Return to UCA

It feels comfortable walking back into Thompson Hall. This is the building of Creative Writing classes. I like the professors. They all seem inspired to teach me something new. The Doctor of Rhetoric is a deep thinker and I'm trying to follow. Maybe I need to work on the depth thing. My New Tech class still threatens me but I am determined to make it through.

Yes, the parking lots are full. That's no different than last year. The most noticeable change is the size of the students. There is a greater number of grossly obese young folks. This is unexpected in this environment. How are they going to make it if they can't fit into the desk? I see them taking the elevator instead of the stairs. To save their lives can't the school require them to be in special nutritional classes or get a fitness exam? Our society has an abundance of self destructive folks.

Makes you want to herd them all into a camp for a few weeks and make them walk until they can run!

Tired of Summer

I have always loved summer. I like sunshine. This summer has beat me down to declare that I am tired of 100+ temps where I can't enjoy being outside. Maybe I'm just tired. Selling houses, buying houses, moving stuff has been going on since Spring.

One last fling to capture summer fun at Magic Springs on Friday. Call me crazy but I promised the kids a water park experience and we're going down that slide with a scream!

Carded

Disbelief is the word. You could tell by my gapping mouth. The bartender actually "carded" me and husband before serving us a beer at the airport.

"You must be kidding!" was my reaction. Actually I was thinking that it was reasonable to check my age but Dean's, really!

My sister said that if that had happened to her, she would have been across the bar to give him a big ole hug.

Pretty soon they will enact a law against serving senior citizens alcohol, then we will know we have gone full circle.

Summer Breezes

The summer breeze that whisp the clouds across the blue sky frees our minds to wander away. This day is perfect....we are swimming at the sandy beach on a small lake. The grandson is fishing. There is no need to travel to a faraway place where tourists crowd the shores. The scenery across our lake is green with trees. The concession stand sells ice cream cones that are so tall you fight to keep them from toppling.

Life is good!

Southern hospitality---Alive & Well!

A few days in the deep south (Savannah, Charleston & Charlotte) is enough to restore your faith in civility. Not only are they proud of their heritage, their good manners live on!

We enjoyed some fabulous seafood. The tasty she-crab soup was to die for. Yes I did get the recipe for that little goody from Miss Paula Deene herself. Well it was really her handsome son that signed the book but I felt her presence in the ambiance of the Gift Shop to her resturant. That was in Savannah. In Charleston I experienced the most outstanding southern meal you could imagine--sweet tea, moist cornbread,Southern Fried Chicken (buttermilk battered), baked sweet potato and collard greens to die for! Yes, I got the recipe for those collard greens and I know a chef that is going to beg for that one. Are you listening, Lisa?

The last stop was at friends in Charlotte that forced us to share a Lutheran dinner because she was recovering from surgery and her church friends loaded her refrigerator. Love those Lutherans. They know how to show sympathy.

Moving Feast

Today I harvested my fresh produce--well it was the lettuce that I planted in my flower bed. It was a nice lacy green leafed version. Washed it a few times and put it together with some boiled eggs, tuna and black beans before adding lots of dressing. To my surprize about half way through lunch, the lettuce began to move about. Hiding under that good lettuce was a baby slug. His tentacles that protrude like antenna ears were not prominent so I know he wasn't well developed. He did manage to make the rest of the salad very unappetizing and suspicious even though Dean pointed out that in some parts of the world, this would be considered valuable protein.

I don't mind worms and slugs, I just don't want them on my plate.

I turned 67 this week so I really am two thirds of a century old. That's something to celebrate.

Ready for the River?

Okay I'm considering moving again. We generally move every four years and I feel that urge coming on. We are considering a move to the banks of the Little Red River in a cabin with a nice dock. Dean loves to fish and so does the grandson. We could have a garden.

It would be inconvenient to run to town but maybe it would help me to learn to be still --- to read and write more.