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Dear Editor:
Dear Editor,
The Van Buren County Master Gardeners appreciate the support for the recent Pancake Supper held as a fundraiser, invited by the FFB Lions Club. It was a successful event for our organization because of the community support from those purchasing tickets and attending. We appreciate so much the Lions Club for sponsoring us and helping us with this event, as well as those who attended. They made this festive event fun and beneficial to the Master Gardeners. Thank you for the community support and the Lions Club sponsorship.Van Buren Master GardenersDear Editor,Your Fairfield Bay V.F.W. Ladies Auxiliary and Color Guard would like to thank you for all of your support this past year.Thanks to you we have accomplished and excelled in all of our many programs. These include the Veterans and Family Support, Community Service, Cancer Aid and Research, Youth Programs and many more.Thank you again and we will continue to work for our Veterans and Community.V.F.W. Ladies Auxiliary & Color GuardDear Editor,The Fairfield Bay Library and the youth patrons extend heartfelt thanks to Maud Huber and Monica Walden for hosting the Usborne and Kane Childrens Book Fair.. A great thank you to the residents who chose a book for the library while selecting books for their own family.. And to an anonymous donor for a very generous number of titles…..thank you!!Thank you to Grace Gokturk for presenting a grant application to the library offered by a membership organization.. The library applied and the grant has been approved for the purchase of childrens’ books.And ,Ted Brown, for the matching grants you earn for volunteer hours at the library. thank you. If anyone is seeking more information on matching grant opportunities for any local non-profit organization, please feel free to contact me at the library. If you already volunteer somewhere, you may qualify for matching grant funds.Wear and Share donates to the library monthly and we are ever grateful. We know how hard you work!!The Community Club is once again supporting the residents and members’ library with an annual subsidy of a critical $15,000.Thank you to John Spies and the board members.The Rotary Club is supporting literacy by providing a grant to help with the expense of this years Summer Reading Program; thank you Rotary members!Thank you to those who gave their supoort to the library in the recent Chesapeake vote.This tremendous small town library is possible due to community support from many organizations and individuals…..both in service and funding. No matter how small or large your generous support is greatly appreciated. The paper has a limit of words here…. so…. once again…….Thank you everyone!Sara MichaelDirector
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Arkansas Humor with Ed Burns
“Spoiled Rotten”
I have recently been accused of “Spoiling my grandson rotten.” When you use the word “rotten” with any preface it makes it sound bad. When one looks at the word “spoil” in its context it’s not so bad. It simply means to Pamper or Indulge, the opposite of neglect. In that case I am guilty.
If it means letting my grandson do pretty-much as he wishes, if it means buying him many of the things he asks for, if it means taking him places that he asked to go (like play-world or to Walmart toy shopping or golfing in the summer), if it means seldom saying no to him, then I am guilty.
In today’s society spoiling a child almost always has to do with spending money. As I reflect back I confess that I was also spoiled as a child and young adult but it had nothing to do with money. There was not much money available back then but there were other ways to spoil a child.
My grandmother and my uncle spoiled me and I loved it. My mother’s youngest brother lived at home with my widowed grandmother. They lived not too for down the gravel road from us so I spent a lot of my time with them. I’ve often said that my uncle taught me how to hunt, fish, drink beer and chase girls. What else could one ask from an uncle? He also bought me my first shotgun, he often took me to town and taught me to shoot pool and play dominoes. I believe he taught me how to drive a tractor and later a truck. People said that he was spoiling me. If so, I loved it.
My grandmother had other ways of spoiling me, for example: During winter months it was cold in the old farmhouse, others had to sit at the table to eat, cold or not. She would open the oven door on her wood stove and sat my plate on the oven door, allowing me to sit and eat in the warmth of the oven. I was the only one allowed to do that.
When my grandmother would make chicken and cornbread dressing in a large round roasting pan, the pan had a small hole on one side so it could be hung in the wall when not in use. My cousins and I liked the gizzard, so we would dig in trying to find the gizzard. You could not see it so it was a matter of luck as to who found the gizzard first, so they thought. The truth is, my grandmother told me that she always put the gizzard near the little hole in the big pan, so naturally I always had the gizzard.
