If you caught my answerring machine any time within the last few days, then you know it has been 'that magical time of the year again. No, not the Olympics, my summer vacation!'
I almost felt like I was playing the lead in 'where's waldo?' as I asked you to guess where I was going (smile).
My travels took me to Mackinaw City, Michigan, a small tourist town at the northern most tip of Michigan's lower peninsula. The town sits on the shores of Lake Michigan, the Straits of Mackinac, as well as Lake Huron. Any place you stop at along the waters edge gives you an absolutely breathtaking view. You can see the Mackinac Bridge, Mackinac Island, and several other islands.
I stayed at a hotel right on the shores of Lake Huron. The Chippewa Motor Lodge/Waterfront Inn (www.largestbeach.com) boasts that they have the largest beach with 600 feet of sandy shoreline. I had a lake front room, second floor, with a glass sliding doorwall that opened onto my private balcony (!) complete with chairs and a table.
Not only was there the beach, but there was also an indoor pool with a waterfall and innertubes, a jacuzzi, a sun deck off the pool, a game room, shuffleboard courts, and data ports and refrigerators in each room.
The hotel was really nice. During the high summer season they charge a pretty penny for their rooms, but as summer wanes (and it wanes early in northern Michigan) the rates drop until they become downright affordable.
The only thing that's kind of wierd about Mackinaw City is that it sort of felt like I was in South Africa during apartheid. Why? Well, they import seasonal workers to supplement their summer staff. The workers, for the most part, appear to be from the islands. Like Jamaica. So the work force is black. You see these folks in the hotels, restaurants etc. as they do their jobs. And you see them walking on the edges of town as they go back and forth from their housing to their jobs. But you never see them on the beaches, or in the stores shopping, or sitting down to a meal at a restaurant.
The northern Michigan economy seems to be based on fudge, smoked fish and pasties. Just about everywhere you go folks are selling one or all of these items.
One night it was late and I was starving and I went by the Mackinaw Pastie + Cookie Company (www.Mackinawpastie.com) to get something to eat. According to a newspaper clipping framed and prominently displayed on their wall, the Detroit News rated them as the best pastie place in Michigan. Well, just between me and you, that was the worst pastie I have ever eaten in my life.
The first tip that there was something amiss should have been when they asked if I wanted gravy with it. This thing was dreadful. It looked like canned dog food when you cut into it, and it had a slightly sour taste to it. Ick. Pitched it into the garbage can after a few bites.
The next day I went across the Mackinac Bridge to get a pasty. You cross over the bridge, take a left (go west) onto US 2 and go about, well, less than 10 miles. The place is called Lehos or Lehtos, I can't remember exactly how it was spelled, and it's on your left as you head west. Mrs. Lehos/Lehtos makes the pasties by hand. They are traditional pasties and they are so good.
I drove up to Sault Ste Marie on my second day of vacation. The city is famous for many things, but one of the most notable is the Soo Locks, that marvel of engineering that enables ships to be lifted 21 feet from St. Mary's River and Lake Huron's level to Lake Superior in about twenty minutes.
The Soo Locks is one of the world's busiest, with more than 11,000 ships passing through each year. I sat along the Locks edge on one of the many benches and watched a ship pass through.
For years I did volunteer work with convicts both here in Michigan and throughout the country, and I've spent alot of time travelling the highways and the biways. On my way back down from the Soo I stopped off on M-28, the highway that zigzags the shores of Lake Superior to the edge of Marquette. I used to stay at a motel at 75 and 28, the Sharlynn, when I was up that way on prisoner business, and I wanted to see it for old times sake. Half the motel had been bulldozed! And don't you know it was the half I'd always stayed at! So much for the historical plaque---Tawny Ford stayed here (smile).
I stopped off at the Kinross/Kincheloe exit next. I'd stayed at a couple of motels there over the years, also while on prisoner business, and I wanted to see how they had fared. Well, the Eagle Inn (or maybe it ws the Eagle Motel, who remembers anymore) is now the Sunrise Motel. It's a big place. Back when I was staying there they had just done a remodel and turned every two rooms into a suite. A HUGE suite. The bathrooms were bigger than the living room at my house!
I spent as much time as I could down at the lake on the beach. I have to tell you, that was no easy feat as it was COLD in Mackinaw City. The highs were no higher than 63 and the lows, well, the lows were--does frost on the pumpkin mean anything to you (smile)?
I wasn't able to lay out in my bathing suit, too chilly for that, but I did lounge on the chaises and the swing, etc. on the hotel beach. I spent time sitting at the foot of the Mackinac Bridge on the Mackinaw City side. They have a nice park there with benches, picnic tables, barbecue grills, and the lake is shallow enough there so you can walk out into the water or swim. There's also a park on the north side of the Mackinac Bridge, on the upper peninsula side, with a pretty area for sitting and picnicing. I sat there too and was rewarded with a view of several freighters passing under the bridge.
I never went swimming, too cold, but I waded out up to my knees in Lakes Huron and Michigan. There's a great stretch of beach along Lake Michigan on the UP side, maybe 10 or 15 miles west of the bridge.
Before I forget, if you're ever passing through Mackinaw City and you're hungry, there's a great little restaurant almost in the shadow of the bridge, Audie's. It's on the east side of the bridge, on that street that runs alongside of the bridge. The food comes to your table fast, it's hot, and it's good. The prices are good, too.
Well, that's it for the summer vacation tale. Wish you could have been with me, I missed you.
hugs, Tawny
248-615-1300
www.tawnyford.com
Friday, August 27, 2004
If you caught my answerring machine any time within the last few days, then you know it has been 'that magical time of the year again. No, not the Olympics, my summer vacation!'
I almost felt like I was playing the lead in 'where's waldo?' as I asked you to guess where I was going (smile).
My travels took me to Mackinaw City, Michigan, a small tourist town at the northern most tip of Michigan's lower peninsula. The town sits on the shores of Lake Michigan, the Straits of Mackinac, as well as Lake Huron. Any place you stop at along the waters edge gives you an absolutely breathtaking view. You can see the Mackinac Bridge, Mackinac Island, and several other islands.
I stayed at a hotel right on the shores of Lake Huron. The Chippewa Motor Lodge/Waterfront Inn (www.largestbeach.com) boasts that they have the largest beach with 600 feet of sandy shoreline. I had a lake front room, second floor, with a glass sliding doorwall that opened onto my private balcony (!) complete with chairs and a table.
Not only was there the beach, but there was also an indoor pool with a waterfall and innertubes, a jacuzzi, a sun deck off the pool, a game room, shuffleboard courts, and data ports and refrigerators in each room.
The hotel was really nice. During the high summer season they charge a pretty penny for their rooms, but as summer wanes (and it wanes early in northern Michigan) the rates drop until they become downright affordable.
The only thing that's kind of wierd about Mackinaw City is that it sort of felt like I was in South Africa during apartheid. Why? Well, they import seasonal workers to supplement their summer staff. The workers, for the most part, appear to be from the islands. Like Jamaica. So the work force is black. You see these folks in the hotels, restaurants etc. as they do their jobs. And you see them walking on the edges of town as they go back and forth from their housing to their jobs. But you never see them on the beaches, or in the stores shopping, or sitting down to a meal at a restaurant.
The northern Michigan economy seems to be based on fudge, smoked fish and pasties. Just about everywhere you go folks are selling one or all of these items.
