Walking at the Water's Edge
This morning I wore my bathing suit when I went to walk at the water's edge. First I walked out into the water. I am not a swimmer so I had to be careful to not fall into a wave and scare myself. The waves were knee high, which really isn't bad, but I'm not used to waves in the water. I didn't like the feel of the sand being sucked out from under my feet, but I played in the water for a while.
Then I took my walk. I stayed near the edge of the water, wading most of the time, splashing through the water to get some resistence from the water around my feet. It took extra effort and was fun.
On the way back to our canopy, I saw what I thought was shadows in the retreating water, after a nice big wave. I wondered what would make shadows there and looked closely. It was a school of small fish! I wondered if they were living dangerously, riding the wave into the beach where they could be stranded, or caught by a net. I had seen a family scooping the water with small nets and wondered what they thought they would get. Now I knew. There are little fish, taking a thrill ride up to the very edge of the water. Didn't their Mama ever warn them not to get to close to the land? Apparently not!
Dog at the Beach
Last night I watched a man and woman walking along the beach with a black dog. It was late in the evening and the life guard's duty was finished for the day. The dog wasn't on a leash.
He ran free but always stayed near his people. The man would throw something and the dog would race to fetch it. We are on the fourth floor here and it's too far away to see small details.
I saw that the dog really enjoyed racing back and forth. And then on the way back, I watched the dog dig a hole in the sand. His front paws were vigorously clawing and the sand was flying. He would pause briefly and then dig in again. He dug for a while from one side, then moved to the opposite side and worked from another angle.
What a perfect place for a dog to dig a hole, I thought. Dogs really love to dig holes and we're forever telling them to stop it. But digging in the sand has to be OK. Whatever hole they would make would be filled in again with the action of the tides. By morning, there wouldn't be a hole. I was wishing I could have Rusty at the beach and let him run and dig a hole.
Animal Kingdom
I have been delighted to see the different birds here, --different from what I see at home. It wasn't a surprise to me to see egrets here, though I hadn't thought about them being here. We see an occasional egret at streams in our area, but there are lots of egrets here.
On Sunday morning when I looked out at the ocean from our balcony, I could see white triangle shapes away down the beach, south of us. I realized that they were birds and I wanted to walk there and get a better look at them. I finally got to do that yesterday morning.
There were only three egrets yesterday. I got a few pictures and then had to come home and change the camera batteries.
Yesterday afternoon during my beach walk with my brother, I saw pelicans. Now, that surprised me. I hadn't realized that I would see pelicans here. A flock of them flew over as we were headed back to our building. I loved seeing them.
And, the little sandpipers! They are so cute! The best thing about watching them is seeing them run. Their legs look thin as matchsticks and they wink back and forth ever so fast as they dart here and there. It's fascinating. I think of it as their legs twinkling back and forth as they run from place to place. Those little legs move so fast! I wonder if they ever get out of breath from running.
Sea Fever
Ever since early Sunday morning when I watched the gray dawn breaking, I've been thinking about John Masefield's poem, Sea Fever. I've just come in from a walk along the water's edge and I thought about the poem a lot. I love those words with the cadence, "the wheel's kick, and the wind's song, and the white sails shaking." And, "the gull's way, and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife." Ed and I decided that we wouldn't really like to out for a walk when the wind's like a whetted knife.
Ed and I walked on the hard sand at the water's edge. The wind has picked up considerably this late afternoon and it was almost high tide. The water came far up on the beach every so often. Ed always jumped out of the way in time to not get wet, but twice, I wasn't paying attention and got my feet wet.
I was wearing sandals so it didn't really matter that my feet were wet but it made my feet feel slippery in the sandals. So, I took off my sandals and walked deeper into the water's edge. It was wonderful. When the big waves came, I got wet up to my knees and it felt great. The water here is really warm. I should have put on my swim suit and let myself get really wet. Maybe next time.
Any way, "the blown spume and the flung spray," I loved it. And when I came indoors again, I had to get out of my wet things.
The Horses at the Tournament
One of the best parts of the Medieval Tournament was the horses. I was in awe as I watched the horses work with the people who rode them.
The Yellow Knight was the first to be introduced and his horse came galloping in, carrying him, and decked out in yellow trappings. The horse was lively and spirited. The horse for the Black and White Knight was not as lively. He almost seemed to plod, compared to the lively horse adorned in yellow.
The horses were thoroughly trained. The Kings Mistress of the Horses demonstrated the various gaits her horse could do. It was great. The horse could lift his feet very deliberately in high steps and sometimes the gait was more like prancing. I couldn't tell you all the steps the horses could do.
The dungeon guard told me that there is a place where the horses are trained and they get their horses from there and then work with them daily to train them for their act.
One of the things I liked was watching the horse when his knight had been unseated. The horse would race from the arena, --going offstage. I'm sure the horses were trained to do that but it was like there was something very special "back home" and the horse could hardly wait to get there. I think they loved the running. Some of the horses got as much of a work out as the knights did.
The horses were not only beautiful but they were also intelligent athletes.
The Way It Works
My son took me to a medieval fair years ago and we saw knights jousting and I was very impressed. I got to talk to one of the knights afterwards and he told me that they had the joust all planned out and had predetermined who the winner would be. They had to do that to be sure they wouldn't be hurt.
I was pretty sure that was how it would be at this tournament, --all planned ahead of time. But I had to ask someone!
First we talked to the girl who took tickets for admittance to the dungeon. I didn't want to go in there (it was gruesome) but she wasn't busy and had time to talk to us. She told me that the knights worked on the games during the day and knew who would win, but that she didn't know who would win on any particular night.
Our serving wench knew very little about the tournament and who had won the night before. She didn't even notice who won that evening. She was really busy with serving.
After the tournament I was able to talk to the dungeon guard again. I told her the blue knight won. She remembered that we had been wearing red and thought I would be disappointed that our knight hadn't won. But I was very happy that the blue knight had won because his build and movements had reminded me of one of my grandsons. From there I asked questions and this is what I learned about the way it works.
All of the knights come together at 8 am and work at the plan for the day and they practice and drill for the evening's performance. They are there from early morning until after 8 in the evening. After the performance, they mingle with the audience and sign autographs. It's a long, hard day for them.
Their routine has to be planned to the last detail. They use real weapons and have to handle them carefully to not harm anyone. I saw that when they clashed swords, real sparks flew!
The green knight is always an unpleasant character. He is never the winner in the end, but it isn't always the same person playing him. We were going to be green at first but when my sister-in-law was told how evil he was, she made them assign us to another knight and we were given the red knight.
All of the characters were very good at what they were doing and the knights were all very athletic. Although the tournament was indoors, it was performed on sand, which was good for the horses, and also good for the knights to land on when they pretended to be knocked off their horses.
I like knowing something about what goes on behind the scenes.
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament
Tonight we went to Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament and we all had a joyous time. We were served dinner while the Knights put on a tournament for us. They had sword fights and jousts. They speared a ring with their lance and thrust their lance into the bullseye. I have lots to think about concerning this dinner and entertainment. For instance: Did the knights throw down their shields? Why?
And the dinner! No silverware, --just fingers.
I'll tell you more later!
Wonder Woman
I've been having such fun watching Wonder Woman, the Life Guard, set up the beach area each morning. (Two, right?) She is bronzed and golden and wonderfully toned and brimming with energy.
She wears a walkie-talkie or radio pack at her waist and looks like she would be able to handle any emergency.
