Skip to content

From Bill

Diana,



We are in Quitman, at the public library. We finished with the tax sale stuff. Bettye Ruth is outside on the phone, now trying to take care of some of her insurance stuff.



We will probably drive up to Meridian after she finishes.



While Bettye was on the computer, I browsed a bit in the library. Guess whose picture I saw on a brochure? Yep, Jessica Blakney. One of those photos that continues to show up everywhere. I grabbed a couple of the brochures.



I suppose we might go to Jackson one day this week. If so, I will try to hook up with Quilly. Otherwise, we are taking it easy. Of course, there is nothing to do but take it ease here.



Later.



Bill

Monday morning

Yawn ...

I finally got all the laundry done (except for the 10 items that MUST be hand washed and laid flat to dry - I'm guessing I'll do one a day for awhile).

While working on Jessica's room, I spotted a few delightful items that will fit me. I am wearing her watch as I type. Since she had such different hours, I can get away with theft pretty easily.

Love,

Dee

Trailer Town

Not much new on my end. Judi and I are going to Nampa, Idaho on September 9 and return September 11. I made contact with a lady that lived acoss the street from me in Imperial Beach (she also took care of the kids after Frieda left) and she lives in Nampa and a former co-worker from Riddell Williams also lives in Nampa. So Judi and I will do some visiting and sightseeing. Tiff is coming to stay at the farm and care for the chickens and dogs. But guess what - some of you are off to Germany and other exotic places and we are going to Nampa, Idaho - WHAT'S WITH THAT?



Hung a couple of what were beautiful hanging plants on my deck. Well one is still up and looks OKAY but the other just keeled over within hours of me hanging it up. Even Judi wasn't able to help me with that guy so guess I will try and get something else. I know it is the end of summer but wanted something up that I could enjoy for a few weeks.



KC - Luis was having trouble with one of his hind legs and sometimes would hobble around on 3 legs but wasn't in pain. Apparently, he has a stretched tendon that pops out of the groove from time to time. It usually pops in on its own but they also showed me how to help it back in place. There is surgery that can be done but because he is not in pain and because of his age, it isn't recommended.



Have decided to join the Senior Center just so I can take advantage of some of their facilities and trips.



Bopcha's garden keeps churning out produce. Judi and Bopcha always make sure I leave with squash. Judi made some wonderful pear butter.



Since I have no oven, I finally broke down and purchased a large toaster/bake oven. So far I made cookies which I sent to Tiffany and now I am roasting a chicken. Afraid to leave the house until said chicken is done for fear something will catch fire.



I must say Nina looks very comfortable and confident aboard that very large horse. Horses - they don't like me.



I'll bet Jess's bedroom looks just like a showroom now with all her wonderful clothes.



Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.



Kay

Exhausted After Cleaning

Jessica and I worked on cleaning up her room and she was exhausted and took a nap toward the end of the project. After her nap she bounced up and made a delicious oatmeal snack cake.



Carmel for a Saturday Night

Hello



Sid has decided that he absolutely has to try a carmel recipe that he saw in an English recipe magazine. I don't think the recipe is English, who knows. Just before that I was in the kitchen for what seemed like hours - washing and cutting vegtables. It sure is a lot of work to eat healthy isn't it?Is it any wonder fast unhealthy food is so popular. It would be so much easier to just get a really good loaf of bread and some really good fattening and salty cheese and just indulge. But I guess that would not be the most reasonable way to eat would it. The one healthy habit that Sid and I always seem to pick up in the summer is we buy watermelons with the intention of eat a piece or two each in the evening. But no, we end up eating much more than a piece. What a delicious summer treat to eat watermelon. I am sure it is healthy, but not sure it is necessary to eat half the watermelon in one sitting. Perhaps tonight we will just indulge in some carmel instead of half a watermelon while we watch a movie.



