My wigjig

I played with my Thing-A-Ma-Jig which is really a knock off brand of a WigJig. I made a pretty swirl. I am pretty proud of it. I hammered it for added strength. My husband said it was nice. Then! Before bed the truth slipped out. He said it looks homemade. Well I never! I can't be expected to make professional quality wire wrapped jewelry with one week's experience. I'm not stopping. I'm going to buy more wire to practice on and I'm signed up for a WigJigging class on the 15th. Why I oughta.

I am...happy. I'm happy inside and out and all over!

Waaa

I'm having a battle with the stupid herpes virus on my lip. I get one once in awhile but this one is a little unusual. It's on my bottom lip though in my previous 48 years it's only appeared on my top lip. And the first one was not small but oddly, it didn't hurt or cause me any discomfort. It got a scab, the scab fell off (yeah, I picked at it because I couldn't leave it alone) and I thought I was done. Lovely reading for a Tuesday morn, isn't it.

Then strangely, a very little bump came up right beside it a couple days ago. This one hurt. Now this morning there's a third small one next to the second. This one stings. So my lower lip looks kinda red and pouty. That's just great. I look forward to when they pop and I can have scabs on my face. They probably won't pop at the same time, then I can endure the scab phase for twice as long. I protest.

Pfft.

Almost Monday

My men are counting the days till we go back to New Mexico. Literally. Every morning they tell me how many days we have left here. I daresay, they hate it here. It's too long of a visit for them, two months in San Diego. I've been super happy here but I have to admit I breathed in a breath of hot air today (it was 100°) and strangely, I missed New Mexico for a minute.

I bought dark purple gauze to make a skirt. I did finish my blouse. Remember that one? It's cute, but I had to alter it a bit and the fabric I picked, guess what. It's too fancy. It doesn't go with jeans very well! I know that's weird, but it's true. My husband said, "Don't you dare throw that out." Great. So it's in my cubby taking up space. I know I should take some photos of things, but I'm so single minded. I have a definitive lack of interest in photography lately. I have earrings I need to photograph too. Maybe when we leave San Diego I'll do it. It feels like a vacation here to me. On the week-ends I'm so busy and that's unusual. During the week we do school and that takes most of the day. He finished grammar, use, and mechanics two weeks ago and spelling last week. Hooray!

Today I went to The Body Shop and picked up my monoi oil that'll last me awhile. I got some other goodies too because they were having a neato sale where you get a pretty bag filled with goodies worth much more than $5.00, but you only pay $5.00. I got a mascara, a fancy aloe cream, eau de toilette, body butter, and she threw in a sample of body scrub stuff too. I wonder if I'll like it. Usually I don't like those kinds of things but the body butter does smell nice. Maybe after I put it on it'll stink. That happens sometimes.

Went to a new church this morning. It was okay. We miss our home pastor.

Rights and Liberties

So I'm sorting out what my thoughts are and I found a good article.

The Texas Polygamy Mess: What Will They Do With 416 Children?

They've found a 16 year old girl who is mother to four children. They are now trying to find out whether girls were transported across state lines.

I don't like it

The FLDS children were separated from their mums today. Something's wrong in Texas. You can't do that. This is America. You can't take over 400 kids from their parents without a case. This isn't a Nazi regime. The worst of it is the 911 call may have been placed by a woman who is known to have made other false 911 calls. This is looking very bad for Texas. How many good, really good, foster homes are there? Five percent? To be very generous let's say ten percent. Foster homes are for children from troubled homes and 'troubled homes' is a euphemism that covers a multitude of situations ranging from unfortunate to horrifying. It's a nightmare come to life for every one of those children.

I want to see an end to the under age marrying of girls to old men. I used to be a girl and I know how I'd feel if I had to marry a guy in his 40s or 50s. That's a geezer; that's ancient when you're a teenager. Those men are nothing more than ped*ph*les operating under the guise of freedom of religion in order to continue their ped*ph*lia. Training girls to be sweet at all times is twisted.

The kids have to be given back to their moms for now. They have to be. Help the ones who need help. Don't destroy 400+ lives.

Updated

Updated my Hair Care Routine page. Sure needed it. It was the same info since August 2007. I'm certainly not that static!

