Reno CANCELS Fireworks 4th of July

Folks...some TRUE news is SO BIZARRE...you just can't make this kind of craziness up! And yet you find yourself head in hands pulling your hair out as to how grown adults in charge of a city of several hundred thousand people actually meet and DECIDE that THIS is what's best for ALL OF US!!! RGJ News Article "The Reno City Council agreed Friday to cancel fireworks for the Fourth of July, bowing out to the much bigger Star-Spangled Sparks show in downtown Sparks. It will use that money and other funds to support special events." Oh Goody!...just what "special events" are we going to use that money on? "The council agreed that the $7,500 planned for fireworks would be better spent supporting the national hand cycling championship that will be part of the Tour de Nez bicycle classic on June 17-20...With that backing, “we could get them every year and make it into a bigger event,” Councilman Dave Aiazzi said." WOW! hand cycling over 4th of July Fireworks!!! Yippeee!!! But WAIT!!! It gets better... "The Council has made special events a top priority this year as a means of drawing tourism and to help cheer up local people in this recession. Weight loss program: The council also supported member Dan Gustin’s request to spend $15,000 in its next budget to put 12 police officers and firefighters, if they agree, on a three-month program to lose weight in hopes they will stick with it. Their initial program would be overseen by a doctor, physical fitness experts and a nutritionist. Preventing any one of them from a heart attack would save the city $1 million in medical bills, Gustin said." Only in America huh? Glad to know my city is in such qualified hands! My sarcasm runs amok, but not NEARLY as much as my lividness at the sheer STUPIDITY of all of it!

Ronald Reagan is Not the New GOP - OLD SCHOOL

FIRST AND FOREMOST...DON'T THINK I'D EVER DISRESPECT RONALD REAGAN. He was a great President. BUT...I'm growing ever increasingly tired of Reaganomics, Reaganophics, The Reagan Principle, Reaganesque!!! It's like people DON'T realize that when you were young...and little Johnny and little Bobby lived next door...they BOTH had great dads...but like your always hearing that only ONE of those dads ever mattered! Reagan was great...and he may have been the last thing Republicans can remember that great... but if that's true? IF A PARTY ONLY has one guy that is rememberable enough to mention, and he was great in the '80's...you gotta see we're in TROUBLE! WHEN ARE CONSERVATIVES GOING TO STAND BACK UP (in the 'real' world of actual elected officials) AND REALIZE THAT IT'S WE - WE - WE THE PEOPLE that think Conservative (maybe like Reagan)...but like millions of others JUST LIKE HIM! GOOD POLITICS is NEVER going to be about one man or woman! It's about WE. It's a TEAM effort to make this country great! Reagan was a wonderful man and politician...but he is just one man amongst millions of great country men and women! What Reagan represents that NOBODY likes to bring up is "Old School"! Guess What? I'm at that PERFECT AGE to see it come full circle LOL :) When I bucked as a youngster...I thought my folks were "such 'Old School' "...I have grown kids now...that have lived through the bucking, and now we laugh about how they used to think I was 'Old School'...but guess what else? Old School in my generation, in theirs, and in the 'old schools' of our parents and grandparents is WHAT WORKED! IT WASN'T JUST REAGAN!!!!! GOP-get back to 'Old School'...and just leave Reagan to live out his peace in his grave! There are millions like Reagan...and some even better is my guess...get on with getting it all out... Suddenly...I need a cup of TEA :) Later...readers...gonna sip and remember... BUT...IF REAGAN WERE HERE TODAY...THIS WOULD BE HIS EXPRESSION!!!

Mother's Day 2009

Later this month, my two sons will be 26 & 20!!! They're no less my babies today however than on that awesome May, 23 26 years ago :) My boys showed up this morning and made me biscuits & gravy with scrambled eggs for breakfast (at the appropriate not too early time of 10am LOL). A graceful glass swan came for me with a single fragrant rose. I received a beautiful house/plant flower called Guzmania or Soledo. It's a gorgeous plant and I just can't decide if I'll keep this one in the house, or make it a permanent addition to my yard :) All was complete with cards that always make my eye leak :) Without fail, my boys always come up with very unique and personal gifts. They found from their grandmother, and gave to me an old cassette tape from March, 1983 (two months before my eldest was even born) of me playing the piano. Mostly gospel, some pop (of that day and before), and a couple of country tunes. What a blast from the past...I was 20 years old when that was done :) I LOVE YOU BOYS! Thanks for yet again another perfect Mother's Day. I've always said... God's greatest gift to me ever was the amazing gift to have been your Mother :)

