I finally did it.

I've decided to move my blog. You can check out new and exciting posts at:

www.verityslog.wordpress.com

See ya there!

I finally know who I'm voting for this November....

Happy.

Nothing says happy like two boys on the first day of school....

July 24, 2008

Wednesday night, I spent the night up at Mom and Dad's for one main purpose: to take Mom out for breakfast on her birthday. Thursday morning, we got up and headed towards town. At the end of our road, Mom says "Shoot. I've been meaning to take a picture of that field all week. I think it's beautiful." As luck would have it, I had my camera with me, so I offered to take a few shots. Unfortunately a car pulled up close behind us, so we had to move on before I could take my shot. Mom was going to dismiss the opportunity, but I asked her to pull in the neighbors drive to turn around. The view from the neighbors was better than the view from the end of our road.

I don't think you have to be country girls like us to find the beauty in these shots, the perfection of God's creation and the comfort in preparing for the harvest.

So, here's some beautiful pictures for a beautiful lady. Happy Birthday Mom.

 
 
 
 

What I've been up to...

A few days ago, Cousin Valerie asked what we'd been crafting lately...

Among other things...I knitted this pair of swell socks. They were my first pair and were quite mis-matched in terms of size, but that just adds to the character, right? The yarn was self-striping, which was SUPER cool.

 

 

 

I also crocheted this adorable little piggy. I found the pattern on the Lion Brand website. They have tons of free patterns. Check out the Amigurumi link on the main page. That's where I found the piggy. I'd like to try this bunny next.

 

Isn't she CUTE? Of course, I don't measure, so she's a little lopsided. I just think it looks like she's dancing!

WOW

Last night, Mom and I went and saw the broadcast of Glenn Beck's most recent concert, Unelectable.

Wow.

Amazing.

Everyone needs to see this message. He's in Houston tonight, and Columbia, South Carolina Saturday night (hint hint Doc Loveshack!!:)

Highlights of the night (and I don't remember them word for word, but here's my summary)

**It's about time people realize that the Second Amendment is not about sportsmanship....it's about protection. If you come break into my house in the middle of the night and take things that don't belong you and try to hurt my family, I have the right to shoot you. If you do this, you have the right to carry my bullets in your body.

**In America, you have the right to succeed, you have the right to fail and you have the right to pick yourself up again. You have the right to be fat, thin, smart or stupid. You don't have the right to universal health care and a universal education.

**The standing ovation for Macus Luttrell. If you don't know Marcus Luttrell, check out his book Lone Survivor. Marcus Luttrell is a Navy Seal, who's SEAL team was surrounded by approximately 200 Taliban supporters in Afghanistan. The SEAL team got a rescue chopper called, but it was shot down, killing all 13 crew men. Marcus Luttrell was severely wounded, but crawled 7 miles to be taken in by an Afghan tribe. He was rescued 6 days later. He was the only one of his SEAL team to survive. Since his rescue, the US has helped the village that sheltered him, digging wells and bringing supplies.

**If you are going to fight a war, you fight to win. It is immoral to send our troops over to a foreign land and not give them the full backing of the United States of America. Fight to win and bring them home.

**If you're standing in the unemployment line, and you don't have a high school diploma or your GED, you get no more help. We (the taxpayers) gave you a free education and you did nothing with it. You get no more help until you take advantage of that which has been given to you.

**I don't care if you the polar bear is sitting up in ANWR with his coke and the Disney bluebird of happiness, if he's sitting where we need to drill for oil, shoot it.

**Never give up on America. When you knock her on the ground, look out. Cause she's not going to give up. She's not going to stop fighting. We are the leaders of ther world. The world is waiting for us to act....

**Do not look to Washington for answers...they aren't there. God places the answers upon our hearts and it's our responsibility to speak them. The power lies within us, given to us by God. Don't forget.

I just love these guys...

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DENIED!

FYI -- Starbucks has discontinued their Cheese Danish. Never again will you be able to enjoy the flaky cinnamon pastry...the sweet yet tangy, creamy filling...the perfect compliment to the Caramel Macchiato. Please observe a moment of silence with me as we mourn the loss of one of the nations most satisfying breakfasts.

Thank you.

How far off am I?

So, I know I've been hit and skip lately with the posts. There are a couple of reasons that I may tell you about later, maybe not. Mostly, the things that are coming to my mind are so complex, that I'm finding it hard to sort it all out and find a starting point to get it all down. I've come to the conclusion that I need a reference point...to gauge where I am against public opinion. So, public, I need your help.

