May 23, 2011 - Msg 84122: Good afternoon, porch. We had a huge storm around here last night, rain, lightning and high winds. I expected to have a few limbs down when I got home, but apparently only one came down. Evidently it was a pretty large one, heaviest end about six inches in diameter. However, guess where it was. Broken into manageable pieces and stacked next to the curb at the street. There were twigs and leaf litter smack in the middle of my driveway, which told me that it would have been blocking my path to the garage. Someone - I don't know who - had removed it for me! I called the most likely suspect - John, Joe's brother, who walks his dogs every morning and would likely have seen it. He denied it, said he would have done it if he had noticed it, but he didn't. I told him I knew he would, that's why I called him! Still he denies it. So, I don't know who did it. Could have been anyone. I've even thought about the newspaper guy, though I've never met him. I know it wasn't Joe, because I was home by nine, and he never even gets here before nine. So - to my unknown benefactor - I thank you.

Well, looks like I've got another pond pump to buy. The fountain wasn't flowing when I got home, the filter was badly clogged, so I cleaned it out. When I hooked it all back up, it doesn't work. The pump just isn't running. I put it in another plug - still nothing. I guess that valiant little pump finally gave up the ghost. It's about four years old, and sits there pumping against a clogged filter about half the time, so I guess it just got tired. I should run up to Lowe's and get another one, but I'm tired, and I'm not going to do it. I'll go tomorrow. Meantime, the fish will just have to cope. It will be worth their wait when I get a new, strong, fresh pump going. The fountain will have twice the flow it's had the past few months, and (yuck) that means I'll be cleaning the filters twice a day instead of once. I wish I could find a biologic filter that really works, to cut down on some of this cleaning, but nothing I've tried really seems to do the job. Oh well. It keeps me moving, I guess - that's one way to look at it.

There's been another development in the story of my grand-nephew (great-nephew? Which is it?) He and his parents will be coming to Texas next weekend, in response to an invitation from the Rangers. They invited him to come down and work out with the team, so the scouts can see him in action with pro players, and see where he might fit. So, he has a chance to be one of their draft choices. Don't you know that kid is just about to pop with excitement? I am SO happy for him and his parents and grandparents. His granddad is my Dale's brother, and of the four boys, he's the one most like Dale, and the one I've known the best over the years. He used to travel the country on business, and when in this area he'd always spend a couple of days here, and I just enjoyed him so much. He's a great guy, his wife is a sweetheart, and if this Ranger thing happens, I'll get to see a lot more of them. What fun!

Well, guess I'll go "rustle up some grub." I stopped at the grocery store on the way home this morning, so have some interesting food in the house again. I'm going to have broiled chicken legs, corn on the cob, brussels sprouts and salad for dinner. Yum! There's plenty, if anyone wants to stop by. Blessings! --Romeena
May 23, 2011 - Msg 84123: Romeena, Want some peach cobbler with that? Big Maude got me inspired..I Have it in the oven now.
I use my Mayberry's Finest Peach cobbler muffin mix on top, I use sour cream instead of milk, makes it rise better. Off to the store for some ice cream to put on top. Not bad for a guy from Ohio. My haircut may say city but my cooking is from the country thanks to my Mama!! "COBBLER!"

Again thanks for a space on the porch everyone!

Goober-Fife
May 23, 2011 - Msg 84124:
Hello porch family

Ro....after a hard night's work you still have time to sweep the porch...You are just amazing! I'll stop by for dinner...sounds yummy!

Boo...love the idea of the roadside stand.....but be sure you're not in the town limits or Barney will run you off:) Really it sounds like something you will enjoy along with the family.

MDC....yep good race....Carl had it running a smooth line. Then tore the front end off after the race:) But with a $1 mil purse, I think he can afford to fix it back up.

Asa...I know what you mean about the boiled eggs, but as posted, older eggs and putting them straight into cold water after boiling surly helps out.

Goober-Fife....After I stop by Ro's for dinner I'll be right over for some of that cobbler as soon as it comes out of the oven. Man it sounds good.

On the more serious side....Prayers for all the storm victims. Bless their hearts...so sad.
Ya'll have a good night.
Love and prayers for all my porch family!
-REV.

May 23, 2011 - Msg 84125: Boy, that was some terrible storms in the mid-west. Glad you and yours are ok John Masters. My goodness, it has been a spring of some intense storms.

Hey Boo, that salad sounds great, and even something I might be able to handle. Thank you. Maybe I'll get the fixins for it at the store this week and try it for Memorial Day weekend. I'll add to my weenie and beans dinner. LOL
Hey Rev, Will you come by and pick me up. Dinner at Ro's, then some fine sounding cobbler at Goober-Fifes. Yea buddy, sounds fine just fine.

Gosh Ro, that sounds very promising for your Grand Nephew. I'll bet he's excited. I hope he wows them.

MDC, I wish we had the old Butter and Egg man make deliveries. I don't even think we have Milkmen here anymore. Does anyone still have Milkmen? We did when I was a kid.
Someone at work today was telling me if you add salt to your boiling water it will help the eggs to peel better. Anyone heard of that? I can't see how, but I'm learning cooking is as much science as anything.

Well better go pay some bills.

