OMG It's Yellow Wallpaper

Has the Wallpaper Yellowed at your house?
Sometimes what you see around the house doesn't register in a person's mind.  You can pass by something two hundred times and what's there is just there and we don't pay a bit of attention.  Is it because I'm an old Greenviewanite???? Or maybe I go around with blinders on most of the time.

Recently I looked around and started seeing that the wallpaper boarder was getting a bit yellowed and fraying.  My immediate thought was I need to do a bit of painting and other updating ...  I call this stuff the need to "powder puff" the house.  It's not spring or fall house cleaning I'm talking about....it's the actual nitty gritty stuff of replacing things and getting down on your knees and putting painter's tape on the baseboards and picking up a paint brush and then going on to actually replace some items which are looking worn or just outdated.

First was the small bathroom's toilet.  Yes that old low thing was sitting with an unsightly toilet riser so old bionic woman here could easily sit upon her throne.  Can you imagine what a gross sight that beige toilet with an older model grungy white toilet riser made?  So off to Menards we went.  They had nice new white toilets which are nice and tall and will make it easy for anyone to sit on the throne.....and, they were on sale....and, Menards was running a 11% rebate on anything bought between certain dates.  We came home with one new white tall toilet.

Back home, I was looking around and thinking....cripes, the vanity top I now have will not match the shiny new white tall toilet....so two days later another trip to Menards.  This time it was to purchase a nice shiny white marble vanity top with pretty grey running through it (vanity is still good so no need to get that thank goodness as they are really expensive)...the 11% rebate still applies.  YAY!   But I couldn't believe how expensive those marble tops were!!  And I then realized I forgot the new faucet!

After getting home, I look at the floor in the bathroom.....that carpet I installed 10 years ago has to go!  Yep you guessed it, back to Menards for the faucet and new flooring of some sort.  My choice was a medium grey very expensive (Ugh) carpet, and since there is no bathtub in the bathroom so I don't have to worry so much about overflow from a tub or excess moisture.  The 11% rebate still applied!!!! 

While I'm still at Menard's I thought why not buy some paint for the living room.....but dumb me didn't buy the paint for the bathroom that day because I couldn't decide on the color I wanted.  The paint had an $8.00 rebate coming back on each gallon.  I could see dollar signs building up.....mostly for the cost of all of the items in my two carts.....one was a big flat car cart full of stuff and the one I was pushing had quite a lot of stuff in it.  But, I could also see REBATE dollars coming back to me .... in the form of a Menards rebate check but who cares because I just about own stock in Menards after buying all of this stuff so I will return to spend my rebate check(s). 

At this time, I still have new kitchen counter tops and kitchen flooring to buy.....but wahhhhhhhhh the 11% rebate is over....so maybe if I wait for a bit, the rebate will come back.   I know that Menards has that 11% off for the "stuff a sack" thingy about this time each year....but I can't stuff kitchen counter tops in a grocery size paperbag!   And , a new roof is coming too, but we're waiting on a sale of that new metal type roof stuff.  Come to think of it.....maybe I'll wait on another 11% sale for that too.  But this time I'm getting everything at once, because my numerous trips to Menards just cost us about $100 in gas since the truck has to stop at about every gas station since it's a big Ford gas guzzler.

Now that the new stuff is here, it's getting the energy to start completing everything, one step at a time.  If someone comes to our house these days, they have to visit us outside in the heat because I don't want them to see what a mess the house is.....tape on the baseboards....half painted walls.....a roll of carpet lying over there....the new toilet  and vanity top and faucet still in the boxes because the walls aren't painted yet.  OMG when will this work be done????

So far I have $87.00 in rebates coming back. And, if I'm careful and wait for more rebate sales, I might quickly reach a hundred dollars. That will surely buy me something nice at Menard's. Or, I can use it for Christmas presents....that's a great idea.

So if you don't want to sit at one of my dirty germy outside tables in this great heatwave, then don't visit me for a long while.  It takes me a long time to paint.....the other day I got down on the floor ..... yes even with this new bionic leg of mine.  After a couple of hours on the floor,  thought I was going to have to call 911 to get lifted up.  But,  I made it after scooting my hind end over to a bench to hold on to.  This getting old is a bunch of crap!  And especially when Uncle Arthur visits (maybe you have an Uncle Arthur too....his last name is "itis

Old County Pictures

This Watkins Restaurant and Lodging in Petersburg prior to 1900.

Extreme right is Matt Hainsfurther, going right to left, Josie Gum, who later operated the Smoot Hotel.

