The Black Jacket Symphony...

Yep, we are retired.  Yes, we do see each other more often.  Yes, we still need date nights!!  

I received an eMail from one of our sources of entertainment last year, The Lexington Opera House.  They were going to have The Black Jacket Symphony perform.  Their performance would be music from the Eagles.  For the last 3 years, Claude and I have journeyed to Cincinnati, Louisville & Columbus, Ohio to see the Eagles in live concert.  We just love their music.  When I received the eMail from the Lexington Opera House it seemed like an interesting turn on Eagle's music.  I told Claude about it.  He agreed that it might be a fun evening.  I purchased tickets and last night was our date night.

We began our evening with dinner at Sargent's Galley.  This is a locally owned and run restaurant.  We could have dined in Lexington but it was Friday night and all of them would be crowded just prior to a show.  We have gotten older and totally embraced the 'early dinner' of the aging crowd.  So much more relaxing.  However, a 3 or 4pm dinner for an 8pm show when you live in Sadieville and only want to make one trip out of your home is just not going to work.  We both thought of Sargent's Galley so we felt that was the right choice for the evening.  They have added some new dishes to their menu.  I enjoyed the Asian Chicken Salad.  It was absolutely delicious.  Claude had a burger.  He has been such a trooper on his weight control regime so this big burger was a welcome treat.  He pronounced it yummy and worthy of recommending to others.  Dinner was a big success and a great start to our evening.

We arrived at the parking garage about 7:30pm.  A quick walk across the corner put us inside the Lexington Opera House.  Thank heavens.  The temperature outside was in the teens and windy so you felt the cold of the air.  Up the stairs to our lower balcony seats.  The type of venue we are watching determines where we want our seats.  These were great seats.  The two next to me were the only empty seats so we moved over at the intermission for plenty of room.  No one on either side of us.  

The Black Jacket Symphony is a band really.   They choose an album of a famous rock group and the first half of their program is to play all that album for your entertainment and enjoyment.  In our case they played the "Hotel California" album.  "Hotel California" is Claude's favorite.  So, starting our night off with that song bode well for the evening.  They did a great job sounding like the Eagles.  The rest of the first half was great...with one exception.  The jerk a few rows behind us who had one too many beers and felt he needed to carry on a conversation with the others in his group.  His voice was loud and next to impossible to block out.  Even Claude kept turning around and frowning at him.  That is usually my temperament, not Claude's.  We first looked at each other remembering the Eagle's concert in Louisville.  We had ground floor seats about 4 rows back from the center of the Yum Center.  The front row of this center section had a guy and lady drinking their beers and holding a conversation as loud as they could over the music.  May I just add that these concerts are not quiet affairs.  So their conversation has to be almost yelling and we could hear every word.  I told Claude after that concert I would never again sit still for that.  I paid for my ticket and I would talk to the people next time and ask them to take the talk outside.  Funny thing is, we neither mind people singing along and enjoying the music that way.  It is a shared experience.  Part of the magic of going to a concert.  But conversation being yelled over the music that has nothing to do with the music is just rude. R.U.D.E. rude!!.  I finally got on the edge of my seat and raised up and turned around to see exactly who was doing the talking.  The man behind us got up and left.  The intermission started and we saw security behind us.  Evidently the man behind us had had enough and got security.  The second half of the show went a lot better from that 'talking over the performance' angle.

The second half of the concert was just lots of Eagle's classics.  We all sang along and clapped, some danced.  At one point one of the men down at the front of our balcony came in during a song.  He had at least two beers so I'm sure a potty run was in order.  When he came back in we were all rocking along to a great song.  He came in and stayed standing and dancing.  He was no small person.  Claude and I just laughed and enjoyed that moment in time. 

Okay, one more comment regarding appropriate etiquette for anything.  If someone is speaking or singing or performing and you are in the audience, IF you must leave, it should be between speakers or singers or performances, NOT during.  Goodness people.  These were manners my mother taught me.  Simple, group friendly and considerate of others manners.  Get on board!!

The Black Jacket Symphony did a great job with their renditions of Eagles music. They are not the Eagles, but they did a great job of helping us feel the greatness of Eagles music.  We would definitely go see them again.  As we walked back to the parking garage, we both commented on the quality of their music and what a good evening it was.  Then I said, "And, it was a LOT less expensive than a live Eagles concert."  Claude laughed and totally agreed.

The highlight of the evening was the encore performances.  They came back and did two numbers.  One of them was 'Seven Bridges Road'.  This is just such great harmony.  Audience sang along.  The song begins and ends with the same great harmonic lines.  When The Black Jacket Symphony got to the end and paused to sing again the lines from the beginning of the song, the audience was on their feet applauding and whistling and yelling.  Claude and I just grinned and said, "They haven't finished yet!!"  The Black Jacket Symphony was overwhelmed at the response and paused longer than the piece calls for.  Finally the lead singer, Buck Johnson, raised his hand and the band just started those last few lines.  Then we all went crazy with applause, whistling and yelling.  Great way to end the evening.

Yep, we are in our mid-sixties and we do still need and want a great date night every now and then.  This was a great date night.

A Little Frost...

Read some last night and this morning in an attempt to complete my book of Robert Frost poetry.  Had a great moment when I came across this poem:

The Gift Outright

The land was ours before we were the land's.

