It's A Small World!

It's time for another Disney World review.  Still in the Magic Kingdom and in Fantasy Land:  It's A Small World!  

As a person, who experienced this ride in the 70's as a child with my dad, who LOVED the music, this is a must do.  Yes, the song will stick in your head for the rest of the day, yes, it is a babyish ride, and yes, there is NO excitement or thrill at all.  It is colorful, cool (as in temperature), relatively easy to get on to, and sweet.  Sometimes a person has to give in to a good memory.  

My son and husband would rather eat tar and sit on tacks than to do this ride.  But I don't mind going it alone.  My daughter kindly went on it with me this trip and we enjoyed trying to out do each other with taking the best photos.  Fortunately for the rest of our boat mates we were in the back seat and we didn't use our flash.   

~Your Disney World Connoisseur, Hootie

Shock at the Disappearing Icons!

I am in shock thinking that Michael Jackson AND Farrah Fawcett are both gone.  

Say what you may about Farrah, I loved her!  She was so beautiful.  When she was on Charlies Angels I wanted to be her character.  I had the Farrah hair do.  Shoot, I still have feathered hair because of her!  What a horrible end of life she had.  Does anyone really need to go through what cancer has to offer?  I think not.  I am glad she is at peace and I hope her suffering has raised awareness to the fact that so much more needs to be done to find a cause for all the different kinds of cancer there are in the world.  

And darn that Michael Jackson!  Why couldn't he die on this own day!  I don't want people to forget Farrah.  

I was born in that same Gary, Indiana hospital as MJ.  I grew up in that area and can recall hearing him on the car radio singing Rockin' Robin and ABC.  He was only five years older than me.  In the 80's I knew all the words to the entire Thriller album!  I had a cassette and wore it out!  And dancing...well, who didn't dance when they heard Michael's music?  Seriously, he totally inspired everyone to get on their feet.  I cannot believe he is gone.  

Whatever happened in his personal life, happened.  I am fascinated by the stories.  But I am so sorry for the loss.  I hope he is at peace too.  At least his death will stop the stories from continuing.  How sad for his family.  Maybe he's hosting a party for Farrah today.  Wouldn't that be fun?  I'm envious thinking that my parents are probably there!  

R.I.P. Farrah and Michael!    

Phil's Brother!

Well, that didn't take long!  

Phil either has a brother, a sister or a spouse.  

I looked out into the backyard today and this is what I saw.  Again, we just need to work on co-existing.  I don't mind the burrow at the end of the yard.  We kindly call that the summer cottage.  It's the winter residence that needs to be vacated - up under our porch.  

On another animal matter, while weeding yesterday I was stung by a bee.   I found out the hard way that there was a nest of ground bees in my front flower bed.  One little guy stung me through my glove.  It was so painful!  I can't imagine if I didn't have my glove on how it would have been.  This morning when I got up I found that something, and I assume it was the skunk, eliminated my bee problem.  That is one of the perks of co-existing.  

Goodbye, Phil!

Phil received a ride down to the other side of Lake Monroe, about 8 miles away, over the causeway, from my FIL yesterday afternoon.  

Phil decided to move from our yard to the one next door, under my FIL's shed.  

With Hav-a-hart baited: carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, and broccoli, it didn't take long to lure a hungry groundhog.  

Now the bigger question gets answered, do we have more than one groundhog?  Time will tell.  :)  You are a cutie-pie Phil.  I hope you enjoy your new home!  

The NOT so Fatherless Father's Day

This is NOT my father.  

This is my FIL!  He's a pretty good fill-in, no pun intended.  

My own father passed away 24 years ago.  I met my in-laws a few months before that.  My FIL never had the opportunity to meet my dad.  I am sad for that.  They would have really liked one another.  I've never told my FIL that he's my dad fill-in, but I think he knows it!  Yesterday Dad, and I do call him Dad, and I went on a local garden walk.  I've got a few pictures to share from that, but since it's Father's Day, I wanted to just share this today.  This garden walk is an annual event and my MIL is very involved in it.  Almost always I get to go alone with my FIL on this.  :)  What a lucky gal I am!  

*****

As my gift to my FIL for Father's Day this year, I made him these two coffee cakes below.  I was trying to copy a recipe that his mom used to make.  It's called Kuchen (pronounced: Coo-Kin) and it's a German coffee cake.  The recipe I used made enough for two coffee cakes so I made one Cinnamon and one Peach.  I am sorry I was never able to taste my GMIL's kuchen.  The whole family raved about it when she turned 90 years old.  Once my hubby returns from his travels I will make this again and get his opinion on the kuchen recipe.  He'll be honest and help me fine tune the taste.

  My in-laws and I shared coffee and these treats yesterday morning.   

It's kind of sad not having one's own dad to celebrate this day with, especially if you were close.  But, it's nice to be able to share special times with other important dads too!  

Cooling Off Chickies!

 Tonight we  are two chickies cooling off.  Thank goodness for less humidity! 

Our repairman found the problem.  It was due to Phil.  Phil is the groundhog who has a burrow under our back deck.  Apparently in his home building, he hit our control cable for the air conditioner.  Just a little hazard of owning an older home.  Old homes sometimes have wires more exposed than newer homes.  So is the case here.  Fortunately for Phil he didn't hit the 240 volt power cable.  Unfortunately for Phil, he, or she, will need to find a new home.  The new wire is out of Phil's reach, I think.  Still, the problem of a new home for the wildlife who co-exists with us must be addressed.   

I am glad the rest of my family comes home tomorrow.  We will work on this little housing problem this week.  

Until then, last girls night without the boys.  We are cooling off watching Chocolat.  Thank goodness for the A/C!  

Thank You Edison, Tesla, Wheeler and Mark!

According to Wikipedia:  "When Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla introduced electrical power in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for the public, the personal electrical fan was introduced. Between 1882 and 1886, Dr. Schuyler Skaats Wheeler developed the two-bladed desk fan, a type of personal electric fan. It was commercially marketed by the American firm Crocker & Curtis electric motor company." 

Yesterday I thought I was having a hot flash.  There was a heat advisory in place.  Still, my house felt pretty hot inside and I really thought it was just me.  

I went out for the afternoon and when I came back I suspected it was not me but really my A/C which had the hot flash.  

Thank goodness for my old box fans who usually just sit tucked away in my attic.  Thank goodness for the men who created them in the first place.  And thank goodness for repairmen who come to the rescue.  

At least I hope my rescue is coming.  

Stay turned for my next post, either "Melting Mama" or "Cooling Off, Chickie".  :)