Taking A Dinner Break Now

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

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

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

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

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

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

     Zoetermeer, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands, 

                    population 119,293,

                               4,350 miles from Jeffersonville ~~ 

                                            Sa-LUTE!

Tags: Zoetermeer Zuid-Holland The Netherlands

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.

Tags: Wind Storm '08

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.

  So here I sit.  We are getting the remnants of Ike in our area, with high winds between 40 and 60 mph.  We haven't had any rain yet, but I expect it at any time.  Our lights have flickered a few times.

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

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

            Leland, Mississippi

                      ~~ population 5,502, and 445 miles from Jeffersonville

                                         Sa-LUTE!

Tags: Snapper riding mowers are the best, Leland Mississippi