The Legs Murder Case.....

I was on my way back to Taylorsville from Slidell, LA. Not only do I love Story telling, Genealogy, Cemeteries, and old country roads, I also love Antiques. (Takes one to know one!)

I had heard that Picayune (some folks call it Picky-une) had several nice Antique stores, so at Exit 4 I got off the Interstate. I was in no hurry to get back home and there were a few things I wanted …….not needed!

I headed toward town and turned on old Highway 11 to the downtown section. The first Antique store was closed, but I saw a “Flea Market” that was open. I kinda’ like those, too. I stopped and went in and saw, quickly, there was probably nothing I couldn’t live without. Of course, I was wrong….I found some Champagne Flutes, yes, in a Flea Market!

After paying, I asked the owner where the Antique stores were, and I was given directions to Angel’s Place. His exact words were “She’s got some real good stuff.” When I opened the door to Angel’s, my thoughts were “boy, beauty really is in the eye of the beholder!” And there was nothing, in Angel’s Place, that I couldn’t live without!!

After scoping out three good Antique stores, I did find some “real good stuff.” I headed on up I-59. I was determined to go back to McNeill and find the grave of the legs, and the grave where no grass grows. I’m nothing if I’m not inquisitive!

Have you ever gotten someplace and couldn’t remember why you were going? Well, I got to McNeill Cemetery and I could not, for the life of me, remember the last name of the people for whom I was searching. I literally was going to have to search for a grave without any grass.

The Legs Murder Case had occurred in 1930, so I immediately went to the old section of the cemetery. At one point, I decided it should be named The Spiers Cemetery, since that seemed to be the only folks buried there. I was amazed at how many small children and infant’s graves there were. I walked over the entire cemetery…..old section, new section, all sections…..and all the while I was going thru the alphabet, in my mind, trying to remember the last name of the people for whom I was searching.  

Finally, in the middle of the cemetery (some old stones, some newer stones) were two graves and Ouida Keeton’s grave had almost no grass. Ouida had been buried beside the legs of Daisy, the mother she had been accused of murdering some 40 plus years ago (and only her legs were ever recovered.)

They were both buried at the foot of the grave of John Monroe Keeton who had been killed, by a train, at age 37. (John Monroe was Daisy’s husband and Ouida’s father). Apparently, there had been unanswered questions surrounding his death which resulted in his young wife, Daisy, becoming a millionaire at age 29. Had Daisy’s horrible death somehow been the revenge of the God’s for her husband’s mysterious death?

Someday, when you have nothing better to do …find a copy of ‘The Legs Murder Case’ …but be forewarned, it can actually be pretty boring. The book goes into laborious detail, so I found myself skimming through some pages to get to the “meat” (sorry, no pun intended) of the book.

#Laurel #murder #LegsMurderCase #OuidaKeeton #DaisyKeeton

As Easy As.......................

Camping (is living in a Motor Home with all the accoutrements of home, really camping?) in the backwoods of Minnesota has been beautiful.

This state with its thousands of lakes (License Plates boasts 10,000) plentiful with fish, water sports, and winter sports, abundant forests where the tall trees seem to be reaching for the blue skies,  many Nature Trails, hiking and biking trails, Corps of Engineer Campgrounds and private campgrounds nestled in and among the trees – filled with campers of every type.

The almost 50 mile Heartland State Trail established in 1974 was

one of the nation’s first rail corridors to be converted into a hiking/biking trail. The asphalt paved trail follows the shoreline of several of Minnesota’s lakes through forest of towering white pine, spruce, fir and hardwood. In the woods are deer, red fox, porcupine, beaver and some of the largest raccoons I’ve ever seen, in my life!!

This trail is home to many bikers and hikers – and that’s where my problem began. My friend is an avid biker – riding 40, 50 or more miles per day. I, on the other hand, hadn’t been on a bike …..in years….and then, it wasn’t one of those “fancy” bikes that changed speeds ….and it was a girl’s bike!! And, I never wore a racing helmet……in my life.

The die had been cast. It was decided. I must join my friend riding the Heartland Trail. The Bike was removed from the Bike Rack, on the back of the car, and suddenly I was being shown where the speeds were. My question was….”where’s the brake?”

