HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
October 31, 2008

Fred had been doing the graveyard shift last weekend and this one...actually he is doing a role in the skits out at the mausoleum in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon for the Halloween season. It is a part of the Trolley Tours of Macon and they've been quite successful with their gimmick. Each of the players portrays someone who is actually laid to rest in the mausoleum, most of whom were placed there between 1790 and 1919. Like the character from Edgar Lee Master's Spoon River Anthologies, each of these folks has a story to tell. Their stories have been gathered and the players take great pride in bringing themselves back to life for the public. The reviews have been very good.

I've spent the last couple of days searching the Internet for some appropriately priced tickets for Greg, Kelly, Max & Ash to come to the Hardin Christmas Reunion in Spindale, NC. We are all gathering at Fred's brother, Eugene & Carolyn's house for the days of Christmas. Greg and Jeff, Amanda and Shelley, "The Nieces & Nephews." have not been together like this since Family Funerals back in 1996; that's just too long! Amanda has married Cory. and they have Parker. Greg has married Kelly, and they have Max and Ash. Jeff hopes his girl Deanna will come up with him. Shelley just wants to be there for all to enjoy her wonderful self, which is a wonderful thought! The little Guys have not met each other...YIPEE, kids for Christmas! We are planning lots of fun...we just can't wait! OH, and I think I found some tickets at a great price!

Our sister-in-law, Carolyn, had a pacemaker attached (is that the right way to say it) yesterday. She was kept in the hospital over night. I have not heard yet whether she has been released today to go home. She was having a lot of irregulary heart-beating; the pacemaker will help her straighter that out. Hopefully that will give her back some of her energy and strength that an irregular heartbeat will sap from you. Keep her in your prayers!

I am heading back to my chores. I just wanted to update my blog. I have not had a chance to do a puzzle in almost a week. Maybe tonight I can sit down and do some. If you are reading this and want something to challenge and stimulate your brain, try Shockwave's Daily Jigsaw Puzzle. It is my favorite game.

A WICKED Tuesday

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Tuesday afternoon I had it all together. Augie and I took our walk along the Wellston Greenway at D.L. Fountain Park down the hill from our house, during the afternoon instead of the morning. Dishes were done; fish, fed; heating system, reprogrammed; me, bathed and coiffed. Fred arrived home just before 4 PM and we were OFF to Atlanta. Our night at the Fox Theatre to see WICKED had finally arrived and we were on our way!

Stopping at Shanes in Locust Grove for ribs seemed the perfect place for supper...just about halfway to Atlanta. Good bar-be-que is hard to resist, and Shanes does have good food for such a small shop!

Traffic was easy going, so we made the Big A in good time. We parked the Phantom just around the corner from The Fabulous Fox and headed for the theatre. The weather was brisk and cold, but that didn't deter us or any of the others who crowded the theatre this Tuesday evening for the 8:00 PM show.

We had enough time to study the proscenium arch with it wonderful Clockwork Dragon, wheels and cogs, and map of Oz. Then the house lights dimmed, the monkeys chittered out on the stage, the curtains rose, and the magic of WICKED took hold. And, magic it was!

It is memorable and it is most entertaining!

If you are a fan of Gregory Maguire's book, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, you must leave his story behind for a while. For though this play is based on his novel, it is NOT his novel...the story has been changed to work on stage and to meet the needs of all audiences. Everyone of all ages can enjoy the play, and it even has a happy ending, something Maguire's books are not known to always have...satisfying conclusions, yes; but happy endings, no.

Costumes and sets are great...our two leads, Elphaba (Carmen Cusack) and Glinda (Katie Rose Clarke) are just about perfect. I can't think that Broadway could have had anything better than these two. The surrounding, supporting cast has no weak links.

All too soon it was intermission. I called Jeff to see how he had liked it when he saw it. Surprise! Surprise! He doesn't see it until tonight. I can't wait to hear what he has to say about it. I then called Greg...no response; he's working an all-nighter. Kelly does answer and is having a tough Mommy night (check out her blog). We had a good laugh, a great conversation about the terrible two's, a quick comment about Wicked; then intermission was done. I turned my phone off once again and was ready to finish the show.

I was expecting one ending, but was given a different one. I liked the happy one very much. I wonder how Gregory Maguire liked it, since it is sooooo different from his own?

It was easy to give this group a standing ovation for a wonderful presentation; they truly earned it...everyone of them. Fred and I both enjoyed our night out very much. We headed for home at 11:05 PM, with at least 90 minutes of traveling home. Once again traffic was not terrible and we made pretty good time. We were in bed by 1:10 AM. Next morning he slept a little later than usual, but made it to work okay. I slept till 9 o'clock.

