New Year

Happy New Year.

Resolutions: Same one I make every year, Lose weight. I have lost weight this past year. Problem is I lose one week and gain it back the next. Other things - Take a Yoga/plates class. Maybe take a computer class. Finish other projects that are half done. Clean and organize all my junk drawers (yes, I have more than one).
Spend less time watching nothing on TV. Go through my old magazines, read the interesting articles and get rid of the clutter.
One thing I started a few months ago. Read the Bible through. I am to Judges. Don't understand it all, but am trying.

Goals for 2008: One always aimed for is to break 40 on 9 holes of golf.
Finish my quilt. Get my finances in order so I can semi-retire next year.
Play a round of golf with Tammie and Randy. Play the Blair golf course with Randy C.
Procrastinate less.

Take George home to Butte. This is the plan for Memorial weekend.

Sue

Christmas

Christmas is now quiet. Everyone has left and the dishes are done and lefovers put away. All the Lincoln people came up last night. Tammie and Randy came in the afternoon and Cindy and the girls got here around midnight. We had a big sleepover.
Pancakes were the request for breakfast. Joe and family arrived at noon. Dinner was prepared and eaten. Because we hadn't had a chance to celebrate Jacob's 9th birthday, we had a John Deere cake and a couple of presents to open. Then on to the gift exchange. We each opened one at at a time and everyone seemed happy with the selections of the others. We then had birthday cake and pie. Lots of visiting and plans for the week. Jaydee and Kendra are spending the rest of the week in Pilger with Joe's family. Angie is having them and her sisters two kids until the weekend.

There was an empty spot on the couch this year. The spot that George always claimed as his.

Is it spring yet?
Sue

12/20/07

Thanks to everyone for the condolences and prayers during this time of loss.

The first family death I remember was my Grandfather Anderson. I was only 8 at the time. He was 72 which to an 8-year old is ancient. What I remember about Grandpa was he was a little man and very humble. He had an old Ford car, I think maybe a Model A. I don't think he drove very much after moving to town, but walked most of the time. He must have had the beginning of some sort of dementia because he would go for a walk and someone would bring him home.
The house they built on their farm North of Lyons is still standing. It has had some updates. After a family gathering one year, some of us called and asked the owner if it would be ok if we came out to see the house and what they had done to it.
It is strange how things you remember are not like you remember them. We lived in
the house after my Uncle decided to move to California. The rooms all seemed smaller than when we lived there. The owners had added a more modern kitchen and garage. The trees out front looked the same, but we were told they were planted about 20+ years ago replacing the ones that I remembered. A lot of the out buildings were gone, but the 2 car garage was still there. This garage was built to house the cars of that era and it was a tight squeeze to get out of our 1956 Ford when it was parked there.
One story of the house building is that the old house was moved so the new house could be built in the same spot. Aunt Julia is said to have been in the house playing the piano as it was being moved.

Grandma lived to be 81. She was a very religious person and never missed church unless we couldn't get there to take her. She had ulcerated veins in her legs and it was very hard for her to get around. She always baked the best bread. She had one kind of bread she called "Grandpa Bread". I think it was because it was what he liked. Her favorite cookies to bake were ginger snaps. I cannot smell molasses without thinking of her. She had a rocker that faced the west windows of her dining room where she would read her Bible or crochet. How many baby booties she crocheted is any one's guess.

Life does go on and we will always have memories of those that go before us. Let's cherish the time we spend together and remember only the good when we think of the past.

God Bless you all.
Sue

Bad News

This is a hard one to write. Cindy's husband, George, passed away suddenly last night. Road and weather conditions kept me from going to Lincoln to be with Cindy and her girls. I did not want to be in an accident and add to the very sad situation. Going to work was not easy, but easier than staying home and going stir crazy wanting to help, but not being able to. The roads should be in better condition tomorrow, and I will try to get to them.

Please everyone pray for this family at this tragic time.

Sue

disappointment

Cindy & I will be going to Sacramento without my volleyball team. I am really disappointed. The team has had a great season, but just couldn't make it to the final four. Will have to watch some other team win the championship.

We do intend to have a great time with Myrna and her family. Hoping to make the drive to Reno on Sunday to see David and his family and meet Sterling. Myrna and PJ have a dance program this weekend so will get to watch them perform.

Dec. 12th is Jacob's 9th birthday. The weather that day was unseasonably warm. We played golf in Wayne that day. That is not going to happen this year.

Sue

Q&A

From LaDawn's blog.



1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yes, Grandma Mary Agnes Connealy Gatewood (My first name is actually Mary. Sue is my middle name. I was and still am Suzie to my family and old friends


2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Probably at something happy or sad on TV.


3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING No


4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Roast Beef


5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? 2 girls, 1 boy, 2 sons-in-law, 1 daughter-in-law, 3 granddaughters, 1 grandson. (Also a step grandson and step granddaughter and 3 step great granddaughters)


6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? yes


7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? You have got to be kidding.


8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS no


9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? no


10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Cheerios (this is a good thing because I have high cholesterol)


11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? yes


12. DO YOU THINK YOU'RE STRONG? Not as strong as I used to be.


13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Black Walnut or Bunny tracks


14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Shape


15. RED OR PINK? Husker red


16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? my weight


17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Mom


18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? tan pants, brown shoes


19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? A Cinnamon cream saver. Try them. they come in a bag of dessert cream savers, Cinnamon bun, apple pie ala mode or strawberry cheesecake


20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The Today Show is on, but not paying too much attention to it


21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Red


22. FAVORITE SMELLS? Sheets dried outside. Fresh air


23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Blake


24. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I have never met her, but I think I would like to.


25. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Volleyball, GO HUSKERS


26. HAIR COLOR? Dark brown


27. EYE COLOR? Brown


28. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No


29. FAVORITE FOOD? Dessert


30. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings


31. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? You, Me and Dupree


32. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? lavender sweater


33. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer


34. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs


35. FAVORITE DESSERT? Too many to pick just one.


36. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? just finished Dead before Dieing have to go to the library today.


37. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Dell


38. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LATE LAST NIGHT? nothing


39. FAVORITE SOUND? children's unbridled laughter


40. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles


41. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? California or Washington DC


42. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I can roll my tongue. (I'm not very talented)


43. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Oakland, NE

Sue

11/28/07

I am now connected to the net at home. Had to take time to meet with cableone this morning for the connections. It was supposed to take about an hour. I was gone for 2 1/2 hrs. Will still be able to pick up email from the same address.
Now to get Jerry's business bookswork figured out.
Sue

2007

I am entering the 21st century. A baby step was taken when I got a cell phone. Now the big step, a computer. Abby went with me last Saturday to help with the language translation. Her input was very helpful. A computer leads to more purchases. A desk to put it on. A printer/scanner. A surge protector. Proper connecting cords and of course a visit to the cable company for the internet. The computer is supposed to be here tomorrow, but the internet connection won't be done until next week. Making a package deal with phone, tv and internet seemed like the most economical way to go. Was hoping to get it all hooked up tomorrow so the more computer savvy could help this old dog learn some of the ins and outs. Will be able to keep better track of where Jerry is in his business by doing his books on "Quicken". Wish me luck.
Sue

Thankful for

1. Cindy, George, Jaydee, Kendra, Tammie, Randy, Joe, Angie, Abby Jacob & Jerry.

2. My syblings and their families.

3. My friends

4. My freedom to go to any church I want without fear.

5. Doctors and medications. Without them Jerry would not be here today.

There are so many things to be thankful for this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Sue

Joe

Today my "baby" is 35 years old. Do those of you that have adult children still think of them as teenagers? The day he was to be born came after a storm that left the roads icy. Even though the Oakland hospital was right across the street from us, we were to go to Fremont for this event. I was scheduled to have my tubes tied after the birth. At that time studs were permitted in tires and since Jerry is a professional driver, we had no problem getting to Fremont. He was born around 11:30. The delivery room was sooooo cold, around 53 degrees and all I had on was a sheet. Every thing went well, but I just couldn't get warmed up. He was born on Sunday and I had to stay in the hospital for 5 days. Today they probably would have sent me home the next day. There were 14 babies in the hospital that day. Must have been a moon change or maybe the storm. Everyone who visited the nursery said Joe was the prettiest. I had to agree. I didn't have too many visitors because the weather continued to be kind of drizzly so I was really ready to go home. The "Big Sisters", age 5 & 6 were really excited to meet their new brother. Although later he just became a pest.
Today that "baby" has 2 of his own one 14 and one will be 9 in December. A few years ago after driving for a big company, he took a chance an bought his own truck.
Later he talked his dad into joining him and Jerry bought a truck and leased to Joe.
Joe now has 3 other trucks and drivers besides his and Jerry's. He is building a new house for his family. He loves all things out doors and takes pride in the accomplishments of his kids.
Happy Birthday, Joe, We are proud of you.
Love Mom

11/12/07

God Bless our Veterans and those still fighting to keep us safe.

I put my flag out yesterday, but didn't see too many out. I guess because of the holiday being on Sunday, we fly the flag on Monday. I put it out again this morning.

Deer season opened Saturday. The permits this year allow the hunters to take 2 deer if they so desire. Jerry and his crew didn't have any luck this weekend. Deer don't like to come out when it is windy and it was really windy Saturday. He went down to sit with Abby for awhile before he left yesterday. They did not see any deer. The deer are getting really smart. After sitting for a couple of hours Saturday afternoon, Jerry & Abby decided to call it quits. After unloading their guns and starting back to the house, 3 doe and a buck decided to come out of the woods. On Sunday morning after sitting with Abby for awhile, he left with the truck.
He saw three deer right after leaving Pilger. I think the deer must have some birds somewhere watching the hunters and giving the "All Clear" when it is safe. Better luck next week.

