Sunday Funny...

I will never hear church bells ringing again without smiling.

Upon hearing that her elderly grandfather had just passed away, Katie
Went straight to her grandparent's house to visit her 95-year-old
Grandmother and comfort her.

When she asked how her grandfather had died, her grandmother replied,
"He had a heart attack while we were making love on Sunday morning."

Horrified, Katie told her grandmother that 2 people nearly 100 years old
Having sex would surely be asking for trouble.

"Oh no, my dear," replied granny. "Many years ago, realizing our
Advanced age, we figured out the best time to do it was when the
Church bells would start to ring It was just the right rhythm. Nice and slow
And even. Nothing too strenuous, simply in on the Ding and out on the Dong."

She Paused to wipe away a tear, and continued, "He'd still be alive if the ice Cream truck hadn't come along."

Fall has fell...

IT WAS ALREADY LATE FALL AND THE INDIANS ON A REMOTE RESERVATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA ASKED THEIR NEW CHIEF IF THE COMING WINTER WAS GOING TO BE COLD OR MILD.

SINCE HE WAS A CHIEF IN A MODERN SOCIETY HE HAD NEVER BEEN TAUGHT THE OLD SECRETS. WHEN HE LOOKED AT THE SKY HE COULD NOT TELL WHAT THE WINTER WAS GOING TO BE LIKE.

NEVERTHELESS, TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, HE TOLD HIS TRIBE THAT THE WINTER WAS INDEED GOING TO BE COLD AND THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE VILLAGE SHOULD COLLECT FIREWOOD TO BE PREPARED.

BUT BEING A PRACTICAL LEADER, AFTER SEVERAL DAYS HE GOT AN IDEA. He, using his cell phone, CALLED THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND ASKED, "IS THE COMING WINTER GOING TO BE COLD?"

"IT LOOKS LIKE THIS WINTER IS GOING TO BE QUITE COLD," THE METEOROLOGIST AT THE WEATHER SERVICE RESPONDED.

SO THE CHIEF WENT BACK TO HIS PEOPLE AND TOLD THEM TO COLLECT EVEN MORE FIREWOOD IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED.

A WEEK LATER HE CALLED THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AGAIN. "DOES IT STILL LOOK LIKE IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY COLD WINTER?"

"YES," THE MAN AT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AGAIN REPLIED, "IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY COLD WINTER."

THE CHIEF AGAIN WENT BACK TO HIS PEOPLE AND ORDERED THEM TO COLLECT EVERY SCRAP OF FIREWOOD THEY COULD FIND.

TWO WEEKS LATER THE CHIEF CALLED THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AGAIN. "ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT THE WINTER IS GOING TO BE VERY COLD?"

"ABSOLUTELY," THE MAN REPLIED. "IT'S LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKE IT IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE COLDEST WINTERS WE'VE EVER SEEN."

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE?" THE CHIEF ASKED.

THE WEATHERMAN REPLIED, "THE INDIANS ARE COLLECTING FIREWOOD LIKE CRAZY."

Ya know I just have a funny feeling about this winter myself...The squirrels are stealing all the apples off the trees and carting them down the fence line to their burrow/hole/nest/home. The cats are getting a really thick coat of fur, and I have already had a fire in my woodstove last weekend! It might be because I needed blood, but I have been cold for several months.

Tonight coming home from the Playhouse, I came home along the back way..."Sleepy Hollow" and it was so pretty! THe full Autumn moon otherwise known as the harvest moon, was shining on the really low lying fog in the already reaped fields, and it looked just like snow on the fields! THe fog was just coming in as I went into town this afternoon, and it was creeping up over the bluffs, on the West side of the Island and covering the trees like a big white fuzzy blanket! It creeps in from the water just like it was alive, a monster eating the land as it goes. COOL!

The trees are all turning bright colors, and the geese are heading South. I wake up smelling woodsmoke from the neighboring houses, and the morning air is cold and crisp! I just LOVE it!

I am feeling somewhat better today but still not good. I sure wish the Dr could find "something" and fix it, like they did the Blood! That worked like magic! I really can breathe again!

Schroeder is taking his "loss" with great gusto. I dont think it phased him at all. He has not stopped being a big bully. Maybe once all that testosterone is out of his system he will calm down. He is a big Mama's boy though. A big Purr baby! Just like Chitters was!

Can you believe it is only 4 more days until OCTOBER? where in the WORLD did this year go?

