Fill in the Blanks

September....it's over.... already.  Hard to believe.

So this means that I've been blogging for nine months now.  To commemorate this occasion, I am offering a little quiz to see what you have learned from reading "Mainely Tracy."  Perhaps you knew some of these things before reading my blog.  Perhaps not.  Either way, good luck!

1)  Lew wore a special article of clothing to Matt's wedding.  It was a _______ that belonged to _______.

2)  My father is a frequent guest blogger.  He calls himself _______ and signs off with the saying _______.

3)  Matt and Emily have a pet cat named _______.

4)  I am claiming that our household is now "hip" because we have _______.

5)  Our nephew Zack gave Lew _______ as a birthday gift.

6)  Our nephew Josh's Little League team was known as _______.  (They won the town championship!)

7)  When we take walks, Lew and I sometimes play a game that we made up.  It's called _______.

8)  Our family's prayer warrior is my cousin.  Her name is _______.

9)  My parents celebrated their _______-th wedding anniversary this summer.

10)  The "_______" is a fancy name my father uses for Pepper's litter box.

BONUS)  "If Victor's x-ray looks _______, don't medicate."  This is a way of remembering the order of _______ numerals.

(Postscript:  So, how did you do?  Thanks for reading my blog!)

Dad: Unedited XII

(Dad answers another mystery of life today.  Enjoy! -- Tracy)

Hey Readers!  Derf Here!

Perhaps some of you have noticed I have been signing off with "Toodle Pip -- Derf."  I doubt that anyone has really thought about where I got this expression.  I'm about to tell you -- whether you want to know the origin or not.  So here goes.

In the early to mid-1940's I had an aunt, uncle, and cousin staying at Spruce Lodge Cabins in Old Orchard Beach, Maine.  You may recall OOB being mentioned in my Bantam story.  Cousin Beverly, Uncle Herbert (Chubby), and Aunt Arlene (Dad's sister) Fulton became aware of a cottage next to Spruce Lodge that was available to buy.  Aunt Arlene told Dad and the purchase was made.  More about the cottage in a later blog.

Our family got to stay at OOB every summer and the cottage(s) are still used by the family members every summer as they are now properties of my sisters, Jean and Deb.

Well, Chubby was a very generous uncle and his family moved to another apartment in OOB a short distance from our cottage.  As kids we often strolled over to Chubby's just to say "Hi."  Also there was always a good chance we'd get some money from unc.

Chubby always worked in textiles and was always in a position of authority.  He was kind of an Irish tenor breaking into "Danny Boy" on occasion.  I'm sure we all have fond memories of our visits and hearing Chubby's use of "Toodle Pip" as his good-bye to us.  I hope my sisters can remember this as I don't want to be seen as a fabricator.

Thanks, Chubby, for my "good-bye" term.

Until next time.

Toodle Pip!  Derf.

I Worked a Long Day: The Sequel

I haven't really written about my job on my blog.  I work diligently while I'm at work, but my job isn't where I find fulfillment.

I have thought about what would be the ideal job for me.  Here are some things that would be fun:

1) Make new designs with Legos.  I think people really get paid to do that.

2) Write book reviews.  I would read an entire book and write a review just about every day if I knew that I could earn a living doing that!

3) Write movie reviews.  This would be fun, but not as fun as the books.

4) Usher for the Portland Sea Dogs.  I love baseball, and it would be a blast to work for a team.

5)  Super model.

OK...so that last one is a joke.  But I have often said that "super model" is my backup career.  Nobody has ever taken me seriously!  I wonder why that is....

I Worked a Long Day

A little "Jeopardy" for tonight....the title of my post is the answer to which of the following question(s):

1)  Why is Tracy kind of cranky?
2)  Why are Tracy's eyes glazed over?
3)  Why is Tracy writing a short post so she can watch a mindless TV program now?

Hmmmm.....tough one, I know!

Thanks for checking in.  Hopefully I'll be more energized tomorrow.

G'nite!

Cheerios for Dinner

When we got the new cell phone for my parents the other day, the salesman asked me how often I updated my iPhone through iTunes.  I had to kind of look away -- I'm not very good about keeping up with that.

