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Time: Starting with the last frost (4/20/24)This time of year most of our friends as well as Marge and I are in the beginnings of gardening “time.” One of the most important things to do is to put everything on a calendar. I start with two dates on the calendar. One is the average date of the last frost where I live as well as the average date of the first freeze in the fall. These two dates determine the time we have to garden. Here in Scott City, Missouri our last frost in the spring is around April 15 and our first freeze in the fall is around October 13. These are approximate dates. So we have about six months to garden which is our garden “time”.
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Something from a tree (4/20/24)I took this photo Thursday, April 11. What you see here are tiny berries growing on the limb of a native North American red mulberry tree. In early April the red mulberry tree begins to put on new leaves along with new fruits.
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Club news 4-20-24 (4/20/24)__Town & Country FCE Club__ The Town and Country FCE club met Thursday, April 11 at the home of Shirley Heise. Pledges to the American and the State of Missouri flags were recited in unison by club members. Darlene McCain presented a game, Spring Trivia. Sue Jones won the game. Roll call and minutes from March were read by Jones, secretary. Linda Thompson gave the treasurer’s report. Both reports were approved as read. Pennies for Rural women were collected.
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Senior Center Menus for April 22-26 (4/20/24)Cape Girardeau/Scott City Monday: Lasagna or chicken tetrazzini, glazed carrots, garden salad, whole-grain garlic bread and citrus fruit salad or cook’s choice desssert.
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Eclipse and other memories (4/13/24)Just watched the Eclipse. Pretty darn neat. I had a good friend tell me when to start watching and when the total eclipse would be, and he was spot on. Thanks! I watched the other eclipse several years ago, but it wasn’t as cool as this was. Today Marge and I were at the picnic table eating dinner and checking on the sun that was still showing. Marge commented about what the old timers back when must have thought when something like this happened. Who knows? We enjoyed it. Our neighbor’s donkey went to braying and another’s roosters went to crowing. We can look back and brag that “We saw that.” Precious memory!
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A plant with funny blossoms (4/13/24)This is a springtime wildflower native to the eastern half of North America reaching far into Canada. It is called Dutchman’s Breeches because the plant’s flowers reminded the American naturalists who found and documented it of a Dutchman’s breeches hanging on a line to dry.
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Senior Center Menus for April 15-19 (4/11/24)Cape Girardeau/Scott City Monday: Chicken sandwich or French dip, roasted zucchini, baby baker potatoes, gelatin salad, whole-grain bun and pineapple or creamy fruit with coconut. Tuesday: Taco salad or chicken quesadilla, lettuce and tomatoes, refried beans, tortilla chips or crackers and strawberries and bananas or iced cherry cake. Wednesday: Southwest goulash or sweet and sassy chicken with potatoes, sliced tomatoes, garden salad, bread slice and mixed fruit dessert or iced chocolate cake.
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Books I read and remember (4/6/24)I have always liked to read even back in grade school. I liked to read books, magazines and comics. One place I always loved to visit was a library. Way back in the 1950s, Arthur, Nebraska, had a library on the upper floor of an old building south of the Arthur gym. Wasn’t very big but it had a lot of books. Then the county built a county office building that included a fairly large library. Always fun looking at the books. It took a while to learn how to use the card index system to look up books. Now it’s all on the computer.
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Flowers inside the flower? (4/6/24)The North American flowering dogwood is a tree that is known for its white flowers of springtime. But did you know that the white flower petals are not really flower petals at all? What is generally considered white petals are actually special leaves called bracts. At the center of the four bracts is where the true flowers are. After the bracts open and before the dozen or so tiny yellow flowers open, the group of green flower buds appear to be the center of a big, white, four- petaled flower. But it is not. The buds each open in a few days, and the yellow flowers appear.
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Club news 4-6-24 (4/6/24)Cape Girardeau County FCE Council The Cape Girardeau County FCE Council “All Clubs Day” was held Thursday, March 28, at the University of Missouri Extension Center. President Mary Klaproth presided. The devotion, “The Gardner” was presented by Agnes Wachter of Cheerful Country Doers Club. Roll call was taken by Judie Herbst, Cape County Recording Secretary. Attending were members of Cheerful Country Doers, Kage, Lamplighters, Town and Country and Oak Ridge Clubs, totaling 24 members.
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Senior Center Menus for April 8-12 (4/4/24)Cape Girardeau/Scott City__ Monday: Center closed for the anticipated traffic in Cape Girardeau due to the total solar eclipse. Tuesday: Breakfast for lunch: Egg muffin sandwich or chicken tenders with hot roll, potatoes with onions, sliced tomatoes, orange juice tropical, fruit or cinnamon swirl cake.
