Category: Sunday Report

Posted in Sunday Report

Snowbound

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

Gazing out of my windows, I watch the birds fighting for a spot at the feeders and queuing up for a drink at the water bowl. The black birds want to hog the food, so we occasionally bang on the windows and clear them out, giving the smaller birds an brief opening to get into the troughs. Tough to get pictures from inside…

Intermittently, the snow will change over to ice or sleet, then revert back to innocent, puffy flakes. It’s all very pretty, a blank slate, ready for a new Dopamine Menu.

After a week of inner whining, this fresh view is just what I needed to regain my peace. We’ve put away the Christmas decorations, and I’ve taken this opportunity to move furniture, rearrange shelves, and re-think where it all goes- or should it be displayed at all? This has extended to our upstairs, where I’ve stashed the heirlooms that my brother recently brought over, and there’s a good deal of work that needs to be done. It probably seems odd to put this task on my Menu for January, but once I get started, I really enjoy organizing and the added nostalgia will trigger heap big emotion.

January Dopamine Menu

  • Try two new recipes
  • Learn Handel’s Water Suite
  • Organize heirlooms and photos
  • Read four books, one from each of these genres: biography, mystery, science fiction, and historical fiction.
  • Lunch with friends x2
  • Willard Library, Zoo, Museum
  • Creative Writing Class (starts January 7) (more on that next week)

While we were in NYC, we watched all the current episodes of “Shrinking” and I loved it. I’m looking for something that will grab me like that series did. We don’t have any paid channels, but free stuff like Pluto gives us access to a lot of old shows that we can watch in order — Casey’s working his way through Gunsmoke– but I can’t decide what I’ll stick with. Any suggestions?

Jojo’s Academy of Music will resume classes next week! Samantha and I were at the Mall yesterday, where she got me all caught up with her Christmas fun and we tried on hats…

Since Casey retired, I don’t mind our winters so much, but ask me again in about 6 weeks. I doubt I’ll be calling this snow “pretty” next week, but today it’s gorgeous and the fire is warm.

Hope it’s cozy in your neck of the woods!

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

A jolly week…

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

Ah, the joy of rising before the sun comes up! – Put that in the category of “things I never thought I would say”, but waking up at 5am several days this week to transport the Jr girls to their appointed destinations was kinda fun. Of course, I made up for the loss of my beauty sleep with a beauty nap, so don’t worry about me..

Last Sunday, Samantha and I attended the Eville Philharmonic Peppermint Pops concert and it was a real Winner! It’s been a while since I was able to sing-a-long with the Hallelujah Chorus and I gave it my all, singing all parts but in baritone range…I’m sure the folks in front of me were impressed!

Yesterday evening, we were treated to the Evansville Music Academy Winter recital, where Nova sang, “The Challenge”. She did a wonderful job and looked lovely.

Samantha came over today to lend a hand with cutting out some sugar cookies, and to play some Christmas duets with me. She was uncharacteristically not hungry, so I’ve had to bear the brunt of eating the cookies with little help…alas!

Next week, we’ll be having our Christmas with the Jrs–that’s right just Six More Days.! Time to pick up the pace, but maintain the Calm and Bright.

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

17 more days

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

The decorating is done! Well, we still don’t have the ornaments on our main tree, just waiting for some grandie-type help with that, but the rest is in place.

We have added a tree this year, a $1 rummage-sale find. bought it for the lights, which we removed and put in Goldie, and because I have this box of vintage bulb ornaments that I knew would look great on an aluminum tree.

We had an aluminum tree when I was a youngster, from age 8 to probably 18! It was a full silver with the four-color lamp projecting red, green, gold, and blue on to it like a screen. I would spend hours staring at the tree, listening to the Goodyear Christmas Albums. I still listen to those albums, and still turn out all the lights except the Christmas tree and stare.

Our Mr&Mrs Claus collection is displayed in the diner this year. We’re always on the prowl for more, but it’s been a while since we found any.

