Okay, it’s 5:30 Sunday afternoon and I’ve just taken the 3rd call of the day from the “No on 1” campaign. If they don’t stop bugging me. I’m going to vote “Yes!”
Just back (yesterday) from an emergency trip back to Ithaca. The emergency was the hospitalization and subsequent recovery of a dear friend who loves there. While I knew before I left that it was no longer a dire need for me to be there, I went anyway so that I could attend the memorial service for my second boss, Karl Jaentsch. Karl owned an independent VW garage outside Ithaca and I worked for him for about 5 years as a service advisor, scheduler, parts runner and general office manager. He appreciated my organizational abilities and my desire to do things the right way. While I worked for him, I took and passed the test to become a certified New York State Motor Vehicle Inspector, one of the few women at the time who held such a position. Karl taught me so much about the world outside of Ithaca. And he was the best mechanic. I have been searching for 25 years and haven’t found one as honest and trustworthy.
I have to thank my dear friend referenced above for providing me the opportunity to see my homeland in all four seasons this year...the snows of early January, the promise of Spring, the lush green paradise of summer and the golden glow of autumn. I’ve seen them all! The view from Route 81 just south of Syracuse yesterday was spectacular!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
What I don’t understand...this week.
While I believe in second chances in some cases, I cannot in any way support the Philadelphia Eagles’ decision to hire Michael Vick. The man bankrolled a major dog fighting ring and I have my doubts about his change of heart. I hope I’m wrong. Any dogs who lost their lives as a result of his actions will never get a second chance, so I hope Mr. Vick appreciates what he has.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
From the Garden
I spent a couple of hours this morning puttering in the garden beds, doling out TLC to the flowers and veggies that have been neglected of late. We dug out the stump of the Mugo Pine I lopped into oblivion a couple of weeks ago. (It deserved it!) Then I dead-headed and pruned my way around the front yard. It’s been a stellar year for the Hostas and the Daylillies. Most years my Daylillies have come and gone by the beginning of August but the cloudy, wet weather delayed and prolonged their bloom this year and that is just fine with me! I also whacked back the Spring pansy pots and will transplant them into the window box that formerly held the lettuce, which has bolted and is now compost. The pumpkin seems to have succumbed to the wet leaving the Hubbard Squash to fend for itself in the back. The tomatoes were sprawling way beyond the support I had provided so I tied them to the shed. I harvested 4 SunGolds the day we returned from New York and there are several more about ready.
So far, the deer seem to have only eaten the tops off the raspberries, an annual rite of summer. We had a brood of turkeys march through on Saturday, but they don’t disturb much other than the peace, which is how I knew they were out there! The skunks are doing a number on the SO’s precious lawn, another expected but disturbing rite of summer.
I find the older I get the more selective I must be about the weather when I attempt a gardening project. Gone are the days when I can work in high heat or humidity..I just wilt like last night’s salad! And I can’t devote an entire day to any one project. Oh, that I could! Then, perhaps, my raspberries would be weed-free and well contained. My asparagus and rhubarb would be well-fertilized with Rainbow Valley Farm compost. That bed by the telephone pole by the road would be long renovated and the Hostas and Daylillies currently residing there would have found homes elsewhere. And the bed in the back would also be weed-free and well mulched. But I figure no matter how much I do in the yard, there will always be things added to the end of the list. We are dealing with living things here!
So far, the deer seem to have only eaten the tops off the raspberries, an annual rite of summer. We had a brood of turkeys march through on Saturday, but they don’t disturb much other than the peace, which is how I knew they were out there! The skunks are doing a number on the SO’s precious lawn, another expected but disturbing rite of summer.
