Ya Gotta Know This About That: June 2011

Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Lord Doth Provide But Not Enough

Where Is Everyone?
Wow.....I've lost readers again. I have a way to watch the stats relative to how many persons are actually viewing my blog. It's amazing.....very few. The day I made the announcement in the Greenview, IL group, I had 78 persons who logged in and read the blog. Each day it has gone down and for the last two days, I'm down to 4 persons. That's depressing. But the Lord doth provided me with the opportunity to rebirth this blog, so I must hope for better reader counts in the future. Cometh my children, and read the dang blog!

I really do care about Greenview and the blog. I follow some blogs and each day I go to those blogs and at least read the posts because I know how much time is involved with keeping up with posts. I feel I owe the blogger that courtesy. So help me out here! If you know people who used to live in Greenview, or someone who just has an interest in Greenview, tell them my blog address.....and get them to read it each day!! If you don't like something I'm posting and, thus don't want to read the blog, you need to tell me so I can omit that type of article or posting content. It's important to me that the readers are happy and want to keep reading the blog. But you have to read it to keep me going.

I try not to post controversial or politically related items so I don't offend anyone. If you want me to post things like this, I surely can because I keep abreast of the current events.....but in the political arena.....there are democrats and republicans, and each with different views. It's sometimes easiers to just avoid the subject so that no one's view is stomped in the ground, spit upon or otherwise torn apart. My daddy once told me it's better to not discuss your personal views and beliefs on religion and politics....following his advice has kept me out of hot water more than once.

The only thing I will say relative to politics is I think Blago should have to get a haircut in prison. Take something dear away from him. (giggle) Four governors indicted and convicted (Kerner, Walker, Ryan and Blagojevich....and don't forget that Stratton was indicted but aquitted).....our state must be the laughing stock in a lot of political conversations. Now maybe the state can begin the clean-up and somehow claw our way out of the financial crisis.

Old Tyme Greenview

This is a picture of William Green who has been given credit for making the Greenview Land Company a viable entity. Greenview was actually named for William Green, although he didn't live here .... he was from Talulla.

My family is the Montgomery family and I can note that my family was settled here long before the development of Greenview and in fact the family owned many of the acres of land where Greenview now stands. The Greenview scrap book, indicates: The Greenview Land Co. purchased 80 acres in Section 23 from Charles Montgomery for $8,560.00 and 80 acres for George Blane for $4,800.00 on September 5, 1857. Mr. Montgomery was an astute businessman, receiving eleven times as much for the 80 acres as he had paid for a total of 160 acres he originally bought here."

Greenview town site was placed in the least desired part as related to living conditions of the total 160 acres bought by the Land Company. The ground was low, with ponds and soggy places where stagnant water bred mosquitos. This must be why some basements get wet and soggy during rains. Once the town was laid out and streets named, lots were sold. In April 1858, John Wilkenson bought Block 26 for $380.00 for his hotel. This block is now the site of the Marbold Bank, The Funeral Home, The old Chevy Dealership building and the houses on the south side of this block. I don't know if the planned hotel was ever built on this block....haven't yet found a reference to that in the book.

Greenview went through some major changes over the years. It was a thriving self-serving business community at one time, with the coal mines located out of town. But over time, business failed, persons moved, coal mines closed, travel to the city became easier and faster. All of these factors contributed to the loss of businesses and strength of the community. It has now regressed to a mere shadow of what it once was. More to come in future posts............

What's To Eat At Our House Tonight
Please don't laugh. Tonight we're having hamburger helper. Since a person only has to read the instructions on the box, I won't go into those.

But I will give you one of my favorite recipes instead. This is for a flan cake.....and it is truly elegant. I make this to take to places for which I want to show off my talents as a cook. If you make this cake, plan to take it somewhere to get rid of it as it is so rich, you don't really need to sit and eat huge amounts of pieces of this cake! Giggle.
Flan Cake
~Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
~Spray (metal) bundt pan heavily with Pam.
~Pour 1/4 cup ice cream caramel syrup in bottom of pan.
~Mix 1 yellow cake mix per directions on box.
~Pour on top of Caramel in bundt pan.

Mix in blender:
~4 eggs
~1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk
~1 large can (15 oz) Evaporated Milk

~Pour over cake mix in Bundt pan.

~Cook in water bath for 1 hour in preheated oven (350). Make sure you sit the bundt pan in a shallow pan with boiling water in the shallow pan. Invert the cake on a fancy cake plate. This is a wonderful cake to serve at holidays. Your guests will wonder how you made it.

Just Things
A reader has requested information on the whereabouts of Mike Downey, GHS Class of 1967. Please comment if you know address of other contact info.

Thought For The Day

Hope is an awaking dream.

--Aristotle

Today is peaceful and clear. Tomorrow may be the same....let's hope. But, I believe the forecast for tomorrow is hot hot hot with 3 digit indices. Icky heat! For Saturday and Monday (July 4th) rain is again forecasted. Let's all say a little prayer that the rain holds off on these two days so that families can enjoy the comradery which seems to exist on family outings. If all else fails maybe we can try the "Void the Rain Dance". Later......

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Home Sweet Home

What Do You Think Of When You Hear Home Sweet Home
What I really think is: my home is dear to my heart and therefore my Home Sweet Home. When I return from a trip, I always think we made it back safely to our home sweet home and all is well and right with the world. Home at last!

Some might think of the song that's been around for maybe 150 years....'there's no place like home". Just as Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz. I think Motley Crue released the song....and then Carrie Underwood released the song not long ago. So, there must be some credence in the value of the words Home Sweet Home. Does everyone love their home and think of the words Home Sweet Home at some time or another? Probably, at least you probably should.