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Songs that lift us up (3/30/24)I've always enjoyed music. Dad could play the guitar and fiddle and the juice harp. Most of what he could play was old-time dancing songs that they played in barn dances and such. About all I could do was twang on the juice harp. Was fun. Probably chipped a few front teeth in the journey. We've bought the boys a juice harp, but they were cheap ones. I need to do some checking and see what a good one would cost. Probably only one that would hear me twanging on it would be Grace...
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Club news 3-30-24 (3/30/24)Town & Country Minutes The Town & country FCE club met Thursday, March 14 in the home of Sue Jones. The club had its annual international meal on the country of Malaysia. Members made authentic dishes from that country. The food was delicious. After the meal Mary Klaproth, president, called the business meeting to order...
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Senior Center Menus for April 1-5 (3/30/24)Cape Girardeau/Scott City Monday: Chicken Parmesan with pasta and sauce or cabbage roll with mashed potatoes, Italian-blend veggies, garden salad, garlic bread and chilled pears or fresh-baked cookies. Tuesday: Pepper steak with peppers and onions or poppyseed chicken, brown rice, Lima beans, Mediterranean veggies, whole-grain hot roll and spiced peaches or caramel-iced yellow cake...
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Buds everybody loves (3/30/24)The season for the beautiful redbud tree is about to end for this spring. In Southeast Missouri the redbud blossoms have been especially pretty this year. I've seen many trees with limbs covered with blossoms like the cluster I have photographed here. Redbud blossoms appear up and down the limbs of this wonderful, small tree before its leaves appear...
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Club news 3-23-24 (3/23/24)Kage FCE Club The Kage Family Continuing Education Club met Thursday, March 14 at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. The meeting was called to order by Jobyna Daume, president. The devotional was read by Jobyna Dixon titled "On the Edge of Spring." She also read an article on the "ABCs of Friendship." Sarah Ross shared an Irish limerick...
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Do it in secret (3/23/24)It was way last fall my brother in Nebraska put on facebook about someone bringing him a load of firewood, and at the time he really didn't know who had brought it. He had his suspicions, but he wasn't certain. Now that's pretty neat when someone drops off a load of firewood in secret. I think they came back later with another load, but he was home this time...
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Senior Center Menus for March 25-29 (3/23/24)Cape Girardeau/Scott City Monday: Salisbury steak or Polish sausage and sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, green beans, hot roll and sugar-free apple crisp or cook's choice dessert. Tuesday: Lemon chicken or potato soup with half sandwich, buttered corn, spinach salad, whole-grain bread and fruit cocktail or fruit cocktail cake...
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A wild baby bear (3/23/24)A few years ago, I talked with a friend who works with a group tasked with protecting the black bear population in Arkansas. For several years they have surveyed the population by tagging select female bears with locator chips. This allows for seeking out the chipped female bears when they are hibernating in their dens and observing them and their babies...
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Cucumbers (3/16/24)We grow a number of vegetables in our garden every year, with No. 1 being tomatoes. Love, love tomatoes. I can eat tomatoes for every meal and snacks in between and even right up to bedtime, but my No. 2 fresh-eating vegetable has to be cucumbers. Fresh cucumbers. The dog we used to have and I'd share cucumbers pretty much all day long. It's a wonder we both didn't end up with belly aches...
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Another tiny spring flower (3/16/24)Shown here is a cluster of tiny flowers attached to a limb of an understory bush called the eastern spicebush. These little flowers are one of nature's earliest to bloom in spring. They often appear during cool weather before butterflies and bees begin to fly. These blossoms are easily mistaken for new leaves if not observed close up...
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Senior Center Menus for March 18-22 (3/16/24)Monday: Honey garlic meatballs or sweet and sour chicken, buttered noodles, steamed carrots, seasoned cauliflower, whole-grain bread and pears or brownies. Tuesday: Crispy baked chicken or country-fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed veggies, whole-grain hot roll and sugar-free warm apples and raisins or oatmeal cake...
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Saint Francis Foundation receives RetCam donation (3/16/24)The Level III NICU at Saint Francis Healthcare System received a donation from Mark and Scott Rhodes of the Rhodes Foundation to purchase a new RetCam. The RetCam delivers ophthalmic visualization and photo documentation needed to diagnose Retinophathy of Prematurity. ROP is an eye disease that can happen in babies who are born premature or who weigh less than three pounds at birth. It can cause retinal detachment, vision loss and even blindness...
