Coffee and...Part 20! :-D

Hmmmm... got to thinking about a LOT of things today, all just random thoughts. Our country... my past... and whatever the future may bring.

One of the July 4th cards I got in an email today had John Phillip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever as the background music. Hearing that music took me back to high school in the late 1950's, and my high school band (Miami Senior High's Million Dollar Marching Band) with a director named Otto Kraushaar. (I was the band photographer, and only played in the orchestra.)

Our band director, who seemed old to me then but probably not of retirement age, often had us play Sousa's marches for the football half-time entertainment, esp, Stars & Stripes Forever.

Turns out that as a young man our director had actually played trumpet in John Phillip Sousa's band. His close friend, our "Uncle" Henry Fillmore, often visited our bandroom, and we played some of his marches too.

He died the year I was a sophmore but not before offering me a full scholarship to the Univ. of Miami. I often wonder what might have become of my life if I had felt I had enough musical talent to accept the music scholarship (playing bassoon in the orchestra).

March music so often links me to patriotism, and it must have been a grand era when Sousa was alive and composing. Not the same as my love of classical music, but both had their origins in that one band director.

He must have been quite a person for you to have such fond memorys. I never heard that you were from these parts.... You said that you did not accept that scholarship, but what did you do insead....if I please ask....

Born in Miami (Jackson Memorial Hospital) 1940. Lived directly across the street from the Orange Bowl before it became a double-decker. Lived in Miami off and on until I was about 22, and went North to fame and fortune, LOL.

I became a bum, sorta. Actually, several serial careers from medicine to building homes, some with a tad of publicity, none with any money.

This message was edited Jul 2, 2005 8:25 PM

Well, issued that same year as you, but in Rochester, NY. Married, 3 kids, also involved with medicine...DDH was an MD and I was his office manager..didn't build homes, but had no money while had the school days, so learned how to make and repair just about everything. i.e. plumbing, mason work, tiling, carpenter work, electrial stuff...anything to save a buck... also designed and made most of my clothes. Whew, I'm tired just thinking about it....I had to be crazy...

When's your birthday? I'm a lovable Libra, Sept. 29..

Geeze Hap, I don't remember knowing your birthday was the 29th, mine is the 26th.

:^)))

I'm a Libra too, but barely, October 19 is my actual birth day, but I didn't get registered until the 22nd, so I just have a looooong celebration. Must be some connection with handiness, because I took shop in high school, and have laid lots of tile, in three different houses. Even more revealing is that I think it's fun. Wouldn't want to do it for a living, my knees are already shot!!

Stopped at Home Depot yesterday and came home with a trunk full of marked down plants...took DH there this morning and came home with three times as many. Spent the rest of the day digging holes and pulling weeds, and casting evil spells on the rabbits who think we've put in a salad bar for their enjoyment. Think I'll throw some blood meal around what seems to be their favorites. Got about half the stuff put in today, and then it got too toasty for me. When the five a.m. hotflash wakes me tomorrow, I'll go back out and do the rest.

meezer, the only thing that blood meal does at my house is encourage my dogs to dig in it and try to eat it!! DH turned 2 beagle pups out of dog pen for exercise today, I was trying to pull weeds, and they were right under my hands trying to get me to pet them. Finally just decided it wasn't worth it and decided to plant 2 flower boxes for the front porch. The pansies had expired so pulled them up and put in begonias. Don't have 5 am hot flashes, but for some reason, seem to wake up at that time. Sometimes can go back to sleep, most mornings not. DGD went back to ear specialist this morning, they removed the temp tube, has to be checked again later in the week. But all in all doing well. Can't swim until Thursday. Okay guys, tell us about your plans for the 4th. Our neighborhood (country) plans to have a get together. Hostess is furnishing meat and drinks everything else will be pot luck. Have got a band, will be games all afternoon, fishing etc. Always have a good time. We take turns with hosting affairs. I always have the Ky Derby party. Another has a fall affair about Halloween, and then a Christmas party. Since DH and I fish a lot, we host a fish fry in late September. Last year had about 100 people. Will do it again this year. We serve fish that we have caught and frozen over the year. This year the the fishing has been good, and we have 1 freezer full of fish. If anybody is in my area at that time of year, let me know and come by and eat fish, hush puppies and slaw. I mean it!!

