Honored Glory...

I've spent time at the sites of past battlefields. With so many of my family serving in the armed forces, it was natural to acknowledge the history of past wars. Two places stand out in my memory because they were the only battlefields where I ever experienced something beyond my rather ordinary life. I FELT the sadness and despair that permeated the very walls of Corregidor's Battery Geary and Crockett. The feeling overwhelmed me for a time, especially in Battery Crockett where 27 men were killed instantly when one of Battery Geary's mortar guns was blown from its anchor into the adjacent powder magazine.

Later, the USA, Japan and the Republic Of The Philippines erected the Dome Of Peace to honor the fallen of Corregidor. The following poem is inscribed in the marble memorial under the dome.

Sleep, my sons, your duty done,
For Freedom’s light has come;
Sleep in the silent depths of the sea, or in your bed of hallowed sod,
Until you hear at dawn the low, clear reveille of God.



Between the pillars is the Eternal Flame - it is lit at night by a solar powered fuel cell. I understand that Corregidor is now refurbished in some ways with slide shows in the Malinta Tunnel and tours through Middleside Barracks.

However, when I visited in 1982 Corregidor was a nearly untouched island with the Dome, the Peace Memorial and the unlit Eternal Flame its only monuments. The other buildings, the dock and the barracks were left in their natural state of decay but have now been repaired to some extent for tourists.



The other place I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness and despair was at Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It was at the gravesite of a young second lieutenant in Mr. Lincoln's Army. The headstone was bigger than all the others, obviously one commissioned by his family. For a moment I was swept back in time and everything around me disappeared...I think it was his mother I felt in my heart. She was reading the new headstone and was overcome with grief.

Second Lieutenant Jasper Quigley, Only Son.

There was more, but I don't recall anything else...one of my girls yelled "Mom!" and I snapped back to the present with tears in my eyes for Jasper, who was called Jass by his family. I have no idea how I know that. Simple deduction? Or did I link for one brief moment with a grieving mother over her child? There are greater mysteries that only God knows.

And last, the saddest monument for families of those lost to war...The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier.




Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier known but to God.

Remember those who gave their lives...we live free because of them.

Moving along...

We've had a few busy days.

We drove out of town to an RV place to find a part for the broken toilet. We passed through Springfield and Richard got to browse the Bass Pro Shop for a while. At the RV place we found several spiffy RV things besides the new part. I got a shelf for the bathroom, an awning tiedown strap and a possible buyer for the Airstream if we choose to sell it at the end of our temporary lodging phase!

We did some garage sales over the weekend. Richard bought a little toolchest filled with chisels and a down jacket for winter - all for $10. Mom got some lovely hand-crocheted antique linens. Real linen with butterflies crocheted into the design. She wants me to sew/insert them into a tablecloth later.

While we were out and about we came across a house that we loved. The whole thing was done with a Texas theme, but the Western components were also there. Richard asked the owner if we could take pictures and she was very pleased that we loved her place. We won't copy everything exactly, but we certainly both agreed (finally!)on something we could live with!

The simple peaked roof with an angle change for the porch is one thing we've debated. The wooden porch is another thing. I wanted a tiled front porch but because of the 4 foot foundation we'd have to spend quite a bit of money building UP the soil to match the foundation edge. The wooden porch is a compromise.

I will not do as much with the barrels, barbed wire and cactus garden theme. My plan is large and small terra cotta pots, trailing flowers and delineated walkways with more grass. I have a terra cotta jug/bowl fountain for the yard and plan a pitcher pump and large terra cotta bowl for the driveway roundabout.





I really wanted a Southwestern look to the house (Stucco/arches/tiled patio), but I can live with a Western look, too. I was raised in the West and really love that aspect of ambiance that seems to permeate homes there. I have plans for a backyard tiled area to do my Southwestern look there. I'm sure it will blend well.

In other news, the air conditioner is fixed! Yippee! We only had to pay labor and parts, it was repairable, thank heavens! Two capacitors gave up to ghost and the Carrier AC man was able to replace them easily. We were certain we'd have to buy a new unit but that didn't happen. Richard is up on the roof replacing the AC shroud and he will rivet it back in place. The dogs seem to think we're being attacked with all the noise on the roof!

