The Lawrence Welk Show - Easy Listening - Interview Clay and Sally Hart ...

One hour of easy listening and watching at your convenience, to start the new year with music and dance. I hope you will share with me some of the old favorites...when you get a few minutes to relax.

Best wishes to all for a very productive and happy NEW YEAR!!

Onward to the NEW YEAR!

Snow (Bengal)

It was quiet here on Christmas day. Middle daughter (the only offspring who lives nearby) went to NJ to be with her two sisters and brother and their families. That's a good thing. We have NO desire to travel over the holidays. We will go to her place tomorrow to share foods and stuff. Each of our brood called and that was enough!

Our eldest daughter just sent pictures of their Christmas day together. I love her cat, SNOW, even though he gets into everything! He goes into the tree, breaks balls, knocks stuff off all counters, windowsills, and even the table! They love him. He's a Bengal and also goes into the showers with anyone and loves water! She has to take him for a walk, on leash of course, every day! He is loud mouthed and very curious and active. As he ages, he is also becoming very loving and expressive!

Their doggies are wonderful pets as well. Each one is a character. All the children grew up with many many dogs, cats and kittens, horses, birds, mice, Guinea pigs, and numerous wild critters and it's no wonder they have several as members of their adult families. After all, where would we be without our pets?

Guiseppe (Boxer)

Pasquale (Boston Terrier)

And so, several family lifestyles will perpetuate and all families will experience ups and downs as is normal. Life enters into a new year with new challenges and accomplishments.

Joan, My Lifelong Friend is Missing

Oh, how I miss her.........

Horse Puckey

When you make peanut butter milk chocolate fudge and it comes out too soft and sticky what do you say?

"HORSE PUCKEY!"

What do you do with the stuff?

You make....

HORSE PUCKEY!

How? Well you scrape up a gob and roll it, and roll it again in sugar!

And....then you have....

HORSE PUCKEY!! YUM!

Winter is Arriving!

Yes, the ice is forming and it soon will reach about one to three feet in thickness. The usual ice fishermen will come. They will be dressed VERY warmly, on foot and on quads bringing their tents, augers, pails, tipups, scoops, nets, needlenose pliers, live shiners and creekchubs. Hand warmers, paper towels, thermoses, and snacks usually accompany them. Portable radios are often brought along; cell phones, as well, I suppose. Some prefer to jig and bring short poles and mealworms as bait. Ice cleats are usually strapped to their insulated boots. Small fires are sometimes built on the ice with firewood which is transported with sleds to their personal spots. (Remember the matches!) With noses running, eyes tearing and constant vigil around the holes with ice crystals ever floating over them, the result is sometimes a nice crappie, perch, bass, pickerel or sunny. Some anglers prefer solitude but most like to chat with others and swap stories. It's all in a day's fun. The tents, huts and shantys are removed as the winds whip and the snow swirls on the anglers' trek or ride across the ice and back to their waiting vehicles.

My personal opinion is that the fish down in that black hole departed and stayed missing after the roar and vibration of the drill bit first hit that ice! My ounce of adventure does NOT included the sport.

Words of winter wisdom:

Be wary of weather and wind chill, watchful on the ice, and stay warm and dry.

Calling All Birds

Yesterday I had a couple of birds arrive at my home today and they are hanging out with "Wylie." They whisper in his ear that they came from Hawaii and like it here very much. I hope they will stay for a long while! I've already named them "Coco" and "Nut." I'm so grateful for friends who sent birds to me all the way from Hawaii!

Today Hawaii says, "I'm glad they arrived! They might be a bit chilly! 8-)"

Mainland replies, "Nah! They are toasty by the fireplace. They love it here! I have to get them some seed though. They don't care for cornmeal or oatmeal. (We need the bread and can't share.)"

