The Pied Piper of Otisco ... & ... Enjoying the Fruits of our Labors

We have been very busy here this week.  We always process and package our own deer, so that took several days out of the week.  Our big upright freezer is packed!

I was glad to have Eler Beth's help with the packaging, too, because I hurt my back a little over the weekend.  A very dear friend of ours in her 80s (I've written about her before) called to get my help in getting in her daughter's two horses that had gotten out of their pasture and wandered off.  Her daughter was out of town.  She boards her horses on a farm in the country, and the owner of the farm is a man in his 70s, recovering from a recent stroke.  He doesn't live alone but he was at home alone at the time that he discovered the horses had gotten out.

So I drove Jewel out there and we finally managed to locate the two horses, at a neighboring farm.  One of them will follow and one of them will lead, so I managed to get a halter on the leader, Domino, and Red followed along.  A pony, belonging to the old man's grandchildren, had escaped along with the horses, but thankfully she seemed happy to follow along as well.

Now I used to ride a lot when I was younger but haven't done much in years.  I had absolutely nothing to mount Domino from, although I did try to get him to stand close enough to a high bank so I could use it as a mounting block.  No good, I'm afraid.  I tried mounting without any help, but I'm only 5 feet tall and Domino isn't a small horse.  I'm also 41 and not in the kind of shape to be mounting bareback with no one to give me a leg up.  (Although I did give it a try!  And I'm so glad no one was there to see it!)

So I gave up on trying to mount and instead I led him, with my little equine followers for 3.2 miles(!!!yes we drove back to where they were just to measure the miles!!!), down one long gravel drive, down a stretch of county road, and then down another long gravel drive back to their home.  Walking three miles on gravel, holding a lead on a large horse who occasionally gets spooked and jerks his head up is not good on an already bad back.  And it was cold!  While we were on the county road at least 6 vehicles came by.  One driver asked if I needed any help, but the others just looked and drove on.   There was absolutley nothing I could do when a car came by, except stop Domino and hope that Red and the pony would have the sense to stand still or move to the side of the road.  Thankfully all of the drivers were very careful.

I had a nice hot shower when I got home but the next day I was really sore and my lower back went out on me when I picked up a laundry basket!  I'm all better now, though.

Eler Beth has been scraping one of her hides.  She is keeping and tanning all three of them.  I had no idea that if I wanted to have a few hours quiet all I had to do was hand her a deer hide to scrape on a sunny day!  She spent 2-1/2 hours straight working on the buck hide today.

I'd glance out the kitchen window once in a while to see her sitting there working away, one or other of the dogs nearby for company.  She will be using tanning solution, of course, but I figured we could use the experience as a school lesson, so we are learning about how the Native Americans worked hides and what they used them for.  Since she has Cherokee in her ancestry, I figured it would be a good opportunity to learn a lot of things about them as well.  At one point today when I went outside to check on her, she happily told me, "Indian women would have chewed the hide to make it soft, you know."  I said, "Well....okay, ... if you want to....", and she said, "Mom! I'm not going to! "

For her cooking lesson on Wednesday she made homemade venison stew, doing all of it by herself with my instructions.  She washed, peeled, and chopped all of the vegetables, maintaining a steady stream of chatter the whole while.  We had a very, very delicious dinner, I must say!

My Huntress Diana

    After getting two does on Thursday my little huntress got her first buck on Saturday, November 24.  For her first ever buck she got a really nice one -- an 8-point, basket-rack, red deer, that field dressed at 170 lbs, using her Rossi .410.

Doe #1, on the left, field dressed at 140 lbs.  Doe #2 field dressed at 120 lbs.  Eler Beth took them both within minutes of one another, using her Rossi .410.

*I very thoughtfully cropped the pics so that no one would be offended by blood. Wasn't that nice of me?

 

Tags: Deer Hunting, Huntress Diana

Birds

Does anyone out there know anything about migratory birds?  Eler Beth has been telling me about a flock of something that coo'ed like pigeons but that were much bigger that she saw flying over one day.

