I am going ahead and making a place for Dusty Pages on Blogspot. Just click on that link to check it out. I'll probably make some changes and some additions, but there it is for now.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Well, Someone Moved My Darn Cheese Again!!
Actually the mood I wanted to choose was "disgruntled".
So, apparently AOL is shutting down journals on November 1st. They have a migration plan to migrate (copy) us over to (probably) Blogger. But we should take precautions and start copying our journals to our own hard drive (or other blog spot) ourselves, just in case.
If this is news to you (as it was to me until I opened my email and saw the furiously fast incoming entry and comment alerts from Magic Smoke), then click on the Magic Smoke link at the top of your journals or check out AOL's People Connection.
I just don't really know what to say. My daughter is very distraught. She just started journaling and is having a lot of fun with it.
I really DON'T like change, but I will deal with it. Vish and Guido have taken the lead in making sure we know how to save our pics and in getting correct information out to us. I keep all my pictures and graphics at Photobucket right now anyway, so I don't have to worry about moving them. I don't know where Eler Beth and I will go right now. If AOL does migrate everyone over to Blogger, then that's probably where we'll stay for a while, at least. But I may just start playing around with Blogspot or some other place right now to decide. I keep all my pictures at Photobucket, so I don't have to worry about moving them. I can tell you this for sure: I will keep in touch with everyone I am usually in touch with in J-Land, and they will know where to find me, and I will know where to find them. We won't have the same type of community we had here, so we're just going to have to re-construct a community as closely resembling J-Land as we can somewhere else.
As we do this, we need to ask for help from others when we have trouble saving or moving something, and if we find that we actually know what we are doing, then we need to share our knowledge and talents with others in J-Land. Magic Smoke is the logical place for all of this, so if you aren't a regular reader of it, I'd suggest you become one.
Please, please, please, if any of you decide to leave AOL completely, then please let your readers (me!) know what your new screenname/email address is.
I'll post a link to my new home as soon as I know what it is. (!!)
Sorry for this bit of jumbled-up thoughts. Can't seem to smooth them down yet.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Quiet Afternoon
Eler Beth went to The Louisville Zoo with her friend Sarah, and Sarah's parents. She came home with some great pictures, a fox figurine, and the thrill of the Lorikeet Landing experience. Then she went to Sarah's house to play, and is still there as I type.
Andrew is off doing his thing, and Thomas worked for a while, so I had a really nice afternoon at home alone. I didn't really do anything, but I finished my book without interruption. And then in the mail I got two more crime novels that I'd ordered from PaperBackSwap (an organization I dearly love). These are Double Jeopardy by William Bernhardt and The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly. I'm pretty sure I've read the Michael Connelly one before, but I'm up for it again. I'm not sure why I've been in the mood for crime fiction, but I have.
I did a few piddly things around the house and made some more homemade meat balls as per Thomas' request. I freecycled a garbage bag full of pears. Seriously! A friend had given us a BUNCH of pears. We ate some and I made a few pints of preserves (most to be given away), and I really didn't want to fool with any more of them. So I put them on freecycle, and half a dozen people emailed me for them within minutes of the offer posting. Let's see. What else did I do today? I took Thomas lunch, and I served as his own personal spell check. When he calls me from work and I see that he's calling from his desk phone and not his cell, 9 times out of 10 I know he's checking with me to see if he's spelling something right. So today every time he called from his desk phone I'd answer, "Hello, spell check here." (Ha Ha, I'm just so funny.)
When Thomas got home we watched The Long Hot Summer, in honor of Paul Newman. I was very saddened to hear he lost his battle with cancer at the age of 83.
Now Thomas is on the phone with his younger brother, and I'm getting ready to go pick up my daughter. I hope that everyone is having a nice weekend. I will try to get by everyone's journal tomorrow. I've been out of the mood for journaling for some reason, but I do want to see how everyone is doing. Oh yes, I heard from Anne after she got home. She left a very nice complimentary comment in the entry I posted about our meeting, so I certainly need to stop by her journal to see if she's made an entry yet. Well, bye for now!
Ten more tunes from my iPod:
1) Into The Great White Open -- Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
2) Running Scared -- Roy Orbison
3) Must You Throw Dirt In My Face -- The Louvin Brothers
4) Paperback Writer -- The Beatles
5) Rock Around The Clock -- Bill Haley and The Comets
6) Cover Of The Rolling Stone -- Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show
7) I'm Yours -- Jason Mraz (contemporary) {I really, really like this song!}
8) It's Still Rock And Roll To Me -- Billy Joel
9) Only In America -- Jay and The Americans
10) Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance) -- Leo Sayer
Today's salute goes out to
Ostfold, Norway, population 265,458
4,335 miles from Jeffersonville ~~
Sa-LUTE!!
