Das Awkscht Fescht

I think that translates to The August Fest but don't hold me to it. And I'm too lazy to look it up. Anyway, this is where we spent most of Friday. I knew we had to be there early because rain was due in the area somewhere around 2 pm. I set my alarm for 7, and after feeding my livestock (all the cats) off we went. By 8 am we were on our way to breakfast somewhere between here and there. At 9 am we walked onto the grounds.

Every year the Awkscht Fescht dedicates the three days it is held to one automobile. This year, the 46th annual Fescht honored the Oakland. Yeah, I never heard of it either so don't feel so bad. And those of you who do remember it? God bless you.

Here is a 1929 Oakland fully restored. Pretty, isn't it?

Here is a 1930 Oakland unrestored and in original condition. Still pretty but needing a lot of cosmetic changes.

After walking some distance we sat under a pavilion to rest. Friday isn't the best day to go to these things because a lot of people who bring their old cars have to work so they get there very late in the day. This field will probably be covered with cars on Saturday and Sunday as the brochure boasts of over 3,000 cars. The threat of rain kept a lot away too. Most of these cars are in showroom condition and when heavy rain and hail is in the forecast the owners have second thoughts.

This little number is a 1925 Ford Model TT. (Yes, that's a double T.) I thought it was so cute I wanted to take it home. The $15,000 price tag stopped me from doing that. I felt $15,000 was a bargain though compared to prices I saw on other vehicles.

This is looking across an empty field that will also be filled with cars by the weekend. On the other side is the Food Court. We spent a lot of time there.

Our local forecast was 40% chance of rain in the morning, and at 2 pm it was to change to 80% rain. It started to rain at 5 minutes before 2 pm. We ducked into one of the buildings and went out to sit on the porch that is two stories high. We weren't the only ones with that idea, as others were already there when we arrived. So we all watched the downpour together. Fun stuff, that. This was the sky just before the rain came.


We seem to have a hard time this summer evading rain no matter where we go. Before we left we stopped at the band shell to catch the end of a very young group of a drum and bugle corps. And then we were treated to a young (in his 20's) and thin Elvis impersonator by the name of Jay Allen. I've never heard of him until today, but I would like to see him again as he put on an excellent show. Close your eyes and you would swear it was Elvis right there on stage.

We finally called it a day at 5 pm when the rain started getting heavier again.

And where are we going on Saturday? We are off to the races. Pocono Raceway, that is, to see some NASCAR Sprint Cup practice for Sunday's race. We will also be seeing the Arca/ReMax race. Yes, I know it should be Sunday's race that we are going to instead, but the tickets for Saturday were given to us and I never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Better Late Than Never

A couple weeks ago my husband and I went to the Kutztown Folk Festival. It's been a few years since we were there and I felt it was time to revisit once again.

I wanted to get this posted shortly after our visit, but like a lot of things around here, I forgot. And then my daughter reminded me that she was still waiting for my post. So without further adieu, here it is.

I don't know why this first photo is so dark. I probably used the wrong setting on my camera. It was the first picture I took soon after arriving there and I was probably not thinking of what I was doing. Nothing new there.

I got a good laugh out of this food stand. An Amish boy selling Lattes. I know he's probably not Amish and he has to dress the part to make it look good. It just tickled my funny bone. Sort of like an oxymoron.

It wasn't a picture-perfect day, there wasn't any sun, and we had light rain at times. But we were there and tried to make the best of it. This next picture doesn't even come near to what we saw and experienced with the naked eye. It was like a mini cyclone whipped through and it lasted almost five minutes. The kites on the left met their match with that wind. I was waiting for a few animals to fly by as I stood behind a telephone pole.

Ahhhhh, truth be old, this is what I really came to see. Hand made quilts. I am a quilt-o-holic. I have yet to find a quilt I don't like. This is a distelfink bird. The distelfink bird was the good luck and happiness bird of the early Pennsylvania German settlers. The bird is actually a goldfinch. Of all the quilts there, this one was my favorite. This picture does not do justice to this quilt. But if you make it larger you might be able to see the details better.