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Just another insect? (3/2/24)This is a tiny wasp called a sawfly. It cannot sting you. There are many kinds of sawflies in North America. I am not sure, but I think this one is called a black-headed ash sawfly. Sawflies are common even though you might not recognize what one is even if it sits on you. An adult is only about an inch long, and it will probably fly away quickly. The sawfly gets its name from the female's ability to cut a small gap in a tree leaf or a weed stem in which it lays its eggs...
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Senior center menus for March 4-8 (3/2/24)Monday: Scrambled eggs and sausage patty or chicken tenders, potatoes and onions, sliced tomatoes, whole-grain biscuit and gravy and citrus fruit salad. Tuesday: Chili with half cheese sandwich or cheeseburger on whole-grain bun, corn chips, carrots and celery sticks with ranch dip, whole-grain crackers and sugar-free gelatin with pears or iced cinnamon roll...
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Starting tomatoes (3/2/24)Back when I was a kid, I'd help Dad in the garden, or at least thought I was. I kind of remember Dad planting tomatoes that were Sioux tomatoes, which Mick tried but he wasn't impressed. I just may buy a few seeds and give them a try this summer. I don't know if Dad started his own seed or bought transplants. I don't think Dad put his tomatoes in a cage, so they just spread out on the ground...
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Senior Center Menus for Feb. 26 through March 1 (2/24/24)Monday: Beef Stroganoff over noodles or white chicken chili with half sandwich, green peas, steamed carrots, whole-grain bread and chilled pears or fresh baked cookies. Tuesday: Pulled pork or roasted chicken breast, sweet potato, green beans, whole-grain hot roll and pineapple tidbits or coconut delight...
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Too young for antlers (2/24/24)This might look like a domesticated cow to you, but it isn't. It is a young elk I guess to be 1 or 2 years old. Once eradicated from the Missouri landscape, elk have been successfully reestablished here in recent years. Today you can find wild elk in the counties of Shannon, Reynolds and Carter in Southeastern Missouri...
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Making old wrongs right (2/24/24)I was born in Ogallala, Nebraska, which was the end of the old Texas Cattle Trail. Hundreds of thousands of cattle were driven from Texas to Ogallala. Some went up into the Sandhills, while many were driven on west into the mountains. When I was born, Ogallala had a population of about 3,000 to 4,000 people, which is about the same today. ...
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Jackson R-2 School District receives donation (2/24/24)
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Club news 2-25-24 (2/24/24)Nancy Hunter and John Guild Chapters DAR The Nancy Hunter and John Guild Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution celebrated 110 years of service and friendship together in January. In 1901, the Nancy Hunter Chapter in Cape Girardeau was organized with 12 members, and its numbers rapidly increased to the point they started a new chapter by 1914. ...
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Is there more? (2/17/24)I was sitting in my easy chair the other day as was Marge in hers. I believe she was napping but then I probably just woke up. Grace, our dog, was laying on the floor sound asleep. Grace must have heard something, probably BB our cat, so she had to jump and investigate. ...
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Club news 2-18-24 (2/17/24)Kage Family Continuing Education Club met Thursday, Feb. 8 at Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Jobyna Daume called the meeting to order. The devotion was on the Legend of the Valentine. St. Valentine, a prisoner, picked a bunch of violets and sent them to his flock to say that faith and love will triumph, no matter the circumstances...
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Is this a walnut? (2/17/24)The quick answer is: no. It's a growth on a limb of an oak tree called a gall. It is made by a tiny wasp called a gall wasp. I found this gall on a dead limb on Sunday, Feb. 11. There was not an exit hole anywhere on the gall. I knew that the gall should have a small white grub inside, but I wondered if it would be alive since the limb was dead. So I cut the gall open to see...
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Senior Center Menus for Feb. 19 through 23 (2/17/24)Monday: Center closed for Presidents Day. Tuesday: Salisbury steak or Polish sausage and sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, green beans, whole-grain hot roll and sugar-free apple crisp or cook's choice dessert. Wednesday: Lemon chicken or potato soup and half sandwich, buttered corn, spinach salad, whole-grain bread and fruit cocktail or Oreo cheesecake...
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Foster Adopt Connect receives $5,000 from MRV Banks for 'Office Chair Games' event (2/10/24)MRV Banks made a $5,000 donation to Foster Adopt Connect for their inaugural Office Chair Games event. According to an MRV Banks news release, Foster Adopt Connect organizes the games and "is a unique and innovative fundraising event designed to raise awareness and funds for programs benefiting foster youth," that provides competition and team-building. Foster Adopt Connect is an organization that helps connect foster kids with families and improve their lives...
