South Georgia kids about 75 years ago. Check their outfits and compare with our students today.  Of course, girls could not wear pants to school.  And they sure loved those saddle oxford shoes and bobbie socks.  The skirts had to be the same length and might change from year to year.  Boys were crazy about blue jeans rolled up and apparently plaid shirts and skirts and dresses were the chosen style.Now look at the middle student on the front row.  Is she a boy or girl?  She has on forbidden pants for a girl but shoes like a girl.  And she must have been brave with different hair style (bangs) and a scarf around the neck.  My thinking is that she probably turned out to be a leader with the courage to break the dress code and wear different hair style.What's my connection?  I attended tha... 06/27/2025

Here is our Norma Young again.I discovered a National Chicken Cooking Contest Recipes book this week and it was  written in 1971 for the 23rd annual contest winner's recipes.  And there she was!  Our Searcy Arkansas queen, Norma Young with her signature!   We think she discovered and made famous Chicken Nuggets. Go to this earlier blog and read more about her and the recipe. And the recipe is easier to read.  Click below.                 https://activerain.com/droplet/JpqmWASN'T THAT FUN!  06/24/2025

According to Zillow, the average home in Arkansas takes around 52 days to sell once it’s listed. That doesn’t include the prep time, negotiations, or closing delays. For many sellers, especially those facing a job relocation, divorce, foreclosure, or an inherited property, that’s simply too long to wait.The good news? With the right strategy, you can beat the average and sell your house in less than 30 days. Whether you're in Little Rock, Fayetteville, or Hot Springs, these five realistic steps can help you get a fast, hassle-free sale — without leaving money on the table.1. Price It Right from the StartOne of the most common mistakes sellers make is overpricing their home, hoping to “leave room for negotiation.” Unfortunately, that strategy can backfire. Listings that start too high of... 06/21/2025

Rediscovered. Painting of my mother from 1966.Well, yes.  It was done by little me and it has resurfaced.  It is still located in Georgia, where I grew up.  It was painted in 1966 in Searcy AR with my signature.  She was probably in her 20's at the time.  She does look young and pretty here.  What I have noticed this time and probably before about her hair covering.  It looks a lot like this style.  Seems as if ladies could use a hankie or scarf to hold back the hair and tie the wrap above the forehead.Like this very famous poster.  I believe it is called Rosie the Riveter and dates back to WW 2 when the men were called to war and women became defense workers during the war.  It stood as a symbol for women in the work force and for women's independence.  I vaguely remember my mother hav... 06/13/2025

Look who is admiring my new shirt!  Tom Brannon, who gave me the shirt, and who is pictured all over it, points to it.  My daughter, Valerie Canepa, is trying to take it because she likes it so much.  Actually, it is last year's shirt but I didn't get one last year.  The Cereal Drive is held yearly by KTHV11 TV station and goes to several different cities to solicit cereal for our kids.  The sign below shows how successful Searcy was with 6503 boxes.  Tom Brannon and Karen Fuller are in the group below.  The white haired lady in the middle is Karen's mother, Anita Hart Fuller.  She grew up in Searcy and has been a great helper with my historic blogs about our area.  If you want to read my blog about their coming, click this.                                           https://activerain.c... 06/12/2025

 HEY!!SO!!  We have had Searcy in the news a lot in the last few years.  Our Mayor Matt Faulkner has done a great promotion job for our town.  He is going to support this drive and will come and visit the drive.  KTHV11 is having their 25 anniversary cereal drive this year.  They visit cities and collect cereal to help our children.  It is time for them to visit Searcy.  The drive will be held Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at the front of our large Walmart store beginning at 6:30 am.My connection is through one of their star reporters, Karen Fuller, and her mother, Anita Hart Fuller. (Both shown in picture above.)  Karen's mother and dad grew up in Searcy.  Hopefully, you remember that I have over 2000 blogs on line and Anita helped me so much with the many historic ones.  Google Anita Hart ... 06/09/2025