As you can tell our lives are not nearly as interesting as the other family members who are traveling and going to concerts :-) I mean watermelon, carmel and a movie - and to think we live in a big city. But I have to say it's nice to just be in the peace of your own home after a gruling week at work.



Bopcha, I wish I could have made it to Oregon. I really was not bothered by the work we did on the previous trip. It is always nice to come out there and get away from the hectic schedule of our lives in Philly. I know Sid really enjoys getting away from his usual routine. Anyway, I am glad to hear about the seemingly fun things that you are all planning for. KC, hope you and Tom have a great trip.



How about Nina on that horse? My sister said Nina is really into being around the horses, she seems to just be in her element. She could be out there forever. She was sad that the camp ended. But Nina decided to replicate the jump training she was doing with the horses, and train her dog to jump. Yes indeed, she has been training "Storm" to jump over boxes. Interesting huh???

KC, she may need to call you for some dog training advice.



Dee, I hope you enjoy the music. Let us know how it goes.



Take care everyone!













and was not have minded at all coming back for a second visit during the summer. Unfortunately

Comments Only

Egad--you know what? I don't think the horse knows that anyone is sitting on its back!! Nina looks so teensy and the horse so big.



Bopcha--no wonder the Gleaners can't keep their coordinators going. That's a HUGE amount of work. Now, I could see marshalling a bunch of other good workers to work pieces of all those jobs and maybe providing oversight, but no way doing all that by oneself. Charity is charity, but that's martyrdom in the making!! Did the lady that likes you so much volunteer for that enormous job load? I hope not.



I'm anxious for Sid and Sandra to come and visit. Dee and Bop made a huge dent in the cactus, but progress has slowed since their departure. I have really good gloves to lend so I can't think of a single down side--plus Tom and I really feed people well.



Work day is winding down. Tom and I will be boarding the aircraft next Thursday, destination Germany. We arrive Frankfurt on Friday, catch the train to Stuttgart, have coffee with Uschi, drive their van up to northern Germany, and collapse until the call to the races the next AM/Saturday. Zoiboyz Perfect Storm is running for Germany in the European Oval Racing Championships Saturday AM. Send good thoughts for good luck to the boy on 5 September!!



Tory will be leaving for Greece shortly after Tom and I return from our adventures on 13 September.



Dee - that's fascinating re the tapping on the guitar. It will be fun to watch I expect. Meanwhile, congrats to Bill on his weight loss.



Big horse, beautiful girl!

Nina looks as if she were born to ride! Time to get her training on barrel racing so that she can compete in the Philomath Frolic next summer.



All is well here on Poverty Rock. All four Blakneys are going to the Stanley Jordan concert tonight. Here's a little background on him:





Normally, a guitarist must use two hands to play each note. One hand presses down a guitar string behind a chosen fret to prepare the note, and the other hand either plucks or strums the string to play that note. Jordan's touch technique is an advanced form of two-handed tapping. The guitarist produces a note using only one finger by quickly tapping (or hammering) his finger down behind the appropriate fret. The force of impact causes the string to vibrate enough to immediately sound the note, and Jordan executes tapping with both hands, and with more legato than is normally associated with guitar tapping. The note's volume can be controlled by varying the force of impact: tapping with greater force produces a louder note.



A helpful analogy to visualize this technique is the distinction between a harpsichord and a piano. A harpsichord produces sound by plucking its strings, and a piano produces sound by striking its strings with tiny hammers. However, while notes produced on a harpsichord or piano sustain after the hammer has struck or the pick has plucked, fingers must remain on a tapped note in order for the sound to continue. This similarity is what led Jordan to attempt such a technique in the first place; he was a classically trained pianist before playing guitar and wanted greater freedom in voicing chords on his guitar.



Jordan's two-handed tapping allows the guitarist to play melody and chords simultaneously. It is also possible, as Jordan has demonstrated, to play simultaneously on two different guitars. Another feature of Jordan's playing is the tuning he uses: from bass to treble EADGCF (all in fourths as on the Chapman Stick, compared with the standard EADGBE), so the patterns for chords are the same wherever they are played on the fretboard.



