NEW HAVEN CHURCH - VBS

Ronnie Bilyeu sent this pic to me, with question - "How many do you recognize?"

I think I know most of the adults, but do not recognize many of the kids. I was in the 6th grade when we moved from Chestnutridge to Pine Ridge and I think this VBS must have been after we left.

DOGWOOD ACRES, 08/17/09

DOGWOOD ACRES, 08/17/09, ELANE CRUM

Hello friends. A cool and foggy August night is to be enjoyed; seven tenths of an inch of rain will continue to make Jim and Dawn’s garden produce ‘maters and cukes. I just came from their house with a bucket full of fresh vegetables, including a bag of okra for frying. That will taste good alongside a skillet of fried fish, which Rick brought home a few days ago.


Rick and Harvey Westfall spent several hours on Table Rock Lake last week and brought home a boat full of fish. Well, maybe they did not actually bring home that many, as several were not long enough to be keepers. I fried White Bass one night and Catfish another night.


Mid-August is school starting time for many of our kids. Erin started back to Plainview on Thursday of last week. Ashton kicked off her sophomore year at Bradleyville today. Three of Christie and Bill’s grandchildren started school today at three different schools, Bradleyville, Taneyville and Forsyth. I saw little Miss Madison Tilley and heard about her first day in Mrs. Hurd’s kindergarten class. It was a good one and she had “played instruments”.


Saturday morning I was at the White River Valley Historical Society Museum to learn more about the New Harmonies Exhibit. The exhibit and other activities continue for the next six weeks. I thought I knew quite a bit about musical instruments but found a new one, which, of course, is not new. The Diddley Bow is one of America’s first stringed instruments. There is one on display, so perhaps I will learn how to play it over the next few weeks. It is an interesting display and well worth your time.


Our Uncle Bill Smith, aka Willie Smith, received special recognition for his service in World War II, at the local VFW Post on Saturday night. He is a gracious man, who served his country proudly and humbly accepted the accolades and recognition. We are proud to be his “kin”!


Rick and I bailed out of bed early Sunday morning and attended the 9:00 a.m. service at Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Springfield. Cousin Hosea Bilyeu and his family were wide-awake and ready to sing. The concert was over way too soon and I considered staying for the 11:00 a.m. service so we could enjoy it all over again.


There are always a lot of visitors at their concerts, and we saw a few Taney County folks. Ted Horner was one of the first familiar faces we saw. I think Nadine must have been there too, although we never saw her. As we were leaving, we saw Barbara Gimlin Collins, with daughter Lana, and her family. Lana has two sweet little boys who keep Grandma’s life from being boring.


We stopped in Nixa for pizza buffet and got home in time to take a nap before the Big Smith Concert in Shadow Rock Park. As usual, the boys gave 100% and more to an enthusiastic audience. There was a lot of local folks who were seeing Big Smith for the first time and many of their fans who drive for miles and miles. After it was over, we saw Aunt Reba and Cayree Ragsdale, who had driven down from Springfield.


My car spent the day at Carl’s Auto getting new brakes, so it should be good for another 130,000 miles. I just hope that I am too! Bye for now.

August Evening Ride

Make a Smilebox slideshow

BILYEU SUNDAY?

Sunday evening we were at Shadowrock Park in Forsyth for the concert with "Big Smith Band", grandsons, of Hosea and Thelma Bilyeu.

Two more Bilyeu boys at the Big Smith Concert, Levi & Jonathon, grandsons of Jim & Juanita Bilyeu.

There is a vast difference in a "Blue" Sunday or a "Bilyeu" Sunday, as a "Bilyeu" Sunday is definitely NOT a "Blue" Sunday. We began this day with the Hosea Bilyeu Family Concert at Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Springfield.

Joy Bilyeu-Steele, William Hosea Bilyeu III (aka Will) & Robin Bilyeu Rees

DOGWOOD ACRES, 08/10/09

DOGWOOD ACRES, 08/10/09, ELANE CRUM
Hello friends. Just when we were convinced that August was going to sizzle, this day has turned cool and rainy. How rainy depends on where one happens to be. In Branson and on my way home, it rained so hard I could barely see. When I got home, the dust had hardly settled, but we will take what we get.

