Saturday Night

Well it'about 9:00 pm on a Saturday night. The thin crust frozen pizza is in the oven, baking away. I thought I would check in on the Fiddler Kin, as I have been out of touch for a couple of days. I have been blogger challenged so I have been reluctant to view posts, but tonight I am feeling brave again, so here we go. I don't have anything exciting to write about. We put the plants out on the deck Thursday in anticipation of rain, but then the winds came and beat them to a pulp and then sent them flying around the deck. Now they are talking frost, so after making it through a tough winter, we may kill them in April on the deck. Tommy Jayhawk if you want to get into the swing of homeownership please feel free to come north for some mowing time. I started mowing earlier in the week and had the grasscatcher on the John Deere to collect leaves and grass clippings for the compost pile, but I broke a belt so now the grass is growing out of control while I wait for John to put the new belt on. We may need a machete soon. The hostas are finally coming up and the redbuds are in full color, always a sure sign of spring. We went for a walk up Downing Road to Thompson. There is a dead raccoon, which is very fragrant. I am making my own granola. I actually have turned it into a granola/trail mix. It is very nice. A client gave me a recipe. Beth's pecan snack reminded me of that. Work has been slow. I don't know what is wrong with people, why they would rather fill up their cars and go to work to earn money to buy $2.29 eggs, than get a massage is beyond me. Well I guess I better check on dinner. It's tough slaving over a hot oven for 12 minutes.

Yummy recipe...

Greetings. I just thought I would share this great snack recipe I found today. I really wanted a crunchy snack & had no money to spare on snacks. I suddenly realized I had a couple pounds of pecan halves in my freezer I could play around with. This is what I came up with:

Sugar Coated Pecans

1 egg white
1 tbs water
1 lb pecan halves
1 c. white sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Grease 1 baking sheet. In mixing bowl, whip together egg white & water until frothy. In separate bowl, mix sugar, salt & cinnamon.( I actually used a baggie because it was easier to coat the pecans this way) Add pecans to egg white & stir to coat evenly. Remove & toss with sugar mix until coated. Spread on baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

The end result is a nice crunchy coating on the pecans. It is really good, though not very healthy.
One could probably play around with it & try one of those sugar substitutes. I think I will try increasing the cinnamon a little bit next time.

Katie I love your pictures. Georgia looks like a beautiful place to live.

Andy, it looks like you are going to be living at a resort. It looks really neat.
g
jsmmmmmmmmmjxvcccxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhxxhhhhhhxxhxhxxxxxhxhxxxxhhhhhy

That was a little message from Jacob. He says hi.

Georgia Hiking

We took a hike near Lake Allatoona today and admired Georgia's preservation of Civil War battlefields along the way. Andy likes the above picture because you can see how clear the water is.




Deep thoughts about purchasing lakeside property: Andy suggested that we go in together on a cabin at Lake Kahola when we get back to the Midwest. We'll see how this pans out. If it does, you're all invited.

On the scenic trail:

Go, Sun Devils!

Go, Fighting Owls!

Experiment

We are attempting to post photos. The slideshow option isn't working, so this is the best we can do.

This is Sal. She has a drinking problem.

Yahtzee

Here are some words of wisdom from my favorite brother-in-law Mr. Mason. "Never take pictures when you are burning and have diarrhea." Also, if I do this correctly, there will be a link to my new apartment complex and a link to a pretty cool video.
http://valdosta.apartmentfinder.com/details.aspx?aptid=105273

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

Interchange

Hi
Blogging is such a fun opportunity to express ideas, feelings, life events and more....I love getting to know our family a bit better! But where is our fearless leader....the blog originator??
MMMmmmmm......
ellen

The dead of night.

Stumbled across a poem that I thought was rather delightful, twisted to some extent but a fun read none the less.

"One fine day in the middle of the night
Two dead boys got up to fight
Back to back they faced each other
Drew their swords and shot each other

One was blind and the other couldn't see
So they chose a dummy for a referee.
A blind man went to see fair play
A dumb man went to shout "hooray!"

A paralyzed donkey passing by
Kicked the blind man in the eye
Knocked him through a nine inch wall
Into a dry ditch and drowned them all

A deaf policeman heard the noise
And came to arrest the two dead boys
If you don't believe this story’s true,
Ask the blind man he saw it too!"
- Author Unknown

Quick thanks.

