New Year’s Eve

Other than the same old tired resolutions, any new New Year’s Eve traditions out there? Here are some of my favorites.

Happy Noon Year parties celebrate the New Year at noon instead of midnight. This works well for toddlers and people that have trouble staying awake until the ball drops (me) and I also enjoy an apple juice toast before naptime. I love that they are doing one of these at the zoo this year so kids can celebrate the New Year with a bunch of party animals.

Eating black eyed peas is also one of my favorite traditions, because I like black eyed peas (the band with Will.i.am too) but I am confused about whether you eat them on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. My solution is to eat them on both days. I like them in a recipe I keep on my fridge called Redneck Caviar which, when you combine black eyed peas, corn, pepper, onions, a can of hot Ro*tel, and Italian salad dressing and refrigerate, makes a delicious dip for tortilla chips and fakes the kids into eating black eyed peas (something they usually turn their noses up at) for the New Year.

This last one is one that my husband has had us doing every year since it was his family’s tradition. We light a bayberry candle on New Year’s Eve and if it remains lit through until New Year’s Day it portends good fortune in the New Year. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind if you want to adopt this tradition. Don’t light your candle under the ceiling fan. Plan to light it close enough to midnight so it won’t be completely burned out before the ball drops. Bayberry candles aren't always the easiest to find so if you are lighting your last one (like I am this year), plan to start looking for next year’s early on (think like an after Christmas sale only after New Year’s Day). Guess I won’t need an excuse to take a trip to Cracker Barrel or the mall. There's no doubt, at least this year, there will be one bayberry candle welcoming the New Year on Andros Island. And in St. Marys there will be one blogger sipping apple juice and eating redneck caviar near a flickering bayberry scented candle too. 

What would it take for you to trade in your gun?

In LosAngeles the mayor decided not to wait until May to hold their annual anonymous gun buy-back program. During the previous buy-back held last May, the police collected 1,700 guns. In exchange the anonymous donors received a $100 grocery gift card for each gun and a $200 grocery gift card for each assault rifle. This December more than 2000 more guns were turned in.

In other news a list of gun owners was made public in a newspaper story and this has angered many gun owners. I imagine the information in the article could be used like the websites that help you locate registered sex offenders in your neighborhood, just substitute registered gun owners.

On FaceBook a while back a mother (my nephew’s wife) shared her angst over a first invitation to a play date for one of my great nieces and included that if she found out that the parents of her daughter’s friend kept guns in their home it would be her one and only play date with that friend.

Another FB friend asked me if I remembered a student who was shot in the eye by a BB gun by his brother. I did remember and although it didn’t put his eye out it did damage his cornea and permanently (negatively) effect his vision.

In Connecticut a mother was shot with her own gun and killed by her adult son.

What would it take for you to trade in your gun?

Little Free Libraries

They look like over sized bird houses on posts with sides that open wide to reveal a cache of books for all ages inside. You can buy one or build one, fill it, plant it, and register it and become a part of the Little Free Library movement. There are no cards or fees needed to use the Little Free Library, and the benefits of usage have the ripple effect, from putting smiles on the faces of readers young and old to promoting literacy in places where it may not be so easy to get access to a book.  

Little Free Library organization’s mission is to promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide, to build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity, and wisdom across generations, and to build more than 2,510 libraries around the world - more than Andrew Carnegie--and then more. More information about this movement, including FAQs and building plans and instructions, can be found at littlefreelibrary.org and I think it would be nice to have a couple of Little Free Libraries on Andros Island and here in St. Marys. 

Wood Storks

Wood Storks are the only storks that breed in the U.S. They are large wading birds and they have long beaks, like pelicans, without the pouches, that they can close very quickly around the fish they trap to eat. They use their long beaks to make clacking noises too. They have bare naked heads like vultures and long legs like many other wading birds. While wading, or perching wood storks look ungainly, but they are quite distinctive and beautiful in flight with their necks out stretched, large black and white wingspan, and legs extended behind them. They live and breed in colonies with several pairs building stick nests in wet land area trees. The young wood storks are not precocial like killdeer or chickens but altricial, unable to find food or hide from predators shortly after hatching, so both parents care and feed them until they fledge and can find their own food. A large colony of wood storks have decided that the trees in the African animal exhibit area at the Jacksonville Zoo is the ideal place for a rookery but my favorite wood stork rookery is at Etowah Park where Kings Bay Naval Submarine base meets Crooked River State Park.