Well, today I have seen them for myself.  We sat outside and watched four flocks of them coming over.  They would pause almost directly over our house and fly in circles for a few minutes, then move on.  One group circled for a while, then was joined by another group.  They continued to circle for another minute or so and then moved on.

They must be rather large because they were very, very high and we could still see them.  They make a crooning or coo'ing sound that you can hear well before you actually spot the birds.  I'm used to seeing geese passing over on their way South, but have never noticed these birds before. 

From such a distance it is hard to tell their color, but they seem just a gray or silvery gray.  The sun glinted off their underbellies as if they have white or silver there.  I think I'll contact our local extension office to see if they have any ideas.

I had assumed they were just pigeons until I actually saw them for myself.  They seem WAY too big to be ordinary pigeons.

Tags: Migratory birds

Just A Note

A brief hello ~~

    My mother is safely back home in Kentucky.  She had a great one-month visit in Florida but was getting very, very homesick.  She and my sister got in last night.  My sister will leave for home on Saturday.

    Eler Beth got not one, but two -- count'em, two! -- does this morning!  She has been walking on air all day.  Thomas said he has never seen anyone come down a tree (with a climbing stand, no less) as fast as she did, a big grin on her face the whole time.  The first doe field dressed at 150 lbs., and the second at about 120 lbs.  This is only her second year hunting; these are her first deer.  Pictures will be coming.

    They went hunting Saturday evening but didn't see anything until they were leaving their area.  They went again on Sunday evening, and she had one in her sights.  But it was just coming on to dusk, and although she was only about 50 yards away she wasn't sure she could get a kill shot.  Thomas told me later that she probably could have gotten it, but we were proud of her for making a very responsible decision.  It was not only dusk, but there were a few branches between her and the deer.  This morning, though, it was as if the two does posed for her.

Tags: Deer Hunting

Derby Pie Has A Way Of Making Everything Okay

Yesterday was a golden day.  It was 70 degrees, sunny, and beautiful!  We suspended lessons for the rest of the week and raked leaves.  Then we played in one  h u m o n g o u s   leaf pile!

Today is warm enough, but rainy and gloomy.  A good day to indulge in a nice, warm slice of Derby-Pie®  (or two), with a dollop of sweet cream on the top and a cup of coffee to go with it!  OMG if you are ever in Kentucky or Southern Indiana you must have a Kern's Bakery Derby-Pie® .  It is THE BEST chocolate/nut pie ever!  A sample lady met Eler Beth and I as we came through the door at Meijer's with a little sample cup of bliss, and I realized it had been years since I'd had any (bliss of the Derby-Pie variety, that is).

My sister Maxine is bringing my Mom home from her Florida visit today, and everyone will be at my sister, P.J.'s, tomorrow for dinner.  I will probably not be around J-Land much for the next several days, or at least maybe just off and on.  I'll try to catch up with everyone today.

Tags: Kern's Kitchens, Derby-Pie

My Son's First YouTube Video!

Two other journalers recently mentioned the Nintendo console "Wii" (pronounced "we"), and now I actually have something to say on the topic.  For those who don't know what a Wii is, it's a new game console that came out a year ago, and it is in big demand this time of the year.  Paula wrote about snagging one for her daughter who'd asked that her mother be on the lookout for one, and Donna played in a Wii bowling tournament during a recent girls' night out.

According to Nintendo's website, "The Nintendo Wii--formerly known as the Revolution--makes use of special motion-sensitive controllers that allow you to swing a sword, throw a punch, or drive a car with a flick of the wrist rather than with the push of a button."  So if you're bowling you actually make the motions of launching a bowling ball, if you're playing golf, you actually make the motions of swinging a club, and so on.

My kids are getting a Wii this year because they finally came out with a game that they are both interested in.

Another game that has been pretty big this past year is Halo 3, which is a game that you play on an XBox360.  My kids don't have an XBox and don't seem to want one (thankfully), but Andrew has played Halo at a friend's house.  It isn't the type of game he particularly cares for, though.  The storyline, according to the XBox website: "The Story So Far ...  It is the year 2552. Humanity has long been at war with the terrifying alien civilization that collectively calls itself The Covenant. The war with the Covenant has reduced humanity to ragged tatters. Master Chief is the last fighting member of the legendary Spartan II military program and humanity's last, best hope. More of the story …"

I've told you all that to tell you this -- Andrew and three of his friends have put together a little skit and uploaded it to YouTube, a first for all of them. 

