Onward and Upward--Ever Forward

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Catching Up

Today's high temperature was: 65

Breezy, cool, but sunny

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Last night it was 82 degrees in here and I turned on the A/C for an hour before I went to bed. Left the bedroom window open and woke up this morning freezing!!
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Yesterday, I got my hair cut. I went grocery shopping. I have baking ingredients I need for making Mississippi Mud Brownies for Maddie's open house. I ALWAYS make them for the kids open house. Karen's friends ALWAYS look for them. So...........hope I remember how, LOL.

Why are my eyes always red around them?

My lids are getting droopy.

My right eye (your left) is starting to look like a lazy eye--

must be that lid droops more than the other?

I'd like to use make-up to look a bit better, but for some reason,

I seem to be allergic to shadow, mascara and concealer

even though I have non-allergenic types.

I am really showing my age!!

I found some pictures of me going to a couple of Proms.

My Grandma got me this dress.

She was shopping one day, saw it and called

my mother to ask if she could get it for me.

It was the loveliest shade of blue!

Really quite beautiful--satin and net

Note the cow in the left background, LOL

Country hick?

Moi?

My Senior Prom formal.

It was the palest of blue-all very soft nylon.

The bands above and under the bodice

were silver. It had a soft nylon strap across my

right shoulder.

It was Grecian style.

Did any of you wear the elbow length white gloves?

I think I thought I was Grace Kelly.

In those days, we had what we called the Junior and Senior Banquet and Prom. It was held in our decorated gymnasium The Sophomore class served us at the banquet--food prepared by our school cafeteria cooks. Of course, with only 30-40 kids in each class, and a lot of us dating each other, it wasn't a very large group.

My girls played dress-up with my formals and what is really neat, Maddie has both these formals in her dress-up box and her friends come up to me and tell me that the soft blue one (pictured above) was always their favorite to wear.

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I remember the day, August 21, 2009. Maddie was starting public school for the first time. She was going into 8th grade (age 12) and decided she wanted to play in the band. The director had told her they needed a French Horn player and she asked if she could borrow mine.

Thrilled? Who me?

Music was the most important thing in my life, in school. I had taken piano lessons, until my right index finger got cut off. I had to quit and boy, was I glad! I hated it. Then when I was ten, in fifth grade, I started band. The director took each of us kids, checked our "bite" and told me I should play the Mellophone--like a French Horn, but the bell goes off to the left and you finger with your right hand.

In 7th grade, I got to play in the High School band because they needed another French Horn player!!! The "key" was different. The fingering was different, the bell pointed to my right--I was hooked for life!!

In the 9th grade, my cousin graduated and asked if I wanted to buy her French Horn. It was a true brass horn. A Holton, made in Elkhorn, WI. A really good quality--like they used to make back then. I saved my allowances and did work for my Grandma and neighbor and got the required fifty dollars by the end of the summer.

I was told that a French Horn is one of the most difficult instruments to play. Each of the three keys, one key or the other pressed down, is used for several tones. If you press down the first key, you can play a D or F or B flat. Most of the changes in the notes is done with your embouchure--how much you tighten or relax your lips. I have been told by quite a few guys that I am a good kisser. I credit all my years playing the Horn, LOL.

I played that Horn all through high school. I played it at Michigan State--got to play in the orchestra--our high school band played mostly marches and overtures. I practiced and played so much, my two bottom teeth became loose. It was my life!!

When I graduated and my sister started fifth grade--she played it, but she didn't love it like I did.

Pammie played it in high school--but she didn't love it like I did.

I played it in the late 60's, when I went to Mott Junior College. I played it in the 70's with the Flint Symphony Orchestra. I played it in the 80's in a Community Band. I played it in the 90's when I lived in Saginaw.

None of Karen's kids had been in the band. And now--Maddie wanted to borrow my Horn!!!

You can tell by the dark gold color that is it solid brass.

It wasn't long and we were attending her first concert.

She looked quite a bit like I did, at that same age.

It brought back memories and tears to my eyes.

See that little Asian boy off to her left.

That is Brian Tang.

She took private lessons and progressed. All of a sudden, she was chosen to be in the second best band in high school AND marching band. She was given a "better" double French Horn by the school She was better than her Gramma ever was!!

Then, her Sophomore year, she auditioned and was picked to play in the school's "best" band.
The Wind Ensemble...and there's Brian behind her--he plays 1st chair. She could, but she refused to challenge him :-) Noah, Drew, Maddie and Brian

Her last concert--Tuesday night.

Sorry the picture is fuzzy.

and Gramma had tears in her eyes once again, as Maddie

played the last notes of her life, on her school owned French Horn.

