Swatting at Flies

Wishes

2011-12-22T20:25:00.000-08:00

Advent is almost over. Baby Jesus will be born and the Christmas season starts. With that, I wish you all a safe and wonderful Christmas. May it be merry and full of love and joy. For those who don't celebrate Christmas, may whatever you do celebrate also be safe and filled with love and joy.

Wendy White - Mary Did You Know

2011-12-17T18:12:00.000-08:00

(This is a partial re-do of an old post.)

I'll just mention once again that I love Wendy White's voice. (Ms. White is a mezzo-soprano with the Metropolitan Opera.)

This video is not professionally recorded so it starts out a little wobbly, and there are some "schreechies". Please bear with it; I hope you will find it worth it.

If a message says "Video no longer available" click on the play button anyway. Thanks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKjeRwp0RtY&feature=player_embedded

By Lowry and Green (?)

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the Lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the "Great I am".

More thrifting finds

2011-11-18T17:34:00.000-08:00

First, thank you, everyone for your lovely comments on my last post. Have had computer and internet issues, so have been lazy about answering comments, making new posts, and reading others' blogs.

16 inches high; the back is approximately 10.5 inches across the widest part

Perfect for an 18" or taller doll

$1.00 Perfect condition.

As many of you know, I have been picking up used, mostly vintage, cookbooks for my daughter (check out her blog), two nieces, myself, (and any other family member who show an interest). I've gathered a pretty impressive amount of them, actually managing to get a few duplicates. If they are all different, it is going to be extremely difficult to decide who gets which books.

Today, as I was going through another sack of what I thought was just cookbooks, I found a forgotten purchase. I'm sorry; the camera battery is dead. No picture of the items, but here is the price tag. lol

What was in a plastic bag full of stuff marked $3.99?

12 brand new bobbins that will fit Kenmore, Necchi, Brother, and ? sewing machines.
brand new package of 5 sewing machine needles
tube (new?) of Liquid Stitch
Swing*line Tot stapler with staples (works!)
piece of white chipboard. It is about the right size for a pocket pattern. lol
brand new package of jump rings (for jewelry making)
2 new packages of "gold" bead caps (for jewelry making)
fine point red felt tip Shar*pie (not dry!)
4 pairs of scissors: bent (like the ones used to cut bandages at the doctor's), thread snips, small pair, a pair like applique scissors only I'm not sure they are pointed or sharp enough
6" "hem" gauge
tracing wheel
pair of brand new 54" white shoe laces
5 new large spools of sewing thread: pale pink, 2 white, black, gray
a hand sewing needle
geese - well the outlines of four different size geese that are all alike. For applique???
a yard of one side of Vel*cro
a broken front piece of a DVD player
2 fabric remnants = about 5/8 yard gorgeous pale green fabric; 3/4 yard dusty rose broadcloth
4 small pieces of "odd" fabrics
And the best: An Olfa 45 mm rotary cutter with blade. A new one costs about $20.00 for this older style.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone. Eat, Enjoy!

Michelle, sewing machines, & Singer Certif*icates

2011-10-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

For a long time, I thought I was the only one who was "silly" enough to have a whole "herd" of sewing machines. (People would just give me their unwanted machines.) Then one day while reading a blog, I noticed a profile picture that was of a sewing machine instead of a person. Not only that, it was a machine very similar to one I had just purchased at a thrift shop. (No pictures yet.) I just had to see who this person was. It was dear Michelle. She has more sewing machines than I do, and her collection is growing all the time.

With help (and enabling) from her husband, Michelle "rescues" homeless sewing machines. She cleans and fixes up the machines, and her husband works his magic on the cases or cabinets. (Michelle, correct me if I'm wrong.) These wonderful machines are then displayed in her home instead of being hidden away.

Michelle has many really nice machines, but recently, she picked up a real beauty (for a picture of a similar one scroll toward the bottom of the article). Then, she found out that Sin*ger is providing certificates for machines made pre-1970. Seems like a good thing to have some history to go with these older machines, right?

So, here is the Sin*ger that I bought at a yard sale approximately 33 years ago. At the time, I thought the price was steep (twenty dollars), but I knew the woman selling the machine. It had just been serviced (receipt showing she had just paid $35 for the cleaning and oiling!) and the owner assured me it worked. It did, and still does. Sews perfectly.

(click on photos for larger views)

The beautiful decals are worn, but this to me means that the machine was used rather than just stored away someplace. That is the original plate with the patent dates stamped in it leaning against the case. (One end of the clip is broken off, so I had a new one put on the machine.) The rubber bobbin winder ring is "new", and the bobbin winder gear may have been replaced with a newer (not new) one. (I can't remember if it was this machine or another one...) Because of the age of the machine the electric motor was probably added later and maybe even "fairly recently". The cords are "rubber" coated rather than cloth covered, and they are in excellent condition.
Oh, the machine is so old that there is no reverse.

The underside of the machine.

The part of the wooden case has almost a woven grass/cloth fiber type covering. The covering is fraying along the edges, but the rest of the case is in excellent condition.

(Sorry about the name being wiped out. I had issues with photo*shop.)

I didn't need another sewing machine, but I fell in love.

Vintage fun

2011-10-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

Thrift store finds:

(Click on picture to enlarge)

Western wear is still normal in our part of the world.
This 1956 pattern is so out of date that it is almost in style again.

Also, 1956.

Anxious to see if all pieces are here. Want to make a pair just so that I can say I have. lol

Remember these? Found this calendar page in an old cookbook. The calendar forms a pocket that was used to hold receipts, recipes, bills, birthday cards, etc.

In August of 1965, my fellow 4-H friends and I would have been frantically finishing up our projects so that they could be exhibited at the Western Idaho State Fair.

We would have been riding our bikes to school almost everyday until the class assignment sheets were posted in the foyer windows. None of us thought we wanted school to start, but we were always anxious to know who our classmates would be and which teacher we'd be "stuck" with. (Poor teachers!)

And, hopefully, we'd get one or two last camping trips in before school started.

I hope you can read the recipes. All look edible except one. Even it might be good; it just sounds awful to me. Please, tell me which one or ones you wouldn't care for. Let's see if we agree. :)

Bookcase

2011-09-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

No, not mine. Unfortunately. (click on picture for a larger view)

source: from an email I received from my dad.

Wouldn't the animals have fun running up and down this all day?
Oh, my...

Thrift store find

2011-08-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

(Click on picture to enlarge)

Selected by The Child Study Association

Illustrated by Theresa Kalab

Printed in U.S.A.

(Click on picture to enlarge)
from the story "Snow Pictures" originally from Martin and Judy Vol. 1 by Verna Hills (later Bayley)

This 11-1/2 x 8-1/2 inch book has almost 400 pages with a comfortable sized print on rather flexible off-white paper (now a little yellowed like old coloring book paper). The cover is heavy cardboard with a slick finish as so many books had then. The illustrations are black and white but absolutely delightful. Some are quite detailed like the one above and some are simple sketches or borders. The stories deliciously old fashioned. (These were the kind of stories that were read to me and were in our reading textbooks when I was in elementary school). Some are re-tellings of old tales and Bible stories. Some are adaptations or excerpts from other books. The copyrighted stories seem to be from about 1931 to 1945.

I've only had time to read a couple of the stories, but this one really amused me: from Gone is Gone, Or The Story of the Man Who Wanted to do Housework by Wanda Ga'g. This is a classic tale about a farmer who thought that his wife sat around the house doing not much of anything all day and what happened when they traded places. I have known a few men (and women!) who would do such stupid things. Actually, if we are honest we all probably have done at least one similar thing - like leaving the food on the stove. (Well, if you haven't, I certainly have. Like now. The food is still out where the cats could probably get to it. Oops.)

It is obvious that the book was read but there aren't any torn pages or scribbles. A couple pages have had the corners turned down at some time, but not long enough to break the fibers in the paper. The owner's (?) name is written in pencil with childish handwriting (third grade-ish?) on the inside of the first paper page. I suppose this devalues the book. To me, it is wonderful. Who was this child? (I don't recognize the name as a local.) Where did she live? If not here, how did she and/or the book wind up here? If she lived here, where did her parents go or did her mother remarry? Who did the little girl marry? Is she still alive? Did she like to read? And, ultimately, why would someone get rid of such a wonderful book?

This is the only example of Theresa Kalab's illustrations I could find. click here

There are also many children's books written by Theresa Kalab and Theresa Kalab Smith. Needless to say, I will now be on the lookout for books illustrated and/or written by her. Also, I'm going to look through the children's books here at home to see if we have any.

For those unfamiliar with Whitman Publishing Co. - I cannot imagine what my life would have been without them. They printed books that were affordable to the middle class. (Maybe not the highest quality, but obviously this one has withstood 60 years.) Besides these type of books, they printed coloring books, cloth books for babies, paper dolls, things that could be punched out and put together (like buildings, cars, scenes), at least some of the Trixie Beldon mystery series, and probably much more. (Whitman was a subsidiary of Western Publishing also in Racine. Western was the company that printed The Little Golden Books, some comics, and much, much more. Source Wikipedia)

My price - 50 cents.

Disclaimer: I have not received any compensation from any company or individual discussed in this post. Opinions are mine from ownership and experience.

Daughter update

2011-07-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

If anyone is interested, my daughter Carmen has started a new blog where she is writing about life in Thailand. Most of the pictures are on facebook, but she has shared a few here. (Photo credits: Matt and Carmen) Update: The links were working, now they aren't. If you get an error message, try clicking on the blog name. That has been working. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I've been trying to keep facebook and blogging completely separate, but I think I'm about to give up (keeping them separate, that is). I love to read blogs, but I truly dislike facebook - except for the picture albums. :) I'll think on this. Please share your opinion. I'm interested.

Well Duh!

2011-06-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks again for everyone's nice comments. I'm no longer in pain, and am up and about almost as good as new. But, I am avoiding stairs, slopes, and uneven ground as much as possible.

---

If this sounds like more whining, it isn't. It is just to tell you how mentally slowww I'm getting. I'm so disgusted with myself that I have been laughing all day since the bulb went on about 10:00 this morning.
LOL

Sometime around Easter, I noticed a funny little white bump on the back of my hand. It kind of itched like a mosquito bite and after scratching it - oooo, what a mess. Then I had more bumps - all over my right arm. The bumps would open and weep or be scabby, and they itched like crazy. I was blaming the mess on laundry detergent, dish washing soap, bath soap, cold dry air, the animals, lack of sunshine. I tried anything I could think of on it. Vaseline seemed to help the most. So on our first day of sunshine, I sat out until I burned the top of my head, and my arms turned pink. The spots cleared up almost immediately.

Now for the* rest* of * the* story:

Last fall, we took all the big pots of flowers and vegetables inside. We weren't quite ready to give up the last of the tomatoes and summer blooms.

One of the pots had come from my mom's house. It had

dusty miller

mixed Gazanzia

and another pretty blooming plant that I've forgotten the name of.

All winter, this pot sat in front of the window at the shop. We let the blooming plants to go to seed, but the dusty miller kept growing and growing. Then a new plant sprang up. I just figured it was one of the others coming back from the roots or from a seed. Pretty soon I could tell that it was a different plant entirely than what had been in the pot. The green arrow shaped leaves on long stalks where reaching out to the sunlight. (Are you getting a clue?)

I'd walk by, admire it, and touch it. I asked J what if he knew what it was. He didn't. The plant matured some more. I was still admiring it and touching it. I noticed the "funny" leave configuration, but didn't think too much about it. (Are you laughing now?)

Finally, the plant was getting too big and flopping over where we were brushing it as we walked by, so J pulled it out and threw it away.

Then an article with pictures came out in the paper:

Poison ivy

This is what J pulled out. J didn't react to it, but I had been handling it all winter. Took me until about 10:00 this morning to realize this was the cause of the mess on my arm. Well DUH!

(In our defense - this was not our "local" poison oak. This was poison ivy. It must have come from "imported" potting soil or dirt. Also, thank goodness, in the past neither J nor I have been bothered too much by poison oak. Sumac hasn't bothered us at all.)

Idjit Klutz

2011-06-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

Daughter is out of the apartment she lived in for three years and is living in temporary "quarters". Holy heavens, she had a lot of stuff. (Yes, partly my fault. I figured she'd go to grad school and continue living there for a while.) What a job! The place was white glove clean when we left, though.

---

Remember, I'm not complaining...

It is 1:50 PM, Thursday June 16. The outside temp is up to (drum roll, please) 49 degrees, and wonders of wonders, it is raining. Updated: it is now 6:05 PM. Husband (aka J) said it is up to 51 degrees. Heat wave. (Always makes me think of the M*A*S*H episode when they sing Having a Heatwave. A tropical heat wave. Ya right.)

Update on the Joke (last post). We haven't had snow right at our house, but it did spit on us in Moscow a couple weeks ago. It has been rainy and cold, and no two completely nice days in a row since ???

According to Wednesday's paper, officially we were an 1-1/2 inches below record rainfall for the two months of May and June combined (not counting any rain we've had since Tuesday afternoon). Unofficially, we had already passed the record set in 1974 - the year of the floods. (Flood story another time.)

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Oh, I get so aggravated with Blogger's editing abilities! Won't let me paste without highlighting everything. When I hit enter, nothing happens, or it takes several seconds for the computer to respond, and the cursor keeps disappearing. The header picture suddenly shrunk to a little tiny postage stamp size. I had to remove it and reload it - twice. Tried putting a clipart picture in at the top of this post. Locked up the whole computer. Had to reboot twice just to get Blogger to work again. GRrrrrrr. Vee has had troubles, too. Anyone else?

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(click to enlarge)

One of my thrift shop finds. 5 cents. Complete.

(Two pieces are cut from main sheet with pinking sheers but never used.)

Is there a 23 inch doll in my "collection"?

I think my old bride doll might be about that size, but don't want to go upstairs right now to look.*

---

The lilacs and flowering quince are now in bloom. So pretty. For a few days, one apple tree was gorgeous. (Blast it, didn't get a picture.) The spirea and peonies are just starting to open up, and the grape hyacinth and tulips are just now beginning to fade. No evidence of iris or rhododendron buds. The flowerbeds are full of tall grass, so everything looks so messy.

An aside, but when we were kids we used to do yard work to earn money. I always had to earn my own money for 4-H camp. Where are the young people now?

The "garden" now consists of two Early Girl, two cherry-type, and one grape-type tomato plants, two kinds of chives, one cilantro, one green bell pepper, one red sweet pepper, some catnip, and for fun a few snapdragons, pansies, a gorgeous hanging basket of petunias and ? (my mother's day & birthday present). I stuck some garlic cloves around the tomato plants; we'll see if they grow or just rot. (We container garden. Everything is by the front porch because it is the warmest spot this time of year and closest to the water spigot.)

---
* Whine, whine, whine - don't read if you don't like whining and blood. Actually, this is kind of funny if you stop to think about it.
~~Idjit~~ ~~Idiot Stupid~~ Klutz here bunged up her knee. (No doctor, cuz no insurance.)
* First (sort of three firsts), just getting into daughter's car, I twisted wrong - I knew when I got in that I shouldn't do it the way I was, but I did it anyway. Then slept on the floor for two nights. Way too ~~old~~ out of shape for that. (The air mattress had a leak.) I was doing pretty well as long as we were packing and moving stuff. Then I drove home...

* Second (sort of two seconds), while still hurting and stiff from the first time(s), I went outside to catch an escapee (cat) and twisted my knee again. Very sore, but manageable. Then later in the day I just stepped up a step and SNAP. I thought I was going to faint on that one. I screamed. (Guess no one heard, because the cops didn't show up.)

* Then yesterday, talk about being just plain dumb, stupid, idiotic. I had absolutely no business being out on the uneven ground, but I went "chasing" another cat. (They aren't supposed to be outside, but pull every trick to slip out.) I hung my cane over the fence to pick up Miss Spooky figuring I could slowly make it back to the house. I was doing fine until someone went by and turned up their music full blast right as they got in front of the house. Miss Spooky is aptly named and went scaredy-cat -crazy to prove it. Yes, I had her by the nape of the neck, but she twisted and clawed with all four feet, and I twisted trying to get away from her.

So, there I was standing in the middle of the yard half laughing half crying, feeling kind of sick, with blood running down my arm, and I couldn't move. My cane was twenty-five feet behind me, and the closest door into the house at least forty feet away. Stood for a few minutes trying to get my senses back, thinking surely someone I knew would drive by and wave. Nope. (We live on a busy street. How come no one was out and about?)

