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.

• Tell Me A Memory
• Love Of Carol
• A Father's Face, A brother's Love
• Sorrow's Door
• DEWDROPS
• You Take My Breath Away
• By Candlelight
• Like Musketeers of Old by kenny merrell I saw a t...
• At My Death
• Golden Memories

• July 2004
• August 2004
• September 2004
• October 2004
• December 2004
• January 2005
• February 2005
• March 2005
• April 2005
• May 2005
• June 2005
• July 2005
• October 2005
• November 2005
• December 2005
• January 2006
• March 2006
• April 2006
• May 2006
• June 2006
• August 2006
• September 2006
• October 2006
• November 2006
• July 2007
• August 2007
• September 2007
• November 2007
• April 2008
• June 2008

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

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.

What Nut Are You?

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.

HELP PLEASE.....

Ok.

When Omnipotent Benevolent Empress of the 5th(?) Universe installed Firefox to help my aging computer NOT crash, It updated (transferred) all of my bookmarks from IE 7 to Firefox. BUT they updated all the OLD bookmarks, and I cant find the rest of them. SO I no longer have links to your blogs!!

I am not being snooty or whatever, I just cant find you all. so if those of you that LOVE me, and I know you ALL do... ;)
will please put your blog URLs in the comments or send me an email at marylouchandler46(at)gmail(dot)com I will do my darndest to get you added back into my sidebar, and updated into my bookmarks. MAN I forgot how many people have QUIT blogging until I tried to go back and find them again.

And KB...did you QUIT AGAIN? Last I heard you were going in for your surgery, and I cant find you.....

SOme of you I can find, but go ahead and update me anyway, as your email addresses are gone too.

SIGH

Life just gets in the way sometimes...

No, Donna, I didnt. But isn't she adorable? I really am feeling like I need a girl kitten a fuzzy cute girl kitten, but not quite yet.

I posted about OBE being sick and wanting to be left alone. Well she finally went to the Dr, on Saturday and she has some sort of bio-bug. They put her on Anti-biotics and sent her home to rest for a few days. She had been resting for 4 days and then forced herself to go into work on Friday, but only made it half a day. Her throat hurts, she is coughing and wheezing. She has not been exposed to the whooping cough that is in epidemic proportions on the island. So she stayed home again on Monday, but I have not heard from her since.

MEANWHILE back at the ranch...I wake up on Monday morning and my head was spinning!!! I bounced off the walls into the toilet, and back, falling into to bed with the world revolving. THat made me sick to me tummy which made me get the dry heaves, which woke up my colon, and it decided to be heard from in a big way. SO I bounce back into the toilet, carrying my trash bucket, because I did not know which end was going to erupt first, and wanted to be sitting down on the porcelin throne when it did. THe smell made me even SICKER, and there I sat, both ends trying to expel bio-mass, but only one end succeeding. I flushed, and bounced back to the bed, only to do it over and over again.

I decided that the best course of action was to just hunker down and go with THE FLOW, until I felt better. I slept most of the time I was not spinning off the walls, and then Monday night, I chose NOT to take my Ambien, as I was having no trouble sleeping, and did not want to be totally asleep if things started to erupt again. WRONG MOVE! i was awake all night.

Meanwhile, in the house are now 1 dog and 6 cats, all wanting to be fed and taken care of. And SO DID I!! Bob could not be found. Phyllis was training on the road, Mike and SHerry were on their way to Portland, My SOn is working 100 miles away, and DOnna is sick too, so I had to tough it out on my own.

I am fighting with the animals for the warm side of the blanket and they were winning. I finally jusmped out of bed yelling at the top of my head, and DOtties cats took off for places only they could find, and three of my cats headed under the bed, Sadie woke up and looked at me as if to say, WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!! and Loki just laid there. But I had won back the major portion of my bed. I did manage to get up and shove Sadie out the door so she would not pee in the house.

Tuesday morning at 600 Mike and sherry brought ROCKY their aging boxer/pitbull/spoiled baby over, complete with his bed, food and toys, and that stirred up the household big time. All 6 cats took off for places unknown, and Sadie became a real aggresive BITCH!!! She did not want Rocky in HER house. So I threw them both outside and let them fight it out. As far as I know, no blood was drawn, but fur was flying and teeth were barred and growling was heard BIGTIME! They are all fine now except when Rocky tries to eat out of Sadie's dish...

Dottie has her cats back and ROcky goes home tomorrow. Schroeder is still hiding under or I should say IN my box springs of my bed. He gets up in there and sits right under my pillow and growls really low to let Rocky know he is not at all welcome in his Mommie's Bed room.

I toughed it out and went swimming last night, and took it real easy...Do you KNOW how hard it is to swim or water jog while your butt cheeks are clinched tight? aint easy folks....But I did not want the pool shutting down for a bio-contamination on my part...EEEEWWWWWW!!!!

Omnipotentbenevolentempress...

Well, The Omnipotent Benevolent Empress of the fifth(?)Universe is sick in bed. I called her last night because I had not heard from her in a few days...a rarity indeed...and All I heard was a SQWAK!! Squeek... HONK!!! oops says I. Did I wake you up? HONK, sqweek, cough...yes... Oh I am so sorry, are you sick? SQWAK!! Sqweek, growl.... OH You ARE arent you? Sqweek...HONK...grumble..... Ok, I will let you go back to sleep. RATTLE...
Are you drinking lots of fluids, chicken soup? Tea? WHEEZE...sqweek...grumble...yes...bye. DIAL TONE.........

When I am sick I want lots of attention. DOnt know why, just do. When my sister is sick she hibernates and doesnt say a word until we come searching. OBE is the same way. She goes to bed, pulls the covers over her head and retreats to where ever it is that quasi-genius' go when they are ill. SHe has always done that. Dont know why, she just does. She is so much like Phyllis, that when she was a baby, Phyllis refused to carry her little baby neice downtown because people invariable thought she belonged to Phyllis. They really are nothing alike today except when they are sick.

I called just a few minutes ago and got pretty much the same conversation, so I wished her well, and hung up. When she feels better, she will call and tell her mommie all about it, until then I guess I am going to have to be content with SQWEEK...HONK...SQWAK!!

Such is the life of a mother.

Playing on a nice day

This week we have beemn blessed with absolutely GORGEOUS weather. Sunny and warm, with just a bit of cool breeze blowing in during the day to keep the heat down. A PERFECT day for sitting on the beach.

As you can tell, there is not much to our beaches. LOTS of rocks and driftwood. It is illegal to take either off the beach, because then the shore would be compromised and flooding and beach erosion would be accelerated. Dont know that I truly think that taking a few pieces of driftwood off the beach to use as Lawn ornaments (OK, We work with what we can get.) is really going to hurt, but I did not take any.

This is the same spot only I turned around and looked to the WESt this time. See what I mean? LOTS of driftwood. LOTS of rocks. Phyllis was filling her buckets with rocks to put in her flower beds and was told by the Park Ranger that she could get a ticket. OOPS!! We quit taking rocks, But there is no sand, so I wonder about the reasoning behind taking rocks also. Seems like every WInter there is more and more Driftwood to clamber over to get to the actual shore. I almost fell several times as I have no sense of balance anymore. WHen I was a kid, I played on these beaches by the hours, running up and down the driftwood, trying NOT to step on the rocks, only walking on the wood. Yesterday, I tried that and damned near lost it, so old age wins again.

