They stare at me!They want attention again, I think. This big old storm day keeps us all home.......no getting away from the old painting of two dolls that used to be SO loved and SO played with.  The artist was not a trained artist but liked trying.   But it was a long time ago and I can't remember their names.  I think the one on the left was Mary and a lot taller than this shows.And I think the one on the right was one whose hair grew and was so advertised that all little girls wanted one. The one I bought it for wanted one so badly that she made a bargain with me.  If she could have one, she'd stop sucking her thumb....... and SHE DID!!!  So who were  the dolls?  You may have figured this out by now.  My daughter can't remember the dolls names right now but perhaps some of you Sleu... 01/24/2026

Speed, certainty, and cashflow matter more than ever for real estate investors. Rising interest rates, tighter underwriting standards, and increased competition have forced investors to rethink how they finance rental properties. Traditional mortgage approvals that rely on personal income, tax returns, and debt to income ratios often slow transactions down or eliminate opportunities entirely. This shift has pushed many investors toward DSCR loans, also known as Debt Service Coverage Ratio loans, as a more efficient way to acquire income producing real estate.A DSCR loan is designed specifically for real estate investors. Rather than qualifying the borrower based on W2 income or tax returns, DSCR financing evaluates whether the rental property itself can support the monthly mortgage paym... 01/15/2026

A Saloon!  In Searcy AR, dry county?This is a newly found photograph labeled with Matthews Saloon 1906 that is being shared with us for this blog.  The lender found it in her parent's collection and knows nothing about it and hopes the Searcy Sleuths can provide more information.  A super Super Sleuth has done some searching and has come up with the following interesting information.  Here is what he has supplied and has written his own blog and let me share it.  I have shortened his summary somewhat with his permission.This is written by Don Thompson, super Searcy Sleuth.  A photo of this framed print owned by a Searcy, Arkansas resident was taken by Barbara Duncan. She asked me to comment on it.The prohibition movement gained momentum in the first decade of the twentieth century as Ar... 01/11/2026

 Wider Streets, Smaller Vehicles?Which is it?  This old view of West Arch in Searcy AR towntown is very interesting.  Folks will remember the businesses, and definitely the one with the Pianos sign.  The history is that Mr. Pope could load a piano by himself, no help needed! Wonder if the man on the street was him!Just a few days ago I put up a blog showing parking meters downtown but I see none here and there is no date on the card but perhaps Searcy Sleuths can tell what year the cars were and determine date.  Perhaps they can read the writing on the white car near the man on the sidewalk.  The picture definitely makes the street look wider than it seems to be today.  But I guess vehicles have just grown!! 12/16/2025

Old look. 401 W. Woodruff. Searcy AR. Built 1930.  This is an old picture of what is now called the Jack Price house.  So who was Jack Price?  Some of my friends say he was once sheriff of White County and lived there for a long time.  That was sometime back in the 1960s.  Searcy Sleuths, if you know more, share it!  Meantime, here's the way it looks right now!  It is being restored!  I am glad it is not being torn down!! 12/09/2025

Look hard.  Parking meters!And look at those favorite businesses, some that remain today.  Quattlebaum Music, Stotts!  According to this old picture showing the car on the right, the parking here must have been at an angle.My memory about how they worked was you'd park and go to the parking meter and put in change like pennies, nickels or dimes and buy your parking for a set amount of time, maybe an hour, and the meter would show if you had time reserved.  Parking attendants from the city walked around checking and giving tickets for overparking your time.The penalty was not so bad in small towns but I had a son who overparked in California while going to college at UCLA and the price was high!Do you still miss parking meters? 12/06/2025

1888 Advertisement for Coca-Cola!  Look at this interesting advertisement for Coca-Cola.  My blog buddy, Don Thompson, from way back sent it to me after he read the blog I wrote about the Coca-Cola Mailbox holder.  Read it if you'd like.   Click this.  https://activerain.com/droplet/JFgK     Then go to google and search the history of Coke. The history says this Mr. Pemberton died in 1888 and sold all his interest in Coca-Cola and from then on it gradually became the national treasure as it is now.This ad makes me remember my going to a tiny movie house and seeing western movies with the traveling salesman coming through a town and pushing a miracle drink as this one sounds like it was.I think you will enjoy reading some of the history.  Than you for sharing, Don! 11/11/2025

