Crabtree Family Reunion

Well folks, it's time to say good-by to July. We've celebrated Independence Day. We've spent weekends at the river or the lake. We've been to every ball game we possibly can. Now it's time to venture into the very heart of summer, the dog days of summer, when the heat and humidity become unbearable. Oh, wait, the heat and humidity are already unbearable. Whatever do we have to look forward to? I am thinking about finding me an iceberg somewhere to camp out on. Yeah I am already yearning for the first breath of autumn, the first cool breath of autumn. But first we have to get through August.

July is when the descendents of Marshall Dexter Crabtree, Sr. get together for a family reunion. They have done this every other year since the first one 8 years ago in Heber Springs. This year 37 family members gathered at the Wyndham Hotel in North Little Rock. A daughter of Mr. Crabtree, Ms. Georgia Sallee, and her daughter and son-in-law, Lark and Stephen Sigsby, with their children Marshall and Natalie were among the attendees. They love these reunions and rave about them for weeks afterward.

This year people came from 11 different states, 5 from Tennessee,1 from Indiana, 2 from Ohio, 1 from Michigan, 3 from Georgia, 2 from Florida, 4 from Texas and 3 from Colorado. Also 3 from Oklahoma, and 8 from Arkansas.

Georgia's sister Paula and her husband, Simon Bookout were the hosts for a dinner at their home on Friday evening. Cousins, Dr. James Campbell and Lida were Saturday hosts while Mike and Cecelia Harkey provided refreshments and a venue for visiting and sharing stories. I hear there was an awful lot of storytelling going on.

Good-by's were said after breakfast on Sunday morning. They are already looking forward to the next get together in two years.

The Malin/Louder gang got together this past week end too. They all gathered at Steve and Mary Malin's Lake house on Kentucky Lake. Rob and Cathy Louder were there with their children and grandchildren David Cohn, Keit and Heidi Cohn with their children Mason, Hayden and Cooper, Seth and Misty Cohn and their children, Hailey and Dawson Henderson and Meagan Louder. Of course Jessie Malin was there as the matriarch of the klan. They spent a lot of time on and in the water and shared some great food with toasted marshmallows for desert. Well along with peanut butter cake, chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies and ...well you know.

On Sunday afternoon Lane Wozniak, Paula Benton and I joined those remaining at the lake house. We all had a great time, boating and talking and eating and talking and talking and talking.

I made some improvements to my house this week as well. For any of you who have risked your lives climbing my old front steps, a new era has arrived. Gone are the cracked cement steps and in their place are lovely wooden steps with decorative wooden rails all around the porch. I have to complement Householder Construction. They did a wonderful job, did just what I wanted and are just very nice guys to boot. Professional, efficient and conscientious.

Well, I guess I had better go for now. Let me know what is going on in your world. I will share. Write me at 514 W. 3rd St., Rector or call me. My phone number is 595-3173. Email address: porchswing@newwavecomm.net.

Bless our soldiers.