On the way back I went through Fort Casey State Park, and saw this little fawn alongside the road. He was munching away right on the roadside, no mother in sight, and absolutely no fear of my big green machine, nor of Sadie barking her fool head off. He knew he was safe. Amazing how they know these things. But like I said a few posts ago, COme September they will be hiding. There is a plan to ban hunting on the Island, which is a good thing, as the developements are getting closer and closer to the forests, and a stray shot could injure someone. The woods behind me are full of wildlife, and also full of poachers. You can hear them taking pot-shots after Mid-night. ASS-HOLES!!

I came home and jsut as I was about to turn off my camera, and head for a good book, I caught this of Loki just about to fall off the bed. AS soon as I took the shot, He did. Stupid cat.

God i live in a beautiful part of the world...

I was driving back from swimming last night, and the day was transitioning into night, and the colors were really bright. I stopped along the road and snapped this picture across a yet to be mowed field, across the trees on the bluff and across The Straight of Juan de Fuca onto the Olympic penninsula. THe fog was just starting to blow in from the Ocean and the wind had a cold bite to it. No one else was on the road, as it was almost 900 PM.

I LOVe to watch the seasons change around here. It has finally gotten warm for the past week, but the nights are still down there in the low 40's BRRRRRR Especially when the fog rolls in. I passed two yearling fawns along side the road, chomping on the sweet grass there. THey were both males with just little nubbins popping up over their eyebrows. So tame. THey just stood and watched me take their picture, and were not concerned one bit. But then it isnt September yet. Hopefully they will all go into hiding then.

I drove on down to the strand along the beach and watched the freighters steam up the sound from Seattle and Tacoma on their way to China, or South Korea, or where ever they go nowadays.

I used to get out and walk along that beach for miles, but I cant now. I can barely make it over the driftwood to get down to the water line.

Bob and I bbq'd hamburgers tonight, home made home grown grass fed beef, newly aged and butchered and in my freezer. So I guess we wont starve this winter. Now he wants to get a pig. I would like about five nice smoked hams and a raft of honey smoked bacon. yummy.

I have been in a big blue funk lately. DOnt know why, just want to crawl in a whole and cry. I feel like whatever I do, it just isnt good ENOUGH! I worked so hard all my life to get through that, and I acheived a lot, but now that I retired I feel like WHY? What was it all for? SIGH!!!!!!!!! Maybe I need a new man in my life!

Galen and Sumre's wedding

My Brother's only Child Galen is 30 almost 31 and we figured that since he had not dated much (that we knew of) that we would never get married. Last year he introduced us to Sumre. She came to Thanksgiving dinner with our whole family. (brave soul) She was quiet, thin, and a true VEGAN. In a family full of meat eaters. There was hardly anything that she could eat, as I had cooked with dairy everything! But she made it through the dinner, and just as she was about to give a big sigh of relief...my sister said...Sumre...What is that on your neck? It was the very top of a spider web tatoo. (OHMIGAWD!!) Well then Galen laughed and said something to the effect that the cat was now out of the bag...and that she had several tatoos, as does he. Then the 100 questions started, and she was on the hotseat...She said ok, hit me with your best shot, and we bombarded her with questions, like only two old fat Aunts and a cousin can. (Mom is VERY quiet).

A few months ago word came down that they were planning on being married on July 4th in their own back yard. The wedding invitation was in the form of a ticketmaster ticket...very cute, but it set the stage for the event.

I was not sure what "Casual" meant at a wedding, so I asked what she was wearing, and she said a black summer dress. OK! I wore khaki slacks and a blue henley T. I was almost overdressed.

We get to the wedding, a little before 2:oo expecting the ceremony first and the party second. WRONG!!!
Party first, and when I was just about at my limit for pain, the ceremony started.

The Officiator was a friend of theirs who looked on line and got ordained by the United Universal Church of Modesto, Ca. They sent him the license on line. Yes, I asked...It IS legal. They all had their drinks in their hand as the Dude read the ceremony. Totally un-customary. BUT FUN!!! It was well done.

Sumre, kept waiting and waiting for her sister to make it out of the house to the yard, but she was delayed by filling water ballons to throw after the ceremony.

She finally realized that she had forgotten her veil and when that was found and put on her head, the vows were exchanged. Galen said his vows from one of the songs from THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS. Verbatim. Then Sumre repeated her vows to ELVIS. Verbatim. I think it was LOVE ME TENDER. Not sure...

Then the rings were exchanged, she got her traditional ring, and Scotty got an authentic Ball and chain, complete with key which promptly broke, so he had to wear it through the rest of the day.

It was fun ceremony, just perfect for two Goth's if that is what they are called in this era. They planned and executed the whole event themselves with no caterers, no wedding planner, no Phony ostentationism, just lots of fun, lots of family and lots of friends.

OH! and lots of BEER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS SCOTTY!! AND WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY SUMRE!!!!

My Two good looking kids...Tim and Donna. Tim was Well-dressed, and the best looking one there!! TEEHEE!!!

THis is Sumre's Mom and Galen's and Mom and Dad. My brother Mike and his wife Sherry.

What a fun fourth of July!!

Wussy Pussy....

My baby kitty Schroeder, is a little hellion when there is no one else around. But let there be an unfamiliar face in the house, and he is GONE! He hides under my bed, and up IN the box springs. Took me forever to find him the first time he did it.

Today, as I was laying on my bed watching the birds and squirrels, and waiting for the Thunder storm to hit, BOOM!!! CRAAACK!!!! BOOM!!!!! It hit...

followed by Sadie jumping on my back to get to the window and bark her fool head off at the noise...then immediately followed by a brown streak shooting under the bed. I can hear him when he crawls up in side, so I started to tell him it was alright, then Loki and Ethel and were on top of the bed too.

You see folks, we don't have Thunderstorms in Northern Puget SOund...but when we do it is an event. THe animals knew there was something happening, so they came to find Mommie, but Schroeder was another story...I think he is a close relation to Elliott. Both of them look the same, and both are real mama's boys.

For those of you that have followed my pet sagas, Schroeder is only a year old, I got him a year after my baby boy Chitters went missing. He has the same face as Chitters did and the same personality, but Schroeder is brown and Black where Chitters was Gray and White.

Loki on the other hand just thinks that every human on this earth was put there just to rub his belly and scratch his ears. He is such a lover, and has a very quiet comforting purr.

Neither of my kitties are allowed outside. So they think I am the light of their lives!!

They may be right!

She is soooo funny!

Well as you can tell, the EMPRESS has been at my computer while I was gone. SHE FIXED IT!!! It was Internet Explorer all along. I am now using firefox as my browser now...WHO KNEW??? ANd now I have my edit bar again!!! WHOOT!!!!!

So Joanie, you can send Balonie back to the basement, and EDT, thanks for all of your support too.

I'M FIXED!!!!!

shhhhhhhh...

Be very very quiet. The gnomes are tinkering.

The Mountains are out!