Talk radio

I like talk radio. Those crazy people. Except for Rush Limbaugh. I can't stand him.

God put the Founding Fathers here. It was no accident. He had a purpose for the United States. I believe it. When you learn about those guys: Franklin, Jefferson, Washington and all the rest, you gotta know it couldn't be by accident that they were all here at the same time.

This is the first time ever in modern history that fuel has become more expensive than people. Usually people (employment) are more expensive. Planes were not meant to fly like this in these economic conditions with fuel being so costly. Is $10.00 per gallon in the future? Where do we get our fuel? Canada, they're cool. Mexico, not as cool as Canada, but they're not killing us unless you're a tourist driving at night. The next three places we get the most oil from are Nigeria, Venezuela, and what? Saudi Arabia. Depending on these countries is definitely not a good idea. That's not news though.

Money drives the economy. That's why we're getting the rebate. Why is the government giving money back to everyone, even the lowest of the low income? Because they (that would be us) are sure to spend it immediately and that will be good for the economy.

That's what I picked up from listening to the radio this morning.

I made a bracelet and earrings today. Promising, promising. It was all practice. My fingers are sore but I'm happy. I need a clasp for the bracelet. I noticed a few minutes ago that I put the wire wrapped bead on my earring, one right side up and one upside down. Sheesh. I'm working on a wire Jesus fish earring. It needs something more but I like the simplicity of it. I should call it the Ichthys symbol earring, shouldn't I? That would be semi-intelligent. But really I'm the kind of person who calls the "William Tell Overture" the Lone Ranger song, so there is symmetry.

Feels like were on vacation. I don't know why. Maybe because we have all these stores nearby and I can do things like run to the bead shop for a 75¢ clasp. It's nice.

Working with son on his first research paper. His topic is John Deere. He made his bibliography cards today. I wanted to strangle him, but currently he's still alive. He shaped up when he realized he was on Mamma's very last nerve.

Happy Earth Day

The only reason I know it's Earth Day is because we heard on the radio yesterday that Ralph's supermarket is giving away free reusable shopping bags today. We wanted to get some but can't find a Ralph's around here so my husband went to Vons and purchased three. Vons ain't distributing them for free. Oh well. They're green and kind of pretty so I like them. We have a few from Wal-Mart, but they're black and say 'Wal-Mart' on them. Not very pretty.

Hopefully that nut, Ted Turner is wrong. He says global warming will make all of us cannibals in thirty years. Talk about a case of the crazies. He's buying up Nebraska and the ranchers are none too happy about that. He owns a lot of land next the lake in New Mexico where we live in winter, so maybe he's getting ready. My dance teacher works for him, does maintenance around his place, and she met ol' Jane one time.

A Wal-Mart is going up in New Mexico. We have acquaintances at the newspaper and in business and learned that of 100 job applicants (for the new Wal-Mart) six, count 'em, six, qualified for interview. The other 94 didn't pass the drug screening. Meth. Huge problem there. Huge problem. Everywhere.

FLDS

In ballet class the ladies said they saw some women from the FLDS on television. They said the women looked weird and creepy because the all wore the same style dresses and turn of the century hair styles. I don't have a tv so I couldn't comment. But I have an opinion. I did see a photo of one of the moms on DrudgeReport online. I don't think they look weird or creepy. I think they are trying to live a good life, a right life, apart from the world. I'm worried for the very young children that have been parted from their mothers - infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. That's not good for the children. There are few foster homes that are very, very good. My experience is limited and I only knew a few teens in foster homes when I was kid, but none of them were nice places to be. And where is the girl who placed the call to 911? The state doesn't have a case right now, does it? Are young girls being forced into marriage? I don't know. I suspect they are, but that's just based on the past case that was in the news. I really have no idea what's going on there, same as everyone else. If bad things are happening to the girls, wouldn't the women speak up for them? Maybe not, and that bothers me a lot.

P.S.

We're off to Palm Springs for a late breakfast at our favorite restaurant!

Sat. night

It was cloudy today. It's supposed to be the same tomorrow. I'd rather have sun.

Tonight I watched "Muriel's Wedding" on DVD. I sure like that movie.

