February 4, 1949...She was born!

UPDATE;

We made it through the storm with no damage to our houses, We are all without power, and I am on battery laptop!! LUV technology!!

THe highest winds were 78 MPH and kept me awake all night. THe cats were nervous, and chitters was jumping from one window to the next. Lint, Loki ans Ethel had a warm spot on the blanket and were not moving. I had power all through the storm, but lost it about 3 hours ago. Got out the Coleman Camp stove and set it up to make coffee this morning. THere are times when the power will stay out for several days especially when the whole area is down. I know Oak Harbor has power, as I called to see if my meeting was still on. YEP! so now I have to see how far up the road I can get before I run into a downed tree. We always get so excited when something like this hapens, especially after having called to make sure everyone is safe. THe only one I could not get ahold of was Tim, but He never calls, so I should not worry. HE is used to living in the woods!! Literally, with no power! I called DOnna, and she growled at me, so she is fine too. No Hello Mom, just a WHAT? grrrr I love mannerly children!!! I will update you more when I get back, gotta run into town and see how the rest fared. THe neighbor just drove in with groceries, so obviously SOMETHING is open.




Phyllis Ann

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PHYLLIS!!!!!!!

Phyllis Ann Came into my life Feb 4, 1949. Up until that time I had been a spoiled only child, living with my AUnt and my Mother, and for a very short while, my Father.

Dad was gone overseas a lot, and during this time we lived where Mom was raised. Phyllis was born in San Diego, and when she was 6 weeks old we left for Honolulu, T.H. (Territory of Hawaii) to meet Dad and live with him for a full 5 years!! She became Dad's favorite, as he had never been around a baby before, and I stayed Mom's Little Girl.

We fought like Sisters for most of our lives, and where I was always a lady, or was expected to be anyway, Phyllis was a rebel. ALWAYS. Still is!! She went out of her way to make my life a living Hell. SHe was after all being a little Sister.

It was not until we were grown and married that we became as close as we are right now. Maybe we were too busy trying to live our own lives, but we mixed like oil and water. Now I would not trade her for the world! She is my best friend.

And today she is 57!! So Everybody bee-bop over to her blog and wish her a happy birthday!!!

And don't worry if neither one of us is not around for a few days, we MIGHT be powerless. A HUGE storm is due to hit tonight with winds sustained up to 50-60 MPH and gusts over 80! THey are warning everyone to tie it all down, and prepare to be without power for a few days.

LOLOLOLOL Seattle FINALLY makes it to the Super Bowl, and the Fates are sending a wind storm to cut off our power so no one can see it!!! LOLOLOLOLOL

Needless to say generators are flying off the shelves!!

ARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!

It's true! The Bastard saw his shadow! He ran back into his den and that means we will have 6 more weeks of this shit!!! I soooooo want Spring!!! Nice warm, spring! Flowers blooming, bees buzzing, trees budding warm spring!!!!

We had 13" of rain in January alone, and normally Coupeville and Whidbey Island, being in the banana belt of the Pacific Northwest, only has 17" a YEAR!!! Mt. Baker had over 20 FEET of snow in the last three weeks!! Un real!!

We are expecting a very strong low pressure system to come ashore either tonight or tomorrow morning bringing more high winds and rain!! Yesterday there were over 40000 people with no power! and the really strong spring winds have not even hit yet!! Gonna be a fun year, I can just feel it! THe tides are really high right now, and with the low pressure system hitting just as the tides are their highest, the lowlands are getting tidal overflow, and washing away beachfront homes! (AWWWWWW!!!!!)

My yard is so wet it squishes when I walk across it!! I sure hope my septic system doesnt go south! That would suck big time!!

Once this next series of storms goes through then we are predicted to have a whole week of scattered sunshine!!! oh I can't wait!!!

In the mean time....GO HAWKS!!!!!

Stuck in a rut....

I am sooooo stuck in a rut!! I get up, come in and do my blogwalk, go watch Oprah and the news and then crochet until bedtime, then I go to bed and read, until I get sleepy which can be 4AM, and if I cant get comfortable, I will take 2 excedrin PM which will knock me flat out until noon! Then I get up and start all over again. I am getting only 8 hours of sleep, which is not too much, but I want it to be from midnight until 8 AM!

I have let my brain go to sleep, and I can not get creative. I work so much better under pressure. Of course the stress level was killing me...Now I am a slug. My house is clean though, and I don't sit and do NOTHING, I am busy at home, but I want to WRITE! I can not think of anything to write about except boring rain, and more boring rain, and boring pets and more boring rain! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Somebody give me a subject!!! (no Wanda, I WILL NOT do politics!! )

Busy busy busy...

With all of this rain, there is no way I am getting out and working in the yard. So as I mentioned in previous posts, I drug out my 18 year old box of crochet projects, and almost finished the unfinished projects. I made mine, I made the multigenerational one, I finished the one Bob hates, and now I am working on this one for Donna. This one is actually a brand new project, and I think I may finish this one by the weekend!

I ran out of yarn so Saturday I ran in to walmart and bought 4 more skeins of no dye lot cherry red! And it did not match!! I was pissed!!!! It was just a shade off. So after making two squares and putting them beside the others I had finished, and noticed the shade difference, I switched to another skein, and it was dead on!! WHEW!!!!

Donna wanted either a Sow Thistle pattern which we could not find anywhere or a Log cabin pattern. (YUCK) so I decided I would make the rose bower pattern, only all in cherry red, no other color! It is really cool!! She came over yesterday to collect her mail, and she brought the vogue magazine with both of those patterns she wanted. Too late, but the log cabin that is in there is GORGEOUS!!! So rich and elegant, nothing like the ugly strips of yarn crocheting that I have seen on line. So I may plan another afghan. It keeps me out of trouble.

Rusty was called and asked if she would take over the children's performance of POLLYANNA, as the other director was no longer doing it. So we are again teaming up on a show. It is a show between shows, and should not be a big deal. I am just doing the art work and the photos, so that will be easy. I start full out producing my next show CAINE MUTINY COURT MARTIAL next month. Then there is absolutely nothing on the slate! I am hoping I will be selected as a director for next season, but that is the Board's decision. We shall see.

Oh MAN!! It is getting really dark again, so I guess our sunshine is gone. We had about 2 hours of bright sun in between storm systems. Places are flooding, land is sliding, snow is avalanching, rivers are actually changing their course and some places got over 5 inches of rain last night!! And more today!! And tomorrow!! And the next day!!!!!! Somebody send me a towel...

Storm # 35.....

I swear it feels like it!! I know we have had storm after storm after storm march in here. Last night about 10 pm, the wind started blowing in from the Strait again, and smacked right into the front of the house. By the time I was ready to go to bed at 1130 I noticed that rain was coming in my bedroom window. ODD!! My bedroom faces East! The storm was coming from the West! What had happened was the rain was falling hard, and the wind was blowing just as hard, so it whipped through the 10 feet between the houses, and whipped right around the corner and splatted into my window!

It was 38 degrees STILL! and it was cold again! On went the electric blanket and the afghan! and up came 4 cats! Sadie was in her pen in the bathroom, so she was just fine. I had taken 2 excedrin PM to help the pain in my hip and back, and went right out, and stayed out until Sadie woke me up jumping up and down with her little legs crossed. SHe RAn to the backdoor whinning, and when I got there and opened the door WHOOSH out she ran, and peed for a full 2 minutes!! She was glad to get out. She is Such a good dog!

Right now I have some shortribs thawing in the microwave so I can get them into the oven. I told Bob that I would cook them for dinner tonight, so I guess I had better do so. I know I saw a recipe for some that sounded oh so Nummy, but now I cant remember where it was, Gourmet Magazine I think.

It is sunny and breezy out right now, so I think I am going to take advantage of that fact and head outside for some Vitamin D!! I also need to run to that W store (shudder) and get some more yarn for Donna's afghan! I ran out last night, and I have nothing to crochet!! arrgghhhhh!!!

Catch ya later...

BRRRRRRRRR...

It has gotten so COLD!! Yesterday after my walk the day before, I could barely move, because of my back. I sat and crocheted Donna's afghan most of the day with Icy Hot all over my hips and back. Just as the sky was getting darker, the wind came up, and It blew a cold angry wind. It blew right through the very tight house that I have, and right into my bones! Sadie sat on the chair and shivered, so I got up and built a roaring fire in the wood stove. I used two pieces of seasoned fir, and then as it went down I threw another piece of fir on it and then it got WARM!! It got so warm, from those three pieces of fir, that I actually had to open the window in my bedroom. I usually always have it open a crack, but lately I have closed it when t in there. Last night I opened it, and it sucked the heat right through the house, into my bedroom, and stayed there all night. Now that is what I call an efficient stove!!!

I kicked the covers off about 300 this morning, and woke up in a sweat. That lasted until about 700 and then I was shivering again. The weather has been so weird compared to normal. A month of rain, and then a few days of cloudy dry, and then one day of SUN and then another cold windy storm. The lights flickered several times last night and I just knew the power was going to go out. SO far we have been lucky.

