The Lucky Dog Blog

LEGO PRESENTATION

We heard last night that the Lego team that Ian is a part of, came in second in the Minnesota State Lego Competition in St. Paul. (Ian is Marilyn's grandson.)

I did an earlier story about a Lego Team Practice Session that Marilyn and Al attended.

Apparently there was a glitch with their robot during the competition and the team handled it so well that the judges were very impressed. They got called back for the final four and from their answers and poise came in second from an original field of more than 500. They also won the Judge's Choice award. Quite and achievement for six youngsters.

                                             

This year's Lego robotics and research challenge was “Food Factor” to explore the topic of food safety, so it was of special interest to Marilyn and Al who are both food scientists.

The Williams Team is very proud of the competitors. They all have a great future ahead.

Lucky

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

When Marilyn was growing up in Pineville, Missouri, the Arkansas state line was almost like the Berlin Wall. If her family left the county, it was to go in any direction except south. The roads were terrible and there wasn't much to see or do once you got there. She doesn't remember going to Bentonville (only 20 miles south) more than two or three times before she went to college. Her first visit to Fayetteville was when she was a sophomore in college considering whether or not to transfer to the University (she decided to go to MU in Columbia, a day's journey away because it seemed more a more promising institution).All of that began to change with the creation of Wal-Mart. Like it or not, the company has made a huge impact on the entire area of NW Arkansas, SW Missouri and NE Oklahoma. NW Arkansas has become the home of trendy shops, restaurants and now a world class art museum and complex.

Marilyn recently saw a story in a news show from Arkansas that she thought would be interesting to our readers:

 

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- President Barack Obama has signed a new initiative to increase foreign tourism to the United States as part of his plan to boost the economy, which could create more than 1 million American jobs in the next 10 years.

Northwest Arkansas, particularly Bentonville, is reaping a lot of those benefits already.

"In the last two years, in downtown Bentonville, we've had 123 jobs open up," said Ed Clifford, president and chief executive officer of Bentonville and Bella Vista Chamber.

Travel and Leisure Magazine named Bentonville as one of the hottest destination spots in the world and the only place in the U.S. in that category.

"That has a big impact on not only Bentonville and Bentonville's hotels and restaurants, but all up and down the corridor here in northwest Arkansas," Clifford said. "That set the stage for a lot of visits to northwest Arkansas by lots of people from a lot of different areas."

Kathryn Roberts, director of Member and Guest Services at Crystal Bridges, said because Bentonville is the home of Walmart and now Crystal Bridges, foreign tourism is on the rise in the area.

"We track where our visitors come from, and already, we've had 30 countries represented from the Virgin Islands to Spain, Mexico and England," Roberts said. "Many of those people stay here and eat or go out to lunch or dinner, and spend additional dollars at close by hotels and bring great commerce to our area."

The article from “Travel and Leisure” magazine mentioned above can be found by clicking here. Who would have dreamed little Bentonville that before Wal-Mart was primarily associated with its connection to the Battle of Pea Ridge nearly 00 years before would become a topic of conversation all over the world. 

Marilyn has long maintained that the construction of Crystal Bridges would have a major impact on the area ever since she learned about it in the late 1990's. She believes that it will attract artists and others who will want to move to the area and find that McDonald County a cost effective place to live. It will enrich the culture and raise the standards for education  –  issues that have long concerned her.

If anybody is interested, we have a couple of cabins nearby for sale.

Lucky

MARILYN GOES BACK TO SCHOOL

People who know Marilyn know that she loves to go to school. Every year in September, she says she feels an urge to get a new plaid dress, a # 2 pencil and go back to school. It didn't happen this year as she was still traumatized by the changes in her life, but finally, there is some movement around this place. Marilyn signed up for a writing class with the adult education program of the Hopkins School District. They offer a rich array of classes from pottery to sushi making (yes, she and Al have signed up for that). She thought that a writing class would get her motivated to do something constructive and creative once again.

