Madeleine Sophia Rivard

One of her 200 Senior Pictures.

Grandma's Dream Has Come True!

Brighton High School Senior Prom--May 17, 2014

Madeleine and Matthew

First--parents drive up and their daughter's come in and go up to Maddie's room to get ready.

About 45 minutes later, parents drive up and the boys have arrived. 

All the parents stay to take pictures. 

My Sweetheart--Matt

...and if the boy has a lot of class, he gives the girl's mother roses

Matt and Karen

...then the girls come down the stairs and out onto the porch

then the boys swarm the girls with their corsage boxes in hand

then these two thought they'd have fun with

a little American Gothic 

then a party bus comes to take them to supper and the dance 

one last smile for Gramma 

I just found out that Matt is the class President.  450 kids in the Senior Class this year.

I wish Maddie and Matt would fall head-over-heels in love, but....it won't happen   Gramma has to be happy that they at least had one date, LOL

I'm Cranky!!

Today's high temperature was: 54 degrees

Sunny, but chilly

31 last night, 38 tonight

===========================

I have to state--my schedule is not one made from self discipline.  It is made because of LACK of self discipline.  I had to get some kind of "reason" in my life or I just spend too much time sitting and not doing, while dust collects and the daily mystique of fur falling from the cats starts to bury me.

This is what my cats remind me of.  Every step they take, you can almost see the fur falling from their bodies!  When the sun comes in the window--at just the right angle, you can actually see it fly off them and into the air.

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Thursday I went up to Durand (35 miles north) to have lunch with the Old School Gal Pals.  I was in a great mood...which lasted until June arrived.  I have told you about June--right?  She was a teacher for years and has traveled to 6 Continents.  She was the youngest in a large family and her Daddy's absolute favorite child!!  She likes to "hold court".  

She's the one who once asked me, "Don't you have a desire to travel abroad?"

"No."

"Oh why not?"

"I prefer to travel around the United States--by car--and see the wonders we have right here!"

"Oh.  You've missed so much in your life."  

<well, lah dee dah>

When we gather for these lunches, there is a direct hesitation on our parts, to see where June is going to sit before we take our seats--as none of us wants to sit beside her.  I DO NOT want a two hour conversation JUST with June.  I'd like to be able to talk with my other friends.

Of course, yesterday....

I got to the place early and asked for a table set-up for eight people.  My friend Ruth got there right behind me.  It was a long table--not conducive for conversation--round tables are always better.

I was seated against the wall, the end chair so my legs don't get cramped, Ruth was across from me.  In walked June!  She decided she had to sit next to me and wondered if I could get up while she scooted in.  A few minutes later, in walked one of our classmates that we hadn't seen in a year--June's high school best friend.  June directed her to sit across from her, next to Ruth.

The rest of the girls came in--some of my closest friends--and sat at the other end of the table.  

I had never been to this particular restaurant(?)--we usually go to the one next door.  It was dark, dingy, dirty and quite depressing--to me anyway--and old bar that still smelled of smoke and beer.  

We had a horrendous waitress.  She kept coming up and wanting to take orders before all the girls had arrived.  There were not enough menus, so we had to share.  She finally took our orders and of course they were all messed up when she brought them back so we all took what she handed us and them passed them around to the correct person.  

The waitress was soon back, holding 3 small cups of salsa.  She put them down in front of Virginia (June's friend), who had ordered a Chef salad.  Virginia said, "I don't need any salsa, thank you."  Then the waitress stood at the end of the table and loudly said, "Someone at this table needs salsa.  Who needs salsa!?"

I said, "I ordered Taco's.  I could use some salsa."  So she slammed the cups down on the table in front of me.  "Would you like sour cream too?" she asked.  "No thank you." I replied.

"Does anyone else need anything?"

Ruth said, "I'd like some dressing for my salad, please."  Virginia said, "I'd like some dressing for my salad too."  Liz at the end of the table voiced the same request.  She zipped out and came back with the dressing for the others and placed 2 small cups of sour cream in front of me. Apparently she thought I didn't really mean that I DIDN'T WANT NO STINKING SOUR CREAM!!!

