Dead Batteries...

I have absolutely NO energy in my body!!! I spent all day Saturday in bed, and slept and slept and slept! Yesterday I made myself get up and I was ok. But went to bed and slept and slept. Today I got up, felt good, putzed outside a little, came in blogwalked and then fell asleep AT THE COMPUTER!!!!!!!!

I have no idea what is wrong. I just can not stay awake. I go to sleep and then wake up and am awake for an hour or so then out like a light again. I tried staying awake all day and all night, and that worked for 2 days and then the same pattern.

Today when I woke up, I was dreaming that the Alarm at the Playhouse was going off, during my production of the King And I. And the audience was ticked off. I went down to the office to tell Janice to turn the alarm off and she said we would have to live with it as it was broken and no one could come fix it for a week. It was a very irritating beep beep beep beep piercing and sharp. I was so up tight over it, I remember the feeling , like I was gonna go insane if it didn't stop. Then Loki came up and licked my face, and it was MY radio alarm going off. I am so surprised that Donna didn't scream at me.

I got up and got dressed, came in here to blogwalk, did about 1/2 my tour, then headed outside. The weather does not know what it wants to do, it was warm about 55 degrees, but dark clouds came over and huge rain drops splattered, then out came the sun. Warm and bright.

I had a freezer full of corn on the cob that I had to throw out. Bob got 1/2 a cow butchered and wrapped and brought it over to store here. I would rather throw out 10 dollars worth of corn than 600 dollars of beef. SO I took the corn to the back fence, and threw it over into the woods. The squirrels, raccoons, deer, and birds will get a really good meal or two out of them. There were about 60 ears left, and once defrosted, does not do well. (10/1.00) Sadie was running and barking and looking at me like I was nuts, but I got it all over the fence, now I sit back tonite and watch for critters.

The crab apple tree out front already has green leave buds coming out on it. The pink dogwood tree is budding up, the tulips are up about 6 ", and the Lilac bushes are budded up too. Everything is so early!! I fully expect another hard freeze to hit before Spring is over. It is after all just 1 month into WINTER! I hope we don't lose everything.

Loki went through the bedroom screen today after a pine siskin at the feeder. I forgot that I had the window over my bed opened wider than usual. He normally wonks right into the glass, but today he went into the screen and knocked it outside. Scared him BIG TIME!! He was hanging with his front feet on the outside of the window yowling and trying to get back in. The big WUSSIE PUSSIE!!

The sun did not go down until 530 today!!! WooT!!!! Longer days are on their way!!!
Maybe energy will come back with the light too...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WANDA!!

HAppy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday dear WANDA!
HAppy Birday to YOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!


wanda

passing the baton

A poem baton has been passed to me,Herman produced the first line and Ieneke produced the second line of this beginning poem. Tine added on the third line. CarolC added the forth line and I am tasked to add the next line. Here it goes....


-I'm drawned tonight
-in the words of your eyes
-they dragged me down...
-with quiet sighs.

-The fog rolls in

Now i pass the baton on to special k, and to Michelle, and to phyllis. Wonder where theirs' will take us.

Nevada's Shoe tree

shoetree

MIDDLEGATE -- Lots of hyperbole hereabouts: You've arrived in the middle of nowhere, via the loneliest road in America, and found the world's largest shoe tree.

Well, that's what the signs say -- including one tacked on to a 70-foot cottonwood tree whose branches seem to have sprouted several hundred pairs of shoes. Sneakers, cowboy boots, high heels, flip-flops, sandals, clogs -- even fishing waders and roller skates -- hang in tangled clumps on the lower, easy-to-reach branches.

The unlikely blossoms are sparse toward the top. It's tougher to toss shoes laced together high enough to hook them on a twig. If all those shoes aren't quirky enough, there's also a plastic flamingo, bicycle wheel, bra and a few Christmas ornaments in the old tree, an offbeat attraction in this otherwise barren area.

There's little more than sagebrush along the isolated central Nevada stretch of U.S. Highway 50, about 100 miles east of Reno. If you like high desert, it's awesome. If you don't, it's awful.

Even without the shoes, the big cottonwood's presence could start at least a brief conversation among bored travelers. Make it a shoe tree, and you've got material for miles.

Puns, for instance: Think it might be a pair tree? I don't know, but it's sure got sole. It leaves you all tied up in knots. Yeah, but it's so pedestrian.

Better yet, skip the bad jokes and stop at Old Middlegate Station, a bar and grill 50 miles from nowhere, to hear the whole story from owners Rus and Fredda Stevenson, who have an unobstructed view of the tree that's nearly 3 miles away.

Fredda was tending bar when the first shoes were tossed 10 years ago -- by a newlywed who got into a quarrel with his bride while camping in the shade of the tree. "They got married in Reno, and she lost a lot of their money gambling and he was angry," said Fredda. "So she was going to walk home, and he said, `You do and you'll have to go barefoot,' and threw her shoes into the tree." "Then he drove down here and we talked for two or three hours. I told him to go back and say he was sorry and that it was all his fault."

The man took her advice, the couple made up and drove away. A year later they stopped by to show off their first child, whose first pair of shoes are now in the tree.

Since then, hundreds of people have stopped to add a pair -- or take a pair. Snowshoes and a pair of skis weren't there for long. Shoes with a few miles left on them sometimes get replaced with worn-out footgear. "Our nephew needed some work boots. He was working up at the cat litter processing plant," said Rus. The plant? That's yet another roadside attraction a few miles away, even more remote than this part of U.S. 50. "But he could only get one boot down, and he fell out of the tree trying to get the other one. He never did get it."

Rus and Fredda are the tree's unofficial caretakers. He grabs binoculars to see if anyone's there, all the while describing how he spotted a young woman chopping at the tree with an ax. She caused little damage -- the trunk is about three feet in diameter -- but he called the sheriff anyway. They also collect information from motorists who have spotted shoe trees elsewhere. An Internet search turns up sightings in Arizona and Indiana; at a Florida nudist camp and a Minnesota university campus, and in Minnesota on a university campus. "Maybe it's a little piece of history," added Fredda. "People want to be remembered, if only by their shoes. If they drive by here again, they can say, `My shoes are up there.'"And it's better than carving their initials."

This was written in the Las Vegas Newspaper, and I had taken the picture on one of my many trips by it. There is NOTHING from Fallon to Austin, Nevada except for the bar at Middlegate. You drive for 100 miles between the two cities. Kinda gives you a lot of respect for the pioneers who traveled it in covered wagons. Actually they went up and followed the Humboldt River 60 miles north. It was the Pony Express that followed this route.

SUNSHINE on my shoulder...

I woke up this morning around 8:00 and just laid there, luxuriating in the fact that I was warm except for my face, and I did not hurt ANYWHERE! I blew my breath out and saw it, so I knew it was cold out there. Soon I heard the birds at the feeder, and at that same time Loki went up over the top of my head to get them also. SMACK right into the glass on the window. You think he would LEARN wouldn't you? The birds have, they know they are safe.

