Hodgepodge Wednesday

Today is another Hodgepodge Wednesday.


1. Share one way you think the world has changed for the better since you were a kid?
The accessibility of information. When I was in school, the only source of information available was an old encyclopedia or a trip to the library, where I spent hours searching through books to find what I needed for an assignment. Today, all we need to do now is a few clicks of a mouse and we can find so much information (right or wrong).

2. How 'bout one way it's changed for the worse?
Access to computers and the internet has created a generation that has trouble thinking on their own, or have the ability to do things logically. You would have trouble finding one teen-ager who can solve a math problem without a calculator.

3. Starlight, starfish, starling, Starbucks...your favorite 'star'?
Starlight ---- I'm a "sky watcher". I love to look at the clouds during the day and the stars at night.

4. Name a song that's overplayed, but you love it anyway.
I can't think of one. I love music and whatever I hear playing is 'new' to my ears. 

5. When did you last have home made ice cream? Your latest favorite flavor?
Last winter. We have a small counter-top ice cream freezer. My favorite is vanilla. There's so many different things you can do with vanilla -- chocolate syrup, caramel, banana split, or just plain. 

6. What do you think is the best way to inspire or motivate people?
I think to inspire someone is to point out their talents and give them encouragement. In my own life, I'm attempting something that I never thought I could do. It was the encouragement of family and friends that gave me the courage to attempt it. And I'm so glad I did. 


7. When was the last time you were without power?
2 weeks ago... we mysteriously lost power to just HALF of the house. After a long search to find the problem, and thinking it had to be just us since the neighbors weren't affected, hubby gets an electrician to come down. He searches and does some testing then tells us it has to be outside. We got the power company down, they went up on the pole and 30 seconds later, (plus $130.00 to the electrician) we had our power back.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
When I was in high school -- more years ago than I want to admit -- I played the clarinet in band. I quit after a couple years, but I did learn to read music, so it wasn't a total waste of time. Now I have a grandson who is going into band and wants to play the clarinet. I got inspired and dug out my old one. After cleaning and greasing the corks, I put it together and so many memories came back. I didn't have any good reeds so I couldn't play it, but I felt like I still knew how. Remarkable. 

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

This is a special day for our #2 daughter. She and her husband Mike were married one year ago today.

Mike called me this afternoon to tell me about the secret plans he had for them tonight.

They live in Michigan, not far from Frankenmuth (Michigan's little Bavaria). He has made reservations for a honeymoon suite for a couple days of sight-seeing, shopping, "eating a fancy meal" (his exact words... lol), a couples' massage, a hot tub and just plain relaxing and enjoying themselves. I told him that she will love it. Bob and I were there a few years ago and had a great time. The picture above shows just one small area of shops. To see all of them would take more than a day. 
Here's the web site showing what the town is like:  http://www.frankenmuth.org/

I got all the yard work done yesterday. I can't believe it... 2½ hours of bending, pulling, cutting and hauling! But it's all done. All the perennials are cut back and the weeds pulled out. I shouldn't have to do anymore to it until next spring. 

Everything else in my little part of the world is just fine and running smoothly.  Therefore, I'm going to get a bowl of ice cream, cool off and relax my sore muscles.

Until next time...................

A quiet weekend

We didn't do much this past weekend. Saturday we beat the storm when we went out to the grocery store. The sky looked very ominous. I stood in the parking lot, looking at the strange clouds. When we pulled out, I thought.... "I should have taken a picture of that." It was unusual cloud formations, but we were in a hurry to get home and get the groceries unloaded. A few minutes later the sun was shining again. The storm missed us but dumped almost an inch of rain on the town 30 miles east of us. That could be part of the same front that's now flooding the east coast.

Our weather has been very cool the last couple days. I can honestly tell you it's been downright chilly.  I got up in the middle of the night to close the bedroom window. The temperature was 52°! Yesterday, I wore a jacket. Is this July?

My plan for today is yard work. Bob's out mowing now but I need to work on the flower bed on the east

side of the house. I have to wait awhile tho' until it's shaded from the sun. I can't work in the sun. It makes me sick. I don't know if I'll get it all done today, but I'm going to give it a big try. The weather is going to be  perfect... high of 74°.

We were suppose to have the 2 youngest grandsons today, but they decided to stay home with their big brother Curtis (grandson #3 who is in college). There's not much to do at Grandma's. I think they might have sensed something, like Grandma putting them to work, helping me. :)

We didn't make it to church yesterday. Bob didn't sleep well and he was exhausted. So we decided to just stay home and he went back to bed. Since I usually don't cook on Sunday, I hadn't thawed out anything. We just went out to Bob Evans for a hot meal. We haven't been there in a long time, so it was a treat for me.

I got word last night our grand-daughter. Hollie, who lives in N. Carolina, is coming home for her birthday, Aug. 10. This is her 21st birthday!! Oh my! And she wants to spend it with her family. I'm so happy to be able to see her and her mother, D#2, who lives in Michigan. A family reunion... in my kitchen! I can't wait.



Julie, my piano teacher, will be happy to hear this.... I have a new passion. I'd rather practice now than play on Facebook. See what she's done to/for me.   :)


I think our supper will be salisbury steak in gravy with rice.... depending how I feel when I get finished in the flower bed. Or we might just have hamburgers.

I hope you've had a good day. Until next time....................... ♥

The Queen's Riddle

The Queen's Riddle
When Barack Obama met with Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen of England , he asked her . . .
"Your Majesty, how do you run such an efficient government?
Are there any tips you can give me?"
"Well," said the Queen,      
"The most important thing is to surround yourself with intelligent people."      
Obama frowned, and then asked,      
"But how do I know if the people around me are really intelligent?"
The Queen took a sip of champagne.      
"Oh, that's easy; you just ask them to answer an intelligent riddle, watch".
The Queen pushed a button on her intercom.  "Please send Tony Blair in here, would you?"
Tony Blair walked into the room and said, "Yes, your Majesty?"     
The Queen smiled and said,     
"Answer me this please Tony.  Your mother and father have a child.
It is not your brother and it is not your sister.
Who is it?"