One night it was late and I was starving and I went by the Mackinaw Pastie + Cookie Company (www.Mackinawpastie.com) to get something to eat. According to a newspaper clipping framed and prominently displayed on their wall, the Detroit News rated them as the best pastie place in Michigan. Well, just between me and you, that was the worst pastie I have ever eaten in my life.
The first tip that there was something amiss should have been when they asked if I wanted gravy with it. This thing was dreadful. It looked like canned dog food when you cut into it, and it had a slightly sour taste to it. Ick. Pitched it into the garbage can after a few bites.
The next day I went across the Mackinac Bridge to get a pasty. You cross over the bridge, take a left (go west) onto US 2 and go about, well, less than 10 miles. The place is called Lehos or Lehtos, I can't remember exactly how it was spelled, and it's on your left as you head west. Mrs. Lehos/Lehtos makes the pasties by hand. They are traditional pasties and they are so good.
I drove up to Sault Ste Marie on my second day of vacation. The city is famous for many things, but one of the most notable is the Soo Locks, that marvel of engineering that enables ships to be lifted 21 feet from St. Mary's River and Lake Huron's level to Lake Superior in about twenty minutes.
The Soo Locks is one of the world's busiest, with more than 11,000 ships passing through each year. I sat along the Locks edge on one of the many benches and watched a ship pass through.
For years I did volunteer work with convicts both here in Michigan and throughout the country, and I've spent alot of time travelling the highways and the biways. On my way back down from the Soo I stopped off on M-28, the highway that zigzags the shores of Lake Superior to the edge of Marquette. I used to stay at a motel at 75 and 28, the Sharlynn, when I was up that way on prisoner business, and I wanted to see it for old times sake. Half the motel had been bulldozed! And don't you know it was the half I'd always stayed at! So much for the historical plaque---Tawny Ford stayed here (smile).
I stopped off at the Kinross/Kincheloe exit next. I'd stayed at a couple of motels there over the years, also while on prisoner business, and I wanted to see how they had fared. Well, the Eagle Inn (or maybe it ws the Eagle Motel, who remembers anymore) is now the Sunrise Motel. It's a big place. Back when I was staying there they had just done a remodel and turned every two rooms into a suite. A HUGE suite. The bathrooms were bigger than the living room at my house!
I spent as much time as I could down at the lake on the beach. I have to tell you, that was no easy feat as it was COLD in Mackinaw City. The highs were no higher than 63 and the lows, well, the lows were--does frost on the pumpkin mean anything to you (smile)?
I wasn't able to lay out in my bathing suit, too chilly for that, but I did lounge on the chaises and the swing, etc. on the hotel beach. I spent time sitting at the foot of the Mackinac Bridge on the Mackinaw City side. They have a nice park there with benches, picnic tables, barbecue grills, and the lake is shallow enough there so you can walk out into the water or swim. There's also a park on the north side of the Mackinac Bridge, on the upper peninsula side, with a pretty area for sitting and picnicing. I sat there too and was rewarded with a view of several freighters passing under the bridge.
I never went swimming, too cold, but I waded out up to my knees in Lakes Huron and Michigan. There's a great stretch of beach along Lake Michigan on the UP side, maybe 10 or 15 miles west of the bridge.
Before I forget, if you're ever passing through Mackinaw City and you're hungry, there's a great little restaurant almost in the shadow of the bridge, Audie's. It's on the east side of the bridge, on that street that runs alongside of the bridge. The food comes to your table fast, it's hot, and it's good. The prices are good, too.
Well, that's it for the summer vacation tale. Wish you could have been with me, I missed you.
hugs, Tawny
248-615-1300
www.tawnyford.com
I almost felt like I was playing the lead in 'where's waldo?' as I asked you to guess where I was going (smile).
My travels took me to Mackinaw City, Michigan, a small tourist town at the northern most tip of Michigan's lower peninsula. The town sits on the shores of Lake Michigan, the Straits of Mackinac, as well as Lake Huron. Any place you stop at along the waters edge gives you an absolutely breathtaking view. You can see the Mackinac Bridge, Mackinac Island, and several other islands.
I stayed at a hotel right on the shores of Lake Huron. The Chippewa Motor Lodge/Waterfront Inn (www.largestbeach.com) boasts that they have the largest beach with 600 feet of sandy shoreline. I had a lake front room, second floor, with a glass sliding doorwall that opened onto my private balcony (!) complete with chairs and a table.
Not only was there the beach, but there was also an indoor pool with a waterfall and innertubes, a jacuzzi, a sun deck off the pool, a game room, shuffleboard courts, and data ports and refrigerators in each room.
The hotel was really nice. During the high summer season they charge a pretty penny for their rooms, but as summer wanes (and it wanes early in northern Michigan) the rates drop until they become downright affordable.
The only thing that's kind of wierd about Mackinaw City is that it sort of felt like I was in South Africa during apartheid. Why? Well, they import seasonal workers to supplement their summer staff. The workers, for the most part, appear to be from the islands. Like Jamaica. So the work force is black. You see these folks in the hotels, restaurants etc. as they do their jobs. And you see them walking on the edges of town as they go back and forth from their housing to their jobs. But you never see them on the beaches, or in the stores shopping, or sitting down to a meal at a restaurant.
The northern Michigan economy seems to be based on fudge, smoked fish and pasties. Just about everywhere you go folks are selling one or all of these items.
One night it was late and I was starving and I went by the Mackinaw Pastie + Cookie Company (www.Mackinawpastie.com) to get something to eat. According to a newspaper clipping framed and prominently displayed on their wall, the Detroit News rated them as the best pastie place in Michigan. Well, just between me and you, that was the worst pastie I have ever eaten in my life.
The first tip that there was something amiss should have been when they asked if I wanted gravy with it. This thing was dreadful. It looked like canned dog food when you cut into it, and it had a slightly sour taste to it. Ick. Pitched it into the garbage can after a few bites.
The next day I went across the Mackinac Bridge to get a pasty. You cross over the bridge, take a left (go west) onto US 2 and go about, well, less than 10 miles. The place is called Lehos or Lehtos, I can't remember exactly how it was spelled, and it's on your left as you head west. Mrs. Lehos/Lehtos makes the pasties by hand. They are traditional pasties and they are so good.
I drove up to Sault Ste Marie on my second day of vacation. The city is famous for many things, but one of the most notable is the Soo Locks, that marvel of engineering that enables ships to be lifted 21 feet from St. Mary's River and Lake Huron's level to Lake Superior in about twenty minutes.
The Soo Locks is one of the world's busiest, with more than 11,000 ships passing through each year. I sat along the Locks edge on one of the many benches and watched a ship pass through.
For years I did volunteer work with convicts both here in Michigan and throughout the country, and I've spent alot of time travelling the highways and the biways. On my way back down from the Soo I stopped off on M-28, the highway that zigzags the shores of Lake Superior to the edge of Marquette. I used to stay at a motel at 75 and 28, the Sharlynn, when I was up that way on prisoner business, and I wanted to see it for old times sake. Half the motel had been bulldozed! And don't you know it was the half I'd always stayed at! So much for the historical plaque---Tawny Ford stayed here (smile).
I stopped off at the Kinross/Kincheloe exit next. I'd stayed at a couple of motels there over the years, also while on prisoner business, and I wanted to see how they had fared. Well, the Eagle Inn (or maybe it ws the Eagle Motel, who remembers anymore) is now the Sunrise Motel. It's a big place. Back when I was staying there they had just done a remodel and turned every two rooms into a suite. A HUGE suite. The bathrooms were bigger than the living room at my house!
