End of Year Blues

It's the end of 2008 and I am in a bad mood. I have a cold. My head is stuffed, my nose is red and my eyes won't stop watering. I feel like crap and am engaging in far too much self pity.


However, I have no reason to complain about the rest of 2008. It has been one of the most amazing years of my life. We welcomed a new granddaughter, Kalee Florence, to the 7 others and with bonus grandchildren, we have a bakers dozen!

We produced a wonderful CD that benefits children's charities and which brought our circle of musicians/friends together for a fun project.

I have almost completed my personal CD and will continue the quest in 2009. It's only taken two years so far but it will be worth the time spent. Again, many wonderful musicians added their magic to make my songs sound sweet.

We played music all year long and added the amazing Peg Buchanan to the Sweeneys. Her fiddle makes the rest of us sound like real musicians!

I had some wonderful "Get Outta Here's" to Louisville, Vermont, Chicago and Ann Arbor with dear friends. We have a few more prospects for the new year, as well.

We once again started work on my tiny kitchen and I can visualize the finished project (even if I may not see it for a long, long time)

I love my family and they love me. I have wonderful friends and great bandmates. What else can a person ask for? Therefore this nasty cold can't define the year I enjoyed. So have a wonderful 2009 and remember to focus on the good stuff.

Christmas Bliss

On Saturday, December 27th, I gave myself a wonderful Christmas present of three hours of studio time at Group Effort Studios in Erlanger, Kentucky. My friendly engineer, Dan Murphy, always makes me feel so confident and at ease that the studio to me is as much fun as Kings Island to others. I did nothing yesterday except give my opinion of the contributions of Tim Kelly and my husband, Jim who added some percussion. Dan Murphy had also added tracks for me, playing bass and synthetic strings on a few songs. Somehow he knew exactly what I wanted without me even saying a word. Tim added harmonica to a few songs which I would not have thought of doing and it was a neat touch. Jim brought a bodhran filled with bb's which created the sound of the ocean!

I finally came up with a title for the CD as well. It is now titled "Wander Not Lost" from a quote by Clarissisa Pinkola Estes, "...I will wander, not lost....but rather, learning."

Christmas Music

Wow, I looked at my last blog and realized its been over a week since I've had time to write. Everyone is busy this time of year and I hope the travels have been safe and productive.

The highlight of last week was Nick's Christmas Concert at his high school. He's the handsome one second from the left in the black shirt playing upright bass. Our high school has an excellent music program and Nick has grown as a musician through their instruction. Not only is he an amazing bass player, he makes fine music on his acoustic and electric guitars, as well.

Have a wonderful holiday!

My Grandmother Hat

Over the past weekend I had the pleasure of spending three evenings with my grand kids. My daughter and her husband had two holiday parties to attend and then on Sunday night I took the kids with me to the coffeehouse while they went to hear Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. (Great band!)

On Friday we hang out at their house because Chase had basketball and Megan had a dance. Jim watched Kalee & Brody while I ran to and from the school.

On Saturday night the kids all came to our house. Nick and Jim kept an eye on Kalee while Megan, Chase, Brody and I baked holiday cookies.

During the Isn't It a Wonder Night at the Leo Coffeehouse on Sunday, Megan, Chase and Brody sang a few times with various performers.

I also brought Kalee up on stage when we sang along with my friend, Tim on his song

Dudettes. Joanie, Roberta, Carol and Megan were up there, too. Being a grandmother is fun!

Isn't It a Wonder

Last night a group of artists who contributed to the Isn't It a Wonder CD performed at the Leo Coffeehouse. My friend Carol captured this shot of the finale when the audience was singing along to "With a Little Help From My Friends".

Sharon Udoh, Papa Joe, Dave Hawkins, Roberta Schultz, Tim Kelly, Greg Mahan, Greg Hansen, Joanie Whittaker, Jason Erikson and Zak Morgan performed. I was honored to also have my grandchildren, Megan Williams, Brody Buswell and Chase Williams performing as well. Even little Kalee was on stage for a song. As you can see, the kids on pillows in front were having as much fun as the grownups! That is what it is all about, sharing music from one generation to another.

I Go to Work in Tall Buildings

Working in a high rise office building has more annoyances than perks but the view in the early hours of evening makes it all worthwhile.

My desk sits in front of a large window, looking west and just before its time to head home, I am treated to one of God's most amazing works of art.

My Lumberjack Hat

When I was a young girl, my stepfather Lou and his brother older brother, Bob, would take the entire family to a Christmas tree farm during the second week of December. We’d stumble out and climb into the truck, still half asleep and try to find a warm spot to catch a few more winks. It was a good thing that mom dressed us up like miniature lumberjacks because Lou loved to drive through the countryside with the windows of the truck rolled down. Mother rarely let me wear long pants but for this trip I’d be decked out in hand-me-down corduroys from one of my brothers and at least two sweaters under my cloth coat. We wore brown jersey work gloves instead of the beautiful mittens my mother made for us. For once I was allowed to be a grubby little tomboy.

Lou would pass the time singing Christmas carols at the top of his voice not caring if we didn’t join in at such an early hour. In between songs he would puff on a Dutch Master Corona cigar which filled the cab with a smoky blue haze. I’d huddle close to mom and we’d keep each other warm.

Our convoy of trucks would drive about an hour or more from town before the sun had even risen and stop at the same nursery the Hammonds had been visiting for years. The men would then spend the day cutting hundreds of trees that they would sell to bring in additional Christmas money for the families. Brothers Lou and Bob were both employed in the family business, Hammond Tree Service, which provided tree and landscaping services to homes and companies throughout Northern Kentucky, Southern Ohio and Eastern Indiana. Just like Paul Bunyan, Lou, Bob and the older boys would take their axes into the rows of trees, picking different sizes and shapes and bring them down with just a few hard swings. It was the responsibility of the younger boys to hold the twine as the men would wrap the trees to minimize their girth and then load a large truck with as much as it could hold. Halfway through the day Mom would spread out a lunch and pour cupfuls of soup and hot cocoa from thermoses. I spent most of my time trying to stay warm and out of the way. When I was older I helped cut the lower sections of pine branches from the trees so they could be sold as roping or made into wreathes. I loved the smell and the feel of the pine and didn’t mind the sap that stuck to my gloves and clothes.