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette had an interesting article about the penny being discontinued in a short time.  Seems it costs more to make them than they are worth, costing about 3 cents to make a penny.SO....I am declaring now that I have been a long-time part of  the "penny generation."  I fondly remember just a few things about growing up way back then. [Maybe not TOO fondly.)      1.   For 10 of them I could buy a coke and peanuts to put in it.  Did you ever put peanuts in your coke?     2.    Add 15 more of them and I could get into the tiny town movie theater to see a good old western movie on a Saturday afternoon. FUN!!       3.    We would often find one that had been tossed down by a passed-on loved one  to remind us of their never-ending love for us.  Lately, they have dropped ... 06/01/2025

Book Discovered.George S. Benson was president of Harding College for years and years, approximately 1936 to 1965.  The book was written in 1991 by John C. Stevens.  I am sad to say that I never knew that it was written and published.  How about you?  Just a few days ago I found it at a Searcy AR estate sale and now own it and can put it in my collection of publications by Searcy-interested folks.  And now I wonder how the book escaped me.  I even graduated from Harding back in the early 1970s.  I have not had time to read it but it says that "The Conflict" begins in 1936 when he came to Searcy. So, Searcy Sleuths, do you have or have you read this book???? 05/18/2025

No picture today. Well, perhaps a picture of my daughter, whom the blog is about.  As normal, she had encouraged me to try something new. To be honest, she has insisted that I do many things!!I was a real estate agent and blogging was something new so off I went.  How many years is that?   18!!   How many blogs have I done?   OMG!!   2078 blogs.  They began as real estate related and have now grown to be more like historic things from my area.  So here goes the first one. Click https://activerain.com/droplet/7Kcg .Or read it here.  Using your wit.Using your wit is a great way to make it in life.  My daughter decided to go to San Francisco shortly after graduating from college.  She'd been in small cities all her life and all at once she was on her own in a huge city where one side of th... 05/12/2025

 Let's see.  2025 -1904 = 121 years ago?  That's a long time ago when this cookbook was compiled by the Ladies' Aid Society of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Searcy AR.  The gift was from my good friend and great Searcy artist, Howard Johnson.  He says it is a copy of the original and  reportedly possibly the oldest church cookbook in Arkansas.  The Church is still in great shape and was already 54 years old when the original book was done.  Here is a page showing a few recipes and the style in which they were done.  My daughter looked at it and said, " That Lemon Pie looks easy to do!" No list of needed supplies like today's cookbooks!  AND.....the ladies were known by the hubby's names!  I did a blog about this custom that still existed for years and years..... Click to read it... 05/08/2025

I received a surprise package in the mail today!It has no name on who sent me the package of 10 wonderful old photos of the beginning Pee Wee football players in Searcy AR from 1969 to 1972.  This one is of the Duncan's Roadrunners.  Look at the coaches in the back.  Aren't they handsome!!  The one on the right is of my husband Rodger Duncan and one on the left is Sidney Quattlebaum and they were instrumental in beginning the teams and the program. Okay, next you are seeing a group of 9 pictures.  Someone way back there saved them and knew I would like them.  The gift was mailed from Alabama.  I'd love to thank the person who sent them!  I love and will cherish them so         SPEAK UP!  Tell me who the wonderful gift-giver is so that I can say THANK YOU!!!        04/16/2025

We all loved Sears, Roebuck and Co.I stumbled upon this very old looking packet of sandpaper with the Sears name on it.  All 6 sheets of sandpaper were still in it.  I could find no price or date on it anywhere.  One of the sheets is shown below.  What is Aluminum Oxide?  Our beloved Sears has been gone for a long time so this is sort of a memory of Sears and how they sold everything!  From sandpaper to houses!As a matter of fact, we have at least one Sears house remaining in Searcy AR!  Wonder if they'd like this memory to hang on a wall? I did a blog about it back in 2011 and the blog can be pulled up here      https://activerain.com/droplet/4F9S    if you'd like to read it.  It no longer looks like this but the house is still there.  Should I stop by and offer them this little gift?L... 04/11/2025