My husband got a little mad tonight because I went to pick up the Mexican dinner he ordered for us. Well, that's not the reason he got mad but I wish that he'd gone to pick it up instead of me. I got there and they said they were out of ingredients to make his dish. I can't substitute anything for him because anytime I try to get something to take the place of what he asked for he says, "Why did you get that?" So if I'da ordered, for instance, chorizo and egg, or machaca, he wouldn't have liked it. As sure as I'm sitting here, anything I could have ordered he wouldn't have liked. And when I get back I heard him say kind of quiet over there in the kitchen, "I could have gotten something else." Shoot. No, I couldn't have. So he was fit to be tied. I didn't get the dinner for me either because if they didn't have one for him, then I didn't want mine. Actually I did, but I didn't have the heart. How could I enjoy a delicious din-din by myself.

So I sat on the sofa and, I guess you can say I stared. Out the window. And it was all quiet in here. Then I said, "I can't bear for you to be mad at me." And he said he wasn't mad at me, he was just mad. He's very particular about meal times.

He made a leftovers dinner for us and we ate together. And we made up. I should say, he made up. He said he couldn't have me crying at the dinner table and we laughed. It turned out to be a good night.

I did it

I made a friend at MySpace. I know, I know. I said I'd never go there again, but this is different. This is one, really, really, good, no!, great person! She's from high school! She's 50 already, that's the Class of '76, and I'm slip-slidin' to 50 myself. Her eyes are pools of deep blue just like they were when I knew her in ninth grade, and her babies and grandbabies have the same eyes. Those are some strong genes.

I have so many memories fading. I worry sometimes about what I have forgotten already. But I feel about her starkly clear. It's something about those adolescent years, high school, a time when the brain scans are all electric pink and blue and lime green.

The works of light and darkness

Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

I told my husband I had to find something in the the Bible. Proof. It's in there. Everything you need is in there. God's got it all written down for me, I just hafta find it. And I did.

Well

I put a dent in the front corner of the truck. That does not equal a good day. It equals a bad day.

You have to push buttons on this little panel on a little post to make the gate open. I make a circle round to line up right to exit the park. My circle I guess was no good. Hit the post thingie. I could hear the scrape of metal on metal for five inches in slow motion like nails across a chalkboard. The post thingie bent a little then, boing, went back into place. It's been hit a few times all right! Turned on the water works when I told my husband. I couldn't help it! I'm going to see if I can get an estimate for repairs while we're here. Whattya think? Between $1500 to $1800 for a five inch dent? Probably. Bodywork costs are lame. Ugh. Luckily, after he yelled a little he said it's only a truck. He said if we couldn't drive it he'd be upset, but for a dent? He's not upset. I sure love him. I'm really sorry I'm responsible for the worst dent on the whole vehicle though. He babies the truck.

We're going to Tetons and Yellowstone after all. That's the latest plan made after dinner tonight. Methinks I do not like plan making. I am not a proponent of trip planning. Rather, one must go and do what one can go and do when one can go and do it. When we are there, I'll say we're there. That works much better to me!

I've been researching music a bit. Did you know that "She Bop" by sweet, funny, entertaining, Cyndi Lauper was written about m*st*rb*t**n. I never knew. It saddens me. I don't think it's funny or cute that she did that. See songfacts for reference.

I took my nitro radio station off my bookmarks. I looked up lyrics to songs I wanted to download and realized they're chock full and overflowing with biblical references...and blasphemy. I listened to it for years and years, unaware. Or maybe aware, but ignoring. Or maybe subconsciously aware, and embracing.

Once I was in a session with a psychologist. I told her I heard someone call my name sometimes, but no one was there. She put me under hypnosis, but I remember. And she said, "Do the voices sound like this?" And I told her no. I think she had knowledge of the occult. I am glad I never heard voices like the sounds she made. I did not like it and that's why I remember it. I told my dad I didn't want to go anymore and he let me stop. I never had to go back again. My dad, he does have good judgment in big decisions.

Secular music is far worse than it was 20 years ago. Where is it coming from. Where is it going. Subliminal. Pervasive. Invasive. Who of us can afford to remain impassive?