Some years the fields would be covered in snow and we’d have time to play, throwing snowballs and making a snowman while the trees were being loaded. In rainy years, we’d just huddle in the truck when we weren’t needed in the field. One year was sunny, dry and crisp with a bitter wind that whistled through the trees. The cold bit through every layer we wore and the day seemed twice as long as years before.

For our labors, each of one of the children was given a small number of trees to sell and make Christmas money. Lou would set up and sell his trees at an empty lot on Monmouth Street in downtown Newport but we kids stayed close to home, selling our trees outside a local grocery, collecting $2 to $5 per tree. Being the smallest, I wasn’t included in the tree selling until I was six. At that time I worked with the boys holding twine to earn a few trees that were considered mine. It was one of my favorite times of the year. Most years we split into two groups and were stationed outside of Murphy’s, the Irish grocery at Overton and Third Street or at Park and Third, at Wetzel’s, the German grocer. Wetzel’s was the preferred stop, being on a corner which provided more drive-by traffic. My brothers would fight over who had to take me with them but I didn’t care. It was a family tradition and I was earning my very own money! We’d come home in the evening and mom would sit us down to cups of steaming cocoa and home baked gingerbread. She loved spending time in the kitchen trying new recipes and we were eager guinea pigs for her warm treats on cold days.

Christmas Magic

My first memories of Christmas were of magic. Not just the magic of the season, but the magic my mother would conjure up to make the holiday special for us. My oldest memory goes back to Christmas Eve, 1958 when we children and bags of presents were loaded into the station wagon, ready for our drive to Newport to spend the evening with my mother’s family. We had spent the day threading popcorn on strings and making aluminum foil stars and ropes of construction paper to decorate our tree. Mother brought out her few, precious ornaments and the string of bubble lights which went on first. Her handmade tree skirt hugged the trunk of the mis-shaped pine waiting to be adorned with presents. An angel graced the top of the sweet smelling pine standing tall in its red tree stand.

When we’d arrive at Grandma’s house it was already packed with aunts and uncles, cousins and kin. The Bristow home was a “shot gun” style house meaning there were three rooms in a row on each level with no doors between them. Therefore the sounds from each room spilled out into the others.

Aunt Juanita, Grandma and Aunt Sheila would have spent the day preparing dinner and my mother would join them, laden with cookies and cakes. The family would then eat in shifts, first the older adults in the dining room with the younger adults taking seats as they vacated. We children were set up at the table in Grandma’s big kitchen in the back of the house. I clearly recall sitting on large metal pans to get us higher and closer to the table. The bottom of the pan would be terribly cold on my skinny legs. My cousins, my brothers and I would be scooted in close to each other and we’d attempt to eat our dinner even though the anticipation of presents made each bite difficult to finish. The younger adults sipped on eggnog and smoked as they waited their turn to eat turkey, ham and all the fixings.

After we had finished our dinner the children would huddle close to the TV and sat as quiet as we could, watching a Christmas program as the grownups would finish their coffee and cigarettes, talking and laughing. Television was still quite new to us and it kept us entertained until time to open presents. My cousins, Barb and Carlene, were close in age so we girls knew that the gifts from our aunts and grandparents would be identical. Same for the boys, only sizes and colors to differentiate. Aunt Juanita was one for petticoats and underwear and Aunt Barb usually bought pajamas in soft flannel, one pink, one blue and one yellow. Grandma would have had our mothers pick up pretty dresses for us to wear to church on Christmas morning.

After presents were opened and the wrapping paper gathered up we kids would wander the house, grabbing a piece of brittle or candy ribbon to enjoy. Grandpa would sit in the kitchen sipping his Hudepohl beer and giving us kids a quarter if we gave him a “sugar”. His kiss was more of an opportunity for him to scratch our little faces with his beard stubble and then laugh with us as we’d giggle. He’d slip the quarter in our hand and tell each of us not to let anyone else know, as if we were his favorite and the only one to be given such a grand sum.

Later in the evening when things had settled a bit, we’d have cake and homemade fudge for dessert. We had no pies at Grandma’s. No pies had been baked in her house since 1951 when Uncle Bennie had died in the war. Grandma had packed pies as carefully as possible and shipped them off to Korea for her dear and only son, Pvt. 1st Class Benjamin Bristow, who bragged on her pies. His photograph, proud and handsome in his Army uniform, looked down at us while we gathered at their home.

After a night of family gathering there was still more magic to be had. Shortly after midnight we would return home to tree standing proud over smartly wrapped gifts, spilling out into the middle of the room. Santa had come while we had been in Newport, just as mother had promised! Our bare little tree was covered with more ornaments, our stockings were filled and dozens of perfectly wrapped presents covered the living room floor. Santa had even eaten the cookies and sipped the eggnog we had left by the window. We had no fireplace so we were thrilled to see his footsteps outside that very same window, left slightly cracked open in his hasty retreat.

Busy Days

I can hardly believe its been a week since I was able to post a blog. That just shows how busy life has become for everyone. We had a lovely, but quiet, Thanksgiving. My daughter and her family were in Vermont so it was just the three of us. When Chandra, Justin and the kids returned, we got together on Sunday night for turkey leftovers. We missed the Leo Coffeehouse but wouldn't have missed having a house full of kids and grandkids.

When we weren't cooking, we were working on the kitchen and the upstairs closet. We discovered a hole in our roof last winter and had a new roof put on. However, the hole became much bigger when the roofers were walking above it. Luckily no one fell through when a four foot section collapsed into my bedroom closet. It was repaired and covered on the outside but the inside needed to be complete. With cold weather approaching, Jim chiseled out the ancient drywall and made room for insulation. It's now quite toasty and we won't lose heat through the roof.

The kitchen continues to improve. I have all of the wall cabinets on the sink/stove wall and next we will install the base cabinets. We still have to add door handles but we'll wait until all of the cabinets are in and finish them together. After the base cabinets are in I can finally add my new countertop!

