Fun For Me ... Music For You

Well, I didn't get any blogging done today. I also didn't get to vist any of my blogging friends. So sorry!!!

My husband and I spent the day together and just took it easy. We did some cleaning out of the empty bedroom, he cooked a pot of ham and beans that was delicious!!!!

Watched a movie ... The Comancheros with John Wayne, cross stitched, played a little mandolin and that was just about the day.

Here's my husband's chille cheese dog and below are my two Chicago style dogs from Deter's.

Yummy!!!!!

My taste buds were very happy!!!

Well, when we got the new lawn mower home, we got it out and went to work.

My husband mowed while I picked up branches, limbs and sticks out of the yard. Remember the previous post about the tornadoes and all of the limbs we had down? Well ... just getting them picked up. It took me an hour to just get the east lawn finished. That's a lot of branches!!!!

Before I could get the riding mower out, my husband had to go get some gas ... all out. I used the push mower and started on the edges of the lawn. I saw him pull in and set the gas can out for me. I yelled thank you, he waved, and I kept mowing. When I had finished and headed up to get the riding mower there was a little surprise waiting for me. There was the gas can ... and a nice cold pepsi sitting there for me!!! How sweet!!!!

I had just finished mowing and was inside the house when he got back from errands and had lunch for me!! He had gone to Deter's and got me two Chicago style hot dogs! My favorite! He had a chilli cheese dog.

I thought that was very sweet as well!!!

Here's a shot looking up through the canopy of the tree.

Here's my great big oak tree now that it has leaved out.

Isn't it pretty?

I don't remember which one of you it is, I think it's Abandoned in Pasadena ... who takes pictures from the back of the motorcycle going 60 miles per hour.

Well, we were in a mini van and only going 40 miles per hour, but here's my attempt to see if it would work for me.

A little blurred, but not bad. These are unedited pictures.

Pretty cool!!!

Yours are way better.

This picture is for my friend Joan who wasn't sure what a BP station was.

It's a gas station/convenience store. The green cirlce/star burst is their logo and the name of their change is BP. I believe that stands for British Petroleum.

Anyway, a friend of ours works at a BP station.

Here's a little fur stoll that I bought to wear with my Civil War Ball gown.

I'm not sure what it is ... may be rabbit. I got it at a garage sale this morning.

It's kind of hard to see, but there's the new lawn mower and my new tredle machine table in the back of the van.

There's the banjo in the car.

As we were driving around this morning, I was playing the banjo.

It was a bit too early for my husband to be in the car with the banjo. I just played a couple of tunes. (wink wink)

Here's the proof:

At 8:44am this morning I was at Home Depot!!!!

Well, this morning found me asleep in bed with my husband waking me up bright and early. He wanted to go garage saling. It was 6:45 and took me a few minutes to wake up ... and then off we went.

At one garage sale I found a tredle sewing machine cabinet/table for $20. Yes, we bought it!!!! Now I have a table for the machine that used to belong to my Grandma Williams. I'm very excited. It's not in the best shape, I'll have to sand it down, treat it and restain it. The drawers need to be reattached as well as a drawer, but I'm up to the task. When I get it all finished, I'll insert my grandmother's machine and I plan to bring it up and place it in my sewing room. Who knows ... I might even use it for a project!! We'll see!

At another garage sale we bought a push mower. Our lawn was literally crying, as were the neighbors, for us to get a lawn mower and get to work!!! You see, ours died. It's still in the garage and we may fix it ... maybe not. But in the mean time we have a replacement. It starts right up and mowed wonderfully this morning!!! We're very pleased with it.

Then we went to Hardees for breakfast. He had a burrito and I had a bacon egg and cheese bisquit.

We went to Home Depot and bought the materials for my sewing table project, as well as a few other things. Turns out, after we got home, we realized one of our bags ... that we paid for ... never made it into our cart. So, we called them, read our receipt to them and they said that they had it at the register. We just had to take our receipt in and pick it up.

What a day!!!

Well, Thursdays session at La Gondola was a lot of fun!!!