Then...the travelogue began.  In her loud take charge teacher's voice, June commenced to tell Virginia and Virginia's husband (yeah, her husband), all about her trip to Africa.  There was much ado about snakes and spider's the size of dinner plates and camping and her screaming and her husband screaming when he saw the spider and..........................

Virginia kept saying, "Oh yes.  I remember you telling us about that trip,", but June continued.

Ruth and I tried to talk a bit, but it was not to be.  We were sitting across from each other--3 feet apart perhaps and we could not hear each other.

June, of course, hadn't ordered off the menu like everyone else.  She decided she wanted the salad bar, so she kept getting up, which meant that I had to get out of my chair each time, to let her out and then back in to her seat.  Let's just say--she made a few trips!

I got up and went down to the other end of the table to talk to my friends for a few minutes and when I came back, I bent down and whispered to Ruth, "I got an extra chair down there.  Why don't you go down and talk to Sandy and Sally for awhile," which she did with great relief written all over her face.

The impatient waitress kept popping in--with the usual address to old women that they, for some unknown reason, like to use.  "What can I get you, Honey--or Sweetheart--or the ever popular Dearie."  I soooo hate that!  It took me years to get comfortable with being called "Ma'am" and now they have jumped up to the other terms for the elderly.

She brought us our bills.  $6.53 for 3 cold, unappetizing Taco's.  Most of the girl's promptly put their money or cards on the tray with their bills and she took them away.  Of course, when she presented us with the bills, we had to once again do the pass around to get the correct bill to the correct eater.  Than, when she brought back the change, that too had to be all sorted out.  Then she said, "Have I tooken up all your bills yet?"

Dead silence as we all stared at her.  Tooken?

So we started answering her with "yes, I'm fine" or "No. Just a minute."  She hadn't tooken up mine yet, so I got out my money and said, "You haven't taken mine.  Here you go."

I generally tip 20%, but yesterday, I laid 7 one dollar bills on my bill tray, told her I didn't need change and that was it!!!

I could not for the life of me wait for the obligatory two hour session to end.  If I had stayed I am sure I either would have slapped June or told her to shut her damn mouth for two seconds.  I bolted 20 minutes early--followed by most of the others.

Bethie didn't attend yesterday as she had family at her house for the week.  Her son died last month.  I think I mentioned it here.  He lived way over in the Czech Republic, so Bethie has been through an awful time.  I'm almost glad she wasn't there--except I missed her--but I don't think her nerves could have withstood the whole scenario.

========================

When I left, I talked to myself for the next ten miles as I drove over to a little town I lived near for the first ten years of my married life and visited my dear friend and neighbor who still lives there.  I hadn't seen Barb in 3 years and we had a really, really nice 2+ hour chat!!!  We were young married women and mother's together those 10 years.  I learned a lot about how to cook from her and how to garden.  We spent time together each and every week day.  Her birthday was Wednesday and I wanted to share with her.  Of course we talked of the old days and the changes our lives have taken--she is now a widow--and the ever popular--"Where has the time gone?"  It was lovely.

==========================

I knew we were going to have a frost last night and I already had my planters nestled on the front porch, so I tucked some nice thick pillow cases Bethie had made me, over the long planters and an old flannel baby blanket over the 3 tiered planter so they could snuggle and be safe.

I made the mistake of posting this photo on FaceBook and of course, took some flak for planting too early.  I know I planted too early!!  I have never planted my annuals until after May 15th.  I had my reasons--so Pammie could see them when she came down on Mother's Day...because she may not get back here all summer.

That's another thing that makes me cranky--it seems I can barely post anything now and someone will make a negative or critical comment.  GEEZ!!!  I lived a negative, critical life for my first 55 years--I don't need people now telling me how stupid I am.  FB is getting to me.  There are so many filthy links posted--or swearing and nasty words and people fighting with each other in the comments section.  Me thinks it is time to just play my games there and not post any of my thoughts or musings.  

