I opened up this morning to post a quick blog, only to find out that I HAVE to switch to the new blogger! There wand as no getting around it, I HAD to sign up to google and switch. So we shall see just what all the fuss was about. I hope they have all the bugs worked out, if not you will hear me yell!!
I was laying here sound asleep FINALLY at 515 this morning, after fighting with a plugged up nostril, then a drippy one, and a spasming back. Suddenly, YELP! YELP! YELP! Flash, the beagle puppy next door was put out to pottie and left there while his mommie got the kids up. I do not like a barking dog, and will yell at Sadie when she starts in with the yapping. But FLASH now, has learned to yodel as only a beagle can. annoying as HELL. I yelled out the window for him to shut the hell up, and finally after about 10 minutes, he did, but that was after I was fully awake. No hope now for getting back to sleep. So I am awake, posting on my laptop, and learning all about new blogger.
I am catching a cold, as you probably gathered from the last paragraph, and it is only in the right side of my nose. Actually I think it is Alder Pollen and allergies. But WHY only 1/2 of my nose? Can you only be allergic on one side of your face? How odd. I am never too far away from the nasal spray when I get like this. GRRRRR I hate being clogged up and then drippy! Eyes all itchy and watery, and goopy! Throat all scratchy, and just plain old yucky! I think I will fix a pot of coffee and watch the TODAY show. AAACHOOOOO! sorry.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Hockey night in Everett!
GUESS WHERE I WENT TONIGHT? My very first Hockey Game! My Daughter was able to get tickets through her work, and invited Bob and I to the Everett Silvertips hockey game. We got there just as the game started, and the lights were all out except for the spotlights on the flags. THey sang OH! Canada first, followed by the Star Spangled Banner, then the lights went crazy and the teams took the ice. We had not found our seats yet, but we just sat where there were some empty seats and enjoyed the game.
We are part of the wESTERN HOCKEY League which has about 25 teams I think, and only 5 from the US, the rest are Canadian. We played Kelowna tonight. What a great game! I just wish I knew what the rules were, as It would have made the game easier to understand. The place was rocking all night, and of course when we scored, the noise level was beyond anything. Cowbells and alpen horns!! Not to mention screams and organ music! It was great!!
I will have to make sure I go back again. I think the season is just about over for this year, but next season, gotta go! It made for a very long day, we left my house at 4PM and got home at Midnight. But DOnna treated us to dinner at this fabulous Thai restaurant and then on to the game.
we won, by a shootout! and I tell you, it was a nail biter all the way!! The young man pictured below is the one who put the winning puck into the goal. LOVED IT!! I cant believe how much better you can see the action on the ice from the arena vs television. I think I need to buy a season ticket.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Clam Digging...
Yesterday I was looking at the local Telephone book…The PLAID Book…Which is put out by a local publishing company. It is crammed with all kinds of minutia. There are green pages, which is local government, Blue pages, which is Federal Government and the Base, and of course the white pages and yellow pages and red pages (emergency). But way in the back is the fun pages. Among the kids pages and the jokes there are the local tide tables. I had not read a tide table in years, and I used to have several of them in various places…the glove box of my truck, in my tackle box, in the kitchen junk drawer, and beside my chair. I would read these every week, so I would know when the best days for fishing were, and at what time. And also when the best clam tides were.
I remember when I was really young and first came to Whidbey Island; we lived in town which was really small in 1954. The Seaplane Base was right there within walking distance, and the Best clam beds were right below Officer’s Country. We would have to walk down a very steep muddy trail, down the bluff and then walk about ¼ mile out onto the clam beds. We had to time this just right. Walking out when the tide was going out, and then digging like crazy, and getting our limit before the tide started back in.
Dad and Phyllis and I always went. That way we could have three limits. Carting the burlap bags full of clams the ¼ mile back up the cliff to the car was the worst part. The fun part was digging through the mud for the clams. We would find all sizes from the baby steamer size to the giant Gooey Ducks. We would throw the gooey ducks back because they were so tough. (obscene looking too.) But the steamers were kept to eat that night.
Once we got the clams home, Dad would cover them in water in the back yard in this big old tub, then pour cornmeal into the water and let them cycle it through their systems to get all the sand out of their stomachs. Then Mom would steam the little ones and we would dip them in garlic butter and eat them with bread and Cole slaw. YUMMY!! The bigger ones we would boil until they popped open, and then Mom would grind them up and freeze them in batches and use them to make clam fritters, and clam chowder. Man I loved those fritters!!
We always watched the tide tables for the Minus tides. The best tides were in Late May/June and Late Dec/Jan. They would start at a -1.3 and work up to a -2.4 which was a really really low tide. Yesterday I looked to see just how low the tides were and saw that there were some -3.4 tides!! I do not remember them getting that low when I was little. Clam digging is not nearly as good anymore, because of all the pollution in the water and all of the “red tide” which is the common name for paralytic shellfish poisoning. It will kill you if you eat seafood that has eaten the plant while in bloom.