I would like to take a quick moment to thank everyone for their comments on my piece of inspiration I posted earlier. I've always prided myself on being a decent writer, and have been told a few times that I should write a book or perhaps a short story, I do have other writings if anyone is interested I'd be glad to share them, some or story ideas others are poems or random phrases I thought up but I'm more then happy to pass them around. Again thank you all for your kind comments, I will gladly do my best to post up more of my works.

Jacob's haircut, etc...

First, I would like to take the opportunity to welcome Andrew. It will be nice to have a way to communicate with you.

Jacob got his first haircut wed eve. He wasn't very happy about it but we were able to distract him most of the time. He looks really different but everyone says he looks like a boy now. I thought he looked like a boy before. I was the one who really wanted to get his haircut. Peter said I was giving in to pressure. Now, I really miss the curls. I think it's going to take me a while to get used to it. We'll send pictures as soon as we can. By that, I mean whenever Peter decides to actually download them.

I was rather disappointed with the performances on American Idol the other night. With all of the great song choice ALW has, some of the selections were just wrong. One of the guys sang "Memory". Not only was it really bad, but it was guy! Why? That song is for a woman. On a high note, the guy I'm rooting for, David Cook, did very good, of course.

The Leyva family has been dealing with illness the last week. Peter has bronchitis & the dr said Jacob was probably starting to get it. I believe I have the beginnings of it myself. Fun times for the Leyva household.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. Love to all.

Public Health

Hi Everyone,
Just an update from the world of public health.....I am working with frail elderly. I see people in their homes based on referrals from other agencies. It always amazes me how many children and parents are estranged from each other....I don't know what keeps a 65 year old daughter from waving the white flag and making peace with a 90 year old parent...but these things happen.

Some of my patients are fairly active and social while others are pretty isolated.
Some have Alzheimers/dementia in various stages while others are pretty oriented.
My visits include a mini health check up and some problem solving of one kind or another. But the part I enjoy the most is hearing their stories. Today I visited two frail but alert/oriented elderly woman.....one a refuge from Hungary after WWII and the other American born....both agreed that George W. Bush was not a good leader.....these women have seen a lot and truly they know a lot!! Yep....these women are clear thinkers.

ellen

Hmmmmm

Well, Tom is going to be hard act to follow. I don't suppose this will be nearly as entertaining as his post. I really don't have anything to say other than i have a new address in HOTlanta now, just don't ask me what it is, and will be starting work at yet another dealership on May 13th. Also, Matty if you have any questions on how NOT to piss off your new co-workers I am probably not the guy to ask. The only good advice I can give you is to remember these simple words "EVERYDAY is a HOLIDAY!"

I suppose I can do better than that.

My debut on this blog – while extremely clever and witty – fell a little short of spectacular. But hold on to your pantaloons this time because you’re in for an emotional and winding journey on this excursion. (Point of clarification: By pantaloons, I’m referring to your baggy trousers and not your foolish old Venetian merchant.)

Let me start at the beginning, which in this case for this blog means addressing my name. Timing can be vitally important when deciding a blogger’s pseudonym that will reach the eyes of undoubtedly millions across the Internet. Let me just say, the timing was perfect for “Tommy Jayhawk.” Of course, Tommy is timeless and what all my fans call me, but the Jayhawk has reached new heights of late. I received great inspiration from the exploits of my fellow Jayhawks over the past year. And who wouldn’t be overflowing with tremendous pride for their alma mater after witnessing the triumphs of 2008? Fresh in our memories is the amazing run to the national championship in basketball. In January, the KU football team claimed an Orange Bowl championship against all odds. And unbeknownst to many of you I’m sure, my Jayhawks finished the debate season at No. 1 in the nation – above the likes of No. 2 Emory and No. 3 Harvard. I can think of no better pen name than one that celebrates such a fine institution – one that excels both athletically and academically.

Here’s where this “excursion” slows down a bit. Unfortunately, the excitement level in my life pales in comparison to that of the Jayhawks. When the big news of the week is the purchase of a cheap charcoal grill, it becomes a lot easier to focus your attention to national championship talk. But, because I rarely talk to some of you (or perhaps all of you – sorry Mom), here’s a brief synopsis of the life of Tommy Jayhawk and his significantly better half.

