NEVER SAY NEVER!

When I was growing up, my Mother worked so hard to supply the things I needed.  She worked as a seamstress, worked in a mattress factory, and other places.  The last place she worked was Lake
Catherine Footwear, as a stitcher.  She never complained about the hard work, or that she still had
work to do when she got home. 

When I was about 12 years of age, I vowed I would have a good education no matter how hard I had
to work mentally or physically. Mother had the best education she could have gotten in a one room
school house.  I vowed not to work in a factory or sew for people.

From age 12 to date:  I did get a good education.

I was never going to work in a factory.  I broke that vow.   I spent my 31 year career at Munro and    Company (aka Lake Catherine Footwear).  I wasn't a stitcher.  I was a computer programmer and later Employee benefits director, BUT the reason I could hold those positions was because of the CUTTERS,

STITCHERS, PACKERS, and everyone else who had anything to do with making shoes.  No job
is any less important than another, and no PERSON doing those jobs are any less important than
the person in charge of it all.

I also broke the other vow. (you know, the one about sewing for people)  I have replaced a button
on a pair of Ron's pants.  If I have to hem a pair of pants, I buy hemming tape.  Once, at a boatrace I even used duct tape.


NEVER SAY NEVER!  You never know where your road will lead you or why!  I thank God I chose
the one that was on Mother's map.  I just seem to be taking the long way around.

Our friend - JIM EVERETT

The photo above - Left-Jim Everett, Race Director, Center-Ron Jarrell, Referee, Right-Mary Alice, Chief
Scorer. Jim and Mary Alice were our best buds for many years.  The four of us went to races all over the country, Canada and Mexico officiating boat races.  ( I was the computer scorer )

After a long day at the races, we had dinner, then off to our rooms.  Ron and Mary Alice were early to bed
people.  I was a late night person.  I found out Jim was too.  One night I went to the hotel restaurant to get
a cup of coffee and cheese cake.  Well, there sat Jim having cheese cake.  We became cheese cake
buddies.

A lot of times we took extra days to just visit and enjoy the city or country we were in.  We had just spent
a week in Saskatoon, Canada.  Jim and Mary Alice took their grand daughters, and we took Kate Beebe, Lauren, Cassi and Dj.  Karma was now doing the computer scoring .  I was now just a spectator.   I could take the girls sight seeing.  We all had a wonderful time.

That was July, 2000.  We returned home to our regular routines.  Jim died in August of a heart attack/stroke.

I was cleaning out some drawers the other day, and I found an email I had sent to Jim February 02,2000
Jim was always emailing funny jokes to Ron.  I responded to Jim with the following email.

Hey Jim,

I just printed the jokes.  I am going to read them to Ron.  Where do you get all these jokes?

I have a good one for you, but it is TRUE!  Monday night Ron started cutting up my old kitchen floor to
put down tile.  He said "The frig is leaking.  It must have a broken line."  Well the frig is only 3 years old.
It was during one of my family reunions that it went out.  We bought a new one.  It was a hair too small to fit into the hole.  Ron decided he and two other guys could force it in, which they did.  Now go figure!  Ron is
going to pull it out by himself.  After awhile he did just that.  He looked behind it, and there was nothing
broken and no water was there.  He got a real frustrated look on his face, and said "Well S---!  There is no
leak.  That was your Y2K water!!!!

I had a cooler of water sitting on the floor on the wall adjacent to the frig.  It had kind of tinkled out the
spout and kind of walked down the baseboard to the front of the frig, which made it look as if it came from
under the frig.

Well, guess what!  I don't have that little blue water cooler anymore!!!

Oh yes, the way Ron got the frig back in the hole is as follows:
He sat in the kitchen floor, and leaned back against the trash compactor and kicked it back in.  I bet it will
have a leak now.

That was a true story, but I'm sure YOU KNOWING RON AS YOU DO, have no doubt of that.

He also put my grandkids on a big tube that we use in the lake, hooked them to a ski rope, attached to the
trailor hitch and pulled them all over this property in a foot of snow.  Dj fell off, and he picked him up just
like he does in the water.  It was almost dark, and it scared the crap out of me.  I just knew he would kill
one of them.  Dj did not want to get back on the tube.  He said he got off because the wind was hurting
his face.

I need to go to bed.

Buttons

Buttons is the nickname Jim and Mary Alice gave me because at some function, I wore a dress that had
a lot of big buttons.