I stayed and watched my breath and the birds for about 15 minutes, and then right over the hill to the South the sun popped over the trees and hit my face and my shoulder. It felt wonderful! We have not seen the sun in quite awhile. I got up to let Sadie out, and fix a cup of coffee, turn on the puter and blogwalk. I looked out and just as the sun came over the top of the stand of alders behind MY house, the fog formed. RIGHT THERE in front of my eyes it formed! Such a sight, clear and warm one minute and getting cloudier and cloudier the next. The wisps were coming off the roofs and the streets and the cold ground, and forming into a cloud right in my own back yard.

That was it for the sun for the rest of the day. Wednesday the weather forecast was for sunshine and partly cloudy for the next 10 days. Well screw that. I was ready to watch the weather hit 55 then paint the porch. Guess I had better just wait until spring is really here. If I push it the paint would just peel off and I would have to do it all over again.

I have learned that If I get up too early and do my blogwalk, most of you have not posted yet. I also know that if I wait too long, then haloscan or blogger is down, and I get frustrated. So I will start waking up with the sun, drink a cup of coffee and then blogwalk.

I turned on the computer this morning and the first thing I saw after my page popped up was jilliebean! I stopped, gasped and my first thought was somebody was playing a joke on me, or had used this name too. And then I realized that it was Jill!

I worked for Jill's Dad for many years, from the time Jill was a brand spanking new baby until I had to move on to Bangor, and then Adak. I also worked again for him when I came back to Whidbey until he retired.

Jill's Mom then worked for ME for several years. Jill has always had a special place with me, as I was a Quasi-Auntie, and friend. She is now over seas. Her Mom moved to Spain right after I retired, and now is the Branch Exchange Manager in Moron, Spain. Jill met an air force Man and id now living in Belgium. She may be starting her own blog really soon, so be sure you all welcome her when she does come aboard. She is 19 whoops maybe 20 now. Oh MIGAWD! I think I missed her Birthday!!!
It is Jill's Mom that got me involved with the WHidbey Playhouse.

I got word last night that I will be directing the first play of the season in September. Blithe Spirit. A dark comedy by Noel coward. It is not one I had planned on, but they asked, I jumped. What this may mean though is I may have to give up asst director for A Funny Thing Happened On the Way TO the Forum, in June, but I really wanted to do that one, as it is a musical, and I wanted to learn how Rusty did things. I will take a look at my calendar and see what if anything I have to give up. I live for the playhouse, and it is all I have to do, but maybe I need to pull back some. NAHHHH!!

We Start Ten Little Indians Next weekend. Everything is ready for that, and auditions will be Monday and Tuesday. That will be an easy one. I am just Producing that. Then Forum, then Blithe Spirit. Gonna keep me out of trouble for sure, now if I could only find something to get the weight off.......

Live on the edge...Gwan do it!

This picture reminds me so much of my sister. When she was little, she was ALWAYS in trouble. She either was causing trouble, finding trouble or just plain was IN trouble. She never did anything REALLY wrong, Just always lived life on the edge. I remember the day she told me that she crawled on the water pipe that ran under the Deception Pass Bridge. THAT WILL KILL YOU thinks I, And she didn't seem phased. The Bridge is over 100 feet above very swift running cold water and the Pipe was about 2' in diameter hanging underneath the bridge. She was soooooo Lucky. If she had fallen, she would be dead.

I also remember the night that her and a girl friend set fire to the homecoming bonfire, the day BEFORE the game. Got in trouble for that one too.

When she was younger, my Dad would say she would just twitch and try not to do something and then, Boom Do it.

Phyllis has no regrets though, she has lived her life as she wanted to, and has never been afraid to take a chance. She will be rocking in a rocking chair in her old age, giggling and saying yep! I did that! I will be sitting beside her shaking my head.

Live life to the fullest, and don't be afraid of the wild ride. She loves the saying, "when I die, I want to go peacefully in my sleep, like my Grandfather did, and not screaming in fright like his passengers."

Jeez...

A lighter touch!

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...one old love she can imagine going back to..
and one who reminds her how far she has come...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
.....enough money within her control to move out and
rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams
wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
....a youth she's content to leave behind...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
.....a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
....a set of screwdrivers, cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...one friend who always makes her laugh
... and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
.....a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone
else in her family..

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe
for a meal that will make her guests feel honoured..

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
.....a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.
....how to fall in love without losing herself...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
....how to quit a job, break up with a lover,
and confront a friend without ruining the friendship...
and how to change a tire!!!!!!!

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
.....when to try harder... and when to walk away...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
.....that she can't change the length of her calves, the width
of her hips, or the nature of her parents...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
.....that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
.....what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
...how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
.....whom she can trust, whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
.....where to go...be it to her best friend's kitchen table..
or a charming inn in the woods...when her soul needs soothing...

Democratic Republic of Congo...

CAUTION!!! RANT AHEAD!!!!!!


I am appalled! I am also very Innocent. I am also very ignorant. I am not however a racist of any type. I Do watch the Oprah show and believe that she can make people hear about atrocities that no one else wants to speak of.

Today was one of those days.

Reporter Lisa Ling was on assignment for the Oprah Show, and was sent to Rwanda and then on the The D.R.C. to cover the story about the 4 MILLION people that were slaughtered there in the past 6 years, and about the 1 MILLION people that were murdered in Rwanda in 1995-6. As Lisa said, these are atrocities that you never heard about. It is not a popular problem, and it is committed by black Africans against Black Africans. It is a holocaust and it is horrible. There are two groups of guerrillas both fighting against each other, and in the way are the people in the villages. These people are slaughtered at night, with no respect for age, sex, religion, color or nationality. Just a live human being one minute, and a dead one the next.

The biggest atrocities however are committed against the women in the villages. They are tortured, and raped in front of their husbands and children, and in some cases, their sons are forced to rape them too. These women may be then taken as sex slaves into the forest and used over and over again until they die or escape.

Once these women come back to their villages, their husbands if they are still alive will shun them, because they are afraid of the diseases they may have. These Women may be pregnant with their captors babies, and in some cases have already given birth to them. These babies can be taken away by the husbands and murdered, or left to die, as they were the off spring of the enemy.

I know that things like this have been going on for as long as there have been human beings on the earth. But GOD! This is the 21st Century. We have just donated Billions of dollars to help out Tsunami victims, and rightly so. We have just spent Trillions of dollars on a war to free a majority of people from a minority of thugs, who are still trying to keep Democracy from gaining a good foothold in their country.
Why have we not heard as much about this atrocity as we have the others? Because the MEDIA does not seem to think it would be as sensational as a Tsunami or a war. This is committed by an unpopular group of people against another unpopular group of people. As Oprah said, " I do not often bring race into my shows, but this is clearly about race." She is right. If it was against American women, or Canadian women or Italian women, someone would do something.

Why does a supposedly caring God allow things like this to happen? Why cant this stop? Why cant we all care enough to do SOMETHING? Why does there have to be pain and suffering because of MAN?

Makes you want to puke!

If I have offended anyone by this rant I am very sorry. I needed to get it off my chest. I also need to find a news source that will report TRUTH and nothing but! Not clouded by politics or nationality. Is there such a thing?

Sunday Funnies...

