Tuesday, October 30, 2007
I Am A Little Black Cat
I am a little black cat. This little black cat is a leopard.
Leopards are hunted. Someone is hunting me by pulling my tail. I must roll over and hide in the toile until my mommy comes and rescues me from Grandma Jojo.
Leopards are hunted. Someone is hunting me by pulling my tail. I must roll over and hide in the toile until my mommy comes and rescues me from Grandma Jojo.
Monday, October 29, 2007
I'm Grandpy's Little Crocodile
Here I am in my little green crocodile outfit. Grandpy held my hand and I looked at Grandma JoJo snapping the camera. Jeesh!
There are too many paparazzi in this family. Always working the camera. Always snapping away. Can't they leave a little crocodile like me alone? I know I am darn cute but give the baby a break.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Getting Gourded
I love fall. I love pumpkins. I love gourds. And I love folks who get very creative with their gourds.
Oh, my! Spooooooooky!
Oh, my! Spooooooooky!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The Winner Is.........................
Baby Jack would like to announce that the Boston Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians to win the American League Pennant Race for 2007.Go Red Sox!
Go Boston!
Now Beat The Rockies!
Defeat Denver!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Bill Veale's Birthday Surprise Party
Last night we attended Bill's 65'th Birthday Smash. Wife Debbie and the four children gave Bill a great surprise home party. You can tell that Bill is surprised because he is wearing flip flops instead of shoes. The party planner in red (Debbie) kept snapping photos when she was not busy dishing out food for the buffet table in the dining room. Taking it all in stride was the family mascot, Winston, the English Bulldog. Since two Veale children call James Madison University their college I wondered if the family got Winston because the James Madison mascot is a bulldog!. But after viewing the birthday slide show we learned that Winston is a replacement for the bulldog that Bill and Debbie had as newlyweds. A friend of the family serenaded all the guests by playing the grand piano in the living room. And of course the piano player ended the serenade with a chorus of Happy Birthday To You! A good time was had by all, including Winston!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Riding Grandpy Jack's Tummy
I like to take my Halloween duck and go for a ride on Grandpy Jack's tummy.
My little overalls from Jim and Joyce Blakeslee are getting mighty snug since I now am weighing in at 14 pounds! They also have become high water overalls since I am getting taller. And to think I just turned 3 months and these overalls are for 3 month old little boys. Does that mean that I am going to turn into a giant man some day?
My little overalls from Jim and Joyce Blakeslee are getting mighty snug since I now am weighing in at 14 pounds! They also have become high water overalls since I am getting taller. And to think I just turned 3 months and these overalls are for 3 month old little boys. Does that mean that I am going to turn into a giant man some day?
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Have You Seen My New Shirt?
Have you seen my new shirt? I got it from Great Aunt Marilyn who lives in
Cleveland, Mississippi. She must have chosen it to go with my blue eyes.
Cleveland, Mississippi. She must have chosen it to go with my blue eyes.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Buckland Farm Market
We enjoyed the short ride to Buckland to see all the fall farm produce and the cute animals. The loudest voiced animals were the roosters. The goats kept eating and eating and Joann discovered a red Farmall tractor! A nice outing on a very warm Virginia day that should see temps in the 90's once again! Wow! Get your display and cooking pumpkins early this year. Because of the drought the supply is not as great as in past years.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Training Baby Jack
The baseball playoffs are happening now and Baby Jack is in training to be a great little Boston Redsox Fan. On Wednesday Jennifer brought Jack Aidan out to see us and to pick up his Disney souveneirs and to have lunch with us. After some time passed Jennifer announced that Jack Aidan had to go home and get ready for the big game between the Red Sox and the Angels. Every good Redsox fan must don Redsox clothing and sit and cheer with every pound of their being. So our little Jack Aidan donned his Redsox outfit and cheered along with Daddy with all 12 pounds of himelf as the Redsox played the Angels. By the way the Redsox won the game. You can check my earlier post this summer to see Jack Aidan in his Redsox outfit. Right down to the little Redsox. (Blog post for Sunday, August 5)
Thursday, October 4, 2007
The Marrakesh Restaurant in the Morrocan Pavilon at EPCOT
I had hot green mint tea, Morrocan salad, leg of lamb and couscous. Yum, yum!
The White Sands of the "Redneck Rivera"
The beaches of the Florida Panhandle have the finest white sands and are quiet and secluded. I think they are the finest beaches of the lower 48 states.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Go Guard!
While we were traveling our daughter's beau, Bryan, was traveling with the VA Guard to Iraq via Kuwait for his second tour with the guard in Iraq. Bryan, we have you and your buddies in our thoughts and prayers. Stay safe and God bless. Meanwhile my brother's grandson, Chad, is due to return from Iraq with the Ohio Guard. God bless him and the Ohio Guard.
