Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Bed and Breakfast
One thing I have always wanted to do is stay at a Bed and Breakfast Inn. I’ve never really had a chance to…until now! As I was planning an adventure to Cooperstown, NY, I thought I might check out the local B&B Inns as an option for accommodations. I discovered that this was the perfect trip to consider this option because the town is loaded with them and well suited to this type of experience! I took my time and researched them all – quickly eliminating any that were not within walking distance of the downtown/Main Street area. Once narrowed down to those close to downtown, I researched each one extensively – checked out their web sites, sent emails to ones that I needed more info about, and read the reviews on Trip Advisor. (BTW – I’ve never used Trip Advisor, before, either – if you haven’t utilized this site to help plan your trip, I highly recommend it – great info can be found there!) So, after all the research, one Inn stood out as the one I wanted to book for my very first B&B experience!!!
Main Street Bed and Breakfast on, you guessed it, Main Street in Cooperstown was my choice. And, I have to say, it was the PERFECT choice! The photos on their web site and Trip Advisor won me over, immediately! Oh, the other inns had photos that piqued my interest, as well, but the photos of this one just seemed to speak to me. I was so hoping that they weren’t building me up for a disappointment – you know how sometimes you see photos in a brochure or web site that look amazing and then, when you get there, all you can think is “how many centuries ago were the photos taken and were they even taken of the same place?”. But, I can tell you with all honesty that the photos that drew me to choose this inn pale in comparison – they don’t begin to do it justice! I was not at all disappointed! The other deciding factor was the reviews on Trip Advisor – it was the only one of the ones that I narrowed my decision down to that didn’t have ANY customer ratings under a “Very Good – 4” and the 4s were a small percentage of the whole! I was impressed! Not that I actually decided against any of the others because of low customer ratings — NONE of the inns I researched had an overall bad rating and I quickly discounted the bad comments as coming from people who wouldn’t have been happy if they stayed at the Ritz located on Main Street in Heaven – you know the type! I will say that, from what I read, you couldn’t go wrong with any of the inns in Cooperstown. But, I am so very glad I chose this one! The final decision was due to the lovely comments from past customers that just seemed to have an edge over the others and, especially, because of the photos!
Main Street B&B is owned by Ron and Susan Streek, who are the sweetest people I’ve met in a long time. One thing I was concerned about staying at a B&B was how I would feel staying in a stranger’s home – that’s what you’re doing when you choose a B&B – you’re literally choosing to stay at someone’s home – someone you don’t know! I wondered if it would feel awkward. But, there was nothing to worry about, here! When I arrived, Susan met me at the door and I immediately felt like I was visiting an old friend. Susie showed me around the common areas and my room. It was such a lovely, comfortable home. Right away, it was the subtle details that grabbed me – like Susie greeting me like an old friend and finding out quickly that I preferred tea to coffee and that I would likely be ready to crash after my long drive and desire to head out to start my sightseeing. When I came back after a walk downtown, a little sightseeing, and dinner, I put my things in my room and came down stairs to read for a little while in the sitting room. Susie came in to see if I would like a cup of tea and find out if I needed anything to make my evening comfortable. The next morning, she was concerned that I might be chilly and brought me a shawl and a hot cup of tea while waiting for breakfast. The bed was extremely comfortable (none of that stiff feeling I usually get from sleeping in a different bed) and the house was very quiet (no unfamiliar sounds to wake me in the night). I would quickly recommend this as THE choice in Cooperstown to anyone I know planning a trip there. My first stay at a B&B was so enjoyable, I would definitely consider another B&B over a hotel when traveling, again…….however…….this first experience set the bar so high, that others may have a hard time meeting my new expectations! 🙂 My original plan was to stay one night and drive back home the next evening, but, I decided it was better to stay a second night and drive back after a good night’s sleep…….and, my experience the first day/night with Ron and Susie helped make that decision an easy one!
The house is a quaint Victorian home built in the late 1800s. I didn’t take a photo of the front porch, but can tell you that it is very inviting with chairs and a hammock to relax and enjoy the quiet neighborhood. Since I was gone during the warmer hours of the day, I didn’t take advantage of the front porch, but could easily imagine how wonderful it would be to sit our there and read, if the evenings had been warmer.
To the left of the entrance, there is a comfortable, impeccably decorated sitting room. I enjoyed that room for reading and morning tea!
The entry hall and stairway to the second floor welcome you with a warmth that is immediately felt!
A full country breakfast is served in this delightful dining room. On the first morning, breakfast was a plate of fresh fruit (super ripe and bursting with flavor) and coffee cake, peach upside down French toast (to die for), and sausage with orange juice and tea! On the second morning, I realized I totally forgot to mention that I was allergic to cheese! When Suzie mentioned she was making baked eggs, I asked if it had cheese in it! I felt horrible when she said yes! But, despite my insistence that she not go to any extra trouble (the fruit and juice were plenty to eat), she whipped up a plain omelet, bacon, and an English muffin with some amazing homemade blueberry jam – a quickly put together breakfast fit for a queen!
