I'd LIke To Sell Cool Air Today

Today Is a Hot Tamale Day!

If you watch the "So You Think You Can Dance Show", Mary Murphy talks about the Hot Tamale Train.  If we still had a train through Greenview, that train would be so hot, the rails would melt!!  Our thermometer says 97 degree F. and it supposedly feels like 105 degrees and it's not even 2pm.   Hot mama I am today!  And, I just returned for errands so I'm still huffing and puffing from the humidity.

From what I have read, the blame is global warming.  In the winter when it snows excessive amounts, we all sit back and say... "I thought we had global warming".  It appears those temps will eventually go up in the winter with reduced precipitation in the winter.

I saw a thing on television this morning that said the spring rains caused more evaporation, which loaded the air with humidity which caused the high heat in the Midwest.  Here's a link to a site which contains a paper written by some University related experts.....relative to the climate changes in the midwest. 

http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/global_warming/midwest-climate-impacts.pdf

Be sure to keep hydrated....it's important.  And stay in the cool if you have medical issues.

Old Tyme Greenview
In today's post I'm going to use a section from the book "Past and Present Menard County published in 1905.  The gentleman described is one of my relatives.  If you have any problem with me putting on a post about a relative of yours, you should notify me.  Of course in many many cases, I might not know it's one of your relatives....but I would never post anything if you don't want me to do so. Unfortunately, when I copy from this book, the print turns out to be very small....sorry! Here's the section about Alexander Montgomery:

ALEXANDER MONTGOMERY, who carries on farming and stock-raising in Menard county, is one of the native sons of this county, born October 16, 1833. His parents resided here at an early period in the development of this part of the state. He is a son of Charles L. and Eliza (Bracken) Montgomery, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Kentucky. His father arrived in Menard county, Illinois, in 1820, when a young boy and was employed in various ways until 1830, when he was married and began farming on his own account on land which he entered from the government. Not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made upon the place, but with characteristic energy he began transforming the raw tract into cultivated fields and in due course of time gathered abundant harvests. He experienced all the hardships and difficulties and obstacles in his path. He witnessed the wonderful transformation of Menard county from a wild region to a thickly settled district, supplied with all conveniences and comforts known to modern civilization. When his labors had brought to him a comfortable competence he put aside further business cares and spent his last days in honorable retirement from labor. His fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, called him to public office and he served as county commissioner for two terms or more. His early political support was given to the Whig party, but in 1860 he joined the ranks of the new Republican party and continued one of its stanch advocates until his death, which occurred on the 4th of March, 1879. His wife long survived him and departed this life in 1894. Both were consistent members of the Christian church for many years. Mrs. Montgomery's father came to Menard county in 1826 and entered land south of Greenview. There he developed a good farm, breaking the wild prairie and cutting the timber. He bore a helpful part in reclaiming the wild region for the purpose of civilization and his name should be enduringly inscribed on the list of Menard county's honored pioneers. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery were born ten children, who are now living and all are residents of Menard and Mason counties, Illinois, with the exception of one daughter, who resides in Mississippi.

Alexander Montgomery was reared amid frontier environments and retains vivid mental pictures of conditions that existed in this portion of the state during his boyhood days ere many of the modern improvements were introduced. He continued to live with his parents until twenty-three years of age, when he started out in life on his own account. He was reared to the occupation of farming and has always made that pursuit his life work. However, at the present time he is largely living retired, having through his earnest labor and careful management in former years gained a competence sufficient to supply him with all the necessities and many of the comforts and luxuries of life.

Mr. Montgomery is a member of the Greenview lodge, No. 653, A.F. & A.M., with which he has been identified for seventeen years he has been treasurer of the lodge. His paternal grandfather was also a Mason, having become a member of the order at Covent Garden, London, England, from which he was demitted April 21, 1771, upon his emigration to the new world. Crossing the Atlantic to Virginia, he was made grand master of the grand lodge of that state October 28, 1789. In his political views Mr. Montgomery is a stanch Republican, having firm faith in the principles of the party, and he now has in his possession a badge which was worn by his father in Springfield on the 8th of August, 1860. On it is inscribed:



For president,
Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois.
For vice-president,
Hannibal Hamlin, of Maine.


My Country, ‘tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of the I sing.
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light,
Protect us by thy might,
Great God, Our King.

********************************

 

What's To Eat At Our House Tonight

Hotel Steaks on the menu again....we went to Alwan Bros Meats in Peoria over the weekend.  Grilled Steak, corn on the cob, baked potatoes and cookies are all good things.  And our granddaughther is here to help and eat with us.  What a joy!

Fair Is On......Don't Forget.

ATV Pull is tonight at 7:30.  Gate admission is $4.00 for Adults....grandstand is free.

Thought For The Day

To Be Free Is To Have

Achieved Your Life

--Tennessee Williams

Are you attracted to subjects which attract many people?  Some people are and some aren't in my opinion.  Some people can write an article and even though it's boorish the article attracts readers like moths to a light and the article stinks and is not worth reading, but the readers flock to it.  Other writers can draft a wonderfully structured and interesting article and the darn thing ends up looking like, smelling like and tasting like unpleasantly seasoned garlic soup because no one cares about that subject.  I try not to sell you garlic soup type articles unless I'm fresh out of ideas.....and today I am....so I think that before this garlic soup gets any worse,  I will just shut up and stop writing for today.  Good bye for today. Later..... 

Tuesday In The Making

'Tis Early On Tuesday
It's still dark out and the birds haven't even begun to sing.  The chicken down the road still has his beak shut...thank goodness.  But the traffic in front of the house is going strong even at an early hour.  Fourteen houses in our rural, in the woods subdivision but you would think the number is 114 based on the number of cars which go by at, I must say, very excessive speeds.  Posted at 25 MPH...but everyone speeds.  Ahhh yes, there went an early garbage truck too.....which happens at least two days a week.

The chicken might not be up, but the little fox is screaming again.  If you've never heard a fox marking it's territory, it's a treat .... you won't believe it's a fox.  The first time we heard it was two or three years ago.  Our dog hid behind the sofa she was so scared.   So that you can hear the racket a fox makes, I found a  couple of links to sites which have a fox screaming on it....it sounds like a bird.  Especially the vixens' screams.  For a long time we thought we had some kind of a weirdo bird making these sounds.   This happens at our house constantly....one little fox lives in the forest in back of our house....and he/she is noisy. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6NuhlibHsM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk1mAd77Hr4&feature=related


More Menard County History Stuff
This came from the book "Pioneers of Menard and Mason County" by O. T. Onstot, published in 1902.  Today's post is about our very famous resident, Abraham Lincoln.  Many Menard County residents take it for granted that Lincoln was a resident in the infancy stage of Menard County.  And some current residents don't know much about the young A. Lincoln.  This story basically is about his younger years love life.  Some of it is sad and some is hilarious.  It is rather long, so I am planning to make this about the only thing I post today.  Enjoy!

