Blueberry Festival

This morning, my sister-in-law Esther picked me up to go to the Blueberry Festival with her, our niece Jane, Jane’s husband David, and their two boys Bradley and James. This is the fourth year of this festival and it’s just 2-3 miles down Thonotosassa Rd from my home.

This picture features David and Jane.

Here are Bradley, James, and David.

Jane and Esther are going to hate this picture when they see it :)

Esther is happy, happy.

I could not believe how many people were there. Every empty and not-so-empty field within a mile of the place was filled with cars and had cars coming and going.

At the festival, there were a number of vendors set up selling - can you believe it? – blueberries, BBQ, sandwiches, French fries, Gyros, Kettlecorn, jewelry, hot sauce, blueberry and wine-related items, and so on and so on. For $5, you could taste each of the wines sold at the Keel and Currey Winery. Was the wine-tasting bar ever busy!

Most of their wines are really tasty. My favorite is Peach Chardonnay or Tangerine Tango or Strawberry Riesling, but they have others.

Everybody in our group except me wandered out into the hot sun and picked blueberries. I picked mine by pointing to the package of pre-picked blueberries I wanted.

We had a great time and I’m looking forward to the fifth annual festival.

I’m reading Miss Julia Renews Her Vows right now by Ann B. Ross. There is a whole series of Miss Julia books and I have enjoyed every one I’ve read. I asked for 4-5 library books to be put on hold for me . I expect they’ll be in by the time I finish this one.

Well, I guess that’s if for tonight.

Until next time…

Fast Five

The movie Fast Five was just as great as I thought it would be. Of course, it is NEVER a hardship to have to watch Vin Diesel, Duane “The Rock” Johnson or Paul Walker for a couple of hours either. It made me laugh; it made me cry. The car chases were absolutely unbelievable.

I’m  almost finished reading Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. What insight he has on the Battle of Gettysburg and the men who led the troops on both sides. I expect to finish it before I go to sleep tonight.

Tomorrow, I’m going to the Blueberry Festival at the Keel and Currey Winery here in Thonotosassa. My sister-in-law Esther, my niece Jane and her husband David and their two kids Bradley and James are going to pick me up. It should be a fun time. They have U-Pick Blueberries and I just may pick some, though I have no room for them. Blueberries are one of the best fruits you can eat – I call them little blue bullets.

Well, off to bed so I can be comfortable while I read.

Until next time…

David Wilkerson Killed in Auto Accident

This morning, I was saddened to read on theblaze.com that Reverend David Wilkerson was killed in a car accident. He was the author of The Cross and The Switchblade and his ministry has helped thousands and thousands of people. I have been a regular supporter of his for many years and am sorry to hear of his passing. His monthly newsletters have been an inspiration to me and countless others.

I checked in with most of my family and they are all well in spite of the terrible storms that struck the southeast. But the poor people who lost everything – so sad. We must keep them in our prayers.

While I was visiting my niece in Alabama, she gave me some pictures of her kids. Here are a couple. Aren’t they a beautiful family?

Oh, and I wanted to let you see the sunflowers in my cousin Richard’s yard. They came from the seeds dropped out of the bird feeder.

I’ve spent much of today reading the book Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. It’s about the generals and other leaders who participated in the Battle of Gettysburg. It’s very easy to read, and if you’re a fan of history as I am, very interesting and enlightening.

Well, back to the book.

Until next time…

Lazy – You Betcha!

That is me. Today, other than taking my book on CD back to Cracker Barrel and getting groceries, I spent my day just lazing around my camper. I did have a 2 hour nap this morning and will be hitting the hay a little early tonight.

Needless to say, that doesn’t give me much to talk about tonight.

Aren’t you glad that occasionally I write a short post? I’ll try to do better tomorrow.

Until next time…

Sign in Florida

You just have to see this email a friend sent me… The sign says: “HIKERS and BIKERS  Move to the side of the road when a vehicle approaches.”

Sign Found In Florida You want ME to do what?! I think the alligators put up the sign.

Today, just before 6 am, I left my brother Jeff’s house and headed home. By 2:15 pm, I was in Seffner getting gas at the Truckstops of America. The weather was beautiful and the traffic was light. It was a great ride. I listened to 7 of the 10 CDs that make up the audio book Foreign Influence by Brad Thor. I’m listening to the rest of it now and will return it to Cracker Barrel tomorrow.

I expect to sleep well tonight – all of that driving is exhausting.

