Surprise Party

Another busy day today. We have a surprise birthday party this evening for my brother-in-law (my sister's husband). They love surprise parties. I've never been successful at that. Have you ever thrown a successful surprise party?

I'll be finishing up my potato salad in a little bit so it has time to chill before we leave. Hubby's making another pot of iced tea to take alone in the cooler. It's going to be a backyard gathering, under the shade trees. Isn't it funny, when families plan a get-together, several are famous for one dish they make and are always asked to make it again? For me, it's always my potato salad. For my daughter Lori, it's her salad. For my sister, it's her pies. For my niece, her mac and cheese. Are you famous for any one dish?

I was so hoping the weather today would be like it was yesterday. It was beautiful, sunshine, 76° with a north breeze. Today is hot and humid again.

Yesterday was the start of our town's annual hot air balloon festival. The town was full of cars last evening. The first launch was at 5:30 and luck would have it, the winds were coming out of south, so all the balloons came our way from the fairgrounds. At $10 per person to get in, we just enjoyed them from our yard. These were the first to get airborne.

It's not a very good picture, but this balloon was the head of a teddy bear. I was hoping he would come closer, but the wind started carrying him east.

This one was "The Ohio Caverns" balloon. He came so close it looked like he was having some trouble. I think he got into an air pocket and wasn't moving. He was using his burner a lot, trying to get altitude. I've had a close encounter with a balloon that had the same problem and he did come down, almost laying it over a neighbor's house. :) Finally he got to moving again. The little dot on the right above the trees was another balloon way out in the lead. I don't know how many balloons there were, but it was so much fun watching them all.

I stole this picture from a friend. They were at the football game last night when the balloons went over.

After all the balloons took off, they started with the helicopter rides. I tried to get a picture of him but I couldn't. Too far away. I don't know how many times he went over our house. There was another early morning launch today, but I was still snoozing. I have heard the helicopter several times though.

Well, I better get back to the kitchen. I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Until next time.................

"Time"

Riddle me this: What is one thing that everyone in the world has the same amount; many people crave more of it, but it cannot be created; you cannot touch it, but you can give it away?

The last wishes of Alexander the Great:

On his death bed, Alexander summoned his generals and told them his three ultimate wishes:
1. The best doctors should carry his coffin;
2. The wealth he has accumulated (money, gold, precious stones.) should be scattered along the procession to the cemetery.
3. His hands should be let loose, hanging outside the coffin for all to see!!
One of his generals, who was surprised by these unusual requests, asked Alexander to explain.

Here is what Alexander the Great had to say:
1. I want the best doctors to carry my coffin to demonstrate that, in the face of death, even the best doctors in the world have no power to heal;
2. I want the road to be covered with my treasure so that everybody sees that material wealth acquired on earth, stays on earth...
3. I want my hands to swing in the wind, so that people understand that we come to this world empty handed and we leave this world empty handed after the most precious treasure of all is exhausted, and that is TIME.
We do not take to our grave any material wealth . TIME is our most precious treasure because it is LIMITED.

We can produce more wealth, but we cannot produce more time.
When we give someone our time, we actually give a portion of our life that we will never take back. Our time is our life!

The best present you can give to your family and friends is your TIME.

May God grant you plenty of TIME and may you have the wisdom to give it away. ♥ 

My Thankful Thursday

Happy Thursday, everyone! Can you believe the first week of September is almost past? It has been flying by way too fast. I think I'm getting a little sad, thinking summer is almost over weather-wise and before long the snow will be falling on us. It's possible it could happen any day now. In 2003 our first measurable snowfall was on Oct. 2. 

I'm thankful ........... The sun is shining brightly again today and the temperature will be around 77° but down to 57° tonight. That makes for a nice sleep with the fresh air coming into the room.

I'm thankful ........... Yesterday was a busy day. I was able to do laundry so we had clean clothes. I started as soon as I got dressed, then I had breakfast and that all important first cup of coffee. I put the laundry in the dryer, started another load and had another cup of coffee. 

I'm thankful ............Our youngest daughter came in on her lunch break, fixed herself a sandwich and we sat at the table talking until she had to go back.

I'm thankful ........... Bob and I were able to then run out to the grocery to pick up some much needed items and a few for our daughter. She gave me her list while she was here. :)

I'm thankful ........... I was able to then cook a nice meal for the 2 of us. Daughter came in when she got off work to pick up her groceries and she ate with us. Hubby then had to leave to go to a meeting out at the rifle range.

I'm thankful ........... I could practice for a short time on my piano lessons last evening.  I wasn't able to have a lesson Tuesday because my microphone wasn't working. It's hard to play for my teacher if she can't hear me. ;)  We rescheduled for next week. 

