good living in west frankfort

Winter • 2011

Good Living In

Volume 5 No. 3 Winter 2011 Showcasing the People, Places and Pride of West Frankfort, Illinois

West Frankfort

Winter • 2011Pg. 2

309 W. St. Louis, West Frankfort

937-2416

front row, L-R, Wendy Blades, Judi Markwell, Felicia Mortag, Tyler Mathews, Morgan Grigsby, Lisa Claunch. Back row, L-R, Steve Heyder, Jordan Moschino, Darci Mandrell, R.Ph., Mark Roe, R.Ph., Angela Triplett, R.Ph., Karen Bennett, Martin Conaughty. Not present on picture day: Joyce Fogleman, R. Ph., Jacob Woolard, Shane Bennett, Marianna Woodland, Dan Woodland, Shiela Blackwood.

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for 2012 from

Joyce and the Gang at J & S Professional Pharmacy

Winter • 2011 Pg. 3

Gail Rissi Thomas, Publisher

I t's been a tough year, but all's well that ends well and so far, we're doin' fine. A year ago the day before Thanksgiving, I learned in a phone call that I was the one in eight women to be diagnosed with breast can-cer that we hear about in the media so often. This year, the week before Thanksgiving, I heard the priceless

words “Cancer free.” My sister had just heard that news about a month earlier. Add to that the fact that our oldest son is coming home to spend a long Christmas week with us, and we are indeed ready to spread some cheer. God is good.

Our stories this issue are very close to home. After a disasterous fire in September which completely destroyed their building, Sandy's Flowers and Gifts have reopened with a beautiful, glittering addition to Main Street and Christmas in West Frankfort. There are some delightful ‘recipes’ for cooking turkey from little pilgrims,and thoughts and advice about coping with Christmas from Sherri Murphy, who always manages to let her faith shine through a story and a smile. And the story about Leigh Bedokis and her horse, well she happens to be our neice, but it's just a great story. Girls get your Kleenex ready. Oh, that brings to mind the cover shot in this issue. It hap-pens to be Leigh's little boy Aidan with Santa, but it's just so darn cute.

And that family feeling can be found in the entire issue.There are so many readers who tell us they love the ads in the magazine as much as anything.’I even read the ads’ is a comment we hear frequently and one that we believe stems from the sense of community whcih makes the living good in West Frankfort. Nothing makes us more proud than business people who want to share the personal photos of their kids, grandkids, family and employees. Through the years we have seen their new babies, their kids growing up and shared some of their family adventures We feel that homespun flavor from our advertisers gives Good Living in West Frankfort the appearance of a family album, one that will be a treasure for years to come.

As long as I'm being so self indulgent, one of my favorite Christmas carols is one my husband wrote for my old-est son when he was little and hearing the story of the first Christmas for the very first time.

Haven’t you heard? Haven’t you heard about the story of the very first Christmas night?It was many years ago in a town far away called Bethlehem that Jesus was born.Didn't you know? Didn't you know about the wise men following the star?Oh there never was a star at night with a light so wonderful... A star for a king.

Oh hear, the Angel’s voices. Alleluia! Alleluia!And now, the world rejoices. For the little baby Jesus, was born that night.

This Christmas may you see the star so bright and wonderful and may it lead you to our king.

Publishers Letter

Winter • 2011Pg.4

Please support our advertisers.They make this magazine possible:Aaron Hopkins, Attorney ..................... pg. 9All American Hearing ............................ pg. 15BFJ Interiors ............................................ pg. 14Browning Clark Auto Repair ................ pg. 14Calico Country Sew & Vac ...................... pg. 21Coleman-Rhoads ...................................... pg. 13Dr. Seb Pagano, Dentistry .................. pg. 4Dr. Fred Whitlatch, Dentistry ............... pg. 27First Christian Church .......................... pg. 10Frankfort Area Historical Museum ...... Back G. L. Williams Real Estate .................. pg. 21Gandy’s Auto Body Shop ..................... pg. 11Heights Market ....................................... pg. 20Herrin Glass & Mirror ........................ pg. 9Herron Chiropractic ............................. pg. 23Honker Hill Winery ............................. pg. 27Howell Insurance ................................... pg. 9Image Graphics ........................................ pg. 21JenRuss Glass Design ............................... pg. 21Johnson Realty ....................................... pg. 31Kreative Design Showcase ........................ pg. 27Larry Grimm Auto Repair .................... pg. 27McCollom Real Estate ........................... pg. 31McDonald’s ............................................... pg. 7Mike Riva, Attorney ............................... pg. 19Miranda’s On Main ................................. pg. 7Nolen Chiropractic Clinic ...................... pg. 25Parker-Reedy Funeral Home ................ pg. 11PDO Design Group ................................. pg. 15Ponton Foot Clinic ................................. pg. 14Professional Pharmacy .......................... pg. 2Sandy’s Flowers & Gifts ........................ pg. 19Severin Garden Center............................ pg. 29Sew Special Quilts .................................. pg. 24Shelter Insurance Agency ...................... pg. 25Southern Illinois Bank ........................... pg. 9Stotlar-Herrin Lumber ............................. pg. 29Union Funeral Home ............................. pg. 7Volanski Heating & Air ...................... pg. 31Larry & Myrna Warren ......................... pg. 25Weeks Chevrolet ...................................... pg. 31WF Aquatics & Activities Center.......... pg. 4WF Chamber of Commerce ...................... pg. 31WF City Hall ............................................. pg. 13