She was our land more than a hundred years

Before we were her people.  She was ours

In Massachusetts, in Virginia,

But we were England's, still colonials,

Possessing what we still were unpossessed by,

Possessed by what we now no more possessed.

Something we were withholding made us weak

Until we found out that it was ourselves

We were withholding from our land of living.

And forthwith found salvation in surrender.

Such as we were we gave ourselves outright

(The deed a gift was many deeds of war)

To the land vaguely realizing westward,

But still unstoried, artless, unenhanced,

Such as she was, such as she would become.

Something about this poem struck me as beautiful.  Something I needed to understand.  I picked up my cell phone and Googled the title of the poem.  Then I remembered.  This is the poem Robert Frost recited at John F. Kennedy's inauguration.  I read an article on the poets.org webpage about this event.  He is some of the article.

On March 26, 1959, prior to a gala to celebrate his 85th birthday, Robert Frost gave a press conference at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City. When asked about the alleged decline of New England, he responded: "The next President of the united States will be from Boston. Does that sound as if New England is decaying?"  He was pressed for the name and Robert Frost replied: "He's a Puritan named Kennedy. The only Puritans left these days are the Roman Catholics.  There. I guess I wear my politics on my sleeve." 

Frost repeated this prediction through the coming months as he endorsed Kennedy for President.  Kennedy, in return, quoted the last two lines of another Frost poem 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening': "But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep." 

When Frost learned of Kennedy winning the election he said, "a triumph of Protestantism over itself."

At the suggestion of Stewart Udall, President Kennedy's Secretary of Interior, Robert Frost was asked to recite a poem at the Inauguration.  Kennedy asked Frost to recite a new poem or 'The Gift Outright'.  Robert Frost composed a new poem titled 'Dedication' (later the name was changed to 'For John F. Kennedy His Inauguration').  It was typed on a typewriter at the hotel.  Frost's intent was to read the new poem as a prelude to the poem Kennedy requested.  The light was too bright to read from the hotel stationery so Frost recited 'The Gift Outright' from memory.  The website even has a recording of Frost saying this poem.  Neat little bit of history there.  

I was surprised as I listened to the recording that Robert Frost did not pause as I did when I read the poem in my head.  I was taught while in school to recognize commas and periods when reading to get the full effect and meaning.  It has really helped me when I read to better understand what was written.  It was very interesting to hear Frost quote in run on sentences.  I shall continue to read as I have as I do understand things better that way.

I found two poems I shall send to my son, Jacob.  He loves things to do with space.  Frost wrote one poem titled 'A Loose Mountain' and talks about the Leonid's.  I think Jake will like that one.  Jacob is also an English major.  Another little poem titled 'Iota Subscript'  I believe he will also find interesting.

In my reading this morning I found lines in two other poems that I just chuckled at.

The first was from a poem titled 'The Ingenuities of Debt'.  The two lines that cracked me up were:  

Take care to sell your horse before he dies
The art of life is passing losses on.

The second was from a poem titled 'Away!'.  They are: 

Don't think I leave

For the outer dark

Like Adam and Eve

Put out of the Park.

I still have about 100 pages of poems left to read.  You could say I have enjoyed this book.  I truly don't get all of it.  Sometimes I'm well into a poem before I understand where he is going with it.  Sometimes I just don't get it at all.  But there are truly enjoy nuggets of wisdom or amusement to keep me very interested.  I'm sure if I understood some of the historical and political references that would help.  But I'm really enjoying this book and the change of pace from fiction or history.  Who knows, something else may even be found worthy for me to include in this Blog!!

Random Nuggets...

Yesterday morning while working at the breakfast table on my laptop, I heard an interesting rat-a-tat-tat.  Hmmmmm... We live on a hill and there is a creek at the bottom. Across the creek the hill goes up very steeply again to the railroad track.  The hill across the creek is covered in trees.  All this topography leads to sounds that bounce and you are not quite sure where they come from.  So when I heard that rat-a-tat-tat I wasn't sure if it was right on my deck or across the creek somewhere on Hwy 32.  I listened and heard it again.  Then my brain kicked in gear and I knew why that sound was familiar, it sounded just like a woodpecker.  We have lots of different kinds of birds in our back yard but we don't have woodpeckers.  I listened and heard the rat-a-tat-tat again.  It still sounded like it was really on the deck. This time I quietly got up and went to the living room window, pulled back the curtain and peeked out.  When I looked to my left at the bit of roof I can see from there, sure enough, there was a red-headed woodpecker on the roof over the breakfast room.  What in the world was he/she doing to my home???  This time I broke with tradition and opened the door and yelled at the bird to get away.  He flew away to the telephone lines.  That was a little disconcerting.  In 10 years of living here that has never happened to my knowledge.  Really don't want woodpecker holes in our home. Our home is all siding and shingles on the roof.  I thought woodpeckers really pecked on wood.  Hmmmm...

The other day I went to Kroger to purchase Papa's groceries.  This was in front of the store. The peanut guy saw me getting ready to take a picture from the parking lot and walked around front and posed!!  I took this picture to send to Hayden on his eMail account.  I'm not sure what they were doing there.  No pressure as I walked past their table, no offer of samples or coupons.  Just two people talking while the peanut guy posed for pictures.