I'm thankful .......... I finally got Hubby to wash the bird doo-doo off the window in the utility room. That was on the outside of the window, of course. hehehe Sometimes it's the little things that mean the most. 

I'm thankful .......... so VERY THANKFUL I was able to pay our bills this morning.

I hope you're having a wonderful day, full of blessings.
Until next time....................

Hodgepodge for Sept. 4, 2013

Today is another Hodgepodge Wednesday... already. Here's my answers to Joyce's questions this week. If you would like to join the fun, here is  how to join Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What's something you're never too young or too old to enjoy?
This question is easy ................  Music! From the headphones my daughters laid on their bellies when pregnant to Great-Grandma humming a tune while she worked in the kitchen, we are never to young or too old to enjoy the music.

2. Share one happy memory from your high school years.
When I was in high school, we had an hour for lunch but didn't have a cafeteria so several of us would walk the 2 blocks to downtown for lunch. We had a few different places we loved to go, but the drug store was our favorite. We'd get a bologna sandwich or cheese sandwich and a cherry or vanilla coke. A friend of ours that always went with us would order a sandwich and a cup of hot water. Then she'd put ketchup on her sandwich plus in her cup of water. Whallla! Tomato soup! Those were the highlight of my days in high school, being with my BFF's, laughing and having a good time.

3. A nationwide strike of fast food employees took place in the U. S. last week...they're calling for higher wages and the right to unionize? Your thoughts?
Oh, my.... this one I have to think about. I'm torn both ways. I believe in 'equal pay for equal work'. The fast food joints are everywhere, employing so many including my grandkids (at one time). I know if, and that's a big IF, the employee actually does the work, they deserve better pay. What Micky D's pays their employees is ridiculous. He would just be able to put gas in his car to get to work, with nothing left-over. But I don't think they need a union. There are too many teenagers working in fast food that won't do the work to deserve a better pay. There's no work ethics in younger people. A union would only make matters worse. 

4. September is National Honey Month...what's a favorite dish you make or eat that calls for honey?
I don't use much honey, but I will put some on an English muffin.

5.  If you notice someone with a tag sticking out, a button unbuttoned, a shirt on inside-out, or some leftover lunch stuck between their teeth do you say something or do you keep quiet?
That depends on who it is and where we are. If it's another female I'm close to, I'll put the tag down where it belongs, but on a man, NO, only for my husband. As for the other items (the button or the teeth) I just can't do it, unless it's a family member. 

6. What movie always makes you cry?  Or at least makes you feel like crying?
THE NOTEBOOK. I've seen it many times and I know how it ends, but I always cry. Can't help it. It's such a beautiful story. 

7.   'Mary Had a Little Lamb' was written in May of 1830, and published in Juvenile Miscellany in September of that same year.  Now for the fun part...create your own four line rhyme using that same tune.
This one I'm afraid I'll have to pass. I'm not good at improvising.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 
It's been on the news the last few days about the CDC "advising" us to get our flu shots early. I have gotten one before but I'm not going to anymore. There are too many studies that's released information about the dangers of the vaccine. It contains mercury levels that are higher than the maximum allowed exposure limit. This can cause memory loss, depression, ADD, oral health problems, digestive imbalances, respiratory problems, cardiovascular diseases and more. And for the elderly, evidence is mounting that it can cause Alzheimer's disease and weakens the immune system with makes us more susceptible to infections. In the 1976 swine flu outbreak, many who got the flu shots developed permanent nerve damage. Flu vaccines contain many harmful materials besides the mercury, which I've already mentioned, like detergent, formaldehyde, and strains of live flu virus. That's not something I want to put in my body ever again. That's just my opinion.  

Back to the old routine....

After a 3 day weekend, it's back to our normal routines. To all those that had to report back to work this morning, I'm thinking of you. ♥

Our weather today is a big change from just 2 days ago. We've had the A/C running constantly the last couple weeks (80-90°), but 5:00 yesterday afternoon we turned it off and opened the windows. I stepped outside last evening around 9:00 and almost needed a sweatshirt. By 5:00 this morning the temp was only 40° and the kids wore light jackets to school. I think fall is approaching fast.

I think I wrote a few days ago about having computer problems. Well, I'm worried what's going on. I have a desktop with a big new flat screen monitor. I love it and the thoughts of the mother board going out on it has me scared. I can't afford to put anymore money into it, nor buy a new computer. Today's problem prevented me from having a piano lesson with my favorite teacher 800 miles away (via Google Hangout). I am happy to report, as of this moment, it's working again. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Our county fair ended last evening. We didn't go out. Sunday was enough for us. Our daughter had to work the booth again, but the boys stayed home with their big brother. She did have a good evening. Dr. Raney came looking for her. He said he'd heard so many good things about her and was hoping to meet her. He told her that he was working toward getting a bigger office of his own and when that happened he would call her. He wants her to work with him. She was so excited, she sent me a text after he walked away.

