We Haven't Had One Since 2004

It feels like the rest of the country is catching up with Michigan. *sigh*

And speaking of Bryn, I swiped this from her:
(gotta admit I lied on the answers)

I could survive for 1 minute, 16 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

noitdoesnt

noitdoesnt
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

For Bryn!

http://celestialofferings.blogspot.com/

Unconscious mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Hearing :: Aid
Aggression :: Violence
Charged :: Electrified
Traveler :: Weary
Hydrate :: Water
Detox :: Sad place to have to leave someone you love
Qualify :: Make the cut
Prison :: Break
Frontal :: Nudity, Lobotomy
Pep talk :: Rally

Butch Cassidy was the first movie I saw with a date

A Michigan woman and her family were
vacationing in a small New England town where Paul Newman and his family often visited.

One Sunday morning, the woman got up early to take a long walk. After a brisk five-mile hike, she decided to treat herself to a double-dip chocolate ice cream cone.

She hopped in the car, drove to the
center of the village and went straight to the combination bakery/ice cream parlor.

There was only one other patron in the store:
Paul Newman, sitting at the counter having a
do ughnut and coffee. The woman's heart skipped a beat as her eyes made contact with those famous baby-blue eyes.

The actor nodded graciously and the star struck woman smiled demurely.
Pull yourself together! She chided
herself. You're a happily married woman with three children, you're forty-five years old, not a teenager!

The clerk filled her order and she took the double-dip chocolate ice cream cone in one hand and her change in the other. Then she went out the door, avoiding even a glance in Paul Newman's direction.

When she reached her car, she realized that she had a handful of change, but her other hand was empty. Where's my ice cream
cone? Did I leave it in the store? Back into the shop she went, expecting to see the cone still in the clerk's hand or in a holder on the
counter or something. No ice cream cone was in sight..

With that, she happened to look over at Paul
Newman. His face broke into his familiar, warm, friendly grin and he said to the woman, "You put it in your purse."

R.I.P. Mr Newman

Go Green!

I missed the Michigan State Football game vs Indiana today, as I was at a photography class. However, we won!!! I guess it was ugly, but hey, a win is a win.

Creative Check out at the Wish Studio

And an Autumn Quiz!

Your Autumn Test Results

You are a dynamic, vibrant person. You aren't afraid to pursue your passions. When you are happiest, you are calm. You appreciate tradition and family. You enjoy feeling cozy. You prefer change to come slowly. You need a long transition period when your life changes. You find love to be the most comforting thing in the world. You feel at peace when you're with your loved ones. Your ideal day is active and full. You like to keep busy with your favorite things, and you appreciate a routine. You tend to live in the moment. You enjoy whatever is going on, and you don't obsess over the past or future.

The Autumn Test

Indian Corn & Sherwin Williams Paint

indiancorn
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

The Indian Corn is posted for the season.

The backdrop . . . is my current project. There are many outbuildings here on the farm. Most have not been painted in half a century. We are slowly, and I do mean slowly, working on the buildings. My good friend Linn is our carpenter guy, repairing walls and windows. My brother Boo and his girls are one paint crew, and on good weekends I'm the other paint crew.

This is the south wall of the garage/granary. I'm starting the east wall this weekend, if weather permits.

And what are YOU doing this weekend?

EWWWW!!!!

My new mantra

market16
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

Goodbye Summer

Goodbye Summer
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

Still summer-like weather, but . . .

hosta loving squirrel

hostalovingsquirrel
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

my kind of squirrel.

double petunia

doublepetunia
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

remember the ditty that went something like this:

A petunia is like a begonia
A begonia is a big piece of meat like a sausage
Sausage and battery is a crime
People crime trees
Trees a crowd
The rooster crowd and made a noise
The noise is on your face like the eyes
The eyes are opposite of the nays
The horse nays and has a colt,
and if you catch a colt, you could get double petunia.

Chuck!

Whew. Only a week-and-a-half until Chuck returns. I am ready.

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Heist :: theft
Hack :: Computer
Dane :: Hamlet
Stings :: Bee
Monkey :: see, monkey do
Junkie :: druggie
Pumped :: Raring to go
Brass :: Ring
Fight! :: Cheer for MSU
Vouch :: uphold credentials

Go Green!

The Michigan State University Spartans won another one at home today, 23-7 against Notre Dame! Go Green.

(Sorry about that, Roscoe)

Amy Atlas

Please, someone invite me to an Amy Atlas event. Please????

End of vacation

littlestonechurch
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

Vacation continued:

We headed back to Lansing about mid-day, making a photo-stop at the little stone church on M-32. There is also a beautiful stone barn, but the rain was starting to come down, so we'll save that for another trip.

We fueled up in Stanton. "Where are you going?" the clerk asked.

"Lansing."