Last night before going to bed I was finishing up a crochet project and listening to the news and weather.  A news bit came on that Darryl Isaacs was in the hospital in Louisville.  He was riding his bike and turned and a car hit him.  Darryl Isaacs is the 'Heavy Hitter'.  He is a lawyer with a practice that handles car accident victims to get the most for them from the insurance companies.  I believe these practices are often called 'ambulance chasers'.  He has enough commercials on that (even before they moved here) when Andie would come to visit she would comment if there wasn't a Heavy Hitter commercial on the television.  I listened to that news story and just had to laugh.  Not because someone was hurt but because that poor guy was really in for it now.  He said he didn't not see the bicycle.  Oops!!  There is a big team of lawyers very practiced in handling these things for the Heavy Hitter.  Would NOT want to be this poor guy.  Just a bit of irony in that situation.

Sunday, I had the strangest Sunday in a long time.  I picked up Papa and took him to Sacrament meeting, took him home after. Then went back to church for Sunday School and Relief Society.  No choir practice so I went home.  I was home before 1pm.  Wow!!!  Usually I left early enough to set up the Primary room.  Released from Primary, I no longer need to do that.  There was no choir practice so need to stay after church.  Papa had an awful nights sleep the night before and was in great pain when we left sacrament meeting to take him home.  He wanted to go in and rest.  I told him I wouldn't visit him because I would see him on Monday when I came in to buy groceries and that way he could rest without interruption.  I think he was happy for that reprieve.  So my hour plus visit with Papa on a Sunday afternoon didn't happen.  Our temple preparation class was canceled as the family still had some sickness and didn't want to come out.  So I sent my hubby a text and told him I was headed home and would see him there.  As I was driving home, I realized that is what a Sunday feels like when it is not full of lots of other things.  I'm used to Sunday when I leave at 8:30 on a regular Sunday or 7:15 on a ward council Sunday and getting home around 5pm.  This was a very pleasant Sunday.  I could get used to that really easy.  Know it won't last but it was a good Sunday.

Yesterday I also spent 4 hours at Frank Shoop getting my car worked on.  The 'check engine' light has been coming on.  My manual says that is an emissions problem.  I checked the gas cap and filled the gas tank as suggested in the manual.  Then you need to drive it several times until the car registers all is okay and the light quits staying on all the time.  If the light starts to blink, get it to the dealership quick.  My light never blinked.  It was a worn out thermostat which they had in stock and could replace.  I just sat and crocheted and waited.

While waiting that waiting room was full of people.  Seems like every wife had a husband.  Not sure why that is necessary.  But that is just my opinion.  Claude offered to come with me and I assured him I had a bag full of things to do no matter how long it would take.  If it entailed major repairs I would call him to discuss, but otherwise he would have a much happier day at home doing things he wanted to do there.  Nevertheless, I could clearly see that in our future a date to the car dealership for whatever maintenance needed to be done might be a highlight of our week!!

The other thing I learned that kind of blew me away was the one couple that was probably there with their grandson.  He may have been a son but I really think, judging my age, he was a grandson.  She was talking with him and he asked if they had DVD's.  She assured him they did not because they used NetFlix streaming.  I had spoken with this lady before and knew she was 74 years old.  Her comment caught me off-guard.  I'm 64 and we don't have NetFlix.  Seems if we did that, it would mean we need and want to watch more movies on television.  So we don't have NetFlix and have no intention of going that route.  I suddenly felt behind in the digital age.  That, compounded by a new report the other day that said they were now building cars with no CD players in them.  Instead, there will be a port to plug in your iPod or smart phone or whatever you listen to music on.  I listen to music on CD's!!!  I am officially falling way, way behind in the digital age.  I should be more concerned...but I'm not.  As long as our DVD player (and VHS players) and CD players hold out, I'm good to go!!

Years ago when we lived in Denver and my children were very young, I found a cute pattern to crochet granny square Christmas stockings.  I made them for our family.  I even made enough and sold them to pay for gasoline for a Christmas trip to Louisiana for our family.  They became part of our family tradition.  As our kids have married, a stocking has been crocheted by me for each of the in-laws and for the grandmonsters as they have come along.  This year after Christmas, Nissa, our eldest, told me they needed 3 more stockings for their family.  Last night, I finished the 3 stockings.  

I've included a few pictures for any crochet savvy person who might find these cute and want to try them to understand how they are put together.  You need to crochet 3 granny squares that are a solid color.  These will be used for the toe and hill of the stocking.  Then you crochet 13 multi-colored squares for the foot (4) and top (9) of the stocking.  

To assemble the squares I start by putting two of the solid squares right sides together and whip stitch with yarn two of the sides together.  Then you whip stitch 2 multi-colored squares to two sides of each of the solid squarest to start forming the foot portion. Then you whip stitch 2 sides of of the next 2 multi-colored squares to the first two multi-colored squares to just about finish the foot portion.  The final white square is folded in half and one short edge is whip stitched. Then you whip stitch the heal to the rest of the foot for a completed foot portion of your stocking.  All this is done so the wrong side of each square is on the outside.

