Where Did They Go?

Yesterday Seth came to visit with us. What a busy little guy he is becoming. He went pretty much unstop all morning. We had a little bowling tournament with his bowling pin and balls. He made strikes and spares, while grandma kept the imaginary gutters cleaned out. 

We turned our attention to the TV for a little while to watch Max and Ruby. In the episode that we watched Ruby was playing with paper dolls and I started remembering those long ago days when I played with paper dolls. My imagination must have been pretty good because I recall playing with them for hours on end. Do they still make paper dolls?

I remember buying them for Theresa. The ones I bought for her was the modernized version that were a thin cardboard with a glossy finish and the clothes were a plastic cling. After the clothes lost their cling of course Theresa lost interest in the paper dolls. After all who wants to play with glossy cardboard people that can't keep their clothes on? With our three grand daughters I don't recall seeing paper dolls any where. I am sure that if they were on a store shelf some where I would have found them and bought them for the girls to play with when they came to visit.

Now that I have mentioned the girls, I know most of you have heard me say more than a few times how I miss my "  little"   girls. They all three have turned into teenagers. You know what I am talking about I'm sure...... You wake up one morning and your little sweetheart have turned into this teenager that no longer thinks the greatest thing in the world is no longer sleeping over at G'ma and G'pa's house, or dressing up and putting on fashion shows for the family. Writing and producing their own plays for the older generation. Not only that, but they all seem to have developed a serious eye problem where their eyes seem to roll uncontrollably when an adult, especially a parent speaks to them.

We have all commented from time to time, "  Who gave them permission to grow up so fast?"  and "  How did this happen?"    I found the answers to those questions yesterday. Seth and I watched a little bit of Barney. I was surprised to see that the same children that sang and danced and learned to be good people by following Barney's example every day on TV  when the girls were little had not aged a day in the past 16 years. Amazing!! I found myself wondering, had we kept the girls in Barney Land would they still be our "  little girls"  ?

All and all it was a good day with Seth. I got him to rest a little bit on the couch and he was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Paddy was worn completely out too. Seth and Riley are both  growing up too fast as well. Seth is potty training and doing a pretty good job of it. He has the cutest little personality and is every bit as ornery as his father and his brother were at that age. He never misses a thank you or your welcome. I just hope he and his brother doesn't develop that 'Rolling Eye Syndrome'.

While I was pondering where have all of the Paper Dolls gone and with Easter being this Sunday, I remembered  something else that you just don't see any more. When I was little nearly every Easter we went to the Montgomery Wards store and on a huge table they had boxes just like the ones in the picture filled with little colored chicks. My brother and I would choose one each and home we would go with two little soft colorful chicks to be responsible for. It seemed like in no time at all the pretty color was gone and we had just plain old chickens, no longer soft and cuddly. My chickens always tried to peck at my legs and ankles. It wasn't long we lost interest in being responsible for those two chickens. 

We lived in town so we weren't allowed to keep them very long anyway. So off they would go to grandma's house to live with her chickens. It was quite a while before I put two and two together and realized that there was a good chance that we had dined on one of our once colorful chicks when we sat down to Sunday dinner at grandma's house. 

I did some research on the subject of colored Easter chicks and found that many states have restricted the sale of these chicks as pets and banned the sale of colored chicks. I also learned that the CDC had issued warnings about children handling chicks and poultry in general because these chicks may carry salmonella.

How did we Baby Boomers ever survive our childhoods? If we weren't harmed by being attacked by Salmonella from petting and cuddling with our pink, blue, or green Easter Chick then we should have needed extensive therapy after learning our grandma had fried up that same cute little chick and served it to us on a big platter. Not only that, but we probably asked for a second chicken leg. 

Wishing you a peaceful Wednesday and good memories.

Pass the chicken please....

Wash Day

If you would like to take part in 

Mosaic Monday

visit 

Little Red House
 

A clothes line was a news forecast

To neighbors passing by

There were no secrets you could keep

When clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link

for neighbors always knew

If company had stopped by

To spend a night or two.

