Stormy adopted 1999-2010 Rest In Peace

     I think we should have a Pets Day--like Mothers Day and Fathers Day. It would be nice to memorialize all the pets we've had through our lives. Most cats and dogs live less than 20 years so a mature adult human who has reached the age of 80 has lived intimately with at least 4 pets, and often many, many more.


     Currently, 3 dogs and 3 cats share my home. Up til today there were 4 cats. I took our old Mama cat to the Vet because she was overdue for her rabies vaccination and hasn't looked "right" for some time now. Her fur looked ruffled and she had a voracious appetite although she was skin and bones. She was alert and responses were good, especially to food. She was highest in the pecking order so she had her choice of places to lie out on my bedroom deck where they all live during the summer. She liked best the small dog kennel shaded by a plastic tablecloth and padded with a faded bath mat.

The latest photo of Stormy taken late Winter 2010.

     I wasn't expecting the vet to tell me that he suspected several of Stormy's organs were full of cancer. He and I discussed all the pros and cons and finally decided it was in Stormy's best interest, as well as mine, to put her down. He brought her in for me to say my goodbyes and I told her that if she should see Rocky, he would pick her up and cradle her and love her. I left with a huge lump in my throat.
     Stormy came stray to our house in May 1999. We became aware of her because she rummaged through some garbage bags that had been left in the truck bed. Then one day when we were doing yard work, she came out of the woods and made herself known by a "Myow." We fed her and gave her a home after checking her out with the vet who reported that she was expecting.
     So a month or so later, she had three kittens in our basement crawl space. 
Rocky was so afraid our resident black snake would get them that he crawled back to where she was sheltered by a piece of plywood and brought out two all-grey kittens and one with Siamese markings, actually a reverse image of Mama Stormy. The latter who developed blue eyes which she still has, we named "Smudge." The other two, one with yellow eyes like Stormy's and one with green eyes, we named GreyBoy and GreyGirl, respectively. We tried calling them Shady and Shadow but GB and GG stuck. 
     If we had a special day to honor pets, here's who I would recognize and honor:
Dogs: Ritzi, Spitz; Chico, mixed; Tammy, Springer Spaniel; Tommy, mixed; Panda, mixed; Sable, German Shepherd; Pippin, Poodle; Laurel, Springer Spaniel; Jenny, mixed; Moose, mixed lab and Irish setter; Louie, beagle; Abe and Bonnie, both Springer Spaniels. I still have the last 3.
Cats: Tiger, Muff, Puff, Koko, Tom Bombadil, Goldberry, Syn, Twit, Sherman, Sylvester, Stormy, Smudge, GreyBoy,  GreyGirl. I still have the last 3.

Video of DCE Finale Aug. 14, 2010

A Loud and Brassy Weekend

I'm a proud Grandmother. I had the pleasure of flying to Indianapolis last weekend to see my grandson, Chris Rockwell, participate in the Drum Corps International World Championships. Chris plays the mellophone, a field trumpet, in the Blue Stars Corps. All the corps are sponsored by the city in which they originated, which for the Blue Stars is Lacrosse, Wisconsin. 

This is Chris in his uniform. The red ribbon around his neck is for the gold medal he was awarded in Atlanta two weeks ago for his participation and placing first in the brass ensemble competition. Chris is 16 and this is his second year in the Blue Stars and DCI. Members can stay in the organization until they are 21.

The above pictures are of the DCI corps who finished the finals in the top 10. The Blue Stars can be seen in the top picture 2nd Corps from the left. The instruments that make up each Corps are trumpets (all types), tubas, baritones, 

 cymbals, and drums (various types). There are also dancers and a color guard, and an ensemble that does not march. It is made up of xylophones, drums, percussion, and, sometimes, a piano. The various corps tour the U.S. from June to mid-August performing every night in some different city. Needless to say, the corps members must be dedicated and passionate about their music and performance.

This is most of our Rockwell family. From left, Grandaughter Jessica, me, Chris, and ex-daughter-in-law, Ann Parnell. Chris was finished after the Saturday night finals (Blue Stars placed 8th) until next year so we were able to have a late supper together as well as an early morning breakfast. Then we parted, they by car to Lynchburg, VA and me to Bristol by plane via Atlanta. Hopefully, it won't be long before we can be together again.  

Mimi

Bill Clifton - Longing for Old Virginia

     My friend Jean and I decided to drive to Mendota to visit some old friends after our Sunday brunch at Ruby Tuesday's. Mendota is northeast of Bristol across the North Fork of the Holston River.

     This is a barn I've always wanted to photograph and Sunday I did. The huge rock is one side of the barn, and yes, that is a "little white church in the dell," to quote an old song. If I remember correctly, it is a Baptist Church and is very well maintained as are the grounds. You can see how curving the road is which is named Nordyke Road. Coming home, our GPS got a little mixed up and we drove on a narrower road named "Barnrock Road" and sure enough it eventually joined Nordyke and we knew we were on our way home.

A closer look at the barn rock.

Bill (Marburg) Clifton and Tineke Labrie

     Mendota  is the home of Bill Marburg and Tineke Labrie, old friends of ours we'd lost contact with until Rocky's memorial service. They sang several duets a cappella and Bill told a story to remember Rocky by.

     Bill's performing name is Bill Clifton and he has been a performer of folk songs and country music for over 50 years since he was very young. He came to Hiltons, VA, which is just down the road from Mendota, when A. P. Carter was still living to study with him. A. P. took a liking to Bill and they developed both a musical and personal relationship that lasted until A. P. died. Bill has performed all over the world and was admitted to the Country Music Hall Of Fame a decade ago.


     I first met Bill through his wife, Tineke, who is from Holland. I was a social worker and she was a volunteer at the Crisis Center where I was Assistant Director when I first moved to Bristol. I remembering meeting Bill at a pot-luck dinner at the Center, and he and my husband, Rocky, hit it off. We began a lot of visiting back and forth. Mendota is a long drive from Bristol because the roads are now back roads and very curvy as they respect the river and the low range of mountains and hollows.

     I know Bill on a social basis and as a personal friend. His impressive musical ability was really lost on me, I hate to say, until recently. Ironically, he is better known to the public in Europe and Japan than he is in this region except for Appalachia and Nashville musicians. But what a delight to discover him now. One of his more recent performances is published below at the end of this post.


     Tineke, Bill's wife, is an extremely charming and interesting person. She is very creative artistically and enjoys a challenge but once she's mastered it and made as many items as she wants, then she is ready to go on to another challenge. Her most recent project that she's about completed is making stain glass window inserts for some of her windows. She is now more interested in setting up what she calls her "museum." A handyman neighbor built a small cabin in their large backyard, right next to the river, and Tineke is putting up shelves and then displaying all her small gifts friends from other countries have given her and souvenirs she has brought back. I didn't think to take a picture of it, but I will the next time I visit when it will be more complete. So far she has shelves devoted to Russia, Japan, Thailand, and Holland, of course.


     So Jean and I had a delightful time and I'm pretty sure Bill and Tineke did too. What a pleasure for me to have finally discovered Bill's professional side. I'm going to iTunes to buy some of his cd's very soon. Here, have a listen:
This was recorded in 2006 and sent to YouTube by "americanamama".  Enjoy,  Mimi