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Good garden soil (2/10/24)Good gardens begin with good soil. Pretty simple statement, and basically that's the truth. We can have the best of seeds, fertilize like we should, water it sufficiently, do it just like we should, and if the soil isn't right, we won't get much. I believe there are a few essentials that will make or break a garden and a few simple things that will greatly enhance our success...
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Senior Center Menus for Feb. 12-16 (2/10/24)Monday: Honey garlic meatballs or sweet and sour chicken, buttered noodles, steamed carrots, seasoned cauliflower, whole-grain bread and pears or brownies. Tuesday: Crispy baked chicken or country-fried steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, mixed veggies, whole-grain hot roll and sugar-free warm apples and raisins or iced King cake cinnamon roll...
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Immaculate Conception School announce distinguished graduate recipient (2/10/24)Lisa Nice is the 2024 recipient of the Immaculate Conception School Distinguished Graduate. Nice is a 1998 graduate of Immaculate Conception School and a 2002 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School. She attended University of Central Missouri where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders. She also attended Southeast Missouri State University for two years and earned a master's degree in speech pathology. She is a wife, mother and missionary...
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A honeybee in February (2/10/24)The morning of Sunday, Feb. 4, was pretty cool for a honeybee, with temperatures in the upper 30s. I was surprised to see this bee setting on the cold hood of my truck. It could crawl, but kept falling over and couldn't fly. There was no wind and the air temperature was rising. ...
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Senior Center Menus for Feb. 5 through 9 (2/3/24)Monday: Shepherd's pie or Cheddar chicken, broccoli bake, winter-blend veggies, beets, whole-grain bread and sugar-free peach crisp or pineapple cake. Tuesday: Ham and beans or smothered steak, stewed tomatoes, potatoes with onions, cornbread and crackers and mixed fruit dessert or peanut butter cheesecake,...
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Cheering for spring (2/3/24)Many of us are longing for springtime by mid January. We want warmer weather and colorful spring flowers to be here already. The jonquil flower is in agreement. I took this photo Jan. 19, 2023, on a very cold morning after the nighttime temperature had dropped to 4 degrees. It had snowed a few days earlier. The green spears jutting out of the snow are jonquils. They begin to appear each January on south-facing hillsides in Southeast Missouri. The extreme cold does not damage or kill them...
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Give or take (2/3/24)Time as we know it seems to just zoom along. Here it is the end of January and first part of February. Just months away, we'll be planting tomatoes and cucumbers. And as time goes by, people as we know them change. The people today are different from when I was a boy (1950s) or when my Dad was a boy (1900s). ...
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Senior Center Menus for Jan. 29 through Feb. 2 (1/27/24)Monday: Scrambled eggs and sausage patty or chicken tenders, potatoes and onions, sliced tomatoes, whole-grain biscuit and citrus fruit salad. Tuesday: Chili with half peanut butter sandwich or turkey burger on bun, veggie blend, carrots and celery sticks with ranch dip and sugar-free gelatin with pears or iced cinnamon roll...
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The solitary bobcat (1/27/24)The bobcat is a native North American animal. It looks like a domestic house cat in many ways, but the most obvious difference is its bobbed tail. Adult bobcats are about 4 feet long from nose to the tip of its tail. Bobcats are not often seen during daylight hours. ...
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I was watching people drink (1/27/24)I recently drove Marge around Cape while she was delivering some odds and ends to friends of hers, so I spent some time on campus watching the students. This may sound weird, but I enjoy watching people when they aren't aware of it. One thing I wasn't surprised about was that everyone was packing a bottle or jug of something to drink. ...
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Senior Center Menus for 1-21-24 (1/20/24)Monday: Beef Stroganoff over noodles or white chicken chili with 1/2 sandwich, green peas, steamed carrots, whole-grain bread and chilled pears or fresh-baked cookies. Tuesday: Pulled pork or roast chicken breast, sweet potato, green beans, whole-grain hot roll and pineapple tidbits or coconut delight...
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Club news 1-21-24 (1/20/24)The Town and Country FCE club met Saturday, Jan. 13 in home of Mary Klaproth. Debbie Brown and Gayle Gilyeart were guests at the meeting. The devotion was given by the hostess titled "love one another." Darlene McCain presented a game that was a paper snow ball throwing contest...
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Old house in the snow (1/20/24)This is a representation of a historic old house that stands on Mingo National Wildlife Refuge near Puxico. It is in a remote area of the refuge and seldom visited. My internet search for information on this old house turned up nothing. Information I gained from talking to individuals in and near Puxico revealed that the cabin was built by a family named Sweet on or around the year 1905...
