I'm UP!!! I think!

Weird!!! Tried all morning to get to read peoples blogs on blogspot, and got no where. Leslie said she could, so I emailed my sister and Brenda and Brenda replied that she was down too. SO then I tried blogger again and got this far. I will see if it shows or even if it posts.

You can not imagine the frustration I went through his morning. I always log on and then go straight to my site to see the comments, NOTHING!!! went to Phyllis' NOTHING so then I went to Leslie, and got right to her, so I knew it was not the connection. went from leslie to Kat NOTHING, so I went from Leslies to me NOTHING! Being the really smart person that I am I thought hmmmmmm must be a problem with blogger. Went to Blogger.com NOTHING! arrrghhhhh!!

Just now I was able to get into blogger, now we'll see if it posts, maybe I'll see you , maybe I won't, but I am trying!!!!

snowflakes that stay on your nose and eyelashes...

Yes it fianlly snowed, but not much! They were predicting 3-5 inches, so I cancelled rehearsal, and just drove into town to get some fire starters and del-logs and bird seed. I live up about 200 feet from sea level, and the road was really covered, and icy, but by the time i hit the road along the water it was just slush. I drove in four wheel low just to see what it would do. I have had the car for almost 5 years and never had to use my 4 wheel drive. Putting it into 4 wheel low allows you to drive up to 60 MPH, not that I would, mind you, but some idiots would. It did give me more traction, but braking was a hoot. I have ABS braking so I knew not to pumb the brakes like I used to do, just steady pressure. thump thumpthumpthump thump. But I stopped.

There isnt even enough to make the trees all white. Just enough to cover the ice and make the roads a real mess. Sadie is like a little kid in it. She runs out, and plays with it and bites at it and tosses it over her head. Really lots of fun to watch.

I got the fire going good and the new fan Bob got me for christmas is putting the heat all over the room. So we are all nice and toasty. Donna made it home safely about 1000pm so I can quit worrying now. I turned on my scanner, but it had become unplugged from the wall and the battery was drained, so I lost all of my emergency frequencies. So I have to go re-program it. It really helps on nights like this, by listening to the sherrifs deputies you can tell what is happening in the county. ALso being from a family of firefighters, you need to know where your loved ones are fighting fires. (I heard my son talking to his chief from inside an attic of a fully involved house. He was on the next island over, and that had me going for the evening, that was several years ago) I hope I have the right listings. I feel totally lost without my scanner.

The weather report says we should get more snow tomorrow and through the weekend, but I tend to doubt it. We hardly ever get snow.

Hey Everybody Don't forget CJ's birthday is Jan 1, !! I just put a card in the mail to her. She needs all the good wishes we can muster.

It is bedtime, and I dont have to be ANYWHERE tomorrow so I may not even get dressed. Just slug all day. Oh wait...its New Years Eve. That means Bob will be over and I will get my Yearly Smooch. 1 per year! that;s all, and just a smooch. I gotta find a different guy...ANYBODY OUT THERE LIKE OLD FAT WOMEN???

BRRRR

It is really cold out there today. I should know, I was running all over the back yard BAREFOOTED! yep. no slippers no socks, barefeet. NUMB barefeet.

I had let Sadie out to pee, and after an hour of blogging I heard her whimpering...so I went to let her in. I stuck my head out the door and called her and she didnt come. I caled again, and heard her yelp. Then I saw her struggling in the middle of the back yard. She had a new choker collar on, and it had hooked onto a nail on Mariahs old rotten doghouse, and she was dragging the bottom of the house all over the yard. I saw that and ran out, fast. Scared that she would hurt herself. I was half way out when it dawned on me that OH SHIT THE DECK IS SLICK AGAIN!!! frozen!!! I caught myself before I fell, made it down the three stairs and ran across the frozen grass and ice that was out there. Caught her, unhooked her and off she goes!! I ran back into the house after her to make sure she was not hurt, and that is when I realized I had no shoes or socks on.

When I got in, I hobbled to the sofa and she jumped on me. Once I saw that she was ok, and had taken the collar off, I looked at me feet. Covered with frozen ice. I got to the bedroom and stuck my feet in lukewarm water to thaw them out, dried them off and put on some socks. They are much better right now, but since I am a diabetic, I really need to watch my feet. They get really cold, then really hot, then they start tingling. doing stupid things like this does not help. I really need to get in a habit of wearing slippers or shoes. I hate shoes!! I kick mine off as soon as I get home.

Snow is predicted for the next two days. I'll believe it when I see it. I could really use some right now!!

Donna made it safely across the Cascades, just between closures on I-90!! but she left Bandit in Ellensburg!!! Now I really have my work cut out for me. He would take Sadie out to pee, Now I have to catch her to put her out.

Well I better get off my arse and start setting my light cues. I have a crew coming in on Sat and Sun to finish the set, and get the gels changed in the Fresnel lens. Got lots to do. Bye...

Setting Goals for Retirement

Patrick made a comment about what I had set as goals for my retirement back in February. I PHHHFFTTTTT'd at him, but it got me to thinking. I actually did not realize that I had set any goals. Since he so pointedly pointed out, it is getting close to NEW YEARS resolution time. I went back into by archives and found an entry that did actually set some goals. Have I finished any of them? Yes I have. But not an important one. I have all of my crafts neatly organized into boxes and labeled so that I can get into them easier. I have not finished the trim on my house, I have not finished the quilts or the afghans, I have not painted the inside of the house except for Donnas bedroom, which I was going to turn into a sitting room; then she came home. I have planed a very small garden and did put up the results, I did make all kinds of Jam, I did get the yard in order, I did get the deck built, but everything else got put on hold for Playhouse business. I got this entry out and plan to just keep reposting it every year until I finally get the list completed. Nobody said how long it was sposed to take you to complete a resolution did they? just said you needed to set a goal. I did...

FEBRUARY 24, 2003
I'm not sure what type of blog I want here, just brain dumps, or a real log. Do I want to get into emotions and feelings for the world to see? Do I want to write this just for me, or with the thought that others will be reading it also. Although I don't know how anyone but Chemystery would even know about it. Hrmmmmmm....we'll see how this works out. Perhaps I will do both.

I can't believe that I only have 1 1/2 real days of work left. As I told my daughter I have NEVER been unemployed and NOT pregnant and pukey! This is going to really be an eye-opener for me. I have all kinds of people asking me what I am planning to do with my time....lets see...I have a three bedroom home with a big garage full of crap that I have been collecting and carting around all over the world for 37 years. It's time to go through it and PITCH!!! (Fair warning Children, if there is anything that you REALLY want, you better tell me now!!) So room by room, I anticipate getting everything in order. No excess furniture, no closets full of crap, New paint, clean windows, and maybe even re-arrange the room functions. Then there are the crafts that I have, in boxes, closets, dressers etc. I intend to get my projects finished, and organize the extra pieces. I have two quilts to finish, One of which was started by my Mother when she was 9 years old. That would have been in 1931! It WILL be finished!! I also have three afghans to finish, one of which was started by my mother, added to by my daughter, and hopefully be finished by me. (as you can tell, finishing projects does NOT run in our family!)

When that is all done, I am going to get the baseboards and transition strips installed on my new floor, paint the rest of the trim on the outside of the house.(yep, another unfinished project) get the yard in order, buy my wish list from Amazon.com, and read, plant a garden, can the results, and with all my SPARE time, .......

Nope, won't be bored for a while...

Oh yeah, and I want to take up scrapbooking. (another project to leave undone?) I would like to make a scrapbook for both Donna and Tim. something that when I am gone, they will have to show a record of their life and their history. I decided this after my Father died, and my sister and I got to talking, and I discovered that even though she and I lived through the very same experiences, we have TOTALLY different memories of the same events. I found that odd, and there is no one to ask who is right. So if I make this scrapbook, and detail the event and what they meant to ME, maybe my Children will have some sense of continuity with their own memories. Who knows, I may get dementia and forget everything.

WELL CRAP!!!!!

I am in a world of shit now! I have spent the day cleaning house, I got all of Bandits hair out of my bedroom, ready for the next onslaught of it. GOt all the laundry done and swamped out my bathroom, which is where I pen Sadie up. I took her basket out, and just put the pillow back in as she was outgrowing her basket.

Tonight I put her back into the clean pen, and came in here tpo blog a little before bed. I looked down and there was Sadie, under the computer desk sitting there looking up at me as if to say "you didn't REALLY think that lame little gate was gonna hold me anymore did you?" So I caught her again, and took hwer back into the bathroom, raised her pen a little more, and turned out the bathroom light. Once Again I looked down and there she was! AAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!! She is not fully pottie trained yet, she will go out if I take her, but I have to watch her closely. I sure dont want to have to drag out the kennel, but I will. The pen is just as big as the kennel, but gives her more of a feeling of being with mommie as she can see out.

Oh GAWD!!! I HATE teenagers!!! especially ones that still pee on the floor!

Winding down...

I woke up this morning and it was pitch dark out. It should have been it was only 5AM so I got up, went to the bathroom, and went back to sleep...for an hour, and did it all over again. I finally got out of bed and made a pot of coffee at 645. I sat here in front of the computer watching the morning lighten up. But not by much. It is really dark and dreary out there. It is cold. and it is misting out there. Even Sadie did not want to go out there. THe doves were all fluffed out and hanging onto the trees like last falls leaves. THey too were cold and not wanting to move.

We are expecting snow this afternoon. We won't get it, but the weather reports are predicting it. I want a good deep dump of snow. I have an icebox full of food, and plenty of water and wood, so it can come anytime.

This is the type of day that I would like to spend in front of a warm crackling fire, with a really good book. unfortunately I don't have a good book. I've read them all. After the first of the year, I plan on hitting Barnes and Noble and stockiing up again. I need to find the rest of the Sue Grafton Books. I have read through "I" and need to get through "Q". I also need to see if Barbara Delinsky has any new ones in the works. I read about 1-2 books a week, and right now I am into Female Sleuths! I have read all of Diane Mott Davidson's Catering series. I have read all of JA Jance's JP Beaumont and Joanna Brady books, and I have caught up with all of the Catherine Coulter FBI books. I have read all of Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak mysteries and all of Nora Roberts. Sandra Browns new one has been devoured. SIGH!!! Gotta find a new series to hold my interest. I was for a long while, reading Historical Romances, but then they got too far into bodice rippers, and I want SUBSTANCE too.