It is so sad to see the clam beds all lying wasted, with the empty shells washing up on the shore. It is even sadder to know that generations of kids will grow up and never know the joy of getting up at midnight on a very cold December evening and carrying the Coleman Lantern down the muddy cliff behind your father while he leads you once again onto the abundant clam beds that had been harvested for centuries by first the Indians and then the white man. These kids won’t ever know the feeling of having frozen fingers and toes and watching their breath leave their mouths while their hands shake as they held the lantern while their father filled the burlap bag full of those little steamer clams we knew we would be eating for dinner the very next night. Damn! And all I have in the cupboard is a can of Snow’s Clam Chowder. Nah!! Just won’t do! I may have to start reading those tide tables again.
I remember when I was really young and first came to Whidbey Island; we lived in town which was really small in 1954. The Seaplane Base was right there within walking distance, and the Best clam beds were right below Officer’s Country. We would have to walk down a very steep muddy trail, down the bluff and then walk about ¼ mile out onto the clam beds. We had to time this just right. Walking out when the tide was going out, and then digging like crazy, and getting our limit before the tide started back in.
Dad and Phyllis and I always went. That way we could have three limits. Carting the burlap bags full of clams the ¼ mile back up the cliff to the car was the worst part. The fun part was digging through the mud for the clams. We would find all sizes from the baby steamer size to the giant Gooey Ducks. We would throw the gooey ducks back because they were so tough. (obscene looking too.) But the steamers were kept to eat that night.
Once we got the clams home, Dad would cover them in water in the back yard in this big old tub, then pour cornmeal into the water and let them cycle it through their systems to get all the sand out of their stomachs. Then Mom would steam the little ones and we would dip them in garlic butter and eat them with bread and Cole slaw. YUMMY!! The bigger ones we would boil until they popped open, and then Mom would grind them up and freeze them in batches and use them to make clam fritters, and clam chowder. Man I loved those fritters!!
We always watched the tide tables for the Minus tides. The best tides were in Late May/June and Late Dec/Jan. They would start at a -1.3 and work up to a -2.4 which was a really really low tide. Yesterday I looked to see just how low the tides were and saw that there were some -3.4 tides!! I do not remember them getting that low when I was little. Clam digging is not nearly as good anymore, because of all the pollution in the water and all of the “red tide” which is the common name for paralytic shellfish poisoning. It will kill you if you eat seafood that has eaten the plant while in bloom.
It is so sad to see the clam beds all lying wasted, with the empty shells washing up on the shore. It is even sadder to know that generations of kids will grow up and never know the joy of getting up at midnight on a very cold December evening and carrying the Coleman Lantern down the muddy cliff behind your father while he leads you once again onto the abundant clam beds that had been harvested for centuries by first the Indians and then the white man. These kids won’t ever know the feeling of having frozen fingers and toes and watching their breath leave their mouths while their hands shake as they held the lantern while their father filled the burlap bag full of those little steamer clams we knew we would be eating for dinner the very next night. Damn! And all I have in the cupboard is a can of Snow’s Clam Chowder. Nah!! Just won’t do! I may have to start reading those tide tables again.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
It is time to quit pampering our kids...
Spare the Rod and spoil the child.
Growing up in the 40’s and 50’s that phrase was used by my Mother when ever she saw a child misbehaving and it’s parents ignoring it. It was a given that you spanked your child. Children were to be seen and not heard. Children addressed grown ups as Mr. or Mrs., NEVER by their first name. If they were a close family friend then it was Aunt so and so or Uncle what’s your name. NEVER EVER by their given name. Children also were told to not interrupt. You could not pat your parent on their knee and say Mom, Mom, Mom until you were recognized. NOPE. You were told to sit until asked to speak. Emergencies excepted of course. Families all sat down to eat dinner together, and manners were expected to be used. I remember getting a fork stuck into my elbow if I forgot and leaned on the table. Your free hand was kept in your lap, and you ate with one hand, and chewed with your mouth closed and did not EVER talk with your mouth full!
Children were expected to be polite when visiting, and if you misbehaved, you knew there would be consequences to pay when you got home. You were rarely disciplined in public, unless absolutely necessary, and the fear of “waiting until your Father gets Home” was usually worse than the actual punishment.
Yes there were stories of children that were beaten not spanked, and there were cases of children so abused that they were taken away from their parents. That was not the case in our neighborhoods. We were a military family, and we lived in a very close community, and the behavior of the family was watched very closely. If the children or Wife was unruly, The military would call the serviceman onto the carpet, and tell him to make sure his family was kept out of trouble.
Teachers would send notes home with a misbehaving pupil, and if that note was not answered, then the teacher would ask the parent to come in for a conference. Policemen knew by name the “bad” Children, and where they lived, and they were there to watch over the good kids on their long walks home.
We Knew that any wrong move would bring a spanking. I for one, did not get many spankings, because I feared them, so I behaved as much as possible. Phyllis, on the other hand tried anything and everything, and usually got caught and punished. I remember her getting into trouble almost every day.
Mom would spank so hard she would hurt her hand, so she switched to a ping pong paddle or a pancake turner. Dad was rarely the one to administer the corporeal punishment.