Indian Mating Season


Two Indians and a Tennessee Hillbilly
were walking through the woods. All
of a sudden one of the Indians ran up
a hill to the mouth of a small
cave. Wooooo! Wooooo! Wooooo!"
he called into the cave and
listened closely until he heard an
answering, "Wooooo!
Wooooo! Woooooo! He then tore off
his clothes and ran into the cave.



The Hillbilly was puzzled and asked
the remaining Indian what it was all
about. "Was the other Indian crazy or
what?" The Indain replied "No, It is our
custom during mating season when
Indian men see cave, they holler
'Wooooo Wooooo! Wooooo!' into the
opening. If they get an answer back, it
means there's a beautiful squaw in
there waiting for us."

Just then they came upon another
cave. The second Indian ran up to the
cave, stopped, and hollered, Wooooo!
Wooooo! Wooooo!" Immediately, there
was the answer. "Wooooo!
Wooooo! Wooooo!"from deep inside.
He also tore off his clothes and ran
into the opening.

The Hillbilly wandered around in the
woods alone for a while, and then
spied a third large cave. As he looked
in amazement at the size of the huge
opening, he was thinking, "Hoo, man!
Look at the size of this cave! It is
bigger than those the Indians found.
There must be some really big, fine
women in this cave!" He stood in front
of the opening and hollered with all his
might "Wooooo! Wooooo! Wooooo!"

Like the others, he then heard an
answering call, "WOOOOOOOOO!WOOOOOOOOO!
WOOOOOOOO! O!"

With a gleam in his eye and a smile on
his face , he raced into the cave
tearing off his clothes as he ran.

The following day, the headline of the
local newspaper read.....


(Get ready, this will kill ya),


NAKED HILLBILLY RUN OVER BY TRAIN!!!

Sushi!!!!!

Dinner

Bob felt sorry for me because my weekend plans were ruined, so he took me out to dinner. We have a Japanese restaurant here in town that we always forget about, and they serve the best SUSHI! Yum! SO I ordered a spicy Tuna roll, and Bob ordered a Sashimi appetizer, and then We each ordered a special. He had Sukiyaki and I had a combo. Sashimi, tempura, bbq beef, and miso. OH I AM SO FULL!!!!

I Love Sushi. When I was a young girl we lived in Honolulu, right in the middle of the Japanese settlement on the side of Punchbowl. I had a girlfriend whose Parents came from Japan before the war. She brought Sushi rice to school for lunch, and I was given one of the rolls, and fell in love!! Her Mom thought it was so cool that I, a Haoli (White person), would even look at Japanese food much less LIKE it. I would go over to their house, and she would show me how she prepared the rice and seaweed.

One day she asked if I would like to go to the windward side of the island with them and pick the Nori that was used as the wrapper on the rice. My Mom said I could, and off I went. At that time 1956, I was as brown as a berry, from the sun and my hair was pure white. I had baby blue eyes, and really stuck out like a sore thumb in that family of Japanese. They walked out onto the rocks at low tide at Waiamea Bay (long before it was a popular surfing beach) and picked the Nori out of the tide pools. They also would gather the spiney sea urchins and other fresh seafood that was trapped there.

That was my very first introduction into the life of some one other than a true American. Sharon and I eventually drifted apart, as I came back to the states, and I am sure she moved on too. I will always remember her and her family, and the fun we had picking the seaweed, and rolling the rice, and the pungent taste of the saki vinegar and sugar they added to it.

tonight, I sat down and ordered, and they brought the Miso soup. I took one taste of it and giggled. Bob asked what was funny, and I said that the taste of the soup reminded me of the smell of the Kalihi District as I rode the bus through it to Waikiki. He took a taste of his soup and agreed. Raw fish and sticky rice and seaweed...UMMMMMM Nothing better!!! (burp) :)

After...

AS you can tell, the majority of the hair is off her face now and her back and head too, And she has a naked tail! This is the way that the breed is sposed to look, but I like her with more of a top knot, and her eye lashes. They were way too long at 5" but now they are gone!! :( I want them back about 1". She is much more comfortable mow though. And a lot cleaner!


haircut

She needs to be groomed about once every 6 weeks, and a bath every 2 hours!! (not really)...She manages to get dirty so fast. Just like a kid!

I was planning on going to the coast this weekend to visit with an old dear friend who lost her husband about 2 months ago. Let me rephrase that, she is an old friend and a dear friend, but not an OLD friend. Although she is older than I am. ;) Losing her husband was sudden and completely unexpected as he was very active. It just happened. Boom! And he was gone. I was going to go spend the weekend with her and just laugh like we used to when we were young and single, and so much more innocent.

But Donna told me that she had made plans for this weekend, and was leaving this afternoon, and would not be back until Tuesday. Soooo since I can not leave my zoo home alone, I can't go. I really should not be upset, but I kinda am. She only goes home 1 or 2 weekends a month, and her Husband usually works while she is there, so waiting one more week would not have made a difference. God knows I have changed my plans for her many times in the past. I have not gone anywhere in years, and really needed this weekend away. I know Barbara will understand, but this weekend was just great timing. No play, no painting, perfect. Ah well

Barbara, I'm sorry!! I really wanted to come!! Sniff.

I have had nothing but trouble with the DISH since I got it. The receiver in the bedroom went Tango-Uniform and had to be replaced. I got the new one yesterday, hooked it up and got it going with 3 phone calls to the 1-800 # and an hour on the phone, to find out that I needed to have a working phone line hooked into the back. The installation man did not do that! (GRRRR) So now I have to go to the Radio Shack and get a splitter for the phone line so I can have a phone in my bedroom again.

Came in here, turned on the TV and NOTHING!!! Took 2 phone calls and 1 hour to explain what was going on, to have the first lady cut me off! FINALLY got ahold of someone with a brain, and now I seem to be in full working order. The only thing I am disappointed in is the DVR. I thought you could record one channel while watching another but you can not. We'll figure it out I am sure.

Fixed a big pot of pinto beans and cornbread for dinner last night, and heated them up again for lunch. OH MAN they tasted good! I will pay for them though...And so will the rest of the house...

Sadie's haircut...

Sadie Cheyenne Autumn is an 18 month old Cocker Spaniel who comes from champion hunting stock. She is not the average cocker, in that she is very small, very fast, and smart as hell. She KNOWS that she is sposed to chase birds, and flush them out. She Knows that she is a hunter, What she does not know is that she is a DOG!! She is spoiled rotten, goes with me where ever I go, knows bye bye, where is your baby? Where is Bea Bunny? And Lint, Sadie has to go pottie. She also knows that she sleeps when it is dark, in the corner of the bathroom in her pen. She can see Mommie, so she is safe. She also knows that when Mommie is laying on her tummy on the couch, that she can get on her back and curl up and go to sleep and Mommie cant get up!

She also knows that when we go through the place where the little white post talks to mommie in that funny voice, that soon we will drive up to a window and get DOGGIE DISHES of ICE CREAM!!! She does not like the dog biscuits that the bank gives out and the lame little nuggets that the Other bank gives out. But you say Dairy queen, and she is on the front seat, waiting for her doggie dish!


Sadie

she also knows that she has to suffer the whims of Mommie, when she puts these funny little hats on her head and takes pictures of her. She desperately needs a hair cut in this picture, her top knot is in her eyes, and her eyelashes are 5 " long. Seriously!

