Posted in Camp Sonnystone 2023, Sunday Report

Camp Sonnystone 2023: the Movie…

Just as I had anticipated, the days of Real Camp are over; the activities such as tie-dying, painting canvasses and birdhouses, making stained-glass thingies, playing in the pool, going to the zoo and the library long gone. We did paint some of the old birdhouses, and we did go to watch the horses run, but there was no camp theme song or ride in Grandpawpaw’s tractor.

But there was the usual celebration with Eville family and we even added a new member when Haley brought her new fiance’, Logan, along — Congratulations, Haley and Logan! And, of course, we made a sign with our Word of the Year: Harmony.

Since I took so few pictures, this year’s Movie is very repetitious but the subjects are darling. The music is from Clint Black’s D’lectrified album from wayback and he’s singing with Kenny Loggins, who wrote the song, “Harmony”. Sony mutes the sound on YouTube or Facebook, so this is the only place you can see it all — for now, anyway. Give it a watch..

August looks nice and easy, harvesting and preserving as well as putting out a second crop of squash and green beans, planting some peas when it’s a little bit cooler. I’ve got some books I’ve been trying to read for a while, and I hear Only Murders in the Building will soon start their 3rd season and I haven’t seen season 2, so there’s that. Hope you’re relaxing in your neck of the woods…

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Jubilee Update

Since celebrating my #70 in February, my plans for a moveable feast have been changed and then changed again to accommodate reality, that intrusive bugger. Seems, for some unfathomable reason, other people’s lives don’t revolve around Me and my need for attention/adulation, so this year has been like all the others with a lot of gardening and lazing around the house, reading, writing, swinging, floating. Being Content with each day as it comes is a Good kind of Celebration, a living Jubilee.

This week the party kicks in when the New Yorkers arrive. They’ll only be here a week, Thursday 7-27 to Wednesday 8-2, and it will be packed with fun. We’ll have an abbreviated Camp Sonnystone, go to Ellis Park for some horse racing, see the Barbie movie, have a picnic and shoot the tater gun, eat a lot of fresh veggies and watermelon, stay cool in the pool, and just generally Jubilee. The stage floor is set up in the shed and the Irish Dance will be ubiquitous. The Jrs will be joining the festivities, of course, and if you would like to run by, send me a DM or text.

Other than stocking food and one last run of the sweeper and duster, we’re ready. There will be pictures and videos, so stay tuned!

Peace

Posted in Jubilee, Sunday Report

Home again

Thanks, dear friends, for the many happy-birthday-wishes. The Jubilee has just begun! Day 4 of being 70 is showing promise as we unpack and plow through the laundry.

Our trip was Super! We did several things that we’d never done before: watched the sunset from Topolino’s Terrace, ate lunch at La Creperie in France, and rode Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind.

Cosmic Rewind is the BEST RIDE EVER!!! so we rode it twice.

On my Birthday Evening, we were gifted with reservations at Raglan Road, where we met up with one of the Irish Dancers there who made it such a special treat. We watched the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach at Fort Wilderness, visited Port Orleans French Quarter to celebrate Mardi Gras, and basked in some beautiful sunsets.

The picture below kind of sums it up: These two kids are happy…

One of the perks of our traveling is how good it feels to get back home. Breaking up the monotony of winter is especially invigorating, and with only three weeks until the Spring Equinox it feels like the days are considerably longer, if not brighter.

My Jubilee Mission continues: To fill the Year with love, laughter, good health, and good people. So far, so good…

Peace

Posted in A Very Disney Birthday, Jubilee

Birthday Day

Disney World is Not just for kids, as I have shown you. In fact, we’ve walked nearly 12 miles since we arrived and I haven’t had anyone carry me, so far, like I see all these little’uns.

Yesterday we broke camp at Fort Wilderness and moved over here to Pop Century — our home-away-from-home. The weather is very hot and humid, so I’m glad we’re not camping the whole trip.

And now the Big Day has dawned and I’ve completed yet another trip around the sun, my 70th. Park Hopping is my cardio and I’m feeling pretty fit. We’re scheduled to ride Guardians of the Galaxy – Cosmic Rewind around 4:30 at Epcot today and have most of the day free to do whatever we feel. Celebrate!

It seems appropriate to quote Walt Disney…

To finish up the Judith Viorst poem, quoted in Sunday’s post, re: turning the big 7-0:

……In the meantime,

Let us consider

Drinking wine,

Making love,

Laughing hard,

Caring hard,

And learning a new trick or two

As part of our job description

At Seventy.

