More pictures...

This is JAX International Airport...kinda hazy...it doesn't look it, but they were busy...

Dick sez that if you can't fly with this toy (an aircraft GPS), you might as well stay on the porch! The bottom R number is our groundspeed...GS--148 knots
St. Augustine inlet
Ft. Pierce inlet
Same shot, zoomed in
The clouds were very scattered and broken, and with the haze it was not the best of conditions for photos, but it was what we had to work with!

Today we are meeting friend Al from our RV resort for lunch...and then we'll just relax and enjoy the afternoon. Tonight is a dinner for the classmates at an antique car museum downtown. We met there for the last reunion, and had so much fun that it was decided to do it there again. Can't argue with success.

Flight south...

Here is the able co-pilot....

And this is the PIC (Pilot in Command)...

Here is our control panel...we sure looked at it a long time. It took 3 hrs 48 min of flight time...did about 148 kts most of the way down.
Flight center called us and said that we had a 737 at 7,000' at about our 11-12:00 position and five miles out. We were at 8,000' and knew he would be 'hauling,' so I quickly went into search mode and spotted the 'target' and showed Dick where it was...he called center and confirmed that we had the 737 in sight. That guy had to stay at 7,000 until he cleared us. I quickly turned my camera on and got a few shots. The plane looks small, but it got larger as it passed under us!
Here is another shot as it got further away...in only a few seconds time.......dbl click to biggify...
Now we are lined up to land on 9R at Palm Beach International Airport, which is where we both took flying lessons (and soloed from) many years ago. I think Bee/Charlie's condo is visible to the left...we were vectored too far west to get a good pic of the condo.
This is what a very short final to 9R looks like...smooth landing...Mr. PIC got an A!
Hope y'all enjoyed the flight. I'll have more pics to post later...now we are meeting classmates for dinner and then having a social out by the pool later on. Life is grand!

Friday flying fun...

So today is a travel day. Flight plan is filed...weather looks like 'severe clear,' which is always good; 3 1/2 hrs. flight time sure beats 12 hrs. driving!

I wanted to give y'all a little exercise to do today after eating all that chocolate cake. This works for me:

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-lb potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can.
Try to reach a full minute, and then relax. Each day you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato sacks. Then try 50-lb. potato sacks and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I'm at this level)
After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks.

Cute kids...

Hmmm, I wonder who threw the Play Farm fence out the kitty door??? Not ME!!!
OK, Grammie. I'll put them back in...
Hey, Grumps...I'm big...I wanna ride...wait for me!!!
Two cute girls blowing bubbles...and then they tried to catch them........
I've had a ball with the kiddies this week...it is amazing how much fun wee kids can still have with a bottle of bubble stuff. Even the little guy loves to do this. Our deck should be clean by now!

Dick's class reunion begins tomorrow night in W. Palm Beach, so we are getting prepared for our flight down tomorrow. He is checking out the airplane today while I pack and do the departure chores. You know, check the fridge for things that might die in a few days (we'll be back Sunday, so it isn't as if we'll be gone a week for heaven's sake!), make sure there is enough kitty food for whichever kid is gonna come over to check on Parker and Missy, clean the litter box, do laundry. Usual stuff. I'm taking my laptop, so I'll still be connected and will post some pics. We'll have a good time for sure, once we get there. It is about a 3-4 hour flight, depending on wind conditions, so that isn't too bad. Hope the weather cooperates, especially for Sunday's return flight. Hopefully Amy won't go into labor while we are gone...

Let them eat cake...

Beta Sigma Phi is 20 years old in Mayberry this year, so to honor that, Joy and I did the program at the meeting here tonight on the history of birthdays. Here is my Triple Chocolate cake, which fell (first-ever cake baked in my new oven)...not pretty, but it was good anyway. Bee, I'll make you one when you 'n Sarge get up here...

And we had other yummy items to go with the cake and ice cream...
We even had a birthday present for everyone to take home. Joy is passing them out...
We meet; we learn; and we eat! Life is good!!!

Countdown time!

