10 Places To See Before You're 10

This is an article that I recently saw on MSN...Top 10 places to see before you're 10 (in no particular order). I thought it would be interesting to see how many all of us may have seen - even if some of us are already over the age of 10. Maybe we should change it to "Top 10 places to see before you're 100"?

American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore, with works from self-taught artists (been to Baltimore, but never been to the museum).

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia (Been here when our family lived in Virginia in the early 60's before moving to Japan).

Ellis Island, New York (I was last there in November of 2002. I wrote about it in my blog about 9/11. I would love to go there again and take someone else along with me. It's a really fascinating place. And, I did see it from a distance when I was about 7 years old when our family went to New York to pick up Uncle George and Aunt Lynn and their family when they returned from France. If I remember correctly, we even got to ride on the Staten Island Ferry).

Grand Canyon, Arizona (Our whole family went there on our way to Japan. That was the last time that I was physically there, but I've flown over it several times since on my way to California. Family picture circa 1961).

Niagara Falls, New York & Canada (Corey and I went to Buffalo, NY for a national family child care conference in either August 2001 or 2002. While there, we had the opportunity of going to Niagara Falls on the New York side. We rode on the "Maid of The Mist" boat to get a closeup view of the falls. Everyone is given a plastic blue poncho for reasons which become perfectly clear the closer you get to the falls. You would be literally drenched otherwise. It was lots of fun, but I can assure you that I would never want to be one of the kooks who've gone over the Falls.

Don't we look like a couple of reject Smurfs?

Sears Tower, Chicago (On my last visit to Chicago, I could look out my hotel window in downtown Chicago and see the Sears Tower. Never went and visited it, but I have seen it).

Disneyland, Anaheim, California (Joe and I were in Anaheim in 8/07. We did get to go to dinner at Disneyland with Tiffany and her mom, Mary. We went to eat at the Raintree Cafe and the picture of is of the two of us waiting our turn to go into the restaurant. This was my second visit to Disneyland. I've only gone there to eat dinner and never ridden the rides. It is so much SMALLER than Disneyworld and feels so different since it is so small).

Muir Woods, 12 miles north of San Francisco (Never been there, don't even know what it is)!

Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California (Close to it while out in California, but no cigar).

Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles (Passed by it while in California. What's with all the California stuff anyway)?

So 6 out of 10 isn't so bad and I did see three before I was 10.

Oh! To Be 22 Again!

I was 22 years old and living in Jacksonville, Florida when these pictures were taken of me in 1974 by a friend. I'm wearing the bridesmaid dress that I made for Susan's wedding to Dale.

These are some of my favorite pictures. I wish I still had those looks, but I'd rather have my work and worldly experiences that I've gained in the last 34 years. This was my first time living away from home and the world was a strange and wonderful place for me. But, I was so naive about most everything.

I had some of my most wonderful dating experiences while living here. My favorite and most long-lasting was a guy named Jim that Susan had set me up as a blind date. Years later, when Corey was a baby, I had the chance to meet him again and it was great seeing him. While we visited, we both tried to remember why we'd broken up and no one could remember why. I had gone on to dating other guys, terrific guys. In fact, I even had two friends who actually fought over me one night. Wow! But, I moved back home a few months later due to a broken heart by some gorgeous Navy guy from Wisconsin. I remember a wonderful guy named Steve that Aunt Ruth set me up on a date one time. Even as wonderful and good-looking as he was, I just couldn't bring myself to continue dating him because...he drove a pickup truck!!! I did not ride in pickup trucks at that conjure in my life. That was below my social status.

And, this is where I bought my first Mustang. A metallic blue Mach I Mustang.

This was taken when Corey worked at Sunsweet Golf Club. (I don't remember the year). I had taken Mom to visit and see where her grandson worked hard picking up golfballs and being nice to the clients.

He wound up giving his Grandmother a ride around the club on the golf cart.

Life's Surprises

As I said in an earlier blog, Monday was my last day as the Human Resources Assistant at COI. I've had some people ask me if I thought I had wasted my time since I'd only been there seven months. I say "absolutely not"! If I'd never gone to work there, I would never have:

• gotten new work experience working in the Human Resources field;


• met all the wonderful people who came into my life - 200+;


• most likely had my faith renewed in myself that people appreciated what I did in an office setting (read the P.S. below and this will help explain this);and


• met Tami Sandiford who was my "boss lady". I loved working with her. She made going to work a pleasure each and every day. I knew there was something special about her the first time I ever met her. Not only was she my manager, but she became my friend. Leaving her on Monday almost broke my heart knowing that we would not ever be working together again. We exchanged gifts for each other that afternoon before I left, but the card she gave me meant the most. I share it with you...