As we grew up into the 60’s, less and less children were getting spanked, and more and more were rebelling and running away from home. By the time I graduated from High School Psychologists were starting to put forth the theory that children were rebelling because of they way they were treated growing up. That spankings were not the proper way to discipline a child, that reason and logic were the right way. Rewarding your child for doing something right was much preferred to punishing your child for doing something wrong. My generation was the first to fall into the trap of treating your children like grown adults instead of letting them be children. We allowed them to dress up and wear make up way before their time, and we gave them things with out making them earn them. We spared the rod, and in my humble opinion, we spoiled our children.
There is nothing wrong with spoiling your children, as long as they know that misbehaving is nothing to be rewarded for. I admit to spoiling my kids. I gave them anything I could, but not to reward them, but to show them the love I had for them. I also spanked my children when they needed it. I was also a military wife, and my husband was rarely home, so the disciplining was up to me. I spanked hard also. But one of the things I never did was use a paddle, or spank anywhere other than the back of their legs or their fanny! That was fair game.
My children did not grow up with the manners I had growing up, and I blame myself for not taking the time to teach them. I was too busy working full time, to get the things that they wanted. Just like the rest of my generation.
Now we are working on the third generation of no spanking, and both parents working full time just to make ends meet. This leaves their children to raise themselves with the help of violent video games, and mindless television. You see them driving their brand new cars at high speeds through town, while talking on their cell phones. You see them cutting into lines in the parking lots, and running into stores while you sit and seethe. You see them yelling obscenities at other drivers, and causing accidents. You see them pushing other children around and laughing at it. You see them shoplifting items and then bragging about it to their friends.
There is more and more being reported about out of control kids. It is time to rethink the negotiating and logic that was applied to unruly children and go back to corporeal punishment. I am not in any way shape or form condoning beating your child nor any form of child abuse. I am speaking of spanking a child for not behaving. We need to start teaching manners and civility to our younger generations. We need to teach them that there are consequences for their actions, and not just in front of their parents, but all through their lives. That any time they put their needs and wants before the good of society, that the consequences will have to be paid. We have raised three generations of ill-mannered Americans. Is it any wonder that we have a bad reputation in the rest of the world?
Growing up in the 40’s and 50’s that phrase was used by my Mother when ever she saw a child misbehaving and it’s parents ignoring it. It was a given that you spanked your child. Children were to be seen and not heard. Children addressed grown ups as Mr. or Mrs., NEVER by their first name. If they were a close family friend then it was Aunt so and so or Uncle what’s your name. NEVER EVER by their given name. Children also were told to not interrupt. You could not pat your parent on their knee and say Mom, Mom, Mom until you were recognized. NOPE. You were told to sit until asked to speak. Emergencies excepted of course. Families all sat down to eat dinner together, and manners were expected to be used. I remember getting a fork stuck into my elbow if I forgot and leaned on the table. Your free hand was kept in your lap, and you ate with one hand, and chewed with your mouth closed and did not EVER talk with your mouth full!
Children were expected to be polite when visiting, and if you misbehaved, you knew there would be consequences to pay when you got home. You were rarely disciplined in public, unless absolutely necessary, and the fear of “waiting until your Father gets Home” was usually worse than the actual punishment.
Yes there were stories of children that were beaten not spanked, and there were cases of children so abused that they were taken away from their parents. That was not the case in our neighborhoods. We were a military family, and we lived in a very close community, and the behavior of the family was watched very closely. If the children or Wife was unruly, The military would call the serviceman onto the carpet, and tell him to make sure his family was kept out of trouble.
Teachers would send notes home with a misbehaving pupil, and if that note was not answered, then the teacher would ask the parent to come in for a conference. Policemen knew by name the “bad” Children, and where they lived, and they were there to watch over the good kids on their long walks home.
We Knew that any wrong move would bring a spanking. I for one, did not get many spankings, because I feared them, so I behaved as much as possible. Phyllis, on the other hand tried anything and everything, and usually got caught and punished. I remember her getting into trouble almost every day.
Mom would spank so hard she would hurt her hand, so she switched to a ping pong paddle or a pancake turner. Dad was rarely the one to administer the corporeal punishment.
As we grew up into the 60’s, less and less children were getting spanked, and more and more were rebelling and running away from home. By the time I graduated from High School Psychologists were starting to put forth the theory that children were rebelling because of they way they were treated growing up. That spankings were not the proper way to discipline a child, that reason and logic were the right way. Rewarding your child for doing something right was much preferred to punishing your child for doing something wrong. My generation was the first to fall into the trap of treating your children like grown adults instead of letting them be children. We allowed them to dress up and wear make up way before their time, and we gave them things with out making them earn them. We spared the rod, and in my humble opinion, we spoiled our children.
There is nothing wrong with spoiling your children, as long as they know that misbehaving is nothing to be rewarded for. I admit to spoiling my kids. I gave them anything I could, but not to reward them, but to show them the love I had for them. I also spanked my children when they needed it. I was also a military wife, and my husband was rarely home, so the disciplining was up to me. I spanked hard also. But one of the things I never did was use a paddle, or spank anywhere other than the back of their legs or their fanny! That was fair game.
My children did not grow up with the manners I had growing up, and I blame myself for not taking the time to teach them. I was too busy working full time, to get the things that they wanted. Just like the rest of my generation.
