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The Fish Fry was a success!  The cod was delicious.  We had to run for more fish before 6pm and still had two hours to go!! 

I came home and mowed the grass at 7pm.  Then into the shower for the second head washing and shower!!

Why do I have 'J' nights on Saturday night?  Anyway, I feel a nap coming on this afternoon!

Hi everyone.  Well the Stacey's move to her new apartment went without a hitch.  The movers arrived on time and completed the move in the 2 1/2 hour  time that was the minimum cost.  I was shocked at how nice the new apartment is as this is an older building.  Obviously the apartment had been renovated not too long ago.  There is a pantry in the kitchen and closets in the living area, the bedroom and the bath with wire type shelves to maximize the space.  She has a side-by-side refrigerator with ice maker and a full size stove.  The bathroom is all new looking and has safety grab bars all around.  They have just replaced the carpet with indoor/outdoor type.  It should make a wonderful place for her to live and so much nicer than where she did live.  There wasn't time yesterday to see the other social facilities that are there.  I stayed an hour after the movers left and helped her get her bed ready and boxes and things moved back so she could have access to the kitchen, bath and the other two rooms.  There is a lot of unpacking and putting away to do.  I got home a little after 7 pm, ate supper, took a shower and went to bed.  However, guess I was not able to go to sleep and about 10 pm the angina started, which I didn't get stopped until after midnight.  I was beginning to be concerned that I might be having another heart attack but it finally stopped after several nitro's and some tylonol.  I seem to feel ok this morning.  I hope to go to church this morning but will have to wait and see at the time to leave. 

Jeanne, I know you are right about resting not being wasted time. 

Etta Sue, hope the fish fry was most successful and your church made some money with it.  At least you didn't have to be in the kitchen frying the fish.  Stacey was so tired by the time I left yesterday that I suspect she laid down and went to sleep.  I toyed with the idea of trying to go back down today to help her unpack somethings but she is worried about me and doesn't really want me to do so.  We will be down there on Thursday and Pat sees the knee surgeon again and we will go to Stacey's apartment.  I will see what I can do then. (I see your later posting saying the fish fry was very successful.)

Al, appreciated your thoughts on God being Holy. 

Janet, hope all went very well for Beth's BD party.  It sounds like you had your hands full yesterday.

Ruth Ann, I haven't been following the Little Leaguers but that is quite an accomplishment and nice to have your area so well represented. 

Etta Sue, thanks for the new thoughts for the week. 

Praying for you, Larry.

Excellent devotional, as usual, Etta Sue.  I wonder how often I have missed or even ignored the opportunity to share the Gospel.  Lord, open my eyes, my ears and my heart to those you send to me.

Larry, that angina was obviously a warning that you did a little too much yesterday.  So it is definitely the right decision not to try to help Stacey today, but stay home and rest.  I, too, am praying for you.

Thank you, Etta Sue, for the nice devotional thoughts.  I wonder how it would feel to be moved about (physically, instantly) by the Holy Spirit, as was Phillip in this story.

Larry, I am praying for you, too, and glad you have made the decision to stay home today and not go help Stacey more.  She needs to keep you around more than she needs your help with unpacking!  Glad you got the angina pain stopped eventually.

Ruth Ann, good for your local Little Leaguers!  That is a great accomplishment and something they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Hi, Pat!  Still praying for you.  I so enjoy when we can talk!

Kerri just left to go back home, taking both the dogs with her.  They had hoped that Darrel would want to keep the American bulldog.  And he's a very sweet and gentle dog, but what would we do with him when we want to travel?  Diane said she didn't think their fence would hold him; and having him boarded would be much too costly.  He is really grandson Justin's dog, but he now realizes that a dog is a big commitment, that you can't just leave them home alone every day.  This is the second home the dog has had since being picked up; he was badly abused by the original owners, then adopted once before Justin took him; so they will not let him go back to the shelter because he would be put down.  Kerri will probably wind up with him.

