Betty’s Week
By Betty Shearer
Weather has been the main interest of the week. In the Valley we’ve gone from sticky hot summer time over the weekend to an almost chilly fall morning today (Tuesday).
Think everyone was thankful that Hurricane Ike did no more damage than he did, even though it was extensive. For such a massive storm the death toll was surprising low.
Next on the news rung has been the falling market and the rising gas prices. I can’t see any logic for either of these. I’m not a stock analyst, or an economist, but it seems to me that greed, the media, and gitters are controlling both of these entities.
My question is, “Why raise gas prices until there is an actual need?” And I don’t think the threat of damage to the Texas oil refineries constituted need. Now if they’re wiped out, okay, maybe. Latest report I heard was that they’d be up and running in 11 days—If this country does not have more than an 1-day gas reserve, we are in trouble.
Heard one newscaster ask the question, “If the market is so vulnerable, then should we all take our money out of the market and the banks, and hide it under our mattresses, as was done following the ‘29 market crash?” I never heard a logical answer to this question. There was also a hot debate over why the CEOs and others in authority in these huge companies, which are failing, are coming out smelling like a rose. My thinking is that if the company is broke, then its entire assets should be put on the block. If after payment to creditors is made and some assets remain, then these should be shared equally, stock for stock. Sure the brass will get a lot more, but that’s fair, they had more invested.
Enough on my soap-box.
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Thursday afternoon I left work, traveled to Panola County to play Bridge. Our hostess was Allison Rowsey and her husband, Kent, and the boys were also present. Enjoyed visiting with Kent—we discussed football, especially our new defensive coach, Richard Russo. Richard’s wife, Sarah, who is a member of the club, came in and I told her that the Valley likes her husband. She says, “I glad, because he’s really enjoying coaching in WV.” Thursday night though, Richard was not coaching—he was home baby sitting their two little ones. He’s also a good daddy.
When I entered Kent says, “We’re so honored to have the famous Water Valley journalist in our home!” This brought on a big laugh. Sounded like a satire on the introductions of Jessica Fletcher in “Murder She Wrote”. We do have a good time, though, and it’s go good to get to know all these young folks.
Allison fed us some of my favorite foods—rotel chicken, seasoned green beans, cream corn, and a dessert.
Sarah and I were partners for the first round, then we remained at table two for the entire night—next two rounds as opponents. Didn’t make a lot of difference whether we were partners or not, neither of us had hands all night, but she took low. With Sarah you learn all about the woes of the delta. She’s a lawyer and works out of Clarksdale. Seems that they had two shooting (reported) last week and they were scary.
Then she told us about another shooting, which happened in the Memphis area. A friend of hers had a bullet go through her car—luckily she had her windows down. The police said had the windows not been down, the bullet probably would have entered the vehicle, hit the passenger side window and ricocheted back into her body.
I was Karen Martindale Lewis’ partner for one set and she reports that her mother, Opal, is doing pretty good. Her sitter was ill some of last week and Karen spent lots of time with her mother, which I’m sure she enjoyed, but says “Miss Opal” was ready for her sitter to come back. Karen must not be as entertaining as she.
Opal is a classmate of Ludie, Dessie and Barron Caulfield, Marie Axelrod, Alma Hart, Gary Williamson’s mother, and many others—the Class of ‘34.
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Saturday I went back to Mom’s—knew Jimmie had a shower and the boys were working so I didn’t want Mom to be alone. Cooked us some lunch, did some housecleaning, and started Sunday dinner. Baked belated birthday pies for Betty Davis and sister-in-law Jennie. They both turned 61—Betty on the third and Jennie on the fifth.
Betty got chocolate and Jennie’s favorite is lemon. Took Betty’s to her Sunday night and it was great to see Al looking so good. First time I’d seen him since his open heart surgery. Every time I planned a visit, someone around me came down with a sore throat, stomach virus, etc., and there was not way I was taking a chance on delivering a bug.
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Former Vallian David Fly of Senatobia came by Monday to bring us a sample of his grandson’s writing. He’s a journalism student at Ole Miss. While here David shared with me a discovery he made while on a vacation trip to the Royal Gorge, some time back. Said they were looking at the many names carved into the bridge and came across Ed Shearer, Water Valley. Now Ed had never mentioned this and this was the first time I’d heard the story from David. It was good to visit with him and to learn of the journalist in his family.
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Congratulations to the Blue Devils on their win over Independence Friday night. I really intended to get to this one, but just didn’t. Not attending ballgames on Friday nights does seem strange, since we did it on a weekly basis for over 40 years. For most of those years Ed walked the sidelines, with camera in hand, and I flipped hamburgers—was fun and I miss it.
