On The Blackwater

Size is relative!

2010-01-30T10:36:00.002-05:00

When I mentioned that the kidney stone was HUGE, the largest the nurses there had ever seen, I need to clarify...See, they gave me the stone in a glass tube, and it looks like a lady bug! The top is jagged (not a good sign) but at least it is out of my body and in the tube!

Thanks for your kind thoughts, Becky.

Kidney Stones...arghhhhh!

2010-01-29T19:51:00.003-05:00

Thursday night, I wasn't feeling well, thought it was the flu. Around midnight, I woke hubby asking he to get me to the ER. Now! He realized that the symptoms I had, severe pain down my left side, vomiting, the shakes...were serious indications that kidney stones were back to haunt me.

He drove me to Rocky Mt ER and they took me by ambulance to Roanoke Carilion, where XRays and CT scan helped with the diagnosis.

I'm home and feeling GREAT. They put a stent in and will replace it to be sure they get all the little stones.

Sorry to be so graphic, but I feel it's always good to let people know what they might need to watch for. After all, kidney stones usually invade men, not women. But my doctor tells me I will probably continue to produce them. They are ugly little things! The nurses said mine was the largest one they'd ever seen. Oh goody!

Tears Over Haiti

2010-01-18T21:04:00.003-05:00

Babies, orphans, horribly injured young children...every day, I'm in tears. I read a piece about a wealthy couple with an enormous house full of advanced technology, and I want them to consider the children, to stop bragging about what they have and find a way to help in Haiti.

I've called the Red Cross and donated on-line, because I know every penny will go to help, and with organizations matching donations, the Red Cross is amazed at the huge amount they've raised. And babies lie in the streets, or under rubble, crying out for help.

Tonight, a rap artist was in tears. He had carried two young children to the morgue, but was turned away...the morgue had no room. They sent him down the road to the cemetery. When he got there, Haitians were fighting over the grave sites, the 'holes' in the cemetery. He was just stricken with grief.

One woman said a child came up to her carrying her bible, and asked if she would read something for her. The woman flipped open to this: Oh Lord, why hath thou forsaken me?

So sad. Yes, there is a bit of comfort to learn that people are still surviving. Sanje Gupta, it turns out, is a neurosurgeon, and he operated on a young girl when schrapnel had pierced her skull. He saved her life. In another case, rescuers found a child needing surgery, but they had no anesthetist...incredibly, two anesthetists were just then being flown into the airport. They both rushed to the field hospital, and her life was saved.

I need to dwell on these small victories.

Night at the (smithsonian) Museum

2010-01-10T10:28:00.002-05:00

Movie Review: I watched Night at The Museum: Smithsonian and it was great fun. Definitely a movie for the grandkids, but enough inside joking comments to intrigue adults. Amy Adams is perfect as Earhardt. Everytime she is on the screen she is an absolute delight. My son said his wife took their boys to see it and they all just loved it.

and now the flu strikes

2010-01-10T10:21:00.002-05:00

Dick has had a terrible long-lasting 'cold.' Now we're learning that several friends have been diagnosed with a flu...not the swine flu...that is contagious. Dick has been sleeping for hours and hours.

Meanwhile, our driveway is still frozen solid. Staying here in the house is beginning to feel stifling. Hubby has to get me to the store and sit outside in his truck while I get the bare necessities. Whine, whine, whine!

A big pot of homemade chicken soup was perfect for this cold weather. Dick also discovered that several of our windows had dropped down, so he raised them and locked them in place...he also lit the fireplace. And when I mentioned that my feet were cold, he got a pair of his wool socks and gently put them on my feet. Maybe it isn't so stifling here in the house after all!

Frigid Weather!

2010-01-07T11:43:00.003-05:00

We moved south from northern Maine to get away from cold and snow and ice. Our gravel driveway and the road leading to our driveway are both covered with thick ice. Thank heavens Dick has a 4WD truck as my PT is huddled in our garage, shivering with the cold.

We've brought the 2 Labs into the house every night. Temperatures of 14 are just too dangerous. Of course, little Yorkie Sadie Mae is enjoying being high up on our bed and ordering the 2 Labs around when she deigns to join them on the floor.

This frigid weather can leave any time...

New Year's Eve 2009

2009-12-31T19:12:00.002-05:00

We got back from a family Christmas in Birmingham to find our driveway solid ice! Thank heavens for 4WD. We were able to unpack the truck by pulling up close to the front door and walking v e r y c a r e f u l l y...

Tonight is New Year's Eve and the driveway is still frozen, so we're in our PJs and will try to stay up for the ball to drop. Couldn't the New Year come in a little earlier for those of us of a certain age?

We had a great time in Birmingham. Dick's son Shane had taken a box of old family pictures and had them made into a CD, so we were able to ID all of the relatives. What a treat that was! We'll make copies for Dick's sisters, especially the one who showed up in a fancy hat throughout. We teased her about one yellow dress with a yellow hat...lots of giggles via e-mail over that one!

Happy New Year, all!

Aunt Jimmie

2009-12-30T11:16:00.004-05:00

Aunt Jimmie was so dear to me as I was growing up. She had married my Uncle Wallie, who worked for the Red Cross and was a lifeguard at the beach during the summer.

They would drive over and pick me up, and take me to their apartment where Jimmie would bake chocolate chip cookies and fry chicken for the next day. When we got to the beach, Wallie would climb up into the lifeguard's chair and Jimmie and I would lie on big towels and talk and talk. They had no children, so I had Jimmie's full attention. I could talk about boys, about classes I was taking or not taking, about colleges I was interested in.

Jimmie convinced me to take typing and shorthand (this was the 50's) as a backup plan after high school. She was exactly right; those skills got me excellent employment, including working for a guided missile research firm in DC. My Dad was shocked to find out my salary was higher than his as an engineer for DC government. He got over his shock and moved on to bragging about his daughter. I had a wonderful loving Dad.

When Jimmie retired to Florida after Wallie's death from a heart attack, we talked mostly by phone, but I did visit her. One visit included my husband and also one of my sons. She was excited to meet them and so welcoming. We went to a neighborhood restaurant and ate 'sky-high pie' that was their specialty.

Now, I'm trying to find Aunt Jimmie. I called her Florida nursing home but all they could tell me was that she'd been transferred to a skilled care facility. Information had no phone number, no listing at all for the scf, so today I wrote a letter to the nursing home, asking them to help me find her. If she is still living, she will be 90 this coming February. The last time I spoke with her, she was very vague and confused, so I suspect she may have passed on. She no longer had any family in Florida.

She isn't truly gone; she lives on in my heart and always will.

But she will never leave my heart.

Designing your life

2009-12-18T10:43:00.002-05:00

I wonder how many folks realize that your retirement can be a time to design your life just the way you want to live it. OK, dire economic times can have an impact, but those of us who long ago decided to live within our means don't run into that so much.

When we were kids, the life ahead was an open book, and we thought we could do exactly what we planned to do. As teens, we learned more about the real world, and it's limits. As adults, with mortages and families, the world sometimes became brutally clear.

So, then, retirement, and the chance to write that novel or dance that dance, or join the Peace Corps and give back. So freeing!

How I Met my (current!) Husband

2009-12-11T20:16:00.003-05:00

I may just chicken out on writing this. After all, my grown kids read my Blog. But Blue Ridge Blue Collar Girl wrote beautifully about how she met her 2nd husband, so I thought I'd give it a go.

It was the 70's, in California, a time of flower-power and tie-dyes, short flirty colorful polyester dresses, lights under the dance floor. I'd divorced an abusive alcoholic and was having a grand time. My kids were old enough to thoroughly appreciate the calmness and lack of tension in our townhouse.

I had met some darling English sailors at a local pub and when a GF called me and insisted I come to town and have at least one glass of wine (she was sure I would end up as an old lady living alone with a dozen cats!) I threw on my embroidered jeans and workshirt, jumped in my car, and drove to town.

My GF introduced me to a fellow she'd just met, I danced with him, invited him to the Dixieland Jubilee dance on Sunday, drank my glass of wine and headed home.

Sunday, I met several GFs at the dance, then said to my one GF: Hey, I just saw the best-looking fellow ever...you're good at meeting people...help me out here. When I pointed him out to her, she laughed. "Hon, you've not only met him and danced with him, but you invited him here."

Oh.

He joined our group and all of us had several glasses of wine, whereupon he decided he'd better sober me up before I drove back across town. He took me to his house (his male roommate was traveling) and got me to drink about a gallon of strong tea, then handed me a bathing suit that belonged to the roommate's GF so we could sit in the jacuzzi in the backyard. Well, GF's suit was too large for me, so I wrapped myself in a big beach towel, went outside and slipped into the water, convinced he wouldn't notice. Right.

It's a wonder I didn't scare this fellow from rural Maine. He said he fell in love when I stepped out of the towel into the water. I've always said he fell in lust.....

30 years later, we've had our good times and our bad times, but we both know it was meant to be. Like the saying goes: We plan and God laughs.

It's snowing!

2009-12-05T16:29:00.002-05:00

Big wet snowflakes have been falling all day. They melted as they hit the warm grass, but what fun. I told Sadie Mae we could go build a teeny, tiny snowman but she was not interested. She does not like to get her booty wet...

Birds are at the feeder; they were really stoking up just before the snow began. With enough snow (soon?) to cover the ground, the brilliant male cardinals will be out in force.

I guess I've lost my regular readers. But I'll keep on keeping on.

Family News

2009-12-02T10:51:00.003-05:00

My grandaughter and her mother were touring college campuses recently. Anna was smart enough to know that College of the Atlantic, in Bar Harbor, was a private and very expensive college, but Mom said: we're down here, we might as well go look at it.

They were both thrilled that COA was right on the ocean, partnering with Jackson Labs, and offering courses in Marine Biology, Anna's choice in courses at this point.

The woman showing them around tuned in to Anna's enthusiasm (and her straight-A high school record) and told her: If you can commit to COA, we will explore available scholarships to allow you to attend here. They even interviewed her, which is amazing.

So I share this. Anna, a young girl from rural northern Maine, now may have a chance to realize her dream. Remember your dreams and go for it!

Catch up re Kindle

2009-11-26T19:30:00.002-05:00

I e-mailed Amazon and they got back to me immediately, telling me there is no backlight on the Kindle, that it automatically adjusts to the light in the room.

I'm still very happy with the Kindle. I keep it beside my bed and leave it on the charger. I don't have to use the bookmark because as soon as I turn it on, the page I was last reading comes up.

It has a lot of other applications, but this is all I need it for at this time.

Bye Bye Aunt Lydia

2009-11-24T15:58:00.003-05:00

Every family has ... or should have ... an Aunt Lydia. 83 years old and a lovely old soul. She and Uncle Win were delightful to visit. "Oh, come on down to Calais (Maine) and we'll play cards and eat us some lobstah."

She had the downEast accent; calling Uncle Win an ahss followed by her happy chuckle made it less of an attack!

Winfield was a dynamo, enthusiastic and energetic. When we brought the grandkids to visit, he'd take them out into his kitchen garden to help him pull veggies for supper. Then he'd hike them up to the small pond he'd made in his back yard, surrounded by pinwheels and cartoon figures. When they traveled, they'd stop along the way and buy more figures for the pond. For the grandkids. For their own pleasure, as they sat in the evening looking up at the stars.

We lost Uncle Win to a heart attack some years back, but Lydia kept right on going. A breast cancer survivor, diabetic, she would raise her shirt and stick the needle in and never even pause.
When Win died, the entire small town turned out for his funeral. He left a big hole when he passed on.

Now, yesterday morning, we lost Lydia. She had been fading a bit, having breathing problems, was in a nursing home in Texas, near her daughter JoAnne. The decision was to make her comfortable, to ease the pain, to let her slip away. Lydia helped make that decision herself, and that last night, she and JoAnne laughed and talked about Win, even joked with the nurses. Then, in the early morning hours, Lydia's voice softened. She smiled and said quietly:

Win and I are going fishing now.

Those were her last words.

Church Thanksgiving Feast

2009-11-22T17:43:00.002-05:00

Today was our big Thanksgiving feast at church. We always have way too much food and invite community groups to join us, such as the mentally challenged. Sadly, the Women's Shelter doesn't join us...according to their director, the abusive men suddenly get all apologetic, the women go home, they are there through the holidays and usually back in the shelter after the first of the year when the men resume their original behavior. I feel so bad for the kids in these families.

As a church, we did, however, have a lovely feast...the downstairs hall was a beautiful bouquet of tables with soft yellow tableclothes, vases of fall flowers, orange and yellow, orange napkins, and lots of food. We fill take-away foam containers to deliver to our members who are home-bound for any reason.

And since we are United Methodist, we have more than one long table loaded down with desserts. Oh my. I'll be hungry again maybe sometime tomorrow~

Go see the movie, 2012!

2009-11-20T11:05:00.002-05:00

We went to see 2012 yesterday afternoon...it's playing at our local theater.

WOW!~ It is truly amazing, the special effects are incredible. Yes, it has gotten mixed reviews, but based on the trailer that has been playing, I wanted to see the movie on the big screen.

We were on the edge of our seats, gasping and commenting, just overwhelmed. Of course, it starred a favorite actor of mine, John Cusack, so that didn't hurt.

I thoroughly recommend 2012. I had a feeling it would rack up the numbers, and it opened at 65 million $ US-wide, twice that world-wide.