********************************************************************************
"THE time Mr. Lincoln boarded at the Rutlege tavern, Harvey Ross also put up there as he passed through Salem. It was a hewn log house, two stories high, with four rooms above and four below. It had two chimneys with a large fire place, and not a stove in the house. The proprietor was James Rutledge  a man of more than ordinary ability, and with his wife kind and hospitable. They had a large family of eight or nine children, and among them their daughter, Anna, celebrated in song and story as Lincoln's sweetheart. She was several years younger than Lincoln, of medium size, weighing 125 pounds and had flaxen hair. She was handsome and attractive, as well as industrious and sweet spirited. It was seldom that she was not engaged in some occupation knitting, sewing or waiting on the table. I think she did the sewing for the family.   Lincoln was boarding at the tavern, and fell deeply in love with the gentle Annie, and she was no less in love with him. They were engaged to be married but had been putting the wedding off for awhile as he wanted to accumulate a little more property, and she wished to attend school a while longer. Before the time had arrived when they were to be married, Miss Annie was taken down with typhoid fever, and lay dangerously sick for four weeks.

 Lincoln was an anxious and constant watcher at her bedside. The sickness ended in death, and young Lincoln was heart broken and prostrated. The histories have not exaggerated his pitiful grief, for he was not able to attend to business for quite awhile. I think his whole soul was wrapped up in that lovely girl. It was his first love, the holiest thing in life, the love that cannot die. The deepest gloom settled over his mind. He would often say to his friends, "My heart is buried in the grave with that dear girl." He would often go and sit by her grave and read from a little pocket testament which he carried with him. What he read I know not. But I'll warrant you it was, "Let not your heart be troubled," or John's vision on the Isle of Patmos with Anna among the white robed throng, where sickness, sorrow, pain and death are feared no more; where death is unknown. One stormy night he was at the house of a friend, and as rain and sleet came down on the roof he sat with bowed head and tears trickling down his cheeks.  His friends begged him to control his grief.  "I cannot," said he, "while storm and darkness are on her grave.  Anna Rutledge was of gentle blood and would have later made him a noble wife in his humble years and in the imperial later life.

David Rutledge, a brother of Anna, took a course at Jacksonville college, and then went to Lewistown and studied law in the office of L. W. Ross and Jno. T Boice. He afterwards married Miss Elizabeth Simms, and moved to Petersburg and opened up a law office. He was a bright and promising young lawyer, and no doubt would have made his mark but for his untimely death. He was buried by the side of his sister in the cemetery. His widow married C. \Y. Andrus, a prominent merchant of Havana.

 The Rutledge family stood high in the country. Anna's father was a South Carolinian of high birth. One of his ancestors signed the Declaration of Independence. Another  chief justice of the Supreme Court under Washington's appointment. A third was a conspicuous leader in congress. So Lincoln's boyhood love was of a high and gentle birth.

 One year after the sad death of Anna Rutledge, Mr. Lincoln again fell in love. Miss Mary Owens was his second sweetheart. She came from Kentucky to visit her sister, Mrs. Bennett Able, who lived just north of Salem. In many respects she was very different from Anna Rutledge. She was older and larger. She was finely educated and had been brought up in the most refined society, and she dressed much finer than any lady who lived about New Salem. Her fashionable silk dress was in striking contrast with the calico dress, calf skin shoes and straw bonnet that Anna had worn. She was in the habit of making frequent visits to the post office for letters from her Kentucky home, and that was where Lincoln first became acquainted with her. It was not long until he became a frequent visitor at her sister's home, and these visits continued until her return to Kentucky. It became the gossip of the neighborhood that they were to be married. When the gossip was repeated to Lincoln by a friend he replied, "If ever that girl comes back to New Salem I am going to marry her." In about three years Miss Mary did return, but Lincoln did not marry her, and I presume the readers will want to know the secret of it all. They did not agree, and she would not consent to the marriage. On this point Miss Mary is reported to have said that there vere many things she liked and other things she did not like, and the things she did not like overbalanced the things she did like. "I could not help admire Mr. Lincoln," she said, "for his honesty, truthfulness and goodness of heart, but I think he was a little too presumptuous when he told his friend that if I ever came back to New Salem he was going to marry me. That is a bargain that it takes two to make, and then his training and bringing up has been so different from my own, and his uncouth behavior was most disagreeable. He was lacking in those little links which make up the chain of a woman's happiness. At least that was my judgment. He was not the ideal husband that I had pictured to myself that I could love. He asked me to become his wife; I told him no."

 In our next we will give Mr. Lincoln's side of the story. He had a lady friend whom he confided in and advised with in many of his private affairs. She had learned that he was engaged to Miss Mary and that the engagement was broken off, and she wanted to know the cause. So he wrote her a letter and it is presumed he did not expect the letter to go out of her possession unless it went into the fire, but as time went on it did get out of her hands. After the refusal of Mary Owens to marry Lincoln a lady friend knowing the circumstances wrote to Mr. Lincoln to ascertain the reason of the refusal, to which he replied:

Springfield, 111., April l, 1838. Dear Madam: It was in the autumn of 1836 that a married lady, Mrs. Bennett Able, of my acquaintance, who was a great friend of mine, being about to pay her father a visit in Kentucky, proposed to me that on her return she would bring a sister of hers back with her on condition that I would become her brother- in-law. With all convenient dispatch I of course accepted the proposal, for you know I would not have done otherwise had I been averse to it, but between you and me I was most confoundedly well pleased with the project. I had seen her sister some years before and thought her agreeable and intelligent and sa\v no good reason and no objection to plodding along through life hand to hand with her. Time passed. The lady took her journey in clue time and returned, her sister in company with her. This astonished me a little for it appeared to me that her coming so readily showed that she was a trifle too willing, but on reflection it occurred to me that she might have been prevailed upon by her married sister to come without anything concerning me ever having even mentioned to her, so I concluded that if no other objection presented itself I would consent to the plan. All this occurred to me on hearing of her arrival in the neighborhood for be it remembered that I had not seen her except about three years previous as above mentioned. In a few days we had an interview and although I had seen her before she did not look as my imagination had pictured her. I knew she was over size, but she now appeared a match for "Falstaff.' I knew she was called an old maid and I felt the truth of one-half the application, but now when I beheld her I could not help thinking of my mother, and this not from her withered features for her skin was too full of fat to permit it to wrinkle, but from her want of teeth and weatherbeaten appearance in general and from a kind of a notion that ran in my head that nothing could have commenced in infancy and reached her present bulk in less than thirty-five or forty years. In short I was not well pleased with her, but what could I do. I told her sister I would take her for better or worse and made it a point of honor in all things to stick to my word, especially if others had been induced to act on it, which in this case I had no they had. I was now convinced that no other man on earth would have her and hence they were bent on holding me to the bargain. Well, thought I, I have said it and may the consequences be what they may, it shall not be my fault if I fail to do it. At once I determined to consider my wife. This done all my powers of discovery were put to work in search of perfections which might upset her defects. I tried to imagine her handsome, which, but for orp4jency was true. Exclusive of this no woman I had ever seen had a fairer face. I also tried to convince myself that the mind was nTuch more to be valued than the lace and in this she was not inferior, as I could discover, to anyone with whom I was acquainted. Shortly after, without coming to an understanding with her, J set out for Vandalia to take my sefet in the legislature. During my short stay there I had letters from her which did not change my opinion of her intellect or intention, but on the contrary confirmed it in both. All this time I was fixed firm in my resolution. I found that I was continually repenting of the rashness that had led me to make it. After my return home I saw nothing to change my opinion of her. She was the same and so was I. I now spent my time in planning how I might get along in life after my changed condition, how I might put off the evil day, which I really dreaded as the Irishman the halter. And now vou want to know how I got out of the scrape clear in every sense of he term with no violation of word or honor. I do not believe you can guess so I will tell you. As the lawyer says was done in this manner, to-wit : After I had delayed the matter as long as I thought I could I came to the conclusion that I might as well bring the matter to a close so I mustered up courage and poposed to her direct, but shocking to relate she answered, 'No.' I first thought she did it through modesty, which I did not think becoming under the circumstances of the case, but on renewing my suit she repelled it with greater firmness than before. I tried it again and again with the same success or rather want of success. I was finally forced to give it up and found myself mortified beyond endurance : I was mortified it seemed in a hundred ways. My vanity was deeply wounded by the reflection that I had been too stupid to discover her intentions and at the same time never doubting that I understood them perfectly and that she whom I had taught myself to believe would have been the last to reject me me with all my greatness and then to cap the whole thing I began to suspect that I was really in love with her. But let it all go. I'll try to out-live it. Others have been made fools of by girls but this can never be said of me. In this instance I made a fool of myself. I now have come to the conclusion never again to think of marrying and for the reason that I never could be satisfied with anyone who would be blockhead enough to have me. Your sincere friend. A. LINCOLN. 