===========================

This afternoon, I had an appointment with the food pantry--Gleaners.  It was a weird experience.  I did get some fresh fruit and meat and cake!!  I am allowed 40# of food.  Some things don't count in that weight--they are free, like washing detergent (which I got) and 4 rolls of bathroom tissue (which I got), produce, baked goods.  When I got all done going up and down every aisle in that small place, I only had 12# that counted.  They wanted to fill up my basket with a whole bunch of stuff that I knew I would never use.  Oatmeal, cans of chili, stew, spaghettiOs, dried milk, Gatorade--yuck, yuck and yuck.  I didn't want to seem ungrateful, so I told them that I just wanted to take what I absolutely needed and would use.  That there "are so many needy families, I don't want to take what they need."  They thought I was very gracious.  HAH--gracious?  I am such a snob I don't like half the stuff in that place!  

I did get some ground beef and a small roast, baby carrots, canned potatoes and some diced tomatoes.  I can cook the roast with the carrots and although I hate canned potatoes, I can put them in with the roast last of all and give them a better taste.  I also got 6 cupcakes, watermelon, other fruit, some pears, a can of tuna and some other stuff I can't remember.  It was a humiliating experience to say the least.

Oh yeah--my neighbor Tami was there.  She and her hubby both have jobs.  She makes over $12.00 an hour and he makes $9.00 and still--she has to go to the food bank?

Oh yeah, Dar called this morning and said, "When you go.  Get peanut butter and jelly and some bread for me."  Dar, who works 40+ hours a week at $15.00 an hour wants ME to get her stuff from the poor people's food pantry?  I think not!!!

AND--I got more cranky, looking at a couple of big fat women, outside smoking their over 7 dollars a pack cigarettes, with their TWO carts apiece, filled to the top and overflowing.  Can afford ciggies and probably beer, but can't afford food for their kids!!! 

I HATE PEOPLE!!!

Pride goeth before the fall---so I expect to fall any day now.

=============

Speaking of falling--Pearl walked down to see me this late afternoon!  Gosh it was great to see her walking steady and at a pretty good pace.  The dizziness from her fall is going away and she wanted to see my annuals--all stacked on the porch to be covered again tonight--just in case.

Next week, the night time temps are suppose to be in the 50's, so I will put everything back up where it belongs and we should be good to go.

These were the visitor's I had just today---

Right across, down and back left:

Baltimore Oriole.  Downy Woodpecker.  Blue Jay.  Grosbeak and some kind of sparrow.  Rosy Breasted Grosbeak.  Ladder back Woodpecker (2).  Gold Finch and Chick-A-Dee.  Gold Finch and Cardinal.

Hummer and my fave--Tufted Titmouse.

=======================

If I don't get arrested for bodily harming someone--I will see you on Monday.  Jude

Too Tired

I'll write tomorrow night.

I Remember--Pigs On A Rampage

Today's high temperature was: 58 degrees

Cloudy, grey and sprinkly all day

===========================

One summer, when I was two years old, I got a rash on my face.  Mother put everything she could think of to make it better.  It itched real bad and my cheeks were red, all the time.

Mother finally took me to the doctor and he told her, I had an allergy.  My Mother put me in my Play Pen every time she was outside working in the garden.  To keep me safe and probably, to keep me out of her way.  Besides that, I had a tendency to just take a walk, down the long driveway, toward the road.

We had two female pigs and a big male pig.  When they got loose, which was often, they'd rub up against the rails in the play pen.  Then I'd be in the pen and touching the rails and apparently, was allergic to whatever they left on the play pen.  Mother told Daddy he had to get rid of the pigs, but he said we needed them for food and she would just have to wash off my play pen everyday, before she put me in it.

<I do not remember the rash, but Mother told me the story a couple of times>  

===============
<I do remember this--can see it plain as day>

A couple of years later, I can see myself--I had on a pink shirt and blue overalls--I was outside with Mother.