Today she got to go to the Buffalo Farm and get in the bath tub and get all wet, then go into the dryer and get all warm and dry, and then the EVIL LIZ came out and took the EVIL CLIPPERS to her and cut all her hair off. Liz got a little carried away with the clippers, and her eyelashes are gone as is most of her top knot, but she looks like a grown up Cocker now. pitty that. She was so cute with the hair in her eyes. Pictures tomorrow in the daylight.

Mary Lou It's Tuesday hint hint hint...

OK, OK, I'll post, but I have absolutely no idea what to post about. Ms Brenda so Kindly reminded me that I need to update.

I made my industrial size lasagna, and had it ready to go on Saturday night, but it iced over badly, so the meeting was cancelled until Sunday night. So I spent the afternoon Sunday trying to reheat this monster lasagna without over cooking it. so I put in the oven at 250 and just let it sllloooowly heat up.

I presented my 2 plays, but neither of them got picked, so I will not be directing anything next year!! :( Instead I will be producing Steel Magnolias, (2nd try, rights were denied this year) Producing Little Shop Of Horrors (same thing,) and probably producing The Caine Mutiny COurt Martial.

the 2 dramas chosen were

The Caine Mutiny Court Marshal
Steel Magnolias

2 comedys chosen were

Blithe Spirit
Play on

2 musicals

Little shop of Horrors
Radio Gals

One of the drams or the comedies will be discarded because we only put on 5 shows a year.

So we will be having a full season again. Right now I am getting ready to start producing TEN LITTLE INDIANS a murder Mystery by Agatha Cristie, and then I will be producing/Asst Directing with Rusty, A Funny THing Happened on The Way to the Forum.

I will be busy! I will still have time on my hands to get out and try to get my yard back to the place I want it to be. Last year and the INVASION knocked me back a year. I have to find my Iris bed among all the weeds, and get the bird baths moved, and cut back the Pussy WIllow bush before it towers over the house and plugs up the drain field.

I still have to finish painting my bedroom, and I think I will try and finish that this next week.

Once the weather warms up out side, I can paint and clean the porch and deck and finish painting the window trim. No one can make a career out of painting a house like I can!

I need to knock this off now and get my bath. I have to get up early tomorrow and get Sadie in for her haircut and Bath. She HATES it, but she is going to get it!

P.S. My Map collection grew by one today. Ms Tine sent me a road map of Belgium!! WHOOT!!!!!! I LOVE getting maps from all over the world. SO much better than National Geographic.

SMARTIES!! US vs CA

While I was over at Critterchick's Yesterday she mentioned vanilla smarties, and about 1/2 of us knew what she was talking about. You see, As close as we are, and as much as we share between our two borders, we do not have the same products. It turns out HER smarties are made by Nestles's and are chocolate covered, and come in a box.


smarties USA style


OURS are sweet and sour sugar tablets that come in a roll and are prevalent at Halloween. it took ANDIE to tell us that we were thinking about two different products with the same name. Why these companies do this to us I do not know. But I googled (did you know that is a verb now?) smarties candy and got a wonderful page about old fashioned candy, and I spent most of the morning reminiscing about the old candy we used to eat. Milk Duds, BIG HUNKS ( oh those were soooo good, and so chewy that one bite would last a whole two times around the roller rink. We would put our shoes right over the edge of the seating area, so we could skate around and reach over and grab our shoes, which hid the BIG HUNK candy bar that we would grab another bite of and skate around again.

"Smarties memories... When I was a kid in the 60s and 70s, I always wished for Smarties in my Halloween bag - and it was very rare that anyone handed them out (those were the days when people could still give you homemade TollHouse cookies and you felt safe eating them!). But when I did get a roll, I remember taking off the wrapping and carefully sorting them by color (I may be one of the few people who can claim that each Smartie color is a different flavor!) The best ones were the ones that were a little powdery - sort of like eating flavored chalk dust. Purple (grape) was my favorite, followed closely by pink and white - naturally most rolls didn't have but one purple one, so I always saved that for last.

Now that you can buy Smarties in the grocery store, I have to confess that I have (more than once) eaten an entire bag at one sitting - and have never ever regretted the huge sore on the end of my tongue from eating so many at once! I don't know exactly why they're my favorite - their flavor and their texture and their tininess all have something to do with it - but they are the BEST! ~ Martha from Pennsylvania
More memories... As a young boy when I would go trick or treating I would always hope that those old folks would throw some Smarties in my little pumpkin bucket. After returning to my home me and my brother named Slish would sort through our candy looking for all of the Smarties. We would than make up games to play with them like checkers for example. The winner would win all the Smarties on occasion there would be fist fights over the Smarties. I mean they do provide I new sense of intelligence for me. Slish later died and Smarties provide me with good time memories. ~ Kyle from Pennsylvania"

Check out this site and see how many candy bars YOU remember!

TWIN TODDLERS TAKE NO HOSTAGES!!

You have got to run over and read Pureland Mountain's entry on his twin granddaughters. Twin Toddlers take no hostages is the post. It may be down a ways because he posts several times a day. I almost peed my pants laughing at him. He is an expatriot American from Upper New York, who moved to Japan over 20 years ago, and has made his homw up a remote mountain. He is married to Echo and has at least 1 daughter and I think 1 SOn, but he definately has 3 beautiful granddaughters! ANd his love for them shows. He writes a pretty political blog, but he knows I dont agree with him often on that, but He also writes about the Monkeys in the woods eating onions out of his garden and the WIld Boars, and the shiitake mushrooms that grow wild. He is a true delight to read when he is talking about life in Japan and his family. But you have to take your shoes off when you enter his home...

I Have 1/2 a DISH!

GRRRRRRRR!!! I spent over 45 minutes on the phone waiting for and then talking to The Customer Service Dept. Only to find out that my Receiver in the Bedroom must be bad. (no SHIT Sherlock...That is why I called in the first place!) SO they are going to send one out to me by UPS and Then I will have to hook it up and send the bad one back with the RA# on it. At least the one in the Living Room works fine. The only problem is that I am either in my bedroom sitting on the bed/windowsill, or in the office. I have no place comfortable to sit in the Living room.

Today I made an industrial size Lasagna, got it almost baked, looked out the window and today of ALL days, it is snowing. Like mad!!! Ice on all the roads, and Rusty called the executive director who cancelled tonight's members meeting and playday! SO we will try this all again tomorrow. One of the nice things about Lasagna is that it is always better on the 2nd day anyway!! BUT, there will be two servings Missing from the one I take in tomorrow. Cant sit in this house smelling it all day and not eat some. It is in a pan 5" deep and 24" long and 18" wide. A BIG ONE!! Lots of Lasagna.

I have been waiting all year for it to snow, and it decides to do so tonite, and by the time I wake up tomorrow it should all be rain. I want 6" right here, with no place I HAVE to be and then clear cold skies, so I can get out and take pictures!!!

Kate, I am sorry but the Stations I want to record the probe on, are in the bedroom. And I don't have a VCR in the living room. I will get try and get it for you soon though, Surely they will show it again. This morning on the Science channel it was not any good. They just speculated on what MIGHT be there, and showed the same pictures that you have on your site. As soon as National Geographic or NASA come on with it, I will tape it for you.

