Not Enough Superlatives in My Vocabulary

I'm here to tell you that, for once, I'm nearly speechless when it comes to describing the past six days. Amazing, surreal, fantastic, wonderful, humbling, awe struck....and the list goes on. As is my custom, I'll do my best to take you along for the ride.

Leaving the house Wednesday morning at 5:30, we were both excited and anxious for our upcoming adventure. Thankfully we did not have to wait long as we'd booked a non stop flight on Southwest that put us into Nashville at 8:45CT in the morning. It was raining pretty hard, prompting all the nice folks at the airport to wish us safe travels. We needed it!

I never could get the photo I wanted along the drive, but the clouds were seriously fantastic; it was a big sky kind of day. The trip to Paducah, our destination is about 130 miles but, of course, that distance always feels much longer in pouring rain. Bruce was a trooper, stopping at the Kentucky line so I could get a photograph. Mistake on my part because my hair did not look its best for meeting folks after getting wet!

Eventually, the rain stopped, and not a moment too soon for our liking. Crossing the Tennessee River, it began to dry out.

One thing in our favor was the absence of significant traffic. Then too, the roads are good--another plus. By now I was getting texts from Hilary, our long lost cousin, asking where we were and hurry up and get there! As a side note, we did stop for Bruce to stretch his legs, and of all places, we pulled into a little shopping plaza with a sewing shop! I bought some fat quarters (quilting lingo) to never forget our trip. Don't know what I'll make just yet, but the pieces are seriously cute. I guess it was during our stop that Hilary called again, this time giving us, well Bruce, specific instructions on how to get to their home. Pulling into the driveway thirty minutes later, they met us at the door with hugs and warm greetings.

Not for a moment did they make us feel like interlopers! In fact, after much excitement and sharing of photographs, Ginnie served us lunch--homemade cream of potato soup, Kentucky bar-b-que ham sandwiches, home grown tomatoes, and topping it off, a homemade coconut cream pie! Delicious does not describe it adequately!

Did I mention their humongous house looks like it is straight out of Southern Living? Yup, it does.

During our lunch, Hilary narrated family history, both good and bad. People have asked why in the world would we go there and the answer is, I felt driven to learn more about, as Bruce and Hilary describe it, "my people." Well, they are Pat and Maureen, Lisa, Nancy and Carol's people too so now I can share what I learned during our time with Hilary. I believe I linked, in my last post, to the article about Hilary's gardening prowess and here is just a part of his garden below.

Every single plant is encased in netting to keep out feathered friends, or in this case, enemies. He grows a purple bean that once cooked becomes green. Here he is after showing it to Bruce.

I sure hope we are as vigorous as Hilary when we are 82! Over the phone I thought he sounded spry, and now I know my hunch was more than true. As to the garden, he has the one behind his home, as well as another 3/4 acre lot adjacent to his home for growing all those vegetables. Tomatoes are his first love; he cans 200 pints every year so as to be able to eat one every day for lunch all winter long! Plus he drinks tomato juice every morning. His secret for good health? Maybe.

Following lunch and more show and tell, we piled into Ginnie's car for a tour of the area. Hardly a street we went on did not have a building built by Hilary's son Kenny. I believe he'd be my second cousin once removed? Down Broadway to the river front, we saw the amazing murals on the flood walls depicting the history of Paducah.

Honestly, they are so well done, I wish I'd taken more shots of them. The river you see is the Ohio just after the junction of both the Ohio and Tennessee rivers which you'll see more of in my next post. The sunlight made it all look very dramatic. Yup, the sun finally came out.

The flood walls were put in place following the devastating flood in 1937 pictured in this link. I read that at the time it was the largest natural disaster in America. Downtown there are still reminders of that fateful event.

Downtown Paducah also has an area where artists both work and reside in homes purchased from the city for $1. You read that right--one dollar! Here's a story from NPR on the subject. Following the downtown tour we headed to the "mall" area where we saw mostly the same stores as we find at home. A park has this interesting sculpture made from a log.

It is really remarkable--here's the explanation:

Somehow during our conversation Ginnie asked me about what I do, and before long I mentioned that I was fortunate enough to have an art publisher...one thing led to another and we were all marching into Hobby Lobby in order for them to see my stuff. Can you say weird?