We have another big event coming this weekend. The annual Hot Air Affair! We have people coming from all over. We've had teams from Australia and England. For me, it's so exciting to watch these huge balloons inflate and lift off the ground. I love it. One year I took photos, back in the day of the SLR film cameras, entered a few in the camera club's contest and won a year's membership in the club plus my photo was on display at the county fair the following year. I hope they have good weather this year. Last year we had rain and thunderstorms most of the weekend that prevented them from lifting off. That was such a disappointment for all. There's 3 different launch times: Friday evening, Sat. morning and Sat. evening. On Sat. night after dark they have the balloon glow where they turn on the burners, inflate the balloons, but don't lift off. It's beautiful.

 

From a local newspaper..... The Sky’s the Limit Balloon Festival, expected to give a lift to one county’s economy ... Posted: Friday, August 30, 2013 12:00 am | By Linda Lipp
"Hot-air balloons are the centerpiece of Van Wert County’s Hot Air Festival Sept. 6-8, but there will be just as much activity on the ground as in the air. Jerry Mazur, who’s heading the organization of the festival for the second year, expects it to attract 30,000 or more visitors to partake of food, fireworks, concerts, craft fairs, garage sales, a nighttime motorcycle trek and of course, balloon launches and rides."

Until next time.......

Happy Labor Day

 

 I hope everyone is enjoying our last summer holiday weekend. I'm not in favor of thinking about this, but Halloween is coming, then Thanksgiving and Christmas right behind that. No matter what store I go into today, they have Halloween costumes and candy on display already.

Yesterday was a good day, even tho' I'm tired today. We took the 2 youngest grandsons, along with a friend of theirs, to the fair. The day had it's ups and downs as most days with the boys, but we all had a good time. Not sure about Grandpa tho'. I think we must have walked 10 miles.

 

We went out early so the crowd wasn't too bad. But as the evening wore on, it got difficult to get around all the people. 

The boys spent most of the evening playing games. 

We finally found their older brother to play putt-putt golf with them. Curtis is a golfer, played on the school team, but his little brother almost beat him at this. Almost. :) 

 

 I didn't take very many pictures. I was kept busy trying to keep an eye on those 3 little boys in the crowd. Too old to hold their hands, but too young to lose them. This is daughter #1 with her family and grand-daughter.

 

 Our daughter Teresa had to work in the Commercial Building last night. Her boss at the shop had a booth in there this year to attract more people in this area to the benefits of massage therapy (it's still a growing business here). Teresa wasn't happy having to sit there, in the hot building, for 4 hours waiting to talk to people. We were surprised tho'. More people were interested than she thought. Several took her business card and promised to call her. There were even some that booked an appointment with her next week.  

Today we have the boys again while Teresa works the last night of the fair. I don't know if we'll be going back out. I know the boys will want to, but Grandpa doesn't. Now I'll have to deal with 2 disappointed little boys. Oh, well. 

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

Anniversary party

Yesterday was the party for my daughter and her husband on their first anniversary. Since they didn't have a wedding reception last year due to schedule conflicts, they decided to have a party this year with family and friends. Mike wanted to do a cook-out at his mother's house in the country. We all had a great time. 

 

There was approximately 30 adults and I lost count of how many children.

The food table was packed with all kinds of goodies.

For dessert, a wedding cake. His mother wanted them to have one to remember. It was beautiful and so good.

Of course Lori and Mike did the first bite tradition, including the icing on the nose. They didn't get too messy but being the 'mother' I am, I was so worried they would get it on Barb's carpet. They did good and had fun with it.









The weather wasn't too bad. We did watch a storm pass by to the south, but it missed us. 

This picture shows 2/3 of my grandchildren. The 2 younger boys were running around the yard.  I always feel so old when I look at these teenagers, wondering who these people are. lol

Several of us stayed outside most of the afternoon, even though her house was air conditioned... just too many people for that. It did get very humid before the storm passed by, but the breeze picked up after that and felt much cooler and dryer. It wasn't bad.

As for today, our plans include taking our 2 youngest grandsons to the county fair. There will be games and rides, of course. We'll be going out for supper, having that good ol' fair food -- corn dogs, french fries with vinegar on them, elephant ears, cherry ice cream, sausage sandwiches, sugar waffles, and the list goes on and on. Let' see who comes home with a belly ache tonight. Probably Grandma.  I know she'll also have the sore feet and tired legs. lol Hopefully they'll have fun. They are so excited right now.

I took this picture last year. Hopefully I'll get some new ones tonight.

Until later................