 It would seem that after the death of Anna Rutledge and the refusal of Mary Owens, Mr. Lincoln would have been discouraged in his matrimonial attempts, but it was not so in his case. It is an old saying that there are as good fish in the sea as ever were caught. After his removal to Springfield he was thrown into different society and with his genial good nature he was not destined to live an old bachelor. We shall give his third and last love. 

 By his marriage with Mary Todd there were three children so the name of Lincoln was perpetuated. We have met Robert Lincoln several times but there is not the least resemblance to his father in his make-up. He is a short, heavy-set man with a broad face and heavy eyebrows. He resembles the Todds and not the Lincolns.

Note:  There was other parts of the story, but these were the main parts.  I hope you didn't get bored with the length.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know a bit about the our 16th president and his life in Menard County. 

Thought For The Day

Never, never, never quit.

--Winston Churchill

Lincoln's Home At New Salem

The best part of history is being able to find something that we can look at and begin to understand what went on many years ago.  But when history isn't documented, we must come to our own conclusions and those conclusions can never be 100% accurate.  In fact, most times, the conclusions are totally in error.  Don't take for granted that your children will remember something you told them 25 years ago and don't think they will document what you said....NO, IT WILL NOT HAPPEN.  And when something isn't documented, the thought process usually is lost in the translation.  As I'm sure some of you will agree,  I hated American history when I was a student.  And, I really didn't take the time to learn things then that I should have.  Now, I can better understand the importance of documenting history and learning about what made America and our town what it is today.   Think about the posts you read in my blog....do you enjoy them I would ask.....or do you consider them boring?  Most will say they enjoy learning about the days of old related to our town and our county.  History is important.  And, I say with conviction ...... Document your history!  Now!  Later my friends.

The New Week Has Begun!

Glory Be...A New Week
Hotter than Hades too here in Greenviewland!!  Now how would I know how hot it is in Hades...since I've never been there and don't plan on it either.  I know mythology has always indicated that the netherworld is pretty dang hot!  And so is Greenview! On Sunday morning, the humidity made the air oppressive and my thermometer in the late afternoon said 92, but by then the oppressive humidity tamed down a bit.  Now for the rest of this week it's supposed to be even worse.

We have a severe weather alert all week due to the heat and oppressive dew point/high humidity.  It's most important to drink plenty of liquids to keep hydrated.  If you work outdoors, in order to replenish the sodium and electrolytes you lose through sweating, you should drink some sports drink....not all day long, but at least 1/2 bottle in the morning and 1/2 in the afternoon, then keep drinking plenty of water the rest of the time.  Too much gives you too much sugar and too many calories.   I prefer Powerade because it has about 1/2 the sodium of Gatorade....I feel the sodium in Gatorade is a bit overkill.  Both have electrolytes which are very important to make sure you replace when sweating. 

If you legs start cramping, you're de-hydrated.  Also, if you can pull the skin up on the back of your hand and it stays there for a few seconds, you're de-hydrated.  If you start to feel sick to your stomach, chills, dry mouth......get out of the sun and into air conditioning. Ignoring signs that you are overheated can result in a heat stroke.....which could result in death if not treated.  Only you can prevent this ... do not overexert yourself in the heat!!!!!!!!

County Fair
It's once again time for the county fair....oh boy.....high heat and humidity....but no rain forecasted.  I'm glad that this year I don't have to sit in one of those buildings.  Done that .... Been there .... Don't like it.

The fair starts Tuesday and runs through Sunday.  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the gate admission is $4.00, under 10 free.  But on Tuesday,the 7pm Queen Pageant night, the grandstand entrance is additional....$3.00 adults and children $1.00.  Wednesday night is the 7:30pm ATV pull and grandstand is free admission. Thursday night is 7pm harness racing and grandstand is free.  Friday night the gate admission after 3pm changes to $10.00 for Adults and for ages 6-10 is $3.00 with under age 6 free.  Entrance into the Grandstand to see the 7:30pm Demo Derby is free because of the higher gate admission.  For Saturday and Sunday the gate admission after 3pm is yet another change....$7.00 for Adults, ages 6-10 is $3.00, with under age 6 free.  Saturday night is the 6pm tractor and truck pull with free grandstand and Sunday night is the 5pm mud bog and the dash for cash in the mud....what a dirty and funny thing this is!! 

The fair is for you to enjoy.  We're lucky to still have a county fair in view of the economic situation....I know the fair board has had some worries these last few years.  The Menard County Fair began in 1855...so this county has had over 150 years of fair going....cotton candy....carnival rides.....eating junk food.....looking at agriculture at its best and even peeking in on the women's events.  A good thing as Martha Stewart would say.  Be sure to take the time to visit your Menard County Fair....See you at the fair!

A Continuing Story...A Girl Afraid of Death
Starting July 4,  I started posting a true story written from journals and diaries of a young girl who had some unanswered questions about death.....and was actually afraid of death.  That young girl is/was me.  These posts on the continuing story are randomly done....so you will need to read each post to find the continuing story, starting with July 4 for all of the chapters.  Some of this seems out of order, but this is how I wrote the journals and diaries as a young girl.  I hope you get an idea of a young girl's life in Greenview when she was faced with death issues.  Comments are welcome.

Chapter

Friday has come and today was the day of mama’s funeral. Yesterday we had to be at the funeral home and there was my mom painted in that stuff like clown make-up. And her hands were on her belly. I wanted to take her hands and put them around me and tell her I loved her and that it was ok because I would be ok somehow. Today, the Presbyterian church was filled with people, standing room only. There are so many flowers all over the church. It is raining out and it’s cold but in February that’s something that happens. I sat in the front of the church and didn’t cry much because I was trying to figure out how my life was going to be after today. The cemetery sermon was the worst thing today because the minister said my mom was gone forever. I can’t ask her about what to wear, or how to fix my hair or what to eat so I don’t get fat or how to use make-up like some of my friends. I can’t ask her where my white shirt is or where my ugly red shoes are. My mom was born on a Friday as a Friday’s child and she was put in the ground on a Friday. Did that mean something? Friday must have a meaning but I don’t know what.

