Hi Folks,
Happy Easter to one and all! We were all relieved to see our Joanie out of hospital and returned to out little online community. Cheers! Joanie!
Well spring has finally arrived here! How do I know? It's easy, I got my first washing "out on the line" this week. As some of you know, we Irish are infamous for our addiction to ironing. No one (least of all me) actually likes the task but theres nothing like a pile of freshly iron clothes, especially ones that have been dried outside in a good fresh Irish breeze.
The news on the home front is optimistic, we are getting a new bathroom! A complicated procedure, involving knocking down a wall amongst other fixing type stuff. I can't wait! the only blot on the horizon is, I have to share it with the sprogs. (Contrary to popular rumour, this is an upgrade, we haven't had outhouses at the bottom of the garden for many years here). I am wondering if I would be considered a bad mother if I relegated the sprogs to a bucket outside <S>. It is a terrible state of affairs when your sons have more lotions and potions in the bathroom than their Mother has.
We've had a little deja vue here, reminiscent of Christmas. I am sitting here looking at three Easter Eggs which has been surrepticiously entered from the rear. I am just a tad rankled that they think I'm so stupid I wouldn't notice. For some reason they haven't broken anything of significance this month, just a few cups and glasses. I am worried that they are lulling me into a false sense of security as they work up to annihilating something major in the near future. If it's my new bathroom, watch this space, because if I don't murder them, I will at the very least send them off to the colonies! Senior sprog hasn't arrived with you yet, he sets off in about a weeks time, so your daughters will be safe for another short while! He set his schedule back a week as we discovered it was about £150 more expensive to travel at Easter. Junior is returning to the states for the summer as well. Now, if I could just devise a cunning plan to offload middle sprog on you all too, life would be much calmer <S> Though, the local supermarket would probably be complaining about their profits being down!
Here are some of the comments from our last issue......
"Lynda ...always great to hear about
the sprog's and what is happening across the pond..
Thanks to Becca's, article plus her final thought's on the
Olympic's I gained back some of the feelings I had before the
judgement in pairs skating....It is not the goverment's but the
spottsmen/women that count.....so Bravo Becca and my thanks!!!!
I have decided that Tracy has a job I in no way could handle and
my hat is off to her... it is interesting to know all they have
to do in order to hold that job some think is a piece of cake.Thanks
Tracy..
Happi ...good but did you have to leave us hanging by our nailes
from edge of cliff..lol... Now will be wishing the month to speed
by to see what happens next...you naughty girl..
Wrench did it again ...fact better than the first on all points..and
woo wooo ..that purple dress...
Raca...both of his articles were very moving in their own way...I
feel humble and wiser knowing someday I to will sit in that wheel
chair...it takes the bite out of it and makes me walk prouder
with my cane for as long as I can...Thank you Raca from the heart....
Thank you Lynda for this paper that has helped me several times
over rough spots in my road and brought a chuckle at other times...Thank
you........"
"Dear Lynda: What a wonderful piece
Raca wrote, and not just because he is a true hoosier. I think
this is the place where one uses the phrase" there but for
the grace of God go I". While we only live 15 miles apart, I
do not know Raca personally, but he is an original, great guy to
talk to with a wit that cut to the bone or wrap around you like a
warm blanket. He has a family and obviously has the same problems
and moments of pleasure we all have or do have. I salute him for
having the guts to put down on paper this insight into his life,
for keeping his chin up and not allowing defeat into his
vocabulary. How many of us could "take a walk in his shoes"
and come out
smiling."
Any comments. articles, tips etc, please mail to LyndaAtCasual@Compuserve.com
Lynda [Editor]
Editorial.........................................................................Lynda
The Cure for Cabin Fever.... ..........................................Cousin Clem
Are We There Yet?.........................................................Becca
Misty and her Mother's Last Kiss....................................Raca
Wrenched Thoughts.......................................................WrenchofCo
Me and Bessie sure ‘nuff have that
thar cabin fever. We’uns bin cooped up here on the Knob with
snow up to yer belly button. What with my lumbego, Bessie’s
bin doin’ all the chores. (snicker) We’ve dun et half
the chickens and all the hen fruit. The salt pork and bacon is
gittin’ low too. Still got lots of taters and canned goods,
though. My squeezins are gittin’ so low I has to tilt the
keg sost to fill my mug.
