It's Been Over A Year....Whoa!!

Well, hello again!

First I'd like to say that time has flown by so quickly that it doesn't seem like it's been over a year since I've posted.  I never meant for that much time to speed by...but it has...and to my regular readers...I'm sorry. 

I found myself caught up in my new business...carnival life...then working full time throughout the winter at a "regular job" and before I knew it, another season of festivals, crafts shows and fairs had started. 

Well, some things have changed and I am no longer working full-time through the winter so I can finally take a breath and get back to blogging.

To those of you who have continued to come to my page and read the random thoughts that run through my head...I thank you. 

Now down to business, or rather whatever random thoughts I have rattling in my head today.

Winter Blahs:

I spent the last week under the weather...in fact I was sooo under the weather I couldn't even get outside to enjoy the last couple of warm (30*?) days.  For 8 days I ached, coughed, blew my nose, moaned, whined and just generally was a miserable person.  I didn't even want to be around me.  But time and chicken soup and blankets and tissues took care of me and now I'm back to normal.  Just in time for the snow and temps in the teens. 
But that's okay cause I love the snow.  But with the chill factor 11* I couldn't throw the Frisbee for Maggie for very long.

Breaking down the past year:

A couple things have happened in the last year that I wanted to mention because they were good things and I love good things. 

In 2012 my daughter, Amy, helped me with the concession stand but with her work schedule she just couldn't commit to all the shows I wanted to sign up for.  I needed someone to help and help came

along.  My future son-in-law actually decided to go into business with me.  Now I have a partner. :) Plus he can do all the heavy things that I struggle with like lifting and hooking up the propane tanks, climbing on top of the trailer to set up the sign and lights and drive the big old truck...whew!  We had almost twice as many shows this past summer (2013) as we did the year before and we had so much fun. 

Another really good thing?  I finally was able to quit smoking! I've smoked since I was 14 yrs old so if you're trying to figure out what that means, it's been 51 years of being hooked on cigarettes.  I've been experiencing what I think are some symptoms of emphysema - lots of coughing, out of breath simply climbing the stairs and no energy.  I've tried cold turkey, the patch and Chantix twice, but nothing helped.  I enjoyed smoking so even with help I wasn't going to be able to quit without the right mindset.  Then I met a woman at one of our craft shows that was using an electronic cigarette.  After pumping her with all sorts of questions, I went right out the next day and bought the same one she was using.  Not one of the cheap ones in the drug stores but a good one. 

The Talon from Revolver.com

This is the kit I bought and it came with everything I needed to quit.  They matched me up with a liquid they thought would be similar to my brand.  From the first trial puff in the store, I knew this would work.  It tasted and felt like I was smoking my regular brand.  That was the first weekend in May and now, 7 months later, I'm still using it.  Since that first puff I haven't had one cigarette.
There is nicotine in the liquid that I've chosen (there are some without it) but I did my research and nicotine is not a carcinogen. It's the chemicals in the cigarettes that are the problem. 

Will I be hooked on this since it does have nicotine?  Probably, but this one's not going to kill me. So for those who enjoy smoking too much to be able to quit, this may just be the solution for you.

Okay, I'm getting down from my platform now and moving on...


Quotes of the Day:

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. ~ Groucho Marx

By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day. ~ Robert Frost

Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times. ~
Mark Twain  

My LIfe, My Grandkids and My Reading

A Bit Of Eclectic Rambling:
This week has been sort of busy. 

I ordered and picked up what food I think I'll need for the Coon Dog Trials this coming weekend....packed it in the freezer in the trailer...hooked it to the truck...then my (future) son-in-law and I were leaving town to set my trailer up at the fair grounds in Lima since all food vendors were to set up on Tuesday.  He was pulling the trailer and I was following.  Before we had gone a block, I noticed something strange with one of the trailer tires.  OMG!!  A huge bulge!  Okay, don't panic.  A quick trip to a tire place, impressed upon him the urgency, got 2 new tires and off again.  Two hours later...all set up for Friday.  After talking to some other vendors I may not have enough food...worrying a little.  But not panicking....

I visited with my youngest, 2 yr old, granddaughter and, because of all the events I'm scheduled to sell food in, it'll be about a month before I have another free weekend to spend with her.  I'm sure she'll grow even more by then.  Isn't she beautiful!!!

