Many of you have asked where in the world I've been.

All I know is that after 7 plus years of blogging and a different lappy, which I don’t like, I seem to have lost my blogging fervor.

Someday, when you least expect it, I will post again.

For those of you still waiting I say thank you.

Meanwhile, I am rather prolific on twitter. Find me: @KeethaB
.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Eclectic Company - Waitin' on a New Adventure!!
.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Guess Who's Been Named the Starting QB of the Seattle Seahawks!?!

.


Russell Wilson

Jon Gruden and I told you he could do it!!




Photo Credit: twitter.com @RussellWilsonUW

.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Firefighters Memorial in My City

.

I don't know all that went into choosing our small city as the home for the Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial. I only know the dedication ceremony for this Memorial was held in June of 2010.


Here in my city, nestled in a quiet peaceful bend of the Wisconsin River, stands this lovely park of honoring and remembering our state's fallen firefighters.


The visitor's center is just gorgeous against its lush green background.


Won't you come inside with me?


Smokey, hat in hand to honor our fallen, greets us as we enter.


This beautiful vintage fire truck can be viewed through protective windows.


Up in the loft is a vignette of vintage fire fighting accoutrements.


In one corner stands this tribute, made of actual fragments from the tragedy, to the firefighters who lost their lives in the Twin Towers on 9/11.


And outside the grounds are simply lovely.


They are spotted with reminders of those who gave all.


The American Flag, the Wisconsin Flag, and the Wisconsin Firefighters Flag.


There are paths to wander - - -


And places to sit, remember, and think.


Across this bridge from the visitor's center - - -


Is the Wall of Remembrance with the names of Wisconsin Firefighters lost in the line of duty all the way back to 1902.


In front of the wall is this statue depicting firefighters rescuing one of their fallen.


I hope you have enjoyed visiting the Wisconsin Firefighters Memorial with me today.

Now please hurry over to Unknown Mami's to see what others have shared of their cities.


Joining Unknown Mami
For Sundays in my City.

My city is Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

I Can't Make This Stuff Up - - -

.

I believe I may have mentioned a time or two before that Fisherhubby has richly earned that title. One of the ways he's earned it is by watching fishing shows 24/7.

In fact, there's a story about that - - - when we moved here we decided to try a different TV provider and FH's only criteria was that the new provider carry WFN, World Fishing Network, for those of us who don't care.

It shows ONLY fishing shows day and night.

I kid you not! Yes, such a network DOES exist. Trust me. It is on nearly nonstop when FH is home.

Well, we moved here mid-fall, and wanting to be SURE I didn't have to miss a single moment of my College Football (yes, that deserves caps) I called way ahead of time to order the installation of TV service. I KNEW FH would not be a happy fisherman without WFN, so I ASKED multiple times to be sure the new provider carried it.

Twice.

I asked TWICE. I was assured both times they had it.

On Wednesday of our first week here, the new TV service was installed. Within moments of the installer departing FH, with remote in hand, frantically scanned the proffered channels searching for his beloved mistress.

KEETHA - - - THERE'S NO WFN ON HERE!!!!

What??? Are you sure? They told me, TWICE, that they had it.

WELL IT ISN'T ON HERE. I'M CANCELLING.

Can you wait until after the weekend so I can see my football???

Nope.

Well, then you'd better have our old service installed by Saturday morning at 11 am when football starts, or I'm checking into a hotel. (Oh no mes amies, that was NO idle threat.)

After plenty of phone calling and finger pointing as to BLAME for the failure of the new service to provide WFN, it was uninstalled and the good old standby installed by just a few minutes after 11 am on Saturday.

All was again right with our little world.

But I digressed - - - WAY FAR ASTREAM!!

Back to the POINT of this post - - - if indeed a point there is.

Every once in a blue moon I do find something note-worthy, and by that I mean makes me LOL, while FH is watching those same-ole, same-ole fishing shows.

Today there were two blue moons.

I hope they make you giggle as they did moi.


Did you know such a thing as a floating bathroom exists on some large lakes?

WHO KNEW!?!

I think they may be necessary for the guerrilla warfare fishermen like FH who once they get out there stay for days and days on end. (OK, so he usually does come in by midnight - - - but he HAS been known to sleep on the floor of his boat overnight - more than once I might add. I kid you not again)



And this one you must watch all the way to the bitter end for the humor.

It's OK - - - only 30 seconds or so.