We did a tiny bit of shopping but not Black Friday craziness. I am making gifts and we will just include a gift card for the grandkids. With eight of our own plus a few bonus grandkids, shopping for them all would be overwhelming. Instead they will get a homemade gift from Mimi & Poppi and money they can spend however they please. I made the gifts for two reasons: first so they would actually have something to open on Christmas and not just have money stuck in their hands and secondly, so they will have something tangible to remind them how much they are loved.

Last night Chandra and I attended the first of three holiday concerts. Megan sang with the Junior High Chorus. She looked, and sounded, lovely.

My Top Hat

Carol emailed to mention that our photo was on the CEA's YouTube. Nick is sporting the Mohawk and Jim is wearing my Top Hat. It looks much better on him! I'm just standing and listening to Jim and Jeff Mienke. We had a GREAT time. You can check our our photo on www.citybeat.com Go to the CEA section and click on the photos. It a short youtube with photos.

Oh, What a Night

Being on the nominating committee for the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards is truly awesome, but the icing on the cake is my invitation to the party. Every year, on the Sunday night before Thanksgiving, City Beat holds the city's premier event. This year the award ceremony was held at the historic Emery Theater in Over-the-Rhine. Jim dressed in his best suit and looked very handsome in his top hat. Nick sported a Mohawk and was outfitted in his best black. I wore an iridescent blouse over a flowing black skirt and my favorite cowboy boots.

The evening started with an opening set by former members of James Brown's band, including Cincinnati's favorite, Bootsey Collins. The singer, a JB impersonator, was right on and blew the crowd away with his back flips and dance moves. The entire set was a tribute to JB and King Records.

Local bands filled in the night and awards were given. However, the highlight for everyone present was Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. I remember them from listening to music with my parents and grandparents but most of the crowd, including Nick, knew his voice and band from the movie "Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou". The crowd included all ages and all genres of music from folk to hip hot but the room went silent when Ralph sang his accapella version of "Oh Death". You could have heard a pin drop.

Although the venue was not quite ready for prime time and had no heat or bathrooms, the finale with Ralph Stanley will be something to treasure for many, many years.

Cabinets

We've started installing the new cabinets. It looks very, very white. However, we have black hardware, black accessories and a black countertop that are still to be added. We just need more hours in the day. Since we won't be able to go to Albuquerque for Thanksgiving we will be "thankful" for a few days off

to work on the kitchen.

Hopefully before next Thursday we will be able to clear the dining room. Its been the staging area for all of the items we have had to excavate from the kitchen. Its a MESS!

Construction Hat

The cabinets are going up! We put up two yesterday and they looked so great that just a bit after 6 pm we raced out to IKEA for more. I had purchased two doors that didn't match and needed new ones and we got there just before the store closed. Tonight we are hoping to put up at least one more as well as the black rails that will hold odds and ends.

It will be soooo nice to get the cabinets up. Everything that should be in them has been piled on every possible surface on my first floor. I will keep putting up cabinets to hold everything until I have no wall space left!

I will update with photos tomorrow!

Rainy Day Blues

I usually love rainy days but today it was most unwelcome. We arrived at Tim & Doreen's new home in the late morning and waited for their household possessions to arrive. They had been house hunting for quite a while and their home sold months ago. Staying with family, T&D had to store their belongings in a POD. It was cool to watch as the POD was delivered and then taken off the truck by a contraption called Podzilla. Tim had recruited some strong boys and the house was filled with furniture and boxes in no time. We took a break to eat the chili I had prepared and I had to leave early.

I stopped by Chase's birthday party. It was in full swing and I slipped out pretty quick. Almost a dozen 9 & 10 year old boys didn't need the presence of a grandmother at the rock & roll party. My daughter and her family were dressed pretty freaky in rock star outfits and reminded me a bit of Spinal Tap. The cake had made it in one piece so my task was complete. I will hopefully get to make another cake for Thursday and spend the evening with Chase.

Friday

Yea! Its Friday. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and this was even a short week but I really, love weekends. It would be nice to just work four days a week if my office and my budget would permit.

As usual, we have a busy, busy weekend planned and I will have lots of hats to wear. Tonight I'll be wearing my chef hat as I bake a guitar shaped birthday cake for my grandson, Chase.

Tomorrow Jim & I will be putting on our construction hard hats and mounting a few more of my new IKEA cabinets. Afterwards I'll stop by Chase's house wearing my grandmother hat as I deliver his birthday cake.

Later Jim, Nick and I will don our moving hats and help our best friends carry boxes into their new house. In the evening we will wear our dress up hats and go out to hear some other friends make great music.

Sunday we'll put stuff into the new cabinets, have a nice family dinner and then go to the Leo Coffeehouse.

It might just be a great weekend, Lord willin' and the creek don't rise (as grandma would say).

Friendly reader, I hope you have a great weekend, too.

My Songwriter Hat

Roberta Schultz met me at Group Effort Studios this afternoon and added harmony to my song - Just Like Tom & Huck. I had recorded it over a year ago and have tried various voices and instruments without attaining the sound I was looking for. That was until today when Sweet Roberta recorded the harmonies and percussion that I was hoping for. In addition we have bouzouk i and harmonica by my buddy, Tim Kelly, and Dan Murphy is planning a bass track and the song is taking shape!

Megan and I at Group Effort Studios


In the past year I had attempted to record this song with my granddaughter, Megan, but some of the notes in it are a bit hard to reach. We now plan to have her record a version of her own, in her own key. What can I say, the songs just come to me. I don't choose the notes, they just happen. Trying to tame them is tough work.

Nonetheless, my mini CD is close to completion so wish me luck as I work towards closure on my first recording project.

My Brag Book

I picked up a onezie at the Aronoff yesterday that I had ordered for my new granddaughter before she was even born. Well, she's almost three months old and I was just able to hobble downtown to Emily's office. She, of course, asked to see a photo of Kalee and I was embarrassed to say that I didn't have any with me.

This weekend my assignment will be to organize and create a brag book to carry around everywhere I go. I am so proud of all of my grandkids and its time I start showing them off like grandmothers are supposed to.