Next to the right is Mrs. Gum's daughter Mrs. Arthur Smedley.  Next to the right is another daughter of Mrs. Gum, Lilly Yowell.  And to the extreme left is a cousin to the young daughters of Mrs. Gum, Sarah Kurus.  Photo was reprinted in the Observer in 2008.

Main Street Petersburg, unknown date.

Petersburg basketball team 1934.

Junior Class Petersburg 1934.

Menard County Courthouse....unknown date.  I found one reference that said Menard County saw its first permanent courthouse in 1844 but not sure if this is it.

Death Of A Former Greenview Resident

Just last week I mentioned Ron Wahlbrink as a resident at Sunny Acres Nursing Home.  On Sunday, Ron passed away suddenly.  May God be with the family.  Our heartfelt condolences to the family, Jeannette and Bob and Vicki.

A Greenview History Lesson - Some Obituaries

These are transcribed obituaries of past residents which I found.

Henry Deverman - Springfield Journal-Register Sept. 24, 2003

 Henry Fred Deverman, 92, of Springfield, formerly of Petersburg and Greenview, died Monday, Sept. 22, 2003, at Memorial Medical Center.

He was born Feb. 3, 1911, in Greenview, the son of Harry and Emma Treseler Deverman. He married Sophia Schonewise.

Mr. Deverman, a retired farmer, was a member of Greenview United Church, Greenview School Board for many years, Greenview Lodge 653 AF&AM, Ansar Temple and New Salem Shrine Club. He was a longtime member of Greenview Rotary Club.

Survivors: wife, Sophia; a son, Phil (wife, Helen) Deverman of Petersburg; a daughter, Judy (husband, Kenneth) Gustafson of Springfield; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and three step-great-grandchildren.

Services: 11 a.m. Friday, Hurley Funeral Home, Petersburg, the Rev. Robert Hanson officiating. Burial: Elmwood Cemetery, Greenview.

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Alma Simmering - Observer May 22, 1942

Miss Alma Simmering, 30 of Greenview died Wednesday, May 20 at 3:15 a.m. at the Springfield Hospital where she was taken Tuesday night. She had been in ill health for the last year.
She is survived by her father, John Simmering, Greenview; one brother, Elmer, Springfield; and her grandmother, Mrs. Gyertie Simmering, Greenview.
Remains were removed to the Ennis & Sons Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the residence and at 2:30 p.m. at St. John's Evangelical and Reformed church, Rev. Clarence J. Beehler officiating. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery.

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Henry Kaiser
Died at his home in Greenview, Ill., at 4:00 o'clock Friday morning, April 17, 1936, Aged 70 years, 9 months, 12 days.

Funeral services will be held at the St. John's Evangelical and Reformed church at 2:00 o'clock on Monday afternoon, conducted by Rev. C. J. Beehler

Interment at Elmwood cemetery.

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Marie Adelheit Theodora Boske Kaiser
In the Silent Sleep of Eternity the life of Marie Kaiser passed out on June 9th, at 5:30 P.M. in her Greenview Home. Her Heavenly Father called her out of this world of darkness into a blessed conclusion in the committal of her soul into the hands of the living Lord.
She was born to Herman Heinrich Boske and Katherine Spoede Boske on August 16th, 1862, in Badbergen, Province of Hanover Germany.
She had three brothers and two sisters who preceded her in death. The one sister passed away in America and the other sister and the three brothers died in Germany.
She came to the United States of America in 1883. She spent most of her remaining life-time in Greenview, Illinois. She was well-known and well-loved by the people of the community.
On March 6, 1896, she was joined in Christian Marriage to Johann Harmon G. Kaiser in Petersburg, Illinois, with Rev. August Hammer officiating at the Christian Ceremony. To this Christian Union one child was born: Herman Gerhardt Kaiser. The father passed away on Sept. 11th, 1937.
She was a member of the St. John Evangelical and Reformed Church, Greenview, Illinois.
She leaves to mourn her passing the faithful son, Herman, one grand daughter, Mrs. Richard Smith Jr. (Margaret Hermina Kaiser Smith), and a great-Grandson, Larry Dean Smith; besides, many nephews and nieces and other relatives and friends and neighbors, whom she so dearly loved.
She was known as a lovely mother, a dear aunt, a good grand mother, a kind great-grand mother, a devoted christian friend. She spent her love not only in a motherly way upon her loved ones, but other hearts were blessed by her genuine goodness.
The beloved bereaved takes this opportunity to thank all for the floral dispdisplays and friendly words of sympathy and the countless deeds of neighborly assistance which shall always be remembered. May the Lord bless every good soul for the christian kindness manifested in the period of sadness.

