Kim figures I couldn't get a picture of the new car 'cause it was tooling along too fast. Yep. That's it! Then, when it DID slow down, I decided to mess with the picture some.

The church in the background is three miles away. Great-Great-Grandma Idy started the Sunday School there. (I think Great-Great-Grandpa Charlie was always a trial to her, but that's another story.)

New car is a nice little tin-can car, a Cobalt. And, it is RED!!!!

Nope. That's not the new car. Dang. Now where IS that picture?

I don't know if you can get into Sacramento Bee without signing up, so I'm going to copy the funeral notice here:

GOODRICH, Michelle Elizabeth
Born November 21, 1953. Entered into rest on June 25, 2006. She is survived by her loving Rob Wooliscroft, and her daughters Karyn (Mike Wilbur) and Lanissa (Willie Spencer). Grandmother of Nathan, Anna, Samuel, Abby, Sara and Ryan. She was a generous and talented person who was many things to many people. "Michelle" to her friends, "Micki" to those who knew her longest, "Grandma Micki" to the grandbabies and "Mandarin Meg" to bloggers worldwide. She started her career with the State of California, and this career path led to her passion for the web and helping thousands create their sites. She was known throughout the world for her helpful tips and assistance on her Mandarinde sign.com. Michelle loved to create things - whether a blog, a painting or music. She was an avid gardener who could and would make everything grow. There was no need to call a florist, as you could go pick in her garden. She never turned away from a stranger and was always friendly and helpful. She would give you all she had to give at any time. She was truly loved and will be deeply missed. Family and friends are invited to attend funeral services on Friday, June 30, 2006 at 3:00 PM at River Cities Funeral Chapel, 910 Soule Street, West Sacramento, CA. 95691. There is no "Lieu of flowers", Mom just loved flowers too much.
Published in the Sacramento Bee on 6/28/2006.

Shocked.

My corner of the blogworld was set on its head yesterday upon reading the word that Michelle Goodrich, the generous crayon sharer from Mandarin Design, had passed away this weekend.

Michelle was a long-time cyber-friend. I can't remember exactly how we first met, but the first time I had a spot on her magic quilt (see, I can spell it sometimes, though guilt was funnier) was a red-letter day.

I like words that begin with E. Michelle was that most magnificent E word: Egalitarian. Everybody was somebody to her.

I was scanning her archives today, remembering. Remembering all that she shared with us. No one had better conversations going on in their comments. And she was willing to try anything. Absolutely anything. And most times it worked.

I do believe in heaven (the ultimate other side), and I do believe that they that seek shall find. I'm thinking Michelle and Elvis are there, getting all shook up. Michelle and her best friend are together. And she can be with her mom again. She missed her mother so much.

Love to all of you. Really.

I'm not going to say it. I just want it to be not true. It CAN'T be true. She has to be in Hawaii. That's it. Works for me. Reality is too hard sometimes. I mean, I had picked out a couple more books to send her, and I found the ELVIS CONSPIRACY tape that I thought she would get a kick out of, and now . . .

Not too late for a little Unconscious Mutterings:

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Newspaper :: State Journal
2. Crucify :: Cross
3. Sausage :: Jimmy Dean
4. Handy :: Dandy
5. Cloak :: and Dagger
6. Drunk :: Driver
7. Fuel :: Gas
8. Caress :: Stroke
9. Itch :: Poison Ivy, which it appears I have. Youch!
10. Vehicle :: My new car!!!

And, it's a happy birthday to two terrific ladies. Kathryn and susan are both, coincidentally, third daughters. June 24th is a great day!

You Are 76% American

You're as American as red meat and shooting ranges. Tough and independent, you think big. You love everything about the US, wrong or right. And anyone who criticizes your home better not do it in front of you!

How American Are You?

Found at Julie's, where she is, not surprisingly, 14% American. (She's in Oz, and let me just say, Go Saints!)

Catherine Jamieson.

She's on so many blogrolls, it is hard to miss her. Her photographs are awesome. She has a recently published book, Create Your Own photo blog, that I have just received from Amazon. Great book! Whether you're starting out in photography and the internet or have been doing both for years, whether you photoblog or blog with photos, she has ideas you can put to immediate use. And the illustrations are gorgeous.

Well, we're back on-line again, with the THIRD connector cable attached. Julie suggested I put mustard on it to keep the cats away, but I was afraid of the stains that might ensue, so . . . I wrapped a good share of it in duct tape! Now I know, I know, electrical tape would have been more fitting, but I'm a heating and air conditioning person, and we ALWAYS have our duct tape!

How are you this fine Friday evening? (or Saturday, or whenever)

Oops. My Bad.

Julie reminds me that it is "ahem" winter in the southern hemisphere. Eek! Sorry about that!

I celebrated the first day of summer with an itch on my ankles and wrists. Don't know what I've gotten into, whether it is insect or plant, but oochie ouchie!