For now, here are photos of Kalee as a bee, Brody as a solider and Chase as a card from Alice & Wonderful. Their older sister Megan was Alice but in my rush I didn't have the flash on and couldn't get her picture.

My Chaperone Hat

On November 1st and 2nd six parents chaperoned the Mariemont High School Orchestra Camp Out. Two parents from Fairfax generously invited more than two dozen kids to their home at Lake Waynoka, Ohio. Their yard was soon filled with brightly colored tents and the air was punctuated with the laughs and constant conversation of the teens. We were fed scrumptious food continuously and snacks were everywhere. Nonetheless the kids stayed busy and didn't just eat all weekend. The Smiths, who also owned a lake home nearby, brought his pontoon boat to the dock and everyone was treated to a boat ride on the lake. We parents took turns and the ride I was one was treated to a magnificent sunset.

On Sunday morning, after a breakfast for nearly 40 people, we once again created a caravan of cars, vans and trucks and went to Hamersville, Ohio so the kids could paint ball. We parents were curious as to how the girls would do, since the boys had been so eager to shoot anything that moved. We were all impressed and a bit surprised when the girls became more ruthless than the boys. The kids played paintball from noon until 5 pm and had great stories to share after wards.

The only downfall for me was that I stayed in the house and couldn't sleep in a tent. Yes, the gimpy knee won again.

Lou & Peter Berryman

In the nineties, I was in a duo with fellow musician and friend, John Giver. He had approached me with the notion of performing humerous music that he had written as well as quirky songs by others. Until that time I hadn't played much on my own and was just coming into the open mike scene. As soon as John introduced me to Lou & Peter Berryman, I knew he had something. We learned the wordy duets by Lou & Peter as well as songs by Christine Lavin, Martin Mull and other funny songwriters. We even held a contest to name our group and the winning entry was Postage Due, implying we weren't all there.

On stage, performing this musical comedy, my stage fright would disappear with the first laugh from the audience. Of all the songs were learned and performed, without a question, Lou and Peter's songs were always my favorites. Among them, Do You Think Its Going to Rain?; Crab Canape, Your State's Name Here; We Strolled on the Beach; Why Am I Painting the Living Room; Odd Man Out; Chat With Your Mother; Family Car and more than I can think of right now. Just the names should just you an idea of how silly these songs are.

The Berrymans are a folk duo from Madison, Wisconsin. They had been married for seven years then divorced but continued to be friends and bandmates. Their songs touch every possible subject and can cause listeners to cry with laughter. They have dozens of CD's with their thirty years of songs.

We had the honor and privilege of hearing them as well as meeting them on Saturday, October 25th at the Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They were as charming as they are hilarious. We chatted about some of the songs that Postage Due performed and they made a list of the audiences favorites to perform in the second set. My favorite song to perform is "Orange Cocoa Cake" a tribute to multi-tasking! Please, please check them out on YouTube and watch for them to be at a venue near you.

Get Outta Here - The Ark in Ann Arbor

A few weeks ago, during intermission at the Leo Coffeehouse, Papa Joe suggested that we take a Get Outta Here to the Ark in Ann Arbor. We are members of the Queen City Balladeers which was founded in 1963 and presents the Leo Coffeehouse, one of the oldest continuously run music coffeehouses in the United States. The Ark is either #1 or #2.

Joe checked his iPhone and saw that Lou and Peter Berryman were performing on October 25th. We agreed on the location and theme of our GOH, now we had to determine who was going along. Phil, Karen, Joe, Carol, Jim and I confirmed so I made reservations, we bought tickets and set off for Ann Arbor.

We had a great ride, enjoying the autumn colors as we rode north. Phil and Karen arrived a day early and were already checking out downtown Ann Arbor. We arrived in early afternoon, checked into the same motel and then drove to meet them. We walked about the town looking into windows and doing just a bit of shopping before choosing a Chinese restaurant for dinner. The food was marvelous and the service attentive. We had two large bags of left overs that the guys put into the car before we headed to the concert. After our meal we joined the throng of people on Main Street, most of them of fans roaming downtown after the Michigan v. Michigan football game. We headed into the Ark around 7:30 and after a few seat changes, found just the right spot. Being musicians, a few of us needed to see the guitar from house left. Its informative to watch the musicians and seeing which chords and riffs are play on certain songs. We laughed like crazy at the hysterical show by two very funny and talented individuals. If you need a laugh or want to be impressed by musicians who use many, many, many words, google Lou & Peter Berryman of Madison, Wisconsin. I'll write more about them in another blog.

We got back to the motel and some of our leftovers while watching Saturday Night Life in the lobby. Joe and Phil were offered a small conference room and they jammed for a couple hours more. We reconnoitred in the lobby again on Sunday morning and enjoyed breakfast and an hour or so of laughs.

Sadly, Jim got sick in the middle of the night and stayed that way all the way home. His stomach did not enjoy the GOH although the rest of him had a great time.

"Once I Met a President"

My song Perfect Hands includes the line: "Once I met a President, Bill Clinton was his name"

I really did meet President Clinton as well as Hillary, Al and Tipper among other celebrities. My husband, Jim, his siblings and I were invited to the White House Correspondents Dinner in 1997. Yes, it was a long time ago, but I keep seeing President Clinton on TV and talk shows and remember that magical night as if it were yesterday. I felt like Cinderella dressed up for a ball. I talked with George Clooney and Ellen DeGeneres and Ann Heche. Although the White House Photographer took an official photo of our family with the President, I like this one because you can read the excitement on my face as I prepare to shake hands with the most power man in the world. As my song states "He was tall and handsome and his hands were quite divine...but the Secret Services scared me. Perfect hands are hard to find"

Later, after the dinner, we danced and smoozed at the Vanity Fair Party at the Old Russian Trade Misson along side of Biannca Jagger, Tom Selleck, Robert DeNiro and other celebrities. We looked pretty spiffy, too.


I've been working on my little book "The Art of the Get Outta Here" and was listing my top ten GOH's. That GOH is Number One!