I am so hurt because my mama promised me a few weeks before that she wasn’t going to die. Here I am today, a ripe old age of 12 with no mom and wanting one again. Is that possible? After a couple of months, I’m going to begin to ride my bike each day to the cemetery to sit by my mom’s and my brother’s graves, trying to get them to give me a sign that they know I am there. Maybe they can come back alive if I pray long enough. Or maybe the dead can talk to people. I still have questions I want to ask about how people feel when they are dying or right before they die. No one thought of me needing counseling to cope with mama’s death. Why not! I am important and do not understand death.

The very next year, on my mama’s birthday, two of my most favorite people died. One was considered important to the world, but one was loved by many but known by few. My great-grandmother Elizabeth was mighty important to me, but the world thought only of President John Kennedy on November 22, 1963.   Today was also my mama's birthday but she died in 1962, so it was a pretty sad day for me. JFK and Great Grandma Elizabeth both dying on the same day, and on my mama's birthday.   Once again I was faced with the unruly death thing yet our family’s death was swept under the carpet while the world only thought of JFK. My world just seems to be swept with death recently. Who will be next and will be I be able to talk to the next person before death occurs.

After my mom, death approached and grabbed two of my classmates. They were young kids and shouldn’t have had to die. But did they know they were dying? I didn’t get to ask but I suspect they did, as one classmate knew he had cancer. The doctors did surgery and found him full of cancer and just sewed him up and sent him home. There was nothing the doctors could do, so my classmate friend must have known he was dying. But how did he feel? Did something tell him how soon death would be at his door? I don’t know the answer because I didn’t get a chance to ask my friend Pat. My other classmate Kitty must have known death was coming too. Her mom died one summer and even though our classmates didn’t detect she was having problems coping, she was being treated by a psychiatrist. Her last visit must have been very upsetting as she came home and took the shotgun to the farm field, placing it against her stomach and put her toe on the trigger. She had to know death was knocking. Somehow, death or something had to tell her. Once again I wasn’t able to ask my friend questions about death and the feelings Kitty might have had. I didn’t get to tell her goodbye as we were in Florida on vacation.

One day in my teenage years, I got out my white zippered Bible  and started searching through the myriad of pages. The words looked and sounded like it was written in a code. I remember our minister reading bible passages and then elaborating on what he had read. But how did he know that’s what the coded words said? Did he learn that in college? I had gone to classes to become a member of my church and was given my white zippered bible, but that sure didn’t make me an expert on what the bible said. Those classes only addressed a very small portion of the bible. And, besides, I was probably mooning over the cute boys in class so my attention may not have been on the subject at hand. Now that I look back, I wish I would have studied harder, so perhaps I might not need so many questions asked. But I still feel, that none of us will really ever know that death is coming until it’s time for us.  It's amazing that young kids don't know more about death and why it occurs.  People tell us things but then don't explain it.

Be sure to watch for future posts in the continuing story of a young girl.  This is a true story.

What's To Eat At Our House Tonight.
We have lots of left overs in the refrigerator....from the weekend.  So it's called, Cook's Choice.  We have some grilled chicken, some fish, some leftover potatoes and plenty of lettuce to make a nice salad.  So instead of giving you info about how to make what we're having, I'm giving you a favorite recipe of mine.

Butter Cake Bars
18.25 oz. box yellow (says with butter) cake mix
8 oz. cream cheese - softened
1 egg
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
powdered sugar - for coating

Beat together all ingredients, except powdered sugar, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Roll into 1" balls, roll in powdered sugar, and arrange 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar when cooled.

Things People Say

Sometimes it does a person good to laugh and laugh.  George Carlin could say something with a perfectly straight face....and was good at it.  Here's something pretty cool he said:
"Weather forecast for tonight: dark.  Continued dark overnight with widely scattered light by morning."

Thought For The Day

There is always an easy solution

to every human problem -

neat, plausible and wrong.

--Henry Louis Mencken

I always reflect on how boring my message has been. Did I leave my readers with a feeling of complete hopelessness or a feeling that this woman is just plain nuts or did I do a good job of "storytelling". Any time a person writes a blog like this, it's simply "storytelling" -- getting the message across, regardless of what the message actually is. It may have been boring. It may have been unbelievable. It may have been unfinished. It may have been one which satisfied. It may have be one which was unsatisfactory. And it may have been just plain stupid. But I promise I will never end it with "and they lived happily ever after".... because storytelling is just not supposed to end with that! As time goes on, I will continue my "storytelling" and I hope you will continue your reading of the story. No matter what it is on that day. Life is simply a story which goes on and on, day to day. And the story needs to be told. Until another day of "storytelling"....

Wonderful Weather....And Friday To Boot

Noisy Times...And Sometimes Quiet Times
When you go out by and on Route 29, it's a state of confusion.  Seldom is it quiet when the big rigs are doing their stuff.  Just a few days ago, these asphalt eating machines started gobbling up dinner.  But it's really kind of cool to watch.  Big sheets of the asphalt come up when these machines get the scrapers underneath....then it's gobbled up in little pieces and then spit out on a conveyor belt  which is directed to the back of a dump truck.  These dump trucks endlessly do their job.....get a load and take a load to be recycled....then back to get another load.

A lot of us kind of have  adopted Rte 29 as our own, because we remember when they laid the bed of this road in the late 1950's.  And many of us still call it the hardroad.  Well.....the bed of concrete is still there.....but it looked like me that there are still many layers of old asphalt under the layers they just removed.  So, I guess we still didn't get to see that old 1950 concrete.  Yes......back in the late 1950's....talk about big old machines.  Those earthmovers were huge and made it look simple to scoop up a big belly full of dirt to make the bed for the road.  Back then, the road builders completely revamped the locality of most of the old Route 29.  And it was a mess to travel during that time.  But I sure had a grand old time watching them.  My dad farmed the old Marbold place during that time so I was always out there watching the men build the road as it was constructed in front of the old mansion.  I would take a lawn chair and take our lunch and a big old thermos of a cold drink and watch the road being built while my dad was busy doing chores.  During the road builders' breaks, they would come over to the shaded yard and sit a spell with my dad and me and my brother....and I guess shoot the bull as my dad would have called it.

I imagine that next week will see the beginning of a new coat of armour being put on the majestic Route 29.  It will then smile for us for a while....at least until the big rig semi trucks again mar the surface and make it a bumpy mess like it was before the revamp began.  In just a while, the hardroad will be the queen around here.  Treat her with kindness.  She makes it possible for us to get where we need to go.  :)

A Family Matter
I have been doing a lot of family history research on the Clemens family.  I have found things that my husband and his siblings didn't know about.  And I've found relatives who no one knew were relatives.  I loved finding the locations and pictures of the ancestors graves.  Then I found war registrations and census information and even in some cases a description of the person....ie...height, weight, color of hair.  Totally amazing.  I only wish that person would have better documented their life so that persons in the chain of evolution....the future.....would have been able to know a bit more about their favorite aunt, or cousin, or uncle, or grandpa or grandma.  I remember sitting with my grandma and asking her question after question to learn a bit about her life as a young girl.  She even documented a few pages.  And now this information is dear to my heart.  I cherish this documentation.

One of these days, each of my readers should sit down at their computer and document just a few things about their childhood which they remember.  Or, document how you met your spouse.  Or, document a moment in your life.  When you're done, print it out and give it to your children.  And while you're at it,  take it to the Athens library special collections room or the Menard County Historical Society so this can become a part of the history of our town and your family.

