LOOKING BACK (to my Brother Roy)

LOOKING BACK (to my Brother Roy)

See today would have been my brother’s  80^th birthday.. 

Knowing him, he would have had it full of laughter.  He and his buddies would be downtown Jamestown, R.I.  (even tho he moved to Portsmouth in his later life, when he inherited our folks farm)

Having coffee and laughing up the place.. then His kids would have had a Hell of a party.  And by now a great granddaughter running around..  to the gee of Grandpa’s antics.. .. 

But sadly God had other plans

10 1/2 years ago, God decided he needed Roy more than his friends and family did. Just 6 months before his 70^th birthday.

In 2011, I bought a birthday card that you will see here. And he decided to send it back to me on my  birthday and said we should just sent it back and forth to each other.. just adding a few words..   And we did.. as you can see…  but in 2014… after my birthday,  he passed..  so he had the last word. I take it out every year on his birthday and then in April to read what we wrote.   I use to tell him each year in our phone calls, what to look forward to when he arrived at each 5 years..  and I had a doozy ready for his 70^th.. of all the good things that happen in your 70 and not to fear it but embrace it..and passed on my questionable words of wisdom, of things he would face that year.  But I  never got to write it. Looking back, maybe when I got it out, I should have added to it.  See I am 4 years older than he.

See, Roy, as you would have turn 80 this year.. all the good times of 70 .. well, they are gone and you had fun, right?.  WELL, 80 is starting of the pits.  That is when the legs let you know you can’t walk a mile anymore..  that walking around the grocery store can be marathon.  And aches, pains, you blew off before.. well, they nag the hell out of you… letting you know you are not macho man anymore.. But the sense of humor gets even more sharper.. And YOU can rass the heck out of the younger generation..  And teach your great grandkid all kinds of stuff..    But guess you are going to have to sit up there in heaven and watch..  but at least you aren’t lonely anymore.. with your wife joining you,   with Mom and Dad there too. 

God Bless…. Kid..  happy 80th

 

 

 

 

The best that money can buy….

The best that money can buy….

We have all heard the old saying… “he is the best congressman that money can buy”…  that was back in the 40’s or so..  Well, that saying should come back.. because Trump is for sale..  and he has gladly accept all fees coming in. Mostly from Computer company's…  Like Facebook.. then there is Twitter now call X ..  both have given Millions and more..  to Trump’s organization…  it is public knowledge.  Meta president has donated 1 million dollars to Trump’s Inaugural party.  You can find the story .. with these kinds of reports from the Wall Street. and etc..

The Wall Street Journal, which broke both stories and revealed the Meta donation late Wednesday night, said the corporate handout was a departure for the Zuckerberg-run company, which had previously refused to endorse a candidate in this year's presidential race. Zuckerberg had met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago compound in Florida last week, speculatively the precursor for the million-dollar gift.  Coming up right behind him is Amazon’s CEO..  Jeff Bezo…

And we know how much MUSK  has gave already.. and more to come..And this is ok?  There isn’t a law against that..  Influencing and buying the  President office?   Some where I thought that was illegal.. but who am I to know such things..   And the Republican party .. Senators and Representative seem to be ok with that..  I can just imagine what would be splashed across FOX NEWS if it was  Democrat President … say like Obama, or even more so Biden.. 

The winds are changing.. it isn’t for the good.   But I am sure that the Trump group is ok with this..  Maybe this is normal.. after all who has paid for the inaugural parties in the past.. I thought it was the party themselves..  Meaning the Republican’s for a Republican's President and Democrats for the Democrats Presidents..   maybe I should go Google it. 

 https://www.marketplace.org/2017/01/18/let-s-do-numbers-cost-inauguration/

I tried to find out how much Kennedy’s cost.. but guess there were more closed mouth in those days about it..  So I guess the bragging rights goes to Donald. 

 

Words on sorrow.. when they say.. LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH

Words on sorrow..  when they say.. LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH

 This is a rough time of the year for many.. some hide.. some take a way out that is so mind blowing for the rest of us.  Some of us don’t see it coming..  some of us worry about our love ones.. be they a friend or family..  and yet can’t find the magic words to say..  to keep the person thinking that their lives are such a black hole, they can’t take it anymore. 