Without pausing for a moment, Tony Blair answered…     
"That would be me."     
"Yes! Very good." said the Queen.     

Obama went back home to ask Joe Biden the same question.
"Joe, answer this for me."
"Your mother and your father have a child.     
It's not your brother and it's not your sister.
Who is it?"     
"I'm not sure," said Biden.     
"Let me get back to you on that one."     

He went to his advisers and asked everyone, but none could give him an answer.     
Frustrated, Biden went to work out in the congressional gym and saw Paul Ryan there.
Biden went up to him and asked, "Hey Paul, see if you can answer this question."     
Paul said, "Shoot Joe." 
“Your mother and father have a child and it's not your brother or your sister.
Who is it?"
Paul Ryan answered,     
"That's easy, it's me!"     
Biden smiled, and said, "Good answer Paul!"     

Biden then went back to speak with President Obama.     
"Say, I did some research and I have the answer to that riddle."
"It's Paul Ryan!"     
Obama got up, stomped over to Biden, and angrily yelled into his face,
"No! You idiot! It's Tony Blair!"     

Sat. July 27, 2013

This weekend is the last one of July and the end of another month. The days are flying by way too fast. I think the government is messing with our clocks. :)

Our #3 daughter stopped in yesterday when she got off work. She had a full schedule of massages all day and she was tired. Massage therapists are all limited to the number of clients they can do in one day. Most of them are limited to 5-6 because any more than that, they burn out and hurt too bad. It takes a lot out of them.

Yesterday was her Hospice day. They send her to the patient's home to give them some massage therapy and since each patient is different, she has to have a record of their medical condition to study before she can touch them. Those that are bed-ridden are very difficult for her. Hospice has gotten several favorable reports on my daughter and all have requested that she come back. She knew this would be hard and she's finding that out. Emotionally hard. My daughter has a soft heart, but she wanted to try this. On top of that, she's now getting new clients at the shop that have been referred by their doctor for sinus problems. They've had excellent results. Plus a chiropractor in town with a small office and no therapist, is sending some of his patients to her. We're so proud of her.

Bob's back out in the garage today, still working on that riding mower. He took the starter out to a mechanic yesterday and had it tested. It's working just fine, thank goodness. At $200 for a new one, he's relieved. So now he's working on the next possible solution.

I think we're going to have sandwiches for supper. No heating up the kitchen today. We still have the windows open and the breeze feels good, but it's warmed up a bit since Wednesday. Sunday is suppose to be back down to that comfortable range... 72°.

I guess there's nothing else to write about today.
Hope you've had a good day.
Until later.................

Thursday, July 25, 2013

We are having another beautiful day.
The temperature and low humidity makes it so much more comfortable out there.

This weather has helped both of us with the things we've been wanting to do. I was out on the shady side of the house earlier and pulled some weeds from the flower bed.

Bob's been working in the garage on the riding mower that's been stored in the shed. His brother came over last evening and helped him tear it down to see if the starter is bad. Today he's running around town to several places to see what's available and whether to put any money into it.

I had something happen last evening that I've never seen before. I had gotten a box mix at the store

last week, Betty Crocker Cinnamon Streusel muffins, that I thought I'd bake up. On the back of the box was also the directions for making a loaf instead of muffins. I decided to do the loaf. I got everything out and followed the directions. It called for 1/2 cup of water in the list of ingredients. I added that. Then the directions said to add the eggs and milk. Wait a minute! Milk?? That's the first time I've run into mistakes in the directions on a box. But it turned out ok. The milk would have given it a richer taste, but the water made it less fattening too. With fewer calories, I can have 2 slices instead of one. Right?

Before our #2 daughter moved to Michigan, she lived in a little town south of us, about 70 miles. On our way to see her, we always passed this fabulous building.

This is a picture I took from the car as we were turning the corner. Bob slowed down so I could get a clear shot.  This has always fascinated me. I'd love to see the inside.

From Wikipedia -- "Saint Charles Seminary was a Catholic seminary run by the C.P.P.S (secular priests and brothers who lived in the community) located in Carthagena, Ohio. The first buildings on the site of Saint Charles Seminary were the former buildings of the Emlen Institute. The institute was a board school for African-American youth (children of run-away slaves). In 1861 the missionaries of the Precious Blood purchased 200 acres of land since the institute had failed and the grounds and building had fallen into disuse.  (PS. the failure was caused by local folks threatening the blacks and forcing them out of the area). The first building constructed on the premises was called the Old Abbey. In 1878 a new building was constructed and became the seminary. Then, in 1922, the construction of the seminary was completed which replaced a lot of the functions of the Old Abbey and previous seminary. Around this time enrollment peaked at 120 students.

The seminary closed in 1969 as a consequence of declining enrollment. Theology students for the order now study at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.  In order to accommodate the retiring priests, which peaked in 1980s and 1990s, the former seminary was converted into a retirement home. Today the center is now in the process of being converted into a retirement home for lay seniors as well."
And that, my friends, is your history lesson for today. :)

I better close this out and get back to the kitchen. I've had a roast cooking for a couple hours now and my house smells so good. I have to get supper finished so Bob can get to his meeting tonight.

I hope you've had a great day. Until next time..................

Hodgepodge Wednesday

1. July 24th is Amelia Earhart Day.  Earhart was the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.  What's something you've recently accomplished solo?