Now we are working on the third generation of no spanking, and both parents working full time just to make ends meet. This leaves their children to raise themselves with the help of violent video games, and mindless television. You see them driving their brand new cars at high speeds through town, while talking on their cell phones. You see them cutting into lines in the parking lots, and running into stores while you sit and seethe. You see them yelling obscenities at other drivers, and causing accidents. You see them pushing other children around and laughing at it. You see them shoplifting items and then bragging about it to their friends.
There is more and more being reported about out of control kids. It is time to rethink the negotiating and logic that was applied to unruly children and go back to corporeal punishment. I am not in any way shape or form condoning beating your child nor any form of child abuse. I am speaking of spanking a child for not behaving. We need to start teaching manners and civility to our younger generations. We need to teach them that there are consequences for their actions, and not just in front of their parents, but all through their lives. That any time they put their needs and wants before the good of society, that the consequences will have to be paid. We have raised three generations of ill-mannered Americans. Is it any wonder that we have a bad reputation in the rest of the world?
I hate alder trees...or maybe it's spring I hate.
Between the Alders sending out their catkins, and exacerbating my allergies, and my computer kicking me off line everytime I try to post, I am not having a good week. I am so tired, All I want to do is sleep. I get up get dressed and fall asleep in my chair, or at the bird window. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ and I have no Ayrtec either. My luings are full of crap, and I hack all morning.
I have sat down here to post several times, and cant go any where. TOday is the first day I have gotten THIS far. Let's see how far I get in posting this.
I am gearing up to begin another Play. Rusty is directing FOREVER PLAID, and I am her Producer. I also am going to put my name in to direct a play for next season. Either SOCIAL SECURITY, or COOKING WITH GUS. Both are really funny comedies, and I should have a fair shot at them. If not, I will produce for DOttie when she does 12 Angry Men as an off season show.
I had to have Sadie shaved last week, she is one nekkid puppy! She had so much fun out there playing in the snow, and getting snowballs all through her feathers, that she matted up badly. So the only way the groomer could get her groomed was to take her all the way down. She looks like a little beige lamb! even her ears had to go. SHe will grow out really fast, and look like a cocker spaniel again. Meanwhile she shivers. I made her a sweater but she wouldnt walk in it, so I took it back off. I had to turn on my electric blanket for her to lay on, so she could get warm. Who says I spoil my pets?
Friday, February 09, 2007
DAMN Hewlett Packard!!
I have been babying my printer along until payday as I can only afford 1 set of print cartridges a month. SO Yesterday I went in to Office Max to get my monthly supply. I have an HP Photosmart 3150 all in one printer that copies, prints and scans. It is really nice. I used to have a Photosmart 1000 that I lieterally wore out. Over 15000 pages out of it. and the Cartridges lasted a LOONG TIME.
I now use 92 or 93 and they are a lot cheaper and a WHOLE lot smaller. Much better color though. SO I go in and grab my usual cartridges, get them home and open them. Both of them. I inserted them and sat back waiting for the test page and calibration page to p[op out, only to discover that a box popped up telling me that I had the wrong cartridges in both slots. HRMMMM says I. I thought I did it correctly, opened the door to find that I indeed had them installed in the correct spaces according to the little diagrams that come on them. I pulled them out, and re installed them only to get the same pop up. Wrong cartridges in wrong spots. SO I pulled them out, and then looked at the old ones,. LOOKED EXACTLY the same, fit in exactly the same spots only they were off by one fricking number!! I had purchased a 94-95 twin pack, and I needed the 92-93 twin pack. ARRRGHHHH Why would a company make different cartriges for two printers, when they both look exactly alike and even fit properly? THey just are coded differently. Had they been totally different, then I would have only opened the ONE and still been able to return the OTHER>
I will take these back to Office Max tomorrow, but how much you wanna bet they tell me to eat beans? Why would they give me the right ones when It was my own stoopid fault for not paying attention to the fact that their cartridges look EXACTLY ALIKE???>?
ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH
on another note, if you have not seen the Guardian with Kevin Costner and cutie pie whatshis name. You need to rent it. It is GOOD!!!!
I now use 92 or 93 and they are a lot cheaper and a WHOLE lot smaller. Much better color though. SO I go in and grab my usual cartridges, get them home and open them. Both of them. I inserted them and sat back waiting for the test page and calibration page to p[op out, only to discover that a box popped up telling me that I had the wrong cartridges in both slots. HRMMMM says I. I thought I did it correctly, opened the door to find that I indeed had them installed in the correct spaces according to the little diagrams that come on them. I pulled them out, and re installed them only to get the same pop up. Wrong cartridges in wrong spots. SO I pulled them out, and then looked at the old ones,. LOOKED EXACTLY the same, fit in exactly the same spots only they were off by one fricking number!! I had purchased a 94-95 twin pack, and I needed the 92-93 twin pack. ARRRGHHHH Why would a company make different cartriges for two printers, when they both look exactly alike and even fit properly? THey just are coded differently. Had they been totally different, then I would have only opened the ONE and still been able to return the OTHER>
I will take these back to Office Max tomorrow, but how much you wanna bet they tell me to eat beans? Why would they give me the right ones when It was my own stoopid fault for not paying attention to the fact that their cartridges look EXACTLY ALIKE???>?
ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH
on another note, if you have not seen the Guardian with Kevin Costner and cutie pie whatshis name. You need to rent it. It is GOOD!!!!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
In My Opinion....
I think I am going to take this blog into a different direction…at least for 1 day a week. I am going to make Wednesdays the day right smack in the middle of the week when I say what is on my mind. It will be a brief peek into my sick little mind. My views may change from week to week depending on the stars, and whether or not I have taken my Zoloft. I have a giant list of subjects that I want to write about, but I want to ease into this slowly, so I don’t scare myself, of my readers off. Some of my opinions will be quite surprising to most of you, and not so much to others. I will try desperately NOT to offend you, but if I do, I am sorry. It would not be my intention to do so, but merely getting a long buried opinion out of my convoluted brain.
Some of the subjects that are festering in there are: News media, political correctness, bigotry, personal responsibility, medical insurance, Doctors, Real estate developers, immigration, gasoline prices, global warming, the Iraq war, spanking your children, network TV schedules, Education, the WASL, (a test that all high school seniors MUST pass in order to graduate) and anything else that might just pop out in a moment of illucidness. These might be funny, sad, incendiary or a combination. It is for sure that they will be MY OWN opinions, and more than likely won’t be that well written. I have a tendency to make up my mind about something and then not be able to defend my thoughts. Thus my political positions. I don’t know why I think the way I do. One thing for sure, you never know what will be popping up! Any subjects that you would like to see me opine about?
So now you have had fair warning, so give me a week to get my thoughts in order, and then tune in folks! Oughta be fun if I can pull this off.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Tim!
We drove Over and saw Tim again today. A cold dreary, misty drippy day. But it was a nice drive. Bob was finally cleared to visit, so he went over with me which really helped! The drive was not nearly as bad! My back was spasming bad, so he drove most of the time.
When we left Port Angeles and started around Lake Crescent, the sky lowered. The water was still as glass, reflecting the gray clouds and dark mountains into it. There were still trees laying everywhere from our Fall wind storm, but the drive was beautiful. The rain drops were spotting the water clear across the lake. It was so cool.
We got into O.C.C. and went and signed in at the visitors desk and they called Tim to come on down. They are really relaxed there, as it is the minimum security Prison, and everyone there is on good behavior. They have it really good. Microwaves, and tv's and semi private rooms and they even get paid for working!! .40 an hour! and if they have to work on Friday, they get paid overtime! .60 an hour!! LOLOLOL ah well, keeps them honest! He came in with a full beard! ACK!! that is not my clean shaven good looking kid! he laughed. Said it was just to see what it would look like.
Several of you asked about my email address. I posted it over there in the side bar. take out the words and replace them with the symbols and you got it.
Off to bed now, as I have to clean house big time tomorrow.
When we left Port Angeles and started around Lake Crescent, the sky lowered. The water was still as glass, reflecting the gray clouds and dark mountains into it. There were still trees laying everywhere from our Fall wind storm, but the drive was beautiful. The rain drops were spotting the water clear across the lake. It was so cool.
We got into O.C.C. and went and signed in at the visitors desk and they called Tim to come on down. They are really relaxed there, as it is the minimum security Prison, and everyone there is on good behavior. They have it really good. Microwaves, and tv's and semi private rooms and they even get paid for working!! .40 an hour! and if they have to work on Friday, they get paid overtime! .60 an hour!! LOLOLOL ah well, keeps them honest! He came in with a full beard! ACK!! that is not my clean shaven good looking kid! he laughed. Said it was just to see what it would look like.
Several of you asked about my email address. I posted it over there in the side bar. take out the words and replace them with the symbols and you got it.
Off to bed now, as I have to clean house big time tomorrow.
Friday, February 02, 2007
A lost blogger...FOUND!
All of you know how I keep track of people I like and have disappeared, well TXOCEANLOVER was one of those people. He stopped blogging suddenly in October and there were some very unsettled things in his life. I sent him several emails, And heard nothing, so me and my big mouth sent one more. To the Tune of Get your lazy ass back on the net. And he sent me this answer…with permission to post it. So for those of you who, like me, was worried about David, here ya go.
Mary Lou
My sincere apologies for not answering before now. It just shows you what I
am going through. I cannot make myself doing anything despite knowing that
I have tons to do. You should see the things on my desk that I NEED to do,
but I just stare at them day after day. The same goes with the computer and
especially the blog. I know I should go back to it, but I can't even make
myself hit the link to see if it still works.
The last year just took so much out of me - the unexpected and untimely
death of a dear sister-in-law, the huge numbers of problems associated with
my mother-in-law, her move to Austin, the birth of Ella and the problems
associated with her cleft palate, and the problems with the youngest
daughter. All of them just flat wore me down.
I hardly ever see my grandkids any more -especially the three boys of the
youngest - since she moved in with the boys other grandmother. The others
are hard to see as well as they live 20 miles away and are in school. I did
see a lot of Ella going to and from the pediactric dentist in San Antonio
each week.
Speaking of Ella - she made it through her first surgery to repair lip and
nose and she looks tons better, but still has a ways to go. That was so
tough to see her go through that and the hard two weeks with her arms
restrained. But she appears to be an intelligent and happy baby and even
loves to talk on the phone anytime it is in her Mom's hands.