More on the Kindle

2009-11-20T11:02:00.002-05:00

Their e-mail does work well, although it is interesting that a crucial piece was left OUT of the booklet that came with the Kindle.

According to the e-mail, I need to hook up my PC with the Kindle before I can download anything. Well, DUH! It makes sense, but should have been included up front.

Naturally, they are using terms I do not understand, so I'll get my computer-savvy husband to clarify it for me.

Learning to use the Kindle

2009-11-18T10:48:00.003-05:00

I knew it. I'm just not a techie. The Kindle is all powered up but when I try to select a book to download, I cannot access the latest Wayne Dyer book.

(I was mistaken in the price of his audiobook...more like $38...which I still believe can be downloaded onto the Kindle for $9.99.)

Problem is, as I follow the directions, they become more confusing to me, using technical terms that I just cannot recognize.

There's an e-mail support site, and also an 800# I can call. I think I will go with the 800#. Stay tuned!

My Kindle is here!

2009-11-16T16:27:00.002-05:00

Much faster than a speeding bullet...and seems to be very easy to use. I've already figured out how to enlarge the text 5 times.

I haven't ordered a book yet, but will probably get the Wayne Dyer book since that one is over $70 if narrated, whereas I should be able to order it for $9.99. There's probably a charge for having it read to me, but I haven't investigated that option yet.

OK, this is a preliminary report....more in the next few days.

OK, the Dr. Wayne Dyer story!

2009-11-14T19:51:00.002-05:00

Way back when I was divorced and living in California, the local university advertised that Wayne Dyer was going to hold a seminar having to do with his book, "Your Erroneous Zone."

I got two GFs to go with me, and we had a great time. As I recall, Dyer was into empowering women, and he set up a scenario where a woman would ask another person (we were all women there, the self-help patrol) for a date, and not back down as the 2nd person gave every excuse in the book not to go out with the 1st person.

Then Dyer said: this is the difficult part for me, because nobody ever asks me out.

Both of my friends physically pushed me forward...uh, OK, I'll ask....and I did, and Dyer grinned and carefully gave reasons not to accept. Then he announced to the whole class that I'd backed down!

So, that's the story and I'm sticking to it...

Changing perspective...

2009-11-14T10:16:00.002-05:00

Ah, nice sunny weather. Temps in the low 70's predicted, even higher tomorrow. Sunny days lift my spirits.

I've decided to pare down my very active life. Have resigned from boards, and since I can no longer drive at night, even church committee meetings must go on without my participation. What a relief!

Now, I've always been a very cautious person. Do I buy this or wait until it goes down in price?

For some time now, I've been pondering purchasing a Kindle. I like to read in bed at night, and books get really heavy to hold and read. I would consider purchasing an actual book, and then wonder if it might be better to get it for $9.99 as a download, or not. Recently, a Dr. Wayne Dyer book is one I want. I met Dr. Dyer eons ago in California...in fact, I sortof had a date with him, during a seminar he gave at a university. (Hmmm...that may call for a blog all by itself!).

So I'm exploring the Kindle, and learn that: (1) it has gone down in price twice, (2) Barnes & Noble is coming out with their own version soon, and (3) other companies are planning to come out with their versions. My cautious self was saying: Oh, just wait, maybe by Christmas or shortly thereafter, you can get a Reader/Kindle for much less than the $259 it is priced at today on Amazon.

But NO!...heck, who knows what will happen in the next few months? Not I. Bite the bullet, spend the money, call it a Christmas present to myself. Yep, I ordered the Kindle.

I can enlarge the text. It is back-lighted for reading at night in bed. It is extremely light. I read through the reviews...it'll get here to me before the week is up. Free shipping.

Merry Christmas!

But I can't swim!

2009-11-12T14:55:00.003-05:00

Wow, did we ever get heavy rain and more heavy rain yesterday and all night long.

We woke up this morning to see the Blackwater River at least 4 feet over its banks below us. Thank heavens we built up on the stone cliff side where the water could not reach us. Our neighbors, closer to the river than us, perching their log home on stilt-like framing, had water coming under their doors but fortunately not enough to damage the interior.

Schools closed and low-lying areas braced for flooding. Since we've had wet weather for some time now, the current storm water just rolled off the surface and pooled.

We also lost power for a few hours during the day, but it is back on now. I had dragged out the candles just in case.

Hubby has a barbershopper concert over in Lynchburg tonight; I'm planning to attend the closer performance tomorrow night at Moneta. Now that the power is back, I can relax and indulge in my Thursday night ritual...Grey's Anatomy.

Last Night, Just What I Needed

2009-11-11T11:07:00.002-05:00

Last night, the Marines celebrated their birthday, with the Marine Corps Ball. First one they have held in this area; last year, 18 former Marines showed up to plan for last night's event. There must have been 60 or more people there last night, including the oldest Marine at 82, and the youngest, at 19.

Dick, as a VietNam veteran, two tours as a helicopter door gunner, was one of the fellows celebrated and congratulated. With Veterans' Day today, and all that is going on in the world, it felt good to recognize the men who, when they actually came home from the battle, were treated very, very badly.

We laughed and visited and sang the Marine Corps hymn together, but there were many serious moments throughout the evening.

I felt safe. Does that make sense? It was a dark night with heavy rain, yet I felt very protected.

Saddened by Mass Killings

2009-11-10T16:43:00.002-05:00

Will we be known as a country where nutcases grab a gun and randomly kill everyone in their sight because of a perceived slight? Just too much for me to deal with right now. I am so sad for those families ... 31?... who now have lost everything that matters.

Christmas is Coming!

2009-11-05T11:27:00.002-05:00

We've been practicing our Christmas cantata at church for weeks, and today's frosty start really puts me in the mood.

Gifts? How about this as a suggestion: Give someone a certificate for a pedicure...

At one time, I thought pedicures were a bit pretentious. That was before my California daughter-in-law insisted it was a calming, spa-like experience, and she took me to her fave place. AHHH!

Now, I go once a month and float out of MY favorite place on cloud 9. See, some of us (me) have ingrowns that curl and cause a lot of pain. Wearing sandals means I failed to notice the pain, but once I put on regular shoes, it was hobble around time.

I went to a podiatrist, who charged an arm and a leg (ahem) to fix one big toe. Now, I go to my place, choose a nail color, sit with my feet in bubbling warm water for a total of 2 hours of being coddled and massaged and made pain-free.

Surely you know someone who would love such a gift. Rather than a sweater that doesn't fit or something to put on a shelf and dust, think about a gift certificate for a pedicure for your Mom or Sister or good friend.

Halloween!

2009-10-30T10:50:00.003-04:00

Such fun with the darling little preschool kids at church. Cool rainy weather moved the party indoors, although we were able to have our Trunk or Treat from the trunks of our cars in the parking lot by holding that part after the indoor party, earlier than scheduled so it was still light out.

Sadie Mae loved that part of the event...she greeted each little child with happy yips and her 'circle of joy' that she does out of pure happiness, tangling me in her leash of course. Nothing like little kids and little dogs!

There were tiny bumble bees, dancing ballerinas, cowboys, even a slim girl wearing a long gorgeous devilish dress, red sparkles, stand-up collar...and glittering silver shoes. We were in Dick's truck, so my camera languished back home in my car. Darn.

We had glow collars for each child. What a good idea that was, and of course parents and friends guided them from car to car. No cars were allowed to enter the parking lot after it began. Oh, I forgot to mention two darling 3-year-old lambs, twin girls who loved the cakewalk indoors. That was possibly the favorite event, with cupcakes and other treats for the winners to select from.

When we first began this event, there were some who disagreed with holding it. We have it the Weds before Halloween so it doesn't interrupt other plans. But these are very young children, too young to go door-to-door, particularly in this day and age, even in this small town. It's a protected event in every way possible, and judging by attendance, it has become a delightful party.

Happy little children, laughing and dancing around. What a joy!

Friends

2009-10-29T15:58:00.002-04:00

Some friends nest comfortably in my past life, ever caring, ever loving, just there as a song or a scent or a phrase brings them to mind. They haven't changed in my mind, even though I know they must have changed as I have.

I imagine them as small puffy...maybe a soft orange...orbs floating in a darker sky. I know I could still call on them if need be, and they would be there for me, as I would be here for them.

Our only real contact now is Christmas...or Hanukkah...or non-denominational cards once a year. I still send out a Christmas letter so relatives and close friends can keep up with what we've been up to, but I keep it to one page with (hopefully!) no bragging.

Lots of contact continues with church family and friends we see often.

I don't feel guilty or neglectful about those orange orbs...we build our lives as we learn from everyone we meet.

No big message here; just some thoughts I've been having.

Fall in all it's glory

2009-10-26T16:18:00.004-04:00

Let's see if I can remember how to post pictures. I wanted to take some pix this afternoon in the bright sun, but of course it clouded over. Still, I think I got some nice color...

Anniversary (Poem)

2009-10-26T15:33:00.002-04:00

From Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac for 10-13-09. He sends his WA to a gazillion folks via e-mail, and gets permission from each author, so I believe I can share...

Anniversary

by Jason Whitmarsh

She says he isn't as funny as he used to be. About fifty percent as funny maybe less. He thinks, but doesn't say, no, it's you, you're depressed, you don't find anyone funny anymore. She thinks, but doesn't say, I've always been depressed. I've never found anyone funny--except you, once.

Realization

2009-10-25T16:56:00.002-04:00

It dawned on me that one of my fears has been worrying about ending up like my younger brother. He is much like the Collyer brothers; he wanders through corridors between huge stacks of newspapers, invites all his friends over, having them bring food, for big outdoor feasts. No planning. Just food. Never did realize until now that hiding the facts of any work he did, usually part-time and not very often, would result in a miniscule Social Security payment when he turned 65.

So I need not worry any more. I was careful to work full time (and sometimes part-time on top of that) in order to raise 3 kids alone after a divorce. I wasn't that neat and tidy...see my previous blog!...but was fortunate enough to marry a man who likes things put where they should be. He never nags, but the neatness rubbed off on me.

Newspapers are thrown out as soon as they are read. Books? I have several ceiling-high bookshelves and plan to purge some to donate to the library. I'll keep my shelves of author-signed books. My kids and grandkids can put them on eBay if they wish after I'm gone.

I'm thinking seriously about getting one of the new Kindles just because it would be so easy to read in bed rather than a heavy book.

Meanwhile, brother-mine, I know you are happy with your routine just as I am delighted with mine!

Lake Writers and the Collyer Brothers book

2009-10-24T09:40:00.003-04:00

I expected some of the older members of Lake Writers to identify with the Collyer Brothers book, but it was a much younger member who was intrigued, and who had read excerpts from the book. (She, as I, loved Doctorow as a writer of course.)

It's funny but not unexpected that I, at the age of 10, was one of those folks mystified by the discovery of the two brothers, both dead in the house and buried under tons of stacked newspapers, through which they had created tunnels to get through all the tons of items the one brother had hoarded.

Doctorow of course had to imagine conversations between the brothers, so he is careful to tell the reader that this is a novel, a work of fiction. Incredible...

If you are intrigued, Google 'Collyer Brothers' and you will find pictures of the exterior and interior of the house when the police came in to find out what had happened to the brothers.

Fall is here!

2009-10-23T20:59:00.002-04:00

Beautiful fall colors, but I'm hopeful the predicted rain doesn't strip the red and orange and yellow from the hardwoods. Will take some pictures if the leaves remain...

My very favorite time of year, with the brilliant leaves~

Stories for My Book

2009-10-22T20:09:00.002-04:00

I'm still trying to pull together my book about recipes, but am gaining a bit of momentum.

One of my church friends is famous for her Italian Cream Cake, which has 2 pages of handwritten directions! She says it takes a bit of time to make, but is SO good.

I'll bring a copy of the recipe to our Lake Writers meeting tomorrow, so they will know I am still struggling but making some headway after all.

Remember: If anyone has a funny story involving food, I'd love to hear it. There's no way, for example, to write about stuffed eggs(!) but I'm going to include a 'recipe' anyway, as everyone has her own way of fixing them. Isn't it funny that men hate hard boiled eggs but will stuff themselves with stuffed eggs. It seems there are never enough of those at any church function.

Interesting book I'm reading, Homer & Langley

2009-10-21T16:59:00.002-04:00

I was 10 years old when the story broke in the papers about the Collyer brothers; you have to be a certain age to remember all the commotion and conjecture!

The brothers lived in a tall Victorian house in what was then a very nice part of New York. Their parents died, and the 'boys' inherited the house. Homer became blind, and Langley kept trying to 'heal' his blindness with diet and other strange things.

Langley decided he would publish ONE newspaper that would cover everything in the world, so he began collecting papers until they were stacked to the ceiling and only small tunnels existed for them to get around. Then Langley began collecting anything and everything. When the house was cleared out, they found a Model T Ford in the upstairs dining room! Langley had taken it apart, brought it into the house piece by piece, and rebuilt it.

The book is written as a novel by E.L. Doctorow and is getting rave reviews. Check it out on Amazon if you're interested; I paid about $10 for used (only it was brand new).

I love it when I find a book I can't put down...

20-year increments

2009-10-17T10:58:00.002-04:00

I've lived my life in 20-year increments...first in Washington, DC, where I was born, then in Sacramento where my 3 children were born, then in Maine, and now in Virginia...which is 10 years, 10 (at least!) to go.

