Posted in Sunday Report

Still on Cloud Nine

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

I don’t know if there are words to describe the emotions this ol’ grandma has felt this last week, especially watching my Emma dance. It’s very akin to Joy, but more radiant? It’s a little like feeling proud, but more incandescent? It was beautiful, she is beautiful, and so deserving of her status as Top American Irish Dancer in the World. I’m so grateful for these experiences and thankful for my family.

We made it to the Art Institute of Chicago on a cold day, but it was warm inside. I was so thrilled! I’ve never seen so many impressionist artists in one place. There was Monet, Manet, Pisarro, , Renoir, and Cassat.

America was also represented well, with a great Norman Rockwell that personifies Chicago baseball, “The Dugout”, Grant Wood’s “American Gothic, and the renowned “Nighthawks at the Diner” by Edward Hopper.

The Matisse Exhibit featured his paper cut-outs, a technique he started to use in the 1940s. I didn’t know that.

We said our good-byes to the Jose Fam at dinner after the Awards Ceremony on Friday, and started back home in the storms Saturday morning. Geez, gas is $4.59/gal up there! About 50 miles into the trip, we began to see it drop to $4.20, then 100 miles south, the prices were down to $3.97; another 100 miles down, $3.78. Here in Eville, gas at the Walmart is $3.69. What’s with that??? I just shake my head.

Tomorrow’s Casey’s surgery, a simple hernia repair, no biggie. I’ll be playing nurse for a few days, and get caught up on my reading. The weather after Wednesday looks gorgeous and I’m hoping to get out and buy plants!!!

My allergies really flared up on the drive home yesterday – we went the backroads through the Illinois cornfields – so it feels like Spring to me! Hope it’s blossoming in your neck of the woods.

Peace

Posted in Special Edition

Number 6 in The World!

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

My #1 grandie Emma Magnolia Mayne Jose danced her way to sixth in this premiere competition.

I am so happy to see her hard work pay off.

You may remember that she is the current North American champion, and now is the top American in The World.

My heart is full!!!!

Posted in Sunday Report

Evening Edition

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

It’s been a busy week here at the Acres. We added fresh mulch all around the house foundation beds, rearranged some perennials in the Peace/Bird Garden, and planted peas, onions, and potatoes.

EVSC was on Spring Break, so I spent some time with Samantha – always a treat!

Thanks to my cousin Lori, I got to meet (on facetime) her granddaughter, Saylor Reese Deig, a most adorable little doll-baby, who cooed and smiled and is obviously brilliant!

Today we met up with the Juniors and had a nice lunch, an early Easter get-together. I always forget to take pictures at these things, but take my word for it, we are all darling af.

Now we’re packing up for our trip up North for the Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne 2026 aka World Irish Dance Championships. It’s being held in Schaumburg, Illinois, about six hours from here, and we’re so excited to be there! Eliza dances on Tuesday and Emma on Friday.

The weather looks absolutely hideous, cold, wet, windy, brrr, so I’ve given up any idea of walking much, but we will Definitely be going to the Art Institute of Chicago ! I can hardly wait to see “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”, the backdrop for the Sondheim musical “Sunday in the Park with George”.

The Art Institute also owns “Nighthawks at the Diner” and currently there is a fabulous exhibit of works by Henri Matisse!

We’ll be returning by next Saturday, so I’ll get you caught up on our trip next Sunday…unless, of course, one of the girls actually Wins the World Championship, or comes in top 10, in which case, I’ll post a quick Breaking News Report. Wouldn’t that be great?

I hope Spring is springing in your neck of the woods.

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Welcome, Spring!

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

Okay, it’s true, I lied. I did not get around to starting the new garden blog last week. I have several justifications for delaying its launch, but mostly I was busy with other stuff. I had my annual physical and I must brag that I passed my mini-mental exam with flying colors! St. Patrick’s Day is a Family Holiday with us, so the feast was feasted on Tuesday. It was a jolly day, and followed so quickly by Ostara and its accompanying menu, I’ve been an absolute Bacchus. So I didn’t get any blog blogged…

But if I had posted anything, it would look like this…

Growing Every Season

It’s been a most wonderful start to the season of renewal, rebirth! Up with the dawn to greet the sun, I could feel a resurgence of energy.

We spent the day playing outside. Casey finished the new garden beds and filled them with garden soil and the earthy smell of manure wafted in the breeze. I brought out the over-wintered plants and started cleaning out the shed.

