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Category Archives: Fun

An avoidable tragedy

by Mary Anne

Guest post by Linda Bradshaw

When my hubby and I moved into our first house, we were so excited to share our joy with our friends. So we had a big Independence Day party; complete with a pot-luck barbecue and pool party. The guests were completely enamored of our litter of five week old keeshond puppies, which were confined inside their six foot tall chain link kennel run.

One of our guests (which I did not want invited but hubby insisted) decided that he would light a string of black cat firecrackers and throw them into the kennel run. The quick bang-bang-bang and yelp-yelp-yelp brought my hubby and me running quickly to see what in the world was going on. When we saw the inebriated guest laughing at the upset puppies, we asked him to leave the party. Needless to say, feelings were hurt.

The next morning when we went out to feed the puppies, we discovered that someone had removed them from their kennel and put them inside the fenced in pool area. The puppies had all drowned in the pool. My heart was completely broken. Later that day we went to the pool supply store and bought a pool cover for our swimming pool in the hopes that this kind of tragedy never happens again. And I never spoke to that guy that had thrown firecrackers into the puppy pen, as we suspect that he was the one responsible for relocating the puppies. It would have been impossible for the puppies to escape their pen and enter the fenced in pool area on their own.


Tom Kincaid paintings

by Mary Anne

My sister in law loves Tom Kincaid paintings. She is convinced that they are a good investment, and has spent a small fortune buying them. I’ve noticed that most of the paintings that she has that bear his signature are of old English-style cottages with window boxes that are overflowing with some kind of cascading plant. I can’t really see the detail of the flower boxes very closely to be able to tell for sure if the plant is a trailing petunia or a creeping garden phlox, or even cascading rose buds, but I do have to admit that having that
windowbox full of flowers on the painting adds a lot of charm to the painting.

One thing worries me, though. If I recall correctly I saw a special about the Tom Kincaid dynasty and I worry that my sister is over-valuing her collection. Sure, they are limited editions, but there are thousands of them out there. Not quite as valuable as if the limited edition only had less than a dozen. I guess only time will tell, and for now she is just as happy as a pig in mud with her collection, so who am I to rain on her parade? As a famous advice columnist advises from time to time “MYOB.”


My sons want to learn how to surf

by Mary Anne

Yesterday my sons approached me about making plans for the summer vacation.  School will be letting out soon, and they want me to sign them up for one of the surfing summer camps that their friends have been telling them about, where the students are taught how to surf.

Surf Camp offers surfing programs for kids, teenagers, adults, and families.  They offer day camps and overnight camps.  My sons are too old for the teenager’s camps, so they want to sign up for the overnight adult camp.  The overnight adult camp would be for one week, off the coast of North Carolina.  The camp takes them to several different islands for them to learn how to surf, and includes side trips that includes a boat trip to an undeveloped barrier island and a trip to the new 84,000 square-foot Fort Fisher Aquarium.

 


Buying specialty shoes

by Mary Anne

My sister called me to tell me that she needed to buy some new cheer-leading shoes for my cheer-leading niece, but she was having a hard time finding what she needed.

I told her I’d help her look online for them. Seems to me I’ve seen them before online when I wasn’t even looking for them!   I’m pretty good at finding things on the Internet. Maybe I just use better keywords, maybe she just is too busy to try it herself and knows she can count on me for help when she needs it! Regardless, I’m always glad to help!


Family gatherings are matches of wits around here!

by Mary Anne

We have a large family, and we like to get together for big family reunions and meals.  My mother recently married (after being widowed) a man who lives for teasing people and making sarcastic remarks.

Well, my entire family is quick witted, and we have a great time sharpening our teeth and using sarcasm right back on this man!  He tries so hard to get the “upper hand” but he doesn’t have a chance against us!  It’s very funny to see how hard he tries, and yet always ends up licking his wounds.  It’s very ironic because he is always the one who starts the “match of wits!”


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