The Hogbottoms Have Turned Into Wild Boars

The usually meek and mild, sweet and sugar, grown-up Hogbottoms have shelved their mellow ways for the fast-paced, furious and frantic wild run made for the boars.  Yes.  You heard it right.  Wild boar run!

Hogbottoms on the run!

Hogbottoms on the run!

Our normal Hogbottom  activity is, well, something like this:

hogs at the trough

hogs at the trough

It all began with the elevator ride with a bunch of drunken beachgoers.  We had already gotten on the elevator, and if we had just pushed the floor button instead of standing there like a herd of dumb hogs, we would have missed the whole incident that has resulted in our boardom.

The door opened and the surprised group (after all there stood three women) began to enter.  The drunken surprised group I should say.  Three men of varying ages and one woman.  The older man was subdued; the next young man was only throwing out some bad French occasionally, but the gal who stepped all over Terah’s feet and the youngest guy were putting on a show.  Rubbing her cheek, the young man was speaking French to her as the woman laughed and spoke English, then some French.

Since none of us speak French, it could have been the song lyrics of Frere Jacques for all we know.  I do know they were not French.

The lady was speaking to the older man about his son, and the older man was apparently just trying to hang on to the wall.  So we have surmised all sorts of scenarios of the relationship between the lady who was much older than the amorous young man and the rest of the group of men.  I’m sure the truth would be much less interesting.

They are on our floor.

The young drunk very obnoxiously jerked and jerked on the outside security door instead of using a key until it came open.  Maybe they didn’t have one, but we were right there standing with them.  They could have asked us if we had a key.

No.  He proceeds to tear up the door so that now it is more difficult to get into.  We now usually have several tries before the key opens it.

This made the Hogbottoms slightly perturbed with the neighbors down the hall.  And their room just happens to be the door on the right as soon as we walk in that outside door.  And every once in a while Dar gets a little frisky.  So……

The first time it happened we were all surprised!  Scared the snot out of us.  Dar was in the middle of the group meandering back down the hallway to our room.  She put out her arm as we passed their door and knocked!

You have never seen those Hogbottoms move so fast!  We were bumping into butts and using elbows to push each other out of the way.  Lisa was looking back at the group (oh, yeah, she got the lead that night.)

That night?!!!!

It happens often now.  The running and laughing down the hall that is.  Since the first two or three knocks by Dar and Terah (if I name one I have to name them all), we are now trained to just take off running at the first whiff of a potential knock.  One Hogbottom smells the threat and begins to run; the rest of us take off too.  Butts and elbows and backward glances abound.

And the laughter.  The hilarity is more contagious than the running, and because we are laughing so hard, it’s all we can do  to get to our apartment and flatten ourselves against the wall and door to not be seen by the occupants of knocked door.

As I have thought on our knocking on the door of the drunken elevator riders, I have decided the joke is probably on us.  Not once have we heard the door open to see who knocked nor has anyone yelled out anything.  I imagine the only people we are bothering would be the poor souls on the floor below us who have heard the wild boars running.

The Grave Caretaker

This past week I have dragged out my fake flowers I’ve been buying throughout the year; collected my tools for making grave flowers; and actually got them on the graves a whole day early.  I am very pleased with myself.

Flowers for James

Flowers for James

the back side

the back side

 

Through the years I have become the flower girl for several people, at least making sure there are flowers on the graves: Dad, Mom, the Wright and Byassee families, and now the Blacks.  Some already have beautiful arrangements on them; some don’t.  So… have flowers, will decorate.  Bags of flowers are thrown in the back of the old Highlander along with the flower arranging paraphernalia, and I’m off.

Flowers for Momma

Flowers for Momma

the back side

the back side

Of course, the real reason for taking care of the graves, for remembering the ones that go before us, started with our service men and women, remembering their sacrifices, their lives.

My dad served in World War II, stationed in Hawaii.  Not a bad gig for a war, especially after the horrible bombing from the Japanese airplanes.  He kept a leather album full of pictures from his time in the war.Dad's Army AlbumHe kept pictures of the scenery, pictures of him and his friends, addresses of his army buddies… well, here are some.

Dad and Combat

Dad and Combat

Dad in Hawaii

Dad in Hawaii

Dad in uniform

Dad in uniform

Some of the pictures I can’t show.  Those guys could get pretty wild on a hot, tropical island.  This next one is just a low-key example of some of the pics those army boys were taking back those many, many years ago.

Dad the Hawaiian girl

Dad the Hawaiian girl

Dad even had pictures in the album of family.  Things that reminded him of home.  Life going on without him.

Dad's brother, Harry Don, with his daughter and wife.

