December 20, 2018

The last 2 weeks…

By Jo Mayne Casey ¶ Posted in 2018, Christmas, Christmas at Sonnystone 2018, Photos, Sonnystone at Christmas, updates ¶ Tagged art, Christmas 2018, family, grandkids, New York at Christmas ¶ Leave a comment

It seems like forever since I’ve blogged, but with good reason. I always feel a little guilty when I don’t keep ya’ll up-to-date with the latest coming and goings around the Acres, but sometimes life is just too full of Now to stop and write about it…and that’s all right with me.

Olivia played the piano beautifully at her recital on the 8th. The grandkids are sure growing up fast… I have a lovely video of her performance of “Belle”, but WP makes it difficult to upload videos, so all you get today is a pic…

We flew to NYC on the 11th…remind me not to take the earliest flight on earth next time. We arrived early enough to pick up Eliza from school, the first time I’ve visited there. She took the next two days off to hang around with us…

Early our first morning, we took the subway to Rockefeller Center for the NBC Studio Tour. It was so incredibly cool. At the end of the eye-opening tour — who knew the SNL set was so small? — the do a video of a “late night talk show”. I can’t take the time to upload it to wordpress and you probably wouldn’t watch it anyway, but Eliza was the announcer and I was the guest. It is hilarious. So fun.

We spent Thursday hanging out, decorating the tree and playing games. Emma was there, too, but Emma will be 13 next month…if you know what I mean…

Friday both girls were back in school. Eric, Melissa, PawPaw, and I spent the day traipsing through the Oculis and over to the Whitney to view the Warhol exhibit. It was as good as Warhol, but I thought there might be more… Seems like I had seen many of them already…am I getting jaded?

Or maybe it’s because NYC surrounds a person with art…like here on the High Line…

Saturday morning found us at Radio City Music Hall for the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular, our annual tradition. This was the 14th visit for my daughter and me, and the show has changed for the better. I told them last year we needed to just concentrate on the dancers and they took my advice. They added new music, new choreography, more light-show stuff, while keeping the old favorites…though they don’t do the Santas with mirrors anymore.

I just realized that my obsession with the Spectacular is as strong as my obsession with Disney….okay, not quite, but I do tend to repeat my good experiences again and again.

We flew back home Sunday and spent Monday doing laundry and at the grocery store. We’ve had Samantha for the last 2 days and that’s as much a workout as walking NYC. Olivia’s out of school now, so they’ll be here for a sleepover tonight. I still have to buy gifts…and get these witch nails manicured…and get more food…

Our Christmas with the Jrs. will be this Sunday and by Monday the sound of the silence will be strong… I’ll have plenty of time to write…

Jingle All the Way…

Peace

November 7, 2018

By Jo Mayne Casey ¶ Posted in 2018, Autumn at Sonnystone Acres, November Writing Challenge, Uncategorized, updates ¶ Tagged family, grandkids, peace ¶ 3 Comments

My daughter-in-law’s surgery went fine and she is back home loopy on meds, so I’m still doing the chauffering for her. It was about 8pm last night that Michael brought her home, so I had Samantha asleep and Olivia at least in her room — I felt like a real Mama. Samantha gets out of pre-school at noon, so I’ll just say “hey” and get back to work…

I’m glad the election is finally over, but it won’t stop the incessant roar of anger in this country. I continue to avoid watching cable news, facebook, and twitter, though facebook, for me, seems the mildest of the three. Facebook just hasn’t been showing me much more than ads until recently when folks (and their cute kids) started popping up–finally a reason to hit the like button..! Believe me, a person can stay informed without the shrill and shriek of the talking heads manipulating and triggering emotions…

Casey is out putting some cages around the rose bushes. There are some tall canes that I fear will be destroyed by winter snows. Our first “snowfall” is predicted for next week…the kind that melts by noon…but we’ll be ready for anything.

Getting up early and getting out of the hou-hou-house seems like such a new/old experience. Out there in the early morning with the school buses sends me back in time when I had places to go and things to do…and stress out the wazoo. I’m glad I can help the kids out and take a little of the stress off of them. Soon enough I’ll be back here with plenty of time to write.

