Month: March 2024

Posted in Sunday Report

3 Thinks

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

Where I’ve been…

I’ve been feeling like crap, suffering every side effect of some new medicine — sooo tired, nausea, digestive complaints — and when the headaches started non-stop I tapered off the med and stopped. (Of course, I talked with my NCP about that.) Finally, I woke up the other morning feeling normal and energetic and it’s like I’m baack! Just in time, too, to Welcome Glad Spring.

Where I’m going…

This time next week, we’ll be meeting up with the Jrs. in Disney Springs, opening up the festivities of our Spring Break Disney Trip. Michael and his fam are seriously WDW folks and always keep us moving from fun to fun. We’ve got great dining reservations lined up, five days in the Parks, and the excitement grows with every passing day. We’re leaving earlier than they are, spending a night at Fort Wilderness Campground before we move over to Pop! Century, our homebase. The kids are staying over at Caribbean Beach, just a hop-step-and-jump from us via skyliner.

Where I am right now…

We’ve had such a stretch of Spring-like weather that I fear April may live up to its name as The Cruelest Month. My magnolia trees have fully bloomed without a freeze nipping their buds, the forsythias and quince are beautiful, the daffodils and wildflowers are lush. Our birdfeeders are packed with migrating songbirds, and my Peace/Bird Garden perennials are peeping up. The raised bed garden, newly expanded and improved, is nearly finished. Though I’m focused on getting ready for our vacation, I’m excited to plant new beds and in a tizzy about what plants to choose for where.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We celebrate our Irish roots with corned beef and cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, listening to some traditional Irish music, and working on perfecting my Irish brogue with Jameson and ginger. All Hail to my Irish ancestors!

A framed print of this Irish blessing was displayed in my home growing up, a gift from my great-grandmother, Kathleen Kinkade… I wish this to you, today and always.

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Peace!

Posted in Sunday Report

The Upcoming Eclipse

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

From the barrage of marketing solar eclipse glasses and events planning festivals around the date of April 8, 2024, I can’t help but pay some attention to the phenomena. Evidently Eville will be treated to almost the entire eclipse, but Grayville, IL, home of my illustrious cousins, is right on the spot.

The last eclipse it got pretty dark around here. I was down at my nail place and one of the ladies had some glasses that we passed around. It was just eerie, but we had a little fun standing and watching. I can’t quite see planning a party around it, though a pagan ritual comes to mind.

In fact, I rather worry that my fellow Evillians and Grayvillians may follow the example of their former leader and think, I don’t need no damn glasses, and half of our population will be struck blind. Seriously. I think I’ll avoid the mayhem and do that pagan thing.

The whole eclipse thing reminded me of Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” and I dragged it out to re-read. It is truly Mark Twain at his best, spinning a yarn about an engineer named Hank Morgan, who is hit on the head and transported from 1889 to Camelot, where he remembers that a solar eclipse will happen the next day, thereby convincing the people that he is a powerful magician who can blot out the sun, and that he had saved them from darkness, making them submit to him. He’s not a bad guy, though. The adventures of the Yankee and his sidekick, Clarence, are hilarious and also timeless satire. Good Book.

But Eclipse deeply triggers this: Pink Floyd

We’ve dreamed up a new garden plan, expanding just when I thought I wanted to scale down. That’s what winter will do to a gardener– gives you big dreams of when everything is green and fruiting again. Since the weather’s been so nice, Casey’s been doing a lot of work out there. I’ll share it with you next week.

We’re three weeks out from Disney!

Peace