THE PFUNNY FARM?

THE PFUNNY FARM?

Okay, I admit I am "clothes" minded . . . BUT,  you are "close" minded!      End of discussion?   THYME OUT?  Not on your life!     Strange as it may seem,  simply the beginning of a very punny relationship here on the farm.   Wait a minute, does that mean we live on a "pfunny farm?"

On Halloween:  the typical question might be, "Witch Watch will you wear?"
When Camping:  "R V there yet?"
On Shopping trips:   I'll meet you in the shoe department.  His reply, "shoe" enough because you're my "soul" mate, and I've "toe"d you more than once. 

He definitely speaks in "bullets" and doesn't like discussion or elaboration.  He claims his "bullets" are better than "bull"
and he believes his abreviated gems of wisdom are kens of wisdom, but most of my friends agree that they are MMMs of wisdom.

The other day I was amazed at an acquaintance's statement --- simply "beside myself" when she said what she said. 

INTRUDER

This afternoon I received a phone call from Teresa  (our  neighbor who lives in the home across from us  / adjacent to the Antique  House).   She was quite upset about the activity going on last night:

Teresa spotted a stranger snooping around  her husband’s work area --- she first noticed  a small  light moving / probably a result of someone moving around with a flashlight in that area.  Teresa believes that this intruder did not  come up the driveway . . . but instead,  entered their property in an inconspicuous manner --- walking along the tree lined fence-line so as not to be easily detected.  The intruder did leave footprints.  Nothing was taken.  Her son (who was on his way home when he received the desperate phone call from Teresa),  did spot a vehicle speeding away from  the neighborhood, heading for FM-51 .

Teresa  believes this  intruder was casing the place, and she is reporting this uncomfortable event to the Sheriff’s Department.    

It’s really important that  we each keep our eyes open for strangers and that all the neighbors are “kept in the loop” and updated of any suspicious activity.    I, myself, intend to brush up on  “target practice”.

Sorry to have to share this unpleasant news with you, especially since it has only been a few weeks since Bob reported similar events  / burglaries at his antique house (diagonally across).  I don’t know if these attempted burglaries are coincidentally related to the Detour.

THE FOSSIL WALK ROCKS!

THE FOSSIL WALK IS NOT A DANCE, even though it rocks!  Living in rural America has been FOSSIL FUN,  but ever changing:
Up until 6 years ago, on our brisk walks,  to our delight and amazement, we would invariable find fossils along the dirt road . . . the variety sold in the "nature stores" for $25 dollars and up!
We, along with the occasional visitor who loved to walk and find natural treasures, would anxiously anticipate the best part of the day . . . taking that special stroll along the dirt road, looking forward to the "discovery".
A geologist could probably explain why these fossils would work their way to the surface, and we would never know when or where we would find the next treasure (it was on a par with the excitement of catching a decent sized fish).
So the question is, why are we no longer finding (fishing for) fossils on this little road?   The answer may probably be due to paving, which,  in one sense we appreciate (mainly for the lifetime and wellness  of our vehicles), but in another sense, we find to be not "rave"able.  Those Fossil walks rocked, and are now history.

LOCKDOWN

It was my first ever . . . and the first for some of my older students.  It was the younger students who had sadly been through this awful experience many times, as a matter of fact, at their Highschool.

But there I was with 4 of my students who had come early to make up a missed chapter test when, within the hour, our smart phones started vibrating all at the same time: THE CAMPUS POLICE issued  A TEXT ALERT that our Campus was in Lockdown Mode after a shooting threat.  We were to stay put until further notice.

NEVER HAVING  been in lockdown on our campus OR ANY CAMPUS FOR THAT MATTER,  my students and I were so thankful that nothing happened, and that Campus Police were efficient in handling the emergency and the Staff efficient in notifying the students and personnel, both by text message and classroom to classroom personally to ensure the safety of everyone on campus.

HAPPINESS - WONDERFUL SHOES & GREAT TOOLS?

