Learning to back up

Not back off.  I've never learned that one.  I'm talking about backing up in the car.
Do you use your mirrors for that task?
I never have - I always do the "total twist" to move in reverse.
The twisting is becoming more and more challenging as I move through life.
Petey has always done the mirror thing and, so far, hasn't bashed into the side of the house.
I recently decided I should practice backing up with the mirrors before I reach a point where I have to.
It hasn't gone well.  The other day I was wondering what my neighbors across the street must think when they see me.
"Is she drunk?  Did she have a stroke?" There's a lot of braking and weaving.
Our driveway is rather long so it's a good place to practice but it's a bit embarrassing.
Didn't they teach that skill in driver's ed. back in the 60s?

A sandwich question

So today when Petey and I were fixing our lunch sammies he said something that made me think.  Not an easy thing to do.
He referred to cutting the sandwich in half or from corner to corner.
I have always cut them right down the middle but I felt reckless and rebellious today so I sliced from corner to corner.
What a huuuuuge difference!
I think it even tasted different or is it differently?
So then I had to decide if I should bite off the corners first or plunge right into the middle.
I'm not that crazy, silly, I took off the corners first.
Just a new experience I wanted to share with y'all. 

When the connection breaks.

Yesterday was a bad internet day in, what we thought, was the Altamore house.
We felt sooooo much better when we found out last night we weren't alone.
Misery loves company.
We had moments of connect-ability but most of the day was a "day without internet."  
It's like a day without sunshine.
I love having the world at my fingertips.  If I want access to really important info like . . . what's up with that actress's eye on NCIS?  Or how to safely clean my keyboard without causing huge problems - there's my trusty 'puter and answers at my fingertips.
About three quarters through the mess, we had to leave the house and forage for food - we were so frustrated.
Just before we left the house I experience a short, very short, moment of "was life simpler before the world opened up to us?"
Maybe.
I have about 2 seconds of patience when there's a techy problem going on but thankfully, "Petey the pitbull" with tenacity by the busload hangs in there looking for a solution.  
It's a new day and we're back on track with internet moving like shit through a goose.
Thank you to whoever made that happen.

30 Word Thursday: done

It's been fun and interesting and challenging.
Thursdays seem to come along quickly, though.
I'm not really into the "throw back Thursday" thing.
So it's "normal" Thursdays from now on.

 

The Anniversary Jaunt

Petey and I celebrated our 46th anniversary up north this year at The Homestead in Glen Arbor.
My, that's a pretty spot in a beautiful area.  Once again we have a renewed appreciation of our gorgeous state.
The reason for going to this specific area was because one of Petey's favorite groups, The Wilenes, was performing at the top of the ski hill (felt like a mountain).  

This is the registration building.  Sets the scene.

The area we stayed in was called Fiddler's Pond. 

Our room was on the second floor.  We had a tiny balcony in the back which overlooked a little pond.  We felt like "rich folk."

We didn't bring our swimsuits but that slide looked all kinds of fun.

This is only the second time in our lives that we've been on a chairlift.  The trip up and down was outstanding.

See?  Outstanding.

Here they are - The Wilenes.  The harmony was smooth, the lyrics funny and heartbreaking, the venue could not possibly have been better.

This is MarySue.  Petey loves her.  She dedicated a song to us.  She sings Patsy Cline and Petey swoons.  Can a guy swoon?

The icing on the cake - a fantastic sunset.

The next day we visited our good friends, Bunky and Mary, at their new home in Suttons Bay.

This was probably the best anniversary celebration ever.

30 Word Thursday: saving time

It's actually Wednesday but I'm composing anyway.
I like to post early Thursday morning - before I leave for Jazzercise.
It begins at 8:30.  It used to start at 9.
I'm a planner.

