School is out and summer break has begun! What fun, what fun!
ELEMENTARY IS OVER. I know I have said this before, but I need to say goodbye to a chapter of my children's childhood in my own way.
Friday Nate walked out of East Robertson Elementary for the last time as a student. This ends an eleven year stretch of our kids attending that school. Vicki picked him up after their awards ceremony was over that morning and he left a happy boy. I think it was more of a bittersweet moment for Vicki.
VISITING COUSINS. Jim, Dianna, Alex, and Chris came up and spent Memorial Day weekend with us again this year. They arrived mid-afternoon on Friday after spending the two previous nights camping in Stone Mountain, Georgia. When they got here our kids and Mom met them at Thomas Drugs for milk shakes. By the time I got off work the party had moved to Mom's house where we had supper and visited for the evening.
The next morning we met with the Scouts to place flags in the cemeteries in White House. Then we did some things toward the Farm Mechanics merit badge (more on that below). That evening we all went out to the Catfish House for supper.
The cousins from Ashland City all came for lunch and an afternoon of fun Sunday. We enjoyed playing and visiting until dark.
All too soon Monday morning came and we watched the Cotter van leave our driveway and head toward home.
FARM MECHANICS. From the time that Alex, the older brother, joined Boy Scouts Chris has wanted the Farm Mechanics merit badge. He had simply looked through the merit badge list, spotted it, and thought it would be cool to earn for himself. To earn a merit badge you have to have a counselor, and in all the time Chris has been a Scout they have not found anyone in Central Florida available to do that. This is where I come in.
Several months ago Dianna contacted me and asked if I would be willing to be the merit badge counselor for this badge for Alex and Chris (and for my boys as well). I had the experience growing up, so why not? So, we decided what they could do from home ahead of time and planned time on this trip for the requirements they couldn't.
After placing flags at the cemetery we stopped by Will Ed's shop to look around. Neither Will Ed nor Samuel were there, but I was able to give them enough of a tour for them to understand how a shop like that functions on a farm.
That afternoon, after picking strawberries and having lunch at Mom's, we came back home and I directed the boys in servicing my mower. We took care of everything from changing the oil to greasing all the fittings. About the only thing we didn't do was sharpen the blades.
Now Chris (and Alex) can check this off his childhood bucket list and sport a merit badge on his sash that is rare for his district.
Joe
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Graduation News
It's graduation time! Congratulations to Emily Yergler on her graduation from Palm Beach Atlantic University, Andrew Swann from Davidson Academy, Keaton Raglin from White House Heritage High School, and Cameron Jones from home school.
AWARDS. I failed to mention this last time, but a week ago Thursday we went to East Robertson's award night. Jenna got several awards for academic achievement and Ben was named Seventh Grade Boy of the Year. They both made us very proud.
PACKING. We made a quick trip to Georgia for Cameron's graduation last weekend. The kids got out of school early so we could get there at a reasonable hour. As we were packing Vicki asked Nate to throw the dirty clothes down the stairs. A moment or two later we heard Nate say, "Bon voyage!" and then some clothes hit the floor.
This happened two or three more times until Jenna hollered up to him, "Um, Nate, I think you mean 'Bomb's away!'"
He didn't quite follow her advice and said, "Look out below!" instead.
THE MIRACLE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY. East Robertson's graduation was Friday evening. We happened to be driving through Atlanta at the time. No worries. The ceremony was being streamed live on the Internet. We turned my phone's hot spot on and took it in via Jenna's iPad, even piping the audio through the van's speakers.
What was so funny about all of this was that while the graduates were filing into the gym a friend of ours was visible in the background so we start texting her, even making fun of her chewing her gum and sending her a picture of herself on the iPad. She got pretty tickled.
HOME SCHOOL GRADUATION. Cameron's graduation was Saturday afternoon. There were six graduates recognized in his ceremony. It was really neat because they had time to give a brief bio with a slide show for each one. It was a very special time. Cameron plans to pursue criminal justice in college.
