Meet Caislyn - - -

Daughter of my friend, JoEllen.

I stole this picture from JoEllen's blog, WITH permission this time.

Just look at this girl!!! The outfit, the stance, the hand on the hip, the tiara over the eyes, and the one stray lock of hair all scream JOI DE VIVE!!!

Thanks for reminding us, Caislyn.

Still No News

About the snook. I tried to call Greg to see if perchance he had caught one - - - but he didn't answer. I guess he's so busy reeling them in that he can't take time to answer his cell.



I can only assume that no news is "snook" news. (Hehehehehehehe)

Plain Old Theft

Greg took my camera to Florida with him, so I cannot take my own photos to add to my blog. Here I am at home for Spring Break, alone, camera-less, and with a huge blogging urge. So, I must resort to ingenuity - - - I must STEAL photos from Keri's blog!!!

Yes - - - it is truly stealing as I'm asking for forgiveness rather than permission!!!! (Thank you, Keri!!)

Isn't this the cutest picture of Kaeleigh "going in circles"? With the lovely spring weather we've been having, Keri and Jason have been able to take the kids to the park, where this was snapped.


I don't actually know the story behind this picture - - - but I think the joy in their faces says it all!!! Couldn't you just squeeze them both?!?

Snook

For thirty-one years I've been hearing about them, though I've never had the opportunity to MEET one myself.

"They" say they're the BEST tasting fish on the planet, but they are a GAME fish so cannot be purchased in a market nor ordered in a restaurant.

It must be snook season, then one must CATCH one of the appropriate size, CLEAN it, FRY it, then EAT it. Since we do not live in Florida and have rarely visited during snook season, this has never been in the realm of possibility for me.

Well - - - my resident fisherman is in Florida now, it IS snook season, and he CAUGHT one last night. Unfortunately, it wasn't of a worthy size so he had to RELEASE it, but did call to tell me all about it.

I reminded him that if he catches one of eatable size he can CLEAN it, FREEZE it, then WRAP it in his clothing at the middle of his suitcase and it will make the trip via airplane to Indiana still FROZEN.

There is hope that I may yet get to TASTE this natural wonder of the Western World.

Stay tuned to this blog for further "SNOOKDATES."

Slip Sliding Away - - - -

That's what's happening to my spring break!!! I'm all frustrated inside because I haven't had a "real" break yet and its already Tuesday evening. Where is it going?

Here comes that pirate again - - - - AAARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!

Making a Day of It - - - -

With a birthday party supper planned for Uncle Paul (my dad's brother) and Paul Gene; Pete, Michelle, Keri, and Mackinley decided to come to our house for the afternoon and just make a day of it - - -

Pete and Michelle, Pete's talking EQ with Keri. Look Pete - - - you aren't pale in this one! ;-)

Keri chats with Peetie (out of the picture) while Greg watches part of "The Big Dance"

Kinley had great fun trundling around while the adults talked. Who needs toys when there's a remote control?

Mackinley's new car has all the "bells and whistles" - - - literally!!!! Look at his concentration as he finds them. My camera never could "catch" him sitting ON the new car!!

Birthday Bash

All roads lead to Fort Wayne and a birthday party for our two Pauls. We missed those who couldn't be with us, and just for you here is a pictorial account - - - -

Uncle Paul (Paul Sr.) and Aunt Virginia

Paul Jr, (Paul Gene to some of us) Nicholas, and Jo.

Keri and Kinley

Mackinley James - ready to eat!

Dan and Marilyn

Carl, Tom, and Mary Lou

Phil and Linda

Aunt Mary, Willie, and Cara Lee

Mom and Dad

Pete and Michelle


Full and happy with just a bit of a food face.

(Evidently I wasn't there - - - at least there's no picture of me in this batch!)

After Dinner Coffee and Chocolate - - -

Our crowd is a bit overwhelming in a restaurant - - - there are just so MANY of us, and we are all so QUIET - - - - - - NOT! So, after dinner some of us moved to a different place to get dessert - - -

De Brand, of course!!!!