I spent as much time as I could down at the lake on the beach. I have to tell you, that was no easy feat as it was COLD in Mackinaw City. The highs were no higher than 63 and the lows, well, the lows were--does frost on the pumpkin mean anything to you (smile)?
I wasn't able to lay out in my bathing suit, too chilly for that, but I did lounge on the chaises and the swing, etc. on the hotel beach. I spent time sitting at the foot of the Mackinac Bridge on the Mackinaw City side. They have a nice park there with benches, picnic tables, barbecue grills, and the lake is shallow enough there so you can walk out into the water or swim. There's also a park on the north side of the Mackinac Bridge, on the upper peninsula side, with a pretty area for sitting and picnicing. I sat there too and was rewarded with a view of several freighters passing under the bridge.
I never went swimming, too cold, but I waded out up to my knees in Lakes Huron and Michigan. There's a great stretch of beach along Lake Michigan on the UP side, maybe 10 or 15 miles west of the bridge.
Before I forget, if you're ever passing through Mackinaw City and you're hungry, there's a great little restaurant almost in the shadow of the bridge, Audie's. It's on the east side of the bridge, on that street that runs alongside of the bridge. The food comes to your table fast, it's hot, and it's good. The prices are good, too.
Well, that's it for the summer vacation tale. Wish you could have been with me, I missed you.
hugs, Tawny
248-615-1300
www.tawnyford.com
Friday, August 13, 2004
Did you hear that Julia Child died today? When I got up this morning I heard on the news that today was her birthday, 91st or 92nd, I forget which. Then just a bit ago I was reading posts on rec.food.cooking (a link to it is at my website, www.tawnyford.com) and someone wrote that she passed away in her sleep.
I am a big fan of cooking shows and cookbooks. My favorite cooking show these days, on the Food Network, is the one Paula Dean does, Paula's Home Cooking. I have three of her cookbooks and use them alot.
I have a huge cookbook collection in my kitchen. Like some folks read novels, I read cookbooks.
My mother didn't teach me how to cook or bake. Fact is, while she fancied herself quite the cook, her talents lay elsewhere. My grandmother on my mother's side, now she could cook and bake, but she was a stay-at-home and had a knack for it.
Every once in awhile the local PBS station will reply an old episode from one of Julia Child's cooking shows and they are great. I've learned an awful lot from them, as well as her cookbooks. She is going to be missed.
hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
I am a big fan of cooking shows and cookbooks. My favorite cooking show these days, on the Food Network, is the one Paula Dean does, Paula's Home Cooking. I have three of her cookbooks and use them alot.
I have a huge cookbook collection in my kitchen. Like some folks read novels, I read cookbooks.
My mother didn't teach me how to cook or bake. Fact is, while she fancied herself quite the cook, her talents lay elsewhere. My grandmother on my mother's side, now she could cook and bake, but she was a stay-at-home and had a knack for it.
Every once in awhile the local PBS station will reply an old episode from one of Julia Child's cooking shows and they are great. I've learned an awful lot from them, as well as her cookbooks. She is going to be missed.
hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
Friday, August 06, 2004
Many good things to report today!
First of all, I can post to this blog by myself again! Webtv/MsnTV came through with some sort of a technical upgrade yesterday and voila! this site works for me again!
Secondly, the hot muggy weather blew out of here two days ago! Today it's sunny, breezy and just the most absolutely beautiful day you could ever want.
Thirdly, are you familiar with the Syracuse Cultural Workers? www.syrculturalworkers.com They print a catalog chock full of political buttons, posters, bookmarks, etc. You can view their offerings on line, or you can request they send you a paper catalog snail mail (free). Anyway, they have great stuff.
I received an order from them this afternoon--postcards, posters, a book, a bag, and--such a treasure!--a cd by Malvina Reynolds. If you've never heard any of her music, well, then you're missing out on a really good experience.
Malvina passed away a few years ago. I grew up listening to her music on public radio and have been looking for cd's of her for ages with no luck until I stumbled up on the Syracuse Cultural Workers catalog.
The cd I got today is 'Ear To The Ground', topical songs 1960-1978. Twenty-three songs and each one better than the last.
If you like folk music then you'll love this cd.
hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
First of all, I can post to this blog by myself again! Webtv/MsnTV came through with some sort of a technical upgrade yesterday and voila! this site works for me again!
Secondly, the hot muggy weather blew out of here two days ago! Today it's sunny, breezy and just the most absolutely beautiful day you could ever want.
Thirdly, are you familiar with the Syracuse Cultural Workers? www.syrculturalworkers.com They print a catalog chock full of political buttons, posters, bookmarks, etc. You can view their offerings on line, or you can request they send you a paper catalog snail mail (free). Anyway, they have great stuff.
I received an order from them this afternoon--postcards, posters, a book, a bag, and--such a treasure!--a cd by Malvina Reynolds. If you've never heard any of her music, well, then you're missing out on a really good experience.
Malvina passed away a few years ago. I grew up listening to her music on public radio and have been looking for cd's of her for ages with no luck until I stumbled up on the Syracuse Cultural Workers catalog.
The cd I got today is 'Ear To The Ground', topical songs 1960-1978. Twenty-three songs and each one better than the last.
If you like folk music then you'll love this cd.
hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
This darn blog site is driving me crazy! I've been trying to post for a
couple of weeks but have had zero luck. Seems they redid/updated/messed
with the site to make it more user friendly, and instead it blocked me
from posting. Aaaaaargh....So now, with the aide and assistance of my
best friend, I'm back online. I email her the blog and she posts it.
I live in Farmington Hills, Michigan, a good sized little city outside
of Detroit. A couple of weeks ago was our big summer celebration,
Founders Festival. The yearly summer festival originally was meant to
celebrate the heritage of the city--it was founded by Quakers--but
nowadays it's pretty much an opportunity for the local merchants to have
sidewalk sales, and to have a carnival-type atmosphere in the downtown
area. It may be missing it's initial intent, but it's still lots of fun.
I went on Thursday, the first day, and walked all over checking out the
crafter tables. I ended up purchasing a great looking purse made by a
young Hmong woman. The purse has reverse applique on the front in a
traditional Hmong pattern.
(Brief history lesson: The Hmong are an ancient people with origins in
Southern China. Thousands of years ago, when the Huns invaded China from
the north, there was much bloody strife and the Hmong began a southward
migration. In the 18th century, thousands of Hmong families made
historical travels down the rivers of southeast Asia and settled in the
mountainous regions of northern Laos, living as self-sufficient farmers
in remote setlements. During and after the Vietnam war, the Hmong people
had to flee again. Many migrated to the U.S.)
The Founders Festival is always noted for excellent entertainment. On
one of the evenings, the Sun Messengers performed at the downtown
bandshell. They were so good! http://www.sunmessengers.com/ They
are an eight piece showband and are, in fact, the house band for
the Detroit Pistons at the Palace. Their music had the crowd on their
feet, clapping and singing along. They played everything from jazz to
old Motown. It was the Motown that got me dancing! I ended up in
front of the stage, along with half a dozen other young women,
dancing our feet off. The band dubbed us the Farmington Fly Girls (smile).
On Saturday, the last day of the Festival, my plan had been to go to the
parade but I overslept. Darn it. The parade is one of my all-time
favorite things. I love the Shriners in those midget cars racing around!
