The Wings Won --- Levi Lost

My nephew Levi, a friend, and I went to a local wings place called Billy Jacks Wing Shack in Harrisonburg, VA.  Levi wanted to try the wing-eating contest so he could win a free tee shirt.  All the way to town, he kept talking about how pain is only temporary and he had done it before.

What an experience he had and we'll be laughing about it forever.  You have to eat 6 wings within 6 minutes, then wait 6 minutes before you take a drink of anything.

 
They told us that people have had to go to the hospital and some have passed out so signing a waiver was required.  You will also note the rubber gloves to be worn when handling the wings. 


First, Levi got some napkins ready.  The last time he made the mistake of touching his eye and suffered greatly from the hot sauce.

OK, let the games begin! The timekeeper started the clock. Doesn't Levi look confident and determined?  

My friend, Jay,took 2 bites and had to quit!

Young Levi dug in.....

 Then the heat started getting to him and the tears began to stream down his cheeks...

After the third wing, the truth set in that he simply could not take it any more!

 Poor Levi.......the HOT wings won.  He even used napkins to wipe his teeth and mouth as he sought relief.  He suffered the rest of the night with burning lips and an upset stomach.  Thankfully, he was able to laugh about the whole ordeal! 

(Ah, weren't those the days when we were young and foolish....and all for a FREE tee shirt?)

The Pressure's On

My brother, Phil May, decided my decks needed pressure washing.  He did my front porch but we could see that all that looking down aggravated some neck surgery he had a few years ago.

The next morning, I stepped out onto the deck see if I might be able to help.  I couldn't start the gas powered washer but I could run the wand.   How could it be so easy for Phil to start it --- it's that male brute force that helps!

I  was in my housecoat but decided I was already wet so would continue working for "just a short while."  Little did I know that Maribeth, my sister-in-law, and I would work the rest of the day on this.  

I'm going to embarrass myself here but will tell you anyway.  My cousin, Bill May, is the grand master of turning the most mundane event into a MAJOR Paul Bunyan tale.  He gave this account of the day:  "I stopped by in the morning, and there was Mary, pressure washing in her nightgown.  Later, I stopped by and not only was she still in her nightgown, she had added a sweatband.  At least it was color coordinated with her nightgown."  Bill, that was a housecoat, not a nightgown!

Maribeth was quite a trooper.


The deck hadn't been cleaned in a few years and needed it!

The next day I dressed appropriately for the job.  The third day, I got smart and wore my rubber knee boots rather than standing there in wet shoes.

The sealer will follow but not yet because it seems to shower every day.....one of these days we'll get 'er dun! 

Thank you, Phil and Maribeth for all your hard work and for putting on the pressure!

Celebration of Graduation

The Foersters have been our dear friends for years and we shared many holidays with them  Today I felt honored to be invited to the party for Emma's graduation from high school  

Mrs. Angelil (they always call me that and I love it!)  with Claire and Emma Foerster --- her girls!

Special Friends --- Robert, Claire, Emma, and Beth Foerster with MaryMay Angelil.  

Claire is studying Criminal Justice at VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) in Richmond and Emma will be studying art at Bridgewater College this fall.  Congratulations on great accomplishments by two smart girls with two very smart parents!

My Birthday at Bar-B-Q Ranch

I thought I was going to be alone for my birthday today but my cousin, Stashia May Kline, saved the day when she invited me to lunch.  My brother, Philip May, unexpectedly  joined us but I forgot to take a photo including him. 

I prefer to eat at local places wherever I am so after racking our brains, we remembered the Bar-B-Q Ranch.   

 

This place has been there about as long as I've been alive so it's an appropriate place to celebrate my birthday.

Barbeque, fried chicken, fried pickles, sweet potato sticks, and reasonable prices are still there.  It even looks the same, inside and out.....ambiance, not exactly, memories, YES!

 
They're also known for their collections of thousands of porcelain pigs.  They used to have those little speakers but will still provide curbside service if you turn on your headlights and blow your horn.  How quaint is that!

MaryMay Angelil and Stashia Kline sitting on a pig (bench).

Happy birthday to me, myself and I at the Bar-B-Q Ranch in Harrisonburg, Virginia!  (No I don't get a kick-back for this blog post!)

p.s.  I really appreciate all the cards, calls, FB wishes and email cards!!  Thank you!

Levi Leaves for Europe

Well, today was the day...my 23-year-old nephew, Levi Walker May, left for 55 days in ten countries in Europe.  I was honored that he allowed me to share my extensive travel experience with him and that he listened to almost all my suggestions.  He was determined to take only one backpack (impossible for a female!) and much to my amazement, he did it. 

Oh, how I wish we'd taken a photo of all his items laid out on the coffee table and the steps we took to fit everything in.  It was with much finesse that we brainstormed, culled, and got things packed in an orderly fashion.   

Unfortunately, it was too large to be a carry-on.  His dad, Phil May, suggested adding Velcro bands to make sure that all the backpack straps didn't get caught on conveyor belts. 

  Measuring the Velcro

Oh, no, the Velcro stuck too soon.  That stuff is STRONG and didn't come with an undo button!

 

The famous Velcro bands securing 

the backpack cover.

I was impressed at the spreadsheets, etc. he had made for his trip itinerary and documents.  He's flying to Dublin, where he'll meet 2 buddies.  They'll be flying to Amsterdam, where they'll join their bus tour of 5 countries.  He'll then be going to Norway, Turkey, and Greece.  His final step is a two-week graduate course in England.  