Until next time…

Madea’s Big Happy Family

I am a fan of Tyler Perry, especially his Medea movies. Madea’s Big Happy Family is no exception. I saw it today and enjoyed it immensely. It produced a full range of emotion. I probably cried as much as I laughed and I laughed a lot. Loretta Divine did a terrific job. She is also in the movie coming soon called Jumping the Broom. Madea did not disappoint and the movie ended with an appearance on Maury Povich.

Tomorrow, I’ll be heading back to Florida and it sounds like I’ll be driving in rain all day. Oh well, think of how much more we appreciate the sunshine after we’ve had a little rain. It’s raining right now at my brother’s and he’s planning to grill steaks. Hopefully, it will let up long enough that he can cook our dinner.

I’m going to post this a little sooner than usual because I want to get my computer packed up and ready to go.

Until next time…

Happy Resurrection Day

Resurrection Day – A Poem by Kathy Dillenbeck

Today is Resurrection Day, a day when Christians celebrate
The resurrection of our Lord, when Jesus opened Heaven’s Gate.
It looked so bleak when Jesus died at Calvary that fateful day,
Yet now we know He died for us, for our sin’s debt to pay.

He died, but Jesus did not stay--the tomb could never hold Him;
That mighty power of God was used to make the grave unfold Him.
So many saw our Savior die--there was no doubt about it.
For us He bore tremendous pain--no, we should never doubt it.

But many saw Him live again after He gave up His life.
He spoke and walked with those with whom He’d spent the last years of his life.
Because He rose, we have the hope that we shall also live again.
Our bodies will be changed somehow, transformed with life to never end.

Eternal life, our Savior said, was that we would know God Most High,
And Jesus Christ, Whom He had sent, Who came upon this earth to die.
To die for you and die for me our blessed Savior Jesus came,
That we might be redeemed by Him and by the power of His Name.

Yes, we should thank our blessed Lord for all that He has done for us,
That He gave up His precious life and brought eternal life to us.
Why did Jesus have to die?  He died for you and died for me.
Why did Jesus rise again?  He rose to set His people free:

Free from sin and free from death, free to follow God above;
Free to put God first at last, to recognize God’s endless love;
Free to know the one true God and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent;
Free to know that God is love and that His will is truly best.

Captain Chris

Today, my brother returned home from where my nephew is stationed. He attended the ceremony where Chris was pinned a Captain.

I am so proud of my nephew Chris. You can probably tell by this picture that my brother (he’s the one on the right) Jeff is very proud of him too. Chris’s girl friend Sabrina (pictured in the middle) pinned his bars on him. Chris is a great guy and I know this country is in safe hands because of him and others just like him who are willing to sacrifice all to protect and defend us. God bless the USA and those who fight for her.

Until next time…

Talk, Talk, and More Talk

Today, I mostly spent talking with people. I spoke with my cousin Richard, my nephew Greg, my sister-in-law Rose, my sister-in-law Esther, my sister-in-law Margie, my brother Ray and my cousin Ethelyn. Everyone is doing well.

I had a little excitement today. I left to get some stuff at Publix and, while I was gone, my sister-in-law Kathy left the house after setting the security alarm. This should have been no trouble. I shut off the alarm yesterday with no trouble. Well, that didn’t happen today.

I put in the correct code and the alarm just kept beeping. I tried it again and it just kept beeping. After a minute or two, this loud whooping siren started sounding. Nothing I did had any effect. I tried calling my brother (who is out of town). It went to voice mail. I tried the number for my sister-in-law, but got my nephew Greg’s voice mail. Apparently, Kathy gave her phone to Greg at some point after I enter her number in my list of contacts. 

You can imagine how distressing this whole situation was and I didn’t know the code word to give the alarm company, but that didn’t matter since they never called. The whooping eventually stopped, but the alarm remained set. About half an hour after the alarm finally quit beeping and whooping, there was a knock on the door. A handsome, young Lawrenceville police officer stood on the steps.

I explained the situation and he managed to make the alarm stop. He was so kind and understanding. He even brought in the package and mail the mail delivery person put on the front step.

I felt a lot better after he left.

I’m reading a great print book by Brad Thor called The Apostle. It’s a thriller that, so far, takes place mostly in Afghanistan. I’m also reading a book on my iPhone by Alan Bradley called A Red Herring Without Mustard. The heroine is Flavia de Luca, an 11-year old chemistry fanatic. I’ve read several books about Flavia. She lives in England with her father and her two older sisters.

Until next time…

A Long, Wonderful Trip

About 6:40 this morning, I left for Alabama to meet my niece CJ and her son Johnny for lunch. It was a wonderful, though long, trip. My GPS said it would take 2 hours and 43 minutes to get there and that was about right. In spite of it’s being Good Friday, the traffic was very reasonable.