When I worked, I loved to stay home sometimes....Yes, I occasionally played hookie!!! Sometimes I just needed to be at home so I could appreciate homelife and my home sweet home. Maybe I wanted to hear the frogs croaking down in the creek. Or maybe I wanted to smell the flowers growing in the garden. Or maybe it was because I just wanted to be held in the arms of my home sweet home. When you go to work everyday, you just don't get enough of being cuddled by your home, because you have to be away from home for so many hours each day. When you come home, it's bussle time...cooking, cleaning, sleeping and then the next day starts again....the being away from home. Then, on the weekends, you have to make trips to the grocery store, and the department store and the pharmacy. By the time you get home late in the day, you're too tired to think about the sweetness of your home. And probably if your home would try to cuddle you, it might not be the right time and a cuddle would be brushed off.

Why not set aside a few minutes each day to reflect on the home sweet home aspect of life. In this day of fast living, a breather for a few minutes might be just what a person needs. If you sit and look around, you might see that you have been neglecting something or that something needs to be fixed. Or, maybe you look around and just listen to what the home says to you, be it good or bad. Remember that your home each day provides you with shelter from the elements. The sun and the rain can be a pretty awful thing if you don't have a home to shelter you. In a home, a family can grow. Love can grow and so can a relationship within a family. Kids or grandkids can mature within a home, and they can learn about how the home is the mainstay in the family. It's there for always, until you move to another home, and then that home becomes the mainstay for the family. The home is each person's palace.

Today when you find time to relax just a moment, speak to your home and tell it how much you appreciate all the home does for you. Do not be surprised if your home smiles for a moment....it might be apparent to you, but I bet it at least will secretly smile back at you. And by all means don't forget that home is where the heart is.

Greenview From The Olden Days

This is a another picture of Union School, near Sweetwater. This picture shows the Clemens family members in this class picture. For those of you who know my husband will see that the young man standing tall in the third row, second from the end of the right side looks just like my husband. This is his great uncle and the likeness is uncanny.

This is the Greenview Begg elevator in 1915.

What's To Eat Tonight At Our House

Tonight we are having grilled pork cutlets. I simply sprinkle with a little seasoned salt and some pepper and grill them. Not difficult to cook at all. I needed something easy as I have to take my car to the shop to have some warranty work done today....so I'll be home late today. Corn on the cob and a nice lettuce salad and homemade chocolate brownies round out the meal.

Thought For The Day

The cure for boredom is curiosity.

There is no cure for curiosity.

--Dorothy Parker

As you go through life today, give thanks to all that is in your life. Once life is over, you can't back up and do it again. The past will remain in the history of your life. There is always room for improvement in one's life....but you are the one who must act upon making the improvement happen. Be safe, be happy......from a Greenviewanite of old, I remain your friend.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Last Tuesday Of The Month

I Feel Old This Morning
But I'm only one day older than yesterday. For some reason, I feel stiff in the back, my head hurts, and I'm moving slowly for this age 39 that I'm stuck on. Of course I've been here at this age level for a few years, so maybe I'm going to have to progress a bit towards the upper end of life. I'll do that later I think.

This morning is a fine beautiful morning in the Land of Lincoln and specifically Greenview, Illinois. The home of the heartland, and home to the Bulldogs. The corn is really growing tall so it will beat that old saying "knee high by the 4th of July". Even though we've have a lot of rain, the corn appears to be unscathed.....it's dark green and not yellow like it is down around the Waverly and Palmyra areas .... where too much rain appears to have really damaged the crops. Our local farmers can be thankful for that .... of course it still might not be done raining around here....but we have a reprieve for today and I think tomorrow and then, Thursday, the forecast is islolated storms. The temps are also reasonable with highs in the low 80's for today and tomorrow. I love temps like this.

I haven't been to the village of Greenview in a couple of days, so I have no idea if anything is going on. The police scanner has been quiet so no trouble is or has been brewing....at least that I know of. Guess I'll have to take a run into town today from the country to assure myself the old town stands tall and proud.

Today is just another day here at our house ..... I hope your day is one which will allow you to prosper, succeed in life or just make it through life with no problems.

Gossip
The other day I reported that the Petersburg IGA was going to be taken over by County Market. My source has since found out that the deal fell through because County Market thought the building was too small.

The other day I reported that Karen Setzer was in the hospital .... it wasn't Karen, but it was her mother. Best wishes for Karen's mother. Just wanted to clarify this.

I heard that former Greenview Police Chief Dave Baker either had a heart attack or just about had one. He is the Athens Police Chief and I hadn't heard him lately. So I asked around and came up with the heart problem answer. I know Dave has always worked out and ran miles.....as I've said before, we have no guarantee in life. Best wishes to Dave.

Old Tyme Greenview School Stuff

This is a Greenview school certification of qualification for 1876.

This is the school in Greenview which was torn down in 1915. It looked pretty good to me.

This was Union School in 1895. Union school was somewhere out near Sweetwater area. My husband's grandfather and great uncles and great aunts went to this school. I found a couple of good pictures while I was doing research on my husband's family, the Clemens family. Unfortunately, for some reason this blog won't let me upload any more pictures..... so I will upload more in the next post.

Other Old Tyme Greenview Stuff

I found this entry in one of the old town scrapbooks;

"April 25, 1975 - Greenview Band attained a Division One rating. The State Contest was held in Havana. Mr. Fred Schouten, the Greenview Band Director was very proud. Both the Grade School Chorus and the highs School Chorus were given a first place rating....."

Note: Fred Schouten is one of the readers of this blog. I thought you might like to live the glory of the rating again Fred!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Rain Rain Rain Rain Rain Rain Rain and More Rain

I Have Had It With This Rain!!
I don't even have to watch the weather forecast any longer....because the forecast is always rain. At 11:30pm last evening, I awoke to one of the loudest explosive thunder sounds ever witnessed by this chick. It was horrible! Then the weather radio says a storm is on its way and coming to my area. What!! They should have said the storm is here!!

Then, at 2:30am the weather station said, get ready, because a huge storm is coming my way. Forecasted 70+ mph winds, damaging hail, lots of rain. About 3am, it came. But ...... I don't think the winds were quite as bad as I expected and the winds only lasted a few minutes at my house. YAY... with all these trees in our yard, we don't need another wind storm as we already have two trees with their roots pulled from the ground and leaning on other trees from the other storms earlier this year....and we haven't been able to drive the truck down to them to pull them the rest of the way down because of wet ground in the slough area. During this early morning's storm, the lightening was immensely insane and the thunder was even worse than the 11:30 pm storm. Dang, it's getting rough here in the Midwest.....and I have about had it with this stuff! Can anyone teach me a dance which is opposite of the raindance????