Any body got any good suggestions?

THE WINNER IS.....

With 15 of the 25 questions correct....TW!!!! I was surprised once I sat down at 200 this morning and went through the questions and the comments day by day...I just NEW the winner had to be WANDA but I was wrong!! the runner up with 11 of the 25 questions right is BILL!!! who'da thunk!!!

Leslie Wanda Phyllis and Kim all had 10 right, but I had to dis-qualify phyllis because she found my quizzes.

Dorothy came in 4th with 7 correct

Brenda and CJ came in 5th with 3 correct

Patrick came in 6th with 2 correct

and all tied for dead last were

Colin
Blogeois
Chemystery
TX
Don
Leslie (USA)
retro Girl.

Now wasn't that fun? and as Wanda and Brenda said Wow, we learned a lot of trivia about Christmas. i had fun finding the questions too. And trying to stump you was HARD!

Now to get Act II blocked....

I thank you all for playing, and making my Christmas FUN.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY SNOOPY DANCE!!!!!

I saw this over at North Coast Cafe and blatantly STOLE it! It is sooo cute! You can not be unhappy while watching this.

Chemystery, while talking to her husband on the phone each nite always says "wiggles" as she hangs up. I questioned her about it and she said" It means I'm wiggling my toes, and you can not be in a bad mood if you are wiggling your toes like you were waving with them." She's right...try it...

WIGGLES!...

A piteous plea....

Surfing around the blogsphere I ran into Marian Banjes Who was putting out a piteous plea for Christmas Cards. It was meant to be funny, and it was. I just happened to be filling out my Christmas Cards for the first time in over 30 years, and understood completely where she was coming from. My lack of time caused me to discontinue sending out the yearly greetings to my friends, because My mother said that you MUST WRITE A NOTE IN YOUR OWN HAND in each and every one. I barely had time to shop much less hand write christmas cards. Because of this, my received cards got to be a smaller and smaller grouping on the door. I used to have enough to make a full tree out of them on the back of the door, all over lapping. Last year I got two! THis year I had decided I was gonna sit down and shock the hell out of those friends whose addresses I still had. I even sent one to a cousin who is (was?) my mothers age. It was a feeling of fulfillment. Yes I got quite a few this year, mostly because they now had my correct address. And some were sent after they got mine. Sort of an after thought. I dont care! I am hoping that next year They are returned three-fold!!

Anyway, I sent poor Marian a card. She got it, and actually wrote a blog about it!!! I was surprised!! Even has a picture of the very card I sent her! There is something so wonderful about making someone happy with something so insignificant as a CARD! Not an e-card either, although they at least let the recipient know you are thinking of them. I like to receive CARDS! cards you can stick on the refer door and look at every day. Cards that show you this person was actually thinking enough of you to go buy and send a card to you.

Now Marian is not a poor soul to be pitied, she is a sucessful Woman living on an Island off the coast of Canada, who just happened to write a funny entry about wishing any and every body would send her a card. I did! I made a new friend! Funny how that works...

ADDENDUM!!!!!

Several of you said you could not find her post on this. It was in December archives...but here it is straight from Marian Bantjes' site

If anyone would like to send me a christmas/hanukka/new-year's card, my address is:

box x-15
bowen island, bc
v0n 1g0
canada

I've always been a big old grinch and as a result, every year I wander sadly outside looking through the windows of people who have christmas cards strung on strings across their windows, propped on their mantlepieces or tucked into their venetian blinds, and I go home to my one and only card from my mum, who loves me.

Is it my fault? Yes it frickin' is, because I never send cards which is why I have to go publicly on the internet and beg for them like a dog!

But this year, I will be sending cards, so if you'd like to get one from me and you don't think I have your address, just drop me an email ... mb at quatrifolio (dot com), and I'll send you one. I promise.

And if you're going to send one to me, don't tell me, I like surprises. Though of course this means I'll be pathetically checking my mailbox in anticipation for the next 4 weeks.

CHRISTMAS QUIZ FINAL DAY!!!!

Yes you Lurkers TW was right. It was Electric Christmas lights, although Colin from Scotland posted the right answer first!!

I am now gonna post the FINAL QUESTION!!! and Even Brenda should be able to get this one right, Even Leslie might!!!

WHAT IS BRENDA"S YOUNGEST GRANDCHILD CALLED?
No fair peeking...

I will post the final results of this quiz later on in the week. I have to clean my house, and wrap presents, and start dinner, and catch Sadie, etc, so I will be busy until then

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL YA'LL!! Be safe!!

This little wreath is making its way around the blogosphere. I've taken it from Leslie's place; she took it from Leigh's place; go ahead and help yourself and let's see where it goes.

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day24...

Sneaky!!! I get you all now, you wait until TW does her research then you all jump in and give the same answer....It's a conspiracy I tell you.

the answer as you all know is IT TAKES 6-8 YEARS FOR A CHRISTMAS TREE TO GROW TO CUTTING SIZE

nOW FOR TOMORROWS QUESTION...

What contribution to our Christmas heritage did Ralph E. Morris make in 1895? tHIS IS HARD!!!

Candy Canes on Puppies and Whiskers on Kittens...

Bright colored packages tied up with string...oh that's not the way the song goes? Sadie thinks so. Yesterday. Lint, the manx cat my Son left me in the bathroom, decided that he would take a candy cane out of the paperwhites on my desk. It took him about three hours. Now you have to realize this cat is over 12 years old and arthritic, so when he starts acting kittenish, I let him. He got the Candy Cane out and then proceeded to knock it off of my desk onto the floor. I was busy blocking Act I so I did not stop him.

Today while I was blogging and then Blocking the rest of Act I. Sadie and Uncle Bandit were asleep on the living room floor. Cuddled together like spoons. THey were so quiet that I just left them that way.

I got ready to go to rehearsal, and went to pick Sadie up to put her in the car.

You know the face that little kids have when they have had their first all day sucker? Yep...that's the one, candy and red all over them? Sadie it seems had NOT been sleeping that quietly and had indeed found the wayward candy cane from the day before. There was red candy in pieces stuck all over her face, There was white candy stuck on her front paws where she had held it down and chewed on it. There was candy stuck to her ears, and her tummy. I had to laugh, she was so funny looking! and the battery to my camera was dead and in the charger! DAMN! That would have been a picture to publish!! I had no idea how much she had eaten but since I saw none laying around, I assumed it was all gone. I watched her carefully for a few hours to make sure it would not hurt her then put her out to pee.

I took a hot shower and as I was walking across the bedroom rug, I stuck to the rest of the candy cane. So now I have a knee that doesn't bend, with a foot that is really sticky and has something attached to it, Naked as a jaybird, hopping over to the bed to rest on so I could get the damn thing off my foot. The cats were laying on my bed in their usual spots waiting for me to crawl in and turn on the electric blanket. Lint looked up at me as if to say "What!?" The others just quietly laid back down and went to sleep.

Sadie hasn't got a clue!! Must be nice to be young and "innocent" again.

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day23...

Well that was just way too easy...EVERYBODY got it right...finally. Yep. It was Coca Cola. And yes the Santa on the label is the best SANTA ever!!!

Now on to todays question...

How long does it take a christmas tree to grow from a seedling until it is harvested? (Not even sure I know the answer to that one)

Winter Solstice

Today is the shortest day of the year...YAHOO!!! I hate the short days, I hate waking up in the dark and going to bed in the dark. I enjoy the early morning sunrises...at 4:00! and I really enjoy the long afternoons and evenings that Summer brings. I enjoy the peace that the thought of Winter Solstice brings. There is a hush hanging over the world. The stars are twinkling brightly and coldly. The moon is just a tiny little sliver, but it won't be making it's appearance for a while yet. The owls are hooting far off in the woods, and the bunnies are hopping through the yard looking for any thing that Lola may have dropped in her run from feeder to fence.

Coming home from rehearsal tonite the ground fog was reaching it's cold fingers up from the fields onto the road. It was making it very hard to see. All of a sudden in the fog there is an ethereal light coming through, all colored and wavy in the fog. As I drove closer I saw that it was the light of the Christmas lights reflecting onto the fog, like a halogram. When I was even with the farm house I saw the very top of the roof, clearly visible as the fog was really low, and the top of the house was sporting a huge lighted star of Bethlehem. It was so clear, like it was trying to bring the 3 kings and the shepards to the barn. It was almost eerie!



As I drove through Coupeville, there was no fog, until I got close to the O.L.F. airstrip and then it socked in again. As the road turns in to a giant S curve at the head of the field, I looked across at the Youderians farmhouse, and could barely make out the Colorado Spruce tree that she has all lit up with the giant colored lights. It was there, like a beacon, telling me that it was safe, come on around.

I looked up Winter Solstice on the internet, and learned that the early Christians did not celebrate Christmas, because no one was sure exactly when Christ's actual birthday was. It was the early priests and Prophets that decided to use the pagan holidays as a Christian celebration, to capitalize on the spreading of the religion.

THe original Pagan celebration was to dance naked around a huge bon-fire and paint their bodies blue and wear mud-hats. ya s'pose the neighbors would care?

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day22...

THE ANSWER TO TODAYS QUESTION WAS THREE...GOod research to Kim and Bill and all the others that got it right!!!

Now for the question for tomorrow!! In 1931 what company started using Santa in their advertising at Christmas?

UH-OH!!! Chemystery knew this one right off, must have been too easy....

A new Friend...

This morning while reading Leslies comments I saw a post from Iceland. Since I always wanted to get stationed there, but never made it, I decided to go look. Gulla Her page is wonderful! So cute and full of cute little blinkies. Not at all crass and crude like me, but cute and sweet like I always wanted to be. I especially liked her pages on Icelandic customs. There is a lot to see! When you have some time to visit, go check out her site. You'll like her!

Mom Getting into the Spirit...