Pick a quilt, any quilt...I think I'll take them all. These hand made quilts do not come cheap either. I think they are priced by the amount of thread used if I remember correctly. The small ones that are crib size average out to around $300 to $400. The larger ones were anywhere from $600 on up to $1,000 or more. Yeah, that's what I said too. But they are worth every penny because they are like a work of art.

Another one of my favorites:

There was a petting zoo for the children. Just look at these sweet baby bunnies. I wanted to take every one home with me. A certain person said no.

I thought you might be interested in this:

And so ended another trip to the folk festival. I guess it will be another few years before we go out there again. I don't know if I can stay away from all those quilts that long.

Dakota's Fine!

Remember this picture from a couple days ago showing her polyp?

Here she is a few days after the operation. It's gone. The ear is a little red due to the drops she is still getting. She has two more days on her pill for the infection. She had two different infections with inflammation. She is almost back to 100%.

I received a call this morning from the vet that did her operation and was told the lump in her ear was a polyp. Not a tumor, not a cancerous growth, just a plain and simple polyp which sprang up from the infection(s) she had.

We are very happy to get our little girl back. She is more playful, more cheerful, more loving, and most importantly, more healthy.

Finally, one little story about when we brought her home after the operation. She had to stay overnight so she was gone almost 48 hours. When we got home, her brother was nowhere to be found. In other words, he found another hiding place to take his afternoon siesta. I took Dakota out of her carry case and set her down on the floor. She frantically started calling for her brother (rather loudly) and walked around looking for him as she did. Within less than a few minutes he was at her side. They pressed noses together, she as if to say I'm home, he as if to say I missed you.

Junior then went back to sleep somewhere and Dakota happily settled down for a nap too. I am so thankful for her biopsy results. The vet said that she should not have any more problems with another polyp growing in her ear. But we have to be watchful and keep her ears clean so it doesn't happen again.

My Latest Acquisition

Yes, that's a Dale Earnhardt Jr. Cabbage Patch Kid. Dale's is the premier of the series. The next one to come out will be Jeff Gordon.

I have 6 or 7 of the original Cabbage Patch Kids. I didn't save the boxes they came in though, so they lost a lot of their value. This one will never find its way out of the box as long as I am breathing. Not that it really matters because when I'm gone it just becomes another thing for my heir to deal with. That was one of the reasons I debated on getting it. And then I said to myself Oh crap, just get the darn thing and be done with it. So I did.

Revisiting My Childhood

When I was a wee tot, my parents used to take me and my two siblings to a place called Indian Trail Park. Nestled at the foot of the mountains near places called Indianland, Cherryville, and Walnutport, the park is no longer what it was when I was small. Now it is tall trees, pavilions, restrooms, and a wide creek lazily running through it.

Without telling you the years it's been since I was last there, let's just say it was a very long time ago and leave it at that. I did revisit it once between then and now when the Jeep hill-climbing club I belonged to had their picnic there. It was still a small amusement park at that time.

I snapped this photo on our way into the park as we were leaving the parking area. Most of the people were either at the eating stands in another section or they were waiting in line with their children for armbands for the rides. We were told the first 100 kids got armbands for free rides all day.

We had no idea The Flying Fuzz would be there. He is a former policeman and a very good friend of my husband's. He and his son race these bikes. I wanted to get a better picture from a different angle but people kept getting in my way, so I snapped what I could when I could. I would have preferred to get his bike trailer in the picture, but I got the bus instead and it's not his. They wanted blood.

And this is the food area. This is where we spent the majority of our time while there. As we ate there was plenty of entertainment. We are people watchers and some of them can be downright funny.

