Weather Forecast in Phoenix for December 11-12

I just checked the weather forecast for Phoenix area for December 11-12 - high around 74 degrees. For the same time period, southern Ohio forecast is for 29 to 40 degrees.

Grapefruit from the backyard

I was talking to the next door neighbor and he mentioned that he hoped that I didn't mind that they had taken some grapefruit. I said, "Oh, they're ripe? You're certainly welcome to them." He said the grapefruit from their tree is not yet ripe, but that we'll be welcome to have some of that.

By the way, MV, it is a pink grapefruit tree and, fortunately, the fruit seems a lot sweeter than I remember - although still not quite as I would like - although now edible out of hand.

The photograph was taken on the back porch on the seat of the exercycle.

Christmas Cards

Mary, we got your Christmas greetings today. Great pictures! Thanks. It has gotten cold here -- in the 40s -- and some people, including Wendy, have their decorations up. Personally, I'm not in the mood.

Book choices

Sometimes I like to read holiday books this time of year, but don't think that will be the case this year as I have too many other ongoing book reading projects -- see list below. Anybody else got any good books in process?

• Faulkner -- on #3
  
• Patrick O'Brian's Master & Commander Series -- on #4
• Guardians of Ga'Hoole - a youth animal fantasy series -- on #5
  
• Terry Pratchett's Discworld series
  
• an occasional adult non-fiction -- just finished a biography called Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat about Haiti, very moving
  
• an online youth fantasy book discussion group

Grapefruit and Orange Trees in the yard

Above are photographs of the orange and grapefruit trees in the yard. The grapefruit are on the bottom and the orange tree is on the top (obviously). None of them are near ripe yet.

Thanksgiving meal

I've got about six loaves of bread rising - two Healthy Bread Kids Will Like, two Holiday Pumpkin Bread and Challah. I may offer some to Roberta to take to her gathering, if she wants.

Pat is coming over about noon with a salad and then shortly thereafter, Catherine and Gerry and we leave for Ken's family's house.

MARIE SIMPKINS

Reading Level

Skip the turkey - eat fruit

Being a lover of fruit, as well as anything related to the WPA, this caught my eye today. Hope you all will be eating fruit as well as turkey on Thursday! Here's a blurb about the poster:

According to Fruit From Washington:

The Federal Art Project sponsored by the Work Projects Administration produced color silkscreened prints on posterboard which have been collected by the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division."

War genre, patriotic posters have an important place in our cultural and social history. Here are a few examples on an agricultural theme that FruitFromWashington has gleaned from the National Archives.

Sid and Roberta cycling on Alta Loma

Well, actually, they are only sitting in the driveway in these photographs, but they did cycle over and back, I assume.

Thanksgivings past

While waiting for Roberta's Ireland post, and thinking about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, here's a few unrelated Thanksgiving thoughts:

• Our reunion in 2004 (?) in Newark to see Kate in the Nutcracker
• The successes and occasional meltdowns of Thanksgiving dinner preparations
• The parade of guests through the New Vienna dining room -- Eloise Simpkins, and Miss Letty being two I remember well. Help me think of others....
• Grandma & Granddad's leaving for Florida right after Thanksgiving (or did they go before that?) I know they often came home on/around Easter.

Roberta

No newsy post about Ireland yet? Is Roberta not feeling well? Perhaps she overdosed on ice cream last night and couldn't write?

Back in Dublin

Hello, we walked and walked this afternoon after arriving here from Limerick. I want to remember some of the limericks we were told. It is getting cooler here, but still I cannot see my breath. I am checking though. Had a seafood chowder tonight, but the bread was the best part of the meal. I don't drink in the restaurants, the tea was $2.75 euro so I drink the free stuff in the room. More later, this is costing me. Hope this finds everyone doing well...... Roberta the walker and Serena the editor

Veteran's Day (Observed) 2007

The veteran in our family -- Gerry -- spent part of his day helping Wendy do some odds and ends around her house, with the side benefit of being able to spend time with Wendy & KC. There's a stand-up toy that KC can push and walk behind. He walks quite quickly in short spurts as he can only go in a straight line and then has to be re-aimed in a different direction. The other cute thing he is doing now is walking in place, almost more of a march, while holding on to the furniture. They have winter grass (rye) planted in their back yard which is nice and green and also a new picket fence around the patio part of their back yard so the dogs can be contained on one side of the yard of the other. It was a beautiful day and we sat outside with KC in his high chair and fed him his banana and apple babyfood. He now also eats small amounts of regular food like cereal, rice, bean burrito, squash.

checking in from IRELAND

Did this work? I can't seem to get the caps right. More later. Will hope to check tomorrow. I am fine. No rain yet. I want to keep carrying my umbrella that I got when Grandma and I did the Mississippi River trip in 1980 something.

Roberta (this cost me 2 euro for one hour on slow computer down the street from hotel. At the hotel it is 2 euro for 20 minutes.)


