The rain is really beginning to hurt our crops…It’s getting a challenge to be upbeat at work..

AFA the memorial service: it was very tasteful and dignified. I hope they all find some healing. And I wish his kids the best. Very painful to lose a beloved parent at such a young age.

Hey Janice,

I’m glad the weather is relatively quiet across the country. We’ve had some beautiful weather here. It was a little chilly on top of Spruce Knob yesterday but the sun felt warm. It was pretty windy, which made it feel cooler. Some clouds rolled in and there were even some dark gray clouds but they blew away after a while. I got some great pictures and I’ll send you some this evening.

I’m not feeling well today. I think my allergies are flaring up and I feel like I’m getting a sore throat. I feel really tired but I think that’s from yesterday. Those roads in West Virginia are fun to drive on but when you do it for hours, it gets tiring! Some of those mountains had 10% grades, which is really steep! They’re pretty scary with all the curves on them. The best part of the trip is that they paved the road all the way up to the top of Spruce Knob. That used to be about 10 miles of dirt/gravel road with pot holes and all kinds of adventures. They paved it a few years ago and it was such a delight to drive on! My upper body got a good workout from all the curves in the road. I put 280 miles on my car and I think about 200 of that was on curvy mountain roads. I’m surprised I didn’t dream about that last night! I do love those roads because they lead to such beautiful scenery. I’ll make sure I send you some pictures so everyone can at least get a little taste of the beauty I enjoyed yesterday.

I’m running out of space so I’ll wish everyone a great day!

Margie

Good morning everyone.

It’s an absolutely beautiful morning here in Scotia, NY.

Janice we’ve had more than our fair share of rain in the Northeast which has been depressing, but I am enjoying the fact that the miserably hot and humid weather hasn’t yet made life unbearable here. I am quite thankful for that.

Hey Janice and all,

Gorgeous morn’ here. Will probably heat up some in the afternoon, but it has been very comfortable the past few days. Great weather for July!

I watched the memorial service too. I agree, it was very appropriate…and I cried when his sweet daughter spoke. I really feel for his children.

I’m sorry I didn’t celebrate Chocolate Day yesterday…I had strawberries and whop cream instead!

Have a great 1/2 way through the week day,
Deb

Margie..I hope you feel better..you may be a little queezy from all those curvy roads.

We finally got some rain!!! It was so nice to drive through downpours last night, I was so grateful for the wet stuff I didn’t mind at all.
Something funny happened to me.
Last Thursday I had a slight allergic reaction to something, not exactly sure what, that caused my lips to dry out and swell a little. Then when we went swimming the combo of the sun and chlorine made it worse, so when I went to church on Sunday I was suffering with severely chapped lips and practically eating carmex to relieve the discomfort. When now I’ve learned that some people are under the impression I had botox!! Like I would ever in a million years let somebody near my lips with a needle voluntarily!!! So I’m going to be sure and go to church tonight with my normal lips.
Have a great day everyone.
Good to see you on air Janice “Too Tall” Dean!!!!!

Afternoon everybody! Good to see some life back in the blog this morning. It gets really quiet sometimes. Yes, Margie, I did try to instigate some chocolate eating yesterday, and I do pay attention to what you write.

I know I’m the one with the same old song…it’s still hot, but not quite as hot as last week. We’re in the middle 90s after a day of rain and a couple of slightly overcast days. We’re still in need of rain, even after the 2 inches we got at my house last week. I think only about 7 inches down for the year now.

Watched very little of mj’s memorial service. Just glad they finally got him funeralized. I seriously doubt it, but maybe the media will start paying attention to some of the important things that really affect our lives now. I do feel sorry for his kids and family, but the coverage has been way over the top and the glorification has been nauseating. JMO!!!

Gotta run. Must get my guys paid today.
Gwen

07-08-09

I was just thinking of you, Janice. Why? Because I was listening to my audio cassette of the soundtrack from “The Commitments,” one of my favorite movies of the early 1990’s — and one of my favorite movies of all time. I can just see you listening to this album and dancing like crazy, especially to their versions of Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally” and “In the Midnight Hour.”

I am part Irish (one-fourth). My mother’s father was from Dublin, Ireland. Her mother was from Stuttgart, Germany. My father’s father was from Birmingham, England. My father’s mother was from Prague, Czechoslovakia.

In short, I’m a mutt!

Now I’m listening to The Commitments singing another Wilson Pickett classic, “In the Midnight Hour.”

I love this album — and the movie! It reminds me so much of when I was in my 20’s in the 1960’s, living in Chicago’s Old Town Neighborhood and working at a great blues club, Big John’s. Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Steve Miller, Barry Goldberg, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Corky Siegel, and Jim Schwall played at Big John’s. The club’s juke box featured all of the hits of the 1960’s.

The decade was the most exciting of my live. It’s hard for me to believe that it was some 40 years ago now. I loved the music and the people I knew. Many of them are no longer with us. But the music, man, the music still turns me of as much as it did back then.

Only yesterday….

George Spink
Los Angeles
http://www.tuxjunction.net/bluesbigjohns.htm

I also think that the MJ coverage was way over the top. I can recall the deaths of 3 former Presidents, and they didn’t get this much coverage, combined. Although, we did make 1 plan as a result of all of this. George HW Bush’s library is about 10 minutes from my house. He and Barbara are both going to be buried there. When that time comes, we are leaving town for a few days! I don’t even want to think about how much of a madhouse it’s going to be around here!