Ah, cell phone was in my pocket and husband was in town. No answer. Waited several minutes. Still no one went by the house. Tried my husband again. No answer. By this time, I was getting tired, really shaky, chilly, my feet were getting cold and wet, and I'm really mad. (Me get mad at husband? Never. LOL) I finally called a friend to come and rescue me. Thank God she was home watching grandchildren, because she doesn't have a cell phone

So the rest of the story is that I can go up the stairs, but not down. (Of course, there are two steps to navigate or negotiate with just to put the dogs out.) I can't squat or get down on the floor. So what do I do? I drop almost everything I pick up. (Getting good at touching the floor without bending my knees.) Getting off the, uh, throne, is tricky. (Now I know why toilets are generally taller in the handicap stalls.) Luckily, there is now a bed and a half bath downstairs, but I need/want a real shower and it is upstairs as part of a deep bathtub.

Last week in the middle of all this and way past bedtime, LA Dog starts shaking her head and frantically digging at her ears. I'm trying to put medicine in her ears, but can't hold her because it hurts too much. She jumps away and heads for the hills, er, cellar. SPLASH. She comes tearing back up the stairs spraying "water" everywhere. She's soaking wet. (Um, really, really bad words.) When I turned on the light to look there were even more bad words, because there was "water" clear over the bottom step. So for two days we were without hot water because the water heater was sitting in sewage. Luckily, the furnace was turned off because there were several inches of water in the bottom of it, too.

So, with everything J has missed roughly the equivalent of three days of work to help me, work on plumbing, and clean up the mess.

That, my friends, is the way our life usually is. It is always something.

No Joke

2011-05-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

First, thank you everyone for your kind comments on the last post.

Please note that while I'm posting this, my heart and prayers go out to those who have lost family, friends, pets, and/or property to flooding and winds.

Now for the punchline of the non-joke:

(I'll post this and the whole thing will fizzle out.)

The weather forecast for where I (The Songster, Adrienne, and probably Barb, too) live:

"THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ABOVE 4500 FEET IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM
2 AM TO 11 PM PDT THURSDAY (May 26, 2011).

* IMPACTS/TIMING: A STRONG AND UNSEASONABLY COLD WEATHER SYSTEM
  WILL PRODUCE SNOW IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN LATER TONIGHT AND
  LINGER THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. THIS SNOW WILL CAUSE
  HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: TOTAL 3 TO 6 INCHES BY THURSDAY EVENING.
  LOWER ELEVATIONS COULD SEE 1 TO 2 INCHES BY LATE MORNING."

Our house sits just about 3500 feet above sea level. Guess I'd better get the hanging basket of flowers inside. Truly, I'll take the snow over the tornadoes.

"serious" stuff revisited and new news.

2011-05-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long absence. Work, laundry, many short trips, work, (did I mention work?) .

***

The post before the last one was about annoying pagers and radios . Well, I'm still living with the constant chatter (when I'm home). The fire department ordered new pagers. About half don't work. Husband is on his second new one, but can't trust it. It randomly goes off sometimes several times a day. The other day, there was a fire call (luckily no real fire), and the new pager didn't go off. He just happened to see the fire truck go down the street. If this sounds familiar, it is because it all happened again and again.

One thing about having the radio on all the time - we hear all the ambulance, police, and sheriff calls. It's fun being one of first to hear there is a snow day, but it is awful when we hear an ambulance or police call to a friend's address or to a wreck. Since we live in such a small populated area, if a local person is involved, we almost always know or at least have heard of the person or persons.

***

Click on pictures to see a larger view.

Almost exactly a year ago, I was staying at my daughter's while she was in Europe. Now, again, I've been running back and forth and spending quite a bit of time at my daughter's place. Why? Because at the end of May, Daughter

at India Night in traditional clothing

(Reminds me of the sixties & early seventies)

has to be out of her apartment where she has lived for the last three years. Since she has lived away from home for six years, she has accumulated a whole lot of stuff. (We did the math. Less expensive to store the stuff than to replace it.)

Then, in about eight weeks she's leaving this:

quail enjoying the view. taken from front window of apartment

a few miles from where Grandma & Grandpa used to live

just outside Moscow, Idaho

deep blue skies like the blue in the upper right corner


her kitties

UI campus and lots of snow

near our favorite campsite

And, more snow - fresh this morning (thankfully, now melted).

for here:

Bangkok

That's right. My baby is going to go to school in Bangkok. Then, if all goes well, she will go on to teach in South Korea for a year. That is clear around the world! (Yes, I know you know where these places are. I'm just stressing how far away my youngest child will be. Sob.) She hasn't yet been assigned to a specific school; so doesn't know where she will be living and teaching.

While in school in Bangkok, Daughter has to wear skirts or dresses which must be long enough cover the knees. Guess who is going to be doing some marathon sewing? (Me, not daughter.)

***

Still going to the thrift stores. Have found a few skirts that need to be altered. Have added several pieces to a couple of dish/china sets. Also, have purchased many, many sewing patterns at five and ten cents a piece. Cookbook collection is expanding. The oldest cookbook was actually a gift from my daughter for Mother's Day and my birthday. It is a first edition, dated 1897, in remarkable condition. (We found it in a used book store.) And, yes, I purchased another sewing machine. It's pretty. More on that later, tho.

Enough for tonight. Except, blogger is irritatingly not responding to the changes I've made. Grrrr.

Hope everyone is well...

Good Friday

2011-04-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

Update: 3:56 PM - No Mass - forgot that the Sanctuary is stripped today. We did have a service of Bible readings (lessons and the Gospel) and prayers and Stations of the Cross. Very solemn.

The fish and chips were yummy.

Good Friday. Snowing. Cold. Sad.

12th Station

(from Wikipedia)

Mass and Stations of the Cross at noon followed by fish and chips in the parish house. I'll admit that I'm not the most "religious" person in the world, but the whole idea of Christ being betrayed and being nailed to a cross - for us - really gets to me.

Serious stuff here

2011-04-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that my husband is a volunteer firefighter. (If you didn't, you do now. lol )

clipart

For years, we lived with a two way radio "bleating" day and night, because the radio acted like a (police) scanner. We would hear some or all of the air traffic, police department, sheriff's office, Forest Service (three different forests in three different regions), ambulance crews, and some CB traffic and maybe even some that I've forgotten.

Finally, the firefighters were given pagers that would only go off when activated by the dispatcher. Ah, bliss. Peace and quiet.

Well, except when the tone goes off in the middle of the night and scares us right up off of the bed.

Then. This past winter, my husband's pager died. The replacement one quit. Then someone else's pager started acting up; then another and another and another. The other day, there was a fire call, and the chief didn't show. The tone never sounded on his pager. Pager death epidemic. (Of course, all the pagers weren't supposed to quit working at the same time, so there isn't money in the budget to replace them.)

Soooo, for the past several weeks we have been back to having "radio chirp" all the time. This time, it is only the sheriff's office's frequency, but now the sheriff's office now handles the dispatching and/or check-ins for most of the county - again, some airport traffic, city police, some state police, sheriff deputies, and personnel from the Department of Corrections, local highway maintenance crews, ambulances, Forest Service, Fish and Game, Bureau of Land Management, and of course, the fire departments (and whomever else I've forgotten).

The chatter is constant, but is usually kept businesslike or at least official sounding. Except one deputy. He almost always does a sing-song "code four". Unfortunately, it is irritating and just plain silly sounding.

Most of the time, I'm able to actually sleep through the radio noise, but once in a while something grabs my attention.

In the middle of the night, the night before last, for some reason, the radio traffic woke me up. The dispatcher was doing routine check-ins.

clipart

The second check-in was the "Deputy Sing-Song". Coee ddddde foe ur' The dispatcher got the giggles. The next deputy got the giggles. The DOC officer was giggling. One person who checked in snorted from trying not to laugh. The State highway patrolman was laughing out loud. By the time the dispatcher signed off, she was just about couldn't talk for laughing.

And, I'm lying in bed in the middle of the night shaking with hysterical laughter.

Uh-huh

2011-04-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oHBG3ABUJU&feature=player_embedded

I do this at home plus try to keep track of 10 pets. Then I go to the shop and repeat this for several hours. What about the twenty or so phone calls that I have to take? What about people walking into the shop? No wonder I'm exhausted by the end of the day. LOL

Kitchen questionnaire

2011-03-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

Roxanne posted a meme about her kitchen. (Click on her name to go to her blog about her kitchen.) She asked that we join her, so here goes.

First, before we get into this, my kitchen is 17 feet long. BUT, the main working part is only 8 feet wide and 9 feet long. (It looked much bigger when we were looking at the house.) Since there are six doors (3 on each end) leading out of and into the kitchen, it is the hallway to the "world". The washer and dryer are also in the kitchen. Once upon a time, the kitchen had a wood burning cook stove sitting where there is now an opening into the living room. There is a chimney in one corner. Sadly, it is just taking up space, because it isn't safe to use.

Welcome to My Kitchen

1. Do you have magnets on your fridge? Yes, several. All kinds from pretty ones to advertising ones to stainless steel hooks to silly ones to just plain ugly magnets.

2. Do you have a calendar in the kitchen and if so, what is it’s theme? No.
3. What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool? Hmmmm. I have no idea! I'm lucky to have all kinds of things to make cooking easier. I'll go with several: vegetable peeler, wire whisk, and the cheese grater like the ones used at the table in restaurants.
4. Are you lucky enough to have a pantry of some kind? Yes! Ugly, but functional gray metal shelves. They are in what should be the rec (wreck!) room. I keep a large, well stocked pantry 'cuz I really dislike going to the grocery store.
5. What is your favorite appliance? The dishwasher. Oh, yes. (Roxanne's words!) If I had one. Although, what would we do without a stove or refrigerator. I love the microwave, too.
6. Do you have an eat in kitchen? Nope. Does eating while standing at the sink or stove count?
7. Do you have a bread box? Yes. Actually, two, but they haven't yet made it to the kitchen. No counter space. There are two metal lined drawers in the kitchen. One is used for bread.
8. Do you have a picture of your kids on the fridge? I don't remember. I'll go look. Okay, no. I did when I was staying at the other two places (long story), but obviously haven't unpacked them.
9. Do you ever cook breakfast in your pjs? Once in a great while. I seldom cook breakfast. Really, tho, I prefer to get dressed before I come downstairs.
10. Do you have a favorite cookbook? My mom's Better Homes and Garden cookbook from the 1950's. Just realized it isn't in with the other cookbooks. Carmen, did you sneak it away????
11. Are you lucky enough to have recipes that were passed down from your mom and grandma? Yes. Lots of them in their handwriting. My cousin has my other grandmother's, and she'd share if I asked. (Although, we didn't ever really like what she cooked, so this hasn't been a priority. Sorry, Grandma. We did like your hamburger pie, though.)
12. What’s your favorite food? BBQ ribs. Smoked BBQ ribs. Southern smoked BBQ ribs cooked in a dive of a restaurant. Um Hm. I'll agree with Roxanne on this one. Add just picked from the vine ripe tomatoes and fresh corn on the cob. Although...bread right out of the oven slathered with real butter and served with Grandma's canned peaches was to just about die for. Who am I kidding. I like food.
13. What’s your favorite thing to cook? I don’t like to cook*. My favorite thing is when someone ELSE cooks! I'll agree with Roxanne on this one, too.
14. Is your coffee pot electric or stove top? Electric. It’s a drip coffee maker, but I don't drink or make coffee. I drink tea.
15. Do you make your own bread? Sometimes. *I love to make bread.
16. Does your kitchen have a theme? Maybe, if you count ninety years of remodelling and "torn up" a theme. There are still patches of 90 year old plaster. The cupboards are from the 40's or 50's. There are two different sizes of 2x4's, two different thickness of drywall, plywood, exposed lath, 3 or 4 different ages of wall paper, several different colors of paint, holes, bare insulation...
17. Is there a clock in your kitchen? Yes. One on the stove and one on the microwave.
18. Do you have a bowl of fruit on your table or counter? No, fruit usually just gets set on the counter.
19. What type of canisters do you have? Mine are plastic - harvest gold with mushrooms on the lid. 1975 anyone? Actually, there is another set of the clear glass ones (Pyrex?) with the 1970's vegetables around the lid, and I have my grandmother's stainless steel bin type ones that I remember her purchasing with Green or Goldstrike stamps.
20. Name one thing you have hanging on the wall in your kitchen. A fly swatter. lol (There are other things, but nothing pretty.)
21. What’s for supper tonight? Leftovers - our version of goulash (elbow macaroni, tomatoes, and hamburger).
22. Do you have enough cabinet space? Not even close.

23. Does your family use paper plates? Yes. We use the cheap ones that can be composted.
24. Do you have a good set of china packed up? Yes.
25. Do you wear an apron to work in the kitchen? When I remember. Roxanne, I'm working on this, too.
26. Name one thing you would change about your kitchen if you could. Build a new one, but keep my old cupboards.

Join me in sharing about your kitchen!

This and that

2011-03-01T18:07:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is doing well. I've kept tabs on a few people whose blogs load quickly, but lost track of others. My apologies.

Sorry, no pictures here, but if you scroll down there is a link that will take you to some.

I've been spending quite a bit of time at our "new" shop. Someone asked about it, so here is the scoop. Well, I finally had had enough of the business being in the house. We found what was basically two offices one block off Main Street that we couldn't pass up: $600 per month with everything paid except telephone and internet. What does my husband do? Computer repair and consulting. What do I do? His books, answer the phone, get in the way, wander in and out and about...

Daughter has learned the art of thrifting and cooking. Check out the first 5 posts for what she "hauled" home today and a yummy sounding recipe. http://carmencanusing.blogspot.com/

Yes, my friends and I still go thrifting at least once a week. We have found the best bargains! I need to charge my camera or stay home long enough to do some scanning so that I can post some pictures of recent purchases.

Stay warm. Stay well. (Roxanne and Shay, get well!)

Woo hoo!

2010-12-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

Congratulations, Sweetheart!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

Whoa! I didn't realize how long it had been since I last posted. Sorry. Hopefully, the New Year will encourage more frequent and interesting posts.

In the meantime:

Merry Christmas!

('Tis I, Packrat Sue, 1957)

Veteran's Day

2010-11-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

Veterans: Thank you.

What I Did. Bad Packrat (continued)

2010-09-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

Back in June, I wrote about some odds and ends and the community yard sale. I really planned on continuing the story within the next day or two. Well, life got in the way in a really big way. We had to make an unplanned trip to California. It seems we've been playing catch-up ever since.

First to finish off What I Did:

New Home Sewing Machine
Yep, I bought another sewing machine. It is a New Home and very similar to this one. Old enough to have been made in the USA.

It came with attachments (in the original box), the instruction book, and in a nice wooden cabinet.

(The bottom picture was taken with my cell phone. It doesn't take good pictures at all. I need help getting the software for the better camera loaded. It is conflicting with the software from the old camera or something.)

***

At least once a week, two or three of us have been trying to go to the local thrift stores. This is a very bad habit, but it is so much fun. I've picked up several pieces to add to various dinnerware sets - my china, my everyday dishes, the dishes that my grandmother and mom used when we had a huge crowd, and what were my mom's everyday dishes! I bought a Lo*ndon F*og coat for $5.00 and a mid-weight coat for my daughter. I've brought home old cookbooks, old magazines, sewing and craft books. So bad...

My friend has found some of the neatest things, too: a complete toy (real stoneware!) dish set, a big red barn that her grandchildren just love, some fantastic clothes, a typewriter, all kinds of dishes and glassware.

The best part? One day we filled the whole backseat of the car, and the combined total of what we spent was $10.62 (including sales tax)!

Really Bad Packrat: I also purchased a 1970's vintage Kenmore sewing machine for $5.00. (I think this makes the tenth or eleventh machine.) It probably doesn't work, but maybe I can use parts from another machine that is just like it. Or, I can play with it to see if I can learn to fix sewing machines. Just what I need - another job. LOL

The other day, for a song, I found some more sewing machine attachments. Of course, I've been buying fabric and patterns.

I love this one. I doubt I'll ever make it, because my daughter and I are too short-waisted to pull off this style. sighhh.

Wish this was larger size. I'd make it for my husband. Maybe I can alter it?

***

Crazy me. Last spring I bought a set of dishes with a bright floral design. Perfect for summer! Then I promptly lost them in all this mess. I found them a couple of days ago; I'd been staring at the box everyday. I thought the box had magazines in it. It had just one on top - protecting the dishes underneath. Thank goodness nothing heavy was set on top of it.

***

One good thing that has happened is that we finally rented shop space. We thought we'd get moved before the fall rush began. Laugh. Since the day we paid the rent, we've been so busy that we haven't had time to get shelves built, get things put away, and move the rest of the business stuff out of the house. But, we've been busy. Let's hope it stays that way. ( No way do I want to move the business back into the house! I hope that the old office is going to be my sewing room.)

Happy Autumn!

September 11, 2001

2010-09-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

Remember.

What I Did. Bad Packrat.

2010-06-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

Click on each pattern picture for a larger view.

Guess I'm not yet ready to post about what happened this past winter. So, I'm going to just say that I am home. Everything is still in boxes, because there isn't anywhere to put the stuff.