And let me just tell ya, if you don't understand the humor in THAT, you "ain't" married to a true fisherman.

Enjoy your weekend.

And remember - - - keep your bait in the water, I'm pullin' for ya, we're all in this thing together!!! (I so stole that from Red Green with a little editing of my own.)


Photo credit: Floating bathroom from uptake.com

.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Friday Frags - Dressed to Kill Edition

.

Each week, whether we are ready for it or not, Friday rolls around and with it the fragments of our minds are unleashed.

Thanks, Mrs. 4444!!




This is our baby girl (Korie) and her hubby (Chris) standing on the University of Wisconsin campus. They were there for a wedding and all we got to see was this picture!!

They clean up pretty good, don't they!?


Korie's always been a real dresser-upper. Here she is as an orphan boy for a musical number she was in back in the day.


And here she is as Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island.






Here's a brilliant little piece of school work our grandson turned in the other day.

Don't know WHY that teacher circled and checked it wrong - - - if S doesn't begin with an S then what does????? We said he should have added an eye and a forked tongue and all would be well.

Reminds us of the time his mommy answered her math story problem asking the difference between the speeds of two trains with "a lot."

That teacher wasn't impressed either.




Guess who's coming Monday!?!?

That's right!!! Sister Pam and - - -


B-I-L Joe.

Joe's a real dresser too, "ain't" he???

And Pam is holding the gator
"Cause she can."

That's all I know about that.





B-I-L Joe's brother Jeff and his wife Johnna holding their great-niece Finley.

Finley, I feel that SAME EXACT WAY when I look at Jeff!!!

Hehehehehe





Sent to me this week by two of my former students:

"It's that old devil moon that you stole from the sky,
It's that old devil moon in your eyes!"
(Lyrics from Finian's Rainbow)


"Temptation eyes looking through my-my-my soul"
(Lyrics by The Grass Roots)






How fun are these old neon signs I found this week at our local drive-in?


No, NOT a drive-in movie - - - a root beer drive-in.

The kind with frozen mugs of frothy goodness.


Silly me.
I thought this said So's drive-in
And wondered who So was
Since it was at Kathy's Drive-in.

Someone had to tell me it said 50's.
And now you REALLY know
Who you're dealing with here.





The lovely letter W dividers

Are brought to you this week
By the University of Wisconsin.
Go Badgers!
On Wisconsin!!




Now please hurry over to Mrs 4444's place
and see all the Friday Fragments!


Credit: Wisconsin dividers from Glitter Graphics


.


Thursday, August 23, 2012

I'd Rather Shake a Leg

.
I have too many throw rugs.


Oh, I have a good reason to have them.

We live in a duplex.
Said duplex is full of WHITE-ish carpet.
We do not OWN this duplex.
So, we are renting white-ish carpet.

I am determined to PROTECT
That white-ish carpet,
Especially since it isn't mine.

So I put rugs down to protect
The entryways,
The byways,
The crossways,
And ALL the ways.

My throw rugs are important.
They have a job to do.


Still and all,

I HAVE TOO MANY THROW RUGS.

Especially on the day
I have to shake them.

Like today.

I'm just sayin'

.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

One of "My Boys", Russell Wilson, Makes Good

.
If you are a new reader here, there is something I just really need to tell you.

I AM A COLLEGE FOOTBALL FANATIC.

No, I don't just follow one team, although "my" team is Wisconsin. On Wisconsin!

On any given Saturday in the fall I will be found in my football cave watching up to 6 college games at the same time. I doubt any of the sports pundits watch any more college games than do I.

You'd be amazed how much of each game you can catch switching channels at commercials and time outs.

Three falls ago, long before the sports pundits noticed him, a young quarterback at NC State caught my eye. His name? Russell Wilson

He could do it all. He could pass long and accurately, he could run, he could even catch and make yards after the play. He was smart.

I thought, "Man, I wish we could get a QB JUST LIKE HIM at Wisconsin.

After I had watched him play for two years at NC State, he graduated with a year of football eligibility still left and announced he was going to transfer to enroll in a master's program and play football for another school.

He narrowed his choices down to Auburn or Wisconsin.

I could hardly believe my ears!!! But I thought, "he'll pick Auburn. They just won the national title so he'll want to go there."




Just imagine my joy and glee when he choose Wisconsin instead!!!!

To Wisconsin he came. He learned the Wisconsin offense in two weeks and was elected one of the captains of the football team before he ever set foot on the field to play one game.

