My cousin, Celina, was making an impromptu trip to Jackson County from Oklahoma when she sent a text to cousins to see if anyone wanted to meet up. There are a lot of us, but with it being a holiday weekend — and short notice — not many could show up.
It was still a good time…
We met at Thirsty’s in C’ville because we figured it was a place that wouldn’t kick us out. Not sure who was roasted more — Debra (in the back holding up a bottle of beer) or Tader.
Feel free to vote. Here’s another photo to help you decide:
A photo with Sherry…
My cousin, Sherry, insisted we have a photo together. She said she wanted a new one because the one I shared on FB on her birthday makes her look like a giraffe. Heh. I won’t be sharing this one — that’s for sure.
Tattoos all around!
Tader wants all of us to get matching tattoos. His idea was a peacock with names on each feather for every cousin. I’m out.
Now you know: In the movie Forrest Gump, the girl on the school bus who refuses to let Forrest sit next to her is played by Elizabeth Hanks, the daughter of Tom Hanks.
Perry’s store’s closing date has been a moving target for going on 4 years now. The company says it’s closing for a rebuild one day, and then a few weeks later that date gets bumped. Other stores were torn down and rebuilt before his, even though he was on the list for an earlier date.
Another reason to celebrate the 4th of July!
His store’s closing date has been set for July 4th and he believes it this time. After a vacation, he will be floating to other stores in need (probably Sellersburg), until his reopens in March 2025. His current store is old and in disrepair, so he’s beyond excited for the company to complete the project.
Cooking out and swimming during the summer months is pretty typical here at the barndo. While fun, it’s not necessarily a celebration per se.
But considering three important things all happen on the say day — Perry’s store is closing; he’s starting vacation; and it’s Independence Day — it will be extra special this year. At least for Perry. 😉
With one week to go, I predict…
One week until 7/4, I predict the corn will grow so much after the recent rainfall that I won’t be able to see the barndo of those pesky neighbors by then. I’ll let you know if I’m right.
Now you know: Anne, Queen of Great Britain had at least 17 pregnancies over a 17-year period & had miscarried or given birth to stillborn children at least 12 times. Of her 5 live-born children, 4 died before the age of two & her sole surviving child, Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, died at age eleven.
We celebrated Coco’s 14th birthday yesterday. Yes, it was late because she was with her Mom on her special day. We had ice-cream and cake with candles. Coco switched places with the 1 and 4 and lit them herself this year.
She doesn’t look a day over 40!
The pool temp yesterday evening when Coco got in was a drastic 10 degrees warmer than it was during her swim just 2 days ago. No polar plunge benefits, but it’s still a few degrees too cool for me. With highs in the mid-90’s predicted for the coming days, I expect it will be perfect.
No pool for Dharma, but she was happy to get the water hose pointed her way.
If I had a coat like Dharma, I’d be ok with having the water hose turned on me too. Getting wet and drying in the sun is one of her favorite things to do.
No family photo this time around.
I totally forgot about taking a group shot yesterday. I wasn’t on my game, for sure. Mom’s birthday is up next on June 19th. I’ll see if I can’t do better about getting a shot of everyone except my granddaughter and a dog. 🙂
Now you know: IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad (who started the company when he was 17) flew coach, stayed in budget hotels, drove a 20 yo Volvo and always tried to get his haircuts in poor countries. He died at 91 in 2018 with an estimated net worth of almost $60 billion.
The only one that released endorphins and adrenaline here yesterday was Coco. The pool water temp dropped to 70° after the couple cool nights we’ve had, but that didn’t stop her from getting in. Neither did the fact that we’ve yet to put the steps in. And a lost bathing suit top wasn’t a deterrent either — she simply wore a t-shirt.
Time will tell if she reaps the benefits of the cold water:
Boosted immune system
Increased metabolism
Enhanced mood and reduced stress
Reduction of depression and anxiety symptoms
Improved circulation
Many more benefits too numerous to mention…
Ben was here for lunch to witness the event and I asked him if he would like to join Coco to improve his mental toughness.
It was a hard NO. 😉
Now you know: In 1962, 3 men escaped Alcatraz in a raft made of raincoats. The FBI never found them. New circumstantial and material evidence has continued to surface, stoking new debates on whether the inmates managed to survive — or if they drowned in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay.
Cleaning split units and all mini-splits set me back $311.00 this year. I’ve yet to get a bill from the pool man.
Perry the Pool Man says it’s clean and ready to go except for one thing…
It’s only 74°. SEVENTY-FOUR! More than a week of 90° days upcoming should push the water to (hopefully) a more respectable temp.
Mayo Clinic says a comfortable pool temperature for adults is 85°F to 89°F. Swimming for fitness, cooler temperatures of 78°F to 84°F are recommended.
We’re currently in the competitive swimming zone. 🥶
Water temps in the mid-70’s are preferred for competitive swimming and training. But it’s not like that’s possible in an above ground pool, so waiting until it warms up is the only option.
Even lap swimmers wouldn’t want to jump in here — but Dharma would!
Ole’ Dharma might be a little slow to get up and down anymore, but she’d LOVE to take a dive. If not for the gate dividing the decks, we wouldn’t be able to keep her out of the pool. The challenge for Dharma isn’t getting in, I just don’t know how we’d manage to get her out.
Now you know: In the Vietnamese version of Cinderella, the end has her boil her stepsister to death. She turns what remains of her into sauce and sends it to her stepmother to eat. The stepmother enjoyed it so much that she ate it all. Then she found the skull and died of shock. (Oh my!)
