Monthly Archives: March 2013

Fire Dept. Fun Night and Quilt Raffle

We went over to the Goodson Kinderhook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Fun Night this evening. Actually, Mike didn’t go. He meant to go but it was nice weather and he was still working outside. He has some surgery scheduled in a few weeks which means he has to get everything done that he can do in the next three weeks. So…I went alone. There was a good crowd, and I knew lots of the people.

Here’s Helene and Jenna…

And here’s Ashley with her smokin’ hot bingo card. The bingo is still going on as I write this and Ashley has already won a country ham. Helene and I had to turn over our bingo cards to Jenna and Ashley because Helene’s horse was outside and we needed to run home and put him in the barn for the evening.

This is the first time I’ve seen this cow. It was so cute. I loved it and knocked a few little kids out of the way to get my picture taken with him.

I look forward to going to the Fun Night, but tonight I really wanted to go because it was quilt raffle night. I sold about 185 tickets, and since I bought only about 30 of those, you bought the remainder. Thank you so much for supporting the Goodson Kinderhook Volunteer Fire & Rescue.

I zipped right over to the quilt raffle to investigate. I asked how many quilt tickets were sold so that I could figure out our chances. When I asked, there were about 750 sold, but I believe that a lot more were sold as the night progressed.

All of your names were dropped in the big bucket…I was so excited when I looked at that bucket! All of our names rumbling around in that bucket…surely one of us will win!!

And here is one last look at this beautiful quilt…when I took this picture, I was literally sweating with anticipation!!

Someone named Savannah won it. Tonight was not our night.

Dale Jett & Hello Stranger in Mendota

Our Dale Jett and Hello Stranger 2013 Cemetery Benefit is going to be held on Friday, April 26, in Mendota. If you are reading this, I hope you plan to come. It’s a really great show. The accoustics in the old Hamilton School Building (now called the Mendota Community Center) are good.

We ran out of food last year but this year, we are planning better. We expected about 200 last year and we had closer to 400. Tonight I’m working on the publicity for this year’s event. I like doing this sort of thing. It’s a creative endeavor. I enjoy working on these types of things at night. Tonight’s project for our benefit is a postcard which will be mailed to the 24270 (Mendota) zip code. I’ve been picking out four pictures to include on the card…here’s what I’ve got so far. If you don’t live in Mendota but would like to receive one of the postcards, please comment back on this blog. I’ll make sure you get one.

Guess you know who these three are? What good friends they are to this area.

Even if I didn’t like the way they sound, I’d still like Dale Jett & Hello Stranger. They are doggy people. Hot Rod Harris was a large part of the inspiration for a special song they wrote and perform about strays. It speaks to me.

Here’s Hot Rod. Honestly, Hot Rod was pitiful when Oscar and Katie first adopted him, but now…he’s a little on the chubby side. May have to change his name to Bubba Harris.

Because the performance benefits two cemeteries, I’m including pictures representing each cemetery.

Here’s the Mendota Cemetery. It’s located near the Mendota Post Office and the Mendota United Methodist Church. It is where my parents and grandparents are buried.

Here’s Mt. Vernon’s Cemetery which is located by Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church. Although I’ve walked by this sign well over 100 times, I did not notice that it had “and cemetery” on the bottom.

I was actually at this church this morning with Mike, Dale, Oscar, Jenna, Ashley and Daryl. Daryl fixed some breakfast. We’re talking about a variety show we may have in Mendota in October, and something I’ve always wanted to be in — an old fashioned jug band — I want to play the spoons!

Plans and more plans. Life is good out here in Mendota.

Wormy Chestnut (Again) in the Shop

It was snowy in Southwest Virginia today. We won’t get the “big un” this year. This is most likely our last opportunity. It’s just as well since our power would be off and I do not enjoy paying the $200 or so for propane we use to generate our own power during the three-or-four day outages. Spring is close, and I’m ready for it. Maybe next year, however, we’ll get that big snow that we’ve all been dreading or anticipating since the 1990’s.

I walked down to the shop this morning with the dogs. Mike was already down there. Just looking at this picture makes me want to draw a deep breath of that cold, fresh air. Gracie stopped and rested for a minute. All she wants to do is get down to the shop and get in that white truck and go somewhere.

First thing I saw when I walked in the door — Vicky and Mark’s table — it’s done! Check that off the list.

My table, while “tacky” to the touch is also done. This table is meant for my den. Once it’s in place, I’ll take a picture and show you. For now…

Here’s a little different angle…remember…this was all on someone’s barn.

In the back and side of the unit, you can see the rougher barn siding…

This reclaimed wood might have looked like this at some point. This is the barn that the Barn Rock Road project required be torn down. It hurts me to look at it in rubble.

Anyway…when you’re using reclaimed wood, there is quite a bit of work to do. A lot of inspecting for old nails and then there’s the actual “planing” that has to occur. Here’s Mike at the planer.

In its roughest state, it might look like this…

After I met Mike in the shop, we headed to the Rally Mart Gas Station for lunch. Want to see something sinful but delicious? We split this.

Let me introduce you to three ladies who work at the Rally Mart and provide some of THE BEST food you can imagine.

Here’s Rosie…She is always so nice. She has to call the house from time to time to remind Mike to pay for his gas! He forgets!

