Category: Summer at Sonnystone

Posted in 2019, Summer at Sonnystone, Weekly Wrap-Up

Monday, again…

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

sigh< this summer has been a real bust for sunshine.  I can remember other summers that were this rainy, but I complained about them, too.  I have Not gotten to the point where I miss the every-day-above-90degrees-and-Humid summers, though.

My friend, Karen, …who I wrote about here… was in town last week; her Mom died on the 17th.  It’s most likely the last time she’ll be back to Eville, so our hugs were especially heartfelt…

I Really Will be down to Navarre sometime on our travels next year, dear friend, and we’ll get happier pictures then.

I saw the surgeon last week and he plans to do a little exploring and see how deeply the damned infection went into my leg.  He said it’s okay to go on to New Mexico, though, and we scheduled the surgery for Monday, September 23.  Because I’ll need to do some pre-op labs before then, we changed around our trip.

We’ve taken away the Colorado component at the end of the trip.  We’ll leave four days earlier, on September 4, and spend those extra days in Santa Fe.  Thanks to my high-school-homeroom pal’s suggestion,  I added a visit to Ojo Caliente, higher up in the mountains from Taos.  Our drives to Abuqui and Ojo will be much easier from the Santa Fe KOA. We’ll move down to the Albuquerque KOA on 9/10 just as I’d previously planned and have those five days to explore there…and loaf around.  We’ll be back on the 18th and I’ll get those pre-op labs on the 20th–voila!!

I admit I dread this surgery–who wouldn’t?  The doctor says I’ll be fine the next day.  I’m sure I will be…no worries.

But I’m super excited about the Trip…  The meaning of the Zia Sun Symbol speaks to my Heart…Perhaps my DNA doesn’t have Zia ancestry, but I believe my Soul does.

 

We’re slowly but surely pulling up the edible garden plants. Around on the Bird/porch garden, my begonias are still gorgeous, and the birds are enjoying the purple coneflower and black-eyed Susans.

See that wood up against the fence beyond the bird in the picture below…

That is what will keep us warm this year.  When a tree falls in our woods, Casey is there with his chainsaw to cut it into manageable chunks and bring it up where he can split it into woodburner-size logs.  This week he’s renting the splitter and will spend All Day working it.   In the past, he has moved the finished product from there to the north fence, then brings it in to the front porch as needed.

Weather can make that second move a bit risky for an Old Man like him, so we’ll put as much as we can (which should be a lot, if not all of it)  on the front porch.    I’ve come up with some ideas to store the wicker which will make it one-stop-stacking.  Our utility bills are amazingly low for this old house thanks to Casey’s work.  It is truly a year-round job…

He is Always Keeping busy, surprising me with this special Sign…

She is officially christened…a little late, but hey…

 Enjoy your week…

Peace

 

 

 

Posted in 2019, Monday Musings, Summer at Sonnystone

More Monday musing…

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

Since the girls left, we’ve gone back to our no-routine routine.  Casey’s always busy with something, as usual, but even he stopped to just relax in the pool yesterday.  A Big Wind blew through yesterday afternoon and he’ll stay busy this morning cleaning up the leaves and branches.

I still won’t go out in the grass (chiggerphobia) until this Thing on my thigh is completely healed.  To that end, I have an appointment with a surgeon on Wednesday.  I feel a little silly because it is now so small, but I want to hear what he thinks about potential re-infection.  I’m on another round of antibiotics and would like to stop that pattern.

I’ve got to do Maintenance this week:  mani/pedi, hair highlights.  I’m working my way through the vegetables, eating a lot of buttery zucchini, sliced tomatoes, and dipped bell peppers.  I think I’m losing weight, but my scale is still weighing in stones…I think I like it better that way…

It will be three weeks until we set out on our NM-CO Adventure.  Our first Long trip in the trailer was three years ago to Santa Fe, NM.  We were so green and learned so much.  Casey was still working, so our time was restricted—six days driving, three days there!!

We went to Bandelier National Park our first day.  The hike we took was perfect for me, though I did not climb too high on the ladders…

August, 2016
August, 2016

The next morning, trying to take a decent picture from the overlook of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, I tripped and fell…bloodied both knees and scraped up my hands…I soldiered on, griping and with a few tears…

August 2016

I limped around Taos and we enjoyed lunch at a nearly-empty La Fonda where the chef came out and brought us extras of his soups….

August 2016
August 2016

But the Pueblo was closed and we missed the High Road going back to Santa Fe and that just clinched it:  we’d have to go back someday.

I fell in Love with Santa Fe.  It vibrates with history.  I loved the Plaza and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (the Mother Church).  As we had our dinner on a balcony, we could see the musicians beginning to arrive to busk for the evening.  We didn’t have time to see the Georgia O’Keefe Museum, so we knew it:  we’d have to go back someday.

August 2016
August 2016

Someday is nearly here, but there’s little to do but plan it right now.  I’m dubbing it the KOA tour, as we’ll be staying at KOAs in Joplin, MO,  Amarillo, TX,  Albuquerque/Bernalillo, NM,  Pueblo/Colorado City, CO,  and Salina, KS.  As members we receive a 10% discount on already-low-prices; we’ve collected $20 worth of reward points, and one night will be $0 as part of their semi-annual Free Night…maybe I should call it the Cheap-o Tour.