As she read the catalogue she was reminded of when she read the budget for the McDonald County High School a few years ago and the only class offered to adults was welding. That was a good thing, but there was (and is) such a need to offer opportunities for adult learning in the county that she was sick about the lack. Apparently, there are some classes from Crowder now being offered, but the potential to enrich the lives of residents is vast.

Back to the subject at hand: The class was actually a workshop –  one of a series of four –  on how to complete a manuscript and get it published. She had thought it would be more about techniques of writing, but even so, she wasn't disappointed. It was a small class of six students and it was fun hearing about the writing journey of the teacher, Charlene Torkelson. One of the most interesting parts of the class was learning more about self publishing and e-books. Marilyn promptly signed up for the other three workshops. Time to get the little gray cells humming.

As she carefully stepped her way through the snow to her car, a young man came up and offered his arm. He asked if he could help and she readily agreed. A brief conversation ensued (my readers know Marilyn is a talker) and she learned that he was part of a community choir that meets weekly at the school. Now Marilyn has another option to widen her circle of acquaintances. She plans to go next week.

Lucky

PS Al is feeling a little better. The surgeries took a little more out of him than he expected, but he is well on his way to recovery.

AL'S SURGERY

Yesterday Marilyn took Al to the Mohs Micrographic Surgery at Park Nicollet clinic to have surgery for the skin cancers on his ear and ankle.

             

As you can tell he was not happy about the procedure. And he was even less happy when the anesthetic wore off. He had a pretty miserable night. He says he is a little better this morning.

                                                                  

The technique involves removing the skin cancer in thin layers and examining the tissues under a microscope to check for cancer. This process is repeated until the microscopic exam reveals no cancer. Al had to go through this twice before they got all of the bad cells.

After four hours of this he was cleared to go home. 

Lucky

NEWS OF THE DAY

This will be a short post as Al and Marilyn are rushing about getting ready to go to the clinic where Al is to have two small skin cancers removed.  One on his ear and one on his ankle of all places.

Tomorrow I will have more to report. Marilyn went to her first writing class last night and had a great time. She has to tell me all about it today so I can write a story.

Lucky

BOOK REVIEW - FOLLOWING ATTICUS

Marilyn has just finished a book, Following Atticus that she thinks my readers would enjoy.

                                                    

It was recommended by another dog lover, Candyce, who also enjoys hiking like Atticus (Marilyn –  not so much).

It is a charming true story of a little dog that hikes with his human in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Marilyn related to the politics and threats of harm in the small town where they originally lived.

Incidentally, the little shoes are called “muttluks” and are made in Canada. I am hoping that I can get some. They look pretty snazzy. The description of Atticus' first “try-on” of a snow suit made Marilyn laugh out loud. Warning: there are some teary parts as well.

Lucky

PS  We did get some snow last night. It is pretty frosty out side.

SIDEWALK SNOW

Yesterday Marilyn's son Ben came over to the house to clear the snow from our sidewalks. We have noticed that most people are good about clearing their sidewalks after a snow. We like it when he does that as he usually stops for a cup of coffee and a visit when he finishes.

The city of Hopkins requires that that there is no parking on city streets after the snow reaches two inches deep so the snow plows have free access.

This year we have not yet had a two inch snow, but it will happen soon. In fact, we are expecting something worse today –  freezing drizzle and rain, followed by snow. We know from experience what havoc that can make. After all, it was the big ice storm of 2007 in Missouri that led to the creation of this blog.

We don't anticipate any problems at this point, but best to be prepared. We have plenty of food and water on hand and even have a fireplace in the basement if the power goes out.

I think I will just rely on my humans to take care of things and take a nap.

Lucky

MASSAGE & ACUPUNCTURE UPDATE

Yesterday was Marilyn's day for her weekly massage. The illustration is not an accurate portrayal because in Shiatsu (Jabanese massage) and Tui Na (Chinese massage), the client is fully clothed.

