Sky Watch Friday

Hot, July, Mississippi Delta Sunset

This is my first Sky Watch Friday and I'm not real sure if I'm doing what I'm supposed to be cause,

I don't know if I'm supposed to be taking a photo of the sky as it currently looks (which this isn't)
if it's supposed to be what the sky looks like on Friday (which it also isn't), but I think I am supposed to post my photo Thursday so that it will appear for those who live where it's already, or almost, Friday.

Does any of that make any sense? I sure hope someone will have mercy on me and try to explain things to me in "blond terms" so that I will be as knowledgeable as everyone else,,,,maybe. :-)

I'm Cranky and I Ain't Apologizing!

The House yesterday apologized to black Americans, more than 140 years after slavery was abolished, for the "fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow" segregation.

In February, the Senate apologized for atrocities committed against Native Americans, and the body apologized in 2005 for standing by during a lynching campaign against African Americans throughout much of the past century. Twenty years ago, Congress apologized for interning Japanese Americans in concentration camps during World War II.


Dear Mr. President, and all your Underlings,

Please do not feel that you should add my name to the House's apology for slavery because I wasn't born then, my parents weren't born then, nor were my grandparents. I don't know much about my great-grandparents except that they were not slave owners, most probably better known as poor white trash back in those days.

I feel that more of your concern should be aimed towards educating some of these fine Americans here that feel their injustices from life come from not having enough given to them so that they can live beyond their means.

Segregation and slavery are things of the past, lets keep them there and move forward toward harmony in a world where the color of your skin, your religion, your stature,,, means only that you're of the human race.



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Cranky note number 2.

How many times can you see/hear the Hannah Montana concert on TV without losing your mind?

Sippin' and Readin'

I've been sipping my coffee and reading blogs this morning after a long sleep,,, I think I went to bed with someone's chickens. This nasty old cold and head full of gunk I've been fighting hasn't let me sleep much in several nights.

Every blog I've read this morning has made me smile, but I had to laugh out loud when I read Jerri's latest entry. Her girls keep her entertained constantly, almost exhaustively.

Anyway, starting a new day here in the Mississippi River delta in Arkansas. There's one load of laundry in the washer, one in the dryer, 2 girls in the tub (who NEED to get out so Nanaw can use the facilities), and plenty of housework to do if I'd just get to doin' it.

Y'all have a good day out there, ya hear?

The No Jose, hottest, swelteringest, best damned funnest, Baby Sister Birthday Bash

Sisters (Brenda, Paula, Terri)

Driving the white, caddy, late 70's or early 80's hearse for the parade with handy helper, Kasey, at my side (holding a glass of tea! No Jose, Donna and Miz Sally, I didn't want to be ridin in that hearse!)

(Other birthday bash pictures would be here in this spot if I could figure out how to link to them on Myspace). Right now I have a few choice words to describe MYSPACE and none of them good.

The day was hot enough to scorch a lizard's ass, too hot for parade marching, so the parade was reduced to 3 vehicles, but they were some fine ones for a birthday parade. I loaded up John's hearse with a few kids, my daughter, Trisha, and my nephew, Jacob's girlfriend, Kasey, and we brought up the tail end of the parade.

Queen Terri, in all her regal finery, led the parade being driven by her husband in his little, red, beemer (in John's words, as he carried his bag of collected aluminum cans, "with thriftiness, you too can drive a beemer). The sunroof allowed her to be able to throw beads to her loyal subjects (most of which elected to stay inside their air conditioned abodes out of the raging 100 degree sun). Her neighbor from across the road followed the first vehicle, driving his 1976(?), black, antique, hearse. I followed in brother-in-law, John's, Happy Birthday decorated, white hearse with my front seat ridin, handy helpers, Trisha and Casey, who attempted to help me throw candy out to those of Queen Terri's subjects who didn't stay hidden indoors.

The parade route included two fairly large neighborhoods and at one point we had to travel a block or two along a pretty busy street. It was there that one lady pulled over for, what she had to have believed to be, ONE SCREWED UP FUNERAL.