The players were Ava on whistle, fiddle, guitar and banjo ... Larry on fiddle and guitar ... Sondra on banjo and mandolin ... Tony on whistle ... Dave S on guitar ... and Joann on whistle and tambourine.

In the audience were Rick and Vicky, Stephanie and Randy, John, Rome, Anna, Marlee ... some of Dave's friends stopped by to listen for a little bit ... as well as diners who came to enjoy the food and the music.

Session was very relaxed and enjoyable. There was lots of talking afterwards. As I was in the parking lot getting ready to go, Dave (works at the restaurant) came out and played and sang a song that he had written. We popped the hatch on the van and sat down. It was really nice. He did a good job singing it and playing it as well. I was so excited for him.

Rather than go to Ely, I opted to stay home and see my husband. He had been gone on a business trip for the last week and I was looking forward to seeing him. When I got home, around 9:45pm, he took me out for ice cream at TCBY. I had a banana split. I don't remember what he had. We sat out on the patio and just talked for a long time. He told me all about his trip and then we came on home.

When I went horse back riding with my friend, Lisa Wednesday night, we had some hot chocolate when we got back to the house.

You know my recipe for hot chocolate using french vanilla ...

Well ...

She had carmel hot chocolate. Mmm ... was it ever good!!!!!

Well, I gave Benny the Banjo a good work out today. I just practiced for half an hour going straight from one song to the next. I'm planning to take my banjo with me to the next bluegrass jam. There are several five string banjos there but not tenor banjos. The only thing that will be different for me is that I usually play sitting down and at the bluegrass jam everyone plays standing up. I'll have to put my strap on the banjo so I can play without dropping it. That would b be embarrassing!!!!

Yikes!

I'm sure that would give poor Benny quite the headache!!!

Here's my memorization list of music I've memorized on fiddle, mandolin, banjo and most of them on the whistle as well!!!

Yeah me!!!!

I've been working very hard.

Well, today Wilson had to get new strings put on. I bought the strings and a peg winder at the Jam Factory and thought I'd try my hand at putting them on myself.

The first try was a failure. I couldn't get the little pegs out that hold the strings across the bridge. Besides that, I didn't have any wire cutters.

I got on email and whined to a fellow musician friend of mine and then felt better.

At the next music session, he showed up with a peg winder and a pair of wire cutters for me to borrow. He showed me how the peg winder also had a little tool on the end to use for removing the pegs so you can get your strings off. Genuious! (a little embarrassed that I hadn't figured it out)

I sat down today and took the first string off. The peg came out, the string unwound, I put the new one on and wound it up. Then realized I had wound it the wrong direction. I thought about leaving it ... then decided not to. I unwound it and wound it the correct direction ... and ... "boink" ... it broke. Dang it!!!

Now having figured out the correct procedure to follow, I went ahead and changed the other strings. It went just fine ... no problems.

Then I had to make an emergency run to the music store here in town to get another E string. We have music session tonight you see, and must have a string!!!!

I got home and put it on. I've got the guitar all tuned up and ready to go. Strings never stay in tune right when you put them on. They have to have time to stretch. I'll just keep the tuner on it and tune between songs. Preferrably I'll be playing my fiddle and it won't matter ... but ... I take the guitar and if we're short guitar players I play the guitar instead. It's fun for me either way!!!

So, be proud of me ... ooze enthusiasm ... I just changed my own guitar strings for the very first time!!! I always take my instruments into the music store and they put the strings on for me.

Yeah me!!! Go girl!!! Yeehaw!!! (That's just me giving myself a pep rally and being excited!!)

Talk to you later.

Ava

We're going to go on a little trip to Lover's Leap located in Hannibal, Missouri.

What is Lover's Leap you might ask?

Well, let's find out!

Ready?

While the story varies according to the teller of the story, the main elements are that an Indian brave and an Indian princess from warring tribes were prevented from marrying by thier parents and tribes.

One evening when the Indian brave landed his canoe in Bear Creek, he was observed meeting and walking with the Indian princess. A treacherous observer revealed this to the father of the Indian princess who was the Cheif of the tribe.

Tha angered father offered an otter skin to anyone who would kill the brave. A number of the younger warriors started after the brave. When the couple realized they were being chased, they climbed Lover's Leap hoping to elude their pursuers.

