A Railroad Town and a Train Named Shiloh

The Caboose at Jesse Wynne Park



In 1882 there was a train derailment in the area. A box car left without wheels was placed upright and named "Wynne Station" in honor of Civil War Captain Jesse Wynne. On September 27, 1882 the Wynne Post Office opened. The rest is history.

Jesse Wynne Park sits just across the tracks from the location of the old railroad station. The tracks going East and West and North and South intersect at this point.

Dogwood in Jesse Wynne Park



When I was very young we would ride the train to Memphis for shopping in the morning and catch the afternoon train home. I have fond memories of meeting the train when my grandmother would come for a visit from Memphis.

My mother tells a story of how she was having difficulty breaking me from the bottle. She sent me home with grandmother on the train. Grandmother told me she had left the bottle on the train. When I returned I was a "big girl" drinking from a glass.

I have photographs of my grandfather meeting my dad and his brothers, in their uniforms, during World War II at that station. The old station is sadly long gone.

Those old tracks are still very busy but the trains no longer stop in Wynne. They just speed on through, blowing their whistles loudly.

Wednesday afternoon the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Shiloh Reenactment Civil War Train came steaming into town. My husband's office is near the railroad track. We began tracking the train with GPS on the computer and as the train approached Wynne the crowd began to gather. As the time came near we headed over to the tracks to join in the excitement.

I couldn't help but wonder what Captain Jesse Wynne would think about all the hoopla and the characters in their costumes.

Coming Around the Bend



It was fun to see the steam billowing and hear the old whistle blow.

The train was filled with passengers in Civil War costumes.



Canon Car

Farewell

And all too quickly, the train was gone.

♥ and Peace

Myra

Doe's and the Brinkley Chamber of Commerce Banquet

I accompanied Jim to Little Rock last Thursday evening. It was one of those miserable trips in the pouring rain. Stan joined us for a quick supper at Pei Wei followed by yogurt at Yogurt Mountain.

Friday at noon was the sine die adjournment for the 88th General Assembly Fiscal Session.

The View From Senator Luker's Desk

 Jim wanted a cheeseburger for lunch so we decided to head over to Doe's for lunch.

Following Lunch at Doe's

The Front Room at Doe's

Wall at Doe's Eat Place

 

On the way home we stopped in Brinkley for the annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet. With seven counties in Jim's Senate district we have attended our share of Chamber of Commerce and Farm Bureau banquets over the years. We have met some very interesting people. Each community has something special that sets it apart from the others. You may remember that several years ago the formerly extinct ivory billed woodpecker was sighted near Brinkley. It hasn't been seen since and the hoopla has died down.

I spotted this cute art studio on the way to the Brinkley Convention Center.

Art Studio in Brinkley, AR

Miss Arkansas, Kristin Glover was the banquet speaker.

Miss Arkansas, Kristin Glover

Senator Luker Visiting With His Constitients

The Banquet Meal

Miss Arkansas Gave a Very Entertaining Speech

Signing Autographs

The Brinkley Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year
Mr. Gene DePriest

♥ and Peace, Myra

Buttermilk Pie, Oh My!

One of my favorite old fashioned pies is Buttermilk Pie. This recipe is from the cookbook "What Presbyterians Cook". In celebration of Wynne Presbyterian Church's 125th Anniversary members submitted recipes for the collection. George Anne Draper contributed this recipe for Buttermilk Pie.

BUTTERMILK PIE

1 unbaked pie crust

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

3 T. flour

3 eggs, beaten well

1 c. buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and flour. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 deg. for 45-55 minutes.

Gathering the Ingredients

Creaming Butter and Sugar Together

Eggs and Flour, Buttermilk and Vanilla

Oven 350 for 45-55 Minutes

Enjoy

Lunch

The winter in Arkansas this year was so mild that we still had turnip and mustard greens and turnips. Jim is preparing his beds for spring planting so I cooked the last mess of greens and turnips from the fall planting. Mom joined us for a country lunch.

♥ and Peace

Myra

Rag Lap Quilt

My latest addiction is Pinterest. After selecting categories of interest I have been (happily) bombarded with information and instructions on how to cook or make almost anything!

My first major project was a rag lap quilt. I saw a photo of a quilt I thought was so pretty so I clicked on the instructions and decided that I could make one. First let me say I cannot sew a straight seam or cut a straight line even with the aid of a rotary cutter and quilting ruler. Perhaps with practice I will improve my skills.

I had several yards of fabric on hand and decided it would make a nice quilt.

Cutting the Squares

The next step is to make a sandwich with two squares of fabric with filler in between. Then you "quilt" the square.

Sewing the Squares Together "Quilting"

After all of the squares are quilted it is time to lay out the squares in the pattern desired. The squares are then pinned together with the raw edges exposed and sewn into strips.

Organizing the Squares

The strips are sewn together with the raw edges exposed. After all the strips are sewn together a seam is then sewn around the border of the quilt. With spring scissors small cuts are made along all the strips and the border. This allows the quilt to fray when washed and dried. Hence the name "rag quilt".