Beatrix Potter...

I was shopping in the local Farmer's Co-op with Bob in March of 2003, and there in a cage with 5 other babies was a fuzzy white baby rabbit. She has really long fur, and was only 6 weeks old. SHe cost me a whole ten dollars, and I kept her in the bathroom until I could afford her cage. The cats were curious as Heck, and kept trying to peek under the door to see what was in there.

DOnna named her Beatrix Potter, and she became known as Miss Baby Bea Bunny. Until SHe grew up then she was known as Ms Bea Bunny!

Sadie came into my life about 4 months later, and at 6 weeks old she was not as big as Bea was, so they played together, and the cats were used to Bea being loose in the house. She was litter trained, and always went in her litter box. SHe LOVED a good fresh Fennel Bulb, and fresh greens and carrots! ANd Banana Chips! and Raisins!

As Sadie Grew, she was playing rougher with Bea, so I could not let her alone with Bea. She knew where Bea was at all times, and went straight to her cage when I said "where's Bea?" SHe loved her bunny!

THis summer, I took her cage out side, and sat it right on the grass, and she nibbled away, and I would move the cage to a fresh patch of clover. I noticed she was going through water like crazy.

Two nights ago it got really cold, and yesterday morning when I went out to check on Bea, She was laying in her cage dead. :( When I went to pick up Schroeder, I asked the vet about the cold, and he said it was probably kidney failure as that is very commeon in domestic rabbits.



I called Bob and he came over dug a hole and put Bea in it and then put a heavy planter over the top so Sadie would not dig her up and play with her. As she most likely would have. Bob left the cage open, and Sadie is going nuts trying to find her Bea Bunny! She knows if the cage is empty that Bea is loose in the yard, or in the house, or on the deck. SHe can not comprehend that Bea is no longer with us.

Bea was a Jersey Wooley, and her wool was 10" long. Yes she got badly matted at times, and I would have to snip it all off of her. But for the most part she was a sweet little Bunny, who liked to be held close, and she would occaisionally give out with a "Bunny Tooth-Purr" which meant that she was happy.

I will not get another rabbit, even though they are a great house pet, But because I am trying to weed my menagerie down to a chosen few. I have always had critters of one kind or another, and so have my kids, but now that I am aging, and the kids are gone, I need to make sure I only have a few that I can afford to feed.

Poor Baby Bea Bunny! She was so soft and sweet. And I will miss her. "SNORF"

Pain....again.... :(

I went swimming last night and came home feeling wonderful. I went to rehearsal, and actually did not hurt anywhere! I took a bath, took my meds and went to bed, and could not sleep, finally got to sleep around 400AM, (even with Ambien) and when I woke up at 930 I was in severe pain. I think I am trying to pass a kidney stone, or maybe I have a bladder infection. Whatever, IT HURTS!! GOD!! I would like to have a week pain free! I have spent the dau on my stomach with my fists doubled up under my tummy! That releives the pain somewhat. Yes I still have my Apendix, but I pushed in on my tummy and realeased it fast and no pain. SO I am sure it is bladder something. What next?

Fall came in early here. It is COLD!! I actually have all the windows closed and the heater in the office on full blast! I am still shivering! I fixed a nice hot cup of tea, so hope that warms me up from the inside out. The temps are sposed to get down into the lower 40's, THat is 5C I think. ANd some of the towns in the foothills have already had a frost. Snow level was down to 5000' in the North Cascades, and that meant a dusting on the cross state highway. And remember folks, it is still technically SUMMER!

he fog has been laying just off shore during the day, and creeps in at night, and looks for that cooler water, to thicken up with. I can hear the ship traffic on the Straight, but not on down into the Sound, so It must just be up North here.

This weekend We are going to go find an orchard and get apples, and then I will be peeling and making applesauce with cranberries! YUMMY STUFF!!

Schroeder goes in tomorrow morning to get his little nuts whacked off! Hopefully then he will settle down and quit picking on the other animals. He is such a bully, but he is the only one who has not been neutered, so that may be why!



He looks so confident here, Too bad he doesnt know what is going to happen to him...SNIP SNIP!!

on to the next one...

Yep, I have started another show. This one is Twelve Angry Men, and it is an off season show, meaning that it is not part of the season ticket package, just an extra thrown in between two regular season shows.

Just as much work goes into rehearsing and staging and so forth, but usually the set is very simple so it can jump in quickly.