Have you seen the Wii commercial where at the end two Japanese men come driving up to a house and when the door is opened they say, "Wii would like to play."??

Well, they start with that.  The premise is that there is an upcoming Halo FPS for Wii (which would be impossible, since they are two separate systems).  It's cute, though, and they did a good job editing it.  It's very short.  Andrew's friend Scott shot the digital video, and he and Andrew did the editing.

When you watch it (because I'm sure you will), after the two Japanese men say "Wii would like to play" you will see three young men standing inside a doorway (as if they'd just opened the front door of the house), and the one on the left (the brown one) is Andrew.  Each one has a look on his face like, "Who ARE these guys?!"  Then it shows each of the four guys using Wii controllers and apparently playing Halo (which, as I said, would be impossible).  They did a good job cutting and editing.  It is very smooth. 

When it shows them each playing the game, the first young man is Jason, (lead guitarist and singer in Andrew's band); the second young man is Jared, bass player in the band (and the 14-year old I mentioned in a previous post who is "admired" a bit by Eler Beth!), the third one is Andrew, and the fourth is Scott.

It's not a bad attempt at a first humorous Youtube; one that the young folks will "get" probably better than us old fogies, but I can appreciate the humor and the shooting and editing skills.

Hope you enjoy.  I have an idea there will be more comedy videos forthcoming from these guys.  Watch it here.  Let me know what you think.  If you can, please leave them a comment on YouTube.  They'd love that!

Tags: Youtube Comedy Video, Wii, Halo 3, Upcoming Wii FPS

Losing Our Minds At Times

A while back Stepjammer made an entry in her journal about accidentally wearing two different shoes to work, and it reminded me of a teacher I once had.

She was a fifth grade science teacher.  Her husband owned a very classy menswear store in our little town, and she and her husband were always perfect in dress and "toilette".  Mrs. P's makeup was always flawless, she never had a hair out of place, and her wardrobe was expensive, tailored, and always entirely appropriate for the season.

When I had Mrs. P for science in the fifth grade, I liked her okay, but I thought she was a bit arrogant and brittle.  Whenever she genuinely smiled it was a small "moue" of a smile, and her laugh was a short chuckle.  I never saw her all-out grin or give a big laugh.  The one really good thing in her favor as a teacher as far as I was concerned was that she favored no student (or "type" of student) over another -- there was no teacher's pet or teacher's favorite in Mrs. P's class!  She was a very good science teacher, she just wasn't very personable or friendly toward her students, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for a 5th grade teacher.  She was always kind to me, and I did well enough in her class.  But she did give an impression of looking down her nose at everyone.

Well, one day when I was in the eighth grade I had wandered to the front lobby of the school one morning to wait for my best friend, who walked to school.  Another one of our friends joined me there at the front windows.  Mrs. P came through the front door and paused to speak to the principal, standing nearby.  My friend, Donna, suddenly clutched my arm with one hand, covering her mouth with the other.  Her eyes were wide, brimming with laughter, and she was staring at Mrs. P.

I followed her gaze and saw that ourbeloved, perfect Mrs. P was wearing two different shoes.  Not only were they two different shoes, but one was brown and one was black.  Not only that!  One was a wedge, and one was a heel!

About that time the friend we were waiting for came in, and we grabbed her and motioned with our heads toward Mrs. P.  "Mrs. P!"  I whispered to Dana.  "Two different shoes!"  The three of us composed ourselves and started walking toward the hall to our classrooms, passing our math teacher Mr. A. on the way.  Before we got out of earshot we heard Mr. A. roar with laughter and turning we saw him and the principal laughing and Mrs. P. with a very red face.  She tried to laugh it off, but we could tell she was mortified.  The last we saw of her she was heading back out the front door, presumably to go home and change her shoes.  

