All About Beautiful Snow - An Email to My Family.

December 31, 2012. 

 

Hello, folks, and Happy New Year! This broadcast is coming to you from central New York state in a suburb just north of Syracuse. The subject is Snowstorm Freyr which arrived earlier this week.

It is still snowing, sometimes large fluffy flakes which I like, sometimes fine snowflakes -- of which there seems to be no end, and sometimes the snowflakes are coming down at an angle, sometimes just gently falling straight down. There are no sparkly-like-diamonds snowflakes today, because the overcast sky is hiding the sun.

The snow keeps building up on the backyard patio and deck, and the posts of the deck railing are looking so handsome with their white caps.

No one is disturbing the snow on the railing, or the deck, or the barbecue grill, and the two or three steps from the kitchen sliding door down to the deck are so odd-looking with their big humps of snow looking like curvy mountains.

Even the weather-beaten bird houses have snowy tops. I am so glad that the wind isn't blowing the snow off the bird houses, nor the railings, nor the huge deciduous and coniferous trees. The deciduous trees have enormous bare limbs, branches, and twigs, making them so interesting to study. I keep walking to the sliding doors to see the huge back yard with all of its snowy delights.

The coniferous trees are so very tall, and big, and the snow is making them so lovely to see. There are several of these trees in the neighboring back yards. The designs made by clumps of snow on those needle-y branches and twigs sometimes look like miniature mountain ranges with interesting foot hills.

I am deliriously happy to be visiting here. Now do you understand why I love snowy winters?

I'll see you at the Corner Post...

Visiting for Three Weeks in North Syracuse.

After living most of my life with snowy winters, I spent a few years in sunny climes. I began to miss the beauty of autumn leaves losing their green and turning into magnificent colors, and the first snowfall coming thereafter.

As each year went by, I missed seeing snow on the ground, drifts of snow after the wind displaced the fallen snow, and the swirling snowflakes of a blizzard.

This year I was lucky to spend three weeks with one of my daughters in North Syracuse. The weather hadn't been wintry for them in the north, and they were a little disappointed about the possibility of not having a White Christmas.

The year I went to Pasadena I had somehow caused it to hail, which was a very unusual happening. Then the time I went to Memphis, I brought some snow, which was very surprising to the residents. They even made a snowman with the snow that happened to come with me. So it wasn't surprising when I brought some lovely snowstorms to North Syracuse.

There was most certainly a White Christmas, with plenty of snow that made central New York state as white as could be. What a thrill that was for me! At last I could see the first snowfall, and I would ooh and aah as I hurried to the window to admire it.

The trees soon were laden with so much snow that the branches would bend a little. Every limb and every twig had a dressing of white. Roof tops began to be covered with a foot of snow, as well as front lawns and back yards were buried under a foot of snow. Fences were topped with that white stuff that I like so much.

Even birdhouses had their little roofs topped with snow, making a whimsical picture. I clicked my camera at so many beautiful sights.

The way the snow fell was quite interesting, too. Sometimes it would float down softly and slowly, sometimes fast and furiously, depending on the wind. At times the snowfall would be vertical, sometimes almost horizontal, depending of course on the speed of the wind.

I shall tell you some more of my love for snow, another day. When you go out tomorrow, don't forget your boots. The snow is rather deep...

I'll see you at the Corner Post...

WALK ??? ... WALK !!!!!!!!!

December 13, 2012.

I have noticed some hinderments ... I mean to say, behinderments that are unfavorable. It seems, not to my pleasant knowledge, but to my unknowing and disappointing realizations, that sometimes irreversible habits that increase any former measurements are appearing backstage again. 

Any palatable pleasurableness like baking your own luscious cookies and taste-testing, is being forced into a hiatus. But one of the aids in returning to former measurements is an activity named 'walk'. Therefore, I coaxed myself into trying this 'walk' activity, and today was the best for a beginning (again). The sky is absolutely devoid of any sort of cloud, mist, or vapor, and it was absolutely astounding to see such a gorgeous, clear, sunny, calm and AZURE hue. 

The temperature was perfect, with my gloves, and head scarf (babushka), and sweat jacket, to my pleasure and joy. It was necessary, though, to stop now and then to take a deep breath and stand still for several seconds. While doing that, I admired some Christmas decorations at various homes, and two mailboxes that had at their feet and posts such gorgeous flowers. 

Once in a while I just stopped, and admired that most beautiful sky. Not even a jet stream, or vapor, or even an airplane did I see or hear. True countryside pleasure on a little neighborhood street. Is this causing you 'green-eyed' distress? Forgive me... 

Going back to work on my big project now.

I'll see you at the Corner Post ... 

I'm Up Again, Full Moon, Beaver Moon, Full Frost Moon.

November 28. 29, 2012.

Good Morning, one and all. Did the Full Moon keep you awake, also, as it did me?

Being very tired, I went to bed just before 9 o'clock last night. Slept like a charm. Got up at 1:15 a.m. to relieve myself, and couldn't fall back to sleep. Too many thoughts coming into my mind, because of the lovely Full Moon. The November Full Moon is called the Beaver Moon because it was the time to set traps, before the waters froze over. This Moon was also called the Full Frost Moon. 

Knowing I could not see the moon from any windows in my house, I tried to ignore it. The moonshine came through the little slits in the closed blinds in my room, and it kept drawing my attention as I was trying to get back to sleep. I would close my eyes, thinking I'd fall asleep, and then would look to see if the moon was still trying to cajole me to take a peek. 

So I got out of bed, put my warm socks on, my sweat jacket over my pajamas, and came into the living room. There was so much light, that I could walk around without putting the lights on. The computer lights under the computer table lit up the kitchen and the Full Moon shining through the closed blinds in the kitchen and the living room were tempting me so much that I opened the front door to see just where that Full Moon was. 

I stepped to the edge of the itty bitty front concrete (patio)(porch) which is about three inches from the ground, and looked up into the sky, and there it was! Directly above me, it was, at the zenith, looking so majestic with its accompanying 'star' near its side. Clear sky, brisk air, so gorgeous a Full Moon that I could have stood there for fifteen minutes taking in all its beauty and love. 

But it was not the thing to do, as old as I am, and sometimes unsteady on my feet (what would happen if I had tripped and fell down in that cold frosty air with no one around to help me up? ("Help, I can't get up!" ), so I came back into the house. Oh, I did take a couple of shots with my camera to document the brightness and the frost on the front lawn at 1:45 a.m., the beautiful tree across the street, and then the Full Moon at its zenith before I thought that I had better get back into the house. 

