A Whole Year has gone by and no words from anyone!

Here's a poem I once wrote about our Kitchen Table


A Five Year Inoculation

I gaze at their faces, and know not where
All of those wrinkles bean to appear.
Across the table, not far from me,
Are adult faces where kids’ used to be.

I recall the years in increments of fives,
Around kitchen tables most of our lives.
Five, ten, fifteen, twenty and so,
The expressions have lost their childish glow.

Gray is erupting on once fair heads.
For some, it’s just thinning up there instead.
We come from great distances now-a-days
And meet at the table for our short stays.
The stories are all familiar to us.

The table is set with a great deal of fuss.
The laughter, as intoxicating as sweet vermouth.
We all come back home for an injection of youth.

Dena Spiegel
1/14/1982

Endsleys Ice and Snow

Here are some pictures of our weather lately here in Harveyville.

Here is a close up of the amount of ice. About 3/8 inch.

This the ice we got earlier this month
These are the limbs down in the driveway
The limbs down in the front yard
Then we got snow todayThis picture shows a dead tree that Mike talked the contractor for the electric coop into cutting down while he was out front cutting down trees at the road. He did it and Mike paid him $20. Great deal.
Here is the snow on the deck.

The birds are liking the feeder today!

The snow shots above were taken about 3 this afternoon. It's still snowing.

Bubba was out a little while ago and the snow was up to his belly. Here is wanting in from the deck.

Pippi went out while Mike shoveled a place for all the dogs to go out and potty. The 6 PM news just said that Topeka has about 9 inches of snow but it's hard to measure because of the blowing and drifting. They have closed some of the toll booths to get on the turnpike if you are going toward Wichita. Travel is not advised anywhere. There has been a 32 car pile up on I-70 west of Topeka and twenty five miles of the road is now closed both eastbound and westbound. One fatality in that pile up. Stranded travelers are being housed in firehouses, armory etc.

I hope whoever wished for a white Christmas is happy now! Bah hum bug!

Here come the ICE! Yikes!

Ice is coming in to sock us in for a few days in Kansas and Oklahoma! Bah, hum bug! I'm glad no one is trying to fly anywhere this week. I called Annie and she lost her electricity about noon today. She has limbs down in the yard. A friend came out and got herJim is at OSU Medical and all of the hospitals in Tulsa lost power except OSU Medical, for now they still had their's.

We have about an inch of snow on the ground here from Friday and will be getting the ice coming in this evening. The news here says everyone should get to the store and get some supplies and get ready to stay in for a few days. They are predicting anywhere from 1/2" to 2" of ice in their viewing area here.

Right now the radar is showing Anthony and Wichita are getting the icy mix. Sheri and family will also be needing to honker down and brace for the worst.

Neal and Barb are in sunny California, probably playing golf and geocaching, walking PePe, sitting on the patio for coctails in the evening...Oh I can't go on it just too depressing!!!!! : ) Joking you guys!

Maybe we can post some picutures after the ice hits here. Later
Dena

High Water at Lake Hudson

The first picture is of Randy and Therese's front yard, I believe the Lighthouse is under water. Second picture is of Earls old red Dock down by Randy's new dock. The third picture is of Don and Wanda's front yard (only about 2 feet from going into their living space. The water at this level is 14+ feet above normal. It has not crested yet either.

Water Water everywhere

As everyone knows we have had our share of rain 15+ inches in June in Pryor area. It rained almost every day.
As of last night July 3rd the lake was up 12-1/2 feet above normal, Grand Lake is up 6+ feet and Fort Gibson is up over 19 feet. So as all this water flows south and in Fort Gibson where 3 river merge, well Van Buren Arkansas is really getting the effect of all the rain from southern Kansas and Oklahoma. None of the rivers or lakes have crested yet and the rain hasn't stopped either.

By the time it dries out enough to move, you need a bailer. Have to sneak a mow in here and there between rains.

The Lake is really messing up the water front property. They can all fish from their decks. Our friends Randy and Therese have water in their basement.
Mosquito's are terrible too.

We really like living on top of the hill. We can enjoy the lake and the view and won't have the cleanup.

In the Golden Grass

Congrats to Sheri!

The family's first Master's degree - and you raised the ante for those who follow you by making it two master degrees! Such an accomplishment that you and your family must be filled with pride.

I know these degrees will take you so much farther in your career and help to bet the odds for a great retirement for you and Greg in the future.

Great job and all the success that you deserve in the future.

IT'S ALL GOOD

WELL DOESN'T LOOK LIKE ANYBODY HAS BEEN ON HERE
IN AWHILE, I GUESS THE NEW FINALLY WORE OFF. WELL
JOE AND I ARE DOING WELL. TALKED TO THE KIDS THIS
MORNING AND THEY'RE BUSY AS NORMAL, BUT DOING
VERY GOOD. IT'S SPRING TIME AND WITH THE CHANGING
OF THE SEASONS I'M GETTING AN ITCH TO FIND ANOTHER
JOB. PUTTING APPLICATIONS IN AT BNSF FOR ANYTHING
THAT WILL GET MY FOOT IN THE DOOR. I'M ALSO CHECKING
IN TO GOING BACK TO SCHOOL. SOMETHING DIFFERENT
AND MORE PERMANENT FOR THIS AGING GIRL IS NEEDED
FOR MY FUTURE,AND I'M NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER.

I'LL KEEP YOU ALL INFORMED------ love niki leigh