I woke up this morning knowing that I had to finish decorating and cleaning or It would not get done at all. I sat here for an hour reading blogs, still not in the spirit, still in my sweats and pj top. I knew I had to do something, SO I warned the Daughter, (who HATES noise of any kind on her day off) that I was gonna be making noise. I dragged out all the hokey CHristmas Albums, you know, John Denver at Christmas, John Denver with the Muppets, Neil DIamond Christmas, etc. and turned them on..NOt real loud, but enough so that I can hear them where ever I am. I started singing along with them, and thought Wel lets get the lights around the windows like you always wanted to do. SO I pulled out the white lights and started tacking them around the window sill. Lint then proceeds to jump up on the sill, and since he is very old and arthritic, he missed and grabbed on to the curtain and pulled the rod and all the lights down right on top of him. SHIT!!

Noe Sadie is in the frey...She wants to chase Lint who is still tangled. I try to grab the lights, and twinsted my sore shulder so I let out another SHIT YOU FUCKING BASTARDS! right into the neighbors ear. I had the window cracked open, and Lea was standing right there on her side of the fence which is only about 5 feet from the window. SHe laughs and wonders what I am "SHIT"ting at.

Got the curtain back up and the lights back up and thought I needed a little break. I came in here and laying right where I put them last year are my gold star deelie bobbers. YEP THAT WILL DO IT!! Plopped those puppies on top of my head and started in again. It worked. I now have the SPIRIT.

My Daughter of course being only the sad young age of 36 thinks her mother is a freak. "Mom. THey're gonna lock you up real soon!" and proceeded to take a picture of me to prove I am loonie!! Now do you see anything wrong with this?
It is after all December 20, only 5 more days until Christmas and I have tons to do. works for me...



Remember ya'll, no makeup, saturday afternoon, sweats. 'K?

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day 21...

WHO_HOO Bill is on a roll!!! His answer was of course correct, the FLOWERS are yellow or green and the red is the BRACTS. Gotcha!! Several of you got that also.

Now for tomorrows question we will go to the cartoon Charlie Browns Christmas:

How many versions of Jingle Bells does Schroeder play before Lucy is satisfied?

TUFF ONE!! Drag out those christmas videos Grandpeople!!!

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day 20...

YEA!! Bill Got one right!! along with several others. The best tasting snowflakes are formed in JANUARY

Now for tomorrows hum-dinger!! WHAT COLOR ARE THE FLOWERS ON A POINSETTA?

I'm counting on you here Bill!

YADDA YADDA...

I HAte that show, but I love the yadda yadda..works great! I will be posting the quiz late this afternoon as I have to work again today. I posted it yesterday from work, and mis quoted the answer as someone so nicely pointed out to me. So I wont do that again. (BLUSH)

I feel like I am stealing by working the box office today. There is no show, and the tickets for GODSPELL dont go on sale until Dec 30, so basically I sit here and read blogs all day!! Whoo-hoo! I just have to be sure I dont go to somebody's blog who might have a BAD word on it. dont want any nasty stuff on the computer here at work. So today about 5:00 I should have the quiz posted...that is PST for you people that care...

Christmas Quiz day 19...

Well CJ got it right on..the answer was a"ROTTEN BANANA WITH A DIRTY BLACK PEEL"

that was too easy.

Now for tomorrows tricky question...According to the cartoon, Charlie Browns Christmas, which month is the best month for catching snowflakes?
heheheheheheh

Down Memory lane

Last weekend we got the tree. My friend Bob did not look all that enthusiastic about tramping through the woods to cut one down, so We went to the Lions CLub lot and paid 35.00 for a Frasier Fir tree 5' tall. It is smaller than the ones I usually have, but with new puppy, and 4 cats, I thought it best to put said tree on a table. We got it home, and even though it is a lot smaller, it reached almost to the ceiling. No table for this tree unless we cut the top off or the full branches on the bottom. It is relatively compact, and only about three feet in diameter, so we opted to keep it on the floor, and watch Sadie closely. Tree was put in the huge plastic stand I bought last year, and watered. I thought I would just leave it that way and see what Sadie would do. She left it completely alone and ignored it.



Chemystery got all the ornament boxes out, and sorted through them looking for the lights. She has not had much of a chance to decorate a tree for many years because she is married to "Mr. Grinch" and with working her way through college and such, she just never had the time. I decided to wait and let her do it. The tree got the lights the first night it was up. They are plugged in and look so pretty in a dark livingroom. The 2nd day she added a few ornaments, and stopped.

All of my ornaments are hand made, with pins, beads, ribbons, sequins, pearls and what-not. All are elegant, and definately not something that you would want any puppy chewing on. As I looked through the boxes for SAFE ornaments to hang on the lower branches, I found the section that had the ones that the Kids had liked so much. You know the ones: the Christmas Miss Piggy doll, THe Fozzy Bear, The Christmas Kermit, the Mickey Mouse MacDonalds happy meal toys, The Burger King doo-dads, etc. I never had the heart to throw them away even though they had no emotional meaning for me. Along with those were the plastic ones from long ago, and some of the original handmade ones from the leaner years.



Our first Christmas, we were away from home on the East Coast, and broke. We lived in Navy Housing, and the lady next door was going to go home for Christmas and she loaned us her artificial tree. Since we had no money, I made all of our ornaments out of egg cartons, poster paint and glitter and glue. They were really pretty! I also made those cute multi-colored construction paper chains that all kindergarteners make. My husband was quite impressed.

As the years went by, the ornaments got more commercial, and less handmade. I worked full time and had two little kids. The egg carton ornaments gave way to pretty glass store bought ones, of various sizes and shapes. Then the kids started to school. The hand made ornaments started to appear again, only these were less of the victorian look and more of the "look what I made Mommie". The very first hand made ornament was "THE CHRISTMAS EGG". In 1972, pantyhose came in plastic "eggs" and at Christmas, the eggs were green or red or silver. Mine was Green, glued back together, with some unknown writing on it in glue, and then rolled in glitter. No ornament hook, just the egg. It's first Christmas it was placed Donna-High well into the branches of the tree. The next year there were two marshmallow snowmen, and then there were the lifesaver elves, and the felt and paperclip ice skates, the Smuckers Jelly Lid with a christmas scene pasted into it, and then the candycane horses, etc.



All of these ornaments had their place in the spotlite, at the front of the tree until the next year when something new would take its place. As I look back through the Christmas Photos, I can tell how old my kids were just by looking at the decorations on the tree. As the kids grew, the ornaments got placed higher and higher on the tree. The ornaments also became more and more refined; The marshmallow snowmen melting in the heat of the garage, and many military moves. Some of these ornaments were quietly retired and eventually disposed of.

My children are grown now. My son is 32 and has forgotten how very close we were once. He only comes home or calls when he needs something. I haven't seen him since the day I picked him up from jail. Chemystery is 36, and starting her career in the Bio-tech industry. She lives part-time with me, so I know where she is and can keep track of her. TIm is always on my mind. Especially at this time of the year. He loved Christmas. He would string lights around the bathroom mirror, and all along the ceiling in the living room, and really tacky the place up. I let him. When he was 6 he wrote a letter to Santa, and Santa in his answer back to him, sent him a tiny gold reindeer engraved with TIMMY on it.



A few nights ago , as I walked by the table and dug another ornament out of the box to hang on the tree, I found the tiny gold reindeer. TIMMY was placed lovingly on the top of the tree right in the front, right next to the smuckers Jelly lid, now faded, and the felt and paperclip ice skates, frayed, but still recognizable. The candy cane horse head has lost an eye on one side of his head, but it's hanging there too. All of these evoke memories of love and laughter, and the magic that Kids bring to the Christmas Season. THere is something that echoes in the heart of every mother when she looks at those long ago hand-made ornaments and places them out of harms way in a sacred spot on the tree.

And Yes, The Christmas egg is still there too, tucked into the branches right close to the rest of the sacred ornaments in it's own place of honor. Nothing is as elegant as those made by tiny hands with tons of love. I wish I had those tiny hands back again. I would trade all of my beautiful beaded, sequined ornaments to have my kids all home again and happy. I miss them so...

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day 18...

Yep Phyllis found my questions, so she withdrew...LOLOL Remember folks this is just for FUN!!!! LOLOL
answer for todays question was A RED CURTAIN AND THE STUFFING FROM MAX'S BED Yea some of you got it right!! Way to go!!! Even Bill came soooo close I gave it to him!

Tomorrow's Question

What is the Grinch referred to as?

Christmas Quiz day 17...

Well TW must have found my quiz, so I'll switch gears for tomorrow. YEP the answer is It was the first televised Christmas Eve Midnight Mass I think I will give Patrick a half a point too. Shoot anyone that gets arrested on Christmas Eve deserves a point. WHat in the world were you doing?

Now tomorrows question...: What materials did the Grinch use to make his hat and coat? BE SPECIFIC!!!

hehehehehehehehe C'mom Bill, you can do this one...Don't you have grandkids?

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day 16...

Too easy!! You all almost got it. A few of you didn't though. the ANSWER was "MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS"

Now the question for tomorrow: WHAT HISTORIC EVENT OCCURED IN ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL IN NYC ON CHRISTMAS EVE 1948?

GOOD LUCK

CHRISTMAS QUIZ Day15...

WOW, Got you on that one huh...the CORRECT answer given only by TW was Canada in 1898...I also am going to give it to Wanda, because she had Canada but typed in 1989 typo. The rest of you had sort of gotten it, but you went with the first ISSUED CHRISTMAS STAMP instead of the first Christmas stamp. It was Canada, and it was on a regular postage stamp, but it said Xmas 1898 on it. SO the Quiz gave it to Canada and NOT to Hungary.

TOMORROWS QUESTION

What Broadway musical introduced the song "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas"?

Easy one here.

REMEMBER THE FIX FOR MY BLOG

Ok Several of you are having problems again remembering how to get to the bottom of my Blog. Remember this:

I click view...then text size...then smallest...thev view again...then text size again...then smaller. and it should work. Don says he only hite refresh. I would try that first.

If any one knows a permanent fix let me know

Darn Kim and her quizzes!!!

You are 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing'. You take
Christmas very seriously. For you, it is a
religious festival, celebrating the birth of
the Saviour, and its current secularisation
really irritates you. You enjoy the period of
Advent leading up to Christmas, and attend any
local carol services you can find, as well as
the more contemplative Advent church services
each Sunday. You may be involved in Christmas
food collections or similar charity work. The
midnight service at your church, with candles
and carols, is one you look forward to all
year, and you also look forward to the family
get together on Christmas Day.


