Someone Said...

"When it comes to emotions, intensity can't be sustained"-

With regards to love relationships, trusting (or fearing) the swell of emotion will pass. I can apply this to all of mine (saving gory details). It's sister phrase- "Nothing lasts forever". That one has a bitter note to it when included, although it's a realistic bitter note....
The really horrid parts, the really fabulous parts and all the tilting to and fro in between- it is never constant. You may visit some parts more often that others but the pendulum will always keep swinging.
So hang in there if you're dealing with something nasty and remember to revel in the really exquisite.


And that, my dears, is my reminder for the day.

Something Different

Not really different, since it still involves drinking.
My friend Andrea and I sallied forth to the city last night to a nice little place we've discovered. Vino 100 is a small wine shop that carries wines under $20 and you can sample them before you buy. They hold special wine tastings as well and last night was wines of Missouri, specifically from Chaumette Winery of St. Genevieve, Mo. I purchased a nice red table wine- Assemblage- a blend of mainly Norton and other estate-grown grapes offering aromas of cherry, strawberry, citrus peel and hints of black pepper- it is delish!
We had just talked about how wonderful a trip centered around wineries in Missouri would be when we struck up a conversation with a couple that had been doing just that with a group of 14 or so for a few years. We exchanged cards and are thinking about something in November.
Missouri has had wineries for the last 160 years producing enough wine to rank second in the nation but during Prohibition, they used the cellars (caves) for mushroom growing (I think those would be the non-hallucinogenic sort). Since 1960 they revitalized the area and many wineries have sprung up.
The St. Genevieve wineries take advantage of the visitors to the oldest French settlement west of the Mississippi. I wouldn't mind taking all the kids to visit sometime. It's quite a historic place.

Other activities last night included a nice little appetizer of bruschetta and beer next door to the wine shop and then after the tasting, we made our way to a pub that was showcasing an "assemblage" of old farts from a band from my youth. They were rather decent. A large group of long haired freaky hill people made for interesting people- watching. We danced, we flirted, we laughed, we drank (I was designated driver which wasn't as hard to manage as I thought it would be- I was careful).
It was definitely a change- except the drinking part- I know. I have almost become a hermit and this was exhilarating just getting a change of scenery.

Cheers!

I was thinking this blog is not anywhere near "gardening blog" status but you know, that's alright. I'm not worried about that. Gardening is a definite part of me, easily traced back.
I have a growing history from way back in my family. Both sides of my dad's family were large farmers for their times. At a time when 80 acres of crops was considered an average farm in the 20's, Papaw P was farming around 1200 and had 40 pairs of mules for pulling equipment. I can hardly believe it but it's documented. That was the big family of 13 kids -huge strapping boys and apparently huge strapping girls. (This was my recently deceased great uncle's family). The boys would be out in the fields and the girls would be out in the huge garden. The girls under the direction of Memaw would can from the garden in gallon jars the whole summer.
The other set of grandparents, Memaw and Papaw C were better off financially but farmed on a smaller scale. They had a garden as well. Really, in this area during the first half of the 20th century, you didn't eat if you didn't garden.
Alas, both sets went belly up financially and so it goes on with all the rest of the family. You'd think some of us would have learned our lesson about farming with so many examples ahead of us. However the ability, drive and sheer stupidity perseveres in large operations like my bother's.