Infanticipation...one week to go, then it is C-section time on 6/3 when we'll find out what Amy is smuggling under that shirt (it's a good thing Piglet is about to come outta hiding; these clothes are getting waaayy too small...

Doodlebug is such a daddy's boy. Here he is playing with the tape measure that is attached to Jason's shorts. OK, one final tug and maybe it'll come loose and Dad won't notice........
Am I cute or what? We don't need another baby, right, Dad??? Just the two of us...OK, we'll keep mommie, but YOU are No. 1!!!!!!!!
This little guy has a rude awakening beginning next week. He didn't like it one bit when Missy kitty jumped up and sat in Jason's lap. Imagine what it's gonna be like when Jason holds the new baby! Let the tears begin...

Memorial Day beginnings

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.

To ensure the sacrifices of America ’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.

The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada states: “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”

~~The above information was found at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website. Please always remember that freedom is never FREE. God bless our troops. And for those who missed the kids' rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" that I previously posted, check it out. It sends shivers up your spine, it is so fantastic! You may want to press the "F11" key or your maximize icon after the performance starts, to get a full-screen effect. When the display is complete, simply press the key again to return to your normal display. Don't forget to turn on your sound! Now, click below, and enjoy!
http://www.greatdanepromilitary.com/Battle%20Hymn/index.htm

Sunday prayers...

Please take a moment this weekend to remember those who gave us our freedom in the past, and to pray for those who are keeping our freedom right now...lest we forget. May God Bless America!

Old, tired dog

An old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home. He followed me into the house, down the hall, and fell asleep in a corner.

An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out. The next day he was back, resumed his position in the hall, and slept for an hour. This continued for several weeks. Curious, I pinned a note to his collar: "Every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap."

The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his collar: "He lives in a home with ten children -- he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?"

Friday funnies...

There was a time when words were used beautifully. These glorious insults are from an era when cleverness with words was still valued, before a great portion of the English language was boiled down to four-letter words!

The exchange between Churchill and Lady Astor: She said, "If you were my husband, I'd give you poison," and he said, "If you were my wife, I'd take it."

Gladstone, a Member of Parliament, to Benjamin Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease." "That depends, sir," said Disraeli, "On whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

"He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill

"A modest little person, with much to be modest about."- Winston Churchill

"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." - Clarence Darrow

"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)

"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?" - Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas

"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." - Abraham Lincoln

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain

"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." - Oscar Wilde

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend.... if you have one." - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... if there is one." - Winston Churchill, in response.

"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." - Stephen Bishop

"He is a self-made man and worships his creator." - John Bright

"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." - Irvin S. Cobb

"He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Johnson

"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up." - Paul Keating

"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure." - Jack E. Leonard

"He has the attention span of a lightning bolt." - Robert Redford

"They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge." - Thomas Brackett Reed

"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." - Charles, Count Talleyrand

"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." - Forrest Tucker

"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" - Mark Twain

"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." - Mae West

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." - Billy Wilder

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." - Groucho Marx

Redneck calamari...

This may be the only way we will be able to afford seafood soon. I have seen imitation crabs, but this is a new one.

Rules for Writers...

For the language purists among us...these "Rules for Writers:"

1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)

6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
10. No sentence fragments.
11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary;
it's highly superfluous.
14. One should NEVER generalize.
15. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
16. Don't use no double negatives.
17. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20. The passive voice is to be ignored.
21. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words
however should be enclosed in commas.
22. Never use a big word when substituting a diminutive one would suffice.
23. Kill all exclamation points!!!
24. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
25. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth
earth-shaking ideas.
26. Use the apostrophe in it's proper place and omit it when its not
needed.
27. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate
quotations. Tell me what you know."
28. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist
hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
29. Puns are for children, not groan readers.
30. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
31. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
32. Who needs rhetorical questions?
33. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
34. Avoid "buzz-words"; such integrated transitional scenarios
complicate simplistic matters.
And finally...
35. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

Don't y'all feel smarter now that you've had this English lesson???

Thought for the day...

Never piss off someone who owns a backhoe...