After updating the decorations at the Eaton gravesite, we met up with cousins Lana and Charley for lunch yesterday. We’d hoped cousin Jeff would be able to tag along, but he was out of town. I forgot to get a selfie inside, so here we are grabbing a last-minute pic, saying, I can’t see a thing as we peer into the phone.

Today Samantha and I are off to hear the Evansville Philarmonic Orchestra’s Peppermint Pops! This will be her first encounter with Mayne tradition, taught well by my Dad, to arrive way too early, sit in your seat with a clear view of the stage until the last five minutes when Big & Tall guy with a large cranium supported by a thick neck sits directly in front of you and that’s all you see for the rest of the event. It’s a fact…

Next week we are running the Jojo and Grandpa Taxi service for the Jr. girls while their Mama is on a business trip to Maryland. Though we have to get up ungodly early, I’m pretty excited to be needed.

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

December dopamine menu

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

We had a nice Thanksgiving with this crew, for whom I am eternally grateful.

We woke up to a couple of inches of fluffy snow this morning — nice touch, Cosmo, and very conducive to our ongoing (and on) hanging of the Greens.

Three more weeks of waning light until Earth’s wobble will turn us back toward the Sun and these incredible shrinking days will slowly begin to expand. Until then, it’s time to make the best of those 5 or so hours of daylight!

I’ve been writing out a monthly dopamine menu, which is a list of activities to do that trigger the release of dopamine, our homemade pleasure chemical, in the brain. December’s menu pretty much writes itself: Do All Things Christmas-y: Play the Music! Bake cookies! Buy Presents! Watch the sappy TV movies! Deck the Fa-la-la out of the Halls! I’ll be working in a trip to Grayville for a cousin luncheon, a visit to the Zoo and the Eville Museum, and Nova has a Vocal recital on the 14th. We’re planning a Winter Solstice Celebration on the 21st, hopefully lighting a Yule Log outside in my circle. Did I mention that my daughter has a birthday on the 20th? It’s going to be a lovely month, full of love and family.

Since Emma is not home from Colgate until 12/18, we have had to change up our 20-year-old Rockettes tradition–We will be going to a 5pm performance on Boxing Day (12/26). Casey and I will fly out of Nashville on Christmas morning and stay with the Joses until the 29th. We should have time this trip to visit the Met and the MOMA, something we’ve missed doing.

Our Christmas with the Jrs. will be December 22 and will include “Moana 2” — I can hardly wait. We have more plans with my Local girls in the next weeks, so I’ll keep you informed. I know you’ll be waiting with bated breath…

Tis the Season…

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Ready, set…

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

It’s a short Holiday Season this year, thanks to a “late” Thanksgiving. The “4th Thursday in November” makes our American Turkey Day a moveable feast that often intrudes on the Christmas season and this year is about as intruding as it gets.

Our current Thanksgiving Tradition is having the Jr. Family over in the morning to watch the Macy’s Parade. They arrive just before the parade starts, Dunkin’ Donuts in hand. In NYC, the Jose’ Fam are also watching, but Santa and the Mrs. appear on their screen an hour before they fly into our broadcast, a feat of time travel that I do not understand, but it’s true. We lay out a spread of sandwich-makings, some salads, veggies, and chips, and throw in pumpkin and dutch apple pies for dessert. We talk. We laugh. We play a game of some sort.

Our tradition is nothing at all like the Norman Rockwell tradition I grew up with, and I don’t deny that I miss the crowded tables and loud rooms of people of those days, but all those fine cooks have passed on and their grandchildren have children (and grandchildren) of their own.

After the games, the Jrs. have an evening Thanksgiving dinner to attend, and the NYers are either already in Philadelphia or on their way, so by 3pm, we’re alone with the leftovers…and the Christmas decorating begins! I really enjoy decking the halls with fa-la-la and a lot of buffalo plaid…

Casey’s #70 birthday month has been a good one, filled with weekly presents and trips. We’ll sing a rousing rendition of HB on Thanksgiving Day, put a candle in his pie, and wish him well. The actual b-day-date is Saturday, the 30th, and we’ll probably go out for dinner or something.

