We've All Been There

A little email meme has been going the rounds of my family.  It's one I've seen in J-Land before, the "3s About Me" meme.  On the list is "Three Places I Have Been." 

Most people put foreign countries they've visited, big cities, or other states, or perhaps an interesting and well-known place like a national park or museum. 

My sister P.J., on the other hand, went in a totally different direction with her answer  ~~

Three places I have been:

- up the 'creek'

- between a cliff and another cliff

 

- in deep 'cow manure'

 

Yes, those are VERY much "P.J.-answers".

Tags: meme, 3s about me, funny

The Stripped and Shapely Maple Grieves The Ghosts of Her Departed Leaves. . .

. . . The ground is hard, as hard as stone.  The year is old, the birds are flown.  And yet the world, in its distress, displays a certain lovliness ----  (A Child's Calendar by John Updike)

Thomas took off work the whole weekend, and we (the whole family) spent some time in Indianapolis visiting with friends.  We had a great time.  Had dinner at Texas Roadhouse Saturday night, and the food and service were great.  We also got to catch up with some friends we hadn't seen in a long time, and marvel at how fast kids grow up!  We had a wonderful weekend, but I think all four of us were glad to get home Sunday night.

I'm behind reading journals because of being out of town, and then Monday, Tuesday, and even today I just haven't felt like sitting and reading.  Hopefully I'll get back in that mode by tomorrow.

Yesterday morning Thomas and I went car shopping.  Actually it was SUV shopping.  We test drove a Toyota 4-Runner and a Hyundai Santa Fe (both 2004) and liked them both.  One was priced right, but Thomas questioned a few things about it, and the salesman started getting antsy, so Thomas passed on that one.  The other was a bit high, and they didn't want to come down on it at all.  There's no hurry.  We can take the time to be picky and shop around a bit more. 

Made spaghetti with home made sauce and meatballs tonight, something I haven't made in a while.  Eler Beth and I took Clark and the new yellow cockatiel to our friend's pet shop today.  She hadn't been introduced to the 'possum yet, and she was rather surprised at how cute Clark is.  We wanted her to sex the cockatiel, and it turns out that it is a female.  So she has a name now -- Nadia.  The big gray one is still rather hard to handle, although he's tamed down some.  He is still nameless.  He tries to bully the others except Lucy.  Lucy keeps him in line.

Not much else is going on here.  We're preparing for our annual camporee the first weekend in October.  And Andrew is flying down to visit a friend in Florida toward the end of October, and I hope there are no hurricanes forecast for then.  And of course deer season is coming up.  Busy, busy, busy.

I got in the mood to read some crime fiction, so I'm reading Point Blank by Catherine Coulter.  I think that's the only Savitch and Sherlock that I haven't read, and I don't know how I missed it. 

Guess that's all for now.

Ten more songs on my iPod:

1)  Steady As She Goes -- The Raconteurs

2)  Between The Lines -- Sara Bareilles

3)  C'est La Vie -- Emerson, Lake & Palmer

4)  Anna (Go To Him) -- The Beatles

5)  Eight Miles High -- The Byrds

6)  Burning Down the House -- Talking Heads

7)  For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her -- Simon & Garfunkel

8)  Little Red Riding Hood -- Sam The Sham and The Pharoahs

9)  Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow -- The Carter Family

10) Fox On The Run -- The Dillards

 

Today's Salute goes to:

                South Bend, Indiana, population 107,789

                       339 miles from Jeffersonville~~

                                        Sa-LUTE!

National Punctuation Day®

Today is the fifth annual National Punctuation Day®, so I had to do an entry, of course.  I decided this entry would be better suited to I Stand Corrected, so please click on the link and drop by to check it out.   

And Happy Punctuation Day!!

Tags: National Punctuation Day

Meeting Anne and Vivian

Eler Beth was thrilled to meet Anne of Saturday's Child today.  So was I!!

And here you see Anne, Anne's friend Vivian, and ME!

When we got ready to leave today my girl took this picture of me.

Then she told me to take off my glasses.

This is Spring Street looking South toward the Ohio River.  We didn't park close to Schimpff's where we were meeting Anne and Vivian because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to park nearer -- I could see that a part of the street was blocked off.  Do you like the feather in Eler Beth's hair?  She's also wearing her fox earrings and a fox necklace (hand painted on a jasper arrow head).

We were a bit early so we crossed the street and got a picture of Schimpff's.  On the left is the store, and the museum part is on the right.  And this is where they have part of the street blocked off.  (As we stood there a man (in his 50s, maybe) came down the street, talking to himself.  He kept pointing at the utility trucks, and when he passed a garbage can he stopped and looked inside, talking the whole time.  Eler Beth said, "I think he's another one who talks to the voices in his head.")

If you look closely you can see the little old lady who sits in the window and makes candy.  (They let her out sometimes, though.)

We enjoyed our visit.  It was very loud in Schimpff's, so after we'd eaten we went down to the little overlook at the river and sat and talked a bit.  Next time Anne comes for a visit, I'm going to have to have her and Vivian to our house, so they can meet all Eler Beth's animals, or we'll meet somewhere else for lunch or dinner.  I was a bit disappointed with Schimpff's today.  I hadn't actually had lunch there for a few years (just go in to get candy or a shake or ice cream), and neither the service nor the food was as good as I'd thought it should be.  (But their candy is still excellent.)  Anne is wonderful!!  She's exactly how she seems in her journal, very classy, funny, and down-to-earth, and her friend Vivian is a classy lady too.