Stanley Jordan's main guitar was built by Vigier Guitars in 1982: it is an Arpege model on which Vigier made a flat fingerboard, allowing it to have a very low action (0.5/0.7mm). The low action facilitates the tapping technique.



Jordan was the first artist to be signed by Bruce Lundvall when the latter became president of Blue Note Records in 1985 and, consequently, Magic Touch was the first release (not reissue) of the rejuvenated label.



Personal life

Jordan has one 24-year-old daughter from his brief marriage. Jordan's daughter, Julia Jordan, is a guitarist living in Los Angeles, California, and recently completed an album titled Urban Legacy. The album received very positive reviews in the DIY section of Performing Songwriter Magazine.



Stanley Jordan is currently a resident of Sedona, Arizona, where he owns Sedona Books and Music. He attends Arizona State University, working toward a master's degree in music therapy.





Nina and horse

Here is Nina with the actual animal.

Too much work for the Coordinator

A resounding NO NO NO! That is too much work unless one is being well-paid (and I assume the coordinator gets no money at all).



The power was out at the house this morning and I don't know why ... no wind, no rain, .... hmmmm...... luckily, the sun rises early and we had enough light to get dressed by.



Bill and I went on what turned out to be a 9 mile hike on Sunday (round trip). We were quite sore on Monday and Tuesday. Things are hurting quite a bit less today.



Bill is now down to 205 pounds (per his doctor visit yesterday). That is what he weighed when we got married! The doctor was thrilled and is going to take Bill off one of his multitude of blood pressure meds.



Don't even ask about my weight.



Love,

Dee

Coconut drink

It is a new drink for me and I like it. It is made from the milk and flesh of those big coconuts and is made fresh like orange juice at $3.50 per cup. Yum Yum



Tonight I went to the Farmers Market on First Street. It was interesting and I did buy two ears of sweet corn. We will have it for lunch tomorrow.



The weather is fairly hot, 80-90°. I miss Sid. I try to be quiet in the morning so I don't wake him up. I hope he had a relaxing time when he was here. You can't believe how much he accomplished. The back porch contains the washing machine, dryer, and none of the many items I had piled on top because I thought the washing machine didn't work. It does work! I was sorry Sandra couldn't have come, but knowing how hard she worked the last visit, I could understand.



The coordinator at the Gleaners quit because of the work load. So I went to a meeting last night at which time we were asked to find someone else to take the position. My question is this: should the coordinator (I didn't ask, I just thought about it) be on the job, that is be

present, at all the activities the Gleaners are involved in, like being present at REPAK, and at the local site when the food is distributed, and go out in the field to harvest left over crops that the owners don't have a market for, lift and weigh boxes, sacks, containers , keep them refrigerated or safe from pilfering during the week, fill 40 large grocery bags with food for the week to our shut-ins and deliver them and present fresh vegetables and fruits, frozen vegetable to the 60 more or less people that come to get their food for the week? Love, Bopcha

Thanks for the Birthday Greetings!!

Boy oh boy, did I have fun on the 24th with all the birthday songs, gifts, and telephonic good wishes. Thank you all so much: I'll be well fed, well gloved, well warmed (on my neck), well read (well able to read), and definitely feel well loved. Of course, the fact my birthday followed Tom's so closely, meant that we each got spill over from the other, so the house on Curtis Road is generally glowing with good will and good feelings.



Meanwhile, I love reading Bop's blog and keeping up with all the family antics---like getting on the front page of the GT. Egad Judi--the photogs must follow you around, because this is the 2nd picture of you in the GT I have pinned on the fridge. (Nice to let folks know I have news worthy members in my family).



Good luck Sandra with your tootsies. I struggled with tendonitis of the Achillis (sp) for nearly 10 years.