Japan is getting dumped on with snow, unusually heavy snow, and then those storms head east...Right across the pacific ocean and smack right into us. They have warmed up so all we get is wet, but they have not warmed up significantly. It hovered today around 38 degrees, and is not expected to move much one way or the other. 38 is not really that cold, but when you have a 40 mile an hour wind, laced with a lot of mist, the chill factor is down there!! I would look it up but my server wont let me. When I am on this page, I have to stay here and publish or it loses everything and kicks me off line, so as soon as I publish I will look it up and put it in the comments.

just trust me, It is cold!! Time to go build another fire. BRRRRRRR!!!

What a GLORIOUS Day!!!

AHHHHHHH Sunshine!!!! Beautiful warm life sustaining sunshine!! I got up early and was really disappointed that the sky was not clear. It was foggy. But it burned off about noon and the sun was soooo bright!!!

I got dressed, loaded Sadie into the car and headed out with camera in hand. It was time to take some digital therapy!! I ran into the Base and got gas, and headed to Fort Ebby State Park. Washington started charging for the use of the Parks System, 5.00 a day, and I had not been there in a few years. But Bob being the practical person that he is, got me a Yearly pass for my Birthday.!!! WHOOP!!!





I drove in with the pass in the window and actually got out and walked along the beach for about 200 yds. It got rather rocky, and I was unsteady on my feet, and my back and hip started to go when I rocked on the rugged rocks, so I just stopped and drank it all in... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH




The Bluff had eroded way past where it used to be, and the last time I was here it was not so Rocky, SO Mama has been busy on this side of the Island. If you look closely you can see where the different layers of rocks and ash and silt have been laid down during the Ice Age, and as it was receeding.





This beach is also where during really low tides, Mammoth Molars and skulls have been found. It just sends shivers down my spine to look at that freshly fallen bluff and know that I am probably the very first human being to see those very rocks!! WOW!!





THe fallen tree was way up on the top of the bluff last year. Now you see why I grumble at the idiots that build their trophy houses on the bluff edge and then yell when the rains come and the bluff slides into the sea and takes their land with them. as you look at the picture below, you can see where the bluff used to be three years ago. The entire Puget SOund area is all made of the same Glacial deposits, and if the edge of your land is on a bluff, you can bet your bippy that it will some day be beachfront too!

Starry starry night....

I woke up early this morning, just as it was getting light, and noticed that it was still drippy and drizzly and gray out. It was supposed to be clear and dry today and for the next three days, I was hoping it would be so I could get the lawn mowed, as The grass is tickling Sadies little Hind end when she goes out to pottie. It is a bright bright green, and growing fast!! It is only January, and our coldest weather is still to come!! It usually hits in February, with a snow in March and then it is Spring.

As I went in to the store tonight just as it was getting dark, I looked at the horizon and it was clear! The clouds were just passing over, and the evening was arriving clear and cold! On the drive bam the store, I noticed the stars out. Crisp and clear, and loud! Right on the prairie, where there were no trees blocking the eastern horizon, I noticed that Orion was out bright and beautiful! This was at 630 PM.

Orion is my touchstone, I wait for it every August, and feel like have been reborn when I spot it for the first time each Fall. It usually comes over the top of the trees around 500 AM around the middle of August. Just in time to get lost in the sunrise. I see it and know that the cooler days of fall are coming, and I am at peace.

I have no idea why I am so drawn to this constellation, maybe in another life, I was from a star in that formation.

Each night that I can see the stars, I look for Orion, and it gets higher and higher in the sky earlier and earlier in the evening, on its march across the southern sky and on to oblivion. Soon it will be blanked out by the evening light again. Our nights are getting shorter and shorter, and it is now staying light enough to see until about 600. And it is almost light enough to see at 700AM!

I just let Sadie out for her night time pee, and stood on the deck with my breath heading skyward in huge moist clouds, and looked at the stars. Orion was right up there, and right out of its belt flew a shooting star. Way up high but bright enough to see it's brief light, as it flew over my head and on to the cosmos.

It was if Orion was saying to me..."keep watching Mary Lou, I'm still here for a few more months!"

I will...and I will be watching again in August when you return from your visit to the Southern Hemisphere. Be safe!

I'm here...REALLY!

I am sorry I have been so scarce, But I have had a major melt down stressing over a presentation I had to do for the playhouse last night. I can do behind the scenes just fine! But when I have to get ON STAGE!! I Panic!!!

I have had since November to get this prepared, and I just could not move on it!! I froze in fear!! It literally had me in TEARS, I function, and I could not create! I don't know why this started, because I used to be able to be on stage with others just fine, but about 7 years ago, at an employee award ceremony, I froze, and almost passed out. And ever since I just PANIC. I almost passed out last night, but I made it through, But I did not do as well as I knew I COULD. Ah well, water under the bridge! On to other things!

I had Kim at Bacon and ehs ask me how I knew when everybody's BD were, and several have asked, so...

I have a daytimer that I used when I was working, and I have tabs for every blog I visit, with the names, blog, BD's and Addresses on that page. Every Month I look at the calendar coming up and sit down and make cards for everybody that month. Then I send them out so hopefully they will arrive in time.

Now for those of you that have refused to give your addresses, YOU DON'T GET ONE. NA NANANANA NA!

and I make really pretty Xmas cards too, and some times I send out Valentines! SO make sure you have your address correct in my book!!

I have to go root on those SEAHAWKS! It is the 2nd Qtr, and they are ahead 10-0!! Oh MAN!! They have worked so very very hard to get this far, Let's hope they make it to the super Bowl.

OH!!! 17-0 now!!! Whoot!!!! It is that 12th man that is doing it! Even Hasselbeck says that!

Later.....

Wanna take a test?...

I got this yesterday in an email, and I can not for the life of me remember who sent it. Brenda? ANy way, it hit home...so I decided to post it here. see how good you are...

1895 Eighth Grade Final Exam

Remember when our grandparents, great-grandparents, and such stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. - - - This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, KS, USA. It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, KS, and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

8th GRADE FINAL EXAM

Grammar (Time, one hour)

1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
2. Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no Modifications.
3. Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.
4. What are the Principal Parts of a verb. Give Principal Parts of. lie, lay and run
5. Define Case, Illustrate each Case.
6. What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of Punctuation.
7. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)

1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1050lbs. for tare?
4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per meter?
8 Find bank discount on $300 for! 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

U. S. History (Time, 45 minutes)

1. Give the epochs into which U. S. History is divided.
2. Give an account of the discovery of ?America by Columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour)

1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication?
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, sub vocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u'.
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, si te, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)

1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America.
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall &Orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republic s of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

Also notice that the exam took five hours to complete. Gives the saying "she/he only had an 8th grade education" a whole new meaning, doesn't it? What happened to us? ?? I have more than a high school education and hold my Associates Degree in business management and computer science (ok it was waay back before computers were really easy...ok?) and I tell you, I would have to do a lot of studying to get this test aced. And I graduated with a 3.8 GPA!!

There is also a new law in the state of Washington that all 8th grade students HAVE to take the WASL test and pass it before they graduate. The hew and cry that is coming out of this law is loud and long!! only about 56% of the students are able to pass it. If they do not pass it, they have 4 more years to retake and pass those sections they did not pass the first time. The parents are all up in arms. I personally think it is about time that we raised the bar on our education levels of our children.

We have become a nation of uneducated, ill-mannered, boorish people, that expect others to take care of them. It is time for a wake up call folks. Teach your children what they need to learn in order to get a job that will pay a living wage! Don't let them settle for good enough. This is one time that good enough IS NOT!!

(and how did you all do on this? )

Ride into yesterday...

I had to take Sadie into the groomer this morning, and I took the road along West Beach. It was a cold, Dark Morning, no rain, but the threat of it was there. As I drove down the road, It was like I was in a time machine, taking me back, back, back into the early 50's when we first came to the Island from Hawaii. I saw Phyllis Ann in her plaid coat, and Dad in his eskimo parka, along the beach and throwing driftwood up on to the berm along the road. We lived in a log cabin with a fireplace, the first we had ever seen. And back then, where we lived was so far out in the boonies, that taking driftwood off the beach was accepted. So every weekend we would pile into the car, put the back seat down in the Nash Rambler station wagon, pile into the front seat, and head to the beach for firewood.

We spent all afternoon walking the beach and throwing the wood up onto the road. We would also be beach combing, and there were some good finds back in those days. We would then turn around and wait at the end of the road, while Dad went back for the car. He drove it up to where we were and then we would open the back end and load up the wood, drive on to the next piece and load it up and so on until we were back at the beginning, and the car was stuffed so full, that sometimes we had to sit on each others lap, as the long pieces rode over the seat back and up onto the dash board.

Once home, we would unload it and then Phyllis Ann and I would grab the 2 man buck saw, and cut it into 2 foot lengths, and Dad would split it and stack it in the wood shed.