We are in the midst of actually having a few days of summer! Today it was in the high 70's F. I had errands to run in Oak Harbor so I got up, ate my yogurt and headed into town. It was an absolutely glorious day out!! Sun was out, no clouds and a nice breeze blowing. I did my errands which took about 3 hours, and then headed back to COupeville.

I wanted so badly to just keep on driving up into the mountains, where my heart actually lives. But with the price of gas up over 4.50 a gallon, I did not. I did however stop by the Sunnyside Cemetery to see if I could get good pictures of the "Mountains". It sits on an east facing hill, and has a gorgeous view of the Cascades and Mt. Baker.

I was able to get this one. which shows Baker in all it's glory. It is an active Volcano that has not erupted Lava in about 200 years, but it steams all the time.

THe one above is looking to the SOuth from the same location. Mt Baker is to the North, and Mt. Rainier is to the south. You can barely see it because it is so far SOuth. It is about 100 miles as the crow flies, and If it blows, Seattle and Tacoma are toast! History has shown that it will send Lahars and mudslides right down the NorthWest side and COver the Kent Valley with about 50 feet of mud. We have Volcano sirens to warn the nearby towns to move to higher ground. People know this and STILL they build their houses right in the path. STOOOOPID!

We rarely see Mt Rainier as there are usually clouds or haze in the air, so when the "Mountains are Out" it is truly a gorgeous day. Mt Rainier sticks up above the horizon like a giant Snow cone. Of all the volcanoes along the Pacific Rim, This is the one that the geologists say is most likely to blow in the next 50-100 years.

I hope it is a good clear day, with a wind blowing from the NorthWest...Then I will back up at the same spot snapping pictures like mad!!

Sposed to have two more days just like yesterday only hotter...YES!!!! I slept last night with NO electric blanket on! Felt nice. WOke up with the covers kicked off, and the sun hitting me right in my face. I have a house to clean so I had better get busy.

Have a nice weekend!

the empress takes over

Just trying to see what her tool bar problem is...

Stupid Blogger or is it me?

I STILL do not have an edit bar on my posting page. I have the title box and the main box, that.is.it! I have switched to the new blogger template, and if I use PICASA I can post pictures from there, but not from here. I also can not add anything to my sidebar now. I can edit the links, using html, but I can not add a weather pixie, or any books to read, or a clock, none of that good stuff that I used to have. PISSES ME OFF!!!!

I have written and written to no avail. I think it might even be something in my computer keeping me from getting it, but I am not smart enough to figure it out. When I switched from old template to new blogger, I DID have everything for about two days, and then NADA!!!

I wish I was as smart as Jazzi is about computers. Ny daughter just has no patience with me on it either. "READ THE MANUAL MOM!" I HAVE no manual for this. and blogger help doesn't help either. frustration!!!

My eye has pretty much quit oozing and itching, but it is still swollen and my head hurts like HELL! It is jsut the right side of my head from my browbone to the top of my scalp. I sure wish I knew what little Brat exposed me to this!! I may have picked it up in the pool, but you would think with all the clorine that any bug/virus would never survive! The bridge of my nose is swollen too, so my left eye looks puffy, but it is fine. I am sooo tired though. I have been taking Benedryl at CATMOMAJ's advice for the itching, and that works great, but I am a CHEAP drunk, and sleep all day and all night. I have not taken any today, so I will see if any energy comes back tomorrow.

I advise all of you over 60 to go get your SHINGLES VIrus shot. It is new and Insurance covers it. DO it before you get this damn stuff!! Seriously...I have a very light case I guess, but I do not want a BAD case of it.

Summer is sposed to hit with a vengeance tomorrow, but right now even though it is sunny out, it is COLD!!! The wind is blowing in off the North Pacific, right down the Strait, and smacking right into my house. BRRRRRRR!! It was the coldest it has ever been at SEATAC last night for June 24! got to 44 I think. It was 40F on my front porch...THat is only 8 degrees from FREEZING for GOd's sake.

I think I will go try and find my kitchen counter...the dishwasher is broken and leaking so Bob has it torn apart to fix it...and we all know how he finishes things!!!! NOT!
Catch ya tomorrow.

YUCK!! This sucks!!

Well the Dr took one look and said SHINGLES! huh? It is on my face not my body. But I guess you can get them there too. In fact it is fairly common to get them on one side of your face. The only blister like thingies are on my forehead, but he said that is common too. My glands are full and trying to fight off the virus.

Swell! and I just got notification on Friday, that there is a new Shingles immunization that my insurance will pay for, but it is too late now!! Not for at least 6 months!! Meanwhile just to be safe, he also prescriped some Keflex in case there is a bio-bug in there somewhere.

So I am sitting here with one eyelid so swollen I look like I have a black eye!! I was looking real close in the mirror at the bump and then I started really looking at my face. OHMIGAWD!!! When Did I get so DAMN OLD? wrinkles, and age spots, and saggy chin, and wild eyebrows. (they only grow in spots anymore, and most of them are grey so you cant see them anyway. )

Now with swollen eye I look like I have been on an all day cry.

first day of summer...

What a week! The pool in our communitee opened up on Saturday, so Starting Sunday, I Swam every single day. EIther in our pool or at Oak Harbor's. We dont have a good aquarobics class here, so I go in to O.H. for their's. I also have discovered the Sauna. I have always pooh-poohed it...why would anyone want to go in and sweat? Well the sauna at OH is a dry sauna and the heat after swimming for 2 hours just soaks right into your bones and I felt like a new person after I got out. We have a sauna here, too, and they keep it VERY hot, around 180 F. (too hot) and they also allow water on the stones. I cant do that. But if no one else is in there, I can keep it dry. Wonderful!!!!

I also have a "happening" on my face. Started out as a lump under my right ear, and felt like a big golf ball...I thought maybe Mumps...????? then it spun off another lump right in front of my ear about the size of a pecan, then another formed on my temple and another on my brow and then two smaller ones on my scalp. Now these did not hurt unless I pushed on them, and I felt fine. Then the one on my brow grew bigger and started to jurt, I must have scratched it in my sleep, because it got really red and hurts like hell. Now it has grown to encompass my right eye. It itches like mad, and is so swollen!! It looks like I have been in a bar brawl!! I have No idea what it is, but it can leave anytime it is ready...preferably NOW!!! :( THe lump under my ear has gone way down, and it seems to have manifested itself into one lumpy thing a ma jig on my brow/eye. Naturally, there are no Dr Offices open on the weekend, and I am not gonna pay 500.00 for an emergency room visit, when All they will tell me is go see the Dr on Monday. SO here I sit, one eyed, and not itching as much because I took two Benedryl tabs. Sure am getting sleepy though.

Summer finally arrived here. GOt up into the 80's in Seattle, and the 70's here on the Island. SUNSHINE!!!! WHOOT!!! But the clouds are blowing in from the ocean, and there is another cold bite to the wind. did not last long, our summer. But that may be ok. I cant do the heat too much. 70-75F is just about right for me providing there is not much Humidity!

I wish my camera worked, I would take a picture of the weeds growing in my gutters!!! The birds must have taken bird seed up on the roof and now it is growing...and my gutters are about 12" tall!!! I am not kidding...Hey Blogeois, wanna come work on my house?

