I went to my friend, Eowyn's, blog tonight to do some catch-up reading. She wrote an ode to me. Can you believe it? Can't wait to tell my husband. He's sleeping right now. It's the oddest thing when I go to her blog because she sometimes writes about things I'm thinking about. It's just a little strange. Often I have to have my Merriam-Webster window open at the same time that I'm reading Eowyn's writing.
I had a friend named Marcie, and once when we were at the dining room table, Marcie said I have a beautiful face. I don't, but it's the only time anyone has ever said that to me, man or woman, and I about choked. Having an ode written for me feels much the same. It's is very nice. Things from the heart are the very best of all.
Tonight I just finished making our family 2007 calendar. It's not as good as last year's but I think peeps will like it. We spent a lot of the summer at the southern edge of the boreal forest and I hate to sound ungracious, but there's just a bunch of trees up there so I did not collect many amazing shots. On the cover I put a photo of my husband and son at the edge of the Grand Canyon. Our son has an expression that is priceless. I used a C.S. Lewis saying for the calendar front cover, "This moment contains all moments.” There is so much truth to that, isn't there.
Tim Herrmann from high school wrote me! No kidding. He's the first person to reply to my high school bio. How cool is that. I have to write him tomorrow. For now, I gotta go to bed. I barely finished my calendar at 11:59pm so that I qualified for the 20% discount. Yeah, I like to wait for the very last minute. It's a real motivator.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Women's group
Strange but true. I've joined a women's prayer group. They also study together. The book they (we?) have just started is How to Hear From God by Joyce Meyer. I looked at comments at Amazon.com and all but two are good. Generally when I read comments I quickly scan through all to find the lowest ratings to read why people didn't like the book. Two comments out of 18 were people who didn't like the book. One said that it's drivel and the other says it's "mindless dribble." Puh-leeze. If a critique doesn't articulate what stinks about the book then I really can't use the critique, can I.
A hardcore Christian metal band called Disciple is coming to town at the end of the month. I'm surprised any band would come here to play let alone one with a reputation. Disciple has been together for ten years. I found a little bit of their music at YouTube and I couldn't understand a word, but as a former headbanger I have to say I love their sound. It makes me feeeel so good inside. They have energy, tats, an abundance of raw testosterone, all things which I mightily love, plus some very fine metal thrash breaks. I may sit in the parking lot and bob my head. The pitiable sad truth is, I'm afraid to go listen inside because it may ruin my hearing. Really, I've listened to such loud music during my youth that I'm afraid I'll go deaf. I ordered a hamburger through one of those boxes once, Sonic Burger, and I couldn't understand a thing the order taker was saying. It was really embarrassing, like being an alien on another planet and you're trying hard to decipher what the heck they're saying, while you in the meantime look really stupid.
I didn't know that the phrase "still, small voice" came from the Bible. It's in 1Kings 19:12.
I'm so excited about the new year. I think something about it is going to be really good. I hope! I've been like a Christian on a tricycle for so long. Surely God will give me a two wheeler soon. Even if I have to have training wheels on it I'd be happy. He's got to be gearing me up to use me for something.
A hardcore Christian metal band called Disciple is coming to town at the end of the month. I'm surprised any band would come here to play let alone one with a reputation. Disciple has been together for ten years. I found a little bit of their music at YouTube and I couldn't understand a word, but as a former headbanger I have to say I love their sound. It makes me feeeel so good inside. They have energy, tats, an abundance of raw testosterone, all things which I mightily love, plus some very fine metal thrash breaks. I may sit in the parking lot and bob my head. The pitiable sad truth is, I'm afraid to go listen inside because it may ruin my hearing. Really, I've listened to such loud music during my youth that I'm afraid I'll go deaf. I ordered a hamburger through one of those boxes once, Sonic Burger, and I couldn't understand a thing the order taker was saying. It was really embarrassing, like being an alien on another planet and you're trying hard to decipher what the heck they're saying, while you in the meantime look really stupid.
I didn't know that the phrase "still, small voice" came from the Bible. It's in 1Kings 19:12.
I'm so excited about the new year. I think something about it is going to be really good. I hope! I've been like a Christian on a tricycle for so long. Surely God will give me a two wheeler soon. Even if I have to have training wheels on it I'd be happy. He's got to be gearing me up to use me for something.
Social Security
Sometimes I'm like the person who's afraid to go to the doctor because they're afraid they'll be diagnosed with cancer, as if staying away from the doctor will keep the cancer away. A niggling worry has been eating at me; what would become of me financially if I were suddenly alone? Poverty is an equal opportunity employer. I went into a funk over it the other day.
So I got proactive and researched a bit about social security. A lot of women, me being one, drop out of the workforce to rear up children. Since I'm currently short enough credits to qualify for my own social security I will receive nothing when I reach retirement age. Our youngest son will be 18 when I'm 58 so it's entirely possible I may return to the workforce someday. If I had enough credits, but my husband's retirement was more than mine, I could receive 50% of his instead of mine. That's all moot at this point in time because I don't have the credits.