I love you and will miss your sweet spirit Tami. You taught me so much and I will never forget you.
-------------------------------------------------
P.S. Then as if that wasn't emotional enough for me...

When I was checking my email that evening...I received an email from the person who had been my Executive Director at my last job. I had left that job not having good feelings about her as it seemed that everything I did was always wrong. I felt that I was being cheated out of promises made and not honored. I was never able to find out what the problems were between the both of us. I got along with everyone else in the office, with my child care providers and others I came in contact with, but always seemed to be doing something wrong when it came to her.

Anyway, I got an email which basically said... "I am writing to express an overdue apology to you for some of my actions during your time at ...while I was there. I was way too hard on you Carol. Looking back, I put my trust in the wrong people. I automatically believed things that I was told ... things that I now question over and over again. I sincerely hope you are doing well. I have thought of you and Joe often. Know that I send best wishes and prayers your way".

This all occurred a year ago and it was amazing to read this after all these many months. The next day we spoke on the telephone for a long time and totally cleared the air. I think it takes a very big person to do what she did and I have the up most respect for what she did. I will never feel uncomfortable being around her and consider her a friend. I'm just sorry for all the opportunities we missed when we could have gotten to know each other even better.

9/25 Pictures of Derek

Have you noticed my lack of blogging?

Perhaps you have noticed that I hadn't blogged in a while? There's been way too much stuff goin' on around here!!! Between finishing about 150 401(k)s and severance packets before my last day of work this week, teaching two, yep two, blogging classes (one last week and one this week) and traveling between Tifton and Moultrie filling out job applications, there's not even been time (nor desire) for even me to blog.

The blogging classes were fun to teach though. Hopefully, I have inspired some others to enjoy their own blogsites. My first class had the sister missionaries, Sister Clark and Sister Barnes, Vickie Spikes, Lillian Johnson, Rudine Nixon, Phyllis Miller, Eileen Seaman and Kristina Ritchie. My second class had Susan, Nancy, Helen, Vickie Cox, Phyllis Harvey, Cassey Thibault and Eileen and Kristina again. (Sorry I didn't take pictures at my second class. I forgot to bring in my camera).

Need I say more?

In Shoes and Argyle Socks

So here's the cutest grandson in the world dressed and ready for church.

This is my first time seeing him dressed like "a little man" with shoes and socks on.

(This came by way of my telephone).

Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.

Change has definitely become a constant my life in the past few days.

I am now unemployed again for the second time in less than a year. My last day at COI Foodservice was on Monday. It was really quite a sad thing to see the demise of the distribution center. Though I'd only been there for seven months, I had become quite close to a number of people. And, that wouldn't be hard when there's 200 people working there. I admit that I will be happy if my shadow ever crossed the shadow of some of my former colleagues, but there are many that I will miss a great deal. The biggest downside of losing my job other than the loss of money is that the unemployment rate has become so bad here in Tift County and in the State so the prospects of finding a job are not looking very encouraging. But, then there are the things on the good side:

1. Having just gone through this a few months ago, I at least know where to start looking for a new job. Thanks goodness I've got a computer, a phone and a fax machine! Without those things, I don't see how anyone looks for a job these days.


2. I don't have to get up early every morning now!!! And, I can stay up later if I want. Wahoo!


3. I will be eligible for unemployment compensation after October 1st, so there will be a little income.


4. Maybe I'll get the opportunity to get some things organized around the house.


5. I get to spend more time with Joe.


6. I can plan and make well-thought out meals and love the challenge of using what's on the shelves and in the freezer.

So see, things aren't so bad. They could be a lot worse, but let's hope that will not be the case.

(Regarding the picture...my office was located in the green section on the right side of the picture).

Familiar Baby Boomer Songs...

If you don't remember the recording artists and/or the song, you might be too young or too out of touch. Therefore, you might not understand the "funniness" of this, but I did!

Herman's Hermits --- Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker.
Ringo Starr --- I Get By With a Little Help From Depends.
The Bee Gees --- How Can You Mend a Broken Hip?
Bobby Darin --- Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash.
Roberta Flack --- The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face.
Johnny Nash --- I Can't See Clearly Now.

Paul Simon --- Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver.
The Commodores --- Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom.
Marvin Gaye --- Heard It Through the Grape Nuts.
Procol Harem --- A Whiter Shade of Hair.
Leo Sayer --- You Make Me Feel Like Napping.
The Temptations --- Papa's Got a Kidney Stone.
Abba --- Denture Queen.
Tony Orlando --- Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall.
Helen Reddy --- I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore.
Leslie Gore --- It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want To.
And finally...
Willie Nelson --- On the Commode Again

another Helen Loves Corey! picture...