Mrs. Jayhawk and I are still crammed in our little apartment and will be there for one more year. We are on a financial plan to buy a house in April 2009. It’s funny how your perspective can change in a relatively short period of time. Living in Ellsworth, housing was still the most expensive purchase you were probably going to make, but it’s fractions of the cost of a house in Kansas City. For awhile after making my move to the City of Fountains, I just couldn’t imagine spending the kind of coin a house in Kansas City was going to cost. However, in the past year, we’ve been watching HGTV, which has several programs that illustrate the cost of housing elsewhere in the U.S. Now, I’m thinking to myself, “Self, I’m so glad we live in Kansas City. It’s so cheap to live here compared to other cities in this country.” Anyway, if any of you are free in April 2009, we could use some help moving.

In other news, we’re both still working at our jobs – marketing for me and publishing for her. I’m still pleased with my career path; Mrs. Jayhawk considerably less so. I still commute to Lawrence, so I too feel the crunch of almost $3.50 a gallon for gas. I play basketball twice a week time permitting. We don’t watch much TV, but our one vice is back on air tonight with a new episode – “Lost.”

Okay, this undoubtedly has gotten way too long and that’s about all I really have to say, so I’ll close for now. Have a pleasant day, Fiddler Kin.

Happy

WE are happy that you have joined your family on the blog, Ellen. You are a very descriptive writer. You have an eye for detail. Hope those nuts and berries are yummy. I have to comment in my posts because the computer wants to shut down the site when I attempt to comment. Computers are like very spoiled children. Catering to the computer's whims is an outrageous state of affairs. The computer has the upper hand. At least I can post my comments. Maybe Carol and Sharon will eventually join us too. Blogging has made me happy. I hope that I do not encounter more problems in the future.

Hello...success at last

Hi Everyone,
At last I have reached the fiddlerkin blog....I hope.

Anyway......it is pouring here this eve but that doesn't dim the loveliness of the redbuds, tulip trees and flowering almond in our yard.

Another day of work has ended....."What's for supper?" No specialty hamburgers per Marshall tonight...Saturday he created a double patty filled with onions and cheese....drowned in ketchup...our own cholesterol/triglyceride nightmare. Yummy!
Instead, we'll eat something healthy.....nuts and berries. Just kidding!

Will close for now,
ellene

Something Inspirational

"Some times we fall into darkness, to a place where we seem so alone with no light to guide us. A place where we're scared more then we've ever been, like we have nothing left to give and the only option is to give up. This is when we have to let our own light shine, and bring our world out of darkness. A time when we have to search deep within ourselves and pull our courage to the surface, there will always be darkness but the light with in each of us is never far behind. "

I wrote that some time ago for a few of my friends that had fallen on tough times in life and needed some inspiration to pick up their spirits.

I have nothing to say, and I'm going to say it

Nothing.

Whistle A Happy Tune

Good Morning!

I have been having fun today. Dad's old harmonica and I have been getting acquainted. I am trying to learn how to play it. Yes, I went online to learn. I played Mary Had A Little Lamb for the first time. My apologies to Mary. And the lamb. Let's not forget the residents of Centennial Towers. I think I will be ready for my first concert in about 10 years.

The sales receipt for the harmonica was still in the box. This happy little music machine was purchased on August 29th, 1966 from Mission Music Shop. That was the year I graduated from Shawnee Mission North High School. Has it really been 42 years since I raced from class to class down those dark halls? The price of the harmonica was $2.50. The tax on it was eight cents. Today that harmonica, a Hohner Marine Band model, costs between $27.00 and $37.00. We do live in an inflated world.

I do not know if Dad ever played the harmonica. I was a freshman at Emporia State Teacher's College when Dad purchased it. Money was tight for me and I only went home for the holidays. I rode the train to Kansas City and someone picked me up there. Once, I had to take a taxi home, because I arrived in KC late at night. The taxi ride inspired a lot of internal guilt. Who had money for a taxi? I hope Dad did play it occasionally. Sadly, the box looked like it had not been opened very often. Does anyone remember if Dad let down his hair and played? Dad loved music. Some of his favorite songs were: Paper Doll, Stormy Weather, Harvest Moon, Yellow Rose of Texas, and Lazy Bones. He used to sing those songs when we went for car rides. There were others but I can't remember them now. Dad was always a happy camper when he sang or whistled a happy tune.