Then my other 2 granddaughters spent that last 2 nights with me.  Since their Mom had to work at 7am I was able to let them sleep in a little and then take them to school.  Little girls giggle so much and I love it!  And them!!!!

On the down side, I drained my pool...so sad.  This marks the end of summer for me.  No more lazy days of relaxing and floating  in the warm water....I will miss it.  Big tear running down my cheek....






I am itching to get back to my writing...really itching.  Scenarios are playing on fast forward in my mind.  I want to rewrite a little of my finished novel.  And Charlie is scratching and complaining because his story is still in the birthing process.  But my weeks are so busy with my new business until the middle of October that I just haven't had any time to put into working on either novel.  And I'm missing it too.  But come October, time will suddenly open up for me and you can bet I'll be right back where I was before my sudden impulse to change my life.  From October till April, I'll be free to write all day...every...single...day.  And I need it so much.

I have had a little time to read finally and these are the two I've finished recently....

Defending Jacob by William Landay: 
Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.

Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own—between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.

Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis—a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.   

This is the premise of the story written on the Amazon books site.  But it doesn't touch the emotional impact this story had on me.  What will a parent do and how far will he go to protect and believe in his only child? 

I have had a few times over the course of raising my children where a parent will tell me something they think my child has done.  Of course I will stand by my child but I always made it clear that if my child did this, and I would find out, they would have to deal with me.  I was not the kind of parent that believed my children were infallible.  I knew they could make mistakes and wrong decisions.

But if someone would have ever accused one of my children of murder, I know I would have fought just as valiantly and believed just as strongly as Andy Barber did in this story. 

This is a must read for anyone and I promise you it will touch you in ways you never felt touched before.  And the ending...well, let me just say...not what I expected...not in my wildest dreams. 

Calico Joe by John Grisham:

Anyone who has ever heard of, or better yet, read any books by John Grisham, knows he's best known for his courtroom dramas.  An excellent writer who caught my eye with his first novel, A Time To Kill, which, by the way, is the best book of his that I've ever read.  And that was before the movie. 

But Calico Joe is so far removed from his normal writing that I almost didn't read it.  I am so glad I didn't listen to myself.  


This story takes place in 1973 when I was a die-hard Dodger fan.  Yep, I loved baseball.  But gradually when my favorite catcher was traded down to the minors because of knee problems and then my first baseman and my left fielder, well, my interest started to wane.  But when Tommy Lasorda retired, that pretty much ended my obsession with baseball. 

In Calico Joe, Grisham takes us back to that time with part truth-part fiction in the story of Joe Castle, a hero among baseball fans everywhere.  Let me add what Amazon has to say about this book: 

A surprising and moving novel of fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption, set in the world of Major League Baseball…

In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas dazzled Cub fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all rookie records.

Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his Dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever…

In John Grisham’s new novel the baseball is thrilling, but it’s what happens off the field that makes CALICO JOE a classic. 
I read this book in 2 days.  In fact, I didn't even have time to put it on my blog page in the "what I'm reading" section.  One reason was because its not a long book.  But reason 2 is because it held my attention till the very last page. 

Yes, there is a lot of reference to baseball and if you're not a fan, then this may turn you off.  But I encourage you to continue reading because, like the description above says, its what happens off the field that makes this a down right pleasure to read.   

Both of these books are highly recommended by none other than me, who most of you know usually only reads suspense and thrillers.
 
Quotes of the Day:
Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book. ~ Author Unknown  

A good book should leave you... slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it. ~ William Styron

Outside a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside a dog, it's too dark to read. ~ Groucho Marx

My Neighborhood

Changes are coming:
Let me tell you about my neighborhood.  Normally its a nice, quiet place to live.  Not a rich neighborhood, just a simple tree-lined street with old 2-story homes that are kept reasonably nice.  Remember back in the day when neighbors chatted in their front yards or on their porches?  When everyone knew everyone else?  That's this neighborhood. 

A family with teenage girls, a few retirees, a couple single guys...and the house from hell next door.  Yep, next door to me is a house that the whole neighborhood shutters over.  From the day I moved in here, 7 or 8 years ago, there's been people in the house that seem intent on causing one problem or another.  And it's not just me that feels that way.  It's the steady, long-term folks who have been here for years that cringe at the comings and goings over there. 