Does Siri paint for you?I can't remember where I got this pretty  still-life painting but I thought it was nicely done.  I can't forget the signature on it, however. Siri has become a part of our lives in the past few years.  And is Siri a she or a he?So I am wondering what all she/he can do!  So can she paint a picture??  And how would she do it?  This picture looks like an original but may be a print.  Can you help me with this picture? 10/22/2025

Here's a neat old post card showing a very historic Harding College, now University, building.  It was built in 1949 and was a re-purposed WWll airplane hangar!  Google told me that.  Next is the address side of the card.It is rather hard to read but says that it had facilities for many sports including roller skating, seating space for 800 spectators and the playing floor was large enough for 3 basketball games to be played at once.  It was named for the late B. F. Rhodes, Professor Emeritus of History.  The name is now Rhodes-Reaves Field House and below is the way it looks now!Wasn't that a good history lesson! 10/12/2025

Strange! Weighs almost 2 pounds! Don't be under the tree when it falls! The tree is shown below.  The sign is calling it the Tree of Month in Searcy AR and is located right behind Mayfair Hotel which has just been sold to new owners.  The third picture shows parts of my car parked amidst the dropped fruit and shows how big the fruit is and some that has been crushed by traffic.  I picked up one and brought it home with me.Here is what City of Searcy facebook entry says about the tree.'"This month, the Searcy Tree Board is proud to recognize the Osage Orange, a uniquely American tree with a fascinating history. Also called bodark or hedge apple, it is instantly recognizable by its large, wrinkled green fruit often found scattered beneath its branches in the fall.Key Features:Fruit: The t... 10/06/2025

A long ago pictureAll of the real estate agents in Searcy AR loved Lorene.  She was one of the first lady REALTORS in this town.  I began real estate in 1979 and she was already a successful agent in the business.  She was among the first women to serve in the profession in Searcy AR and helped pave the way for other women to be in the profession.  In the above picture she worked for POWELL REALTY and is pictured with several other agents, including me!   I neglected givng a date when I saved the picture but it was good while ago.  Her obituary is found here. https://www.powellfuneralhome.net/obituaries/lorene-smith-9/#!/TributeWallShe helped start all of us female agents in a great direction and we all loved and respected her.  We thank her for her great guidance and will miss her! 10/01/2025

Ok.  I admit it.I have a white vehicle.My husband had a white truck.Most of my friends and his friends have white vehicles.  Seeing a bright yellow or baby blue or red vehicle will make you blink several times from surprise.So, what happened to cars like these in this old picture above of our beloved North Spring St. in Searcy AR?  And what happened to parking meters?  Did double-color cars cost more?  And notice the lack of pickup trucks above?  The vehicles above are attractive, aren't they?  I'd kinda like seeing them again.Now, here's the way parking lots look today! 09/30/2025

Lovely new shop at 814 Holmes Rd, Searcy AR.  Just head out Hwy 16 North and turn left on Holmes RD, just hehind Sonic, and there you are!  Here's the yard sign.Now I know you have a question.  That's a strange name. Here's a closeup of the sign on the front of the building.So I agree.  That's a different name.....tell us about it. Molly answered me and I quote her.Molly answered me and I quote her. "The meaning behind out sign, Ivory & Oak Design, is more than a name.  It is a reflection of our vision and who we are.  The Oak represents strength, dependability and sustainability-----qualities  we bring to every piece of furniture and design.  The Ivory symbolizes warmth, grace, and the joy of meaningful gifts, much like those chosen to celebrate life's most cherished moments together. ... 09/22/2025

A gift (unexpected) for me!A few days ago       https://activerain.com/droplet/Jzv4    I wrote a blog about over-large mail stuffed in mailboxes, at least in mine.  Click above to go to the blog and see a picture.WELL....  Now the largest ever has come.  I practically had to pry it out of the box and I wish I had taken a picture of its coming out of the box.  Inside my house I put the objects on my table and above is the picture of the contents.      1.  A 20" x 18" heavy plastic carrying bag (possiby good for grocery loading when they outlaw little plastic bags).         2.  Box opener.  I've never seen one but boxes have become numerous  since                              so many folks are now ordering and getting free shipping!         3.  Cleaning cloth.  Maybe for air fryers?      ... 09/15/2025

