All This for Four Feet of Pavement!

I live in the north so usually the orange construction barrels come out in late February in our area.  This year the major street near our house was blocked off for construction in the early spring.  The crews started taking out the medians and chewing up the pavement with large machines.  We found out that they were installing bike lanes on this one mile stretch of a major north/south street on our side of town. 

So for months we have endured closed lanes, two lanes of traffic compressed into one lane and barrels and road blocks.  Then in April and May the rains came.  We had one of the rainiest springs ever this year so road construction came to a stand still for weeks. 

Once the rain stopped and the skies cleared the construction did not continue.  We all watched for weeks as we were waiting in traffic in this area and there would be no one working.  People began complaining and the powers that be in our city said that the construction had been delayed because of the rain.  Sure, but for weeks after the rain stopped!  There is nothing more discouraging that sitting in traffic day after day and there is NO ONE working on the project.  Then we heard that the company that bid the job had to move onto other projects because of the rain delay.  What!  It seems to me that they would be required to finish what they started before moving on to other tasks. 

The contractor secured a one month extension on the project, so something that was supposed end September 1 was extended until October first.  Lately, as we get closer and closer to the beginning of October the activity has been picking up and lanes have been reopened. 

Collateral damage from this project was our little side streets and the streets in our small neighborhood.  As all these drivers sought to find ways around the traffic congestion they found our neighborhood and we were deluged with lines of commuters trying to get to work in the morning and get home in the evening.  Needless to say that now our streets are all torn up and we are not even close to the list to get them repaved.

So as they are opening lanes we are finding new pavement, new lane lines and a four foot wide bike path.  We went through months and months of congestion, traffic, accidents, horns blowing and people being generally nasty, as well as our now torn up streets for four feet of pavement for bike riders.

Was it all worth it? 

No more excuses!

Ever since I was a child I have been told that I am too quiet.  My mother said I needed to get over my shyness.  I was too brainy and did not join in with other children.  She tried to help me overcome my quietness by dropping me off at several week-long camps, or taking dance lessons or pushing me into the spotlight with music lessons.  I know she meant well but I continued to be quiet and "too brainy" by her description.

As I became an adult and continued my journey through education and psychology I later realized that what she called shyness was really introversion.  What she called shyness was really my need to draw my energy from quiet activities, reading, needlework, gardening and walking my dogs.  I am really not that terribly shy, I am just not a person who needs to be in the spotlight all the time.  I find my self a good second in command, the person behind the person.  I also can take the lead, I do it several times a week when I am teaching college classes. 

There is now a movement, started by author Susan Cain, for those of us who are introverts.  After completing her book "Quiet" and making the promotional rounds about her research and writing Susan Cain started the "Quiet Revolution" where she talks about all things that make those of us who are introverts the way we are.  In spite of our need for quiet pursuits we make good leaders (we are better listeners) and we don't shy away from making decisions, we just put a little more thought into them than someone who is more impulsive. 

Susan Cain's talk, The Power of Introverts, on Ted.com (http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts) is one of the most watched videos on that web site.  I often show it in the psychology classes I teach when we are covering the topic of personality.  Invariably I will get an email from a student after that talk thanking me for helping them to not feel like such a freak in this world filled with extroverts and those who draw their energy from crowds. 

I am coming to realize that those of us who are introverts really enjoy finding someone with similar traits to ours because other like-minded and quiet-seeking introverts are not trying to suck all the oxygen from a room with their expansive personalities. 

So no more excuses.  I am the person I am, quiet and all.  I am no longer going to feel like I have to explain or pretend to be someone I am not just to fit in.  If the extroverts don't like it they can just keep talking to each other. 

Rest in Heaven, Cowfan!

Things have been a little sad recently.  My husband and I learned that one of our longtime friends died recently. 

Bob(my husband) met Ty while Ty was still in college.  He asked my husband for a job working at the concerts my husband produced.  Bob hired Ty as a runner, someone who works the day of show getting items for the band and their road crew.  From that beginning Ty became a friend to both of us for over 30 years. 