When I moved in, it was owned and lived in by the neighborhood drunk.  Though he usually kept to himself, he was friendly, but he did love his beer...a little too much.  And his pot.  But he didn't really bother anybody though.  He had a good job with almost 30 years seniority.  He had a fishing boat he took out often and a nice truck.  Then he decided to help out a friend, let the friend move in, and she brought her crack and her customers.  And it became the "crack house".  She got him hooked in less than 6 months, had constant traffic coming and going and the ever-present visits from the police. 

My dog chased a few of their customers out of my yard when they would cut through from the alley on my other side.  A few of them woke me in the middle of the night pounding on his bedroom window wanting to make a buy.  I got vocal a few times ("he's not the only one you're waking up!!") called the police a few times, and cringed when the big white Cadillac from Detroit would show up (their big-time suppliers).  Long story short...he eventually lost his boat, his truck, his job of 30 years...and when he finally went to prison for 2 years, he lost his house too.  Imagine...in just two years he lost everything he'd worked 30 years for...all because of crack.

Then the new owner of the house spent a lot of money fixing it up and rented it to a young girl who let her brother turn it into a party house with late night loud parties, fights, broken beer bottles and lots of visits from the police.  They were gone in less than a year. 



Thankfully, he now has another home. 

 And then....the owner rented to my present neighbors.  These are the same ones that had Bronson, the dog who was so badly neglected and the same ones who's bored 2 year old would throw all the toys out the bedroom window into my yard on a daily basis.  They have broken the windows, damaged the privacy fence between our yards, had numerous domestic disputes...aka... more police visits.  On one occasion, this mother of 6, climbed on her husband's car and jumped up and down on it screaming at him before locking herself in the house (with the kids outside and watching) while she screamed profanities at the police through the window.  They are now divorcing, she collects welfare, has an old man/boyfriend living with her and has trashed the house.  According to the landlord, the walls are damaged, the carpet needs replaced and when the toilet backed up...they pooped in buckets...yes, in buckets...before calling the landlord for a plumber.

She was given until the end of July to move out.  In August the landlord went to court.  Four days ago the police posted a notice on her door that she would have to vacate.  She's still there and she's not going easily.  They will drag her out kicking and screaming (she's known for that) and her kids will be the ones to suffer all this humiliation and either end up with their dead-beat dad or be homeless.  I feel bad for the kids but I have to admit that when she's gone, we can once again get back to our quiet, friendly neighborhood. 

And now the landlord's going to have to put a lot more money into this house to fix it up again...but, hopefully, in the future, he'll be more diligent about who he rents to.  He's a first-time landlord and I think he's learned his lesson.  He's even talked about selling but with the economy as bad as it is, I doubt it would sell quickly. 

So if you've ever considered being a landlord of a rental, please be careful who you rent to.  Do all the background and reference checks and know who you're renting to or you could be in the same position this poor guy is in.

The 2 neighbors across the street and I have all expressed our desire to do "happy dances" in the street the day she's gone.  Hopefully this doesn't make us bad people...just extremely excited ones to have our quiet street back again. 

And that, my friends, is my neighborhood.

Another Change:
This change is a happy one and also makes me want to do a happy dance  :)  I decided at the beginning of the year that I wanted to lose weight.  I tried blogging about it on page called "My Personal Track Record".  It was also where I was charting my struggle with smoking.  But both were going so badly that I ended up deleting the page. 

But I never stopped trying. 

Now please don't ask me how my smoking is going.  Even though I've cut it in half, I'm still not proud that I haven't been able to quit.

But my losing weight?  Well, that's been a slow and steady progress and I'm very happy to say that I've lost 20 lbs!  That may not sound like much over an 8 month period, but its sweet success to me.  I have never deprived myself of what I enjoy eating...I'm just not stuffing myself or eating my late night snacks anymore.  So for me it's all about portion control. 

And I swear, the work that goes into running the concession stand burns up bukoo calories, so that helps.  Plus, I'm walking Maggie a little more.  The arthritis in my hips makes long walks a little difficult but Advil helps some. 

Now for those of you who are scoffing at only 20 lbs...imagine a gallon of milk.  One weights about 4 lbs.  So that would be 5 gallons of milk...try lifting that.  Or two 10 lb bags of potatoes!  That's a lot of potatoes and I lost that much!  Now I'm not going to tell anyone what I weighed before but I have dropped a size in my jeans.  Hoping to drop another size by Christmas.  So happy dance...here we go!