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
- up the 'creek'
- between a cliff and another cliff
- in deep 'cow manure'
Yes, those are VERY much "P.J.-answers".
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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!!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
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.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
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!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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 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 |
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!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Quick Update
We have seen signs bent and broken and trees down all over the place. I was surprised at how little damage to houses and vehicles I saw when I was out today. There are still many, many homes in our area without electricity, and in Louisville there are the most homes and businesses without power EVER, three times more than after the '74 tornado. Schools will be closed all week.
Restaurants are full -- the ones that are open, anyway --, all the local stores are out of ice -- the ones that are open, anyway --, and people are lined up to get gas because some stations aren't open, and the ones that are open are running out of gas.
The oldest steeple in nearby New Albany was just taken down to be repaired because of wind damage. Power lines are down everywhere across Metro Louisville, and the Kentucky National Guard has been called in to help.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
When the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw ~~ Hamlet, Act II, Scene II
The winds have died down. I went outside with Eler Beth to take a look at things; limbs everywhere! Two of my neighbors were out. They have no electricity across the street, but ours is still on.
Our neighbor on one side has several large limbs (I keep wanting to spell that "lymb" -- I don't know why!) down, and on the other side, there is one trunk split from a tree that grows close to their garage.
I was standing at my kitchen window when I witnessed a tree splitting across the creek from us. Thomas is going to have to get out his chainsaw, and Eler Beth is going to have plenty of wood for her fire pit. As a matter of fact, she's off down the street negotiating with some neighbors for their downed limbs.
We have had no rain yet. It has been a rather restful day, even with all the wind. I've piddled around, played on the computer, done a little housework, and got dinner going.
Curioser and Curioser
I just heard Western Kentucky has received a lot of wind damage. I should call and check on my Mom.
Just walked outside again. In our drive, next to my car, is a piece of broken glass. It looks like it came from a picture frame -- too thin to be a window, but just to make sure I checked my car windows and mirrors and the windows on the house.
Why would there be a broken pane of thin glass in my drive? Wonder if it came from the same place the tree limb came from. I saw at least two loose shingles on the back of our house. I can't tell about the front ones without climbing up there.
There are lots of limbs in yards and on the street. The ones in our front yard are not to be wondered at -- we have water maples in the front and they shed limbs like a duck sheds water. The drive is full of spike balls from the neighbors' sweet gum tree.
Thomas says stop going outside before I get hit in the head with a flying sycamore limb or some glass from a picture frame.
Aaack!
I just walked outside to see what damage the wind might be doing because the dogs started barking and wouldn't stop.
There is a tree limb in the middle of our back yard. Not huge, but about 8 or 10 inches around at the widest part. It is, I think, a sycamore limb.
We don't have any sycamore trees in or around our yard.
Wonder where it came from.
I Like Potato Pancakes
We stayed home this morning, for which I should feel guilty but don't. Thomas is just plain worn out today. Andrew got up with a bad headache. Eler Beth was hard to wake up, and I found out later from her journal alert that she woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep right away. Usually she wakes me up when this happens. She told me this morning that she just "doesn't feel well." I just feel kind of blah.
I think I have everything secured outside. I fed and watered the dogs and have them in their kennels. I cleaned out the 'possum's and the cats' living quarters, and got some clothes in off the line. And I have managed to do some more laundry and chop some onions and peppers in preparation for dinner, so I have been busy this morning.
As Eler Beth wrote in her journal, she has custody of two more cockatiels. A lady whose kids went to school with both of mine and who lives on the other side of the block recently allowed one of her sons to take these two cockatiels from a relative. Within two weeks the boy decided they were more than he wanted to deal with. There was a young boy down the street who wanted them, but Evelyn didn't think he'd take care of them. She told me that she told her sons "I know who'll take care of them!" and sent someone over to our house. Yes, Ellie Mae has a reputation in our neighborhood!
I have no idea how old they are, although I think the yellow one looks young. They told us the yellow one is a girl, but we think it's a boy. His cheek patches are dark like a boy's, and he doesn't have any bars on his tail. He has lost (or had pulled out) quite a few feathers on his neck, so we're going to have to do something about that. The gray one looks very much like our Lucy, but it is definitely a boy. He isn't tame at all! Eler Beth got them out and clipped their wings last night, and we tried to handle them some. The yellow one is very sweet, but the gray one had to be handled with leather gloves. Our birds accepted them, but we have them in a separate cage, of course. We let them mix a little, just to meet. Lucy is enchanted with the big gray, just like she was with Schroeder.