Now I sit here, telling you my story, and trying to decide if I should attempt to go back to bed yet, or stay up another while and make those cabbage rolls that I am thinking about. Some of the ingredients are in the fridge waiting for me to begin cooking. I think you already know that sometimes when I cannot sleep in the wee hours of the morning, I make cookies, or a nice soup, or do up the dishes that I let go because I was too tired to wash them last evening. 

I've been known to wake up at this time and get out of bed instead of tossing and turning trying to get back to sleep. Did you know that in very ancient times, humans did have a wake-up period after midnight, and then after one activity or another, would get back to bed until the crack of dawn. I guess we do need eight hours of sleep per day, but not really all in one lump. 

Love and hugs in the Moonlight, I say again, "Nighty-Night..."

Mom - Grannamae - Anna Mae. 

I'll see you at the Corner Post... 

Dancing In the Kitchen with Only Doggies as An Audience.

November 24, 2012.


As I went doggie-sitting for a few days, my computer went with me so I could keep in touch with my family. I also like to listen sometimes to music on the computer. Two of the doggies are Labs, and the other is a shepherd of sorts. They live much of the time inside the house, especially if it's too cold outdoors, or rainy, or too hot in summer. They love the owners and the owners love those doggies. I love them too, and now and then I doggie-sit so they know me quite well. We usually stay in the kitchen along with the computer, and I prepare my meals and snacks, and my presence in the same room keeps the doggies content.

I enjoyed one of my favorite programs this morning from southern California, on my computer. The doggies were in the house, because it was so cold outdoors during most of the morning. Lucky the shepherd and the Lab Princess were sleeping as usual under the desk in the kitchen, and Lily Lab was lying on the little carpet in front of the stove, all tightly curled up as snug as a bug in a rug. I sat at the table in front of my computer, listening to the melodies that the DJ was playing on the program, while I was reading and answering emails.

Suddenly one of my very favorite tunes was announced, and I got up and began to dance to it -- "CAB DRIVER" -- in the kitchen. I wasn't wildly doing the dancing, just trying to keep my balance and keeping in step with the music. I just LOVE that song, and always have. After about fifteen seconds, Lily lifted her head and looked at me. I looked back at her while I was dancing, and another few seconds passed. She lowered her ears, and they were closer to her face than usual, and she had a strange look in her eyes. I kept smiling at her, she kept looking at me, I kept dancing the steps, and sort of using my hands also, waving them once in a while. She kept looking, her ears were kept lowered and snug to her face, and her eyes were sort of getting a small look of something like embarrassment or some different look. Her paw was sort of lifted a couple of inches, and she lowered it, and it seemed that somehow she wanted to get up and join in the dance, but she didn't get up, just moved her paw again, and she kept looking at me with that same look in her eyes. She didn't move her ears at all during my dancing, they were in that same lowered position. Finally the tune ended, and I stopped dancing and sat down.

I wish I could have known what she was thinking all the while I was dancing. Her eyes never left me as I danced, and I kept looking at her eyes, returning her gaze. She could have been thinking,  "What in the world is this woman doing?" or "Gosh, I wish I could dance like that!" or "This woman is ku-ku and I think we'd better call the vet!"

          I'll see you at the Corner Post...

Nostalgia -- I'm Missing the Snow!

November 21, 2012.

When you've lived most of your life in Pennsylvania, and move at the age of seventy-nine years of age to the state of Mississippi, you certainly do miss the snow! I miss it terribly.

I always loved the first snowfall of the year, even if it is a short time of flakes descending upon us. Sometimes it is a long storm, and the snow piles up about two feet! THAT is excitement, and a lot of work to get shoveled out. One of the most beautiful things to see is a snowfall of shiny flakes when the sun is out. Those flakes look like thousands, millions, of diamonds gently floating down to where we live.

The Birds and Blooms magazine has lovely photos of birds sitting on branches laden with snow, and you are so amazed at the beauty of snow. This is one reason that I am thinking of snow.

This one shows snow falling, and it looks like a female cardinal sitting on the branch of red berries, which are hawthorne berries. Poisonous, but so beautiful. Perhaps the berries are poisonous to some creatures and humans.  They look much like bittersweet berries. 

The bittersweet bushes grew in the woods near Grandma and Pop's farm in Pennsylvania, and they were always so pretty to see. I still miss that farm and the lands around it, because we went there quite often to visit the grandparents when we were growing up. I think they bought the place in 1939, when I was six or seven years old. I don't know what time of year they bought it.  

The hawthorne bushes I saw near Dallas, Pa., when I went for a ride about twenty years ago  to see the woodsy snow just after a snowstorm. Oh, my, how very beautiful that was, the trees and bushes were so close to the secondary road, and it was simply breathtaking! The beauty was so close to one's eyes, you had to be careful not to swerve into the snowy ditch!

On this approaching Thanksgiving Day, let us give thanks for all the wonderful times we have had this year, and for the beauty of nature around us. 

See you at the Corner Post...

 

What An Afternoon!/ Finally, Another Blog

October 15, 2012. 

This morning, my very helpful daughter-in-law brought me home from my appointment with the eye doctor, and then left to go home. I wrote a short email to inform my family about the results, but didn't want to write anything more. My eyes were still quite dilated and uncomfortable. 

I took a nice Power Nap on the love seat, very comfortable for a short nap, and I slept for twenty-three minutes! I must have been very tired. 

Then I got up, and thought again about those three turnips with greens attached. I would soak the turnip leaves because they were rather limp. I wanted to see if they would perk up in the cool water, and desired to cook them today. Voila, amazingly, they did perk up. I used the stems, also, cutting them in 1/2 inch lengths, and cooked the stems separately, to see if they would taste all right. Of course, they did taste good, because I had added some chopped onion, and a tad of brown sugar to them. 

I then cut up all the leaves and the more tender parts of the stems, and sauteed them in some olive oil with chopped onion and minced garlic. I looked up a few recipes for turnip greens, to get some ideas. There were enough leaves to use the larger frying pan. Then I wanted to cook a turnip and a potato with the cooking leaves, so I did that -- peeled the turnip and left the red potato unpeeled, cut them both into inch-or-so sticks, and cooked them with the leaves. Now, here is where this adventure takes a turn. 

I was wondering if I could use some turmeric with them, looked it up on the internet, and yes, turmeric would be fine, PLUS, if one wanted it, curry would be invited, also. So of course, I put them both in the mix. Thinking that cayenne pepper might be welcome, I added a couple of dashes of that, too. I didn't want it to be dry, nor swimming in liquid, so I added a bit of water from time to time as the liquid cooked away. After a time, it was ready to taste. Delicious...  

