Racing Trinity

Yesterday, Trinity and I were going down to the dock to feed the fish.  She always wants to race me down and I always try to give a good fake run like I am really trying to beat her.  I decided it was time for me to win, just this once.  When she was about halfway down, I shouted out, "Hey Trinity, your mom is calling for you." 

She stops in her tracks and listens to see if she can hear her, she doesn’t, but still turns and takes off for the house.   I wait until she is almost up to the house and I shout up to her, "Hey Trinity, I am going to beat you."

She turns and looks at me in disbelief.  I shout up, "I tricked you. Ha, Ha, Ha."  My dastardly dead worked.  I won the race.  She was not happy about that at all.

Later, we were headed up the hill, and I was in the lead.  I shouted down to her, "I am going to beat you again!"   

This time she was ready for me.  In her sweetest voice, I heard her shout up to me, "Hey Grandma, wait, I want to give you a big hug."  She knows my weakness very well.  I love hugs and she was going to use it to trick me.

I shouted back to her.  "I’ll get it when I get up to the house, right after I beat you."  But, even with a big head start, SHE BEAT ME!!! And she was not a good winner.   I didn’t get that hug after all.   

01/06/2019 Shared by Jeffery

Mom's Christmas Cactus

This is the first year Mom's Christmas Cactus has bloomed since she gave it to me...

I'm really enjoying it.

Posted on FB Messenger by Jeff

Ratliff Manufacturing Company

I started to post this photo as one of my Friday's Fun Fotos ...

But then a recent photo made me think about how much the Ratliff Clan has increased in number in the years since. 

And that reminded me of one of the old stories Dad used to tell.  

He said he was traveling by train once, back when he was much younger, and the train stopped in Cincinnati.  He stepped off the train onto the platform to stretch his legs, and across the railyard, he saw a huge brick building.  On the side of the building was a big sign that read "RATLIFF MANUFACTURING COMPANY".  He said he looked at that sign for a minute and thought to himself, "That's where they make all those Sons of *******s."

Now I have no idea if he ever rode a train through Cincinnati or if this was just something he made up to get a laugh.  I suspect the latter.  Whichever, it looks like that manufacturing company has been busy, but I don't think there is a single Son of a ****** in the bunch.

Bigfoot Christmas

When we went to Seattle in 2016 I took pictures of any Bigfoot statues or displays we came across.  I wanted to share them with Randy, our resident Bigfoot fanatic.  Apparently the family that lives there got the impression I was really interested in Bigfoot too.  Guess what I got for Christmas this year...

Bigfoot Coffee, a Bigfoot coffee-mug and some Seattle Bigfoot Poop.  That last item is supposed to be chocolate-covered peanuts, but I'm not going to be the first one to take a bite.  I've played too many tricks on my sisters to fall for that.

I guess you could say Bigfoot left his footprints on my Christmas this year.

Posted by Clyde

Randy in Drag

Can't decide whether Randy in drag looks more like Mrs Doubtfire, or Bea Arthur from the Golden Girls.  We may have to have a vote.

Blame Amber for this one.