Just Me - AmeliaJake, The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

Dusting off the jukebox

February 19, 2020 AmeliaJake 2 Comments

Yeah, yeah, I know it’s old school but it’s fun to flip through the choices. I like it now that I’m here pretty much by myself because I can pick a song and play it over and over and over and over and no one complains. Foo gives me a look, but then she sighs and puts on her earphones and starts bopping to her own tune. I have no idea what she is listening to in her cute little earphones, but her head shakes and dance moves are entertaining.

I just starting thinking about it being an election year – a contentious one, to say the very least. We don’t talk politics in this joint; when one walks in and hears the screen door slam behind them in the summer or the warmth of the Franklin Stove draw them closer in winter, one finds a respite zone.

Oh, Joe Biden. Yes. We are not on the fence about that BOZO. We admit it. We celebrate it.

Just Me - AmeliaJake, The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

I have no other place to go.

February 18, 2020 AmeliaJake 1 Comment

Well, I’m back and I am hoping that it is not for just a day or so. It’s not that I have been lost, but that I have accepted the fact that I just don’t belong in the world of “nice people who hand out MEMES OF GOODNESS and ride on bandwagons heading toward Utopia.”

No one is really here but me, and that’s okay. I mean, really, who wants to get naked in front of a window, especially if they are overweight. It’s more graphic than overweight; that description just expands you sort of evenly. My overweightness is in the form of pooches and bulges that sometimes rub together. Yes, look no more into your imagination; it might get too vivid.

Other than that, I’m okay. I’m unlocking this place and moving into the upstairs living quarters in The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse. Foo is re-opening the FooBar and has I’m looking to hire a fellow to man the grill and serve up tasty sandwiches and sides. So far, I’ve got an applicationf from this blond-going-grey guy with the initials G.R. He might be just the ticket.

Just Me - AmeliaJake

Time to get my elf hats ready.

November 24, 2019 AmeliaJake 1 Comment

Just Me - AmeliaJake, Kendallville

Did Gordon Ramsay lead me to this?

November 20, 2019 AmeliaJake

That’s a backwards question; it should be asking if searching for foods that Gordon Ramsay mentioned alerted this site to me.

It is what I call The Awful Picture to Find on Your Desktop.

At first glance I thought it was about a game that my husband plays – Civilization, in which I think you can hurl plague victims over an enemy wall. But forget about the pictures and look at the prices and you may feel like hurling. (A BIG SORRY) Should I have said, “Toss your cookies? (NO, NO and NO)

Just Me - AmeliaJake, The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

BookBub suggests A Good Dog

October 5, 2019 AmeliaJake

I have no doubt this is an excellent book. However, after 71 years and a few dogs, I can’t even look at the cover without feeling my eyes fill with tears. I watched “Marley & Me” and so enjoyed it up to the moment I realized the ending wasn’t going to be a fade away, in which you knew what was coming but you didn’t have to watch it. I wanted it to be in that area of ‘I won’t think of that now.’

But, there it was, a dog, kids and a burial.

And me remembering dogs “going to sleep” and dogs collapsing . . . We have had Sad and it is a haunting thing.

A Good Dog

This and That at The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

I don’t care if it’s outdated

October 1, 2019 AmeliaJake

I had to come back to this theme which can’t be updated. Well, the heck with it. Maybe someday I will study up and find a theme that will be compatible with everything and still feel like home. Who really knows?

I think I had to return here because I have been looking at all the stuff on social media and a lot of the time, I want to shout: ARE YOU REALLY COMFORTABLE ON YOUR HIGHT HORSE?

Just Me - AmeliaJake, The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

You know how I feel about Joe Biden

September 29, 2019 AmeliaJake

I know who is inside this Dilbert building saying this:

Just Me - AmeliaJake, The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

A long break

September 25, 2019 AmeliaJake

Well, my little chickadees. I have been on hiatus. Not really, of course, but it sounds so much better than saying I have been lazy. Not much has been happening and that is my fault; I have been doing nothing – and I have been doing that diligently.

Lord, I do not look forward to the election next year now that Facebook and Twitter are going super full force. Everyone and their brother has already started posting unpleasant memes. It is a stampede of those who believe if you want to get your point across you should SHOUT and INTERRUPT, and if necessary, do it louder.

Perhaps I should not have just said “brother” now that the Episcopal Church has some announcement about not using He as a God reference. So would it be every brother, sister, in-law, inter-sexed and so forth?

I would bang my head against the wall, but then I would look like Dilbert. Understand by clicking. Then, again, it might be an improvement.

This and That at The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

Fuyao Glass America – Well, not quite an American Factory

August 28, 2019 AmeliaJake 1 Comment

AMERICAN FACTORY

You can even joke about the President and no one will do anything to you.

I happened upon “American Factory” on Netflix, and my interest in watching it increased when I learned it was about a closed GM plant in Dayton that was revamped by a Chinese company, incorporating an American/Chinese workforce. I used to live in Dayton.