I have friends here who have never lived anywhere else, and sometimes I envy them the closeness they have with their families in this same area, but sometimes I feel they have missed out on so much by not traveling out and about.

Just thinking out loud~

All I want~

2009-10-10T09:38:00.001-04:00

"All I want is a warm bed and a kind word and unlimited power!"

Quoted from someone named Ashleigh Brilliant. Love it!

Music and Memories

2009-10-09T19:48:00.003-04:00

I listen to Sunny FM in the car. They play music from the 80's, and it is incredible to me that a song will be played and I am instantly transported back to those 80's. I welcome memories of who I was dating then, where we went, even who I was dancing with to some of those selections.

Who was it that said: music is the background for our lives? Ah, yes. There I go, driving down the road, 'dancing' in my car seat, grinning like crazy.

Mountains

2009-10-03T15:22:00.002-04:00

The other night, we drove just a few miles to hear our former pastor, Larry, deliver a passionate revival. We've missed him terribly; the Methodist church keeps promoting him higher and higher. His current posting is just above NC, his home and where his parents and other family now live.

Larry made an interesting comment. He said he'd forgotten how FLAT it was down there. He said 18 years up in this area caused him to just love the mountains, that he could raise his face to the BlueRidge, day or night, and feel such strong pleasure, lifting his spirits. He was happy to have this 4-day revival surrounded by the mountains.

I'd never thought about that, but it is so true.

Need a little help from my friends

2009-10-01T18:20:00.002-04:00

Well, friends, here's a true test of friendship. Do you have any funny stories featuring a cake? Anything that has happened that you recall or heard about? It has to involve a cake or cakes.

I'm working on a book called: My Church is Making me Fat! (with recipes) and I've stalled. I mean, what can you write that is funny about eggs? Churches serve platters and platters of stuffed eggs. I did find something I'm working on about potatoes, believe it or not.

Please let me know. And if you have fave recipes, dump them on me. I may just do a page or two of recipes alone!

Well, I think I am back again!

2009-09-26T09:05:00.002-04:00

Whew...my Blog wouldn't work here, of all things. PC working fine...so I shut everything down and when I finally came back, Voila!

I'll have some pictures to post soon...waiting for the fall colors to come on strong, also have a grandson's wedding pictures from Maine. He's a college graduate with a super computer job, works world-wide. Too bad he isn't closer to me so he could fix all these things...

Funny story about Jessie. His wife Jessica is called Jessie, and he stayed with her family while he was in college. Her mother would answer the phone: which Jessie do you want to talk to, the male Jessie or the female Jessie? When the caller seemed puzzled, Mom would say: See, we named both our children Jessie; it just made it easier on us!

OK, more later, now that I can post again.

OK, OK, no more excuses...

2009-09-17T10:43:00.002-04:00

Lordy, I've been out of touch but back again. Yes, Becky, you can stop rattling my cage.

Hope everyone is doing well. I've been just plain out of touch. I should copy my friend Ms Redman, and come up with 10 (12?) items ...

How about Sadie Mae, supposedly MY puppy but who has bonded with poop-daddy to the extent that she barks at me!

and Fred First over in Floyd, who is so concerned about getting kids outside, to play in streams and stroll beside them, splashing up little frogs...

and Amy, who has surely by now given up on me, but who delights in getting her kids outdoors.

Well, can't think of more right now, but lets us go with this much.

Must say, though, a personal beef...someone takes a jar of apostrophies and tosses them into the air, letting them fall where they may. Lordy.

I'm back!

2009-08-30T16:19:00.002-04:00

Sorry all y'all, but I have a ton of excuses, grandkids visiting, trip to Tennesee to visit family, ended up in hospital...enough?

All is well now, and I'm back to the Blog ... which almost didn't recognize me, wanted a user name, then other stuff. I finally fooled them and got here. Whew

BTW: remember when I told everybody to go see Mama Mia? What a treat that was. Someone wrote a comment that Pierce Brosnan had a terrible voice. Well, there are those of us who don't worry about his voice, but do admire his gorgeousness!

Latest movie I've seen is the Meryl Streep take on Julia Child. Great fun. How she can (at her age!) accomplish her leap above the bed in Mama Mia is just amazing. Too much. As for the Julia Child movie, she is so convincing...

2009-08-01T17:10:00.002-04:00

Hey, I'm back. We went to Tennessee for a family get-together, and I ended up calling 911 and riding in an ambulance with flashing lights to a nearby hospital, where tests indicated surgery.

When we left, the doctor kept saying: now, tomorrow, call a Urologist and arrange for surgery to remove the stent. I reminded the doctor that we would not get home before about 2 in the morning, so calling the Urologist would have to wait a bit!

Now comes the only good news in this post! We went to see the Roanoke urulogist who grinned: let's do the surgery right now! HUH? Then, instead of 'surgery' he placed some thin covered wires and demolished the stent and anything else there! No pain, no anesthesia, amazing.

Basically, a huge kidney stone had been removed during the surgery, so I'd expected yet another operation. Since men typically suffer from kidney stones, I saw the waiting room crowded with men, so they must also benefit from those tiny covered wires. What a neat technique.

Yes, I am here!

2009-06-28T17:47:00.002-04:00

No excuses for being off-blogging for so long. Being a long-time news junkie (it was part of my job for 18 years) I've been sucked in by the TV to the ongoing Michael Jackson coverage.

I've often chided Dick for hollering at the TV...now I'm the one who is guilty. I'll just say this: apparently, in Hollywood, there are 'personal physicians' for hire who supply myriads of meds that basically become drugs...such as Demerol, injected, which is the same as morphine.

I know MJ has many fans who celebrate his music; I'm afraid I think of him as a pedaphile who had enough money to pay off the young boys. Also, right after he died, his family's attorney said he'd warned him that he was surrounded by enablers (pushers in this case).

I'm sure everything will eventually come out. But the TV is off for now, and hopefully that continuous coverage will cease.

OK, that's the only excuse I'll offer! But life does seem to impact me and I need to keep on posting. Yes, I DO have pictures in my camera! Onward and upward!

That said, we will be driving to Clarksville, TN, for a sort-of reunion. Dick's daughter Angela lives there with her husband Daniel and their 5 children. So some of us from his family, and some from Daniel's family, plan to get together over the 4th and meet each other, and enjoy the family. Yes, I WILL take pictures. Their 5th child, a bit of a surprise, is a Drama Queen. I'm sure that every time the flash goes off, she'll be grinning up at me.

I won't be blogging for those 5 or 6 days but will be enjoying family time.

I am just NOT a techie!

2009-05-24T19:50:00.003-04:00

Keith, I tried to comment on your throwing away tons of e-equipment, but ran into a problem with my g-mail (which I do not use at ALL) password. Then (you'll love this one) I got a call from Directv that I can watch a PPV movie for free. All I had to do was visit their Website. Which I never use.

OK, I go to their Website but they refuse to recognize me because my e-mail has changed. Uh. Yeah. When DirecTV was bought out by Hughes.net, they stopped the original e-mail accounts and assigned me a Hughes e-mail. Years ago.

THEY changed my e-mail, not me. And I had just had it printed on the back cover of my book!

This e-world is more than I can deal with. And I was commenting, Keith, on the fact that I'd watched GMA this morning and an artist fellow was showing his i-phone(?) that, for a $5 fee, he had gotten a program to add color. He then took a B&W picture of times square, added color, and sent it to The New Yorker who had used it for one of their COVERS. We are being drawn into the e-future whether we wish to be or not.

As I say this, I am trying to remember how to put a picture here on my blog. AHA! Got it...

A Visit to the Taubman

2009-05-16T14:57:00.002-04:00

I groaned when realizing I did not bring my camera with me to the Taubman. I could have captured a picture of the life-like young woman sitting on the outside balcony, the one who scared passing motorists until the museum staff turned her around...it had looked as if she were about to fall into the street!

Our Rocky Mount "Eclectic Readers" book club, having just read Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland (an amazing day-by-day account of Renoir's painting of the magnificent portrayal of Sunday life in Paris) decided to tour the Taubman. We were able to take advantage of a group rate of $7.50 each, with a tour conducted by a docent. We also had a lovely lunch in Norah's Cafe', which is accessible from the street. There are also occasional events held in Norah's Cafe' in the evenings.

One of our book club members had to use the elevator, so several of us also took that option, missing out on the winding back-lit glass stairway. Upstairs, in the 8 galleries, there were benches to sit on to rest and to view the displays, which were captivating indeed. Devorah Sperber's unique work, using spools of thread to format a portrait of Marilyn Monroe which is only apparent when the image is seen through an optical device, for instance, is striking.

Her work will be displayed through the end of this month (May 31st) and other artists' work will move into the galleries. We were also intrigued by a display in a tiny gallery of sparkling crystal Lieber handbags. We were up close and personal as we slowly circled the bright globes, each holding a glittery handbag or compact. Lieber's bags are world-famous and this collection is so large that pieces are moved into the gallery and out again, creating a changeable "garden" of design.

At night, the ship-like glass showcases local icons; the coffee pot that pours, and the Mill Mountain Star. There's another rooftop piece, but I've forgotten which one it is. Guess I'll have to get to Norah's Cafe' some evening so I can see this museum in a different light. Go to their Website, artmuseum.roanoke.com for a virtual tour and information about ticket prices and hours.

Sleep Terrors

2009-05-10T17:56:00.003-04:00

They are called Sleep Terrors, as opposed to Nightmares. Dr. Oz did a segment on sleep disorders and I was only half listening, until I realized he was discussing a condition I suffer from.

My husband wakes me, telling me I am screaming and anyone within the same house (such as my daughter's house in Maine) or in another room at a hotel or motel when traveling, must think I am being attacked. I've asked him to gently cuddle me and just "talk me down" when this happens. 90% of the time I have absolutely no memory of a dream or a nightmare. He tells me I thrash and scream.

Occasionally I will recall that I had dreamed I was running downstairs. Sometimes the running downstairs finds me crashing onto the floor and ending up with some serious bruises. (Poor guy: some day someone will call 911 on their cell phone and there will be lots of explaining on my part!).

I decided to post this in case there are others out there suffering from the same terrors. Health sites on the Net pretty much assume this is a childhood condition; well, it would have to be a second or third childhood on my part to fit that description. I am curious about what could be done; it appears that nightmares need a therapist while Sleep Terrors can respond to medication. One major difference is that you have NO recollection of the screaming or thrashing around.

The Irridescent Indigo Bunting

2009-05-08T18:06:00.003-04:00

I've just spent over an hour stalking my bird feeder, trying to get a picture of the two male Indigo Buntings that usually visit this time of day. Someone must have tipped them off...

Today, during our Lake Writers meeting, Bruce read a poem about magical birds. I was certain he meant Indigo Buntings, with their gorgeous color change from black feathers to the brilliant Indigo color. When I mentioned that, neither Bruce nor others agreed with me!

So here goes: from the Audubon Society's Field Guide to North American Birds...

"Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea: Description: Sparrow-sized. Male in bright sunlight brilliant turquoise blue, otherwise looks black; wings and tail darker. Female drab brown, paler beneath."

Footnote on page: "Indigo Buntings have no blue pigment; they are actually black, but the diffraction of light through the structure of the feathers makes them appear blue. These attractive birds are also found in rural roadside thickets and along the right-of-way of railroads, where woodland meets open areas. (etc)"

I am blogging this to win an argument with a fellow who does not blog nor does he have anything to do with the (evil) internet. Oh well~ I WIN!

Roman Holiday

2009-05-05T15:32:00.002-04:00

I was in high school when Roman Holiday came out, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. Last night, it was on Turner Classic Movies channel, in black and white of course, and without commercial breaks.

I hadn't remembered that this was actually the first movie Hepburn made. Born in Holland, she wanted to become a ballerina but the Nazis starved Holland and Hepburn became too weak to continue dancing once the war ended. (She helped folks hide, carrying messages as did her mother, even as she suffered from malnutrition).

She had acted in one play, insisting she knew nothing about acting, before filming Roman Holiday. Yep, I teared up. Understandable while I was a teen to cry over a tale of unrequited love. Last night, tears came down again.

Someone must have known that it was Audrey Hepburn's birthday, because they have scheduled My Fair Lady as well. Of course, that one is in brilliant color, and I recall that they would not let her sing. Not too long ago, she was featured in a commercial as she danced in a black leotard...one of her sons had agreed to that, saying she had always been happiest when she could fulfill her dream of dancing.

Watch for Roman Holiday, but keep a hankie handy.

Blog is finally where it is supposed to be!

2009-04-25T10:43:00.002-04:00

I did some clean-up work, installed some updated stuff, and Voila!...my Blog now appears on my PC exactly where it is supposed to be.

Can you believe this weather? It is supposed to be in the 90's this weekend. Guess it is time to clean the grill. I bought some foil grill pans (they have holes on the bottom) to use for grilling veggies, pizza, french fries, even hamburgers. But the grill itself needs a good cleaning, and I plan to outfit it with some better tools.

I bought a set of BBQ tools at Lowe's when I bought the grill. (The grill was intended as a Father's Day prezzie for Dick as I'd hoped to get him to enjoy grilling...it worked somewhat!).
But the BBQ tools were made in Taiwan or someplace where they hadn't a clue...the gripper tongs don't hold well, the turner is so big everything slips off, and the other tools don't work the way they should.