She gets out the beach chairs and lines them up, two to a spot, spaced out evenly between sets of chairs. She carries four chairs at a time, two in each arm. She shakes out a chair with a snap and it opens eactly right. No fighting with the chairs for her! Then she runs back to the storage area and hoists two more.
When the chairs are in place, she runs back to get the umbrellas. First she gets the heavy T bar and trots with it to each chair set and uses the T bar to make a hole in the sand for the umbrella pole. She hefts the bar as though it is a weight lifting exercise. She carries seven umbrellas at a time and trots past the row of chairs, dropping off one umbrella at each set of chairs. Then she works her way back the row, setting up the umbrellas. She opens the umbrella, turns it upside down on the sand, and steps on it to get the ribs clicked into place. Then she can put the umbrella pole into the hole in the sand and tamp it in good.
All the while, she never slows down a bit. She does everything with speed, efficiency and great energy. She was still full of energy as she took the beach chairs back and the umbrellas down. I love to watch her. I don't have to tell you she's in great shape. I hope she keeps exercising all her life and continues to enjoy such good health.
Sunrise
Last night I looked up the information for the time for the sun to rise so I would know. The online info told me 6:40. I knew it would be light before that. I got up about 6:15 and the sunrise had begun. There was no heavy cloud cover this morning. It was beautiful. Fran's mom got up in another five minutes or so and I told her to come right out to the balcony so she wouldn't miss it. She's the one who really wanted to see it the most. It was worth getting up early to see.
Shampoo
I've been thinking! There are so many kinds of shampoos to choose from these days but when I was a girld, it wasn't like that. In fact, I was thinking that until I was in high school, we used soap to shampoo our hair. Could that be so?
I asked my brother if he could remember what shampoo we used when we were kids. "Soap!" he said. "I think we just used a bar of soap."
I remember this because I remember hearing the slogan for Halo Shampoo. "Soaping dulls hair. Halo glorifies it!" And the song that went with it. "Halo, everybody, Halo. Halo is the shampoo that glorifies your hair." I'm sure that commercial started me to thinking about using shampoo instead of soap. Did I use Halo? I don't remember.
Another early shampoo commercial that I remember is for White Rain, another song. "Use new White Rain tonight, and tomorrow your hair will be sunshine bright!"
And P-r-e-l-l. I remember a song with the word spelled out but I don't remember the rest of the ad.
What shampoo did I use? I probably tried all three of them at one time or another.
Morning Service
We went to church this morning in a church that none of us had been in before. Everything was new to me, but it was my brother's denomination so he and his in-laws felt very much at home and loved it. The people were very friendly. The singing was joyous. The prayer was comforting. There was a special moment of prayer and recognition for the children, the parents, the teachers and other school workers who will begin school tomorrow. That was very good. The building was beautiful, too. We were warmly welcomed.
Someone Is Watching
When I am away from home overnight, I sometimes wake up very early, unable to get back to sleep. I was awake before 6 this morning. I had it in my mind that I was supposed to watch the sun rise over the ocean this morning.
I was up in plenty of time to do that, but the sun did not rise this morning. I went out on the balcony and waited. There was a dim grayness to the morning, more night than day but I could see the ocean waves rolling in.
After I watched for a while, I saw a light swinging back and forth, making a circle on the sand, moving slowly toward the water's edge. It was a person with a flashlight out in the dim, early morning. I thought at first that this person was looking for something in the sand, perhaps shells. As the person neared the water, the flashlight was turned off. After that, as the person headed north along the water's edge, the flashlight was turned on now and then. I never knew if this was a man or a woman. I could make out what looked like a white robe, not enough to determine who was out there. I felt like Miss Marple peering out from the balcony, unseen but watching.
As the night gave way to more grayness, I realized that a big dog, it looked like a German Shepherd from my distant view, was walking with the person. They walked slowly, heading north along the water. Once the person turned in my direction, and I could see, not only the circle of light on the sand, but also the small circle of light at the end of the flashlight. It was a green light, like the dim green of faraway water. Curious.
I watched the person and the dog till I could see them no more and all the while I was thinking. I realized that often as we go through our day we think we are alone, but someone might be there in the shadows watching. We don't really know when someone is watching. I often feel so alone but if I pay attention, I might find someone watching who might become a friend. If I had been dressed and down at the beach, perhaps I could have walked with the person and the dog. Probably not, but it's a morning thought.
The grayness gradually turned to light and there was no glorious pink or red break of dawn. It's daylight now and though it didn't come like thunder (where the dawn comes up like thunder from Rangoon to Mandelay) I welcome this cloud covered new day.
Myrtle Trees
I didn't really know what a myrtle tree looks like but I think I've seen them now. I did look it up on the Internet and found a close up of the blooms but not a picture of the tree itself. The blooms are really pretty. I think I've seen the trees now and they are very pretty. They are in bloom right now.
We Made It
After our day of travel, we arrived at Myrtle Beach about 7 PM. I think we were all tired and ready for rest and food. But first we had to unload the car. The resort provides carts to help in transporting the luggage from the car to the room. The cart we first used, unknown to us, had a problem. We got it all loaded up and started to roll it toward the entrance and it wouldn't move. It had a flat tire! We would never have suspected such a thing. I thought they were hard rubber tires. My brother had to get another cart and then transfer the luggage to it. It took four loads to get our stuff into the rooms.
Our rooms look out over the ocean and it's breath taking. I went out on our balcony and took pictures. It is great. We didn't go out walking along the beach tonight yet. We had to go out to eat after we got things somewhat settled.
Now we're getting ready for a good night's sleep and tomorrow we'll get to look around at many things and I'll get to see things in the early morning light.
A Travel Day
Today seems like a beautiful day. We'll be leaving soon on our trip to Myrtle Beach. I've never been there before. I don't entirely know what to expect. I just know it's going to be really specially nice.
I'm reminded of other vacations I've had, where I didn't know what to expect but after I got there, I discovered how wonderful it was. I'm thinking especially of the time I went to Lake George. It was far more beautiful than I could imagine. I felt like I'd arrived at a place that Miss Marple would have liked to visit, but no mystery ensued. It was a great vacation and I think this one will be also.
My Amusement Bag
I'm spending some time with my brother and his wife, --on vacation. I don't like travel but I do like being with them.
I packed clothing and necessities but I packed a hefty amusement bag to bring with me. I have books, art supplies and my camera and notebook and some other neat things. I shan't be bored!
In the Small World Category
Today my son took me to Breezewood to meet my brother. We had dinner together at a restaurant there. I noticed that there was a group of people who came into the restaurant, all wearing name tags.
When I got a chance to talk to one woman in the sales room of the gift shop area, I asked her what group she was with. She told me that some of them were AARP and most of them are with a church called Christian and Missionary Alliance. This excited me because that's my church, too.
This group was from Canton Ohio and Dory told me that they had been to Lancaster to see the staged production of Ruth from the Bible story. She was really inspired by the play. It was the most memorable that she'd ever seen.
We talked for a while, like we were long lost friends. We felt an instant kinship. I was glad I spoke to her.
Mayan Math
I am doing a slow read of a book about Mayan Mysteries. The few paragraphs I read this morning reminded me of the days I taught third grade. We were supposed to start the year with teaching the concept of Base 10 and Place Value. My first year in third grade, I had an awful time teaching the kids this.