And, I celebrated the first day of summer by purchasing my first ever brand new car. Picture of George, my great salesman, forthcoming.

Snuzzles is in the cathouse again. He ate through another connector. Peeking at work right now. *sigh*

And how are you doing?

Yehaw! Happy Summer!

Ending the day with a little Monday Madness.

This week's questions come from one of our fellow players, tricia! Thank you Tricia, for your fabulous questions. Look for more from Tricia in the upcoming weeks. Thanks to everyone for playing, and have a great week! =)

1. How many cop shows can you name? CSI, CSI MIAMI, CSI New York, Law & Order. Do they have to be current?
2. Do you send text messages? yes
3. If you could be on a gameshow (current or old), which one would you be on and why? Jeopardy, because I'd like to see if I clutch.
4. What are some of your favorite websites? all my blog list
5. What are your favorite things about the internet? the ability to find out about almost anything
6. What about least favorite? The ability to find out incorrect stuff about almost anything
7. What are some good ways to deal with a pet loss? That's an individualized choice. Some get replacement pets right away, others do not.
Comments (28)

There ain't no rules around here! We're trying to accomplish something!

~~Thomas Edison

I DO Believe in Magic.

Recently I moved to a 98-year-old farmhouse. The farmhouse is bounded on three sides by cornfields. (Insert Field of Dreams music here.) The farm has been in the family for 98 years. My upNorth brother brought his family down this weekend to visit me. It was great watching him wander through the old rooms on Friday night, a big grin on his face.

Saturday we had a family picnic. Good company as the aunts and uncle stopped by, as well as my other brothers and sister and their kids. After the aunts and uncle left, the boys (they're 50, 48 and 41, but what can I say) got the chainsaws out and took out a row of nuisance trees that was blocking our view to the east. And how wonderful that they did, because . . . fireflies came out later! Susan had told me they were headed our way, and boy, did they arrive!

Now, if you've been stopping by here through the years, you know that we really like fireflies up here in Michgan! We held annual "firefly days" up until last year. Last night was a wonderful firefly day, for the blinking dots of luminescence lit up the cornfield. They were so abundant that the first thing we knew, eight of the kids were walking through the cornfield. (Seven were from ages 12-20, the eighth was 41, and I hope he never grows up.)

It was magic, watching them walk through the cornfield, their way illuminated by the glow of the fireflies. There is a woods a quarter of a mile from the farmhouse . . . they walked all that way and back, their paths lit by insects.

I DO believe in magic.

You Communicate With Your Ears

You love conversations, both as a listener and a talker. What people say is important to you, and you're often most affected by words, not actions. You love to hear complements from others. And when you're upset, you often talk to yourself. Music is very important to you. It's difficult to find you without your iPod.

How Do You Communicate?

Hmm. Not sure about this quizzie. Swiped from Roscoe the Physical.

Photographers!

Sherle's Favorite Five is a meme where you pick your favorite five photos of the month, put them in a spot, and link back to the Favorite Five site. My favorite five for June are here.

Company's gone, I've taken my nap, and now it is time for some Unconscious Mutterings!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Voice :: of an angel
2. Us :: We
3. Passionately :: make love
4. Humbly :: beg your pardon
5. Love songs :: a lot of silly
6. Dim :: light
7. Calendar :: 365 days most years
8. Careless :: Careful
9. Block :: Chip off the old
10. Goal :: Oriented

Distant Melody

Once upon a time and long ago
I heard someone singing soft and low
Now when day is done and night is near
I recall this song I used to hear:

My child, my very own, don't be afraid, you're not alone
Sleep until the dawn, for all is well

Long ago this song was sung to me
Now it's just a distant melody
Somewhere in the past I used to know
Once upon a time and long ago.

from PETER PAN

Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits.

~~Mark Twain

Ahem.

So last night I was going to post some inane thing or other. Hit POST. Blogger cannot connect. Grumble, mumble, mumble. Tried to check out a couple other sites. Cannot connect message again. Hmmm. Went out into the dining room, where the telephone line was running because I have to plug into the backroom jack. There sat Snuzzles, with the line split neatly in half. Darn lovable cat!

"we don't stop playing because we turn old, but turn old because we stop playing."

~~Satchel Paige

Up the Back Steps

Everyone uses the back steps out here at the farm. It's been that way for as long as I can remember, and I can remember a mighty long time.

We had extra flowers left after doing the urns at the cemetery, and so we split them up. I had an "idea"! My mother, bless her heart, loves to paint. She and a friend have been following the Donna Dewberry style, and she has tons of flowerpots that she has painted. However, she says "they're not good", and so they had been residing in her attic, other than the couple I had cadged as I saw her do them. SO . . . I raided her attic for pots and put the petunias in them. I have enough for each step. And only one has been tipped over. (I think that was an errant woodchuck that dumped that one.)