Yesterday we put the screen house up next to the Airstream. I moved the couch, the mushroom chair and the table/chairs in and now it looks very inviting. I spent most of the day in the screen house reading a book. Note the AbLounge in front of the 'Stream. I got it at a yard sale for $25 and maybe I'll even use it some day! LOL





The reading room was very comfy and gentle breezes flowed all day. I even stayed out there in the evening talking on the phone with Jennifer. I hung the Coleman lantern in the corner. It has a remote control to turn it on and off!

We also went to Lowe's yesterday to price doors and windows. We'll be starting the house soon and will be buying those components ourselves. A lot of choices! I looked at kitchen and bathroom stuff, too. Seems there's something for every taste. I'm leaning towards a simpler, Western design for cupboards and drawer handles. I really want Richard to build the cupboards rather than buying, that way I can completely personalize my kitchen and bathroom. We shall see.

Another fun thing was camera work. I took this picture Friday night - its not as clear as I'd like it to be, but I'm learning camera stuff and hope to get better.



Richard's camera has a night scenery setting but he needs a tripod to keep it from moving. We tried to get it with his camera but couldn't get the angle right. Maybe next time.

The Car Show...

The Vo-Tech here in town had a charity auction and classic car show. We went to check it out between a lazy day hitting the garage sales.



Mom strikes a car-hop pose next to a '57 Chevy truck.



Fake bullet holes were on this side of the truck but the funniest thing was a tiny, tiny sticker in the window that said "This truck was restored using my childrens' inheritance."

At the garage sales, I scored a couple sandalwood fans, a glass jar and a 50 cent first edition, second printing of Tom Clancy's THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER. I think. Still checking out the authenticity.

Jennifer had asked for pictures of Flint and Echo. I took this one of Echo in the 'Stream. Then we meandered down to Mom's for air conditioning/dinner and I took one of Flint romping in Pa's wheat field. Pa planted the wheat for the deer to eat.

Richard's Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad day...

We decided to drive to the commissary some 50 miles away to go to the commissary's case-lot sale. Our first indication of disaster was that we got lost. Not too lost, but enough that we were slightly delayed. That delay cost us time. We stood in line for two hours before we managed to get into the warehouse. It was worth the wait.

Two more hours later, we stuffed the car full then strapped the cases of toilet tissue and papertowels to the luggage rack. Despite tying down, as we exited the base half the top load blew off the car! We had to turn around, back up and retrieve the goods. Only one package had road rash and only one roll of TP was ruined. We then stuffed all the TP and papertowels in the car. Mom couldn't move because she had all the TP stacked around her. I was in the front seat and was piled with packages of papertowels.

We were halfway home when another disaster struck...literally. Two turkey buzzards were on the road in front of us. Both lifted off at the approach of the car, but the one on the left decided to take the roadkill with him. Part of the kill dropped, the bird flapped off-balance and flew straight into the windshield of the 4Runner. It flipped over the top of the car and we're not sure what happened to it as there were cars coming both ways. But Richard and I were stunned and holding our breath because the window continued to crack! He slowed way down and finally it stopped. We crept home terrified that the window would give way completely and blow glass back into our faces. Both of us were wearing glasses, but still.



Notice the rear-view mirror is reflecting rolls of toilet paper? Mom is under there somewhere. And being the horrible, no-good, very bad family, we have proceeded to tease Richard incessantly about possible future hits and his status as an Ace (in air-to-air combat, an ace pilot is defined as one with five or more kills). No turkey buzzards have volunteered to help Richard. One turkey buzzard was harmed in this incident.

Fast forward to home...we parked the 4Runner, jumped into the Corolla and went to retrieve Pa's truck. He'd dropped the canoe into the creek and planned to canoe down to the lake. Mom got in the truck and we drove to the lake. Sure enough, Pa was there waiting for us. We loaded the canoe and then drove home to unload groceries.



Richard went to unlock the door of the 'Stream...and the last disaster of the day was revealed. The air compressor on the air conditioner had given up to ghost. It was over one hundred degrees inside the Airstream.