This kind of dish is similar to Indian poriyal, but not authentic, as I altered it somewhat. To me, it is quite tasty. 

The green peppers in the fridge caught my eye. I've been wanting to make some stuffed peppers, and today would be the day, as long as I am in the kitchen, I thought. 

The rice boiled, the ground meat thawed out, the onion was chopped, and an egg was added to my recipe. It is time-consuming, but I didn't mind, as I was on a roll, as they say. The peppers were then stuffed, and baked in the oven for two hours. 

The afternoon was full of activity in the kitchen, and was quite satisfying to me. Now this evening will be movie evening in my little abode. A happy day...

September and October have been so busy that I've had to forego some of my favorite projects / pastimes. I felt so neglectful of my blog. If you have been looking forward to reading them, I apologize. If not, 'nem-mine...'

I'll see you at the Corner Post...

Labor Day a Year Ago; Hummingbirds!

           September 5, 2012.

         

Our drive to our destination was a long one, ninety minutes each way, for the 2011 Labor Day get-together of some people from the Orthodox church that my son and his wife attend. The ride was very pleasant, though, as I like seeing all the scenery. There was much greenery to see, lots of kudzu climbing on all the bushes and fences and trees. The odd shapes produced by the kudzu sometimes look like monsters or strange buildings. 

As we were coming closer to the home where the gathering would be, we turned onto a macadam road, and it was much more rural-looking. Then we turned onto a narrow dirt road ~~  INTO THE WOODS. I did like that part of the ride very much. The woods were so beautiful, with trees not right next to each other, but perhaps several feet apart. I so much enjoy looking into woods like that. It makes me think of my childhood and of my youth. I grew up on a little farm with quite a few wooded areas around us. 

Many of the congregation were invited, along with their children. The home is out in 'the boonies', and I just love the boonies and always have. Right around the house the trees had been cut, but twenty-five or thirty feet away, were 'the woods'. A lovely large pond is RIGHT in the back of the home. A large deck and stairs were built onto the back of the house. It is owned by a deacon and his wife. I've known them for some time while attending church with my son and his family. 

There were about forty guests, some of which I recognized. There were a few tables with snack-y things to eat, like pork medallions, pulled pork, some cole slaw, a couple of other little dishes with some kind of mixed sauce in them; some tuna salad, I think some kind of chicken, beans in a red sauce, and lots of cheeses; cookies, a tray of some fresh vegetables with a dip, some rolls of some sort. There was so much to eat, and it was all so delicious. My daughter-in-law  brought her home-made snack of some cream cheese layered with a green pesto, and you could cut off a little of that to put on your crackers or corn chips. I think it was about two or three layers with some diced tomato, really tasty. There were plenty of crackers and corn tortilla chips for the sauces and dips.

Then ICE CREAM in a gallon container, in the large ice chest. Beverages to drink, too, some delicious-looking cookies which I didn't dare to look at or think about, because I am allergic to gluten. They were tempting, though.          

Some of the kids were taken on a hay ride with the deacon's little tractor, and my son and his wife took a walk on The Trail around the large pond. There is a swing put up in a tree, and the children loved it so much. 

One of the best features of all were three hummingbird feeders outside the back door of the entrance to the home. That's located at the end of the long driveway, and the long dirt road into the woods, from the macadam road. It looks like the back door, but could be the front door. It's at ground level. The door on the other side of the house is one story up from the ground, facing the pond, with the very large deck and stairs leading down to the ground. 

Guess what! there were at least 20 (that's TWENTY or more) tiny hummingbirds, a few of them with the ruby throat. Ruby-throated hummingbirds! I watched them for at least fifteen to twenty minutes right after we arrived. I took some pictures of them, and hope that at least several are good photos.

The hummingbirds would come to the feeder, a few at first, then they'd all be there, five or six at each feeder, with some flying around between the feeders, and suddenly, all of them would fly away up into the tall trees at the driveway. Then after several minutes, they would all come back to the feeders, first a few at a time, then all of a sudden they would ALL be there, feeding, flitting back and forth between the feeders or around, and then it seems that at a signal of some kind, they would all go back to the trees. This they did repeatedly, all the while we were there.

It seems that the owners have lived there only two years, and they really love the place. They have said to so many people that they are welcomed to come to stay with them for a night over the weekend, and some folks have done that. The church congregation are quite close, almost like a family, very good and caring  people.

High up on one wall inside the house is a crazy quilt made by the woman's great-grandmother (I hope I got that right), in 1890. It is truly such a beautiful quilt. I took a photo shot of it. I wish that I could have been on a step ladder with a platform so I could really study that quilt, as I am so fond of crazy quilts.  

The grounds of their property are so beautiful ~  the pond, the woods around it, some small fields in the distance, what a boon for painters of landscapes. There were some pieces of art work hanging on the walls; a woman had come to their house to paint some pictures of the outdoors. 

What a lovely time I had there today! I am so grateful to be among the invited guests. 

         
          I'll see you at the Corner Post...

Now Is The Time ... for zucchini recipes!

August 30, 2012.

In going through some extraneous miscellaneous materials a half-hour ago, I found, from a County Cooperative Extension Service, four pages of zucchini recipes, thirty-four recipes! 

Being one of the many zucchini-loving people, I almost jumped off my chair ~~  zucchini pancakes, zucchini cake, zucchini casserole, zucchini relish, zucchini bread, stuffed zucchini, baked zucchini, sauteed zucchini, and then come a few ethnic dishes made of zucchini. All I can say is, "Yummy!"

More about zucchini ~ another little instance of synchronicity, coincidence, whatever you want to call it, happened to me today. These little events happen quite frequently. Before I found those recipes, I had an early lunch which I made from scratch: onion, carrot, zucchini, green pepper, a small red potato, the most important ingredient was the zucchini ~~  all of them braised in butter in a covered skillet. Must I repeat?  YUMMY! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today is an overcast sky with winds from Isaac the Hurricane, but still no rain here. The weathermen have told me in private on the radio, that we may have some rain by one o'clock, but HAH! as my sister Auntie Reg says so often, "They lie!" 

I just stepped out on my itty bitty front porch to look all around at the sky, and saw many little dark clouds with a little fluff around them, floating by at a non-slow pace. The Isaac wind is blowing through all of the trees and bushes, making them wave strongly to me. 