I'm amazed at the pictures and film of the destruction caused by Ike. I hope that no one in J-Land was affected too badly by it, and I guess I'd better cruise through to check on some journalers.
Well, this is a rather boring post, isn't it?
Oh wait!
I just thought about some exciting news. I'm going to meet a J-Lander this week if all goes well. This will be my first face-to-face meeting. Anne, of Saturday's Child, will be in the area visiting relatives and has asked to meet me and Eler Beth at a local candy shop for coffee and ice cream, so be watching for an update on that and perhaps -- dare I say it? -- pictures!! I'm really looking forward to it. So Anne, if you're reading this, have a safe trip and I look forward to hearing from you when you get in.
Okay, ten more tunes on my iPod (see that always comes in handy when you don't have much to write about):
1) LaGrange -- ZZ Top
2) Hit the Road Jack -- Ray Charles
3) Man of Constant Sorrow -- Norman Blake (Oh Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack)
4) I Want You To Want Me -- Lobo (this is "our song"! Thomas sang it to me before we were married. lol)
5) Another Postcard -- Barenaked Ladies
6) I'm Looking Through You -- The Beatles
7) Celtic Fiddle -- Gaelic Storm
8) Sylvia's Mother -- Dr. Hook
9) All The Lonely People -- The Beatles
10) Who's Crying Now? -- Journey
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Jammin' On My Snapper
Yesterday was actually cool and rainy here. I don't think the temp got over 72°. And today is absolutely gorgeous! It was crisply cool this morning, and the sun has shone brightly all day long. It is currently 77°.
I had planned on mowing my back yard Monday evening, but my riding mower wouldn't start. It was just the battery. Thomas charged it this morning before he left for work, but when I went out to start it later it wouldn't turn over again. So I took the charger outside and hoped that I remembered which post was negative and which was positive. I guess I got it right beause sparks didn't fly and it didn't explode in my face! I was going to just drive it around the yard a bit to let it get a good charge, but it was cool enough and shady enough that I just went ahead and mowed.
I sent Eler Beth inside to get a hair band, my sunglasses, and my iPod. She told me later it was funny watching me bobbing my head and tapping my foot to the music as I was riding my Snapper. Now there are some spots we have to get with the push mower and a lot of trimming still needs to be done. But that's what 19 year-old sons are for! ::grin::
Thomas is working a split shift for a while. Well, actually he's going in during day shift a couple hours before second shift starts and working a complete second shift. They don't have enough QC guys for second shift, so he's helping out. So he's home in the mornings for now. I kind of like that actually. No one has to get up extremely early, unless it's Andrew, and that just depends on his schedule.
My back yard looks like fall. The trees along the creek always start dropping their leaves before the maples in front do. Eler Beth walked the yard and picked up shed branches and sticks for me and put them in her kindling pile. The fire pit is hers. It was built for her and she maintains it. She and her friend Brianna will start a fire in it, roast a few hot dogs or marshmallows, and then just sit there by the fire chatting. It's really pleasant to watch them. So far this summer it's been too hot for me to join them whenever they've had a fire going, but with cooler evenings coming I'll pull my chair up and join in.
Okay, so 10 more selections from my iPod:
1) Takin' Care of Business -- Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO)
2) Calling You -- Blue October (contemporary)
3) Little Egypt -- The Coasters
4) In The Air tonight -- Phil Collins and Genesis
5) For The Longest Time -- Billy Joel
6) Smiling Faces -- The Undisputed Truth
7) Ob La Di, Ob La Da -- The Beatles
8) Radar Love -- Golden Earring
9) Boats and Birds -- Gregory and the Hawk (contemporary)
10) My Sharona -- The Knack
Today's Salute goes out to
~~ population 5,502, and 445 miles from Jeffersonville
Sa-LUTE!
I Knew Him When . . .
I wrote about my nephew Jacob last year when he was a member of the film crew shooting Survivor China. Well, I got an email from my sister Maxine today. She had been talking to our sister Dennice (Jacob's mom) and checked out the web site for the company Jacob works for.
Her email:
Hi, PJ, Lori, and Dee,
Maybe you have already checked out the company Jacob works for, but I took a look at it as I was talking with Dee this morning and Jacob is even listed with pictures and all. I thought it was cool. Dee said he is off to Africa soon as the youngest sound supervisor in the US. 'And we knew him when...' Well, I'll close for now. Love you all and hope that all is well.