Marilyn is trying everything she can to try to regain better health. The acupuncture treatments have miraculously helped relieve the pain in her knees and shoulders and the massage is helping with the almost crippling anxiety she experienced as a result of the flood, Al's illnesses and the sudden move to Minnesota. She didn't want to go about life in a drugged haze, so finding ways to deal with these things was a challenge.

She decided to try acupuncture and massage as it was low risk and was not in conflict with Western medicine. The results have been very heartening.

For the last three weeks she has been drinking hot herbal teas three times a day that Dr. Brian (the acupuncturist)  has forumulated. Each week there have been changes in the formulae, but all are quite bitter in taste. She has added a bit of agave nectar to make them more palatable. She and the Dr. went over the prescriptions she was already taking to be sure that there would be no interactions that might be harmful.

In week three, she started sleeping through the night almost every night. That was a big change for her as she has had sleep issues ever since her tenure as Mayor of Pineville caused a similar time of extreme stress. That experience of betrayal by people she trusted caused her health to be delicate for many years. It is good that she is beginning to recover at long last.

Her recovery is due to a blend of Eastern and Western medicines incorporating the most appropriate of both. It may not be for everyone and finding reputable practitioners of Eastern medicine may not be possible in many places, but it has proved to be an excellent experience for Marilyn.

I will report from time to time on her progress as I will about Al's. Fortunately, I am in excellent health and in the current sub-zero weather, my humans are being very careful that I don't get too chilled when I have to go out to take care of business. I have a special place to cuddle on Marilyn's lap while she reads the morning paper. It is about time we got down to important things like that this morning.

Lucky

AL'S HEALTH

 

Yesterday Marilyn and Al went to the clinic for Al's followup appointment with the oncologist to learn about the status of his lymphoma. It was very good news.

All of his blood test numbers were in the normal range and the Dr. was very pleased.

He will need to come back for another followup visit in four months.

 

I am especially glad because maybe now they will get out and about and gather some news for me. By the way, yesterday morning it was  -11 degrees. This morning it is below zero (too dark to read the thermometer yet) and snowing. Winter has arrived in Minnesota at long last.

Lucky

AMAZON ADDICTION

I have heard of addictions to alcohol, tobacco, sex and so on.

Both Marilyn and Al have another addictions called “Amazon Addiction”.

                                  

It seems that not a day goes by when they are buying something on our computer from Amazon.Com.

They even bought my canned dog food from Amazon. I think it is their connection to the world. They need to find some new friends.

Lucky

NOTHING - BLAH

This morning when I got up I could not think of anything for today's Lucky Dog Blog.

                                                            

I guess some days are like this, but things need to change. I have put out the catalog of adult education classes for M & A to read. They are going to sign up for a sushi making class and Marilyn is going to sign up for one other class. She is torn between several –  writing, rag rug making and painting. Maybe I will have something interesting to report soon.

It is winter at last in Minnesota. There is a skiff of snow on the ground and the temperature hovers around zero. M & A made a grocery run yesterday so they don't have to get out today unless they want to. More snow is predicted soon, but it is supposed to be a little warmer.

Lucky

CRUISE

The recent newspaper story about the Costa Concordia ship that hit rocks off the shore of Italy brought to mind about the cruise Marilyn and Al took.

The story about the cruise reminded me about a Lucky Dog Blog post I did back in March 2007 and I thought it was worth repeating here today. Needless to say, the outcome of their trip was uneventful and they had a good time.

I will add that I think the Delta Queen has been taken out of service, but other steamboats still ply the Mississippi:

DELTA QUEEN

The other day I heard Marilyn and Al talking about planing a vacation. It occurred to me that I am not sure what a vacation is, so I looked the word up on the computer:

A vacation is leisure time away from home/work devoted to rest or pleasure.

