FOTO FRIDAY: FOR THE BIRDS

 

FOTO FRIDAY this week is for the birds...

Have you stopped recently and listened to how spring has sprung? 

     The birds are really making a lot of noise...

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was Tshirts in their Perfect Settingg

TBT: PROOF 'S IN THE PUDDING

 TBT: 7 years ago, my next-door neighbor caught this pic... Here are his words: Patrick Bosley Beausoleil is with Karen Sherman.

·"And now you see the meteorological support for Karen Sherman's moniker of The Rainbow Valley! This is Gail Hartel Beausoleil's and my backyard. Just caught this six minutes ago before it dissipated. The right side of this rainbow terminates at the Balto/Sherman domicile! Love this stuff!

And also additional proof that a lot can happen in our lifetime...

tUESDAY tUNES: NOTHIN' BUT THE REAL THING...

tUESDAY tUNES : Looked who crossed my feed this week -Jeremy Keith from the Voice Knockouts. I like this artist's rendition of Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" 

Take a listen. 

What do you think? 

Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing

 

FOTO FRIDAY:  T-SHIRTs in their perfect setting...

 

TBT: 6 years ago... COVID CHANGES OUR WORLD

 TBT :  It was just 6 years ago when our worlds changed ... It was a blessing to live where we lived a natural isolation in the back of a valley. Natureman could receive his chemo and return to our mask-free world called home in the woods...  the End of the Rainbow Valley...

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: 2 MiNORITIES WiTH A SOUTHERN PAST

 In honor of WOMEN'S month the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) provided a peek into a special community relationship  between Arkansan white and black women and insight of the relationship between Jewish women and Black Christian women.  

The program was entitled Memories of the Ottenheimer Brothers and Rocket Plant on 10th & Spring Street even though we diverted to hear a bit re: libraries which were separate but not equal.

Rhonda Stewart, geneology and local history specialist in CALS presented an interesting look at the history between these groups. Jimmy Pfeifer, local historian, also contributed to her presentation.

  First of all, we were introduced to Vera Snook, a transplant from Illinois, a fierce librarian who built the State's library system.  The Negro library on 9th  existed before her arrival but it was kept running and upgraded under her watch.'26-'48.  In '41, a bigger building was opened on 16th & High thanks to her perseverance and help fundraising for the new structure.. 

Full integration didn't start until after her. Black Adults were allowed in '51, 7th grade and up. This was before Brown vs Brown.

We also heard about the Women's Emergency Committee  (WEC)1400, mostly white, well-off ladies from the PTA , AAUW  secretish as they were laws around ties to NAACO but they pulled together. White and Black, Jews and Christians. Open Our schools.Door to door, car pooling to polls and nudging of husbands. Yes, the power of women. Improving community lives. 

So how do the Ottenheimers come into the story. They were the first factory owners to hire a Black Women work force and help improve  lives more than these workers could have ever earned elsewhere although not equal...

Take a look at the chart below.

This made a big difference in these women's lives. The company eventually merged into Kellwood who sold to Sears and local Jewish-owned department stores like Cohen's and Blass. 

I am looking forward to learning more. But history was made... And we can learn from history and try to do better with each generation. Thanks to strong women, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

*Some of the workers' families were present for the program. 

tUESDAY tUNES: DOWN BY THE SALLEY GARDENS

tUESDAY tUNES this week was heard while listening to the movie The Children Act with Emma Thompson who not only played this song on the piano but also sang this song. What a moving story and beautiful tune...

Take a watch'n listen: DOWN BY the SALLEY GARDENS...