Voices . . . wonders of the world . . . young men . . .

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1379477832269778 Tears of appreciation came unbidden. Say yes to wonderful young men in 2013!  Feeling better.

Feeling awful . . .

Voila!

I've come to a conclusion . . . my 70 year old bones and sinews do not like heavy, humid weather. Incredible lassitude and dullness of wit is my fate. I don't like to put the air-conditioners on but at some point I seem to need them just to pull myself together. Have taken to a milder form of exercise, just plain indoor walking, and listening to my audio books. The birds are eating us out of house and home; the taxes are $8 less than last year even with the lowered evaluation; feel like I'm on some infernal tread mill; at least it's moving so slowly I can get off at will! So, I guess I will perk up, sit down and play some cool music! Puppies's Pop is off to the flying field and I'll be off to Mass in a couple of hours.

Kiddo and Grampa put together and painted a really neat swordfish this weekend and he read me so many corny jokes that I'm still laughing at all of the puns. Think I'll try to find him some more jokes. He has no clue that he's reading to me and enjoying reading! He just loves jokes especially when this old Mémère doesn't get them and he has to slow down and explain them!

Had a really good time last evening when I went with Tea to see the Mohegan Sun lose to the Phoenix Mercury. I don't like to see them lose but they have three of their best players in street clothes with all kinds of ailments and the Mercury have Diana Taurasi, my favorite player of all time at UCONN! Brittney Griner also plays for the Mercury but I was not impressed; she's pretty much of a tall galoot with little finesse but they won fair and square. The Sun were outclassed, out run and not motivated. I think coach Donovan has to insist that they play faster, harder and when Tina Charles is triple teamed someone, anyone, has got to help out and take shots! Yikes, all my expertise and I'm sitting in the stands! Tea and I ate at Johnny Rocket's. I wasn't impressed but it was great because I got a big hug from a former waitress at Lizzy B's who is now working at the casino! That was really nice. We had lost track of her and now we're back on track. Holly lives in Central Village and sees Grampa from the window of her apartment when he goes for coffee. I told her to get her butt in gear and stop at the Diner to say hello. She and her kids are doing fine. Some years ago we gave her our kids bicycles when we were cleaning out the cellar. Time is just flitting right on bye.

Quote:  No human face is exactly the same in its lines on each side; no leaf is perfect in its lobes, and no branch in its symmetry.  -All admit irregularity, as they imply change.  -To banish imperfection is to destroy expression, to check exertion, to paralyze vitality.  - All things are better, lovelier, and more beloved for the imperfections which have been divinely appointed, that the law of human life may be effort, and the law of human judgment may be mercy.  ___Ruskin

More than enough . . .

Wow, the rain gods are being overly generous. Drove home from East Granby yesterday in the worst rain cell I've ever driven in. It was as if the gods had turned the heavens convex to collect all the water on earth and then went back to concave and dumped, dumped, dumped and dumped some more. Wild ride from around Willimantic to Wauregan on Routes 6 and 205. I think I may have been traveling with the storm. Decidedly didn't want to stop on the side of the road and wait it out as some people did. I think that would have made me nervous. As it was I was careful and plowed through it. Not too many idiots on the road going hell bent for leather through that mess; only one blew by me in the opposite direction and added so much water to the mix I was totally blind for a fraction of a second; scary none the less. Was supposed to go and spend the day at Amos Lake with Moosup cousins but we have rain, gloom, and darkness predicted for at least another week! Hope the garden doesn't float across the street and down to the river! The spray I've been using to keep the deer from the garden seems to be working but she may decide to visit if the rains wash away the odor. The odor is supposed to last through many rains but we're having torrential downpours. Puppies and Dante's Pop has set up three long drain pipes to keep the waters away from the cellar. Keeping my fingers crossed. Water is still cascading over the wall and into the storm drain. (Cascading is a bit too strong but I like the sound of it!)

Went to Salmon River Park in Colchester Sunday to see Control Line Combat but it didn't happen. We took a walk along the beautiful river and Grampa got a nice shot of an older man contentedly fishing while his wife kept an eye on him as she fished from shore. Went out with Oneco friends for a pleasant evening; also received the cardiologist's A-okay for my health so all is right with my world. He did say I could lose a few pounds as I'd gained about four since he saw me in December but told me not to stress over it. I must admit that my appetite is back with a vengeance, especially for sweets!  Should get myself motivated to play the Yamaha but I've been really lax and lazy lately. Maybe today?