What Christmas Carol are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


It really isn't me...really!!

A CUP OF CHRISTMAS TEA.

A Cup of Christmas Tea
by Tom Hegg



The log was in the fireplace, all spiced and set to burn
At last the yearly Christmas race was in the clubhouse turn.
The cards were in the mail, all the gifts beneath the tree
And 30 days reprieve till VISA could catch up with me.

Though smug satisfaction seemed the order of the day
Something still was nagging me and would not go away
A week before I got a letter from my old great Aunt
It read: Of course I'll understand completely if you can't
But if you find you have some time how wonderful if we
Could have a little chat and share a cup of Christmas tea.


She'd had a mild stroke that year which crippled her left side
Though house bound now my folks had said it hadn't hurt her pride
They said: She'd love to see you. What a nice thing it would be
For you to go and maybe have a cup of Christmas tea.


But boy! I didn't want to go. Oh, what a bitter pill
To see and old relation and how far she'd gone downhill
I remembered her as vigorous, as funny and as bright
I remembered Christmas Eves when she regaled us half the night.


I didn't want to risk all that. I didn't want the pain.
I didn't need to be depressed. I didn't need the strain.
And what about my brother? Why not him? She's his aunt, too!
I thought I had it justified, but then before I knew
The reasons not to go I so painstakingly had built
Were cracking wide and crumbling in an acid rain of guilt.


I put on boots and gloves and cap, shame stinging every pore
And armed with squeegee, sand and map, I went out my front door.
I drove in from the suburbs to the older part of town
The pastels of the newer homes gave way to gray and brown.


I had that disembodied feeling as the car pulled up
And stopped beside the wooden house that held the Christmas cup.
How I got up to her door I really couldn't tell...
I watched my hand rise up and press the button of the bell.


I waited, aided by my nervous rocking to and fro
And just as I was thinking I should turn around and go
I heard the rattle of the china in the hutch against the wall
The triple beat of two feet and a crutch came down the hall.
The clicking of the door latch and the sliding of the bolt
And a little swollen struggle popped it open with a jolt.


She stood there pale and tiny, looking fragile as an egg
I forced myself from staring at the brace that held her leg.
And though her thick bifocals seemed to crack and spread her eyes
Their milky and refracted depths lit up with young surprise.
Come in! Come in! She laughed the words. She took me by the hand
And all my fears dissolved away as if by her command.
We went inside and then before I knew how to react
Before my eyes and ears and nose was Christmas past, alive, intact!


The scent of candied oranges, of cinnamon and pine,
The antique wooden soldiers in their military line,
The porcelain Nativity I'd always loved so much,
The Dresden and the crystal I'd been told I mustn't touch.
My spirit fairly bolted like a child out of class
And danced among the ornaments of calico and glass.


Like magic I was six again, deep in a Christmas spell
Steeped in the million memories the boy inside knew well.
And here among old Christmas cards so lovingly displayed
A special place of honor for the ones we kids had made.
And there, beside her rocking chair, the center of it all
My great Aunt stood and said how nice it was that I had come to call.


I sat and rattled on about the weather and the flu
She listened very patiently then smiled and said, "What's new?"
Thoughts and words began to flow. I started making sense
I lost the phony breeziness I use when I get tense.
She was still passionately interested in everything I did.
She was positive. Encouraging. Like when I was a kid.
Simple generalities still sent her into fits
She demanded the specifics. The particulars. The bits.


We talked about the limitations that she'd had to face
She spoke with utter candor and with humor and good grace.
Then defying the reality of crutch and straightened knee
On wings of hospitality she flew to brew the tea.
I sat alone with feelings that I hadn't felt in years.
I looked around at Christmas through a thick hot blur of tears.


And the candles and the holly she'd arranged on every shelf
The impossibly good cookies she still somehow baked herself.
But these rich and tactile memories became quite pale and thin
When measured by the Christmas my great Aunt kept deep within.
Her body halved and nearly spent, but my great Aunt was whole
I saw a Christmas miracle, the triumph of a soul.


The triple beat of two feet and a crutch came down the hall
The rattle of the china in the hutch against the wall.
She poured two cups. She smiled and then she handed one to me
And then we settled back and had a cup of Christmas tea.



"A Cup Of Christmas Tea"
Copyright © Tom Hegg


One of my favorite radio personalities was KOMO AM 1000's Larry Nelson. He had a deep musical voice that most women in the morning were in love with. Larry would recite poetry, play wonderful music and banter with his listeners. It was a wonderful Program. Every Christmas, Larry Would read this poem with his musical voice, and the world would come to a screeching halt until it was finished. He backed it with sound effects and christmas music. By the time he was finished, there was not a dry eye in the Pacific Northwest. He did this every year. By the time I left for Adak, Alaska, he was advertising when he would be playing it, so people would be sure to listen. Traffic pulled over, work stopped and everyone listened to A Cup Of Christmas Tea. It was magical.

The radio station has since changed it's format to news only, and Larry has been put out to pasture. I hear his voice every once in awhile advertising Dux Beds or whatever. CHristmas just isn't the same without him. My mornings aren't either. I wonder if KOMO really knows what they have done. pity no one will tell them. Pity no one would listen anyway. I still every Christmas think of that magic moment when The whole Puget Sound area halted and heard a little bit of Christmas in the air...sigh.

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day 14...

Wow I figured you guys would be beating down my door, I'm late posting I know...

The answer to yesterdays quiz was as you all now know...A PICKLE GOOD job TW and Wanda for the research!!!

Now for Tomorrow's question...it's a bit tricky...WHAT COUNTRY PRODUCED THE WORLD'S 1st CHRISTMAS POSTAGE STAMP AND WHEN?

Good Luck

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day13...

OK The COrrect answer is NOVA SCOTIA Now we all KNOW WHO got it right! and it wasn't the Canadians. Although Leslie was sort of close. Same Country wrong Province. Wanda Was the only one who got it correct. TW tried to cheat and look over Wanda's shoulders, but I caught her. I was surprised with this one too, I would have guessed the Pac NW also. We are learning something.

Tomorrows question: In German Tradition, a piece of food is hidden in the Christmas Tree and the Person who finds it has good luck all year. What is it?

On the way home from rehearsal last night I drove by the little park in Coupeville, and just stopped the car in the middle of the street and sat there staring at the lights. The park is just a tiny lot in the middle of town, but it has several deciduous trees, lots of bushes and a sculpture or two. It is really nice. It is covered, on every branch, with thousands of little tiny different colored lights. The wind was whipping the tree branches around but the lights were hanging on tightly. It made it look like the trees were dancing.



Since it was late at night, 930, and there was no traffic, I just stayed there for about 10 minutes looking at the lights. There is something so peaceful about just looking at outside lights. I remember when we used to live in an old run down Victorian house just up the road from that park, and just across the vacant lot from the county court house. THe town Christmas tree was always in front of the court house, and I could see it from my upstairs bedroom window seat. I would sit up there for hours late at night just staring at it. It meant so much to me to see that tree. It was a peaceful anchor in a troubled world.

It was the early 60's, the VietNam war was just going good (or bad) , Johnson was President, The hippie revolution was just getting a foothold in our society and things were crazy. My Mom was drinking heavily, and Dad was always working. My brother was only about 8 or 9 and very impressionable, and Phyllis was a typical rebellious teenager. I was always the One who was expected to set a good example, and keep the little kids from going astray. I tried really hard to do that, But with a job, and dealing with my Mom's alcoholism, sometimes It got to be too much. Dad would call to check up on us, and I would have to tell him that mom was at the tavern, and we were ok. He said he would see us in the morning, and hang up.

Phyllis and I were always at each others throats, and I was Mike's "Mom". I tried to keep things normal for him, and I think I did for the most part. To escape the turmoil, I would go up into my bedroom, turn off the one and only light bulb hanging from the ceiling, and sit in the window seat and listen to Christmas carols and look out at the tree and think about how I wished a better life for us all. Those were bad times for us.

Things got better, Phyllis actually grew up in to a very successful independant well respected member of the community. Michael is a hard working, very caring Father and Husband, who has managed to keep his family together through some very rough times for them. Mom and Dad Loved to hate each other and were married for almost 50 years. I have a home of my own, and if I work it right should not have to worry about living expenses. My kids have grown up and gone their own ways, Chemystery keeps finding her way back home, but Tim never has.

THe tree in front of the Court House is long gone, The family moved out of the Old run down VIctorian, Mom and Dad are no longer with us, but the rest of us are here in town, and will all get together at Phyllis' Christmas Eve, and My house for Christmas dinner. I Still do not have my tree up but It will be done today. once the tree is up, then I can turn on the lights and turn off the lamps, build a fire in the wood stove, turn on the radio, to Classic KING FM and listen to some great Christmas Music. I think I will stop and get a bottle of Bailey's today, so I can sip a glass of that with a cup of coffee, and just sit and stare at the Christmas lights, and reflect on how bad it was, and how far we have all come, and realize the true peace of the season.

A story for the SEASON

One beautiful December evening Huan Cho and his girlfriend Jung Lee were sitting by the side of the ocean. It was a romantic full moon, when Huan Cho said "Hey baby, let's play Weeweechu."

"Oh no, not now, lets look at the moon" said Jung Lee.

"Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I play Weeweechu. I love you and its the perfect time," Huan Cho Begged.

"But I rather just hold your hand and watch the moon."

"Please Jung Lee, just once play Weeweechu with me."

Jung Lee looked at Huan Chi and said, "OK, we'll play Weeweechu."

Huan Cho grabbed his guitar and they both sang.....

"Weeweechu a merry Christmas, Weeweechu a merry Christmas, Weeweechu a merry Christmas, ! and a happy New Year."

Wasn't that SWEET?.....

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day12...

NOBODY GOT IT RIGHT!!! I can't believe I finally stumped you guys!!! You all were really close but not correct.

the ANSWER is: THE GRINCH HATED ALL THE NOISE, NOISE, NOISE, NOISE!!!

Now for the NEXT STUMPER!!! HEHEHEHEHEHEH

WHAT REGION IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST EXPORTER OF CHRISTMAS TREES?