Contact Michael A. Thomas at 937-2019 if you wish to advertise in “Good Living in West Frankfort”.

Season’s Greetingsfrom

Our Family to Yours


Good Living In

West Frankfort A production of Good Life Publications 309 East Oak Street West Frankfort, IL 62896 (618) 937-2019 Published Quarterly: (Spring • Summer • Fall • Winter) *

E-mail Contact: [email protected]

Cover Art by Leigh Bedokis Photography: Even Santa has to train. Aidan Gusta helps Santa with his cookie eating.

Good Living In

West Frankfort Vol.5 No.3 Winter 2011

Good Living in West Frankfort is a magazine about the people, places and pride of West Frankfort. Our goal is to showcase interesting, unique and previously unpublished stories about the citizens, events and places in our community in a positive manner. Good Living in West Frankfort provides businesses the choice to adver-tise in a high-quality full-color venue at affordable prices. This magazine is free to our readers because of those advertisers. No portion of this publication, including photos and advertisements, may be reproduced in any manner without the expressed consent of Good Life Publications.©2011 Printed quarterly: Spring, Summer, Fall and Holiday Season. (Note:There was no Fall issue printed in 2011)

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Table of Contents 6 Does company make you nervous worrying whether everything is perfect? Sherri Murphy has some tips on how to take the stress out of hosting.

10 Students at Denning Elementary School give their tips on cooking a turkey. 12 Cutting through the chaos of Christmas for the real meaning of the season.

16 Leigh Bedokis grew up in West Frankfort with fascinated with horses. She had to part ways with her beloved horse, Aramis, when times were tough only to be recently reunited with him. 22 Sandy Morrison suffered a devastating loss when fire struck her business in September. But she has found out that God provides when you need him the most. 28 After a decade of neglect, the abandoned UMWA Hospital was finally torn down, a sad ending to a once vital part of our town.

30 Parting Shots. Scenes around West Frankfort which prove that, yes, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

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Winter • 2011Pg.6

By Sherri Murphy

“Oh, NO! Company’s coming! Here, throw this in the closet! Take out the trash, open a window, light a candle, straighten the pillows on the sofa, clear the countertops!” Surely, I’m not alone in the heart-racing, blood-pumping challenge that strikes when the doorbell rings while I’m sitting in my PJs the middle of an otherwise boring eve-ning in my well-lived-in home. It seems to get worse during the holidays, especially for the ladies,

as we find ourselves scrambling to make the perfect celebration for our families and friends. Christmas decorations, food, treats and gifts are new additions to our already overbooked schedules and overflowing to-do lists, and often we find ourselves unable to mea-sure up to Martha Stewart’s version of the perfect Christmas. Perfection is relative, or so I learned a few years ago. I experi-enced a perfect weekend with my good friends, Jeff and Tedria during the holiday season. But although she seemed to have entertain-

ing down to a science, what I remembered most about our time together, had less to do with what I saw and tasted, and more to do with how they made

me feel...which was very welcome. Jeff and Teddy live high in the hills of a suburb of Nashville, their log cabin home nestled amongst glori-ous, tall evergreen trees creating a forest-like atmosphere. As we pulled into their driveway, I began to sense the calm and peace that I so needed. Jeff was standing outside with cell-phone in hand after trying to explain the rather difficult directions to their wooded subdivision. Their trusty 200 lb. German Shepherd was even friend-ly, happy to greet us with a wag-ging tail and a lick of my hand.

We entered their beautiful, cozy log-cabin home that was decorated with an eclectic mix of antiques, traditional and country decor.

Teddy has a “knack” for decorat-ing. The décor has very interesting arrangements—lots of thoughtful pieces, and MANY photos of fam-ily and friends. Family heirlooms are scattered about in every room. Her home looks like one found featured in “COZY HOME” maga-zine. It has the relaxing feel of a bed and breakfast.