COOTIES. Normally when we visit the Jones family Vicki and I get the guest bedroom. This time Darice's mom and step dad were in so Vicki and I displaced Emily and Jenna who got to sleep downstairs.
Emily was a little uncomfortable with me sleeping in her bedroom and insisted that I sleep in the trundle bed. She even put Spider-Man sheets on the trundle for me and polka dot sheets on her bed for Vicki. Of course, I told her I loved polka dot sheets and even liked to connect the dots when I have insomnia.
Well, this went back and forth all weekend and in the end I decided to stop at the store and buy a couple of packages of rubber bands. Before I left I had put rubber bands all over her room and bathroom--every drawer pull, every trophy, around every picture, every light fixture. I'm thinking she'll be finding rubber bands for weeks to come. I told her she would need to disinfect every place she finds a rubber band because my cooties would be there.
DINNER CHOICES. Speaking of the miracles of modern technology, on the way home we decided to eat supper in Murfreesboro. Vicki started checking her phone for top rated restaurants after we drove past Manchester. The Donut Palace was among the top choices in the list which was exactly where Nate wanted to eat. We all laughed and he was offended because he was dead serious.
SPEAKING OF WHEELS. Nate has learned to ride a bike! Ben taught him. He never picked it up when I tried to teach him. Now he rides all over the yard.
It’s funny how a bike was indispensable for me at an early age. I think I got my first bike when I was in the first grade. Brian, Steve, Brent, and I rode our bikes all over the community. One generation later bikes are of much lesser importance.
Joe
AWARDS. I failed to mention this last time, but a week ago Thursday we went to East Robertson's award night. Jenna got several awards for academic achievement and Ben was named Seventh Grade Boy of the Year. They both made us very proud.
PACKING. We made a quick trip to Georgia for Cameron's graduation last weekend. The kids got out of school early so we could get there at a reasonable hour. As we were packing Vicki asked Nate to throw the dirty clothes down the stairs. A moment or two later we heard Nate say, "Bon voyage!" and then some clothes hit the floor.
This happened two or three more times until Jenna hollered up to him, "Um, Nate, I think you mean 'Bomb's away!'"
He didn't quite follow her advice and said, "Look out below!" instead.
THE MIRACLE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY. East Robertson's graduation was Friday evening. We happened to be driving through Atlanta at the time. No worries. The ceremony was being streamed live on the Internet. We turned my phone's hot spot on and took it in via Jenna's iPad, even piping the audio through the van's speakers.
What was so funny about all of this was that while the graduates were filing into the gym a friend of ours was visible in the background so we start texting her, even making fun of her chewing her gum and sending her a picture of herself on the iPad. She got pretty tickled.
HOME SCHOOL GRADUATION. Cameron's graduation was Saturday afternoon. There were six graduates recognized in his ceremony. It was really neat because they had time to give a brief bio with a slide show for each one. It was a very special time. Cameron plans to pursue criminal justice in college.
COOTIES. Normally when we visit the Jones family Vicki and I get the guest bedroom. This time Darice's mom and step dad were in so Vicki and I displaced Emily and Jenna who got to sleep downstairs.
Emily was a little uncomfortable with me sleeping in her bedroom and insisted that I sleep in the trundle bed. She even put Spider-Man sheets on the trundle for me and polka dot sheets on her bed for Vicki. Of course, I told her I loved polka dot sheets and even liked to connect the dots when I have insomnia.
Well, this went back and forth all weekend and in the end I decided to stop at the store and buy a couple of packages of rubber bands. Before I left I had put rubber bands all over her room and bathroom--every drawer pull, every trophy, around every picture, every light fixture. I'm thinking she'll be finding rubber bands for weeks to come. I told her she would need to disinfect every place she finds a rubber band because my cooties would be there.
