Opinion

As happens every year, when college football closes, I shift a lot of my focus to college basketball. Sure, I’ll watch some of the early season non-conference matchups and follow along on social media just to see how my teams are doing, but normally I don’t pay a lot of attention to the hardwood until mid to late January. By this time of year, the teams are almost halfway through their conference season. At this point, the win-loss records start to give you a feel for which squads are decent, and possibly headed for the NCAA Tournament, and which teams are decidedly not decent and would need a miracle finish run to even make the Tournament. What makes this current season stand out is that for the first time in a loonnggg time the Arkansas Razorbacks AND the ASU Red Wolves are both playing pretty decent basketball at the exact same time.

An energetic group of driven individuals met recently to piece together some ideas for the 150th celebration for the Old Randolph County Courthouse. Sponsored by the city of Pocahontas and Randolph County, the Downtown Network will be chairing the event on May 20-21. I jokingly, or maybe not so jokingly, told the group the three things I love the most in life are my daughter, food, and chairing festivals. So, a lot of love will be poured into this event.

Pocahontas has had many nicknames through the years. I’ve covered the disputed elections of 1836 that made it the county seat and resulted in leaders in Columbia Township naming it Poke-it-on-to-us.

William F. Blackwell was a successful merchant during the mid-1850’s in Randolph County. William was born in Lawrence County on December 20, 1851. He was the son of James and Parnesia Jane (Smith) Blackwell, natives of Virginia. William was educated in the schools of Lawrence County, and from boyhood up, has been familiar with mercantile life, having acted in the capacity of salesman at Powhatan, Smithville, Walnut Ridge, Delaplaine, Lauratown, and finally in Pocahontas. One year after coming to Randolph County, he engaged in business for himself, forming a partnership with W.W. Tanner, the firm being known as Tanner and Blackwell.

I gave someone directions using “Before you get to The American Legion”. They had no idea where that was. You’re kidding? I remember being 10 years old sitting at the bar with a Shirley Temple while daddy played shuffleboard. I just assumed everyone else did too. No?

Before Covid I loved to travel. I still love to travel but I just do not get to go like I want. My best friend and I traveled to my motherland of Germany. It was a magical trip. We stayed in Munich and learned history, ate amazing food, rode the train, and explored. We took a daytrip to Bodenheim, Germany. The place where my people began. It was fantastic. A trip of a lifetime. After that I trip, I took another trip with a dear friend out west. We met up in Denver and caught the train. We would get off the train and explore for a few days and then get back on the train all the way to Seattle. Another magical trip. I saw things and learned history. I hiked and explored. We tried new foods and laughed. I am ready to travel again with people that I love.

Ole Winter has finally made its way into Pocahontas this week. We have really had some cold frosty days. The last of the snow is still hanging on. The old saying I have heard all my life when snow stays around my ancestors always said “It’s waiting to be patched” Well we’ll see if they were right because we still have some hanging around. Speaking of snow, Our Dear friend and former Pastor, Dr. Rockey Starnes sent me his own recipe for Snow Ice cream this week and…. I was thinking how fun for you young Mothers to try this with your children the next time we get enough snow. That sounds like a lot of fun on a snow day. And in Rockey’s recipe you don’t have to worry about raw eggs since he cooks his mixture. Here is his wonderful sounding recipe. I think this would be a wonderful memory to have with your children and probably one they will never forget.

We were out on the balcony early every morning while at the beach. The people were an ever changing pattern. It is a place for thought and dreams! Only one of us at times in sweet revelry , then there would be two. Yes sometimes three or more, it drew us like a magnet! The beauty of the ever changing, steadfast ocean was waiting right there for us! The sun always rose each morning and I didn’t ever want to miss it! The colors either brilliant or pastel were amazing, no canvas rivals God’s work. We searched the horizon, straining out to see if any ships were to be see in the distance? Talking quietly as though the magic of it all might disappear, as a bubble once popped. Indeed, this was Christmas Morning, and the sureness and magic were real. Red and I enjoyed sitting out in the tall Adirondack chairs with an attached table between them, just right for drinks and snacks, of which there were many. We could turn them for a different views.

In the last few months of 2000, I passed my Series 7 test making me the youngest stockbroker in the State of Missouri for that year. I immediately went to work for a small brokerage firm in Kennett, and the rest as they say, is history. Its hard to believe I survived those first few years. I had been trading stock under my dad’s wing for a couple of years and thought I knew it all, but where I may have known how to buy and sell stocks, I knew little about the investment business. 21 years later and I still have much to learn but can maybe share a little with you today on what not to do that will help you navigate your own road to riches while avoiding idiot stockbrokers. I can call them that because I used to be one. See what I did there.