I'm feeling about 95 percent better, but still have an off and on earache. Have been to the dentist. No bad wisdom or other teeth, but I might be clenching my jaws/grinding my teeth at night which could be part of the problem. Stress. (Ya think??!!)

Daughter (and group) made it home from Europe all in one piece. She had a wonderful time, but now wants to go back with just one or two people or work or study abroad. (Sadly, she cannot be in Vandaleers next semester, because she has another class that she needs to graduate at the same time Vandaleers class is held.) I'll try to get her to post a few pictures of the trip.

Monday, Tuesday, and today - cold (below 50 degrees), damp, rainy, dark, and depressing.

***

Sunday: Daughter called and chatted for a minute, then she said she needed to get off the phone because she had to go to the bathroom. Said she'd call back in a few minutes. I'm thinking, "Well, that's silly. You called me. Why didn't you go to the bathroom before you called?" I continued putting dishes away. All of a sudden the front door flies open and someone hollers, "Is the bathroom free?" The instantaneous thought was that it had to be my friend Marcia because the dogs were just excited and not barking ferociously. I turn around and my daughter is standing there. I never made the "bathroom connection", because Daughter was last person I expected to see that day. Just call me SLOW ;)

***
Saturday was community yard sale day, so guess what I did? Yup, I spent money...

The four patterns on this page are out of a box of patterns that cost a dollar for the whole box. No copyright date on these four. Most are from the mid-sixties with the newest ones from 1970. Almost all are in the 31 to 32 inch bust sizes, with quite a few being teen sizes.

I also bought lace, ribbon, remnants, fabric, and books. But, what I consider the really good stuff will have to wait for another post. Stay tuned.

Not home and odds and ends

2010-05-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your kind words on the last two posts.

So glad dear Madeline is home from the hospital. Thank you for your prayers.

To answer Roxanne's question about finances - yes and no. At least right now there aren't two house payments plus helping daughter with living expenses. However, repairs on our car just cost us more than a brand new car cost us in 1977. Read on...

Guess what? I'm not home (although most everything from Mom's has been moved there). I have been plant and cat sitting at my daughter's apartment for the past two weeks.

M has a smug, almost "gangster" look to him, but he is very affectionate.

V, that is a rather expensive toy you have there. Also, you really don't look very comfortable...

As a member of the Vandaleers (U of I's elite choir), Daughter has been in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany with most of the other members and a few "groupies" (some parents, spouses, other instructors. Oh, I would have so loved to have gone, too!)

This trip has been one mix up after another. It seems that every week all year something would happen that jeopardized the trip. The choir was originally supposed to perform in seven different locales then the number was reduced to three. It has been cold and rainy the whole time they have been there. And, one huge disappointment for Daughter was that they were supposed to have a day to spend with her music history professor who has for several summers lived in Vienna. Because of a change in plans, they only got to visit with "Ms.Professor" for about 10 minutes right before a performance.

Because of the unions striking in France, would you believe that the group is now stranded in Berlin? I wonder how much this is costing us?! It will have to be us paying for it, because Daughter has already paid for summer school. (She is taking a traditions and history of clothing class for this part of the summer session. Yes, I think I'm jealous about this, too. lol)

(Packrat, quit complaining!) Daughter is fulfilling her lifetime dream (almost literally) of visiting Europe. Even as a toddler she would sit for hours looking at pictures of castles, palaces, cathedrals and even the landscape. Even when she was tiny she would tell me she was going to go visit those places. This desire to travel and see new places has never died.

I sure never imagined that she would get to sing in any of these places even with a choir. I'm not sure why. She started singing before she ever started to talk. She would sing to herself for hours. (naps? not her!) And, horrible mother that I was, I used to tell her to be quiet...

***

What have I done besides take care of plants and the cats? Not much. I spent my 56th birthday in the recliner trying not to move any more than I absolutely had to alternating between trying to read and wishing someone would shoot me . Whine, whine. (The day after my birthday, my husband drove up and took me out to dinner. I had what was called shrimp cocktail, but it was more like warm spicy tomato, shrimp and avocado soup. It was wonderfully delicious.)

Of all crazy things, it all started with some pressure in my right ear. Suddenly, the whole right side of head starting hurting so bad that it gave a whole new meaning to the term "splitting headache". (Think headache after having a spinal.) After several sleepless days and nights, I thought maybe I should go to the doctor.

Interesting how our bodies work. My left ear was actually more infected that my right, but the left ear didn't hurt at all! But, I did (do) have a sinus infection that I didn't even know about - the cause of the headaches. As of today, the headaches are now mild instead of almost blinding. And, I have been so cranky. Must be getting well. ;)

Also, can I tell you something really kind of odd (maybe even a little disgusting depending on how you feel about it). I complained to the doctor that for a while I haven't been able to hear well with my right ear. The doctor said that it wasn't because of wax, because there was actually no wax at all in my right ear. Now, how in the world is that possible? Shouldn't I have some wax buildup? Even babies get wax in their ears. (I didn't think about this until later.)

***

Do any of you remember reading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle? It was one of my all time favorite books when I was in grade school. For some reason, I had never read any of her many other books. I just finished An Acceptable Time, the fourth book in the "Time" series. I loved this one, too. I am still a tad confused about the grandparents' attitude in the story, but maybe I missed something by not reading books two and three? Her books are definitely on my "to read" list. Don't want to say more in case you haven't read the books.

***

Hope everyone is doing okay. Here at the apartment, the lilacs, locust trees, peonies, and spirea are just now starting to bloom. It has been cold, damp and/or rainy everyday. Am getting a little jealous of all the beautiful garden pictures and even fresh produce pictures floating around the blogs. You know who you are. LOL (Truly, I love seeing them. Keep the pictures coming.)

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Hope your day is a great one!

HOME

2010-04-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

Our house around Christmastime a couple of years ago.

Time sure flies when you are and aren't having fun.

First an update: Madeline (Madeline's Album), as of yesterday, was able to be up in a wheel chair, but she is still in the hospital and a long way from being well. Please continue to pray for her. Thank you. The past couple of months have been really bad for her and, of course, very stressful for her family.

Barb and Carmen, you know all of this. For the rest of my friends and readers, here goes.

I'm home. Aunt Amelia, you can stop worrying now. :)

We have basically finished moving out of my mom's house. My husband and I got home about 2 AM a week ago Thursday. After getting a little sleep, unloading the car, and J getting a couple of his jobs done, we took off for a Costco run. From there J drove me another 40 minutes to our daughter's place. Poor J had to turn right around, make another Costco stop for the things there wasn't room for earlier, and drive back home.

Friday bright and early Daughter had oral surgery. She was supposed to snap right back from it, but it really knocked her for a loop. So, instead of coming home Sunday like I planned, I stayed. She is feeling better now, thank God.

I don't know about you, but I especially appreciate and enjoy performances where someone I know (or at least know a little about) is involved - in this case, the student performers. Makes the experience so much more personal. My daughter and I had the pleasure of attending two very different presentations where my daughter knows almost everyone involved. (Pardon my grammatical errors.)

Thursday night Daughter and I attended a UI music grad student's piano recital. WOW and DOUBLE WOW! That young man can really play. One piece was his own composition - a piano concerto with full orchestration. I really hope he gets it professionally recorded and released.

Since the UI theater students were putting on the musical Grease, I decided to stay a few more days so I could see it. The "kids" did a fantastic job. As an added bonus, Margaret Travolta (John Travolta's sister) played Miss Lynch, the high school principal. The cast played to a full house, which is always encouraging.

Margaret Travolta

So, now I'm home again to a huge mess. I don't have a clue where to begin. Guess I'll pay the bills first, then worry about the rest later.

Hope this finds everyone well.

Easter

2010-04-03T18:48:00.001-07:00

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

With beautiful eggs like these, who needs to dye any? (Fresh eggs courtesy of my friend's mother-in-law and her chickens.)

Another bit of nostalgia.

My mother (the little one) and two of her cousins near Zuni or Black Rock, New Mexico, Easter 1936

Happy Easter, Everyone. May you have a wonderful day.

Update 9:33 PM Saturday evening, April 3: About 15 minutes ago, there was an earthquake in Yellowstone National Park. I didn't feel it, but the animals did! The dogs went nuts; they were barking hysterically and running around the house and back and forth from door to door. (Yes, it scared the bejeepers out of me!) The cats have been pacing all afternoon. Hmmmm. (Blasted edit program! Font size is shown small here, but huge when posted!)

Up and Running? and Vee's Gifts

2010-03-23T07:58:00.001-07:00

From dear Vee :

Tea cozy, hot pad, and beautiful card. (Missing from picture - tea bags.) Be sure to click on picture, so you can see the details.

Notice the buttons?

One side of pad.

Other side of pad.

Inside of pad. Vee, just had to show this fabric! It is beautiful, too. Since the pad opens on one side, it could be used to keep biscuits or buns warm.

Under the tea cozy was this tea pot from my mom's china closet. Not old, just pretty.

And steeping in the pot - Taylors of Harrowgate Yorkshire tea. YUM

Thank you, Vee. These are lovely. I will use the cozy and pad for years to come.

Several things to be thankful for:

Beautiful, tiny, spring flowers.

Madeline is home and doing better. Thank you for your prayers. She still needs them, though.

Jitterbug is feeling some better. Wishing you a speedy recovery! Miss Jitterbug could use a prayer or two, also.

Lots of babies - just born in the last several weeks (Jessica - a boy, Katie - a boy, Ashley - a girl) and several arriving in the next few weeks to months (Merrick, Janssen, Marie, and Lisa H). These are the moms I can think of off the top of my head. Did I forget anyone? If so, please let me know, so that I can add you to my prayer list.

Computer is working again. I have no idea what was wrong with it. No viruses or spy ware were found. The hard drive isn't making any more strange noises. The fan is quiet. You know that old law about an appliance or car not working properly, but when the mechanic/repair person shows up it works just fine? That would be my computer. (It is possible that an update messed things up.)

A small thing - my daughter just called and said that power is out on campus so all classes have been cancelled. The weather is gorgeous, so she is going to play out in her small yard.

Computer Issues

2010-03-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting for a while. The computer in the house has a virus and/or the hard drive is crashing. I have been squeezing in a minute or two here and there over at the office.

As soon as the house computer is up and running, I'll post a picture of the gifts I received
from Vee. They are so pretty! Thank you, Vee.

Also, a blogging friend, Madeline, is very, very ill. Please, if you would, say a prayer and/or keep her in your thoughts. Thanks.

Whoa!

2010-02-21T05:42:00.000-08:00

Excuse me, unless you are all for being ruled by a dictator - no matter what party you lean toward - this should make you and me very, very scared.

Los Angeles Times - ‎11 hours ago‎

The Obama administration aims to put members of the GOP on the spot, forcing them to compromise on issues or be portrayed as obstructionists.

I will admit I didn't get any further than this. It made me so mad; I had to stop reading.

How Not to Cook a Steelhead

2010-02-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

Steelhead trout (Picture source: my photo album)

How Not to Cook a Steelhead
(I really, really wish I had taken a picture.)
By Packrat Sue

Move oven rack to the center of the oven

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit

Take a largish (28 inches long) whole fish
(cleaned of course)
(In this case, a highly prized steelhead
from the Salmon River in Idaho)
Rinse it with fresh cold water
Drop it on the floor
Rinse the fish again
Drop it on the floor
Say a bad word or two

Try to hold on to fish
long enough to get it back into the sink
without the dogs or cats getting to it first.
Rinse the fish again
Finally get smart
Leave the fish in the sink
Pat it dry with paper towels
Pick it up to turn it over
Drop fish again
(luckily in the sink this time)
Pat it dry again

Wash hands and splash soap on the fish
Rinse hands well
Rinse sink and fish again
Pat fish and sink dry
Carefully turn the fish
Pat the other side dry

Go into the bathroom and wash hands

Look for heavy paper grocery sacks
None to be found
Only light-weight brown sacks
Grab two. That should work.
Butter insides of both sacks
More butter on my sleeves than the sacks
because sleeves won't stay pushed up

Wash hands again cuz have you ever tried
picking up an already slippery fish with
greasy hands??? (No comment.)

Get fish into first paper bag
Wrap it tight
Get second paper bag on fish
Wrap it tight
Put package on large cookie sheet
Use weight of fish to hold down the extra paper

Put fish in oven
Set timer
Scrub potatoes
Put potatoes in microwave
Start to play solitaire

Jump three feet off chair when the smoke alarm goes off.
Realize that there is smoke billowing out
of every crack in the range.
Try to get the dogs out of the way to get to the smoke alarm.
Dogs are barking and just about
knocking me over because they can't stand the noise.
Get smoke alarm into bathroom
and shut the door so it stops screeching.

Wade through the whimpering/whining dogs.
Get back to kitchen to see even more smoke billowing
out of the oven and burners.
Reach to turn off oven.

Oh OH NO!
I left the oven on the Preheat setting.
The broiler had been on all this time.
Turn off oven.
Wait five minutes
Carefully open oven door
The paper bags had come unwrapped from around fish
and are touching the top element in the oven.
The bags burst into flame again.
Slam door shut.
Wait another five minutes.
Carefully open oven door
Bags are still glowing and start to flare up.
Slam shut oven door
Wait ten minutes
Open oven door
Black pieces of paper EVERYWHERE
The fish is black.
I am in tears.

Brush burned stuff off fish best I can.
Oh, only skin is burned and the fish isn't quite done.
Return fish to 350 degree oven
NOT using the preheat setting.
Paper residue burns up

Get potatoes
Quickly slice
Fry potatoes for a few minutes.
Remove fish from oven and remove burned skin

Eat the most delicious dinner of fish, charred paper, and fried potatoes.

The fish was delicious. It was done to perfection and tasted like it had been cooked over an open campfire.

****

Dedicated to My Friends

2010-02-17T06:30:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Barb! I am returning this to Barb, and passing this along to all of my "Blogland" friends.

To borrow Barb's blog closing - Blessings - to all of you. You keep me "sane".

Sue

A Sweetheart

2010-02-13T09:49:00.000-08:00

I told you all that I was losing it. I would have sworn that in the cedar chest there were a couple of Valentine's cards drawn and colored by yours truly when I was 7 or 8. However, the cards turned out to be Easter (egg-shaped) cards.

(The cat also decided to snoop. She jumped on the tray in the cedar chest which closed the lid and shut her in. Ooooo, was she mad! To add to her "injury", of course, I had to laugh at her.)

Anyway, cut me a little slack. I did find this heart.

Happy Valentine's Day. :)

2010-02-10T07:19:00.000-08:00

ca. 1915. Grandma is standing next to her mama. (Love how the house looks tilted. I saw this house last June. It is in really bad shape, but it is not tilted. lol) As usual, click on pictures to view larger size.

This Grandma (I can't figure out how to link to older posts):

The strangest thing happened yesterday. This was just a fleeting thing, but it was so very real.

I was working in the kitchen. Was I cleaning the stove top, wiping out the oven, or emptying the corn starch into a bug proof container? I don't remember, and I guess it doesn't matter. Yes, I do to remember. I was sifting the cornstarch into a container to make sure there weren't any bugs in it.

Just as normal/natural as could be, I realized my grandmother was off to the side and a little behind me. I told her that most young people now have never been so poor that they have had to sift the weevils out of the flour. They would just throw it away and buy new. (I can remember lots of times having to sift out the weevils. I can remember Grandma doing it, too, so it didn't gross me out.)

Then Pete dog walked through the kitchen. Not Grandma and Grandpa's Pete (Pete I with Patches ? as a puppy):

but Pete II:

Grandma spoke to him. But Pete ignored Grandma. I told Grandma that this wasn't her Pete; this was Pete II - the new Pete. I had the distinct impression that Grandma's feelings were hurt. Then she was gone.

I was working in the kitchen. Grandma's kitchen. I was not conscious of the date until just this instant. Grandma Margaret b. December 1908, d. February 10, 2008. Grandma, oh, how I miss you! God grant peace to your soul.

And, you may now honestly say that I am completely "losing it".

****

Unnecessary, but fun

2010-02-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Last post was sort of about not spending or spending wisely. This post is about spending. I stopped at a little thrift store. Oops.

I defend my spending money there because all the money (donated building and help!) goes to support a local "private" school. It is private in that no government money is used to support the school. Although, it is basically a Catholic school, any child is welcome - except that there is a huge long waiting list. It is that good of a school.

I purchased a few saucers (bowls) and a few pieces of "silverware" (one fork was real silver - 10 cents!). Always seem to need more.

Also purchased were a lightweight denim shirt with puffy sleeves and two out of style rayon dresses. These were a dollar each. The denim shirt will someday lose the "puffs". This is for me. The puffed sleeves make me look like I'm wearing football shoulder pads or whatever they are called. The navy dress will hopefully get a zipper and be shortened. It fits my daughter beautifully, but is very difficult to get on and off. The maroon floral dress? Who knows. It fits my daughter, too, but the color is wrong for her. I will try to remember to get before and after pictures.