I felt one eensie weensie raindrop that floated from one of those passing clouds, but it isn't sprinkling, as yet. That single drop was probably meant for someone in Tennessee.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few evenings ago, I watched a movie on the VCR player, thinking that I would watch half of it and then go to bed, but it was so interesting and very moving, that I stayed, glued to the story, until the very end of the movie. It is a true story that began in 1919, about a young woman who was very strong, and devoted to her husband. He, though, was a rambler, never seeming to want to settle in one place. He was forever wanting to go farther north. He wanted to discover new things, and be a fur trapper, and since she felt that wives go along with their husband's wishes, she gently gave in each time he wanted to go farther north. 

The name of the movie is Silence of the North, and the woman who told the story was Olive Fredrickson. There were so many events that happened to them, it was almost unbelievable, but I believe every word of it. Some were so sad, and tragic, but she kept going forward with him. I thought surely that the ending would be awful, but I must say, it did turn out to be all right. 

The female role was played beautifully by Ellen Burstyn, and filmed in the actual places in Canada where these events took place. If you like movies, please do rent or buy this movie and see it. But bundle up with your winter coat and boots, because so much of the movie is in the very cold places! ~~  Just kidding, of course, about bundling up! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'll see you at the Corner Post!

Unknown Home Video, No Label At first, but NOW There Is!

August 3, 2012.

Yesterday was quite busy.  I cooked a couple of things for my meals/snacks, then spent a while on piddly things, yesterday afternoon, straightened up some more of the living room, and had my supper. Realizing that I had earned some relaxation time, I put a home video into the TV set, that had absolutely no label at all. I didn't know what in the world was on it. But, of course, I just had to know this minute! 

I turned it on, sat with bated breath wondering what I'd see. The first item was a beautiful baby with brown hair, a crawling baby, recently learning to crawl, and then a few minutes later, I heard her Mommy's voice urging her on. I thought I recognized at once, the baby's face, but the sound of Mommy's voice made me very sure of the baby's identity…  It was Esther!

(She was one of my beloved grandchildren; whom I saw being born! What an exciting experience it is to see a child being born...               Something never to be forgotten.)

Then that little episode of her crawling was followed by another episode of a later date, and many more. Most of them were of Esther and her eight-year-old sister Naomi playing: Naomi carrying her (all older siblings think this is the greatest of pleasures!), reading books to her, showing her the pictures, keeping her nearby, sort of like a shepherdess herding her sheep, trying to coax her to say 'book', 'dog' and other words, and keeping the baby’s attention.   

Then there was the Christmas Tree being decorated by Uncle Joe who came to visit his sister and nieces. Esther by that time was 'helping' for a few minutes, then coming very close to the camera, wanting to 'smile for the camera', without knowing how to say that, then doing a puzzle of large pieces, but that was too boring. So Uncle Joe finished the rest of the six-piece puzzle!  

Next Scene:

Here comes a birthday cake for Uncle Joe, and his opening up his presents. After that, there were a couple of birthdays later on in the springtime. There was a joyful Birthday Party for Naomi with six or seven girlfriends. Esther was in her high chair, enjoying watching so many people! And then, of course, there was the Birthday Cake with the lit candles for Naomi to blow out! ~ and some of them just wouldn't stay 'out'. ~ "Mommy! Are these Trick Candles?" 

The rest of the movie was of Christmas Day; Mommy, Naomi, Esther, Daddy, adolescent step-brother Joey, everyone having a good time looking at all the presents that Santa had left around the Tree. Such a lovely morning of opening all the presents, taking turns so that everyone knows what each received, then the next round of taking turns opening. Next comes the awful mess of torn wrapping paper scattered all over the room. Clean-up time comes afterward.

That was a most wonderful video, and it was such a delightful surprise for me last evening! Now I am wondering why, oh, why, was there no label on it? Being very curious, I just had to see what it was!

There is now a label! 

I’ll see you at the Corner Post…

Blueberry Picking in New Milford; Snakeskin.

July 15, 2012.

Someone in the family was making something with blueberries, and said the blueberries were rather tart. I am no expert in these things, but I wish to give my opinion. I apologize if I am wrong.

I feel that the blueberries were tart because they weren't fully ripe. They look so gorgeous, and it appears that they are ripe, but as they get riper, they lose some of their solidity and are likely to get squashed in the pail or basket. The more ripe they are, the less sugar you will need. But completely ripe or not, blueberries are so delicious and so full of beneficial nutrients, that we are fortunate to have them to eat. They are one of the best foods ever.

"Pickin' blueberries, pickin' blueberries, ... "   is a song, I've heard Bill and the kids singing it. The song is full of fun. He wrote it for his children in nineteen-ninety five.   

Picking blueberries is really a lot of fun if there aren't any bears about, or rattlesnakes to watch out for. When my siblings and I were growing up, our parents took us with them to pick blueberries. We were living in Springville, and we went to New Milford about 45 minutes away, up in the open hilly area where there were many wild huckleberry bushes. They were called huckleberries, because they were wild and not cultivated, and also somewhat smaller than the current cultivated blueberries.  

Rattlesnakes, and some bears, live there in the hills. We went up into the 'wilds' on crooked little paths, up and down little inclines and declines, toward the plentiful blueberry bushes. We were told not to wander away from our parents. We began to pick berries, and we found they are quite easy to pick. You just pick the larger dark blue berries and not the lighter colored, or even green ones that hadn't begun to ripen yet. They grow in small clumps on the twigs with leaves. 

We were having our fill of blueberries as we picked. My Dad and my Mom had bigger pails than we did, and when our little pails would become halfway full, we would dump them into our parents' large pails. (Our pails must have taken a long time to get half full, with our eating those yummy berries!) 

When it was time to go back home, as the cows' udders were getting filled, we began 'trekking' those curvy, rocky, little paths way down to the car. All of a sudden, my Dad tripped over an especially unsmooth path, and some of his berries happened to get onto the ground - imagine! He felt so bad when he spilled them. We all tried as best as we could, to pick most of them up, and then went on home. 

During the next few days, we had blueberry pie, and my Mom made a small batch of blueberry jam. We even had blueberries with milk, in a bowl. We squashed the berries with the tines of a fork, poured some milk over them, and the most beautiful color appeared! We always liked that magic! 

Those were the days, weren't they, of having delicious food made with several kinds of berries that we picked. We found blackberries in our woods, and we would gather so many for our Mom to make some canned blackberries, or jam, or even jelly, for the winter. 

There were also some red raspberries which were so tasty, and black raspberries which were known as 'black caps'. I loved those the best! We would squash the black caps in a little bowl, add milk, and there was a good color! I thought it was even more fascinating than that of blackberries! The flavor of squashed black caps with milk is very delicious! Or any kind of berry, for that matter!