Love, Midge.
Cool, huh. Here's the link to the web site of Adrenaline Films if you're interested. He has worked on several TV shows and at least one movie. I wonder what he's going to be working on in Africa. Guess I'll have to give Dee a call.
If you go to the site, at the bottom of the home page you will see the words "Staff/Production Team". Three people are viewable at any one time, and by clicking on the left or right arrows you can see more of the team members. Holding your cursor over the person will show his name. Jacob is the 11th one, I think. If you click on his picture it will show more pics of him.
Jacob is 23 and is my sister Dennice's youngest child. Now that he's getting a name in the business I can see I'm going to have to start writing some childhood stories about him -- just to keep him humble, you know.
What always impressed me about Jacob is that he knew at a very young age that he wanted to be a sound engineer. He started working and saving and investing in sound equipment while he was in high school and hired himself out to film weddings, school plays, community events, etc. He researched to find the media arts school he wanted to attend, chose Full Sail University in Florida, visited them while he was a sophomore or junior in high school, and impressed them so much that they wanted him right then!
So yes, we are rather proud that we knew him when . . . .
Monday, September 8, 2008
Slow News Day
We're back to hot and steamy here in Southern Indiana. That's okay, because I really don't want fall to get here too quickly. I like cool weather, but I dread gloomy days.
We had some surprise company in over the weekend, our friends Tommy and Celestine from Nashville. Tommy's sister is married to one of Thomas' brothers, so although he isn't family, it seems as if he is. He and Thomas grew up together. It was just a flying visit for them, and there were other family and friends in the area for them to visit, so we didn't spend a lot of time together, but it was good to see them.
On Saturday I told Eler Beth to choose where she'd like to have lunch, and she chose Steak N Shake. I like a nice Steakburger now and then, but I absolutely hate eating inside at a Steak N Shake, because it takes forever to get your order.
We were seated quickly, but an inordinate amount of time passed before our server took our drink order -- sweet tea for me and root beer for Eler Beth. We were ready to order by the time our drinks came. We both had cheeseburgers, I had onion rings, Eler Beth had cheddar cheese fries, and she had vegetable beef soup. I told our server that we'd be ordering dessert later. My tea, when it came, was so-so, but Eler Beth's root beer was horrible. It was SO syrupy, just super-super sweet.
The soup came quickly, and it was very good. I forgot to order Eler Beth another drink when the server brought the soup, but I didn't think it would be forever before she came back by our table. It was. Eler Beth had to sip on my tea while she ate her soup. Believe me, I tasted her root beer, and it was undrinkable. I should have grabbed one of the other servers -- you know, there were LOTS of servers in there, and it seemed to me that each one had only a few tables inhis or her section, but we barely saw our server at all -- or gone looking for our server, but I really do try not to be a bothersome guest.
Finally our food came, and I asked the server to go ahead and bring Eler Beth's vanilla shake in a to-go cup because she wanted it now. I told her about the syrupy root beer, but she didn't even take the glass away with her. Our food was very good, and there was plenty of it. Our server was very pleasant, she just wasn't available. We waited, and waited, and waited for her to bring that shake.
While waiting for our food, and while waiting for the shake, we had plenty of time to people watch and to observe other tables. One of the things we observed was that THREE other groups of people who had come in after us were served their food before us. One of them was in our server's section. She did offer an explanation that the wait was because of the onion rings. I guess there had been a run on onion rings? If only I'd known.
One of the other things we observed was that there were a lot of old people there. I observed it, anyway. There were plenty of families and middle-aged people, like me (!!), but there were many, many older people. So, of course, I had to say to Eler Beth, "There are a lot of octogenarians here today!"
"A lot of WHAT?"
"Octogenarians. It means someone in his 80s, but I'm using it as a general term here to mean very old people."
And we looked around at the tables to our right. Three tables of couples, and three tables of ladies, all of them in their seventies or eighties. Then on the other side of the room were two other tables of older people.
The two ladies closest to us were sisters, and I heard one of them say it was her birthday -- she was 89. One of the gentlemen got up and walked over to visit with one of the other gentlemen, and he stood there and carried on a conversation until his wife called him back to their table because his ice cream was melting. My favorite was the couple who shared a strawberry milk shake, taking turns dipping their long spoons in for a bite.