Playing the harmonica is kind of an earthy thing to do. And this is Earth Day. Happy Earth Day Everyone! Breathe deep. And SING.

Andrew Lloyd Webber on American Idol

I'm probably the only one into AI, but I just wanted to let everyone know how excited I am that Andrew Lloyd Webber is the celebrity coach tonight. I don't know if this means the contestants are doing just his music( I hope so) or just showtunes in general. Either way there is such a broad range of styles that there is something for everyone if they just choose wisely. I'm going to be anxiously awaiting the end of the day just so I can rush home & watch it. Does this make me a huge nerd?

On yahoo headlines this morning there was an article about freecycle groups. They had link to find one in your area. These are groups where people can advertise things they want to give away or for things that they want & it's all free. This is supposed to help keep excess out of the landfills. I have been trying to do a small part, it's hard to change 32 years of bad habits. Btw, I bought the clorox green works cleaning products & I LOVE them. They make me want to clean & they smell sooooo good.

I hope everyone has a great day. Oh, yeah, Jacob is getting his first haircut tomorrow. I'll let you know how that goes. Love to all.

Say a little prayer for me

I'm takin' the F-150 to work tomorrow. Please take a moment of silence at approximately 10:30 Eastern Standard Time to pray that I do not side swipe any of my colleagues' vehicles.

Here's a bit of Georgia weirdness for you:

1. Many of our neighbors think that--in spite of posted leash laws in our HOA--it's perfectly acceptable to let their dogs roam free and run alongside pedestrians, sometimes nipping at our heels. Trent generally pretends to kick the biters, while telling the non-apologetic owners something long these lines: "Looks like you need to get yourself a leash." Last year, a rottweiler came charging up to Wellington and me, so I screamed like a banshee until its owner came out and said, "Aw, he's real friendly. He won't hurt ya'll." Really?

2. This is something that slays all non-Georgia natives. Sometimes when I'm yielding on a green light to oncoming traffic as I wait to make a left turn, oncoming drivers who are preparing to make a right turn will yield to me. (I've seen this happen to other drivers, too, and my colleagues have also confirmed the existence of this maneuver.) So, the driver is waiting for me to turn left, even though he has the right of way. What do I do? Do I trust that he's actually going to wait for me to make the turn, or do I stand my ground and continue to yield--because what if he doesn't wait? What if he's just pretending to yield so he can slam into my vehicle and then blame me for the accident??? What is wrong with Georgia drivers?!?!? I don't think southern hospitality should apply to driving.

3. Trent has gas, and he's stinking up our computer room.

New to Blogging

Ok, I am going to give this a try. Those of you who know me or have sent me emails I don't respond too, know I'm not much into to writing. I get really nervous. Katie, I just want you to know that I got the blog invitation a day before I got your email. How wierd is that?

Jacob is starting to talk more & more every day. It's really exciting. Today, he pointed at a banana & said ba-ana. He's so smart. He says a lot that we don't understand at all but it's fun to listen to. I don't know if all of you saw his video we email out to everyone. We have submitted it to America's Funniest Videos. I don't know if it will get selected but it's pretty darn funny to us. To answer Thomas's question about what was going on: Peter found a website called babygamer.com which has a bunch of online toddler & baby games. This particular game would play sounds & display different shaped on the screen whenever you push a letter key. I don't know what it is but Jacob goes beserk whenever we bring that game up.

I don't really have a whole lot to say, except that I do not recommend not using TP. That could cause some social ramifications. I will try post more of my thoughts if I think of them. I think I will have more fun reading what everyone else has to say.

toilet paper

Well what about the price of toilet paper. I mean come on, nearly ten bucks for 24 rolls! Now that is poopie. I don't have to drink milk and I can try to combine my car trips to save fuel, but what do you do about TP? It's not like you can re-use it or skip using it, ok maybe you can skip, but I don't think I really care to go there. Anyway just thought Iwould throw that out for a deep discusion.

Finally!

Hello,

Google has FINALLY accepted me. I am still in my pajamas because I started attempting to blog early this morning. I hope I am where I am supposed to be! I have been lost in cyber space. It is scary to loose your identity.

