It's A New Day

The Month Is Done...Here's Thirty-One

It seems like I just did this for September and now October is gone. Here are my thirty-one rambles...you decide if they're tricks or treats.
    1. Finding money in an old purse makes for a feel-good moment, even if the money is only change.
    2. And finding out our local library doesn't impose fines for returning books after the due date was a happy surprise, too. 
    3. It's nice to see all the pink as more become involved in the effort to raise awareness about breast cancer, but somehow referees with pink whistles at a high school football game just doesn't seem quite right.
    4. You'd think as much as we travel, checking the alarm on the hotel clock would be standard procedure...but you'd be wrong. Loud music at an unexpected hour really wakes you up in a hurry.
    5. Even though it sounds strange, our black beans, spinach and andouille sausage pizza from Tomato Head was wonderful. 
    6. We enjoy Dale and Carol's place because of it's rural charm. So rural, in fact, that AT&T has no service there. It was nice to leave the cell phones turned off. 
    7. Two images stand out in my mind of our time there...a horse-drawn wagon loaded with pumpkins fresh from the field, and two little Amish boys perched high on bales of hay stacked upon another horse-drawn wagon.
    8. I joked that I had the best view of all the fall colors. My sunglasses have brown glass that enhances the reds, making my view of the colors all that much better.
    9. We visited a Smucker's store and museum in Orrville, Ohio. I'll bet you'll be as surprised as we were at the brands they own when you read this list. 
  10. When I started up my computer after returning home, it went into update overload. Windows, iTunes, HP, MacAfee, and something else I'm forgetting right now all needed attention. And I'm still working through the pile of e-mail I downloaded. 
  11. It was a nice change of pace to wear sweaters and jeans in Ohio but I expected to put them back away for a while when we got home. What a surprise I got! 
  12. Mother Nature treated my flower garden kindly the other night. Everything seems to have survived the low temperatures just fine. But I've covered the lemon tree another night or two to be on the safe side.
  13. Silver is absolutely the best color for a car as it doesn't show the road grime. It always surprises me when I wash the car after a trip because the water is dirtier than I expect.
  14. The home routine has been a little out of sync and I ended up with three weeks worth of ironing. Never again!
  15. The hummingbirds moved on while we were gone. I'll miss seeing them buzz in and out of the feeder.
  16. The deer, however, haven't gone anywhere. Well, maybe they have...they're eating my neighbor's daylilies now and they're up right next to the street.
  17. Like most fine things, chocolate has its season. It's best eaten in months containing the letters A, E or U.
  18. A couple of new foods are a hit at our house: fire-roasted diced tomatoes and yellow carrots, white beans and spinach.
  19. We live in a semi-rural area where peanut and cotton harvests are in full swing. Light from the setting sun shining through the dust generated by the harvests is really quite pretty. 
  20. While working in the yard last weekend, I saw three vehicles stop and retrieve literature on the house for sale across the street. Somebody must still be buying houses. 
  21. My golf game really isn't tournament-ready but I was a last minute substitute for Charlotte when she fell ill. Bonnie and I had a great time and even finished in the money.
  22. Q. How long will it take me to get used to the delay between when I turn on the light with the new energy-efficient bulb and when it lights up? A. Apparently more than three weeks. I still think it isn't going to work during that second or two before it comes on.
  23. Wayne's cell phone is off most of the time. Fortunately, it was on when he couldn't find it so we could locate it by calling the number. It was down between the cushions on the couch. Who knows how long it would have taken us to find it if it had been off.
  24. I had some time to kill today so I wandered the aisles of my local Michael's store, but I walked out empty-handed despite having a 40% off coupon. My pocketbook wasn't as lucky at Hobby Lobby.
  25. Gas was $2.19 when I was in town. Amazing how good that looks after summer's prices.
  26. I'm looking forward to that extra hour of sleep when we set the clocks back on Sunday, but I don't like it being dark at 5pm. 
  27. A semi overturned on the interstate and dumped a trailer-load of potatoes all over the place, causing an enormous traffic jam. I don't think I've ever seen potatoes being scooped up by a high-loader before.
  28. We solved the mystery of the thumping sounds we've been hearing at the front of the house. A mockingbird has been attacking, or perhaps putting the moves on, his reflection in the dining room window. It's a little Hitchcock-like...perfect for Halloween.
  29. And I've brought a few over to the dark side with me. Both Wayne and J.J. are now addicted to Tap Tap Revenge, too. bwahahaha (said in my most sinister laugh).
  30. My neighbors played spooky music during the trick or treat hours, complete with lots of moans and screams. They probably didn't give out much candy...it even creeped me out.
  31. The best and worst thing about Halloween being over is that Thanksgiving and Christmas are that much closer.
My name is Brenda Arnall and I approve of this message.

Golf Is A Scary Game

Trick or treating isn't just for kids...I saw plenty of adults participating in it golf-style at the annual Halloween Havoc tournament today.

About half the field showed up in some sort of costume. Of course, they were motivated by the fact that you received a mulligan (a do-over for one of your shots) if you came dressed for the occasion. Some weren't much more than a mask or a wig but others showed a little planning and thought.

Wayne went dressed as a peanut farmer from the neighboring town of Chumuckla. Missing from the photo are the tin of beef jerky that looks like chewing tobacco and the John Deere colors and logo on his hat.

I came as a Sudoku puzzle thanks to the computer and a little scrapbooking glue. Thankfully the costume could come off before we hit the first tee...if not, I'd have made a different choice.

There were plenty of tricks. We had to hit the golf ball with a tennis racket, with a baseball bat while it was positioned on top of one of those big orange safety cones, and while sitting in a chair like Jerry is here.  I wasn't too good at any of those but fortunately it was a scramble and someone else on the team managed a playable shot. We also had to putt on one hole using a pool cue. Keep in mind most of us playing are retired...the real trick here was laying down on the green to use the cue and then being able to get back up again.

We had a few treats, too. If you could throw a football through a target or stick a velcro ball on a target using a kid's plastic club, you got an extra mulligan. And each team had a throw and red tee-buster they could use during the round. Win or lose, we all got lunch with pumpkin pie for dessert at the conclusion of play.