All of this lightening and thunder got me thinking about how little I know about what causes thunder. I remember as a kid, being told God was moving furniture....and I believed it too! Anyhoos.....I went and checked out thunder and this is what I learned:

Thunder is the sound made by lightening. Thunder can be a sharp, loud crack or a long, low rumble which weather people call a brontide. The lightening is so hot, this causes the air to expand rapidly and causes a sonic shock wave. As a kid I remember hearing jets causing sonic shock waves, but I don't hear these jet shock waves these days.....all I hear are these dang thunder/lightening shock waves. Thunder can be referred to as a clap, crack or peal....wonder why so many names???? The distance (away) of the lightening can be calculated based on the time interval from the sighting of lightening to the time of the crack of thunder. The formula was too complicated for me.....but I did find out that if the lightening hits, and you hear the sound almost simultaneously, you better hope it didn't get you because that means it's very near and almost upon you. Last night that didn't happen, but only a few weeks ago it did and yep, one of my neighbors down the road got hit and lost a lot of electronic equipment. During a storm, I always unplug my computer and my big flat screen television because those are expensive items. Now you know a bit more about the lightening and thunder thingy.

As a kid, I remember going to the Greenview centennial and a huge storm came up. We all ran to the old building to the west of the park. This building has since been replaced by the CIA building. The building had huge windows in the front and kind of like a window seat.....we got right there by the windows (which was not a smart move to be right there) but we wanted to watch the storm. All at once a huge lightening bolt which we could all see, came down and hit the tree by the pump house ..... below the tree was a pony ride and a young man who I think was from Middletown, was standing under the tree and got hit by the lightening bolt. I will remember the sight of that lightening bolt for the rest of my life. Then, when my kids were young, we lived on the main street in Greenview and had a big transformer on our pole in the front of our house. I was sitting on our enclosed front porch and down comes a lightening bolt and struck the transformer.....a huge ball of fire shot off that dang transformer and landed in the street. I almost wet my pants when that happened.

Lightening and thunder is not fun. And, when there is a storm, be sure to go indoors, and stay away from windows and do not talk on a landline phone. I know that one of our readers just indicated he lost some equipment with a recent storm. Sometimes it pays off to unplug your valuable electric equipment/appliances. As this former insurance executive well knows, insurance plans always like to give you the severely depreciated value for a lightening struck used appliance/equipment.....and, of course, you have to consider you probably have to pay your deductible first. So.....just sayin.....be cautious and be smart.

Events
The following are a few things I found which will be happening in the Geenview area or nearby. Hope you find this list helpful. As I find more things, I will list those too.

Mt. Pulaski.....175 year celebration, July 1 through July 4.

Capital City Celebration in Springfield, July 3 & 4. 2 days, 2 stages and it's free. Fireworks at 9:30pm on July 4. Both days have food, beer and craft vendors. Street music for days starting ar 4 pm. Location of stages: Capital stage...5th and Capitol and Liberty Stage 2nd and Capitol. Other things going on : juggling, dance performances, beauty pagent, Springfield Municipal Band, Giant inflatables, Rock Climbing Wall, FAce Painting and Carnival Games. Sponsored by Springfield Jaycees.

Jacksonville Community Park, July 4th clelbration. All weekend. Fireworks at dusk.

Chatham, Fireworks at dark, July 3. Chatham Community Park.

Springfield Knights Action Park, Huge Fireworks, July 4th, 9pm.

Decatur, Fireworks at dusk July 4th, Nelson Park.

New Salem July 4th Celebration, 10am to 2 pm. Period music, games, speeches, hymns, parade. Bring a blanket, free, but donation requested.

Rock the Dock, Lake Springfield Marina, July 1, 12 pm to 1am Large Fireworks launched from barges. Music, food, refreshments.

Rochester, Sparks in the Park. July 1 through July 3. Fireworks on July 3, at community park.

Old Capitol Farmers Market, Springfield. June 29, July 2, July 6 8am to 12:30 pm then Wed and Saturday through October 29. Adams Street between 5th and 2nd streets.

IL Products Farmers Market, Springfield, Thursdays through October 20th except during the fair. Illinois Fairgrounds, Commodity Pavilion (across from firehouse).

What's On The Menu For Tonight
Tonight we're having poor boys or sometimes called Italian Beef and made in the crockpot. I sometimes make these with pork roasts but tonight's is made with a cheap chuck roast. I buy a pre-packed mix made by "Louie's".....almost every grocery store has this mix and found sometimes above the meat counter. It's pretty simple to make the Italian Beef.....mix the mix according to directions on the package, put the mix/water in the crockpot, add the meat and a clove of garlic and a bay leaf. Put on the lid and cook on high for a while then turn to low and cook many hours until you can shred the meat. After shredding the meat, chop up some pepperconi peppers from the jar, and add the chopped peppers and a bit of juice to the meat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes....remove the bay leaf. Put on hoagie buns or hard rolls. We're also having a pasta salad made with macaroni, chopped olives, pickle relish, frozen peas and miracle whip. YUMMY! Hope you have a good night's meal too!!

Thought For The Day

Life isn't about finding yourself.

Life is about creating yourself.

--George Bernard Shaw

Take care of yourself. We never know what is around the corner for our future. I always like to think of the following. Yesterdays are gone. Tomorrows are a mystery and Today is a gift. That's why we call it the "Present".

Friday, June 24, 2011

It's Friday, It's Friday.....In Greenview and Everywhere

The Day Some Have Been Waiting For All Week
Have you ever thought about why you like Friday? Some will think.....why in the world is that woman asking us that because there is only one answer......P A R T Y!
Yes, when I was young that thought went through my mind several times on Friday morning. In those days, I thought, yippee tonight is beer night.....we can go out and swig a few beers and get a good feeling of release. And have a few more beers, and feel good and woozy and drive home all over the road. And oh my goodness tomorrow morning the old head would ache and the bed spun around a few times during the night.....anyone remember those days?