I find the older I get the more selective I must be about the weather when I attempt a gardening project. Gone are the days when I can work in high heat or humidity..I just wilt like last night’s salad! And I can’t devote an entire day to any one project. Oh, that I could! Then, perhaps, my raspberries would be weed-free and well contained. My asparagus and rhubarb would be well-fertilized with Rainbow Valley Farm compost. That bed by the telephone pole by the road would be long renovated and the Hostas and Daylillies currently residing there would have found homes elsewhere. And the bed in the back would also be weed-free and well mulched. But I figure no matter how much I do in the yard, there will always be things added to the end of the list. We are dealing with living things here!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Rochester, ElderMares, Malls, and Massachusetts
I just returned this week from a trip to upstate New York. (Yes, ANOTHER one. I’m ready for my “Frequent Driver” miles rewards from the Mass. Pike!) This was a trip to attend the wedding of the SO’s niece in Rochester. While there, we took in the Saturday races at Finger Lakes. My last trip to this track was many moons ago when I was barely a teenager and the track was fairly new. Things have changed since then...slots, simulcasting, many more claiming races. But my love of watching the horses has not changed. For me, racing is still about the horse. Do I bet? Sometimes. (Do I win? Seldom.) I was struck again this time, like my April trip to Tampa Bay Downs, how many people attend races just for the betting aspect. And it was very evident that New York needs to revamp their system to increase purses. Payouts were abysmal, fields were short.
One of the bittersweet high points of the day was seeing one of my ElderMares (mares 10+ years who are still racing) win the 3rd race. Congratulations to Ava Marisa! I hope your connections realize you have earned your retirement soon. One of my other ElderMares, Prospectforme, was a scratch in the same race. I only hope it was because she has finally found her forever home as she has been listed on the Trainer’s Listings from the Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Center. This wonderful organization has been the model for retirement programs at tracks around the country. I am an irregular supporter of theirs, simply by virtue of geography. Having grown up with Finger Lakes as the closest track to Ithaca, I consider them “local”, even though I no longer live in Ithaca.
My other entertainment for the weekend, while the SO was golfing, was shopping. Sounds silly, I know, and I am usually not much of a recreational shopper here at home, but put me in the vicinity of a great mall and stand back! Rochester is blessed with 2 such centers of commerce and consumption. I spent time at Greece Ridge Mall and while I did not spend much money, I was impressed. A few observations:
Larger city mall stores have more space but seemingly the same amount of merchandise, making the shopping experience less frustrating. You can actually SEE the merchandise!
How many athletic shoe stores does anyone need?
Marshall’s and TJMaxx really are the same store, yes?
Memo to Mallwalkers--a circuit around the mall does not benefit you if you then buy all the crap food at the food court.
Our drive to Rochester was accomplished in one 10-hour marathon stretch. Our return was very pleasantly broken up by an overnight stay in North central Massachusetts with my college roommate at their weekend house. Old cape-style house by a pond and mill stream, old trees and just very comfortable. Thanks for the hospitality and a big hello to Petey, the best watchdog in the state!
One of the bittersweet high points of the day was seeing one of my ElderMares (mares 10+ years who are still racing) win the 3rd race. Congratulations to Ava Marisa! I hope your connections realize you have earned your retirement soon. One of my other ElderMares, Prospectforme, was a scratch in the same race. I only hope it was because she has finally found her forever home as she has been listed on the Trainer’s Listings from the Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Center. This wonderful organization has been the model for retirement programs at tracks around the country. I am an irregular supporter of theirs, simply by virtue of geography. Having grown up with Finger Lakes as the closest track to Ithaca, I consider them “local”, even though I no longer live in Ithaca.
My other entertainment for the weekend, while the SO was golfing, was shopping. Sounds silly, I know, and I am usually not much of a recreational shopper here at home, but put me in the vicinity of a great mall and stand back! Rochester is blessed with 2 such centers of commerce and consumption. I spent time at Greece Ridge Mall and while I did not spend much money, I was impressed. A few observations:
Larger city mall stores have more space but seemingly the same amount of merchandise, making the shopping experience less frustrating. You can actually SEE the merchandise!
How many athletic shoe stores does anyone need?
Marshall’s and TJMaxx really are the same store, yes?
Memo to Mallwalkers--a circuit around the mall does not benefit you if you then buy all the crap food at the food court.
Our drive to Rochester was accomplished in one 10-hour marathon stretch. Our return was very pleasantly broken up by an overnight stay in North central Massachusetts with my college roommate at their weekend house. Old cape-style house by a pond and mill stream, old trees and just very comfortable. Thanks for the hospitality and a big hello to Petey, the best watchdog in the state!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Happy Birthday to ME!!!