We not only brought back wood to keep us warm, but we also brought back memories of runny noses and frozen fingers, and sleet, and misty rain, and fog. But you know what they saw about firewood, it warms you twice. Once when you cut it and once when you burn it. In our case it was many more times than that, as the warm memories of spending an afternoon out in the boonies with your Dad and Sister, keep coming back every time I drive down that road on a dark gloomy cold morning.

Finally!!!

afghan

As you can see the picture does not do this justice, I will try to get a better picture once the sun comes out. My camera is in low light mode, and I cant remember how to get it off. I will play some and hopefully get a close up of one of the squares, so you can see the detail in the black. I am pretty proud of this one too.
Bob told me to auction it off on Ebay, and I told him, I could not get what it cost me to make! He did not understand, until I told him that the YARN itself did not cost much 20.00 total, but the 80 hours plus that I put into it had to be factored in also, and at a low rate of 10.00 an hour, I would have to charge at LEAST 1000.00 for it and NO ONE would pay that much for a hand crafted 30 year old afghan!!

(WOULD THEY? Hmmmmmmm)

33 Years later...

When I was going through some boxes I have carted around for years and years, I found an afghan that I had started for myself out of scraps of yarn. I had totally forgotten about it, and only had 10 squares done. It was going to be a coverlet for our King size Bed. I have a tiny Queen bed now, so I tore it apart and finished it to fit my bed. It is soooo pretty, the picture does not do it justice, and I still have to put fringe on it, but it is finally done. I had started it when my son was a year old. Tim is now 34! I'm surprised the yarn was not rotten. I had started it so that each rose would be a different color, but in rethinking it I decided to just go with the colors that I have and get another project finished. WHEW!!!!

Well It appears that Blogger is being a SHIT, SO I guess there will be no picture.

Uh Lord? What's a cubit?

27 straight days of Rain, and still coming...

When I was a lot younger, Bill Cosby had an album of comedy out. On it was a monologue he had as Noah, talking to God. And it was so funny, I remember the line in my title and remember laughing at it. Now I am thinking that Maybe I had better start getting my ark ready for travel. It actually did not rain very much right here on Friday, but it dumped on Seattle, which is where they measure the rain at. There is a very slim chance that we will have sun breaks on Sunday, and if it is timed just right, we might break this streak. 33 days is the record from 1953, and if we do break it, we will be the longest period of rain at one stretch. A tad bit wet!

Even with all of the rain down here and the snows in the Mountains, we are still really really dry for the year. Places that usually fill up and form little lakes in the pastures are still dry, and even Hastie Lake is waaaay down still. We need this water to fill our reservoirs back up. We also need it to generate our electricity that we sell to California. ( >:( ) there has been 7 feet of snow dumped on Mt Baker this week, and it still is no where near the record that it set world wide in 1998! So even though we are wet, and some of the lowland creeks lakes and rivers are flooding, we are not yet up to capacity.

Tonight Bob and I went to see Chronicles of Narnia! I highly recommend it to anyone! It was a darling little movie! There were only about 10 of us old farts in there, so it must be on it's way out, it has been here for three weeks already. We left the theater and then went to dinner. I could get used to this eating out all the time stuff. I like not having to cook. We had Pork Tenderloin, with apple chutney, and mashed potatoes and gravy. GOOD STUFF!

I am trying to finish an old afghan that I had started waaay back there, and never finished. I was trying to make each square a different colored flower (cabbage Rose) so I never got very far on it. Since I am going through things and sorting out and stashing away, and organizing, I ran across it, and pulled it out. I should be through with it by the end of next week. I have been a crocheting fool. THe squares are the cabbage rose, with green leaves, and the main color is black which sets it off beautifully. I had planned it for a king size bed, and was going to use it as a bedspread, so I had to deconstruct the ones I had sewed together, and redo the main color. It is impressive! Even if I do say so myself.

I want this year to be the year that I finish projects. Lord knows I have enough of those floating around to last for SEVERAL years. I really need to paint the front porch and the deck. But not until it dries out. I need to finish the floors. the transition strips still are not down from 4 years ago. (ok, ok!) I still have to paint the ceiling in the living room, and I still have to paint my bedroom and install the wallpaper border around the ceiling.

I am finally getting sandy eyes, so I am going to once again try to get some sleep. I went to bed at 1100 and fell right to sleep, and then woke up at 130 wide awake. Pisses me off!! But I am retired, I can do that if I need to. back to bed. See you when the sun comes up. or it gets light.

And STILL it rains...

25 straight days of rain and counting....


This is what some of the roads in Washington and Oregon look like right now. There has been LOTS of water coming out of these systems on THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS. As soon as this one right now passes, there will be a slight break in the clouds, and it will get colder. But it will still rain, just not as hard, and then MORE rain after that. Sunday we MIGHT get a 24 hour break, but it is not guaranteed.

Last night coming home from Dinner, there was a break in the clouds and we actually saw stars and an almost full moon. After I left Phyllis' place, and headed out across the prairie, I could see the clouds above Everett/Seattle area, all underlit by the lights of the cities. Looked really cool.

THe birds have been going through the suet blocks like there was no more tomorrow! They are even starting to hang on the empty baskets and stare in the window at me as if to say, "get your sorry ass out here and FEED ME!" I do too. The squirrels have not been out lately either. THey have a tendency to stay holed up in inclimate weather. Smart animals. Probably stuffing themselves on all those yummy walnuts and peanuts they carried off this fall. Oh and I should not forget the craisins either, they LOVE those.

THe wind is hitting me pretty hard right now, coming down the STRAIT, out of the West. THe alders are bent over and snapping branches right and left. Just hope I dont get that tall tree aacross the street into my Dining room. I think if it ever does go, it will fall right between mine and Lea's places. hmmmm free cord wood.

SO where ever you are, and you have sunshine, enjoy it. I would love to send some of this reain to you, but alas, my powers are rusting away....

Over the hump!

24 straight days of rain....10 more predicted!

The Weather reports are getting grimmer and wetter! The lakes are filling up and spilling over, and the rivers are all on flood watch. Snoqualmie Falls is at Maximum Flow right now, and is a sight to behold. Normally it is two streams, coming together half way down, bit today it is flowing hard and fast!!

At full flow it is over 36000gallons a second! A lot of water heading down to the lowlands, and into the basements of all the trophy houses that have been built on the 100 year flood plain. The news tonight was full of people bemoaning the fact that their big new houses were all flooding. TSK TSK> come here with all your money, and buy up our cheap farm land to build your trophy houses, without knowing the lay and the history of the land, and you get what you deserve. Yes it is a sad thing to see, and I fully blame the developers who have crossed the local governments palms with money to get the building sites approved. If it was wet 15 years ago, what in God's name makes you think it is gonna be dry forever? We have been in a drought for several years, and right now we are having normal winter. All of the land that used to be available to soak up all the water has now been either clear-cut or paved. The paved land right around the shores, fills up with water and it runs off into the lakes and rivers. DUH!!!! Does not take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. I get so DAMN frustrated at developers and contractors who build on top of each other just to make a quick buck. PLAN the new developments, make them earth friendly, hide them with native trees, leave plenty of room for average year run-off, and stay the HELL AWAY from the salmon streams!!!

OK..Rant over. SIGH!!!

Wow What a birthday!! I opened my blog to see all these comments, even from people I have never seen before. Thank You all!! It really meant a lot to me. Your Birthday is YOURS it belongs to YOU, and no one else in your family can have it. SO Birthdays are the one day a year that you should be treated special!
I Was. Phyllis took me out to dinner tonight, to our local Mediterranean/Greek grill. And I had Veal Parmesan, and Greek Salad, topped off with a piece of Birthday Baklava!! Homemade, fresh Baklava!! ALL MINE!! Man it was all so good!!

I got home and sitting on the porch right in front of the front door was a little tiny mini-muffin. A teeny tiny mini muffin with a HUGE tea candle sitting on top of it!! Under them both was a birthday card from my Baby Bro. FUNNY!!! The candle was almost bigger than the muffin. I am surprised that one of our porch critters did not take off with the muffin.

My daughter, called me tonight to wish me a happy birthday, but Tim did not. This is getting scary. He called on Thanksgiving, but NOTHING since then, and he does not call me when I leave a message on his cell phone. I hope he is alright. He is Probably like most Men....MOTHER? You mean I have a MOTHER? Well When did that happen? (GRRRRRRRR!!)

I want to thank you all once again for all of the nice thoughts and well wishes. It really made my day.

the next Birthdays that I have recorded are: Kim (Canada) on the 21, Valkyrie (brainbubbles) on the 22, Barbara (Purple Moose) on the 27, and TA DA!!! WANDA on the 31!!

By the way, It was Bill's Birthday today too.

ACK!!!!! 60!!! ACK!!!!!!

23rd straight day of rain...Record is 33...Will we make it?