We stayed about two hours because we had been in and out of all the tents, we had enough to eat, and it was time to head home and take care of all our cats. Before we left I took this picture of the trees and sky for no particular reason. It was a gorgeous day. Not too hot with a nice breeze flowing through the park.
I was eight years old when we moved away from that area. I can't remember if my parents ever took us back once we moved away. I always loved that little park. So when I saw an advertisement a few weeks ago for the 18th annual country fair being held there, I told my husband I would like to go and try to revisit my childhood. It's hard trying to reconnect with a creek. I just could not remember what it looked like and that left me a little sad. But we did have a good time regardless of my lack of brain cells. Although I must say, just driving around that area brought back other memories and I was OK with that.

Where Have I Been All Week?

I have been worrying about my female cat, Dakota Sioux. Here's a picture of her showing what we have since found out was a polyp in her right ear.

It wasn't getting any better as the days passed by but it didn't seem to be bothering her much either. Little did we know. She seemed to be a happy cat. One day finally I decided enough is enough, this cat needs to see a vet. So the appointment was made for last Friday, the 10th. We learned that the round circular growth in her ear might be a polyp and it needed to come out. We were sent home with pills, special ear drops, and ear cleaning liquid. And an appointment for the 16th for surgery. With no guarantees.

Meanwhile, Dakota has been a different cat since the infections (yes, she had two different types of infection) have been treated as well as inflammation in the ear. Poor little kitty. Who knew? She wasn't complaining. What a little trouper. But like I said, she is so different, and I mean that in a good way. Not that she was a terror or anything, she was always a good cat. But she is more calm and relaxed now and much more affectionate. I guess I'd be cranky and grouchy too if I had something like that going on in my ear. People would be missing fingers.

And her brother? I'm sure he misses her but you would never know it. I'm also sure he will be glad to see her when she comes home.
We took her back to the vet this morning for the operation. I spoke to the doctor a little while ago and was told her surgery went well. The doctor said the polyp grew from within (inside to outside) and grew through her ear drum. Her ear drum was destroyed as a result. They are sending a biopsy of the polyp, if that is what it is, to the lab and we won't have those results back for at least seven business days. Best case scenario will be a benign polyp, and that is what I am hoping for.

Not Just Another Sunday

I love night racing but it also leaves a void for me on Sunday. I did catch the IRL race though and was very happy that Dario Franchitti won. My other two favorites, Danica Patrick and Marco Andretti, had a good day also. I don't know why, but that was the first IRL race I've seen this season. And I watched almost all of them last year. Shame on me.

Dale Jr. did well in Saturday's Cup race. He was in the top 5 for awhile but later in the race he dropped down and I don't think he fell any farther than 15th, which is where he finished. They are making progress. I know a lot of his fans want instant success but the COT car just has him by the gonads and won't let go. One of these days it will come to him and he will conquer that damn COT car. I would like to see him win at least one race this year though.

I'm sorry, but I had a good laugh over all the things that happened to PeeWee Herman (aka Vile Kyle Busch) in that race. He was like the silver ball in a pinball machine. When he wasn't hitting the wall, it was hitting him. I don't think he finished the race either. I wasn't paying attention. Don't believe me, yes I was. I just can't remember. All I could think of was, paybacks are hell. And I truly love when he gets them. What goes around, comes around. And his goes around comes around disk is spinning so fast it can't keep up with him.

So what did I do Sunday without a Cup race other than watch the IRL race? Not much. I didn't do a lick of housework that's for sure. Not even dishes. I did make pancakes for breakfast. But I didn't cook dinner. Nope. Instead I treated my husband to dinner and dessert at a local restaurant. He always treats me so I thought it's about time I do the same for him. Did I hear someone ask what I had for dessert? Aha! I thought so. Well...I had fresh strawberry pie with whipped cream. And let me tell you, it was dee-licious. Diet be damned.