Good evening.

March music is great! I am looking forward to watching "Pops Goes the Fourth" tomorrow evening, that's about the extent of our celebrating. We stay off the roads whenever possible on holidays, no family gatherings as a rule, and we like it quiet. Nobody out here sets off fireworks so it will be just as quiet as any other day unless we get a thunderstorm.

I emagine some of you eastern time zone folks have hit the sack by now but the sun is still shining here and will for about another hour or so. It gets too dark to tell the weeds from the good stuff about 8:45 so after a break I will go out again and weed for another hour. These long days are great! I got a lot of weeding done today after we got through moving all the cattle to various places this morning. Everything went smoothly for a change and the weather was cool because it was hazy most of the morning and we had a nice breeze all day. I was back home by about noon.

Here's my birth certificate story, it's pretty unusual I think. I was going out of the country on a trip in about 1980 and needed to get my birth certificate. So I called the county where I was born, nope, no records are kept there, everything is sent to the state capitol. A call to the state records department told me they had a record of my sister but nothing for me. Oh my, I didn't exist! I made a quick trip from Alaska to Washington state, got a car, drove about 50 miles to Olympia and they looked again. Nope, I wasn't there. Now what?

They gave me some forms and said I needed to come up with 3 documents of proof to verify that I was who I said I was. Ok. First I went to the hospital in Tacoma, and was told by a very young and inexperienced clerk that I was so old I was in the archives. Then she realized what she had said and was very imbarrassed but I was laughing and told her it was the first funny thing I'd heard all day. She found a record of my mother being admitted to the hospital in labor, and a nursery record for "baby girl" and mom's last name. Ok, two down, one to go. Since my mom had passed away a few years before, and I needed a close relative, I went to my dad's house (hadn't seen or spoken with him in at least 15 years so he didn't even recognize me), and told him that I needed a notorized declaration. He said ok he could help but he had been drinking and the banks were closed so I told him I would be back in the morning.

Early the next morning I was back, he was sober and I took him to the bank, got the form filled out, signed and notorized, and headed back to Olympia to the records office. My paperwork passed the test, I got a wallet card that says "delayed birth certificate" and they recorded everything and so I officially existed after almost 40 years on this earth, most of them paying taxes. Strange, huh?

Now it's back to the weeds. They're waiting and growing.

Mary,

Wow what a trek! Seems to me there should have been some earlier documentation. I know from working at the SS office, without a birth certificate to get a social security card, you would have had to come up with proof of "being". Baptismal certificate was one doc they used to get, can't remember the others.

Very interesting story and you aren't even that old, that silly girl.

:^)))

Bonnie, what date in September you having that fish fry? Maybe I should go up, pick up Darius, then join you for that before going to the roundup, huh?

Welcome to the world Mary - seems you were lost for a few years - LOL

Defoe- you da party girl!!! I cannot imagine having 100 people over- my stomach would be in a royal mess!! Our neighborhood is in transition. One side of the road, the people have pretty much stayed the same. But the other side was sold to a big corporation and they rent out the houses - for a two year time frame. I used to go and welcome all the newcomers, but with so many coming and going, I gave up on it. It has really taken a toll on the looks of our neighborhood - houses are not well maintained. I just try not look to the west -just to the east where my gardens are!

Betsy - I've always liked the looks of ceramic, but it is HARD!! We have vinyl throughout our house and I love it. Somewhat pricey, but not like ceramic!! I got a cheaper brand for a downstairs room and it was a mistake. When things fell, they pierced the vinyl - now it looks ratty. Get the best you can afford!!

Molly - the paint story was funny - until you had to repaint!! grrr now that would make me mad!!

Darius - I absolutely love band music. Both kids were in the band and I never had a dry eye when they were playing. When we go to parades and they march by it does the tear number on me still. I never was able to play an instrument ($$ problems growing up), but I know in my heart that I 'could' play the piano (my love)if I really tried and I know I could be a good dancer and singer too if I put my mind to it. LOL (I have the worse voice and am totally clutzie dancing - no beat at all!!) That reminds me, I have to dance at the upcoming wedding reception - good thing they are serving beer (I'll have one and I forget I cannot dance LOL)

Folks came out (4 x in the last week) We all worked cleaning our trailers for our upcoming trip. Also got the boat scrubbed and waxed and will wax the truck and car today. Sunday will not be a day of rest at our house!

