Adam's Mill

Last week, Mom and I decided to take a road trip out to Adam's Mill to reminisce about Dad a little. It was a beautiful day. We talked about how happy Dad would be to know that we were out spending time together. Actually, I think about that every day. I think Dad would be amazed at the relationship Mom and I have built over the last ten years since he's been gone.
Adam's Mill is such a peaceful place. It is in the township of Bolivar, which is just west of Burlington and east of Cutler. I remember going there with my parents when I was a child. We used to fish and wade and walk on the trails. This is the old mill. It has been remodeled over the years. It was originally a flour mill. Now it is a small museum. one of these days, maybe I'll actually go through the museum. I haven't done that since it's been open.
This is just a random shot of the guard rails made from old wagon wheels. Thay run along the side of the Wildcat Creek by the mill.
I also met a new friend while we were there. Mom was scared when she saw this big dog running loose, but he had a big smile, and I could tell he would be fine to approach. So, when I did, I talked to him real sweet (you know.....the doggie voice) and he sat down and raised his paw to shake my hand. That was our official introduction. I decided to call him Barkley. He hung out with us for a little while and then ran off to splash around in the creek.
If you're ever heading out west of Burlington, and you see this sign........turn. You won't regret it. It takes you past the mill and just down the road through the old village of Bolivar and then down to the old covered bridge. Just that short road alone is a beautiful drive.

This is Mom's model picture. I told her she looked like a model with the wind blowing in her hair and her new sunglasses on. That made her smile.
Mom and I took a little walk down by the bridge. We practiced skipping some rocks. Man, no matter how old I get, I'll never be able to skip a rock like my dad could. We had a lot of fun playing around by the water.

After a couple hours of walking, we decided it was time to head home. It was so nice to spend that time with my mom. I always appreciate our time together, but when we are able to really talk and remember the good things from the past, I appreciate it even more. Sometimes even something that simple is difficult to accomplish with my mom.
Adam's Mill has become a very special place for me not only because that's where we scattered Dad's ashes, but also because of all the quality time it has brought my mom and I over the years. I don't mean just the time since Dad has been gone, I mean all my life.

After Dad died, I was looking through my baby book one night and came across a picture on the page labeled "Baby's first outdoor trip," and guess where it was taken...........Adam's Mill.

I knew then that Adam's Mill would always be a special place for me. It always was, and I didn't even know it.

Ekoostik Hookah in Cincinnati, Ohio

Another Hookah show has come and gone, but the memories will last forever!!! Or maybe I should say, the few memories I have will be helped by looking at these pictures and asking a lot of questions :-) Don't worry......we took a cab!!!!This is part of our "Indiana Crew," as the band calls us. This is only a few of the IN crew that were there that night. These are all the people that we were staying with. Some of the other Hoosiers stayed a couple hotels away, but we all hooked up at the show and had a blast together.



From left to right, we have: Ryan, Julie, TeShannah, Matt, Kelly Ann, her hubby, Dave, my Ryan, Andrew (lighting a cig) and Shane is the one leaning over the table. This was taken outside the venue where Hookah played. It's called Annie's and it's in Cincinnati. I have been there a few times, and I have loved it every time. And every time, we talk more and more people into going with us. That's probably why I keep having so much fun!!!







Most of us met in Indy at Dave and Kelly Ann's house before we left town. Then we caravanned to Cincinnati, which is a little under two hours from their house. Easy drive!! That's Andrew throwing us the peace sign from the other lane. Ryan and I rode with Dave and Kelly, which was really nice.







We got into Cincinnati in time to check into our room and grab a bite to eat before we headed to the show. We would've had even more time if the staff at the restaurant didn't SUCK so bad!! It really sucked for us that they sucked so bad, because they added gratuity to any tables with four or more people. I can guarantee you, that girl was lucky her tip was in my bill, because she sure wouldn't have gotten a 20% tip from me!!!! 20%!!! That's insane for crappy service. For goood service, I'll tip 25%....but bad service, no that's more like 5%. I think it's important for them to understand earning their tips.......and adding the tip for parties of four or more....that is ridiculous!!! But Whatever................the food was good.







After eating, we went back to the room to call a cab. When we went to the lobby to wait on our ride, Julie, Matt and TeShannah pulled in. They had to leave a little later than we did, but it worked out perfectly!! They caught a cab right after us and got to the show just a few minutes later.