I have been all over the world tonight, reading blogs. I went to Japan and read where Robert had fired up his trusty woodstove for the first time this year, and how comforting it is. I also went to Scotland and Colin was talking about being so busy getting ready for Christmas. I went to SOuth Africa and Michelle told me I WON!!!! I am her 1000th commentor in her blog! I went to Missouri, and to Lousiana and to Michigan and Texas and to Alabama and Arkansas and COlorado and ALaska, even stopped by Canada and saw that Leslie and Carl are home safely. Everybody is either reflecting, or puking! I prefer reflecting. Seeing some of these people pouring their souls out in agony, and watching others just remembering childhood magic. Others are contemplating quitting blogging, because of bad press or because they don't feel they are good enough for the blogsphere.

All are friends, and all of these people are part of what I enjoy about blogging. I don't write for other people, I write for me. I started this to cronicle my retirement, and found a wealth of friendship and encouragement. That is what blogging is all about. I have Gardeners, and psychologists and ex-patriots, and patriots and grouchey old Cripples and librarians and military people and nurses and all sorts of interests out there. I care for all of them. SOme of them go WAAAAYYYYY out there in their rants, but even those I like. Diversity is what the world is all about.

I am not stupid enough to think that every word written is really true, but I do think that most of the people I meet each day are real. Real honest hard working, caring people. People I care about.

I hope that those that are thinking about quitting would reconsider. The bad boys will be gone soon, and those of you that are just tired will be rested after Christmas. I enjoy all the places I go and all the friends I meet. I would hate to lose any of you right now. Well maybe just one...good bye FRANK....

Christmas Quiz day 11...

Well TW and Phyllis found my website so I need to change sites here...in case you were wondering the COrrect answer was given by both TW and PHYLLIS go back to comments and read their answers. Good job. I thought it was a way to get Christ out of Christmas I learned something too.

and the question for tomorrow is:

In the cartoon THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS What does the Grinch hate, hate, hate hate?

Monster in The Woods...

Every Year I set up My Christmas Tree and since the kids left home it is just me, so not much was under the tree. This is when I decided to start collecting Dept 56 Village pieces. I had always wanted them but could not afford them. I put the few pieces I had on a sheet under the tree, and plugged them in. It was beautiful. Small, but beautiful. I got my camera out to take pictures of the village for posterity, and in reviewing the pictures on the computer I noticed Loki peeking through the branches of the tree. He slept under the tree around the base of it every night, and I had not seen that he was there when I snapped the picture. It reminds me of a big monster lurking in the trees. I use this as a desktop every Christmas. I just love it. Sometimes Happy accidents bring the most joy...




With the new addition I am not sure I will be putting the village under the tree this year, probably on top of the antique dresser. I would not want puppy to end up breaking it.

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day 10...

Getting harder huh? Yesterday's answer was THE SALVATION ARMY Once again Wanda pegged it with history!

Todays question:

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF XMAS?

Be sure you put your answer in the comments....

I FOUND JESUS!!!!!!.........

OH THANK GOD!!! and he sings beautifully....and he just fits right in to the rest of the cast. I am so relieved!! I was afraid that Fernando would come back and say no, he really did not want the role. BIG SIGH OF Relief!!

THe show is coming along smartly. THe soloists are getting their parts down, and the Choreography is getting there. This has been a really fun show. I am so glad the cast is so good. Now if I can just get it staged and ready by Jan 23!! We never should have attempted a musical during the CHristmas Holiday. THe playhouse closes for 2 weeks, and we will miss the rehearsal time. But I will write a letter to the board of Directors to that affect after the show closes.

I have discovered Becky Strain, who is John's Sister. You need to go read her blog if you have never been there, she writes so beautifully of her childhood memories. ANd she is lucky enough to have her Mom alive to comment on those memories. I KNOW my mother would be a blogging fool if she was still alive. She loved to write, and she loved to meet people.

I have to work today, so the Quiz may be late this afternoon. Come back this evening....I gotta go get dressed.

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day9...

Not as hard as I thought. Most of you got Yesterday's Question. The answer was THE LEMON DROP KID

THe question for today is:

What Army do you associate with a kettle?

a Quickie for Info...

Some of you are having trouble reading all of my blog. It won't scroll down. I have no idea why it does this, but here is the fix. When it happens to me I go to view, the text size and then smallest, and then immediately click view, text size and put it back so I can read it. Then I can go all the way to the bottom...Have no clue here why, but it works. Occaissionally I run across this in other blogs too, and it works.

Try again TW!!!

DECEMBER 7...

I was just over at TX's placeAnd he made comment about visiting places in his career that were still visible from Dec 7, 1941.

When I was 8 years old we were stationed in Hawaii. We lived on Ford Island, right in the middle of Pearl Harbor. Our housing area, was across the runway and situated on the edge of the water, right next to several of the battleships that were destroyed. I remember going to the edge and looking down on the rocks and seeing all of the oil still seeping up from the sunken relics. There was a ship over on it's side, with it's bottom facing towards us. I can't remember the name of the ship, but I think I was told it was the USS California...Don't know.The bottom was all brown and rusty, even after only 13 years. I remember walking into the Movie Theater and the Base Hospital, and seeing the holes in the concrete where the bullets from the Japanese planes had hit. They were not repaired. It was really thick concrete, so the scars still showed, and the building was still very functional.

To get to school, I had to take a bus across Ford Island, along the water and over to the Boat Launch where we were put on a NAVY Launch and taken across Pearl Harbor to the school on the main island. I can remember going across the water by the USS ARIZONA (way before the memorial was built) and being told that there were still 1000 men in the ship under the water. It gave me a spooky feeling, to look at that water and think that there were dead people in there. I could see the ship under the very dirty and oil water, and that vision has never left my memory.

It didn't really sink in until I was older and was learning more about US History. Knowing that I was there 13 years after the beginning of WWII boggled my mind. That war was ancient history or so I thought. Little did I realize that men to this very day still around in coffee shops on every base in the country and re-live their experiences of that war. Some even bring in their mementos to pass around and share. SOme wear in their medals, and it is awe inspiring to see these grizzled, old wrinkled men that you have known the majority of your life, and know that they were right there fighting a war where you once slept. You would think that the world would learn from these wars wouldn't you? Why don't we listen to old grizzled, wrinkled men? They have been there, they know...

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day8...

Yep Too easy for almost all of you... ME I WANT A HUUUUUUULA HOOOOOOP.........

So Let's make this a little harder.

WHAT FILM INTRODUCED "SILVER BELLS" AND STARRED BOB HOPE?

Be sure you put an answer in here, several have commented but never put an answer!!

Here's one for Don...

Subject: Hillary Goes To School

Hillary Clinton goes to a primary school in New York to talk about
the world. After her talk she offers question time. One little
boy puts up his hand, and the Senator asks him what his name is.
"Kenneth" replies the boy.
"And what is your question, Kenneth?"

"I have three questions: First - whatever happened to your
medical health care plan? Second - why would you run for
President after your husband shamed the office? and Third -
whatever happened to all those things you took when you
left the White House?"

Just then the bell rings for recess. Hillary Clinton informs the kiddies
that they will continue after recess.

When they resume Hillary says, "Okay where were we? Oh,
that's right, question time. Who has a question?"

A different little boy puts his hand up; Hillary points him out and
asks him what his name is.

"Larry." says the boy.

"And what is your question Larry?"

"I have five questions: First - whatever happened to your medical
health care plan? Second - why would you run for President after
your husband shamed the office? Third - whatever happened to all
those things you took when you left the White House? Fourth - why
did the recess bell go off twenty minutes early? And fifth -
what happened to Kenneth?"

2003 Coupeville Christmas Parade

This is a picture of the Highlite of the parade. REALLY small town folks, 3 fire trucks, a bus, a float full of kids, the Boy scouts, a local farmer and his tracktor and the basset hound club. oh and a police car!

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day7...

HAHAHAHAHAH can't pull anything over on you guys can I....
The correct answer was

DASHER, DANCER,PRANCER,VIXEN,COMET,CUPID, DONNER AND BLITZEN. AND RUDOLPH AND OLIVE....THE OTHER REINDEER!

Now I'm not sure if any of you would have gotten it if Leslie hadn't !!

TOMORROWS QUESTION...

What does Alvin want for Christmas?

easy one, but then they get really hard!!!!!

I think I will.....

I was planning to post this picture today and last night I saw one just like it on Leslie's site. Leslie said to post it anyway so I will...It is a great picture.



The other Night as I drove into rehearsal, I noticed CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!! Everywhere!! I actually was shocked!! I found it hard to believe that Christmas was almost here! I really was dumb-founded! REALLY!! For so many years, I have been dealing with Christmas starting with the setting of TOYLAND in July for an August opening. THen there were tons of TOy Layaways to deal with then it was right into setting up the Trim a tree shop and putting out the Christmas Giftware, then the softlines special apparel, and then the mad push to get out all of the cards and the wrap, the Christmas Linens, then move it all front and forward, and watch it as it sells to make sure it was still fresh looking, then the mad dash after Thanksgiving...It was a 6 month madhouse, but I was aware of CHRISTMAS. This year, for the first time in my grown up life I did not realize that it was that close!

That got me thinking...about getting ready, about shopping, (with no money) about decorating, about getting festive. I am going to start this weekend, by putting up the lights. Then tomorrow I will go into the woods and gather greens to line the railings with. Find a piece of plywood to balance the tree on the coffeetable with. (I have to Sadie-proof it) I always have a floor to ceiling tree. I swore that I always would and I have, through two toddlers, and MANY kittens, I have managed to keep a floor to ceiling tree. This year I don't DARE! I know what would happen. Sadie would be under it after one of the cats, probably Loki, and she would take off and get tangled in the lights, and pull EVERYTHING off the tree, then the tree would fall, and I would Yell, and cry, and throw a fit. So Prudence being the better point of valor, (or something like that) I opted for a smaller tree. A 4' square of plywood on top of the coffe table up against the wall with a 4' tree on it.

My daughter even came home and told me that I have to bake cookies for her to take to work! Hell I didn't even take cookies to MY work! So I drug out the cookie books and the recipe box, and now I need to go buy the ingredients to make all of this. Then I have to take a picture of it and send the recipe and the pic to Kimmotion for her cookie exchange. Is this how real people live? Cramming Christmas into just 1 or 2 months? How do you DO it?