Cornered on the rock prominence, the brave knew he was about to be killed. The princess also realized this and decided that life would not be worth living if he were killed.

The two embraced and threw themselves off of the top of Lover's Leap to their deaths. Lover's Leap is thus a memorial to these two young Indians who sacrificed their lives rather than be apart, according to the legend.

Written by J. Hurley and Roberta Hagood.

Here is the plaque that tells the story of the legend of Lover's Leap.

The Indian Brave and the Indian Princess.

Here's another view of the Mississippi River from the top of Lover's Leap.

Everything is green and just beautiful!!

Here's a picture of the Mighty Mississippi and the bridge that connects with Missouri side to the Illinois side from Hannibal, Mo.

Well, I just saw something disturbing on the news.

Hannibal, Mo is a big tourism spot as the hometown of Mark Twain. One of the attractions you are able to visit is the light house up on the hill.

I just saw on the news that it was vandalized with graffiti. They showed pictures of it on tv. The good news is that they've already made repairs and taken the graffiti off. The tourism has already started for the season and it's a real shame that that had to happen.

While I was up on Lover's Leap the other day, I caught these shots of the River Boat cruise going by.

I think the Mississippi is so pretty.

I also caught the train going by.

This pair of salt and pepper shakers bunnies are just too cute!!!

They are marked Made in Brazil on the bottom.

They were also part of my Dad's collection.

This pair of salt and pepper shakers were in my Dad's collection.

Doesn't my creek look different now that the leaves are out and everything is green?

There are ducks on the creek. They usually next and raise babies every year.

So cute!!!!

Well, I got to go horse back riding this evening with a friend of mine.

It was very fun and the horses were beautiful!!!

Thank you!!!

Ava

There's Tom and me again.

Well, I practiced on the banjo late this afternoon.

Fun! Fun!

I love my little banjo!!!!

I worked on Ten Penny Bit which is also called The Little Drummer Jig.

Cool!!!!!

Here's another cobra.

This is the one that would stand up and look you in the eye. It was rather unsettling.

This is also the one that struck and tried to bite Tina when she turned her back.

Yikes.

Here's one of the cobras we saw at Reptile World.

I think this one is just gorgeous!!!

Here's a picture of the acorns that fall from my tree. They're huge and kind of fuzzy.

Here's a picture of the moss on my oak tree.

I miss my daffodills!!!!

They were so pretty!

Here's my Hot Chocolate recipe:

Two spoons Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate and one sppon French Vanilla creamer.

Result:

Yummy!!!!!!

This is one of the flyers from when we played on St. Patricks Day this year.

Here'as a picture of my big oak tree during the last snow that we had.

I liked the contrast of the snow stacked on the limbs.

Looking at this part of the creek, it looks like it had some help from a machine ... look at those angles in the bend of the creek.

Here's a reflection for you.

It would be better without that branch sunk into the water.

:)

This pair of salt and pepper shakers are really cute!!!

The dog is stretched around the stump and sniffing his own tail.

This set of salt and pepper shakers are china and decorated for Christmas serving.

This is a picture of a leather wrist band that my Dad made when he was a kid. He told me that this may have been one of the first ones that he made.

I think that is very cool!!!!

When it happened, it surprised everyone. A cheeky little mouse went up to a bull as the great animal was grazing. Suddenly the mouse darted forward and bit the great bull on the nose.

The bull roared with surprise and fury. The mouse turned and fled. Lowering his horns the bull hcarged after the tiny creature.




Just when it looked as if the bull would catch up with the mouse and toss it high into the air, the tiny animal reached its hole in a wall and scuttled in to safety.

The bull snorted and pawed the ground outside the hole, daring the mouse to come out and face him. The mouse laughed at him.

This was too much! The bull backed off and then charged at the wall, butting it with his head. He repeated this several times. The strong wall did not even shake. The bull realized that his head was now very sore. He felt dizzy and sank to his knees.

This was just what the mouse had been waiting for. As the exhausted bull sprawled on the ground, his head only a short distance from the hole, the mouse darted out and bit him on the nose again!