Great looking day outside, so I better bamboose... take care all

It will be quiet here, no real plans, just plant the haul we got yesterday and work on bunny resistance. No dogs loose around here, so I think it's safe enough from digging. If the blood meal doesn't work, I'm soaking some red chili pepper for spray. That'll teach 'em.

We are invited to DH's little brother's place on the lake for a "party" but since he hasn't returned the phone call I suspect we aren't going. They are heavy drinkers and we aren't comfortable with their little sniping and full blown disagreements once they past the third or fourth Cap'n Morgan. DH isn't very social anyway, so if I feel like chatting with the SIL, I meet her for lunch.

Other news, next weekend the pie demolishing brother is coming. He's my least favorite houseguest, and in view of some of the past behaviors I'm not looking forward to seeing him. Some of the long term thread users may remember last Christmas, when he decided to eat half of the pumpkin pie I made for Christmas dinner for breakfast on Christmas day. Evidently even my wrath won't keep him from his free vacation, and the opportunity to use DH as his personal ATM (so that he has gas money to go back home... I should be grateful, without it, he might just stay). Hope this time he brings his toothbrush instead of his bushels of dirty laundry.

It's lovely and cool this morning, so I'm off to dig holes, hoping we haven't had a big mosquito hatch overnight! Our dry May has made evenings outdoors blissful, but after the recent rains we'll see some hatching soon I imagine. They do find me delicious...and they call their friends to share. LOL I'll bet Darius knows a home remedy mosquito repellant...I hate the smell of Off and deet.

Here's that oriental lily after I removed the volunteer bush in front of it. I want more lilies, I have some Stella D'oro, and those orangey ditch lilies but I'd like some other colors, too. I don't have anything worthwhile to trade so I'll be checking the garden store...again!

OK off to the garden. Maybe today I can keep my gloves on for longer than an hour. Don't bet on it.....

And here's the houseguest...feel free to make a dart board....

Leo...August 8, 1945...the BIG *60* right around this next bend! (Thus the 'julie88'...I knew I wouldn't forget my birthday if I tacked it on behind my name. LOL)

It was *GORGEOUS* here yesterday! Low 80's and NO humidity! My kind of absolute perfection. Of course, it would have been more perfect if we'd had a bout a week of soaking rains before the 'no humidity'. But since that doesn't seem to be in my future, I'm going to lay out some drip irrigation systems this morning. At least doing that will free up my 'hose holding' time so I can do a little weeding and try to keep my kitchen clean.

Darius...maybe it's our youth that makes those marches such a part of our memory bank. Stars and Stripes Forever, I'm 15, a girlscout, on a hike (a LONG one) over the dusty country roads of Tulsa OK...we're getting tired and thirsty...someone starts "playing" the doo-doot-a-doot, someone else picks up with another horn sound, and another gets the cymbals. What a racket we were making. But the hike didn't seem nearly as death defying once we had a cadence to 'march' to. Under the Double Eagle...(add to that Wildwood Flower and American Patrol) that would be my dad and his guitar. (And every time I hear any of them, there's always that little tear of rememberance.) Thanks Darius.

Dcat...glad to hear DGD is doing better now. I feel for her not being able to swim during the holiday...

Mary...I'm glad you're official now. (But you didn't offer any of the birthdate info...and I'm *still* dying to know when you were born. Cuz if you're *really* part of the GOB group...I want you to PATENT whatever you're doing to stay SO active and energetic!!! You'd be a MILLIONAIRE in a hurry!

BetsyBug...sounds like you're in for some work there. I absolutely HATE having to rip up carpet to lay a new floor. There's nothing so telling about the quality of my ...uh....Vaccuum cleaner! Yes...that's it...the vaccum cleaner. LOL

Hi Molly! Did you ever get your signs painted?