For then you'd see the fancy sheets

 And towels upon the line

You'd see the company table cloths

With intricate designs

The line announced a baby's birth

From folks who lived inside

As brand new infant clothes were hung

So carefully with pride

The ages of the children could

So readily be known

By watching how the sizes changed

You'd know how much they'd grown.

It also told when illness struck

As extra sheets were hung

Then nightclothes and a bathrobe, too

Haphazardly were strung.

It also said, "  Gone on vacation Now"

When lines hung limp and bare

It told, "  We're back!"   when full lines sagged

  With not an inch to spare.

New folks in town were scorned upon

If wash was dingy and gray

 As neighbors carefully raised their brows

And looked the other way.

But clothes lines now are of the past

For dryers make work much less

Now what goes on inside the home

Is anybody's guess

I really miss that way of life

It was a friendly sign

When neighbors knew each other best

By what hung on the line.

 ~ Marilyn K. Walker

Basic Rules for Clothes Lines

1.  You have to wash the clothes line before hanging any clothes. ~ walk the entire lengths of each line with a wet cloth around the lines.
2. You have to hang the clothes in a certain order and always hang whites with whites and hang them first.
3.  You never hang a shirt by the shoulders, always by the tail. What would the neighbors think?
4. Wash days are on Mondays!  Never hang clothes on a weekend or on Sunday. For Heaven's Sake!
5. Hang the towels and sheets on the outside lines so you can hide your "  unmentionables"  in the middle. (perverts and busy bodies Ya' Know)
6. It doesn't matter if it is sub zero temperatures. Clothes will freeze dry.
7. Always gather clothes pins when taking down clothes. Pins left on the line are tacky!
8. If you are efficient you will line the clothes up so each item does not require two clothes pins, but shares one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.
9. Take clothes off the clothes line by dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket and ready to be ironed. 
10. IRONED? Well that's a whole other post.                            

A big thank you to my long time friend Sue Zaweski for sending this to me. As soon as I read it I knew I had to post it on Moodscapes.

Sunday Morning Memories

A while back I visited a blog that discussed finding God. Since that visit the memories have been flooding my mind and either I post about these memories or I just may drown from the flood. My first memories take me back to the time when my father went to church and was saved and then baptized in a creek that ran along behind the churches property. He was a good Christian and lived his life as any Christian might. Before we ate dinner, he read some verses from the bible and that was followed with prayer. He had quit drinking and no longer divvied out verbal and physical abuse to his family. As young as I was during this time I remember a heavy weight being lifted from my family. 

Then one Saturday night the phone rang and it was my Uncle Starchy calling from a bar down town. He was falling down drunk and had gotten thrown out of the bar and wanted Dad to come and get him. Dad went, not only because it was family, it was the right thing to do. As they walked away from the bar with Uncle Starchy leaning on Dad with an arm around his shoulder, he of course was staggering and being a much bigger man than my father. both of them staggered. Well Hello!! Who should drive past the bar at that moment, but the minister of the little country church we had attended.  What a surprise it was when we went to church Sunday morning to hear a sermon that was evidently directed straight toward my father as the minister talked about members of the church drinking and carousing on Saturday nights and staggering out onto the street with their drunken friends. As if that wasn't bad enough, but that same so called Christian gets up and goes to church on Sunday as if they had done nothing wrong. How do I know this sermon was directed toward my dad? One clue might have been how the minister never once took his eyes off of Dad and even pointing his finger at him when he talked of this person burning in the fires of Hell. It was about this time when Dad leaned over and told Mom ,"  We are leaving!"  . ...... and that is what we did. He didn't go into another church until my brother Joey (aka Toad) grew up and got married.