We arrived back home after leaving a trail of happy beads and candy along the route, parked the antiques, all except for the live one, and I proceeded to remove the candy that handy helper, Kasey, had slapped me in the head with and dropped down my shirt in her excitement.

The party commenced with live music played by John's band, Make No Mistake, and Jacob and Kish, two members of the Monoxide Project band.

I think the last guest left around midnight, full of good food, good beer, and other cool drinks of choice. The conversations were many and varied, many of Terri's work friends were there so Paula and I were able to gleefully recall and relate some of our favorite "growing up stories" about her.

We had a mighty fine time!

Home!

I think I've visited everyone who joined us in our photo challenge this time, there sure were loads of creative and super photos using the Numbers theme. If I missed visiting anyone, please give me a shout cause I want to see each and every one!

We had the most excellent time at baby sis's birthday bash, I'm totally wiped out! I'll be back tomorrow to post some of the photos I took and tell all about it.

Hope everyone is having a restful Sunday!
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Oh Lordy! I just checked my email and Miz Donna told me that I'd mixed up the Karen's in my post, and on my sidebar, as to which one was our Numbers topic Hostess. Please, please forgive me! Miz Donna has posted a suggestion on her blog that's supposed to be an easier way for us to navagate for the challenges. Of course I'm so dense I haven't figured it out yet, but she'll help me to understand and maybe I won't muddle up so much again.

NUMBERS Photo Challenge

Karen is our hostess for this challenge and she chose Numbers as our challenge topic this time. Y'all don't forget to tell her a big Thank You for helping us to be able to continue having a good time and lots of practice with our cameras.

You will find a list of photo challengers on her blog and I've tried to keep a list over there in my sidebar.

Some of the kiddy artwork that's hanging around our house.

It was Zach's idea to hold up his float ring, it's a Zero!

How would we know how much to pay for our junk food if it weren't for numbers?

This was a hard one for me, I just couldn't get my imagination to go in gear but it sure was fun. Thank you Karen!

I'm not sure if I'll be able to get around and see all the photos tomorrow because I'm going out of town and staying overnight, but I'll be sure to visit them just as soon as I can cause I can't wait to see what everyone came up with.

Birthday Parade

My youngest sister, Terri, is turning 50 on July 29th and she's having a birthday parade tomorrow, so I'll be driving to N.Little Rock to celebrate with her.

Just so she doesn't feel too bad about reaching the mid-century mark, I'll remind her that she's only as old as

The Jolly Green Giant
Pizza Hut
NASA
and
Rice-a-roni!

Awards and Wanderings

<------ That right there is an award that Joni and Karen M. very kindly awarded me for my blog. Thank you both very much for believing that my blog is deserving.

I've never done the award thing before because I've never felt my ramblings were deserving, so why am I doing it this time, you ask?
Well, because my photo challenge for bloggers idea, the idea I've tried before and failed at, the one that took off this time due to the enthusiasm and prodding of Miz Donna and Miz Sally, IS truly Brilliant and I love that so many wonderful folks have joined us in having fun with our cameras.

So now I'm supposed to be passing it on to 7 more bloggers who I feel shine with Brilliance, so I decided to choose a few of my oldest and dearest blog friends who have hung with me through thick and thin.

Marylou, wonderful sister, wonderful friend, delightful writer, and wise lady of the west coast. She's laughed and cried with me many times, I know this and I love her for it.

Phyllis, baby sister of Marylou, full of enthusiasm for The Lord and her family, everyone's friend, and the best events organizer on the west coast!

Kat, the one who pulled me into the world of blogging, dear, sweet, friend, the person who tells it like it is, and was, brilliant writer, makes me laugh longer and harder than anyone I know, I love her.

Tine, sweet and gracious hostess, brilliant photographer, delightful friend, the only blogger I've ever had the priviledge to meet.

Jazzi, living proof that the world can throw the worst at you and you can take life's ugly and make it beautiful, loving mother, wife, and grandmother, and friend. Love her!