What I spent the most on was a whole grocery sack of sewing patterns - some newer, some older. Below are three of my favorites.

This is possibly the oldest dated 1962:

This pattern, with minor adjusting, should fit my daughter. Too bad it isn't in style at all.

Then there were these:

These are from the Associated British Paper Patterns Ltd., Denbigh Rd. Bletchley, Bucks. There is no copyright or date printed anywhere on them.

If anyone wants to get rid of old (1960's and 1970's and maybe early 1980's) patterns, I am in the market for women's half sizes 10-1/2 to 12-1/2, young junior/teen sizes 9/10, 11/12, and 13/14, and junior petites sizes 7, 9, and 11. I really don't want to pay a fortune for each pattern, but would pay for the patterns and for shipping. My email address is available from my profile page. Thanks. Oh, these would be to use. I would not be reselling them.

Random, but I have misplaced my list of passwords for all my internet sites. OH BROTHER!!
UPDATE: The passwords have been found. phew! Now the checkbook register is missing. It is probably in the huge stack of bills waiting to be paid. Groan.
*******

Budgeting and Being Frugal

2010-02-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

Budgeting, careful and controlled spending, being debt free, and becoming more self-reliant are huge topics right now. Well, there is a new blog with great ideas about how to save money, set up budgets, and how to stay out of debt, etc. It is written by a mom and two of her daughters. (I've been reading the daughters' individual blogs for quite a while and thoroughly enjoy them.) They give easy to follow guidelines - mostly good common sense - and some extra hints that maybe not many know about.

So without further ado, I'd like to direct your attention to a new blog:
Frugal Wife = Wealthy Life

***********************

Random photos

2010-01-28T06:40:00.000-08:00

Bed "hogs"

"Hahaha. I have your bed. nanner nanner nanner." (This is one of the dog's bed.)

Look what I found in the far back corner of the cupboard in the laundry room. Okay you young vintage lovers - eat your heart out. LOL For those of you who don't know what this is, be glad you haven't had to use this. My arm used to get sooo tired. Hint: I use a spray bottle only when needed now instead of this.

Roughly from 1953 or 1954

On top of the world (about 2006?). (I am down in the bottom of one of those canyons.)

Twice Mean

2010-01-25T14:04:00.001-08:00

house mouse : Source: US Government

Around 4:00 AM - cat yowls. I figure she just wants to go out, but she can use the litter box. Dog is pacing the floor, but not bugging me. Then quiet. I roll over and go back to sleep.

5:01 AM Dog gets up again. Cat is making noise. Nothing unusual, but I really have to go. I stagger barefoot into the bathroom. The dog is lunging at the tub trying to decide if he wants to jump in with the cat who is running circles around the inside of the tub. MOUSE!

I left the cat to take care of the mouse. I then woke up my husband to make him dispose of the mouse. (It was just a little after 4 AM my husband's time. He had to get his gloves out of the car, and then take the mouse back outside. Poor guy. But, THANK YOU, he was here to do it.)

Husband goes back to bed and sleeps for another hour. Because husband was here? I went back to bed and slept for two more hours. He took the dogs out for their morning walk. It was wonderful.

----

The tub was soaked with bleach water, but found out that the stopper still lets the water seep out of the tub.

There were mouse droppings all over the floor in the laundry room, kitchen, both halls, both bathrooms, and the pantry. YUCK Probably more than one mouse. I am leaving closet doors open for the kitties to do their job.

----

Ironically, every morning I find one to several dead mice by the front and back door. This morning I found none. The two cats that had been out all night came in "empty handed". The cat that stayed in caught the mouse.

Ghoulish, I Suppose

2010-01-23T16:52:00.000-08:00

I had another post planned for today, but I spent the afternoon sitting on the organ bench looking out the living room window and wandering in the yard in the rain watching all the excitement. A pickup went into the river about 300 (?) feet up the road and across the river from my mom's house (directly across from my brother's house).

I don't know if anyone was hurt or not. I certainly hope not, but it would be a miracle if someone wasn't. (I hope it was a good sign that the EMT's never put anyone into the ambulance. Of course, another ambulance could have already been there and gone by the time I noticed anything was going on.)

The pickup truck went over one of the many steep banks on along the river and of course rolled. It was on its wheels with the front end wedged up against a rock as tall and wide as the pickup. It was in the water but right at the edge.

Why am I posting this? Because, there is a wreck along this very stretch of highway at least once every six months if not more often.

Theoretically, there shouldn't be any wrecks along this stretch. It is one of the few straight stretches along the river. There are no blind spots. There is a grade, but it isn't steep. This stretch of highway has two wide lanes with good wide shoulders. One does need to watch for rocks and animals, but that is a given in all mountainous areas.

Why are there wrecks? My theory is this particular wreck was caused by hydroplaning or the driver went to sleep. (I could be wrong.) But really, why wrecks? Because people get in a hurry. It they are headed north, they're going down hill and probably travelling way too fast. If they are headed south, they just came out of several miles of narrow twisting road. They speed up and lose control. And, of course everyone tries to pass everyone else.

Why did I post this? Because I'd would like to ask everyone to slow down and drive safely. Also, please remember - don't use cruise control unless the pavement it perfectly dry.

I like my friends to be alive and unhurt. HUGS

1959?

2010-01-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

Another "oldie" - sort of for Aunt Amelia :)

Three generations: My grandmother (horrible picture!) at the sink, my mom (she'd been chopping onions), and I (on the chair). The picture is stamp dated April 1959, but it could have been taken earlier. Since there is a baby bottle on the counter, it had to be after July 1957.

I don't remember *not* helping with the dishes. :)

1920's photo

2010-01-13T17:43:00.001-08:00

Blatantly copying others who have posted old pictures or another found treasure? How about both!

This a copy (of a copy) of a hand tinted photograph of my maternal grandmother circa 1928. I know it was taken before she was married in 1931.

I love the red and gold highlights in her hair. LOL Her hair was a fairly dark brown. I wish I had thought to ask her what color the dress really was. I don't think she would have ever worn green or yellow, but I've been known to be wrong. ;)

The wave in her hair? Natural. All she had to do to style her hair was wet it, comb it the way she wanted it, and let it dry. (Did I inherit her hair? Sadly, no.)

Ray Says It!

2010-01-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Ray Stevens singing We the People

Update: The actual YouTube video was too big to keep posted here. Click on We the People to see the video. Enjoy! It is great even if you don't agree with him.

Update to yesterday and Sunday dinner comment

2010-01-10T07:48:00.001-08:00

Below the recipe updates is the comment to The Haven of Home post.

Yesterday I posted an untried recipe, and Aunt Amelia commented with a recipe. I made both. They were wonderful! THANK YOU :)

Here they are again with some editing/comments:
(See yesterday's post for source) Slap a hunk of beef in the slow cooker (I think I had a 3lb rump roast), sprinkle on some Italian dressing mix (the powder stuff)* and then add 12oz of beer. Cook on low for 10ish hours. We ate it with some of the jus and I'm gonna make burritos and something else with what's left over!! * The powder stuff - I used Good Seasons brand. Ingredients are in this order are: sugar, salt, sodium citrate, garlic, onion, spice, red bell peppers, carrots, monosodium glutamate, xanthan gum, green onion, guar gum, natural flavor, apocarotenal. Do we really need all that extra "stuff"? Next time I'll make my own.

Because I had a large chunk of beef it wouldn't fit (as it was cut) in the 2.5 quart Crockpot, so I used the 4 quart slow cooker. Well, after 10 hours, the roast was still hard as a rock. It had now shrunk in size, so I transferred it to the 2.5 quart Crockpot and turned it on high. It took another 1-1/2 hours, but it finally got done. It was so tender and tasty.

What I should have done: I should have used twice the amount of liquid (to cover most of the meat) and started the roast on high and then turned it to low to simmer, OR I should have cut the roast in half and put it in the Crockpot. The Slow cooker evidently doesn't get as hot as the Crockpot?

What I could have done: added onions, potatoes, carrots, celery.

****
Aunt Amelia's recipe for beer bread - with my editing:

It's a very quick bread with only 3 ingredients... 3 cups of self-rising flour (or 3 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon baking powder) , 3 teas. sugar and 1 can of beer. Stir just until mixed. Put in greased loaf pan in oven at 350 for 1 hour. :-) It is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. My bread was done at 50 minutes, so be sure to check (carefully - you don't want it to fall if it isn't done!).

****
Roxanne at The Haven of Home posted about Sunday dinners. It sure brought back memories.

Here is my comment:

Our Sunday dinner was usually between 2:30 and 4:00, depending on what time Grandpa had to go to work Sunday night. There was always company, or we ate someone else's house.

Sunday (dinner) prep actually started during the week.

Sunday dishes and "silverware" were used every week, so they were already clean. (Unless there was lots and lots of company, we only used the real silver and china on holidays so then it all had to be washed and polished.)

Table cloth or cloths would have already been "spotted", washed, and ironed.

Any yard work done. When I got to be about 11, I had to do this on top of cleaning the house, sewing, ironing, baking, etc. (I think that is why I'm so lazy now. I worked my butt - excuse me - off when I was young.)

Church clothes would have been prepared during the week, too, but there still seemed to be some minor disaster on Sunday morning. LOL

The older children helped fetch and carry, watch younger children, sweep front steps and sidewalk, hang up guests' coats, etc. Young children helped by picking up toys and fetching and carrying, too.

Saturday:
-Saturday morning clean house from top to bottom - except kitchen.
-Wash sheets and remake beds.
-Bathrooms - check toilet paper supply, check hand soap supply, clean whole room thoroughly, wash combs and brushes.
-Saturday, after housework was done, bake cookies, cakes, pie, breads, and make any other desserts (except pudding or cream pies - unless going to be eaten on Sunday) for the whole week.
-Saturday afternoon or evening make Jello salads or other for Sunday.
-Saturday morning or afternoon squeeze in the week's grocery shopping.
-Saturday afternoon or evening clean kitchen. Mop and wax floors. (After baking and the groceries were put away.)
-Saturday evening while preparing supper cut up the chicken (if necessary). (It was almost always fried chicken until I was 14!)
-Clean, polish and buff all shoes
-After baths Saturday night: scrub tub again, wipe up floor again, put out all clean towels.

(We did all this and still had some time to play. How did we do it???? Wellllll, we were limited to 1 hour of TV per day and this was only if parents allowed it.)

Sunday after church: have big breakfast and clean up, read paper (adults) (I usually had homework to do), then start dinner preparations.

Someone would coat the chicken - a child usually did this.

Put chicken in skillet.

Someone else would be peeling potatoes. Sometimes this was done ahead and the potatoes kept in ice water. These would be put on to boil.

Someone would peel carrots, cut celery sticks - sometimes this was done on Saturday.

Someone else would be setting the table. (This could be done ahead if there aren't pets in the house. We usually did it while the meal is cooking.) This included any condiments, butter, jellies, pickles (served in dishes not jars), salt and pepper. Napkins were folded and placed under the forks. Young children would help with this.

Put bread in to warm. OR, mix up biscuits and get them in to bake.

Put vegetable(s) on to cook. (These were cooked forever. I think it went back to the time when people had to worry about botulism.)

Make coffee.

Check potatoes. Drain if done. Mash if that is what you want.

Last minute: (This is where older children really come in handy. lol)

set out salads and/or relish tray
make gravy (when meat was done)
dish up
take food to table
pour drinks (never alcoholic)

Rules at our house (which my dad and brothers have completely forgotten):
No one started eating until everyone was seated
Everything was passed around the table (with exception of something very hot and/ or very heavy)
No clearing of the table until everyone was finished eating. We sat and visited while everyone finished snacking on olives, carrot sticks, that last dinner roll, etc.

Table was cleared except glasses/coffee cups (We never had enough to clear those and set out clean ones.) Children helped or older children did it all.

Depending on schedules dessert was served immediately or later.

No matter what, another pot of coffee was started. lol

If dessert was to be served immediately, we did that then cleaned the kitchen afterward.

If dessert was served later, the food was put away and dishes started.

It was a lot of work, and I was always exhausted on Sunday evening. If we ate again, it was something very light and simple. The dishes were always done, again. The kitchen and dining room floors were swept no matter what and mopped if necessary. Then I had to do homework. (I had tons of it!)

But, I remember those days as being filled with family and friends, lots of laughter, visiting, and over-hearing things we young people were probably not supposed to hear. :)

Happy New Year to All

2010-01-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted for a while. Life hit a few rather nasty bumps, so I really haven't felt (mentally) much like sitting down and writing anything anyone would want to read. Pity party for one is now over.; Last night: I wish I had a picture. There were 3 dogs and a cat on the bed with me. (Some nights there are two cats and only two dogs on the bed.) No, I didn't have much room, and part of the time the only cover I had was a fleece throw. No, short of starting a world war, I couldn't get them to move. The room was cold, and they were way too comfortable. It is a good thing the animals gave off lots of body heat. LOL (Pellet stove has quit, again. This time, it is really dead.); Here are three of the culprits: It you look closely in the bottom picture, you can see part the cat's feet. She's asleep on the dining room chair. The fourth culprit is a medium-sized Border Collie. (I have a camera; I just don't know how to download the pictures from it.)
: Today: Wash bedding and throw rugs.; This morning I grabbed a package of bacon out of the freezer. I was going to cook the bacon for breakfast and then brown a rump roast in the drippings. Well.... the bacon was bad. It stunk up the whole house. (It was so bad that now the thought of food makes me a little queasy.); I didn't want to just do a plain ol' pot roast, again anyway. BORING; Ah ha! The other day Motherhen68 posted her January menu list and links to the recipes. One place she had listed was A Year of Slow Cooking. For fun, I had done a search for rump roast recipes. One in particular intrigued me. But! It sounded too weird. It had beer in it. My husband hates beer. So, I didn't copy it down.; Today I went back and got the recipe. This was submitted by a commenter who goes by The Momma (don't know anything about her):; Slap a hunk of beef in the pot (I think I had a 3lb rump roast), sprinkle on some Italian dressing mix (the powder stuff) and then add 12oz of beer. Cook on low for 10ish hours. We ate it with some of the jus and I'm gonna make burritos and something else with what's left over!!

UPDATE: This was very good! Make sure there is enough liquid to cover most of the meat!

This is in the slow cooker as I write. For once there was everything in the house that the recipe called for. Thanks, Mom and DH. I mean, I never keep Italian salad dressing mix in the house, but there was some in the pantry! DH brought beer last weekend when friends came down to help us. We didn't drink any of it! Anyway, I'll let you know how it turns out.

2009-12-21T15:25:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas.

Performance Review

2009-12-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

University Chorus and Vandaleers during practice. Unfortunately, this is very blurry and the stained glass windows don't show at all. University of Idaho Auditorium (Admin Bldg) December 6, 2009.

Magnificat

The performance was wonderful. If I have any criticism at all it would be that the microphone was a tad too close to the trumpets. Other than that, the whole program was magnificent!

(Also, would I be out of line to say that I think some of the students have better voices than their instructors who sang the solos?)

Also performed:

This Little Babe from A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten (I liked the music, but thought the words were "militant".)

A Glimpse of Snow and Evergreen from Pictures from the Northwest by Vijay Singh (very different, but pretty in a weird way - very quiet and peaceful like a snowy day when sound is muffled and the wind isn't blowing)

Frohlocket, Ihr Volker auf Erden by Felix Mendelssohn

O Nata Lux from Lux Aeterna by Morten Lauridsen

Three pieces arranged by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw:

The Holly and the Ivy

The First Nowell

Angels We Have Heard on High

Carol of the Bells by Mykola Leontovich - a gorgeous arrangement by Peter Wilhousky

Candlelight Carol by John Rutter (If you aren't familiar with this one, you can listen to it here: Candlelight Carol performed by Cambridge Singers )

Deck the Hall - This was great, but the poor foreign students were all asking Carmen what Fa la la la la meant. They just couldn't figure this one out at all.

****

I love that religious music is allowed to be performed at the University.

It was wonderful to have traditional and non-tradition Christmas music performed.

Despite the frigid cold and wind, there were maybe twenty empty seats in the whole auditorium.

The roads were bare.

There wasn't much traffic.

We were able to park right next to the where the performance was held.

We were able to watch the pre-show rehearsal and meet some other choir members.

We had a simple but wonderful lunch in a little hole in the wall restaurant. I think my new favorite "food" is spicy peanut butter sauce. :)

We met many of our daughter's friends - many who are foreign exchange students. Many are graduate students. Almost all are engineering or chemistry majors. Very, very polite and friendly young people. Some will be finishing school here; others will have to return home before they graduate.

I was able to visit with some old friends of mine.

We had a lovely visit with our daughter.