We never told anyone, and I don't think anyone else saw her mortification.  It kind of endeared her to me, actually.  It was nice to know that she could be more human than I'd ever thought her before.  I felt sorry for her though, because she obviously did not have any experience with being able to laugh at herself.  The person I am now would have gone up to her and whispered in her ear, but at 13 I would have been way too bashful to have had the temerity to interrupt a teacher's conversation to bring something potentially embarrassing to her attention.  It would not have even occurred to me!

(I have a feeling, though, that if it had been Eler Beth, she would have done it.)

Later that year I took a short psychology class at the end of the school day with Mrs. P, and I so enjoyed it.  She was like a different person.  She obviously loved the subject, and she interacted with us much differently than she had when we were fifth-graders.  She probably should have been teaching older kids all along.  She was not so stiff or unapproachable; she was actually animated!  She even joked around a little. 

It's easy for us to misjudge someone based on a small scope of acquaintance.  I hadn't thought she had much of a personality based on my experience as her student when I was 11, but by the time I had her as a teacher when I was 14 I could see there was more to her.  And now I look back on that and smile when I remember how funny we thought it -- and it was funny.  Forgetting and wearing two different shoes to work can't be anything but funny.  It was not funny that she was embarrassed.  I also remember now that from what I knew of her husband's family they were a very prominent family in the county.  She may have had to be perfect in tone and appearance simply because she had to be "good enough" for her husband's family.  She may just have been naturally reserved.  I guess it's a good reminder that we have to be careful about judging people.

 

(Btw, spell check suggests "men swear" as a correction for the word "menswear".)

The Game

I've seen this going around J-Land, and since the last time I did it (about two years ago) I didn't have that many readers, I'll do it again.

The Game is on!!! And you're IT!

Describe ME in one word.....just one single word. Post it in my comment section. Then put the same request in your journal so we can visit you… and do the same thing… and see how many strange and interesting things they say about you...........

I haven't been around to everyone yet, I'm sure but I'll get there!

Tags: Meme, Games,

The First 10,000, And My Chirpy Little Plumber's Helper

I noticed this morning when I opened my journal that my sitemeter count was 10,001.  Wow!

Our weather today was gorgeous!  Sunny, breezy, and in the 60s.  We're expecting showers tonight, though, but I can't complain.  We really do need the rain.

Had a very nice day at home.  Eler Beth was chirpy all day, and Andrew came home with a 17-page assignment that he has to do on Access.  None of our computers currently have Access (although I could have sworn that one of them used to!), so I downloaded a free trial.  I hope it works for him, or he'll have to just do it at school.

I visited a dozen journals this evening, reading and commenting.  I will get to more tomorrow. 

I had to get a piece of pipe-thingy-with-nuts-and-a-ring on it to replace one that was leaking, for our bathroom (where the water pipe connects to the faucet in the tub).  I made the mistake of going to Lowes first because I came to it first.  I have always said that Home Depot is better than Lowes for everything except lumber, but I thought I'd give them a try.  I found a Plumbing Dept. person (a lead person, no less) to ask her for help in finding what I needed, and she had no idea what it was.  She did look...and look...and look, all the while wondering what size it was.  I kept thinking, "why don't you have a tape measure attached to your belt or in a little apron like the Home Depot people do?"  Usually I would know the size because I or Thomas would have measured it, but I guess neither of us was thinking right last night when he removed it from the wall.

Well, anyway, I left after thanking her and telling her that I'd just let my husband take care of it.  Not.  I went to Home Depot.  I asked the first guy I saw near the plumbing area.  He took a look at it and told me that it was homemade.  Then he found out what size it was by screwing it onto a 5/8" piece of pipe.  He found what he thought would work, then he consulted with two other employees who agreed that it was homemade and that we'd have to duplicate it ourselves.  He got me everything I needed and then told me exactly how to cut the pipe, screw on the nuts and the ring, and even advised that I'd need to make sure not to leave any burs when I sanded it down.  I didn't bother telling him that I wasn't going to do it, my husband was.  I rather liked being talked to like I knew something about plumbing!