M5!!! MORE plants?!? (Why didn't you call me?? :-D I'd have bought the rest of *anything* they had. hehehe we must be glutons for punishment...this weather is only good for gardening frustration!) Though I do have to say that after the sun went down yesterday, I surveyed my 'Queen-dom' and was very pleased with what I saw...not that it couldn't have been better...but it sure looked nice without the glare of midday sun on it.

Sarv...you should have brought that truck over to my house. My DH decided that *I* needed a 'new' car. So he bought *me* a metallic teal '91 Camero RS (Fully loaded with factory goodies), gorgeous mag wheels, T-tops, ground effects, and an engine from 'the hot place'!

Now, I ask you, does that sound like me describing *my* car???

I don't think so.

It sounds *more* like me repeating the description (what I could understand of it) given to me by my DH and youngest DS!

I thought the whole thing was seriously just to get me a car I could go to the store in so I said 'yes' to the purchase. DS came over yesterday morning and was rally plying the old "Mom, you really *deserve* a car like that...it's a beauty!" routine. THEN he offered to wash, wax and detail it for me....uhhhhh...did I miss something here?

A little later in the conversation with DS and DH I hear..."You know that 400 you have sitting in the shop...I was thinking we'd drop it under the hood and make that c....uh...I don't think Mom knew that's what you had in mind when got it for *her*."

Well...I decided to squelch THAT idea...I told them both that once the car was in MY name, I'd do two things...first I'd get a vanity license plate -GMASTKT - (Grammas Ticket!) THEN I'd trade it in on an SUV! LOL You should them BOTH turn green! I think they got a case of stomach flu, what do you think? LOL & LOL

On that note I'll take leave and head out to set up my drip systems. Y'all have a nice, SAFE 4th of July!

~julie~

m5 - that is a hoot! We could all post our favorite family 'dart board' and have an exchange! Then no one would have to look at their own... LOL

Drive, drive, drive - that 's all I did the past 2 days. Left right after work Fri. and stayed overnight in eastern IA. Then drove to Wonder Lake, IL, to pick up tractor/mower DH bought on ebay - he tells me it's the last one he's buying on ebay. I hope so, this is the second long weekend in a row that I spent driving somewhere with him to get something he bought. Life's too short for this foolishness! Got home at 1:15 am and found ut an aunt died yesterday afternoon and I have to take MIL to church, cuz as usual, BIL and SIL didn't bother to tell us they were leaving for the weekend. There's my dartboard - SIL. She is a piece.... Controlling and coniving(sp?) - since we put a stop to her interferring in our business, she hasn't spoke to us for 2 years. Shucks, I miss that -LOL

Well, best get moving - lots to do this afternoon - as Parade Committee, I have to get a lot of stuff lined up for tomorrow that should already be done - like judges, announcers, helpers for lining up, car for the queen, rope putter upper and taker downers, etc. DH wants to resign, we've done this for YEARS! but I really enjoy it and the parade lineup starts at our house, so it's kinda of an no-brainer - older he gets, more nervous about it he gets. A lady (from our church, no less) yelled at him last year that he should have done (what? don't remember) so he told her he'd put her on the committee for this year. She shut up and haven't seen her around volunteering this year - lol.

Guess what? my passport and authenticated birth certificate both showed up on Wed. so on Thurs. they got sent to the Dutch Consulate in Chicago. I think that is all the documents they need, finally!! I'm going to email them just to make sure. I just wish they would get a move on with my 'green' card. Why does it have to take from Jan. to now when they write and tell u it takes 1 to 2 months? grrrrr! DH wants to go to Edmonton to my (3)DBs and DSis, then go on to Vancouver to another DB and DSis, but I don't dare leave the country till I get it!

Lots of lilies opened yesterday. Gonna have to get the camera out after church. Gotta go ... have a good day, GOBs!

One DART board coming right up! (He sounds like he'd make a good match for one of my sisters...but then they'd BOTH stay! hehehe) And just LOOK at that garden...not a WEED in sight! Nice Job, M5!