I had tickets to the raffle party at the American Legion Hall that
evening, and I made it to that. What it is is a party where they draw
the winning Farmington Founders Festival raffle tickets. They sell 100
raffle tickets for $100 apiece. First prize is your choice of $30,000
cash OR a new Corvette OR a new GTO OR a pair of Harley motorcycles. The
other 9 prizes are cash, ranging from $250 to $1,000. Keeping to
tradition, I didn't win anything (smile). But I got a free hotdog, a bag
of chips, and a bottle of water, and a pretty fun time.
Wish you could have been there with me.
hugs--Tawny
http://www.tawnyford.com
couple of weeks but have had zero luck. Seems they redid/updated/messed
with the site to make it more user friendly, and instead it blocked me
from posting. Aaaaaargh....So now, with the aide and assistance of my
best friend, I'm back online. I email her the blog and she posts it.
I live in Farmington Hills, Michigan, a good sized little city outside
of Detroit. A couple of weeks ago was our big summer celebration,
Founders Festival. The yearly summer festival originally was meant to
celebrate the heritage of the city--it was founded by Quakers--but
nowadays it's pretty much an opportunity for the local merchants to have
sidewalk sales, and to have a carnival-type atmosphere in the downtown
area. It may be missing it's initial intent, but it's still lots of fun.
I went on Thursday, the first day, and walked all over checking out the
crafter tables. I ended up purchasing a great looking purse made by a
young Hmong woman. The purse has reverse applique on the front in a
traditional Hmong pattern.
(Brief history lesson: The Hmong are an ancient people with origins in
Southern China. Thousands of years ago, when the Huns invaded China from
the north, there was much bloody strife and the Hmong began a southward
migration. In the 18th century, thousands of Hmong families made
historical travels down the rivers of southeast Asia and settled in the
mountainous regions of northern Laos, living as self-sufficient farmers
in remote setlements. During and after the Vietnam war, the Hmong people
had to flee again. Many migrated to the U.S.)
The Founders Festival is always noted for excellent entertainment. On
one of the evenings, the Sun Messengers performed at the downtown
bandshell. They were so good! http://www.sunmessengers.com/ They
are an eight piece showband and are, in fact, the house band for
the Detroit Pistons at the Palace. Their music had the crowd on their
feet, clapping and singing along. They played everything from jazz to
old Motown. It was the Motown that got me dancing! I ended up in
front of the stage, along with half a dozen other young women,
dancing our feet off. The band dubbed us the Farmington Fly Girls (smile).
On Saturday, the last day of the Festival, my plan had been to go to the
parade but I overslept. Darn it. The parade is one of my all-time
favorite things. I love the Shriners in those midget cars racing around!
I had tickets to the raffle party at the American Legion Hall that
evening, and I made it to that. What it is is a party where they draw
the winning Farmington Founders Festival raffle tickets. They sell 100
raffle tickets for $100 apiece. First prize is your choice of $30,000
cash OR a new Corvette OR a new GTO OR a pair of Harley motorcycles. The
other 9 prizes are cash, ranging from $250 to $1,000. Keeping to
tradition, I didn't win anything (smile). But I got a free hotdog, a bag
of chips, and a bottle of water, and a pretty fun time.
Wish you could have been there with me.
hugs--Tawny
http://www.tawnyford.com
Saturday, June 26, 2004
Gloria Jean and Bob's wedding last Saturday was really nice. I kow all brides are beautiful, but Gloria Jean, a classic beauty, was absolutely ravishing in her white gown. And Bob, beaming through it all, was looking good in his white tuxedo.
Funny thing, Uncle Mack was with us in spirit.
Before the ceremony got started, while people were still arriving for the ceremony, this woman (who obviously wasn't any of our family because we all know each other by sight) stood up, said 'hey there! I'm Debbie, my husband, Art, is the best man! Just wanted to say hi to you all!" and then sat back down. We all started laughing and crying because that's something Uncle Mack would have done in a roomful of strangers (smile).
This week's mail brought another wedding invitation. My cousin Nicole and her fiance, Corey, are getting married in early August. They've been going together for a couple of years and finally decided the time was right to tie the knot.
I know this is selfish, sort of, but I am so glad Gloria Jean and Bob got married here in the metro Detroit area, and that Nicole and Corey are marrying here, too. Hotel rooms, gas and gifts--it all gets pricey, you know?
I know whenever I go to Michigan City for a family event, at least until the price of gas went sky high, it's been the cost of the hotel room that's hit me hardest. I could stay with family, that's what most of my relatives do, but when you stay with someone, well, you never get any peace and quiet or rest. My family likes to stay up half the night partying and me, well, by 11pm I've had enough of seeing everyone and talking and I just want a quiet place to lay my head. Yeah, I know, I'm no fun, that's what my cousins say (smile).
Tawny
ww.tawnyford.com
Funny thing, Uncle Mack was with us in spirit.
Before the ceremony got started, while people were still arriving for the ceremony, this woman (who obviously wasn't any of our family because we all know each other by sight) stood up, said 'hey there! I'm Debbie, my husband, Art, is the best man! Just wanted to say hi to you all!" and then sat back down. We all started laughing and crying because that's something Uncle Mack would have done in a roomful of strangers (smile).
This week's mail brought another wedding invitation. My cousin Nicole and her fiance, Corey, are getting married in early August. They've been going together for a couple of years and finally decided the time was right to tie the knot.
I know this is selfish, sort of, but I am so glad Gloria Jean and Bob got married here in the metro Detroit area, and that Nicole and Corey are marrying here, too. Hotel rooms, gas and gifts--it all gets pricey, you know?
I know whenever I go to Michigan City for a family event, at least until the price of gas went sky high, it's been the cost of the hotel room that's hit me hardest. I could stay with family, that's what most of my relatives do, but when you stay with someone, well, you never get any peace and quiet or rest. My family likes to stay up half the night partying and me, well, by 11pm I've had enough of seeing everyone and talking and I just want a quiet place to lay my head. Yeah, I know, I'm no fun, that's what my cousins say (smile).
Tawny
ww.tawnyford.com
Friday, June 18, 2004
I know I don't post very often. And I know that's not a good thing because a blog is supposed to be, like, a diary. I don't know why I don't write more often, maybe it's because I talk for a living and I'm all talked out by the end of the day.
Tomorrow, Saturday, June 19th, is the first big family get together since Uncle Mack got murdered and Uncle Gunk died. My cousin, Gloria Jean, is getting married and that's a good thing. She and Bob, her intended, make a nice couple.
A lot of the family is up here already for the wedding. The Michigan City relatives arrived this afternoon. My Uncle Robert from California, and my Uncle Walter from Mississippi, they and their families aren't coming. It was so costly for them to come across country twice in less than three weeks for the funerals that they can't afford to come again for awhile.
Aunt Sylvia, Uncle Gunk's widow, isn't here. The trip on the train was just too much for her. She has sent her love to Gloria Jean and Bob by telephone. One of my uncles said Aunt Sylvia wasn't coming because she used her train money at Bingo and lost it, but I think he was joking.
Everyone is used to Uncle Gunk not coming this way for events because he'd been sick for a long time before he died. He needed a new kidney, but......
On the other hand, Uncle Mack and Aunt Pearlie used to come north for family events all of the time. Last year they were here for my cousin Tiny's wedding and for Uncle Joe's funeral.
A party just isn't a party without Uncle Mack.