Eventually Dad returned to his old ways of verbal abuse and his drinking. His physical abuse that he dished out to our mother never returned, which I was grateful for although she still received her apportioned share of the verbal and emotional abuse. I remember when we had been out side playing and dad would come home from where ever he was, when we came in the house Mom would shush us and tell us to go to our room and be quiet. 

Mom was bound and determined that her two youngest children would learn about God and Jesus. Since it didn't seem as if we were going to learn that under our father's roof she sent us to what ever churches were closest to where we lived at the time. Mom would get us up on Sundays and get us ready for Sunday School and out the door we went, usually with Joey leading the way. Per Joey's desire, I was never allowed to walk with my brother, only behind. If I would get too close, he would stop and point his finger at me and tell me to slow down because he did not want to walk with me. I recall that on a few occasions if he had already had to stop and tell me to back off, then the next time he had to stop and talk to me he talked with a handful of rocks in his hand. The denomination of the church(es) my brother Joey and I attended when we were small were many. We went to Methodist, Baptist, Nazarene, Lutheran....... You name it, we went to it except for the Catholic church (more about this later).

I don't remember when it happened, but at some point after we became teens, Joey quit going to church. Church on Sunday was still very much a part of my life though. I enjoyed going and it seemed to complete my week.

As a teenager, my circle of friends grew and the majority of those friends were either Italian or Irish and (whispering here) Catholic. Dad tolerated my choice of friends, but absolutely put his foot down when it came to spending the night with any of them on Saturday night. When I questioned him on why........ His reply was that he didn't want me to get up on Sunday morning and go to their Catholic church. I questioned that reasoning too. He replied that any church that couldn't speak their services in English had to be Communist and had something going on that he didn't want me being a part of. What can I say..... The man had beliefs that he refused to vacate because he had probably spent years coming to that conclusion or that is what he was taught as he grew up. 

Unknown to him, as I got a little older I learned that the Catholic churches also held a Saturday evening service so I started attending those services. My dad had no idea what I was doing. All my life I had heard ministers speak of a harsh demanding Father that made his children suffer before forgiving them. If he even chose to forgive those sinning children. Within the Catholic church (which was now doing their services in English) I found a loving and forgiving Father that welcomed even His sinning children back into the fold and He loved and forgave all of His children unconditionally. 

I struggled to find the courage to tell my father what I had been doing and that I wanted to attend classes and become a Catholic. To my surprise he simply responded by telling me that I was 17 and had the right to make those choices. He gave me the approval that I needed and was really and truly shocked, while at the same time I was full of appreciation for God answering my prayers. 

Years later I attended a reception at a Marine Corps Base Chapel that included the Protestant and Catholic congregations. There was one Protestant member that found his way over to talk to me and he didn't waste any time telling me that he used to be a Catholic, but didn't find God until he became a Protestant. I shared with him how funny I found that, because I didn't find God until I entered a Catholic church for the first time (and I  had looked in a lot of different churches). I went on to tell him that it was just proof that God is everywhere and that He is where ever you look for him.

Many years have passed since that day, as well as a marriage that had failed. I no longer felt welcome in the Catholic Church after my divorce and have not attended mass  for 11 years. The church that I attend today is the Church of God in My Heart. If I have questions about how to lead my life there is an instruction manual called a Bible. I sing and hum my gospel music  off and on every single day. I look around me and  I see God everywhere. He is in the flowers, birds, trees, the rain and snow. He is in the beauty of the world around me. He is in the love of my husband, children and grand children. I don't have any problem handing my troubles over to Him because He is always there for me to talk to, also known as praying to. It has been a long road to the place where I am now, but the words of a song that often runs through my mind says it all.... "  Me and Jesus got a good thing going"  .

Have a Blessed Sunday and remember.... 

God is where you look for Him.     

Run, Run As Fast As You Can......

I just wanted to pass along a couple of blog addresses that are holding 'Give Aways'. One of them will be drawing today, so you will have to put on your running shoes and get over there right away for your chance to win. While you are there make sure you take a little time and read some of the postings. 