The C grandparents had three girls, one of which was not quite all there mentally. Aunt Ruth lived with her parents until both died. Then she lived a time by herself before going into the rest home. I just barely remember going over to that house but I do remember there were chickens, a coal pile, an old barn, feather beds, a pot bellied stove, and beautiful shrubs, and flowers. That woman could grow anything from the roses and hollyhocks to the garden she ate from. She was sweet and quiet, gentle in her movement except when she hollered for the chickens. They say my voice sounds a lot like hers when I call my animals- hehe.
When I was very small she kept me sometimes for company and if my mom had somewhere to be. I remember wandering around in the maze of flowers and trees, smelling them and picking them. It was like my own personal play land where my imagination was let loose. I always felt safe and secure in that yard. I remember wanting desperately to feed the chickens so she handed me the bowl of scratch which I dumped right at my feet for the chickens which came scurrying straight up to me, scaring me to death. To this day, I still want chickens though.
My family had large summer gardens while I was growing up. My mom and dad were very pressed to have the food from the time I was born to when I was in high school. We all worked in the garden. I remember planting the pink "treated" corn seed in long rows, the peanuts we grew one year, cantaloupes, cucumbers, green beans in what seemed mile long rows, squash, tomatoes, okra, leaf lettuce, carrots one year, and the year we had potatoes sealed the deal for me. I couldn't believe digging up a plant that had that many vegetables in the ground! I loved it. During my teenage years, I hated working in the garden but that was normal.
Of course my mother canned it all and I mean with a pressure canner. What a job. But we ate so well because of it. They would never have sat back and took hand outs.

Finally, my love of yard gardening comes from my dad's sister. The style with which I plant in my yard is her style. Buy or acquire what I like and stick it here or there. Fill every nook and cranny with stuff. There's a never-ending list of shrubs, trees, and flowers to have so the job/bliss is never going to end.
My aunt and her husband would spend every weekend caring for their yard. You couldn't see their house from the road she had planted so much. Finally, they took some stuff out to cut down on their yard work. I wish to this day, I had acquired some of her oriental poppies- yeah, the opium- producing ones she got from her grandmother. She is also who I learned of growing hops from and using them dried for decoration.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. Hug your loved ones.

There was a wreck this week on our divided highway bypass. It wasn't anyone I knew personally although I know of the family and the son of the deceased used to ride an exercise bike in the YMCA when I was there. This son was really a boy in his 40's- he had Downs Syndrome and was sweet and funny. There was a write up this week in the paper about him hitting forty and the party that was planned. It is on the front page with the article about his father's accident.

What kind of cosmic joke is that?!

It shook me up and made me stop and think, partly because it was someone revered in the community, partly because it was extremely violent and partly because it was a driving accident that took some one's life which reminds me -E is driving now.
Apparently the man was hit when he crested a hill only to be met head on with a car going the wrong way. Both were killed. The other driver was confused it was a divided four lane. We accidentally were passing by the scene after it had happened. Horrifying.

It was quick, probably not painless. Preferable to going slow and drawn out. Or is it?
My wonderful great uncle died while I was home this past weekend. He got up early, had his coffee and sat down in his recliner and fell asleep. Nothing dramatic. He had so much heart trouble in the last 20 years, I never dreamed he would live to his middle 80s. But he was so stubborn I guess I'm not surprised. He had been declining for the last year so he had everything squared away nicely. He had visited with all his folks over the family reunion weekend and then Father's Day. People were sad but not distraught and shocked. Everyone knew he was dying slowly.

I have always thought I would much prefer to die quickly, mostly because I know what kind of wimp I would be to die slowly with people watching and offering comfort. And the children and perhaps a parent watching, hopeless. Can you think of a sadder thing? I'd be flailing and crying, cussing and shaking my fists. That would be ALL 5 stages for me.
But thinking of the shock and horror of a quick, violent death- maybe that is worse for the family by far. Not having the time to make sure everyone knew how much they were loved, dealing with arrangements, leaving a feeling of real connection before I was gone.
I know none of this is something I get to decide for myself or the members of my family. Trying to desensitize myself by looking at this accidental death and putting myself in the family's spot is useless. But it's human.

Greensburg, Ky tornado
Doesn't look like much could live through this but these are animal rescue pics. Kind of amazing, don't you think?



These two were found together





This one was found starving.










This cutey got right in to rest.






Taking comfort from each other.







Here comes a kitty- must have been around dogs in it's former life and vice versa.






None of these animals knew each other, according to the person who wrote this.

