Apr 23

The Lost is found

Last fall, I hauled out a cool game that I remembered from my youth, so I could enjoy it wth GD1.  She had great small muscle coordination, but she couldn’t manage both the ball and the jacks at that time.  I put it away after she left, but one of the 10 jacks was missing. Oh well.

I vacuum my house several times a week, I dust just as often.  I move the furniture each time.  Thursday, I ran through the routine yet again.  Vacuum stairs, move chair and couch, vacuum where they were, dust baseboards.  Pick up jack on floor.  Wait a minute, where did that come from after all this time.  Stuck in chair?  under couch? ???? So the question is, “Why did it take me 8 months to find the missing jack?  I’m blaming the cats, but who knows?

 I want you all to know that I’m not a slob, but this probably was not the best way to convey that!

Apr 20

Great Singer

I’ve enjoyed Barry Scott’s singing since I first saw him.  Check out this great video on YouTube.  Or, this one.  Or all of them.

Apr 18

List — or Lists?

Last night, as the troops were helping me with the dishes, I said that something needed to be put on the list.  A family member said, “You’re always putting something on a list”.  That was a correct statement.

When I worked, I kept complicated project plans, with date assumptions, and other frightening things.  Now that I don’t have a job, I’m happy if I get to the store with a list that somewhat resembles things we need.  And, as soon as I  get home  I start a new list, since I am always reaching for something I don’t have.

There is a grocery, or “shopping” list, a to do list for some small contract work I do, a calendar telling me when to be where, and a big pile of notes I’ve written to myself so I won’t forget some little thing. 

So, why isn’t anything done?  And why don’t I have any ….. the list is to long to list.  Or something.

Apr 17

New Pictures

Papa has been taking a lot of photos lately, and I’ve not done too well at posting them for the world to see.  We recently attended a wonderful festival hosted by Joe Mullins, the Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festival.  The photographs of the bands onstage are posted here.  Rhonda Vincent, Bobby Osborne, The Hart brothers, David Parmley and Continental Divide and a bunch more performed that weekend.

Speaking of David Parmley and Continental Divide, they have a great new CD out, titled Church House Hymns.  We got our copy at the above mentioned event, and listened to it on the way home.  I’ve played it quite a bit since.  It’s a good one, check it out.

We’re looking forward to more fun this weekend.  Our friends Tony and Aubrey Holt, and their band AKA The Wildwood Valley Boys, will be playing at the Kentuckians of Michigan.  Then, on Saturday, we’ll get an opportunity to spend time with our three youngest grandchildren, at Go Diego, Go Live, Fox Theater, Detroit.  These occasions have noise, fun, noise, food, noise, and so on.  We recently experienced Sesame Street, so this is round two for this spring.  Can’t wait!

If energy remains, Mike, John, Dannie and Jeff are playing at the Huron Valley Eagles on Saturday.  A big weekend for sure.

Apr 13

Too Much Illness

Everyone seems to be fine here at home, but may in our extended family and circle of friends are having health problems.  My Mom is ill, my son-in-law’s Mom is ill, and several friends are facing similar challenges. 

I’ m looking out at the sun and the greening lawn, and hoping for a day filled with sunshine.  Even if I have to make it myself!

If you’re in the Detoit area, join us in seeing the IBMA emerging artist award winner, the Steep Canyon Rangers, at OCC in Waterford tonight at 7:30. 

Apr 10

It Happened Here

I was working on a project yesterday, when D3 came running down and told me about this.  The shooting part had already occurred and police were trying to secure the building and find the shooter.  I assured her that anyone running from the law would not be driving into our sub, a couple of miles away.

Apparently, the whole mess was widely broadcast, leading to a phone call from GS2, at his Dad’s up north,  to his mother who was a work.  She called me.  Papa e-mailed me.  I received more information on the topic than I really needed.

So, here goes:  This guy apparently had mental problems, his wife had moved out, and he had lost his job.  One report said  he had applied for a concealed weapons permit and been denyed.  The incident does not relate to the safety of my neighborhood, my community, or even the entire Detroit metro region.  

It does tell us something about the times in which we live. 

Apr 10

The Real World

Welcome to the real world, is what I thought when we arrived at my Mother-in-law’s home, “up North”. They were at the end of one bang up winter storm. The snow wasn’t too deep, a couple of feet where it blew up drifts behind the house, but it’s April, for heaven’s sake. I saw her poor tulips under the snow. They didn’t look too happy, either.

Now, at Thanksgiving, it was very warm up there, and the kids played out on the swings and in the yard.

I’m back home, and I must say that the weather here isn’t much either. But, it’s not 17 degrees. And it’s not snowing.

Apr 06

The List

My to-do list ran over 25 items this morning.  Perhaps I’m making too many lists?  Or putting too much on them?  Updating this blog was not on it; that pretty much shows why the list is so long.  I’m down to 11 things, so it’s getting better. 

Why do the cats know I’m leaving?  I turned on the vacuum before packing.  That sends them running upstairs, they hate the thing.  Under cover of the droning machine, I threw a few things in a bag and took it to the car.  So, they shouldn’t know, should they?  But they do.  Oh well. 

Happy Easter!

Apr 05

What a mess!

It’s way too complicated to expain, but I got myself in over my head yesterday.  I’m finally treading water this afternoon.  I returned our three little grandchildren to their parents in the morning, and returned home with a van full of items. 

It’s enough to say that It probably could have been stored as is, but that idea offended my sensibilities.  At one point last night, it wasn’t possible to wade through the living room.  But, now everything is sorted and has a home.  I ended up taking much of the contents of our back storage area to the basement to make room for the new items.  But everything is put away, and I’m feeling better. 

But the stairs are steeper than they were last year. 

Apr 03

Spam comments

I’m getting many spam comments each day, too many to go through.  So, if you comment and don’t see it, it was probably deleted.  send me an e-mail, or use the contact form on my site, and I’ll work on the filters.  After I sweep the floor again.