We are using the Georgetown flat, and I am fantasizing that it is mine. It has two rooms, a bath, and a lovely little kitchen. Just what I want! I met Caitlan’s friends, Celia and Sarah–so glad to finally see them in person!

We are here. John cooked a fritata and bacon for breakfast. We headed into the city on the El. We’ll fly out from O’Hare at 7 p.m.

It was pouring and Ian was snoring when I left the HALL this morning at 6. It has continued to rain, off and on, all day. I hope it gets this out of its system before we start driving to Chi-town tomorrow night. I hate to drive at night in the rain. We got Ian’s truck transferred into his name and got his insurance straightened out, so that was one accomplishment. I watched 2 hours of “24” last and screamed out loud several times. That show spooks me–I don’t know why I like watching it. I was pleased to see that Kiefer Sutherland’s co-star was Robert Carlyle of THE LAST ENEMY. I was fascinated with his performance in that mini-series, although I didn’t really like the show itself that much. He was apparently in THE FULL MONTY and TRAINSPOTTING, but since I haven’t seen either, he’s a new face to me. We’ll see more of him. Now to packing for jolly old Oxford!

I’ve decided to write short blog posts. Maybe I’ll write every day that way. I am heading across the pond on Wednesday. I promise to let you know about the wonderful trip that Caitlan, Kyle and I are going to take. Anyway, here are a few highlights from this weekend and the past two months:
***I’m totally into audio books. I get them from the library, although I know I could download them from audible.com. Recent finds:
Absolutely wonderful–ELIJAH OF BUXTON (Mirron Willis), GHOST OF SPIRIT BEAR (Jason Harris), HOOT (Chad Lowe), THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW (Kenneth Branagh)
Didn’t like as much–THE HEROINES, THE CALDER GAME
***Marty, my great nephew (he is really great!) has been coming to Kelley Ridge to help me do jobs. He’s been a big help. His birthday was this week. I call him Marty the Mighty.
***This past week was Deb’s 60th birthday. She and I went to CABERET at EKU on Saturday night. A couple of stellar student performances. She cooked us dinner beforehand. Today the groupies + Jim + Elizabeth went to Joseph-Beth for brunch at a 60th birthday party. It was fun.
***Ian is back in Kentucky. We met up tonight at the Valley, and tomorrow we need to get the title and the insurance on his truck figured out. It is great to see him. But it won’t be for long as Caitlan, Kyle and I are leaving for England for Caitlan’s Oxford graduation. Watch here for more updates on our trip.
***I went to a midnight showing of CANNONBALL, an independent film that Andrew acted in. I met Pat and Verla there. It was fun and kind of quirky feeling to be out that late! Then Pat and Verla came back to Kelley Ridge to stay and visit. They had also been there another Saturday to help me. Pat gave me a shooting lesson with his 44 magnum.
***I’ve joined a gym. I need to do something about this deteriorating body. Having read the Cleveland Clinic’s book on aging, I decided the exercise is even more important than diet (not that I have a great diet either), so now I am exercising several nights a week.
*** I have a nearly new car (ten years younger than my previous Camry, Bessie, who is living with Caitlan). It is a silver Camry called Hi! Ho! Silver!
***The nickel tax on the ballot in Marion County failed so there goes my chance at being a librarian at only one school. Obama won and I’m proud that I saw it during my lifetime.
***I decided to cut down trees on my Valley land.
***Michele and I came to Louisville to spend the day with Caitlan and Kyle at the St. James Art Fair.
***I’m reading vampire teen romance.
***At least one night a week, I stay over at my principal’s house so that I don’t have to drive so far. She and her husband have been very kind.
***Gas prices are down–yay!
***Kyle, Caitlan, and I will see John and Gail in Chicago this week! I’m excited.
***Sharon’s second grand-daughter has arrived.
Welcome and God bless Hope Marie!
***Today on THIS I BELIEVE a composer said that a Scandinavian study on aging revealed that there are three social activities that keep people young–singing in a group, dancing, and camping. I intend to do all three.
***It snowed this week, and I am amazed at how beautiful Kelley Ridge is–I can’t get used to it.
***Pops had a heart attack, but he had stents put in and is ok.
*** The groupies had a self-made retreat in Stanford at the Bishop House–a beautiful restored home. A really inspiring love-filled weekend.

