All Roads Lead Home by Kim McCully-Mobley

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It is always better to give than to receive. A favorite belief of mine that comes from Sunday School teachings is that whatever you give away will come back to you tenfold.

That said, please feel free to jump on the bandwagon for the third round of Hometown Partners Giving Circle efforts this year.

The money is earmarked for good things in Aurora, Marionville and Verona. Plus, what makes this even better is that you get to vote on the recipients!

Feel free to contact me for...

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I get asked all the time about the state of today's teenagers? Are they different? Do they have good manners? Is there some kind of a disconnect?

Well, let me just tell you about a couple of them from Aurora High School. Jaysa Ernest and Addi Hall represented Aurora at the Annual RYLA Camp a couple of weeks ago.

After hearing them speak last week at a Rotary Club meeting, I can tell you with certainty that they are going to make their marks on the world. They will...

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This week paved the way for some time in the archives, some old-fashioned research, a couple of fall outings and a handful of stories.

Join me as I share a few fun ones as we work our way towards a few more holiday stories and projects to wind out the year.

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Friday, October 17th, would have been Evan Boettler's 18th birthday. This year should have been his senior year. We should be talking about a senior trip, graduation plans and college. I should be teasing him about calling my friend "Chainsaw Patty" or making him listen to one of my ghost stories as we get closer to Halloween.

His life was tragically stolen from us on January 3, 2024--when a certain kind of evil orchestrated an extortion attempt on a boy who had only had access to social media a few months.

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We are blessed to have a gentleman living in our community by the name of Darrell Hastings.

He received state honors earlier this month for Good Neighbor Week. To add to his honors, Shannon Walker of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce and I made a trek to his home to give him a cap and ask him a special question.

He said yes to being one of our Grand Marshals for the upcoming Christmas Parade on December 13th.

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How can you be a good neighbor?

Wave.

Smile.

Bake a pan of cookies.

Invite people over for a cookout.

Pickup some trash.

Mow someone's yard.

Help them with a project.

Hold a door open. Go visit someone to see what they need. 

Be a good neighbor as we celebrate our community this week. We have a lot to offer. Plus, we have the best neighbors in the state.

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I attended a leadership retreat a few weeks ago with some new colleagues. I have been on fire about it ever since.

I have used it for writing prompts, columns and lesson plans.

I have used it to revamp and recharge my to do list and the circle of folks I want to work with most in these so-called Golden Years.

Take a listen. See what you think. 

What do others need to know about you?

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Scott Pettit read the script Friday night as the undefeated Aurora 1965 Football Team made a special appearance at Kelley Field. If you were there, watching online or even listening--you were part of history.

This is the stuff dreams are made of and these dreams have lasted more than six decades as this scrappy team made headlines for their skills, speed, prowess and tenacity. These gentlemen represent the Houn' Dawg Spirit at its best.

The team gathered at Blackbird in the afternoon for an early dinner, made the trek to...

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Last weekend found me on a quick trip to the lake with my family. We were visiting with friends from Alabama and enjoying some much-needed down time. 

We ate, we played, we laughed, we slept. We watched the Houn' Dawgs and the Chiefs from our lakeside cabin, Wranglers' Rest. I loved every minute; it just went by too quickly--as always.

Saturday found us at the Keeter Center slobbering over some ice cream and jumping on a tram later that afternoon at Dogwood Canyon.

The Ozarks. I don't e...

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Exploring the backroads and byways of the Ozarks has been a passion of mine for decades. Roads connect people. They have a personality all of their own.

Labor Day Weekend found me rediscovering some places, people and things in northwest Arkansas.

Highway 62 is a historic road with lots of stories, history and fun. If you get a chance, go do a little exploring of your own.

You'll be glad you did!

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These boots were made for walkin'----

I sang that song on the way home from school one day after my first taste of kindergarten. I had enjoyed the opening round of school--for the most part. I did not enjoy the Back To School spanking I had received earlier in the day from my pretty teacher--Mrs. Bolin, though.

Trust me when I say I never saw it coming.

I was hoping that little scenario would not rear its ugly head again.

The chain of...

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A celebration of life will be held this week for Shari Carmichael of Aurora.

Shari was a prayer warrior, a champion for underdogs and a powerful role model for women of faith.

Her final moments were full of love, grace and mercy. She was worried about others and firm in her beliefs about Heaven and God's grace.

We will honor her by gathering funds for a playground at her church, Brookline Church of Christ. Nana's playground will ring with laughter and hope in the years to come.<...

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Has it really been 60 years?

Time flies when you are having fun; that's for sure.

Aurora Houn' Dawgs were ranked first in state in 1965. Those players will be having a reunion of sorts next month.

They were surprised recently to discover they are joining the ranks of the Houn' Dawg Hall of Fame as the 2025 Class.

60 years in the making, players will walk on to Kelley Field before their hometown crowd once more to hear the roar of the crowd underneath those Friday Night Lights.<...

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I grew up knowing the Pate name.