There are hotdogs in the freezer, just waiting around to be grilled until their skins split and they turn a bit black around the edges...YUM! Open a can of beans, mix up some coleslaw with tiny pineapple chunks and some cranberries, get out the spicy mustard...see what happens when the prediction is 90 degrees?

Luncheon of the Boating Party

2009-04-23T11:29:00.003-04:00

I joined a local Book Club to discover some new writers, to read in some new directions, to spread the word about books I enjoyed reading. Well, our book for next month's meeting is a true treasure!

Susan Vreeland's Luncheon of the Boating Party is described by Amazon.com as historical fiction. The cover of the book is a copy of Renoir's painting. Vreeland has taken his actual painting of that piece step-by-step and the reader reaches an entirely new understanding of what went on for him to produce the work.

So broke he cannot afford his paints, or to pay the friends who model for him, or to pay the owner of the restaurant beside the river who provides food and drink for everyone on several successive Sundays, Renoir struggles, living on his admirers' contributions to help pay the costs.

You learn about models having to buy second-hand clothing while a friend brings a distinctive hat with red poppies for one lovely girl, who holds a small dog despite the artist's reluctance to use animals in his paintings. Again and again, the reader flips to the front cover, or the inserted color copy of the painting, to see...oh yes, he didn't use the woman in the striped dress after all, she was much too difficult, and yes: there is the girl in the boating party blue dress wearing her beautiful hat with the red poppies, and a white ruffled piece that the artist is delighted to paint.

Our Book Club will tour the new Roanoke Museum at our May meeting to discuss this book. Again, the book is a treasure and a delight to read. Degas is mentioned several times (and not necessarily in a good light!) as are Renoir's contemporaries.

Blog OK?

2009-04-22T16:23:00.002-04:00

I'm told my Blog appears in the correct position when others visit. Apparently, it is only my screen that places it halfway down the page. GRRR! Where is that book, Blogging for Dummies?

Looks as if we will be spending the summer in Maine again this year. Dick having just had open-heart surgery had revised his plans to drive here, there and everywhere. But he wants to haul our camper up, park it at his uncle's farm, and use it as our home base. Last summer, we stayed with my daughter. All the many stairs, and tearing apart the downstairs bathroom (and flooring in a 100+ old farmhouse) meant a difficult stay. We also had terrible weather, with constant heavy rain and very hungry mosquitoes. We're ordering better weather this time~

The plan for the camper in Maine is to facilitate Dick's hunting and flyfishing trips. He already has some of his church friends eager to join him this fall. I'll be happy to stay here at home after a summer up in the far north.

I have many friends who spend months away in a better climate. I don't know how they do it! It can be a lot more complicated than it sounds.

Strange...when I click on Review instead of Edit, the Blog is right where it should be...

2009-04-04T20:57:00.004-04:00

David Baldacci spoke for over an hour today at Trinity Ecumenical, and he was SO funny! He told the most delightful stories about his writing, about encounters with people in airports reading his book, about writing his books (14 bestsellers!), about living at Smith Mountain Lake, about his kids...I am SO glad I went. Tickets were free, but collections were taken up for both the Moneta Branch of the Bedford Library, and the Westlake Branch of the Franklin County Library.

When it was mentioned that it had taken two years to get Baldacci there as a speaker, he said that whatever was collected, he would match...then he grinned, saying that might have made the 2-year wait bearable!

I bought a copy of his first-ever book and left it at the library for him to autograph, rather than stand in a very long line. Tickets were numbered, and I would have had to take #211 in line. I'm not able to stand and stand as yet, so that was the simpler plan.

We also had been asked to bring a 'gently used' book, paperback or hard cover, to donate to a charity he and other writers contribute to, promoting literacy to children without books to rely on.

I believe he also participated in an evening dinner program, but I'm not certain. We are so fortunate to have David Baldacci as a summertime neighbor and as someone who values libraries enough to assist in fund raising for them.

Did I fix it?

2009-04-04T20:48:00.003-04:00

Thanks for the nice notes re Dick's open-heart surgery. He is doing really well, although he keeps interpreting the "Do not drive for four weeks" as...oh, they don't want me to drive to, oh, Texas, but they surely didn't mean I could not drive to WalMart.

Can you believe it is actually April? The birds are flocking (yeah) to the bird feeder as we buy sacks of the pricey sunflower hearts and the fruit and nut mixture they love. The purple lilac bush is about to flower, and the Japanese Weeping Cherry is gorgeous. (I just hope the Japanese beetles leave it alone this year.)

I'm trying to decide whether to plant my herbs in a pot on the BBQ deck, or over by the wooden fence. I'm thinking I'll use them more readily in cooking if they're just out on the deck. Decision made! (and they say women can't decide...)

Finally Back (but will the Blog slip down?)

2009-03-28T17:39:00.002-04:00

Whew...the surgery went well, I came home, rested up a bit and THEN, hubby had some mild chest pains and ended up having open-heart surgery (triple bypass) in Roanoke Carilion's state-of-the-art cardiac unit. It's as if we were taking turns!

Friends drove me there and back every day he was in the unit, because Roanoke Memorial is in the midst of renovations so it was either walk a mile into the parking garage (and back) or have dear friends from church drop me at the hospital entrance and then pick me back up there.

Dick did amazingly well. He is in excellent physical shape, strong heart muscle, doesn't smoke or drink. Dr. Baker and an assisting cardiac physician said his body was actually creating new arteries to and from his heart! Have you ever heard of such a thing? Instead of actually replacing three arteries, they took a short one from his shoulder and another slightly longer one from his thigh. One of them replaced two clogged arteries.

He was walking the next day (Saturday) and they wanted to send him home the following Monday, but he asked to return to the 9th floor and get one solid night's sleep before we brought him home on Tuesday. As you can imagine, the CSICU isn't conducive to sleep! Beepers beep, rings sound, nurses hurry past the 12 units.

He is home now. They told him he couldn't drive for 4 weeks and he is having a hard time with that! As for me, I can drive now, but I'm not certain I can last for four weeks of constant instruction from the passenger seat: 'Turn here, it's a short cut. No, don't take that street. You're going too fast. You're going way too slow. It's raining and your wipers aren't working right. I TOLD you this was the wrong way to get there....' ARGHHHH

But I am so glad he is home, and well. And I'm home, and well. Sadie Mae went into a frenzy every time a vehicle came down our gravel driveway and it wasn't her guy. Now she sleeps curled up into his back. The hospital gave Dick a big teddy bear to hug so he can protect the incision where they cracked open his chest; Sadie Mae seems to understand. She's just glad he is BACK.

BTW: There is a site called CaringBridge.org (it's being worked on today, to add Spanish) out of Minnesota. You enter a person's name who is having serious surgery or has cancer, and visitors to the site can get daily updates on someone's progress and can leave messages for the patient. It saved me over 300 phone calls and contacts, and when Dick read the messages, he was in tears.

Blog slip-sliding away~

2009-03-12T10:52:00.002-04:00

I had a brief problem with the last posting; it finally appeared, very far down the page and to the left!

I'm still doing well after the surgery for a hernia that was strangling my colon (!)...who knew? And I see my surgeon on the 18th who believes the three health crises I went through since 2004 were related. I just want them to END! Rushing to the ER and then spending weeks in the hospital, one crisis even involving a helicopter ride as the doctors told Hubby "Your wife is dying."

I had six specialists getting me through that one. One for each organ that was failing in severe sepsis...

Meanwhile, I have dear friends who are several years older than I, who are driving great distances, flying here there and everywhere, ah well...I guess it is in the DNA somewhere.

OK, enough about all this health stuff. There may even be more surgery ahead; I'll know more when I have my follow-up appointment with the finest surgeon in this entire area.

Let's hope this Blog goes on the 'page' correctly!

Sicko, the movie

2009-03-11T11:01:00.003-04:00

I've never been a fan of Michael Moore's, but am watching lots of TV these days and his documentary, Sicko, showed up on my schedule (HBO? not sure).

There was no way I could turn this off. Here was MM traveling to Canada, France, the UK, places where there is a National Health Service in place, and interviewing citizens, seriously ill patients, doctors, everyone with a strong opinion in FAVOR of NHS. I'd always heard those systems did not work, that they were too costly to taxpayers, that the health care was inadequate, that Canadians had to travel to the US to get their needed health care unless they wanted to wait up to a year for surgery.

I guess I believed what the U.S. gov't wanted me to believe...particularly those members of Congress who receive massive donations from the insurance companies.

The beginning segment of Sicko covered people in the U.S. who had been refused coverage under their insurance primarily because their insurance company rewarded those employees who turned down the most appeals, calling procedures "experimental" even though they were clearly NOT experimental.

Well, I'm probably the last person around to see this movie, but if not, I'd highly recommend it. People live longer in those countries with a NHS in place. MM even took some 9/11 firemen whose health issues had not been covered, to Havana, Cuba (!) where they were instantly eligible for the needed health care...for free...and meds...for free. And Cuban firefighters even had a small ceremony when they heard they were there, to honor our firefighters before they left to go back to the U.S.

Watch the documentary. It is such a wake-up call.

Surgery went just fine

2009-03-09T16:25:00.005-04:00

I feel great. When I see the surgeon on the 18th, she'll let me know if I need yet another surgery...or not. I am hoping NOT!
*****************************************************************************
There's an upcoming author presentation at Ferrum College that I've signed up to attend. Every year, Ferrum has a one-day women's leadership conference, at no cost, and they even feed you a very nice lunch without cost. One year, we were fortunate enough to sit with a reporter from the Roanoke Times who was very informative. This year, the conference is being held beginning at 8:30 am on Tuesday, 24 March 09.

The following text is taken from Ferrum's brochure:

This year, the main attraction is the 7 pm keynote address by Deborah Rodriguez, author of Kabul Beauty School. Rodriguez has been a hairdresser since 1979. In 2002, soon after the fall of the Taliban, she went to Afghanistan with a degree in cosmetology and a desire to help. There she helped found Kabul Beauty School and spent five years teaching at and later direction the school. While there she learned of life behind the burka, and, in her best-selling book, she introduces us to an amazing community of women struggling for autonomy in the midst of a strict society and shows us that across cultures we have much in common.

After Rodriguez speaks, there will be a reception and book signing at 8 pm.

Again, there is no cost for this conference or for the reception. Copies of her book will be available for purchase and signing. If you are interested in attending, e-mail Ferrum at: http://www.ferrum.edu/wlc

More Health Updates~

2009-03-03T16:50:00.002-05:00

Sorry to dwell on the health stuff, but I am scheduled for day surgery this coming Thursday. I'm feeling very optimistic...

As for sitting around the house (ARGHH) I admit to watching movies, and just watched Vicky Christina Barcelona on PPV. I hadn't known it was a Woody Allen movie...he wrote and directed it. Some of his films I really love, some just don't work for me. This one both of us thoroughly enjoyed. Penelope Cruz, who doesn't show up until nearly 2/3 through the movie, is a real kick.

Rent it, but don't let the kids watch or you'll have a lot of explaining to do!

Good Health news!

2009-02-25T17:02:00.002-05:00

Biopsies came back clean as a whistle! Nothing even the least bit suspicious. Still awaiting decision re some basic surgery, but the crucial finding is a huge relief.

Now, let's talk about the Oscars! Was I the only person watching who adored the entire production? Watching that gorgeous Aussie Hugh Jackman as he sang and danced, seeing groups of former Oscar winners make comments 5 at a time, the settings, the beautiful crystal 'curtain,' and surprise presenter after presenter...I loved it when Tina Fey and Steve Martin came to the podium together, said their comic remarks, and then as Tina gazed in respect at Steve, he turned to her and said: DON'T fall in love with me!

That was fall on the floor funny.

I usually watch the Oscars, but in the last several years they have been boring and draggy, saved only by the 'dresses.' This year's dresses included the usual hits and a few awful misses. Angelina Jolie wore a striking long black dress set off by large brilliant green earrings and a matching ring. Brad Pitt wore a 20's style tux.

Yes, Slumdog Millionaire swept the Oscars, and I haven't seen it yet, but it appeared that everyone in the huge theatre was supportive of their wins.

OK, that's my take on the whole production; I hope they've already signed up Hugh Jackman for next year...

Book Review: See You in 100 Years~

2009-02-21T11:18:00.002-05:00

I just finished reading See You in A Hundred Years, and loved it. It's nonfiction; Logan Ward, who writes for the New York Times and other major publications, decided in 2000 to move with his wife and baby son from NYC to Virginia, ending up on some acreage near Staunton, in a tiny rural town. They decided to live there as if it were the year 1900: no electricity, no indoor plumbing, a horse and buggy for transportation (with an occasional need for a bicycle). Raising their own food and cooking it on a wood cookstove, learning to can food to see them through the winter, and trying mightily to resist kind neighbors' attempts to assist them by offering to drive them somewhere.

Logan had to learn how to manage a 2,000-pound Percheron, how to milk two goats and make goat cheese, and how to keep 1-year old Luther safe from snakes, burns, and other dangers.

Day by day, you read about their struggle to stay in the year 1900, and their major discovery becomes the closeness they find with their neighbors. The neighbors themselves find a sense of community that had been disappearing from their lives.

I highly recommend this book. I found it at the Moneta branch of the Bedford Library, so libraries must be able to get it on intra-library loan. It is also on Amazon.com of course.

My maternal grandmother was born in Virginia just before 1900, so I found it fascinating from that aspect, realizing how she was living as a child.