This is Dave Katz on keys. Love that man!! I've actually been talking with him about helping promote their show in Indy this summer. They're going to be at The Vogue in June.....and you all need to be there!! I'll be reminding everyone as it gets closer, but now it is my JOB to get people to come. Dave and the guys are counting on me to spread the word. I just wish they had picked a different date. Jack Johnson is playing at Deer Creek (yes, I still call it that) on the same night as the Hookah show, so that kinda sucks, but I think we'll be able to pull in a pretty decent crowd anyway.







Now's your chance, all you people who can't get out of Indiana....they'll only be an hour away. It'll be worth it, I promise :-)



Sorry....back to Annie's...........

I like this venue, because you can get over on the side stage pretty easily to see things from a different agle than normal. Too bad my camera sucks. But you get the idea of where I was from the pictures at least. This, of course is (SFS) or Steve F-ing Sweney....Uh Oh...I know someone will read this and freak out....oh well. So, anyway, I love getting so close to Sweney at Annie's. it's loads of fun!!!!




This is TeShannah, Matt, me and Ryan.
Oh Cliffy!! I love it when he pulls the harmonica out. Lucky me, I was right up front to get a couple pics!!
My Man, Eric. Oh how I wish I could afford a new camera so I could actually see his face in the pictures I take of him :-) I managed to snag another drum stick from him when the show was over. I think he knows now not to give them away until he sees me. I'm happy with a half of one, as long as I get something. If he gives a whole one away before I get to him, I'll make him take it back and break it in two so I can have my part too!! True story....just ask Julie....I made him break hers at LBC.....he he he :-)There's me and my baby. I just love to squeeze on him. He's feelin' pretty good in that picture if you can't tell :-)
Ok, now we begin the story of the rock in the bathroom.







Kelly's husband, Dave, has talked about this rock in the guys bathroom for the last couple years. Ever since the first time we went there, he hasn't stopped talking about it. So, on the way there, Kelly and I decided we needed to see this rock. So, when the time seemed right, we headed that way.





Matt and TeShannah decided to join us. I had no idea how cool it was. Dave was right!!! So, As matt played body guard, Kelly ran in to check it out. Matt wouldn't let the guy out of the stahl while Kelly was there. It was hilarious.










But..........when the guy came out, he was a great sport. He even jumped in front of the camera with Kelly.
After that, kelly decided she wanted the pleasure of having that rock all to herself. So, matt guarded the door, directing men into the women's restroom who weren't willing to wait, and Kelly had her moment. It was precious..............
TA DA!!!! Here's Kelly....Proud as can be!!!! Then the rest of the men were happy because Matt let them in and they all got to pee on their rock again.




.........................WEIRD, HUH?.................................

Anyway, we all enjoyed the night dancing and fooling around. I enjoyed a little wine, and then switched back to coke. I didn't want to chance a hangover on the way home. I hate that.
Ryan and I had a blast with Kelly and Dave. We always have so much fun with them!!!!
The stage from a distance.
This was off to the side stage. I was trying to get my timing right with the lights, but it's hard with my camera. It has a long delay on the exposure button.
This is the sign we all watch for when we're headed down Kellogg Ave. in Cincinnati. When we see it, we know the fun is about to begin!!!

Overall, the trip was a blast. The show was wonderful. They played a lot of songs that all of us were hoping to hear, so we were all happy. This was the first time Ryan has been able to make it to this venue with me. I have been there to see Hookah a couple times without him, but It's always better when my baby's taggin' along!!!!

Woman from Russiaville to Donate her Kidney

I was browsing through the Kokomo Tribune online and came across an article that really touched me tonight. http://www.kokomotribune.com/local/local_story_100231255.html

John will be able to relate to this, I'm sure because of his friend who recently went through a similar situation.

A man named Don Frazier who attends church in Russiaville has been undergoing dialysis for his failing kidneys for a couple of years now. His wife recently received a phone call from a fellow church member inquiring about Don's condition. After a brief conversation, she realized that Don had found willing donors, but no one to match his blood type. With that little bit of information, this "Angel" offered to donate her kidney to Don if she was a match.