Saturday the state hi school VB finals were televised. Volleyball is one of my favorite sports to watch. Bancroft-Rosalie defeated Hunphry St Francis. This is the first time B/R has ever made it to the tournament. It is nice to see someone new win. I watched a couple of other games including Pious X to see how good John Cook's daughter is. There was a nice article in the Omaha paper about her on Saturday. Nebraska defeated Iowa State in VB yesterday. I have to stay up past my bed time to get the results when the games are not televised.

Did manage to sneak out and play a little golf both Saturday & Sunday. Only nine holes each day. It was nice enough Sunday to hang sheets outside. One of my favorite scents is sheets right off the clothes line.

Weekends are too short.
Sue

MORE LAUGTER

This is a “must see” for every mom. "The Mom" song, sung to the William Tell Overture, by Anita Renfroe.
What a mom says in 24 hours, condensed into 2 minutes and 55 seconds! Hilarious and talented!

Click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxT5NwQUtVM

This is roflol. Also is an experiment to see if I can transfer from my email to my blog.
Speaking of laughter. We have a friend, Bones, who can tell a joke better than any comic I have ever seen. He has a couple of stories that no one else can tell. Not matter how many times I have heard these stories, I laugh until I cry. Some jokes are not as funny when printed as when someone does the routine and this guy can really make everyone laugh.
When we were playing golf in Wayne, we had a group of people that met every Saturday to play. We tossed balls in the air to see who would be playing with whom. (Is that correct grammar?) After we were finished golf and settled our debts we would all "socialize". Of course joke telling was part of the fun. After so many years of doing this we decided that we had all probably heard every joke everyone else knew so we would just say the punch line and everyone would laugh.
Sometimes when we are with some of our friends, we get to laughing like teenage girls at a slumber party. Yes, it does feel good to laugh.
Smile it makes people wonder what you are up to.
Sue

Laughter

Since we have been talking about laughter this week, I thought I would pass this along.


A burglar broke into a house one night. He shined his flashlight around,

looking for valuables. He picked up a CD player to place in his sack, when a

strange, disembodied voice echoed from the dark saying, "Jesus is watching

you."



He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight off, and froze.



When he heard nothing more after a bit, he shook his head and continued.

Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as

a bell he heard, "Jesus is watching you."



Freaked out, he shined his light around frantically, looking for the source

of the voice. Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came

to rest on a parrot. "Did you say that?" he hissed at the parrot.



"Yep," the parrot confessed, then squawked, "I'm just trying to warn you

that he's watching you"



The burglar relaxed. "Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?"



"Moses," replied the bird.



"Moses?" the burglar laughed. "What kind of people would name a bird Moses?"





"The kind of people that would name a Rottweiler Jesus."

Tee Hee, not really a roflol
Sue

NOTHING SPECIAL

Yesterday was a day for medical necessities. Since I was scheduled to have my stitches removed at 2:30, I made appointments for my annual tortures. (mammogram, PAP, blood tests etc. 11:30, 1:30 and 2:30. This is easier as I can use 1/2 day sick time and not have to worry about making up time if the doctors are running behind (when aren't they). The Mammo was first and they were giving away some stuff for October Breast Cancer Awareness. There was a pretty pink rose, some recipes, a pocket calender and other odds & ends. I had lunch with a friend who works in the Medicare office and then thought I better run home and put the rose in water. While I was at home, I clipped a few of the surviving roses by the house. I can now say I have had roses in my house in November.

The Husker girls gave me a Halloween scare last night by going 5 sets against Missouri. Really was nerve racking after the disappointing performance in Austin last week. It is a good thing I didn't have to have my blood pressure checked after that game.

Volleyball has been my entertainment this fall. Abby plays with W-P freshmen and has had a real good season. Last week Utechts & I went to Battle Creek to watch some conference games. Monday night I went to Wayne to watch sub-districts. Wayne beat Madison, West Point-Beemer beat Wisner-Pilger and Norfolk Catholic beat Wayne. The finals were Tuesday night, but I didn't drive to Wayne for that. Norfolk Catholic beat West Point-Beemer. Norfolk Catholic played for a trip to State last night, but I haven't heard any results. If they won, the have an undefeated season.

Jerry got his first deer of the season. Seems like he gets one with his truck every year just before deer season opens. This can be a lot costlier than the one he may shoot. With all the elk in the freezer, he really doesn't care if he gets one hunting this year. He does have a permit and will go sit with Abby so she can get one. If Joe or Abby wants to get a second one, they can tag it with Jerry's permit. The more they shoot the fewer there are to hit on the highway.

Sue

Thumb

Surgery went well. There is about a 1/2 inch cut with 2 stitches at the base of my right thumb. It is all pretty colors around it. I am back to work with limited use of my right hand.
Sue

Soggy weekend

No back nine this weekend only the front nine Friday night. Donna & I managed to get nine in before it rained. We just got to the shed when it started sprinkling.
It rained Saturday - no golf. It rained Sunday - no golf, 4 person scramble rained out. It rained Monday - no golf, NWAGA scramble at the Pines near Valley rained out.
So, inside stuff. The game wasn't on TV, thank goodness. I had trimmed the trees out back and cut back a really sticky bush on Thursday so we loaded that stuff up and Jerry took it to the dump. He went to Pilger to change oil in trucks. I filled some cracks in the floor of my sun room. I loaded up some discarded items and took them to the Salvation Army.
You know how one thing leads to another? Well when I got back from the Salvation Army, the wheelbarrow that had some of the trimmings in it was still out because the van has to be out of the garage to get it in it's proper storage spot. Well, I decided to sweep that corner of the garage. Then I just kept sweeping and moving things. Then I noticed how dirty the window was, so get the windex and wash the window. After moving all the gardening tools around, I decided we needed another rack to hang them on (put on list for Sunday). I asked Jerry what he wanted for supper. He didn't know (as usual). I talked him into going to Whiskey Creek since he didn't get home in time to eat out with us on Friday.
Sunday- We went to church. Donna & Denny joined us because the Saints & Sinners were doing the service. One of their members had surgery so the were a trio instead of a quartet. We went to Hyvee for breakfast, stopped at Menard's and picked up what we needed for the storage rack and got some hooks to hang a ladder in the now clean garage. Had to go home to get my grocery list, so had to go out again. The rack and hangers are all installed and the garage looks a lot neater (for now anyway).
Finishing up my laundry, I decided to clean out the vent to the dryer which hasn't been working real well. I don't use it much in the summer, but with the rainy weather I decided it was time to see what the problem was. It was bad. Now it works like a new dryer. This led to cleaning the basement laundry room. Then while I am down there, the bathroom got cleaned. It is easy to "forget" to clean the basement bath since it doesn't get used much.
Time to sit for awhile. Jerry is watching the Chief's and then surfing the other games and to women's golf. I picked up the book I have been reading, Middlesex, that someone recommended. This is a really long book, but hard to put down. Still have a few pages to read. Sunday evenings I like to work the World Herald crossword puzzle while watching TV.
Monday back to work, since golf was rained out. Probably a good thing because I have been really busy.
Thursday I go in to have my "trigger thumb" repaired. This is something that came on after the carpel tunnel surgery I had 2 years ago. I had a cortisone shot in it then, but it has recurred, so will have it fixed. Outpatient thing and only off work a couple of days. Will be limited to using only my left hand for a couple of weeks and then no lifting or straining it for 4 to 6 weeks. Golf clubs will have to go to the basement until spring. (unless we get some really warm winter weather.)
Would be nice to see some sunshine.
Sue

10/08/07

Fall is in the air. Air conditioner was turned on for awhile Saturday night to cool the house for sleeping. No one had been home all day so it wasn't needed until then.
Friday evening golf - darkness won and we had to quit with 1 hole left.
Saturday - Jerry was invited to play with his brother in a scramble in Oakland. They had a good time and took first place out of 18 teams. Meantime I went antiquing and shopping with Utechts in Lincoln. (Sorry, girls, didn't even get a chance to call). We got home in time to watch the Huskers get slaughtered. Nebraska needs another Tom Osborn. The volleyball girls took Colorado in three and are still undefeated.
Sunday - we worked on putting new carpeting on our front steps. The project was rained out before it was finished. There were several storms that hit our area Sunday afternoon and evening.
Weekends are always too short and I never get as much accomplished as is planned.
Sue

Phone

The phone is back in my possession and turned back on.
Sue

weekend

Friday I had to tell a lie to my friend and best golfing buddy.

