Southern Boys in New York City

Hello my friends, I wanted to post here before I leave for NYC on Tuesday of next week. I got this 'bee in my bonnet' about two things,
1- Going for Halloween and 2- Going by myself. I love Halloween, if you don't know, and I have a feeling that NYC does it up right.
As for going by myself, I'll be staying with Adam because Dan lives in a 6 floor walk-up, and let's admit it, 'Pammie don't do stairs'.
So, Adam and Adina are kindly welcoming me to their second floor place, AND, letting me have the bed! Bless their sweet little hearts. I'm sure that sleeping on a futon after a few days will have them all grumpy. If all else fails I'll find out where the cheapest (albeit safe) rooms are to rent, OR, I can just change my return date and come on home.

I leave on the 27th, and have tickets for the 31st to see Wicked! with Dan, and dinner afterward with Adam and Adina.
On the 30th, I am hoping things work out for BethNoLastName to take the train from Trenton to spend the day.
On Sunday Nov 1st my friend Joy and I are going to meet up for something or other. She's going to be in town job hunting. She has always wanted to move back to NY from LA and things have worked out so she can, and I want to celebrate that with her.
If I can make it work I want to go to Long Island and visit with Lori and her girls.We're trying to work out the logistics since she doesn't have a car to do a train or bus pick-up. I'm sure we'll get it done.
In between all this wonderfulness of people I want to see as many art museums as my body will allow. I want to do some shopping in places that have nothing remotely like them here in the Memphis area. OR, I may buy nothing at all, and just take a gabillion photographs, afterall, that's where I get MY art done when I'm traveling.
I cannot believe Mike is allowing me to do this. I don't know if he is wanting to prove to me that I can't handle it, or is excited that I truly want to grow as a person and stop being a Cowardly Lion. There are days I waffle between which I believe, but I think, based on his inate kindness, he is hoping I do some growing in spunk and spirit by doing this. (I do too.)

I do hope I get an experience like Adina did earlier this week. She was at work, a restaurant with a coffee shop just outside. Sean Connery walked in to get something to drink. She was beside herself with disappointment that he didn't walk all the way into the space where she was working. I loved that he rattled her. Shes so cute.
One time we passed Spike Lee on a sidewalk, but it was getting dark, he had on a hoodie, and when I told Adam who I'd seen he asked which way Mr Lee had gone, I pointed and from that POV it was just a sea of the backs of people of all sizes, and Spike Lee is just short enough to get lost in a crowd.
I'm secretly hoping Joy introduces me to her best friend, an actor. He was in Animal House, but has done much better work since then. He writes, produces, and directs. Of course, I'll probably make a fool of myself if she does, and if I do she'll NEVER forgive me.

Hugs, all, it's past my bedtime.

This is a test.

Traditions

Birthday...it's my youngest sons 30th birthday soon. And his brother, despite all he's been doing has managed to cook up a wonderful surprise for him. Adam and his girlfriend 'dicided' to come home to celebrate turning 30 with his dad and me, and all his friends here in Memphis, and his only remaining grandparent, his Papaw, will be coming here for lunch on Sunday.
The party is on Saturday night, but all Adam knows is that he'll be meeing up at one particular friends house where all his friends will be gathering for a potluck.
Or, maybe he doesn't know it's a potluck...I dunno all the details really, all I know is that I am making 'birthday dessert'. I'm making his favorite dessert - Key Lime Pie, three of them, maybe four, the lovely pastry crusts I bought are quite small. AND, I'll be making an Italian Cream Cake, which is new to me and I am not a baker. But I wanted to do a traditional southern cake to make his birthday unique, and afterall, he will need to put candles somewhere so he can blow them out, right?
I am so excited that my sons are going to be home this weekend. I never imagined how wonderful it feels, when they're grown, for them to come home. My parents always seemed like they couldn't wait for us to leave when we'd go visit, so I never saw evidence of what I feel with my sons.
And then in October I am going to visit Adam and Adina, and see Dan when we can get together, for Halloween in NYC! And the most unique party is that I Am Going Alone! This will be quite an adventure for me. Mike has always been so over protective, because I get so flustered and needy. But I am determined not to be that person this time, I need this trip as much to gain some faith in myself as much as I do to visit my sons, AND "The City" for my favorote holiday of the year.
I'll post here again about what happened when I get back. I hope to meet up with three wonderful friends I've made on LiveJournal. I must not forget to pack my camera to document those monumental occasions.
Since I am, once again, persona no grata (sp?) with the inlaws, I will be spending Thanksgiving Day cooking a meal for my family for the day after Thanksgiving. They will be at Mike's sister's house with his Dad and the ingorant sisters and their families. I will be perfectly happy cooking with wonderful quiet in my house.
So, while I may be alone for Thanksgiving Day, I will NOT be for Christmas. We are going to Edisto Beach, which is located on the Carolina coast between Charleston, SC, one of the most beautiful southern cities I have ever seen in my life, and Savannah, GA another city known for her traditions and history.
I'll be taking lots of photos at Christmas, for sure and share them with all my blog readers here, and my friends on Live Journal and Facebook.
I know this post was not one about Ouiser and southern traditions and events, but it kind of is, because southern families are crazier than betsy bugs and I married into one of the craziest. And THAT's saying a lot because my daddy's family, over the years, have raised crazy to a high art.