Update from the mainland: Coco and Nut are looking for their friends, the Partridges, but there are no pear trees here. The French hens are hiding somewhere, the calling birds are too cold to call, and the geese and swans have all gone south. Poor turtle doves only have Wylie (and tasty seeds!).

Oatmeal and Raisin Cookies

I don't make them fancy but they are absolutely DELICIOUS!!!!!

Not an easy project due to VERY stiff batter, but worth the effort. Willing to share - some of the five dozen. Come and have several with me.

"If the divine creator has taken pains to give us delicious and exquisite things to eat, the least we can do is prepare them well and serve them with ceremony."

~ Fernand Point ~

Memories of My Old Pop

My grandfather on my father's side of the tree remains very strong in my memory. I wonder why it is, that I haven't thought about him for quite a long time. It seems that vivid memories come back to me now that I'm much older and want to leave some of them for my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Perhaps this is why I'm now putting these recollections on paper. I have only one nephew at the end of my direct family line to carry on old pop's last name and he might be interested as well.

Pop & me 1939

The first memory that comes to mind is Pop's arrival at our home. We would go down the street to meet him as he exited the #72 bus carrying his valise.He always was dressed in his pin striped suit, with a vest, shirt and necktie. I'm not sure about the hat. He had beautiful white hair and maybe it was uncovered, but I don't really think it was. ~memory loss here~ And - of course - his pipe hung in his mouth, not even lit!

~Memory returned~ a Homburg type hat! Yes, that's it. It was probably given to him by a wealthy neighbor for whom he worked.

His pipe was his "trademark." He always smelled of tobacco, plus some other musty odor. His bottom lip would become chapped, forming a scab in the middle where the pipe stem would rest. Eventually a deep and permanent cleft developed and remained there. I found it interesting.I also remember long hairs protruding from his ears and nose!

Pop had been a farmer most of his life, and had an affinity for horses. When I was about 12 years old, I had an old horse that was kept in a nearby barn. When he would come to visit (via train and then bus) he had old clothes to wear and accompanied me on the mile trek to the barn. He taught me the "farmer's blow." During the winter our noses would dribble and he showed me how to hold one nostril shut and blowout the other, making sure the mucus would be spewed downwind. His skills, separating the manure from the straw, using only a three tine fork, was amazing to me. Apparently I was doing a poor job of stall cleaning because I wasted too much straw. I never was able to master his method.

When he visited, my dad would corner him and make him take a bath and after clean underwear, long john type, was on, sit on the edge of the bathtub with his feet, one at a time, over the toilet bowl. A toenail cutting was then done with cutting pliers by dad and he let me watch the procedure.

As he aged, my family, all six of us, would travel about 50 miles to the place where he stayed. His inclination was mostly hermit-like in those days and my dad visited while we remained on the lawn of the home during the visit. Eventually he was moved by my uncles to a care facility for his last days. He had not been eating properly and hoarded the tobacco, and saltine crackers that we always sent to him at Christmastime. I know no more about his hoarding and not taking care of himself, but believe he had dementia. He died at age 87. I had four children at the time and have no recollection of his funeral or burial.

Music is My Heartbeat

Where did all the little people go? I know they are inside this box! I hear them singing. I'm only a little girl sitting on the floor but I know they are dancing in there too!

Do you hear their songs? I hear violins, trumpets, french horns, tubas, cymbals, drums - I love the drums. Just a little while ago I heard a piano playing just like the kind my grandpa plays for me. Oh, gosh! there is a flute! and a saxophone! and I'll try to hear bells and harps. I don't like bagpipes because they sound sad and wail but accordions make me twirl and spin.

You might wonder how I know the names of so many instruments. Mommy puts big round black disks on the record player once in a while and she tells me which sound belongs to which instrument.

Daddy sings sometimes. He knows all the old songs and can sing without music.

Mommy and daddy met at a church where he was invited to sing with a group.

