10 hours to play

Gravelly News by Glenna Goodson


Ten Commandments in Cajun--------1. God is number one--and das' All 2. Don't pray to nuttin' or nobody--jus' God. 3. Don't cuss nobody--'specially da Good Lord 4. When it be Sunday---pass yo'self by the church house 5. Yo' mama an' yo daddy dun did it all--lissen to dem 6. Killin' duck an' fish, das' OK--people- No!! 7. God done give you a wife--sleep wit' jus' her. 8. Don't take nobody's boat--or nuttin' else. 9. Don't go wantin' somebody's stuff 10. Stop lyin'--yo tongue gonna fall out yo mouf!!


Fred's 76th birthday was Feb. 8th. baked him his favorite cake--Pineapple Upside Down. I kinda "got into it" and Fred says,"Who is eating my cake?". It was a different kind of birthday for Fred because for several years he has gone to our cabin at Texoma and the people there have given him a birthday party.And then he always stayed until deer season in October. But since his sight is almost gone because of his stroke, he decided he'd better not go to the Lake as yet. He still plans for Russell to take him when it gets warm and he thinks he may be able to stay, with Russ staying part of the time.

My source in Rover says that Johnny Turner is still doing well after his surgery a few weeks ago. Then the source says,"What doing well" means when it comes to Johnny Turner, you can decide!! Gee, I miss Johnny and the rest of my church family at Rover Baptist Church!

I decided today that 50 cents was a bargain for the Yell County Record! I bought a S. OKC newsaper for 50 cents. It had only 7 pages. I showed it to a lady in a restaurant and asked could she believe that this paper cosst 50 cents and she said it was a disgrace!

I talked by phone to my friend Melba Reed last night, the 21st. She's still doing well after her colon surgery. Of course, she refuses to be still and I betcha that the day she came home from the hospital, she was dusting, cooking, and whatever she saw that she thought needed doing. I look at hers and Mamie Glover's clean, orderly, house and I decide if they come to see me, we'll stay on the porch!!

I bought Fred a "talking book" at Wal-mart. It is Patterson's latest book "Step on a Crack." I sat here for 7-1/2 hours and listened to that book being read with him. At the last I kept going to sleep and I tried to get Fred to play part of it back for me and he saaid"No, I could take it back to Ar. with me." I checked him out a mystery from the library today. I read on the cover that this one is 10 hours to play. I don't imagine I will listen to this one.

I got up one morning and Russ had gone to Krispy Creme donuts. Gee, I love those things. I told Fred we did not have those in Ar close to me and I was really ging to enjoy them. Fred says that I probably will go into a diabetic coma!I made the mistake of emailing Lolucinda that I ate 5 without stopping and I really got a lecture. I'll not tell her next time!!

Since I subbed a lot at FV elementary school, I have great respect for those teachers. Vickie Roberson went from teaching 4th grade to teaching Special Education. I know what a good teacher Vickie is so I asked her to tell me some ofthe things they are doing . The programs sound so great that I am so poroud Vickie is at FV becauase I know these kids are learning. Her two para-professionals are Kenneth Hill and Patricia Hill hese 3 work together to give the kids the best. Vickie shared that the students cooked hanksgiving Dinner for the faculty. DEvery day for several days the children had their receipes and what they would do, taoped on the refrigerator door and they had to follow the directions. They used their reading skills to readthe receipes and their math skills in measuring the ingredients. They served the faculty the dinner and felt so good about themselves.

At Christmas, the students made candy and cookies for the faculty.

In their building, they have 3 rooms. At one end they have their life skills center, where there is a stove, refrigerator, sink, dish washer, and dryer. The children learn skills they will need all their lives.

Their reading program is called Reading Naturally. This program focuses on comprehension and fluency. They use casette players. They tape 20 stories and they have a list of vocabulary words to learn. The students read a story and time themselves. The kids set a goal for themselves of reading so many words a minute. They also use a Reading Lab with phonics and spelling and also basic reading. Doesn't this sound great? SWhen I get back I'm going to invite myself to this classroom and observe first hand!!

Think on this!!Life is like an onion--you peel off one layer at a time and sometimes you weep.

you could not tell by their looks

Gravelly News by Glenna Goodson

Al Gore and Bill and Hillary Clinton go to Heaven. God addresses Al first. "Al, what do you believe in?"Al replies,"Well, I believe I won the election, but that it was your will that I did not serve. I've come to understand that now." God thinks a second and says,"Okay, very good. Come and sit at my left." God then addresses Biill."Bill,what do you believe in?" Bill replies,"I believe in forgiveness, I've sinned, but I've never held a grudge against my fellow man, and I hope no grudges are held against me." God thinks for a second and says,"You are forgiven my Son. Come and sit on my right.":Then God addresses Hillary. "Hillary, what do you believe?" Hillary replies, "I believe you're in my chair."

