Stop at traffic light on Fern Valley Road in Jerry's 2008 Toyota Solara, top down. 1990's+ Camaro with V-8 engine stops beside us, guy revving his engine. Light turns green and both scream down the road. Jerry said, "Think I can make him burn rubber at the next light?" I encourage him to do it. Light changes, Macho-Macho Man in Camaro FLOORS it, fish-tailing until he reaches next stop light while Jerry calmly sits at light watching him show off. heh heh heh.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Bridal shower
Amanda and I went to a bridal shower for Michelle; she is getting married in October at Red River Gorge. How perfect is that? The shower was fun. We got to see Michelle's Mom, sister, sisters-in-law, and aunt, people we know but haven't seen in years. She and Matt have registered for gorgeous pieces at Louisville Stoneware; they are creamy white with deep green ferns painted on.
It was also interesting to see how different the house looked. Michelle grew up in it but when her Mom and Dad moved to Ashland, her brother bought the house here in Louisville. He and his wife totally redid it and did a wonderful job.
I am still going through old portfolios, stacks of photos, old letters. Will it all ever be organized????
It was also interesting to see how different the house looked. Michelle grew up in it but when her Mom and Dad moved to Ashland, her brother bought the house here in Louisville. He and his wife totally redid it and did a wonderful job.
I am still going through old portfolios, stacks of photos, old letters. Will it all ever be organized????
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Fainting
No breakfast....
Nothing to drink earlier in the morning....
Empanadas, black bean soup, mojito, water for lunch....
Low blood pressure....
Any and all of the above caused problems when I donated blood yesterday. I've never passed out before but was on the brink of doing just that plus was nauseated when I left the donating table and moved to the snack area. I've learned my lesson because I sure don't want a repeat of that out-of-control feeling.
Lightning flashes played across my closed eyelids a little while ago. I can hear rolling thunder now that I'm up. We'd planned a trip to the farmers' market this morning that might be canceled if it's raining too hard.
Nothing to drink earlier in the morning....
Empanadas, black bean soup, mojito, water for lunch....
Low blood pressure....
Any and all of the above caused problems when I donated blood yesterday. I've never passed out before but was on the brink of doing just that plus was nauseated when I left the donating table and moved to the snack area. I've learned my lesson because I sure don't want a repeat of that out-of-control feeling.
Lightning flashes played across my closed eyelids a little while ago. I can hear rolling thunder now that I'm up. We'd planned a trip to the farmers' market this morning that might be canceled if it's raining too hard.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Rainy day and Heddy the Hedgehog
When I was young, rain was just a nuisance. It prevented me from playing outside so I quickly got bored with indoor activities. Not so now that I'm older and have lived with JH for 44+ years; he LOVES rain, storms, lightning; now I, too, have learned to appreciate them. So, yesterday was perfect. The steel wool sky never let even one sliver of sunshine come through and it dumped buckets of rain on us. Our friends Susan and Paul came over and we went to a little barbecue place in Fairdale; it is housed in an old log cabin. The owners have spruced it up, adding fresh flowers, window boxes for flowers, pots of flowers on the picnic tables. The whole front now has an awning covering the outside dining area so that's where we ate then sat and talked for a while, the whole time listening to the rain pelting the metal roof of the awning. Of course what continually draws us back to the place isn't the decor, it's the delicious food, especially the smoked ribs. Yum.
We left there and went to an Italian restaurant nearby for spumoni, cannoli, and cheesecake with coffee. The coffee was so good that the four of us drank almost the whole pot!
After Susan and Paul left, we drove to Bardstown to deliver one of Rob's paintings to Doug who was going to donate it to a charity art auction. We were surprised to find Cheryl home and got to visit with her for a while. They have planted flowers and vegetables in various beds around the house and up the hill behind the house. Doug converted the front of a storage shed into a potting room. It looks like a small greenhouse that extends out from the front of the existing shed. Everywhere I looked I saw new plantings and neat little areas with large, flat rocks or sculptures. Loved it!!