Jim was a kind, wonderful, fun loving man who we will always miss.  He has been gone 10 years this year,
but we will always have the great memories of and with him. RIP Jim

Jarrell Plumbing named Plumbing Contractor of the Year by the State Plumbing Inspectors.

The following article was posted in THE PLUMBLINE, a quarterly news brief published by the Arkansas Department of Health,  aka ADH, Plumbing and Natural Gas Section. 

Jarrell Plumbing named Plumbing Contractor of the Year

Ron Jarrell, dba J.P. Jarrell Plumbing Company has been named the 2009 Plumbing Contractor of the Year by the State Plumbing Inspectors.

J.P. Jarrell Plumbing Co, Inc., is based in Hot Springs, Arkansas and has been in business continuously since 1947.  Ron worked with his dad J.P. Jarrell from 1963 to 1974 when J.P. retired, Ron took over the business becoming the Owner/President of J.P. Jarrell Plumbing Company, Inc.  Since that time Jarrell Plumbing has grown to approximately 20 employees.  The company does commercial and industrial work as well as residential service plumbing.  Ron is the current President of the Garland County Plumbing Apprenticeship Committee and a member of the State Plumbing Apprenticeship Committee.  We would like to congratulate Ron and Jarrell Plumbing Company for the excellent work they perform on a consistent basis and for the many years Jarrell Plumbing has served the community.

April 2010 issue - Thank you State Plumbing Inspectors for this honor.

First - We would like to thank all our customers.  Without you, there would be no Jarrell Plumbing.  We appreciate all your business.

Second - We appreciate all the loyal employees who are the instruments in making Jarrell Plumbing a success.

HAVE YOU BEEN CALLED ELDERLY YET? WHAT A SHOCK!!!!!!!!!

How did I get from this -

To this -

To THIS?

















 Unless I look in the mirror, I think of myself as that young girl      
in the first picture.  I was 19.  Like most girls, even now, I was
thinking about going to college, marriage, career and having a family.

It somehow became 20 years later.  I had a career and Ron and
I were raising two daughters.  We were living our lives.  Doing the
things we needed to do in order to be able to do the things we wanted
to do.  The girls had their hobbies and sports, and so did we.  God
watched over us in spite of our mistakes and YES sometimes, just
plain ignorance.                                                                      

NOW, I am that last picture.  ELDERLY.  I was called that for the
first time, last year.  I called our cable company to add ESPNU so
I could watch a Razorback game.  I asked the lady "How long do I
have to keep this if I decide I no longer want it?"  She told me I could
cancel it the next day if I so desired.  I watched the game, and the next
week, I called to cancel it.  The lady I spoke to this time told me, I
couldn't cancel it for a month.  I let her know that I had paid for it for
a month, but I want it out now, and I want the box picked up.  She
informed me that she would go ahead and cancel the service because
I had already paid for it for a month.  She then told me I would have to
take the box back myself.  Oh boy!  I told her I expected it to be picked
up because it was delivered to me, and I didn't want to drive to the office
to take it back.  She put me on hold.  When she came back on the line she
said "Maam, since you are ELDERLY, and I can see that you are upset,
we will send someone to pick it up RIGHT NOW!                                 

The customer service girl was not rude to me.  I think I was in shock to be
referred to as an elderly person.  I was taught to respect my elders.  I just
didn't realize I would become one of those ELDERS so soon!                 

Generation Gap? I think not! I certainly hope not! Garvan Woodland Gardens with our 4 generations.

Yesterday all but 3 of my immediate family took a
little tour of Garvan Woodland Gardens.  MIA were Ron, Phil, and Lauren.

Karma, Stacey, Cassi, Dj, Hayden and I were joined by Cassi and Dj's Aunt Amy and her two
adorable daughters Macy and Maddy. 

We had a fun time.  Now days, Hayden Rae IS
the center of our fun.  She made us laugh more
than I have in a while.  Many of the Garden visitors
stopped to smile, laugh, or make a comment about
Hayden.  That made my head swell and my heart
smile.

That's what pride is, and I have been told Pride isn't
good.  What ever I felt, I thank God he put all these
wonderful people in my life.