 

Aunt Mary, Levi, and his mom, Maribeth,
at Reagan National Airport

Bon voyage, Levi! (I hope he will heed our warnings about safety.  He can be such a trusting soul sometimes!) 

Easter at Evie's

Easter wasn't as difficult as I had feared.  I felt comfortable getting up and going to church by myself.  Then I was invited two doors down to the home of Evie (Evelyn) Schaff. Her daughter and son-in-law, Phyllis and Bob Brandt, have watched over me this year, especially on holidays.  

I made Cousin Marilyn Freeman's sweet potato casserole, Mother's lime jello salad, and some "special" deviled eggs.

They had ham and every other food you could think of.  I always have a good time with them and they make me feel like family.  It's wonderful to have such special friends!

St. Patrick's Day in St. Augustine

My very good friends, Jan and Dave Clements, were motivated by Ed and me to get an RV.  They just bought their 2nd one, a brand new Damon Challenger 36 DF. It's actually 37 feet and has a bath and a half with two slides.(Triton 10 Ford)

They live near Ocala in the middle of Florida and their RV club was going on a rally to St. Augustine for St. Patty's Day weekend.  

They invited me and I accepted.....then started wondering how in the world I was going to get there!  (It's about 3 hours north of Port St. Lucie and I can barely drive a half hour without major muscle spasms and pain.)  

I convinced my new friend, Norma Pennie to go and be my driver.  I didn't get a good photo of their RV but you can get a glimpse of the full-body paint job.  Norma is in the foreground.  

We got there on Friday evening and enjoyed heavy hors d'oeuvres (which we considered dinner) at the clubhouse of the campground.  

Saturday, Dave went to play golf and I'm sure he was glad to escape a girls' shopping trip.  Jan's friend, Dorothy joined Jan, Norma, and me.  I had forgotten how fantastic the shopping is in old St. Augustine.  There was one little art shop and boutique after another with totally unique clothes, jewelry, and home accessories.  We shopped till we dropped!!

We got back to the campgrounds in time for the corned beef and cabbage dinner, which was sooo good.  It was nice to just get away and share laughs and conversation with dear long-time and new friends.

I did think the shot below was such a funny pic of Jan and Dave.  He looks like the cat who swallowed the canary and she looks like ????

It means so much to be with special, close friends.  Thank you, Jan and Dave, and a special thanks to Norma for driving (I think she had a good time, too).

Red Hats in the Swamp

I volunteered to be the activity leader for our February "Hattitudes."  We went to Indiantown, FL, which is about 40 miles SW of us.  We had lunch at the Seminole Inn.  This quaint, charming inn was built in 1926 and has about 35 rooms.
We then boarded a bus for a half hour ride to the Barley Barber Swamp.   We watched a video on the way out.  That was one ROUGH ride!

This swamp is known as one of the finest remaining old growth cypress communities in the country.  It adjoins one of the power plants for Florida Power and Light so they bought about 400 acres and have preserved it.  

There is a very nice boardwalk through the area and we had two personable, knowledgeable guides.

Here's a cypress tree that's about a thousand years old.

Mollie Pike, one of our older members, decided to go, even though she's having a hip replacement next week.  We made her Queen for the Day!  What a good (and brave) sport she was.

This is one of the more adventuresome trips this group has taken and I think most everyone enjoyed our "mini-safari" into a little-known place that's not really that far away.  

The Seminole Inn is especially famous for their Sunday brunches and some ladies were already making plans to return with their hubbies and visiting families for brunch and the swamp tour.

Loving Her Was Easier

"Loving Her Was Easier":  This is THE most romantic song Ed used to say was for and about me. We didn't dance a lot but any time this played, we danced and he would softly sing to me. He was a very good singer, too! I'm glad I didn't remember this when I was planning his Celebration of Life last April because I would have totally lost it during the service.

Click one of these links to hear this beautiful song:  1. Loving Her Was Easy    2. Loving Her Was Easier Than.... 

Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)   Kris Kristofferson

I have seen the morning burning golden on the mountains in the skies.
Achin' with the feelin' of the freedom of an eagle when she flies.
Turnin' on the world the way she smiled upon my soul as I lay dying.
Healin' as the colours in the sunshine and the shadows of her eyes.

Wakin' in the mornin' to the feelin' of her fingers on my skin.
Wipin' out the traces of the people and the places that I've been.
Teachin' me that yesterday was something that I never thought of trying.
Talkin' of tomorrow and the money, love and time we had to spend.

Comin' close together with a feelin' that I've never known before, in my time.
She ain't ashamed to be a woman, or afraid to be a friend.
I don't know the answer to the easy way she opened every door in my mind.
But dreamin' was as easy as believin' it was never gonna end.

And lovin' her was easier than anything I'll ever do again.

Ed used to tell me every day in some creative way how much he loved me.  Sometimes he'd leave me a post-it saying,  "Thanks for cleaning my bathroom sink."  Sometimes he'd send me an email, or write me a love letter, or just tell me WHY he loved me so much.  We hugged every single day.

How blessed I was to have been loved like that and I wish everyone could experience that same depth of love. 

A few of the key components for a meaningful relationship are being willing to give of yourself, compromising, affirming the good points in each other, accepting those "other points", being kind to each other, and laughing together.

That’s how it was with Edmond and MaryMay Angelil!  

Happy Valentine's Day, to my dear and wonderful Angel Man, who is now in heaven (probably arguing politics or shopping for a newer, faster computer) with lots of other angels.

New Posts Being Added

There are several new posts added before/below the essay about Ed, the Shepherd.  Just scroll down to see them.  

I am putting them in chronological order and am just now getting them posted.......a few more to follow so keep checking back, OK?