We had a family member.. who did on the 7^th of December. Don’t know if she was thinking about how she could not face Christmas, even tho it was one of her favorites in the past years..  We knew she was fragile.  She had been fragile before.  She had a wonderful boyfriend, who was by her side 99% of the time.   Yet, she found a way to divert him, and did the deed…  to our horror..   And she left a note…  with the words above…  LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH..  How can you fight that?

So even those were her words, I pray that your love one.. that Love IS enough..  and you can help..

If the worse happens.. there are groups to help you..  Find them..  because you will never understand and they can help you try.   Google the suicide line.. in your area.

LONG DAY IN THE KITCHEN…

LONG DAY IN THE KITCHEN…

Up and at them.. early 0 hour… well for me.. at least. See in the winter I sleep in..  because I am a daylight person..  So when the sun is up at 5am. in the summer… I am up at 5am.  When it is up at 7:15am in the winter…  I am .. yep, up at 7:15 or so.. some times 7:30 if it is overcast and the sun is not coming thru my window.. The bed is too warm to leave before that.. and nothing is hurting on my body.

So to be up at 6am.. yesterday morning… quick breakfast.. and I was ready to go.. Had all the bowls out, and all the measuring cups from 1 cup to 8 cups..  I had the cookie sheets and the wire racks.. All out the night before..  I got the bowls in a row..  and started to put ingredient in them… and then to my HORROR… I saw I did NOT have enough brown sugar.   So called the King (he is up at 5am and with his cronies at the HOOT OWL.)….I asked him to pick up 4 bags..  he got me 5.. that is ok..  Any way.. got the ingredient in each of the bowls.  Not enough nuts for all 3.. which is fine.. as I try not to put nuts in all of my cookies. For those who are allergic.

So with breakfast and ingredient ready to go..  I was spoon  in hand at 8am.. Spooning dough out on to the cookie sheets.  I have 6 cookie sheets..  and by 8:30… first one in..

By 1pm I was all done with all of the sheets and cooked and cookies on the wire racks.

By 3pm all were cool enough to bag. 10 to a bag. Well, I started out with 12.. but when I noticed one of them was 2 short because my tester husband took 2..  so figured… ok. 10 is a good number.

Had them all bagged by 4. And out in the refrigerator in the garage. (a little out of range for my tester husband to get) As  there were a few tinged at the edges.. which became the Testers..  lol..

At 5pm..I was fixing dinner and eating..  by 6.. I had the breads back in the house from the garage.. and wrapped them in wrapping… as I didn’t like how the foil fit around them..  By 7pm, I had the pans all washed, and placed outside in the cupboards in the garage.  And the kitchen back to normal..  what ever normal is..   That is the longest I have been in a kitchen.. since.. well, I don’t remember.. Since retiring… and then the King retired.. and he loves to cook, I don’t do much but prep work for him.  BUT I AM DONE..

I use to do breads, cookies, candy and one time did jalapeno jam.   And we gave it all away in baskets for gifts..  But we don’t do that anymore.. for one thing.. a lot of the receivers have passed away..

But at least I got it done.. until next year..

Wizard of Oz

Wizard of Oz

My thoughts of late have been on the song in Wizard of Oz.

It is the one where the scarecrow sings..  I WISH I HAD A BRAIN…   Because mine seems to go on vacation from time to time..  use to say..  a  SENIOR MOMENT.. but that is too short of a time for this.  

But I got to admit.. I pass what I have now called Dementia Test..  that is where you sit so nice in your house, writing out a list of stuff you need from the store…   and THEN YOU FORGET IT ON THE COUNTER…   and you don’t discovery this … until you are entering the store.  No, you don’t want to drive home and get it..  So you trudge thru and try to remember what it was on the list.  Closing your eyes and trying to imagine what you see of what you wrote, does not help at all.     And I hate going up and down the aisle trying to see what seems familiar of what you are missing at home.    But I went to the store .. and I searched all of my pockets.. (vest has 4 and jacket has two) NO LIST..   I remember the main thing I wanted as I had just wrote it down before I left.  The others were from a day or two before..   But I AM SOOOOOOOOO PROUD OF MYSELF… I aced it.  I got all 5 items.. (what did you think I was a genius and remember 20? Come on .) At 84.. 5 is good. 