They of course had a delicious meal prepared for us, and after our bellies were full, we sat around the cleared table and talked for hours. We talked about our families, our past, our present, future goals and dreams, the state of the nation, our shared faith, and enjoyed jokes and exchanged tips and ideas that we’ve found to be helpful along our journeys.

Even their teenage son Nathan, a very quiet, mild-mannered young man, sat with us and shared this


special time. He mostly listened with wide eyes at times, as we spoke about things I’m sure he found amusing. Like most teenag-ers, he probably wanted to roll his eyes much of the time, but he politely refrained—as he also had it—the hospitality thing. He made us feel very comfortable as well. Early the next morning after a wonderful night’s rest in her beau-tiful guest room, I had my bath in her bathroom filled with photos of friends and family and lovely decor. I started the coffee, grabbed some fruit, and sat outside on her front porch swing and enjoyed the beauty of our Creator’s artwork in the gorgeous evergreen trees, against the bright blue Sunday morning sky.

We joined them in worship at their church and enjoyed even more great conversation and lots of laughs at a restaurant afterwards.

Back at the house, I laid down for my Sunday nap, which lasted an amazing 2 hours (which never happens at home). We had to leave shortly thereafter, and headed back home. During the 3-hour drive back to Southern Illinois, my mind kept returning to warm thoughts of my friends. “What sets them apart? What is the secret behind their hospital-ity-- a gift so strong that it is able to make guests feel more ‘at home’ than when they are in their own homes?” I asked myself.I’m convinced that really it did not have a lot to do with the delicious meal, or the beautiful rooms, or the breathtaking view. I’ve experienced all of that before. Jeff, Teddy and Nathan have the unique gift of just

enjoying the presence of those in their midst; being “in” the moment and focusing on their guests. I left feeling very loved and appreciated. Taken care of. Wanted.

I have learned so much from this little weekend retreat, but they are things Martha Stewart could never teach me.

My lesson was learning from my precious friends to make people the priority. Not things, not the house, the food, etc. Enjoy those that come across your path. Make them feel at home. Look them in the eye when they’re talking (or in my case, rambling) and listen to them. As we approach yet another frantic holiday season, let’s vow not to


avoid having friends and fam-ily over for impromptu get-togethers because our home isn’t perfect, or our food isn’t con-sidered gourmet. This is a time to rejoice and share the love, hug a neck, look someone in the eyes, listen to their stories (even if you’ve heard them a hundred times before) and laugh at their corny jokes. Clear the sofa, grab some instant cocoa, add hot water, purchase your favorite store-bought cookie and invite people in. Into your home. Into your heart. Others will always remember how you made them feel. And that’s what celebra-tions are all about—making memories. The late Erma Bombeck wrote a touching poem listing a few things she would have “done over” if she were given the chance. “ If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘good’ living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose be-fore it melted in storage...”

Such wisdom in her words. I hope we take them all to heart.

NO MORE EXCUSES

QUICK TIPS FOR MAKING ANY HOME GUEST-READY & INVITING

Cleaning tips: • If possible, try to designate ONE room as the “guest-ready” room and try to keep it as clutter-free and as presentable as possible. • Keep baskets and/or trash bags handy to gather obvious clutter when the doorbell rings. These should be put away out-of-sight for later re-trieval/redistribution.• Light scented candles. Not only will this make a stale house smell fresh, it also helps create a cozy atmosphere.• Keep disinfectant wipes available in the bathroom and kitchen for easy cleanup with a quick “swipe” for countertops, sinks, toilets.• Take out the trash. Quick sweets/hot beverages to always keep on hand: • A good brand of store bought cookies (like Pepperidge Farms)• Packages of instant hot chocolate, flavored coffee creamers, and as-sorted teas• Slice and bake cookies, or a boxed brownie mix still yields delicious results (and almost guarantees success) for those with no time for made-from-scratch recipes. Bonus: It also makes the house smell wonderful. Zippy Appetizers: • Tortilla chips and salsa• Cheese and crackers (or a store-bought cheese ball)• Veggies and Ranch Dip. Simple Supper: • Frozen Lasagna • Frozen Garlic Bread • Bag of prepared Salad greens • Good brand of Salad Dressing Easy Entertainment: • Good conversation • Board games/card games • Holiday movies/old movies/ old family videos• Drive through, then stroll through, Candy Cane Lane and enjoy the lights, excitement and wonder through a child’s eyes. LISTEN. LOVE. HUG. Life is short. Don’t allow a little “domestic disorder” stop you from enjoying those that are most important to you. Give yourself a gift this holiday season. The gift of no regrets.


www.aaronhopkinslaw.com

Merry ChristmasATTORNEY & COUNSELOR AT LAW

AARON M. HOPKINS

(618) [email protected]

402 East Main StreetWest Frankfort, IL 62896

12 Years Experience • General Practice Criminal Law • Family Law Drivers License Reinstatement • DUI


By Michael A. Thomas

S hortly before Thanksgiving, Good Living in West Frank-fort visited Denning Elemen-

tary School. The school was bus-tling with activity and students, as well as teachers, were dressed as Pilgrims and Indians. The aroma of turkey and pumpkin pie wafted from the cafeteria through the hallways in preparation for lunch. Knowing that there are some very smart students who carefully ob-

serve their parents in the kitchen, and also knowing that Christmas is right around the corner, we asked a few young ones exactly what is the best way to cook a turkey for that special holiday feast.