By the time you read this I will be 60 years OLD. What bothers me the most about being this age, is not being able to do the things I dreamt about when I had no time to do the things I dreamt about! The actual YEARS don't bother me as much as my back and my knees do. I have a very young soul, and have never felt like I was an adult. I am very child-like in my actions. I think that if there is such a thing as reincarnation, that I must be on my first or second recycle. If I lived before I think it was late 18th or early to mid 19th century America. Frontier type. I do not think I was poor, but not rich either, maybe a wife of a merchant, or else a native American.

When I first saw the Rocky Mountains, it was late in the day crossing south Dakota on I-90 I believe, and I glimpsed tiny little white mountain tops way off on the western horizon. I was so disappointed, as I expected them to be HUGE. I did not realize we were still miles and miles away from them.

Once we crossed out of south Dakota and were heading through Wyoming into Montana, I had a feeling come over me that I had been there before, and I really never had been. It was a chill running through my blood that I was coming home. I had no idea why, but I knew the higher I climbed into those Mountains that I belonged there. I felt like the mountains themselves were calling to me and that the ghosts of my ancestors (or maybe my own ghost) were trying to tell me that I had lived there before. I don't know why.

All of my ancestors lived in either Oregon, North Dakota, Norway, Ireland or Texas/Oklahoma. None that I have been able to find lived in the Rockies.

Reincarnation of course does not mean that you come back into the same family. If it does exist, you may not even have the same genetic material at all. I think it is your soul that changes and grows older with each reincarnation you go through.

I have met people that are old beyond their years, in thinking, and in their actions, and I have met people that were lots older than they acted. I think my Mother was an old soul. My Dad was getting there. I think I am a young soul, and I KNOW my daughter is.

Dreams:

I have been having some weird dreams lately about my house washing away. Now I realize we are being dumped on rain wise, but this is really strange. It is impossible to relate to you what the dreams are all about, and have them make any sense at all, but the first dream was about moving into my brand new house...And then someone built a house right behind me , then the tide came in and washed it away, I stuck my head out the upstairs window, and looked down the street and all the houses were being washed away, like in a hurricane or tsunami, and my house was flooded, but did not wash out to sea. SO strange.

Last night I dreamt that I was walking along West Beach Road before the houses were built wall to wall along it. I was watching the tide, and it was really stormy. I looked over the driftwood and the house that I had loved for years was up to the roof in sand and the tide was coming in fast. I moved up to the road, and it too was underwater, and Swantown lake was full, so basically the water was from the lake to the beach, flooding everything. I was sloshing along it and someone came along and gave me a ride through the water to high ground. WEIRD!

Now You all know that I sleep with my head out the window every night, and with all the wind and rain we have had the past 3 weeks, it is a small wonder that I have dreamt I was drowning!!

WEATHER:

Things are flooding like crazy, all the rivers on the southwest part of the state are on flood watch, and they just now announced that the Skagit is on flood watch too. Hmmm better go to Michaels really soon and stock up on yarn, in case we get stranded. They are expecting us to break the 33 day record. It was set in 1953, and we are already on the 3rd longest stretch ever recorded. It is really something. I read Pureland mountain every evening, and Japan is having record breaking snow fall. SO much that roofs of houses are collapsing under all the weight of the snow. California is being saturated with rain also, while Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas are all under drought and fire watches. Man Mama is really pissed isn't she?

A rerun...and a Sunday funny!!

22nd straight day of rain!!!


No one told me that when I retired, I would start looking really old. I dont have to do my hair everyday. I dont have to wear makeup every day. I dont have to wear panty hose every day, I can wear big baggy clothes and go bra-less. All of the above when added together spells OLD! Now I KNEW my hair was gray, I wanted it to go gray, It is a rite of passage to get gray, and mine is a pretty white gray. It is just in front, and lots of people spend lots of money to frost their hair the way mine looks. sort of. Old!I KNEW I was Fat. But what I did NOT know was that when you go bra-less, it feels really good, you can breath better, your shoulders dont hurt as much, BUT your bust line is now at your waist line. OLD! I KNEW that wearing makeup covered a multitude of sins, but I did Not know that it also covered age spots, double chins, skin tags, sagging eyelids and gray eyebrows that thinned out so far, naturally, that it looks like you shaved 1/2 of them off. OLD!

I KNEW that I should wax my upper lip every so often, but I did NOT know that it would become MORE often as you age. I now have more hair on my upper lip than I have on my legs. OLD! I did not know that my lips would get chapped. I wore lipstick every day, all day, which kept them moist. Now they are chapped. AHA wear lipstick again, I did NOT know that your lips thinned out. I put my lipstick on without a mirror, which is what I have been doing for 38 years, and when I went into the bathroom I noticed that I had lipstick WAAAY outside my lipline. It was there before, why isnt it now? OLD.

I KNEW that my pantyhose were control top, but what I did NOT know was how MUCH they controlled!!! Gravity took over, and now my belly button says Howdy to my twat. OLD!

There are women out there that are in denial of getting OLD, wake up every morning and go through their usual ritual of putting all of the above on. Why? Is it vanity, Denial, or Just not wanting the rest of the world to see the real you? Should I get up and do all of that? Should I live with it and be comfortable? SHould I do SOME of it and skip the rest? What is the pay off? WIll it get me a husband that will take care of me the rest of my life? NO. Will it bring me tons of money to my door? NO! Will it set a great example for other people? NO! Hmmmm....makes ya wonder. I think that growing old gracefully is a blessing. There are real challenges, true, but why try to look 22 when you are pushing 60? Go with the flow, rejoice that you MADE it to 60. Just be really sure that you put all of this stuff on when you go out to meet the world. Scaring little kids is not nice!

Tonight as I d my 25 junk emails, this popped out at me from my next door neighbor! I laughed!! good thing I did not have coffee in my mouth. WARNING BRENDA...Coffee Spewer..

First Date

We have all had bad dates... But this takes the cake.This just tells you how tough it is to be singlenowadays.

This was on the "Tonight Show" with JayLeno. Jay went into the audience to find the most embarrassing first date that a woman ever had. The winner described her worst first date experience. There was absolutely no question as to why her tale took the prize!

She said it was midwinter... Snowing and quite cold...and the guy had taken her skiing in the mountains outside Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a day trip (no overnight). They were strangers, after all, and truly had never met before. The outing was fun but relatively uneventful until they were headed home late that afternoon.

They were driving back down the mountain, when she graduallybegan to realize that she should not have had that extra latte. They were about an hour away from anywhere with a rest room and in the middle of nowhere! Her companion suggested she try to hold it,which she did for a while. Unfortunately, because of the heavy snow and slow going, there came a point where she told him that he had better stop and let her pee beside the road, or it would be the front seat of his car.

They stopped and she quickly crawled out beside the car, yanked her pants down and started. In the deep snow she didn't have good footing, so she let her butt rest against the rear fender to steady herself. Her companion stood on the side of the car watchingfor traffic and indeed was a real gentleman and refrained from peeking. All she could think about was the relief she felt despite the rather embarrassing nature of the situation. Upon finishing however, she soon became aware o fanother sensation.

As she bent to pull up her pants, the young lady discovered her buttocks were firmly glued against the car's fender. Thoughts of tongues frozen to pump handles immediately came to mind as she attempted to disengage her flesh from the icy metal. It was quickly apparent that she had a brand new problem due to the extreme cold.

Horrified by her plight and yet aware of the humor ofthe moment, she answered her date's concerns about "what is taking so long" with a reply that indeed, she was "freezing her butt off and in need of some assistance!" He came around the car as she tried to cover herself with her sweater and then, as she looked imploringly into his eyes, he burst out laughing. She too, got the giggles and when they finally managed to compose themselves, they assessed her dilemma. Obviously, as hysterical as the situation was, they also were faced with a real problem.

They both agreed it would take something hot to free her chilly cheeks from the grip of the icy metal! Thinking about what had gotten her into the predicament in the first place, both quickly realized that there was only one way to get her free. So, as she looked the other way, her first-time date proceeded to unzip his pants and pee her butt off the fender. As the audience screamed in laughter, she took the Tonight Show prize hands down or perhaps that should be pants down. And you thought your first date was embarrassing. Jay Leno's comment, "This gives a whole new meaning to being pissed off!

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL Now THAT is friendship!

?????

Does it look all right at your end? I THINK I have it all figured out, THanks to both Bill and CJ. Bill left a link, and CJ sent a code. CJ's code worked great, except it put it on top of the main body. so I putzed with the width that CJ sent and that did not work, so I found something that said body and changed the 65% to 60% and it SEEMS to have worked. I will know more when I post.

I tell you! IT RAINED today!! big heavy rain drops!! All day long!! and the clouds were so low that on the higher hills, I was driving through them! We are starting to have mudslides, and already the AMTRAC lines are closed North SOuth because3 of unstable hills.

This is what happens when people move in to the area, see all the beauty and then want to be right up front so they can see it. THey cut down the trees, so they can see their view unobstructed, and then the hillsides become unstable. Now if you throw in the mix of a drain field and no sewer line, and then heavy seasonal rains, you not only have beachfront property, you ARE the beach. Million dollar homes every year slide right into the sound because they thumbed their noses at Mama.