Here they are after our wonderful lunch at Logan’s Roadhouse in Gadsen, AL:

I had a great breakfast at Waffle House after I got into Alabama. I stopped at the rest area just over the GA/AL border. It was clean and well-maintained with lots of beautiful flowers.

  

In the rest area/tourist info center, I found a paper on the chocolate exhibit at the Anniston Museum of Natural History. Since I was way ahead of time and since I had to go right by it, I decided to stop. I took 84 pictures, but won’t bore you will all of them. Here are a few:

The following shirt was on display, but they didn’t have any for sale. In case you can’t read it, it says, “Hand over the chocolate and no one will get hurt.”

 

On the way out, I went through the conservatory where there were a lot of beautiful orchids:

 

 

 

Altogether, it was a wonderful day. I hope we don’t have to wait so long to see each other again.

One thing that puzzled me, though, is that the speed limit on Interstate 20 was 55 MPH, while the speed limit on a state road was 65 MPH. Weird, huh?

Until next time…

A Quiet Day

Today, my brother Jeff left for IL to attend my nephew’s promotion to Captain. My sister-in-law had to work, so I was HOME ALONE – yikes!

I didn’t get into too much trouble though. I did 3 loads of laundry, finished Atlas Shrugged and brought my TomTom in so I could program for my trip to Gadsen tomorrow.

Tonight, Kathy, her mother and I went to Cracker Barrel for dinner and so I could pick out a book to listen to on my trip. I expect to be driving for at least 6 hours and that’s about what the book takes to listen to.

Heard that gas may be up to $6 per gallon by summer. That will certainly squelch my camping plans. The last time I got gas (at $3.639/gal), it cost me nearly $65.

Well, it’s late and I’m beat – must be all of that laundry.

Until next time…

The Conspirator

This week, I heard of a new movie called The Conspirator, produced and directed by Robert Redford. Today, I had the privilege of seeing it. It mainly concerned the trial of Mary Surratt (played by Robin Wright) who was charged with conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to kill President Lincoln. Suffice it to say, justice was not part of this trial. They tried Mary Surratt in a military tribunal.

I won’t spoil the plot, but it was an excellent movie. James McAvoy, who will be appearing in X-Men: First Class, portrayed her defense attorney. His girlfriend was played by Alexis Bleidel, who you might know from Gilmore Girls or The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Kevin Kline did an excellent job playing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

On Friday, I’ll be traveling to Gadsen, AL to meet my niece Colleen (she goes by CJ even though her middle name is Rae just like mine – maybe I should start calling myself KJ :). I’m really looking forward to seeing her. I haven’t seen her since just before Mom passed.

My cousin Ethelyn’s grandson J.F. is featured in an article in Armed with Science at:

http://science.dodlive.mil/2011/04/19/countdown-to-endeavour-what-is-a-forward-air-observer/

My nephew Greg came for dinner tonight. It’s so good to see him. He was sporting a sore spot where he fell while stopping on his new bike. Just needs a bit more practice.

Time for bed.

Until next time…

Rio

My cousin sent me a couple of more pictures of her great granddaughter:

This is of Juliette and her first boyfriend:

 

Today, I went to see the movie Rio. What a hoot! (I say this even though there were no owls in the movie.)

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie – a good story, horrible villains, funny sidekicks, and some really panoramic pictures of Rio De Janeiro.The talent in the people voicing the cartoon characters was exceptional. If you like Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, George Lopez, Tracy Jordan, etc., you’ll enjoy this movie.

I heard from my niece Colleen (C.J.) today. We’re going to meet in Gadsen, AL on Friday. I am so looking forward to seeing her. It’s been a long time.

Well, off to bed.

Until next time…

Prime Rib – Yum Yum

After a night where I was up every hour trying to get rid of the pain in my hip and leg, I spent a very quiet day… never left the house.

My brother fixed prime rib, raw-fried potatoes, and fresh asparagus for dinner. Was it ever good!

Still working on Atlas Shrugged. Boy, that book is looonnngggg.

A friend sent me this e-mail – so appropriate for Earth Month:

Let's take a stand!!! Borders; Closed... Language; English only! Culture; Constitution, Bill of Rights and the BIBLE! Drug free; Make a drug screen mandatory for anyone on welfare and/or food stamps! No freebies to non-citizens! We the people are coming

Until next time…

Recognizing a Stroke

Not much going on today. I’ve spent most of the day reading Atlas Shrugged. I’m still only 63% of the way through. The book involves the mysterious disappearance of a number of the top producers, as opposed to the moochers and looters. I’m just learning where the people disappeared to. I’m looking forward to seeing how Ayn Rand will end this book.

