Fixed!!!!

Another night of no sleep. I wish I knew what was up with me. I am so sleepy, so I put my book down, hang up my glasses, turn out the lamp and cuddle down and fall right to sleep...For about 45 min. Then I am wide awake! My body and my mind says I am tired but the rest of me says nope, been there done that now you are awake! I hate this. This morning I finally got to sleep around 400 and woke up at 900. Got up fixed a pot of terrible coffee, got dressed, and around noon I was so sleepy I had to go lay down. Took a 15 min cat nap and was wide awake again. I went to bed around midnight, and read until 100 then went to sleep, and now here it is 200, and I am wide awake again! ARRGGHHHH!! If I take Zyrtec for my allergies, I sleep all day, and all night, so that is out. I just want to go to sleep at a reasonable hour, sleep for 8 hours and wake up at a reasonable hour. I don't think that is asking too much.

I have had the weirdest thing going on with my computer. I could not get to Amazon.com at all. We have tried EVERYTHING and no luck. Could not go to Borders books either. Or ebay! So Blogeois' wonderful Husband WS talked me through setting up a network meeting, so he could look at my computer from 300 miles away. (magic folks, sheer magic!) but with my crap dial-up I could not get there. SO he talked me through downloading a website that would take care of the problem. It did. What is really weird about this is that there were only a few other people this had happened to, and he found one other person listed in google that fixed it, and that is where we went. It did fix the problem and now I can go there, but now WS is trying to find out what or who caused the problem, and why. There were about 35 URLs listed that I could not get to.
I am not going to list them here for fear of triggering the mess again. It did not appear to be a worm or virus, but I did save the fix-it site. It took us about 2 hours on the phone, with my CRAP dial-up kicking me off every so often.

THANK YOU WS!!!!!!! You are The MAN!!! :)

OOOO I so love this new attribute. At least it is new to me. Now if I can just remember how to change the background color....

It is rather cold tonight. I almost thought about pulling out the electric blanket and getting all warm and cozy. Too early yet though. I did pull the window half way shut though. I puttered out in the yard for awhile this afternoon. The sun was warm and the breeze was chilly, just PERFECT!! I filled the feeders again, and changed the water in the bird baths. The baby birds have learned how to play in the water, and they go get really dusty and then splash in the bird bath, It is so much fun to watch them play, clean or whatever they are doing. I thought I was gonna have to run out and rescue one of them because he looked like he was drowning, but he perked right up and flew away. Babies are so cute. All downy and bright. And skitterish. They are learning fast though. And soon they will have to learn to survive through the cold winter.

I painted a CD cabinet today and will finsih it tomorrow. It was black and I hated it, so I thought If I painted it to match the office, that I could put my cd's and DVD's there, and have them handy. Then I can get all of my photos off the hard drive and onto CD's so I wont lose them. might just make the PC run faster too.

I guess Blogger is back up now, as I seem to be typing this right into the template, so I will try and publish and see if it works. Better save it first. Learned my lesson the hard way! ;)

Fall...

The past few nights I have driven home from the Playhouse late at night.  It has been very bright out because of the full Harvest Moon.  It is laying low in the sky, and creating a bright path on the waters of Penn Cove.  Last night, I looked for it, and the sky was covered with clouds, however, it was not a thick layer of clouds it was what we call scattered clouds, and thin.  The full moon was lighting the sky through them.  As the clouds would scutter across, the Moon would pop out big and bright and beautiful.  At times there was a moon dog or Ring around the full moon.  This usually means that there are ice crystals in the air.  It felt like it at times too.  The temperature got down into the low 40’s.  SO low that as I lay awake there this morning, I could see my breath again.  

Last night I took a hot shower, and crawled into a nice clean bed and nightgown, rolled over on my tummy, grabbed a book and my glasses and bunched the pillows up under my chest to raise me up so I could read, and that is when I got a good whiff of Autumn!  A cold fresh wind blowing right in on my bed.  I love nights like that! As I grew sleepy, I turned out the light and snuggled under the covers with just my nose poking out.  I slept like a baby!!  It felt soooooo good!  Maybe it was the air, maybe it was the hot bath, maybe it was the fact that I have 3 whole days off, whatever it was I needed it and woke up this morning refreshed, and feeling like a million pennies.  

I watched the feeder this morning for about an hour, until Sadie woke up and had to go out.  Lola and Susie were both at the feeder.  Lola trying to cram a walnut as big as her head into her jaw and carry it off to store for the winter, and Susie  sitting in the middle of the sunflower seeds chomping away.  Soon there were three Lola’s and TWO Susies’s!!  And soon there was no more walnuts to stash away.  They have all been as busy as can be stocking up their larders.  

I was out of cat food, So I had to get dressed after all and run into town.  Grabbed a bad of Iams and came home the back way along the farm roads, and started noticing the way that Fall has arrived.  It is earlier than usual this year, and already the trees are turning and losing their leaves.  Last year they were not turning until way into October.  The geese are on their way South also.  You can hear them honking encouragement to their leader as they fly over the house.  I am right under the North-South west coast flyway, so I get a lot of honking and quacking late at night.  I Love that too.

As I was settling in and Sadie was just going to sleep in her pen, I heard a long mournful howl out back.  It was a ways off.  It was the wolves down the street.  They were singing a concert with the coyotes.  The Wolves are hybrids, and are well kept, and safe from human harm, and the coyotes are wild and run through the woods and down the roads, all night long, looking for food and friendship.  The night was full of the symphony of Nature, the critters, the wind through the leaves, chattering against the branches, the popping of the wisteria pods as it gets colder.  A loud BANG BANG POP.  It was wonderful.  

Some people think I am strange because I find beauty in the sounds of nature.  They think of them as a noisy nuisance, I think of them as music written by the greatest composers of all time.  Makes me wish I was years younger and tons smarter, so I could get a degree in Science and go off into the wilderness and study.  It is something I have always wanted to do, but just never had the opportunity to do so.  Ah well, maybe in my next life…

Sunday boo-boos!

LOLOLOLOLOLOL
Yesterday during the 3rd scene of Act 1, Charles blanked, and there was 15 seconds (seemed like an hour) of dead air. Elvira was trying to feed him a line, but he wasnt getting it. You could see his neck getting red from the bottom clear up to his face. Then he picked up a line from two scenes away, and walked off the stage leaving Elvira there to stare off into the audience. It was a hoot!! I ran into the sound booth and they were panicing trying to figure out what to do, so I said curtain, and they finished the scene. Then I ran down the 3 flights of stairs to the green room and told them to just continue on with where we should be.

Elvira was in tears, and Charles was aghast. I was laughing!! Only in community theater can you get away with things like this. We are not paid, we are all volunteers, so things happen. They continued on, and when they got to the part that they had already done, CHarles paraphrased it, and the audience Never knew anything was wrong except that someone forgot a line. LOLOLOLOL

I just wrote a nice long post, and my CRAP dial-up kicked me off and I lost it. SO now I have to go back and re-do it in word this time. We have 3 whole days off, without having to go in for rehearsal or performance so I am not getting dressed, I am not going out, I am not putting on a bra, I am going to blogwalk and create, and do my laundry. This is the first time in 3 months that I have had nothing to do. And I plan on doing it too.

Interlude...

Wow, I just discovered the attributes available to blogger!! never knew I could change font, or color, or size!!!
amazing what happens when you read the fine print on the page, right?

Opening night went wonderfully! we did not have a full house, but we had a great crowd, Now LAST night was another story. The house was about the same, but these guys would not laugh!! I sat in the directors balcony and tried salting the audience with laughs and applause, but they just were not having it. They enjoyed the show, just did not laugh. Rough crowd!! I have our first Sunday matinee today, so I will keep this short.

Gosh this is fun!!! I love color!!! I just wish I was not such a chicken when it comes to my house. I would have every wall painted a different primary or secondary color. This one isnt a very readable one though. I will have to go to this one. THere.

TOmorrow when I have nothing to do at the playhouse, I will write a nice long lengthy post. I have one stirring around inside just waiting to get out and on paper. If I can only get it out in the right way. Sometimes I have them and when I get them out on paper, they change.

It got cold last night. down into the low 40's and not expected to get much hotter today. I expect a frost before Halloween. and snow before thanksgiving. :)

Until tomorrow then...

Thursday....