Later on, we had a lovely quiche and asparagus, washed it down with cider, and went down to the firepit to relax and light a fire.

We cannot see the sun set from the grove where the fire blazed, but 12 hours and 6 minutes after Ol’ Sol rose in the east, he set in the West.

If I had written it, it would go something like that, and end with

…Keep on Growing…

When I finally get that blog going, you’ll be the first to know. We’re trying to get as much heavy work done as we can before we leave for Chicago on the 30th, so we’re super grateful for such balmy weather!

Hope you’re having a lovely day in your neck of the woods!

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Weekly Wrap-up

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

There’s nothing like a trip to Rural King to get you in the Spring planting mood. Monday morning I bought an excessive amount of seeds for both early starts and my countertop garden, and grabbed up a houseplant.

Casey got his pressure washer delivered and my back porch has been transformed.

Check out my new raised beds. He’s tilling them today and we’ll get a load of soil next week.

I spent a lot of last week following up on what I’d spent the week before thinking/stewing about. In the last decade, we’ve all seen families torn apart by politics/religion, and one of them was my birth family. You know, if you’ve been paying attention, that after the last election I turned it off, changed my habit of living in the internet world of “news”, but one can hardly avoid the fact that he’s started a war. I don’t know if that’s why, or is it something else, but many americans are beginning to see him in a different light.

So it was that a couple of the estranged-ers reached out to me (after 10 years!), a little embarrassed and even ashamed, kind of like they woke up… I have grieved losing these dearly-loved people, and once I was sure that they were sincere, my family and I opened our circle. We stepped back and made room for more Love. We are Family and we’ll do whatever it takes to hold each other up, to help us get through.

I hope we’ve reached a tipping point somehow and more and more of us come together to repair what has been so tragically broken in our country and in our hearts.

Looking ahead…

We’re expecting a hard freeze Monday and Tuesday, so we’re preparing some covers for our roses. We’ve lost the first buds for the last two years! But my lovely forsythia have got their blooming done…

I don’t care if the Irish like it or not, I’m having corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes on St. Paddy’s Day. This year, I’m adding a new dessert: Lucky Charms Treat Bars, which should be magically delicious.

Then there’s Ostara, the Vernal Equinox, the #1 day of Spring. That involves quiche, green salads, baked bread.

Hope Springs Eternal…I hope…

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Short, but sweet…

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

It’s been rainy, gloomy, bleak week here at the Acres. I’ve been grappling with my Self, sorting out and expanding my point-of-view — Changing my Mind. Of course, I change my mind like some people change their underwear, but that’s an ADHD thing. What I’m talking about here is a shift in perspective. It’s bewildering at first, and I mourn the loss of my old way of thinking, but I’m kinda excited to see how this all plays out.

What the hell is she talking about, you ask? I don’t know, but I spent so much time Thinking this week that I have nothing else to report.

But I do have something here to make you smile. From 2020, it’s our Camp Sonnystone video. Enjoy!

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Marching into March

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

We’re back, since Friday, from our Birthday Trip! Despite the lack of co-operation from the weatherman down in WDW, we had a great week of celebration.

Upon our arrival home, we were thrilled to be greeted by warm temperatures and sunshine, with bits and bobbles of green popping up here and budding snowdrops ready for bloom. I managed to get a little cleaning-up done in the Peace/Bird Garden, but paused as I consider a complete revamp of the plantings. The deer are uncontrollably attracted to eat my Garden Phlox; though I’ve used hot pepper spray and pepper, that doesn’t last and inevitably the beautiful flowers are eaten. I’m considering moving them into the back fenced Edible Garden, and then put the coneflower here and maybe the liatris and salvia over there — that will give me plenty to think about as we roller-coaster through this very whimsical first month of meteorological Spring.

before
after

Casey is scheduled for a hernia repair on April 6, so I am trying to get every little bit of moving and lifting out of him before the procedure. He is more excited about getting a new pressure washer to blast the green off of our yellow house, but I’m stoked for new raised garden beds. There’s something for everyone.

I’ll be starting up my garden blog again this year! First Day of Spring is the 20th this year and we’ll celebrate Ostara and Welcome Glad Spring at Growing Every Season 2.

In addition to resuming the garden blog, I’m compiling a group of poems that I found while going through my personal effects in the attic. Some of the best are from my high school days (“The Prisoner of 2228 Dusseldorf Drive”), and my college days (There’s a jazz band), but most need some editing and recalibration. I’ll let you know when they’ll be published over at Souvenirs – aka Rave on, Madwoman.