What is happiness?   Legitimizing shoes as a tool may convince you!  Here goes . . .
Good tools are great for the fixer-upper, and for the craft.  Tools (to repair, or create) make everyone happy, including the person using the tools, because it is always a pleasure to create or repair something that will become not only functional  but also more beautiful.
Good shoes are great for the feet and the U.S. Economy.   And, lest we forget . . the perfect TOOL for getting the job done . . . completing the LOOK . . . i.e. SHOES MAKE THE OUTFIT!!
If your feet are uncomfortable, it can affect your disposition which in turn, can affect  those individuals with whom you interact. 
Lets face it, happiness can be as simple as SEVERAL pairs of comfortable good lookin' Shoes to go with that  great selection of Tools.   After all, with a great selection of shoes and tools in all colors and shapes, how can you be dreary?

SUDOKU . . . APPLAUSE IS GOOD!

SUDOKU is frustrating to some, boring to mensa friends, but challenging, and fun (and probably a great procrastinator) for me.  
Like my daughter Ali, when I am ready to read the paper, after scanning the important news items,  I immediately turn to the Guide section which includes the daily puzzles. 
Sudoku is fun when it works out, but the most difficult ones (that usually drive me up the wall) are attempted usually with pencil sharpened and a very GOOD eraser.  But I must admit, I prefer using an ultra fine ball point pen because erasers invariably destroy the paper, and, even though my pens are not erasible,  . . . if I don't experience success today, there's always tomorrow . . . "the sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar..."
If you have ever worked a Sudoku puzzle on the computer, I hope you find the site that includes all the bells and whistles with cheering sound effects when you insert the correct number.  I love that site!  APPLAUSE IS GOOD!

NO MORE SOCKS?

NO MORE SOCKS!
The problem . . .  I love socks of all kinds, and  it's hard to pass em up:
After all, one can always use  a wonderful pair of Winter socks (thickly padded for the occasional snowy icy day) to wear in boots or sneakers.
And then there is the absolute need for Summer, Fall and Spring socks --- thick ones for the  brisk walks, thin ones for the dressy pants, and of course Fall, Winter, and Spring tights (in all colors, designs, and degrees of sparkle) . . . especially when the price is right. 
Too bad the NYC Bin isn't close to our home . . . or maybe it's a good thing the bin is not close by.
Despite the fact that at least one sock / month  gets lost in the washer or the dryer,  and the socks are periodically sorted, matched, donated, or discarded,  the sock drawer seems to be in perpetual disarray and impossible to close.
Who else has that problem?

PACKIN' PROBLEMS

Yup, she's packin' . . . . and I don't mean pistols, I mean PACKING A SUITCASE which  has always been a daylong dreaded chore especially  when trying to fit everything into one overseas suitcase whether packing for a 4 day weekend or a 14 day vacation.
What are these (bulky) issues that need to be addressed?    The major contenders (space and time taker uppers)  are not only what is packed (contents based on  comfort, coordination, and appropriatness for all kinds of  weather possibilities) , but also remained space for the unforseen spontaneous "must have" item(s).
Creative solutions to this staggering and time consuming activity will be appreciated and anticipated!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

This plant is like a fine red wine:

 With each passing day, as it gently ages, its beauty intensifies!

IT'S VALENTINE WEEKEND and . . .

It's Valentine Weekend and . . .

Just wanted to tell you about the gorgeous plant Jerry sent me for Christmas that suddenly blossomed this morning (Valentine's weekend).  How special can that be?

Thank you again, Jerry ... It is such a joy to nurture and watch this beautiful plant grow and flower.

Happy Valentines Day. 

Love,

Marthie

VALEN"TIME" WELL "SPENT" $$$ ???

I guess I just love to throw myself into the season  (when I have time).


You can only guess that I must have had a lot of time on my hands this past week (with classess canceled due to Texas' treacherous weather: 6 snow/ice days within a two week period.   Not only did our home end up looking like the Valentine section of a Gift Shop, but thank goodness I also had energy left to organize only one of my cupboards that was in dire need of attention (I should have attacked more, but that got old fast).


After having accomplished all of the above, I hit the computer (no, not hid, but hit) i.e., checked on my students (they do HW on the computer), answered e-mails, wrote my blog for the day, and finally checked my e-mail . . . where Dillards's subject line was: SHOP AT HOME WHILE YOU'RE STUCK AT HOME!  What a lovely dangerous  idea! 


Our table is already covered with heart-shaped stuff: Red quilted Place mats with matching dinner napkins,  Valentine coffee mugs, and a couple of heart shaped boxes filled with healthy chocolate covered sunflower seeds (candy coated in pink, white and red, of course), as well as a heart shaped picture frame with a fairly decent picture of "us" (probably taken 14 years ago).   Even the automobile has a touch of heart with red and white porcelain mugs that fit nicely into the car's beverage receptical! 

