Thursday, June 30, 2005
My Walk
Started working on my walk today.
Pulling the old rectangular stones wasn’t too bad when you have your trusty shovel to lift the edges!
Now just one row to go so I’ll sit and rest a minute. Temp isn’t bad yet and a cool breeze comes across the yard every once in a while.
Stacked the stones on the back of the truck and took them down to the garage door area to store until I need them.
I’m using some of the stones as edging for the walk. I have laid the weed barrier cloth and I’ll work on it again tomorrow. Why?
Because when that “seista blood” calls It just ain’t no pretty picture!!
The Siesta and The Catalpa!
Good Morning! I have discovered that I must have some Spanish blood flowing in my veins. It seems that in this summer heat in the afternoon all I want to do is ‘close the shop’ and sleep under the fan in the bedroom. Yep it’s 98 and 2:30 pm and this old body says, “Ok siesta time”!!! The old brain says, “Ole” and I spread over those sheets like butter on warm toast for at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Then I arise from the dead, pick up the reins of duty, and become El Conquistador Of the Hacienda again.
So what has that got to do with the picture of the tree blossoms---absolutely nothing but I saved alot of money---oops derailed my train of thought---sorry!
On Monday Jay took part of his birthday gift money and bought me Trees of Michigan by Stan Tekiela. My hubby was a Boy Scout many long years ago but some facts fade as the mind gets full. I guess he got tired of me making a thoughtful remark like--what kind of tree is that Honey--.
To get to the point of the picture I decided to identify this small tree in the front yard and grabbed my trusty new field guide. By golly-Miss Molly there she was on page 43. The Northern Catalpa---Trumpet-Creeper family should grow to 50-75’ in height. This poor thing has lived beside a batch of older trees that had been cut down last year to prevent them from falling on the dome. So the growth on it’s North side is stunted and it have a long way to go to get to it’s full height.
Now isn’t that just a paragraph more than you care to know about my picture? But wait I got more to look up and tell you about---What you are walking away?
Sunday, June 26, 2005
AAADD!
Recently, I was diagnosed with A. A. A. D. D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests:
I decide to wash my car. As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the hall table.
I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the trash can under the table, and notice that the trash can is full.
So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the trash first.
But then I think, since I’m going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.
I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left
My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go to my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking.
I’m going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don’t accidentally knock it over.
I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.
As I head toward the kitchen with the coke a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need to be watered.
I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I’ve been searching for all morning.
I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I’m going to water the flowers.
I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote.
Someone left it on the kitchen table.
I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won’t remember that it’s on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I’ll water the flowers.
I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor.
So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.
Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day: the car isn’t washed, the bills aren’t paid, there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter, the flowers aren’t watered, there is still only one check in my checkbook, I can’t find the remote, I can’t find my glasses, and I don’t remember what I did with the car keys.
Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I’m really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I’m really tired.
I realize this is a serious problem, and I’ll try to get some help for it, but first I’ll check my e-mail.
Do me a favor, will you? Forward this message to everyone you know, because I don’t remember to whom it has been sent.
Don’t laugh—if this isn’t you yet, your day is coming!
GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY.
GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL
LAUGHING AT YOURSELF IS THERAPEUTIC!
Sorry I can’t remember who sent it to me---par for the course --right?
Five Favorite Songs ---No Way!
A couple of weeks back I was tagged by SEB to name my five favorite songs. Well hold your breath children because after 70 years I can’t name just five.
Let us start about 42 years ago. A melody written by Beethoven haunted me while I was carrying my first born. The name I discovered when Jay found it on a web search is Midnight Sonata. The melody had all but disappeared from my memory. But as the years went on these songs come to mind.
Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones brings back dancing on the raft at Pontiac Lake in the warm summer sun.
Words Of Love by The Mamas And The Papas To hear Cass belt out the words just turned me green with envy.
Radar Love by Golden Earring If you love driving as much as I do you are going to find several driving songs in this list.
On The Road Again by Canned Heat or Willie Nelson Both versions set my toes tapping.
Draggin’ The Line by Tommy James You know it as a commercial but I know it as a smile as I drive!
Born To Be Wild by Steppenwolf Driving in the dark and singing at the top of my voice!
Sweet Emotions by Arrowsmith Another loud and moving song.
Turn The Page by Bob Segar How lonesome can you sound?
Cisco Kid by War Just loved the beat --had me bobbing my head at the stop lights and other drivers staring!
Smoke On the Water by Deep Purple I don’t pretend to know what half these songs mean and I don’t care because it what I like!
When You Say Nothing At All by Allison Kraus Now this one hit the heart with clear and sweet tones!
In The Real World by Roy Orbinson What a voice! Haunting is how I describe it.
Hotel California by THe Eagles One of the groups that I have several favorites to choose from.
Love Hurts by Nazareth Another melody that pulls at the heart. For being such a noisy group this is mellow
Beth by Kiss another mellow song from a normally noisy group. I love it!
The Phantom Of The Opera by Michael Crawford 2am on M59, all the windows down 55 mph, singing along in wild abandonment!
Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac Another group with so many favorites it is hard to choose.
The Bonney Swan by Lorena McKennet Another voice so clear and sweet you want to cry.
Kisses Sweeter than Wine by the Weavers Folk music at it’s best. I have The Weavers At Carnegie Hall.
You by BonnieRaitt What can I say I like it!
Runaway by Del Shannon the organ work on this is also terrific!
Walking My Baby Back Home by James Taylor I remember sitting on the hill at Pine Knob with Sweet Thing under a tarp waiting for it to stop raining and the concert to begin!
More Than A Woman by The Bee Gees Wes bought me a CD when I found I had nothing by them in our collection.
Running On Empty by Jackson Browne When he goes into Stay Just A Little Bit Longer I melt!
Harvest Moon by Neil Young Another hold me and rock me ballad by a distinct voice.
We’ve Only Just Begun by The Carpenters Part of collection of Karen’s wonderful vocals and again very difficult to choose a favorite!
I Want To Know What Love Is by Foreigner Another group that surprises you with a great love song!
California Girls by The Beach Boys Again what can I say but you can’t love just one of their songs.
The Great American Songbooks I, II, III by Rod Stewart I like all 3 CDs because he sings songs my Mom and I sang together over the kitchen sink in up to our elbows in dishwater!
Zombie Jamboree by The Kingston Trio Another folk group who had many hits that I enjoyed.
Brandy by Looking Glass I so wanted to name Sweet Thing with her hair-- Brandy. But I went with family tradition instead and name her after the Grandmothers.
Whiter Shade Of Pale and Conquistador by Procol Harum Rank equally in my mind by this group--great!
Nights In White Satin by Moody Blues My all time favorite group. Again going to Pine Knob for their concerts was the highlight of my summer. To sit and listen to the melodies sent shivers up and down your body.
So there you have it but I’m sure I missed some along the way. So how many songs floated through your mind as you read this. How many voices did you hear from the past? But Most important did you enjoy my walk down musical lane?
Friday, June 24, 2005
Shinola!
In the Beginning was the Plan
And then came the Assumptions
And the Assumptions were without form
And the Plan was completely without substance and the darkness was upon the face of the workers and they spoke among themselves, saying “It is a crock of shit, and it stinketh.”
And the workers went unto their Supervisors and sayeth, “It is a pail of dung and none may abide the odor thereof.”
And the Supervisors went unto their Managers and sayeth unto them, “It is a container of excrement and it is very strong, Such that none may abide by it.”
And the Managers went unto their Directors and sayeth, “It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide it’s strength.”
And the Directors spoke amongst themselves, saying one to another, “It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong.”
And the Directors went unto the Vice Presidents and sayeth unto them, “It promotes growth and is very powerful,”
And the Vice Presidents went unto the President and sayeth unto him, “This new plan will actively promote the growth and efficiency of this Company, and in these Areas in particular.”
And the President looked upon The Plan, and saw that it was good, and The Plan became Policy.
This is How Shit Happens.
More words of wisdom from Skyline!
A TEXAN’S GUIDE TO LIFE
Crisis management principle:
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot
of that comes from bad judgment.
Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is is a whole lot easier
‘n
puttin’ it back.
Negotiation principle: Never drop yer gun to hug a
grizzly.
If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back
every now
and then to make sure it’s still there.
If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some
influence,
try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.
A good horse never comes in a bad color.
After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so
good
he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came
along and shot him. The moral:
When you’re full of bull, keep your mouth shut.
Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.
There’s two theories to arguin’ with a woman. Neither
one works.
Don’t worry about bitin’ off more than you can chew.
Your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger’n you think.
If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do
is stop
diggin’.
Never slap a man who’s chewin’ tobacco.
It don’t take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of
sheep.
Always drink upstream from the herd.
When you give a lesson in meanness to a critter or a
person, don’t be surprised if they learn their lesson.
When you’re throwin’ your weight around, be ready to
have it thrown around by somebody else.
Always take a good look at what you’re about to eat.
It’s not so important to know what it is,
but you might need to know what it was.
The quickest way to double your money is to fold it
over
and put it back in your pocket.
Never miss a good chance to shut up.
There are three kinds of men:
The one that learns by reading.
The few who learn by observation.
The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence
for themselves.
Thanks Pam
For Male Cooks Only!
(Women already know these things
instinctively...)
................................
Eggs. When something starts pecking its way out of
the shell, the egg
is probably past its prime.
Dairy Products. Milk is spoiled when it looks like
yogurt. Yogurt is
spoiled when it starts to look like cottage cheese.
Cottage cheese is
spoiled when it starts to look like regular cheese.
Regular cheese is
nothing but spoiled milk anyway, and can’t get more
spoiled than it
already is. Well, it can, but it rarely gets that
far. You can
always cut off the fur coat it grows.
Meat. If opening the refrigerator causes stray animals
to congregate
outside your kitchen door, the meat is spoiled.
Lettuce. This is spoiled when you can’t get it off the
bottom of the
vegetable crisper without Comet.
Carrots. A carrot that you can tie in a knot is not
fresh.