Another of Hilary's sons is an orthopedic surgeon, following in his Dad's footsteps. Here is his barn from afar.

As well we saw Ginnie's daughter Melissa's beautiful home. Here's the scoop....Hilary married Ginnie's sister back in the 50's when he was in his early twenties. They lived happily ever after, producing five children, until such time as she had ovarian cancer, dying at around 60 years old. Coming from a family of seven or eight children, she had sisters, and plenty of them, one of whom is Ginnie, a recently divorced mother of three children. The rest is history and they have been together for the last 22 years. To say she is a gem is an understatement.

It gets dark mighty early in Western Kentucky, as in around 4:30 in the afternoon. Once back at their home, we shared some stories and wine, then B and I decided we might just better find our bed & breakfast in downtown Paducah before returning to meet them for dinner at their country club. It gets dark early, and is it ever DARK. That may sound like an exaggeration, but trust me, it is not. The Paducah Bed and Breakfast needs a much more lit sign for those trying to find it!

We put our bags away, met the family, three of whom were wearing Ted Cruz buttons which seemed a little premature, but I later learned they are quite passionate in their beliefs. Back to our cousin's home, on to the country club, where everyone seems to know everyone, we shared a nice meal together. While we were eating a fellow stopped at the table and Hilary introduced us, saying I was his long lost cousin, and in fact, I also was related to said gentleman standing beside our table. I think in a round about way I may very well be related to Ginnie as well. Growing up we thought we had no relatives, however, turns out, that was anything but the truth!

Returning to their home, we were in for quite a treat. Throughout the day we learned that Hilary, growing up poor, learned to do just about anything to survive. This includes, but is not limited to, making a quilt top when he was 11, which Ginnie put on display.

Then, back to the family room where Hilary entertained us with both the harmonica,

train songs, and poetry. In fact he recited a poem with about 40 stanzas. As you can imagine, we were pretty much speechless! He gave me a book on the history of Fancy Farm, and two old photographs showing both my great grandparents, and my grandmother as a child and a teenager. Astonishing! I can't remember if it was that night or the next that we watched some old movies, where I once again, saw my great grandmother.

I know I've used the word already, but it is necessary to say it again--we left there overwhelmed! As well, we needed a good night's sleep before going back in the morning for some touring. Hilary is an early riser!

Driving through the dark, the nine miles back to the bed and breakfast, we fell into bed. Marveling all the while, I might add.

Still in shock,

Gail

Drama in the Skies

Yesterday, about three in the afternoon, I ran up to Ace Hardware to pick up some salt for the pool and just when I got there, the rains came pouring down. No surprise there as it's been going on for several months now, so much so that the Sentinel ran a story about how sinkholes are possible because of our saturated ground. In fact a huge one opened in Groveland just the other day.  I decided to set my camera to the super dramatic setting, and here's what that looks like.

Pretty neat, right? There is water everywhere, including in some front yards I ride past like this one in Harbor Island.

Ours doesn't look like that, thank God, but I am anxiously awaiting the day when I can mow dry grass rather than wet! The forecast looks like that will not be anytime soon.

At least today has been dry up till now, which is most welcome. It rains when it is gray, and even sometimes when the sun is out. Here the sun was out, but I knew it would be any minute and the rain, thunder and lightening would begin.

BTW--that is not on the dramatic setting! Pretty much, days like these make you want to stay home if you are lucky enough not to have a job. I amuse myself by taking photos around the house. I've collected these feathers from our yard.

Quite a few years ago a fellow told me he was looking for an image with red and black for his bedroom. Well, he never came back, but I was lucky enough to have sold the image I made for him, multiple times. It was a red hibiscus on black and white polka dotted paper. I decided to flip the paper over for this one, and although it is a red hibiscus, it is a single, rather than the double I used before.

Although I had only just picked it from my bush it had some weary edges which I quite like. Nothing too perfect for this girl.

The other day I was riding past a big pile of sand at the corner of Pershing and Ferncreek. Months ago, I happened to be driving home when I witnessed an accident at this corner with one of the cars plowing into the wall that protects the Southern Oaks residents from the rest of us. (just kidding!) Now, months later, the wall is fixed, and I suppose the contractor did not clean up his mess. I was digging around in my art supplies for something when I came across a pack of party umbrellas Mary gave me some time ago. Perfect!! A little bit of color for the cars going through the intersection?