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH . . .So the question is this:  Was the Valen"TIME" well "SPENT" $$$???

MONOPOLY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN with popcorn, of course!

Today is the 6th day (within a two week period) that all schools( north of Dallas) have been closed because of several inches of snow beautifully dusting dangerous ice beneath.  So, to answer my daughter Ali's question "Are you still trapped by snow?  Are you OK & do you  have provisions to last?" . . .  the answer is: "We're fine, honey! "
In fact, this scenary conjurs up memories of our elementary school days in New England (during Christmas Vacations when it usually snowed 10 feet it seemed).   The highly anticipated routine: set up the Monopoly game in the living room (on a bridge table) for a game that  would last at least a week!  It was a lot of fun, and Mummy would always have freshly popped popcorn for us to nibble on!"

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

I've often wondered if a person's first or last name has any influence on their chosen profession? 

For example, when we were growing up, Mrs. GASSET -  was our local POLICE WOMAN; she assisted at the school crosswalks  . . . I often wonder if she also enjoyed driving in hot pursuit of someone speeding, or if she eventually opened a Gas Station?


Dr. BOND - Was an ECONOMICS PROFESSOR  as well as a FINANCIAL PLANNER


RAINEY was a local T.V. WEATHER PERSONALITY as was Meteorologist, MCCOOL!


Dr. PAYNE -  chose DENTISTRY as his profession.

And the list goes on.
Just curious if you can add a few to this list?

LOST & FOUND

As a 3 year old, I still remember it as if it happened yesterday!  I WAS LOST IN NEWTONVILLE SQUARE (while shopping with my Mom at the A&P).

My older sister must have been in Kindergarten, when Mom took me along to the little A&P grocery store in our community,  located just around the corner from my Dad's store.

For some reason, I wandered and exited the store only to realize I couldn't find Mummy (and at that age, didn't know where Daddy's store was located).    As I stood on the sidewalk, looking around and not recognizing anyone or anything, the only solution was to  start crying because at that moment, I realized I was all by myself and LOST!

The nice Policeman who "found" me within seconds of my crying, took my hand and walked me to  Daddy's store . . .  one of my happiest recollections of age 3.

The Policeman was also very happy that he could help our family AND he continually reminded my Dad of this while at the same time requesting FREE STUFFF (at every visit to the store).

Dad must have thought I was worth the bag of light bulbs (or whatever it was) every month, but one day,the Captain of the Police Force caught wind of the monthly requested merchandise "payoff"  and put a stop to it.  Years later, I learned about this fiasco.

DO PRESERVATIVES PRESERVE US?

IS LONGEVITY A RESULT OF A DIET OF  FAST  Lousy, easily accessible, quickly prepared  and highly preserved FOODS ?

Are we as a nation overweight and unhealthy?    If we are unhealthy as a nation, why has the average lifespan crept up to 85 years old (from 70)? 

COULD THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION BE:
THE MORE FOODS WE CONSUME WITH PRESERVATIVES, THE BETTER WE ARE PRESERVED?!

PARTY LINE

THAT PARTY LINE was not a line for a party. 

We felt fortunate to be issued the one telephone for the entire multi level  house in which we grew up (attic, second floor, first floor, basement).  And that telephone was a "party line" meaning that several families from our communitiy shared the same telephone number, and depending on the sound of the ring, it was either for one of your family members, or, even if it was not for your family, if you were mischievious (or nosey), you could still listen in on someone else's conversation!
What do you think we did??!!

KAUAI COME BACK

Don't get me wrong... We love Texas BUT last night we had 5 more inches of snow (covering the pre-existing ice and snow), and TRIPLE-SIZED cotton ball snow flurries continue.  All of the schools and Universities announced closures for the fifth day in a row!  
Cabin fever is setting in, and viewing properties for sale in the warm and lovely Palm Springs/Rancho Mirage/La Quinta areas are enticing!
Thank goodness, most of the time we have electricity  with internet (we had been experiencing rolling blackouts).  
Our fond memories of trying to learn to play an incredible Ukelele (made by Kamak with Koa Wood), and our (Dec-Jan) daily walks on the sandy warm  Kauai beaches linger.

