Fearless Friday

No good reason for the title.  Just trying to think of one.  :-)

I was reading on Twitter that it is #NationalNewJerseyDay.  I tweeted some on that.  I had to live up there for awhile when I was younger.  The State posted on Twitter about some of the things to love New Jersey for, and pork roll was one of them..aside from the always fab Italian cooking.  There are many Italian descent folks there and I had many as friends and some scrumptious meals...at a home or in any diner.  But back to pork roll.  Oh! MY! Goodness!! I loved that stuff...I could eat the whole thing myself.  And it brought memories of all the sandwiches, hoagies, subs, you name it.  Pizza... Trips to the Jersey Shore (Seaside Heights) and much more.  I was in the Garden part of the Garden State.  Over by the Delaware River which ran between NJ and PA.  All the famous names in plays at the New Hope (PA)  Play House now called Bucks Co. Play House .  The musicals with equally famous people at St John Terrell's  Music Circus in Lambertville N.J.

Both great entertainment places faced one another, each in their own State and town, across the Delaware River. That old OLD Bridge I posted a picture of when my oldest brother passed away, was the bridge I walked across to get to PA and the Play House.  All gussied up on my taffeta's and heels and whatever else I could try to glamorize myself as I had nothing else.  :-)

Seeing that New Jersey Day in Twitter brought back good memories.

I'm a Southern girl through and through, but aside from the Jersey accent I never tried to master...I got along great despite the very real cultural differences and I was glad to be there.   I can still tell a NJ accent and a Philly one too, instantly.

By the way, the header picture is an Interstate sign that I pass every time I go over the mountains to visit my son in Charlotte.

So, what's up?

Saw this gate in a yard a few days ago.  Very creative!  Biggafy to see glass.

Fry-day.

It's Fry-day for a title because it's so humid and hot.

I'm gathering some presents for my daughter-in-law's birthday and getting them ready to give her.  Her special day will be here a week from today.  I cannot wait.  I don't think she reads this, but you never know.  One thing I am giving her is something I am hoping so much that she will love having.  She deserves to have it.  Her days are extraordinarily full...mostly with James, my grandchild, and his activities away from home besides constantly running after him at home.  She gets little time to just enjoy being a girl.  Well, that goes for just about all women these days--- but this is my daughter-in-law and she is a blessing to the entire family.  I wish I could be a blessing for her as well.

Speaking of James, I am expecting them over Monday.  I bought him an inside toddler trampoline like the one he has at his house to jump on and expend some energy.  He could have used it last Sunday  He was raring to go.  I mentioned on Face Book how it was delivered the evening before I knew anything about it.  I came out the next morning to find it still there thankfully, though it was 30 feet from the street all late afternoon and night.

How are you all?  Yes, I actually want to know.  ❤️  For me...I am grateful for each day.  Get long enough in the tooth, and you get grateful.  I am at that point, so I'm grateful.

Here's some flowers in the arboretum.  Wish I had someone who would come with me on these sweaty, tick and skeeter infested forays into the woods and parks.

 

Me and Her

I was trying a couple of apps to join Caturday Art more often and I not only helped her to do hers, but I did one for me too.  Usually I will not put myself in the blogs.  But this one, supposedly a "dream" effect is so dark, like, who can even tell it's me?

The surgery on my son was done yesterday, and he's recovering here today.  He'll head home tomorrow.  Face Book told the story on trying to get there.  That was a bad day.  I slept 8 1/2 hours last night.  First time in ages I got to sleep that long and it was  because I was up from 0330 on.  Anyhoo, here we are.  Looking silly.

Sure is Hot

Man, this has been a miserable summer.  I have whined about it every chance I get.  My aerobic-type activity level outside has gone down accordingly.  First year that has happened.

I complained on Face Book about folks in a box store or grocery, either one,  passing the time in aisle ways with their carts blocking the middle of the aisle while the persons discussing the state of the nation, block either side.  An impasse!

I got to thinking too about those who go so slowly, drifting on down the passing lane in town or highways, leisurely taking in the day...the sun...the rain...the lovely scenery, or checking out stores as they make their leisurely way down the pavement.  Those who happen to get behind them...sometimes forced into doing 25 MPH on a highway, must pass on the right--- which I think may still be illegal.  So the used-to-be passing lane is now the "slow" lane and the "slow lane" has necessarily become the passing lane. Love those self administered folks enacting their rolling road blocks too at a considerable reduced speed.  Making it impossible to pass at all.  Read that police have ticketed some..good.  Hope they keep it up.

Good grief.  I'll quit.  I must be on a roll or something.

My first tomatoes and pepper here a few weeks ago. 

Looking Across the Delaware River in NJ to New Hope PA.

Guys, I took this picture in the header in the town my brother lived when he passed away several years ago.  It was a perfect weather-type July day.  I hoped you would enjoy the very very old bridge.  Speed limit is 15 mph on it.  For good reason.  You almost swap paint when another car is on the way across from the opposite direction.

To the friend who asked in the last blog I did if my boy had his dreams come true.  Yes, they all came true. They did.   💗   He went on to the University, to the job of his dreams; and he got married and has wife and a son.

Look at this picture!  Any of you been to see Dolly Parton's home town?  Sevierville TN?  They have a statue honoring her in the city center.