Scarfing All the Way

I received a lovely Christmas gift from my husband this year. I ruffled scarf, not meant to keep me warm, but a very nice accessory. He did have an odd look on his face just before he gave it to me because I was actually crocheting one just like it when he got home for the holiday. He said, “I didn't know you were crocheting that kind of scarf,” and then he pulled it out of his backpack. I loved it because it had all the shades of my favorite color, and I told him so. I had several skeins of yarn but none in the color he brought home and I was planning to turn them into Christmas gifts. I had just learned how to make the scarves and besides making great gifts, I figured crocheting would keep my hands busy and keep me from eating so much over the holidays. Crocheting could help me get a jump on my usual (eat less-exercise more) New Year’s Resolution and I’d make some very cool scarves all at the same time.

Then the best laid plans (mine at least) took a turn off the hook, crochet hook to be exact. I let my daughter wear my first scarf to work and told her as a last minute gift item she could sell it for $10. She came home with orders for 6 more. My husband and I were traveling to St. Pete the next day to visit his brother and I figured I could use the drive time on the way south in the daylight to crochet and read my Kindle on the way back since it would be too dark to crochet and now the pressure was on to do just that. I crocheted 4 scarves (one per hour) on the trip and when I got home I called the friend who taught me how to make the scarves and she was kind enough to let me sell 2 of hers for $10 each too. Then the race was on to finish the Christmas gifts.

Yes it is 2 days after Christmas and I am finally finished making the gift scarves. The story doesn't end there though. I have now got my sister and two granddaughters crocheting the scarves along with me and each scarf is uniquely colorful, fashionable, and beautiful…and yes, a bargain at only $10. (My oldest granddaughter is saving up for a car.) So let me know if you’re interested in purchasing one! That’s a wrap!

Obstreperous

Obstreperous is a word I read used to describe someone like Donald Trump.  I think many a divorced husband or unhappily dumped boyfriend might use it to describe their exes also. Obstreperous is defined as marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness and/or stubborn resistance to control. The only thing controllable for the Don seems to be his bad comb over. Money and business savvy aside, I think obstreperousness is an ingrained personality trait in Trump’s case as is evidenced by his political nonsense this election year. Some other obstreperous types may feel free to disagree with me and that’s okay because as far as thinking Trump’s behavior is obstreperous, well that’s just my opinion.

But closer to home, in my own backyard actually, there are some obstreperous goings on occurring daily. As soon as any movement, however quiet or slight, in the house is detected by my cat, Sherbie, he goes to caterwauling (a word according to the dictionary as synonymous with obstreperous) at the door demanding his breakfast. I believe with all his obstreperousness that the word caterwauling may have even been invented just to describe my Sherb! He stubbornly persists until a scoop of cat food appears in his dish outside the door. Then when the sun comes up my hens (no rooster in my flock) also come obstreperously to my door complaining with a worried drawn out chicken, “Ohhhh.” The funny thing about this is it seems like when one girl stops another takes up the call so it’s continuous (and obstreperous) until I come out and throw some scratch around. It’s the most noise they make (with the exception of announcing when they lay an egg) all day. Makes the start of each day for me, well, pretty obstreperous!

On the first day of Christmas

My true love gave to me…

In the manger, a blessed baby…

*Blogger’s note: Merry Christmas-Peace, Love, and Joy to you from my family and me.

2 Turtle Doves

2 Turtle Doves

After resisting the urge to write three recipes (coq au vin, chicken cordon bleu, or chicken chasseur) yesterday, I've decided to include this quick microwave turtle recipe for people like me that are scrambling to get things done on Christmas Eve. All you need are small pretzels (knots not sticks), Rolos (the candy), and a nut (pecan half) for the top. Stack the ingredients starting with the pretzel on the bottom and microwave on a microwave safe plate. Serve and watch the tiny turtles disappear.

On the next note the turtle doves mentioned in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas refer to either the pair of birds sacrificed at Mary’s purification or symbols of love and friendship. I prefer the latter especially since Christmas to me is also a time to celebrate love and friendship and a time best spent with friends and loved ones.

The turtle dove is a bird much like the mourning dove commonly found all across the U. S. In my own backyard in St. Marys they frequent the chicken feeder right alongside my chickens (and a brazen squirrel that has managed to stay a step ahead of our dog, Fred). On Andros, the doves large and island small alike love to frequent our bird feeder and they actually line up on the branches of the small ornamental tree (where the feeder is hung) waiting for their turns. There is usually a pair on the ground scouring for dropped seeds too. That’s how they arrive, by twos like the (I’m singing again) two turtle doves and ….tomorrow is Christmas!

3 French Hens

3 French Hens

The three French hens in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas are said by some to represent the three virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity.

“Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.

- Saint Augustine

“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul-and sings the tunes without the words and never stops at all.”                       

- Emily Dickinson

“Charity begins at home, but should not end there.”    

- Thomas Fuller

“If you haven’t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”

 - Bob Hope   

Let Faith, Hope and Charity carry us through this Christmas season.

