HOLD ON I AM ON THE BITCHIN' SIDE Of  life tonight

today I got word that the Executive Director at the theatre, is OUT .. he is now the EX director of the theatre.  It seems that he assaulted the musical director of the Sweet Adeline Chorus, Saturday night , before the concert... You don't mess around with Susie.. I had said she wouldn't take any crap from him.. and she had him arrested..!!
Last night at the board meeting, they put him on administrative leave, but this morning... he told Cathy that he no longer WORKED FOR the theatre...wooooooooooooohoooooooooooooooo , such good news.... and it sure did travel fast..  I knew he wouldn't work out..
He looked down his nose at people... he might have looked good on paper, but he was out of his element.  

I was really feeling good about this.. then I got home and opened my mail.

For the last 13 years, I have been receiving Jim's pension...it is called a survivor's benefit  from the Ohio State Teacher Retirement System..  that included that I paid for insurance, health, dental and vision.

Today, I received a letter that I am one of the survivor benefactors who as of Jan 1 will be paying for my own insurance... to the tune of $827 a month.
NOW, they only took $199 but that was my portion.. they subsidized it.  If I want to keep the same benefits of myPPO, then I have to pay $827.    I am not eligible for medicare yet...  I am 61.

This is a push for the STRS, to get rid of  unwanted benefactor's payments. The letter stated that after 2004 , you had 5 years to recoup and be used to not having that family member around and become more financially adjusted.

It has been 13 years , and it could be 20 and I will NEVER be adjusted financially to his loss.   He had 29. 59 yrs of credit ... just shy of 3 months of retiring.

I didn't go back to work when he died. I was a basket case.. It would have taken me nearly $8,000 to go back to school to renew my teaching certificate.. that was money I didn't have.   I gave up my career to raise my sons and be a mother and wife.   Now , I feel like I am being punished... it is hard enough to live on what I get , which is only 60% of the benefits he would have received had he lived....  I don't get medicare for another 4 years.

So, here I am , I can't afford the 800+.  and if I try to find another insurance, it is a great possibility that the clinic/hospital will not take that other insurance.. or I will have to change doctors.

I only take one prescription.. and it only cost $25 a month.. I am in fairly good health...   so what am I to do.. If I pay 800, I will have less than that to live on and my average monthly bills in the winter is over 1200... leaving very little to "play with for food , gas and other things that are necessities .

I went looking on the internet for affordable, health care... those 2 words do not go together. 

I have till November.. to decide or tell them that I will not be taking  their insurance.   This doesn't affect my friends who are single/widowed ladies who are retired teachers...ONLY the survivor benefits are being cut...

Well, I guess the widows and children are the ones that get the knife in the back.

I am going to town tomorrow to see where and who will talk to me about insurance that won't cost over the $199 that I will get back into the take home pay  because it is not being paid out... IF I can do that and IF the hospital/clinic is on the list, then maybe It will work..

BUT I am not holding my breath.... I am sure if I did I would turn BLUE 

I spent my day  working on genealogy for a project that I hope will bring me the answers that I have looked for , for so long.

I spent the day with my friends at the historical /genealogical society.  I was using their copier to get some copies made to send to another  genealogist.

I share what I know, the only thing I ask is that you don't put it on the pay sites like ancestry.com... if I gave it to you free...

We were just sitting there, when 2 ladies came in .. carrying  all their research.  They were from Ky and Tenn.  They had been up to the old cemetery in the county taking pictures of tombstones.

Well, Willie, brought in a binder  that I would say is about a 5 '' notebook.. really big and full.   This binder had pictures of all of the tombstones in the new part of this old cemetery.  Each page had pictures, organized by alphabetical order and by surnames... so all the Swisher were together, etc.

Wonderful work, and you know that it took a great amount of time, taking the pictures, printing the pictures, organizing... well you get the jist of the matter.

She also had another notebook/binder of a smaller cemtery ... again highly organized...

She had performed this task... just to give it to the society.. to preserve the heritage of her ancestors.   Did you notice the word?? GIVE???

How many people do you know that would give that much time toward preservation of our history , for those children , who someday will want to know.

