Author: Jo Mayne Casey

Posted in Grandies, HMTQ Jubilee!

Summer Kick-Off

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

We’re going to have Weekly Sleep-overs this June, every Tuesday-Wednesday, but our High-Schooler will decide on a week-to-week basis whether she spends the night. Yesterday it was only Samantha, a very tired Samantha at that. We watched some Disney–I love Encanto, so it’s okay to watch it again and again. We did some art and made our own pizzas and she fell out early. This morning we met up with her Mom and Sister at the Oaklyn Library where they’re kicking off their Summer Reading Program.

I came home after dropping them off and we’re catching up with our chores and debating when to set up the pool. Usually it’s up by Memorial Day, but Casey hasn’t been feeling well. Off-schedule makes me nervous, but I’m also not in the mood to put my bathing suit on… In the meantime, he’s out buying a new charcoal grill and when we get the charcoal burning, the Summertime Smell should inspire us, though it probably won’t help with my swimsuit dread…

The Platinum Jubilee is going Strong in London and Trooping the Colour is tomorrow morning, 10am. I’ll be up at 3am to catch it streaming and I’m so excited! Yesterday people started camping out along the mall in front of Buckingham Palace, so I’m back to feeling like I Did make the right decision when I cancelled the reservation for this week. Much better to have a front row seat in front of the telly…

Prince William checking his regiment last week, preparing for the Big Day…

Peace

Posted in Holidays at Sonnystone, Monday Musings

Memorial Day memories

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

I’ve spent a little too much time in the Way-Back Machine this week, thinking about my Dad who died 25 years ago May 22; it was the Friday before Memorial Day. Quite a bummer, to say the least, and I try not to take myself back to those times for too long, just stopping by to look at who I was, who was my family, and how we survived our grief. Even before that, back in 1967, my Grandpa Eaton died just before the Memorial Day week-end, just as our family was moving to California; it was another horrible time, but a more ancient memory that doesn’t quite evoke the sadness of losing my dad.

Seventeen years ago, on this week-end, we attended the beautiful wedding of Michael and Jessica–such a happy memory!

Back in the 90s we had a pop-up camper and Every Memorial Day week-end we were out in the woods, first years down at Barkley Lake, then moving up to Harmonie State Park, taking along the kids friends and meeting up with Our friends in their campers.

Since the kids have grown up we’ve not had a tradition, though we hit up the cemeteries every few years. Last year we visited the graves of some ancestors who hadn’t been visited since my great-grandmother died — her grandparents and uncles– but I didn’t find her mother and father. Now I know where to look (2 different cemeteries, actually) and I want to make a trip over there, but not today. What we formerly called “Decoration Day” and was supposed to be for all the dead has morphed into a holiday to honor our veterans. Nothing wrong with that, but I think I’ll start a Day of the Dead tradition this year and seek out the ancestors’ graves in November. These pictures are from last year…

Oak Hill Cemetery, Parkersburg, IL
Marion Church Cemetery, West Salem, IL

My Mom and Dad are in a mausoleum over by Helfrich Park Golf Course and I change their bouquet frequently, marking the seasons and holidays. They are due for their “Patriotic” bouquet, but I’m going to wait and take the Jr kids with me later this week.

Coincidently, I did some time travel to my high school daze this week, too. A gentleman DM’d me on FB to ask if I had gone to Harrison, something anyone could know, so I was skeptical. I checked out his profile and could find nothing that triggered a memory, though his profile pic is a young-him and he’s good-looking, so I should have noticed… but he seemed safe, so I answered. I’ve strained and still haven’t been able to remember him, but he’s really a nice guy and we chatted away. Seems he’s a UCC minister, retired, but we all know that pastors never really retire, so he’s still preaching. He posted this on his FB timeline, and I’d like to share it with you:

This is my Pastoral Benediction for Sunday morning, written by the 19th century Swiss moral philosopher Henri-Frederic Amiel. I wish it for all of you:

Life is short so we do not have much time to

gladden the hearts of those who travel with us.