On a different note, I had a sick kitty that I had to take to the vet last week. She had/has an infection in her ear with inflammation. Besides the antibiotic injection she got at the vet, she is also on a pill and gets ear drop medicine twice a day. And an ear cleaning every other day. Thursday she goes back to the vet bright and early and will get the growth cut out of her outer ear. I will be on pins and needles till I am able to call about her in the afternoon to see how everything is. The growth (which they are calling a polyp) will be tested and hopefully it will be benign. Fingers crossed, prayers needed.

Over and out.

Second Thoughts?

I received this in an e-mail so I a guessing there are some of you who have already seen or read this. It really hits home. How many people who voted for Obama still feel strong enough about that vote?
*****************************************************
Letter From Grandpa

John is 63 years old and owns his own business. He is a life-long
Republican and sees his dream of retiring next year is now all but
gone. With the stock market crashing and all the new taxes coming his
way, John knows he will be working for a good number more years.

John has a granddaughter. Ashley is a recent college grad. She drives
a late model car, wears all the latest fashions, and also likes going
out and eating out a lot. Ashley campaigned hard for Obama, and after
he won the election she made sure her grandfather (and all other
Republican family members) received more than an earful on how the
world is doing to be a much better place now that Obama won the
election.

Ashley recently found herself short of cash and cannot pay her bills,
again. As she has done many other times in the past, she e-mailed her
grandfather asking for some financial help. Here is his reply:

"Sweetheart,
I am replying to your request for more money. Ashley, you know I love
you dearly and am sympathetic to your financial plight.
Unfortunately, times have changed. With the election of President
Obama, your grandmother and I have had to set forth a bold new
economic plan of our own....the 'Ashley Economic Plan'. Let me
explain. Your grandmother and I are highly productive, wage-earning
taxpayers. As you know, we have lived a comfortable
life and in return have forgone many things like fancy vacations,
luxury cars, etc. We have worked hard and were looking forward to
retiring soon. But this plan has changed. Your president is significantly raising
our personal and business taxes. He says it is so he can give our
hard earned money to other people.

Do you know what this means, Ashley? It means less income for us.
Less income means we must cut back on many business and personal
expenditures.

One example is, we were forced to let go of our receptionist today.
You know her. She always gave you candy when you visited my office.
Did you know she worked for us for the past 18 years? I can't afford
her anymore.

That is a taste of the business side. Some personal economic effects
of Obama's new taxation policies include none other than you. You
know very well that over the years your grandmother and I have given
you thousands of dollars in cash, tuition assistance, food, housing, clothing, gifts, etc., etc. By your vote, you have chosen another family over ours for help. Judging from your Email requesting more money, I recommend you call 202-456-1111. That is the direct telephone number for the White House.

You yourself repeatedly told me I was foolish to vote Republican. You said Mr. Obama is going to be the people's president and is going to help every American live a better life. Based upon everything you have told me and things we
heard from him as he campaigned, I am sure Mr. Obama will be happy to
send a check or transfer money into your checking account. Have him
call me for the transaction and account numbers, which by now I know
by heart.

Perhaps you now can understand what I have been saying for all my
life: those who vote for the president should consider what the impact
of an election will be on the nation as a whole, and not just be
concerned with what they can get for themselves (welfare, etc.). What
Obama voters don't seem to realize is all of the "government's" money
he is 'redistributing' to illegal aliens and non-taxpaying Americans
(deemed "less fortunate") comes from tax money collected from income
tax-paying families. Remember how you told me, "Only the richest of
the rich will be affected"? Guess what, honey? Because of our
business, your grandmother and I are now considered to be the richest
of the rich. On paper, it might look that way. But in the real
world, we are far from it.

But, as you said while campaigning for Obama, some people will have to
carry more of the burden so all of America can prosper. You
understand what that means, right? It means that raising taxes on
productive people results in them having less money. Less money for
everything, including granddaughters.