4 Calling Birds

There were 4 birds, a chicken, a duck, a crow, and an owl. As calling birds these 4 didn’t exactly fit the bill. But these 4 each found a calling. The chicken was scrambling across the road to go to a Christmas party. The duck followed the chicken but was spotted by a fish and wildlife officer, and unlike his pal the chicken, ran a fowl of the law. After a couple of wise quacks he was allowed to go with a warning. The crow followed in stealth mode and managed to not get caw-t. The owl was trying to keep track of whoo was whoo. Each of them had a gift for the gift exchange and each thought he had outdone the other. All were looking forward to getting rather than giving. Even after they exchanged their gifts they would still be preening and competing for recognition. Then they came across a tern who told them they were going the wrong way. The best Christmas party in the town was in the other direction. The 4 birds took the tern at his word and changed direction toward town. When they arrived at the party there was a long line of children waiting. The chicken, duck, crow, and owl added their gifts to Santa’s pile so there would be enough for all the children. They thanked the tern for showing to them how one good turn calls for another.

As we near the end of the countdown, Christmas day, the four birds found their true calling, learning the joy of giving rather than receiving, and calling for peace on earth and goodwill to all.

5 Golden Rings

Six geese a laying five golden rings, even though in the back of my mind I knew geese laid eggs I never questioned them laying rings in this song. Maybe that was because of the goose that laid the golden eggs or nest eggs that made me think of money. It seems like I’m always spending more of that then I actually have at this time of year. As far as six geese laying only five of anything, well as a chicken owner I can tell you that someone usually lays out every day (skips laying an egg, or in this case a golden ring) and I can never figure out which one. Whenever I ask, they just all go to squawking as if they are secretly covering for their unproductive flock member. One can never get a straight answer from a chicken.

Then there are my other favorite golden rings, onion rings. In honor of them I am adding this picture of last Wednesday’s spaghetti night treat, fast food lasagna, layered with quarter pounders, bacon, sloppy Joe meat, cheese, Big Macs, more cheese, and topped with 5 (or more) golden (onion) rings in a really deep pan. Try singing that to the two all beef patties/Mickey Ds jingle! Heart attack holiday fun food and after all as the countdown to Christmas continues, it’s the season for holiday eating too.

6 Geese a Laying, I’m Just Sayin’

On the sixth day of Christmas as a gift, in fact,

Was a gaggle of geese, 6 to be exact.

Amelia and Abigail Gabble of Aristocats’ fame

were laying rubber in the driveway whenever they came

to visit Gwen from Charlotte’s Web who thought she saw a spider,

that made Goosebumps bump her head and spill her apple cider.

So on Goosebumps goose egg Gwen was laying an icepack

as she yelled at the Gabbles, “You should drive on a race track!”

“Time for laying out the feast,” they yelled back in return,

“We want the turkey that keyed our car to fry or burn!”

Soon the Native American goose, Wauna, sniffed, “What smells?”

 After laying an egg, she came walking on egg shells.

“Laying in wait for Christmas?” honked Boris, “I’m just saying.”

On the sixth day of Christmas there were 6 geese a laying!

7 Swans a Swimming in Sync for Christmas

And so the countdown to Christmas moves “swimmingly” on.

7 Swans a Swimming

Seven swans were swimming on Swan Lake, so the urban legend goes. The newest member of the flock had started out in life as an ugly duckling but things changed and happy-ever-after-ly she found herself where she finally felt she belonged gliding effortlessly across the lake, gazing contentedly at her reflection and the wavering reflections of her six best friends in the moonlight. Suddenly a shadow passed overhead. The surface of Swan Lake instantly lost its sparkly shimmer and the seven swans’ reflections disappeared. A chill wind etched a new pattern of ripples across the lake’s leaden surface and an unearthly moan could be heard whispering softly through the bare branches of the trees that ringed the lake. Slowly the volume rose in crescendo and the moan went from a windy whisper to a threatening growl and finally to one long soul shivering howl. An eerie silence followed. The seven swans looked mutely at each other. None dared break the silence. It would soon be Christmas Eve and once again the evil one (not Dr. Seuss’ Grinch either) had risen from the underbelly of the usually tranquil Swan Lake determined to spook Santa’s reindeer to throw the jolly old elf off course and extinguish the hope and light of Christmas the way he blotted out the moonlight. The swans just wanted to get the flock out of there. They weren't ready to sing their swan song. But they knew they had a role to play to counter the evil deeds and put an end to the darkness. With only the sounds of their wings to guide them the seven swans rose gracefully with perfect synchronization in a reverse swan dive. Up they flew until the moonlight broke through the clouds and reflected off their snow white feathers lighting a path for Santa to follow. Once again foiled the evil one sunk back below the surface of Swan Lake, down through the murky depths of despair, to find that even his most evil deeds couldn't squash the spirit Christmas. A brightly wrapped gift with his name on it waited for him at the entry to his underwater lair.

