The Gathering Place, A place to blether

I think even in a very cold climate you can have hardier varieties of apple trees if you espalier them --plant them against a dark wall with a southern exposure to take up sun and keep them as free from wind as possible. Ah well -- New Englanders, we have to crunch leaves and eat apples at that time of year or we start to get cranky and fade.

Night all! Close to midnight -- going home now.

Thanks for the information on the apples- sleep well- safe trip home..


Slainte

Good morning, y'all!

Its 75* inside the house this morning, with the front door & some windows opened wide to take in the freshened air. What a relief! The oppressive heat here just leaches the energy out of me and I always feel particularly 'down' by the end of August. Hope is on the way though, as evident in the air today.

My heart aches for all those people affected by the hurricane further west... such tragedy, such loss... I know of one online friend who stayed with her aged parents near New Orleans and she hasn't been heard from yet. Sure hope she and her family made it through okay.

My husband works for the phone company, and volunteered just yesterday to be in the groups that go to restore phone service to the stricken areas. They have to wait until adequate power is restored, but he hopes he'll be able to help in a tangible way when the opportunity comes.

Hello everyone


Just a silly question. It may be just me but have any of the forums been moved? I don't see the Celtic Nation or Languages forums at all. Everything below Special Interests on the main page has disappeared...

NM! I fixed it! sorry...

Hello all!

CC, I am so very sorry to hear about your lay off. How so upsetting. I do hope and pray you will get something soon that you will enjoy. Keep us posted.

SB, I was thinking of you too during these hurricanes and wondering about those tornadoes in GA and wondering if any were close to you. How wonderful Reid going to help out like that. This is just so tragic and horrible for all involved and here I complain about the heat.

Hey Dreamer! Good to see ya. The reenactment group is coming along. I am getting my outfit made now. The whole purpose of this is to encourage me to learn history better and to hopefully find a new subject matter to paint. Not sure I will actually get to the painting, but at least this way I will be in and around the people learning everything authentic that I can from the RevWar period and the Culloden 45-46 should I decide to get back into painting. We'll just see what happens. In the meantime, I have always wondered how people lived back then and I am learning very much from historians, archeologists, teachers and etc. Has been lots of fun talking to them first hand. Hope you are doing well.

Hello Valpal! wow! so you gave your notice, eh? I hope all things work out for you. How are your doggies? Keep us posted and glad you are doing well with your craft.

JP! Ouch! How is your mouth since you had your dental work? How is son now that he has left the nest?

Hello to Mike, Stormeil, Eventide, Rindy and anybody else I have missed.

I was just wondering what everyone's plans for the weekend are...

Tomorrow, no plans. I'll probably watch the White Sox game. Saturday, I'm gonna watch the University of Iowa Hawkeyes begin their quest for a national championship. Later, I'm going to the Museum of Science and Industry with my parents to see an exhibit. Sunday, watch the White Sox game.

Oh, and I'll probably crack open a few beers ...

Hey Mike! We don't have any plans this weekend. Just doing some work around the house and yard. We have a big family birthday party at our house next Sunday so kind of using this weekend to get ready for that. It's too hot to do anything here, unless you go out of town up north. However, after spending $60.00 on gas yesterday I'd rather stay home anyway. How did your game go?

Having to look for a new critter sitter for when we go out of town for Thanksgiving. My current critter sitter has a commitment and for the first time cannot take my dogs. I don't want to put them in a kennel either. It traumatizes them, I tell ya.

Yesterday was first game for AZ Wildcats so hubby was pretty happy about that. He has been sooooooo excited for the new season to start of Wildcat football and basketball!

The Iowa-Ball State game wasn't on TV here, so I was keeping up with the game via the ticker on ESPN. The Hawkeyes won big time, 56-0. I think it would be safe to say that the second- and third-stringers got some playing time.

At least Iowa has more of a national championship opportunity than Oklahoma. They lost to TCU.

Well to be honest with you, I don't know anything about football. I know a little about basketball and I only keep up with the Wildcats cause hubby is an alummi of the UofA and I worked there for many years, so I support them too. But I couldn't tell you one blasted thing about what goes on in a game. I have tried to ask hubby but I still don't understand it. Guess I am just not really into sports. However, I do love European soccer, but hubby hates it.

Last night, my parents and I went to an exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry called "Body Works", showing the human body and parts in various stages. All the models were cadavers with the skin taken off. I started to feel a little queasy. If I hadn't quit smoking already, the pair of lungs with lung cancer I saw would've made me do it. The most interesting thing I saw was a comparative cross-section of brains, one with Alzheimer's and one without. You could see the difference in the cortices.

Mike, I'm glad you quit smoking, you probably feel better too, don't ya?'

I made a fast trip to my sister's in Mooresville, Indiana on Friday and got back last night. My brother-in-law was in the hospital so some of the family went to be with my sister and visit him at the hospital. Can you believe this, we were on our way to visit him and he calls and says he has been released. He had an allergic reaction to a sulfa drug he had been taking. He went into convulsions and his B/P plummeted to 40/20 but thankfully it went back up after a few days. He seems to be ok now. He had never taken this med. before.

Today I went shopping for some boots to wear when I go out on the motorcycle. I have looked and looked forever. I have three pair but I wanted something a little different! Hoorray!!!! Today I finally found a pair that I hope will be comfy and I won't get tired of.

Tomorrow is Labor Day and I have to labor! Back to work, Oh Well another day, another dollar!

maggiemahone1

Let me guess...

Your husband A. has one pair of boots he bought only because he wore the last pair out, and B. he rolled his eyes when you told him you bought your fourth pair.

Most guys have four pairs of shoes. The ones they wear every day, dress shoes for the occasions that require them, a pair of old shoes for rainy days and exercising, and a pair of boots. Women have four pairs of shoes per outfit per occasion.

I still get cravings for a smoke from once in a while. When I do, I run out and buy a pack of sugar free gum.

I once wrote a letter to the Wrigley Company, saying that their Extra line of sugar free gums helped me quit smoking and complimenting them for a fine product. About a week later, I received a reply and a sleeve of those five-stick packs of gum.

Wow! Mike! How cool! I worked in pathology for several years as a pathologist assistant and transcriptionist. I find all that stuff fascinating. It is really eery though. I bet you learned lots and I am so glad you quit smoking. I have seen many pairs of lungs that were diseased as a result of that nasty habit.


Hey Maggie! So good to see you! Glad to hear you are doing well. Sorry about your BIL. wow! That must have been scary! Glad he is doing well now. How's your mother doing? Glad to hear you got you some new boots! I bet you are so proud of them! I hear there is nothing nicer than a pair of boots! Sorry you have to work, but have a good day and take care!

Hello to everyone else!