DINNER CHOICES. Speaking of the miracles of modern technology, on the way home we decided to eat supper in Murfreesboro. Vicki started checking her phone for top rated restaurants after we drove past Manchester. The Donut Palace was among the top choices in the list which was exactly where Nate wanted to eat. We all laughed and he was offended because he was dead serious.
SPEAKING OF WHEELS. Nate has learned to ride a bike! Ben taught him. He never picked it up when I tried to teach him. Now he rides all over the yard.
It’s funny how a bike was indispensable for me at an early age. I think I got my first bike when I was in the first grade. Brian, Steve, Brent, and I rode our bikes all over the community. One generation later bikes are of much lesser importance.
Joe
Monday, May 12, 2014
A New Set of Wheels
I have thoroughly enjoyed driving past the fields of canola again this spring. This is a relatively new crop to Robertson County and when it blooms it stays in bloom for almost three weeks. One farmer between here and Springfield is raising it. His fields have been solid yellow since late April and they practically glow in the morning sun.
JENNA’S GOT WHEELS! Yesterday we purchased a new (to us) 2003 Nissan Murano for Jenna. It’s gold in color and features the full trim package. Jenna wanted to get an SUV and this fits the bill nicely. Nate was astounded that the car was manufactured four months before he was born and said, “It looks practically brand new!” And since you’re probably wondering, the car does have 145,000 miles on it. It’s CARFAX report was clean and showed regular maintenance. Given everything available within our budget this was by far the best car, and we were even able to purchase a 5 year/100,000 mile power train warranty in that budget. Vicki is so envious she has threatened to take the Murano and make Jenna drive the van.
As of tomorrow my days of putting the kids on the bus are over. I told Jenna that next fall they’ll need to stop by Kenny’s and line up walnuts for Alice to run over in the bus for old time’s sake.
A WOMAN OBSESSED. A side benefit to getting the car is that I get my wife back and Vicki gets her life back. I’ll have to give Vicki all the credit for the car shopping and she has been a woman obsessed (or should I say possessed?). When we looked at our family schedule for the next several months we knew Jenna would need a car to fulfill all the obligations she plans to take on this summer as we would not be able to get her everywhere she would need to be. We also knew that given my work schedule and Vicki’s summer schedule if we didn’t get the car before Memorial Day we might not be able to get one before Labor Day. So, this has consumed Vicki for about two weeks now.
None of us at our house were at all surprised at how Vicki devoted herself to this task. She did this for the last two vans we bought and for my truck. Vicki has always utilized the Internet in her shopping but this time we commented what a difference a smart phone made in her search. For one thing she has gone farther afield than ever before looking at cars from Russellville, Kentucky, to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where we purchased Jenna’s Murano. Of course, now that most car shoppers are shopping online cars don’t stay on the lot long at all so if you think it’s the car for you you’d better act fast. Then too, texting has sped up the communication with the sale people.
At any rate, now that Mom is doing well at home, even staying by herself once again, and Jenna has a car, maybe we can see normal again for a few weeks before the summer schedule hits.
GOODBYE MAGGIE. No, Maggie didn’t meet her end on the highway. We had to find her a new home and we sure do miss her.
Maggie has a wandering spirit and our schedule only made her a lonely dog. Maggie discovered all the houses over a half mile away at the intersection of the highway and Roy Cole Road. One of our neighbors there has a large building where kids come for batting and pitching lessons. Once Maggie found all the kids there willing to give her some attention she would hardly stay home during the day, though she knew to be home for supper. She’d leave even if we were outside doing things in the yard. The only thing I found that would keep her home was a cable hooked to her collar and she really worked to chew through that. In the end we knew we needed to find Maggie a new home.
To make a long story short, last weekend we took her to Alice Keith’s sister where they have a lonely dog, Betty, in a large, fenced backyard. The two dogs seem to have hit it off so they have become her new family. I miss her and every time I walk out the door I think, “Maggie, why couldn’t you have been a home body?”
