Bathing Beauties:

Miss Muscogee Pageant 1939





_{Mo Jackson's Mermaid and Swimming Pixie kits, and Moodles 4, In Vogue kit elements from Scrap Artist, Font: Fairfax Station/Shishoni Brush/ Susie's Hand, Arrow Doodle by Holly McCaig}

My maternal grandmother was a contestant in this competition held in Muscogee County, Georgia. I don't know which one of the ladies won. I just thought the photos were pretty cool!

:::::::::::::::Greek Mythology Day:::::::::

We have watched several stories that introduce Greek mythology to children. The series is really well put together.




...other interesting videos: The Cultural Revolution, Inventor: Alexander Graham Bell, and Life Science.


:::::::::::::::::::::Slideshow Complete::::

I finished the slideshow for a gentlemen in Jim's scout troop. I hope the discs I burned work on everyone's players. I created 8 copies and did the labels using the lightscribe printer. I also created a page that slipped into the dvd sleeve.

::::::::::::::::::This is Pretty Funny::::::

Warning Label Generator




Remember the Quick Trip motto: "If effects last for more than 4 hours PARTY ON!

Smiles!

Strike a Pose:

_{background paper a freebie by Eve Recinella, Heritage brad by Cottage Arts, Leather Rose Trim by Michelle Coleman, Staples and label by FhungLie, Fonts: Susie's Hand, Ecolier, Henry Morgan Hand, Artistamp Medium, Fine Hand LET}
I have decided to do some layouts about my maternal grandmother, Doris Beatrice Hodge Harris. I will try do more this week, as I can kick my kids off of my computer. My computer has internet connection and their's has a bad network card. Anyway, my grandmother was always impeccably dressed and coifed. I always thought of her as extremely elegant. She kept an immaculately clean home and stocked her shelves with lots of junk food for me. She had two main foibles: 1. Smoking (Pall Malls) 2. Extreme sarcasm. I have never smoked, but I have been accused, repeatedly, about the second one.

::::::::::::::

Cool videos from the library that I used for homeschooling this week:
1. Inside Hurricane Katrina by National Geographic (the only untouched on subject was the problems that occurred in the hospitals)

2. Guns, Germs, and Steel by National Geographic
This film deals with the impact on civilizations throughout the world as mechanized fire power in the form of guns was introduced by colonizing peoples and how germs worked for the Europeans in their conquests of many other countries, i.e. small pox, but kicked them in the teeth when they got to the tropical latitudes of Africa.
The professor's theory for the book and film is that geography has played the most significant roll in colonization. Those who had the best farming land and techniques could then move on to sustain themselves as they conquered others. The interesting part of the geography theory is that the European conquests along the similar band of latitude was successful because the conquers were used to the weather patterns and soil conditions, but often failed when they tried to go North to South. Maybe that's why the Americans and Canadians share a border...hhmmm?!?

3. Basic Beginner Training: Fencing with Michael Bradley
Great explanation of fencing philosophy and techniques.

4. Infant and Toddler Emergency First Aid
a. Volume I: Accidents
b. Volume II: Illnesses
(Aaron is quite useful if the crisis has nothing to do with his physical being. He stays rather calm and provides reassurance, but...oh, please...don't let him get sick or hurt. The Earth ceases to turn on it's axis and all is placed into chaos!)

We have a cool video about Einstein for later in the week and we need to get into our Spanish and Latin language programs.

Michael continues to work with Aaron on Astronomy and he is learning the difference between Arc minutes and Arc Seconds, among other terms and their applications.

Mama Doris

_{I used Paper Moons kit by Anna Benjamin called "Cuppy's Room" and Gina Miller's BYOBB Kit Add On Kit. Font used: Mama Script}

Text: What I see know when I look at this photograph is that
Mama Doris Harris came to visit us at our little apartment off Shallowford Road in Decatur. Mama Doris always used this same color of red to dye her hair for as long as she lived.
My brother, Denny, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of four used to smile for the camera. He would smile until right about the time he reached puberty, then he only smiled a forced smile when instructed to do so. Before I came along he kept his room very neat and clean. One day when I was playing when I was very young he gripped the top of my head tightly and told me to "Go Away.' I feel bad for messing up the world he needed to keep in an organized way.
My mom says my birth helped her keep things in perspective and that it was nice to be able to talk to someone.
I would spend summers with Mama Doris and Daddy Bill in Phenix City Alabama, where she would ply me with all sorts of treats: Pringles, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Reese Cups, vanilla ice cream, Coca Cola, Loorna Doones and Sugar Wafers.
From Mama Doris I learned sarcasm could be honed to a fine art, one my husband doesn't particularly want me to use. She also kept her home immaculate and always presented herself in an elegant manner whenever she left her home.
Single photos can illicit so many memories....

