It seems like yesterday that I wrote on my blog and it was really seven yesterdays ago.
Last Thursday was the graduation ceremony for Hayden. Claude and I got up way early for us (we are retired, remember) and headed to La Grange to St. John's Pre-School. We were to meet the Marx family there. We found our way just fine and arrived just before the Marx van got there.
Joyce flew in the night before. Joyce is Michael's step-mom and we really were happy to get to visit with her again. It was especially nice that her visit was at Hayden's graduation time.
Michael took Hayden to his classroom. Andie, Bailey and Joyce came into the sanctuary where the actual graduation program would be and where Claude and I were holding seats for them at the back.
This is a fun little graduation. They actually have blue caps and gowns in little people sizes for these youngsters. They all meet in their classrooms and come in with their teachers. Hayden's teacher, Miss Amanda, gave birth to Claire the night before so another school official walked in with his class. Hayden is 2nd from the left of this picture with a big grin on his face.
Introductions were made. Announcements were made of who couldn't attend and for what reason. Thank you plaques were given out. The kids sang some songs. Then the kids all went to rows on the side and sat as classes. Each class was called up and the kids came one at a time to the front. They stood with the teacher and received a kids version of the Bible. Their parents could come up and take a picture of them receiving this Bible. Then the parents took their child back to their seats. Hayden is the 3rd child from the left on the front row of the singing picture.
Hayden was very happy with his new Bible. We got a family picture or two of him with Joyce, Claude & me, and his family. The picture of Hayden with Claude and me is just hysterical. I have our Bailey pinned between my legs. The object was to get a picture of Hayden with Claude and me. Bailey seemed okay with me trapping her between my legs. I just find it a particularly amusing snapshot of our Bailey at the age of 3. I've learned to appreciate a photo as a moment in time. You can see how happy Joyce was to be with Hayden for this special moment.
After the actual graduation everyone went to the gym. They had hot dogs and popcorn and snowcones for everyone. There were games and lots of fun to celebrate this big day in these little ones lives. Michael assured Hayden this was the first of at least 5 graduations in his future.
Then we headed to Casa Marx, the ladies and kids in the Marx van and Claude and Michael in my car. The boys were off to get barbeque for lunch. We had a nice lunch together. The kids played a bit. Claude and I gave Hayden a solar system kit for a graduation present. Hayden helped me pop it together and he totally loves it. The planets move around the sun and, with his love of all things to do with space, this was a great gift.
Everyone took a nap except for Michael and me. Then Claude and I left about 5pm. We had tickets to see Wicked at 7:30pm. So we headed out to find Lynn's Cafe. I think that is the right name. It is a really fun place to eat in Louisville. I saw it on the Today show or something some time back and made a mental note to try this unique restaurant at some point in our future. Andie had been with friends and enjoyed it. So we headed to find Lynn's Cafe. We had a great meal. We decided to have me get a salad that looked good to both of us and Claude got a sandwich (bacon, lettuce and fried green tomato) that looked good to both of us. Then we shared them. The food was great. The atmosphere was over the top fun. Two trees in the middle of the dining room. Mannequin legs on the walls in 60's style and color pants, bold colors of paint that is different on each surface, lamps hanging upside down over tables. The lamp for our table had men's ties covering the lamp shade. Just a really fun place to eat with good food.
Michael helped me get Google Maps on my Blackberry while we were at their home. I put in the new beginning and ending locations and got us a map to follow to get into downtown Louisville to Whitney Hall. It worked like a charm. I called Michael from the parking garage to thank him. Now we need to put this feature on Claude's Blackberry. It's free and is a great item to have at hand.
We were early for the play. Stood in the lobby for a bit. The smell of the pecans, cashews and almonds cooking in sugars and cinnamon filled the entire theater. We didn't eat any but boy did it smell good. I can eat my weight in nuts prepared that way.
Now I'm going to rant a bit. I left my Blackberry in the car. Claude had his but he turned it off before we ever entered the theater. Before the play started they made the usually announcement in loud tones to turn off all hand-held devices. During the entire performance the idiot next to me had his PDA out and playing with it. Be it a game or checking eMail's and Facebook. I'm not kidding. The only time it was off was during the intermission. Really people...can we not do without these wonderful devices for the length of a performance. That bright light is very distracting to me and I'm sure it could be for those performing on stage as well. I've sat beside people in other performances who actually videoed the entire performance when specifically told that was violating laws before the performance began. About the only reason I can see for these EVER being checked during a performance is if you have a dying relative and you left the thing on stun so you could get a notice if you had to run. Now how often is that going to happen. Chances are if death were that close you would be with them and NOT at the performance. We must learn to not be so addicted to them.