Recently? I can't think of a thing. I do have a few things in my lifetime that I have accomplished on my own, but they were all several years ago. I got my first computer in 1976. Back then, I had to write my own programs in DOS in order for it to do anything. I taught myself how to do that which gave me the groundwork for understanding and repairing problems with computer software, until recently. Now the technology is too complicated and way over my head.

2.  What's one product you use that never ever fails?

My fork? hahaha  I'm at a loss as to a product that never fails. Everything we use these days is disposable, so nothing lasts forever. I'll have to think on this one and maybe come back to it. 

3. Have you found your place in the world? Where is it?

At 66 yrs. of age, I have found my place in the world... right where I am. I've been Bob's wife for 48 years. When I became a mother, I was then responsible for making my girls a beautiful part of the world, intelligent and productive. This is where I'm suppose to be and I feel blessed. 

4.  Worst movie you ever saw?

  All movies I see are on TV or DVD, so if I determine that it's going to be a bad one, I change the channel.  If I have to name just one, it would have to be "The Exorcist". And that's only because of the way it made me feel. I still shiver when I think about it. 

5. What's the last fun thing you did?

Having all my family (3 daughters, 3 son-in-laws and 7 grandchildren) in my kitchen at the same time. We were tripping over each other but I didn't mind. It was all the laughter that filled the house. 

6. The month of July is named for Roman Emperor Julius Caesar...ever been to Rome? What's your favorite Italian dish?

Lasagna! I make my own sauce and Hubby loves it. I don't make it very often because it takes such a long time plus there's only just the 2 of us now which gives us way too much leftovers. Now I only make it on special occasions. No, I've not been to Italy but I'd love to see it.
 
7. What is one piece of advice you'd offer new mom Kate Middleton?

"Raise that child yourself. Don't let the nannies do it all."  It makes no difference whether the mother is royalty or plain Jane down the street, that child needs to bond with his mother and feel secure with her. I loved it when I saw pictures of Diana sitting in the grass playing with her boys and the smiles on their faces were priceless.  

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

The breeze coming through the window feels so good. After 9 days of temperatures in the 90's and high humidity, today we turned off the A/C and opened the windows. We're suppose to have a few days in the 70's and 50's at night. My kind of weather. Very nice.  


If you would like to join the fun in the Hodgepodge "game", here is Joyce's page on how to get started:
http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/p/how-to-join-wednesday-hodgepodge_17.html

Just some random thoughts

It's hard to believe, but school will be starting back up in a few short weeks and the stores are stocked up on all those items the students will need. I just heard on the news that the average spending this year will be $635 per family. So many families cannot afford that, including my daughter who has 2 little ones that go back to grade school and a son that's going back to college. He's such a great kid. He worked all summer in a factory and banked all his money. He hated that job so much but it was a good lesson for him and gave him more determination to finish college so he won't end up working in a factory the rest of his life like so many in his family.

 

The House of Windsor now has a new heir. Kate and Prince William had their baby boy. I'm not one of those English royalty groupies, but I am happy for them. Now all they have to do is 'officially' name him. They say it could take weeks because when the parents do decide, the name has to go through all the proper channels in the court and the throne to approve it.

I think I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was hooked on this new TV show and now I have Hubby watching it. Last night's episode of "Under the Dome" was really good.

Our government had a plan to break the dome that had fallen over Chester's Mill and it appeared the plan back-fired on them.

No spoilers here.  :)


I'm hungry for a piece of pie and a cup of coffee. This happens to me every evening. Hubby just laughs at me but I'm serious. Now I'm going to have to struggle to get the image and the taste out of my head. Do you ever get sudden cravings like that? What do you do about it? If I indulge and run out to the grocery, by the time I get back, the craving is gone and another one has taken its place.

I had another good piano lesson today. My teacher is getting a little "tougher" with me, but by the time we finish, I feel so encouraged. I'm going to have to practice more this week, but I'm having a good time and learning a lot. 

I hope you had a good Tuesday.
Until later...................

A Beautiful Sunday

** Thank you, my friend ... I did it. I used a clip-art image for today but now that I know how to do it, I hope to put a nice picture up there once in awhile. I so appreciate your help.

We had a good church service this morning. The pastor gave over the pulpit to the mission group that just came back from Brazil. He let them have as much time as they wanted to share some stories of their last two weeks. The teenagers shared things they experienced that they will never forget. It was amazing. And sad.

After church we went out to eat with Bob's brother and his wife. We had a good time. We haven't seen them in a couple weeks. Then as we were leaving the restaurant I saw my sister and her husband sitting at a table by the windows so I sat with them while Bob was paying our bill. Then we came home. The only plans I have for the rest of the day is getting in some practice. (without the fly)

Our weather today is so much better than the past week.

The temperature is down with the high of only 82° and the humidity is a lot less.

The sun is shining, still very warm of course, but the air is much more comfortable.


My sister-in-law was showing me over lunch the new cell phone she got. It's an iPhone (just like mine) and she was totally lost on how to use it. She said she got a text message yesterday and didn't know how to answer them. All she knew was how to turn it off and on. I just showed her a couple things because her grand-daughter is going out to her house tomorrow to give her a 'complete' lesson. I know how she feels. If I hadn't have had an iPod before this phone, I would have been the same way. The technology is getting so advanced, and complicated, so fast, we have to keep up the best we can so we don't get lost in the dust.

I hope you've had a blessed Sunday and have a good week ahead.

Noisy outside

The cicadas are back! And it sure is noisy outside. If you've ever heard them, you know what I'm talking about. At this time every year, we hear them in their mating call. Hundreds of them singing every evening before the sun goes down. They've emerged from their shells, climbed the trees and call for a mate. It's that sound we hear. It can be so annoying, especially if we're outdoors for any length of time.