Needless to say, it's hardly serious golf...but that's the idea. It's a chance to team up with men and women you see around the club but don't play with regularly and laugh at the fact that none of us can hit a golf ball with a bat or tennis racket. It was as much fun as going door to door for candy and a heck of a lot better on the waistline.

Stick-To-Your-Ribs Goodness

During our visit to Ohio, Carol confessed to a new addiction...baked oatmeal. Not only was it tasty and good for you, it was easy too she said. She could fix a pan and refrigerate it, reheating just what she needed in the microwave over the next day or two. It made a great breakfast or a healthy snack, especially when paired with yogurt.

So she made some for me one morning and I agreed...it was really good, and we talked about how easy it would be to add fruit to the mixture. She was kind enough to share the recipe.

On the way home I mentioned to Wayne that I wanted to make some, and I asked him if he wanted to try it. The idea got a lukewarm reception at best. It doesn't taste like oatmeal, I explained; it's more like a chewy oatmeal cookie, especially if you eat it plain. When I offered to add some raisins, he agreed to at least taste it.

So I baked it the other day, raisins and all. And I spooned out one bowl for me and one bowl for Wayne. "Do you like it with raisins?" he asked. "I think I like the oatmeal better without the raisins," I replied. "That makes us even," he responded. "I like my raisins better without the oatmeal."

Baked Oatmeal

1/2 c. melted butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp. salt
3 c. quick oats
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. milk

Mix everything together and pour in a greased 8" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings

I'm SO Not Ready For This!

Memo

To:            Mother Nature
From:        A Cold Floridian
Re:            Your Cruel Joke
Priority:     High

Those freezing temperatures you're sending our way tonight aren't my idea of a joke. Have you checked the calendar? It's still October, you know. Days are supposed to be warm and delightful and nights cool and refreshing...we're not used to worrying about frosts and freezes at this time of the year.

I should have known you had something up your sleeve. Nothing has been brewing in the tropics for weeks now and you must be missing all that attention. So you cooked up an early taste of winter...a little snow for one part of the country, a little freezing weather for ours. And what a sneaky way to do it, too. Just this morning the forecast low for tonight was 35 but by 5pm it was down to 32. And to add insult to injury, it had dropped to 30 when the news came on at 10pm.

Yes, you caught me off guard, but I'm catching up. The flowers in pots are all clustered in a corner of the patio up next to the house. They're covered with a couple of old sheets so they'll be cozy despite your chilly temperatures. The ones in the flower beds will just have to shift for themselves. I'd love it if you'd take pity and spare them so I can enjoy their color a little longer.

It's my lemon tree I'm most worried about. The fruit is continuing to grow but isn't ripe yet and it has more blooms and fruit setting on. We've talked about a winter plan for it; I just wasn't expecting to have to deal with it at 5pm today.

 

My favorite carpenter made a run to Home Depot for some lumber to build a simple frame so I could cover the tree and not worry about the weight on the branches. 

We don't need them often but when we do those old moving blankets sure come in handy. And see the green lemons hanging from the branches? We added a blanket to each side and used clothes pins to hold them together. The tree should be fine tonight but obviously this won't work when winter comes to stay.

So, Mother, I trust you'll do as the forecasters say...shake us all up with unseasonable low temperatures tonight and then let the normal weather return. I certainly hope so. Until then you'll find me buried under my electric blanket.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

We went to vote today. Florida has early voting for two weeks prior to every election so we took advantage of it...along with more an 1 million other residents of our state so far, according to the news tonight. We stood in a steadily-moving line for about thirty minutes, the first time we've ever had to wait since early voting was implimented...but I see that as a good sign. It means more people are involved in the choosing of our leaders.

There's also a bad sign. I can't remember a time when people were more polarized than they are now, and for a nation founded on principles of tolerance for opposing views, we've certainly become intolerant. If Jane Doe doesn't think the same way as John Schmoe, then John is convinced she's a bad person. It's not just politics...it seems to permeate every facet of our society. I saw firsthand how some football fans berated those supporting the visiting team with verbal attacks aimed at the person that had nothing to do with the teams on the field. Passion is great but not at the expense of respect.

I hope the candidates I voted for prevail; I wouldn't have voted for them if I didn't think they were the best for the job. But if they don't, the world...be it my county or my country...will not end. No one person or party has a lock on good ideas, and heaven knows we need some given these times.

The campaigns have seemed particularly long and venomous this time, and as our line moved slowly forward, the conversation flowing back and forth among these strangers bound together for a few ticks on the clock was that we all were ready for it to be over. And I hope when it is, respect can prevail.

 

Do I think voting will reunite America? Probably not...but I can hope. I'll get off my soapbox now.

(Check out more cool images encouraging voting you can download and print here.)

The Sunday Funnies

Today was absolutely beautiful. Clear blue skies, low humidity, upper 70s...Mother Nature's reward for putting up with summer weather. Better still, it was a carbon copy of yesterday. For the second day in a row, I threw open the sliding doors on the back and aired out the house. Even better, I spent most of today tackling a few outdoor chores. Lots of fresh air, a few hours of physical labor, and a little Advil to calm the ache in my shoulder has left my eyes heavy so I'll take the easy road tonight and share one of Dr. Dale's jokes I found entertaining.

A minister felt he needed more than just fiery words to inspire his congregation to follow the righteous path so he approached the pulpit on Sunday morning with four jars and four worms. He dropped the first worm into a jar of alcohol and it died. He dropped the second worm into a jar filled with cigarette smoke and it died. The third worm went into a jar of thick chocolate syrup and it died. Then he placed the last worm in a jar of rich, clean soil where it wiggled contentedly. Having completed his demonstration, he turned to the congregation and asked if they had learned anything. A woman in the back spoke up immediately. "I learned that if you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms." And that was the end of the sermon.

Feel free to pass this on...I'm sure Dr. Dale would be honored.