Juvenile Shoe Factory is what brought my mom to Aurora from northwest Arkansas after World War II.

The Pate girls were pretty, fun and out-going.

Linda was in my class at school.

Later in life, Gale Pate would help start the Senior Advisory Group for the local Chamber of Commerce. I thought the SAG acronym was hilarious. The glaring stares from him, my mother and my first boss, Carl Wise, quickly put me in my place.

...

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All Roads Lead Home Mural Number 5 is finished.

America's Muralist Raine Clotfelter has worked his magic once again.

I have enjoyed having his presence in the old armory, aka Aurora Houn' Dawg Alumni & Outreach Center during the month of July.

His talent and creativity is rock solid. His determination, faith and ability to always find the good in any situation is literally contagious. He and his wife, Tricia, have become great friends.

Join me in congratulating him on another job well done as helps preserve...

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I have been on a new journey this summer.

I have spent a few hours each week diving into all things related to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

Well-known Aurora Graduate Brian Fogle and former CFO president once told me that building a legacy isn't always about money. He said it's about donating your time, your talents, your resources and your passions-- while bringing people together for a common cause. I took that to heart.

This summer I stepped into a role that left me with...

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This life.

It is full of joys, highs, lows, surprises and quite often--some hard knocks.

One of my greatest joys is the friendships I have made along the way of my lengthy journey. God always seems to put people in my path just when I need them most.

Wayne Morgan was one of my joys and surprises.

We had been through some tough times together.

One of my hard knocks came this year--when I found out Wayne was going to be vacating his...

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I took some time out last week for a working retreat of sorts with my ride or die travel buddy, Ravae Lewis. We have been through a lot together and we have put the miles in, too. (That's not to say we are high mileage. That's not the case, at all.)

We have added up mileage in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Maryland and Pennsylvania. We were politely escorted to the boundaries of a reservation during the pandemic and followed around by a stranger in an...

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This week's podcast talks about a few Presidential things. We especially focus on a young George Washington--who painstakingly copied down his rules of civility to live by when he was a young man.

He would later become a Revolutionary War Hero and ultimately--our nation's First President.

Let's take a look at those rules and a few pieces of Presidential trivia this week--as we celebrate our country's independence.

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I attended a MAACE (Missouri Association for Adult Continuing and Community Education) Conference earlier this month at Lake of the Ozarks.

Crowder College sent a team of us who with in the Adult Education Literacy program. The sessions were perfect. The speakers were rock solid. The handouts were full of great information and up to date resources. We were treated like celebrities.

But one things stood out above the rest. Our keynote speaker was Dan Meers, longtime mascot KC Wolf for the Kansas City Chiefs.

He was...

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Yes. Since 2021--I have been working hard on the nicer, kinder, gentler version of Jennifer Kim Estes McCully-Mobley. (My son once told me my name was not going to fit on a tombstone!)

With Father's Day occurring just last weekend, I had my Dad---Thomas Stanford (Buck) Estes on my mind. Most people called him Stan. If they had known him a long time, they called him Buck.

He was a little rough around the edges at times, but people loved him because he was the real deal. He loved...

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It was a chaotic Sunday morning at Aurora Community Hospital on June 11th, 1961. My mom had a belly-ache and came home with me.

My brother, Randy, said things would never be the same.

My journey has been a fun one, full of skinned knees, chasing boys on the playground and looking for the prize in a Cracker Jack box.

Join me in a trip down memory lane as I celebrate yet another trip around the sun. Here's to 64 years and counting!

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Six local educators have received $150 mini-grants for the coming school year. Their applications were screened and scored by the members of the Aurora High School Leadership classes (also known as A-Tech I and A-Tech II).

The grants are awarded from Youth Empowerment Project, an arm of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. YEP believes in promoting history, literacy, climate, culture, storytelling, fundraising, philanthropy, problem-solving and paying it forward.

Congratulations to this year's winners.

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Aurora High School Graduate Hannah (Isaacson) Rader earned the All Roads Lead Home Award at this year's Chamber Banquet in behalf of her family and crew at The Garden Exchange. 

They are always busy making the Summit City look and feel like a Hallmark movie!

They have brought color, fun, celebrations and spirit to an all new level in downtown Aurora in the wake of a pandemic and questionable economic times.

The Raders love Aurora and Aurora loves them right back.

They have proved the a...

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A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. Those are words we should all learn to live by.

Several community members took the time to honor Chuck Burbridge last week as our most recent Loyd R. Ellis honoree.

The award is given each year by the Aurora Chamber of Commerce to someone who has given much to the community. The second highest award is presented in honor of an Auroran who believed in community service and leaving a legacy.

Join...

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Aurora Administrator Ed Cook has been gone for over 35 years.

His legacy lives on today with scholarships, projects and activities designed to encourage leadership, ethics and sense of place in the rural Ozarks--a place he loved.

Ed Cook was a teacher, mentor, coach and friend.

He was resilient.

He loved Aurora. He loved being a Houn' Dawg.