The Finished Quilt

♥ and Peace

Myra

Session Ends, Steak and Cross County Museum Eat and Greet

In the early morning hours Monday Jay, Jennifer, Nicholas and Hunt left for the Memphis International Airport for flights to their respective cities. With laundry started I waited for the remaining weekend guests to arrive from their motel down the street. Joe, Melva, Zula and I had a nice "brunch" at Colby's. Jim's mother, Zula, offered to quilt the quilt top I had pieced several years ago. We headed to the local fabric store, Fabrics and More, to purchase backing. I wanted a coordinating fabric with a pattern. After listening to how expensive the fabric was from my mother-in-law, Zula, and pointing out that she wasn't paying for it, the purchase was made. The group left shortly for their drive home to Eureka Springs.

My brother-in-law Joe informed me that the weather on Tuesday was predicted to be stormy. He suggested that I drive on to Little Rock to avoid the weather. I had planned to join Jim there for the end of the fiscal session. Jim and Stan both left on Sunday night. Stan had school and Jim had an early morning meeting. I finished the laundry, threw some clothes in the car and I was off. I stopped briefly for a hamburger in Bald Knob and made it to LR in time for a short nap before dinner at The Butcher Block with friends. Dinner with friends made the trip worthwhile. The bad weather never developed. Windy but beautiful!

Spring Has Arrived In Arkansas

It was good to sleep in on Tuesday. I spent a lazy morning at the apartment before joining Jim for lunch downstairs where the City of Jonesboro was hosting the meal. I decided to spend the afternoon shopping. We began our evening with the Turkish Awards Dinner. We visited with our Turkish friends and enjoyed tasting some of the Turkish dishes we enjoyed during our trip to Turkey last June. Next we left to visit the library of a rare book collector and learn about rare books and collecting.  Later we had dinner at Arthur's Steak House with members of the term limited Senate members ("The Senior Caucus").

Turkish Reception and Awards Dinner

Turkish Feast

Scallops At Arthur's Steak House

Wednesday I spent time at the Capitol and had lunch with friends at Vieux Carre. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Little Rock. The food is fresh and inventive. The atmosphere is always pleasant and the service is excellent. More shopping after lunch. For dinner we joined a group at the Riverfront Steak House in North Little Rock. That makes three steak restaurants this week. I've found that steak houses usually have good seafood. I only ordered steak one night.

Senator Teague and Senator Luker at Vieux Carre

Thursday the term limited members of the Senate each spoke for a few minutes about their service. Each shared personal experiences and reflected on what public service has meant to them. These members have become personal friends. I will miss them. They will serve until January but this is the last session they will participate in. Shortly after the "speeches" I started home.

Senator Luker Addressing The Senate

Friday the Cross County Museum hosted  Eat and Greet. The event was in honor of the 60th anniversary of Jack and Esther Killough. The guests enjoyed the delicious food prepared by Esther while viewing the exhibits and catching up on local events with old friends and new.

Enjoying A Game Of Checkers At The Old Country Store

Indian Pottery

Parkin Was Well Represented

Food Prepared by Esther Killough

Until next week, Peace and ♥.
Myra

Surprise! (Happy Birthday Jim)

A couple of months ago I received an e-mail from daughter-in-law Jennifer. Jim was about to celebrate a milestone birthday and she wanted to get the whole family here for a SURPRISE birthday get-together. I couldn't think of a better present than having our only grandchild Nicholas here for a visit. Book the flights! I'll call all the Arkansas relatives. And so the planning began.

On Friday Jay, Jennifer, Nicholas and Hunt flew to Memphis, met at the airport and rented a car for the drive "home". They were here to surprise Jim when he came home from work.

We left Nicholas sitting at the bar when we saw Jim turn in the driveway. We hid in the hall until he came in the back door. He became suspicious when he saw the rental car, however, he said he really was surprised. Jim's reaction - "Boy, what are you doing here?" Stan drove in later that evening so all of the boys were here to celebrate the birthday.

Hunt, Jay, Nicholas, Jim and Stan

The remainder of the family arrived on Saturday. The surprises continued as his cousin Ryman and wife Linda arrived followed by his mother Zula and brother Joe and sister-in-law Melva.

Ryman, Stan, Jim, Hunt, Jennifer, Jay, Nicholas, Melva, Joe

Linda, Dorothy, Zula, Myra



Jim, Stan, Jennifer, Jay, Nicholas, Hunt, Joe

Myra, Dorothy (Myra's Mom), Zula (Jim's Mom), Melva

Preparing For the "Photo Shoot"

I enjoy genealogy and photography. I have noticed how important family photographs are, especially group shots, in telling the family story. Some are always reluctant and children don't always cooperate but it is fun to look back and remember events. Sometimes the "photo shoot" can be a fun part of a gathering as well.

Nicholas Driving His Great Grandfather's Truck

In 2008 I took a photo of Jim and his boys in the old GMC truck that belonged to Jim's father.

I thought it would be fun to do it again for comparison and of course with Nicholas.

Here are the two photos.









2012

2008

Helping Papa Blow Out The Candles

The Children's Table

Fun with Uncle Hunt and Uncle Stan



Papa and Nicholas Watching One of Uncle Stan's Videos

In summary, thank you Jennifer for making this happen. It was a birthday to remember.

Thank you to everyone for sharing this weekend with Jim.

Myra ----- ♥Peace