My girl's milk shake finally came, just as we were finishing our food. Then a few minutes later our server came to ask if we needed anything else and left our check. That was the first time she'd come by just to see how we were getting along, although I'd noticed the other servers taking very good care of their customers. I didn't bother ordering any dessert for myself. I did want to get home before dinner time.
Did I leave a tip? Yes. Was it a good one? Well, it was better probably than I should have left, but not as good as I would have left. I respect wait staff, and perhaps she was feeling bad or having a very bad day. But it just reinforced my belief that Steak N Shake is not a place I care to dine in very often. Their drive-thru has always been fast, though.
Thomas has always maintained that poor service from regular employees means poor management. And sure enough, when we paid our bill at the counter, the gentleman cashier wasn't pleasant at all. He never smiled, never said thank you, never spoke to ME at all. He took my bill, turned to say something to another employee in a very surly voice, finally rang me up, answered a question from another employee, got out my change and then handed it over the counter to me without even glancing at me. I took note of his name and of the word "MANAGER" on his tag.
Yes, it's a slow news day here at Dusty Pages, when all I can write about is a trip to Steak N Shake!
Maybe I'll come up with something better later today. Hope everyone had a good weekend and has a wonderful week to come.
10 more songs you will find on my iPod:
1) Wild Wood Flower -- The Carter Family (Mother Maybelle and The Carter Family)
2) Gravity -- Sarah Bareilles (contemporary)
3) Things We Said Today -- The Beatles
4) I've Just Seen A Face -- The Beatles
5) Poor Jenny -- The Everly Brothers
6) When The Lights Go Down on Broadway -- Journey (80s)
7) Hair (From the musical, 70s)
8) What Condition My Condition Was In -- Kenny Rogers and The First Edition (70s or 80s?)
9) The Old Lamplighter -- The Browns (60s or 70s?)
10) Know Me, Knowing You -- ABBA (70s)
See anything you like there?
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Princess With The Tackle Belt, Who Means The World To Me
I'm getting ready to go to bed, but I was lying here with my day replaying in my head and decided I needed to get some things down here.
As I mentioned before, I spent some time helping Eler Beth go through some things from her room and closet, sorting and culling. First of all I want to paint a picture of my complex little lady. At one point I looked up from what I was doing and burst out laughing. There stood Eler Beth, in purple shirt and white shorts, with her hair pulled back in a pony tail, wearing a "dress up" jeweled tiara on her head, fastening a big, black tackle "belt" around her waist (for use when fishing, you know). She wouldn't let me run to get the camera!!
"Are you keeping that tiara?" I asked.
"Of course!" She answered. "You know, Mom, just because I'm older doesn't mean I don't want to keep things like this. Maybe I'll host a tea party for some of the little girls I know, and they can dress up. Or maybe someday when I babysit I'll have this for the little girl to play with."
Makes sense to me.
That was her same argument for keeping all the coloring books and little-kid story books. Someday when she babysits, they'll come in handy. She's got me there.
We need a bigger house, or at least she needs a bigger room! How in the world are we going to reconcile all her little girl things with a fox-themed room? Oh well. We'll do it somehow. The real problem is where will we put everything she's determined to keep?
And that's what I really wanted to write about. A couple months ago I mentioned the topic of childhood hoarding. Well, I have her permission to write about this, but I'll try to be brief about it and not go into too much detail. My readers probably know that I have OCD and anxiety attacks, and you probably know that Eler Beth has had problems with dealing with grief and she has anxiety attacks. Well, she has exhibited some OCD signs most of her life, but they have always been manageable.
Well, back in June she had a little meltdown. We don't know what brought it on, but we had taken a little weekend mini-vacation, and when time came for us to leave our hotel, she didn't want to leave and she didn't want to leave anything behind because she was afraid she'd forget what everything looked like, and she got panicky just thinking about how she'd feel. It was much more involved than that, but that's the best I can do explaining it right now. She didn't want to leave ANYTHING behind, including anything that had been thrown away.
When we got home it got worse, and just let me tell you that there are ALL KINDS of hoarding problems, not just keeping "things". For example, at first she had to keep something from each meal. Then it was a piece of each thing on her plate. Then it was a piece of each BITE she took. She couldn't concentrate on anything. While telling me that she'd be all right and that she'd make herself stop (she didn't want to go to the doctor) her eyes were focusing on a piece of lint on my shirt, and she was picking it off and putting it "away" in a zipper compartment of her purse. And she finally admitted to me that a lot of what she was going through had been going on for months, but she'd been able to control it to a certain extent and hide it from me.