Then he said that I should do it at least once a week, so that my contacts would be synchronized between the phone and my computer.  (For those of you who are lost, "contacts" are the phone numbers and e-mail addresses, etc.)  I had never synchronized my contacts in the first place!  He was shocked to learn that I still write the information down!!

He convinced me that synchronizing the contacts was "easy."  So I tried to do it yesterday.  I messed it up pretty good.  (Gee, that written back-up came in handy, didn't it?!!)  By the time I finally went to bed (too late), I figured out how to fix it.

So after all of my activities for today, I started in again.  Actually, my "fix" worked, but it still took me forever to get it working properly.

And that is why I am having Cheerios for dinner.

I Visit a New Neighbor

Lew and I took about a five-minute walk today to attend a housewarming party for some new neighbors.  These "new" neighbors happen to be Ellen and her family!

Ellen is one of my closest friends from high school.  She's a Batgirl!  (You'll have to check out "my cast of characters" in case you're not up on the Batgirls....)

Anne-Marie was also there, so we were just missing Krista.  (We missed you, Krista!)

The brand new house is lovely, and I'm so happy for Ellen and her family.  And I'm also glad that she's living much closer to me than she was before!  I was joking with Anne-Marie about how she used to live in between Ellen and me, and now I live in between them.  Then we got into this whole crazy thing about how "in between" doesn't necessarily mean exactly half-way.  (That's the kind of important stuff you have to iron out in order for the world to keep on turning.)

We had a really great visit.  I ate too much, which is not unusual.  It was a really good day.

Casual Friday

We have "Casual Friday" at my workplace.  I really enjoy wearing blue jeans to work.  I am much more comfortable in my "casual" attire.  Why can't we have "Casual Monday through Thursday" as well?  The only people I see at work are the people with whom I work, so I do think my idea should be considered.

I guess the dress code police believe that people perform better at work if they're dressed nicely.  But is this a scientific fact?  If we "dress for success" are we indeed prone to be more successful?  Do the clothes really make the man?

My workplace is "business casual" on Mondays through Thursdays.  I do push the envelope a bit by wearing black jeans sometimes.  And I wear sneakers when my feet can't stand the thought of "real" shoes.  (Pun intended.  Get it?)

For the record, I have not proposed my desired dress code of 24/7 blue jeans at work.  But one can hope!

(Postscript:  To be completely candid, I think my clothing preferences are heavily based on my hatred of ironing.  Ugh!)

Our Hip Household

A few weeks ago I wrote about how Lew went slightly over his text message limit on his cell phone.  We did not have an unlimited plan...

Until tonight!

We added an additional line -- my parents' cell phone -- to our plan this evening and decided to take the plunge into the world of unlimited texting.  I must admit that this decision was made easier when I realized texts received are counted toward your limit -- not just the ones you send!  So, when their grandkids text them, my parents can rest assured that they aren't going to get a cell phone bill for several hundred dollars. 

Actually, Lew and I get the bill, but we would certainly pass such a bill on to them, believe you me!

But, as I said, it's not a concern now, so....

Text away!

Dad: Unedited XI

(Dad decided to add a little local flavor to his post by spelling a word based on its pronunciation by us Mainers.  Or perhaps I should write "Mai-nahs"....The only time I remember riding in a vehicle driven by my grandfather was....hmmmm....I think a parade, maybe.  Now I know why!  -- Tracy)

Greetings!  Derf here!

It was the best of times.
It was the worst of times.
Sorry, wrong story.  Back to reality.

A couple weeks ago I wrote about our 1939 Bantam.  Today I'll relate how the little "cah" was used as a therapeutic vehicle.

My mom had a serious illness in the 1940's.  Being very young at the time, I know not exactly what or when this took place.  I do know that as a result of this illness my mom would not drive our automobile.  Prior to the illness I believe she drove, and I know she was licensed to drive.

My mom was quite smitten with the little "cah" and decided to drive it around.  She drove it regularly and I believe she even drove my sister Deb to school every now and then in the Bantam.

