Opinion

The death of former County Judge David Jansen caused me to pause and think back on our long acquaintance. We knew the Jansen family well.

The Quimby and Vival Condict Seawel family has always been especially close to the Hubert and Dovie Seawel Long family. The couples exemplify the closeness of the Palestine and Brakebill communities. Palestine boy Hubert Long married Brakebill girl Dovie Seawel. Brakebill boy Quimby Seawel married Palestine girl Vival Condict.

In the professional investment world, there is a term called the “Prudent Man Rule.” In a nutshell, the Prudent Man Rule, or more politically correct - Prudent Person Rule, describes the framework in which an investor or financial manager makes choices about specific investments for the accounts they manage. The rule is meant to assist the investor in achieving reasonable income while preserving their capital, as best as possible. A good example of this rule is to consider a retired person taking out a second mortgage on their home and using the proceeds to buy risky penny stocks. It would not be prudent for a person to make such a risky investment, so it is removed from consideration. Now, you do not need to be retired to utilize prudence in your investment considerations. Anyone can implement sound financial analysis in making their investment decisions, and I highly recommend it.

Things You May Not Have Known About Randolph County Pocahontas Federal Savings and Loan received its charter in 1935. It was 1 of only 15 of the 75 Savings and Loans in Arkansas to survive the 1980’s.

I need a vacation. I have all these books that I want to read. I love authors like Janet Evanovich, CJ Box, Eric Mataxes, and so many others. Now, I am nowhere close to the reader like Brother Eric from First Baptist Church- that boy reads! I am reading a book of an unknown author to me, Charles Wheelan. He is a public policy professor at Dartmouth College. However, the book has nothing to do public policy or economy. The book, “We Came. We Saw. We Left.” is a true story about when his family decided to take nine months to travel the world. I am only on chapter 3, but I am hooked. His ability to chronicle nine months across six continents is an adventure I am excited to read about. And I am keeping a journal of places to visit and things to do and not do.

I was showing a house that had one of those creepy cellars from the movies. When we made it to that part of the home, I pointed down to the stairs and told her to go on. She was hesitant, as was I. Trying to make it seem less scary, I commented “You feel that cool air coming up? This would be a great place to store your wine.” She looked down one more time, turned and as she walked off said “Or a body...” See, it’s a multi use space! I love an optimist...

I have been drinking coffee since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. At this time in my life, it’s a bit like Huston, I think we have a problem. For now, I must have coffee first thing each morning. As I wake, it calls my name. I’m brewing before the crack of dawn, and my brew is growing ever stronger. My first coffees were shared with my grandma, sugary, creamy, and sometimes poured over a slice of toast dusted with cinnamon and sugar and served in a small desert plate. Teacups with saucers to protect the tablecloth’s were used at our house, I had never see a mug back then! Nowadays I like a big mug, the bigger the better. I may have two cups of coffee before the Redhead ever comes to the kitchen! The big in thing now is a coffee bar. I thought about just how cute one would be in my old Hoosier cabinet, with plenty of room for all the cute cups and those mugs, we tend to buy on trips. And all those bags and cans of coffees. Just saying when you all were stocking up on toilet paper, ummmm, I was stocking up on coffee. So many different brands and flavors, Raspberry, Caramel, Starbucks, Honey Madagascar Vanilla, Dunkin’ Doughnuts, Turtle Love (like the candy) Copper Moon, Tropical Coconut, Pumpkin Spice, and still have a can of Cafe’ Du Monde’, from New Orleans, we quite like Mc Cafe’, you know, it ranks up there with the coffee giants. Company came a couple of years ago and brought with them a huge container of Folgers. In a big round red plastic container, guess that was my sign! Company gone and Folgers all gone as well. I now, use that big red container to store my most-used brand of coffee in. Hey, it works for me with a big measuring spoon stuck right in the top, it’s handy dandy. Last Friday, Red came through the kitchen and said, “ Do you suppose we could just have some plain old regular coffee this morning? Of course, we can, sometimes his wish is actually, my command. Back to the Hoosier Cabinet coffee bar thing. The Hoosier is in the dining room, and I didn’t want to carry pots of water in there to fill the coffee maker, the kitchen counter and cabinets above are good enough for us! Just that quick the whole coffee bar idea was scrapped!

LITTLE ROCK – Two strengths of Arkansas manufacturing are in the aviation and defense industries. Both sectors will become even stronger, thanks to a commitment recently announced by Lockheed Martin and Airbus.

I grew up farming. And every once in awhile I yearn to have a little farm of my own. Of course, I would have to have cattle because that’s what I know best. Then I would have chickens because there is nothing better than really fresh eggs. But what I am most excited about is, goats. I know absolutely nothing about goats. But they have cute babies. And, I already have names picked out for my goat parents, Dolly Parton, and Porter Waggoner. I will also have a great big garden. Where I will not grow onions or peas because I don’t like them and it’s my garden. There will be no shrubs on my place just lots and lots of flowers. I might also have a couple of llamas.

So, on the last trip to Indiana, I visited a nursery our family has visited for long years. Walnut Ridge Nursery and Garden Center, in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Finding some of the seeds I had looked for a few years now. Hyacinth Bean, they once grew out on the back porch at the farm. My mama had them all over the lattice covering her patio on Tenth Street in Oklahoma City, so many years ago now. They were planted about a week ago and oh joy, they are up and growing like weeds! Yesterday I shared some of the seeds with a gentleman (Bobby) from our church, he seems to have a green thumb, in hopes of having lots of seeds from them, come the fall. In turn to share with others.