Her doctor, when I called her, got involved immediately and sent her to someone who could help. She is on medication now, and her OCD is much better, and her hoarding is MUCH, MUCH better. She had a few sessions with a therapist, and now that has ended because she doesn't need that anymore. For about a week we didn't have our laughing, happy girl here; we had a miserable, panic-stricken young lady who was terrified because she couldn't control her impulses. But within 10 days she was back, and now we have an occasional bad day, but for the most part the OCD is manageable and she is coping with the "hoarding" tendencies.
Re-doing her room is her idea. And in order to do that she has to get rid of some things. That has always been a bit of a problem, and one I can really relate to, but in the past it wasn't a traumatic event. Now it is. So we've been taking it slowly, and I've been trying to be especially considerate of her feelings about certain belongings. We're making compromises, both of us. The "treasures" in her "treasure drawer" are being moved out and into a pretty, decorative hatbox. Old school papers are being culled for only the best ones and they'll go in a pretty scrapbook. And so on.
Yes, I've had some uptight days and nights around here, but I just wasn't ready to write about it. But we do talk about it. Eler Beth is very open about it and will talk about it to anyone who seems interested. She noticed some repetitive actions in one of her cousins and told that cousin's parents that they needed to check it out because she thought her cousin might have OCD and need some help. I've never been secretive about taking medication for anxiety and I've talked about my OCD, so it isn't taboo to her, and I'm glad about that.
Well, that's all I'm going to say about this. I really do NEED TO GET TO BED!!! Now I think I can.
On a lighter note, here are 10 more of my iPod tunes:
1) Suddenly I See -- K. T. Tunstall (contemporary)
2) Kathy's Song -- Simon and Garfunkel
3) Superman (It's Not Easy) -- Five For Fighting (contemporary)
4) The Scientist -- Coldplay (contemporary)
5) Ticket to Ride -- The Beatles
6) Take A Chance On Me -- ABBA
7) All I Have To Do Is Dream -- The Everly Brothers
8) Can't Buy Me Love -- The Beatles
9) Don't Dream It's Over -- Crowded House (80s -- I think!)
10) Life in a Northern Town -- Dream Academy (also 80s)
My Grandmother as a Young Girl
Thought I would share a photo my mother gave me recently. The girl standing in the middle in the back is my grandmother, Iva Myrtle, known to her friends and family as Myrtle or Myrt. She was my Mom's mother, and I never got to meet her, but I know I take after her in many ways -- loving to read, loving to write, keeping letters and newspaper clippings, bubble gum wrappers from dates, making up stories for the kids, and a host of other things.
Seated in the center are Samuel Lewis Hook and his wife Eler Elijah Blisset Hook, for whom my Mother was named. In the back left is Timmy Lee Hook (known to us as Uncle Tim), my Mamaw (Myrtle Roberts to be), and Lena Luney Florence (known to us as Aunt Florence -- Aunt Florence married a Dowell, but as far as we know it was a different line of Dowells, no relation to my Dad). The little boy in the center is Shelton Coleman (known as Uncle Shel), and the smallest boy, on the left in front, is Raymond Estil (Uncle Estil).
I can remember Uncle Tim and I remember going to visit him and his wife, Aunt Effie in Hardinsburg. The house they lived in was (and still is) next to the library, and I remember their porch was covered in red tile. I never knew the others, but I remember Uncle Estil's wife, my Aunt Annie Mae. It was her house that was destroyed in the April 3, 1974 tornado that I wrote about in April.
I think my grandmother was around 12 or 13 here, although she could have been as old as 14. Mom says in a lot of her pictures she looked older than she was. She was a pretty little thing, wasn't she? In most pictures of my Great-Grandfather Hook he has white hair and a mass of white whiskers, but in this photo he is quite the handsome devil, isn't he? My mother was named after this grandmother, Eler, and her other grandmother, Frances Roberts. My Eler Beth is named after both of her grandmothers too. I hope it's a tradition that will continue.
"Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally"
That phrase has been going through my head since yesterday. During math Eler Beth needed to be reminded of the "order of operations", and this is a mnemonic phrase we learned to help us remember. (parentheses {or brackets}, exponent, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction). But it's a strange little ditty to have playing in your mind all day long.
It finally rained here -- a little bit Wednesday, a bit more on Thursday, and all day today, albeit mostly drizzling. It has been a good day to goof off, and that's what I've been doing. I've caught up pretty well with journals today. I read some. I ran some errands. I helped Eler Beth cull some more unnecessary articles from her room this afternoon. I like cleaning on a rainy day. Right now I'm having a cup of coffee and an oatmeal raison cookie.
