Sunday, August 31, 2008

another day...

Well, the appliance repair guy came on Friday 15 min. AFTER he said he would be there. I thanked him profusely for being on time. You know if we could charge the hourly wage for the person you are expecting BACK to them for every hour or portion thereof that they were LATE, then I will bet you a buck that they would be on time, and glad to get our business. Might even CHANGE the world.

He came in with the part in his hand that he thought he would need based on the history of that model, and 20 minutes later I had cold air flowing into my freezer. YAY!!! 24.00 for the part. 85.00 for the service call and 15.00 for the labor. so It is soooo nice to have cold milk again...and ICE CUBES!! when one is additcted to chewing ice, it is a major crisis when there are NONE to be had.

Bob got the wood project half finished before he threw his back out at the gym trying to be 45 again. SO ANOTHER unfinished project in the making. It really looks good so far though! 3" of gravel down on weed blocker cloth and then the wood ricks on top of concrete blocks on top of that. Only need a roof over the ricks now and I will have dry wood!! WHOOPEE. I will take pictures when it is done.

We had our 1 week of summer and now fall has fell with a vengeance. The wind was blowing down the Strait at 30 MPH and the rain was dumping!!! It felt good to sit and watch it storm. Should get back up into the low 80's next week. Indian Summer. I really expect the first frost in the next few weeks.

SOOOO....whatcha think of McCain's choice for VP? inquiring minds want to know.

I watched Obamas speech and was totally convinced that he was the right person for the job. GOD I hope I dont choose wrong AGAIN!!!

Thursday, August 28, 2008




Your Stress Level is: 69%



You are prone to stress, and you're probably even pretty stressed right now.

Life's problems seem to pile up on you, and this often makes you feel depressed and burned out.

Learn to take time to relax and enjoy life, even if things are stressful. It's the only wa you'll get through the bad times.

a friend FOUND

Amazing how this internet works...

When I first started blogging 5+ years ago, I was following a blog from a lady who lived on a mtn top in North Carolina. THey then moved off their Mtn. to the panhandle of Florida where they were converting their little cabin into their dream home/sanctuary. During a number of hurricanes, and computer problems. I lost track of her and her blog.

I FOUND her yesterday while reading one of my daily reads...PURELAND MOUNTAIN out of Japan. She had commented on Robert's latest post, and I happened to catch it.

Beth is her name, and her blog is SWITCHED AT BIRTH. I was thrilled!!! SHe has such wonderful FOOD on her blog, just makes your mouth water.

I LOVE finding old friends, even if I do have to go 1/2 way around the world to find them!!

It's a goodday. Swedish Meatballs for dinner andBlackberry Cobbler. All salvaged from the destruction in my freezer. found 2 #'s of Hamburger and a Pound of Italian Sausage, and a Bag of blackberries. the rest all got sent to the garbage can! (I HATE re-frozen ice cream!)

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

LIFE SUCKS!!!

Ok, It really is starting to..

along with the computer that works when it feels like it, My hotwater heater quit heating water. I drug out the owners manual and saw that there was a reset button, so Bob came over and reset the button, and the manual said...IF THIS HAPPENS MORE THAN ONCE THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG> Ya THINK? SO far, it is working. It is only two years old. Remember when I woke up to 2" of water in my house? Yep. had it replaced then.

Then the dishwasher started leaking, so Bob ordered the parts and re-ordered the RIGHT parts, and put it all back together, BUT it still is not HOOKED up, and it has been 2 months!! THen yesterday I got a glass of milk, and mentioned that it did not seem as cold as it usually was. Bob said, well, I can hear it running....

So last night I came home from Rehearsal (oh dear LORD the MOTHERS!!) opened the freezer to get a loaf of bread out and there was water everywhere in the freezer section. THe ice bin had melted, and that is where the water came from, but I also noticed that the popsicles were dripping, and the ice cream was melted, YEP!!! no cold in my fridge that I bought when I retired!! it is only 5 years old. THis morning I called the appliance repair guy, who told me that they can not get here until FRIDAY!! so I through all the meat out, dumped all the popsicles and icecream, emptied what was left of the ice bin, and am sitting here hoping for the best.

I hate to think what in GOd's name will happen next? THe stove is only 18 months old, so that should be fine. It is getting cold out, so it will probably be the Cadet heaters that I have that were recalled 15 years ago. SHEESH!!!!

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Problems

I am having connection problems again...even on Mozilla, I have application hangs. I am thinking that I may have to just re-format my entire hard drive, but not sure if I can. I have had the hard drive re-partitioned since I bought it, and I think my system recovery disks may not work now. SOOOOOO...

You may hear from me, or you may not!