When I talked to the other third grade teacher, she told me that it is a chapter which is too hard for the kids to get when they first come back to school and that she learned to hold it until they'd been in school for about three months and then they were more ready to get it. And still it was hard for them.
I learned to wait a bit before we tackled place value and then I eased into it slowly by teaching them Roman Numerals and Mayan Numerals. There is no place value in Roman Numerals and that makes it doubly difficult. Mayas have place value and formed their math on Base 20. It is a very advanced system of math and they had, as far as has been determine, the first math system with a zero.
We did a bit a counting in Base 5 and I got them to see how difficult some of the systems are. When we got to our own system, Base 10, it was a piece of cake. We were all glad to count in Base 10 and we understood how easy it is for us to do operations in math, --adding, subtracting, etc.
I do feel awe for the Mayas and their Base 20 twenty math, and their zero!
It's Magic!
I've never had a powder puff ball pulled from behind my ear before but it happened tonight at dinner. We stopped at a restaurant to eat before coming on home after our outing at the beach.
Our waiter did some magic tricks for us as he served our table. He made this little ball appear out of nowhere and then just as quickly made it disappear. Then he plucked it from behind my ear. Funny thing, I felt the ball as though it really had gone behind my ear!
At the very end of the meal, he came to our table and announced that it was time for some more magic. He held out his hands to show that he wasn't holding anything. This all happened so fast that I can't remember how it went. He gave Sarah a little ball to hold tight and then he made it appear from behind Tessa's ear and then when it disappeared again, he had Sarah open her hand and she was holding two balls! We all thought her hand would be empty!
He was also doing some magic with a little red scarf but it's all muddled in my mind now, except that suddenly, from nowhere, he had the bill for the meal in his hand. He said magic made it easier to present the bill. My son suggested that he should make the bill disappear, too, as he had the scarf and the little ball. He laughed and said that if we'd put a hundred dollar bill on the check, it would disappear immediately. Then he told my son, "You aren't the first one who has suggested that. In fact, you aren't even in the first ten thousand to say that!" But he said it in a very nice way.
It was fun to be part of a magic act, in a small way. I wouldn't want to be sawn in half!
My Beach Read
Today at the beach, I was reading the book "It's like this, cat" by Emily Neville. My son-in-law recommended it to me years ago. I read it and enjoyed it and eventually gave it to a friend who really likes cats. She returned it to me the other day, thinking that I might be ready for a reread.
I know I read this book years ago. I remember the title and I remember that I really liked it, but I don't remember one other thing about the book. It was like reading a book I'd never read before. Nothing rang a bell at all in my memory.
At least I got a good read from the book. Not only is this a good story but the artist's illustrations which accompany the story are excellent. It was a fast read, too!
A Day at the Beach
We spent most of today at the beach at Presque Isle, also known as the Peninsula. I was lying on the blanket, reading, when I heard a man say, "No one's going to get sunburned on my watch." Curious I looked up.
A man with three young boys was walking past us and he set up his blanket and stuff not very far away from us. I went back to reading but later on when I looked up, I saw that he had the three boys lined up in front of him and he was squirting sunblock onto his hands. He took this task very seriously. He methodically rubbed the cream over their faces as well as everywhere else the sun's rays could touch them.
After the boys dashed off to splash around in the water, he rubbed sunblock on himself.
I still have this mental picture of the man with both hands white with sunblock and gently washing the boys' faces with it. No one got sunburned on his watch!
Something New Here
My son has helped me set up pictures through Flikr, which you can see near the bottom of my blog. Scroll down to the end and you'll see them. You can click on one of the pictures and it will take you to a larger view of the photo and will also show you my other pictures. I hope you enjoy seeing them.
I especially wanted to show you the Little Sunflower That Could. It is growing in a crack in the neighbor's driveway. If anything could complain about its environment, this sunflower could but instead, with the limited resources available to it, it is making the most of its life. Its blooms are an inspiration to me to look to what I can do, not what I can't do, or how hard it is.
Dessert
This morning when I went to the grocery store for milk I found an angelfood cake on sale for $2.00. I bought it. That's so much easier than baking one
At home, I thickened some blueberries as though I would use them for pie filling, but instead I spooned it over the pieces of cake and it made a very nice dessert. Granted it would have been outstanding with a scoop of ice cream or some whipped cream, but it was really good without it. We had a lovely dessert and I didn't slave too much.
Yard Work
Yesterday morning when I was pulling bindweed out of the peony bush, I was wearing gloves and I yanked up a sprig of peony with some weeds. I was trying all morning to think of a place to plant this bit of root and let it grow into another plant. I can't find a place! I'll try again this morning. I think it should be OK if I plant it soon.
I may have to dig up a new planting spot. All the flower beds are pretty full. If the root grows and prospers as I hope it will, it will need more room than I have for it in the existing flower beds.
That's a problem I have to solve this morning, if it isn't already too late.
My Begonia
I wintered my Mother's Day begonia in the house last year and though it did OK during the winter, in the spring, all its leaves got very thin and papery and it crumpled as though it had some terminal illness. I came this close to tossing it out onto the compost heap. (Holding thumb and index finger about a quarter of an inch apart.)
Instead, I decided to cut it all back to just little stems above the soil. I put it out on the porch railing and watered it regularly. At first it just stayed the same but at least the small stems didn't turn papery and crumple. So I continued to water it.
Then leaves began sprouting and I knew I'd done the right thing. Funny thing, though. These leaves are ever so much bigger than the leaves it had before. They grew big and strong and healthy, so much nicer than the plant had been last year. The leaves are glossy and waxy. And now, it's blooming! It has big, pink blooms, --to go with the nice big leaves, I guess.
I'm wondering why it got to be so much bigger than it was last year when all I did was cut it back. I didn't change the soil. I wonder if putting it outdoors helped it that much. At any rate, I'm very pleased with my wax begonia now and I'm glad I didn't toss it on the compost heap.
Weather
Today was a really nice day to do hiking and spending time outdoors. It was on the cool side if you just sat around doing nothing, but if you were walking briskly, you were plenty warm. I needed my sweatshirt when I sat at the picnic table doing sketching, but I was more than warm enough when I was hiking the woodland trails. It was too cool for a day at the beach but just right for a day of hiking.
Kinzua
Today we went to Kinzua Dam and the Alleghany National Forest. We've gone to this area for a day of fun for a number of summers and we used to enjoy walking right up to the base of the dam where the spray of the water would sometimes blow on you and the roar of the falling water would drown out other sounds. Now, alas, that area has become restricted. In fact, this year we were restricted from walking across the broad road at the top of the dam, and that was such a fun thing to do, also.
We had our picnic lunch in the dam area and then went to Rimrock Lookout where we spent the rest of our time, till we headed for home.
We did two geocache searches. The first was hidden along the path near the dam reservoir and the second was in a cave near the base of the hill at Rimrock.
It was a fun day but we missed being able to get up close to the roaring waters of the dam.
Anti-procrastination
Today I completed the church newsletter, which by my own rules wasn't due till the 25th. That's one thing that I usually don't procrastinate about. I really like to get my part of the process completed. Now that I have it finished for this edition, my mind is free to work on some other projects that I have procrastinated about.
Procrastination
I once read that the reason we procrastinate is because we don't know how to do the task. We are unsure of ourselves.
I've thought of that from time to time and I know there is truth to that thought. But, there are times when I procrastinate just because I know the task is going to be difficult; that is, it will take a lot of hard work, a lot of effort.