Chinese Food. If the carton must be cut away to remove
the contents,
suspect it!
Potatoes. Fresh potatoes do not have roots, branches,
or dense leafy
undergrowth.
Canned Goods. Any canned good that has become the
shape or size of a
basketball should be removed from the premises. Wear a
helmet.
Mayonnaise. If eating it makes you violently ill,
mayonnaise is
spoiled.
Artichokes. Discard these when the points have become
as tightly
furled as porcupine quills.
Flour. Flour is spoiled when it wiggles.
Raisins. These should not be harder than your teeth.
Wine. It should not taste like salad dressing.
Chip Dip. If you can take it out of its container and
bounce it on
the floor, it has gone bad.
Unidentified Items. Tupperware containers should not
burp when
opened.
Rule of Thumb. Most food cannot be kept longer than
the average life
span of a hamster. Keep a hamster in your
refrigerator to gauge this.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
YOU MIGHT BE (or have been) A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE
With so many teachers in my life I couldn’t pass posting this gem from Skyline. Sure does hit a soft (or is that sore) spot !!!!
1. You believe the playground should be equipped
with a Ritalin salt lick.
2. You want to slap the next person who says, “Must
be nice to work 8 to
3:20 and have summers free.”
3. You can tell if it’s a full moon without looking
outside.
4. You believe “shallow gene pool” should have its
own check box on a
report card.
5. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall
you if anyone says,
“Boy, the kids sure are mellow today.”
6. When out in public you feel the urge to snap your
fingers at children
you do not know and correct their behavior.
7. You have no social life between August and June.
8. Marking all A’s on report cards would make your
life SO easy.
9. You think people should be required to get a
government permit before
being allowed to reproduce.
10. You wonder how some parents ever MANAGED to
reproduce.
11. You laugh uncontrollably when people refer to
the staff room as the
“lounge”.
12. You encourage an obnoxious parent to check into
charter schools or Home
Schooling.
13. You can’t have children because there’s no name
you could give a child
that wouldn’t bring on high blood pressure the
moment you heard it.
14. You think caffeine should be available in
intravenous form.
15. You know you are in for a major project when a
parent says, “I have a
great idea I’d like to discuss. I think it would be
such fun.”
16. Meeting a child’s parent instantly answers the
question, “Why is this
kid like this?”
-Isn’t it scary that MOST of these are
TRUE???
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Wes’ Old House Part 3
As promised the last look at what is so far !
The main porch with the front door into the living room.
Painted vines and flowers around the front door area are in the plans also.
The side porch into the office/library.
Ten colors used to brighten the “lady’s face” were: Lavender, royal purple, moon shadow yellow, sage, ice mint green, wedgewood blue, sky blue, deep pink, gold, and emerald green .
There is work to be completed on the rear porch yet but the “Painted Lady” has come a long way in the past two + years. She is truely a tribute to a man’s talent and work.
Words Of Wisdom?
1. THINGY (thing-ee) n.
Female.. Any part under a car’s hood.
Male..... The strap fastener on a woman’s bra.
2. VULNERABLE (vul-ne-ra-bel) adj.
Female.... Fully opening up one’s self emotionally to another.
Male.... Playing football without a cup.
3. COMMUNICATION (ko-myoo-ni-kay-shon) n.
Female… The open sharing of thoughts and feelings with one’s partner.
Male… Leaving a note before taking off on a fishing trip with the boys.
4. COMMITMENT (ko-mit-ment) n.
Female.... A desire to get married and raise a family.
Male...... Trying not to hit on other women while out with this one.
5. ENTERTAINMENT (en-ter-tayn-ment) n.
Female.... A good movie, concert, play or book.
Male...... Anything that can be done while drinking beer.
! 6. FLATULENCE (flach-u-lens) n.
Female.... An embarrassing byproduct of indigestion.
Male...... A source of entertainment, self-____expression, male bonding.
7 MAKING LOVE (may-king luv) n.
Female...... The greatest ____expression of intimacy a couple can achieve.
Male.. Cal! l it whatever you want, just as long as we do it.
8. REMOTE CONTROL (ri-moht kon-trohl) n.
Female.... A device for changing from one TV channel to another.
Male… A device for scanning through all 375 channels every 5 minutes.
AND;
He said I don’t know why you wear a bra; you’ve got nothing to put in it.
She said . . You wear pants don’t you?
He said . . ..... Shall we try swapping positions tonight?
She said ..... That’s a good idea - you stand by the ironing board while I sit on the sofa and fart!
He said . ... What have you been doing with all the grocery money I gave you?
She said . .....Turn sideways and look in the mirror!
He said . . How many men does it take to change a roll of toilet paper?
She said . . We don’t know; it has never happened.
He said . . Why is it difficult to find men who are sensitive, caring and Good- looking?
She said ...... . . They already have boyfriends.
She said...What do you call a women who knows where her husband is every night?
He said . . . A widow.
He said . .. . Why are married women heavier than single women?
She said . . . Single women come home, see what’s in the fridge and go to bed. Married women come home, see what’s in bed and go to the fridge.
Thanks Skyline!