At The Farm...

Saturday, March 19, 2016

A Rare Outing With History

in Calico Rock, Arkansas began with dropping off the garden tiller for some repairs we could not manage.

We decided to dine at the Printing Press Cafe.

The walls along Main are full of interesting murals

depicting history and lore.

History on a menu

Local quotes on the walls

A pleasant place to dine with good food

even the bathrooms were cool!

Some social issues never change

and history repeats itself...again and again.

Friday, March 18, 2016

What Did Your Flip Flops Do Yesterday?

Mine rested on the creek bank as I crossed to plant seeds in the wild life garden. I planted Kentucky Wonder beans, two kinds of pop corn, cantaloupe and a variety of other seeds. We shall see what happens.

Rescued a catalpa tree from honey suckle and briers.

After...I think the tree may fare better now.

I enjoyed tiny wild flowers

and watched plums bloom against a beautiful sky.

My bare feet played as my eyes feasted on the new growth of spring.

My flip flops were happy.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Fruitless Turns Around

Just like trying again and again to capture a humming bird, life sometimes seems to work against you. Fruitless....or it seems that way.

My oldest sister, Marcy, was a school teacher for the same school for thirty-seven years. She retired and like me and our other sister moved to the farm to help Mom and Dad in their later years. She left behind her house.

I'm not sure how long we've all been at the farm because the years have a way of piling up and mixing all together but it's been a while.

Marcy's plans to renovate and sell the house were put on hold with Mom's death, Dad's Alzheimer's and death, Hubby and then Marcy herself became sick. With odds and ends of semi-emergencies sprinkled in the mix just to keep us on our toes, time passed Life has a way of interfering with your plans.

I'm not telling this as a sad tale but only as an introduction to a miraculous day.

I believe her house sat vacant for over five years. The renovations were not completed. She still had the power on and paying taxes with nothing showing for it. Being the busybody sister that I am I became determined to change this for her.

On line I went looking for real estate agents. Checked their specs and contacted a couple. Marcy got a letter outlining what she needed to do...and there it sat for a couple of months or longer.

Being the ~~bullheaded~~ determined person I am, I finally just said, This day we are going to look at your house and get it listed.

We headed out...in a car.

Do you have the agent's number? No, the letter's at home. Okay, we will just pick the first office we see. (I got funny looks),

Stopped to potty and we didn't have a clue where a real estate agent was. Marcy picked up one of those free real estate books to see if there is one close. A lady walked by and asked Marcy if she was looking for a place. Marcy said, No, selling. She and the lady began to talk. This is the same lady we had been in contact with by mail! What are the odds of that??

I told Marcy I thought this was a sign and we were going with this agent. It felt like God had put her in our path. And the agent was not the only person God would place in our path this day.

We arrived. Entered. Remodeling material still there. Every thing looked okay.

City Marshall showed up. Visited for a while. An old friend showed up to visit with Marcy. Then a new neighbor that moved in after Marcy moved out showed up. The city was having a clean up and a recycle drive to pay for the city's fire works display. He offered to take anything we were going to discard. Out washer, dryer, refrigerator, out broken things and trash with an offer to clear the things that pile up around the shed in every one's back yard. Done, done and done!

A past student of Marcy's stopped by to visit. Offers to send the local boy scout troop to clean her yard! Good lesson for them on helping neighbors, she said.

Real estate agent is called and arrives. Marcy does the paperwork. As soon as the price is known people are on the phone calling neighbors. One man came to look at the house before the agent ever left.

Sooooooo, we piled what we could in the car from the house with plans to return with a truck to get her last bit of possessions. The house is almost empty but the shed is full. I have feelers out (with Marcy's approval) to donate most of Marcy's teaching supplies where they can be used by teachers or the church or some place they will be loved.

Hopefully, soon this will be a past chapter for Marcy she can close with a smile and a happy ending.