Cassie-B, our most educational blog bud, provides the most delightful details and little surprises about anything and everything. I love visiting to see what this lovely lady has to share.

Ed, is an inspiration, loving family man, loves God unconditionally, and has such a way with words!

Each and every one of my blog buds and photo challenge friends over there on my side bar are worthy of this award, someday, when you have the time, pop over and visit them to see why I love stopping in to visit them.

Surprises

Jordan and Jaylen started their new school year at their new charter school on Monday. Trisha surprised me with photos of them all dressed, and looking pretty, and ready to learn! Thank you Trisha, I love getting photos of our babies!



I came in from taking Zach for his doctors appointment yesterday and was greeted with a Happy Anniversary sign on the window and a clean house! Jerri had come by to watch Zach's sisters while we were gone and must have worked her butt off the whole time. Thank you Jerri!! Y'all be sure to click over and visit her, she's back to blogging again and full of stories about her funny babies.





I have been trying to take a decent photo of some of our woodpecker species for a couple of years now. Zach noticed this Downy(?) woodpecker on the service pole in the yard this morning so I ran to grab my camera. I had to take it through the glass of the storm door so it's not as sharp as I'd like, but I'll keep trying until I get a better one.,,,,some day.

Y'all don't forget the "Numbers" photo challenge on Saturday! Hop over to Karen's blog and leave a comment if you would like to join us.

Where Would You Be?

(click to enlarge)

Weekend at a Glance

Sunday Sundown

On it's easterly circle, the end gun on the irrigation pivot reaches the edge of my yard. The girls took advantage of a cool shower yesterday.

Abby, playing possum Friday night.

The Glare. Nanaw was in the way of her TV viewing.

Sleeping In Tomorrow!

Even if I have to take a muscle relaxer to do it!

I had Abby, the Chick, and Beans last night and all day today so I'm pretty pooped.

Zach's at his Mom's.

Nanaw has a date with her book and the bed!

Happy Anniversary!

Fate sure must have a Funny Sense of Humor!

The clock in the living room had stopped so I was late getting to the church. Was it an omen?

We married in a simple ceremony with only a few friends and family in attendance. My Aunt Ruth stood with me, his friend Myrle with him. It was over in a matter of minutes. I barely remember the small reception at his parent's house, don't even remember who was there. I do remember one of his friends/cousins riding beside us on his motorcycle, and nearly getting wiped out by an oncoming car, on our way there.

The cost of the wedding? $60.10

Our honeymoon was one night spent in a motel in town, he had to be back in the fields the next day.

We've been married for 37 years today, we went out for dinner, without kids, last night, both of us tired after a long day, today we'll spend with grandchildren.

I've learned I'll take comfort anytime over fairy tales.

Happy Anniversary to the Man!

Past Happy Anniversary/marriage in general links:

Ho, Ho, Hum

Happy 36th Anniversary Tooooooooo Meeeeeeeeee!

Today is Our 35th Anniversary

Peace and Kids (in no way the same)

Peace (it smells soooo good!)

I've got a case of the lazies, I just can't drag up the energy to do much of anything. I finally left the house yesterday for a little while, but only because I had to go sign 2 checks for the Improvement district, not because I wanted to.

Trish called this week to tell me her babies start school next week. They'll be going to an charter school this year, it's the school's first year of operation, and their school year calendar is quite a bit different from the regular public schools.

I'm hoping I'll get to see them the weekend of the 26th.

Jerri called last night to tell me about a conversation her niece had with MeriKate (who's staying there to play with the Chick), The Chick, and Beans,

Dallas: Alexis (aka the Chick), what do you want to be when you grow up?

Chick: An Artist.

Dallas: What about you MeriKate?

MeriKate: A Vet.

Dallas: Beans, (our 3 yr old, remember?) what do you want to be when you grow up?

Beans: Big!

I Just LOVE Sunflowers!

Zach is always so proud that he is such a great sunflower grower and his Nanaw is proud too.
Even windblown and sun parched, they're the smilingest flowers around.