Brent, I sure hope you are keeping your feet dry up there in Des Moines!! I am thinking about you and your family. ANd of course Kim and hers, and then we need to watch out for Brenda when the water gets that far down river. It surely has been a rough year weather wise, hasn't it? I hope all you Forigners are not having it as bad as we are.

Let's see what Tomorrow brings...

HMMMMM...

What type of Fae are you?

SAAAAD Week!

I was never very good at Politics, they just did not interest me. THose of you who have been reading me awhile, remember Wanda and her very public opinions of our government. I envied her, even though I did not agree with her opinion, at least she was passionate enough about it to put it in print. I just voted the way I thought I should, never delving into the issues very deeply. I went the easy way, and thought I was doing good.

Wanda got me thinking, and then I started watching TV more and more and listening to the talking heads, and their opinions. THey confused me even more, because there just was no place where you could go to get an unbiased view of the issues and candidates.

Then one Sunday morning about 5 years ago, I watched MEET THE PRESS with TIm Russert and got hooked on politics. Tim had a way of interviewing the candidates and holding them to what they had previously said, that showed their true leanings. I watched MEET THE PRESS every Sunday from then on...

Friday I was shocked to learn that TIm Russert had died suddenly at age 58 of an apparent heart attack. Stunned is a better word. He CANT go now, we have an election to get through. How am I supposed to form an opinion if I can not get an unbiased interview with the candidates? How am I going to watch the results of the elections without Tim and his magic White Board and Sharpie? I feel like I have lost a very good friend. MEET THE PRESS will never be the same. He was likeable and admired by EVERYONE! He would put each person he interviewed on the hot seat and make them wiggle. He said he would call BIG RUSS his father, every Sunday after the show and get his take...he could spot a phony a mile away. Tim valued his opinion, and the next time he interviewed that person, he would ask them again an imortant question, and if the answer was NOT the same, he would have it on the monitor and read it verbatim back to them...SQUIRM!!!

I have, in the past 5 years learned to listen to the issues, and ask more questions of myself, and form my own opinions. I think I have a candidate in mind, but I am not sure, the election is still several months away. I do have questions and I will listen for the right answers.

THen to top of my weekend, I decided to catch up on my blogwalking and read some of those that I have not read every day, as they have been on hiatus, or not blogging for one reason or another. I cliked on MAYAS GRANNY and was stunned to read that she too had died over the weekend. She was a Senior CItizen who lived in Juneau, Ak and was still working because she had to. SHe had a small apartment up a hill, and stocked her apartment with books and her HOOLIGANS..her cats. A few months ago she collapsed, and her daughter moved her back to California to be closer to her finding a home for her HOOLIGANS. MAya's Granny was very depressed about the move and the upheaval in her life, and she just did not make the transition very well.

SHe wrote with such spunk! She was very alive in her mind and spent last year writting about her memories in aswer to questions that her daughter had asked. Hard questions sometimes, but they got you thinking. Not just the typical "tell me about your childhood..." but questions that would tell a story in their answers.

SHe left a wonderful legacy to her Daughter and her grandchildren, and hopefully they will leave her blog up for awile, so the rest of you can go back and read her memoires too.

Rest in Peace Tim Russert and Maya's Granny!! You will both be missed.

(I dont have an edit bar so I cant link but her blog is at mayagranny.blogspot.com
go read her archives!)

Been busy

My flash on my camera is all wonky so the colors do not show up like they should, so I putzed with Photoshop to get the hat as close as possible to the correct color. The bedspread is s'posed to be white and the hat is a merled purple Merino and silk blend that Donna spun her little self. I made the hat.

This one is a heavier wool that she spun, and it is a bright orange with a brown silk rose. Notice how GREEN the spread looks after I adjusted the color for the hat.

THis afghan is one I have been working on for awhile. It is from left over scrap yarn, and it is sooooo pretty!! This one I am keeping for ME!! Selfish huh?

I wish I knew where I could take my camera to have the flash fixed so inside shots would show up better. Maybe I should try Kits Camera's huh? It is a Sony, But I don not want to send it to Sony America for repair, and rish it getting lost in the shuffle.

So Rusty, any of them catch your eye? or should I keep trying...

MAN! It is COLD!

I realize that in another month or so, the weather will turn to summer and I will bitching about the heat, but BROTHER is it ever COLD here! It even snowed 10" in the passes. Our passes are usually snow free from May through October. Not this year. Our snow pack has to be pretty good too, so we should not have any water problems or brown out problems, unless we start selling it to California! (GRRRRRRR) We have Hydroelectric plants here, and it works very well for us. generates enough electricity to keep us cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and is replenishable. (as long as it continues to rain...) Our rivers are all running full right now because of the Big storm we had yesterday. Thunder and wind and RAIN and COLD!! The juet stream is curving from way up in Alaska to right down the west coast, bringing asll that cold weather with it. When It turns and heads back up is when all the warm weather from the Southern Pacific will head our way.

The baby birds are growing fast. And the babies are really getting the hang of tearing apart a suet block to get at the raisins and peanuts! I leave them up all year, and vary the type to match the visitor. Soon the woodpeckers will head to where ever woodpeckers go, and I will start getting ruby-crowned kinglets and black-capped Chickadees. THe Chestnut-backed Chickadees are already fledged. I am not fond of the messy starlings though, and try to shoo them away. I know, I know that is probably not nice, but they are so noisy, greedy and eat the eggs of other birds. THey also can peck a hole into your attic and fill your eaves with bird nests.

Lola has babies, I do not know how long squirrels nurse their young, but she has been showing her titties for about 3 weeks now. SOon I will have a lot of Douglas Squirrels if that DAMN CAT does not get them all. i let Sadie out this morning, and I heard her "I Have a squirrel treed" bark, so I went running out, and she had Jupiter backed up and hissing at her. She would not hurt him, but she will bark like mad at him until he runs and jumps back over his fence into his own yard.

My back has been giving me fits again. I swam last night and It felt soooo good. I have been sitting in the dry sauna afterward for about 15 minutes letting the heat soak into my bones. AHHHHHH. I really wish I had a hot tub. I just do not like the public one at the pool. I just feel like I am another ingredient for their stew! YUCK!!

I have putzed all day in the house trying to keep it fairly clean, and everytime I go into my bedroom, I have to lay down across the bed on my tummy and stretch the back out. I have been losing weight, so maybe this time when I go to the Dr, he will listen to me and find out just WHAT and WHY I hurt so much. ANd if it is fixable. I HATE not being able to walk without severe pain.

Mike is getting worse. I fear that he is just holding on until his son's wedding in July, and then he will just let go. I wish I could do something for him, but there is nothing I can do, except be there when he needs me. I am not a big one for sitting around holding hands and praying, I leave that to Phyllis and SHerry, They do that well. I do all of mine in private. I will really miss him when he goes. I just wish he could have a good quality of life for as long as he has left. unfortunately he does not. SIGH!!!

Fledged!!!

These are not the best of pictures, as I was taking them trough a window with cat smudges on it, and through a screen. But it of the Baby Downy woodpecker, being fed by her daddy. He brings them one by one to the suet block and teaches them to eat the suet. After a few days, they get the hang of it, and become very noisy and MESSY!! Just like little babies with their first time feeding themselves. I will soon have suet pieces all over the window and the side of the house.