"WENNA WE GONNA GET THERE?"

Going on roads trips was fun most of the time.  What made it so much fun was the activity (giggles, songs, jokes, and the occasional disagreement) and the midway stop  - an opportunity to stretch our legs and also enjoy something wonderfully delicious from one of the road side food places.

Recalling some of those adventures ---- going fishing on Sunday afternoons in Foxboro or Deep sea fishing in Plum Island --- the north shore of Boston where fishermen caught the really big ones (tunas, sharks, swordfish more than 3 feet long)  and hung them for photo ops, but most of all, measuring purposes --- those adventures were a lot of fun for me as long as I didn't have to  put the bait on the hook or take the fish "I caught" off of the hook.   I never did like dealing with those slimy worms or slippery fish,

On the way home, we would always stop to enjoy freshly fried clams, or run into the donut shop that made blueberry donuts every hour, or the ice-cream shop where they churned daily their specialty:  blueberry ice-cream (using real cream and blueberries picked from the blueberry patch nearby).

But for those longer trips, without exception, five minutes into our journey to New York or other far off places that required  suitcases, after we loaded the car and began down Lowell Ave to Commonwealth to take the shortcut to Route 9  (the fastest road to these places at that time), the question was and continued to be asked (as we stood up in the back seat to get a better view), "WENNA WE GONNA GET THERE?".

And finally, since we're on the topic of car trips, I must comment on those weekly Sunday trips to Church:   We thought nothing of the number of people in the back seat of that mid-size car.  The trip was short, and it was fun (even though there were now 6  little kids in the back seat (my brother, sister, and I along with 3 of our cousins), our Grandma and also her sister, Aunty Mary.   We were all cozily nestled in --- some of us seated, some standing.  Cooler weather made this cramped 15 minute ride a good thing, but during those hot, humid  summer days, if you happened to be sharing your square inch of space with someone who constantly figited. . . that was tough, and that was when (once again) a little voice sung out loud and clear,  "WENNA WE GONNA GET THERE?"

Editorial note: This was before airconditionning was introduced, and seatbelt were required.

A PENNY A ROCK AND A HOT DOG!

A Penny a rock?

Daddy decided it was time for us kids to have a "hot dog party" the day he surprised us with this huge 36" (diameter)  commercial hot-dog cooking machine that twirled around as it cooked the dogs.  The Party's Theme:  collecting rocks . . . lots of rocks . . . and each rock thrown into a designated area would be worth a penny a piece to the finder!


As you can imagine, this successful spontaneous summer party was very well attended by all of our elementary school friends who lived within walking distance, cousins, aunts and uncles included. 


What a party and a fun time with kids racing around yelling and screaming with delight.  As evening approached, each one of us had enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of hilarious and exhilarating party events inluding the comraderie of young and old, a weiner roast, a dollar or two for the piggy bank and lots of smiles. 


Preparing  our back and side yards was so much fun!  And soon to become a reality was Dad's famous tomato and vegetable garden, Uncle Paul's peach, plum and apple  trees, the evergreen trees that  border the property first as little twigs, but later to grow at least 35 feet  (we ordered 100 for $1.00 from Oregon from a Sunday newspaper advertisement),  and finally the grass and the flowers (of course).

ANOTHER TEXAS SNOW EXPERIENCE

Since it is still very very cold and snowy, I recall that several years ago, on a Thursday early afternoon snow flurries began at 12:30 p.m.  

At the moment, I really didn’t think anything about it, especially since at 1 p.m. I had a class to teach, and Kenneth had his office hours.  But by the time 2 p.m. rolled around, the President of our University announced the early closing of the Campus due to the weather. 

By the time my husband and I got our stuff together and left the building to walk to our vehicle (the only car left in the parking lot)  the snow was quite deep, and the driving quite dangerous!  It was extremely difficult maneuvering the parking lot and the surface streets were even worse  . . .  (no snow plows in our neck of the woods).

Although this scenario looked very picturesque, and was very much reminiscent of a traditional New England snowstorm with snowflakes as large as triple-sized cotton balls (the perfect snow for making a snowman), the driving was treacherous: there were fender benders as well as serious accidents both on and off the interstate highways; icy branches were falling from some of the trees, and (in the city of Denton) there were several 18 wheeler trucks (on the interstate) that had jack-knifed.  Snow accumulation was about 1 foot.with drifts two to tree times higher. 