But, if my husband dies I would qualify for widow's benefits. That's different. In that case if I were to begin receiving benefits at the earliest age possible, age 60, I'd get the least monthly amount; 71% of my husband's full benefit amount. If I were to wait till my full retirement age, and me being born in 1959 makes age 67 and ten months full retirement age, then I would receive 100% of my husband's social security amount.
I feel much better. My husband earned six figures so he's at or very close to the very top of the benefits schedule amount. No one lives a high life on social security alone but if you live within your means you will not starve, so at minimum I will not starve. Plus I have my two sons so I will not be all alone in the world. But I want to be self-sufficient. I won't be a clinging vine to my children. I would send myself off on an ice floe before I'd be a clinging fine.
Of course don't remind me that social security's gonna fold by the time I'm old or I'll have to go into another funk. I am diminutive by nature so it's hard to imagine being alone. I am a wife and well suited to wifedom. But Reta is alone now, and it will happen to me someday too. I am not afraid. I am not afraid.
So I got proactive and researched a bit about social security. A lot of women, me being one, drop out of the workforce to rear up children. Since I'm currently short enough credits to qualify for my own social security I will receive nothing when I reach retirement age. Our youngest son will be 18 when I'm 58 so it's entirely possible I may return to the workforce someday. If I had enough credits, but my husband's retirement was more than mine, I could receive 50% of his instead of mine. That's all moot at this point in time because I don't have the credits.
But, if my husband dies I would qualify for widow's benefits. That's different. In that case if I were to begin receiving benefits at the earliest age possible, age 60, I'd get the least monthly amount; 71% of my husband's full benefit amount. If I were to wait till my full retirement age, and me being born in 1959 makes age 67 and ten months full retirement age, then I would receive 100% of my husband's social security amount.
I feel much better. My husband earned six figures so he's at or very close to the very top of the benefits schedule amount. No one lives a high life on social security alone but if you live within your means you will not starve, so at minimum I will not starve. Plus I have my two sons so I will not be all alone in the world. But I want to be self-sufficient. I won't be a clinging vine to my children. I would send myself off on an ice floe before I'd be a clinging fine.
Of course don't remind me that social security's gonna fold by the time I'm old or I'll have to go into another funk. I am diminutive by nature so it's hard to imagine being alone. I am a wife and well suited to wifedom. But Reta is alone now, and it will happen to me someday too. I am not afraid. I am not afraid.
Monday, January 01, 2007
At the New Year's party
All I said was 'tv is evil' and everything went quiet!
The background story is, we have no television and people often find this fact fascinating. They wonder how we can live without television! We tell them we get plenty of news online so that immediately sweeps aside the foremost issue of keeping informed of local, state, national and world current events.
So someone asked me the question straight up, why, really, do I say no television in our house. And I responded straight up. I didn't sugar coat it. I said, "TV is evil." The room went silent. The whole house went silent. Well, the livingroom, the dining room and the kitchen to be exact. You could have heard a pin drop and they have carpet. After a few seconds, I laughed and said, "Did I say something wrong?" My face went red as a beet.
It's exactly how I feel at the crux of it. I do think wickedness can move through groups of people like radio waves that are unseen yet have a verifiable effect. Of course, I don't think history on tv is evil. I don't think nature shows are evil. But I think there is enough low quality content just between the shows, let alone the shows themselves, to warrant watchfulness for ourselves and protection for our children. You are what you think, and what are you when you spend time watching material that is of no value added to your life. Programming that purposefully appeals to the basest parts of our nature is more and more common. A small, select group of people sits around and thinks up these shows for you to watch and they earn a whole lot of money when you watch them!
I heard this today. A year from now you'll be exactly the same as you are right now except for the books you read and the people you meet.
I'm just trying to be the person I want to be. I used to complain about the garbage on television and how bad it's gotten since I was a kid yet I watched it all night sometimes. In the morning I'd wonder, why did I do that! I just fell into it. I looked forward to doing nothing. When I worked I had a supervisor who had no television and secretly I admired her, though I thought her a little weird for having no tv.
My husband was sitting beside me and he knew exactly what I was going to say when the pointed question came. lol! He didn't even roll his eyes. I love him because he does not shame me for how I feel and how I express myself.
Hey, just tryin' to keep things lively!
The background story is, we have no television and people often find this fact fascinating. They wonder how we can live without television! We tell them we get plenty of news online so that immediately sweeps aside the foremost issue of keeping informed of local, state, national and world current events.
So someone asked me the question straight up, why, really, do I say no television in our house. And I responded straight up. I didn't sugar coat it. I said, "TV is evil." The room went silent. The whole house went silent. Well, the livingroom, the dining room and the kitchen to be exact. You could have heard a pin drop and they have carpet. After a few seconds, I laughed and said, "Did I say something wrong?" My face went red as a beet.
It's exactly how I feel at the crux of it. I do think wickedness can move through groups of people like radio waves that are unseen yet have a verifiable effect. Of course, I don't think history on tv is evil. I don't think nature shows are evil. But I think there is enough low quality content just between the shows, let alone the shows themselves, to warrant watchfulness for ourselves and protection for our children. You are what you think, and what are you when you spend time watching material that is of no value added to your life. Programming that purposefully appeals to the basest parts of our nature is more and more common. A small, select group of people sits around and thinks up these shows for you to watch and they earn a whole lot of money when you watch them!