With all the rain we have had this month, the ground is saturated!! It is like walking on a sponge!! so if we were to have a big wind, the tree roots, would not hold, and over they would go onto these homes also. Now really throw in MAMA and have her shake things up a bit, and all these high hills would slide right down the layer of clay that they all have, and right into the SOund.

I am safe, I assume, because I am about 1/2 mile from the water. I am high, but if my hill falls, this whole region is in a world of POOP!

now cross your fingers I am about to publish!!!

well....maybe not! :(

I THOUGHT I was all fixed, but now my sidebar is clear at the bottom!!! WAHHHHH I dont know what I did to get it there. It HAS to be what I thought was the border color...but which one? I wish there was a way you could dink with this stuff OFF-line, and still see it as it would look if ON-line. I am getting really frustrated.

I also do not know why the comments are centering, but we are gonna live with them just the way they are!! At least they are back, and readable!

If anyone knows of any really good tutorials about this stuff, let me know. Meanwhile, Today will be spent trying to fix it, and I will get back to good posting tomorrow. Maybe.

Meanwhile, go read the posting I did yesterday on Life After NEXCOM retirement

STOP!!!!!! I'M FIXED!!!! (I hope...)

(just shush!!!! I am not finished...Wait until the banner gets put up there, then you will see it is not so bad!!!)


It took printing out the copy of my Fall template, and then printing out the copy of the current template, then turning off the radio and the TV and going over it line by line and changing it to match the correct copy. I also had trouble publishing it, because there was an error, but it would not say WHERE, and being the dummy I am, I could not find it. I finally ended up taken out (a spare thingie that this will not let me type because it says it is an error!!!)

and voila! it worked!! So unless I have more problems publishing this,

I'M BAAAACK!!!

I went forth and multiplied...

I now have TWO blogs. this one and the one I am going to send you to temporarily until I can get this one fixed.

lFRUSTRATION!!!

Hang with me people, I am still trying to figure out what the HELL is wrong with my computer. It appears to have a "LURKER" or something that has taken over my ability to see anything with haloscan.com comments. I can not get to the home page even, comes up as not able to open page. So if you are using haloscan as your commenting forum I can not see them nor can I comment. I can however see your blogs. Several of you have commented on my blog, because you CAN see them and are trying to tell me what to do, but I CANT SEE THEM!!!! My sister told me I had quite a few.

I have wonderful WS from Blogeois's place trying to help me when he is able to. So just be patient with me...

I have downloaded hijackthis, and I have gone to Hoster.com, and I have the logs printed out, but for the life of me I do not know what to look for.

I have even taken the haloscan.com comments out of my template and tried to go with bloggers commenting forum, but I cant get that to work either! maybe after I publish this...And that doesn't work either! Blogger cant put them in because haloscan is blocking the comments. I HATE THIS STUPID PIECE OF S#$%&

If nothing else works, then I am scratching this and will be starting over with a totally new template, and title.

Keep watching...I'm here!

WAHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Well from what my Sister says, I have quite a few comments, but I can not see them. I can not see comments nor LEAVE comments on any blog that uses haloscan.com!! I tried defrag, system restore, and now I am turning on blogger's comments, although I HATE having to do word verification. We will see if that works. I may not have put it in the right place either.

I HATE BEING STUPID!!!! THis has been going on for about 2 days, ever since Dec 24! I thought maybe Haloscan was off for the holiday, but I guess it is me again. I wrote to a friend who fixed me when I could not get to amazon.com, but I cant remember what he did with hoster. But they live in the Portland area, and I just heard they are all without power because of a big windstorm. SO.....l

Let us try this blogger commenting system and see what happens.

HELP!!

Ok You wizzards out there.

I can not see my comments, I can not see comments on any blogs that use haloscan either. My Sis says that she has hers but they dont show up for me, neither do Davids or Wandas.

Sally said she can see mine and I have 18 comments. How does this happen. I looked at my source code and all looks as good as it should to me. (that does not mean it is right!)

Anybody else having problems...email me

dreamer(at)galaxynet(dot)com

and let me know.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I am wishing that all of you will have a happy and safe Christmas. I have a few things left to do here, mainly cleaning, and then Bob will come over, and watch TV and at 9:00 I will go over to Phyllis' for family time. TOmorrow I am cooking a 15 pound Rib Roast! I make the BEST Prime Rib Roast...Phyllis bought it this year, and she bought a big one. I asked her why so big, and she actually growled at me. BECAUSE I WANT SOME LEFT OVERS!! oh.

Neither of my kids will be here for Christmas. DOnna has decided that it is too phony, so she is not celebrating Christmas this year. No tree, no presents, no cooking, no family, nothing. Tim is stuck on Orcas Island, and won't be here either. He only lives 45 miles away, but to get there you have to take a very crowded ferry full of tourists getting away from it all. ANd during the holidays it is nearly impossible for him to get off island and then be assured of a spot on a return trip! SO he stays there, and might call.

This is the very first year that I have not bought 1 christmas present. I made all of my simple little gifts with things left over in my craft boxes. THey are cute, and 100 years ago would have been perfect for Christmas, Now a days, they are hokey. But it is the thought that counts.

I will write more about Christmas later, right now, I have a fruitcake kitchen to clean up. and 2 rooms to vaccuum. and a catbox to change, and a bunny to feed. Gotta get busy....

Stay Safe and be happy...remember it is not the # of gifts, it is the quality of the love that is important.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

Somehow all the Haloscan comments are down. So I can't see that you all were here! >:(

Christmas meme...

A Meme for Christmas


1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
EGG NOG!! With a bit of Hooch in it.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wrapped of course!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Colored, but big on the house and tiny on the tree.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?.
I used to. It never worked.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Right after THanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Prime Rib or Ham

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
The Christmas we transferred from Guam to San DIego, and we thought we would have to spend Christmas on the transport (that is a ship for you young ones)

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
What truth?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yep.

10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him?
Sugar cookies, or candy cane cookies..

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it!! But we hardly ever get it.

12. Can you ice skate?
no ice!!
.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
I think it was the Christmas I got Patsy and Rebecca my dolls..

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Family and the feeling of peace.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
pecan pie.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Going out for that drive to see the lights on Christmas Eve.

17. What tops your tree?
An angel.

18. Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving?
Giving. Only this year I am broke...:(

19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol?
Silent Night

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
Yum!

Now it's YOUR turn!

A winter's Solstice...

tonight is the longest night of the year. It did not get light until after 800 and it was getting dark at 400 PM I LOVE this time of year. Especially driving through the empty fields, and seeing the flocks of winter birds flying low looking for any little bit of grain or bug that they can.

the doves were all lined up on Lea's side of the yard, this morning, all puffy and waiting for the feeder to empty out of the squirrels so they could get in and eat their fill. Once I let Sadie out, the squirrels were gone and so were the doves. But Sadie did not stay out as it was raining and windy, so she wanted back in with Mommie.

I had 3 types of woodpeckers at the suet blocks this morning, Harry the Hairy woodpecker, Mort and Morticia the downy woodpeckers and the Western Flicker. The chickadees and the Juncos were all flocking, and out front the Ravens were after the rotting turkey meat that I found in the back of the fridge.

My tooth was still a little sore, so I only had cornbread and milk. I finally got the fruitcakes made, and I ended up taking a combination of three different ones, and hope they turn out. I used Mrs. Maus's fruitcake recipe, and Mary's Southern Recipe, and a little of Cal's. The basic one was From Esther, and her daughter in laws mothers recipe. It is turning out pretty good, but I had to guess at the time and temperature, as Esther forgot that part!! ;) It smells really good right now, so I turned off the oven and will just let it slowly cool down, then I will make a mixture of rum and Peach Jam and glaze them with that. Oughta be really good.
I do not like the green stuff in fruit cake, so I only put in things I like. It's my house I can do that!

As I was stirring the very stiff batter, I of course HAD to taste it. And I forgot and bit down on a nut! SO my not so much hurting tooth is now giving me a fit, so as soon as the cakes come out of the oven, I will take another pain pill and head for the bed room. It had not hurt very much at all today, but I goofed and should not have chewed on that side quite yet.

I am recording the Mormon Tabernacle choir Christmas concert, followed by St Olaf's College Choir. They are both exceptional groups, and the St Olaf's Choir is world reknown in it's own right. It is a given that the Mormon Tabernacle would be, but they are paid performers, and the college Choir is not. I so wish I had continued on with my music training.

marts apprentice is coming on so time to go watch that. Enjoy the Long night ya'll.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....

I had a root canal done on the offending tooth today, and am loaded with pain killers, so I opt not to take out the trash, and instead, get my body to bed and sleep it off...

If you want to know all about it go here (I TOOK IT DOWN, IT WAS MAKING MY BLOG GO WONKY!!!)

