TED Helps Around the House

Last week while Grover was out in CA on business I decided to finally tackle the rugs.  Shampooing them.  It's a job you need to do when you can control the traffic in your house.  You might think that with two people living in a tiny house like mine that might not be so difficult.  But if those two people are home all day long and one of them is very often tracking dirt in from the world of farming, it gets pretty gritty.  I had been putting it off, waiting for a time when there would be less dirt following us in--but when would that be?  It's a farmhouse.  Chores have to be done every day.  There are no time outs.

Ok, so it was perfect to do it last week.  I could stay up all night working, or I could begin work at 3 a.m. if I wanted to.  You think I'm kidding.  How much work could it be, you ask.  And how long could it take?  Well, instead of renting one of those 24 hour shampooers from the Red Apple, I borrowed Marsha's Hoover Steamvac.  That meant I could use it indefinitely, or for as many days as I liked--which turned out to be 4 days.  We're talking deep cleaning.

So, after day 2 I started to get bored with the whole process.  That's when I turned to TED.  You know TED, don't you?  Great brains presenting great ideas in talks ranging anywhere from 2 minutes to 20+ minutes.  I grabbed my wireless headphones, turned on the TV, called up NETFLIX and tuned into TED.  And suddenly out of the mundane chore I am transported to the bright, ingenious, fascinating and incredible format -- TED Talks.  There is something for everyone there.  From humor, to politics, economics, science, fashion, literacy and much more--there are amazing bits of info free for the taking.  (I even learned that we are all tying our shoes wrong.  There is a more effective and longer lasting way to do it.) Suddenly shampooing the rug had gotten interesting.  And now I am twice blessed--the rugs are all so clean, and I have learned a lot.

Everywhere I go I tell people about TED talks.  Most of them have no idea what I am talking about.  So, I am officially spreading the word:  TED will inform and entertain you and even keep you company.  I guarantee it. 

Update: the Latest Doings

Summer's over and our Fall is getting pretty squeezed.  Winter keeps barging in--we have had snow already!  Thursday we attended the Kris Kristofferson concert in Billings and afterwards drove home in a blizzard!  The day time temps the last few days have been in the 30s!  I'm not ready.  I haven't even unearthed my winter clothing yet. 

Given that it's Grover's birthday on Monday, I arranged for us to attend and hear the music of 2 very well-known Country singers.  The Kris Kristofferson concert Thursday was good.  Last night we went to Cody and saw another concert called "Ring of Fire."  I bet you know who was the focus of that concert.  It was very fun.  Lots of Johnny Cash favorites sung by 7 very talented and energetic musicians, separately and in duets and combinations.  Grover/Dad really enjoyed it. 

And to add to the fun, we squeezed in a matinee.  You know, when we drive an hour to Cody we try to make the most of the trip.  So we went early and watched the movie:  Gravity.  It was also very good.  I can only imagine how it would be at an IMAX 3D showing of it.  Probably amazing. 

We found a cute little coffee shop, too.  They serve nice sandwiches and salads and I think we'll make it one of our regular spots when we're in Cody and are famished.  Don't you just love that word?!  Famished!  I haven't used it in a long, long time.  I think I will start using it more.  It has such a nice sound when you say it out loud.  Try it.  Famished.   I think an exclamation point is even implied. 

Which reminds me.  When I was at the movies yesterday I ordered popcorn.
            The nice young man asked, "Butter?" 
            And I said, "Definitely." 
            After he handed me our sodas, he said, "Did you say extra butter?"
           And thinking for a moment, I said, "Well, I said 'definitely,' which I believe certainly could   mean  'extra butter.'  I believe you read that right. So, yes,  'extra butter' would be great."

Don't you love it when people are paying attention?  When they get your meaning?  I do.

We are traveling to California for business on Monday.  On Grover/Dad's birthday.  Are we going to have a great time?  Definitely!