Certain quotes focused my attention. When explaining American culture to the Chinese workers who were coming here, the narration referred to American casual dress and one exact statement was: “They are very obvious, they dislike abstraction and theory.” The Chinese billionaire founder of the glass company says, “Americans love being flattered to death . . . Donkeys like being touched in the direction their hair grows.”

Later, in assessing American performance, a Chinese worker reported, “They have fat fingers; they are pretty slow.”

In a meeting with only Chinese employees, Jeff Liu, company president speaks in Mandarin about how the Chinese can encourage the Americans and impart wisdom to them. He tell them why they should: “We are better than them.”

In regard to Facebook, one difference between the Chinese and Americans amazes the former: “You can even joke about the President and no one will do anything to you.”

This and That at The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

Sally and the Schoolhouse

August 15, 2019 AmeliaJake 1 Comment

I was recently reminded of Sally, Charlie Brown’s sister. If anyone refers to her as a comic strip character, I will be tempted to smack them because in “The Velveteen Rabbit” we learned some things are just plain real.

Actually, I would be described as a Lucy personality, around whom flares often have to be set out. But that’s for another day. On this day, I looked up Sally and the schoolhouse and found this reference: Click here if you wish.

(The picture is from that site and I am piggy-backing on their permission to use the copyright. )

***Jody Lynn Vance: 1985-2011***

Jody was born at sunrise on a bright, sunny, cold, snowy Groundhog’s Day and from Day One she was a gift to everyone around her. Her infectious laugh and rambunctious spirit made her the center of attention where ever she happened to be.

She and her Dad would watch Sesame Street and sing at the top of our voices (and quite out of key) all of the songs. She enjoyed having Mom fix her hair so it was fancy and just right.

As a toddler she had quite an impressive vocabulary and often had a lot to say. One time Dad was headed out the door to go to work and she pointed her finger and said, “No. No. No. Don’t go anywhere!“

Jody was very seldom crabby, always happy and she wasted no time in spreading that joy to everyone around her. Jody’s favorite place was to be perched on the lap of Mom or Dad or playing with her toys spread out all over the floor. Jody was always affectionate, wanting hugs and “moochies” as she called smooches on the cheek.

At around two, Jody’s illness began to attack her. It took a beautiful, innocent child and put her through untold pain and suffering,

I know that through all of that she was not afraid. She had the heart and spirit of lion. She never gave up; time after countless time, she would open her eyes and there would come that smile. Jody lost her speech, but never was at a loss for words. She could say more with a look or a half smile than most people do yakking all day long.

After numerous doctor, hospital, and specialist visits, we were given the news of her illness. I remember that moment frozen in time … it was as if the entire world stopped. It was in that brief moment we both knew that we must make the very most of the time we had remaining together and not dwell on the despair of all of the things that would never be.

Jody was not expected to live more than three or so - but she had too many things to do and stories to tell, so she cruised by that birthday and over two more decades of birthdays, Christmases and millions of smiles and hugs. Jody was well-liked by other kids; once when she was being wheeled into her classroom at Handicare, one of the children yelled, “Hey everybody, Jody’s here” and all the kids cheered.

Two of the biggest joys in her life were her two little brothers, Joey and Sammy. She would just beam with joy when they would sit next to her and when they began to get older she’d love to listen to them running through the house and playing together. The two of them would start laughing and Jody would laugh right along with them. She would listen intently to everything they did and they would include her as often as they could. The three of them loved watching Saturday morning cartoons and The Three Stooges.

Joe and Sam did without a lot of things that other kids had, did and took for granted … and they never once complained or were resentful of the way things were. That shows a special kind of love and a special kind of family.

As the years went by and the boys grew up into strong and healthy, Jody’s health slowly and steadily declined. She would have long stretches where she was fairly stable and then would become so very ill.

Many times we were sure the end was near and then she would open those sparkling blue eyes and stretch just like nothing had happened at all.

Once she was in the hospital with her usual bout of pneumonia and lapsed into a coma; this went on for 8 days. One Dr. came in, examined her and just shook his head. Later that night Jody’s eyes popped open and she was refreshed from her cat- nap.

People over the years have commented, ”I don’t know how you do it. ”This always struck me as odd. My thoughts would always be: How could you even think of turning your back on someone who needs you that much?

It was always our promise to Jody that she would always live at home with her family and I think she found comfort in knowing that.

But, no one person can take the credit for caring for this wonderful young woman. It has taken an army of doctors, nurses, teachers, aides, pharmacists, friends, and family over the years to maintain Jody at home, and we could never begin to thank you enough.

Jody always kept her head held high and never seemed to be afraid; she has truly been my inspiration on many occasions. When things were gloomy and seemed hopeless, just one smile and a hug was all I needed to go on. Jody will always be my hero. I love her and will treasure the time we had together.

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