Two Sunday's ago there were 12 at the Nola store eating lunch. Then last week there were 31 there. Mary Lou and Boots Rhoades were celebrating their 61st wedding anniversary and Mary Lou's birthday.

I read in the Record that our Two Rivers school district has a new Supt. Ms. Sherry Holliman. If she is as good a supt. as she is pretty we will be doing well.

The last I heard, Jonnie Sue Willis was in the hospital at Hot Springs. After tests, the diagnosis was not as dire as originally expected. As of the 12th, her fever was down and she was able to feed herself. She has been staying with her daughter,Pam, at Mena, and will probably go back there when better.

Ted Buford had his hip surgery at Russellville last week and had quite a bit of trouble. The surgery had to be halted and he was on a ventilator, but it was soon taken off and he was breathing on his own. Being in your late 90's probably has something to do with that.

Charles Daniel went by to see Loucinda Buford on his way back to Hot Springs. Rita, his wife, is in Alaska awaiting birth ofl their first great grandchild.The baby was due the 13th.The granddaughter lives on an island and will have to go by boat to Sitka to a hospital for the birth of the baby.

O.L. Briggs of Briggsville, came by Loucinda's house last week and she drove him to town, to the Bank, grocery store, Dollar General and to Main Street Cafe to eat lunch. It started raining very hard before they got back to Fourche Valley and there was lots of thunder and lightning.

While in Danivlle, O.L. and Loucinda went by the new restaurant which was purchased by Rex Castlebverry, to check it out. It will be called Little John's and Loucinda says it is very nice. Rex, Shelby, and June were busy cleaning and polishing things. I hear that Dennus must have been supervising cause there was no polishing cloth in his hand.Loucinda reports that there are beautiful pictures on the walls of scenes from around Yell County, photogaphs by Mr. Carrouth.

My little greatgrand children have been over a couple of times to see me in OkC and I have spent a night with them in Guthrie. They have to get up at 5:30 every morning, Monday through Friday. Robyn fixes breakfast and a trolley comes by at 6:30 to pick them up. Allyson is taken to day care, Jake to school and Robyn to Francis Tuttle college in OKC.I think it is great that they have the trolley to take and bring them home. Robyn will soon be a Doctor's Assistant.

Wayne and Pat Bradley invited Loucinda to go to the races in Hot Springs with them last Friday. Since she is totally ignorant ofthe horses, Wayne had to study the sheets and decide which horses to bet on. Unfortunately, all the studying did not help too much, and the luck was running cold. About the fourth race, they finally go lucky and won their money back. On the very last race, Loucinda commented on a very sleek, opretty, black horse wearing a number 4, and thought he was a real beauty. Pat said you could not tell by their looks. Hebroke out first ahead ofthe pack and Pat said that the ones who start out in the lead can never hold it. Well, that little black horse ran the whiole race ahead and finished at least five lengths ahead of everybody else. He was one that Wayne had toldthe girls to bet on, so everybody broke even, after paying for their wonderful corned beef sandwich. It was a very pleasant day for all concerned even though it was very cold. Hot Springs is such a lovely town, a person could spend the whiole day watching people, as they all seem to be having such a good time.

Isn't this true---Too many people marry for better or for worse, but not for good.

I am getting goats

Gravelly news by Glenna Goodson

A woman walks into a curio shop in San Francisco. Looking around, she notices a very life like bronze statue of a rat. It has no price tag, but it is so striking she decides she must have it. She takes it to the owner. "How much for the rat?" "Twelve dollars for the rat,one hundred dollars for the story."The woman gives the shop owner twelve dollars. "I'll just take the rat,you can keep the story.": As she walks down the street carryhing her rat, she notices a few real rats have crawled out of sewers and alleys, and have begun to follow her down the street. This is a bit disconcerting so she walks a little faster. Witning a couple of blocks the group of rats behind her has grown to a hundred andthey begin squealing . She starts to trot toward the bay. She takes a nervous look behind her and sees the rats are now in the thousands--maybe millions and they are all squealing and running toward her. Terrified,she runs to the edge of the bay, and throws the bronze rat in the water as far as she can.Amazingly, the millions of rats jump into the water after the statue and they all drown. The woman walks back to the curio shop. " Ah ha, says the owner. :"I'll bet you have come back to hear the story!""no," says the woman,"I came back to see if you had a bronze DEMOCRAT."

