For posterity's sake.

I'm packing up and moving away. Throwing away layers of stuff, making a Goodwill pile and getting ready to go. I'm throwing out an old Marcus News, but wanted to record this little bit, just because.

Via my Grapevine
by Thelma Gravenish
1/10/2008

So much for retiring! There were so many interesting happening that I have to share with you. Richard gave the okay for me to ad lib, so here goes. I received a phone call, Saturday, December 30th inviting me to enjoy the Smith Trio at Marcus Heartland Care Center that afternoon. I called some friends and we were so happy to be there. Stanley Smitih's favorite and only son, Jim, introduced his favorite and only son, Steve, and Steve introduced his favorite and only son, Chris. We were so pleased as Jim played the sax and warbled old favorites. Steve tickled the ivories and Chris kept them on the beat with teh drums. They had a room full of residents and visitors who enjoyed songs like "I Left My Heart in San Fransisco, "Blue Moon," "Harvest Moon," "Iowa Corn Song" etc. They cut loose with "Skirts and my feet said "Go, go, go" by knees said "No, No." It brought memories ... I thanked Jim for calling me and chatted with Steve and Linda and Chris and his wife... It was a memorable afternoon.

Back to "normal."

Hurrah for normalcy! I'm back in the office this morning, for the first time in two weeks for an actual week of work. That sickness shit really sidelined me. So this week there's a gallery opening plus our move to the new house. So normal is a bit of a stretch, but at least closer to normal. Bear with me, it'll be a crazy ride!

Land of ten thousand ballet flats.

Went on a nice walk this morning with my dad and came home to get dressed in my official uniform: jeans, white t-shirt, cute necklace, jacket and shoes. My closet has accumulated a lot of ballet flats - I've basically given up on heels after my sprained ankle a few weeks ago.

I had a hard time choosing, because there are so many. I have a new brown leather pair (finally!) but it's been too wet. I have a clear vinyl pair gifted by my now-London living pal Allie, the requisite black Audrey Hepburn-esque pair, and this springy new printed pair on sale this week at Target. You can buy them here.

The nice thing about having a go-to outfit, and this one's a little classic with a tiny funky twist. I always feel good when I wear this type of thing. A little lip gloss and I'm set!

One more, once.

I've just walked back from across the street for the last time on a Saturday night. For nearly three years we've lived directly across the street from some of the best friends we've ever known. Many a bottle of scotch, a dog on a leash and a covered dish were shared in the houses on this little road. By this time next week we'll be in a new place. It's not so far, but also not so near to the lifestyle we've enjoyed since May 2005.

I hope to have some pictures to share. I'm sure they'll be more fun, tales of adventures at the beach and pizza and beer and other such fun. But I won't deny that it will probably be different somehow. But no need to get sentimental.

It's not like I don't have anything to think about. I've got to figure out how to ready myself and the new place for St. Patrick's Day, beach season and dinner guests. I guess I'd better get started. It'll be worth it, even if it takes effort involving a car and a designated driver rather than a hobble across the road in the rain. At least I can count on this: I know it'll be fun.

Disoriented.

February has been interesting. So far this month I've dealt with a sprained ankle, had in-laws visit for the first time, worked on major projects at work (right, right, I won't mention too much about work since it doesn't belong on this blog), rented a new house, fought off some crazy insane virus that had me home sick for an ENTIRE WEEK, lost four pounds on account of the crazy insane virus, worked from the comfort of my bed and prepared for a visit from my parents.

Still to come: visit from the parents, move to the new house (this I have not really planned at all, eeee gawds), major projects and a gallery opening at work, tie up loose ends at the current house. Oh man.

I feel a little like I am wandering through my life disoriented and out of control. I've spent most of the past week in bed, working occasionally but mostly sleeping. I know I'm usually kind of messy, but I manage to at least act like I have it together. Well, largely because I do have it together for the most part. Here's hoping it won't take me long to get it together this time.

On the banks of the Mighty Kish.

That tragedy yesterday at NIU is really something awful. I hope I never come close to that kind of tragedy. My brother and sister-in-law are Huskies and both attended class in that lecture hall before graduating several years ago. You shouldn't die for going to class, to learn or to teach. Sad, sad, sad.

This is getting out of hand.

I'm home sick --- day three. Talk about boring. I've been working on a few work things but largely have been sleeping until about 2 pm. My in-laws and been in town so I've tried to rally for dinner but have certainly not been mu usual tour-guide self. I don't even feel like eating that much. There's a good way to know things are not normal.

At least I've been keeping entertained with Facebook and finding blogs to keep up with. What I want to keep up with is work: my folks are coming next week and I'm supposed to have next Thursday and Friday off to hang with them. Plus the move the following weekend.

Oh geez. Seems like things *might not go as planned* and you know that's hard for me.

I can hardly wait...

...until Etta's new collar arrives in the mail!

I ordered it from Sunny Rising Leather shop on Etsy.

I-O-Way

YOU GREW UP IN RURAL IOWA IF…… I get this survey from time to time, and for all you non-Iowans out there, I'm going to translate. Enjoy!


You know how to polka but never tried it sober.... True. Some of the finest drunk polka-ing I've done was at my brother-in-laws wedding. I only polkaed sober at my own wedding because I was busy and only had one drink all night. I'm the hostess with the mostess, what can I say?

You know what knee-high by the Fourth of July means. This refers to the height of corn. If it's as tall as the farmer's knee by the Fourth of July you're basically good to go. If not, you might hope for hail and be glad you bought crop insurance
from my dad. One thing about this system, though, what about the really short (ortall) farmer?