Asa
May 24, 2011 - Msg 84126:
Just saw TV news reports of Joplin! My goodness,
unbelieveable, yet there it is. I send up my prayers for all those dear people.
Have a good night all,
MDC
May 24, 2011 - Msg 84127: What is going on with all of these terrible storms?! Very disturbing and sad.

Asa, I remember having a milkman when we first moved to the small town i grew up in. He would leave the bottles on the back doorstep. You had to shake it up to mix in the cream. We also had an egg "lady". That has been over 40 years ago, though.

Never heard of the thing about adding salt to the water but give it a shot, you never know. By the way, we had hotdogs with the slaw I made and it was really good.

Ro, if that grand-nephew of your makes the Rangers, I will become a Ranger fan. I never watch baseball but that would be a good reason to start.

I am feeling better but up too early this morning. I have to drive Bruce to work since his truck is still in the shop. The radiator and water pump have to be replaced (ouch).

Yesterday when I was in the doctor's office, there was a lady in the exam room next to me that was having a heart attack and she was not very old. EMS came and trasported her to the hospital and when the doctor came back to the room I was in, he told me, "Don't ever smoke!". I told him I already had enough problems. I just shared that to encourage those of you who smoke to take a second look at stopping. This woman had already had a serious problem and heart surgery and continued to smoke.

Boo
May 24, 2011 - Msg 84128: Glad you're feeling better Boo. Them sinus infections can hold on sometimes. I quit smoking over 30 years ago. So glad I did. It was hard, but sure worth it. My brother in law's wife is a long time smoker and she has that nast smokers hack... just horrible. She has all kinds of lung issues and coughing, hacking .... just sounds terrible. And she ain't even 50 yet. Very sad. Please, if you smoke, give it up. It just ain't worth it.

Well I'm running late. Better get moving.

Loves to ya all.

Asa
May 24, 2011 - Msg 84129: Hey and good morning, all!

Yeesh! I have been kinda preoccupied with all of this tornado stuff in Joplin. I have been watching wall to wall coverage and have become fixed to it. I think it's because of all of the ties I have to it and the bad weather that is been in the area.
I found out that a distant relative's uncle was in the St. John's Hospital on the seventh floor when the twister hit. Her aunt was just coming out of the hospital cafeteria when it hit and survived by....you're not going to believe this...hanging on for dear life to the DOORKNOBS! It sucked her purse out and yanked the glasses off of her face, but they both survived it and they are both in Pittsburg, Kansas now. Another distant relative had an unknown object come tearing through the front of her house, go straight through it and exit the back of the house! The house is still standing somewhat strong.
Now we have the weather people saying that the entire midwest better brace for today, tonight and tomorrow!

Sorry if I have kinda fallen back on everyone. Between the four family members getting almost cought on Sunday and this news coming this morning, it is all cutting a little too close to home!

By the way, I briefly caught the smoking subject. I smoked for six years and then one day, I just crushed the pack of cigarettes I had in my hand and never picked another one up again. I found out that when I had pneumonia as a four year old, a doctor said I would have scar tissue in my lungs and that rang in my head.

Better git. Y'all have a great day and I do hope there is better weather ahead! This stinks!

John Masters
May 24, 2011 - Msg 84130: I know, JM..I just found out that a good friend lost several family members yesterday in a tornado. Just horrible. I have not watched the news coverage because it upsets me but I am praying. Have they given any scientific explanation of why these killer tornados are devastating so much of the country this year? What is up with the weather? It's making me think we might have a terrible hurricane season here on this coast!

Glad you quit smoking, John and Asa. Good for you. My folks smoked into their 40's until my sister was old enough to start bothering them about it. She took their cigarettes and threw them in the "crapper" and that was the end of it. Its a very good thing, too, because with the asbestos my dad has in his lung, he would have died long ago.

Boo


May 24, 2011 - Msg 84131:
HI all. Pryers continuing for Joplin and the area.
I heard there is even a larger storm forming in the midwest. Lord be with us.
I hope all of you are well,but I think a good tags quote will help right now:
BARN: Oh, he's loaded.
Floyd: I wonder how he got all that money.
Barn: You kiddin? Wilson's Orthopedic Insoles?
Floyd: That's the Charlie Wilson we know?
Barn: Yeah . . . got out of the fruit stand business and made a bundle.....he's a smart man......knew where the money was.
FLOYD: There's a lot of bad feet in this country.
BARN: Daddy you are sooo right.

May 24, 2011 - Msg 84132: Hello porch family! Lots going on on my end of the porch, sorry I haven't been round, 10 hour work days...yuk! Hope you are all well. My prayers to Joplin. God bless you all.

Rafe
May 24, 2011 - Msg 84133: Lord bless and keep our dear Romeena safe during the tornadoes that are in her area right now.