I am even going to send out REAL Christmas cards!! I have not done that in YEARS!! I only got addresses from four of you so Brenda, Wanda,CJ and Leslie get cards, but I guess the rest of you don't becasue you did not send me your address. (dreamer(at)galaxynet(dot)com) ( my daughter said that is how to stop spam. so take the at and dot and put the real thingies in and there you go.) If you would like a card, otherwise....NADA!!

It is a gorgeous morning today. THe rain has stopped and the we are having sun-breaks, the clouds are spotty, and the wind is slight. and FRESH. THe birds are begging for more sunflower seeds. For the first time this year, I have left the Niger feeder out, and full , and I have GOLDFINCHES at it. I thought they all left for the winter, but obviously not. THey do chance color though, and are quit muted in their coloring. I have the feeder hanging right in front of the office window, and the birds have gotten used to eating with 4 cat noses plastered on the window less than a foot from where they eat. Occaisionally one of them will get spooked, but most of them are just taunting the cats.

The doves are all lined up on the fence top with their feathers all fluffed up, just waiting for their food. The winds yesterday , blew all the seeds onto the ground. So I guess I had better get dressed and go feed them. Then I need to get this house ready for CHRISTMAS!!! Whoo-hoo!!!

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day6....

OK I Guess I DID throw you all off.....even though I'm not REALLY 100% positive about this answer, it is the one listed on the quiz so I have to assume it is correct.

the answer is EASTER remember guys it is from a RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINT not a commercial one. (and I do not know how many Christians there are nor how many Muslims there are World wide.) So only TW PHYLLIS and DOROTHY got it correct. Wanda wrote a book, but never actually gave an answer...????????????

Tomorrow's quiz...

Name the 10 reindeer of Christmas Lore.....a tricky one here...

so far our Leader is DOrothy with 4 correct, followed by Wanda and Bill with 3 . Good job guys

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day5....

I Know, I know, i'm a little late publishing this..I had errands to run...

THe answer to yesterdays quiz is.....KERCHEIF!!! and Nobody got it WRONG!! GOOD JOB

NOW Tomorrows question is:

From a religious viewpoint, What is the only holiday considered bigger than Christmas?

Ok forum open here!!

Now THIS I believe...

Christmas in Washington, D.C.

The Supreme Court ruled there cannot be a nativity scene in Washington, DC this Christmas. This isn't for any religious or constitutional reason, they simply have not been able to find three wise men and a virgin in the nation's capitol.
There was no problem, however, finding enough asses to fill the stable.

Thought You'd like this one Wanda!! LOLOL

another stupid quiz

It's a quarter to three, theres no one in the place except you and me....

Well no one except me and Frank Sinatra. Actually it's a quarter Past three, but that didnt fit into the song right. I went to bed and fell right to sleep and I woke up to pee, and now Im wide awake. I have to be very quiet so I won't wake up Sadie. Cause then she will have to go outside, and with Mr. Starving Coyote around, I will have to take her out and stay there while she does her thing. SHe smells the coyote and barks and runs toward the fence, like "COme on Dude, Let's go to it, I may be small and cute, but I can beat you". She couldnt of course, she would be dinner for sure. Big Bad Bandit on the other-hand wont go down off the deck. "not me, Gramma, THere's a mean coyote out there"

Rehearsals are coming along fine, we have most of the dance routines Choreographed and blocked. THe songs are coming along also. I get the stage in two weeks and then I can start blocking the rest. Just as we get it all coming together the Playhouse will close for two weeks for the Holidays. When we open, it will be only 15 days on stage and then we open. ARRGGHH I'm really getting nervous. We still have had no conformation from Fernando as to whether he will be playing Jesus. He was going to be out of town until Dec 6. Guess I'll know more then. I am really getting tired this is the 4th show in 5 months that I have done, and I am looking forward to a rest. I really want to finish my quilts, and I really want to get my house painted. It is really looking shabby on the inside. And I need to get out there and try walking...My arse is getting bigger and I have never had an arse before. Big on top, but no butt, and bird legs. I was on my feet for 37 years, now it really feels good to sit, but today I went down to the beach, and watched the waves crash up against the rocks, and I really wanted to get out and WALK!! I could not get to the beach because the tide was in, and I had the wrong shoes on anyway. Birkenstocks are no good for walking. Need my Tennis shoes for that.

I have more pictures to post of Sadie and her new "do" but I will wait until tomorrow to post them.

Don't forget to read all the posts, not just the QUIZ!!! dont have to comment, actually dont have to read. just look at the pictures.

CHRISTMAS QUIZ day4...

Well I just lost everything I wrote....I hate that!!

We had a few winners and several real losers!! I can't believe you guys didnt know where the Ellipse was...Bill had it right first followed by Dorothy, Wanda, Tx and Phyllis...the rest of you need to read up on History huh...

WASHINGTON D.C. was the right answer...

Tomorrows question....
In "The Night Before Christmas", what type of headgear did Momma wear?

FIRST HAIR CUT!

Isn't she pretty? Looks all grown up now.. She has had all of her shots, rabies included and her first haircut, and has an appointment to be spayed Feb 2, sigh....seems like just yesterday she was a baby...

MY BABY IS GONE!!!!! She is at the groomers for the first time... I've never left her with anybody before! She cried when I walked out of the room!! I hope she is a really good girl. Mariah was a really good girl there, although she did not like to go. Sadie will be getting her first Puppy cut, which basically means they will trim her feet, her ears, and her muzzle and leave her feathers to grow some more. (Yes Kat, Dogs DO have feathers...) (Ya know I can just see Kat and Don both laying on their stomachs pounding the floor with their fists in laughter.) I can't pick her up for another hour!! I came home and Bandit and Loki both looked all over for her. She is such a presence in this house now. She definately keeps us on our toes!!! I will have to remember to take the camera and get a picture before she gets all dirty. I just know she is gonna head right out to the dirt pile and roll all over in it.

It is a BEEEEOOOOTIFUL day today. The calm between the storms. Yesterday it started blowing really hard, and then it DUMPED rain!! this is so weird for us. The wind isn't but the rain is. We ususally only have .01 inches in a day, all in the form of mist. yesterday it was 3.0 inches in Seattle. Now the sun is out, the wind is calm, it is chilly, and the birds and squirrels are feeding at the feeder.OHMIGOD!!!......A COYOTE RIGHT THERE!!!!! Hang on..........

I don't believe it! right at the back fence! Looked almost like a Hyeena! no fur on its tail or back end. just on its head and front end. I shooed it away, and it tucked its tail and ran, Time to load up the pistol. I have a 38 special 2" barrel stainless steel pistol that I have fitted for 38 bird shot. that'll hurt like hell. Illegal, here, but I don't think the neighbors would mind once they knew what I was shooting at. I guess i will have to rethink keeping Sadie out un-watched for awhile. I'm sure Bandit would scare away a coyote, but I ain't gonna risk it!! This dude looked really hungry!! I'm sure that Cocker meat would taste just lovely to him. I had heard them off on the highway but I have NEVER seen them this close before. and never in daylight, always at night.

OH NO!!! I hope Lola stays in the trees!!!!!!! Hey DON!! Come shoot this Guy for me...Or TW, Send the hunter!!

CHRISTMAS QUIZ...day3

Whoo!! Started a bit of a fight there with that 1st answer huh? Man are you guys COMPETITIVE!!!
Answer for day 2 goes to ......ALL OF YOU!! Yep the answer was Bah-humbug!! I'm even giving it to grouchy ol DON because he would have said it, and I know he MEANT to say it but he was still pouting over day 1!!! LOLOLOL

So I will Be posting the answer and the new quiz every day around 2:30-3:00 PST or 530-600 EST or 2230GMT.



Question for Day 3.....

What US City lights the Christmas Tree on the Ellipse?

Ho Hum

I just finished my morning coffee, and daily walk through all of your blogs. Now I have a question. Several times I have seen where people apologize for "lurking" or not posting a comment. Didn't know you HAD to. I don't. Sometimes I don't say anything, sometimes I do. I don't care if you do here or not. I do not know how to see who visits from where, I enjoy reading the comments, but please don't feel obligated. I have several blogs I read that I don't always agree with, and those I just quietly slip back out and continue my surfing. I fully respect your right to vent on your own blog. I am the visitor, and I can always go home. Continue venting there people. I intend to.

Ok..Now is there an EASY way to make your blog Christmasy without going in and rewritting the entire thing? I have been playing with fireworks, and dreamweaver, but still afraid to do anything major. I guess what I really want is a template on my original blog that Will allow me to easily change the color and the top pictures. I think I can figure the rest out. Do you have to delete the original and paste in a new one? is there a really good site for free help? I do appreciate the help I have gotten from you guys, it has really brought me a long way from the first posts I did.

I need to get my Christmas tree. But OH GOD!! How am I gonna do it with Sadie? I always have at least a 6' tree. THis year I might just go with a small table tree. How sad is that? The weather is sposed to be good, so I might get out the lights and get those up around the roof line. GOSH I can do it in bits and stages this year, I HAVE TIME!! TIME!! TIME!! I even might bake some of those Christmas cookies that I have been hearing about for years and years. WOw. ANd I could make a gingerbread house!! WOW!! and I could go out into the woods and get some greens to make a wreath instead of buying it. WOW! Now all I need is someone to clean the house every day so It stays looking good.

Yikes Sadie has a DR. Appt. Gotta go...

These damn quizzes!!!

You are Spearmint.
You are quick-witted and sharp. You pay close
attention to details and you can tell what your
friends are feeling. You are always the first
to understand a joke and you are valued for
your insight and advice. However, you
sometimes isolate yourself from other people,
afraid to share your own feelings.
Most Compatible With: Cinnamon


Which Tic-Tac Flavor Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla


Actually in reading it over it kinda fits. I usually am sought for advise, and I do tend to isolate myself from other people. And I LOVE cinnamon!!

Christmas Quiz...day2

TADA!!!! the answer and the winner is Kimmotion! Grandma was drinking eggnog. However, I typed the question wrong..I said what was grandma DOING and it whould have been DRINKING. So Don was really close, but Kim nailed it. So point goes to Kim!! with credit to any of you who were mis-led by the question. I believe several of you said coming home from our house Christmas Eve, which would have also been correct.

