An Arkies Musings

For quite some time I have been hearing about e-books and how they are going to revolutionize publishing and reading. I have been a skeptic because I love books and the way they feel and smell and look. I collect old books. How could e-books ever replace that experience? I recently stumbled across a discovery that made me sit up and take notice. I knew that e-books were supposed to be cheaper than their print counterparts, but I wasn't aware of the huge amount of free books that are available. Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are available to read on Kindle. As I browsed through what was available I was amazed. There were so many books that I would not have ever been able to even see a copy of much less read. I love history, and the amount of historical material that is available is staggering. To get an idea of what is available go here . You don't have to buy an e-book reader to gain access to this amazing treasure. Kindle provides free apps fo...

Friday afternoon Gina and I traveled to Hot spring to attend the Garland County Relay For Life which is the largest Relay in Arkansas. They have over 60 teams with over 730 participants. Even though we were interested in seeing a Relay of that size, the main reason that we attended was so that we could sign up for CPS-3. CPS-3 stands for Cancer Prevention Study 3. The American Cancer Society first began conducting long-term studies in the 1950s. For these studies, large groups of individuals were recruited through a successful partnership between the American Cancer Society researchers and volunteers. The study population provides information (e.g. lifestyle, medical, or behavioral) and then are followed over time to assess their health outcomes and to determine how those outcomes are related to the previously collected exposure data. The commitment of the study participants and the volunteers who recruited them has been vital to the success of these studies. Past long-term American...

Gavin and Rachel's Wedding is just two weeks away. Everyone is getting excited. There will be family there from Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Missouri, Georgia, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. There have been lots of preparations but everything is in order. We are leaving this afternoon for Keene, Texas to take Gavin and Rachel a washer and dryer. We purchased the set for them when some dear friends of ours were moving to Oregon. Last fall Gina and I took Gavin and Rachel's engagement photos. We went to Janssen Park here in Mena and tried our hand at being professional photographers. Gina would work with them on posing and placement and then we would both take photos. The two camera system worked great. With slightly different angles and more photos to choose from I think that we got better pictures than if just one of us was photographing. The old police car is a 1939 Dodge that the city bought from my Dad in the 80's and outfitted as a police car to us...

This weekend was a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. Saturday, after Sabbath School, Gina and I, along with our friend Deanna, traveled to Hot Springs where we spent a leisurely afternoon at Garvin Woodland Gardens. On the way to Hot Springs we went through the town of Caddo Gap. I had been wanting to stop in Caddo Gap and take some pictures of the old buildings there. Caddo Gap is in the area in which explorer Hernando de Soto and his forces clashed with the Tula Indians. The expedition described the Tula Indians as the fiercest they had faced during their inward journey into North America. After the battle De Soto then turned to the southeast and descended the Caddo and Ouachita Rivers into what is now Louisiana where he died. Caddo Gap marks the westernmost point of DeSoto's exploration of North America. The Town of Caddo Gap was settled before 1850. The first village was located near the natural gap or narrows of the Caddo River. The coming of the Gurdon and Fort Smit...

This is an article from the April 29, 2010 edition of The Mena Star written by Andy Philpot RELAY PROVIDES TIME TO CELEBRATE, REMEMBER For three consecutive years, the Relay For Life has been on Mena's spring schedule through the organization of Regina and Richie Lawry, as well as a collection of devoted volunteers that have given the residents of Mena an opportunity to celebrate. This is no ordinary celebration though, as it is a chance to celebrate the victories of life, as well as the lives once close to us. The fact remains that there is currently no cure for cancer, but through the American Cancer society, efforts are continually being made towards defeating the disease, and according to Regina Lawry, to have a day where no one will have to hear the words "you have cancer". Relay For Life has become an annual event in Mena that not only gives locals an opportunity to celebrate, but also to raise funds toward the ongoing battle against cancer as a cure is sought out...