I have not had time to breathe much less write a posting for several days. We open our show tomorrow, and tonight was a charity buy-out and "dress rehearsal". The show was a sell out for the Catholic Daughters, so they made some money. The audience was full of old people, and they LOVED the show! I have updated it to current times, and they loved that too. I changed the locale to the Pac NW and that brought a huge laugh. :)
Our leading Man cracks up at his own jokes when the audience laughs, and it is so funny watching him try to control it. Our Pro, Madame Arcati knows this and will do ANYTHING she can to see if she can crack him up. She usually succeeds! We have had fun getting this show ready to open, It has been extremely hard work with almost the whole staff leaving for this that and the other, but by GOD we made it. Now it is sit back and let them go on their own time. AHHHHHHH

Right now I am so tired that I can not sleep. My back keeps wanting to POP but it wont, and that just aches and aches, right down my sciatic nerve to my left foot. SO needless to say comfort is not easy to come by. I went right to bed after I got home tonight, but I could not get to sleep. Toss and turn and worry about what I may have forgot, and know there isn't anything that I have forgotten. I take staff pictures tomorrow evening before the show, and that should be that.

there is an article in the Paper about the show. www.whidbeynewstimes.com/ click on the community tab and the story is there Blithe Spirit.

I will be getting an archive DVD of the show, and I can send it around if you would like to see it. It is not PRO quality, the sound is a bit of a stretch, but it works. The high school films it for us. I have them of all my shows, if there is any you would like to see let me know and I can mail it to you for a peek, then you can mail it back. kinda like our own NETFLIX!

oh SWELL!!!

Updated 2:35 p.m. ET Sept. 14

An important seismic event imperceptible to humans has begun in the Pacific
Northwest as predicted, according to the government agency Geological
Survey
of Canada.

The chance of a major earthquake is 30 times higher now for a roughly
two-week period, but the odds are still remote, scientists say.

The event is called episodic tremor and slip (ETS). It involves a slow
movement of the Juan de Fuca and North America tectonic plates along the
Cascadia
http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/050103_cascadia_tsunami.html>>margin of southern British Columbia. Faults associated with the plates have
been the sites of major earthquakes -- akin to the colossal tsumani-causing

quake last December in Indonesia -- every 500 years or so, the geologic
record shows. The last such temblor in the area struck on Jan. 26 in the
year 1700.

Slow creep

The movement is slower than a traditional earthquake but more rapid than
the
normal creep associated with the fault. It runs in the reverse direction of
the normal creep.

The movement was predicted. Scientists recently learned that these ETS
events recur about every 14 months. It has been detected by Global
Positioning System instruments.

The event does not mean an earthquake is imminent, but geologists are eager
to study it and learn more and they say sooner or later an ETS event is
likely to trigger a major quake.

"Compared to the steady year-round stress accumulation, this more rapid
stress increase implies that a large subduction earthquake is more likely
to
happen during the time of an ETS event," the Canadian geologists write.

The slippage and associated minor tremors "are directly related to
megathrust (Sumatra-like) earthquake potential," lead geologist John
Cassidy
and a colleague said in Tuesday's statement. "Neither the tremor nor the
slip can be felt."

Odds go up

The slip began Sept. 3 on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State and has
migrated north to the Vancouver Island area, Cassidy wrote. Victoria moved
0.12 inches (3 millimeters) to the West over the course of two days. The
events are thought to last six to 15 days.

Cassidy's colleague, Stephane Mazzotti, has done some calculations on the
odds of a large temblor.

"The probability of occurrence of a megathrust earthquake is about 30 times
higher during this approximately two-week window, than during the rest of
the 14.5 month cycle," Cassidy told LiveScience. "Having said that, 30
times
a small number is still a small number."

Geologists simply don't know when one of these events will trigger a major
quake, Cassidy said.

The immediate importance of the event is that it occurred as predicted and
can now be used to improve understanding of the region's seismology.

"By better understanding these events, we will be able to better predict
the
effects (and perhaps timing) of future magnitude 9 earthquakes along the
West Coast," Cassidy and his colleague write.

A separate

study recently concluded that a major earthquake along the fault could be
overdue, given clusters of the events seen in the geologic record. Because
the fault is offshore, scientists say its rupture could create a
devastating tsunami.


Phyllis has been harping on everyone to get their emergency kits ready. If in fact the big one hits here, we are right on the line so we will get hard!!! I took out earthquake insurance about 8 years ago, so I am not worried. I just do not want the island to sink under the North American plate. That could get kinda hairy.
I am not afraid of surviving, if I made it out of the house alive, but I would be terrible worried about the rest of the family. Phyllis is only up about 50 feet, I'm up about 150.

Well folks it is liable to get really interesting around here...Gee Thanks Kate!!

Seriously, Kate, thanks for the link. Good to see you up and about! ;)

Monday Stuff...

I got up late this morning. Felt so very good to get a decent night's sleep for a change. I took a hot bath, put on clean sheets and fixed a cup of tea, and went to bed with a book. I fell asleep about 200 and only got up once to pee!

I heated up the cold pot of coffee that Donna had made at 615, and turned on the tv as i fired up the old SLOW CRAP dial up! My favorite MIKEY was on Food Network, cooking a backyard lobster bake, so I watched it and drooled. Michael Chiarello's Easy Entertaining is the latest in his series. I just LOVE him.

THen came Paula's SOuthern Cooking. I have Never met Brenda in person, but Paula Deen reminds me of what Brenda must sound like. I drool all through her show too, but then I turn off the food channel because I cant stand that skinny bitch that cooks Italian. NO body that looks like that can possibly eat what she cooks.

I am still stymied on Amazon. DOnna downloaded foxfire Mozilla and that is no good. None of the blogs look right in it. so I went back to IE 6.0 THen she tried taking down my firewall, and putting it back up, that did not work either. We did a defrag, we got rid of cookies and temp files, we down loaded PC-Cillin's latest, and still can not get to Amazon.com. I cant even get to Blogeois.com right now. GRRRRRR
this is making me very angry...I even tried what Jimbob said and used the IP address and that did not work. I finally called Isomedia, and he had me do a something congig/flush and it was fine. but I still can not get Amazon. All I did was order 75.00 worth of books from them last week. Got them too. GUess I wont be ordering any more. Cant even email them.


Tonight is the last rehearsal before we go live. Tuesday is Members and family night, and then we open on Thursday for a fund raiser. Whew. I got the lights all set yesterday, the tech is all done, the theater is clean, and I am ready for the run!!

HELP!!!

Any Computer geeks out there...I have a unique problem. THe day that New Orleans flooded, I lost Leslie, Pureland Mountains comments, and Amazon.com.

Now I called Leslie, and found out she has a server problem. Pure land Mountain is ok now much to Roberts joy, but I still can not get through to AMazon.com/ I thought maybe my daughter had put a parental block on it, to keep me from ordering more n=books, but she said no, she cant even get to it from here either.

We have no blocks on our system that we know of. SO why could I not be able to get through to amazon.com? Jim Bob...you are usually good at this kind of stuff. Now speak real english if you know what is wrong. I am stymied. I need my Amazon fix,...NOW!!!!!

Fall....?

Yesterday as I was sitting by the open back door of the theater, running the light board, and finishing tech as the press was watching the play. The theater gets really HOT during the summer, so we open everything we can. Suddenly the wind picked up and the big oak trees right outside the door started chattering with their drying up leaves. This gust of wind, blew the driest leaves right off the trees and skittered them right into the playhouse. It felt really good, but there was also a distinct chill in that gust.

I was really concentrating on the show, and the cues I was setting, but back in the back of my mind there was a blog post brewing. As I was setting cues, so Was Mother Nature. She was telling us that the hot dry summer was almost over, that Autumn was most definitely on the way.

I came home from the theater, absolutely fried, But knew that I did not have to go in for two days, so I put on my nightgown, forgoing the nightly ritual of a shower, and just flopped into bed. I usually read for about 2 hours after hitting the bed, but I did not even make it through one chapter. I woke up around 400 with water splashing in my face.

I rolled over and sat up, and looked out the window. It was DUMPING RAIN. I do mean DUMPING! The water was coming down so fast, that it was filling the gutters and spilling over the sides of them in sheets. We don't get rain like that. We get a steady wet mist, all the time. I closed the window down 1/2 way and went back to sleep. I woke up at 615 and peeked out side. It was just starting to get light out, and just the contrast from the Big Cumulus clouds overhead and the clear sky let me know that we had some real weather. Suddenly Ka-BOOM! And a big thunderous rumble came over the house, and then another, getting slower and quieter as it went on it's way east.

This morning when I woke up for good, (well for at least an hour anyway) I looked out back to see what all was wet, and I could just about see through the alders into the bare spaces in the deeper woods. The leaves were falling, and allowing even more light to peek through. I looked at the thermometer and it was sitting at 48. BRRRR. Almost time to drag out that Electric blanket again, and hook it up.


fall

The other night coming home before dark, I noticed that the light from the setting sun was giving off longer shadows and a more golden color to the evenings. I passed a field of straw bales all ready to get put into the barn for stall covering. IT was just stunning. SO I stopped right on Terry Rd and snapped away. It isn't even often that we see bales sitting out in the field after the middle of June.