The thing about preservation is that day after day , you hear about cemeteries that have been vandalized...  You walk through cemeteries where stones are so weathered and so worn that they can't be read... so , with Willie and Judy's gift, we have been able to document  in time the stones that are there..

I just think that it was a great act of Kindness....

Now , the rest of us must finish this project that we started a while ago...
We have many cemeteries to do.
Willie and Judy finished up photographing the old section this week.. Willie will go back and organize the old section and donate it also..

Great act of Kindness...

Can you guess.....??

If you look at the websites that tell you what happened on this day in history , it will give you several things... like

1777

The Revolutionary War battle of Bennington , Vt., won by American forces.

1948

Baseball legend Babe Ruth died in New York City at age 53.

1977

Elvis Presley died at Graceland, his Memphis,Tenn., home, from heart failure at age 42.


BUT not one of them will mention that  WOODSTOCK was what was happening in 1969.  

The Woodstock Music and Art Fair was an event held at Max Yasgur's 600 acre dairy farm in the rural town of Bethel , NY from August 15, to August 18, 1969 . Bethel (Sullivan County) is 43 miles southwest of the village of Woodstock, NY in adjoining Ulstar County

The festival exemplified the counter culture of the late 1960's– early 1970s and the "hippe era". Thirty-two of the best-known musicians of the day appeared during the sometimes rainy weekend. Although attempts have been made over the years to recreate the festival, the original event has proven to be unique and legendary. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest moments in popular music history and was listed on Rolling Stone's 50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock and Roll.

When my son was old enough to find out about Woodstock and all it's craziness... he asked... Did you and Dad get married at Woodstock...??

Kids say the darndist things don't they ... but no we got married in a church, I did have daisies... but no "hippe" music... or running through the fields nude.

But wouldn't you like to have seen just a bit of all that... I would...

I just wanted to share with you a beautiful birthday card I got from a friend who knows that I love Butterflies. ,the color lavender and daisies... now how she accomplished this all in one card , I don't know.

I think it is so beautiful that I may frame it and hang it on the wall near the computer.

 

 

According to an American Indian Legend:

If anyone desires a wish to come true they must first capture a butterfly and whisper that wish to it.

Since a butterfly can make no sound, the butterfly can not reveal the wish to anyone but the Great Spirit who hears and sees all.

In gratitude for giving the beautiful butterfly its freedom, the Great Spirit always grants the wish.

So, according to legend, by making a wish and giving the butterfly its freedom, the wish will be taken to the heavens and be granted.


I hope that you have a wonderful day.  It is so very pretty here, just like it was 39 years ago, when I married the love of my life.....


Yeah, I know it is a moth.... but it reminds me of a beautiful butterfly... have a great weekend.

Welcome to

PICTURE PERFECT

~ Each week a theme will be posted up on Wednesday, and you are invited to put up your best picture with that theme in mind, it should be just

 ONE and ORIGINAL,

 i.e not off the internet,

Then come back and post a comment on this page
so that everyone can link to your blog and see your pic.

By all means mention your camera and lens used, and if the picture has been altered or enhanced in anyway! Out of the box thinking is encouraged!!

Please open your page for viewing for all for that day...and then visit as many others as you can! Try and post a decent size pic on your blog page, so much is lost if the pic is too small or too big.

The entries will close at midnight on Friday

oOo

 This week's theme is a little unusual... a challenge, if you will.

Your challenge is to walk, run, cycle, fly, jump, drive for 10 minutes and take a photo at that point. I'm sure we can all spare 10 minutes : )

oOOo 10 Minutes  oOOo

Well, this one is so very simple.
10 minutes from my front door to the city park.

Where stands the BANDSTAND -- I know I used it yesterday in my blog.
It is a place where I love to go. The park is scared ground, where the first original settlement was . Where you can go to look at the beautiful Ohio River flow by.
Here is the Bandstand

 

Click here for those who can use Photobucket to see an enlargment
http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb1/Trayne9465/general%20photos/hometown/?action=view&current=mybandstand.jpg
Taken with my Kodak Photoshare C733

Today , I am at odds with life.  I can't really put my finger on it.. It maybe because yesterday was my birthday, and it passed with very little happening.. yeah, you would think that at 61 you would be over birthdays.