While I am on right now, let me tell you that last week was busy with PETER PAN stuff, and trying to get the right cast picked. We finally have the cast, but now the music is all wonky, so we may have to re-order another piano score that can be read. Our Director is on a cruise to Alaska, and is blissfully unaware of the problems. Hopefully they will all be abated by the time she gets back.

Our weather here turned from Summer to Fall overnight. We had record high temps...30 degrees over normal, and yesterday it got down into the 40's overnight...30 degrees BELOW normal. I would not be surprised to see a frost before October. August and September are usually our dry months, but we had over an inch of rain in a few hours yesterday, along with thunderstorms, wind and hail. SOOOO not normal here. Even a small tornado touched down. JEEZ!!!

Bob and Tim are working on my woodpile. Then moved it, laid ground cover, built wood ricks and moved the wood back. Today I get a tdruck load of gravel to put over the ground clothe to keep the weeds out of the wood pile! Looks really good. I have another cord of wood coming next weekend, now I need to find some cut split and cured fir/hemlock to go along with the alder. Alder burns too fast, and does not put out the heat that the resin filled evergreens do. And Hemlock bark makes GREAT coals to bank over night!!

OOPS gotta go...gravel is here...

Sunday, August 17, 2008

One really SAAAAAD Birthday cake!

So I invite the family over for Sherri's birthday cake and ice cream. No big deal, just her 51st. SHe and Mike were going to the fair and would be late...GREAT 'cause I have auditions for Peter Pan until 5 tonight.

I get the cake in oak harbor on the hottest day of the year, and put it on the floor of the car so it would be shaded. I stopped at Prairie Center to get Vanilla ice cream, and hurry home to get ready for everyone who should be here artound 730!

I open the car door, to reach down and get the cake, and all of the icing had melted right off into a puddle on the tray! I was so mad! I bring in the cake, and try to repair the mess, but the icing was so warm it ran off again. I stuck the whole mess into the fridge to set up.



got it out put the frosting back on the sides of the cake, and the pretty yellow roses are now big blobs on the top of the white icing. I also reached into the drawer for the candles, and guess what? I am OUT OF CANDLES!! i dug through the drawer and found a 5 then found a white taper, so I stuck those on the cake and she blew then out.

What a mess!!!

Happy Birthday Sherri!!! sorry it melted!!

Friday, August 15, 2008

Remembering Kenny...

I Lost a friend the other day...Kenny author of Letters From Kenny. He was the husband of one of my workers, Carol, and long before I met him I had heard about him from Carol, and other friends of his. Kenny was a retired Navy man, and a WONDERFUL poet. He and Carol had been married forever. I think Carol said she was 14 when they married. and I believe she is 65 now. so they were married close to if not more than 50 years. Every breath each of them took was reflected in the other ones' eyes.

Carol is a mighty whirlwind, and Kenny is very laid-back and lets her rip! Kenny also makes the greatest Texas Brisket you ever clamped your teeth on. He is a legend at every NEX potluck and BBQ.

Last month I received an email from Kenny with his latest Poem from his Blog, and a note about the fact that he is battling Pancreatic Cancer. I saw him two weeks ago, and knew it would not be long. It wasn't, and for that we are all thankful, as he was suffering, maybe not outwardly, but you could read it in his eyes. Carol was her normal upbeat, wonderful self, and I knew that if anyone could pull Kenny through this it would be Carol. She couldn't. Kenny died Wednesday night. He is with his Lord right now, and I know that if there is such a thing as redemption, Kenny will get it. He loved his family, he loved his poetry, and he loved his Lord.

GOD Kenny, You will be missed!

Here is his last poem posted, but do yourself a favor, and go read through all of his poems and letters, they are really heart warming, and tear jerking.

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Tell Me A Memory

Carol and I play this game. "Tell Me A Memory" (I made it up)
She tells me one of her favorites and I tell her mine. It gets a little emotional (duh) ,but it does help me realize the wonderful life I have had.(here is the poem) hugs kenny

Tell Me A Memory
by kenny merrell


Tell me a memory of times past
where we captured the moon
the stars so bright we traced our name in the sky
Rainbows in bands of color bright
showed the way to treasures of the mind,
time was but a word and
dreams always had happy endings.
Tell me a memory as we sit holding hands
and cry of news of sadness and
think of the words “In sickness and in health” and
“For better or for worse “ which were only random concepts to contemplate
Now each day becomes a memory
As sunrise and sunset become brighter, purer,
a precious gift from our Lord and Savior
we share with each other and marvel at such a life
Tell me a memory
Where “Now I lay me down to sleep”
Etched in stone ,tossed into the sea
Tells a memory

Kenny Merrell


Monday, August 11, 2008

Friday night date!


