Tag: smile..!

It was the 3rd of June,

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn Random3 Comments

Another sleepy, dusty Delta day…mama hollered out the back door, y’all, remember to wipe your feet!
And then she said, I got some news this mornin’ from Choctaw Ridge
Today, Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge

Where were you when you got the news? It was 1967 and ever since I heard I’ve wondered just what happened.

Bobbie Gentry, who wrote and performed the song, said regarding what happened at Choctaw Ridge: “I left it open so the listener could draw his own conclusion.”

The song was #3 on the Billboard Charts for 1967 which explains why it is ingrained in our brains; it’s a good song, but disc jockeys must have been playing on a loop to win out over songs like Light my Fire, Groovin’, Soul Man, and even Respect! Bobbie Gentry quit performing in the 70s, so we could consider her a 1-hit wonder, unless you give her this loophole: She wrote “Fancy”, copied by Reba McIntyre in 1990, which has brought her millions in royalties over the years — more than she made off of the Ode.

Just thought you’d want to give a thought to Billie Joe McAllister today…

I’m still watching The Royals, the Party goes on!

Peace

Drink up, Pal!

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn Conversations with my bartender2 Comments

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…

The one you’ve been waiting for…

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn London 2022!, Weekly Wrap-Up2 Comments

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

Not much…

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2020, updates, Weekly Wrap-Up1 Comment

The last two weeks have been filled with six dentist appointments, lots of pain meds, several emotional outbursts, and I’m still not done.  What can I say?

My dentist and his assistants are just the best people, though, and I’m so grateful for their professionalism and kindness.  We have worked as a team to get this all done before my Birthday next Sunday.

This coming week Samantha and I will have Our Brrday party before she has her own kidsfest at GattiTown and I have my own celebration at…who knows where?

I hope you’re having more fun than I am…

Peace

Postcard from Camp

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2018, Camp Sonnystone 2018, Summer at SonnystoneLeave a comment

Hello, Mudda!  Hello, Fadda!  If you get that, you’re old.  Camp Sonnystone is moving right along!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Today we’re taking a field trip to Ellis Park to watch the horses run.  Kids are pretty good at picking the winners, actually.  I’m feeling better, but we lost a little rhythm while I was sick.

Still ahead is an Unbirthday Party, Water Balloon Blast, Rocket Launching, and finishing up PawPaw’s Scavenger Hunt.  Next week we’ll visit the zoo and the museum and there are several movies we want to watch.

Hope you’re having as much fun as we are!

Peace

Disney ’17 in 3:30

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2017, Walt Disney World3 Comments

So, seriously, it has taken me days to get this video edited down to 3min 30sec, and it’s so not perfect, but I had to finally stop and post or I will never move on with my life.

What is perfect, though, is the pure, shining Joy that radiates from our faces.  When folks have questioned why our family returns to Disney World again and again, that’s what I try to describe.

Peace

December 2, 2016

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2016, Advent Season 2016Leave a comment

Up and at ’em, kids!  It’s time to sparkle through a fun-filled week-end.  This one is jam-packed with holiday events:  Christmas in New Harmony, complete with an Appalachian Music Concert at Thrall Opera House, is on our agenda for Saturday.  On Sunday, I’d like to check out the  Evansville Historical Homes Tour.  What do you have planned?

In the meantime, there’s the lists–baking list, card list, gift list, and don’t forget the usual To-Do list that never ends.

And did I mention I’ve started the Mediterranean Diet?  Well, I started the red wine part, anyway….

gettinglit

Enjoy your week-end!  It would be great to catch a glimpse of you at any of the above events, so I’ll be on the look-out…

Peace…

 

Look me in the eye…

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2016, A Poem, Autumn at Sonnystone Acres, RandomLeave a comment

spider-identification-chart

It came scurrying  out of the corner of my kitchen counter top as I was doing dishes…

I saw the movement and stepped back,

ascertained it was something big and quick,

shrieked, jumped  waayy back,about 5 feet,

and watched as it came rappelling down the stove,

and scrambled across the floor,

two pairs of hairy legs up,  two pairs down,

suddenly stopping at the leg of my kitchen island.

 It looked up at me and glared…

I glared back…said nothing,

just turned my back and walked away,

sneaking a stealthy glance back

to make sure I wasn’t being followed…

(I don’t kill spiders…it’s a karma thing)

News Round-up

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2016, Autumn at Sonnystone Acres, updatesLeave a comment

Shew!  Busy times.

Martha, Nancy, and I went over near Robards, KY to a new winery/restaurant, The Farmer and the Frenchman.  It is brand-spankin’ new and very well-done.  It’s a little far out there–and we got lost, thanks to my directions–but the decor and view are terrific.  The menu was interesting, but I stuck with a familiar Greek salad;  not the best I’ve had, but certainly good.  The wine was nice, sweet, but not syrupy.  They were out of their signature “dressed-up cowgirl red”, so I drank a glass of white — good enough to persuade me to buy a bottle.  I plan on dragging Casey down there and I highly recommend it to ya’ll, too…

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Last Friday I drove over to my mom’s hometown, Grayville, IL, to visit with Aunt Shirley and my Compton boy-cousins.  Aunt Shirley is visiting from Melbourne, FL and I like to see her whenever she’s nearby.  We went over to Davina’s Country Diner for lunch–catfish fritters, green beans, and cucumber salad-

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-and then came back to Jeff’s house to smoke and drink and play cards.  It was a blast.  There is no one else alive who I’d rather drunk with than Any of my Compton cousins, and the guys are real sweethearts.  Those boys roll their own tobacco and it is nasty, she says since she puffed up a pound or two of it.  I napped and waited for cousins Lana and Charley to show up for some cards–chit-chat–and won $4…beginner’s luck.  My clothes were stinking and I don’t want to talk about the hangover the next morning…

I bought a selfie-stick a while back, but can’t get it to connect to bluetooth, so I have to use the timer and somebody else’s arm to snap the pic…not an easy feat when you’ve been dancing with Jim Beam all day…

Girlfriend Luann is in town for her Mom’s 90th birthday party on Saturday, so we’re getting together this afternoon.  I’m going back to Grayville on Friday for a more sober visit and to say hasta la vista to the Auntie.

Saturday is the Birthday Party and I guarantee you the food will be the stuff of childhood memories.  Lu’s clan is full of interesting people to whom I like to pretend I’m related.  Still, there’s no Jeff & Jay in that fam, so they are missing out (but will probably live longer).

The first full week in October is always the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival, which I will avoid like the plague.  Ya’ll go on down there, though, and enjoy yourselves!  Olivia’s dance school is marching in the parade, but the other grandparents are covering it for me.  Lily King is the grand marshal and it will be packed–we are proud of our homegrown Olympic Gold Medalist.

Casey has the week off, so we’re planning some sort of adventure.  I’ll be perfecting my selfie-stick skills and be sure to keep you informed…

Till then…Peace…