2014 in Review - March

Ah, March.  I don't have an official bucket list.  However, when the boss wondered if I wanted to go to a computer meeting in New Orleans I immediately recognized that that was something I had to do.  It gets complicated.  I don't like to fly, but I told the boss I could take the train.  And he agreed!  And he paid for a sleeper car instead of coach, as I take when I'm footing the bill.  Sweet!

There was an eight hour layover in Chicago, so I went up in the tower. This is March 4th.  Lake Michigan is frozen frozen frozen!

The train gave me a chance to see the scenery as we went south.  Going through the bayou was the best part!  It looked just like I thought it would after reading fictional stories set there.

I must go back to New Orleans!  Most of our time was spent at the conference, but our hotel was on the edge of the French Quarter so we got a little taste.

March was also the spring Home Show at the MSU Pavilion.  A nice harbinger of spring, but there was still snow on the ground!

2014 in Review - February

Youngest great-nephew Roman turned one.  A big party for all sides of the family transpired.  Too much fun!

Still much snow! A couple more snow days.  NO thawing! We are not used to winters like this!

2014 in Review - January

The first four days of January, 2014 were fine, other than we were still socked in with the debris from the ice storm that had hit three days before Christmas.  On the 5th of January, we got a new storm:  15 inches of snow in two days.  Beginning to look like an old-fashioned winter!

Unconscious Mutterings

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

1. Locked out :: where's my key?
2. Hourly :: pay
3. Criminal :: Justice
4. Seventeen :: Magazine?
5. Assistance :: Aide
6. Closes :: Opens
7. Cubicle :: Work space
8. I´m just saying ::  really?
9. Paperless :: a dream
10. In charge : Boss

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

Unconscious Mutterings

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

1. Disappiontment :: my old friend
2. Searching :: seeking
3. Counters :: kitchen
4. Snippet :: piece
5. Carol :: Silent Night
6. Tiresome :: Bothersome
7. Booger :: Snot
8. Freak show :: why bother
9. Summarize :: recap
10. Heartache :: my other old friend

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

Sometimes it's not fatigue.

Sometimes it is the flu.
Ugh.
Next year I WILL get a flu shot.  104.2, 103.6, 102.8 are too high at my age.

Newly Weds

Playing with black and white for the facebook challenge.

Unconsciously muttering

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

1. Smug :: Know-it-all
2. Swan :: dive
3. Ginger :: my Mom's dog
4. Doctor :: Lawyer
5. Handshake :: grip
6. Studies :: classes
7. Pond :: on Golden, Walden
8. Register :: Cash
9. Surgery :: operation
10. Compass :: True North

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

The Bluesies

November is the roughest month of the year for me to handle.  I've had bad bouts of the bluesies since 8th grade, always in November.

This November was lighter, not because of sunshine (what's that), but because we were working on a float for work for the local Electric Light Parade.  9065 lights will boost one's spirits.

We had a different Thanksgiving.  All my brothers and sister were there, but none of the greats were there.  Times change. So there was some melancholy, but with a smaller group we got to play a rousing game of hearts and that was fun.

Did you know that rabies shots cost thousands of dollars?  I had a partial set of them in August, just got the bill yesterday.  Fortunately insurance covers most, but wow. And I hadn't budgeted the copay, but I had gotten a bit ahead, so I guess I can handle that.

Well, and then it looks like my washing machine may have tanked too.  Gah. Grateful for Best Buys 18 month financing if I need to replace it.

Inventory at work starts Monday.  That is a one day process for the count, and about a ten day for the adjustment.

Okay, whine is over.

Finish up the Thankfuls

It was a super Thanksgiving here in mid-Michigan.  I hope you enjoyed yours too, if you celebrate, and if you don't celebrate, hope you had a great day.

Time to finish up the thankful list:

T:  Thanksgiving, trees, tacos, tall people
U:  Umbrellas
V:  Violins
W:  Water
X:   X-rays
Y:  You
Z:  Zoos and zebras and zerkles

Black and White

Time to get back to the Unconscious Mutterings

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

1. Seal:: Navy
2. Grown up :: Adult
3. Rags :: to riches
4. Collar :: Fur
5. Fears :: Tears
6. Yellow :: Caution
7. Link :: html
8. Patrol :: border
9. Fancy :: swanky
10. Ears :: mickey mouse

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

A Little Behind on my Thankful!

N:  My sister Nancy.
O:  Onions.  They make the world a little spicier.
P:   Parades.  I do love them, and this year I got to help build a float for one.
Q:  Quiet.  A restorative
R:  Rainbows.
S:  Saturdays!!!  Wee!