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A little gardening advice (1/20/24)There are numerous ways to learn how to garden, and Marge and I've tried many of them. The ones we learn the most from seem to be the absolute failures and the huge successes. We've had both. One failure was growing onions from seed. I got this brilliant idea to plant onion seeds and grow my own transplants. Now transplants are usually about $3 to $4 per 50 to 60 transplants, so I wasn't going to save a ton of money. I just wanted to see if I could...
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The seasons (1/13/24)We have four "seasons" of weather here in the U.S., with the current season being winter. Most of our friends are not particularly fond of cold weather, however some do like the cold and the outdoor sports that come with it. Winter is followed by spring where the plants and grass here in Missouri begin to grow or bud out or put on leaves. ...
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Senior Center Menus for Jan. 15 through 19 (1/13/24)Monday: Center closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Tuesday: Salisbury steak or Polish sausage and sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, green beans, whole-grain hot roll and sugar-free apple crisp or cook's choice dessert. Wednesday: Lemon chicken or potato soup with 1/2 sandwich, buttered corn, spinach salad, whole-grain bread and fruit cocktail or Oreo cheesecake...
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White oak acorns (1/13/24)I went for a short nature hike on Sunday, Jan. 7, hoping to find something interesting to photograph. After about 30 minutes of searching for something interesting, I sat down under a large white oak tree and enjoyed the scenery. As I was getting up to leave the tree, something red on the ground caught my eye. It was the root sprout of a white oak acorn. I carefully brushed back some leaves and found more acorns. Three of them were close together and gave me a descriptive photo opportunity...
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Rotary Club donates to food pantry (1/13/24)
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Recent observations and goals for 2024 (1/6/24)I usually save all my articles from each year in a different folder like Newspaper Articles 2023. I opened a brand new file titled Newspaper Articles 2024. This is the first article of the year. It's kind of exciting starting a brand new year with a blank slate but at the same time hauling along a ton of memories and good experiences. Probably a few that aren't the greatest but these I'll refer to as learning experiences...
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A blooming reminder (1/6/24)I decided to start the year with a beautiful photo I took in July. Let it be a reminder that even though our winter days may be quite colorless and often dreary and cold, within about 100 days wildflowers will begin to bloom again. The wildflowers pictured here are a purple coneflower, a black-eyed Susan and what I think may be a flower called common rose pink. These flowers were growing wild at the edge of a hayfield...
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Senior Center Menus for Jan. 8 through 12 (1/6/24)Monday: Honey garlic meatballs or sweet and sour chicken, buttered noodles, steamed carrots, seasoned cauliflower, whole-grain bread and pears or brownies. Tuesday: Crispy-baked chicken or country-fried steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, mixed veggies, whole-grain hot roll and sugar-free warm apples and raisins or iced cake...
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First Baby of 2024 (1/6/24)A baby girl who made her debut into the world at 5:18 p.m. is the first baby of 2024 born at Saint Francis Healthcare System's Family BirthPlace. Proud parents Logan and Brandon Patrick welcomed their second daughter, Adalee Layne Patrick, on Monday, Jan. 1. The 6-pound, 11-ounce, 19.5-inch-long Adalee joins big sister Emmi...
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Looking into the night sky? (12/30/23)Just what are you looking at here? Is it snowing? Are these some kind of special clouds in a night sky? Are they some kind of tiny underwater animal related to jellyfish? Actually, this is frost on my truck window one morning in mid December. I left my truck parked outside for the night. Calm wind, high humidity and early morning temperatures settling in at about 28 degrees Fahrenheit made a perfect setup for frost...
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Senior Center Menus for Jan. 1 through 5 (12/30/23)Monday: Center closed for the New Year holiday. Tuesday: Shepherd's pie or cheddar-chicken broccoli bake, winter-blend veggies, beets, whole-grain bread and sugar-free peach crisp or pineapple cake. Wednesday: Ham and beans or smothered steak, stewed tomatoes, potatoes with onions, cornbread and crackers and mixed-fruit dessert or peanut-butter cheesecake...
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Christmases past and present (12/30/23)My brother in Nebraska and I both have these new cell phones. I've been texting for a good while, and my brother is new to texting. This Christmas morning we texted back and forth for a while and then we called and just visited. We talked about his weather and odds and ends and finally talked about the Christmases that we remembered when we were kids...
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Cardinal on a cold evening (12/23/23)I took this photo of a cardinal a few years ago. It was cold, and sleet was falling. Sometimes low-light situations can offer satisfactory opportunities if you are able to make manual adjustments to the settings on your camera. I focused my attention on the broken piece of wood and waited to see if a bird would land there. As sleet fell in earnest, this cardinal appeared in my camera's viewfinder. I hope you enjoy him...