Well Ill bet I screwed that up....( i did!)

short post today...I was up most of last night with a hell of a toothache. Started out in my bottom jaw, then went to my whole side of my right face. (as if I had a LEFT or WRONG face LOLOL) then it localized right under my latest crown. THROB, THROB, THROB! PAIN HURT OWWWIE!!! I called the dentist and left a message on his machine, so this Morning at 8AM Krista called and said get in here. So off I trundle to the Dentist in Oak Harbor, to wait while she squeezed me in. I seem to have an infection under my crown now, and the tooth has died, so tomorrow I go back again for a root-canal. Merry Christmas Mary Lou!! Shit! I was hoping to be able to wait until after income tax returns came in. Ah well. On the way home I stopped at the drug store for anti=biotics and tylenol 3, and then headed home. Christmas music was playing on 106.9FM so I of course was singing along. Then Handel's MESSIAH came on, so I started to whistle. Did YOU know that it is impossible to whistle with one side of your face numb? It is! Trust me on this! Well the novacaine is starting to wear off, so I better go take a pill. I hate to, but I will.

Oh WAIT!! I have a pint of Meyers dark rum and a pint of Christian Bros Brandy sitting on the counter waiting for fruitcake, don't you think a toothache deserves it MORE? LOLOLOL SEE ya!! Whoot!!!

My own Village...

my town...

This is a picture of my own little town, that is handpainted by myself. It is not l because I want to wait until the other 16 pieces are done so I can light them all at once. THe Tree, my mother made, I LOVE it. And she made the tree skirt too. (Look familiar anyone ;) )

I got up yesterday and after blogwalking some I decided that I had to get cracking on making the rest of my cards. So now all are sent except for in town ones. I know that some in Europe have received them already. Be on the lookout for them. (everybody but DAVID, because he wont tell his address.) As I was sitting at the table looking out on the wintery white frosty world, I thought I needed Christmas Music, so I got out my John Denver Christmas albums, and the CHristmas cd's that my daughter made for me one year, and of course Harry Connick Jr. and Neil Diamond, and I sung my little heart out. John Dever has a range that makey perfect for me to sing to. I have a very low voice, and can not sing many ALto parts. TOo high. But John does it just right. And Karen Carpenter too, even though I have none of her albums. So I sang, drank good coffee, and made Christmas cards.

The cats just look at me like I am some weird being, but Sadie knows! She pointed her little muzzle straight up and puckered her little mouth and sang right along with me. I just love that....It is so funny!!!! SO after 4 hours of sing-a-long I finished my cards, except for a few special ones, and will get them in the mail TOmorrow.

I put a roast on to cook, and sat in my chair to watch TV Christmas Movies. I eat them all up. Every single one. I just LOVE Christmas. THe smells, the cinnamon, the nutmeg, the spices, the baking cookies, the fire, the lights, I lOVE the lights, the feeling in the air, from EVERYONE. The one thing I really hate is being so damned BROKE! no money for store bought gifts, so I am making a little something for each of the family, and NO STOCKINGS this year either. Ah well, there is always next year.

THe sun came over the top about 815 this morning, and it was gorgeous!! the light hitting the few clods off to the east and turning them pink. THen just as quickly it was gone. We have had the driest December! Cold and foggy, but no rain, no snow, to speak of. Just COLD it was 18 this morning about 430. Rain should be coming in tomorrow and turn it all to mush! When the Pineapple Express comes in from Hawaii, it is laden with warm wet air, which hits the Olympic Mtns and dumps it all right here on Puget Sound. We save some for Blogeois around the Portland area, and we send the rest on East to Leslie, and Kat, and Ellen. ANd Lost and Joan, and sometimes we send it to the midwest. So expect a White Christmas you all, All we get is wet ones.

Bob brought Rum and Brandy over last night, so Today I get to make FRUITCAKE!!! I am trying several recipes, and will let you know which one I like best.

On to Christmas Movies again today...ya'll have fun!!

WAVING AT CAITLIN!!!!!!!!!! Hey, Ya want me to knit you a cute little cap to keep your head warm? Let me know, I will.

A Cup of Tea...

A Cup of Tea...

There is something settling about sitting down to a good cup of tea just as it starts to get dark. I personally LOVE Earl Grey tea, but that is loaded with caffeine and keeps me awake all night.

It has been so cold here this past week, that I have been unable to get warm. I pile on the sweaters and socks and fuzzy slippers, but nothing gets me warm. I have even resorted to turning on the heat because I was out of wood in the wood box and did not want to go outside for fear I would slip on the ice and freeze to death.

Last night, actually yesterday afternoon, Bob was over for a bit, so I had him load up the wood box for me. I have a system. Since I can not bend over without excruciating pain in my back, I have Bob do that part. I open the dining room window which is 2 feet from the woodpile, and take the dcreen out of the window, then I hand the wood into Bob, who carries it across the LR to the wood box. Then I don't have to bend over, and the wood box is full, and Bob didn't have to go outside and stumble through the ice crusted leaves all over the grass.

After he left, I built a fire, and Sadie let me know that this was a good thing. as soon as I sat down in front of the woodstove, SHe was there, as were the 4 cats. I believe Bea would have been also, If I had let her out of her cage. I kept that puppy goping most of the evening with only 5 pieces of wood. It heated up the whole house, and I was finally warm.

I fixed a cup of herbal tea, and sat in my chair with all the lights out except for the xmas lites and listened to classic KING FM, and drank in the warmth of the tea, and the fire, and the Christmas lights. AHHHHHHH I was finally warm, Clear through. THe only thing that would have made it better would have been a really good friend to come over and drink it with me.

( I see you Caitlin!!! ;) ) Everybody Wave at her.....

Adak National Forest At Christmas...

adak

Imagine an entire forest lighted with the dazzle and joy of a family Christmas tree. Stringing miles of colored lights from top to bottom and hither and yon--what a chore that would be! Accomplishing such a feat would take all of Santa's elves working at warp speed--or an incredibly small forest.

Luckily for the Kiwanis Club elves of Adak Island, the Adak "National Forest" is small--33 trees all told. It's so small the entrance sign reads, "You are now entering and leaving Adak National Forest." This tiny cluster of Sitka spruce surely comprise America's smallest forest. A leisurely walker can circumnavigate the entire forest in less than a minute.

Like a deserted island surrounded by water, the Adak forest disrupts the monotony of the open tundra. It nestles on an east-facing slope just inland from the frothy Bering Sea. On a clear day, you can view the forest with Mount Moffett as a backdrop. Moffett and the miniature forest are a couple of the prominent landmarks of Adak.

Adak is located about 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, in the stepping-stone chain of islands known as the Aleutians. Due to its extreme western location, Adak played a strategic role in the outcome of World War II. Its proximity to Kiska and Attu (which the Japanese occupied early in the war) provided U.S. forces with an outpost from which to attack the Japanese. The military stronghold on Adak also protected North Pacific sea lanes, Alaska territory, and the Pacific Northwest.

The historical journals are sketchy, but most likely the Adak Forest trees were planted as a morale booster sometime in 1944. Perhaps thousands of spruce were planted throughout the Aleutians in the 1940s, but today the Adak Forest is the only significant result. After 49 years, the trees are seven to 15 feet tall and six to seven inches in diameter. By contrast, in Southeast Alaska, near the heart of this tree's natural range, an average 50-year-old Sitka spruce will be 80 to 90 feet in height and 15 to 20 inches in diameter.

Although the Aleutian Islands are not conductive to growing large trees, the small size of the Adak Forest enables Adakians to put a special spin on their Christmas tradition. Bob Akens, a 13-year island resident and member of the Kiwanis Club, said, "We light up the whole forest as a community service. Everyone here is a way from their real home at Christmas so this brings a little bit of hometown spirit to Adak.

by Lon Lauber

I spent 18 months on The Island, and it is what the author of the above report says...Bitterly Beautiful. As Store Manager, I got to know Lon, because he was the best photographer of Adak scenery on the Island. He had a small Cottage business that he ran out of his home.

The Adak National Forest is very unique, it is small, and during the Holidays, it is beautiful! Especially after a good snow fall. My Father was stationed there right after the war, in fact he was stationed there when he got the cable telling him that I had been born. No wonder I had a pull to go there. It was terribly lonely, and I am not a loner, but I would not change my tour there for anything.

Nasty News...

Back when I was doing A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The FOrum, Caitlin Lewis auditioned for her very first role. SHe was 14 at the time. She was cast as Philia, the vestial virgin, and she was WONDERFUL. Such a chatty upbeat older than her years teenager.

Today I got an email from her Mother, telling us all that Caitlin has Cancer.

November, Caitlin was going out for basketball and came down hard from a layup shot. After thinking she had pulled muscle again, xrays showed a cracked fibula (small bone in lower leg) but also showed a malignant bone tumor. After several tests and scans, she has been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, malignant tumor - it basically has destroyed her fibula and expanded out into her muscle. If she hadn't cracked that bone and gotten the xray, we never would have known till it would have been too late to treat, so things seem to happen in a way that is necessary, I guess.

She has started her Chemo, and has had her first treatment. She is expected to do quite well, but I am just flumoxed by this news. Her Mom was very upbeat about her prognosis, and I just KNOW that Caitlin will not let this get her down.