Beth's party was a good success; many friends came, we had hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, 'fixings' and then ice cream cake.  She received so many thoughtful and lovely gifts and cards from all over.  I barely slept last night for thinking about Beth. She seemed so tired and weak, and could hardly make herself understood at all.  How long, Lord, must she suffer before she receives her healing?  Kerri told me she wonders if she will see Beth alive again, she has failed so much just since June when Kerri was last here.  Of course, I see her every day, so the changes aren't quite as obvious to me, but I do know she is losing ground.

I must get ready for church.  I will come back later and post the next of my series of articles for you to read. 

Blessings, dear friends, to each of you.

This article is longer, but I think you will enjoy reading it!


                                             MADALYNE  WILSON 
           
                                       TREASURES FROM THE LEGACY
                                                  By Janet Damon

This week we are featuring Madalyne Wilson, a resident of the 400 Neighborhood.

Madalyne was born in Grant County, Oklahoma, on August 6, 1919.  She recently celebrated her 93rd birthday.  She grew up there in Grant County, near the town of Medford, Okla.; living there until the age of 29.

A very early memory of hers is her Dad coming in from the field with the horses, picking her up and setting her on one of the horses.  She was about two years old at that time, and still remembers loving being up there on the big horse's back while her Dad led it around.

She always loved horses, got her own pony at the age of five, then as she grew older, she drove horses, hauling grain from the field to the elevator; and later, she farmed with horses until they got a tractor.

Some of the fun things she did as a girl were: roller skating (her mother put roller skates on her at the age of two and let her skate around on the front porch.  As long as her mother heard the skates rolling on the wood, she knew her little girl was safe and hadn't gone down to the creek where she would be in danger.  She loved riding horses and showing off the way she could ride standing up on their broad hips.  She stayed busy, helping with the work on the farm.

At the age of six, her mother enrolled Madalyne in piano classes.  She says she was a bit of a disappointment to her mother because her mother was a good singer, and she (Madalyne) couldn't carry a tune.  So she thought the piano lessons would help her.  She persisted, and did learn to play, and still today she has a piano in her room.  I sometimes hear her playing as I walk down the hall past her room.

Her school years began in a rural school, where she attended for six years, then she went to town (Medford) for the remaining years until she finished High School.  Madalyne attended four different colleges over a period of 14 years, teaching school in between and saving her money, before she got her Elementary Education Degree, an accomplishment which gives her a lot of satisfaction even today.  She said her mother pushed her, when it came to books, but she felt she held her back in other things, saying, "Girls can't do that!"

One of the biggest changes she sees today from when she was young is in farming.

Now they have air conditioning, power steering, power lifts and other things which make it so much easier.  Farmers now use huge implements, allowing them to farm much more land; and they don't plow the stubble, but plant the new crop right among it.

She notices that girls today are much more forward than they used to be.  They will even ask a boy for a date, or to dance with them, things unheard of in her youth.  She states that she didn't date until after she was out of high school.  One amusing memory she told me was that she had a crush on a boy in high school who played the trumpet, so she quit her piano lessons, begged her mom into getting her a trumpet, all so she could sit next to that boy!  She said he never knew she liked him until a reunion many years later, when she told his wife, who told him, and they all had a good laugh about it.

Madalyne never worked for anyone outside the family, except for her teaching career.  Early jobs included raising watermelons and cantaloupes and then working in the melon shed (she told me the secret of picking a good, ripe cantaloupe!)  She worked for her family on the farm; drove a flag car for those transporting mobile homes; taught roller skating in both Ulysses and Garden City; and owned her own business for 30 years.  This business was renting mobile homes, and later renting just the lots.  She was a volunteer assistant snow skiing instructor in Colorado.

This independent thinking woman has been involved in the stock market for over 40 years.  She says she has done well, has made money, and is still in it, and will be for the long haul.

Madalyne married Melvin Wilson in 1950 in Arkansas.  The couple had one son, Leonard, and one daughter, Melva Linda, who is now deceased.  Madalyne was an only child, no siblings.