Ty had nicknames for everyone.  Bob was "the Bald One" and I was "C-Mac"  He was in our lives through jobs, the birth of our son, the ups and downs of his life, the birth of our grandson and my graduation with a doctorate.  The last few years Ty fell on some hard times, often struggling financially.  Several times Bob would see Ty riding his bicycle and give him a ride to where ever he was going.  We knew he had cancer and was getting treatment. 

One thing Ty did annually was host a NFL weekly football pool.  Bob participated in it annually and it made the football season more fun for him, matching wits with Ty and others in the pool on who made the best picks for the week.  When Ty did not send out his announcement for this year Bob was worried that his cancer had come back.  I did some research on Facebook and found out Ty had died on August 10.  He died surrounded by people who loved him.  Somehow through the vagaries of the workings of Facebook I did not see all the posts about Ty's final days, passing and memorial service.  So Bob and I are mourning his passing ourselves. 

I know that as Ty stepped from this world into Jesus' arms in heaven he was no longer in pain or suffering from the affects of cancer and its treatments.  It's a sad NFL season for Bob and anyone else who knew Cowfan (Ty's name in the pool). 

Rest in Heaven, Cowfan!  Know that you are loved and remembered fondly, especially on football Sundays when the NFL is playing.  We will miss you. 

"Dear Prudence"

The title of this blog post has nothing to do with the content.  Saturday night we took several friends to see the Classical Mystery Tour at Symphony on the Prairie at Conner Prairie.  Classical Mystery Tour is a Beatles tribute act.  Dear Prudence is one of the Lennon/McCartney songs they played that night and it is one of my favorites.  (from The Beatles White Album, 1968)  

This evening was similar to the evening I described at an earlier concert.  The crowd was huge, the place was packed with Beatles fans.  Near us there was a table of people in their late 60's (I would guess) who all came in their tie-dyed garb.  They had tee shirts and dresses that were tie-dyed and the women even had flowers in their hair (tie-dyed of course). 

Much of the crowd spent the concert in front of the stage dancing and enjoying the show.  There was one elderly man (dressed like the captain of a yacht, complete with hat) who danced the night away with several women.  He seemed to have one lady who was his favorite dance partner and then other ladies joined him throughout the night.  Were they a group of friends who had attended this event together or were they just a group of people who found each other that night?  Whatever the circumstances they definitely enjoyed the evening.  There was another woman who danced alone, delighting herself and her audience.  Later a man joined her.  I wonder if those two knew each other or just met up and enjoyed dancing the night away to Beatles tunes.  The romance writer in me wants to think they were strangers who found each other on a summer night to the background melody of Beatles' love songs. 

I love to watch the crowd at a concert.  This night there were families, with young children all the way to seniors who probably saw the Beatles live (as I did).  There were probably people who were there at Woodstock, or who at least were old enough to have been there.  We had a wonderful time meeting up with friends and enjoying an evening of fun, food and friendship. 

The night was hot and sultry but the music was sweet and the dancing was lovely. 

"Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play?"  (Lennon/McCartney) 

Summer with my Grandson

Recently my husband and I visited Nashville TN again to see our grandson.  This time we planned a four day visit over a weekend so we could spend time with him and give his mom a break over a time when his dad (our son) was out touring with Jamey Johnson.

The first day we spent it at the pool.  We swam, splashed, and he had a great time throwing everything in the pool so we could fetch it.  That included goggles, flip flops, shoes and sunglasses.  We drew the line when he tried to throw his beloved cowboy boots in the water.

"Ronan, No!  The water will ruin your boots.  Put them back in the your bag." 

He finally realized that we were serious about the danger of water for his boots so he did put them away as we finished our swim. 

Then we had lunch at Sonic and he had a great time eating a hot dog. (hot dog in one hand, bun in the other).  A police officer came to our area to eat lunch so Ronan struck up a conversation with him.  He also scored some tater tots from the officer.  He was so successful with meeting the police officer that he starting yelling "Hi!" to everyone in the cars that pulled into the drive in.  He did not understand why people were not trying to be as friendly as he is. 