We close A CHORUS LINE on October6 and Open 12 Pissed Dudes on October 12! We are in full rehearsal right now, and it is going to be really good. It is the same group of guys that we used for Caine Mutiny COurt Martial and Our Town, so we know how they work and vice versa.

A CHORUS LINE has come together really fine. THe kids are just wonderful, it was all the other crap and back stabbing that got to me. but I am almost done with that one, and on to FUN!!

Saturday I got up and actually had so much energy that I putzed out in the yard, scrubbed the deck, did the laundry, cleaned my room, changed the linens, cleaned the kitchen and went to Albertson's. I actually walked down every aisle in the store, and still had breath! AMAZING! I came home and fried chicken, and ate dinner, took my bath and went to bed. I slept so very good! Sunday woke up and my back was hurting, so I just took it easy, Today I got up feeling pretty good and decided that I was going to try Swimming again. I went in an hour before Aquarobics, and stretched and treaded water for an hour, and then did 45 minutes of aquarobics. I got out of the pool, went to rehearsal and STILL had enough energy to walk up the stairs!

I hope this continues! I have more energy than I have had in 4 years! I MAY even try walking tomorrow. Maybe.

Fall has hit us with a POW! it went from record hot temps last week to 50F this week! And it rained, not just a shower but real honest to gosh rain! It rained for a good 24 hours, and now the skies are clearing and the stars are out. It is going to be a cool one tonight.

I love cool fall nights, cuddle up under the covers, pile on the extra afghans, open the window above my head stick just my nose out and AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! A little classical music to go to sleep to and I am in lala land.

MAn that sounds good...think I will go get my bath.

Sleep???? NOT!!!

One of the problems that I have been having over the past three years is insomnia! I get really really tired, (gee wonder why>) and I will take a nice hot bath, and go to bed. I plan to read until I get sleepy and then I will turn out the light. Usually I catch myself reading the same paragraph four or five times and realize it is time. I go right to sleep and sleep for about 1-2 hours and wake up! BOING!! wide eyed and bushy tailed. Other than CNN there is nothing worth watching on TV at 2:00 in the morning, so I will read, get sleepy and start all over again, only this time I only sleep for about 20 minutes. THis has been my life for a long time. It too is very tiring.

WHile I was in the hospital, I got to spend some quality time with my Dr. and I told him about the things I had asked him during my physical that he ignored. (He has a new computer based patient history thingie, and he spent the whole time trying to get the laptop to work right.) He stood there by my bed and I asked him again about the lack of sleep I am having. He said, well that is easy, I will prescribe you some Ambien.

After I was discharged, Donna brought me home and I wanted a hot bath and a warm bed. I took my nitetime meds and went to sleep. I woke up around 8AM with my face planted right in the middle of two pieces of toast stuck to my cheeks. I had NO idea how I got the toast. I asked Donna if she brought it in to me, and she said Mom, you dont remember getting up and fixing toast? No says I. Well you did, says she. You got up went into the kitchen and fixed two pieces of toast. You put 1/2 stick of butter on them and a good 1/2 cup of peach jam on each piece.

I had heard of sleepwalking and eating while on Ambien, Well Believe it folks! It is true. I am not going to take it anymore, or at least not a whole pill! I may take 1/2 a pill, as I could not sleep last night either.

A CHORUS LINE

I Went in to the playhouse last night expecting the lights to be finished, as there has already been a "performance" a dress rehearsal, and we open Thursday, but the director had done NOTHING. SO now I have to go in and try and set the lights, and I dont have enough time!

You really can not set the lights until the set is complete, and that is STILL not done! I just know that the mirrors that she uses will reflect the lights right back into the audience's eyes.



The kids have really tried hard, and they will do a good job, but I will be so glad to see this show over. I call this one, My show from Hell.

I'm Hooooommmee!!

And very glad to be so too! Thanks to all of you for the kind thoughts and wishes left on mine and Phyllis' blog.

It was quite a scare, I thought I was having a heart attack but it turned out to be anemia caused by a GI bleed, and I had 2 transfusions to get my body built back up. I have been telling my Dr and my family for over a year that I dont feel like I am getting the benefit of the air I am breathing. DUH!!! my hemacrit cout was 6.1 when I was admitted, and I think it is sposed to be over 20! there were no red blood cells to carry the oxygen around my body. As the ER Nurse so succintly put it, YOU HAVE NO TRUCKS! No Trucks to carry the oxygen in. OH! Well now I have trucks, and my muscles are not hurting, and I can breathe and I can actually walk and my BAck does not hurt nearly as bad! Who knew that O2 could do all that? Man I do now!!