We’ll take the High Road to Taos this time and I’ll watch where I’m stepping.  I am pumped for the O’Keefe museum and a tour of her home and studio, Abiquiu.  Petroglyphs National Park has long been on my list of places to see, not only because I’ve heard of alien sightings there, but also because I’m intrigued by petroglyphs.  Nearby is Old Town Albuquerque which deserves a visit, if only for the shopping.  There’s plenty more to do and we’ll be staying five days so we can get it all done and still have some time in the pool…

We decided to return home via Colorado, but you may have guessed I’m not into those Really Tall Mountains except from afar. The air is way too thin on Pike’s Peak for an old smoker.

We’ll stay a couple of days and do some tourist-y stuff…

Until it’s really time to get ready for the trip, I’ll be hanging out, doing whatever. I’ve been on a not-reading-books binge for a couple of months, but the night before the Joses left I broke the spell and stayed up all night to finish “Relative Fortune”.  I uninstalled Candy Crush and I’m on a Reading spree!

I’m going to get out the Ancestors photos and get started posting those over at the Ancestry blog.  Maybe I’ll see you there.

I’ll let you know if there’s any News…

Peace

Posted in 2019, Summer at Sonnystone, Weekly Wrap-Up

One Week at a Time

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

We’re resting after a busy week here at Sonnystone.  My thigh returned to its normal size after two weeks of antibiotics and I’m feeling much better.  That said, there is still some yuck left and I’m going to visit my NP next week and see if we need further treatment. This is a persistent bug I’ve been growing and I want it totally eradicated, never to return.

I may never go back to wearing pants… Unable to wear my usual uniform of shorts and shirts, I’ve bought several dresses and skirts that are so much more comfortable.  I feel a little like I’m walking around in my nightgown in the dresses, but I’m getting used to it.  Hell, I may burn my bras (again) and live in Total Comfort…

Casey, Michael, Olivia, Samantha, and I went out to Ellis Park on Friday.  I don’t think I have been to the track more than once each year in the four years since I worked there.  I was seriously burnt out after watching 300+ races per season x 5 seasons, but when I’m there I miss the days when Mom, Sister, or Cousins were likely to show up, too.  Olivia picked a winner and won $4.60–excellent payout for a $2 show bet, but the horse was 31-1! I came home po’.

I’m officially into Prep Week for the Upcoming Camp Sonnystone… Cleaning and menu planning, mostly.  Emma usually requests caprese using my garden’s basil and tomatoes under thick slices of fresh mozzarella drizzled with balsamic– which makes my mouth water thinking about it  Not all of the kids share my zest for tomatoes, but I have convinced them that my tomatoes are nothing like the tomatoes they eat in restaurants.  Everyone loves to pick the cherry tomatoes and pop them into their mouths right off the vine!

The best part of Camp Sonnystone is making the Sign with their handprintsand doing the annual height measurement.  The girls are growing 4-6 inches a year, forcing JoJo to acknowledge the passing of time. The sign has to be engineered to fit Large hands now.

We Will be painting birdhouses and there Will be Music and Dancing and Games.  Of course, we’ll have to go back to Ellis Park, too…and maybe New Harmony… Henderson is having their Bluegrass Fest the week-end the girls are here…  And you know, they are just such nice company!!!

I’m trying to stay calm…

So we’ll pick the Jose’ fam up next Sunday around 10:30am our time…

6 more days..

Peace

 

 

Posted in 2019, Summer at Sonnystone, Weekly Wrap-Up

Monday’s News

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

The Rain was unrelenting this morning, and I woke up to a Sonnystone Acres shrouded with drab drab.

But there’s a Bright Spot on my calendar, bright enough to dispel the Any gloom:  The New York City Girls and their Mother will be Arriving on August 4!!  Melissa will be staying until the 7th; Emma and Eliza will stay until I take them back to NYC on the 14th.

Because Olivia has to start school on the 7th, we’ll do an abbreviated Camp Sonnystone from 8/4-8/6.  We still haven’t decided on a Theme, but we’ll brainstorm once we’re all together. I haven’t seen Emma and Eliza since March at Disney, so I am Ready to give them some hugs and have them hang out with me.

I should probably insert the brag here that the Girls are Rocking the Irish Dance World.  Just last week Emma got her first 1st in champion level and Eliza got three 3rds in her new prelim level.

I am weaning myself off of Ancestry in prep for the Visit.  I am to a place of blogging the ancestors where I need to start a new line of research on several grandmothers’ families which will take weeks.  It’s hard to stop, though!  Check out my latest post great-great-grandparents Leander and Emma Mayne ,

Livvy, Sam, and I went back to the Zoo to visit the Budgies last week… I really love those Parakeets, but you have to be patient.  I have the Jr girls for a day this week and I wouldn’t be surprised if we went Again…and of course we’ll take the New Yorkers. when they are here.

I’ve got to open up the upstairs and get the rooms ready, but not much else.  I can hardly wait! I’m horrible at doing countdowns — does today count — but I think it’s about 12 more days..!

Peace