Oh boy, I am looking forward to a vacation. I understand that they took a vacation cruise on the steamboat Delta Queen down Mississippi River in June, 1989. This is their story:

We flew from Philadelphia to New Orleans where we were met a representative of the steamboat line to take us to the terminal. At the terminal the check-in procedures went smoothly, better than some of the larger cruise lines we have been on. Since both the Delta Queen and the Mississippi Queen were leaving that after noon there were about 500 people to handle. A nice array of complimentary snacks were available. Personnel from the steamboat line dressed in period costumes were circulating.

A girl was passing out Mardi Gras colored beads, later we would board according to the color of the necklaces we wore. Finally it came boarding time and we went onto the boat and were shown to our cabin. The one and only disappointment of the trip came when we saw our cabin. To say it was small would be an understatement, one of us had to leave the cabin if the other wanted to change clothes the cabin was so small. Nevertheless because everything else was so wonderful we learned to love our small cabin.

The cabin also came equipped with fly swatter (which is needed in the Mississippi delta) and a sign over the sink “Do Not Drink the Water” — the pipes were old and water was heavily chlorinated and brown, right out of the Mississippi. Fresh water and ice were brought to the cabin morning and evening.

We were only on a short three day trip from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and back with stops in Cajun town and at Nottoway Plantation which is the largest plantation home in the south — three stories high and 64 rooms. Nottoway was an interesting side trip a short walk from a landing where our Delta Queen tied up. Nottoway was completed in 1859 after 10 years of construction. Built by John Hampden Randolph as the focus of his 7000 acre sugar plantation — a lot of space was needed to accommodate his eleven children. It was saved from destruction during the Civil War by a Yankee officer who had earlier been a guest at Nottoway.

 

 

 

The Delta Queen is the last of the truly authentic riverboats — she is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. She carries only 176 passengers and you made to feel like a guest of honor in a fine old home. At one time there were more than 1100 paddle wheelers traveling the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The Delta Queen is the only one left of the original river boats. The Delta Queen was originally built in California in the 1920’s. It originally traveled the Sacramento River between San Francisco and Sacramento.

After reading about their vacation on a dumb boat I am not sure I want to go on a vacation.

Lucky

MLK HOLIDAY

Today is a holiday around here and I will take the day off.

                                         

See you again tomorrow. My humans had better start getting out and about or we will come down with cabin fever.

Lucky

SNOW AT LAST

NOTE: Although Lucky has nothing to report (see below). Marilyn learned last night that their good friend, Larry Kilby, passed away yesterday. We extend our condolences to his family and friends.

 

A little snow yesterday (less than an inch) and Marilyn and Al did not leave the house.

                                       

As it turns out I have nothing to report for my Lucky Dog Blog.

Rats!

Lucky

I hate that.

BARKING

The following is my story and I am sticking to it.

             

Lucky

WILD TURKEYS

A couple of days ago when Marilyn and Al were on the road they came across cars stopped both ways on the road to allow some big birds to cross the road. It was another example of “Minnesota Nice”. All traffic stopped to be polite to the birds who were dithering about.

Marilyn said “I think the birds are wild turkeys, see if you can get a picture,”

By the time Al got his camera out of his pocket, they were almost gone. He got a picture of the hen, but not the tom that had a big wattle.

These are not great pictures, but you get the idea.

     

I have been telling Al for quite some time to always have his camera ready to shoot so he will not miss an interesting shot.

Maybe some day he will listen to me.

Lucky

LAKEWINDS COOP

Yesterday Marilyn and Al went to store they had not tried before called Lakewinds Natural Foods. It had snowed a bit and they wanted to be sure they were stocked up before more fell. Lakwinds is located near Lake Minnetonka, so the drive there was pretty, they said.

                

There was a nice variety of foods and it was easy to get around. Marilyn bought some produce and several other items that were on her shopping list. They didn't join the coop yet, but are thinking about it. It is a very nice store.

