All Roads Lead Home by Kim McCully-Mobley

Send us Fan Mail Kelley Field is the namesake of an important person in our community's history. He was young, vibrant and full of compassion for his fellow man--despite the horrors of war he had endured. Howard Kelley was, by all accounts, a remarkable man who loved Aurora and its people.  As we welcome our Cassville visitors tonight for the first home game of the 2023 season, I'd like...

Send us Fan Mail Twenty years ago this month, I met a man who would change my world...for the better. He is smart, funny and a heck of a dancer. I am quite certain God put him in my path for tons of reasons. I am looking forward to the next 20 years. I am celebrating him with a song he played for me...not long after we met. And, yes, I am still hoping someday he lets me lead on the dance floor. Bu...

Send us Fan Mail I fell off the boat the past few weeks and was busy with grant reports, curriculum, new teacher events and some family obligations. I was asked today why I had not posted any Hee Haw popups of late. Well, these two are pretty rough; but here you go. I am hoping Jack Muench, Tom Morris and Scott Pettit are good sports and won't retaliate.

Send us Fan Mail My brother went to Heaven five years ago today. I miss him terribly. But I know he is having the best time. He was quite the character. I hear stories about him everywhere I go. That Estes spunk was part of his demeanor. He played hard, worked hard and loved even harder. His big blue eyes live on in the eyes of his children and grandchildren. Faith holds. Love wins. And All Roads...

Send us Fan Mail The concept of home is a combination of things that trigger memories and feelings of being safe, happy and loved. Mike and Mona Thach and Billy Redus were all three recipients of the awards this year at the Annual Aurora Chamber of Commerce Banquet. I love it here. I love Aurora. I love the Ozarks. There's no place I'd rather be. These honors are pretty special to me as...

Send us Fan Mail I recently met up with some classy gals from the Aurora High School Class of 1963. Their names are Pam, Connie and Pauline.  Their class made a donation to our work at the Aurora Houn' Dawg Alumni & Outreach Center. They also issued a challenge for other classes to do the same in the wake of the upcoming All-School Reunion this fall. I enjoyed the walk down memory lane. I...

Send us Fan Mail I have been taking jaunts to Roaring River since I was a child.  I recently embarked on a retreat to the banks of the rippling waters. I love the lore, the people the magnetic pull of the river and the green vegetation along its banks. Roaring River adventures are looming on your to do list. Do yourself a favor and take a trip there before the summer ends. You won't regret it...

Send us Fan Mail With Back to School events looming on the horizon, conversations about technology and its use and abuse seem to crop up in tons of conversations. I work with incoming teachers at Aurora and always get asked about do's and don'ts of  social media and promoting our school and community. Here's some information that pertains to all of us as we navigate the ever changin...

Send us Fan Mail I have been singing my way through the hot summer by reflecting on old shows, old songs and old memories from days gone by. This might be one of those "you just had to be there" moments. If you want your own personal Pfffft, You Was Gone song written and performed, just let me know. 

Send us Fan Mail My backroads pal, RaVae Lewis, and I found ourselves at a most unlikely picnic spot in the Arkansas delta a few days ago. Let me tell you the story behind this dilapidated field. You won't want to miss it.

Send us Fan Mail I have been on a few adventures with my travel buddy, RaVae Lewis, the last few years. Covid messed us up a little bit last year; but we are always planning that next outing---Thelma & Louise style. We spent a few days meandering around the Arkansas Delta last week. I wrote a column about it and revamped it a little bit for this podcast. I am happy to be home, but I will alway...

Send us Fan Mail Once more, I am either offering up a spoof or parody of a sacred Hee Haw hym...called Where Oh Where, Are You Tonight? I have been working at the Alumni Center/Old Armory this week. Let's just say the spirits/ghosts and my imagination have not disappointed me. There are sounds being made that I'm pretty sure I'm not making...But, at least I haven't hurt myself...

Send us Fan Mail We just wrapped up a grant project based on dental health and better hygiene. Thanks to the hard work of our partners, the grant project has been deemed a big success.  Dental health has been linked to better circulation, heart health priorities and better self-esteem.  Here's hoping you become dedicated to rest, brushing your teeth, better nutrition and exercise this coming...