PURPLE MARTINS. A few weeks ago purple martins came up in conversation around the house and Nate started asking about them. I recalled a time when I mowed the field beside the house several years ago and that I really enjoyed watching the martins as they flew all around catching bugs. Nate was fascinated.
We have some martins that have made their home in the red house and one evening when Nate and I came home three of them were flying all around the back yard. Again, Nate was fascinated, but I had to laugh because he kept ducking when the birds flew near. I finally persuaded him to stand perfectly still out in the open and just watch the birds. He said, “What if they hit me?” and I assured him they were much better pilots than that. Fifteen minutes later he came in full of excitement talking about how close the birds would get as he stood there--quite literally within inches as they flew by at full speed.
A TRIBUTE IN STARCH. Mom and I were looking through pictures in a drawer when we ran across a snapshot I have wanted to locate for years. Aunt Mar used to wash and starch her kitchen curtains a couple of times a year. I would poke fun at her saying that they were stiff enough to stand up on their own. I even mentioned this in my eulogy at her funeral.
Well, one time when Aunt Mar had washed the curtains I helped her put the curtain rods back in and then stood the curtains up in the kitchen floor to see if my claim were true. And now I have found my photographic evidence that those curtains really would stand up on their own and even hold the curtain rod up in the air!
Joe
JENNA’S GOT WHEELS! Yesterday we purchased a new (to us) 2003 Nissan Murano for Jenna. It’s gold in color and features the full trim package. Jenna wanted to get an SUV and this fits the bill nicely. Nate was astounded that the car was manufactured four months before he was born and said, “It looks practically brand new!” And since you’re probably wondering, the car does have 145,000 miles on it. It’s CARFAX report was clean and showed regular maintenance. Given everything available within our budget this was by far the best car, and we were even able to purchase a 5 year/100,000 mile power train warranty in that budget. Vicki is so envious she has threatened to take the Murano and make Jenna drive the van.
As of tomorrow my days of putting the kids on the bus are over. I told Jenna that next fall they’ll need to stop by Kenny’s and line up walnuts for Alice to run over in the bus for old time’s sake.
A WOMAN OBSESSED. A side benefit to getting the car is that I get my wife back and Vicki gets her life back. I’ll have to give Vicki all the credit for the car shopping and she has been a woman obsessed (or should I say possessed?). When we looked at our family schedule for the next several months we knew Jenna would need a car to fulfill all the obligations she plans to take on this summer as we would not be able to get her everywhere she would need to be. We also knew that given my work schedule and Vicki’s summer schedule if we didn’t get the car before Memorial Day we might not be able to get one before Labor Day. So, this has consumed Vicki for about two weeks now.
None of us at our house were at all surprised at how Vicki devoted herself to this task. She did this for the last two vans we bought and for my truck. Vicki has always utilized the Internet in her shopping but this time we commented what a difference a smart phone made in her search. For one thing she has gone farther afield than ever before looking at cars from Russellville, Kentucky, to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where we purchased Jenna’s Murano. Of course, now that most car shoppers are shopping online cars don’t stay on the lot long at all so if you think it’s the car for you you’d better act fast. Then too, texting has sped up the communication with the sale people.
At any rate, now that Mom is doing well at home, even staying by herself once again, and Jenna has a car, maybe we can see normal again for a few weeks before the summer schedule hits.
GOODBYE MAGGIE. No, Maggie didn’t meet her end on the highway. We had to find her a new home and we sure do miss her.
Maggie has a wandering spirit and our schedule only made her a lonely dog. Maggie discovered all the houses over a half mile away at the intersection of the highway and Roy Cole Road. One of our neighbors there has a large building where kids come for batting and pitching lessons. Once Maggie found all the kids there willing to give her some attention she would hardly stay home during the day, though she knew to be home for supper. She’d leave even if we were outside doing things in the yard. The only thing I found that would keep her home was a cable hooked to her collar and she really worked to chew through that. In the end we knew we needed to find Maggie a new home.
