Oct 18

Quick Thursday Post

I’ve been reading a bunch of gene blogs, reminding me to either remove the tag and make some gen posts. At least it might remind me. There is a lot of good material and wisdom out there, partake when you can.

Time is catching up to me. The beautiful princess costume is complete, and the mermaid underway. I need to hurry, other projects are screaming for attention. For one, I’m thinking of building a PC. Not that we don’t have enough of ’em here. But, newer and bigger is better, right? I tore an old one apart yesterday, and I had a part I wanted to put in the one I use everyday. But, there is no room in the case, which does have a huge proprietary bay I’ll never use. Papa suggested getting a new case, and that got me thinking about possibilities…. We’ll see.

There is a estate sale next door today through Saturday. Not a happy thing for me. I loved the neighbor who lived there, and I miss her every day. She was in her 90’s when she passed away a couple of years ago, but she was the best (perhaps only) good neighbor around here. The people here aren’t like the down home ones where I came from, or at least the don’t seem to be. The worst think was it reminds me again of all the loss of this year and I get sad again.

There are some new photos posted at Papa’s website. The house is half clean. I took out a spare sewing machine to see how it works for me ($10 at a garage sale). So the day is planned!

Oct 15

Good Morning!

I’m feeling chipper today, not sure why.  Well, maybe I do know why.  I’ve managed to clean the kitchen cupboards, counter, walls, the outsides of the appliances, the windows, and mop the floor.  It looks so much better in there, I’ll never cook again.  Well, maybe I will.  Finished vacuuming the bedroom, stairs, living room, diningroom, cleaned the diningroom floor, and ready for a shower.   Gee, wish every day was like this.  My head still hurts, but getting rid of all that cat hair can’t hurt.  And I used heat on my forehead and it’s draining some.  That helps a little, too. 

I’ve got to take the garage sale remains to a charity, help someone learn how to check web-mail, buy a turkey to send to M-in-L for Thanksgiving.  I don’t have to cook, but my part is to send the bird, which I happily do. 

Better than all I’ve accomplished, Papa and GS2 mowed, put the cover on Lex, tilled part of the garden, and generally cleaned up a lot around here yesterday.  D3 picked 3 buckets of tomatoes, and a half bucket of peppers.  I’m not sure what to do this time.  They sure do taste good, I’ll send some to M-in-L, things are sure to be frozen up there by now. 

I’m going to put in another load of wash, get a shower, and read the paper!

Oct 14

Victory!

Remember the cheer-leading, the endless Friday nights of football, the fun?  I had such a headache I couldn’t go to the game last week, I went to bed instead.  I’m fighting hard, but my sinus problems are horrible right now.  BUT… GS2’s team won and is eligible for the state playoffs this year!  Such a great thing for the kids.  I hope they win a few of those games.

My last HS football playoff experience was when D3 was in high school.  The team was in the playoffs when D3 was in high school, and even won a championship.  I remember being at the Silverdome that year, and how emotional it was for the students. 

And, I finished costume #1, the knight.  #2, the Princess is cut out, and #3, the mermaid is on my dining room table.  Back to the grind!

Oct 12

Friday?

Not sure how it got to be Friday, I don’t remember anything about the previous days.  Well….maybe I do.  Monday, we arrived home about 2 p.m.  I ate, packed a couple of days clothes, and did a bunch of book work for the genealogy Society.  Then I drove to Kalamazoo to help D2.  She and S-in-L had to make a trip to see family, and tie up some lose ends concerning his mother’s affairs.  It’s MEAP testing time in Michigan, and she didn’t want to take the children out of school. 

I spent Monday with GD2, and interesting person.  She needs a princess costume for trick-or-treating.  A princess wears, just for your information, “A Very Pretty Dress”.  So we bought some fabric and I have that dress to make.  I also bought a mermaid pattern so GD1 can be a mermaid.  Combined that with the partly finished kinght costume ensures that I’ll be sewing all week.  We had an evening of homework, and GD1 showed me exactly how to make the lunches for the next day.  She had a plan, and she followed it.  Seems familiar to me.

I basically slept and sat till today, when I must get moving.  The house needs more cleaning, the wash, you know the drill.

More good news arrived last night, D2 and S-in-L have purchased a house, or at lease their offer on one was accepted.  The inspection is being scheduled.  We’re crossing our fingers, the last time them made a house offer it didn’t work out, but we think this time will be different.  If all things go as planned, on the 19th of November I’ll be in Kalamazoo, helping to scrub and paint the walls of the new house.  The idea is to get moved in before December 1, to save a month’s rent.  We’ll have a week to clean and paint, and then the carpet has to be cleaned.  D2 and family will do some other remodeling projects and so on later, perhaps next summer.

So, off the the sewing machine I go.

Oct 07

On the way home

FanFest at IBMA was fun this year, but we’re tired out. We’re on our way home now. We stayed for the service and gospel singing this morning, something we didn’t do last year. We enjoyed seeing the Whites. They aren’t a group we would see under normal circumstances, so it was a treat. Molly Skaggs, daughter of Sharon White and Ricky, came out and sang a number she had written, accompanying herself on an open-back banjo. She is extremely confident and has a lot of stage presence. Oh, yes, and can she sing! Rachel Leftwich, Molly’s sister and also Sharon’s daughter sang harmony on a couple of numbers, as did Molly.

Nashville was hot and humid the entire time we were there. 90’s and humid in October. Even the tough southerners were complaining, We stayed at a hotel which was about a mile from the Convention Center. It was considerably cheaper than last year. I’m pretty sure when I add it all up, we will come out less, even staying one night more.