Today is her 60th birthday. Her husband of 40 years had planned a small surprise party. Her daughter and family from Salina, KS also planned to surprise her just by coming for the weekend. My part was to tell her I couldn't play golf after work. Therefore I had to tell her that Joe wanted us to come to his house for supper and we wouldn't be able to golf or go out for supper. It is probably a good thing I told her over the phone, because I am not a good liar. When she walked into Baily's
she said that 2 shocks were more than she could take in one day. The first being her family walking in and the second being that we were there ready to celebrate this milestone. After supper we went to their house for some socializing. A good time was had by all.
Saturday we had tickets to NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL, the number 1 team in the nation.
We also celebrated KENDRA'S BIRTHDAY, #11. Tammie & Randy had purchased an old pickup and we were delivering it to them. Three reasons for a trip to Lincoln. We picked up the truck and paperwork ane left Norfolk about 12:30. With the wind blowing 30-40 mph the 1/2 tank of gas in the truck was used up in a hurry. One of the places we stop for a break is David City. I was going to put gas in the truck, but when I switched tanks it showed almost a full tank. We took our potty break and got a Diet Coke. Only a few miles down the road the truck began to stutter and died. After coasting to the side of the road, I switched back to the front tank and the truck started. Now the gas tank is on empty with about 15 miles to Seward (into the wind). We made it to Seward, whew! Since we had not had lunch we decided to get a hamburger at Runza to sustain us until Godfateher's. When I got back to the truck, I couldn't find my cell phone. Jerry dialed the number, but we could not hear it ring. All I knew of the station in DC was it was a Shell station. I found a phone book, but it was not listed under "Shell". I called the non emergency number for the DC police dept and got the name of the station. They had not found the phone and no one had turned it in. Now I have to find the Alltel customer service number. The one listed in the phone book did not work. Calling back to Courtesy Ford, Jeff found the number for customer service on the Internet. Of course when I call I get someone with an accent. Cell phones are not always known for being clear, but I think I finally got the service cancelled. Ok, now I better get some gas. Pulling up to the pumps, 3 of the 4 pumps have bags over them indicating out of order. The 4th one a guy was trying unsuccessfully to get it to work. We gave up on gas there and I hoped I had enough left to get a block down the street to get enough to get to Lincoln. We left Seward with just about enough time to get to Godfather's in time for the party. I only made one wrong turn in Lincoln, but we got there.
Kendra loved her remote-control Mustang, the book (A Series of Unfortunate Events) and the sweater that we had given her. We had pizza and cake and a nice visit. T&R were happy with the truck. They had plans to haul lumber from Home Depot on Sunday.
Off to the VB game. Only a few wrong turns and into the parking lot. A short walk of about 3 blocks and we are there. Nebraska swept Baylor in three and it only took about 1 hour and 15 minutes. We had an uneventful drive home. Thank goodness.
Sunday was pretty quiet until the middle of the afternoon when the wind changed to the north and started blowing hard again. We were lucky and did not get any of the storms that hit around the area. The good news is that Randy called and had found my phone in the truck.
Back to work.
Sue

First job

Baby sitting around the neighborhoods was probably my first job at 12 or 13 years of age. Taking care of Shirley and Janell while Mom worked was probably my first job. There was no pay except what I needed or cash if I wanted to go roller skating or to a movie. The "job" also included fixing lunch for Dad, Mick, Bob, Shirley & Janell and cleaning the house, doing laundry, etc.
The next "job" I had was when I went to Lincoln School of Commerce. I lived with a family in Lincoln. In exchange for room and board and $5.00 a week, I watched after their 3 kids and did the house cleaning. The mother was recovering from some sort of heart problem. The course I took at LSC was just a one year course so that was as long as that job lasted. The three kids I watched after were all very smart and I often wonder what ever became of them.
Sue

Grasshopper

At the request of LDCP I am going to try to review a book. I'm not very good at this so bear with me.
The book is "Grasshopper" by Barbara Vine.
The story takes place in England. It is told by the main character, Clodagh. She is and electrician and is called to do some work and finds the lady of the house is someone from her past, Liv. This brings back memories and her story.
When Clodagh is a teenager she has an obsession with high places. Her boyfriend, who is 16, is killed falling off a pylon that the two of them had climbed. Clodagh is blamed for this because she is older at 17. After finishing high school she is sent to live with her mothers cousin, Max and his wife, Salina, while she takes classes at a very minor college. She is not interested in the courses that she is taking and misses a lot of class time. Clodagh is very afraid of underground spaces. Although she adapts to living in the basement apartment of her cousin, she cannot bring herself to use an underground walk to the school. Therefore she finds a longer route above ground. She is called to her adviser's office because of her poor academic record. On her way to meet with her advisor she is forced to use the underground tunnel because of a murder on the overpass. About half way through she has a panic attack and is rescued by "Silver." Silver, which is short for Silverman, happens to live in a top floor apartment in his parents house which is next door to Max's. Silver is living on an inheritance from his grandmother's estate. After Clodagh is kicked out of school and has a fight with Max and Selina, she moves in with Silver.
There are several odd characters living full or part time with Silver. The thing that draws most of them together is that they like to wander around London on the rooftops. Wim, who is very agile on the roofs. Johnny is a burglar. Liv had been an au pair until she had a miner auto accident with her charges while drinking. She ran from the scene and was "rescued" by Johnny. She had stolen some money from her employers and after Johnny brings her to Silver's she become agoraphobic.
While climbing around on the roofs, Wim discovers a couple that are hiding from authorities because they ran off with their foster child whom they could not adopt because he was mixed race and they are white. Silver, Clodagh and Wim decide to help the couple escape to Australia where they can live as a family.
The book has a lot of different story lines that eventually come together.
The reader is informed in the last few pages the fate of most of the characters, but is left to guess on some of them. I found the book easy to read, but the story lines were kind of far out there.

Since I haven't reviewed a book since high school, I hope this isn't too confusing to follow.
Sue

The week in review

Sunday was the Denton picnic.

Monday Abby had a volley ball triangular with Battle Creek and Stanton. Three teams meet and each plays the other two. Abby's team beat both other teams. They never lost a set.
Tuesday we had a little stormy weather so no golf. I had a gift certificate from the NWAGA tournament at Eldorado Hills so I went shopping. They had just got in some new Nebraska stuff so I got a new sweatshirt and spent the rest on golf balls. I am now supplied for probably all next year.
Wednesday - Although golf league is over, some of the ladies still go out to play, so that is what I did. I am not bowling this year. My team disbanded and I need to get my trigger thumb fixed before I try it again. I am kind of tired of bowling anyway. The thumb surgery is scheduled for Oct. 18.
Thursday - Donna invited me to a salad supper with her sorority. After the supper the visited a jewelry store that has moved from downtown to a new building. Some of the women are really into fine jewelry. I don't see the need to wear $8,000.00 rings. I would be afraid of it getting stolen or lost.
Tonight, weather permitting will be golf and supper out.
Speaking of bowling, The team I went with to national bowling in Charlotte placed something like 467th and we each got back $22.68. This didn't quite cover the expenses. (ha ha).
Work has been kind of boring this week. The third week of the month us usually kind of slow. We are done with last months stuff and aren't into closing out this month. Unless there are a lot of car sales we have a slow week.
This coming week most of the tv shows start a new season. It is time to check the schedules to see where they have moved my favorites and to see what new programs are offered. The number of "reality" shows is getting out of hand. The only one I watch is "The Biggest Loser". How can they really be put in some remote part of the world to "survive" with a film and production crew? What has happened to "family shows"? Every sitcom revolves around sex. Even the kid on 2 1/2 Men knows more about life than I knew at 21. This kind of stuff is sending the wrong messages to our children. The only celebrities that get any publicity are the ones that are getting into trouble. I'm already tired of hearing about OJ, Brittney and Justin, Paris and all the others. Why don't we hear more about Tiger Woods and the good he does for kids? We don't get bombarded with the "good stuff" like we do the "bad".
The PGA gives a lot of money to charities, but do you hear much about the good they are doing. Not all athletes are bad. Some give a lot of time and money with underprivileged kids. Which ones do you hear about? Yah, the ones in trouble.
OK, enough ranting and rambling. Everyone have a good weekend.
Sue

ANOTHER FUNNY

Giving an excuse for being late for work, a guy said he had been in a fight. He said he rear ended a vehicle, The driver, who happened to be a dwarf, got out and looked at the damage. He looked at the drive and said "I'm not Happy." The driver replied "Which one are you." and the fight was on.
lol
Sue

9/17/07

This weekend was not a golf weekend. I think that is more newsworthy than golf. Friday evening Jerry got home too late to golf and our usual golfing buddies couldn't make it either. On the off chance that there would be someone to golf with, I went out to Fairplay. There is usually another group of 4 couples that we sometimes join if we are short players. NO ONE WAS THERE. Sniff, sniff. Since I was all ready to play, I played nine holes by myself. I won. lol. When I got home, Jerry was heading for the shower and our friends were ready to go out to eat. Eating out on Friday nights whether we play golf or not is our regular Friday night activity.
Saturday- Abby had a volleyball tournament. This started at 8am so no sleeping in. There were 16 teams in this tournament. There are "pools" of 4 teams playing on 4 different courts. Each team plays 2 sets the against the 3 teams in their pool. This sets up the tournament matches. There are 4 tournaments played on 4 different courts. The teams that play are selected by how many games won and by how many points. They are Gold. Silver, Bronze and Platinum. Abbys team won the Gold, or top bracket. They only lost on set in all the games they played. We had planned to golf after the volleyball, but they didn't get done until 2:30. The weather never really warmed up much and it was raining off and on so it was a good day to skip the golf.
We had supper at Utechts, and watched the Huskers get embarrassed Saturday night.
No surprise there since USC is supposed to be #1.
Sunday was the Denton picnic in Oakland. This is not a real big picnic because it is only Jerry's brothers and sisters and their families. Jacob went with Jerry and I because Joe wanted to get a start shingling his house. I spent a little time tossing a football with Jacob until the other kids arrived. The kids all had a good time playing in the park. Kendra played a couple of songs on her violin. This is her second year of lessons. Always nice to catch up with family. Then it was home (Jerry had left with his truck from Oakland). I decided the lawn could wait a couple of day to be mowed. I finished the laundry, paid some bills and watched "Rear Window."
By the way, Janell, you are not the only one that doesn't get the Noah/ woodpecker joke. I think I have to explain it to most of the people when I tell it.
Sue

Elk

Jerry & Joe left Norfolk Thursday evening to go to Chadron for their elk hunting trip. They have been saving and looking forward to this for about a year. The way I understand it is the owner of the ranch raises the elk, tags them and turns them loose in the wild. He has a bunk house for the hunters and feeds them all their meals while they are there. J & J were the only 2 hunters there for the days they were there. This is nice because no one will be shooting into them. The rancher told J & J that there was one huge bull that had a red tag, meaning it was about 9 years old and the oldest one out there. He had not seen it for about 8 days. He drove them out to the timber and left them. He came back to check on them later. Since they had not scared anything out of the woods, he took them to another area. They found the big bull and Joe asked Jerry if he wanted it. Jerry said he didn't think he could hit it because he was shaking so bad. Joe said he was too, but took the shot. The big bull is his. Jerry did get a "smaller" one later that morning. I can't put up the pictures, but the antlers on both of them are as tall as they are. This is a trip that Jerry has talked about for years. If it weren't for Joe, he probably would never have had the opportunity to do this. Joe will probably get to keep both sets of antlers since we don't really have a spot for them in our house. I don't think Jerry even needed the new camos. Joe will be allowed one room in their new house that will be his room to display all his hunting trophies. Angie calls it the "Redneck room."
In the meantime, I had another golf scramble to play in on Saturday. Once again my partner, Donna, and I were 1 stroke out of the money.
Our interim pastor told us Sunday that Noah took one of every creature on earth except a woodpecker. lol.
Anyone want to come up for an Elk dinner?
Sue