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Club news 12-24-23 (12/23/23)The Town and Country FCE club met for its annual Christmas party Thursday, Dec. 14 at Delmonico's Restaurant in Jackson. The arrangements for the meeting were made by chairperson's Darlene McCain and Brenda Pender. Games were provided by Lois Seabaugh...
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Senior Center Menus for Dec. 25-29 (12/23/23)Monday and Tuesday: Center closed for Christmas holiday. Wednesday: Scrambled eggs and sausage patty or chicken tenders, potatoes and onions, sliced tomatoes, whole-grain biscuit and citrus fruit salad. Thursday: Chicken pot pie or beef stew, Harvard beets, Caesar salad, cornbread biscuit and warm cinnamon apples or apple pie.'...
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Use it or lose it (12/23/23)One of the topics I find interesting pertains to how human history is passed down orally. Since time began, history has been passed from generation to generation orally. Writing most likely originated about 5,000 years ago so before that all historical events that we know about were passed down orally. Many were told as stories or events, while others were memorized word for word story by story...
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Bollinger County Caring Council receives financial investment (12/23/23)Scopus Solar is pleased to announce Bollinger County Caring Council as its Fall 2023 Community Giving recipient. Scopus Solar is dedicated to positively impacting the community and investing in initiatives that foster growth, learning, and cherished memories for future generations. This award represents Vesper Energy's commitment to supporting local initiatives that make a difference in the communities where projects are developed...
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Senior Center Menus for Dec. 18-22 (12/16/23)Monday: Beef Stroganoff over noodles or white chicken chili with half sandwich, green peas, steamed carrots, whole-grain bread and chilled pears or fresh baked cookies. Tuesday: Pulled pork or roasted chicken breast, baked sweet potato, green beans, hot roll, whole-grain hot roll and pineapple tidbits or cinnamon roll...
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Club news 12-17-23 (12/16/23)The Cape Girardeau County FCE Council met Thursday, Dec. 7, at University of Missouri Extension Center in Jackson. President Judy Strickland presided. The pledges to the American Flag and the Missouri Flag were recited along with the Club Collect. The devotion was presented by Town and Country Club...
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Yesterday's Christmas tree (12/16/23)When I was a kid during the 1960s, this tree was known as a Christmas tree. It is the native eastern red cedar. Although the eastern red cedar can grow to 50 feet tall, only the young cedars that were about right at 10 feet tall were called Christmas trees...
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Staying hard-nosed (12/16/23)The other day I was visiting with a friend about tractors, and tractor cabs came up. They are really nice, but they aren't for me. Cabs do cost a good deal of money and that's part of why I don't have a cab. But honestly money alone isn't why I choose not to. Cabs make life easier! When it's hot outside you can simply turn the AC on in the cab and it's cool. When it's cold outside, simply turn the heat on in the cab and it's warm. If it's raining, then it's dry. Cabs make life too easy...
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Senior Center Menus for Dec. 11-15 (12/9/23)Monday: Salisbury steak or Polish sausage and sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, green beans, whole-grain hot roll and sugar-free apple crisp or cook's choice dessert. Tuesday: Pasta with meat sauce or turkey tetrazzini, Italian-blend veggies, garden salad, whole-grain garlic bread and chilled peaches or chocolate cake...
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Is this a beaver? (12/9/23)Well, it sure looks like it could be. But if you could see its skinny, long tail, you'd know it's not a beaver. This animal is much smaller than a beaver. It is a muskrat. An adult muskrat weighs about 2 pounds. An adult beaver typically weighs around 40 pounds...
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Words mean something (12/9/23)Several weeks ago, I was listening to the song service in Church kind of singing along when one word struck me or got my attention. We were singing about the Holy Spirit having "power". I hadn't thought about that being an attribute of the Holy Spirit, so later that afternoon I began a search for the attributes of the Holy Spirit. ...
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Senior Center Menus for Dec. 4-8 (12/2/23)Monday: Honey garlic meatballs or sweet and sour chicken, buttered noodles, steamed carrots, seasoned cauliflower, whole-grain bread and pears or brownies. Tuesday: Crispy baked chicken or country fried steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, mixed veggies, whole-grain hot roll and sugar-free warm apples and raisins or ice cake...
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Club news 12-3-23 (12/2/23)The John Guild Chapter of the Missouri met Monday, Sept. 18. Dave Hitt was awarded the Daughters of the American Revolution Distinguished Citizen Award. The award is presented to an individual 18 years old or older or to groups that exemplify honor, service, courage, leadership and patriotism...
