Top of the Morning January 22

NOSTALGIC BABY BOOMER FUN + REMEMBER WHEN? + WINE AND CHEESE PAIRING BASED ON YOUR ZODIAC SIGN + BEEF STEW + MANGO MUFFINS + PART 2 OF THE OLD PARTY LINE

Greetings fab readers and Hello Monday (!) first day of a brand new week.

Another stellar line-up collection today!

Beginning with:

NO MORE FUN-PUNS ON HIGHWAY SIGNS

Big fat boo on the no fun people who get to be the deciders of taking these clever, humorous reading pieces of fun away from us to read as we drive the endless miles to our destination(s).

BOOMERS!  REMEMBER?

I totally remember banana seats + tiny Bayer aspirin tins + 45 records my sisters and I cut around and off the back of cereal boxes — and they really played!  It was super cool.
Soooo — miss the full service gas stations!  For those of us who have the memory – recall when — rolling into a gas station,  hear the ding-ding of your car driving over a hose or something and the attendant came out, all cheer and smiles, puts the gas nozzle in the car’s gas tank – cleaned the windshield, checked your oil, and even checked the air in your tires?  Gosh!  I sure do miss that wonderfulness.  Why did that have to go away?

WINE CORK BRILLIANCE

I love all of these ideas.  I think my favorite is using these recycled corks to “clip” a bag closed of potato chips or other packages that need to be closed up properly.

CLASSIC WINE AND PAIRING

Yes!  However, I’m certain that I want to explore all the pairings.  Not just my “sign” – ha

HOW TO SOFTEN BUTTER WHEN YOU HAVE A BRAIN FREEZE – “WHOOPS! I FORGOT SORT OF MOMENT”

Is easy to do and now we all know how to remedy it super fast with no stress.

RECIPES:

WHITE BEANS on toast is a super-duper — outside the box — “YO” open faced sandwich to fall in love with!  I have.

GROUND TURKEY SHEPHERD’S PIE is fantastic!  I’m totally in the fan club of Shepherd’s Pie – especially this time of year.  This recipe is particularly TDF!

MANGO MUFFINS
Peter loved mangoes and papaya – his 2 top favorites.  He would have loved these muffins!  And I love the part that if mangoes aren’t in season — frozen works well!  These muffins are so fresh and delish.

BEEF STEW WITH VEGGIES
Over 4,000 – 5 star reviews.  You’re welcome!

GARLIC BREAD PIZZA
Why not?  It’s not take-out but it sure is amazingly good and simple Simon to make at home!

BEST SOFT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Yeah, I know – I get it.  We all have our tried-and-true-forever-recipe.  However, double dare ya to step up your game with this recipe.  It’s a game changer!

AND! 
Seriously watch this short clip of fans at a Hockey Game throwing on the rink *75,000* – YES, *75,000* teddy bears for the love of charity and children.  It’s so cool and will most assuredly bring a smile to your face,  goose bumps to your arms.  Super special.

AND PART 2 OF MY GRANDMA’S OLD PARTY LINE STORY is what it is — a MIRACLE STORY
My Uncle Leon was a really fine athlete in his high school years – played football, pole vaulted and – then as an adult – a very successful cattle feeder/businessman.
And, indeed, it was because on THAT day the old party line brought hundreds of caring people in the community together, who rallied, connected with one another and reached out to their resources of other helping people.

Thanks for being here with us today.

READY? SET? GO!
CLICK AND ENJOY!

A MIRACLE HAPPENED
BY HARRIETTE MILLER
PART 2 OF THE OLD “PARTY LINE”

It was a beautiful fall day.  The turkeys had been fed and the busy work week at Longriverview Turkey Farm, near Liberty, Missouri was coming to a close.

It was Saturday, late afternoon, on October 14, 1939.

Three of our four sons were playing outside the house.  The fourth son, our eldest, Leon Miller, Jr., was his Dad’s shadow — so where Daddy was, there was his helper.

Leon Sr. was cleaning out a part of the feed mill and had the cover off the auger of a feed-mixer.

Leon Jr. was much closer to its floor opening than he was supposed to be, and slipped in.  It began grinding away at his foot and leg.  The only thing that stopped the grinding was the sole of his hard leather shoe.  It miraculously plugged the auger, stopping it from cutting away anymore on his foot.  His foot was trapped in the auger.  It appeared impossible to free him without cutting off his leg.

I was upstairs patching the overalls that had been in the day’s laundry so I hadn’t heard or seen anything unusual at the feed mill.

Here came Leon Sr. running to the house and upstairs to tell me to call the doctor quick!

I gathered up our baby, Jimmy Earl, and ran to the Party line telephone.

All of our good neighbors got on the phone because they could hear me ringing and ringing and ringing trying to get the operator.

I was almost too scared to talk.  When I explained to them about the terrible accident, they could tell by my desperation that we really needed help.  One good neighbor on the Party line said, “Hang up, we’ll get the doctor and we’ll be there, too.”

The neighbors began arriving, as well as townspeople.  There was an estimate of 200 people there by the time the doctor (Dr. Glenn Hendren of Liberty) arrived.

All tried to help get Leon Jr’s foot out of the auger, but with no luck.  Dr. Hendren was estimating the time he could stay alive, because of the great loss of blood.