We found some gooseberries on the hillside pasture on our little Springville farm, and picked them. There weren't many wild bushes of those, so we didn't make jam or jelly with them. One day I was picking some of those gooseberries and suddenly I noticed a snake skin lying in the bush, which startled me so much! I thought at first that it was a snake. No, it was just the skin of the snake, that comes off when it has outgrown its skin. Did you know that this happens? It was quite a surprise to me. 

I'll see you at the Corner Post...

Dinosaur Bones; Orphaned Elephants and Orangutans.

July 11, 2012.


This afternoon a little past two o'clock, my son phoned me saying that he and his family  were suddenly thinking of going to the Pink Palace Museum to see some dinosaur bones in an exhibit, and when they thought it all out, they would let me know for sure.  A few minutes later, a phone call came through to me -- they said that they would pick me up just before three o'clock. 

I was doing something, and excitedly dropped it, and got ready to go. I knew it would be good to go to the Pink Palace, as I'm always ready to go to a museum!

We saw huge skeletons of dinosaurs. The meat-eaters had very large heads. The plant-eaters had much smaller heads. There was also a very small dinosaur that had big feet (paws?) that somehow made me think that the animal could have been very docile. 


At one point, we saw the largest bone in the world, which is a spinal vertebra. It was very interesting to see all of those bones put together as skeletons. Some bones were made of some kind of plaster poured into fossil forms, to help to fill in the spaces. Some of these dinosaur fossils were found in Patagonia, in southern South America. 


Twenty-some years ago my sister and I went on an auto trip out west and saw some fossil digs. The digs were covered with shelter of a wall and roof to keep the elements from disturbing the archaeological research. That trip was quite interesting and informing. 


It was difficult to pull ourselves away from the dinosaur exhibit at the Pink Palace, but it was decided by the parents that we would see the IMAX show in the same building. I do like to see IMAX shows, very much. 


The IMAX movie would be shown just after four o'clock and lasts forty-five minutes; it is about orphaned elephants and orphaned orangutans. The name of the show is Born to Be Wild. The movie alternates between the baby elephants and the baby orangutans to show 
the comparison between the same age groups of these animals. 


It takes a long time for these orphans to 'grow up' enough to be out in the wild on their own.

It turned out to be very moving to us, and I choked up with tears and cried a little, about eight  to ten times throughout the show. Those little baby elephants were so helpless and so innocent, as were the orangutan orphans. 


The people taking care of them were very loving,  caring, devoted. There were men who were with the baby elephants 24 hours a day, sleeping in the same little room that each elephant was. 


There was one scene in which the very young elephant was unable to relax and go to sleep, because he or she remembered how his mother had been killed by thoughtless poachers. 
The male caretaker would pat and caress the elephant, and talk quietly to it to help it to relax, and the man put a large blanket over it as it finally lay down. Then the man went to bed in his own little cot in the corner. This was one of those moving events that made me cry. 


The loving tenderness and thoughtfulness of the caretakers different little episodes sometimes made the tears come. This movie Born to Be Wild, is well worth the time and money to see it. Please do. 


There were about fifteen or twenty elephants in one group. Baby elephants love to play, and the caretakers did that too. They would invent games that they and the orphans would play, like running after the several soccer balls, for instance. 

The orangutan orphans were treated and cared for, like human babies are. The mothers in the wild always take very good care of them, holding them to their warm and motherly bodies all of the time when they're babies, and play with them so much of the time. 

After the 45 minute show, we went outdoors, and it was raining quite hard! I had brought my umbrella -- it was in my handbag. My son had left his in his vehicle, so he used mine to go to the car and retrieve his umbrella. We had some fun in getting out through the rain and into the car. Two of the girls decided to dare it, and ran in the rain to the car. A lovely summer day it was!


And it was also such a surprising end to my day! I am so happy to be invited to go with my family. 




I'll see you at the Corner Post...

'A Strange Dog in our midst'; Five Dogs in the Kitchen.

July 3, 2012.

 

I was planning to take it easy today, as I was a bit tired after a very busy weekend. But I needed to do a load of my laundry, so I did that, washed my dishes, and spent some time with my computer.

About 4:30, Jennifer phoned me and said they were all planning to go out for dinner this evening, wanted to know if I would like to join them. Of course, I said YES. I do enjoy dining out, but more than that, I enjoy spending time with the family.

She came to pick me up around 5 o'clock, and took me to their house.

Bill and Melanie had been at Tim and his friend's place, to help move their furniture out of one little apartment into another small apartment, and they would bring some of the things to Bill and Jen's to store in the attic for a while. We waited for them to come home and shower because of the awful heat of today and moving furniture and loading it into the trailer that Bill had rented. 

While we waited for the showering to be done, we were experiencing a fifth doggie in the kitchen, because the friend's puppydog, Lily Rose, came for a visit. It was quite interesting, to see eleven-year-old Princess, and nine-year old Lily, and good ol' Lucky, Jennifer's dog, and Em's young dog MoJo, welcoming and investigating the personality of Lily Rose. 

Lucky, the manager of Bill and Jen's home, barked relentlessly because Lily Rose was 'a strange dog in our midst', and yet he was very much interested  in Lily Rose. Lucky didn't put up such a fuss when Em's dog MoJo came to join the canines for the wedding weekend. I think that was because MoJo is 'a man', whereas Lily Rose is 'a nice young lady'. There are many things to consider when one is introducing a strange dog to the earlier canine residents of a home. 

We were engaged in the actions of these five dogs  for quite some time. Then Bill  and Jen decided to have Lily Rose outside in the back yard, and the other four dogs to be in the kitchen while we were gone to have dinner. 

Showers over, we finally got into two vehicles, three of us in one, and four of us in the other vehicle. We went to a restaurant close by, and got out of the cars to enter the place, when it was discovered that they were just then closing up for the evening. DRAT! 

We got back into the autos, and drove another mile or so to another restaurant, a Mexican one. We spent a lot of time looking the menu over, and chatting, and having a great time, and then finally we all were ready to give our orders when the waitress came back. Bill was having such a grand time speaking Spanish to the waitress. She could hardly keep her laughter hidden when he would say something in Spanish, I noticed. He did know many Spanish words, though. His accent may have been a bit off...

We had to wait for quite a while, but we were drinking our beverages, and reminiscing, chatting, teasing a bit, and just truly enjoying each other's company. There were seven of us, Tim and his friend, and Melanie, Emily, Jen, Bill, and I. We enjoyed the camaraderie so much. As I said, I love being with the family.

Our food finally came, and it was very good food, different, and so tasty. We were in no hurry to eat and run, so we leisurely dined and conversed. It was very nice, and I am so glad I said 'YES' to Jennifer!