Getting my last post posted took longer than normal. Youngest DH called...wanted to know if I'd like him get gas in my new car. THEN he wanted to know if he could drive over to Walmart to pick a few things *I* needed for when I get the baby back next week. (I think this car thing is a conspiracy! LOL)

~julie~

Top of the morning to u, Julie! Guess we're 'walking' all over each other this morning. That's what they say on the CB when someone breaks in and starts talking when u are - you'll get a 'come back with that' ... 'someone walked all over u' - back later all :)

Hahahaha Julie YOUR new car? I don't think so, there'll be fewer miles on it from you driving than your besotted male family members. I understand completely, being married to a car nut, (he prefers to be called a collector) and now having garage space for 6 vehicles....cumulatively I think they exceed the living quarters in square footage..... No pictures??? We need pictures for good dart boards.....

Yay for Mary!!! Passport!!! Green card soon to appear!!

And you don't see weeds? GOOD!! They are plotting growth under 6 inches of wood chips and the whole border has thistles which we eliminated yesterday... see new pic The marigolds around the outer edge are part of yesterday's splurge....

I was heading outdoors wasn't I? OK gone now.

WOW! LOTS and LOTS of posts since last evening! Don't know if I can remember to address them all... If I skip anyone, please don't be angry.

Hap, I'm one of those red-headed, hot-tempered Scorpios... Nov. 2!

Many, many of my skills came about because I had no money so had to learn to do it myself. Fortunately I learn easily and quickly. I liked most of it except for foundations and laying block... so hard on my dainty little hands, LOL. Also hate hanging 12' sheetrock on a ceiling.

Glad to see so many have the same fond reaction to marching bands. One year I got to see the FL A&M Rattlers band. Man, those guys marched in almost double-time AND brought their knees up to waist level as they marched. They must have taken speed before every halftime!

I'd love to go see a good drum & bugle corp. contest sometime. One parade I saw had a ROTC close-order precision drill team... khaki uniforms with white spats, white wooden "rifles" and chromed helmets. What an amazing drill!

Mary, great story about your birth certificate! My grandfather went from Miami during WWII to Ohio where he worked in a munitions factory. He also had no recorded birth certificate and went through a similar quest. Fortunately there was history in the family bible, plus numerous court papers after his father (a Civil War Vet) was killed when my grandfather was a young boy.

Makes you wonder how easy it is when you read that someone has assumed the identity of another, usually for nefarious purposes.

Kooger... glad you have some of the documents finished, at least! Maybe you ought to investigate Black Market Green Cards, LOL. (Just kidding.)

Molly, just take a couple of gallons of paint thinner to the job, and make the ladies clean up with that! One good burn, and they will stay out of the fresh paint!

Julie... LOL, a HOT car! I can just see it now loaded with plants and potting soil... Hehe. (The guys will have a conniption, won't they?)

Hey, who was reading Ed McBain? I found a couple in one of the book boxes, be glad to send them...

I'm like Mary, I stay OFF the roads on holiday weekends. So, a quiet Independence Day here. Hope your celebrations are safe and sane!

Just snuck in the house to get into my stash of frozen oreos and diet coke!!! I needed something to get me a going!! I hid these for our camping trip, but heck, there are stores everywhere for me to restock!!

I found I do work better under pressure!! Since we are leaving in a few days, I felt the pressure to get everything in the ground. I am almost there - only half a flat to go!! (patting myself on the back) DH is grumbling that I need to help him wax the car, air the tires, change the oil. Hey-that's his work!! Under pressure he gets grouchy. He snapped at me because I was looking down and his feet happened to be in my line of vision (he has funky toenails that we tease him about) Heck, I was thinking about all the food I had to make,-not his stupid toenails!! LOL

M5- keep your houseguest (that pie story was a belly shaker tho) My DH has so many loonies in their family - thank goodness they all ignore each other!! A couple of them did come and ask for money, but DH told them to get of f their #$$% and get a job!! That's how ya get $$.

I used to stay at my aunts house often and one of her sons used to use anyones toothbrush -believe you me, I NEVER left mine out in eyesight. Yuck.... (although in a snit, I used DH to clean under my fingernails LOL) and in another snit put pepper on his pillow... Well, I better sign off or I might tell everyone of other dastardly things I have done....(I am a very nice person - really....)

Off to offer my help on changing the oil!!!