There are three rooms to choose from. I chose the Queen Anne room with a large four poster bed and Queen Anne style furnishings – a lovely room! The bed was a dream to sleep on – plush and high (the top of the mattress came just about waist high on my short body, so I had to get creative to get in, but it was sooooo worth it)! The room had air conditioning (which I didn’t need this time of year) and a TV with cable (which I was too tired to watch more than a few minutes). After my long days of sight seeing, I was happy to crawl into this bed, wrap up in the warm covers, and fall sound asleep before 8:30 each night….and slept like a baby all night long!
There was a full bath in the room – I was happy to read that when researching it – not all B&Bs have in-room bathrooms!
I was so happy to have met Ron and Susie and be able to stay with them while in Cooperstown! It was a lovely experience and really was the icing on the cake for my adventure! Thank you, both, for your gracious hospitality!
Talk To Me, Maggie…..
Last week, Tuesday, I got in my car to drive to Letchworth State Park – not a difficult trip, but not one I’m used to (only driven there once before in my adult driving life). So, I plugged the address in my trusty Magellan GPS, Maggie, and headed out. It wasn’t long before I realized Maggie wasn’t talking to me! I have no idea what I must have done to deserve the cold shoulder silent treatment, but she was refusing to speak! Oh, she was gladly showing me the way, but the best part about having a GPS is the talking feature so you can be directed without taking your eyes off the road! But, my previously loyal friend and traveling companion had failed me! I pulled over and shut it off and on several times, played with the volume and the speaker control….nothing convinced her to start talking, again! I started to panic, but shook it off!
The independent woman in me was just stubborn enough to keep going, anyway. I really didn’t have the time to turn around and go home to print off the directions – besides, if I had to read directions, I could just as easily read the screen as Maggie silently showed me the way. I was fine — it got a little confusing as we got closer and the turns came more frequently, but I made it! Then, on the way home, I decided to not even turn her on…….she betrayed me when I needed her the most, so I was not going to give her the satisfaction of using her, again! I just kept heading north and west until I found a familiar town and route and was home free!!!
I arrived home and got right on the computer to research new GPS units! My first thought was to get another one just like Maggie – she was the second one I’ve had of the same brand and model – the first was an older version (Sissy) and started to have some problems when I bought Maggie to replace her. But, as much as I loved the 7″ screen for visibility and ease of entering info, it was heavy and awkward. So, I asked a friend which one they have – I liked their GPS we used on a recent vacation! Their model was discontinued, but I found a similar version with some added features. So, the next day, I went to Best Buy on the Ridge to get one!
And, now, I have Gabby – a lovely Garmin – and, so far, I adore her!!! I haven’t made any long trips, yet, but set all my options and settings and even picked a great sounding English accent for her. I used it for a couple short drives around town and am very happy with her! The best part??? She not only talks to ME, I can talk to HER — she has voice recognition, so I can speak commands, instead of just typing them in! COOL BEANS!!!
So, goodbye, Maggie – sorry for whatever I did to make you go silent on me, but I don’t have the patience to deal with a GPS that won’t talk! And, hello, Gabby – may we have many, many great adventures together!
Recent “Stuff”
I envision far away friends and family who rely on this blog to keep up with me are thinking I am sitting around twiddling my thumbs a lot…….WRONG!!! I’m not spending my retirement in a rocking chair on the porch…….although, I do keep wondering where those “quiet, slow retirement years” are! I keep myself pretty busy – maybe too busy – if I slowed down a little, I might have more time to write! 🙂
So, I thought I’d take some time this morning to share some recent thoughts, photos, and mini adventures.
First – I took a photo at church last Sunday that I absolutely LOVE! I shared it on the church blog I write – click here to check out that post. But, I want to share the photo here, too, because it is such a peaceful, lovely photo depicting a beautiful sentiment – it is of the altar adornment placed by a friend of mine in honor of her mother’s birthday. I love the photo and am so glad I snapped it.
A couple weeks ago, the Ladies Luncheon group from church went on our annual lunch at the Glen Iris Inn at Letchworth State Park. I love going there and always try to capture a little of the beauty in photos. Here are a few I took this year. Also, you can view more photos of Letchworth from last year’s post by clicking here.
The flowery pathway to the entrance to the Glen Iris Inn
The Glen Iris Inn
The front door all adorned for Autumn
The beautiful entry hall, reservation table, and entrance into the dining room
The Glen Iris is located right across from the Middle Falls – which I believe is the most spectacular of the three beautiful water falls in Letchworth
On the way home from Letchworth, I decided to not use my GPS (topic for another post) – just drive north and west until I found something familiar. The route took me through Wyoming (no, I wasn’t THAT far off track – Wyoming the village, not Wyoming the state!). I drove by their Village Hall and had to turn around and go back for a closer look. It is a stunning building! I wish this photo hadn’t come out so dark — it doesn’t do it justice at all, but didn’t realize it wasn’t a good photo until I was home and downloaded it……wasn’t about to go back for another shot at it!
