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| BarbieQ'sBits |
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| ...a little bit of whatever I'm thinking, whenever I get around to it... |
| BarbieQ's Bits-Southern Style |
| July, 2004 |
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July 4 ... On the Road to South Carolina I've been to Vegas to see my cousins and my aunt. I lost $30 in Vegas on the nickel slots, 3 hands at a time, and $10 of my cousin's. He also lost $40. After that, I decided I had had enough entertainment! The movie lasted longer ("Legally Blonde 2"), even if it was as dumb as the first one. It was still cute enough...we both laughed a number of times, good honest ones. It was an interesting drive over the Boulder Dam in the construction zone. I hadn’t been to the dam since Wendy caught her first fish in Lake Powell. I remember the dam as being larger in my younger days. It was a hot drive, so I stretched out in hot Flagstaff, and now I'm enjoying Albuquerque. I'll go to Santa Fe in the morning, spend the day, then do the long stretch to Amarillo late afternoon. I've been practicing a few southern vowels to amuse myself along the road... My car is running great, but it's hard to find places to stop for my plants because of the lack of shade, so I'm seeing a number of gas stations, which always have shade. Not very picturesque, but at least the plants are traveling well. Let's see...some names I've passed...Bird Ditch, Turtle Ditch, Rattlesnake Wash, Twin Arrows, Diablo Canyon...wonder what I'll do with that info once I start composing. I've had a few phrases pass through my thoughts, but nothing is sticking yet. This is the first night I've logged on, but I'll probably be online the rest of the trip. I have to let a few worry warts know how I'm doing, and our only connection is online :) July 6 ... The Arkansas Traveler I love the reds and the rough cuts of New Mexico. I think I like the state better than Colorado... notice I didn't say California...One of these days I may ski Taos, though the Watermelon Mountains are probably more my speed. I gave away my skis to the movers, because I plan to get new ones or rent hi-performance demos. The panhandle of Oklahoma was beautiful, all the way across...rolling hills, trees, lakes...not at all what I expected. Somehow, I missed the dust bowl...I'm not going back to look for it. I'm in Fort Smith, Arkansas, a planned stop, but I blew the accelerator cable just 10 miles out of town. It’s a nice old town, they are restoring some old facades, some quite similar to those in the Gas Lamp Quarter of San Diego. I may get a chance to check it out while they fix the cable...hope it's just a one-day thing, however. Four people stopped in the 30 minutes it took Triple A to come. Nice people. (I'm wary, however, and careful.) One of them was driving a red convertible with the top down. As it slowly backed up to my car, I could see the trunk was missing. There were lots of tools in the back. There was a lot of hair missing from the driver's head, too...a sweet little old man of at least 80 offered to tow my car to the next gas station, 3 miles down the road. I guess my age is starting to show...I only snag 80-year-old guys now...I'm such a sweet young thing to them... July 7 ... States of the States Good morning...off to the dealership... Oklahoma was the only state in this loop I hadn't seen in the lower half of the U.S. I probably should have included Tulsa, but it's probably just "big." Missouri had the best milk in the United States 35 years ago...I can tell when the cows change grass, so I was pretty impressed. I met a good-looking Black man at a rest stop from Missouri, he thought I was having car trouble with my hood up at the rest stop. I was just cooling off the engine to keep the heat out of the car for the plants. In other circumstances, I might have considered coffee some place...as it was, he wanted me to show him around SC, but I told him I was not available. Then, when I got on the road...oh, well, he had a nice smile. (There were plenty of people around, or I wouldn't have stopped. Rest Stop Rules.) I'm planning to stay at my sister's for two nights in Mississippi, so I should be in South Carolina by the 11th. By the way, I'm not sure how "exciting" this trip is...most of it is down-and-dirty driving from one shady spot to another. July 8 ... Mississippi Mud Well, what do you think of a place named "Toad Suck Pond"?? Can't think of a reason to even stop to investigate! Rabbit Creek probably has a tale about it. Yes, I think some people make up some names - Lotawatah Lake...and then there was "Cherokee Crossing," a land bridge right over a lake called Dan something or other in Russellville, Arkansas. I met the nicest people in Arkansas...a real railroad engineer had watched my car being towed from the hotel to the dealership, was having breakfast at the same hotel, and asked if they were going to be able to fix my car OK. Turns out he grew up in Riverside, was a professional musician most of his life on the road, and he is now one happy engineer doing what he calls is life's dream. Prince of Smiles will be glad to know I talked to a real life engineer...he looked like one, also, complete with overalls and beard. It seems I get lucky where it concerns mechanics and my Z. The guy I took the car to in Arkansas collects Z's. Even though three mechanics checked out my car before going, this one found a cut distributor wire in the fan in two minutes, after I told him (as I had told the others) what the car was doing (and finally did totally), and he got me on my way. Out of the shop, the accelerator pedal stuck, I turned around, he attached a second spring to it, and I left with a bill of only $65 labor and two towing charges. Not bad. I covered the next 430 miles straight through to my sister's in