Friday, July 29, 2011

Ah Ha....With A Great Sigh Of Relief

Friday is here again.
For some reason I'm glad that the weekend is once again upon us.  Maybe because I just need to get out of the house and do something!  This week has been boring .... listening to the police scanner hasn't been too interesting unless you think that the broadcast about some pigs getting out on the road over towards Salisbury is cool.  Those pigs apparently were meandering along towards the village and the owner lived about 45 minutes away.  The deputy just rode behind them.  HA HA

I went to Kent's IGA to buy some meat .... just because it might be one of the last times I get to buy meat there so I really stocked up.  They have always ran ads with good bargains on meat....in fact, cheaper than I can buy it in Springfield in many cases.  And the meat has usually been very tasty....although I seldom buy chicken there after some mishaps with some spoiled chix.  When the big guns come in, I'm afraid that County Market might not have as good of deals.....yet, when you read their ads, they do run some cheap meat prices, but I have found some of their meat is tough.  I'm  quite a bargain shopper and want to get the best quality for the best price.  Have always done this and I feel this has saved us lots of money over the years.  I learned this when I was freshly divorced, with two very little kids to feed and my job had not yet developed into anything other than a low paid wage job.  I had a house payment and a car payment, utilities, car and house insurance, food and babysitting to pay.  And no child support!  But, with bargain shopping, we didn't want for much of anything.  I learned to cook cheap things and made them come out tasting like gourmet food.  Now it's normal for me to cook like a Food Network star, only better.  Greenview has always been known for some great cooks....and good recipes.  And that hasn't changed over the years.

Lately there hasn't been much gossip in town.  Too hot to talk I guess.  I've been following the Dave Baker, former Greenview police chief, situation in Athens.  The person they appointed as the new police chief has resigned already....good!!  I didn't think much of him anyway....  my opinion only of course, was that he was arrogant....and out of the same mold as the Mayor.    The best comment which has been made is "why would anyone want the job, because the mayor can just fire the chief at anytime"......which he did in Dave Baker's case.  Dave cleaned up the drug activity in Greenview while he was here and he cleaned up Athens...his record is impressive.  The Mayor's vendetta is simply unbelievable.  I plan to support Dave in any way I can....he kept my kids safe in this town when he was here.

I have errands today so I will need to be out in the hot.  Possibility of rain in the forecast for this afternoon and it will feel hot hot hot.  It's over 80 degrees at 5 am with a dew point of 78....which means high heat index temperature...right now at 87 degrees.  I saw that yesterday at 6 pm the "feel like" temp in Quincy was 110 degrees.

I'm hoping that the Washington big babies that they are, can quit fighting and get the debt problem settled.  I've heard that the absolute last day for funds to run out is next Tuesday which is the day before my Social Security Disability check is deposited.  I guess the older and disabled and military Americans will have to beg, borrow or steal when their checks stop.  Legislators better not get their checks! 

Keep close watch on your health in this heat.  Drink lots of fluids and eat lightly and get in out of the heat if you feel any stress at all.  Hope your weekend is a winner!

Old Tyme Greenview -  This came from the 1897 book "The History of Menard and Mason Counties":

"Politically, Greenview Precinct is Republican, usually giving a small Republican majority. In the late war, it did its whole duty, turning out a large number of soldiers. An entire company was raised in Irish Grove at an early period of the war, but, by some means, was credited to Logan County. By failing to get credit for recruits in this manner, the precinct had to stand a draft, as a result of its negligence. The draft, however, was small, as most of the quotas were filled in advance. Samuel Blane enlisted as a private, and rose to the rank of Captain in. Company K, of the One Hundred and Sixth Regiment of Illinois Infantry. Owing to ill health, he was forced to resign, and G. S. Gritman was promoted to Captain in his place. Both of these were from Irish Grove, in this precinct, and, so far as we could learn, were the only com-
missioned officers it claims. The private soldiers 'were of the sturdy sons of the soil, who gallantly sustained the reputation of Illinois' soldiers on many hard-fought fields.


There was no school taught in the village until after the completion of the new schoolhouse in September, 1870. The following winter, Prof. Harris taught a school in the new building. Previous to the erection of this building, the children of the village patronized the district schoolhouse which stood just outside of the corporate limits. There was, we believe, a private or subscription school taught in the village, in a vacant building somewhere, before the new building was erected, but of it we could learn nothing definite. The elegant brick schoolhouse which adorns the village was completed, as we have said, in 1870, and cost about $10,000. It is one of the finest school edifices in the county. The corps of teachers for the coming year is as follows, viz. : Prof. W. H. Williamson, Principal (his third year in that position); Miss Fuller, Intermediate Department, and Miss H. A. May field, Primary Department. The average attendance during the school year is not far short of one hundred and twenty pupils.