August - the Height of Summer

It's funny that there are three months which are actual words.  March, May, and August.  I had never thought of that until this morning.  Nor had I ever attached the months in any way to the meaning of their words.  But I love words.  I like playing with them and seeing if they match up or can be linked somehow.  Since we are in the midst of August, I will concentrate on this month.  The definition for August--aside from the 8th month of the year--is "inspiring reverence or admiration; of supreme dignity or grandeur; majestic."   Makes me wonder why someone (who?) chose to name the 8th month of the year August.  

When I think of August, my immediate word association game response is:  Hot!  Hotter here in Lovell than in Oxnard/Ventura, CA where I spent 30 years--but hot just the same.  Certainly hot in all the other places I have lived -- Provo, Chicago, Magalia, Goleta.  

And my second word association response is more of a phrase:  too close to the end of summer.  You might say it is the end of summer, but where I grew up the end of summer was the first day of school, and school never started for me until September.  

Now that I live in a rural town and have a ridiculously large garden, I also associate August with Tomatoes, and corn on the cob.  The first time I sat down at Dora's table (Grandma Howe to most of you) and saw a plate full of sliced tomatoes and an unlimited supply of corn on the cob (in August, of course), I wondered where the rest of dinner was.  Where was the meat, etc?  But then I was transformed.  Home grown tomatoes and fresh corn slathered in butter, salted and peppered, is enough.  More than enough.  

I am just on the brink of this summer August luxury.  My tomatoes are turning bright red, and I have my order in for dozens of ears of corn. (Jeff drives by a corn stand on his way to and from Billings daily,  and I'm depending on him to fulfill our dreams.)  August is the only month you can do this well.  Too soon the tomatoes turn, the corn harvest ends, and summer is truly over.  Until that day, we will be picking and canning.  

And... I may have to sneak in a few last trips to Horseshoe Bend.  The best part of a hot day is being in cold water.  Who wants to go with me?

Getting OUT!

It's interesting living in a 4 climate location.  There's a kind of urgency when you get to the end of winter that involves getting out.  I imagine it as feeling like the end of hibernation--though I wouldn't really know what that feels like.  But, after a long winter and the urge to stay near a fire and keep yourself toasty, Spring comes along and it feels like "hope" and "can't wait."  And then - - -  -  IT'S SUMMER!  HOORAY!

Keeping that in mind, and that Summer doesn't last nearly long enough, you pick up your lawn chairs and you GO OUTSIDE!  And you don't want to be inside sitting at the computer, or cleaning the house, or doing dishes, or cooking!  Lately, we have been attending free concerts in Cody.  Every Thursday evening.  Then, after watching the Tonys Award Show and seeing all that live theater on Broadway, I decided live theater was it!  We should get OUT and see more of it.  And I got tickets. Last night, on our way home from Billings at 10:30 p.m., Grover/Dad told me he appreciated my efforts to "get out,"  and supported them 100 per cent.  You might wonder what we were doing in Billings at 10:30 p.m.  We were OUT!  We went OUT to Texas Road House to dinner and then to the Alberta Bair Theater to see this:
(Be sure and click on this link--it is fabulous!)    http://www.mjhistoryshow.com/media.html


http://www.mjhistoryshow.com/gallery.html#  

What a blast!  We had great seats in the 7th row right in the middle.  Kenny Wizz performed a high energy tribute to Michael Jackson--lots of moves, glitz, music, and fun.  It certainly made me wish I'd seen Michael Jackson in person!

I just love getting OUT!

Never Board! (Bored)

I haven't done a pun on this blog in a long time, so you'll just have to indulge me.  It came to me when I was thinking about all the stuff we have been doing lately, and how it all has to do with the Lovell-Kane Area Museum -- because we are on the board.

We kicked off June with the Kane Day Cemetery Cleanup--a joint effort sponsored by the Lovell-Kane Area Museum Board with help from the National Park Service, Conservation Corps, and the community.  We went out to do a clean up and reinforcement of the graves at the old Iona-Kane Cemetery.  Following the cleanup efforts, there was a potluck and Grover presented a slide show of photos from the early history of the area, and led a discussion.

 Here we are at the cemetery.

