My little "Madhatter"

Sunday was Tea Party Day.  We'd been planning for a few weeks and all the apparel was ready for our little lady.....who was outside in the sunshine picking up sticks, chasing chickens and squirting everything (and everybody) in sight with her new squirt gun:-)

High Noon......let the transformation begin!

1.  Sneak off to Grandma's dressing room for a little make up  (with minor protests from Mom)
2. Wiggle into those tights (pantyhose actually)
3. Don the lovely party dress
4. Great Grandma's pearls
5. The new red, satin gloves (totally necessary)
6. THE HAT! (unlike anybody elses.....anywhere....ever)
7. The finishing touch.......Great Grandma's fox wrap
8. And of course, a new Pandora teapot charm for her bracelet

She was gorgeous.. Of course I'm highly prejudice and generally "correct!" (one of her favorite words)

Ta-Da

 

All "wrapped" up

 

The G.S. cookie touch

 

The teacup and spoon....of course


A wonderful experience with lessons in etiquette, the use of the "fan" and proper tea serving. Even a visit with Juliette Lowe, the founder of the Girl Scouts:-)
 

 

Kids say the darndest things!

Kids say the darndest things......and often the most truthful.  I know I brag about Bailee...probably ad- nauseum to you all but hey, deal about it.  She's a pretty smart chick with the perception (as you'll see) of an adult......well at least some adults....Ok, enough preamble to my constitution.  Here's the latest in my Book of Baileeisms!

Bailee loves to make up games, set scenarios and just be imaginative.  After a morning of playing outside, then a transformation into a tea party lady, we were back to the great outdoors.  Lee had a tow strap out as they were moving deadwood from the creek side to the fire pit.  Bailee had hooked one end of the strap on the golf cart (in which I was sitting...shocker) and the other to the hitch on Lee's truck.  She had explained that I was a bad guy and she was the law.  The action in her scene would go like this:  "I'll drive the pick up.  It will pull the golf cart and you'll tip over.  You'll be unconscious...but not dead. Then I'll take you off to jail!"  I said, "Wait a minute. If I'm hurt and unconscious, shouldn't you call the ambulance and get me some help?"  Her reply, "Duh Grandma, you're a criminal. You're the bad guy and you did something wrong. Why should I pay for somebody to come and take care of you?"     Wow, that's a very good question!....

So now I wonder if I should be sad for her lack of compassion or proud of her ability to see things in black and white!!!  I've been asking that same question for years.  I could take this opportunity to make this a learning experience......maybe for both of us.  So I explained that we were both human beings and that we were probably both entitled to being treated humanely...... "Like at the dog pound, right?" she said. (this could be tougher than I had anticipated.)  I said, yes, it was sort of like that.  But she held firm and in no way believed that this criminal, who had done "awful things" should be given the same things that those of us who "obey the law" have "earned!"  I found myself losing the debate.  I decided that teaching encompassed giving the details and the situation and letting her come to her own conclusions.  She did and I can live with that.  I think she learned far more from that 10 minutes than any test will ever measure.

On the road again

New wheels for Jess today. The old blue beast carried around some pressure cargo for a few years but was getting weak in the struts...plus it was time for a change!  Looked at new crossovers but the prices and interest rates were pretty scary.  Lee even mentioned a Kia... wow, he's a General Motors man from way back but then we spotted this classy little number right here in the good ole motor city of Mo-town.... (there are more car dealers and repair shops per square mile than anywhere!)..so I don't get out much!!! She banked locally and bought locally....2 things of which I'm trying to remain an advocate... I'm doing a lot of that lately:-) I mean where else can you get .0128% interest on your savings account and then pay 9.99% on the loan they so generously give you? (enough whining)

Anyway, this little GMC Acadia is a great riding car, good mileage (we're told), comfy and classy inside and sporty outside. As somebody told me once (Ryan Nye), "Remember the good guys drive white!!!"