Watching the Weather Channel-tornadoes in the Dallas area & I heard them mention Ro's town,so y'all please say a prayer for her. Hope we get word from Ro soon- really concerned about her!
*******************
possum under a rock
May 24, 2011 - Msg 84134: And they're saying Joplin might get hit again- Lord, have mercy!
God bless all in the paths of these storms.

possum again
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84135: Lord, please protect our dear friends through these storms. May your angels surround Romeena and keep her safe from harm and Lord help the people of Joplin. The devastation is so horrible that we don't even have words to express how much we feel for them and want you to help them. Send them all that they need in the coming weeks and months and open the hearts those who can help. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84136:
Romeena-our prayers are with you and yours tonight! Please check in or email us if you can.
MDC
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84137: Well back from the Jimmy Buffett Concert...wow what an event!...prayers ...SPOT
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84138: Mornin' Y'all- I watched the Weather Channel until I couldn't watch any longer ,for fear I wouldn't be able to sleep for worrying. I did hear them mention Ro's town several times-not sure of any damage,but it was reported that a good part of the area had lost power.In that case, it may take a while for Ro to get in touch. Praying she is okay.

Glad you enjoyed the concert,Spot. You gonna grill some cheeseburgers in paradise for lunch??

Y'all take care-love to all!
********************
possum under a rock
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84139: Oh man Possum. I'll surely keep her in my prayers. It has been a wild and crazy spring all over the place.

Tom, Happy Birthday buddy. I think today is your birthday. Hope you have a good one.

Good to see you Rafe. I was hoping you hadn't left town or got yourself a little inarculated by some fed somewhere. lol

I hope Ro checks in soon and let's us know she is ok.

Asa
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84140: Good Wednesday Porch, hope all is well.

Happy Birthday Tom! Hope you have a good day.

Well, seems like the cold/sinus infection everyone's been dealing with has made it to my end of the porch. trying to make the best of it and continue to work but I feel pretty lousy and am sure I look lousy as well. Maybe some of Emma's pills or that Elixir would help.

Prayers for all the storm victims. We have had some bad weather lately but nothing compared to the folks in Joplin and other parts of the country.

Hopefully, my husband and I are going to be able to see the Rev. perform in Pigeon Forge on Sunday. We have made our plans so hopefully it will work out. I am looking forward to meeting him.

Better get to work. Lunch menu will be: Subway sandwhiches, my treat!

Prayers and blessings to all.
Big Maude
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84141: Oh no!!! We missed Asa's birthday yesterday! Dang it! Yep, there it is,right in my little notebook I keep by my desktop computer.Thing is, I've been on my laptop and neglected to check the birthdays. When you mentioned Tom's birthday, I knew yours was the day before. Double Dang it!!

Happy Belated Birthday ASA!!

We'll have to have a wing ding this weekend to celebrate yours & Tom's special days!

Happy Birthday TOM!!

Fox News has a guy reporting from Ro's town right now! Lemme listen..
They are showing vehicles w/windshields with holes all in them from hail,busted apartment windows,glass everywhere, saying it may take weeks to repair the damage to roofs, windows, etc. Sounds like they had a humdinger of a storm. Continued prayers for Ro.

*******************
possum under a rock
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84142: Hey to Maudie-hope you feel better & are able to attend Rev's show.
Thanks for lunch- you think you have time to whip up a birthday cake for Asa & Tom??

possum again
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84143: Well, how wonderful are you folks? Thanks so much for your concern and your prayers. Apparently God was listening, because I'm home from work, safe and sound. We had some rough weather, some golf-ball-sized hail, and as Possum mentioned, there were wide-spread power outages. The hospital area was out of power, but of course within less than two seconds we were on generator power and it was business as usual. When I got home, I was very relieved to see my garage door respond to the button. The power had been off, because the clocks are wrong and my answering machine had reverted to the default greeting, but it's on now. Toye Starr was very happy to see me - I'm sure she hung out under the bed all night. She hates storms.

All my wildlife seems to be okay. Mama and Papa Cardinal have already made about six trips into the ligustrum bush to feed the babies they have in there, and there are three squirrels fighting over rights to the bird feeder. I don't know who told them they were birds, but they seem to be under that impression.

The hail may not have fallen here, or if it did it wasn't too severe, because I have three large stands of day lilies that appear to be untouched. Heavy hail would have leveled them. So, all is well here. I'm just really tired, and hurting quite a bit, so I'm ready to lie down for a while. Prayers for the hard-hit folks in Joplin and elsewhere. I surely hope none of our folks were involved in any of the bad stuff.

Blessings, friends - and thanks again for caring. --Romeena
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84144: Hi All.
Thank you for all the bierday wish.
I will have a good day.
Prayer are going for everyone who was hit what the storm.

TOM :)
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84145: Thank the Lord you and your property made it through okay, Ro! Was worried about you!!
possum again
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84146: A good wet and sopped morning, All

Ro - Glad to hear you came through those nasty storms! I was on the Weather Channel again all last night watching the storms in Oklahoma get closer and closer to Arkansas where my mother and g'ma are.

Happy belated birthday to Asa and TOM!

Big Maude - Hope you kick this cold. Watch taking too much of that Elixir! And dont deputize Goober in your place!

My continued prayers for the people of Joplin and Oklahoma. The stories from Joplin are just getting sadder and more tragic! My family has been in Joplin many times, I have been through there once. And seeing the nation's eyes and media there is so surreal. God bless 'em and I hope they can get some decent....scratch that...sunny and clear weather to continue rescue and recovery!

Have a great day, folks!

John Masters
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84147: Great to hear from Ro this morning...so thankful all is well. I thought about Toye Starr yesterday and how scared she would be...poor baby.