Mississippi and slept well all night, glad I didn't have to wait for parts to come up from Tulsa. In case you are wondering, the humidity in Jackson is 96% and it isn't even raining. I had told my sister 37 years ago that I would never ever visit her in July again. Famous last words, since now I have to live in the stuff. Mike wondered if I was really a teacher when I had a hard time opening my car door...same old Mike...at least he didn't tell me to keep on truckin' down the road...told me I was only 45 minutes away, and to come right on over, skip the hotel. I opened up a good-looking basket on a trunk in the living room, and it was full of chewing tobacco pouches... then I knew I was in the right place. Obviously, Susan gave up nagging about that one a long time ago...it bothers you, put it in a cute little basket, and maybe it will go away! My friend Pat says she’d put her husband in the basket and send it down the river. Susan looks good, though she tires extremely easily, and moves slowly to boot. It's kind of strange seeing the family things and pictures (Hey! I have that one!) in another home than my own. Her house is decorated charmingly with family pictures and portraits, quilts, Grandma's buttons and shoetree, at least a hundred nutcrackers in various sizes, and gifts from those she loves. She keeps a bit of Christmas around, a touch in each room, and evidence of her spirituality can be found in a simple turn. A beautiful hand-stitched quilt for daughter Lori stands in a frame, nearly finished, in a corner of the living room. Our fondness for geese turns up to tie our youth together. Susan has enough exercise equipment here to start her own gym. I guess that's how they both stay so slim with this southern cooking. I'll try to get inspired. I bought homeowner's insurance via Wendy and the telephone today, so progress is being made on ownership of the lakefront property. I'll have to think about its name...I really like Butterfly Manor, but if I ever should get married, I can't see a guy announcing where he lives :) Monarch Mansion sounds a bit more masculine, but pretentious. The butterflies may have to go by the wayside. Now that I've landed here for a few days, I'll let you know when I'm on the road again. What I do know is that this trip should be taken in 3 weeks instead of 1, just to stop everywhere that intrigues you...add side trips...Mike can drive from MS to CA in 29 hours. When you gotta, you gotta. I'd be a mess, or asleep the entire time… July 9 ... Raccoon Tails and Tales Bring on the birdseed! I woke up this morning to a thumping on the window...a gorgeous red cardinal was trying to get at its reflection. Then I could hear other birds. I kind of staggered over to the window to check out the view. What a nice variety to wake up to! What a nice change from big, black, noisy crows and pesky sparrows! I swear that I knew one of the crows in Norwalk from my childhood. They can be rather distinctive in looks and sounds, believe it or not. But I won't miss the crows. My grandmother used to sit outside and count the varieties of trees she could see from her chair, and she had me buy specific kinds of birdseed to encourage the birds she wanted to visit her yard. Yikes! I'm turning into my grandmother! I can't think of a reason not to emulate her, I just didn't expect to do it so soon. I'll never be as sweet - we all know that :) - but I can become a bird watcher quite easily. I'll probably sketch or photograph them instead. Watercolors are another story...I'll need another 10 years for anything decent in that medium. Lessons wanted...practice needed. A phone call to the grandchildren to tell them where I am yielded this bit of news: King of Everything went to Boy Scout Camp for a week, and, other than a threatening tornado watch that freaked all the boys out, and begging out of the swimming merit badge because it was boring because he already knew the strokes (and a yucky, mucky bottom), he ended up earning 5 or 6 badges (he doesn't really like to earn them...) and having a blast. He is most excited about his archery badge...he said that shooting wore off the extra Super Glue that he got on his fingers while making his arrows. And then there's that boy thing...he is now allowed under Boy Scout rules to carry a knife and matches...I don't know the Parent Rules. The first thing he told me about? A raccoon made it into his tent to wake him up with its tail in his face, getting into his M&M's. Guess they haven't learned the Bear Rules of No Food in the Tents. Not pleasant at the time, but it has its "tale" rewards... July 11 ... What You Need for the Mississippi Mud My nephew, John, whom I didn't see on this round, understands the need for me to get back on the road to SC. With house closing approaching, I need to allow extra time to get there...he says the Z will need some fixin' along the way for this part of the country. Does anyone have a connection for mud tires and a gun rack? It seems I broke the rules last night. I picked up the tab for dinner, but my brother-in-law said that wasn't happening. He paid at the counter, I left money on the table. It's a small town and all, so my niece Lori said I made the owners, her neighbors, happy. I'm sure the neighbors are taking good care of her and Doug, as well, so it all comes out in the wash. Or is that "warsh"? It was fun meeting two of the smallest grandnephews. They understood me just fine, but I did have to learn how to say "dog" a little differently. Those big, round, brown eyes were just as serious as they could be, not understanding what I was cracking up about. Lori says "hair" is a two-syllable word, too. Shelling peas. That's what Lori and Doug were doing when I got there. A neighbor had brought over, oh, two or three grocery sacks full of peas at 9:40 the night before. So the two of them were sitting on