I stayed busy all day yesterday with all sorts of projects...cooking, sewing, cleaning, etc., and didn't get to enter my blog until today...Thursday. Even now, I am finishing up with the computer and heading for the sewing room.

Pictures of the GRANDS Grandsons

Monday, Oct. 27th...continued

I didn't have room to put these 4 pictures of my grandsons in my first BLOG posting. So, I am putting them in now.

The first ones is Max in the laundry basket just before his 2nd birthday and his haircut. He looks like such a little youngster, so full of fun and mischief. He and his little puppy play a lot together.








Ash is propped up on his Boppy in the second one. Greg & Kelly sent that one to us showing how much he had grown at 2 months. The little guy was all smiles and so big compared to what he was when I left a couple of weeks before. We were so surprised at his growth. They said he was about 25 inches long at this point, I think.




Ash is now about 3 months old in this shot. He has on the Halloween onesie we sent him. There's a hat that goes with it, but keeping it on that head is another trick. He would rather not have it on. Note, the pumpkin shoes are in place...for the moment.








Max is stretched out on the floor enjoying one of his favorite past times, reading his books. You can see he has had a haircut...he has a much more grown-up look. Those big blue eyes are still with him, though. He also has on a GrannyNanny shirt we found at the Getting Store...just right for Grandsons!





We think the boys look very much alike...both of them have the big blue eyes and the sweet smiles. We wish we had them close by so we could love up on them and get Granny and Grandpa hugs and kisses more often.

In the Beginning...

Monday, October 27, 2008

Kelly, Greg, Jeff, Fred, Amanda, Cory, Shelley, Gene, Carolyn...I have begun a blog! I can't figure out exactly how it happened that I began one, except that I was reading Kelly's blog and I wanted to make a comment. I couldn't find the place to make a comment, so I signed in. Next thing I knew, I had my own Blog Spot!

I guess I will use this to share what I do with my time and what I am up to these wonderful days of retirement. I am enjoying my retirement. I DO miss being with Max & Ash, Greg & Kelly and Jeff. How I wish they all lived closer so that Fred and I could be with them more often. But I learned a long time ago that you can't always have your own way just because you want it...so you make lemonade when you're handed lemons.

My Granny always told me, "Never be disappointed in anything...everything happens for the best." So I just figure everyone is in their spot in the world for a very good reason, and I will go to visit just as often as I can get the gas money or a plane ticket to go!

We've have 3 wonderful trips to North Carolina since the beginning of September...1st over Labor Day weekend; 2nd over Sept. 12-14th; and 3rd over Oct. 16-19th.

During the Labor Day weekend we had the immense pleasure of meeting our grandnephew, Parker Hall, and visiting with his Mom, Amanda and Aunt Shelley up at Grandma Carolyn and Grandpa Gene's house. Now that was loads of fun, especially since I love babies anyway! Parker was shy of me, but he didn't know me from Adam, and his beloved Aunt Shelley was there, so he really did not need anyone else. But being with all of them was such a delight, especially as we made plans for Christmas.

As an extra highlight of this weekend, Fred kept a promise he has been making since we were married over 39 years ago: He took me up Chimney Rock. We had a wonderful morning in the State Park, driving up the lovely curving road, shopping in the gift shops, and walking out on the Chimney Top itself. I am sorry it has taken so long to get him to go; I wish the Boys had been with us so we could have walked the trails together (when I was more able) as we walked so many trails on our travels all over the place. Guys, you will love it; we are going to have to do this one together one of these days. The view is magnificent!

Aunt Frances Barnhill celebrated her 83rd birthday on Sept. 8, but her birthday party was held Saturday, Sept. 13. Fred and I drove up to Charlotte (actually Matthews) to spend the weekend with cousin Harvey Morrow. Then we all went together out to cousin Laura & Stephen Wilkinson's home to help Aunt Frances celebrate. Gene & Carolyn had driven down from Spindale, as had a bunch of the cousins. We had such a nice time. Fred had a good time visiting with cousins he does not get to see very often.

Fred's 45th Class Reunion was over the weekend of Oct. 17-19. Quite a few of his fellow classmates from the Class of '63 gathered for a tailgate party out at Central High Friday night, breakfast at Denny's Saturday morning, then for a really nice shindig at Isothermal College Saturday night. After 45 years, they all look really GREAT! Not an OLD one in the bunch.:-) And, after all these years, they treat me like I was one who graduated with them...makes me feel special!

That's enough for a beginning BLOG! I am going out to work in a flower bed. I have begun!