Recently there was a court ruling in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. If you would like to read the article, you can go here. If you trust my summary, here goes:
A 13 year old girl was suspected of having prescription drugs on her person, against school policy. A fellow student tipped off the school nurse, who literally strip searched the 13 year old. All that was found was OTC strength ibuprofen. The parents sued claiming that the girl's fourth amendment rights (unreasonable search and seizures) were violated. The court sided with the girl and her family and claimed that the school had no right to search the girl.

Here's where you come in. Do you agree with this ruling? Why or why not? I'm anxious to know your opinions. I'll post mine shortly....

Judgement Day

So, last Thursday was judgement day for Punk Nephew #1 and his goats (you can tell I've been reading too much of Ree when punks = kids.) PN#1 had two goats...Fred and Eddie. To this day I can't tell you which is which. One had horns. One was bigger. One was nice in the pen. One was nice to lead. It could be all Fred or the other, I don't know.

PN#1 was extremely nervous, so I broke the tension by congratulating him on being voted Pork Princess of the fair. Of course, that honor wasn't given to him, but the congratulations did elicit a smile and a harder-than-necessary punch on my upper arm.

Last year was his first year showing goats at the county fair, and he won his showmanship class. So this year, he had to compete with kids 2-3 years older than him, and with that many more years experience. He ended up placing third, so we were all thrilled.

As for Fred and Eddie, well, one placed fourth in his weight class for market goats, the other placed third. PN#1 was just thrilled to have three ribbons to hang above his goats pen.

The best part about the goat show? Well, fair food of course. Who doesn't want an elephant ear for breakfast and sugar waffles to take home? But honestly, they do a pee-wee class. I'm sure that it's for kids probably 5 and under. They enter with their goats and a helper -- usually a big brother or sister, sometimes a mom or dad. The point is just to give them the exposure of showing, so when they're old enough to show for real, they feel comfortable. There's probably 20 goats of all different breeds and sizes -- tiny little pygmy goats to 100-pound boar goats -- and two people each to handle them. It's like a circus. The little girl who won was the one we met dancing through the barns, proudly declaring that she was showing a goat that day. Boy was she excited! She made sure she was the first one in the ring and her little face never turned away from the judge. Too cute!!

So what are Fred and Eddie's fate? PN#1 did get to sell one of the goats at the auction on Saturday. Goat bologna anyone? The other one goes back to the goat farm. I still don't know who's who.

And so, the political posts start...

'My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to change it.'
- Barack Obama

I seriously don't get why people are star struck by this man.

Random Pictures from My Camera

 

Sunset over Hilton Head

 

My Dad was OBVIOUSLY surprised by something.

 

Lollipop Eyes at the Relay for Life

 

Isn't Linus a BIG sweetie!

Teddy Wasn't There!

But I still had a good time at the Governor's Mansion.

The event was actually for the First ever Bexley Home and Garden Tour. The Gay Frog is a landscaper and was one of the sponsors. We had cookies and toured the Governor's mansion. Rubbed elbows with Mrs. Strickland. Met Jackie the turtle who lives in the fountain out back. The Governor's Mansion has an interesting garden. There are landscapes from all of the different areas of Ohio, including a HUGE sand dune from Lake Erie with all sorts of marshy plants around it.

After touring the mansion and grounds, we had a few hours to view the other houses on the tour. They had trolley's running between all of the homes. Apparently The Shottenstein house was amazing....infinity pools, groves of Japanese Maples and a maze. I didn't see it though. It looked like rain, so the Gay Frog and I went and had a beer at a local bar and caught up.

After a few hours of touring, the event ended at the Bexley Gateway. It's a new structure that has shops, parking and luxury condos. The event was in the parking garage, but it was decorated so well, you would never have known. Hot pink paper lanterns everywhere, lime green or black and white print tablecloths, steel drums, HUGE potted trees and flowers and fountains. WOW! Many of the local restaurants were there offering appetizers and treats. Everything from pizza to shrimp cocktail, quesadillas to sesame crusted tuna and rice noodles. Everything was yummy.

A huge storm went through, but it didn't ruin the event. I had such a good time.

Oh...did I forget to mention....

That I'm going to a soiree at the Governors mansion tomorrow night? I've been invited to escort a gay frog to a benefit. So, if anyone has anything they'd like whispered in Teddy's ear, let me know. I'm sure I'll have the opportunity (wink wink, nudge nudge). I do hope I have the opportunity to go through the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. I love doing that. I'm such a snoop.

Adios!

