Ark Valley News - The View from Sunflower Gardens

The View from Sunflower Gardens
By Marilyn Bentley
Last Updated: July 18, 2019

Kern wrote many great show tunes

We have a love of folk music in America. We like country music, cowboy music, hymns, rock, popular songs and marches, and show tunes.

One of my favorite American composers of show tunes is Jerome Kern. He was the lyric writer — great poetry set to songs. He wrote "Old Man River" for popular show "Show Boat." Also he wrote songs for "Sally," "Sunny," "Roberta" — all these were in the 1920s and some were in movies (all popular songs of Broadway).

"Look for the Silver Lining and try to find the Sunny Side of Life." A hit from "Til the Clouds Roll By."

"Who (Stole My Heart Away)?" "Yesterdays," "Last time I saw Paris," "A Fine Romance," "Smoke Gets in your Eyes," "I Won't Dance," "All The Things You Are." So look for the "sunny side of life."

Many Kansans like patriotic songs, too: "America the Beautiful," "Stars and Stripes Forever," "Star-Spangled Banner," "Dixie."

We also like Christmas carols.

At Sunflower we like our Monday coffee chats, Tuesday Bible study, potluck dinners, game nights, hymn sing-alongs on Friday and Mennonite concerts.

We now have a new exercise room.

We will enjoy our farmers market visits at Sunflower.

Remember to keep in prayer all our veterans, our troops and their families, our Congress and president.

Verse of the week: "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by Him." (Colossians 3:17)

"Humble and Kind" sung by Tim McGraw

"Hold the door, say please and thank you

"Don't steal, don't cheat, don't lie

"I know you got mountains to climb

"But always stay humble and kind." — Tim McGraw

We are glad floodwaters are receding.

Farmers are now in wheat harvest; "make hay" while the sun shines.

We had hot days in the 90s.

A cornfield near the Christian Church on 85th has corn 4 feet tall.

We like the farmers market and summer food like corn, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, peas, beans.

We like words to patriotic songs and each year teach our young neighbors the words.

"Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain."

"Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?"

Buckle up. It's the law.

Watch for kids on bikes.

"Oh, give me a home, where the buffalo roam."

So we are Kansas Proud of blessings in Kansas of wheat, corn, oil, airplanes, good schools and churches, good road, parks and Kansas kids.

"Be kind, anyway." – Mother Teresa