I sincerely and fervently thanked him for his help.  As we walked off Eler Beth said, "Looks like I'll be cutting some pipe tonight."  (She always does that type of thing with/for Thomas.)  I saw the salesguy smile.  Then she said, "You were right, Mom, Home Depot is better than Lowes!"

Tags: Home Depot vs Lowes

Tags:

Thank You, Darlin', For A Great Weekend

I should be in bed by now, but I'm not -- as you can see!

I found last week that I actually did get more done than usual because I didn't read and comment in many journals for the latter part of the week.  So perhaps I should just pop in here once a week or so.

Tomorrow I will pop by and catch up with everyone and see what's been going on in everyone else's world.

Yesterday was a very, very nice day for me.  Eler Beth and I spent the morning shopping together, which is always fun.  She was in rare form, and kept getting her words mixed up, so we did a lot of laughing.  We started our shopping expidition at Wal-Mart because she needed some new {{bras}}.  Then we spent some time at the mall.

I hadn't been to Dillard's for a while, so we spent a few happy minutes there.  I found some jeans that fit great and looked good on me, and cost way more than I normally pay for jeans!  I had to avert my eyes as we went past the shoe department!!

In order to get to the mall entrance when you are in Dillard's you have to go through the very center, of course, and that is where the make-up counters, scent counters, jewelry counters, and lingerie section are.  As we walked through Eler Beth said, "Girl Heaven!"  We were almost free and clear when a lady jumped out at me waving a swatch of paper and asked if I'd like to "smell the newest ??something?? scent?"  I meant to say, "No, thank you, I can't wear cologne."  But it came out, "No, thank you, darlin', I can't wear cologne."  I call Eler Beth "darlin'" a lot, so I guess that's why it came out.  We barely made it out the door before the two of us collapsed in giggles.

We went to Payless (much more budget-friendly for me than Dillard's).  The young sales guy who checked on us ocassionally to see if we were finding the right sizes was rather cute.  He passed by at one point just as Eler Beth was assuring me that the shoes she was trying on weren't too big for her because "They leave me some room to grow.  You know, when I have my next foot spurt....I mean growth spurt!"  Once again we collapsed into giggles, and I thought I saw the salesman smile.

When we checked out, he was our cashier, and he asked Eler Beth, "So did you find some big enough for your next foot spurt?"  Then he juggled the shoes we were buying, tossed one behind his back with one hand and caught it with the other, then did some kind of fancy move with the boxes as he was putting the lids on.  We weren't expecting such a show!

When we left Eler Beth leaned over to me and said, "He was so cute!"   And he was rather a handsome young man.

Then we treated ourselves to soft pretzels, and meandered on through the rest of the mall.

Andrew was actually home Saturday afternoon and evening, which is highly unusual, so when Thomas got home we made homemade pizzas (with my homemade sauce), popped corn and watched movies together, all four of us.  Wonderful day!

Well, I just wanted to pop in before I make myself get to bed.  I will be by to see everyone tomorrow if at all possible.  I hope everyone had a nice weekend. 

Extreme Makeover Home Edition Comes To Louisville

Patrick Hughes is somewhat of a celebrity in our neck of the woods.  I've seen him on local morning television many times.  Check out this YouTube video to meet Patrick and his wonderful father. 

Patrick Hughes

You WILL have tears in your eyes while watching that video.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition has chosen Patrick's family for a makeover.  They begin tearing down the old house tomorrow and plan to have the new one up by next Wednesday.  A friend of mine told me about it yesterday.  She wants to go over and watch one day, and I may go with her. 

Check out both links.  You'll really appreciate the story.  I especially admire Patrick's dad.  Any dad who would march along with his child in a university marching band so his child doesn't have to miss out is a hero in my book.

Tags: Patrick Hughes, Extreme Makeover Home Edition

The Mate Meme

I really liked this meme from our Meme Queen.

The Mate Meme

1. Who is your mate?
My husband, Thomas

2. How long have you been together?
We have been married for 20 years and six months; we were engaged for 9 months before that and dated for two months before we were engaged.