  

I don't think they bought any Natural Dog Food.

Lucky

BLOG ANNIVERSARY

I just noticed that the Lucky Dog Blog is five years old this month.  Keeping a daily report of the things that happen in our household has not been easy for me, but it has been a worthwhile project for the whole family. I am glad to provide the leadership. We have been surprised and pleased to have readers and love hearing from them.

Storms have been a frequent topic, it seems. The inspiration for the blog came after we had a severe ice storm in 2007. After living more than a week without electricity, we decided to start writing about things that affected us or caught our attention. I have reported on The major rain storms and floods in 2011 that led to our losing both of our cabins in Missouri in April and moving to Minnesota in June. We are experiencing a very odd winter in Minnesota –  very little snow and abnormally warm weather. We are not complaining though. It has been quite nice.

Here is hoping that 2012 will be better for us. and all of our readers.

Lucky

TRASH TRUCK

NOTE: Marilyn & Al have been sick with colds for the past few days. Marilyn is almost well and Al is improving. That is why they haven't been out and about as roving reporters for me and the blog lately. I hope they get better soon –  I need some new material.

As most of my readers know the highlight of my day is when the trash truck comes by in the morning.

That is why I found the following amusing.

                   

Lucky

NEWS REPORT

There was a short article in the newspaper this week that I found interesting.

                    

That was not news to me!

Lucky

MINNESOTA MANNERS

A few days ago the two smoke alarms (main floor and down stairs) went off about 5 minutes after the toilet backed up. (So far as we know, the two events were not connected, but both nerve wracking in their own way.) In fact, I climbed Marilyn like a tree and shook like a leaf (interesting parallel.)  Anyway, it was very traumatic for me. They say a baby crying is the most annoying sound. I vote for smoke alarm. I noticed that Al and Marilyn got a tad upset themselves.

We got the alarms turned off at the circuit breaker and the mess cleaned up. Our landlady had a “fixer” come out to look at the alarms.

The first thing he did when he came into the house was to take his shoes off which we have noticed is the first thing that anyone does when they come to our front door. This is a prime example of “Minnesota Nice”.

                                 

The workman was unable to fix the alarms that are wired into the system with a battery backup. For the time being he cut off the electricity to them so they were silent. The noise was driving me crazy.

                 

An electrician will be coming out to fix the alarms in the next few days.

Lucky

PHOTO ID

Yesterday Marilyn and Al took a trip to a Minnesota Department of Public Safety building to get Al a Minnesota Photo Identification Card. Dealing with MN DPT is proving to be the most difficult part of re-locating to Minnesota.

From the photo below, it is hard to belive it was taken on January 6 in Minnesota.

                   

In order to get the ID Card Al needed to show the State Office his birth certificate. Getting him an official copy of his birth certificate took some time and doing from the California State Offices. They apparently are very short staffed as it took 9 weeks to get it. (If you don't want to pay taxes, don't expect prompt responses from government agencies is the lesson Marilyn got from that.)

Al was able to get the ID application approved and the ID will be sent to him in the mail.

Marilyn still needs her ID/license but is waiting for a copy of their marriage license to come from New Jersey. It will take several weeks as well. Apparently they are short staffed also.

Based on what we know this little black dog has no need for a Photo ID. I do need a license, though. I guess I am low man on the totem pole to get that. M & A are more concerned about getting their Id's than mine.

Lucky

CLINIC VISIT

Marilyn went to the clinic yesterday for an appointment.

As she went inside Al took a picture of the building and one of the offices.

                                        

I don't think this is the office that Marilyn went to visit! That guy doesn't look very healthy to me.

Lucky

ORCHID UPDATE

In early September, 2011 Al got a mail order orchid. The leaves were lush, but it didn't look very promising.

