Ken Sprong, grandson of Irving Dilliard, sent a photocopy of a letter that he received from his grandfather regarding the Jump Up and Kiss Me plant. The letter was written by Irving on July 15, 1984. I am sharing portions of that letter with you, just as it was sent to Ken. What a wonderful look into the magic that this plant held for Irving and his wife. I would like to thank Ken for sharing this correspondence with me. I truly appreciate his thoughtfulness. Click th

Hello, avid readers of past wisdom and predictions 1840's style ~ August from the 1840 Illinois Farmer's Almanac compliments of archive.org. "What I've never seen ~ I've never seen a person happy, unless it was one who endeavored to promote the happiness of others." ~Aristotle Click image to see a PDF you can zoom as large as you desire. Notice in the first line in the right column: America discovered 1498 ~ "Learning is an ornament in prosperity, a refuge in adversity, and

and we have the proof right behind the outhouse . . . Photo taken by Carolyn Welch August 4, 2017 The full moon of August is referred to by many as the Green Corn Full Moon. Our Broom Corn has tasseled and is looking good just in time for the full moon of August. You can see the full moon beginning Sunday evening, but it is an unusual full moon this year because the crest will be on Monday, August 7 at 1:10 p.m. - Yep, an afternoon full moon! Now, if you need a little refresh

We are fortunate to have some newspaper clippings from long ago about the D.D. Collins House. Take a look at the recollection of days gone by as published in the Collinsville Herald on October 19, 1978. Newspaper clipping courtesy of Lois Metzger Click the image to visit our Newspaper Clipping page and see the article up close.