Sounds like everybody has been busy. First thing this morning, (always look out windows) to survey Queendom (stole that from somebody) , saw Rusty DGD pony trying to get a drink from pool!! When he couldn't reach it he started pawing it!!. This is an above ground rigid walled 16' x 5' pool. Well ran out to the deck hollering bloody murder. He just looked at me and turned to start munching in an annual bed. This pony is so mischievious that it is unreal. We have an electric fence between yard and pasture, and he goes through it on average once a day. Needless to say, wasn't in church mood after that. Went anyway, if for nothing else to pray for Rusty. Molly Mc, what a great idea. We have the fish fry the weekend before Ky RU and you an Darius can spend the week with me.!! We always hire people to help with this event so we can socialize. We furnish the fish, hush puppies, slaw and drinks and everybody brings a dish. Have way too much food, but so much fun!! Gosh paint stories, new cars, marching bands, dart boards, (I have a candidate) DH oldest brother what a piece of work! Only calls when he wants DH to come help (interpretation-do something) for him. I have blessed him so many times he ought to qualify for sainthood. He's like a stray hound, just afraid enough of me to walk a wide circle around me, but not afraid enough to stay completely away. Guess every family has one!! Well waiting until it cools down to get outside to weed and water. Will check in later.

LOL Stray hound is a great description, he gives me a wide berth most times when he's here but still shows up. Reminds me, gotta take the pretty linens off that bed before he gets here. Hide the baked goods. Plan lengthy excursions away from home during meal times, (let DH feed him) and lock up my computer.

Got all the stuff planted this morning. Nothing left to put in..... unless I stray past the garden shops................

Hi everyone, just checking in quickly before going back outside. Got sprinklers going in the flower bed and vegie garden, pulled weeds, planted more radishes, and got warm enough to "need" my ice cream fix to cool off. And so here I am seeing what's new.

M5, nobody needs a houseguest like your dart board guy. I hope he doesn't visit you very often.

Julie, I am almost 3 years older than you are. I don't like to give specifics on the internet because you never know these days who will read it and what use they might make of it. As I recall it wasn't hard to get a social security card, my mother might have had to sign something since I was 16 when I got it. Had to have it to get a job. I also got a drivers license without having the birth certificate, just filled out the form and put my birthdate on it and that was good enough. The good old days when life was much simpler and didn't the bad guys always wear black so you could tell them from the good guys?

I have 3 kinds of lilies blooming, one orangey red, one pink with yellowish streaks, and one lemon yellow. They are all planted in a group. The orange daylilies (maybe ditch lilies?) are blooming, I have too many of them, gotta thin them out, and one pale yellow daylily, also a Stella D'Oro that I salvaged from a vacant lot that had once been a miniature golf place, had been bulldozed and had these daylilies and gailardia surviving, so of course I had to dig them up.

Back to the garden.

LOL LOL at myself. Just dashed to the store to pick up stuff for a salad I am taking to a gathering tomorrow. I had been working in the garden all day - ended the day putting down some woodchips in a new bed. I was hot, sweaty, and stinky, but HAD to go to the store. I swabbed on some deodorant and swiped at my lips with some color and off I went.

After shopping, while I was in the checkout lane, I happened to look down and I had on my ugly, dirty, huge garden (winter) BOOTS (along with shorts...) I laughed and laughed at myself. Thank goodness I didn't see anyone I knew!! Thats a first!! Man was I a sight....

It's 8:45 and DH is snoring in his chair - another exciting night!! Got some chin hairs that need plucking...the price you pay for beauty...

Sarv, where's the PHOTO?? LOL.

I'm joining a circus, sarv, wanna come....(chin hairs) then we won't have to pluck anymore...heheh

Hi All!

Sarv - thanks for the advise about the vinyl flooring. I'm hoping to get good quality - since I'll be doing the labor myself - figure I can spend a bit more. I've order spec sheets from Armstrong, Congoleum and Nafco. Nafco is the best if price has anything to do with it. So - we'll see. I've kind of run out of steam on it for now. I get tired of looking after a bit.

Darius - DH and I love march music. In fact, it's one of our favorite things to play in the car on long trips. And I don't ever feel like it's July 4th without hearing "Stars & Stripes". So - you're definitely not alone.