Gaining strength

2009-02-07T15:07:00.002-05:00

Thanks, everyone, for the kind thoughts and prayers. I've actually been grocery shopping some, and am now able to eat a regular diet after weeks of IVs and then soft foods. I'm planning to get to church tomorrow to see if the Praise Choir, and the Chancel Choir, have been missing my alto.

Doctors' appts and medical tests are continuing in the next few weeks, so everything isn't entirely solved as yet. It would be SO easy for me to turn into a recliner-potato, watching movies on the big flat-screen TV!

Another alto has been out as well; she's had double vision and biopsies and tests. We've shared with each other our gratefulness for Kroger's rotisserie chickens! And Applebee's Meals to Go. She can't drive yet, but has friends from church helping her out.

It is sunny and warm as I write this today, and I soaked up the warmth on the sunporch while I ate my lunch. I guess I've been needing iron, because I was craving liverwurst spread on crunchy whole grain rye bread. With pickles. Heck, when your diet has been medically restricted, EVERYthing tastes great. So far, I haven't regained any of the 8+ pounds I lost, but it'd sure be easy to do that.

Time to read Blogs and get myself back on track. Sorry to digress into all this health stuff!

TV commercials trigger memories

2009-01-30T10:55:00.002-05:00

I so remember fondly as a very young girl standing in my sock feet on my Dad's shoes as he 'taught me to dance' to the music from our kitchen radio. There it was, portrayed on TV, during a commercial, and it brought me immediately back in time more years than I care to count!

My Dad was such a happy, cheerful soul. Tall and handsome, he would come to my office in later years to take me out to lunch, and the other girls there would whistle and cheer, thinking this gorgeous man was a date. He looked like Basil Rathbone (who?) with his dark hair and thin mustache, and he moved with a singular grace although he never actually realized that. If there was any ego, his two daughters never saw it.

Singing as he came downstairs in the morning, then tap dancing on the kitchen linoleum, these are my memories. We were lucky to have him in our lives.

Getting stronger

2009-01-29T10:33:00.002-05:00

We're still not sure what happened. Doctor said it began with the flu but then a hernia (women get hernias?) opened up and grabbed digestive tissue, causing a temporary blockage. I see my doctor on Monday to decide where to go from here, but the terrific pain and nausea are gone.

These are the Golden Years?

Missing Y'all...Missing ALL Y'all~

2009-01-26T17:08:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been MIA. Caught a horrible flu, despite having had my flu shot, and ended up in the hospital for a week. No surgery (yet) but more tests in the near future as there were some complications). I caught most of the Inauguration festivities, viewing the TV through a myriad of tubes and IVs.

Will post more when I'm rested up.

Resolutions...or Determinations?

2009-01-05T15:56:00.002-05:00

I am so glad I sat down with my doctor and had a long talk with her about my knee pain, concerns about weight, high blood pressure, you name it. She immediately sent me for knee x-rays (that same day!) and then to a specialist, who put me into PT and back into the YMCA warm water pool.

Yes, I already feel like a new person! The PT girl is from our church, so I felt right at home. And the exercises are already getting both knees working with much less pain. Prescriptions also helped. Instead of waking in the morning bemoaning this pain or that problem, I'm waking with brand new enthusiasm.

Walking into the Y to sign up as a member again (they're not charging the mega membership fee for most of this month) was delightful; they remembered me, hugged me, were SO glad to see me there again. No wonder I like small towns! In a big city, you might just be a face in the crowd, one of those January resolution people. Not here in Rocky Mount; they're the friendliest bunch ever.

Today, I stopped in at the Franklin County Library. With the two long holiday weeks, I'd actually run out of reading material (you'd laugh at all my full bookcases) but again, it was a case of friends happy to see me out and about.

Well, I hope I haven't already blogged about all this, but I am a very happy camper.

Quiet New Year's Day~

2009-01-01T17:00:00.003-05:00

"All I want is a warm bed and a kind word and unlimited power," Ashleigh Brilliant

I'm feeling much better, the cold seems to have disappeared with help from OTC meds. Hubby has watched football all day, cuddled up in a quilt. Cold wind outside, so we're both wearing flannel all day. There's a steak marinating in the fridge, and I made a spinach/artichoke/cheese dip. I'll heat up a can of Hoppin' John (rice and blackeyed peas) for luck in this coming year...although I don't really believe in magical thinking, ya know!

When football is over (it WILL be over, right?) we'll watch MAMA MIA again, at Dick's actual request.

Physical therapy yesterday seems to have 'oiled up' my knee. I'll be going three times a week for 4 weeks, and then will re-join the Y for their waterobics in the warm water pool. I've missed that therapy, and my new doctor insists I get back into the pool. Fortunately, the Y is running one of their specials; you can join without paying a joining fee on top of the membership fee. Of course, this is the month, January, when folks flock to the Y to join, then by February or March, they stop attending, which is OK with me.

"All I want is a warm bed and a kind word and unlimited power," Ashleigh Brilliant (his real name)

2009 Approaches~

2008-12-29T10:54:00.002-05:00

As the daughter of alcoholics, whose first husband was an abusive alcoholic, New Year's Eve is not an occasion I enjoy. My ex's birthday was December 26th, so he always insisted we have a big open house since the tree was still up and the house (with 3 rambunctious kids) was clean and decorated as well. I shudder as I recall his changing, mid-party, from funny-guy-wearing-lampshade to an angry abuser, from Jekyll into Hyde.

Years after the divorce, I continued to dread the holidays that lent themselves to occasions to binge. Finally, now, after 28 years of a second marriage, to a man who has an occasional glass of wine or a cold beer in summer, I've begun to enjoy New Year's in my own way. Yes, it is a time to reflect, to resolve to make some personal changes...yeah, to lose the weight! To walk more, hoping to regain some physical strength.

So December became my time to have a long talk with my primary care physician and have her refer me to some specialists to get me on the right path. X-rays of my arthritic knees were taken, and I see a doctor tomorrow to determine if steroid injections or other non-surgical options are indicated.

Now that 2009 is just a few days away, I also intend to be kinder and more attentive to my spouse. I believe he may have come to the same conclusion; he was unable to sleep last night, and got up and CLEANED, emptied the dishwasher, tidied up the Christmas card 'mess'...you know, the address books, the stickers, the stamps, copies of our family Christmas letter, cards and boxes... so this morning, I actually could see the dining room table again!

Last evening, he wanted to take me out to Applebee's with gift cards we'd gotten, but I'm coming down with a cold, and showering and dressing up and driving over in a cold rain...not the best plan. So we went online, selected what we wanted, called Applebee's To Go line, and he drove over and picked up our meals in 20 minutes. Perfect!

Today, my cold is truly settling in, so he volunteered...honest! this was amazing...he volunteered to take the grocery list and go to WalMart and pick up what we needed. HUH? 'Who are you, fellow, and what have you done with my husband?'

Now, back to New Year's resolutions: We've had small dinner parties in previous years, and are invited this year to an open house by a really interesting couple. I suspect my cold will have reached stage 2, so we'll probably stay home. And have a glass of wine. And watch the ball drop on TV, if we manage to stay awake that long! Resolutions? To appreciate a spouse who steps up to the plate when necessary, who realizes my bad knee keeps me from some chores, who doesn't go from Jekyll to Hyde. Oh, he has occasions when he gets a bit temperamental and narcissistic...Ooops!

Happy New Year, all!

Christmas Day and MAMA MIA!

2008-12-26T19:02:00.002-05:00

Santa brought me the double DVD, one with the movie, the other with all sorts of background information that I found fascinating. Such fun to watch. I still cannot get over Meryl Streep, all that dancing, leaping up in the air spreading her long legs out and touching her toes! Sheesh...and she's approaching 60. How did she do that?

In one scene, she was told she'd be climbing up to the top of the goat shed. "How high could that be?" she said to herself, envisioning maybe 10-12 feet. HA! She had to clamber up a metal ladder, then another, then an even higher one, with rocky ledge below her. At one point, she was to nearly lose her balance, going backward. They tied a clothesline-type rope to a metal loop at her waist, on her front, and assured her that two men would be holding the other end of the rope, so she needn't worry.

She looked a bit nervous..."two men? Just two men? Not some kind of block or piece of equipment?" She went on to do the bit, and everything was fine, but she said later that she did things on this movie that she'd never imagined anyone would ever ask her to do.

Interesting information about how the broadway show and subsequently the movie, was written. The director (who had never directed before) took Abba songs, read the lyrics, and THEN wrote a story around the music instead of doing this the other way 'round.

Now that I've watched all the inside stuff, I need to go back and watch the movie yet again. I'm saving one part for last: the part with the lyrics on the screen. This is indeed a party in a box!

Whether the weather...

2008-12-21T20:07:00.002-05:00

What a day today! (Sunday) When we left for church, it was sunny and balmy. I didn't need a coat, just wearing a light long-sleeved 'shirt' over a silver turtleneck with black pants. Since Praise Choir practices early, I usually can get a nice close parking spot, and I did.

We practiced, then went to Adult Sunday School, then our service at 11, which continued until nearly 12:30 since we had so much music today. When we stepped out from the choir door, WHAM! we encountered strong frigid winds that immediately chilled us through. Such an abrupt turnaround caused everyone to bend over against the wind, clutching kids and purses, hats and caps.

When we got home, I got on the phone with my daughter Cathie, up at the very top of Maine. I'd heard they were about to get a major blizzard, and was assured to learn there was plenty of wood for the woodstove, and they'd spent the morning getting the family cars all set up. Up there, cars sprout plug-ins used to charge up a block heater, so you need several outlets for them. Sure enough, Cathie said she'd gotten up in the middle of the night to put more wood in the stove, and the temperature was -25.

Another location in the county had -40 as an actual temperature, not including wind-chill.

As we talked, Cathie said they were hunkering down as the approaching blizzard was forecast to leave 20-24 inches of snow on top of the 6-8 they got yesterday. I'm guessing the university she attends, and my grandaughter's high school, will be closed tomorrow. Which hardly ever happens; they're pretty used to snow and ice up there.

They will certainly have a white Christmas. Cathie said she already opened the presents we sent, found the double-DVD of MaMa Mia, watched it and sang right along. They plan to watch it again on Christmas Day, and at New Year's when grandson Jessie and his fiancee' Jessica drive up.

The DVD went on sale on the 16th of December...my hairdresser, Eric, said he planned to be at WalMart's front door just before midnight on the 15th so he could get his copy and copies for his friends since it is a limited release. I wasn't worried; Rocky Mount is such a small town that I figured I could get two copies on the 16th, and I did. It's like a party in a box!

I started with the weather, and now will add that we're lighting a fire in the fireplace. Time to snuggle down, even if we don't have any snow on the ground. Yet.

Taking the Time for Friends

2008-12-13T20:41:00.002-05:00

In this rapidly moving world, full of technology that allows us to e-mail or text or leave messages on answering machines, we can often forget how important it can be to take the time to visit with our friends.

A recently-widowed friend had more than the usual difficulties to handle: left alone in a very large historical house full of antiques and valued possessions, she decided to gear down to a small rental space in Roanoke while simultaneously dealing with the sudden loss of her dear husband.

Phone numbers changed, addresses changed, e-mail addresses changed, and at first she retreated into the myriad responsibilities inherent in such a loss. Finally, she was convinced by a good friend that she needed to take a few deep breaths and let her friends comfort her. Four of us gathered around her, at a beautiful home in the country, where we hugged and talked, ate leisurely, sipped tea, and enjoyed an incredible light lunch followed by a cake decorated as a wrapped package.

Sun poured in the windows as we took the time to do what we needed to do, what our friend needed although she kept assuring us she was "fine." Too often, we find ourselves saying, "Now, call me if you need anything, remember that I'm here, don't forget about us now that you've relocated." Words, when actions are needed.

No, I don't always remember, but the friend who gathered us together did the right thing.

Written instructions for putting on a bra!

2008-12-13T20:14:00.002-05:00

Well, I never thought this would happen, but it did. A friend who had surgery after an accident, creating painful scar tissue on her side, had not been able to find a bra that she could wear. While getting a massage, she was told about a woman who fits custom-designed bras in over 500 sizes, in your home. Contacting her, my friend (let's call her Paula) was told she could have a party in her home, inviting friends who might be interested in the product, and thereby earn points towards an orthopedic bra.

It's nearly Christmas and we are all rushing around trying to economize at the same time, yet Paula filled her house with friends who have spent years trying to find a comfortable bra. The husbands, of course, were not invited but they joked about attending, envisioning a roomful of well-endowed women half-dressed. Each woman who wanted a fitting went individually into a private bedroom with the woman representing the company, Beauty by Jeunique, for the custom fitting.

We had a great time, joking and chatting and eating lots of snack foods. When the first woman walked out of the room wearing the bra (under a sweatshirt that said: Grandmom) we were stunned. Her posture was different, her waist was pulled in, her shoulders were up...and, well, she looked terrific. There was a rush to sign up at that point.

Yes, the bras were pricey, but absolutely worth the cost. Most of us bought one, but plan to buy another in January, when Jeunique will be holding a sale. They also sell other undergarments, and jewelry items as well. Here's the URL for Linda Woods, the distributor in this area: customfit4u56@yahoo.com.

OK, sorry for the commercial, but I absolutely wanted to share this information.