I personally have documented my life up to high school graduation.  I completed it about a year ago and wow it felt good.  I asked a few of my friends to read this to make sure it didn't sound corny.  I got good reviews from all who read it.  I even included a pictures of my family and others through my whole life in a special cover I did for the story. 

It might take the average person about an hour to write a couple of paragraphs relative to the person's life.  If this person would take one hour each week to do this, at the end of the year, the person will have written about 104 paragraphs.  That's a lot of documentation.  And when that person reads his/her life story, there will be a pride in ownership.  So........how many of my readers can pledge to me to start writing about their life,  at least two paragraphs each week?  Start at the earliest point in your life that you can remember.  Let me know who does it....and any progress.  I can help you put it in the archives at the Athens Library....in the books about Greenview.   If you don't want others to know about it, email at: carlaslittlemoms@yahoo.com

This is a picture of my husband's grandmother's (Lily Bell Thornton Clemens) sister Emma Thornton Ferguson who lived in Petersburg.  I got this picture from a dear lady in Athens who is related on the Ferguson side to my husband's Great Aunt Emma.  Isn't it fun to look at old pictures.....why not document your life and be sure to include pictures so that some day, someone,  many years in the future, can look at things like we're doing in today's world.

Recipe Today Instead Of What's On The Menu
Do you want to make some killer Fajitas...just like the ones at some famous restaurants?  I've been using this recipe for a very long time.....have served it to people and have always got rave reviews and recipe requests.  It takes a while to prepare but it's worth it.

Carla's Chicken Fajitas
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbls. olive oil (or vegetable oil)
4 cloves garlic - sliced .... or I have used 3/4 tsp of garlic powder
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1.5 lb. boned, skinned chicken breasts

 Mix the above ingredients in a bowl.  Put the chicken breast in the marinade for at least 12 hours but is better overnight.

For the vegetables in the fajitas, I use one each of a Green and a Red Pepper and a large onion, but you can use all green pepper instead of the colored peppers.  Use as many peppers and onions as you want, sliced in strips....in fact you can also use more chicken if you want....I usually do....and sometimes I double or triple the recipe for the marinade and chicken if I'm having guests.

After marinading the chicken, grill it (I use the George Foreman most of the time) and slice it in thin strips and keep it warm. 

Cook the peppers and onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until they are beginning to be a bit soft but not mushy.  Add the sliced chicken breast and then mix 3 tablespoons of water, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of lime juice in a small bowl and then pour over the chicken and vegetables.  Heat for 1 minute and remove from heat.  Serve with warm flour tortillas and shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped lettuce, salsa and  be sure to have a big appetite.

Note:  Fresh sliced garlic is best to use in the recipe.....rather than garlic powder.  Also be sure to marinade for the length of time or the fajitas won't be able to absorb the marinade and won't taste like they should.  Happy eating.

Quilt Idea

I know I have readers who are quilters.  Al long time ago a friend gave me a website for a rag quilt.  I have finally decided I'm going to make one of these later this year to get rid of fabric.  I'm posting the site in the event someone else might be interested.....this is a rather unique way to make a quilt.

http://jubileehomespun.com/info/Quilt_Instructions.htm

Thought For The Day

Always do right

this will gratify some and astonish the rest

--Mark Twain

Sometimes when we leave something in the refrigerator too long, it becomes spoiled and if left long enough it becomes covered in slime and mold. Many people don't want to admit in public that this has happened in their refrigerator, but I will admit this.....it has happened because I just didn't take the time to throw it away when I should. The world moves fast and sometimes it seems there is just not enough time in the day to do everything one should. But it's important that we do take to time for ourselves .... clean out our mind .... clean out our negative thoughts .... and yes, even clean out our refrigerators. When we fill our lives with positive thoughts and adopt the power of positive thinking, things get better in your life. Money might come your way.....a new job opportunity might come your way.....or you might see an old friend you haven't seen in a long time. All positive things! So as you proceed into the weekend, take time for yourself. Sit for a while and let the cobwebs leave .... just relax for a few moments....it doesn't require a lot of time. And while you're doing that, think about your life in Greenview....either then or now. It's a good life here.....if you want/wanted it to be. From one Greenviewanite to another.....take care....later my friends.

Luverly Thursday Morning In The Midwest

The Morning Is Clear;  Beautiful Weather Forecasted
Any time I can wake to a day which will be at a high of 83 degrees, it's a nice day in this old town.  At least a person feels that a trip outside won't suffocate oneself.   It appears it might rain sometime today but I don't think it's in the forecast.  I hope not!   In fact I have errands....to the doctor man....to buy staples, etc.  I love "Shop n Save Thursday" !Buy $50 worth of groceries and only pay for $40 and no coupon necessary.  Who can beat that!  $10.00 is a big savings.  Saving money is the name of the game!

When I was a kid, I used to try to save money so I could run to the store and buy candy.  Here's some candy you might remember from the 1950's and 60's...besides the usual Hershey Bars and other common candy bars:
Chick-o-sticks; Necco Wafers; Boston Baked Beans; Charleston Chews;  Zagnut; Zero; Sugar Daddy; Sugar Babies;  Bun Bars; Bubble Gum Cigars; Bit-o-Honey; Sno Caps; Candy Cigarettes; Skybar; Lik-m-Aid;  Abba Zabba; Mary Janes; PayDay; Root Beer Barrels; Slo Poke; Wax Lips; Clark Bar; Teaberry Gum; Clove Gum; Beaman's Gum; Black Jack Gum; Mallo Cups; Fizzies Drink Tablets; Chicklets, Sen Sen; Nik-l-nip; Chuckles.  And my most favorite was Val-o-milk because it had a disk inside with the names of state capitols....this is how I learned my state capitols. 

Some of this old tyme candy is still available.  I love to go to Cracker Barrel and see the the candy from my past. And there are sites on the internet where you can order old type candy.   Although it's quite a bit more expensive in today's world.  And of course the penny candy we used to buy at Whit Stone's Drug Store.  For two cents,  a big bag would be handed over.  Whit Stone had about everything you could want ..... I remember getting school supplies there.  But the best thing was the ring bologna at Punch's West Food Store....a big hunk for a dime or so.  I'd go in there just to see Esther's blue hair.  And wonder what Punch and Judy (as I called Punch and Esther) did when they rode around in his old Ford car.  I always wondered if they parked in lover's lane....shame on me.

It's always fun to reminisce from the days of old.

Just a Thought on a Subject Regarding Greeview BLS
I have a police scanner with the emergency channels for the BLS and fire in  Greenview.  Unfortunately, lately, I have been hearing unanswered BLS calls during the day. Almost every one of the calls during the day have no Greenview BLS response.   Apparently people who are on the BLS work outside of Greenview, so maybe there is no one to answer the call.  A few months ago I had the occasion to call 911 due to a nose bleed I couldn't get stopped.  No one from the BLS came....it was about 7:30 am.  I had to wait 45 minutes for the ambulance attendants to get here to help me get the blood stopped.  I am certainly worried about this.  People could die if we don't have a BLS member who can immediately go to a victim of a heart attack or other life threatening event.  I wonder what it was we voted on during the last election???   I know some BLS members in the county were in a huff about the election item and didn't want it to pass....I sincerely hope that the BLS team is not disbanding or not going to calls because this passed at election time.  I would volunteer for the BLS since I used to be a safety marshall at work many years ago...but I'm not sure I'm up to it at this point.  Discussion anyone??