Did you know a raccoon climbing a chain link fence by your bedroom window at 3 a.m. can sound like someone sliding patio furniture over the fence to steal it? Also, did you know that when spotlighted with a flashlight on the chain link on the other side of the yard, a raccoon will wag it's tail like a pet dog?

I didn't either.

Some Young'uns

1st Birthday Boy. He is a dandy.






The new kitten, no-name.








One down, one to go. Getting the practice in early on the gravel road.

I used to post with no pictures. Now I post with mostly pictures. Maybe I'll get to the point of posting with no words.

I hate it when I go through that cycle of never saying anything right.

And then worrying about it night and day.

The Rest of the Photos..

Waiting with bated breath?
I thought so.
This little bed is so full of stuff ! I am going to have to dig it up and replace soil since I blindly planted some peppermint and an artemisia that have taken over. Duh. They have choked out my bleeding heart. What are left besides the aforementioned plants are the Shasta daisy, a very beautiful sea oats grass (behind the daisy), some of Gramma's orange fragrant daylillies, Stella D'Oro daylillies, thyme, oregano, Russian sage, and a nice stand of tulips and daffodils. I managed to transplant some very pretty hollyhocks in this year from sprouts out of the school garden. They look a tad peaked but will bust out, I have no doubt.



This bed is equally a mess. It's unfortunate I have two very unkempt beds in the front. No "Gardener of the Month" trophy for me...
This bed had another invasive plant taking over- tansy. It will require me to disassemble it entirely, sift thru the soil to remove as many bits of roots as possible before it will recover and even then it will have bits of tansy I'll have to yank. I love tansy so I'll find another planting place. It's leaves when added to compost will hasten breakdown and add ...something good to the mix, I can't remember. Blah. Plus it's a pretty plant once it's in bloom and quite attractive to butterflies and bees.


My Colorado spruce- I wish I had my house surrounded
by these. I'd like to cover it with white Christmas lights in the winter but I don't own a bucket truck to get them up there. The cones it has are the most fantastic I've seen.





My potato experiment- it's going pretty well. They are ready to have another 8" of soil added to the bags to encourage growth of more lateral shoots and hence more potatoes. I like the cheap alternative of using my soil bags and a freezer basket- still using my clothes washer but i bet by this time next year it's basket will be in use as a potato planter.

I know the use of Forsythia in the Midwest garden is so ho-hum. But thank goodness for them.

I use them as cheap, fast growing screening shrubs. This particular specimen is really gorgeous in bloom and has grown nicely in it's spot. It's twice as large as the same variety found around front planted in the same year.

I'll be gone a few days to my mom's again. You know what that means?

No Greeny- no fun. Sorry. I'll miss you all too.

By the way, E got her license.

An archeological team, digging in Washington DC , has uncovered 10,000 year old bones and fossil remains of what is believed to be the first Politician.

Deemed one of the 15 most cringe- worthy males celebrities. Hear, hear!

A Gardener With Issues

I was sitting outside this morning admiring my yard. I posted photos of things running through my mind about some of it.

My house has some some very hardy privets across the front. Last night I beat them into some submission since I couldn't even tell if someone had driven up. I hate taking the nice arching branches and making them into boxes. Truth be told, I let them get out of hand by not clipping them much one year and now they can't be brought back to a decent size with even heavy pruning. I decided I would yank them out this winter and start with something smaller next year. Anyone that knows me knows I am not one to cut down anything that is not absolutely necessary.




One of my favorite plantings is cannas. Talk about an easy big gorgeous plant! Very showy and is useful for screening purposes. I have them everywhere in my yard- shading the a/c, screening some of my patio, screening out some of the other houses. I'm into screening....

I'd like to get some other varieties but these produce so well I don't need anymore. But then again, need and want are two different things, right?



Ahhh, sedums! Next to cannas, another easy plant and so textural.. Nice show in the fall as well.

Notice the salvaged disk blade retrofitted for the garden? Courtesy of my brother.






