Hoppin John and Fried Okra For Supper

MMMMMM Good






Black-eyed peas and ham mixed with rice,

Okra fried in cornmeal,


Cornbread,


and an apple pie made by the man of the house.



Granddaughter, Halie says,

"Pops?
Did you mean to burn this okra stuff?"

Excellent giveaway

http://rebecca-gatheryeroses.blogspot.com/

Do NOT go to the address listed above and join in on the lovely giveaway, because I want it for my friend Shari's new (and First) granddaughter!

OK? Now don't even go look at it because you'll want it too.

Carol Anne's Giveaway

http://www.carolannesboutique.blogspot.com/



Do not go to the address above for the fantastic giveaway because it is so wonderful that I want to win it. And I usually don't go for giveaways.
Hear?

You will probably want to go AFTER the give away is over because she has such fantastic stuff there in!!

Did you hear me?

After!

Don't be watering down my chances of winning!

Where Were You When The World Stood Still?

On the day school started in 2001, Richard, myself, and another retired couple of educators drove by our schools to honk good-bye in a “Na-na-na-na sort of way. Then we headed off to visit all of the western national parks and monuments.
We went to Yellowstone and then to the Black Hills to see the Presidential Heads on a Mountain. We were having a great time enjoying our new found freedom.
On September 11, we were in Cody, Wyoming. We awoke to the terrible sights on television, along with everyone else in the nation.
Our plan had been to head for Mt. Rushmore that day.
After some discussion and several emotional phone calls home, (Home! Suddenly we just wanted to be home!), we decided to proceed to our destination. We couldn’t help but think of the teachers we left behind and the children in their classes. What were they saying to them? How could they explain this? I remember how emotional it was the day the Challenger exploded. This was of a far greater scope.

With our car radio tuned to the unfolding news, we crossed into South Dakota
.
The sky was eerily empty.

We called our loved ones again. Daughter Martie had decided to keep our granddaughter home from school. No one seemed to know what would happen next.

As we came upon the area of Mt. Rushmore, there were armed guards at the access road. We took their picture. We soon learned that all of the monuments across the United States had been closed down. Our plans would have to change.
.
When Mt. Rushmore re-opened we attended the show that first night. I’m sure that the show is always wonderful, but that night! Oh my! It was emotionally charged with that ultra-patriotism that everyone had suddenly come to enjoy. Tears washed the faces of everyone in the audience as we sang, “America,” “ The Star Spangled Banner,” and “God Bless America.”

We stayed on the road for the next week. There was a different feel out there. Flags popped up on cars. People were more open and friendly. Strangers were acting like old friends. Everyone was open and raw. My hair stood on end. When I think of it now, it does still.

An Award! An Award!

Thank you Vivienne!

And I don't have to do a thing!

Do I?

Jelly Belly Governator and Three Great Hair-dos

A
remarkable
comb-over.












An
interesting
Wedgie.

Sort
of
reminiscent
of
Kate

as in Plus Eight.










Then we have this one.
I love the way he parts it across the back of his head and runs it forward and ends in the little curl in the front.






I'm pretty sure I could never have a conversation with this guy, serious or otherwise.























And for the last fair picture of the year, I give you

The Governator

Made entirely of Jelly Bellies from

Call-EE-Forn-EE-uh

From Trash to Clothing

This is
my brother-in-law
helping
youngest
sister
Pegi
taste
his
corn
dog.

This
is
NOT
the
trash.




I
was
talking
about
the
clothing
below.




Let's
go
shopping
for
some
of
this
clothing
made
from
trash
found
in
a
dump
somewhere.








The
tab
top
pull
dress
ain't
too
bad.





I
would
have
worn
it
back
in
the
day.



Unfortunately
you
can't
see
the
last
one
clearly.


It's
made
from
an
old
raft
with
the
air
blower
uppy
spigots
on
each
tay-tah.

What Do You Mean, You Aren't Interested In My Collection Of Nose Hairs!?

Would you believe Cat Whiskers?
Wondering...
Did this harvesting activity
piss off the cat?











Ouija Boards?
Garage sale visitor.














Rocks in the shape of food?

Yes,

I DID say,
ROCKS.

In the shape of food.
Potato Rocks

Cheese Rocks.
Pickle Rocks.








One HALF of a PEZ collection...

There was another cabinet just
as exciting as this one!







And my personal favorite ...
In the category of


Chutzpa...