Quotes of the Day:
A bad neighbor is as great a calamity as a good one is a great advantage. ~ Hesiod

Good fences make good neighbors. ~ Robert Frost

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends. ~Author Unknown

The Diet:
A blonde is terribly overweight, so her doctor puts her on a diet. I want you to eat regularly for two days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for two weeks. The next time I see you, you will have lost at least five pounds. When the blonde returns, she's lost nearly 20 pounds. "Why, that's amazing!" the doctor says. "Did you follow my instructions?" The blonde nods. "I'll tell you, though, I thought I was going to drop dead that third day." "From hunger, you mean?" asked the doctor. "No, from skipping." ~ Ray
(Sorry for the blonde reference...lol...I just copy and paste...I don't make these up.)  

Always Allow For The Unexpected

Flag City Balloon Fest:
Last weekend my daughter and I worked our concession stand at Findlay's Flag City Balloon Fest.  Friday night was a bust...rainy, cold and no hot air balloons.  The crowd was non-existent.  Stragglers were hanging around in case the balloons decided to show up but that wasn't the case.

Saturday afternoon it was cloudy and looked like rain so the balloons didn't show again.  But there was a car show going on so we were doing business pretty steady throughout the afternoon.  Finally around 6:00 the sky had cleared up and the balloons arrived and inflated.  And so did the crowd.


It was literally solid customers for 3 hours.  For every vendor there.  At times the lines were so long we couldn't see the end of them.  I couldn't have run to pee if I'd had to...thank God I didn't have to.  We ran out of tenderloins, almost ran out of chicken tenders and at 9:15 we ran out of propane for our deep fryers.  I would have been discouraged being out of propane, but we were so exhausted that I think we were both grateful for the break it gave us.  By 9:30 the crowd was miraculously sated and the other vendors were able to relax too. 

The money we made in those 3 hours was almost more than we made at either of the first two events.  And I learned a lot from that event.  Always plan ahead and make sure I have all 4 propane tanks filled.  Always have more food on hand than I can imagine selling.  And maybe take a "gopher" along for the next balloon fest.  Having someone to fill the coolers with more pop and ice and grab more meat from the freezer in the truck and get more potatoes or bacon bits would be a big help. 

Our next event is called Max's Flea Market and Water Dog Races (fondly called the coon dog trials).  It's promised to be a big 3-day event over Labor Day weekend and I can't wait!  Lots of dogs and guns and hunting paraphernalia and a lot of red necks...of which I will fit right in...hahaha.

I'm loving the carny life and when it's over (the first weekend of Oct.) then I will get back to my other life.  Since I'll have the winter off, I plan on getting down to business with my first love....writing.  I want to finish the first draft of my new novel and research getting my present one published as a e-book. 

I also plan on doing a much needed spring/fall housecleaning thingy that didn't get done in the spring and won't get done in the fall.

So many things on my to-do list that my winter will be full.

Quotes of the Day:
Always gotta keep busy or the voices start telling me to do wild things. ~ Steve Brown

A bee is never as busy as it seems; it's just that it can't buzz any slower. ~ Kin Hubbard

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~ Unknown

Nerves Galore!
Tomorrow is the day for our first festival (tonight is an auction so we may be in business during that) and I'm so excited but along with the excitement is this scary feeling.  The previous owners are setting it up this afternoon and we are meeting them at the campground later.  So we won't get to watch them set up. 

One time doesn't do it for me.  We need to do it ourselves to learn it.  Thank heavens they're going to be there today and tomorrow to run us through it again. 

Will we remember everything?  How to hook up the trailer to the truck?  How to light the deep fryers?  And backing it into the driveway when we bring it home?  That will be the fun part.  We really need to have someone there with a video camera cause that will surely be a "funniest videos" clip.  Hopefully the garage remains intact.

But a big plus.  I found out dogs are allowed at the campground!  Yea!  Maggie can go along tomorrow and hang out with us.  Wish us luck!