As time went by, Mom eventually started driving the regular-sized vehicles.  In fact, as Mom and Dad aged, she did all the driving for the two of them.  I believe this to be a result of Mom's desire for self-preservation.  Dad had a habit of looking all around as he drove.  The looking at the road was almost an afterthought for Dad.  In fact, Mary Lou did ride to a Revelaires concert once and never again would enter a vehicle if Dad was about to drive.  Once he was entering the Acton Fair Grounds in his 1912 Model "T" fire engine.  His eyes wandered as the vehicle in front of him stopped.  Dad also stopped as his headlight hit something protruding from the other vehicle.  Hence, self-preservation for Mom.

Mom not only drove her "Crown Vic," but would drag anyone of the younger generation as they sat at the stop light.  She drove into her 80's and one week before passing drove to her almost daily muffin retreat with the girls.

Ah, yes, the family believes that the Bantam was certainly A Therapeutic "Cah" in the driving life of my mom.

Until next week,

Toodle Pip!  Derf!

A New Approach to Lunch

I usually only take a half-hour lunch break at work.  I take my lunch out to the break room and eat it.  I often read during this time, too.

Yesterday, I needed to run an errand, so I left the office during my lunch half-hour.  As hard as it was to return to work, I still felt like the afternoon went better because I had "freed" myself for a bit.

So, today I went out again.  Same result!

As long as the weather is not icky, I think I will find little errands to run during lunch.  (I happen to work fairly close to a lot of handy places.)

As for eating, my new plan is as follows:

Morning break:  Rice Cake (cheddar flavor -- yum!)
Around noon:  Meal bar while working at my desk
Afternoon break:  Apple

I haven't determined tomorrow's errand yet, but Thursday it's a haircut!

I Made a Funny

When Lew baked his apple pie yesterday, some of the filling ran over into the bottom of the oven.

Tonight, Lew tried to clean the oven.  There were a lot of weird smells and the smoke detector even beeped a couple times.

But Lew assures me that he made great progress on the oven, although he's not quite finished.

So, I told him that I would not use the oven until he has completed his cleaning process.  Why, oh why, did Lew start laughing when I said that?

Signed,
Domestically-Challenged

The Cows Came Home

I had so much laundry to do today, I said to myself, "I'll be doing this until the cows come home."

I don't have any cows, but I did finally finish the laundry.

I believe that the previous two weekends were responsible for this week's massive laundry chore.  Two weekends ago -- the weekend of the wedding -- I pretty much did the bare minimum.  And that's what I did last weekend, too.

But, I realized that I had to catch up sometime.  Today was the day.   And, I feel good!  I knew that I would!  (Song cue!)

(Postscript:  Yes, it was a good day.  Church this morning, lunch out with my parents, and Lew made a delicious apple pie this afternoon!  One blemish on the day....the Patriots....ba-a-a-a-ad.)

My Achin' Back

Lew and I are both quite tired.  But it's a GOOD tired.

We spent the better part of the day helping some church friends move.  They became homeowners for the first time yesterday.  So, it was a privilege for us to help them get settled in their new home.  Well, start to get settled, at least -- they still have a lot to do to get unpacked and situated.  :)

I am now good for almost nothing.  Neither Lew nor I can think straight.  And we're both moving kind of slow.

So, it's G'nite for now.  And, Go Patriots!!

Quotation Hall of Fame

"The Blue Jays scored five runs while we were praying."   --  Lew, just now.

The score was Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 2 before we started our devotion time.

Lew's "announcement" made me laugh.  And laughter is the best medicine, right?!

(Postscript:  I went back to work today.  Still fighting the dregs of the flu, but better health is finally in sight.)

(Post-postscript:  And I'm still laughing!!)

Dad: Unedited X

(I stayed home from work today.  Fever.  Did the "lots of fluid and rest" thing.  Feeling much better now.  I told Dad to have his post finished early, and he came through.  I know that you all have been anxiously awaiting for almost 24 hours for this.  Thanks for your patience.  Enjoy! -- Tracy)

Howdy!  Derf here!

I'm a day late with my blogging this week.  You daily readers already know this from last night's "Mainely Tracy."

To the anonymous person who commented on last week's blog -- I KNOW who you are.  Your point is well taken, but I think I look great as the driver of the Bantam.  Don't get any further ideas!!

Today has been busy as we arose at 6:30 to get haircuts at 8:00 a.m.  Every four weeks we make the trip for haircuts.  It makes sense to go early as the first customers.  Early in and early out.  No waiting around for other clients.