Hopefully Jess, those brand new contacts will help you see the road more clearly. I guess it's a week of eye opening experiences....reminds me of an oldie:


(Keep you mind on your drivin')
(Keep you hands on the wheel)
(Keep your snoopy eyes on the road ahead)
(We're havin' fun sittin' in the back seat)
(Kissin' and a'huggin with Fred)

Clever PL8S

Today in History:   April 25, 19 April 25, 1901  New York became the first state to require automobile license plates. 01 Of course it did. Something more to pay for. I'm thinking our plates in NYS should really be free.... After all, we provide housing, health care, meals, cable, education and even a little stipend to those upstanding citizens who dwell under Copper John and actually make those darned plates!  So haven't we really paid for them already?    Here are a few that made me chuckle and made me pause for a second thinking how clever they would be on my vehicle. This is, by far, the most clever  and my favorite!r Yep, that's me True Story NOT! Love this Bronco!! Oh yeah! Passionately I would hope for this                                                  N April 25, 1901 New York became the first state to require automobile license plates. April 25, 1901 New York became the first state to require automobile license plates. ew York became the first state to require automobile license plates.

Scat, I'm "All IN" Gin!

Cards....A national pastime for the ages....all ages.  Crazy Eights, Old Maid, War, Uno, all games that we played as kids, played with our kids and still play today.  When all else fails, there's nothing on TV or the weather sucks and you have to be inside, pull out the cards.  It's been an old stand by in my life forever.  When we were kids and the rain and cold or snow and cold forced us inside, out came the card table, the snacks, and the cards.  Usually it was Gin Rummy.  It's generally a 2 person game but much more challenging with four.  When we were at Jeff's recently, all bet's were ON!  We lovingly beat the pants off each other (not that kind of poker) in SCAT, poker and once Lee went to bed (around 7:30), Jeff and I battled it out in a Gin Rummy tournament. (He kicked my a$$)
Some of the best times ever were around a card table.  Back in 1991, even the gals spent an afternoon on a cruise to Caracas, playing cards, drinking and smoking cigars....true story!!!  Even big ole Chuck Spaulding risked life and limb to inch his way on the outside of the ship to sneak a peak of the wild women he was cruising with.  Many fun hours have been enjoyed during tournaments of Hold 'Em at the Cascade Grill. The competitions brought out tears of happiness,  fits of stubbornness, escapes in anger and even feisty jaunts throughout the establishment in retribution. 
I remember my folks going to Bridge Night at the Country Club and Canasta at Grandma and Grandpa Hewitt's lake house. I can remember Dad out for Poker night with the boys and Mom locking ALL the doors at midnight.  It was very quiet at our house for the next few days. I can remember the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat on casino trips from Las Vegas to Atlantic City to Aruba. 
To me there is nothing quite like the excitement of picking up a brand new hand in cards. ( I lead a pathetically boring life). It's a pastime that can be enjoyed anywhere with anyone of any age. A deck of cards should be in every gal's pocketbook, every man's suitcase and even carried in your car, your boat and your RV.  You just never know when you might need to pass the time, enable your gambling habit or just plain enjoy time your friends.  You might have the best time of your life...the answer's "in the cards!"

Let her eat cake!

Let her eat cake...and we did!  We celebrated 9 decades +1 on Sunday with cards, balloons, song and cake. (homemade carrot cake!) We're not sure if the event had birthday significance to Mom but anything that is accompanied with song...she's there!

Who needs a fork?

31, 61, 91 and 6 1/2 :-)

Bailee helping Great Grandma read her card!



She always makes us chuckle!


{Bake That Birthday Cake Yourself!
Did you know: Birthday cakes have been a requisite part of birthday parties since at least Roman times, when the emperors offered cake all around on their birthdays. But it takes just two to make a birthday party—two people and a cake! (we had 4, double the fun)

A birthday cake, dedicated and sung over, is a big deal. It may be the magic of icing and candles that people remember best, but a birthday cake is crucial for the celebrant. Homemade cakes are not only better tasting than store-bought ones, but easy to make and fun.}
Our Journey to 100 