It was an honor to present a scholarship in his memory last week at Aurora High School.

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With last week's storms and tornado outbreaks, my husband made a bad joke about pulling over to the side of the road and seeing the old lady go by on a bicycle. It took me a minute--while he stifled a nervous chuckle. I told him I got the reference, but it might be too soon to be cracking any jokes.

Humor is a coping skill at our house, though; we laugh about most everything--because simply--crying takes too much out of us in our old age!

That said, it did...

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As April rolls out with a few disruptions, I have been contemplating events from April's past. Join me in some reflections on old friends like Frank Peterson, motherhood and moving forward.

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My mom and dad would have celebrated their 79th anniversary on April 15th, tax day, if they were still here. I'm sure they are celebrating in Heaven.

The day had me contemplating their legacies, their love story and the lives of those they impacted in both Arkansas and Missouri (and beyond) during the course of their lives.

Please join me in a trip down memory lane to pay tribute to those blue eyes, relentless spirits and hearts full of passion for doing the right things.

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As we continue to celebrate our Easter season, we are reminded of the concepts of sacrifice, redemption and unconditional love.

We chose to honor two local heroes with the planting of some trees at the Aurora Houn' Dawg Alumni & Outreach Center earlier this month.

Along with some special guests, we planted a dogwood tree and a redbud tree on the facility's southeast lawn.

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The 2025 Rotary Speech Contest is over, but we are still talking about those speeches at Aurora High School.

Senior Kylee Cole placed first this year, while Jaelyn Ernest was second. Malaya Todd was third and Seth Shoemaker placed fourth. These kids knocked it out of the park by being brave enough to tell Aurora's leaders about the things that matter most to them as they get ready to embark on adulthood themselves.

To say I am proud is an understatement.

What would you talk about if you...

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Ben Tracy, a national spokesman about online safety, will be here in Aurora on Wednesday, April 9th.

Here's hoping we give him a good, old-fashioned Houn' Dawg welcome as he comes to town to teach us about online predators and things we can do to protect our children.

I hope to see you at Aurora High School Wednesday evening, April 9th. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. The program starts at 6 p.m.

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Officially, it all started in March of 1965.

The Supremes were telling us to "Stop--In The Name of Love."

My sister and her husband are celebrating 60 years of marriage this week.

Join me in wishing them more years of romance and adventure.

They are loved beyond measure.

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Cemeteries.

I like them.

In fact, some of my favorite people are there.

I like finding new ones, wandering around looking at tombstones and going down the rabbit of hole of finding out the stories that are hidden there---just waiting to be shared with others.

It's been a fun opportunity to get to work on a script for walking tour of a cemetery in Northwest Arkansas. I'll keep you posted about how it turns out.

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I focus a little bit on the pending time change this weekend as we return to Daylight Savings Time...a time when I struggle to get my internal clock back in gear.

Time is the stuff of great music, solid poetry and fun adages.

But--we only have so much of it before it runs out.

Here's to more daylight, later sunsets and getting the most out of life.

Enjoy your time!

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Aurora was one of several communities honored in February at the Capitol Rotunda in Jefferson City. Missouri Humanities was recognizing the Small Town Showcase Communities, like Aurora.

Due to a number of things involving time/travel/multitasking and obligations, none of us who had worked with them were going to be able to go.

Marla Dunning Woolstenhulme came to the rescue. Not only does she work right there in the building, but she is a die-hard Houn' Dawg with a passion for all things Aurora.

This week's...

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This weeks snowstorm derailed a few of us from our regular routines.

I don't really want to talk about it.

But I was stuck three times on Wednesday and two of those were in my own driveway!

Thank goodness, I have folks willing to rescue me when I'm in trouble.

Whatever the case, I hope you are warm, safe, healthy and well-rested.

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It's funny how stories from the distant past become clearer as we grow older, wiser and more experienced. This week, the Aurora High School Class of 1979 lost another classmate--Jeff Thach. Fortunately, we were able to see him in the fall when he showed up for some of our 45th reunion activities. I never thought about that being the last time we would hug his neck.

This week--I  talked about my favorite things this week on Facebook. My favorite things are my tribe, my circle, my people--if you will. I decided long a...

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Today is Super Bowl Sunday.

I've got my fingers crossed for those Chiefs!

I have also been in quiet reverie all day...thinking about how far I've come in the last four years. 

Four years ago today I came off a ventilator. I still remember going back and reading my son's posts on Facebook that February 9 was a GOOD DAY!!! He talked about how grateful he was for the love, prayers and support our family received during those rough times.

There have been others in o...

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This week's podcast includes an update on last week's quarterly Aurora GRO meeting and a tip of the hat to an Aurora graduate, Michael Parbury, who is coming home to open a restaurant in downtown Aurora.

To say that I'm excited is a huge understatement.

He has made his mark in the culinary world in Springfield and had the urge and the opportunity to come home to purchase a house and open a business. The name of the business is: Winston's: The Ol' Dawg Gone Bar & Grill. The logo...