To be honest, when the Pistons won the championship the other day, that's the kind of thing Uncle Mack would have loved. He was a diehard Detroit sports fan. The family was glad the Pistons won, don't get me wrong, I mean, who really likes the Lakers anyway? But it just wasn't as much fun as it would have been if Uncle Mack was around to celebrate it with us.
So while we're all looking forward to Gloria Jeans' wedding tomorrow, it's going to be a little sad too because the uncles won't have to have a "Mack Plan" and they've always had a "Mack Plan" for a zillion years.
What is a "MackPlan"? Well, it's like this.
See, Unce Mack used to like to drink a bit. Okay, Uncle Mack loved getting his drink on (smile). And he had a habit, as many happy drunks do, of beig a little obnoxious if you didn't know him. He gave out hugs and told jokes and sang songs, all things we loved, but things that mae strangers cringe. So if Uncle Mack were still alive, well, the uncles would have had a plan to keep him from bothering Bob's family.
I'm looking forward to the wedding but I know I'm going to be missing Uncle Mack something fierce.
hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
Tomorrow, Saturday, June 19th, is the first big family get together since Uncle Mack got murdered and Uncle Gunk died. My cousin, Gloria Jean, is getting married and that's a good thing. She and Bob, her intended, make a nice couple.
A lot of the family is up here already for the wedding. The Michigan City relatives arrived this afternoon. My Uncle Robert from California, and my Uncle Walter from Mississippi, they and their families aren't coming. It was so costly for them to come across country twice in less than three weeks for the funerals that they can't afford to come again for awhile.
Aunt Sylvia, Uncle Gunk's widow, isn't here. The trip on the train was just too much for her. She has sent her love to Gloria Jean and Bob by telephone. One of my uncles said Aunt Sylvia wasn't coming because she used her train money at Bingo and lost it, but I think he was joking.
Everyone is used to Uncle Gunk not coming this way for events because he'd been sick for a long time before he died. He needed a new kidney, but......
On the other hand, Uncle Mack and Aunt Pearlie used to come north for family events all of the time. Last year they were here for my cousin Tiny's wedding and for Uncle Joe's funeral.
A party just isn't a party without Uncle Mack.
To be honest, when the Pistons won the championship the other day, that's the kind of thing Uncle Mack would have loved. He was a diehard Detroit sports fan. The family was glad the Pistons won, don't get me wrong, I mean, who really likes the Lakers anyway? But it just wasn't as much fun as it would have been if Uncle Mack was around to celebrate it with us.
So while we're all looking forward to Gloria Jeans' wedding tomorrow, it's going to be a little sad too because the uncles won't have to have a "Mack Plan" and they've always had a "Mack Plan" for a zillion years.
What is a "MackPlan"? Well, it's like this.
See, Unce Mack used to like to drink a bit. Okay, Uncle Mack loved getting his drink on (smile). And he had a habit, as many happy drunks do, of beig a little obnoxious if you didn't know him. He gave out hugs and told jokes and sang songs, all things we loved, but things that mae strangers cringe. So if Uncle Mack were still alive, well, the uncles would have had a plan to keep him from bothering Bob's family.
I'm looking forward to the wedding but I know I'm going to be missing Uncle Mack something fierce.
hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Heaven, I'm in heaven.........!
The first season of Northern Exposure, on dvd, went on sale yesterday. I bought my long awaited copy at Sam's Club for $33 and some change.
I have been a big fan of this show ever since the first episode I caught on rerun on the cable channel A+E. I've seen the show, episode one straight thru to the final episode, oh, maybe three or four times. Ever since A+E took it off the air I have been having Northern Exposure withdrawal and I have to tell you, it has not been pretty.
But all of that is now a thing of the past. I have been happily and contentedly watching and rewatching the
entire first series since I got home from Sam's Club yesterday. And it is great.
If you're a fan of the show you need to take your sweet self to the store and score a copy. It is worth every single penny.
Now I'm just awaiting the day when the rest of the show's series make it onto dvd.
Tawny
tawnyford@webtv.net
The first season of Northern Exposure, on dvd, went on sale yesterday. I bought my long awaited copy at Sam's Club for $33 and some change.
I have been a big fan of this show ever since the first episode I caught on rerun on the cable channel A+E. I've seen the show, episode one straight thru to the final episode, oh, maybe three or four times. Ever since A+E took it off the air I have been having Northern Exposure withdrawal and I have to tell you, it has not been pretty.
But all of that is now a thing of the past. I have been happily and contentedly watching and rewatching the
entire first series since I got home from Sam's Club yesterday. And it is great.
If you're a fan of the show you need to take your sweet self to the store and score a copy. It is worth every single penny.
Now I'm just awaiting the day when the rest of the show's series make it onto dvd.
Tawny
tawnyford@webtv.net
Monday, May 17, 2004
Someone asked me 'what do you mean if Dave and Diane lost their home, none of us are safe?'.
It's like this.
Dave and Diane are good people. Salt of the earth, if you will. Flannel shirts and blue jeans, go to work everyday, work hard. No drinking, no drugging, no hard and fast living. No living large going on next door. No big screen tv, no SUV, no jewelry.
If people who are doing the right thing on a daily basis, living life as best they can, if they can lose their home..........
Bud, that's Dave's father, remember? Bud built that house fifty-some years ago. He built it from odds and ends, wood and fixtures he'd scrimped and saved to buy. Bud and his missus, and Dave and his sister, they lived there. Then Bud bought a small piece of land at the end of our block and built himself another house, again out of building materials he'd foraged for. He and the missus moved down there, and they sold the old homestead to Dave and Diane. It's the only home Dave has ever known.
So it's like not bad enough that Dave and Diane lost their home to the bank, but a piece of their family history is now in the hands of strangers.
Don't the folks who report statistics always say that most of America is only one paycheck away from homelessness?
hugs, Tawny
It's like this.
Dave and Diane are good people. Salt of the earth, if you will. Flannel shirts and blue jeans, go to work everyday, work hard. No drinking, no drugging, no hard and fast living. No living large going on next door. No big screen tv, no SUV, no jewelry.
If people who are doing the right thing on a daily basis, living life as best they can, if they can lose their home..........
Bud, that's Dave's father, remember? Bud built that house fifty-some years ago. He built it from odds and ends, wood and fixtures he'd scrimped and saved to buy. Bud and his missus, and Dave and his sister, they lived there. Then Bud bought a small piece of land at the end of our block and built himself another house, again out of building materials he'd foraged for. He and the missus moved down there, and they sold the old homestead to Dave and Diane. It's the only home Dave has ever known.
So it's like not bad enough that Dave and Diane lost their home to the bank, but a piece of their family history is now in the hands of strangers.
Don't the folks who report statistics always say that most of America is only one paycheck away from homelessness?
hugs, Tawny
My long time next door neighbors, Dave and Diane, moved two weeks ago.
They had a 'for sale by owner' sign on their front lawn for quite a while. A week before they moved, Dave told me they'd sold their house and were signing the papers the following Monday. Monday came and went and the 'for sale' sign stayed on their lawn.
The day he was moving the final load of their belongings, I went next door to say my goodbyes. I wanted Dave and Diane to know that I had appreciated having them as neighbors all those years, tell them I would miss them, and wish them well.
Dave's father was helping him put the last load on the truck. When Dave walked away, his father told me that they hadn't sold the house, they'd lost it. The bank foreclosed on them.
A couple of years ago Dave had gotten hurt and was out of work for a very long time. Diane was working, but things were tight on the one check. Apparently they started falling behind then and were never able to catch up.