The yard sale days were sizzlers, sunny and hot. I spent more time sitting in the sun than any other time all year long. Ashton and Erin came over Thursday night and were great yard sale helpers. Not only did they work hard helping to set up, but also sold neck coolers and ice-cold bottles of water.

Rick was impressed with the amount of stuff I got rid of and added some clothes and fishing rods to the sale. He, the doubting Thomas who did not see how it could possibly be worth all the work, had more fun than anyone did. While I knew that the best part of a yard sale is visiting with all the folks who come by, he was usually working and had missed most of our previous sales.

I cannot even begin to name everyone that came to see us, for I surely would leave someone out. We were so busy that I never got a chance to visit Christie’s sale, but they had a good time over there too. Marty and Sean helped and had an interesting variety of items to sell.
Well, it is over for this year; most of my leftovers are going to a thrift shop, but there will be more next year; there always is.

Late Saturday afternoon we went to the wedding of a young couple at Sandy Church, Eli McDowell and Amy Isaacs. There was a huge crowd, almost standing room only. I must say, the Isaacs family sure knows how to pack a church house full! It was a beautiful wedding and their Amy was a stunningly beautiful bride.

Just when life at our house seemed to be going along in a smooth and orderly manner, something new came along. Five dogs and four cats made for a pretty level playing field, but now it has changed again. Oscar and Carolyn Cook took one of the squirrel dogs, but then someone gave Rick a little housedog. According to Rick Crum, a housedog was the last thing I would have expected, but a man has the right to change his mind.

She is just a little thing, with a face that looks like a fox and tail that curls over her back. Foxy seemed an appropriate name and she has him wrapped around her sweet little paws. She is afraid of the squirrel dogs and the cats do not like her. This will be an ongoing story, just watch for next week’s sequel.

Sunday, August 16, will be the 25th Annual Bilyeu Family Concert at Ridgecrest Baptist in Springfield. Hosea and his family have been practicing for months, occasionally teasing us with a practice video on FaceBook. There will be three service times, 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. at Ridgecrest Baptist Church and 6:00 p.m. just down the street at the Remington’s Event Center.

White River Valley Historical Society at 297 Main in Forsyth, kicks off “New Harmonies” this weekend. The traveling Smithsonian Institute Exhibit offers so much in the way of entertainment and opportunities to explore America’s Musical Roots. I have signed up to be a guide for the exhibits and am looking forward to that new experience.

In addition to the exhibits, there will be lunchtime concerts, children’s programs and special weekend concerts. The big kickoff concert will be BIG SMITH @ SHADOWROCK, on Sunday, August 16, 5:00 p.m. There will also be blues by Pokey Lafarge & The South City 3. That is just the first of many groups that will be performing at various times and places until September 26. Watch the newspaper and website, www.wrvhs.org for more details. Bye for now.

WHITE RIVER VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Hello, everybody,

As you may know, from August 16 until September 26, the White River Valley Historical Society will be hosting New Harmonies, a Smithsonian traveling exhibit on American Roots Music. We are very fortunate to have this exhibit in Taney County, as only six towns in Missouri were selected for the opportunity in 2009. Along with the exhibit, we will be hosting concerts, lunch time music at our new museum, weekly noon time lectures from some of the Ozarks' best known traditional music experts, and special children's activities. All of these events, except for the Shadowrock Jubilee on September 26, are free.

A complete list of activities can be found by going to our website http://www.wrvhs.org, and then opening the events link.

OUR FIRST SPECIAL EVENT WILL BE ON SUNDAY EVENING, AUGUST 16

BIG SMITH @ SHADOWROCK

OPENING ACT POKEY LAFARGE AND THE SOUTH CITY 3

MUSEUM WILL BE OPENED 12-4

GATES OPEN AT 4 PM

MUSIC STARTS AT 5

FOOD WILL BE AVAILABLE; BRING LAWN CHAIRS

Hope to see you at this and many more of our events,

Ingrid Albers

President, White River Valley Historical Society

DOGWOOD ACRES, 08/03/09

Rick & Neal got our bags packed in the rental van for trip from Grandma's to Portland Airport.

The Twins, Roger Dee & Ricky Lee


DOGWOOD ACRES, 08/03/09, ELANE CRUM

Hello friends. Vacations are wonderful but home is also a good place to be. We could not have asked for a better trip, thankful to have traveled safely and for precious days with Rick’s mom, his three brothers and their families. Those days spent with our son and his family were also special, as the time we spend with them at home has to be squeezed in between the activity of our busy lives.