I heard this today. A year from now you'll be exactly the same as you are right now except for the books you read and the people you meet.
I'm just trying to be the person I want to be. I used to complain about the garbage on television and how bad it's gotten since I was a kid yet I watched it all night sometimes. In the morning I'd wonder, why did I do that! I just fell into it. I looked forward to doing nothing. When I worked I had a supervisor who had no television and secretly I admired her, though I thought her a little weird for having no tv.
My husband was sitting beside me and he knew exactly what I was going to say when the pointed question came. lol! He didn't even roll his eyes. I love him because he does not shame me for how I feel and how I express myself.
Hey, just tryin' to keep things lively!
Sunday, December 31, 2006
A New Year's from a person with issues
Do you need a good laugh? I sleep late and usually miss all the dramas of life. But here I am up early on a Sunday morn and I came across, what?, a locked thread on one of the hair care forums. Locked threads draw readers like bees to honey. This locked thread is one for the history books. I'm still cracking up over it. I think even my husband will get a kick out of this one. Here it is:
The last post I made to this group was back in August. I was treated like troll, despite the fact that I've been posting here for a while. The biggest insult actually came from a moderator, (name deleted by Lil). The thread is entitled "a head shaving for real" It is closed now or otherwise I would've reposted it.
Since that day I've stopped coming here and now being New Years I am cleaning out my bookmarks, but of course I can't just bow out gracefully, that would be too good for you people.
I have never in my life seen such a bunch of rude, self-centered, and hateful group of people as there are here. You all got your head stuck in a bottle of conditioner you can't see straight! Most people I know grew their hair long, washed it, conditioned it and let it dry. You people with your $100 Hungarian Hair Food and your $200 Llama Hair brushes are insane!!! Get a freaking life for goodness sakes!! IT"S HAIR!! you bunch of wackos! The fate of no one's world, even your own, relies on the condition of your HAIR!
I know a post like this will get me thrown out of here and my IP banned, but I say don't bother! I am never going to post in this place again! People at a Pro-Islamic Fundamentalist forum are friendler than you people.
Farewell all you ****-tards!
WHAT? The fate of no one's world, not even my own, relies on the condition of my hair!? Any longhair knows there's not a lick of truth to that.
And now where do I find this $200 Llama hair brush!
Cleaning "house" for the New Year
The last post I made to this group was back in August. I was treated like troll, despite the fact that I've been posting here for a while. The biggest insult actually came from a moderator, (name deleted by Lil). The thread is entitled "a head shaving for real" It is closed now or otherwise I would've reposted it.
Since that day I've stopped coming here and now being New Years I am cleaning out my bookmarks, but of course I can't just bow out gracefully, that would be too good for you people.
I have never in my life seen such a bunch of rude, self-centered, and hateful group of people as there are here. You all got your head stuck in a bottle of conditioner you can't see straight! Most people I know grew their hair long, washed it, conditioned it and let it dry. You people with your $100 Hungarian Hair Food and your $200 Llama Hair brushes are insane!!! Get a freaking life for goodness sakes!! IT"S HAIR!! you bunch of wackos! The fate of no one's world, even your own, relies on the condition of your HAIR!
I know a post like this will get me thrown out of here and my IP banned, but I say don't bother! I am never going to post in this place again! People at a Pro-Islamic Fundamentalist forum are friendler than you people.
Farewell all you ****-tards!
WHAT? The fate of no one's world, not even my own, relies on the condition of my hair!? Any longhair knows there's not a lick of truth to that.
And now where do I find this $200 Llama hair brush!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Saturday, yay!
Free to do whatever I want today!
It's very cloudy outside. They've been forecasting weather coming in for a week, but it's hasn't materialized. Son is hoping for snow of course, but he hoped for snow in Southern California too. He hopes for snow everywhere! I heard there were a few flurries early this morning but I was snoozin'. My husband keeps telling me to look at the sunrise and I keep saying it's not the one, and his voice goes up a few octaves and he says, "What? That's not a great sunrise!" lol! Yeah, it's great, it's just not so photogenic.
My dad went home yesterday and was pale and weak. He slept for four hours and my step-mom said he didn't move. She was worried. Then he woke up and had his color back and ate some food and his spirits were up again. I guess he hasn't had any good sleep for a week. Today he woke up and asked for breakfast and that's a good thing there.
I've disabled comments because they've plum wore me out! I want to come to my blog for R&R and feel peaceful and be able to practice here. I'm the kind of person who takes forever to compose a simple comment. Isn't that pathetic. So since I cannot return comments I'm going to disable them, so I don't feel like I have bad etiquette.
I need some new colors around here too.
It's very cloudy outside. They've been forecasting weather coming in for a week, but it's hasn't materialized. Son is hoping for snow of course, but he hoped for snow in Southern California too. He hopes for snow everywhere! I heard there were a few flurries early this morning but I was snoozin'. My husband keeps telling me to look at the sunrise and I keep saying it's not the one, and his voice goes up a few octaves and he says, "What? That's not a great sunrise!" lol! Yeah, it's great, it's just not so photogenic.