I might be over-extending myself, but I’d like to edit the All My Ancestors -Climbing the Family Tree blog posts and check into getting them printed. Let’s just say I’m very enthusiastically embracing all of my writing outlets this year.

In the meantime, it’s a pretty day

and I’m headed outside to

Breathe in Peace

and Breathe out Love,

and blow off the weight of the warring world.

Peace, dear readers…

Posted in A Very Disney Birthday

Birthday Day

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

I could start a list of all that I’m thankful for, but it would never end and I’d probably forget something. I’m grateful for every day I’m given. For many people, 73 is old, so I appreciate that I’m still able to do everything I always have, just a little slower. I never thought I’d get this fat, but I’m out here rockin’ it!

On this anniversary of my birth, I’m happy, and that’s about as good as it gets here on Earth in the 21st century.

Here’s what we were up to yesterday…Casey surprised me with a Birthday Window!!! We went to Beak and Barrel for some provisions (meh) and rode TRON with the lights and new music (fantastic).

This morning we let it warm up a little, then headed over to EPCOT, where we rode My Most Favorite Ride, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and did a Lorcana card scavenger hunt…and other stuff…

We’re headed over to Raglan Road for some Irish song and dance, bundled up for 40degrees like we’re not in Florida. But, hey, it’s 17degrees back at Sonnystone. I’ll cope.

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Birthday Week

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

It’s the 11th birthday of my #4 grandie! I am not there to celebrate with her, but she will have fun with her friends!

In other grandie-related news, my Emma placed 6th in the all-Ireland dance competition!

We are getting ready to move over to the resort. Today the high will be 80 and we’ll do Magic Kingdom.   

Tomorrow, the high will be 59!!!  Lows to hit the high 30s! Good thing we didn’t come here for the weather! 

Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Cake Pops…& birthdays

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

Samantha came by yesterday to help me make cake pops. They turned out tasty, but not too pretty, and we had a lot of fun. My baby grandie will turn 11 next week! I’ll be out of town, so this was our Party…

Nova won 1st Place at her Speech Competition last week! Go, Nova!

My New Yorkers are in Ireland, competing in the All Ireland competition, so I’m sending Radiant Beams of Supportive Vibrations to them as they dance.

There’s a convergence of Holy Days this week – Tuesday is Mardi Gras, Lunar New Year, and Ramadan starts at sunset. Oh, I guess Ash Wednesday is the real Holy Day, and Ramadan goes on for a month, but New Year and Mardi Gras are serious Party Days. Bring on the Jambalaya and Hurricanes…and Spring Rolls.

On Thursday I’m meeting up with Dee to see the USI play, “Almost, Maine”. It looks like another good one.

On Friday morning, we’re setting out for Disney World, where I’ll be spending my Birthday #73 week. Arriving on the 22nd, we’ve got Lightning Lanes for TRON that evening, our first time to ride it with the lights on. It’s a great ride, a little short, but the lights should enhance the experience.

To celebrate my actual birthdate, 2/23, we’re spending our day at Epcot, browsing the Arts Festival activities, and riding the Best Ride Ever-Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. That evening I’d like to get over to Raglan Road so I can have some tribute songs and dances.

The next morning we’ll rope-drop Hollywood Studios and snag Slinky Dog, another of my favorites, and one that I missed riding last trip. We’ll be sure to visit the Tune-in Lounge and The Brown Derby Lounge later in the day, and to check the queue lines for Rise of the Resistance.

Our final day will be at Animal Kingdom, saying hello to the animals at the Safari, and riding Avatar: Flight of Passage. There’s a new “ride” there – Zootopia: Zoogether – under the Tree of Life, where A Bug’s Life used to show; we’ll be on hand for that. In the past, we’ve been able to snag a table at the Nomad Lounge overlooking the river to watch the character boats float by, waving and smiling, and we’ll try to do that again.

A couple of the days are predicted to barely reach 70, but that sounds Great! It’s been a while since I needed a jacket there, and I’m looking forward to it. All sun, no rain – who could ask for more?

I get a little carried away when I’m planning, but I’m flexible when there are unexpected diversions. We always have fun just being together, and if you know me at all, you know that I love celebrating my birthday. It comes at a time of year that needs light and laughter, and I always take advantage of it. I’ll take you along next week and we’ll celebrate together!

Peace