In A League Of His Own

I talked to my dad on the phone this afternoon. And as frequently happens in our conversations, I asked him about his bowling. He's a talented bowler, having learned as a kid at his uncle's bowling alley, and it's been part of his life ever since. He served as a member of a U.S.Army bowling team when he was in the service, competed in national amateur tournaments throughout his life and sports a ring for bowling a perfect 300 game.

But he's 84 now, and the last time we talked about his bowling he fussed and complained that it wasn't very good. He's down to just one afternoon league now after having bowled in two or three each year, giving up the evening one so he didn't have to drive late at night. Besides, he said, watching football on Thursday evenings didn't make him nearly as tired. And he still meets his cronies a couple of times a week for coffee, a lot of good-natured ribbing and a usually a line or two of bowling.

When I asked today, however, he just started to chuckle. The bowling was good, he said, and he had no idea why. So good, in fact, that he'd had several 700+ series and his average was 221. A 221 average at 84 years of age...amazing! I hope I've inherited those genes...not the bowling ability as it would take me two games (or more) to achieve that score but his ability to be so active and engaged in life at 84.

Here's a layout I did several years ago commemorating the 806 series he rolled at age 80. It wasn't published but used for another project, and the small photo on the left was a packing tape transfer onto mica. The envelope holds clippings about his accomplishment. It makes me smile to know that he really hasn't changed that much, both in his physical appearance and the fact that he's still achieving new accomplishments at this stage in his life.

 

Dad might not know why his bowling scores are so good right now but I think I do. As we talked, he must have told me four or five times how much fun he was having in his bowling league. One of his team mates is an old friend and another is a relatively new bowler, and Dad talked about how refreshing it was to see this person's enthusiasm for a new sport. It's clear Dad's not focused on his score but on the enjoyment he's getting from doing something he loves with people he cares about.

And what a great lesson there is in that.

A Mindless Post About A Mindless Game

I've become seriously attached to my iPhone, especially when we travel. I can update Wayne on KU football scores, Google restaurants in the town ahead and get a quick read of my e-mail...all while we're driving down the interstate. It's so much more than a phone; it's a source of entertainment, too, in a variety of ways.

Right before we left for Ohio I saw an article about the most popular game applications available for the iPhone. Rather than develop a host of programs that would work with the device, Apple has made the phone's language available to techie creative types and they've come up with all kinds of applications one can download through iTunes. Some are useful...like subway maps of the major cities; others are nonsense...like using your phone as a flashlight. And they range in cost from free to $9.99. So I downloaded a couple of the free ones to give them a try...a Suduko game and my newest time-waster, Tap Tap Revenge.

Tap Tap Revenge is a rhythm game...sort of a Guitar Hero for the iPhone. The idea is to tap the line at the bottom of the screen as little bubbles descending down three lines cross it, all in time with the music being played. The more bubbles you tap at the correct time, the higher your score. Move on to more advanced levels and the bubbles appear more rapidly or descend on multiple lines at the same time. There are also arrows that descend along the lines, requiring you to rock the phone in different directions as they cross the line in order to score points.

It's addicting.

And popular, too. It's been downloaded more than 1 million times. That means there are lots of us out there tap-tap-tapping. It's pretty much a mindless activity but an entertaining way to pass a little time in a hotel room at night. Maybe I could rationalize it as improving my eye-hand coordination in order to find some redeeming value in playing it.

Here's a review/demonstration of the game. In keeping with the theme, it qualifies as mindless video watching.

Just In Case

We have a house guest tonight. No, not this sweet girl but her daddy. Brad came down to see some friends and spend the evening with us.

When Kayla found out her dad would be visiting, she was lamenting the fact that she hadn't completed her birthday/Christmas list so she could send it with him. After all, she reasoned, I might want to start shopping and find some of the items on sale...something that definitely excites this little bargain shopper. Little does she know that the normal Thanksgiving delivery of the list will be soon enough for my shopping timetable.

And as often occurs in conversations between this father-daughter duo, it wasn't long before the teasing began with Brad good-naturedly protesting that she didn't need any presents for either of these upcoming occasions because (a) she already had too much stuff and (b) we spoiled her too much. Who said those were valid criteria anyway...especially the spoiling part? We're grandparents; that's our job.

When bedtime approached, Kayla called Brad on his cell phone to tell him goodnight and when she finished that conversation, she asked to speak to me. With a dubious look in his eyes, Brad handed over his phone. Kayla and I had talked on the phone just last night so I wasn't sure what new event had transpired that we needed to discuss but I was glad for another excuse to visit with my girl.

 "Hi, Grandma!" chirped the little voice on the other end. "I just wanted to tell you one thing. If Daddy tries to tell you that I said I didn't want any birthday or Christmas presents, don't believe him. He tells stories!"

I had to laugh. I could tell from the tone of her voice that she wasn't sure he would make good on his teasing threat to tell me such a thing in the first place, and she was pretty sure that I wouldn't accept his statements even if I did. But she couldn't be sure. And in the background all through our call I could hear Brad chuckling at Kayla's dilemma and the phone conversation she saw as the solution. A sort of insurance policy...just in case.

In Hand And Out Of Hand

Life feels a little out of hand today as I try playing catch up and lose. There's laundry started but not finished, groceries bought but other household chores still hanging, and an overflowing inbox that remains untouched despite my best intentions. Everyone has days like this one...one step forward and two steps back. The good news is that tomorrow brings another chance for progress.

One thing I did manage to accomplish today was to register for Jessica's free Stories in Hand class. Although I've been threatening to take one of her digital classes for some time, I've never had the time so I had to create an account before registering but it was really easy and also free. You can find all the step-by-step instructions together with the access code that makes the class free by going here. One of the things I really like is that you don't have to be a scrapbooker to get meaning out of this class...we all have stories to tell. Registration is open until November 8 and there's no limit to the number of people who can enroll.

I'm thrilled too to know how many friends are going to be joining me. Now all I have to do is get the rest of life in hand before class starts...and that will take some days with more progress than this one.