Today my dad is tearing down the Taco Bell in Marion. Don't get too upset...they're building a new one in it's place. This store has been standing as far back as I can remember. It seemed old and outdated even when I was a kid. It's time for a fresh start. Here are some random memories in memorial to this particular Taco Bell:

1) As a kid, Mom would always buy me crunchy tacos (the only way they were served back then!) and dump the insides out so I would have a salad. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't like the shell, or they were hard to eat, or I was just obsessed with using The Spork. I LOVE the spork.

2) Lawgirl -- it was at this Taco Bell that the "My Dad almost choked to death on a tortilla chip" story originated. If you don't know that story, sorry. It's all about the voice and timing. Can't tell it on a blog....

3) Growing up, it was the only place open late. It tasted great after a night at Mickeli's.

4) The bathrooms were on the outside of the building. You had to get the key from the manager and run around back by the drive-thru if you needed to use the facilities.

5) It used to be next door to Duffy's -- the best vegetable stand ever. Duffy's is long gone and a car wash now stands in it's place.

6) Years ago, this Taco Bell had been closed down for health code violations. Yet, we still continued to eat there.

7) The last and my favorite story. Taco Bell wanted to hire people for the closing shift, so on their sign out front they put up "Closers Wanted." I don't know if someone did it on purpose, or if it was an act of God, but at some point, the "C" disappeared so that the sign read "losers wanted." Still makes me chuckle.

Adios Taco Bell!

What's up with the weird trees in South Carolina?

 
Actually, the trees in South Carolina are quite lovely. They are beautiful and practical. They arch over the road and make for a lovely, shady drive.

 

They grow wild and crazy, overrun with moss. Their limbs are all twisted like some huge maze. So maybe it's not the trees in South Carolina that are weird. Maybe it's the people who take care of them.

 

Like this beauty. Possibly struck by lightening or suffering from some fungus, someone went to a lot of trouble to build a brick wall inside of this tree.
I don't know. It seems like a lot of work. Wouldn't it have been easier to remove the tree altogether? It wasn't attached to anything. There was no placard stating the significance of the tree. I wonder why someone thought this was the best way to keep the tree from falling over. Oh...and that's Doc Loveshack demonstrating how hard those bricks really are. Ouch!

 

Or lets take a look at this lovely little guy. Beautiful palmetto -- the State tree of South Carolina. But don't you think someone some day is going to need to use that parking spot? Can you imagine someone pulling in late and thinking there's an open spot, only to find a tree beat them to it? Again, who thought this would be a better solution? I know how a parking lot goes in...and it's a lot easier to remove/move the tree than to pave around it and deal with the maintenance.

Those silly South Carolina Gardeners and their trees. They make me laugh.

Old Sheldon Church

While in South Carolina, Doc Loveshack and I came across the Old Sheldon Church...or more formally known as the Church of Prince Williams Parish.

We found it quite by accident. See...we were on our way to find the South Carolina Cherry Company. You would think between mapquest, a GPS, and 8+ years of post-graduate education between the two of us, we could find the place easy. Ha ha. I thought so too. But the back roads of the lowlands don't resemble anything that looks like what the map says. So we got on this road that ran through the middle of a forest. Palmettos and pines as far as you could see...and I told Doc Loveshack that this is exactly how EVERY horror movie starts out. All we needed was for the car to break down and for some creepy guy in an old rusty pick-up to come offer us a ride to the nearest town where we would have to run for our lives....EEEK!

I was on the verge of a full blown panic attack when we passed a "No Parking" sign. Hmmm...that's kinda odd -- who would want to park out here? Then, as we were coming around the bend, we just about hit a whole slew of parked cars. Huh? What are they doing out here. From the road you couldn't see anything, but a sign that read "Historical Site of Old Sheldon Church." So we stopped and decided to explore. Boy am I glad we did! What a beautiful old relic.

The Old Sheldon Church was built during the Mid-Eighteenth Century. During the Revolution, it was used to store gun-powder. It was burned down during the Revolution by the British. The Church was rebuilt, only to be burned down yet again during Sherman's march to the sea. Now, all that remains are the arches and columns that merely suggest was a stunning building it once was. It turned out to be a peaceful place to get out and stretch our legs. I'm mighty pleased we got lost.

 

 

 

 

Oh, by the way, the South Carolina Cherry Company ended up being around the corner from the Old Sheldon Church. And it was worth the trip! Cherry Cider, Peach Cider, Pickled Garlic and Sweet Potato Butter just to name a few of the fine things that were sampled or purchased that day.

Relay for Life

So last week-end was the Relay for Life up in Marion. The company sponsored a team again this year. Over $60,000.00 was raised by the Marion relay for cancer research.