Now, I'm not questioning anyone's plans for Fridays......I'm just remembering what it was like for some of us many years ago. It's my firm belief that we all went/go through those periods of time when Fridays were/are really really really important to us because work was/is so hard. If I address the older folks, I firmly believe it's different. Many older persons, have spent their lifetime working their fingers to the bone to raise and educate kids, save money for retirement, and some even frugally lived and pinched pennies to assure the bank account was healthy, and gave up Friday night PARTY night many moons ago. It's just a way of life as we get older.

But when a person gets older, what the heck do you do on Friday night and Saturday ..... or I guess I should say the whole weekend. I'm sure there are some older folk clubs around which older persons could go to. My ideas about these types of places are that a person probably goes in to this type club and plays checkers or chess, or watches television with a group of cane carrying oldies. Or, maybe in the corner over there is a craft table, where a person can crochet a few potholders, or do some cross-stitch. Or maybe cut out felt pieces which can be glued on the bottom of your coffee cup so the furniture doesn't get scratched. Oh wait, there's a donation box with a little sign that says, "coffee $.25 per cup....if you empty the pot, make a new one". Wait a minute.........I see a stack of magazines six inches high with dates from 1999. Just my idea of fun! HA HA HA NOT! I guess I shouldn't say that because some of my readers really might like to go to this type of place, and for that reason, I apologize. I'm just inserting a bit of humor, because before long I probably really will be one of those cane toting (don't tell anyone right now I'm using a cane but only for a while) persons who really likes to cut out felt pieces.

Right now I'm in the present. Not long ago my daughter really asked me "When you get old, what do you do on the weekend?" At the time I was taken aback at this question. I started my answer with, it depends. Well of course it depends.....and I don't mean that I am wearing a "depends". It just depends on the year of my life and how much money I have to spend and how far I want to go and what's going on. That answer didn't satisfy her so I had to elaborate.

One of the things we do is go to the grandkids' sports games or other school activities. It makes a grandparent so proud to be able to sit and cheer on the kiddies. And it gives us bragging rights for the next week's telephone or facebook conversations. Then, there's the local casino. If you've been to a casino, older persons seem to dominate. That could be because through the years they penny-pinched and now they think, what the heck, "I'm spending my kid's inheritance". Or, older folks could be there because they are bored and not ready for one of those clubs I described.

Another activity would be an auction. Going to an auction in the older years of life seems to be a popular thing to do. But when you think of it, an older person has spent a lifetime gathering up items in each room of the house and sometimes the house is overflowing. But, these older folks still like to buy things at auctions. Is it the thrill of bidding against that old biddy down the street, and out bidding her so she doesn't win the auction prize. Sometimes the bidding wars get so bad, that the auction price goes much higher than a new in the box item of the same brand. But an auction is still a choice of some, because it's something to do on a Friday night or other weekend day or night.

How about one of my most favorite things to do on a Friday night......going out to eat fish. Greasy old walleye or catfish or carp or buffalo fish, deep fried with all of the trimmings. Potato salad, baked beans, rye bread, sliced onion (marriage for many years waives the bad smell of onion breath), and sometimes a basket of french fried potatoes. This is called "heart attack on a plate", but boy do I love it on a Friday night. My one night to splurge on fat grams and calories. I figure that "statin" I'm taking will do its work and hold down the cholesterol for this one time a week. Now when I think about fish, I do want good tasting fish and around Greenview there aren't a whole lot of places which has what I term excellent fish. The local cafe on the hardroad has walleye, but to me it's not the best in the world, but I don't really like walleye. What is called walleye around here isn't really walleye......it's some kind of white fish which used to be termed junk fish......real walleye tastes much different. Now give me some good old buffalo which has been scored and fried right and it can't be beat. But no where around here has that really good fish. The nearest place we used to go to was Verna's cafe in Chandlerville. I heard it changed owners so don't know if it's the same. The best place around to get all-you-can-eat walleye is the Capital City Bar & Grill in Springfield, next to Big Lots in the Capital City Plaza off south Dirsken Parkway. You can get regular or cajun walleye (I think cajun tastes best). It comes with potato chips, 2 pieces of bread and a pickle spear. For a dollar more you can order a huge basket of homemade french fries which can easily be shared among two people. The fish is $6.99 for all-you-can-eat. My idea of a good Friday night thing to do.

Now that I think about it, there's not a whole lot of other things to do in Greenview or for that matter Springfield. We have been known to go to Peoria and do the riverboat ride. Or sometimes we go shopping, or sometimes on the weekend we go for a ride on our motorcycle or in our car as long as gas is at a reasonable rate. We have occasionally gone to a muni opera show, or a concert at the university. I guess in retrospect, finding things to do leaves me in a quandary. Maybe some of my readers don't have that problem, and I would love to hear about your ideas of a good Friday night or weekend endeavor!!!! Chuckling as I leave this subject......

Greenview News.
This week's Greenview Blab was certainly disappointing. I had to get out my hand held magnifying glass to find the Greenview articles. Here's a synopsis of the news.

1. Old appliance drop off at the city dump is scheduled for June 25, June 26, July 2, and July 3. It's free. No computers, no televisions, no monitors, and by all means no toilets!

2. The Greenview Food Pantry is benefiting from a grant from the Morgan Stanley Foundation. The Food Pantry is currently serving 25 to 30 families (70 persons) and it is hard to keep ahead with the high price of food and the reduced donations to the Central Illinois Food Pantry from which much of the food is purchased. Recently we unfortunately had a couple of deaths in the family and we directed memorials to the Greenview Food Pantry.....I know these donations were much appreciated. If you can find it in your heart to give a small donation to the Food Pantry, it might save someone's life.