Caitlin comments on my blog, but has not done so in awhile, but I am sure she will again. SO everybody...all together now 1-2-3 GET WELL CAITLIN!!! HURRY UP AND GET BACK TO FULL HEALTH!!! WE MISS YOU!!!!!

She can be reached at caitlena(at)msn(dot)com I am sure she would love to hear from people. ELLEN? CJ? Steve?

monday ...and still black text..

village

This is the grouping of pieces that I call my village. No two of them are from the same collection. I will post the ones I made tomorrow.

3 pieces of this one are Dept. 56 pieces. I would love to have more of them, but Alas, I no longer have expendable income.

I am still trying to get my text to come out red. but it just wont. I may just leave it alone and wait until January when I switch to Winter....

I spent today putzing around, almost done with my Christmas Cards for the continental US. the out of country ones are on their way as of last week. the In State ones will get done tomorrow.

My friend Rusty came over for coffee after she got out of school, and it was enjoyable. No one ever comes over here,EVER. It was really nice, and the house was reasonably clean too. Nothing like Leslie's though. THere is yucky stuff still spilled in my fridge from this summer.

We have had the coldest foggiest weather here, and the past few days the sun was out, but today it was foggy and cold again, and the weatherman says POSSIBLE snow this weekend. BRRRRRRRRRRR It hailed just as Rusty left, and then POURED for about 10 minutes, and now the moon is out cold and foggy. there is a rainbow around the moon. SOmething tells me there is ice up there...

WHEW!

Well, I bribed my SIL to come finish decorating my house. So I can relax as far as that goes. I even have my village on display. I was collecting just a piece here and a piece there of village, and then I realized that there were so MANY of them. I had 1 piece of Lenox, 1 piece of Colonial village, and 1 generic. Then I discovered Dept.56! So I thought that was what I was going to continue with until I discovered that I had 1 piece of Santa's Village, 1 piece of Christmas in the City and 1 piece of Dickens village. And there are many more collections. I like them all!

When I lived in Fallon, NV I was only 50 miles or so from Virginia city, which is very historical, and very touristy. I would spend quite a bit of time up there, rummaging through the museums and the shops. There was a complete Dept 56 shop there, so I would go up as soon as they opened in the spring and decide which 1 piece I would buy that year. I loved that shop. If I had to settle on just one collection it would probably be the Dickens Christmas Village, although Christmas in The City comes really close.

I have not bought a piece in several years as I have not had the extra money to do so, and the prices just are not coming down. I think my collection is as done as it is gonna be. I have about 10 pieces that I am finishing myself. They are ceramic, and unpainted, and uncleaned, so they were really cheap. I have 4 pieces of that collection done, but they take forever, as the painting is so tedious. I want to get them as close to historically correct as I can, so I research the paint jobs on each piece I do. I may just get out the dremel tool and the paints and get with it this spring. Yeah, I need something to keep me busy....(snort)

Kids part II

We made it all the way into Michigan and were there for a week, visiting and planning our next step. We knew that we would not be back this way for several years, and Jim’s Grandmother was very frail, so it was a bittersweet reunion. The kids were fine, and getting anxious for Santa to arrive.

Christmas morning dawned cold and windy, but full of good things from Santa. It seems he thought that the poor little kids would not be getting much so he brought them more than they needed. Now all of this along with what Santa had packed from Virginia, made for a very full car.

We left for the longest leg of our trip on to Washington to see my family for the first time in 5 years, on Dec 26, and made it in to Oak Harbor, on Dec 31, just in time for the New Years Eve Party at the American Legion. (Remember folks, my family used to be hardy partiers. And not even Grandkids would sway them from their libations. ) Phyllis was waitressing there and Mom and Dad had made reservations for us too. For the life of me I can’t remember what we did with the kids…hmmmmm…Donna?

I sashayed up to the bar and laid a big lip lock on my new brother in law that had no clue who I was. It must have scarred him for life, because we never got more than three words out of him at any one time. EVER! We saw the new years in, and then headed home to crash, as it was a long drive from Michigan in snow and Mountain passes.

OH YEAH!!! And we blew the engine out of the car I was driving On Look Out Pass in Montana, and paid some one to drive it over to us when it was fixed. Forgot about that too. Some things you don’t want to remember. All of the kids Santa toys had to remain in the car, so they were bummed there was nothing to play with.

Never fear, Santa must have forgotten he left all of the toys at Michigan, because he left that many in Washington Too. Now to figure out how to get it all into both cars and on down to California. Donna ended up with Two Barbie houses, exactly alike, several Barbie dolls, and clothes. Tim ended up with every hot wheels car or matchbox car you could think of and they filled two huge carry cases! Not to mention a racetrack that has to be assembled at every stop.

We made it in to Alameda and found a house in Hayward, Calif. While we were waiting for the movers to arrive Jim of course had to report in to Lemoore, Ca for training, leaving me to move once again by myself. It NEVER failed. EVER!

I just made a big pot of Chicken Noodle Soup, so time to stop, eat and address In Country Christmas Cards. I will send them to everyone whose address I have. And that leaves David Out. He is afraid his wife will find it and then blow his cover on blogging right DAVID? Wink wink ;) ;)

Traveling at Christmas...

Traveling with kids at any time of the year is difficult. Traveling with kids at Christmas Time is HORREDOUS! In my lifetime, there have been 5 times when we not only traveled with kids at Christmas, but we TRANSFERRED duty stations at Christmas time. That is a major undertaking, especially with little kids. AS we grew older it was not as tough because the SANTA was not expected as much as when we were little.

We were living in Virginia Beach, when Jim got his orders back to Sea Duty. We had been on back-to-back tours at NAS Oceana for 5 years, but we were expecting another tour from The East Coast after the first of the year. I was not expecting to transfer ACROSS Country, especially before Christmas. Jim brought his orders home a week before Thanksgiving, and we were packed and ready to leave by Dec 15.

We knew we would be driving to Jim’s Parents house in Michigan, where we would stay until after Christmas, so we had to plan on Santa gifts too. This would be Tim’s first really aware of things Christmas, and we knew that he would be fully into the whole deal. Donna was still in first grade, so she would be fully expectant of Santa also. We had two cars, so Jim drove the VW Squareback full of the SANTA and the Luggage, and I drove the VW bus, with the kids and the other items we would need until our Household effects would arrive in Alameda, Ca.

We pulled out of Virginia Beach loaded and ready for a long dark drive to Charleston, W.Va. where we would be spending the weekend with Jim’s Aunt and Uncle before the LONG drive into Michigan. It was a long drive into Charleston even on I –64, because it was very hilly and twisty, and icy, and I was not real comfortable driving in those conditions. As I was white knuckling it into the really hilly part of W. Va., with both kids sound asleep on their own seats in the back, I was looking at all of the Christmas Lights all lit up in the night. Suddenly out of the back , right into my left ear was a tiny little voice, saying…”oh the pretty Tristmas lights!…” scared the bejesus outa me. Tim had been standing up quite awhile, looking out the window at Christmas going by in the night.

Once I calmed down, I asked him how long he had been awake, and he told me he was watching the Santa stuff. That was back in the last town we passed about an hour back. I had never known him to be so quiet. He was usually all jabber. This one night he was quiet, as if he knew that Mom was tense, and he wanted to add to the peace of the moment. He has always loved the Christmas Lights. ALWAYS!

Wednesday...

I had the opportunity to apply for a part time job with the Whidbey Playhouse, which I would have LOVED. I was told that it would be a NEW position, including the janitorial duties, I hardly ever scrub my own toilet, so I did not relish the thought of cleaning 7 toilets every day. I vaccuumed my bedroom last night and threw my back out, it is sooooo painful. So since just vaccuuming one room put me out of commission, I opted to NOT apply for the position.

Now I am being told it was NOT the janitorial position, but mostly office work. Looks like shot myself in the foot! I really NEEDED that job, if in fact it was an office job. I NEED a part time 2 or 3 days a week, and I work weekends too. Well I hope SOMETHING shows up soon!! EEK!

I am going to go get my tree today, a small one because I cant afford a big one. If there were still any in the woods to find, I would do that, but alas, they are all gone. Such is the price of civilization!

got my suet feeders full again and the house is almost stink free again. GADS but rendering that uet down to it's liquid form is AWFUL!!! THis was home grown suet too, and home butchered, so it was not the pure suet that you get at the butcher shop, so It stinks even more than usual.

BIRD SUET:

Fill your containers with a mixture of:
squirrel food
bird seed
sunflower seeds
peanuts (shelled)
raisins
dryed corn

Melt your suet over very low heat until clear. (if it isnt clear, strain it) then let it cool to the hard stage again, right in the pan, This makes it harder)

Once the suet has been melted twice and is now debris free, add 1/2 cup of creamy peanut putter. MAke sure it is all melted in.

Ladle the suet mixture over the birdseed in the containers, set outside to get solid, then wrap in saran wrap and freeze.

I use the square containers from the bought suet blocks, I save them and wash them every time.