I have started back to the gym - have 30 pounds to lose. For the longest
time I could not make myself even go work out and I feel every pound of it.
I have also rejoined weight watchers to motivate me. So there is a little
progress there.
I most certainly miss those in the blog world that I came to respect and
enjoy. I am not certain if I will come back - I have mixed feelings about
that. I certainly would welcome emails although I find it hard to sit down
and type replies. I often wonder how each and every one is doing.
Thank you so much for checking on me and feel free to post this to our
friends if you wish.
I wish you the best.
David
I would like to see him get back on the blogwalk, but then I am not as good at it as I used to be either. I quit worrying about making sure I haven't offended anyone, or making sure I post every day, or so on, I just post for me, and you all are the cream that comes in the gravy! I am so grateful for blog friends! They keep me sane.
or not.
Mary Lou
My sincere apologies for not answering before now. It just shows you what I
am going through. I cannot make myself doing anything despite knowing that
I have tons to do. You should see the things on my desk that I NEED to do,
but I just stare at them day after day. The same goes with the computer and
especially the blog. I know I should go back to it, but I can't even make
myself hit the link to see if it still works.
The last year just took so much out of me - the unexpected and untimely
death of a dear sister-in-law, the huge numbers of problems associated with
my mother-in-law, her move to Austin, the birth of Ella and the problems
associated with her cleft palate, and the problems with the youngest
daughter. All of them just flat wore me down.
I hardly ever see my grandkids any more -especially the three boys of the
youngest - since she moved in with the boys other grandmother. The others
are hard to see as well as they live 20 miles away and are in school. I did
see a lot of Ella going to and from the pediactric dentist in San Antonio
each week.
Speaking of Ella - she made it through her first surgery to repair lip and
nose and she looks tons better, but still has a ways to go. That was so
tough to see her go through that and the hard two weeks with her arms
restrained. But she appears to be an intelligent and happy baby and even
loves to talk on the phone anytime it is in her Mom's hands.
I have started back to the gym - have 30 pounds to lose. For the longest
time I could not make myself even go work out and I feel every pound of it.
I have also rejoined weight watchers to motivate me. So there is a little
progress there.
I most certainly miss those in the blog world that I came to respect and
enjoy. I am not certain if I will come back - I have mixed feelings about
that. I certainly would welcome emails although I find it hard to sit down
and type replies. I often wonder how each and every one is doing.
Thank you so much for checking on me and feel free to post this to our
friends if you wish.
I wish you the best.
David
I would like to see him get back on the blogwalk, but then I am not as good at it as I used to be either. I quit worrying about making sure I haven't offended anyone, or making sure I post every day, or so on, I just post for me, and you all are the cream that comes in the gravy! I am so grateful for blog friends! They keep me sane.
or not.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
whoo-hoo I got on!!
Yesterday morning I woke up at 630 which is waaay early for me. I took a look out my window and could see that it was just a little foggy. I dozed until 700 turned on TODAY and sat and watched the night fade into morning. The fog disappeared, and the eastern edge ever so slightly got pink. Just as it was pinking up, wisps of fog made their way through the trees, like tiny clouds. The edges of the trees were turning gold, so I knew that the sun couldn’t be too far behind. Suddenly there was a golden fog over everything. Not thick like pea soup, but light and airy like angels wings. It was beautiful. I watched the frost actually form on the wisteria and the fence top, then slowly drip into oblivion as it warmed up. The whole process of frost, then melt took maybe 20 minutes.
Just as the frost started melting, the birds woke up and then the feeders were covered with juncos and chickadees and doves. I rolled over onto my side to see if Sadie was awake yet, and she had crawled out of her pen, and was on the pillow right next to me with her head also on the window sill, just watching like I was. When she saw me look at her, she was ready to go out. That took care of the birds for a few minutes while she peed.
As I drove into Oak Harbor last evening, The sun had just gone behind the Olympics and was turning a pretty pink. Just as I rounded the curve to head east. I got a glimpse of the almost full moon, and Mt Baker just to the left of it. OH soooo pretty! I went on to my meeting at the Playhouse, did my errands, stopped at Albertson’s and headed home. The Moon was still high and bright, and as I shot over the top of Sherman Hill and headed in towards Coupeville, I looked over to my right at the Olympics and almost ran off the road. They were incredible!! The night was dark, so the Mountains should not have been visible but the very tops of them still had a good snow covering on them and the moonlight hit the snow and lit it up just maybe two shades lighter than the rest of the night. It looked like an island floating above the Penninsula. INCREDIBLE!
I stopped at Phyllis’ to pick up the catfood that Elliott can’t eat, and headed home. Coming down through the flats and the farm land around Crockett Lake every star in the sky was hanging like it was put there just for me. Incredible.
These are the moments, folks, that just take my breath away and make me so glad to be alive. Incredible….
cough cough....
Well Folks, if you dont see or hear from me in a while, do not worry, I have a very slow sick computer, and every time it coughs, it boots me off line and shuts down...TOTALLY! then I have to run check disc and re boot, and then reconnect and start over and cross my fingers. I am waiting for my tax refund which may not be until the middle of February, so I can have a complete overhaul done, complete with new modem.