Like most accomplished chefs, Isabella Wilson has a secret in-gredient for cooking turkey. “You put ranch dressing inside it,” said Issy. “Then you put it in the oven and let it cook for 40 hours at 30 degrees.”

Caleb Lewis reminds us all that when buying a turkey it is impor-tant that you get a cold one. As far as stuffing the bird with dressing.Caleb believes in taking the easy way out. “You just buy it,” he said.

“No salt or pepper,” said Erin Sconce when asked how to prop-erly season a turkey before putting it in the oven. “But you should put 3 carrots on top and when it comes out of the oven after 16 hours then

Isabella Wilson

Caleb Lewis


you eat the carrots first.”

One of the main problems all newbies in the kitchen have is determining when the turkey is done. Oh sure, you can buy a meat thermometer and check the inter-nal temperature until it reaches the recommended 165 degrees, but Dublin McKinnres has a better idea that is probably foolproof.

“You put it in a frying pan at 14 degrees and cook it for 700 min-utes until smoke comes out of the top. You will probably hear a timer too,” added Dublin.

Dublin was also very specific as to the size of the turkey. “It should be a little turkey, maybe about 600 pounds.”

And forget about going to your

Erin Sconce

favorite grocery store for the turkey. Cortney Cash has a better idea. “Go to the barn and get your turkey. Make sure he is about 36 pounds. Take off the feathers and put it in the oven. Be sure to put

Dublin McKinnres

‘whip cream’ on it before you put it in. Cook it for 16 minutes at 8 degrees. When it comes out you should eat the legs first and the body last.”

Cortney Cash


By Sherri Murphy

When I read an interesting book or article, I’ll highlight my favorite lines, dog-ear the best pages and return to them later when I

have more time to digest them. Often, they become a part of my outlook on life. Sometimes, they only offer some humor to start a giggle or create a smile in an otherwise gloomy day. When someone else is able to articulate my own thoughts or emotions, I find myself silently nodding along in agreement. At times I just need to be presented with a fresh perspective-which can be very underrated; like a cold, wet drink, to dry and thirsty lips. From Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, I find myself a bit more frazzled than usual. I begin making a con-scious effort to slow down and to be in the moment—rather than planning the next. I try to remind myself of what is important, and how silly some of my stressors are when presented in the grand scheme of things. I thought I'd share a few of my favorite quotes, regard-

ing Christmas, which have caused me to nod, smile, giggle or become refreshed. Hopefully, they will serve some sort or purpose, or encouragement or wisdom for those who find themselves in need of such things. I'll begin with this one: "Somewhere in the world there is an epigram for every dilemma." ~ Hendrik Willem van Loon -just to remind us that someone else before us has already "been there and done that." Because, as we all well know, "There is nothing new under the sun."~ King Solomon If you should find yourself comparing tree sizes with your neighbors, or the endless photo-flows on Face-book or in family Christmas cards, and you notice that your scrawny little tree doesn’t quite measure up, remember the words of Larry Wilde,

"Never worry about the size of your Christmas Tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall." Well, except that one year when I was in the 5th grade and my parents decided to purchase a "Living Christmas Tree" that happened to be the same size as the bushes just outside the window of our home and I burst into tears because I had been bragging to all my friends about getting to decorate the annual HUGE fresh tree we always had in years prior. The upside? The chore of decorating took all of 10 minutes.


Letter from the PublisherMerry Christmas

And there are always those quotes that have us nod-ding along, especially when it comes to holiday spend-ing gone wild! "Christmas is the season when you buy this year's gifts with next year's money." ~Author Unknown Many become gamblers-at-heart for the season, at-tempting to convince themselves that if they buy it, the money will come! (Although previous track records continue to prove this theory wrong, that never seems to slow the pace of a Christmas purchase payment "visionary".) And speaking of gifts, the late, Johnny Carson added his wit and wisdom on choosing the perfect one (or avoiding giving the WORST) "The worst gift is a fruitcake. There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep send-ing it to each other." Trust me, if that cake arrives at my door, the horren-dous chain will be broken. And I then will expect a Thank-You note...from the world. And, for every ungrateful person at Christmas who has nary a word of thankfulness for our thoughtful generosity, there is usually a child whose wisdom causes us to take a step back and put things in proper perspective. "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." ~attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby Those who have celebrated many Christmases before us also are worthy of a second of our time when they begin to speak. Such is the case with the timeless wis-dom of Andy Rooney as he reminds us that, "One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly." If I had that to do over, I would have sat in the floor with my boys as they tore open their gifts, wrapping paper flying in the air, and never uttered a word about the clean-up, and let the mess stay until the excitement wore off. It was a glorious mess, indeed.


