Pure Magic

Is there anything better than relaxing with a good book on a lazy Summer day?

Now, I haven't had one of those lazy days yet but one day soon... Each Summer I re-read several books. Among them are Jane Eyre, To Kill A Mockingbird, Anne Frank; The Diary of a Young Girl & Pride and Prejudice. I also love re-reading several young people's classics like Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. Bill and will both read Elmore Leonard's new one, Road Dogs, and I will try Janet Evanovich's Finger Lickin' Fifteen. I have also picked up David Lebovitz's, The Sweet Life in Paris and Colm Toibin's, Brooklyn: A Novel. What's on your Summer reading list? Love and Hugs, Susie Q

My Peeps Need YOUR Help Dudes!

I would like for to ask all of you dudes for your help! Miss Kelee,

and her cool dog dude, Oliver, over at the Katillac Shack, has a totally sweet project that will benefit kitties & doggies in need! If you can help by decoratin' a scarf and photographin' your favorite dog (Or perhaps even a kitty) IN that scarf, please hope over and see Kelee and Oliver!

I can't wait to see what my Mom and Sissy will do with MY scarf!

Not so long ago it was me, the Kipper dude, who needed a little help. I am one of the lucky ones dudes! Please hop over to visit that nice Kelee and see if you too can help very special dogs and cats!

Love ,

Kipper

Having An *A'fair*!

What?? No you big sillies you! *I* am not having an affair! Why Brian is no

where to be found! (Phooey!) It was the city of Dayton having an *A'Fair*! The annual World A'Fair!

Here we are at the entrance to Dayton's Convention Center...I wonder what we will find inside...

Now what was there of interest?...Why, there was great food from around the world. Friendly and interesting people, beautiful native costumes, wonderful music, fun dances and...

...there were lovely ladies trying on new fashions...

There was Japanese language craft...

Oh so good Chinese food ...

...and beautiful Korean ladies who taught Grace about the language!

You could even have a unique henna tattoo done!

There were Junior princesses...

...and lovely Queens.

There were brave Tuskegee Airmen...

...and lady WASPS.

Now who does THIS lady think she is? A heroic WASP? More like an old, cowardly bunny...

There were lots of pretty young girls trying their hand..er...hips...at belly dancing!

And look at all the good lookin' legs on display....here...

...over there...

...and here too!

Aw...forget all of those young *leg* men. I'll take a little Paprika Powered man every time!

Well, I had fun at 2009's World A'Fair!

I hope you had fun exploring the *world* with me today! Dayton's annual event is always a treat!

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q

D Day

On this day, June 6th, 2009, I am remembering the brave men who fought, and died, on the beaches of occupied France. The names of those beaches is etched in history... Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword, Gold...

On June 6th, 1944, 150,000 Allied soldiers clambered aboard heaving landing craft and braved 6 foot swells, relentless machine gun fire and more than 6 million land mines to claim a stretch of sand in a place called Normandy. Their mission was to carve out an Allied foothold on the edge of Nazi-occupied Europe for the army of one million that would follow. That army would burst forth from this beach and roll across Europe and into the heart of Germany. They would liberate millions, topple a genocidal regime and end a dark nightmare. But this all began, on these beaches, on THIS day.

The historical and human consequences of their actions are epic.

This is the 65th anniversary of D-Day and the very youngest of these veterans are turning 82 this year. The years to come will see fewer and fewer of their ranks...fewer and fewer of them to share their memories...

Valor, Fidelity, Sacrifice...

Explaining...

Pat's blog is but one site with which I have had this issue!

Just a quick note...thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all the sweet support you have given me! I love you all. I also wanted to explain one reason I am having trouble visiting everyone this week. When I stop by some blogs, I get a default notice and the page shuts down. I don't know if this is Blogger's fault or the fault of my own computer. I have tried to visit each of you this week so if you received no comments, this is probably why! I am having Dan check it for me...I have to work this particular snigglidoo out pronto!