3. Vacation Bible School at the Greenview Christian Church is June 26 - 30 at 6:15 to 8:15 pm

4. A former resident, Gail Miller, is being honored with a memorial ride sponsored by the New Salem Shriners on June 26. Sign-up begins at 11:30 at Weebles on Peoria Road in Springfield. Stops will include Chilli Bear's in Greenview (Bill Willis Bar/Cafe), T.T.'s in Easton, The Pub in Havana, Slick Penney's in Chandlerville, and the final stop at The Grainery in Pleasant Plains. Complimentary food at each stop and registered riders will receive a meal ticket for a meal at the end of the ride. All vehicles welcome but the majority I'm sure will be motorcycles.

Not a whole lot of news for our town, but it's at least something. Through next week perhaps I can tell about a few things which are going on in the area.

What's To Eat At Our House Tonight
The Cook' s night off at this house. And we haven't decided where to go.....but I'm sure it will drive up the cholesterol and fat! But if you need an idea, here's a few:
Grilled Cheese Sandwich or Grilled Hamburger or Grilled Chicken Breast.

Did You Know??
A vanilla bean is extracted from the Orchid. Proteins extracted from a T. Rex fossil most closely relate to a chicken.

The State of Illinois has a new website for lots of general information. Supposedly it's raw Illinois state government data. Here 'tis, although I really haven't had time to explore the site.

http://data.illinois.gov/

Thought For The Day

Life is like a coin.

You can spend it any way you wish,

but you can only spend it once.

--Lillian Dickson

The rest of the weekend is mine to enjoy. I will take time to thank God for everything in my life. Then I will attempt to live the life of a good person this weekend and count my blessings that the little town of Greenview has been a big part of my life. It surrounded me as I grew as a child and a young adult, it educated me, it taught me life's lessons, it provided me with wonderful friends (and maybe a few enemies too), and now it is my home. Not too bad....it could have been worse. Later......

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Glory Be It's Thursday....News Day

And Off We Go To Casey's This P.M.
(Singing to the wizard of OZ tune) "I'm off to see the paper, the wonderful paper of news!" Well.....at least I will be this afternoon. Where in the world did this week go? I've been busy so I guess the time flew by without my even noticing.

Actually I've not been as busy as my two grandkids. Lerin Elizabeth will be 14 in December and she is wonderful when it comes to cleaning. The last two days she has thoroughly cleaned our master bath with has a whirlpool in the main part and a separate room with a double shower and stool. It now is sparkling but needs to be painted so I guess that is a future job for her. The smaller bathroom also got a good cleaning.....but what has impressed me the most was her getting on her knees in the hallway and cleaning the baseboards and the carpet edges which have a tendency in my house to gather dog hair, dust bunnies and general ick. She cleaned the hall and then went right on down the stairs and got those free of ick too. The basement stairs got a thorough cleaning as she prepares to paint those in the next couple of weeks. Then it was on to a spare bedroom which was being used as a junk room....we removed a lot of junk and put it as recycle stuff, intended for the Goodwill. Whew....I really am tired from supervising. She makes me tired just watching her. But she's trying to earn money for cheerleading camp, her shoes and warm up suits, so I'm glad to pay her a good wage.

My grandson Cade Alexander is almost 10 and he really tries.....but sometimes we have to go over it again....but at least he's learning responsibility. His wages are not quite the amount for Lerin, but he wants to earn money too for games, candy, etc.

Unfortunately, before long the kids will be busy with summer ballgames, cheerleading activities, etc., so the rest of my house will have to wait until the next break! Perhaps I could vow to be less sloppy!

But this afternoon is coming and I'm taking the kids back home but, then I'm headed to Casey's. At least I can stop at Casey's in Athens or even Ayerco at Bud's Corner to buy the Greenview Blab. These places charge a bit more than the $.50 but with the price of gas, I will surely not require myself to go to the Greenview Casey's to pay $.50.

Greenview Businesses
For some of us who lived in Greenview many years ago, we remember that for a small town, we had quite a few businesses. These days, the downtown business section is pretty slim. It saddens me that so many of the buildings were destroyed by fire over the years. Couzin's Restuarant, which was housed in the old Tripp Hardware and a couple of other buildings to the north, was the last one to be destroyed by fire and that was several years....my mind fails me on the date. The owner didn't rebuild, but he did start a different bar in the old Blanche Hill Beauty Shop building down by the firehouse building. A tavern still remains in the old Corner Cafe building, but since I haven't been bar hopping for many a year, I don't remember the name at this moment. That's the only businesses on the west side of the square. The Merrihew Insurance building still stands but I thought it was damaged a bit during the Cousins fire. The CIA and Masonic Lodge building along with the firehouse completes that westside downtown block......with a few empty lots.

Crossing to the north, Sanert's Auction building used to house Baugher Implement. Ronnie Sanert has some really nice items during his auctions and you would probably find some memorabilia to take home if you attend one of these auctions. On the north side of the square, west side of the block is occupied by the Petefish, Skiles and Company Bank. For us oldies, we remember the spot as the old Post Office site, then the Greenview Community Bank, then the Illini Bank, and finally the Petefish facility. Unfortunately Petefish, Skiles and Company has found it necessary to operate the facility with very limited hours. On Monday and Friday it's open a full day, but on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only until noon and closed entirely on Saturday. I personally think this is unfair to our citizens to have such limited hours because almost everyone works out of the town and it's hard to get to the bank with it closed on Saturday. A trip to Petersburg is necessary. I'm sure it has lost customers and will continue to do so, but Middletown State Bank operates a facility on the south side of the square so the Middletown Bank is always an option. In the middle of the north side of the square block, in the building built by Bob Straight, Kevin Janssen operates his Wausau Homes building operation and next to him in the Apke grocery store building Dan Horn operates the Rainbow Cleaning and Restoration service. Kevin Janssen's wife also operates a small craft type business called Zip & Zap in his building. The Presbyterian Church still reigns as the queen church on the southeast side corner and the Marbold Bank building stands proud on the southwest side corner. The Marbold Bank building appears to be in good repair and is owned by the local DJ Liz Willis Soldwedel and her spouse who I believe does contractor work. Not sure if he operates a business out of Greenview, but I welcome any comments to set the record straight.