The Ribbon - Part Twelve

June 9, 1988
On June 9th I had slept in since it was so cloudy and cold. About 8:30 a.m. I wandered up to the wheelhouse and was told that we had reached Shawneetown but there were no barges ready for us. Shawneetown is the oldest settlement in Illinois. The pilot said we had passed on some barges during the night that weren't ready for us. We had been in a spot between Evansville and Paducah which was not in a strong radar path and the marine operator couldn’t pick us up.
Having no barges to load, we just sat waiting for further orders. The boat slowly wandered up the river and passed Peabody Mine. The Peabody has a seven mile long conveyor, the longest in the world, which loads coal from the mines, down to the barges.

At 4:00 p.m. we had finally received word regarding our barges and headed for Harrisonville to pick them up. We were headed for Uniontown Lock.

Dave called his wife and she said all was fine at home. She reported that the car was sounding bad and will need some work when he got back. Problems on land seem a million miles away when you're sitting out on the river. There was nothing that could be done so there was nothing to worry about. Car problems are a perfect example of why the families back home need support from the company so the crew doesn’t have to worry.

About 8:30 p.m. a harbor tug named Spirit brought over the first of the coal barges. The deck hands were hooking it up and I watched every detail of what went on. After one of the barges was measured, it was too deep, 9'3" and with the low river they couldn't take that one.

In the evening after dinner I sat with the Captain and watched the sun set parallel to the river. The water was a pale baby blue and the sky near the horizon pale pink with light mauve clouds. The tree line at this stretch of river was very even and was forest green. The sky above the pink turned faint blue and increased in color toward the east. The view was too panoramic to capture on film so we just sat and enjoyed the serenity of nature as we listened to the calls and commands of the crew. The beauty faded fast as the noisy little tug brought over more barges.

We headed toward the Uniontown Lock at 11:30 p.m. I stayed up to watch as we entered the lock. It looked like it might be a little perilous because the river below us was windy due to the islands sitting out in the water. The pilot and the lock master talked by radio and the lock master sent a tug to meet us and take five of our coal barges through the lock. He went in first and as the water rose, we watched for his wheelhouse to appear.

Our turn to enter the lock and the mate was out on the barges, shouting distances to the pilot. “300 feet to the gate” would mean the head of the tow was entering the long chamber with that much distance to the far gate. A normal long haul tow has fifteen barges and measures about 1,000 feet or about a ¼ of a mile in length. A lock chamber is normally 1,200 feet long. A shout of “2 Feet” would mean the tow was entering with two feet on the mate’ side between the barges and the lock wall. When a towboat is in a lock chamber, there is minimal space between the lock wall and the boat. Huge bumpers are thrown into the water to keep the boat from physically touching the wall thus preventing sparks if the metal hit concrete. The interchange between the pilot and the mate was the only conversation allowed in the wheelhouse when locking through. Every few seconds the mate would call another distance reading and the pilot would maneuver the boat at just the right speed, advancing or reversing engines to get her in. Once she was in the pilot would cut her engines and sit still in the chamber.

Large ropes, called lines, were attached to the elevators which rise at the same level as the water, holding the boat in place. It is pure magic when a pilot can perfectly manage the engines to hold a boat in place, no matter how fast the current.

We made it through the lock at 2:00 a.m. and I went off to try to sleep to the sound of the barges being reconnected from the little tug. Breakfast came early and I enjoyed eating with the crew.

Pumpkin Patch

"If your soul get's snatched, in the Pumpkin Patch. Who ya gonna call?" The Sweeneys

We had a blast at the College Hill Pumpkin Patch this year. The weather was sunny and not too hot. Tim, Jim, Peg and I performed for 45 minutes and included such seasonal fair as "Ghost Busters', "Monster's Lullaby" and "Urge for Going".

Two of our grandsons, Brody and Chase, were with us and sat quietly while we performed. Afterwards they enjoyed games and crafts.

Happy Pumpkin Days.

My Knee - What a Pain!

Well, the knee isn't improving and its bringing me down. It hurts from time to time but the true pain of it all is the restriction of movement. My grand kids call me Mimi instead of Grandma 'cause I thought it would make me feel old. NOTHING makes me feel as old as limping around on a cane. Yes, its pity pot time. I can't walk in the Walk for Kids for Children's Hospital or any other that requires the ability to ambulate. I hobble.

I go back to Dr. Harding in November and will cry on his shoulder. I hope he has big shoulders. But I'll continue to chant my mantra that its not really that bad, just a little challenging. That which does not kill us ...blah, blah, blah.

My Wedding Hat

Ahh, the wedding hat. In all four weddings of my own, I never wore a hat or veil. Therefore, I enjoy wearing weddings hats at someone else's celebration.

On Saturday, October 4th, Jim and I had the honor of attending the wedding of one of our dearest friends, Jackie Skinner Reynolds. I've known Jackie since we were 9 when we met at church in Newport, Kentucky. Soon after, her famly moved to Southgate, then Ft. Thomas and we didn't see each other much until Jr. High, when I briefly attended Highlands. I then again attended Highlands Highland for a short time during high school and we met back up.

Jackie was the first friend to help me with music. In the late 60's, she and I would play at coffeehouses and get togethers that were held at churches and other venues. Jackie was a natural born musician and was patient with me as I was not.

This Saturday she married her long-time love, David. She was glowing, as all brides should be, and their happiness was apparent. Both musical and creative people, their union was meant to be.

A wonderful lesson on love at all ages and at any time of life.

All our love and best wishes to Jackie and David.

You Can't Go Home Again

On the last Sunday in September, one of the first days we had no big plans or events, I took a peaceful drive to Taylorsport, Kentucky. I had lived in Taylorsport during the end of 1988 and the beginning of 1989. My brother had started up his towboat company and moved the office to Taylorsport. The sunroom of a dilapidated house which had originally been a house boat was the official location of IMS and my new workspace. Like many folks who work from home, I just had to get out of bed, grab my coffee and walk a few steps to my desk and computer. Well, that was short lived because my brother then decided to purchase the little store on the corner and turn it into a river store. A river store is essential because it has the ability to complete grocery orders for towboats and then get them to the boat, either while loading coal at a nearby facility, while locking through or by yawl. We moved the office, again, to the back of the little store and were able to not only carry on towing and barge business but sell groceries to towboats and local.