Meet the new doc!!!

Allow me a bit of 'auntie' pride in saying big congrats to one of Emory's newest graduates--Melissa, daughter of my friend Joy. And....she graduated summa cum laude (friend Judy sez that is Latin for "wow doggie!") a week ago today at Emory University School of Medicine. Here she is with her sweet mom...

And with her hubby, sister, cousin and other friends in her cheering section...

Melissa now begins her residency in pediatrics. And to her credit, she has recently returned from Guatamala where she did an immersion class for two weeks, and lived with locals to beef up her Spanish abilities. She is one sharp cookie...and a beautiful young lady, inside and out. Congrats, Doc Melissa. We love you bunches!!!!!!!

Saturday night...part deux......

All dressed up for the black and gold ball...

Pretty decorations...
Not a favorite song/dance of mine, but they are doing the 'YMCA'...note the red fire hat. It was on the head of a real fireman. The sponsoring BSP chapter invited some local firemen to come dance with all these 'single' ladies (single for the night, that is...meaning no or few hubbies). We paid $1 to dance with these nice guys, and all the funds collected ($150) went to a burn unit that these guys support. Hooray for these patriots!!!
Dick won't mind me dancing with this guy...
So now it is after midnight, and the usual gang stayed till the band quit. We have a brunch from 9 till noon, then Joy and I will hit the road for the long drive home. It's been fun, but I've missed my guy and I'm ready to say adios to Savannah and see my family. Nite, y'all.

Saturday in Savannah

Breakfast buffet began at 8:30, followed by a great speaker who told us some of Savannah's interesting history, especially parts involving women who made an impact on this city.

A group of kids came and did several "Cats" numbers, and other dances...very entertaining...what talent! The wee kids were cute overload for sure!
Afterward, Joy and I walked outside to find lunch and go sightseeing. We were approached to test drive or ride in this new Scion...and they would give us each a $15 voucher to eat at the Mellow Mushroom, which was where we were heading anyway. They'll pay us to eat? We're on that!!! Nope, we weren't tempted to buy a new car...
We rode the free bus around the whole downtown loop, then ran into our sister Mayberry chapter at the Mellow Mushroom...and shared one voucher with them, since we didn't need both vouchers for our lunch. We felt generous:-) Big spenders, right? Then the two of us walked to Lady and Son, you know, that little place made famous by Ms Paula Deen....but let me tell you this first..........who was at the MM leaving and walked right in front of us and said "Hey, how're y'all?" Paula's son Jamie! He is soooo cute........Joy and I both wanted to grab him and give him a little hug. No, make that a BIG hug............but we resisted temptation, after all, he doesn't know us from Adam's house cat but we sure know who HE is! Here is Joy outside Paula's restaurant (no, there were no reservations left today). We went to her little store there and did manage to do some shopping... Stay tuned for the pics from Saturday night...

It's 5:00 somewhere!!!

The back of Joyce's shirt advertising the weekend theme...

Joy and Sandy hamming it up...
Sandy and Joy with our Macon sistas...
The youngest BSP in attendance...and dancing already at 6 months!
Actually, several of us had more fun sitting outside watching the parade of prom goers...they were all gussied up and heading to the ballroom for a good time. They didn't know that the fashion police were checking them out:-) Joy said she threatened sit in the parking lot when her kids went to prom so that she could see all the kids all dressed up, but she never did. So tonight, we both got the chance to see someone else's kids out having fun.

Off to Savannah...

Friend Joy and I are heading to historic Savannah today for a weekend convention with our Beta sisters. Oh what fun we'll have, visiting with old friends and making new ones. That got me to thinking, surely some of the bloggers belong to Beta Sigma Phi, an international women's friendship network that is 75 years old. Let me know! Or let me know if you want to know MORE.

Joy and I joined in '88, and we were strangers then. We've been best buds ever since...you know, the kind who gives support through everything--births, deaths, divorce, surgeries........and of course the fun stuff, too. Unlike me, she only has one brother and no sistas, so the two of us are 'sisters of the heart.' We picked each other...how blessed is that?