Unfortunately, later that day it poured and poured. Riding over to Sue's house to check on her kitchen remodel, it looked like this:

Oddly enough the green umbrella was nowhere to be found, along with a diminished sand pile. For the record, I cleaned up my mess. :) I do hope it brought a smile to someones' face.

So, how is the kitchen remodel going? Slowly. That said, the cabinets are in!

The front wall used to have hanging cabinets, and in fact it was all closed in. That's a brand new window as well. Sue is pinching herself every time she looks out through that opening!

When next you visit London, and I know some of you will, think about this when you are roaming around. The skill with which these maps are done is incredible! Speaking of WWII, I've just finished a charming book on the subject, called Crooked Heart. Here's an interview Scott Simon does with the author, Lissa Evans. Just when you think you have read every novel that could possibly be written on the subject, along comes this one. Did I say it was charming? It is. Poignant as well.

Well, what with those afternoon storms yesterday you didn't expect that the evening skies would be any less dramatic did you? Baxter and I took a stroll down to the lake and before we even got there, I was seriously impressed.

Give me some good sun rays and I'm a happy camper. You may be wondering about the spot where I go, and if so here's the scoop. When we bought this house, 20 years ago next month (!!!), one of the determining factors was the lake lot seven house down, set aside for the residents to share. Nothing fancy, but enough so that if Bruce wants to take his kayak out ,he has a handy place to do so. Of course, back then it was a canoe, but you get my drift. As we walked home, I noticed the sky coloring in the east, and sure enough, it was pretty dramatic in the back yard when we arrived. I can't remember the sunset ever reflecting in the pool before, but then again, my memory is poor. Thus, a blog to jog said memory!

It looks like it is going to be a long week again, but just when I think about whining, I remember how lucky I am. I even saw my eagle the other day. How many people do you think saw an eagle on the same day as I did? Probably not very many.

Today I soared ,and I hope you did too!

Dear God,

Around here we are most grateful for your bounty, showering us each day with water. That said, it seems as if it is time to turn your attention to California. We would be more than happy to share if you see fit.

Amen,

Gail

Here Comes the Sun....

and it's more than alright! For the first time in a good long while we had excellent weather for FAVO, although that didn't help our attendance as much as we'd hoped. Friday began pretty dreary, with a mix of rain and clouds. Same old, same old. But then, around 3 in the afternoon the sun came out and stayed there. I don't know what the temperature was, but I do know it was tolerable which came as a complete surprise. The air conditioner in Room 139 is merely a prop. Without benefit of chilled air, I had planned for a miserable night with only two fans for cooling. You know what? It was enough and then some; I did not even turn the big boy on high!

That's Garrett on the left, and I can't remember her name on the right. I suppose I could make a name up for her and no one would be the wiser, but than again, maybe not. I couldn't have been happier having these two children hang with me at FAVO. In town from a small Alabama town visiting their grandparents, they kept me company for a while. Gosh they were sweet. I'm not sure if it was my chocolate chip cookie bars, Smarties, or our conversation that made them hang around, but I'm not one to complain in a situation like that. That said, I had more visitors than I expected; the night went by very quickly, and before you know it, Bruce was there and we packed most of it back up.

But that was Friday. What happened on July 4? Rain and lots of it! That's not entirely true, the weather was kind of a reverse of Friday--clear until 3, followed by some rain and then MORE RAIN! Early in the day we drove up to DeBary to see Judy and Cris's new place on the St. John's River. Although we had directions, we ended up using Google Maps, driving on this gorgeous canopied road:

Just ten days ago they left their big home in Altamonte Springs, trading it in for a double wide trailer, and is it ever nice. There's a lovely sunroom on the back overlooking the river:

How would you like to have this view from your back yard?

A very winding river; for those who don't know the first thing about the St. Johns River, it is one of only a few that flow North. Before long they will have a pontoon boat to travel up and down the 310 mile length. Isn't it beautiful? Following our visit we invited them to lunch at the nearby Swamp Gator restaurant located on the riverbank. Indeed, they have gator on the menu, although I'm not nearly brave enough to try it.