You can see by the pictures that the double French Horns the bands use nowadays are all pretty and shiny. They aren't completely brass. They might be pretty, but I have had a professional Horn player tell me, "There is no truer Horn sound than what we get on the old, solid brass Horns," which is what he still plays. A new double, solid brass French Horn would now cost well into the $5K range!!!

Holton H292 Merker-Matic Double French Horn l
$4709.00

I've never played a double Horn. It also has a thumb valve, to make reaching the very high and the very low notes, easier.

So--this old gal (Horn) is over sixty years old. She has been dropped and dented. Just like her owner. She has had her dents removed and been restored and then dented again in a school bus accident. She has had many times, the cork under her valves replaced, restrung with cat gut, oiled and adjusted. She still has a beautiful tone, but her owner can't play her very well anymore.

I want to give her the honor and respect she deserves--and that is not being stored in her case in my bedroom closet! I am trying to find someone who can make her useful once again.

This has been a project of mine for the last 2 1/2 years. I am still looking for someone to make her a lamp. It seems easy to me--solder a brass tube on the back for the lamp wiring to go through, put it on a base and --------there she is.

and...if I can get this done before I die, perhaps my sister or Pammie or even Madeleine might like to put her in their home.

<but--none of them ever loved her like I do>

Reminiscence

Today's high temperature was: 80 degrees--a bit too warm for me

Sunny all day

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I remember, when I was around seven or eight--I became really interested in living off the land. I had notions of how to live in the woods, between our farm and my grandma's farm. I had a big Black Lab/Chow mix dog, "Tuppy", and I knew she would keep me safe and I envisioned how we could live together.

My folks got her when I was 18 months old. I could not say "Puppy", so her name remained Tuppy. That dog was devoted to me! She actually saved my life two different times.

For my 7th birthday, my Mother made me a TeePee. She made it from tent canvas. It was quite tall and quite authentic. I had thought to pitch that in a clearing in the woods and that would be "our" home; Tuppy and me.

Oatmeal and Shredded Wheat were the only cereal we had in our house. Mother used to make an indentation in my shredded wheat biscuit and pour a little bit of boiling water into the hole. It steamed the biscuit and made it more comfortable for me to eat--with milk (straight from the cow) and sugar.

I loved the Shredded Wheat box--not because I loved shredded wheat, but because, in between the layers of biscuits were these marvelous cardboard Injun Joe-Straight Arrow, informational sheets of things to build--ways to live off the land and many exciting mysteries.

Because, if I wasn't playing this:

I was playing this:

On one of those cardboard separators was a way to make a stove to use when camping.

Take the label off of an empty Crisco can. Mother didn't have one, but Grandma had an empty one in her pantry and gave it to me.

Mother cut a small opening at the bottom (which was the original top) of the can and a few smoke vents in the top. She and I used some small dry twigs and straw to start a fire under the can and when the can got hot, we fried two eggs on the top. It worked great!!!

Mother had already taught me how to make a blade of grass whistle, but it didn't last very long and it wasn't all that much fun.

On one of my Injun Joe cards, it showed how to make a whistle out of a reed. When I showed it to Mother, she said, "Oh, I know how to make one of those." and off, down the road we went. She found some reeds in the ditch and broke off a couple and back up the driveway we went. We sat at the picnic table and she started making holes and with each new hole, tested the sound of the whistle. I'd sit inside my TeePee and play that thing for hours--making what I thought sounded like Indian music.

I had that whistle for years. The more dried out it got, the better sound it made.

Mother also showed me how to tap the Maple trees to get syrup. Of course, the Maple sap isn't syrup until you boil it down, but I had a little tin pail suspended from this "tap" and did get sap, which tasted like yuck!!

I thought for awhile, that my Mother had some sort of magical knowledge. We could be walking across the lawn and she'd stop, reach down and pick a four-leaf clover. I'd search for a long time and never find one. She could just be walking along and there would be one at her feet.

I did make the "drag-along" for my big dog and we used it, but, after a few minutes, Tuppy got tired of dragging stuff along and would lay down. Mostly, I used my bike.

I never had a horse. Didn't want a horse. Didn't like horses (still don't.) I was on a horse that we were keeping for our neighbors (my later step-mother) and Daddy wanted me to ride it to exercise it a bit.

The horse's name was Buster. He was black and had "watch-eyes" so he looked kind of scary to begin with. Daddy rode him a lot and said, Buster was gentle.

I had been giving Buster sugar cubes, corn and curried him every day. When he heard my voice, he would nicker. So, Daddy saddled Buster up for me and I got on. That dang horse took off--wouldn't stop when I said Whoa and pulled back on the reins. My Daddy had to run through the barnyard and across the field, as fast as he could, to catch up and grab that horse because--the dang thing was headed toward the woods!

I got off, Daddy rode him back to the barn and put him in the stall. That night, I went out into the barn, sugar cubes in hand, and held out my hand. Buster came up to get them and I dropped them--just out of his reach. HAH. Never spoke to that horse again in my life.