Donna stayed here this weekend because of the weather, so We did a big haul of wood in by the fireplace, I took the screen off the Dining room window, and passed the wood through to her. Worked like a charm. The wood pile is right outside the window up against the fence, but there is no door on that side of the house, so I have to walk down the stairs on the Front Porch to go around to the side and get the wood. I did not want to fall, so we did it that way. Have enough in the house now to last the weekend. And that little bitty Lopi Stove puts out the heat!! It drove me out of the Living Room, but all five of the animals are lined up enjoying the warmth. They are fighting for space on the throw rug. Spose I better get a bigger one, huh?

I have DISH!!!

Whoo-hoo!! Finally, after a two month fight, I have Dish network. 180 channels of information and music to enrich my soul! (ok, ok it is mind candy awright?) The man in the Executive office said they would be here between 12-5 so I ran over to feed Punkin and ran back. She was sleeping, so I gave her a few pets, opened the can, gave her a clean dish(spoiled cat!) filled her water glass, scooped her catbox and ran back here to dustmop before noon. Just as I was shaking the dust mop out the door, at 930, up the DISH man drives! Thank GOD I was home! Id hate to have to wait another 2 months.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to use it!! I only have DVR (like Tivo) on one of the TV's, but that is just fine. Now I get to see what the FOOD network is like, and NASA channel, and Animal Planet, and History channel, and National Geographic, and the Weather Channel. All of these come on the basic cable in Oak Harbor, but not on the shit-for-cable-millennium Digital Media that we have out in the boonies!

We are expecting it to be the coldest night of the year tonight. I wonder what it will get to, as It got down to 18 two weeks ago. THe sky is crystal clear right overhead, but on the Convergence zone, it is cloudy and spitting snow. I am hoping to get a good look at some aroras tonight as 2 days ago the Sun send off an incredible flare/burst/spaceship something, that it has not ever done before. I am so enthralled with the natural sciences, and astronomy and geology are my utmost favorites. I promise though that if I go out at night to look up I will look down first and throw kitty litter down on the ice. No more last year antics for us!!

I have been printing out my blog every month and putting it into a 3 ring binder. I ca not tell you how handy that has been. In my scrapbooking, I can go back and pull out a posting and find the date then go on find it and print it out as journaling. It has really saved time, and it is fun flipping through the past 2 years. (almost) I did find that I posted more in 2004 than I did in 2005. See what happens when you get me started? Oh man look out in 2005...

Wednesday already?

GOOD LORD!! Where has this month gone!! I am going along here thinking that I have another ten days to get ready for Playday on THIS SATURDAY!! I have no idea why, but I completely and TOTALLY SPACED IT!!! I have two shows to present, one is LITTLE WOMEN, and One is LAURA. I have LAURA going ok, but when I tried to call a rehearsal for the kids, one of them remembered she has a Basketball Game and cant do it, ARGH!! Well if I have to I will just get up and give a 10 synopsis of what the show is about and why I wanted to present it. Once the Night is over, the Membership then votes in the plays they want to see.

I also have the Production Duties for the Next show on board, Ten Little Indians by Agatha Christie. An old English murder mystery, cute! Auditions for that one start Feb 7 and I have already gotten the press releases done, the audition posters up, and the staff list and budget ready to go. All I really need to do right now is set some light cues, go through the script and design the light plot. I really enjoy doing that. I have to write the press release after the cast is selected and then I am ready to move on to the designing the next show. Rusty is Directing and I am asst. Dir/producing a Funny Thing Happened on the Way To the Forum. FUNNY SHOW!

During all of the Christmas activity at the Playhouse, the Main Computer crashed, with all the Season Ticket Holders info on it. All that had to be re-created, and is taking a long time. All of the member info and the address data base crashed too, so all of our mailings have to be addressed by hand. No labels!! So I spent the weekend doing that to send out Audition flyers.

I am on top of things right now, but it all dawned on me this week that I don't have ten days I have 3! It will be done! I work best under pressure. Tomorrow I have to wait all day for the DISH man to finally get here, I HOPE! I have the number of the man in the executive office, if things don't work out. What I don't know is how much wires they will have to install on this thing, for 3 TV's the office, my bedroom and the Living room. Or do they need wiring? Maybe since it is satellite the little boxes just send a signal. We shall see. Then Friday I rehearse both shows, and fix a giant Lasagna for the Playday dinner. Saturday is the actual Playday and then Sunday I think I will make Bob take me out to dinner. He owes me one! Although I did get a really nice Dremel Tool, with 6 accessories. I had been wanting one, and now I have one. :)

I really need to get out and take a long cleansing drive!! Camera charged and ready to go, tank full, just need to get out and DO it. I am enjoying Retirement, but sometimes I really need to escape and just go clear my head. And being on a limited income is not conducive to a lot of playing. I wish some one would pay me to just drive around and take pictures. Now THAT would be really COOL! I'm not that good though, and now everybody has either a 35 mm or a good digital camera, so photographs are a dime a dozen. I still wish they would just pay me though. I could handle that...

And another one behind me...

Well, Phyllis is out of town, Bob is no where to be found, DOnna left for work at 730 and wont be home until late tonite, my SOn hasnt called, But All of you have made my DAY!! For those of you that thought it was yesterday, jan 10, NO it was today, Jan 11. So Rusty, TW, and Anji you were spot on!! :) It was so much fun opening my mail box and seeing all the cards, and then all the comments and emails from all of you.

I got up this morning, as Donna waved some hand made wrapping paper in my face, telling me HAPPY BIRTHDAY. She had gotten me the paper because she knows I like to Scrap and send Handmade Cards. It is so PRETTY! I hate to cut it up, but you will be seeing it on some of your cards as the year goes by.

Which reminds me...I do not have birthdates for all of you, so if you would please, scroll CLEAR DOWN to the bottom of this blog all the way, keep going....further...and sign up with the jippy calendar down there. I will then know when your BD is!! I cant figure out how to get it up on top, On my code, it is right below my picture, but it shows up way down there. I have had it for about 6 months now, and NOBODY sees it. :(

I went over to Phyllis' and fed Punkin, (spoiled rotten cat) and opened my gift certificate to the SCRAPBOOK SHOP!!! WHEE!!! so off I went and spent it right away. Went on base and got Gas for the car, and was told my license expires today, so I ran down to the DOL and renewed it. PICTURE IS HORRIBLE!!!!!! I was NOt expecting to have my picture taken today!! ACK!!

So I came home, took a nap, and now I am sitting here thinking about opening a can of soup for my Birthday Dinner, as no one is here to take me out! :( I have a nice fire going in the wood stove, and the animals are all spread out in front of it. ANd Sally bought a cake in my honor and ate it all by herself!! :(

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On a sad note. I just got an email from Tricia, Bill's wife, and after he left for work this morning, they got a call that his Mother passed away. So he has not had a good Birthday at all. His Dad just died last month. All my thoughts are with him and Tricia through this very trying time.