Soon the full golden Harvest Moon will be making his way over the top of the Mountains. It is usually the first full moon after the autumnal Equinox. I have already spotted Orion, framed in my bedroom window at 557 on August 28Th. Now I know that Fall is almost here. I look forward to Fall every year. There is something so comforting about Autumn to me. It is like coming home. It is a feeling of stocking up the larder and stoking up the fire. Getting ready to Hunker down for the long dark winter that will surely follow fall, as Fall follows summer.

I am at peace. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Dress rehearsal...

Have some Brandy

This is our first dress rehearsal to see how the costumes look and to see what else we need to do to make them perfect. This scene is after Madame Arcati the Medium has gone into a trance and has been pulled out of it.



wives

Both Dead Wives have been brought into this world by some psychic force, and are now trying to get Madame Arcati to poof them back. They are both dressed in gray and should have gray make up on, which I forgot to buy!!! :(



madame arcati

This Lady will steal the show. She is a hoot, and cracks Charles up every night. SHe purposely gets him laughing and he will forget his lines. FUNNY!!!!!

We are almost ready to open. I still have the light cues to finalize, but the set is mostly done. Press night tomorrow night, and then we have the weekend off. I am so tired of trying to do everyone else's job. I have been the only staff member there every night, and when there are cues to set, notes to take, and lines to read for people that are not there, it gets really hairy. I am so ready for a break.

Thanks, Mary Lou!

Leslie here.

I just got a call at work from Mary Lou, wondering where in the world I was and if everything was alright. It's our stupid server that's down, cutting me off from e-mail and my blog and just when I have such Tales to Tell too! I was so disappointed not to be able to update today and she suggested I leave a little post here to say I Live.

We saw a grizzly, two black bears, traveled over 7,000 feet straight up a mountain through the clouds, and had a rather harrowing encounter on the highway but it sure was an awesome weekend.

Thanks, Mary Lou, for letting me say Hi here. I appreciate it. I'm sorry to have caused any worry.

Onward!!!

I spent this whole weekend at the theater getting things done. We finally have the painting done. All that is left now is to finish pulling the props together set the light cues, that I still have not done, and then the special effects. I am fried!!! The cast has been great getting all this work done. We had a good rehearsal last night after all the work we did yesterday, so that made for a very long day.

I feel like I am floundering here all by myself, as I have no staff left. just a cast and a house manager. We will get there. Everything is going to be fine. I found out last night that I forgot about make-up! I never even thought about that. And I have no ghost make up. SO today I have to figure out where we get that from and go get some.

I apologize for the many typos in the last post, I knew I was really tired, but didnt realize HOW tired I was until I read it last night. OUCH!! Ah Well!

Hey is anybody else having a problem getting through to Critterchicks place? I cant get there, PAGE NOT FOUND and I cant comment on several blogger blogs. I click on comments but the only thing that happens is the page refreshes.

I sent her an email, and she usually responds right back, but I have not heard from her. Guess I had better call her this afternoon and make sure she is ok. I worry!

Busy week ahead, so I may be posting sporatically, but hang in there, if JOHN can post with all he has been through, I guess I can too.

WOW!

I just paid 2.96 9/10 a gallon for regular gas on BASE!!! ouch! I budgeted for 90 a month for gas, but at this rate it'll be 180.00 a month!! This really hurts me. I have to go into the rehearsals every night. that is a 40 Mile round trip daily!! Yeooouuuucchhhh!!!

TOday we painted the floor,and finished the piddley little things. TOn=morrow trim goes up and the light cues get set. I was told by one of my active duty cast members that she may be going to the Gulf to help with the emergency. SHe is a Navy COrpsman. so that would leave a big hole in our play. ANd if Mike went too, there would be another hole. I asked a friend to come read Traci's part and learn her blocking, and IF Traci went, (god forbid) Kyle could take her place and be Dr. Bradman's MOTHER! Now if they would decide to take Billy Ray I would be sunk!

I am hoping that there will people closer to the damage than our little people. I just have to go with the punches.

I am really wiped out tonight. THis has been a very stressful week for everyone! Let us hope that normalcy and civility return VERY FAST to those that need it.
I am gonna go take a much needed shower and hit the sack!!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz

Tonites rehearsal...

Our play is coming along nicely. They know their lines, and tonite, since "Charles" was late because he had a late flight schedule, he ran in in his flight suit. His "wives" gave him a run for his money tonight, ad libbing and throwing his blocking off. You See, Billy Ray is a perfectionist!! And It drives him CRAZY when things are not the way they are s'posed to be. :)


Natalie

In this scene, Elvira, his first wife (now deceased) is showing his 2nd wife Ruth, that she is indeed here, even though Ruth can not see her. She is moving a vase of flowers. Charles is the only one who can see Elvira. And it becomes really funny when he tells Elvira to quit being a guttersnipe. FUNNY :)


Billy and MK

Madame Arcati is the local MEDIUM who has done a Seance and through it, has brought back Elvira, who in trying to kill Charles so he can be with her for all eternity, has in actuality, killed Ruth. Now Madame Arcati is trying to explain to Charles that she might not be able to get the ghosts back to the after life.



Madame arcadi and Ruth

Madame Arcati has just told Ruth (before she died, picture in wrong place oops...) that she has no idea how Elvira came to this side.


viv and traci

Dr and Mrs. Bradman are friends who were here during the seance and find the whole thing strangely funny. Violet keeps sticking her foot in her mouth.


taking notes

since I am the director, And have almost no staff left. Dottie, my costumer stepped in and prompted. Actually she was reading for Madame Arcati while she was gone.

This is a really funny play. And we should have everything done by Monday. The lights are pretty much set, I just have to set the cues, and train the light engineer. The set needs to have the finishing touches put on it, and the "Magic" added.

I had a Magic person who really wanted to have all of the special effects to do, but he sort of forgot and backed out, so that is one MORE thing on my plate. I have enlisted Traci and Mike's help when they are not on stage.

so Now let's see, my set builder quit, I found a new one, and he quit after the set was 1/2 built, so then I begged and got almost the rest built. My light designer quit, she had too much to do. (?) My Props person got a job that paid her 20% more so she had to drop out. And my Stage Manager quit. I have no idea what all this is about, but I really do not think it was anything I did. It has been a bit hairy, but it has been fun too. I just have to go with the flow. OH YEAH! And my producer went to Disneyland, and took a cruise to Alaska! JEEZ!!! It must mean we are gonna have a really great show.

OH GADS!!! We forgot the MOUSE HOLE!!!! AAARRRRGGHHHHHH!!!!!

Caution! Rant ahead....

I have been glued to CNN watching the devastation that Hurricane Katrina delivered to the Gulf Coast. I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard that John and his home were spared. Then I sat glued again, when I heard the dikes were breeched in several places, and sat there watching as the bowl that New Orleans sits in filled up with water.

I was amazed at people that actually decided to stay ON THE BEACH and wait out the storm. I was amazed that they actually thought they would be safe. I was flabbergasted type of devastation that the storm surge handed to Biloxi, and to Mobile.

I was horrified when I heard a commentator crying as she told of people who were hacking their way through the roofs of their flooded attics. I was horrified at the thought of people who would be breathing the little bit of air they had left, because they did not bring anything to chop their way out with. I was horrified when I thought of those people in the superdome, as the toilets filled and overflowed, and the water from the Lake was seeping in under the walls, and filling the field. As people got wet, they moved up higher.

My heart went out to these people because I have lived through tsunami's, hurricanes, typhoons, super wind storms, blizzards, and power outages and know how scary it can be, especially at night.

But what I can not understand is what in the hell happened to the theory of personal accountability? The ability to think for yourself. The ability to plan ahead for your safety and that of your family. The ability to prepare and have on hand the emergency supplies that you would be needing. The ability to have an emergency contingency plan laid out so that should you be separated from your family that you can plan on meeting at another place.

What I can not understand is the selfishness of these people as they break into and STEAL products from undefended stores. What I can not understand is what in the Hell allows them to think that they are entitled to those products? What I can not understand is the greed and the sheer lack of respect for each other that is coming out.

I am appalled at the anarchy that is running rampant. I am appalled at the way people are expecting the GOVERNMENT to be immediately on the scene to help them out of a fix. I am appalled that these people who CHOSE to live in these un safe places are blaming others for their predicament. I am appalled at the fact that people are rioting trying to get to buses to get out of town.

Someone said yesterday that a disaster brings out the best in people, but it also brings out the worse. I am glad that the Mayor finally declared a state of Marshall Law in New Orleans. Hopefully now the looting and stealing will stop.

I can fully understand taking food to feed your family, but I can not understand taking multiple pairs of Nike shoes, even if you are barefooted. Why CASES of them?
What are you going to do With a TV in a flooded town with no power and no place to plug it into? What are you going to do with those armloads of clothes that you had slung over your shoulder? Hang them from the chimney of your house?