"Several Large Jars Full Of

Those Little Pull Strips Found Sticking
Out Of The Top Of Each
Of The Hershey's Kisses That Some
Ninnyhammer Ever Ate In His
Whole Miserable Life"

This is a bunch of chocolate Kisses, Folks!

Typical Fair People/Food

We drank $100.00 worth of beer.

Not kidding.


Took ridiculous photos.

Ate disgusting food.

This is moi along with my sisters in this shower photo. My bro-in-law went with us as our driver and protector.

However he wouldn't sit with us at the concert.
He has his standards.







This picture below, with the fries is of a deep fried White Castle hamburger.

It was nasty. I picked it up to take a bite of it and my fingers got so greasy that I could barely hang on to my Free Money Card to put it into the Free Money Machine to get more money for beer!






We also ate Corn Dogs.
Deep Fried Artichoke Hearts, (Which were actually good IMHO)
and some other S on a Stick.


I fully intended to eat a Twinkie on a Stick but somehow I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
I looked for deep fried Coke, but alas -- none.

Stalkers

I may or may not have regressed a few decades.


I even drank BEER, which I haven't indulged in since -- I don't know -- college?

Blakeyboy saw us (Like anyone could miss us, what with the screamers we hired.) and Said "Do y'all live out here now?"

No.

We followed you here.

And we shall stalk you like crazed old ladies from now on.

Miranda sang a duet with him.

The concert was good.

He seems to be a sweet little boy.


But I heard through the teacher's underground that he was a trial to his teachers in Ada.

Oh, well.
So was I.

Blake Shelton Time!

Goin to the State Fair in Sacramento.
Gonna see me some Blake Shelton!

He's from Ada Oklahoma, which is neither here nor there, as he was there many years after I left, but it just happens to be the place I spent my formative years learnin' to cuss and smoke and drink beer and a few other things that a lady doesn't talk about unless that lady ain't no lady.

My two sisters and I are goin' and we'll be wearin' T-shirts that declare the place where we did our formin'.

I became a fan of Blake's when he did the Battle of the Choirs TV show. He's clever and funny in addition to being a singer guy.

I just Lurve the way he sings "It's Goodbye Time."

The fair always has people's weird collections on display and I plan to take photos of the funny ones.
Also People watching is always good.

I'll probably have me some fried dandelions, too.

More Kid Knowlwdge

Every year, I asked them to write down what they had learned so far in their lives. Here is some fine wisdom:

Don’t cut my own hair

Don’t start a sentence with “Because.” (Yay! I taught this one something!)

Don’t bother the baby.

Don’t eat dog food.

Don’t keep money on your desk when you’re having a birthday party.

Don’t stand too close to the pool when a big dog is running around.

Don’t sit in the driver’s seat when the car is running and especially don’t touch the shifter.

When you are mad, don’t kick a window.

Never, NEVER ask your mom why she made this crap for dinner.

I learned not to pitch to my Uncle Jay.

Don’t put two wires together.

Don’t hang from the tree house.

Don’t call Mom, “Mrs. Guinn.”

I learned not to swim with my big cousin.

Don’t open your mouth when a baby is reaching for it. They can reach in far and you will barf.

You shouldn’t try to bounce a Christmas tree ball.

If you spin round and round in the living room things can go very wrong.

Don’t jump on a shovel barefooted.

If you forget to put the grass holder on the lawn mower you have to mow again.
Not to go into the bathroom if the door is shut, even if it is not locked.

Don’t take that tone of voice with mom.

Use your nose and not your fingers when you need to see if the baby has a dirty diaper.

If you take a bite of something hot, spit it out, because if you swallow it, it burns all the way down.

Not all bugs are friendly.

You shouldn’t say, “Yuck” when you are at someone else’s house for dinner.

Don’t drink too much water before bedtime.

Teasing your brother when Mom is in a bad mood is a very bad idea and can cause you to miss The Cosby Show.

Never use Mom’s good jewelry on your jack-o-lantern.

Drinking a Pepsi when you are playing on your dad’s new computer is dangerous.

Fish hooks don’t come out of your finger very easy.

Don’t pretend you are going to steal your dog’s food when she’s eating.

Don’t keep begging after Mom says, “NO!” with her teeth together.

Never lean your chair back on the two back legs because you could break your neck.

Never try to sneak some of your big sister’s Monopoly money when you think she isn’t looking.

And my personal favorite;

Don’t do things half fast.