I love this blog. I love the idea of family coming together. I feel a little faint from my endeavors. I realize I do not have much to say.

I have thought a lot about Grandma Fiddler this week. I feel like her life and death defines who I am. I miss her. I wish there was phone service between earth and heaven, even if there was only limited access. It would be great to hear Mom's voice, her laugh, etc. Of course, there would be the unsolicited advice too. That would not be so bad. Maybe Mom could coach us on how to win the lottery.

The best quote I read this week is: A faithful friend is an image of God. I read that while eating a scone and sipping tea at Semolino's in Hays. Semolino's is a coffee shop in the historical section of town. A faithful friend is hard to find, but their love and support do remind you of God's love. There is a married couple in Ellsworth who remind me of the male/female spirit of God. They have been married for 60 years. Both are kind, gentle, graceful, generous and very talented artists. They both have a great sense of humor! I believe God is exactly like them only better!

I believe I have said enough for today. I do need to get out of my pajamas. Thanks for the opportunity, Katie.

Friday Greetings

Ok I should be fixing dinner, but here I am on a Friday night trying to figure out this blogging thing. I am a techie novice, or maybe lower than a novice whatever that would be. I am not sure how much I will be contributing because of that deficiancy(where is spell check on this thing?). Well that is great news Andy. I guess that means you have a new job in Georgia. Wait does Andy have a computer? Anyway I look forward to the adventures of the Georgia KAT, also known as Katie, Andy and Trent. Well puppy Jack just tried to use the computer, acutally he has a computer phobia, ever since I played a video on the computer of some border collies that barked. Now the computer is Evil! It harbors other dogs! Is there no safe place from strange dogs? Well have a great weekend everyone and happy blogging!

Andy's comin' to Georgia

Yo, yo, yo, Party People!!! My little brother's moving to Georgia!! Woo hoo! I just got off the phone with him, and he said that gave his notice at work in W-town and he'll be moving here in May ... possibly when my folks are visiting.

How fun is that?! Trent and I have been wanting to move closer to Family, and now Family is moving closer to us. Okay, so he'll still be about an hour away, but that's way better than a 7 hour drive.

Speaking of driving, is anyone else pissed about the high gas prices? It's about to hit $3.50 a gallon here. It cost me nearly $50.00 on Tuesday to fill up my Camry. Of course, since Trent drives about 4 times farther (or is it further?) to his job downtown than I do to the university, he's been hinting that we'll need to trade vehicles soon in order to cut down on gas costs. And that means I will be giving up the comfort of my little car for the terrifying experience of attempting to park the F-150 in the university's tiny parking spaces. I'll have no chance at tenure, regardless of my actual job performance because I will have dinged up all my colleagues' vehicles with my poor parking skills. What we'll save in gas money, we'll be paying in repair costs to other university employees.

Let's get this thing started.

Okay, so here it goes. I think I've mentioned to a few of you that you should start your own blogs in order to share your amusing, whimsical, and sometimes heart-wrenching stories. And now I'm taking the initiative to start a blog for all of us. Yay! (By the way, if I've forgotten to invite someone to join, please let me know.)

Here's the gem that got me thinking about the idea of a story blog:

I volunteered yesterday to be a model for a student at the Hays Academy of Hair Design. The student, Lauren, gave me a free perm. She had only practiced on manequins prior to yesterday. It was a real learning experience for her because my hair was so short. Never the less, she did a good job. I think my hair now looks like a soft, furry kitten resting on someone's head. "Meow," she says. "What am I doing way up here? Where's my Mommy? Could someone get me a Coke, please?" And blah, blah, blah.

This was written by, none other than, my lovely aunt Honor. Don't you love it?? When I read it a few days ago, I nearly fell out of my seat laughing. The image of a soft, furry kitten on Honor's head asking for its mommy knocked my socks off. Go, Honor!!!

Plus, I've gotten some other gems from my Mom, mostly poetry. Like this lovely limerick from last August when our air conditioner stopped working:

Heat slithered into the upstairs hall
As Trent awakened to a nature call
The temp in the can
Made him scream, "Oh, Man!
I think I'm steaming my ball(s)!"

Delightfully refreshing, yes?

So, let's do this thing. You don't have to be a poet. You don't have to be insightful. I'm not. Let's just share our stories. Starting ... NOW!