One to make you smile

Postcard from one Redneck to another:

Dear Billy Jo, I'm writin' this real slow cause I know you can't read very fast. We don't live where we did when you left. We read in the paper that most accidents happen within ten miles of home, so we moved. I won't be able to send you our new address cause the last family that lived here took the house numbers with them so they wouldn't have to change their address. This place has a washing machine. The first day mama put four shirts in, pulled the chain and we ain't seen them since. ... It only rained here twice this week. Three days the first time and five days the second time. I know it is cold where you are so we're sending you a coat. Mama said it would be too heavy to send in the mail with them buttons on it, so we cut'em off and put'em in the pockets. We got a letter from the funeral home. They said if we don't make the last payment on grandma's funeral bill, up she comes!! My sister had a baby this morning. I ain't heard whether if's a boy or a girl so I don't know if I'm an uncle or an aunt. Uncle John fell in the big whiskey vat. When they tried to pull him out, he fought them off, so he drowned. We creamated him and he burned for three days. Three of my friends went off the bridge in a pick-up truck. One was driving, the other two was in the back. The driver got out cause he rolled down the window and swam to safety. The other two drowned, they couldn't get the tailgate down. Well, I hope this catches you up on things that's going on around here!! Your cuz, Bubba

The On-set of Autumn

The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Here we are already mid September, well a few days shy of it at any rate. We are still seeing some pretty warm days actually bordering on down right hot, but the nights are becoming cooler and a heck of a lot more comfortable. The crickets are in full chorus as it begins to get darker earlier in the evenings now. Autumn is definitely in the air. Since the Harvest Moon peeked last night and the Hunters Moon is preparing its showing which will peek October 11th, skies are keeping track of the seasons. Not many people pay attention to the different moons, but growing up as a farmer’s daughter and since my mother’s best friend was Native American I was taught about the different moons. Each month of the year has a special moon according to Native American folklore. The hunters and farmers throughout the centuries have also come to pay homage to the night skies. These full moons are no different then the rest of the moons just given names indicating the different times of the year. The Hunters moon, also known as the Blood Moon or Sanguine is the first full moon after the Harvest moon.

The List of the different Moons are:
Full Wolf Moon – January
Full Snow Moon – February
Full Worm Moon – March
Full Pink Moon – April
Full Flower Moon – May
Full Strawberry Moon – June
Full Thunder Moon – July
Full Sturgeon Moon – August
Full Harvest Moon – September
Full Harvest Moon – October
Full Beaver Moon – November
Full Cold Moon – December

I paid attention to last night’s Harvest moon and even though it was nothing notable it still brought back memories of my childhood; My father standing outside, his hands on his hips looking up to the sky and pointing at the moon.


September 12th 2011 – Harvest Moon

Canada Remembers

"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)"

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died just doin' what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell
you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you teaching a class full of innocent children
Or driving down some cold interstate?
Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?

Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Or speak to some stranger on the street?
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Or go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns?

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Did you stand in line and give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love?

And the greatest is love.
And the greatest is love.

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?

Summer Vacation 2011 comes to an end....

Another ending and yet another beginning. The summer season isn’t officially over for a few weeks yet but you’d never know by the weather the last few days. Brrrrrrrrrr

This past weekend was a great one. The annual Fish Fry went off without a hitch even though Saturday was a scorcher. Fish, corn and salads a plenty everyone enjoyed the buffet style meal not to mention the desserts and cold drinks. I was a perfect angel with a tarnished halo but if one looked hard enough my horns were peeking out just a wee little bit. I could tell a few whispers were circulating within a small group of people about recent changes in my attitude towards life and I think the smile that stayed on my face the whole day confused more than a few people. You know what they say “Keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you've been up to.”

Over the Labour Day weekend my dear friend came down from her Northern world to celebrate her sister’s birthday. During her time here in the South, we text messaged back and forth and giggled secretly about all sorts of things. It brought me back to the days of our yester-years when secrets were shared over the phone or whispered in each others ear. On Monday we got together and left the city just before 10am. It was cloudy and cool but the grey skies didn’t deter our adventure. It was off to Port Dover for a day of fun a small bit of shopping and of course the famous Arbour Dog, along with a Cherry Glow for her and a Peach Glow for me. We walked barefoot in the cool beach sand and had a laugh about the difference in colour from dark tan and almost pure white. We even braved a small “toe dipping” into Lake Erie and shivered as we watched a very few take on the cool nip of the air making their way into the chilly water. Before we ended our adventure we sat on the deck of the beach restaurant for a drink. We ordered a
pina colada and a margarita and we toasted to the end of summer and our long lasting friendship.

A friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself...Jim Morrison

My Port Dover Butterfly Find!!

Feet of Friendship

Yes it takes 2 hands to manage 12"











Things are still in an upheaval on the work front, and even though a shift was taken away from me and given to someone else I’m still going to smile all the way through it. It was definitely unfair and if I had to hazard a guess it was so that the person who was given my shift would feel beholden to the new supervisor and become a program Instructor filling a spot where one needed to be filled. From what I gather it was not a smart move on the new Supervisors part since the person did not take the offered program Instructors position leaving her searching for someone else. Oh well, sucks to be her…lol. I’m sure there are going to be many many problems as the rental season begins and I will have great joy in sending all problems across to the “Big Desk” in the office. In the past we were given access to certain things in order to thwart any situation before it became a problem. We no longer have that access so I will be smiling that cheery smile of mine as I post note after note onto the “Big Desk”.


Things really DO happen for a reason!!!!