It was a man’s bicycle. There was no putting my leg through….I must lean the bike over and throw my leg over and then try and stand it up.  Do you know how old I am? Do you know how hard that is? The seat was too high. It was lowered. It was still too high. It was lowered, again. It was still too high. When did I get this short?

I was instructed about starting with my right foot and then getting my left foot going….with confidence….(heck, I think I left that in Mississippi)…..and taking off. I wobbled and wobbled and finally got it stopped. I asked…”Why am I wobbling?” I was told….”because you aren’t riding fast enough to keep it upright.”

The last time my hands were this sweaty was when Bob made me drive the RV on Interstate 20…and the semi trucks were passing me. This was a bicycle, for goodness sake. This wasn’t supposed to be a big deal!

It didn’t turn out well. Yes, the bike and I fell….and I wasn’t even moving when it happened!  (That takes a real Pro.)

I was told, “We’ll practice tomorrow….so you can get better, at this.” I worried, for hours, about how was I going to get out of this. My bruises were beginning to have bruises…and I was sore.

This morning, I suggested that I didn’t “need” any broken bones (at my age)….and hiking might be my speed.

As far as I’m concerned….it may be as easy as riding a bike for some of you, but for me….it’s as easy as falling off one!!

Just Another Perfect Day

The state of Iowa has always been a part of my life and my heart.

It doesn't seem possible that it has been 47 years since we moved from our home state of Mississippi to Iowa. Our youngest daughter was born there and both daughters were raised (reared) there.

Some of my best friends live there and a first cousin - who is like a sister lives there. 

I returned this past weekend to help my oldest daughter, a travel nurse, move back home. I couldn't go back without seeing family.  

It was Mother's Day afternoon and my "cuzsister" (a cousin who is like a sister) decided that we were going to visit some old cemeteries. Even though this writer is a "cemetery fanatic" (never pass one up), Teresa was the only one interested in going. Everyone else had eaten too much of her good cooking (her mom was a fantastic cook and she inherited those traits and then improved upon them.) 

She harassed us about going to the point that we gave in - to shut her up!

By the time the day was over and we had laughed so much some of us had to change clothes - we were all happy we had given in and gone with her.

Many of Iowa's country roads are made of crushed limestone rock. You know a "country car" by the white residue that the limestone dust leaves. We drove deeper into the country on one of those roads until we found the cemetery Teresa wanted to show us. 

We left the rock road and drove over deep grass down a narrow lane to a closed gate, leading into a pasture. The remainder of our journey was going to have to be on foot. We went through the gate and Teresa pointed to the cemetery ... about 1/4 mile straight up at the top of a steep hill, surrounded by a fence to keep the cows out.

Couch potato that I am, I could only think...."Aww, heck no!" 

Not to be outdone by the others, I started trudging up that hill - through a pasture. Yes, we had to pick and choose where we'd walk to avoid stepping into "cow pies" and muddy holes - and I was wearing my new white tennis shoes! 

By the time I got to the top, I was gasping for breath. I could only imagine needing Life Flight to get to me......an Ambulance certainly wouldn't be able to make it!  (I wondered how they’d managed to get all those people up to their final resting place.)

. 

The oldest tombstone in the old cemetery read 1823. There may have been others, that were older, but their stone had disappeared - or lay in the pile of broken stones. Several stones were from veterans of the Civil War (Iowa fought for the Union). 

Iowa is the state where the tall corn grows and the wind always blows. This day was no different. We had passed fields, with rows that stretched to the horizon (like our MS Delta fields) with corn already popping through the soil, and we were standing in a small country cemetery atop a high hill.....with the mighty wind blowing. Trees were permanently bent, in a leaning direction, because of the wind.

Any day spent, in a cemetery, is a perfect day.......this had been even better. It was Mother's Day, I was with family.....high on a hill........in the wind blown countryside.....just another perfect day.
#Cemetery #Iowa #wind #cousins #tallcorn #Iowawind 

The Women Behind The Men.....

The political campaigns this election season are coming close to making a mockery of electing the next person that will lead our great country. Does it really matter that one candidate gets a spray tan and another has makeup applied before going on stage? Does that have an impact on our economy, or global warming or crime?