With the exception of the five golden rings, the rest of this countdown is pretty much for the birds. 

8 Maids a Milking-The Countdown Keeps Churning!

Dear Santa,

    We are sending you this card to share a little Christmas steer. We know this is your busy time of year and we want you to know that we are pulling for you, especially on the eighth day of Christmas. The other 11 days of Christmas pail in comparison to ours. We herd it through the bo vine that some of your reindeer have been sick so we feel mooo ved to volunteer our cows. We have just the girl to take Rudolf’s place. Nude Jersey lost her hide and has been blushing brightly ever since. We are aware there’s a lot at steak and we don’t want you to worry, all our girls can easily jump over the moon and cattle drive your sleigh filled with gifts on Christmas Eve. This offer is no bull. It’s the veal thing.

                                                  Sincerely,

                                                          8 Maids

Dear Maids,

   Kinder words were never uddered. Your offer is sincerely appreciated but all of the reindeer have recovered and will be able to fulfill their duties this Christmas Eve. I will however keep your offer in mind and consider it my official plan B for the future.

                                                                        Thanks and Merry Christmas!

                                                                                                                 Santa

*Blogger’s Note: I think I have milked this one for all its worth. 

9 Ladies Dancing (Not Dancing with the Stars!)

9 Ladies Dancing!

‘Tis the day for yours truly (me-not your true love) to give you nine ladies dancing and here they are!

·         First Lady (literally and on this list) Michelle Ozumba, I mean Obama! Who better to help me realize my fitness goals which include keeping the holiday pounds at bay?

·         Next is the multitalented Monica Lewinsky doing your choice of the Limbo or pole dancing.

·         Dolly Parton follows doing the Hammer Dance while singing “U Can’t Touch This These”. Do you really think anyone is going to be watching her Hammer harem/parachute pants?

·         Then there’s Tammy Two Step Why Not Wynette dancing while she stands by her man. A list of ladies dancing wouldn't be complete without some good old country line dancing!

·         And with the latest You Tube sensation, go Lady Ga Ga Gangnam Style. Opp, Opp, Oppan Gangnam Style!

·         You won’t have to turn up your radio or drive a million miles for ev’rybody to have fun tonight and ev’rybody Wang Chung tonight. Just watch Connie (Wang) Chung rip it up, move down, rip it up, move it down to the ground.

·         A list of ladies dancing wouldn't be complete without Donna Summers, the queen of disco, known for working hard for the money!

·         I’m also including Hillary Clinton, who while fainted while break (your head) dancing and suffered a mild concussion. (Notice the six degrees of separation between her and Monica.)

·         And the last lady dancing on this list is Lorena Bobbit. She isn't a very good dancer but she just keeps cutting in.

If I skipped anyone you think should have been on my list leave a comment and perhaps your lady will appear on next year’s list of 9 Ladies Dancing!

Lordy, Lordy, the Christmas Countdown Continues!

10 Lords a Leaping!

This morning I made one of my infamous lists of blog topics to cover today and all the rest of the days until Christmas and I discovered that I do not have to combine the Lords a Leaping with Ladies Dancing after all. I am happy to say my countdown is back on track since I made this list, and I am no longer leaping to conclusions. Did you know that this year like all Presidential Election years is a leap year?

Other than the 10 Lords a Leaping, the only other leaper here is our dog, Fred. He leaps up at the trunks of the pine trees in our back yard in an attempt to snare any of the squirrels that so nimbly make their getaways up the same pine tree trunks and then perch on a branch above and scold him for trying. Maybe if Fred didn't have to leapfrog over a half a dozen chickens he’d be fast enough to catch one of the squirrels. All I know is that Fred is persistent. He keeps trying. Fred is a rat terrier-chihuahua mix (hails from the local Wal-Mart barking lot) and when he’s not leaping around the back yard he has been known to get extra practice by leaping onto our dining room table when you leave the room to sample any part of your breakfast you may have left unattended. I wouldn't mind it so much if he would just put a few correct numbers on the Sudoku for me. It would be great to come back from the bathroom and find that Fred had given me some help on that. But alas, no joy and I didn't really need the extra biscuit anyway. At least Fred doesn't drink coffee. Some mornings really do require a leap of faith (Sunday’s, in particular).

There’s just one more thing that keeps leaping out at me, I am still not done with my Christmas shopping. Leaping lizards! Where is Daddy Warbucks when I need him! 