Then after Kane Day, we worked on the parade float and prepped for the Kane Reunion Luncheon. Karen called us up a few days before and said she needed a program.  Would Grover do his presentation again? 

 Nearly one hundred people attended the Luncheon.  Karen and I worked on a display:   family albums, documents and photographs that have been submitted to the museum.  Following the luncheon, Dad gave a slightly altered presentation on Kane.

No pictures of the Reunion--we were too busy setting up, and presenting.  But you can see the Museum float I worked on.  Here are a couple of pics.  The theme was "A Cowboy's Dream."  The Board is  working hard on promoting the museum.

And lastly, a few days ago we started  working on the annual museum fundraiser.  It's a little over a month away.  We're supposed to be selling tickets, and raffle tickets, and promoting the event.  I am in charge of publicity.  So, as you can see, we are just getting started.

In September we are all going to be out knocking on doors, and talking to people and asking for signatures to get a mill levy put on the ballot to fund our museum.  That will certainly take us out of our comfort zones.  Not looking forward to it--but it's a good cause.  So it shouldn't be too bad.

Lovell's Mustang Days Parade

June was an awfully busy month, ending with Lovell's Mustang Days Parade.  Here are a few shots of Grover/Dad in the parade.

 Grace and Jeff bought a bunch of candy to throw out to the parade kids.  Dad had a fun time tossing it out the window at everyone.  He had a pretty good time.  It was his first time ever being in a parade!

This is a great picture of it.  Dad's in the passenger seat, Jeff's hands are on the wheel, Grace is taking a closeup.  Everything is in perfect focus, centered!  How did I ever do that?  Check out the special signs Grace had made to promote Dad's book. 

Jeff is enjoying showing off the car.  Everyone is loving it.  They even were asked to ride in the upcoming Byron Days Parade. 

Maybe next year they'll go big time, and be in the Cody July 4th Parade!  Wouldn't that be fun!

Finished! Let's Celebrate!

 Our most recent labor of love, Tequila Promises went into publication yesterday, May 1st.  Hooray! We have been working hard on this latest book in an effort to outdo all of our earlier efforts.  We (by which I mean Grover, myself, Martha, Rachel and Jeff) have pooled our collective efforts to do so!  Thanks to everyone's hard work, we are pleased to announce our 5th book this year.   I think it's pretty phenomenal on Grover's part.  Now it's time to go out and celebrate! 

Here's the cover we submitted for publication.  There will be a title and author name on the spine once it's published.

 

In the News

Grover's sister, Grace, has been working hard on promoting his books.  Bless her heart!  She set up the Lovell Chronicle interview which most of you have seen.  It turned out very well. We have been having a good response in Lovell. We can't keep Grace's shop or Lovell Drug supplied, the books are just flying off the shelf.  (That may be an exaggeration.)

Most recently, Grace has been working with a woman in Billings who writes for the Big Sky Journal.  I do not know what it is, either, but it's press.  We love press clippings.  So, we got up early and went out in the 20 degree morning air and shot a couple of pics for the article. They are essentially the same pic, but the background is more apparent in the one.  

  Then we promptly came home and put them on the back cover of Dragons of Fire.  (Oh, I forgot to tell you, we redid the entire cover.  It just wasn't selling, and people didn't know it was a Western because it didn't have horses or cowboys or anything on it.  So, now it has a corral on the front, and a cowboy on the back---Grover.  ha ha.) 

We'll let you know when the article is published.  It mentions Grace and her salon, and tells people they can purchase Grover's books there.  We'll see if there is a response in Billings.  Wish us luck.

Can It Be March Already?

I do not know how the months can fly by when every day seems like the same day, and some days are so much longer than others.  Time is entirely in our heads, it seems.  Or the passage of time.

I spent much of January on the couch with a heating pad resting on my leg, fighting a bursitis inflammation that was crippling.  Walking was excruciating, so I did very little of it, and waited for Grover to come in from his work and hand me important items:  like food, water, pens and papers, books, and most importantly, the remotes.  I camped out in the living room, in front of the TV with notebooks, and recipe books, and organized things.  Painful, but constructive.  (Maybe that should be a motto-- PAINFUL, BUT CONSTRUCTIVE.  We could even put it on banners, and construction signs, and, even on headstones.)  But, I think I've gone too far.