She says she never cared too much about cooking, but she cooked simple foods, and raised her family with no problems in that area.

Her husband remarked that one sure way to get Madalyne to do something was to tell her she couldn't do it---or tell her NOT to do it.  Then it was guaranteed to get done!

The thing that gives her the most satisfaction is thinking back over her participation in sports.  She didn't play team sports, but more individual sports:  horseback riding, roller skating, ice skating, water skiing, and snow skiing.  She loved square dancing, and taught it in school for two years.  She also taught tumbling (gymnastics) in school for two years.  Of course, she taught 'regular' subjects, too.  She was 25 years old and in college when she first took gymnastics, and taught it to her own kids when they were young.

She taught her kids to swim, and she swam.  Leonard was on the swim team.  She also taught her hired girl to swim.

The thing she gets much happiness from remembering is her teaching career.  "I thoroughly enjoyed teaching.  It was a great satisfaction when a student finally understood something that had been difficult for them," she stated.  Many of her students came to her later to express their thanks and appreciation for her teaching them.

She must have been a natural born teacher, as when she was in the 3rd or 4th grade, she taught the little first grade girls, because the teacher wasn't teaching them.  That teacher got fired!

At the age of 26, after she had been teaching for a while, Madalyne decided to take voice lessons!  The male voice teacher didn't want to teach her, so he pushed her off on a female student, which she said was a good thing, because this girl taught her to chord on the piano.  This allowed her to help her students; they learned to sing much better by her use of the chords.

She once had an 8th grade student who had failed the final exam twice, and had decided to quit school if she failed again.  Madalyne saw this girl's potential, helped her study, and she passed the exam!  (That used to be a really hard exam, as lots of people never went past the 8th grade.)  The girl was 15 at that time, and she sang at her graduation, and then went on to college, where she sang in the choir!

Madalyne was baptized in a Baptist church in Ulysses when she was 30 years old.  She stated that she really had no preference as to a church, but attended different ones, up until the time she moved into The Legacy.

During the war years, they lived 30 miles from an air base, and she says the best skaters she ever skated with were those servicemen from all over the United States.  Sometimes the local girls were allowed to invite the young men to their homes for a nice home-cooked meal.

I think she might have set a record of some kind as the oldest snow skier woman!  She continued that sport until the age of 81 years!  She used to go to Monarch or Salida and stay there for the entire skiing season, about four months.  When she turned 65, she got a half-price senior discount; then when she got to be 70, she got to ski for free!   Even when she got older, she states she still liked to show off!  She could ski down a mountain and turn fifteen 360 degree circles on her skis on the way down!  She loved to take the lift up to the top, and then ski down right in front of the big windows of the lodge, doing her tricks.  She loved hearing exclamations like "Wow! Did you see that?  Wow!" 

This story reminded her that when she was young, she loved to make her horse rear up on its hind legs, which really surprised people watching her.  More showing off, she said, with a grin.

When she was old enough for the senior discounts, she still had to rent her equipment, but got good discounts on all of it except the skis. At the time she was skiing, only about 10% of skiers were women.

A valuable lesson she would like to pass along to our younger readers is this: When you try to do something and fail, try again and don't give up.  If you don't give up, you will learn to do it eventually.

Some things Madalyne wanted to do, but didn't get to do are:  After I married, I wanted to ride a big horse we had.  I couldn't saddle it, and Melvin wouldn't saddle it for me.  I wanted my kids to have horses, as I had enjoyed them so much when I was young; but they got bicycles instead, and cars when they were much too young.  I also regret that I didn't teach my own kids music like I taught the kids at school.

Advice for young folks:  If there is something you really want to do, fight for it!  Don't be dissuaded by your parents or your spouse—go for it!

I asked if she still has hopes and dreams for her future, and she said she will probably spend the rest of her life here in The Legacy.  But she enjoys the exercise class (she's still competitive at that, too!), and says the girls who work there are really good to her, so she doesn't mind living there.

About our country:  she doesn't like them sending our young people (troops) overseas.