Thanksful for

M.  Is for Music.

Project of the Month

Our work is sponsoring a float in the Electric Light Parade .
This has been an incredible experience.

Thankful L

Thankful for Love.

Thankful for Laughter.

Thankful for Learning.

Thankful K

K has to be kaleidoscopes.

Majisto Elf film

Majisto is an app that creates various styles of movies.  Check it out and then try it out!

Elves in the Warehouse

Thankful J

Joy.
June.
Jeff.
Jump rope.
January (well, might be pushing it, but I was born in that month.)

Thankful I

Ice Cream!!!!

Thankful H

Heavenly pie: a Christmas Eve treat. Hershey pie: a during the year treat.

Thankful G

The goodness and graciousness of God

Thankful -F

Family and friends and working furnaces. Mine is not at the moment but fortunately I work for a heating company and troy is here now.

E

Eternity. Enough said.

Oops d

D. I am thankful for dogs and especially for daffodils: those wonderful  bringers of spring. Missed
the Friday post but oh well

I C

I am thankful for children and cameras and cats. And I just remembered another B. Bacon.

B Thankful

B thankful for boys and babies and books and butterflies and birthdays.

ABCs of thankfulness

The project this month is to come up with 26 days of thankfulness using the alphabet. So today we start with a. I am thankful for angels and alphabets and apples.

The Corn is harvested

Farmer John rotates between soy beans and corn.  (Farmer John leases the acreage of my mom's farm; I lease the house.) The corn is usually my favorite, though this year I found it more oppressive.  It is sooo tall and makes the house more isolated than usual.

Once the corn is harvested I realize how much land is out here.  Wide open spaces.  It is a nice feeling.

Ultrasound too

Looks familiar?

They get a lot of use in the month of October. I have to admit it had been three years since I had had my last one. When I went to the doctor for a physical she found a bump on my right side. She figured it was probably a cyst as it was movable but they gave it special attention today. It is a cyst.

This is your friendly reminder.

Autumn

Or fall

Cobalt recall

I am happy to say my ignition thingamabob is being replaced today under the Cobalt recall. I am unhappy to say I have been at the dealership for two hours

No furnace turned on yet

But I think it will happen this weekend.

Whew.

August had a couple of real downers to it.  I lost my last barn cat. And I was robbed.  Sheesh.  Yes, someone actually came into my home and stole my cameras. My cameras. My hobby. My heart. Bad people. I wasn't here. I suspect it was a troubled kid down the road, but have no proof.  The sad thing is, if she had stopped by, shown an interest in the cameras, I could have taught her a thing or two and probably figured out a way for her to take over one of the cameras.  They were old.  *sigh*  Look for more postings in September on cats and cameras.

On the great side of August, we had a super 86th birthday picnic for Mom out here at the farm.  She actually seemed to enjoy being the center of attention! Yay!

Mutter mutter mutter

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Week 605

10 hours, 54 minutes ago

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

1. Brownie :: pudding. My mom makes the best.
2. Randomly :: without reason
3. Congratulations!  :: Best Wishes
4. Curls :: hair
5. Lipstick :: red
6. Memory :: good
7. Tea :: coffee
8. Bulletin :: board
9. Fragrance :: scent
10. Pace :: tempo

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

It's Me

Teasel

Unconscious Mutterings from August 23

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

1. Burp :: Belch
2. Inseparable :: Joined
3. Flights :: of Fancy
4. Schedule :: List
5. Bucket :: List
6. Divorce :: Court
7. Office :: Max
8. Tweed :: Professor
9. Mattress :: Bed
10. Priorities :: Orders

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

This sounds right

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

Butterflies are Free

I had never seen a red-dotted purple, or whatever this is.  I was afraid at first that it was a mutant.

Unconscious Mutterings

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

1. I think I love :: you
2. Obsessed :: Possessed
3. Dancers :: ballerinas
4. Guitar :: Pick
5. Hurry up! :: Get a move on
6. Thump :: in the night
7. Conquest :: win!
8. Lights :: camera
9. Rose :: love
10. Birthday :: yearly

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

Ooops.  Let's see how August goes.

Old house

It appears that it is now used as an office for yard materials

And time goes on

Great-nephew Roman in the wagon his mother was pulled around in twenty years ago.

Fish Tacos

Anyone ever tried them?  I can't get around the fishy thought.  Help me out here.

Unconscious Mutterings!