Upon returning home I read the paper as I doze off in and out of consciousness as I get my morning nap.  Refreshing indeed!

Summer seems to be a thing of the past as we have gone from a heat wave to fall temperatures in a matter of days.  Mt. Washington in New Hampshire had snow in the last two days.

I was able to mow our scorched lawn today.  This is the first mowing since about July 3rd.  Usually I mow every week or so, depending on the weather.  I am quite thankful that I did not have to mow many times this summer.  Once more should take us to winter.  Yippee!!

I can't wait to start plowing our driveway.  Pray for a mild winter.

I'm shutting down as I must go pick up Josh from football practice.  Deb will get Zack while I get Josh as Glen has a firemen's meeting.

I've covered a lot of topics and none seem exciting.

I can't be great all the time.

Toodle Pip!  Derf!

A Lull

I think I may have the flu.

I'm heading to bed early.  My father....oops....I mean "Derf"....wasn't quite ready with today's guest-blog.  He said I could blame him for tonight's boring entry, so I will!

No, that's not really fair.  He usually has until I get home from choir to get it ready, so it's my fault that I'm sick.  (Wait...that doesn't quite seem fair either....)

Anyway, don't be disappointed, Derf fans!  Check in tomorrow night for the latest installment of "Dad: Unedited."

G'nite!

Work! Google! Empathy!

I got home late from work the past couple nights.  I was doing pretty well energy-wise until about an hour ago.

Just now I was sitting at my computer, resting my chin in my left hand.  Eyes shut.

I'm pulling it together long enough to ask for sympathy (or is it empathy?) from all those who have ever been tired after working a long day.

Just a second while I google sympathy vs. empathy...........

OK.  It turns out that I'm asking for empathy.

But if you've never been tired after working a long day, then you don't know how it feels.  Therefore, you can only offer your sympathy.

And that's my grammar lesson for today.

Thanks for checking in!

Our Economic Stimulus

Lew has indicated that he does not want to know how much money we have spent in the past few weeks.  So, I am keeping quiet on the actual amount.

We have had two major expenditures:
1)  A bunch of stuff related to the wedding.
2)  New exercise equipment.

I believe I have previously blogged about the wedding!  :)

Our new exercise equipment was delivered last Tuesday.  We got a home gym to replace the one Lew recently sold.  (This new one is easier to adjust -- even I can figure out how to use it.)  We also got an elliptical machine.

We weren't planning on buying an elliptical machine when we originally visited the workout store.  But, I tried it.  I liked it.  We talked about it.  We went back.  I tried it.  I still liked it.

As we were making the final decision about whether to spend the money, I asked Lew, "Aren't I worth it?"

OK, so that wasn't fair.  But it was funny.  Even the guy in the store told Lew that "it was all over."  (And in my defense, Lew really was on board with buying it.  He uses it, too.)

So, if the economy is still tanking, please know that Lew and I are not to blame.

Change of Season

I know that Fall doesn't officially start until later this month, but it sure felt like Fall today.  Yesterday afternoon I was outside in a T-shirt, without a jacket.  Today, I was wearing a sweatshirt inside the house.

Also, NFL football has been on TV all afternoon/evening.  Doesn't that mean that Fall has arrived?!

Speaking of football, I am going on record as being disappointed with this year's baseball season.  I fully expected to blog more about my beloved Red Sox over the past few months.  But, quite frankly, they stunk it up this year.  There were some brief moments of hope, but they were just that -- brief.  Better luck next year, BoSox.

So now it's:  "Go, Patriots!"

Lew's Dream Come True

Almost exactly one year ago our church held its first annual motorcycle ride for missions.  Lew and I went to see the riders off.  That was the day that I finally decided that I should probably "let" Lew get a motorcycle.  He had talked about it before, but not very seriously, as he knew that I was against the idea.  But that day, when I saw the eagerness on his face, I realized that I can't always live in fear.  (But I haven't completely conquered my fear...I have yet to ride on the bike with him.  Maybe next season!)

Today our church held its second annual motorcycle ride for missions.  And I was thrilled that my dear husband got to participate this time.  In the following clip, the first complete bike you see is Glen with Josh on the back.  The second bike is Lew (wearing a gray jacket).  Congratulations, Sweetie!