You may have seen or heard in the news lately that "this is the year of the cicadas". They are talking about the return of a species of cicadas that has a life cycle of 17 years.Those little buggers have been underground for 17 years and have made their way to the surface to mate, then die. Their babies won't be back until the year 2030. And that's fine with me. I was going to post a picture of one of them for your pleasure, but they're such ugly bugs, I couldn't do it.

We haven't done anything worthwhile all day. Oh, I take that back... I did do a load of laundry, but I wasn't going to talk about our dirty clothes today.

The cold front came through our area today. Ahead of it was a downpour that dumped 1.6" of rain on us and flooded our patio. Over where Daughter #3 lives, they got 3.1" in just a few minutes.

Did you ever get a pesky house fly that you just couldn't catch? I had seen it off and on since yesterday afternoon but then I'd lose it. Today I was practicing the piano with the headphones on and that stupid fly landed on my nose. I got the fly swatter, but of course I couldn't find it, so I laid it on the stand beside me and continued with my practice. He came back. I still couldn't find him. I then moved on to another song and he didn't bother me. I practiced that one for several uninterrupted minutes. When I went back to that first song again, there he was, buzzing my face. I think it was the vibration of certain notes on the keyboard. I may be wrong, but it was weird and very distracting. I had to quit. I am happy to report, tho' that I got him later. He won't do that anymore.

It looks like the topic of the day was bugs. Sorry about that.

I will leave now. I'm going to watch the rest of 48 Hours then go to bed. Got church in the morning.

Take care. God bless. ♥

Black Swamp

Yesterday I wrote about eating at the new steakhouse we have in town called Black Swamp Bistro. I know some eyebrows have raised when people hear the name. So, I thought I'd share a little bit of our local history. The name refers to this area where I live.  

The Great Black Swamp was a glacial fed wetland in NW Ohio that existed until the late 19th century. Comprising of extensive swamps and marshes, with some higher, drier ground interspersed, it occupied what was formerly the precursor to Lake Erie. The area covered an estimated 1,500 sq miles. Gradually drained and settled in the second half of the 19th century, it is now highly productive farm land. During the second half of the 20th century, efforts were undertaken to preserve and restore portions of the swamp to its pre-settlement state.

The stories of the land, the long drainage process and the settling of the area fills several books, therefore too much to share here, but this gives you a small bit of our history. It's hard to imagine that this little space of ground where my little house sits was once swamp land.
 One interesting thing I read was this:
"Travel was almost impossible until corduroy roads (boards laid crosswise) were constructed in 1825, and then paved with gravel in 1838, but travel in the wet season could still take days or even weeks".
When I stop and think what my family went through when they moved here from NY, life was so hard for them. But I came from a sturdy stock, hard workers, and most survived. Not all, but most of them.

I almost felt like that today. We had another hot, steamy day. The temperature was 86° at 10:00 this morning and got up to 93° with the heat index at 103°!

I took some hamburger out of the freezer this morning, planning to just have burgers for supper. Since I had to run up to the post office, Bob went with me and we went out to the grocery store to get some buns and milk. We also got some tomatoes, muskmellon, some fish, and since I've been hungry for something sweet, I picked up a brownie mix. I just took it out of the oven. I'm going to indulge a bit tonight. Maybe I'll even add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. :)

Today is Friday.... yippee.... so I'll wish you a great weekend.
Be safe and stay cool.

Thursday, July18, 2013

A HEAT ADVISORY will go into effect for all of us today at noon! Expect heat index values at and above 100°!
Hot and Humid conditions for several more days until a cold front moves thru the area Saturday afternoon. For today, 93° with a heat index of 101°. On Friday 94° with a heat index of 103°. During the night on Friday night, thunderstorms could roll through the area with a few strong to severe storms possible. 

Yesterday afternoon I met up with my sister when she got off work and we went to our favorite eatery. She didn't feel very well after working in the factory in this heat all day, so we just had iced tea and talked for the next hour. I don't get to see her very often, so we always have to get caught up. She filled me in on her family's happenings. Her husband's sister is very ill and it would be nice to have some prayer warriors for Helen. I've known her many years, even before my sister and Helen's brother were married. She's 71 and was just diagnosed with breast cancer. We don't know what's going to happen because the family says she's too frail to go through chemo.

Tonight we had dinner with daughter #1, son-in-law and grandson #4. We met uptown at the new steakhouse "Black Swamp Bistro". So many people in town have raved about their food, so we decided to give it a try. The food was very good and very generous.

Time for bed. Hope you've had a good day. Tomorrow is Friday!

Carol's Hodgepodge for July 17th

My hodgepodge post for the week:

1. Picture postcards were first printed back in the mid-1800's and deltiology is the official name for postcard collecting. When did you last send a postcard?  Receive one? Do you save postcards sent to you? Do you collect and/or send postcards when you travel?
I haven't received a postcard in so long, I can't even venture a guess when the last one was ... Unless you count the one I received from a cable company marked "Occupant". I used to send postcards back here to my mother whenever we went on vacation. Every store we went into, I would buy up a few interesting ones on the area where we were. But since I haven't had a vacation in umpteen years, I haven't sent one since. 

2. What treat do you most like to indulge in while on vacation?
That would have to be the local cuisine. I had my first bowl of grits on one of our trips south and when we went to Texas to see my brother and his family, I indulged on several Tex-Mex dinners. I also can get carried away with the gifts and souvenirs I want to take home with me. A few years ago my sister and I took the train to Texas to see our brother. We took along an empty suitcase to bring souvenirs home with us.
 
3. Are you good at hiding your feelings?
Nope... never have been. My emotions show on my face. It takes a lot for my feelings to surface, but when they do everyone around me knows it. I'm doing better at controlling my temper, but when my family sees it in my face, they run. (not really)

4. Does your town/city/county still deliver telephone books to your home? Do you check the yellow pages when searching for a local business number or has the internet replaced the phone book in your home?
Yes, we still get new phone books every year, delivered to the door in a plastic bag with the hole-handle they put on the outside door knob, just like they've always done. Since I work from home, I also have the phone books from other neighboring towns. When we need a local business, we always open the back of the book to the yellow pages. 