They take me to parades where I can march with the bands. Not really with them in the street but I do march! I really love band music. Boom! Boom! Boom! They take me to ride the merry-go-round too and my pretty horsie goes up and down to music that comes from the middle of the platform.

The organ pipes in our church are very big and gold. They are loud too.

Someday I'm going to listen to music all day long and I'll feel very happy.

Whoops! Now I hear bells! The Good Humor man is coming and his bells tell me to get up and run out to the curb with my nickel. Bye.......

Pop's Comb

I dreamed last night about the days when I was a little girl, sitting on top of his shoulders, straddling his neck, combing his curly black hair as he sat in "his" easy chair.

I remember it so vividly that it's scary! I felt his hair, smelled his essence, and was warmed by the heat of the bridge lamp bulb at my back.

I don't think I was after nits or lice. I just felt that he was soothed by the feelings of the fine-tooth comb scratching his scalp, bringing up dander. I had a hanky to wipe the comb when the teeth were filled with the stuff.

These things one remembers! This was something I did often when he was home from working throughout the state testing cows' milk. He was glad to be home - I was glad he was home.

This morning I looked on the internet for a photo of that old comb and found the exact tool that I used. Memories are strange sometimes, aren't they?

This is all probably more than your need to know, but I had a great time researching pop's comb! (note: Made in AMERICA!)

OLD, like Pop Had!

3-¾" Comb

Extra Fine Tooth Comb

Great for removal of Lice and nits

Ace no longer makes this comb!

Ace now makes this one:

3-1/2" Extra Fine Tooth Lice Comb

* Extra Fine Tooth Comb

* Removes Foreign Material From Hair

* 3.5" Long

* Color: Black

* Strong and durable precision cut teeth.

* Ideal for all hair types.

* For removal of lice, eggs and nits.

* Laboratory tested and approved.

To Remove Head Lice:

Apply lice killing product (please refer to the product's label for full instructions).

To Remove Head Lice Eggs:

1. Comb out any knots that might have formed with any wide-tooth comb.

2. Divide the hair into 1" wide sections and comb through from root to tip using the Medi-Sweep Deluxe Head Lice Comb and wipe away any lice or eggs from the comb onto a tissue.

3. Rinse hair thoroughly with warm water.

4. To clean the Medi-Sweep Deluxe Head Lice Comb, place it in warm, soapy water; rinse thoroughly and dry.

5. The regular use of the Medi-Sweep Deluxe Head Lice Comb can assist with early detection of lice.

3-1/2" Extra Fine Tooth Lice Comb $ 1.99

Out of Season...

Yes, I know - Halloween is over but my granddaughter just sent me photos of her "creation" and I love him! She's exploring her creative side and draws, paints, and sculpts, and... and... and... and...and. Wonder where she gets it from? Hahaha!

She says,

"I used a ruler and free-handed it. Just measured little 1"x1" squares. His name is "Bubble Bobble"

Failed Experiment

Well I've learned that it isn't easy to "draw" with a nail polish bottle. Nasty stuff - won't go where I want it to! Time to move on to other experiments...

I like the computer recreation better than the original photo I took as they were drying on the kitchen counter. It may take a week for these to dry up! Maybe they'll just go away. That will be OK, too.

Nail Polishing

I'm experimenting with old nail polishes that friends have donated to me.

This is my first painting just completed today. It's on white construction paper.

It's a good thing the cabin is very dry inside because it didn't take forever to dry hanging up from the wagon wheel lamp fixture.

I scanned the actual result but kind of like the first photo I took better.

I may or may not create more of these because I have other ideas spinning around.

(The nail polish odors mingled with my crock pot pork roast and sauerkraut dinner. Interesting combination, don't you think??)

James - 2011

Frozen in January.

He started of the year with a new scarf and continued to become a fashion plate. His duds were varied through the seasons. In April, his attire drew a comment from a young grandson, who said, "Grandma! James would be embarrassed if he saw himself in flowers! He's girly!" Well, yes he was, but Spring was here and she brings birds, bugs and flowers. Besides, what is most beautiful in virile men is something feminine!