And the way I look in the post picture? Thank you for saying I look *pretty* (I blushed) but believe me! It is all done with smoke and mirrors. Good skin? Nope...Bare Minerals...it covers a multitude of sins! And you saw NO double chin! Joni Webb at Cote de Texas taught me THAT trick! Lower your chin and shoot from above! Aha! Believe me, I DO have a double chin! (Just ask the bloggers that have met me in person!) And chubby cheeks and you DID notice I didn't shoot my body below the shoulders right? *grin*

I wish each of you a wonderful weekend...see you soon!

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q

My Father

Mom and Dad on their wedding day October 3rd, 1953 A photo of my Dad, in his Fire Department uniform, that I keep on my bedside table...

My father was born on June 5th, 1924, in New Market, Tennessee. Today would have been his 85th birthday. My father passed away in July, the 16th to be specific, in 2000.

He served during WW II, as a sailor in the Pacific, drove a semi, became a Dayton fire fighter, always grew an amazing garden, treasured his wife and family, loved animals, his newspaper, TV westerns and John Wayne.

My dad was stubborn, opinionated, funny and loving. He was strong and loyal, bull headed and

always sang or whistled when he worked.

He could make me so mad, so happy & so proud. I knew he loved me unconditionally. I felt totally safe when I was with him. I will miss him for the rest of my life...

Happy birthday Daddy.

Love,

Susie Q

For another post I wrote about my Dad...

How Do You Do, My Name Is Sue!

Howdido! My name is Sue!

I have decided to reinvent my self...okay. So I'm Not. But I AM re-introducing myself to all of you. After posting my "Alone Again...Naturally" post, so many of you left comments and sent emails, all so sweet and supportive. I know I was being silly but was in such a bloggy funk. Let me explain...someone I know, (not well thankfully), who is quite the downer, wrote me just to say, " Poor you! You used to get 150 + hits on your blog and now you seem lucky to get 40!"

How dear of her to point that out! Just made me day. Hmpf.

My fink had nothing to do with the number of comments you see...just visits.

I was just "not giving the blog world what it wanted". Her words. Not mine.

Okay. So it left me wondering if I should continue. I always tried to put up interesting pictures, ones that I had worked on to improve their look...wanting them to be pretty for all of you! I tried to write about things I was doing that you MIGHT be interested in. No, I don't do as many decorating posts as others but I haven't had the time to do that for awhile. I miss it and hope to do more posts of that nature soon but still....

I wasn't giving the folks what they wanted...

I was told I was "long winded" and that seemed to hold true when some pointed out that I put up "wordy" posts. Okay, so I am a talker. *shrug* That's just me.

I have not participated in as many daily posts as some and that hasn't helped...you know...the "___ Monday" or "___Thursday". I WANT to but have not had the time to do so yet.

I Do read many of YOUR daily postings and sadly, do not always leave a comment.

This begs the question, do blog friends only visit YOU if YOU visit THEM? Sometimes this seems to be the case. *sigh* I don't know the answers, only the questions!

What to do, what to do. Here's the 911. I am just overwhelmed some days, like many of you, with daily activities. Some of you are equally busy and will probably not read this due to it's "wordiness" *grin*

I literally *hit the wall* last Saturday evening. I was so tired, so sore, so emotionally and physically drained that I collapsed! Literally! At almost 53 years of age, I also suffer from

fibromyalgia, arthritis and 2 badly injured knees. I have not shared with you about the fibro but

I made a vow that this blog would NOT be all about my *bad* days! I wouldn't want to read that about me so why would YOU! *laugh*

But there it is. Between the house and the yard (albeit a small one but still one that needs tending!), Grace's schedule, my nephew's schedule, my Mom's schedule...then there are the extra added goodies like doctor appointments and grocery shopping and dog grooming and yard mulching and volunteer work, Church work, High School reunion committee work...you get the point.

And ALL of you face the same thing! How to do it all. How do we do all we HAVE to do and all we WANT to do?

So I debated whether or not to keep blogging. If no one read my dribbles, why do them? I was talking to my awesome new friend (met through blogging I might add!), Sue

about this and we shared the same angst about the work. We both found that each of our posts take approximately 1-2 hours to do. Some have taken longer. I try, I really do, to make it interesting, funny, visually enjoyable...I know that not everyone will agree that it meets these lofty requirements but the attempt will always be there!