With all the rain we’ve been having, I’ve noticed a lot more mushrooms pop up in my yard! Mostly in the back yard and mostly just little ones in clumps of 4 or 5. But, last week, I was walking back from the mailbox and one in the front yard caught my eye. At first, I thought it was a ball that made it into my yard from one of the little girls who live next door. But, when I got a better look, I realized it was a HUGE mushroom……with a smiley face on it!!! I ran and got my camera and went over to get a photo! Unfortunately, once I got up close, the smiley face wasn’t as prominent as it was from a distance, but at about 6-8 inches across, it was still pretty darned impressive. If you look closely, you can see a dark smudge under the two “eyes” and imagine that was what looked like a big smile!
A few weeks ago, I opened the patio doors to let the girls out for their morning constitutional and immediately saw the most breathtakingly beautiful flower blossom I think I’ve ever seen! My neighbor to the back has a lovely wild flower garden just the other side of my fence that I enjoy throughout the summer. She inherited the garden when they bought the house, but tries to add something to it every year. I don’t know if this is one that has been there before or is a new addition, but it is the first time I have noticed it blossom. I was mesmerized by it! I ran upstairs to get dressed so that I could go out for a closer look and a photo! I discovered it is a hibiscus – I wasn’t aware that they would grow this far north, since they are typically a tropical flower, but apparently there is a hearty variety! I am having a few new plants put in before the planting season ends and told the landscaper to be sure to include at least one of these! Incredible!!!
Another recent mini adventure was a drive to Olcott Beach on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. I love going to Olcott – it isn’t very far, is a nice drive, and I always see or do something fun! This trip, I went with a friend and we made a couple stops at other attractions that I have never seen before.
On the way to Olcott, we stopped to see the 30-Mile Point Lighthouse – gorgeous!!!
On the boardwalk at Olcott, they were celebrating the end of the season – a guy with a guitar was singing for the folks who were eating lunch!
It was a VERY windy day at the lake!
This handcrafted “lady” in the flowers made me smile!
After we left Olcott, we travelled further west on Rt. 18 to Wilson – I’ve never been to Wilson. We stopped at the Wilson Harbor and had lunch at the Wilson Boat House – right beside this lovely strip of shoppes and lighthouse.
I love scallops and noticed an appetizer called “scallop cake tower” and was intrigued! I ordered it and fell madly in love! They are just like a crab cake, only made with chopped up scallops — YUMMMMMMM!!!!
Another spot along our wonderful Lake Ontario that I visited recently for the first time is Yates Park. After the Beef on Weck Dinner fundraiser at the church, Mom, a friend of ours, and I went to a Lyndonville Lions Club event at Yates Park on the lake. They had a 50s-60s band that was excellent called Crash Cadillac. We sat on the lawn in the park and listened to the music. It was such a pretty night! And…..you know me, I couldn’t be that close to the water without gazing out at it and snapping a few photos!
And, finally, now that I think we’re all caught up (at least with the noteworthy stuff), I’ll leave you with one more photo…….one stormy night a couple weeks ago, I was driving up Main Street headed home and the sky looked quite ominous! I pulled over and got this shot!
Beef On Weck Adventure
I’m tagging this as an “adventure” because it is my blog and I feel like calling it an adventure! I went to a place I’ve never been before with my Mom and a couple friends from church and had an interesting afternoon……so there you have it…….an adventure!!! 🙂
There is a teeny tiny place in nearby Batavia called the Pok-A-Dot. I’ve driven by it many, many times – it is right on busy Ellicott Street so you can’t miss it – and never once had the urge to stop in and try it out. It just looks like one of those places you should probably avoid in the interest of your personal health and well-being. But, over the past few months, I started hearing that it was THE place to go for Beef on Weck sandwiches and I recently noticed a banner on the front window that claims “Famous for our Beef on Weck for over 60 years!” (the photo below from the internet claims over “56” years, but it has recently been updated to “60” years). So, a couple friends and I decided we were going to go and see for ourselves. Today was the day……Cathy, Judy, Mom and I met up in Batavia for Beef on Wecks.
First of all, for those who aren’t from Western NY – you’re probably wondering “what the heck is a beef on weck?” Well…….Beef on Weck is a Western NY specialty. It is a mouth-watering sandwich made from thinly sliced, tender, juicy roast beef piled high on a Kaiser roll dusted with coarse salt and caraway seeds (called a Kimmelweck roll). The weck roll is toasted and dipped in the beef juices before the beef is piled on and then the sandwich is served with a side of horseradish (so the wimps of the world can “go easy” on the heat) – see the photo below, which was found on the internet, not taken at today’s lunch – sorry – I was hungry and busy talking, so I didn’t think to snap an actual photo. Just about any restaurant worth eating at has Beef on Weck on their menu – whether they do it well or not! Nothing will ruin the whole experience faster than dry beef or a stale weck roll, but I’ve had some pretty pitiful examples of what should be an amazing sandwich!
So, what did I think of the Pok-A-Dot? Did their Beef on Weck measure up to their claims? Was it all worth the 20 minute drive to Batavia?