My dad went home yesterday and was pale and weak. He slept for four hours and my step-mom said he didn't move. She was worried. Then he woke up and had his color back and ate some food and his spirits were up again. I guess he hasn't had any good sleep for a week. Today he woke up and asked for breakfast and that's a good thing there.
I've disabled comments because they've plum wore me out! I want to come to my blog for R&R and feel peaceful and be able to practice here. I'm the kind of person who takes forever to compose a simple comment. Isn't that pathetic. So since I cannot return comments I'm going to disable them, so I don't feel like I have bad etiquette.
I need some new colors around here too.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Did you know
It is impossible to lick your own elbow. Go ahead. Try!
You can lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.
Coca-Cola was originally green.
State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska
Percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%
Percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321 (This one's for Yr.)
The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law
which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.
These were in our local newspaper this week and I found them online too!
You can lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.
Coca-Cola was originally green.
State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska
Percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%
Percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321 (This one's for Yr.)
The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law
which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.
These were in our local newspaper this week and I found them online too!
Thursday, December 28, 2006
2:36 pm and it's a bit o' all right
Dad ate lunch, is upbeat and doing well. My sister talked to him. I'm gonna go call him now. She said they put in the biggest stent they make. Heh. I think he's lucky.
Back in '81 before the media was splashed with what all the symptoms of a heart attack are, he felt funny and left work and drove himself to the hospital. His left arm went numb on his way there - a classic symptom of heart attack. He's been on meds ever since. He has a good sense of how his body feels. At first the doctor sent him home with Previcid Tuesday and my dad said it didn't help and the doc told him to go to emergency the next day. I'm not overly thrilled with the doctor, but I'm thrilled with how my dad is in tune with his body. That's how you have to be. Doctors don't know everything. We each have to have a sense of our health ourselves.
Back in '81 before the media was splashed with what all the symptoms of a heart attack are, he felt funny and left work and drove himself to the hospital. His left arm went numb on his way there - a classic symptom of heart attack. He's been on meds ever since. He has a good sense of how his body feels. At first the doctor sent him home with Previcid Tuesday and my dad said it didn't help and the doc told him to go to emergency the next day. I'm not overly thrilled with the doctor, but I'm thrilled with how my dad is in tune with his body. That's how you have to be. Doctors don't know everything. We each have to have a sense of our health ourselves.
10:24 am
My step-mom called. My dad is being prepped for surgery. They enter through the groin area and will look to see if there is any blockage. If they find one they'll put in a stent. Heart. Apparently he started feeling bad before Christmas dinner. Doc says he'll be fine and live to 101. Step-mom says my dad has not been feeling so well for a few months.
I have not one, but two herpes sores on my upper lip, one very big on the right and one small on the left. They're not scabs yet, just swelled up and white and ugly. It's either from having Christmas company or talking to my Dad on the 23rd (he sounded fine if not overly jocular). Or it could be from the formal wedding upcoming in April, or it could be that one day my husband will die and I will be alone. Not only alone, but weird because when I'm with him I'm normal and better than myself, and without him I'm just me.
I have not one, but two herpes sores on my upper lip, one very big on the right and one small on the left. They're not scabs yet, just swelled up and white and ugly. It's either from having Christmas company or talking to my Dad on the 23rd (he sounded fine if not overly jocular). Or it could be from the formal wedding upcoming in April, or it could be that one day my husband will die and I will be alone. Not only alone, but weird because when I'm with him I'm normal and better than myself, and without him I'm just me.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
21 days at half staff
When a president dies, flags are flown half staff for 21 days.
When we drove by our old house last year we saw the tenants left the flag up. They never take it down. My husband put up a 25' flag pole for me in about 2000. If you leave the flag up at night it's supposed to be lighted. If it's not lighted it should be taken down and folded nightly. If we go by again this year I'm walking right up to the porch and taking that flag down myself. It was tattered and faded and getting no love. I wish I had taken it down last year.
I don't think Ford was much as a president. He was pretty unremarkable as presidents go. He sure lived a nice, long life though. Ninety-three years old. Not bad!
When we drove by our old house last year we saw the tenants left the flag up. They never take it down. My husband put up a 25' flag pole for me in about 2000. If you leave the flag up at night it's supposed to be lighted. If it's not lighted it should be taken down and folded nightly. If we go by again this year I'm walking right up to the porch and taking that flag down myself. It was tattered and faded and getting no love. I wish I had taken it down last year.
I don't think Ford was much as a president. He was pretty unremarkable as presidents go. He sure lived a nice, long life though. Ninety-three years old. Not bad!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
I have yarn
Since we had to get up at 7:00am to feed the animals we decided to drive straight into Las Cruces instead of coming back home. I went to Hobby Lobby. Found no yarn I wanted. Went to Unraveled and found some pretty purple acrylic yarn for only $4.99 each for 100 yards, plus 20% after Christmas sale. I bought two. I've wisened up (I made up a word) and now know not to buy certain things like novelty yarns at Unraveled because their mark-up is ridiculous. Little did I know on my first visit that the $10.99 Eros ladder yarn could be bought online for less than half that. Ouch. Live and learn. But the hand dyed and animal fur yarns are probably worth the extra cost. I don't need fancy schmancy now though. This acrylic yarn I bought was going like hotcakes. People are making afghans with it and it's nice and soft. I touched this yarn by Plymouth called Oh My! and it's real soft. I'd like to use some of that for something sometime.