It was almost 9:30 when we arrived back at the house. Then Jennifer said she would bring me right home while the men were unloading the trailer into the house. I said goodbye to Emily because she is leaving for Atlanta early in the morning. I'll see Melanie a few more times before she goes back to Pennsylvania. Tim and his friend, I hope to see now and then during the rest of the summer. 

My eyelids seem to be getting a bit heavier, and that is a signal for me to go to bed. So good night, all, and happy dreams to you. 

          I'll see you at the Corner Post...

Awake In the Wee Hours; "Scribbler's Disease".

June 28, 2012.

Restless leg syndrome, or hunger pangs, or something else kept me from falling back to sleep. I got up, thought I'd spend time in the kitchen. I had a half cup of leftover dinner, then a couple of small cookies,  then later, a drink of water. I've had some experience with bad nights. I know the routine.

I went to the computer to check my emails. A few were sent after I had gone to sleep, so I went through them. Decided to check out Facebook, and I saw a bit of conversation where someone mentioned "Scribbler's Disease." Hmmmm. Never heard of that before. What is that, and when did it come to be? I thought about it for several minutes. I thought it might be people always jotting things down in their notebooks, or making lists of something, like 'things to do'.

I do think that I have that disease, as I make notes all the time, about this, or that, and wondered how long I've been doing this. Oh, yes, I think I know just when I first showed signs of that.

At the age of seventeen, I was working as a filing clerk in a large insurance company. We had to work with small cards with the names of insured people on them, and would file them in the narrow drawers of a filing cabinet. You know, somewhat like the library cards that were used many years ago to show the names and authors of all of the books in a library.

It was a tedious job, but I did like filing things in alphabetical order, and I did like reading all sorts of names. When I came across a name that was unique, humorous, or strange, I would write it down on my list. For instance, there was one that was Rhainey Knight; and then Thunder Jackson; and James Jimmijam.

Something that was to me very unusual, I wrote down and kept. There were so many names that took my fancy. One name, truly, was Ethel R. Shitty. I don't think I shall ever forget that one. I have no idea whatever became of my list, but I wish I had it now.

When I hear someone mispronounce a word or use it in an odd way, I like to write it down. I have a list somewhere of quite a few of that kind. I don't ever mean to be unkind and mocking someone's pronunciation, it's just that I have this disease. I really can't help myself. I do not tell on anyone who  makes these mistakes. After all, we all make mistakes. We're human.

Well, it's been a couple of hours, maybe I'll fall asleep now. Back to bed I go.

G'night.


I'll see you at the Corner Post...

At the age of 17, I was working as a filing clerk in a large insurance company. We had to work with small cards with the names of insured people on them, and file them. You know, somewhat like the library cards that were were used to show the names and authors of all of the books in a library.  

It was a tedious job, but I did like filing things in alphabetical order, and I did like reading all sorts of names. When I came across a name that was unique, humorous, or strange, etcetera, I would write them down on my list. For instance, there was one that was Rhainey Knight; and Thunder Jackson; and James Jimmijam. Something that was to me very unusual, I wrote down. One name, truly, was Ethel R. Shitty. I don't think I shall ever forget that one. I have no idea whatever became of my list, but I wish I had it now. 

When I hear someone mispronounce a word or use it in an odd way, I like to write it down. I have a list somewhere of quite a few of that kind. I don't mean to be unkind and mocking someone's mispronunciation, it's just that I have this disease. I just can't help myself. I try not to tell on anyone who makes this mistake. After all, we all make mistakes. We're human.  

 

My Sister and I Took An Auto Trip; Visiting Relatives.

June 18, 2012.


We wanted to visit an elderly aunt and uncle who are not feeling well, and also our brother whom we hadn't seen for a few years. We also wanted to see a few of our friends from the past, and some more of our relatives.

Our trip was done by auto, with my sister driving, and a good driver she was. We traveled in several states, namely Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and Tennessee.
Ohio seemed to be quite flat. West Virginia was very mountainous. There was road construction and repairs of routes in every state, it seems.

Since I enjoy riding in automobiles and watching scenery as I ride, my head was almost like a revolving door, or it felt as if it were on a swivel, while I was looking on both sides of the road, trying to see everything. I like seeing fences, houses, trees, clouds, animals, old barns, bridges, cattle grazing in open fields, churches, railroad stations, quaint buildings, and so many other things. I appreciate that my sister drove the whole time.

Our first stop was in Maryland, and we were so very happy to see our aunt and uncle. They are in their middle eighties now, with some medical problems. A few members of their family ~ our cousins, came to the house to see us, as well. That was very pleasant. Another uncle and his good friend came to visit at that time too, and it was a grand sort of reunion for a few hours.

When our visit with them came to an end, we went 'on the road again' and visited my sister's good neighbors from many years ago. They, too, are quite elderly, and she was so glad to see them. The four of us went to have real crab cakes in a seafood restaurant. I have never before tasted such good food as
those crab cakes.

We saw relatives from both sides of our family, and more cousins, in Pennsylvania, at our brother's home, and two of his daughters. That was an exciting and happy day.  My sister and I stopped to visit her sister-in-law, too; that visit was short, but so sweet.

By this time we were up in central New York and stayed at my daughter's house for a couple of nights.
This was also a very happy stop, with my long-time neighbor from years ago coming to see me. We did manage to see almost everyone we had planned to see.

We were on the road quite a few days, and we feel that our 'mission' was accomplished.

 

It's Getting Dark Before Three O'Clock!

May 31, 2012.

I have been unwell for a couple of hours, so I didn't do much except to sort junky papers, and it began to get very dark outdoors. I wasn’t paying a bit of attention to the outdoors, and was listening to some music to cheer me up.

I put on my shoes, and went out to the recycle bin with a 4 or 5 inch pile of junk, old newspapers, etceteRAH, and to see why it was getting dark all of a sudden. The sky was full of roiling, boiling, swift-moving, bunches of puffy dark clouds! I felt a couple of little raindrops, and I stopped to look all around at the sky, as it is ever so interesting!

The storm is coming from the west, towards the east, but covering north and south at the same time.

Thunderstorm! Thunderstorm! bringing possibly damaging hail, and this particular storm is hovering right over my portion of Mississippi! Right over Southaven! Can you believe it! I wasn't paying one bit of attention while I was doing that monotonous chore, and was most surprised when I realized it was very dark outdoors.

Now it's even DARKER than just a few minutes ago! I went back into the house, and said to myself: “OOOOH! I want my mommy!"

Gee, isn't it pitiful when you become frightened, and there's no one around to comfort you with a few nice words, or even a short hug, and your mommy has been gone these many years!    

