It's Offical! Spring Is Here!

Good morning, everyone! Saturday was the official first day

of spring. Didn't I tell you it would get here eventually? We have been having some lovely spring weather too. Now don't grumble. The rain is part of it. But so are those glorious days when the sun shines warm and the breeze tickles the wind-chimes, like Saturday. I even got out to play some ball with my dogs.

Speaking of which: one of my little darlings (the lab, of course) got out Thursday night and apparently made the acquaintance of one of those special kittys, the ones with the white stripe. Needless to say, I smelled her before I saw her coming and she spent the rest of the night locked in the garage. Friday morning started off with a brisk tomato juice bath followed by fence mending. "Glorious" doesn't begin to describe my mood.

Has everyone returned their census form? Better get that done, if you haven't. The census is the basis for allotting all kinds of money to our community, so don't be shy about reporting accurately. Just be careful about the scam artists who are trying to get something for themselves.

There are a few of us single women who live around here and keep an eye out for each other. I am up late most nights and I always tell them to call me if they need to, or just need to talk. This morning I woke up (I don't do that early) and scanned through the caller ID as is my habit, for some reason. There at 5:04 am was a call from one of my friends. I hadn't heard it. Oh my gosh! What if she had fallen? What if she needed something? I knew it had to be important for her to call me that early! But by the time I woke up I knew she was supposed to be at a doctor's appointment and that her daughters were going to be there to take her.

So I waited until around noon when I knew she would be home and called to see if she was alright. Some friend I am, right? "Oh call me any time." Then I don't answer. Turns out her call was an accident (naughty cell phone), thank goodness. Now her number is programmed to ring in a most annoying manner which I will not be able to ignore. Now see how the universe works to take care of us. Her call was an accident which did NOT awaken me so that's all okay. This caused me to check as see that I did not have her number programmed with this obnoxious ring tone, so now that is fixed and if she wants to contact me at the unholy hour of 5 am I will not be able to sleep through it next time. All is wonderful.

I had a call from Cheryl Schwager this weekend. She and Paul are doing fine. Paul was planting some lilies when she called. They both said to tell you all hello. I think they miss us.

Ron and Nancy Kemp celebrated their wedding anniversary with a motor home trip to Kentucky last weekend. A beautiful time to be outside looking through the trees at a gorgeous lake.

The big news today is that the Senate health care bill passed the House of Representatives last night and is on its way to the President's desk for his signature. There are still many battles to fight, but we are at least started on the road to health care reform which has so long been needed. I know some say this is not enough of "this" and some say it is too much of "that" and there is accuracy to both sides. I do feel that we could do a better job if we were focusing on the positive elements instead of on the negative. In other words, let's see what works and fix what doesn't. Put the tantrum throwers in time out, please.

I watched an awful lot of the proceedings on c-span yesterday and I am now amazed that anything gets done at all. There were several things to be voted on yesterday and each one of them, following the rules of order for the House, had a discussion, a yea or nay vote, the results of which were always challenged by one side or another, followed by a stand up vote and then followed by an electronic vote. Thank goodness we don't pay them by the hour.

Although the reason for the discussion is obvious, I heard nothing that had not been said a few thousand times before and every challenge was answered but the answer was ignored and the challenge was invariably entered again. Every step of the process seemed to exist solely for the purpose of delay. I am certainly glad I don't have that job. Twenty minutes could be cut off the process time of each vote by going straight to the electronic vote, at least on the issues that will obviously require it anyway.

Remember the Ultimate Oldies Show #5 (that's the DooWop band) will be at the Collins Theater in Paragould on April 2nd and 3rd. Shows start at 7:00 pm. Get your tickets at Now and Then Antiques on Front Street here in Rector. Or you can email rjw@grnco.net. Give your name, phone number, number of tickets and date and time of the performance you want to attend. These folks are so good. Make a plan to see this show and get your tickets early.

Time to wrap this up. Have a great week and enjoy the springtime. Let me know what goes on with you and yours. My address is 514 West 3rd St. Phone: (870) 595-3173 and email: porchswing@newwavecomm.net.

God bless our soldiers.