And the good Doctor, had this pre-scription for a healthy perspective regarding Christmas:

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, per-haps, means a little bit more." ~ Dr Seuss Hmmm...Christmas not available on store shelves.... What then, shall we exchange? Oren Arnold actually offers Christ-mas gift suggestions that will fit any budget, and will guarantee satisfaction,

"Christmas Gift Suggestions:To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.” I think we all could grow this list if we were to think hard enough. Eric Sevareid offers his Christmas sentiment, "There has to be at least one day each year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves." Ain't it the truth? Maybe that is the thought that begins changing the self-centered expectations many of us share. It inspires me to change my focus and transfer it to those around me- to get my mind off my circum-

stances, and clearly see, and taste, and experience the life all around me. Too see both my blessings and those things I consider a curse as momentary--and treat them accordingly. Jesus said, "...And this too, shall pass.” His words of timeless wisdom remind us all that nothing lasts for-ever--not the sorrowful days, (thank God) and even the beautiful moments shared with those we love are only temporary and should be treasured

and treated as such.

And I conclude with one of my favor-ite quotes by the legendary Charles Dickens himself. "It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowl-edge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, “God Bless Us, Every One!"


By Gail Rissi Thomas

My sister, Genelle Bedokis, may have imagined herself to be many things, but I'm, pretty certain that being a horse owner was never one of them. As most of you probably would agree, you do things for your kids that you would do for no

other reason you can imagine.

It's a well-known fact that many little girls love horses. All you have to do is a quick search on the Internet, typing in the question, “Why do little girls love horses?” and you will conjure up hundreds of horse fans, merchandise sites and horseman associations which

acknowledge that it's true. Why? No one is sure. But possible expla-nations are their beauty, their grace, and most importantly their shared experiences of how a horse can love you back.

Genelle's daughter, Leigh Bedokis, was one of those little girls. Now better known as Leigh Bedokis

Sometimes letting go is the best thing to doSometimes letting go is the best thing to do

Leigh Bedokis Gusta and her horse Aramis spenda few quiet moments together durring a twilight ride

photo by Jeff Gusta


Gusta, she's the wife of Jeff Gusta and successful owner of Leigh Bedokis Photography, headquar-tered in Carterville. Acquiring her horse, Aramis, was the begin-ning of a 25-year love affair that plays out like a dream come true fairytale.

“I started training when I was about

five,” Leigh says. “I guess I wanted a horse ever since I knew what a horse was. There's just something about the way a horse looked to me. A good horse has a good heart and a good personality. It always seemed to me that a horse showed emotion. I've just always loved that.” “I was 13 when I got him,” she continues. “He wasn't a surprise. Mom and I had been horse shop-ping for months. We had gone to St. Louis and other places to look at horses. We found him through some people in Johnston City who were actually trying to help some friends who wanted to sell him. I rode him and he was a comfort-able and easy ride. He was easy to handle.”

“I remember that I had a pair of black leather boots. I wanted those boots so bad and they were $350. That was tons of money for my mom to be able to pay for them, but I dreamed of owning those boots. They were like a status symbol for a rider. Well she bought them for me for my 8th grade grad-uation. The first time I wore them was the first time I rode Aramis, he just put his head down, grabbed the strap on one of the boots and ripped it off,” she laughs. “I still have the boots with no strap on one. I didn't even get upset. It was love at first sight.”

“And was it love at first sight for him too?” I asked.” I don't know,” she laughed after a pause. “I guess you'd have to ask him that.”I laughed too, but I almost think she was serious.

“I always said that Aramis heard every secret Leigh ever had,” says

Sometimes letting go is the best thing to doSometimes letting go is the best thing to do

Leigh Bedokis Gusta and her horse Aramis spenda few quiet moments together durring a twilight ride

photo by Jeff Gusta

her mother, Genelle. “He was a wonderful companion. When Leigh was really little, she not only wanted to own a horse, I think she wanted to be a horse. I can still see her crawling around the living room (on her knuckles) while we watched TV at night. She would say, 'Look at this; this is a cantor,' or 'Look! This is how you gallop.' Her brother, Chris, would just look at me and roll his eyes. I use to worry that she would get calluses on her little hooves.”