Sometimes I procrastinate because it will be a messy job and I hate mess.
But, I think I have to agree, that much of my procrastination is because I am unsure of myself and how to do the job that has to be done. I have several of those kinds of jobs simmering on the back burner right now. I'm trying to help myself deal with them and at least get them started. Facing the truth might be the first step.
Trip to Erie
We made a trip to Erie this morning, mostly to browse a few stores, but I did need to pick more medication for Desy. Poor thing, she needs pills all the time, but they do help her so I keep the supply for her up to date.
At the vet's this morning there were three kittens in the "to be adopted" cage. Two of there were beautiful orange cats and they certainly looked like litter mates. What fun it would be to have those two running around in the house. They would keep things stirred up. I loved seeing them, but I didn't try to adopt them.
Beauty on the Fence
I know that bindweed is a noxious weed because it's so invasive. It seems to be everywhere and if you don't mow some place, bindweed grows there.
I have a chainlink fence around the dog pen in back of the house and the bindweed has been growing there. It vines like morningglory and its flowers are like morningglory, too. So, here's this noxious weed vining over the dog pen and now it's blooming and IT'S BEAUTIFUL! It's not going to choke the life out of the fence, teehee, so it's doing no harm there. I really like seeing it there.
Go Ahead
I got the go ahead on my latest painting, the one that I brought down from the attic and decided that it should be brought to life with some additional work. Carolyn, my artist mentor, was pleased with it when she saw it and agrees with me that it's ready for framing. I'll sign it and I'll be looking for a frame.
Junk Mail
I'm so used to getting so much junk mail that I've schooled myself to ignore it. When I got a piece of mail from the Rouse Home (used to be, and maybe still is, the county home for sick and elderly) I just discarded it. I assumed it was asking for money, like all the other junk mail does.
But this afternoon, one of my artist friends asked me if I'd gotten an invitation to the juried art show at the Rouse Home. Ho! It hadn't been what I thought it was. But in a way, it was still asking for money. They asked for $10 per painting that you submit to be shown, money refunded if you don't get chosen for the show, but if you don't come get your work immediately, you're charged storage fees. We both decided to pass on this art show.
Birthday Party
I went to a birthday party for a little girl who has just had her first birthday. The party was held at Mead Park, and the weather was perfect for it. Although Emmah is just one year old, she is toddling all over the place. She's not afraid of anything, her proud grandma told me.
Her parents provided a small cake just for her. They put her in her highchair and set the cake before her. It didn't take her long to discover that it was soft and gooey and fun to squeeze. First she mushed it with her left hand and after a while, she tentatively put her thumb in her mouth. She liked it. She then reached for it with both hands and smushed it around, occasionally getting some of it into her mouth.
She didn't know what to make of the Happy Birthday song. Everyone had gathered around her, watching her and then they sang to her. She looked puzzled at first and then awed. As the singing ended and everyone clapped, she broke into a big smile, enjoying the big deal, whatever it was.
Happy Birthday, Emmah. May you have many more!
My Growing Things
The thistle that I took from beside the sidewalk and planted near my arbor under the bird feeder is going to bloom soon. It should be much taller than it is but the move really did set it back.
The new lily that I bought at the beginning of summer has been blooming right along since then. Moving it didn't hurt it at all. It is sporting its last bloom right now.
The cone flowers are on their way out but the black-eyed Susans are at their peak right now. My new geraniums haven't done too well. That's probably my fault. The long planter I put them in was either flooded with water or dry as a bone most of the summer. I guess that doesn't encourage flourishing growth. I've put them in individual pots now and two of the three look like they are beginning to leaf out again. Maybe they'll get comfortable in the house over winter and will do well outdoors next summer.
Next summer! It's time now to take stock of what worked or didn't work this summer and think about the changes I should make for next summer. How fast this growing season has gone!
More Aging Challenge
Last night I was reading that book (Younger Next Year) some more and read about fats. I felt pretty confused about the fats. I knew something about them to start with, and I probably didn't learn anything more from the book because, well, maybe because I didn't want to. It's easier for me to give up those snacks that end in O than to give up ice cream, milk and butter. I still think moderation is the answer to that.
The authors say that more important than what you eat is the amount of exercise you get. After a while, the proper exercise will get you into the frame of mind where you'll want to eat less and eat more healthy. I can see how that's true.
I'm starting the last third of the book now, about caring and commitment. This section is introduced with a story about Teddy, a classmate in first grade who wasn't trying to learn or do good work. When the teacher asked him about it, his answer was, "I just don't care." The author was so stunned to think that Teddy didn't care. How could anyone not care about being involved with life and learning? And it's become a theme in his life, to be involved and caring.
I expect to get a lot of inspiration from the last chapters of this book.
Big is a Relative Term
Tonight when I put Rusty out back for a few minutes, I stepped into the driveway at the front of the house to put a couple of things into the recycle bin and there across the street from me, two women were walking a BIG white dog up the street. This dog was so big he made Rusty look like a little puppy.
I think he had legs like a Great Dane, but his body was massive like another of the big dogs, maybe a St. Bernard or Newfoundland. Maybe he was just over fed and really was Great Dane. And two not very strong looking women were walking him. He was completely docile, --almost sadly so. He match his gait slowly to theirs and they weren't going very fast.
I felt sorry to see him at the end of a very short leash, plodding along when he should be galloping freely in a pasture.
I was glad Rusty didn't see him. Rusty would have tried to get him excited, to want him to come play. And that could have spelled trouble!
You think Rusty is a big dog, until you see a dog like I saw tonight.
I Forgot One
I meant to tell you that the authors of the book I'm reading tell you to quit eating any snack that ends in O. I wonder what that's about!
How many snack foods can you think of that end in O. How about OS?
I'm pleased that no bake cookies doesn't end in O.
Still Thinking Book Challenge
I'm still reading about living like 50 when I'm 80 or beyond. These writers really use some funny phrases and examples to get their point across.
There is a chapter about things in the aging process that you just can't help and can't do anything to change. They say one of them is that you wake up one morning and find you've been hit by the "Ugly Stick." I think I already know what that means! It doesn't change who you are or your personality, they say, but the age process does make you look different.
I've moved past the chapters on exercise and now I'm reading about eating right. "Get your muzzle out of the French fries," they say. Teehee. We all know those fries aren't really good for us but we like them any how. I got a giggle from the way they say it.
Some advice: For most people, if there's something you like too much, it's better to abstain than to attempt moderation. I know that's true, too.
A Simple Solution
In the last several days, I've been having increasing pain in my right knee. I haven't had a problem with my knee until recently and I was beginning to be concerned.
I began to think a lot about what could be causing this joint pain, and finally I began to realize that I've been sitting sideways at the computer and putting strain on my right leg which I don't usually do. Also, when I take a reading break in the afternoon, I sometimes lie down on the bed, on my stomach, with my book propped up in front of me and my legs kind of hanging off the side of the bed. It doesn't sound comfortable the way I've just described it. Mostly it's comfortable, but I just discovered that the way my legs hang over the side of the bed is also putting a strain on my right knee.
So, today I've changed my ways. I've sat up straight and I've not dangled my legs at the edge of the bed. And this evening, my knee feels fine! What a relief. I wish all my problems were handled so easily!
Who's to Blame?