Send us Fan Mail We will be hosting a dedication of the All Roads Lead Home Veterans Honor Garden this coming fall. A large, midnight black granite stone has been set near the flagpoles  to call attention to our two World War I veterans heroes: Howard Whitsett Kelley and Harold Leo Turner. This stone has been a long time coming and has been made possible through grants provided by the City of Auro...

Send us Fan Mail I celebrated a milestone birthday this month and I absolutely love it. I am proud of all 62 years---even though my friend and colleague Jimmy Sexton inadvertently placed a headline about a 102 year old Aurora woman next to my head on last week's front page of The Aurora Advertiser. Ramona Lewis is a class act, for sure. Don't mind me, though, as I hop, skip, jump and plu...

Send us Fan Mail Here you go with some more odes and Hee Haw spoofs as I pretend I am a singing/dancing/tambourine playing gypsy.  1. I was dared to do some more podcast popups...so I did them. (I once ate hand lotion for money on a dare in the first grade. It did not end well, but I did make about 75-cents. But, to my knowledge--my neighbor Harold Thurman took my secret to his grave. 2. If you ha...

Send us Fan Mail This week has been a heavy week in our community. I needed a little levity today and have decided to further my career options as a country western singer/tambourine player/table dancer upon retirement...which is part of my five-year plan. We have all kinds of boutique popups these days for special events. We even have food truck popups. So, consider these 72 seconds of wailing so...

Send us Fan Mail tOur community, as well as several other towns around us, suffered what has been described as a "tremendous tragedy" in recent days. Some of our friends are planning four funerals in the wake of what was supposed to be a benefit fundraiser. It was a beautiful day as the unthinkable happened at 11:20 a.m. on Saturday, June 3rd. Hundreds of lives will never be the same. We...

Send us Fan Mail Several of us joined together last week to help Chris Ackley place flags on the graves of some 1,100 veterans in Aurora's Maple Park Cemetery. This annual project is a nice backdrop for a Sense of Place Award we received last week from two national groups. This Signature Award will help us pay tribute to our own veterans in a variety of platforms that are getting a jumpstart...

Send us Fan Mail My longtime boss/colleague/friend and mentor Billy A. Redus is retiring this summer. This is a small tribute to him that reveals my song-writing talents and my unwillingness to tell him goodbye...ever. I am quite sure the admiration I have for him is probably one-sided. I am okay with that. I know I am...a lot. I would apologize, but my intentions are good, I swear.  All joking as...

Send us Fan Mail I have always been a sentimental girl. I cry when Ernest T. Bass throws rocks on Andy Griffith or when I see a sad little puppy photo on Facebook. I cry at the drop of a hat. I cry when I leave on vacation. I cry again when I come home. It usually takes 10 seconds for the first teardrop to fall. Last week's graduation ceremony was no exception as the first senior traipsed acr...

Send us Fan Mail I had a Friday morning visit to the local radio station to spread cheer, information and random trivia along with the host of Friday's morning show---Bill Lewis. My longtime friend and colleague. He had another guest with Aurora roots. Brett Heman joined us in behalf of the Monett Chamber of Commerce. Brett had some great ideas about collaborating with area communities to hos...

Send us Fan Mail I am working on expanding my podcast and collaborating on a variety of projects designed to promote/protect/preserve our stories. My grandpa always told me to watch for signs and to pay attention to my gut instincts. My gut instincts are rarely wrong. I watch people's eyes. I pay attention to body language. I read and reread emails, letters and texts. Join me on this journey...

Send us Fan Mail It has been 44 years since I graduated from Aurora High School. How can that be possible? I am still dreaming about Trans Ams, Willie Nelson and John Travolta. I love to disco and I still wear tie dye and feathers. A bonus comes as I realize I am still writing for The Aurora Advertiser and attending classes at good ol' AHS. Take my words of advice with a grain of salt. I may...

Send us Fan Mail We recently took 22 students and six chaperones on a two-day field trip focusing on humanity, resilience, taking a stand, finding your voice and sharing your stories. This particular podcast focuses on the firs day of our journey. It involved a visit Rohwer, a Japanese Internment Camp Site during World War II, and a visit with Richard Yada, who was born there. One of the things Ya...