Earth Day

Today is Earth Day....It's inception was also the year I graduated from high school (1970).  The year I set forth on this earth as a bona fide, educated, adult....ok, maybe not.  It is, however, the year I knew everything!! I was ready to take on the world...the world, on the other hand, had a different plan in mind.
The idea of Earth Day has stuck though.  Throughout the past 43 years (holy cow, I've been and adult that long), our attention to the earth, it's preservation and our job as caretakers has stuck! We're all much more attuned to the fact that how we treat things has a direct affect on how long things serve us and how well.  This applies to so much more than the just the earth! I hate to admit that Al Gore might be right about anything....but he is.
Last fall, Bailee chose to have a birthday party centered around the earth (world). We had hanging globes, world maps and even a birthday cake that was the world,  I guess the sooner we bring the importance of how we treat things into the lives of our youngsters, the better off we'll all be. (wow, I sound old.)  Respect is learned virtue and therefore must be taught. We're the teachers! Living in the "country" has given me a new found respect for nature (the earth) and all that it encompasses. Yesterday, we were "fresh air" kids for the afternoon. We climbed mountains, swung on our favorite monkey ropes, hunted for fiddleheads, unearthed salamanders, marveled at our spring flowers and appreciated all that our little piece of heaven on earth have to offer us here at EIEIO.  When Bailee made it to the top of her mountain, she exclaimed in her great big outdoor voice, "This is the best day of my life!" What on earth can be better than that?

Glued to TV

Here I am glued to my TV. I awoke to texts of concern for a friend in MA........again. It's the syndrome that draws us to disaster and conflict.  We can't bear to watch and we can't bear not to.  This morning, news is rapidly changing and new info becomes available minute by minute. I find myself holding my breath..I can't imagine how the professionals are managing.  On one hand, I am grasping at every morsel of news and on the other wondering how (and why) the media wants to be in harm's way.  I would hate to get the scoop first hand and be given an award....posthumously. I guess it's their job and they're doing it.

I'm defending my position (literally).  I went from TV in bed, to TV at the local diner to TV at the shop and now back home to TV...it's human nature....or so I'm constantly telling myself....and you!

I've always thought I was tolerant.  Today, I am less so.  I do not want to be racist.  Today, I am more so.  I do not want to think I would profile someone by their looks.  From now on, I will be more suspicious of those who are not like me....that being white, American and simple.  Today I am sad because of these changes and I am mad because my nature is to trust and like people. I was raised and have chosen to live, in communities where I know most everyone, I like most everyone and I trust most everyone.  The thing I hate the most is our proverbial loss of  innocence. Damn you, terrorists for making us sad, uncomfortable, and scared.  How can we be expected to teach our youngsters tolerance when our lives are consumed by suspicion.

I can remember several times when my day was consumed by live TV. The OJ and Anthony trials, 9-1-1, Princess Di's death, the explosion of the space shuttle and even back to the death of Kennedy and the subsequent live, on the air, shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald.  I remember those days vividly.  I can't, however; remember what I did yesterday!!

On days such as these, I find it necessary to touch base with my family...often. I will continue to watch.  Some of the media is on their bellies reporting from their cell phones.  I continue to be glued to my TV. This human nature thing is killing me.

Hoping tomorrow this will have an ending.  Unfortunately, for many, it's only the beginning!

Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home..is often bittersweet... We had a great week at Jeff's and I'm struggling this morning with the withdrawal of enjoying him daily and the contentment of being home!  (with this morning wind...it may blow him up here anyway.)  It was an enjoyable time as always... our days together are way too few in a world where each day is unknown and a blessing all rolled into 24 hours.  We had a nice week-end of relaxation, golf for the guys, cookouts, a little museum culture, some cards and a bit of TV.  Monday arrived and we followed our beauty, Kelly Proper, on her run in the Boston Marathon.  It was a day full of pride as she crossed the finish line!  Then the unspeakable...phone was ringing, texts were abundant and fear was palpable.... I didn't like those few minutes one bit.  Finally a text from her saying they were all (her Mom, Jared and the kids too) OK and getting out of there if they could. Emotions on my end were so high that I cannot even fathom how Kelly and her family were feeling. Thankfully pride overtook the sadness (the TV was turned off now) and I relished in her victory... Heck I get tired driving 26 miles!
We (me) enjoyed the Charlotte Aviation Museum. I was anxious to see the plane that Sully miraculously landed safely in the Hudson. Unexplainable how the damage was relatively small and the courage and skills were amazingly huge!  Also, a replica of The Wright Brothers plane at Kitty Hawk, some military aircraft, a space capsule and a Cessna (closely resembling the size of the Piper aircraft I flew in home from Florida in 1971) displayed how air travel is and will be the way to go.
Did I mention we ate..a lot....while there?  We had steaks on the grill, a low country boil (shrimp, crab, taters, corn, sausage), sweet chicken and twice baked potatoes and enjoyed Firebirds and Sports Page outings!  A bit of Scotch and citrus vodka was also available to wash down all the above!  We played Scat, poker and gin rummy for $....amazing how 3 people can be so competitive....and we laughed A LOT!!!!  Five days went way too fast and just for the record...Good byes suck!
The trip home began with a 90 minute delay even getting on the interstate.... we ended up sliding off, taking an alternate for a few miles and scooting back on a few exits north. 18 miles in 90 minutes.....and me without a bathroom.  Who needs Zumba when you've got IBS and sphincter clenches... (was that too much information?)  In the end (pun intended) we had a successful drive all the way home....in 12 hours... That's pretty good for us...we usually drive about 8 and out!