MAGNIFICAT

2009-12-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

You are cordially invited to attend:

J.S. Bach's Magnificat in D and other seasonal music of Britten, Lauridsen, Mendelssohn and Robert Shaw/Alice Parker
Type: Music/Arts - Performance
Cost: Usually around $5 to $7 each, less with student ID
Date: Sunday, December 6, 2009
Time: 3:00pm - 4:30pm
Location: University of Idaho Administration Auditorium
Description: Magnificat in D - Johann Sebastian Bach
Pamela Bathurst, soprano
Sheila Converse, mezzo-soprano
Scott Miller, tenor
Chris Thompson, baritone

UI Festival Orchestra
University Chorus and Vandaleer Concert Choir

Dr. Michael Murphy, conductor

*********

My daughter will be singing in this. She has had both Pamela Bathhurst and Chris Thompson for vocal instructors.

If you have never seen the inside the University of Idaho Auditorium, it is almost worth the trip just for that. It is beautiful.

Tessa, you know where this is. :)

Adrienne?

If anyone can attend, be sure to go really early so that you can park right behind the Admin Bldg and not have to hike a half-mile or more. Look on-line for a printable parking map. I chose the map for people with disabilities "just because". No University parking permit is required during performances.

Unfortunately, it is snowing, and the driving conditions will probably be horrible. But, as long as it isn't "blizzarding", we will be attending.

Lessons

2009-12-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

The other day Bart posted an accounting tip that cured a headache. This information was rattling around this scrambled brain, but I needed to have it spelled out to me. Explanation: We are having to value everything in Mom's estate. Bart's advice answered a question. Bless him.

In handling my mother's estate, here are some things I've learned:

*Have a will made. BUT, make sure it is SO detailed that everyone knows who gets that sliver of soap left in the soap dish. Oh, yes, it is extremely important for the will to be almost that detailed. Putting a sticker on each item is great, but make sure it is also written down somewhere - preferably in the will.
*Any extra notes/wishes not in the will should be in your own handwriting. DO not have someone else do this unless it is signed and witnessed by about 6 people. (An exaggeration, but you get the idea.)

*Depending on which state (laws, taxes vary state to state) you live in and the size of the estate you might wish to make a Family Trust or something similar. Sometimes this has be done a certain number of years before you pass away!

*Keep your financial records up to date even if your finances aren't.

*Keep a detailed "paper trail" so that someone can walk in and take over for you. With the computer, so few people do this. This can be a simple notebook kept in a kitchen drawer. List the who, what, what, when, where, why and how. This rule doesn't just apply to good journalism.

*It is extremely important to have someone who doesn't live with you know where life insurance records are kept, where the combinations to safes are hidden, in which bank(s) you have safety deposit boxes and where the keys are, where passwords are kept, what the names of your computer files are, in which banks you have accounts, etc etc etc.

*Have a family member be able to sign checks and/or transfer money from accounts in the event of an severe illness or death.

*Give others power of attorney, but make it so that others can't willy-nilly commit you.

*Having a living will.
*Have a minimum of $10,000 life insurance. Preferably much more. It will take the full $10,000 for a simple casket and funeral. Cemetery plot, headstone and engraving are separate expenses.
*Have your cemetery plot picked out and paid for. Do this through the cemetery people and have a written receipt. And, check about once a year that this is still on record.

*Hire a trusted attorney.

*Hire a trusted accountant.

*Know that even with everything spelled out for you and the rest of the family, someone will probably be or get PO'd at you or another family member.

*Know that you will probably get very angry will some of your family members.

*Know that someone else might try and probably will try very hard to run "the show" for you and/or pass themselves off as the only one that has the right to say or do anything.

*Know that there are going to be gaps in knowledge about how things should be handled.

*Know that if there is one person that has always "had an attitude" (to put it nicely) that attitude will rear its ugly head with a vengence in this time of stress.

*Know that if you think/know all these things couldn't happen in your family, they're probably going to anyway.

***

If one knows ahead that they are going to inherit an estate (large or small), try to be prepared as possible. Maybe you aren't going to inherit anything, but will have to handle the the final details of a friend or loved one. Either way dealing/handling/taking care of all this is extremely expensive.

-First there is time off work.

-There is often travel/motel/eating out expenses.

-There are often long distance telephone bills. (We maxed out our time on our cell phones.)

-There are often medical bills to pay.

-If there is a house/property involved, mortgage payments, electricity, telephone (no cell phone service at my mom's), utilities, insurance, possibly lawn care, etc. still have to be paid until the house is sold or rented.

-There may be repairs or improvements that will have to be made in order to rent or sell.

-There is often a car that has to have at least one payment made before being legally able to sell it. You may have to pay for another 6 months of insurance and maybe even renew the license plates/tags.

-In our case, the homeowners insurance and property taxes came due, too. OUCH

-There are miscellaneous expenses too numerous and unexpected to list.

I don't know about other states, but in Idaho if the estate doesn't have the money to pay these expenses the inheritors have to pay them. If the inheritors don't, these debts go against the inheritors credit ratings and/or the inheritors will lose the property due to foreclosures.

If the deceased was on Social Security, the benefits should stop immediately. If any SS money comes in after, don't spend it unless it is the final reimbursement. (There will be a form that comes first - there is always paperwork.)

There are attorney and accountant fees, but their advice is invaluable.

In the state of Idaho, it can take 6 to 9 months for a will to be probated. YES! And guess who pays all the bills in the mean time - the inheritors.

This was long. I'm sorry, but maybe some of this will help someone else someday.

Extreme

2009-12-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

Whoa! This is freaking scary. Anyone could be considered an extremist. http://www.gopusa.com/news/2009/april/0417_dhs_extremism.shtml

2009-11-25T08:30:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Wishing you good food, great company and safe travels.

Whoopie Ti Yi Yo

2009-11-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

I am still thrilled when I see cows (and sheep) being moved from one pasture to another. I know that this is so rare now and could stop happening at any time so I soak up every second watching the cows go by.

Cows. Lots of cows. This, of course, is only a few of them. Some have already gone by, and there are a whole lot more behind these. Black, white, black and white, red, red and white, gray, brown - big mommas, yearlings, and this year's babies.

Owner of the cows. (Too cold to wear a cowboy hat.) No, that isn't an outhouse behind the horse. It's a pump house. Everyone irrigates out of the river which is just over the bank beyond the cows and pump house. (There used to be an outhouse just down the road to the left and up away from the river. It was on my cousins' property, and we used it when the power was out. It was kind of a scary hike when it was cold and dark.)

See the two Ponderosa pines (aka yellow pine) on either side of the driveway? My husband planted those the year we got married, actually before we were even engaged. They were about 6 inches tall then.

There goes the first batch. I so wanted to walk with them and really, there was no reason why I couldn't have - except that I was freezing.

Update two: I took out the song. It was covering a picture. Here is the link if you would like to listen to Whoopee TI YI YO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tJGz7lAmYs&feature=related

UPDATED: I was experiencing technical difficulties. Or, should I say that I was the technical difficulty? LOL
Either way, my camera didn't take all the pictures I thought it did, or some didn't download, or they were lost in the download.
Adobe Photoshop was misbehaving - as in not saving the pictures after I adjusted the size and renamed them. Luckily, the pictures are still on the camera. I HOPE.
And,the Internet connection was extremely slow.
I also had a video clip to share, but I couldn't (can't) figure out how to get it on here without signing my life away.

So this is what you get tonight. :)

Remember

2009-11-11T06:27:00.000-08:00

Today is Veterans Day, Remembrance Day, or Armistice Day. Whatever you choose to call it, please remember and pray for all those who have fought to keep us free.

Findings

2009-11-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

I have been finding some very fun stuff. I've been scanning as I go so that I can share photos with other family members. So, I thought I'd share this one with you.

The gentleman on the left (in the funny hat) is my Great-Grandfather Clements. I don't know who the soldier is or where or when this picture was taken. A wild guess is that the picture was taken in the 1890's in Iowa, Nebraska, or Wyoming. If anyone can give a better date, I'd appreciate it.

Word Verification

2009-11-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

Until recently, I had word verification turned on, because quite frankly, I didn't know it could be turned off. I got hit with some hate comments, so I turned on comment approval, too.

Recently, a blogging friend complained about having to type in that silly jumble of letters. It irritated her that she had to stop to do that after making a comment. Several people wrote into her blog saying they agreed that they didn't like word verification, either. (Actually, I think it is kind of fun to see what nonsense words come up. So? I'm a dork.)

Okay, I thought I'd give it a try. I turned off word verification, but left approval on. Within hours, I got hit. My email was full of "nasty" comments wanting to be added to my blog posts. I won't write any of the words here. I don't want more hits. Some are for products I'll NEVER want; others are for websites I don't wish to EVER visit.

Sorry, but my time is as valuable as everyone elses' time. When these comments come into my inbox, I have to look at these comments, hit reject, and delete these messages. And, I don't even want ANY of this garbage coming into my email inbox.

I'm sorry if I lose a reader or two and/or people who make comments. I hope these people understand why I have verification turned on. I hope they can make a fun game of make up silly definitions to go with the silly words. I hope they still come to visit and make comments. Nobody likes losing a friend over something that trivial.

So, word verification is going back on. Now.

Genealogy , Looking "Alike", and a Game

2009-11-04T04:29:00.001-08:00

Sherry over at Please, Contain Your Excitement wrote a wonderful post about her relationship with one of her brothers. I cried - happy tears. Please go check it out. In her post, Sherry mentioned that some people didn't think she and her brother looked alike and others thought they did. I'll let you decide. :)

This comment about looking alike got me to thinking about one of the crazy "games" I have played since I was just a little girl. I like to look at people and pictures of people and look for family resemblances. It is such a habit that I just automatically do it now. A side benefit or curse is that I remember faces, but not always remember names or where I've seen the person.

Here is an explanation as to why I do this. There were several "falling outs" in my family - on my mom and dad's side. (All these happened before I was born. Thank God some have been mended.) These rifts caused the families to split and not speak to or acknowledge each other. (My family was notorious for this!) Both of my grandmothers told me about (at least some of) these splits (for several reasons), but they were especially worried about the newest one. What if I met and fell in love with a first cousin?* (At least they didn't have to worry about it being a sibling!)

So, starting with the wild imagination and "self-centeredness" of a little girl, I have spent my whole life looking at people and wondering if they are related to me. I'm still doing it, but in a little more grown up way. Now I look and wonder if we are related (slight difference in the thinking process - lol).

But since I started doing genealogy, it isn't all about me or just my family (tho it generally is). I like to look at other people's old photos and look for family resemblances to help them piece the puzzles together. Sometimes I can help, sometimes not. (I'm not psychic. lol) Then, there is the area where I live. The denizens were, until the last 30 years or so, predominately German Catholic. They tended to be very leery of newcomers. (We're newcomers.) Result? Lots of inter-marriages and lots of people who look alike (and unfortunately a high birth rate of people with handicaps).

What I have learned by doing this is that there is more to this than looking at just facial features. There are certain facial expressions, the hair, body build/type , types of walks, and stance. If you are lucky and get to talk to people, there is the sound of the voice itself, certain inflections, the phrases that certain families use. (This all helps, but it isn't proof that people are related.)

I have learned that there is no pattern to what people look like. Siblings can and do look and act completely different. Distant cousins can and often look almost identical. A son might not look anything like his father, but his son will look exactly like his grandfather. Sometimes, children are "spitting images" of one parent or a mixture of both. Some people look the same their whole life. Others change drastically. One child will be so completely different from the rest that it makes everyone wonder who that child "really belongs to". Really, I know/knew this, but I have to consciously remember it.

Now for the * !

When I was a senior in high school, I spent a weekend visiting my best grade school friend, and she introduced me two of her friends who just happened to be boys. (At the time, I didn't know their last names or realize that they were younger than us! ) We went out and around town as teens do. I specifically remember that night because it was really cold out and we put the top down on my friend's mom and dad's car and couldn't get it back up. Oops. For some reason, I had an immediate "aversion" to one of the boys. He was nice enough, but I just didn't really want to be partnered with him. No, I never saw them again after that night, either.

In about 2003 or 2004, I was doing some family research and found where one of my male cousins was going to attend his 30 year high school reunion. There was a graduation picture of him. HOLY CARP. I had partied with my first cousin (whom, of course, I didn't know was my cousin)! Thank goodness he was partnered with my girlfriend. Nothing really terrible happened, but still...

Obviously, I didn't see any family resemblance. So much for my game.

Cigarette smoke

2009-11-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

Did you know that a refrigerator that has been in a smoker's house smells like cigarette smoke even on the inside of the refrigerator? Yes, it does. Open the door, and the smell will knock you over.

Did you know that a mattress that spends just one night in a smokers house will for weeks reek of cigarette smoke? Yes, it will. Even after two weeks of leaving it unmade, having the windows wide open and turning a fan directly on it, it will still reek. Yes, it will still stink even after vacuuming it and spraying it with Fabreeze. And even with the air purifier (with the odor remover feature) going it will still stink for at least 4 weeks.

Did you know that after 5 weeks, wood furniture, even after washed, will smell like cigarette smoke? Yes, it does.

Did you know that cigarette smoke stays in a computer and will eventually damage it? Yes, it does.

Do you know that walls and wallpaper and carpet can hold stale cigarette smoke smell for more than 20 years? Yes, they will.

Now, why I know these things:

The refrigerator and the wood furniture came from my brother and SIL's house. These items were in exchange for what they took of Mom's. The mattress spent one night up there. Thank goodness, my SIL didn't like it. They both smoke in the house. I have worked my butt off to get rid of the smell. While the smell isn't gone, it has lessened. I can still smell it when I come in from outside. One of the best cures turns out to be LOTS of house plants!

The walls, wallpaper, and carpet are in my house. No one has smoked in my house for over twenty years (previous owners smoked - we haven't ever smoked). When we come home on a damp cold day and the house has been closed up, it still reeks of stale cigarette smoke - after 20 plus years. (We haven't changed some things, because the foundation needs to be fixed first.)

My husband works on computers. Sometimes he brings home the ones that he has to run diagnostics on. One day after complaining of the cigarette smell, he had me look at the inside...

Why do I care about the smell? I'm allergic to cigarette smoke. Okay, I'm not allergic as in I'm going to swell up and die, but I get all stopped up, a sore throat, and a headache - immediately - even before I smell or realize there is cigarette smoke present. Sometimes the smell even makes me sick to my stomach. Seems a few family members have forgotten this. And, I have spent the past few weeks feeling like I have a cold, but it is "just" allergies. Yes, I know - gripe and moan.

Come on Baby Light My Fire

2009-11-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

A thrilling title for a not so thrilling subject. (groan)

Remember junior and senior high science classes? I always dreaded the chapters on heat and electricity. I thought when I got out of high school I'd be through having to study about these two "horrid" subjects. Oh, no. They popped up in college - several times. Now, as a home owner these subjects never go away.

Electricity. What would we do with out it? Sure, we CAN, but who really wants to?

Heat. This is what heats my mom's house:

Pellet Stove

(pic source: Quadra Fire)

(I love the English language. It is a stove that burns pellets. It is not made of pellets. lol)

Pellets

They look kind of like miniature Presto Logs

This pellet stove gives off a wonderful warm heat like a wood fire, but it is controlled by a thermostat. The stove turns on and off like a furnace, so there are drafts. It takes electricity to light the stove, control the thermostat, turn the auger, and run the fans.

The stove has to be fed the pellets. One needs a large dry place to store the pellets, and they have to be hauled into the house. The bags are heavy, and it takes about a bag a day to warm the house. The stove has to be cleaned often - similar to a fireplace. In other words, a pellet stove is pretty "high maintenance". The advantage of pellets over wood is that they are fairly clean to store. Also, there are no splinters, chopping, bugs, dirt.

Update: Aunt Amelia had some good questions. Before my step-dad got too sick, he brought in the pellets as needed. Then, Mom did, by the small bucket-full. (My step-dad didn't want anyone to help - dementia.) When my step-dad passed away, my brother would bring in a bag of pellets, but Mom still had to carry them from the back porch through the house to the stove. Then I actually had a brilliant idea. Doesn't happen often. lol My brother dug one of these out of the shed (only ours isn't so bright and shiny):

The wash boiler sits right next to the stove and holds two bags of pellets. Mom didn't have to haul pellets anymore. All she had to do is use a scoop to fill the hopper.

So far my husband has been packing in the bags and filling the boiler. Bless him. If I have to, I can go to the shed and get them by the bucket full. I can lift a bag, but I'd rather not.

AND this:

Wall heaters

(A heater that is installed in the wall.)

Baseboard heaters

(A heater that is installed instead of a baseboard.)

Only instead of pretty white ones, these are the old ugly tan ones.

My boring point is that all of these take electricity to work. This area is notorious for the power going off. The only thing in the whole house that is on a battery back up is the computer. I don't think the computer will keep the pipes or inhabitants from freezing.