Our next stop was at Brenda's where we were surrounded by girls. There was a jigsaw puzzle on the coffee table, one girl was drawing, another brought in all their American Girl dolls and accompanying items and showed us EVERY PIECE of it. For instance, one of the teeny picnic baskets contained a full meal of a sandwich, cupcake, potato chips, thermos (all pretend, of course). What I would have given to have one of those when I was little. Hmmm. In fact, they look pretty interesting even now. :-) Then they brought out the best "show and tell" item -- Heddy the Hedgehog! She is small enough to fit into the palm of one hand. She seems to like being petted as long as you rub her quills the direction in which they lay down and you don't get around her face. If you turn her onto her back, she sort of curls into a ball. Libby and Ellie decided she needed a bath so they filled the bathtub with a couple inches of water. Heddy just walked around in it, licking her lips. (Do hedgehogs have "lips"?) Then they took a toothbrush, squirted baby body wash and shampoo on it, and gently scrubbed Heddy in a circular motion. She seemed to like that, too! I had never been that close to a hedgehog so all that was fascinating to me.
When someone commented about L and E possibly coming to Louisville, they both piped in: "OH, but we ARE!! When Sarah flies to New York, we're spending the night and going swimming and eating at Vietnam Kitchen and having turnip cakes and drinking hot tea and going to Mandy's house and making S'mores and...." They haven't forgotten one thing we'd talked about doing when they come here -- and that was something we'd discussed a couple months ago.
We also got to visit with Kaitlin. She is leaving in a couple of days to go back home to finish her senior year in high school. After graduation, she's moving to Bardstown to live with her Dad and Brenda and going to school at St. Catherine to study early childhood education. She couldn't be with a better mentor than Brenda! She and Sarah showed me their renovated room upstairs. It's perfect. Their house is old so has nooks and crannies that newer structures don't have. So their room has dormer spaces for chests, tucked away closets, another set-back for the computer, keyboard, and other things. Now they even have their own bathroom upstairs. What more could teenage girls ask for? Oh, yeah. They have a hedgehog cage in their bedroom, too.
My book club is reading Water for Elephants for July. We got a kit through the state library system which has enough books in it for the whole group. It also has discussion questions and the book on CD. Since I'm in charge of the discussion, I ended up with all the goodies. Jerry and I have been listening to the book whenever we take trips of any length of time. We got so involved yesterday that we sat in the darkened garage to finish a chapter before coming inside. Yep. We're hooked.
Later this morning we're meeting Amanda at China Inn for lunch then, while Jerry meets with a couple of students at Spalding, she'll bring me back home. She's donating blood this afternoon.
We left there and went to an Italian restaurant nearby for spumoni, cannoli, and cheesecake with coffee. The coffee was so good that the four of us drank almost the whole pot!
After Susan and Paul left, we drove to Bardstown to deliver one of Rob's paintings to Doug who was going to donate it to a charity art auction. We were surprised to find Cheryl home and got to visit with her for a while. They have planted flowers and vegetables in various beds around the house and up the hill behind the house. Doug converted the front of a storage shed into a potting room. It looks like a small greenhouse that extends out from the front of the existing shed. Everywhere I looked I saw new plantings and neat little areas with large, flat rocks or sculptures. Loved it!!
Our next stop was at Brenda's where we were surrounded by girls. There was a jigsaw puzzle on the coffee table, one girl was drawing, another brought in all their American Girl dolls and accompanying items and showed us EVERY PIECE of it. For instance, one of the teeny picnic baskets contained a full meal of a sandwich, cupcake, potato chips, thermos (all pretend, of course). What I would have given to have one of those when I was little. Hmmm. In fact, they look pretty interesting even now. :-) Then they brought out the best "show and tell" item -- Heddy the Hedgehog! She is small enough to fit into the palm of one hand. She seems to like being petted as long as you rub her quills the direction in which they lay down and you don't get around her face. If you turn her onto her back, she sort of curls into a ball. Libby and Ellie decided she needed a bath so they filled the bathtub with a couple inches of water. Heddy just walked around in it, licking her lips. (Do hedgehogs have "lips"?) Then they took a toothbrush, squirted baby body wash and shampoo on it, and gently scrubbed Heddy in a circular motion. She seemed to like that, too! I had never been that close to a hedgehog so all that was fascinating to me.
When someone commented about L and E possibly coming to Louisville, they both piped in: "OH, but we ARE!! When Sarah flies to New York, we're spending the night and going swimming and eating at Vietnam Kitchen and having turnip cakes and drinking hot tea and going to Mandy's house and making S'mores and...." They haven't forgotten one thing we'd talked about doing when they come here -- and that was something we'd discussed a couple months ago.