We also spent one evening eating watermelon on the porch.  My husband and I had stopped by a road side vegetable stand and bought some produce including a beautiful watermelon.  Ronan loves watermelon!  We cut come pieces and ate them on the front porch.  At the end of the evening all of us were covered in watermelon juice.  It was delicious and fun. 

Ronan ate his watermelon and then finished mine and his mother's.  He was covered in juice and sticky from head to toe! 

Grandchildren are so wonderful.  I have joked that one thing that makes them wonderful is that you can give them back to their parents.  This past weekend during our visit I realized that the other thing that makes them wonderful is that with us he can explore and do things which his parents may not allow.  Is that not what makes grandparents wonderful also? 

I have a Thief!

It's summer here in Indiana and my tomatoes and cucumbers are almost ready to start harvesting.  I have been waiting for the fresh, heirloom tomatoes all summer.  The ones on the vines are just about perfect, big, round and with all the rain we have received here they should be especially juicy.

 I have had a few tomatoes get ripe, or almost ripe, and I have picked them to finish ripening on my kitchen counter.  But the big, juicy ones are not quite ready yet.

Last night I was watering plants and working in the flower beds and saw this under the pine tree in my back yard.

At first I thought it was one of the Granny Smith apples which have fallen off the tree in our yard.  I find half, or mostly eaten apples all over the yard, including up in the trees!

Then as I looked closer I realized it was one of my beautiful, big heirloom tomatoes (yes a green one) that had been picked and stashed under the pine tree.  It was most likely one of my four legged, bushy tailed thieves!  There was a big bite out of the tomato so I could not take it back.  This morning when I woke up and looked out the window it was almost completely gone.  That darn little thief!  It's not enough to steal all the sunflower seeds out of the bird feeder and stash apples all over my yard.  Now he is hitting my tomatoes!  

I don't mind sharing my produce with the local squirrel but if he takes too many tomatoes I will not be happy!  This squirrel has the best set up ever in squirrel-dom.  He lives in my neighbor's maple tree all year and then comes over to my yard for his (or possibly her) selection of tasty items.

It looks like I will have to become more vigilant about my tomatoes.  I don't mind sharing but I want the best ones for me since I did the work to grow them.  Darn little thief! 

Live Life Like Sadie - The Beagle Way!

Sadie is our nine-year-old beagle.  We adopted her from the Humane Society of Hamilton County last year.  She is considered a "senior" dog.  From what we were told her owner surrendered her because the owner was in end stage cancer and wanted to make sure her beloved pet was taken care of. 

So Sadie has lived with us for a little over a year now.  We have never had a Beagle before and it has been a learning experience for us.  Over the last year I have learned Sadie's rules for life:

1.  Everything is better with a dog cookie(or any other food).

Sadie loves her treats.  The people at the humane society said she is extremely food oriented.  She knows after walk she will get a treat, when I come into the house she gets a treat, and the day ends with "pills" which is usually a small piece of cheese to hold her latest prescription medication.  She lets me know when I forget or somehow get off the acceptable cycle of treat distribution.  Sadie always stays close when I am cooking just in case something hits the floor.  No need to clean up food from the floor when she is around, she will take care of just about anything that drops. 

2.  Life is best observed from the couch

Sadie is a couch potato.  Once she is done with morning walk and breakfast she takes her spot on the couch and does not move until it's time for walk or food.  Sometimes I can see her with one eye partially open just to make sure she does not miss anything but overall she watches life from her favorite blanket on the couch.  I have to practically shove her off the couch when it is walk time in the afternoon.  I just tell her both of us need the exercise. 

3. When in doubt let your voice be heard

Nobody told me beagles were so vocal.  Sadie is a talker.  She will howl and groan and murmur to my husband and I when something does not meet with her desires.  I have never had a dog "talk" to me as much as Sadie does.   The only one who comes close is her friend Harley, who is a Siberian Husky.  

This last year has been a learning experience.  Sadie is an important part of our family and has acclimated well to our routine.  Well, maybe she has taught us her routine and we have acclimated.  Whichever way it happened I am glad she is part of our pack and I am learning the "Beagle Way."