Congratulations on your choice for "change". For future reference, I
encourage you to attempt to add up the total value of the gifts and
money you've received from us over the years, and compare it to what
you expect to get over the next four years from Mr. Obama.
Remember, we love you dearly... but from now on you'll need to call
the number referenced above when you need help.

Good luck, sweetheart.

Love, Grandpa

Have You Ever?

Ten years ago when we put a shower/tub surround in our bathroom, I bought two corner shelves so we had a place to put our personal items. At the time I was addicted to QVC and that is where I found the shelves. They were a godsend for me. About a year ago one of them fell down. There was still enough sticky substance on the pads that enabled me to put it back up and it held a little while longer. The next time it fell down, it stayed down. The other one lasted a bit longer and eventually would not stay up either. I researched the company only to find they have gone out of business.

For many months now I have been operating without extra storage space in the shower. And that makes me very unhappy. I hate having to put bottles of shampoo and conditioner in the corners of the tub. I finally relented to the fact that I should maybe try one of those tension rods with baskets. I don't really like them and I never wanted one in my tub. But there comes the day when one realizes if one wants storage one must work with what is available. We can't use the type that fit over the shower.

Over the weekend we went shopping for one of those freaky tub pole things. Against my better judgment. Lucky for us, the first store we set foot in had them on sale. Gee, did we want brushed nickel? Or maybe chrome? Oh God no, I do not want chrome. Perhaps we could buy the white coated metal. One day I want to need something, walk into a store for it, and find one kind only staring back at me, as if to say, your wish is our command.

I finally decided on the white coated creature. They were out of the nickel, and as I said chrome is no longer in my vocabulary, so the choice was fairly easy. This time. Next time I need something maybe I won't be this lucky. I hate standing there checking every little detail out before making a decision to purchase. It's one of my bad habits. And it drives my husband insane. Sometimes that's a fun thing to do.

The night we bought it, I took it into the bedroom and emptied the box onto the bed. With the instructions in hand, I went over all the pieces I was supposed to have. And as I was doing that I was not paying any attention to the condition of certain pieces. Why would I? I was too dang excited about finally solving one very big problem.

There was one piece missing. A small round white plastic ring. I don't even know where it goes or what it will be used for, but as I started taking note of the rest of the pieces I finally figured out that someone else had bought this very same box. And when they found that one tiny piece was missing, they returned everything to the store and probably never mentioned a missing piece. Apparently the people at the store never looked inside the box because it found its way back onto the shelf.

It never occurred to me why the small plastic bag was ripped apart. It never occurred to me that the Styrofoam was in pieces at the bottom of the box. It never occurred to me that some of the rods were not in their respective plastic sheaths. I didn't see those things because of my excitement. And when it finally did occur to me that I was the second person to drag this creature home only to find one piece missing, I was pissed off at myself for being so blind and stupid.

The first thing we did Monday was return it. I told the girl at the return desk about the missing piece and that whoever bought it first also returned it probably without saying a word about anything other than it wasn't the right color or it didn't work out the way they thought it would.

The moral of this story is: never take anything from the front...take from the back. I always take from the back. When my husband saw me taking the first one right in the front he said he wanted to ask me why I didn't take from the back like I always do. I wish he had said something. It would have saved us another trip to the store.

Needless to say, we checked the contents of the box before buying it. Now I can go back to being happy again. Sometimes it doesn't take much to do that.

Kyle Busch Got His Bell Rung

Kyle is shown here blocking Tony Stewart. Once wasn't enough, he blocked him twice. Tony showed him that it wasn't very nice to block him.

After he hit the wall, Kasey Kahne put another whammy on Kyle.

He still wasn't finished being punted all over the track. A few other cars plowed into him.

He climbed out of his mangled race car and walked away, probably wanting to get to his hauler for an aspirin. He was intercepted by track officials so they could take him to the infield medical center to check him out. He didn't want to go, so they physically forced him into their vehicle.

I have one question. Why didn't he bow after his accident like he does when he wins a race? I thought his performance warranted a bow. Heh.