I went back to Taylorsport this past weekend to see how it might look after 20 years. It was so changed that I drove right past the store. The gas pump in the front was gone and the store had been converted into a family home. The little houseboat which had become a house, was even more dilapidated and seemed to be falling apart. The sunroom was closed in and a second story was added over it. Pretty scary.


I drove back towards town and for old times sake, parked my car and walked down to the Anderson Ferry. I had spent all my cash at McGlasson's Farm buying pumpkins, mums and tomatoes so there wasn't enough money for me to take the van across to Cincinnati. Standing by the boat I read that foot passengers were only fifty cents. Wow, I had that much in my pocket. When the ferry made it to the Kentucky side of the river, I walked on, gave the gentleman one dollar so I could ride both ways and said hello to the skipper. Riding back and forth on one of the prettiest days of the year, I thought about times long gone. I realized that I had been riding this ferry for more than fifty years. The last time I had ridden it, though, was when my stepfather's funeral possession took the ferry on the way to Cleves for his burial. As we rode that day I was curious as to why Captain Louis Hammond hadn't wanted to be cremated and have his ashes spread across the waves as we rode this ferry. I was saddened to learn that he had actually asked for that very thing but my stepbrother had overridden his wishes and given him a full burial.


The saddest part for me isn't only that you can't go home again, its that most of the homes I had are no longer there. It might seem a bit silly for me to miss some more than others seeing that I have lived in almost 50 different places in my life.


When I was born we lived in what was known as The Projects in Newport. They have been torn down for condos to overlook the Cincinnati skyline. The next home, my maternal grandparents' house where we lived off and on most of my early live, has been replaced by an office building near Newport on the Levee. The two locations where we lived on the river side of the floodwall in Newport are not at all the places I grew up. Our spot when we lived at Big Rock Harbor is now occupied by Hooters and the spot where our trailer was when I was in my late teen's is now becoming a million dollar condominium site. Wouldn't my parents and grandparents be shocked. The view we had in my childhood for next to nothing now costs big, big bucks. We had it and were considered river trash. How times change.

Its ironic that I now live in the home that my natural father owned. He divorced my mother when I was just born and I never lived there until after he died and left it to me. I had only been in the living room three times. So, its not like going home at all.

I'm happy nonetheless. I do miss the house my grandparents owned but it was old and falling apart, having survived the 1939 flood before the floodwall was built. I have photographs to bring back memories.

Now my house is "grandma's house" and I hope it will be there for many years so my kids and grandkids can "come home again".

.

Isn't It a Wonder - Great Friends & Great Music

The Ceilidh Group presented two concerts today for the Isn't It a Wonder CD project. We started at 11:00 a.m. at Joseph Beth Booksellers with Dave Hawkins, Roberta Schultz, Tim Kelly and myself. The kids were great and we had a fun time.

Then all but Roberta, who had to run off to the studio to make beautiful music with Raison D'Etre, drove to Mt. Airy Forest to join Joel Caithamer, Joanie Whittaker and Papa Joe on the children's stage.

I borrowed a hat from Johnny Schott, who had booked us, and so I could pose as a concert promoter.

The kids had a lot of fun but I think we adults had the most fun.

The Isn't It a Wonder is a CD that we compiled last year with 20 artists doing 24 songs total with all proceeds going to charity. Check us out at http://www.ceilidhgroup.org/

Dyan Jenkins - Fearless Friend

It’s been 20 years since I received a phone call from a man who introduced himself as the fiancé of my friend, Dyan Jenkins. He was calling to tell me that Dyan had been lost at sea. He said she was flying to the Turks and Caicos Islands when she ran out of fuel. She sent out a “mayday” which was intercepted by an Eastern airlines pilot who head her last words, “It’s quitting”.

Dyan was an amazing pilot and the most adventurous soul I ever knew. She became an instant friend when I moved from the city of Newport to live with my aunt and uncle in Cold Spring. My parents were on a towboat at this time and I still had two years of high school to complete. She and I felt like fish out of water at Campbell County High School. She had spent two, tumultuous years at a local girl’s catholic school and was finally sent to public. Campbell County had a massive student body, unlike the smaller schools we had both attended. I didn’t fit in at Campbell County and always seemed to be in trouble that I didn’t start or at least didn’t mean to start. Dyan searched me out when it became obvious that I was not going to fit in and that the principle, Mr. Ravenscraft, had marked me as a “bad” kid from Newport who needed to be monitored. It started innocently when I worn my “groovy” new, wire-rimmed glasses to school for the first time. We called them “John Denver” glasses back after the folksinger who had made them famous. Mr. Ravenscraft sent me home and told me to come back with normal glasses, not hippy glasses. Thankfully my mother was off the towboat for a few days when this transpired and she was right there telling him that there was nothing wrong with the glasses she had provided and if they didn’t like them, they could buy me new ones. The hint of insurrection and anti-establishment behavior was all Dyan needed to come to my rescue. Dyan was the editor of the underground newspaper at the school and she wanted to interview me for her paper. Back in the late 60’s an underground newspaper was the best and most fun way to get back at the “man”. A few more incidents as innocent as the first transpired and Dyan and I became united against the evil school administration.

Dyan and I did get into legitimate trouble eventually. Because my parents continued to have an apartment in Newport, I would sometimes stay the night when they were in town and then drive to school in my ugly, gray Studebaker. I’d pick Dyan up on the way and we’d share a breakfast of Pop Tarts and Pepsi. Dyan introduced me to a musician friend at the school by the name of Jon. She felt we were meant for each other and the three of us began hanging out together. One day she convinced Jon and me to skip school to go over to the Art Museum for one of the very first laser light shows. As I mentioned, I had an ugly, gray Studebaker and sneaking out of the parking lot just as the bell was ringing wasn’t our best move. The truant officer followed us through the City of Alexandria and reported us to Mr. Ravenscraft. The next morning the three of us were in his office and I was given my very first detention.

Our adventures continued and Dyan had the dubious credit of introducing me to my first three husbands. (Those are stories for another day.) I miss Dyan and hope she managed to get to shore and is living another fine adventure. Maybe we'll bump into each other some day.