                      I love this picture!  I married the boy years later and he passed away 3 years ago this weekend.  All who knew him loved him and miss him.  This blog is in his memory.  Here's the original one.  https://activerain.com/droplet/7S5bLook at the little boy standing there strutting his stuff.  Never mind that his pants were too big, his shirt a bit small.  His smile was large and genuine.  One little girl is holding on to him. I think of words to describe him in this picture!     Join me.    Over self confident,   cocky,   proud,   bossy, happy,   leader,   show-off,   bold,   protective of girls.......a great fun picture!!The people in the picture, in case you are curious, are Rodger Duncan, his cousins Sandra Lynn Joyner Johnson and Carolyn Holmes Swindle.  Barbara Du... 08/31/2025

This is lovely! As is everything in this Searcy Art Gallery Historic home located at 300 E. Race, Searcy AR.Gifted by old Phoenix Club heirs is this china cabinet plus desk space.And this chair that has this plaque on the back of it, shown below. The plaque says ARKANSAS SEARCY  1803 LA PURCHASE EXPOSITION 1903.So what's the story?  Back in 1896 a group of Searcy ladies decided that Searcy needed more culture, like a Cultural Club, and established one that later became the Phoenix Club.  They also established the first library in Searcy and met in the building every month.  It was in Spring Park and the china cabinet was in it and was for their convenience.Around 1903 they were concious of the 1803-1903 Louisiana Purchase Exposition celebration so they commissioned a chair to be made co... 08/25/2025

 Too much oversized worthless mail! It will not easily fit in mailboxes.  Mail carriers must not like carrying the oversized mail.  Makes me think of the history of mailboxes.  My older house and most of our Searcy Arkansas older subdivisions still have little hanging mailboxes beside the front door and the "mailman" still walks through the neighborhood and delivers the mail.  Wonder how they like this big stuff?That made me start thinking.  Betcha you have paid no attention to mail boxes.  Older subdivisions in Searcy like Cloverdale and Lambert Terrace all have the little front porch mailboxes.  Later there were lots of mailboxes on posts beside the driveways of the homes.  Much better!  And now we have those huge brick pillars  with the mailboxes built in! They cause more damage for ... 08/15/2025

Buttons!!In my blog career we have never talked about buttons.  What can you say about buttons?  I just read an interesting article about buttons. First Security Bank's weekly email had an article about buttons that I found interesting and had never heard of.  Keisha Pittman McKinney wrote about "The Hidden Story of Arkansas's Pearl Button Boom." In the early 1900's, Arkansas was at the center of a pearl rush and by the mid-century was producing lots of buttons.  Soon, Arkansas had button factories that were active.  The author gives great detail about the beginning and the progress. So I thought about my button collection!  It was not a planned collection but had been going on for probably 50 or more years.  I used to sew and when you made items, you needed buttons.  And when you bough... 08/12/2025

Looks bad, doesn't it? I was driving by this old house and noticed the condition of it.  Built in 1901, so says the Course House info about it. That means it is about 124 years old!  What is going on?  Is it another one getting prepared to "bite the dust"?  So I hurry home and start my research about it.  It sold a few months ago.  It had been sitting there empty for years and going down.  I found that it was to be renovated!!!!  Hooray to hear that!So let's continue to drive by and watch its progress and hope for great results!  I hope they don't change the original looks of it very much!  08/09/2025

What's next?  Mayfair Hotel is changing hands.  Here are a few of the old pictures and one made today!  It is almost 100 years old!    I put this view on a blog a few years ago. 2009 I believe it was.  Pull up that blog and see the pictures and read an interesting story about one of its original owners.  click here.........    https://activerain.com/droplet/74XQ And possibly this is the original look in the picture above.  Fancy, fancy, and the vehicles reveal the age.  No, I don't know what age they were.  But some Searcy Sleuth will tell us.  BTW, that historic street light is still on the corner!!And this one was taken today, July 30, 2025!  It still looks pretty impressive and I hope it continues to be impressive.  Wonder what the new look might be?  Stay tuned in and tell us your M... 07/30/2025