** Flying in a 1946 Piper Cub **

Anyone who knows me very well, knows that the thought of me flying in a tiny, 2-seater 1946 Piper Cub prop plane, would be totally unbelievable! BUT, during my visit to the RAGBRAI Event in Greenfield, Iowa, I thought it sounded like a fun, adventurous thing to do!! As you can see by the photo, the pilot is helping me into my seat, in the front of the plane.....no right side door or window....and he sat directly behind me, somehow controlling the plane!

We flew around the town of Greenfield, population 2100, for about 20 minutes. We saw many of the bicyclists riding into town, plus some of the support crews in their campers, buses, etc. I was also able to pick out the house my grandma and grandpa lived in all those years ago when I visited as a young child!!

It was absolutely amazing and I can't wait to do it again!

(I'm also ready for those hot-air balloon rides and wild roller coasters!!)

** Back Home in Missouri **

We got home this evening from our fabulous trip to Iowa. I'll write more tomorrow, after I have time to reflect and remember.....

** Day Two of Our Iowa Vacation - Sun 7/19/09

The rumbling trains weren't as sleep-depriving as we'd expected. Yay! BUT, every time one did blast its horn and roar by, I immediately smiled and pictured "Vinny" and "Mona Lisa Vito", waking up in panic, and then laughter.

I've lost a day of posting.....It's been verrry interesting so far. Ron and I had a much too close encounter with a deer on a two-lane highway on Saturday night, in the dark. Cousins Nancy and Denny had warned us to keep a watchful eye, because deer were everywhere. We saw one near the side of the highway shortly after we left their house, driving back to our motel. I had JUST said "knock on wood" about the deer situation and was singing Knock on Wood, and acting silly, as I many times do.....when fortunately Ron wasn't paying any attention to me.....because he saw the large deer run right in front of us and was able to apply the brakes!!!!! THAT was the closest either one of us has ever been to hitting ANY kind of animal......Whew!

More later..........

** Day One of Our Iowa Vacation **

Oh my gosh. Before we even pulled into the parking lot of our motel, I had a feeling about the place. I noticed a railroad train track being quite close and wondered silently if it would be noisy at all hours of the day and night.

I had visions of the movie, "My Cousin Vinny". Vinny and his "fiance" stay at various seedy hotels in the South, while he tries to defend his nephew and a friend, falsely accused of murder. A very loud train goes through town, right next to their hotel, and besides waking them up in the middle of the night, pictures fall off the walls, drinking glasses jiggle right off the night stands, the lamps and lamp shades wobble and almost tip over, etc.

WELL...we hadn't even gotten settled into our room, when the first of many trains roared and clattered along, sounding as if it might just blast through the wall.

I can't wait til bedtime.......

** Various Thoughts **

1) I just looked back at a post I began on July 13th about "getting by on little sleep"....I'd been full of energy that day, after only getting about 4 hours of sleep the night before. I felt so good and proud of myself for getting so many things accomplished. That happens from time to time.....and then ka-boom! A day or two later, I experience one of my "sleep marathon" days. I do nothing BUT sleep. Awww, so much for feeling great and as if I'm Super Energetic Woman!

2) I've been ranting and raving for months....maybe a year or more....about my dishwasher. It has never cleaned properly, I swear, from the day we got it. I should've complained, taken it back, whatever...right away, but didn't. Anyway....I've been wishing and hoping that it would just completely break down, so I could get a new one. Well, a funny thing happened on my trek to a new dishwasher....I decided I don't want one.....YET anyway! I've totally been enjoying washing my dishes the old-fashioned way...by hand! My kitchen sink is in front of a window looking out to my back yard. I see part of our beautiful deck that my husband designed, and built by hand, entirely by himself, just a couple of years ago. I also see our bird feeder which can give hours of pleasure, just watching the birds and squirrels fighting to get at the bird seed....plus the birds, squirrels and bunny rabbits that all take turns eating the seeds that have fallen on the grass below. I also see trees swaying in the breeze, or standing motionless during calm days. Best of all, though, I gaze at my new wind chimes as the pipes gently swing and tap each other, making such glorious sounds, I couldn't feel any emotions other than enchantment and joy.

** A GREAT READ **

Last night I finished a fabulous book!....Blind Submission, by Debra Ginsberg.
I had a feeling I would love it as soon as I read the dedication...it's to writers and book lovers, but I won't quote it exactly....partly because it may not be legal to do that!!...and partly because I want ya'll to read it for yourself. It is very moving.

I'm always doubly excited when I just happon upon a book, whether it's in the library or book store, and I gobble it up because it's just soooo good!! That's how it was with this book. I read and read until my eyes would get too blurry to see!
(I bought this one at Barnes & Noble while just browsing one day.)

I'm sure that all of my writer-friends out there will love this novel. Not only is it wonderfully written, but it's also about the book industry! Writers, Agents, Assistants, Publishers, etc.

Normally, I don't like to compare books, but I had the same thought as some of the "big name" reviewers: it's similar to The Devil Wears Prada....the boss from hell and her overworked, unappreciated assistant!

It's funny and suspenseful and I highly recommend it!!

*This was Debra's first novel. She's also written three memoirs, which I'll definitely be reading next! You can learn more about Debra at www.debraginsberg.com/

Getting Back to The Basics

I've recently made the decision that I've been wearing too many hats again. I tend to take on too many projects; thinking I can fit them all into my life, and then realize later that I can't.....something's bound to suffer....and eventually that something is me.

SO......in an attempt to keep my sanity, (yeah, I know...that's pushing it) I've decided to quit working at Barnes & Noble. Even though I was only working very few hours a week, it was becoming harder for me to concentrate on the really important things in my life.....and not only concentrate on them, but to really get them accomplished.

Sunday afternoon will be my last day and I'm leaving on good terms. It really was a difficult decision, because I do enjoy being there. It's a great place to work and I truly have great fondness for the employees. The idea is that I can come back during the Christmas rush, and be a seasonal employee.

Making this decision has really lifted a weight off my shoulders and I hope to get back to a more organized life! In a couple of months, I'll let ya'll know how that's working out for me!!

** Quit Treating Me Like An Old Lady!! **

In my newspaper column this week, I wrote about the good and bad things regarding aging. I have one real pet-peeve and it seems to happen a lot lately. It concerns young (and some not-so-young) waitresses calling me "Hon" or "Dear" when asking for my order. I really do not like that!!! It even happened once when I was the youngest one at the table....not by many years, but still....I was the youngest.....and I was the only one referred to that way!

Yesterday, while Tammy and I were at lunch and chatting about all kinds of subjects, we talked about this same issue. She is about 10 years younger than me, but still is feeling the "age thing" beginning to bother her.

I said we should come up with a response for when we are called "hon" or "dear". Suddenly, out of the blue, the following retort came to my mind:
"Uh, excuse me, but I don't care for that name. Would you please call me hot stuff"?
We both busted out laughing and giggling until we had tears rolling down our cheeks, pain in our stomachs and I was doing my "laughing-snort"! Thank goodness the restaurant was fairly empty and we didn't seem to be getting any strange stares.

If anyone did look our way, they probably thought: "Look at those 2 older ladies acting like teenagers! How embarrassing and weird is that?! Geez!"