We ate McDonald's in the morning and I had a bacon cheeseburger and onion rings for dinner at 3:00pm. It's almost 11:00pm and I'm not hungry at all. We don't eat like this very often so it was kind of a treat.
I'm working in the morning so I have to go to bed now.
I got new reading glasses for $5.00. They're 1.75 power. Such a deal. I'm going blind. My night vision is gone. The other night I was walking with some friends and I almost fell down. I couldn't see the ground in the night time. It's disconcerting. I tripped but I didn't fall. Would have been very embarrassed if TIMBERRR, I fell all the way down. They got a flashlight when I had to go back to the truck. My new glasses are sort of a gunmetal color, brownish? I have to make an eyeglass necklace to hold them. I hope I have just the right beads.
Last night our guests brought us gifts. I was thinking, oh nooooo, because I didn't get them anything so it feels a little awkward, yes? But guess what they gave us: paper plates, paper bowls, plastic forks, knives and spoons - in a flower motif. Haha! It was so cute and I had fun opening each gift! They know we can't add weight and 'things' to our trailer - no space. So I acted excited and like each gift was exactly what I wanted and we all laughed! Pat is such a giver. She loves to give people presents.
I'm going to have really nice dreams of my yarn now. I'll take a photo of it tomorrow.
We ate McDonald's in the morning and I had a bacon cheeseburger and onion rings for dinner at 3:00pm. It's almost 11:00pm and I'm not hungry at all. We don't eat like this very often so it was kind of a treat.
I'm working in the morning so I have to go to bed now.
I got new reading glasses for $5.00. They're 1.75 power. Such a deal. I'm going blind. My night vision is gone. The other night I was walking with some friends and I almost fell down. I couldn't see the ground in the night time. It's disconcerting. I tripped but I didn't fall. Would have been very embarrassed if TIMBERRR, I fell all the way down. They got a flashlight when I had to go back to the truck. My new glasses are sort of a gunmetal color, brownish? I have to make an eyeglass necklace to hold them. I hope I have just the right beads.
Last night our guests brought us gifts. I was thinking, oh nooooo, because I didn't get them anything so it feels a little awkward, yes? But guess what they gave us: paper plates, paper bowls, plastic forks, knives and spoons - in a flower motif. Haha! It was so cute and I had fun opening each gift! They know we can't add weight and 'things' to our trailer - no space. So I acted excited and like each gift was exactly what I wanted and we all laughed! Pat is such a giver. She loves to give people presents.
I'm going to have really nice dreams of my yarn now. I'll take a photo of it tomorrow.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Yesterday morning
I'm putting up my practice shots till I get the one. Am kicking myself for being too cold to get my camera out on the day when the view was magical a week ago. I'm getting up early to get these morning shots. On this one I wish I'd done bracketing so I could brighten up the island. It's too dark. Uh, I don't know how to do bracketing yet.
I admit, I had a real nice Christmas. We had Turkey a la King over rice and fruit jello with whipped cream for the holiday meal. We had friends over and they brought the dinner. Good deal there. If you can find company who are good cooks who will bring food to your house and leave you leftovers too, go for it! I made the dessert. I forgot to buy whipped cream and the store was out so we drove to our guests house and got some from their trailer. It was real cream so I had to whip it with sugar and vanilla and I had to whip it a long time to get it fluffy. My arm got tired. I think I will never eat Dream Whip again. The real thing is much tastier.
I printed out a few Christmas songs like The Little Drummer Boy and everyone enjoyed a sing-a-long without music.
Tomorrow we're going to Las Cruces. I get to buy yarn! I want to make another scarf. My sister liked hers a lot. She emailed me and what she wrote made my night. Says she's going to wear it with the tag attached. Heh. I think I could get into giving handknit gifts.
My husband asked me what I wanted to get for our eldest son for a wedding gift. I've known from the beginning but I've been waiting for him to ask. And he said okay. I was surprised. He never tells me no, but I thought this might be the time he says no. I was prepared for a no, you never know when it can come, so I am happy with his answer.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Patches is smiling
This is Patches the dog - the dog I was scared to death to visit. He looks ferocious and ready to attack. But he isn't! Truth is, he's totally mellowed out here, sitting in the sun taking in the fresh air (it's windy), and his teeth are stuck on the outside of his lips. I thought it'd be a good photo to denote my initial fear!
He's getting used to us. Tonight when we brought him in the house for the night he was bounding about the kitchen with unmitigated happiness. It was so cute. I don't know why he was so playful and happy unless he's just happy to see our son. Patches is used to his family being home most of the day so he must be some kind of lonely.
I'm having an email fight with my sister about punctuation and quotation marks. Usually punctuation goes inside the quotation marks, unless the question or exclamation applies to the entire sentence and not just the quote. Told her I'm going to put her in my grammar zulu head hold if she doesn't quit placing her periods outside her quotation marks. I'll do it too. I'm bigger than she is.
Drove around and looked at Christmas lights tonight. Pretty.