Bud, that's Dave's father, said he wished they had told him they were having money troubles. While he and his wife don't have a lot of extra money, they would have done whatever they could to have saved his son's home.
Their house is empty, the for sale sign is stuck in the lawn. I guess the bank hasn't found any one to sell it to yet.
Whatwith all of the jobs lost in the last three years, either because the companies moved them overseas or economic hardships forced them out of business, there are probably going to be more empty houses where families used to be.
The way I see it, if Dave and Diane could lose their home, none of us are safe.
hugs, Tawny
(248) 615-1300
www.tawnyford.com
They had a 'for sale by owner' sign on their front lawn for quite a while. A week before they moved, Dave told me they'd sold their house and were signing the papers the following Monday. Monday came and went and the 'for sale' sign stayed on their lawn.
The day he was moving the final load of their belongings, I went next door to say my goodbyes. I wanted Dave and Diane to know that I had appreciated having them as neighbors all those years, tell them I would miss them, and wish them well.
Dave's father was helping him put the last load on the truck. When Dave walked away, his father told me that they hadn't sold the house, they'd lost it. The bank foreclosed on them.
A couple of years ago Dave had gotten hurt and was out of work for a very long time. Diane was working, but things were tight on the one check. Apparently they started falling behind then and were never able to catch up.
Bud, that's Dave's father, said he wished they had told him they were having money troubles. While he and his wife don't have a lot of extra money, they would have done whatever they could to have saved his son's home.
Their house is empty, the for sale sign is stuck in the lawn. I guess the bank hasn't found any one to sell it to yet.
Whatwith all of the jobs lost in the last three years, either because the companies moved them overseas or economic hardships forced them out of business, there are probably going to be more empty houses where families used to be.
The way I see it, if Dave and Diane could lose their home, none of us are safe.
hugs, Tawny
(248) 615-1300
www.tawnyford.com
Monday, May 03, 2004
If you've checked out my website, www.tawnyford.com, particularly where I provide links to some of my favorite things, you'll have seen www.humankindness.org, the website for the Human Kindness Foundation. The foks who run HKF, Bo + Sita Lozoff, are two of the nicest people on the planet.
I've been in touch with them for probably 15 years through letters, their quarterly newsletters, and assorted books and tapes written by Bo. I was blessed to be able to meet Bo when he came through the metro Detroit area on a speaking engagement the summer of 2000.
If you haven't checked out their website yet, www.humankindness.org, please do. I think you will like what you see and read.
In their last newsletter they talked about a new cd that Bo had made, Whatever It Takes. I orderred it, got it yesterday afternoon and have been steady listening to it. The music is good, the lyrics are even better.
These days, in addition to all of the other many good works being done by the good folks at HKF, they are raising funds to open one of the first biodiesel refineries in the southeastern US. Biodiesel is fuel made from soybean oil or even restaurant waste vegetable oils, and can be used in all diesel engines--tractor trailers, school buses, fire engines, cars, farm equipment, etc.--without any modifications. Aside from drastically reducing pollution (biodiesel has NO sulfates, the leadng cause of acid rain), biodiesel can dispace some of the US's dependency on foreign oil and help to revive our ailing farms.
This project, once it's in operation, will have so very many social and environmental benefits.
I'm not trying to put the squeeze on you or anything (unless you like that sort of thing! smile), but if you like good music, want to help some fine folks out, and even get a income tax deduction, check out www.humankindness.org and buy one of the cd's. You won't be sorry. Honest.
hugs, Tawny
tawnyford@webtv.net
(248) 615-1300
ps Human Kindness Foundation
POBox 61619
Durham, North Carolina 27715
(919) 304-2220
www.humankndness.org
I've been in touch with them for probably 15 years through letters, their quarterly newsletters, and assorted books and tapes written by Bo. I was blessed to be able to meet Bo when he came through the metro Detroit area on a speaking engagement the summer of 2000.
If you haven't checked out their website yet, www.humankindness.org, please do. I think you will like what you see and read.
In their last newsletter they talked about a new cd that Bo had made, Whatever It Takes. I orderred it, got it yesterday afternoon and have been steady listening to it. The music is good, the lyrics are even better.
These days, in addition to all of the other many good works being done by the good folks at HKF, they are raising funds to open one of the first biodiesel refineries in the southeastern US. Biodiesel is fuel made from soybean oil or even restaurant waste vegetable oils, and can be used in all diesel engines--tractor trailers, school buses, fire engines, cars, farm equipment, etc.--without any modifications. Aside from drastically reducing pollution (biodiesel has NO sulfates, the leadng cause of acid rain), biodiesel can dispace some of the US's dependency on foreign oil and help to revive our ailing farms.
This project, once it's in operation, will have so very many social and environmental benefits.
I'm not trying to put the squeeze on you or anything (unless you like that sort of thing! smile), but if you like good music, want to help some fine folks out, and even get a income tax deduction, check out www.humankindness.org and buy one of the cd's. You won't be sorry. Honest.
hugs, Tawny
tawnyford@webtv.net
(248) 615-1300
ps Human Kindness Foundation
POBox 61619
Durham, North Carolina 27715
(919) 304-2220
www.humankndness.org
Saturday, May 01, 2004
I've been called out-of-town unexpectedly twice in the past month or so, both times for sad occasions.
The first time it was to attend the funeral of my Uncle Mack. Uncle Mack was murdered early one morning as he was leaving the house to go to work. He heard a commotion coming from his downstairs neighbors and went to see what was wrong. What he'd heard was the
wife screaming as her husband beat and stabbed her. Uncle Mack created a diversion, the woman and her daughter ran out of the house, flagged down a passing motorist and went to the hospital. The man, his attention now turned to Uncle Mack, picked up his gun and shot Uncle Mack right in the heart. The police said that Uncle Mack died instantly. The man then dragged Uncle Mack's body into the house and set the whole place on fire. Somehow (?) Uncle Mack managed to get out of the house and was found on the lawn, his hands burned as he tried to get his burning shirt off. Before it was all over, there was a police standoff, a policeman got shot in the face, the house burned to the ground and the man who murdered my Uncle Mack committed suicide.
Uncle Mack was 49. He was a tremendous fan of the Temptations. At his funeral, one of the songs we sang was "My Girl", with 'my Mack' inserted in place of 'my girl'. Uncle Mack would have loved it.
Uncle Mack had no biological children, but when he met Aunt Pearlie he helped to raise hers as if they were his own.
Uncle Mack was always helping people. He died the way he lived, saving a life.
Less than three weeks later I had to leave town again for another funeral. My Uncle Gunk died. Uncle Gunk was in his late sixties and had been ill with dialysis treatmnts and a host of other ailments for some years. He went into the hospital for a necessary operation with a 50-50 chance of recovery, came out of surgery okay, but then lapsed into a coma. He was on life support for a few days before he died. Uncle Gunk and Aunt Sylvia had been married for 46 years and have lots of children and even more grandchildren, even a great grandchild or two.
