After all the horrible days of heat breaking drought, record breaking days of triple digit heat indexes, Fall has arrived.
I am surprised by the beauty, the vibrant colors, we see creeping in to the scenery. I was a naysayer who thought we would have the ugliest fall in history. I really thought things would go from almost dead to just flat out dead. The leaves would simply keep on turning brown and fall to the ground only to lay there and rot.
However, Mother Nature is never predictable. We finally received a few rains. Several days of showers and storms. Long nights of much needed rain. The grass turned green again. The colors in the trees began to change. The first to arrive are the yellow and orange colors of maple trees. There are splashes of red here and there but it is not quite their time to show off. When red shows up, the show is close to completion. We are getting near to her big finale.We will have 2 or 3 more weeks of color and then it will fade. Leaves slowly fall, leaf by leaf to the ground.
I stopped the other day, on my way to town, and took these photos. They do not do the scenery justice. The sun was shining. It was about 70 degrees and everywhere I looked I witnessed color exploding. I took these photos while standing on an old bridge, just enjoying the view. I am glad I was wrong about Fall. It is going to be beautiful.
In the mornings, there is a chill in the air. By noon it is in the 70's. Now it is a pleasure to be outside.
We have already talked about having a hay ride. The fire pit will be used soon, hopefully nightly. I think Fall is my favorite season. I say this every time a season changes. I look forward to the variety of activities each season offers. Even a dirty little creek in the middle of nowhere can be beautiful. For me, that is a good thing. As I have said many times, it does not take much to make me happy.
I will be the first one to admit that at times I am shall we say, "computer challenged", to say the least. I have come a long, long way from where I started a couple of years ago. I have a long, long way to go before I am no longer dangerous.
Cutting and pasting eludes me. I just do not get it. I was thrilled when 'they' came out with a 'share button'. Rock solid on that one unless they 'update it.'
I have created two blog sites on my own and one huge disaster. If it wasn't for Joey's patience and sense of humor, I would have one ugly political blog to add to the menagerie. I still do not know what I did wrong. All I know for sure is it snowballed completely out of control----fast.
I thought I had arrived at a reasonably safe place until about an hour ago, when I realized the information I had sent my cousin, Darla was not private but posted on her facebook page! I am the lunatic who did this!!!!
I thought I had sent her an instant message concerning our deaths. The girls all have a copy of an email with facts about these matters. I wanted Darla to know so she could be of some help to them at the time. There are always loose ends and while we have tried to take care of these things, there is probably something we forgot.
I write about our lives all the time. That is what I do. There are not a lot of secrets out there floating around, that has not been discussed in a blog or will be soon. There was nothing shocking about what I wrote, private but not shocking. Maybe a little on the morbid side after all it was about how to dispose of the bodies and divide up the loot. Other than that, it was no big deal.
I must tell you what I find amusing, I put all this information in a safety deposit box BEFORE I posted it on face book. Go figure:)
Some days it does not pay to get out of bed---this might have been one of those days.
Andy Williams died this past week. Tommy and I have a special memory connected with Mr. Moon River himself.
Tommy wanted to surprise me on our 25th anniversary. Since we got married the day after Christmas, this usually takes some planning, because normally at that time, we were broke from all the Christmas shopping.
He wouldn't give me a clue where we were going. Finally as the last bag is in the car, the kids have been kissed good bye for the eleventh time and Mama and Daddy have wished us "Happy Anniversary" we leave Fulton. Our destination was Branson, Mo.
When Tommy finally told me our destination, I was very excited. We had never been there plus seeing Branson at Christmas would be even more special. I was excited. It doesn't take much to make me happy.
The trip down was about 3 hours long. Snow covered the road, the sun was shining, glistening and sparkling every where we looked. Things that normally would appear ugly, when covered in snow are beautiful. The roads weren't as slick as I thought they would be. For that I was thankful. When we arrived at Branson, the feeling of Oz was all around. Christmas excitement still filled the air.
The city was lit up with all kinds and colors of lights. Most places used the 'new trend of white lights', greenery and red bows. Some still used the multicolored lights to give an old fashioned feel to their buildings. One music center was decorated in blue and gold. There did not seem to be a place that was not decorated to the hilt. It looked magical from the first drive down main street.
We got our hotel room, then headed out to find the place we would celebrate our 25th anniversary dinner. A lot of places were closed because of Christmas. However, there were more than enough open for us to have a wonderful time.