 

 

Amazing

 

 

 

cleared for take off....Hey, I went to Ground School!!

 

 

Jeffrey and HIS Miracle on the Hudson

 

 

Lots of "little bunny foo foos

 

It was a great trip but it's always good to be right here at EIEIO... There's no place like home!

Dad, Mike, Shawn. Jeff and Heather...

Sweet Caroline(a)!

Heading south this morning via the Woolrich Store in Pa. Going to give the 13, 14, 15 routes a try.  We've talked about heading that way forever but always ended up in Binghamton and traveling down 81.  I like road trips less and less so hope this is a good move.  I'd be more receptive to travel if I could just snap my fingers and be there...Golly, if Captain Kirk can do it, why can't I.

I may check in during the next week and you may be fortunate enough that I just plain take a break.

Enjoy Spring!

Whistle while you work.....

Tax Freedom Day is almost here......no wait, it's 5 days later than it was last year!  That means the American taxpayer will have to work until April 18th and devote ALL of that income to  the government (federal, state and local) to cover all of your taxes...(of all kinds.)  They say this can be attributed to the fiscal cliff disaster (even though we remained teetering on the edge) and the Affordable Care Act.... (now there's an oxymoron if I ever heard one). Those two "incidents" are holding our economy in a sluggish pattern. (ya think?)  OK.. so that's the GOOD news...For all of us who have chosen to remain in good ole New York State, We get to celebrate Tax Freedom Day in MAY!  May 6th to be exact! That's 18 more days of whistling while you work for all of us living in the Empire State... Maybe it's time for the Empire to Strike Back! 

                             Notice how we start out in the black...and end up in the red:-(

April Showers

April Showers bring...............mud!  I guess these days we have to analyze almost everything.  The Farmer's Almanac enlightens us on the rainy weather terminology:

Weather Trivia What is a rain shower? Answer: Precipitation falling from convective, cumulus-type clouds that can be further identified by one of more of the following features: 1. Showers often (but not always) begin and end abruptly. 2. Showers usually occur in periods of short duration, perhaps 15 minutes or so, but they may last much longer.( so they're either 15 minute-ish....or not) 3. There are usually rapid fluctuations in the intensity of the precipitation. 4. There is usually a noticeable brightening of the sky between showers. What is drizzle? Answer: Small water droplets between 0.2 and 0.5 of a millimeter in diameter that fall slowly and reduce visibility more than light rain. (who measures theses?) What is rain? Answer: Precipitation in the form of liquid water drops that have diameters greater than those of drizzle droplets. (once again, who's measuring?) April Proverbs In April, each drop counts for a thousand. –Spanish proverb Moist April, clear June. Expect rain if hens spread and ruffle their tail feathers...I guess I'll have to depend on the local weathermen.  The majority of my hens have had their tail feathers "plucked" out by their pen-mates. April is abundant here with birthdays, yard work, eagle tracking and open windows.  Today, the windows remain open even though the temperatures are 20+ degrees less than yesterday.  The afternoon is bringing us some sunshine followed by tomorrow's lower temps once again.  At 4 a.m., (yes I was "up"), it was 65 here and 63 in Charlotte (go figure). The ground across the road has cracks..I guess the March snowfall really wasn't all it was cracked up to be. We picked up sticks yesterday and burned them last night.  Our first bon(d)fire of the season. Papa and Bailee had great fun collecting sticks, breaking them on their knees and burning the winter's collection of debris. It was April bonding at it's finest.  From what I can tell, April showers have magical powers! When April blows his horn, It’s good for hay and corn. –Almanac proverb             .

.