While I was cleaning today I was listening to my iPod. Sometimes I like to listen to specific artists or genres of music, but sometimes I put it on shuffle and listen to whatever comes up, which can make for a strange line up. That's what I did today, and it occurred to me once again what a mixed-up collection of songs I have on it. So I thought I would share 10 with you today. (I'll share another ten another time). These are the last 10 songs I listened to today:
1) A Long December -- Counting Crows (contemporary)
2) Take it on the Run -- REO Speedwagon
3) The Best of Times -- Styxx
4) Hands -- The Raconteurs (I LOVE this song!! Thank you, Moongirl9, for introducing me to it!)
5) I'm Happy Just to Dance With You -- The Beatles
6) What A Lucky Man He Was -- Emerson, Lake & Palmer (70s)
7) Everlasting Friend -- Blue October (contemporary)
8) Eight Days A Week -- The Beatles
9) Hate Me -- Blue October (contemporary)
10) Sky High -- Jigsaw (70s)
Do any of those ring a bell?
Today's Salute goes to:
Seattle, Washington -- population 594,210 ~~
1,135 miles from Jeffersonville.
Sa-LUTE!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
A Wrap-up of My Weekend
I think I have all my Monday chores done now, the ones that didn't get done yesterday. It was nice having Thomas off work over the weekend, and the weather was simply beautiful, although a bit humid yesterday.
Saturday morning Thomas and I got out early and checked out some yard sales. I found a white chenille spread for $3.00. It is large, and I couldn't find a single thing wrong with it. I can remember my mother having a white chenille bedspread for many years, and this one is very much like it. It has a perfumy smell that I don't like, though, so I need to have it cleaned.
I remember a lady I worked with once talking about how she could remember saving her money for a chenille bedspread from Sears when she was a young married woman. It was probably only about $30 or so, but that was a lot for her and her husband back then. Her point was that if you wanted something nice back then you scrimped and saved for it. Nowadays if you don't have the cash for it you buy it with a credit card or your store card, at least most people do. And I can remember my mother saving for "nice" things like that. She had a little jar she kept in her bedroom where she would put a bit of change now and then, change that would have been left over from the household money, since she didn't work outside the home. Do people still save like that for a special purchase? I have a sad feeling that nowadays if you manage to save a bit of change and let it build up, you probably end up having to cash it in to pay for gas for the car!
I can also remember S & H Green Stamps. I used to LOVE looking through the Green Stamp catalog. Mom would save up her stamps for something she wanted for the house that she probably wouldn't have even thought of purchasing otherwise, and she'd usually have some left over for us kids to get something, too.
Well, anyway, I'm pleased with my chenille bedspread purchase on Saturday. I don't know what the pattern is called, but it's a pretty one.
Saturday afternoon we went to Oxmoor Mall in Louisville. I really do like that mall -- it's much larger than ours and very attractively laid out. I did a bit of people watching, which was fun, and spent more time and money than I should have in Archivers.
Sunday night Eler Beth made a fire in the firepit and roasted some hot dogs. She loves to do that.
Yesterday I actually went to the pond with Thomas and Eler Beth while they were fishing. I didn't stay as long as they did because the heat and sun started bothering me, but it was nice for a while. They caught catfish and bluegill and another eating-sized snapping turtle, about the size of the first one she caught. Eler Beth has been planning on putting pictures in her journal of them letting Bowser go, but she hasn't done it yet, so maybe I'll sneak some in here.
I hope everyone had a really good weekend, and that no one had any problems from Gustav. Have a great week!
Today's Salute goes to:
Plover, Wisconsin, 466 miles from Jeffersonville ~~
Sa-LUTE!
Old Lady Helms
I'm slowly trying to get back to the regular routine this morning, but it isn't easy.
We haven't had any real rain here in a couple of weeks now, and my poor flowers and plants are showing it. I haven't been good about watering them every day like I should. My neighbor across the street, Sharon, the older retired lady, gets out and waters hers just about every morning. And I have to confess something bad here -- sometimes I don't water my flowers early in the day because I'm trying to avoid her. Isn't that terrible?
She's a sweet lady, and I've written about her before. We have helped her out with things at her house, plumbing emergencies and such, picking up her medicine or groceries for her, things like that. And I enjoy our conversations sometimes, standing by the curb getting our mail, calling to one another across the street, or sitting in one yard or the other, while Eler Beth rides her bike with her friends. Eler Beth even makes a point to stop by and visit with her when she's out in her yard, or if she hasn't felt well Eler Beth will be the first to notice that she hasn't been seen outside for a few days, and we'll check on her.