One downside of living alone (among many others) is that any time I misplace something, I can't blame anyone but myself. I used to be able to say, Maybe my husband moved it somewhere and didn't tell me, but maybe I did it myself. Now I know it's me and only me, and I still lose some things that I know have to be here somewhere!
How Come?
The one morning in the week that I really want to get up early is Thursday morning, and that's because it's trash day. I don't like to have everything out to the curb the night before. I like to take the recycling stuff out in the morning. If the weather turns bad overnight, it gets messed up. Once there was a lot of wind and the recycle bin blew over and the cans and bottles scattered around and had to be picked up, so I like to wait till morning for that.
So, how come Thursday is the one morning when I usually feel unwilling to get up early, or don't even wake up until nearly 7? I'm almost always awake before 7 every other morning but Thursday morning finds me burrowed in, snug as a bug, grabbing a few extra z's!
But I'm OK, if the truck doesn't go by our place really early. However, one never knows just when it will be here, so it pays to get the trash out early, just in case.
How Come?
How come I can catch fire about getting certain chores done when I know I have about 20 minutes till I must leave the house? All of a sudden I realize that if I do it NOW, I won't have to do it when I get back home again. I'd like that. So I hurry around and get more done in 20 minutes than I would get done if I had another hour to do it. "I work best under pressure," Charlie Brown says. I do too under certain conditions.
Bring Your Bandaids
This afternoon Mitch Albom was reading a list of school supplies that elementary students are asked to bring to school to start the year. In addition to the usual things like notebooks and pens and crayons and rulers, they are supposed to bring a box of 20 bandaids! That is really surprising. Kids are now required to bring their own first aid supplies?
Time Out with Aquarobic Pals
Minna asked a group of us at Aquarobics to go to McDonalds after our exercises and have some coffee. I knew I had things to do here at the house and felt a little reluctant to spend that time away, but then I realized that I really need people in my life and I should spend time with them.
However, I don't drink coffee. I decided I could buy my lunch and then when I came home, I wouldn't have to fix lunch for myself. So, I went to McDonalds after the class.
I was there a half hour before anyone else came! I had a fruit and walnut salad and I was almost finished eating by the time they came. But I sat and talked with them a while before I came home. It was nice to spend some time with the "girls."
The Best Part
I was trying to think what was the best part of today, because this has been another good day. It was the people contact that I've had.
I had good conversations with friends around town as I did those chores and there were a couple of people who came to my door today that were good for me. I've had family phone calls which blessed me. And of course, the e-mails that keep me in touch with friends have been a real blessing.
Yes, it's the people contact that I've had today which has been best of all.
Stepping Out!
Today the workers built the stairs to the back porch. They are wide and sturdy and solidly in place now. We'd been using stacked cinderblocks with boards laid on them as steps. They worked but they were by no means solid and sturdy. I'm very pleased with my new steps! I tried them out this evening. Progress!
Doing Chores
How good I feel after I've done my errands around town. Even though I still have two more to do, I feel good about the five things that I did do this afternoon.
Once again, I was in the right place at the right time, by my Father's design. I met Jen who gave me some really good news to include in the church newsletter. It was in the newspaper yesterday, but I'd missed it, --the account of our women's softball team ending their season undefeated. I know they will love seeing it mentioned in the church newsletter so I'm really glad to have met Jen there in the parking lot.
I also had a very good conversation with a friend in the grocery store. She had some important baking to do and had just discovered that she was all out of one key ingredient for the Derby Pie she was making, --chocolate chips!
I had never heard of Derby pie so I didn't really understand how much of a key ingredient chocolate chips are to the pie. I looked it up since I came home and this is what I found:
"The Original Derby Pie" is truly original. It is a shallow pie with a bottom layer of chocolate chips and over it a starchy, very sweet filling that separates when it bakes into three layers; one spongy, one of nuts and then a very thin and flaky top. Rupp insists it should be served warm, for a better blend between the nuts and chocolate, perhaps with whipped cream. "
I also learned that the Rupps, who invented the pie, never give out the recipe and they are the only ones who have the legal right to the name. Restaurants which try to market a "Derby Pie" that they've tried to make on their own, are warned that they will be prosecuted. Therefore, most recipes which are attempts to imitate Derby Pie are named something like Chocolate Chip Pie, or, Chocolate Nut Pie.
Now I'm curious about my friend's recipe!
Today
Today was a good, ordinary day. I did tame a small dragon or two but they weren't big threatening dragons. I have just done ordinary, routine kind of things today but they were things that I needed to motivate myself to do, --like getting my allergy shots, paying a big bill, ordering my allergy serum and writing a note to go with it.
And, sorting through another hour's worth of books and papers and decided what to do with them. I'm still finding things that belong to the local ministerial group. I'll have to make a trip around town tomorrow and distribute books and papers where I think they should go.
Quiet and ordinary, but it feels good today. I feel quiet and peaceful. Perhaps I'm beginning to make a friend of the dragon of aloneness. I know, it can turn on me at any moment, but for tonight, it's curled up beside me, and purring like a kitten! Odd, eh!
Found It!
I found the word "pleached" on another online source. It means braided or interlaced. So, a pleached hedge must be one in which the individual bushes are growing closely together, intertwined so that one wouldn't be able to go through them.
If I'd been reading about pleached hair, I would have thought it had some relationship to bleached!
It's great to find answers!
101
Last night I woke up in what felt like the middle of the night and looked at the clock to see what time it was. It was 1:01, which in the middle of the night without my glasses looks like 101.
When I was a girl, our pastor's favorite hymn was Amazing Grace, hymn number 101 in our hymnal. He would often ask us to sing it. We all knew by heart which number it was in the hymnal. In fact, he would often say, "Let's sing the first and the last," and we'd all turn to 101, or more often just sing with him the first and last stanza of Amazing Grace.
That number still means Amazing Grace to me. I drifted back to sleep thinking about Amazing Grace and Pastor R. E. Ellenberger, whom we all loved dearly.
Old Words
I've mentioned that I'm reading a Brother Cadfael mystery. Ellis Peters uses a lot of very old words in her stories about Cadfael, words that have no meaning to me today. One of those words is the word "lambient," as in the phrase, "the lambient light of the evening."
The dictionary defines it, (adjective) 1 : playing lightly on or over a surface :flickering; 2 : softly bright or radiant; 3 : marked by lightness or brilliance especially of expression
Hmm. That's not a word I'll be using in casual conversation any time soon, --but it's interesting.
Another word is "pleached," which I couldn't find in the dictionary online. It's used about the hedge. Your guess is as good as mine as to what kind of hedge that would be.
Here's one more: "Garth" meaning, a small yard or enclosure. What a surprise! I thought it was a person's name! Ellis uses it in relation to the grassy area, but I had to look it up to find out that it's a small yard.
I have a small yard, but I won't be referring to it as "the garth." Can you imagine me telling my friends that I'm planning to mow my garth soon? No, I don't think so! Any way, it's not enclosed, so maybe it's not a garth.
Everyone's a Critic
I read this in Leadership Magazine from 1993.
A young man just finished his transaction at the post office when an older man there asked him to please address a post card for him. He couldn't see well to do it himself. The young man gladly addressed the post card and then the older man asked him to write the message on the card as well. Again the young man willingly did so. When the message was written, he asked the older man if there was something else he could do for him. "Yes," the older man replied. "Write, PS --Sorry the writing is so sloppy."
My dad would have loved this story.