2. WHAT IS SCROOGE'S FAVORITE TWO WORD PHRASE?

OH who's that I hear?....Don?......

Christmas Quiz...day1

I am going to be posting an advent calendar of my very own sort of...each day I will post 1 question, and the next day i will post the answer and another question. Let's see who can get the most correct answers...

1. WHAT WAS GRANDMA DOING WHEN SHE GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER?

Northwest notes...

Fran writes a great blog about the northwest, and thought that you all would really enjoy her thanksgiving weekend. So I am linking it here.

blogger boo-boos

Both Phyllis and I have been having sporatic problems with our connections. We do not have the same server. She has Verizon DSL I have Galaxynet DIal-up 56k. Whatever the problem It causes us to not be able to open your sites completely, and sometimes cant get comments to open, or if they do they wont post new ones, so we comment, but they dont get posted. I logged off and then She called with the same problem. At first I thought it was blogger but sometimes they opened and sometimes they did not.

With Christmas coming, is it kosher to ask for snail mail addresses to send Christmas cards? If so, please email me at dreamer@galaxynet.com and send me your address and I will return mine. I asked Leslie, and she thought it would be best to do it off blog just in case there were some nasty lurkers out there. Good idea. So send those emails!!

You can't hang e-cards on the mantle...

Guess what time it is?

Yep!! you're right!! 230! I woke up hot! not the hot flash hot, just HOT! My feet were burning, my face is burning, I can't breathe right, I am HOT! I threw the covers back, and headed my nose to the window to get some air...even the air outside isn't as cold as it should be. THe storm that blasted it's way through here yesterday, came up from Hawaii...what the meteorologists call the Pineapple Express! Winds over 60 MPH and tons of rain! now it is still, not a breeze anywhere, and the air is warm. DOnna had a really good fire going all evening, and that warmed the house up, so even my bedroom was not cool. I got up chugged some cold water, grabbed a bite of pumpkin dump cake while there was still some left, and came in here to surf a little. I am really tempted to open the office window, but there is cold unsettled air due in here tomorrow, so better keep as much heat as I can in the house. (UGH) I can NOT sleep in a warm bedroom. I need the heavy covers and an open window and COLD air on my face in order to sleep well.

ANybody out there see the movie A Mighty Wind? OH GOD!! what a stupid movie!! it was so bad, we couldn't STOP watching it. THe movie just had to get better...it didn't! It was funny, but in a really bad movie way. A spoof on the New Christy Minstrials, and the Kingston Trio, and Petter Paul and Mary. Folk Singers, getting back together for a reunion years later. OH REALLY REALLY BAD!!! LOLOLOLOLOL

I have two more movies waiting in the wings. Discovered Blockbuster for the first time. So I rented 3 DVD's. This is a terrible weekend for TV so I figured it would be a good weekend for movies. Everybody else must have figured the same thing. THere was not much to choose from. I am in the mood for a really good feel goos movie, like Sleepless in Seattle or You've got mail, or miracle on 32nd st. But I wanted something I had not seen before. I have a tendency to get overwhelmed when I go in and there is a big selection to choose from. SO I headed for the new releases, and picked 3. the others are Two weeks Notice and The In-laws. Havent seen either of those, so I am looking forward to watching them tomorrow. Even PBS has a beg-a-thon on tomorrow, so no joy there either.

I sooo Miss Turner Classic movies... My CRAP FOR A CABLE COMPANY decided that they neede to take it off and put tech TV on. so now I have three channels that show robot wars, and only one that shows old movies, AMC. ARRGGHHHH I hate this cable company...I want a Dish...ANimal Planet, Food Network, TCM, Encore, NASA, all the GOOD channels. I get Crap!! Even PBS took my favorite cooking shows off the Saturday line up!!

Sadie went Bye-Bye with me again today. No Carrier, No leash. I had several stops to make, and I wanted to see what she would be like. She was such a good girl. No pee on the seats, no howling, and she was in her seat when I got to the car. Now I checked her to see if she stayed in seat. NOPE...as soon as she heard the remote click, she looked up and bounced right back into her own seat. Must be inbreed in them..."...sit in mommies seat and keep it warm, listen for the click and move over, she'll never know you kept her seat warm for her. Good deeds should be done anonymously." What a hoot. Mariah did the same thing. I have to remember to get some cookies and keep in the door pocket for her.

Right in the middle of getting dinner ready yesterday my Microwave gave out a horrid noise and died. SO today I had to go get another one. I have a scratch off card for next week, and should have waited for the discount, but this morning alone, I headed for the microwave 4 different times to reheat something, so I waited until 300 and braved the crowds at the Navy Exchange, and went in and got my new microwave. In the 9 months I have been retired, the price of microwaves has dropped significantly!! I have had a SHarp Carousel for 10 years, and wanted another one like it. I was expecting to pay at least 150.00 for it. I got the stainless steel 1350 Watt 1.2 cubic foot microwave with carousel for only 89.99!! Whoa!! good deal!! I ran into several of my old employees who wanted to know why I was in there today of all days. I explained why and they laughed. The day was lost as far as sales went, because at 900 when the store was packed with the earlybird shoppers, the lights went out in the storm. LOLOLOLOLOL I think it is hilarious!! all of the customers left their carts full of merchandise and left for the malls. Then the lights went out three more times. LOLOLOLOLOL so much for BLACK FRIDAY!! GOD!! I am sooooo glad I am retired!! I miss some aspects of it, but the crap? NOPE! THe PRESSURE? Nope! THe blame when you dont meet your sales goals? NOPE! ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
I think I can sleep now....

BURP!!!!!

AHHHHH That felt good. I laid down for a nap right after everybody left tonight and woke up at midnight BURPING...
I ran out of this medicine the Dr gave me to try. He wanted to see if acid reflux was causing my bronchial infections and cough. it was called Aciphex and man was that stuff GREAT!! It stopped the heart burn, and dit seems to have helped my coughing spasms some. Mostly I found that I could drink a glass of milk before bed and not wake up looking like the Macy's Balloons!! I would bloat up terribly.

We tonight I woke up burping....just huge amounts of gas, and deflating..burp, AHHHH Burp AHHHHHHHHH Burp AHHHHHH BURP!!!! Once I stood up and stretched, I burped really loud and felt a lot better. Guess I had better see if the Insurance Company will pay for that drug, cause it is good stuff. If not, I'll not go through life Burping...

Chemystery actually stayed here for the weekend. Her towdude husband said that he would be busy towing cars out of ditches on the pass all weekend, so she would be by herself. He also did not want her driving over the top in the three feet of snow that they got on Wednesday. THe pass was a mess, cars everywhere, and they interviewed one poor bastard who said he had never heard of tire chains before, and had no idea he was going through a pass.

DUH HELLO!!!! Mountains....Snow.....ice....you are heading for the ocean....hmmmmm must be a pass around here somewhere. How far back in a cave has this guy been living? when you go UP a mountain, you gotta come DOWN a mountain to get to the water...I just don't understand DUMB!! Hey Buddy!!! Here's your sign!!...

Anyway...what I was going to say before I started ranting was Donna was actually Home for Thanksgiving. I think that is the first time in almost 10 years she has been home for ANY holiday. When I was growing up the only Family we lived around was the immediate mom dad brother sister. No Cousins, no Gramma, nobody. i always wanted a big extended family to come back to my house for the holidays. All gathering at the big huge table and being together to tell what our lives had been like since the last time we saw each other. DIdn't happen. My kids grew up and bolted out the door never to look back. I still have big gatherings, but it is still brother sister bob. No kids. Today everybody but Tim was home. Scotty came down for dinner, DOnna was home, Phyllis was here, better but still not well, and Mike and sherry were here too. Naturally Bob was, he bought the Turkey.

I was sooo GLad Donna was here! I think I told her about ten times today how glad I was that she stayed here. I don't think she understood the meaning of that. I don't think she realizes that my world lit up when I first saw her tiny little face, and as independent as she is and always has been, that she is my life. We have been through so damn much together, Birth, Divorce, remarriage, death, and I always want my children by my side. (or at least close enough that I know they are safe and warm) She doesn't understand. She thinks that when I say Drive Safe, and What time are you coming home, that I am being intrusive into her freedom. That isnt it at all. It is so that I will be able to rest my mind knowing that I have children that are safe. She really laid into me the other night because I was upset that she didnt call and let me know that she was going to be late. There was Ice all over the roadway, and I was worried. "You worry too much Mom, the roads were fine! CHILL OUT!" She just doesn't realize that when you are a mother, you can't chill out until all of your chicks are tucked under your (or somebody else's) wing and are sleeping safely. No matter how old you get.

When My Mother was still alive, she always would say "Drive safe" The one time she did not was the night that we got into a bad accident and I was thrown from the car and down a steep cliff. No one died, and we were all too drunk to get seriously hurt. (young, 20!) So from that day forward we always said "Bye Mom!" and she always said "drive safe" and if she didnt we would just repeat it again and again until she remembered to say "drive safe!" We always called when we got home, and we always told her when we were going to be late. We just knew that was the right thing to do. Overkill? Maybe, but she could relax, and we had our lucky Talisman even if it was only verbal.

Tim at least did send me an E-card. that is the first contact with him since he got out of jail and I took him to the ferry landing to catch the ferry back to Orcas Island. Men are such asses. Prolly wont hear from him again until my birthday in January. He always calls collect then. Hey it's contact.

It is now 230 am and I am still wide eyed...Maybe I should go read awile. All of my blogger friends are gone for the weekend or have not posted, so nothing new to read. (yeah I know SOME of you posted.) I have a new book that is kinda cute. It is the Tea room Mysterys...English Breakfast club murder. Mind candy, but fun. I have read all of the Goldy Bear Catering Mysteries, so thought I might like these too. maybe. I went all through J.A. Jances murders too, love her, love JP BEaumont and Joanna Brady. (her hero/heroine) Maybe it was the TUrkey sandwich I just ate, or the Pumplin dump cake, but I am wired right now...not sleepy feel like I am yammering on and on,(you ARE MARY LOU)so I had better shut this off and go to bed. Big storm predicted to hit us in the morning. 60 MPH winds again. yay!

Burp!!!! ahhhhhh all better now...

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!!!