I did get a call from my son in the Army and my son in Belpre called.. but somehow that wasn't enough.  I got cards.. from people at church..it is in the church calendar sent out to everyone.   It is just I guess I felt I should have a cake or at least a cupcake.. with a candle on it to blow out and make a wish.

Then there is this weekend.  I had asked mom if she would go to her family reunion with me... I wanted to do some genealogy with the family.. but I also like the people in the family that you only get to see anyother time IF there is a funeral.  

So, Mom calls and tells me that she is going to my brother's in Athens over the weekend.  She will accompany them to see my nephew and his new house.. on Saturday and then go over to my other brother's house and maybe meet up with my other brother ( yeah, I had 3brothers) .  So, all my brothers will be together with mom over the weekend..  I wasn't invited... and yes, I am feeling left out.  On Sunday, they are having (mother and my brother and family) a birthday party for my nephew..his brother and family will be there...

Saturday is a hard day for me.. it would have been my 39th anniversary... and for the last 13 years I have tried to fill that day with something that will keep me thinking about missing my husband...-- the reunion..   I don't feel like driving the hour and ahalf by myself.. and no other relatives live close who want to go.

SO, there it is, I have vented.. but I don't feel any better.

At the moment, which I know will pass, I feel like going back to bed and pulling the covers over my head.

I don't say anything to MOM , because it isn't her problem... and I would never say anything about this to her to hurt her... or spoil her fun with her other children.

BUT, everyone seems to be going to be together ... like a family reunion.. but me.

OH well, ok, I am done..  I just really hate being alone..so much.

 

the picture is our Bandstand, in our Park on the river bank.. all dress up with pink petunias

                            


Great song.. says alot about marriage... Saturday would have been my 39 anniversary..

As my son says, well , mom you can still celebrate the 39th anniversary of WOOD STOCK.

Don't worry about me.. just listen to the song.. and read the words... a great song and a great group..

LOVE

PICTURE PERFECT

~ Each week a theme will be posted up on Wednesday, and you are invited to put up your best picture with that theme in mind, it should be just

 ONE and ORIGINAL,

 i.e not off the internet,

Then come back and post a comment on this page
so that everyone can link to your blog and see your pic.

By all means mention your camera and lens used, and if the picture has been altered or enhanced in anyway! Out of the box thinking is encouraged!!

Please open your page for viewing for all for that day...and then visit as many others as you can! Try and post a decent size pic on your blog page, so much is lost if the pic is too small or too big.

The entries will close at midnight on Friday

oOo

 Good Wednesday to you all.  This is our first week back after our competition phase.  What a great experience it was.  So with that being said here is this weeks theme.

oOOo Precious  oOOo

 

 

When I saw the theme, I had several in mind, but then I had used the pictur of my granddaughter last week.. So, this week , I decided to use the one that I have had up on my desktop till just recently.

Most of you , if you have read my blog, know that my son is serving in the military in the middle east region.  He has a very important job in the Army... he must be "important", this is his second tour in 3 years.

I went to be with him and his family in December and was there when he was deployed.  I have written several times about that day.. One I never want to live over.   Such sadness abounded that day with over 200 soldiers and their families waiting in an airplane hanger for the minute they would board the plane that would whisk them over the ocean into that hot dry desert area.

That day in December was bittersweet for me... I watched as my son held his 3 day old baby, with his 2 year old son hanging on his pants leg... and his 10 year old step-son standing knowing full well, that Allen would not be there to coach him in soceer or wrestling this year... and wondering if he would see him again... for at 10 and living on an army base-- you are "streetwise".

So, that morning before we  said goodbye- Allen and his son Darien, took the last walk together down the parking lot to the car, to get his father's last minute packing...
Here is what is precious to me.

I didn't resize the picture... this was taken with my trusty..Kodak Easyshare C733

The week started with a funeral.. on Monday for a young friend who dropped dead while on vacation.  I went to the funeral and then helped with the church dinner . I left home at 10:30am and got home around 4:00 pm .  A whole day lost to the ages.   It was a calm evening, I took a nap and work on genealogy.

Yesterday was another funeral, but I didn't go.  My cousins from Michigan came in for her stepmother's funeral.  We had supper together and then talked for a great while...  another day gone.

I hate unproductive days... you never get them back.