3. How long dated?
Two months  (engaged for 10 months so we could have a June wedding)

4. How old is your mate?
47

5. Who eats more?
It's probably about the same.  He stays pretty trim and has a physically demanding job, so if he does eat more it doesn't show.  (And he really loves my cooking!)

6. Who said "I love you" first?
He did.

7. Who is taller?
He is.  I'm only 5 feet tall, so most people are taller than I am!

8. Who sings better?
I have to say I do.  He has a good voice, but I have a better ear for pitch and key.

9. Who is smarter?
There is no way I'm touching that one! lol  We are both smarter about different things.  We compliment one another very well.

10. Whose temper is worse?
His.

11. Who does the laundry?
I do.

12. Who does the dishes?
We all do.

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
I do.

14. Who pays the bills?
He earns the money, and I make the payments.

 

15. Who has bigger feet?
He does.

16. Who has longer hair?
I do.

17. Who is better with the computer?
I am.

18. Who mows the lawn?
Eler Beth and I do, because we actually enjoy it, and Thomas and Andrew hate it.  But Thomas does all the trimming.

19. Who cooks dinner?
I do.

20. Who drives when you are together?
Either of us.  It's about equal.

21. Who pays when you go out?
He does.

22. Who is most stubborn?
We're pretty equal there, too.

23. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong?
I am!

 

24. Whose parents do you see the most?
Mine, and we always have.

25. Who kissed who first?
He instigated our first kiss, but I was a willing participant.

26. Who asked who out?
He asked me out.

27. Who proposed?
He did.  Actually only after two weeks of dating he said he was pretty sure he wanted to marry me, but I made him wait a bit longer. lol  And then he properly, formerly proposed a couple months later.

28. Who is more sensitive?
I am.

29. Who has more friends?
He does!  He knows and is liked by EVERYBODY he meets, practically, and he is really a lot more social than I am, but I probably have more CLOSE friends, and I probably actually KNOW more about my friends than he does about his.

30. Who has more siblings?
He does, barely.  There are 9 children in his family, and there are 7 in mine.

31. Who wears the pants in the family?
He does.  (But occasionally he lets me get in them {{wiggling eyebrows here}}})

Tags: Meme, The Mate Meme

Cow Tipping

My daughter just asked me, "Mom, how exactly DO you tip a cow?"

I'm pretty sure that the question was just casual curiosity and not research for a future deed, so I thought I'd leave the answer to someone who may know the answer to this better than I.

Anyone out there know?

_______________________________________________

Okay!  I realize the incongruousness of saying not to be surprised if I don't post entries too often for a while, and then proceeding to post a half dozen entries.

Tags: Cow Tipping

AAADD

Oh my goodness, I just have to share this!

A few entries back Guido posted an entry about "Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder", and then I read a similar "story" in another journal and sent them both to my sisters.  Just now I got an emailed reply from my sister, P.J., and I just have to share it. Please enjoy:

~~(From P.J.)  The really sad thing about these last two stories, Lori, is that they are so accurate.They describe, at least in part, every day I have at home. Now mind you, I said, "every day I have at home". When I'm at work I can get done just exactly what I have to get done. Sometimes with time to spare. Bill would explain it as home having high gravity areas, and when we enter those "high gravity areas" we tend to lose things...including our train of thought.

             And just think, we used to laugh at Mom. Remember when she tried to iron your dress with the mixer? Or the time she found the teakettle in the fridge?

             Sometimes I'm amazed that I'm allowed to stay at home by myself. And the dogs aren't any help at all. They're all for me running around like a crazy person. They think it's  fun when I have to make fifteen trips down the hall only to realize that what I wanted was to go into the pantry to get a roll of paper towels.

 

              The only thing I can think of to make it all better is  that one day my mind will be just mush enough that it won't make any difference to me where I am or what I'm doing there.~~

 

I just love my sisters.  They can always make me smile.  I'd forgotten about the mixer and the teakettle in the fridge.  She left one out, though.  What about the time Mom started to make my cream of wheat and poured Tide in the pan, and stirred it until she realized what she'd done when it started to bubble!  She had a good excuse, though -- she'd had seven kids by the time she was 42!  And SHE'S still going strong at 82 years old!