The Road Home

Interstates are great for getting you from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible but if you want to see the beauty of areas you're traveling through, you need to abandon the super highways and drive the back roads. And that's just what we did on our way home...a leisurely ride on the two-lanes.

The scene in Berlin as we left town on Sunday morning could have been one straight from the movies...a quaint village set in the heart of rolling farmland and all along the quiet streets were Amish families heading to church. One buggy after another, one group on foot after another, all in their Sunday best as they made their way to Sunday services. It was quite a sight.

And as the town gave way to the countryside, we could see fog in the low-lying areas. Combined with the frost still on the roofs and ground from the chilly temperatures the night before, the landscape seemed almost magical. Gone were the throngs of tourists who had flocked to the area the day before; peace had returned to this rural setting.

We left Ohio, crossed West Virginia and entered Virginia, relishing the slower pace that gives you time to take notice. Like small side roads with names like Raccoon Run and Whistle Stop Gap, how the multi-colored trees hug the road, and the personalities of the small towns we traveled through. And while two lanes might be more work, Wayne loves driving those twisty-turny mountain roads.

At Swift Run Gap we turned into the Shenandoah National Park and headed south on Skyline Drive. Traveling along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we were treated to sweeping views in both directions. And everywhere we looked we saw the rich colors of fall.

 

We saw every shade from butter yellow to ruby red, all punctuated by leaves still green from summer's growth. The photographs just can't do justice to the hillsides ablaze with color, and it was like that both on Skyline Drive and the next day on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

 

There hadn't been much wind to disturb the leaves as they fell, and I found the single, solitary trees to be the most beautiful. Amber leaves still clung to the branches but they also surrounded the trunk like a pool of liquid gold.

We found more beautiful scenery on Monday as we spent the better part of the day on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There were, however, frequent locations where the forest gave way to rolling pasture land made all the more picturesque by old farm buildings, their weathered wood a testament to their endurance.

It was amazing to me how the colors changed as we drove along the Parkway. Some areas were filled with trees heavy with yellow leaves...then we'd enter a section dominated by red leaves or another one with more oranges. It definitely kept the drive interesting. 

We made numerous stops...sometimes to photograph a colorful location and sometimes to explore. We walked around at Mabry Mill, a restored gristmill/sawmill set in a scenic location. The traffic on Sunday had been steady with plenty of people eager to enjoy the leaves like us but the roadways were relatively quiet on Monday.

Today, however, it was back to the rapid pace of the four-lane. Time to make tracks for home.

Dundee Falls

I'm still a day behind trying to report on our Ohio adventures, but I wanted to be sure to include photos from our walk to Dundee Falls on Saturday.

 

Dale and Carol didn't know the falls existed until seeing photos taken by friends, and they knew we would enjoy the walk through the woods to find them. It was a pretty drive to them and just a short hike to the "big" falls. It really wasn't all that big but it was fun to explore around it as you could get close from both above and below it. You could also see how at some times a good bit of water would spill over the rocks.

 

From the "big" falls we set out along a path headed for the "little" falls said to be about a mile away. We were finally getting a little sunshine although not much of it made its way through the tall trees overhead, all awash in golds, reds and oranges. And as we walked, the colorful leaves fluttered down in front of us and crunched under our step. We had to crawl over and under some fallen trees in places but the path was otherwise easy to navigate. We saw wild rose bushes, searched for hickory nuts, and inspected woodpecker-ravaged trees along the way.

The "little" falls lived up to its name...the creek feeding it was small enough we could step over it but again you could tell that wasn't always the case. Still we all liked the setting better. There were more rocks around it and a very picturesque view back up the stream bed.

On the way back, we met more than one hunter armed with rifles. There had been a sign as we started down the path indicating that it was open to public hunting but I'm not sure any of us really expected to encounter hunters. It was a little disconcerting but they appeared to be hunting squirrels, not tourists.

At one point I thought they were all going to leave me in the woods. The trail had no blaze marks but there had been little doubt about where it went on the way out to the second falls. Coming back we got off the trail but didn't go far before we realized it. Dale and Carol headed off to the north, remembering the path had paralleled a corn field. Wayne headed the other direction for a photo and then backtracked to find the trail. I think both thought I was with the other. With a little hollering, Wayne and I found each other but we had to ask a hunter to be certain Dale and Carol weren't somewhere behind us waiting for us to catch up.

The air was crisp but walking kept us warm and it felt good to be out in the fall air. We must have worked up a good appetite as Dale treated us to his own personal Brat-O-Rama for dinner. We sampled three different types of freshly-made brats he grilled, concluding that the smoked onion/garlic was the best. Good times with good friends.

Trail Walks

Travel blogging works well when we headquarter at a hotel in the evenings. It's more of a challenge when we stay with friends. We get caught up in conversation after dinner and the blog sits neglected. So I'll take advantage of these few quiet minutes to post a few photos from yesterday's walk.

 

The plan was to do a section of Holmes County Trail, part of a 31-mile trail built on an old railroad bed in connection with the the rails to trails program  We took both cars to Millersburg yesterday, traveling the back roads to soak in more of the fall colors. Leaving one at the bottom end of the trail, we traveled in the other car to Killbuck.

Despite the chilly temperatures, we enjoyed the walk. The trail is paved and relatively level and we met bicyclists and a couple on a scooter-like vehicle known as a Trikke. The Amish also travel the trail on their horses and buggies but there weren't any on our section while we were talking.

The trail travels along the Killbuck Marsh and we saw deer, Canada geese and even a groundhog. There were plenty of trees showing off their gold and red leaves, and while we would have liked the sunshine to make the photos more vibrant, we enjoyed the color.

We walked just shy of five miles, ending at the spot where we dropped the first car. We all agreed we need to plan to do another section of the trail when we return next year.

Giddy Up

We give Dr. Dale a hard time about his driving. I'm not sure how it started but its a regular subject for harassment in our circle of friends. Let's just say that on the tortoise/hare scale of driving speed, the tortoise will never have to worry about being passed by Dale. And now there is more ammunition for our barbs.