Happy Birthday to TOM and Happy Belated Birthday to Asa. I am getting out my big switch to give you both a good birthday whippin'!

Hope you get to make it to REV's concert, Maude!

Boo
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84148: Oh, mornin' JM. It is really terrible seeing all of this on the news. I read that two police officers who were trying to rescue people were hit by lightening.

Boo
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84149: Tom,Ya catch my post? Being form Cleveland you must have been a Goulardi & Big Chuck & Hoolihan fan too?

Goober-Fife
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84150: Happy birthday to Tom and Asa! Blessings and prayers to everyone on the porch! A hot one here on my end of the porch, another 90+ degree day, 3 in a row!

Rafe
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84151:
Ro- glad you are OK. I should have known that you were at Parkland. Tho you're not in ER, I'm sure you were busy. My, did you see the hospital in Joplin? Unbelieveable. Prayers continue.

JOhn Masters, have you ever seen The Blue and the Gray with Gregory Peck? Where he uses that northern voice, or is it his 'reglar voice? ha
Happy birthday ASA and TOM.
MDC
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84152:

May 25, 2011 - Msg 84153:
Hey Folks

MDC-Ya better watch it. You go and saying something like that and a Yank show-up! Just kidding buddy. I didn't know we were the ones that sounded funny!! lol

Been busy but I still include ya'll in my prayers.

Peace,
auh2o
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84154: I'm back, after a brief nap. Joe and Jorge are on the way over, we have some yard work to do, and we do have a day for it. You wouldn't believe how beautiful it is here today, after such an awful night. Sky is clear as a bell, breezy, sunny, and not terribly hot at 82 degrees. I'm still pretty tired, but this was the time slot Joe had open, and I think he's bringing lunch, so I'm not complaining.

MDC, I'm not at Parkland, but not very far from it. I'm in Irving, on the west side of the Trinity River from Parkland, at Baylor Irving. We do half-jokingly call ourselves Parkland West though, because indigent moms who should be going to Parkland will come to us instead, because we have all private rooms, and they'd have to share at Parkland! Freebie, and they're choosy. It's kinda hard not to remember that little fact when we're told there will be no cost-of-living raise because "the hospital can't afford it." They can't afford it because of the unpaid bills! Oh well.

I'd better run, the kitchen is a bit messy. Should tidy up before the guys get here, I suppose. Blessings! --Romeena
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84155: Well holy smokes!.....

I just got out of the basement a couple of hours ago from three storm cells that passed over us. We went from tornado watch to warning in minutes and to grab the wife and six daycare kids and hit the basement. There were rotations all over the place with a near touch down around Overland Park, Kansas which is a part of the KC metro area. THEN...we had rotations just a few miles from me at Kauffman Stadium where the Kansas City Royals play ball. I stayed up in the house monitoring the tv and skies while sirens were going off all over KC. It was a little hair raising, but nothing came of them and all is well.

I cant say the same for Sedalia, Missouri about 90 miles southeast of here. They got hit with significant damage, but nothing like Joplin.

MDC - No, havent seen "The Blue and the Grey" yet. I hope to soon!

Boo - Yeah, one of the officers that got hit was in ICU.

Ok, folks....back to research.

Tornados, tornados, go away. Come again anoth.....oh bullstuff.....DONT EVER come back!

John Masters
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84156:
auh20-you are a caution! ha JM- I saw it years ago.
It was a TV miniseries with Gregory Peck as Abe Lincoln. Here is a link to it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_and_the_Gray_(miniseries)
It was good, i think even better than Glory.
I recently saw that it was on dvd and almost bought it at a local store.
Man, that was close JM. Glad you, yours and the kiddies are OK.
RO- sorry about the mix-up, I thought you mentioned one thime that you were at parkland.
Hope the clean up of the area goes well.
I'd hate to be an insur@nce adjuster in the midwest right now!!
Prayers continue!
Hope Rev and Maude get to meet also.
MDC
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84157: Wow- John Masters.. you've been telling us so many tornado stories lately, and now you're almost hit with one yourself! Your nerves must be mighty frazzled with all this wild weather. So glad you & your family is okay!

******************
possum under a rock
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84158: Goober-Fife, I am pretty sure TOM is from West Virginia.

Good to see ya, Auh2o. Wish you would come by more often. :)

Stay safe, JM.

Gosh, I have been trying to stay on this diet and the antibiotics make my stomach feel like it is having hunger pains all the time. I am sticking with it, though. Only two more days of antibiotics.

Boo
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84159: Thanks Boo, A big difference between Cleveland and West Virginia. Got a very good friend who is from West Virginia who reminds me very often of the difference between Ohio & West Virginia, so i'll plead the 5th. and chaulk it up to poor detective work!
Goober-Fife.....
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84160: JM, was it you who mentioned the shadows in some of the TAGS scenes? I said I had never noticed but last night I was watching it and darn it, they were are plain as day in the courthouse. Don't know why I never saw it before. I also found a blooper in the "Cousin Virgil" episode. Remember when they can't get Otis out of the cell so Barney pulls the window out of the back wall of the cell? You can see him standing outside and instead of another building behind him, there is a wood fence. That couldn't have been right. I love seeing those kinds of things but don't pick them up very often.