Bessie is on her soap box shamin’ the tarnation out of me
fur not takin’ a bath or changin’ my long johns since
New Years. She puts some of that fancy smelling water she uses on
herself into the fly spray gun and sprays me with it. What a
feller has to do to please a woman! It’s better’n that
rollin’ pin, I’ll garentee you that..
Fritz Mueller, my German neighbor, stopped by ‘tother day.
He says to me, "Clem, you know I speak not the English too
gut. So I hope what I am saying you verstehen.. We want the
homeland next month once more to visit. Und we vant you und
Bessie with us to come. We will your tickets buy. What say you?"
Well, me and Bessie war flabberghasted. We never war no further
than Charleston afore. Ole Bessie begun abeamin’ like a
moonstruck maiden. Beforst I could say a lick, Fritze went on.
"I have with your son-in-law Cruise gespoken. He vill after
everything look out for. Und we vill be back in time for our
crops to plant."
Bessie done looked at me with that same sparklin’ she showed
when we got hitched. I knowed she had laid up a good bundle in
her cookie jar fer spendin’ money. Dagburnit I was getting’
a mite stirred up myself to git off this Knob so I says to Fritz:
"You shur built a fire in our innards and we’d be
smartly proud to go with you. I heard their squeezins are bettern
ours. One fire thing though for sure. I ain’t awearn’
none of those sawed-off pants I done seed on telyvision."
Well, when Fritz left out, Bessie started prancin’ and actin’
like a school girl. She grabbed a pencil and paper and commenced
makin’ a list of things to get. I got up, put on my boots
and parka, and headed out to the barn. I fired up that still and
got a new batch of squeezins again’. That lumbego plumb
disappeared.
That evenin’, after supper, I rolled out that round tub in
the kitchen, sent Bessie to the living room, and I sure took me a
hot bath. Never felt better’n my life. That night Bessie and
I snuggled up and well, you don’t need to know everthing.
One thing fur sure, we didn’t have no more cabin fever.
Next month I reckon we’ll have a lot to share with you about
our trip.
Cousin Clem .
How many times have we heard this phrase? Or for that
matter - asked it ourselves!
This will be a new Theme Chat presented for your pleasure by our
very own Becca! Every chat will be a different vacation
destination that should be entertaining for the whole family or
that intimate romantic getaway for just the two of you.
If you’ve been daydreaming about that perfect vacation let
Becca help you out! Learn about exotic places you’ve always
wanted to go to or that amusement park just down the road! This
will be a great way to help you plan your vacation!..so when that
dreaded question is asked, "Are we there yet?", you
just might have an answer!
If you have a place in mind and would like to have it be a topic
of discussion, just email me at BeccaLink@Compuserve.com
with your suggestions. Or, if you have a place that
you and your family love and would like to share it with your
fellow members, again, send me an email! I would love to help you
share your happy memories!
Pictures will be shown in the room, so be sure your computer is
correctly set for these transmissions. A question and answer
session will also be provided so be sure to have a pen and paper
at the ready!
Hope to see you on April 2nd!
Becca
As a young soldier in the US Army I was serving in what
was then called West Germany. It was a wonderful tour of duty as
I was accompanied by my family. Kathy was an Indiana girl who had
traveled little and then spent time touring with our three
daughters. She had given me my first son 31 days before our last
trip.
We belonged to a small church with a lay ministry. Our local
leader was an Army Doctor and I served as an advisor to him. Our
families were close and we had traveled together many times.
This particular day we were going to a regional meeting of our
church in Frankfort Germany. We were accompanied by his wife, my
wife Kathy, and a 14 year old "nanny"to care for my
young son.