With Dale at the wheel, we were all over Holmes County today. I couldn't begin to tell you where but we passed by plenty of neatly tended farms, quaint country towns and narrow roads lined with trees bearing red, orange and golden leaves. With any luck, the skies will be clear tomorrow and the cameras will see more action.

So as the day's adventure came to an end, we made our way back to Berlin. Clop-clop-clop. Wayne and I looked out to the right side of Dale's van and what did we see? One of the Amish horse-drawn buggies passing Dale. Yep, that's right...a single horsepower vehicle was making better time than Dale. And as if that wasn't enough, it then pulled in rather sharply in front of him...Dale had been cut off by a buggy. You can imagine the abuse he was taking at this point. And when we all stopped at the traffic light in town, the horse dropped his head and turned to look behind him. We all feel sure the horse was mocking Dr. Dale at having passed him by.

     

The Amish buggies and the beautiful horses that pull them are just part of the area's charm. You see them driving on the roads, tied up in front of the stores, and parked in front of the farms. Here are a couple more buggy photos from our walk around town this afternoon.

 

   

Yes, one needs to be careful where one walks...even in the parking lots.

We're looking forward to more exploring tomorrow.

Just A Quick Peak

It's true what they say...the third time is a charm. This is our third trip visiting Dale and Carol in October, and we're seeing more color this year than we have in the previous two. And the promise is for more to come in our few days here.

We're about to head out for whatever adventure the day brings, hoping the morning showers give way to some promised clearing. And yes, my toes are warmly tucked away in those shoes and socks I packed. I'll leave you with a couple more of the quick photos we snapped on our way in last evening. 

Well, That Was Exciting!

Usually the trip up a familiar stretch of interstate doesn't offer much excitement. The towns come down the ribbon of asphalt in the same order as always and the scenery looks pretty much the same as it did last time, with the exception that there are tinges of red and gold in the trees here and there.

But not today.

We weren't far from Birmingham when I noticed a helicopter in the air not far off the highway. That's not unusual...there are several bases in the area and some include helicopter training. The more I watched though the more it appeared the helicopter was hovering over the trees. I thought perhaps it was a medical unit looking for a clearing in which to land, but as we got closer I could see the markings and knew it was law enforcement.

I had no more commented to Wayne on that than we passed an unmarked police vehicle parked on the shoulder with its lights flashing. "Something's going on," Wayne observed; that turned out to be an understatement. He'd no sooner finished saying it than two young men came barreling out of the trees beside us headed for the road at a dead run. As I watched in the rear view mirror, I saw them sprint across both lanes of the highway. It was like a scene straight out of the movies...they didn't pause to watch for traffic but just bolted between the cars and semis rushing along at 75 mph.

In the seconds that followed, we were trying to process what we had just seen and we passed a rest stop. It was filled with law enforcement vehicles and more were stationed at the ramp leading back onto the highway and in the overpasses we traveled under immediately afterward. Uniformed officers were scanning the woods and talking on radios as we went by, and then more lights and sirens were headed our direction in the oncoming lane.

We speculated for several miles what might have happened but it wasn't until we got to the hotel tonight that I took time to track it down on the Internet. Two juveniles had escaped when a van carrying them and others stopped at the rest area, and they managed to evade the officers for 90 minutes before being captured. Silly boys...they just made their problems worse.

Our timing put us on the edge of the action...close enough to see the excitement but a second or two away from being a part of it. And who said today's drive was routine!

Pack The Sweaters...We're Heading North

There are lots of things to love about October...cooler temperatures, pumpkins lined up at the produce stand, and the chance to visit our friends Dale and Carol at their place in Ohio.

It's become an annual trek, and even though we've been there a number of times now, we always see and do new things. Our friends are good like that...scouting out the small towns and countryside for places to take us and things to show us. They're in Berlin, in the heart of Ohio's Amish country, and you can sense the difference as soon as you arrive. The pace of life is a little slower and it's punctuated by the clop-clop-clop of horses hooves as they pull the Amish buggies. It's peaceful and relaxing, especially in the company of good friends.

And then there's the leaves. I've mentioned before that we get very little in the way of fall color, and that's one of the reasons our trip is planned for this time of year. Both Wayne and Dale have been monitoring the progress of the line as color from changing leaves makes its way southward, and it appears our timing is good. It should be near peak in some of parts we'll travel in. We're hoping for good photo-taking opportunities.

But my toes, that are quite content to be unfettered in sandals, are less than thrilled about the weather forecast while we're there. Rain and temperatures in the 50s will require socks and real shoes, a definite change and a reminder that before long those will become the norm at home, too. Jeans and sweaters are finding their way into my packing as well.

It will be a fun time...it always is. But I hate that we missed the wooly worm races.

Weekend Project

It goes without saying that Wayne and I love our photographs. We love taking them, we love sharing them, and we especially love looking at them. And as a result, photographs play a major role in our home decor. Our breakfast room contains what we refer to as the "memory wall." Frames filled with photos of our favorite people, places and vacations are grouped together on that wall, a daily reminder of just how blessed we are. The project for the weekend was to add more photos to it.

The arrangement started with a large frame containing a photograph of our family. It's the only photo in the group that is matted so the white border helps it stand out from the rest of the pictures...a reminder that family is the center of our lives. There are several other large frames, too, and I originally spaced them out on the wall to establish balance in the arrangement. We've been working to fill smaller frames in between those original larger one. And as we have, we made some adjustments in the spacing so it all fits.

The objective this weekend was to fill some of the blank frames that were already hung, and while I accomplished that, we still had to hang two new blank frames. It's a bit like constructing a puzzle...trying to fit in various sizes of frames, mix portrait and landscape orientation, maintain a mix of scenery and faces, and harmonize the colors. Many of the photos have appeared in scrapbook pages as only our favorites are selected for the wall. Pictures from Michigan and Glacier were among those that went up today.