The Following

Both eagles holding down the fort
 

Ruling the roost ( the mate is between the two branches)

"Back off you guys, I'm trying to figure out how to fly this to my nest!"

Photo by Laura Bowen

Yesterday was "eagle  day."  I finally drove down into the corn field and watched, photographed and marveled in my good fortune.  To have this eagle's nest so close, so visible and so active is a dream come true for an "new" old birdwatcher.  I have had so much fun this past 5 years just watching the wildlife whose habitat we invaded.  They have been so gracious to allow us to move in.  We took great pains in what we removed and where we placed our new nest.  When  downy, hairy and flicker woodpeckers showed up for meals, I was ecstatic.  The day the elusive pileated woodpecker decided to grace us with his presence was a big check mark off my bucket list.  I've seen a red tailed hawk snatch a tiny bird off our porch feeder, a murdered hawk's remains on our smoke house roof, bear tracks and the after effects of his visit, a wild boar, hundreds of deer, turkeys , raccoons. woodchucks and coyotes. So, when the eagles appeared last year, euphoria set in.  We now drag in road-kill for meals (for them, not us), we've purchased expensive binoculars, cameras and tripods and I have wasted (enjoyed) enumerable hours waiting, watching and following. 
I'm pretty sure there are eggs in the nest as one eagle appeared to be bobbing in and out of the nest while perched on the side.  One eagle always remains in the nest and last night I was able to video a determined parent trying valiantly to transport (fly) supper (woodchuck) home to the family. Now, that's "take-out!" I wish I were savvy enough to get the video on here....if I'm not successful, check out my Face Book page.
I know how addicted peeping Tom's must be. The voyeur in me is exploding. Thankfully, this is legal...so many fun things ..are not!

Are you kidding me?

As you know, I thoroughly enjoy Face Book......until dumb people start posting dumb statements.  There's this crazy group called "Moravia Dump" ( personally I think they should occasionally flip the p around and make it a b.)  Last night someone posted an obituary of a local fellow who had passed away (obviously...... it was an obituary....) He had grown up on a nearby farm and had been an acquaintance of Lee's. The information was appreciated as I no longer subscribe to the Citizen and  am not always privy to "comings and goings."  Anyway, most are aware there are three options under a Face Book post...you can like it, comment on it or share it.  Most of the time liking it means just that...you like it... you like the picture, the recipe, the joke, the cartoon....whatever.  It appears two people quickly liked the posting of the obituary.  Which in my small mind meant they had seen it and were appreciative of the information.....

Here's the part of Face Book that drives me crazy....(I need no GPS to get there!)

The next post read:

I'm confused. Do the two "likes" mean you're glad he's dead or something else?

March 31 at 2:43pm

Well, you know me.  I explained that this was the part of Face Book that is idiotic and that people really need to think before they post.  Get out the umbrellas......let the sh-- storm begin!  The group sure lived up to it's name as several began to dump...on me.... I have big shoulders (and everything else) and I can handle disagreement.....I just can't handle stupidity.  Needless to say, I'll be distancing myself from the Dump.....

Thanks for letting me dump on you today...I really "like" you all!

We did it...

Well, we finally did it.  Bailee stayed all night with me and no one had to make a midnight run to return her safely to her mother's arms.  Really!!  This child has spent more half  her life in my presence and hasn't been able to successfully have a sleepover (without her mother.)  It was definitely an "A-Ha" moment.  We headed to the movies, loaded up with sweet tarts, popcorn and soda, and ventured all the way to the very back row where we settled in to meet The Croods.  Next we headed to A.C. Moore for some craft shopping (birthday and tea party hat supplies) and then to the jewelry store to buy Mom a birthday gift ( and one for each of us..shhhh)  Next, it was supper out....Subway... (woo hoo) then back to EIEIO for crafting, TV and dessert in bed.  I'm not positive but I think the TV was on and Miss B was still wide awake as I drifted off about 11 p.m.  There's nothing better than waking to "Good Morning Grandma!!"  followed by a hug, a kiss and the sincerest "I love you Grandma!"  At that moment, if she'd asked for a trip to Disney World, we'd be on a plane now!


The Croods + 1

Gourmet supper @ Subway

Her mom's update on Face Book this morning was..... "Bailee survived her first sleepover at Grandma's....."...My reply, "It isn't a prison camp, you know!!"