This beautiful Black Lace whatever the name is resides nicely this year under my redbud and beside my holly. Tucked in there is a butterfly weed that really needs to be moved to more sun. My grandmother's daylillies probably need more sun as well. This little bed is sort of my hospital and screening bed for the house next door. It has the best soil in the whole yard.




I love the way these gooseneck loosestrife blooms look like they are undulating. Not really a very pretty plant without them and pretty invasive. This is luckily a perfect planting area for "invasive".






A plain old rose bush, whatever kind it is, came from my great aunt's and great grandmother's home place. It actually came from a start from my parents house that came from the original bush. It looks amazing due to the extra moisture this Spring (sorry, you thirsty gardeners). Again, another wise choice for this area (I hate chain link but better than nothing) and for screening.


My hops, getting impatient for me to get the shed painted so it can take over. I keep having to remove the vines from scrambling up the fencing.






This white pine was given to E when she was in 3rd grade as part of Missouri Arbor Day in conjunction with the Department of Conservation. All 3rd graders get a tree of some kind each year- cool, huh? I planted this when we moved in in '03. It's doing pretty well.






This is one of the seedlings I bought from the Dpt. of Conservation this year. It had a lot of catching up to so. Once again, I planted this in the same line of shrubs the other pine is in to- anyone? anyone? screen out the neighbors.



This is my patio side of the hospital bed. Note the white pines planted too close together? I left them both in there a couple of summers ago when they were bestowed upon me as extras from a golf course planting. Now it's a bit late to remove one. I also planted my baby evergreens in there until I can get them planted into drier soil.



One of my favs- fragrant Mock Orange. Not really a showy shrub but the bloom's fragrance makes up for it.









It's only a matter of a few days before this baby is bursting with blooms for the butterflies. What an easy shrub.










That's not all but since this has taken me an hour to upload photos and get my copy written, I'm done for today. My stinking computer is running slow as tar. I figure it needs some attention from the local guy.

Cheers!

We have count down to driving test day!
I spent 2 hours in the car today and and hour yesterday backing up, parking both side by side and parallel, turning, blah,blah,blah. I pretended to be the driving instructor and gave monotone instructions for turning or parking in the town E will be taking her test in.
When we got home I gave her a 95 % but I have no idea of how well she will do. Her nerves will most likely get the best of her but then again, maybe not. At least she handles the car well and seems to be paying close attention when she should.

Did I ever post the recipe for my Cow Pasture Cookies? You know, the no-bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies? I didn't think so.

Greeny's Cow Pasture Cookies
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 cups sugar

Add these together in large heavy saucepan, mixing as heating on medium high heat. Bring to good boil and remove from heat.

Add:
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
Add vanilla and peanut butter, mixing quickly.

Add: 3 scant cups quick oatmeal and if desired, 1/2 cup coconut. Mix quickly and spoon out on waxed paper by tablespoonfuls. Or spoon directly in mouth if it's been a bad day but use caution- cookie can resemble fresh lava.

Father's Day- I would say something sappy here but instead I found things others have said about fathers that resonate with me and make me think of my father and his influences on my life. And some were just funny....


"It is a wise father that knows his own child." -- William Shakespeare

"It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was." -- Anne Sexton

"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters." -- English Proverb

"To be a successful father . . . there's one absolute rule: when you have a kid, don't look at it for the first two years." -- Ernest Hemingway

"I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." -- Sigmund Freud

"I watched a small man with thick calluses on both hands work fifteen and sixteen hours a day. I saw him once literally bleed from the bottoms of his feet, a man who came here uneducated, alone, unable to speak the language, who taught me all I needed to know about faith and hard work by the simple eloquence of his example." -- Mario Cuomo

"If the new American father feels bewildered and even defeated, let him take comfort from the fact that whatever he does in any fathering situation has a fifty percent chance of being right." -- Bill Cosby

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years. ~Mark Twain, "Old Times on the Mississippi" Atlantic Monthly, 1874

Thanks, Daddies everywhere! I salute you..

My tomatoes are doing well but I bet it will be well after the 4th of July before any get ripe. That's the boat a lot of people will be in since it was so wet here during May.