How do the rest of you spend all day outside working? Just because you're much farther north than I am! I was out again today early - fed plants and trimmed things prior to breakfast. And by the time I came it - 7:00 - it was already 80 degrees. I was going to go back outside tonight - but DH and I have been totally lazy today. We've been on computers or watching tv. Did go out and get cat food - had to do that. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be more energetic.

My birthday is right around the corner as well - Aug 3rd - I'll be 46. But, today is the annivesary of my Dear Mother's birthday and wedding anniversary. I always loved the 4th because we'd celebrate her b-day and their anniversary all weekend. We use to say the fireworks were for them. She's been gone since 1990 and I always miss her this time of year. I know she's celebrating in a better place though. She was born in 1922....so that would mean she'd have been 83??? not good without calculator. Oh well - so here's to my Mom and Dad (died in 2002)!

The neighbors have finally stopped with the firework show - need to go find all the cats and get them out of hiding. Then I'm off to bed so I can get back up tomorrow and work more in the yard....DH scolded me today about wanting more beds when I can't keep the weeds out of the one's we got today - so must try to prove a point tomorrow you see.

Night all! Have a blessed and safe and glorious 4th!

Marcia

No beard here...just a teeny weeny little moustache hair (one!) on one side of my upper lip......I've been so tempted just to let it grow to see how long it will get..................!!! And once I tried to brush a long fine hair off my arm that I thought had fallen from my head, and it wouldn't brush..........it was attached. I have a few other peculiarities but we're not going to discuss them are we? LOL

And I haven't had long hair since my first born grabbed a hank of it at the age of three months, and gave it a good pull....

I have one stray hair that grows in the center of my chin. Since my eyesight is failing, I always get DGD to use tweezers and pull it out. Now when she comes, one of the first things she asks, Mamaw are you turning into a billy goat this time? She loves to do nails, clip grandad's toe nails put lotion on feet, etc. When she was little she wanted to apply nail polish all the time. On several occasions she has painted grandad's toe nails. Once after she had been here, he had to go to the hospital emergency room following an accident. He caught some strange looks from the nurses. We still chuckle about that!!

Happy 4th all. Dearest friend from So. Cal. here for the week working on her MFA. Made a batch of her Lemon Pepper Biscotti. Really tasty. I can relate to your chin hair problem, had it myself for a long time, finally gave up after wearing out 17 pairs of tweezers. Guess it has something to do with genes, or was it freds ? heard somewhere it might even have been ralphs. lol In the meantime I have to say that Darius' Nectarine Marmalade is the best marmalade I've ever had. Goes well with peanut butter, and a glass of Viognier. (a new wine for me) The world around here is already going nuts. People load up on illegal fireworks on the Indian Reservation and try to blast their way into oblivion.Luckily Tinkerbelle doesn't seem to be bothered by the noise. The last three Shelties were terrified. Will attach a pic of my chin hair problem and hope there is a solution. Have a great and safe Fourth.

Whoa, Robert!! That is waaaay out of control!!! Friend of mine says when you can't grow hair on your head anymore, it comes out your ears. How are yours?? LOL

Hey, are you my brother????LOL

Back from our 4th gala at my cousins - 24 of us there. It was wonderful to see everyone, but soooo hot and humid. My mom got overcome with the heat and had to go inside and lay down. She was embarassed that it happened to her. There wasn't a breath of air and the sun was beating down thru lattice - it was really miserable!! I drank a ton of ice water and didn't feel like eating much at all (good for the waist tho !!) Still had a fun time...

Temp went from 88 there to 71 back home. Felt wonderful to come home!!

Since I have been up since 3:30am, I am getting mighty tired and need to hit the hay. I clean tomorrow for my stroke cousin, then take the MIL to the hospital for blood work (another trial....) Bake and pack on Wed, and we are off and running on Thurs. Whew..where does the time go??

Got that chin hair out - I need to remember to pack the 7x magnifier mirror to take along. My crazy sister and I are always joking about our facial hair. She pulled one out of her chin/neck area and it measured 3 inches. She taped it on her desk at work so everyone would ohh and ahh over it. She says she is the record holder on that one!

Well, I feel gross and need to hit the shower and then read a couple of chapters, then off to la la land...Hope I can sleep the whole night away...