5. Would you rather be first or last?
If I didn't have to choose, I would rather be in the middle but I'll say last. I don't want to be first because I may be wrong. I don't want to be last because I may lose you. Like the quote: "Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend." 

6. July is National Park and Recreation Month (in America, but everyone can still play along)...where and when were you last in a park?  Did you participate in any recreational activities while you were there?
Our little town has 4 parks and I've been in all of them recently. The largest park is just a few blocks from my house. I'll walk down and through the park for exercise. There is also a nature section of the park with a butterfly house. I always stop to see what's going on. There's also 4 ball diamonds that have games going on almost every evening. The other 3 parks: the one to the south is in the woods; the one to the north contains 2 more ball diamonds and a picnic area; the last one is Fountain Park, uptown, where the summer concerts are held. We love our parks.

7.  What was one of your worst ideas?
Buying that light beige carpet for the living room. I should have had someone kick some sense into me. I don't know what made me think I would be able to keep it nice and pretty. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
Why is it that when I feel like getting out and going for a nice long walk, it's either too hot, too cold, raining or snowing?

The Old Paths

I wish the old paths were before us instead of behind us.

THE OLD PATHS

I liked the old paths, when Moms were at home.
Dads were at work.
Brothers went into the Army or took up a trade.
And sisters got married BEFORE having children!

Crime did not pay;
Hard work did;
And people knew the difference.

Moms could cook;
Dads would work;
Children would behave.

Husbands were loving;
Wives were supportive;
And children were polite.

Women wore the jewelry;
And Men wore the pants.

Women looked like ladies;
Men looked like gentlemen;
And children looked decent.

People loved the truth,
And hated a lie.

They came to church to get IN,
Not to get OUT!

Hymns sounded Godly;
Sermons sounded helpful;
Rejoicing sounded normal;
And crying sounded sincere.

Cursing was wicked;
Drugs were for illness.

The flag was honored;
America was beautiful;
And God was welcome!

We read the Bible in public;
Prayed in school;
And preached from house to house.

To be called an American was worth dying for;
To be called an American was worth living for;
To be called a traitor was a shame!

I still like the old paths the best!


--- Author Unknown

Monday already?

It seems I just wrote a post dated "Monday". This past week went too fast.

I am happy to report my daughter got home safe and sound last night. I got a text from her around 10:45pm.

Then I saw Lisa this afternoon at the beauty shop. I was getting my hair cut, 3:00pm appointment. She had an appointment at 3:30pm. We talked for awhile and she started telling us some of the things they did and saw. I'm happy for her, having this experience she won't forget, but I'm sure glad she's home.

She was telling us at the beauty shop how they met with such nice people along the way. One woman came up to them and told her story of being an 8 year survivor of breast cancer. Another was a man who told them about his wife who was just diagnosed. These gals on motorcycles ride the highways to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. That's why I'm so proud of her. She's always doing for others, and if she has some fun along the way, that's just more icing on the cake.

We had the 2 youngest grandsons all day today. It was a good day. I guess Grandpa had fun while I was gone. I left them alone twice today. Before noon, I ran out to WalMart to get some things. When I came home, I fixed them all some lunch. Then left again at 3;00 for my hair appointment.

When I came into my home office to check my email, the youngest one, Bryan, followed me and sat down at my keyboard. I watched his hands as he pretended to play. He holds his fingers up better than Grandma. And he "rocked with the music"..... one-two-three-four. We may be paying for more piano lessons one day and I'll love it.

Our weather today was steamy and hot, but with sunshine and a beautiful sky. The temperature got up to 91°.  It's suppose to be like this all week, with the high around 100° by the weekend.

I'm glad I got my running done today, because the air is so thick and heavy my eyes would immediately start to burn. Our little town has factories all around and the construction crew is still in the process of tearing down the grade school a block away. Mix all that dust and pollution with the humidity, and you can have a recipe for severe allergy attacks. Bob and one grandson were sneezing all day, so I made them all stay inside.

I've gotten hooked on the summer TV show called "Under The Dome". Stephen King said it was a story he has worked on since 1970 and dealt with "how people would behave when they are cut off from the society they've always belonged to". It will be coming on in 15 minutes. Anyone going to be watching it with me?

I hope you had a good day. ♥

Sunday, July 14, 2013

I wish now I had taken that nap this afternoon when I was thinking about it. It may be a very early bedtime for me.

We got up early this morning and made it to church with time to spare. The pastor had a very good message... one of those that steps on my toes. Ouch.

We talked to some friends for quite awhile after the service, then we went out to eat at our favorite eatery. Since we got there a little later than normal, we had to stand in line to get a table. Our little town has several places to eat, 25 to be exact, and on Sunday mornings from 11:00 to 1:00, they are all packed to the rafters. We also have 25 churches, honestly, no joke, so that brings a lot of people out of their homes and kitchens on Sunday's. Our town of 10,000 people love to eat and attending church is important to most.

Our weather today has been very warm. It's so humid and the air is so heavy, it's hard to breath.

I stepped outside awhile ago and since the wind, what little there is, is coming out of the south, I can tell they were cleaning out the horse stalls out at the fairgrounds. Yuk!

It got up to 86° with blue sky for most of the day. The sun is setting now and the clouds have an orange color on some. Beautiful colors.

We will have our 2 youngest grandsons all day tomorrow while Teresa is at work. I also have an appointment to get my hair cut at 3:00. That means Grandpa gets to play with them while I'm gone. They always do their best to get him up out of his chair to play games or softball in the yard. The weather is suppose to be hotter tomorrow than today, so they probably won't want to go outside. They will, however, be very happy if Grandpa hooks up the Wii.