Been watching a little of the news coverage of Joplin and just heartsick at the people who have no idea where their loved ones are. I feel so sorry for them. Lets keep praying for those fellow Americans who are suffering so.

Boo
May 25, 2011 - Msg 84161: Hi All.
It was a hot hot nice day here!
Thank You all for the birthday wisher.
Now Boo I am frome Cleveland Ohio, came to West Virginia back in 2003.
Goulardi came to cbs in the 60 and Big chuck & Hoolihan sometime in the Hool life and Little john.

TOM
G
May 26, 2011 - Msg 84162: where is everyone or did the storm wash you away

May 26, 2011 - Msg 84163: Good morning, fellow Porchsters!

Thanks for all of the well wishes! Yeah, it's been a might hair pulling. It wouldnt be so bad if it wasnt for all of the ties to bad weather that I have had throughout all of this. I am looking out the window now at sunny to partly cloudy skies and birds singing. That's a welcome sight!

Boo - Yeah, that was me regarding the shadows. Probably the most known shadow that everyone seems to catch is from the very first episode "The New Housekeeper." When Opie is in his room, writing his "running away from home" note, there is a moment when you can see the shadow of the boom microphone in the top of the screen. I wish I could remember what episode it was where the whole camera shadow runs right up Andy's chest and face.

Continued prayers and blessings on the Joplin population and those in surrounding areas.

Hey to Asa, Lucy, Ro, SPOT, TOM, Maude, Possum, MDC, REV., auh2o and the whole bunch of bananas! LOL!

Have a great day and I will try to drop in a bit later.

John Masters
May 26, 2011 - Msg 84164: Howdy All.....
That's what's great about us Mayberry folk, does not matter where your from,were all connected by a common thread...Good show,Good sence,Good friends and GOOD FOOD! My 7yr Grandaughter is running in her track & field day at school Friday so we must watch "Opies Medal" first! Win or lose there is a lesson there. That's what we all love the most the lessons of the shows...
Sooooo much better than the junk they feed the kids today. Do I get a AMEN?????

Always Mayberry,
Goober-Fife
May 26, 2011 - Msg 84165: So you are originally from Cleveland and moved to West Virginia in 2003, TOM?

Amen! You are SO right, G-F (Goober-Fife)...is it alright if I call you "G-F"?

Still feeling a little bit under the weather but getting better. It has been sunny and HOT here in south texas and I am in no way complaining after what has been going on in those states slammed by storms.

Boo
May 26, 2011 - Msg 84166:
Morning all, Yes indeed Goober-Fife! That would be a good one to see.
Spot's buying lunch at Waffle House today!
Prayers continue for all.
MDC
May 26, 2011 - Msg 84167: Lunch at the Awful House, it is! ;)

Boo
May 26, 2011 - Msg 84168: Funny (TRUE) Mayberry story, awhile back I was pulled over by local cop,my car plare frames say "I'D rather be watching the Andy Griffith Show & I;d rather be fishing with Andy & Opie"
The officer asked "What's your hurry"? Did not think much of it at the time until he said "Who do you think you are, Guilley Walker or somethind? SPEED,SPEED,SPEED, let's hold it down next time I'll have to Nip Ya.
Who say's being a Mayberry fan does't have benefits!
Goober-Fife (G-F for short)
May 26, 2011 - Msg 84169: Good morning, porch! and a big AMEN to you, G-F. Some of the current programming, (well, actually most of it) is so lame it's embarrassing. I just simply don't watch it. That's why I signed on to Netflix. Eight dollars a month, and I have all the good programming of days gone by, at the touch of a button. Been watching "The Dick Van Dyke" show lately. For TAGS, of course, I have my DVDs, though I'm sure it's there too. Old movies, new movies - just about anything you want can be found there. It's a real bargain. It's kinda like the lunch at the diner. I don't see how they can give you all that for such a low price.

It's very windy, but beautiful here today. I still can't believe the mercy of God - I had no damage in the storms, nor did my son. Eloise's car and her husband's truck have some hail damage, but it's not major. Those little dimple dings - they may be able to pop them out with ice on a hot day. If not, then that's what insur@nce is for. A big tree was blown down, at the end of my street, but I barely lost a few twigs. The limb that a neighbor cleared for me came down on Sunday night, when we were just having high wind, no tornadoes. Oh, and I found out who did it. Bob, across the street, saw it early Monday morning and knew I'd be coming home from work and couldn't get in my garage, so he chopped it up and moved it. Wasn't that kind? I could have gotten in the house, but would have had to leave my car on the street, and no way could I have moved that huge limb. I have wonderful neighbors.

A belated Happy Birthday to Tom and Asa. Sorry I missed them - I'm so bad about that. I have a hard time even keeping up with my grandkids! Lazy, I guess.