We drove up and down the strip trying to find the 'right' place. We finally settled on Moon River. As soon as we walked through the doors, the first thing I noticed was the ceiling was covered in upside down Christmas trees. They hung like chandeliers. The bar was straight in front of us. It was rich in heavy wood, red leather and mirrors. To the side and down a few steps was a huge dining area. White table cloths adorned with red candles, holly and pine cone centerpieces covered the large dining area. It was enhanced by Christmas music playing softly in the background. We took a window seat, the view was beautiful. It was almost dark. The candle light dinner was delicious.
When we told them it was our 25th anniversary, the 'house' provided us with a free bottle of wine. The upside down Christmas trees, really caught our attention. I remember Tommy and I had a long conversation about how the upside down Christmas trees would really mess with a drunk persons mind! The more wine we drank the funnier the scenario became. We laughed a lot about how that could play out. The wine I am sure helped to make everything funnier.
The waiters fussed over us and made us feel very special. They laughed easily and enjoyed our banter. It was a nice night and a unusual anniversary. They gave us free cheesecake. Tommy didn't care for that---I was delighted, I ate his too! Later that evening we took in a Christmas musical at one of the clubs. It couldn't have been better evening.
Even though we did not see Andy Williams, he is a part of our family memories. I hated to hear he died this week. He had a long and full life. His magic affected a lot of people. Tommy and I were touched by some of that magic,also.
Tommy and I have prepared for the worst and hoped for the best since our second year in Missouri in 1979.
Today while on Face Book, I saw a site about "Prepping". It is full of neat ideas and sound advice about preparing for unexpected trouble in whatever form it may appear. It made me remember how we started "prepping". We called it 'survival' at the time.
We had finally decided to settle down and buy a home. We had a few requirements that were must haves. First we wanted to make sure we had no neighbors. We wanted to be able to go outside and not see a single person in any direction. This was a requirement made strongest by Tommy. He wanted to be able to go outside and pee without anyone calling the cops on him. He has successfully done this on numerous occasions! Money well spent as far as he is concerned.
In 1978 our people skills were at an all time low. Over the course of the 11 years we had been married, we had our share of crappy neighbors. Three neighbors would be wonderful and fun to have around and without fail the fourth neighbor was originally from Hell. It never ceased to amaze me. This became our main goal in life, to have a home with no one in sight.
Our experiences with neighbors was long and varied. We had the cops called on us numerous times in Georgia. At that time Tommy played in a band. Our home was the only semblance of normalcy anyone in the band knew. It was where the guys crashed when they had drunk too much or their girlfriend threw them out. We were the only ones married. We had Lisa and we had a basement to set up for practice. We were the 'grown ups' in the group. Looking back what a scary thought that is now. We were kids with a baby and a band.
Unfortunately, our neighbor worked nights and weekends. Sunday afternoon she called the cops just like clock work. I can totally understand this now---after we worked nights for years. However at the time it was a nuisance. The cops would come and tell us to quieten down. We agreed. They would leave and next Sunday we did it all again. We all ended up on first name basis....except for the neighbor. The police were young and liked our music. I would answer the door, the cop kids came in, we talked, they left after a song or two. We did end up moving. The neighbor wasn't unreasonable... she was right. She had to sleep and we had to practice....just not close together or at the same time.
It was always something. At one place we fed the neighbors 4 kids for 2 years. She slept and I took care of her kids, without either one of us saying a word. One lady didn't like kids, one didn't like dogs, one did drugs and left dangerous crap laying around. I went outside to check on Lisa, as she bent down and picked up a dirty syringe. It was always something.
When we bought our home in Oct. of 78, I was not prepared for country living. I knew it would be different, I just didn't know how different. We lived 3 miles down a gravel road and 25 miles from the nearest town. We did live close to where Tommy worked, eight miles away. A school bus came by our house. We had our own deep well. We also had coyotes and snakes. There were no trips to the store for a loaf of bread.
After living in the city for years, the country at night, seemed very dark. There were all sorts of new noises to get used to hearing. A whippoorwill sent the girls and me running for the house more than once. When a pack of coyotes would start singing their "creepy Indians in the woods" howl I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Now it is soothing and necessary. It is the feel of home.
The winter of 1978-79, we had record snowfall. Our road was closed as much as it was open. We had to wait for a grader to clear the roads for us. Lisa was the only one in school. Tami was 2 and I was pregnant with Melodi. When I got up and it was snowing so hard I couldn't see the trees across the road, Lisa did not go to school. I would be drinking coffee, the bus would run, not stopping at our house. I knew that at 11:30 or 12 they would send the kids home again. I saw no point in sending her out on such a dangerous trek. She was only 7 years old. That is when the phone calls began. I had to send Lisa to school. I thought it was too dangerous, the school said they only had so many snow days therefore they had to go for at least half a day. That meant Lisa had to go too. She did, however I was not happy. This is all rural area. Nearly all the kids rode a bus to school. That first winter was an anxious winter for me. It was a learning experience for all of us.