I can't remember Friday. I know we were home. I'm sure there was rain. But I also know we didn't have a dinner to go to. I know I was going to sleep in a bit to catch up on some rest but that didn't happen. I'm remembering something now...oh yeah...I spent the entire day typing addresses into my Blackberry from my Palm Pilot. I did finish the addresses and worked on the memo's while we watched something silly on TV in the evening. I have finished everything being moved and have officially stopped using my Palm Pilot. I spent Monday evening deleting stuff off the Palm Pilot. Now I am officially only using the Blackberry. I better get good at it quick!! It definitely lessens the weight of my purse!!
Which brings me to Saturday. The Friends of Sadieville Renaissance (I'm the chairperson now) has a beautification committee. Claude got a grant for the city to make a butterfly garden and a rain garden in the City of Sadieville. Cindy and Detta went to the nursery and picked out the plants. The beautification committe picked a date for this group volunteer effort of planting. Armed with plants, dirt, volunteers, tools and gloves, we went to work to build these items to beautify our little town. Omer and Virgil set to work with the tiller. They had two new beds to dig where there was dirt before. The ladies headed to the planting beds on each side of the Waring Pavilion. We pulled out poison ivy and weeds. I'm feeling the poison ivy since Monday on my arms. Then we started to turn the soil and clear out the spot for the butterfly garden. Claude sorted plants according to the diagram of where things were to go. We ended up creating the butterfly garden at the City of Sadieville sign, putting in the rain garden plants in the ditch, planting dogwood trees beside the caboose, planting new plants in the lamp posts in front of the caboose, and planting climbing plants around the storm drain. We are all agreed that if these plants grow like they should Sadieville will have the prettiest storm drain in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We did pause briefly for a little lunch and conversation. Other than that, we worked constantly to get our project done. Next Saturday we are all meeting again to put the mulch on top of all of these projects. Stuart Hughes, our County Magistrate is helping us get the mulch. What a team effort. It was a lot of work but a lot of fun as well.
Here are a few before and after pictures. Remember, these are new plants, they have to grow up and fill their spaces. They are also native plants to Kentucky that can tolerate the climate and the very, very, very poor soil conditions.
First...the butterfly garden around the City of Sadieville sign:
Second...the rain garden in the ditch:
Then we have the storm drain...soon to be prettiest in the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
The last pictures of just of the flower beds in front of the caboose, the dogwood trees on the back of the caboose and Waring Pavilion with the flower beds weeded.
We finished our day knowing there was rain in the forecast and concerned the little plants by the storm drain might float away. I know several of us keep driving past to be sure all plants are staying in their assigned and proper place. After all the flooding a few weeks ago, this concern is totally justified.
Saturday evening was the Scott County Republican Dinner. It was a biggie this year. Our US Senate race is particularly of note. Trey Grayson and Rand Paul were the viable Republican candidates. Rand Paul has won that Republican nomination. They were both to speak at this dinner and the news was set up to do a live streaming of the evening. We were invited to sit at Stuart Hughes table. There were two other couples. This was a delightful evening. The conversation at our table was great. The food was simple and good. There was one speaker for the evening who was a candidate for the US Senate. He had to be 105 years old. He was just delightful to listen to. He could have made a great stand-up comic. We all just enjoyed him.
Sunday was a very full day. I was to visit the Owingsville Ward with my secretary, Barbara. We met at Lisa Adams home where we left Barbara's car. We had a wonderful visit with the Owingsville ladies. This is just a very friendly and warm congregation. I marveled at their efforts to assist those who were flooded completely out of home and business during the huge floods earlier this month. Their area was hit particularly hard. Even though some of the sisters sitting there lost businesses, they were still at the service opportunities to sort donated items to give to others. Just a great outpouring of love. As Barbara and I left to drive back to Lexington, it started to rain again. We just shook our heads and said a little prayer in our hearts for these good people.
I determined to also pop in to visit the Lexington 1st Branch. They are a young single adult branch. We have a brand new Relief Society president in this branch and I just wanted to be sure she was doing okay and answer any questions she had. This is always a fun unit to visit. They are full of energy and their calendar is always full of things to do together. Such fun.
Then I headed to Georgetown to visit with my parents while Papa fed Mimi. Then Papa and I went back to his apartment to plan the musical program for today.
I finally headed back to Sadieville after an 11 hours day away from my home. It was a good day and full of positive, cup filling experiences.
Monday was an at home day. Laundry was done for Claude and me and for Papa. Computer work was caught up a bit, not completely, just a bit.
Yesterday I finally got the hair cut I've been needed for 3 weeks. I also voted. I also signed new signature cards for the Friends of Sadieville accounts at our bank. Participated in my monthly conference call for LDS Family Services training. Then I spent a good bit of time at my computer getting ready for Katelyn's graduation in a couple of weeks. I'm making a slideshow of pictures of her life to display while we all have an openhouse after the graduation ceremony.
Today I'm catching up on this blog, wiping out the inside of the oven I cleaned yesterday, heading into Georgetown to sing with Papa and visit Mimi. Then I'm coming home and crashing. I just love crashing. I'll probably work on the slide show a bit more.
I feel like that song Sonny and Cher used to sing..."The Beat Goes On!!"
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