This is one of my favorite pictures of Corey and Helen.

If I remember correctly, it was taken one evening at their Young Men's/Young Women's meeting.

Corey was 14 years old at the time and Helen was 16.

Today is...Clean Out Your Junk Drawer Day

Just sitting down to blog when I found out that today is "Clean Out Your Junk Drawer Day". Shucky darn - too bad it's so late in evening and I can't get started on mine. Well, tomorrow is another day for that - not. But, that doesn't mean I can't check and see what I have in mine. No telling what's in them since I have 29 years of accumulation here.The above pictures are of the junk drawer in the top of my dresser. It's really quite a shame that I actually have some of the things shown in my pictures...old cell phone and charger, matches, buttons, masking tape, batteries that probably don't work, old markers, Ben Gay, etc.
Some of the more interesting/unusual items I discovered were: four red pads you place under your furniture so you don't scratch the floor; a flag holder that you attach to a pole; a wrench; a wiggle eye; an antique fork that was inside a red pencil holder; a dumbbell; and an empty perfume container. There is a story behind the perfume holder. It is Cardin de pierre cardin parfum - only 1/4 oz. but it was the real expensive stuff. It was given to me by Les for my birthday in 1978 so it is 30 years old. (Wonder if that would sell on E-Bay)?

Now we move on to the junk drawer in the large buffet in the dining room...
Really, this is so bad - old pictures, pushpins, gum, shoestrings, hand wipes, a cassette tape, hole reinforcements, etc.

Some of the more interesting items...a ceramic book marker, a crocheted flower, a picture of Corey and Leah going to Prom, several antique items such as a broken piece of an an antique dish, clip on earrings, an arrowhead and lace; a burned out light bulb and one of my old business cards.

So now that I've laid bare a couple of my junk drawers, what is some of the interesting items you may have in yours, hummm?

Boiling and Eating B.A.P.s

Sometime during the month of September a long anticipated, marvelous event occurs in the Tifton Wal-Mart. You walk in the door with the produce department almost immediately to your right and there "they" are. "They" are B.A.P.s!!! Your joy in life has jumped by a bajillion points and you almost feel as though you have died and gone to culinary heaven. Now that would be southern culinary heaven, of course. B.A.P.s are a sight to behold! They are only in season from about the end of August to the middle of September so you gotta get them then. The picture above shows a prime example of a B.A.P.

Now, you may be saying "what the heck is a B.A.P.? Do I really need to explain it? Can you not figure this one out for yourself? Come on people! You don't want me to say it, do you? Now, look what you've done. You're gonna make me tell you what a B.A.P. is...it's a Big Awesome Peanut. (Sure it is, winky, winky. For the sake of this blog and all the millions and millions of people who may read it, the "A" stands for Awesome - winky, winky). You gotta admit the name is appropriate. And no, the store does not market them as B.A.P.s, but rather "Peanuts". (I am now rolling my eyes - can you see them rolling? Can you seriously think of these as mere peanuts!!! Some of these are soooo big! How big are they??? Some of them are soooo big that you might get filled up just eating a small handful. These things are so big you could use these as your Sunday dinner plate. Some of these are so big that if you had them in your year's supply of food, a gallon bag could feed one person). This is what a good bunch of B.A.P.s look like prior to cooking. And, you either like boiled (pronounced like "bowled" peanuts) or you don't. There is no middle ground and please don't be polite and pretend you like them just to earn points or impress someone. Save them for someone who LOVES them!
This is the best way to boil peanuts in my opinion. Others may have different methods, but this is the one that works for me and no one's complaining about how mine taste. Fill a large pot with your peanuts. (Sometimes you need to clean them by washing them off if they are freshly dug and have dirt on them. I never have had to clean my B.A.P.s). Fill the pot all the way to the top with water and turn the burner on high so that the water can come to a boil.
Add salt. I don't know how much. Just add salt - probably at least one cup and let water come to a boil. (Mr. Hand adds the salt).
This is what the pot looks like after 30 minutes of boiling the B.A.P.s. You most likely will have to turn the burner down a little so that it doesn't boil over the top.
Periodically I dip a spoon into the water solution and taste it. If it's not too salty, you need to add more salt. You just season it to how salty you'd like your B.A.P.s to be. (Mr. Hand graciously offered to demonstrate).

Make sure that you always keep your water level up to the top also. The B.A.P.s have to have water to boil in and that's the reason you may need add more salt from time to time since the added water dilutes the salt. (Isn't Mr. Hand doing a wonderful job)?