Dad’s brother, Harry Don, with his daughter and wife.

And last but not least, he had pictures of my Mom, someone he came home and married, the woman he loved.

Dad's true love

Dad’s true love

It can be a good thing:  remember those who have gone before.  An enjoyable little escapade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Family Tree

family treeA small hobby of mine (meaning I’m not very good at it) is gathering information to fill out the big family tree.  You know the kind:  big, strong oak with huge branches all over, extending up to the heavens and as wide as the Mississippi River.  The tree with branches starting low so a person can jump right into it and start climbing all the way to the top, looking out over the world below, seeing things from a different perspective.

That’s part of the pull toward genealogical searches, you know.  That perspective thing, seeing family in a new way.  Coming across the secrets of why such-and-such happened or becoming flabbergasted at a totally surprising turn of events that were lost in the story telling or deliberately kept under the rug.  Appreciating the hardships of those who came before us, handing down their wealth of knowledge or monies or land or memories.  Seeing in one face from decades ago the very face of a relative today.

brothers

brothers

These are four brothers, my dad and his siblings.  Standing on the porch of the old home place, their farm.  Dad is the tallest, the oldest.  The last summer of his life the three of us — me, my sister and brother — took care of him spending days at a time.  We looked through old photo albums, took rides down through the country where Dad grew up, talking to first one and then another, with Dad pointing out where this one lived and that one lived.  Getting all sorts of information about his youth.

It was great until he pulled out the old army pictures one night.  I think he went back in time, oblivious to the fact that his daughter was sitting there listening to him reminisce about the army days, commenting on the pretty pictures of the girls.

Just TMI (too much information)!!!

 

Making Vows

Happy New Year 2013

Last month, as most of you know, I married Steve.  We made vows to one another.  And we put inscriptions inside our rings that we didn’t let one another know until the ceremony.  So in the pictures on the left and the right are as we are putting on the rings and telling the inscriptions.  Good stuff.  I almost forgot mine!  Had to start over!

Yesterday was our one month anniversary.  I had mentioned to Steve  last week that it was coming up and what was he going to get me.  Can you say freaked out!?!  His mind was racing about what kind of gift a person gets their spouse for a one-month anniversary.

I love doing things like that.

After giving him a few seconds of pure panic, I told him I had his all picked out, knew just what I was getting him.  His eyes were huge!!!  At that point I couldn’t hold it together any longer and told him what his was.  You are not privy to that little tidbit of knowledge, but he was very relieved that he didn’t have to go out and purchase a gift.  And lest you let your mind get in the gutter… it was something as benign as tickling a child’s back.

Beginning the new year always sets our minds in motion for making vows we want to keep throughout the year.  My friend, Jodi Duncan,  an awesome flower gal, has a blog/website (it’s in my blogroll on the right) with the perfect quote for beginning the year:

quote blank pageThis year I am vowing to write some better quality material for my blog, some stuff that takes a little research, that is close to my heart; as well as write some of the same stuff: family, tidbits, and, of course, food!

The cooking abounds around here.  I should have been documenting this with pictures because it has come out beautifully although one was a recipe from the back of the lasagna box instead of my saved, valuable magazine recipes.  Maybe I should put them in a safe?  And there was the beef roast that I doctored up a bit that came out great… along with the gravy!!  The pecan pie was eaten in two days as were the apple dumplings.  Pecan pie recipe came from the Karo syrup bottle and the apple dumplings came from this neat little book on apples that I have although I just used Pillsbury rolled pie dough.

My Bible is out and so are one of the numerous Bible study books that I have.  This year I am going to do at least some of them.  There are other vows as well that I won’t go into detail about because, well, you should all have some of your own.  So far I am keeping them, working toward them in baby steps.

Vows are good.  Especially when we adhere to them, give them the importance they deserve in our hearts and minds.

Did you make any vows this year?  Pledge to do something, not do something?

Today is Stew Day

No, there’s not a lot of cooking going on today.  Just a mixture of stuff to do all thrown in together.  A stew day: things to finish from yesterday, some stuff needing to be done today, a couple of phone calls, a bit of mail, whatever else I can find that needs to be thrown into the “to do” pot.

Like making a post on my poor, neglected blog.  It gets to be first because at the moment it’s in the wee morning hours which makes me want a quiet, reflective project.  I’ve been blogging for quite a while now, sporadically these last months, this last year… which means, I have been blogging about two years now.  Is that right?  I guess so.  A goal I set and reached!!

eeeeek!

eeeeek!