My friend, Melba Reed, came home from the hospital, Friday. She is doing well and I am so thankful. I want to compliment Eva and Linda Beggs for their Aly news last week. They did a good job.i know Melba appreciates them writing the news for her.

My grandson's wife, Heather, that is an interpreter for the deaf in Mulvane, Kansas was required by the school's dept. of educ. to go to Kansas City and take a test for interpreters. The perfect score was 5 and Heather scored 4.7. Becauee of her high score, she gets a bonus and a raise from her school. Yea.Heather!!

I was talking to Mamie Glover this past week by phone. I asked her about Robbie and Roy Fickle and she said Roy was not doing well. I also asked about Robbie';s daughter, Katie. Katie's son is in Iraq and it is such a place of death and it is hard to see anything good in this conflict. Mamie said Katie's son had to witness 3 of his good friends killed that were riding just behind him.How I pray those boys can come home soon.

I called Diane Hunnicutt last week cause I had not talked to Diane in a long time. She says Jay is still pastor of the Union Hill church.I was talkiing aboutr my CPAP machine and she saays Jay has one also but he finds he cannot fall asleep and use it so instead he uses his oxygen machine. She says Paul Wiggins told Jay he'd fight for his CPAP machine and I said I would too and I was thinking of volunteering to be their "poster girl."

Dr. and Mrs. Ruff's daughter, Aaron is a student at Ohio State UniversityShe will graduate soon with her nursing degree and also her Master's degree. She is in an accelerated program at the University.. I know Aaron will be a wonderful R.N.,or whatever career in the medical field she chooses, but I pray she will use her wonderful musical talent to bless people as she always blesses me when I hear her play the piano.I think of musical dramas she could participate in,maybe music as a second career,playing in churches, for nursing homes, there are so many ways she can be a blessing.

What a beautiful snow we had in Gravelly last Thursday. The big, white flakes were just extraordinary!!I went to get my mail and then stopoped at Bill Workman's and his daughter served me some delicious chili. John Meredith came in and visited.He, his wife, and son, David, have been to Ca. and back to take care of business. David is here to stay in Gravelly now. I hope he meets people his age, soon, and he will not be lonely.

Rex Castleberry, Dennus' son, has bought the restaurant in Danville that was formerly Audrey's.Amy June will add her expertise and help him in the restaurant. I hope for him the best and I know he will hire very good cooks and the meals will be great. Another Fowler's-maybe? Rex hopes to open the restaurant by the end of February.

Cindy Clements donated her six beautiful horses to the Sheriff's Youth Ranches,Inc, in Batesville, Ar.These youth ranches have cottages where young people live that have been abused, neglected and other reasons. These children will ride Cindy's horses and care for them. This is a wonderful, Christian thing that Cindy has done--to think of the children instead of how much money she would have received if she had sold them.I said to her,"now, I can have a garden and Cinbdy saays, "No, I am getting goats, now!"She's just teasing--I hope!!

Louise Person has been in the hospital again in Alabama where she is staying with her daughter Annette.She had a breathing problem and an infection. Louise has had several chemo and radiation treatments after her cancer surgery. She is still due to have 10 more radiation treatments. I sure miss Louise's presence at the church in Wing and I know she misses us too.

I appreciated so much Sarah Light calling Wednesday to tell me we would not have church that night because of the weather. Also I appreciated Vivian Noon calling me to check on me because I was not in Rover church last Sunday. I had vertigo and could not drive. I feel sad for anyone that does not have a church home and therefore cannot experience the love and closeness a church family brings to you. Vivian just made my day letting me know I was missed.

Ted Buford of Briggsville fell and broke his hip the week of the 1st.He's in the Danville hospital as of now, and will be transferred to Russellville later this week for hip surgery.

Bill Workman's of Gravelly now has the coke machine outside his store. Also he has a new cooler inside with milk, orange juice,water, V-8. Since Bill also has milk and eggs and bread, we sure won't starve. I just have a few steps to go for my necessities now!!

This coming Tuesday, the 6th, I will go back to OKC to stay with Fred and Russell for awhile. I plan on taking information with me for my column in the Record and rely on friends here to send me information. I do not want to miss writing my column.

Remember--Don't let anyone walk through your mind with dirty feet!!