The first thing I noticed is that the folks that started this place (over 60 years ago it started out as a hot dog stand) and the ones that run it now need a spelling lesson. The restaurant is pronounced “Polka-Dot” – like the dot pattern that is seen on the exterior, but they spelled it “Pok-A-Dot” – “Pok”, like “Pot” with a “K”. Hhhmmm – interesting! Also, the banner boasts their famous “Beef on Wicks”, instead of the proper spelling – “Beef on Weck” – made with a kimmelweck roll and shortened to wEck, not wIck. But, that has nothing to do with the restaurant or the sandwich, so I’m just making a nit-picky point……because, it is my blog and I can!
The restaurant is the diviest of dives – very small with about 6 small bistro style tables, a lunch counter with lots of stools, and three outdoor picnic tables that were obviously the “smoking section”, given the number of ashtrays all over them. Look up “greasy spoon” in the dictionary and I’m sure a photo of this restaurant will accompany the definition. But, it wasn’t uncomfortable and didn’t make us rethink our decision……the looks inside were actually not at all unlike what I had expected from my drive-by glances, but it didn’t have the yucky “feel” that I assumed from driving by — I would absolutely stop in there to eat again. And, the food was good – nothing we had or that I saw others being served was greasy or like eating a heart attack waiting to happen! Just goes to show – looks can be deceiving, for sure!
All four of us ordered the Beef on Weck – duh, that’s what we went there for! Two of us had French Fries, one had onion rings, and one ordered the fried pickles to share. Everything was VERY good!!! The weck roll was soft, fresh, grilled nicely, and just the right amount of coarse salt on top. There was a butt load of tender, juicy roast beef – I had my doubts when it was first placed in front of me – it looked rather over cooked and dry, but it wasn’t dry at all – it was really quite good! I got the fries and they were crispy and not at all greasy – VERY good! I didn’t hear how the onion rings were. We all tried the fried pickles and they were very good with a nice house-made dipping sauce that was sort of like a thousand island dressing with a slight kick to it.
So, yes – their Beef on Weck is worth the drive to Batavia – very good! Although, I must say, as good as it was, it wasn’t the BEST I’ve ever had – that honor still goes to the Village Inn right here just north of Albion in Childs.
The only disappointment? The horseradish……I always sniff the horseradish before putting it on so that I know how much to use. I like it with a nice bite to it – I want to feel it cleaning out my sinuses and bring a tear to my eyes, but not so much that it takes my breath away. This smelled mild, but not bad. So, I slathered on a good layer of it, expecting at least a bite or two to give me that sensation I love! But, no dice…….I barely tasted it and none of that foggy essence that waves up through your head at all.
So, we all enjoyed our lunch — good food and fun conversation among friends – we were all glad we went and will likely go again, sometime!
After lunch, Mom and I stopped in at the Public Market just down the street a ways. They had some beautiful produce, delicious looking baked good, and some pretty crafts, including quilted items. We mostly just looked, but I couldn’t resist getting a 1/2 pound box of all natural, homemade dog treats – peanut butter flavored paw prints – for the girls. I gave them each one when I got home and they went NUTS-O for them!!!
When I got home, I met the landscaping guy – there are a few things I want him to do before the planting season ends and now I’m getting ready to head to Bible Study at the church. A fun and productive day……and the weather was to die for!!!
The British Are Coming…..
What is it about the British? We declared our independence from them many, many years ago and, yet, we still find a fascination with them. The Royals. The Aristocrats. The titles and classes. The accents. The traditions. They capture our imaginations and our attention. It is also a fascination for me because of my heritage – my Grandmother’s ancestors were (as far as I have seen) pure English with immigration to America as recent as 3-4 generations before me! I, myself, am a mongrel with my Grandfather’s Irish and German thrown into the mix and Lord knows what added in from my birth father’s heritage. But, regardless of all that, I am still attracted to just about anything involving the United Kingdom – I say that because it isn’t just England that intrigues me – I find anything Irish to be an addiction, as well.
But, it isn’t just me — I think most of America finds a certain interest in the British and keep them imbedded in our culture on some level. Where would Rock and Roll be today without the British Invasion? How many American televisions were NOT tuned in to the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles – surely that is a number much easier to count than those that WERE tuned in! Who wasn’t anxiously awaiting news of the newest royal baby? Would there be such a thing as “super models” if not for Twiggy becoming a world-wide sensation in the 1960s? And, it is for good reason that our PBS stations carry BBC television productions – they wouldn’t if the ratings didn’t warrant it! Yes, the British are a fascinating bunch – especially when the story involves old England and the very rich, titled society.
I do so enjoy watching movies and programs that show the history of England and the people of the old days – Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, etc. I love the costumes, the accents, the formal way of speaking, the respect for position and tradition, the architecture, the scenery…..and so much more! Surprisingly, though, I never let myself get interested in shows like Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey……until recently!