"Oh good thing you stopped here to fuel." She pulled out her cell phone and showed me a text. Gas prices hit $6.37 in Lansing.

"Hunh????"

"Yes, it's true."

Another customer came in. "Yep, I drove from Lansing yesterday, and they were out of gas."

Wow. But it didn't sound quite right. We got back in the car, and continued south. The gas prices kept hovering right around 4.20. We called my sister.

Long story short: The prices had started to go up on Friday from approximately $3.92. People started texting and stuff, and soon gas lines were being formed. The Attorney General and the Governor got on the media immediately, warning against gouging due to Hurricane Ike. I guess a few stations had gone over $5.00/gallon, but when they heard that they backed right down.

The gas lines did cause one distributor to run out of gas, but there were plenty of other places that were fine.

What a world.

Seeking

elkinfog
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

My brother Gary and I like to get up early and hunt for elk. The elk range is about 45 minutes from his home. We get up before dawn and travel winding, bumpy roads back to the Pigeon River area. We have our favorite roads. Remember when? and wasn't that cool? are part of the conversation, as well as important pieces of sharing lives that only work in the quiet bits of a darkened morning.

Searching for elk can be frustrating. There are a lot of deer in the area, and they are always first to appear. We go long enough without seeing an elk, and we start playing the "maybe that's one" game when we see a larger than average deer.

And then they appear. Even through the fog, there is no denying the large animals. They have a presence. They are exactly elks.

Sometimes I think searching for elk is a metaphor for searching for God, the great I AM. Whether we find God or not does not change God's existence.

deer in bracken

deer in bracken
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

Vacation continued:

The next morning my brother and I went hunting for elk in the Pigeon River area. It was a foggy morning. I was able to catch a couple pictures of deer, but the group of elk we found were too hidden in the mists.

bumperdude

bumperdude
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

So to continue the vacation story:

After our stop at Hartwick Pines for a picnic, we proceeded farther upNorth. We had a football game to watch. Nephew #3's team was playing. Unfortunately, they were playing a team that has won the last 41 games, and well . . . they now have won 42. It still was a great game, and nephew #3 is the best darn nose guard in upNorth Michigan. And I'm not at all biased.

Chapel in the Pines

chapelinthepines
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

One of my top ten places in Michigan, Hartwick Pines and its tiny but beautiful Chapel in the Pines.

My mother recalls going to Hartwick Pines when she was a child. We need to get the greats there soon, so that this can be a five generation memory!

www.michigandnr.com/publications

Long weekend

playing
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

My mother and I occasionally take trips together. We hadn't done one recently, so we planned a day trip and an overnighter. Thursday we went to the west side of the state to visit State Parks we used to camp at and to see niece #3, our most recent engaged one. Time goes so fast, doesn't it? They are little kids, and then they are showing us around the house they'll be living in when they get married. Yikes.

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Cut the crap :: Get to the Point
Scent :: of a Woman
Vanishing :: Act
Wetness :: Dampness
Cheap :: Skate
Badges :: Girl Scouts
Puppy :: Chow, Frisky
Problem solver :: Leader
Gambling :: Addiction
Sophia :: Loren

turtleseason

turtleseason
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

sometimes i feel like a turtle!

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

House :: Home
Think :: use your head
Clot :: Blood
Believe me :: Trust me . . . ha!
Fumigation :: get rid of pests
Bore :: stultify
Luck :: of the draw
Patient :: Long suffering
Tremors :: Parkinsons
Pickles :: Dill

FOOTBALL!!!!

FOOTBALL!!!!
Originally uploaded by Sparty2008

Touchdown, MSU!

We won, 42-10. We were supposed to win, but it is always nice when we do what we are supposed to do.

The Good Things About Fall

And so now it is time to compile the good things about fall (autumn for some):

1. Orange
2. Red
3. Yellow
that would be leaves, of course, and Michigan has wonderful scenic roads packed with dazzling color in the next few weeks.
4. Susan's birthday
5. Cool evenings, good for snuggling. Oh wait, I need a snugglee.
6. Fresh apples and pears
7. Halloween
8. Hot Chocolate at night
9. Foggy mornings
10. Michigan State Spartan Football! and I have a ticket to the game today, so . . . all together now . . .

Go Green!

Summer is over

summerover part 2
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

Well, maybe not technically. According to the calendar the first day of autumn is September 22. But the mornings are the tell. Summer mornings are spent on the porch, watching for deer playing in the field across the way. Now, now, first light doesn't hit until after 7:00, and by then I am well into my day.

Identification please?

aniceharvest
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

Does anyone know what type of pears these are?

227/365 on location Happy Labor day!

227/365 on location Happy Labor day!
Originally uploaded by wash52121

If you're in the area on Memorial Day or Labor Day, stop by for the spread!