Tomorrow is the day. I wish I could go from October 31 directly to January 2, but we have a kid. Have to do it. We didn't do Advent except for the wreath this year and husband and son both expressed disappointment. I should have done better. I got mad because I lost my file folder and I was too angry to find something else to use. I was angry because I feel my husband doesn't have any idea how much work I put into putting Advent together to make the verses and the songs and the reading and the ritual a perfect fit for us. Been doing some of the Book of Luke instead of my file folder stuff. I'm going to print out the Luke verses and use them next year. Fox shared it with comments and everything and it's really good and most of them are on my desktop already. I should have done better for this year though.
I'll be glad when plain days are back again.
Major cutback
Man, I have to cut back on my 'puter time. Yesterday I popped a tv dinner in the oven and forgot to turn the oven up to temperature (for the third time). I forgot to close the ceiling vent which caused the furnace to run a lot last night and uses up propane. Went to bed and left the space heater under the table. That might be a fire hazard, hmmm?
I must chop my forum time. That's all there is to it. Less time on photography talk, travel and rving talk, hair talk, news, email, amazon.com, theology, homeschooling, blogs, knitting and beading. Bummer. Huge bummer! But evidently it's absorbing my mind and attention too much away from tasks at hand. Notice I didn't list blogging. Surely I can blog and think at the same time?
I must chop my forum time. That's all there is to it. Less time on photography talk, travel and rving talk, hair talk, news, email, amazon.com, theology, homeschooling, blogs, knitting and beading. Bummer. Huge bummer! But evidently it's absorbing my mind and attention too much away from tasks at hand. Notice I didn't list blogging. Surely I can blog and think at the same time?
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Sunrise
Jack passed on last night. We'll miss him. From what Reta said when I visited her this morning, it was without pain. It was faster than anyone would have thought. When the medics said his pulse was gone she cried, "But he needs one."
I asked Reta if she sensed yesterday before it happened that it was going to happen last night, and she said no. He did not have time to be afraid and of that I'm glad. Jack didn't want to die in a hospital and that's why they're here. He had DNR 'Do Not Resuscitate' orders. I wanna go the same way - home, by the lake, with the desert, away from the hospital. They're Seventh Day Adventists.
It happened right after the Christmas potluck. Only ten minutes later we drove to Patches' house and saw the ambulance in front of Reta and Jack's motorhome. A park ranger was there. A few other cars too. I didn't stop because I didn't want to be in the way and I despise looky-loos. We prayed. When my husband was lying in the street after a car accident there were looky-loos crushing in a circle to see some blood and I wanted to thrash them all.
Reta looks real pretty today and she's all put together. I saw her this morning at 7:00am standing outside in her long red robe, staring into the air. We waved to her. As I write this now, I realize she must have been outside to see the sunrise; the first sunrise without her Jack. She got three hours rest last night and I think she expects a busy day. Reta's not a crier or a whiner. I want to be like her. She tells me I better learn to drive the truck and pull the trailer. She can drive their huge motorhome with a tow vehicle behind. She was out of Kleenex so my husband went to the store and bought her two boxes.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Patches
Wednesday night I went over to meet the dog our son is dog sitting and get instructions about how to feed him, two cats and one kitten. I went home and felt sick to my stomach because I got scared of the dog! I worried about it all night long. I didn't sleep all night, I kid you not, and Patches grew bigger and scarier in my mind until by morning he was big as a horse.
He was really nice when I met him outside once about a month back. I petted him and he's a big dog but I didn't feel afraid. Then one day I went to their front door and Patches barked and lunged at the front window like he was going to eat me up. I didn't like that. I told the owners he scared me and they said that's what he's supposed to do.
I know how hard it is to get animal care when you go on vacation and when they asked our son to dogsit I easily said, "Fine!" I didn't think I'd have to do anything. Our son sees the dog frequently and they get along swimmingly and with two sons in Patches' family age 4 and 11, I considered him safe. Plus, with a doggie door what's the big deal? Just feed the whole crew twice a day and scoop the kitty litter box and our son has his first paying job with responsibility.
But when I went over to get instructions, Patches the dog was very standoffish. Nervous. He made me nervous. And he barks. He barks giant barks incessantly. And my greatest tactical error, there is no doggie door. Isn't there some saying about assuming things? I was dying on my way home thinking about what I'd gotten myself into.
So we're getting up at 7:00 am and driving over to feed him and the two cats (the third kitty is in the hospital for gall stones) and going back at 4:30 pm to feed them and going back at 8:45 pm to let them in the house to sleep for the night. It's a three minute drive, but geez. It's cold out and I'm never up this early anymore. This morning was 25°.
My fear has subsided considerably. Still, I don't make any sudden motions! He does bark a lot and he is scary and big, but they say he was abused before they found him. In just two days he's gotten used to me. I always tell him to sit and I give him a tidbit so he's cool with that. He waggled his tail and came by and let me scratch him this morning. He still barks terribly, but I think he's an angel of a dog. I wouldn't want to see him in a kennel because I don't think he'd do well, so I'm happy to do something that enables him to stay in his home. If ever imprecatory prayers are prayed I think it should be for animal abusers. This dog had to have been treated real bad, real bad before they found him at the shelter. I'm so glad this gentle, loving family has adopted him. He has an excellent home for life with them. Surely there must be a hot place in hell for animal abusers. There's just got to be.