I practiced my piano lesson for over an hour this afternoon and I think I'm beginning to get my timing a little better. One-two-three-four-one-two-three-four............. etc. ;)

My daughter, Lori, who lives in Michigan, called this afternoon and we had a nice chat. They are planning on coming down over the Labor Day weekend and staying 3 days to have some family time. Mike is hoping to put together a combined cook-out with both sides of the family... a chance to meet his brothers and sisters. I hope he gets it all worked out. It sounds like fun.

Lisa, our motorcycling momma, was in Claire, MI, on their way home the last time she checked in this afternoon. One of the gals had some bike troubles and the last I heard the garage was having trouble getting it running right. I'm not sure what's happened since then, but I'll be glad when that "free-spirit" of mine gets home. She'll have lots of stories to tell us --- after she gets caught up on her sleep. I'm glad she took another day of vacation for tomorrow. She'd be too tired to go in anyways. I don't expect to see her until later on in the week.

That was my day.... I hope you had a pleasant Sunday.

"Always pray for eyes that see the best in all people and a heart that forgives the worst.
Pray for a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith.
Pray for the wisdom to learn from your mistakes and the understanding that you may fail again.
And pray for the strength to go on when you think your world has come to an end"  -- Author Unknown

Saturday and all's well....

I can finally feel it.... that old sensation of freedom I used to get, and love, when Saturday arrived. Maybe it's just old memories. My today is just like my yesterday. I almost wish I had to dread the Monday morning blues again. It would mean I HAD someplace to go. ;) Then I think about it again and realize.... I don't have to!! Yipppeeeee!!!

Today is another blue sky/white cloud day. It's nice, until I step outside. It's getting hot and the humidity is going up.

Last night it got cool and comfortable. I slept with the windows open. But by 11:00am this morning we closed up the house and turned the A/C back on.

The high today is 81° and the humidity is still climbing up from the current 57% .

Last evening I tasted my first Greek yogurt. And I'm afraid I must confess...... I do NOT like it.

I like yogurt, especially with strawberries "in the bottom". And of course, the plain vanilla in my smoothies.

This, however, had an odd texture that left a nasty coating on my tongue. I felt like I needed to go brush my teeth. The taste was very similar to my Yoplait but the negative effects I found does not warrant me ever buying it again.

Have you tried it? Do you like it?

I got an update at noon from my daughter Lisa, on her motorcycle trip through Michigan. They were at Mackinaw City, having lunch before they crossed over to the island. I haven't talked to her yet to see if that was going to be their last stop before heading back home. The original plan was for them to be home Sunday night or Monday morning. I think the accident yesterday when 3 of the gals laid their bikes down on that crazy Reverse Road may have put them behind schedule. They had to take those bikes into the nearest town to get them checked out before they went on.

I have our supper cooking. I pre-cooked some boneless pork ribs then poured my home-made bar-b-que sauce over them and put them in the oven to slow bake. I didn't feel like going out to cook on the grill so it's just going to be my regular recipe. I then put in Bob's favorite.... scalloped potatoes.  It's smelling pretty good. It will be ready soon.

I hope you have a good day.

A very comfortable Friday...

Happy Friday, everyone.  The weekend is only a few hours away. Then you'll be able to rest and recuperate. That was for my few friends that still have to work during the week.

We are enjoying a couple days of comfortable weather. The humidity is low and the temperature is just right. We have a slight cloud cover but that makes for it being just right. My kind of weather. 
This won't last long, as usual. It's going to go back to hot and muggy.


This mother of 3 beautiful daughters is about to show you something that I never thought, in my wildest dreams, that I would see this coming. Lisa, my first-born of the twins, is a Biker Babe. What can I say? She's always been so independent, doing her own thing, and she loves motorcycles. She and her husband started out with small ones and the size of the bikes have gotten bigger and bigger. This weekend she took off on a motorcycle tour with several other gals and they're headed for the Michigan UP. There's 16 in their group.

Lisa's not tough and vulgar like some people associate with bikers. This is a great bunch of gals. They do fund raisers and sell products to raise money for breast cancer victims. The money goes directly to local women who need financial help, not to mention one-on-one moral support.

 I've been getting updates and pictures of them since they gathered together at a designated spot in Ft. Wayne. Then they hit the road.

I received this picture this morning of them near Arcadia, MI where they entered an unusual spot. She said it is so weird. It's called Reverse Road. Why it's weird? She said 3 of the gals laid their bikes down from the force that pushed them backwards. Hence, the name. I thought they were just sitting on a steep hill, but it's not.
I've been to another spot in MI where gravity plays weird tricks on a person. I can't remember the name right now, but when you enter the area, you can't stand up straight. Everyone leans and feels like you're walking up hill. But when you leave, and look back, the area is flat. It was so much fun but crazy. I wonder what there is about MI and these phenomena?

Just got another post from her. They're at Apache Trout Grill in Traverse City having lunch on the lake. I wish I was with her.... not on the bike, just on the lake. :)


Well, I guess I'll close this for now. I've got some fish thawing and some yeast rolls rising for supper. I think I'll make a salad, possibly another veggie and some muskmelon.

Hope you've had a great day.

Crazy day...

That's the only way to describe my day yesterday.... crazy. The day started out good, just all the normal stuff, then it went all downhill from there.

Around noon we started getting those severe storm warnings until 8:00 pm. I knew something was going to blow up because it was so miserably hot and humid. Since we were totally out of some things, we ran out to the grocery store. We had plenty of time. The sky was still blue with white clouds. By the time we came out of the store, the sky had turned grey. We got home,  unloaded the trunk of the car, put the things away and settled in for a safe ride. It started to rain then and in came another warning.