“It seems like she wanted a horse forever,” Genelle continued. “She wore out stick horses and jumping horses on springs. I think I used every quarter I ever had on those horses that she always had to ride in front of K Mart and other stores. When she got older she collected horse toys and took riding lessons. She used the horses that belonged to the teachers for competitions, but eventually, I just knew that it was time and I decided to buy her a horse.”

“I knew we had to find a horse, not only that she was happy with but one that the vet would approve, especially for competing and jump-ing with him. We looked at quite a few. Aramis had been a barrel racer and was really well trained. I remember when we went to look at him; he stood still like a statue just like he was being judged. She had to retrain him to ride English-style and jump.”

“His name was actually Steel Bar Impressive. Our dinner conversa-tion for years had been, 'If I ever get a horse, what would I name him?' We told her to name him Horse, Of Course, so they could announce, 'Presenting Leigh Bedo-


kis on a Horse of Course,' One of us suggested Hocus Pocus, you now, 'Here comes Leigh Bedokis on Hocus Pocus.' Actually Chris came up with the name Aramis after one of the Three Musketeers and Aramis is was.”

“Being the mother of a competi-tion rider is something else, I can tell you that,” Genelle recalls. “We drove miles and miles, spent whole days in 100 degree heat, dirt, rain, wind, mud, flies, packing our lunch, Saturday lessons. I wouldn't trade one day of that time of our lives for anything.

Leigh continued riding and com-peting with Aramis through high school and into college, racking up trophies and ribbons as she took honors in various categories, in-cluding dressage which she added to her training. She rode for John A. Logan and SIU. “I did a couple of the fox hunts until my early twenties.” she said.

After graduation from SIU with a degree in photography, things began to change. “First of all, I had a riding accident on another horse and had a $10.000 knee surgery,”

Leigh says. “Mom had retired and couldn't help me. I was struggling to start my own business. It seemed I was burning bridges with people who were really trying to help me because I just couldn't do it. It was so expensive to board him and then the vet bills and everything, I knew the only thing to do was to let him go. Someone who could provide for him the way he deserved just took him off my hands. I was in a bad place.”

“I missed him so much; not a day went by that I didn't think of him,

wonder how he was and if he was still alive. I never went to see him. It was too painful for one thing, and then he was moved to another farm somewhere, and I didn't know where he was. I finally decided that was best for me. I just made peace with myself that I had done the best thing I could do for him, even though I would always regret it. Eventually I decided that he was getting up in years and probably wasn't alive anymore. I had mar-ried Jeff and we had our little boy, Aidan. My business was really growing. Life was good.”

“Then a few months ago, the phone call just came from out of the blue.” Leigh began to choke up as she continued her story. “It was Pam Ward from Marion, a woman that I had known slightly from when I used to ride. She was boarding her horse at a farm where they had a couple of horses that they wanted to get rid of. She remembered Aramis and remem-bered me because I always used to bring him peppermints. She said she had wanted to tell me in case I wanted to have something to say

Leigh and Aramis began riding together when she was just a teenager.

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Leigh and Aramis competed in dressage, racking up several trophies in the process.

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Tim

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Winter • 2011 Pg.19

about where he went from there. She said, “Unless, would you be interested in taking him back?'

“It took my breath away. I honestly couldn't breathe,” Leigh said, choking back tears. “I finally said 'Yes! 'Yes” I didn't think about asking Jeff or anything. Where would I keep him? I'd keep him in the spare bedroom if I had to,” she laughed.

“I hung up and called Jeff. I said, 'I've got to ask you something and you can't say no. You just can't say no. I have to do this. Poor Jeff; I can't imagine what he was thinking. The first words out of his mouth were, 'OK”. I knew he had no idea what we were getting into, boarding him, taking care of him, vet bills. I just didn't care.”

Pam offered to take Leigh to see Aramis that day. She jumped at the chance and took her mother along for support. “I was so nervous,” she says. “I felt like I was going to see an old boyfriend for the first time. I know he knew me. It had been seven years, and I felt like time had never passed. When I gut of the car and started walking toward the barn, he stuck his head out of the stall and nickered. I hugged his neck and he kissed me; he licked my hand and we hugged and snuggled. I led him out of the stall and he followed me. I fed him some pep-permints.”

“I went to see him everyday until I could meet the gentleman who owned him. He wanted to meet me to see if he felt comfortable that Aramis was going to a good place. I was kind of leary about getting on him, because of his age, and he hadn't been rid-den for a while. When I first tried to mount him, he didn't mind at all. He was like, 'OK, let's go. He still likes peppermints, and he still has to have a kiss on the nose every night before I leave.'”