Delightful Kids' Play

2008-12-08T11:42:00.002-05:00

I was really too tired to attend last night's children's play at our church. With Praise Choir rehearsal at 9:15, then choir at 10:30, then service at 11 followed by our monthly Celebration Sunday...way too much cake and ham biscuits...I really didn't feel like going back again at 7 for the musical play. But Hubby was all fired up about seeing the kids, and every year, we enjoy it so much, that we went. Of course, a promise of dinner out afterwards DID tip the scale a bit.

It was cold, so we bundled up and drove into town. I'm so glad we went. The play was a musical adaptation of the Joseph and Mary, baby Jesus, three wise men event we are all so familiar with, although this version had many humorous lines the author had inserted. The 'stage' was the church altar.

Most of the players were about 5 years old, maybe 6. One little guy, a darling blonde with big blue eyes, playing one of the shepherds, was something else again...more about that later! There were even 4 tiny dancing girls, big grins on their faces, giggles galore, no gyrations...after all, this was the church altar. One of the ongoing themes was a bouncy number where everyone on stage would simply bend his or her knees to the rhythm of the music as they sang. Well, the little guy (maybe 4?) just couldn't get the rhythm right. He tried. Oh, didn't he try!

He watched the others and tried to match their bounces, but he'd be up when they were down. Pretty soon, he decided to stay stooped down, hoping no one would notice. We were in hysterics in the audience. He was just so determined.

Finally, 'Mary' nearly dropped the doll Baby Jesus as she tried to rescue the little fellow, reaching a hand out to him. Looking at the program, I saw that this was actually her little brother, and she was being big sister, never mind being Mary.

When the play ended, we all gave them a standing ovation, and many gathered to praise the little shepherd; we could tell he was struggling so to find the right movements. His Mom and Dad hugged him and kissed his little cheeks.

I'm so happy that I didn't miss this production. These events cannot be acted out in schools any more, but fortunately our churches can bring such a blessing to us. And hopefully the little shepherd will eventually find his sense of rhythm. Or not.

Pink Pedicure!

2008-12-03T17:34:00.002-05:00

Years ago, my daughter-in-law took me to a spa for a pedicure, as a girl's day out treat. It was unbelieveably wonderful. We soaked our feet in the warm bubbling water while the chair back mechanism massaged our tired muscles. Then our feet, ankles and legs were lathered and gently massaged as well.

I was hooked. Now I go in about once a month so ingrown toenails cannot cause any pain, and I come out just floating on air. They even 'sand' the bottoms of your feet for you. If you are trying to come up with a gift for someone, the cost is minimal in most cases. I chose a shop beside Kroger in Rocky Mount since they are immaculate. They sanitize constantly, and take the units apart every evening to be sure they are sterile. How much? $25 for two hours of being pampered.

This time of year, when we feel harried and hurried, when we're on our feet entirely too much, this can be as much a medical necessity as it is a gift. And I'm worth it!

Yes, I am economizing along with everyone else, but today I skedaddled in for a pedicure. There are other places I can cut.

PC was in the shop~

2008-12-02T19:53:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been MIA, but I had to take the computer in to the shop so they could shake some bugs out of it. I couldn't even access my e-mail. Got 'er back today, so I've been trying to catch up.

Where were you during the 70's?

2008-11-29T09:45:00.002-05:00

I have to admit I can totally relate to Mamma Mia. I was divorced and living in northern CA during the 70's. Nope, I was not a hippie-dippy (although I secretly envied their freedom and passions) because I had 3 kids I was raising alone. That meant I had to get a good job (I did) with all the benefits (my ex was not required to provide health coverage for the children, for example) and would often find myself on the bus going home from work with no idea what I would be fixing for our evening meal. Frugal was my middle name.

I did get a second part-time job, writing restaurant reviews for a local weekly magazine. They paid me AND covered the cost of some incredible meals.

Meanwhile, it was disco time in California. Colors were bright, the music was all the BeeGees and Abba, with John Travolta dancing on those glowing dance floors. It was a wild time; it's a good thing my kids kept me grounded or I might have floated off like so many folks did. I remember taking visitors down to Height-Ashbury in SF where the drug-addled street people were a sad indication of the future. Some never did recover.

Then I met a fellow who was a wonderful dancer, a talented singer...and someone who went to church every Sunday. Huh? An outdoorsman who loved unstructured picnics up in the mountains, a man who came to dinner and stunned my teens by doing the dishes after clearing the table. He built a wooden patio cover on my condo that upset the community group (it was supposed to be a tin Sears cover only) until they drove over to see it and then asked me for the plans so they could build one like it. There were no plans; it was all in his head.

OK, this was meant to explain my fascination with Mamma Mia. It brought back those California days, and meeting the love of my life. Marrying him and moving to northern Maine...well, that's another chapter, and certainly a major culture shock. Trading the freedom of northern California for the cool New England uptight and judgmental focus on life, and working for the Congresswoman, then US Senator, Snowe for 18 years...yes, I've certainly been fortunate.

Now, if I could only be as agile as Meryl Streep was in the movie!

Mamma Mia Out Soon!

2008-11-25T16:53:00.002-05:00

OK, Santa, I've been a really really good girl. And when I was up in Maine, I took my daughter and 16-year-old grandaughter to see MAMMA MIA. We laughed, we cried, we sang our little hearts out along with everyone else in the theater.

Since then, I've wondered when the DVD would come out, and just how such a major sing-along event could possibly be as much fun in your own living room. We do have a big flat-screen TV, but still...

Then, I saw an ad: 2-disc special edition of Mamma Mia available for a limited time, coming out December 16. Includes new musical number not shown in theaters and a sing-along bonus feature with on-screen lyrics for all 22 musical numbers!

Just in time for Christmas...

Thanksgiving Feast

2008-11-24T11:48:00.002-05:00

Yesterday (Sunday) we held our big Thanksgiving feast at church, and filled every table to capacity. Eight members roasted turkeys at home and Hubby carved and carved while other members helped take in the casseroles and salads, cranberry sauce, dressings, gravy. The dessert table groaned, as usual. (My contributions were a large pan of gluten-free cornbread dressing plus a pan of GF walnut brownies for the dessert table.)

I'd been asked to decorate, and got two women to help me on Saturday afternoon, placing silk autumn leaves, sprinkled with gold glitter, on each table along with a scented candle, either gingerbread or pumpkin pie scent. My 'Martha Stewart' moment led me to spray assorted nuts in their shells with gold spray paint, and scatter them at each table center.

The room was all gold and glitter, fall leaves and gourds. The congregation members brought their families, and community members were invited as well. There was lots of laughter, much sharing, a great deal of thanks being expressed...one much-loved couple were happily sharing the news about their first grandchild on-the-way, a grandaughter actually. They cannot wait until March, when they can finally be grandparents.

All of this, and then this morning, on GMA, there was a story that brought me to tears. A farming couple in the midwest had invited local folks to come to their farm and 'glean' the crops that had been left in their fields after their harvest. They arranged transportation by pulling carts out to the fields, supplied plastic bags, and worked hard to make sure everything went well. They expected, at most, 1,000 people. Four thousand came.

The TV reporter filmed one older black gentleman who was delightedly scooping up large onions and putting them into a bag. Looking up, the man grinned and said very enthusiastically: "I just filled some bags with potatoes, and now, look, I'm getting these great onions! I'm gonna make a magnificent pot of potato soup, which is so healthy, and I'll have enough for days!"

The man was just so darned happy, to be given the chance to glean potatoes and onions.

Makes you stop and think. Yes, I have a frozen turkey thawing out for Thursday, and I'll make more cornbread dressing to go with some enormous sweet potatoes that were on sale in our market. There will just be the two of us this year, but I will think about that happy man, with his 'magnificent' potato soup, and give thanks. Somewhere in Matthew 25 it says: "for I was hungry and you gave Me food."

Sadie Mae's Blog

2008-11-20T16:43:00.003-05:00

Sadie Mae has been after me to let her have her own Blog, so I finally caved. Trouble is, I haven't figured out how to Link her Blog on mine. Everybody ELSE knows how to do this, but not me.

Her blog is at: http://www.SadieMaeHiggins.blogspot.com And she put some pictures of herself there, too.

Any of you techies out there, can you clue me in? I like to keep this puppy happy...

Back to the Fifties

2008-11-15T16:23:00.004-05:00

Our Book Club visited the new Mayberry Diner near Smith Mountain Lake yesterday, in conjunction with our having read Richard Russo's Pulitzer-prize winning Empire Falls, about a fellow who runs a small diner in Maine.

The folks who opened this very authentic chrome-trimmed diner feature Mayberry-inspired menu items such as Opie's Omelet, Aunt Bea's stuffed green peppers, and other specials. Their prices are very reasonable, and service was great. I'm told they fill up regularly with the breakfast crowd, opening at 6:30 am. I've been there three times for lunch, timing my arrival for 12:45 when the lunch bunch thins out a bit. (Parking can be a bit tricky but it's OK to park on the grass.)

Their home-made soups are excellent, and I can vouch for their chicken salad sandwich, the large and fresh chef's salad, as well as a scrumptious fresh blackberry cobbler a la mode. My plan is to take Dick there for their cheeseburger (already getting rave reviews!) and a milkshake. Others ordered the onion rings (they come with the cheeseburger) and said they were wonderful.

Where to find the Mayberry Diner? Take Virginia Rt 122 (Booker T. Washington Highway) north towards Smith Mountain Lake, about 20 miles through Westlake Corners and across Hale's Ford Bridge. Just past the Moneta Library on your left, you'll see a strip of pastel-colored buildings on your right. Make a right there, on White House Road. Go just 8/10's of a mile and just past the Moneta Wastewater Treatment Plant road on your left, you will spot the big drive-in movie screen with the shiny Mayberry Diner on your left.

Yes, it can be a bit of a hike, but well worth the drive. Open seven days a week, they have drawn people from all around the area. The drive-in movies show on weekends, but will end for the winter soon. Their phone number is 540-296-1480 to find out what is playing.

Barbershop Singers

2008-11-15T16:03:00.005-05:00

I'd forgotten that I took a picture of the Waterfront Four barbershop quartet after their weekend concert. No picture-taking was allowed during the concert itself (except for those to be used for publicity) so I quickly gathered the four guys together, pushed the director, Jane, into the middle, and got a nice shot.

Bearded hubby Dick, their Bass, is second from the left. Dave Bilbro, the Lead, is on the far left, and on Jane's right is Baritone Lane Speck while Dave Wooley, Tenor, is on the right.

Busy, Busy Times

2008-11-13T10:49:00.004-05:00

Monday evening, we attended a Marine Corps birthday party that was great fun. Some of the organizers were barbershop singers, and they invited other former Marines. Dick was a helicopter door-gunner during two tours in VietNam, so he was one of their heroes. He also has a Purple Heart from that time, so he is one of MY heroes as well.

The party was held at a new Lake restaurant, and it took us a phone call or two to find it. Listed as "downtown Moneta" it is in fact part of a row of pastel-colored buildings that are being called Downtown Moneta when in actuality they are just several hundred yards off Rt 122 near the Moneta/Smith Mountain Lake branch of the Bedford Library. Actually off White House Road, it appears Casa D'Amici is part of a unique-looking strip mall.

Inside, the dramatic first impression is maintained by a very high wall of pegs to the ceiling, holding a huge collection of wine bottles. Behind that wall, there is another wall of granite with water cascading down. We were at first placed in a separate room but as others arrived, we had to move out into the Waterfall room.

Several of the former Marines brought along photo albums, gear (including knives and even a sword or bayonet, insignia, and name plates) but the conversation was very general and informal. Since most were singers, they sang the Marine Corps song and were applauded by others at the restaurant.

It was a delightful evening, and plans are to have an annual get-together. The restaurant features Italian food, and the offerings were quite good and very reasonable in price. I realize this group of men organized the event, but I hope to impress the guy I'm married to that I'd like to see them add a component...say, each couple bringing along a sack of nonperishable food items to donate to the closest food kitchen. I'd feel less guilty about sipping a glass of Pinot Grigio along with my pasta, beside a wall of water, if I knew we were also contributing towards those in need.

I read today about a couple in California who decided to try to live on a food budget of one dollar a day, for one month. That essentially eliminated any fresh vegetables or fruits, as well as any meats. Life became breakfast oatmeal, or pancakes without syrup, homebaked bread or tortillas, refried beans, homemade macaroni and cheese. Not a very healthy diet, and they were both working long hours, so having to make everything from scratch meant they often ate quite late at night.

How many of us could live on one dollar a day for food? As a single Mom of three back in the day, in California, I recall one of my proudest moments was learning to toast bread slices folded into a muffin tin, then filling them with a cream sauce made with one thawed package of fish and a thawed package of peas and carrots. My kids loved it, and I had other dishes they liked, such as hamburger in a cream sauce spooned over baked potatoes. Of course, we also ate plenty of those little frozen potpies along with a salad.

Sorry, I digress! From elegant restaurant to budget-saving foods. Quite a leap.

Consciousness Raising Continued~

2008-11-08T17:02:00.002-05:00

Obama's win is having a long-lasting effect on me, which is interesting at this stage of my life.

Last night, my husband sang with the Harmeneers Barbershop Chorus; his quartet also sang a number, and it was beautiful to hear those men's voices blending in harmony, all acapello.