We also got to visit with Kaitlin. She is leaving in a couple of days to go back home to finish her senior year in high school. After graduation, she's moving to Bardstown to live with her Dad and Brenda and going to school at St. Catherine to study early childhood education. She couldn't be with a better mentor than Brenda! She and Sarah showed me their renovated room upstairs. It's perfect. Their house is old so has nooks and crannies that newer structures don't have. So their room has dormer spaces for chests, tucked away closets, another set-back for the computer, keyboard, and other things. Now they even have their own bathroom upstairs. What more could teenage girls ask for? Oh, yeah. They have a hedgehog cage in their bedroom, too.
My book club is reading Water for Elephants for July. We got a kit through the state library system which has enough books in it for the whole group. It also has discussion questions and the book on CD. Since I'm in charge of the discussion, I ended up with all the goodies. Jerry and I have been listening to the book whenever we take trips of any length of time. We got so involved yesterday that we sat in the darkened garage to finish a chapter before coming inside. Yep. We're hooked.
Later this morning we're meeting Amanda at China Inn for lunch then, while Jerry meets with a couple of students at Spalding, she'll bring me back home. She's donating blood this afternoon.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
"The Most Perfect Day" -- Cassie's title
I just read Cassie's blog and she titled it "The Most Perfect Day". I'm plagiarizing her title because that fits with our yesterday, too.
My day started early. I drove to the farmers' market, top down, and shivered all the way there. Here it is mid-July and I was getting chilled. (Where are you, Al Gore?) The trip was successful because I bought fresh eggs, cucumbers, corn, tomatoes, yellow squash, a melt-in-your-mouth cantaloupe, a mint plant, some fresh flowers, and peaches. Read the list and you'll see what we had for lunch.
Jo has a friend who is director of a Music Theater of Louisville production showing right now, Singing in the Rain. She scored tickets for us dead center, fourth row and they were absolutely perfect. People in the first three rows had to look up at the stage; we were exactly on eye level with the performers. It was a young cast with some of them still attending the Youth Performing Arts School but they were fantastic! They sang, they danced, they acted all with professional skill. Even the special effects were impressive. When it was supposed to rain, there really was "rain" on the stage (rice) that sounded and looked totally believable.
From there we moseyed down Bardstown Road to a restaurant that occupies what used to be one of Rob's favorite places, Andrew's. This new place is called Zaytun; it's Middle Eastern. We had gyros on the best flat bread I think I've ever eaten. In fact, I could almost just take off all the gyro ingredients and just dine on the bread. I also had hot Persian tea served in tiny glass cups. It is also served with small, compressed cubes of powdered sugar. You hold a cube between your teeth then sip the tea through it so that it literally melts in your mouth.
That little sugar hit wasn't quite enough. We had to drive on down the road a ways and stop for ice cream at a Pie and Ice Cream Kitchen. Remember, this was "The Most Perfect Day" so we sat outside in the most perfect weather. The sun was beaming down between hovering clouds and warmed us almost from the inside out but there was also a cooling breeze for balance. We just sat and savored that for a while before heading back home.
The rest of the evening was lazy. Rodburn was over here so he curled up and slept in Jerry's lap for much of the evening. I sorted old photos and slides and reminisced with Jerry. I found slides of OUR FAMILY that I didn't even know existed, some of Amanda and Rob when they were babies. What serendipity to run into those!
My day started early. I drove to the farmers' market, top down, and shivered all the way there. Here it is mid-July and I was getting chilled. (Where are you, Al Gore?) The trip was successful because I bought fresh eggs, cucumbers, corn, tomatoes, yellow squash, a melt-in-your-mouth cantaloupe, a mint plant, some fresh flowers, and peaches. Read the list and you'll see what we had for lunch.
Jo has a friend who is director of a Music Theater of Louisville production showing right now, Singing in the Rain. She scored tickets for us dead center, fourth row and they were absolutely perfect. People in the first three rows had to look up at the stage; we were exactly on eye level with the performers. It was a young cast with some of them still attending the Youth Performing Arts School but they were fantastic! They sang, they danced, they acted all with professional skill. Even the special effects were impressive. When it was supposed to rain, there really was "rain" on the stage (rice) that sounded and looked totally believable.