Next whip stitch three of the multi-colored squares to form a ring of three squares.  You have 9 multi-colored squares so you will have three rings of 3 squares each.  The first of these rings should be placed right side out inside the foot and whip stitched in place.  Be sure to put one of the seam edges in the center of the white heel.  These three rings are added like brick work on a house (offset from each other).  

After adding all three ring, turn the stocking right side out.  Working from the inside of the stocking, crochet at least 8 rows of double crochet at the top.  Finish off.  When turned down, this forms the cuff of the stocking.  Crocheting from the inside places the right side of your cuff over the right side of the stocking.  I add a piece of yard to the center back for hanging the stocking on my stair railing.  I also add a bell to the center front of the cuff for decoration.

You don't have to use red, white and blue yarn.  If you do, putting red in the center, then a green row, then a white row, almost looks like a holly berry in the middle of the square.  They are cute and it has been a fun tradition for our family. 

Final nugget.  It happened again!  Got an eMail from a man stating he was writing a book and found one of the pictures I posted and wanted permission to use it in his book.  This happened once before.  It has surprised me both times.  I researched him on-line to be sure about his legitimacy.  After being sure he was the real thing, I responded that he could use the picture.  It just strikes me as interesting.  Happy others enjoy a photo I have taken.  Especially as I work though my pictures and try to get them totally in order.  One can get overwhelmed with the number of pictures I have taken and then wonder why keep all those pictures.  Then this little random act happens and I think, well, maybe it is a good thing. 

Points to Ponder...

Point #1:

My poor hubby has been trying to get an implant for a tooth that went bad.  It started last April...can you believe that?  We went two weeks ago and they checked the post and said they wanted to give it a bit longer.  He was given a special mouthwash which he has used exactly as directed.  This morning we took him back to the dentist before going to the Family History Center.  I sat in the car and read my book.  (Not a lot of time for discretionary reading, so I treasure these quiet moments.)  I read a good bit and then thought to myself, "Self, this seems to be taking a longer time that Claude thought he was going to be in the dentist office."  Then I went back to my book.  After a bit my hubby came out with a puffy chin from gauze being stuffed in his mouth.  Hmmmm...not just a quick check.  It seems they felt like they needed to replace the post!!  Cut the gum and did their work, stitched him up and sent him out with a prescription for more mouth wash and a LOT of gauze.  I asked him if he needed to go home.  He shook his head no.  I asked if he wanted me to drive the Jeep.  Again, a head shake for no.  (This is really funny because, in all the years he has owned this Jeep, I have never driven it once.  I guess today wouldn't be the day either.)  I asked if I could still have my plain biscuit and soda from McDonald's or did he feel like doing that for me.  He was fine with it and drove to McDonald's near the dentist and parked the car.  I asked if we were going in?  He said he didn't think he could place an intelligible order with a wad of gauze in his mouth.  Good point.  I ordered for us and we were on our way.  Goodness.  We'll go two more weeks and see what happens then.

Point #2:

Yesterday I went to Papa's to visit and get his groceries for the week.  My habit is to knock on his door loud and long.  He knows it is me and yells "Come in!"  I open the door and enter.  If he doesn't respond, I figure he is in the bathroom or out for brief walk.  I got to Papa's apartment, knocked loud and long with no response.  I opened the door and there was this man with a screwed up face yelling 'Boo' at me. Scared me half-to-death.  Papa was in stitches laughing.  Men never really grow up.  Even when they are 86 years old.

Point #3:

Still reading my book of Robert Frost poetry.  Today I made it to a lovely little poem written about 1916 titled "A Time to Talk".  In this day of digital interaction, I thoroughly enjoyed the look back in time.  In 2015, we can learn from this poem.  Enjoy!

When a friend calls to me from the road

And slows his horse to a meaning walk,

I don't stand still and look around

On all the hills I haven't hoed,

And shout from where I am, "What is it?"

No, not as there is time to talk.

I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,

Blade-end up and five feet tall,

And plod: I go up to the stone wall

For a friendly visit.

Point #4:

Just an observation, not a judgement.  While eating lunch at City BBQ, I looked across the room and saw a man with a full, long beard.  It came to his chest.  He also had a Mohawk haircut.  It just struck me as a very interesting combination choice for grooming.  Again, not a judgment.  I don't know the man from Adam.  Do you ever wonder what you look like to others?  I do every time I notice someone like this.  

That's enough things to ponder for one day.  Life is just full of lots of different experiences.  It is never dull.

Poetry to Prepare...

Claude and I will have our 45th anniversary in February.  The reservations are made for a trip to Key West, Florida.  It is on Claude's bucket list.  

When we travel, I try to find something to read that gives me a flavor or feeling of the place to which we are going or something about the place.  In the case of Key West, I learned that at least three big time authors have lived there for varying periods of time, Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and Robert Frost.  I thought I would try to read something from each of these authors before we go.  I would use our local library as I couldn't find free books to my liking for my Kindle.  I guess these authors are not quite old enough for the free books list.

I read Ernest Hemingway's "To Have and Have Not" first.  That was a fairly quick read.  Got that one done in two days.  I really did not like that book.  When I recorded my reading on Shelfari and Goodreads, I only gave it one star out of 5.  I'm sure the verbage is correct for the setting and time, but it was harsh to my ear and heart.

