Ark Valley News - The View from Sunflower Gardens

The View from Sunflower Gardens
By Marilyn Bentley
Last Updated: September 03, 2015

Kansas farmers roll up sleeves

Hopeful hearts and willing hands were with the homesteaders and early travelers who helped make Kansas what it is today.

We at Sunflower like our friendly coffee chats, potluck dinners, Bible study, game nights, music concerts and friendly neighbors.

Verse of the week: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance." (Psalms 33:12)

Our sympathy goes to the family of Pauline Rich, one of our earlier longtime residents here.

Since school is back in session, we are all to be careful on roads with school kids walking or on bikes.

We are glad for road repair and our folks who keep our lawns nice and all our flowers bright.

Days are a bit shorter in daylight now and cooler.

Thank you to our neighbors, near and far, who make life better for us all.

There is something special about Kansas farmers. They farm the cropland, tend cattle for our needs and raise Kansas families. They roll up their sleeves, put on their thinking caps and work toward development of wholesome life for us all.

Also we thank Kansas teachers at every level, Kansas preachers, doctors, merchants, road builders and oil drillers.

We pray for all our troops and their families and our nation.

"You go, girl!" Some of us at Sunflower were healthy and blessed to take summer journeys and travel I-70, I-80 and I-90 in search of family, fun and friends.

Many here hope and dream of better days for our country. So we pray for all who "take up the white man's burden" as the older generation steps away.

We are glad for so many colleges and schools in Kansas which train our grandkids and for the variety of jobs in this state.

Some of our residents enjoy indoor fun. We have exercise days on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We have marble games, bingo games, dominos and card games to enjoy. Also many work on jigsaw puzzles and read books from our library. They read the Eagle and The Ark Valley News. Also we like our coffee chats so we are not idle here.

Meanwhile, Valley churches reach out to welcome you. Kansans are friendly.

Many here have bird feeders, so we see sparrows and mourning doves and finches.

Folks who walk around our building choose the coolest times of the day to move.

We are in praise of snail mail and glad to see our mailman, Jason, bring us friendly letters, magazines, catalogs — and even junk mail.

In Native American history, the buffalo meant food and bowstrings and clothing and used on teepees. Sixty million bison were on the Kansas plains in 1800. By 1870, they were greatly reduced in numbers, as were Native Americans in Kansas.

Yet today, we love our prairies, our wildlife, the rivers, the railroads and cow towns of Kansas. We like hawks, coyotes, fish, cattle and horses. Also pets.

In the 20th century, Kansas became the leading wheat state and all the airplane enterprises. But it's the people who make it great.

"Be kind, anyway." — Mother Teresa.