explain the latest tricks and how graduates can alter these documents for each job. Sites like ResumeMyCareer can help you compile a professional and competitive resume at an affordable cost.

Home Furnishings


After living with cinder-block bookshelves and saggy mattresses for four years or, worse yet, being surrounded by their childhood furniture while living at home, graduates might appreciate an upgrade on everything from a couch to kitchen implements especially those moving into a new apartment to be closer to their new 9 to 5 job. You might also put together a basket of upscale bed and bath products so the grad can finally dump their dollar-store shampoo and soap.

Gift Cards

The 2011 crop of college graduates faces more debt than any other generation, so money is always a welcome gift especially to help them get through that first, unstable post-school year. Grads not comfortable with the idea of asking directly for money can create a gift card registry at CardAvenue.com to receive gift cards from hundreds of merchants in a variety of categories from apparel to food, gas and much more.

Job Interview Clothing

Suits can be overkill in some places, unless the graduate lives in a big city or is looking for a management position. Most employers will expect something a bit more casual these days. Men should have a dress shirt, pants and shoes with a matching tie and, perhaps, a sports coat. Women will need a demure outfit or skirt and blouse or dress with basic pumps. A coordinated jacket would nicely complete the outfit.

Foreign Language Lessons

College graduates face a tough job market and with high unemployment rates, that means more experienced competition. Given any opportunity to improve his or her skill set, grads can make themselves more marketable to potential employers depending on the position. Consider gifting Spanish lessons (Rosetta Stone is an effective and affordable option) or perhaps a GMAT review course for help towards MBA school admissions.

Briefcase

Backpacks and messenger bags are great for toting books and water bottles, but grads will have a better chance of securing a job when they show up looking sophisticated. A soft-sided briefcase with room for a laptop, resume binder and lunch will give any job seeker a more professional appearance.

Smartphone

With instant email access & GPS navigation, a smartphone will keep recent grads connected with potential employers & recruiters so they never miss an interview opportunity or an offer. Not to mention, the various apps that offer banking on-the-go, cheap dinner recipes and location-based drink specials to help make their lives a little easier.


Andrea has been featured as a media expert source on NBC's Today Show, FOX & Friends, MSNBC, ABC News NOW and many more. To view recent interviews or find more information, visit AndreaWoroch.com.


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Tribune vs. ??

Through the past few years, whenever I have posted a movie and its synopsis for the Star Theatre, I have mentioned how reasonable the refreshments' prices are. Now, I have their prices for you to compare with a very popular theatre in Southwest Kansas.

This format did not print out the way that I wanted it to. The first price is Tribune's. The price next to it belongs to the other theatre.

Star Theatre ??
Pop
Small 50 cents $2.00
Medium 1.00 2.75
Large 1.50 3.00
X-Large N/A 5.50 (1 free refill)

Popcorn
small 1.00 2.75
Medium N/A 3.75
Large 2.00 4.75
X-Large N/A 5.50 (1 free refill)

Candy 1.25 Small 1.75 Medium 2.25 Large 2.75
Gummy Bears/Worms 1.75
Suckers 2/.75

Hmmm, there is a remarkable difference between the refreshments at one theatre than at the other. One thing that makes it possible for Tribune to keep their prices so low is the fact that volunteers operate the business--not paid employees.

Just thought that you might be interested.

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Fredrick (Fritz) Blau--Logan County, Leoti and Ashland

ASHLAND - Fredrick Vernon "Fritz" Blau, 92, died May 15, 2011, at Ashland Long Term Care Center, Ashland, Kan. Fritz was born April 6, 1919, in Logan County, Augustine Township, the second son of Louie and Julia Rubottom Blau.

He was a farmer/stockman and had been a Clark County resident since 1949, moving from Logan County, Kansas. Fritz was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Enterprise for thirty-one months. Honorably discharged Nov. 4, 1945, he returned to Logan County, Kan., to begin farming.

On June 20, 1948, Fritz married Marilla Alford at Mullinville, Kan. They moved to Clark County in 1949. She preceded him in death in 1998. Fritz moved to Hill Top Assisted Living, Bucklin, Kan., in Oct. of 2008. Fritz was a member of VFW, serving four terms as commander of Post 7770 in Ashland, served on the ASCS committee, and member of Farm Bureau serving one year as president, and was an active participant of the Mullinville United Methodist Church. In 1970 they received the Bankers Award for Soil conservation practices, and in 1971 Fritz was chosen as an Outstanding Farmer of America. For years Fritz and Marilla raised registered Herford and Simmental Cattle. They were active in a performance testing program and received recognition for their top gaining cattle. Fritz is survived by a brother, Charles, and wife Joyce Blau of Marienthal, Kan.; dear friends and partners, Danny and Kay Rich of Ashland; and many nieces and nephews. He was also preceded by three brothers, Martin, Hale and John Blau.

Funeral Services and celebration of his life will be 2 p.m. Thursday, May 19, 2011, at the Mullinville United Methodist Church with Pastors Scott Rose and Jim Sutherland officiating. Burial with Military Honors will follow in Hillcrest Cemetery, Mullinville. Visitation will be Wednesday 5 to 7 p.m. at the church. Memorials are suggested to the Pat Rich Memorial for children in need, VFW Post 7770, Ashland or the donor's choice in care of Fleener Funeral Home, 514 S. Main St., Greensburg, KS, 67054.


Obituary courtesy of the Hutchinson News in Hutchinson, Kansas.

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Dorothy May Schumacher--Leoti and Logan County

(October 7, 1932 - May 17, 2011)


Dorothy Mae Schumacher, age 78, passed away on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at Greeley County Health Center in Tribune, Kansas. Dorothy was born October 7,1932 on her grandfathers homestead Northeast of Leoti, Kansas, the daughter of Edwin “Harold” Carson & Beulah Maybel Metheney Smith. She attended a one-room school in Logan County and graduated from Scott Community High School in Scott City, Kansas in 1950. She attended Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas and later attended and graduated from Fort Hays State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and later a Master degree in Elementary Education. Dorothy taught for the Ellis Public School system where she met and married Daniel A. Schumacher on August 12,1962 at Hays, Kansas. To this union two sons were born. In 1975 the family moved to Logan County where Dorothy had grown up and began farming and raising their boys. Dorothy was a substitute teacher for Wichita County School System and began teaching both 5th and 6th grade full time as well as boys and girls basketball coach at High Plains School from 1981 until her retirement in 1991. The couple continued to live on the family farm in Logan County and watched their family grow.

Dorothy was a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Ellis, Kansas and a lifetime member of the Fort Hays State Alumni Association.

Dorothy’s surviving family includes- Husband- Daniel A. Schumacher- Leoti, Kansas Two sons- Tracy Schumacher and his wife Laura- Leoti, Kansas Todd Schumacher- Leoti, Kansas Five grandchildren Megan Schumacher- Leoti, Kansas Lindsey Schumacher- Leoti, Kansas Miranda Schumacher- Overland Park, Kansas Jacob Schumacher- Leoti, Kansas Matthew Schumacher- Overland Park, Kansas

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 pm Friday, May 20, 2011 at the United Methodist Church in Leoti, Kansas with the Reverend Mike Howard officiating. Burial will be in Scott County Cemetery in Scott City, Kansas.

Friends may call from 10:00 am until 8:00 pm Thursday at Price & Sons Funeral Home in Leoti, Kansas.

Memorials may be given to the Leoti E.M.T.’s or the Wichita County Amusement Association in care of the funeral home.


Obituary courtesy of Price and Sons Funeral Homes of Garden City, Scott City, Leoti and Tribune.

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