Oct 05

Hi from Nashville!

We’re here in Music City for the IBMA FanFest.  We attended the awards show last night, it was a warm fuzzy evening.  Dale Ann Bradley got a hugh standing ovation upon being named the Female Vocalist, and Bradley Walker’s almost equaled it when he was named Male Vocalist.

For me, the most sobering moment was a remembrance, when names of recently deceased bluegrass icons was rolled on the big screen.  Grady Adkins, an Ohio promoter, leaves a legacy which includes a large family of players, promoters and wonderful people.     Ray Goins, who touched me so much the summer of 2006, when he was able to appear with Melvin on some of his shows.  Many others, who probably touched others more than they touched me.  Names instrumental in the advancement, playing, and promoting of bluegrass.  A nice moment.

Sam Bush was a great host, and did a great song with his band.  I enjoyed that as much as anything at the show.

And on we go.  We’ll be at FanFest today, and downtown, and all kinds of other running around.  Looking forward to seeing many acts that we might not otherwise have a chance to see.  

 Oh, yes, I found a lovely pink shirt with a banjo on it, size 4.  A very important acquisition.

Sep 27

Seems Like Monday…

I’ve got a ton of wash, and a ton to do.  We got our van back last night, S-in-L used it a few days while trying to clear up a few things.  There are so many things after a death.  I took step-dad to the eye doctor yesterday and myself to the dentist.  No problems, thank goodness.  So, it was a lost day, one of three so far in this lost week.

Today, I’ve got a website to redesign, some wash to do, a computer to fix, a house to clean, a knight costume to finish and on and on.  Knight costume?

There’s a long story.  D3 and her boyfriend attend a Renaissance festival near our home each year.  This year, their trip was planned on a day when GS3 and his sisters were here.  GS3 decided to go with them.  He had so much fun that he wanted his aunt, D3 to make him a costume for next year.  She sews quilts, not clothes.  I sew clothes, not quilts.  You get the picture, I’m sure.  The costume needs to be ready for Halloween, this year.   We’ll see how I do!

Sep 26

So Sad, again

I’ve been missing from the blogs for a few days.  Sally, a wonderful daughter, sister, mother and grandmother left us last Friday.  I knew her  as S-in-L’s mother and my younger grandchildren’s Grammie; she was good at both.  GS3 and GD1 were understandably upset, but I hope the good memories will out last the pain of their loss.  It was interesting to sit in the funeral home, and then the church and listen to Sally’s former co-workers, friends and family, as they revealed more about her than I could have otherwise learned.

We had missed Sally for a year or so.  She had been a familiar presence at our family gatherings, always with a great dish of food or plate if cookies; but her illness prevented that for quite a while.

So, I’m sad for my grandchildren, who lost a wonderful person from their lives.  But I’m glad she was there for the time she was, and grateful to her for everything she was to those I love.

Sep 19

What a Nice Dish

Papa’s mother is a wonderful lady who grew up in  depression era, rural Michigan.  She is frugal, but like all of us, knows what she wants and likes.

M-in-L is legend for living a lifestyle that today’s recyclers should envy.  Reduce, recycle and reuse are hallmarks of her philosophy.  That brings us to the (what-a-nice-dish)  dish.  This particular model came home to granny’s after our last trip to see M-in-L.  In it’s first life, it held shortening.  At M-in-law’s house, it held a variety of things and proved itself very useful.  It carried some left over squash to Granny’s house, and we really enjoyed the contents.  Then, the dish problem.

My daughters have joked for years about M-in-Law’s frugal habits.  I am happy to report that they exhibit some of the same economical tendencies,   but they draw the line at  resuing  packaging, at least some of the time.  The snidely refer to every margarine and yogurt carton,  and anything similar  they see saying, “What a nice dish.”  That line is one they heard grandma use one too many times, I guess.   Well, perhaps it’s not snide.  But, the implication is clear, although they admire grandma’s frugal tendencies, they aren’t about to participate.  It’s so well known a phrase that D1’s friend J calls the refillable soda cups from the corner gas station, “What a nice cup(s).”

So, last night I had to decide which world I lived in, M-in-Law’s or that of my daughters.  I picked up the the dish, and hesitated….but I remembered that my cupboards are full even though I recently off-loaded some stuff for a garage sale.  And a shelf in the basement holds dozens of reusable containers, since they won’t fit in the kitchen.  And then, I carried the what-a-nice-dish to the recycling bin.  But I felt a twinge of guilt.  Figures.

Sep 18

Warmth

A nice day yesterday, and another coming.  Perhaps a week full of them.  This time of year, warm days are a reminder to get the fall stuff done, before it’s too late.  My fall list has been put off, don’t know when I will resume.  Spent yesterday afternoon with step dad at the eye doctor.  He has macular degeneration, and when he has a cloudy spot, he gets a shot in his eye to stop the hemorrhage.  Papa’s father had that problem, before there was any treatment.  My dear aunt Jane was affected, and finally was almost completely blind.  Step dad’s mother was similarly affected, so we’re apprenhensive and slightly worried.

CACC, for whom I do a website, is now posting information about environmental events, conferences and such on their Eco Calendar page.  They also link to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality events calendar from that page.  Anyway, that means that I’ve got a little to do there from time to time.

We’re looking forward to a busy fall and winter with family, football, and bluegrass on our calendar.  Our next trip will be to Nashville for the IBMA FanFest, and we’ll also attend the awards show on Thursday evening.  It was a ton of fun last year, and we’re looking froward to it already.

OK back to the list….