Count Down-11 Days ‘til Christmas

Okay I realize my hope for a white Christmas in South Georgia is just a pipe dream but still I figured I would use my blog to pipe up about the white stuff (snow). It is one of the forces of nature that makes Christmas, well Christmas-y. I also realize that my countdown is off and if I continue to pipe up on the 12 days of

11 Pipers Piping

Christmas, one day at a time, I won’t finish till after Christmas, because today is the 15^th and 25-15=10 (not 11). So now I am considering combining the Lords and Ladies or some of the birds closer to the end of the countdown (or the beginning of the song), but I’ll try not to confuse myself and end this train of thought. I am chalking this business with the countdown being off up to bad planning on my part.

The above is the part of today’s blog that I wrote before the terrible news of the killings of kindergartners and others in Connecticut unfolded. I have “liked” all the prayers and hugs on Face Book and in some places inserted some “comments” of my own. But being in kindergarten last year added a personal aspect for me and a cold white blanket of Christmas-y snow will serve only to cover the raw, open wound torn from all of our hearts by this inexplicable act, not numb it or heal it. I hope that while we all pull together to pray and hug we also find a way to open a dialogue about the causes of these kinds of tragedies that keep occurring with more frequency. It’s complicated and will require an ongoing conversation followed by action because despite all of our differences we must work together to find a way to prevent things like this from happening again and again. So we can heal…’tis the season…something’s got to give.

Counting Down-12 Days ‘til Christmas

12 Drummers Drumming 

Come (shop) they told me, pa rum pum pum pum…well the song does mention a gift just not the kind you can order from Amazon.com. As stores try to drum up business, I am trying not to get snared into the maddening crowd of last minute shoppers. On the outside I look totally prepared for Christmas. Our signature lighted candy canes line the front walk. One has a broken stake so, yes, it is leaning on a little red plastic lawn chair. Red is a Christmas color, right? In the house the grandkids put up and decorated the tree. They've taken turns wearing my springy Santa hat. They've eaten most of the first wave of candy canes so I will have to break out the box I held in reserve soon. The red, green, and white Christmas afghan I crocheted last year is on the back of the loveseat, unless Fred (our dog-not elf) has pulled it down for napping purposes. Both leaves are still in place on the dining room table and there is a peppermint candle burning brightly in the center.  There’s a wintry jigsaw puzzle on a big piece of green felt on the coffee table surrounded by two wing chairs, an ottoman and a piano bench, the latter two items retrieved from Poppa’s office on the other side of the house so a bunch of people can puzzle together. The flat edged pieces have all been sorted so the frame is beginning to take shape. My granddaughter Julie spray painted a bunch of pine cones gathered from our front yard gold and tucked them in the fireplace around a grouping of battery operated pillar candles that actually flicker and look amazingly like lit with a match candles. On the inside I could say, “Bah Drumbug!” But despite the fact I often find myself following the beat of a different drum, this is the time I let the beat of Christmas carols (actual lyrics, not improvisations) and the spirit of the season fill my heart with peace and joy.

The Importance of Grandparents

In many places in Africa an entire generation has been wiped out by AIDS. In the village called Nyumbani 97 grandparents are being matched up with 938 youngsters, some times as many as a dozen children to one grandparent, to create families for these children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. The good news is that there is no known limit to the lifespan of those with HIV now due to the help of anti-retroviral drugs or ARVs. None of the children in Nyumbani are terminal and put together with the grandparents the bookend generations take care of one and other. What a wonderful resource these grandparents are.

In the U.S. just Google grandparents raising grandchildren and you will find pages of statistics, articles, and resources about and for grandparents listed. The details may differ between the circumstances in Nyumbani and the U.S. but it seems to me grandparents here are also an important resource. I am a grandparent so I can vouch for my own willingness to be a resource and truthfully say that I derive great satisfaction from being able and allowed to be involved in my grandchildren’s lives. Then for the families that grandparent-less for any number of reasons, there are adoptable grandparents. Google Adopt a Grandparent for pages of information on just how to do that. These programs provide a mutual benefit for seniors and the families that “adopt” them.

I take a deep breath, smile, and release an exaggerated sigh…the importance of grandparents…..

Couchsurfing

The first thought that came into my head when I saw the word couchsurfing was how everything (except the dining room table) in our house either reclines, folds out, or is an actual bed and how every item has been used for sleeping by someone at one time or another and sometimes all at one time. Couchsurfing definitely differs from staying overnight at Grandma’s house though because it involves entrusting your “couch” to strangers, travelers looking for affordable adventure and new friends. Although we have accommodated people I didn't know directly all the strangers that have couchsurfed at our house were friends of family (kids and grandkids) that have either couchsurfed here or resided here at one time or another.