I tried to get something by Tennessee Williams but my library doesn't have the book I was wanting.  In truth, Claude and saw "The Glass Menagerie at the Purple Rose Theater when Jacob, our son, was an apprentice there.  That is a classic Tennessee Williams play so I don't feel too cheated not reading his play in book form.  

So I jumped to Robert Frost.  Our library had a book of his poetry.  It is actually a combination of several books of his poetry.  I started it in earnest today as Claude drove us to Paris for church.

I enjoy reading poetry.  I believe a good poet must have a great vocabulary.  That means they will use words I'm not familiar with and that will increase my vocabulary.  

For example, Frost uses the word 'orchises' in a poem about flowers, 'a thousand orchises'. Got to be orchids.  

In another poem titled "Waiting' he uses the word antiphony.  Antiphony means the opposition of sounds, any response or echo.  The word is used after he writes of the laborer's voices dying down. 

One poem is titled "The Demiurge's Laugh".  What in the world is that?  The poem uses the word 'Demon' spelled with a capital 'D' throughout.  Checking my worn out dictionary, I find one of the definitions if from the Gnostic philosophy.  I've heard of that.  The definition states: a god sub-ordinante to the supreme god, sometimes considered the originator of evil, or identified with the Jehovah of the Bible.  New wrinkles forming in my aging brain.

I already came across one poem I want to include in this Blog entry.  The poem is title "The Tuft of Flowers" and is from "A Boys Will - 1913".   Enjoy!!

I went to turn the grass once after one

Who mowed it in the dew before the sun.

The dew was gone that made his blade so keen

Before I came to view the leveled scene.

I looked for him behind an isle of trees;

I listened for his whetstone on the breeze.

But he had gone his way, the grass all mown, 

And I must be, as he had been--alone.

"As all must be," I said within my heart,

"Whether they work together or apart."

But as I said it, swift there passed me by

On noiseless wing a bewildered butterfly,

Seeking with memories grown dim o'er night

Some resting flower of yesterday's delight.

And once I marked his flight go round and round,

As where some flowers lay withering on the ground.

An then he flew as far as eye could see,

And then on tremulous wing came back to me.

I thought of questions that have no reply,

And would have turned to toss the grass to dry;

But he turned first, and led my eye to look

At a tall tuft of lowers beside a brook,

A leaping tongue of bloom the scythe had spared

Beside a reedy brook the scythe had bared.

The mower in the dew had loved them thus,

By leaving them to flourish, not for us,

Nor yet to draw one thought of ours to him,

But from sheer morning gladness at the brim.

The butterfly and I had lit upon,

Nevertheless, a message from the dawn,

That made me hear the wakening birds around,

And hear his long scythe whispering to the ground,

And feel a spirit kindred to my own;

So that henceforth I worked no more along;

But glad with him, I worked as with his aid,

And weary, sought at noon with him the shade;

And dreaming, as it were, held brotherly speech

With one whose thought I had not hoped to reach.

"Men work together," I told him from the heart,

"Whether they work together or apart."

I reflected that writing a poem might be like writing music.  I don't know a lot about poetic meter and verse.  But I'm thinking they are like time and key are to a musician.  Each of these poems is written with a little different set on the written page and I'm sure that is not done by accident.  There is purpose in choosing that meter.  It affects the need for that wonderful vocabulary to fit the word to the line and keep the feelings of the poet true to his heart.

As we drove to Paris along Scenic Highway 460 which had several sections lined with stone fences that are a particular treasure in Kentucky, I came across the poem titled "Mending Wall".  Now that is poetry in living while reading.  This poem is about a man who has a rock wall that marks the property line between him and his neighbor.  There are places the rocks have fallen and the wall in broken open.  The poet says, "One a day we meet to walk the line."  Then the poem describes the two men, one on each (his) side of the wall, walking together and picking up rocks and putting them back in place from their respective sides of the wall, repairing the wall as they go.  The man narrating this poem says that his neighbor says, "Good fences make good neighbors."  I liked this poem because it touches on something that is a part of where I live and speaks of man's relationship with others.  Good poem.

I've only read 58 pages of the 521 pages of poetry in this book.  In thumbing through the poems I found one of my favorites, "The Road Not Taken".  It speaks of a man walking in a wood and coming to a fork in the road.  Which way should he go?  The end of the poem says:

Two road diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Yep, I like that.  Choices.  Agency.  Good stuff.

I'm thinking this book will get 5 stars after I am finished. 

I know in reading these books I'm not really learning about Key West itself.  But I will look at Key West and see how it might have inspired these literary classics.  I will have stretched myself in a direction I might not have done by reading literature I wouldn't have looked to without the background of this trip.  I'm happy I have chosen this road...it will make all the difference.

Dentistry for Dogs...

Papa's little dog Tiny was taken to the vet on Monday, January 5th, for her annual shots.  While there we were once again informed how bad the plaque build-up was on her teeth.  Apparently,  just as in humans, if this is allowed to continue, it can damage her heart.  Now, Tiny turned 15 years old the end of 1999.  This is very old for a little dog.  But she has been very well taken care of and we need to prolong her life so Papa has his little companion as long as he is around.  So, the decision as to whether or not to get these teeth cleaned to aid in prolonging her life was a no brainer for me.