We learned to stock up on gallons of water, batteries, lamp oil, matches, toilet paper, paper plates, trash bags and a heavy supply of food. We split our wood, stacking it by the back door and covering it with a tarp. We learned the importance of having medicine stock piled, extra gas in the garage plus lots of kindling and newspaper. I learned the hard way the difference between gasoline, kerosene and charcoal lighter fluid, when it came to starting a fire on a cold morning.The first time I used gasoline I nearly blew our house up!!!
The longest our road has been closed was a week. A few years ago we had a bad winter and a freak ice storm hit us. Downed trees closed the roads, power was off and we were on our own...again. We did fine. We cook with gas, heat with wood and can make the bathroom "outhouse ready" in a few minutes.
I also keep the same amount of supplies for the summer. We had a tornado go through here about 20 years ago. Power was off, and once again the road was closed. No damage was done to our place but it made me very aware that mother nature is fickle and does not play by the rules. Every family needs to be ready to take care of themselves for as long as possible.
We have a wonderful network of friends who are really extensions of our family. We all rely on each other or we can all stand alone if necessary.
Prepare for the worst and hope for the best is a good rule of thumb to live by in the country or anywhere you might be calling home. Ultimately it is up to us to be able to take care of ourselves. This is a lesson we all may need to know someday. Stock up, take care, be prepared just in case........
Weather wise yesterday was an odd kind of day. We had rolling thunder most of the day and night.
The thunder started before we got up yesterday morning. I could hear it in the distance. It was north of I-70. Since my home is located 10 miles South of I-70, whatever happens on that line usually affects us....eventually.
Tommy and I decided to go out for breakfast, do some grocery shopping and make an early day of traveling.
Our first stop was the post office in Williamsburg. It rained there for about 10 minutes. It is located on the north side of I-70. We drove from there to Kingdom City without so much as a drop of rain. We could hear the thunder, see the dark clouds roll by, however no rain hit the earth. After breakfast we go to WalMart to buy our groceries. Leaving the store, we see rain puddles everywhere. The atmosphere was humid and the thunder still rolled. It poured rain while we were in the store. I never heard anything.
We drive three miles down the road, the pavement is completely dry. The thunder was all around, the sky was dark. It appeared to be holding the water tightly in its grip.
This went on all day. Broken Bridge Road got a sprinkle, we received nothing at our house. I don't ever remember a day where the thunder stomped and prowled all day long. I am sure there have been many such days, I just can't recall any.
Finally last night the rain and storms found our home. Mother nature put on quite a show. The trees whipped, the rain poured and the dogs whined. Lightning sounded like it touched down close to our house several times. The sky would light up for a few seconds only to return to utter darkness. Sabella, my german shepherd paced all night long. She finally settled down outside our bedroom door. I heard her scratch a few times. We have to keep our door shut or Sabella would be in bed with us when it storms. Considering she kills every possum that happens to wander into our yard, then proceeds to roll around in her kill, coming into our bedroom is not an option. I keep "dog perfume" by my chair, just for her.
We have more storms headed our way today. That is fine. We need the rain and I enjoy a rowdy storm. It is a good day to sleep, to read and to enjoy the distant rolling thunder. This is all I intend to do today. My kind of plan. However, Sabella and Sandy are at the back door wanting in. They have had breakfast. The thunder groaned just a little bit and the girls are ready to resume their day, in the house with us. Sandy made a mad dash for her recliner and Sabella is sprawled out by my chair, where she will stay as long as I am around. This has the makings of a very good day indeed.
I have had a Bucket List for years. This past year I checked off a huge chunk of desires. It was a busy, action packed year. I think I experienced more new adventures in 2011-2012 than any other previous year. It has been fun. Everything I did was bigger and better than I had imagined....and I 'imagine' with great gusto.
While moving Melodi to California, we stopped at Las Vegas. Visiting Vegas has been in the top 10 for about 20 years. It was everything I imagined, times 100.
When we arrived in Nevada it was beginning to get dark. I could see Las Vegas coming from miles away. We were all tired, as the bright lights kept getting closer, our energy perked up for awhile. We drove down through the middle of the city on a Saturday night in a U Haul and a 91 Mercury. No one was scared of us. People walked out in front of our vehicles, expecting us to stop. Some people seem oblivious that we were even there. We were gawking at everything and everyone we saw.