My second thought was about saying “thank you” to the friendly folks on Andros that graciously allowed our visiting family and friends to couchsurf in their regular rooms while they were off island or in their spare rooms. Without them our friends and family might have found out just how uncomfortable sleeping on an inflatable in the closet at 711 might have been!

Actually couchsurfing dates back to 1999 and is resurging in popularity with the help of social media and good old fashioned word of mouth. It’s free lodging sometimes in exchange for a meal out or a drink, or a promise of an open couch in Barcelona, Budapest, or who knows? Maybe St. Marys, Georgia! 

Stamping Out Hunger

As I was reading an article in the Parade section of the newspaper (the actual paper version) a couple of weeks ago I came across a statistic that stated that more than 50 million Americans, including one in five children, don’t know where there next meal is coming from. And Howard G. Buffett, son of Warren, was quoted saying, “There’s no reason we can’t put hunger out of business in America.” The article went on to describe ongoing efforts by him and others that are joining in the fight to feed America. This got me thinking of my own inconsistent participation in making inroads against hunger in my community over the years. I've invited family, friends, and strangers alike to eat spaghetti on many a Wednesday. I've volunteered my cooking talents at Schulzbacher’s Center for the Homeless (once), I used to distribute day old bread from Publix and pizza mistakes from Pizza Hut to people who could use it, and I worked with a dear friend distributing food to the elderly through her nonprofit organization, Our Daily Bread. But I've gotten away from all but spaghetti night for quite a while until this article “poked” me and got me thinking about how I can help stamp out hunger in America.

Here is my plan so far. Since I cook something nearly every day (some days the grandkids have to fend for themselves with soup and sandwich-my adult kids will no doubt remember that too), I plan to pack up an extra meal out of whatever I’m fixing and connect it with someone that can use it. I just need to figure out the logistics for the days I am traveling and the actual packaging of the meals. I will keep you posted as my plan comes to fruition but you can figure at least one more person will be eating spaghetti on Wednesdays either way.

Santa's Elf Chuck Domanick!

Santa’s Helper on Andros, Bahamas

Chuck's Helpers!

In keeping with the spirit of giving, (the true spirit of the Christmas Season), I am happy to get a chance to blog about one of Santa’s helpers on Andros, Chuck Domanick, the organizing force behind a drive to deliver all the Bahamian children in the primary schools, preschools, and daycares on Andros (882 kids) a Christmas gift bag of goodies. Santa, Chuck, and other volunteers will be busy traveling by van (instead of sleigh) with their sack (s) of treats for the school children on the island in the coming week. They will be delivering to 8 schools on Tuesday, 3 schools on Wednesday, and 9 schools on Wednesday and Thursday for a total of 20 schools from north to south Andros. My friends (Jim and Shannon) and I were lucky enough to get in on the fun of filling the gift bags on the last day of our most recent visit with some other great volunteers in the MWR building at AUTEC. Even though helping fill bags was only a small part of Chuck’s operation, I am thankful to have had an opportunity to be a part of it. The feeling you get from giving is the best part of Christmas. If I get a chance I’ll post a photo or two of the deliveries but until then….............. I’m dreaming of a white (sand) Christmas!

How does Wildlife Cross the Road?

Everyone knows the chicken crosses the road to get to the other side, but what about wildlife? They need safe passage across too because nothing causes panic in this driver’s heart like deer darting in front of my headlights on dark winter evenings. Ever notice those overgrown overpasses? I have in my travels south and back on I95 and I75. I have often wondered why most overpasses don’t have trees, shrubbery, and fences like some. It was pointed out to me on a recent ride back from West Palm Beach to St. Marys via I95 north that those vegetation filled overpasses are wildlife walkways that make it possible for all kinds of wildlife, like deer, panthers, and Florida black bear to safely cross the road. Apparently there are other ways, tunnels and concrete culverts that go under roads to help animals cross safely also. Those are less noticeable to me as a driver or a passenger but I am glad they are there. The wildlife underpasses and overpasses make it safer for the human animal (behind the wheel) and I guess the only one unhappy about less road kill would be the turkey vultures and black vultures. I guess they’ll just have to look for road kill away from the interstates where there are no wildlife passes.

Winter in Clearwater Florida

The dreary, gray winter weather here in St. Marys got me thinking about Winter in Clearwater, Florida. Last year (Sept. 2011) I took my grandkids to see the movie, A Dolphin Tale, based on the true story starring the amazing dolphin, Winter, herself. If I was asked to rate the movie I might have given it 5 stars for kids but less for the adult (action film loving) movie going crowd. Despite the predictability of the plot I totally fell for it and afterwards I made a promise to my grandkids that we would go and see Winter in person since she lives only about 4 hours from St. Marys.

