respublica

Oh the red chairs

Over the past few months I've lucked out at an antique store on Big Bend, twice being able to snare a child's red chair. Both Jake and Nick love love love the red chairs and yesterday with only one being out, it was a tussle between them to see who got to sit on it. It only took a few go rounds before the second chair had to come out.

But of course they both wanted that one.

Or both

And then on to a battle over the favorite car

Actually they get along really well, it's just that now and then they both like the same things.

Free coffee

McDonald's is battling Taco Bell's new breakfast campaign by giving away free coffee during breakfast from today until April 13.   I'm curious. How many people think a free cup of coffee is such a great deal that they'll pack local McDonald's restaurants? A free Egg McMuffin I can see, but coffee?

Government reports and laws

Winston Churchill described these things perfectly when he said of a report he received:

"This report, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read."

Here they go creating havoc on the roads

I guess Opening Day for baseball is also the official start of spring and a perfect storm of a date for all the state departments of transportation to begin going full bore with highway and road construction. 

For Illinois drivers....ugh....

IDOT will be closing lanes east and west bound on 55/70 beginning at 157 (Collinsville) and ending at 270. Drivers probably won't know what part of the roadway will be closed at any particular time or day. 

And, according to the electronic message board along Vandalia in Collinsville, there will be only one lane for traffic beginning today. That's one lane for both directions which means one direction will have to wait for a flagman to let cars going in the other direction to get through and then stop them to allow the others to move. 

There's no accountability from IDOT or MoDOT or any DOT to the public. They do what they want when they want.

The mixing of sports seasons

The Final Four teams are set, the excitement of all the tournament games is over. One last comment on the remaining teams-Florida, U Conn, Wisconsin and Kentucky.

In the last 18 years Florida, UConn, and Kentucky have won 8 titles.

Today, or rather officially last night, is opening day for baseball. Going at the speed of light from the basketball court to the baseball diamond and in St. Louis this day will dominate every section of the newspaper. I hate to admit this since I like sports and have a husband who loves baseball, but...I find baseball on tv pretty boring. 

 

The Final Four will be on TBS?

How can that be? 

In other NCAA tournament news from ESPN, only 612 ESPN Challenge brackets out of 11 million had the four last teams correct. I picked two of the 4 Final Four teams but will be going no where.

The original seeds of the Final Four teams-1,2,7,8   At least the 1 and 2 won't play each other until the championship game should they win their semi final games.  Which is doubtful seeing how this tournament has gone.

Jake visits Collinsville and discovers the cow

Opa's very old inflatable cow, one of his most treasured belongings.

In memory of a wonderful neighbor

Dorothy Miranda lived a couple of houses down from us in a lovely home she and her husband Lawrence tended to with great care. She also tended to us and especially our children with loving kindness all through their growing up years and beyond. She will be laid to rest after a funeral service this morning and memories of her will be with us all the rest of our lives.

Always picture perfect.

She was the sweetest and least judgmental person and yet very old school in manners and dress.

She had a son, Sam and a daughter Sue Anna.

Daughter in law Polly

Son in law John

Lots of great grandchildren

And a whole big family

But she was part of our lives as well, following everything we did cheering us all on.

She was the weddings of both our daughters.

She always had extra cookies for our dogs. She didn't own a dog, but she became part owner through the love our dogs had for her.

She loved to play bridge and was part of many many card clubs.

Loved meeting our grandchildren

We have the blessed assurance that her faith has placed her with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven. We will always remember Dorothy with love.

 

Container gardening tip

We're ready to plant! The weather isn't ready for us though. But when it's time here's a good idea for planting those large outdoor pots. You really don't need to put potting soil in the entire pot and since bags of dirt are fairly costly if you several planters, you don't want to use more than you have to.

Put some gravel or small rock in the bottom, add a few empy water bottles and then the soil.  Some people use those styrofoam peanuts rather than water bottles, but either way works.

Another dog bowl bites the dust

A year ago Christian or Connor dropped a glass onto Ferdie's ceramic dog bowl which shattered it into many pieces. Today, Jake who is visiting for the weekend, picked up the replacement ceramic bowl, dropped it, and it shattered.

Who did this?

I really feel bad.

Ferdie is in disbelief

How sad is this?

He feels bad.