Going from the downtown square, the funeral home is operated by Hurley's. Jeff Johnston operates a window film business in the old Hinrich's Chevrolet building. Down the main street toward the cemetery, is Rohlf's Implement. The elevator is operated by Farmer's Grain & Coal. The Boston family still operates S & H Trucking/Hallway Trucking on the northeast side of town, next to the Brandt Fertilizer operation.

Along the highway (or as oldies use to say, the hardroad),Glen Tuttle operates the service station and Tony Tuttle operates the car sales lot. Bill Willis now operates the Bar/Cafe, originally owned by Pete Nance. I must say he has the best hamburgers and french fries cut from real potatoes.....yummy! And he also serves fish on Friday night. Just down the hardroad to the south stands our Casey's convenience store which was a town lifesaver. It at least allows citizens to buy gas, milk, drinks, coffee, ice, doughnuts or even toilet paper in a pinch. The prices are high for convenience items but if you have to drive to the big city, it's not high at all. And recently their gas prices have been cheaper than Springfield's prices.

Down the highway to the north is Crop Production Services and out south of town FS has a huge operation about a mile north of the Rte. 123 junction. The old Williams pipeline operation in just north of the junction.

I know that at least one couple operates a candy making business in their home, and I'm sure there are other home based businesses which I'm not aware of.....but I've hit the main businesses which operate in town. At least I hope I haven't missed too many!

What's On The Menu For Tonight
Tonight we are having Hotel Steaks from Alwan and Sons Meats in Peoria. If you have never bought a steak from Alwan's you are missing the boat believe me! Being a very frugal person, I hate to pay huge prices to go out to eat steak. We don't have steak often due to the red meat quality, but when I do have one I want it tender. I really don't want to pay outrageous prices for T-Bone, Porterhouse, Filets, etc., so long ago I found this cut called Hotel Steaks. I used to buy them in Springfield at a butcher shop which closed. Then I went for years unable to find them. One day I saw an advertisment for Cub Foods/County Market for Hotel steaks for $3.49 a pound....I thought wow I'm once again able to find my steaks......NO NO NO.....County Market's version of this steak was as tough as my shoe leather. But then I found Alwan & Sons Meats in Peoria. It's a quaint market with case after case of fresh meat and deli items and hard to find stuff. The hotel steaks right now are $6.49 per pound and are absolutely wonderfully tender.....the steaks are so thick and big, we buy one and cut it in two pieces and both of us are immensely full when we get done eating. So try this market if you dare.....take your cooler and buy the ice at their store if you need ice. The ground beef is great too.....heck all of their stuff is great!

Anyhoos.....I'm going to seal the juices on all sides in a hot pan, with a little lower fat margarine and then throw the steaks on the grill to complete the cooking. Corn on the cob, a lettuce salad, and a big baked potato completes our evening meal.....called supper by some and dinner by others.....call me anything you want but don't call me late!! Happy Eating tonight. I mean it....go to Peoria and try Alwans!!

http://www.alwanandsons.com/

Did You Know??
Greenview's median age in 2009 was 37.3 which tells me that there aren't a lot of old folks left in town. Another interesting fact is that the median income in 2009 was $57,414 while in 2000 it was $39,196. I guess those who moved in are richer than the ones who left. There are 3 sex offenders living in Greenview.

On The Weekend
I have decided that on the weekend I most likely will not write a post unless I find some juicy news.....and sometimes I do hear that kind of news on the police scanner. A weather situation might also prompt a post. But I'm sure you will understand....we all need a rest from our weekday activities.

Thought For The Day

Now That I'm Over 40, my "get up and go"

has turned into "get up and pause a moment".

As my wonderful mother used to say....always make sure your shoes are on the right feet and don't turn your toes in......from one Greenviewanite to another.......see you soon!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Wake Up And Smell The Roses

Good Morning America.
Do you ever wake up and think, thank goodness I'm still alive? I do that a lot. Think about persons you might know who have been told they have cancer or some other horrible disease and nothing can be done. It must be terrible to think that if I were that person, I might not wake up tomorrow. But, when you think about life in general, we have no guarantee in life.....not even a one day guarantee. At some point each person reading this will make the final journey to end life. NO one likes to think about it, but we must all face that at some point. I mentioned Elmwood Cemetery in yesterday's post. One day I noticed just how full the cemetery is and thought about how at some point there will be no more cemetery lots to purchase. Someone told me that the Sweetwater/Sugar Grove cemetery has no lots for sale.....the only ones now being buried there are those with existing lots. That's frightening that at some point future Greenviewanites will not be able to purchase a cemetery lot....unless the board buys new land.....and let's hope that is the case. And on to my next thought....

Hauntings.....
Do you believe in ghosts, apparitions, paranormal and similar. Some do believe and some don't. I personally do and know that at one of my homes a spirit occupied the house with us. In fact, I hired a psychic to come to the house and the moment she walked in she said, there is a main spirit here.....not a mean one but there are also others. I knew it.....and perhaps you don't believe and think this is all bunk, but it really happened. Now I wouldn't ever force my beliefs on anyone but there are many who believe in the unknown so I decided to bring this subject up. For those of you who believe, the Springfield home of Abraham Lincoln is supposedly haunted. I'm enclosing a link so that you can investigate if you're interested. Happy Haunting!

http://www.illinoishauntings.com/president.html

Yearbook Review

This morning I'm reviewing a 1960 yearbook. It's fun to look through the pages and see those who were graduating at that time. Don Beatty was the superintendent with Richmond Thayer as the assistant superintendent. The famous Gary White was the band instructor.....I remember the wonderful band concerts which were attended by persons from many miles away because word traveled fast that the Greenview band was the best in the land!

Wow Don Gideon was the coach....I didn't know he had been at the school so many years before he led the 1967 basketball team to district, regional, and an almost state title.....remember the Chicago Tribune's article relative to the 1967 team.... called us and the remaining teams David and Goliath. I used to babysit for Don's kids. Then he left Greenview and went to live in Mason City and tragedy began for that family. Don Gideon as I remember, pulled off the road and suffered a massive heart attack and died. Then Mark was on a tractor which overturned resulting in his death. Within the last couple of years I had the opportunity to reaquaint with Gaileh.....she still lives in Mason City. We had many good hours of remembering the days I babysat for her family.