She would have to be put under anesthesia. Test would need to be done to determine her ability to handle that at her age.  She would need to spend the day at the vet.  The risk was there, even if the test showed she could probably handle the anesthesia, for death with the procedure.  All this was explained to Papa and I, but with his hearing problems and his inability to stay focused when being given instructions, he really didn't get what was going on.  I restated the process to Papa and he agreed we should let them clean Tiny's teeth if they could.  An appointment was made to drop Tiny off at 8am Monday, January 12th.   

I picked Papa and Tiny up and we were to the vets just before 8am.  They took Tiny and told us it would take about a half hour to do the tests and determine if she could have the dental cleaning.  It was a cold, wet day.  Papa and I went to the car.  The car seat is so much easier on his back than those straight back chairs at the vets.  I told him I would prefer waiting there to be sure she could have the procedure than driving to his apartment and then turning around to come back and get her if she could not have the procedure.  He agreed. So we put his seat back even further and settled in for a little chat.

I waited for 45 minutes and then went back in to see how things were progressing.  Tiny was good to go on the cleaning and I was told to be back after 2:30pm.  Back to the car and told Papa she was having her teeth cleaned and we could pick her up at 2:30pm.  As I drove to Papa's apartment, I again explained what we were doing with Tiny.  Papa couldn't remember at all what and why it was being done the way it was.  Bless his heart his memory is just not good at all.  I told him about the risk to her life but that the vet felt she would be okay so they were going to give her anesthetic and do the cleaning.  Papa seemed okay but I know he was concerned as this was explained again.

I left Papa at his apartment and went to get his groceries.  When I returned and put the groceries away, Papa explained that he had already found himself twice looking for her while I was at the grocery store.  It would be a long day for him without Tiny.  I refilled Papa's prescription cases and then headed off to have lunch with Claude and the rest of the Chamber of Commerce.  I ran my Georgetown errands and finished just before 2:30.  

The plan was to pick up Papa and take him to get Tiny at 2:30pm.  I was so close to the vet's office.  I popped into Arby's for a soda and then went to get Tiny without Papa.  She did great.  The vet gave post op instructions.  Warned about giving her too much to eat too fast as the anesthesia can cause nausea until it leaves the system completely.  Tiny was happy to see a familiar face.  She came right to me and snuggled in my arms.  I put her in the car and she climbed up on the arm rest and nuzzled her nose right under my arm.  I was thinking she should ride in the passenger seat but she was sure she needed more reassurance.  Back on the arm rest and under my right arm she came.  I just wrapped my arm around her and kept saying calming things to her as she shivered.  She really, really hates riding in a car and having just finished her vet experience was just over-the-top unsettling for her.

We pulled into Papa's drive way and she was decidedly happy.  She knew where she was.  I opened the door and a happier Papa could not have found.  His little girl was home.  I gave him strict instructions about not feeding her until 6pm or after, water was okay.  I gave him her new toothbrush and told him how to use it.  Then I left this interesting pair to be happy being together again. They really are each lost without the other.

The epilogue to this story is my stopping in Friday to take Papa to Dr. Weckman for his blood density test.  I was standing at the door waiting for Papa to come to get in the car and I looked over at Tiny standing in his bedroom.  She was shivering.  I think she thought I was taking her to the vet again.  Poor little creature.  I assured her I was not going to do that.  She still shivered.  But she is a lot perkier with her clean teeth.  Hang in there Tiny and continue to fill the measure of your creation!!

Thanks...

Isn't he cute??  This is my hubby, Claude J. Christensen, on the right receiving his plaque from the Scott County Chamber of Commerce for a year of great service as president of the Chamber.  The man on the left is the new president of the Chamber of Commerce.  So proud of the Big Guy.  He did a great job and learned a lot.  Now, this year he'll fill that time with being 1st Vice President of Kentucky League of Cities.  I think he is enjoying his retirement!!

Standing in Line...

Back to Tuesday, January 6...I am sooo far behind again.  Life must be lived people, life must be lived.  Sometimes that gets in the way of things like Blogging.  But this particular incident struck me as just how silly life is, I remembered it so I could put it in my Blog.

Tuesday, January 6th, Claude and I finished our shift at the Family History Center.  We went to check out guitar cases.  It turns out Claude has a very valuable guitar.  

When we were first married and very, very poor (as all newly weds should be in my book), Claude went to the guitar shop in Shreveport, Louisiana. He order a 12-string Gibson guitar and had it specially made to be left-handed.  Could we afford this?  No way.  But we did and Claude was very happy.  That guitar has brought lots of memories and good times.  He used it to play in a band when we lived in Colorado.  I shall always remember him singing "The Marvelous Little Toy" to our children as they danced around the room. I loved singing duets with him.  Claude's voice is a lot like Burl Ives.  Just mellow and very nice.  I am an alto that is really a tenor.  Guitar playing is the perfect way to sing because the key can be changed so easily and placed so we could harmonize well with each other.  Now, we will be married 45 years in a few weeks so that guitar is 44 years old.  

Claude was trying to figure out what he wanted for Christmas.  He had a bee in his bonnet (or cap) to get another banjo.  We tossed his old banjo when we moved from Maryland as it had used up every bit of life in it.  Ever the detailed person, Claude read and studied over the Internet to find exactly what he thought was right in a banjo.  