Needless to say, after unpacking groceries and taking a nap outside in the cool air on the lounge, we skedaddled to Mom's to spend the rest of the evening in air conditioned comfort.

Bluebird of happiness...

While Pa was in his shop he heard something fall down the stovepipe. It was a young bluebird. The poor bird landed in the cold ashes at the bottom of the stove. When Pa rescued it, the bird had ashes caked in its eyes. Pa took it up to the water bucket, swirled its head in the water a few seconds and then released it. After taking a picture, of course. We're assuming the bird was happy to be free once more!

Nature Drive...

So after all our running around yesterday (and the nap), we went for a nature drive. For all you pet-lovers out there...we drive extremely slow because we don't want to miss a photo opportunity. No comments about not securing the dog...Richard and I ride in back, too. Top speed is about 5 miles per hour.



Echo rides the rail.



A butterfly lands on a strawberry plant.



A red-tailed hawk watches over his domain.



This turkey buzzard was in the midst of the heron nests. Only a few herons were hanging around and we couldn't get a good shot of them. Maybe another time.



Mama bald eagle brings home the bacon...



And then feeds the two babies in the nest.



Richard likes taking pictures of me...even when I look all windblown! Look at my gray hair! My kids call that my skunk stripe. LOL

My first Airstream dinner party...

So, Richard and I invited Mom and Pa over as guests at our first Airstream dinner party.

Richard barbequed chicken and shrimp, I made seasoned oven potatoes, steamed corn on the cob, breadsticks and Mom brought the leftover salad and strawberry angel food cake from last night's dinner.

We had a fire in the chimenea, too, which was pretty ambient with the cloudy weather.


That's the foundation of the house in the background. We expect to being building in about 6 weeks.

Environmentally friendly one-horse power biodegradeable fuel burner...

Or an Amish horse and buggy at one of the auctions we attended on Saturday. LOL



I picked up two old Singer buttonholers that might fit my vintage sewing machine...or not. For $5 it was worth a shot.

Pa picked up many boxes of junk...with lots of treasures inside! Mom got a lovely glass vase for a few bucks, too.

Richard lost a bid on a Sears Ben Franklin stove...it went for far more than it was worth, too.

A good time was had by all.

Echo, the furball...

I wanted to bathe the dogs before Richard comes home so I could get their insect repellent on and because they did need a bath! Yesterday, I brushed Flint for an hour and he was much easier to bathe. Today I brushed Echo...oh, boy. That poor dog. Her undercoat was so matted and dirty!

Here's a photo of her hairball. I brushed her outside and this was only the fur I managed to catch...the wind took a lot away.



Once I got them bathed, Flint ran around for a bit and mostly dried. I rubbed Echo down outside and she appeared to be fairly dry. So I let her back in and she hopped on the couch. I went to clean the bathroom up, turned around and she was on my bed...right on the pillows and laying across. The whole top of the bed is now wet...sigh. I'll probably sleep on the couch tonight!

What?

I'm supposed to be cleaning and scrubbing today instead of shopping and playing online?

Good to know.

I'll get right on it. Yeahrightsure.

I stopped in the see Mom Alma after getting my sewing machine. She was in a feisty mood but happy to see me. Her curtains were open to the view of the gazebo but she was not impressed. She told me not to turn on the TV because she was enjoying the peace and quiet. We had a nice little chat and she is looking forward to Richard's homecoming. I told her once I cleaned up the filthy dogs I'd bring them in to visit, too. That made her happy.

The Singer Sewing Machine

I went to the Trader's Mart and bought the machine. It is a Singer 185K made for export to England. It was manufactured between 1955-1964 and is a 3/4 size replacement for the Singer 99K (I also own that one (grin)). Its about the same age as me...

This one is missing its foot and needs a new belt, in addition to a good cleaning and oil job. Pa will probably take care of that for me.

Here's a front and back view.

The Toyota Farm

Pa calls our place the Toyota Farm...I can't help it - they grow, even in the shade! And I don't even water 'em. (grin).

Excitement, Fun and Hazardous Things!

Richard is coming home! Yippee! Of course, this means I must do the womanly thing by going into overdrive and getting this place cleaned up, haul in groceries and beef up the comfort level. Why do women do that, anyway?

Whatever.