Celebrating at Loco Burro, Gatlinburg

While we were in Gatlinburg, we went to a hard cider tasting at Smokin’ Banjo. These fruit-based samplings were right up my alley; I really wanted to love the Banjo Blue, made from blueberries, but my favorite was Sweet Heat, a raspberry concoction with a hint of jalapeno. We were persuaded to buy two bottles so they would give us a free bottle of Peach, which was pretty good. Since Michael and Jess are teetotalers, I may have to enlist outside help with drinking these fermentations…

With each sunrise I am granted, I give Thanks for Everything and All — for my Loved Ones (that’s You), for the sun and the moon and the stars and the wise trees, for my home and its gardens and all that grows here, for the many critters and winged ones who feast at my buffet, for the gifts of music and books, for the comradery of marriage, for the wisdom of my ancestors, for the Peace and Joy in my heart.

Sunrise at Sonnystone Acres, November 24, 2024

The composer Aaron Copland left us the beautiful song, “The Promise of Living” from the opera “The Tender Land”, reminding us that Thanksgiving Day was originally a harvest celebration.

The promise of living with hope and thanksgiving
Is born of our loving our friends and our labor.

The promise of growing with faith and with knowing
Is born of our sharing our love with our neighbor.

The promise of loving, the promise of growing
Is born of our singing in joy and thanksgiving.

For many a year we’ve know these fields
And know all the work that makes them yield.
We’re ready to work, we’re ready to lend a hand.
By working together we’ll bring in the blessings of harvest.

We plant each row with seeds of grain,
And Providence sends us the sun and the rain.
By lending a hand, by lending an arm
Bring out the blessings of harvest.

Give thanks there was sunshine, give thanks there was rain,
Give thanks we have hands to deliver the grain.

O let us be joyful, O let us be grateful to the Lord for his blessing.

Hope you’ll be having a grand Thanksgiving week-end!

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

There and Back

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

On Monday morning we drove to Gatlinburg. Our hotel was perfectly located for walking to our main attraction, Anakeesta, and just across the street from the parkway strip of tacky souvenir shops interspersed with moonshine tastings, wine and cider tastings, and restaurants. The Trump Superstore, loaded with fightfightfight shirts and hats, with its storefront a giant thumbs-up Trump, looms over the nearby jason aldean bar…

I began to regret my choice of get-away destinations…

But we learned how to avoid that area and found the best bloody marys in town with a real good hamburger at the Italian place, I don’t know its name.

The weather was beautiful 70degrees and there was little wind, so our gondola rides to the top of Anakeesta were enjoyable, but not sure I’d do this experience in cold weather. I’d been sold on the rope walk in the treetops and we strolled to the back, stopping to shop some.

The place is smaller than I expected, but the rope bridge went on and on and I did not like it — why did I think I would??? Hey, it’s all about birthday boy, and he enjoyed watching me almost-freak-out on the swinging bridges…

We came back down the mountain for lunch and then went back toward sunset and opted to travel up in their truck. About halfway up we stopped to watch a bear slouching alongside us.

We had a drink and got the birthday-guy a new hat, took some pictures…

The next morning, we drove the familiar Little River Road through Smoky Mt. Natl Park toward Cades Cove and Townsend, the peaceful side of the Smokies. This is our usual destination, where we have stayed dozens of times over the last 35 years. The Air and Light are different over there, but I notice it’s growing, with several new galleries and restaurants. I want it to stay quiet! We resisted the urge to drive Cades Cove Loop and headed home.

The mountains helped to clear my mind, but I’m still not okay. I am to S in my CD collection, just past Santana, Bob Seger, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, to Paul Simon. Lord help me, I broke down listening to American Tune…

” I don’t know a soul who’s not been battered
I don’t have a friend who feels at ease
I don’t know a dream that’s not been shattered
Or driven to its knees
Oh, but it’s all right, it’s all right
For we lived so well so long
Still, when I think of the road
We’re traveling on
I wonder what went wrong
I can’t help it, I wonder what’s gone wrong”

I’m ready to haul out the holly, but waiting until Santa and the Mrs. arrive in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I need a little Christmas…

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

No comment

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

I don’t know what to say.