No one at e-Bay has responded to tell me what the return policy is for that dress yet. I bet she's on vacation. I hope I'll hear from her!
Last night I dreamt about myself. That's weird. I dreamt I was sitting in a car and I was looking out the side window and saw myself at age 15 walking by outside. I said, "Look, look, it's me." Next thing I was holding the hand of my 15 year old self and looking at it. I thought the hand felt so small, looked so young, and the temperature of my younger self's hand was a little too cool. It should have been warm. I had the Farrah Fawcett hair style (which I really did have when I was 15) and I (my current self) started to cry. Don't know if it was about the hair or not. Haha! And I told my younger self everything was going to be okay - trying hard to impress her with my sincerity. She seemed empty and distant, not hearing me and she didn't look at me. End of dream. I'm sure I dreamt of that period in my life because I've been emailing with a newfound (refound?) friend from high school.
Tonight we're going to a potluck. My husband is making barbequed ribs and deviled eggs.
He was really nice when I met him outside once about a month back. I petted him and he's a big dog but I didn't feel afraid. Then one day I went to their front door and Patches barked and lunged at the front window like he was going to eat me up. I didn't like that. I told the owners he scared me and they said that's what he's supposed to do.
I know how hard it is to get animal care when you go on vacation and when they asked our son to dogsit I easily said, "Fine!" I didn't think I'd have to do anything. Our son sees the dog frequently and they get along swimmingly and with two sons in Patches' family age 4 and 11, I considered him safe. Plus, with a doggie door what's the big deal? Just feed the whole crew twice a day and scoop the kitty litter box and our son has his first paying job with responsibility.
But when I went over to get instructions, Patches the dog was very standoffish. Nervous. He made me nervous. And he barks. He barks giant barks incessantly. And my greatest tactical error, there is no doggie door. Isn't there some saying about assuming things? I was dying on my way home thinking about what I'd gotten myself into.
So we're getting up at 7:00 am and driving over to feed him and the two cats (the third kitty is in the hospital for gall stones) and going back at 4:30 pm to feed them and going back at 8:45 pm to let them in the house to sleep for the night. It's a three minute drive, but geez. It's cold out and I'm never up this early anymore. This morning was 25°.
My fear has subsided considerably. Still, I don't make any sudden motions! He does bark a lot and he is scary and big, but they say he was abused before they found him. In just two days he's gotten used to me. I always tell him to sit and I give him a tidbit so he's cool with that. He waggled his tail and came by and let me scratch him this morning. He still barks terribly, but I think he's an angel of a dog. I wouldn't want to see him in a kennel because I don't think he'd do well, so I'm happy to do something that enables him to stay in his home. If ever imprecatory prayers are prayed I think it should be for animal abusers. This dog had to have been treated real bad, real bad before they found him at the shelter. I'm so glad this gentle, loving family has adopted him. He has an excellent home for life with them. Surely there must be a hot place in hell for animal abusers. There's just got to be.
No one at e-Bay has responded to tell me what the return policy is for that dress yet. I bet she's on vacation. I hope I'll hear from her!
Last night I dreamt about myself. That's weird. I dreamt I was sitting in a car and I was looking out the side window and saw myself at age 15 walking by outside. I said, "Look, look, it's me." Next thing I was holding the hand of my 15 year old self and looking at it. I thought the hand felt so small, looked so young, and the temperature of my younger self's hand was a little too cool. It should have been warm. I had the Farrah Fawcett hair style (which I really did have when I was 15) and I (my current self) started to cry. Don't know if it was about the hair or not. Haha! And I told my younger self everything was going to be okay - trying hard to impress her with my sincerity. She seemed empty and distant, not hearing me and she didn't look at me. End of dream. I'm sure I dreamt of that period in my life because I've been emailing with a newfound (refound?) friend from high school.
Tonight we're going to a potluck. My husband is making barbequed ribs and deviled eggs.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Gunne Sax
Remember Gunne Sax dresses. I had one. They were so pretty.
Tonight I've been informed that our son's April wedding is to be formal. That's not what it was going to be before now. Our youngest will be the ring bearer. The men have to wear tuxedos and I have to wear formal. I would run my regular three screams, but it will do me little good.
I don't think the bride will want me to wear a sari which I've wanted for a long time and is something I might wear more than once. I'm guessing she will rather I blend nicely. It's her day so I should oblige. Well, I can't wear polyester. I just can't. And I'll never wear anything formal a second time, so I detest the idea of investing much capital in a garment. I'd like to wear jeans and a Victorian punk jacket and lacy shirt, but that ain't happenin' either. So what about a vintage dress. Well even in vintage it's really hard to find something formal or formalish that covers up a lot of the top part. I'm a mother and I can't be wearing a sexy dress to my kid's wedding. It'll be April which may be cool weather, so I need to be covered. I found a possibility.
I found the perfect Gunne Sax dress at eBay. It doesn't tie in the back. Ties are too young for me now. It's not too open up top. I definitely look good in an A-line dress. I have not much waist and an A-line gives me a great waistline. I have reservations about the big ruffle on the bottom. It's the best I could come up with tonight. Sigh.