You know it is traditional for the bride and groom to go bar hopping between the wedding and the reception. Many weddings are at weird times of day, like 1 or 2 pm. After the wedding the bride, groom and wedding party will disappear and keep you waiting (sometimes for hours) while they get plowed.


You know the difference between 'Green' and 'Red' farm machinery, and would fight with your friends on the playground over which was better! Green = John Deere, Red = International. I wasn't even a farm kid but was in the green party because my great-grandpa designed engine parts for John Deere. We're talking serious brand loyalty here, people.


You buy Christmas presents at Farm & Fleet or Tractor Supply. This one is actually kind of dumb. Farm & Fleet is like Home Depot for an agricultural community. But since I grew up in the middle of nowhere you'd have to drive hours to get to one.

You spent more on beer and liquor than you did on food at your wedding. Right again. That's the cost of having a good time, and a caterer that is less expensive. When I first moved to the South and went to a few weddings, I was astonished with their luxury. I had a badass party with lots of booze, pretty flowers and really rad music, and it cost a pittance compared to other celebrations. God bless the middle of nowhere.


You have ever tried to get your city cousins to pee on the electric fence. I have heard about roadtripping idiots doing this. Duh.


You or someone you know was a 'Bean/Sugar Queen' at the county fair. I personally prefer the Beef Queen or Pork Queen crown. I find those far more ironic. This from one little beauty queen, I was little Miss Marcus 1987.

You know that 'combine' is a noun.
We're not talking cum-bIIIne, like mixing ingredients, we're talking COM-bine, like the farm implement.


You let your older siblings talk you into putting your tongue on a steel post in the middle of winter. You don't need to be from Iowa to get this one, you only need to have watched a Christmas story.


You think Lutheran and Catholic are THE major religions. I don't think there are any other religions practiced in Marcus, Iowa. I know a lot of people who don't mind which "religion" their kids pick, as long as it's Christianity.


You know that 'creek' rhymes with 'pick'. I had always wished I lived in the country where I could wade in a creek/crick.


Football schedules, hunting season and harvest are all taken into consideration before wedding dates are set. Of course they are! People who schedule weddings during the wrong weekends are renown for their idiocy.


A Friday night date is getting a six-pack and taking your girl friend shining for deer. Since I wasn't exactly getting laid in high school, this wasn't me, but I hung out with people who would have someone buy them beer, go out to a gravel road and fuck like bunnies. Romantic, right?

There was at least one kid in your class who had to help milk cows in the morning... phew. Also, at my dad's office they have a candle called the Shit Candle. It gets lit whenever somebody comes in with shit on their boots. Seriously, knobbers, get it together. It ain't right to go somewhere smellin' like feces. It's not even like that at the nursing home.


You have driven your car on a lake. Walking on frozen ice is enough for me. I don't live on the edge enough to drive a car out there.


You can make sense of 'upnort'. More effective when said "Up nort dere, yaaaa." That translates to "Up North There."


At every wedding reception you have ever been to the hokey pokey and the chicken dance have been played. Gross but true, except for my own wedding and a few select others.


Your definition of a small town is one that only has one bar.
Right again. My lil' town has a grocery store, one of only three or so in the county. But we have a Pizza Ranch with beer and at least four bars. Now that's country livin'.


The local gas station sells live bait. Not in my town, but you don't have to go upnort there too far.


At least twice a year some part of your home doubles as a meat processing plant. Slaughter parties are a big deal for people. My husband speaks fondly of this tradition. He and his parents were talking just the other day about what a shame it is that one of the cousins is pregnant and won't be able to fully participate in the drinking portion of the ritual this winter. Darn. Or to speak Iowa, deeern.


Pop is the only name for soda. I should start calling it pop again. It's an easy and quick way to identify a Midwesterner.

Whoops.

One time, my car was in the driveway, but the emergency brake wasn't on. It rolled across the street (which I should add is kind of busy) and into our friends' yard. According to their report, they looked out the window and saw my car rolling across the street. They laughed, knowing that the little ditch in the yard would stop the car. Then they left it there, figuring we'd get it eventually. And, they were right. We found it just by glancing out the kitchen window. This story makes me laugh every time I: a) get in my car, b) look out the kitchen window or c) drive home. The while the moral to the story is - whoops, there's another moral to this story. And that's man, I'll miss this house and these neighbors. Luckily I'll still have a car that can take me back to this old 'hood and giggle driving by. And when that can't be done, well, at least I'll still I'll still have the car. That'll make me giggle, too.

Velveeta and going green.

We've just finished a supper of shrimp and cheese grits. How perfectly Southern, right? While that's charming, it's not what I'm getting at with his post. I find myself increasingly interested in going green, and today Velveeta was just the medium for my message.

We're also getting ready to move to a new place, so I'm in serious conservation mode. I'd rather not take hugely expensive trips to the grocery store. I'd rather bide my time and cash for cute home furnishings for the new place. So I'm working with what I've got.

Today's dinner - which was really good, cheese grits (using that Velveeta mixed with cream cheese, one magic ingredient plus Velveeta) and shrimp from the freezer - didn't require a single trip to the grocery store. Admittedly this is a baby going green step, but hey, you gotta start somewhere.

So here's to Velveeta, or whatever you've got sitting around that needs to be used. Up tomorrow: a quinoa salad kit that's been hanging out in our cabinets for months.