Perfunctory Picture

Peace

August 12, 2018

Weekly Wrap-Up

By Jo Mayne Casey ¶ Posted in 2018, Summer at Sonnystone, updates, week-end wrap-up ¶ Tagged family, Friends, Projects ¶ 1 Comment

Wow, another quick week… Is time speeding up or is it just me? Okay, I know Einstein proved that the closer a person comes to the speed of Light, the slower time goes…my lollygagging and sauntering is pretty far from 186,000 miles per second, so maybe I Am speeding up time… (sorry if I just offended you with some science; you don’t actually have to believe it to make it so)

Monday I hung out with Samantha while her big sis went to the allergy doctor. Olivia has a peanut allergy and freaks out every year when she has her blood drawn. Happily, this year they didn’t test her, so she came over and played with us for a while afterward, too, though I’ve only got the pics of S, dancing…

Tuesday was Dentist Day. I really love my new dentist, not just because everybody in the office is super, but mostly because they let me pick a prize from a big suitcase every time I visit! I got a candle this time!

Wednesday was Super Special. I drove over to Southern Illinois, site of my illustrious beginnings, because my dear friend Kathy was in Carmi, staying at her sisters’. First, however, I stopped off 15 miles up the road in Grayville to visit with Uncle Jr, who is doing great at the Home over there. Jimmy had finally brought over some pictures and we talked about his Mom and Dad (my grandma and grandpa Eaton) and his brothers and sisters. I always greet him with “Hi, Uncle Junior! It’s me, Jo, Ruby’s girl” So far, he acts like he knows me, but he might think I’m my sister…that’s okay, too… I’m not sure I have this picture of Grandma and Grandpa, so I took a quick shot through the frame. When I go back, I’ll take tomatoes and do better…

I met Kathy back in August, 1971, as we moved into the dorms at Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing. The friendship that started then, deepened into a True Love for each other that has only grown over the years. Our outsides are not much alike, but if you saw our insides you’d think we were twins!! We had many adventures before Life moved us apart. I thank the Internet that I found her again (even her parents had moved) and we have managed to get together every year for, gee, about 10 years now!

Arriving in Carmi, I Finally got to meet Kathy’s oldest daughter, Devon, and her son, Olsen. I felt such Peace emanating from Devon, and as for Olsen—too, too cute, sweet, and darling.

Olsen Scott McClurken

Jo and Kathy Jo

Karen and Devon, ignoring me…

Her sisters, Judy, Karen, and Denise, were there, too, so it was real Family time. It was nice to see how Families stick together through thick and thin, supporting and encouraging each other. I was a little jealous… These women, far from perfect, have not even considered walking away, severing the relationship, or using a person’s mental status to judge and reject. Of course, close relationships go through times of strain and tension, but Sibling Bonds were designed to Last Forever. Yeah, I envy the Love that those Sisters Share, a bond that cannot be broken. Luckily for me, Kathy and I share that same Sister Bond.

Saturday was my daughter-in-law’s (Jess) birthday! My heart is full of love and respect for this young lady. Here’s to many more birthdays and un-birthdays for Jessica!

The main show, however, is the back porch… While I gallavanted around, speeding up and slowing down time, Casey was keeping a steady pace building my “greenhouse” walkway.

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On August 5 Casey and I marked 40 years since our first date, and this week we’ll celebrate 38 years of wedded (or is it weeded) bliss. I’ll write something appropriately gooey for that. Till then…

Peace

July 29, 2018

Finishing up July…

By Jo Mayne Casey ¶ Posted in 2018, Summer at Sonnystone, updates, Weekly Wrap-Up ¶ Tagged family, home, Projects ¶ 3 Comments

It’s been just over a week since the house emptied out, though we did have Olivia and Samantha on Thursday. Mostly we’ve been putting the house back in order and trying to make the best of the garden. Weather went from hellishly humid to pleasant, but only enough rain to stir the dust up. You can catch up on the garden at Growing Every Season.

