This Old Guitar

Sheldon~1950~In front of Aunt Joy's House

If you come to my blog often, you will hear an eclectic mix of music that reminds me of my upbringing! I love all kinds of music and drive my husband nuts in the car forever searching for a "good song!" John Denver was one of my favorites back in the 1970's, hey a lot of people liked folk music back then! "This Old Guitar" always reminds me of my Dad. The above picture is my brother holding the guitar that my Dad got for his 16th birthday. He was part of a musical family; his Mom and Dad, brothers and sisters, Aunts and Uncles all played instruments. Grandma played mandolin, Grandpa the fiddle and all of Dad's siblings learned at their knee.He'd play "Church in the Wildwood," and I'd watch his hands as he used the pick to strum the notes. My brother and I were not musically inclined but we did have a love of music. I can't stand to be in the car without music on the radio. Our kids and Grandson's are glued to their Ipod's, so I guess we have passed down the "Love of Music Gene!" Music transports us back in time, to happy memories or allows our minds and bodies to drift away with a song. Good for the stressful days we all face, don't you think?

Harbingers of Winter

I've been opening the door that leads to the back deck these cool mornings. In the distance I can hear the Canadian Geese honking as they fly over, a true harbinger of winter coming. Everything this year is pointing to an early winter for our part of the county. We've already been experiencing nights in the 50's, odd for late summer.

The Farmer's Almanac says Old Man Winter's going to take up residence in the middle of the country this year. We'll see more days of shivery conditions with temperatures averaging below normal for about three-quarters of the nation. The coldest temperatures will be over the northern Great Lakes and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Near-normal amounts of precipitation are expected over the eastern third of the country, as well as over the Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains, while drier-than-normal conditions are forecast to occur over the Southwest and the Upper Midwest/Great Lakes. Only the Central and Southern Plains are expected to receive above-average amounts of precipitation. Significant snowfalls are forecast for parts of every zone.

I'm watching the other tried and true ways to know how severe the winter will be, the shape of the persimmon seed. I kid you not! According to old timers, you can tell what the winter will be like by cutting a persimmon seed open.
If the shape inside the seed is that of a knife, it is believed to mean the winter will be cutting cold. So cold the wind feels like its cutting right through you like a knife.
When the shape inside the seed looks like a spoon it is said to mean it will be a heavy winter. The spoon represents lots of shoveling.
The appearance of a fork shape within the seed is believed to mean that winter will be easy with only a light dusting of snow.

It may sound ridiculous, but Arkansans have used this method reliably for many years!
Until the local weathermen have a better track record, I am going to be on the lookout for a Persimmon Tree!

Girlie Wisdom!

One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends.

Amazing! You hang something in your closet for a while and it shrinks 2 sizes!

Skinny people irritate me! Especially when they say things like...'You know sometimes I forget to eat!' ......Now I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat. You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!

I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too fast. Are they kidding? That's my idea of a perfect day!