I also have used muffin tins, and pinecones. If you do use pinecones, dip them into the hot suet and them bury them in the bird seed. let harder in the freezer them hang them in the trees. THe Chickadees go crazy for them.

THe recipe up there is the one I use, but there are many more, some call for oatmeal, cornmeal, cayene pepper, garlic...etc. ???????

I hang 6 feeders, and they usually last a month or so, unless Lola gets really greedy!!

Sleep....

house

I got to sleep about 300 AM this morning, and woke up at 730 listening to something hit the plywood covering that is laying over the crawl space hole. THUMP!! Then a pause, then a whack, thud, then a THUMP!!! A pause, and a whack, thud. Sadie was still asleep, and the cats were on my bed, so I was not sure what I was hearing. I peeked out the window and could see nothing, then 3 cats flew off the bed and ran down the hall. I was right after them, wondering what the hell was happening. THUMP! Whack, thud just as we all got into the office, Loki was immediately in the window followed by chitters. I waited, as I saw the suet feeder swinging wildly in it's chain.

Suddenly, THUMP!! And Lola was hanging on the window screen right in front of us. Drove the cats NUTS! She seemed to know that the window would protect here from the cats that were 2 inches from her face. She then leaped over to the suet feeder and hung there swinging and eating until she worked a sunflower seed out of the suet, then whack Thud as she leaped down to the plywood and the feeder whacked the window.

I was so excited!! She was so close. The suet feeders are all empty, so I got my tush busy rendering suet and making blocks to fill the feeders again. Now I have them all in the freezer getting really hard, and tomorrow I will refill all the baskets. It is after all Christmas, and the critters have to eat too.


Lola

I finished getting all of my Christmas cards made, and the out of country ones addressed. I thought I was being smart and making them smaller so they would fit in a smaller envelope, but there are none to be had right now. Evidently everyone else had the same thought. So you are all getting your cards in a big envelope!! Ah well. At least that is done. Tomorrow I will head to the post Office and get the no lick 'em Christmas stamps and get them all in the mail. Then tomorrow night the USA ones will be addressed and mailed on Wednesday. Whew.

I still need to get my tree, and get busy decorating!

I fell asleep under my spiffy new electric blanket, (OOPS, now called a WARMING blanket.) this afternoon. I was cold, and sleepy so I laid down to nap until Dr. Phil came on, which was an hour later, and slept until 600!! It felt so good to be warm clear through. I have not been able to get warm. My feet are freezing all the time, and I am dressed in sweaters and socks and curled under the afghan, and still not warm. This afternoon I did, and so did 1 dog, and four cats. I am going to have to remember to turn on both sides of the blanket though, because they were all on my side.

Maybe I will luck out and sleep all night tonight....Or at least until the critters hit the house again tomorrow...

Somebody! Please....

Will somebody PLEASE come put my tree up for me and decorate my house for me? I HATE to do that, especially by myself. My Dad always put the lights on the tree, and when I moved on my own, either a boyfriend, or later my husband would do it. Then Tim loved to put the lights on the tree, and string the extra lights all around the living room, and the bathroom mirrors. He really got into decorating. I HATE IT! I LOVE all the decorations, and nothing is more relaxing than sitting in my chair, in front of the wood stove, listening to Classic KING FM playing Christmas Choral music, and watching the tree lights. (All the other lights have to be out of course.) preferably with a cup of coffee and a glass of Baileys, or a glass of drambuie on the rocks, or a khalua and cream. Yummy.

It is just the dragging out the boxes, setting up the tree so it wont fall over in the stand, watering it so it won't die, then wrapping it with lights, and then putting all the decorations on it. Then putting all the boxes BACK into the garage, and sweeping up all the needles, and then trying to keep the cats out of it for a day or two until they get used to it. THAT is what I hate!

Call me a grinch I guess. I used to love everything about Christmas, but doing it all alone just doesn't seem worth it. No one EVER comes over to visit, EVER, and both kids are gone, and wont be home for the Holidays. They have their own lives to lead now.

When I was a little girl, I envied those friends of mine that had extended family close to them. They would go to their grandparents house for dinner, and see all their cousins etc. We lived FAR away from family, and just made do with the four then five of us. I always said that when I grew up I wanted a big family so they could all come over for Holidays. SO I married a grouch who did not like company, and then later, everybody moved away.

SO if anyone is up this way, give me a call. I will let you decorate my house for me. I will even fix you fudge and hot cocoa! Sounds like a deal, right?

Hello? Anybody there?...Hey...

Busy day...

ARRRGGHHHHH I just lost my post!! When Will I LEARN? this time it was an IE problem, and needed to be shut down. SO poof, there it went.

As I was saying...

We went into Burlington to get some things from Michael's and Costco. GOt what we needed and then Phyllis and I went to Applebees for dinner. Had a steak and garlic mashed potatoes, and for dessert I had bread pudding. It was unlike any I had ever had before. I LOVE Bread Pudding, and this was DELICIOUS!! It was crispy on the outside and really cremey on the inside, almost like french toast. But it was in cubes, and I think deep fried. Served with a carmel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Absolutely NO calories either. I was sated!!

Came home minus the envelopes and red brads that I went in for. Now I will really be late with my cards. I am making them all myself, and needed the envelopes to get them in the mail. SO Tomorrow I will head to office max and see what I can find. I may have to make the envelopes myself too.

I am tired, and need to get a good nights sleep tonight so I am going to go take a hot bath and crawl into my nice clean bed and under my brand new electric blanket and cozy down. see you tomorrow.

Christmas and Cats...

xmas cat


1. Clear large space on table for wrapping present.
2. Go to closet and collect bag in which present is contained, and shut door.
3. Open door and remove cat from closet.
4. Go to cupboard and retrieve rolls of wrapping paper.
5. Go back and remove cat from cupboard.
6. Go to drawer, and collect transparent sticky tape, ribbons, scissors, labels, etc. . .
7. Lay out presents and wrapping materials on table, to enable wrapping strategy to be formed.
8. Go back to drawer to get string, remove cat that has been in the drawer since last visit and collect string.
9. Remove present from bag.
10. Remove cat from bag.
11. Open box to check present, remove cat from box, replace present.
12. Lay out paper to enable cutting to size.
13. Try and smooth out paper, realize cat is underneath and remove cat.
14. Cut the paper to size, keeping the cutting line straight.
15. Throw away first sheet as cat chased the scissors, and tore the paper.
16. Cut second sheet of paper to size - by putting cat in the bag the present came in.
17. Place present on paper.
18. Lift up edges of paper to seal in present. Wonder why edges don't reach. Realize cat is between present and paper. Remove cat.
19. Place object on paper, to hold in place while tearing transparent sticky tape.
20. Spend 20 minutes carefully trying to remove transparent sticky tape from cat with pair of nail scissors.
21. Seal paper with sticky tape, making corners as neat as possible.
22. Look for roll of ribbon. Chase cat down hall in order to retrieve ribbon.
23. Try to wrap present with ribbon in a two-directional turn.
24. Re-roll ribbon and remove paper, which is now torn due to cat's enthusiastic ribbon chase.
25. Repeat steps 13-20 until you reach last sheet of paper.
26. Decide to skip steps 13-17 in order to save time and reduce risk of losing last sheet of paper. Retrieve old cardboard box that is the right size for sheet of paper.
27. Put present in box, and tie down with string.
28. Remove string, open box and remove cat.
29. Put all packing materials in bag with present and head for locked room.
30. Once inside lockable room, lock door and start to relay out paper and materials.
31. Remove cat from box, unlock door, put cat outside door, close and relock.
32. Repeat previous step as often as is necessary (until you can hear cat from outside door)
33. Lay out last sheet of paper. (This will be difficult in the small area of the toilet, but do your best)
34. Discover cat has already torn paper. Unlock door go out and hunt through various cupboards, looking for sheet of last year's paper. Remember that you haven't got any left because cat helped with this last year as well.
35. Return to lockable room, lock door, and sit on toilet and try to make torn sheet of
paper look presentable.
36.Seal box, wrap with paper and repair by very carefully sealing with sticky tape. Tie up with ribbon and decorate with bows to hide worst areas.
37.Label. Sit back and admire your handiwork, congratulate yourself on completing a difficult job.
38.Unlock door, and go to kitchen to make drink and feed cat.
39.Spend 15 minutes looking for cat until coming to obvious conclusion.
40.Unwrap present, untie box and remove cat.
41.Go to store and buy a gift bag

In Transition...

I am going to be changing things on my blog today, so you may see some weird things going on. Bare with me please...while I figure out which color goes where. DAMN I wish I had a template that says "put the background color here...put the border colors here...put the sidebar color here...put the font color here...etc, etc, etc, You'd think that these template makers would know that the majority of the people that use their templates are not geeks, so they would make their own! I know when I was taking Basic way back in the darkages...you could put words into the program that would do nothing, but would tell anyone reading the codes what was going on. Sounds really easy doesn't it? Ah well. I will be fixed by this evening....I promise.