In the meantime, he took his guitar to one of two shops we know of in Lexington at the end of last year.  They were to restring it and give it a general once over to be sure it was in tip-top shape.  Claude came home with this 'who-would-have-thought-it' expression.  Turns out this is a fairly valuable item now.  Being an old Gibson is enough but adding the special construction to be left-handed (the bridge had to be made differently) and the fact Claude has taken very good care of it over the years, left the guys in the guitar shop amazed that he had it.  They clean and restrung and buffed up the frets as they wear a bit over the years.  Claude was very happy to have the guitar home.

Then he got to thinking...maybe I should get a new really good case for this treasure instead of a banjo.  He shared this thought with me.  This was to be his Christmas present and we were going to get whatever he chose after the New Year.  My suggestion was we stop in at the other guitar shop in Lexington and look at their banjos and guitar cases before making a purchase.  Claude agreed.  So Tuesday, January 6th found us at the 2nd guitar shop.  

This time I saw the joy that old guitar brings to those in the guitar playing world.  When Claude pulled it out of the case the man knew immediately it was a Gibson 52-?? and it was strung left-handed.  His grin was worth the trip to Lexington.  He called to the man behind the cash register, held up the guitar and said, "Do you know what this is?"  The guy immediately told him the make and model. Claude told them about purchasing it all those years ago.  Then guy said helping us said, "May I take this to the back?  The girl in our band is left-handed, she will have a dream fulfilled to play this guitar."  Of course he could.  We trudged to the back of the shop and she immediately lit up when she saw the guitar.  She also knew immediately it's place in the guitar world.  I told her how happy it made me to see others happy to see that guitar.  Especially her.  Most people see the 12-string and want to play and are immediately frustrated that it is strung for a left-handed person.  They can't play it but they really, really want to.  

This shop had the perfect case and we purchased the case and a strap for the guitar.  No banjo was purchased.  That will be another day.  This was also our first standing in line of the day.  Not a bad experience but we let a few people in front of us as Claude finalized his purchase of the strap for the guitar.

Off to lunch.  Then to Staples were my standing-in-line experience began in earnest.

All I needed from Staples was printer cartridges for my printer.  I get a package of black and a package of the three colors, all in the XL variety so they last a bit longer.  May I just add here that printer ink is expensive.  I knew where these items were located.  Entered the store, went to the aisle and picked up the two items I needed and headed to the check-out counter.  There was a lady there waiting to be finished checking out.  There was a concerned look on the young guy trying to check her out.  It turns out she was doing returns that had been purchased with coupons that were now expired and it couldn't get it to work for him.   The manager was called an came to help.  By this time, I was 2nd in line with someone behind me.  Not bad.  A manager should be able to figure this out pretty quickly...I thought.  Another check-out clerk was called to handle the lady in front of me.  Now another customer and her two young, very active boys, were two place in line after me.  Hmmm...Wait, wait, wait. 

The guy in front of me had picked up a small stack of gift cards as his purchase.  Something wasn't going right with his being rung up.  I did my relaxation exercises one can do while standing in line.  This did nothing to hurry the process.  Soon the assistant manager was called to help that second clerk with the check-out of the gift cards.  Now there were three others behind the lady with the two kids.  I was just chuckling to myself at the amazing coincidence of two clerks needing the hands of all the managers to get these two things done.  

Pretty soon a person who works in the copy center came and asked me and the lady behind me to come and he would check us out at the copy center.  That went very smoothly and I was on my way to where Claude was waiting in the parking lot for what he thought would be a quick in and out. Not!!

Next stop, Walmart.  Again, an easy in and out...I thought.  I picked up the few items we needed quickly and found a short line with only two ladies in it and they seemed to be together.  They had almost everything checked out.  However there were about 4 little items at the beginning of the check-out stand that one of them would need to pay for or they were left there in error.  Now, one of the ladies was in a driving cart.  It has a BIG basket on the front and her items were being taken out of it for check-out and put in bags and back into her basket on the driving cart.  They finished checking out her items and the other lady walked back and got the four little items on the end of the check-out stand.  She looked at me and asked if I minded if she checked those out before me.  I assumed since those were on the counter before mine that was exactly what she should do.  I told her no problem.  She moved up to be checked out as another customer got in line behind me.  As the lady's four little items were being checked out they discovered some items not paid for in the driving cart basket.  The lady in the driving cart asked if I minded if she checked those out before me.  Of course not.  Go right ahead.  This was said as the lady she was with walked past me and the other lady in line and back into Walmart.  Hmmmm...The poor clerk was a nice man with Indian heritage.  He just looked at me and I grinned and winked.  He was clearly concerned about how this was going for me and the next lady in line.  You could see him calm down as I grinned.  He knew I wasn't going to throw a hissy fit.  Bet they get that a lot.  He checked out the lady in the driving cart for the second time as her friend returned with additional items she wanted to purchase.  This lady looked at me for the second time and said, "May I check these out before you?"  Of course.  Inside I am just dying at the silliness of me only have two lines to stand in that day and both of them having issues.  The lady in the driving cart had to move her items to a walking cart to go to the car.  This was done by an additional clerk.  Then she walked away from her driving cart, leaving it in the line in front of me.  The poor clerk from India got on the cart and he was able to begin to drive it back at about an inch per hour, maybe slower, to where it could be charged.  I was ready to burst into laughter at this point.  It was just insane.