Back in February when Andrea and I went to the raised bed farmer's class, he sent us away with some raspberry bushes. I heeled them in my garden since I wasn't sure when we could get them in the ground at the farm. Before I knew it, they had set flowers in May and fruit really quickly after that. Not a bad set either for having been treated so shabbily.
Let me tell you, having a ripe raspberry or two every morning is a sweet experience. I may have to conveniently forget I have them planted here.

After the rain we had yesterday, I'm thinking more and more about terracing my garden. Seriously. At least through the middle dividing it into two parts.
Yesterday it rained 3.44 inches and my soil has eroded downhill. My yard slopes moderately but in years past, the garden has never had this much rain to cause movement.

Into the Weekend

Today is the day I spend cleaning the house and otherwise tidying up the messes and remnants of "Mom Gone Wild" week. It really might take a while and I'm not joshin or bragging...I don't want to give my little science projects any ammo to use against me.
On the "good mother" side of things, I'm baking bread and oatmeal cookies and plan on having a better meal than apparently the Sunday sendoff meatloaf and baked potato meal I thought was sure to be a hit- it wasn't. Yes, I ate meatloaf all week. I love meatloaf. I make a damn good meatloaf too.
This is the last time, for at least a while that I worry about what I'm fixing to eat. They can suffer in silence and it WILL BE SILENT!
And on the subject of time alone, I will say I plan to do a lot more mindless thinking and less "deep" thinking since neither produce anything too grand and it's a lot easier for me to go with the mindless. Plus you all don't have to scratch your heads and say "huh?"

Do I use quotation marks a bit too often? Anyone? Anyone?

I tried out grilling a pizza on my gas grill the other day. I had pretty good results and know some things I'll do differently next time. I would like to buy a small charcoal grill but haven't put it on my list. I think the results would be more to my liking with charcoal and I could put it right on the grill or use my pizza stone. Anyone have some suggestions through their own experiences?
I used sauce, shallots, Parmesan, and sun dried tomatoes with a good crust mix.

I watched a touching movie (and you know I don't like heartfelt)- "Into the Wild" this week. I can't even explain how good it was from a personal and entertainment point of view! I recommend it but only with no interruptions or children.
Don't stay away this weekend, folks. I need mental support from this moment on to forge ahead. Your presence is greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

Blather Otherwise Known as Greeny's Comment on Human Psychology

Something made me laugh this morning as I went for a walk.
I was giving it a fast pace with my mp3 cranking some tuneage (uh-oh, I just sounded dreadfully aged with that phrase) when I started up a street that normally had loose doggage roaming. Sure enough, a dog spied me and away it ran through some back yards, its tail between it's legs like I had thrown a rock at it. I walked on in my normal figure eight fashion through those back streets. I come around another corner and lo and behold, there is the SAME dog, strutting around in the street near apparently HIS house, fur on his back standing up, snarling at me, menacing me with his proximity to my ankles (crap, I hate that). I did laugh out loud at that point.
Just like the dog, people have similar habits.
Take them out of their own territory or safe zone and they are ill-at-ease.
While they are in their own hood, they can be overly protective among other things...

Just remembering some good comment info from a previous post.
Remember nataS? He is pretty quiet these days...

Life's rules according to nataS?
1. Life is difficult.
2. Perception is reality.
3. Change is the toughest thing a human being can do.
4. You can never change another human being; you can only change yourself. Once you change, they change, but you cannot change them.
5. I am responsible for everything I do and say. I am not responsible for your response.
6. The future and the past are seldom as good or as bad as we anticipate or remember.
7. Nobody has a squeaky-clean psyche.
8. The only thing that lasts forever is...Now.

I have avoided posts with much content in the past several months. I have really internalized, keeping things quiet and toned down even with conversations with my friends. It feels unhealthy. I feel unhealthy -like I have a growing blob of crud in my heart and head. How is that for imagery? That grossed even me out.
What does one do when one feels the weight of everything and everyone and all one's own mistakes? When one cannot lift their mood or change their outlook or find promise in a day? When one's constant whining about the same thing can drive that one insane not to mention the listeners. When one feels like one's spirit is taking a big hit from the universe...