Looking through the yearbook graduates of 1960, I see some faces I know. Gary Biggs is my neighbor; David Clemens is my husband's cousin as was Allen Behrens who has since died; Larry Lyons still lives and farms out north of town; Carolyn Dennis Miller still lives in Greenview; Bob Ratliff lives on the Curtis blacktop and does wonderful car repairs and restorations. There are faces which did live here but have since died.....John Evers and Gail Miller...there could be others but these are all I know.

The advertisers bring back a bunch of memories......I don't see any which are still in existence. Some of the businesses which advertised are: Rodemer's Department Store (Cynthia always said everything wore like iron); Meehan Pool Hall ( I spent many hours playing pool here); Tripp Brothers (an icon in our city and Virgie still lives in Greenview and seems to be doing well); Whit Stone Drugs; West Food Store; Johnson & Denton Store; K & K Royal Blue Store; Dr. Beard Veterinarian; Merrihew Insurance; Conkling Barber Shop; The Greenview Review; Cramer Implement; Al Setzer Standard Oil truck; Don Lockhart Sweney Oil Truck; Allison Grain Elevator; Cramer-Smothers Auto and Machinery; Corner Cafe; Dale Edwards FS Oil Truck; Dr. Paulaskis; Blanche Hill Beauty Shop; Schoeneweiss Insurance; Hinrichs Chevy Dealer; Zeitler Feed and Fertilizer; Harold Baugher Implement; Thayer Two Way Radio; Ennis and Son Funeral Home; Lowe's Standard Station; Bill Davision Bulldozer; and even though the business wasn't located here, who could forget Malerich and Son Cleaners which picked up and delivered our clean clothes.

The grade school teachers are those I remember the best in 1960.....Floe Johnson and Mary Dullenty for 1st grade; Ethel DeHart and Juanita Johnson for 2nd grade;

Esther Tholen for 3rd grade (I remember her in third grade in the old grade school basement and she broke a paddle over a classmate's behind (no names mentioned); Eva Wilson and Bernice Brake for 4th grade; Dulcena Dirks and Beulah Smothers for 5th grade; Agnes Ingham for 6th grade. I had many of these same teachers....and I learned a lot too!!

What a hoot thinking about these olden days. It seems like only yesterday yet it's been a half century....don't tell anyone I'm this old ..... Please!!

My brother and I do a lot of history recall for Greenview. He has done massive amounts of research and I just putter. When Greenview had the Sesquicentennial we worked jointly to make sure the historical side was a hit......I loved putting together the museum which housed many items of historical value. I only wish we had a permanent museum. My brother has several books on Greenview families which he has put together and are stored in the Athens Library's Special Collection Room. Of course there are other books on just general village information too at the library. If you are ever in the vicinity, the Special Collections Room is always open on Tuesdays and they will be glad to let you poke around in the Greenview info. It's interesting!

What's For Dinner At Our House Tonight?

Tonight we are having pork chops which have been lightly floured and browned in a tiny bit of olive oil (I pound the chops first with my meat mallet and then salt and pepper the chops before dusting with flour). I use and electric skillet and after browning, I sop out the olive oil remaining and add two packages of packaged gravy. I prefer Chicken Gravy packages (and I buy these at Dollar General), which I just mix the water and the packaged mix in a bowl and don't heat it....just pour over the browned chops and it will thicken. I turn the dial to simmer and cook for about 80 to 90 minutes. Make some good old mashed potatoes, some green beans and jello. And tonight we're having some banana nut cookies which I baked yesterday. Heaven on a plate!

News Of A Move Of A Former Greenviewanite

I received a message from Fred Schouten. He taught in the school system from 1974 through 1978 so many of you might remember Fred. I personally didn't know him as I had already moved from Greenview, but my husband knew him. Yet, we have communicated through the last couple of years, so I feel I know him. He has indicated to me that he and his wife are moving to Florida......happy move to Fred. Be safe and best wishes for a good life in Florida. I will think of you when it's 35 below here with 25 inches of snow on the ground. He will keep in touch through this blog!

Thought For The Day:

Cherish Each Hour Of This Day

For It Can Never Return

I Shall Return Another Day....until then, be safe!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The Day After The New Beginning

Here 'tis the day after I rebirthed this blog. I've received positive comments which sure gives me incentive to "keep on truckin".

I used to get up about 4 am to write my blog, but I'm a bit older (cough cough....boy do I hate to admit that) so I sleep in now. My body was saying what's the need to get up at 4am.....you don't work; it's dark outside; the neighbor's chickens are still fast asleep after having to keep awake half the night to stay out of the clutches of the wily old fox which roams this area; the deer haven't started their munching on my bushes or crashing through the forest across the street; the squirrel who lives in my front yard tree is not chattering so must still be in his drey (did you know that is the name of a squirrel nest?); I can hear the sounds of the cars going 90 miles per hour on Sweetwater Road so it's getting to be time to go to work for some (and yes they do drive that fast and one of these days Bambi will get them).

Otherwise it's quiet in the country life of Greenview, IL. No shootings occurred because I have a police scanner upstairs and one downstairs so I know what goes on. The only thing that happened early this morning was someone overdosed on 10 tylenol and some vicadon. That must have been some headache to take that much!! Otherwise same old, same old in this slow-as-molasses town.

I'll let you in on my secret....the highlight of my week is Thursday afternoon because the Menard County Review is delivered at Casey's. I hop in the car and beat it to town just to spend my $.50 to get the blab. Let me tell you......I about went nuts the other day when the doctor told me I couldn't drive, thus I couldn't get my Greenview blab. I still call it the Greenview blab, but it has so little information about Greenview, I should call it the Athens Gazette. Our town doesn't have a newshound so the little town gets swept under the carpet, but I still salivate on Thursday afternoons until the paper arrives, fresh from the printing press. I speed home (just a bit of speeding), get my fresh glass of iced whatever, and spend the next 15 minutes combing the paper for every bit of Greenview news. This has got to be an addiction. Then, I massage that info and put it in my blog because I know you all are starving for info on our little town of Greenview. Most of you moved away so this info is your lifeline to our youthfulness or, if you didn't grow up here, just a lifeline to the town which became a part of your history. Some of us left and came back (hand rises and shows I'm the guilty party) and yes I missed the town when I wasn't living here. I missed the "hardroad" which runs through town.