This one is a little better, but not by much. Baby is on top, Daddy is getting ready to fill his mouth with more suet.

This one is of a chestnet backed Chickadee doing the same thing. Baby is on the right, with it's wittle yellow edged mouth wide open. I just LOVE to watch the babies every spring. THe Hummers are flying really good now too, and I have to refill the feeders every day.

It has been so cold this year, that I have not switched to summer bird juice, figuring that they need the extra energy at night to keep them warm. I usually cut back on the sugar, from 5-1 to 4-1 around the first of May. THat encourages them to find flowers to feed from. But the flowers are just now blooming. SO maybe soon. If it ever warms up. They are talking SNOW on the lower passes and higher foothills tonight!! and this morning at 430 it was 42F on my front porch!!! MAN!!! Global warming my freezing ASS!!!

Sunset at Deception Pass

I had to post this to remind us that yes indeed we do have beautiful sunsets on this Island. This was taken from the bridge across to Fidalgo Island which is how you get to the mainland. Our weather this spring has been terrible. With the exception of 2 weekends, when it was warm and sunny, we have had stright rain and wind and clouds. Our weather prognosticator says that for the rest of the summer it is going to be cooler and drier too. That just means that we wont get quite as much rain, but we will still have clouds, and we will still have to wear jackets when we go out.

I screwed up and planted three tomato plants and they are sitting there shivering, I will be very lucky indeed if they fruit at all this year! even the strawberries are not ready yet! They are usually ready when school gets out and that is next week. We need some dry sunny weather for the berries to ripen. ANd then they will be full and juicy!!

I have a garden of weeds growing 12 " tall in my gutters!! I cant climb the ladder to get up there and clean them out. Where is a starving teenager when you need one? dont young boys do yards anymore? HMMMM! Rusty, What are your boys doing? are they still doing odd jobs? Are they cheap enough for me? If I wait for Bob or Tim to get it done, it will be September.

I worked on Sherry's scrapbook today and finally finished her ancesters! I found them all the way back to 1735!!! took me three days to get it all done!! It will be nice when she needs it though. Then it is on to the ones for the Kids. gotta get those finished in case I lose my memory!

JimBob???you still out there? havent seen you lately!

For Leslie

Everytime I see an Elephant picture I think of Leslie. She stopped blogging over 18 months ago, and said she would return, but so far she has not. When you find a friend on the internet that you "click" with, you feel like you have known them for your entire life.

I have never met Leslie, and may never. But I feel like if she walked in my front door right now, I would know her, and she she would not mind all the cat hair on the furniture, and the doggie shmarm on the storm door, nor the noseprints from the kitties on all of the windows.

She would understand.

I hope where ever she is she knows that we all care deeply about her, and hope that she will come back soon. She is sorely missed!

When ANYONE leaves their blog, it leaves a big hole in our lives. Isn't it amazing what a few little electrons can do to change the world? Pity that bloggers are not in the position to make peace. We surely do in our postings.

Long night

I have been waiting since 845 this evening to find out how my brother is. Sherry took him back to the hospital tonight puking. He had his Chemo today, but all day yesterday he was sick. He was dehydrated. Phyllis went and releived Sherry so she could get some sleep as she gets up early for work. THe ER was full of people with virus' so they finally hydrated him, gave him some no puke meds and sent him home. Phyllis just called, she had dropped him off at home, so now we can all sleep again. (whew)

While I was waiting, I putzed with the NEW Blogger and I THINK I fixed it so I can post pictures again...maybe. hrmmmmmmmm maybe not...I still dont see an edit bar...gotta go tweek some more.

Lazy...

I have been so lazy lately. Not really, because I have been doing things that needed to be done, but I am sleeping a LOT! I wake up refreshed, so maybe I just need the sleep! I have been swimming, 2 hours 3 times a week, so I am getting my excerise. I also have actually putzed in my yard, cleaned the deck, planted some pots of herbs and petunias, weeded a barrel full of weeds,(Nothing in the barrel but potting soil and weeds) and have finished two unfinished projects for my daughter! I finally finished her Christmas present. From LAST year... ( I KNOW, I Know...BAD Mommie) I made her some stitch counters for her knitting needles. I always just used those little colorful plastic rings, but Now-a-days they have these cute little charms on them, so I made her two sets of them. CUTE!

I also finshed her shawl. She is a Study COordinator for a Bio-Tech Lab and she under airconditioning all day and her shoulders get cold. She wears a sweater, but they are constricting, so I used the Wool that she spun and gave to me, to make her a trinagle shaped over the shoulders shawl. I then beaded it, so it is really pretty. And just perfect for Ms Granola!

I finished updating the archive scrapbook for the Playhouse, and now I am trying to finish a throw I have been working on for awhile. Still have not finished my quilt, But that is next. THen on to more scrapbooks...one for SHerry, and then for my kids. I need to get my sister's back to her. I borrowed it back to use as a reference and still have it!! Bad Sister!!

Spring and summer arrived here last weekend, with weather clear and sunny and warm, Temps in the high 70-80's F., but now we are back to cold, wet, gray and windy. I think we have seen our summer weather. I hope not, but I have the heater on right now, and I do not have faith that it will get much warmer.

Around here Lilacs bloom in April, THe Rhodies bloom in May and the Roses bloom in June. But this year EVERYTHING is in bloom at the same time!!! Every bush is gorgeous and the Blooms are big and plentiful. I have been stopping by the cemetery and grabbing a big bouquet of Lilacs off the many bushes they have there. My house smells so good!!! Alas, THey are fading now, and the roses are popping, so I will have to switch vases and places to swipe flowers! (I asked first!)

I am sitting here eating a great big bowl of cantelope and red grapes. I know I will be sorry later on this evening, and will have to stay close to home, but they taste so good!! I have been craving some relitively inexpensive fruit. Grab it while you can...Lord knows the price on it will go up soon also.

I have a backyard full of all kinds of birds this year. Just lots and lots of them. I am shooing away the starlings though, as they are noisy, messy and greedy!! and they chase away the smaller birds. SHOO!!!

I Have seen Lola off and on lately, not daily, as she has had babies, judging by her little titties, so she just pops in and eats when she feels safe, and I assume, the babies are sleeping. The Big Grey squirrel is back also. I call her Susie! And George and Gracie, the Band tailed pidgeons have arrived too. Goldfinch in flocks, house finches and house sparrows galore and brown headed cowbirds. I have Evening grosbeaks, and black headed grosbeaks, and red cross-bills, and towhees and nuthatches. Busy little feeder!! I use predominately black oil sunflower seeds, but I do put out mixed bird snack, and peanut suet blocks for the woodpeckers.

Gotta run, Sadie wants in...Stay safe, all of you in tornado alley!!!

Sunday Funnies...1 day late

A Wise Indian Elder once said:

When told the reason for daylight saving time the Indian Elder said,
'Only a white man would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of
a blanket and sew it to the bottom of a blanket and have a longer
blanket.'

UM UM GOOD!!

Last week Oprah had a few of her favorite things on, one of which was this Turkey Burger. It looked so good So I decided to try it.

Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger
Recipe courtesy of Jeff O'Neill

Oprah found a new favorite food when she tried this turkey burger at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's private club in Palm Beach. "I believe [it] may be the best turkey burger in the entire world," she says. The Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger will be permanently available at the Trump Bar and Grille in Trump Tower in New York City, open to the public for lunch and dinner. It will also be served during lunch in Chicago at Sixteen, the Trump International Hotel restaurant.

1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
1/8 cup canola oil
4 pounds ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. chipotle Tabasco™
1 lemon, juice and grated zest
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup Major Grey's Chutney, pureed

Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.

Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours***.

Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

***The Chef said not to skip this important step.

I forgot to get apples so I got pears instead, and I did not have scallions, so I used a walla walla sweet onion, and I dont care for celery, so I left it out. I diced the pears and onions and sauteed them together like the recipe said to do, I reached for the turkey burger and had only gotten a pound instead of 4 pounds. So I added everything to the burger and along with the Major Grey Chutney I added the chipotle smoked tabasco sauce and gave it a good mix with my hands. Then I saw where it said to refridgerate for 2 hours, so I said screw it and made meatballs instead. Didnt have noodles but I did have spaghetti. so I cooked up the meatballs and the pasta and then I needed a sauce. Did not want to use a red sauce, so I thought SWEDISH MEATBALLS! I had a 10 year pkg of seasoning that I had used half of looooong ago, and I dumped that into a bowl with 2 cups of milk and stirred it all together. Not enough, SO I added 1/2 of a country gravy mix and a can of evaporated milk. added a dash of nutmeg and stirred that gravy until it was nice and thick. OH MAMA!!! It was sooooo GOOOD!!!! THe next time I do it I will add an egg and some bread crumbs just to hold it together. OH they were good. Much better than those frozen ready packs you can buy. who woulda thought about adding onions and diced pears.

Ya'll need to try it!! Your mouth will be really happy!

I HATE TV!!!

I am going to quit watching TV!! After watching all of the season finales this week I am so exasperated. First I watch CSI MIAMI and watch Horatio get shot be his son's stepfather and lay there on the tarmac dying, while Wolf receives an email that says it is done! ARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!

Then i watch NCIS for 2hours to find out that Director Jenny is shot, and we assumed killed. and then at the end the new DIrector fires Ziva, and reassigns Dinozzo and Mcgee to shit assignments and hands Gibbs three new file folders for three new team members.
ARRRRRRGHHHHHHH again!!!!!

Then I watch Criminal Minds and watch as the entire BAU team climbs into different black SUV's and then watch as ONE of them gets blown to bits...AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH even again!!

THEN I watch the season finale of SHARK, to find out that his nemisis may get off, and then I check the fall line up and find NO SHARK listed!!! DOUBLE DAMN ARRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!

Last night I watched the season finale of CSI NY and watch as Taylor drives off with a gun pointed at his head and a psycho in the backseat.

C'MON CBS!!! You cant do that to me. DOnt kill off my favorite characters and then cancel the show! I missed CSI Las Vegas so I am not sure what happened there but it cant be good!!

I also watch Tonight with Jay Leno to hear that he is being replaced by that IDIOT CONAN OBRIEN! Well I guess NBC has lost the one show that I watch on NBC, I will have to switch to Dave Letterman. I HATE CONAN OBRien!!

I gave up on soap operas YEARS ago because I could not stand the suspense. SO now I am hooked on shows that hold over for 3 months!! It was bad enough that we had to wait through the writer's strike, Now we have to wait through SUMMER!

THe only saving grace is There seems to be several new shows for the summer that look pretty good.

I also HATE the way the networks move the shows around. You have to consult a TVguide in order to find out what time your show is on. Try finding a TV GUide anymore. ChEEEEERIST!!!

Now to make matters worse, I have DISH Network, and it isnt listed in our local paper. THe networks are, but try and find out what time the HISTORY channel is really on, depends on your time zone. EGADS!!!!

Wish I could write to the networks and have them actually SEE the email. All I ever get is an automated response!! Seems like they just dont care what I think.

Damn Media!!!

Weird weather!!!

You have read about our unusually cold and wet spring...record snow fall in the mountains, and just three weeks ago we had snow and record cold down here at sea-level.

Last Friday we had record hot temperatures up in the 90's, and actually a whole day of SUNSHINE!! It was WONDERFUL!! then the High moved onshore, and allowed another Low to move onshore. RIght now it is cloudy, rainy and only 48 degrees out. THe wind has a bite to it, and once again I am freezing. THe weather reports have the winds coming in off the strait at 35 MPH! It is picking up here right now, and naturally because tomorrow is trash day, it will be blowing like HELL! either the trashcans will blow over before the trash truck cometh, or it will wait until after they have gone by which means I will have to chase my cans down the street, figure out whose cans were in MY yard, and then find the lids! I actually found my can, lid intact, sitting on the porch of a house in the next block!

Both of my children made it home on Sunday!! I cooked the other half of the 20 lb prime rib roast that Bob got for our CHristmas dinner. He gets a really good deal from one of his friends every year, so I cook half of it for Christmas dinner and freeze the other half for when-ever! SO I bribed them with roast beef and rhubarb cobbler. It worked! TIm came in Saturday night, and got the lawnmower ready for mowing, and then spent 3 hours mowing the grass that was (I kid you NOT) 14" high! He did such a great job of holding his temper back. Normally he would be cussing a blue streak at the number of times that the mower got clogged! I am sooooo proud of him!! Now if he can only make it back next weekend to mow it again, it should be fine for a week or two.

Donna brought her wheel and we sat out on the back deck and she spun, and I talked! It was a really nice day.

Bob and I went in to Mt. Vernon on Saturday, and noticed the LACK of cars in the parking lots at the mall. Either the weather had them all at the beach, or the economy has them with no money, or the price of gas has them staying home.

(I shall be right back!)

Ok, slight pause to get rid of a cup of coffee!

From Thursday through last night the news reports have been warning people about staying OFF the rivers during the hot spell, as the snow melt in the mountains was filing them to capacity and the river currents were very strong. The water temperature was extremely cold also, and thus made the waters very dangerous! regardless of all the warnings, there were at 9 people that died in the currents without life jackets. and one family was saying the government should have done more to keep people off the water.

PEOPLE!!!! LISTEN TO ME!!!! YOU CAN NOT MAKE THE ENTIRE WORLD SAFE FROM IDIOTS!!! If you chose to go on the rivers after all of the warnings were posted and it was on all of the radios, then no one should be blamed but YOU!!! In FACT you should be charged for the cost of the rescue/recovery efforts! I just dont understand people. I wont go in the water at ALL unless I can see the bottom, and then only when I am trying to get my fishing line out a little further. Why are there some who believe that the GOVERNMENT should be responsible for your entire conduct? EGADS!!! Use the brain that your creator gave you!!

A Friday FUNNY!!!!

Who is crazy????

I was walking past the mental hospital the other day, and all the
patients were shouting, "13...13....13...13.

The fence was too high to see over, but I saw a little gap in the planks
and I looked through to see what was going on.

Someone poked me in the eye with a stick.

Then they all started shouting. "14...14...14...14....."

A New Element discovered!!!

Science Reveals Heaviest Element Ever Discovered. Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction normally taking less than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2-6 years. It does not decay, but undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes, not to mention multiple oxymorons. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe
that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. That hypothetical quantity might normally be called 'critical mass', but in this unique case it is known as 'critical mess'.