To make a long story short, last weekend we took her to Alice Keith’s sister where they have a lonely dog, Betty, in a large, fenced backyard. The two dogs seem to have hit it off so they have become her new family. I miss her and every time I walk out the door I think, “Maggie, why couldn’t you have been a home body?”
PURPLE MARTINS. A few weeks ago purple martins came up in conversation around the house and Nate started asking about them. I recalled a time when I mowed the field beside the house several years ago and that I really enjoyed watching the martins as they flew all around catching bugs. Nate was fascinated.
We have some martins that have made their home in the red house and one evening when Nate and I came home three of them were flying all around the back yard. Again, Nate was fascinated, but I had to laugh because he kept ducking when the birds flew near. I finally persuaded him to stand perfectly still out in the open and just watch the birds. He said, “What if they hit me?” and I assured him they were much better pilots than that. Fifteen minutes later he came in full of excitement talking about how close the birds would get as he stood there--quite literally within inches as they flew by at full speed.
A TRIBUTE IN STARCH. Mom and I were looking through pictures in a drawer when we ran across a snapshot I have wanted to locate for years. Aunt Mar used to wash and starch her kitchen curtains a couple of times a year. I would poke fun at her saying that they were stiff enough to stand up on their own. I even mentioned this in my eulogy at her funeral.
Well, one time when Aunt Mar had washed the curtains I helped her put the curtain rods back in and then stood the curtains up in the kitchen floor to see if my claim were true. And now I have found my photographic evidence that those curtains really would stand up on their own and even hold the curtain rod up in the air!
Joe
Monday, May 5, 2014
The Merry Month of May
I’m used to the security light outside shining into my window, but last night it was so dark I thought at first that the light was out. I was mistaken. The trees have leafed out so much our window is now in their shade.
GETTING READY TO FLY.The fact that Jenna now has her driver’s license really hit home with me the other day. We had borrowed Mom’s car and Jenna and I were returning it. Jenna was driving the car and I was behind her in the truck We were rounding the curve at the Roy Cole Road intersection when my mind caught up to what was going on. My thought stream went something like this...
In surprise, “Hey, that’s my daughter driving that car up there!”
In anxiety, “She’s driving that thing all by herself!”
And finally the voice of calm reason and reassurance, “And she doing a really good job too!”
Another thing that really struck me happened last Friday. Jenna got to drive to school because she participated in a job shadowing opportunity at NorthCrest Medical Center. She was to report directly to the hospital by 8:30 and got to tag along with a nurse for about three hours. She missed seeing a birth but did get to see a circumcision while there. (I told her I’d have passed out on that one.) When that was over she had a little time to grab lunch before she had to report to the one class she takes at Springfield High School.
Jenna had opted to pack her lunch rather than eat out (she’s putting all her money toward going to Haiti) so she and I had a lunch date. She came by the office and picked me up and we drove over to Garner Street Park to eat. We had a good time talking and even reminisced about the birthday party she had at that park when she turned five. (This was the party with the indestructible piñata.)
Jenna dropped me off at the office and as she drove off it dawned on me that the time truly is short. She’s applying for an internship at NorthCrest this summer to have more exposure to the career she plans to pursue. And in just two short years her high school career will be over. She’s not a little girl any more, but she’s a young woman I’m really proud of.
MAN YOUR BATTLESHIPS! The boys (and us by extension) have had a busy two weeks with Scouts. For one thing, they put in some time helping a fellow Scout on his Eagle Scout project. On top of that, the competition for the Spring Camporee required the troop to make cardboard boats. Our troop built two boats, a canoe that carried three boys and a barge that carried eight. This project required several work nights so we were back and forth to one guy’s shop quite a bit.