Pet Peeves:
I've been pretty laid back lately so not much has pushed my buttons.  Oh, don't get me wrong, I still tend to verbalize in the privacy of my car when other drivers do stupid things like not accelerating on the on-ramp to the interstate...or not pulling up into the intersection when the light's green and they're waiting to turn left, which means they're the only ones that are going to get to turn when the light changes again.  Or how about the guy who was obviously texting while he was coming onto the interstate and blending with the traffic...stupid.  But I've tried to mellow out about the little things...and...still...trying...

But something that has pushed my buttons lately is a little thing that's been happening on a daily basis.  My neighbors, that I don't have anything to do with because...well, because I simply don't like them...are really getting on my last nerve. 

They're the ones I posted about that had the dog, Bronson, that was so neglected.  (Venting - Jan. 15th) Well, now that he's found a new home (hopefully one where he's finally loved) it's the kids that are neglected. 

The mom likes to stay up late at night and sleep in the next day.  So the kids have to stay in their rooms till she gets up.  The youngest, a pre-schooler, makes good use of that time by throwing his brother's and sisters things, clothes and toys and what-nots, out the upstairs bedroom window.  Every day.  Since the houses are so close together, they always end up in my yard.  So lately, I've had to go out every day and clean up headless Barbies's and matchbox cars and drink boxes and school papers...you get the picture. 

By cleaning up, I mean that I simply toss them back into their yard.  She knows they do this, she's the one who has to eventually clean them up whenever she decides that maybe she ought to mow her lawn (once every 6 weeks or so).  And I've let her know twice that I'm not thrilled to have to clean up my yard when this happens.  The latest time being last night.  But will it stop?  No.  Cause she doesn't supervise her kids.  Cause she's sleeping.  Cause they can't come out of their rooms till almost noon.  Cause the 2 yr. old is bored.

But I have to ask myself...are my gripes justified?  Or have I just become bitchy in my old age?

So now that I've gotten that off my chest, on to more enjoyable things.  Like reading.

Celebrity In Death by J.D. Robb:

I loved this book,. but then I enjoy everything by J.D. Robb.  This is actually a pseudonym for Nora Roberts.  The first futuristic suspense J. D. Robb book, Naked in Death, was published in paperback in 1995, and readers were immediately drawn to Eve Dallas, a tough cop with a dark past, and her even more mysterious love interest, Roarke.  But it's not so futuristic that you can't imagine these things really being possible.  If I remember correctly, the stories are set around late 2050's to early 2060's depending on which book you're reading. 

Nothing science fiction about these stories, just very well-written mysteries/suspence with cool "toys" we will probably have access to in the near future.  And if we don't, we should have.
 
Lt. Dallas and her husband, Roarke, are attending a dinner with Hollywood's primo cast of a new movie.  When one of them is murdered while everyone else is watching blooper clips from the movie, Dallas and her side-kick, Peabody, must track down the killer in a world where all the suspects are actors....giving award winning performances. 

Another winner from J.D. Robb and full of suspence and intrique, including futuristic toys that I'd love to try out.

Quotes of the Day:
I don't have pet peeves, I have whole kennels of irritation. ~ Whoopi Goldberg

A two-year-old is kind of like having a blender, but you don't have a top for it. ~ Jerry Seinfeld

A day without sunshine is like, you know, night. ~ Steve Martin

Temporarily On Hold:
I've been really negligent about a lot of things this past week.  And I feel bad about it.

I try to blog 2 to 3 times a week, but as you can tell, it's been 7 days since I've written anything.

I also feel bad about neglecting my writing.  Poor "Charlie" (my 10 yr. old main character) has been sitting in his character sketch and telling me in his little quiet voice what his life is like and how I need to be writing about it.  There are so many scenes that I can see in my head that I keep making little notes about so I won't forget them.  I know I need to do something about all those notes.  And about his quiet little voice.

For such a long time now, my writing has been the most important thing to me.  I, like a lot of wanna-be authors, have dreamed of the day I could see my novel on the shelf of a book store, in a library and in the hands of a reader.  I've fantasized about getting "the call".  I've wanted nothing more than to spend my days pounding out the stories that have gathered in my head. 

I have spent every single day for the last few years doing something about my writing...whether it's sending out queries, rewriting my synopsis, jotting down character sketches, researching and just simply writing.  It's what my dream is.  It's what I want to do for the rest of my life.  And I've been learning.  A lot.

But I have to be realistic too. 