Dream

I had a real crazy dream the other night. (What dreams aren't crazy). First I have to tell you what we did over the weekend. Friday night we played our usual Friday night 9-hole golf. Saturday we played 18, watched the Huskers tromp Nevada and then had a cook out at our house with the Utechts. Sunday, as always Labor Day weekend, Fairplay had a couples tournament. We invited our good friends, the Swansons, from Wayne to come over and play with the Utechts and us. The Swanson's got some money back, but we didn't play bad enough or good enough to place. We had a great time and the fun with our friends was worth the money. We stopped to buy groceries and get Jerry a pair of camouflage bibs for his upcoming hunting trip. OK, this all must have been on my mind when I fell asleep Sunday night.
The dream- You all know how dream jump around. First we had just finished playing golf and were supposed to pick Joe up for some reason. (Don't know how he got into this). It was dark and it seemed like we were somewhere that we weren't supposed to be. I was on a road on a high ridge and Jerry was down below. We heard someone coming and he dove behind a bush to hide. When the coast was clear, he jumped up and started running up the hill at a speed like in a movie that was fast forward. The funny part is he was wearing his camouflage bibs. When he got in the van we started down the road and there was a wooden crosswalk that we had to get out and take apart to proceed. Then I woke up. I guess we got away. When I picture Jerry running up that hill in fast forward speed, in him camos, I can't help but giggle.
Monday, Jerry had to go to work so I stayed home and did laundry, ironing and hemmed up his new bibs. I didn't do too much else, but watched a couple of movies on the telly.
How was everyone's long weekend?
Sue

8/27/07

Norfolk City ladies golf tournament was held Saturday. There were only 12 ladies that played. I don't know why out of possibly 150 to 200 ladies only 12 want to play. I didn't play well enough to place, but we got to play at the Norfolk Country Club for $35.00 which is less that green fees would be. I was only 1 stroke out of the money so it wasn't too bad.
Friday night the Husker Volleyball girls opened their season with the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) tournament at the Qwest Center in Omaha. I really debated about getting tickets and going to this event. As it turned out the games were shown on net (Friday) and CSTV (Saturday). The girls looked great and won 3 straight from Tennessee and 3 to 1 over #5 UCLA. Am looking for tickets to the Baylor game if anyone happens to know of a couple floating around.
Sunday Jerry left early and I didn't play golf so had the whole day to do some catching up projects. Never get them all done, but did get the kitchen cleaned and the table cleared off, besides all the usual weekend chores. Tried to get a little more organized with my paper glut to keep it from piling up on the table. Every time I see it piling up, I think of Mom and her kitchen table. After all of the kids were gone, she only needed a spot for her to eat and the remainder of the table seemed to collect all sorts of papers. I must get my lack of organizational skills from her.
Sue

peanut butter bars

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup shortening (I use Crisco butter flavored)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350. Cream brown sugar, peanut butter and shortening. Add eggs and vanilla: beat well. Stir together flour & baking powder. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating till well mixed. Spread in a greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake in 350 oven about 30 minutes or till done (center will be slightly soft.) Cool
Frosting
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
milk or cream
Cream together peanut butter and butter/margarine. Slowly beat in powdered sugar and enough cream to make of spreading consistency.

For the frosting I use more of everything and make a thicker layer of frosting.

We ended up with 5 inches of rain yesterday and last night. During the storm lightening struck a building across the street from C F. There is an apartment on the top floor of the building. The strike knocked down the brick chimney. The bricks went through an awning and landed on the deck. One of our service writers called the people that live there to see if they were ok. They had not even realized they had been hit. There was a small fire, but it was raining so hard the rain put it out. The sun is shining this morning so hope the rain is over for awhile.
Sue

Rain

It is raining and storming again. We have had rain, wind, hail, thunder and lightening almost every day and night this week. I now know how LaDawn felt when they were getting rain every day. The computers were down because of a power outage overnight. First thing this morning was to get the system up and running. Outside a dumpster from the Methodist Church south of Courtesy Ford was blown into 3 pickups on our lot. I didn't go out and look, but the salesmen said it looks like the trucks ran into something going about 50 mph, which was about the wind speed last night. I wonder who is going to be liable for the damage. The church, the owner of the dumpsters or our business. We are not in a flood area and hope the flood control never gets full. I don't know for sure when it was built, but a long time ago Norfolk did have a real bad flood. I do remember when the Logan would flood between Lyons and Bancroft and west of Oakland. The Logan has been dredged out and dirt built up in these areas to stop the flooding. This weather is really unusual for August. We think of August as being hot and dry. This year it is HOT AND HUMID.
There has been a lot of fog in the mornings. If the ninety days from fog - there will be moisture holds true - November will be either real wet or real snowy. Monday evening we did get done golfing before the storm hit. Looks like we may have another postponement tonight.
Sue

Weekend

Saturday Fairplay had a tournament scheduled to start at noon. Therefore to get done before noon we had to tee off a 8 am. But first we had to meet for breakfast. To get this all accomplished, the alarm went off at 5:30. This is supposed to be my day to sleep in. Oh, well. We got in our 18-holes and went home to laundry and grocery shopping and all the fun Saturday stuff that needs to be done. I went to church at the 6 pm service so I could sleep in on Sunday.
On Sunday we were invited to a 40th anniversary party for a couple we became friends with when we lived in the Scribner area. Janice also worked in the Lyons Nursing home when Mom was there. They have 5 girls and 19 grandchildren. No way I could keep all of the grandkids straight. The youngest girl lives in Idaho and wasn't there. We did a lot of stuff with this couple and one other couple in the 3 years we lived there. It was nice to catch up on their lives. Jerry didn't get to go as he had to take off for Ohio early on Sunday.
On the way home I decided to drive out to see how Joe's housebuilding was coming. The house is all framed out and ready for a roof. Angie and Abby were filling the block retaining wall with gravel and Joe was moving dirt. It seems to be coming along ok. They will have a real nice view of the lake when it is done. Jacob can go fishing whenever he feels like it. We walked through it and they showed me what was going to be what. Will be real nice. By the way, I have never seen Angie so dirty.
When I got home I took in the laundry, made beds, mowed the lawn, watered flowers, made peanut butter bars for the golf ladies NWAGA tournament tonight (weather permitting), had a "Healthy Choice" dinner out of the freezer, and watched Raising Helen on tv. This was my "day of rest?"
Sue

7/17/07

7/17/07 - Sounds like it should be a lucky day. Not much to blog about this week. Saturday we played 18 holes of golf in the HOT AND HUMID weather. On Sunday we were going to play in the afternoon. After Jerry changed the oil and sharpened the blade in the mower, he came in and said it is too d=== hot. So, we stayed home and watched the poor golfers play in Tulsa where the temp was over 100. And they walk.
The lawn had to be mowed. When it clouded up a bit I decided to "get r done". Just as I finished it started to rumble a little and we got a real nice rain at just the right time. Tiger won his first tournament with his daughter present in the club house. I always like to see Phil Mickelsen win and his 3 little kids run out to hug him when he gets done. Those hugs have to feel better than the trophy.
On Monday we had ladies league make up from the rain out the previous week. On Tuesday Donna & I played in a scramble at Kelly's. Kelly's is a nine hold course just west of Norfolk. We won with a 33. On Wednesday we had our regular league night.
It has cooled off a little today. Kind of a nice break from the heat, but it is supposed to be hot over the weekend. Too bad we can't bottle some of the heat to let loose in the winter.
Sue
Sue

#7 - Dream

The dream almost everyone has is to be rich and happy. Unless I win the lottery, I will probably never be rich. There are days I am happier than others. Being contented is not to have what you want, but to want what you have. The dream now would probably be to be able to retire comfortably and do some traveling. There are so many places in the USA that I would like to see.