We had no indoor plumbing so we were required to us the “out house” which was a short distance from the back of the house. During winter nights when it was cold we had to run out to the toilet before going to bed, needless to say, it was cold. During the coldest night, especially if it was snowing/raining, I was allowed to slip out the back door, stand at the edge of the porch and pee-pee. My grandmother would not allow anyone else to do that. Once my uncle tried it and he was smacked with a broom. Does that mean I was “spoiled?”
On the rare occasion when it snowed in the Delta my grandma would make me a small bucket of snow cream, something like homemade ice cream. I do not recall anyone getting to eat the special treat except me. She made it “just for me.” Back then that made me feel special and yes, a little spoiled.
I realize that the above mentioned does not seem very important in today’s modern times when we buy our kids hi-tech gadgets to spoil them. But back then they were important to me and made me fill special. I believe it helped me to grow up with a lot of self-confidence.
So you see there are many ways of treating a person special (spoiling if you wish) and I see nothing wrong with that. So if you have someone special in your life, go ahead and spoil him or her. I hope the editor spoils me by printing this.
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Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,I certainly want to express my extreme gratitude to Dave Foster, John Foster, and Tom Therault. They did “get me to the church on time.” Actually, they rapidly and efficiently delivered me to Heber Springs emergency room. They are great assets to the community.Sincerely,Larry Wakefield
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DISABILITIES By Daniel J. Vance
“Mental Illnes Carries Stigma”
If meeting 54-year-old Rita Dinquel in public, you likely would see her as confident, intelligent, and articulate. She would look “normal.” Yet doctors over the years have diagnosed her with major depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder, conditions significantly impairing her ability to function. She reads this column in the Pekin (Illinois) Daily Times.
“When people find out I’m on disability, they say I don’t look sick,” said Dinquel in a telephone interview. “Personally, it’s taken me a long time to come to grips that I have an illness and not a character fault.”
Dinquel began experiencing depressive episodes at age 18, but started self-injuring (cutting her body) when she was 14. Beginning in 1978, she has been hospitalized 12 times for depression. Her other diagnosis, borderline personality disorder, has involved since early adulthood her lacking the ability in part to effectively self-regulate her emotions, relationships, thoughts, self-image, and behaviors.
She said, “While in a depression, I have inattention, inability to focus, sleeplessness, feelings of wanting to be alone, and feelings of extreme worthlessness. I have had suicidal thoughts and one suicide attempt.”
She worked as a paralegal for about 25 years. Early in her career, she said she “cut my arms in the morning and put on an expensive suit for work with my arms bleeding under the sleeves.” The depression had so deadened her emotions, she said, that the pain from cutting herself made her feel alive. (She no longer cuts.)
In 2002, after submitting a four-inch stack of paperwork detailing her lifelong struggles, she applied for disability benefits and was accepted on her first try. “When I got my award letter, I sobbed, and thought I was really sick and didn’t just have a character flaw,” said Dinquel.
Her experiences with depressive bouts and hospitalizations have greatly contributed to the breaking up of her marriages and to employers firing her. Though no longer paid for working, she does participate in some volunteer activities.
“There is a stigma that comes with having (a mental) illness,” said Dinquel. “It’s taken me a long time to realize I have one. I have periods when I can’t function no matter how much I know what to do. But I do know how to take care of myself. I know how to ask for help.” She strongly advised people diagnosed with depression to stay in therapy.
Contact danieljvance.com (All American Foods and Palmer Bus Service made this column possible.)
