Little Man

One of the most discouraging things I find when I travel about is the disappearance of the mom and pop stores... small town uniqueness ...

Now it's almost homogenous --- same stores everywhere. One thing about the East, however... especially the New England states... they make 'em hide their huge ol signs and lights. love that.

This Alan Jackson song just came by me.... I like this guy ;)

Little Man

There`s johnson`s hardware and morgans jewelry

And the ol` Lee king`s apothecary

They were the little man

The little man

I go back now and the stores are all empty

Except for an old coke sign from 1950

Boarded up like they never existed

Or renovated and called historic districts

There goes the little man

There goes the little man

Now the court square`s just a set of streets

That the people go round but they seldom think

Bout the little man that built this town

Before the big money shut em down

And killed the little man

Oh the little man

He pumped your gas and he cleaned your glass

And one cold rainy night he fixed your flat

The new stores came where you do it yourself

You buy a lotto ticket and food off the shelf

Forget about the little man

Forget about that little man

He hung on there for a few more years

But he couldn`t sell slurpees

And he wouldn`t sell beer

Now the bank rents the station

To a down the road

And sell velvet Elvis and

Second-hand clothes

There goes little man

There goes another little man

Now the are lined up in a concrete strip

You can buy the world with just one trip

And save a penny cause it`s jumbo size

They don`t even realize

They`er killin` the little man

Oh the little man

It wasn`t long when I was a child

An old black man came with his plow

He broke the ground where we grew our garden

Back before we`d all forgot about the little man

The little man

Long live the little man

God bless the little man

Little ol bitty legs...

Little ol bitty legs... We went to the Zoo yesterday. She just loved it. She wore ALL of us out... HAhaaaa

Climbing, jumping, poking head through slits and slots and climbing rocks and and and...

We enjoyed it very much. I wish we could fetch her any time we want. So sad. She lives 2-1/2 hours away and her Mother is still bitter - as I've written. Just so sad. I hope she can let go and let's just think of nothing but that precious little baby.

Son's fiancee --- is finally going to meet the baby mama... today. She is going to take her back. I'm sitting here with my ample belly doing butterfly things. I hope all goes well.

Needs to be done. Both ladies are 22... son is 26. He used to be soooooo slim. Tall and thin basketball player. It's so cute to see him being a big boy ... look at him! He looks like a man! My baby... He's 6'1-1/2" and now weighs... I dunno... HAHaaaaa...

I stand on a step and still hug his neck good and proper. I so want all of us to become one of the extended family families. Fiancee --- I guess I can use names. I just feel weird writing about private stuff in a publc place. I do on Facebook, however. But there I only post to friends but then friends and so on ... plus we all know who we are... Hahaaa... whatever... anyway... Stephanie - fiancee - texted Chelsea - baby mama - and reached out last week... baby mama is still too raw.

EVEN though baby mama needs to realize why they broke up.... I don't think she will ever admit or see how the end came about. She was such a princess and a 'taker'. He gave it his all for almost two years. I was very proud of him. still am.

Soooooo off we go on a --- let's hope Stephanie gets back unscathed... lol... she's a pretty brave kiddo and is crazy about my baby. She's a really nice kid. I like her. She's training to be an air traffic controller. She's in the National Guard. interesting.

Husband is doing what husband does... confounding the crap outta me. SIGH

I really sincerely mean this... I do NOT understand why everyone I meet and know and have known can not be as true and brave and honest and downright perfect as I am. At least somewhere close ... sure would be nice.

cut down on the aggravation considerably..

I wonder what great feat or clever lie
The penguin wrought so that his fate would change,
To not be tethered to the barren sky
But have abundant southern seas to range.

-John Lenehan (U.S.A., 1987-present)

It's tool time

I have one of those coffee makers that has its own grinder. I love the smell of fresh coffee beans in the morning and having a good ol cup while I remind myself to smile and say thank you.

I also have a separate grinder I've used for at least 50 years.... toted it about everywhere. It was a free gift with an order my parents received sometime in the 60s with their vitamin order...

