The Knights who say, NI

A quick clip... Sandi went on Youtube and found a bunch of videos of Lego Monty Python and the Holy Grail. But the video for the Knights who say Ni had the embed code disabled! So, rather than the lego version, here is the real thing for your viewing pleasure.

I don't post often enough.

 
Here is a gratuitous shrubbery shot. Just because I like to open with a photo. But I don't have any really good photos to open with today. And I'm sorry I haven't been posting more frequently. I would like to post more often. But today is Sunday, and so I have more leisure time. I can post a few things. And then, go do the laundry again.

The Great Depression

Gram was alive during the Great Depression, and she used to tell some really good stories about what it was like back then. Everyone banding together, hand-me-downs were fine because everyone wore them, food was more valued (but not scarce in her house because her family had gardens and kept their jobs.) I used to think of it as a very romantic time, because that is what it was to her. She didn't really suffer, and although she was cautious about saving things she never got neurotic like some of the other older people who lived through it with more trouble.

I am not really "into" watching the news and the financial reports and things like that. And I've never been that good at watching the money I spend. It's getting tight out there, though, and if even I'm noticing, it must be something. I keep wondering how difficult it will get before the economic turn around, or whatever they call it.

Like the gas prices. Last week -- maybe two weeks ago -- my friend Laurie called me to let me know that I should fill up the tank, because the gas prices were going up dramatically the next day. So Frank and I both filled up the tanks at $3.11 per gallon. Now, gas is passing $3.39 or so; It's expected to be up to $4.00/gallon pretty soon.

Which of course means that all of the food, which is shipped in, is also going up. I was never good at knowing my "prices" -- like am I spending too much for a gallon of milk, if I spend $3.50, or can I get it cheaper down the street? But I can tell you for sure that my food bill is going up and my cart is getting emptier. (And this of course happens now, when Frankie finally decides he LIKES food! Both boys are eating more, finally!)

Well, all that is pretty normal, I guess. Everyone always complains about the prices and things. But a week or two ago, someone was telling me that squatters had moved in somewhere down the park. I believe the park police moved them on. But THAT is eery. Hobos? How much more "Great Depression" can you get?

I'm really grateful to have gotten a job when I did, because with the economy the way it is, we need two incomes for sure.

Anyway, here's hoping that the "recession" goes away soon.

Happy Earth Day!

 

And happy almost spring!

Kitchen Window, Sunrise...

I took this picture earlier this week -- Tuesday, I think. I meant to post it sooner but it's been a very busy week, so I didn't have any time to. Now, all the flowers have fallen from the tree, and the leaves are sprouting. The tree looks rather bare today.

 

Everybody's a critic.

Someone anonymously recommended I post something from "this century" in response to my earlier excited post that we had Pearl Jam tickets, which accompanied a clip from a concert in 1996.

So, for those of you who are interested, here is a clip from the most recent concert they did... Lollapalooza, which I would have been at if I didn't get a job.

The perspective is probably much more like the view WE'll have at the next concert. Still a nice clip, though.

The Woodpecker... a complete poem...

Mom read the one stanza of The Woodpecker that I had posted,
and talked to Aunt Patty, who then found it for me -- on google, I think.
So, here it is... it makes me smile because I can remember Gram reciting it...


The Woodpecker

The woodpecker pecked out a little round hole

And made him a house in the telephone pole.

One day as I watched he poked out this head

He had on a hood and a collar of red.

When the streams of rain pour out of the sky,

And the flashes of lightening go streaking by

And the big, big wheels of thunder roll

He can snuggle back in his telephone pole.

-- by Elizabeth Madox Roberts

Camping Again

One thing about my blog. I think it may be predictable to the point of boring. Sorry. There are the camping posts, the stressing posts, the Pearl Jam posts, the flower posts, etc. -- but usually nothing overly unusual. Which brings me to the camping post, which follows.

We went camping this weekend, Nick and I with the Boy Scout troop. It was a little dicey for a while there, whether Nick was going to come or whether this was going to be me with none of my own kids. Luckily for me, Nick agreed to come. I love these trips. (Which you already know from earlier posts, right?)

Nick was looking super dashing, wasn't he?
 
He's such a cutey. He's getting really big, too. No baby anymore.

I took a ton of pictures, like usual. I took a lot of good pictures of some of the boys in the troop, but I don't really like to post those because I'm not sure that they or their parents would approve or disapprove. So I try to avoid taking pictures that are too identifiable, at least. I don't mind as much about the back of their heads. I took less scenery photos than I did last time.

So there you go.

Opening Ceremony

 

Camporees are started with an opening flag ceremony. Here are (most) of the boys. Nick's waving to someone, I have no idea who...

Misty Morning Hop

 

It turned out to be a beautiful weekend, in spite of dire predictions about the weather.

Cooking fire

 

This is a lovely fire photo, in spite of the fact that it is taken during the day! We made this fire so I could start baking potatoes, and also for Booth's cake -- although the fire was gone way before the cake was started.

A Woodpecker

Here's a woodpecker, accompanied by a poem my Gram taught me:
 
Woodpecker pecked out a little round hole
And went to live in a telephone pole

(That's all I remember.)

 

YES!

We have Pearl Jam tickets!!!
C'mon, watch the clip. Eddie rocks!

Wordless Wednesday

 

Hog Wild in Hershey

 

I went to Hershey with Beth, her cousin Lynn, and her friend Marianne. We had a really nice and relaxing weekend away. It was a LOT of food and sightseeing and CHOCOLATE. Hershey is the town where they manufacture the Hershey chocolate, and it's quite a food town. We also went to the Gardens and toured the factory and ate somemore, and oh yeah -- shopping!

Desserts rule.

 We ate a LOT of food. How many times do you go out with the girls and not get dessert... or all split one? Not this time. We EACH got dessert. Every meal. YUM. Beth's on Weight Watchers, too. Can you tell?

Me and Marianne

 
I wasn't stoned, it was just so much lovely food. Ok, and maybe too much caffeine.

The View from the Garden

 
I took this photo (and several others like it) specifically to make Frankie jealous.
(Note the roller coasters in the background.)

He was, too. Very.

Digital Cameras Rule

 We each had our own digital camera. Have camera, will travel. HEY GIRLS! If you can, email me some of the photos of us at dinner -- I didn't take any!
Note Lynn's comfortable shoes. Cement Slippers. We didn't make her swim with the fishes, though.

Lovely

 

The gardens were full of color. Not so many flowers, though.

(Hey, I'm in this one. See what I did there?)

Chocolate is EVERYWHERE

 
In case you were wondering where chocolate came from, I can tell you -- Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Hugs and Kisses

 

We had a sweet time, all in all.

Another Award for Frankie

I know, it's probably lame of me to brag about my kids, but I'm very proud of both of them. So... what can I do? I HAVE to brag!
So Guess What! Nick shot a 52 in golf today! That's pretty good. By the time he's a senior, he should be shooting an amazing game. And really, Nick was never all that excited about golf before this year.

And oh yeah, Frankie won another award. :)

 

Tonight we went to the Pines Manor for a dinner for the Middlesex County School Boards Association and the Middlesex County Association of School Administrators. Frankie was among 68 kids from the County who were honored for their accomplishments, for overcoming difficulties. He received a certificate and a gift card to Barnes and Noble. How about that! We are very proud of him.