If I never knew it before I know it now, life is a very fragile thing. As quickly as we are born into this world, so quickly can we leave it. We need to make the most of our time here on earth. Don't forget to let those close to you know that you love them.
hugs, Tawny
The first time it was to attend the funeral of my Uncle Mack. Uncle Mack was murdered early one morning as he was leaving the house to go to work. He heard a commotion coming from his downstairs neighbors and went to see what was wrong. What he'd heard was the
wife screaming as her husband beat and stabbed her. Uncle Mack created a diversion, the woman and her daughter ran out of the house, flagged down a passing motorist and went to the hospital. The man, his attention now turned to Uncle Mack, picked up his gun and shot Uncle Mack right in the heart. The police said that Uncle Mack died instantly. The man then dragged Uncle Mack's body into the house and set the whole place on fire. Somehow (?) Uncle Mack managed to get out of the house and was found on the lawn, his hands burned as he tried to get his burning shirt off. Before it was all over, there was a police standoff, a policeman got shot in the face, the house burned to the ground and the man who murdered my Uncle Mack committed suicide.
Uncle Mack was 49. He was a tremendous fan of the Temptations. At his funeral, one of the songs we sang was "My Girl", with 'my Mack' inserted in place of 'my girl'. Uncle Mack would have loved it.
Uncle Mack had no biological children, but when he met Aunt Pearlie he helped to raise hers as if they were his own.
Uncle Mack was always helping people. He died the way he lived, saving a life.
Less than three weeks later I had to leave town again for another funeral. My Uncle Gunk died. Uncle Gunk was in his late sixties and had been ill with dialysis treatmnts and a host of other ailments for some years. He went into the hospital for a necessary operation with a 50-50 chance of recovery, came out of surgery okay, but then lapsed into a coma. He was on life support for a few days before he died. Uncle Gunk and Aunt Sylvia had been married for 46 years and have lots of children and even more grandchildren, even a great grandchild or two.
If I never knew it before I know it now, life is a very fragile thing. As quickly as we are born into this world, so quickly can we leave it. We need to make the most of our time here on earth. Don't forget to let those close to you know that you love them.
hugs, Tawny
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Monday, April 05, 2004
It's been pretty close to a month since I've written anything. You know why? Because I've been working on the perfect photo and note to send to you. Finally, it's finished and in the mail. You should receive it in the next couple of days, or maybe weeks. You know how snail mail is (smile). Let me know what you think, okay?
hugs---
Tawny
hugs---
Tawny
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
Don't know about you, but I love music. I always have the radio or the cd player on when I'm at home.
I have an electic taste in music, everything from gospel to folk to country to r+b, etc. I like so many different genres that it's always difficult for me to tell anyone who my favorite artist is.
But when it comes to country, handsdown George Jones is the best. Willie Nelson and Alabama, Kris Kristofferson and Patsy Cline, just to name a few, are big on my list too.
Rock 'n roll, nobody can beat Bob Seger. Lynyrd Skynyrd is on my list too.
Have you heard that 30-something year old cd by Carole King, Tapestry? Wow, it blows me away each time I listen to it.
What about Andrea Boccelli? Are you familiar with him? If you would have asked me 'do you like opera music, Tawny?' I would have said no, all the while Andrea Boccelli was blasting out of my stereo speakers. I had no idea he was considerred opera, I just liked him. Still do.
Folk music is Arlo Guthrie, John Prine, Steve Goodman, Tom Paxton, Josh White Jr. And a bunch of other artists whose names I can't think of but when I hear them on the radio on Saturday morning (WDET 101.9FM), 12 noon to 3 pm est, I stop what I'm doing to get my listen on.
Womens music is Holly Near. If you've never heard anything by Holly you are so missing out on a lovely voice. www.hollynear.com
Chris Williamson, Meg Christian, I like them too.
R&B is Maze. They make music so good it'll make your toes curl up. And Aretha Franklin. Oh my! Just got her new cd today, So Damn Happy, and it's great.
And to paraphrase from the first track on So Damn Happy.....Woke up this morning to a perfect day, the only thing missing is you.....
www.tawnyford.com
Call me.
I have an electic taste in music, everything from gospel to folk to country to r+b, etc. I like so many different genres that it's always difficult for me to tell anyone who my favorite artist is.
But when it comes to country, handsdown George Jones is the best. Willie Nelson and Alabama, Kris Kristofferson and Patsy Cline, just to name a few, are big on my list too.
Rock 'n roll, nobody can beat Bob Seger. Lynyrd Skynyrd is on my list too.
Have you heard that 30-something year old cd by Carole King, Tapestry? Wow, it blows me away each time I listen to it.
What about Andrea Boccelli? Are you familiar with him? If you would have asked me 'do you like opera music, Tawny?' I would have said no, all the while Andrea Boccelli was blasting out of my stereo speakers. I had no idea he was considerred opera, I just liked him. Still do.
Folk music is Arlo Guthrie, John Prine, Steve Goodman, Tom Paxton, Josh White Jr. And a bunch of other artists whose names I can't think of but when I hear them on the radio on Saturday morning (WDET 101.9FM), 12 noon to 3 pm est, I stop what I'm doing to get my listen on.
Womens music is Holly Near. If you've never heard anything by Holly you are so missing out on a lovely voice. www.hollynear.com
Chris Williamson, Meg Christian, I like them too.
R&B is Maze. They make music so good it'll make your toes curl up. And Aretha Franklin. Oh my! Just got her new cd today, So Damn Happy, and it's great.
And to paraphrase from the first track on So Damn Happy.....Woke up this morning to a perfect day, the only thing missing is you.....
www.tawnyford.com
Call me.
Saturday, February 28, 2004
It's another nice day here in southeastern Michigan. Sunshine like you just would not believe! And you know what else? Not only are the days getting warmer and sunnier, but it stays light until after 6pm! Things are looking up big time (smile)!
But I might have a problem.
I have a neighbor who makes it his business to be out front whenever I pull up into the driveway or whenever I'm working in the yard (I love gardening!) or whenever I'm doing anthing that gives him an opportunity to approach me under the guise of offering me his aide and assistance. When in fact, all he ever really wants to do is sneak a peek.
Well, today as I stated, it is a gorgeous day and it's the first real day of sun suited for going outside in my shorts and without a winter jacket that we've had this year.
I have a custom of moving through the house wearing short shorts. With nobody here but Kathleen (my cat), I see no problem with it.
Anyway, today when the mailman came, and it being such a lovely day, I went to the mailbox down at the end of my driveway wearing my cut-off workout shorts. Wouldn't you know that as I went into my mailbox to pull out my letters, clumsy me! I dropped them. Not thinking, nor taking into account what I'm wearing, I bent down to retrieve my mail. And guess who appeared at my side (backside!) with hungry eyes and slobbery mouth? My leacherous old neighbor John!
Knowing John, he had been watching me through his window ever since I came outside. And by him being nowhere around when I actually dropped my letters, I am trying to figure out just how in the world he could get behind me so close and so quick without me seeing or hearing anything. But as I stated, I had on short shorts and I must say that when I bend down to do anything (touch my toes, stretches, and picking up mail) my shorts ride all the way up (blush). And I could tell from the flustered look on Dirty John's face that he enjoyed the ride.
I would have been angry and possibly even embarassed had it not been old Dirty John who was close to getting his jollies off watching my shorts take that ride. Knowing John lost his wife of 35 years not so long ago, and knowing by living across from him that his social life/love life is not that great, I decided to do a little charity work (smile).
So after dropping off my mail and looking over my shoulder, I decided to open up my garage door knowing that John was looking and commence to picking up every little thing on my garage floor. Doing this with full knowledge that John was watching my every bend, stretch, jiggle and bounce. I didn't look at him because I didn't want him to know I knew he was watching me, so as seductively as I could I gave him the peep show of his life.
