Paulette Bunyon

So I went out and bought my very own chain saw yesterday.  Now if it would just stop raining, I could get some much needed yardwork done.

Meet Millie

Millie arrived about a half hour ago.  She'll be here until the 18th.....

BIG DOG!!!

 

All's Well That Ends Well.....

Well, here it is. I finished the antique quilt this morning around 10:45AM.  It took me 2 1/2 hours to make and apply 10 yards binding to the front of the quilt and then yesterday I worked from 7:00PM until 11:00PM tacking the binding to the back.  I only did three sides last night, my eyes, neck and back were too tired to finish.  After a chiropractor's visit this morning, I came home and spent another hour or so finishing things up. I hope to be delivering the quilt to it's rightful owner some time this afternoon.  I'm posting photos of the front, back, a close up of the quilting seen from the back of the quilt, a spot of my blood that will stay w/the quilt and a close up of the original hand sewing that was done by the creator of this "Lady of the Lake" quilt.  There has to be hundreds, maybe thousands of hand stitches made over 100 years ago.  I'm so impressed at the talent and love.

P.S.  I made a guesstimate of how many small triangles were hand stitched into this quilt....over 1000.

My beautiful niece got married

 

 

 

My niece, my brother's granddaughter, got married in South Carolina yesterday. Conspicuously absent, to me, is my brother.  I knew he wouldn't make the effort to attend.  It's ok because Marianne's husband Lew (pictured at the right) has been a fantastic grandfather to all of Jimmy's kids. He loves them and is very supportive.  They in turn, adore him.  That's Jim on the left, all grown up and a grandpaw already!  His wife Tammy is next to him.

Mother Earthy

I'm feeling very mother earthy.............yesterday I made 4 1/2 quarts of chicken stock for the freezer.  Boy, did the house ever smell good!  Later on today I'm getting the last of the tomatos into the freezer for the winter. 

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words......

Inactivation P.S.

An "official form" from the US Navy for the inactivation ceremony invitation arrived in my e-mail this morning.
They said my request for invitation had been approved and I had to fill out some more forms and that was it.  After I stopped crying, I sent the forms back.  Looks like this journey is a go!  One more thing off my bucket list.

After 43 years.............a glimpse at closure

I went on the web-site this evening just to see if there was any new information out there and I found a new icon to click "Homecoming."  This was the picture.  The sight of this ship pulling into San Francisco Bay is a memory I'll never forget.  Along w/the photo were forms for tours of the ship, official invitations to the ceremony, maps of the base, a gate pass for the base, rules and regs..etc. etc.  I believe I followed all of the instructions.  I now have a reservation to tour the ship on November 29th....I've printed out the gate pass and invitation to the inactivation ceremony.  I can't believe this is all happening.  Now I can make hotel reservations.  I have to find out if I can get on the base in a cab, if not, I'll have to get a car or drive there.  I had decided to fly last night.  It would still be pretty cheap to rent a car for 2 or 3 days.  At this point in my life, I can spoil myself.
After 43 years I'm getting closure on a 29 year chapter of my life.  Now I just have to remember to

B     R     E     A     T     H     E

15,000 people are expected to be in attendance at the closing ceremony.  I'm felling like I did in 1969 when I realized that I had to find one sailor in a crowd of over 4,000 getting off the ship.







I Really Need a Hug

What a day.  Things were going along just fine and I was about to make my last phone call of the day at the food pantry.  One of my colleagues stepped into the office and pulled a card from our file.  She placed it in front of me and said something to the effect ..."this man says he only comes about once a year, can you help him?"  No problem.  He came into my office sat down and began to tell me that he only needed the essentials.  Nothing that needed to be cooked.  Only pop top cans etc. etc. 
Do you have access to a stove so you can cook? I asked.  "No" was the answer.  He just wanted things that didn't need to be cooked or refrigerated and could be opened easily as he didn't have a can opener.  His speach was very difficult to understand.  Finally, I asked the man to just wait outside and I'd find things that he could use.  When he was in the waiting area, my friend and coordinator of the pantry said that she knew who he was and that he was homeless and lived in a tent.   That's when I lost it.  I started tossing everything I could find for him into bags, all the while crying and mumbling that no one should live in a tent.  The more food I found for him, the more I cried.  I was a mess.  How do these things happen to people?  No one should have to live in a tent. 
This man, David, said that he ate a meal at the Salvation Army every day and I saw that he is getting some social services but still, he doesn't even have a can opener. So much is wasted in this country.  So many people are hungry and frightened.  It breaks my heart.  I need to grow thicker skin.  This stuff is killing me.   My friend gave me a hug afterwards and asked me if I cry at sad movies which made us both laugh but honestly.... I COULD USE A HUG RIGHT NOW.....a hug that lasts about 12 hours or so would do.

Bummer!

 

This is about all I accomplished yesterday....other than finding a simple route to the Albany Amtrak station.  No more fear of being out of my comfort zone.  Amtrak will now be a welcomed option. The city was hot, humid and oppressive.  I've never been so drained of energy from the heat. Just walking became an effort and that shouldn't be.
Norm Lewis was not in the play yesterday, he's in LA filming a TV series.  I was told he's commutes back and forth on the weekends. I understand his taking on another job, Porgy & Bess ends on the 23rd. of the month.
I can't even begin to tell you how disappointed I was.  He's the reason I made the trip.  I had my picture of him with my cousin Margot along w/me so he could autograph it for her and my old picture of him w/Gumby.  So very disappointed.........I can't begin to tell you.

I take that back. Something good did happen yesterday.
Somewhere a little north of Peekskill I saw a bald eagle perched on the bare limb of a dead or dying tree right along the Hudson River.  I couldn't believe what I had just seen and was dying to get my hands on a computer so check if they actually live in this area.  I did exactly that as soon as I got home. They do nest along the Hudson River and right in the area that I had see this magnificent bird.  Awesome!  I was an absolute "hawk-eye" on the trip home but all I saw were lots of heron, geese and ducks. 
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/9382.html

P.S.  After hearing your voice, I'm not so sad anymore...thank you.

Singing In The Rain

Just my luck.  The weather forecast for Wednesday is "Heavy Thunderstorms." 
The last time I saw Norm on Broadway, it poured all day.  I was soaked to the bone.  Unbrellas are useless when the wind is blowing.  This is not going to be as nice a day as I had hoped.  Oh well, I'll stop complaining and make the best of it.