January test of blog

ABC's of blogging

Always be polite

Be truthful

Consider its always out there.

I am another example of "Oh yes I have a BLOG"  so I  think I will get back to blogging.  I am planning a theme of history stories.  What do you say?

New and Fitting quote

It has been well said that there is no surer way of courting national disaster than to be “opulent, aggressive, and unarmed.”—Roosevelt

Stuff I need for ETSU

Ideals is Illinois Digital Education access to learning and scholarship

It has great archival preservation bibliographies:


https://www.ideals.uiuc.edu/handle/2142/588

Granddad and Me

A favorite of mine. Granddad and me. I found recently again.

I think it says something about the fact that I still love to drive.

Merry Christmas A Poem to Remember

1998

Christmas Adventure

The Ice Storm.

T’was the week before Christmas
And this year the governor has been generous
Three days has he given us
To pack with activities galore
To make it here, there, and yon
To the mall, to visit friends, and at least twice to the store

Tuesday night we started off to Opryland
With Mary and Amber the lights to see
Come home!, come home quick! said Kenny B.
Not before going to the Cock of the Walk to eat with glee.
I’ll go home early in the morning said Mary
No snow is expected before I will be long home.

Wednesday the ice hit with a vengeance
Lots to do before the roads get treacherous
It’s time to get Marina to the airport for flights to PA
A big Christmas with Cassie is already underway.
Her flight is still on time when I left her there,
She will see parts of Philly and other parts unknown
Before she gets back to the Holbrooks’ old Mountain Home.

Off I go to home sweet home to help Mom and Dad
With lots of errands no doubt,
Ice is everywhere with slow traffic about.

Ice and rain are falling and falling, what is that sound?
Thunder?, no its cracking of limbs heavy with ice.
What is that lightening? all green and constant?
No that’s transformers popping I remember that now.
Soon the lights flicker and go out
How long? just a little while no doubt.

Thursday we wake up still no electricity
and its beginning to get cold
What will we do for breakfast?
Why its Dad to the rescue
with a grill to fit the wood stove just fine,
What better than oatmeal cooked over hot coals.
Oh now Dad’s really cooking, hot bacon and eggs,
And lots of toast just like camping or old times.

Now we get out to see just what is the trouble
Oh it looks bad we must call in on the double.
Electric lines down everywhere
We must get more cedar wood - the woodpile is bare.
Oh my, Oh my, Mom says What will we do?
I can’t cook Christmas food
Cook soup all day on the stove
We will worry about the rest when we get through.
Until then just relax and rest and enjoy the beautiful view.

Well we can make the cranberry salad.
After all it is a must
if we don’t make it then Christmas really will be a bust
Well let’s figure this out
Jello will set up outside just like on the
Down stairs that go up at Aunt Punch’s.
Mom pulled out the old hand grinder
Old faithful before the new processor
I found the cranberries and oranges made good mush.
Dad can boil the water for the jello to set
All we lack is for the cold and ice to hold a while yet.

T’was the night before Christmas when all through our house
We waited for the cranberries to jell, the lights to come on,
The soup to cook, And Dorothy to slide in from our house.
What a trip-- you wouldn’t believe said she.
It’s beautiful with all the ice on the trees.
But not a light is shining past Shelbyville you see
It’s very eriey when having to drive between trees.
Whiteside Hill is simply a tunnel
With only one lane right down the middle like a funnel.
What a winter wonderland to see
all this ice bending down every tree.
Beautiful lights and colors of leaves and berries
Shining through like christmas lights and cherries.
Real icicles instead of the new lights on house eaves,
And lots of glitter shining through on the leaves.
Many a wish has come true
a White Christmas has come through

Christmas day has arrived
And still no electric lines alive.
So cold baths and off to Aunt Priss’s for lunch
To have the Alexander traditional bunch.
We leave for Nashville to visit with all the folks
With Cranberry salad
and don’t forget the Nuts and Bolts.

We slide by to check up on Park Court,
But driving the van gets us all out of sorts.
I get it stuck good on the ice,
From Mom; Carol Ann! Carol Ann!
Stop! You’re going to crash.
From Dad; I believe I’ll drive
You girls can push.

At lunch we hear of all the Bullington capers
Of sledding accidents and hunting for deer with the right papers.
We hear of Aunt Mac who isn’t well
She’s resting at home after a little heart spell.
Lynn and Elaine the Brentwood flunkies, with Etta in tow
arrive with stories of new “flying” heirloom cradles
and a coconut cake Ho! Ho!.

We don’t stay by Aunt Priss’s fire as usual
because of extra stops to make
and home for electricity is at stake.

But first to check on things at Park Court
Then on to check on Betty, the Bird at Marina’s of course.
What to our wondering eyes should appear
But water on Marina’s carpet-- Oh Dear!
What to do What to do??
Call emergency apartment management... what a zoo!
The clean up guy comes along to take care of things
But brings along equipment that whistles, blows, and sings.
This just won’t do for Betty what will we do.
Move her upstairs as carefully as can.

Thunk- creak - crash - ack! Ack! Ack!
What was that an extra step???
Dorothy come quick - hurry - hurry
Is Betty dead or is it just me?
Dorothy inspects and inspects
Betty’s all right just mad like a wet hen --- not dead
And you’re ok too, no blood, no breaks, Just your thick head
Now look what we must do.
Bent cage, spilt seeds, and water everywhere too.

We get cleaned up, Betty calms down,
And on by Aunt Mac’s we slide on ice on around.
Aunt Mac’s doing fine just resting quietly
So on we go home to hope for lights brightly.
No such luck on Friday for lights
No such luck on Saturday for our sights.
So we work hard to get in extra wood
Hoping to see the big electric trucks down the road.
Well, we worked hard all day,
And by night we know why
Pioneers are in bed when the sun leaves the sky.

So Sunday comes and goes without the electricity.
Church services are like days of old.
More wood to be cut so we won’t get cold.
Everything is melting and wet and messy
The beautiful icy winter wonderland we no longer see.

Now is time to slop around in the mud and muck
The fences are broken, the trees are all down, now for lots of work
So Dad and I venture out in the rain
To clear all the trees out of our farm lane.

On Monday we work our way around the fencing
Chain sawing, brush whacking, and fence mending.
It’s slow going and what happens is that I keep bouncing
And constantly falling,
How many times have I fallen this holiday
I now have lost count.
It’s a good thing, I have built in padding
In large amounts.

In spite of the mud and muck,
We have had a bit of good luck.
We see things that seldom come near.
What across the field should appear
But twelve wild turkeys gobble, gobble, gobbling in flight
Looking for food and security in the night.
Look there again now what do we see?
Four tiny white tailed deer looking back at me.

Finally we finish on top of the hill, brush and fencing are cleared.
Look -- Dad says what do I see?
Why - Yes it’s a security light.
WE HAVE ELECTRICITY!

A fun image of Mom. Surprise party for RRNI award.

We know that finger. We were in trouble for keeping it a surprise.

At least it worked.