So be swift to love,

Make haste to be kind,

And go in peace to love and serve the Lord

posted by Robert Walker, my new imaginary friend…

I wish I’d said that…

Peace

Posted in Grandies, Sunday Report

Samantha’s 1st Dance Recital

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

It was not the first Shannon’s School of Dance Recital for me last night… Melissa was practically a charter member of the school, back when they would have their recitals at the old St. Joseph School gym; it was founded in 1974. Even in the old-school days, they always had the Best costumes! Olivia brought us into the New Era where they rent out a big venue downtown and fill it up with parents, grandparents, cousins, and friends of the dancers, who range in age from 3 to 18 and while it’s impressive, it’s tooo dang long. We are those people who leave early, if we’re lucky enough to have our dancer perform in the first half. Samantha’s dance was to “By the Sea” and she was center stage. I love this little sailor!

I may make it over to the cemeteries tomorrow, but we’re kind of plan-less this weekend…which makes me a little cranky. I’m going to pull up the spinach and plant a couple of rows of green beans in that bed. There is another empty bed that I’m going to fill with green beans, as well — we’re trying to time the harvest to when the New Yorkers visit in early August. We have had so much rain that my bell peppers are showing the stress, but they have plenty of time to pull out of it.

Hope you’re enjoying the Holiday!

Peace

Posted in Conversations with my bartender

Drink up, Pal!

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

Conversations with my bartender…

Hey! Look who’s here! Let me pop the top off a cider for ya! We haven’t seen you since you got back from your London trip. How’d it go?

It was fine…we had a good time.

Only fine, huh? Didn’t get to see The Queen? No personal audience with Prince Charles?

Oh, you know I’d given up that little dream, but I thought at least I’d be able to go down to watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace with Alice, but it seems we were there on what they call the Early May Bank Holiday and there was a marathon kind of running thing going on, so they blocked off not just Buck Palace, but the Parks surrounding it — both St. James and Green and the Mall was covered with barriers and such that stretched all the way around the city, blocking the Horse Guards, too. The Victory Statue in front of the Palace was covered with scaffolding and there was no parade. And Kensington Palace was closed, as well.

So didn’t you see anything else? I thought you were going to Windsor Castle?

We did, we did, but we only had 2 hours there and that was barely enough to run through the State Rooms and St. Andrews or whatever Chapel. The little town of Windsor looked so charming that I feel like we needed to spend at least four hours there, but I went cheap and that’s what I get. We rode the London Eye, visited The Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. Overall, we walked 24 miles in the 4 days we were there and we loved that.

Did you get to check out the Museums? You were pretty excited about going to The Tate Modern, weren’t you? And how about that Shakespeare place?

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre was a joke! It was crunched in between buildings along the Queen’s Walk, so the pictures they use to entice you there must be taken with drones. There was a nice Lichtenstein gallery at the Tate, but the building is not as impressive as I expected. Really, I didn’t get to spend enough time there to judge and though we traipsed through the National Gallery heading toward their restaurant, we moved on very quickly.

Was there anything good about the trip?

Oh, yes, we had a great time, really. The weather was all you could ask for — no rain! Two of three pubs were great. I discovered a new Cider, Old Mout, that was delicious. The hotel where we stayed provided a steady supply of Magners Pear, which I cannot find in the US anywhere except Epcot. Some of the food was good. We love walking and all of the sights and we got a real kick out of using the underground.

Too bad you were disappointed.

I’m following coverage of the Queen’s Jubilee and now the streets are lined with Union Jacks, the Parades are daily…it’s more what I was thinking of…before I changed the reservation…which I might have to admit I regret…if it weren’t for the crazy crowds. But we feel really familiar with the city now, so Yeah, I think we’ll just have to go back, maybe next year…

Drink up, Pal…

Posted in Celebrations at Sonnystone

Breaking News: #2 grandie graduates 8th grade

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

How bittersweet it is to watch your grandchildren grow up! As I watched the graduation ceremony, a montage of images slid through my mind, beginning with the first time I ever held her, hopping through 14 years of smiles…and some tears…and plenty of growing pains…and achievements beyond her own expectations.

Covid wiped out Olivia’s 6th grade year and she was home-schooled for 7th, so her experience of middle school has been brief, but full, as she was active in choir and on the Math Academic team. She received the Presidential Scholar Award and some other Civic Award. She was chosen to speak on “Looking Ahead” at the graduation ceremony; she seemed so grown-up as she delivered her remarks. She had also spoken at her 5th grade graduation, so I couldn’t help but compare and contrast. She is Remarkable, Super, and My Grand-daughter, so I’ve been tearful for the last 24!!

