Cutting Back

We had some visitors today. The electric company sent tree trimmers to cut back growth touching the power lines. I usually get upset and demand they don't cut my magnolia trees back drastically. You should see some of the trees they cut around here.

Today I took the attitude of being polite for once. I told them I loved my magnolia trees and didn't want them butchered. The guys must have been here before because they promised not to damage them. They had to cut branches that were growing over the lines and into them. 

I was actually happy with the results. Magnolia trees don't grow very fast and they never look as good after being cut up the trunk of the tree. The tree trimmers tried not to damage the shape of the trees.

We have to go through the same old song and dance every few years. I live in terror of not being home one day when they come by to cut my trees. 

I read somewhere that every full grown tree increases the value of your property by $1,500. Two giant, beautiful magnolia trees in our front yard have to be worth at least that much. 

If someone hadn't cut back the limbs years ago, those limbs would be touching the ground at the base of the tree. As it is, we are able to sit under the magnolia trees in the shade during the summer. 

Can't you imagine sitting in the shade under our magnificent magnolia trees sipping on a mint julep, soaking up some southern hospitality? I can. Y'all come.

Mint Julep

1 Tablespoon Water

3 Sprigs of Mint

1 Teaspoon Superfine Sugar*

Mash until the Mint is easily Smelled

Fill with Shaved Ice

Add 3 Ounces Bourbon

Stir until Pre-chilled Collins Glass is Frosted

Garnish with Slice of Orange

Float some Sprigs of Mint on Top

(*Powdered Sugar may be used)

AS ALWAYS

PIO

Hot Stuff

I've been fighting with my old second-hand gas stove for a few years. The stove didn't have the right orifices when we got it and the flames were never high. The only eye that ever got anything hot finally started getting lower and lower. Every night when I started cooking I would begin to gripe about my crappy stove. Don told me that I should get a new stove and quit complaining about it. He said I could pick out any stove I like.

I wanted to get a stove with a convection oven. My mother has one, and it's really nice. I began going to the stores around here looking at different ones. At first, I thought about getting a stainless steel stove. I even thought about getting a white stove to match my cabinets in the kitchen.

I went to Lowe's and Home Depot in Dalton and looked at them. I also went to Home Depot in Calhoun. After I saw the stove I was interested in I went back several times to try to decide which color I wanted to get. I found a five burner stainless steel GE gas stove in Dalton, but when I went to the Calhoun Home Depot I saw a GE in a new color, slate. They were both alike except for the color. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

The sales lady in Calhoun told me that the stove was on sale. 

I took Don with me to look at the stoves Saturday. He and I both agreed on the slate colored stove. I decided to go to Calhoun and order my stove on Tuesday. When I got there I found out that the stove on display was on clearance. I love a sale! I was so happy, I bought a matching over-the-stove Adora microwave. I rushed home to tell Don and he and I went back to pick up my new appliances. 

I haven't got the microwave over the stove yet. The guys are going to have to do a little renovation to make room for the new microwave. I'm tickled to death. I'm not used to such luxury. 

Every dinner is an adventure. Tonight I cooked a roast in my blue speckled pan and it turned out golden brown. I can't believe it. I made some delicious biscuits that rose like a dream. Maybe I'll begin to enjoy cooking again. It's hard to believe that something as simple as a stove can make a woman so happy. Maybe I'm becoming Betty Crocker. We'll see.

Happy birthday to me. I made out like a bandit.

AS ALWAYS

PIO

AUGUST

Boy! This has been a mild summer. Temperatures are usually in the 100's and everything is dried up by now. Instead, it has been milder and very humid. All in all, it makes for some lazy summer days where we all sit around hoping for a breeze. Even with all the lower temperatures, I've noticed leaves falling off the trees in the backyard. We keep inching towards autumn.

My computer is being a little witch here lately and doesn't want to let me work on anything. I'm having a devil of a time trying to get it to accommodate me. I don't know why everything inanimate is messing with me right now. Not only is my computer giving me crap, but one of my smoke detectors had been going off for days until someone finally put a new battery in it (and, hopefully, the other ones as well). Light bulbs keep blowing at such an exponential rate that I should buy stock in lightbulbs. I'd make a killing if everyone had to replace light bulbs as often as I do. I wish they'd last as long as the guarantee but they don't.

Every time I've tried to get on the computer here lately it's frozen up. That's why, if this post seems discombobulated and scattered all over the place, it's because I can't keep a thought in my head long enough to get it posted on here. I don't post a lot when Colt is home anyway because the computer is in his room. He runs me out at night so he can sleep. He is working with Scout this summer.

*********

Last week my Facebook friend, Kristie, posted about a friend of hers who died unexpectedly. She was only 42. I read some of the sweet things people posted about her and thought she must have been a very special person to have so many friends who love her so much. I read a couple of news articles about her and her death. Her husband, John Wayne Mackay, and his mistress, Nichole Michelle Houchin, were arrested for the murder. He was a sergeant in the army at Fort Eustis. Ms. Houchin was also stationed at Fort Eustis.

I got a call from a classmate who told me that Steve Pearson, another former classmate of ours, was Dana Patterson Mackay's stepfather, the woman who had been murdered. Steve is a minister and has been serving at Meadowdale Baptist Church for over 30 years in Calhoun. He  and his family are well known in the community.

On August 3rd* Calhoun Times posted on their front page about the return of Dana Mitchell Patterson's body to Gordon County. An 80 vehicle procession led by Missionaries on Bikes (M.O.B), a church group, escorted her body from Adairsville to Thomas Funeral Home in Calhoun. 

She received front page honors as a Gordon County native, but nowhere in the article does it explain what happened to Dana. The article ignored the fact that Dana had been married, and her husband was arrested for her murder. It didn't mention that her husband conspired with his paramour to kill his wife. 

I can understand the desire to distance yourself and your loved one from the monster who took her life, but it is important not to forget the senseless way she lost her life and the details. Not yet. Not until justice is meted out for Dana. Not until Mackay and Houchin are convicted.

Dana Michelle Patterson* was listed in the August 7th edition of Calhoun Times obituaries. Still no mention about cause of death, or her husband.

What's going on with the Calhoun Times? Why the lack of coverage in the paper?

The trial date has been set. It begins in September of 2014. Patterson Trial Set*

********

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 

Ashley, Tommie Lyn, Pat, Pam, Myra, Nancy, Nancy, Brenda, Chris, Randy, 

Jonnie Bell, Gloria, Blake, Bob, Justin, Cole, Jerry

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Susan and Bob

RIP

AS ALWAY

PIO

* edited  8-7-13, 7-23-14 

PBS 8-4-13  Wednesday 1:47 AM EDT