I asked what person most inspired her in her life, and she said, "The women in my life—my grandmother, my mother, and my girl students.  My mother bossed me and made me stay with things; my grandmother taught me a lot, and I have been told I'm a lot like her."

The single biggest change she has seen during her 93 years is in transportation.  "I've lived from horse and buggy days to the astronauts, and that's a lot of changes!"

Madalyne remembers the big dust storm of 1954, when it was so dark you couldn't see to leave the house.  She also recalls the huge blizzard of 1957, when you couldn't get out for the snow, and most of the buildings were buried by the time the snow stopped.

Madalyne has done a lot of traveling, and really enjoyed it.  Her first big trip was to Europe, with a group of teachers from the NEA.  They visited nine countries: England, France, Portugal, Spain, Germany (this was while that country was divided, so they only visited West Germany) Switzerland, Poland, The Netherlands, and Liechtenstein.

She has been to all our states except Hawaii, and her favorite place of all is Alaska, where she spent a month.  They went by bus, then by ship up the Inside Passage.

Other countries she has visited are: Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Venezuela.  She has gone up the Mississippi River from St. Louis to Minneapolis on a paddle boat; which she said was really fun.

Another trip found her flying from Wichita to Puerto Rico, then getting on a ship and going through the Panama Canal.  She wound up in Acapulco, Mexico, before coming home.

She has gone up the East coast to Canada, then toured part of Canada.  She attended the Calgary Stampede Rodeo.  After asking me if I'd been to that, she said, "Don't miss it!"

She traveled to many places in the US with the bowling team, although she didn't bowl.  She says she has been on 3 continents and has seen two oceans.  If she could travel now, she would go to Brazil again, her second most favorite place.

The worst thing that ever happened to her was getting divorced and not getting to see her kids.  She had to get a court order to see them.  Also losing her daughter and her mother were very hard.

The happiest times in her life were getting married and graduating college after fourteen long years.

From these bad times and good times, she learned to empathize with others who are going through tough times, and rejoice with them during happy times.

Madalyne would like to be remembered as a good teacher, by her children and her students.  They always expressed appreciation to her for what she taught them, which meant so much to her.

The legacy she would like to leave is bringing joy to people.

Her favorite song is The Waltz You Saved for Me.

Her favorite quote:  If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.  Don't ever tell anyone they can't do it!

Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.

It was great fun visiting with Madalyne, and she would enjoy talking to you, too.  Come see her, just not before 10:30 A.M., because she likes to sleep late!  You might learn some surprising and valuable things just by visiting with this remarkable lady.  I know I did!

Thanks for that, Janet.  What a remarkable lady!   

Good morning, everyone    I am surprising even myself by being here on a Sunday morning!   

Love the devotional for this week, Etta Sue.  Thanks.     I'm glad you have Hawaii all fixed up and back home, and that your (many) events have been successful. 

Janet, I have to tell you it is indeed a pleasure to read of Madalyne's life memories.  I think I would really love visiting with her.  Problem is I don't have that mode of transportation that Philip used!   

Al, it is great seeing you here, and I am really praying you will have a successful retry with the driving test.

Larry, you are so attentive to each of our comments.  Also, very attentive to Pat and Stacy's needs, but you need to also be extremely attentive to your own needs.  I know you do take every precaution, but we need you around here, y'know. 

I'm sorry for not addressing each one of the comments here, but my brain seems to have holes in it (my mom used to say that) so ..... I do read and pray for everything written here, though.  Be assured that our Father hears and remembers every word! 

I'll be around ... (just so I'm not a square) ... y'all take care now, y'hear?   

hello everyone, Janet thank you so much for posting Madelyn's story. I found that very interesting, what a Lady!!

Thank you, Marilyn, Jane, and Jeanne, for your kind words about Madalyne's story.  I am looking forward to hearing comments in the community after it is printed in our paper on Wednesday!