Have a good day!

Wow!

I don't have a hummingbird out here at the farm. I have TWO hummingbirds! Will blessings never cease????

it's Monday, so let us have some Monday Madness:

Let's do some more fill-in-the-blanks this week! =) Thanks for playing Monday Madness, all of my faithful participants!

1. I have a picture of _____ on my computer desktop. Narnia
2. There are _____ pictures hanging on my living room walls. 0
3. My big goal for this week is to _____. get prepared for company this weekend.
4. I plan to visit _____ blogs this week. many
5. The weather we're having right now is _____. is lovely. 70 degrees during the day, kind of chilly at night.
6. I really should _____ more often. be quiet

shirl -- [adjective]:Insatiable to the point of crazy 'How will you be defined in the sexual dictionary?' at QuizUniverse.com

It's so good to be able to do the Unconscious Mutterings again!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Band :: Marching
2. Tan :: George Hamilton
3. Mount :: Sinai
4. Arcade :: Pinball
5. Customize :: Individual
6. Hamburger :: Picnic
7. Solid :: Stable
8. Forbidden :: Fruit
9. Deter :: Keep from
10. Torment :: Hell

R O S E

Trying to sell a book? Here's an interesting marketing technique.

Keeping an eye on all the celebrity babies? This site does it for us.

The game: Hanky Panky. Final Round

And copying directly from the script:

The staff of Collegiate Quiz here presents fifty of its most popular Hanky-Pankies as featured on the broadcasts from the campus of the University of Michigan.

How to Play

The quizzer gives the contestant a definition containing an adjective and a noun. The contestant must answer with a two-word phrase similar in meaning to the original definition, in which the two words ryhme. And that's Hanky-Panky!

41. lovesick Chinaman
42. phoney pond
43. heartfelt applause
44. ghastly couple
45. piercing stringed instrument
46. bashful insect
47. stinky preserve
48. little sphere
49. angry buccaneer
50. useless highbrow

Another Survey.

Do you put down shelf paper?

So when you come to visit, come in the back door. Stop at the froggy and press his hand, he'll sing and dance for you. The blocks say "WELCOME". They are my mother's childhood blocks.

If the weather is nice, sit a spell. Check out the bird book and the birds flitting by. Smell the antigue roses in Grandma's old black vase. (The geranium is now one of a set of pots lining the back steps.)

Relax. Enjoy.

A Surprise. Pleasantly So.

When I lived in town, I lived four miles from my work. It usually took me fifteen minutes to get to work.

I now live 18 miles from work, and guess what? It only takes me an extra 12 minutes to get to work. One can move along mighty fast on those country roads!

Mariah Carey Shares Your Taste in Music

See her whole playlist here (iTunes required)

Which Musician (or Group) Shares Your Taste in Music?

Julie made me do it!

From one egg, to one bird, to now, an empty nest.

S E A R C H

Report from the Farm:

It's a Good Life. I'm still working out my new routines, but boy, am I ever glad I made this move. (For those of you new here, I had lived in the SAME apartment for 24 years. I moved in May to a 98-year-old farmhouse that my mother owns.)

Snuzzles and Sierra have become good buddies and sparring partners. (What was that crash??) They bring me much enjoyment. The deer play out in the field across the way most every night and many mornings. The bunnies eat my peas as soon as they reach a certain height. The antique roses are gorgeous on the north line of the house. All is well.

Hope you are doing well too, my blogging friends!

Example of "other side".

oh good. Things are back to normal. I can Unconsciously Mutter on Sunday again:

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Fraud :: Fake
2. Cure :: Heal
3. Slate :: Gray
4. Pretentious :: Facade
5. Splendid :: Awesome
6. Geek :: Computer
7. Blister :: Burn
8. Pizza :: Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburg
9. Revive :: Bring back
10. Visionary :: Dreamer

a different red white and blue

I thought I had an abandoned child on the railing of the porch. Instead, I have a family. You can see them here.

Added 6/3/06.
Only one little robin left in the nest. I saw the other two taking flying lessons with Mom. Or Dad. Or someone. Too cool!

All right, Southerners, quit your laughing!

Fantastically busy week at work. We broke 90 degrees over the weekend, and that's a big turn-on for the air conditioning business up here. Folks just can't abide the high temperatures.

And how is YOUR weather?

It looks like an empty field now, but that's corn growing there. By August I'll be surrounded. I'm curious: who would you like to see appear from YOUR field of dreams?

Let's see, it's been a LONG time since I've done a quizzie. So, swiped from Cindy:

You Are Wind

Strong and overpowering A force to be reckoned with, no one dares cross you You have the power to change everything around you You are best known for: your wrath Your dominant state: commanding

What Type of Weather Are You?

Tap, tap, tap! Can you hear me now???