Jellybean the Clown

Jellybean with JoJo

When my girls were younger, I worked a couple of nights a week. On Tuesday nights, Nod would take the girls to a local buffet-type restaurant (usually meeting his mom and brother there). It was Family Night and there were a couple of clowns there making balloon creatures for the kids.

For months I heard about Jellybean and JoJo and saw the balloons animals that my girls brought home. It became clear that there was a special relationship growing between the clowns and my family. So I finally took a night off from work to go see what this was all about.

When Jellybean saw me sitting there, his eyes got big and he rushed off to get JoJo, his son. (I think that they figured that Nod was widowed or something.) The two clowns came to our table, and Jellybean said to JoJo, "see, the Mother is here!"

We came to know Jellybean and his family. He and his son came as clowns to the girls' birthday parties for free, making balloon creatures for the kids. Jellybean would try out complicated, elaborate balloon creations and give them to us.

His other son, Patrick, participated in the Special Olympics and Jellybean was a steadfast volunteer at all of their events. He worked a second job to earn money so that Patrick could travel to non-local competitions.

Jellybean passed away on December 22, and the memorial service is tonight.

Christmas

Southcentral Pennsylvania is having a very warm December - it's been 50 degrees and higher on many days. Folks born and raised here think it's strange and un-Christmas-y. I grew up in southern California, so I had plenty of warm Xmases growing up.

This photo is of me when I was a toddler - probably a Memphis department store Santa. I have a vague memory of visiting one.

I hope that everyone is having a good holiday. Nod got me a box of Schwartz's chocolate covered marshmallows. Yummmy

flu

crap. shopping still to do & I've got the flu.

Old Photo Weekend

This photo is of my 2nd Grade class back in 1966. Can you find me?

It's another busy weekend for us ... Goa'uld and Bookworm have performances at school and church. Sunday afternoon is the school band's holiday concert. Our church's orchestra will be performing at the Saturday 5 pm, Sunday 9 and 11 am services, plus the holiday concerts on Saturday evening and Sunday evening. That's six performances.

At the school's concert on Sunday I'll be selling the extra band fudges. There are still three kids who haven't turned in their money for the sale yet. And I need to write up a report on the whole thing.

Old Photo Weekend

Here's a photo of Chatham from September 1987, after a day of play. Back then it was easy to believe that he was the runt of the litter - he was so small!

This afternoon Bookworm and I will start to make chili to contribute to the youth group's soup sale tonight at church. Goa'uld is away to audition for District Band. I'm off to the grocery store now to get ingredients.

Tibbar Tibbar

Okay, I'm late with the "rabbit rabbit", so it doesn't count.

And I didn't post yesterday about it being my mama's birthday.
bad dddragon

I've been having some issues with my throat and swallowing, so I had a barium throat test this morning. oooh, what fun. Drank three cups of barium. YUM.

It was 67 degrees this morning. It's supposed to drop to the 30s tonight. Strong wind warnings, too. Just heard Nod yell "WHOA!" because the wind grabbed the screen door out of his hands and it banged against the house.

Chatham isn't over his infection yet. The vet said that it's gotten better, but not gone. He was doing very well for awhile, but now his back legs have gotten really wobbly. sigh.

bitch bitch whine whine mooooaaaan