So far, so good with the weather. We arrive home, load the kayak on the car, get our bathing suits, and head over to Dave's condo on Lake Pineloch. Apparently our good weather fortune couldn't last forever because soon after arriving it rained, but not for long. Bruce decided the time was right to take the boat out for a little fishing:

He's very visible, right? Keep reading....

A while later David took a neighbor's paddle board out, going around the entire lake, stopping to chat with his Dad, who by that time was on the opposite shoreline. The water was smooth as glass at that point. But then it wasn't. As David neared the shoreline, the storm clouds were coming in fast and furious!

Rain began falling, at first not too hard; Michelle and I went to the end of the boat house, scanning the lake for the bright orange kayak with no luck. It was then that the heavens really opened up, making visibility about zero. Where could Bruce be? Like any good former Boy Scout, he was prepared. As he was paddling the opposite shore he began chatting with some folks out on their dock, who were kind enough to shelter him through the hour long storm. Inviting him in and offering refreshments no less! And, as fate would have it, they are former neighbors and good friends of my sister Lisa! Finally the rain stopped, David drove me home to get the spare set of keys and I drove over to get Bruce, rather than have him paddle back because with the way the afternoon and evening were going there was no telling when the rain might begin again.

Home we went, unloaded the kayak, and headed back over for the big fireworks show.

The air was already filled with smoke from fireworks going off everywhere. One of the Lake Pineloch residents traditionally does a big fireworks show over the lake for everyone. This year Michelle took up a collection to help out ,allowing him to do an even bigger show. Out in the lake is a barge, towed there by kayak with more fireworks on it than you can imagine. Remote controlled, around 9PM, they started going off with, I dare say, a bang? My photographs are very iffy:

The kept going and going!

It was nothing short of fantastic! So, you see the little girl in the pool above? After the fireworks, the dj got everyone on the dance "surface", in this case a pool deck. At one point we formed a circle with one dancer taking the middle to show off their moves. About four years old, this little cutie had no problem being one of the featured dancers. So fun.

We danced and danced, grateful for friends, dry weather, and good music. Here's a crazy dance picture:

Asking David if I was embarrassing him, he responded, "no, I would be more embarrassed if you weren't having a good time. " That's my boy!

Experimenting, Always Experimenting

You just cannot imagine how thrilled I am right about now. No, I didn't hear anything from Mt. Dora. I did, on the other hand, benefit from having Mr. Bruce working from home. For months and months, make that about eight, or ever since I moved my office, I've been having internet connection problems. Some days it worked just fine, however the majority of those days, it's been as slow as molasses. Of course some of you may have never poured molasses out of a jar. For you folks--trust me, it pours super, super slow.  I am typing my first blog post with the aid of a Netgear Universal WiFi Range Extender, purchased by none other than Mr. Bruce. Furthermore, he set it right up, so now I'm connecting like nobodies business. Hurray for the little things in life!

Sunday night I grilled lettuce for the first time. Grilled lettuce? Indeed. I first read a recipe for such in my Agnes & Muriel cookbook which we've discussed in the past. So, it's taken me what, maybe seven years to try it? I purchased these cute little heads of Romaine from Freshfield Farms last week with the grilling idea in mind. Guess what? I didn't like it. What we both loved was our grilled chicken made delicious with the Peri-Peri seasoning. Now you could order some from Amazon, but it is somewhat expensive, or if you live nearby, I may be able to convince Matt to bring lots home from England when he's visiting for Thanksgiving. What's so weird is that although items are expensive in London, the spice is cheaper there than we can buy it here. Go figure. Must be the importing.

The tomato was perfect as was the Mary B biscuit. That looks like a bunch of food doesn't it? It was. The lettuce, my friends, is charred on purpose. Following the recipe you know.

Monday night Bruce was all jazzed to try out a new place that has been months in the making. Called Sonoma, which to me makes no sense as it is mainly a fancy beer place, they opened only days ago.

The verdict? They carry Old Speckled Hen. Need I say more?

While we're on the subject of months and months ago, there's one more to discuss today. While chatting with Tom about all my crazy art projects, he mentioned that if you put dish soap in with the milk and food coloring exciting things can happen. Don't ask me why it's taken me so long to try this because I can't give you a good reason. Now that I have--I want to do it again ASAP!