July brought flags, banners, and fireworks as he celebrated Independence Day with us by displaying the symbols of our independence.

August is a grand month for going fishing, exhibiting your license on your hat of course, and then for a birthday party celebration! As anticipated, his buddy "Wylie" breezed in.

When we left him for our extended vacation in September, he was chained to the premises as it was important to ensure he'd remain safely on guard. He aged during that time, becoming a bit greener around the gills, but staunchly held his ground even though his hat was snatched by a crow!

Turkey feathers RED??? Well, why not! Thanksgiving is all about thankfulness for colorful leaves, pilgrims, indians, gatherings, friends and family.

James is, after all, family!

Irene at the Lake 2011.m4v

Just to document our personal loss.

2011-08-31Irene

Click here to view these pictures larger

Bang! End of August

Click photo for better view.

We lost power for three full days due to Irene breezing through, but are OK. Poor willow crashed. Dock broke loose on one end but was saved and re-secured before it got away like others did.

Yard cleanup underway and then we'll leave the building for a couple of months. No computering for a while! Photos when we return.

Summer's End 2011.m4v

Estrangement

I have another "long-time" person in my life, but this person is not a friend. This person has outwardly insulted me and several of my immediate family members and other loving friends over the past 15 years to the extent that I have now shut this person out.

Totally. OUT!

It wasn't only the insults, it was the game-playing and disrespect of feelings. I do not do shouting matches. I do not associate with people who do this. At ALL. There will never be a confrontation nor a conciliation. It is too late.

It took a great amount of tolerance from me to have it come to this. At first, I just turned away; the wound wasn't deep. The next time it happened I walked away and licked my wound. The third time, I ran away to tend to a deep wound and then I had completely gone away - bleeding profusely - to join others who were also stricken and injured in the same fashion. There is something seriously skewed in this person's way of thinking and inconsideration of reactions by verbalizing in such venomous manner. This person has a poisonous tongue. It is intolerable and treacherous behavior pointedly intended to entrap and tear apart.

Now "long-time" person wants to get together. It won't happen. My feelings of ill treatment are justified and today my bite punctures are repaired.

I'm reminded of an old-time tale of a frog and a scorpion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One day a scorpion is hanging around the side of a stream. A frog happens by on his way across the stream. The scorpion cannot swim so he stops the frog and asks if he can climb on his back for a ride across the water.

“Do you think I am crazy?” The frog says. “If I let you on my back, you’ll certainly sting me and I’ll sink in the water and die.”

The scorpion replies, “hey just think about it for a second, I can’t swim. If I sting you, then you’ll die and I’ll sink and die too.”

The frog thinks for a second and decides that makes sense, so he proceeds to give the scorpion a ride across the stream.

About half way across the stream, the scorpion stings the frog. The frog screams “What are you doing? Why did you sting me? Now I am going to drown and die and you are going to sink and die too.”

The scorpion says “because I am a scorpion.”

In this irritating tale there is a disturbing truth: it really happens that people behave in incomprehensible manners with no other reason than, nobody knows why, "that is their nature."

This is a disease that lies deep in human nature. There are many examples, practically every day. We can laugh when they are just funny. But some are dismally tragic.

Sometimes they don't really know or understand life and friendships. I forgive that. Some people never find what they're looking for. It's pitiful.

Appreciation?

The Monday laundry blows in the wind - too much! I hate it when the sheet flips over the top line. I can't reach it to flip it back and if I reel the line in, the line soils the sheet as it rubs along. Sheets always seem to do this, but I'm simply not going to change the way they are pinned; the sun wouldn't do its job with the whitening and purifying process. And yes, I'm a bit old-fashioned.

Do you see the clothespin on the left bottom side? I jumped out of the box today - again. I grabbed the first thing of the correct size and weight and handy and pinned it inside the corner of the problem item. Threat altered!