separate couches, shelling peas when we got there. Then, the California miss freaked them all out by eating the peas raw. There was a lot of head-shaking going on about those California people who don't have their heads on straight, insisting the peas have to be cooked first. The little ones had no problem dipping into the bowl, once their Aunt Barbara told them it was OK. Someone has to take on the responsibility of keeping the newest generation bi-coastal. Now they are my little Sweet Peas. I'll do OK down South, once I get my garden planted and my mud tires installed. July 13 ... Early Retirement Days Already my days are filled. How did I ever fit work into all of this? Let's see...I had to find dancing crocodiles that I had sent to her computer for the littlest one on my lap. Then I looked up the LegoLand trains on the computer with J, because his daddy wasn't doing it right...his daddy didn't know there is a section where you can build a train and run it through four landscapes, turn on headlights, make it day or night...well, you get the picture. Cleaning out the suitcases from the front seat of the Z took up a little time, so that the oldest K could spin around town with me to get the free weekly summer kids' Blockbuster video and some salmon for him and me...yes, at least one likes it as much as I! Before the trip, I had told K that I was trying to decide whether to sell my car and fly out here or drive the Z. He said I should get an Expedition. I asked why, and he answered, “So you can pick up the grandkids and take us places!” I mentioned that I had been thinking of a sportier car, so I could pick up just one kid and buzz down to Charleston to check out the coin shops, the beach, have some lunch and fun. His reply? “Oh, then you should get a Ferrari!” For the next planned activity, the littlest one and I made some sugar cookies with real butter, to prepare for today's tea party. We made stars and gingerbread men. Potting all my orchids that I had shipped was a stabilizing, nesting activity. Wendy had taken such good care of the bagged up plants for six weeks, they all had new roots and new growth. She deserves to keep all of them! We all went to Red Lobster for dinner...and, well, the day was over. I needed my rest, because the new puppy spent a little time waking us up his second night in the house. Their puppy, not mine. This morning, Princess Laughs-A-Lot and I made up eight sandwiches for the tea party, as promised, to go with yesterday's sugar cookies. Everybody but Doug stayed out of the cookies in anticipation. But then, he was working today. Little Bit and I prepared egg salad triangles, olive squares, ham and turkey butterflies, Darjeeling Tea Jelly squares, Kate's Jalapeno Jelly squares, and of course, peanut butter fingers. We added watermelon wedges and a sliced strawberry and blueberry compote. ("You know, Nanu, the strawberries tasted so good with those blueberries!") A choice of two teas was arranged, raspberry and lemon, with three, yes, three plates of sugar cubes for the miniature tea cups. All six of us were totally full! We watched two squirrels sneak up on the bird feeder to get at our bread scraps, outside the dining room window. I think they are going to like our tea parties! R and I needed a nap after all that baking, eating, watching and cleaning. Now I'm off with the littlest one, Little Bit, to get my Carolina driver's license and transfer prescriptions. First things first, you know...have to study for that test in the new state and take care of the old bones to keep up with these young un's. Did I spell that right? July 14 ... High Tea I have yet to walk either the .8 mile or the .6 mile through the golf course to my new house. I sign the papers and pay money on Friday. But I've driven by it so often, I'm sure the owners think they are being checked out for a burglary. Each time I drive by, I pick out something to check...the little forest actually looks groomed already. The little grassy beach by the dock looks perfect. Twice I didn't find the mailbox. I forgot to check if the azaleas were still in bloom, so they must be finished. Wendy found a butterfly semicircle rug to latch-hook with the kids...with me mostly in charge, I'm sure, when I'm looking for something to do with the kids while babysitting. Kyle and I had made a train one when he was just 18 months old. Hard to believe, but we did. Now, it will take all four grandkids, their mother, and me to finish this one. I thought the Prince of Smiles and I would make the dessert portion of the high tea for the next tea party. Little Bit couldn't wait the one more day for the mini tarts. Wendy, King of E, and I started tea parties when he was a baby. By the time Princess of Quite-A-Lot joined in, K was an old hand...he'd even dress up with white gloves and hat for a few years. Later, when Wendy invited Doug (macho F-16 pilot) to join in, he grudgingly did so, miniature tea cups, sugar cubes, and all. By the time they finished, he had had such a good time with the kids and their discussions, he asked if they could do it again sometime. So, tea parties are a regular thing in our family. This one was the first truly high tea I've done with them. I'm practicing a few things for Marvis, who wants to do a tea party at her home. Next time, Little Bit and I will do the little frosted petit fours and miniature tarts to go with it. Actually, that will be more up Prince of Smile's alley. But the King likes to cook, too. He prefers entrees...pasta and salmon. He "learned from Toby how to cook" and he has continued to enjoy it. However, Wendy said it took her a year to get him to write up a menu or keep track of his meals for one week for a boy scout merit badge. You know those temperamental chefs... UNO? Barbara at Butterfly Landing copyright 2004 |
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