Don’t worry too much about Matthew liking/not liking veggies now. It really has nothing to do with him liking them later. The boys would both eat anything I gave them as a baby. Now, Kyle is the pickiest eater! Scooter was, but he’s getting better as he gets older. Elizabeth didn’t eat much of anything in Gerber form willingly, but now she eats anything (and more than me, might I add), and she can’t seem to get past the 20 lb. mark!

What was that wet stuff that was on the streets, sidewalks, and driveways last evening? We left about 6:30 to go to Scooter’s Boy Scout Court of Honor. He earned 2 merit badges (his first ones, and one of them was weather!) Next year, he should get at least 2 rank advancements, plus merit badges. It was a pot luck meal, and I made lasagna (Paula Deen’s). I’ve been grazing on some of the leftovers.

Tend to question the why we do put celebs on a pedastool. MJ coverage couldve been worse. But what got me was Paris speaking My God if she decided to do that fine. But if it was the parents or famlies decision BAD IDEA!!! Kids dont ask to be born to parents who have a spotlight as bright as Jackson’s was/is. My heart goes out to those kids.

Hey Guys,

I have to say that I don’t have anything positive to say about pop idol worship or MJ, so I will leave
it at that.

Jennifer, congrats on the merit badges! I was regretfully not a Boy Scout but have great admiration
now for the program. Definitely going to get my son (and myself) involved.

I had a steak with my father-in-law at his club patio washed down with an ale on a beautiful summer
evening. The kids cleaned our clocks in “Golf Monopoly.” I want to get the Star Wars version . . .
uh, for my kids, I mean! My editor is quite interested in a proposal for a third book idea and
wants a formal proposal by next week. More if it’s accepted. No word on teaching next year yet.
Waiting to see if a small private school is even going to have its doors open. We’ll see. But, all in
all, life is good.

Good night,
Tony

Hi everyone, I don’t know why the big fuss over the MJ casket either my Aunt was buried in the same model many years ago. The funeral home made a big markup on it.

If the Bush’s pass away I hope its after Obama leaves office, could you imagine him saying words, it would be enough make me puke.By then hopefully it will be President Romney or President Huckabee.

It wasn’t too bad weather wise in the OV today, ended up being sunny, not much wind.

Had some more fudge today, and a piece of carrot cake. Coke chaser.

Hey Peter let me throw a wildcard in there as President of the United States David Petreious great guy would bring the defenses back up great American all the way around. But would not blame him if he didnt want all the scrutney that comes along with being a politician vis a vie Sarah Palin

Hi Janice,

I just sent you 6 pictures from my trip to Blackwater Falls and Spruce Knob. I hope you get all of them!

Good morning everyone! It’s sunny and nice in Cumberland this morning. I wish I felt nice and sunny. I’m not feeling the greatest but at least my sore throat went away so that’s good. I hope I feel better soon because my friend Heather and I are heading to the Eastern Shore of Maryland on Sunday for a two-day trip. I’m sure I’ll have more pictures from that to share! We’re heading to the Maritime Museum in St. Michaels and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge. I guess I’m visiting all the places named Blackwater around here! Actually, the falls and the wildlife refuge are a couple hundred miles apart. I’m sure the trip to the Eastern Shore will be a lot easier than the WV trip because we’ll be driving on real highways to the Eastern Shore and not those crazy curvy 2-lane mountain roads! I’m sure I’ll take plenty of pictures of those areas. It should be a lot of fun.

I hope everyone has a great day!

Margie

Morning everybody!
Sunny and 73 in Meridian, MS this morning. I think we’ll top out in the low 90s, which is much better than the low 100s we had last week and the week before.

Looking forward to those pictures, Margie. Could some of these be calendar-worthy? Hmmm?

Tony, of course you’re right. We should all just take the Thumper approach (if I remember my “Bambi” references correctly). “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.” Sometimes I have a hard time containing my opinions.

Must admit I’m very down on this whole “celebrity” thing lately. The murder/suicide of Steve McNair is just the latest example. He was a superb athlete, a super quarterback. Born in MS and went to school at Alcorn. We’ve always been rightfully proud of him and his abilities. His personal life, however, seems to have been the pits. Terribly sad that he lived such an immoral life…given that he was so blessed with ability. He was supposed to have been the guest speaker at an event here in Meridian tonight. Unfortunately, he was not the role model that many thought him to be. Deuce McAllister will fill in for that event.

Oh well…on to other things. Much work to do, as always. Hope everybody has a great day!

Catch y’all later!
Gwen

Hi Gwen,

I think some of my pictures are definitely calendar-worthy! My friend Lisa had some nice comments yesterday when I sent her some so I think my fellow bloggers will like them, too.

I agree with you about the celebrity thing. There is just too much celebrity worship these days and that will inevitably lead to disappointment when they fall from their pedestals. I think the whole Steve McNair thing is so sad. He paid the ultimate price for his immoral lifestyle. I can’t imagine the pain his family is feeling right now. I couldn’t believe it when I heard on the news that he was cheating on his girlfriend with another woman. This is after he cheated on his wife with his girlfriend. I think I need a scorecard to follow this whole sad thing! I heard he had kids, too. What a legacy to leave to your kids. Very sad indeed.

I’m glad I don’t live a complicated life and I’m glad I don’t worship any celebrities. I have many that I like but I don’t put them on pedestals because I know they’re really no different from you and me. They just happen to have different talents than I do that makes them more well-known. I think I like my life of anonymity!

Have a great day!

Margie