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What's To Eat At Our House Tonight

Tonight it's boneless sirloin pork chops, pounded thin with a meat mallet and then floured and browned in olive oil on both sides in an electric skillet to help reduce heat in the house.  Cover this with a gravy made from a mix....I use two chicken gravy packages from Dollar General, adding water as directed but then just pouring over the meat without heating the gravy.  Cover with a tight lid and let simmer for about 20-25 minutes.  Green beans cooked with diced fried bacon and a bit of onion soup mix, lettuce salad and sherbet.

Did You Know?

Some people swear that a  mixture of Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic and Honey is a miracle home remedy.

If you have a tendency to have the following conditions, it might be a must for you:   muscle or joint aches, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, high blood pressure, hemorrhoids, infertility and impotence, toothaches, colds, obesity, ulcers, high blood pressure and cholesterol ( and supposedly it also reduces risks of breast, blocks agents of cancer of the breast, colon, esophagus, skin, stomach and stimulates the immune system)

Basic Recipe
Put the following in a blender:
1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup raw honey
8 cloves of garlic
Mix on high speed for 60 seconds.  Pour mixture into a glass container with a tight lid.  Leave in the refrigerator for 5 days.  Normal dosage is 2 teaspoons in water or fruit juice before breakfast.

Experts, including top doctors, have verified that this health restoring trio can wipe out both common and uncommon ailments.

I say that if it doesn't cure you, you still will have the worst breath in town!  And those belches ....whew!

Learn A New Word For The Day
Newly coined word - netiquette = set of rules governing appropriate behavior and courtesy on the internet.  Blend of etiquette and network.

New Spanish word - good = bien

Thought For The Day

The best way to destroy your enemy

is to make him your friend.

--Abraham Lincoln

This morning I'm really perturbed.  For those of you still living in Menard County, you know that a BLS tax increase passed last spring.  I bet you voted Yes on this because you thought you would be getting Excellent BLS service......and I bet you thought the BLS team would be at your door just a few seconds/minutes after calling 911.....all of this great service included in that nice tax hike you will be paying.

I really need for Greenview residents to read this and think carefully about what it means to you.  I, for one, am upset and mainly because I have medical conditions and the BLS came a long time ago and basically saved my life so I know how critical a BLS response is.

At this time, I doubt that saving lives in Greenview is important to the BLS team as they don't seem to be responding.   Money is and has been spent furnishing each team member with radios which operate even when there is no electricity.  They can talk back and forth between the sheriff's department and the Menard County ambulance.  The Greenview BLS has recovery equipment, including a heart defibrillator to be used in an attempt to shock a person back to life.  All things that each Greenview resident would hope the BLS team would have.

Unfortunately, the team has not been responding to calls lately.  This morning, at 5:45 am, the dispatcher indicated an elderly man in Greenview was unresponsive but breathing.....the dispatcher called for a Greenview BLS response THREE times.  Not one BLS responder answered the call.  They never showed at all, but the ambulance came 20+ minutes later.  Because I listen to a police scanner with the emergency BLS/911 channel, I hear the calls and the responses.....this is the THIRD time recently that not one BLS team member responded.  My personal feelings are that if it's outside of work hours, and they are designated BLS team members, there aren't many excuses for not showing up or responding unless they are out of town.  We supposedly have several team members.....but it's sure not like the old days with Pastor Bob who went despite of his own health issues.  I know of at least one member who was hacked off that the tax issue passed and didn't want to work with the others....why stay on the team then????  I also know that one member who typically responds had surgery recently so that is understandable.

Based on this "no response of the BLS team members",  I think it's time that something is done about this.  Why are these people the ones with the medical life saving equipment which you and I pay for but isn't being used since they won't respond.  I'm not sure what to do....but I think the county board  now has some control over the emergency response teams...I know they own the ambulances.  Based on my assumption I plan to either call or write a letter to Merle Kirby who is a Menard County Board Commissioner.

Sorry for the rant, but this is important not only to me, but each Greenview resident.  Life is important and if no one cares to respond to a medical situation, then the team would be better off without this team member(s).  The harshness of my statements is only because the next call made to 911 may be mine....and if no one responds QUICKLY to a life threatening call from me, I perhaps won't be here in the future to write the Greenviewanite blog.  Please comment!!

Just something to brighten your day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RefcOBU3cA&feature=share