The following is an article regarding her disappearance.

Island Search Begins for Missing Pilot

From the Cincinnati Post – September 24, 1981

The U.S. Coast Guard began searching uninhabited Little Inagua Island in the Bahamas today in hopes that missing pilot, Dyan Marie Jenkins, formerly of Cold Spring, Ky. Had made it to shore.

Ms. Jenkins’ partially inflated life raft was spotted at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday by a private pilot aiding in the search, and retrieved by a Coast Guard helicopter.

“The raft positively has been identified as coming from her plane,” said Chief Petty Officer Ray Baker of the Miami Coast Guard headquarters. “The raft has to be manually inflated, and that leads us to believe she was able to get out of her plane and work with the raft.”

“The raft was one mile offshore of Little Inagua when found” he said. “She may have decided to swim.”

Little Inagua is northwest of Haiti and 475 miles southeast of Miami. It is eight miles long and covers 30 square miles.

Ms. Jenkins, a charter pilot, and her small, single-engine plane went down at 5:20 pm. Saturday when she ran out of fuel.

She was talking at the time by radio with Jack Geyer, an Eastern Airlines pilot and the last words he heard from her were “It’s quitting.”

Ms. Jenkins, 26, is the daughter of Betty Heinichen of Loveland, and had visited here only two weeks ago.

She moved from Cold Spring to Ft. Lauderdale five years ago and became a professional pilot. She had been in business for herself two years as a charter pilot.

Little Inagua is five miles north of Great Inagua. Covered in a vast reef apron that prevents boats from getting too close, Little Inagua’s 30 square miles are completely uninhabited except for herds of wild donkeys, goats (descendants of stock introduced by the French), and a wide variety of bird life, including a rare species of heron.

The Ribbon - Part Eleven - Locks

June 8, 1988
On June 8th I woke about 5:30 A.M., showered and had breakfast with the crew. I went to the wheelhouse with Captain Price. We were tied up at Lock #53 still waiting our turn. By 8:00 a.m. we were along side and ready to lock through. We entered the chamber at 9:00. Lock #53 is one of the older locks and is still considered temporary. A larger one has been planned for the area ten miles from Moundsville and Locks #52 and #53 will be put out of use. Captain Price explained that the cells were made, sunk then filled with rock. He explained how the boards of the dam were lowered when the water was high so boats could go right over them. These two locks are the only two of this type remaining. We left the chamber about 9:30.

David and the crew were busy painting the level one deck. The gray makes the whole boat look newer and classier. Yesterday he and the first mate, Gary, finished up the smoke stacks. David was respected by his peers and by his crew because there was never a job on the boat that he would ask any one to do that he would not do himself. He had started like they all had as a deckhand and worked his way up to pilot. David had been one of the youngest pilots on the Ohio River and by his eighteen birthday had earned the rank of Master Pilot.


Entering the lock

After we locked through 53, we headed for Lock #52 where we were to pick up a barge or two in Paducah. We passed Metropolis by water a little after 1:00 p.m. We had passed there on land the day before looking for the boat. Metropolis has a billboard of Superman as you go through town! Past it at Fort Massac there is a reproduction of the original fort and settlement. Metropolis is not only the County Seat of Massac County, but on June 9, 1972 the Illinois State Legislature passed Resolution 572 which declared Metropolis the "Hometown of Superman”. It hosts an annual Superman festival in June of each year and has a large Superman statue and a small Superman museum. The newspaper could not be named The Daily Planet but is known as The Metropolis Planet.

We slowed down to get in line for Lock #52. We were waiting near the I-20 Bridge for southbound boats to clear the chambers. We could see the dam in the distance and it was bigger than #53. We again sat and waited and didn't lock through until 5:00 p.m. The wind was very heavy and going into the chamber was very slow. We entered the chamber at 6:00 p.m. and didn't exit until 7:00 p.m. While we were in the lock, a representative for the radar company came aboard and fixed the starboard radar. Just like anyone else working with towboats, getting on and off is the hardest part. He, however, was able to fix the radar and get back to shore before we headed away.
At Paducah a tug brought us two more barges before we received orders for quite a few more. We ended up pushing twenty-three barges which makes a long and wide load. A normal load is fifteen barges.

It rained for about an hour outside of Paducah and we pulled up to Smithtown Lock at about 11:30 p.m. Smithtown was a larger lock, more like the locks I remember going through when I was younger. It is a double chamber and we entered the starboard chamber. Both chambers are 1,200 feet long and Smithtown is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the longest in the United States. On the lower end the wall was as high as our roof. The lock lifts a boat from 10 feet to 34 feet. This tow fit right into the chamber with only inches on either side, much like a foot into a shoe.

The Ribbon - Part Ten - The Galley

June 7th, 1988

My first dinner on board was top rate. The cook made pork chops, stuffing, gravy and apple pie. The only thing more wonderful than the people you meet on the river are meals cooked by the best chefs around. My father and brother, both captains for many years, both believed that cooks were an integral part of the crew and they provided a calming presence, especially the ladies. Often the deckhands would sit in the galley sharing a cup of coffee and conversation either on a break or waiting to start their shift.

On this particular trip the cook was a man who had been a cook in the military for many years. He was quick with a witty remark and was a favorite cook on many boats. There was always something sweet to go with the coffee, either pie or cake. Meals on a towboat are large and dessert is served at lunch and dinner.


My Mom was a great towboat cook and was well respected. Most Captains will tell you that the cook has the hardest job on the boat. The mate wakes them at 3 a.m. and breakfast must be cooked and served by 5:30 a.m. so the crew getting ready for the 6 a.m. watch can eat and be at their posts to relieve the crew coming off. The second shift of men will sit down a few minutes after 6:00 a.m. and enjoy their eggs any way they want as well as pancakes, sausage and gravy over homemade biscuits and all the meat they could handle. The coffee pot is always full and the mate will lend a hand when the cook is busy to make sure a fresh pot is brewing.

Lunch is more like a big dinner and is served starting at 11:30. Pie or cake would have been baked between breakfast and lunch and the dishes, pots and pans all scrubbed and put away between meals.