From there we moseyed down Bardstown Road to a restaurant that occupies what used to be one of Rob's favorite places, Andrew's. This new place is called Zaytun; it's Middle Eastern. We had gyros on the best flat bread I think I've ever eaten. In fact, I could almost just take off all the gyro ingredients and just dine on the bread. I also had hot Persian tea served in tiny glass cups. It is also served with small, compressed cubes of powdered sugar. You hold a cube between your teeth then sip the tea through it so that it literally melts in your mouth.
That little sugar hit wasn't quite enough. We had to drive on down the road a ways and stop for ice cream at a Pie and Ice Cream Kitchen. Remember, this was "The Most Perfect Day" so we sat outside in the most perfect weather. The sun was beaming down between hovering clouds and warmed us almost from the inside out but there was also a cooling breeze for balance. We just sat and savored that for a while before heading back home.
The rest of the evening was lazy. Rodburn was over here so he curled up and slept in Jerry's lap for much of the evening. I sorted old photos and slides and reminisced with Jerry. I found slides of OUR FAMILY that I didn't even know existed, some of Amanda and Rob when they were babies. What serendipity to run into those!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Identify those pics!
Always label and date photographs, although that advice is becoming a moot point with everything goind digital now. Even if you're scanning old photos to digital, you still need the information to label them. I have tackled stacks, boxes, bins of pictures trying to get some semblance of order. Some of them date back to pre-1940. Those are fun to look at even if I don't know the subjects. They were in Jerry's Mom and Dad's pictures.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
old, gold friends
When Amanda was in Girl Scouts, she learned a song (one of MANY!) with a memorable line:
"Make new friends
But keep the old
One is silver
The other is gold"
Today, I had lunch with an "old gold" friend, Sharon Wuorenmaa. She and I have worked, written art curriculum, driven vans loaded with artwork and our children to various parts of the state, and traveled to art conferences together for 30+ years. She treated me to lunch at one of my favorites -- Thai Smile -- where I always get the pad Thai noodles and hot tea. Yummy.
"Make new friends
But keep the old
One is silver
The other is gold"
Today, I had lunch with an "old gold" friend, Sharon Wuorenmaa. She and I have worked, written art curriculum, driven vans loaded with artwork and our children to various parts of the state, and traveled to art conferences together for 30+ years. She treated me to lunch at one of my favorites -- Thai Smile -- where I always get the pad Thai noodles and hot tea. Yummy.
Crocus Academy
We have an incredible niece. Brenda started with nothing, tentatively opened a preschool in Bardstown, continued to develop the program, gained the confidence of parents paying for their child to attend the school. Now, the program is full, both morning and afternoon, there is a waiting list, and some parents are already on the waiting list for 2011 to make sure their child gets in! So, Brenda did the only logical thing -- she opened a second branch in Elizabethtown. Sunday, Jerry, Amanda, Shawn, and I went to an open house at the new location. It's located in the building where two of Brenda's sisters used to own an insurance agency. However, you'd never guess the building's earlier function because now it looks like something from a Berenstain Bears book. There is a science room, an art room, kitchen, listening station, computers for the children, a cubby hole with fat cushions for a quiet area, a teepee, a puppet theater with a variety of puppets, a "make believe" room with clothing pegs filled with hats, capes, and other dress up items -- it also has a long, horizontal mirror about 2 feet off the floor so the little kids can see themselves all dressed up. It's the most wonderful place to stimulate and develop all aspects of a child.
We weren't the only family members to show support for Brenda. We just missed Neal but got to see Marylyn, Cindy, Wendy, Nesie, Cocky, Sarah, Kaitlin, Libby, Ellie, Tricia and her two CUTE granddaughters who are about 2 years old, Taylor and Madison. Or, as Marylyn would ask, "Aren't they dahling?" Maine accent.
Last night was our usual Monday night poker game (We both won a little.) and when we got home, a sweet, old black cat greeted us. Amanda had brought over Rodburn to stay a few days since she and Shawn are getting a new dog and want to work with her a bit sans competition from Rodburn. Rodburn was fine until about 5:00 when he started roaming, scratching at papers, and rooowiing his howl that sets your teeth on edge. And forget sleep. :-)
We weren't the only family members to show support for Brenda. We just missed Neal but got to see Marylyn, Cindy, Wendy, Nesie, Cocky, Sarah, Kaitlin, Libby, Ellie, Tricia and her two CUTE granddaughters who are about 2 years old, Taylor and Madison. Or, as Marylyn would ask, "Aren't they dahling?" Maine accent.