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Arkansas Humor by Ed Burns
My RulesWe live our lives according to many Rules. actually there are a lot of them. They may be called Laws, Ordinances etc. but they are still Rules.The Federal Government has many laws/rules they demand we abide by. Each State and County also have rules that we must adhere to less we get into trouble, usually resulting in a jail stay or a fine. I have no problems with most of the rules; without law and order we would have chaos. But remember, there are rules and there are generally exceptions to these rules.If that isn’t enough rules for us to live or generally guide our daily lives, I have (over the years) established my own set of rules. I try to live by them and advocate my family and friends do the same. Allow me to pass a few of them along to you now. Ready?Rule No.1.If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.2.When cooking, use salt sparingly. You can always add more if you wish but you can’t remove salt after the food is cooked.3.When buying pants, if in doubt get them too long. You can always hem and shorten the legs but it’s almost impossible to add to the length.4.Three socks are no better than two. Ha.5.When ordering food at a restaurant order the smaller servings. If that doesn’t fill you up you can always order more. But they won’t refund you for what you leave on your plate.6.When you are at a fast food restaurant always order the small drink. Usually you can get free refills.7.I would never live in a place that requires a taxi for me to get around town.8.Always use common sense, it will make you look very smart to others.9.Take care of your pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.10.Buy only the items you “Need” not the things you just “Want.” Or at least, get the things you need first. Most people can’t distinguish the difference.11.Remember, He who does nothing makes no mistakes.12.If you tell one lie, you will probably be required to tell two more to back up the first.13.If you find a penny on the ground bend over and pick it up. If you don’t, God will see you and think that you don’t need any money and you may not get any more. (My father told me this fable when I was a small kid.) I’m not sure that it’s true but why take a chance. I always pick them up.14.That’s about all the space I have for “My Rules.” If you agree with a least two of them, I will be happy.
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Dear Editor:
Dear Editor,
I would like to thank DPS for thier fast response on January 23, 2010 and the EMT’s for all their help. I would like to also thank the Pleasant Valley Baptist church and the ladies for their lovely dinner after the service.
Thanks to all our friends for their prayers, calls, and cards on the passing of Frank Price, “Everyday is a Holiday.”
Thank you all,
Charmaine Hurt and family
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Dear Editor:
Dear Editor,
The family of Niels Christian “Chris” Nielsen would like to send a heart felt thank you for all of the cards,phone calls, and memorial gifts given in the passing of our husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather Chris. A special thank you to the staff of Indian Rock Village, Arkansas Hospice, and the Alzheimer’s Support Group of Fairfield Bay for the care, love and support over the past year and a half.
Also a special thank you to Pastor Walls, the Chancel Choir and the ladies of Fairfield Bay United Methodist Church for the service, beautiful music and delicious meal for Chris’ Memorial Service.
“Chris is in heaven teaching chemistry class again!”
Sincerely,
Barbara Nielsen
Erik(son) and Lori Nielsen Wetumpka, Alabama
Karl(son) Robin and Alex(grandson) Nielsen Sterling, Virginia
Lise(daughter) and Michael Neave Fairfield Bay, Arkansas
Megan(grand-daughter) and Brad Lea Biloxi, Mississippi
Christian(grandson) Lindsay and Braylen(great grandson) Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Jacksonville, Arkansas
Elise(grand-daughter)Neave Heber Springs, Arkansas
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Dear Editor:
Dear Editor,
I would like to publicly thank Chesapeake Energy Corporation for their generous donation to the Fairfield Bay Animal Protection League. This wonderful gift will go a long way in helping us with the many projects that we are presently working on to improve our facility and the life quality of our “guests”. Funding is always an issue, especially in these difficult economic times, and the aid given by Chesapeake Energy is deeply appreciated. Once again we extend our heartfelt thanks to Chesapeake for this generous donation.
Janice Haskett
President, Fairfield Bay Animal Protection League
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Dear Editor
Dear Editor,The family of Cpl. Matthew Evan Clark would like to express our deepest appreciation for the many acts of kindness extended by the community in response to the loss of our son and brother.Special thanks to the following:- Shirley First Baptist Church- Patriot Guard- The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department- Everyone who sent flowers, gifts and messages- Everyone who provided food- Organizations and Participants of the Flag Memorial along theprocession route.Sincerely,Betty ClarkRachael and Blake HendersonNicholas and Kristen Clark
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Dear Editor:
Dear Editor,
The family of Ronald Berry would like to thank everyone for their prayers, cards and gifts of love. We have been overwhelmed with the kindness shown by all. Ronald lived most of his 48 years in Shirley, during which time he had many special and wonderful friends. Each of you touched his life in one way or another. We can’t even begin to name everyone, so we will just say Thank You and God Bless you to all. Thanks for being a part of Ronald’s life.
Sincerely,
The Berry Family
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