But unbeknownst to me, my charity work had gathered a little crowd. For when I looked over my shoulder to appreciate the look I would have found on John's face, I instead found John and I guess his three brothers (because they all looked like Dirty Old John) standing there giving me a clapping standing ovation.
Talk about embarassed! I closed the garage door and went into the house.
The moral to this story is---no good deed ever goes unpunished.
Take care + stay strong.
But I might have a problem.
I have a neighbor who makes it his business to be out front whenever I pull up into the driveway or whenever I'm working in the yard (I love gardening!) or whenever I'm doing anthing that gives him an opportunity to approach me under the guise of offering me his aide and assistance. When in fact, all he ever really wants to do is sneak a peek.
Well, today as I stated, it is a gorgeous day and it's the first real day of sun suited for going outside in my shorts and without a winter jacket that we've had this year.
I have a custom of moving through the house wearing short shorts. With nobody here but Kathleen (my cat), I see no problem with it.
Anyway, today when the mailman came, and it being such a lovely day, I went to the mailbox down at the end of my driveway wearing my cut-off workout shorts. Wouldn't you know that as I went into my mailbox to pull out my letters, clumsy me! I dropped them. Not thinking, nor taking into account what I'm wearing, I bent down to retrieve my mail. And guess who appeared at my side (backside!) with hungry eyes and slobbery mouth? My leacherous old neighbor John!
Knowing John, he had been watching me through his window ever since I came outside. And by him being nowhere around when I actually dropped my letters, I am trying to figure out just how in the world he could get behind me so close and so quick without me seeing or hearing anything. But as I stated, I had on short shorts and I must say that when I bend down to do anything (touch my toes, stretches, and picking up mail) my shorts ride all the way up (blush). And I could tell from the flustered look on Dirty John's face that he enjoyed the ride.
I would have been angry and possibly even embarassed had it not been old Dirty John who was close to getting his jollies off watching my shorts take that ride. Knowing John lost his wife of 35 years not so long ago, and knowing by living across from him that his social life/love life is not that great, I decided to do a little charity work (smile).
So after dropping off my mail and looking over my shoulder, I decided to open up my garage door knowing that John was looking and commence to picking up every little thing on my garage floor. Doing this with full knowledge that John was watching my every bend, stretch, jiggle and bounce. I didn't look at him because I didn't want him to know I knew he was watching me, so as seductively as I could I gave him the peep show of his life.
But unbeknownst to me, my charity work had gathered a little crowd. For when I looked over my shoulder to appreciate the look I would have found on John's face, I instead found John and I guess his three brothers (because they all looked like Dirty Old John) standing there giving me a clapping standing ovation.
Talk about embarassed! I closed the garage door and went into the house.
The moral to this story is---no good deed ever goes unpunished.
Take care + stay strong.
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Being as it is so bright and sunny today, I figured the perfect way to celebrate a lovely day was to cook up a pot of greens! Like I needed an excuse (smile). Have you ever had collard greens? I'm not talking about out of a can, although in a pinch they'll do, but fresh collards. They are wonderful.
Here's how I cook them:
Take a pound or two of smoked turkey pieces. Place in a big pot and cover with a lot of water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Let simmer for about two hours.
While that's happening, take 5 pounds of fresh collard greens. Cut the coarse stems from the collards and discard. Stack a dozen or so collard leaves at a time and roll them tightly,jelly-roll fashion. Place on a cutting board, and using a sharp knife cut each roll crosswise into half-inch strips. Do this for all of the collard greens. Then you have to wash the greens really, really well. Let me stress, really, really well. In a pan of cold water. Nobody likes gritty greens so wash them well, then drain and set aside.
Take a couple of onions and chop them finely. Heat a lttle bit of ol in another large pot, saute the onions till tender. Add a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and a teaspoon of minced garlic.
Remove the smoked turkey parts from your first pot, and add them to this one. Add 4 cups or so of the broth/water you simmered the turkey parts in. Also add 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Start adding the collard greens. You may have to do this in several shifts. Spoon some of the hot broth over the greens as you add them to the pot. Don't panic,the greens will cook down (smile).
When all of the greens are in the pot and coverred with the broth, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for approximately an hour and a half, until the greens are tender.
Bake a pan of cornbread while this is cooking and you will have yourself a wonderful meal!
I'll be thinking of you while I'm eating dinner tonight!
Here's how I cook them:
Take a pound or two of smoked turkey pieces. Place in a big pot and cover with a lot of water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Let simmer for about two hours.
While that's happening, take 5 pounds of fresh collard greens. Cut the coarse stems from the collards and discard. Stack a dozen or so collard leaves at a time and roll them tightly,jelly-roll fashion. Place on a cutting board, and using a sharp knife cut each roll crosswise into half-inch strips. Do this for all of the collard greens. Then you have to wash the greens really, really well. Let me stress, really, really well. In a pan of cold water. Nobody likes gritty greens so wash them well, then drain and set aside.
Take a couple of onions and chop them finely. Heat a lttle bit of ol in another large pot, saute the onions till tender. Add a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and a teaspoon of minced garlic.
Remove the smoked turkey parts from your first pot, and add them to this one. Add 4 cups or so of the broth/water you simmered the turkey parts in. Also add 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Start adding the collard greens. You may have to do this in several shifts. Spoon some of the hot broth over the greens as you add them to the pot. Don't panic,the greens will cook down (smile).
When all of the greens are in the pot and coverred with the broth, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for approximately an hour and a half, until the greens are tender.
Bake a pan of cornbread while this is cooking and you will have yourself a wonderful meal!
I'll be thinking of you while I'm eating dinner tonight!
Sunday, February 22, 2004
Well, the entries to my blog are showing up now, thank goodness!
Today is a beautiful day in southeastern lower Michigan. The sun is shining brightly and it's warm, high expected to be near 40 I think. Okay, normally 40 isn't warm, but we've had some brutally cold days here, -15 and more with the windchills, and so it feels positively spring like today. Gives me hope that soon it'll be even warmer and I can get out of my longjohns and into my bikini!
Another cheery thing is, did you know that sometime in late May of this year the first season of Northern Exposure is going to be released on dvd? Hooray! That is one of my favorite all-time tv shows. Back when the A+E channel used to run it, I watched it every single day. I can't wait to get my hands on the dvd. Northern Exposure is wonderful.
Don't forget to checkout my website, www.tawnyford.com/
Take care + stay strong.
Today is a beautiful day in southeastern lower Michigan. The sun is shining brightly and it's warm, high expected to be near 40 I think. Okay, normally 40 isn't warm, but we've had some brutally cold days here, -15 and more with the windchills, and so it feels positively spring like today. Gives me hope that soon it'll be even warmer and I can get out of my longjohns and into my bikini!
Another cheery thing is, did you know that sometime in late May of this year the first season of Northern Exposure is going to be released on dvd? Hooray! That is one of my favorite all-time tv shows. Back when the A+E channel used to run it, I watched it every single day. I can't wait to get my hands on the dvd. Northern Exposure is wonderful.
Don't forget to checkout my website, www.tawnyford.com/
Take care + stay strong.
Friday, February 20, 2004
Well, I was met with quite a surprise when I logged on today. My blog, my words, that I wrote the other day--in fact, my very first attempts at blogging!-are missing. I don't see what I could have done wrong, it's not like this is rocket science or anything. Oh well. Let's see if this one shows up.
Tawny Ford
Tawny Ford
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