After the intermission, they always bring in a quartet from another area. Sometimes, it is a young college-age group with amazing voices. Once it was a Sweet Adelines group of women one of our guys had met in Hawaii, of all places. My favorite visiting quartet was a foursome of NYC firemen who were easy on the ears AND on the eyes.

But last night, for some reason, they brought in a quartet of older fellows dressed as hillbillies and purporting to be from West Virginia. They sang familiar tunes but with coarse lyrics; they were making fun of mountain people. I found it very offensive, particularly at this time when we need to be moving away from putting people down...any people.

I guess I also took it a bit personally; the audience was primarily composed of SML folks who are very well-to-do. But I don't live at the lake; I choose to live in a very small town nearby, one with an historic reputation for stills and bootleg liquor. As the lyrics and accents became even more pronounced, I squirmed in my seat while everyone around me laughed and laughed.

I don't think I've lost my sense of humor. The last song they sang was awful; they were declaring that all Chinese restaurants serve cat meat in their foods. (Ironically, the chorus usually holds their AfterGlow at a Chinese restaurant.) The laughter wasn't as loud after that piece, and they definitely did not get a lot of applause nor did they have an encore.

After the show, we attended the AfterGlow at the lake's country club for a late-night breakfast buffet at which each quartet was featured. Since my puppy, Sadie Mae, had been home alone for hours...well, not exactly home alone, I brought Winchester, our oldest chocolate Lab, into the house to puppy-sit...I excused myself discreetly and left just before the guest quartet performed.

Will I say anything? Yes, even though Dick is no longer on the Board of Directors, I plan to let him know how I felt, and what my reactions were. I may also mention something to their Director, Jane. Admittedly, the theme of this year's show was The South, and the chorus sang pieces from many years ago. Some dealt with slavery. But we had no idea about the songs the guest group would sing...except, of course, for the person or persons who had heard them sing, and then selected them as guests.

Barack Obama won!

2008-11-05T17:05:00.003-05:00

I knew history would be made if either presidential candidate won, but was so hopeful that Obama would win, and of course he did. After 25 or more years voting Republican, neither of us could stomach where the R's were taking us (follow the yellow brick road).

Now, we have a family going into the White House that can inspire other families whose male parent doesn't exactly know how to relate to his children. And his children can aspire to be president some day. It's a whole new world.

Only in America could a bi-racial man walk strong through malicious rumors and fraudulant attacks to achieve this highest honor. I did not think I would see this in my lifetime. I remember the drugstore 'sit-ins' during my DC childhood, I recall trying to give my seat on a bus up to an elderly black woman in SC, an act which frightened her terribly as she scrambled towards the back of the bus to grasp a rail and shake as she stood there, afraid of the bus driver's reaction should she have accepted my offer. I was only 10 years old, and hadn't learned there were different laws for blacks and whites, different water fountains, different bathrooms, hotels and motels and restaurants that refused service to anyone whose skin was not lily-white.

That isn't right, I railed at the age of 10. Now, all these years later, Obama smiles softly as his two proud daughters grin up at their dad, and the family walks forward to be greeted by thousands and thousands of cheering people in Chicago.

I'm so proud of my country.

Election Day!

2008-11-04T12:17:00.003-05:00

We voted Absentee about two weeks ago; I couldn't envision standing in line when my arthritic knee gives me so much pain. Besides, the Roanoke Times and other sources suggested Virginians vote Absentee to help cut the potential hours-long lines in many areas.

This morning, I saw an overview of massive lines in northern Virginia, for example.

How exciting to be part of this historical day! A woman running for VP; a black man running for President. College students energized and participating, volunteering days and nights, weekends, learning the political campaign routines in ways I haven't seen in way too many years.

It's a bit rainy and cool here today, but nothing that should keep anyone away from voting. I'm making a meatloaf tonight, and mashed potatoes, and we'll be glued to the big-screen TV as the votes are tallied. Maybe we'll even open a nice bottle of wine...

Garrison Keillor piece

2008-10-29T14:45:00.002-04:00

Garrison Keillor's novel, Wobegon Boy, contains a piece on bachelor Lutheran farmers that is SO true, so funny. Living in a rural farming area, I can relate to this. In fact, I'm afraid my husband, who grew up in a rural farming area, totally can identify with this bachelor farmer. Here's what Keillor has to say:

"A bachelor farmer is all body rhythms. He wakes up in the morning and gets dressed in his old clothes and does a few chores, lets out the cat, pitches the empties from last night onto the pile beside the garage, toasts him a couple frozen waffles and slathers them with butter and syrup and they're good, so he has two more, and all this time nobody has said to him, 'Why don't you ever talk to me anymore?' He has a right to remain silent. That's his body rhythm. He puts on his barn jacket and goes out and works for a couple hours on projects for which there is no logical explanation, he sorts out coffee cans full of stuff, he shores up things, he pours some concrete, and then maybe he crawls back in the sack for a couple hours or he reads a book, and suddently it's three in the afternoon. There is nothing special about three P.M., it is only a point on the clock, no law says you can't have lunch then. He opens a can of beans and eats a few off the top and shakes some ketchup on and horseradish and turns on the radio and the weather forecast is for more snow, which is fine with him. He puts mustard on a wiener and eats it. He feeds the cat and drives to town and parks the truck and goes into the Sidetrack Tap and gets a beer and a bump and now he may speak his first words of the day. Or he may not. It is up to him. This guy never had a social security number or a bank account. Never paid income taxes. The government never knew he existed. He keeps a big dog around the place, who goes after strangers like a werewolf. He hasn't bathed today and maybe not yesterday. Why? Because he knows who he is. He may or may not support the President on any particular thing, he may be an atheist, or not, but one thing is sure: this man is not driven by fear of his wife. You can see this in the way he walks into the bar. You can see that this guy is not operating on a strict schedule. Nobody is going to burn his butt if he doesn't get home by six o'clock. Nobody is going to rant and rave if he has a beer and brandy on his breath. Moral disapproval is not a big factor in his life."

Racing Car Grammie

2008-10-28T17:12:00.007-04:00

Say, how fast will this go?

Whaddaya mean, you're holding the keys...

Remember, I'm yo mama!

This is some car...

Daughter Cathie reminded me that she'd taken some pictures of me behind the wheel of the sports car she won in an online contest. Well, I found them, so let me see if I can post them here.

Cathie enters contests if they do not require a purchase, so when Wrigley Gum partnered with NASCAR to give away a driver-designed, one of a kind, sports car, she entered. And WON! They flew her to Texas with my grown grandson Jessie, put them up in a very nice hotel, took them on a tour of the racetrack and then they watched the race.

Not too long after that, she got a call that her Dodge Charger race car would be delivered to the parking lot of her closest large grocery store. They had already sent her a very large check to cover her taxes, registration, etc.

I wanted her to put the car on eBay; after all, she lives in rural northern Maine and could drive the car only during their short summers. Well, eBay hasn't happened yet; she drove the car while we were in Maine, and put it in storage as soon as fall began to turn into winter. (She visits the storage place and starts it up periodically.)

OK, the pictures, if they download OK, should be up at the top of this post...

NASCAR!

2008-10-20T11:14:00.009-04:00

Me in the middle

VROOM!

VROOM! VROOM!

Pit stops

I have no idea who these drivers are...they stopped &

posed for pictures from fans in the stands

Look at all the people!

We've lived here in Rocky Mount since 1999 and knew we were close to Martinsville Speedway (30 miles) but hadn't gone to a NASCAR event before yesterday. A grocery receipt from Kroger's said if we called within 72 hours, we would receive two free tickets to a NASCAR race. Yeah, sure, I said to myself. But I did call, and so help me Hannah, received two tickets worth $60 each for yesterday's race, Sunday, October 19th.

We stood in line for the South Annex Grandstand in front of a couple who had gone on Ebay and purchased their tickets for $138 + s&h. They were amazed we'd gotten free tickets, and said from now on, they would be reading their grocery receipts very carefully.

It was a perfect day...breezy enough to warrant wearing a light turtleneck but sunny enough to keep us comfortable. I took my camera, but taking pictures through two sets of wiremesh screens makes it look as if we were in a cage! Security guards would not let us near the screens, although some folks did ignore that prohibition.

Noisy? You betcha! A friend advised me to take earplugs, and I am so glad I did. The crowd was very friendly, very accommodating. When one young boy needed his Dad to take him to the restroom, fellows helped hand him down, chuckling all the way.

But how was the race, Marion? Well, we watched Dale Earnhardt Jr. go from 3rd to 5th to 6th to 14th, then back up until he finished second 500 laps later. I must admit we did leave a bit early...looking around at the thousands of cars and trucks parked on the grounds, we decided to leave at Lap 300. We headed to Applebee's in Rocky Mount, and watched the end of the race on their large-screen TV. Lo and behold, we were waited on by the best new waitress on the block, my friend Amy Hanek. (Applause, applause).

When we got home, little Sadie Mae was bursting to see us arrive...we'd left her inside with Winchester to 'babysit' and she did fine. Although she was a bit clingy last night, and won't leave my side today!

Chicken recipes

2008-10-18T12:03:00.004-04:00

As many of my friends know, my husband's Celiac creates challenges in cooking. Baking a gluten-free loaf of bread nearly every week is only one of those challenges. Recently, I ordered a second cookbook/diet book written by George Stella of Food Network fame. Stella and his wife and two teenage sons lost 560 pounds total in about two years by tweaking the Atkins program and designing wonderful recipes using soy flour or almond flour instead of wheat.

Now, I'm trying to lose weight on this plan, and am able to fix meals for Dick without using wheat in any form. One recent discovery from Stella's book was his "Southern Fried Chicken" which I changed a bit, coming up with a type of chicken nugget instead of using a whole chicken, frying it, then oven-baking it. (Too much work!).

Wheat-free Chicken Nuggets

One package boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and cut into nugget size

1.5 cups soy flour

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

Salt & Pepper

2 large eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream (or water if desired)

Enough vegetable oil to reach about an inch in a large, heavy fry pan

While oil is heating up, whisk eggs and cream in a pie plate or similar dish. Pour soy flour into another pie plate, adding garlic powder, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Dip chicken pieces first into soy flour, then into egg wash, then back into soy flour. (Yes,your fingers get gooey, but it is worth it!) Fry the chicken pieces, keeping a close eye on them as soy flour browns up very quickly. Oil should not be above 350 degrees F.

Thanks so much to George Stella for this recipe. When my husband was finally able to have fried chicken after four years without, he was SO happy. This recipe is modified from the first book, George Stella's Livin' Low Carb. His second cookbook relies more on almond flour. Both books contain wonderful recipes for muffins. His website is: http://www.stellastyle.com/

Another recipe, my own:

Easy Chicken Soup

2 tbs EVOO

Handful of tiny carrots

2-3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped

1/2 a sweet onion, sliced

1 package chicken breast strips, cut up

Salt and pepper

1.5 boxes low-sodium chicken broth

Egg noodles if desired, two handfuls

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot, then saute' carrots, celery and onion until carrots become soft and sweet. Push the veggies to the sides and brown the chicken bits, adding salt and pepper to taste. Pour on the chicken broth, adding more broth or water if necessary. Bring to a boil, and add the egg noodles (I use gluten-free, which take about 9 minutes to cook). When noodles are done, soup is ready. Enjoy!

Serve with toasted cheese sandwiches for a nice winter's meal.

Taste of Tuscany

2008-10-13T17:26:00.010-04:00

Hubby injured his hand, so my intent to take him up to Villa Appalaccia Winery on the BlueRidge Parkway for his birthday was nearly stalled until good friend Peggy drove me up into the mountains while Dick stayed home and got some rest on Sunday. (Of course, he also got to watch sports on TV.)

It was a gorgeous day; foliage is just coming into color...in another week or so, the spikes of orange and red will broaden into a calendar-like spread.

The winery held a wine and cheese event, but one that was more unusual in that the owners had been to their home in Tuscany, returning with many Italian cheeses. Entering the open courtyard after paying a minimal fee, we visited three stations, each person offering a grouping of wonderful cheeses and placing samples on our plates. Wonderful pungeant lovely cheeses accompanied by a brief description of each type. Well, we thought we knew a bit about cheese, but these offerings, from sheep's milk or cow's milk, aged to perfection, were an adventure.

At a final station, a young man gave us a choice between three wines, along with a tasty, chewy chunk of herbed peasant bread and a spoonful of the winery's own olives. We sat in the courtyard, talking up a storm and savoring our plate-full. Next, we took our (empty!) wine glasses up to the main house where we joined the wine-tasting.

I was hoping to find the Pinot Grigio from 2005, but apparently that one was gone, so I tried their youngest Pinot Grigio from 2007...I didn't find it truly 'ready' so I moved on to the Pinot Grigio Reserve, 2006. The description they provided was: "Fermented in new French and Hungarian oak barrels, aged in stainless stell tanks. This wine has intriguing flavors of melon, passion fruit and caramel. Enjoy with seafood and white meats."

Also wanting to take home a simple red, I went with their Rustico (roostico) 2005, "A 'Ripasso' style wine made from dried Corvina grapes and Cabernet Franc. A spicy fun red wine to enjoy with antipasti, polenta, an risottos."

I still have two bottles of their dessert wine, Raspberry 'Beret' which they describe as: "The ultimate wine with anything and everything chocolate, but also good with cheesecake and ice cream."

Folks were buying their wines by the case, many of them from a distance away. Me, three bottles, that'll do it until we head up there again. They have several events planned for this fall season; visit their web site to find out what is going on at http//www.villaappalaccia.com.