Whoa there Granny, STOP!!

While reading Miz Cassie-B's blog post just now, I was reminded of the inability of many of the townies around these parts to follow basic traffic laws.

While waiting in line at the gas liquid gold pumps the other day, this little old lady, who was so little she could barely see over the steering wheel of her huge SUV, threw her 2 ton driving machine into reverse, instead of drive, and proceeded to back up.

And she had the rear-end of that monster aimed straight at the front-end of my truck!

I was at least a car length behind her but she wasn't realizing her mistake, and kept coming, and coming. I was trying to get my truck into reverse to get the hell outta her way, but I finally had to toot my horn to let her know she was going to knock my headlights off because there were folks in line behind me and they didn't seem to be going anywhere.

I'm glad her hearing was good, or maybe it was the guy at the pump who was beating on her window telling her to STOP, cause my headlights remain intact.

Then there's the deal about the 4-way stops in town. I'm not sure, but I don't think they studied the same driver's manual as I did to get their license. What I learned was,

I'm confused, but the rules here seem to be,

1) The biggest, blingiest, car gets to go first, ignore traffic signals, pedestrians, school zones, and lanes specifically for turning, and under no circumstances should you slow down! (Note: we call the turn lanes, suicide lanes, down here)

2) ME FIRST!! ALWAYS ME FIRST!!!

3) If two drivers are trying to follow rule #2, then refer back to rule #1.

And while I'm on the subject of traffic laws, I believe there needs to be a revision of the laws concerning the gangs of youthful pedestrians in that town who walk in the middle of busy streets, many with their pants pockets down around their knee areas, which would make it impossible for them to hurriedly get out of the way of a speed demon, and expect drivers to stop, or go around them, while they leisurely make their way on to where they are going.

Moving Slow

My back is suffering from a bout of Beans. She spent the night last night and used me for a foot rest for the first part of the night, and as a pillow after that, so I woke up moaning and groaning this morning.

We had fun though.

While we were eating supper last night, she jumped down from her chair and ran off into another room. After about 10 minutes she came back and said, "I'm fru, wipe it." I looked down and there was a little bare butt sticking straight up in the air and a little hand waving a postage stamp sized piece of toilet paper at me. My mind said, "Oh shit", but my body jumped out of the chair and hauled naked kid, butt up, back to the bathroom to do my grandmotherly duty. I was done with supper after that. :-)

At bed time, the second bed time, not the first, Beans wanted me to tell her a story so I told her about The Three Little Pigs and then about The Three Bears. I couldn't remember all the details of those stories so I made some stuff up,,, I wonder if she'll remember my versions when Jerri tells her the correct versions some time?

Dear Lord, I hope not.

I finally talked her into going to bed, for the second time, by telling her we'd use my little clip-on reading light to read some of my book for a bit before we went to sleep. That worked out pretty well cause I am reading a Michael Palmer book and I reckon all those long words about nanotechnology and medicine put her right out.

Pretty much put me right out too.

These kids just crack me up!

Brenda Photo Challenge

Miz Karen is our gracious hostess for this challenge and she chose our topic,

Patriotism: What My Country Means to Me

My government doesn't always make me happy, or proud, but my heart is full of pride for these great United States of America where I was born and have lived for most of my life. I see the glory in,

Her Amber Waves of Grain

Our American Flag (waving or worn)

Our Spirit and Pride for our Colors

Our Celebrations of our Liberty and Freedom

God Bless America!

Ya'll be sure to keep checking over on Karen's blog to see who she chooses to host the next challenge. I can't wait to find out what the next topic will be!

Wasting Time

Instead of doing all the constructive things I should have been, I've been doing meandering things that don't take a lot of concentration, due to the fact that any concentration on my part has been severely lacking of late.

For example, already this week, I've bruised the bottom of my big toe and have no idea how, and while making the kids some of that (almost) instant noodle soup, I splashed a couple of drops of the boiling broth on one of my bosoms (also referred to as booms in our household). The wounds are on the mend but the brain fog seems to want to linger (could be that my mind has gone in a hibernation mode to defend itself from all these screeching, whining, little voices that have been surrounding me of late).