The GENERATION GAP thing was a phrase first
used by a French political thinker and historian by the name of Alexis de Tocqueville who lived from 7/29/1805 - 4/16/1859.  I believe we should continue to grow in understanding that we, as
older people did not have the same challanges facing us growing up as our children and grand children did and do. If we can keep that understanding, I believe we can stay or grow closer.

God bless all the rest of my family, and all my friends.  I am better because YOU ALL are in my
life.

                                                                                                  

Mindless Accidents

Ron gets really cranky when he does something dumb that he just can't blame on me.

He came in one night in a really BAD mood.  He said "Get in the car and take me to

the E.R.!"  I really wasn't the one who mashed his hand between his tractor steering wheel

and a tree that caused him to have lots of stitches in his finger.

                         What goes around comes around! 

I was going out of the driveway in Ron's van.  I noticed the passenger side door was ajar.

I stopped and opened the door to close it all the way.  During the process my foot slipped

off the brake and the van backed up.  The door was wide open and it hit the telephone pole.

Oops!  The door almost came off.  I was in big trouble.  You don't want to be in BIG trouble

with Ron when you do something really stupid!  I heard about it big time for about 3 days. Ron

had the door repaired or replaced.  All of a sudden, one day he just stopped complaining to me
about the van door.  I thought it was odd that I had gotton off the STUPID hood that quick.

I was walking around outside. I walked to the lake to see what Ron was doing down there.  He
was standing by the van, looking very disgusted.  The windshield was busted and the top of the
van was smashed.  He had been on the drag line.  He hadn't paid attention to how close the van
was.  Well, you get the picture.  The van was pretty close to totalled.  WHAT GOES AROUND
COMES AROUND! 

I use to really get my feelings hurt, but now, YOU KNOW WHAT?  I just laugh at the things Ron
says and does.  I believe we laugh more now because WE ARE JUST TWO MINDLESS WONDERS!

More Mr. J.

I love my Harley!I have to tell you how

Ron turns his equipment into toys.  It was Mother's Day 1995.  We went to church.  When we returned, Mother and I were finishing lunch.  We went out to tell everyone to come in to eat. Still in their church clothes, Ron had the grandkids in the manlift.  They were moving back and forth in the tree leaves as high as the thing could go.  The kids were laughing and Ron made the bucket move back and forth.  We thought he would dump them out.  By then, I wasn't worried about them ruining their good clothes, I was worried for their safety.  Mother watched and laughed.  I went back in the house and did what I always did when my girls were small.  I just prayed. (They learned to operate the backhoe by age 10) I didn't want them to grow up afraid of everything like I was.

Another manlift story: May 22, 2009

My sister Maye was here from Texas.  She, Ron and I had eaten dinner.  It was about 9pm (dark).  Ron decided he would go down to the shop and check out his new manlift.  It's a good thing he had his phone in his pocket.  If he hadn't called, I don't know how long it would have been before I checked on him.  Maye and I were watching a movie.  Ron called me from his cell phone and told me to come get him down.  He was in the manlift bucket (basket, boom or what ever it is called).  He was a few feet higher than the shop, probably 20 or 25 feet high.  The machine was out of gas and he could not lower it. 

He had to teach me to operate the backhoe in the dark. I had a flash light so I could see all the levers, but when I turned the backhoe on, I couldn't hear Ron's instructions.  I had to turn it off each time to learn all the levers and how to raise the front end loader to help him get onto the roof and into the bucket.  I got that accomplished, and lowered him to the ground very smoothly.  I bet if I had to I could remember how to do it again.  I told him I bet he wished one of our girls was here.  Now I KNOW I'm not too stupid to learn.  I had never had the desire to play on the backhoe.  When he was down, we had to laugh.  Maye had put a ladder in the truck to try to help, but he was over 20 ft up and the ladder was 6ft.

By the way - the photo is the OLD manlift.  I can't find the new one. :)

I guess I will save the drag line (crane) stories for another day! :)

Don and I got our butts kicked so bad, after 3 days, it wasn't even shameful!!!!!!!

He IS who he IS!!!!!!!!

If you don't like it, STAY home.  I'm wearing it to show my
buddies it still fits after 50 years!

I'm wearing this! It  looks good with my beard!

The REF has no friends on race day!  I think he just disqualified someone!

I know I can get all these babies up in the attic!

They have toys they want to check out!

       

Those are just a few examples of Ron's personality. I could tell you a lot of stories, but I would have to write a book.