Yep, it's my XX birthday today. The SO took me out to dinner (always a good thing!) and I have received good wishes from some unexpected sources.
Monday, July 20, 2009
A 93-year old gets it! Why can't Congress?
Driving home from Ithaca yesterday and I was barely out of Ithaca when Elton John’s “Your Song” came on the radio. As I wound up, down and around the gently folded hills of Central New York, I reflected on how fitting that was. When we were all at IC, we often found ourselves at the Fall Creek House for liquid refreshments and played A104 on the jukebox every visit. A104 was (and may still be!) “Your Song.” So, here’s to JBH, who was an integral part of those evenings.
A bit further along on my trip I passed through a little wide spot in the road shortly before reaching I-88. At this intersection lives a man known to horse welfare advocates as a killer buyer, although he probably refers to himself by the more romantic title of horse trader. He buys inexpensive horses at the local auction (Unadilla) and gathers them up until he had a full stock trailer load. Then he drives them North up I-88, up I-87 and across the border into Canada, where slaughtering horses for human consumption is legal. When I passed his house both ways on this trip, there were no horses outside. However, on my trip back at Easter this year, I saw approximately 2 dozen very sad horses in his muddy, filthy paddock, all with white auction tags glued to their rumps. I’ve never seen a sadder sight in my life. And that I why I keep working to get Congress to pass the legislation that will outlaw the transport of horses to slaughter. I want people like this killer buyer to have to find another line of work. And I know that passage of the laws will not be the end. I know that after the laws are passed I will have to work even harder to educate law enforcement officials that there are laws and to get them to recognize the importance of enforcing those laws. I’m hoping for that cultural shift in my lifetime, the one that means all people value animals lives. Am I a dreamer? Yes!!
One of the true bright spots during my weekend was the few hours I spent Saturday evening with my friend Barb and her family, a group that includes Barb’s 93 year old father. He is a delight of a person who upon hearing of my interest in horse racing, told me stories of playing golf in Florida with a retired trainer who he said would bet on anything and everything. Later in the evening, he brought up racing again and asked why I was so interested. My answer was about my lifelong love of horses and that I just loved to watch the thoroughbreds run. Before I could get to the Barbaro part of my story he said to me “You know, I think they are beautiful, but the most beautiful was that one who won the Derby and then broke his leg in the next race. He was a beautiful horse.” 93 years old, not even a horse racing fan and he gets it! (And this man is a wonderful artist, so he knows “beautiful”!)
A bit further along on my trip I passed through a little wide spot in the road shortly before reaching I-88. At this intersection lives a man known to horse welfare advocates as a killer buyer, although he probably refers to himself by the more romantic title of horse trader. He buys inexpensive horses at the local auction (Unadilla) and gathers them up until he had a full stock trailer load. Then he drives them North up I-88, up I-87 and across the border into Canada, where slaughtering horses for human consumption is legal. When I passed his house both ways on this trip, there were no horses outside. However, on my trip back at Easter this year, I saw approximately 2 dozen very sad horses in his muddy, filthy paddock, all with white auction tags glued to their rumps. I’ve never seen a sadder sight in my life. And that I why I keep working to get Congress to pass the legislation that will outlaw the transport of horses to slaughter. I want people like this killer buyer to have to find another line of work. And I know that passage of the laws will not be the end. I know that after the laws are passed I will have to work even harder to educate law enforcement officials that there are laws and to get them to recognize the importance of enforcing those laws. I’m hoping for that cultural shift in my lifetime, the one that means all people value animals lives. Am I a dreamer? Yes!!
One of the true bright spots during my weekend was the few hours I spent Saturday evening with my friend Barb and her family, a group that includes Barb’s 93 year old father. He is a delight of a person who upon hearing of my interest in horse racing, told me stories of playing golf in Florida with a retired trainer who he said would bet on anything and everything. Later in the evening, he brought up racing again and asked why I was so interested. My answer was about my lifelong love of horses and that I just loved to watch the thoroughbreds run. Before I could get to the Barbaro part of my story he said to me “You know, I think they are beautiful, but the most beautiful was that one who won the Derby and then broke his leg in the next race. He was a beautiful horse.” 93 years old, not even a horse racing fan and he gets it! (And this man is a wonderful artist, so he knows “beautiful”!)