Dinner on a towboat holds with traditions. The meal is served family style with large platters of meat, bowls of vegetables and potatoes. Iced tea is brewed and set out in a large pitcher. Much like a meal at home, the Captain has his place at the head of the table. For dessert there will be left-over delights from the earlier meals plus another pie, cobbler cake or treat baked in the afternoon. After the dinner dishes are cleaned and put away, the cook may sit for a short spell and then be in bed early to be ready for another 3:00 a.m. wake up.

During the day the food was inventoried and grocery lists had to be prepared. Anytime someone from the company was headed for a boat they would check with the cook to see if there was anything they needed to bring. There were also river stores which would take your order over the radio and then bring it out on a small yawl. The crew could also add an item or two to the list and have cigarettes and such delivered with the groceries.

Getta Outta Here Hat - Just Do It

Some folks take long vacations lasting one, two or even three weeks. I can't get away for that long nor would I want to. I enjoy a short trip on a long weekend which I call a "Get Outta Here". It's like taking a cat nap in the middle of the day, just long enough to be refreshing and rejuvenating.

I have discovered that the secret is to:

1. Pick someone to spend time with that has similar interests and likes to have fun. Low maintenance friends or lovers are the best.

2. Pick a spot no more than four or five hours away so driving won't monopolize the trip, unless the drive to your destination is extremely scenic and part of the adventure (i.e, mountains, autumn leaves, river or lake view)

3. Let serendipity help you plan your day. I've learned from past vacations that plans set in stone are the best way to ruin your trip. Be open to what presents itself. You won't believe the great places you find by getting lost or taking a different route.

4. Resove to have a great time and enjoy the unexpected!

Now - Get Outta Here!

Get Outta Here Hat - Chicago 9/20/08

We drove the car to a service station and had the front passenger tire checked. We had been losing air and I was worried that I would have to buy a new tire before we made it back home. Luckily it was just rust on the rim and the mechanic worked on it for almost half an hour and charged me a whooping $9.50. We had breakfast then headed for downtown Chicago. I thought parking might be easier to find on a Saturday (again- ha, ha). Workers may leave the city on the weekends but there were thousands of tourists mixed in with the millions of people who live downtown. We parked at Millenium Park and checked it out before heading into the fray. We started up Michigan Avenue, first stopping at a tour boat ticket office to purchase tickets for an afternoon cruise. We walked a few blocks then went back to Millenium Park.

While we were sitting enjoy a bit of shade, two sailors asked how we were doing. We started up a conversation, learning that they were from Idaho and Georgia and asking about the Navy and what they planned to do. Other folks would stop and say hello to them and thank them for their service. I just wanted to give them a motherly hug but instead we all said we would keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

The boat ride was even nicer than we had hoped. The weather was perfect and the docent givin the tour was very interesting. After the ride we went back to Millenium Park to enjoy it after dark. Through the trees we viewed the fireworks from Navy Pier and took photos of the large, stainless steel structure shaped like a kidney bean.

All in all, the four of us agreed that the trip was spectacular and we enjoyed every minute. One of our mutual favorite parts was walking down Michigan Avenue or standing in the Park and hearing so many different languages. We saw more than five wedding parties and chatted with people from other countries and states.

Nothing beats a GET OUTTA HERE!

My Get Outta Here Hat - Chicago 9/19/08

On Friday morning we stopped for breakfast at "The Corner Bakery" a local restaurant which is similar to the Panera Bread shops in Cincinnati. The food and coffee were both excellent and we recommend them highly. Our next stop was at the largest motorcycle store I had even seen and checked out the bikes that ranged from dirt bikes and scooters to large three-wheeled Gold Wings.

Loading once again into the Tour Bus, as our minivan is so affectionately named, we drove across towards the beach and back down Lake Shore Drive. This route is much more tourist friendly having better signage and a priceless view. We lucked out and found a shady parking spot with no meter just a short distance from the Museum of Science and Industry. Even luckier, we arrived on a free day! The only fee we paid was the extra $5 they charge if you want to tour the German U-Boot on display. We, of course, bought a ticket and were glad we did. The Museum of Science and Industry boasted not only a German U-Boot, captured in WWII but a full size Boeing 727, an outstanding array of trains and planes and a miniature train set that covered more space than my home!

Carol and a new friend - he was plastered !(ha, ha)

We loaded back into the Tour Bus and drove to the Navy Pier to finish out our day. Lenny and Linda rode the Ferris Wheel while Carol and I decided to just watch. (Chickens) We listened to a Cuba folk band at the Beer Garden for a bit and then walked around taking photos of the lake and harbor.

We drove back up Lake Shore Drive towards our hotel looking for a Chicago pizza restaurant that the hotel staff had recommended. We stuffed ourselves with salad and pasta then headed back to the pool and hot tub. Needless to say, we slept well that night!

My Get Outta Here Hat - Chicago 9/18/08

Our quartet of merry travelers met in Harrison, Ohio at 5:00 a.m., Thursday morning, September 18th. Bunny had driven Lenny & Linda and Daryl had brought Carol. We loaded the van, said goodbye to Bunny & Daryl and headed west.

Just after we passed Indianapolis, heading north, we encountered the signs detouring us west instead of north due to high water on Interstate 65. The sun was up, the sky was blue and the scenery through Indiana cornfields were infused with giant windmills! No worries....detours can be fun.

We reached our hotel at the Marriott near O'Hare Airport in late morning and were able to go to our rooms right away. The hotel was beautiful, the rooms comfortable and the staff eager to please. We ate a quick lunch then drove downtown on the expressway (ha, ha) to the Shedd Aquarium. Parking wasn't as smooth as we had hoped but driving around trying to get our bearings proved useful for the remaining days. We soon knew the layout of the parts of Chicago we wanted to visit and were no longer intimidated. The Aquarium was interesting even though the major attraction of dolphins, seals and whales was closed during our visit. We'll just plan to see that next time!

After touring the museum and walking downtown for an hour or so, we drove north on Lake Shore Drive. Just north of Loyola University, we stopped by a beach for about a half hour before returning to our hotel and the warm and wonderful hot tub! Walking so far, especially at our age, definitely earned us that treat.