I was hoping to meet Flip Flop Floozie while in Savannah, but she's got some company coming so we may not make it this time....but there'll be another opportunity:-)

Since I like blonde jokes, here is one to leave y'all with a chuckle:

A blind man wanders into an all girls biker bar by mistake. He finds his way to a bar stool and orders some coffee. After sitting there for awhile, he yells to the waiter, "Hey, you wanna hear a blonde joke?"

The bar immediately falls absolutely silent. In a very deep, husky voice, the woman next to him says, "Before you tell that joke, sir, I think it is only fair, given that you are blind, that you should know five things:

1. The bartender is a blonde girl with a baseball bat.
2. The bouncer is a blonde girl.
3. I'm a 6 foot tall, 175 lb. blonde woman with a black belt in karate.
4.The woman sitting next to me is blonde and a professional weightlifter.
5. The lady to your right is blonde and a professional wrestler. Now, think about it seriously, Mister. Do you still wanna tell that joke?"

The blind man thinks for a second, shakes his head, and mutters, "Nah. Not if I'm gonna have to explain it five times."

What did this???

Oh dear...not a pretty picture! This is a heavy-duty, large trash can that is up by Dick's shop, used to hold deer corn for when the food supply around here is low (we live next to a lot of Forest Service acreage, so we have lots of Bambi visitors). This culprit was no deer. We were driving out by the shop at lunch time, and saw Jason looking on the above clay bank where he found lots of LARGE paw prints...you know, the 'bear' variety. Sheesh. I like bears, but they belong waaayyy away from our house! Needless to say, we'll be on the look out for a bear with corn breath lurking around here somewhere.........and making lots of noise if we go outside after dark! Stay tuned...

Prom awareness 2008!

This is a serious video that Union County High School did as a project with the County Fire Department. Every teen should see this, especially with prom season approaching. Of course, every teenager thinks he/she is invincible and this won't happen to them...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3IP14qrl_k

Awesome performance by kids...

If you missed hearing the US Army Band and Chorus welcome Pope Benedict XVI at the White House Rose Garden ceremony on 15 April, get a load of the performance of some high school kids...but take note of who performs the first verse. One of the fathers recorded it, added some graphic enhancements to the recording, and posted it on the web. The song, of course, is the 'Battle Hymn Of The Republic.' It will send a few shivers up your spine. You may want to press the 'F11' key OR your maximize icon after the performance starts, to get a full-screen effect.

Having been in chorus myself, and also a band parent, I appreciate all the time and effort spent in practicing to putting together even one song, so y'all have some respect for these kids and enjoy the fruits of their labor. No, I don't know what high school this is. Now, click below!

http://www.greatdanepromilitary.com/Battle%20Hymn/index.htm

How to say 'I love you' in 25 languages...

How to say 'I love you' in 25 languages.........

1. English: I Love You

2. Spanish: Te Amo

3. French: Je T'aime

4. German: lch Liebe Dich

5. Japanese: Ai Shite Imasu

6. Thai: Phom rak khun

7. Italian: Ti amo

8. Chinese: Wo Ai Ni

9. Swedish: Jag Alskar

10. Philippines: Mahal kita

11 - 25. Alabama , Arkansas , Kansas , Oklahoma , Texas , North Carolina , South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Most of North Florida: Nice Ass, get in the truck!

Happy Mother's Day to two moms...

We miss them terribly, these two special ladies. They are enjoying a heavenly banquet today with their own mothers and friends who have gone before.

This first picture is Dick's mom (d. 1991)...the best mother-in-law a gal could have had. This picture is from our 1968 wedding album:

And this picture is of my own mom...from the same 'vintage' album...
And here she is again in 2006 shortly before she died...

May God richly bless all you moms today, especially our own two daughters, mothers of our delightful grandchildren! Life is indeed GRAND!!! Call your mom if she is still alive...lucky you.

And now something from the kiddies to make you smile:

WHY GOD MADE MOMS

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice
in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use
string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get
drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES
to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a
goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause
that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of
plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get
rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who
did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back
of her head.