When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium (Am), another just-discovered element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Author unknown...

AH Well!!!!

So Tim had to work today! figures....

HE is working at a shipyard, painting a Ferry, and they have to get it done, so they are working 10 hour days, 7 days a week. DOUBLE time on Sunday, so he went for the money. I guess I cant blame him. So I was planning just a quiet dinner with DOnna, and my sister called and said she and Sherry and Mike would be here around 3:00 for dinner. ????? ok.

So now I have to clean house and go back to the store and get the ingredients for Chili Rellenos. I make them better than any I have found in any Restaurant. We got the recipe from a little hole in the wall restaurant in Chula Vista California in 1953. And there are none better in my opinion. SO I will be cooking dinner for the family.

It appears that we just MIGHT be getting SPRING this week. It poured last night as a cold front came through, and the wind blew, and beat the rain in through the open window into my face. This morning it is clear, and Sunny, and almost WARM! It should reach the 70's this week!! That is 20C I think...or close. maybe.

So what are you doing with your incentive check? are you stimulating the ecomony or paying bills? Mine is all going on Dr bills from last September. Even with insurance I still owe almost 4000.00!! WHEW!!! This really hurts, I can not imagine what people with NO insurance do. Whomever we elect this year, had better have Universal Health care on their front burner and turned up really high. I am getting warmed up for another rant, so bare with me until I get there. We have got to get our population educated to VOTE! We cant have a true Democracy if those who feel their vote doesnt count for anything DONT VOTE! They may not agree with my politics, but they need to be heard!!

Are you registered to vote? GET'ER DONE!!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all you Mother's out there.

He's BAAAAACK!!

Tim got released Monday at 8:00 and I had to get up early to go get him. (GRRRRR....I sleep LATE in the morning....) I picked him up at 830 and headed home. I asked him as we started off if he was through. He said yes, and I said "take a deeeeep breath. Now remember what it feels like, as that is FREEDOM and only YOU can take that away from you." He got a silly grin on his face and agreed. We came home, checked in with his Probation Officer, and then he headed for the Garage, cleaned that up and unloaded his van. It has been sitting in my driveway for 2 1/2 years, fully loaded with Lord knows what all. Even Tim did not know, as he didn't load it, his friend did. SO he unloaded it all into the nicely cleaned garage, and washed all of his clothes.

Tuesday we did a dump run, and got rid of all the shit that he didnt want, and the old stove and water heater that has been sitting in the front of my house for two years. He took his flat tires into Les Schwab and had them fixed, and then came home and started his van. I just KNEW it would not run. But it started right up and coughed a bit, and ran just beautifully! I am surprised as it is a pile of JUNK!

Yesterday we went to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, and paid his district court fines, then went and got his drivers license back. THen we headed to Dept of Licensing and got new plates for the bucket of bolts, and came on back home. He got into his van and drove it down the highway to see how good the brakes were. Mushy, but they work...sorta. (EGADS)

So now, My SOn has a new start on hopefully a clean and sober life. He realizes just how much this past ten years has cost him in Money, in possesions, and in reputation. He is ready to fend off the Demons, and is determined not to repeat. He says the worst part is the lure of the REALLY EASY money that can be made by dealing. I had NO IDEA how prevelant drugs, especially METH, is in society. I have watched all the documentaries on Meth-anphetamines, but I guess I am a pollyanna because Tim says it is EVERYWHERE!!! he even pointed out to me where he thought Meth houses were. (PLEASE LORD KEEP HIM STRAIGHT!)

We had a long talk, and I feel pretty sure that he has his head on straight right now, and that he will be fine.

If any of you have kids on drugs, PRAY LIKE HELL THAT THEY GET ARRESTED!!! and DO NOT BAIL THEM OUT. let them serve their sentences. TIm says he is glad he got caught and went to prison, because he did not realize how out of control he was.

I guess I am glad I did not know also. It would have KILLED me.

This Mother's Day will be the first time in almost 30 years that both of my kids will be HOME!!! I cant wait.

And another one bites the dust...

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! We struck SOCIAL SECURITY tonight, and I will tell you that it was a huge success! We had people tell us it was about time that Oak Harbor came into the 20th Century. (I KNOW...21st!) We had walk-ins from 40 miles away, because they heard how funny it was!

Makes it all worth while. Now it is time for a long needed rest...

I will post after I catch up on housework. ANd yard work, and empty the much needed catbox! and take out the garbage.

Now for a nice hot bath....

New template?

I TRIED to switch to the NEW template on blogger which SAYS you can edit it any way you want to...WRONG!! It would not accept any of my changes. I wanted to switch because my banner is being hosted by Leslie, and last night my banner was GONE!! so was she! so I thought she took her blog down, but today it was back, so maybe not. ANYWAY. I tried several times to add a picture to my header and no luck, and I could not change the fonts or colors like they promised. SO Back to the old one....

BRRRRRR

As you all have probably heard by now, Washington state has been hit with very late spring snows! THe latest and the coldest EVER! So where is this global warming that everyone is freaking out over?

I think quite frankly, that our poles are shifting, and we will soon be above the Arctic CIrcle! They say it has happened before, and It will happen again.

We are now into the final week of SOCIAL SECURITY, and we had our cast party last night after the matinee. (Dick, there are still tickets available for Thursday Friday and Saturday nights.) It has bees SOOOOOO much fun to do this show!!! I dread Saturday night though...We strike the set down to the bare walls after Saturday's show, and all the props, flats, scenery, and costumes all go back to the annex so that the oncoming show (GUYS AND DOLLS) will have a clean slate to work with. It is very tiring though, we sometimes do not get through until 2 or 3 in the morning. THen the LOOONG dark drive home. I HATE Strike! There ought to be a better way. Ah well.

Lat FRiday during the taping of the show, the Hail hit, and the THUNDER boomed. Just as SOPHIE was saying, I am a WOMAN< I am ALIVE, KABOOM!!!!!!! and the whole building shook. SHe then said "I hope that was not an OMEN!" and walked off stage. THe audience loved it. THe parking lot had over 2 inches of white stuff on it, and the drive home was treacherous as Hell!! I put ;er in 4 wheel drive and did 20-25 MPH all the way home! AS I drove past the Blue FOx Drive-in Theater, I laughed, because shing through the blizzard was the movie, coming from the projection booth. I thought WHAT IDIOTS would be watching a movie in weather like this?

Uh...MY BROTHER! I called them on their cell phone and sherry was giggling and said, she had never watched a movie through a blizzard before. LOLOLOLOLOL you takes your fun where youse can gets it up here in the boonies!!

My tulips are all in bloom and look so pretty under all the white stuff. Yes, they are hardy to a point. Actually the snow is an insulator and unless there is a really HARD freeze or heavy hail, they are fine! THey like it! THe Skagit Valley is holding their Tulip Festival this month, but the Tulips in the Valley are sleeping in! LOLOLOL THey will POP in all their glory during the first few warm days we get, then the whole Valley will be a riot of color.

Hope your spring weather is better than ours!!

You have GOT to be kidding!!

This weather statement just appeared on my email! C'mon DUdes, it is almost MAY fer Chris'sake!!!