After about two hours of boiling, it's time to lay out some "sample" peanuts. After all, you've got to see how they're coming along.
When cooled, you can pop open the peanut shell as demonstrated by Mr. Hand.

This is what the B.A.P.s look like when popped out of the shell and are ready to eat after about 2 - 2 1/2 hours of cooking. (Oh No!!! It looks like Mr. Hand is forcing Joe to sample some of the B.A.P.s. But, I'll bet Joe will manage to survive the experience and live to eat more another day). It should be noted that Joe did not eat boiled peanuts when he married me. To say that he has learned to enjoy them would be an understatement.

Also, every time someone has been heading out west to see Corey, there has always been boiled peanuts going with the lucky person. Last year when I somehow missed the B.A.P. season and didn't make fresh boiled ones, I had to resort to canned peanuts. I had 50 lbs. of boiled peanuts in their own separate suitcase.

In closing, if you don't eat boiled peanuts, you just don't know what you're missing! But that's okay - that just saves more for those of us who LOVE them!

My 9/11 memories

There are moments in our lives when you can remember exactly where you were and what you were doing and no matter what, you will most likely never forget those moments.

For example, I can remember the details about when Kennedy was shot. I can remember man landing on the moon and I can certainly remember the events of September 11, 2001.

I remember I was getting ready for work and was supposed to drive to Valdosta to visit some childcare providers. I was going in late as I was waiting for Dad to come by the house. I was watching the news when I saw the first plane crash into the first tower. I went outside when I heard Dad drive up, told him what had just happened and he came into my bedroom and watched the news with me. Mom called me sometime in between to ask if I was watching the news. It was about that time that we saw the next plane hit the second tower. I remember seeing all this unfold on television like a bad movie, but it was real. (The above picture shows the twin towers before the attacks).

Eventually I headed on to work, but upon my return home, I couldn't stop watching the news. I stayed up most of the night and couldn't stop crying. There was the loss of some many people. So many missing people. So many sad stories. So many things that would never be right ever again. It was such a horrible event that just kept unfolding hour upon hour on every news channel.

In November of 2002, I had to go to New York City for a childcare training in Harlem. I arrived at my hotel before noon and couldn't check into my room. So, I decided no time like the present to get in a little sightseeing. I took a cab to Battery Park to catch the ferry to Liberty Park and Ellis Island. (I had seen the Statute of Liberty off in the distance a couple of earlier times in my life, but this was the first time I'd been this close). Because of 9/11, the park service wouldn't let you go up into Lady Liberty, so I stayed on the ferry and went on over to Ellis Island. What a fantastic place to visit! There was a special exhibit taking place at this time. It was pictures and quotes/memories of 9/11 from the vantage point of Ellis Island. The displayed exhibit pictures were taken by people who were on Ellis Island looking across to downtown Manhattan. It was a very poignant display. One of things I remember was what happened to the seagulls which frequent Ellis Island. Apparently when the towers were burning and the sky began to turn black, all the seagulls landed on the Island and put their heads under their wings. Scientists believe that it wasn't necessarily the blackness of the sky that made them do that, but it was also that the birds seemed to sense something was wrong. There were pictures showing the seagulls with their tucked heads. It was just amazing to me that even nature was disrupted by all that was occurring.

After I landed back in Battery Park, I asked and was told how to reach Ground Zero. While walking through the park, I came upon a memorial. It is a large bronze sphere which once stood between the two Twin Towers as a symbol of global peace and now stands in the northern section of the park. The severely damaged sculpture was recovered from the rubble of the World Trade Center and transferred here later on. Together with an eternal flame, it is serves as a memorial to the victims of 9/11.
This was taken showing the outside of Ground Zero and the crowds that were hoping for a glimpse into the pit.
My first look into the pit. It was very large, very deep and even after a year since the attacks, you could see the surrounding buildings with smoke scars on their sides. There still were some surrounding damaged buildings.
Across the street from Ground Zero is Trinity Church. This historic Episcopal church managed to stand while the twin towers crumbled around it on September 11, 2001; however the historic pipe organ was severely damaged by dust and debris and had to be replaced.

The gates to the historic church were serving as an impromptu memorial to the victims of 9/11, with countless tokens of remembrance left by both locals and visitors alike. All the names of those who were killed were on this very long sheet of paper. You could read comments written by several of the names and people had left various flowers and items.

The strange thing about being here at this location was that although you were in the middle of New York City, people spoke in hushed tones and the whole atmosphere was muted. I guess people just realized that they were basically looking at or were in the vicinity of a mass graveyard since many of the remains of victims were never found.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to visit Ground Zero, especially after seeing it on the television so many times. It made me appreciate my life even more and I realized that life can certainly change in the matter of a very few minutes.