Quote:  If God hath made this world so fair, where sin and death abound, how beautiful, beyond compare, will paradise be found!  ___Montgomery

Grampa and Kiddo working hard . . .

Aren't they cool?

Kiddo came prepared to do some spray painting! We bought him some wood models of sea life and he and Grampa are putting them together. We had also gotten him a clock to make when we were at Brodak's but there were pieces missing so poor kid had to send it to Grampa who was able to make the missing pieces. So all is well that has ended well!

Had a pretty busy week because Kiddo finished school last Friday and rec doesn't start until this coming Monday. Went swimming four days this week in the family pool. Finally got used to the water today! We've been playing water basketball; a lot of fun.

Grampa just returned from playing horseshoes in Plainfield with one of my old students from 35 years ago! That's crazy. It has dawned on me that some of my students would now be about about 64 years old. Criminny jinkets, that's hard to grasp. I must admit that I really liked all of the kids I had in classes. Sometimes those I had to deal with in the halls were pains in the derrière but all in all I enjoyed all of the kids - administrators and guidance counselors - not so much.

Younger sister stayed with younger brother for a couple of days this week so I got to spend Wednesday with her right here in Moosup. It was super. I will be seeing her next Wednesday n her turf!

Quote:  Scratch the green rind of a sapling, or wantonly twist it in the soil, and a scarred or crooked oak will tell of the act for centuries to come.  So it is with the teachings of youth, which make impressions on the mind and heart that are to last forever.
    The highest function of the teacher consists not so much in imparting knowledge as in stimulating the pupil in its love and pursuit.
    To know how to suggest is the art of teaching.   ____Amiel

Good week . . .

Bridge crossing the Monongahela near the Power Plant. It's a beautiful old bridge. They are building a new one on the left of the photo.  I hope they keep the old one too. It has character.

Hatfield's Ferry Power Plant on the Monongahela in Masontown, PA. I was hoping it was a nuclear power plant but it is clean coal powered. Quite a sight. Lots of power!

Long drive Wednesday to Carmichaels, PA for the Brodak Control Line Fly-In. We went in the Elantra for the good mpg's but that meant no planes to fly. It was still a good learning and buying experience! We stayed in Uniontown, PA at a Holiday Inn which was pretty good. Very easy to find food and about a 20 minute ride to the contest site. Pennsylvania is a beautiful state; we drove through 4 tunnels going through the mountains. The vistas are quite awe inspiring. Beautiful country.

Puppies and Dante's Pop has gotten calls from all three of our big Kiddos and we'll be seeing the young Kiddo for dinner tonight; good Father's Day celebration with middle child and family. The cellar did get wet from the rains that fell while we were gone but it's under control. We haven't had a wet basement in years. Grampa mowed the lawn today and I worked in the garden thinning the cucumbers and weeding. We also put cages on the tomatoes. I had to spray some stinky stuff around the garden and the few flowering bushes that are trying to survive the deer! I know she's been nibbling the asparagus! That ticks me off. Hope the smell will do a good job so I won't see any more deer prints in the muddy garden! Man, I think she sunk in up to her knees! Maybe it scared her! Ha.

Will get to see younger sister this week. She had good news from the specialist and perhaps with a new medicine she may be able to go back to using a cane instead of her walker. It really doesn't matter as long as she keeps strong. I like that - strong is good!

Quote: Felicity, not fluency of language, is a merit.   ___E.P. Whipple

Out with the old . . .

The roses that oldest Kiddo planted near the garage many moons ago is now in bloom near the porch.

Can't believe that this old house will sooner rather than later have the new gas boiler connected for the heat and hot water. It's pretty miraculous that we no longer have the big old Stewart Warner or the 175 gallon oil tank in the basement or as Mama would say, "Dans la cave!" I do recall mushrooms growing at the bottom of the rotting wooden stairs when I was a kid. So it really was a cave! We will probably get Ricky D. to cement the old, porous red bricks behind where the oil tank was. Many of them are greatly deteriorated. I guess that's understandable for 200 year old hand made bricks but I don't like to see the red dust on the floor! That wall is made of bricks and horizontal pieces of two by fours? Just plain odd and scary looking to me. The dehumidifier we've been running for a number of years has probably helped to keep them somewhat intact.