February brought much needed relief.  Steroids and Naproxen-Rx gave me back my ability to walk.  And I am grateful every day that I CAN WALK.  There's nothing like having your everyday ordinary  "taken for granted" abilities disappear to give you a serious sense of gratitude upon their return.  

Once I was able to stand up and walk, (and while Grover was in California) I redid my kitchen counters.  By "redid" I mean, I sponge-painted--don't worry, it doesn't look it--my counters with white and grey and black paint to look like the granite counters you see in the mags.  And then I varnished them to a shiny finish.  And they are beautiful.  I like them every day!
   
Then I started in on cooking again; only this time, whole grains, vegetables and fruits are on the menu.  Grover decided he didn't want to take any more medications, and so we have gone to a much more restricted eating plan.  No more DP, no soda pop of any kind, no dairy, no cheese, and no meat.  We have discovered that eating rice and vegetables can be just as satisfying as eating pizza--actually more satisfying.  And Grover's blood pressure has dropped to a satisfactory number, and we are enjoying the fact that our sugar drive is  also diminishing.  I only mention this because we have never been down this vegetarian path before, and it is surprisingly pleasant.  Plus we can eat ALOT of vegetables--- as opposed to eating A LITTLE of everything else.  (For you who have dieted, you know what I mean with the weighing, measuring, counting calories, etc.)  That's why I didn't call it a diet--I called it an eating plan.  

So, what does this have to do with time passing so quickly, you might ask.  Well, it takes time to redo your counters, clear out your frig and pantry, and find good recipes that you like, and prepare new kinds of foods.  So, I guess that's mostly where the last 6 weeks have gone.  (That, and the completion of TEQUILA PROMISES.  We have been closing in on our final edit of Grover's 5th book.  Hours at the computer, writing and rewriting, and then reading it aloud for more review.  By the end of March, we should have the book done, and into publication.) 

 Yesterday we received the rice cooker we ordered, and tomorrow we will be getting the tortilla press I found online.  I am discovering, the longer I live, that you never really get very far away from the kitchen, hard as you try.  After all, you have to eat.  I think I need a TV in the kitchen, to keep me company.  I haven't figured out yet where, or how that would work, but I know I could get so much more done with company. 

The 2012 Howe Christmas Reunion

What a great time we had together this Christmas holiday.  We were so busy having fun that we barely took any pics.  But, here are just a few:

Take Note of this Surprise

(I wrote this in January...sorry for the delay.)

Once again, I am back to pushing a pun to its limits.  Before you finish reading this post, you will see what I mean.

But first, the preface. 
We came home from our 10 day CA visit and discovered this parked next to our garage:

Hmmm, we thought.  What's that doing there?  And, of course, answering our own question, we decided someone had run out of gas or broken down, and had parked it out of the way, close to its point of defection.  And without any other thought, we imagined that someone would come and collect it.  It thus, became part of the woodwork, and we ceased to even notice it. 

Wednesday Grover came into the living room and handed me a piece of paper.  It was typewritten like this:

THIS MACHINE IS PRETTY ROUGH LOOKING AND SOMEWHAT BEATEN UP BUT IT STILL RUNS.  I HAVE NO USE FOR IT ANYMORE, HOPE YOU CAN USE IT.  THE PLUG FOULS EASILY AND REQUIRES REGULAR SERVICE.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

What?  A note conveying its ownership to us?  How very splendid!  What generosity!  Who would do such a thing? 

What I later wondered was, what if we had never taken a closer look at this vehicle?  Would it have sat forever waiting for someone to claim it?  And would we have ever known that  "someone" was us?  Funny, huh?

So, now, for those of you who have been yearning (as I secretly have) for a 4-wheeler to drive about and enjoy to your heart's content, here it is!  I just know we will put it to good use.

Thank you, whoever you are!  What a lovely surprise.