UPDATE 2: In years past when the power went off, my step-dad would bring in the generator. Mom couldn't do that, and I don't think I can, either.

On the bright side - at least there are heaters. Some people aren't so lucky.

Now for your listening pleasure:
This is the short sweet version (about a 15 second commercial first, sorry). The embedding is disabled on this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LtPVBqQsf8

Long live version - watch at your own risk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O6x_m4zvFs&feature=fvw

2009-10-31T09:16:00.000-07:00

Last Halloween

My daughter and "Jack"

Happy Halloween

Since we live in a rural area, the children (most of them) still trick or treat. It is so nice to live where it is relatively safe. Since most everyone knows each other, it is really stupid for someone to try to hurt a child. (It is anyway, but here the person gets caught.) It occasionally happens so the children and parents still have to be careful. Over the years I've noticed more and more parents out with their children. Even though some of the older kids might not think it so great to have their parents along (I would have hated it!), I think it's wonderful to see the the parents out doing something with and for their children.

I'm still at my mom's.   I hope no one comes tonight, because the dogs go nuts when anyone comes to the house.

I don't really have any appropriate treats here. Wonder what the children would think about a bottle of Ensure, a bag of Cranberry Apple Herb Tea , or a can of soup? lol Getting the truck started and driving into town and then maneuvering said truck in the congestion just seems like a lot of work just to buy a bag a candy. (Even really small towns get very congested, too.)

Actually, I do have some bottles of "kid's" (the weird mixed stuff that tastes like punch) juice. The juice would be an expensive treat, but there shouldn't be more than ten kids, if any at all. Also, it is 100 percent juice, has no added sugars, and 100 percent vitamin C. Am I brilliant or what? Probably the what. Oh, well.

The wind is blowing, but it is 57 degrees outside!  Balmy.  Barometer keeps changing from rainy to nice day to rainy.  The sky is bright blue right now.  A half hour ago, it looked like it was going to pour rain.   Guess we'll take whatever we get.   The power keeps going off, so I'll wish everyone a fun day and evening. 

This could drive one nuts

2009-10-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

I "stole" this from Laura at One Woman's Thoughts . Thank you, Laura. It was too good not to share.

Mom

2009-10-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

One of the best moms in the world left this earth September 29, 2009. May she be free from pain. May her soul be at peace. May she be with God as well as her loved ones who left before her.

Yes, this was rather unexpected. Mom didn't know if she'd live until next Easter or even Christmas, but up until about 2 days before she passed away she was still planning on going on our annual October fishing trip.

For those just now starting to read my blog, Mom was diagnosed just over five years ago with an unknown type of cancer. In July, the cancer was still "contained" to a small area. Six weeks later, it had spread and was out of control.

Random Bits and Pieces

2009-09-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

These two are among the best children any parent could ask for. (Of course, I'm not biased or anything. lol) I love both of you very much. Please stay the lovely people that you are.

***

Now I have to vent. Feel free to skip these next two paragraphs.

Now, I'm going to say that I am sick to death of two of my friends' children. (I could post pictures of them, too, but I don't want to see their "ugly" faces right now.) They are rude, sullen, inconsiderate, selfish, completely self-centered, and sometimes down right mean. And, my friends have let them get away with being that way. They both have let those children (all grown, by the way) walk all over them.

It has gotten so bad, that I cannot stand to be around any of the children and some of their children. I'm tired of listening to my one friend complain about how awful her children act and how they treat her. I'm having a difficult time staying friends with these two women because I all I want to do is yell and scream at them to get backbones. I want to tell them that they are the mothers and grandmothers and have every right to demand - no matter how old the children and grandchildren are - that they be treated with kindness and respect. I have dropped many hints. They don't get it. Unfortunately, dropping friends isn't easy. And, it wouldn't be at all kind. This is a very small town, and we all belong to the same church.

***
Okay, on to happier things.

Yesterday. Out for a Chinese food lunch and then thrift store shopping. Some good bargains, a gorgeous day, and a great time. What else can I say? :)

Picked up several cups ($2.00 for all!) that match the dishes that are in the old trailer we use as a guest house. (The place actually belongs to my brother, but the whole family uses it.) Every time company comes, we have had to take cups from home or from mom's so people can have coffee, cocoa, or tea. No more. These can just stay there.

From McCall's Patterns copyright 1963:

Side 1

Side 2 -

This is one of oldest of the 41 patterns I purchased. Yes, forty-one. Thirty-nine of them were 10 cents a piece. They are different kinds and sizes, older and newer, children, teen, adult, and all kinds of crafts. I hope all the pieces are there, but for the price I really can't complain.

Two of the patterns were $2.00 a piece. One is a Debbie Mumm pattern for Christmas quilted wall hanging. The other is a Joan's Creation pattern for a Christmas room box using fabric for everything except the walls and floor. Even those are covered with appropriate fabric. Right up my alley. I love fabric and doll houses!

Also purchased a largish box of fabric scraps and remnants. $1.00. In it were several of these little guys and gals. There are three "finished" blocks and some more of the pieces cut out. These are a little dirty, so I hope I can get them clean. Everything in the box is jumbled, so I'll have to sort carefully. Also in the box are doll clothes - some cut out, some partially sewn. There are two little sun dresses cut out; these look to be about a child's size 2, or 3. (I know I already have at least one similar box of stuff that *I* haven't finished - oh dear.)

Copyright 1958. My cost: 25 cents

Doesn't the Mardi Gras recipe sound yummy? Uck! (Click to see a larger picture.) Maybe it would be okay if one substituted ham, roast beef, turkey, or salami for the tongue. (I like the taste of beef tongue just not the texture.)

One more:

Copyright 1972. My next to most expensive purchase, so I really debated on this one. I'm anxious to see if any of these (besides spaghetti sauce) really do freeze well. (As in tasting good after they're thawed and reheated, but I'm sure you all knew what I meant. grins)

Oh, and I purchased some very nice baby clothes for one of those ungrateful little twerps mentioned above. At least she said thank you even though she didn't look very excited.

***

I hope to be home until Sunday afternoon. Monday, I will take Mom to the oncologist, then will stay with her for at least another days (if not longer). I really would like to "settle" one place or the other. I really need my computer, paperwork, files, etc. so I can catch up on bookkeeping, and I would like to have my own sewing machine to use. Grandma's old one works great, but it doesn't zig-zag.

***

Last week Mom and I prepared and froze at least 20 quarts of tomatoes and canned 32 pints and 8 quarts of peaches. One quart didn't seal, so I didn't count that one. Mom froze at least a dozen bell peppers. I still have tomatoes and peppers coming on, so there will be more to do.

Home for a couple of days Updated

2009-08-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

Thank you, all, for your lovely comments, thoughts, and prayers. Mom has been doing fairly well, but she starts Thursday with another "procedure". So, it is off to another round of doctor appointments and back to Mom's to stay for at least a few days.

Pictures taken with crappy cell phone camera. Sorry. As always, click on the picture for a larger view. :)

On Highway 101 (Highway 1) before getting to Santa Barbara. It was getting dark, but it was so beautiful.

The Channel Islands were so clear and close. Sorry they don't show up well here. You can just barely see the fog starting to roll in.

Stole this from Carmen. Thanks, Dear. What a difference in camera quality. Channel Islands from Highway 1 Santa Barbara County, California.

Actually, we (my husband, daughter, and I) "snuck off" to beautiful Santa Barbara, California, for my mother-in-law's 80th birthday party and a mini family reunion.

Of my in-law's ten children, only one son couldn't make it. (He is self-employed, this is his busiest season, and his substitute workers came to the party.) My husband is the oldest child, and our son is the oldest grandson and the third grandchild. (I'm pretty sure Carmen is the 6th grandchild.) In-laws have eighteen grandchildren ranging in ages 34 to 3.

Carmen & Molly. Molly is the 2nd to the youngest great-grandchild. Molly belongs to one of our nieces.

Six grandchildren and two of the seven great-grands weren't able to come.

Grandma and Grandpa with a little over half of their grandchildren. Pictured here: grands aged 32 to 3. By the time this was taken, a couple of the grown grandsons had left the party. (The oldest grandchild had just had a baby, so her family wasn't at the party - too far to travel with a itty-bitty one.) The two next to Grandma are twins. The 3-year-old was so tired. Too bad he has his face covered. He is just a doll. Okay, they are all cute :D

So disappointing that everyone wasn't there; all of us would have loved to have seen them. All of Mom S's siblings were there along with all (her family side) of her nieces and nephews and some of their children! It was a rushed trip (two long days of driving one way) and a little stressful, but it was great visiting with those who were there.

Our son D & his better half K. lol Really, both are super "kids".

Our son and his family met us there, and then we traveled north to their house for a day a couple of days.

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in the fog. It was a chilly 57 degrees.

The size of the supports on Golden Gate Bridge is amazing.

This is a view from D & K's driveway. Yes, that is a small, very old, private cemetery.

So good to spend a little time with our "kids"! Our (step) granddaughter will be a senior in high school! Where does the time go? I didn't get a decent picture of her with this camera. "Kirs" was being her normal silly self, and yes, her hair is purple.

"Kirs"

"Kirs" and her Aunt Carmen

Our grandson will be in the 8th grade. He is still on the little side. Although you can't tell it here, he's only about an inch shorter than his Aunt Carmen. (He's always hungry, so I expect he'll shoot up tall this school year.)

J with his Aunt Carmen
Rough housing in the house. Both old enough to know better. LOL

Long Overdue Thank You and Explanation

2009-07-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who has been praying and thinking of my mom and me. The prayers worked! Mom just sort of "snapped out of it". She was sick and then suddenly this past Wednesday evening was feeling good. So good, in fact, that we went on to Moscow on Thursday to go grocery shopping and have lunch with my daughter. Mom rested some on Friday and then she and my daughter left yesterday to go camping with my brother and SIL!

This business of my mom not feeling well is really hard to deal with. When I was growing up, she was "never sick" as in she refused to give in to anything. Only the occasional "sick" migraine would stop her.

Mom was and has been a small dynamo. (She was and is little. She's less than 5 feet tall and weighs about 90 pounds. She never weighed above 100 pounds until she was in her fifties.) She worked full time, kept a spotless house (with help from us kids), sewed, read, painted, crocheted, and cooked beautiful meals along with being a mom and wife. Now, she works part time, keeps her house picked up, takes care of her pets, and gardens. She says, "I can sit in my chair and feel bad and sorry for myself, or I can get some work done and keep my mind off of it."

*Only* this time she was so sick she couldn't work - or even walk to the bathroom by herself.

Mom didn't allow and still doesn't do "feel sorry for me". I think that is why I have never posted about this, but since I've been asking for prayers I thought I should explain why.

***

Five years ago this month, my mother was diagnosed with an unknown type of cancer. She had a huge malignant tumor in her lung, and by the time it was found, the cancer had spread to the surrounding lymph nodes. (My mother has never smoked. The doctors said that this is "not a type of cancer one gets from second-hand smoke or asbestos".) Mom had surgery and then chemo. But, the abnormal cells never went away.

The cancer has now spread to the other lung. (She did really well for about 3 years, but then started reacting to the chemo she'd been on. She has reacted to most types they've tried, but seems to handle this last type pretty well.) She also has been experiencing the side effects of prolonged chemo therapy - inability to smell or taste very many things, shortness of breath, decaying teeth and infection, fluid around the heart, extreme weight loss, and the inability to eat very much at a time. She has recently had fluid removed from around her heart and had oral surgery to try to save her teeth and face bones.

Add stress to the cancer.

My step-father had COPD which caused some bouts of crankiness, paranoia, and unreasonableness.

Three years ago, Mom tripped over the cat, fell, and broke her hip. She had to have a hip replacement, but she came through that really well. Within two weeks, she was up and walking to the office every day!

A year ago February, my mom's mother suddenly became ill and passed away while we were experiencing a series of major storms causing road closures and while Mom was in the middle of a major reaction to a treatment.

My step-father didn't handle Grandma's passing. (His illness caused that.)

A year ago June, my once wonderful step-father and my mom's husband of almost 40 years was diagnosed with lung cancer. Hello, COPD and they didn't find the cancer???

Last July, my mom and step-dad were in a wreck caused by a brake malfunction. They weren't hurt, but it wrecked their Suburban and totalled their travel trailer. (This just about did in my step-father. We were so glad it was a malfunction and not something caused by my step-father.)

My step-father went through chemo and radiation treatments, but passed away from pneumonia rather suddenly just after Thanksgiving. (The funeral was extremely stressful - again blizzards and road closures and add my step-dad's hostile daughter. )

Mom is still fighting to get the probate done. There have been my step-father's children to deal with and my (real) nephew's wife. Everyone thinks they are entitled to something.

There's more, but that is enough for here.

***
My brother has stepped in to take care of the mowing, watering, and trimming. He was already doing most of the "handy man" stuff around the house. (Here he is off camping and this morning an underground water line broke to one of the sprinklers. How dare he leave! JK and LOL)

I have been going with Mom to all of her appointments and staying with her when she doesn't feel good. (Mom lives 125 miles from the medical center. In the summer it takes two and a half hours to drive one way.)

My other brother lives on the other side of the country, but he comes "home" when he can. (He was here for 10 days in June and worked his skinny little hind end even skinnier.) He and his wife had been busy with her folks. Her father passed away in January, but her mom is still alive.

Random, but my generation is soon to be the old generation. Scary thought.

This was probably more than you wanted to know. Thank you again for your prayers.

Peeping Toms?

2009-07-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long delay in posting. Things have been a little on the crazy side. My mom and I took the trip to Utah and Wyoming. (See last post for a few pictures.) What I didn't mention was that my mom became really ill on the trip. A round of antibiotics perked her up enough to get home. We've made several trips to doctors since we've been home. Mom wound up having minor surgery, so I have been staying with her. She still isn't feeling well and will being having different surgery done on Thursday. I'd appreciate your prayers that all goes well.

Anyway, last night at Mom's, I went to my room to change from jeans to a bathrobe. (Please note that these pictures were taken with my cell phone at after 9:30 PM through the window screen. See how light it was?)

We only shut the curtains on the back side of the house to block out sunlight. No one in their right mind should be out there looking in. Only last night I got the "creeps" that told me someone was watching.

This was my peeping Tom. He was only about 30 feet away.

Then I realized I had another peeper. This is a peeping Tomasina, er, Spooky cat.

We all stared back and forth at each other for at least 15 minutes. Spooky finally wandered off probably to hunt, and the buck got tired of standing. All this time, I had two dogs in the bedroom with me watching the buck watching us.

The buck stayed there until after it was dark. He finally got up, stretched like a dog, and wandered off up the hill.

Pictures First Part of Trip

2009-06-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

Seems all I have done in the past two months is ride in the car. I have been to Lewiston so many times, I've lost count. (I haven't posted because I've been gone so much.)

Pictures are scarce because unfortunately, I'm usually driving. It's difficult (not to mention dangerous) to take pictures and drive at the same time. (No kidding!) I've tried to get others in the car to take pictures for me, but ... (Let's not go there.) Several pictures that I thought I took are nowhere to be found. I *hate* my camera because it is so slow! I think it has snapped the picture, but it really hasn't. By then we're clear past what I wanted a picture of.

Southern Idaho from the freeway. Sorry it's blurry. Notice how green it was. It was raining, but the farmers were still irrigating.

Southern Idaho or Northern Utah

From a park in Ogden, UT. The mountains are so close and still so green. Family reunion picnic day! Mother Nature was kind; it was absolutely gorgeous that day. (It had poured rain the day before and poured that night and all the next day. )

Same park, different view. The Unitas are so beautiful.

The edge of some badlands in Wyoming. One of the pictures that didn't take was of more badlands. Again, notice how green the grass and sagebrush is.

Just some of the critters that reside in my cousin's yard. They're headed across the street to the river. My cousin's side yard is natural landscaping so she gets all kinds of animals. It was too dark to get a picture the night the big buck was helping himself to the grass in the side yard.

Taken from my cousin's front yard. That is the North Platte River at the top of the white fence. From these views you can't tell it is flooding or how wide it is. The old timers said it has been about 60 years since the water has been this high. The other pictures of the river are missing. The bottom picture was taken after the water level had dropped some. Notice how close the water is to the bottom of the bridge. The only times I had ever seen this river was when it was so low we could wade across it.

More pictures another day. I was in Lewiston today. I have to go back tomorrow and will be there at least through Thursday. This time Mom and I will stay all night. I think I could drive this route with my eyes shut...

Quick Update

2009-05-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

Today really is Memorial or Decoration Day. It is Saturday. I feel I should be out putting flowers on the graves of loved ones. Hopefully, I will at least get to visit some the grave sites this next week or the week after.

My apologies to those I owe emails. We are experiencing crazy things with our internet service. While it is working, I'm posting an update (and hope it actually works).

