Monday morning ramblings......

It's been a couple of crazy busy weeks in my world.  With fall open house at Leola's, my friend, Barbara, coming for a visit from California, and reunions in both Sarcoxie and LaRussell it's been a whirlwind.  Oh, didn't mention that it was mine and my sister, Jean's, birthdays.  Think I'll take a couple of days and just do nothin'!

Barbara flew in on Friday evening (yes, her arms were tired) and we left early on Saturday morning to go to Sarcoxie to see old friends and be a part of Chief Sarcoxie Days.  We lived in LaRussell for 5 years when I went to grades 8 through 12.  Our high school was in Sarcoxie.  It's always fun going back and reconnecting.

This next picture is of Judy (sister) and our friend Barbara behind one of the old buildings in Sarcoxie.  When we lived there, it was such a vibrant little town.  So sad to see it so dilapidated.

On Sunday we headed to LaRussell.  It was a beautiful weekend and a great day to set in the little park and enjoy our old friends and the bluegrass music.

I'm sorry but we thought this sign was so funny.....

There were 4 of the "Routh girls" at the reunion....Mary, Jean, Judy and myself.

It was such a fun little town when we lived there.  There was originally a train station and several wonderful old buildings.  Our parents owned the mercantile which burned while we were there.  It was rebuilt using ugly concrete blocks and has long been closed.  It does still have a post office.

 

This is the pump in the middle of the street which is always decorated by Linda Whitehead Heman for these occasions.

 



Our good friends, C.D. & his sister, Sue, lived in this house with 13 other family members.  Would love to know who built it.  It has such different architecture for LaRussell.  The first picture is a horse shoe that was embedded in the sidewalk.  They said it was there when they moved in.

This is C.D. visiting with Judy and me.  He now lives and works in Montana and North Dakota but comes home every chance he gets.  He's had more life experiences then anyone I know.

 This is his sister, Sue.  She still lives close by.  Her parents house is now empty but she still owns it.  We want to go inside so bad but she says it's in too bad of shape.

These are a few more of the little buildings around LaRussell.

There's so many rocks in this soil that they used those as cheap building material but can you just imagine how long it must have taken to build this.......& how bad your back would hurt?

We're so lucky that the weather has finally improved.  Cooler temps and nice rain showers over the weekend.  It's feeling very fall-ish so think I'll go in the back yard and cut sweet annie.  It's just beginning to turn.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week.