                    

He has been nursing the orchid for the past several months and it is now starting to blossom out. He says his secret ingredient is cinnamon. I don't know if he plans to eat the orchids or what. Actually, he just told me that it isn't used until the blooms are dropped or clipped. The cinnamon is dusted on to prevent any plant infection that could cause a problem.

                  

He is very happy with the results. A nice thing about orchids –  the blooms last a very long time.

Lucky

BLOG BLAH

This is one of those days.

                          

Lucky

LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY - PINEVILLE SCHOOL- 1946

At the beginning of a new year in a new place, Marilyn is feeling nostalgic. This is a photo of her first grade class at the school in Pineville, MO. It was the children's first experience with education as there was no kindergarten at that time, just after World War II. Sadly, she doesn't remember the names of all of the children, and if any of my readers can add to the list, it would be most appreciated. (Feel free to correct any mistakes as well.)

    

Front Row: Eva Jewell Gardner, Judy Johnson Joan Clark, ____. ____, Mary Rowan Mouck, Charlotte Armstrong, Linda Lee Hayes, Marilyn Lee Carnell, _____, _____/

Middle Row: Dean Crowder, J B Varndell, Roderick Cleveland, Loren Dale Gardner, Kenneth Shaver, Clyde Sherman, Donald Duckett.

Back Row: Dennis Lee, William (Bucky) Browning, Otis Long, Larry Drexel Jackson, Juanita Baker Shawver (teacher), Larr Stephens, _____.

Many members of her class went to all 12 grades and graduated together in 1958. The body language is interesting –  some shy, some bold and all beautiful in their own way.

I wish I had a class picture, but I was home schooled.

Lucky

ACUPUNCTURE UPDATE

Some of my readers may find it strange that Marilyn is trying acupuncture. She said she had nothing to lose as the almost constant pain in her muscles and joints were making everyday living difficult. Those who know her well know that she is open to trying new things so are less surprised, but nevertheless, it is a bit unusual for a woman from the Ozarks to try something a bit exotic.

For the last few years, she had become somewhat used to pain with any movement. To put it delicately, it also didn't help her personality. She knew that being a couch potato was not a healthy thing to do, so it was time to find some solutions. She didn't want to go about in a drugged haze, so acupuncture seemed worth a shot. To her surprise and relief, acupuncture is helping. It isn't an overnight miracle, but there are periods of time that she can get about without pain and she is feeling better overall. She didn't want to bias her response by doing a lot of reading before she started treatments, but since then has found several articles that validate acupuncture by western medical standards.

Marilyn found some links to articles about acupuncture that my readers might find interesting.

Acupuncture for Pain

For Pain in Knee

Understanding Acupuncture

Acupuncture

Getting healthier in 2012 is a goal that she has set for herself. I will ask her for progress reports to pass along this year. Now, I think it is time for my morning nap. I'm not going to try any needles.

Al says she is still a pain in his backside at times. Maybe that will improve as well.

Lucky

SNAKE COUNTY ST0RIES

Last week Marilyn received an very nice article from the Missouri Humanities Council about the stage play she worked on back in Missouri. It is written by the playwright that Marilyn located after reading about the play in Chamois, MO. Below is a copy of the story that I thought my readers would be interested in.

Lucky

Stories on Stage, Oral History Comes off the Shelf

Contributed by Meredith Ludwig, Writer/Producer

 

 At the end of April of this year, McDonald County Chamber of Commerce in Pineville, Missouri, with partial funding from the Missouri Humanities Council, premiered Snake County Stories, a folk history theatre production. The project began five months earlier when Colleen Epperson, then the Chamber executive director, and Marilyn Carnell-Williams, chair of the Economic Development Committee, contacted me. They had read about a project I had produced for the University of Missouri Extension conference entitled “Capitalizing on Your Community’s Heritage”.  The conference was held in Chamois, a Missouri River town in Osage County and my task was to create a short theatre piece to be used at the conference as a participatory activity, as well as entertainment.  After collecting oral histories and studying the resources at the Osage County Historical Society, I began to compile the script. Knowing that we would have very little rehearsal time, I wrote the script like an old time radio show, with simple sound effects and music. At the conference, after just one rehearsal, we presented the piece to thunderous applause. The audience experienced both laughter and tears as we brought them through a brief history of the county.