Funny word choice

I usually wake up around 6:15 every morning.  I refuse to get up at that time because the coffee doesn't start brewing until 6:30.  There's no point in dragging myself out of bed before the coffee is ready is there?
Now you're asking yourself "why doesn't she just set the coffee to do its thing at 6a so it will be there waiting for her when she wakes up at 6:15?"
I'm pretty darn sure if I did that - I'd wake up at 6 then and that's just too friggin' early to start my day.
So I just lie there thinking.  Sometimes I plan my day and sometimes I sing songs in my head.  I don't want to disturb Petey.
And most of the time, I fall back to sleep.
Which brings me to the reason for this blog.
Were you wondering when I was finally going to make my point?
"Fall":  other than the obvious meanings for this word - autumn and tumbling down the stairs - it is used in a few weirdo ways that I find interesting.
Like - falling asleep.  "I didn't fall asleep until 2am."  "I was falling asleep when the phone rang."
Or how about - fall in love.  "She fell in love with him at first sight."
And - fall for it; like in gullible.  "I told him I'd had that sweater for years and he fell for it."
Last one - fall in line.  It has a military connotation but is used in business, etc. as well.  "Henry wasn't keen on the new program but finally fell in line and it's a go." 
I could go on and on but you get this, right?
Spend a little time after you finish reading this fascinating topic and come up with a few of your own.
You're a bright bunch.

Murder "we" Wrote

Petey and I went on a killing spree yesterday.
Black flies!
Holy winged creatures, Batman, they were everywhere!
How were they getting in?
Every time we thought we'd gotten the last of 'em, another would fly through - taunting us. 
Just before turning in, Petey did a room check and went into "cop mode" yelling CLEAR after carefully inspecting each space.
I had visions of waking up this morning and finding another batch waiting for us with revenge written all over their little fly faces.
So far just one on the back porch and he looked resigned to the fact that today was his last.
I apologized right before I smashed him to smithereens. 

30 word Thursday: earwigs

Earwigs are disgusting.
They serve no earthly purpose that I can discern. 
They crawl out from underneath stuff and make me squeal.
I squished one with a spoon yesterday.
Ewwwwwww.

I've been busy - rollin', rollin', rollin'.

I've made a big decision recently.  I'm definitely done melting glass and fully into rolling paper into beads.
It took me a while to come to a final decision but it was time.
It feels right.
I gathered a lot of information and guidance on paper bead making from the internet and jumped in with both feet.
I have a few tools now to make the process a little easier and I'm having a ball.
Check out the following pictures of some of my new pieces.

These beads came from paint swatches.  I'm very fond of Dutch Boy.  Crayola is another favorite.  I'm sure the staff in that department wonder what the hell I'm up to.  I'll have to start wearing disguises to throw them off.

My pal, Alva, brought me a stack of very old sheet music.  The colors are so vintage.

More sheet music.  I could only find one that was dated.  1943.

 

So far I have prided myself on not buying any paper but this stuff caught my attention and I couldn't resist.

More music.  I love the shades of gray.

I might have passed "captivated" and am now in full blown "obsessed."  This music has got a "hold on me."

These are all from a travel booklet from my friend, Joann.

So you're all caught up on my "thing."
Are you as excited as I am?  Ok, maybe not quite as much but a little?   

The Other Cousin

We've seen our McDonald cousins fairly often over the past couple of years.  They live in Dearborn and their father is our mom's brother.
Apparently we saw them one too many times and our other cousins, the McFarlands, found out about it.
Their mom was our dad's sister.
Our one cousin, Barb, actually lives closer than the McDonalds.  She's just north of here and lives on a beautiful lake.  
So . . . we should be up there every other week, right?
And they (Barb and her husband, Steve) have a boat.  Maybe weekly visits are in order, eh?
Usually Barb's sister, Betsy, joins the festivities but she was at her summer home in Maine and didn't think we were worth traveling back to Michigan for.  I guess she has her priorities messed up.
Those 2 ladies have a brother named, Bruce, who moved to Florida some years ago and no one has seen since.  I'm kidding.  If you go there - you will see him.  Don't wait for him to come up here though.  Not gonna happen.
So yesterday, Peter, Lisa and I packed up some chow and scooted up to Newaygo for the afternoon.
It was a lovely day and the boat ride was dreamy.
We had a yummy lunch sitting by the water's edge and I saw my first Loon!
Every time we leave Barb and Steve's we say the same thing: "we need to do this more often for cryin' out loud.  You're only 90 min. away."
See ya next year, cuz.