My Painting Room  

Little Red House

Good Luck Everyone !

The Deep-Pink Fingernail Crisis......

As early as 400 BCE, Hippocrates taught that the nails reflect the condition of the inner body. It is true that abnormalities of the nails can often provide early clues to common medical problems or severe systemic diseases.

Red or deep pink: Can indicate a tendency to poor peripheral circulation.

Half white/half pink: May indicate fungal infection or, more seriously, kidney disease.

Sitting on the exam room table, I stared closely at my fingernails and began to think horrible thoughts. God, what if it’s something really serious? What if the doctor walks into the room and tells me I need to go right to the ER? It can’t be good to have inexplicable blood under each fingernail on my right hand. What if ... ? I don’t know. What if I didn’t have much time left?

I looked closely at my left hand and focused in on a slight tinge of pink on my ring finger. Shit! Whatever it is, it’s spreading to my left hand.

"Have you ever seen anything like this?" I asked the nurse as she peeled the blood pressure cuff from my bicep.

"No, I haven’t," she admitted.

"You didn’t touch anything with red ink or anything?" she asked.

"No," I said. "The thing is, I wash my hands and it goes away a little bit but then it comes right back."

"Oh," she said regrettably. "The doctor will be right in."

It had been three days of closely watching my fingernails grow more and more red. Susanne was getting very concerned; especially after I reported my findings from the Internet.

"You have to go to the doctor!"

My jacket sat in a clumsy pile behind me on the table. Waiting for the doctor to come in, I searched for my cell phone in my jacket pocket. When I pulled my left hand out, I noticed significant red stains on my fingertips.

OH MY GOD!!! MY POCKETS ARE EATING MY FINGERS!!!!!!!

Or …

It was the Ocean Spray powdered cranberry grape drink mix pack that burst open and spilled into my pocket.

"Yes, jackass! The redness comes back every day because you continue to put your hand back into your jacket pocket! Funny how it works that way!

The doctor walked in and I sheepishly explained my idiocy, showing her the purple drink mix wrapper as evidence.

"Another life saved," she joked, as I still sat there shaking my head.

"So you never smelled it?" she asked.

Putting my fingers to my nose, the odor was quite sweet and grapey.

This was a true "Carey moment."

"Maybe. I guess so. I don’t know. I just didn’t put it all together."

So what does all this have to do with diabetes?

If Charlie didn’t have diabetes, I wouldn’t have had a sugar-free juice mix packet in my pocket to begin with and it wouldn’t have exploded and I wouldn’t have thought I had one month to live and I wouldn’t have wasted my morning or spent a co-pay and I wouldn’t have made a fool of myself over grape-flavored fingernails.

Dammit! I want my 20 bucks back, diabetes!

by Carey Potash

Note from Jo: I found this article at the d-life web site. We get so wrapped up in the seriousness of our diabetes and the many ways that it can branch out and wreak havoc on so many other areas of our bodies that we sometimes forget the importance of laughter or even just a smile. I got a laugh from the article that Carey wrote and wanted to share it with you. If you have diabetes or live with and care for someone that is diabetic you really need to check out the d-life web site.

I thought I would post this little poem that was sent to me a while ago. At first I thought this was funny...

then I realized the awful truth of it.

Tax his land,

Tax his bed,

Tax the table

At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,

Tax his mule,

Teach him taxes

Are the rule.

Tax his cow,

Tax his goat,

Tax his pants,

Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,

Tax his shirt,

Tax his work,

Tax his dirt

Tax his tobacco,

Tax his drink,

Tax him if he

Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,

Tax his beers,

If he cries,

Then tax his tears.

Tax his car,

Tax his gas,

Find other ways

To tax his ass.

Tax all he has

Then let him know

That you won't be done

Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers,

Then tax him some more,

Tax him till

He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,

Tax his grave,

Tax the sod in

Which he's laid.

Put these words

Upon his tomb,

"Taxes drove me

to my doom..."