Wow I just looked at the clock and it has taken me almost an hour to write this prattle. Time does fly and I think I'm getting older. When I worked and had to "write" for a living, I could whiz through my article/piece in a New York minute. But the mind has slowed and the fingers are slower from carpel tunnel I suppose. Time marches on, even in Greenview, IL. So my friends, I must end this prattle and see what else I can tell you this morning.......later my fellow Greenviewanites.

What's for Supper at our house.
A topic which intends to inspire you to cook different things, because life gets boring if you cook the same old things night after night.

Tonight I'm having Taco Squares. My granddaughter, who is almost age 14 and one of my 10 year old grandsons are visiting. I hire them to work, so us old folks can sit around more and believe me it's worth the money I pay out. My granddaughter is the best worker I've seen. She is exceptional for her age. Today is bathroom cleaning day so the country lime scum will be no more this evening. Since they will work hard, I thought I probably owed the kids a favorite food for supper. Here's what we're having.

Unroll one can of crescent rolls and put them in a Pam sprayed 9 x 13 pan....let them sit for a couple of minutes to get a little warm and they will pull easier to cover the pan and spread a little up the sides. Put them in the oven at 350 for a few minutes just to get a little of the stickiness out.....keep watching and press your finger down on the dough for a little firmness.....probably takes about 5 minutes....but don't let them get brown. Cook 1 - 1/2 pounds of hamburger with 1/4 cup of chopped onion. Drain (and I rinse mine with hot water to get out the fat). Add one and a half packages of Taco mix and the water it says on the package. Then I add 1 can of tomato sauce after about 3 minutes and heat it up. Spread it over the partially cooked crescent roll dough and then sprinkle with either shredded cheddar or colby cheese. Use another can of crescent rolls and cover the taco meat. Bake until it's brown. Cut in squares. You can serve with more shredded cheese, lettuce, chopped tomatoes and onions if you prefer. YUMMY!

Greenview Cemetary
Just wanted to comment that the Elmwood Cemetary in Greenview always looks so nice. The men who take care of Menard Country cemetaries are led by Alan Dean who lives in Sweetwater. He also is the pastor at the Middletown Presbyterian Church. Alan's staff should be proud as they do a wonderful job of maintaining the place which will eventually be my home for eternity.

Thought For Today

If someone does not smile at you

be generous and offer your own smile.

Nobody needs a smile more

than the one who cannot smile to others.

--Dalai Lama

Until we meet again................

Monday, June 20, 2011

Another Time Around Folks...A New Beginning!

I used to do this blog. Then lots of things went wrong in my life. Two sisters were sick and have since died. I was sick and have had one surgery but am recovering from everything that went on in my life. I've had so many people who commented that they loved this blog and missed it immensely. It really made me feel better.

At the time I did the blog, I received very few comments that were positive, but I did receive a few nasty comments from some anonymous sources. I don't know what prompted those nasty comments but they hurt. And then when you get very few postive feedback comments, a writer often feels that something is amiss and feels perhaps taking time to write a silly little old blog just isn't worth it.

My life is settling down again so I thought I might try to salvage this blog and start over. Perhaps some will like that and maybe some will again try to defeat my ego. But this time I'm stronger and the only thing I will say to those who may try .... is screw you. It's my blog and if you don't like it, don't read it.

I can't promise to post everyday, but I will try to get this up and running on an even keel as long as my health allows. Stay with me and be sure to occasionally let me know the positive things you like as well as things you may want me to use as the subject of an article or suggest post topics, etc.

NEW RECIPE:
Rollo and Pretzel Candy Recipe
Buy Lattice type Preztels, Pecan Halves and Rollo Caramel Candy. I always strive for about 25 pieces of each for a start. Place the lattice pretzel on a cookie sheet and place an unwrapped Rollo piece on top of the pretzel. Put in a 300 degree oven for about 2 minutes or until it looks like the Rollo is beginning to melt. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and immediately place a pecan half (or a piece of walnut if otherwise preferred) on top and press down a bit. Cool on the cookie sheet and store in an airtight container. I think these taste better when eaten within a few days.

Events
United Presbyterian Church Vacation Bible School............ June 20-24, 6-8:15pm
Greenview CIA Charity Golf Outing Rescheduled ........July 20, noon
Menard County Fair ....... July 19-24
Middletown Stage Coach Inn Guided Tours ..... July 3-4, 10am-3pm
Ronnie Sanert Multi-Family Auction ..... June 26, 10am
Ronnie Sanert Auction of Tallula High School ..... July 16, 10am

Deaths
Roger Horn, died May 27, 2011 in Phoenix, AZ. He was born October 25, 1945 and went to school in Greenview. Roger spent many years selling real estate in this area and was one of the developers of Homestead Valley subdivision off Sweetwater Road. If you don't remember Roger, you may remember or know one of his brothers, Norman (Yvonne) or Denny. God rest your soul Roger.

Gossip
This section is my most favorite section. If you know some gossip, put it as a comment and I will check it out and post in a future post. Any time I post something here I will post it as I heard it and can't indeed verify that it's accurate, but what the heck, that's the glory of gossip isn't it????!! It may be true or it may be just plain old Gossip.

1. Rumor has it that Petersburg IGA has been sold to County Market.
2. Rumor has it the Petersburg Plumbing has been sold to Henson Robinson.

Sickness
Best wishes to Karen Setzer (Rick) who is in the hospital.

This first posting for the rebirth of the Yougottaknowthisaboutthat blog, will hopefully warm the hearts of my friends and residents of Greenview, IL. Hopefully I will find that I can continue this blog for a long while. Let me know your comments.