So yesterday after a fun day of antiquing and flea marketing with Mom, I decided to clean the patio area. I was able to pull the awning (my nemesis) down by myself. It took me another 30 minutes to actually stabilize and get the poles in proper position. Whipped the cover off the AC, too.

Oh yeah, on the antiquing front I scored a bunch of books I wanted to read for about $1 each. David Balducci, Lee Child, Christopher Reich and Elizabeth Lowell...and this one called NAKED CAME THE PHOENIX - written by several famous women authors. I expect its title is a parody on NAKED CAME A STRANGER, that 70's book written by a bunch of newspaper columnists, including Robert Cherin. Here's the link to the story of that book:



http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/stranger.html

Robert Cherin is 3rd from the left in that photo. I met him at a writer's conference years ago and he is a sweet guy!

Anyway, back to life on the homefront.

One of the things I do periodically is get a new diaper for Fred. For those of you who've not been introduced to Fred his picture is below. Since our days living in the Philippines where it was very hot all the time I have carried an insulated cup of some kind wherever I go. Initially, Fred was always filled with Pepsi. Eventually I changed to drinking gallons of iced tea. I have a habit of setting Fred down wherever I happen to be standing and when we'd go off somewhere, my plaintive cries of "where's my tea cup?" drove my BIL crazy since technically Fred is not a teacup at all! So he named the cup Fred and everyone in the family knows to ask before we leave if I have Fred. Fred mutated over the years from an insulated cup with a straw to the current Fred, who needs a diaper to be insulated. And being part of the family now I buy new clothes for him as needed. The latest is this blue "koozie" with a drawstring to tighten the fit and a clip to fasten Fred to my belt loop. Needless to say, Fred's been attached to me ever since (except for the photo). Pa rolls his eyes and sighs. Mom laughs. But I'm never thirsty! Works for me.



So onward with the cleanup phase of the 'Stream. Nothing has been done because I've been online and on the phone half the night and most the morning. Seems the credit card company got suspicious of Richard withdrawing money every 2 weeks for the past 14 months and decided to finally put a fraud block on the cards! Had to call numerous times to get that straightened out.

In my rush to test the cards to make sure he could use them again, I drove off to the local ATM to withdraw money...and smacked the car bumper right into the plant pot full of dianthus flowers! I hopped out and covered the roots with part of the broken pot, then drove off. When I got back, I replanted the flowers and spent the next 30 minutes cleaning up the mess of soil and broken pot. Sigh.

So far, nothing in the 'Stream has been cleaned...except dishes.

OH! And another thing! At Trader's Market yesterday I saw an antique sewing machine for $15. It said it was a Singer 302B - which sounded odd to me because it looked like a Featherweight, which I've been dying to have since I first started quilting. Featherweights are antique single stitch, eight pound portables that are easy to carry to quilting classes and most quilters covet one at some point in their quilting lives. Usually, they run around $450. Well, I came home to look the machine up before I bought it...it doesn't exist under the model number given and there are no photos remotely similar to the one I saw. Turns out its an foreign model of a small machine (but not a Featherweight) Singer made in the 50s. So...I'm going back today to buy it. Despite not being a Featherweight its a tiny portable that will do just fine!

And now, I need to get off here and get on with the homecoming/cleaning/celebrating plans!

After The Storm

I took this photo this morning after the thunderstorm last night.

Echo Ridge Happenings

I'm Springing today (planting flowers, making my place look like Spring!). Here are some photos of my efforts...




The tiger lilies on the fence posts and the dianthus next to the gate.





The petunias. The brush pile in the background is to be burned.




I set up the hummingbird feeder in the inner circle of the driveway. So far I have one male hummingbird.

Pa took a picture of Mom's irises...

Me in front of the 'Stream

I had Mom take a picture of me in front of the 'Stream just because my hair actually looked pretty good (despite the messy flyaway from the wind!).

The rose garland wrapped around the awning rail is a little trashy, but Mom and I both ran into the rail when I put the awning up because the sun shines right there and its hard to see at times...so it's to prevent people from running into it.

Busy Day!

Well Dang.