I’m working on writing some words about it over on my Rave on, MadWoman blog, but it’s turning into a therapy session. For now, I am hiding. Since 9:30pm Tuesday I’ve neither heard nor read any news, with the exception of a a tear-filled conversation with my daughter on Wednesday morning. I went through and cut off “friends” I had spent the last months “talking” with over on Threads and Youtube. I’m so mad at myself for getting so emotionally involved, for caring at all!, but all I can do is stop it. I still wake up every morning sick at my stomach, bewildered, grieving. I wish I had some sage advice or comfort, but you could try doing what I do in the face of fear: Hide. Yes, Avoidance R me…

Thanks to my mother’s extreme moods, and the constant loud fighting of both parents, I developed the skill of dissociation at an early age, retreating into my own mind and literally hiding from the Noise in my closet or even under my bed. I don’t have to physically hide anymore, but I “hide” from my thoughts — I have re-organized all of my kitchen drawers, as if it it matters. I’ve read two books and a couple of magazines, and that new Reba show, Happy’s Place, is pleasantly distracting. I’m learning Handel’s Water Music in its entirety. Did I tell you I pulled my old stereo down from the attic, dragged out my extensive CD collection, and started listening in alphabetical order? I’m to Queen now…

I wish there were something more I could do…

Samantha and I were out at the Mall on Friday evening and I discovered that Build-a-Bears can cost a lot less than some of the other crap she likes, and they’re more fun, too.

I was talking to Samantha about the days when our phone stayed home, and if someone called us while were out, we’d Never Know… She was appalled. I asked her if she’d ever heard of a busy signal. Noo… I explained that if someone called Me while my sister was on the phone, they would hear a busy signal and we had No Way of knowing that someone had even called!!! I took her through a timeline of voice mail machines and bulky car phones with giant magnetic antennas. That’s about as far as I got before we arrived at the Donut Bank, but it got me to thinking about how nice it was when you could walk away from your phone., when TV wasn’t 24/7, and there weren’t computers to overwhelm us with sketchy information. I want my Peace Back.

Casey will turn 70 on November 30 and we’ve planned to celebrate in Gatlinburg, TN. We’ve been there for several holidays, but it’s been awhile, so we are very excited to see an attraction that is new to us: Anakeesta, a theme park at the top of a mountain, with zip-lines, mountain coasters, treetop walks, and lots of bars, restaurants, and shopping.

We planned to be there on his birthday-day, but since that would really make for a hectic thanksgiving holiday, we’re grabbing some clear weather and driving tomorrow. It’s about an 8-hour drive, and the weather forecast is sunny, highs in the 60s. Casey is as bummed as I am, so we’re pumped for a road trip.

Stay strong.

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Ghost Fest

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

You may call it Halloween, and most of us know that it’s based on the old pagan celebration of Samhain, but did you know ancient Celts celebrated their New Year on November 1? Look no further for an excuse to party…

The Church appropriated celebration of this new year and called it All Saints and All Souls Days, but it’s an Ancient practice to celebrate our ancestors, to remember our departed family members on those days, November 1 and 2, when the veil between the OtherWorld and ours is thin and the spirits can come in and party with us.

So it was that I invited a bunch of ghosts for a soiree on Friday…

While the Ancestors hob-nobbed around the marigolds and fresh fruit, Samantha joined us down at the fire circle for some hot dogs.

I quite like the idea of starting the Wheel of the Year on these days. There is a certain slant of light that changes the very air to Gold if you can see it just so. The Colors of Autumn are my favorites, so there has to be some time spent walking through crunchy leaves each time this season rolls around. To that end, we visited a nearby park and crunched away…

We’ll be voting Tuesday. Walks in the woods are an essential part of my stay sane strategy for maneuvering through this election cycle. Hope you have a plan, too!