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

loulie 3

When I was sorting through albums looking for pictures to put in Phyllis' Scrapbook, I ran across this one. This was my 3rd Birthday. I was in San Diego while my Mom was waiting to have Phyllis, so we could go meet Dad in Honolulu. We were living with my aunt, and I remember this cake! I remember the animal crackers that were part of the merry go round on the top. I remember the kitchen, and the door going right out into the rose garden, and My Aunt (I think) telling me to keep my fingers out of the frosting. (yeah Right)

I have had a load of cards in my mailbox the past few days, and Let me tell you, It made my DAY!!! I have never received so many cards and it means a lot! I have met so many friends through the Blogsphere and I feel like I have known most of you for years!!

I thank You very much for remembering my special Day, and making it one I wont forget.

We have another Birthday today too!! Run over to prairie point and wish Bill a happy birthday also. We discovered through our blogs that we have the same birthday!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILL!!

Music, Music, Music...

I am sitting here watching KCTS our Public Television Network, where they are presenting the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra with Michael Tilson-Thomas Directing. He has just spent the past hour describing every movement, of Tchaikovsky’s
Symphony Number 4. Oh What a PROGRAM! For those of you who do not know me well, Music is my passion! And Classical Music reaches clear to the bottom of my soul and brings it out to the sunshine! I so LOVE it! The world comes to a screeching halt when I am allowed to have my music on as loud as I want it. Sometimes, it is awfully loud, other times not so much. It depends on the music, the orchestra, and the interpretation of the music. But the Most important thing is the Composer. Tchaikovsky is one of my absolute favorite composers. His music has such feeling to it. It is very Nationalistic.




I also am a big fan of Rachmaninov, Dvorak and Ralph Vaughn Williams. The Seattle Symphony and Gerard Schwarz have won Emmy’s for their performances and recordings of Howard Hansen. He is not as well known as the great ones, but his music is so wonderful. I have all of his symphonies, all recorded by The Seattle Symphony. Our Classical Radio Station here King FM plays a lot of Baroque and Chamber Music, and I am NOT a big fan of that. It is all great music, but there is just something about the way a great symphony can stir your blood, and your emotions.

All of my life I have said that if there was one wish I was allowed, it would be to be able to play the Piano better than anyone who had ever lived. The very first classical piece I remember listening to was of course Tchaikovsky’s piano Concerto Number 1. I wanted to be able to sit down and pound that one out just like Jose Iterbe did in the movies that my Mother always watched.

I sang in glee clubs and choirs all of my life, but when they were forming bands in grade school, my mother said I had to join the orchestra because little girls did not blow horns. By the time I got the permission slip signed and turned in, the only thing left to play was the cello, and Mother said that Ladies did not do that. I had to play the violin or the piano.

There were no violins left to play, and we did not have a piano because of being moved across the ocean every two years. So no piano lessons either. I majored in Music in College, but since I did not know how to play an instrument, I was severely handicapped. I sang Tenor in the College Choir, but it was not enough. My Mother quit work in my Freshman year of College, so I had to come home and go to work myself. Thus my career in Music was brought to a screeching halt. I KNOW I would have been great because I was so passionate about it then. I was scorned by my peers because I listened to classical music and easy listening (elevator ) music. It was not until I was 20 that I started listening to Country Music, and other genres. I like all kinds of music now, and have quite an eclectic collection, from Bach to Windham Hill.

I know that I could still learn to play, but I am so impatient with everything now, that I would get mad because I couldn’t learn it fast enough, and I would eventually quit. I have to settle for the radio and TV now. Occasionally we will go to a live performance but Seattle is so far away, it isn’t really feasible to run down and back for a concert.
The passion that is showing on Maestro Thomas’ face as he directs this work is so moving! He lives every note as it is being played, every feeling that the composer had as he wrote it down all those years ago. It was said on the first part of the program, that he Channels every composer he performs and it shows.

I know that there are those of you out there that have never really sat down and listened to Classical music, that it puts you to sleep, that it is boring, that it is for long-hairs only. Not so my man! Music is for every being that lives. There is a scene in the Movie OUT OF AFRICA that shows Robert Redford and Merle Streep playing an old fashioned record player on their front lawn. Monkeys heard it and were walking around it looking at it, and Robert Redford said “imagine, the first music they hear and it is Mozart!” Everyone should take time out of their day and listen, REALLY Listen to a great Classical Piece of Music. Know the story behind it and visualize the story as it is being played. There is no greater gift than a person who can write great music. Who knows, You might even get hooked…

A little book Meme...

I found this over at Blogeois place. I will admit that I erased a bunch of her books, so click on the links and see how well shelved the rest of the world is!

Here’s how this one goes: Copy this list, delete the names of the authors you don't have on your home library shelves, and replace them with names of authors you do have. Bold the replacements.

1. Nora Roberts
2. Sandra Brown
3. Barbara Delinsky
4. Elizabeth Lowell
5. Catherine Coulter
6. Dana Stabenow
7. Time-Life
8. JA Jance
9. Irving Stone
10. William Shakespeare

Tracks back to The Cheese Stands Alone to The Fire Ant Gazette to White Pebble to Philobiblon to The Little Professor to New Kid on the Hallway and who knows how much further back

As you can see if you follow these links, They are way more well shelved than I am. I say well shelved rather than well read because I have read most of them, but way back in my College days, and now I read for brain candy and escape. And Thus the pulp literature you see here. The William Shakespeare book is a gift from Bob, who bought it way back when, then cleaned his house took it to the book shop and sold it back, then when he found out I wanted a book like that, he went and bought his OWN book back!! For a higher price mind you!!!
Well Pooh, the links dont work, I must not know how to do it right. But if you do go to Blogeois' she has them all. Who knows you might even find a new friend!

Lint....

My son had a cat that he found in 1993 or 94 not sure which. Back before Tim lost his mind, He was an upstanding, squared away young man, working at the resort on Orcas Island, and was a volunteer firefighter. The resort was a world class resort, (so they said) and situated right on a Bay so that people could bring their boats right up to the Marina, and shop at the little store, and do their Laundry.

One day the Laundry had a dryer fire, and Tim ran up the hill got the Fire truck and came back with a crew to put the fire out. The Dryers were the gas dryer kind, that were all up along a wall, with a small space behind them. As the firefighters were pulling out all the fallen Lint and fluff from the back of the dryers, and getting the fire put out, they found a kitten. A little brown and black Manx kitten. Pulling him out, they had to pull all the Lint off of him, and that is how he got his name. Lint.

Lint is a cat like no other cat you have ever seen. Seriously, he is more dog than cat. He is a talker. He will run up to you outside and meowrr at you and give you looks as if to say, WELL?


lint

Lint Came to live at my house when Tim lost his mind and became an Asshat! Tim had moved from place to place, and had taken Lint with him, but this time Lint could not go, so he was abandoned in the woods by the house Tim used to live in. When Tim got out of Jail, I asked what happened to Lint and when He told be I BLEW!

I came home one day about two months after that, and there was a note on the bathroom door, "My Name is Lint, and I drool when I purr." I cautiously opened the door, not knowing what to expect, and there sleeping on a towel was the ugliest flea-ridden-worm-eaten cat I had ever seen. He was a mess! I kept him in the bathroom until I could get him to the vet. He had chewed his backside until it was raw. Oh what a site.