Yesterday the wind picked up and we were supposed to get rain. After being spooked all morning by the awning flapping in the breeze, I decided to give the dogs a break from their nervousness and take it down. I got it halfway down and had to get get Pa to help me bring the rest down. Then I climbed on top of the 'Stream and put the garbage bag over the AC, since it still leaks.

The wind stopped and the cloudy skies cleared. Sigh. I'll probably need to get up there and take the bag off today.

Mom and Pa were talking yesterday of turning on their AC as it was getting a mite warm. I told them that at 80 degrees inside their house they were amateurs. The 'Stream can top 98 degrees real quick! Fortunately the AC is pretty efficient.

I made curtains for Mom's kitchen and sprinkled fertilizer in my new grass in the driveway circle.

Then I zipped down to Mom's and made 48 dog food meals.

The vet looked at Flint and told me half his dysplasia problem is his weight - he's nearly double his real size. He's only getting a cup of food a day...but he NEVER wants to exercise like Echo, so vet said walk more and feed less. The dog food recipe was also modified in the vets orders - double the rice and vegetables and less meat. Otherwise, both dogs are quite healthy and have all their shots!

Flint was exhausted last night, between nerves and constantly walking to Mom's and back all day!

I made Mom's curtains lengthwise when I should've hemmed width. Back to the sewing machine to do it right, then back up to her house tp hang them up again. Flint was slow but he ambled along while Echo bounced a rabbit in the woods and chased it past Pa who was out on the back part of their acreage mowing. She is sleek and trim from all her running. We'll get Flint running yet!

Isn't my puppy CUTE!

Flint sleeps like this ALL the time. I've never seen a dog lay his legs flat like that until we moved to Texas and saw it all over.

Pa calls him TurkeyButt because he looks like the back end of a Thanksgiving turkey. Fortunately, he's too cute to stuff and roast.

I'm gonna soak up the sun....

And while I work at spring cleaning and generally rearranging the 'Stream, the dogs take a break in the sunshine.

And now for a cute picture of the day...

A pack of dogs lived behind our apartment compound in Saudi Arabia. We watched a set of roly-poly puppies grow up right before our eyes.

Dad and Mom apparently have been busy because she had a second litter this year! Aren't they adorable?

Back off, Merry's ranting...

I usually try to keep my blog free of any negative stuff but I just can't keep my typing fingers still anymore.

I have avoided the whole VA Tech story. I don't know the name of the murderer, I don't know the names of the victims. I don't know exactly what happened. I consider grief a private thing and if anyone ever stuck a camera in my face while I was grieving, no matter how newsworthy, he'd probably be picking up his teeth with a broken arm if he could walk on his broken legs. (I use the male gender identification for expediency).

Last night while down bothering the parents and eating dinner, they had the TV on and I caught the NBC news anchor (sorry, don't know his name) giving a stumbling verbal non-apology for broadcasting the murderer's manifesto or something. He really needs a new writer. Seriously - if that little speech was planned, that made it even worse. The mealy-mouthed diatribe sounded so completely insincere that if a lie detector was attached to him it'd probably be going off the chart...or graph or whatever lie detectors do that show the person is lying.

Second, I am tired of the airtime given this MURDERER. MURDERER, people. This guy killed a bunch of people and the nation is watching in slack-jawed drooling fascination while they dissect his life and tell us all about his mental abberations and social negativity. What about the kids he MURDERED? Oh, wait. They're dead. As peripherals to the MURDERER's story, of course, someone is doing a tribute where people can sign online and leave condolences or something. But wasting good prime airtime on dead college students when you've got a dead MURDERER to draw the crowd? For four days...FOUR days, this MURDERER has held the newscasters hostage. Thank God I have a choice and can turn the TV off.

I wish there were hard-hitting journalists who go digging for the truth instead of talking heads who speculate, titillate, grandstand and then report their OPINIONS as news.

If there must be reports on crises in our country - here's a few that my buddies and I would like to see.

I wish someone would do a complete story on the crisis with our military vets. I know many of the military who joined for the benefits offered. They went off to war and did their part...and now that they're back and retired, the benefits they were supposed to have are now cut or gone or they're required to pay for what was promised as free. They kept their end of the bargain. The American Congress did not. A week-long mini-series profiling government promises and vets lost in the system would be enlightening.

