How YOU doin'?!

We had a fun day yesterday! My intention was to put a slideshow up, but due to some unforeseen difficulties, I was unable to do so. I'll work on it tomorrow and try and get it up here.

(Frankly, I'm being very polite and calm. I am so incredibly irritated right now that it is taking everything I've got to keep from letting loose with a stream of profanity that would make a sailor blush. I am stepping away from the slideshow project and I am calmly writing about our day. I will include a few pictures, and I will regain my equilibrium.)

The dedication of the Habitat house was incredible. Ken wrote about it over at his place, and you can read the details there. The woman who got the house said that no one in her family owns a home--she's the first person to become a homeowner. How cool is that? It sure made me realized how fortunate we are. I thought it was neat that this wasn't just a lone Habitat house--they're building a small community, and the lady who got the house has been helping her neighbors with their houses as well as working on her own. It was a great thing to see, and I'm glad we went!

Later, it was on to my sister's house. Right after we got to Diana's, we made a trip to her museum. (Well, it's not HER museum, but she's the assistant director of the Elkhart County Historical Museum). She opened it up for us and we got to see their quilt exhibit, as well as several other cool things. This is Amish country, so quilting is big around here. I think the oldest one they have is from 1859, and there were some beautiful quilts on display. I asked Diana if they still had the Ambrose Bierce stuff, so she opened up that room for me. She got out the map that was on display at the Field Museum in Chicago during their map display exhibit. This small map is worth about $35,000! They also have his field desk from the Civil War, and a few of his map-making tools, and she said she has no idea of what those things are worth.

While walking around and looking at things, I came across a picture book that was out. It was an original from the Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893, the World's Fair! A few years ago, Ken got me the book The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I loved the book, and it made me fascinated by that World's Fair, so I got several books about it. Only two large buildings survive: the one that the Museum of Science and Industry now occupies, and the one that is the home of the Art Institute. I was thrilled to find a book that was of that time period! I'm thinking I might be spending some time over there, just looking through things like that.

Back at Diana's house, she asked me, "So you're going to Vegas and you're going to see 'Love'! Ohhh, it was GREAT!" What did I tell you? Then she brought out her program (Again, what did I tell you?), and as we looked through it, she told me how great it was. When I told her we had front row seats, she said, "Ohhhhh!" Ha ha! She talked about it more a little later, and said that while she was there, she even wondered if maybe this isn't what Heaven is like. One more time...what did I tell you?! She also recommended the Liberace Museum, but I said we were hoping that the Neon Museum, AKA The Boneyard, will be open and we can tour that. She said she'd never heard of that one, but I'm not sure how much she's into signage.

I had taken my reading glasses with me, and as I put them on and held my pony tail up on my head, I told Diana that I brought them along so I could "do my new impression, doncha know!" She cracked up, and asked if I could do the wink. I obliged. I'll have to continue working on it, but I made her laugh with just that, so I'll consider that a success. The only real political discussion that came up was about the economy, which shows where everyone's main concern is at.

Diana made Pasta Fagioli, and we were all stuffed by the time we were done. She made a pineapple cake using a recipe from our Aunt June, and after that, we were even more stuffed! Mom liked all of her cards and presents, and I think she had a really nice time. Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes for Mom--she really got a kick out of it!

Also, it turns out that Diana has some really weird friends. This guy just sat around and never said a word. How rude!

Di is planning on putting him in the passenger seat of her Camaro and putting some sunglasses on him when she drives to work. I'd love to see some of the reactions to that!

Today has turned out to be a good one, too. Beautiful weather--very warm for mid-October--and we agreed that we should grill. I was looking for a sirloin steak in the freezer, and when I moved a roast, I uncovered TWO packages of Porterhouse steaks! Oh yeah, babe! We're talking Porterhouse steaks, a baked potato, and a lettuce wedge with blue cheese dressing. Works for me! Hope you all had a superb weekend!

The Birds

Today is a day to put aside party politics and just party!

First, we have the Habitat for Humanity house dedication--the one that Ken has been working on with his company--at noon. That probably won't take very long, and we'll head home for a little while. (Probably watch a little football.) Later in the afternoon, we'll head over to my sister Diana's house to celebrate my Mom's 80th birthday! Her birthday isn't until the 15th, but this works out better for everyone to get together.

I would guess the odds of politics coming up at our party are about 50-50, though! This will be just my immediate family, so we're all more comfortable with each other, and based on the past week, I'd say it's very possible that someone will bring up the subject. Not me! Although I may have to continue the fine tradition of my political impersonations (I killed a few years ago with my Ross Perot) and try out my Sarah Palin...!

Last night I had a really neat dream. I was sitting at a desk in a lab, although it wasn't a lab that I ever worked in. There was an open window by my desk (which never happens in a lab, but this was a dream) with a hummingbird feeder hanging there. A hummingbird flew up, then flew in the window and hovered just a few inches in front of my face. Then I held out my finger, and he landed on it! He eventually flew away, but kept coming back, and would land on my finger anytime I held it out. It was so cool!

Then my dream took a dark turn. It morphed into our deck, and I was sitting outside. Sheeba was lounging on a table in front of me. I was holding my finger up, trying to get a hummingbird to come up to me, and I looked up into the sky. A small hawk was flying over, and I could see him look down at us. Then he dived towards us, and I thought, "He's trying to get Sheeba!" and before I could move, the hawk had grabbed Sheeba by the ear and dragged him over by the wall of the house. I was unable to move for a moment, stunned and scared. Luckily, the hawk was small and Sheeba was too big for him to carry off, but the hawk was standing over him trying to keep me away. I finally swatted at the hawk with a magazine and was able to shoo him away. Sheeba ran, and was really scared when I found him. I picked him up and was comforting him, and the poor little guy was trembling for a while.

So what's it all about, Alfie? Any guesses? I'm stumped on this one. I'm glad it had a happy ending, though, and I was able to save Sheeba. I think it was just my brain cleaning house, because I was thinking about our hummingbirds being gone and that I need to take down the feeder; I saw a hawk on the way back from the store yesterday; and Cousin Shane's incident with his cat Boris was a scary one. Put 'em all together and you get my dream. There doesn't always have to be a deeper meaning! More later!