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Quality takes patience (12/2/23)For the first 30 years of my life, I was always around horses of one kind or another, with most being quarter horses and usually 2 years old or older. I remember Dad bought a couple of 2-year-olds down by Tryon, which had never been handled. Mine was a sorrel mare, which turned out pretty good, while Mick's gelding could really buck. ...
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A holiday treat (12/2/23)Pecan trees grow wild throughout much of the southern United States where it is a native tree. The pecan tree has been traced to an origin about 8,000 years ago. Native Americans collected, cracked and ate the meat of the pecan tree nuts. Since becoming domesticated hundreds of years ago in North America, the pecan has taken on many different sizes and hardnesses of the nut's shell. ...
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Senior Center Menus for Nov. 27 through Dec. 1 (11/22/23)Monday: Shepherd's pie or cheddar chicken broccoli bake, winter-blend veggies, beets, whole-grain bread and sugar-free peach crisp or brownie. Tuesday: Ham and beans or smothered steak, stewed tomatoes, potatoes with onions, cornbread and crackers and mixed fruit dessert or peanut-butter cheesecake...
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A day of rest (11/22/23)A couple weeks ago, Marge and I were visiting some friends, and they were looking at a passage in Genesis. So when we got home I read the first three chapters of Genesis three or four times. But the part that kept going through my mind over and over again was the creation account. ...
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The beautiful colors of autumn (11/22/23)This fall has proven to be a very good one for the colors we hope for, want, need and love. We are lucky in Southeast Missouri that there are so many different kinds of trees. Some trees such as sassafras and black gum display red leaves. Some such as cottonwood and sycamore display yellow. And others such as oaks and hickories can show off browns, yellows and shades of orange. They are just leaves, but when the sun brightens them up, it is wonderful...
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Club news 11-22-23 (11/22/23)The Town & Country FCE club met Thursday, Nov. 9, at the home of Donna Woolsey. Members recited The Pledges to the US flag, Missouri State flag and The National FCE Creed in unison. The devotion, "All She Had" was given by the hostess. Roll call was given by Sue Jones. The minutes were read from the October meeting. They were approved as read. The treasurer's report was given by Linda Thompson, treasurer. The report was approved as read. Pennies for Rural Women of America were collected...
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As he walks by (11/18/23)A close friend sent me this image of what most deer hunters dream of when they are deer hunting. But there are often reasons to not shoot. If the hunter would take the shot presented here, there is a very high probability that the result would be unwanted. There are too many limbs blocking vital organs of the deer. It would be better to let the deer walk until it enters an open space and stops...
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Respect for life (11/18/23)As a boy growing up on a ranch in the Sandhills of Nebraska, life was real and honest; or brutal some would say. Almost on a daily basis there was both life and death. Mom and Dad had Banty chickens which seemed to love to "sit" on a batch of eggs and hatch them out. ...
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Club news 11-19-23 (11/18/23)The Kage Family and Community Education Club met Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Jobyna Daume called the meeting to order. Judie Herbst gave the devotion titled "The More You Do." It was one her mother had used many years ago. Another tidbit from her mother was she reminded us that patience is the ability to keep your motor idling when you feel like stripping the gears (now will probably be peeling your tires.}...
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Senior Center Menus for Nov. 20-24 (11/18/23)Monday: Scrambled eggs and sausage patty or chicken tenders, potatoes and onions; sliced tomatoes, whole-grain biscuit and citrus fruit salad. Tuesday: Chili with half peanut butter sandwich or turkey burger on bun, veggie blend, carrots and celery sticks with ranch dip and sugar-free gelation with pears or German chocolate cake...
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This bigmouth doesn't talk (11/4/23)The largemouth bass is native to North America. It can grow to a length of more than 25 inches and can weigh more than 20 pounds. It thrives in streams as well as impounded waters. The largemouth bass is a favorite target of many fishermen. This fish has a voracious appetite. ...
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What is normal? (11/4/23)Back a couple decades ago, we were around a young man with Down's Syndrome. Ken was fun to just be with. Super honest and 100% authentic. You simply enjoyed being with him. I could make noise on the guitar, but Ken could play the guitar. His songs weren't masterpieces, but you could recognize them and sing to them, which was better than mine. Many would say Ken wasn't normal. Maybe not for some, but I'd enjoy spending eternity with Ken just the way he was and is...