Guest Minister
Our guest minister this morning was asked by one of the members of the congregation what Patterson family he came from. The minister answered, "I think I came from the horse theiving side of the family."
Leonard replied, "That's too bad. But, you know, you can live that down if you live long enough!"
How to Live Young
I went to the library this afternoon, mostly to get out of the house and be with people a little while. I did have books I could return but they weren't due till later this month.
I met my neighbor, Jane, from the other side of the school from me. She was just sitting, waiting. Her daughter from CA is visiting and she wanted to check her e-mail before they went to Erie to see a movie. Jane doesn't have a computer. We sat together and talked till her daughter was ready to leave.
Then I saw this book, one I'd seen on my last visit to the library but hadn't taken it out then. The title: Younger Next Year. It's a guide to living like 50 until you're 80 and beyond. I'm already more than halfway past 50 on my way to 80. I wondered if I'd be addressing this issue too late, but I decided I'd take the book out.
I've scanned the introductory chapter and I know now that I should have been able to guess what the main issues would be. There are three of them. Get enough exercise, eat what is good for you, and be involved with people.
I'm doing pretty well with the exercise bit, somewhat good on the diet deal, and I'm working really hard to be involved with people. Even before I read the book, I made a commitment to get together with Jane in September and have a meal with her.
Now I suppose I can get back to reading the Brother Cadfael book again.
Don't Count Your Peaches!
You've heard the saying that you shouldn't count your chicks before they are hatched. I should have considered my plans for peaches in that same way. I thought I might buy a peck of peaches and was thinking of what I would do with them. Today when I went to the fruit stand, I discovered that peaches are very expensive this year. I paid $3 for what turned out to be 5 peaches. I shan't be making cobbler or pie or anything else. I shall just eat them!
And, the sales clerk told me that there aren't as many peaches this year and they'll all be gone in two weeks. There was a problem this spring, she said.
I shall savor my peaches more than usual this year.
Just 15 Minutes
I'm trying again to give at least 15 minutes a day to sorting and shredding old papers, and going through shelves of books. It's an emotional task. I feel like I'm not anywhere near getting done with this job, but I know that every 15 minutes counts. Today I was able to give it 45 minutes and maybe I can do even more today.
Every little bit counts!
The Mighty Paintbrush
My artist friend has told me frequently that I can change things around in my paintings easily. She does it all the time. "I moved a tree the other day," she told me. "It made me feel really strong."
I should feel strong today. I completely redid a path. I made a stone path in my picture, a path leading to the milkhouse, beside the barn. It was too fussy. It was overpowering. I had to remove it. I bulldozed all those stones with the mighty paintbrush and made a modest dirt path. It goes with the picture much better than the way I had made the stone path.
Fickle Weather
The men came to work on the siding on the south side of the house, the outside of the dining room and upstairs bedroom. They got positioned on the ladders and started cutting siding pieces and the wind picked up and the clouds let loose and it started pelting rain down. They started tidying up, planning to go home and work on the storm door and porch boxes instead of siding, and just as they got things picked up, the rain stopped and the sun came out again. Fortunately, they were still here and they got setup again and went back to work on the siding. Can't make up its mind!
Catalogs
My husband loved to get catalogs. He seemed to really enjoy having catalogs. I don't understand why but he'd sign up for catalogs whether he was really interested in buying or not. Since he usually got the mail, I didn't realize how many catalogs we were getting. Now I see that the mail brings me many catalogs, --catalogs which I take out of the mailbox and put into the collection site where I accumulate paper to recycle.
Today I got a catalog as big as a phone book. That would be the size of our local phone book, for Corry and Erie, not the size of a New York City phone book. Still, it's pretty thick. It's a catalog which has over 1500 new products. It's the master catalog for fall and winter for tools and equipment. And this combines two of my husband's enjoyments, --catalogs and tools. I can't imagine what tools he would have hoped to buy but he'd have filed this catalog away appreciatively.
I shall put it with the other magazines which I'll be bundling up for the recycling collection. Sadly.
Peachy Keen!
I see in the Lino-O-Ads in todays paper that our local nursery/fruit stand now has Red Haven peaches. I won't be buying a half bushel as I usually do at this time of the year. But I'll buy some. They are so much nicer at the fruit stand than they usually are at the grocery store. I really like those peaches!
Linus and the Library
Linus is all excited because he just got a library card. "I have been given my citizenship in the land of knowledge," he says.
Lucy asks what is so great about having a library card. Linus answers, "It's what it stands for. They trust me! They're honoring my desire for knowledge with their trust. In return I'm showing my faith in their library by reading their books."
Charlie Brown tells Linus, "I hope you make good use of your library card, by taking out all the books you can read."
Linus replies, "I suppose the WOULD be more practical, wouldn't it?"
"More practical than what?" asks Charlie Brown.
"I was thinking of having it FRAMED!" says Linus.
Long live libraries, I say!
Waffles Again
I made the Belgian Waffles again this morning and this time I didn't have nearly the trouble that I had the last time. I was prepared to do it right. I know how to mix the batter with an economy of dishes and it went together the best it has yet. I beat the egg whites in my new Kitchenaid mixer and that was a real treat! How easy it was to whip them in that wonderful tool!
The next hurdle was to not put too much batter in the waffle iron, and I did that just right, too. The only thing I had trouble with is that I tried to take the waffle out a triffle sooner than it was ready. It split apart, clinging to both top and bottom grids. But all the rest of them were perfect!
If I did this every week, I'd get it figured out perfectly.
A Treat for the Pets
While we were at the store today, buying 50 pounds of dog food, as I have to do every 3-4 weeks, on a whim, I also bought a box of moist, meaty dog food. There are 12 pouches of food. I plan to give the dogs a special treat, maybe a couple times a week, not to make it their steady diet.
I did not try to explain this to them tonight as I prepared their supper. Sometimes I tell them, "You're REALLY going to enjoy this!" Tonight I just got their food ready when it was mealtime for them.
I decided that the pouches of food weren't quite adequate for their needs so I put some of their usual dry dog food into their dishes first and then got two pouches out of the new box, one for each of the dogs. I tried to read the directions on the box which should have told about quantity for the size of the dog, but it was written in very small white letters on a red background and I couldn't read it! So I guessed.
Here's what surprised me. I didn't try to get them excited. I just took the two little bags out of the box. Rusty got so excited that he could hardly contain himself! He's always so laid back about food, even treats, though he obviously does enjoy them. He always respects Desy's dish and has no problem with the idea that she is fed first. She is the older dog and was established in our household before him, and that sets the pecking order. But tonight, I thought he was going to decide he couldn't wait and dive right into her food.
I had Desy on "stay" till I would put the special food in with her usual meal. Rusty was right in there beside her dish with his nose as close to the new package as he could get it. I ripped open both packages, gave Desy her share and immediately called Rusty to his dish, and that worked quite well.
I thought maybe he'd pick the new food out from his usual food and only eat the new, as he has sometime done in the past when I put other food with his food, but he ate every bite tonight and then was very contented when his meal was finished.
I enjoyed "treating" my pets today. But, how did they know before it was ever out of the wrapping that it was special? The nose must really know.
Sweet Corn
Today I had my first sweet corn of the season. It was magnificent! Is that a good adjective to describe taste? Probably not. This corn was excellent and I enjoyed it with gusto. Thanks to my friend for giving me the corn. It really hit the spot!