I have been horse back riding twice since then and both times, although I was assured I had the slowest, gentlest horse available, the horse I was on took off and would not stop. Horses are sneaky. They will kick at you if you walk behind them. If you have your back turned to them, they will reach out and nip at you. I hate horses!!!

We got Pammie a horse when she was 16. She took good care of him. Mucked out the stall every morning before school, curried him, rode him, loved him. Then one day, a couple of weeks later, for some unknown reason, when she took him out to ride, he went a bit nuts. Tried to buck her off. Tired to brush her off on the barn, the tree in the yard. I heard her yelling at him, looked out and saw what he was doing, so I ran out, grabbed my "snake killing" shovel that always stood on the back porch and ran out and gave him a good knock, between his eyes, with the shovel head.

It stunned the horse enough for Pammie to slide off and lead him back into the barn. Our neighbor, the 4-H leader for the horse club, came down to train the horse. He rode him out into the field. Ran him up and down that field until that horse was white with lather. He came back the next day and did the same. He couldn't get the horse to take any commands, and when Pammie got back on him, he tried to buck her off again. The neighbor said the horse had probably been drugged when we bought him and that's why he seemed gentle for the two weeks we had him.

We sent him to the horse auction. I hate horses!

Anyway--back to my wanting to camp in the woods--I never did. I did however, spend many a summer night, sleeping out in my TeePee with my dog. Years later, I'd sleep out on the back lawn alone, or with my kids. Wonderful!

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Timeless Tuesday

Today's high temperature was: 77 degrees

Rain and cloudy in the a.m,.

Sunny and nice in the afternoon

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Not too much going on today. I did get in the car and run up to Discount Tire to get my tires aired up. The front two were down a bit.

Laundered my bedding. Went outside and cut off the seed pods on my daffodils and tulips. DO NOT cut back the leaves until after they have turned yellow. The bulb gets its next year's power from the leaves. You have to leave them on for the strength of the bulb to go back down into it. If you cut back the leaves, you will have no bloom next year. I sometimes braid the leaves together to let them die back--the garden looks neater that way.

I did a walk around and it looks like the harsh winter killed my privet hedge

There is a bit of green on the bottom branches--I will let them

grow all summer and see what next spring brings

My Woodland Childhood Remembrance garden is doing really well.

Jack In The Pulpit is still preaching.

I reached down and gave him a "squeak"

The Trilliums are turning pink as they die back

The May Apples are huge this year, really tall...

Their apples have arrived, and....

their waxy white "apple" blossom are starting to bloom

Some perennials are truly timeless. I had Peony's that belonged to my Great Grandmas. They still live on at Pammies--they are now over 90 years old. I have part of my Mother's hybrid peach colored Iris--it is now 46 years old and each of my kids and my sister, all have tubers off that main plant, that are growing and thriving. I suppose a flower garden might last forever, if it were tended and weeds didn't come to choke out the plants.

Maddie's last band concert tonight. Very emotional. I'm exhausted. I will post about it tomorrow.

Monday, May 19, 2014

Perfection

Today's high temperature was: 72 degrees

Sunny and perfect all day

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When I look at the photos of those high school kids, all lined up in their handsomeness--I notice their smiles. They all have those perfect, "I wore braces from 8 to 12 years old" smiles.

Perfect skin--if any one of them got even one blemish, their Mother would have them off to the local dermotologist!

Perfect hair. Salon visits for all of them.

A far cry from when I was a Senior!!

Wash your hair, put on some lipstick and a nice dress--maybe a formal borrowed from a cousin or if you were lucky, a pretty one bought by your Grandma. The guy came to pick you up in the family car, and off you went to the Prom.

None of my classmates ever wore braces. Come to think of it--we didn't need them. Our jaws were big enough to hold all our teeth quite straight. Only one of my kids had to have teeth removed and braces put on. All of Karen and Jen's kids have had or are having the experience of removing teeth and having to wear braces and nowadays--they start at eight years old!!!

Several years ago, a Sociology Prof. told us that in a couple of generations from us, children will be born with no Wisdom Teeth. As we evolve, our jaws are becoming smaller. Apparently, I am near the Neanderthal, in evolution, as I have a nice wide forehead and a big mouth with straight teeth, LOL.

This kids have so many advantages. At Maddie's high school, there is every sport known to man that the kids can participate in, if they want.

Boys Sports Teams

Girls Sports Teams

Then of course, there are art programs, musical programs, drama, dance and musical plays--it just goes on and on!

They also have a lot of choices when it comes to friends or boyfriend/girlfriend. None of Maddie's friends go steady. They are all friends--they do things together and no romantic ties.