I truly have nothing to say here, but am trying to remember (thanks to someone reminding me that I actually HAVE a Blogger acct) to post on some kind of regular basis.
With a life that's slowed down as much as mine has, it takes a bit of thinking to find something interesting. SO, I dicided that the only way to post interesting is to BE interesting. I've made a comittment, upon our return from the gulf this week - to get my house in order (literally - no euphamisms (
I need to stop talking about making art and actually MAKE some. I plan to start getting up in time to check the newspaper for estate sales so I can shop for ephemera for collage making, and just to remember what morning really feels like. (and maybe beat the critters to my vegetables)

Speaking of which, the long awaited tomatoes are beginning to ripen. We'll miss many of them, but some will be here when we get back. AND, when I get my house in order, I'm sure my camera will turn up so I can post photos of them on LJ. Since we need to stop by the pharmacy on our way out of town, I think I'll just buy a small inexpensive digi camera at Walgreens, or we'll get one in Destin. Dunno which, but I want to take photos of the gulf, and I WILL need a camera to do so.

So, I guess this is a post of some sort, isn't it...the 'vapor post', words with no real substance.

FINALLY - A Short Trip to the Sea!

It's late summer here in the Mid-South, our garden has only pole beans, and an heirloom speckled bean left in it, as well as the tomatoes that I was so late in planting. Everything else will be turned into mulch/compost soon so we can plant some leafy greens and heirloom varietries of winter squash. (which actually should probably already be in the ground)
The cucumbers were delicious, as was the fresh yellow squash.
I've been meaning to post photos of the variety of heirloom tomatoes that we planted late but are now thriving. They're filled with little green globes of potential. Mike let me eat the first red one, and it was, as expected, a taste of heaven.
I think I heard a chorus of Angels with southern accents sing a harmony of Halelujah when the first juicy bite hit the back of my tongue.
Why yes, I DO consider a warm, ripe tomato the southern American version of Manna from Heaven. (apologies to all my Jewish Friends).
It's a shame that we'll miss some of them while we're out of town next week, but those that ripen and dry up on the vine will be gathered for their seeds to use next season. Yes, I am learning about the value and importance of keeping heirloom varieties of plants available to growers, but that's grim stuff that Ouiser and I will tell you about another time.

(Lordy, the way I phrased that makes it sound as if I truly think Ouiser is a real person in my life. Relax, she's just a mental plaything for the sake of this blog and in honor of one of my favorite Southern themed movies about female friendships.)

The reason for posting to you tonight, besides the fact that it's been a while, and you may have wondered what happened to me is some good news,
The at BIG job Mike had spent the last month+ getting prices on so he could hand over the final price to the owners is over. I was feeling like a widow. BUT,
We are FINALLY going on a vacation! Since I don't like to vacation during the months when school is not in session, because, basically, I cannot bear other peoples ill-bred children. Makes this all the sweeter. School resumed last week in Tennessee, as well as most of the Mid-South.
Now, don't get me wrong, I know the difference between children who are given space to be themselves and experiment - on a short leash, and children who are allowed to batter each other, be disruptive and be let loose to be just plain brats, causing chaos wherever they go. My sons were kept on a short leash and I saw similar parenting when an internet friend visited me this spring from Massachusetts. Seeing her do what I did (but WAY better) only served to underscore that keeping kids on a short reign doesn't have to stifle their wonderful personalities. It allows them the freedom to trust themselves and to respect others.
Then, sadly, there's the second category (the kind who make me avoid vacationing during the summer). They include my husband's sisters' grandchildren who are being raised (as my dear mama would've said)
'like a pack of little hethans'!

But I digress, which is my usual state of being when I type. Digression, I should look up that word?
LOL
Anyhoo...we are leaving on Friday, as soon as the Animal Hospital where w are boarding the dogs, opens it's doors. And then we'll hit the highway heading south to what is commonly referred to as:

THE REDNECK RIVIERA. (I kid you not!)
AKA, the Gulf Coast, specifically, Destin, Fla.

We made these plans so late that all we were able to get with our timeshare points was a studio condo, I guess we're not the only old people who don't want to vacation where illbred children may be running around with no supervision. (I now know why American's get such a bum rap in Europe, it's the lack of proper parenting of the American rugrats. Who do we think we ARE?)

At least the studio condo supposedly has a kitchen. But Mike snores like a grizzly bear which always worries me that I won't sleep unless there are not separate beds with walls between them for us.
But I'm betting that smelling ocean air, and walking the beach will relax both of us to the point that no one snores and restful sleep will be had by all. Hopefully there's a screened balcony and we can fit a blow up mattress and my pillow in the trunk.)
We'll see.
If I can fit my computer bag into the car I will post from there. After all, he'll maintain control of the TV changer, and we all know it's still baseball season, and "Pammie don't do" sports on TV.