Melodi was driving the car. One policeman almost hit her twice in less than a minute. First on the left side as he whipped into traffic and then on the right as he cut her off in the midst of 6 lanes of traffic. I was stomping my imaginary break while Melodi was hoping he hit her. That would have been a new car for us. I never thought about that. All I could see was Melodi hurt.
We saw people dressed in all manner of fashion. Some in thousand dollar outfits, others in casual or grubby clothes. Anything and everything was appropriate.
Musicians played on the sidewalks. People would stop and listen, some danced. It was magical to say the least. I could not wait to see the Bellagio. That has been the reason I wanted to go to Las Vegas.
The next morning we woke up fairly early, ate breakfast and took a taxi to the Bellagio. Our day began there. It is bigger than life. Las Vegas is bigger than life. The city is located in the middle of the desert, surrounded by mountains having nothing in common with its surroundings except the temperature. It was 105 degrees that day. There is a party going on 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. No invitation needed.
We gambled at the Bellagio. Melodi won $80 on the second machine she tried. Tommy won and lost. I lost. I couldn't keep my mind on gambling. I was afraid I would miss something.
I am a big fan of Oceans 11. I kept thinking in my mind, where I was in relation to the movie. My muse refused to leave the Bellagio. I think she stayed on in Vegas for about 3 days before we finally reconnected. I can't wait to write about what all she did, if and when she tells me.
We walked the Miracle Mile and it lived up to it's name. I was thankful for the air conditioning. 105 is too hot for me, no matter where I am. We darted in and out of Casino's, Malls, tourist shops and restaurants. Up escalators and down marble steps. We walked among glass chandeliers hanging from gold ceilings. Most of the time what we were seeing was surreal. A completely different life than I am used to living.
I took so many photos of places and things I will probably never see again. However, I will never forget the feeling of being part of a life where I really do not belong. It was fun. I think I may have experienced the same feeling Cinderella felt when she went to the ball.
There was one thing I was not leaving Vegas until I had , a 'hookers card'. The guys at work used to tell me about walking down the streets and being handed 'cards'. I found all sorts on the sidewalk. I stopped to get my share for my scrapbooks, when Tommy noticed I was gone. He came back to see what I was doing. When I showed him my proudest Vegas possessions, he just shook his head and walked off. The only thing I did not do in Vegas, that was on my list, was to get remarried to Tommy by an Elvis impersonator. That can wait until next year. After all, I always need something to look forward to.....besides what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. That is a good thing....a very good thing.
I love this flag. I love what she stands for, the freedoms she represents and the high cost that has been paid to have the privilege to enjoy these freedoms.
For the first time ever in my life, or in the short history of our country, we have a President who appears to not feel the same way about America.
For the first time in my life, I am afraid of the President of the United States of America. I question his loyalty to our country. I cringe every time he apologizes to radical Muslims.
I question his economic plans. I also believe they are going in the direction he has planned. He is out to break America in every way he can. His record appears to back up my thoughts.
He does not want America to be a Super Power. He wants the field leveled and everyone on equal playing grounds. Unfortunately, the rest of the world is in a stare down to see who will take our place. He knows what he is doing. Everyone is watching him. He knows the side he has picked. We don't really know for sure. It could go a lot of different directions. Make no mistake, in my opinion he knows.
I originally thought the President was just making boneheaded mistakes. When he refused to put the pipeline from Canada through the U.S. I thought he was wrong. But when he went to South America and made a deal to buy oil from them. I knew then, he does not want what is best for America. He wants us dependent on foreign oil and the profits to go to other countries. Once again to balance the playing field. Thousands of Americans would have had jobs. He took our business elsewhere.
As a nation, we have always backed Israel. There was never any doubt where we stood, no matter which party was in office. We had Israel's back. Now I am not so sure. There is a quote from the Bible that I believe to be true. God says "I will bless those who bless Israel and I will curse those who curse Israel." I believe on these words rests our prosperity and our freedom. If we take our hand off Israel we will be walking in uncharted territory. Some place I do not want to venture.
By the end of December our military budget will be slashed and will become the lowest in our history. This can not happen. Congress it is in your hands--do something for America instead of your precious party. Do the right thing. Unite and stand up for America or go home!! I am sick of most of you too. Greed and corruption runs rampant in your halls. Most votes are for sale. Stand up and be the men and women we thought you were when we sent you to Washington and to your perspective state positions.
America needs our help. For years we have been the country the majority of the world looked to for help. In time of crisis we were there. In time of war, we fought. In emergency situations we were there with food, medical care, doctors, nurses and volunteers.
Now America needs every man and woman of voting age to do the right thing. Fight for America, she is worth it.