I hope you enjoy the sample. There will be more to come!

Bean, Sharno, Bj - 3 Musketeers or 3 Stooges? :)

Sheila Green (Bean), Sharon Davis (Sharno), Bettye Jarrell (Bj) back in the day we were Munro's MIS department's 3 Musketeers (most of the time). We shared everything, work, fun, and serious things. One day, a friend of ours who taught a computer class at H.S. Rehab center, called and asked if she could bring her students to Munro for a field trip. She wanted Bean, Sharon and I to show them what goes on in our department. Of course we said yes. We were excited about the prospect of helping someone with disabilities decide on a career.

Pat brought the students. Sheila and Sharon were giving instructions on data entry to some of the students, and I was showing some of them how the computer works. The three of us had decided we need to interact with them by asking them questions, and encouraging them to ask us questions. In the computer room, everyone was watching and listening, but no one was asking questions. I looked at a man who appeared to be really interested in what I had to say. I said "DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A COMPUTER OPERATOR AS A CAREER?" He laughed and said "NO!, I'M THE BUS DRIVER!" (My bad)

After they left, Sheila (Bean), Sharon (Sharno), and I (Bj), exchanged stories. I was embarrassed about my conversation with the BUS DRIVER. Sharon said a girl watching her from behind her chair said "Do you like this work? Do you think I could do it?" Sharon said "WELL, THAT DEPENDS ON WHETHER YOU THINK YOU COULD STAND TO SIT DOWN ALL DAY." The girl was in a WHEEL CHAIR.

Sheila said "I was embarrassed too" She had been talking to the girl who was watching her. Another girl said "She can't hear you" Sheila just kept talking louder and louder because the girl kept saying "She still can't hear you" THE GIRL WAS DEAF.

That was the day the 3 MUSKETEERS became the 3 STOOGES!

Laurie and Jan Vidal

I want to share something that I wrote in my NOTES TO MY GRAND CHILDREN book on
2/6/2000. We had been talking about church. The discussion was about how we act
in church and outside the church. My inspiration for this part of the book was
LAURIE AND JAN VIDAL.

We go to church, or read our Bible and pray to be spiritually fed, but we help feed others outside the church doors by what we say and do to give help and show love to them. THAT is at HOME, WORK, SCHOOL, and even at SPORTING EVENTS.

At the boat races, we have chapel services every Sunday morning at 11am - before the
races. The minister, Laurie Vidal, and his wife Jan are from an organization called
MRO (Motor Racing Outreach). I think it was founded by NASCAR. They send ministers to all kinds of racing events. At first, there weren't many in attendance. Some may have thought it wasn't COOL. The racers and crews had probably rather REV their engines than to be called on to read a scripture. After a few races, the racers were each volunteering their pit areas and tents for the service rather than having it under a shade tree. Laurie and Jan did not give up and go home because very few were there at first. They just kept encouraging the racers, crews, families and officials in all that they had to do. If someone was injured, they were there to pray and hold their hand, or ride in an ambulance if they were needed.

Eventually, they had the respect of all the racers. They never judged anyone. They never said "You should come to the church service" Now, probably at least 90% of the racing participants and their families attend.

One of the racers, crew, officials, or family members read a Bible scripture at each service. The service is for them, and they participate. Some may have never gone to church, but now they have a relationship with God and better relationships with each other. SO - if these people were away from home, unable to attend church - why
not bring church to them. Thanks to someone at MRO for sending Laurie and Jan Vidal to us.
They have blessed us all with their God given talents and patience. They have truly been an inspiration and good friends to us, and many more.

I told the grand children I wrote that to them to make a point. If we have no prior
experiences, such as attending church, reading the Bible, listening to other Christian's experiences, we have learned nothing and we will not have the tools to make a contribution to our own or other's lives. Any way you look at it, we must
RECEIVE something before we can GIVE something, and GIVING makes one VERY HAPPY!

That was the year 2000. This is 2010. Laurie and Jan are still an inspiration to
probably thousands. Ron and I had not seen them for about 5 years when Grandpa Seebold died.
They were there to love and support the friends and family. Who is there for them?
I hope they know WE ALL ARE if they ever need us.

Laurie and Jan: Thanks for all your love, guidance and caring. We all love you.

Check out Laurie and Jan's website www.legacyministry.com

What is a Shut-in?

