Early morning convo with Mom (TOOO early)

The following is a conversation with my Mom from this morning.
A 'typical' conversation, I might add.

Mom: I read an article in the Sunday newspaper about a Catholic Church up near Green Bay, WI. It's called Our Lady of Good Hope. Have you heard about it?

Me: Yes, it's been all over in the news. There are reports of Mary appearing to people there, and many miracles taking place.

Mom: After much review and prayer, the bishop has sanctioned the visions as 'worthy of belief'. They had a very special ceremony.

Me: I imagine many people across America will flock to it, for healings and answers to their prayers.

Mom: Yes! And last evening I met a man at the grocery store that made the trip up there already!!! The two of us were waiting in line by the deli. I struck up a conversation with him to pass the time. I asked him if he had read about that church. He said that he had been there already!!!

Amazed and curious, I asked him to tell me how it went!

He said, "The priest asked me why I was there. I told him I was there for prayers regarding my hearing. The priest solemnly moved in closer to me, gently placed his hands over my ears, and prayed softly--the most beautiful prayers I've ever heard. He then backed up, caringly gazed into my eyes, and asked me if my hearing was back. I said I really won't know until after next Thursday. With a confused look on his face, he said....why not until Thursday, my son? I said because that's when my hearing takes place."

~~~~

I am so GULLIBLE.
I fall for my Mom's shenanigans ALL THE $%^&* TIME.
I agree it's a hysterically funny joke, but I still want to screeeeam everytime she tricks me like this.

I feel vulnerable.

She feels empowered!!!!! lol

A bear with no name

He could use a warm, sudsy bath. But he won't get one. I simply couldn't risk scrubbing all the history off of him. Even his plastic nose will remain smudged with a much smaller version of my fingerprints. He was a gift to me when I was born, a present from my Mom's very best girlfriend.

When I hold him, I like to think of all the childhood treats that MIGHT have left a stain behind: DQ dilly bars, crackerjacks, cheerio bracelots, chiclets, candy cigarettes, tootsie roll pops, caramel bullseyes, and chocolate ice cubes. And the many UNedibles: rusty bottle caps, worms, robin egg shells, sandbox sand, butterflies, bugs and snails.

Nothing would please me more than to tell a few whimsical stories about him. But my memory holds none. 

Why do I keep him? Why do I feel attached to him? Well, we moved many, many times during my childhood, and this bear always made the trip. I have to believe that my Mom kept him safe for all these years for a reason.  : ) And besides, he didn't get THAT dirty sitting on a shelf.

WAHHH' ter

Of course, I need water to live. But water does something else for me. When I'm submerged in it, I feel all fresh and anew, baptized all over again, --minus the crying. 

For me, water is liquid sensation, like a magic tonic. It always has been. Water agrees with me. As a child, I didn't care if the water I swam in was ice cold. As an adult, I do. *~*

.

But a couple years ago, I did something that was water-related but --without water??

I strolled the bottom of a river, a drained river! The river had been drained in order to fix the dam. It turned out to be an exciting day. I'm so thankful I didn't pass up that opportunity. 



The dam that was being repaired.
I 'm standing in the waterless river taking this photo.





An ISLAND!!





The Boat Landing

The River Bank



I discovered many treasures on the bottom of the river floor: shells, fishing lures, colored glass, plastic toys, rusty cans, and lots of bottle caps. I had to be especially careful not to step on nails and other rusty junk.

I had given the river bottom plenty of time to dry out thoroughly before I went. But I'm sure the treasure enthusiasts with their metal detectors snapped up all the coins, jewelry, relics, and other collectibles while the river floor was still very slippery and muddy.

I wasn't that brave!

 

 

P.S. HAPPY  75th  BIRTHDAY,  MOM!!!! 

LOVE YOU!!!!  XOXOX  <-- lotsa wet ones   : )

Pals :)

WAIT!!!!!!!

Before you scroll down, hit this link so there is music playing in the background.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc2Vj3ka5BU&feature=related

I'm trying to set the mood a little ...

Music playing?

Yes?

Then feel free to scroll down to see one of the cutest darn things ever in nature. *purrr purrr*

 

A rock with a true pal!

I walked away from 'this couple' three times, before I finally decided to grab my camera. I love this photo so much :)

*Photo taken on the Keweena Penninsula in Upper Penninsula Michigan

A Bond Pickle Boo!!

The Bond Pickle Company in Oconto, Wisconsin is.... history. The building, the former Oconto Canning Company, was recently razed. I liked that building. It took me back to my youth, and our own town's canning factory. *daydreaming* There are so many tales to tell about that place in future posts.

Bond dill pickles were my husband's favorite. The owner, Leon Bond died at age 104, so I'm hoping there is some longevity secret in those pickles, so my husband will be around forever also :)

(I also have to add that Leon Bond built the Oconto Bond Center for his 
community. This facility houses the best swimming pool, hot tub, walking track, and infrared suana in our area. LOVELOVELOVE it there!!)

Where am I going with all this, you ask?

One late evening, before the Bond building had been demolished, I circled around a McDonald's drive thru for a carton of OJ. This McDonalds was located directly next to Bonds.

I was beyond exhausted, having driven for hours and hours. My brain was fried from a long and 'trying' week.

I pulled away from the McDonald's window, and parked facing the Bond Factory. Impatient-- I clumsily tore open the OJ carton, and chugged the delicious sweetness down. It was ice cold and refreshing, and it tasted sooooo gooooood. It hit the spot! Just the fix I needed to get me the rest of the way home.

I tipped my head back more and shook the last drops into my mouth. As I lowered the carton and opened my eyes, I saw a freaking ghost!!!!!!!!

Yes, I mean it. A GHOST in the Bond Factory. My eyes felt big like saucers.

Now, granted it was pitch dark out when I saw the ghost. And it looked ABSOLUTELY SCARY AND REAL. 
                                  (O,O) <---my face.

I whipped out my camera. Not sure how I thought I was going to take a picture of a ghost?? But it was the blinding light from my camera's flash that brought me back to reality, as soon I discovered it was all just a silly yet fabulous prank.

'Hats off' to whomever did this. 


'without the flash'
"OHHH!!!"







'with the flash'

So, a "BOO!! to YOU!!, too!!"

 

Do I trust a groundhog or a bok choy?

This past February 2nd, Jimmy the Groundhog from Sun Prairie, did not see his shadow, thus predicting an early spring.

Unfortunately, there was such a huge blizzard that day, that the annual ceremony had to be postponed until the next day.  Luckily, Jimmy was kind enough to 'Tweet' his prediction to the nation.

Okay. I don't even tweet, but a groundhog does....  :/

Footage from the Feb. 3 ceremony:

http://www.flixya.com/video/2565280/Jimmy-The-Groundhog-Makes-Winter-Prediction


So, do I trust Jimmy? Well, he claims to be 100% accurate, and that when he has appeared to be wrong, it's because his owner misunderstood his message. Too bad Jimmy can not speak. He can only 'tweet'.       :/ 

After all of that excitement, I returned to my daily chores. With plans to stir-fry vegetables for lunch, I began to peel away the many layers of a crispy bok choy.

When I reached the inner core, what a beautiful surprise! The plant was in full bloom deep inside the head!





Another prediction of an early spring??
Or...
God has a great sense of humor?!

I choose BOTH!



Off to a new home

Sorting through a couple boxes in the storage area of the basement,

I came up with:

                  'A bowl of troll'




                       AND.....

                'A brown box of
                      beaming 
                    big-busted
                     blue-eyed
                      Barbies' 


Good bye! Off to Goodwill! Hope they make other kids as happy as they made mine :D