Well, gotta run. I have a chiro appointment this afternoon, then have to work tonight, so I'd better get moving. Blessings, all! --Romeena
May 26, 2011 - Msg 84170: Oh, hi there, G-F! That's a cool story - what fun! I would have laughed about that for weeks. I've told this before, but you weren't here, so I'll tell it again. I came out of the post office one afternoon, and when I went to get in my car, my furkid (The Plum, all the old-timers knew The Plum) was in my seat, paws on the steering wheel. As I got in I said to her, "Move over, I'm driving!" A man who was getting in his car next to mine heard me, laughed out loud and gave me a nod and a thumbs-up! He obviously knew the line. You find Mayberry folks everywhere! --Romeena
May 26, 2011 - Msg 84171:
Well, Pappabear will again be placing flags on the graves of our fallen heroes this weekend. May we remember all of our deceased vets this memorial day weekend.
Sure, there are the sales, the parties, etc, and that's all good, but please take a moment on Monday, and say "thanks" at a grave of a fallen soldier at a military cemetery. I know that you good people will. I appreciate it,
MDC
MDC
May 26, 2011 - Msg 84172:
That was my brother MDC, and my other brother MDC
May 26, 2011 - Msg 84173: Lay off the squeezins' MDC.

Boo
May 27, 2011 - Msg 84174: Been bidding on some Mayberry items on e-bay, WOW sort of got spanked on my bids. The winning bidders must have been from Raleigh, always heard that things go for more up in Raleigh!
"If you give'em 25 the'll go 35 if you give'em 35 the'll go 45." What I forgot to say on my previous post story is I got stopped a year ago in another town, 32 in a 25 it cost me $120.00 That officer did not get the Mayberry Memo.
That's why you got to NIP IT!
I learned my lesson LOW & SLOW......Always!
Goober-Fife
May 27, 2011 - Msg 84175: Morning dears. It's Friday. Yippeeee. And a three day weekend to boot. And yes to MDC. I will certainly remember the reason for the Holiday. Going to a few Cemeteries this weekend.

Fun story Goober-Fife, and Romeena. Maybe that would be a good idea, if we all share our little Mayberry moments here with one another. I'm sure we've all had them. One I can think of reminds me of my favorite episode. A few years back me and the Mrs. had driven down to Las Vegas to take care of some business. We got done later in the day and decided to drive a way back home rather than spend the night in Vegas. We stopped in a small town called Saint George Utah. It was a Saturday night, but we found a room and crashed. Well the next morning as I'm putting the luggage in our Jeep, I noticed something stuck in the rear tire. It was the head of a large rivet. I wasn't sure if it was just wedged between the tread or stuck in the tire, cause the tire was not flat, or even low. So I got out a pair of pliers and started to tug on it, and heard it hissing! Dang! I remembered Gomers admonition "people sure are odd, they see something sticking in their tire and they just gotta pull it out". Well I pushed it back in, offered a prayer of thanks for seeing it, and we commenced to find someone who could fix it for us. We still had a 350 mile trip to get home and I didn't want to put the spare on. So we drove all over that place. Finally saw a guy sitting in a full service gas station. So I whipped in there and went inside and asked if he could fix a tire for me. Now, this guy even looked like Wally. "No sir" he said. "I'm just here to pick up some papers. We ain't open today. It's Sunday you know". I said is there anyone in town open who could help me. I have got to be home by tonight. He responded, "son, this is a small church going retired community. Why don't you just plan on laying over till morning, and we'll take care of you then?" Boy, could I ever relate to Mr. Tucker! I wanted to cry out about how we are living in the space age, and all that jazz, but I figured if I did, he'd think I was a nut. Anyway, we eventually did find a station open who fixed us up and got us on our way. But the similarities to the episode "Man in a Hurry" were eery. I just wished someone would have offered us some fried chicken, we might just have stuck around. lol But then again, I didn't try stealing the station owners truck either.

Thanks for the beltard birthday wishes gang. Don't go feeling bad about not remembering it. I appreciate Possum thinking about it. She's a good possum.

Well better get. Let's here your Mayberry moments. I have a couple more I'll share later.

Asa
May 27, 2011 - Msg 84176: What's a "beltard birthday" Asa? Great story!...I am curious, though...just what kind of "business" did you have in Vegas?...

G-F, good advice. I am driving to Houston this morning and I am going to leave early enough to keep the speed down.

Please pray for a safe trip for us and that Erin will be fine (she is spending the day with a friend).

I have so many "Mayberry moments" but just small ones. Because kids, Bruce and I have watched so much TAGS, little things come up alot. For instance, if we don't like something we have to say somethng like Lydia would, "I hate spinach...I don't mind broccoli, but I HATE spinach". (I love spinach, though, but you get the idea). Also nobody can smell gas without saying, "Of course you smell gas! That do ya think this thing runs on, coal?!". Oh, and how about the ever popular, "You beat ever-thang, you know that?!"...it just goes on and on. We seem to get alot of lines from The Loaded Goat episode, like "Uncle Nat..what'r you doin' here?"! haha

Better get ready to go. You probably won't hear from me until tomorrow.

Boo
May 27, 2011 - Msg 84177: Great story, Asa, A Mayberry story for sure. I just got home from work, am bushed, and heading for the bed. See you dear folks later. --Romeena
May 27, 2011 - Msg 84178: Good morning porch family! I hope everyone is doing well. Looking forward to nice weekend with the kids. Great story, Asa. Everyone take care and be safe.