During my meanderings I escaped outside with my camera the other day and took some photos of Zach's sunflowers.

Also, one day when I escaped into my puter/office/storage/junk room, I found this fun little site and made a cartoon of one of my pictures.

Last evening I took photos of my favorite summer shoes to show ya'll. They would be my favorite winter shoes too if my feet didn't get so cold. I like them so much that I have two pairs of the blue and green ones (I wish I could find more colors). The children that are frequent visitors to this house also like these shoes so it's a very good thing that all I have to do is throw them in the washer with a load of laundry to wash them.
So, I haven't been up to much good but one bright spot appears on the horizon, SCHOOL STARTS on August 19th!!

Don't forget the photo challenge tomorrow! Miz Karen has kindly agreed to be our hostess so go by and leave her a comment if you'd like to play along with us.

Been in a Mood

But I'll get over it.

Jilly Beans is 3 today!

Sometimes it seems we've had her forever but most of the time it seems that it was only yesterday that we were holding a little snugly baby. Now we get to snuggle with an adorable 3 year old who kisses hoppies on a regular basis.

Jerri has a birthday tribute to her over on her blog too.

Happy Birthday Beans!

Two Days of a One Day Holiday

The chick's look after playing in the garden.

My son wanted us to celebrate July 4th with him, Jerri, and the Chicklets at his second home, located in a compound at the prison where he works. Youngest daughter, Jami, and her family had made other plans for the 4th so he decided to move their cookout and fireworks display to Saturday.

Earlier in the week, my cousin had mentioned that she and her granddaughter might go with us to my son's on Friday, so I had to call her Thursday to tell her he had changed it to Saturday but if she wanted, we'd throw something on the grill on Friday. She said her daughter and hubby were due home that evening and she'd see what the plans were.

On Thursday, when I'd taken Zach to Tae Kwon Do, I bought all the fixings for grilled hamburgers and smoked sausages for a crowd, figuring I could freeze what wasn't needed if no one came over.

July 4th dawned and I still didn't know who, if anyone, would be coming for dinner. James had to go to the farm for a few hours that morning and when he came back I told him we'd probably just cook a few things on the grill for us (myself, James, and Zach).

Around 11ish, I was outside watering the flowers and Zach came out with the phone. It was my cousin's daughter to tell me they'd be there in about an hour. While I was on the phone, Bubbie, Jerri, the chicklets, and Abby pulled into the drive.

We ended up with 14 for dinner. We had a lot of fun talking and laughing and stuffing our faces.
Then my cousin, Judy, got sick (she'd been fighting a virus for a couple of days) and she and her family decided they needed to go home so she could take some medicine and lie down.

Just before dark, Jerri took the 3 girls in to dump them into the tub for baths before time to go see a firework display her Mom was having at the fireworks stand she owns. After they were all clean and sparkly, they left and took Zach with them, then they dropped him back off on their way back to the compound after the fireworks were done.

Nanaw babysitted with the baby robin while they were gone.

We went to bed soon after Zach got back home to get a little rest before day two of the celebration.

The horses over at the prison kicking up a little dust over the little storm that blew in.

Yesterday I woke up, sipped some coffee, then made a pasta salad to take to my son's. I got my camera packed, remembered the mosquito spray, and off we went at around noon. We stopped in a little town on the way to pick up extra buns, chips, and a few drinks, and arrived at the "free line" a little after noon.

We really had a good time sitting around shooting the bull and sipping on a couple of beers. The burgers were great, Jerri's potato salad was delicious, the baked beans were yummy, and the eggs (full of devil that the kids had stuffed) turned out just right.

Beans, giving her hoppie sugars.