I sent a little note to our former doctor (who moved to Tulsa) about Beth, told him I don't know where to turn for help for her.  He suggested I suggest to her doctor they might give her some cortizone to see if that might help her, at least temporarily.  I just don't know.......only God does.  I am still feeling distressed about her.

I have to go to court in Hugoton in the morning about that accident I was involved in a couple of weeks ago.  Please pray that I will have favor, and that the ticket I got will be dismissed.  Thanks.

Beth just called to say she is feeling better and has eaten some, so that is a relief!

What a treat to come this evening and enjoy the comments from everyone!

One of our members has had spinal surgery, and would be grateful for prayers for her to recover enough she can return to this site.

God has recently answered several prayers that had gone to Him from this grieving mother's heart. Oh, praise His dear Name!

Now, to rest my bones this evening - there are places to go and things to do tomorrow.

Love to all,
Ruth Ann

Hello my dear friends,  I would like to explain where I have been for so long.  Most of you know that I have some medical problems.  Mostly in my back, left leg and swelling.  It so severe that I could neither sit, lay or walk.  I spoken to a lovely women today Ruth Ann and she said that several of you have been praying for me and I praise the LORD for that.  She said it has been about three weeks.  Well to God be the Glory three weeks ago last Thursday I had back surgery.  We are praying that I will not have to have a hip replacement.  We will find out this coming Friday on the 31st.  I have so much to catch you up on but, Ill save it for later.

Looks like I missed out on this past mini challenge so I posted a picture here.  Love ya all Marlo[attachimg=1]

Tlhat was indeed a remarkable story of Madalyn.  Now there was a lady who truly lived!  Thank yoi Jane, for your prayers!  You are a very dear sister!.
Well, it's Monday, so here we go again!

Good to 'hear' from you again, Marlo!  And I pray your back surgery results are even better than anticipated, and that no hip replacement will be necessary.  Thank you, Ruth Ann, for staying in touch with Marlo, and for doing so many things for others.  Praising God with you for answered prayers!

Al, I pray you pass that driving test this time with flying colors!  God bless you.

I have been in touch with Janice Hudspeth, and she sends her greetings to all of you.  I hope she will be joining us here again soon.

I was wrong about what Beth's former doctor said.  I put something else, when it was really steriods he mentioned.    She seems to be feeling somewhat better now, thank God.

I will be appearing in court in Hugoton this morning re the citation I got after that accident.  May our Lord grant me favor and mercy--and may the TRUTH prevail!

Marlo it is so good to see you back.  YOu have indeed been missed.  I will continue to pray!

Janet wonderful stories!

Hi everyone.  I got up early this morning as didn't sleep after 2 am so got up about 6 to get the day started.  I did not go to church yesterday as was not feeling up to it by the time I needed to leave.  I do have a couple of things I want to do today including my men's luncheon at 1 pm. Just back from coffee and we made a decision to only meet three days a week rather than the six days we have done for the last 16 years.   

Pat, thank you for your prayers. 

Jeanne, the way I felt yesterday I had no business making another trip.  I found out that Stacey spent most of the day at her church.  She attends the morning service and then stays there until the bell choir practices I think at 4 pm.  It makes a long day but they have a couch where she can rest in the early afternoon and someone else is there with her. 

Janet, unless you have been responsible for a pet most people don't realize what a responsibility it is and especially a dog.  So sorry to hear that Beth's health continues to heal.  One has to wonder how much one person can endure.  Glad she could have this big birthday celebration.  You were right that was a long article but the lady has lived a long time and must be quite a character.  I was surprised she had a piano in her room.

Jane, glad you are going to be around.   

Ruth Ann, I see Marlo has added to your comments to tell us about the spinal surgery she had three weeks ago.  I do hope that Marlo you won't need a hip replacement.

Marlo, pretty picture of your humming bird feeder. 

Marlo, how great to see a post from you!  We have all been concerned and our prayers have been winging Heavenward, and will continue.  Great picture of the hummingbird. 

Larry, I'm glad you're intelligent enough to know when to back off and take it easy.  Prayers, of course, continue. 