Last night was our usual Monday night poker game (We both won a little.) and when we got home, a sweet, old black cat greeted us. Amanda had brought over Rodburn to stay a few days since she and Shawn are getting a new dog and want to work with her a bit sans competition from Rodburn. Rodburn was fine until about 5:00 when he started roaming, scratching at papers, and rooowiing his howl that sets your teeth on edge. And forget sleep. :-)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
sushi and school
We had sushi!
We had pots of green tea!
We had grilled chicken and steak!
We had edamame!
We had a slightly incompetent chef!! :-)
The chef's showmanship was off but the flavors of his preparations were delicious. Fuji is located in the most unlikely place -- in a back corner of Dixie Manor, right beside the Dixie Dozen Theaters. Jerry, I, Amanda, Shawn, Sandy, Jackie, and Brandy enjoyed the whole experience.
Today presents a whole different experience. Wendell's daughter Brenda owns a preschool in Bardstown. It has been so successful that she's opening a new branch in Elizabethtown. (Incidentally, the building she's using for the new place is where two of her sisters owned an insurance agency at one time....all in the family.) Today is a reception for people who might be interested in using the school so Jerry, Amanda, Shawn, and I are driving down to give her emotional, family support.
We had pots of green tea!
We had grilled chicken and steak!
We had edamame!
We had a slightly incompetent chef!! :-)
The chef's showmanship was off but the flavors of his preparations were delicious. Fuji is located in the most unlikely place -- in a back corner of Dixie Manor, right beside the Dixie Dozen Theaters. Jerry, I, Amanda, Shawn, Sandy, Jackie, and Brandy enjoyed the whole experience.
Today presents a whole different experience. Wendell's daughter Brenda owns a preschool in Bardstown. It has been so successful that she's opening a new branch in Elizabethtown. (Incidentally, the building she's using for the new place is where two of her sisters owned an insurance agency at one time....all in the family.) Today is a reception for people who might be interested in using the school so Jerry, Amanda, Shawn, and I are driving down to give her emotional, family support.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Toots' 77th surprise
Yesterday was FUN. It was Toots' 77th birthday and Donna and I had planned to surprise her. Neal had sent a real birthday card and I'd sent an e-card so Donna said she didn't suspect anything. I picked up Neal and when we got there, parked on Donna and Gene's side of the duplex. Donna urged us to hurry because her Mom was one made little old lady because they wouldn't tell her what was going on nor let her into their side of the house! Gene put the gifts on Toots' little patio table, Donna had all the food set up on her kitchen counter, and Neal and I hid in the utility room. Matthew ran over to bring Toots back to their side and I could hear her oohing and aahing over the food spread. Then I heard Donna say: "There's more. Go back to the utility room." I had the camera trained on the doorway so as soon as she walked in, I snapped a shot of her just as she said, "OOOOH, S***!" Yes, I think she was totally surprised. Donna again said, "There's more. Walk around back." She spotted the gifts then and began ripping into them. I had wrapped a bunch of small things, items that I would like to have because they were practical and apparently she appreciated them, too. She remarked, "This is the best birthday I've ever had." That opinion might stand until next July!!
Today is "sibling lunch" day. Once a month Jerry, his brother, and sisters, and sometimes offspring meet for lunch and gabbing. I go, too, and always look forward to it. Today, we're going to a Japanese Hibachi grill and maybe sushi.
Today is "sibling lunch" day. Once a month Jerry, his brother, and sisters, and sometimes offspring meet for lunch and gabbing. I go, too, and always look forward to it. Today, we're going to a Japanese Hibachi grill and maybe sushi.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Why blog?
We'll see how I like blogging. I jumped right into the 21st Century (although it is almost 10 years into it!) by deciding to do this. I wanted to fit in with the rest of my blogging and online journaling family...never been able to stand being left out!
Interesting purchase
I made a quick stop at the grocery store yesterday and while in the check-out lane, couldn't pull my eyes away from the purchase being made in front of me. An obese man hefted a case of beer up onto the conveyor belt then topped it with two Snickers candy bars.
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