My arms are so black and blue from all the needle sticks! and the Lab people!!! Sheesh, one would come in and hang another bag of blood at the same time another lab person was on the other arm taking three or four tubes of blood OUT! Christ! No wonder I needed so much! I asked them why they didnt just stick the needle in the bag of blood and save me the pain, but you know those vampires. NO SENSE OF HUMOR!! NONE!!

Donna came up to take care of me, even though I was in the hospital. I think she just needed to know that her Mommie was safe. We are very very close, and she was scared! I will try not to scare her any more. I could not get the message to Tim, without scaring him, so I just did not call. I was going to write to him after the fact, but he called last night and I filled him in. He was scared too, even though he heard I was ok, and feeling so much better.

So bottom line here is...THROW AWAY your Ibuprofin, it makes your tummy bleed. and Check your shit daily to make sure you are not bleeding internally. (c'mon, you dont look at yours either!) and if you have a pain in your chest area of ANY KIND get to an ER! they were all so wonderful to me. I was in and checked in and had an EKG before 15 minutes were passed!

THanks again everyone for the kind words. It was nice to see all you lurkers actually comment too! I know you are out there! And yeah, I lurk too some times.

Mary Lou is in the hospital!

I took this picture of her yesterday (she said it was ok to post).
She wasn't feeling well Saturday and I told her to get to the doctor! She waitied until Tuesday to call him then she called me at work about 9:30 and asked if I could take some time off to drive her to the hospital.
They did some tests and found she was anemic, then they gave her a few pints of blood, then they di more tests today and decided to keep her another two days for tests. I will let her tell you when she gets home Friday afternoon.
In the meantime she will be out of commission for a day or so.
I am printing out comments and taking them in to her.
I will keep you up to date if I hear more.
In the meantime, will you pray for my big sis? They sure won't hurt!
Thanks!
She is in room 18-B at
Whidbey General Hospital 101 N. Main Street Coupeville, WA 98239
(360) 678-5151
~Phyllis~

For Judy...

I finally got him to hold still for a picture Judy. He is 5 months old and a little SHIT!! He was really wanting to get onto the table where I had the birthday cake all staged. I knew he would just have a ball with that, so I quickly took his picture, and then while he was still blinded from the flash, I threw him into the garage until the party was over. 3 weeks he is getting his little nuts chopped off...but dont tell him...maybe then he will settle down.

Today was the day I had planned a family birthday party. Sherry turned 50, DOnna turned 40 and Galen turned 30, Mike will be 52 and Tim will be 36, all within three weeks of each other.

I planned, and got everything ready, and DOnna called and had to work overtime today and could not make it. Bummer


So Galen and Sumre said they would be here from Bellvue around 5:30 so we had everything ready to go at 5:30 when the phone rang. It was Galen, they were just leaving and would be here around 7:30.



So Sherry, Phyllis, Mike, Bob and I sat down to eat. ANd then Galen called again and said he was not coming at all, that they were watching an Ostrich run down the freeway. (???? Man I have heard some weird excuses before but ....)



So I took the 4 off the cake and Mike and Sherry were gonna blow out the candles, Only Mike was inhaling as SHerry exhaled and she blew them all out.

It was a good meal, and the cake was good too, too bad the kids could not make it. THey wer all there in spirit though. TIm said he would come if they would let him out....HA!!!

So no more birthdays until Jan-Feb when it will be Mine, phyllis' and Bob's. And we are all old farts so they dont count.

Whew!! Made it!

YAY!!! I made it to the first of September. Now I have more money in the bank. I am used to being paid 2 times a month, or every two weeks. It is really HARD to get used to only having money once a month.

I get my bills paid, and get groceries, and then PRAY that I will make it to the first again. I have stayed home more during this show than I ever have, 1, because I dont really NEED to be there, and 2, I need to save gas. 50.00 a week is a bit much.

Everybody go to and say hello to Donna. She found me through the blogger link on my sidebar which lists by year of birth all the bloggers that signed up. THere are quite a few baby boomers there.
Any way, DOnna has a really nice blog about her views and her family. She lives in Texas. Go say HOWDY to her.