That’s a pretty good job description for any of us, don’t you agree? I’m so grateful for all of you, truly appreciative of all my readers, whatever your age… Join the Jamboree and celebrate with me!

Hope you youngsters are able to keep up with us Class-of-’71-ers…

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

and the Jubilee Jamboree begins…

After a particularly gray, gloomy week here at the Acres, we’ve escaped, driving south toward sunshine and balmy temperatures. As if that weren’t enough, it’s Birthday Week!

We were off to a great start Friday evening with a Game Night Party to celebrate Samantha’s 8th and my 70th. We played the new Life Goals card game and learned the Clue card game. Both of us Birthday Girls won, and though the Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game was very competitive, the victory went to me.

If it’s noon, we’re driving through Chattanooga, a highway that makes me nervous. There’s something about runaway truck lanes that puts me on edge. If you’re reading this later in the afternoon, we’ve hopefully made it through Atlanta without too many stops and are cruising down the looong state of Georgia. We’ll stop tonight around sunset and spend the night in a campground. Goldie has been remodeled since our last outing and I believe we’ve got the layout just right for our needs.

I recently discovered an old (2005) book of poems by Judith Viorst, titled “I’m too young to be Seventy And other delusions”. She so perfectly put into words so much of what I’m feeling about this aging thing, and I’ll probably be sharing some of the poems with you this year. The title poem, “At Seventy”, starts like this

Instead of “old”

Let us consider

“older”

Or maybe “oldish”

Or something, anything

That isn’t always dressed in sensible shoes

And fading underwear.

Besides which, seventy isn’t old.

Ninety is old.

And though eighty is probably old,

We needn’t decide that

Until we get there.

I’m considering this trip a reset, a re-boot, a rejuvenation, a kick-off celebration of my long-ish life and overflowing blessings. I’ll be in touch, and we’ll see how that poem wraps up.

Peace

Posted in Jubilee, Sunday Report

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! ‘Tis a Jubilee Year!

Time, Time, Time…see what’s become of me: in February of this year, I’ll turn Seventy…

I’ve been planning a year-long celebration of this momentous occasion ever since last February when I turned 69, wading bravely into my 70th year. At first, I thought I’d begin the festivities on my actual b-day, but now have decided that the entire year must be one of Jubilee. I share passing this landmark with nearly everyone who went to high school and nursing school with me, so I’m in good company. I’m hoping that all my friends – regardless of age — will come together for a Sonnystone Garden Party in July. Mark your calendars for that second week or so, and watch this spot for more info. If that doesn’t work for you, let’s just meet up for lunch sometime this year!

In addition to planning this gala, I’m looking forward to finally taking that Long Drive in Goldie, visiting the New Yorkers on St. Paddy’s Day, and more WDW (of course). I hope to get the Family History printed and there will be changes to the blog. It’s time to pull out the mandolin and brush up on some chords. Bring on fresh piano music! Refresh my reading challenge and strive again for 24 books this year. Maybe Windsor, England? Amtrak sounds like fun. Jubilee years are packed with pleasure, so here we go!

Resolutions? Ha! I plan to stay healthy, happy, and Curious… There’s still so much I want to learn, especially the stuff I thought I already knew…

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Still Partyin’ with the Queen

Occasionally I note that other people are not as obsessed with the British Royal Family as I am; in fact, many don’t even like them… (The Family are like a soap opera for me — I don’t like all of the characters, but they’re essential for the plot.) It is Clear, however, that World-wide most Everybody feels kindly toward HM The Queen. It has been quite emotional for me seeing her on the balcony Three Times! From the Trooping of the Colour on Day 1 to today’s Platinum Pageant, the Brits have put on a spectacular show to celebrate her 70 years on the throne. Last night’s Party at the Palace was so so good — I was dancing one minute and crying the next. Did you happen to see the clip of her having tea with Paddington Bear? Now we know what she keeps in her purse!!

Now that the Jubilee has wound down, I’m about all royaled-out. Back in the gardens, we’re enjoying the Perfect weather and so are the crops.

We decided to wait to put up the pool until it gets hot again — probably next week — and in the meantime started a new project down at the firepit. Here’s what it looks like now…from the back of the Edible Garden…

We’re putting up more privacy fence at the bottom so I don’t have to look at the neighbor’s solar panels. We’ll also add some larger shrubs to enclose the sitting area… I have a vision…

The cottage garden is growing and the black-eyed Susans in the Peace Garden are about to explode. We’ve put out three hummingbird feeders and they’re all staying busy…wish I could get a shot of them, but I never seem to be handy with the camera at the right time…

Hope you’re enjoying a lovely day wherever your area!

Peace