Smee's cap

Ok, Since I am going to start putting everything I crochet on here too, I have just finished pirate SMEE's Hat. It is gonna drive him wonky though because the tassle is gonna tickle his neck. Aw well!!

new computer

ok, here we go again...I need you all to list your blogs so I can add them to my favorites, otherwise I will not be around to see you. If y ou are listed on the sidebar, I can get you that way, but if you are not, please let me know so I can get you listed, now that I have a computer that will let me do things without freezing up. AHHHHHHHH this is so nice!! Gotta get used to the keyboard though.

A RAGING HEADACHE

As I was driving into to town this evening, All of a sudden I got slammed with a head ache. It was like it was standing right there in the road in front of the San de Fuca Church just waiting for me. I drove through it and it hit. WHAM!! ANd I had to go play herder on 30 little kids all restless because they have no clue what blocking is about, so they talk. THen I have to quiet them down so Rusty can talk, and I can hear.

ARRGGHHH!!I really do like little kids, I just do not like the ones that test you,or talk back or ignore you or have no manners. NO tolerance for that, so that made the headache worse.

I came home ate a chocolate bar, took a pain pill and went to bed. Can't sleep. SIGH!! I hope I get a good nights sleep soon! I really need one.

Fall Has Fell....AGAIN!

BRRRRRRR. Our Late summer finally arrived about the end of August and lasted until Yesterday! It started raining, and is still. THe leaves are falling off the trees like snowflakes falling. My poor tomatoes are so confused! THey were very late to get growing, but once they did they went to town, and as of last weekend, They were LOADED with blossoms and little bitty green tomatoes. ANd as of last night, they are starting to turn yellow and die back. THe tomatoes are too small to do anything with, they are early girls and should be about 3 " across to use for green tomatoes. THey are still only the size of a quarter. ah well.

I have the MOTHER of all slugs in my back yard! I opened the back door when I heard him knocking, and I kid you not, He is the BIGGEST damned slug I have ever seen. a good 3 inches Across and 6-7 inches long and green and yellow spotted. the most vulgar thing to be knocking at my door! YUCK!!



I have no idea where he was hiding to get that large, but his brothers are out now too, and chomping away on anything they can find!

Ever seen one climb a glass door? OH YUCKKKKK!!!! they are so gross!

Which car are you?

I'm a Ford Mustang!

You're an American classic -- fast, strong, and bold. You're not snobby or pretentious, but you have what it takes to give anyone a run for their money.

"Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Only I want it to be a convertible!!

A Night Of Shining Stars

The Whidbey Playhouse held it's annual SHINING STAR Awards ceremony tonight. This year we held it at the playhouse, and it was MC'd by Fil Baca, and Kyla Applegate. Each DIrector is asked to name one cast member and one staff member from each play from last season, and then we present them with a certificate as A SHINING STAR. This is our version of The Academy Awards. After each Play is introduced and each Director has their few words, and shows a few slides of each production, the winners are announced and they come up in front of the membership and receive their award.

Once the 7 plays are introduced and have presented their awards, then there is one Volunteer of the Year that is chosen. This year it was Bob Hendrix, my Friend Rusty's husband. WELL DONE!!!

Bobby designs, and builds MOST of the sets that we use. Bobby knows where each piece is located and stored at the Annex, and he knows which items need to be kept, and which to destroy. Bob also has to work with many different directors and come up with a workable set for the show that the director is producing. No easy task this. Our stage is very constricted, with no FLY room, and no main curtain, so we have to improvise. Bobby is excellent at this. He works after work each night, and some times into the next day. This Playhouse would be totally lost without him.



Our Board Member who was in charge of this years production was Kathy Fox, shown here with Bobby. Before she introduced him, she asked each of us in the audience to stand if we had usheres, or worked in the concessions, and then she asked them to stay standing while she asked who all had worked on set, directed, worked tech, etc. THere were very few people left sitting. We are a Totally volunteer organization, and NO ONE gets paid. So those very few that were left sitting got the message...we need all the volunteers we can get. No job is too small.

YEEEOUCH!

You know that state you are in when you are first waking up. The one that says you know what is going on, but your body doesn't move yet? Well I was there yesterday morning. The sun was coming through the window and hitting my face, there was a nice cool breeze coming in the screen, and I was flat on my back soaking it all in. I was aware of Schroeder on the windowsill above my head, and the others were all sound asleep on the bed.

A piliated woodpecker flew by the window making his loud yukyuk yuk call. THat startled Schroeder, who kicked the binoculars off the window sill right smack unto my forehead.I screamed and sat up which caused all of the others to levitate off the bed and scurry to hide. Schroeder was under the bed, and would not come out.

I have a very large bump over my left eye, and it HURTS!! the woodpecker was no where to be found.

damn animals!

I'm Official

Last night after swimming, I rushed to the playhouse, for the tailend of the Playday meeting that I was late for. Swimming therapy comes first!

I sat next to Dan, whose Partner Had promised me an Obama Sticker. I leaned over and whispered, "did you bring my bumper sticker?"

He quietly smiles and reaches into his brief case and pulls out the prize.

You are the FIRST, he says, As these JUST came in before we closed the shop. (he volunteers at the Demo hdqtrs)

Everyone at the table then wanted one, but he only had mine.

We immediately went out to the parking lot and made a celebration of removing the BUSH/Cheney 04 sticker from the bumper and replacing it with the bright shiny blue OBAMA sticker.