I wish I could say we get them placed exactly right on the first try but we don't. I'm resigned to the fact that if the photos ever come down the wall is going to need some TLC anyway so I'm OK with that. Wayne hangs them and I'm in charge of straightening and securing them. I have this little bitty level that is much more dependable than my eyes...and with this many photos so close together that's important. Then I add one of those little mounting squares to the back of the frame to keep it square. They're sticky so it holds but you can pull it off without damaging the wallpaper. Believe me...I know; I've done it.

So here's where it stands after the weekend additions. There are so many windows in this area I couldn't elminate the glare, and while taking the picture facing the photos would give you a better idea of the grouping, all you would see would be reflections. The core area is filling in nicely, and we're starting to work our way up and down now. There are still some sizeable openings but I think of those as opportunities for future memories. I suppose the mixture of frames would bother some but I didn't want the formality of matching frames. Besides, I don't know just how big it's going to get. It's a work-in-progress...one weekend at a time.

Say What?

I've made no secret of the fact that I've been reluctant in joining the texting revolution. Feet dragging all the way, I've changed a little, thanks primarily to the iPhone. Kayla and I text regularly...well, it's regular for me although I'm sure my messages are just a small part of the number she sends and receives each week.

So I was understandably taken aback when I saw this headline across my computer screen when I signed on to the Internet earlier this evening: 
      Kenya's elephants send text messages to rangers
Say what? Elephants can text? C'mon now, admit it...you're just like me. Images of elephants tapping cell phone keys with their trunks are playing in your mind, too.

Upon closer reading, I learned that the Kenyan Wildlife Service had implemented a program to prevent elephants from raiding villages near the national preserves to eat the crops ready for harvest causing significant financial hardship for the farmers living there. Often the elephants became so aggressive they had to be killed, a tragic fate for this threatened species.

So the rangers have started tranquilizing the elephants and equipping them with a collar containing a mobile phone SIM card, and then they set up a virtual geofence using a global positioning system and track them through Google Earth. Whenever the elephants get too close to the boundary, a text message appears on the rangers cell phone and he can head off the elephants, sending them back into the preserve and saving the crops. The theory is to break the habit of them finding food in the villages and they'll learn to look elsewhere for nourishment. The ranger quoted in the story likened elephants to teenagers, saying they learn from one another and if you could stop the ringleader, you could control the others, too.

The elephants seem to be responding well and learning new behaviors, and by being able to track their migratory patterns within the preserve, the rangers have a better idea of where to employ their resources to catch poachers. Sounds like a win-win situation.

It seems fitting to end this post with one of the photos we took of elephants when we visited Africa a few years ago. I can identify with these elephants...I don't think they're big into texting either.

   

The Stories Of Our Lives

It never fails. Whenever family...and even friends...get together, it isn't long before we're reminiscing and swapping stories. Stories from our childhood or when our kids were little, stories from college or the early days of our marriage, and stories we remember our parents or grandparents telling about events in their lives. It frequently starts with "Remember the time..." and goes from there, and heads nod, faces smile and eyes moisten at the memory.

It's history but not the kind you'd find in any school book. They're ordinary stories really...unimportant to the world as a whole but absolute treasures in our family. You think you'll remember them forever but you don't. Add to that the fact that living life day to day brings us new stories...new memories and fodder for those remember the time opportunities in the future.

And as a scrapbooker I think about all those stories, the ones that have happened and the ones yet to occur. Some have been told...they were paired with photos and are now safely tucked into one of the many albums on the shelf. But what of all the others...and there are many. Like the wasps coming up out of the ivy while Wayne was painting the eaves, causing him to jump off the ladder and throw green paint all over the new yellow car sitting in the driveway. Or when Brad was swinging G.I.Joe on the end of a nylon ski rope and looped it over the power lines, plunging the entire neighborhood into darkness. And when Kayla at four worried about "por-tatoes" (tornadoes) on her first trip to Kansas. There are no photos for those stories but they and the ones like them ought to be remembered as well. And let's face it, I can't scrapbook fast enough to keep up with all the new stories as they occur.

My friend Jessica has the answer. She's put all her incredible talent and teaching abilities into an online class to help us gather and record those stories...and it's free. Yes, there's a cute little project that goes along with it but you don't have to be a scrapbooker to participate in and get something out of this class. That means you, Marianne! There will be printable goodies, video tutorials and more to inspire you to tell the stories of your life. And did I mention it's all free? There is no limit to the number of people who can participate; all you need to do is sign up starting October 20.

In every class I've ever taught, at every consumer event I've ever attended, I've encouraged scrapbookers to tell their stories. I know journaling is hard for many people but the stories are too important to lose. I hope to see you "sitting" next to me in the classroom as Jessica shares her ideas for saving and savoring that treasured family lore.

Late-Night Cravings

Neither Wayne nor I are late-night nibblers. We might hit the fridge for something to drink but generally speaking we're done eating when supper is over.

But not tonight.

We played in a little golf mixer this evening...a nine-hole scramble we've been doing every other week for the last couple of months. It's a chance to play with different people, let someone else cook, and have a little fun. And when we finished, Wayne announced that he was taking me out for ice cream. Ooooh...a date with my favorite guy and ice cream is involved! The only way this could be better is if it was chocolate soft-serve from the Dairy Queen. It wasn't but the Chocolate Fudge from Baskin-Robbins was pretty tasty.

We won't be doing this on a regular basis...but then it wouldn't be an indulgence if we did. Tonight, though, it was fun to give in to the late-night cravings.

Lessons Learned

I've learned a thing or two as I've worked through my homework from the Design Your Life class at Big Picture Scrapbooking. Like...

• Layouts where everything all lines up make me happy. Well actually, I already knew that but it was reinforced.
• It's harder than I expected to stick to someone else's design and make it fit my eye.
• Big pictures make a big impact but I'm not sure I'm keen on two of them in the same layout.
• I am unable to construct a layout without at least a few things overlapping and touching, even if that's not the way they were on the example.
• The world is full of beauty. I already knew that too but it's nice to be reminded.
• I shouldn't poke fun at Wayne building a doghouse that will last 100 years. I still apply adhesive as if the layout was going in the mail and through multiple hands thereafter.
• My scanning skills aren't nearly as good as Wayne's.
• There's no way in the world I'll complete three layouts every week and still accomplish anything else around here...not as slow as I scrapbook.
• Scrapbooking still makes me happy.

