Tag: Weekly Wrap-Up

Posted in Sunday Report

Late Report

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

It’s been a busy week here at Sonnystone Acres… If that sounds familiar, you may have been a fan of Prairie Home Companion and Garrison Keillor’s stories from Lake Wobegone. Since we began our week celebrating our 42nd Wedding Anniversary, I thought I’d share this blast from the blog-past from 2010, the year we went up to Conner Prairie Amphitheatre and enjoyed a lovely performance of Keillor’s “Summer of Love Tour”.

(Again, I apologize for the no-caps thing, I was just too lazy back then and I’m still too lazy now to go in and capitalize correctly…it was a phase I was going through, forgive me.)

a lovely 30th anniversary

we didn’t get in any hurry to sit in the sun before the concert sunday evening up at conner prairie.  other folks were staking out the down-front seats, but we stopped over at a local brewery, drank a bighorn blonde and ate a hamburger, took the leftovers with us as a picnic lunch.  we were rewarded for our nonchalance by snagging a picnic area directly in the middle top—no sweaty bodies close by and the bathrooms were close, too.  and we enjoyed the show so much, listened to the news from lake wobegon and caught up with guy noir, sang tons of love songs and took some fun pictures. 

fred newman, the sound effects guy and mr. keillor

Garrison Keillor is one of my idols, a writer/storyteller who does talk a little slowly, it’s true, but who creates characters who you feel you know, or are.  he and sara watkins, fiddle player singer, walked about the audience for about half the show, him making up lyrics to songs as he walked based on what he was seeing the folks do.  i’m proud to say that he included me in one of them, singing of “the lady with the pink shirt strolling down the aisle to take pictures”.  

garrison keillor and sara watkins

it was, after all the Summer Love Tour, and during the drive home the medley of  “can’t help falling in love with you/unchained melody” was stuck in my head—happily.   i’m ready for another 30 years…..

We didn’t go anywhere this year, but we did build a campfire and roasted some dawgs and mellows and agreed completely that we are about as happy as an old married couple can be. I wrote about it this way nine years ago when we celebrated Anniversary #33:

It was 33 years ago today that Casey and I took our vows.  They were the traditional “have and hold, for richer and poorer, in sickness and health, as long as we live” stuff.  As Melissa and I walked down the aisle, I couldn’t have even imagined 33 years…

There are very few pictures of the event…the “photographer” was a friend who borrowed her brother’s fancy 35mm camera and loaded the first roll of film wrong.  I thought she was kidding when she told me the next week…but she wasn’t.

I remember it clearly and dearly:  it was so hot and humid that I couldn’t stand outside for more than 5 minutes without sweating through my dress.  We didn’t have air-conditioning in our house, so I went over to church early to cool off.  It was only family and some of our very best friends.   Donna had a nice reception for us afterward at her house.   Sadly, it seems like most of the people who were there are now dead…

And the last 33 years?  Well, it’s not been exactly fairy-tale sweetness, but we’ve laughed more than we’ve cried.   As we’ve shared our everyday lives, growing up and growing old, we have become Us…and I really like Us.

The News from Sonnystone Acres, August 15, 2013

Hope your week is a good one! Don’t miss a chance to make someone smile!

Peace

Posted in Camp Sonnystone 2022, Sunday Report

Day at the Races

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

It’s been such a busy week here and I’m not at all prepared to give you the details, but I wanted to check in and share our traditional photo from Ellis Park.

PawPaw, Samantha, JoJo, Emma, Eliza, Nova at the track, 2022

By the Way, I’m a real loser this year — I’ve only won Once this entire season!!! Oh, well, we’re all having fun!

The Jose Gals are here until Friday and we’re pretty booked up, but there’s always room for More. Call or text if you’d like to visit…

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

They’re almost here!

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

The New Yorkers, sans Eric, are driving even as we speak, due to arrive later tonight for the next 11 days!!! We are soo Ready, but I saved a few chores for today — make up some cucumbers-in-vinegar, a tomato salad.

It is so gloomy outside, but cool, so I’ve trimmed basil, and cleaned up the tomatoes and cukes which have started yellowing with powdery mildew — all this rain!!! There is so little to show for our efforts at this time, but there’s a second wind of flowers on the bell peppers, a couple of canteloupes and cukes. Still no sign of zucchini, but we should get a couple of yellow squash while the girls are here, and the green beans are plentiful. The jury is out on the tomatoes…maybe a second wave???

We are filling our Peace/Bird Garden hummingbird feeders every 3-4 days and it’s a blast to watch the tiny birds fuss and fight with each other. I caught a peaceful trio this morning while my camera was handy.

I’ll be reporting in as Camp Sonnystone begins, so clear your calendar for my scintillating updates. Oh, please call if you’d like to visit!

