When is a Rock Not a Rock? When It's a Wall.

         

 Around 20 some years ago, my son asked me, "What is the most permanent legacy one can leave? " Perhaps half joking and without thinking, I answered, "A rock wall." To my surprise, son and his wife spent half the summer searching out and gathering local rock and the last part of the summer, building the wall.  The header picture shows the length of the wall.

The wall is a work of art, hand crafted with love and respect of the nature that produced the rocks.  I cannot imagine a more hallowed legacy to prove that someone had lived upon this earth.

The ranch is sold. People ask if I feel sad. Sad for some buildings that will eventually wither and rot? No, not my style. But then my voice cracks and my eyes fill with tears, "It's the wall I don't want to leave." I close my eyes and I can hear my husband's voice whenever I cried, he'd say, "Stop all that caterwauling.  That wall will be here long after all signs of humans are gone."

 It will make a lot of people happy, it's the greatest legacy you can leave, Zahnie and Katie.
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Have you ever thought what you would leave as a legacy?

Better to Remain Loyal

A smallish to medium tree in my yard died. The location was good and when cut, it would fall free of obstacles.  I called Mr. Bushy the tree man I've used many times. He said he was busy but may be able to squeeze it in  the next day. 

The next day I was outside planting new trees to fill the dead trees vacancy. Another tree man, Mr, Bradly drove by, spotted the dead tree, stopped and said he could cut and remove it at that moment.  I was put in a dilemma because Bushy had not come. I asked the price and Brady said $50. I was tempted to accept and have it over with here and now but something gnawed inside me that I HAD called Bushy so I felt obligated to wait for him.  Obviously he was too busy and would do it next week.

The week end came. On Saturday I was in the house when the doorbell rang. It was Mr. Brady's helper who gave me the same spiel again, in the neighborhood, could cut/remove right now.  I explained again that I had called Bushy first and I felt my loyalty was to wait for him.

Bushy came Monday morning.  He remembered the tree because he had trimmed it last year, in one last attempt to save the poor tree.  The first thing I asked was, "How much?"   He said forty bucks and I smiled inwardly because I was still a loyal customer and saved ten bucks.

Alan's Song

Hey Bloggie Friends
Have any of you kitchen dancers (esp. Su-sieee and the husband) taken up dancing after A-Z?  My granddaughter, Ashly, wrote an excellent WALTZ song for beginners.  You can't lose the beat as the 1-2-3 literally shouts at you.  The song is written in old-timey country and called ALAN'S SONG. I made a short vid of Ashly washing Cody Dog so you can hear the song. (I haven't made a video for such a long time, I forgot how to add titles. )  Ha

Ashly wrote the song for me after Alan died.  I never expected to find a dancer in Montana with as much natural rhythm as Alan had. We danced every Sunday at a little Honkey Tonk that catered to excellent bands, not only country, but swing, blues and jazz. Alan had 10 years on me, but he was still the best swing dancer I had ever danced with. He had danced in competition during WW2 while he was in the Navy. Holy Moly, dancing with Alan was just plain fun. I haven't been out dancing socially since Alan died. My heart just isn't in it. But I still teach a little so at least I get my DANCE FIX. I think about social dancing and some day I may venture out again.

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Ashly's band with her singing Alan's Song. (Washing Cody)

Toss That

Even my note paper is old

I was writing a grocery list and noticed the icon on my note paper. Scratch paper that is 28 years old!!!  No wonder I've got so much stuff to dispose of.  No one keeps paper that long. I still have stationary from the old Met Stadium in Minneapolis, (actually Bloomington) where the Mall of America now stands. Toss that.

I'm not really that much of a pack rat but stuff just becomes part of the environment until finally it's invisible.

So how is my summer going?  Same as last summer. Sorting and tossing. How is your summer going, off to a good start?

Three Bucks

3 bucks out look'n to make a little dough (ahem, doe)

These guys are the whole dang reason I'm putting up chicken wire around my flowers and trees.

That Time of the Year

Next to dancing, I love gardening

Some new little fruit trees I'm planting. Height of expectation, planting trees at my age.

The ceiling of my neat little greenhouse. 

