The Little Mermaid

My 12 year old daughter landed a part the in MCT's "Little Mermaid"

Friday night at the Clancy School. I'm sure my hubby and I will help tear down like we have every year.

Black Hole Education

Black Hole Expert to Deliver Keynote of Carroll Astronomy Weekend, March 27-28, 2009, Celebrating International Year of Astronomy

"To Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy, marking the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first observations through the telescope, Carroll College is presenting a keynote speaker from the American Astronomical Society's Shapley Program. On Friday, March 27, black hole expert and high-energy astrophysicist Dr. Niel Brandt, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State University, will give a lecture, "X-raying Active Galaxies: Exploring the Environments of Supermassive Black Holes," at 7 p.m. in Carroll College Simperman Hall's Wiegand Amphitheater, room 101/202. It is free and open to the public."

Blew my Mind!

Sushi and a Play

My sister came to town for a Governor's Conference, so she, a friend and I went out Friday night.

Ate Sushi and then went to the Grandstreet Theatre

'Grandstreet Theatre presents Lone Star & Laundry and Bourbon, James McLure's one-acts work together showing two sides of a Texas town. Lone Star features the men, outside a bar, followed by Laundry & Bourbon, the gals' response on their front porch. '

Actually the girls went first. After the show, us three had a beer at O'Rileys down the block.

Overall it was a great 'girls night out', except I got pulled over by the Highway Patrol for a burned out headlight.

Big Sky

I had no idea how big Big Sky was! I want to go so bad now! Maybe next weekend.

Green Energy Ideas

Christopher Borton of Sage Mountain Center will talk about solar and small wind generation here in Montana.
Again at the Exploration Works

A Murder in the Family

My Brother's first and only grandson Gabriel was killed Sunday morning.

Lee County crime: Kenneth Gerald Jones Jr. charged with capital murder in death of 14-month-old boy
By Chuck Williams and Alan Riquelmy - ariquelmy@ledger-enquirer.com --

A Smiths Station, Ala. man has been charged with capital murder in the death of a 14-month-old boy.

Kenneth Gerald Jones Jr., 24, was formally arrested today by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, said Capt. Van Jackson. He’s accused of causing the Sunday death of his live-in girlfriend’s child.

“The baby had died from blunt force trauma injuries to the head,” Jackson said. “We’re still trying to establish exactly what happened.”

Lee County authorities received a 911 call Sunday about 10:30 a.m. reporting a baby was unresponsive at a home in the 8900 block of Lee Road 240. The baby was taken by ambulance to the closest medical facility, Jack Houston Memorial Hospital in Phenix City. The baby was pronounced dead in the hospital’s emergency room about 11:30.

At that time, authorities did not suspect foul play, but the autopsy findings indicated the baby died of a homicide, Harris said.

The name of the boy is not being released.

“No further details can be released at this time as the investigation continues by the Lee County Sheriff’s office, the Lee County Coroner’s office and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences,” according to a release from the Lee County Coroner’s Office.

Gardening Class for Beginners

At Exploration Works will be a 101 Gardening Class

Such as, seeds to buy for Helena, starting plants in the house, and planning for the growing season. Its a part of the Start to Finish program offered by the Growing Community Project which is sponsered by WEEL and AERO.

(A Clancy Community Garden?)

Ski Lessons? I Went for it!

Trying to get up the nerve to go skiing this weekend!

I have tried to ski only once in my life and that was 20 years ago. Not a pretty picture. No lessons at a top notch California resort. I went down 4 times on the so called bunny hill and called it quits.

The kids have been invited to a B-Day party on the mountain Saturday night. The parents of Clancy kids have rented the whole place for them.

There is a three day package available at the Great Divide

I would go up Friday afternoon for my first lesson.

Saturday, I'll take the kids up and do my second lesson. I hope one or both of my kind children will hang out with mom and help her out.

Sunday, I may or may not go back for third lesson, depends on how Saturday goes.

I decided to go for it!

I called and set up the 1,2,3 ski lesson plan.

Day 1

I left work early Friday afternoon and took the first lesson at 1 PM. After an hour learning the basics, I was taken up the lift for my first try at the mountain. I was terrified, crashed and wore myself out getting up. I made it down twice.

Day 2 (an absolutely gorgeous day)

Left the house a 9 am with my 2 kids and returned for more torture at 10 am. I was taken back up to the "Meadows' or also called the ricochet run. I made it down 4 times, I think maybe it was 5. Finally after tightening my boots, I made the final run without crashing. Yeah!!!!

Day 3

Another 1 pm appointment. This time only Jake went up with me. I was so very very sore, had a head ache and did not really want to go this time.

But, once I was there, I was fine until after one warm up run down the 'meadows' I was to take on "good luck'. Again I was terrified and struggled to get myself down the, to me what seemed like a cliff. I crashed most all way down and hard. Finally, I was taken to the top on a different lift. Again it was steep and I even though less panicked, struggled down with a few crashes. But, once we got to the meadows again at the bottom, that was now easy as pie.

For a graduation gift I was given a half-off punch card for 10 more lift tickets. Cool.

I will have to go back now. I am hooked. I was happy to see how quickly I learned to ski, but still need to work on my turns and get rid of that "pizza" stance. Getting down "Good Luck' with out crashing is my next goal.

Home Brew

This is how I do it

The Beer Machine is a self-contained, single-step brewer that brews fresh premium naturally made in 7 to 10 days.
The convenient size easily fits in a fridge in the same "footprint" space of a regular six-pack.
Putting it together was a challenge and the pressure relief valve on top did not work properly, had to babysit it for the first four days. After four days it goes into the refridgerator downstairs for another three to seven days when it is then ready to taste.
My first brew was good, I am on my 2nd brew. This time the pressure guage appears to be working better and I put it in the refridge last night. It will be ready for St. Patty Day.

Lawn Aeration

Aeration, or core cultivation, is standard lawn care. Aerating a lawn means supplying the soil with air, usually by poking holes in the ground throughout the lawn using an aerator. It reduces soil compaction and helps control thatch in lawns while helping water and fertilizer move into the root zone.
A lawn can be aerated at any time the ground is not frozen, but should not be done when it is extremely hot and dry. Heavy traffic areas will require aeration more frequently.
Aeration is most effective when actual cores or plugs of soil are pulled from the lawn. Holes should be two to three inches deep and no more than two to four inches apart. Lawns should be thoroughly watered the day before aerating so plugs can be pulled more deeply and easily. Mark all sprinkler heads, shallow irrigation lines and cable TV lines before aerating so those lines will not be damaged.
On thatchy lawns, it is important to leave the cores on the lawn, allowing them to work back into the grass. Otherwise, the cores may be removed or left on the lawn. Lawns may be fertilized and seeded immediately after aeration. There is no need to top dress lawns following aeration.

A Wish List

a list of desired but often realistically unobtainable items