When he's gone,

Do not relax,

Its time to apply

The inheritance tax.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now here is something else to ponder....

Accounts Receivable Tax

Bed Tax

Building Permit Tax

CDL license Tax

Cigarette Tax

Corporate Income Tax

Dog License Tax

Excise Taxes

Federal Income Tax

Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)

Fishing License Tax

Food License Tax

Fuel Permit Tax

Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)

Gross Receipts Tax

Hunting License Tax

Inheritance Tax

Inventory Tax

IRS Interest Charges

IRS Penalties (tax on top of Tax)

Liquor Tax

Luxury Taxes

Marriage License Tax

Medicare Tax

Personal Property Tax

Property Tax

Real Estate Tax

Service Charge Tax

Social Security Tax

Road Usage Tax

Sales Tax

Recreational Vehicle Tax

School Tax

State Income Tax

State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)

Telephone Federal Excise Tax

Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax

Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes

Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax

Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax

Telephone State and Local Tax

Telephone Usage Charge Tax

Utility Taxes

Vehicle License Registration Tax

Vehicle Sales Tax

Watercraft Registration Tax

Well Permit Tax

Workers Compensation Tax

I heard on the news last night that they are planning to tax Tanning beds now. They didn't say, but I believe that it will be an Ohio tax. No doubt if this state manages to rake in a nice profit from this tax it will eventually show up in other states.

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle income group in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What the heck happened?Repeat after me: "politicians?"And, on top of that, we still have to "press 1" for English!!!

Wishing you a peaceful relaxing Wednesday that isn't too taxing.............. :o)

Creating Memories.......

What a wonderful day yesterday was. All the favorite dishes for the birthday younguns was made. Michael complimented me on the dish that he asked for. I had never had it before and I thought it to be very tasty. The gumbo and fried chicken has become two of my dishes that is requested on a pretty regular basis. We even had a gumbo carry out request for a friend. I hope Melody remembered to take it with her. I always over cook for these get togethers. I had everyone divvy up the left overs and there was still enough left overs to take care of lunch and dinner for us today. After years of cooking extra in case someone came in while we were eating (which was more often than not), I have struggled to learn how to cook for just the two of us instead of for the two of us plus a few neighbors. You should pretty well figure that when I cook enough to serve 11 people that it will wind up being enough to feed a platoon of soldiers.

I think it would be wonderful if someday we could get all of the Yankee and Rebel children and grandchildren rounded up together at the same time. Can you imagine how much food I would cook up for a group that size?

This was the first time Paddy had met these relatives and I am happy to say that she fell in love with all of them. She managed to disappear on me when I had her outside and she had everyone outside searching for her. She had found an opening that was large enough for her to get under the deck. Everyone had their turn at loving on Paddy too and she loved it. When everyone was getting ready to leave, Michael was running after Paddy to get her to come back to the house. Every time he had her moving this way Seth would run too and herd her back toward Michael. We all had a full day. A day that ended with a feeling of peaceful happy contentment. Paddy was totally wore out. When everyone was gone she jumped up on the back of the couch and pretty much stayed there and slept until it was bedtime.

I am hoping that your week will be blessed with warmth and happiness.

A Little Of This..... A Pinch Of That.....

Tomorrow is a big day here on the Ridge. I think you have probably noticed the pattern by now, if you have been reading my posts for any length of time. When a birthday rolls around, I cook a birthday dinner. We have two birthdays in January that we always have to put on delay, because without fail we will have enough ice, snow or a combination of both on and off all month long. As it goes, the only people that is going to be able to reach the house on J.D.'s mountain are the ones with four wheel drive and that doesn't always guarantee success. Long story short (ha... right), tomorrow we will be celebrating Brittany, Michael and Melody's Birthdays. I cooked gumbo yesterday and put it in the fridge for the ingredients to mingle and give it that 'it is always better the second time heated up' wonderful taste. That was Brittany's dinner request. Tonight I made potato salad and fried chicken to put in the fridge and reheat tomorrow. That was Melody's dinner request. Last but not least tomorrow I will make Michael's dinner choice, Cavatini. Then since I am the cook I will also throw in a nice green salad because that is my choice....... :o)