Wedding Wheels

Transportation on the day of the wedding proved to be quite amusing.

Matt drove his truck over to our house that day, but he was not planning on taking it to the wedding.  A couple of his groomsmen got dropped off.  I'm not sure how all of the rest got here, but suffice it to say that only one of the groomsmen had a car at our house.

A couple hours before we had to leave, I sauntered over to where Matt was sitting and calmly asked him, "How is everybody getting to the wedding?"  He looked up at me and sweetly replied, "I have no idea."

Enter "Tracy the Organizer."  I asked the groomsman with the car how many he could take:  Four, which included himself.  That left two, and Lew and I could certainly handle that.  So, Lew had the honor of driving his son to his wedding.  The best man rode with us, too.  (Which reminds me -- Why does the bride always cry at her wedding??? --  Because she doesn't get to marry the best man!)

Emily's side of the wedding party rode to the church in a hired limousine.  After they were dropped off, the limo driver had to drive back to his "shop" to get another vehicle for after the wedding.  Reason?  The air conditioning wasn't working!  Poor Emily!  I guess she was slightly uncomfortable.

The entire wedding party was scheduled to ride in the limousine to the reception.  (I guess this is why most of the groomsmen did not have a vehicle.  Their "significant others" were in charge of driving their personal autos that day.)  But, as you may recall, one of the groomsmen did have a vehicle at the church.  How to get said vehicle from church to reception?  Hmmmm...

Enter our pastor.  He had conducted the ceremony, and his wife was also there helping with flowers, etcetera.  They had brought only one vehicle, so I asked if one of them could drive the groomsman's car to the reception.  The answer was, "Of course!"  I now refer to our pastor as the "full service" pastor.  (He also tied the ring bearer's shoes as the wedding party was processing out.)

After the reception, one of the groomsmen came up and asked me if we were driving directly home.  Apparently there were still some outstanding transportation questions.  But they got it all worked out, so Lew and I were able to ride home together...alone!

(Postscript:  In case you're wondering about Matt's truck -- Lew drove it over to Matt's house the day after the wedding.  That's when we also picked up some of the tuxes to return to the rental shop, including the tux with no tie.)

Two Wedding Tidbits Featuring the Nephews

Tidbit #1:  I didn't ask Debbie's permission to post this, but here is her Facebook status from last Saturday:

So, we are in the truck today talking about their cousin Matt's wedding that we are going to today. Josh said that when he gets married he wants to have the ceremony on a beach. Zack said, "Me too because then I can have the girl I am going to marry wear a bikini...it can be a white one!"

The second "tidbit" has to do with Josh.

Josh danced with a beautiful blonde at the wedding reception.  (She was probably in her 20's.)  It was a fast song, and he was quite the ham on the dance floor.  I'm not sure where he gets it, as his father is so sedate and mellow.  (Ha!)

I guess the gal was out dancing with a couple other gals, and Josh just kind of joined them.

OK, so he was put up to it by his father and his grandfather (as in "Derf").  I believe there was a bribe involved.  I'm not sure that the bribe was really necessary, though, as it appeared that Josh was having a great time.

Speaking of Joshua -- it's his 12th birthday today.  Happy Birthday, Josh!

Dad: Unedited IX

(After reading this, you may wonder about Dad's license plates.  Each one is a different type of registration:  Passenger, Commercial, Motor Home, Trailer, and Antique.  He's so clever.  Enjoy!  -- Tracy)

Tracy and Lew left for choir practice a while ago and I was reminded to do the guest blog for tonight.  I must admit I knew about it as I write every Wednesday.  I thought about it a couple of times today but Tracy's reminder gave me a jolt.

My tonight's topic is the purchase of and the first trip in the 1939 Bantam which still lives in my trailer 65 years later.

The year was 1945 (give or take a year or 2).  Times were good.  Dad's store was doing well and his Yankee trader persona was thriving.  It was summertime.

One day Dad stood in front of the store (maybe looking for another rabid animal to kill) as a small green/white automobile drove by him.  Dad, always looking for something new, yelled out to the driver:  "What will you take for it?"  The driver smiled, waved and continued on.

The following Saturday the guy returned.  My dad bought the car from him.  What he paid I never found out.  Why I never asked Dad the price is a mystery to me.