When I was in high school, by at least Junior year, you had a steady. We only had 120 kids in the entire high school, so you found the cutest, most athletic boy there was and you hung onto him. Because--after you graduated, you'd probably marry him.

These kids don't have that problem. Most of them are going on to college--a lot of them are moving away. Too restrictive to be involved in a romantic relationship.

So many advantages nowadays.
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At 10:00 this morning, in line with my schedule, I got out of this room, cleaned up the bedroom, put in a load of wash and went outside.

My Woodland Childhood Remembrance garden sure

has a lot of white Violets this year.

...and I am just amazed at how tall the May Apples are this year.

I assume you all know what this is.

The outside part of the dryer vent

You HAVE to do this at least once a year.

Get that long round, stiff brush and ~~ram~~ thread it up

as far as you can into the vent.

Think--colonoscopy or Roto-Rooter

You gotta do it a couple of times, pulling out the brush

and then repeating.

I do it when the dryer is running to help blow out the lint.

Then you come inside and when the dryer quits, use your other long thin, roundy brush to clean out the vent and back side of the dryer. WE DO NOT want any dryer fires!!!
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I planted a bunch of Lily of the Valley in my garden under the Lilacs. I hope they spread and fill in before I died. I love that tiny, sweet smelling flower. Pearl has a bunch she wants me to come and dig out, so I will use those too.

I have a new neighbor who has moved in behind me. Mary--whose hedges I use to trim, moved into a tiny government subsidized apartment in Brighton. The new neighbor has a Shih Tzu. Cute little dog--but, never shuts up its yipping. Constantly, all the time I was outside. Even when it couldn't see me--it heard me open my shed door and kept on. I kid you not--that damn dog didn't stop barking all the time I was out there.

Then Tami walked over and wondered what she was going to do about the dog as she and her husband work nights and sleep during the day and she cannot tolerate the dog. "I just might put a little saucer of anti-freeze out for it to drink."

"You can't do that, Tami. You can't kill it."

"Wanna bet?"

"It's not the dogs fault. She obviously has not been trained by the owners. I have a friend who has a Shih Tzu and while they tend to be yappy, she has trained her dog and it is nice and quiet when it is outside."

So Tami stomps back to her yard, because that is the way Tami walks. Tami never walks--she always stomps.

To tell you the absolute truth--I'd rather have a Rottweiler back there. A big dog that would give me a couple of hearty, big loud WOOFS and then lay down and go to sleep.
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Darlene came over this afternoon, just as my Soap was coming on. She knows darn well that I don't turn the TV on until 1:00-watch my show and then turn the TV off again.

"Oops. I'm interrupting your show, aren't I?"
<she says as she dumps Buddy off the rocking chair>

"Yes." I replied and didn't turn the TV off!

I thought perhaps she would take the hint--but--this is Dar!!!

"My son sent me two lily plants. One for Mother's Day and one for my birthday and he called me on my birthday."

"I thought he wasn't speaking to you."

"No. That's his wife. He is the only one out of my four that does talk to me."

"Well, that was nice of him."

"Yeah. I stuck them in the ground."

"Already?"

"Yeah. Aren't you suppose to plant them as soon as you get them?"

"I don't know. I always kept them in the house where I could smell them. Waited until they were done blooming and dying back a bit and then I planted them outside."

"Oh--well you know me. I really hate anything that has to do with gardening, landscaping--I just hate it all. I got them in the ground and now I won't have to think about them."
<a gardening hater--no wonder I dislike this woman>

I muted the TV because I realized--I could not concentrate on both of them.

"Did you ever get to the food pantry?"

"Yes. I went Friday. I had an appointment at two."

"Did you get peanut butter, grape jelly and a couple of loaves of bread?"

"No. I didn't need them."

"You could give them to me!"

"You work in a huge super center and grocery. Don't you get a discount on the food you buy from there?"

"Oh. Yes. I get a nice big discount on whatever I buy."

"Then...why would you want me to bring you stuff from the food pantry? I only got what I needed. There are a lot of families that need the help."

"Well, it's free!"

"If I don't need it...and I am the customer...then to give it to someone who is perfectly able to buy their own--it's stealing....in my opinion."

"Oh."

She left and I got cranky again!!!
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After the National news, I walked down to visit Pearl. I took her a little bouquet of purple and white violets, she liked them, but within 5 minutes, she was snapping at me. She said, "I love Johnny-Jump-Ups."

I said, "I do too. I wish I had some."

"That's what these are," she said referring to the violets.

"Nope. Those are violets out of my woodland garden."

"They are not!!"
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Yappy dogs, Dar, Tami, and sometimes even Pearl--are the reasons I keep saying, I'd like to move back to the country where my nearest neighbor is a good Par 5 away from me!!! If you have never played golf--that distance is about 500+ yards!! 1,500 feet!! Nearly an 1/4 of a mile!