Rushville-Industry 4 x 200 relay, 2nd in STATE!

Members: Breanne Moore, Sarah Roegge, Tayler Onion, Erin Ealy.

This is my beautiful niece Tayler Onion and her 4 x 200 relay team. They placed 2nd at the State Track Meet today for Class A teams! What a difference a year makes. Last year, we went to the state track meet excited for whatever would happen. The girls made it through to the finals....guaranteed at least 9th place and medals! Awesome, we thought. Guaranteed!

Never count your chickens before they're hatched my mother used to say and that's exactly the lesson we learned. The girls dropped the baton in a handoff and couldn't pick it up to finish...no place, no medals, no cheering crowds. Just tears, heads in their hands, and saying, "Well, what if?" The hurt was so deep, you just couldn't help hold back the tears for them. It was devastating.

This year they returned. Posted the fastest qualifying time from sectionals. Posted the fastest qualifying time going into the finals and then....one member fell during another event and banged up her knee. No...not again! This can't be happening. Somehow, she dusted herself off and was ready to go. They ran their fastest time ever...Broke their school record again! 1:45.71. JOY, HAPPINESS! To God be the glory. We learned the lesson to never take ANYTHING for granted, never count on anything. Enjoy the ride. Just enjoy the ride!

These have to be the biggest smiles of the day. The other three members also took first place in the 4x100 relay. Lightning struck twice ! Team finished 6th in state....Big grins, happy girls, and memories they'll never forget, because in the end, it wasn't about the medal really, it was about people, memories and never giving up and hoping for something better in the long run. A very Christian message!

Rushville-Industry Prom

This is a picture of my beautiful daughter, Leigh, (left) and my beautiful niece, Tayler Onion (right) at Tayler's junior prom. Can't believe she'll be a senior next year. She is the spitting image of her momma.

Big weekend for the Onion clan. Son, Austin, had a big 8th grade Spring Party Friday night while his sister had her conference track meet. Then Saturday, chaos broke loose with Tayler's prom. Cathy will be tired on Sunday when pre-prom, prom, after prom and after, after prom is over!

Mother Nature messing with us!

Today is April 24...and no corn planted in our area yet. Seriously, Mother Nature needs to be a little more helpful!



With the cost of food, (and I want to emphasize Americans spend the least amount of their income on food of anyone in the world!) perhaps people will go back to planting big gardens and canning. First, you get your own organic food. Second, you're getting fresher food. Third, you'll waste less and there is certainly a sense of pride when you put those jars in the basement full of wonderful vegetables and fruits!

Sanity and earthquakes

Something happens to you when your bed starts shaking at 4:35 in the morning...you question your sanity! Are you dreaming or what the heck is going on?

It only took a couple of seconds to realize we were having an EARTHQUAKE this morning. Centered in the metro St. Louis area, we felt it up in western Illinois!

The windows rattled, the bed was shaking, it was still dark out and in my mind, I went tripping back to 1968. I was 7 years old sitting in the back seat of Mom and Dad's Chevy Impala. Mom turns to us girls (my sister, Cathy, cousins Terra and Lori) and said, "Will you girls quit shaking the car!" Our eyes were big when we replied..."We're NOT shaking the car!" The telephone poles outside the car were swaying and my mom said OH NO!

Kansas is burning tonight!

My Jayhawks did it! Rock Chalk Jayhawks....we believed in you. Congratulations to you all. Way to go Coach Self. You had such class this week.

Just a few of our cattle.

This has to be one of my most favorite places in the world. This is the beach at Perdido Key, FL about a mile from Orange Beach, AL. This Flora/Bama line is absolutely beautiful no matter what time of year I've visited and it's just so peaceful. People are absolutely the friendliest and so mannerly. I wish the "Yankees" would remember their yes ma'am and yes sirs as much as these folks do.

Thanks to all our friends at the Flora/Bama line and their gracious hospitality!