I wrote a couple of posts ago that I recently got hooked on Downton Abbey – I finally gave in to the talk from friends and on Facebook about how wonderful it was. I caught myself up on the first three seasons and fell totally in love with the stories and the characters! It is a wonderfully scripted and acted show with an incredible insight into the lives of both the aristocrats and servants in a large household in early 1900’s England. It shows how so many totally different people can live together in one house and share in each other’s lives, yet live in totally different worlds separated by class and stations in life….and the separation isn’t just between the family and the servants – it also includes distinct levels of respect and prominence within the family and across the servants. I enjoy watching the traditions, beliefs, and expectations unfold in each episode. I wonder where we lost our need to embrace civility and manners and how the world would differ if we still dressed for dinner, had expectations of proper etiquette, behaved in a manner befitting an appropriate reputation, cared how we are perceived by others, and sat down as a family for tea and cakes in the middle of the day – every day. I can not wait until the fourth season begins in January and hope that it goes on forever!!!
While waiting for season four of Downton Abbey, I find myself craving similar stories. I remembered there was an older series on BBC/PBS called Upstairs, Downstairs that I never watched while it was on. I understand there is a memoir of an English housemaid that inspired both the Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey stories. So, I looked for it on Amazon to stream the shows. I didn’t realize that there were actually TWO Upstairs, Downstairs series – one which aired in 1971 – 1975 and a reprisal which aired in 2010 – 2012. I watched seasons 1 and 2 and LOVED it!!! Then, I started watching season 3 and wondered what happened — it was in black and white and a different set of characters and obviously in an earlier time period – but, the same house – I was VERY confused, to say the least!!!! So, I read up on the series and found that there were the two – I obviously watched the reprised series first! HAHA!!! So, I stopped watching season 3 and went back to season 1 of the original series and that’s where I am, now! The original series isn’t as well done as the reprised series and far from as exquisite as Downton Abbey is, but it is still very enjoyable. I have a lot of episodes to watch — there were five seasons in the original series and I intend to stretch them out over some time and not cram them all in quickly, like I did Downton Abbey (three seasons in less than 3 days) – I hope I can stick with that plan so that I can enjoy them for a while. I do hate, though, that there were only two seasons of the reprised series – that was quite good and I would have liked to follow the characters a while longer.
So, here I am watching and learning about and adoring a culture so far removed from what we experience today. I may just have to throw a good old-fashioned tea party to bring a little of it into my real life to compliment it in my fantasy life!
Where have all the Bloggers gone?
Once upon a time, long, long ago, I used to log on every morning and click on Google Reader and Blog Surfer to check out all the new posts on the blogs I followed. There were many of them – mostly friends with blogs, some of which became friends because we were local Sanford bloggers and read each other’s writings and then became friends in the real world. Some were written by people I didn’t know from places I’ve never been, but enjoyed the stories and information they shared. I looked forward to the list of new posts that would come up on my Google Reader and spent time reading them all before starting my day. Then, the number of new posts began to slow down and, soon, there was only the occasional new post! It was sad to see that! Then, Google Reader and Blog Surfer shut down and I no longer had an easy way to know when one of my favorite bloggers put up a new post. But, they are all in my “favorites” – I have a folder just for all the blogs I have enjoyed in the past – there are 31 of them! Every now and then, I click on each and every one to see if anyone posted anything new and exciting to read about. But, alas, most remain stalled at the last post written long ago. Today, after several months of not checking, I decided to see if any have been updated………..only one had something new to read and actually there were a FEW new posts on that one, which I read with great pleasure!
I, too, don’t post as often as I used to, but do still love to blog! It is a great way to share my thoughts, but mostly it is a creative outlet for me. Sure, I hope there are readers out there that enjoy what I have to write, but, honestly, I really just write for myself, friends, and family.
I started blogging in 2007 after I accidentally found a local blogger that wrote some funny stories about his children and his adventures. He was moving to Sanford and wrote about the things he and his family were discovering. I sometimes would comment on his posts. After a while, I decided to give blogging a try. I wasn’t sure how long it would last or what I would find to write about, but I really enjoyed it and it took off! Click here to read my very first post written on August 13, 2007 – it was short and awkward, but it was a start! I always loved to write stories – back as early as grammar school. In high school, I took creative writing and dabbled with some with poetry, but found that stories were my favorite outlet, so blogging just seemed the perfect medium for me to use. Over the years, I’ve shared a lot of adventures, thoughts, movie reviews, and just silly ramblings with the world……….I flatter myself in thinking that my humble writings are being read by the world! HA! Yeah, I have had a lot of hits on my blog (as of today, 42,779 since I changed to using WordPress instead of Blogger in Sept 2008 – add about another 5000 from when I was using Blogger), but in the past couple of years, not so much – I average about 20-some hits a day, now. But, that’s OK – like I said, I mainly write for myself and my friends/family, anyway – it is just an ego boost when I see in my stats that I received a lot of hits on a particular post and that some of those hits were from places far, far away!
But, back to my fellow bloggers. I MISS YOU!!! Maybe some of you will read this and find it to be a motivation to start writing, again – I sure hope so! If you have abandoned your previous blogs and are writing on a new blog, please send me your web address so I can once again enjoy your thoughts and adventures. And, I’d love to find bloggers local to the Albion / Western NY area to follow! I know you’re out there………I just need to find you!!! 🙂
Thoughts on a Thursday
Time for a good old Brain Dump…….so, here are some thoughts that are rattling around in my head on this lovely Thursday afternoon!