Thanks LaDawn for starting this project. It has been fun to read every one's comments.
Sue

#6 - Being a woman

Best - Not wearing a tie to work. I couldn't tie it. Seriously, to be able to create new life.
Worst - not being able to pee in the woods without getting your shoes wet.
Serious side - Being underpaid for the same job as a man.
Sue

#5 best/worst

The best part is sharing and doing what your spouse and family like to do. The worst
is the differences. Since living together was not as common in the 60's, learning the bad habits and idiosyncrasies of your new roommate can be a shock. Like Cindy, kids can fit into both categories. There are times you want to beat some sense into them and times you can't hug them enough.
Like life there is good and bad in every marriage and family. It is best to dwell on the good and forget the bad.
Sue

#3 & #4 - money

Probably the most profitable $$ ever spent was for the house we bought in Oakland. It almost doubled in price while we were living in it. Unfortunately the money we made went to pay off other debts and taxes.
The worst $$ ever spent was on the house in Wayne. We bought it when interest rates were high and the market was bad when we sold it so we lost money on that one.
On a smaller scale - I have probably bought a lot of things that I thought were bargains and never really used. Since I am a bargain hunter. When I go shopping I never buy much that isn't marked down. This is the main difference between men and women when they shop. Men don't "shop" they "buy." Women shop for the best deal which is the fun of shopping.
Sue

#2 Advice

These are all really thought provoking questions.
First, How many of us listen to the advice given to us when we are 18 and out on our own for the first time.
Living on a farm with the nearest town being less than 1000 people, what we knew of the bigger world was probably what we saw on television. Ozzie & Harriet, Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, etc. I don't recall any women in charge. Our Miss Brooks was about a teacher and there was another program about a secretary named Suzie. These seemed to be the options for women. The advice I wish I had would probably be that a girl can do anything she wants to do or has the talent to do. When I was a senior in high school, I wanted to take a shop class but girls were not allowed to take shop. Boys could not take Home Ec. There were no girls sports either. This is kind of odd because when my Mom was in high school she played on the girls basketball team. I think just a few years before my high school years boys were allowed to take a home ec class. Women have come a long way in the past 40 years, but they still have some ground to make up.
Sue

#1 of Ladawn's blog (AT 18)

What was my vision of the future at 18? That has been so long ago I'm not sure I can remember. Just out of high school my first goal was taking a business course at Lincoln School of Commerce. I took the secretarial course thinking I wanted to work in an office setting. My second goal, as was the goal of most girls of the 60's era was to get married and have a family. After working in secretarial positions and bookkeeping positions, I found that the accounting was more interesting. I am still working in an office setting. Hindsight being better than foresight, I think I should have taken more accounting classes and maybe became a CPA.
As far as the family - Although it was not Ozzie and Harriet, they all survived and are doing quite well in their own lives. When the babies were born, you think you have all the time in the world before they are grown, but that time now seems like just a few minutes. I wish I could be more involved in the grandkids lives. They will be out on their own way to soon.
Sue

#1 (AT 18)

Weekend

This weekend the Fairplay club tournament was held. The ladies and the men's championship played on Saturday. The men's championship also plays on Sunday along with the other flights.
I shot 95 which is ok for me but not good enough to win anything. Between the golf and the dinner a 9-hole par 3 course is set up on the back nine. I shot a 31 on this little fun event which was good enough for second place.
Since we couldn't play at Fairplay on Sunday, we drive to Battle Creek to play the course there. This is not a good course to play on such a hot humid day. It is a rather new course and the trees are not big enough for much shade. It is a fun little 9-hole course so we played it twice to get in our Sunday 18.
It has been trying to rain here for several days. We keep getting just a little bit off and on. It is all welcome. Today it rained pretty good for a couple of hours. Some of my golfing friends and I were going to play at Kelly's tonight, but it has been postponed until next week. Kelly's is a 9-hole course a few miles west of Norfolk.
Have been trying to set a day to do something with the grandkids. We like to get them all together and do something fun. Don't know if we can top the horseback riding they did last year. There is a new water park in Fremont that they might like so will try to get that arranged. It is getting harder to find activities that all of them will have fun doing since there are now a couple of teenagers involved.
We used to take them to HD zoo, but I think they kind of got tired of that so have tried to find some new stuff to do. Does any body have any suggestions?
Sue

High places

This week a cell tower is being erected in downtown Norfolk. It has been both educational and interesting to see how these towers are put up. There are usually 3 guys waaaaaaaaay up there. I wonder how much they get to climb up there. I know if I was up there, I would not get anything done as I would be holding on with both hands. High places have always kind of scared me. Helping with roofing, siding and painting was kind of fun except when getting up on the ladders or roof. Climbing up on a roof is a lot easier than climbing down. Advice is always "Don't look down." Ya right. You have to look down to find the first step on the ladder to get down. Hiking in the mountains in Colorado last summer, I tried to stay to the inside of the trail. Janell, Paulette and I did make it to the top and a nice forest ranger took our picture. It was kind of scary standing on the edge of a mountain. When we were younger Aunt Grace lived in this big farm house. Sometimes while visiting, we kids would go clear up to the attic and look out the window. Since the house was on a hill, it really looked like a looooooong way down. While flying it is fun to watch things get smaller and smaller as you fly off into the wild blue yonder. (wherever that is) Then to watch everything grow back to normal when landing. Even though I don't like high places, I do like to sit by the window when flying. I try to pick out the major cities or rivers that we should be flying over. Cloudy days are always disappointing when I fly. Jerry, on the other hand, does not like to go down into caves. Everyone has some kind of phobia, what is yours?
Sue

Solier

A sad day in Norfolk yesterday. A soldier was buried. The little church is not far from where I work. Before the service the patriot guard escorted the hearse to the church. There were probably about 50 of them. The riders had double duty yesterday as a soldier was also being buried in Bellevue. I happened to be out for my noon walk when the procession left the church for Prospect Hill. The procession went down Norfolk Avenue which is the main downtown street. There were 2 riders in front of the hearse and 3 behind. There must have been 300 to 400 cars in the procession. I think all the people that work on main street were lining the streets. Many of them were holding flags. The patriot guard know what their mission is. While there are always the protesters from some "church" in Kansas, the Guard helps to keep them from interfering with the ceremonies. While they were singing protest songs the riders revved up their engines to drown them out. At the cemetery they surround the grave site with flags to keep the protesters out of sight. A lot of these riders have served their country themselves. Others have lost loved ones. Some just want to do their part to honor and protect the fallen heroes. They are a very impressive sight.
GOD BLES AMERICA AND OUR TROOPS.
Sue

Golf

Now I am going to bore you with golf stories. If you are not interested, you can skip it.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - NWAGA held a 4-ball/best ball tournament at El Dorado in Norfolk. I don't know why they call it 4-ball because it only involves 2 people and 2 balls. The format is you play with a partner (mine was Joy). Each person gets strokes taken off according to their handicap. Each team member plays her own ball and records her score minus the handicap stroke or strokes allowed on each hole. The lower of the two scores is the team score. On Monday and Tuesday I played really well. We were in 3rd place after 2 days. There were 50 teams playing. I think I might have gotten a little nervous on the third day having never been in contention for so high a ranking. Our net score for Monday was 64, on Tuesday 62. On Wednesday we did not do so well. We ended up with a net 70. This is still below par 71, but not enough to keep us so close to the top. We did end up in 9th place. They paid down to 16th place so we did get back $100.00 each. Since this is considered an amateur tournament, cash cannot be paid. Our entry fee was $120.00. Even if we had not won anything, we played 3 days of golf, had 2 continental breakfasts and two lunches for our $120.00. And I enjoyed 2 1/2 days of vacation. I was disappointed in my play on Wednesday, but glad we hung in there fore something. (I now know how Sergio felt on Sunday). After play on Tuesday, they had a putting contest. A little putt putt course was set up on the putting green. There were 6 holes. I tied for first with 11 putts. I did win this portion of the tournament and got a little golf statue.
Bored yet? On Wednesday evening our Fairplay golf league had a member/guest tournament. This was a 2-person scramble. My partner, Kathy, and I shot well enough to get 3rd place in 2nd flight. Just enough to get our money back.
Still with me? On Thursday night 3 other ladies and I went to Wayne to play in a 4-lady scramble. We did not win anything, but had a great time.
One more - tonight Jerry and I plan to play in a couples scramble.
Sue

driving

On Saturday morning we went to Jacob's ball game. He played 2nd base and made at least 3 outs for his team. He never got to score, but did have a couple of hits. He is still in the coach-pitch league. No one ever strikes out and if they can't hit the pitched ball, the tee is set up for them. Lots of fun to watch the little kids and see how much they learn and improve each year.

Sunday. Jerry had to leave in the morning and it was predicted to be really hot and humid. There was a ladies scramble scheduled at Fairplay, but had to be cancelled due to lack of teams. Since I had a lot of golf scheduled for this week, I decided to burn some cheap gas and go for a drive. After I washed sheets and mowed the lawn, I showed and took off for Sioux City. There are 2 reasons for this drive. 1-I love to drive across Hwy 20 for 81 to SC. The scenery is just beautiful this time of year. The corn is tasseled and the beans are a lush green. Driving with the air conditioning on it even looks cool outside. The wheat and oats are all harvested and the stubble is a patch of gold among the green. Hiway 20 has a lot of hills and is kind of curvy. Coming over the top of some of the hills you can see a long long way and it is one of the most scenic drives in Nebraska. OK, #2 - Shopping. Summer stuff is on sale and I can buy stuff at the sale prices that I feel are too high priced at regular prices.
Good weekend.
Sue

7/20/07

Pretty quiet week this week. We had a couple of nice rains so won't have to water so much. The farmers should be happy for awhile anyway. We had some wind with the storms on Wednesday night so will have to pick up the twigs before I mow.
We had a small gas grill that was by our back door. (It came with the house) I had it taken out last week. Now have to fill the small hole before someone steps in it. I guess about the only one that goes out that door is me. We also had a really old grill that we have had since we lived in Oakland many, many years ago. We bought a new grill last fall so now to get rid of the old ones. The guy that took out the little one asked if he should take it for disposal. So that took care of that one. I made a sign that said "FREE", added a little note that said the valve needed to be replaced with a safety valve and set it out in the front yard. I put it out Saturday morning and it was gone before noon. Probably saved myself $12.00 dump charge. Never saw who took it, I just hope they don't bring it back. Now I have these 2 old chairs, Hmmmm!
Sue

Geese

The goslings seem to be all grown up. The older batch has flown away. Can't wait until the second ones are gone. They are really starting to mess things up. They sh** all over the place and now that they are grown up it is about like dog sh**.
Last week they even pecked around the cup on the 18th green. Don't know what they were after unless it was the sand for the gizzards. It has been fun to watch them grow up and see how the mom & dad teach them how to do goose things. The two families seemed to stay together most of the time. They would be in the same area around one of the ponds on the course. Each family would be separate, but in the same general area. Even though the babies are almost grown, the gander still watches alertly when anyone gets near. I guess the instinct to protect your kids even after they are grown is the same for birds and animals as for humans.
A little funny about a goose. Our parts manager lives on an acreage and has some animals including a goose. He also has a 3 year old granddaughter that spends a lot of time with them. One day the goose took after her and of course she ran screaming from him. Terry stepped between the goose and the little girl. When he picked her up and dried her tears she said "Papa Terry, if that goose does that again I will cook it."
I remember being chased by a rooster when I was real little. Dad was the hero at that time as he kicked him away before any physical harm was done. The mental part wasn't so lucky. I was always afraid of the big roosters on the farm. It seems they knew it too. It was a sprint from the outhouse to the house when one was around. I never liked to gather eggs either. It looked easy when Grandma Gatewood would reach uner the hen and steal her eggs, but I just didn't have the nerve to do that. I would get a corncob or a stick and poke at the hen until she flew off the nest.
So much for this fowl blog.
Sue

