Renewed interest

Well, my sweet sister-in-law Sherry Dickinson in Phoenix has inspired me to begin anew on my blogging. I'm so proud of her that she has learned and gained such good computer skills!

Not that there's anything interesting and wonderful happening in our lives at this time, but, the beautiful Ozarks are still beautiful...and getting more so with the fall season fast approaching. In fact, yesterday and today it's actually been cool enough for sweaters; due in most part to the horrendous rains Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike have left us...with tropical storm Josie close behind them. What a season the Gulf and East Coast has had with the coming of September this year! I'm so happy for New Orleans that Gustav wasn't as bad as predicted -- even though there are still areas without electricity as of this date, at least flooding wasn't as big an issue as it was a year ago with Hurricane Katrina.

Hopefully I'll be inspired still when the leaves start turning colors to post a couple of (hopefully) gorgeous fall colored landscapes.

Well, my sweet hubby just came in and has dictated that it's now bedtime (10:56 p.m., which of course, it is bedtime), guess I'll get off this laptop computer I seem to be attached to the hip with and get some much needed shuteye. Love to all! Ellen

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Our oldest grandchild, Justin Arment, came last night to spend the night with us. He just graduated from high school in May and now is getting in last visits before going to Marine boot camp on July 22. Hard to believe he's grown up now - and so level headed and grounded. He always did well in school, and the summer after eighth grade began an "Upward Bound" program at his school and attended an entire month of the summer at Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri taking college courses. The Upward Bound students stay at the dorm and have classes beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. By the time he graduated, he had quite a few college credits already and had completed the higher level math offered (calculus, trigometry, and some I can't remember names of). I'm so in awe of him and the way he has managed and mapped his life goals. When he entered the delayed entry program of the Marines during his senior year, he signed a contract offering him 5 years of college, getting paid at the rate of Sargeant each month, and after the 5 years of college, he will work for the Marines for 3 years.

It was hard to say goodbye when he left this evening. I felt like I was waving him into his future as an adult. I love this first grandchild of ours so very much.