And Now Goodnight - - -

Mackinley's bedtime

"Look ma, I put on my own pj's!!!"

Nitey nite to one and all.

Ever Feel Like a Pirate?

You know - - - have one of those days that makes you want to go "AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH" multiple times?

I'm having one.

I won't even elaborate on the FIRST three things that made me frustrated.

Here's the LATEST one: I decided tonight on my way home from church to stop and fill up with gas since the indicator light had come on telling me I needed to do so. I stopped at the 'variety' of gas station which I always use, pulled out my little handy dandy credit card. which I pay off monthly btw - - - same vintage as the station - - - and attempted to get my gas.

The machine - - - of course it is smarter than me anyway - - - told me to "see the cashier." I thought that was strange as in the entire TWENTY YEARS I've been using that company and their card it has NEVER told me that before. I tried again. Same irritating message. So - - -thinking something might be wrong with THAT pump, I backed up to the one behind me and tried again.

No go - - - - still told me to see the cashier. I decided to pump my gas, go see the cashier and see what in the world the problem was. FORTUNATELY, I didn't fill up, but stopped at a dollar amount I could handle if my card wouldn't work for the cashier either.

As I began to walk into the station, a thought struck me (unusual I know - - - but it happened none the less) and I checked the expiration date on my card. BINGO - - - I've been expired since the last day of February.

Nope - - - little teenage cashier can't help me, so I have to use my debit card - - - which I DID NOT WANT TO DO.

Came home, called Greg to see if new cards had come and he had just forgotten to tell me or give me mine. NOPE

Called the customer service number on the back of the card to find out why they haven't sent the new ones and to request them.

Female voice on the other end says, "Ma'am, you are not an authorized card user, only Greg is. You will need to put him on the phone, I can't talk to you."

I assure her that if it wasn't for me she would never get a single check to pay the gas bill, and could I give her Greg's SS# as all I want her to do is send out new cards.

Nope - - - I am persona nonexistent - - - I do not count - - - I am unacceptable, Greg may not WANT new cards. I inquire why new cards were not automatically sent to us. She said they were. I assured her we do not have them. She says only Greg can request them. She does not care that he is at work until 2 a.m.

I hang up the phone, and that is when the uncontrollable pirate urge SWEEPS over me.

So - - - I did the only sensible thing. I came to the computer to tell all of you my tale of woe, and to make that lovely pirate sound:

AAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Still Learning After All These Years

Greg and I went to a service Sunday evening which honored forty couples who have each been married 50 or more years, my parents being one of the couples.

Inspired by their list of secrets to a long marriage, Greg jotted this list on the back of a tithing envelope and handed it to me:

1) Learn to say "I'm sorry."

2) Learn to say "Yes, dear."

3) Learn to say, "No, those clothes don't make you look fat."

4) Always put the toilet seat down.

I observed that he didn't add, "Don't drop your dirty clothes on the floor."

He said that was what he was going to learn in the NEXT 32 years of marriage - - - - -

Who Are They?

Everyday I check my site meter to see not only how many people have visited my blog but also the location of those people and the site they used to link to me if one is listed.

It's really fascinating to try to imagine who all those people out there in Cyber Land are!! Hummel Nest, you probably link more people to my blog than anyone - - - thank you very much!!!

I wonder who those people from Shippensburg, PA, Corning, NY, and Newton, KS are? (And more places too which are equally unknown to me.)

Other people seem to have found my blog in a more random way - - - like, of all things, a Google search. And some people who have found me don't show a link of any kind. Someone in Lund, Skane Lan, Sweden visits often, sometimes several times a day, but I have NO CLUE who they are nor how they found me.

Only a few of you who slip in and out of my Blog World have let me know who you are. (Thank you, Cindy!!)

What fun it would be if those of you that have found me in some random way, and continue to visit from time to time, would leave a little comment on this post and at least to one degree or another "delurk."

Pretty Please???????

Oh yah, all you whom I DO know, thanks for all the comments you leave. Keep 'em coming. :-)