Friday the 13th

No black cats, no spilled salt, no broken mirrors, didn't walk under any ladders. So far, so good. I'm not really superstitious and don't know anyone who really is.
I don't even forward all the e-mails that threaten bad luck if I don't forward them to at least 275 people. Does having Friday the 13th just 6 days after 7/7/7 offset the luck/bad luck theory? I once bought Jerry a polo shirt on sale. I bought it on 7/7 and the sale price with tax came to $7.77. It didn't seem to help his golf game.
He did like the shirt because it was a light color which is always good when you are out in the sun. It did seem to get more stretched out every time I washed it. It eventually went to the Salvation Army for someone else to get some use out of it. Most people have some little thing they are superstitious about. One year my bowling team had little key chains with bowling pins on them that we wore on our jeans belt loops when we bowled. It turned out they were more for decoration than luck because we didn't do any better that year than any other year. How about "the luck of the Irish"? Do you think they feel very lucky on March 18th after drinking green beer and eating corn beef an cabbage? The Ides of March weren't very lucky for Ceasar. Good luck and God Bless all of you.
Sue

7/6/7

It seems as if the 4th of July is the halfway point in summer. The days start getting shorter and there seems to be less time to do all we planned to do "this year". I do like watching the fireworks displays, BUT I do wish the neighbors could be a little more considerate of those of us that get up at 6 am. In Nebraska fireworks can be sold and ignited for 10 days prior the 4th. In Norfolk they can be shot off until 11 pm those 10 days and midnight on the 4th. On my street they start every night at dark and go on way later than 11. Last night I got the best night's sleep I have had in 10 days. Norfolk has a REALLY BIG display on the Saturday before the 4th. It is called the Big Bang Boom and cost in the neighborhood of $30,000.00. (all donated). People come from miles around to watch the display. I have never battled the crowds and mosquitoes to see the display at the lake. There are a lot of places near the park that we can see most of the display. Donna had us to her house for Kabobs supper and we watched the display from the street in front of her house.
On the 4th we went to Wayne to play golf at one of our favorite courses with some of our favorite people. Then we stopped in Carroll for a cookout on the way home. Thanks, Bev & Hitch. Coming home from our outing, we could watch more fireworks. A lot of people were having their own Little Bang Booms. All in all it was great fun.

Playing golf is more than just a sport. It is a social outing. We have met a lot of people playing golf. Some of them have become really good friends. Golf is a sport that brings out the best and the worst in the players. Whatever your interests are, you usually find some really nice people with the same likings.
(there may be some you would like to avoid). I often wonder where we would have met new people if we did not play this silly game.
Hope 7/7/7 is lucky for all of you.
Sue

7/2/07

This year is now half gone. Where does the time go? We look a the changes that have happened in our lifetime and wonder what will our children and grandchildren see in their lifetimes. We have men and women in space. Our grandchildren probably give no notice of this since this has been happening all of their lives. We have seen great strides in medicine. Are we on the right road to finding a cure for all the cancers that seem to afflict so many today? After watching our mother go through the stages of Alzheimer's, a cure for this terrible affliction would make a big impact on the nursing home population. Watching a young man go from very athletic to a wheelchair with machines for him to breath and eat because of Lou Gehrig's disease makes us hope for a cure for all of the debilitating diseases that afflict way too many young people. How many of these terrible diseases will go the way of polio and smallpox in the next 50 years? How many of you remember standing in block-long lines for the Sabin Polio vaccine?
Are children learning math and spelling or are they just learning to run computers?
Do they teach manners in school. I remember in my little country school having a session on good manners. I suppose these things should be taught at home, but having a little class at school can't hurt. Now we have bigger problems in the schools with all the shootings. I truly believe this comes from the violence that they see on television and in the movies. I remember my mom saying she didn't like the "shoot 'em up shows" on television. The Lone Ranger and Roy Rogers were mild compared to what we see now. Also the sex that is in almost every TV show any more. What kind of message is it sending to our kids when they see every one jumping from one partner to another. It is shown as a sport. The consequences can be devastating, but this is not shown in most programs. How can we convince our young people not to mess with smoking and drugs? Even with all the ads showing the affects of both, they are still major problems of our society. When will there be enough support to ban smoking in all public buildings?

OK, Ive rambled on again. I had an uneventful weekend. Did get two projects done. I scraped the old adhesive off the front step so we can put down new outdoor carpeting. I aso had to rewash the windows in my sunporch. We had a real bad year for Moths and the windows looked like a windshield after a long nighttime drive. Today my back, arms, legs, shoulders, and hands hurt.
Sue

Friday

Kind of a quiet week. Only 1 9-hole golf scramble on Wednesday. Three ladies from Wayne came over to play with me in the tournament. My partner, Nancy and I played real well. Low score was 35 we shot 36 which is par. Our disappointment was that we lost placing in a scorecard playoff. Next week will be really messed up with the holiday right in the middle. I guess that won't bother Ladawn since I doubt the English celebrate our Independence Day. lol

Been kind of lonely in my office today. There are only 3 people in this department. One took the day off and the other has been out running errands most of the day.

Nothing special planned for the weekend so will try to get some of the things on my "list" done.
Sue

5 favorite things of summer

5. Kids splashing and laughing in the swimming pool down the street.

4. Will ditto the clean sheets from the clothes line.

3. Planting flowers and watching them grow and bloom.

2. Picnics and reunions.

1. Golf (like this is a surprise).

I might also add, no snow, no cold, no coats, gloves and boots.

6/25/07

Kind of an ordinary summer weekend. At our golf course, Fairplay, every other Friday there is a couples outing with pot luck. Different formats are played and the grills are lit for whatever meat each couple wants to bring along with some other dish. My specialty seems to be peanut butter bars. Everyone that likes peanut butter loves them. There are usually a lot of different salads and someone usually makes cheesy potatoes. One unmarried guy always brings a jar of pickles. The cost is $5.00 per couple and the payback depends on how may couples participate. Usually $20.00 for first and $10.00 for second. If there are enough couples $5.00 for third. There are usually enough for 2 or three flights. It is one of the fun things we do at Fairplay. This week we played bad enough to be in the 2nd flight and good enough to get 2nd place.

Saturday was laundry, cleaning what needed it the most (this time the bathroom) and grocery shopping before we headed out for our usual Saturday 18 hole golf round. Then supper at one of our favorite places, Bailey's. I am real excited about an announcement just made by the management of this eating establishment. They are going SMOKE FREE. They said they were waiting for it to become a law, but the legislature can't seem to get a decent bill formed on this issue.

Sunday Marti, Donna & I played in a 3-women scramble in Madison. This is a nine-hole course and we played 18 holes. What should usually take maybe 5 hours takes about 7. Then you have to take into consideration that there are some women who are there for the beer. There was one lady that the rescue squad was called for when she seemed to be overheated. My opinion is that she had too much to drink. It was kind of hot, I think in the 80's, but the wind was blowing and I really didn't think it was dangerously hot. We played with 3 other ladies that did not indulge while we were playing and really had a great time. These two teams came in first and second. Surprised?

After golf it was home to the usual Sunday mowing, watering flowers and pulling a few weeds.
I had washed sheets before I left so had beds to make, too. I decided it had been too long since I had just done nothing, so I picked up the Sunday crossword puzzle and watched reruns of Cold Case and Without a Trace. They ended up the same as the last time I watched them. lol

Sometimes we have to go back to work to rest up.
Sue

6/20/07

Busy, busy, busy. Cookout at Janell's on Saturday. What a great day for young and not so young. Most of us are still young-at-heart. Bubba is the greatest horse for teaching kids to ride.
Both Janell and he are really patient. The food was great and the fun and laughter while sitting in a circle in the shade outdoors was as much fun as I have had in a long time. I really hated to leave. Oh, yes, the food was great too.
Sunday it was nice to see the extended family and catch up on what is going on in their lives. There was swimming, paddle boating, hiking, fishing and I don't know what else everyone found to do in the great outdoors. Eating and Bingo were the sports of choice indoors. Of course when the Gatewood family gets together there are the masses of cameras and pictures to be taken.

Monday, it was back to Ashland for my friend Donna & I. We played Monday and Tuesday in the NWAGA eastern stroke play. Ashland is a pretty tough course. I was not totally unhappy with the way I played even though it wasn't good enough to win anything. We had signed up to play a ladies scramble in Stanton Tuesday night. We got back there with time to spare and visit with some other early arrivers. Donna & I shot 39 which was good enough for 2nd place. I had some really fun people to play with all three days.

One more golf tournament this week. The Norfolk Country Club is hosting their annual open today. Will be leaving work early to play in this tournament. Whew. June is always a busy month for tournaments. One reason is the extended daylight hours in the evenings. A lot of ladies outings are for only nine holes and are scheduled in the evenings.