Love, KC

Foot and/or Feet

Sandra, I do not envy your ability to stay up late because I know it means you are not able to sleep easily. That is horrible. I hope your foot/feet issue is diagnosed and you get directed to a cure. All those little bones and tendons make for real complications, I guess.



A couple of hours before my argument yesterday, the bailiff emailed and said the judge had decided already so we didn't need to come. I lost. Sigh! I had subpoenaed some union records, and the plaintiff's attorney contested the subpoena. So now I don't get the records. That's OK cuz I should win this case anyway. It's a disability discrimination case.



Yesterday evening the City of Mercer Island had a neighborhood meeting at our church to get input re: Tent City. The City is going to draft an ordinance that addresses some of the concerns without trampling on a church's constitutional rights. It was surprisingly civil, although hearing affluent people talk about how having homeless people in their neighborhood for 3 months may have affected their property value is pretty nauseating. I am all for property ownership and maintaining its value, but let's not get carried away. It is important, but it is not more important than temporarily providing a well-organized and well-monitored homeless encampment an opportunity to help people get a start toward being self-sufficient. Decisions based on unsubstantiated fear are frequently bad decisions.



Love,

Dee

No Fumbling

Hello,



I have a really hard time believing ythat you Diana that are going to be presenting a fumbling argument, but I am sure that the judge will be distracted by how wonderful you look. The color combination certainly sounds really nice - I personally love pink and black. But in case the good looks angle fails (which of course it won't) I am sure that you will wow everyone with your presence and presentation style.



Today I went to get my foot x-rayed. My doctor confirmed that I don't have to stay still because of this foot problem, I may just want to avoid running and other higher impact activity. I am still waiting for more informaiton from the MD about what exactly it is. I am not sure staying still is resolving much because no matter what activity I am engaged in it hurts. But I have been wise enough to not run in THREE months , which I am okay with because I know running is sort of brutal on your body.



We shall see what they find on the film, I hope it is nothing awful. The good news is that I took the day off in order to get these "medical chores" done. Of course I still came home and 6pm and did work on my computer. I just can't seem to shutt it off sometimes.



Sid is tucked in bed sleeping and I feel like a live wire, and can't seem to go to sleep. I wish I had as much energy in the morning as I do in the evening. Diana, I guess I am the opposite of what you describe in energy levels. Occassionally I have energy in the morning, but certainly not lately.



So Bopcha how is Corvallis weather? Hopefully it is still warm and still getting dark late. We are already seeing shorter days, which is always sad. I love when it gets dark late. I love walking home on summer evenings when the sun is setting and its brightness has subsided so that it feels cooler. Too bad we don't have the longer days for a larger portion of the year.



I am going to try to read a book and get some rest now. I will write in again soon.



Love to all,



Sandra





Bill to Mississippi

Bill leaves for Mississippi on Saturday morning and comes back Friday night, September 4. We then leave from the airport to Corvallis to attend the Beaver's first game of the football season.



This Friday, the kids, Bill and I are going to see Stanley Jordan, a guitar genius Bill is very fond of. The tickets were a Father's Day gift to Bill.



I am all dressed up to go to court today. I wish the hearing were this morning, when I am more alert and focused. Oh well, the judge will probably think I'm extra cute because I am wearing a skirt, a hot pink blouse and a black blazer. Perhaps he won't even listen to my fumbling argument.



Love,

Dee

Happy Birthday, KC!!!

Happy Birthday to you-u-u,

Happy Birthday to you-u-u,

Happy BIRTHDAY dear KC,

Happy Birthday to you.



Noah spent the night Saturday because his friends Alex and Tom (from the neighborhood) were both at the neighborhood bar-b-que hosted by Alex's parents. After leaving him asleep on the couch while we went to Church, a hike and then a movie, we came home to find his graduation photo book out - he had been showing it to his friends! A huge compliment to his Aunt KC!



Love to you on your birthday, KC!

Diana