One of My Favorite Things
Yesterday when my grandson was helping me move things in the attic, we found a stash of my older paintings. There was one of Tubbs' Barn that I did many years ago. It's got good composition but it looks like I just did the underpainting and quit. I could hardly wait to get started on finishing it up. That's one of my favorite things to do, --to discover that I can paint over an old painting and bring it to life and correct the mistakes I made. I got started last night and I spent some more time painting this morning. There's a lot to do now but already the painting looks much richer. Ummm, pleasure!!!
My Experiment
Today I took time to shine a penny. First I used the eraser technique. That may have worked if I'd kept at it long enough but it took a lot of rubbing for a little success. I gave that up and tried the ketchup method.
I covered the penny in ketchup and used a paper towel to rub it well. In just a minute or maybe less, the penny was shining brightly. It's a 1984 penny and though it wasn't really dark in color when I started to work on it, it was no where near the beautiful shiny bright that it is now. I don't think I would have needed the baking soda paste but I decided that I should do the second half of the instructions, too. What a pretty penny it is now!
The only thing is, while I was cleaning the penny with ketchup, I started feeling really hungry for a barbecued ham sandwich!
Tomato Harvest
I got my first tomatoes from my little patch last week. I first got four of the cherry tomatoes, which looked more like the Roma tomatoes. Then I got two regular tomatoes. Today I had a whole bowlful of tomatoes to pick. I wish they could start getting ripe at least by the end of June and then do several a week till after the frost. But no, a lot of them get ripe all at once. This would be fine if I was planning to can them, but I'm not. I'm just eating them in salads and sandwiches and I really would like fewer tomatoes at once and have them ripen till at least the beginning of November. I can dream, can't I!
Spider is Back
The Spider is back on the porch swing! That spider that I sat down beside and then sent scooting across the porch floor to the little crack under the porch railing is back in a web on the porch swing again! I thought it wouldn't be able to find its way back to the swing again but it looks like the same spider back again. I didn't put a band on one of its legs or mark it in any way, but it certainly looks like the same spider.
How geographically oriented are spiders? I thought it would have to make a new web among the flowers outside the porch. What is it about the porch swing that attracts it to come back? If I take it to the other side of the house, could it find its way back to the swing? Do spiders have a Lassie gene?
The Power of Tradition
The family of one of my sons has the tradition that they have ice cream following the evening meal every Sunday. Two of his children are having their "vacation" time with me right now. We had a dinner guest on Sunday for the noon meal. She brought cake and ice cream for our dessert. Even though these kids had ice cream for the noon meal, they still expected to have ice cream following the evening meal. Why? It is because of the power of tradition. Of course I let them have ice cream again.
More Penny Tips
I found this message board entry interesting: "However for Meal ruining horrible service when you wait 20 minutes for the water to come. Then they bring the apetizer and main course at the same time forgeting the salad. Finally when you are ready for desert and coffee you wait and wait only to look out the window and see your waitress having a smoke and flirting with the dishwasher. A bright and shiny penny circa@ 2005 under the water glass sends just the right message."
So now we know it's not just leaving a shiny penny that says you gave poor service. It's putting it under the water glass, and apparently it should be a current penny. Hmmm.
Another one: Annie says, "Since I have been on the waiting end I respect waiters and waitresses, they have a tough job, but some just don't care enough to do the job. Those are the ones that I leave no more than a dollar, no less than 5 pennies. "
It seems like most people have their own ideas of what i the best way to get a message across concerning their reaction to poor service. I usually tip any way, considering that they aren't being paid very much and it's part of what I'm expected to do if I eat out.
A Pretty Penny
I was reading a cooking message board online this morning and one person wrote that his mom had always left two shiny pennies with her tip to show that she felt she'd received outstanding service. He asked if anyone else had heard of this custom.
When I went to Google to see what I could find, I learned how to make a penny shiny. One way is to use a pencil eraser and go over the old penny. It takes a lot of effort. Another way is to rub ketchup over the penny, clean it off and then make a paste of baking soda and rub it with that to bring up the shine. I think I'll try this method sometime today, just to see if it works. There were other methods but these two seem to be simpler.
In other shiny penny references, I found that some people thought that leaving one shiny penny as a tip would indicate that the service was very poor.
Very possibly the waitpeople receiving the two shiny pennies wouldn't realize the significance of such a tip.
Possible Explanation for Truck Accidents
I continued my search about runaway truck ramps, trying to find when the highway department started building them and if there was one person who is credited for having had this idea. I couldn't find that information so far. However, I found this in an article about Rt. 28 which makes a steep descent into Praetoria and has had numerous bad accidents caused by runaway trucks.
"Other studies have found that drivers are "cocooned" in a comfort-zone where they do not appreciate that the world passing by the window contains "hard facts" like hills and slippery tarmac that can kill. Drivers were found to be in a waking trance at the wheel, listening to the radio and with their eyes fixed ahead. Their reactions were slow.
Only familiarity with the terrain would awaken a driver to the real dangers of certain road conditions. To overcome this trance-like state, it was recommended that warning devices should be "loud, shocking and unmissable" so that drivers were jerked back to reality."
The article also said that in a survey it was found that 13 % of the drivers using the hill had never been on that road before. That would also account for some of the lack of caution exhibited in truck drivers who used that route.
These bits of information have helped me understand why our community has had numerous rollover truck accidents on a very steep curve just outside of the little town of Columbus. The highway department has put up blinker signs and warnings about the dangerous curve and still there have been repeated truck rollovers due to that curve. I hadn't understood before how much a driver can get lulled by the separateness and safety he feels in his own little world in the cab of his truck, and put that together with the fact of being the first time on that road, it could make for a bad accident.
Sharing the Porch Swing
The other day I took my book with me to read on the porch swing. I had a big fluffy pillow, too. I put the pillow down and started to slide into a comfy position with the pillow when I suddenly realized that I was not alone. A spider web was strung across the swing from one of the chains to the middle of the back of the swing. I knew the spider was there because I'd seen it earlier in the day. It was a beautiful orb spider web, complete with spider. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't tiny, either. And while I don't mind spiders now as I used to, I still don't want them anywhere very near my person. I gave a choked cry of panic as I jumped to my feet, scattering both spider and web. The spider, unharmed, dropped to the floor and headed for the railing where it took its leave from the porch through a crack between two boards.
How unnerving that was for me, --not to mention what it did for the spider! All I had to do was remember that the spider had taken over part of the swing. I'm pretty sure I'll remember to look next time!
Runaway Truck Ramps
I've been thinking about Runaway Truck Ramps, --for some reason. The route we take to get to Grove City goes through Meadville. Rt. 77 goes down a very steep hill into the town. Houses line both sides of the street. The hill has been a cause of truck accidents in the past and heavy trucks are now banned from that route. They are given an alternate route which takes them away from that danger.
Several years ago, a trucker ignored the "no trucks" signs and went down that hill. The brakes went out on the truck and he thundered down the hill and came to a stop in one of the houses near the bottom of the hill. At the time, no one was in the rooms where he crashed and no one was harmed but there was considerable loss of property. The house was razed and was never rebuilt. That lot has been landscaped instead. When I pass it, I recall that incident.
There is another hill I know which must have caused serious accidents in the past. It's the hill going into Franklin as you come from the south. There is an elaborate runaway truck ramp built there. I feel great curiosity about the truck ramp every time I go past it. I'd like to see a truck going into that big set up of gravel, to see it slowing to a stop, but of course I DON'T want to see such a thing. It would be a frightening thing to see, and very frightening to experience. I wouldn't ever wish that on a trucker, but wouldn't it be an awesome thing to see? I think it's like wanting to see a tornado up close but being really frightened of it at the same time.
