A VILLAGE IS AN ALTERNATIVE LIFE STYLE - COME SEE

I have lived in the same small village of approximately 150 people, give or take a few dependent on who is burnt out or in jail, and who is not, for almost 27 years. Yes, I moved here willingly as our property is riverfront, which is not easily obtainable just 26 miles from downtown. We basically stole the property from a previous owner who was a Judge in the County and used it for his liaisons’ away from home (this should have told me something).

However, living riverfront allows you some compensation for the lack of intelligence in this overwhelmingly inbred town of people who can not see the forest for the trees. If you do not pay attention to the idiots, which I do manage to do most of the time, you can exist and enjoy your lifestyle here. However, my mate, who comes from another small river town can not do this and so he involves me in activities that I do not care to be involved in, like Village Council.

He is on his yearly fishing trip with the "boys" which is fine by me, but he insisted that I go to Council meeting tonight, which always brings out the worst in me.

To back up, in April we bought an electric golf cart so that we could take Oscar, our labradoddle, to the park and so that he, my husband, could run around and talk to his friends, go to the Post Office, etc as he does not walk. This is another part of small town living as we do not have a postal carrier; you do not pay for a mailbox, thank you USPS for something free, but you have to go to the PO to pick up your mail and get part of the local gossip.

So, to get on with this, the purchase of our golf cart caused Village Council to decide that this "ONE & I MEAN ONLY ONE" golf cart had to somehow be subject to some regulations. Their justification for this is if we are driving the golf cart, whose max speed is maybe 20 MPH, that we just maybe, might, possibly, get hit & injured by someone on one of the village streets and sue the VILLAGE. ARE THEY OUT OF THEIR MINDS, THEY HAVE STATUORY IMMUNITY IN OHIO! So what if they settled a couple of lawsuits with another resident who is "sue" happy, that does not mean that they should have settled. Old Council was just paranoid and this is a different time with different Council, but still a Mayor that remembers to far back and does nothing but CYA.

Anyway I went to Council meeting tonight, listened, commented and read the proposed ordinance which would require us to have seat belts (this is a golf cart remember), a windshield with wipers, safety glasses on when we drove, turn signals (what is wrong with a hand signal?) an installed horn -not just a portable horn, front & back lighted license plates - like we are going to out run the Sheriff! Fortunately our neighbor who is both a lawyer and Council member had them table the ordinance until the details are worked out, but this is all a waste of public time and money and if enacted will cost us a couple hundred of dollars to update what is a 10 year old cart - RIDICULOUS I SAY.

We supposedly and I mean supposedly, live in a country where you are responsible for your own actions and own up to them, but they feel they need to take care of us again (AGGHH). This part of village life drives me crazy which is why I only lasted 6 months on Council 20 years ago (small minds).

So me the obstinate one who hates being told what and what not to do came home from the meeting, put the dogs (I am dog sitting for my father at the moment) on the GOLF CART and went for a ride/run for them. Our Sheriff was still in village hall eating so he did not catch me (and I did not have the lights on either) so let them do what they want to do and I will still do what I want to do when the Sheriff is off duty.

I was a child who did not play well with other children, an young adult who always felt on the outside, and now a real adult, I assume, who does not tolerate ignorance or stupidity with any patience.

Mother's Day-My first without my mother

My mother passed away the end of August 09 and she never liked Mother's Day and neither did her mother, my Grandmother Eidson. They both felt like it was a made up holiday (Hallmark) as my GM and my mother said nobody ever asked her to be a "mother", it was their choice. Therefore it was never a real celebration in our househould.

However, from about 1986 though 1995 I traveled with my Mother this week, it just happened because it was the best time to travel before Summer Season began and we got reduced rates and a lot less people with children. Through those years I always bought lunch on Mother's Day and I can remember being at the Crab Shack in Charleston (on the way out to Folly Beach and still there), breakfast at the Sanitary Cafe (on the corner in Folly Beach, but now is a bar) - I just loved that name "Sanitary Cafe" so many weird things come to mind. Then beach walking, swimming, what ever took our interest that day - but it was never a big deal.

In the late 80's we started to go to Tybee Island which is Savannah, GA's city beach and one of my favorite places in the world, however word has gotten out so there are too many people there now, but that is another story.

The first time we drove into Tybee, which was 1986, the old Econolodge was there (now Beachside Condos). We had been up at Surfside,SC staying with the bikers and decided it was time to leave. I think we spent one night on Folly (wonderful Jasime flowers) but the room rates were going up so we left for Tybee (2 hours at the most). As we drove into Tybee on SR80 there were all these traffic signs and a whole bunch of policeman. We found the Econolodge and the parking lot was filled with police cars, ambulances, a helicopter, etc. We wondered what the hell was going on, imagine that!

My mother conviced me that it was safe (I was the more paranoid than she was), so I went into the desk to check in. A Patel told me everything was fine at the hotel, the problem was down the beach with with the "Orange Crush Party" which was sponsored by them for one of the local schools. It had gotten way out of hand which is why the SP were there.

We checked into the very end unit toward the beach, 2 beds, coffee pot and bathroom, which was fine. We had the end unit on the first floor and there was a unit above us. Beer's in hand and schnapps for me we went out to watch the activity. Very interesting and more years following when we ended up at Tybee at the same time as Orange Crush provided more socialogically activities to debate, critize (our favorite) and follow.

This year my mother and father's best friends are coming in on Sunday to spend the night. My mothers best friend from 6th grade on will be spending the night. She has no problem with my father's girlfriend, although she has not met her yet! I have no problem with her either but she is starting to use my Mother's stuff in the house and that bothers me, whether right or wrong. I am an only child and what was my mother's, meaning coming from my mother's side belongs to me, she does not need to touch it. I guess I will have to converse with my father this week about this as although they do not sleep together in the bed's my parents shared this is gettin a bit too much.

BOY AM I VENTING!

Thursday Thoughts

"Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and
let the food fight it out inside." Mark Twain

Monday, Cold Monday - Pot Roast day

From the view of a person who works from their home, this was one icky Monday in SW Ohio.  Cold & gray when I arose, but fortunately husband had started the pellet stove. Took a bit to warm up, but then it was good. Took Oscar on 2 golf cart rides to wear him out, them came home and started cooking.  I had a very tough sirloin tip that I got from my Father's  (full freezer till it runs out than no more). The reason, my Mother died last August and they had always ordered meat from a farm by where she grew up.  Too many memories for my Father & I to do that again (I am and always will be an only child).

Anyway, did not want to to do the fast and semi raw way which is the only way you can do it if you do not braise it, so I went Internet shopping.  Found an old recipe from Emeril (garlic studded sirloin roast) so took that to the kitchen, along with the computer now that I have wireless in the house.

You sear the roast in a skillet, arrange beautiful carrots, onion, celery on the bottom and then place the roast on top, adding the liquid from the skillet.  Lord it smelled good in this cold weather.  Baked it the 3 hours as directed, basting as it cooked.  It was wonderful.  Different texture, different taste (thank you to:eggplanttogo.blogspot.com for the tomato paste difference.

Hopefully  I will get better at this and take photos & have a good as blog as my friends! Help, Help!!!!