So did I ever say that my mom's best girlfriend in high school was a girl named Doris. Yeah, my mom and two other girls were the bestest of friends - a threesome. Lila was the other girl. Anyway, Doris's initial are DK as in DKNY. She's it. The real thing.
My mom said Doris was a talented seamstress and that an old lady saw her talent. The old lady, who rented a place to Doris and a roommate, paid to send her to some clothing design classes. Doris had no one else to lean on or to help her. Guess all the rest is history. Just goes to show how the action of a giving heart can blossom into something real big and pretty. My mom recently talked and exchanged photos with Doris. I asked my mom if she knew how big DKNY is and she said, yup. Doris is in the money.
Little gal from San Diego back in the day makes it big. I had one of her outfits once. Pink and white checkered culottes and a white tee shirt top with pearl edging and a coordinating suit jacket. Sounds ghastly now, but it was cute at the time.
Tonight I've been informed that our son's April wedding is to be formal. That's not what it was going to be before now. Our youngest will be the ring bearer. The men have to wear tuxedos and I have to wear formal. I would run my regular three screams, but it will do me little good.
I don't think the bride will want me to wear a sari which I've wanted for a long time and is something I might wear more than once. I'm guessing she will rather I blend nicely. It's her day so I should oblige. Well, I can't wear polyester. I just can't. And I'll never wear anything formal a second time, so I detest the idea of investing much capital in a garment. I'd like to wear jeans and a Victorian punk jacket and lacy shirt, but that ain't happenin' either. So what about a vintage dress. Well even in vintage it's really hard to find something formal or formalish that covers up a lot of the top part. I'm a mother and I can't be wearing a sexy dress to my kid's wedding. It'll be April which may be cool weather, so I need to be covered. I found a possibility.
I found the perfect Gunne Sax dress at eBay. It doesn't tie in the back. Ties are too young for me now. It's not too open up top. I definitely look good in an A-line dress. I have not much waist and an A-line gives me a great waistline. I have reservations about the big ruffle on the bottom. It's the best I could come up with tonight. Sigh.
So did I ever say that my mom's best girlfriend in high school was a girl named Doris. Yeah, my mom and two other girls were the bestest of friends - a threesome. Lila was the other girl. Anyway, Doris's initial are DK as in DKNY. She's it. The real thing.
My mom said Doris was a talented seamstress and that an old lady saw her talent. The old lady, who rented a place to Doris and a roommate, paid to send her to some clothing design classes. Doris had no one else to lean on or to help her. Guess all the rest is history. Just goes to show how the action of a giving heart can blossom into something real big and pretty. My mom recently talked and exchanged photos with Doris. I asked my mom if she knew how big DKNY is and she said, yup. Doris is in the money.
Little gal from San Diego back in the day makes it big. I had one of her outfits once. Pink and white checkered culottes and a white tee shirt top with pearl edging and a coordinating suit jacket. Sounds ghastly now, but it was cute at the time.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
I received a Kara Treatment Package!
Today I was gifted by my online girlfriend, Kara, with a box of her own homemade, natural beauty products. She makes these! Is that not the handwriting of a creative mind on those containers? If only I had a scratch and sniff page, then you could smell the fabulous fragrances wafting from these jars and bottles into my trailer when I opened them.The face cream is lemony and I have some on my face now. I'm going to use the foot butter tonight. I don't know if Kara knows, but I'm a maniac about soft, smooth feet. The first time we went on an extended camping trip I went home with feet like chicken feet. I said to myself 'No more of this!" If I live in a trailer I am going to have the soft feet. And usually I do. I didn't know it, but my husband was watching me and I found out he put Vaseline on his feet a few times to soften them up. Heh. Yeah, they're watchin' ya all the time even when you don't know it, so look out. So tonight I'm slathering on my new foot butter then I'm putting thin cotton socks on to let the butter do its thing.
So you might wonder just what the ingredients are in these lotions and potions. Well, I know some of them:
Lavender Lotion: coconut oil, shea butter, aloe vera, grapeseed oil, lavender essential oil (and additional ingredients unknown except to She Who Formulated It).
Face Cream: same ingredients as Lavender Lotion, but a higher percentage of oils and butters used, plus Lemongrass essential oil.
Foot Butter: coconut oil, lanolin, cocoa butter, herbal oil, beeswax, lemongrass essential oil, tea tree essential oil, and peppermint essential oil. Excellent for use on dry heels and sore feet. May be used not only on feet, but extremely dry hands too.
Deep Condish: shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil and lavender essential oil.
I've admired the shine in Kara's hair for a long time, and now (wringing my hands together with glee) I hope to duplicate said shine by using this Deep Condish that she uses. I hope, I hope, I hope it works for me. The air is so dry that I applied a light bit already although she applies it on say, Friday, and washes on Sunday. I wash less often so I put on less, plus I want to see how it works in a small amount. Plus, I hate to use it all up in one application.
I'm working in the office tomorrow from 8:00 to noon. I have a new top to wear too. It's red. Usually I won't wear red but this top fit so well I had to buy it. Plus it was on sale.
Hopefully, tomorrow, shiny hair and a pretty outfit. Should be a good day.
If you read this, thank you Kara. I'm not worthy, but I am happy! You have email from me too. Mwah!!!
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