I do apologize to each of you for my inability to always visit as I should, to always leave comments as I should...I know that each of you work hard on YOUR blog posts and you deserve

MY respect for it. I apologize for all the times I have been unable to be the sort of blog friend that I wish to be.

So. I am going to start fresh for the Summer. I will do a post, re-introducing myself to all of you.

I can't promise that I will always be riveting and relevant *grin* but I WILL try. I will post at least twice a week and visit all of you as often as I can. I will participate in some of the fun daily events in blog world.

But, all in all, I will post for me. It is my creative outlet, my connection with the wider world.

I have no illusions of grandeur. No one is going to ask me to write a book or pay me to blog. No one is going to put my house in a magazine, pay for my advice or hop on the Rabbit Run bandwagon because my blog is uber popular. But the friends I have made here in bloggy world are, for the most part, still right here beside me. I treasure that. I have learned so much from you, been inspired, supported, uplifted by you. I have laughed until Diet Coke came out of my nose! *lovely visual I know* I have shared your joys, your pain, your fears and your triumphs.

I am honored by that.

You will NOT have to visit me to get me to visit you! *smile* But you are always MOST welcome here at Rabbt Run Cottage...anytime, anyday.

With love and many hugs,

Susie Q

They're Tearing Down Our Memories...

And these I see-these sparkling eyes,

These stores of mystic meaning-these young lives.

Building, equipping, like a fleet of ships-immortal ships!

Soon to sail out over the measureless seas,

On the soul's voyage.

~Walt Whitman

...and he the pilot, who has laid the course

For all to steer by honest, unafraid-

Truth is his beacon light, so he has made

The name of the old school is a living force.

~Andrew Barton Paterson

They are tearing down our memories...brick by brick, throughout the Summer of '09. Wilbur Wright High School has stood her ground, yes, for 83 long years she has weathered what life has thrown at her. But they say she is too old now and, as seems to be the fashion in this country, she will torn down to make way for the new. Still, for those of us who loved her, and our ranks are many, she will remain in our memories and in our hearts.

I was student director of "Our Town" and also drew the cover image for the playbill. (Yes, it seems rather childish now to me too!)

This montage was found in the alumni room along with so many things from our school's proud past..

For a few hours last Saturday, alumni were invited back to tour their beloved school. The hallways were filled with people from all age groups, walks of life and socio ethnic groups. We were bound together by our shared affection for this place and memories of school days past. I shared this tour with 3 of my dearest friends, friends who knew me then, know me now and still seem to like me. Imagine that! Such connections are priceless...

This is also the year my graduating class will celebrate our 35th reunion. Seeing the old school become a pile of brick and steel will be hard on so many.

Are all our memories sweet? Of course not. Very few of us get out of High School without experiencing a broken heart, some embarassment, a little fear...for some those unpleasant emotions were brief, for others, they were an all too familiar, much too constant, ache.

But there are those precious memories that, as we age, seem to take center stage in our stories & in our mind's eye and make us smile broadly.

This old building has seen her share of pain, victory, laughter and tears. She has lived a good life, a full and rich lfe.

2 years ago the city of Dayton razed our elementary school, the place I called my home away from home from Kindergarten through the 8th grade. They built, in it's place, something shiny and new and technologically more savvy but lacking any real heart, any real soul.

To read the post I did about that, just click on this link ~Kemp Elementary~

And now it's my High School's turn.

We all came for one last look...and to say goodbye. Good bye to the Wilbur Wright that I knew...you will never be forgotten.

Boo's Day Out...

We had our nephew Brady on Sunday so what to do, what to do..what

about a drive and a visit to Young's Dairy?

What's your pleasure?

Chocolate, Vanilla, Butter Pecan, Black Walnut,

Cookies and Cream, Brownie Delight, Cotton Candy,

Mint Chocolate, Oreo Cookie,

Strawberry, Rocky Road...or what about some gelato? Or sherbet? hey! How about a banana split? A sundae?

A root beer float? I know! A milkshake!

Boo and Uncle Bill contemplate this question...

"I'm just not too sure about them Uncle Bill..."

Which way are the cows Boo?

Yup...there they are! Hello cows!

There were lots of sweet baby animals...

...and lovely flowers to see...

..and two precious men with whom to share it all!

I hope your week is going ever so well!

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q