Rafe
May 27, 2011 - Msg 84179: Ha! Funny story,Goober-Fife! That almost makes getting pulled over by a cop fun, don't it? I always get a kick outta Ro's story too. Don't think you've ever told us your Malcom Tucker going to Vegas story,Asa-that's a good one! Yeah, just what WERE you doing in Vegas? LOL

Here's a Mayberry moment of mine:
A few years ago, Mr. Possum & I took a trip up to the Great Smoky Mountains in NC. We're on the Interstate and I just happen to look over in the next lane & there's a girl driving a car with a big dog sitting in the passenger seat that looked just like " Blue" from TAGS! I said to my hubby, "Look, there's Blue!" and we both had a good laugh. Got a bit further up the road and passed " Kelsey's Restaurant" & had to make a joke about Old Man Kelsey's restaurant. And even further up the road,when we pulled into a gas station to refuel, who was sitting in a car at one of the nearby pumps but "Blue?" Ha!

We saw lots of things on that trip that reminded us of TAGS- even came across a gift shop called "Kelsey's Cabin." I tell y'all, that Old Man Kelsey must be loaded-he owns cricks, oceans, restaurants.. LOL

Looking forward to the weekend too. My sister & kids are coming from Wyoming for a few days! Sure have missed them-it's been over a year since we've been together. Can't wait to see them!

Y'all have a great weekend- keep the Mayberry moments stories coming!
*******************
possum under a rock
May 27, 2011 - Msg 84180: Hey Goober,asa,Ro,possum,Boo,MDC,Lucy,Jm,Tom,Rev,auh2o,hazel,rafe and all...Maaude whup up some slaw and I will throw some dogs on the grill,Boo baked beans,Possum will you make some tea?...Mn yall storms hit here last evening....3 dead here in ga from falling trees...we still are getting peoples power on......ok..worked 18hrs yeaterday,home to sleep for 4 and back till in the morning...then off for 4 days ...whew...prayers .....let eat about 6..SPOT
May 27, 2011 - Msg 84181:
Spot- good you are there to help keep things going! prayers.
Great TAGS stories! Asa's is amazing. Kinda scary! ha
Hope you all have a great holiday weekend. i may not make it by too much, so dont worry bout me.
Still praying for all the storm folks, but keep the stories coming cuz i need some cheeery new too!
MDC
May 27, 2011 - Msg 84182: Y'all may recall me mentioning a friend of mine some time ago named Lisa,who was battling breast cancer. Some of you prayed for her during her ordeal. Well, Lisa went to be with the Lord today.She was such an inspiration to all who knew her. If you would,please say a prayer for those she leaves behind. Thanks so much.
***************
possum again
May 27, 2011 - Msg 84183: Hi All. Possum Sorry to heard that me prayer your family and her family and friends.

TOM

May 27, 2011 - Msg 84184: Prayers for your family,you and your friends family Possum.....got some dogs left over from the grill out....yall can take them home and cut them up in sour kraut.....SPOT
May 28, 2011 - Msg 84185: Thank you Tom & Spot..

******
possum
May 28, 2011 - Msg 84186: MORNING All,Possum sorry to hear of your loss of a good friend, the battle is over, now the sweet rewards of victory in the Lord....
Thanks for your Mayberry story, if we look there is a little Mayberry in all we see if we choose to! That's what being a Mayberryian is all about looking for the good and not settleing for the bad in things. Do I get an A men? Sorry REV don't mean to steal the thunder but it gets me cranked up when I talk to people who understand the Passion.
Maude what's for supper? Finished the cobbler last night (had no ice cream to go with it)
:( :(
Have a good one! Tell'em Goober said Hey!
Goober Fife......
May 28, 2011 - Msg 84187: Mornin' Dears! I slept in until 8am..yeehaw! I was pretty sleepy from driving to and from Houston yesterday and I got caught in some of the rush hour traffic coming back. I don't know where everyone was going this weekend but there was traffic all the way from Houston to Corpus Chrisit! I was glad to get home and away from all the crazy drivers. Thanks for the prayers! Sean's appointment went well no med changes required this time. I took Dad with us because he just likes to go along for the ride. He was slow and hardly talked because he wasn't feeling well but on the way home we stopped at our favorite BBQ place and Dad ate more than I had seen him eat in a year. It did my heart good and made him feel better, too. One thing about Dad, the older he gets, the sweeter he gets and is very appreciative of anything you do for him. I enjoy having him with me even if it is like having a small child sometimes. Seems like it takes him forever to do anything and he needs help with even small things sometimes. It is a blessing to do things for him, though. :) I am so very thankful that he is still around.

Possum, I was very sorry to hear about your friend. My prayers for comfort for you and her family.

Better finish the coffee and start the day. The laundry is piling up! :)

Boo
May 28, 2011 - Msg 84188:
Hello porch family....Slipping in real quick. I'm already in TN. Things will be a little busy till next week so may not get to check in as much.
Praying for you all!
-REV.
May 28, 2011 - Msg 84189: Thank you,Goober- Fife and Boo. Sure appreciate it...
possum again
May 28, 2011 - Msg 84190: Good afternoon, porch! Boo, I'm so happy to hear you speak of your dad like that. I know there were challenges in years past, and I'm glad that God has allowed him to remain through this "sweetening" time. I just pray that he'll let go, stop resisting and give his heart to Jesus. I do know what you mean though, about him growing sweeter. My own dad was a dear and a sweetheart all his life, but that sweet nature just got sweeter as he got older. He was a fiercely independent person, and the infirmities of age were frustrating to him, but he accepted it with grace. When it got to be too much, instead of becoming angry and difficult, he just accepted the help and supervision he needed, and started praying every day that God would take him home! That prayer was answered (appropriately, I thought) on Father's Day of 2003. Knowing what a relief it brought him, and imagining his joy as he found my mother, and most of all, got to see Jesus - I barely shed a tear. All I could do was rejoice for him. Both of my parents were role models for me all my life, and the way they handled death was no different. I hope I can be as courageous and graceful as they were.