My Christmas mice were back in 2010, I believe.  My first cooking project, so to speak.  To read about the adorable (yuck) little creatures, type “mice” into the search box on the right side.  Or any other topic you might be curious about.  It’s a bit of a hodgepodge blog.

A lot has happened in those two years:  a new baby in the family, a marriage, a son still battling with drug addiction and back to prison, divorce, job changes, good memories as well as things that break the heart.  Just to name a few.

In starting out my new year, my third year to blog, what should I write about?  What should I say that would be of any interest to anyone but me?

It’s a stew day; a stew blog.  An aprons and appetites kind of post:  some memories that make me hungry to know the rest of the story; some memories that make me wipe my eyes with tears of sadness and tears from laughter.  A time to throw my apron over my head and talk to God as Susannah Wesley used to do:  thank Him, petition Him, praise Him.

I’m wondering what kind of memories people made this year, whether intentional or perchance, whether wonderful or distressful.  Were you all happy this past year?  Were you heart-broken?  What are your plans this year?

My sis is planning a big family vacation to Disney at the end of the year.  Good plans.  Good memories.

I am planning on remodeling my bathroom.  Somehow, that just doesn’t sound quite as much fun.

My Little Blog… the World Traveler

world map

Today my little blog has traveled to Italy, Spain, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.  And all around the U.S. as well.  Which totally amazes me.

One of my favorite things to do when I get on here is to check my stats.  See what search engines found my little darling or how many different countries we visited or who may have stopped by to leave a message or meet someone new that happened this way.  Almost every day someone clicks on the pictures of Snow White’s lip print on the cheeks of Kate and Ava.  Those have been the most favorite pictures of all the ones that have been posted.

Almost 20,000 hits since I started it.  Of course, some blogs get that in a day… but I’ll take it for the year.

I’m happy with my stats.  Thanks, dear readers.

My Organized Disorganization

My sis says everything a person can’t see at my  house is so organized.  My cousin Sandy says everything about me is disorganized, including the things a person can’t see.  My friend Cheryl says there is always hope; at least she hopes there is hope because she is a lot like me in the disorganization department.  My friend Bert has quit coming by to help because, well, it just never seemed to improve matters.  My friend from Texas, Terry, says she will most definitely come to visit but she is not doing any dishes.  Nor is my friend Kay.

So this weekend I am organizing all my music for Zumba; all my music for piano lessons; organizing my Pandora stations…

… and seriously considering cleaning house next week.  Before it starts looking like this!

messy house

For more photos like these click here.

I have this site bookmarked for the sole purpose of saying “At least my house doesn’t look like that!”

Got It Going On, Baby

Today is a good day.  Today my cold is better (thanks to good meds), my niece and nephew have been cute as buttons, and I feel thinner (thank you Zumba dance).

So having a good day causes me to ponder my life, my accomplishments, my blessings.  What do I think about me?  And I have decided that I’ve got it going on!

This month my little Dollar Store calendar is full of activities and lessons and appointments.  Then I looked at last month… and, by gollies, it is filled with stuff, too.  Not all good, mind you, but full of stuff.  Turning to next month, and, well, you guessed it. More stuff!!  Stuff to keep my mind busy, to make my body healthy, to teach me, to experience, to give back, to teach others, to support, to encourage.  To love and accept and nourish.  To grow in wisdom.  To give out what little wisdom I may have.  To be.

So what that my plans get set back for a month or two?  So what that my ideas are slower to take off than I had dreamed?

It just doesn’t matter…. ’cause I got it going on, baby!

My Grandpa Was A Hunk Too!

Paw and Granny, Churnie, Harry, and Bub

This was probably taken around 1927.  My dad is the first child in front of my hunky grandpa.  Granny was a little cutie, too.

I didn’t think either one of them was much to look at when I was a tot going down to Paw and Granny’s for Christmas with the rest of the cousins.  Granny was just the cook, and Paw was just a good-natured grandpa.  But as I look at the pictures of their younger days, well, they were downright handsome folk.

Farmers and grocers and traders by heart; lovers of family and children and fun by soul; and entrepreneurs by mind.  They come from the ancient Scottish Rutherford clan as well as the ancient Scott clan through Rhoda Scott, my granny.

Interesting.

 

Remembering

Today is January 19.  That same day in 1970 a baby boy was born.  And today he would have been 42 years old.  Here’s to remembering a great guy!

Truly a man among men!

All these photos came out of scrapbooks I had made several years ago.  Hope the backgrounds and the extra feet, etc., don’t distract.

We had a great time that year.

I love this picture. Look at those beautiful eyes!!

JJ and Daren

I miss you.

ah, that sweet smile

Prom

SUCH a stinker!!

And what more can I say?