Logan Co. Little League All-Stars go to World Series!

By now just about all of us have heard about the Logan County Little League All-Stars who won the Great Lakes Regional championship, and will play in the Little League World Series on Saturday at 7 pm on ESPN. We're all proud as punch of them, their coaches and families. Just in case you haven't heard about this amazing team, check out Jim Turner's excellent article in The Logan Journal.

Go, Logan County!!

Sad news.

We are all sad today; Hazel Carver has passed away. She was truly a remarkable lady. I remember her at all our major occasions, from kindergarten through high school graduation, and still recall those flutophones. Keith, Jean, and Cathy were here last month for the celebration of her 91st birthday. They are much in our thoughts tonight. As soon as I hear arrangements I will post them.

Derby Day

First Saturday in May. But when you hear "the sun shines bright . . .", realize it may well not be true this day. We seem to be in something of a monsoon season. Maybe May showers will bring June flowers this year. Hope everybody has a great day - turn on the television and join in the singing.

Weighty matters

OK, time for confession to my fellow blogsters:  I've put on 10 pounds since Christmas!  Not only that, I was in complete denial (avoided stepping on our scales, wouldn't look at my profile in the mirror, etc.) until I had a routine appointment with my doctor two weeks ago.  The nurse said, "We need to get a weight for you."  So, moment of truth, I stepped on their scales, first removing shoes, coins from my pocket, anything that might add ounces or pounds.  But that didn't help much.  The truth was that I weighed more than I ever have in my life.  I'm not revealing how much!  So I asked the doctor what I should do.  (That was a ploy.  I knew what I needed to do:  eat less, exercise more.)  She said "You need to eat less, exercise more."  I said, "Oh."  She also recommended I go with the Weight Watchers program.

So this past Thursday I attended my first ever Weight Watchers meeting, and weighed in.  It was a shock to have them write down my initial weight in their little book, and also in my little book.  I start reading some of their materials about tracking points, and learned that I was allocated 29 points per day.  A banana counts for 2 points.  A banana muffin counts for 6 points, etc.  It quickly adds up!  Since I'm coming to Russellville this next week, I started to wonder how many points would be my usual meal at Roy's (BBQ, cooked apples, corn, cornbread and root beer).  Probably 29 points.  

I've been religiously counting my food points since last Thursday, and am also walking 2 to 3 miles each day.  Today I attend my second Weight Watchers meeting, will weigh in again, see if maybe I've lost a pound.  Wish me luck.  

You want dogwood? You want azalea - I got it all

A rose is a rose

Easter in Rocky Somewhere

Easter

Thank goodness Logan County missed the worst of the weather that came through yesterday. Today the sun is shining, and, wonder of all wonders, the dogwood are in full bloom. I always think they should bloom for Easter but seems they seldom do. Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend.

APRIL FOOLS' DAY

Hope everyone has had a good day. Don't think I've heard anybody say "April Fool" in several years. Do folks not do that any more? Don't I remember that we made much ado about?

SPRING!

Spring arrived in Logan County at 6:44 this morning. And it is a beautiful day, - a bit on the nippy side, but the sun is shining; all the Spring-bloomers appear extremely happy, and the birds are keeping me busy filling the feeders. Hope as good a day for everybody.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

... an Irish blessing

the demise of the Middle School

Betty McLean suggested a link on our blog to Joanne Hedges Moffat's excellent video on the Destruction of the Middle School.  Warning:  it's a tear jerker!  Click here to view.

Thanks to Jim Turner for posting this link on the Logan Independent Journal. 

Early spring in Rocky Somewhere

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my three score years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

I wish I were in the same age bracket as A.E. Housman
when he wrote these words but on the other hand he is gone
and I am here to see one more.

Back on the Blog

January 13th I had full replacement of my left knee. A success. Rehab started the next day and everything went down hill, four blood clots and a mini-stroke. Got out of hospital five days before ice storm hit. Without power for eight days. Wood for our Buck stove ran out after four days. Got down to 43 degrees--BRRR. That was followed by a wind storm and our neighborhood looked like a lumber yard. We were better off than many in our area as some went a full month without power. There were over 2,000 utility poles broken down in this area.

With clean up going well in this area, it is beginning to get back to normal. We have many daffodils in bloom and one neighbor has a beautiful tulip tree in full bloom. Robins, sparrows, wrens, bluejays, cardinals and one dove have made there presence known in our yard. Squirrels and rabbits have been spotted in the neighborhood. One neighbor stated that he had a beaver in his back yard next to a stream that borders his yard.

Western Kentucky is in the NCAA after winning the Sunbelt Tournament and U of L appears to have made it as well. We will have to see what kind of draws they get in the pairings. Does anyone have other teams that we should watch for in the big dance?

Happy Pi Day

For those of us who are still somewhat mathematically challenged, this is one of those days that could completely slip by, so I thought I would remind you. I do keep thinking of some old corny joke about "Pi R Squared" vs. "Pie Are Round". By way of celebration, I would suggest that we all indulge in pie, - of the "are round" variety.

Madison McLean

With Betty's permission, I'm posting a great picture of her first-born grandchild, taken today when she and her dad were at the Vanderbilt game. No question as to her loyalties.

Daylight Savings Time

I was confused when I got up this morning, more than usual.  As I staggered into consciousness, I realized I had already lost an hour out of the day.  The weather channel assured me I would gain it back at the end of the day.  I did the math, concluded that was right.  But somehow it didn't feel right.  Our cat Millie, normally anxious to be fed her breakfast first thing in the morning, seemed in no real hurry.  I had the sense all day that I was late to something, couldn't quite figure it out.  At the time of this posting,  it's getting into late afternoon according to the newly-adjusted clock.  But my biological clock, which only grudgingly accepts Daylight Savings Time and hates being messed with, doesn't really think it's late afternoon.  Having been through almost 69 years of this, I should be used to it by now.  The golfers say they like it, but I think that's only because they sleep until noon, don't hit the first tee until early afternoon.  Maybe I should move to Arizona where they have the good sense to stick with their time throughout the year.   

Happy Square Root Day

One of my goals in life is to learn something new every day, and hopefully to remember them and not repeat. I had never heard of Square Root Day - 3/3/09, until it was mentioned on the news. How had I missed this? As many cards for all occasions as are on the market, I cannot believe Hallmark had missed this opportunity. It is also not noted on my calendar. Did I understand it will be 2012 before it happens again. Anyway, to each of you: Happy Square Root Day.

Sanibel

just after sunset at Bowmans Beach, Sanibel Island, Florida

click to enlarge

Donna and I just returned from a week on Sanibel Island, Florida and had a great time enjoying the warm weather, flowers, shells, and birds.  She came home with a great collection of shells from the beach, and I came home with some nice photos of the wading birds and shorebirds there.  You can check out the photos by clicking here.   We're back to the cold and snow and gray skies of western Massachusetts, yikes!  Should have stayed longer...

Gym - Last Look - ?

Thanks (I think) to Jim "Sonny" Humphrey for this shot of the Gym taken yesterday, February 19.