I came to the Valley on Friday night, and Mombo and I watched WE ARE MARSHALL together. Then on Saturday we went on a Lexington excursion. We made a stop at Kohl’s for a bathmat, but Mom found three nice tops on clearance, so now she has some new things to wear to church. Next we headed to Best Buy to find her an external floppy drive for her new laptop and a wireless card for her desktop. I also got myself a headset for my cellphone but had to take it back when my phone wouldn’t support it (can’t always trust those blueshirt guys). Anyway, my mom’s at techie at 83. She also went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and found a folding stool and laptop table, and then we recharged our batteries by having lunch at WHOLE FOODS. We did some wholesome food shopping there, stopped in at Joe-Beth, and then checked out Meijer. We were worn out when we got home, but we had a good, fun day.

On Sunday morning, I went to Mass at my home church, Sacred Heart, had a good visit with my friend Maria, and then headed back to Lex to take back the headset, stopped in Richmond to go to the bank and visit over a glass of wine with Deb, and then enjoyed some gardening time at Kelley Ridge. One Monday, my realtor came by to have me sign an offer for Joe’s Kentucky River land. We’ll see if it goes through. I also listed Kelley Ridge with them for six months. Now it’s in God’s hands–I’m willing to make the move if that is what God works out for me. It was nice to have my three days–it sure went by fast!

Barak Obama nominated as the Democratic candidate for president. John McCain picked a woman as his running mate for the Republican nomination (that’s a first for them, but the Democrats had Geraldine). No matter who wins, it will be historic. Also I went to a Kentucky Arts Council Grant Writing Workshop and am involved in writing a grant to bring Kentucky artists into both of my schools to teach about the Appalachian Culture (music, dance, art and drama). That’s a first! And I went to traffic school–well, not actually a first, sorry to say. But it has been a long time. And here’s what I learned, among other things: Don’t sit within ten inches of your steering wheel. We need to get Mombo accelerator and brake extensions. I also stayed overnight at my principal’s house and walked two miles with her–I haven’t been walking enough, so that’s a really good thing. Whew–she walks fast!

He was never mine, but he took care of me as if I were his.

He talked. He smiled. Sometimes Joe looked at me out of his eyes.

Today Joe said, “You wanna come? You can come! Come on, Buddy…” and he went.

Looking for Joe Wood? Listen to this!

The Business Outside The Denver Convention

by Jeff Brady

Listen Now [3 min 38 sec]

Morning Edition, August 25, 2008 · Organizers of the Democratic National Convention in Denver say it will pump as much as $160 million into the local economy. Experts say the total will be more like $16 million. Businesses in the Mile High City are optimistic, though some are slashing prices to make sure the convention isn’t a bust for them.

I love weekends. I actually slept in late (for me)—8 a.m.!! I headed off to Richmond to my favorite mechanics (Jay Edward excepted, of course)for an oil change on the Camry. They were able to replace my rear wipers (windshield, that is), but when they replaced my rear left turn signal bulb, lots of corroded stuff fell out of the taillight. Apparently it has a crack and has been leaking and rusting. They still put the bulb in, determined that it works, but intermittently, and then took me back into the garage and showed me the stuff that fell out of the taillight onto the floor—lesson: get a new taillight either at a junk yard (good luck—they’re hard to come by) or at the Toyota dealership. The car does have 315,000 miles on it. Tim Miller and associates are my own personal Click and Clack.