Here's our team during the initial team lap:
 

One major way to raise money is to sell luminaries in honor of people who are currently fighting cancer or in memorial for those who have lost their battle with cancer. You can say that Grandma J. lost her brief battle with cancer last fall...but I don't think it's fair to say she lost. She graciously surrendered so that she could finally go home....
 

A light for everyone that cancer has touched...
 

The relay is almost a 24 hour event. Not only does it raise money, but it also provides awareness, new friendships and hope. Here, we watched the sun rise on a new day...
 

To find a Relay for Life event in your area, check out this page.

Relay for Life

I know I've been bad about blogging lately...and I do have some funny stories to tell you about my vacation, but there is something more important going on this week-end.
Our little business is sponsoring a team for the Relay for Life event in Marion. It's from 6PM tonight until 3 PM tomorrow. We'd like to have walkers on the track at all times (despite the 90+ degree heat!). The good news is, we're selling popcorn and Sno-Cones!! I can't wait for one myself. Apparently our site is also by the water hose, so I've also brought a plastic swimming pool. You can wade around and cool your tootsies after you've done your walk.
The event is being held at the new River Valley High School. You can read all about it here.
Come out and walk a lap or two for us, won't ya?

Household A-Z

Valerie had this on her blog. Feel free to join in....

Aprons – Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like? Sometimes. Depends on if I still have "nice" clothes on. I end up tucking towels in the waistband until I look like some bizarre kind of tribal leader. I have a couple of Grandma J's aprons. But my newest one is lime green pinafore style...with 1950's Cool Cats on it.
Baking – Favorite thing to bake - Whatever's easy. I prefer Cooking.
Clothesline – Y/N? No...but hangers on the edge of the gutter works in a pinch.
Donuts - Have you ever made donuts? YES! Pillsbury buiscuits, hole out of the middle and fried up and tossed in sugar. My mom used to make these every morning before church.
Every day – One homemaking thing you do every day- make the bed. Well. ALmost every day :)
Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze? No. Linus and I don't freeze that much...
Garbage Disposal – Y/N? Yes. Love it. Love grinding up the orange and lemon rinds in them. It makes me feel powerful -- and I do my Mr. Obvious impressions while it's running.
Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource? Just one? Books, TV, internet...friends.
Ironing – Love it or hate it? Dread it. But once I'm in the thick of it -- it's not that bad.
Junk drawer – Y/N? Absolutely. But I'm whittling it down to organized chaos. Then I need to tackle the junk garage and the junk storage shed.
Kitchen – Color and decorating. Avacado green walls and cottagy-kitch. Oh. And a lovely picture of a cemetery I took while writing my Masters thesis in England.
Love – What is your favorite part of homemaking? 1) Tangible evidence that I did work. 2) clean house + Fresh laundry + baking cookies = good smells and comfort
Mop – Y/N? Thank God for the Swiffer!
Nylons – Wash by hand or in the washing machine? People still wear nylons?
Oven – Do you use the window or open the oven to check? Both. Depends on what I'm baking/cooking. Pizza open the door -- mereingues look through the window.
Pizza – What do you put on yours? I can go for anything but anchovies and hot peppers. Cartman likes pepperoni, mushrooms and green peppers. Meat, vegetables and fungus.
Quiet – What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? Lately I've been outside, blowing soap bubble for Linus.
Recipe card box - No. I'm always pulling them out and losing them. Now all my favorites are being glued in a book. That way I have LOTS of room to add my notes about who likes what/substitutions, etc.
Style- What style is your house? It's a little, gray cottage, originially meant to be a summer home for the wealthy of Columbus, built in 1928. One Saturday a guy stopped to tell me he grew up in the house. Showed me where the outhouse used to be in the backyard. I love modern plumbing :)
Tablecloths and napkins – Y/N? No. They are just play things for Linus -- and hair attractors.
Under the kitchen sink – Organized or toxic wasteland? Toxic Wasteland. That would be a good name for a band.....
Vacuum – How many times per week? Usually once a week...
Wash – How many loads of laundry do you do per week? People do laundry every week? I do about 8-10 loads a month, and they might all be in one week or they might get spread out.
X’s – Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off? I LOVE lists. I am a list queen. I found post-its that have a to do list chart on them. They fit nicely on my "master" list
Yard – Y/N? Who does what? Unfortunately, I'm responsible for both inside and outside of the house. I keep up on the flower beds and patio, but I hire Bob next door to mow it. It's the best $10 bucks I spend each week.
Zzz’s – What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed? I try to be done so I can chill out before going to bed. But the last thing I usually do is cuticle oil and hand cream. Hands work so hard all day, they deserve some pampering. Oh...and then Linus gets some snuggle time.