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

1. Strong :: Fierce
2. Bathing :: Beauty
3. Title :: Book
4. Tick Tock :: Clock
5. Dispute :: Disagreement
6. Magazine :: People
7. Stupid! :: People
8. Safely :: Carefully
9. Reposition :: Change places
10. So wrong :: So right

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

Hi!  I'm back, I think.  I got caught in the summer doldrums, but I'm catching the winds again.

Epic Water Fight

Holidays at the farm usually include contests and hideNseek or water fights or sardineInAcan.

This year we had a shoe contest and then the guns appeared.

Fly Away!

The Capital Area Radio Drone Squadron has an airfield three miles from my house.  One a month during the summer they have public fly-ins.  The one in June was warplanes.  The detail on those babies is amazing!

Spring. Only 13 more days of it.

Trying to enjoy every bit of it!

Unconscious Mutterings!

Winter last so long . . . spring is fleeting!  Yikes!

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

1. Fringe :: Edge
2. Helicopter :: Whirlybird
3. Netflix :: movies
4. Humor :: laughter
5. Niece :: nephew
6. Summer :: too short!
7. Crazy :: nutty
8. Arrival :: departure
9. Nipple :: bottle
10. Code :: of ethics

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

Happy memorial day from the

Thank you service people for your service.

The farm

Circa 1946. This is great grandpa Bentley

Spring Planting

Muttering

Last week's mutterings . . . this week isn't up.  I do so hope they haven't gone away.  I've been bad.



  Sunday, May 11, 2014

Week 589

6 days, 17 hours, 36 minutes ago

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

1. Warning :: dangetr
2. Resume :: begin again
3. Meeting :: boring
4. Squares :: blocks
5. Alternate :: every other
6. Prison :: cell
7. Swamp :: Louisiana
8. Games :: people play
9. Months :: days
10. Share :: portion

Happy Easter (the day after, oops)

We had a great family Easter, twenty-eight in total and the weather was perfect after the long winter. Hope yours was lovely too!

Which do you Prefer?

Blogger or Word Press?

Showing Suzie how easy a post is in blogger.

Still Winter

argh.

Snow this morning.  Down to seven tonight.  Endless.

Go Green!

14 years ago I got interested in a little activity called March Madness. The reason: our local Michigan State Spartans had won the NCAA tournament that year . I remember I had a borrowed camera that I took down to the capital to take pictures. That was my first digital camera experience. I remember I was so excited that crossing the street by the NAPS building I actually tripped and fell.  Thankfully I did not break the camera.

Since then I have learned more about brackets. Not enough to get many right but it has been fun. Thursday at work we had a green and white snack day. It was fun and fortunately our Spartans won again

Unconscious Mutterings

Week 582

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

1. Encourage :: hearten
2. Geography :: map
3. Entrance :: exit
4. Helicopter :: whirlibird
5. Creation :: beginning
6. Pillars :: mainstay
7. Article :: news story
8. Desk :: work station
9. Discouraging :: word
10. Display :: show

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

First day of spring

We've been robbed!!!!

Chicago Union Station

Things we like at Chicago Union Station.

The Great Hall:

The activity for the trains is all underground and under another building but love love love the look of the Great Hall.  New since we were last there: it is used for private and public events. An awesome site and sight, it opened in 1925.

The Grand Staircase:

If you are a Kevin Costner fan, you know this as the "Untouchables" staircase.

Tabasco

I have to admit, I always thought Tabasco was a word like ketchup - a generic term for hot sauce.  Now, thanks to my New Orleans trip, I know differently.  I didn't acquire this information in New Orleans: rather, the train went through bayou country and it was so intriguing that when I hear Louisiana Bayou (this time on Sixty Minutes) I pay attention.

Tabasco: a sixth generation business.

Train trip!

and hunting for spring.

In February the boss called a meeting with those of us charged with keeping the computer system up-to-date.  Our software provider was holding a "summit" in New Orleans, and he wondered if we wanted to go. I am not a good flyer, so normally I beg off these engagements.  However, I knew the train went from Chicago to New Orleans, and somehow going  to New Orleans seemed like a really cool thing, so I said, why sure, if I can train it!

Our boss tries to work with individual quirks.  One of our service techs didn't want to fly to a conference, so the boss rented a car for him and let him go, so I knew there was precedent.  The boss smiled and said, book it!

It might be an overnight-er, I reminded him.

Book a sleeper, then.

Oh, I don't mind coach.

Book a sleeper.

So I did.  What a blast!

I took the Blue Water to Chicago.  I had to wait for the New Orleans train, so I went up in the Willis (Sears) tower to see frozen Lake Michigan.  Brrrr.

Unconscious Mutterings --- I have returned!