It is a long book, but I think everyone would learn from it. It is a novel and the story is compelling, but it was ahead of its time on the trends in our government to punish the successful and reward the “needy.”

Recognizing a Stroke

A friend sent me this email about how to recognize a stroke:

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR. Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a  bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S  *Ask the individual to SMILE.

T  *

Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A
SIMPLE SENTENCE  (Coherently)
(I.e. It is sunny out today.)

R  *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue
NOTE:  Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved. 

Until next time…

Atlas Shrugged Part 1

This afternoon, my sister-in-law Kathy, her mother and I went to see the  movie Atlas Shrugged Part 1. As one who goes to a lot of movies, I can truthfully say that rarely does the audience applaud. This afternoon was an exception. There was a lot of applause.

This is a very interesting and well done movie. I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying it. I would hope that everyone realizes after seeing the movie, that if we want freedom and a great economy, we will no strap the hands of the producers, we will not try to guarantee that everyone should have equal outcomes, but equal opportunity instead. Central planning does not work. It invites corruption.

Please see this movie even if you have to go out of your way to do so. I can’t wait for the next part.

 

What a great time my brother Jeff, my sister-in-law Kathy and I had this evening reliving special times. That’s what family is all about.

 

Things you didn't know! (I haven’t checked these on snopes, but they sound about right. … K)

Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S. Treasury. (This may not be true now that our government is printing so much funny money … K) ------------  Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better. ------------  Coca-Cola was originally green. ------------  It is impossible to lick your elbow. ------------  The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska ------------  The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%  (now get this...) ------------ The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38% ------------  The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $ 16,400  ------------  The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour: 61,000 ------------  Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.. (This must be why I can hardly hold my head up – all of that metal in my hair… K) ------------  The first novel ever written on a typewriter, Tom Sawyer. ------------  The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National  Monuments. ------------  Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Spades - King David  Hearts - Charlemagne  Clubs -Alexander, the Great Diamonds - Julius Caesar ------------  111,111,111 x  111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321 ------------  If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died because of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes. (I had heard this about the Gettysburg Battlefield, but didn’t know it applied to all…??? K) ------------ Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.  ------------  Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what? A. Their birthplace  ------------  Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested? A.  Obsession ------------  Q.. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter 'A'? A. One thousand ------------  Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common? A. All were invented by women. ------------ Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil? A. Honey ------------  Q. On which day is there more collect calls than any other day of the year? A. Father's Day ------------  In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase...'Goodnight, sleep tight' ------------  It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.  ------------  In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them: 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.'  It's where we get the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's' ------------  Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. 'Wet your whistle' is the phrase inspired by this practice. ------------  At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their  elbow! ------------  YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2011 when... 1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave. 2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years. 3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three. 4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you. 5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses. 6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries... 7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.  8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it. 10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee. 11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : ) 12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing. 13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message. 14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list. 15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list. ~~~~~~~~~~~AND  FINALLY~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ NOW UR LAUGHING at yourself. Go on, forward this to your friends. You know you want to! Go lick your elbow.

Until next time…

Did You Know?

We’re expecting storms here tonight so I’m going to post my blog a little earlier than usual.

A quiet day today except I went to Wal*Mart to buy the new Harry Potter movie Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1. We probably won’t watch it tonight because there will be a lot of electrical activity in the area. No sense taking a chance.

I’m almost 40% of the way through Atlas Shrugged. What a great book. The movie (Part 1 only) came out today, but not in all theaters. I’m hoping to see it soon.

My sister-in-law Rose sent me the following:

THINGS TO KNOW AND A MIRACLE Some cool facts…… "Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = And "lollipop" is the longest word typed with your right hand. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt". = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' , and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes). = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious." = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = A cat has 32 muscles in each ear. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds. = = = == = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = A snail can sleep for three years. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Almonds are a member of the peach family. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. (I know some people like that also) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = If the population of China walked past you, 8 abreast, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The cruise liner, QE 2 moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket. (Good thing he did that.) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = There are more chickens than people in the world. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Women blink nearly twice as much as men. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Bonus!! All the ants in Africa weigh more than ALL the Elephants!! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Now you know (a little) more than you did before!! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The Rain-Thomas Kinkade This is a Thomas Kinkade painting. It's rumored to carry a miracle! They say if you pass this on, you will receive a miracle. I am passing this on because I thought it was really pretty, and besides, who couldn't use a miracle?!

Until next time…