What a lovely way to spend a beautiful fall day. They also encourage visitors to bring their own picnic lunch if desired; you can sit for hours at an umbrella table in the open courtyard, or on the grass, or up on the covered patio.

Great Invention? (or silliest!)~

2008-10-04T11:01:00.007-04:00

Well, I'm trying to get a picture or two loaded, but I'm not having any luck...must wait until the techie hubby gets home to see what I am doing here... I was at WallieWorld early this morning, and saw these crazy-looking fuzzy slippers, in day-glo colors, hanging in the aisle where the cleaning products are located. Seems they are called "Slipper Genies" and are supposed to dust and clean your hardwood or tile or linoleum floors as you walk around

Too funny! Of course, I bought a pair. They were just under $6 and have fuzzy chenille bottoms attached with velcro so they can be washed. Sadie Mae thinks they are her new toys; I don't think so. We do have carpeting in several rooms, but for the kitchen, the foyer, the dining room and the bathrooms...well, perhaps this could be a solution to those bits of dust around.

There was also a mitt that I can certainly use for my blinds. That had first drawn my attention; at only $3.50, if it works, it'll be cheaper than a housekeeper.

OK, the pictures are in and I now have written-down instructions for this. Dick bought me this plug-in gear for my computer but he hadn't told me how it works! I think I've got it now, although I believe he reduced the size of the pictures...we'll see what happens here.

Do I like the "Slipper Genie" for dusting the floors? YES...they are great fun. I think young kids would get a charge out of them (NOT going down stairs wearing them, of course). Get a pair for each kid and turn 'em loose on any wood or tile or linoleum floor. I have a round antique table in the foyer that somehow reaches its legs out and gathers in dust...well, wearing my fuzzy slippers, I just moved the table and Voila! What a kick.

Paul Newman died...

2008-09-27T11:39:00.002-04:00

It's the end of an era. How many of us were influenced by his many movies? By his charitable works? By his insistence on privacy in a very public business? He was 83, and of course it was cancer. Early reports don't identify it as lung cancer, but I suspect that was the culprit.

He died at his home in Connecticut, yesterday (Friday). By all accounts, his long marriage to Joanne Woodward was a good one, although both said there were harsh words at times, and he would retreat to "his part of the house" until everything cooled down. How normal is that?

We'll miss him. I last saw him in Empire Falls, playing the role of Ed Harris' scalawag of a father to perfection. I'd read that he loved the role, so entirely different from any kind of heroic do-gooder. He also played in Richard Russo's Nobody's Fool.

Our Book Club is getting ready to read Russo's Empire Falls; Russo won the Pulitzer Prize for writing that book. No wonder Paul Newman was eager to play those parts...the dialog and characterizations were perfect for him.

I'm sure TV will be playing all Newman's movies now and we can again enjoy Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and the rest of his amazing roles.

Off the screen, he quietly changed lives with his "Hole in the Wall" kids' camps around the world, using his profits from salad dressings and pasta sauce to establish the camps for disabled children. OK, y'all know all of this already. I'm sure there's a lot we don't know about this private person.

Tragic Dog Story in Today's Roanoke Times

2008-09-25T20:35:00.003-04:00

I've never been a person who cried easily; I hold my emotions inside. But today, in the Roanoke Times Virginia section, I read a piece that just horrified me, and made me cry. Forgive me if this upsets someone who didn't read about it in the RT, or who lives in another area.

A fellow who had a small white curly-haired dog from a pup, a little dog who had become deaf, blind, and had lost all her teeth in the 14 years he'd had her as his only companion, even the years he'd lived on the streets after suffering a nervous breakdown, had finally moved into a house with a fenced yard, but his little dog had disappeared.

He posted notices and called the animal control officer, who had the sad duty of calling him back to tell him his little dog had been killed. It seems a 22-year old man had beaten the little dog to death, while two of his friends watched. When the man realized someone else was watching the beating, he insisted the dog had snapped at him and tried to attack him. The man who had witnessed the killing said outside court that he didn't believe the killer's story. "How are you going to get a deaf, blind dog to attack somebody?" he said. "How does he know you're there?" He testified that when he came home the evening of June 18, he heard his own dogs barking. He peered over his fence to see a tall, shirtless man repeatedly beating a small dog with a stick as the dog lay on the ground, twitching her tail.

Continuing to insist the dog had attacked him, after the director of the state animal health lab testified that the dog had severe bruising along her back and her skull had been caved in, the director was asked if she could have been rabid. He replied that the condition of her body meant he could not reliably be tested for diseases. The owner and caretaker of the little dog said her shots were up to date and she was wearing her Roanoke dog tag when she was killed.

The case has been referred to the grand jury. The killer could get five years in prison after a law was passed and went into effect in July 2002. Before that, only a year in jail and a $2,500 fine would have been the judgment. Five years? Isn't that how Jeffrey Dahmer began, by brutalizing small defenseless animals?

Pookie's owner...that was her name, Pookie...says he still breaks into tears, particularly when he sees a dog that reminds him of his loss.

Tuesday evening, I sat in a room-full of people of every age, all of them dog-lovers there to learn more about training their pups or grown dogs. Today, we see what happens when someone, for whatever reason, chooses to harm, to beat, to kill a small blind, deaf, toothless dog, a 14-year loving companion to his owner, who at one time had to scavenge from restaurant dumpsters to feed both of them.

Is this what our world is coming to? How many monsters are out there?

A Dog Who's Always Welcome

2008-09-24T17:25:00.002-04:00

Last night, a group of us went to hear Lori Long speak about her book. Lori has trained dogs for years, and competes in Agility contests. Then, at a college campus, she observed a person in a wheelchair whose service dog was trained to help her from her car, tug her wheelchair up a sloping curb, open a door into the student center, give her money to the cashier for food, get the change for her owner, then sit quietly while the owner ate.

Lori was amazed and intrigued enough to visit Assistance and Therapy Dog Training Centers to learn how to train the 'perfect' dog...one who can ride on an elevator comfortably, stay in a motel room (often necessary when traveling to Agility events), walk quietly in a mall setting, and otherwise be completely socialized.

Taking all that into consideration, Lori has written a book with information that any of us can use to work with our puppies, or our grown dogs, and turn them into "A Dog Who's Always Welcome."

Yes, even Sadie Mae!

Lori mentioned that small terriers are delightful hearing assistance dogs for those with hearing problems. They know to bounce to the front door when the doorbell rings and can be trained to alert their owner to a phone ringing or other sounds such as smoke alarms going off. Larger breeds can be trained to assist someone with balance problems when fitted with a brace the owner can hold on to. But the socialization is the key component. They need to know how to stay calm and focused when in a crowd of people.

A major point that Lori made was the crucial fact that we need to pay very close attention to our dog and what she or he is trying to tell us through their body language, their eye contact with us, their barking to get our attention, every signal they can use. Yes, it's train the trainer!

Two service dogs lay quietly at their trainers' feet in the back of the room, a testimony to their training. They wore assistance dog halters asking that no one pet them, as both were still in their training status. Best behaved Labs I've ever seen!

Lori Long spoke at the WestLake branch of the Franklin County Library, and the library managed to get an excellent price arrangement on the paperback. It was $12 as opposed to the printed price of $19.99 plus tax. The room was nearly full, and quite a few copies were sold as lines formed to buy a copy, and then to have Lori sign them.

Her talk was excellent, and now I'm reading her book, which I find to be very well written. It appears to be giving me just the information I need; after all, we have one older chocolate Lab, one chocolate Lab puppy, and of course, little Sadie Mae. This could present a real challenge!

Added note: The St. Francis of Assisi Service Dog training center will be holding an all-day event in Roanoke on Saturday, October 11th, from 10 am until 4 pm. "Free Admission, Bring your Dog!" There will be all kinds of things going on for what they are calling "Dogtober Fest." There'll be a Parade of Dogs, Agility Course, Climbing Wall, Moonwalk, Games for Kids and Dogs. Check out their Website for directions and more information at http://www.saintfrancisdogs.org

Baby Chloe and GreatGrammie

2008-09-20T17:36:00.002-04:00

Here's Baby Chloe, born May 5th this year, wearing a 'scarf'' of sorts that I crocheted while up in Maine. Notice that SHE likes it fine!

Train Trip came to an abrupt stop...

2008-09-20T10:43:00.002-04:00

Between the immediate financial crisis that finally got our Congress' attention, and GMA's train trip that must have continued through the night across Virginia and on to DC, Friday's train segment was a bit of a disappointment...my apologies to those of you who tuned in.

They DID have interesting information from the Newseum in DC, but all the beautiful scenery and individual visits to each state's citizens, just didn't happen.

Today is Saturday, and what I call GMA-Light folks climbed into a van and visited a college in NC (which is about to meet VT in a game!). OK, just not the same as a train trip, I know.

Of course, I knew Diane Sawyer, Chris Cuomo, Robin Roberts and Sam Champion would not be riding day and night on the train for the entire 50 days...those quarters were quite cramped. At one point, they showed Chris 'stretched out' on his bunk with his feet stuck up on the wall and his hand actually touching the compartment's door handle at the same time. Diane said she missed having a bathtub.

Well, it seems our elected Congress must actually do some work for us, trying to resolve the financial mess they got us into. We all saw this coming; where were they looking?

Get Aboard the GMA Train!

2008-09-18T11:44:00.002-04:00

We all have our morning routines, and mine since retirement has been watching Good Morning America beginning at 7 am, drinking my coffee and eating my oatmeal while getting up-to-date information and lots of laughs from the 4-person GMA team: Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts, Chris Cuomo, and Sam Champion.

This week has been incredible, as the four of them are aboard a special Amtrak train visiting 50 states in 50 days. Today (Thursday) they visited Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, and they began with actually stopping the train so they could take in a beautiful view of the Shenandoah River in the early morning mists. It was magnificent.

If GMA (on ABC) is not your usual morning habit, I'd recommend switching it on if only to virtually climb aboard this train. They manage to incorporate some of the history of each stop in the state they are visiting. I really enjoyed seeing Stockbridge Village in Massachusetts, for instance, as I've always wanted to go there. I have the Main Street ceramic village that I set up in our bay window every Christmas but have never convinced hubby that we should stop and visit every time we drive near that highway exit.

When we retired to Rocky Mount, I was unaware that Roanoke, once a major railroad city, was no longer in that category at all. Now, with the current gas prices, efforts are being made to reactivate some of that railroad heritage, perhaps bringing Amtrak closer to, or even into, Roanoke. Maybe GMA's train across America will show people what we could have here.

Get on the train, everyone! GMA runs from 7 to 9 am. Yes, they are plugging in political interviews, which I personally could do without (and much of their e-mail indicates I'm not alone in this respect) but if you want to see the corn growing high in farmers' fields in Ohio, or the sun coming up on a beautiful river in West Virginia, tune in.

Delighted at Roanoke Times' Coverage of Health Issue

2008-09-17T11:32:00.002-04:00

When 400 people showed up for the health meeting Dr. Cotter and others sponsored in Roanoke, I was delighted to see the Roanoke Times giving it major coverage and then a continued focus on the problems inherent in Carilion's actions, in particular their penchant for over 100 court cases every Friday, taking people to court for payment of hospital bills...even putting liens on their homes.

My feeling is a bright light has now been switched on, and hopefully those folks unable to pay their health care bills will have other options provided to them, such as small monthly payments or even forgiveness of debt when there is simply nothing there to be collected.

New Bathroom in Maine

2008-09-12T10:05:00.003-04:00

I don't have any 'before' images of my daughter Cathie's downstairs bathroom...suffice it to say it was falling into her basement and was dangerous to use because of deterioration (the farmhouse is over 100 years old, and in fact was the home of the richest family in Easton, Maine, originally, with servants' quarters and servants' stairs directly down into the kitchen).

But I'm going to try to add a picture taken when Dick and Cathie's friend Jason finished three weeks' work of tearing out the old floor, building a new sturdy floor, and then installing a beautiful new bathroom. From Adams' Family to Home and Garden...

Sadie Mae's Latest Adventure

2008-09-11T18:37:00.002-04:00

As I've mentioned, Sadie Mae is half Yorkie and half Bichon Frisee. The veterinarian tells me she has the Yorkie's brains and temperament, and the Bichon's sweetness.

Yesterday, she ventured out on the front porch to find an exciting big bug (I think it was a June bug?) with iridescent wings. It was giving out a loud tick-tick-tick, fascinating for an investigating Yorkie. Sadie Mae promptly put the entire live bug into her mouth, clamping her jaws tight.

It continued to tick-tick-tick. Her big dark innocent eyes focused on me. I told her: Drop it!

Unfazed, she looked at me as if to say: Drop what?

Tick-tick-tick. Her jaws were still together. Tick-tick-tick

Sadie Mae! I said, You drop that bug right now!

Her eyes got bigger. What bug? she seemed to mumble through her jaws. Tick-tick-tick.

By now, I was laughing so hard at that innocent look of hers...and trying to figure out how to get that big bug out of her mouth...finally I grabbed a doggie treat from inside the front door. I dropped it a few feet from her, and saw her trying to figure out how to get the treat without dropping her new friend/toy/goodie. Tick-tick-tick. She dropped the bug and went for the treat. Yes, I'm afraid I scooped up the big bug and gave it a proper funeral in the flush. I really did not want bug guts all over the carpet!