THen there in the lighted parking lot, standing around the back of my car, everyone applauded and cheered for the removal of my SHAME.

I feel sooo renewed!!

WARNING: Rant in progress

Ok, I am working on a rant, so if you are part of the Christian Right you had better close your ears and tiptoe on, because I am sick and TIRED of all this religion crap!

Driving home from swimming last night, I was admiring the sunset and the beauty that the Lord has made in this world, when all of a sudden my favorite ranter (no I do not agree with him a LOT) was saying that Governor Pahlin was calling for all church pastors to tell their congregationshow to vote and how to think!

I hit the roof of the car and screamed!!

I believe in God, and I do it my way and PRIVATELY! I do NOT believe that the church has any business at ALL in my government, or the selection of. I also do not believe that our Government has any right to tell us how to worship. This is a right guaranteed to all Americans by the Constitution of The United States. The two should NEVER meet! (ok, ok, I know that it is on our money, and they put their hands on the bible when sworn in. and SO HELP YOU GOD is part of the Oathes of office. BUT to me that is so much more different than a Baptist or a Pentecostal Preacher standing up and telling their congregation that you HAVE to vote for the Republicans because they believe in the right to life.

A woman's body and the treatment of, should only be a concern of that woman, her Doctor and Her God alone! She should not be required to have an unwanted baby, and to tell her that she has to, is WRONG!!!!
On this note, a woman who at the third trimester suddenly decides that she is no longer wanting to be a Mother has waited too long. 1st trimester abortion I fully believe in. 2nd trimester MAYBE, but third trimester is becoming more and more viable, and therefore should not be considered an abortion, but a live birth, and everything should be done to protect that life.

Sarah Pahlin's decision to keep her unborn baby even though she knew it would be born with Down;s syndrome is very very admirable, and I am sure it was not an easy choice to make. BUT it was a choice, and she was lucky to be able to HAVE that choice.

Her using her office as Governor as a soapbox to preach to her local congregation is WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!!!! Being a Governor who has religious feelings is however a right that she has. I heard that the Republican Party had McCain choose her, so that she would sway the undecided to the GOP side. Well, folks, I was undecided until she was presented. I was absolutely SHOCKED to see what would possibly be the next Vice President, and only 1 heart beat away from running this country.

I have been a McCain supporter for MANY years, I was thrilled with his Maverick ways of thumbing his nose at the established GOP, and his way of crossing the aisle in order to make a point. I was hoping so much that he would choose a VP that would also Thumb their nose at the GOP party. We all know that they need a good shake up. But SHARAH PAHLIN? arrrggghhhh!!! n I was hoping that Joe Leiberman would be his choice or maybe even Colin Powell. ( who was hung out to dry by the Bush administration)

I will admit that she is a tough woman...and I admire her for her grit, but she really needs to leave her Fundamentalist ideals at home, and quit trying to force them down our throats. ANd so does eveyone else that tries it. Leave me ALONE!! let me make my own desicions, and let me worship the way that I want to.

Anybody have a big bumpersticker for OBAMA/Biden that will cover up my Bush/Cheney one? I am so ashamed!!!!

ok, rant over...for now, and I know that I do not do it with as much elequence as RAINY DAY THOUGHTS does but then she is much better at it than I am.

Fall...

It has turned the corner from Summer into Fall. Maybe not on the calendar yet, but definitely in the air! The trees are already turning colors, and leaves are falling. The apples are red and laying on the ground, the deer are sporting gorgeous racks, and the fawns are wandering away from Mom. The Blackberries still are not ripe yet, and those that are, are not as sweet as they should have been three weeks ago. Tomato plants are blossoming, but no tomatoes, and at this time, they will not form. The night air is brisk and biting. I think we can say that the summer we have been waiting for is not going to show up. We have had one or two weeks of warm weather, but for the most part, it has gone from a wet cold spring right into a wet cold summer, and now a dry cold fall.

As I was coming home from the playhouse last night, the sun was just setting, and in the few seconds it took me to pull the car over and get out my camera, the sky had changed from orange/pink to purple/mauve. The moon was turning a reddish orange through the forest fire smoke on the Olympic Peninsula. It was still Pretty! I LOVE fall. I love snuggling under the covers at night, all warm and cozy with my nose poking out and breathing the cold night air. It smells so good.

The other morning at 400 I woke up and looked out the window right at ORION, my favorite constellation. When it shows up completely in our sky, we know that Fall is here, and Winter is not far behind. I expect a fairly early frost.

As much as I love the long days of summer...our days run from 345AM until 1045 PM ...I welcome the fresh air of Fall and look forward to Winter.

another day...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Stress Level is: 69%

You are prone to stress, and you're probably even pretty stressed right now. Life's problems seem to pile up on you, and this often makes you feel depressed and burned out. Learn to take time to relax and enjoy life, even if things are stressful. It's the only wa you'll get through the bad times.

How Stressed Are You?

a friend FOUND

Amazing how this internet works...

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

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

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

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

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

LIFE SUCKS!!!

Ok, It really is starting to..

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

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

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

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

Problems

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

You may hear from me, or you may not!

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

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

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

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

One really SAAAAAD Birthday cake!

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

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

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



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

What a mess!!!

Happy Birthday Sherri!!! sorry it melted!!

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.