 

Now THESE are the types of things I REALLY want to write about in my journal!

Tags: Growing Old, Confusion, Family Stories

1973

A summertime picture of me in my "hippie" outfit! lol

A Bit Of Nostalgia

That's me, making mud pies (and other culinary creations) on a Fall day when I was about 6 years old.

Update and A Stolen Joke

Oh my goodness!  It is 70 degrees right now, and tomorrow the high is only going to be 47*!!! 

I just completed visiting every journal that I regularly read (and some new ones I've been checking out).  So if you haven't heard from me yesterday or today, then drop me a note because I must have lost your link.

And now I'm starting my semi-hiatus.  I'm going to crochet with my daughter, clean to my little heart's content, write in my book, write in my other two "book" journals, work on my book, and continue interviewing my mother and hopefully making some more entries in that journal (on my sidebar) -- not today, I mean over the next few months. 

And I still have Mary Jo's interview questions to answer and a couple of memes that I've wanted to do but haven't done yet.  I will leave everyone with a joke that I stole from  Linda.  It is hilarious:

THE HALF-WIT

There was an old cowhand who owned a small ranch in Montana.
The Montana Wage and Hour Department claimed he was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent to interview him. 

"I need a list of employees and how much you pay them," demanded the agent.

"Well," reported the rancher, "There's my ranch hand who's been with me 3 years. I pay him $600 a week and room and board. The cook has been here 18 months and I pay her $500 a week plus room and board. Then there's the half-wit who works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the  work around here. He makes about $10 a week and pays his own room and board and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night."      

"That's the guy I want to talk to, the half-wit," says the agent.  

"That would be me," replied the rancher.

I just loved that one!

Tags: Jokes

I Spoke Too Soon!

Not long after I posted that last entry the sun disappeared, the wind picked up, and it started pouring down rain!  We're supposed to have gusts up to 45 mph and possibly some hail.  (I think we had some hail damage to our roof in August, and I keep forgetting to call our house insurance to see if it's enough damage to file a claim.  I really must remember to do that.)

I fear the cold weather really is going to move in tonight.  I'm not sure I'm really ready for that.  But at least we're not expecting snow like Guido!

But Winter has yet brighter scenes--he boasts

                Splendors beyond what gorgeous Summer knows;

Or Autumn with his many fruits, and woods

                All flushed with many hues.

William Cullen Bryant -- Autumn Piece 

I'm travelling around to all the journals I'm currently reading this afternoon to make sure I'm caught up with everyone.  Then I'm going to write for the rest of the day I think. 

It's a "something hot and comforting" kind of day for dinner, so I believe we'll have chicken and dumplings -- haven't fixed that in a while.

Eler Beth is finished with her lessons for the day and is crocheting and watching Animal Planet.  Andrew just got in from school, had a snack, and is on his computer.  (Another thing keeping me busy for the next few months -- my son's a Senior this year!)

There are some things I've been meaning to put in thisjournal and will try to do that today to get them out of my "to do" folder.  

Ah, listen to that thunder.  I'll probably have to get off the computer soon for safety reasons. 

Tags: William Cullen Bryant

"There Is A Harmony In Autumn, And A Lustre In The Sky..."

It is another gorgeous Fall day with lots of sunshine and a nice breeze, although a bit cooler than yesterday. 

I am probably not going to be posting as often as I have (and sometimes I don't post all that often anyway).  I realized recently that the amount of time I could spend reading and commenting in journals can get excessive if I let it.  At least for the next few months I plan to read only for a set amount of time on certain days of the week (we'll see how that goes!), and I won't be commenting as often.  So please don't think it strange if I suddenly don't comment in your journal as I have in the past.  There are no journals that I am currently reading that I don't want to read -- I've become so familiar with everyone that I'd feel strange not keeping up with everyone's world.  So I'll drop in to say hi only occasionally although I'm probably reading you at least once a week. 