Peace

Posted in Evening Edition, Sunday Report

Nothing

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

For weeks now, it seems to me, I’ve been doing a whole lot of nothing — unless you call being sick doing something, which I do Not. I confess, that is my usual Summertime Mode, and I am quite good at it. I shuffle through the a.m. requirements of feeding the cat and drinking several cups of tea, but that’s nothing, really. Then I check the old email and wade through ads and newsletters, finally getting up and dressed, then back to the computer to obsess on Harry and Meghan, then outside to the back porch, down to Shady Grove, back up to the house and sit around and watch some YouTube, then fix some lunch, maybe get in the pool and float around, then back to the back for a siesta, then up and fixing supper, then more walks around the house and back to the TV for something boring so I can go to sleep…and on and on. Meanwhile, Casey’s out fixing something, or building something, just generally being creative and productive, even in sweltering heat, which seriously aggravates me. Stop and Rest with me! He does stop occasionally, but he’s just not good at doing nothing, no talent for it at all.

I made a river rock circle around the Shady Grove firepit!

Soon enough I’ll be doing something: The New Yorkers will be here next week! What’s next week? I dunno. Melissa stays maddeningly vague about their Estimated Day of Arrival, but I could now clean the dang house, wash up the sheets, plan some meals, and take inventory of my Camp Sonnystone stock. We have this year’s hand sign ready for their touch. I’m playing “The Gettin’ Ready Rag”! Our Camp Word for 2022 is Grateful.

I think we could safely plan some parties and performances for after August 1, working around weather and camp activities. I look forward to seeing our friends and family, so give me a call/text so we can make plans.

I’m sooo excited to Do Something!
Peace

Posted in Sunday Report, The Gardens of Sonnystone...

ADPIE

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

I’ve been sick since Wednesday, flat out on the couch both Thursday and Friday, finally somewhat upright yesterday. My little brain has been doing the Nursing Process since the onset of symptoms — that is Analyze, Diagnose, Plan, Implement, Evaluate — and as I’ve analyzed the hell out of the illness, I have no diagnosis. Isn’t everything Covid now? It’s not a cold (what happened to our old familiar rhinovirus?), but the body aching is reminiscent of flu. The coughing could be either/or, low-grade temp same. After my #3 vaccine, I was sick for a day, and somehow this feels the same, only with lots of coughing/snot. I’m calling it Covid because I want to finally face this thing I prepared for all these years…

Even though the diagnosis is iffy, the Plan is the same, so I implemented decongestants, cough drops, tylenol, plenty of fluids. The most important treatment, for me, is to lie down with a box of tissues at hand, and let my body do its healing thing. Our immune systems are wonderful and hats off to mine for its valor and ongoing dedication to my well-being. I still feel rundown, and definitely brain-fogged, as if I’ve been gone for a while, but I have rallied, so I’ll evaluate the Plan as a winner and carry on.

It’s been rainy, a good time to be stuck on the couch, and of course the gardens love it…

(I didn’t realize that I had the long lens on my Nikon when I shuffled off to get these pictures between rains, but it’s an interesting change of our usual view…)

The Edible Garden

The Peace/Bird Garden

The Jose’ Family is moving into a new apartment even as we speak…err, write. Their new place has a large terrace and I’m excited to help Melissa plant and grow a nice garden. They still plan on visiting here at the Acres in a couple of weeks, so I’m gearing up for Camp. I’ll let you know as soon as I know when they’ll be here and we’ll plan parties!

Take care of yourselves! Watch out for mystery viruses!

Peace

Posted in The Gardens of Sonnystone...

Retreat

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

It’s Day 3 of my News Block. I feel exactly like I did on election day 2016 — sick to my stomach and afraid. I cannot allow myself to be emotionally manipulated by media, both social and otherwise. I have put up the Forcefields to block the anger from entering into my Peace. I am struggling to Be Here Now, in The Present with The Presence.

I’m so glad I have my gardens and my grove where I can throw myself into the trimming, the harvesting, or the contemplation of birdsongs or the purpose of creepy-crawlies. There have been a lot of bees around, a good reason to rejoice, and I’m feasting on homegrown tomatoes and peppers. Gratitude abounds here in the Present Moment…

Edible Garden

Coneflowers in the Peace/Bird Garden

I’m calling this Shady Grove now; an excellent spot for Contemplation.

Casey’s been staying busy remodeling Goldie’s interior, my design, of course, and she’s beckoning us to take a trip off-grid…

I hope that you will take the time to clear your mind of the “slime from your video” (Frank Zappa) and your timeline. Come back to the Present and receive the power you need to go forward in Love and

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report, The Gardens of Sonnystone...