I have always been self sufficient, or at least enough so that I could handle most emergencies. I have wood, I have water, I have food, I have sleeping bags and camping equipment and extra fuel to power them. I do not live in an area that has been repeatedly wiped out by natural disasters. I would NOT live in an area like that. (I also know where Phyllis lives, and SHE has EVERYTHING!!!!)

I am hoping that as the week ends that civility will return to those areas. I am hoping that the loss of life isn't as bad as it is being predicted. (although I am afraid that it will be much much worse!) I am hoping that disease will not take hold in this bio-mess of sludge and human waste, and decaying bodies, animal and human. I am hoping that life will get back to some sense of order soon so that the 3 million plus people in the affected area can get their lives back.

Ok Rant over....I just had to get it out....

****************************Play update********************************

We had 1/2 of our cast out last night for one reason or another, so we worked on problem areas with the three that I did have. I went in at noon and painted on the set, and worked on the lighting. This weekend I will have the set finished, and the baseboards and trim up and the lights refocused. Next week we film the commercial and have our first dress rehearsal. I will be taking lots of pictures, so as soon as I have them, I will post them. 15 days until we open...

getting further along!

billy

This is the day after we struck the set from the summer show. We use the same flats, and then we paint them to our specifications. I chose to use ½ the setup they had to save time and money. So we almost had our set built by this day. All we had to do was paint and tape the flats, and add a few touches of our own.

Last weekend, Saturday to be exact, we painted and finished propping the doors up. Now this weekend, we finish the furnishing and paint the floor. We do it last because that way if we spill something, we can cover it up. I am going with a really deep blue for the floor with some pastel oriental rugs. I want an uncluttered set, as much as possible, so it wont distract from the actors.

Last night we ran the show with no prompting, to see how well they could get themselves out of a pickle, and not leave dead air on stage. They did great!! A lot of laughter and fun was had. We have a Dr/jetpilot as our leading man, and he is SUCH a perfectionist. I just laugh, he gets so upset with himself when he boo-boos. His first show and he is good. His wife in real life plays his first dead wife in the show, so it is really funny.


See ya!

Tonight we are going to have to see how fast we can run it without stopping. Right now it is a 3 hour show, counting scene changes, and that is almost too long. I want to see if we can get it down to 2 ½ hours. I still have to find the rest of the props, and furnishing, and then clean the auditorium, and we are ready!! This one has been fun! Even with everyone quitting on me. My light designer, my set builders 2 different ones, and last night my stage manager. Ah well, I have a great cast, and they said they don’t need a stage manager, they can handle it themselves. WHOOT!! No egos in this show!!

Next week we film the cable commercial and then we have press night! And then the week after….Show Time Folks!!!


********************UPDATE*********************************************************

I just heard from TW:

We made it through fine, thanks Mary Lou. The major thing around here
is the power outages. Something like half the state doesn't have
power--we've been lucky (knock on wood)--it went out for a little while
last night but has been back on since. From what I hear there's been a
few trees down around the metro area, and some isolated flooding, and
phone and power outages.

Now the coast--New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi, Mobile--that's a different
story. I know you've probably seen the pictures. We've heard from the
Hunter's aunt in Pensacola and she's fine, but we haven't heard from the
one in Pascagoula but we think she evacuated to a cousin's. We don't
think she will have a house to come back to, though.

Hope you're well, and thanks for checking up on us.

TW

*********************anybody heard from JOE?***************************

Sunday Sunday...

I could not sleep last night, My body hurt so bad! Bachache, and my Knees and hips, from running up and down the stairs at the playhouse yesterday. I was up twice to put pain killer stuff all over me. Did not work, I just could NOT get comfortable. I finally saw the clock for the last time at 432 AM then I woke up when Little Miss Sassy Sadie heard Lola, and decided that she just HAD to go pottie. Yeah, well It was 930...

As soon as I opened the back door, off the porch Sadie flew, not even stopping to walk down the four steps, just flew off the top and over to the feeder where Lola promptly flew off the dfeeder and up the wisteria to the fence, chattering and screaming all the way. Sadie was chasing and jumping and barking trying to get Lola to come down and play chase, but Lola wasn't having any of that at all. Soon Lola ran into another Lola, and then the squirrel wars started, over whose fence was whose, and Sadie was t rying to get them both to come down. See even squirrels sleep in and lose out!

I was watching CNN all afternoon watching the latest on Katrina, as she slowly churns her way up the gulf right for Louisiana. This could get really nasty over there. I realized that I had nothing to eat for dinner, so I headed for the store, and that is when I realized that we were about to get some weather too. The fog was rolling in FAST and THICK and DARK!! and the wind was picking up fast. It was almost like winter out there, in fact right now as I look out, the fog is gone, but it is POURING rain!! Good we need it so bad!

As I looked out the office window, at the alders swaying in the wind, I noticed that I could see through all the green! the Leaves this year have been very full and green, NO CATERPILLARS!!! Yes!! and I could actually see through them into the forest. I looked closer and discovered that they are already turning yellow and falling off the limbs. Could be we could have an early Fall. It smells like it right now. The air blowing in from the North Pacific is full of salt air, and has a distinct chill to it.

I almost could justify building a fire in the wood stove, but not until November 1!! and no fires after April 1! I guess I could haul my ass over and shut the window though huh? NAHHHH not yet. It is still August!

Blithe Spirit

As you may know I am very involved with COmmunity Theater. Right now I am directing Blithe Spirit by Noel COward, which is a funny farce in 3 acts. Some of you have shown an interest in wanting to know what all happens during the production of a show.

The picture above is the first week of rehearsal. We are in the rehearsal studio, with no props, no stage, just mirrors and chairs. We use masking tape on the carpet and lay out our stage. And we play from scripts until we get our "blocking" done.

Today we all got together and went in and painted the set. I have it all a really pale blue, cold and stern. I want the actors to bring the color into the show, not the set. THe lighting will also work better if the stage is monochromatic. THe furniture is a pastel floral, and will work nicely. When Elvira, the ghost of wife number 1 walks in, she will be all in gray, her skin her clothing etc. and the lining of her shroud is red satin. My way of showing that she is a real colorful character. When WIfe #2 dies, she shows up in the identical gray outfits, but her lining is Ice Blue. Cold as her heart was. Madame Arcati is the Medium who will be holding the seance and she is all colorful. THerefore I did not want the set interferring with their characterizations. I think we did pretty good.

We got all the flats painted, and will do the floor the week before the show starts. I will take plenty of pictures when we get finished, and in dress rehearsal. I have not shown a BEFORE picture, so now you will be on the edges of your seats to see the AFTER pictures. Nasty aren't I ;)

I totally crashed yesterday. I was wrried about high blood sugar, so I did not eat any carbs, and right after I ate 2 plain hotdogs and some cheese, all protein, I felt myself starting to crash. It feels like there is ice water flowing through your veins, then I got really shaky, and at this time Bob came in for our Friday night Date. He was gonna call 911, but I convinced him that I would be fine, so he got me some honey and a glass of milk, and watched me until I was better. Blood sugar got down to 39. NOT a good thing. Should be around 100-120. OOPS!!

So today I was concentrating on getting those carbs in me too. I feel much better tonight, even after all the hard work today. It is a feel good feeling knowing that another crisis was averted.

Ya'll be good now, and JOHN! GET OUT NOW!!!!! Get Bear up to Becky's place and wait it out. Wanda, and TW and anyone else in harms way, take care. Let us know when you are back home safely please.

She's so vain....

My Friend Rusty sent this to me in an email, and with the exception of David and Bill who will have no clue, I thought you would all find this funny!!

I'm glad I'm not vain, and that I dont have to wax anything but my upper lip!!


All hair removal methods have tricked us with their promises of easy,
painless removal - The epilady, scissors, razors, Nair and now...the
wax.

My night began as any other normal weekday night. Come home fix dinner,
played with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully
in my mind for the next few hours: Maybe I should pull the wax out of
the medicine cabinet.

So I headed to the site of my demise; the bathroom. It was one
of those cold wax kits. No melting a clump of hot wax, you just rub
the strips together in your hand and then they get warm and you peel them
apart press it to your leg (or wherever else) and hair comes right off.

No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean I'm no girly, girl but I am
mechanically inclined enough that I can figure it out. *YA THINK!!!*
So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other
stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, I get out the hair
dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees.Cold wax my rear end
(Oh how this phrase haunts me!) I lay the strip across my thigh.
Hold the skin around it tight and pull. OK so it wasn't the best feeling,
but it wasn't too bad. I can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me!
I am She-ra, fighter of all wayward body hair and smooth skin extraordinaire.
With my next wax strip I move north.