First of all, it IS a lovely Thursday! For weeks and weeks, it has been either hot and muggy or raining! What a yucky way to start off the summer season! But, today, the sky is a gorgeous blue, the clouds are white and fluffy, the breeze is gentle and cool (but not too cool), and the sun is out in all its glory! It is a pleasure to have all the windows open in the house and feel the breeze flowing through and have it feel comfortable – an occasional gust that is ever so slightly chilly, but mostly pleasant and comfortable……..LOVE IT!!! Then, outside, the sun is warm on my skin – but not too warm! Just PERFECT!!! I am placing my order for this day to repeat every day for the rest of the summer……….
On a day this gorgeous, I find myself day dreaming at my desk — I pause and just gaze out the window at the amazing sky and listen to the wind chimes as the breeze brushes past them causing them to play their happy tune. I just sit and watch the leaves rustle in the trees and the hanging plants on my porch sway and the clouds slowly move across the sky. How peaceful and calming and wonderfully joyful…….I so love my house and my neighborhood!
I am sitting here writing this while eating a couple of lemon cream cookies that I bought at the Amish general store last Sunday. They are sooooooo good!!! Such strong lemon flavor in the creamy center – I’d be hard pressed to find a LEMON with this much lemon flavor! HA!!!
I was going through a box of things that haven’t been unpacked, yet…….yeah, I know – it has been almost 2 years since I moved and I still have boxes that aren’t unpacked – don’t judge me…….anyway, I found an angel with a chain to hang it up – too heavy for a Christmas ornament, but very pretty! I had it for a long time, but never found a place to hang it at my old home. So, I took it out of the box and put it on my desk in the den so that I would give some thought as to where to put it. As I looked out my den window at my gorgeous weeping crab apple tree, it hit me!!! “I’ll hang it from a limb on that tree”, I thought! I took it right out and found a nice sturdy limb to hang it from, but was sad to find when I got back in the house that the other limbs hid it from view from my window! So, I went out and moved it to another limb – one I knew I’d be able to see it when gazing out my den window. But, as I pulled into the drive way the next time I went out, I discovered it wasn’t visible from the street!!! Hhhmmm…….so, I put it out towards the end of a limb that wasn’t obscured by any other limbs – it isn’t as sturdy, but it is visible from the street and my window! Mission accomplished! It looks so cute out there swaying in the breeze and bouncing in response to the movement of the tree limb! I’m happy!
I had some out-patient surgery this week – nothing too major – a hernia repair, but it couldn’t be done laproscopically, so I had full anesthesia and a smile-like incision about 3-4 inches long just under my belly button. I have prided myself on being able to say “I’ve never had any surgery in my life…..knock on wood”! But now, I can no longer say that! Oh, I’ve had a couple of procedures that were “technically” considered “surgery”, but nothing invasive where I was literally cut open, innards manipulated, and stitched back up……until now! Through it all, I’ve learned a couple of things: 1) they really should put you under BEFORE taking you into the operating room – I was wheeled in there in a wheel chair and it seemed very UNimpressive to me! I expected to see the fancy operating rooms you see on TV shows, like Grey’s Anatomy – you know, a big sterile looking room with the gallery seating around the top of the room and a whole team of doctors and nurses and a lot of high-tech equipment and an operating table that looks like a comfortable bed and windows that look out to the scrub room……….um, no – what I saw was a neat, clean, but very small, ordinary looking room with a few people waiting to prep me and an operating table that looked like two padded 2×6 boards nailed together in a cross – I was helped up onto the longer of the two boards to lay on and my arms were placed outstretched onto the shorter board! Of course, this is a very simplistic description and it was more than that – it was actually surprisingly comfortable and it tilted to make it easy for the surgeon to get at the spot he needed to get at and the arm pads were angled comfortably. But, when I first saw it, the only thought that came to mind was a lethal injection table at a prison – not a pleasant thought as I was being wheeled into surgery – especially when it was my first time and I wasn’t sure what to expect! Once I was on it, my thought was of the Crucifix……a better thought, but still not one I would have liked in my mind as I was being prepped for surgery! Don’t get me wrong – it was clean and nice and not at all “scary” and I’m sure more than just the anesthesia folks joined the team after I fell asleep, but after my initial impressions, I really would much preferred to have been asleep before I went in there and kept my vision of the fancy operating room from Grey’s Anatomy in my head! 2) the second thing is that I now know EXACTLY what people mean when they say “you never know how often you use your stomach muscles until you have an incision in your belly”!!! OMG – there is literally NOTHING you can do without straining your stomach muscles and when they hurt from surgery, that becomes painfully obvious! And, please, God, don’t make me have to cough or sneeze!!!
