Sunset at Anglers Club

We boated with friends last night and as we came home this is the light
we had to guide us ..... what a memorable sight. Made me think of each
of you and wish you were here. Love from Y.M. and Hal and Lucy

Christmas Eve

Twas the Night Before Christmas and all through the Boat......

Milestone for the Day:Magoo Moves to the Big Table

Click on the picture to consider it in detail. Handwashing is recommended.

A Day to Note: Dec 12, 2007

Today, for over four hours, my kitchen was CLEAN...not even a dirty glass.

RIP Clean Kitchen

b. 10:30 AM

d. 3:15 PM

(Yes, to avoid dirtying a glass, I just drank my wine straight from the box.)

The 2007 East Texus Finger Licking Christmas MiracleAKA: Fatty Gets a Compliment

I found an outstanding recipe for oven-fried drumsticks online here. One small adjustment, cause as Bumpus says, I "can't ever leave a recipe alone": next time, I would leave out the tin foil and just soak the pans. I had one pan with no foil, and those drumsticks turned out really nice and crispy.

Since I am normally fond of the breastuses and get real snotty about eatting any other parts, for me to say this is good, it must be excellent. And when ground beef is 2.99 per pound and drumsticks are on sale for .99 per pound, this recipe is friggin damn fine.

When the boys even like it, well, then I have a miracle. From hence forth, it shall be called such.

Upon tasting them, they consulted and paid me the highest culinary compliments they could fathom.

Rufus: "Mama, you should be on Iron Chef!"
Boudreaux: "No, even better...Mama, you should work at Golden Coral!"

Here they go again ...

I U need sum more I gottum. Jes lemme no, can send one daily, weekly.

Road to the Cemetery

Brick Pond Road is very short, several houses along the way. When you come to the very end the pavement ends and you see this little path....just keep going ahead and up ahead where you see the sunshine spot, turn left and you are there. Matthew Watson dedicated this entrance in perpetuity forever so that Watsons could come and pay respects. Pretty neat !

Watson Cemetery, Brick Pond Road

This is the little cemetery, so pretty and very peaceful. Most of those buried there are Watsons but there are a few others. The man from the Library/Historical group told me that some were close friends and neighbors. Note to rock wall that surrounds it except for one little opening (upper right just before you get to the monument, so folks could come and go.

Watson Monument

Matthew Watson (1741-1801) and his wife Avis are both buried here in Barrington, he was the son of Matthew who lived to be 107. Matthew and Avis erected this monument to his parents after their deaths.

Through the woods ....

This is the path through the woods from the cemetery to Brick Pond. You get the most wonderful feeling of peace there - no noise, no traffic - and it really almost takes you back in time to when Matthew and Bethiah owned 2000-3000 acres of this property. Today it is a lovely neighborhood to one side of the pond and a green belt the rest of the way around the pond..........

Brick Pond

This is Brick Pond as it was the first week in October. The pond is a short distance from the cemetery, a really pretty little walk through the woods. The swans were happy to see me. The pond is much larger than it looks in this photo - it was formed when the brickmakers had used so much clay that the water seeped in and made this lovely spot.

Way Up Yonder in R.I.

Here B Yo Mama astandin by them 2 gravestones. These folks B my Ann-Cestors and they B yours too. These 2 stones is a garding the resting spot of Matthew Watson born in Ireland in 1696. He married Bethiah Reed in 1732/33 (not twice but just one of them dates) in Barrington. He lived to be 107, he died in 1803. Lived in parts of 3 centuries. He and his wife built a magnificient home with marble fireplaces, Dutch tiles and a woolen carpet made by Bethiah. They had the first wall paper in town. People came from far and near and it is said that men visitors would not come into the house but just stood in the doorway and admired the carpet, they were afraid they would get it dirty. My right hand is on the stone of Bethiah, Matthew is to my left.

Flat Stanley came and stayed

Jes I-magin Yo Mama's shock when a black boy in a black bikini kam to visit me and Mr Hal and Miss Lucy Poop Jones. This kid had yeller eyes and wanted to see what wuz a goin on over here in our Culture. We ain't got much culture but we do has lotsa water and boats around and Y.M guesses that is a kinda culture. We done showed him a good time. He was a standin in the bak door looking out and saw Lucy, she was huntin I-Guanas. Gits a cookie 4 ever one she chases N-2 the water. Big dog smart dog. Flat Stanley went home late last week and I B guessin he telling sum tales to them 2nd graders this week. Wishin I cud B a fly on the wall.............

Word for the Day:Deadant deadant deadantdeadantdeadantdeadant deadannnnnnnnnnt

The boys have taught Magoo to sing the them to the Pink Panther. Yes, the good old Henry Mancinni version. Except, instead of the deadant version, they sing, "Manuh Manuh Manuhmanuhmanuhmanuhmanuh Manuuuuuuuhhhhhh." I will try for video on this.

Fatty the Clown's Parenting Advice:Psycho is Scary

As Yo Mama Taught Me:
Act enthusiastic and you'll be enthusiastic!

