Partying with Boyd and keeping the plow in the ground

          It was a busy Saturday in the Parker household.
        First, Debbie and I made the trip to nearby Barnes City and the Longhorn Saloon to take a photo of my mother-in-law’s Montezuma High School Class of 1959 reunion gathering. It was a nice gathering with 13 classmates in attendance. All totaled with spouses, there were 21 in attendance. 
         After a nice afternoon nap, it was off to the Helm’s Bed and Breakfast north of Montezuma at 4 p.m. to attend Boyd Sparks 91st birthday shindig.
         It was quite an event. Tyler Richton and the High Bank Boys showed up to party with some down home country music with many enjoying a dance or two, including Boyd.
        Boyd, who is looking good for his age, was thrilled at the turnout. There were an estimated 230 attendees that filled the barn and were scattered about the deck, in seating under the deck and in the yard. I’m sure he greeted, thanked and hugged everyone who came through the door.
         A meal of BBQ pork, beans and potato salad was served to guests, topped off by cake and some famous Harold Wheeler ice cream.
       One of the delights of the evening was hearing Boyd sing, “Sweet Betsy from Pike,” an American Ballad about the trials of a pioneer woman named Betsy and her lover, Ike, who migrate west from Pike County to California. Boyd said the tune was played on the television show, Gunsmoke. According to Wikipedia,  Burl Ives recorded the song on Feb. 11, 1941 for his debut album, “Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger.”
        He spoke of living a life filled with God’s blessings and thanked everyone for being there. At 91, Boyd still ministers God’s Word on Sundays at United Methodist Churches in Malcom and Sheridan. Many of his church parishioners were present at the party.
       Also present were friends and family from Florida, Indiana, Montana and California, along with family and friends from Boyd’s hometown stopping grounds in Bayard, Guthrie Center and Ogden. His son said there were folks from four time zones present at the party.
      He then shared a story with the guests about having a heart attack in January 2016. He didn’t go into  every detail, only to say that after eight bypasses, he returned to Montezuma to rest and recover. At the time, Montezuma resident, Chris Sheetz, a friend of the family, along with a home health nurse were helping take care of Boyd and his wife, Jean. 
       Sheetz and the home health nurse became concerned about Boyd’s health and it was decided to call his daughter, an RN in Des Moines.
      “My daughter said to take me to the emergency room at Mercy,” recalled Boyd. “Doctors there were concerned and did tests and thought I had a bowel blockage.”
      Doctors told Boyd that if he didn’t have surgery, he had a zero percent survival rate and if he did have surgery, he had a 30 percent survival rate. Boyd gave the Ok and when they opened him up, doctors couldn’t find a thing wrong.
       “Nothing was wrong,” Boyd shared. “It was a pure miracle as far as I am concerned.”
     I’ve witnessed a few miracles and open doors in my life. I’ve seen God do wonderous works and have shared many of those stories in this column through the years. I hope to share a few more as I roll down life’s highway.
     I’ve known Boyd for many years and have written a couple stories about him and his now late wife, Jean. I’ve stopped to visit a number of times through the years.
      Boyd has given me much practical life advice when I’ve asked and calls me a friend. He asked me to take photos at his birthday event and I enjoyed mingling about the gathering and capturing the evening activities with my camera.
       Debbie enjoyed being at the party and liked hearing Tyler and the band play.
      As I listened to the music and took in all the activities and wrapped up taking pictures of Boyd, his family and friends, it made me think that life is really a series of events and happenings that you piece together in years.
     We’ve all had bad and good happen in our lives. The problem is, at least in my thinking, that when something bad happens, we sometimes get stuck. When we get stuck in life, that’s not good for our heart, mind or health. We all need to forgive, forget and put the plow in the ground and keep moving forward in life. I encourage you to put whatever happened behind you and move forward. Keep the memories alive and keep dreaming and believing in the impossible.
        Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.