This promise turned into a Christmas vacation camping trip with me sleeping on the ground in a tent with a bunch of rambunctious kids for four nights but that is for another blog. The visit to Clearwater Marine Aquarium was worth it. Tickets for adults ran around $20 and less for kids and seniors. Visiting the Clearwater Marine Aquarium wasn't like taking a trip to Disney or SeaWorld though. There were no roller coasters and the facility was pretty small. They do actual marine rescues and rehabilitation there and we got to see them working on a rescued sea turtle while we were there too. The money you pay for admission goes to further their mission, protecting, rescuing, and rehabilitating marine wildlife. Clearwater Beach has been built up like crazy (sadly, much more than it was 30 years ago) and the traffic was even crazier but still the chance to see Winter was worth it. She was smaller than I’d expected (even if she hadn't been missing a pretty large piece of her anatomy) but her amazing spirit and heart was huge. Her will to survive and her ability to connect with others with missing pieces was truly inspiring to amputees and non-amputees alike. My hope was that seeing Winter would positively impact the way my grandkids looked at people with handicaps of any sort and so they might realize the importance of respecting others that live with and overcome challenges every day.

If the wintery weather here is getting to you, consider renting the movie, A Dolphin Tale, a tale of a tail that shows a porpoise can get along swimmingly when she’s given the chance. It may not have had the ending I hoped for, but it turned out functional and served the porpoise, so be it.  Then follow up with a visit to Winter in Clearwater, Florida. Or go to www.seewinter.com and check Winter out via webcam. Her continuing mission of giving hope to others and her story of the triumph of will and survival help chase the winter-in St. Marys-blues away for me every time.

Making a List-Checking it Twice

Maybe I should make a list of email addresses in a file and then just copy it and paste it in one or two clicks when I send out my blog every morning instead of typing each address out, a process that takes almost as long as writing the blog itself since I’m a two fingered typist! My husband calls it making a group file. I think about doing this every day and then I don't do it. I just move on.

I am a list maker however. I have a running grocery list that I use to keep track of the things we’re out of (like ketchup and toilet paper-necessities) so I can get them when I go to the commissary. I have a food log in which I keep a list of the things I eat each day and what exercise I do to cancel out the occasional treat. I also like to make a list of the tasks I accomplish during the day. I find such lists about house cleaning tasks particularly telling by the end of the day even though all I really need to do is look around to see how much (or little) housework I've done. I have a dry erase calendar on my refrigerator that lists the days I am gone to the Bahamas, Palm Shores, or St. Pete, birthdays, and grandkids school plays or sporting events (and Spaghetti Nights). If I’m not in the house when you come over you can use the list to figure out where I am. I also have a running Honey Dew list. Frequently I find myself completing the tasks on it but I do save some for when my Honey is home, like fixing one of my clotheslines when a tree limb took it down. For those special occasions I usually go get everything for the job (a new plastic pulley and line) from the local hardware store in advance to improve my chances for striking the completed job from the Honey Dew list. It’s better than keeping a Honey Didn't list!

And of course I often plan my day with the traditional to do list. So today I plan to do things a little differently…I am going to add making a list and checking it twice to my to do list!

Staying in Touch

People used to stay in touch with letters, regular telephone calls, meetings, etc. People used to have face to face conversations. Now it's different. Now people converse by texting or tweeting and in doing so miss out on the nuance that actual voices and faces project. Communication is more personal and less personal at the same time. People connect to hundreds or more Face Book friends but often feel less connected. I can understand why people might alter photos of themselves and give misleading, ego boosting information for on line dating sites but people lie on Face Book and other social media sites too, and it’s easy to do so. Maybe we are just trying to put up a facade of the lives we wish for or can at least partially substantiate. We can find images with all kinds of sayings to share at all kinds of places, like pinterest, and then progress to like, comment, or share. We can like, comment, and share with celebrities or about causes whether we have a personal connection or not. Maybe we are all just seeking to connect, after all we are social animals and the stuff I am blogging about is social media.

On the positive side, social media is useful for keeping family members and friends that are far away in time and distance in touch with the daily goings on in our lives. Event invitations and thank yous and fundraisers happen there all the time too. I have only just recently moved from spying on FB to actually liking, commenting, and sharing and that in itself has been an interesting transition. I guess I’m just glad that I have face to face friends that help keep me sane and connected to real life. I just hope they can understand why I am changing my profile picture again because this is the real me! 

‘Shroomies or Fungi (fun guy) Roommates

Once again, SKYPE, (with my best ‘shroomie), came to my rescue and helped me come up with the topic for this blog.

[9:06 PM] Jo Mount: Looking forward to spending time with my favorite 'shroomie tomorrow! (Readers note: I am heading back to the Bahamas.) What do you think about Shroomies/Fungi-Shroommates as a blog topic?