Got an email from the theatre director that we are having a volunteer's meeting.. right.   I looked at all the emails on the top of the letter... most of them no longer have any interest in the theatre... I think he went through a bunch of old sign up sheets that we had for a newsletter, that NEVER got off the ground.

I promptly wrote on the top of the reply.
PLEASE REMOVE ME FROM YOUR VOLUNTEER MAILING LIST>
THANK YOU.

I put it in caps so he would be able to see it.

Today , I should be out in the garage, but it is supposed to be hot and the garage only has one door.   no windows.... and the big door up front hasn't been used ever.   so hot and no air... not working today.

I need to call the plumber and find out when he will be working on my new sink and  counter cook top stove .  That needs to be done.

We had alot of rain yesterday, flash flooding, etc.   I had a leak in the roof over the laundry room... yep, it has been leaking for a while.  The guy mom hired to fix it has been here 4 times... now the ceiling is soggy and sinking rapidly...
And the rug is soaked.. before I found the leak ( I was asleep during the storm) so now the laundry room stinks...from the wet rug and ceiling.  I have a window open... and the fan going.  I will have to wait.... for someone to fix it.

Tonight is quartet practice...but so far it is a trio... the tenor has been there once.-- he will come in on Sunday to sing.. and make the rest of us look bad.
I love him dearly--BUT he sings through his nose and flat... Our other tenor is a doctor and on call a lot, so he won't attempt to sing in the quartet...
Hopefully Terry will make it tonight.... cross my fingers.

The rest of the week... who knows
I plan to sew some...

Last week, I found a pattern for a chemo cap...Mom , volunteers at the Cancer Center.  The chemo patients come there for treatment and mother helps with the wigs,hats scarfs, giving out info on breast replacement ,etc.... It is summer and they have lots of winter hats but very few summer caps, scarfs etc. So, they need to find a source of summer hats...
So mom ordered a couple of things, hoping to make a pattern to make some for the center.  The ones she got were horrible (very poorly made).  She made a couple..but not satisfied.  SO, I found a pattern and made about 4 of them.
Yesterday, she took them out to the chemo lab... hoping to find someone to try them on to see if they fit.  ( I really needed to know if  they fit a bald head).
Well, all four of them were taken home by the ladies.  I guess they fit perfectly.. so now to find more material...that will look good as hats... It takes about 20 mins.  to make one.... and well, it makes me feel good that they are needed and appreciated.

So, that is it from here... maybe sewing will make the rest of the week seem less crazy.... and NO BODY else die... please stay alive.... I hate feeling sad.

Tonight while searching for something to "listen" to while sewing... I chanced upon a PBS telethone... yeah you know the ones where they have a show and keep breaking in to tell you the attributes of PBS.

Now ,I am a PBS watcher.. but usually don't have the money to pledge my support.. I did once and now I get a "please help us" letter over and over.

Well, tonight it was a group called "Celtic Thunder"???? yeah, I was   like, so Ok, I will listen.  ( I hate a quite house- comes from having 4 brothers).
So, I am working about the room... and these gorgeous voices..sweep in with some songs I have never heard..  So, what did I do.. I sat down.. and watched..

It is the male equivolent of "Celtic Women".... but I like these guys better...
The songs were lively and also very tender.
So, I did some searching...

Celtic Thunder

is a new Celtic music group, composed of 5 Celtic male soloists who perform both solos and ensemble numbers. Their debut live performance, billed as "Celtic Thunder: The Show" took place in August of 2007 at the Helix Theater located on the Dublin City University campus in Dublin, Ireland.

A DVD and CD of that performance was released in the US in February, 2008, and was an immediate chart-topper on the Billboard Top World Albums chart. It has been listed in the number one slot for sixteen weeks as of July 1, 2008.

According to Sharon Browne, the group's Producer, ""Celtic Thunder: The Show" is a celebration of the group's Celtic heritage and men -- their loves, attitudes, individuality, power and strength, throughout life's journey." Browne had previously been instrumental in the formation of another Celtic group, all-female "Celtic Woman", and conceived and formed "Celtic Thunder" in partnership with Music Director Phil Coulter, the famous Irish composer and arranger whose resume' includes working with the music legend, Elvis Presley.