This time the bull's angry roar could be heard all over the fields. He rose to his feet and tried to trample on the mouse. The big animal was far too slow. The mouse was already back in his hole.

The bull bellowed and stamped his feet until the ground shook. There was nothing else he could do.

Presently a little voice squeaked from the safety of the wall, "You big strong fellows don't win all the time, you know!"

Moral: Size and strength is not always enough.

Here's one of my cookie jars.

It's Oscar the Grouch and his trash can ... from Sesame Street.

I always smile when I see it up in the cabinet. It used to belong to my mom and Dad#2 when they lived in Diamond, Mo. previously.

When Chris, my oldest son, was little he was afraid of this cookie jar because it was Oscar the Grouch and would cry everytime we walked past it in the kitchen.

Poor little guy!!

Rah Rah Rah!

Now, can I have my dignity back?

I talked to my mom this morning on the phone and we enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate together. Her hot water pot is faster than mine. She had her hot chocolate with mini marshmallows ... I had mine with a scoop of french vanilla creamer. MMMmmm ... we both enjoyed it very much!!!!

She's in the process of moving furniture and cleaning house. She has fibromyalgia and is very sore. She's also having some severe allergy problems which don't seem to be getting any better.

I stepped on my dogs foot earlier today. The phone was ringing and we both sprang for the phone. He was in front of me and went just a tad too slow. He yelped, but was okay. I had to really love on him in order to be forgiven for the "abuse". He's all over it now and taking a nap on the couch.

Well, I just sat out on the porch swing and practices a few of my memorization pieces on the Irish Whistle. I froze out pretty quickly ... it's cold out there today ... somewhere near 40 degrees.

While I was out there, a little sparrow came and sat in the tree just about three feet away and listened while I played Girl I Left Behind, Blackberry Blossom, Mullberry March, King of the Fairies, Eighth of January and a couple more. He really got excited and flittered during Blackberry Blossom.

He was good company, but I soon froze out and had to come back inside. Maybe he'll keep me company during my next practice.

For anyone who reads Larry Ayers' web log, River Rambles at http://www.silphium.net/blog/, please be aware that his site is down for a few days due to a move. It may be as long as a few days or a week.

So, keep checking and he'll be back with his wonderful photographs and reviews.

Ava

I got this joke in an email from Evelyn ... I thought it was cute.

Skinny Dipping

An elderly man in Canada had owned a large farm for several years.
He had a large pond in the back, fixed up nice; picnic tables,horseshoe courts, and some apple and peach trees.

The pond was properly shaped and fixed up for swimming.

One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn't been there for a while, and look it over.

He grabbed a five gallon bucket to bring back some fruit.

As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee.
As he came closer he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond.

He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the
deep end.

One of the women shouted to him, "We're not coming out until you leave!"

The old man frowned, "I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim naked , or make you get out of the pond naked."

Holding the bucket up he said, "I'm here to feed the alligator."

Moral: Old men can still think fast.

Well, it was another fun music session in Hannibal this evening.

I always enjoy myself!!!

The players were Chris on banjo, Ava on fiddle, Sondra on banjo and mandolin, Joann on whistle and tambourine, Beverly on whistle, mandolin and percussion, Dwain on mandolin, Andrew on fiddle, mandolin and banjo, Larry on fiddle and guitar, Don on bass, Kevin on percussion, Rob on percussion, Tony on whistle, Lisa on fiddle, Sarah on whistle and bass, Ian on guitar and Wade on percussion. Sorry if I forgot anyone!!!

There are pictures posted below, but I didn't get one of Rob ... sorry dude!!

Some of the audience were Lydia, Suzie, Mary Jo, Noel, Bob, Evelyn D, Evelyn H, Harry, Ellen and Jack. I know there were others, but these are the people that I know. Jack was there for the first time. He used to play fiddle until his arthritis got too bad. He asked a lot of questions and I invited him to please come back again.

The pizza smelled so good tonight that I couldn't resist and had to get myself some!!! It was good and hit the spot.

Now I'm on the count down to Thursday!!!!

Joann on tambourine and irish whistle ...