I will be gone for the best part of the next two weeks, so please don't give up on me. Hopefully, the internet problems will be fixed by the time I get home. I have certainly complained enough. DH will be here along with our very unfriendly Rottie and the semi-unfriendly border collie and hound so don't anyone get any ideas. 'Course, the black lab would just jump on you and knock you down so she could lick you to death... :)

Anyway, everyone enjoy the next couple of weeks. I post when I get back.

Changing of the Guard

2009-05-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, when I was there, I don't remember anyone giving orders. I thought I remembered complete silence. I also thought the soldiers did more maneuvers with their backs to each other. And, I would have sworn the guards were Marines. Anyone have an answer/reply to this? Update on Tuesday: Do I have two different changing of the guards confused????

Prepare to be furious and/or weep.
Several years ago, I had the privilege of watching the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (in Arlington, VA). The temperature was at least 103 degrees with probably 100 percent humidity. (A thunderstorm was forming.) I was standing at the back of the scant crowd, trying to get my small child into some shade. (The rest of my family was up in the front of the crowd.) A young man (probably a little younger than I was at the time), holding a toddler, was sharing the meager shade.

I was watching, absolutely in awe of the precision of the soldiers. I was in awe of the hours and hours the soldiers had to spend practicing. I was in awe that these soldiers volunteered and considered it an honor to do what I would consider an incredibly boring job. I was in awe that the soldiers would stand out in the heat and sun, pelting rain and lightning, or wind, ice, and snow. I was thinking of the parents who lost their sons and never received their remains or knew for sure what happened to them. I was thinking how quiet our children were being considering how uncomfortable they must have been. (It was almost as if these two little ones knew not to make the slightest whine or squeak.) I was hoping that a day never came when we might have to send our children off to fight a war.

When the changing of the guard was over and the crowd started to disperse, the man said, "What a waste of time." I was absolutely speechless. I couldn't think of one single thing to say to him. All I could do was stand and stare at him.

I have often wondered what would have happened to that man if anyone besides me had heard him say that. I have often wondered what became of that man. (All these years I have been completely disgusted with him and yet pitied him. I have even prayed for him.) I have often wondered what became of that little boy; he'd be 17 or 18 now - just about the right age to join the service. Did the little boy grow up hating the military and/or the US? Or, could he possibly have grown up proud to be an American?

Susan Boyle 1999

2009-05-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, this woman can sing!

And We Kept Our Mouths Shut

2009-05-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

Last week I spent a few days helping to paint the inside of our friends "new" house. That was actually kind of fun. We got in a bit a visiting, a bit of fun arguing about paint color choices, and I got a dose of babysitting my friends' two adorable well behaved 4 year old grands.

(Oddly, I like to paint; I love seeing a dull, dirty wall turn out bright, clean, and cheerful. What I don't like is the prep or the clean up, but I like clean up a whole lot better than all that taping/masking! I can't paint with out taping; my hand just isn't steady enough not to make a mess.)

All last week, my friend's husband, C, told my friend, M, that they would be moving over Mother's Day weekend. Needless to say, my friend was not happy with her DH. Her 60th birthday was on Thursday, and this was also the eleventh anniversary of her last chemo treatment! She wanted to celebrate being alive and well, her birthday, and Mother's Day without any hassles or pressures. I kept telling her not to worry about it because there was no way "we" were going to help move over Mother's Day weekend. "But, C said."!!!

I had to be gone on Thursday, but remembered to call M to wish her a happy birthday. A few of us "girls" wound up going out to celebrate on Thursday evening, but I guess no family member "remembered" to call her. No one brought over a cake or a card. Oooh, was M upset with them!

Forward to Saturday - M was painting at the "new" house. One of her daughters showed up and told her mom that she needed to change into at least clean jeans because they needed to go NOW to look at a room for daughter's wedding reception (just in case rain ruined the already made plans). When they got to the hotel, M wouldn't go into the room because there were people in it. Daughter had to literally push M into the room. It took M a few seconds, but when she realized who the people were M burst into tears.

Not once did M tumble that her family had put together a surprise birthday party. One of M's brothers brought their mom from Montana; another daughter and grand came up from southern Idaho. Church members and friends showed up. M was ecstatic. She said she was so busy getting ready to move that it never occurred to her that anything was going on. She thought that because every one was so busy, too, that they had forgotten her birthday.

1908 Radford's design 5072

2009-05-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

This is from Radford's Rustic Bungalows The Complete 1908 Catalog, a Dover reprint. (I did not find a copyright anywhere, so hope I'm not infringing.)

Classic exterior

Notice anything strange about the floor plan compared to the picture of the house? (Left click to see a larger view.)

Before I give away the answer, note that the only place for a dining table is in the living room. Tiny area. One bedroom is really small, too. There isn't an inside wall for a piano, either.

I haven't actually researched this, but at a quick glance it looks like $10.00 was the going price for plans for a two bedroom house.

Answer: no stairs to the second floor. So many older homes had large to huge unfinished attics without access to them. Strange.

Tagged.

2009-05-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

Motherhen at The Chicken Coop tagged me. P, you'll be sorry some day. jk, jk! This is going to be kind of a bust, cuz I'm boring. Really. Also, I am borrowing some of P's responses. They're too good not to pass on.

The Rules:
Mention the person that tagged you.
Complete the lists of 8’s.
Tag 8 of your wonderful bloggy friends.
Go tell them you tagged them.

8 Things I Look Forward To:

1. Seeing my son and grandchildren and other family members
2. Meeting family that I haven't yet met
3. Being debt free
4. Going camping again
5. Getting a house (or fixing ours) with at least two bedrooms and at least one full bath on the main floor
6. The end of the BO administration
7. When Roe vs Wade is overturned
8. Scientists finding a cure or at least better treatments for cancer
Bonus: Hearing my daughter sing again.

8 Things I did Yesterday:

1. Changed the bed
2. Laundry
3. Visited and drank tea with K (who did not have on her new shoes)
4. Balanced the check books and paid bills
5. Cooked and served frozen pizza for dinner
6. Let the dogs in and out a hundred times (more or less)
7. Called my mother on the phone
8. Read blogs and my email

8 Things I wish I could do:

1. See my son and grandchildren more often
2. Play the guitar and sing on pitch while playing
3. Knit and crochet and embroider (I'm all thumbs.)
4. Alter sewing patterns so they fit perfectly
5. Sew really, really well
6. Do a better job of choosing colors, fabric, and patterns that "go together"
5. Think faster and comprehend more and retain more of what I read (My brain has slowed way down.)
6. Go some place warm in the winter
7. Move my husband's business out of the house
8. Keep my house clean

8 Shows I Watch:

We don't have TV, so I don't watch any shows.

8 Bloggers: I really don't know 8 bloggers well enough to do this. Adrienne would be one, but P already tagged her. Amber, you willing? The Songster? Miriam (I think Ashley tagged you)? Bart? Janssen? Merrick? Shay? If I tagged you and you don’t care to play, that’s ok! Have fun.

Fashion Doll Pattern - 1964

2009-04-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

I found this the other day. Simplicity 5673; copyright 1964. The envelope is worn on the corners, but the pattern is uncut.

The back says it is "Suitable for such Dolls as Annette, Mitzie, Babs, Kay, Polly Jr., Tina, Barbie, Midge and Gina." I don't remember Kay, Polly Jr., Tina, or Gina dolls. It doesn't mention Tressie. (I had a Tressie, and I remember that some of Barbie's clothes were too tight for her. Maybe that is why she isn't listed.)

<----TRESSIE

If you find a vintage fashion doll clothing pattern and want to use it for making clothes for the newer fashion dolls, you'll probably have to do some altering. The newer dolls just aren't built the same as the older ones.

Please let me know if you are or aren't interested in vintage patterns. If you aren't, I won't waste your or my time. :)

Well Used Pattern

2009-04-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

(Updated 3:30 4/29/2009 - I cancelled my photobucket account, because photobucket kept locking up the computer.)
I recently had to empty my "sewing room" to make way for other things. In the process, I found this pattern - Simplicity 8409 - copyrighted 1969. It cost 85 cents, and was purchased (probably in 1969) at Hudson's Department Store either in downtown* Detroit or at Eastland** (Shopping) Center in Eastpointe?, MI.

*If I remember correctly, Hudson's Downtown was the second largest department store in the US. Macy's in New York City was the largest. ** Eastland was fairly new and again, if I remember correctly, at that time the largest shopping mall in the US and one of the largest in the world. These places were absolutely fantastic. (Please correct me if I'm wrong about the sizes.)

I cannot tell you how many skirts and culottes were made from this pattern. Most of my high school wardrobe revolved around these pieces. (I didn't make the pants or jacket because they weren't "cool" enough.)

Specifically, I remember making a skirt in winter white wide wale (how was that for an alliteration!) corduroy that I wore with a dark brown fringed sash (like a belt). (Unfortunately, I don't remember what type of top I wore with it.) I made the culottes in coppery brown wide wale corduroy that was worn with a knit top made with (the same) brown, turquoise, and beige striped fabric. Two other pairs of culottes were made in dark green Kettle cloth and a summery yellow fabric. I know I made other skirts and culottes from this pattern, but am coming up blank about details right now.

The skirt took only a yard of 45" wide fabric, and the culottes took 1-1/4 yard of 45" wide fabric. Because I was (am) so short I really didn't need to buy that much. These were very simple, quick, and inexpensive to make - the fabric, a zipper, and some thread was all that was needed.

Sadly, the culotte and skirt pattern pieces are now missing. As I sort through things, I hope they magically reappear.

How We Started The Pantry

2009-04-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

This is how we started our pantry. I need to restart this process to figure out what needs to be added or eliminated. And, it would help create a food budget.

I'd post pictures of our pantry, but it is completely disorganized not to mention really dusty. (Time for a major overhaul. Note to self: Drinking water needs to be used up and replaced.) Our pantry is basically several sets of metal shelves that are set up in a U shape in the corner of what was the rec room.

In my previous post where I explained why I keep a stocked pantry, I don't think I mentioned that I'm also worrying about the country's state of affairs. I think stocking up is a really good idea. I've been adding more prepared foods to the pantry - things that if the power goes off they wouldn't have to be cooked before eating (canned meats, vegetables, etc). They may be expensive and not taste the best, but we wouldn't go hungry.

***
When we started our pantry we were really poor. If we were really lucky, we'd have a couple of dollars left at the end of the pay period. Sometimes we'd have only 50 cents left. A few times we were down to 10 cents when the next pay check arrived. (For two years, we didn't go to a movie, go bowling, or do much of anything that cost money. We didn't drink alcoholic beverages. There was seldom juice, ice cream, soda pop, candy, coffee, or tea in the house.)

After running out of food a few times, my husband figured out that with his erratic schedule we had to buy more food when we went shopping. We didn't know when we'd get to go again. To do this, we needed to know how much we could spend at the grocery store, how much food we needed, and how much it actually would cost to buy it.

***
We lived in a single wide mobile home. The floor plan was rather unique in that it had a small room off the kitchen. This room had a coat/broom closet and a space for an upright freezer. (It even had a door to the outside. This room was an amazing feature for those of you who are too young to know about mobile homes.) The manufacturer called it a mud room. We called it our pantry.

***
*Dh made a list of all the different foods, cleaning supplies, paper products, and grooming aids we had on hand. (It wasn't much. This was before we had stocked a pantry and before we had a deep freezer.)
*To the list, we added what we were out of that had to be replaced.
*I figured out a menus for each meal for a month.
*I then figured out how much food we would need to make up these for just the two of us.
*We added to the list what we absolutely had to have to get by until the next shopping trip and what was needed to make up the meals that were on the menu. (I have always kept a grocery list on the refrigerator and/or by the phone.)
*Then we added what we would like to have (juice, jelly, fresh produce, lunch meat, ice cream, chocolate chips, pop, etc).
*This all was written down a single column on a few sheets of school notebook paper. (I can't remember now if like items were grouped or if the list was alphabetical.)
*Dh added columns across the paper: package size, price per oz/ea/pound/whatever, store name. I typed this up using carbon paper so that we had several copies.
*Then we took our list and went product and price shopping.
*Actually, this took a few shopping trips to get a good idea of which stores consistently had the best prices. (We seldom could go shopping when what we needed was on sale, so we looked for the best over all prices.) We filled in the columns on our list. We bought by comparing, changing brand and/or store, or duplicating an item if the price was right. We'd buy larger containers of non-perishables.
*We kept track - to the penny - of what we spent. If a needed item was on sale, we'd add an extra to the cart until we reached our spending limit. Sometimes we'd have to decide if we really, really needed an item. Sometimes we'd go over budget just to get the bare necessities. Sometimes we had enough money to add some extras.
*Somehow, slowly our pantry was being stocked.

***
The menu planning kind of went by the wayside, but we kept this list updated for probably 15 years. (It's kind of ironic that when we could have put it on the computer is just about when we quit keeping track of prices!)

***
If I remember correctly, we finally mostly shopped at two stores - one was Safeway and the other (I think) was locally owned. We'd only go to the other stores if a sale was good enough to make it worthwhile.

***
Even with all our careful planning we'd still sometimes run out of things. A piece of meat would be half fat or gristle. A recipe that said it made 6 servings would barely feed us one meal. I'd forget to write something on the list or forget to take the list when we went shopping. We'd have unexpected company. Sometimes there just wasn't enough money to buy everything we needed.

Pantry History

2009-04-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

UPDATED 6:10 PM

In Blogland, there seems to be quite a bit of interest in stocking up - on food and other items. There is a renewed interest in gardening. People seem to want to make food and cleaning products from scratch. Some people want to save money. Some are worried about the economy. Some want to have a supply for emergencies such as natural disasters. Some do it as part of their religion. Some are trying to get away from commercially processed foods with all of the additives and preservatives. Some are worried about the environment. Some are doing this for a combination of these reasons.

***

A while back, I mentioned to P at The Chicken Coop http://motherhen68.wordpress.com/ that I would post how and what I stock in my pantry. Here is the history of why I keep a stocked pantry.

I learned the hard way that I needed to start a pantry. A few months after my husband and I were married, my husband took a job in Oregon where his work site was about 20 miles from anywhere. We lived in a tiny town that was 50 miles from any town large enough to support a real grocery store. And, sometimes in the winter the highways in all directions would be closed. This "town" that we lived in had a bar, a "drug" store (kind of a junky store without a pharmacist), a gas station (that sold only gas and oil), a grocery store, a tiny library (I think I read almost every book in it), two or three churches (one served several denominations), a school, a post office, and a fast food "cafe".

The local grocery store's selection was poor at best; sometimes there was no fresh food or even toilet paper, sugar, or flour. Add to this, the owner opened and closed the store on his whim. The prices were extremely high, and we were extremely poor.

My husband often worked 10 days on and 4 days off, but the schedule was subject to change without notice. Sometimes he would have only one day off in twenty. My husband had to use our only car to get to and from work, and he would often just show up from work with a dinner guest without letting me know ahead of time. Remember, this was pre-cell phone days. (One time I had to serve a guest tough stringy tasteless "roast" and canned corn with water to drink. There was barely enough to go around, and there wasn't anything else in the house. We didn't even have enough money buy a soda pop much less go out to eat. Talk about embarrassing! I can't remember what we did for breakfast the next morning.)

I had to learn a whole new way of thinking, budgeting, and shopping. The pantry was born. And, yes, I made mistakes - like forgetting to take the checkbook (on Sunday when the banks were closed and before ATM's) and/or the grocery list with me when we went shopping.

We lived there for two years. For the next 11 years we lived roughly 150 miles from any town that had more than 15,000 people.

This move took us to rural Idaho. The area we moved to had a relatively (for the northern US) mild climate. However, we would often go hours and hours without electricity and sometimes several days without being able to go anywhere due to road closures. Luckily, almost everyone, including us, had fruit trees, and we planted large gardens. What one person didn't grow, another did. Produce was traded, given, or "gotten". I relearned (Grandma had taught me when I was younger) to can, freeze, and dry fruits and vegetables. I even bought raw milk and made butter and ice cream.

Some of this time was before microwave ovens. (My first microwave oven cost almost $400! It still works.) I didn't own a dryer. We heated the house and our water with a wood burning stove. We cut and chopped our own wood. I had a toddler. Then I had another and home schooled my son. And, several of of those 11 years, I worked full time outside the home being gone for 12 to 14 hours a day sometimes for several weeks at a time. (Wears me out just thinking about it. And, I thank God for my neighbors and my grandparents who were healthy enough and willing to help take care of my son while I worked.) Sorry, I regress.

For almost twenty years now, I have lived in a town with two largish grocery stores and several convenience stores. There is an on-going battle with the shoppers and the store owners, because groceries are incredibly expensive. The store owners used to say that it is because the delivery charges were so high, but all the small towns around us with farther delivery distances were less expensive than the stores in this town. Now, the store owners say the prices are high because of delivery costs and they have lost business to Costco and WalMart. The stores in the outlying towns still charge less on most items than the stores in this town.