I must tell Sue how much I appreciate the gift she gave me yesterday. It traveled far with her through several flight stopovers and held especially for a later presentation in a more relaxed environment.

I'll also tell her that I haven't found a non-conventional use for the exotic tea yet and will most likely just sip a cup soon.

The Gathering....

Just a thought......

I have to brace myself tomorrow.

Prospective encounters with others involves a certain amount of trepidation and realignment on my part.

There will be no sunbeam to skip with, and no breeze to dance with.

I do, I don't -

I will, I won't -

I'm able, I'm not able...

Managing will be my middle name. I will.

It's not about me.

True Friends...

True friends DON'T come with fragile stickers. Not at all. That's why I'm writing this for my friend who is now dealing with a difficult diagnosis. She will understand and even laugh a bit as she drives her rig across the country from South Carolina to California and back, regularly, seeing it all on her journeys of the trade.

Photos by Cindi

Dear Cindi,

I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn down your offer to trade Scaroidosis for Ed. Scaroidosis would get under my skin and not respect my space.

I don't want to share Scaroidosis with you either. That's a threesome that would be a sticky and tacky union.

I'm certain that I'd never steal him. You would just let me keep him and that would be no fun at all. I'd be out of breath all of the time!

If you had Ben (Gay) instead, I'd grab him in a minute. He'd be good to take to bed with me. Arthur (Rtis) is a "no-no" because he hurt me before and he always took me from joint to joint. Charley (Horse) makes me get up and go when I don't feel like it. Will (Power) would cramp my style and Johnny is cold right to the bottom. Al (Zymer) is always flirting with me and my other friends.

So you see, I guess I don't really want any companion anymore; especially one that causes me to have lumps and bumps. He sounds like a brutal and difficult cohabitant and besides, his feet are too big.

Please forgive me for my selfishness, but your generosity is well thought-out and very diplomatic as well. Oh, and cruel!

Your true friend, Gere

Note: (The bit about Ben, Arthur, Charley, Will, Johnny and Al has been taken from the experience of others, so no credit can be given here.)

Her reply:

"Leave it to you!! Brought a much needed smile and giggle though. Thanks."

Early Morning Shower

This shower came down hard - for 10 minutes at 7:30 AM.

My Friend, Joan

I don't know where to start. The beginning is probably the best, isn't it? The beginning was 1946. Two girls ending up in the same home room, each coming from different elementary schools and merging into "Junior High." We were 10. It was 5th grade. The school started with 5th graders and went through 9th grade.

I don't know exactly why we clicked, but we sure did. She was very shy, I was very bold. She had short dark hair, I had long blond braids. She was skinny and I was chubby. She had long polished fingernails and I chewed mine. Oh MY! I lead and she followed and we soon learned that we both could knit, crochet, and liked to draw and paint. It didn't take us long to be friends and the friendship lasted 65 years.

I really don't think many other odd couple girlfriends went on the huge number of double dates that we did! We both liked to dance, bowl, swim and we loved the beach. Were we "popular?" Nope! We were bookish - a bit, but not into the cliques and clans of the time. We mostly stuck to ourselves, but also had other friends that meant a lot to us at the time as well.

Oh! The secrets! Oh! The pains of marriages and growing families. We shared EVERYTHING!

Joan was an extremely creative and talented quilter in her latter years and I was into horses and crafts, but she lived down the dirt road and we got together often, still sharing, and aging together.

Joan developed breast cancer and went through the entire process of treatments and recoveries.

Not long after her breast cancer she seemed to go downhill mentally and it was soon determined that progressive Alzheimer's was to be her destiny. The long road took almost 13 years. I thrived and she withered.

Now she's gone. My best friend is gone and I'm sad. Our bright years together and our struggling times together are over...my memories dwell on scenes that are no more.

She took her memories with her and that's the way it should be.