No nausea

Can you believe it? She had not one iota of nausea. She is doing amazingly well. She's going back to work tomorrow. Can you believe it? What a doctor!

I'm terribly sorry I can't write more right now. We've had a pair of bluebirds come to our yard every day this week. I'm learning an actual choreography from my belly dance teacher! My hair is doing well and now my sister wants to grow hers too maybe. (She is SUCH a total copycater of me. Tomorrow I shall put her in a headlock and make her call me Liliana the Great.) We're canceling Yellowstone and the Tetons after all because we'd have to dip into our nest egg for fuel monies. I got my new every day boots and they fit so I don't have to return them. The Lord is stirring up my heart and opening my eyes and revealing that which I did not see before, and I'm disappointed that I may have to repel a worldly thing that I enjoy.

I guess that's about it. And the weather...the weather in San Diego was hot today - 104 degrees was the high. It's supposed to cool down now. Thought I'd mention the weather because SchnauzerMom does and it's kind of neat to hear about other people's weather. (What!? I must be getting old. roflol!)

The Big Day

Welp! Tomorrow my sis is gettin' new girls. New big girls. Since she had her two babies she lost them and now she wants them back. She's getting a br**st a*gm*nt*tion. And I! I am taking care of her.

1) Prepare homemade chicken soup (it's the best for healing).
2) Make red jello with bananas.
3) Lending her my iPod with my excellent songs on it.
4) I shall ply her with fresh pineapple (thanks for the tip!).
5) Take my Seinfeld show collection to make her laugh.
6) Take beads and a book and pajamas for me.

That's the plan. I promised her I'd have her bouncing into the physician's office for her two day check-up. I have to live up to it now! She's quite anxious. I've emailed her, I've talked to her, I've been her confidante and sounding board for the past few months.

She's going to be deliriously happy! (But not on the first day.)

I'm hoping she won't get the nausea. She's prone to motion sickness so I'm concerned about that.

New shoes soon

I called in to cancel my dance class last night. My legs ached. Tonight I'll do a make-up. They're having a class called Lyrical Stretch which is more my speed today.

Didn't get the birfday dinner cooked. My husband told me I could make it today instead. He's so sweet to me. So I'm making him potato salad and fried chicken and gravy and salad tonight.

Tomorrow, finally, I'm placing an order for new shoes, which we also call poozins as in "shoezin in a poozins." It's part of the English language at our house. Using Helane's input which she kindly offered me (what? two or three months ago!) I decided to go for this pair:

I did try some on at the store although not this exact style because they didn't have it but I think a size seven should fit me. They are much lighter weight than I thought they would be so I'm glad about that. My hiking boots that I wear a lot are getting a hole at the pinky toe. My husband has been telling me to get new shoes for a year but I hate getting new everyday shoes.

I've never had black boots before. I've had brown, tan, burgundy, but never black. They'll go with jeans and skirts. Which reminds me. I must post about my new denim jumper. I was a bit surprised by the buttons.

Plum

I did my toe nails in plum. They look nice. I haven't done my toes since, ohhhh, last summer. My feet are nice and soft too. My pumice stone is awfully small though. It broke awhile back so I only have half now. Since then, I've been on a statewide perfect pumice stone search but none has been close to being adequate. In fact, all except the one I already use turned out to be completely useless. I've had a pink rectangular one and a blue one and one with its own handle just like the lady at the salon had when I went for my last pedicure in early 1997. She commented on how I held my tummy when we talked while she worked on my feet. I had a wonderful pregnancy. Never before, nor since, has a bologna and cheese sandwich been so heavenly as when I was pregnant.

All the pumice stones were worthless! The last one was the worst. I saw it looked like basalt which was kind of cool, kind of natural, and when I took it out of the box it was smooth oval shaped. I placed it in shower and everyone was making fun of it because...it resembles something other than a pumice stone. It resembles, well, a turd. That's a little too natural for me. Really, it's the ugliest pumice stone ever. I finally threw it away. Those manufacturer's need a new idea.

I absolutely must find a replacement stone before my last half of a half of a pumice stone breaks again. What will I do if summer arrives and my half breaks? It'll be too little to use then. [Teeth chattering!]