May I submit a quick little un-reimbursed commercial for a product I've found? After my computer crashed and burned a year or so ago, I was faced with rebuilding my little personal phone directory. I had a great one, a simple program, and it contained the numbers and notations for about three hundred friends, acquaintances, service people, resources, whatever. I lost all the data, because the program wasn't backed up, and was no longer available, so the data wasn't accessible. I searched for a new program, tried using my email program as a directory (lame!) and experienced a lot of frustration. Finally I found www.mountain-software.com. They have a great little phonebook/reference directory program you can download for about $25, as I recall. It's called Home Suite. They also have a neat little calendar/appointment program called Milestones. I store all the family birthdays in that. It's arranged to look like (surprise!) - a calendar! I love it. It displays important events in the time context in which they occur, so conflicts are immediately evident. Also, I just ordered their photo-handling program for $15. It's simple, just moves your photos from the camera or stick to your computer and stores them under common-sense filenames. That's all. It doesn't photo-shop or do anything fancy to the photos, it just loads them and stores them. I think I'm going to like it. My resident photo program is Picasa, and while it does have some great features, it's also difficult to navigate and is much more technical than I need it to be. My least favorite part of Picasa is its loading and storing function, so maybe this little $15 program will solve that for me. Anyway, if anybody needs a good phonebook or calendar, check out that link. I like 'em!

Beautiful day here. Warm at 91, but breezy, which helps a lot. The hydrangeas on my back fence are just beautiful, loaded with big old pink mophead blooms. Orange daylilies are blooming here and there, all over the place. When clumps get too large, I divide them and share with friends, but some I relocate, and soon they're huge clumps too. Pretty things. The crape myrtles are getting all dressed up too - looks like it's going to be a good year for them. Joe and I pruned the roses deeply last week, so should get another flush of bloom from them before long. Pansies are still hanging on, though temps in the 90s will knock them down soon. They're getting shade from the cottonwood on the back fence this year (it has grown!) and I'm keeping them well-watered, so maybe they'll hang on a bit longer. We did inter-plant some petunias though, so when the pansies finally faint and die away, the petunias will be there to fill the gaps.

Well, guess I'd better get busy around here. Blessings, everyone! --Romeena
May 28, 2011 - Msg 84191: Thanks, Ro. You are right; things used to be pretty tough with Dad at times but he has mellowed out so much. What a beautiful testimony you shared about your parents. May we all face death with as much grace. :)

Nobody here in south texas seem to grow hydrangeas. I have never seent them here so I have never tried it. You should see my petunias, though..gorgeous and full of pink blooms (the ones on the back porch anyways). I think they must get just the right amount of sun back there because the red ones on the front porch don't look nearly as nice and full.

Been a busy day and more to do. Just finished eating a sloppy joe and a piece of corn on the cob..not too bad. I thought of cooking my artichoke but decided to save it for tomorrow.

Think I will veg out for a bit before cleaning the kitchen. It is HOT here today..wow.

Boo
May 28, 2011 - Msg 84192: Boo, if you like hydrangeas, I think they'd be worth a try. I would give them a north-facing exposure, with little to no direct sun, plant them in a loose, well-draining soil with a lot of organic material in it, and give them plenty of water. Direct sun will shrivel them, unless it's early morning sun, and in a hard soil or low-water situation, they won't make it. Give them what they want though, and they are so beautiful. They grow very well in San Antonio - my mom and her sister both grew them - so I would think in Corpus they would have a good chance. I think they manage well in Houston, too.

About the petunias - apparently one color is doing well, and the other (red) not so much. The possibility exists that it could be the original grower. Did you buy them at the same place? Even if you did, they could still be from different growers. The original soil lthey grew in is very important. Some growers use a fortified soil, some don't, and it shows. If you had some pink doing well in one location, and not so well in another location and all were from the same flat, then I'd feel sure it was the location. It could still be, but as I said, the possibility exists that it could be the origin of the plants, from what you describe.

I found a ring of pecan-smoked sausage and a head of cabbage that I forgot I had, but they were still good. I sliced the sausage into bites, fried it a little in some EVOO, then coarsely shredded the cabbage and an onion and added it. After that had fried a little and a bit of brown was showing on the cabbage, I added some red-wine vinegar, lowered the heat and covered it. I let it cook slowly until the cabbage was soft. Yum! I love meals like that. I'll have it for three or four days, just for little quick meals here and there. I like to cook that way - planning ahead!

Well, guess I'll go see how it turned out. I'm not especially hungry, but with almost no carbs, that's not a very filling meal either, so it should be just right. Blessings! --Romeena