Wheels and Old Hippies

Last week while we were still at the lake, my youngest son and I made a grocery run to Angeli's Super Foods. I can't believe they don't have a website, because they are easily the premier grocery store for a hundred miles around.

Anyway, when we returned to our car, we saw this vehicle. At the far left you can see the motorcycle handlebars, the comfy boat seats, and in the back there's a real trunk for carrying gear.

Even more colorful than the cycle was the builder/driver, an ex-surfer with a full head of wavy grey hair, a ready grin, and a willingness to share the whole story as long as we were willing to stand around shooting the breeze.

Al took lots of pictures and the whole experience just tickled him to death. He kept laughing and saying, "That was such a hoot!"

A great example of stopping to smell the roses, I think.

Make New Friends, Keep the Old

I can't tell you how much blogging friends mean to me! Really, I mean it.

What a week! I won't name names here to protect the innocent but generous people who did these kind deeds for me, but one talented person sent me a beautifully crafted bookmark. (And what do I need more than a sturdy, beautiful bookmark?) As a confirmed bookworm, I really appreciated that.

Today I got a box of delicious sweets as a thank you. GoodGuy and I had a wonderful dessert tonight. Nice work, baking lady.

More personally, as far as getting to know a person is concerned, Tessie Tracfone and I spent some time overcoming our mutual concern that our Tracfone minutes would accumulate to weeks of time we hadn't used. Her husband asked her if she would have to call someone in Australia to use the hours of time she'd paid for.

What fun we had, and how much we have in common!

After several weeks of being AWOL from my quilting gang, it was great fun to spend some time with them today. The productive ones were working hard, and Kay and I knit again. It isn't too imaginative to be knitting mittens in July, and for those of you who live in sweltering heat, you can't even imagine needing them. We have about six months of the year when wearing them is a distinct possibility, if not a necessity. (Plus, they get lost. Or one of them gets lost.) Kay is making another pair of beautiful socks.

Thank you friends, whether you are near enough to hug in person----and those of you far away. You enrich my life in so many ways. Take care if you are traveling, and we love you whether you have time to blog while you're redecorating, or having a baby, or on the road.

Wordless Wednesday----you knew that had to be too good to be true, right?

Wordless Wednesday

To Every Thing, A Season

Last week while my family of cousins and their children were making merry, a cloud lingered nearby. It wasn't obliterating our good time, but it was on our minds, and people were praying for a happier outcome than we ended up with.

My last uncle in my Dad's family was gravely ill after suffering a stroke following back surgery earlier the week of the reunion. He had implored the doctor to delay the surgery until after our get-together because he so wanted to be there. In fact, his suggestion long ago was one of the reasons we began having fairly regular reunions.

We were given stern looks at the funeral home when our family was laughing together, and Earl said, "We have to get together at something more fun than funeral visitations."

Well, he didn't recover from his stroke, and we will recall this reunion as the one during which Earl was in Intensive Care. Things were always more fun when he was there. My dad's three youngest siblings have all died in the past year.

As you can see on the headline gadget, I chose Operation Homefront as the July/August Charity. But while I was searching yesterday, I came across "Soldiers' Angels" which gave me the opportunity to "adopt" a soldier and commit to writing letters and sending boxes. I didn't have to worry about their good stewardship of money to get an address from them.

Now I need to get out and buy some stamps. Please leave a comment if you visit. I'll be grateful!

Decisions, Decisions

I have spent some time in studying the philanthropy sites today to discover that there are a great many well-run organizations serving the needs of American servicemen and women, their families, and survivors.

I also have discovered that I haven't ever heard of many of them, because they spend the greatest proportion of their funds on program instead of publicity and fund-raising.

Today I'll make a list, just for your edification, and so my day of study won't be wasted.

Fisher House Foundation

Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust

Armed Services YMCA

Homes For Our Troops

Injured Marine Semper Fi

National Military Family Association

The Navy SEAL Foundation

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Operation Homefront

All of these entities earned a four star rating for using almost all donated money for programs to benefit men and women in the service or their families.

A short list of groups that spend 80% of their fund on further fund-raising are American Veterans Relief, American Ex-Prisoners of War Service Foundation, and Vietnow National Headquarters. FYI

In a completely different vein, we saw eagles and geese out at the lake, and deer along the roadsides. We had been home in town for about an hour when three deer ambled through the yard munching on my hosta plants. How you gonna keep 'em out in the woods, after they've seen Paree?

Doctors Without Borders Tally

Thank you all leaving your comments in June. The total came to 85, and the money will go to a good cause indeed. Being a nurse, I am partial to medical good deeds, and I'll round our $42.50 up to a nice round number.

Beth Anne's comments enriched the coffers of Meals on Wheels in her community, and Karen and Gerard of Right Where We Belong donated last month to Joni and Friends.

And this month they are donating to Heifer, International. They posted a very cool video of Alton Brown (the funny food guy) telling about the good that Heifer, International does. I am still so pleased about our being able to send our goat and chicks off to help someone prosper---and drink milk, and eat eggs. (As you can see, I'm partial to eating, too.)

Here I'm deciding what should be next, and with my flag flying in my front yard, I think I will research which entity does the most good for our service personnel or our wounded veterans. July seems like an auspicious time to pay extra attention to their needs and their sacrifice.

If you have some suggestions, please feel free to put me in the know. Maybe I'll combine July August's comments to that end.

Have a great weekend. Eat a hot dog for me!

Enjoying the Peace and Quiet

For the very first time, Brotherbob, Lynn, GoodGuy and I had a whole week at the cottages alone. We do not prefer it that way, necessarily, but that's the way it is this year. None of the sons can get away from work at the usual week we have reserved, which has been the same week for years now. We have always had fun spending time with the next generation or two, but happy folk that we are, we had fun hanging out together visiting and reading too.

For once, Lynn really got to rest and read, and she'll go back to work feeling like she had time off, for once. I took three hour naps the first two days, in addition to a full night of sleep! It must be the effect of the fresh air.

The rest of us were vacationing from retirement, so the guys went golfing together two mornings, and GG had golf at his own club at home two days, too. We ladies went in search of Wi-Fi a number of times so we could check our e-mail, too.

One of the things that happens to me as a knitter, is that my friends and loved ones spot yarn bargains and they bring me the raw materials. I got a nice bag of real wool from Lynn which someone donated to the church yard sale and she bought them for me. Yesterday when it hit 90 degrees-----I was knitting on some mittens. (Winter is always coming, so far, anyway.)

There are changes happening at our cabin site, and we are thinking that this may be our last year there. We have many happy memories of our years of vacations spent together!

So I'm happy to be back in blog land. We have no cute grandkid pictures to share, or big fish, but we are home refreshed and pleased.

I will report on what we can send along to Doctors Without Borders tomorrow. I hope we did well.