It may be an object of interest to some of our readers to know that A. H. Bogardus, the champion shot, was once a resident of this little village. For a
number of years, this was his home, and, as he moved about among the quiet citizens of the place, they appeared wholly ignorant of the fact that their town contained "more than Caesar and his fortunes." For several years past, newspaper writers have made the world familiar with "Captain" Bogardus.


Greenview, as a precinct, is one of the youngest in Menard County. Until some six or eight years ago, it was included in what is now Sugar Grove Precinct, with the voting-place at the village of Sweetwater. The latter was remote from the people in the extreme northern part, and the intelligent voter, from this little drawback, often neglected to exercise the right of franchise. Hence the result was a division of Sugar Grove, or Sweetwater, as it was then called, and the creation of a new precinct, now known as Greenview. This precinct lies in the extreme northeast part of the county, and is bounded on the north by Mason County, or Salt Creek, on the west by Indian Creek Precinct, on the south by Sugar Grove, and on the east by Logan County. At least three-fourths of the precinct is the finest of prairie land, the timber being confined to the creek bottom and to Bee Grove, Ash Grove and Irish Grove, about half of the latter grove lying in Greenview. It is well drained by Salt Creek and its tributaries, of which Pike and Greene Creeks, with other smaller
branches and brooks, flow through it, carrying away the surface water. As an agricultural region, Greenview is not surpassed in the county, and its farmers are among the most thrifty and energetic in all the surrounding community.


The completion of the Jacksonville Division of the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis Railroad, which runs through the western part of the precinct, capped the climax of their prosperity, by placing the market for all their surplus produce at their very doors. The village of Greenview, the metropolis of this flourishing region, is an enterprising little village in the southwestern part of the precinct on the railroad mentioned above, and will be more fully described in another page."

Learn A New Word
In order for us all to become more knowledgable, I'm going to give a new word each day.  This eventually will make us Greenviewanites smarter than others in the county.  A good thing to be able to brag about.

New Word:  Pavonine - 1.  of or resembling a peacock;  2.vain; showy.

New Spanish Word: negociar  = negotiate

Recipe of The Day

Carla's SNICKERDOODLES  (Makes 5 - 6 dozen)
1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
Lightly spray cookie sheet.  Cream margarine and sugar.  Add oil, eggs and vanilla.  Mix dry ingredients together and then add to wet mixture and stir well. Use heaping teaspoon of dough and roll into balls and then roll balls in mixture of 3 Tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon.  Flatten balls with bottom of a glass.  Bake 350 degrees for 10 minutes of until edges are lightly browned.

Thought Of The Day








It is the mind that makes the man
and our vigor is in our immortal soul.
--Ovid


If one thinks about wise old sayings, sometimes we can learn a lesson in life.  One of my favorites is "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home".  Of course related to this is one that says "my home is my castle".  It really doesn't matter what your home looks like or how well kept it is.  What matters is that it is your home, no matter where it is.  Perhaps you have lost your home in a fire, a foreclosure or a divorce.  It's traumatic to start over, building a home with all of its contents.  And,when this happens, the person feels overwhelmed and lost.

My home is never as clean as I would want it.  And perhaps it needs paint and puff and powder in some places, but it's my home and no one has the right to degrade where I live.  If you ever know a person who has lost a home, no matter what the reason, open your heart and extend a hand.  Offer them your help....maybe a financial hand or maybe in the event of a loss by fire, offer a set of dishes you aren't using.  Remember these persons have very little.  Recently my grandson,who is age 19, began life as a inhabitant of a house.  He had nothing.  I asked if he needed an extra sofa we had and if he needed towels and pots and pans, etc.  His answer was "Grandma I have nothing, and I will take anything you want to give me".  I had forgotton what it was like to start life as an adult.   We looked around and found a sofa and a loveseat, a television, pots/pans, silverware, coffee pot, crock pot, kitchen utensils, small grill, electric inside grill, towels, sheets, pillows, blankets, fan, bowls, lawn chairs, plastic containers and on and on.   When we took our motorcycle caravan full of items to him, his eyes sparkled and even when we said "you are the one who must unload it" he sparkled.  Each item he picked up gave him pleasure....and to me these items were rejects.  And we now have more room here too!

Each of us can realize a joy in our hearts when we offer the helping hand.  Never expect any return payback from that person, because it really isn't necessary.  Your payback will be felt in your heart.
 
As you go through this weekend, think of ways you can help others.  If you see a can for donations,  simply give a quarter.  Or if you see a person in the store parking lot who needs help, offer to help.  Or maybe if you are in McDonald's line, pay for the next person's coffee or coke.

Greenviewanites are tough, but we have big hearts.  I'm one and if you're reading this, most likely you're one too.....in the past or now, it doesn't matter....you are one!  Later my friends.









 

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