Anyway, I had been hoping to get away to Asheville and meet up with some cousins and see Michael Franti, but babysitting duties called and we were just too tuckered out to load up and travel. I was there in spirit, though…

I was a little grumpy about it, but Casey started right in with a Major Project, one we’ve been talking about for ages.

You see, you have to step out of our kitchen door and walk about 15 feet to our laundry room. This can be a real pain in the ass. We built on a screen porch, then built a kind of walkway between the porch and the door, but over the years, it has proved to be less than adequate. We’ve stared and figured a dozen different ways to make it work, and recently agreed just how it should be done.

In the end, it will be like a greenhouse, but right now it looks pretty shabby. I’m excited to have it done before winter, but it will take at least a month of Casey obsessing…

…which added to my grumpiness, since we’ll have to stay home the whole month. Not that there isn’t plenty to do just eating tomatoes…and there are no less than a dozen bell peppers that need to be harvested,

So the old wise woke woman sat down and made a list of things to do around Eville, places to visit that I haven’t seen in a while, or upcoming events. I was rather surprised that there is so much to do! I also listed the activities I love to pursue in solitude: playing the piano, practicing yoga, reading, writing, and listening to music and singing along with my favorite songs. There’s some good cooking and grilling to be done this time of year, as well.

August is going to be a sort of on-the-road-retreat kind of month… Never a Dull Moment…

Peace

July 11, 2018

My Progeny

By Jo Mayne Casey ¶ Posted in 2018, Camp Sonnystone 2018, Summer at Sonnystone, Uncategorized ¶ Tagged Camp Sonnystone 2018, family, Offspring ¶ Leave a comment

Without these two — Michael and Melissa — the grandies would be only a dream. You already know how much I love and respect them, and it’s nice to see them together.

Camp is going strong, but today I’ve had a sick day. Not sure what’s going on with me, chills and sweats and sour stomach.

So I’ll get back with you tomorrow and share pics of the activities…

Peace

March 17, 2018

Fam, beach, & car trouble

By Jo Mayne Casey ¶ Posted in 2018, Travelogue, Trippin' in the Trailer ¶ Tagged family, Trailer Trippin', Travel, Travelogue ¶ Leave a comment

I would have stayed in Melbourne much longer, but it’s that Snowbird infestation that snaps up all the good campgrounds. The closest we could stay was here at space coast rv in Rockledge and it is not our style at all, with narrow alleys between crammed-in sites. The cost is waayy more than it’s worth, and the wi-fi is extra! We are in this particular area mostly because my Aunt Shirley lives here, very close to her daughter-caregiver, my beautiful cousin, Kim.

We spent Thursday afternoon with Aunt Shirley, took her to the grocery store, and enjoyed a little chicken together. Kim came by and we followed her home and the evening flew by, jabbering and yacking and doing a Whole Lot of Laughing! I love that girl! And her daughter, Shianne, too! And her son, Jon-Jon! We had a blast…

The next morning, we were heading down to the beach and as soon as we started the car we noticed it was running really bumpy, missing a beat kind-of. We turned around, went to an Autozone near our camp and did a diagnostic scan: #3 cylinder mis-fire. Back at the trailer, Casey got under the hood and found a hose was dripping antifreeze right on that spark plug. He walked over to the Lowe’s right behind us and bought a hose clamp, put it on and tightened everything. We proceeded to take a Test Drive down to Melbourne Beach…

The hose clamp stopped the leaking, but the mis-fire continues and will until we can get back home… We drove by Aunt Shirley’s and gave her (and her dog, Leo) another hug. Back at the trailer, we started to ready for leaving.

We toured a campground that is just what we are looking for — perfect location, lots of trees, and space between the sites. Our current plan is make Melbourne our March home in 2019, maybe forever. I really like it here!!

We’re leaving about 10:30, driving the 1.5hours to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground, where we’ll be staying for a week. The Jose’ family will be arriving Sunday morning and we’ll be there to greet them and kick off another Great Disney Adventure.

Peace