Nothing and I mean nothing works in terms of disciplining Rufus. Timeouts don't work. A swat doesn't work. Removing privileges doesn't work. Yelling doesn't work. And in fact, I think that immunity is rubbing off on Boudreaux, too. It's like they have ganged up to prove that I am an old fraud who will scream and yell and stomp my feet at the drop of a hat. The sound and the fury...signifying nothing. I guess this is probably the truth. I don't ask Bumpus, because he will give me a lecture.

So last week, Rufus was practicing his endurance skills by repeatedly pushing my buttons over absolute trivia. He was fully, 110% succeeding in pushing me over the edge as at 6 PM. The bird was screeching, Magoo was crying, the cats were yowling, and I was having one of my 25-per day sneezing fits, wetting my pants a little with every ACHOOO. Whatever it was he asked, I do not remember. The important point is that he had pushed me so far beyond my limit that my head might have exploded right off of my shoulders just like a Roman candle on July 4th, with sparks shooting colored balls out of my neck. Something snapped, and instead of yelling (why compete with all the other decibels in the house?), I turned to him, put a huge fake grin on my face, looked straight at him but sort of unfocused my eyes, and answered him in a very fake, very cheery voice. I have since come to call it "The Psycho Clown Response."

This had an unexpected and drastic effect: Rufus froze in place. He STOPPED TALKING. He LOOKED FRIGHTENED. His BOTTOM LIP QUIVERED. He said "YES MA'AM to whatever it was I told him. And he quietly went about his business. MAGIC!

I took note.

Later that night, when he was making his 48th excuse for not going to bed, I tried it again, a very fake big smiling, sing-song voice, "Well, I see you're having trouble settling down for bed! We'll have to try going to bed an hour earlier tomorrow night to see if that can help." Again, deer...in...the...headlights. VICTORY!

The next day, it happened yet again. Only this time, he paused long enough, looking very somber, to say, "Ummmm Mom? Could you not look at me like that? It scares me."

I felt like Ed was at my door with a check. It continues to be effective. I suggest it to all harried mothers and fathers.

PS: It doesn't work on husbands.

Word for the Day: DAMMIT!

I have just noticed that when Magoo gets frustrated over not being able to reach, possess, lift, throw, or shred the item of her intense desire she yells a word that sounds suspiciously like DAMMIT!

This will be funny until kindergarten rolls around.

Fatty's Note to Self #1018

Lists are such a good thing. I like lists because they help me remember everything I forget due to my seasonal alzheimer's disorder and my situational ADD.

List of Items Not to Eat for Breakfast on the Day of Your Dentist Appointment:

1. Bar-B-Que Potato Chips

I'm sure I'll think of some other items to add to this list. Feel free to suggest your own.

Yo Mama Knew Just What I Needed...It VibratesAnd Bumpus Likes It, Too

This arrived unannounced on my doorstep yesterday in a gigantic poster tube, delivered by the usually-sweaty UPS man. Here's the sequence of events:

1. I saw the package was from Yo Mama.
2. I opened it and found just this--no packaging, no instructions.
3. I opened the "thing" and saw that it needed four double-D batteries.
4. I inserted the batteries and closed the lid.
5. It started vibrating.
6. I thought, "yes, she knew just what I needed...but did she have to get extra large?"

Then Bumpus got home and got very concerned. He wanted to know where he fit into the plan with my new item. He had the presence of mind to look through the bubble wrap that had gingerly protected my new friend. He found the instructions...for my "Electronic Ground Rodent Repeller." I will report on its effectiveness soon.

Needless to say, Bumpus was a tad disappointed at first, but now he is looking forward to some results.

Halloween: I Got Big Plans

About once per year, I have the mental stability to do something creative. Thankfully, that sometimes falls around Halloween, like it did this year. Currently residing at my house are two Jedi Knights, one Princess, and one wrinkly, green Jedi master.

Since the Princess still doesn't have a boatload of her own hair, I had to make her big ole honking swirly pigtail wraparounds yesterday. They are braided and then sewn onto a crocheted hat. All are made of very soft brown chenille yarn. Now I have three Jedi capes to make.

Princess Leigha Says "Gig Em"

Word for the Day: Cheese

Magoo is starting to talk, and I remember those sweet days with Boudreaux and Rufus when you could actually list the words they could say (because they couldn't say that many). So I thought I would record her new words for a while. Then, one day in the next few months, she will have what Fatty Jr. calls a "gold star day," and then suddenly, I will not be able to keep track of how many words she knows. Here's where we are as of today:

Palabras de la Magoozie:

Mama
Dad
Jack
Baby
Bob
"That" (sound like "dat!" and is accompanied by fierce pointing gestures)
Kitty (ki-ki)
Mammy
Bobbie (we don't know that this means yet)
Juice (dooce)
Yummer (nummer-nummer-nummer, thank you Yo Mama)

And the new word for today: "cheese" (sounds like dee).

Sidenote: Magoo also knows to nod for yes and shake her head for no. She is not yet screaming "no" back at me, but I will not be one bit surprised when that happens. She can also work the digital phone well enough to leave herself a message.