I will keep trying though.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Crocus' are popping up
I headed out to actually try to work in the front flower bed today, but it was too cold still, so I opted to come back in and crochet. I did manage to pull some of the leaves off of the back of the beds, and there under all the detritis was a crocus popping through. One of the few that the squirrels did not get through the years. The tulips are up about 3 inches too. It is still cold out there, so I am afraid that we may lose some of our flowers if the weather keeps up. I am just amazed at this winter. We normally only have one or maybe two TOTAL weeks of cold weather, and the rest of the time it is in the high 40's and low 50's! But this winter has been un normal! Almost like a real winter! Maybe we will get a real spring too.
I have not seen Lola in several months. I am just wondering if the cold maybe got to her and she went into hibernation. I am hearing a LOT of loud thumping in the walls, I hope it is not Lola and her family hibernating in my insulation!! I will have to send some one under there to put out rat traps and poison. Not that I want to kill off Lola and her kin, but I do want the rats gone, and if they die not, I can seal up the entry to the crawlspace and be done with them. Or I just might set out a Hav-a-hart trap and catch the neighbors bastard cat that sits on my bird feeder like he is waiting for dessert, and throw him under the house, THEN seal it up. He could eat for months before he starves! kill two rats with one cat. ;)
Saturday, January 27, 2007
and ANOTHER one...LOLOL
| You Should Have Voted For Bush |
 (You May Want to Hide This From Your Left-y Blogger Friends) |
ANd I didnt cheat either...
Another quiz...
| You Are a Dreaming Soul |
 Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all... But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life. Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul |
Friday, January 26, 2007
What a beeeuuutiful day!
I woke up very late this morning, flat on my back which is unusual for me. Got up to fix a pot of coffee and get dressed. I had nothing clean to wear! I had all my laundry done, but Today is Friday, date day, so I needed to wear something besides a tee shirt and jeans. I found 1 silk blouse in the back of the closet, did my he=air and hit the road.
As I drove out of the developement and hit the open fields around the Navy auxillary Field, I saw the mountains. BRIGHT white in a sea of bright blue sky! No smog, no fog, no clouds, just clear blue and white. It made me want to just keep going! I didnt though, I stopped in Oak Harbor.
Turned in My dry cleaning, went to the Playhouse to make some copies for Rusty and then hit the bank to make a much needed deposit.
Once I had my chores in town down, I just drove around enjoying the beautiful weather. It was cold, only 38F. but it was clear, and the sun was so bright after all the gloom of the past several weeks, that it hurt my eyes! I had left my sunglasses in Bob's truck yesterday, so I was sun blinded. I can't take the bright sun very well at All. I make a great mole.
There are tiny green shoots sticking up out of the ground everywhere, letting everybody think that Spring is here. The crocus' are the first ones to bloom, and they are gonna be out before long! It absolutely amazes me the way that nature can say " ok, I've had enough of this cold shit, time to brighten up the world" and then do it. I have seen the blossoms on the fruit trees all out too early and then a cold snap hits and the fruit wont get a chance to set up for the summer. But some how, those old trees just keep bouncing back.
I passed a pussywillow bush today that was all out and almost blown, but my pussy willow is just sitting there looking like a dead bush. I really think I am going to cut it down this year. I hate to, because I keep thinking that this will be the year that it pussy's. However....I might cut the branches off and stick them along the outside of the back fence, and that way if they root, like they should, I will have a good dense green buffer in case some one builds back there.
Tomorrow I plan on getting out there in the back and getting the flower bed ready for early color. I can put pansies and primroses out there and then go right into the petunias, and other sowed seeds.
I hope we have a nice spring this year, last year was wet and late, and then we had a hot dry summer. I would like a warmer spring and a cooler summer this year, we shall see. guess the rest of the country just got slammed with winter finally. Hope you all are safe and warm.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
BRRRRRR...
I am so COLD! I am chilled to the bone. I’m not sick, just COLD!! I have on a sweater and Cords, fuzzy socks and warm slippers but I am still cold. I am now sitting in my bedroom with my door shut and the heater on, and the window shut! (I NEVER close my window!) I also have the electric blanket on high. So now I have three cats 1 dog and myself lying on the top of the covers, trying to get warm. You know it is cold when the animals scoot you off your own bed so they can have the warm spot.
The weather has actually warmed way up. Almost into the 60’s today, but the house is COLD. I walked around the yard today checking on the fence to make sure there were no holes being dug under it. (I heard coyotes right out side the yard all last night) As I walked I noticed the trees in Lea’s yard are budding up. Her plum trees are covered with buds! It is way too early for them. The tulips are poking their heads up through the soil also. Uh-uh! Not yet!! Gonna get cold again! It is really damp out there though, even with the sun shining. That is what is making it feel so cold. When our humidity is up, the weather is felt even more.
Another thing I am wondering about is the insulation under the house. When I had the flood on Mother’s Day, the workers ripped out all the insulation under the house, because it had gotten wet. They wanted the floors to dry out completely, and the insulation would get moldy and cause even more problems. I know for a fact that the workers came and put insulation back under the house, but I could not get under there myself, so how much they did and how well they did it I am not sure. I do know that my electric bill is up. Even with the power out ½ the time. It has been a lot colder, but I am usually not affected that much by cold. Guess I better get someone under the house to see just what is covered.
