Super Saturday ~~ November 14, 2009

Menard County Resident John Smoot's Car



It's Super Saturday.


I personally call all Saturdays super but for today, I'm calling this day "Super Saturday" because I woke up without bags under my eyes, the coffee tastes better than usual and we're going to go get a Thanksgiving turkey today.


A Free Thanksgiving turkey! Yes I said free, but let me explain. My husband likes to play a game to get a free turkey. Anyone who knows him, knows that he loves cars and always loves to stop at car lots and just look and drool. He doesn't even have to buy a car, but he has upon several occasions .... much to my chagrin. The game he plays around the holidays is to see how many free turkeys he can get. He doesn't count the many dollars which we spend for gas to go get his free turkeys...he just wants to play the game. This has become a joke with the kids when we go to eat the free (????) turkey. When I count up the dollars spent for gas, I could have bought at least 3 or 4 turkeys. Hubby's Folly!


Here's the game he plays. Rob Ridings in Taylorville and West Town Ford in Jacksonville give a free turkey to anyone who stops in and test drives a car. Since hubby loves cars, it's in his blood to pick out the fastest and coolest car he can. Then he test drives it to get his turkey. I'm sure there might be drool within the car since he loves to test drive cars. He gets back from the test drive,then tells the car dealer he has to talk to his wife, gets his turkey and comes to Walmart to pick me up. He arrives laughing because he's beat them at their game of drawing in customers. I have to laugh, because from my marketing days in the business world, I realize these car dealers know that in the case of almost every customer, that's what happens....they are simply waiting for the few customers out of hundreds who are really interested in buying a car.


But the ending of this story is even more funny. When my husband gets his turkey in one of the cities, he puts the bird in our ice laden cooler and we go onward to the other city. From Jacksonville to Taylorville is a long drive.....with high gas prices, it's rather silly but it's our holiday joy and game. As we get older, it's always harder to find things to do on a weekend other than going to craft shows, going to an auction or just staying home looking at four walls. So we enjoy life, go turkey hunting without a gun and smile throughout the day. The car dealer is happy that a potential customer might someday return ..... hubby is happy because he got to drive yet another fast and spirited car ..... and I'm sure happy, as I get to go shopping....my favorite pastime. Maybe you can start playing our game. Clean fun at the price of a few dollars worth of gas.

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Attention FS Propane Customers.

I learned the hard way that Roy L. is not the propane driver any longer. Jimmie Carter has returned. I didn't get any notice in the mail and didn't see anything in the paper. I called for gas in the middle of the week and am still waiting. I think I'm about out because I'm one of those customers who insists on getting a little propane rather than filling the tank.....the cost is gigantic for a big 500 gallon or 1000 gallon tank when propane runs anywhere from $2.15 to $2.60 through the year. Add that up....it's horrible! Next year our plan is to install an outside wood furnace but still hooked into the regular furnace which starts if the wood fire goes out. Since we are out in the rural area and live in the woods, the setting is perfect for an outside wood furnace. And, the wood supply never ceases around here. Consider yourself notified to obtain Jimmy Carter's number and call him rather than Roy L. when you need propane.

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Just Some Greenview History.

1969 ~~ Jim Hornback opened Jim's Coin Wash. It was located in the building which housed the former Owl Garage on Route 29. 20 general washers, 14 lb capacity; 10 dryers; and a 25 lb washer.

1970 ~~ The prized Bulldog team won first place in the District Tournament at Chandlerville.

1970 ~~ On November 20, the Masons celebrated 100 years in Greenview.

1971 ~~ The Greenview Review and the Athens Free Press merged on January 1.

1971 ~~ The Petersburg Observer began publishing the Menard County Review.

1971 ~~ Red Florence began his pastorate at the Greenview Christian Church.

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Holiday Market in Petersburg Today.

Be sure to stop in at Estep and Associates to shop and visit with our former resident Betty Ratliff Winchester. Today, many shops in Petersburg are running holiday specials for your buying pleasure. And if you get a chance, stop in at Potter's new store and get an old fashion drink at the fountain.

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Bee Grove School in Greenview in 2002

Indian Point School in 2004...still standing

I'm still working to find more information on the former Greenview Schools. As I find the location information, as well as other information, I will post it....so watch for it. In 1951 a person by the name of Marie Johnson purchased the Bee Grove School. Someone else told me that the older Todd children attended Bee Grove School so it must have been over towards rural northeast Athens. I'm trying to verify that.