Melody decorates cakes and does a wonderful job of it. Last year for my birthday, Chris went to Kroger and bought my cake. I want you to know that I have been relentless when it comes to giving her a hard time about it. I have even told people that my ex-daughter-in-law made my cake last year. Melody volunteered to make the cake for tomorrow. Hmmmm do you think I should be concerned about that? We'll see..... lol

As promised, I have added some more pictures of Paddy. We are still working on the housebreaking part of adjusting to each other. There are times when I can take her out with out her leash and she is good to come back to me when I call her, but then there are times when I call her and she just keeps on trucking. I tried taking her out on her leash and we walked and walked all over the yard with no potty business being taken care of at all. The minute we come back in the house and I turn my back she decides this would be a good time to take care of business. So we are going to give crate training a shot and see if that will work for her and us.

She took up to both of us real quick, but she has trust issues to a certain extent. When she sees either of us, that little tail whips back and forth like windshield wipers in a heavy down pour. As you start walking toward her and reach your hand out to pet her, the tail stops wagging and she tucks it between her legs and cowers. Bless her heart, my heart aches for her. It is more than obvious that someone has mistreated her in the past. She wants to be a part of our little family so bad, but she has that fear that someone is going to hurt her. We will get past that eventually with lots of love and patience. Buddy didn't trust men when he first came to live with us and it took nearly a year for him to get past it, but he did. In fact before he died he considered J.D. his favorite playmate. He loved the games they played together.

I am just about finished with my cooking, so I am going to go ahead and publish this post. I have a mess across the room calling my name..... "Jo come wash us, give us a rinse off Jo and then we want you to dry us and put us away!!" "Jo! Jo! Jo! why are you ignoring us Jo!"

Hope the rest of your weekend is blessed with beautiful warm weather and sunny skies.

Irish You Much Happiness..........

O, the red rose may be fair,
And the lily statelier,
But my shamrock, one in three
Takes the very heart of me!

~Katherine Tynan

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.

~Irish Blessing

May luck be your companion,
May friends stand by your side,
May history remind us all,
Of Ireland's faith and pride,
May God bless us with happiness,
May love and faith abide.

~ Irish Blessing

The big hole that was left in our heart since Buddy died didn't seem to be improving much. We found ourselves looking for Buddy in certain situations knowing he wouldn't be there. Enough was enough and we decided to look around for a new little furry critter that we could offer a good home too and love and who would challenge us not only physically, but mentally as well. I went on line and did some searching through the Animal shelters in our surrounding counties. We found several dogs that answered our criteria, but there was one little cutie that we called to check on first. She was brought in yesterday by a young boy saying that the dog was running in the road and he was afraid she would get hit by a car. The Dog Warden said that she was scheduled to be put down on Friday. They don't waste any time, do they!


We brought her home with us. She is a Terrier and Dachshund mix like Buddy was, but has more of the coloring of the Dachshund than he did. She is a little cuddle bug and it doesn't matter to her whose lap she is on as long as she is not left alone. We named her "Paddy" in honor of St. Patrick's Day. By looking at her teeth she is probably around a year old so training is going to be needed. She came with her own baggage too, as most pound puppies do. We are thinking that someone has hit her with their hand because every time she sees a hand coming toward her she cowers and hunches over. She isn't housebroken either, which we will be working on as well. J.D. believes that she must have been kept outside because she put up a lot of resistance when he brought her into the house for the first time. She is already getting over that. I will have some pictures of her in the next day or two. I didn't want to cause her any more stress and drama then she had already endured for one day, with all of the changes that was happening in her world. She had to deal with enough yesterday, with out us flashing lights in her eyes too.