175.00 later, after flea shot, worm shot, rabies shot, check up, other shots etc Lint was ready to meet the others. They knew there was ANOTHER one in the bathroom, as they communicated through the door. (My Cats HATE it when there is a closed bathroom door, it means Mom has ANOTHER one.) Lint got along fine with everyone, and Mariah could care less.


I kept him in the house for as long as I could. Lasted about 2 years. He drives you NUTS to get out to pee. He will NOT use the catbox anymore. SO he scratches at the door to get out. When Donna is home, he scratches at her bedroom door to get out. And to get back in, he hooks his claw into something on the door and pulls. It TWANGS!! Then he keeps it up until we let him in.

Lint visits the neighbors, walks up to them and carries on a conversation. They say they have never seen a cat like that. He climbs the chain link fence link by link until he can get on top, Never seen a cat do that either. He seems to have readily taken care of the rat population around here too.

When I got Sadie last year, she would not go outside unless Lint went too, Now when she sees Lint head towards the door, She is ready to go out. It is so funny those two together.

Last night we had a bit of a snow fall, Got the porch white. Lint wanted out, I told him he did not want to go out there and said he did, SO I opened the door and he ran out, and skidded to a stop. Looked back over his shoulder at me as if to say WHAT THE HELL? And came right back in. Learned to use that catbox (I Hope)...

The Marble Board...

On Dr. Phil this Afternoon, He was concentrating on what you could do to make New Year’s resolutions for your family. It Would work to improve the quality of life that you have with your family. One Lady was an absolute SLOB, dis-organized, messy etc. She resolved to get organized and stay that way all year. And with Dr Phil’s’ and Lowe’s help she did, a true make over! How Nice. He threatened her wit h taking away EVERYTHING they had given her if he and his cameras walked in and caught her being messy again. (Whoa!) There were others on the show but the one that I really identified with was the teenager who WANTED to spend more time with her Dad. She and her Mom had been trying to get him to leave the TV and the Computer and go out with them once a week but to no avail. He did not even go to DR Phil with them. The young teenager was really at a lost what to do, and she really loved her Dad. At this time Dr Phil brought Dad out. (He actually HAD come) and surprised the teenager. He resolved to spend at least 2 days a week with his daughter and his wife.

Dr. Phil and Parker Bros gave them a basket full of board games. Risk, Monopoly, Sorry, etc and told them that playing board games with your family brings them closer than anything he could think of.

He is right. I remember the days before TV. (Yes I was alive then.) We played games. Dad would build a fire in the fireplace in the house at Penn Cove, and we would get out the games. We played Cootie, hours and hours of cootie. We played books, a card game like Gin, where you put all the same number together in a book. We played old maid, we played Fish, We played Sorry, and Parcheesi and we played Marbles.

Marbles was the name of the game that I grew up with. I have no idea where the actual game came from, but everyone said an uncle invented it, and all of the members of the family had a marble board. It was a 15 X 15 “ board with holes drilled into it that held the marbles. It was played like Parcheesi in a way, and had the board holes shaped like a Celtic cross. The object of the game was to get all four of your marbles out onto the board, and Home before your opponent did.

It was a rare night when I was really little that I did not hear my Mom and Dad arguing over Dad cheating on the Marble board. It was good-natured Arguing, but Dad was a sneaky fart. When friends would come over, out would come the marble board and the beer, and the dice would roll. Way into the night the dice cups would slam, and the marbles would tap tap tap into the proper space. The yells when Dad would send someone home (kill) were loud and boisterous.

Later on as the years went by and duty station, after duty station was moved to, the Marble board was one of the things that was always in the Express Luggage. Baby bottles, Diapers, pots and pans and the marble board. The hand made, wooden Marble board rubbed and polished by years and years of many different hands moving marbles along the runs and into their home stretch. I know that there are many different names for this game now, Trouble is one of them and it is marketed and people have gotten rich off it, but it is a nice feeling knowing that someone way back in my family invented the game and brought family and friends together over a piece of wood and 2 dice and 16 marbles. (Different colors)

Up until the time Dad died, the Marble board was always handy, and as sick as he was and as weak as he was before he died, he would get a twinkle in his eye, and it would shoot fire when either Phyllis or I would say, Hey Dad, Wanna play a game of Marbles?

I don’t know where it is now…I miss it! There were a lot of memories in that old piece of wood.

Where did Wednesday go...

I can't believe I did not post yesterday! What ever is becoming of me? Sorry! especially to those of you on dial up...I know how frustrating it is to wait and wait for some ones blog to load on slooooowwwwww dial up and then find out they have not posted for two or three days. Blogger ought to invent a way to link to your blog and let people know you have not updated since 1998! Or at least there should be a way to light up your blogroll!

THat gets me to another subject...do you blogwalk from your own homepage, or do you walk from your bookmarks/favorites on the tool bar? I use the toolbar, and hardly EVER update the blogroll. MY Bad!!! SO if you do not see your site listed, give me a shout, cause I probably have it on my favorites, and read you daily, just have not added you to the sidebar. You all know how much of a mess it has been for me to update my template!!

We are expecting a major winter storm this weekend. I have all my meds stocked up, I have PLENTY of wood, Just need to load it into the house. I have PLENTY of kindling ready to split. ( scored a haul of old cedar shingles from a shack Bob's friend was tearing down! ) I have stocked up on food, pet food and kitty litter, So now it can dump all it wants!!! (the weather, not the cats!) THe News just said that the south Sound area is getting Ice storms, and Up North they are getting snow. We are smack in the middle right in the Olympic Rain shadow, so we probably will not get anything. Sure would be nice to see white stuff on the ground with all the cold we have been having. A week of sub freezing weather. All Sunshine and clear, but COLD. I LOVE IT!!!!!

(Ok, Now that is just totally WRONG...I just watched an ad with Anna Nichole Smith for Trim SPa. Is it just me, or is there something terribly WRONG with her? I swear she is just totally OUT OF IT! She acts retarded!! Well She DOES!!! BRENT!! She DOES!!! I cant believe any reputable company would want her promoting their products!)

CRITTERS....I have a pair of flickers that are coming to the suet feeders now! Whew!! I was so afraid that the one that committed suicide on my dining room window was my one and only Flicker. But there is definately a male and a female there now. I also have Mort and Morticia DOwney Woodpecker. ANd Harry and Harriette Hairy woodpecker. So the Flickers have been dubbed George and Gracie. (hey they're Gray ok?) And the Juncos and Chickadees are pigging out big time, so something is getting ready to happen.

I need to get on with my blogwalk now, I will post more Tonight. Just wanted to apologize for missing yesterday. (Hey! It was HUMP day...I was hoping to get HUMPED!!!!!)

OH NO!!!

IT is time to MOVE!!! As you all know I was raised as a dependent of a career US NAVY member. One of the things we always had to deal with was Military Orders. We generally knew that we would be moving every two years or so, and would be ready to do so.