Hope you all are having a Great Day. Me, I'm watching the Macy's parade and driving my daughter NUTS!! she hates it, and I love it. Every Year!!! Wish I could be center court to see it some day.

I did a google search for Whidbey Island Blogs and found a new friend. She is Deb, a Navy Nurse who has just been transfered to Sicily. Everybody bounce on over and wish her a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving Eve...

I just told Chemystery that I wasn't feeling any stress today like I usually did trying to get dinner ready. SHe just laughed...Mom, it's the first time in 37 years you have been OFF the day befor Thanksgiving!

She's right!! Since Friday is Black Friday in Retail, and all available personnel have to be there, and we open at 0'dark thirty to beat Wally WOrld and K-Marche, We usually work the night before Thanksgiving until Midnite or later to set the sale. So I would come home exausted, rest a few and start in on dinner prep. THen up at the cra ck of dawn to shove the bird in the oven and start getting the house in order before tha family shows up. I was always really stressed out, and tired, and had to be back at work on Friday, I was no fun, the family was no fun, the dinner tasted awful to me, and I usually ended up either pissing somebody off, or being pissed off.

It is now almost Midnight and all I have to do is cut up the vegies for the stuffing and make the corn bread. That's IT!!
whoo-hoo!!! I can watch the Parade and then the National Dog Show on NBC, then the beginning of the Christmas Movies that I watch every year. Every Single one of them, every year. Even It's A Wonderful Life. for the 88th time.

THe house is clean, the puppy is asleep, ANd I am going to hit the shower in about an hour and then BED!!

Hope you all have a very Safe and WOnderful Thanksgiving, and for all you Canucks up there, remember heat rises, so all of our oven heat will head that way and warm you up. take a deep sniff, you might smell TURKEY!!!

slippers from Martha...

Martha is at it again.....

Subject: Martha Stewart Slippers

How to make bedroom slippers out of maxi pads:
You need four maxis' to make a pair.
Two of them get laid out flat, for the foot part.
The other two wrap around the toe area to form the top.
Tape or glue each side of the top pieces to the bottom of the foot
part.
Decorate the tops with whatever you desire, silk flowers, etc.

*These slippers are * Soft and Hygienic * Non-slip grip strips on the
soles *Built in deodorant feature * Keeps feet smelling fresh * No more
bending over to mop up spills * Disposable and biodegradable.
Environmentally safe*

Three convenient sizes: Regular, Light day, and Get out the Sand Bags.
See the nifty slippers for yourself....

And I just came back from Steven denbeste's USS CLUELESS site. Todays post is really good.

An Interesting read....

I was over at Denny's place and he mentioned this blog. I went and found it interesting from an in country prospective.
Iraq Now

Another Quiz

I can't resist them...however I will not post the one I took at KATS PLACE


G# minor - You are not totally happy, and you know
it. At least you are trying to do something
about it. You like to think and create to try
and sort out your problems. Keep going the way
you are, and you will soon be on speaking terms
with your demons.


what key signature are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Sadie

Sadie has learned really quickly how to beg...she sits under the 'puter desk and begs sooo cute. She is getting so big. It is hard to believe she is only 4 months old.



Right now she is running from the office clear through the living room into the kitchen back to the office, hits the squeeky hedgehog til it squeeks then runs back through the LR into the Kitchen and back again and hits the Squeeky hedgehog! She is panting really hard and running full force!! Don't you wish you could bottle it and Sell it? Make a lot of money with that energy.

Spoke too soon, she just ran in here and crashed. She's out like a light!!! Babies!! They are sooO FUNNY

Oprah's Favorite Things....

Yep...today!!! And I sooooo want to be there!!!! I want the camcorder/camera, and the bath stuff smelly cremes. How come I can never be that lucky? Some lady in the front row almost fainted, they had to stop the show and calm her down! yep...that would be me!

Whidbey Island

WHIDBEY ISLAND, Washington

I have lived on Islands most of my life, but my absolute favorite one is where I now live… Whidbey Island in the middle of Puget Sound in Washington State. I came to this island from another one in Hawaii, and before that Guam. I was 8. The island was covered with fir trees, and surrounded by beaches. I was in heaven. I could climb a tree, and climb a cliff, and pretend to fish, and ride my bike, and my mother never yelled at me to stay in the yard. I thrived here. There was snow in the winter, and clams in the summer, and fish all year around. And the lights went out every weekend. And we had to light lanterns to see, and build a fire to keep warm. It was GLORIOUS!

We left This wonderland when I was 10 and moved back to Hawaii and then to another Island in San Fransisco Bay, Alameda California. It just wasn’t the same. It was all citified, and no snow, and no clams and no trees to climb.

When I was 15, We got our orders back to Whidbey Island…I was ecstatic!! Back to my island!! Back HOME!! My family has lived here since, I was the only one who strayed. I too married a sailor and went to other places. 1 was NOT an Island.

Whidbey Island sits right in the middle of the upper left hand corner of the state of Washington. It separates the Straight of Juan De Fuca from Puget Sound. It sits in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains to the South west, so does not get as much rain and snow as the rest of the state. We only avg 17 inches a year. Because of that fact we are called the Banana Belt, and the US Navy built an Air base here in WWII.

The main income up until that time was farming. The Dutch and the Irish settled here first, and claimed the land for farming. When the Govt. took the land from them to build the base, they were compensated, and bought land other places, but the BEST land became the Air Station, and thus was formed the Dutch/Navy Feud. For many years, the Dutch reformed church was the ruling committee in Oak Harbor. The Navy was considered OUTCASTS. The girls in High School were not allowed to date the young Sailors, (we did anyway) and the Navy was fighting hard to make inroads into the community. It took 60 years, but now that Oak Harbor has grown from a little Dutch farm community to a 45,000 population City, the 2nd generation and the 3rd generation are realizing which side their bread was buttered on. There is a distinct possibility that with BRAC 2005, NAS Whidbey Island may go away. The entire Island is fighting that possibility.

There are still many fir trees on the island, although they are going down faster and faster, to make room for more and more people who are using the Island as a bedroom for Seattle, and commuting the 90 miles+ just to have a cheaper and a better quality of life than the Metropolis of Everett/Seattle/Tacoma/Olympia has.





My development is ½ way down the island, and faces the West/Southwest And most of the homes have a view of the water. I don’t. I can see the tops of the Olympic Mtns though. I live on the top right up against 100 acres of Alder trees and Fir which separate me from the main hiway up the island. I look out the back window and see the alder forest and thus all of the wildlife that live there. The deer can’t get to the roses, because of the fence, but they do walk around the block and attack from the front. The apple trees next door are a real draw to them. Along with my roses out front. It is nothing to come home from the Playhouse at 1000 at night and see the headlights shining into the 3 point buck that thinks he is invisible. (on the West coast, you count one side only, but if he was down south I think you all would call him a 6 point buck.) I leave him alone. I let him believe he is Invisible.

We have some of the most beautiful State Parks on the Island. So popular that you need reservations a year ahead of time to get into the campgrounds. Pity. The tourists have found us.

To the East and on the mainland is the Cascade Mtns. They run from British Columbia down through Oregon and stop at Mt. Shasta in California. Lots of Volcanoes there. Most of them dormant but like Mt. St. Helens, they are not extinct. Mt. Baker is to the Northeast from me, and sticks up its beautiful white head every cloudless day there is. I have a love affair with it and the Skagit River. The North Cascades National Park is one of the USA’s newest and most beautiful parks. Almost Alp-like. The Route over it closes every year because of snow.

To the North west is the San Juan Islands, over 150 islands of all sizes between us and Canada, The only way there is by Ferry, and can be quite spendy once you get there. My Son lives on Orcas Island. The biggest one. Only 45 miles as the crow flies, but evidentially way to far to go visit your Mom.

All of our beaches are rocks and driftwood, no sand. The rocks have not evolved that far yet, but they will. They are still on their journey from Volcano to specks of sand. We live about ¼ mile from the beach as the crow flies, but it is up a steep hill, and really hard on the knees.

Our gourmet culture goes to Fish and Sea Food, as you can tell by my blog entries. Salmon is the mainstay followed by oysters crabs and clams. There is not a day goes by that we don’t have some form of sea food. I LIVE for Salmon, smoked, dried, grilled, baked, Pink , Red, You name it. Yummy!! And the Dungeness Crabs are heavenly.

Flannel shirts and jeans and Birkenstocks with big thick socks are our every day clothes. LL Bean lives on my Coffee Table. As does Eddie Bauer and Lands End.

We drink TONS of coffee, and almost every corner has an Espresso bar on the corner, usually Drive through. I bought my Mazda MPV because it has so many cup holders in it. (Sad huh) There is Starbucks, naturally, and Whidbey’s coffee, and Millstone, and Peets, and Tully’s and any body else you can think of that wants to make a buck.

We all have wood stoves to heat the house, and at least 2 cords of wood stacked out back drying. Wood is 150.00 a cord cut and stacked. Used to be 35.00 10 years ago.

Oak Harbor, has 5 major grocery stores not counting the Commissary. And 3 big discount stores not counting the Navy Exchange. We have every Mexican restaurant in the world, and every oriental food joint, but we have No Italian, no Steak houses but we have Greek! Oh yes, and PIZZA!

2 BlockBuster video stores too.

It really is a great place to raise kids if you can stand the weather and the fact that the closest Mall is an hours drive away. Doesn’t bother us though, we’re used to it. Along I-5 there is anything you want!!!!

Most people who come here with the Navy are shocked to find out there is nothing to do here. I just shake my head in amazement, because there is Way more here than there was 60 years ago when I was growing up! They just have to look for it, It is there in the Forest, and on the Beach, and standing on a wind-swept hill looking out over the Sound, and seeing the Bald Eagles soar on the thermals and watching the Orca Whales breech on their way to join another Pod. It is there walking through the trees and catching a glimpse of the majesty that is the Olympic Mountains, and knowing that they were formed not very long ago geologically. It is there on the shore as the loons swim by and the seagulls yell, and your fishing line finally hooks into that bright silver salmon that you have spent DAYS trying to catch. It is there in the freshness of the wind as it smacks into your cheeks while the temperature hovers around 34 degrees. It is even there in the dampness of the rain and the quietness that the fog brings in. It is all around. You just have to see it with your Open eyes OPEN. (Thanks Robert)