He gave us a season full of brilliant quarterback play culminating in helping us win the first ever Big Ten Championship game - - - and I watched every single down, every single throw, every single TD pass and run.

I have seen only great things from Russell Wilson.

Then came the NFL draft.

The "experts" said he was too short. (He's less than an inch shorter than Drew Brees and we all know how Drew Brees has turned out, right?) I heard Mel Kiper and Jon Gruden engage in a verbal battle over Russell's height issue. I'll just say I agreed with every word Jon Gruden said and I wanted to punch the other guy in the nose. How dare he criticize "my boy!?!"

Well, Pete Carroll must also have been watching Russell because much to the dismay of Mel Kiper, the Seattle Seahawks drafted Russell mid third round.

Jon Gruden and I cheered our hearts out.
They don't show many Seahawks games in Central Wisconsin but I have the NFL network and they have been replaying all the preseason games.

I've been taping the Seahawks' games and I've watched Russell's every play - - - every pass and every run.

I gotta tell you - - - he's been out playing Matt Flynn, brought in by the Seahawks from the Packers to, presumably, be the starting QB this fall.

And I've been cheering on his every move.

Yesterday the Seahawks announced that Russell will start in their third preseason game Friday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. Normally the QB who starts in the third preseason game will be the starting QB for the season.

In this case, the Seahawk management is waiting to see how Russell plays Friday night before naming their starting QB for the season.

I can already tell them how he'll play. He'll play with the same heart and skill that he ALWAYS plays with.

Russell, I'll be watching and I'm in your camp. I couldn't be prouder of you if you really were "my boy." Go show 'em what you've got.


Photo Credits: NC State photo from newspaper.li, UW photo from an unclear source on google, Seahawks photo from AP

.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Roof Top Terrace and Balconies in my City

.

This Sunday I want to show you a terrace and some balconies in my city that have caught my eye.


Terrace:

Something about this little vine dangling terrace caught my eye and my heart. I wish it had an awning, table, chairs, and potted plants.


Mini Balconies:

This balcony is so small, and so impractical as to be nearly unusable. Still, something about the clear clean white lines caught my eye.


How about this tiny balcony? I think the wrought iron gives it a Spanish flair.

If you LOVE it, I have good news for you - - - there's a "for sale" sign out front, the back side has a view of the Mighty Wisconsin, and I'd LOVE to have me some bloggy buddy neighbors.


I saw this big old Victorian and I thought, "What, no balcony Victoria???"

She NEEDS a balcony, doesn't she?


I looked around the corner to the side of the house, and low and behold - - - THERE was the tiny balcony.


Kind of an alcove balcony - - - perfect for a rendezvous!!!


Then there's this small white balcony with the chandelier nearly twice it's size!!! Quite stately.

Who knew we had "Gone With the Wind" in our little Central Wisconsin city???


Maxi Balconies:


I have long loved this house from the front. Just the other day I was a little surprised to discover it had a full balcony across the back.

I imagine the faux owl on the railing is scaring away pigeons and starlings.


"God Bless America, land that I love!!"


I love how this one feels like a porch above a porch. I think I'd have some furniture up there to enjoy a cool evening breeze.


Another beauty which you could own if you want to relocate here!

I've admired this house ever since I began working at the library and passing it's for sale sign every day.

I didn't notice this balcony across the back until today.

And how about all those "gingerbread" details? I think I'm in love.

And yes, I did walk right up to their garage door to snap this shot - - - I go to great lengths for you, my bloggy friends!


No no, don't strain your eyes looking for a balcony in this one - - - it isn't here.

This is the vista which can be viewed from the final two balconies of this post. It is our beautiful and busy Wisconsin River.

As a BONUS, on the 4th of July these folks can observe the fireworks without ever leaving their own balconies!!

Some might call this one a deck - - - but notice how HIGH it is. That is a full size car down there in the garage on the left.

I must tell you, I've been tempted to try to befriend these folks just so I could sit with them on their balcony and have a front row seat at the fireworks.

Yes, I really did admit that.


And finally, this modest balcony. Again, my fingers are itching to put some furniture up there - - - I think I could make it quite festive with some canvas lawn chairs and a matching table umbrella. I'm thinking red.

The pop of color wouldn't hurt either!!!

I hope you've enjoyed this balcony tour of my city. Now please hurry over to Unknown Mami's place to see what others are sharing from their cities this week.


Joining Unknown Mami
For Sundays in my City.

My city is Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

.