Kathy's Corner

Twas the night before Friday when all through the house

a creature was stirring and it wasn’t a mouse.

My bedroom was cozy with pillows of air

in hopes a night’s slumber would not be so rare.

I had just settled down all snug in my bed

while visions of food danced in my head.

When up on the roof there arose such a clatter

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the kitchen I flew like a flash

tore open the door and made a mad dash.

When what to my sleep ridden eyes should appear

an empty rooftop and a night sky all clear.

Back in my bedroom I felt full of fear

I was quite certain the creature was near.

A scamper, a crash and a chewing was heard

at this point in time I used a choice word.

My husband was laughing and not feeling fear

until the night noises became very clear.

He arose from the bed and turned on the light

and I heard him exclaim as he rose to full height

“No squirrel will make us have a bad night!”

The Dreaded Blue Notice

Recently I opened my mailbox and saw the blue notice sticking out among the other pieces of mail.  My stomach flipped over as I saw that it was a Jury summons.  Mind you that this is not the first time I have been called.  In fact (and maybe it’s because my last name begins with an A) I am called about every three years.  So why do I dread it so?  I know that it is my civic duty and my right as a citizen to serve in the justice system.  Right?

If you live in Fulton County, then you know that a Jury summons means a trip to downtown Atlanta.  That in itself is an adventure.  First you have to get up early so that you beat the traffic so you are not late.  Then you get to ride on a shuttle bus (with all of the other unhappy people who have been summoned) that takes you to the courthouse.  Then you have to go through security which is like going through the Atlanta airport.  Finally you get upstairs to the “big room”.  That is the room where you sit and wait to see if you are called.  You hold your breath each time an official comes in and calls the names of those people who have been selected to participate in the jury selection.  And each time your name is not called you breathe a sigh of relief.  Finally, if you have not been called by around 2:00 you are released.  Then it is a mad dash to catch the shuttle.  Everyone feels like running just in case they change their mind.

So my only hope is that I am on standby status.  Maybe my group won’t be called in…….but somehow I don’t believe that.

Heels and Bicycles?

I am amazed at the Italian people.  They have different ways of getting around that most of us would not consider.  For example, during our visit to Italy we had one female tour guide that gave us a historical walking tour of Florence.  When she came to our hotel to start the tour I noticed that she was wearing a very beautiful dress and 4 inch heels.  I on the other hand was wearing comfortable pants and flats.  So I wondered how she was going to handle walking around for 2 hours in those heels.  Then I discovered that she rode her bicycle over to the hotel.  Really?!!  I did not see a change of clothes anywhere.  I had to ask.  She explained that driving her car in Florence was not very practical as the streets are very narrow and there are many one way streets.  She further explained that if you were not careful with where you parked you could be subject to fines.  On top of that gas is around $12 a gallon.

She never answered my question about how she managed a bicycle with a dress and heels.  Maybe that is a secret that only Italian women know.  I am thinking of trying it just to see how it works.  But believe me it will be in the privacy of my driveway! 

Living with a Fashionista

Earlier this year Chuck and I took our grandson to the beach for a few days.  I was quite surprised to see that he was careful about his clothes.  He wore his ball cap everyday in a different position.  He also made sure his tee shirts matched his shorts.  And of course the sun glasses were the final touch.  So I wondered where he got his fashion sense.  Then it hit me, his grandfather!

As most of you know, Chuck has been entertaining us with his blogs about his fashion sense.  Believe it or not, it actually takes him longer to get ready in the morning then it does me!  Living with a fashionista means that I can never go out of the house without a full appraisal of my outfit and accessories.  And believe me that can be exhausting!  The up side is that I always feel my best which is a great boost to my confidence.  The down side is that my wallet suffers.  But I really can’t complain too much as it just means more shopping!

The End of Summer Vacation

 When I was young I remember that getting out of school at the beginning of summer was exciting.  I knew that there would be long lazy days filled with soft ball games, catching tadpoles at the creek and playing with all of my friends.  Most of all there would be no homework!  And I remember that it was three long months to have fun.  So when did all of that change?  Now the school session ends late in May and starts back the first of August.  That only leaves two months.  Admittedly there do seem to be more breaks in the school year but I am not sure that makes up for the full three months that we used to have. 

Of course I am recalling times when I was a child and not looking at it from the viewpoint of the parents.  To be honest I can remember whining to my Mom how bored I was and fighting with my brother and sister just for something to do.  So from my Mom’s viewpoint I am sure she was counting down the days for school to start just to get a breather.  Still, it does seem that we are continuing to shorten the summer vacation time each year.  It is like the holiday season when the stores put out the Christmas decorations in October sometimes before Halloween.  But that is another blog…….