Every so often, we would get a set of orders that came before the 2 years was up. This was usually just proceeded by my Mother running out of Pepper!


pepper

don't ask why this was an indicator, but it was. We were not allowed a lot of personal effects, and spices was something that we had to replenish every time we did move. We were allowed an express shipment that would usually travel on the same ship with us, and was composed of items that we would need to set up housekeeping and survive until the rest of our household gear arrived. This was about 6 months down the line. (slow boats) Mom always had Salt and Pepper in the kit, along with Dad's bottle of Kikkoman Soy Sauce. He had to have it on Everything!!!!

It got to be a big joke, that Dad would put Soy Sauce in his cereal in the morning. He did not really but his "bug juice" as he called it was always on the table with the salt and pepper.

When ever Mom would use the last of the pepper can, she would shake her head and state, "well it must be time to move again, we are out of pepper!" Dad got smart and started buying the bigger boxes of pepper.

When I moved with my husband, I always made sure I bought the BIG box of pepper, so I would not have to move for awhile. I have been in this house for 4 years this time, and wouldn't you know, I RAN OUT OF PEPPER!!!

I laughed and said that I was gonna be the one who broke the curse. I certainly hope so, I have put too much work into this house to have to move from it now. Oh wait! I might have won the lotto!! Maybe I'm RICH? That would be a move I would not mind.

ICY BLAST ...

Well When I started out to post it WAS morning. Now it is 3:00 and I am just getting started! My internet connection kept wigging out on me. I SOOOOO WANT DSL!!! :( If you can freaking communicate with a tiny little computer on MARS why the F*** can't you get DSL out here to my 300 house developement!!

I had a bad night last night, my back was out and pinching my sciatic nerve. I finally got up, rubbed ARTHRICREME and ICY HOT on my hip and back, took 2 excedrin PM and waited to go to sleep. ANd sleep I did!! I woke up at 9:30!! Felt so good to sleep!

Donna was still home because she has today off, and was going to go have lunch with a friend. She has this problem that she does not realize, and that is she can bite with words better than anyone I know, and it is usually hormonal. She growled and got really sarcastic so I BLEW!!! yep I did!! and when I tried to explain why I blew she just got even more sarcastic. I knew this was coming, becasue yesterday she was in an exceptionally high mood. It is a warning to all around her to DUCK!!! the BARBS WILL BE HERE SOON!!! ANd YEP they were!! RIght on schedule. Bless her heart, she is so stressed at work, and waiting so patiently for word about Grad school, and she wants to quit work so badly, but that would be really dumb because then she would have no health insurance...again. So she left with bad feelings. I know she will be fine, but I wish I could get her to realize just how she SOUNDS to others.

Donna was 6 weeks late in being born. She always has done things on her own time, she came out wide awake and looking around, and the Dr said she was the most alert baby he had ever seen. She has always been independent and has always known what she wants and went for it. She tolerates no fools, and Can not understand why people get them selves in pickles they can not get out of.

WHat she does not get is the fact that her emotions are read in every fiber of her body, and she puts out a prickly shell that hurts so badly when she flings those quills! She does not even realize she is doing it.

We all get sarcastic and throw stones, but We usually realize it when it is done. Most of us can grab hold shake a little and then let go. SHe grabs on and shakes and will not let go, she will shake her kill until it is limp. I think she knows when she hurts but she doesnt know how to apologize.

I have worked hard all of my life, and have had to swallow a lot. I know I am not perfect, FAR from it. and I hurt my family too, We all do. I try to help by pointing out her barbs, because she has been pulled on the carpet for not interfacing with her subordinates in the proper way. SHe just does not see the problem. Well She wont be back for a few days, until her MIL comes home, so by then the hormones will have done their thing and she will be the sweetheart that I know she can be. It is sooo hard as a parent to let your children fall on their own faces. GADS We all ought to come with an OWNERS MANUAL!!

Now back to the topic! It got down into the teens last night, and felt so good! breathing icy air invigorates me. Today on the news, it was forecasted that the cold will get even colder, and then around Friday the moist air from the pacific will come in and the ICY air from the arctic will collide right over us and we will get SNOW for three days followed by more cold!! We'll see...I get all excited, prepare for a power outage, haul in the wood, stock up the refer, insulate the pipes, and NOTHING!!! we had a blizzard one year, dumped 2 feet of snow in 12 hours, and then immediately started to rain on top of all that snow. Talk about a mess!! This time it is sposed to stay cold, so the snow will get old after awhile and then it will be time for SPRING!!! Sniff. sniff. Smell it?

COFFEE....

I actually had several drinks last night!! First drink in MONTHS!! I had 3 bottles of Glenfiddich single malt scotch, and since Bob and Donna and I were having our New Year Dinner, I decided to crack one of the bottles open. Now these are not the 150, or the 750. or the 375 size , these were the little tiny sample size. I opened the bottle and poured 1/2 of that tiny bottle over the ice and added my diet Pepsi. HUSH! JUST HUSH!!! I LIKE IT THAT WAY!! I know, I know, it is a sacrilidge, but What does it matter, As long as I like it and drink it, it should not matter to anyone. I thought Bob and Donna were gonna come over the table at me.

We had crab, a spinach salad with almonds and craisins and a nice raspberry vinaigrette, and garlic bread. I put on the fancy crab stuff. (newspapers on the table, pliers and the nut crackers) and we sat and ate like it was 2005. It tasted so good!! After Bob left, I finished my drink, and went to bed! I was sooo tired. I slept like a baby from 800 until 1130 and woke up! Then I played the sleep for 30 minutes read for 30 minutes game until 700 when I decided that I was gonna haul my carcass out of bed, and get caught up on my blogging before Donna gets up and hogs the computer again. She will be here until Tuesday morning, and then she will go back to her MIL's house for the week. MIL will be coming back from the rest home probably in two weeks. She will need some help until she recovers from the hip replacement, but Donna won't be the one. She just stays there to feed the cat.

The sun is just starting to make it's way over from Eastern Washington. I just turned the news on and the weather shot was from Queen Ann Hill over the top of the Space Needle and right at Mt Rainier. It was silhouetted in navy blue with the sky behind it a pretty medium blue. Soon the sun will poke his head over the top of the mountains, and start making pretty on this side! It is a cold morning...Down in the mid 20's and that means the sky is clear, and will get light earlier. I do SO love crisp clear cold mornings!

It is hard to imagine Michelle and Vanessa waking up this morning to hot wind and sun! Winter should be cold! January should be COLD! I cant imagine the seasons being reversed!

I have just had my first sip of freshly ground coffee and that definitely opens the eyes!!

As you can see I have Bodacious Babe back up until I decide which picture to replace her with. I wish I knew who drew her, as I would like more that look like that, so It'll look like she just changed clothes. For those of you that have sent me cartoons THANKS!!! I don't know just when I will change her, and I may not. But I appreciate the help looking!

Only 9 more days until my Birthday!! For those of you who read this, If I don't have your Birthday I cant send you a card.....go clear to the bottom and sign up on the link there. I put it right under the other stuff on the side bar, but for some reason it is on the bottom of my blog where NOBODY EVER GOES!! And PSSST!! January people are Wanda 31, Joe 3, faith 15, bill and I on the 11th and Valkyrie on the 22nd!

Hope ya'll have had a wonderfully, safe and Happy New Year!!