Ronda McCorkle is this "angel's" name. Ronda has had Don on her mind ever since she found out about his condition. She hasn't been able to think about much else. After undergoing the neccessary testing, Ronda has found out that she is a perfect match to donate her kidney to Don. Even though the McCorkles and the Fraziers don't know eachother well, Ronda feels that God has called her to help save Don. His surgery is scheduled for May 16th.

When God called, Ronda answered. I wish we could all be more like Ronda. May God bless her always.

Bonfires Have Begun!!!!

We had our first official bonfire of 2008 Sunday night!!! The season has now begun!!!! Our friends Julie and Nathan came out to celebrate the beautiful weather with us Sunday evening. After a days of walking all five dogs and working on the truck, Ryan and I were ready to have a littel fun.
So, we broke out the corn hole toss game and threw a little fire accelerator in the fire pit, and got the party started!!! We've had several friends dropping wood off from various home improvement projects for us to burn. Although, someone DID come along and steal the skids we had. That sucks....they make a great fire!!!

Uncle Roy is supposed to be bringing the wood from Liz and Jen's old playhouse sometime soon too. Jen....you might need to be a part of that...do you think Liz would want to join us to burn the payhouse? You never know................
So anyway, Ryan and Nathan took turns keeping the fire roaring.
I love sitting by the fire at night. I am so happy that it has started to get warmer outside so we can do more stuff like this. Pretty soon it'll be time for our first camping trip of the year too....I can't wait!!!!!

Ekoostik Hookah Rocks Lafayette

On Saturday, March 29th, Ekoostik Hookah was back in town, along with several of my hookahhead friends from all around. I always love it when they come to Indiana. It doesn't happen often enough. Although, I'm feeling pretty lucky this year because along with the show in Lafayette, they have two other Indiana shows scheduled this year........YEAH!!!!!

Ryan and I met up with a few friends at our house before the show. Our friends Joel and Steph from Toledo, and Kelly Jo from Grand Rapids all came down to stay with us for the night.

I was super excited when we got to the show until I realized that Kelly Jo had forgotten her ID in her purse.......at my house. CRAP!!!! This poor girl drove all the way from Michigan to see this show, and as her friend, I was not going to let her miss the whole thing. So, right before they started playing, Kelly Jo and I headed back to West Middleton to get that dang ID!!!!

I tried not to speed too much, but I knew we were going to miss about half the show, so I put the pedal to the metal a little :-) When we got to the house, I ran in, peed, Kelly got her ID, and out the door we went!!!

We made it back just as the first set was ending. I felt really bad for Kelly Jo. No one wants to miss half the show they just drove five hours to see. But then again, I guess it was better than missing the whole thing. Several people were like, "I wouldn't drive all the way back....let her sit in the bar until the show is over." Of course, the people that were saying that were not the people we were with. That's NOT how our friends roll!!!! I felt like I had no other choice. leaving her in the bar, or anywhere else, was not an option!!

Once we made it back to Lafayette, it was great times as always. We got to see an awesome second set and encore. I also managed to snag another one of Eric's broken drumsticks from him after the show. I've got a pretty nice little collection of those things now :-)

I really didn't take very many pictures. I wish I would have. I'm always disappointed in myself when I don't get pictures of our friends when we get together. I was mainly just interested in getting up as close as I could and soaking in as much music as I could in the little time I had left.

I think I managed to get at least one picture of everyone in the band. The top picture (and you may actually know them by now) is John Mullins: lead guitar, vocals.
Next is my playful friend and awesome bassist, Cliff Starbuck.
Yeah baby............Everyone should know who Eric is by now. Stating the obvious: um....he's the drummer :-) And my guilty pleasure. I was a very happy girl when I saw that long mane of his haning down his back. I hardly ever see him with his hair down. You all know how I feel about that long hair!!!!!
Steve Sweney......the guitar god!!!! On Hookahheads.com we abbreviate his name as "SFS." If you use your knowledge of deciphering online chat abbreviations, you can probably figure it out pretty easy. Obviously, the two S's are for his name, and the F would be the same as the F in "WTF." So, yeah, we just refer to him as SFS............he rocks my world every time I see him!!!Now, I know this seems weird considering how I feel about feet, but my opinions are different about the Hookah boys' feet........I love them. And these belong to Dave Katz. it's actually the only picture I got of him :-)
We were lucky enough to hang out with Dave and Kelly Ann for awhile too. I didn't get to talk to them much since I drove home during the first set, but I danced my tail off with them during the second set!!!