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

1. Crunch :: Captain
2. Handle :: pan
3. Stoned :: drugged
4. Kettle :: pot
5. Worst :: best
6. Agreement :: rappaport
7. Keg :: beer
8. Legacy :: gift
9. Gig :: engagement
10. Nails :: bite

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

Barn Living

Seeing a converted barn always makes me think of Grace Livingston Hill's book The Enchanted Barn

I thought they tasted stale.

Lay's Cheesy Garlic Bread Potato Chips Wins 'Do Us A Flavor' Contest.

Weather

Wearying.
That is all.

There's Nothing Like . . .

a birthday party for a one-year-old to brighten up the long winter!

Muttering we shall go

1. Wine :: white
2. Cooperate :: go along with
3. Dropped :: knocked over
4. Painter :: my brother
5. Binger :: drinker
6. Knot :: tie
7. Collar :: tie
8. Barefoot :: contessa
9. Town :: city
10. House ::home

get your mutterings here: http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

Unconsciously muttering

1. Person :: of Interest
2. Children :: kids
3. Tweet :: twitter
4. Points :: score
5. Grill :: charcoal
6. Traces ::bits
7. Unsolved :: crimes
8. Lines :: circles
9. Fourteen :: 92
10. Coincidence:: no such thing

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

south end

south end
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

The south end of the barn! My friend Linn has done wonders with this side. New windows (using old glass), new door, patched side.

I need to walk down this way more often.

End of an Era

I have worked for my present company for 36 years. Now, the company is the same name, but it has had five different owner combinations in that time. Many of us have been here for a long time, but the longest-running employee was Eppie. Eppie came in 1967, raised four children, many grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She had a stroke in 1988, but came back to work part-time. She had numerous health issues, but she kept working. A few years ago she drove her car THROUGH the building. She was unhurt, but it was found at that time that her heart was in failure. But Eppie kept on working.

In October Eppie had another flare-up of health issues. At 77, you would have thought she would call it quits, but she still wanted to come back to work. Our boss is a gentleman, and he said if she got medical clearance he would let her come back.

She went to physical therapy, got an exercise bike, and worked on her return.

Monday morning she had another stroke, and passed on Tuesday. One of our employees had talked to her the week before about the Super Bowl pool. She had been in good spirits, and was still planning on coming back to work.

That's the way to go, with a dream. (Only I guess I'll make mine something a little different than working at 77.)

RIP

Good Ears!

The barn cats must have super hearing. I went out tonight for their feeding. I set out the dry food, called "kitties, food is out." Nothing. I went out to the garage to retrieve a package, took it up to the porch, then came back to open their moist food. Pop! went the lid. Out came the barn cats. Good ears.

A muttering we will go

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

Doorknob :: key

Arch :: door

Clay :: sculpture

Doves :: peace

Bloom :: flower

Curious :: George

Kissing :: cousins

Stomach :: flu

Courtyard :: surrounded

Shorts :: summer

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

Robert Parker Lives on

My boss introduced me to the works of Robert Parker years ago. Parker was the author of the Spenser series. There was a TV show based on the character starring Robert Urich called Spenser for Hire back in the 80's. My boss is a great library user, so after I got hooked, he shared his Robert Parker books with me. Parker's books also include the Jesse Stone series (TV-movies starring Tom Selleck), and the Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch Western Series. Parker passed in 2010, but when there is a series characters can live on. Spenser lives on, with books written by Ace Atkins and Helen Brann. I'm not particularly fond of the continuation on that series. It feels as though Ace is trying to be too inventive with the character. The Jesse Stone books have been taken over by Michael Brandman. He has been the producer of the Jesse Stone TV movies, and seems to have a super good grasp on the character. (And his books read even faster than Parker's.) Robert Knott has taken over the western series. He did the screenplay for the movie based on Parker's book Appaloosa. Parker had not developed the western characters very much (only four books) and it is perhaps because of this that these are the books I feel have been transitioned most easily. A book review of Bull River, the most recent one, ishere. Looking forward to more of Virgil and Everett. And long may characters continue . . .

Not How I Really wanted to use my vacation time . . .

Third day this month that I wasn't able to get to work due to the snow. I tried to be tough today. Got up, got dressed, shoveled the big drift in front of the garage, gunned the little car out to the end of the driveway, made it onto Benton Road . . . which had not been plowed. There was a rut, so I decided to drive up the 1/4 mile to the corner. Mount Hope was only ruts too. Sheesh. I was afraid my little card would be buried. I came back home. This weather has to calm down one of these days. Doesn't it?

A Hunting we will go