If you're on your way to the Great Smoky Mountains, you may as well stop and enjoy the town too as it is right at the beginning of the mountains.  We here in TN. all love Dolly.  While you're in the area, try Dollywood!

Just stopped by for a few minutes.  It's been an extremely busy day for me.  Glad to be home, and I am sleepy already even though it is only 9:30 PM.  That's why I'm logging off.  Eyes are burning.
XX

In the weeds just past my fence in back.  Velvet on his antlers. 

A Bit of Nostalgia

Guys, I am on a roll.  I wrote of things gone by yesterday.  I found this old blog in my storage blog on Word Press (among several thousand more) and retrieved it for my daughter-in-law.  I cut and pasted it to her...as she loves him so.  I knew it would please her to see an excerpt about him.  I wanted to share to with you as well.  You're part of the family too.  I wrote this on my old MSNLiveSpaces blog.  And as a "The End"...his dreams did come true.

When you're 16

I was emailing my youngest a little while ago. I mentioned I had not read anything new in his Space for a couple of days. ( Something or Other) He said he hadn't anything on his mind to write just now and I encouraged him to write about family or himself. I love those entries, few of that type as there are. He apparently doesn't get into the nostalgia mode as I do.

However, unfortunately for him I am waxing nostalgic and wouldn't you know...it's about him. Poor guy.

He had one probably somewhere in September or so about when he was 16. It was New Year's Eve back then, the time he was writing about and for once I was home on a holiday, such as it was. Those who read me know I am a shift worker.

In any case, he and I were up and around about midnight and he began thinking about his future. I won't attempt to re-write his blog but it was his usual maturity shining through that evening.

He was reflective and started the conversation which I just listened to mostly as it was fascinating, with how he would soon graduate high school and then go to the University. (all of my son's knew they were going on after high school..that was the plan since infancy with each).

He reflected that within a decade of that very night we stood there, he would be graduated from high school, college, maybe graduate school, have a job that interested him and who knew? Maybe he'd be married!

That's just an over view really but it made me intensely proud. And intensely conscious that my son wasn't a baby any more. To borrow a phrase I could well see time was moving and at warp speed.

Every Mother knows what it's like to see their children grow up and move on toward their own lives. It is a wonderful thing and a thing of some special sadness.

Just standing and listening was a privelege. You don't always get to see them dream.

A Favorite Holiday Soon

(I took the bee picture in the arboretum with my Nikon DSLR).

 I am a  true lover of July 4th.  For what it has meant to the Nation and to me personally.  I have had to work it as I have had to work all holidays for 30 years.

 Every four and a half years, I got a  main holiday such as Christmas, Thanksgiving,  Easter or the 4th off by way of my SDO* days falling on those holidays (*Squad Day Off). That meant working another 4 1/2 years to get it off again.  Christmas of course, was the one I so wanted to be off on.  I had children who needed me home, but I could not be with them on that particular day.  Only every 4 years.  It was wonderful when I got Christmas Eve off in an SDO day...almost as good.  Those of us that had/have to work are paid holiday pay at a huge increase in salary.  It took some of the sting out.  It was all mandatory. No choice. But you know that going in.

 So we all learned to celebrate birthdays and holidays  a few days before or after they occurred, which ever way it worked out.  We as a family here just bucked up...knew we had no alternative and were grateful for what we did have.  I supported the family by myself, so when one has a great, meaningful job with a good salary...All in the family were/are grateful for what we have and we learned to adjust.  The kids did well.

Well, that went from going to be an accolade for the 4th to a personal thing.  Sheesh!

Happy Fourth, Blog Family. PS  Those who know my job description, please don't post details.  XX

Good Grief! Huuuuuumid.

Katie's giving me the Stink Eye!  If that isn't the Stink Eye, I have never seen a Stink Eye!  And boy, this IS *a* Stink Eye.  I capitalize the words because they (Stink Eyes)  are THAT effective.

She was trilling and making soft little sounds.  I started talking to her from over here at the computer, and then got up and went over to where she was in her tower.  She was talking in her sound sleep it seems, and I-disturbed-her!  I backed away respectfully.

Anyway, I have been out into the steaming soupy atmosphere of anywhere I go, and  I got a bit o' shopping of the grocery type done.  Good thing I have several large insulated bags for cold/frozen stuffs!  One is large enough that I was able to put 2 cartons of Jello already jiggling in its container(s) and a half gallon of milk, and a half gallon of frozed up peach yoghurt.  Oh, and a container of chilled veggies and...some BBQ spices rubbed boneless chicken thighs ready to put in the oven.  That was a lot and again, glad my container bags are large.  This one today kept things frozen/cold while I headed to the Pet Supply Plus store and got her foods for the week and the drive home.

This June I have not been able to sit out on the deck and enjoy the June fireflies.  (they are lightening bugs to me) It is so hot April through this minute, but especially May and June that I have had no deck time at all in the day or early evening. That has never happened.  Sure, we all know I could and just sweat it  out--- but why?  I've always loved putting up the little Market Umbrella I have, and sit at my bisto table, read, slug down water from my big bottle of water, and grab the Nikon for hummingbird pictures.

Someone up in their crow's nest is snoring.  Hm.

Well, it's about time to take the last batch of laundry out of the dryer.  How about helping fold?