 Epperson and Carnell-Williams are two women with vision and they felt it was time McDonald County had something they could share with the 10,000 tourists who come to float, fish and swim in their beautiful rivers. They wanted to capture and present their history in an entertaining fashion. They wanted a play and they hired me.

 McDonald County is in the southwest corner of the state, fairly under-populated and economically challenged. We were able to get funding from Missouri Arts Council as well as the MHC. Local businesses also pitched in with major funding coming for the McDonald County Telephone, Multi-Media and Internet.

 Like Osage County: A Story Quilt, Snake County Stories began with collecting oral histories, transcribing the “gems” (quotes I know I want to use) and gathering previously collected source material. I had 90 minutes to tell the history of the county and they wanted to tour the production. They also needed to be able to replace people easily, so it was decided we would use the “radio theatre” approach, so I incorporated sound effects and music into the script. We were particularly blessed in that Albert E. Brumley, who wrote I’ll Fly Away and many other wonderful songs, was from Powell, Missouri. His son Bob still lives there and was one of our oral history participants. He was so taken with the project; he offered to be one of our readers. We were able to hire the band Baled Green & Wired Tightto perform the music and handle the sound equipment.  

 After the script went through several drafts, it was reviewed by a panel, and checked for historical accuracy. We held auditions at the local church. We easily found a cast and a sound effects team and extras for both, as we would need them for future productions. Rehearsals began and rewriting continued, as a script takes on new life when a writer gets to hear it for the first time.

The Chamber Economic Development Committee held an opening night reception at the train depot in Anderson to benefit the production. Afterwards the crowd walked down the block to the old Lyric Theatre, now called The Flick. The audience was most appreciative and all 15 of the oral history participants were in attendance. Snake County Stories will be performed twice more this summer at the new arts center in Southwest City and at Crowder College in Neosho.

Wille Cogshell, Amy Humphrey, Deb Jewett

 This project was the sixth “folk history” script I have written and produced. Sometimes I work directly with the quotes I collect and other times I am inspired to write fiction based on what I have heard, or it can be a combination, using fiction to weave the histories together. The Missouri River stories I collected were so powerful, that I ended up writing the musicalGumbo Bottoms, with composure/musician, Cathy Barton. Step Back to Class, also partially funded by MHC, was written for the 120 anniversary of the New Lebanon School and used both quotes from former students and a fictitious school teacher and her students from the late 1800’s.

 So many times oral histories are collected and they languish on the shelf, waiting for the occasional student or historian to dust them off and delve into the treasures they can hold. By collecting oral histories with the purpose of presenting them as theatre, we breathe real life into them, not just shelf life.

  Ms. Ludwig makes her home near the Missouri River in Cooper County. She writes a weekly commentary for her community radio station, KOPN FM called The Compost Pile. Known as the Weed Wench, Ludwig laid down her weeding fork this last spring in order to write and produce her first commissioned “folk history” script for McDonald County. If you would like to read any of her scripts please contact her atGumboBottoms@gmail.com. If you are interested in learning more about the musical, you can visit the website atwww.GumboBottomsMusical.com   

Lucky

A LITTLE LATE FOR CHRISTMAS, BUT WHAT THE HECK

Yesterday Marilyn said she was going to make some cookies. In the kitchen she went and soon the cookies were baking (while the stove grates were in the dish washer).

    

At first I was quite impressed with her cookie making skill until I learned that these were preformed  cookies that she bought on sale at the grocery store.

    

Nevertheless, Al said they were quite nice and tasty. I'm glad to see Marilyn beginning to cook more these days. Maybe she will come up with some treats for me.

Lucky