Every Friday Night for 24 years, Bob and I go somewhere, or do something, might even be pizza and a video at my house.

Last year we discovered that all the cruise ships leaving Seattle for ports around the world, go right by my house. I cant see them because of OTHER houses, but We go down to the boat launch and watch them go by. We call it our Friday Night Parade. Not all of them leave on Friday, some leave Thursday and some leave Saturday. And Lord only knows when they come back...

Used to be, in a much quieter era, that shipping news arrivals and departures were all printed in the paper so you could know what ship was under what flag, the cargo and the destination or origination. Not any more. With 9-11 came the HOMELAND SECURITY and all of that info was blocked from public view. Now mind you any homegrown "terrorist" could stand on the beach with a notebook or a recorder and get the times, just like we did.

We each have a pair of binoculars and we see if we can spot them coming around Long Point. The first one to spot one yells BOAT! and then we see how long it takes for them to get past us. Each boat is different, some BIG some smaller and the tides play into this equation also. I had never thought of it until I read Cindra's blog several years ago, when she posted pictures of her cruise liner to ALaska from Seattle. I thought..Gee I shoulda gone down and waved at her.

We sit and try to guess where each one is going, and wish we were on one.

My friend Rusty is taking ANOTHER cruise to Alaska on the 22nd, so I will go down to the beach and wave at her. and wish that we were going too.

Last week was my Hell week...as you can tell by my lack of posting. I had a meeting every single night! Getting ready for PETER PAN auditions, Reading Plays for next season, and finalizing everything for this weekends COUPVILLE ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL. I volunteer for the weekend. Nothing exciting, just sit and mind the office phone, but it is portable so I can take it out on the sidewalk and sit there and crochet while I wait for it to ring and tell the person on the other end the times of the show. It is a needed position, and I get a free tee-shirt! KEWL!! We have over 220 vendors from all over the Northwest and it is in it's 45th year! (what is REALLY sad, is that I can remember the FIRST ONE!! yikes!!)

I was only able to go swimming one time last week, and I am in dire pain right now. I am going this afternoon, just to stretch out my back and hopefully un-pinch my Sciatic nerve again. I sure wish you could have them removed like you can in your teeth! If I was God, I sure would make us different! But then again, she probably DID, but evolution Screwed us up by putting us on two feet.

My Brother started his third course of Chemo last Wednesday and he has been so sick this time. He goes back in on Wednesday again for three more times, and then they will take a complete MRI/CT scan (?) and then make a decision on what to do next. He was told originally that he had 6 months to three years, and he has made it almost 10 months!! Hang in there Baby Bro...I Love you so much!!!

take the nut test...




You Are a Hazelnut



You are very unique and distinct. You may even freak some people out.

Most people don't really know how to interact with you.

You get along best with anyone who is super sweet.

But you really do get along with almost anyone. You just need a chance to wow them.

Friday, August 01, 2008

doin' stuff...

My Friend Rusty volunteered me to make a baby sweater for the WOmens auxilliary at the United Methodist Church charity project. So I drug out my book, hooks and stash and found this pattern. I made it in a day, and it was quite fun.

Now I have to get busy on reading plays for playday committee, getting the posters finished for Peter Pan, block peter pan, and get ready for Auditions which are in two weeks. The show runs in November, but it has a gajillion kids in it, so we need all the practice time we can get.

I am in the procedd of making christmas presents for the women in the family...finished SIL, now I have started SIS' gift. Have no clue what the guys will get...obviously something homemade. thems the rules around here for Christmas.

I have been swimming every day but Wednesday,. took that one off because my hip was hurting like hell. I had to stop at the rite aid store and get more of Ben. I go to Bed with Ben everynight, sometimes twice a night. you know Ben, Gay is his last name and he warms up my backside and hips really well. I had been out,. I even cut the tube open and got all of it out that way, but I still did not have any for Tuesday night.

Feels so much better now.

So. My SIster Phyllis calls at 1024 last night...DIDYOU FEEL IT? no says I. BUT IT SHOOK THE WHOLE MOBILE. Hrmmmm thinks I NOT here.
She said she was standing doing her laundry at the washer when the floor shook and her tummy flipped and then her TONGUE WENT NUMB! WHAT!!!
I can just see her at the office when the big one hits. MUNNTHUN WENBT NUNmmm

RUN FOR COVER FOLK.....Phyllis tongue went numb, gonna have an earthquake!!! I told her that, and then started laughing and do you that my very christian sister told me to f--- off and called me a bitch as I was laughing at her. That wasnt nice. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL watch for her on the cover of National Enquirer.
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