I was having a difficult time “liking” anyone, and I began to wonder about the women behind these men. One of these wives will be our next ‘First Lady’ (unless Hillary wins)….and then…..maybe former Pres Clinton will be our ‘First Man?’

I decided to do some "investigative reporting".....and find out what I could about the "other half." The order in which these are presented is in no way indicative of which one I prefer. (I just know who I don't like.)

Bernie Sanders, soon to be 75, has been married twice. His wife would be “First Lady Jane.” She’s 9 years his junior, has her Ph.D. and was a College President. Jane has been on the campaign trail with Bernie, fills in for staff, and is an adviser to him. It has been suggested that she compares to Eleanor Roosevelt.

Donald Trump’s third wife, Slovenian-born Melania is 24 years his junior. She’s a jewelry designer and former model, and she would be the second foreign-born first lady. The first was Louisa Adams, the English-born wife of John Quincy Adams, back in 1825. Melania encourages "The Donald" to try and be "Presidential."

Ted Cruz has been accompanied on the campaign trail by wife Heidi. With a degree from Harvard, she’s a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs Investment Firm (where she has taken a leave-of-absence to help Ted campaign.) She worked in the George W. Bush White House. She’s a very outspoken member of his team and it is sometimes thought that she might be more of a liability than an asset. Iowa is a favorite state of mine, and after reading how she felt about Iowa.....well you can do your own research......it may just be a rumor.

Marco Rubio’s wife, Jeanette, was a Miami Dolphins Cheerleader for one season. She’s more of an introvert and would much prefer to focus on their family and their four children. She has no college degree and her claim to fame apparently is her poor driving record. She has received 13 traffic violations in the past 17 years. (Far be it from me to comment on that....I'm no stranger to traffic tickets.)

John Kasich's second wife, Karen, is 12 years his junior. She was a business executive before retiring to stay home and raise their twin daughters who are now 16. It says a lot for Mr. Kasich that his first wife, to whom he was married for 5 years, still campaigns for him.

If Hillary Clinton is elected President….would former President Bill Clinton be the “First Man?” Normally, it’s the First Lady who decides on the next set of China, Silver, and Crystal. Would that be his responsibility? Would he be planning State Dinners? So many questions.

It’s a given. With the election of a new President, we get a new First Lady……unless we get a First Man! I think Marco Rubio might receive the biggest benefit. Jeanette would have a driver and he wouldn’t have to pay any more fines!

Whoever wins the Big House, let’s hope that our next First Lady has the class of Nancy Reagan, the grace of Barbara Bush, the poise, and elegance of Jackie Kennedy is as soft-spoken as Rosalynn Carter and as "First Lady-Like" as Laura Bush. If we have a "First Man"......well, that would just be a first!

It often takes the woman, behind the man, to put our best foot forward!

(Again, the placement order has nothing to do with preference.)

#campaigns #candidates #politics #debates #candidatewives

I know this isn't something you would expect to come from me......or is it that you wouldn't "suspect" it would come from me.....

Just call me your "Fashion Adviser" for today....This is what you're going to see, this spring: (I watch too much news!!)

There will be Floral tops paired with jeans....(uh......maybe)

Bomber jackets with jeans.....(gonna' need more underarm deodorant, where we live!)

There will be "clunky" high heel shoes.....(I can't wear the "unclunky" ones...don't plan on seeing me in "clunky") .....My cousin, across the road, (Sue Hodge) still looks beautiful in her high-heel shoes .....will she be in fashion with clunky? Wait and watch!!

Hair will be braided and wrapped up, around the head. (was kinda' cute...but I don't think mine is long enough. However, I have some granddaughters who can pull this one off.)

And wait for this one......

Slip dresses.....yes, you read right....slips.....as in full length, under your clothes lingerie. Thin straps (like slips), lace at the top and bottom (like slips) made of silk or nylon (like slips)...........(I could just hear my daddy saying...."Go put some clothes on!)........Although, I do like staying in my pajamas.......maybe...........

Now, aren't you glad I am a good second-hand news reporter!!!