The job I have now is getting to be more than I can physically continue to do.  I have hoped and dreamed that when the time comes for me to retire completely,  I will be able to be making money with my writing in some form.  Since that hasn't happened yet, I have put a lot of thought into what I want to do to supplement my social security.  I didn't want just any job.  I wanted something that I would enjoy waking up to do.

And then came the concession business.  What perfect timing.

Like my writing, I will enjoy getting up to do this, to go to fairs and festivals and craft shows every weekend that we can.  It won't be work, but rather a lot of fun.  Meeting people, the festival atmosphere, the smells of good food all around us.  Wonderful!!

But I won't give up on my writing.  It's gotten in my blood and I can't imagine not writing.  The story of Charlie is going to be a good one. And maybe this will be the one that makes it into the bookstore or the library and the hands of readers. 

And by the way....Congratulations to Nik Wallenda!!  A man who never gave up on his dream, no matter what obstacles tried to stand in his way.  He said tonight that whatever your goals are, don't ever give up. 

Well, my writing can't be compared to walking a tightrope over Niagara Falls, but that was his dream.  This is mine.  Writing is my passion and I'm taking his advice and never giving up.  I want no regrets.

But...for the next week, I have much to do to get ready for our first festival.  As of tomorrow, my daughter, Amy, and I will be the proud owners of The Wrap Shack.  Our first festival will be the following weekend.  And much needs to be done.

So, Charlie, I haven't forgotten about you...I promise.  Your story is alive in my thoughts.  It will just take a little longer than I thought to get it all on paper.  Let me get through this next week then we can spend all the time we need to tell your story.

Quotes of the Day:
A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams. ~ John Barrymore

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. ~ Walt Disney

There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure. ~ Paulo Coelho

Hectic Mind = Hectic Life

Temporarily Disorganized Life:
My life has gotten so hectic lately.  Every day I try to find just a few more hours to squeeze out of it.  I have a number of things I want to get accomplished, but instead of sticking with one till its finished, I seem to be all over the place.  I have to write on sticky notes to remind myself what I need to do...a sign of old age if I ever saw one...or maybe just a temporarily disorganized mind.  Take your pick.

My writing is taking up space on the back burner for now.  I've been so caught up in so many other things that I can't seem to find the time to focus long enough to even finish a chapter in my new manuscript. 

I've been researching sites to set up our new concession stand, and even though there's already a route in place for us, there's some free weekends we could be selling food if I can get us signed up as vendors.  But I'm getting ahead of myself here anyway cause we don't even own it yet.  But still I keep looking...and writing down the good ones.  I'm like a kid in a candy store trying to decide what to spend next week's allowance on.

I haven't even made a dent in my spring cleaning and my house really, really needs it.  Living alone does not stop windows from getting dirty or curtains from needing washed and rehung.  Or my stupid junk nooks from getting cleaned out.  I could probably have a big garage sale with what I find in there.  But it'll still be there tomorrow, right?



The damn pool!

One thing I did finish was my pool.  Usually I have help from my daughter and grandsons putting this up, but I decided that it couldn't be that hard to do it myself.  So an hour after I started, with sweat running into my eyes and my shoulders and thighs aching, my pool looked like this: I didn't realize how much pushing and pulling it took to get it straight and to get all the wrinkles out.  Next year Amy and my grandsons can come back.  And 8 hours later, this is how it looked...



Now its a good pool!


 


Trace going for a base hit!!!

 I tried to go to my grandson's ball game, but with 6 or 7 fields, I couldn't find him.  I forgot my phone, so I couldn't call my daughter to see where they were and do you realize how 8 year old boys in jerseys and ball caps all look alike?  Yep, they do.  So this grandma just turned around and went home.  After the game, Trace told my daughter that he saw Grandma driving around while he was playing...how could he miss me in my yellow banana...he got a chuckle out of that.

My fun yellow banana that makes me smile!

Jordan and Sophia spending the nite

Today (Friday) I don't have to work, I don't need groceries, my bills are paid and I don't have to be anywhere (at least I don't think so...no sticky note telling me I do).  So today I said "to hell with it" and am just doing whatever I feel like.  My sheets are hanging on the line, I played ball with Maggie, I'm writing this blog post, I baked two dozen cookies and my granddaughters are spending the night tonight.  The 3 of us will eat popcorn and watch I-Carly, or Sponge Bob or whatever they want and we'll play one of my many computer games that they love, and I'll...just...relax.  No stress, no regrets. 
And I'm going to start reading a new book.