Some Are Having Problems Posting Messages and Reading the Text
Keep in mind that I am using a FREE posting site for my blog.  There will be errors and quirks.  I don't like the problems I have with this site, but I put up with them and ask that you bear with me.  I try to type the blog in larger type, but sometimes, the text size gets changed mid-way through or when I do the posting and it looks terrible, but it takes so much time to go back a re-do the blog.....sometimes I try to clean it up .... but most of the time, the content is the same, so I leave the botched text.  Also, I copy other internet items for the history stuff I post....the text turns out small because the other document is done in small text.....sometimes I can get the text to convert over to larger text, but most times I'm stuck.  But......when the article is large and long, the small text is better so I can get more in the blog.  I know it's hard on the eyesight...and I used to have a hard time reading the small text until I go tri-focal lenses....now that's not a problem.  Maybe one of these days things will improve.  I suggest that you might have an outdated browser and need to update it if you are having problems posting messages....or your internet provider might be the cause.  Some aren't seeing the pictures I post.....they always come up on my computer screen so I'm not sure why you might not be seeing the pictures.....I'm taking them from my computer.  Sorry for the problems!!!  Not much I can do.

What's To Eat At Our House Tonight
Good old Spanish Rice.  I brown 1/2 pound of ground beef or ground turkey with a few chopped onions, then drain and rinse with hot water.  In the meantime, I make a box of Rice-a-Roni Spanish Rice as directed on the box.  After this is done, I add the ground meat, and 1 can of tomato sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of onion power, salt and pepper.  Put this is a casserole and cover with shredded cheddar cheese and bake at 350 until cheese is melted and getting slightly brown.  Serve with french bread and a salad.

My apple pie was wonderful last night.....enough left over for tonight too!

Greenview At Its Finest

This picture is from 1904 and is of the Pancake School.  This shows my Grandpa, Alva Montgomery, my Aunt Marie Montgomery (Dowson) and my Uncles Elmer and John Montgomery.  Many other popular family names are listed....perhaps you will see a relative.  The pancake school was located on the north road out of Greenview, past Westerfields and Dowells.  My Aunt Marie's house was where Roger Calloway now lives......school was past Aunt Marie's house... Pancake School sat on the road before getting to the old Bill Downey home where Cavannah-Grants live now.  My Great Grandmother Elizabeth Montgomery bought the Pancake School when the old county schools were sold.  Note:  My Grandpa was always a handsome man in the pictures I have during his courting days....and I can see he was a cutie when really young.... he is the last young man on the right in the second row.

Thought For The Day

It is never too late to be

what you might have become.

--George Eliot

Sometimes our plan is to become a writer or maybe a lawyer or maybe a doctor or a nurse.  Sometimes a person might be satisfied just becoming a solid helper of some sort.  It doesn't really matter what you become in life, but it does matter that you become the best that you can be.  Hard work, a dedication to the effort will always assure that your life's goal is attained and maintained.  If that doesn't happen for you, perhaps consider discovering why it hasn't and take measures to correct that.  Being the best you can be is not always easy but it is fulfilling.  Go for it with gusto.....you may be happier in life.  Later my friends.



The Cow Jumped Over The Hump Day

It's Wednesday ... The Hump Day
I love Wednesdays because it's simply the middle of the week.  When I was a kid, I knew someone with the name Wednesday and back then, I wanted to change my name to Wednesday.  I hated my name and was always wanting to change it.  Of course, I remember one classmate who's name was Gail Elaine.  I wanted to change my name to her name too, but just didn't know how to do it.

I guess we should always be satisfied with the name our parents gave us, but most persons seem to be not totally satisfied.  The other day I ran across a woman whose first name was September.  I think I would have found a way to change my name if I had been named that although my grandma's middle name was March because she was born in March.  : > (

I can't believe we are almost at the middle of this month.  Then comes August, the hot month.  Yikes....if August is any hotter than July, we're in trouble.  Today it's cooler, but the rain a few hours ago makes the air very humid and thick.  But at least it's supposed to be a bit cooler today and tomorrow.....gearing up for a pretty hot weekend I suppose.

Hope your Wednesday is full of  fun, delight and money.....not like the old poem, "Wednesday's child is full of woe". 

Usually I Don't Post Controversial Issues
I usually try to stay a long ways from controversial or political issues, but this morning I have two I want to address.  The first issue is the nation's debt ceiling fight in congress.

I saw a banner on the television last night that my Social Security Disability check could be late in August because of stubborness.   Many millions of people and I depend on Social Security Disability money to pay our bills.  I'm still not old enough to draw my retirement from the place I worked.    Cuts in Medicare and Social Security are not the way to win votes.  The rich could stand to have the tax cuts lifted....it has always bothered me that they were given these cuts.  I'm not going to say any other thing about this....but there are probably other readers who might not get their August Social Security check on time if the politicians don't do the right thing.....it's time to write your congressman and ask him/her how you are supposed to pay your bills!!

The second item of controversy concerns Dave Baker, our former chief of police who was the Athens chief of police.  The mayor of Athens has long had a vendetta against Dave Baker and tried to fire him in 2009.  This week the mayor fired him against the vote of the city council, without stating defined reasons, and replaced him with a person who has much less credibility and experience. Dave has just had open heart surgery and only returned this week to work.  The towns people of Athens are up in arms and are trying to get the Athens Mayor thrown out of office.  In my opinion, personal vendettas have no place in personnel decisions.  Also, in my opinion Dave Baker has always been a fine policeman and should not have been treated this way.  I only hope our village of Greenview and our mayor never act in this type of despicable manner.  The end of this discussion.

Continuing Story
The following is another chapter in the continuing story about a young girl's fear of death.  The first chapters were posted in previous posts.  Thanks for reading this story and for reading this blog.  This story is a true story: 

Chapter

"Here I am in the prime of my life as a kid. I’m almost age 13. Of course I became “almost 13” the day after I turned age 12. My mom and dad celebrated their 25th anniversary last year and that makes me feel they are really old. I don’t think they get along very well as I hear my mom crying when my dad is at the tavern. Almost every night, my mom has to call the tavern to have my dad come home for supper. Sometimes he does, but lots of times he doesn’t. That makes my mom cry. A few times, she has asked for me to ride my bike to the tavern to tell dad supper is ready. I didn’t mind going because the tavern was always cool inside but it smells like old stale beer. I always wonder if they empty half-full bottles of beer on the floor to clean the floor. How else would that beer smell be so strong when you walk in the tavern door. No one even cares that a kid walked in the door. That always seems funny to me. But, almost everyone in town knows who I am and I know almost everyone in town too. But I remember one time seeing a black man walking on the street coming from the train station. Someone told me that there were black people staying in a train car down by the elevator. That was scary at the time because I was really young when that happened. I remember my dad saying that there was a town law that said black people couldn’t be in town after 6 pm. Was that really true? I sure don’t know, but I know that up to my almost age 13 status, I only remember seeing that lone black person.