Olivia Mayne Casey, my sweet little buddy and occasional sparring partner, has been known to read this blog, so here’s to you, Nova!! I know you know, but I’ll say it anyway…

Peace

Posted in Monday Musings

My mind wanders, but it is not lost…

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

I am adept at wasting time, especially on a cold, gloomy day like today. The bird garden, just outside my window occupies my thoughts for a while as I watch a fat jay trying to get the proper grip on the suet feeder, finally giving up and perching awkwardly on the sunflower houses. But my mind wanders…

Wassily Kandinsky, artist

That Prednisone really messed with my gut, not just in that killing-your-natural-flora way, but also it made me ravenously hungry and I have no willpower, so I ate every sugary treat I could find and then ordered more. I hate when I do that…but I do it for less reasons than Prednisone, so you’d think I’d learn my lesson. In yet another attempt to placate my guilt, I’m embarking on trial of probiotics. I tried the flora-fixers about a decade ago and didn’t stick with it (no surprise), but I’m more impressed with them nowadays and I hope to reset my gut biodome…

Back at the birdfeeders, a cardinal family has arrived and I watch them picnic together, admiring how the babies have grown. But my mind wanders…

Wassily Kandinsky, artist

I’ve never had much of a routine since retirement, happy to change with the seasons and the needs of the day, but it seems appropriate to set a schedule for Summer Vacation that involves Family and camping. I’m set up to hang out with the Jrs. two days each week; there are some good library programs to attend and I’ve got an idea to visit some of our local parks each week. A couple of months ago, Casey and I started going up to New Harmony to check out their auctions every month, so that’s on the calendar. But my mind wanders..

spinach-and-feta-turkey-burgers

I had to trim my basil and was wondering what to do with it. Handily, I had planned to have turkey-feta-spinach burger this evening and I’ll just trade out the spinach for the basil! Brilliant! But my mind wanders..

…what am I going to about my hair? my shape? my face? my Age? Perhaps lip plumper could change my life, give me more energy; maybe I should get a perm; I need to walk Every Damn Day; how old am I really??? But my mind wanders…

Wassily Kandinsky, artist

Well, if nothing can be done, I’ll make the best of what’s around and play some Dave Matthews…

Peace

Posted in The Gardens of Sonnystone...

Catchin’ up…

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

Gosh, it’s been 2 weeks since we last talked. I think I mentioned I was allergy-stricken, but I got pretty wheezy and went in to the nurse and was prescribed 6 days of Prednisone and given an inhaler. I can never decide if I love or hate Prednisone…on the one hand I feel all speedy and get-‘er-done-ish, but on the other hand I feel so sick and tired. Speedy always wins, though, and I got the gardens planted, the house cleaned, and stayed up all night learning Italian cooking with Lidia…

This is my new “cottage” garden, planted just across from the Peace/Bird Garden…

There are 21 plants here with hollyhocks and foxglove at the back with liatris, garden phlox, delphinium and lupine in the middle; at the front are coral bells, rosemary, and lavender. Most of the back plants will need to be staked, though you have to use your imagination to see that now.

The Edible Garden is going strong with corn poppin’ up, cucumbers jumping, and a small crop of green beans pulling themselves upright. Our peas are podding and the spinach is ready for harvest. I don’t want to talk about the beets and carrots and radishes– I just can’t thin seedlings properly– but the greens will be good! There are four each of watermelon and canteloupe planted, but they’re not doing anything, yet. We’re going to pull up the spring crop and plant some beans, as well as start some melons from seed between the existing plants, like insurance…

The roses have been stellar, their gentle scent pervading the front porch, but we knew they needed to be pruned soon after their first bloom. That pruning is now a priority as last night’s unrelenting rain has weighed them down.

Before we left for London I bought a new used camera, a Nikon D3300, an affordable upgrade from my antiquated D60; all my lenses fit it, too, so I just needed the body. I opted to not lug it around London, but I’ve been playing with it a lot around the house and gardens. I’m so happy to have my eye back in a viewfinder…

My #2 grandie, Olivia Mayne Casey aka Nova Casey, is graduating from 8th grade this week and we’re so excited! I’ll be snapping pics through my tears! Time flies, doesn’t it? Cherish Every Moment…

Peace

Posted in London 2022!, Weekly Wrap-Up

The one you’ve been waiting for…

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

I know you’re on the edge of your seat waiting for pictures from our London trip…

The easiest, quickest, laziest way to share my pics with you is to make them into these little videos. I didn’t take the time to edit the photos and Lord knows they need it, but when you view them for short seconds, you don’t notice so much how bad they are. Each of the videos lasts about a minute. I used the cheesy music to achieve more of a music video effect rather than a slide show, but I don’t blame you if you want to mute the muzak.