Here’s Barbara…on Barbara’s baked bean day…the gas station is full. She has a secret recipe.

And here’s Brenda and Barbara. Can you believe Brenda is a grandmother? (And a very good one!)

Mendota Memories…Old Pictures

I found a few old pictures the other day…all of these people or places are tied to Mendota, Virginia. Can you guess who any of them are? Naturally, some are of me but not all. If you wish, leave a comment and guess on some of them. I’ll number them so you can identify who you think Number 1 or Number 2 is.

Here we go….

Picture #1…here’s a hint…her dress was orange and white stripes. Her mother made that dress.

Picture #2…she’s related to Picture #1, but she’s not a sister.

Picture #3…Check out the rollers of this pretty lady sitting on the steps of the Mendota Baptist Church. Who is she?

Picture #4….Here’s a hint…the same Mother who lovingly made the orange and stripe dress in Picture #1 made this sweet little shirtwaist dress. That mother had little money but her girls always were well dressed.

Picture #5…the girl in Picture #1 is a little older here. Where was this picture taken? How has the landscape changed?

Picture #6…this is the rooftop of a little house in Mendota. Where is that house?

Picture #7…This one is a hard one as I have not seen him for years. He is the same age as the girl in Picture #1.

Picture #8…Here’s the girl in Picture #1 with one of her lifetime friends (people we never met…we just always knew). Who is the boy and where was the picture made? Here’s a little hint. They are leaning against Kinnith Riner’s red Charger car. Where was the picture made? The landscape has changed since this picture was taken.

Picture #9…Oh this is just too bad. A pin-up girl in Mendota.

Picture #10…This sweet lady still lives here on Appaloosa.

Picture #11…Look at that sweet dress. It was probably sewn for this little girl the night before her picture was made. Her mother had such talent with taking very little and making it special.

Picture #12: Here a hint. “Blue.”

Picture #13…This sweet little girl didn’t live in Mendota but lived in nearby Rich Valley. She liked to sing.

Picture #14…This handsome fella lives on Barn Rock. Who is he?

Picture #15…I don’t know if any of this little girl’s family is on the web to see this picture. Do you know who she is? She’s a Nurse Practitioner today.

Picture #16…She got on the bus up above where Carson and Vicky Roark live today? Do you know her?

Picture #17…Her mother cut her hair, and this was her very favorite red cordurouy jumper. She loved that jumper. Her mother made it and the blouse with the peter pan collar witih lace.

Picture #18…She related to the girl in Picture #1 but is not her sister.

Picture #19…Finally, here’s another…who are the three in the picture?

Sharing RC With a Friend

Have you ever had one of those days…

When a flower would make things just so much better?

But you live 17 miles from a grocery store…and besides your husband already brought you flowers this week. Perhaps your quota has been met…is there ever a quota for things like this? I don’t know!

And then…you realize that those flowers that are on the table..can just be rearranged a bit, so that if just one of those flowers left its friends on the table…

And suppose that it decided to sit in the living room beside you…

And just maybe you’ll share your prized RC Cola with that flower friend..

Well, things just got a little better.

Just Flowers Today

You know what is one fun thing about blogging? When I read back on things…I forget that I might have had a bad day and just didn’t write about it. It all looks good. Happy Happy Happy…just like Duck Dynasty. We swing both ways in my house — both Downton Abbey (Oh Poor Mary) and Duck Dynasty.

Not every day is great for me but many are. Yesterday was a good day.

I had a good day at work at my part-time job at About Face. I worked in Abingdon yesterday, and it’s not as face-paced as our Bristol location so it’s easier to get to know the clients. It’s fun to see people leaving with their plans to look and feel better or to see the results of their efforts and our products. So, that was a good thing.

However, I was ready to leave about 6:50 pm. I called Mike so he could estimate when I’d be home. Calling from a cell phone as I approach my home gets dicey — no signal. Anyway, when I spoke with him, more good news. He said, “do you remember what you liked to eat in New England?” Well, I drew a duh. But the long and the short of this is that I like New England style creamy white clam chowder, and he had some Legal Seafood Clam Chowder for my dinner. I was so happy!! True New Englanders make fun of Legal Seafood, but not me. I live in Mendota — not exactly the seafood capital of the south. Maybe a small mouth bass once in a while, but…

He had the clam chowder on the table as I walked throughthe door. And flowers! Today, I love this man!

I ate the chowder. The bowl was clean but I’m still enjoying the flowers.

Apparently, Mike is not holding onto his cash as well as me. He bought these flowers…they were just $20 at Sam’s Club. A bargain, but, still, I would have thought “I’ll spray paint some sticks and just use them with a few branches from a shrub.” I’m glad he didn’t think like me. I really like the bright color of these flowers on this cold winter’s day.

I breathed in their crisp smell…fresh! Actually probably full of pesticides from a foreign country picked by underage children, but hey…these were a surprise and I’m enjoying them. How perfect is a flower?

Another picture..they are really brightening my kitchen table. Look at that scrubbed table. I like the way the scrubbed pine table and the Mason jar with flowers look. I like that Did I say that twice?

Can you tell who arranged the flowers? Just dropped then in the jar. There’s yellow on one side and purple on the other.