We always go to Grandma’s and Grandpa’s on Sunday night to watch their television because it’s color and ours is black and white. Grandma fixes extra chicken at noon and we eat the rest of it for our supper. Then she gets the old sugar cookie stuffed iron pot out of the freezer. Those yummy cookies are out of this world. At Thanksgiving, Grandma will cook the duck that her sons or Grampa has shot. I hate duck because it’s dark meat and tastes like I’m eating mud. I’m not going to starve because she’s also going to cook a chicken so she can make chicken and noodles. I like to watch Grandma making those noodles and I know that some day I will make em just like her. Gram has the coolest stove, so huge and white. It has this big pot that sinks down into the stove. She says it’s a soup pot and it has a burner in the bottom. She always puts the homemade rolls in it to heat them. One time I about burned my nose when I tried to get my face close to look down into the hole in the stove top. How did I know that the dang burner was on. This same stove also has two ovens, a large one and a narrow one. That is so cool because on holidays there is always something cooking in both ovens. Usually a couple of mince meat pies or my favorite blackberry pie made from blackberries straight from the bushes to the freezer to the pie on Christmas. And Gram always has that yellow looking french vanilla ice cream to put on top of the pie.

During these last days, my mom is feeling pretty bad. One day I asked her if she was going to die but she said no, she didn’t think so. I also asked her if her heart hurt and she said yes she has pains a lot. I don’t want my mom to feel bad and I sure don’t want her to die, but she said she didn’t think she was going to die. Grandma comes to town every day to help mom with cleaning, laundry and cooking the meals. I try to help get some meals so Gram can go home early. Sometimes she starts the meal and I watch it cook the rest of the way or sometimes she lets me cook the entire meal. Depends on what we’re having. I don’t do really too well on some things and undercook it or burn it, but what the heck I‘m a kid. My brother is a really picky eater so he doesn’t like some things I cook but dad always make him take at least one bite. I always laugh when he makes faces and wants to spit it out. I’m lucky because I like everything but liver and when mom fixes that she always takes out a cow’s heart too because I love that.

This morning Grandma asked mom what she wanted for supper so tonight we’re having my dad’s most favorite meal, scalloped oysters. My dad isn’t going to be home tonight for supper, but he told mom earlier that he would have a small bowl of oysters with her before he went to the dinner meeting at Cranwill’s. Mom got up from lying down and sat at the table. I ate and ran to the ballgame at the high school. I wanted to see if I could find a seat by the coolest kid in school. No luck on that seat choice, but at least I was close. 

I want to know the story behind my mom dying. Between grandma and our neighbor, the story started out that mom was watching Password cuddled up with my youngest sister. Apparently she began to feel bad and knew she was having a bad heart attack. She told my brother to call Grandma and tell her. Grandma called the Iron Curtain doctor to come to the house. Someone called my mom’s good friend and neighbor on the corner to come to the house. Grandma and Grandpa made a beeline to town and beat the doctor to the house. There wasn’t anything anyone could do as she passed away and is no longer in this world. Grandma sent my brother to get me and when I got home I told Grandma I would call dad at Cranwill’s. I made several calls that night. Here I was, a kid who had to grow up that night when I called my dad and two sisters to tell them our mama was dead. I didn’t want to cry but I couldn’t help it. When the funeral home came to get mama, we all went to the kitchen and then it was closed off. And when the funeral home men left with mama, all that was left was the couch she had peed on. I felt cheated that my mom was gone. I was just a kid with no one left to clean the house, or do the laundry or cook or to give me a hug. Grandma was getting old and couldn’t do it all. So I have become the chief, cook and bottle washer for a while. 

Please watch future posts for the continuing story of a young girl who was afraid of death.


What's To Eat At Our House Tonight
Tonight we are having Spaghetti and Meatballs. Being lazy today, I will be using bottled spaghetti sauce, but making my own meatballs. I use my recipe for meatloaf (which I printed before) and make this recipe into meatballs and brown on each side and then throw the meatballs into the sauce. I typically add a bit more Italian seasoning to the sauce and throw in a can of mushrooms. Boil the spaghetti and spoon the sauce over the cooked spaghetti. Brush some garlic butter over some french bread slices and broil until brown. Homemade apple pie is also on the menu .... at least it will be if I find the energy to make the pie.



Thought For The Day

Minds are like parachutes.

They work best when open.

--Lord Thomas Dewar

On a sunny day, a person can hopefully feel that the cobwebs of the mind perhaps will disintegrate into the sunshine.  Sometimes it's up to us to make sure we focus on exactly what we want to assure that the cobwebs get wiped from our mind so that we can proceed with life or whatever journey we are taking.  Life can be a hard journey for some, and easier for others.  Let's hope your journey in life has been and will continue to be straightforward and simple.

 

The memorial arch still stands strong and proud!

Hot Time In The Old Town Today

The Order For The Day ------ Stay Cool
The local weather forecasters say it will be 91 degrees and will feel like over 100 degrees.  Then this afternoon, there is the possibility of scattered storms, and some could be severe.  I say stay indoors and read a book.  Or watch tv.  Or take a nap. 

In good old central Illinois one never knows what the weather will be like.  After today, the highs will be in the 80's, with a chance of rain each day through Friday.  Abundent sunshine on Friday.  The weather could be worse.

St. John's Church Conclusion
I've been posting the 50th anniversary history of the Greenview St. John's Evangelical and Reformed Church.  This was commonly called the "German" church.  Many years ago this church combined with the Presbyterian Church to become the current Greenview United Church.  This post contains the remaining information.  The first part is the summary which was written on the 50th anniversary.  The remaining contains some statistics and information on the church organizations.  I have several readers who once were members of this church, thus the reason for posting this history....plus all Greenviewanites have been given the opportunity to know the complete history of our town.

CHURCH BOARD


Otto Weidhuner, John Wilken, Karl Deverman

John Miller, Henry Wohler, George Evers

An Introduction

To be an active participant in a great organization often brings us so close to the workings of that body that many points of interest are overshadowed by our own portion of the work. We must, therefore, from time to time, make an analysis of our position to determine the merit of our work. Custom has given us some convenient points at which it is proper for us to pause. If these points are far removed or cover a definite trend in conditions, we may call them eras. If they mark a point in a steady growth we call them anniversaries. This year, 1937, St. John's Church of Greenview is fifty years old and as we observe our Fiftieth Anniversary, we feel a desire to recall the life of our church.

What we of St. John's are today is largely the result of the foundation upon which our church was built, and the material used by successive generations as the structure of our faith was being increased. What we will be in the future will depend upon the faith and energy we possess today, for succeeding generations will build upon the foundation we are placing today.
What a variety of joys and sorrows you have related to me as I have gathered the history of St. John's Church. From this heritage of the past there came to me time and again the passage from the 122 Psalm, which I have chosen as the motto for our Golden Anniversary Year: "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go unto the House of the Lord." In Spirit and in Truth there has been administered the Bread of Life of which Jesus Christ has been the author.
As we honor those who founded St. John's Church by saying that the Spiritual foundation was laid in the name of the Lord, so we become conscious of the challenge that has been placed before us.

Those who have gone before us have been faithful. From a small beginning of only a few families, St. John's has grown into a membership of 250 confirmed members and 75 unconfirmed members, with 140 families paying allegiance either wholly or in part to our church. Thus in numbers we have been faithful to the heritage bestowed upon us by our fathers.

