Less than two weeks before the somber moment pictured above was captured on film, my husband and I sat with his father in a Peoria Illinois restaurant. All was normal. He was well. We chatted, he asked us questions about our welfare, and we answered each one while he ate a huge plate of food - more than we had ever seen him eat in the two years he had been with us following the death of his dear wife of 53 years.

Less than a week later he was gone. We laid him to rest next to his wife in Glendale, Arizona the following week.

When we pulled into the cemetery on that sweltering Monday morning in May, 2007, my mind snapped a picture of the honor guard preparing to perform honorary ceremonies a short distance from the casket. They were standing near their vehicle perfecting their uniforms and reviewing their formations. Read the rest of this entry »

Evan Murphy became the 59th Eagle Scout for Troop 11 in early June 2008. His Eagle project consisted of remodeling work to the United Disciples Christian Church, the sponsoring institution for Troop 11. Troop 11 sent eleven boy scouts to summer camp for one week during the month of June.

The community of West Peoria, Troop and Pack 11, the West Peoria Lions Club all extend an invitation to join them in the annual 4th of July Parade and Flag-Raising Ceremony. This special day brings with it a feeling of community togetherness and heartfelt patriotism that truly touches the spirit. Read the rest of this entry »

I just returned from having dinner at Prairie Grille in Kickapoo. I’ve been hearing good things about it, and found out that everything they said was true. It is a building that looks like a former old corner grocery. I’m not sure what it was originally, but it is unique, rather small, but has excellent food. They have a good wine list and many good choices at fairly reasonable prices. I went with our Free for Friendship Group from Church, and I almost didn’t go, but am certainly glad I did.

I get home after five on Fridays, and usually just want to relax, let my mind go blank and watch something on television that has to have little thought applied. I enjoyed the company and the restaurant immensely and am delighted I made the right decision. Read the rest of this entry »

After you reach 60, all that’s left is to grab hold of whatever is worth remembering. Now that I’m beyond 60, the best of what’s left within my reach is reminiscing in the wake of my wonder years. During those wonder years I fought my way through grade school, wrestling with the three Rs all the way. As for “math,” certainly it was invented back during my fourth grade for the sole purpose of inflicting misery on all us angelic little imps.

After high school I helped eradicate the visionaries in Germany and Japan by enlisting in WWII. Seems the most we accomplished however, was to preserve a place back home for the unborn. Newborns here and outsiders born offshore later became the nuts that now occupy our State and Federal buildings.

After the war, most of the U.S. veterans (yardbirds-n-all), were eligible to attend a college or trade school of their choice under the G.I. Bill of Rights. As I look back, I often wish I had signed up for a school that specialized in ceramic pottery. This would have given me inside information and some foresight on what I now occupy a portion of my time with – STUDYING CRACKPOTS. Read the rest of this entry »

Driving up the gas pump recently can elicit that “internal silent scream.” Compounding the initial pump investment” is the potential to have such precious drops taken out of the tank. Rick Atterberry, University of Illinois Communications Specialist, provides some thoughts on reducing the potential for gasoline theft.

“So-called “drive away” thefts of gasoline are increasingly common in daily police reports, but gas stations are not the only victims of theft of fuel. With the high price of gasoline, diesel and fuel oil, motorists and producers need to be aware of steps they can take to reduce the risk of someone siphoning petroleum products from their tanks. It’s frustrating to start to drive to school or work in the morning or begin a day’s activities in the field only to find that someone has drained your tank nearly dry. Read the rest of this entry »