The weather still wasn't too bad, so I sat here on the computer and watched the weather radar on TV. It started to thunder and lightning, so I was going to shut down the computer. Just as I reached for the button, there was a big bright white flash of lightning. Then everything shut down.... computer, lights, TV.

I went in to the other room and Hubby was still watching TV. Now the big question.... why did I lose power in one room but not in the living room? Half of the kitchen was out, the A/C shut off and the bedrooms and the bathroom were out. This didn't make sense. Bob checked all the breakers, they were ok. It was raining so hard by then and the winds were gusting to 50+ mph, so he couldn't go outside yet to check the meter.

When he had been able to check everything he could, and still didn't know what the problem was, he started trying to get ahold of an electrician, thinking it had to be our problem. We were afraid that if it was our problem, it could be very dangerous and could start a fire.

He finally got someone on the phone and an electrician came right out. He checked everything and said it had to be the power company's problem outside. So Bob called them.

They showed up around 8:30pm and it was their problem out on the pole. The storm had broken a connection in the big cable. It took them about 5 min. to fix the problem. Then Bob stood out there with them for quite awhile, talking about the school they both attended and the guys they both knew. That must have taken another good 20 minutes or so. lol

Now we're just waiting for the electrician's bill. We were told by AEP that we should have called them first because 90% of the time it is their problem. Live and learn.

 Today has been a different story.... beautiful. Sunshine, blue sky and big white clouds that look like cotton. Occasionally we had one of those darker ones go by, but not a drop of rain. The humidity is down, the wind is coming out of the north and the high was 75° and down to 59° tonight.

We turned off the a/c and opened the windows.


I had an appointment with the chiropractor again this afternoon. I didn't get a massage before I went to him but he said I adjusted really well. I had an ultra-sound treatment then some physical therapy. She sent me home with "home work" to do. Exercises to stretch the muscles.

I'll start on them tomorrow since I already had a work-out today.

I'm glad you came by my page. I'm sorry if I seemed to ramble on with so many details. That is actually just for me.

Hope you have a good day.

Hodgepodge

I may be a day late, but I've never done this before and when I saw her questions for this week's Hodgepodge, I thought I'd play along. So, here's my bits of information.....

1. What's something people might ask you for help with?
--- their computer. I'm definitely not an expert but for some reason, people will ask for my help. I'm self-taught and still learning. I took a class out at our vocational school one time to see if the instructor would/could help me with a project at work. It was a waste of time and my employer's money.

2. What's something you might ask someone else for help with?
--- moving furniture, definitely. I used to change the furniture around in the living room at least once a week, but now I'm getting too old and too weak to do it by myself.

3. Did your family take summer vacations when you were a child? If so, where did you go? If you're a parent, did/do you plan summer vacations with your own family? Did/do they resemble those you took as a child?
--- my father's brother owned a cottage on the lake in MI and he loved to go up there to fish. We would all pack up the car and go up there almost every weekend during the summer. When we had the girls, we had a camper and go up by the Auglaize River to fish and swim. After the girls were out on their own, Bob and I rented a cottage for a week a few summers until it got too expensive. Each year he raised the cost. I was sad. I loved it up there. But we both love the water.

4. Pool-lake-ocean...which one is most appealing to you on a hot summer day?
--- the lakes. I prefer swimming in a pool which I don't have and I've never seen the ocean. That's still on my bucket list.

5. Have you ever justified using the expression, 'you gotta be cruel to be kind'? Was it really necessary or were you rationalizing?
--- It's never a good idea to be cruel. I don't do that. I think there's always a better way. Some will call it tough love. I don't. There's never a good excuse for being cruel.

6. The Journal of Psychology recently mentioned the results of a survey identifying the ten most hated foods such as- liver, lima beans, mayonnaise, mushrooms, eggs, okra, beets, brussel sprouts, tuna, and gelatin. Of those foods, how many do you actually hate? Anything you'd add to the list?
--- I have never been able to handle the taste and texture of liver. My mother would fix it quite often when I was young because she and my brother liked it. I had pb&j. I'm not fond of okra either, but I have eaten it in soup and it wasn't bad. The other items in the list we both like and they have become a regular staple in my kitchen.

7. What's your favorite book or movie set in a beach or lake town?
--- I have 2: "The Lake House" and "Nights in Rodanthe"  Both love stories (chick flicks) and I like them both. I've read the books and then saw the movies.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 
--- I always have random thoughts running through my head, it's like an old silent movie --- jumpy, shaky and in black and white. lol But right now my thoughts keep going to what I have to do today. So I better get going.

Hope you have a great day.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

After I was told yesterday that I was deficient in vitamin D, I did some research. I've read so much today about the deficiency, health risks, symptoms, etc., my head is swimming.

I used to love the sunshine and tan skin. Now I don't get enough sun because of the meds I'm on. I have to take prescription supplements and probably make some changes in my diet.


I had a big scare this morning. My computer wouldn't boot up. It kept telling me "keyboard failure".
I worked and worked on it most of the morning before I got it to work. It must have been just a glitch, I guess because all of a sudden it booted up just fine.

That got me to thinking how I would notify my piano teacher that I wouldn't be able to meet her today.  I would have to log-on with Hubby's laptop and send her an email. That's my only option, Julie. Just letting you know.

I had a good piano lesson again today, but I think I have a glitch too. Maybe my timing spring is just getting old.

 Lincoln Highway, the first US route that went from coast to coast, is 100 years old this week. It runs straight through our town and is affectionately referred to as Main Street.☺

The town's commemorative project was to build a kiosk and put it in the park to display some of the highway's history. This is Mayor Don Farmer on the right with a member of the city council. 

