Genealogy and Kolache Trip

Jeff and Scott accompanied me to El Campo a couple of weeks ago on a "genealogy and kolaches" day trip. My mother's father's family is from El Campo and Columbus. We went to three cemeteries to visit several of my family's graves in both towns, and did a bit of research at the Wharton County Library.

Small world moment!! I've only ever met a few people outside my family who even know where El Campo is. The librarian who was helping me turned out to be my former boss's AUNT! I emailed him about it and he said his father and his father's family are all from El Campo. Random! 

We hit Hruska's and Weikel's on the way home. Yummy!

On an unrelated note... Here are our kitties on laundry day.

What.

Read more...

You Talk Talk and You Get So Intense

...that you almost make sense. And that's what scares me the most...

Taking a work break for a bit. I can do that as a contractor! In my jammies! (I'm not in my jammies, but I could be!)

Randomly, I've been listening to Styx' Kilroy Was Here on Apple Music. One of the best songs on that album is "Cold War," which wasn't released as a single. It was one of my favorites to pull out the hairbrush, singing and jamming out in my room.



Partying with the President doesn't sound as cool as it used to, eh? Ha!

There is also "Don't Let It End."



And of course, there is "Mr. Roboto." "...I am the modREN man!" (Yes, modREN!)



Turns out, Styx is playing a casino in Lake Charles, LA TONIGHT. Weird!! Maybe there was a commercial for it and that's why I was thinking of them. Hmm.

Incidentally, hubby informs me that Def Leppard released their library on Apple Music today, so that's cool. I've seen then a few times. If you want to try out Apple Music, you can get four months free, rather than the regular three months, if you go to Living Social and search for Apple Music.

Read more...

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Piano (2013)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) As she sings, Ariana muses about the songs she could compose on her piano. Do you play the piano?
I haven't for years, but I do. I have to play with music though. Wish I could play by ear!

2) She compares love songs, saying there are sad ones about how hard love is, and happy ones that make you want to dance. What's your favorite love song? Is it sad or happy? 

"Come What May" from Moulin Rouge...  It's happy.

3) Ariana's mother always told her that they took her name from Princess Oriana in the 1988 movie Felix the Cat. Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Every time someone references Felix the Cat, I think Fritz the Cat. Completely different. Anyhoo... my favorite has always been the sarcastic, hilarious Bugs Bunny.

4) Ariana's favorite board game is Monopoly. What's your favorite board game?

Life. A spinner and little peg people in cars? Yeah!

5) She relaxes by baking. When you feel keyed up, what do you do to relax?
Go outside.

6) She is a huge Florida Panthers fan, even though once, as a little girl, she got hit by a puck. Now that the NHL season is underway, how's your favorite team doing?

I haven't followed professional hockey since I was a kid and Houston Aeros (WHA) fan.

7) In 2013, when this song was popular, the NHL reached an agreement with the players union and averted a strike. Have you ever belonged to a union?
Nope.

8) Also in 2013, Pauline Philips died. Ms. Philips was better known to millions of readers as "Dear Abby." At its height, her advice column appeared in 1,400 newspapers across the country. Do you still read a printed copy of your newspaper?
No

9) If you could get the answer to one question about your future, what would that one question be?

While I'd love to know how old I'll be when I die, so I can plan my retirement funding accordingly, I don't want to know when I'll die. So I guess I would just ask where I'll be living when I die. That could be interesting!

Read more...

Congrats, Bama!

Made Ina's famous cheeseball recipe for New Year's Eve, and again last night for the NCAA football championship. Always a hit! And what a game!! I had a slight leaning towards the Dawgs, but it didn't really matter much to me who won. All SEC, baby!

In a very amusing variation of "your sunglasses are on your head," Sunday, Jeff was lounging on the couch, complaining that he couldn't find the television remote... which was sitting on his chest.

Ha!

Cathy posted this clip this morning on FB- my guilty pleasure song for years. I dare you to listen without singing and/or dancing.



Awesome!

Read more...

Great-Grandma McKenna

My mom's mother's mom, who died the year I was born, was a part of the "Orphan Train" program. They sent orphans from New York City to homes out west in the late 1800's to early 1900's, for foster care or adoption. My Irish great-great grandparents in Wisconsin adopted her sometime between 1895 (the year she was born) and 1900. Sadly, I'll probably never be able to find information about her birth family, but I have found out many things about her that I didn't know before.

Yesterday I found her junior and senior year high school yearbooks online. She performed in some plays. She was also active in the Girls' Literary Society, which met regularly to discuss music, books and papers. Some of the girls wrote and published their own books, about everything from boys to beauty to autobiographies. My great-grandmother's book was called "Chemistry Made Easy," a guide for freshmen. Pretty cool.

Oh, her last name was McKenna, and her high school nickname was "Kenny." Kenny! Love it!

Kumail Nanjiani was on Ellen yesterday! He told a hilarious story!!

Read more...

Happy 2018!

Funniest part of the holidays...

Jeff's Mom: What was the situation that Christmas, when you and Steven (Jeff's younger brother) went to Missouri by yourselves, and Dad and I stayed in Dallas? You were in college and Steven was in middle school.
Jeff: There was something going on and you guys had to stay here, so we went without you.
Me: Wait. You let Jeff drive your precious baby all the way to Missouri and back?
Jeff's Dad: Nah, he drove the old car.

*crickets* (...other than me giggling)

Jeff: I think she meant Steven.

*crickets*

Aaaaaahahaha! It's funnier every time I tell it.

Saturday 9: It's Just Another New Year's Eve (1977)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Barry Manilow declares New Year's Eve is "just another night." How do you feel about 12/31? Is it a special occasion or just another night?
If we're doing something special, it's special, otherwise, it's just another night!

2) Barry sings that in the past year, "we've made mistakes." What in 2017 do you wish you could do over?

I should have gone to more concerts. I think the only one I went to all year was the Foreigner/Cheap Trick show at Circuit of the Americas. I have tickets for 10,000 Maniacs in February!

3) He also sings of happy nights with friends. Tell us about a really good time you had in the past year.

the Gault archeological site trip and also our Bell County Museum day in Belton

4) The song references growing wiser, as well as older. What's something you learned or discovered in 2017?

genealogy research and my family history

5) What do you wish you had spent more time doing during 2017?

Playing bunco- anyone wanna start a new group? I want a fun group like my old one, with lots of wine and craziness.

6) What was the smartest thing you did all this past year? 

changed from the city's 96 gallon trash can to a 64 gallon trash can, saving $20 a month!

7) As this year comes to a close, what are you most grateful for?

central heating

8) When this week's featured artist, Barry Manilow, was a jingle writer, he wrote the famous "You deserve a break today at McDonald's" song. When's the last time you visited the Golden Arches?

a couple of months ago

9) Random question: In high school, were you more popular with the boys or the girls?
The boys. In high school and college, I had far more guy friends than girlfriends.

Read more...