I had rented two motel rooms and when we got there, Rick decided to stay with his mom where he slept on the couch. My nights were not lonely though as the granddaughters shared a room with me. We had lots of fun, juggling for space in front of the bathroom mirror and sharing the computer late at night. During the daytime, we were always out and about, over at Grandma Betty’s apartment, or sightseeing with the cousins.

Early in the mornings, I enjoyed coffee at the poolside table just outside our door. Later in the day, we were all seeking air-conditioning as temperatures soared to record highs of 106 and 107! The cool damp air in Taney County was very refreshing when we got home early Thursday morning.

When we arrived at the airport, Sean and Makaylee were there to pick us up and LeaAnn’s folks were there to get Neal, LeaAnn and the girls. We told each other goodbye and it was Saturday afternoon before I called Neal and asked him if they got home all right, he asked if we got home all right and then we laughed about it.

Our lives quickly jumped into high gear the first day home as Neal and LeaAnn had a set of cabinets to get out, Rick took a friend to the VA hospital in Fayetteville, and I had houses under contract that needed attention.

Sunday was a good day, life was almost normal again with church services at Sandy and a big country Sunday dinner with Bill and Mary Lou. We were in Douglas County all day, staying until after evening church service was over. I have a home listed out Bradleyville way that needed a supply of flyers on the sign, so we did that, and then stopped to get a cold soda pop at the machine in front of Get-Away Gift Shop. I fished around in my purse for some quarters, but Rick said he had money and I watched as he pulled a couple of bills from his wallet and laid it on top of the machine while he fed the bills in. We enjoyed our cold pop and took the scenic route home via Essary Road.

Monday morning Rick called me at the office to tell me he could not find his wallet! My mind began processing that memory of watching him put it on top of the pop machine. At the time, I thought I surely would remind him not to leave it there, but I forgot. So, with two forgetful minds, we had driven off on our merry way, leaving the wallet behind.

Before calling the bank to cancel our cards, I called The Fillin’ Station and Steve was kind enough to walk out to the pop machine. What a relief when he picked it up and told me it contained cash and credit cards! Rick was sure a happy man and so thankful to get everything back intact. Thank you Steve!

I visited at the Biggs house Saturday evening and caught up on the activities of their week. Sean had been picking blackberries and going to Farmer’s Market in Forsyth. He had also taken Makaylee, Dakota and Andrew fishing a few times. Dakota wanted to night fish, so they had gotten up at 3:00 a.m. on Saturday to take the boat out. Dakota caught some nice big fish and was happy with the night fishing experience.

Sean and Christie informed me they are planning a yard sale this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 7 & 8, 8:00 a.m. Rick has complained about all the “stuff” I have stored in the garage so I guess we will have a yard sale at our house too. It will be good to see all of our old “Dogwood Acres Yard Sale Buddies”, as it has been a couple of years since there was a sale here. We are up H Hwy, 7.5 miles from Hwy 160, just watch for signs.

Jim and Dawn celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary Saturday by doing a little “Creek Fishing” in the icy cold waters of Bull Creek. Dawn caught a big Goggle-eye; Jim caught a Bass and some Goggle-eye. Those two sure know how to have a good time! Bye for now.

DOGWOOD ACRES, 07/26/09

DOGWOOD ACRES, 7/26/09, ELANE CRUM
Hello friends. We are nearing the end of a week-long family reunion with Rick’s family in Oregon. On Tuesday morning, Rick, I, Neal, LeaAnn, Ashton and Erin all boarded a plane in Springfield, MO. By bedtime we were eating Grandma Betty’s chicken and noodles in Cottage Grove, OR. It was a long day, but well worth it. After filling our tummies and sharing the excitement of the day, we were off to our motel in Creswell for a good night’s sleep.

With two hours time difference, it was easy for us to get up early the next morning. According to Oregon time, we were up by 7:30, but on home time, we slept in until 9:30 and who ever gets to really do that? Back to Grandma Betty’s for pancakes….although it had been four years since the granddaughters were here, they remember and looked forward to Grandma’s pancakes. The pancakes had hardly hit the bottom of our tummies before Grandma had lunch ready and we ate again.