The worse thing about the last few days was our motel. It was probably one of the worst places I have ever stayed. I it was called the Big Inn. Right along I-80 at the Ashland exit. It was probably a converted Super 8 or some other chain. There was no coffee, no shampoo, no drinking glasses, no Kleenex and no breakfast. ( We were really desperate for a place close buy to stay). The tub was clean but really worn from too many abrasive cleaners. The TV did work.
The motel was probably 40 years old and I think the towels were probably original. We tried all the standbys in West Omaha but everything that was available was doubled in price because of the College World Series. Our other choice was Lincoln, but we really wanted something close.
I don't think there were any bedbugs. I don't have any rash or itching today. All the rooms had outside entries and there is nothing like a Diesel truck starting up at 6 am for an alarm clock. Next time this tournament is in a small town, we will get reservations as soon as the schedule comes out.
Sue

6/15/07

Nothing much to blog this week so will just ramble. I had tried to start some zinias from seed, but I think the rabbits must have eaten them as fast as they came up. I only saw a couple of shoots coming up before I went on vacation. When I came back there was nothing. As a result, I bought some plants. Also some portulaca or moss roses for another bed. I should not be let loose in the plant shops. I seem to find all kinds of things I want to try. Don't even know the names of most of them.
Golf was rained out on Wednesday so got a little extra cleaning time. The problem with cleaning hit & miss is that your house is never all nice and clean at once. While growing up, cleaning day was Saturday. Furniture was dusted, floors were swept and scrubbed if necessary. We had no carpeting so no vaccuumming. I kind of followed that schedule when we were younger. Now my Saturday priority is laundry and cleaning is done as needed during the week.
Since I am home alone during the week, my table seems to collect all kinds of stuff. Kind of reminds me of Mom's. It doesn't have to be cleared off every day, three times a day, for meals. The stove is seldom used since the invention of the microwave. I eat a lot of frozen meals. Weekends - Friday night we usually eat out with friends after golf or in the "off season" we just eat out. Grilled cheese is our usually Saturday lunch and I might have to cook something for supper. Jerry is not a very adventurous eater and likes to stick to the basics. We sometimes go to HyVee after church for brunch and that will hold us over the rest of the day. Roast with potatoes & carrots thrown in is our Sunday supper. Roast beef was considered "Sunday meat" by our kids when they were growing up. I guess we must have had it a lot.
Mowing the lawn is a twice a week chore if I don't want to bag it. After I get all my flower beds mulched, there is no where to dump the grass unless Jerry's pickup is home. Mowing also insures that I get some exercise at least twice a week. I have a neighbor across the street that will come over and blow the grass clippings off my driveway after I mow. He doesn't do this every time, but when he has mowed and is blowing the clippings off his walks. Jerry has a blower and a week wacker, but I can't seem to get the darn things started so can only run them when he is home. Then I let him have that fun.
Winter time the snow blower replaces the lawn mower, but is not a regular chore. The problem with the snow blower is that it is so cold when it is necessary to run it. I also have time to clean closets and drawers during the winter. The basement might get a good cleaning during the winter. I try to clean around the storage area after Christmas before I put all the decorations back. My t-shirt quilt was started this past year, but will have to wait until golf season is over to be finished.
This must all sound pretty boring, but too much excitement is not good for old people.
Sue

The trip home

Tuesday - The last day of vacation, just the trip home. Ya right!!
I do not trust motel alarm clocks. Therefore, after setting the clock/radio for 5 am, we decided to also call for a wake up call. Didn't need the wake up call. The radio BLASTED OFF at 5 am full volume and mostly static. We were awake. Ruth, my roommate, had showered the night before so I jumped into the shower. Everything so far is going as planned. We are ready to go at 5:45, the time set the night before. Knock on the door - every one is ready. Load all our luggage and bowling balls into the van, trying to remember how the nice young man at Enterprise had arranged things. Ok, ready to roll. The airport is about 10 minutes from the motel. Oops wrong turn - 20 minutes to the motel. Still ok for time. Kay & Kim were on a different flight. (Kay was our driver). The dropped us at our terminal and returned the car to Enterprise. We thought this would be much easier than wrestling all the luggage in and out of the van and shuttle. That was the last we saw of them. I assume they got home ok.
Ruth, Lajean Phyllis and I all checked in at the counter and got our boarding passes. We checked out the gift shops and got our little mememtos to take home. Then found a Burger King for a breakfast sandwich. On to our boarding gate. There was a little hold up on a couple of our tickets because they said paper ticket required instead of E-ticket. This delay made Lajean and I quite nervous because it was departure time. The plane did wait for all to board, but was now off schedule. We finally got clearance to take off about 40 minutes late. The good pilot made up about 30 minutes time, but we were quite late getting into Chicago. Going form the US Airways terminal to the United terminal was not so easy. We did not have the gate number on our tickets. We had to find the United moniter to get our gate number. Yup it was waaaaaaay down the hall. This required a shuttle ride to the other terminal and then about a block down the hallway to gate 30. Hoping there would be some other delay with our connecting. we practically ran to the gate.. (we are all 60+). Too late, the plane was still there, but the door was closed. (Kim and Kay were also to be on this connecting flight. I guess they had better connections.)
Now we are stuck. Back to the United desk. Nice lady told us all 4 of the flights for that day to Omaha were full. I asked if there was a "red eye". She informed us that Omaha was not a real hot spot. (Then why were all the flights full?) She booked us for the 6:30 am flight for Wednesday and put us on stand by along with about 16 other passengers. Hungry again, we went to the US Airways desk and explained the situation and could we get meal vouchers. The not-so-pleasant lady gave us each a $5.00 voucher for lunch. ( better than nothing).
We found the gate for the next flight out. Trying to decide who should go first - Lajean said she would wait until last since she was driving and no one could leave without her. I said if only one
or two of us could get on, we should go ahead because the likelyhood of all of us getting on any flight was pretty slim. I said I would go if only one seat was available because I could probably have a spot on my sister's couch if they had to stay over. All agreed. Ruth & I had the only cell phones so we made sure we had the numbers and I gave her Shirley's number as a back up. Lajean and Phyllis's names were called so we checked in at the desk. We were told that there were 4 seats available, but 4 names ahead of ours. He kept calling these other names. (I wanted to break his microphone). Three passengers answered the call. One seat left, counting the seconds - two minutes - 90 seconds - one minute - 30 seconds. Ok go you can get on. I ran
down the tunnel and steps out to the plane. Oh, oh, 2 muslims on the plane. Ok, don't be a bigot. Say a little prayer for a safe flight back to "The Good Life", Nebraska. About 2 o'clock I am in the familier Epply Airport - all by myself, sniff.
There were 3 more flights out of O'Hare. The next one to arrive at 5 something. I decide to wait until until the next flight due in around 5 before calling Bob to pick me up to wait or spend the night. I found an Omaha paper and worked the sudoku, the crossword puzzle and the scramble. Oh I read the paper, too. My cell phone battery was really getting low so I decided I would have to find a place to plug it it. I was smart enough to put the charger in my carry on. Sometimes I just amaze myself. The only place I could find an availabele plug in was, of course, the restroom. Just as I took my phone out of my pocket to plug it in, it rang. It was Ruth. They were all on the next flight. I almost shouted for joy. I charged my phone up for about 10 minutes just in case they had to call again. Ok, still 2 hours to kill. I decided to see if I could find our luggage, which I assume had arrived on time. I found the carosel for United, but no bags. I started serching. I found the locked room for unclaimed baggage and could see some familiar bags. I really didn't think I would be able to claim everyones bags, but I went to the counter anyway to see what I could do. The nice lady opened the door and let me take all the bags. I guess since I knew the names on the tags she was ok with it. Now I have 4 bags and 4 bowling ball bags and no where to sit but on the floor for about 2 hours. I found a book I had brought with and sat down. An airport employee came by and, after I explained the situation, said I could take the baggage cart sitting by the door and take the elevator up to meet the others. He helped me load the cart, but I decided to sit on a bench where I could see the esculator that the ladies would have to come down. This would be easier than wrestling all that luggage up the elevator. Good choice. About 5:20 my phone rang. It is Ruth asking where are you. I said just walk straight ahead when you come down the esculator. I looked up and there they were. We are all back in Omaha six hours late, but safe. (They told me that only one of their names was called to the gate, but they all went up and said there are three of us. The person at the gate handed them 3 tickets and said "get on the plane." The didn't argue. We assume someone pulled some strings to get them all on this flight. We really didn't think it would happen since there were at least 12 other people waiting on stand by.) We catch the shuttle to the parking lot and load up Lajeans car and decide we should eat. We had seen a little diner on Wednesday that looked rather inviting, but was just closing that night so we went there, had a sandwich and took off for Norfolk. No more problems. About 9:pm we got back to Lajeans where Ruth had left her car after picking up Phyllis & I. The process was reversed and Ruth took Phyllis and I home. Nice trip even with all the frustrations and bad bowling.
Sue