Have you ever felt like a domesticated animal in a cage with nothing to look forward to but a visitor? Maybe we all have at times. I know I have, and sometimes I didn't even want anyone to visit. That was my choice. Just plain DOWN and I didn't feel I had anything to contribute to a conversation.

There are so many people who don't have a choice. My Mother called them shut-ins. There are so many people who are physically or mentally disabled. Do we think of them? Do we make an effort to make just one of their days better? I haven't done my part in this area lately. Oh, I have a neighbor who is in a wheel chair. I pick up his mail, but that is such a small effort. I have a sister who can't drive now, and she has to stay in except for Dr.'s appointments. I cook things for her, but she is family, and that's what families do. I just naturally LOVE her and want to make her feel better.

Up until about 10 years ago, I tried to help everyone I saw who needed help. I went overboard, I operated with my HEART and not my HEAD! Sometimes it was to my detriment. NOW, I am one of those people that other people want to help. Where did my JOY go? I have so much to be thankful for. I have a great husband who makes sure I have everything I need, and most of what I want. I have wonderful children, grand children, lots of family and friends who love me. I know it is time for me to stretch my COMFORT ZONE to include more people.

I would like to HELP the shut-ins, NOT BE ONE.

Who am I REALLY?

If you want to know who you REALLY are, wait until your power goes off!

I haven't eaten, I haven't made coffee! The dishwasher, washer and dryer are running. (were running)

It's January - it's cold and very windy. What can I do? I can't watch TV. I can't get on the computer. I could clean the ceiling fan, but I would have to get on a ladder. If I did that, I might fall. I could clean a closet, but it's dark and a spider could bite me. I could sweep the decks, but the wind would blow me over!

Then, I remembered. I can get on facebook on my Iphone. Oops! It needs to be charged. Oh, I can charge it in the car! Dang! I have to turn on the engine to charge the phone. The garage door is down and I'm not strong enough to manually pull the door up! I can't charge the phone because I might die from Carbon Monoxide.

Finally, I walked a mile. I went outside. Dirt blew into my eyes. I came back inside and walked from one end of my house to the other at least 50 times - thinking about all this stuff.

What I learned about myself is:

1. I really wish I was more like my Mother (She would have walked to visit a neighbor).
2. I NEED coffee.
3. I may not have done any of the things I mentioned, but I don't like not having the choice to
do so.
4. Electronic devices are more important to me than I want to admit.
5. The privileged of having a car is more important than I thought. I really would have gone to
visit someone if only I could have gotten my car out of the garage.

The lesson I learned is : I am very spoiled. I am not prepared for even a minor emergency. NOW I have a manual can opener, my garage door is open, I have plenty of wood, and I know where the generator is.

Good night, God bless you, pleasant dreams. I love you.

I want to tell you WHY I always say "Good night, God bless you, pleasant dreams. I love you."

When I was a very small child, I lived JUST with my Mother. I had 3 sisters, and 3 brothers who were quite a bit older than I was. My father worked out of town a lot.

Every night before I went to sleep, my Mother would come into my room and kneel beside my bed with me. We would pray, and she would tuck me in. We would talk about our day, then she would take my face in her hands and say "Good night baby, God bless you, pleasant dreams. I love you." She kissed me and went to bed.

I don't know where that really started, but all my brothers and sisters did the same thing when I spent time with them and my nieces and nephews. I have always told my girls and grandchildren the same thing.

SOO - Good night, God bless you, pleasant dreams. I love you.

Valentine's Day

Today, a very special friend of mine, Martha Bates called and asked "Will you be my Valentine?". I immediately said "YES". she was surprised at the quick response. I said "No one has ever asked me that specific question." Later, I was searching the archives of my mind to learn if that was a true statement. I realized it was the second time I had been asked that question. The first was when I was in fourth grade, on the school bus. A very handsome young boy, with blond hair and blue eyes had asked "Will you be my Valentine?" FIRST. As I remember, I had a crush on this boy, as did many other fourth grade girls. He got on the bus with a big red heart shaped box of candy. He walked right up to me and asked "Will you be my Valentine?" I quietly responded "Yes" as I watched the eyes of the girls around me. He gave me the box and sat in the seat next to me. I think Puppy love is how Valentine's Day began. :) Sometimes it lasts forever, but for the most part, it just helps prepare you for the REAL thing.

Happy Valentines Day :)