May you be blessed today and always with the luck of the Irish!!

" I'll Get You My Pretty "

What a wonderful night we had Saturday. It was the closing performance of the High School's musical "The Wizard Of Oz". We started out by meeting Amy (one of our unofficial adopted children), Jammie (her husband) and Aydan (her step-son) for dinner. It was the first time we had met Jammie and Aydan. I have to say that for Aydan only being 4 years old, he is a very well behaved little fellow.

We arrived at the high school auditorium in plenty of time to find our seats and get settled in before the play started. Chris, Melody and Bailey (Mel's niece) met us there. Theresa and Michael arrived not long after. How cool is this, their tickets were for seats right behind us. Taking into consideration that we ordered our tickets separately. "Let the Show Begin".............

In front of the stage you can see the Yellow Brick Road. Underneath this brick road is where the Pit Orchestra was located. I was positive that it was going to give way and fall in on top of the musicians. It didn't though, not even with Dorothy, lion, tin man and jumping, skipping, falling down, getting up again scare crow traveling over it at the same time.

When Dorothy is reunited with her beloved Toto (aka Archie) they run away and cross paths with Professor Marvel. The part of Professor Marvel was played by Britt's cousin, David who also played the part of the Wizard of Oz.

The whole production was absolutely far beyond what anyone expected. I was told by a lady in front of me that the Friday night performance was sold out. They had to turn people away. I heard someone else saying that this was the best and most successful play the high school had ever put on.

They used some of the elementary students to play the part of the Munchkins. They played their parts like they had been munchkins all of their lives. The wicked witch was wonderful as well. Her voice was booming and reached out and grabbed your attention and didn't let go until she was ready to let go.

The role of the good witch was perfectly matched to the young lady that played the part. It was as if the part was made with her in mind. It was obvious that as much care and time went into making the costumes and the backgrounds as was put into making sure the cast was ready for the four performances that were scheduled. They were all amazing and we applaud everyone that took part in it.

Ahhhhhh, the infamous ruby red slippers. J.D. worked overtime with the camera trying to get a good shot of them. It finally happened and those slippers stopped moving long enough to get a good picture of them.

In this scene Dorothy had been abducted and taken to the bad witch. Another opportunity for Britt to share her beautiful singing voice with everyone that was there. All of Britt's family was feeling pretty proud of our girl.

Every time I started thinking that I couldn't be prouder of her, along comes another act to raise that pride meter still higher yet. I would bet that Britt is going to miss holding that little fluff ball, Toto in her arms. He acted as if he really was Toto and in Dorothy's arms is where he was meant to be. Not once did he seem to be bothered by the audience or the applause coming from our direction.

With three clicks of the heels of those ruby red slippers and Dorothy and her beloved Toto were safely delivered home to Kansas. One of the things that I enjoyed about the evening was sitting in the audience where I could hear what people were saying. Little Aydan was really wrapped up in what was going on up there on the stage. Every time they would bring the lights up he would ask with a certain amount of disappointment in his voice, if it was over. He laughed at the antics of Dorothy's traveling companions which only made me giggle and laugh more than I was already doing. They didn't get anything over on Aydan. The first thing he said when Dorothy found herself back to Kansas was, >>>>"WHERE IS DOROTHY'S SLIPPERS!!"<<<<>

After the play Aydan got autographs and his picture taken with the main characters. I have no doubt that one little boy had a Saturday that he will remember the rest of his life.

The Wizard of Oz was definitely a hit at Waverly High School. Congratulations to everyone that took part in getting this play off the ground. You all put a lot of time, effort and hard work into it from start to finish. You are all so very awesome!!


Britt, by the time the play had ended and you had your curtain call, took your bows and received a standing ovation, my head was so swelled up with pride that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get through the doors to go home. It is a darn good thing the school has double doors. On the serious side Britt, God blessed you with a wonderful talent and it does my heart good to see you sharing it.