The thrilling thing is that they rang in age from 14 to 40.  The 14 year old has a magnificent voice.. better than most men older than him.
He is the groups heart throb...   I like the 40 year old... he is the bass of the group... yeah , I always did like bass voices.

So, I went to youtube..  and practically the whole Celtic Thunder PBS special is there.
I did find one cut that I really like.  I am partial to "Danny Boy".... I can sing the high tenor part in my range..  SO, I am posting that... and then the one called Ireland Calls... written by Phil Coulter.
If you want to go to UTube... and see the rest do that.   I am going out and buying the CD tomorrow.
Enjoy... they are fantastic.

O Danny Boy Ireland Calls This one is so sad... this young man shows his voice.. A bird without wings

Today , we received word that a friend of ours died.  He had 2 young  sons.
I believe one is in the sixth grade and the other is in the 7th.
They are both part of my children's theatre group.  Their mother is always there to help paint or lend a hand... and so did their dad.

Jay, had a knee replacement this Spring. While not being able to work, he had gained some weight.  His blood pressure had been up.  

The family Jay and his brother Joe took their families to Cancun for a vacation.
Jay suffered a fatal heart attack. He was 44.

Now, I know what it is to lose a husband quickly.. suddenly without any  notion that things were that bad.

It is devastating.  Please pray for Missy and the boys.  The next few days of coming home and getting things situated will be hard.  But the hardest is to get used to Jay being gone.

The ironic thing is that Jay was a funeral director , along with his father and brothers.. Joe and Jerad.   They live with death everyday.  They by far are the best in the business here.... but this time.. it is a different situation.
So, please pray for Missy, Michael, Mark , and Jay's brothers and their families. and dear sweet father Herb and mother Jean.

Thank you

Morning,   I am sitting here listening to the new Mama Mia CD.  After seeing the movie a week ago, I can't get enough of the music. I loved ABBA back in it's heyday.  

What is so great is that they have taken the music and put it to a story or vise versa... Meryl Streep is so good in this role.  It is the exact opposite of her role in the "Devil wears Prada".... she is a lady who seems to come unglued occassionally... The new singing Pierce Bronson is so good to look at and Collin Firth isn't bad to look at either.

BUT the best thing is that it is a feel good movie... yep... no death and destruction... no guns a blazing... or chainsaws abound.   A great feel good movie that will uplift your spirits.

It is also has the songs that you leave singing...  I am a dancing queen....lalalala
One of my favorites is the    song  gimme gimme gimme (a man after midnight) just a cute little diddy... ( I may make it my new theme song..LOL)

So, if you haven't had a chance to see it ---go-- it is well worth the money.. you will love the trio of  Streep, Branaski and Walters.... and the costumes.. are great..

Go feel good about an afternoon at the movies.

 

 

Nothing much to report.... I have been working on making some head way with the garage.   I want so much to get things sorted.   The heat here is terrible. I would like for it to go ahead and rain... if feels like it should... so I wish it would just do that.

I worked all last night on sorting material and trim that belong to the theatre.
So, this morning , I dropped off at the theatre 2 large garbage bags of  1 )material that was left over or bought and not used.  1) of costumes that I brought home to wash and hung up in my walk in... and left and 1) box..of trims, like sequins and gold braid, etc.

I dropped them off today.  The director stood there with his mouth open.. I don't think he thought I would really quit...  Well, that is over..

Spent some time with my friend Mary Lee. It is her birthday... we had a surprise birthday lunch for her..wooo hoo.. really did surprise her.

Now I am back home, in the A/C , working on my article for the society newsletter... .. It is due on Friday.    I found an article that my dad had written about a steamboat explosion.   I think that it would be interesting to the readers.

I haven't heard from either of my sons since last week... I suppose no news is good news...  I would love to go up and visit the one son on Satruday... I will have to see what else is going on.

See the picture... that is what I found this morning in my  bathroom sink..  I guess he has found a perfect place to sleep....

Well, have a good day and the rest of the week.

 

Well this is MonoMonday 17 Plus 3. 

This is a angel monument in Mound Hill Cemetery. It is called the Allemong Angel .  I have always thought that it is a beautiful piece of sculpture.

