Memorial Day Weekend

When I was a kid, my favorite part of Memorial Day Weekend was the Parade. Not to watch, but to march in. I was a Girl Scout, those were my marching buddies. The parade route was not real long, through town, up a really big hill to the cemetery. It was almost always cool in the morning since summer up north starts WAY later than summer here in the south.
Arriving at the appointed spot, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Fire Department, VFW, Police Department and the usual high school band and cheerleaders. Standing in the silence of the graves, hands over our hearts. In the distance the solo trumpeter playing taps. The orders given to honor those who made us a free nation. Ready! Aim! Fire! The shock of each volley, even though I knew it was coming. Seven rifles fire three times. Deafening in the silence of the place we stood.
Thank you to all those who have given so that we may live free.

Damn it has been a long time

now I dont go to florida so often, and my dad has gone to a better place, and Max has come into my life, and I am retired, and I am busier than I was when I was working. My constant companion is 3 years old and a delight. I wish my constant companions were 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and none.

Do I hang out in Florida too much?

When I was down here sometime earlier this year, I was playing with dad's camera and took this photo of some future Florida oranges:



And now, here in November, I get to see the finished product:

Okay, so here's the deal...

I booked a trip to Florida to see my Dad. Leaving Sheveport is slim pickings, I gotta tell you. There are 2 morning flights, one at oh-dark-thirty, and the other at-half-past-sunrise. Since I am bumming a ride to the airport, I opt for the later of the stupidly early flights.

Waiting until a more human time of day might have sent me on a nine hour flight to some exotic city like Detroit, or given me a 6 hour layover in some cool place like Nowhere, USA. So I took the late early flight.

Delta flies through Atlanta, and that is usually the Burmuda Triangle of Layovers. My flight out to Melbourne is at 1 pm. So, not wanting to sit with my bag for 3 hours, I hesitated for a moment before I checked it through to Melbourne.

Surprise, surprise, surprise....we arrive in Atlanta only to be put in a holding pattern.....but somehow we were cleared to land earlier than scheduled. That's okay the pilot assured us, we would get to wait on the tarmac for a gate. And STILL we arrive early.

So, I trudge up the ramp with laptop, purse and puzzle book, look up and see a flight to Melbourne, not only on time but at the gate, preparing to board. It would get me in to my destination 2 hours earlier, and greatly reduce my boring layover here in Atlanta.

In my mind, I am in like Flynn. I can zip into town early, hitch-hike to Dad's (okay, that was when I was a hippie, I would call a cab in this millenium), and suprise the crap out of everyone!!!!!! Great idea, hu?

NO WAY JOSE BOSE! You must be on the plane that your luggage is on, why didn't you gate check your bag? So I wouldn't have to sit around and watch it for 3 long hours. But if you had gate checked your bag, you could get on this flight. I don't care when my bag gets there, I can drive up and get I can buy new clothes and pick it up on my way out of town for all I care, I just want on the earlier flight. But federal law states that you must be on the plane with your luggage. I don't give a crap about my luggage, 2 extra hours with my dad is more important. If the weather was bad you could do it. Is cold bad? No. Is cold when you are from the south bad? Look, I am wearing my winter coat (Kentucky sweatshirt), this is really bad weather for me. Nope! Is there am equipment problem that could put me on this flight? Sorry, all the planes seem to be in the best shape ever for this holiday season.

Live and Learn, and journal when it happens. Off to watch crap tv for a couple of hours.

We're going to be the cutest family on the Polar Express!!!!!

We are going on the Polar Express ride in Palestine Tx. I guess it is a bigger deal than I thought, because people keep telling me that they have tried to get tickets and they sell out soooo fast. Anyhoooooo. I decided that if I was going to take my herd of grand kids to that that they were going to match, match, match!!

Off to the Old Navy website and here is the result:



A perfect match, 3 in blue,


2 in pink...


How freaking cute is all that?

And just how much of the world have you seen?

Thanks Ces!

Red Sky at Night, Sailor's Delight?

Beautiful sunsets...


Bring morning............Rain!


And gray skies...


And I wish you could hear the rain, slamming on the roof....