The Litigators by John Grisham: 
I had stopped reading John Grisham's books for a while because I just couldn't get into all the legal chatter in the book.  But I picked this one up because the story seemed so interesting: 

David, a young, burned-out lawyer from a prestigious law firm, walks out, goes on a one-day bender, and finds himself in the little "boutique" firm of Finley and Figg.  In a word, they're ambulance chasers, but when David joins their firm, things begin to look up.  They become involved in much bigger cases involving a large tort action and children dying from lead poisoning in toys.

The Litigators is a tremendously entertaining romp, filled with the kind of courtroom strategies, theatrics, and suspense that have made John Grisham America’s favorite storyteller.

There is still the courtroom and legalese wording Grisham fans are used to, but I found myself caught up in it to where I didn't mind so much.  Not as much suspense as I'm used to, but still a really good story.

Son of Stone by Stuart Woods:
As soon as I finished The Litigators I moved right into Son of Stone.  I love Woods books, especially
those with Stone Barrington as the main character.  Stone can be a dry sort of character, not showing much, if any, emotion.  But that's the only complaint I have for this series. 

This review is from Barnes and Noble for Son of Stone:

"Not the least new surprise that Stone Barrington confronts in his latest outing is that he is the father, not just of a newborn, but of a fifteen-year-old boy. Arriving with that revelation are a host of problems, including his relationship with lover Arrington Calder and the aggressive prying of a tabloid celebrity sleuth. A suave change of pace for a popular series."


I know there's another book that's come out since this one (D.C. Dead) which I've already read, but somehow I missed this one.  And now he has another new one out, Unnatural Acts, that I really must put on hold at the library. 

Son of Stone is another good page turner (I read it in about 3 days in my spare time) that I highly recommend to Stuart Woods fans. 

Quotes of the Day:
Most people are so busy knocking themselves out trying to do everything they think they should do, they never get around to what they want to do. ~ Kathleen Winsor

A bee is never as busy as it seems; it's just that it can't buzz any slower. ~ Kin Hubbard

 Always gotta keep busy or the voices start telling me to do wild things. ~ Steve Brown

Uncertain Tomorrows

Worried Sick...Literally:
I haven't been feeling well for the past couple of weeks.  No fever, no body aches, just an overall feeling that things weren't quite right.  Upset stomach, a few headaches, extremely tired, on the verge of tears...you get the picture. 

I was beginning to get concerned and decided that maybe it was time to call the doctor.  I was hoping he would just tell me I needed vitamins or iron.  A quick fix and I'd be on my way.  But what if it was more than that?  I've always had a vivid imagination...so all kinds of what-ifs were running through my head.

The day I was going to call him, I woke in the morning with a light bulb flashing in my head.  You know, one of those things that just pop into your mind, a bright idea, a revelation of sorts.  Maybe, just maybe, it was just stress.  So I jumped online and looked up stress symptoms and there was everything I was experiencing.  Plain old stress.  Who would have thought?

The Wrap Shack

And the causes of stress...many, many causes were listed.  But one of the first listed, and the one that I knew was mine, was a life-changing event.  Well, there it was in black and white.  I have been stressing for 2 weeks over this whole idea of changing my life-style, changing jobs, and starting a business with my daughter.  The concession business, the food cart life, and at my age becoming what is essentially a "carnie".

My niece did this for years.  In fact, she raised her four children behind the counter of a carnival game stand.  And she loved it!  They all did.  The kids are still at it today.  And I know I will love it too.  If I can just get pass the stressful beginning.  But now the ducks are all falling in a row, so to speak. 



Storage truck goes with it!

 So I gave myself a pep talk, shook myself off, decided it wasn't going to get the best of me, it was all working out right...and guess what?  I already feel better.  Stomach upsets?  Gone!  Headaches?  Gone!  Tiredness?  Almost gone. (after all I am still old)  Oh, yea, and no more tears.  I think what helped make me stop stressing was actually going to a show with the present owners of the food stand we're buying.  We watched them set up inside and out and we know we can do it.  We even were able to jump in and take care of a few early customers.  And you know what?  I was right.  We loved it!