What a great story about Madalyne's life!  My mind's eye can see this spunky little lady talking! 

And great to see Marlo posting.  Prayers are for you, lady!

And Larry, do rest when you can.  You do so much but I do feel you know when it should be quiet time.  Thank God for that!

I know I am missing addressing someone so I might as well quit! 

It was a treat yesterday after church.  Instead of eating out, four of us ladies went to Evelyn's and we had leftovers!  It was wonderful and so much better than restaurant food! 

I came home and got a much needed nap! 

This morning I went to Noblesville...for what?  Well, a much needed pan to pop popcorn in!  When I fixed popcorn last week, the handle on my old pan broke off!  This gal needs her popcorn so I found a pan at Walmart.  Hope it isn't too good of a pan.  At least, it isn't an airtight pan...I think popcorn needs air to pop and let out the moisture!  We will see tonight!

It has been raining and real cloudy today.  I have the front door open and watching the butterflies flying around the Butterfly Bushes.  When I mow, those bushes smell so good!!  Inky is at the door.  She likes her big Kitty TV!  Nothing goes past her.  She has great eyesight!

My church is going to have a Church Cookbook.  One lady has put the recipes on a website and two of us received the original recipes and we are to proofread the ones on the web against the originals.  Best get busy and do some of them today! 

You all are my BFF's and best friends pray for each other!

Well, none of you asked, but I will tell you anyway!  The ticket for no insurance was dismissed when I gave her the proof of insurance; and the other one I  am contesting.  That means I go to trial on Sept. 17th!  If found not guilty, that is it, if found guilty, the fine stays the same amount, so nothing to lose by trying!  I still say, how could I have been "passing improperly" when I was sitting still?

Yes, Etta Sue, Madalyne is a hoot!  So much fun to visit her!

Good for you Janet!

I am presently working on a project for a relative whose home burned to the ground last night.  To make sure the fire was out the firedepartment bulldozed the house.  This is so sad for all involved......however there were NO LIVES LOST, not even the pets!  God was watching over them.  This family needs prayer that God will use this to draw them back to Himself!

Now to get the clothing drive up and running in full gear!

Back later

Judy, how heartbreaking for that family to lose everything that way.  I'll add them to my prayers.

Pat posted on Facebook about  that family.

We actually went to a movie today, "2016".  It is all about the what if this president is elected again and how America will be changed.  I thought it didn't go deep enough to find the blank spaces in his past - not his birth certificate as I don't care now but all those "friends and college years".. Anyway, that is enough - the movie was loud enough so Don could hear most of it. 

All who have health issues - I have you in my prayers.

A house fire has to be devastating - more prayers. 

Marilyn:  Good to learn that your vertigo is over and I pray it won't return. 

Al:  Sending up another prayer for you and your driving status. 

Praying for those in the line of the hurricane. 

Hi, friends,

It's wonderful to hear from everyone.

I must have had a bad "senior moment" that stretched out for a while this afternoon. Wasn't good for my diabetes, so will climb right back on the Big D bandwagon and begin all over again to be good to myself in other ways than with food.

Y'all have a great rest of the day with our Lord.

Ruth Ann

Ruth Ann:  sorry about your "bad" time today.  May you rise feeling refreshed and ready for a brand new day. 

Ruth Ann, I can sure feel with you about the eating!  Last night I ate something I shouldn't have, apparently, and it has kept me awake most of the night.  My stomach rebelled mightily!  Ugh.  I finally got tired of fighting my pillow and got up.  Hope to catch a nap later, though.  I thought a more vertical position might help stop the problem...I hope. 

Carol, I have been hearing about "2016" and intend to see it when it comes into our area.  We MUST make a change, or our country may not be savable.

So sorry about the house fire.  We had one once, and while everything didn't burn, most was lost because of smoke and water damage.  Never was able to get anything that was cloth clean again; had to throw it all away.  Not a good time, for sure.

I'm getting sleepy, maybe I can catch a few zzzzzs now.