The pigpen was built next to the tool shed, a little ways from the vegetable garden.   It smelled so bad near that pigpen that I didn't go there very often.   Besides, pigs like to roll around in the mud.  One time, I was standing on their board fence watching.  They got to rolling around so hard that mud flew off them and got on me.   It was stinky mud too!

Their pen was always muddy because they had dug a hole to fit their bodies and some of the water from their drinking trough had slopped out into that hole.  They would snort and oink and roll around until they had a real good mud puddle to play in.

I loved to play in the mud puddles in the driveway, but I never wanted to play in the pig's mud puddle.   It was pee-yoo-wee!  Mother always told me to stay away from the pen because the male pig was kind of mean.  

One night at the supper table, Mother said to Daddy, "I don't like those pigs. They are always getting out of their pen, digging up my flowers and vegetables and running away."

Daddy said, "Yes, I know they do that, but next fall they will be breakfast bacon and pork chops, then you will be glad we have them."

The next morning, Mother and I were flying a kite out in the pasture by the vegetable garden.   Mother had tied a little plastic doll to the kite.  We were talking about how we wished we could fly up high on that kite, like the doll.

We heard some "pig" noise and Mother looked behind us and said, "Oh No! The pigs are out and they are in the garden!"

Mother handed me the kite string and I started winding it in while she ran toward the garden.

Carrots were being pulled out of the ground and eaten.  Lettuce was flying in all directions.   Cabbages were being uprooted and thrown through the air like basketballs.   Tomato plants were being torn up and thrown off to the side.   The pigs were on an eating rampage!

As I gathered the kite and ran to the garden, I saw Mother trying to shoo the pigs back into their pen.   The male pig, wouldn't budge.   He lowered his head and grunted.  He looked straight at Mother with his little pig eyes and took a step toward her.

Mother took a step backwards and called to me, "Get into the house right now!  The pig is mad and might charge at us."

I ran to the back porch and peeked around the post to watch Mother.  I was really scared.

Mother got the other pigs back into their pen and put the board they had pushed out, back into place.   The big pig kept right on pulling up vegetables and snorting around the garden.   Every now and then he would stop and glare at Mother.

Daddy must have heard all the noise and Mother's yelling because he came running out of the cow barn. I yelled and told him what happened.

"You stay on the porch," he  yelled back as he ran into the tool shed and got a big pitchfork.

"Dorathy!  Get up on the porch with Judy."

Then he ran into the garden and poked that big pig a good one, right on its ham butt!

The pig turned toward Daddy and lowered his head and snorted.   Daddy smacked that pig on his nose with the handle of the fork and the pig squealed and ran out of the garden.   Daddy smacked him again, a good one on his snout and the pig dropped to its front knees.

Mother ran off the porch and opened the gate to the pig pen. Daddy kicked the pig on its bottom and the pig ran into the pen.

I heard Mother telling Daddy at supper that night, "Those pigs have to go.  They ruined the vegetable garden.   I don't know if there will be enough vegetables to can for this winter.   What if that boar had hurt us?"

I could see Mother had tears in her eyes.

The next week, a big truck came driving up the driveway and the man backed it right up to the gate of the pigpen and herded all the pigs into his truck.  He gave Mother some money and took the pigs away.

Daddy never did get any more pigs.  

He must have had one of them butchered, because we had a lot of bacon, sausage, ham and pork chops that winter, but after that?  

We bought our breakfast bacon from the grocery store in town.

Change

Today's high temperature was: 81 degrees

Thunderstorms off and on

==============================

I hate change!!

Unless, of course, if it is my idea, LOL

Things are going to change around here--have already started.

I find myself spending way too much time in the morning sitting in front of this electronic wizard call the Internet.  When I do that (like every day all winter), I usually don't leave this room until nearly noon.

Ridiculous!!!

When I was a mother of four and had a nine room house to care for, I made a schedule for each day.  You know how I get obsessed and how I love lists and schedules--that sort of thing makes me purr.

