This week’s article was supposed to be about Joseph F. Hufstedler, Jr., whose daughters, Birdie and Ella, gave the community of Birdell its name. But the genealogical trail was too interesting to me to jump right in with Joseph, Jr. without setting the stage to his past. In fact, future articles may go back to the time of my ancestors who immigrated from Germany on the ship “Harle “, arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1736.
In a previous column we discussed the meaning of Financial Freedom. If you recall, we made clear that financial freedom is not defined by a specific dollar amount or lifestyle. Today we will peel back a few more layers on this topic. As much as I enjoy working, I don’t do it for my health. Balancing work and family life are quite stressful, so I try to figure out a way to work as efficiently as possible while maintaining the other roles I play in life, such as husband and father.
My family has always worked elections and was a force in Arkansas and Baxter County politics. I grew up under a table at the election poll. I fondly remember the days of finding the names in the big book and asking them to sign on the line. There was always a sense of homecoming in the room. Families were updated, weather was discussed, recipes were shared and then there was always a time of remembering those who had died since the last election. Of course, everyone had their own beliefs but there was feeling of pride to fulfill your civic duty. People were respectful. I remember when I was old enough to vote, I proudly registered. My first time to vote my Granny Rosie took me and took pictures. She beamed with pride. We were taught to be educated on the issues, always vote for a school millage (because education is key and our buildings, technology and teacher pay are not near adequate), and be respectful of all parties.
In the world of sports, a lowscoring affair that features physical defense and highly intense action is typically referred to as a “rock fight.” In other words, both teams that competed in the contest walk away a little bit battered and bruised, physically and emotionally, no matter if they were on the losing or winning side of the scoreboard. With that premise in mind, to call the Arkansas Razorbacks 58-48 win over Tennessee from this past Saturday a rock fight might be a bit of an understatement. There was happiness, sure. But no court rushing. No shirt removal. With a victory over then-No. 1 Auburn Tigers already a distant memory, the Hogs at-times-violent victory over the No. 16 team in the country felt more like an inevitability than a shock-the-world moment. To stay with the mineral metaphor – it felt like a huge piece of granite slowly and inexorably sliding down a hill, bulldozing over anything and everything in its path. While it may not have qualified as a ripping-off-the shirt win, Eric Musselman was understandably proud of his team after the effort, even ugly as it was at times.
I was showing a home to my client when we came upon a room with a chair and an ironing board in it. We stood there debating exactly what the room was. Bedroom? Den? Office? The gentleman with me said “Well, I guess it could be the entertainment room. You could sit there and watch people iron.” I said “If it’s a woman’s recliner and her husband is ironing, that IS entertainment!” Throw in a vacuum cleaner and some Cheetos and that’s a hot Saturday night, if you ask me...
There has always been a fine line between business and politics. Back in the early 2000s, I would occasionally observe that the markets would be largely up or down based on news of political unrest coming out of somewhere overseas. The markets would swing widely if there had been a conflict between political powers around the world. We called this action “geopolitical risk”, and it was nearly impossible to handicap. The good news was that it was a rarity, and you could manage your investments without putting too much thought into the trappings of some dictator over in the Horn of Africa.
Finally the snow and ice are just about a thing of history. Sun is shining and it’s just a beautiful afternoon. But don’t be fooled, it’s still a very cold time to be out, so bundle up if you plan on going out for a walk because it’s still pretty chilly. Speaking of a cold night, starts me thinking about a wintertime easy supper that is quick and simple. So, here is a very tasty, quick fix recipe for you to try.
I always like dessert recipes that include vegetables. It’s an easy way to get people, especially children, to eat more vegetables. It’s important to eat plenty of vegetables daily to stay healthy. Vegetables are a good source of minerals and vitamins (such as magnesium, vitamin C and folate), dietary fiber and a range of phytochemicals including carotenoids.
Many of us are familiar with the great Maya Angelou as a poet, author, activist, and schol- ar. She was best known for her unique and pioneering autobio- graphical writing style. But did you know that she grew up here in Arkansas?
One last round of football game notes as the gridiron action comes to a close for a little while. I’m a traditional Cowboy fan, and in recent years have developed an affinity for the Indianapolis Colts, so I really didn’t have a particular rooting interest in this year’s game.