He was being held in his dad’s arms, at the opening or inlet of the mixer.  He said, “Daddy, am I going to die?”

It was a heart breaker for his dad, who blamed himself for the accident.  Things seemed hopeless.

The men were unable to use a cutting torch because of the flammable feed ingredients.  Also, it was impossible to tell just where the mangled foot was inside the auger flighting and housing.

Finally, the strong man of the community, Mr. Paul Obermeyer, managed to cut through the auger using a pair of bolt-cutters.  Manually, with brute force, he managed to shear the steel auger housing.

An hour and forty minutes had passed since the accident.  Mr. Obermeyer said he could never do that again.  We knew God had given him super-human strength for that time.

Our good friend, Judge James S. Rooney, called for highway patrolmen to help us get Leon Jr. to the hospital as soon as possible.

Dr. Hendren made arrangements with Research Hospital in Kansas City, to have Dr. Claude Hunt and his brother, Dr. Paul Hunt, standing by in the operating room to remove our son’s foot and leg as soon as we could get there.

Dr. Hendren, Judge Rooney and Leon Sr. had Leon Jr. in one car.  My sister, Jennie Lou Crow, Mr. A.O. Long, our business partner, and I followed close behind them.

I was sitting alone in a dark waiting room at the hospital praying.  Word finally came to me that Leon Jr. begged the doctors not to cut his leg off.  His plea, “Please don’t cut my leg off, I want to play football,” touched one of the surgeons in such a way that he took the risk.  Two inches of the bone had been chewed away by the auger.

The surgery was over.  Now we waited.

That night they put his leg in a heat cradle and elevated it with Daikin’s solution running through the leg.  The doctors said they would know within 24 hours if the leg would live.

After 24 hours the doctors said another 24 hours was necessary.

After the 48 hours had passed, Leon Jr. wiggled a toe.  We wept for joy.  The surgeon, Dr. Hunt sad to me, “Mother, don’t leave this boy’s side.”

I slept in a type of day bed which was stored under his bed during the daytime.

We had three special nurses for the first nine weeks he was in the hospital.  The second week, Dr. Dickson and Dr. Dively and their good assistant, took over.  They were considered the best orthopedic surgeons in Kansas City.  The first of 16 operations was completed.

Leon Jr. had more courage from day one than any child the doctors had ever cared for.  Dr. Hunt always called him Little Grandpappy. He was so wise for his years and never cried like most seven-year-olds.  No one can imagine the pain he endured from the moment of the accident and for many years to come.

It was a rare accident and an unheard of surgery.  Leon Jr’s picture made the front page of every major newspaper in the United States.  People sent us clippings, cards, letters, and even gifts from every state in the U.S.A.

He was the object of prayer all over the Kansas City and Liberty area.  He had become famous.  Our farm was known as the “turkey farm where the boy lived whose leg was put back on after that terrible mill accident.”

… and the old Party Line was THE instrument that rallied a town together to save a young boy’s life that quiet Saturday afternoon.

COURAGE IS NOT SIMPLY ONE OF THE VIRTUES BUT THE FORM OF EVERY VIRTUE AT THE TESTING POINT, WHICH MEANS THE HIGHEST POINT OF REALITY.

~ C.S. LEWIS ~

HAVE A GREAT WEEK
CATCH YA ON WEDNESDAY
SAME TIME
SAME PLACE

8 replies
  2. Carol says:

    Boomer nostalgia was a nice trip down memory lane. Except my memory of the original “clicker” remote makes me so glad remotes have evolved to where they are. My husband used to channel surf using that clicker and it drove me crazy! Click click click click click click. Click click click click click click. Endlessly!

    Loved the issue!

    • Cheryl Clarson says:

      OMG Carol –

      Your comment totally brought back a memory to me. My dad was a Clicker-Surfing King, too.

      As you wrote – click click click click click click click click … endlessly.

      It was a “gotta walk outta the room” sort of thing before I say something that might earn an extra chore or 2 for me! Ha

      Thanks for the love + sharing + fun skip down memory lane. Happy day! Catch ya Wednesday.

  3. Marty says:

    The story of your Grandmother’s little 7 year old son when he was about to have his leg amputated gave me goosebumps. Interesting how it seems today’s culture has nearly forgotten the power within one’s self called COURAGE. “COR” is a latin word for heart. Example: We continue to hear stories where young people are not getting their drivers licenses today. Think about this young boy if he had just “given in” instead of taken courage! His life would never have experienced all he was meant to be. Just saying!

    • Cheryl Clarson says:

      Spot on, Marty!

      I agree. And, yes, what if he and/or my grandparents had “just accepted” and “given in”?
      Totally different outcome – probably would still be a story of courage, but a much sadder one.

      Thank you, Daymaker, for time + sharing thoughts.

      Valued.

      Happy Day!

      Catch ya Wednesday.

  4. Carol says:

    I’m so glad I saw Marty’s comment about the Party Line because somehow I missed the story my first time through. The sheer determination and courage and ingenuity of all those involved is mind boggling. And the fortitude of the young child – what a totally amazing story! Marty’s right – things could have gone a number of different directions. I can only believe God was directing the “players.”

Comments are closed.