We were fortunate to arrive safely at the only vacancy in Denton conveniently located close to the Freeway entrace (despite  the fact that the only update this flea bag motel had  were their Ritz Cartlton prices) and within walking distance to a charming country cooking type of restaurant where customers can sit in rocking chairs and play the game of checkers [already set up (on a cracker-barrel), waiting for, you guessed it, Kenneth, the veteran checker player to win]!

The following day, we were able to maneuver the rural roads with steep incline  to reach our home . . .  the pastures covered with snow . . . quite a pretty picture..

NO SCHOOL TODAY . . . IT SNOWED!

IT WAS 70 DEGREES 3 DAYS AGO.  Yesterday it was 56 degrees BUT late last night there were changes: 
The temperature rapidly droppped to 10 degrees; we had sleet with thunder and lightening, AND THEN SNOW with winds gusting at 45 miles / hour.  The roads are now so icy, and treacherous that all of the schools and Universities announced closures very early this morning..


Did you know that North Central Texas has 4 seasons?
During Winter we typically enjoy a few days of snow but with it comes the icy roads. 
In the Spring it rains alot. 
The summer is really hot . . . and I mean "Dog Day Hot"!
My very favorite season is Fall with 70 degree weather and falling colorful leaves.


Yes, Rural North Central Texas is quite beautiful;  the air quality is pristine, and this sparsly populated corner of the world is not flat!   These gentle rolling hills with an occasional steep incline (and rural roads with little to no traffic)  is reminiscent of  growing up  in New England many many years ago.

CHIEF MAHOGANY

CHIEF MAHOGANY WAS VERY WISE,  AND VERY VERY TALL (FROM OUR SHORT PERSPECTIVE) .  

IT WAS ALWAYS SPECIAL WHEN  OUR OLDER HIGHLY RESPECTED 5'10"  COUSIN  WE NICKNAMED  CHIEF MAHOGANY  CAME TO VISIT  WITH HIS PARENTS, SISTER, AND YOUNGER BROTHER  . . . WE ANTICAPATED THOSE VISITS  WITH GREAT EXCITMENT  BECAUSE WE KNEW THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE A HUGE COMMOTION RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS, SLAMMING DOORS,  GOING  IN AND OUT  OF EVERY ROOM  IN THE HOUSE, RACING DOWN HALLWAYS AND THEN FINALLY  VENTURING OUTSIDE (EVEN IN THE WINTER) ONLY TO COME BACK IN TO WARM UP, CATCH OUR BREATH AND RESUME THE CHASE AFTER  CHIEF MAHOGANY (THE ONLY ONE OF US WHO COULD EASILY REACH THE TREASURE:  A HUGE BAG OF NESTLES  CHOCOLATE CHIPS).

IN RETROPSECT, I'M THINKING THAT MUMMY KNEW AND ANTICIPATED ALL OF THIS, AND SHE HAD  INTENTIONALLY HIDDEN THESE DELIGHTFUL MORSELS IN THE BACK PART OF THE VERY HIGHEST  KITCHEN SHELF.

WELL YOU CAN ONLY GUESS WHAT ALWAYS HAPPENED: CHIEF MAHOGANY LOVED CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND ONCE THE BAG WAS IN HIS HANDS, NO MATTER HOW FAST HE WAS RUNNING, HE WAS STILL ABLE TO TOSS A FEW CHIPS IN HIS MOUTH.  IS THIS WHAT THE EXPRESSION  "EAT AND RUN"  MEANS?   NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE CHASE INTENSIFIED AS THE CONTENTS DWINDLED!!

WHY THE NAME "CHIEF MAHAGONY?  ALL OF MUMMY'S FURNITURE WAS MAHOGANY (AND WE THOUGHT IT SOUNDED LIKE A VERY ELEGANT INDIAN NAME).

"BEAU" BOWED OUT!

"Beau", our neighbor's beautiful large white furry four legged friend,  began the two mile walk with me as he usually does.  But ten minutes into the walk, "Beau" bowed out!   Was he simply too tired to accompany me  or simply too tired to chase the cows grazing in the pastures on either side of the country road?
Bow Wow for "Beau" bowing out . . . we all need the occasional holiday, even at the "punny farm" , , , n'est-ce pas?