Can't Wait to Get to Heaven

Pam invited me to join her book club group, and since I love to read I jumped at the chance. This was my selection. I read it last year and loved it so much that I just had to share it. It's one of those books that once you put it down, you just can't wait to get back into it. Aunt Elner, who had fallen out of a fig tree, was on quite the adventure, and the entire town of Elmwood Springs, Missouri, was thrown for a loop.

In our book club, we serve foods that are either related to the book, or were mentioned in it. I lucked out as Fannie Flagg had included a bunch of recipes in the back. It was hard chosing which ones to fix, but I managed.

Louise Franks' Deviled Eggs were delicious!

Mrs. McWilliams' Corn Bread was tasty!

And Neighbor Dorothy's Heavenly Caramel Cake was, well, heavenly!

So, run, don't walk, to your nearest book store or library, and get this book! You'll be glad you did. Not only will you fall in love with Elmwood Springs, you will have the recipes too!

"Did you know that a watermelon seed can produce a watermelon two hundred thousand times its own weight?" - Elner Shimfissle

Charger Girls

The cheerleaders came out after the guys finished practicing and did a little skit for us.

They also posed for photos and signed autographs.

There are CJ and Katie

It was a fub day hanging out with the Chargers! I hope they have a great season this year!

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers were at Miramar for a practice session the other day. Being that we all love football, he kids and I went to watch. OK, well, I enjoy watching football. Everyone else cringes when I say "The game is on TV!"

First was the warm-up, led by a drill instructor from MCRD. That's the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, where all the young men go right after they enlist to be turned into Marines.

Then they broke off into groups to drill.

After their drills there was a scrimmage. The blue shirts played the white shirts.

As in the games, there were a few guys playing on the field while the rest stood by watching.

After the practice was over the players signed footballs, shirts and arms. They came with their own pens, and put their name on whatever it was that you handed to them. They all were very friendly and were having a great time.


Tyrone Greene signing CJ's football. Now maybe I can talk CJ into watching a little bit of the games with me!

Scottish Highland Games and Gathering of the Clans

When celebrating in times of peace one of the Highlanders' favorite pastimes was the tainchel. For these "great hunts" very often several clans would combine. Chieftains would send word to the clansmen that such an event was planned and when and where they should assemble. For several days the greater part of the clansmen assembled would go out into the mountains and begin driving the red deer and other animals in front of them in a gradually tightening circle. Soon the animals were driven off the mountains and through the passes where the waiting armed huntsmen would make the kills.

After such a successful hunt a great feast and celebration would be held and venison would be sent to everyone who was unable to attend. Then the rival clansmen would relax by testing each other's prowess at various sports - running, jumping, wrestling, or primitive forms of weight putting with stones, or divided into roughly equal sides vying against each other in a very early form of camanachd or shinty. Lastly the clansmen would vie with each other in piping and in dancing, the pipers taking it in turns to demonstrate their skills and the clansmen to demonstrate their agility and neatness of movement by dancing complicated steps to the pipe music. These relaxations were in effect the forerunners of the modern Highland games.

San Diego has an annual Highland Games and Clan Gathering which should be on everyone's list of things to do at least once, even if youhave no Scottish blood. I'm lucky, I do have Scottish blood! Besides athletic events like the caber toss, there are sheepdog trials and lots of Celtic music.

I'm going to leave you with "Scotland the Brave" . Enjoy!

Beading

Another hobby I enjoy in my spare time is beading. Lately I've been making hair clips for Katie.

The first step is choosing a color. Start with the seed beads.

Then add bigger beads to compliment the small seed beads.

Once you have all your beads picked out and wire on the clips you are ready to start.

Begin threading beads onto the wire.

Now add the bigger beads.

After you have all the beads on that you want, crimp it all together with a crimp bead.

And you are done!

Now pick one to go with your outfit.

Pretty!

Water fight!!

The ones who made it all the way across get into the pool for a fight to the end. The last one floating is the winner.

Splashing, ramming, bumping, and tipping are allowed to get your opponent out.

And overboard he goes!

Then there were two.

It's not easy trying to keep your balance while splashing your opponent.

Another one gets soaked.

The champion! I guess he gets the "A"!

Will it or won't it?

Our local high school physics class had to test their knowledge by building a boat to carry a person across the pool. After carefully engineering their boats and building it out of what looked like sticks and paper, they took the final test to see if it will float or not.

First you have to have a little help from your teammates to get into the boat.

Then you paddle very carefully across the pool.

And hope it gets you to the other end. This one made it!

She almost did. She was about halfway across before going under.

This one got about halfway across too.

And there is why it sank!

This one didn't have a chance!

Thanks, Pam, for taking me to the pool for this fun outing! Tomorrow we get to see what happens to the ones who did make it across.

Datura stramonium

Datura stramonium, known by the common names augushka, jimson weed, ditch weed, stink weed, loco weed, Korean morning glory, Jamestown weed, thorn apple, angel's trumpet, devil's trumpet, beelzebub's twinkie, devil's snare, devil's seed, mad hatter, crazy tea, and malpitte, is a common weed in the Nightshade family.

All parts of Datura plants contain dangerous levels of poison and may be fatal if ingested by humans or animals, including livestock and pets.

Datura stramonium is native to either India or Central America. It was used as a mystical sacrament in both possible places of origin. Aboriginal Americans in the United States have used this plant in sacred ceremonies.

Good thing I didn't touch it!

Around the Mission

A few pictures from around the Mission. It is such a beautiful place.

We'll have to go back another day and explore more.