THE Movie (and other tidbits)

Juno....
Loved it, love it, loved it.


Lots of stuff rolling around in my tiny brain but nothing is jelling.

I would have thought with as much heat is being generated outta my body every 30 minutes or so, I would have easily dropped 5 pounds. Damn hot flashes.
I was in the local liquor store one evening of late and was surprised and delighted to have a kindergardener and a second grader come in with their respective parents and identify me as "my teacher". Lovely.
Yes, one would assume that kind of thing would/could/will happen even if one was not even a regular customer. I guess that stress kick-started one mother of an "episode". I stood there waiting in line, sweat pouring off me in what we shall say was quite sexy- screech! NOT! I whipped out my folding fan and amongst all the scruffy male customers waiting with their 100 pack of Twanger Mountain Brew or whatever is 100 for $5, I fanned myself and did some mental cooling down. Good grief. Smile, smile, eyes downcast or very interested in the Uncle Buck calendar on the wall and all the smoking paraphernalia. Try to look nonchalant and comfortable...Blah! Then finally on my way out, a guy I know was coming in, stopped me, started a conversation with me holding a 12 pack and a bottle of merlot in the parking lot as all the traffic was going by, most of which was alumni heading to the school banquet just down the way. I felt a bit obvious to say the least. Yeah, I'm vain that way, thinking everybody is noticing me. (Mental notes taken- AAAh, Ms. R and exactly one 12 pack of devil's beer and one bottle of Lucifer's drink. Make sure to pass a communique addressing this at the next school board meeting.)
Finally to the car! Thank God for the menopause setting on the A/C.

My mom's beautiful, wonderful Siamese cat got run over by my brother of all people! She was so sad. Wiley was a bunch of company for her and such a good pet. I managed to find him for her right after before my dad was gone.
But...She now has a new little guy whom I've yet to see. He is extra small from a small mama and still fairly young. Back through all the shots and spaying procedures.

Ok, kids are gone. House is quiet and my list is made. Off to work.

All the rain we had this spring plus the fertilizer I spread on the yard and around the plantings have perhaps created monsters! I was mowing Wednesday evening around my white pine and burning bushes, realising they had put on tons of new growth. It was hard to reach in under the pine to mow it had gained so much new growth. The word is LUSH. Usually by this time, things are a bit dry around here and we are wishing for some rain. Not so this year. And I'm loving it since my objective is screening as much as possible with my shrubs and trees.
What we have been having is gusty wind all day and all night for 5 days now. I mean 43 mile per hour gusts yesterday!
Ok, enough weather school. Talk about a geek alert, people.
I've got things planted in every nook and cranny this year. I just put in some peat pots of cucumbers over in a shrub bed to crawl up my chain link. Similar things are tucked here and there in unlikely places. Shrug. I have valuable space being taken up in my garden by bequeathed raspberry bushes, peonies, iris, and strawberries that I moved out of my original strawberry bed to improve it before moving them back- just haven't managed it. So I am using other real estate for vegetables.
Rumor has it I will have next week to myself. The kid's dad is taking them. I'm all giddy! But then, Ill miss them horribly while they are gone. I hate that catch.

I've always been too easy going in my child rearing methods. It's been a hard road to learning I'm the boss.
Lately my kids have had a way of making me come unglued. I know it's universal for children to talk back and with a raised voice, at that. And you can't yell at kids for yelling at you, now can you?
E has always had a "tone" to her exasperated answer. I call her on it. Apparently I haven't done a good enough job prevented it from continuing. Now J is using it. And I plucked his tongue out basically yesterday over it.
Now I know it's a family trait for my nostrils to flare.