After checking on the kids I sneak back into the bathroom, for the
ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one
foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure I apply the was strip
across the right side of bikini line, covering the right half of my
vagina and stretching down to the inside of my butt cheek
(Yes, it was a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself. RRRRIIIPPP!!!!

I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!

Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half of the
strip. ****!!! Another deep breath and RRIIPP.
Everything is swirly and spotted. Do I hear crashing drums??? OK, back
to normal. I want to see my trophy - A wax covered strip with my hairy
pelt, that has caused me so much pain, sticking to it. I want to revel
in the glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the strip!

There's no hair on it.

Where is the hair. WHERE IS THE WAX??? Slowly I ease my head down,
foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair..The hair that should be
on the strip. I touch. I am touching wax. S&%T I run my fingers over the
most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and
matted hair.

Then I make the next BIG mistake...................remember my foot is
still propped up on the toilet. I know I need to do something. So I
put my foot down. DAMN!!!!!!!! I hear the slamming of the cell door.

Vagina? Sealed shut. Butt?? Sealed shut. I penguin walk around the bathroom
trying to figure out what to do and think to myself "Please don't let
me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off.

" Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!! I'll run the hottest water I can
stand into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax covered bits and the
wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off right??? *WRONG!!!!!!!*I get
in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than then that used to torture
prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit. Now, the
only thing worse that having your nether businesses glued together is
having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub. In
scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax.
So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub!! God bless the man that
convinced me I should have a phone in the bathroom!!!!! I call my
friend thinking surely she's waxed before and has some secret of how to get
me undone. It's a very good conversation starter "So, my butt and who-ha
are stuck to the bottom of the tub!" There is a slight pause.
She doesn't have a secret trick but does try to hide the laughter from me.
She wants to know exactly where the wax is located on bottom
"Are we talking cheeks or hole or what?" She's laughing out loud
by now...I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I
call the number on the side of the box. YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the
joke of someone else's night.

While we go through various solutions. I resort to scraping the wax
off with a razor. Nothing feels better then to have your girlie goodies
covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water
and then dry shaving the sticky wax off!! By now the brain is not working,
dignity has taken a major hike and I slip into glazed donut land. My
friend is still talking with me and my hand reaches towards the saving
grace....the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax. What do I
really have to lose at this point. I rub some on and OH MY GOD!!!!!!!
The scream probably woke the kids, scared the dickens out of my
friend, but I really don't care. "IT WORKS!! It works!! I get a hearty
congratulation from my friend and she hangs up.

I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my
grief and despair....THE HAIR IS STILL THERE.........ALL OF IT!!!
So I shaved it off. Heck, I'm numb at this point.

Next week I'm going to try hair color..

Another test

! You are most Like A Sapphire !
Dark, mysterious - but unforgettable. You have a
deep
beauty. Delicate, and shy you try to stay away from
the
limelight but often your intelligence puts you in
at the
deep end. You're like a Sapphire, because, your
beauty is priceless.
You're intelligent, full of opinions, and not
big-headed about it all.
Sometimes you need to put yourself out there, as
you can be a bit shy.
Congratulations ... You're the mysterious gem
everybody wants to have and learn more about.


?? Which Precious Gem Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla

Me Too!!!

Have you ever thought you were Psychic? I have thought that several times and I know my Sister is sort of…

The other Day when I was checking on Leslie’s blog, I had the feeling that she was home, but was not blogging for one reason or another. I was thinking that she was even thinking about quitting. Last night when I checked, VOILA!! She had been home and had been thinking about what direction her life would be heading in.

I have been feeling the same way. I started my blog, as a way of keeping track of what I was doing. I had just retired, after working for 37 years in a high stress, highly political job, and I was not ready to go yet. I saw the handwriting on the wall, and had said to myself, if NEXCOM ever offers us money to retire early, I will. I knew they would never do that…they did. I went. I was so afraid that I would become like my Mother, and sleep all day and stay up all night reading. I did not want to become a slug. Well I have.

At first the blog was just a paragraph or two, and not even daily. Then I saw other blogs that I liked, and wanted to make some changes to mine. Wanda added haloscan to it for me, and Leslie showed me how to make some template changes and I went from there.

However, I changed. I quit writing for myself, and started writing for others. That in itself is not a bad thing, it helped me grow. But I have become so afraid of offending my various readers, that I have kept my own feelings out of my writing. I show through sometimes, but not always.

I thought recently about just stopping, and decided that would be giving in to the urges, and that I wont do. I am hoping that Leslie wont stop either. SO many have quit, Dorothy, Leslie USA, TW, Don/Elliot, (although he’s back AGAIN!) Heather, Kim has cut way back because of her Job, Tammy has Cut way back because of LURKERS, and several others have gone to just posting once in awhile.

I have several scrapbooks to finish, A show to Direct and 2 to produce, and a house to finish painting. (Yes, I STILL have not finished the outside trim after 5 years, and the inside is still ½ done)

I sit at the computer for a good 3 hours every day, and then I get back on it as soon as Donna goes to bed. I can’t afford to spend that much time on line. It ties up my phone line.

So, like others, I am cutting back too. Don’t drop me, I’ll be around, but I may not be posting every day. Just when I have something to say.

Back to being psychic…today Donna came in and gave me a big hug and said “tell me you love Me.” So I did. Then she hugged me tighter. She has never done that before. She is on her way to spend 3 days in Vancouver with a friend of hers from College, who is getting married next Saturday. The last time she drove to Vancouver in her brand new car was 1992 and she totaled it in the tunnel. She was not hurt, but she was really scared. EGADS! She just called and said I Love you again!!! This time she has a brand new car again, and I hope she drives very safely. I just had a chill run up my spine when I saw her drive off. I love her so much, and we are very close. She used to know when I wanted her to call me, and she would. I would just think it, and bingo she would call. Her Husband thinks we are really weird!

I read Phyllis’ blog and the quote she has at the bottom of her post made me stop and think. It said to always leave your loved ones with a word of Love, as you may never see them again. I really freaked then. I Pray to the Powers that Be to Please keep My family safe!! (Oh SHIT!! Maybe it’s ME????? I better drive carefully too.)

Weekend ramblings...

old barn

I went in to Oak Harbor today to pick up paint chips from Home Depot, and look at wll borders for the living room. Got the paint chips no problem. They don't sell wallpaper or borders!! What is that all about? I am getting ready to paint the set. My set builder had me come in and look at it today, and it is going to be wonderful. DIfferent, but fine. Poor Casey, is new to the Playhouse, and noone is willing to tell him what he needs to use. He builds set in other places, so I do not know what the deal is here, but my DEAR LORD, it has created a fiasco because he used a 6" something on a four inch platform. He was ready to walk off, but he will stay for me, and he will be fine. THe old farts in this organization dont want to do it anymore, but they are all being the "dog in the manger" over some one else doing it. SHITHEADS!!

On my way home from Home Depot, I decided that since I had a full frozen Dairy Queen Arctic Rush...Watermelon, I would take the scenic heights route home. It runs along the Harbor, and then along Penn COve, where I grew up. I had not been down that way in a long time. The main road has washed down the bluff into the harbor, so it now goes up and around the old Farm. On this road, Balda Rd, I caught a glimpse of an old picturesque barn out of the corner of my eye as I topped a hill, so I went to a turn around and went back to see it. No traffic on this back road, so I just parked in the middle of the road and snapped away. I LOVE old barns and old run down buildings. THey have a story to tell, I just wish I knew how to listen to it.



two old barns

This old Barn is beside another one that I could not see on the way up the hill, but I thought it was cool too. It used to be an old Chicken Farm. They still do sell farm fresh eggs. Only the barns the chickens are in are made of metal and have no ambience at all. Pity.

I continued on the way, and passed the place where our house and the little store used to stand, all gone now, and replaced by big new houses side by side. Another pity.


prairie

Since I still had about half of my drink left, I went up to the Cemetery in COupeville and parked at the Prairie Lookout while I finished it. Gray, a new reader, wanted to know where the Smith Barn was, so I took a picture of it from the car, and caught this young couple heading out on the nature hike along the top of the prairie. It is one of my favorite sights on the island, The same place I took the moon shot a few weeks ago.

Came home, and took a nap, now I am raring to go again. We got interuppted this morning by the neighbor coming over and asking DOnna if she left her car door open. She had not, and had been broken into. THere were about 5 houses hit last night, all unlocked cars, but they did not take anything but money. DOnna had all of her CD's in the car, and her brand new stereo but they did not take it. THe Deputies think they were looking for crack money. THey found a little plastic packet in Donnas car and asked if it was hers, she said yes probably, and he looked at her and said No, you don't want this to be yours. It had crack dust in it. DOnna does not do drugs of anykind. She backed off, and said nope not mine, but the presription drugs in there are mine, and that was fine.