Then recycling, delivery of cucumbers to Deb and some blackberry sage iced tea with delightful conversation, quick stop at E. W. James (are they going out of business?) to find that they had all their herbal teas for half price, and a cup of decaf and scone at MY TIME Coffee and Tea. I headed back to Kelley Ridge in time to meet Jim and Beth who came to pick my apples for making bags of frozen pie apples and applesauce (which she also uses in place of oil in many of her recipes). Unsprayed, and unpruned, my apples are dimply, spotted and small, but they taste fine, they’re not wormy, and I’m so glad Fawnda ( my “pet” deer who gets bolder and bolder with eating things close to the house, and yes, she’s named after Jane) isn’t the only one benefitting from Joe’s plantings. Jim and I searched the Joan Depot for a few tools he needed in trade for replacement of two of my storm doors that have blown off the hinges in Kelley Ridge wind storms, and after a relatively quick discussion of Joe Biden and liquor sales in Lancaster (quick for Jim), they left me to eat the potato leek soup that Deb had sent home with me (sides—fresh sliced tomatoes, cukes, and onions from Jeff and Jay, my leftover organic chicken salad with grapes from Mom and cashews, and dessert of Jeffrey cantaloupe with a few red raspberries on top—oh, well, they were Kroger). I watched my Netflix REMAINS OF THE DAY, which left me sad, talked to Mom about Greg’s waning life, and watched remnants of the Olympics. I will miss them when they are over, and no, the conventions will NOT take their place.

Today it has been church at St. William’s after a French toast with fresh peaches and almonds breakfast at Jim and Beth’s. Then paperwork and grading papers while listening to my favorite NPR Sunday shows. I did a little cooking for next week, watched some more Olympics, and made a trip to the barn to bag up a few more loads of trash. Laundry’s done, vacuuming waits, and I think I might play the piano.

Well, there was the wonderful trip to Hawaii. Then the summer turned into “moving the kids.” We came back, had a wonderful wedding celebration with Michelle and Nic, and then went through things in the basement so that Ian could gather his stuff into one room before returning to Hawaii for the last time. We made several trips to Louisville to get Caitlan moved into her apartment in Old Louisville, a street away from Kyle. She’s in the second floor of a 100+ year old “Painted Lady.” Her nice landlady lives downstairs, and her roommate, Christi, is back from India. So they are settling in, and I think we got all the big stuff moved up narrow winding staircases, including a mattress and box springs, couch and love-seat, and washer and dryer! Thanks to Ian, Kyle and buddies, Mamma and Pappaw, and Alice and Chris! Caitlan is also settling into her job at E-On as an energy market analyst. We had a really fun picnic at Kelley Ridge with lots of friends and family, and then I started back to school, still as the librarian at two elementaries in Marion County. During the week, I’ve been staying with Mom at the Valley and enjoying her company. Greggie Brown is now there permanently–his condition doesn’t allow travel. He continues to get thinner and looks old and weak, but he still gets up to greet me about 75% of the time when I pull in . Mom and I have enjoyed the Olympics–she is hooked on beach volleyball.Last week we took in a Boyle County 8th grade football game and got to see Clint “the Biscuit” Hellyer return a punt with a tremendous touchdown run. He plays both safety and tight end and can actually catch the ball. Exciting times ahead. We’re looking forward to some of Cole’s games as well. Ian breezed through on a weekend, renting a truck and cleaning his stuff out of the basement. He’s moved into his apartment in Wilmington, NC and is enrolled in pre-req chemistry and biology classes. Brendan and I talk about once a week. He enjoys Portland (too much), has a new significant other named Kara, and new gaming buddies. Jeanne, Caitlan, Holly and I intiated the “MOMMIES AND GIRLIES SOCIETY,” a.k.a. the “MG’s” with a toast and a viewing of MAMMA MIA! together. So much fun!
I still don’t know whether to sell Kelley Ridge–the drive is a significant obstacle to the kind of “greener” lifestyle I want to move toward. “It’s a PUZZLEMENT.” I have talked to a realtor, so the ball in in motion–but will the pass be incomplete or intercepted? Every day–an adventure, a mystery, a gift.

Kelley Ridge View