So, I wanted to do some playing with it.  I cropped it  to bring more focus on the angel.    Then I started to play with it.

The sky that day was rather hazy , so the picture seems just a bit old looking to me to begin with.

Next I turned it B&W and softened the edges.

I turned it sepia but did not like the reddish hue that it had.  So, I decided to play with it some more.     I used sketch and then backed off a little bit retried the sepia and came up with this
I did several other things like playing with tint /neon and color rotation

 

Last, I decided to go back to the original. I made it a sketch, fading it out somewhat so it looked semi sketched.. and detailed.  I used the blueprint  effect.   Once the effect was there I backed off....or faded till the trees and surrounding green came back in ... but the blue stayed on the sky and the statue... then I postered it...   

          

I like the end result of my Allemong Angel... with the blue sky.. behind her.

.

Welcome to Picture Perfect!
 

~ This is week 10 of our Competition ~

The rules:

You have three days in which to post your picture with this weeks theme in mind

so there is NO RUSH

The Top Ten Pictures will be selected by our panel of admins and posted up in a poll on Saturday morning (PST). The poll will run for 24 hours, and is open to CONTACTS ONLY!

Remember: only ONE  picture please and it should be YOURS and not lifted off the internet. If it has been taken by a friend or member of family please mention that fact, this will eliminate you from the competition portion of Picture Perfect only and is not considered plagiarism in any form.

No slide shows please, and *no automatic music* on the page

Then come back and post a comment on this page
so that everyone can link to your blog and see your pic.

By all means mention your camera and lens used however humble, and if the picture has been altered or enhanced in anyway!

Out of the box thinking is encouraged!!

Please open your page for viewing for all for that day...and then visit as many others as you can! Try and post a decent size pic on your blog page, so much is lost if the pic is too small or too big.

Good Luck, and have fun out there!!

..ooOoo..

This weeks theme is

'Song Titles'

ooOoo

 

(click on to enlargen)
You are so beautiful to me....

After 40 years of marriage and two beautiful sons.

I hoped so very much that I would have a granddaughter.
The year 2007 came with both families having babies
In July Isabelle Skye was born.
In December Alesya Caleigh was born.
They are so beautiful to me.
This is Aleysa Caleigh at three days old.

You are so beautiful
To me
You are so beautiful
To me
Can't you see
You're everything I hoped for
You're everything I need
You are so beautiful
To me

This picture was taken with my trusty Kodak EasyShare C743 Zoom digital

                                      

I am so hoping that this works...
Ok, the first picture is the old Cora Mill.  I found some negatives the other day , after I got my PC back and everything hooked back up.  I made the negatives into pictures.. woo wee.. just love to see them come to life.

Cora Mill at one time was a grist mill on the old Raccoon Creek. Raccoon creek when surveyed many (1800's) years ago.. came out 1 mile short of being a river.. It eventually empties into the Ohio River just below Gallipolis..
When resurveyed... it was found to be much longer than the first survey..and a river..go figure.

Anyway as kids , long after the mill ceased operations.. we would go swimming at the falls... not scene in the picture.

Well, I thought I had resized it a little bigger but you get the idea.
Then I decided to play with it..  Cropping it  

                                                      click for a better view
I also did a paint job on it making it become more like an oil painting.. don't know if you can see it...

Then I did a black and white effect..


I probably should have lightened it up a bit but didn't...
Then I went back to the color /oil and played with the hue and the saturation and came out with this final.
 
At this point I stopped... I had thought about trying to do some of the other things., but just can't seem to maneuver, or manipulate and do the layers..
I will catch up later, been a long, hot week in the Ohio Valley.

Sure would be nice to sit under the old falls... but alas and alack.. the water probably isn't as pure as it used to be with the mines way up at the head waters.

So, I will remember the old days of dashing under the falls...

Have a good week

I decided to add an album.. the first and last pictures are in the Mono Monday album.. zoom in.. to see them.... thanks.. one of these days I will get it right , but until then.. hang in with me...

When I was a child.. of seven I can remember the sound of the whistle.. when she rounded the bend.. I would jump on my bike.. and within minutes be at the top of the hill..of the landing.. and I would watch her come up the river...

Her calliope would start to play... and I would feel such elation...