At the purchase time our family was at the cottage in Old Orchard Beach, Maine (about 30 miles from our hometown of Sanford).  We stayed there every summer.

Dad decided to driver the little car to OOB that night.  Dad has a history of embellishing stories so I'm not sure the following happened.  Dad stood by his story until the day he passed away.

When Dad reached Biddeford he had to travel on U.S. Route 1.  As he approached a stop light (at the bottom of a rather long hill), he noticed he was directly behind a large Greyhound bus.  As he was waiting at the light he claims he heard the air brakes of a vehicle behind him.  He claims it was another Greyhound.  There he was between two Greyhounds in a very small auto that is about as high as the top of the wheels of the buses.

True story or not?  I do not know.

We were all excited upon seeing the Bantam.  I painted the car with a brush once.  I blew up the engine also.  In 1997 we had the car restored so it is now presentable.  We have travelled as far as Missouri with it for two shows, as well as going to several other national meets.  Of course it travels in an enclosed trailer.

I might add that we have the following vehicles licensed to travel:
1.  Auto
2.  Pickup Truck
3.  Motor home (new addition)
4.  Trailer
5.  Bantam

All license plates read "BANTAM."

So if you see any vehicle from Maine with "BANTAM" on the plate -- give a wave and a honk.

Catch you next week.

Toodle Pip --  Derf

(Postscript:  Tracy here.  I am including a picture of the car, of course!  My sister Kim is driving, and Mom is her passenger.  Photo taken Summer 2008.)

Wedding Accessories

It was shortly after 3:00 when one of the groomsmen realized that the bag containing his rented tuxedo did not contain the black tie.

I was downstairs, ready to go, when Lew yelled that he needed me to do a favor.  "Call Glen and see if he has a black tie!"  I called, and he doesn't.

I then went upstairs and explained to Lew that he would have to give his tie to the tie-less groomsman.  Although Lew was wearing the same tux as the guys, it was more important for all of the groomsmen to match.  I guess Lew agreed, because he took his tie off and handed it over.

We needed to leave for the wedding.  Lew and I began a frantic search through all of his ties.  Nothing was jumping out at me, so in desperation I asked Lew if he happened to have a black bow tie.  A few seconds went by, and he said (with great relief), "I DO!"

The bow tie had belonged to Lew's father.  Lew's dad passed away several years ago, so Lew was actually quite touched that his dad would be represented at the wedding.

God is good.

(Postscript:  We took back several of the tuxes the day after the wedding.  One of them was that of the missing tie.  The clerk said that if it had been Lew's tux, then we would have been charged for the tie.  I said, "You would charge us for a tie that you never gave us?"  Apparently the clerk had thought the tie had been lost, and he quickly apologized.  He said that they would have driven a tie to the wedding if we had called them.  Well, we didn't know THAT!)

(Post-postscript:  I should probably post a picture of Lew in his dad's bow tie.  I happen to be in the photo, too.  My jewelry was made by my friend Carole.)

Room for the Groom

As I mentioned in an earlier post, "Phase 3" of this past weekend was our hosting Matt and his groomsmen here at our home before the wedding.

Lew cooked hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, and the guys hung out for a few hours watching sports on TV and enjoying each other's company.

We had planned to leave the house around 3:00 for the wedding.  At 2:20, all of the guys were still sitting in the living room -- including Lew, who needed to shower!  I strongly encouraged Lew to GET A MOVE ON!

Matt and his buddies headed upstairs, too, to get dressed for the wedding.  They used the back room as their "locker room."  The back room is where Lew's old gym equipment had been, and where our new equipment will be delivered tomorrow.  So, it happened to be fairly empty for Matt's big day!  There was plenty of room for the guys to change.  It was one of those, "Gee, didn't that work out well?!" wedding highlights.

It was shortly after 3:00 when one of the groomsmen realized....well, I'll leave that for tomorrow's post.  Stay tuned!

The Father of the Groom

There were so many great moments during the past couple days that caused us to say "Isn't that wonderful how that worked out?!!"  I have great stories to tell about the wedding, and I will do that over the next few days.

But today, I am sharing some words by the father of the groom.  Lew writes in a notebook every day, and he gave me permission to post what he wrote early yesterday.  Here's Lew....