Trip

Wednesday - Lajean, Phyllis, Ruth & I left Norfolk around 6:30 pm. With a suggestion from me to avoid construction around Scribner & Hooper, we took the "scenic route" to Omaha. We took hwy 32 from West Point to Tekamah then through Herman and Blair and what we call the high road to Omaha. Two of the ladies had never been that way and enjoyed the change of scenery.
When we got to Omaha, we checked into our motel and started looking for a place to eat. We ended up at the Spaghetti Works in the Old Market. Back to the motel and to bed with an early wakeup call.
Thursday - Departure time 8:30 am Thursday. We had no problems with our flights or connection at O'Hare-Chicago. Kay and Kim had an earlier flight and were scheduled to arrive about the same time as us. They had trouble with planes not being up to snuff and were sent to 3 different gates before they got on one that was acceptable. They were about an hour late arriving in Charlotte. We checked with the airline to see when their flight would be in and were told it would be about an hour late. All safely in Charlotte, we had no problem getting shuttled to the rental place and getting our van. However getting all our luggage and bowling balls in the
van was not so easy. Apparantly the nice young man at Enterprise had loaded a lot of vans before ours. We got everything arranged and set off to find our motel. We had pretty good directions and didn't have much trouble finding it. It was a pretty nice place for a Days Inn. We
set off to find the first Bowling establishment, which was supposed to be about 20 minutes from our motel. If you have never been in Charlotte, it has the most confusing street system I have ever seen. The only street that runs straight is Hwy 77 north and south. All other streets look like a spider web only not as neat. A street may change name 3 or 4 times while you are driving on it. About 2 hours later, we finally found the place we were looking for. We had driven by it, but a tree was blocking the sign. Charlotte has so many trees that everything is hidden. While driving around the city, it seems as if you are in a forrest, but just on the other side of the trees are buildings and houses. There was a nice Mexican restaurant right by our motel so that is where we had our supper. Then to bed with an early (again) wakeup call since we had to be at the bowling center by 7:30.
Friday - Getting to the bowling center was a snap, and was only 20 minutes, once you know where you are going. Team bowling on Friday. We had 2 teams of 5. The other 4 ladies had made their own arrangements and plans for getting to and around Charlotte. I did manage to get close to my average for this event. Our team did not do anything too spectacular. Kay had a 213 which was the high in our group. After bowling we thought we better locate the next bowling center. Just as much trouble finding it as the first. However, now we have gotten a little smarter and ask. Only took us about an 1 1/2 hour to find it - 20 minutes in the opposite
direction from the motel. The Centers are not actually in Charlotte, but in the burbs. We decided to try to find the outlet mall in yet another suburb. We did find it taking the usual hour or two. Spent a couple of hour there. I bought a few things ( I love outlet malls). Back to the motel and accross the street to Murphy's Pub for supper. Nothing scheduled for early Saturday
morning so we get to sleep in. Midnight to get to bed.
Saturday - We don't bowl until 8:30 so have some time to be tourists. We have a bus tour scheduled for 1. They will pick us up at the motel for a nominal fee. After experiencing the street system, we opt to pay the extra $6.00 (well worth it). Nice, friendly, knowledgable driver. Took us around some of the neighborhoods, downtown and to some of the historical sights. There was a Greek festival in downtown, but we only had about 25 minutes to check it out. Really not much time. Seemed to be just like any other festival, only smelled like greek food. Mostly vendors trying to sell their wares. Noted sights - Jeff Gordon's condo, Randolph Scotts home and the cemetery where he is buried. Now we know the answer to the Statler Bros. song ,"Whatever Ever Happened to Randolph Scott?". Charlotte is named for Queen Charlotte, King George the something's Queen. Although George and Charlotte were not very popular, the city founders decided on the name to try to gain favor with the king. Nice tour and we saw places and learned a little of the history of the town. Will probably forget most of what he told us, but still feel like I might have learned something. Back to the motel to change into our bowling duds. Find something to eat and get to the Bowling alley. Yah, found it. Two of the
girls had trouble finding the place. If the bowling hadn't been behind schedule, they would not have made it. I did not do well in doubles and singles. Lajean was my doubles partner and although she had a couple of good games, we will probably not get any money back. A couple of the girls did good enough in singles to get a little back. If you go to these tournaments thinking you will make a lot of money, you just as well forget it. The fun is in what you do around your bowling schedule and going places you would not ordinarily go. We finished bowling around 11 and headed back to our motel. Another early wakup call for Sunday. (This is vacation?).
Sunday- 7:30 am start for Ashville to visit the Biltmore Estates. A 2 1/2 hour drive turned into 3 hours. Our usual wrong turn sent us into So Carolina. This is not a big deal, kind of like being in Council Bluffs instead of Omaha. The Biltmore is the largest privatly owned home in the US
250 rooms. It took about 3 hours to go through it. I'm sure if you are interested you can find more about it somewhere on the web. After we toured the house and gardens, we stopped at the winery for a selft guided tour and wine tasting. I have tried different wines at time and never really cared for any of them. We had a couple of sips of 6 different wines. I now know I do not like wine. Found a Cracker Barrel for supper. A waiter in the cafe told us of a "short cut"
back to Charlotte - big mistake. It took us on a curvey, two lane road for about 50 miles. Nice scenery, but it got dark before we found our way back to the 4-lane and to Charlotte. I think we stapped 3 times to ask directions. Back to the motel and the thought of sleeping in again.
Monday- We have a boat tour of the Lake Norman development set for 1. Allowing for wrong turns, we left plenty early. We finally asked directions (we are getting smarter). We were there
with about an hour to spare so walked around the dock and sat on the patio of the local cafe and enjoyed the nice weather. The tour was 3 hours long. Lake Norman has over 500 miles of shore line so we only saw a sampling. We had lunch on the boat and saw a lot of really expensive homes. One was once owned by Tony Stewart. Two others were built by twin brothers and had around 13000 square feet. One of the brothers had a pontoon and a dock for it. He did not use the boat that much so he sold it and converted the dock to a heliport for his helicopter. Since most of the passengers were in Charlotte for bowling, the captain pointed out one house that had a bowling lane in it. It was a nice day for a boat ride, but maybe could have been about half the time. Since it was not the weekend, there were just a few boats and jet skis out. We did see one
little boat with a couple of people fishing. After the boat ride we had more time. I had seen a Nieman Marcus sign as we passed one shopping center. Having never been in a N M store, I asked if we might just find it so I could say I had been in one. We did find it at a high end shopping mall. My time in N/M was very short. After looking at price tags of jeans ON SALE
for over $900.00 I headed for the sale racks of Belk's department store which is a locally owned chain of stores more in the Dillard's price range. I did find a pair of capris and a pair of shorts which I really didn't need, but bought anyway. We found a "diner" for supper which was probably the worst place we had eaten. Every other place was either the old reliables like BK or
we lucked out and had good food. Back to the motel and another early wake up call. I had repacked my suitcase in the morning so just had to find room for my new purchases. No problem.
Tuesday - The trip home is another blog. Shirley, you just about had an overnight guest.

Good to be back.
Sue

Memorial Weekend

On Saturday morning we got up early and headed out of town for the day. First stop - Lyons Hiway Cafe and breakfast with Janell & Randy. Our golfing buddies, Donna & Denny were with us. We had a nice visit and, as always, ran into some people we know. (Myrna, Rosemary Kai is now a waitress at the cafe.) Next stop the Lyons cemetery to remember and honor family members. Mom, Dad, Bob, James Lee, Grandparents, Milton, and Jerry's Aunt Betty. Then on to the Oakland Cemetery. Jerry's Mom & Dad, Mabel and Axel, Carol Ann, Jerry's Grandparents and Uncle Verle. Upon leaving the cafe I mentioned that we didn't see Jim Kroger at the cafe. It seems like we always run into him there. The first stop at the Lyons cemetery, there was Jim and his son Eric. Will & Marie are buried close to the Gatewoods. It has been a long time since we visited the cemeteries on Memorial weekend. We have visited either the week before or on Friday evening. It is really more touching to see all the flags and flowers that the legion and auxilary have so faithfully put up early Saturday morning. There was a grave being made ready for the funeral of Dale Newill scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

After our memorial visits, we were on our way to Ashland to play a practice round of golf. Donna and I will be playing there the 18th & 19th. As usual whenever we get out of Norfolk, we have to allow some shopping time. We had a couple of hours to spend at Nebraka Crossings factory outlets just outside of Gretna. There aren't a lot of stores there any more, but did manage to pick up a couple of things I really didn't need, but bought anyway. On to Ashland. Although it was rainy and drizzly when we left Norfolk, the skies kept getting clearer and clearer as we drove. By the time we teed off it was partly cloudy. It was one of those days that you practically wear out a sweatshirt putting it on and taking it off. When the sun was out it was perfect t-shirt weather. When the clouds would go over it was perfect sweatshirt weather. We then decided to find our motel that has a Greewood address. Greenwood is a very small town and we couldn't believe it would have any type of motel. It didn't. We ended up driving about 20 extra miles to find the motel that was just off the interstate at the Ashland exit. Couldn't believe the truck driver didn't know this. I am glad we found it and Donna & I didn't have to go hunting for it after we played.
We decided to eat supper in West Point on the way home. Our first choice was the Legion Club. Driving by we saw that they were having Artie Schmidt band and there wasn't even a place to park within 3 blocks of the place. Bernard's, a bar/grill type place where we sometimes stop, was closed. Our third option was JD's. This is where we ended up. Just as we pulled into a parking spot, a 31 county car pulled in the spot facing us. Someone else that we didn't see at the Lyons Cafe had driven to West Point for supper. Cheryl & Doyle Huffman and another couple that I didn't know. It was a very long but enjoyable day.
Sue

Busy weekend

There just aren't enough hours on the weekends. I have sooooooo much to do inside and out that I cannot seem to make a dent in the list. Of course I do have to get my 18 holes in on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday I finished washing the 15 windows on my sun porch. I got all my winter sweaters out, washed them and hung them out in the wind to dry. On Sunday, after chruch and brunch, I worked on moving out the "stuff" that is stored on the porch for the winter. Although God rested on the seventh day, I can't seem to find time. Sunday is also the day to grocery shop and mow the lawn. Last night I finished cleaning the sunporch and got the remaining houseplants moved out there. It looked so inviting to just sit out there and watch the birds and squirrels. We put out a new bird feeder that we thought the squirrels would not be able to rob. The first one to the feeder was a squirrel. He got on top of it and tried to reach the feed, but the trays were too small for him to get into. It wasn't long before there were some birds there. We also have a finch feeder out, but the finches must have felt the new feeder was easier to access because there were a few feeding along with the regular sparrows and other birds.
The baby geese were all alive and well when we went to play. Both families seem to stay close together but grouped as families. I had a ball fall about 10 feet from the family and papa hissed at me when I went to get it. Usually they will just walk away from the humans, but the babies were kind of napping so papa was a little more aggressive.
Now to tackle the rest of the house that has been neglected while the window washing project was in progress.
Sue