Still working when I get the chance at the "Dirty Girls Farm" where our berries and grapes are showing great signs of loving their homes. We had ground hogs nipping some of the tender shoots off the grapes and digging up a berry plant but we devised a method of extermination. Don't ask. The problem has disappeared. Now it's time to feed and mulch the plants good.
Our asparagus needs to be put in and we chose to make the raised bed it's home. We just need to get those stupid concrete blocks and build it. As soon as my neck is not wrenched out and Andrea's hand is not aching from playing softball the last day of school, we may get to it. Blah, we are old and out of shape....
Then it's a strawberry bed we need to build. I've got them potted up and they are waiting patiently for a home.
You know how your kids look like they've grown a bunch if you've been gone for a week? My tomato plants are the same way. They are HUGE!

I had another call last night from the guy who owns the orchard. He is desperate. It's peach thinning time and in only 3 weeks some of the 1000 trees will begin bearing. He can't find anyone but high schoolers to thin or pick and he wanted me to oversee both. I ALMOST said yes because he needs help so bad but I stopped myself. I'm still mulling over the idea at this very moment of taking J and E and doing it anyway. She needs a job and J could do it too.

One job that is calling out is the shed painting. I have to get our supplies so we can knock that baby out in the next week. It looks sad out there all faded.

Cheers, folks.

Only Four Days Gone

-But it seems like a week! The yard is grown up and needs a cut just like J's hair. He has the largest hair, maybe to rival Lyle Lovette's..

The Reunion. There was So. Much. Food. And talking. All night, all day. There was target shooting with the crazy cousins from Michigan and their 18 guns plus my mom's new revolver. These people actually travelled from Michigan with all of those guns. Crazy and extreme is right. I got a pic of Mother during her practice but I don't want to perpetuate the stereotype of ..well, you know.

There was a book compiled on the Provance family with photos (those didn't turn out too well in printing which was very sad) and many documents and information albeit sketchy, dating back to the 1700's. Not enough legal documents left or filed in the first place by illiterate people. Lots of fires at court houses where things were filed which didn't help matters either.
The reunion was started as a way for the 13 kids of Frank and Ella, my dad's grandparents, to keep close. The book details some of the life that was very rough for them as a family but nothing out of the ordinary. They were just ordinary folks. And it comes down to the present day families. It's just that being our story makes it special. And now there are only 2 or the 13 left. One of the brothers is very ill but made an appearance. It won't be long for him, I'm afraid and he is like the grandfather we never had since my dad's dad died when my dad was 11. My brother will miss him most.
We had the Saturday evening get together at my uncle's house which used to be the Baptist church I started out in as a baby. My kids were a bit freaked out. The sanctuary is now the Pickin' Parlor where my uncle and his musical cronies have Friday and Saturday night gatherings. He bought the church building after the church dissolved from lack of attendance back in the 80's. It serves a nice purpose to be used for our family that always attended there. We karaoked some of which ended up on video online (ack!) and in general had a blast. All we needed was a keg...kidding.

I saw my dad every day while I was there and he looked so good. He knew me a little which did my heart good. I didn't get time to take him for a ride in his red truck, though. We used to do that and he said he wanted to when I asked him.
Some of the cousins went to see him which was good. His own two brothers don't even go see him. On that note, I'm going to my happy place now instead of where I would embarrass myself.


Spending the day getting things tidied up and plans made for Erin and her birthday. I don't even have a card at this very moment but I shall hop on the trusty bike and wheel off to the pharmacy. She had a lot of iced tea last night and so didn't sleep well. I think I can get back with her never knowing I went.
J spent the night at the neighbors and most likely will have had no sleep. I will have a hard time getting anything out of him and of course, E will play the birthday card all day today. I guess I'll let her.

Happy Sweet 16th, E

From this...

to this. And it seemed to fly by.

What a joy, what a hassle, what a kid.

I am BACK, people

I am overcome all of a sudden joy at being HOME. My home, my own kingdom. I rule here. I decide or not what goes on. Whoops, way to tempt FATE there, Beth.
I'll be posting tomorrow as it is one of the most important days of the year.