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Just a thought or two…

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

So last Sunday, I saw the University of Evansville Theatre production of “Into the Woods”.

This beautiful Stephen Sondheim musical was introduced to me by my daughter when she was in high school, around 1990 or so, and played a VHS tape of the original Broadway performance over and over…and over. More recently, 2022, she and I saw the revived Broadway production together. I really love this musical; it is so complex and the music is so good. The UE production was nothing like what I saw on the tape or the Broadway stage. This version took place in a library, where the librarian is actually reading the fairy tale to some children. The scenery remained the library, though the children moved off stage until the end. It was much lighter, with laughs and broad characterizations — like a fairy tale! — where you feel a lot of fears and tears in the Broadway version. But the Music, the wonderful writing of James Lapine and compositions by Stephen Sondheim, was the same and well-sung by the talented cast of Theatre majors. I really loved it!

I always feel guilty when I miss a week of blogging, like I’ve really let you down. I give myself frequent hell for the whole time, every day thinking I’m a such a heel for just abandoning you, my faithful readers.

Your numbers have dwindled from my heyday of blogging, when I often blogged daily, taking on such taxing tasks like watching/reviewing every “Best Movie” Oscar winner, or taking you on a tour of my cd collection. You remember many incarnations of my gardens and home and were present when I got my baby grand piano.

Back then, I was working as a school nurse and a church organist, and track nurse during the horse racing season, There were grandchildren arriving every couple of years, so there was plenty of material for interesting blogs, with pictures of babies to attract the attention of the masses.

You were there when I retired, rather bitterly, and left a nice efu to my bosses at the school corporation right here on this blog. When Casey retired and we bought the travel trailer and started our travels, I blogged every trip and you rode along. Dear readers, you have taken 12 Disney trips with me and none of you complained!

The problem became for me that I was living my life like a commentary, seeing everything through its description or its photograph and I was feeling very detached, even dissociated from the Present Moment, aka Now. So I quit blogging, said my good-byes, and effectively moved back toward mindfulness.

But I missed you and I think y’all missed me, as well. We’ve got a thing going here, let’s face it. So I’ve attempted to post weekly, but once I took my mind off acquiring content, I’ve found it difficult to get back into the habit, especially during the slow times when not much is happening.

I also have a blog named All My Ancestors that tells the stories of many of my forebears (who are not, actually, bears). It is a work of love, as is my garden blog, Growing Every Season, but it’s nothing like this comfortable OG blog, Sonnystone Acres, where the News is just blather and balderdash. I really enjoy sitting down and talking with you every Sunday and appreciate your loyalty.

We’re going to go for a Fall Foliage ride this week, destination to be decided later, but I Will remember to take some pictures. Have a happy Halloween, if that’s your jam.

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Evening Edition

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

We had a beautifully sunny week here at Sonnystone Acres. I have trimmed, pruned, and potted the tender perennials to bring in for the winter. They’re still enjoying the fresh air outdoors, but soon enough we’ll be bringing them into the shed, where a sunny area is arranged for them. I harvested about 3/4 of the green beans, but the peas and zucchini are a bust. I started out with four coleus and have added four more plants and four more in water, waiting to root. I’m thinking they’ll make nice Christmas gifts…

We never did make it down to the Fall Festival, but the Jr. Girls both marched in the parade Saturday. Look at my little cowgirls…

We were in New Harmony on Saturday for the Wilson monthly auction. We’re just getting our feet wet, learning how to bid at these things, and enjoying the heck out of it. As previously mentioned, I don’t need More Junk, but… A Bargain is a bargain – how can you pass it up? Casey is just as much a junker as I am with the tools and lawn equipment, so this could make for some expensive diversion.

We’re supposed to have our first frost this week and temps are plunging. I’m happy to say good-bye to the 80s, and ready for sweater weather, but some rain would be nice.

Hope you’re enjoying Life in your neck of the woods.

Peace