I'd like to see a hard-hitting report on the elderly. I want to know why they often live in squalor while MURDERERS, RAPISTS and KIDNAPPERS are given a roof over their heads, three square meals a day, the right for the American taxpayers to pay for prisoners' college education, television, exercise rooms and other amenities. Prison is supposed to be HARSH, not a country club. And the elderly who paid into the system are treated as lepers while people who commit crimes get to do time...with luxuries many of our elderly can't even afford.

I wish there were newscasters who would doing a glaring expose on the debacle of foster care and CAPTA and the horrors that has caused. CAPTA allows the government to take a child from his home for nothing more than a SUSPICION. According to the American Constitution this is illegal. There has to be proof, a right to face the accuser and speedy trial. The CHILDREN are given none of these things. Thousands of children are languishing in governmental care (and I use that term loosely), living in squalid conditions with abuse rates 4 times the national average in foster care and 10 times the national average in group homes and our government just keeps picking up kids to service the bureaucracy they created to "protect" the kids. The government is NOT a good parent. Thousands of children are missing and more than twice the number of children are dead within the system than the national average of children in homes with real parents. This statistic is alarming and worth further study.

I wish there were newscasters who would do a weeklong series on healthcare and the shortage of nurses. Maybe they could skew it to the proud traditions that nurses served, from Molly Pitcher, Florence Nightengale, Clara Barton and Martha Ballard. Everyone knows that Mary Todd Lincoln's mental health was fragile, but does anyone know she was a Civil War nurse of some fortitude and often helped clean and bind the wounds of the soldiers? To me and the severely deficient health profession, maybe broadcasting a proud tradition will encourage young college students who aren't sure of their life's work to follow in the footsteps of great women and men and help beef up American healthcare.

And another thing, while I'm on this rant. About those women and children left in limbo after divorces. The working husband keeps his healthcare and can even add his new wife to it...but the former non-working wife is left without healthcare or benefits of any kind. Where's the justice in that? She worked in the HOME all those years but suddenly she's not entitled to anything. But the husband can just continue on with his life...no harm, no foul. Seems to me in cases of divorce, the insurance company should carry the former wife or else the husband should continue paying until she gets insurance of her own.

I think news stories about small slices of American life or American people is great. Profiling people of talent, courage and simple every day happenings is fine. But don't make it the lead story.

To me, a news show would begin with global affairs that affect Americans, then go to local affairs that affect Americans (and I don't mean titilating stuff about pop stars and murderers) and then move into hard-hitting journalist stories of potential affairs that might affect Americans.

The yellow journalism of today is all about who does the most shocking thing to get on the news.

American broadcasters need to go back to their roots. They need to report things that can affect EVERY American...not articles that only affect the Hollywood crowd. And they need to allow people to grieve in private, not stick a camera in the faces of the survivors to boost ratings.

(end of rant) For now.

Flint and Echo

Flint (white) and Echo (black) dress up for Easter!

There is sunshine in my soul today!

The sun shone yesterday! Spring has sprung! The taxes are paid and gone. I got 15 tons of gravel delivered to my doorstep and Pa spread it with the tractor blade. The driver of the gravel truck knocked down my mailbox coming out of the driveway and it was GREAT, because Pa and I had already discussed moving it and we both were avoiding digging the post up!





I flung open the doors of the 'Stream, did some rearranging, tossed a carpet on the ground in front of the door and now I have a nice "patio" so I can sit outside and enjoy the sunshine!

SNOW!

I woke up on Sunday morning, April 15, 2007 and it was SNOWING. Now, if I lived in the Dakotas or Canada or the Arctic Circle...this wouldn't be unusual...but I live in the lower MidWest!



I ran outside with the camera and took pictures. Although you can't see it well, the little white blobs messing up the photo are snowflakes! The snow didn't stick and stopped an hour later.





Later in the day although it was still overcast in some areas, Mom, Pa, the dogs and I went for a walk. Naturally, Pa and Echo have to go poke around and explore.






And as we were walking home the sun was beginning to set...and there it was...you'd never know it snowed this morning, would you? Amazing.

Rain, rain and more rain!