Let's see what Week Two brings.

Pitter Patter and Pixels

It's a rainy night in Pace-land...the bridge between the on-again-off-again showers of today and the thunderstorms forecast for tomorrow.

The weather put the damper on golf, literally and figuratively. I had planned to play with the ladies group but with thunder rolling around when the alarm went off, I called to check. Sure enough, play was canceled. So I did what any lazybones would do on a dark and dreary day...I went back to bed.

Rainy days are good for catching up on paperwork and computer chores. Wayne copied, organized and indexed September's digital photos. With two cameras (and more if you count the little point and shoot and the camera feature on the iPhone) and two photographers doing Photo A Day, it's become a big job.

There is a system to how they're organized...maybe not a perfect system but it works for us. It starts with a folder for each year and within that are sub-folders for Wayne, me and any big trips we take or other major photo-taking events during the year. Our individual folders are further broken down by month and/or event...the idea is to keep all the photos that relate to one another in the same place.

The digital photos all live on Wayne's computer, but I get frustrated at having to go find them there so he indulges me and copies them over to my hard drive, too. Someday space will be an issue but right now it's not, and I love being able to see all of them whenever I want. The files are also copied onto an external hard drive and backed up at the end of the year on a DVD that is kept elsewhere. It's a belt and suspenders bit of reassurance, but most of the pictures aren't printed until I'm ready to scrapbook them so I want to be sure nothing happens to them until then.

So do I always have to remember who took a particular photo and when to find it? No, thank heavens...my favorite computer guy takes care of that too. He tags each photo with keywords...dates, names, places, and other identifying information that can be searched on down the road. He does this in Adobe but there are other ways, too. Elements has this feature or check out Picasa or Windows Live which are free. Using the tags, it's easy to find all the photos taken of Kayla in 2007, for instance.

And while he organized and tagged photos, I printed some. With any luck, there will be a new scrapbook page in the near future. Gotta love rainy days.

First Monday In October

It's Monday...the shiny floors, dust-free tables and stacks of clean clothes attest to the day's usual routine. It's a productive tired that I'm feeling tonight.

It's also the first Monday in October...the day on which the Supreme Court begins its new term after the summer recess. And having spent an opening day in the hallowed halls of the highest court in the land, it's a day that does not escape my notice.

 

For more than 25 years, I was a legal secretary and paralegal, and while lawyer jokes often contain a grain of truth, I was fortunate enough to work for some good ones. One of the best was Joe Harrell, a true Southern gentlemen. He was an amazing trial lawyer but hopelessly disorganized and detested writing briefs, and we made a great team when he found that I could solve both of those problems.

I loved the trial work...studying potential jurors to try to find the ones you thought might see your side of the facts, having exhibits and depositions digested and at the ready to expose weaknesses in the testimony of a witness, and crafting the instructions we'd request the judge to give at the conclusion of the arguments. And after the verdict, one side or the other would probably appeal.

Briefs and legal arguments might seem dry and technical to most but I enjoyed them. Although I entertained the idea of going to law school for a time, two children at home and the distance involved made it impractical. Brief-writing gave me the opportunity to "play" lawyer under the guidance and supervision of a great mentor. I'd do the first draft; he'd edit and make suggestions. Sometimes there weren't many and other times the changes were significant. But each brief was a learning experience, both in terms of the law and how to argue it to your advantage. I was a willing student and Joe Harrell was a great teacher.

And so it was with the case that came before the Supreme Court that first Monday. It was a product liability case that had been heavily litigated in Federal Court, appealed to the Eleventh Circuit, and after a rehearing en banc (the whole court, not just a three-judge panel), made its way to the court of last resort. The Supreme Court doesn't look at the big picture...whether the airplane was defective or the maintenance deficient; its focus is very narrow. The case turned on the admissibility of a Naval investigative report and the presumptions about its correctness.

Only a lover of the law could find arguments on that subject exciting. But as I sat in that esteemed courtroom with its enormous bench, I found myself leaning forward...almost on the edge of my seat. Needless to say, I had no role in the arguments but I was nervous for those who did. One hour per case, divided equally between the two sides. Interrupted by any questions the Justices may wish to ask. At any time. Untold hours of preparation, both before trial and during appeal, went into the case and then it was over.

Only a few cases reach the Supreme Court, and as I walked out into the warm sunshine that day in Washington, I thought about Joe Harrell. Cancer had claimed his life a short time before, depriving him of the opportunity to make his arguments in such a prestigious forum. The ruling came down a few months later...significant only to those seeking guidance on a specific rule of evidence, then and in years to come. But when the first Monday in October rolls around, I think of the electricity in the air of that famed courtroom...and of Joe Harrell.

World Card Making Day

It's still Saturday in my mind despite the fact that the clock has rolled past midnight. And Saturday is/was World Card Making Day. So what is that, you ask? It's a day to celebrate handmade cards and those who make them. It comes just as card makers are planning and stockpiling supplies to create their own holiday greeting cards

I did that one year...created my own Christmas cards. It was a fun creative adventure even if it was a lot of work. I haven't done it a second time simply because of the time commitment.

But making a card here and there doesn't take that much time. Here's one I created this evening in less than an hour...and we all know how slow I am.

 

One shortcut that made this card go together in a hurry was that I started with a blank card. I keep a supply on hand, buying packages of 25 or 50 in white or colors from the chain craft stores from time to time. All the rest of the card came from my scraps and other extra supplies. Ribbon, brads and the gel accent give the card some dimension and reinforce the color scheme in the patterned paper. I could have used a second patterned paper in pink if the design was really small or subtle, but since I didn't have one, cardstock worked well to draw the eye to the "what's up" message. While this one is quite simple, cards are also a great canvas to experiment with new techniques, new color combinations or anything else I think I might want to try on a scrapbook page but want to see if it will work first.

Am I giving up my Hallmark greetings? Nah...but it's fun to make a few cards now and then.