Today, as I’m starting to feel a little human – still very uncomfortable and moving slowly, but much better than yesterday, which was much better than the day before, I realize I’m getting a little stir-crazy with a touch of cabin fever! I adore being in my home – sitting at my computer looking out my den window or out on my patio soaking in the lovely weather – but, I have never been one to be told I HAVE to do something!!! The fact that I’m told I shouldn’t drive until at least the weekend makes me want to get out and take a ride somewhere – but, I know the bouncing and getting in and out of the Equinox won’t be pleasant. The fact that my body is telling me to take it easy and not do too much makes me want to go shopping or visiting or something that gets me out of the house and moving, but I know I’ll pay dearly for it, if I do. So, I’ll behave and give myself a couple more days of healing……it has only been three days since the surgery…….but, I’m really fighting the urge to get out and play!!! 🙂
I’ve recently discovered Downton Abbey on PBS! I see posts on Facebook by friends who love the show and wondered what it was about. So, I started streaming season one using Amazon Prime through my Wii – I figured I’d watch a few episodes here and there and get caught up with the first three seasons sometime before season four starts in January. Well…….I got started and couldn’t stop!!! I watched one episode after another and found myself up at 1:00 or 2:00 am saying “just one more episode and then I’ll go to bed”! It took me just three days to get through all three seasons!!! What a wonderful program!!! The characters and actors are incredible – they suck you right in! And in season three, alone, I went through a warehouse full of Kleenex!!! Simply heartbreaking! I can not wait until January when season four starts and I can finally find out how they are going to deal with this latest tragedy! If you haven’t seen this show and you have access to streaming capabilities or Netflix or something that will allow you to catch up with the first three seasons, I strongly urge you to do so…….it won’t take long to become obsessed and zip right through them all to catch up – even though you have until January!
Well, I think I’ll take advantage of this marvelous day and go read on the patio while the girls lay in the sun……..
Doggie Dreams
Ever wonder what a dog dreams about? I do….. My girls seem to have some of the most active dreams and they have them often! For instance, I am sitting here trying to get off this computer, get my rear in gear, and go up to get dressed and start my day. But, I am fascinated by the sounds and movements of my beautiful Katie, who is sleeping beside me, involved in an obviously engaging dream!
She is twitching and jerking and huffing and puffing and barking and growling and kicking and scratching at the air! I can only imagine what she’s dreaming about, because whenever any of them have a great dream that really gets them going physically and vocally, they NEVER wake up and say, “Hey, Mom, I just had the most amazing dream…..let me tell you about it”! But, knowing Katie, I’ll bet she’s dreaming about chasing and catching up with that pesky rabbit or cat that keeps teasing her from the other side of the fence just out of reach!
Oh, how I wish I could know for sure……..
Seriously???
OK. so lately I’ve had some weird things happen to me and around me! I wonder what I did to make the stars align so specifically to make me a target of the bazaar side of things……more so than usual, that is!
First, a few weeks ago, Mom and I were on our way to her doctor’s appointment in Medina. She decided to drive her car, so we’re tooling along on our merry way. When we got to the main intersection in Medina, the light turned red, so we stopped. Just then, Mom noticed what looked like steam coming from under her hood – we thought the car was overheating – just what we needed on our way to an appointment! So, she turned the corner and parked along the curb in front of Blissett’s. By the time we pulled over (literally seconds from noticing the “steam”), smoke began to roll out from under the hood, which turned quickly into billowing black smoke, which turned quickly into flames!!! OMG!!! We got out of the car as quickly as we could and stood there in total shock watching her car burn up!!! A village DOT worker stopped his truck and tried to open the hood so he could use his fire extinguisher, but the cable had obviously melted, so it wouldn’t “pop”! He got a crow bar and began trying to pry the hood open — flames getting higher and black smoke billowing taller than the buildings! I was staring at my phone wondering who I should call — she got the car at the dealership in Albion, but there was one just down the street there in Medina — which one should I call? Just then, a kid came by and asked if we wanted him to call 911 for us…….DUH!!! We needed the FIRE DEPARTMENT, NOT A MECHANIC!!!! I always thought I would be the type to be calm and know exactly what to do in the case of an emergency, but there I was in the middle of a critical situation and I was in a state of total confusion and shock!!! I did manage to keep Mom from going back in the car to get something she thought she should get out of there, but that was about it! But, after a couple of minutes, I did get my wits about me and called the doctor to tell them we wouldn’t make our appointment and called to find my brother to come get us! The Medina Fire Department was there in a flash and got the hood open and the fire out and it was towed away — the entire engine compartment looked like a big block of charcoal and the fenders were all charred……what a mess!!! But, it didn’t blow up and the fire didn’t spread to the interior, so we were able to go to the collision shop it was towed to and get all Mom’s stuff out of it. Of course, it was declared a total loss and she got a new vehicle to replace it, but we were lucky we saw it right when it first started and were able to get out……..if we didn’t have to stop for the red light, the smoke might not have been noticeable to us and the flames would have likely traveled under the car with the air flow as we drove……..might have been a very different story! SCARY!!!!