All my life I've had gardens, both veggies and flowers. I learned at a very young age to plant with the Moon. I plant root vegetables in the Moon's 3rd quarter but I missed it this year so I thought, what the heck, I'll plant in the 1st.  No good. The daikon bolted already, meaning all tops and no bottoms.  Another reminder that we must respect and live with nature.
Adios Bloggie Friends

Work The Room

Because my husband had a ball team, we were obligated to attend many parties. Calvin, the typical  Sagittarius, loved a social setting with a lot of sports people. He neither smoked nor drank but looked forward to gathering with the "guys" for rousing sports conversations and I was always left to seek my own party talk.

When we arrived at a party, Calvin would give me a little peck on the cheek (well, it was really along with a pat on the fanny) and say, "Go work the room." Very few women attended sports functions so I soon realized that it was to my advantage to learn how to talk sports with the "guys."  It soon became apparent that a wife could either enhance or hinder her husband's reputation and I chose the first. (A feminist, I am not)

Now I started equating  blogging to "Working the room." Successful bloggers really know how to "Work the room" with their varied gift of gab and the proof is in the blogs that sparkle. Within my  circle of bloggie friends, I'd like to mention some who really know how to "Work The Room."

                     
                            Work The Room Bloggers

The first blogger who comes to mind, and REALLY knows how to  "Work The Room," is Gary, who writes  KLAHANIE  and also posts for Penny, a terrier of modest internet stardom.  He writes meaningful comments to every blogger (not just the one-worders).
Gary can make you laugh, cry or put you in a world of fantasy.

Hilary from Positive Letters....inspirational stories could work 5 rooms with a different subject for each individual. She is a gracious lady who writes of life in UK, history, films, pubs or how to make a pond pudding. Her posts are sometimes spicy, sometimes melancholy, but always entertaining.

Terry who writes My Journey with Candida writes about natural health and any subject that happens to pop into her head. You never know what to expect with Terry but you always get a lively and positive post and she could work a whole bunch of rooms.

Murr writes  her blog, Murrmurrs with a subtle humor that I love. I read one of her sentences and stop for a moment before it hits me........ then I break into laughter and think, OMG, that is the funniest thing I've read. Talk about "Working a room."

The place where I spend most of my time when blog-reading is "It's Rhyme Time," authored by Pat Hatt, writer of children's books. But the blog is actually written by a Cat.  Pat has created a kind of sanctuary home-base, reminiscent of the old TV Cheer's bar, where everyone knows "your name." (As the song says)  Because it feels so much like home, there are conversations within conversations pertaining to Cat's rhymed post or the scramble for #1. Most of the comments are written in rhyme, although not obligatory, words just sorta start rhyming after you visit a few times. "Working a room" is Pat's middle name.

While lurking at Pats, I met some people who are pretty good room-workers in their own right.
Poke the rock tells it exactly like it is, minces no words and expects no less in return. She is also a talented artist who favors illustrating her point with stick people or finger puppets.

Another lurker that I met at Pats is Mail4Rosey. Rosey posts about the adventures of daily life. It's always fun to peep  into the lives of a family and get to know them. She would be a sparkling asset to any room working.

And there is John Debellis, a stand-up comic who writes Another 920 Spot. He writes his one-liners about controversial subjects that often lead to a lively conversation. (I think he likes that)   John would schmooze his way around a room with the best of em.

Then we have the two Susans. Susan Swiderski writes, "I think, therefore, I Yam"  
and her humor knocks my socks of (and my boots). And there is Susan Kane, writer of
"The contemplative cat," who posts illustrious flash fiction.  Put them in a room together.
WOW..... the room will be worked.

Mark Means is another blogger I'd put my money on to work a room and then do a repeat. Mark writes "Left and Write. adding a touch of spice and sparkle to his magnificent writing.

Robin writes "Your daily Dose."   Her blog smacks of humor in her writing of a personal experience, politics, films, songs, you name it.  Here is a Room Worker who will also hold your interest with a torch song as she sits poised upon the grand piano.

Arkansas Patti is author of "The New Sixty"  a blog of humorous stories and I relish every word.
A gal with a colorful past makes delightful reading. Patti would WOW the whole room.

There are many more but a dozen (The Dirty Dozen but I guess it's really a baker's dozen) will be enough room workers for now.  If you have time, I suggest you pay them a visit and watch
them weave their magic.