GO GUARD!
GO GUARD!
People You Meet While Traveling
I want to do a blog about some of the interesting people we met on this trip. So here goes a blog about some great folks we met on this trip.
1. The couple from Orlando, Florida that we met in Plains, GA. They were dressed as Thing One and Thing Two from Cat In The Hat because there son works for a Universal Studios Resort in Orlando. And what do Orlando folks do for vacation plans? This couple was heading to the great state of Arkansas to do the springs and spas. Who knew?
2. The two English couples we met at the Hay House in Macon, GA who had just toured Charleston and Savannah, GA. They told us that they just rolled their eyes when their tour guides in Charleston and Savannah spoke about how old these cities were. They said to us----you want to see old---come to England and experience things overs 1000 years old. Oh, and all of them were reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
3. The World War II navy veteran we met in Tallahassee, FLA. He told me that his ship was at the last land battle of the Pacific: the Battle of Okinawa and I told him that I had taught for DODs on Okinawa. This man said that his ship then went to Hiroshima where they waited for Admiral Halsey to show up. They spent the time waiting firing on targets of the city and he said he was amazed that they successfully hit 24 out 25 targets. Then his ship was the first ship to land and enter Hiroshima after the atom bomb was dropped. Three days after the bomb was dropped he and the other sailors from his ship were walking in downtown Hiroshima and were aware of the strange sensation of their clothes sticking to their bodies. The after effects of the bombing and radiation in the air. He said that there were over 270 men on that ship and only one man on that ship was able to conceive a child after the war was over. And that that one child that was conceived was greatly deformed. So sad. We need to remember the consequences of nuclear bombs.
5. The concierge man at Saratoga Springs Resort who struck up a long conversation with us after we mentioned that we had taken a cruise to Alaska and that Jack had worked in Anchorage for Army Audit. He talked about how very expensive Alaska is today for living. That's why he now lives in Orlando. He also told us about how you can get picked up for driving too slow on one Alaskan highway. He says that when he is back in Alaska he drives 120 miles per hour on this road to avoid getting a ticket.
6. The man from Morocco that we met at the Marrakesh Restaurant in the Moroccan Pavilion at EPCOT. He was our waiter and we had a great discussion about gender and the Muslim religion. He also spoke of how Morocco is very enlightened and gets along well with the minority Jewish population in Morocco.
7. The Englishman from Manchester who told us that Americans are spoiled when it comes to gas prices. In England as well as other European Union countries the average price for a gallon of gas is around $8.50!
8. The Canadian lady from Ottawa who spoke about how diverse Canada is becoming, especially the city of Toronto.
9. The young mother who was doing Disney with a seven week old baby boy and a two year old girl! What a patient sweet young momma she was. And get this: she was taking both kids on a kiddie ride while her husband did the roller coasters!
10. Our tour guide at the Harry P. Leu Home and Gardens. We discovered that we both are former DODs teachers. Then we discovered that we both taught in Germany as well as Okinawa. Then we discovered that we both had taught first grade at Zukeran Elementary on Okinawa! In 1968 I was at Zukeran. In 1990 she was at Zukeran. When she learned that we were from Northern Virginia she mentioned that she taught in Germany with a retired Fairfax County teacher. When she mentioned Mrs. Montgomery and her husband Charles Jack and I just about fell on the floor because they were our neighbors who lived across the stem from us in Burke Centre in the early 1980's. In fact, this lady was meeting Mrs. Montgomery on Tuesday in Phoenix to tour and attend an elder hostel program. We told her to tell Mrs. Montgomery hello for us and of course we exchanged phone numbers and email addresses so that we can keep in touch. She told me that I must attend a DODs teachers annual convention soon. I said I would.
11. Mark, the Disney backstage tour guide, that I wrote about in another blog this week.
13. The family from Dayton, Ohio who sat next to us at the Aloha Dinner.
I was surprised to learn that they had heard of Russia, Ohio and that it was sometimes pronounced Roo shee.
1. The couple from Orlando, Florida that we met in Plains, GA. They were dressed as Thing One and Thing Two from Cat In The Hat because there son works for a Universal Studios Resort in Orlando. And what do Orlando folks do for vacation plans? This couple was heading to the great state of Arkansas to do the springs and spas. Who knew?