Our dreams for the future of St. John's see a strong and active body of people working in the interest of Him who has been so many times our refuge and strength. Let us continue to grow, not only in numbers, but also in the depth of our spiritual like, for unto this were we called. The Master has admonished us: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all other things shall be added unto you." Let us rededicate ourselves to a greater loyalty, pray for courage and strength to do the work He has entrusted to St. John's. The Spirit of the Master has blessed us in the past and has given us the assurance, "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Let us be faithful.


A FEW STATISTICS
Baptisms - 402
Confirmands - 289
Weddings - 113
Funerals - 177

Communicants - 3,873; with the years 1903 to 1910 not recorded. By average - 4,611.

A FEW FIRST

FIRST BAPTISMS

Marie Behren, daughter of Wilhelm and Anna Behrens, by Rev. Ott. April 29, 1888.

Katherine Evers, daughter of Frederick and Anna Evers, by Rev. Hammer. August 5, 1888.

FIRST WEDDINGS

Wilhelm Siegel and Sophia Schmidt. Feb. 23, 1888. (Pastor not known).
Herman Boske and Anna Schafer, by Rev. Hammer. The first to be wedded in St. John's Church. Jan. 31, 1889.

FIRST CONFIRMATION CLASS

Karl Schmidt, Geske Luecken, Marie Luecken, Archie Saathoff, Anna Amerkamp, Lizzie Eckhoff, and Minnie Amerkamp. May 5, 1889.

FIRST FUNERAL SERVICES

Heinrich Muller, son of Heinrich and Emilie Muller, by Rev. Severing, (1888).

Johann Rademacher, son of Herman and Adele Rademacher, by Rev. Hammer, Nov. 27, (1888).

OUR ORGANIZATIONS

THE CHURCH SCHOOL

Founded the very beginning of St. John's history, the Church School or Sunday School has kept pace with the growth of the congregation. Offering, as it did at first, an opportunity for the young people to learn the German Language, the aim of the Church School has always been to emphasize education for Christian living. Maintaining high spiritual as well as educational standards the Church School now has an enrollment of about half the membership of our church. Our goal most naturally and very earnestly, is to have every member of St. John's Church a member of our church School. The present officers are: Louis Dirks, superintendent; Fred Kaiser, vice-superintendent; Wilma Wohler, secretary, and John Boske, treasurer. The teachers are: Mrs. Emma Wilhelm, Mrs. Virgie Boske, and Marie Evers in the Primary department; Mrs. Katie Behrens, Juniors; Helena Deverman, Intermediate; Rev. Beehler, young people; and Harold Deverman, adults.

THE WOMEN'S UNION

At the center of activity of nearly every function of St. John's congregation is to be found some member of the Women's Union. The oldest and largest organization, the Women's Union has many valuable spiritual, social, and financial contributions to our church life. On the second Thursday of every month the forty members of the society can be found considering some subject of local interest or of Larger Kingdom service. Organized during the ministry of Rev. Mernitz, the Women's Union has continually sought to interest all the ladies of St. John's in the great work of their society. This work touches every phase of life of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and also meets the local needs. The Lenten Quiet Hour, sponsored by the Women's Union each year, is perhaps the outstanding worship service of our church year. The contributions made each year to the Bensenville Orphanage and the Old People's Home and the Deaconess Hospital at Lincoln are always valuable. And the many fine touches to our Sunday morning services are always in evidence.
The present officers of the Women's Union are: Mrs. Dick Dirks, President; Mrs. Alice Simmering, vice-president; Mrs. Alma Weidhuner, recording secretary; Pauline Eggers, financial secretary; and Helena Deverman, treasure.

ST. JOHN'S BROTHERHOOD

In Point of organization the Brotherhood is one of our younger organizations. On December 13, 1929 a meeting of the men of the church was held for the purpose of organizing a Brotherhood. Under the leadership of Rev. Hildebrand, and aided by a group of Brotherhood men from Pekin, plans were outlined and officers elected, with 22 men signifying their desire to be members of the club. The first officers were: Louie Wilhelm, president; Fred Kaiser, vice-president; Harold Deverman, secretary; and Merle Dennis, treasurer. While several more have been added and others have lost their first interest, the Brotherhood remains active, though being a small group. Once each month, except during the summer harvest season, a program and business meeting is held with the aim always being to further the work of the men in an earnest endeavor to advance the work of the Kingdom of God. The present officers of the Brotherhood are: George Behrens, president; Fred Kaiser, vice-president; C. Beehler, secretary; and Henry Weidhuner, treasurer. The Brotherhood meets on the evening of the second Wednesday of each month.

EVANGELICAL LEAGUE

The Evangelical League is the newest of our organizations. Organized for the benefit of our Young People, the League offers valuable training in the spiritual and social activities of a Christian's life. Meeting twice a month. On the first and third Thursdays, the Young People give expression of the vitality of our future church. Following confirmation each young person is urged to join the Evangelical League and there continue their training in the Christian Way of Life. The publication of The Fireside Glow is one of the best known activities of our Young People as they keep before the Congregation the program of the church and aim to bring into each home some form of deeper inspiration for Christian Living and a selection of religious literature. The present officers of the League are: John Boske, president; Eileen Cramer, vice-president; Betty Boske, secretary; Marie Evers, treasurer.  The End.

Question
One reader yesterday wanted to know what happened to all of the pews and other furnshings from the St. John's Church.  I think I remember these were sold on auction.  It seems I've been to various person's houses and saw pews from the church.  Does anyone know for sure??  Thanks.


Old Pictures
Be sure to go to the  bottom of the post for other pictures.

This is a picture of the New Salem Mill.  The mill which once stood at this spot was where Lincoln once worked.  The  dog in the picture once belonged to Abraham Lincoln, 1860.

What's To Eat At Our House Tonight
It's turkey breast.....sliced and gobbled up with gusto.  Maybe I will make a potato casserole and will have some tomatoes furnished by my neighbor.  And cucumbers with onions in vinegar and sugar....and my favorite vegetable salad.  Recipe follows:
Vegetable Salad
Mix 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup cider vinegar.  Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or chop one clove of garlic.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of parsley flakes.  Heat 1.5 minutes in the microwave to melt the sugar....then let cool to lukewarm.  After cooling, add 1/2 cup chopped onion and 1/2 cup finely chopped celery to the vinegar mixture.  Open and drain 2 cans of french style green beans, one can of peas, one can of white shoe peg corn and add to vinegar.  Stir and let chill for at least 12 hours.  Note:  This will keep about 2 weeks in the refrigerate.  It's wonderful to take to a summer picnic.  You can add chopped green pepper, but I think it tastes a lot better without it.

Thought For The Day

Nothing happens unless first a dream.

--Carl Sandburg

The mighty thought process gives us many areas to visit and ponder.  On one occasion, the mind can trick you and make you think you are loaded down with information, then the next moment the mind has played its tricks, and you feel you know nothing.  My mind wanders a lot and sometimes I feel like a little kid who hasn't been taught all of the wonders of the world.  Today, the heat is wrapping me in a winter's wool muffler, so I feel my mind can't wander and can't move so it's best that I quit talking and go try to get this wool muffler from my mind....I guess by keeping cool.  Take care....remember your roots....they grow strong in Greenview and live for long periods of time.

Jerman Tice

Homer Jenison Tice

John Tice