I SOOOO want clear warm sunny weather with no wind, so I can take my morning coffee out on my back deck!

Statement as of 10:20 AM PDT on April 16, 2008


... Unusually cold weather is expected Friday through early next
week...

A deep upper level low pressure system moving southeast from the
Gulf of Alaska will move into the area Friday and will linger
through early next week. This upper level low will give quite cool
and unstable conditions to the area Friday and Saturday. While
drier air will begin to filter into the area Sunday into
Monday... temperatures will remain unusually cool for mid to late
April.

At this time of year... temperatures in The Lowlands typically
range from lows 35 to 45... and highs are near 60. Low temperatures on
Friday and Saturday will generally be in the 30s... while highs
stay in the 40s. These temperatures are more typical of early to
mid February. Near record low maximum and minimum temperatures are
likely on Saturday. Temperatures in the mountains will stay in the
20s and 30s.

Snow levels Friday night and Saturday morning will average around
1000 feet... and may fall to near sea level in heavier showers.
Any snow that falls in The Lowlands is unlikely to stick... except
briefly on cars and grass. The mountains and Cascade passes will
see accumulating snow Friday through Saturday... with accumulations
over the two day period possibly between 1 and 2 feet.

Strong high pressure developing over British Columbia Saturday
night into early next week will allow drier air to filter into the
area. While daytime temperatures will moderate into the lower to
mid 50s Sunday and Monday... nighttime lows will be quite cold for
this time of year with any clearing. Frost... with freezing
nighttime temperatures in protected and outlying areas will likely
cause problems for anyone with sensitive Nursery stock...
ornamentals... or vegetables that were planted early.

Monitor the forecasts from the National Weather Service closely the
next few days.

A Very happy Patron!!

The following letter was sent to the Office about our play! As you know from reading this blog in the past, There was quite a contention about the subject matter of the play. Several members of OUR Board of DIrectors wanted to stop this from happening. I was already in production, so it was too late. We have had those Board members come see it, LAUGH and say it was GREAT! Now to see a letter from a patron really puts the frosting on the cake.

Dear Whidbey Island Playhouse,

For the past 30+ years, my husband and I have been faithful season ticket subscribers to the Seattle Repertory Theater, Intiman Theatre, A Contemporary Theater, the Paramount, and the Fifth Avenue Theater, and the Seattle Symphony (all in Seattle). Sometimes it was difficult to juggle the tickets when some presentations occurred on the same evening.

On opening night, we attended your production of "Social Security". We thought it was one of the funniest, timely, and best plays we have ever seen. (And we've seen a lot of Broadway shows in New York, too).

We couldn't understand why anyone would be offended by this play. Doesn't everyone have sex in their life? (Or at least hope to if they haven't?) It helped make it all the funnier. And the topic of having to care for one's aging parents is very timely, too. But unfortunately that is not funny--we are facing this with our parents (who are in their 80"s )--(we are 63 and 64 yrs. of age). It was totally realistic. I have 2 sisters and just loved the idea of being able to "dump" one's parent(s) on the non-caregiver sisters for them to deal with it for awhile.

We received letters warning about the contents of this play beforehand. We saw nothing objectionable about it and have wholeheartedly recommended it to all our friends. From the letters that were sent, I thought we were going to see 2 naked people having sex on the stage!!

We have just retired (finally!) and moved here to Oak Harbor near Deception Pass. We have enjoyed every one of your plays since we began subscribing 2 years ago. (We no longer drive clear down to Seattle for all those previous subscriptions).

If you would like a testimonial to Whidbey Playhouse and to "Social Security" in particular, we would be happy to do so. It was a great, funny and very timely production. We look forward to being long-term subscribers with you as long as possible (at least 20 years if we live that long!)

Appreciative patrons,

Erlene & Joe Little

Dick, You and Pay better get your tickets now...only one more Sunday Matinee!!

My meatloaf...

OK. Now this can change from time to time. most of the time I just use hamburger.

heat the oven to 375 degrees;

2 pkgs of hamburger
1 pkg of ground Lamb
1 Pkg of ground pork

3 eggs
5 pieces of fresh potato or white bread cut into small cubes
1 big GLUG of Evaporated milk.
(ok, about 1/2 cup)
1 bigger glug of ketchup
(ALRIGHT, about 1 cup)

1/2 of a walla walla sweet onion. diced small
(or a vidalia, or a texas sweet or a maui sweet. GOtta be a white SWEET one though)
1 teasp of onion pwdr
1 teasp of Garlic pwdr
1 tablsp of Oregano
1 Tablsp of Majoram

mix very well with the paddle attachment of your Kitchen Aid mixer, or use your hands and squish really well.

Use a big oval baking dish cause it makes a BIG loaf! spray well with PAM or a non-stick spray.

pat the meat into the pan and then form it into a loaf leaving about an inch on all sides.

Now make a glaze:

2 cups of ketchup
1 cup of brown sugar
1 tbls of liquid Smoke
1 teas of worchestershire sauce
Mix well

Pour over the top of the meatloaf then bake it in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the inside is no longer red. (I cut into it.)

I serve this with mashed garlic potatoes, and ladle a little of the dripping on it.

It is really really good too. Chill the left overs and slice for sandwiches tomorrow.

If you want, just use hamburger. still really good. Just do not over cook, or it will get really dry and then yucky!

So how many of you are making meatloaf tomorrow night for dinner?

Herman...I dont know the exchanges from us to Metric measures...sorry.

1 down 3 to go!

WHEW!! They call opening week Hell Week, because you only have 1 day off, and 6 shows. Needless to say, We are all pooped!! I was in such horrible pain after sitting in the balcony for 6 shows, and going up and down three flights of stairs. I came home yesterday after the matinee, fixed and ate dinner, took a hot soaky bath, rubbed Ben Gay all over my back and butt, and went to bed. I stretched out and got comfy and slept for almost 12 hours!! GOD THAT FELT GOOD!

My daughter came up this weekend for a Fiber symposium or show or something, so I got to see her about 4 hours total. I made a yummy meatloaf and it disappeared!! So last night I came home, and made another one! this one will last all week! I LOVE meatloaf sandwiches!! I make a killer meatloaf, and I dont ever get tired of it. Made mashed potatoes and peas with it too. Nothing like great old comfort food when you are feeling pooped out and miserable!

The show has taken so much of my time and energy that I dont do anything in the house, except laundry. So tomorrow, I have nothing planned except CLEANING HOUSE!! I have Pergo flooring in all the rooms except the bedrooms, so it is really easy to clean. A squirt of ENDUST on the dustmop, and swish, the floor is clean. Now the dustmop is another matter. I take it out back and shake it off, and all the cat and dog hair that was EVERYWHERE is now out being recyled into bird nests. I do have to vaccuum the area rugs, as the animals LOVE to roll on them and cover them with fur too.

I asked Omnipotentbenevolentempress if she could use the fur to make anything out of, but she balked at that idea. I thought it was a great idea! no sense of adventure. SHe has Bison and Yak fibers that she is spinning. My animals dont smell as bad as THEY do!

I am so looking forward to swimming tonight. I have not been since last Monday, and I can sure feel it. It feels so good to get in and stretch...and be gravity free for an hour!

gotta run. I will try to pop in and visit a few of you when I have time.