But, lord, the woman can talk! One day last week, at 6 a.m. I was watering in my front yard, and she came over and stood talking for over an hour. Thomas says I'm just too nice and I need to break in and tell her I have to be getting back to my work, but I know the lady is lonely, and I just don't have the heart to do that.
This morning, since it's a bit overcast and I'm letting Eler Beth sleep in I went out around 8:30 to water everything. I had on my Ipod and was happily singing along to The Beatles (not loudly, though) when all of a sudden I realized Sharon was practically at my elbow. She doesn't hear well, and I think she'd been talking to me all the way up my drive because she was in the middle of a sentence when I realized she was there. I think she was oblivious to the ear buds and the cord attached to the device at my waist the whole time we were talking.
Ranulf had been "helping" me water. He's a big help that way. He runs in and out of the shower, chases the spray, battles with the hose, runs up a tree and then jumps down onto the water spray from above -- taking it by surprise, don't you know. She'd been watching him, so we had to discuss his play for a while. She only stood talking about 15 minutes or so this time. She must not be feeling well. I guess Eler Beth and I will drop over later this afternoon to visit for a few minutes so I can see if she's doing okay. She's been having trouble with her blood sugar lately.
So although I am conscious of feeling a bit irked when she came over and interrupted my down-time, I know realistically that I'm not really such a curmudgeon that I can't begrudge a few minutes to a neighbor.
I believe there are two very key elements to being a happy person and having a happy family that are often not regarded as such, and they are: 1) being self-aware as regards your own tendencies and needs, and 2) knowing your spouse's/partner's/children's tendencies and needs. Well I know very well that I have hermit tendencies, and I sometimes have to MAKE myself get out socially. Thomas knows this too, but he also knows that I actually do NEED alone time in order for my brain to "process" things correctly, and he sees that I get it when it's needed. Andrew is very much like me in that way, although at his age right now those tendencies take a backseat to the need to be out and about with his friends. Eler Beth is more like Thomas in that she needs to be "doing" all the time, and likes to entertain and be entertained. I'm very happy and comfortable in my own brain and would live there most of the time if I were allowed to, which wouldn't be a good thing.
I know (or believe I know) some of what makes me tick in this area: I was very, very painfully bashful as a young child; I can remember being surprised when someone outside my family gave me a compliment, because I just didn't see myself as anything special at all; Large families are good for a lot of things, but not for satisfying the need for some alone-time -- having the house to oneself for a day was pure heaven! --; I still express surprise when I meet someone new and they seem to actually want to spend time with me (and Thomas still asks "Why does that surprise you so much?" And I really don't know.); I have hosted social events and know how to lead in a social setting, but I still get all tied up in knots thinking about having to engage in small-talk with a stranger or acquaintance; I've given speeches and directed business meetings and been told afterward that I have a nice, conversational way about me, but the whole time I was sweating and feeling panicky on the inside; as a Senior in high school I argued for a certain topic being written about in the newspaper of which I was the editor, and was wholly surprised when the newspaper advisor told me that I'd been responsible for changing the principal's mind about it because of my "cool, calculated, and well-reasoned argument" (all I could remember was being very nervous and making a very conscious effort at speaking carefully and clearly to him).
I've felt like I am outside myself watching on as a third party when I'm in certain situations. I watch myself and censor myself or push myself along, and then if the reaction is good I look at myself with surprise and wonder! Some people grew up with adults and others around them telling them they weren't worthy or good enough, and I didn't really have that experience. Yet I grew up being surprised if someone told me I was good enough. Psychology is a crazy thing, isn't it? How can one ever really know what makes one tick? We guess, and we find some clues in our past, and still there are unexplained feelings, reactions, and tendencies. My mother says I was very sensitive as a child, that I got my feelings hurt easily, and that I was very perceptive about other people. So maybe there were some sensitive issues that I don't even remember that had some effect on me and how I saw myself? Perhaps heredity plays a big role? I've heard both my parents say things that leads me to believe that each of them was a bit like me in this regard.
Oh well. I have no idea where all of this came from. I started out just meaning to write aboutwatering my flowers! I do plan on fighting my anchoritic tendencies except when it's the proper time to indulge them. I don't think Thomas or the kids will let me completely turn into an "Old Lady Helms". This has been a strange, rambling entry, but I thank you for coming along.
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