“I called Denise Prince, whom I know, and asked if she and her husband boarded horses. I don't really think she wanted to and I didn't expect it to happen, but she was kind enough to call back the next day and say they would take him. I was thrilled because it's so close to my studio and I want to see him every day. We've already lost seven years.”

So what's the plan for the future of an elderly horse that won't be competing, or jumping, or even rid-

Winter • 2011Pg.20

den a lot? Just love him till he dies.

“How old is Aramis?” I asked.

“He's 27,” Leigh said.

“How long does a horse usually live?”

“Oh about 27,” she said, choking back a laugh and tears at the same time. “Thirty is actually really old for a horse,” she added. “I was afraid he was dying the week be-fore Thanksgiving. All he was do-ing was lying listlessly in his stall. He wouldn't eat. I used to know a lot about horses, but it's been a while. I finally had to call the vet who said it was colic.”

“I stayed until about one in the morning in the barn with him, and Denise was kind enough to stay with me. He came out of it. He's eating again and doing well now, but the vet thinks he has an ulcer. The other night when I went to see him, I was scared to death that he would be sick again, after he had seemed so much better. I got out

of the car and he comes galloping toward me like some kind of wild, young pony, his mane blowing and mud flying everywhere,” she laughs.

“I petted him and hugged him and he kept nudging me to get on him. I couldn't because I wasn't dressed for it, and I didn't have a stool to mount him. So he starts running across the field, and I was trying to hold on. He's dragging me through the mud; I even fell in the mud, and all I could think was, “Thank God. He seems to be feeling better.”

“ I ride him some,” Leigh added. “I wouldn't ride him hard, but he needs some exercise. “ Leigh is thrilled to be a horse owner again. Jeff and Aidan, who have never had the background of being friends with a horse, are also easing into the comfortable if not cautious ad-

dition to their lives. “They go out to the barn with me, and sometimes Jeff goes for me. I had taken a picture of Aramis and put it on my phone. The other night when the phone rang it lit up. Aidan looked over at it.

'Mommy,' he said, “Aramis is call-ing you.'” “We laughed about it,” Genelle said, “But I wouldn't be surprised.” Leigh summed up in one sentence the future of owning an aging horse that you don't really have any plans for. “I guess I just want to give him more love than he ever thought he could have for the rest of his life.”

We don't know who said this first, but someone summed the situation up even better than that. “Every horse deserves at least once in their life to be loved by a little girl.”

Leigh and Aramis today.

phot

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Jeff

Gus

ta


By Gail Rissi ThomasPhotos by Michael Thomas

There seemed to be nothing unusual about September 2, this year when Sandy Morrison

ended her work day as owner and manager of Sandy's Flowers and Gifts on West Main, turned the key in the lock and headed home for the evening. And even when the phone rang startling her from a sound sleep at about 1:30 in the morning she had no idea how that phone call would change her life.

“Sandy?” It was Tracy Crawford, one of her employees. “Sandy, the shop is on fire.”

“My mind was reeling,” Morrison said. “I couldn't think clearly. I think I asked, 'How bad is it'” “It's bad,” Tracy answered.

I remember I called my son and my daughter, threw on some clothes and raced to the shop. The kids met me there. The first thing I saw was flames shooting out of the top of the building, and I knew that Tracy was right. 'It was bad.'”

“There were emergency vehicles everywhere,” she recalled. “There were neighboring fire departments that had been called in to help. I don't remember how long it took before the fire was under control, but it was at least 4 a.m. before we left to go home. I went to bed and woke up the next morning think-ing, “I don't have a flower shop anymore. I felt lost.”

It had been 30 years since Mor-rison had started her day without having a flower shop to go to work in.

“I opened on October 1, 1981,” she said. “I remember I was cleaning my grandmother's house one day, and my aunt, Gladys Boozer was there. She was making corsages. There was a bread store across the street, and I remember saying, 'If that bread store ever closes, I would like to put a flower shop in there. I don't know what made me

think I could do that. I had never made a flower arrangement in my life. Well, it was a God thing. A couple of days later, a for sale sign went up in the window of the bread store.”

“I had worked at PenYu Drugs when I was in high school and I had worked for 10 years at Ben Franklin,” Morrison continued.


“At both places part of my job was making Easter baskets and gift baskets. That was really the only experience I had creating anything like that. I opened my shop at 102 North Douglas with $500. My aunt helped me get started and Bob and Anita Sparks, who owned the building. helped me out. I made a

lot of Indian corn arrangements,” she laughed.

“And I learned to make saddles for graves. I'd make a saddle, and I'd sell it. I'd think “Oh my gosh I sold a saddle, and I'd hurry and go make another one. Then someone would come in and want two.”