Plans made

Reservations are made for two weeks each in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in late summer 2008. They have a two week limit so no one is allowed to stay longer. We got full hook-ups too. We had to switch from going to Yellowstone first, then to the Tetons because Tetons was booked all through August. That's okay. Any order is fine with us. I'm glad we could get in.

That reminds me. Have you heard this one...

Do you want to make God laugh?

Then tell Him your plans.

Hahahaha! It's one of my favorites.

Is it vacation?

It feels just like vacation. My husband drove me to a dance shop and I bought a pair of the black capri length wide leg pants the dancers here are wearing. I was so happy I found a pair that fit well and isn't binding. Let's see. Will I be a doofus if I wear them and it looks like I bought clothes to look like the other dancers? Hmmm. That's so ninth grade, huh? I will probably wear them. But I'm gonna be extra cool when we get back to New Mexico because no one will have dance pants like mine. Woo hoo.

And we went to Fry's Electronics and I bought some Hallmark software for making cards. Ours got deleted somehow and our son likes to create cards. It was $29.99 and after I send in the rebate it'll be $19.99. Such a deal. The Fry's in the Bay Area (San Franciso area) is nicer though.

And I went to the bead store and died and went to heaven there. Soooo much cute stuff. They have a new employee who wasn't there last year. She started in October. Her name is Sue and she works three days a week for money for her daughter to go to college. She likes it because she gets to bead and get paid for it. She's made a ton of stuff and it's all over the store as samples. She is something else. And she's teaching classes and I want to go. I wrote my sis tonight and asked her to take a class with me.

I made two pairs of earrings tonight. Super simple dangles of fine chain and one pair goes down almost to my collarbone. One pair is made with light blue, plastic tulip beads a store gave me for free. One pair is made of garnet chips that I bought in Washington state two years ago! I will see if I get any compliments. That's the test you know. If I get even one compliment I'll keep them. If I get none I'll take them apart and do something else. I still haven't finished sewing my blouse. I've been busy! At least, it seems like I've been busy. I'm not really though. Just feels like it.

We had a delicious Mexican meal tonight. We like the Mexican food here in San Diego. It's what we're used to - home cooking so to speak. In New Mexico the Mexican food is quite a bit different and consequently to us it's not as good. It makes us pine for California. My husband said, "Shall we have hot dogs tonight or Mexican from the take-out place?" Aw shucks. I can't say I want hot dogs. I eat hot dogs, but if I have choice I'm saying Mexican food.

I've been eating peach pie with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream here. Ooosh. It's so good. I used to wonder why those northerners would ask questions like what they should eat in winter (to stay healthy and fit) because the vegetable selection there is not always good in winter. Growing up in southern California I took for granted the fresh veggies and veritable buffet of foods all year round here. We're enjoying it. In the tiny town we stay at during the winter the main market is small and limited.

I hear raindrops. It was sunny and clear all day and we were laughing about the forecast for rain. It's here!

Camel Dance parable

Many years ago I found this in a children's picture book. Tonight I searched for it online and found it, so now it can live at my blog and I will read it whenever I want. My husband would say no, but I think it's so me.

The Camel had her heart set on becoming a ballet dancer. "To make every movement a thing of grace and beauty," said the Camel. "That is my one and only desire."

Again and again she practiced her pirouettes, her relevés, and her arabesques. She repeated the five basic positions a hundred times each day. She worked for long months under the hot desert sun. Her feet were blistered, and her body ached with fatigue, but not once did she think of stopping.

At last the Camel said, "Now I am a dancer." She announced a recital and danced before an invited group of camel friends and critics. When her dance was over, she made a deep bow.

There was no applause.

"I must tell you frankly," said a member of the audience, "as a critic and a spokesman for this group, that you are lumpy and humpy. You are baggy and bumpy. You are, like the rest of us, simply a camel. You are NOT and never will be a ballet dancer."

Chuckling and laughing, the crowd moved away across the sand.

"How very wrong they are," said the Camel. "I have worked hard. There can be no doubt that I am a splendid dancer. I will dance and dance just for myself."

That is just what she did. It gave her many years of pleasure.

The moral of the story is satisfaction will come to those who please themselves.