The good news is the place is relatively clean. I ditched cleaning for the past week due to other more important stuff. The tax information is now at the CPA, the three months of mail has been sorted, pitched, read, paid, or put away as needed.

Echo and Flint are still working out where they live. Flint won't walk home until I am halfway there. He stands in the parents' driveway waiting to see if I really AM heading home. Once I've passed the point of no return...he finally trots up to join me.

Echo is enjoying all the walking back and forth and gets a little upset if she doesn't get her walk! She also enjoys riding in the car.

Below - Flint and Echo work hard on maintaining their strenuous work schedule...
















After three days of rain, Flint still refuses to walk by the pan that I had to place below the AC because its still leaking. Its in the middle of the trailer, so he's either trapped in the bedroom or under my feet in the living room. So today I climbed up on the top of the 'Stream in the rain and duct-taped a black plastic garbage bag over the stupid thing. Naturally, the minute I did this the rain stopped. It has not started again. I supposed I should be grateful.

The telephone, which was promised last week, is still not working. I expect I'll have to make a fourth phone call to Century-Tel. Sigh.

Tomorrow we're running into town to the dentist. I want to stop by Walgreens to see if they have a special toothpaste for folk with sensitivities. I hope so, otherwise I have to buy it online.

Otherwise, all is quiet up here on Echo Ridge. Except the occasional thunder and Richard's truck alarm going off every day when the wind gets gusty.

Maybe its just me...

I had to call the IRS today to confirm some 1099-ES payments.

I was placed on hold.

I find it coincidentally ironic that the IRS's hold music is THE NUTCRACKER SUITE.

Either someone had a sense of humor...or a sense of power.

Although they could've just liked the music. But I'm not placing any bets on that.

LOL

The grand nieces...

Charmaine














Tammy














Samantha

More foreign signs....

Germany takes their environmental issues very seriously. Everyone recycles and the ecosystem is maintained as much as possible. Old buildings are carefully preserved and new construction is monitored closely.


















The little bridge past the overpass in the distance is the home of a special breed of frogs. The road is CLOSED between the hours of 7 pm until 4 am every night during the spring and summer so they can migrate from one side of the stream to another.

Before and After

I love Germany. It is a lovely, clean little country and the people are so cheerful and nice!

I arrived March 23...to this!















And I left March 29 and it looked like this!

What am I doing?

I'm in Germany, hanging with the bro and his family.

Been cooking, shopping and partying, too.

I arrived on Friday morning to SNOW! I'll post pictures later as I can't read German and the Paint program process of resizing pics is beyond my capabilities. All my luggage arrived with me this time! Yeah!

We've been having a lot of fun going out and about, the weather is so funny - our big question of the day is always 'longjohns...or not?' LOL

Friday night was a going away party at the sports bar - the DJ was great, he played a mixure of old American/British rock and roll, German rock and traditional drinking songs. And a little techno and modern stuff, too. Chuck wouldn't dance with me during Billy Idol's 'Mony,'Mony' but everyone got up and danced to 'Freak Out.' It was loud, fun and long...just the way a good party should be! We all came home and slept like rocks until the next day LOL.

The babies (Chuck's grandkids, ages 9, 7 and 4), are just as cute as can be, even though they don't speak English and I don't speak German. We get by with handsignals, drawing pictures, pointing and a lot of posturing and gestures. We all manage to have a good time...except they've all three soundly whomped me at the game MEMORY. My memory ain't what it used to be...LOL.

Sylvia is a great cook and has been showing me all kinds of recipes...she made a black forest cake...and today we're getting a buttercream cake...sigh.

We went to brunch at Jessie's place of work, LandGasthof HessenMuhle. It was divine...simply divine. We walked about the farm and ponds afterwards, just to work off all the good food. I had dinner there before, which was also fabulous. If you ever get a chance, GO.

I met old friends again from the first time I visited, we spent an afternoon with them, too.

Tomorrow, the chef from the Gasthof is coming over to teach me a few of the favorites I had at the brunch! I'm really excited, I actually love to cook but never really had the time before. With retirement, I hope I can do a lot of experimenting in my new kitchen! Once the house is built, of course!

I leave Thursday morning for home...wonder what the weather will be like there? LOL