We, Tracy and I, have been praying a long time for the right girl to come into Matthew's life.  We believe that Emily is that girl.  They are both sensitive to the things of God, so now we pray that God will draw them into a closer walk with Him.  A hurricane (Earl) was predicted to hit New England this weekend.  We all prayed that it would go out to sea.  It is a beautiful day!  God is good.

Emily and Matt, September 4, 2010
....and they lived happily ever after.

Congratulations Emily and Matt!

I'm writing this during Wedding Phase 5. What a wonderful day this has been!

Will be home late, so this will be " all she wrote" for today.

God is good!

Wedding Weekend

This weekend's posts will probably be shorter than normal.  A lot going on!

Other than all of the shopping, tux pickup/return, and similar errands, I have broken "The Wedding" into five phases:

1)  Rehearsal
2)  Rehearsal Dinner
3)  Groom and Groomsmen Here
4)  WEDDING!
5)  Reception

Phases 1 & 2 are now complete.

Matt and the boys are coming to our house tomorrow to get dressed for the wedding.  They will be here for a few hours, so Lew is going to cook hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill for them.  It will be fun to see Matt and his buddies in their tuxes!  Lew gets to wear one, too.  I believe they are waiting until AFTER the cookout to change into their wedding attire.  :)

And it appears that Hurricane Earl will not be joining us.  Not in full force anyway.  We've been praying about this, and will continue to do so until all of the events are over.

We are thankful.

All Work and No Play

I have worked 9-hour days all this week.

One of my colleagues has been on vacation, we have a couple new people, my supervisor has been in and out of meetings for the past couple weeks, and this coming Monday is a holiday (but our deadlines all remain the same).

I haven't been busy at work at all.  Ha!  Actually, my eyes are ready to slam shut.

But am I really "all work and no play"....?

I am leaving the office early tomorrow!  I need enough time to "beautify" myself for the wedding rehearsal and the dinner to follow.

Then, Saturday is the BIG day for Emily and Matt.  I just cut the tags off of my dress, so I think I'm ready to celebrate!

Dad: Unedited VIII

(So, there may have been a little editing this week!  Dad referred to the stop signs as red lights at one point -- he didn't intend to -- so I fixed it for him.  Otherwise, the following is how he had written it on his now smaller-sized yellow-lined paper.  I DO think that he has mis-characterized the dog.  Enjoy!  -- Tracy)

Sad Greetings from Derf.

Today was a very emotional day in my life. I watched the 1931 Ford "A" leave on a trailer from in front of our garage. I did not watch as it left our driveway. I've been driving the car for 50 years, but it has been used very little in the last few years. I actually drove the car up on the trailer for my last time behind the wheel.

We took a ride last Sunday. Mary Lou and I were in the vehicle while Lew and Tracy rode in the rumble seat. An account of the ride appeared a couple days ago on "Mainely Tracy."

I must defend my driving as she told of two violations of running a stop sign. I was directly behind a car the first time and we both came to a stop and proceeded through the intersection in parade fashion. Not a VIOLATION!!

I will admit the 2nd was actually a violation. I was driving down Union Avenue toward the beach when I decided to tell the other riders about watching cars go down the hill and bottom out on the double train tracks. I'd seen this happen many times as every Sunday morning and vacation days for my Grandpa Gowen we would trudge down Seaview Avenue to Union Avenue -- turn right and cross the tracks to the store for the daily paper and ice cream cone. Oh, how I miss those good old days. In all my years, there was never a stop sign on Union Avenue.  Well, as I started my story a ferocious dog (approximately 150 lbs.) attempted to attack our auto from across the street.  The woman walking the beast was dragged several feet in our direction.  The attack put us all in fear but we survived.  It was scary.

I was in the area yesterday of my violation as my sister Deb was closing her cottage.  She left at 3:00 a.m. today for Indy to visit with sister Jean and her family before returning to Florida for the winter.  I must admit that I checked the Union/Seaview corner and there definitely was a stop sign there.  I blame the ferocious dog for his attention-getting activities.  Guilty!!

Next week I'll tell you about the purchase of our 1939 Bantam by my father (the porcupine killer).

Toodle Pip -- Derf