Instead of milk, I used the last of Nancy's fat free half and half poured onto a yellow plastic plate. Dropping maroon, dark green and blue food coloring, I followed that with the dish soap. Here's what began happening. Very, very interesting.

Not content to leave things alone, I added yellow, and maybe orange? Here's the set up below:

As you can see, I was working on the front porch. Man, that porch needs some work! And the finished image:

Does this not look like so much fun??? I suggest you try it for yourself and get back with me. What I need is more milk to give it another go. I do have the benefit of having "fall" food coloring which may not be readily available, but any combination of the traditional red, blue, yellow and green will do just fine. I just love the crazy shapes and movement. Maybe the ocean floor is like this?

Big time thunder and lightening just now--let's hope it means something. Our rain fall has diminished greatly in August, making for some thirsty plants and grass. Speaking of August--who can believe this is the last day??? I certainly can't. Before we know it, 2011 will be in the past, which many people might welcome. Maybe, just maybe, 2012 will be a better year for our world and her people. Okay, enough of that. What I was going to say is that since we went on vacation I've turned our sprinkler system off the automatic, two times weekly setting. My goodness! Our water bill has gone from $80+ a month, to $23. Now, that's what I call terrific. Every now and again, I've had to turn it on, as in last Sunday, but for the most part I'm trying to use what falls from the sky. The black clouds out my window sure look like rain. A girl can hope can't she?

Talk About the Weather

Leaving Florida on Friday at 1, here's how it looked through the plane window:

Pretty ominous wouldn't you say? Apparently, there was much, much more of the same during our absence. According to the paper today, 6" of rain has fallen this month, however, that may or may not be accurate because the rain gauge just since we've been home contradicts that figure.

Friday I did our laundry, unsure if hanging them on the clothes line would work because of the afternoon rains. Well, it did. Around 3:00 I noticed the sky turning darker so I headed out back to take them off the line, hoping they were dry. And they were. Just as I was taking the last items down, a few sprinkles began. Shortly thereafter, a sunshower started.

I'm not sure if this phenomenon happens everywhere, but here in Florida, the sun can be shining brightly with rain coming down in buckets at the same time. And then it stopped. But, boy howdy, did it start again, eventually dropping 3.5 inches in about three hours. And we were worried about the rain in England!

Which never really materialized, except for our time in Bath. Before we left I'd worried about the weather in England; I needn't have. Aside from the chill during our visit to Stonehenge, I was very comfortable. Despite the drizzle, we roamed around Bath, taking in the sights including the Royal Crescent.

With the gray sky and wet bricks you can tell it has been raining and might do so again, however, we trooped along just fine. I never thought I'd be saying this, but I actually didn't mind the lack of pure sunshine all that much. Now whether a steady diet of grayish skies would ever work for me I can't say, but for ten days it was somewhat of a pleasure never really knowing what the weather would do. From May to October there's really no reason to consult the weather forecast because most days it is HOT with afternoon showers expected.

It also rained during parts of our tours, again though, only for brief periods. This Costwolds village, Castle- Combe, looked even prettier after a shower:

According the the Castle-Combe website, it has been called the prettiest village in England. Although I'm no expert on the subject, I will say that it is charming in person. Ironically, we learned that the village was closed down for a month while Steven Spielberg filmed .
Speaking of which, seeing "War Horse" at the London Theater was amazing. When you see those giant puppets at such close range as we did, thanks to the terrific seats Matt purchased, you can't help but be in awe. Although WWII gets most of the attention, this story is set during The Great War, a time when horses were still used in battle. After seeing the play, Bruce purchased a used book on the subject at a market on South Bank, reading it a good deal during our flight home. Tom, naturally, knew more than all of us put together; I suspect having an historian for a father will do that for a bright young man.

I can't say often enough that I'm not much of a true photographer, never really knowing how best to use my cameras. I get by is what I do. After our trip to Melton Mowbray on Sunday, a very quick shower came down that evening. Have I mentioned how long the days are in England? Long, very long. The sun comes up around 5, setting between 9-10. So whether it could be called evening or not, I'm unsure. At any rate, I thought the rain puddles looked cool and as it was dark when I went out front, I tried very hard to set a long exposure which is a trick photographers do at night. Try as I might, I couldn't figure it out. So why am I including this photo anyway?