I paid a bazillion dollars for this fancy schmancy coffee maker. It's hard to clean. I'm lazy. So... I dragged out my old and trusted grinder. It finally croaked yesterday morning. So, I used the fancy schmancy one that's an all in one step deal. Just a real pain to clean.... anyway, couldn't remember if I was supposed to leave the gold basket filter in or take it out.

I don't know why this occurred to me. But, it did. I left it out. Coffee was all over the counter. Messy, hot stuff to clean up when all I wanted was my morning smells of fresh brewed coffee. Not much to ask so I can resume my smiling. Seemed I remember reading that you don't need the filter blah blah blah... so without coffee stimulation ... I just assumed I didn't need it --- doesn't make a whit of sense to me now why I thought such.... I have since found out that you don't need the gold filter with a paper filter... SIGH

However! why in the world would not putting this filter in the basket cause such a todo? just doesn't seem right.... I had a busy day yesterday or I would have pondered that more. I woke up a little after 5 this morning ... made coffee - with the filter. I'm better. Really helps me move along when nothing goes wrong with having a cup of coffee in the mornings. And, I'm smiling.

I had too much of a day yesterday to write about it now. I need another cup of coffee and ponder s'more.

Just my ongoing quest to understand life and its subsidiaries... life is amazing for anyone who might read this. Life is full of wonder. It's exhausting, amazing, scary, respulsive, intimidating, aggravating, breathtaking, sad, happy, maddening, curious, full of learning experiences, and why in the living breathing hell does U-verse TV just suddenly go away and you have to click OK 97 times for it to come back on. So far, I've clicked okay FIVE times ... right in the middle of something I was listening to while typing this.

My brain needs several things to do at once or it goes insane r.

The dawn is here and I'm going to open the blinds and go on the little ol front porch I have and breathe a bit and say hello to a tree. Needs to be done. Tools.... we all have coping tools... if I can't see or hear an ocean wave? I gotta say hey to a tree.

Pooh, home again - but mellow

This is the QUIET campground for two nights. I took pictures this morning of the last night campground but they're not here! They went away..

I took a picture of a very large walking stick walking along the bench where I had my coffee basket. Very cool. I've always been fascinated by these guys. That's a first for my phone. I guess I must have hit the wrong button trying to see him.


The campground became extremely quiet and everyone was very respectful. This is my local campground... Lake Maumelle - 20 minutes from my house.

Here is a sunset picture of my favorite spot there but it was taken. Only four sites were available when I pulled in yesterday. Both of these campgrounds were Corps parks and my senior pass got me half price. The first two nights were $8.50 each! and the local park was $12. This is a very busy Park. Being so close to Little Rock and very pretty, it stays pretty full. I can reserve the sites on the water and need to remember that.

I just didn't know where I was going when I left Heber Springs. I wandered about the back roads - very pretty country. Two exclusive golf clubs and private communities along the way. Eden Isle and Fairfield Bay. Gorgeous but those kind of places... I mean it's kinda like spending a zillion dollars on a place and if you don't like the folk who come to the club and such ... too much high school clique stuff it would seem. At least that's the way the one is in Hot Springs. Hot Springs Village...

People come to the small towns to be a big fish in a small pond and I found I don't have time... too tiring. Those who have the most toys - or say they do - like to be boss on account of they have lots of money and well, you couldn't possibly have as much as they do because LOOK at all their toys and such. Well, in my case! they would be correct... LOL

Speaking of toys... hah! and since I wanted to GO before I talked myself out of it. I only took the 3" mattress from my cot. Homer's floor is not flat. I took out the middle seats long ago. The back seats are up and as I posted I was not comfortable being all scrunched up lengthwise.

So I put just the cot mattress down and well... even though I am fluffy -- I'm not fluffy enough to keep the floor from being extremely rigid and even with padding on the thingamathings that hold the seats in ... I was reeeal bumpy as well... man - I slept but woke up with bones wondering what the hell was going on several times during each night.

So.... went to good ol Walmart and bought a Main Stays self inflatable twin air bed. Now... this is exceptional. I've tried a lot of ways to get a good night's sleep in Homer. THIS is by far the best yet! I put the large back seat back down and left the smaller up. The twin mattress fit great! and I still have one back seat for reading or watching a DVD on my laptop --- whatever.

