Belated birthday to Paul Close and Caden Close on Aug. 27. They celebrated at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Close and Caden and Conner with a birthday dinner with family and friends.
I saw cousin Betty Sue Gora and Georgett at Dr. Cripps office Wednesday. I did not recognize them at first. It is sad we don’t get to see our relatives as often as we would like to.
Kathy Baker of Florida returned home on Wednesday after spending a week with her mother Barbara Self. Others visiting Barbara were Irene Coskis of Florida, Mary McKensie and Barbara Burton.
Barbara Self and Irene Coskis visited Bratten and Ann Turner of Lebanon recently.
Rebecca Ervin visited her sister Jeanette Redmon on Saturday.
Faye Adkins visited Betty Wilson Sunday morning.
Billie Simpson was the supper guest of  Anita and Chloe Braswell Friday night.Visitors of Billie Simpson were Shane and Michelle Walker, Beth Braswell, Anita and Chloe Braswell.
Wayne and Joan Ferrell of Woodbury visited Louise Jones Saturday and took her out to dinner.
Visitors of Lee Autry Malone were Joyce Wright Murfressboro and Wanda Tramel of Crossville.  Ellie of Alexandria spent Friday night . Then on Sunday, Jeff, and Jaylene, Rawlin and Jessie Vanatta had lunch and spent the afternoon with her.
Tommie Loyd Heresell visited Mabel and Robin Pack Sunday.
Billy and Mary Jane Hooper and Sue Cook were dinner guest of Johnnie Ruth Hunt Sunday. They spent the afternoon.
Verna Miller of Detroit and I talk regularly on the telephone.  The other day she sent me a letter.  She shared an article that was printed in GRIT Magazine about a couple from Smithville who live on a 24 acre farm; starting out with only a dream without a truck or tractor.  They called their life “homesteading.”
Verna knew that I would be interested in the article since it was about a local family that lives a happy life much like we did back in the 1930s and 1940s; with a garden, fruit trees, strawberries; raising chickens, sheep, pigs, a steer, milk cows and goats.
The children are homeschooled. They don’t do physical education because their exercise is from doing farm chores.
The writer who interviewed the family asked what their friends and family thought about their choice of lifestyle. The response was that friends and family sometimes think the homesteaders are missing something such as beach vacations when they are putting up hay and doing other farm work.
Seeing the article also reminded me about when GRIT was a newspaper that was mainly sold in rural areas of the country.  My son Ralph rode his bicycle throughout New Home and Cross Roads selling the paper.  I think it sold for five-cents a copy.  I don’t remember if Ralph got a penny per paper for selling them…or what. 
Even if he only earned a penny per paper, that was OK because his only cost was time.  His bicycle didn’t need gasoline.