Day 1- Windsor Castle

Day 2 – Buckingham Palace, Queens Walk, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus

Day 3 – London Eye to Tower of London

Day 4 – Westminster Abbey

And a bonus video — Signs and Pubs

My allergies are assaulting my head and throat and my eyes were gommy and sticky this morning. I’d love to be outside, but the pollens are overwhelming my benadryl. I won’t complain (much) since I’ve had these pictures to go through. Hope you enjoy seeing them!

Peace

Posted in growing every season

We’re back!

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

We ran into a little difficulty on our return flights from London on Tuesday morning 4:00am, when our 12:15pm flight was cancelled, but it turned out to be for the best. We had booked our Covid tests, required for re-entry to the US which is stupid, for 8:30am at the airport and though we would have had the results in time for the flight, we would not have made it through security, baggage drop, etc. without a lot of stress. As it was, we caught a 3:15pm flight and had some lunch, bought some souvenirs at Heathrow. We arrived at DFW about 7:30 to find that our Eville-bound flight was delayed, giving us more time to navigate our way to the gate, but we didn’t make it home until 11:30am — about 25 hours after I woke up in London.

I was pretty pooped yesterday, but managed to get my tomatoes in the ground. I’m waiting to put out the bell peppers and basil until the predicted storms pass. No hurry, as we are supposed to have beautiful weather by Mothers’ Day and all of next week. I’m stocked with seeds, ready to dig…

Saturday is the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby, so it’s time to do some stretegery and calculate the winner. We can’t just bet the Baffert horse this year, so it’s a little more challenging. Historically I’ve made more winning wagers on the Fillies, so I’ve got to focus first on tomorrow’s Oaks, also in its 148th year. I have been spending the same $$ for years now, managing to eek out a profit for quite a while, but last year nearly wiped me out. This is my year, though…

On our last evening in London, we took a quick walk around Kensington Gardens, through Queens Gate past the Prince Albert Memorial to the Peter Pan Statue near the Serpentine, then back to Round Pond and Kensington Palace, finishing up exiting at Queens Gate. It was a lovely way to end our trip. The video only takes a minute…

Peace

Posted in London 2022!

London Calling

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

No Clash…in fact, we’re feeling very much at home now as we finish up our 3rd day here. All has gone well.

Our first day was spent touring Windsor Castle.

Our second day we walked 10 miles, from our hotel through Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace, then past Westminster Abbey and Big Ben across the Thames to Queens Walk. We proceeded all the way down to Tate Modern where we stopped spent some time. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre doesn’t look at all like it does in the ads, but the gift shop is nice. We crossed Waterloo Bridge to Trafalgar Square and visited the National Gallery where we ate before we roamed their collections, then strolled through Piccadilly Circus to Green Park and on to Buckingham Palace and through the Hyde Park back to the hotel.

Today, our 3rd day, we took the Gloucester Road tube to Westminster, then back across the bridge to the London Eye. That was kinda fun and very viewful… We walked from there past London Bridge to Tower Bridge where we crossed over to the Tower of London. The Beefeater tour was so informative and funny; I loved seeing the Crown Jewels. Just up the hill was the tube station where we made a quick connection back to Gloucester Road.

The food has been so-so, but expensive. Our hotel bar stocks Magners Pear, my Favorite Cider Drink of All Time. I usually drink it at the Rose and Crown in Epcot and have never found it Anywhere else, even NYC, so I am filling up regularly while I can.

Tomorrow we wind up with Westminster Abbey for sure, but the rest of the day we’ll wander through the parks and such.

You know what? This place is really not even as big as Disney World, kind of a shock to me, even though NYC also surprised me with how easily you can walk to Everything. I’ve adopted a British accent, learnt from listening to the voice on the tube, and avidly Look Right, Look Left, and Mind the Gap…

We’ll be home late Tuesday night and probably sleep all day Wednesday, but by next week I will have sorted through the photos and will share.

Thanks to Michael for keeping an eye on the cat and our plants.

Peace