The owners have volunteered to help us through our first 2 to 3 shows till we feel comfortable...and that's a big plus.  We'll need their expertise.  So we're getting ready.

And in 3 weeks we'll do our first show.  Wish us luck!!!  :)

Quotes of the Day:
Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one. ~ Hans Selye

You must learn to let go. Release the stress. You were never in control anyway. ~ Steve Maraboli

In the book of life, the answers aren’t in the back. ~ Charlie Brown

Old dog/New Tricks?

Am I Too Old To Start Over?
I've had an opportunity arise and now I'm in kind of a dilemma.

At 63, I'm semi-retired, which means I'm still working part-time while collecting my social security.  I can only make so much on the side, or God forbid, I have to pay it back.  I will one day, in the not-too-distant future, have to stop with my part-time work since it is taxing on my body.  So my thoughts have been....what else could I do to supplement my social security?

Two weeks ago, when I was "helping" my daughters at their craft show, my future son-in-law pointed out a food vendor's trailer that was for sale.  You know, one of those little trailers that you see at the fairs and carnivals that sell the delicious, fattening, greasy "fair food".  I've often thought that this would be a cool way to make money.  Traveling to different towns and meeting lots of people...and making money.  I never looked into it because, to tell the truth, I was never in a position where I could do something like that.

But now I am. 


The Wrap Shack is now red...cool!

So we looked at it.  Nice, bright, clean, lots of customers, and a big box truck to haul it.  (I kind of wished it would have been crappy cause then I would have just forgotten about it)  Two men own it, one of them older than me, is retiring.  The box truck has 2 refrigerators, a freezer and tons of storage.  It's the perfect set-up.  So I took his business card.

Now I know nothing about the food vendor business.  But I believe I am smart enough to learn it.  I talked to another vendor, an older woman who drives school bus during the winter months.  She loves the life of a vendor.  And she makes lots of money.  So much in fact, that she bought a 2nd trailer.  Each trailer has its own route.  She told me some things to ask and some things to be aware of.  She also gave me her card so I could call her with questions. 

So now, 2 weeks later, I'm still tossing this idea around in my head.  Can I or can't I?  Should I or shouldn't I?  Does his route come with the sale?  Why isn't he just getting another partner?  (Maybe I could be that other partner?)  How does he know how much stock to have?  Does he make a decent living?  How old do the helpers have to be? (My 2 grandsons would love helping out on the weekends)  What kind of license would I need?  But even if all his answers just verify that I can do this...there is still one major problem.

Maggie.  My baby.  My 6 yr. old Golden Retriever. 

There's no way that I would be happy or comfortable boarding her every weekend or even every other weekend.  And I can't ask my kids to commit to that much time watching her either.  So are dogs allowed to go along?  As long as they stay out of the food area?  Sure, I could chain her to the trailer, but what about 85-90 degree days? 

But then the woman who owns her doggy day care said that I could get one of those canvas thingy's you put up to block the sun.  She also pointed out that Maggie would be the star of the show and would be constantly petted and ooo-ed and ahh-ed over.

So today I'm calling him with all my questions.  And then I'll think some more.  Making this kind of change at this time in my life is scary.  Especially since I'm on my own.  One daughter was urging me to try.  Another thought I was too old and this was too iffy.  I haven't even mentioned it to my other 2 children.

So can an old dog learn new tricks?  What do you think?


Down The Darkest Road by Tami Hoag:

This was a really, really good read.  I'm going to copy the review I read on this book because they said it so much better than I could......"Down the Darkest Road is eerie, suspenseful, tragic and thought-provoking. If you've read Hoag before, that's exactly what you'd expect. You'd also look forward to her signature plot surprises. But where Hoag is concerned, I think of them more as … sneak attacks."

A teenager goes missing and after 2 years her mother still can't let it go.  The man suspected of the abduction is free and the grieving mother is relentless in her pursuit of any information she can get on the whereabouts of her oldest daughter, at the expense of her youngest. 

It started a little slower than I was expecting and I almost, almost, stopped reading.  But I am so glad I didn't.  It picked up and I really began to care about all the characters.  I highly recommend this to all you suspence readers out there.


Quotes of the Day:
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~ Dr. Seuss

Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone. ~ Jim Fiebig

Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength. ~ Betty Friedan