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.

HELP PLEASE.....

Ok.

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

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

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

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

SIGH

Life just gets in the way sometimes...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Omnipotentbenevolentempress...

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

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

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

Such is the life of a mother.

Playing on a nice day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Galen and Sumre's wedding

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OH! and lots of BEER!!!

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

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

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

What a fun fourth of July!!

Wussy Pussy....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They may be right!

She is soooo funny!

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

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

I'M FIXED!!!!!

shhhhhhhh...

Be very very quiet. The gnomes are tinkering.

The Mountains are out!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a nice weekend!