Well, who is this that would make me so happy... the riverboat Delta Queen.
Maybe you have heard of her... and maybe not.
There isn't enough space to tell you her history.. but it is a long and wonderful history of a beautiful boat that ply the inland rivers of the USA.

Well, her existence is being threatened.. by a few congressman who want her to be dry-docked... because  ???? well, that is the problem, we just aren't sure why they are now saying she is unsafe.. and should be taken off the river.

I have several websites that you can go to see all the "stuff" that is floating around.

Here is one article.. that will explain some of it.
If you can go to   http://www.save-the-delta-queen.org/ and read and help by writing the congress men and women to tell them to keep her that would be appreciated.

ARTICLE

The Delta Queen soon may be making her last trip up the Ohio River. Unless Congress acts soon to exempt her from the provisions of the 1966 Safety of Life at Sea Act, her 2008 season could be her last.

The very woodwork that makes her a work of art is also that which condemns her. The law does not permit vessels with wooden superstructures to carry 50 or more passengers in overnight service.

But that law was enacted following a fire on the Yarmouth Castle, an ocean-going ship, in 1965, in which 90 people perished.

The Delta Queen, a frequent Pittsburgh visitor, does not go to sea. She is a flat-bottomed riverboat designed solely for our inland rivers.

She is never more than a mile from shore at any time.

She is protected by state-of-the art fire detection and suppression systems.

That the Delta Queen should be lumped together with sea-going behemoths is ludicrous.

This grand old lady of our rivers is a national treasure.

She is part of the fabric that binds us together as a nation.

She is the very last of her breed -- an authentic steam-powered passenger stern-wheeler of the type that helped foster our westward expansion.

The Queen deserves our respect and admiration.

The Delta Queen's real enemy is the committee system of the U.S. Congress that can be unresponsive to the will of that body as well as to the public will. The full Congress may never get a chance to even vote on approving her continued exemption.

Two powerful committee chairmen -- Rep. James Oberstar, of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Sen. Daniel Inouye, of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation -- effectively have taken the Delta Queen hostage.

These men have buried exemption legislation in their committees and prevented it from being sent to either house for a full hearing.

This is simply misguided and wrong.

We need less government intervention in our personal affairs, not more. It is not as though the Delta Queen is our only option for transportation. People choose to board this boat specifically for its historic value. If anyone is concerned about the safety of the Delta Queen, he is free to travel by another means.

Our legislators need to grant the Delta Queen a permanent exemption and put this issue to rest. Then they can concern themselves with more pressing issues rather than worrying about our potential fiery demise.

It would be a travesty to restrict the travels of the Delta Queen and deny the public the opportunity to enjoy this uniquely American experience for many generations to come.

Jim Armstrong lives in Gibsonia.

Her she is in all her glory... please help us save her..

 

 

Since leaving the theatre for greener pastures..( just a phrase) I have had lots of time on my hands... and also time to think.

I am not sure  what will happen once school starts again and they start doing plays... we will just have to wait and see if the new director pans out.. so far he is not doing well in the category of making friends and influencing people.

The town of Gallipolis is not an easy "gig" if you are a Clevelandite.. or one with an attitude, I should point out that not all Clevelandites are bad, just the ones that feel they are superior over us "hill billys"....

So, I decided that I would do a bit of sewing for the granddaughters... I made one that was so cute.. but Isabelle can't wear it... so Aleysa will get it.. whew... I made good on that mistake.

So, I made Isabelle another one... but this time I measured it to the store bought dresses her Auntie Pam sent  ( I have to deliver them... so I snuck a peek.. and did some measuring.)

I have decided that I will make a couple of tops for me.. to wear with my slacks.
I have been buying up the India and China made dresses you see made out of guaze.. I love them. I am going to use the skirts of them to mix and match and make tops.. since I can't find that kind of material here in fabricstore free SE Ohio.

So, just wanted to check in see if anybody is out there...listening in..
Have a great weekend.
I plan on chillin out here... This is the hottest weather we have had so far. over ninty ever day... and no rain..(that was good so things can dry out a bit).. I plan on sewing, watching the quilting shows, and going to the chautauqua the next three nights...

Take care..
C.

This is Isabelle's new dress.... made by Grandma Cheryl