The even better part is that I deflate it and roll the bottom up and well look at all the room I have! love it. Wonderful night's sleep. The smoke from the campfires died down and by this morning it was just a beautiful, crisp morning.

I have mosquito netting things on each sliding door window. They are for the Passport instead of an Odyssey! but they allow me at least 4-6 inches, I think, of fresh air without bugs.

So, just sat in Homer and bathed and watched and feeling relaxed and happy. My cares floated away. That was my aim in just going. It worked. I'm mellow! ;)

Left the campground before all the smells would be back. Panera Bread is on the way home. I always like to go there and get the spinach and artichoke souffle and coffee. Read the paper. Relaxed.

Knew I needed to go home ... husband had texted - out of food --- HAhaaaa ... he's within walking distance of at least a dozen restaurants from the house.... and he usually goes there. I knew he wanted to ask my whereabouts and when I would be home... we dance around all the stuff that needs to be addressed. Huge big ol elephants live with us.

I am the type who wants things resolved and tackle whatever the issue is. He, on the other hand, likes to bury them --- sweep them under the carpet --- and they will all go away.

SIGH

In 27-1/2 years --- they haven't. I've learned to accept the way he is. I didn't want to come home. But... I needed a shower! ... silly to take one at the campground... so after Panera - went to Whole Foods to get -my trying to eat right food-  ... got home around 3pm. Husband is knee deep in all the football.... remote in hand at all times .... quite a sight. He had to leave around 5pm... His route puts him home on Friday nights and he leaves Sunday evenings.

M'baby girl will be here for three days beginning tomorrow... ;) that's why I'm home then it'll be the 2nd week in October before we get her again.

Husband will be on vacation beginning this Friday and I'm trying to figure out where to go. I want him to have the house so he can burp, fart, drink beer, watch every sport known to mankind, not bathe much less shave ... play computer games and so forth.

I do not wish to witness this. I hate ... I double triple hate his vacations.

I want to go to the Gulf... the shortest distance from Little Rock is Gulfport, Mississippi... I like it there and it's about 7-1/2 hours away. I also like Gulf Shores a lot and it's just a hop skip. I would love to go to the Texas Gulf but it's about 12 hours away.... I do hope I can go to the WGS GTG in November there.

I'm going to get things prepared to leave either Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning. I could drive down to Vicksburg Wednesday and then on down to Gulfport Thursday. Just gotta see some waves.

I love mountains and green and clear blue water ... fortunately, I live in that environment - but I have to do a 'sea' thing --- those wave sounds, smells and dolphins playing... seagulls doing what seagulls do. They tickle me.

Husband wants to go to the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas this weekend ...asks if I want to go... Indeed I would but --- it's just really interesting that he is so 'into' himself that he couldn't possibly fathom that I wouldn't have a good time with him.

Really amazing..... seriously

OMG.... smoke and campfires .... Allergies are going nutz...

Sharing a drive in to our site driveway with so far three cars... I had to drive off the drive to get in! Went over and asked them to move over a bit ... Big tent - truck and THREE cars...

No way could i back outta here! Plus the drop off couldn't be missed by me backing up! SIGH

I was offered a jello shot...

Moved to another campground ... and it's Saturday night! have mercy

well? I'm no longer by myself! This ought to be interesting ....

Gypsy, Cyn and Sheryl - thanks so much for your comments ... I can't reply to comments on my iPhone!

I post to my blog by sending an email ...

Oh boy .... wonder what the night will bring ... man oh man ;)

Carolyn
iPhone

Jitterbug Cafe

       

Cute little ol town ... this cafe and McD's are the only two places with  wifi...

Last night was a bit cool and may I say QUIET... holy cow... I'm used to city racket and there was not one sound to be heard.

I was the only one in this area. A fifth wheel was behind and down several spots. But no one was there.