Right after we arrived, Jerri called me into the kitchen to show me something. She said she'd left it there, in the fridge, after she'd discovered it, just so I could see for myself. I bent down to look into the fridge, and there, sitting on a bag of broccoli was a poor, little, dead frog. It seems that our Beans decided one of her hoppies needed a cool spot to rest. He was resting alright, in Peace.

My son decided he was going to do his fireworks the way the professionals do, by wiring the fuses to longer fuses so they'd blow in a controlled sequence. He and his buddy, Jeremy, and Patrick (Jerri's niece's boyfriend) worked for a good while getting everything set up.

It finally got dark enough for the fun to begin. We see them huddled around one end of their handiwork, a little spark of ignition, 3 big ol boys running like hell to get out of the way, then,

BLINDING LIGHT, BIG BOOM! Smoke boils over everyone seated a safe distance (we hoped) away.

I'm checking to see if my teeth are still in my mouth since the percussion had made them rattle, and we hear giggling and laughter from the "professionals" and they're saying, "whoops, that was a dud." Dud????

Then, they huddle again, sparks, run like hell, BLINDING LIGHT, BOOM!!!!

After the smoke clears, they sneak back over to their handiwork, and we hear laughter, then my son calls over to us, "hahahaha, we put them in upside down". (he'll have 2 craters to fill in out there today, I bet they felt those rumbles across the way at the prison!)

After they figured that out, the rest of the fireworks were awesome and I really, really, had a great time.

Krysten was busy telling on her sisters for something they'd done. :-)

All Tuckered Out

Whew,,,We've been celebrating our Independence Day for 2 whole days but I think we're finally done. After I get some sleep tonight, the laundry caught up and clear a path through this house tomorrow, I'll write a longer post.

For now, this ol gal is dragging her big old butt to bed!

God Bless America!

The old gal is young as far as countries go and she's going through some rough times right now, but I believe she's still got it going on, cause why else would everyone and their uncles be coming over to get a taste of her "sweet life"?

Rockin Robin

The Chick, Abby, and Jilly Beans discovered this baby robin that had fallen from a nest on Tuesday. Since then, Momma Jerri has been digging worms, buying worms, and feeding this little critter to try to keep it alive. I think he's already bonded with them because if he hears someone moving, he starts raising nine kinds of hell, with his little head thrown back, and beak wide open. He eats like there's no tomorrow, Jerri said today that he's already eaten his way through a $3.50 box of earthworms. (thank goodness there's a bait shop nearby)

She even wipes his little feathery butt when he poops.

They've named him but although they've told me his name twice, I've forgotten it again.

I think if I'd have been a bird I'd have been childless cause those birdy parents sure do have to work hard to feed their offspring.

Happy 4th of July!!!

Presenting,,,,,,Jilly Beans in, " Full of Beans "

I'm not sure what the title of this song was, or the words to it, but she enjoyed performing it for us and we sure had fun watching.

Jerri, Momma of the Chick and Beans, has decided she'd try blogging again, so please go over and welcome her back to blog land.

When does the fun start?

I wash the supper dishes because it's really quicker than loading the machine. By bedtime, the sink, is again, full with glasses, bowls, spoons. Sometimes I wash them before I go to bed, sometimes not. Either way it doesn't matter because by morning they will still be there and they will have multiplied.

It's a lose-lose situation.

All through the day I pick up glasses half-full of kool-aid, or water, or juice, scattered here and there on tables, or in the floor. I wash them, and before they've had time to dry in the drain rack, I look around and there are more.

I ask, "Who did this? Who's drink is this with melted ice?"

I hear a chorus of, "Not Mine!" in reply.

"Who left the colors scattered everywhere?"

"Not me, she did it." "It wasn't me." "Yes it was." "No it wasn't."

"Pick up the throw."

"She left it there, it wasn't me."

"Don't throw things in the house."

"Stop jumping on the furniture!"

"It wasn't me, it was him!"

"He hit me!"

"Stop it!"

"Cry baby!"

"I'm tellin'!"

"I'm running away", I say.

"Can we go?" "Where?"

I'm having visions of a fresh lemon slush from Sonic,
spiked with two shots of Jose.