Spring Planting in Reno

Oh...Lawdy, Lawdy, Miss Clawdy! I don't have a green thumb...not even a brown one LOL! I have a BLACK thumb hahaha! Last year, I damn near killed myself trying to have the perfect yard, since I'd just moved into this neighborhood, into this beautiful home...and I bought FLATS of FLOWERS that I just could never get around to planting. I planted sometimes 60 per day! Then...I was DONE...and didn't plant more for many days...therefore some I'd purchased...died in the garage...never having seen the light of day :) "Don't even tell me you've never done that....I won't believe you LOL!" This year...I decided (my 2nd Spring in this home)...I'd do it different :) THIS YEAR...I will ONLY purchase 12 per day...as twelve can be done in a quick hour or so...still get dinner out...still watch a movie...etc...LOL... TODAY...I wake up to this beautiful day and finally think FLOWERS! I KNOW it's MAY 9th, the very day before Mother's day...but in Reno....you still pray on May 9 you might NOT have yet another 3-4" snow yet to come LOL :) (It HAS snowed here on July 4th before)... I'm looking out the window of my office, and the snow is ALL GONE (for now) on Peavine Mt. The old folk have always told me NEVER plant before the snow is off Peavine :) Sad truth is... Peavine has been naked twice already...I just decided at May 9...maybe it will STAY naked :) I went to the flower store...and yep...they were all JUST SO BEAUTIFUL...I couldn't do with 12. I purchased 24 that HAVE to be planted. I purchased two "buckets" of flowers that can just be placed and watered :) (I like those...less work for me LOL)... I dug 24 holes. I fertilized 24-4" deep holes. I then planted 24 separate flowers. I then covered 24 holes. I then sprinkled 24 holes with rich soil. I then mixed appropriate feeding water for 24 holes. I placed my "batched flowers" upon my posts... I'm not sure they don't look hokey...but they smell good and I love them :) I asked my husband...he said it was OK... then my neighbor came out and said they looked nice...but standard gardner brown plastic buckets on stucco posts...I'm not sure. I like them...but some in this neighborhood are all about the realism... After I planted 24 flowers...I look back at my bushes...and it doesn't like I did much of anything! 24 flowers doesn't go very far...Much Planting Ahead in my future :) I KNOW MY TEXAS & RENO FRIENDS WILL TELL ME THE TRUTH....do my bucket flowers look OK on my posts at the front of the house? LOL...thanks for your input :) I finished my task...but decided...I should stick to 12 per day... I will post more pictures as our summer goes on.

Wednesday Hero - 1st Lt. Michael A. Cerrone

1st Lt. Michael A. Cerrone 24 years old from Clarksville, Tennessee 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division November 12, 2006 Cerrone's men said in written statements of remembrance that he put their safety and welfare first. He lead from the front and all of the paratroopers would "unquestionably" follow him into battle. His platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Ronald H. Berryhill, said Cerrone was more than a leader, but a friend and "little brother." He remembers the first day Cerrone got to the unit. At the time, he was shy and quiet. But after a few months, he became more outspoken. "I am truly blessed to have known him and to serve under his leadership," Berryhill wrote. "He will never be forgotten. I will carry him with me always and I will always watch over his platoon. We will make him proud of his boys." Sgt. Cerrone was killed when a suicide bomber detonated the bomb he had strapped to himself in Samarra, Iraq. Also killed in the attack was Specialist Harry "Buck" Winkler. You can read more at BLACKFIVE. These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero. We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Ed Carlson - Reno's Waver

Ed's BACK! I wrote a story long ago about Reno's icon eccentric Ed The Waver. A seeming hippie with a story of unconditional love that walked to the moon and back, and almost everybody waved :) STORY HERE. The VIDEO portion of that story is "currently temporarily unavailable"! I've written those folks to FIX THAT SOON, because his video is priceless on many levels. I included the "link" in case it does get fixed. He does chant a strange mantra as he walks...it's on the video...that I can't show you right now! I've found no other record of that chant. But...Ed has graced our roads & highways since the 1970's with kindness and a WAVE :) My son's girlfriend works at the VA hospital here locally...and thankfully is also one of the few that follows my blog (love ya E) :) Since she had read my previous story of Ed the Waver...she recognized him immediately when he came in recently for an appointment and she had the pleasure to serve him. She told him of my story on my blog, and asked him if he could give her something as a momento of their actual meeting. He gave her an autograph. Now most would think that an autograph is just a signing of a name. NOT FOR THE WAVER! This must be the most amazing and most intriguing autograph I've ever seen. SEE TOP LEFT STORY PICTURE - CLICK TO ENLARGE :) It took me a while to actually READ all of it...and decipher it...and try to figure out what seemed like hyrogliphs within it...BUT I FIGURED IT OUT!...and it only made me wish I could give this odd fellow a nod and say Thanks Again for being a true icon of Nevada... The strange "quotes" or "designs" within the autograph...are the WORDS he CHANTS as he walks our highways, streets, & neighborhoods and just continues his misson to WAVE :) Of course, the hand drawn within is his...traced...as another wave :) God Bless you Ed....we're all still waving back, and I personally am HONORED to have in my possession a legitimate token of your life story in the form of your unique autograph :) THANKS E for sharing that with Mama C :)

Cookout Capital - BBQ Reno

I love Nevada :) It's nice to know that Blue Rhino (the folks that provide your BBQ propane tanks) elected Reno, NV as the 9th BEST city in ALL OF USA for cookouts :) Our ranking was based on the fact that we have SO MANY rain free days with temperatures under 90 degrees from May through August. Yea Baby! The grill at my house is hoppin' several nights a week...even in the winter LOL :)