We ahve never had any problems like this in the 13 years I have lived here, but I think it has finally made Donna a believer in LOCKING YOUR CARS and the front door every night. She has been pooh-poohing me for doing that. Not any more.

GOnna go see if this windex for outside windows really works...I'll report back on it.

Friday ...

SERENE JAPANESE COMPUTER MESSAGES
Here are 16 actual error messages seen on the computer screens in Japan, here some are written in Haiku. Aren't these better than "your computer has performed an illegal operation?"
--------------------------------------------
The Web site you seek cannot be located,
but countless more exist.
--------------------------------------------
Chaos reigns within. Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.
--------------------------------------------
Program aborting: Close all that you have worked on.
You ask far too much.
--------------------------------------------
Windows NT crashed. I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.
--------------------------------------------
Yesterday it worked. Today it is not working. Windows is like that.
--------------------------------------------
Your file was so big. It might be very useful. But now it is gone.
--------------------------------------------
Stay the patient course. Of little worth is your ire.
The network is down.
--------------------------------------------
A crash reduces your expensive computer to a simple stone.
--------------------------------------------
Three things are certain: Death, taxes and lost data.
Guess which has occurred?
--------------------------------------------
You step in the stream, but the water has moved on.
This page is not here.
---------------------------------------------------
Out of memory. We wish to hold the whole sky, But we never will.
------------------------------------------------
Having been erased,
The document you're seeking must now be retyped.
--------------------------------------------
Serious error. All shortcuts have disappeared.
--------------------------------------------
Screen.
Mind.
Both are blank.


THis just tickled me. I have been so very busy, and sharing a computer and a telephone line with a daughter has been kinda hairy lately. I have been really tired, so I am not staying up until 0'dark thirty to post. DOnna is on it until I get home from rehearsal which is after 10:30PM. i WILL try to post on a more regular basis once this weekend is over. THen I might have some time.

Miss you all.

Rainy Night!

I came home from the playhouse last night, hurting so bad from moving furniture and getting the set ready. My back was aching, and pinching that damn nerve. SHooting pains were running all down my leg to my toes. It was awful. I could not sleep, at all, I could not get comfortable. SO I lay there and was listening to the drip drip drip of the fog on the leaves, when I noticed that the drips were getting louder. I listened and thought it sounded like RAIN!! It was! Glorious wonderful Wet Rain!! It rained or rather Poured for 12 hours It has not rained for way over a month, so we really needed this to help the forest fires. THe whole eastern half of the state is dry as a bone, and there are more fires already than anywhere in the continent. Not a good thing. THe rain smelled and sounded so good. I lay awake until about 530 when I finally passed out from tiredness. At 600 I was hit in the middle with 35 pounds of really wet Aussie Puppy. Tilly had gone pottie early, and when DOnna let her in she ran right to grandmas bed and jumped right in the middle of my stomach. OOOOOUUUUUUFFFFFFFFF!!! I sat up screaming.

I got a tiny bit of sleep, got up and took a hot shower and then slathered Icy Hot all over my back. Felt better until tonight when I did it all again. This royally sucks.

The Moon tonight was absolutley gorgeous. Low on the south east Horizon as it rose, and turned a big bright orange. It wont be full until tomorrow night, but it sure looked full! ANybody else see it? The moon path waters of the COve was spectacular. I think I am going to have to drag out my 35 mm camera and get some high speed film to start taking shots at night. They do still make film dont they? Tine? what speed should I use 800 or 1000 ASA. I wise I could go over and take some lessons from her, she is so good with her camera!!


TOday was Donna's 38th Birthday, I had been asking her for weeks what she wanted for her birthday, but I never got an answer, so All she got was a chocolate cake and a card. I sang happy birthday to her, and then we cut the cake, ate it and she went to bed. We hardly see each other anymore, since I am at the playhouse until 1000 or later. I dont feel like I should have a daughter 38 years old. I remember when I was 38 like it was just yesterday. Shit!! that means I will be 60 in January. ARGGHHH!!!

Stage whispers...

We took the Stage yesterday for the first time. Right now all we have is a bare stage with a few flats on it left over from the previous show, but they are ones I will be using also. Now We have to get the rest of the stage fitted out, and then get it painted and dressed. Tonight was the first time off book, and it took 4 hours to get through two acts!! ACK! It is a long play, but not THAT long. I am looking for 2 1/2 hours at the MAX. SO needless to say, we have a long ways to go.
Once we get the set furnished and all the props up and out, then we will have a good feel for the length of the play. I have a good feeling about this play, don't know if that is a good thing or not. Only time will tell.

Coming home from the playhouse last night, I noticed that the lights on the clouds were reflecting more than usual. I was just past the Blue-Fox drive in, so I knew it could not be the movie lights, but it just looked funny out. It was after 10:00, so it was dark. As I came around the curve heading down towards to water in San de Fuca, I got a little disoriented. Normally I would look over the water to the other side and see the lights of Coupeville, and those of the homes along Madrona Way, but last night they were not there. That is when I realized that the clods were not real clouds at all, but thick FOG. It was forming right on the water, so it blocked the lights from Coupeville, It was also so thick and low that all the car lights, and lights from the Oak Harbor Airport were reflecting off of it and creating a really pretty lightshow.

Autumn Is already making it's presence known. The low thick fog, the cool breezes along with the hot dry sun, the way the leaves are rustling in the wind, the dry brown grass. All signs that Fall is close by. Some of the trees are already turning color. We don't have the color show that the people in New England have, but ours do turn yellow and then brown and fall to the ground. Our Evergreens, trees and bushes, will give the critters the protection they need after the alders and maples have all lost their coverings, and leave nothing but black and brown skeletons reaching for the dark winter light.

the birds and the squirrels are feeding like crazy, and the berries that we have growing wild around us are extremely prolific, portents of a harsh winter to come?

I'm ready. I have wood all ready to burn, I have kindling ready to split, I have the car all ready, and Donna has her new car ready too. I can't wait for cooler weather. I can always put clothes on to get warm, but I can not take off enough to stay cool. At least not in public. I think that is brandishing a lethal weapon. Lord knows that this body should NEVER been seen in anything less than jeans and a big bulky sweater or shirt. (AARRRGHHHH!!! The eyes!!!)

Barn Dance Saturday Night...

Last night was the 5th annual Dillingers Clambake barn Dance in Smith's Barn on the prairie. We went last year but Bob had something to do on Sunday so we left early. This year we stayed until the rest of the old farts were starting to leave, then we did. It was soooo much fun watching the people!


Barn Dance

The Barn is over 100 years old and sturdy but drafty. There is a concrete floor in 1/4 of the barn, so that is where the dance floor is. The people either bring lawn chairs, or sit on the hay bales that are edging the dance floor. We sat on the hay bales. Bob has never danced so we just sat and watched the rest of the people go for it.


bob

It was dark by the time Bob had to go Pee, so I could not get the requisite picture of him coming out of the john. So I opted instead to get the scary "He didn't know I was taking his picture" shot. Cute huh? (shudder) This dance was open to all ages, and people brought their tiny kids in and let me tell you those kids were up dancing right along side their parents!! Just bouncing and jumping up and down, and twirling and running, and having a ball! They all conked out about 10:00 and fell asleep on a hay bale. Why not!

the whole time I was watching, I was thinking back to the days when we would go to the club on Base and dance our hearts out. Oak Harbor was a Dutch Reformed town, and there was no place in town to dance, so everyone, civilians included, went into the Norwester Club which was the Enlisted club just off base. We would dance until it was time to close and go home. I loved to dance, and did almost all night long. I don't know if I could now or not. Maybe I should buy some Richard Simmons tapes and see how much I can hurt myself with them.

Bob and I were watching one couple that could really do the swing, and he nudged me with his elbow and said "that's us next year" Yeah, RIGHT! I started to say "well Bob, you realize that you would have to actually TOUCH me to dance like that...
But I didn't! There was one couple there that danced every dance fast or slow the same way. He was a long drink of water, with a cowboy shirt and hat (black hat of course) and boots, and his partner was a blonde with long hair and a long black sweater on. They held each other in a traditional dance pose, and just went round and round and round the floor, sometimes she was backwards and sometimes she was, but they danced well together. The whole time he has this big toothy grin on his face. I never saw him without it. IT was fun to watch.


Sunflower volunteers

this morning the sun was hitting the bedroom window just right, and I looked out and saw that it was also backlighting the sunflowers that were growing right under the bird feeder. I let them grow, because they are pretty. They are all volunteers, from seed that the birds kicked off the tray. Not planted, just sitting on top of the mulch and sending out roots to grow with. I love them.


Tilly

As I was taking another picture of the sides of the sunflowers hoping to get the backlight just right, I had a surprise. I was in here downloading and then publishing some pictures when I noticed that there in the window on top of all my pillows, was Tilly. She was the Doggie in the window. RUFF RUFF! The one with the waggely taaaiiilll. Sorry I got carried away.