But family obligations are not only a priority, they seem to be necessary to my own happiness right now.  I have mentioned before that I suffer from anxiety and depression and have for years.  I have also for years been able to control them with medication and with lifestyle adjustments when needed; it is time for another lifestyle adjustment right now, I'm afraid.  I don't know if it's my age (getting older, you know, brings hormonal turmoil), or if it's a change in my chemical imbalance that has nothing to do with aging, but I have been battling a few more incidents of depression than normal lately -- the time of year perhaps?

I do not want to adjust medication, so I have, after reflection, analysis, and prayer (not necessarily in that order), found that right now it is by cocooning myself in planning and executing my daughter's lessons, along with little special outings with her, and in devoting more time to my home that I am finding the rejuvenating influences I need to cope from day to day.

It's strange, isn't it, that one can be so happy within oneself and in the company of one's family, and still have to battle depression.  I simply adore my husband and children.  There is nothing I would not do for them.  (Thomas brought me to tears yesterday because there was a figurine on Ebay that I've wanted for years and that is rare, but I would never have thought of indulging in buying for myself because I knew the price would go up.  Well, a little bird named Eler Beth told her Daddy about it, and he insisted that I try to win it.  I wouldn't hear of it because I knew it would go $200.00 or more.  MAYBE  if I were working and bringing in a paycheck, but I would never ask Thomas to buy it for me, and I told him so.  He sat back and clasped his hands behind his head and said, "Well, get it for me.  I've always wanted me one of those."  Well, I didn't get it, but just knowing that he wanted it for me made my heart fairly burst.)  Anyway....

I do not feel the journal reading that I do is a chore.  It is an indulgence that I will allow myself because I do deserve an indulgence once in a while.  But I can't do it as much as I have and still do the other things that I need to do to make myself feel good every day.  It's wierd, I know, but right now I just want to clean and cook and paint walls and re-decorate and things like that.  Those things should be chores, shouldn't they?

I also want to spend more time writing in my two other journals which usually get pushed to the side in favor of writing here or reading other journals.  I want my books catalogued for my own pleasure and I want to finish the book I'm writing.  Getting up at 5 in the a.m. and writing for an hour or so before the kids get up has been working, but I want more!

I will post an entry here when I feel like it but not to just keep this journal updated, and I will drop by everyone's journal at least once a week and say hi.  So I just didn't want anyone worrying or wondering where I was.

I hope everyone is having as beautiful a day as I am, and I hope everyone has a splendid week ahead!

 The day becomes more solemn and serene
    When noon is past; there is a harmony
    In autumn, and a lustre in its sky,
Which through the summer is not heard or seen,
As if it could not be, as ifit had not been!
        Thus let thy power, which like the truth
        Of nature on my passive youth
Descended, to my onward life supply
        Its calm, to one who worships thee,
        And every form containing thee,
        Whom, SPIRIT fair, thy spells did bind
To fear himself, and love all human kind.

-Percy Bysshe Shelley,
Hymn to Intellectual Beauty, 1817

Tags: Percy Bysshe Shelley, Hymn to Intellectual Beauty

A Very Nice Tribute

I just have to share this wonderful tribute to a 90 year-old grandfather.  Please read if you haven't already.

"Seasons of Mist and Mellow Fruitfulness...."

What a gorgeous day here in Southern Indiana!

It has been sunny all day with a nice, warm breeze blowing.  There is a chance for showers tomorrow afternoon and then cooler weather will set in for the remainder of the week, so I'm going to try to enjoy as much of this day as I can.

Yesterday was much like today.  The kids and I took a drive through some parts of Harrison County and enjoyed the Fall colors -- such as they are!  At least we did get a little bit of color change this year -- finally!  More than I expected at least.

I've been washing some bedclothes this afternoon and getting them out on the clothesline.  It's been a bit of a lazy Sunday afternoon but I have accomplished a few things.  I just posted a few items on Freecycle, and hopefully I'll get rid of a lot of things that way this week.

Well, I just wanted to pop in and say hello and wish everyone a great Sunday.  I leave you with the entire poem "To Autumn" by John Keats.

                                   To Autumn

SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness!
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twinèd flowers;
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barrèd clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Thanks to Donna for the graphic.

Tags: Autumn, John Keats