I did certain chores on certain days.  EX: Monday--wash white clothes and bedding.  Clean bedrooms

Tuesday:  Wash light colored clothes and clean the bathrooms.

Wednesday:  Wash dark clothes and clean the kitchen.

Let's just say, it made my life a whole lot easier--I didn't have to try and catch-up on the weekends AND at least one room in the house was clean, LOL.

So, living here in a 960 square foot dwelling, with one occupant, it seems rather silly to have that schedule.  My biggest concern now is the enormous amount of cat fur that litters the carpet and furniture.

BUT--in the interest of trying to do something to make my life a tad more "in control", I have taken it up again, on a much smaller scale, of course.

The biggest challenge?  Up and out of bed by 8:00 a.m.  Sounds simple to most of you, I know, but to me--the one who used to go to bed at 4:00 a.m. and get up at noon, when I first moved here.  I have settled into the 1:00 to 9:00 sleep time.  

UP AT 8:00 a.m.--no matter what.

Out of computer room by 10:00

Monday--wash bedding, white clothes and clean bedroom

Tuesday - wash light colored clothes and clean bathroom

Wednesday--wash dark colored clothes and clean kitchen

Thursday--clean living room

Friday--clean computer room

Each Day:  11:00 - 1:00--walk, garden

1:00 - 2:00--watch Soap

2:00 ---appointments

4:00--6:00--read, garden, check computer, do computer research

6:00 - 8:00--watch news and 2 TV programs

8:00-11:00--TV, cross stitch, crochet or read

TO BED AT 11:00 SHARPLY~~~

Now that summer is coming, I need to be outdoors more--I need to walk more--I need to visit with neighbors more.  

===========================

As the self-proclaimed neighborhood meteorologist, I check the weather every morning.  I go to my pin-point weather map and look at the next 6 hours to see what might be coming out way.  If there is a threat--a really BAD threat, I call Dar, Pearl and Jackie and let them know.

So this morning around  11:30, I checked and didn't see anything foreboding on the horizon.  I sat and enjoyed my Soap and left here at 2:00 to go to the Food Pantry to sign up to shop there.  I came out around 2:45 and it was starting to rain.  By the time I got back to the main road--Grand River--it was raining so hard I could barely see the road.  Instead of turning right and coming back, a mile, to  home, I turned left to go up to the Wal-Mart in Howell.  

I was in the right hand lane, just putsying along, as was everyone else, and I just about swamped the car in a very large water puddle or small lake--whichever scenario you want to imagine.  So I eased up onto the higher interior lane and made it to Wal-Mart just fine.  

There was a severe thunderstorm warning for the area--I did turn on the car radio to hear that.  I found a parking space near the door and sat and waited.  By now it was lightning and thundering and I didn't want to be out in the midst of the tempest in case it thundered loudly and scared me.

Pretty soon, it let up the tiniest bit and I grabbed my two plastic bags of empty pop bottles and ran into the store.  I was quite drenched, but it had been hot and humid all morning, so the rain felt good.

I got my prescriptions and pick up a few things and started to leave.  It was only raining gently now.  BUT--I couldn't get out the exit door because three women in front of me were afraid of getting their new hair styles wet--or something, I have no idea.  So I excused myself as I edged through the pack.

One woman said to me, "Are you sure you want to go out? It's still raining."

I replied, "I won't melt," and just to show those wimps, I casually strolled to my car, popped the trunk and slowly put my groceries in the back.

What a bunch of wussies!!!

Weird Day

The high temperature today was:  72 degrees

Humidity: 55%

Rain/Severe thunderstorms/Tornadoes

===============================

Awake again at 6:30--what is going on here?  Felt very rested so, I got up.

I heard that we might get hail today so I went out and lugged my big planters (geraniums) up close to the porch steps.  I wanted to bring them up on the covered porch, but I could not lift them!!

Thunderstorms rolled through around 9:30--loud thunder, so to stop that nonsense, I put in my ear plugs and cleaned the bedroom.  When I was finished, so was the thunder.