I suppose I could get my ass out and haul in some wood and build a fire in the wood stove, but we are under a stagnant air advisory, and can not burn fires unless it is your only source of heat. I do have wall heaters in every room, but I usually do not use them.
I was awake this morning at dawn, and actually got to see the sun rise, under the cloud cover! It was so pretty. And we are expecting sun for the next week or so. That ought to really fool the plants into a false sense of security! Spring is still a long ways off, and the Farmer’s Almanac says that we are due for more ice and snow and wind before the Middle of March. Whee!
The weather has actually warmed way up. Almost into the 60’s today, but the house is COLD. I walked around the yard today checking on the fence to make sure there were no holes being dug under it. (I heard coyotes right out side the yard all last night) As I walked I noticed the trees in Lea’s yard are budding up. Her plum trees are covered with buds! It is way too early for them. The tulips are poking their heads up through the soil also. Uh-uh! Not yet!! Gonna get cold again! It is really damp out there though, even with the sun shining. That is what is making it feel so cold. When our humidity is up, the weather is felt even more.
Another thing I am wondering about is the insulation under the house. When I had the flood on Mother’s Day, the workers ripped out all the insulation under the house, because it had gotten wet. They wanted the floors to dry out completely, and the insulation would get moldy and cause even more problems. I know for a fact that the workers came and put insulation back under the house, but I could not get under there myself, so how much they did and how well they did it I am not sure. I do know that my electric bill is up. Even with the power out ½ the time. It has been a lot colder, but I am usually not affected that much by cold. Guess I better get someone under the house to see just what is covered.
I suppose I could get my ass out and haul in some wood and build a fire in the wood stove, but we are under a stagnant air advisory, and can not burn fires unless it is your only source of heat. I do have wall heaters in every room, but I usually do not use them.
I was awake this morning at dawn, and actually got to see the sun rise, under the cloud cover! It was so pretty. And we are expecting sun for the next week or so. That ought to really fool the plants into a false sense of security! Spring is still a long ways off, and the Farmer’s Almanac says that we are due for more ice and snow and wind before the Middle of March. Whee!
Monday, January 22, 2007
Another Season is chosen...
One of the ways that Plays get chosen to be presented as a season, is what we call PLAYDAY. During the year prior to Jan, a committee is chosen to read plays that have been submitted as possible contenders. These are submitted by the membership, or potential directors. We all read the plays and then report on whether or not we feel that it would be a good choice for consideration. Is it a family play, adults only, violence, language, too complicated for our stage. Etc. A lot of the plays that are submitted would be wonderful shows, but we have a very small stage, that is not conducive to big splashy musicals. There is no “back stage” there is only a narrow stairway down to the small green room. So a big cast is very hard to use.
We narrow all the submissions down to 5 musicals and 7 comedy/dramas and then the plays are given to each member of the playday committee to present to the membership. We are each given 12 minutes to “sell” the play, by showing a few minutes of several scenes, without giving the end away. It is up to us to decide how we want to do this…read a few scenes, use actors to read those scenes, show a video clip, play the music, or have a group on stage to sell the song from the show.
Playday is set for the middle of January each year, and the Members are invited to come to a lasagna dinner (5.00) and then stay and watch the presentations, and vote for their choices. Then the top 3 shows from each category are announced. These shows are then presented to the board of directors to finalize the season, taking into consideration a well-rounded season: Our elderly, religious season ticket holders, how many children parts are involved, The newer younger season ticket holders that are expecting fresher shows etc.
Last night was our Playday for 2007-2008 season.
I had the award winning play “LAURA” a wonderful murder/mystery to sell to the membership, and it was good. Unfortunately it did not get chosen. Neither did Man Of La Mancha, which was Rusty’s presentation. So, It looks like I will not be doing any shows after June.
I am tempted to see about an off-season show, either a children’s Christmas play or seeing if I could put Laura on without the complicated set that it calls for.
The six shows that did make the semi-final cut are:
HONK! The Musical
Guys and Dolls
Angry Housewives
Cooking with Gus
Social Security
The Heiress
So we shall see what happens when the board meets, and what kind of a season we will have to work with. Rusty has said she wont direct any that have been presented (DARN!!!) and I don’t know who else will be, so I may not be producing any at all.
Tim called this evening…Nothing new to say Mom. It’s raining, I’m planting trees.
At least he is healthy and safe
Thursday, January 18, 2007
She's BAAACK....
I have a pair of varied thrushes that appear right after the new year every year. ANd they are back again this year. THey disappear as soon as it warms up in March or April, they can be heard, but rarely seen then. The have a really weird call. It sounds like they are whistling and humming the same one note.
The snow has finally melted and we have actually risen above the freezing mark! I have not hit 40 yet, but real close! I am due for some really sunny days, and then it can start all over again.
THe newscaster said last night that the Farmer's Almanac is predicting several more snow storms in Feb and a BIG WInter Storm in March! whoo! Dont know whether our power poles and trees can take much more. Looks like the rest of you finally got it too. Stay safe everyone. Remember, it is not absolutely necessary that you get out and drive in this mess. And if you do, be very careful!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
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