The autobahn was slick as this early November morning was one of
sleet and hail. My friend and church leader lost control of our
vehicle. We careened off an inner guardrail, crossing the
highway, ending under the back of a parked truck in a rest stop.
My friends and my wife lost their lives in the crash. The teenage
girl was injured. My son who rode in my lap, was slightly hurt
and I had scratches.
A week later my four children and I were living with my parents
in Indiana. We had just buried my wife. My parents had a "great
" room in their home with a wonderful fireplace. The warmth
of the hearth and comfort of the room gave my torn soul a much
needed rest.
I was on the sofa watching my oldest child play with a doll as
she sat alone in the middle of the room. Misty was a truly caring
and very bright child. I may be biased but I feel the same way
today.
Misty raised her hand to her cheek, looked around the room and
then to me saying."Daddy, who kissed me?" With tears I
hugged this little soul and promised her Mommy would always be
near.
Over the years as life sent its normal problems and sadness I
often have thought of the kiss and remembered there are those on
the other side of the veil who watch and care.
RACA
Well finally spring is about to be sprung. As I am writing this on the eve of the Equinox, the sun is shining and fair weather is predicted for the coming week. However in Ireland, the land of your Editor -at- Large, they will be hammered as I am sending all the spring storms across the pond. Feel free to thank me later. I do hope everyone is getting through the Winter well, except you crazies in Hawaii and Aridzona,( that’s right ARID zona), who will be getting theirs this summer in the form of huge Hurricanes or triple digit heat. Don’t worry though, they sell Gatorade in those places, I think.
On the war front, our boys successfully pulled off Operation
Anaconda, and pretty much dismantled all the caves which the Al-Quaida
were not using to stash their liquor, now you know one of many
reasons why we have to stomp on them. Seriously, I am still
trying to figure out what these guys problem is. In their own
book, the Koran, any one of the big three religions are good guys.
I guess we could probably end this once and for all if we all got
together and slugged down as much whiskey as we can,
unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how much I suggest we do
that, nobody listens. I think everyone should write their
congressman and tell them that I should be on the next "Peace
Envoy".. My mission motto will be "Get Drunk or Die!"
Send me to Iraq and I’ll begin the "Bud for Nukes"
program. For every pound of usable uranium given up we give a
truckload of Budweiser. Just think of all the joy and happiness
that’ll break out. I think I’ll go look for some
Uranium myself, it’s such a good program.
Back here at the wheeled mansion, your humble correspondent has
acquired a brand new bicycle. I will be using this device to
travel from point A to point B and whatever points in between. I’ll
get on the thing early in the morning, around 6am, peddle as hard
as I can for as long as I can, throw up, get exhausted, and make
myself suffer from dehydration all in the name of making myself
feel good. It’s all part of my quest to become a renaissance
man. You see, to be a renaissance man, you have to eat bad food,
appreciate bad art, and make yourself puke. I’m getting real
close to the cutting edge of 21st century attitude, so close that
I can’t stand myself.
Finally, a little wishful thinking: I hope Spring is
finally here, as we’ve all had enough cold weather, except
the aforementioned Hawaii and Aridzona.
I hope peace somehow breaks out, no need for anymore mothers
crying.
I hope I don’t get runover by mad motorists with a grudge.
I hope we all can take another step toward whatever goals we set
ourselves.
And one more hope, I hope that Daylight Savings Time is
rescinded, it’s bad enough the government takes our money,
but must they take our time!
Wrench
Thats it for another month Folks! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
Come on Everyone! Get those pens busy for next month. Mail them to me at LyndaAtCasual@Compuserve.com We want all your contributions, don't be shy! This is a paper by the members for the members......that means YOU!
Please remember, this is a fun/interesting/informative addition
to the many features on offer at Casual Chat, critique is welcome
but nothing that attacks members, personalities or other fora
will be welcome.
Lynda [Editor]