OUCH!!!!!

I am sitting here waiting for the perseid meteor showers to get going full blast. THey are sposed to be in their fullest around 200 AM. So I thought I would come in and catch up on the computer, and Donna started rubbing my shoulders. and then my neck and then the torture started. She pushed her thumbs clear into my shoulder muscles until they hit bone, and then plucked them like a banjo! OUCH!!!!!! "doesn't that feel good Mom?" she says...Yeah when you QUIT!!!! She kept on until I thought she was going to go right through my brain, And I told her that she would feel really bad if she dislodged some placque in my carotid artery and caused a stroke. She LAUGHED!! My precious daughter LAUGHED at me.

Oh yeah, and she has this really gross night time guard for her teeth, to help her jaw. She has TMJ and her jaw really cracks and pops and hurts her. SO she has this mock-up of her mouth, that the dentist made to fix her teeth and jaw. When he was finished he gave it to her. She loves to bring it in and torment me with it. The upper and lower jaws clacking together just like the old time scary movies when you were a kid. Do you KNOW how scary it is to see the skeleton of something you gave birth to coming through the air and chomping at you? It is awful!!! Bloody damn awful!!! And she thinks it is funny. I told her that if she did not stop I was going to go get the snake skin out of my bedroom and torment her with that.

I remember when she was three, we were in a huge department store like walmart, only it was called GEX or something like that. We were in the toy department and I picked up a rubber aligator and showed it to her, and the next thing I remember is her voice getting farther and farther away as she went screaming down the main aisle and top speed and at the top of her lungs. I was pregnant and could not run and she was GONE!!! My precious blonde baby doll was gone, leaving a puddle on the floor where we were standing. It was mine. I was laughing so hard I peed, and I could not catch her. DO you think she might be trying to get even with me after 35 years?
You can't hold a grudge that long can you?

Pretty Puppy!

Sadie

After the horrible month of May that we had with all of our animals and itching, and losing hair, and itching, and scratching, and itching; We finally have our dogs back to good health. Sadie was hit the worse with a staph infection, scarcopic mange, and kennel cough. She was on Antibiotics, had a shot, was taking pills for a yeast infection, and was taking Prednizone for the itching. She swelled up and was looking kinda chubby there. Her fur fell off her tummy, and she STUNK to high heaven!

Today was the first time she has been back to see the groomer since all this began, and it was NOT the same groomer she caught it from. She pranced out looking all girly and cute with her bright bows in her ears and her cute little hankie on her neck.


pretty

I took a picture of the back of her head because it showed off her ears better!! Isn't she PRETTY?

She went to rehearsal with me last night and stayed right outside the door, (dogs are not allowed in) where she could watch and still be legal. And of course the cast all made a fuss over her.

AS soon as she got home, Tilly started wrestling with her trying to herd her along, because that is what Tilly does, (Aussie Shepherd Puppy) and grabbed her ears and pulled her bows out. Then this morning Tilly took Sadie's hankie off. I told Donna last night that I thought Tilly was jealous because SHE didnt have bows in her ears! Might want to try that on her!

I mean a girl has to look her best at all times. Right?

A funny....

Never thought of a washer in this light before . what a blessing!

' Washing Clothes Recipe' -- imagine having a recipe for this ! ! !
Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following
recipe:

This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with
spelling errors and all.

WASHING CLOTHES
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke
wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin
water.

Sort things, make 3 piles
1 pile white,
1 pile colored,
1 pile work britches and rags.

To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.

Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.

Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.

Hang old rags on fence.
Spread tea towels on grass.
Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water.
Turn tubs upside down.

Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea,
sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.
===============================================
Paste this over your washer and dryer. Next time when you think things
are bleak, read it again, kiss that washing machine and dryer, and give
thanks. First thing each morning you should run and hug your washer and
dryer, also your toilet - those two-holers used to get mighty cold!

Monday blahs....

Even when you are retired, you get the Monday Blahs. I don't know whether it is because it is because you have been conditioned to wait for them all your life, or whether it is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the air. What ever they are, I got 'em.

I woke up early this morning, after going to sleep late last night. I slept really good too. But now I have NO energy. Monday Blahs I guess. I woke up at 630 and as I was blogwalking this morning, I kept falling asleep at the computer. So I said this is stupid, go take a nap. I head into the bedroom around 1030 and as I laid down, I was wide awake, so I took my shower, got dressed and came in to blog walk some more and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ so I went back in to watch the noon news and fell asleep. It is now 300 and I feel like I could go BACK to sleep and sleep another 4 hours!! NO ENERGY!

We have rehearsal tonight again, and next week we go off book. This is going to be really hard, as we still have no props, so when we get to use them, they are going to have the challenge of trying to remember their lines AND use their props for the first time. We get the stage next Monday, so maybe there is hope!

We have not had any rain in over three weeks, and it looks like we wont have any for another two at least! The only thing that keeps us moist is the cold Marine Layer that blows in every night and creeps back out every morning. It was really thick fog this morning, so the trees got a little moisture on their leaves. The grass is all brown, and will stay that way until Fall, as we should not water our lawns, just the flowers and gardens. We are still in a drought condition. Fires are now breaking out in Eastern Washington, and it could be really bad before the rains come back.

There is a chill in the air though. Strangely enough. The sun is out, bright and warm, but the air has a definite feel of Autumn in it. There is a dry, musty smell in the air, and I have a feeling we are going to have a cold cold winter.

My daughter was talking with me Saturday night, and she had the audacity to say she did not think I could live on my own much longer. I am 59 years old for Christ sakes! I am NOT on my last leg. Yes, I am in pain, with my back and my knees, but I get around! I just am not as active as I was, and Now I feel like she is ready to put me out to pasture! That really hurt! I feel like I should just quit everything and just sit around and wait to die. But I WON'T!! I'll survive! Monday Blahs and all....

Garry Oak

One of the first things I fell in love with when I stepped foot on Whidbey Island was all the TREES! There were trees everywhere, and it reminded me of the mountains where we went camping. I had not been here until I was 8 years old, but as soon as we moved, I felt like I was home.

We lived in a 1 bedroom apartment over a garage, while we looked for another place to live. This garage was on land covered with Fir and Cedar trees, and you could not see the road from the house. I loved it! We only lived there for about a month before we moved even deeper into the trees. We next lived in a 3 room log cabin way out in the wilderness about 10 miles from Oak Harbor, and down a long un occupied road. There were trees everywhere! Dad took us out that Christmas to chop down our own tree. Can you imagine! Walking through a forest full of trees all so tall you could not see the top, and the woods so full of the smell of Christmas, all the time. That year we brought home the scrawniest Charlie Brown tree, but that is because we found it and we liked it and we were excited!! Just Dad and 2 little blonde girls with long pigtails wrapped in plaid wool coats and scarves, dragging home this scrawny tree proud as peacocks. It was heaven.

After about 4 months we moved back into town to be closer to school and to work for Dad, And I expect to be closer to people for Mother. Oak Harbor was just a tiny little town of about 4000 people at that time, and the area where we lived was FULL of big huge Garry Oak trees. They were MAGNIFICENT! We would ride our bikes up and down the streets, looking at the big Oaks. The park was just across the street and down the hill a block, and it was solid Oak Trees! We played on those trees by the hour! We picnicked under them, and we were happy.

Time passed and we again moved out into a new development called Penn Cove Park, and into a 3 bedroom house right on the beach. Trees all around there too, Tall Fir trees that we could climb and play in. And trust me we did. We would climb clear to the top of the fir trees and swing back and forth to see how far over we could make the top go. We had no fear then, and did not even think about the top breaking off and throwing us the 50 feet to the ground and certain death. Nah would never happen.

As the years passed, I grew very fond of the big Garry Oak trees in the old part of Oak Harbor, and grieved every time one of the big old ones would fall in a windstorm. The Garry Oaks don’t sway in the wind like the firs and alders do, they just snap off a branch or two, or split and fall.

The Garry Oak is not a native species to the Island. They were brought here by the Haida Indians hundreds of years ago. There is a big spring on the Navy Seaplane Base that once was part of Oak Harbor, and the Indians would use that as a camping place and eat the acorns brought with them from Vancouver Island. The acorns were roasted in an open fire and then cracked open. The ones that were not eaten grew, and spread outward from the Big Spring, and Up the hill and over the top into the place now called Oak Harbor.

Through the years, the founding fathers have died off and sold their land to new developers and most of the Garry Oaks were cut and removed to make room for the town. Houses were built around the remaining ones, and through time people have cut them away thinking that the old brittle wood would fall during a storm and destroy the houses they so carelessly built in their shadow.