“I stayed at that little building on Douglas Street for 13 years before I looked for another place to buy. There were times when I would take an order for something, go into the back room and raise my hands in the air and say, 'God, you're go-ing to have to help me out here. I don't have any idea how to do this.'

In addition to selling floral arrangements, Sandy’s has many items including gourmet gifts, jewelry, hats, scarves, purses, along with all kinds of Christmas decorations, wreaths and centerpieces.


Employee Cindy Cash works on a floral arrangement.


But it always worked out. In 1994 I was able to buy the house on West Main and turn it into my shop.”

Within days after the fire on Sep-tember 2, Morrison began looking for a new temporary location to continue business.

“We had four funerals that we had already committed to, and I didn't have anything. You can't imagine how much stuff it takes just to make one basket,” she said. “My wholesaler was so good to me. They turned the alarms off in their building and told me just to go ahead with my girls and go in and work, keep track of what I used and get the orders done”

“I started looking for a temporary location,” she said. “It seemed

like every door was closed to me. Either it wasn't worth renting, the owner didn't want to rent it or it had been sold. I began to think that maybe it wasn't meant to be for me to reopen. Maybe I should forget it. But my customers kept calling. I love what I do, and feel like I pro-vide a service for people when they really need it. I was able to rent the building at 328 East Main, where Rissi's used to be, and things just started to fall into place. We held an open house and we're ready for the holidays.”

Morrison still has decisions to make and work to do concerning rebuilding her floral business at her old location. But in the meantime, the trees are up, the showroom glitters and customers, both old and new, are finding her again.

“We carry all the lines that we had before,” she said. “Gift items including gourmet gifts, jewelry, hats, scarves, purses, along with all kinds of Christmas decorations, wreaths and centerpieces. Sandy’s Flowers also provides flower deliv-ery through Teleflora and handles all floral designs for weddings and funeral services.

“I just love what I do,” she said. “I can’t say that after 30 years I’m starting over. It’s like we never missed a step. We just took a few weeks to reorganize, and we’re continuing here for now. I’m not sure how it will all end up, but I do believe that when a door closes, God opens a window.”

Sandy’s employs 5 full and part-time employees. “And I have a list of people I call in to help for really big orders,”says owner Sandy Morrison. Pictured L-R: Cindy Cash, Alecia Kalaher, Sandy Morrison, Marty Innis, Tracy Crawford and Molly McGinty.


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Leo

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issi

The first UMWA Hospital in West Frankfort was destroyed by fired in the late 1940’s

By Gail Rissi Thomas

UMWA Hospital finally met its demise this month. Much to the sat-isfaction of local resi-

dents, what has long been the most prominent eyesore of the com-munity has been removed. Once a state of the art medical facility, the hospital fell on hard times when it no longer was economically suc-cessful or even self -supporting. There is not a lot of recorded history of the hospital while it was still operating successfully, but it was actually West Frank-fort's second hospital. The first, dedicated in 1916 was one of the earliest full service facilities in the area, extremely well staffed and equipped due to the need created by the large number of coal mines

in and around West Frankfort. It was one of many excellent health-care facilities established by the UMWA throughout the coalfields of the Midwest. Unfortunately, the community lost that hospital when it was destroyed by fire in the late

1940's The UMWA Hospital that we remember at 507 West St. Louis Street began its decline in the Nine-ties and in 2001 was sold to South-ern Illinois Healthcare who vowed to improve the hospital and keep it

Winter • 2011

in operation. It was only a short time later that they closed the hospital and sold it back to the city for one dollar. The city donated it to an agency, which at-tempted to reopen the facility, but after many failed starts, collapsed in bankruptcy.

For over ten years the hospital has continued it's decline becoming a public nuisance, a frequent target for vandalism and arson making it a continuous point of contention among residents. Finally, just over a year ago, the National Acquisition Redevelopment Company offered to take ownership of the building, demolish it and redevelop the property. Just the cost of demolishing the building and clearing the property was estimated at about 250 thousand dollars. Again failure of the project to start on time and delays due to asbestos problems and equipment failures caused rumors and discontent again throughout the commu-nity.

When the project finally began and the walls began to fall it stimulated the telling and retelling of the memory of friends or relatives who worked there, were cured there, were born there and died there. Oh if walls could talk, what stories they would tell. The NARC has not announced what the property will eventually be used for, if anything. But the saga of the old hospital almost illustrates a point made by au-thor Barbara Hall. “The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road. We get lost. We turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe only what matters is that we embark.”

Pg. 29

The UMWA Hospital served a vital role in West Frankfort for many years before larger medical centers in the region began affecting patient admissions.

Winter • 2011

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