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Senior Center Menus for Nov. 6 to 10 (11/4/23)Monday: Pasta with meat sauce or turkey tetrazzini, Italian-blend veggies, garden salad, whole-grain garlic bread and chilled peaches or cook's choice dessert. Tuesday: Salisbury steak or Polish sausage and kraut, mashed potatoes, green beans, whole-grain hot roll and sugar-free apple crisp or chocolate cake...
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Happy Halloween! (10/28/23)I took this photo a few weeks ago and saved it for Halloween. It might not make the newspaper on the exact date, but it will be close enough. This is an arrowhead spider. It is most often found in the woods. It makes a web by attaching its silken threads to at least three points and creating an orb web by going around and around. ...
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Senior Center Menus for Oct. 30 through Nov. 3 (10/28/23)Monday: Honey garlic meatballs or chicken cordon bleu, buttered noodles, steamed carrots, seasoned cauliflower, whole-grain bread and pears or carrot cake. Tuesday: Unstuffed pepper casserole or potato soup with half ham sandwich, Parmesan peas, yellow squash, whole-grain hot roll and Mandarin oranges or coconut delight...
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Club news 10-29-23 (10/28/23)The Town and Country club met for its Thursday, Oct. 12 meeting at Say Grace Cafe in Altenburg, Missouri, with Lois Seabaugh as hostess. Pledges to the United States flag, flag of Missouri and the Club Collect were repeated in unison by club members. Lori Quade was a guest at the meeting,...
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Practical versus looks (10/28/23)Couple weeks ago, Marge and I went to Cape Girardeau to watch the SEMO college band practice some songs and do some marching. It was pretty neat. Weather was perfect. Part of the time there was a lull in the band playing or marching so I watched the people come and go. Pretty much all ages from what I assume were college students up to grandparents who kind of hobbled around. What interested me was what they were wearing...
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Glenn Family Foundation donates to St. Jude (10/14/23)The Glenn Family Foundation, a non-profit organization, recently donated the $10,000 proceeds from the 2023 Larry Glenn Memorial Golf Tournament to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The Glenn Family Foundation and Larry Glenn Memorial Golf Tournament were established to honor the family patriarch, Larry Glenn...
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A bad dragonfly? (10/14/23)At first glance this photo might appear to be just an unfortunate monarch butterfly lying dead in the grass. A closer observation shows something going on that might make you unhappy. A green dragonfly is eating the butterfly. Most people love the beautiful monarch butterfly and know its story of migration and habitat concern. The dragonfly is less known. It is called the common green darner. The common green darner is a native North American insect. It, too, is a migratory insect...
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Senior Center Menus for Oct. 16-20 (10/14/23)Monday: Scrambled eggs and sausage patty or chicken tenders, potatoes and onions, sliced tomatoes, whole-grain biscuit and citrus fruit salad. Tuesday: Chili with 1/2 peanut butter sandwich or turkey burger on bun, veggie blend, carrots and celery sticks with ranch dip and sugar-free gelatin with pears or German chocolate cake...
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Let's do this (10/14/23)There have been times back through the years when something had to be done, but I didn't want to do it. I remember one time when I was doing maintenance work while going to college. Some of the wood shingles had come off the roof of a two-story wing on a nice house of one of the executives who worked at Phillips Petroleum. ...
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The pink ladybug (10/7/23)Your greatgrandmother probably had a garden. And she probably knew the tiny ladybug you see here. This is one of three variants of native North American ladybugs called pink ladybugs. This one is known as the 12-spotted lady beetle. It is widespread across most of the eastern half of the United States...
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Senior Center Menus for Oct. 9-13 (10/7/23)Monday: Closed for Columbus Day. Tuesday: Beef stroganoff over noodles or white chicken chili with half sandwich, green peas, steamed carrots, whole-grain bread and chilled pears or fresh baked cookies. Wednesday: Chicken and cornbread casserole or ham and cheese casserole, seasoned cabbage, black-eyed peas, whole-grain bread and applesauce or iced spice cake...
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Now what? (10/7/23)Have you ever been asked "What do we do now?" or simply "What now?" These words could apply to most anything. There are times I sit down to write and wonder "What do I write this week?" Most of the time I have an idea or two and a start. Then there are times when I have an idea but not sure how to write the article, like this week. ...
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What would you have written? (9/30/23)Marge and I have for the past couple years been looking at funeral stones or grave markers to put in the cemetery. Some have asked us if we'd like to be buried in Nebraska to which we replied no. We've lived here in Missouri close to 40 years. We moved here in February 1986 to pastor the Wesleyan Church down by the interstate. The church extended to us the invitation to pastor the church, but we both felt called to the citizens of Scott City. So we'll stay...