WHAT A CREW!    WHAT A MEMORY!I know, I know!  Can't remember some of this crew?  Realize it was about 33 years ago and that helps with the reason and I have the same problem.  But it is a REALLY good memory.  I am on the bottom row right proudly wearing my new RE/MAX jacket and I guess we were holding fingers up because we aimed to be #1!RE/MAX was a brand new franchise in the country and the guy in the white shirt and tie, Robert Cargile, brought it to town.  Several agents joined him and I was one of them.  And I love this happy picture! I also love knowing that RE/MAX has been an asset to Searcy AR!! 04/08/2025

Wonderful MemoriesCheck your bookshelves.  As I did.  You may find this wonderful book of memories of Searcy AR.  As I did. It was written in 2012 by Patsy Pipkin, a Searcy lady, and Carolyn Boyles, who seems to go from place to place writing these memory books.  She chose Searcy for one and had Patsy Pipkin help her write it. Patsy  was an award-winning author and longtime resident of Searcy and White County.  She was a local newspaper columnist for over 15 years and she and Carolyn Boyles compiled a wonderful collection of photos contributed by many different groups and individuals from White County.  I have not looked it over since 2012 and decided to look at it again.  It is filled with old historic photos of downtown, community, commerce, personalities and folks of leadership.Patsy... 03/30/2025

Another "style" picture from 1970.Old yearbooks are a lot of fun to look through.  I was searching the 1970 one and saw this group picture of the Future Homemakers of America. Looks like all girls, doesn't it.  Then I noticed all those legs on the front row. Notice two girls with what we used to call "saddle oxfords" and they date way back to the 50's and were worn with socks, always with socks. Note there are no socks on these girls but all of the shoes look as if they need socks! A style change, I guess.And sadly, the reason I was checking the old yearbook was because one the girls, third from left on front row, was Vani Jo Quattlebaum Geroy who passed away this month.  She was lovely and always fashionable.  Notice the hairstyle in the picture below!  That style became so beloved so ... 03/22/2025

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Moving Notice!  On handkerchief!  Unusual??  I stumbled across a large stack of old vintage handkerchiefs a few weeks ago. It startled me to find this one!  Someone had evidently used handkerchiefs to announce their move.  I'd never seen that before.  Here's a picture of the whole hanky.  It was Earl Bernard who was moving to 35 West 39 Street in New York, NY.  I wish it had a date.  The artist was, I guess, Gale.  That's the name at the corner.  03/10/2025

1950's typing class.Who remembers this?  Do they still have them?I found this old picture inside a 1950 Searcy Arkansas yearbook.  It was a free picture just inside the book with several other pictures, mostly football.  So I assume that it was from the 1950 school year. Searcy Sleuths may even recognize some of the students.  I definitely remember being in a classroom that looked like this and learning how to type.  Now I think that it was one of the best classes to take and learn typing.  Typing is still something I still do a lot of when using the computer. The knowledge has stayed with me all through the years.So.....do they still teach typing in school? If not, what took its place?  03/04/2025

 The Ultimate 1968 Fashion Photo Example!Hold it!!  I was not referring to the people in the photo even though being a hippy was popular back then.  I was talking about the wrought iron porch pillar posts.    Driving now through Searcy's first subdivisions with covenants, Lambert Terrace and Cloverdale, you can still see lots of wrought iron decor like these.  Some has been replaced with wood but lots remain. If curious, click the link below for my view of what happened regarding carports and garages in our area.  In 2007 I wrote a blog about the unofficial history of carports and garages in the south.  Read the blog by clicking the link below.  It tells an interesting story.               https://activerain.com/droplet/tnNBQuestion? Oh, the couple? That is my husband and me dressed to ... 02/24/2025

Pine cone roses?A long lasting gift.So many, many years ago these rose-shaped cones were given to me.  I sometimes think that if I were going through motherhood right now I'd end up in jail for giving my kids the freedom that I gave them when they were growing up.  We lived on the edge of town near pastures, streams, woods, etc., and I let them roam around at will.  They survived and had a great time.  I might receive gifts that they found and brought home.The picture above shows probably the best gift and the longest lasting.  They were off a tree that grew somewhere in the McRae Street, Searcy AR neighborhood.  They were beautiful then and they still are.  They had a small hole in the back and I glued stems in the holes  in lots of them for putting in vases.The tree died and we don't ... 02/21/2025