Every year at this time, there's a group of historians and those that just love the highway's history, will

make the drive across our country. This year, in celebration of it's 100th year, a large group from all over, including folks from England and Australia, drove the route from the west coast to the east, in their vintage cars. The city gave them all a big welcome and a small reception was held for them in the park. Here is just a few of their cars lined up on Main St. 

 This car is only one of the many that I particularly liked. The owner and his wife were one of the first to arrive and he parked in front of our library. I didn't go up for the reception, but now I wish I had. It would have been fun to have talked to them about their travels. Lincoln Highway (old US Route 30) is no longer a primary route, having been replaced by the 4-lanes and toll roads. Besides it runs through small towns (like our's) and most people don't like that anymore. Bob and I do. That's where you really get the chance to see Americana, not to mention some great antique shops.

I will leave you now with this little bit of wisdom.................

♪ ♫ Monday... Monday ♫ ♪

And it's been a good Monday...... busy but good. Hang on, this is going to be SO exciting.

I stripped the bed and washed the sheets and spread. My daughter came in for her lunch break and we chatted for awhile.
Bob was out mowing the yard while I followed her back up to the shop and she gave me a back massage.
When I left there, I went on out to the chiropractor for an adjustment. He was very pleased how much I was improved.

Then I came home and started supper.
I always make my own spaghetti sauce so I mixed up some pasta, sausage, my sauce and some cheese and baked it in the oven for awhile to mix the flavors. It was a new recipe and Bob liked it.

Didn't I tell you this was going to be exciting?

While I was in the chiropractor's office, I had gotten a call from the nurse practitioner at my doctor's office. I returned her call later. She had the results of my blood test. My thyroid is ok, but I'm depleted of Vitamin D  (the sunshine vitamin). The pills I take for my migraine says "avoid direct sunlight", so I have. Now I have to swallow huge horse pills to get my "sunshine". It's not fair.

Our weather was hot and muggy today. We had sun all morning with the high around 85°. Later the clouds rolled in and it's been raining on and off since then. Now we have another possibility of a severe T-storm tonight.

Until next time..... take care.

Only in America....

This is Canada 's Top Ten List of America 's Stupidity... a Canadian's version of Letterman's Top 10

 

10) Only in America ... could politicians talk about the greed of the rich at a $35,000.00 a plate campaign fund-raising event.

 

9) Only in America ... could people claim that the government still discriminates against black Americans when they have a black President, a black Attorney General and roughly 20% of the federal workforce is black while only 14% of the population is black.  40+% of all federal entitlements goes to black Americans - 3X the rate that go to whites, 5X the rate that go to Hispanics!

 

8) Only in America ... could they have had the two people most responsible for our tax code, Timothy Geithner (the head of the Treasury Department) and Charles Rangel (who once ran the Ways and Means Committee), BOTH turn out to be tax cheats who are in favor of higher taxes.

 

7) Only in America ... can they have terrorists kill people in the name of Allah and have the media primarily react by fretting that Muslims might be harmed by the backlash.

 

6) Only in America ... would they make people who want to legally become American citizens wait for years in their home countries and pay tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege, while they discuss letting anyone who sneaks into the country illegally just 'magically' become American citizens.

 

5) Only in America ... could the people who believe in balancing the budget and sticking by the country's Constitution be thought of as "extremists."

 

4) Only in America ... could you need to present a driver's license to cash a check or buy alcohol, but not to vote.

 

3) Only in America ... could people demand the government investigate whether oil companies are gouging the public because the price of gas went up when the return on equity invested in a major U.S. oil company (Marathon Oil) is less than half of a company making tennis shoes (Nike).

 

2) Only in America ... could the government collect more tax dollars from the people than any nation in recorded history, still spend a Trillion dollars more than it has per year - for total spending of $7-Million PER MINUTE, and complain that it doesn't have nearly enough money.

 

1) Only in America ... could the rich people - who pay 86% of all income taxes - be accused of not paying their "fair share" by people who don't pay any income taxes at all.

 

Saturday, July 6, 2013

I've spent another quiet day here in my little house but that's ok. It's been raining on and off all day.

Bob had intended to get the yard mowed but nature had other plans.

I've been watching TV shows and working jigsaw puzzles most of the day. 

Today's high temperature was 78°.

I did get a spurt of energy this afternoon.

I swept the kitchen floor. It needs to be steam cleaned, but not today.
Maybe I'll do that Monday.







I did get a treat this evening.
Hubby told me he was hungry for Arby's roast beef. 
Now, how was I going to argue with that?
We drove out and got some sandwiches and curly fries and brought them home.

I have one more thing that I must accomplish this day before I get out of the mood.


I hope you've had a great day.

Until next time...............

Friday, July 5, 2013

 I started writing a blog yesterday then forgot about it, so I'm trying it again.... after several modification, of course.

We had a quiet Independence Day. We stayed home and didn't do anything productive. When the fireworks started last night, we stepped outside and watched them from our front yard. Of course we could only see the ones that appeared above the trees. It started to rain before the grand finale but I stayed out there just for the fun of it. Here's a picture of the view we had....  lol

Today we had more rain. My daughter and I were going over to a friend's house to pick cherries from his tree, but by the time it cleared up, we didn't have time. We might try again tomorrow even tho' the weather forecast is more of the same.

One year ago today, our weather set new records. July 1st through July 8th we had temperatures of 93° to 98° for 7 straight days. Thankfully we don't have that this year. Today's high was 81°.

Tonight we went over to our daughter's to have cake and ice cream with our grandson in celebration of his birthday yesterday. Her house was full of friends. The 2 youngest boys were having so much fun playing this and that with friends. The oldest of the 2 was being funny and at times a real a pistol.

Then his little brother Bryan showed up...................  Boys!

I hope you're having a good holiday weekend.
Until next time................