Evening Edition

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

We went up to the New Harmony Antiques Show yesterday and it was kinda sad. We have regularly attended this show for several decades and the last years have seen it dwindle with few vendors, but this year there were only a dozen antique booths set up and half of those were local stores. Inside the gym, where it is usually packed with sellers, there wasn’t much to see. The crowds were paltry, too. Antiques just aren’t a “thing” right now, but I couldn’t help but notice that the prices are outrageous…I guess they don’t mind carting that stuff around.

I like antiques, but mine are actual heirlooms, making them priceless despite their chips, cracks, and stains…

This morning I woke up early to get some garden work done, having been forewarned that there was a 100% chance of a severe storm set to appear about 1pm. Turns out, it all dried up and we’re settled into a couple of weeks sans precip alongside record hot temps and humidity, so I don’t regret the mistake.

My black-eyed Susans, just one group of plants, has been steadily infected with black spot, and I cut it back from the other plants, removing most of the affected leaves. I’ve ordered some copper-based fungicide to treat any small spots that may reappear, and I plan to do some serious division next spring.

Before
After

I pulled up the peas and brought in the last harvest, a measly handful of dried pods, making room for the watermelons and cantaloupes to climb.

Here’s the latest photos of the Edible Garden…

Casey’s getting the mowing done and I’ve been just piddling around, relaxing and taking pictures.

Unfortunately, the WC Handy Bluesfest is this week and I wanted to go, but we’ll have to see…Stay safe, friends. Drink plenty of water–don’t wait until you’re thirsty–and stay inside if you have lung problems.

Peace

Posted in Sunday Report

Still Partyin’ with the Queen

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

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

Posted in Grandies, Sunday Report

Samantha’s 1st Dance Recital

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

It was not the first Shannon’s School of Dance Recital for me last night… Melissa was practically a charter member of the school, back when they would have their recitals at the old St. Joseph School gym; it was founded in 1974. Even in the old-school days, they always had the Best costumes! Olivia brought us into the New Era where they rent out a big venue downtown and fill it up with parents, grandparents, cousins, and friends of the dancers, who range in age from 3 to 18 and while it’s impressive, it’s tooo dang long. We are those people who leave early, if we’re lucky enough to have our dancer perform in the first half. Samantha’s dance was to “By the Sea” and she was center stage. I love this little sailor!

I may make it over to the cemeteries tomorrow, but we’re kind of plan-less this weekend…which makes me a little cranky. I’m going to pull up the spinach and plant a couple of rows of green beans in that bed. There is another empty bed that I’m going to fill with green beans, as well — we’re trying to time the harvest to when the New Yorkers visit in early August. We have had so much rain that my bell peppers are showing the stress, but they have plenty of time to pull out of it.

Hope you’re enjoying the Holiday!

Peace

Posted in The Gardens of Sonnystone...

Catchin’ up…

Posted on by Jo Mayne Casey

Gosh, it’s been 2 weeks since we last talked. I think I mentioned I was allergy-stricken, but I got pretty wheezy and went in to the nurse and was prescribed 6 days of Prednisone and given an inhaler. I can never decide if I love or hate Prednisone…on the one hand I feel all speedy and get-‘er-done-ish, but on the other hand I feel so sick and tired. Speedy always wins, though, and I got the gardens planted, the house cleaned, and stayed up all night learning Italian cooking with Lidia…

This is my new “cottage” garden, planted just across from the Peace/Bird Garden…

There are 21 plants here with hollyhocks and foxglove at the back with liatris, garden phlox, delphinium and lupine in the middle; at the front are coral bells, rosemary, and lavender. Most of the back plants will need to be staked, though you have to use your imagination to see that now.

The Edible Garden is going strong with corn poppin’ up, cucumbers jumping, and a small crop of green beans pulling themselves upright. Our peas are podding and the spinach is ready for harvest. I don’t want to talk about the beets and carrots and radishes– I just can’t thin seedlings properly– but the greens will be good! There are four each of watermelon and canteloupe planted, but they’re not doing anything, yet. We’re going to pull up the spring crop and plant some beans, as well as start some melons from seed between the existing plants, like insurance…

The roses have been stellar, their gentle scent pervading the front porch, but we knew they needed to be pruned soon after their first bloom. That pruning is now a priority as last night’s unrelenting rain has weighed them down.

Before we left for London I bought a new used camera, a Nikon D3300, an affordable upgrade from my antiquated D60; all my lenses fit it, too, so I just needed the body. I opted to not lug it around London, but I’ve been playing with it a lot around the house and gardens. I’m so happy to have my eye back in a viewfinder…

My #2 grandie, Olivia Mayne Casey aka Nova Casey, is graduating from 8th grade this week and we’re so excited! I’ll be snapping pics through my tears! Time flies, doesn’t it? Cherish Every Moment…

Peace