One more stop before headed home.  This time I was waiting in the Jeep for Claude to do his purchasing.  He had a similar experience.  They had to call for help from the back.  It took forever, really, about 30 minutes for him to get through.

We were both chuckling about it as we finally made our way home.  Lines.  I kept thinking of the movie "Michael".  John Travolta plays Michael, the Archangel.  In the movie he says he invented 'standing in lines'.  Before that, everybody just mingled around.  I laugh at the movie and I really laugh at our afternoon.

My Local Boys...

If I were still the Primary president, my Monday would have been filled in the morning with a presidency meeting.  Since I am not the Primary president, I found myself with a free morning, my Institute lesson prepared by Sunday evening, so I challenged Papa to pick a route that took about 5 or 6 hours and we would take the red Buick for a spin.  As it turned out the weather for Monday was for a clear but cold day. Perfect for a nice drive in a warm car.

Papa chose to take the Scenic Hwy 460 from Georgetown through Paris and to Mt. Sterling, Kentucky.  Then we got up on I-64 and headed north to the exit for Hwy 801.  This drive took us round Cave Run Lake and to Hwy. 1274.  We drove south on Hwy 1274 to Hwy 36.  Papa's route had us going left on Hwy 36 to Hwy 460 and back to Georgetown.  We had more time to drive so I quickly noted on his paper atlas of Kentucky before we left his apartment, some additional roads we could take if we had time to do so.  As it turns out, we did, even with the pull outs to look at scenery.  When we arrived at Hwy 36, I turned right instead of left and went back up through Daniel Boone National Forest to Hwy 965, then to Hwy 713 back to Mt. Sterling, Kentucky.  By then it was 2pm and time for lunch.  We had a nice lunch at Burger King. Papa bought since the Marx family gave him a gift for lunch when he and I were on a drive.  Thanks Marx family.  After lunch we got back on 460 and headed back to Paris and then Georgetown.

Around Cave Run Lake, I found a pull off for some ponds.  I really must research these ponds and find how they were formed.  They almost look like glacial ponds left over when some glacier melted and pulled back during the Ice Age.  I'm definitely not a geologist, but I can see where this kind of land formation would pique someone's curiosity.  The things is, this first pond was higher than the lake.  And they were ponds that didn't appear to have waterfalls going down to a lower level.  I noticed at least 3 layers of ponds before the lake came into view much further away.  There was a stream further down the road after we left but it was on the lower level.  It seemed like maybe beavers made the ponds and then abandoned them.  Something like places we saw in Alaska when riding the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Fairbanks.  I know Kentucky has limestone in layers under the ground and that water flows between the layers.  That is why we have sink holes as the rock wears away.  I am also aware of springs underground that bubble up and make ponds.  I'm not sure which of these factors or if any of them fit into the formation of the pretty ponds but it was a delightful view.  There was a little viewing platform and there had been a bench there.  Only one piece of it was still there on a post.  It was probably not the wisest of moves to take this 64 year old out-of-shape body and climb on top of this little perch just wide enough for my feet to stand on.  But it allowed me to be a little higher for the picture.  What is a girl to do?  Why, hop up on the seat and try to keep her balance while she takes a picture with her cell phone, of course!! 

Another place for a picture was one of several rock walls we drove through.  I'm guessing the pioneers who first crossed this part of our country didn't have this nice cut through the mountain to get to the other side.  It does give one a great picture of Kentucky soil. Ha!!  No traffic so I stopped the car, pulled out the cell phone from the pocket on my door and took this picture from inside the car.  Papa's role was to watch for any traffic. He makes a pretty good lookout.

Papa and I made it back to Georgetown before 4pm. I had a grocery list for him so he waited in the car while I took the time to get the groceries before heading to his apartment. We left the groceries in the car and I got Tiny out to my car. She had a vet appointment for her annual shots and getting her nails clipped.  It got up to a blistering 24 degrees yesterday so I figured the trunk of my car was as cold as the fridge and everything would be fine while we visited the vet.  Tiny really hates the vet.  She did great.  We have another appointment Monday to get her teeth cleaned.  We went back to Papa's apartment and unloaded the groceries.  Then I headed home to Sadieville and got there about 6pm.  That was an 8 hour day. Whew.  Papa was worn out and ready to recline in his chair.  I felt the same way. 

My hubby was happy to inform me he used my camera.  I am the shutterbug in the family.  Claude will take a picture if I ask him but he really never uses the camera.  He did take video when we used a video camera years ago, but now he just leaves the picture taking duties to me.  So I was quite amused that he found my camera and actually took this amazing sunset picture.  He was quite happy with it as well.

I picked up my library book at the Library Express in Sadieville.  We are planning a trip to Key West. I found a list of authors who lived and wrote while in Key West.  I decided to read something from Ernest Hemingway first.  So I ended my day curled up on the sofa reading my book while Claude watched a little television.

It was a full day.  A good day with each of my local boys figuring into the day's making.  I am always amazed at the majesty and beauty and diversity of the world created for us to reside on.  Living in Kentucky always affords a beautiful drive no matter which roads are chosen for the ride.  Grateful for being able to get Papa out of his apartment and let him enjoy one of those things that he loves best in life.  It was a good day.