Rick’s three brothers, Roger, Kenny, Keith and their families, have been in and out at various times of day and night as work schedules allow. There is a new generation of little ones that are so much fun. My sisters-in-law and I had a reality check watching all these little ones which are our grandchildren. It does not seem so long ago that it was our kids playing in the sandbox.

Thursday was a day at the coast with Roger’s daughter and her two kids. On the way down we stopped to watch the elk at Dean Creek Elk Reserve. The Sea Lion Cave north of Florence was our next big stop and first good view of the ocean. The kids were all fascinated by the hundreds of Sea Lions living on rocks in a sea cave. A good hike up the last steep path brought us back to the mountain highway and on our way to lunch.

Next on the seaside adventure was our traditional lunch at “MO’s” in Florence. Clam Chowder, shrimp and French fries should have filled us up, but the rest of that tradition is salt water taffy and ice cream across the street. It was almost 4:00 p.m. before we finally got to the beach. Although the sun was shining, there was a wildly strong wind blowing. Determined, we made our way to the water’s edge with the blowing sand stinging our skin. Pictures were taken and we were on our way home for more of Grandma Betty’s cooking.

Friday was a day for yard sales, Grandma’s clam chowder and our time to visit Grandpa Lloyd’s grave. We miss him and know how much he would enjoy all of these new great-grandchildren. This day was wrapped up at Barbie’s house with dinner and a big bowl of freshly picked blueberries.

Saturday morning we went into Eugene for “Saturday Market” where fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and crafts were displayed over several blocks. One could also purchase goat cheese, fresh herbs, salmon, and fried pickles. It was a great place to “people watch” as West Coast Culture was to be seen at its best.

After the market we went to the home of Rick’s youngest brother, Keith, where the family gathered for the afternoon. There was burgers on the grill and elk jerky, still hot from the smoker. Aunt Barb came from Portland to spend the day with us. She keeps busy with her job at a big landscaping nursery, but had gotten away recently for a few days at a bluegrass festival.

Sunday morning we went up the mountain to church at Culp Creek. It was good to be in church with Grandma Betty again and she loved hearing her grandson preach.

Baked ham and smoked salmon were on the Sunday Dinner menu at brother Kenny’s house. As temperatures in Oregon continue to climb toward three-digit numbers, a dip in the pool was refreshing before Sunday night church service.

Here it is, now Monday and our vacation will soon end. Today and tomorrow will be real scorchers and we are staying close to the A/C. Some of us slept really late at the motel this morning so Grandma’s pancakes, sausage and eggs became a late brunch. Lots of kids and grandkids are around today so we have spilled over into the community room here at Grandma’s apartment complex.

Grandma is making a fresh pot of clam chowder and tonight we are going to Sherry and Grant’s house for pizza. Laundry is done so we can pack our bags with clean clothes. That is a real plus since the washing machines at our house and Neal’s house broke down the day we left.

Traveling by plane has a new challenge as there is a $30 roundtrip charge for each suitcase checked. We all packed carry-on bags lightly and checked only one partially filled large suitcase. One always returns home from vacation with something extra and we could not pass up the Friday morning yard sales. Lines had to be drawn, Neal could not buy tools or camping equipment, but there were smaller treasures found. No doubt that suitcase will be full, we may even have to weigh it to make sure not to exceed the weight limit. It will be hard to say goodbye on Wednesday morning. We are taking many good memories home with us and hope that some good memories are left behind with Grandma and the rest of our Oregon Crum family. Bye for now.

TWO YARD SALES, Aug 7 & 8 !!

This is a yard sale sign that we saw in Oregon....thought it was kinda interesting, but you know I do take pictures of odd things!

The Real Story here is Yard Sale time again at Dogwood Acres
Date: FRIDAY, AUG 7 - 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, AUG 8 - 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Biggs Barn & Crum's Yard For directions, watch for signs at both ends of H Hwy, we are near the Christian/Taney County Line and there will be signs directing you to both places.

What Do We Have? Several guns, Horton Crossbow, Antique Furniture, homemade trailer, box truck, Home Interiors. LOTS of other miscellaneous items.

Men & Women's Clothes - several sizes (we do not always wear the same size)
Kids Clothes - Lots of little girl stuff, name brands such as Gymboree, Gap, Children's Place & Old Navy....Sizes 2T, 3T & 4T.
Boys clothes, size 7 & 8.