Above is slightly edited version. Below is Roberta's original:
dID THIS WORK? i CAN'T SEEM TO GET THE CAPS RIGHT. mORE LATER. wILL HOPE TO CHECK TOMORROW.....i AM FINE, NO RAIN YET. i WANT TO KEEP CARRYING MY UMBRELLA THAT i GOT WHEN gRANDMA AND \I DID THE mISSISSIPPI RIVER TRIP IN 1980 SOMETHING. rOBERTA (THIS COST ME TWO EURO FOR ONE HOUR ON SLOW COMPUTER DOWN THE STREET FORM HOTEL. THERE IS WAS 2 EURO FOR 20 MINUTES.


edit added much later: According to Google,

2 Euros = 2.9396 U.S. dollars

Harold Uible Pillar of Republican Party

Uible honored as pillar of Republican Party
Harold H. Uible, left, was presented a plaque by Roger Bennett, right, former executive chair of the Clinton County Republican Party. Larry Droesch, current party chair, is in center.

ROSE COOPER County Editor
A long-time pillar of the Clinton County Republican Party, Harold H. Uible, was honored at the Central Committee’s annual beef roast Monday night at the Wilmington Savings Bank/Clinton County Senior Center.
“We want to take the opportunity to thank you and those individuals in the county who have made contributions over their lifetime and made an impact on the Clinton County Republican Party,” said Larry Droesch, executive chair of the party.
Clinton County Republicans have had some tough times and have had ups and downs, Droesch said. “We’re still powerful and we still make a difference. We’re well-known all over the state for being a very good and powerful Republican county.”
Roger Bennett, immediate past executive chairman of the party, presented Uible with a plaque. “It is an honor to have Harold H. Uible here,” Bennett said. “I’ve worked with him. He’s been a first-class individual.”
After the presentation, Uible said it was some 50 years ago when he became a Central Committee member. “That was one of the best things I ever did. The party has done much more for me than I will ever be able to do for the party.”
He called the Central Committee “the key to a grassroots organization.”
Also attending the dinner was Uible’s wife Jean, and two of their five children, John Uible and his wife Julie of Newark, and Mary Uible Crowson of Dublin, Ga. Their other children are Catherine Morgan of Glendale, Ariz., and Roberta King and Serena Uible, both of Sun City West, Ariz. Also seated at the family table was GG Walker who has worked for Uible for many years.

Jean Uible Honored

Long-time members recognized, new board sworn in at CMH Foundation Auxiliary general fall meeting
WILMINGTON — Thirty members of the CMH Foundation Auxiliary were recognized for 10 years of service or more and new officers were sworn in when the CMH Foundation Auxiliary held its fall general dinner meeting recently at the Wilmington Presbyterian Church.
Auxiliary membership co-chair Joanne Chamberlin named the 30 members who had earned service awards and helped recognize those in attendance with a pin and flower with the assistance of Betty Rice and Janet Perkins. Those with 25 or more years of service are Margaret Briggs, Georgia Chaney, Helen Conner, Virginia McGuire, Mary Jean Patton, Thelma Settlemyre, Rosalie Smith, Jean Uible, and Barbara Vance.
Those with 15 to 25 years of service are Lois Allen, Esther Combs, Doris Conley, Marie Cowman, Wilma Croghan, Grace Fite, Bertha Hadley, Dorothy J. Hayes, Ruth MacDonald, Jo Miller and Betty Rice.Kruszka presented Rice with a special gift from the auxiliary in appreciation of her dedication and leadership to the organization during her presidency.

Traveling around

Thought I'd better post something about our trip before Roberta takes off for her more distant destination. We did indeed have an excellent time -- enjoying Birmingham, Memphis, and our stops in between, being Tupelo, where we spent the night, and Oxford, where we walked the square and then toured William Faulkner's home.His novels are almost all set in the fictional town of Jefferson based on Oxford.

Our three days in Memphis included tours of music studios where Elvis (and many others) first recorded, and listening to some good music in the evenings in places with names like the Rum Boogie Cafe, Club 152, and BB King's Blues Cafe. We did NOT go to Graceland. We walked along the river and saw the ducks at theh Peabody Hotel.Other than raining the whole time we were in Tennessee and during our accidental side trip to Arkansas which resulted from trying to follow internet directions to get to our hotel, the music/tourist scene seemed "hopping". Beale Street reminded us of New Orleans.

The highlight in Birmingham was unexpectedly the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame where we paid a dollar extra ($3 instead of $2) for a personalized tour. Our tour guide was himself a member of the Jazz Hall of Fame, Frank "Doc" Adams, who told personal stories about the music scene in the south during the 30s and 40s and the impact of his High School music teacher, Professor "Fess" Whatley at the then all black high school in Birmingham, who instilled a sense of perfection and professionalism in his students and had I don't know how many go on to musical careers. "Doc" (he got his doctorate in music) played with the Duke Ellington band. He played clarinet for us. In this picture he is playing for the Ambassador from Hungary with a picture of "Fess" Whatley in the background.

KC at not quite 11 months

KC at dinner at Rosie's Italian Restaurant in Sun City West - right off of Meeker on Camino del Sol. Photograph was taken by Pat Odom.