Mostly to show you the neighborhood and one other thing. Any guesses what that other thing might be? Since I can't hear your reply, I'll tell you. In our city it is illegal to park both ways, however, it seems as if in London you can park any old way you want. Plus, if you can imagine, this is a two way street!

Things are returning to normal around here. I did the market yesterday, Bruce has gone to the office, and Nancy is at Zumba class. You should see what she's accomplishing in the cleaning department! More on that later.

Lucky Lady

Yesterday's post was a mistake. I wrote that those were my favorites, but really, how does one choose between thousands of photos? Leaving plenty out because I thought you might be bored probably hurt some reader's feelings, for which I'm asking forgiveness. Given?

Normally I never post at night for many reasons, foremost because I'm sleeping, however, tonight I just feel so overwhelmed with good fortune, posting seems like the thing to do. There are times when I wonder how in the world I got so lucky. Not only do I have the best husband in the whole wide world, but my kids are pretty great too. How can it be that two young people, who married very young, could not only raise four sons to adulthood, and be pleased with the results as well? My only answer is love. I know it sounds trite, but indeed, I believe love conquers all. Unlike both Bruce and me as children, our boys knew that both of their parents loved them to pieces, come hell or high water. We weren't able to provide them with some (lots) of the material goods that their peers enjoyed, however, we did provide them with a stable home where the parents loved one another. If anyone were to ask my advice on raising children, I do believe that would be the sum total of what I would have to say.

A new hard drive ordered from Amazon arrived last evening just as I was leaving for bridge class so installing it had to be put off until this morning. Alas, plugging it in was not enough. Naturally I turned to email, asking Matt's advice. Apparently, he was in Luxembourg, however, he found time to help me out. Returning late this afternoon from shopping after the museum, I managed to make it happen. Hopefully this will solve my computer issues for the foreseeable future.

Bill called with some good news, and if you've been with me for very long you'll remember last years' job woes. Not so this year. He's interviewing tomorrow for an excellent new position at the bank where he is currently employed. For his sake I hope it happens. I did tell him to control what he can control, namely his communication skills and appearance, and hopefully the rest will fall into place.

Because this is, after all, a photography blog as well, I do have a few images to share. Saturday night we went to Bruce's friend Jeff's new Longhorn near the Premium Outlet Malls for a "Friends and Family" night. Rainy conditions at night make for interesting photographs no matter the subject. Thank goodness for my 1.7 lens.

The rain continued into the next day. When Bruce went to set up the booth it was misting, which turned into full-fledged rain soon thereafter. Taking my time getting there, I finally arrived and it was still raining. Because they weren't closing the market, we decided to be good sports, however, Bruce took home all the canvases, setting up just the tables. The rain continued. And continued. And continued. I was dry, but chilly, under my tent. A little after noon, the decision was made to call it quits; not a minute too soon for me! Wouldn't you know it? The minute we got home it quit and never started again! There were lots of colorful umbrellas carried by the few hearty souls that braved the weather. My friend Kathy wrote me, telling me that they stayed for another hour, and had some good sales. Oh well.

The nandinas in our yard are bursting with red berries, which look particularly nice after a rain storm.

I do love geraniums, and this is the ideal time of the year to have them everywhere you can. This is from a beautiful hanging basket of peach colored geraniums.

 

I suspect I get more excited than you do, seeing all those buds just waiting to burst open with color. :)

The museum was fairly steady today. Our current exhibit is this: Underwater Photography . I am quite sure that the photographer is the same one who photographed our family in the glass bottomed boats at Silver Springs. Currently I can't find the photo in question, but it's a gem. The opening reception is Sunday evening with Mr. Mozert, in attendance. Here's a video from when he was featured on the radio program Growing Bolder . Fascinating stuff, particularly if you're a Floridian of a certain age.

I am heading to bed now, but before I do, I just wanted to say that you, whomever you are, contribute to making my good fortune. How awesome is it that I can share my world with whomever finds my little spot on the web? Thank you kindly. Lucky lady--that's me.