As if that wasn’t enough…..late last week I started hearing “VOICES”! I was in the kitchen filling my water glass, in the dark, the house was silent…..suddenly, I heard a man’s voice talking! Scared the you-know-what out of me! At first, I thought the TV came on – you know, like a power surge or something! But, it wasn’t on! The voice wasn’t constant – it would say a word or two and stop and then do it again after a few minutes – so, I was having a hard time figuring out where it was coming from. I finally determined it was coming from the speakers hooked to my computer in the den! The computer was idle – nothing open – not the internet, no programs – nothing – just sitting on the desktop with the screen saver bubbles bouncing around! I thought, there must be something still open in the background from the last time I was on the internet, so I opened up Internet Explorer and reclosed it – still got snippets of recordings! So, I opened AOL and reclosed it – didn’t solve the problem! So, I restarted the computer…….that didn’t work, either! So, I did a hard shut down, let it sit a while and started it back up. That seemed to work………for about an hour or so! Then, again, when I didn’t have anything open and wasn’t even in the same room as the computer, I started hearing the voices! It was very strange — like the computer was pulling random ads from the internet and playing them in short little spurts – a word or two here, a few words there, a full sentence once in a while, a few bars of a jingle thrown in occasionally…….and not constant or even in a pattern or routine timing, but enough to be really irritating!!! I shut down for the night and when I started it up the next morning, the voices started right up with it! I thought, maybe I should force a Norton scan, just to be safe – maybe it was a virus! But, that’s when I started getting really nervous — I tried to open Norton and it opened for just a split second and shut right down and then I couldn’t open it at all………RUT RO……..I know some viruses block virus protection software from working! So, I started a text conversation with my computer genius nephew (great thing to have in a family) – he was at work, so he said he’d do some research and remote in after work and see what he could figure out! In the mean time, I checked my email “sent” files to see if my email accounts were hacked – nothing odd going out to my contacts, so that was OK! I uninstalled and reinstalled Norton, but it still wouldn’t work — I did find out that I could right-click on it in the task bar and forced a scan – it came up with a few minor cookie trackers, but nothing worrisome! I installed and ran Malware Bytes – again, nothing alarming found! I ran SUPER Antispyware – still nothing bazaar found! The voices would play periodically — several snippets in a row and then nothing for an hour or two and then come back! When my nephew logged in remotely, he looked all over everything — nothing in the start-up or registry or whatever else he looked at looked odd – everything looked just fine! He suggested I do a system restore back to a few days before the voices started, which would get rid of anything new that might be causing it AND, it would put Norton back to the way it was before all this, too. That actually seemed to work — no voices for about 3 hours! Then, they came back — this time, there were TWO different ads playing simultaneously and it played the WHOLE ads……..three times in a row!!! UUUGGGHHH!!! And, Norton still wouldn’t open. So, I went on Facebook and described my problem and asked if anyone has experienced it or knew what might be causing it! A friend in Arizona forwarded it to her son and he Googled it and found it to be a known virus and sent me some info on how to clean it, but cautioned that it could cause more damage, if I didn’t do it right – he recommended someone knowledgeable do it, so I forwarded it to my nephew and asked if he would come over and take care of it for me. I did more research on it and found several articles saying it was a VERY NASTY virus and very difficult to get rid of — some discussion threads talked about having to do it multiple times with multiple tools before it would stop coming back! So, I disconnected my modem so I wasn’t hooked to an internet source and got on my laptop and changed all my passwords and checked all my information closely — looked like everything was good — I must have caught it in time to keep it from getting me into trouble! My nephew recommended we just reformat the hard drive and start fresh — only sure way to be absolutely positive we got rid of it completely! So, I took it to him and he did that for me! Now, all is fine…….and, a few other annoying little issues I had are all fixed, too……..and, my speed is back to what it should be! So, a happy ending…….but, I sure had a restless night the day I learned it was a really nasty virus – laid awake and tossed and turned all night with a sick feeling in my stomach! What makes these people who create and distribute viruses tick? If they would take their knowledge and time to do something constructive in the world, maybe we could have programs that would find the cure for cancer or generate world peace or something wonderful……..instead of trying to infect my little PC and make my life miserable for a few days!!!!
There have been other little, less disruptive things happening, but not worthy of capturing on here……..but, I do want to mention the bazaar feeling I have in general! For a month or so, now, I have had an off and on feeling that something is wrong or something is going to happen…….like I did something that is going to somehow come back to bite me! You know, that feeling you have in the pit of your stomach that tells you to watch out!!! After all that has happened, you’d think that feeling would go away – I’ve had enough to satisfy it……..but, it is still there! Not all the time……but, sometimes in the evening when I’m getting ready for bed or just sitting and thinking……….maybe now that I’ve gotten it all off my mind and written down, I can relax!
A Sea of Flags…
As Memorial Day approaches, the Veteran groups have been busy putting out new, crisp flags at the grave sites of our veterans. I was at Mount Albion Cemetery yesterday setting out the crocks for our family members and found the sea of flags to be heart warming. Of course, I snapped a few photos.
First up: My Dad’s crock – one of the three that Mom and I made up and set out last night – Poppie not only gets a Veteran’s flag, he also gets the small one we put in all our cemetery crocks:
The sea of flags in the military section:
And, finally, the Civil War section:
Kim's Thoughts 
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