So, I keep my pantry. I stock up when there are really good sales. Now that there is a Costco and WalMart (about 80 miles away) I go every few weeks to restock and add to the pantry. (I did have to learn to ignore all the fun stuff.)

***

I really don't know whether it is less expensive grow and preserve your own fruits and vegetables. It can be quite expensive to get started. If you have to consider your time, it probably isn't worth doing your own. If you don't like gardening, then it probably isn't worth it. If you have to pay for water to irrigate it might be cheaper to buy your produce.

What I do know is that I like knowing that what I preserve is fresh and clean when I start. I like that I know what is in the food I preserve. I do know that most home preserved food tastes better than commercially processed food.

***

I still haven't answered P, but I need to stop for today. Hopefully, tomorrow...

Update to Story to Go with...

2009-04-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

K's shoes are too tight. May I please cry?

Mealtime Rules

2009-04-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

For Paula (and anyone else who might be interested). I hope something here might work for you.

When I was growing up, these were the mealtime rules at our house:

Everyone sat down and ate together. There had to be a really good excuse not to be at the dinner table.

Grace was said before the meal.

No ugly comments, gags, rude noises, or complaining allowed. (I didn't allow my children to do that, either.)

If anyone made a face and/or comment and/or did anything my mom and dad considered to be rude (including bad table manners that weren't corrected after a warning), that person made the next meal by his or herself - and did ALL the cleanup. (If the rude thing was done at dinner then dinner was the next meal that the culprit got to cook.) The meal had to be balanced and be made from scratch (no hot dogs or TV dinners allowed). If a game or practice or TV show was missed, too bad - homework still had to be done.

If we acted up at the table, we were not sent away. Our food would be removed from in front of us, and we had to sit and watch every one else eat. (If we straightened up and sincerely apologized, Mom would let us have a bread and butter sandwich and/or fruit before going to bed. She did not believe in sending us to bed hungry.)

If something new was served to us, we had to at least try it.

We had to eat at least a bite even if we didn't like something. (No one had food allergies so that couldn't be used as an excuse.)

If it was the main course (such as a casserole) we didn't like and wouldn't eat, we could fill up on what left over after everyone else had their fill. We could not get up and fix anything else to eat. The only time Mom cooked something different for us was when she served liver. (Mom disliked liver, too. lol)

We were not allowed to put salt on our food until we tasted it first.

We children almost always set the table (cloth tablecloth, napkins, milk in a pitcher, utensils in the proper place, food served in bowls on the table). If Mom forgot to ask us to put a condiment (ketchup, anyone?) on when we were setting the table, we had to quietly get it on the table before we sat down to eat. We did not get up to get it. Depending on what was being served, we might get away with asking if it was something every one at the table would probably want (for example: butter for rolls or potatoes, ketchup for hot dogs). We knew not to ask for anything to put on a T-bone steak!

We always thanked mom (or who ever) for the meal. We also learned to tell the cook that the meal was good or that we enjoyed a particular dish.

Everyone helped clear the table. Mom and I usually put the food away. We took turns doing the dishes. Someone swept the floor and wiped up spills. Someone else wiped counters and the stove. Many hands truly made light work - even if at the time we didn't think so and even if we did sort of trip over each other.

Almost every night one person would read out loud to the others who were cleaning the kitchen. (I realize now that there was more to this than just hearing what was being read. The parents could see how well we were learning to read, sound out words, grasp meaning from context, etc. This usually involved using dictionaries and encyclopedias. And, it kept us from getting into arguments about who was going to do which chore!)

This routine worked well. It only took once or twice to realize complaining wasn't worth the consequences. Eventually, we (the children) automatically started dinner when we got home from school.

Story to go with last post's pictures

2009-04-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

You know how you are around someone everyday, and how you don't see the changes in a person until something happens? Luckily, this time it was just a couple of car trips and not something drastic.

I admit it. I'm was being petty and childish. I was irritated to the point of wanting to bang my head and hers against a brick wall. Now I feel bad that I was so annoyed.

I will explain that this person has always talked a lot and not always listened to the answers to the questions she asked. Lately, she has become a little hard of hearing, but this was different...

It all started like this:

For weeks our elderly neighbor, K, had been telling H (another friend) and me that she wanted to go shopping - just to go wander around the stores. There wasn't anything urgent that she needed, so just sometime would do. We told her that one or both of us would take her IF her son couldn't and IF we could take her car. (She has a nice Honda.) Well, we were busy. The weather had been crappy (sorry, but it had), and the roads had not been in the best driving condition. And, our shopping center is 80 miles away - one way.

Suddenly, about 3 weeks ago, this shopping trip became of utmost importance. K needed to go now!

Please realize that friend H works 5 to 6 days a week plus shares her car with her high-schooler who has a job after school and on weekends. H's other "car" is a big pickup which her husband needs for his jobs. I drive a big pickup, and my husband's jobs take him places that our big truck can't get into. K has difficultly getting around so taking any pickup was out of the question. K told both H and me that her son couldn't take her. That made sense. All "our" men are self-employed, and they all work 6 to 7 days a week. So, I could take her if I had a car to drive.

When we asked about taking her car, she said she'd drive it. She didn't want anyone else to drive her car. (No way was I going to ride with her. That's a whole "nother" story.)

So on Sunday almost 3 weeks ago, H told our elderly friend that she'd made arrangements to take a day off, and they'd go shopping on Thursday (2 weeks ago today). Between Tuesday's reminding phone call and Thursday, K made all kinds of other plans for Thursday - totally blew H off. (I didn't know this until several days later.)

The next day (Friday) K told me that no one would take her shopping, and she really needed some things. My husband needed some parts (he could have ordered them), but the clincher was that our daughter was going to be in "town". He hadn't seen her for a few weeks, so we told K we'd take her with us. She could go to any store she wanted, but that we were meeting our daughter for lunch. Suddenly, that was too much running around, and K didn't want to go. (Weird since K has always treated our daughter like her own grandchild.) We had to talk like a son of a gun to get K to agree to go with us.

Saturday morning we go to get K. Her son was just coming up the walk, and we got to talking. He didn't even know his mother was going anywhere. And, his mother had never mentioned to him that she wanted to go shopping. He said could have taken her that very day if she had asked.

***
We chat all the way to town, and everything is pretty okay until we turn to go to Costco. We go in the "back way" which is a 55 mile an hour road (vs. 25-35 mph through town). It misses all the stop lights, cuts off some mileage, and on a busy day can save 15 to 20 minutes. K just had a fit. Where are we going? Why are we going this way? I've never been this way before. Where are we? I would have been there by now. Husband did get in a word to say we would miss all the stop lights this way. I never have to stop for the lights. (Now, that is just plain scary.) And on and on it went. She wouldn't listen to anything anyone said.

We got to Costco. Oh, no. We can't park in the handicap parking spaces. We should have brought the permit. No, the permit goes with your car. That doesn't matter. No one will check. Park in the handicap place. My husband drove around a little and was able to park in a space right next to a handicap spot. This isn't a handicap spot. I can't walk that far. We got her a cart and got her into the store and K said, "I'll meet you up front when I'm done" and took off like a teenager in a clothing store. Husband and I went different directions, too. We both saw some friends and stopped to visit with them. We both used the restroom, caught up with each other and did all of our shopping and checked out. No K. I finally went back into the store part of the building. She had been wandering all over looking for us. No, she hadn't been up front. Why did I need to do that? I got her up to the check out stand. She handed her card to the cashier. The card had expired. Why had it expired? K stood there and argued. Oh, I told my daughter-in-law I didn't need it anymore. I guess she took my word for it and didn't renew it. No, I don't need a day pass; I have a card. She still stood and argued. She wouldn't let me pay. People were lining up behind us. I finally just turned my back on her, handed the cashier my card, and wrote the check. (Thank goodness I had enough money in my checking account!) Then she had a fit about bill total. I basically just pushed her out of the store.

K needed to go to the shoe store. This is a real shoe store where they still measure your feet, but this is a very little store that caters mostly to ranchers, loggers, and serious athletes. K started in on the store owner (thank goodness it was the owner and not hired help) about the lack of selection. The man carefully measured K's swollen feet and brought out several pairs of shoes that K had picked out. In every color but beige. I want beige; can't you see that I'm wearing khaki colored slacks? He takes the shoes back and brings out beige shoes. But! She doesn't like any of the styles. Finally, she finds a pair of tannish colored shoes that she thinks will work. Yes, they're comfortable. I *watched* as the store owner checked the heel for slippage, the toes to make sure they weren't not too short, not too tight across the top, etc. etc. She seemed to be pleased with her choice.

We actually have a nice lunch. Dad and daughter didn't get to visit much because K talked the whole time. At least we saw daughter, and we were able to give her some groceries, her mail, and (finally) her dancing shoes.

Staples next. Husband goes in to buy what he needs. K needs White Out - the ribbon kind. She described the packaging, but wouldn't get out of the car to go look herself. Of course, Staples doesn't have any in the exact packaging so it can't possibly be the same type I use. She literally threw the package at me. (I now have 2 packages of White Out ribbon tape that I may never use.)

Then K suddenly decided that my husband had a job to do in "town". No matter how much we explained she couldn't understand that the parts were for a job at home. This went on - while we gassed up, while we were in Safeway, until we stopped at Baskin-Robbins - which she said she wanted to do.

Why did we stop here? I don't want any ice cream. You don't need to be eating any of that (to me who was just drinking water because by this time I had a horrible headache and was sick by to my stomach). It's fattening. You're too fat; you need to be watching what you eat. Quit eating so much ice cream and candy. You never use that treadmill you bought...

One more stop so we could use the restrooms. (This Baskin and Robbins doesn't have any for public use.) No. I don't need to use the toilet. I don't know why you always have to use the restroom. I'm fine. I can wait until we get home. On and on and on. (We were gone from home for more than 7 hours, and she never once used the restroom.)

Finally, she thanked my husband for taking time out to go to town. She admitted that she couldn't have done it by herself. It was almost pleasant on the way home. Then we unloaded her groceries. That's when she discovered that she had purchased the "wrong" bathroom cleaner. I told her I had at home a new bottle of the brand she likes. I'd trade. No, I'll do without.

That was just the first trip and doesn't even begin to explain why I posted the pictures.

Good Friday, early morning, K calls and says she's going to town. The shoes are a size 9W. I always wear a 9 1/2 M. They're too short. (Remember, I watched as he fitted those shoes on her. They were not too short or too wide or ___.) I have to take them back. I called. They don't have any others that will fit. Do I want to go with her? No, I really have work to do, but I'd be glad to return the shoes for her when I go with Mom the next time. No, I'm going today by myself. Well, of course, my conscience kicked in big time. I called her back and told her I would go IF I could drive. She agreed, but oooo did I pay for it.

We started out of town. Suddenly she had to go to the bathroom. We turned around. I remembered to ask if she had told her son that she was going to be gone for the day? No, it isn't any of his business. Besides, I called. Neither he nor S (his wife) answered so I hung up. If he can't answer his phone, he doesn't need to know where I am. They have an answering machine, so she either didn't let it ring long enough or decided she didn't want to leave a message. So while she was in the bathroom (clear at the back of her house in her bedroom), I called her son to tell him where we were going. Would you believe it? She heard me!

We started out again. We got to about where the second picture is taken, and she asks, Why aren't there any trees on the Prairie? I just don't understand why there aren't any trees. Where I grew up has lots of trees. I grew up with trees. Did the farmers cut them down? What are those towers? (cell phone) I don't know why everyone has to have cell phones. Why do the trees only grow in the draws? Why is this a Prairie? This went on clear past where the first picture was taken. Pictures 3 and 4 show where basically natural prairie meets where there the snow sticks long enough for there to be moisture for trees to grow.

Then we get to about pictures 5 and 6. Look at this wasted land. It isn't good for anything. Why isn't is good for anything? Can't grow vegetables. Why don't they grow vegetables on the Prairie? This land isn't good for anything. There's only rock here. No topsoil. Wasted. The growing season on the Prairie isn't long enough for vegetables and there isn't enough water. The farmers grow grain, peas, lentils, hay and rape. Well, what good is that? It's not vegetables. The grain is used for flour and cereals. We eat the peas and lentils. Hay feeds the cows, and you eat beef. This is rock and pine trees. Wasted land. Where I lived we grew vegetables. Hmmmph, it's not vegetables.

Shoe store: Owner isn't in. There is a young very pregnant lady "on duty". She brings over some shoes, but they aren't the right kind. She goes in the back and rummages around. She comes out with a pair a beige shoes in a 9 1/2 M. K goes balistic. That man said he didn't have any more shoes in my size (which was a true statement). Doesn't he know what he has? He didn't tell me the truth. Many more statements. K tried on the shoes and decided that because they were marked the size she has worn for the last few years that the shoes fit. The clerk kept showing K how they were too tight across the arch and how they slipped on the heel. But, K had to have those, because they are my size. That girl had a smile on her face, but here were tears in her eyes when we left. I apologized.

Staples for that elusive White Out. K headed for where it used to be. I told her that it was now in a different spot. WRONG. When she finally listened and found the White Out, they didn't have the exact same package as the one she uses.

Lunch: Took K to a restaurant she'd never been to. Thought it would be a treat. This isn't the restaurant I thought you were talking about. Why are we going here? This [dish] isn't what I thought it would be. Doesn't taste anything like I thought it would. Don't leave a tip. This isn't very good. Well, I'm sorry, but I was buying the lunch. If it was bad, why did she eat it all? My lunch was really good. I left a tip. And heard about it. There is a really nice restroom here, do you want to use it before we head home? No, I can wait. I just don't understand why you always need to use the restroom.

Leaving the parking lot: Too much traffic to make a left hand turn across three lanes, so I turned right. Wrong. Where are you going? This is my car. You're supposed to turn left. You can turn on any of the streets. Why aren't you turning? When I tried to explain where I was going it just got worse. I was headed to the by-pass by the levee. Tooks us less than a mile out of our way. The fruit trees, daffodils, and forsythia were in bloom. There were ducks and geese in the ponds, and people out walking on the levee. The sun was shining. It was glorious. She didn't even see it.

Things calmed down and were rather pleasant until we were almost to picture 1 again. (Remember this was Good Friday and there was lots of traffic.) A passing car was coming at us and getting way into my comfort zone. I put on the brakes - firmly, but not hard. Why did you do that? We had lots of room. You didn't needn't to slow down. I don't know why you just wouldn't let me drive. I wouldn't have slowed down.

Just wasted land. No trees. No vegetables.

Home to my house. Now I have to re-adjust all the mirrors and the seat. You should have just let me drive. Why did you bring your coat? It was nice out. I never carry a big purse. You should just carry your wallet. By this time I wasn't nice any longer. I sure my, "See you at church later" was less than civil. I was awful. I'm not sure I even spoke to her at church.

Yesterday, I was telling my mom about our two trips to town (mom had been gone so we hadn't visited for a while). Mom said one word, "Dementia".

Then today, I remembered. When Grandma used to get like that it meant she had a urinary track, bladder, or kidney infection. K wouldn't use the restroom those two days. I wonder... I will be making a phone call to one of her sons tomorrow.

Pictures. Maybe the story to go with them tomorrow.

2009-04-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

I "borrowed" some of these pictures from the Idaho Department of Transportation. (M, some of these pictures are for you.)

Looking north toward mountains (January?)

Prairie looking northwest toward timber and mountains (today).

Prairie meets timber. Taken at the base of the mountain that is in picture above. (Nov. 2008) Note the storm clouds moving in.

Notice the steep hill sides and all the rock. This top one isn't the best picture, but couldn't quickly find any others. Yes, that is snow on the road. (Today) Top picture looking southeast-ish. Bottom picture generally looking north-northeast.

Sunday

2009-04-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

He has risen! Happy, Blessed Easter!

Christmas Song in Lent

2009-04-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Why am I posting a Christmas song during Lent, especially when Holy Week starts Sunday? (This year, April 5th is Palm Sunday.) I'm posting it because I'd like to share it with my readers, partly because this is a beautiful song, and partly because I needed a nudge, an elbow to the ribs, or a smack upside the head (probably all three). I hope you can understand the words; I've posted the lyrics below the video just in case. (This song always make me cry.)

I love Wendy White's voice. Ms. White is a mezzo-soprano with the Metropolitan Opera. http://www.metoperafamily.org/operanews/issue/article.aspx?id=5153&issueID=331 (Sorry, but you'll need to copy and paste.)

This video is not professionally recorded so it starts out a little wobbly. Please bear with it; I hope you will find it worth it.

If a message says "Video no longer available" click on the play button anyway. Thanks.

By Lowry and Green(?)

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the Lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the "Great I am".