J-E-L-L-O

The TV comes on in my scrapbook room in time for the 10pm news and then Jay Leno. After that, it's mostly background noise...tuned to the HGTV, The Food Network, or occasionally another channel. It really doesn't matter because I'm not paying much attention to it anyway. But now and then something catches my eye, or more likely my ear.

Like the story about the Jell-O lady. She has rooms in her home devoted to the jiggly treat. Floor-to-ceiling shelves of Jell-O molds, displays of old boxes of mixes, racks of Jell-O recipe books, and wall groupings of all kinds of things bearing the Jell-O logo. Needless to say, she's been obsessed with Jell-O for a long time. And far be it from me (sitting in a room filled with paper crafting products) to ridicule her obsession.

But it was funny how watching the bright orange gelatin wiggle and jiggle on the plate as she unmolded it transported me back in time. My Grandma Seiver may not have had lots of fancy molds but no dinner at her house was complete without Jell-O. You had to hunt to find it though as its primary purpose was to hold together all the other things she put in it. Canned fruit cocktail, black walnuts and mini marshmallows was her favorite combination and while it doesn't sound very appealing now, it seemed quite tasty then.

Wayne's grandmother always had a Jell-O salad at every holiday meal. The one I liked best was made with applesauce and red hots. And I grew up eating plenty of cherry Jell-O with bananas in it, but I can also think of a couple of others that were served and didn't do it for me...like green Jell-O and cottage cheese. 

The Jell-O lady did have some interesting flavors I didn't know had been made...root beer, bubble gum, and celery to name a few. I can understand why I'd never heard of them; none sounded very appetizing.

The piece on the Jell-O lady ended with the comment that Jell-O had retained its popularity because it made people happy. And as I watched those jewel-toned mounds quiver on the screen, I realized I was smiling. I think they're right. You always have room for Jello-O memories.

Let's Talk Scrapbooking

A finished page...yea! When I stop to think about it, it's probably been four months since the last completed layout, and I doubt that there has ever been an interval like that since I started scrapbooking. The break, however, was good for me.

So I'm sharing the first page I created for Cathy's design class. It's probably the only one I'll post here because we're working from sketches she is giving us that are unique to the class. This one is different, though. It's a common scheme...in fact, you'll see a variation of the design on one of my pages in the November issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine.  

I'm usually the ultimate rule-follower. Give me a set of instructions that tell me sizes and colors and I'll follow them to a "T." But not this time...a bit of my rebellious streak sneaked in and with good reason. First, it's a page about me...who I am as a scrapbooker and why I do this. And a color scheme that includes red just isn't me. Plus I bought some really pretty paper in Tampa in my favorite color of blue and thought when I put it away that I needed to find an excuse to use is. So I did.

How did I get Cathy's brown-red-green title to a brown-blue-green one? It's easy...I simply used Adobe Photoshop to alter the color in the downloaded PDF file. Here's how:

  1. Select the eyedropper tool and touch the color you want to change. In this case it was the red type. 
  2. Click on Image>Adjustments>Replace Color and a new box will pop up. The red type will appear as white against a black background. In Elements the commands are Enhance>Adjust Color>Replace Color and I'm sure there are similar controls in other photo editing software. 
  3. At the bottom of the box are the controls for Hue, Saturation and Lightness. Starting with Hue, move the sliders until you have the color you'd like. This is just one of several techniques to change the color of an object within an image. It works particularly well here because there are no variations in the shade since it's type. The Fuzziness slider will help isolate the color you want to change if there are multiple tones.

This layout is probably more simple than I would ordinarily complete but that's the nature of the assignment. There's a lot of symbolism in the elements I selected, however...they represent me. Rather than decorate each square, I carried some elements across multiple squares as it seems to connect the design a little better to my eye. And I cut my title into a circle and added a few others so there would be curves to offset all those right angles. Adding "Just Me" to the edge of the photo says something, too. Not only does it reflect my outlook...that I am who I am...but it's also says who I scrapbook for.

And when I finished, I had to smile. Not just because I like it but because it wasn't until then that I realized that the lens cap was on the camera I was holding in the photo. We set up the photo shoot in the garage and after Wayne snapped a few shots, we came inside to look at them on the computer. I put the lens cap on the camera to protect against the dust, and I guess I didn't take it back off when we went back out to do more. You know what, though...I'm OK with that. It just shows that despite all my tendencies to be organized and logical, there's a little ditziness in there, too. Perfect for a page about me and my scrapbooking.

One layout...I'm on a roll. I don't think I'll wait four months before finishing the next one.

Undone And Unfinished

I worked hard today...and while there were accomplishments, all that's on my mind tonight are the things that didn't get done. 

Laundry: The work in the laundry room is finally done so I have my washer and dryer back. Good thing as there's a backlog of dirty clothes. There was a detour in my plans to start washing first thing this morning so there is still a load or two in the laundry basket. Maybe I'll iron tomorrow night while I watch the vice presidential debate.

Restoring Order:Most of the things that live in the laundry room are back home but not all of them. I haven't found the bases to hang my hand-held vac or my iron. I'm sure I put them somewhere safe...now if I could just remember where that is. And I need to decide if the filing cabinet is staying where it is or moving to another wall before I put the three boxes of stuff back in it.

BBQ Grill: Taking advantage of a couple of nights I knew we wouldn't need it, I decided to clean the racks from the grill. I sprayed them with oven cleaner and they spent last night in big trash bags, but that didn't get all the baked-on grease off. So tonight they're soaking in Dawn and ammonia...we'll see if that does the trick.

Scrapbooking: The page on my table needs only a few items glued down to be done and I like it. Then again, I'm obsessive enough that I keep fiddling with a layout until I do like it before grabbing the adhesive. We don't have to talk about how many days it's been on the table thus far but I'll share when it's done.

Blog: It's looking a little wordy...well, a lot wordy. It needs a new header and some photos mixed in with all those words. Of course, if I'd just remedy that unfinished project above, I could probably kill two birds with one stone.

Like Scarlett, I'll worry about these things tomorrow.