Robert shame on you. You sort of had me going there for awhile, as I started reading the post without noticing who was writing. I am thinking this gal sure has a problem. LOL. Went to neighborhood bash today. About 70 people there. Tons of food. Hostess supplied, lemon pepper chicken, barbeque chicken, brats, hamburgers and hotdogs, rest was pot luck. We had tents, with misters going, fans and a good breeze, it wasn't bad. Just finished giving my Jack Russell a bath, as he is going to a dog show tomorrow. Hope he does well. This is his first show, he does fine at home, we will see what he does around the other dogs. He is such a ham, sure to get most photogenic!! I will try to post pics on the pet forum on Wed. morning. Tired, going to hit the hay, nite all.

darius, from your postings on this thread and the last one, I am assuming that you have found another place to live? am I right? Where are you going?
You are going to have to get serious about pitching books. The best thing to do with those that are not worth selling on Amazon is take them to a thrift shop.. I still have your hosta when you're ready.

Good Morning all,

I have a bit of good news. Don't know if I told ya, or if I only did in my mind......

My landlord's realtor has been wanting to sell this house since he knows my lease runs out 9/1. That stupid realtor doesn't give a darn what it costs me to move etc. He's looking to pad his pocket AND, the landlord didn't even tell him to show the house.

Well I went over and paid my rent yesterday. Talked to the landlord and he says the people that were shown the house were willing to pay $375,000. Landlord decided other properties here in the neighborhood are going for twice that, so he's going to wait. So I am here for another year, which is all I really wanted. 2 years here then on to my property in North Central Fla.

Those prices might make you think I live in a huge house. Real estate prices down here have gone up tremendously and it isn't the house that is so expensive, it's the dirt the house is sitting on. When I had insulation blown into my attic last month, there was only just short of 600 square feet of attic space. The main house probably is about 750 square feet.

So....I have another year to get my plans figured out for the rest of my life. I'm breathing a bit easier today.

Well, better get out there and dig some plants for a trade I'm doing before it gets too hot.

See ya later.
Molly

Glad things are working out for you Molly. Where in north central FL are you going?
Pati

Pati,

Last year when I received the equity in my house I bought two 5 acre parcels in Levy County, just southwest of Gainesville. One is intended to build on, the other for investment.

At these prices, no way I could afford to buy anything down here in S. Florida.

Even up there now, the land prices have already doubled since last fall.

Molly
:^)))

Good morning. Molly, I'm glad you get to stay another year. Moving isn't fun, and it is expensive not to mention being very inconvenient. Those prices make my head swim! Does the place you own have a house on it?

We had a nice quiet day yesterday that started with taking our son and his wife out to breakfast. They live in town, 20 miles away, and she is in college so needs lots of study time. He is working as a carpenter and studying to get a real estate license which he says it will take him about a year. The course he is studying is a state approved course. We think having building experience will help him when it comes to selling houses and will certainly be better for his bad back. He is hoping to avoid surgery.

We watched the Boston Pops concert last evening and both of us thought it was a disappointment. The fireworks were spectacular but they had too many guests on the program with other kinds of music and I wanted to hear the orchestra. I just need to get more CD's so we can listen to what we want to hear. Call me an old fuddy duddy but that's ok, I'm sure some of the rest of you feel the same way about what passes for music these days.

Time to get hubby some breakfast and get my day going. Have a good one everybody and remember to count your blessings.

No Mary, both my properties are vacant wooded land. Blank canvases so to speak.

Molly
:^)))

Property prices have skyrocketed in NC. My sister sold her house for a price that made my head reel, and it was just a little old junky ranch, but they wanted the land and tore the house down. They keep predicting that the real estate "bubble" is going to pop, but there's no sign of it so far. DH won't consider moving to a warmer climate, even though he grumbles through every snow fall in winter. Good that you don't have to move Molly, it's such a hassle. Your Landlord may regret not selling this year, but don't tell him I said that. LOL

Out for breakfast with DH, ran out of eggs....heh heh heh....and run a few errands, hit the recycling center with dead branches and weeds and such....and it's cool and sunny so it will be a good day to play in the dirt! DH on vacation again, all week. He's up to five weeks now, and they don't allow carry overs, so he has to use it up. Got a list of chores for him this time!!!