Then it got really dark, and I quickly went out on the mini-porch. That heavy, roiling large cloud is right over my house. I went out on the sidewalk, and there were raindrops pelting down on me. The western sky is brighter, because this mass of clouds is heading east now. I didn't want to stay out very long, because I didn't want to be hit with a sudden lightning strike.

'S funny, about two hours ago, it was very sunny and nice out there. Now it is thundering a bit, and sprinkling, and it is also much cooler.

I think I'll put some happy, peppy music on, like polkas, to take my mind off the bad weather.

That's the news from Lake Wobegon ...  no, wait ..., that's a different program.

That's the weather news from my mini-porch in Southaven, Missipp.

You might notice that I enjoy talking about the weather!

I'll see you at the Corner Post...

My Walk; Pretty Yellow Flowers; Lawn Watering.

May 26, 2012.


Good Morning, all of you many, I took my walk at 7:30 a.m., and it was good... sorta ...  I had to stop about four times to catch my breath. I was walking at a brisk pace, as brisk as I could make it. It took me fifteen minutes to get back to my front door. I took the regular route. 

There is a very pretty bright yellow, not as deep as the dandelion, a little lighter, but oh, so pretty! It seems to be a weed that is growing on several lawns. I noticed this morning, that each plant has a single, flowering tall stem, about 7, 8, or 9 inches high, each is different in height. They were, each and every one, turned to the sunrise! Such a beautiful stance of worship. I wanted to pick them all. Would any of you know what that pretty flowering weed is? 

I don't pick anything that is not on my property. Of course, now and then, I pick a little flower or sprig from the space next to the street, but not many. 

No dogs did I see, and only three people. One was a man using the weed eater on someone's place, his truck was parked out at the curb, with lawn equipment on it. The next person was a woman with a helmet on a bike of sorts, it squeaked as it went by. The third was a young man walking fast behind me, with a school-type backpack, and I stopped at the edge of the sidewalk to let him pass because I had to catch my breath. He passed by, his arms tattooed with what looked like graffiti, and a lit cigarette between his righthand fingers. 

Eeewwwww, then I had to follow him quite a few feet with that objectionable odor lingering because there was no breeze this morning. I wish that every single smoker would realize how dangerous cigarette smoke is. I know, do I ever  know! My dear Dad Joe died at the age of fifty-eight because of coal mining in his early years, and smoking for so very long. He couldn't breathe very well as the years passed. It broke my heart.

OOps, almost forgot, I must water the lawn, be back in a few minutes...  I'm baaaaack ~  oooohh, that was nine minutes, the hoses were all tangled up from their overnight wrestling tournament. Shoot! forgot about that tournament...  I should have put it on my calendar!

The lawn guys also removed the sprinkling stake that is in the back yard, I hope I get it put in properly. It's one of those that spurts water in a semicircle. I can handle recipes, cooking and baking, but I cannot understand these plumbing, yard work, and carpentry chores that men do. Bless 'em.

Now for my breakfast. You all have a lovely day, and a very pleasant weekend. 

All this morning, I spent reminiscing on a little farm.

May 21, 2012.


Hi, I was out on a farm all morning, into the afternoon, sitting in a beach chair, watching some cows in their little fields and pastures. I was also watching a few horses of different breeds ~ a very young foal and his mother, a larger shetland horse, and the larger still chestnut horses. The young foal would stay close to his mother. That was especially sweet to see. 

I was studying some old old scattered piles of weatherbeaten lumber, and a few pieces of rusty metal, but they weren't active at all, so my glance switched to some real live chickens of various breeds, a few "you tell 'em, Sam!" roosters strutting around with deep red combs atop their head, crowing to hear their own musical voices.

There were many chicken hens of various colors and patterns of feathers, in two small chicken-wire enclosures, in which they all had enough space to stretch and flap their wings as they scratched the grassy earth looking for tidbits. There were at least fifteen in each of those pens, all very busy pecking here and there, looking for little insects. There were also about a dozen chickens who were loose, they went wherever they wanted to. One rooster suddenly ran as fast as possible from his strolling around near the pen, out toward the several maturing young heifers, quite a distance, and when he stopped running, he began scratching for some insects in that grass. It had looked like a very important job he had to do. 

Back by the wired pens, there was a small weather-beaten shed/building/shelter in which were the laying hens, probably only several. When a chicken laid an egg, she made a sound of 'success, at last!' and the rooster crowed his congratulations. Come to think of it, those cocky roosters did quite a bit of crowing their best.

There were many goats, probably at least ten, possibly more that I didn't see. Some had horns, some had none, many colors of goats, some a little bigger than most. They were eating grass and delectable other plants or weeds, among some pieces of very old farm equipment. I know that the goats seem to have the run of the small farm, because there was 'evidence' everywhere. That evidence was an abundance of smooth, black, oval pellets scattered wherever they walked, frolicked, pranced, and meandered during their day. Those ovoid pellets are what is left of the food they've eaten through the day.                     

There was a young calf, perhaps several weeks or a couple of months old, still 'on the bottle' for his meals. The mother was in another enclosed space, sometimes watching me watch her, and sometimes looking at her sweet baby in his little pen. She was also waiting for her master to come and 'milk' her to ease the mild pain of a full udder. Some of that milk was then poured into a very large square bottle with a three-inch long, 3/4-inch-in-diameter nipple. And the growing calf was so delighted to drink his meal from that nipple. That in itself was a most beautiful episode to watch. 

The cows and maturing calves leave behind some nine-inch wide circular, more than one-inch-deep patties out on the grass or paths, of the food that they have eaten throughout their day. These patties eventually dry up and can be used as fertilizer for one's gardens. 

All of these sights and sounds of today took me back immediately to my young age. When I was only one or two years old, my parents would visit my maternal grandparents, but no doubt I cannot remember that far back. What I do remember is being a child of four to nine years old, going to these grandparents' farm, and seeing the chickens and roosters having free range of that little area near the house and barn. They would scratch the soil, and find some tiny insects they could eat. That little activity kept them busy for a very long time. And when it was time for feeding chickens each day, I would enjoy so much seeing the 'poultry-club-members' running from wherever they had been, to the place where the cracked corn would be thrown. They were so eager to be present at that most delectable feast. 

This morning, those same feelings came rushing back to me as I heard and saw these activities. I feel blessed to have spent most of today enjoying this exposure to the 'little-farm' life again. 

I'll see you at the Corner Post...

I Have News ~ not terribly important, though.

A small piece of news, not terribly important, but only to me. 

