Vacation time....

The bags are packed and are waiting by the door. The suntan lotion and flip flops are about all you need. Florida here we come.........
Later this evening we will load everything up and hit the road for a relaxing 14 days of vacation. Fun in the sun and lazy afternoons by the lake with a late night romantic boat ride. Dinner for two on the sun porch....what more could we ask for. Thomas and I have been looking forward to this day since the two foot of snow hit earlier this year. Just me an my sweetie..
Dillion is going to keep my yard mowed and looking perfect, my brother Gary is tending to my flower beds and Daddy is feeding the animals. Sarah and Sandra will look after the house and feed the birds that my BFF Shelley gave Thomas (you should see them Shelley, their colors are so spectacular). I will miss my girlfriends though, Shelley, Linda, Cindy, Jill and Heather.
I did have to work this morning, had to design a casket spray and took two other orders for casket sprays for the first of the week, but Heather can do them.
Well, you all take care and be nice to each other. Maybe by the time I get back folks will quit gripping about the festival....but .....just remember.... "I have already begun working on the 36th Festival"...hee hee

Lunch with Linda

Yesterday afternoon Linda and I had lunch at the Chocolate Spoon in Seymour. It was a nice relaxing atmosphere. Just a few other folks enjoying the afternoon. We got to catch up on what each other had been up to and we shared what our children were up to also. Even though we were at the Red, White & Blue Festival for 3 days, we didn't get to visit much. We made a few plans for the summer and she talked me into coming to her house tonight and helping her with some of her landscaping. Linda had purchased a few plants and needed a second opinion on where to place them. So after supper tonight it's off to the Maxie farm.
I enjoy landscaping, designing a layout for the yard. I designed a new area at the house this spring and planted Black-eyed-Susan. They are full of blossoms. I already had a few plants there, it just needed updated.
After I returned home from lunch I mowed the yard and added another perennial to my gardens, a Bee Balm plant. The leaves are more fragrance than the actual flower. Thomas said I am eventually going to run out of room....Nah, I said, "I will just make the gardens bigger".
I'll let you know how Linda's landscaping comes out. Maybe one day I will be equipped to show pictures. Wow...wouldn't that be great!!!

Darrell and Darrell

A few years ago one of Thomas friends gave him two Mallard ducks. They both were males and they settled in with the other ducks and they all became friends. I named them as I do all the animals on our small farm. 'Darrell and Darrell" was the names I chose for them. Remember the Bob Newhart Show years ago, the one brother would always introduce his two brothers, "this is my brother Darrell and my other brother Darrell". These two ducks just remind me of those two brothers. They never go anywhere without each other. They will fly and waddle around from the pond to the pen. You can find them taking a nap under the Persimmon tree every afternoon.
Occasionally we let all eight of the others out. I keep them in the pen cause they like to dig in my flower beds. But if Darrell and Darrell are on the pond they come waddling as fast as their little webbed feet can carry them and peck the other ducks telling them that they are in charge and to behave their selves. One would think that Darrell and Darrell run the roost. Sometimes I have to get after them cause they get a little to bossy. I have to let Darrell and Darrell know who is really in charge.
One day Thomas let the others out and was really quiet opening the gate. Darrell and Darrell came waddling in a mad rush from the pond to see what was going on. It's comical to watch them all. Animals are just like humans if you really stop and think about it.
Oh, life on my small farm...there's no other place I would rather be.

RWB set a record...

A heat record that is. When the parade stepped off Saturday at 4pm it was 96 with a heat index of 105. The crowd was down due to the heat. But I would rather folks stay home than come out and get sick or worse.
It was a great festival. I received many compliment's on the food, crafter's and opening ceremony. Opening ceremony was a little different as in years past. I never know for sure what I am going to say. I have a theme and a outline. The rest is just what ever the Lord puts on my heart.
My friend Kevin from Columbus came down with his Bag Pipe and folks really enjoyed his music.
My new little buddy Wyatt and I began to play with a small ball through out the day Saturday and I kept telling him don't run.....well, come evening he was chasing his ball and stumbled and bit through his bottom lip. We packed up him, Mom and Grandma and sent them to the ER. She called me bout 10:30pm and said he received stitches inside and outside of his lip. He was a little groggy but was going to be ok. He was a sweetie.
Bout 9:15pm, I received a call from the sheriff's office that a tornado had been spotted on Slab road in Ewing (Brownstown)and was headed our way and we had bout 30 minutes. I began informing folks and preparing my vendors. Thanks to Vaughn Isenhower for getting the Baptist Church basement opened. Mike Carothers (sheriff deputy) was a vendor and kept me informed also and said it was now just strong winds and heavy rains. Boy when the rain came, it came hard and cold. But those of us loading up our vehicles didn't mind to much cause it kinda felt good after being hot all day. My phone kept ringing and I wasn't about to open it in the rain and all the messages were telling me to take cover. I guess I'm like the ship's Captain I have to make sure all my folks are ok before I go and that makes me leave last.
But it was a good festival and I'm already working on 2011 and going to try some new events, that is if I can get people to help...there is just so much I can do..... most of these events don't require you to attend meetings. Heck, nobody shows up so why have meetings. We can just talk over the phone. Let me know how you would like to help with your community festival.

Number 35

It's the 35th Red, White & Blue Festival and it's my 27th time to be part of it. For 27 years I have heard it all and been called it all. But I never let those who complain dampen my spirits. Some have tried their best to run me out of town, heck they had already taken over and was calling the shots. But little did they know that I don't give up that easy. Some have gripped, complained, whined and threw a fit that the festival is nothing more than nasty Carine folks. Well, those people need to look back at the many kids and adults that have benefited from festival funds. Why, some folks have spent many a year in a booth serving up food so that their child could have an awesome prom or have a chance to go on the senior trip. How soon they forget.....Look at the thousands of dollars that Phi Beta Psi has sent to Cancer Research, it's over $30,000.00.
But, having the festival is more than this. You have no ideal the pride that I feel when I stand on the stage during opening ceremony and honor our veterans. It's not about me nor you. It's the opportunity that we have as Americans to be able to hold a festival in our community and pause for a moment and say thank you to those Veterans who have been shot at, wounded or came home in a body bag fighting for their country so that we can have the freedom that we have.
So many folks have gotten caught up in the, "look at me" attitude that they just want the glory of saying, I'm in charge and I'm the boss. They have no ideal what being part of the Red, White & Blue Festival is all about.
Opening Ceremony is at 6:30pm on Thursday night. We are honoring those Veterans that are no longer with us. I invite you to bring a picture of your loved one and place it on the stage along with the others. Let's pause for a moment and simply say, "Thank You".