At 3:00, a weather bulletin came on TV, so I sat down to watch.  Tuned in the Detroit channel and they had their radar up and zoom in on the storm that was carrying the rotation.   I came in and brought up The Weather Channel map that I have on my computer to pinpoint how the storm was going to progress.  It was about 15 miles south of us--traveling on an easterly path, so I had no reason to get panicked.

All of a sudden, the dang siren down the road went off.  I looked out my windows and cars were speeding by and out of this park.  Now--what is so weird is that usually I AM the first car out of this place and heading for the little hospital to seek shelter, but, I knew where the storm was, so I didn't even think about leaving.  

Within seconds, my phone rang.  "WHY AREN'T YOU LEAVING?  THERE'S A TORNADO COMING!!"

"Dar!  DAR CALM DOWN!! There is no tornado on the ground--there is rotation in the storm and it is nearly twenty miles south of us!!"

"OH MY GOD!  JACKIE CALLED.  SHE HEARD THE SIREN SO SHE TOOK OFF UP TO WOODLAND!" (the little hospital)  YOU ALWAYS RUN--I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE STILL HOME.  I WAS GOING TO RIDE WITH YOU!"

"Dar...from now on--if you don't see me leave--don't panic.  Okay?  It is way south of us and it won't come anywhere near us.  The stupid siren goes off if there is a tornado warning for ANYWHERE in this country!  Turn on channel 4 and watch."

"OKAY!"

Pretty soon the phone rings again.  Pearl says, "Where is everyone going?"  I told her and she said her usual, "Well, there has never been a tornado hit this park.  We aren't ever going to be in a tornadoes path."

and I did my usual, "A tornado can hit anywhere and if it has never hit here, then the odds are against us for a first time.  Everyone left to go up to Woodland, but the tornado is way down by the country line."

I no more than hung up and Dar called again.  This time she was calmer and was laughing.  "Jackie just called.  They have over two hundred people up in the lobby at Woodland and...she wants to come back home and security won't let anyone leave the building!"

I did call Maddie as the rotational storm was going to pass right over their house and I wanted to make sure she knew and was in the basement.  She was safe and not a bit afraid.

========================

I sat and watched the weather radar all afternoon on the news channel--then at 5:30 the siren goes off again.  Severe thunderstorm with torrential rain, high winds and quarter sized hail just west of Howell heading toward Brighton.  I ran into the computer room and brought up my pinpoint weather map again.  It looked like the storm was going to go a bit north of where I live.  The weather guy on TV said it was traveling down I-96 and Grand River.  I lived 1/4 mile north of I-96 and about a block south of Grand River.  Hm-mm.

Thankfully, the near the storm got to Howell, the more it fell apart and I only got rain--heavy rain, but none the less no wind or hail.

Tomorrow afternoon, we are going to get this same weather, as the cold front moves in and meets up with our saturated, humid air.  OH--I can hardly wait!!!

Then--we are going to get night time lows in the 30's.  So--there has got to be a way I can get those two big planters up on the porch so I can cover them, the tiered planter and my planters on the porch railings. Covered up each night the rest of this week.  SHOOT!!

==================

Other than all that excitement--I got an e-mail from the boy who is taking Madeleine to Prom and he is so excited!!!  I saw a picture of Maddie's dress.  It is gorgeous!  Demure and elegant.  A long skirt, lace top that covers her shoulders--in blush pink.  

I saw a picture of a friend's grand daughters dress and the dress looked like something a saloon girl from the old west would wear.  The bodice was like a bustier--you could see the stays and her skin through it.  Not appropriate to my way of thinking.

Maddie gave me a few of her Senior Photos.  One I didn't get, but may go back and get, she is standing in the middle of Main Street in Brighton in her ballet tutu and toe shoes doing a pirouette!  In the middle of town!!!  I guess that studio does a lot of those kinds of shots.  Lots of comments from passing cars I would think?  This is the photo I got to put in a 5x7 frame.  The other two are for my wallet.