A funny thing happened one day on one of these trips to work on the boats. We were on a back road when we were meeting a car and an adult turkey hen was standing right on the shoulder of the road. I slowed down to 25 or 30 mph, but right when we got to the turkey she took off and flew over the truck rather than turn and run away from the road. She was so close to hitting the windshield that Ben was already diving for cover. Her wing grazed the truck as we passed and she must have hit the antenna because it is bent just a little (that had to hurt). The boys also noticed a fox in the ditch that must have been stalking the bird. If she’d have just been a little slower I might have had fresh turkey for dinner!
Back to the boats, our troop decorated theirs as naval vessels. Other troops had Viking ships and pirate ships. The camporee was held at Latimer reservation near Fall Creek Falls this past weekend. Our troop won first place for speed, and third for aesthetics. I didn’t get to go with the boys, but they came back sunburned, smelling like smoke, and telling about good times.
IMPROVEMENT. Mom is continuing to get better. She’s not driving, but we are getting her out a lot. She hasn’t missed a church service or hair appointment and the church service weekend before last was held at Kilgore Park.
Joe
GETTING READY TO FLY.The fact that Jenna now has her driver’s license really hit home with me the other day. We had borrowed Mom’s car and Jenna and I were returning it. Jenna was driving the car and I was behind her in the truck We were rounding the curve at the Roy Cole Road intersection when my mind caught up to what was going on. My thought stream went something like this...
In surprise, “Hey, that’s my daughter driving that car up there!”
In anxiety, “She’s driving that thing all by herself!”
And finally the voice of calm reason and reassurance, “And she doing a really good job too!”
Another thing that really struck me happened last Friday. Jenna got to drive to school because she participated in a job shadowing opportunity at NorthCrest Medical Center. She was to report directly to the hospital by 8:30 and got to tag along with a nurse for about three hours. She missed seeing a birth but did get to see a circumcision while there. (I told her I’d have passed out on that one.) When that was over she had a little time to grab lunch before she had to report to the one class she takes at Springfield High School.
Jenna had opted to pack her lunch rather than eat out (she’s putting all her money toward going to Haiti) so she and I had a lunch date. She came by the office and picked me up and we drove over to Garner Street Park to eat. We had a good time talking and even reminisced about the birthday party she had at that park when she turned five. (This was the party with the indestructible piñata.)
Jenna dropped me off at the office and as she drove off it dawned on me that the time truly is short. She’s applying for an internship at NorthCrest this summer to have more exposure to the career she plans to pursue. And in just two short years her high school career will be over. She’s not a little girl any more, but she’s a young woman I’m really proud of.
MAN YOUR BATTLESHIPS! The boys (and us by extension) have had a busy two weeks with Scouts. For one thing, they put in some time helping a fellow Scout on his Eagle Scout project. On top of that, the competition for the Spring Camporee required the troop to make cardboard boats. Our troop built two boats, a canoe that carried three boys and a barge that carried eight. This project required several work nights so we were back and forth to one guy’s shop quite a bit.
A funny thing happened one day on one of these trips to work on the boats. We were on a back road when we were meeting a car and an adult turkey hen was standing right on the shoulder of the road. I slowed down to 25 or 30 mph, but right when we got to the turkey she took off and flew over the truck rather than turn and run away from the road. She was so close to hitting the windshield that Ben was already diving for cover. Her wing grazed the truck as we passed and she must have hit the antenna because it is bent just a little (that had to hurt). The boys also noticed a fox in the ditch that must have been stalking the bird. If she’d have just been a little slower I might have had fresh turkey for dinner!
Back to the boats, our troop decorated theirs as naval vessels. Other troops had Viking ships and pirate ships. The camporee was held at Latimer reservation near Fall Creek Falls this past weekend. Our troop won first place for speed, and third for aesthetics. I didn’t get to go with the boys, but they came back sunburned, smelling like smoke, and telling about good times.
IMPROVEMENT. Mom is continuing to get better. She’s not driving, but we are getting her out a lot. She hasn’t missed a church service or hair appointment and the church service weekend before last was held at Kilgore Park.
Joe
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