Friday, July 17, 2009
A New Start
I started this blog a few months ago as an assignment for an online class during which I supposed to learn 23 things. Life intervened and i think I made it through 17 or 18 things before I dropped out. Now I’m converting this blog to a personal one so all the class assignments have been deleted and you will be reading about things that are important to me...things like horses, quilting, gardening, books, friends and travel. The last 2 are today’s subject.
I am currently in Ithaca, New York, my hometown. I stayed here and attended Ithaca College where I had the fortune to meet a truly Big Chill-esque group of friends. Most of us do not see each other very often but when we do reconnect it is like we’ve never been apart. We’re scattered across the country now but still manage to stay in touch.
We are gathering here this weekend for a memorial service celebrating the life of JBH. John was the most intriguing and unique individual. My words cannot do justice to all that he was and did so I will leave it to others. Here is the link to his obituary (written by long-time colleague David Wickstrom) from the Ithaca Journal JBH OBITUARY. And here is the link to the absolutely perfect tribute Keith Olberman broadcast on his CountDown show shortly after JBH’s passing in March OLBERMAN TRIBUTE.
I had the good fortune to work with JBH at Karl Jaentsch VW Repair in the mid-70s. JBH arrived there with some skills but learned so much more than mechanics from Karl. I’d like to think a bit of that German discipline found its way into John’s life but not so much as to dampen his joie de vivre. For several years, John would welcome my invitations to a home cooked meal at whatever holiday was at hand. Once we both moved on to other jobs, we would still gather when college friends would visit.
The last time I saw John was one summer before he moved to Virginia. He was working at the Cornell Sailing club and I met him there to catch up on life. Ever time I saw him after a period of time it seemed as if he was into something new. That was his natural curiosity and as an “information professional” I can certainly understand that. One of our friends points out a great enigma about John - as curious as he was and as technology-minded as he was, he never really took to using a computer much. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Rest in peace, JBH.
On a brief side note: It was a terrific day yesterday on the website where I hang out and try to make a difference for horses http://www.alexbrownracing.com. Three - count ‘em 3 - thoroughbreds were taken off the track and retired to start their new lives, one the winner of almost a million dollars!!! My sincere congratulations to all involved in these life-changing moves!
I am currently in Ithaca, New York, my hometown. I stayed here and attended Ithaca College where I had the fortune to meet a truly Big Chill-esque group of friends. Most of us do not see each other very often but when we do reconnect it is like we’ve never been apart. We’re scattered across the country now but still manage to stay in touch.
We are gathering here this weekend for a memorial service celebrating the life of JBH. John was the most intriguing and unique individual. My words cannot do justice to all that he was and did so I will leave it to others. Here is the link to his obituary (written by long-time colleague David Wickstrom) from the Ithaca Journal JBH OBITUARY. And here is the link to the absolutely perfect tribute Keith Olberman broadcast on his CountDown show shortly after JBH’s passing in March OLBERMAN TRIBUTE.
I had the good fortune to work with JBH at Karl Jaentsch VW Repair in the mid-70s. JBH arrived there with some skills but learned so much more than mechanics from Karl. I’d like to think a bit of that German discipline found its way into John’s life but not so much as to dampen his joie de vivre. For several years, John would welcome my invitations to a home cooked meal at whatever holiday was at hand. Once we both moved on to other jobs, we would still gather when college friends would visit.
The last time I saw John was one summer before he moved to Virginia. He was working at the Cornell Sailing club and I met him there to catch up on life. Ever time I saw him after a period of time it seemed as if he was into something new. That was his natural curiosity and as an “information professional” I can certainly understand that. One of our friends points out a great enigma about John - as curious as he was and as technology-minded as he was, he never really took to using a computer much. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Rest in peace, JBH.
On a brief side note: It was a terrific day yesterday on the website where I hang out and try to make a difference for horses http://www.alexbrownracing.com. Three - count ‘em 3 - thoroughbreds were taken off the track and retired to start their new lives, one the winner of almost a million dollars!!! My sincere congratulations to all involved in these life-changing moves!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