Played MouseTrap with Kiddo this weekend and managed to win three out of eight games. It's fun if you can follow the rules! Man he likes to turn the crank to let the Rube Goldbergesque trap fall. It is quite ingenious. As I recall our kids never really played it properly either! They just liked to set the trap in motion! He's still very enthused about our solar system and asked if he could read to me. That's was very cool. He did get the most points possible for his school project. He followed all directions to the letter and was so proud of his work.

 Spent a good week before the rains came visiting brothers and younger sister. We'll be off to Carmichaels, PA for a few days of big time control line flying:  not participating but will certainly enjoy the ride and the overnights.

Quote:  Music, in the best sense, does not require novelty; nay, the older it is, and the more we are accustomed to it, the greater its effect.   ___Goethe

Hell of a chase sequence . . .

Old wall paper that was covered up by the homemade blackboard in the basement. Has to be at least 100 years old.

The rather large marmalade cat from next door sneaking across the lawn preparing  her attack on the little squirrel under the bird feeders decided to pounce. My word, what a ruckus! That squirrel took off and made a bee line to the tree near the wall and just about beat the cat who, I think managed to get some squirrel tail hairs in its claws. Would have been a great video but as usual I'm never fast enough for the goings on in the yard. Speaking of goings on, Puppies and Dante's Pop saw two does strolling across the yard near the wall past the garden. I went to check on the two Rose of Sharon bushes and I think they only nibbled a few tender shoots from one of them. Hells bells. I guess I'll invest in some spray at Agway that's supposed to keep them away from gardens and shrubbery. Hate to have to spray anything but I'm going to be ticked off if they invade my garden domain. Everything in the garden has popped as of this morning. We had a nice light rain overnight and it's still drizzling. Cousin Sandra's tomatoes are standing up nice and strong even the little Juliets which were undersized. All of the seeds have sprouted too: Market Moore cucumbers, crooked neck squash, fancy gourds, Swiss Chard, pumpkins, short puffy sun flowers and Zinnias. The hot humid weather of the past week has really helped the garden. The lawn is as lush as I've ever seen it.

Kiddo's Solar system project was well received by his third grade class mates and teacher. He was supposed to speak extemporaneously for three minutes, giving at least two facts per planet but he went on for ten minutes without realizing it! He was quite proud of himself. His Saturday morning reading to me consisted of more facts about the latest dwarf planets. We shall surely miss our Kiddo as he outgrows us. He'll be nine in August. He's a pretty even tempered character. His brother graduates from Grasso Tech on June 28 and has a full time job at Cardinal Honda. Pretty good start for an 18 year old.

Spoke with cousin Ruth Saturday and we reminisced, especially remembering old Mr. Dore's garden across Bell Avenue and his beautiful flowers. She was recalling the smells of the cobbler's shop with its leather and polish. They were preparing to go to a grandchild's graduation. Also had a neat visitor and his son yesterday right after supper time. Albert and his 14 year old son Noah stopped in for about an hour. It was déjà vu as they walked in the no longer existent path to our house from the no longer existent house of Uncle Curly and Matante Blanche. He recollected the barn that was a part of our property many years ago and that what we call the milk room was in his parlance the honey room where the Carons extracted the honey from their 15 hives that we're located on the hill behind the shed. He also remembered a wood box that would have been to the left as you walked into the kitchen. It felt so good to speak with him. He and his son live in a small town in Maine high up on a hill overlooking a lake. They have chickens, two miniature horses a cat and dog; sounds idyllic. Noah earns money scooping wild blueberries in late July and early August. Albert was visiting because he had just returned from his 66th PHS class reunion. There were 31 people who showed up at the Laurel House. That's fantastic. Most of his children live close by him in Maine and Betty lives in a new home built for her by one of their daughter's in her back yard. That's such a pretty picture. I hear from Betty at Christmas and she always sounds in good spirits. I missed seeing her a few years ago when she was staying with friends in Pomfret for a few days.  Albert said he had a picture of Ma with her motorcycle!  I asked him to try to find it and send me a copy. I knew that Ma rode with Chinny (Laurent) D. but I didn't know that she had a motorcycle.  I'm betting that she was wearing her knickers for riding and standing next to Chinny's bike for the photo op!

Quote:  Look not mournfully to the past -- it comes not back again; wisely improve the present -- it is thine; go forth to meet the shadowy future without fear, and with a manly heart.   ___Longfellow