2. The two English couples we met at the Hay House in Macon, GA who had just toured Charleston and Savannah, GA. They told us that they just rolled their eyes when their tour guides in Charleston and Savannah spoke about how old these cities were. They said to us----you want to see old---come to England and experience things overs 1000 years old. Oh, and all of them were reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
3. The World War II navy veteran we met in Tallahassee, FLA. He told me that his ship was at the last land battle of the Pacific: the Battle of Okinawa and I told him that I had taught for DODs on Okinawa. This man said that his ship then went to Hiroshima where they waited for Admiral Halsey to show up. They spent the time waiting firing on targets of the city and he said he was amazed that they successfully hit 24 out 25 targets. Then his ship was the first ship to land and enter Hiroshima after the atom bomb was dropped. Three days after the bomb was dropped he and the other sailors from his ship were walking in downtown Hiroshima and were aware of the strange sensation of their clothes sticking to their bodies. The after effects of the bombing and radiation in the air. He said that there were over 270 men on that ship and only one man on that ship was able to conceive a child after the war was over. And that that one child that was conceived was greatly deformed. So sad. We need to remember the consequences of nuclear bombs.
5. The concierge man at Saratoga Springs Resort who struck up a long conversation with us after we mentioned that we had taken a cruise to Alaska and that Jack had worked in Anchorage for Army Audit. He talked about how very expensive Alaska is today for living. That's why he now lives in Orlando. He also told us about how you can get picked up for driving too slow on one Alaskan highway. He says that when he is back in Alaska he drives 120 miles per hour on this road to avoid getting a ticket.
6. The man from Morocco that we met at the Marrakesh Restaurant in the Moroccan Pavilion at EPCOT. He was our waiter and we had a great discussion about gender and the Muslim religion. He also spoke of how Morocco is very enlightened and gets along well with the minority Jewish population in Morocco.
7. The Englishman from Manchester who told us that Americans are spoiled when it comes to gas prices. In England as well as other European Union countries the average price for a gallon of gas is around $8.50!
8. The Canadian lady from Ottawa who spoke about how diverse Canada is becoming, especially the city of Toronto.
9. The young mother who was doing Disney with a seven week old baby boy and a two year old girl! What a patient sweet young momma she was. And get this: she was taking both kids on a kiddie ride while her husband did the roller coasters!
10. Our tour guide at the Harry P. Leu Home and Gardens. We discovered that we both are former DODs teachers. Then we discovered that we both taught in Germany as well as Okinawa. Then we discovered that we both had taught first grade at Zukeran Elementary on Okinawa! In 1968 I was at Zukeran. In 1990 she was at Zukeran. When she learned that we were from Northern Virginia she mentioned that she taught in Germany with a retired Fairfax County teacher. When she mentioned Mrs. Montgomery and her husband Charles Jack and I just about fell on the floor because they were our neighbors who lived across the stem from us in Burke Centre in the early 1980's. In fact, this lady was meeting Mrs. Montgomery on Tuesday in Phoenix to tour and attend an elder hostel program. We told her to tell Mrs. Montgomery hello for us and of course we exchanged phone numbers and email addresses so that we can keep in touch. She told me that I must attend a DODs teachers annual convention soon. I said I would.
11. Mark, the Disney backstage tour guide, that I wrote about in another blog this week.
13. The family from Dayton, Ohio who sat next to us at the Aloha Dinner.
I was surprised to learn that they had heard of Russia, Ohio and that it was sometimes pronounced Roo shee.
Saturday We Rumbled and Roared
Saturday was quite a day for us. First we enjoyed having coffee and a croissant in downtown Winter Park, FLA which has tree lined shops with old fashioned brick streets. Then we went to the Harry P. Leu Home and Gardens northeast of Orlando. The gardens were gorgeous, particularly the huge rose garden. It was an outstanding rose garden with almost every rose bush in full bloom. I think it was as nice as the International Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. And the rose garden was the scene of a late morning wedding. We got to see the bride and groom scurrying to their separate before wedding hiding places in the gardens. After this adventure we took roads to lead us to downtown Jacksonville, FLA and the Cummer Art Museum and Gardens. Little did we know that all highways leading into Jacksonville Saturday afternoon were filled with cars, vans and buses heading to the football rumble in Jacksonville. The game was called the River City Rumble and it pitted the Crimson Tide of Alabama against the Florida State Seminoles. Florida won the game and set the tide packing back to Alabama. When we reached the Cummer Art Museum and Gardens we discovered that the place was gearing up for a wedding reception. Second wedding to crash that day. Wow! This time we didn't see the bride in her gown but we did see the groom and his party checking out the preparations for the big event which would run from 5:00 P.M. to midnight. And we did get to see the wedding cake which was decorated ala Jackson Pollack in yellow and chocolate. Very unusual. Oh, and the gardens were divided into two parts: an English garden that was very formal and a tropical garden that was very Key West. From the gardens you could see the St. Johns River and downtown Jacksonville. I read that the city of Jacksonville is the blue collar working brother in a family of playboy brother cities like Miami and Orlando. So Saturday we rumbled and roared and then hit the motel where we snored!