I went for a walk this morning at 7:30 a.m., much to my surprise! I had been noticing flab on my belly, and other places, and decided it has to leave me. I had lost weight with my daily walks last year, I think, but I stopped taking walks during the winter. I was getting too lazy, or too busy, or something. I was lacking in energy, too.

The walk this morning was 23 minutes long, because on the way back, I noticed that there weren't too many minutes used up. I then took the longer way home, on Richland, that 90-degree angled side street. It was simply great. I made a promise to myself that I have to walk almost every day from now on, until June First!  All together now, please yell "Yay! Hooray!"

I was working on some poetry yesterday afternoon, and this afternoon, also. It seems the muse has stopped by for the last couple of days, and I just cannot ignore her. When she is around, I notice that the words come out so much easier. Strange, but true. 

For the past few days I have needed to watch some of my old videos of TV programs I liked, years ago. I've been stressing out recently, and I needed something else to think about. Two evenings ago, I watched the history/documentary of the Polka King Frank Yankovic. He really was the Polka King, writing so many songs, and playing them in so many venues. He pleased millions of people over the years. He passed away some years ago.

I dearly love the polka, and like to listen to the Polka programs I can find on the internet. I also like to listen to my old audio tapes that I had taped many years ago in Pennsylvania, where I lived, and in Michigan when I went to stay with my Mom from time to time because of her illnesses. Polkas are cheerful, and uplifting to so many, including me. I also love East European music, as well as all of European music, and there is much of that on these audio tapes. That also helps me to get rid of stress.

I was going to take a power nap, but I suddenly remembered that I wanted to write about my lovely walk! Everyone knows that I need it to retain my balance, and I neglected to walk often, to my regret. So perhaps you all may just as well telepathically hint to me that it's time for a walk, will you? I know that I have pooh-poohed the idea so many times, but please do persevere with me. 


I did take my morning drink yesterday and this morning. It was suggested to me, and I think it is a very good idea. It has settled in with me to my satisfaction, and I would like to continue it. It's a teaspoon of ground psyllium husks in a half cup of water or almond milk, a teaspoon of chia seeds, and a teaspoon of ground flaxseed, stirred together in the half cup of liquid, and allowed to sit at least five minutes to gel. It goes down very well, and I am quite pleased. 

It seems that I feel better because of that special drink; I've been needing something like that for quite some time. I am grateful for the advice. 

The weather has been calm, but a hot 91 degrees. Just a few minutes ago, the weather forecast changed, to 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms this late afternoon. I do hope it will rain for about fifteen minutes, not a cloudburst, mind you, just a nice steady rain to freshen the area. There is a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight, and Sunday night. 40% by Monday. We welcome the rain, but we want no damage or injuries! In other words, no storms!

There, that's better. I think I'll close here, and take my Power Nap: I love those naps, they're short and very sweet, and so refreshing. 


It feels so good to come back to my blog. I have missed writing it, and I apologize to those of  you who have looked forward to it. I had been so busy with several other priorities, and going through several boxes of papers: our children's school papers and drawings, many of my old papers to look over, shred, or put away. Not culling, through the years, leads to such a mountainous job now. 





I'll see you at the Corner Post...

Keeping Company with Three Dogs; Report on the Weather.

Keeping Company with Three Dogs; Report on the Weather.                               April 21, 2012

Good Morning, everyone! I am keeping company with three dogs at their house, since Bill, Jennifer, and Veronica went to Nashville to visit 

Jen's parents. They are checking up on the parents. 'S funny, when We Cute Li'l Old Fogies are ''up there”, our children like to check up on us. 

It does make me feel good, though, that somebody cares! 

Bill fed the dogs earlier than usual, just before the departure for Nashville. I surmised that the dogs would want to eat quite early in the morning, like 4 o'clock or so, and I used my “noodle” to figure this out. I gave them each half of a big milk bone treat just before I went to bed at nine p.m. 

That was a good plan, because they were quiet and resting when I woke up at 6:30. Except for 2:20 a.m. when they needed to go out to pee. One of them gave a sharp, high-pitched yelp to notify me that it was necessary. That was almost better than my alarm clock ringing,

it made me immediately alert.

After about three or four minutes the yelp sounded again. I let them in, and they went directly to their sleeping places. It was peaceful for another four hours. 

I am up for the day, fed the doggies, and already, they are settled down for a long morning nap. As soon as I begin to make my breakfast in another hour, they'll get up and be underfoot, because each will want to be the first to see me drop some crumbs on the floor! It's one of their favorite pastimes, searching the floor in the kitchen and around the stove, sniffing and licking. They are, of course, adorable! 

Now for the weather: The thunderstorms that were forecast finally came, after some rumbling off in the distance, and thundering closer and closer. We had lots of rain, enough to satisfy the fields for about a week. 

But, and this is really displeasing, it is very cold out there, only 47 degrees, with the cold air coming down from the far north. The three doggies do not like it right now, because they have gotten used to the warmer temperatures this spring. They'll probably want to spend most of the day indoors, which is all right with me. The high today will be about 67 degrees. 

Are you all having a good time where you are? I hope things are fine and dandy for you.

Now for my breakfast. I’ll write more later…

Love, Mom - Grannamae - Anna Mae.

I’ll see you at the Corner Post…

Church Picnic; Double-Dip Ice Cream Cone.

My mother’s younger sister Mary came to visit us in the coal mining town, Larksville / Plymouth for a few days. She is only three years older than I am. She lived with her parents on a farm near Nicholson. It was summertime, and she was able to come and stay with us. The year must have been about 1939 - 40.

There was a Church Picnic that weekend, and she and I walked the two or three blocks to see it. The festival was held across the street from the church. I do not remember the name of the church, but it was on Chestnut Street. The various stands were set up on a little incline in an open lot with some trees surrounding it.

We walked around and looked at all the different stands they had. I don’t remember if anyone else was with us. We walked over to the ice cream stand to buy some ice cream.  She ordered a double-dip ice cream cone - oh, how luscious it looked. I ordered something else, probably a single-dip cone because I was smaller and younger.

We were so happy with our ice cream, and were walking away from the stand, licking at our dips of refreshing ice cream. When all of a sudden, as Aunt Mary was licking the ice cream, the pressure of her tongue pushed the ice cream off the cone and onto the ground!  It hadn’t been placed onto the cone very securely. We hadn’t gone very far away from the stand, and the lady there said that Aunt Mary could have another dip.

So Aunt Mary and I went back to the stand for the free dip of ice cream for Aunt Mary. That was a kind thing that the lady did. I felt so happy for my dear Aunt Mary!

Oh, just thinking about ice cream makes me want a banana split!

I’ll see you at the Corner Post…