[9:06 PM] A Mount: I love that idea....I dig it. Definitely a blog topic.

So here goes. There are several kinds of ‘shroomies.

In college I had two friends that were ‘shroomies and they could never get a pizza delivered because their names were Terry Peas and Paul Harvey. The pizza place always figured the call was a prank. They would ask for the name for the order and when Terry gave his name they would laugh and ask for his roommate’s name. When he told them Paul Harvey (I know this dates me) they would say “good night!” and hang up. Inevitably Paul and Terry would come over and have my roommate or I place the order for them, which worked out pretty well for us because we liked pizza! I guess they wouldn't have this problem today because they could always order their pizza on line and thanks to caller ID, who is calling can be more easily verified.

In college I lived in the “coed dorm” a somewhat new idea back then, called Watterson Towers. The towers were like a big vegomatic in the skyline with more than 20 floors each. Every five floors were a house named for one of the first ten secretaries of state of the United States and each house alternated between male and female students, hence the coed designation. I lived in Madison.

This brings me to the next type of ‘shroomie. This time I mean the fungi with benefits. Even back when I was in college there were some (girls with a fungi for a ‘shroomie, informally, of course) although they didn't seem as commonly acceptable until after the sitcom, Three’s Company came along in 1976. For the girls I knew back then, it was get the guy out and hide the evidence if their parents were coming to visit on a weekend. It doesn't seem like such a big deal today. I married my fungi and look forward to spending time with him whenever I can. Of course he’s been my fungi for over 30 years so there is that.

The last ‘shroomie I write to warn you about is the poison fungi. It’s important to be cautious about choosing just any of the fungus among us as your ‘shroomie. Poisonous fungi look just like regular fun guys but as we all know looks can be deceiving, so take time to find out if a fungi is right for you so you can avoid a toxic relationship. 

Now more SKYPE….

[9:29 PM] A Mount: they just hired a guy here named Google.

[9:30 PM] Jo Mount: Interesting. What's he do?

[9:31 PM] Arnold Mount: He's a new guy just hired.

I’m saving that for a future blog!

Winter Hang-Ups

Even though the days are shorter, when the sun is out it’s a good day to hang laundry on the clothesline. Everything (especially sheets) smells so fresh when you bring them in after drying on the line. No laundry detergent, softener, or dryer sheet has been able to duplicate the freshness. If you shake out the blue jeans and hang them up carefully they’ll dry without wrinkles so you won’t have to press them. I also use the clothesline as an excuse to get my husband to throw away his holey underwear. I tell him it’s the trash can or let the whole neighborhood see them. (I hang my undies in my bathroom on the shower curtain rod far from public purview.) Not putting some items through dryer cycles increases their life span, especially any elasticized items. Of course anything that gets me outside and exposes me to some old fashioned vitamin D is a good thing and hanging laundry beats yard work most days. In the winter there are less mosquitoes and the temperatures are cooler. And on the chilliest days the sun feels even more welcome. When our dog Fred sees me with a laundry basket of wet clothes he races to the back door. He loves to tear out into the yard, ruffling a couple of chicken feathers and striking terror in the hearts of a few squirrels whenever I go out to hang the clothes. I have also upon occasion dropped a sock and watched a pair of chickens get into a tug of war with it. The entertainment is brief because they figure out quickly that the sock isn't filled with something edible like the usual plastic bag of vegetable scraps they love to snatch from my hands before I can scatter them. But probably the biggest advantage to line drying is the savings on my electric bill. And yes, my clothes dryer is broken but even after it’s fixed I’ll still stick with my winter (and any other season) hang-ups.

Chicken Nuggets

My small flock of hens has taught me a thing or two. These girls adopted me when they were hatched in the science lab at Crooked River Elementary and I've been a part of their flock ever since. We are happy to share these chicken nuggets of wisdom with you.

• ·         Know your place in the pecking order and if you forget where it is now and then feel free to squawk about it.
• ·         You don’t need a rooster to get a nest egg.
• ·         Flight is usually better than fight, but if you have your girls with you together you can take out a snake or a rat.
• ·         Feather yourself a comfy nest.
• ·         Beauty sleep is important so sleep well.
• ·         When you wake up each morning go ahead and preen a little.
• ·         Don’t be afraid to shake your tail feathers every once in a while, either.
• ·         No matter what color the feather, just flock together.
• ·         Chicken scratch can go a long way when times are tough.
• ·         Never turn down an invitation to a hen party.

Courtesy of: Chickaboom, Peepaboo, Little Red, Lucky Plucky, Original Recipe, Extra Crispy, Peaches, and me :)