We had a blast!!! And it's less than a week until my next Hookah fix.....tell ya all about it when i get back!!!!

Ratdog Covington, KY

Last week, Jen, Chad and I went to Covington, KY to see a Ratdog show. I had a lot of fun even though the place was way over crowded.

I have been to that venue once before to see Ekoostik Hookah. When I saw them there, the fire alarms went off and we all had to evacuate the building. it turned out to be kind of fun though, because some of the band members came out and played banjo and sang while we were waiting to get back in.

I was just waiting for the fire alarms to go off when I was there with Jen and Chad. Honestly, I kind of wish they would have. We all heard rumors throughout the night of how they had oversold the show. Supposedly, the fire marshall was there questioning the situation, and he had every right to.

At one point during the second set, I felt like there was no where to go except up. We were pushed all the way against the back wall of the lower level. I was just about to try to take off in the crowd by myself and try to make it to the front when Jen and Chad decided they were ready to head towards the back. When I thought about it, that was a much better idea. I really wanted to get closer to get some better pictures, but it just wasn't worth it. if I have it my way, there will be plenty more Ratdog shows for pictures.

Chad long armed this shot for us during the second set before we were all smashed like sardines.
I did hold the camera in the air and hoped for the best on a couple photos. They weren't the greatest, but they were alright, so I guess it's better than nothing.
This picture was after the show in our hotel room. The funny thing about this one is the fact that Chad has a mouth full of Pringles. He hid them pretty well, huh?
The next day, we all went over to Newport, KY. It's a pretty little area on the Ohio River directly across from Cincinnatti. Ryan and I have been there a few times to see concerts at The Southgate House. There's not a whole lot to do there, but they do have an aquarium and lots of shopping in the area. This is a picture of The Southgate House. The first Tommy gun was invented in that building. The first time I ever stepped foot in there, I felt really weird. Everything around me seemed familiar. I even started dreaming about that house for awhile. It was almost like I had been there before. Maybe just a case of deja vu, but that place has stuck in my mind for years since then. I'm still really intrigued by it.It was beautiful the day we were down there. I really enjoyed walking around by the river just soaking up some sun. I always say I'm solar powered. I function much better when the sun's out.This is the building they call Newport on the Levee. They have an IMAX theater and lots of shops and restaurants. Jen and I got some ice cream at some place that uses homemade butter cream ice cream. OMG talk about rich!!! That stuff was delicious!!! It was fun to watch them mix your treats up because you could get your ice cream with anything you wanted mixed in with it, and when they mix it in, they're doing tricks with their sccops kind of like bartenders. Those boys had some skill!!!!This is a walking bridge. It was pretty cool. I should have gone out to the middle of it to take some more pictures, but I didn't think of that at the time.

The whole area along the river is so gorgeous. I was so happy to get out in the sun and walk around. Even though I had been there before, I enjoyed every minute!!

Another "Baby" Who Needs a Home

I've think I have possibly lost my mind. I now have five dogs in the house, but hopefully not for long. After deciding to keep Mickey, the big fat beagle we rescued, I vowed to Ryan that I would NOT foster another dog for more than 48 hours......and I have already failed. This little girl named Baby (puke) came to us through a friend's grandmother. Baby is only about 9 months old, so she is still really hyper. But the up side of her age is that she is still very trainable. With some patience and some time, I think she will be a great dog for someone. Unfortunately, Justin's grandma just couldn't handle her. Ryan and I are trying to find a home for her without officially putting her into the CAA. Sometimes it's just easier to give a dog away than it is to put them up for adoption. It bypasses all the fees and paperwork and whatnot. We have actually had good luck with the last four or five animals we have rescued just by doing it ourselves.
Baby gets along really well with all the other dogs. I think Franklin will miss her when she's gone. They have been playing and running around like crazy for the last week.
I actually have a girl at work who is interested in getting a wire haired terrier, but she is on vacation now. That's really the only thing I'm waiting on to see if I'll put her into the CAA. I'll know more when she gets back.
Until then, if anyone knows a good family or someone who would have the time for a sweet little puppy like Baby, please get ahold of us!!!!