I was very nervous about meeting a fellow J-Lander for the first time.  Seriously!  Eler Beth and I got to Schimpff's first, and we decided we'd go ahead and order some drinks and get a table.  Before we could order I looked up as I heard the door open, and in came a blonde lady with a smile on her face.  I said, "I think this is Anne."  It looked like she looked straight back to me, as if she knew I'd be there, and raised her hand to wave.  So I waved back, and then we met in the middle for a hug.  Then I got a hug from Vivian, too.  I'm sure Anne knew who I was because of that pretty brown girl at my side.

Anyway it went well, and I'm glad we had the chance to meet in person.  I hope she has a safe trip to visit her family in Kentucky, a safe trip back to New Albany, and a safe trip back home. 

Tags: Friends, J-Land Friends, Jeffersonville Indiana, Schimpff's, Spring Street Jeffersonvile Indiana

Looking Forward To Tomorrow

Things seem to be getting closer to normal around here.  Our neighbors across the street have their electricity back on, but I ran into a lot of people in the stores around town today who are still waiting for their power to be restored.

I got to talk to Anne by phone today.  She got safely to her friend's house in nearby New Albany last night, and we are meeting at Schimpff's Confectionary for lunch tomorrow at 12:30.  Eler Beth was talking about it earlier, and I told her that Anne was really looking forward to meeting her, and she said, "She's looking forward to meeting me?"  And I said, "Eler Beth, everyone wants to meet you!"  Which reminds me, she has a couple videos she needs to put in her journal.

We got some new school books in the mail yesterday that I had ordered from Janis.  Eler Beth likes to pretend she's irritated with Janis for having lesson books for sale, but she just jokes with her.  She's very happy with the art book I got her though.  By the way, if anyone out there would be interested this is Janis' site where she has posted the books she's selling.  I have been very pleased with everything I've bought from her -- they are all in good shape and her prices are very reasonable.

Okay, well, nothing more really to write, so I guess I'll close.  I am really looking forward to meeting Anne tomorrow.  She sounded just like I thought she would on the phone.  I'm taking my camera, so hopefully I'll have some good pictures to post tomorrow afternoon.

Today's Salute goes out to:

         Braga, Portugal, population 175,063,

                              4,101 miles from Jeffersonville ~~

                                                 Sa-LUTE!

Tags: Braga Portugal, Brice Bargains, Home schooling

Fiery, But Unbalanced?? Me???

I can't remember where I got this, but here it is.  What my name apparently says about me:

What Your Name Says About You

Your name says that you are mostly: Thoughtful but slow Your name also says you are: Moral but jealous Fiery but unbalanced Artistic but extreme

What Does Your Name Say About You?

 

Just for fun I did my middle name too, and by-dogies if that "fiery but unbalanced" didn't show up in that one too!

 

What Your Name Says About You

Your name says that you are mostly: Compassionate but melancholy Your name also says you are: Fiery but unbalanced Ambitious but stubborn Unconventional but unstable

What Does Your Name Say About You?

 

Taking A Dinner Break Now

Today has been a very gorgeous day.  It was cool and foggy this morning, but then the sun came out and burned off the fog.  I suspended lessons for Eler Beth.  The local school system has canceled school for the entire week, so all her friends are home.  We had school yesterday, and we will continue tomorrow morning, but this morning I let her go fishing with Thomas for a couple hours before he went to work.  They didn't catch too much, but they certainly did enjoy themselves.

I did a bit more yard work (cleaning up from the storm), and am getting caught up on some journal reading.  Our neighbors across the street and around that side of the block still don't have any power.  There are 40,000 without power in our county, but 250,000 without power across the river in Louisville.  I took some ice over to Sharon across the street this morning.  She is keeping a few things in a big cooler.  Her next door neighbors have a gas stove and she has taken food over there for them to cook up, then they shared it.  I'm glad it's cool enough to do without air conditioning comfortably.

My mother and sisters and brother are without electricity, too, in Breckinridge County, Kentucky.  Mom has a gas stove, though, and they have both a well and a cistern, so they have water.  With a nice breeze blowing through the house they are making out pretty well.  My sister P.J. in Hardin County hasn't lost any power.

Eler Beth and three other little neighborhood girls started a fire outside in the fire pit, and they are grilling hot dogs and burgers right now.  Well Eler Beth and Brianna are doing the fire and the cooking, the other two are watching.  One little girl said, "But Eler Beth!  Why do YOU have to make dinner for your WHOLE family?"  And Eler Beth answered, "I don't HAVE to, I WANT to!"  I guess if they want anything to go with them I'll provide it, otherwise, we're having hot dogs and burgers (with fixin's), chips, and choice of beverages tonight.  lol  And Momma gets out of cooking!

Don't worry!  Eler Beth is very competent with the fire pit.  I can watch her from my kitchen or back porch, and Andrew is helping keep an eye on it, too.  As a matter of fact, I guess I'll get off here for a little while, because I think we're just about ready to eat.  I'll be back though, to read some more journals.

Today's salute goes out to:  (Question to Guido:  Does "Zuid-Holland" mean "South Holland"?)

     Zoetermeer, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands, 

                    population 119,293,

                               4,350 miles from Jeffersonville ~~ 

                                            Sa-LUTE!

Tags: Zoetermeer Zuid-Holland The Netherlands