Doris and Bill

I had a great relationship with these two people. My maternal grandparents were wonderful. I looked forward to my grandfather coming home after working at his Shlitz Malt Liquor franchise, so we could play cards. We would play poker, black jack, and war usually. He always smelled like English Leather. He wore wingtip shoes and black trouser socks. We would make a treat out of a tall glass with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and milk poured over it. I liked the ice crystals that formed on the ice cream. My grandfather always let me drive the golf cart clearly labeled not to do so. I still have a thing for wanting to drive golf carts, I think a move to Peachtree City where they use golf carts would be cool, but definitely not for my husband. I loved to go with him to the golf course. He didn't play much he usually would just make a bet on how many yards he could hit the ball. If he won he took me to lunch.

My MamaDoris was ALWAYS immacuately dressed. Everything looked matched perfectly. The only thing that drove me crazy was her smoking. I often chastized the cigarette man for selling her cartons of Pall Malls while we were eating lunch at Mrs. Lane's on the bypass in Columbus, Ga. I used to stare at her while she ate because I wondered how long denture adhesive actually worked. (This is very impolite, so I am not recommending this behavior). I was also fascinated by the amount of hair spray she used to keep her hair in place. It was teased rather big and she loved Ms. Clairol, but I can't remember the shade of reddish brown she used. I'm sure she was pleased when I would turn my attention to a book or my cross-stitching and leave her alone already! She had the most beautiful handwriting. I always wanted to write like she did. One of the traits I admired most was that she didn't run to catch a phone call. She always said if they wanted to talk to her badly enough they could wait for her to get to the phone. I believe 14 rings was not uncommon.

I really miss these two enormously. They kept me safe, they loved me and enriched my life beyond measure!




Text:"My grandfather used to help my grandmother skip school. He would buy her ice cream and take her for a ride in his car. They met at school. He was much older than her and still attending school because he only attended school during football season, then he would quit school and work for the rest of the year. He was on Central High's first football team in Phenix City, Alabama."

"Behind the bar is my grandfather, Arthur Aaron Harris, also known as Bill, or "Goat". The Ace Chili bar was on Broad Steet next Kirven's, a locally owned department store. The former owner was Mr. Odom. who employed my grandfather as a bookkeeper and sometimes bodyguard. Mr. Odom would play cards and get drunk, so my grandfather was there to ensure no one took advantage of Mr. Odom. Next to the bar was a liqour store owned by Charlie and Ruth Murphy who were friends to my Daddy Bill."

This layout was completed using Mo Jackson's Dorothy's Kitchen elements and Primitive Scrapbook. The font: Michele/Old World Script/Mama Script

Well, I suppose this is my inaugural post. It is rather daunting to try to record your thoughts, but I would rather write them down than have them completely lost in a quagmire that is the recesses of my brain!

I think my last good sleep was about 12 years ago. My oldest son being 11 1/2 that would probably be spot on for the time. I have always been a night owl due to spending summers with my Mama Doris in Phenix Ciy, Alabama. We would stay and watch Johnny Carson during the week, and on Saturdays I would watch Saturday Night Live. (I didn't understand Father Guido Sarducci until I was about 15). I would stay up and watch the B horror movies from England they would often show very late before the stations signed off and went to static (anyone remember static?). If I couldn't find a t.v. show to watch I would read one of the several mystery books that my mom gave me, i.e. Nancy Drew (the 1955 series), Kay Blair Mysteries, or Trixie Belden. I also liked to read anything by Agatha Christie.
-------

I've been playing around with some fun new digital scrapbooking elements by Mo Jackson and Maya. Hopefully I will have something to post later today. My first priority is to get Aaron started on his math work for the morning and then start his history assignment. I really like the books written by Joy Hakim for the history lessons. We are working on the 1950s through the 60s, so we will be discussing Civil Rights and the difficulties in America after having sent people to fight for freedom when we weren't honoring freedom here.

------

I also hope to load Myst V, End of Ages on the computer later today. I got hooked on playing the Myst series last year while listening to my DH and my DS working out all of the various clues. I was annoyed at them for the time they were putting into the games, but when I paid attention to what they were doing the games sucked me in. My youngest daughter really got into Myst IV. She would wake up every morning and ask if we could save Yeesha (the young girl character in the game). She hated when we went to Spire (a world within the game) because the music was appropriately sinister. She would ask me to leave that world and go to the beach world called Haven that had nice monkeys. I hear this last game doesn't stack up to the preceding ones in the series, but it was on clearance at Target for $9.98, so I figured what the heck!