This morning I took the words Runaway Truck Ramp to Google in hopes of learning more about who thought up this wonderful method of getting a runaway truck back under control. To my surprise, I found that Runaway Truck Ramp is the name of a band!
A Stranger Goes on a Geocache
When we went to the Grove City Outlet Mall today, we saw very near the entrance to the mall, a man poking about in the grassy growth near the stop sign at the west end of the parking lot. He was holding a very small device in his right hand and looking intently at the area around that stop sign. We jumped to the conclusion that he was doing a geocache search.
I couldn't stop there. Traffic was too heavy. The mall was featuring back to school sales and many people were taking advantage of them. I wanted to park and talk to the man about doing a geocache. But we never got back to him. We skirted the mall and parked on the east side. We headed back that direction on foot but then we saw the people we were meeting, who had also arrived early for our rendezvous. There wasn't opportunity after that, but I thought it would be fun to go look for a cache where the stranger had been looking, even though we hadn't looked up any coordinates that may be found in that area. The more I think about it, the more I feel sure there must be at least one cache hidden at or near the Grove City Mall!
What's in a Name
Today, or was it yesterday?, I read that NCAA is cracking down on the use of Indian names for basketball teams in tournaments. Someone finds these names offensive. Hmmmm. Not me. Personally, I believe that it's a compliment to have a team named after me. We don't name teams for something or somebody we don't like!
Among the names that have been questioned was the name Warriors. Warriors are an important part of our history, all of our histories. Warriors win battles. So why not focus on the victory in the name and not the idea of violence. There is violence in basketball whether we like it or not.
And as far as having something named after me, I've had a cow named for me. You may not see that as an honor but I know it was. I think the cow was registered. I know it was well cared for and valued and I know the people who named the cow liked me very much. Therefore, I have been honored.
When we name our teams something like Braves, and Warriors, and Redskins, we are doing so because of admiration, not insult.
Our school team is Beavers. It does sound laughable, but really, the team was given the name in honor of their tenacity in slogging through a heavy rain on a very muddy field and hanging in there like eager beavers building a dam. I don't know if they won that game or not, but the name stuck and remains to this day. No beaver has ever complained about it either.
Hummingbirds
In her blog, Mary Lou said that the hummingbirds have left her area. They come there in February and now they are on their way to warmer climes. I'm not sure when our hummingbirds come but it had better not be February. If they come in April, they are pressing their luck. They are still here but will be leaving in a few weeks. Sometime in September, they will be gone.
Right now I'm enjoying seeing their visits to the trumpets on my vines. That is a good reason to have a trumpet vine. Early this morning as I worked on my e-mail, I saw a hummingbird visiting the trumpets, even in the gray dawn of early morning. I know they have to leave soon but it's been good to have them here this summer.
Adrian Monk
I just watched another episode of MONK. What a riot he is! He's so intelligent but so tied in knots by his compulsions. I only knew about Monk some time last year so I've missed a lot of the episodes. Sometimes the stories make me feel very sad, but somewhere in the story, it includes comic relief because Monk does such unusual things.
Cooler Heads Prevailed
Cooler heads prevailed today because the weather has been cooler. What a nice break this has been. I was able to get some outdoor work done and some housework as well. Running the sweeper is always hard for me, but today I used the tank sweeper and did a more thorough job of rousting the dirt. I even got the vacuum cleaner plugged into an extension cord fed by the garage outlet and I vacuumed the back seat of the car, getting ready for a short trip tomorrow. It felt so good to be able to work hard and not feel like I was going to drop over from the heat! I'm glad to have the work done tonight.
The Hollyhocks
The hollyhocks have been really pretty this year. Many of them have grown taller than ever before and their blossoms have been really lovely. This morning I see that the lower blossons on the plant have turned into seeds, ---already!
The hollyhock seeds are unique, I think. They form a circle, made up of all these individual flat little seeds. They are packed uniformly into this donut shape inside a seed husk that is shaped something like a Hershey kiss. When I was a young girl and played house with my best friend, the hollyhock seeds were used as play food on our little tea party dishes.
I also have some miniature hollyhocks. It's their blooms that are small. The plants grow to a good height but their stalks are more slender and the blooms are very tiny compared to the usual ones. My miniatures are white. They are blooming well right now.
Ordinary Day
Today was an ordinary day. I didn't slay any dragons or solve any big problems. I didn't do a lot of work in the yard, or in the house. I did ordinary things. We got a few groceries again today, without any hassle at the check out line. I worked on the church newsletter and got a few items written up, perhaps an hour and a half's worth of writing.
The big accomplishment of my day was making no-bake cookies and preparing a good dinner. Some days that's all I can ask of myself. Perhaps tomorrow I can get a little more work done to show for my time.
Sunflowers Around Me
The squirrels have been busy this spring, collecting sunflower seeds and hiding them in interesting places. I have sunflowers growing in unusual places. They aren't all big and robust but they are trying to do their best. Some of them have survived without the amount of moisture that they would thrive on and now I have tiny sunflowers on delicate stems in various places. There is one sunflower now blooming after growing up in a crack in my neighbor's driveway. Actually, it's one of the bigger little sunflowers. I enjoy seeing it.
The Right Time
I've been trying to clear out things that my husband had saved that I don't really need. It's an emotional task. But I know I need to do this.
Yesterday I looked again at the file drawer that had four or five dozen little booklets of The Gospel of John. I couldn't just throw them away. All along I have not known what to do about them.
Suddenly I got the idea that I could ask our pastor if he'd like to take them to our regional church camp and make them available there for anyone who would want one. He said that there would be a use for them.
Last night I took the box of them to church and set it on the table at the back of the room we were using. After the meeting, our assistant pastor came to me and asked if I knew anything about the box with The Gospel of John at the back of the room. He had just been in another part of the church and someone there was asking if we had any Gospel of John that could be given to people who wanted one! He took a handful of them to give to the person who requested them. I marveled at how right the timing was that I would be prompted to take the box of books to the church.
God is good!
The Voice of the Cricket
Some time ago I read that from the first time in the summer that you hear the chirp of the cricket, it will be six weeks till the first frost. I've not paid much attention to this bit of weather lore, as to its accuracy. For one thing, I don't always notice the first cricket chirping. Another thing: I don't always do the math to see where that takes me on the calendar.
Tonight I noticed the crickets chirping. They could have been doing this for a week now. I'm not sure. I just now noticed. It's unnerving to think that in six weeks from now we'll have frost. That's some time in September. That's rather early for frost, I think!
Up Into the Attic
I finally did it. I took the box of memorabilia that I'm not ready to sort through again up into the attic. Our attic has pull down stairs and they creak a lot when a person climbs them. I feel like I'm going to fall and I hang onto the stairway tightly. I don't go into the attic very often.
I've stored the box and I sorted a few things that I know I can get rid of. It's really hot in the attic today. When I climbed back down, I felt like I was descending into a very cool room. Ha! It was only cool because the attic was so very hot. I'm glad that I got a little bit more of the task done.
Trumpets on the Vine
Now that my second trumpet vine has started blooming, every day there are more trumpets on the vine. I see hummingbirds flitting around it and it's so much fun to watch the birds at the feed