There are still a few Garry Oak trees in Oak Harbor, but not nearly as many as there used to be, and the ones that are there are usually the really old, big ones. The giants that people have left are truly awesome. Their big gnarly spreading branches making great dark skeletons in the winter sky. I love them so. They have been there for hundreds of years. Not many things any more can hold that honor. The fir and cedar trees were cut for lumber, and firewood, but the Oaks are too tough to chop.

One of the oldest Oaks is the one we now call the Post Office Oak. It is at least 300 years old, and has cracked and lost so many of it’s branches. Some of the town Council people want to take it down before it falls and hurts someone, and have hired an arborist to tell them that it has heart rot and does need to come down. There are others on the council that have listened to the same hired arborist tell them that the oak is diseased, but can survive many more years yet, if the roadway over it’s roots were to be removed and allow water to get to it like it should.

People have talked about what should be done with the wood once it is removed. Some suggestions were to cut the oak into giant slabs and hire a wood carver to carve historical scenes into it to be placed about town. Not a bad idea, but surely a final one for said Oak tree.

Lastly it has been decided that the Oak will be saved as long as it can, and the road re-routed around the tree, and a park like atmosphere be placed around it. I like that. There are so many old things that we have destroyed in our few hundred years on this continent. There are no more HUGE fir trees, no more 10 feet in diameter trunks to remove; No more trees so big you could cut a tunnel through them and drive through and still not destroy it. No more trees so big that you could raise a family in it’s stump. All that is gone. We need to try and save what we can. We need to preserve what is left of these rare Garry Oaks, and try to encourage them to reproduce, and hopefully our future generations will be able to see why this town was called OAK Harbor.

Things to think about...

This was sent to be a while back in an email...It is worth posting.

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. >From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches.. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get the toddler toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older . The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow." And in your haste, fail to see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say "Hi"?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Stop and smell those roses you pass every day. Stop and watch a sunset. You never know when it will be your last.

Wasn't that good?

Monday night during AUditions for LITTLE SHOP a young man got up and said he was going to tell a true story about him and his Mom, as he had nothing prepared. He worked at big brothers and big sisters, and tells this story to his kids every week...

He was getting ready to go somesome place and his Mom asked him a question about where he was going and what he was going to do, and he shrugged her off and said something really sarcastic like: What's it to ya? or something like that.

His mom was 41 years old and smoked very much. He had often tried to get ther to stop but she wouldnt. He gruffly left the house, and was gone until really late. When He got home, he discovered that his Mom was not home, and his neighbor came over and said your Mom was taken to the hospital with a heart attack. He of course panicked and got to the hospital as fast as he could.

THe Drs. told the family that she probably would not make it because she had so much damage to her heart. She was only 41! He sat in the ICU with her and told her he loved her but she could not hear him. All he kept thinking was the last time I saw her I told her "What's it to ya." and walked off. And he may never again get to tell her how much he loved her.

She eventually lived, quit smoking and he was able to tell her while he was on stage and she was in the audience how much he loved her. There were no dry eyes folks.

This was a true story. ANd If you have had bad words with someone you love, make amends today! you may never get the chance again.

Killing yourself with work is not what counts. Your life, your family are and your friends are.

This n That...

I slept! I slept through the night last night! Whoot!! I did things a little differently though. I got home from the Playhouse at 11:00 and then came in here and blogwalked some, then did some scrapping and THEN went to bed. I watched the end of the TONIGHT show, and then turned off the TV, opened a book, and when I found myself reading the same line over and over and over again, I turned off the light and woke up this morning at 9! Now if I can just stay awake all day today...

I decided that since there isn't much pollen floating around in the air right now, I would quit taking my Zyrtec and see if that helps me stay awake. I know that when I am on it, I sleep all day long!!! Even when I take it at night. I tell you I am a really cheap drunk...Any type of narcotic, or spirits, and I am OUT like a light! All except for morphine. I puke, and puke on Morphine, so for surgery pain I have to have demerol (WHOOT!!!!)

Lola and Suzie and ALVIN all were at the feeder this morning, so I could not let Sadie and Tilly out until the squirrels were finished with their breakfast. The birds are pretty much doing their own things right now. The goldfinch are nesting, they are the latest ones to do so. The hummers have all gone South, by going East over the mountains and then down, There is still the occasional one or two flitting by, but the feeders will come down and get sanitized and stored for the winter, and go back out again in February. The woodpeckers are out pecking at dead trees and eating bugs, and the doves and pidgeons are out and foraging off the natural seed available. The Sparrows and the house finches and the Juncos are still at the feeders in abundance though.

I have Dottie's two cats for a week, and then they go home for two weeks then I get them for another 3 weeks. Right now I am just getting Tyler to come out of the garage, and into the house where he can get his water and see the birds. He is afraid of Tilly. (and rightly so, she will herd anything right now!!) Tippy is too, but she hisses and growls and spits and shows her ass and Tilly heads for under the bed.

the salmon are hitting the beach right about the time I head for the Playhouse, so I am not able to go fishing this year! DAMN!! I was so wanting to take advantage of the Humpy run this year and stock the freezer.


Pink or Humpy salmon

Maybe I can this weekend! I love fishing. I don't even care if I catch anything. It is the act of standing on the edge of the water and throwing this teeny tiny little Buzz Bomb into this vast great ocean and actually thinking that SOME dumb fish will take your line out of all the others that are out there. Damn we are an arrogant species aren't we...

Another one cast!

Whidbey Playhouse

Tonite we cast the Musical A Little Shop of Horrors. It will be in production from Aug 15 until November 26. Rusty is directing this one and I am producing. We said we would produce each others shows before the season was set, and BAM! back to back they put them. So we will be quite busy until November when we will both take some time off.

I am directing Blithe Spirit, and I have a wonderful cast, and it opens September 16, Rusty's show opens Nov 4. And we BOTH just got through with the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way To The FOrum!! 9 months worth of shows is almost like having triplets!! Even the labor pains are rough!!

Little Shop will be a hoot! The Auditions were as good as the show!! I am bone tired right now. I think I will get a sandwich and head for the bedroom, maybe tonite I will be able to sleep. Then Again.....

Can't sleep...

When I was younger, a LOT younger, I would sleep 12-15 hours a day if I could. I would sleep in until 1:00 PM. Or until either my Brother or my Sister would wake me up.

When I started working, I worked from 630 AM until 3 PM and then I would go party, come home and sleep until time to go back to work. It was tough trying to find a husband that would be able to take care of me the rest of my life. On my days off, I slept!

When I had kids, I slept when they did, otherwise there WAS no sleeping. I was fortunate enough to have a husband who was an early riser, and he would let me sleep. I think a lot of it was escapism.

As I grew older, Sleep became a time of peace, and rest. I would go to bed fairly early and get up fairly early also. Sleeping in was 9-930 AM.

Now that I am retired, I have formed a weird pattern. I will go to bed around 1100, and read until I fall asleep, which most nights is right away. Then I will have to wake up about an hour or two later to get up and pee the first time. I may or may not be able to get back to sleep. Didn't matter, I have all day, I have crossword puzzle books and maps to read. And then I will fall back to sleep, until I have to get up in another 2 hours to pee again.

the past few nights however, I am getting to sleep around 100 AM and waking up around 330, and staying awake! Not tired, not sleepy, just mad, because I cant sleep. My feet will be burning up, or ice cold. SO I am either crawling under the covers that I fell asleep on top of, or crawling out from under the covers that I had cocooned myself in.

Tonight was another one of those nights, only this time I am tired, and I am sleepy, and I want to go back to sleep, but as soon as I turn out the light to try again, I am wide awake. The experts tell you to get up away from your bed, and go sit in a chair until you are ready for bed again.

SO that is why I am sitting here updating my blog at 450 AM! I have tons to do today, so I should be getting my rest, but I cant! My mind is whirling, and twirling! I have Act III to rehearse this evening, and then I have to run across the parking lot to the main stage, for auditions for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. So I wont get to bed until late again. I also have to go grocery shopping as I finally have money in my account again.

I have watched Mars make his transition across the early early morning sky, I have watched the stars over head get dimmer and dimmer as the fog layer moves in and covers them. I have watched the northern sky looking for the Auroras that might hit today. And I have finally heard the first bird of the morning chirp his little self awake. The tree line is just barely visible against the deep navy blue sky, and it is getting a tad bit lighter every minute. It seemed like just yesterday that the tree line was plainly visible at 345 AM. Now it is closer to 515!! Soon it wont be light until 800, and will get dark again around 430.

It is almost time to go make a pot of coffee, as Donna will be getting up in about an hour, and madly rushing around getting ready for work. It is nice to know that I can crawl back into my bed, and pull the covers back over my head, and sleep until I want to get up, but I wont. I may catch a nap or two, during the day, but those are no more than 15-20 minutes long.

What do you take in your morning coffee? I'll go make us some...