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Hi again,

I get lost on this place.  All y'all are so proficient at posting that if a person only hangs out a few times a month or so, they find a "flood" of posts!

(ok, maybe that was bad taste)     

I'm glad this group is here.  I probably won't visit too much.  Was here earlier this month because I figured there would be news about the flood, and there was, and it was great to know there would be people posting about what was happening. 

Little pocket of hills in Elk County never gets out of your blood, does it?

In case anybody wants to know, the Bartlesville newspaper says we still can't use Johnstone Park.  They are still working on "sanitizing" it.  That probably means Kiddie Park too.  Just in case you have family you were going to visit here in B'ville.

Big Hugz to All,

Ritagail

Well, the rain seems to have slowed down here in B'ville, but, I guess I'll go ahead and "sign in" as I haven't been here for awhile, and I didn't fully answer everyone last year when I signed in.  I think enough time has passed to go ahead and write things...was trying to be respectful of some relatives' wishes.

I'm Rita Gail (Crowell) Burleson, the only child of Olin Frank Crowell (died last August) and Sharon Fern (Reynolds) Crowell.  My grandparents were Charlie and Anna (Guenther) Crowell, and Frank and Vi (Rothgeb) Reynolds  (Grandma Vi is still alive, bless her).

The reason I didn't fully write last Fall was because, not sure how to say this briefly and respectfully, let's just say my parents and I were estranged.  My mother has declared me "dead" and that I'm not me, that I'm an imposter.  She even went so far as to have "Parents of Rita Gail Crowell 1961-1978" carved on the tombstone.

It's a mess.

ANYway.......I'm living down here in Bartlesville (OK) with my husband Lynn.  We have 2 grown sons, 1 in Okie City who is married with a little girl and a baby on the way, 1 son who lives way up in Minnesota.  I don't get see the kids very much, and not having any other family around gets lonely.

I visit the tree planted in honor of my dead cousin Jenell (O'Mara) Van Poollen Boorigie on her birthday and the anniversary of her death, to keep her memory alive.  It's at Wesleyan University here in B'ville.

Not much else.  Can you tell the rains have me more gloomy than usual?

Oh, I'm a member of the local art association.  I also do our church's weekly bulletin.  And, I've got some mild autism (Asperger's) but it's combined with giftedness and being an only child, so sometimes I'm just a nut and sometimes I'm too sensitive and sometimes I'm a complete grump....and I ALWAYS WORRY!

   

--Ritagail

Thanks.  I still haven't heard anything from relatives in Independence. 

Coffeyville is really going to need a lot of support.....they said on the news that the water is mixed with the oil from the refinery.

I do our church bulletin, so I'm going to run another "ad" in there about contributing to the Red Cross.

In case you don't know, you can designate where you want your funds to go when you give to the Red Cross.  You just need to tell them.

These were 2 of Charlie Crowell and Anna (Guenther) Crowell's children:

Olin Frank Crowell died Aug. 13, 2006 in Iola, KS, buried in Independence, KS.

Caryl (Crowell) Young died in May 2007 (don't remember date, don't have it in front of me now) in North Dakota, buried in North Dakota.

Caryl's last name was Gardner years ago.

Wanted to remember them.

So, Longton is flooded too?  Oh mannnnnnn...........

It is raining again here right now (7:49PM Sunday) in Bartlesville.  And I went to Mass this morning to Thank God for the rain ending!!!!

aaauuuuggggghhhhhh!!!

Prayers too.

With all the flood news, sometimes others get left behind in the prayer/caring area.

Hi,

Thanks so much for posting about the floods.  I've been trying to find out how Independence is doing.

We have some flooding here in Bartlesville, I guess, but I think the worst is in Dewey (just north of B'ville).

Has anybody heard about Hickory Creek?  My guess would be it's all a mess back in there too.  There was a pond on my Granddad's old place, it's probably a mess.

Is Longton ok, does anyone know?

Thanks.

Ritagail

That's it!!

Thank you!!!!!!!!!

Like I said....."warm fuzzy" memories of Grandma scrambling for a scrap of paper to scribble down a recipe.

And those bottles of flavorings. 

Kitchen-Klatter was a radio show, think it was from a family in Iowa, maybe?  It was mostly for women and homekeeping.  There were homekeeping tips, recipes, humor among the family members as they were gabbing on the air.....they had a line of flavorings, Grandma Anna used the flavorings, they came in little bottles...Black Walnut, Cherry, Coconut, Butter.......just a few I remember, and of course they had the Big bottle of Vanilla.

I don't know what radio station they listened to, maybe Coffeyville?  There was a paper magazine that the women subscribed to also.

Anyway,  I think it was a highlight in Grandma's day, listening to the program.

It would have probably been in the 60's and some of the 70's, not sure how long they kept the show going.....they may have been in the 80's too(??) 

PLEASE tell me somebody here remembers Kitchen-Klatter.

The women relatives listening intently to the radio.....running for a scrap of paper to scribble a recipe........the men relatives teasing the women...............it's a very "warm fuzzy" memory.