I didn't put up the privacy curtains and just watched the dark trees against a lighter sky move about. Surreal. Peaceful. I listened to iTunes - had downloaded my Rod McKuen CD - The Soft Sea - ahhhhhhh

I talked to myself and to the trees and reminded me that I have value if only as a child of nature. We all do. I get so caught up in the everyday drama that is my life that I forget trees and bugs and plants and birds and water and rocks continue to be.

I decided I wouldn't put my cot in Homer. I just used the back seats and folded them back as far as possible.... which isn't very far. But the width wasn't a problem. I'm 5'4" and sleep on my side. I thought it wouldn't make much difference that my feet were up against the wall ... much. Wasn't too bad until I woke myself up with my feet trying to push Homer's side out. So... I have a chest thing and put it along the side and I lay catawompus.... that wasn't too bad until a crick developed in my right back muscle! Soooo.

I'm going to put the big back seat down entirely like when I had my cot in and put the cot mattress that I had put on the back seats and comforter on the floor ... I gotta have feet and head room. Who woulda thought.

I finally woke up for the 19th time this morning and was cold. Had to, of course, do my morning peeing. too cold still kinda dark... but if you're old you do what you do... so I did and and watched the dark trees move across a lighter than they were sky again.

Kinda neat just getting naked and getting washed and dressed in the woods by a lake... felt real Pocahontas like. Decided to not get out and hook up my electric tea pot for coffee water. Decided I'd go on back up the road a bit ... about 8 minutes and eat at a restaurant that I noticed said breakfast served 7-11... It has a porch and plants and windows and a rough wooden exterior. I like that kinda place.

Breakfast was ok. I like eggs and potatoes for breakfast on the road. I love the way the yankee easterners do theirs. In the South ... the big breakfast is usually steak and eggs and biscuits or sausage or bacon and pancakes, etc. Big ol boy breakfasts.

So, I usually order ala carte and asked about the country taters they had on the menu. They are cubed and deep fried... of course.. but I thought they might have put a bit of seasoning in 'em... nope just cubed and fried. I don't salt stuff and hardly ever use catsup... but I did this morning. The biscuit wasn't canned but it wasn't freshly made either. Probably the frozen in the bag kind. bland. The price was certainly right though ... I think the whole thing with tip and coffee was like $6... so I don't complain much when it's not too expensive.

So, in the morning, I'm just heading to good ol McD's and get an Egg McMuffin... love those damn things. And you can get all the coffee y'want.

After breakfast... the weather cleared to being an absolutely stellar gorgeous day. High will be 74º and not a cloud in the blue blue sky. So now I have green trees against a sky blue sky and blue water and well... I'm a happy camper.

I don't, however, do camp camping. So after breakfast I explored and am now downtown in the Jitterbug Cafe! very friendly lady and having a Breve' -- don't know how to make that little fancy mark over the e... really good and I had a medium and I'm going to have another!

Got a local paper yesterday while eating in a Mom and Pop Restaurant ... wow... really good. I guess I should change that to a local restaurant... a salad with grilled chicken with chipotle sauce and bacon... yumola

Anyway, paper said BIG sale at a Stage store... they had Mules on sale for half off with an extra 20% off Friday and Saturday... and so well... I am female.

Debated on whether to get the black or the grey. Regularly $50. Decided on the grey... never have been much of a black shoe kinda person... went to check out. Lady said you know you can buy another pair for half of half! get out of town!

But the grey were $54 ... sign said $50 but then the black were $50. Same freakin shoe. So... the good part is I got both black and grey! and $104 became $31.60... LOVE that kinda stuff... that was the only thing my Mother and I had in common --- SALES...

Walking out there was a guy on the right in a chair and a guy on the left in a chair. I got tickled because I know THAT look. One guy saw me and nodded his head and smiled....

That's why small towns are fun to visit. They were certainly seniors and used to just sitting idly by waiting for their wives... soooo cute.

And a nice young man --- reminded me of my stepson - was so helpful in finding East for me. My gps thing on my iPhone tells you how to get places but dammit! I don't know unless the sun is either setting or rising which is freaking east! seems they would say ... go right or left... hate that.

nice young man.

I'm going to have another talk with myself tonight watching the trees ... hope I can understand what I'm saying.