Well, heading in the kitchen to make cookies this am.. Christmas cookies that the King loves..  when I make a big batch.. I have to freeze ¾ of them .. or we will binge eat them..   that is why I only make them once a year..  ok. I am off..  humming  Oh, if only I had a brain……

My heart just doesn’t seem to be in it…

My heart just doesn’t seem to be in it…

Each year, for years..  this is the time I start making my Choc. Zucchini Bread..   Last year I did maybe about 8 of them…. usually to about 20..  And this year.. I really don’t have my heart into it..  Hoping when I start, I will get into the mood.. But it is the getting started.. 

Actually I am having a hard time getting my heart into anything…  Got the Christmas stuff out..  looked thru it..  hung the King’s flat tree on the wall next to his chair.. put the rest of it back in the tote and put it in the back room with the other one.. I have got it down to 2 totes.  We don’t do a regular tree.. no room.. Found the flat wall tree a few years ago.. It serves the purpose..  when it is over, just roll it up and put it away until next year.

Anyway, figured I would give the chore to the GGboys.. when they come over Wed.  Did it with one last year.. he did a pretty good job. So hoping they will do well, and not fight over it..  There is no such thing about it not going any particular place.. Just let his ideas flow..  So God only knows where the stuff will end up at..   Will show pictures next week.

 

 

This and That…

This and That…

Well, here we go… closing in on 2025.. ending another year…  or as I use to say..  Another year shot to hell..  lets see how we do with the next one. 

Already told you, I thought this year was on maxi speed. 

While we are about 4 weeks to 2025..  we still have time for things to happen in this world..

There are many changes over seas..  Lets hope peace on earth is one of them.

I have decided ..  I don’t like going for drives any more.  Over the weekend we traveled to Spokane.  Now normally that isn’t a big deal. We went what we would think is the back way.. thru Newport, WA.. down highway 2.. to Spokane.   We have done this many times, just not in the past 4 or 5 years.  It seem like it was FOREVER.. We had traveled for at least an hour… and I finally said.. Boy, I don’t remember this road being so long…  And the King replied… I was just thinking the same thing..  I was thinking how I was beginning to think like a kid.  ARE WE THERE YET?  ARE WE THERE YET?   When we left for home we took one of the other routes we normally take. And it did seem faster..  but it still was a long time.. So about 2 hours each way… with dinner on the way home.  So we were going for over 4 hours.. And the dog was not happy..  I think she thought we deserted her.  As this is the longest we have been gone. Guess I am just getting old.

Oh, and it was for nothing..  We found out the chair the King was thinking about getting.. was really nice.. but the price sure wasn’t..  so we came home empty handed.. Oh well, it was a ride with my sweet guy, who gets very upset with Washington drivers… lol.. and we got lost.. so had to stop for directions.. and of course we had traveled about 18 miles the wrong way…  Oh, road trips… I think I will pass.

 

 

wishing you all a wonderful day

 Here we are.. approaching Thanksgiving Day... 

Tomorrow and maybe today..  I will get ahead start on prep work.. I am the prep cook.. meaning I will be cutting and chopping the onions and celery for the King.  Then there is the celery... to chop at just the right length and put the cheese we have bought in each one. We have about 4 choices..   We will have the usual... green bean casserole, Yam's with marshmallows.. dressing, gravy and of course TURKEY.. along with the side dishes of pickles and olives and coming is devil eggs,  pies, Hawaiian buns,  So I guess I better get started on some of my prep work.... as tomorrow afternoon is GGboys time.. and not much gets done then..  lol.. 

SO OUR HOUSE... WISHES YOU ALL A GREAT DAY.. WITH WONDERFUL FOOD, AND GREAT FAMILY AND FRIENDS CONVERSATIONS..  Make memories.. AND TAKE PICTURES.. 20 years from now, when all the children are adults..  they will see those pictures and remember all of us who have gone ahead...   

GOD BLESS... 

To rake or not to rake

To rake or not to rake

That is the question…   do you rake your leaves or do you leave them on the ground?

I had an old friend..Harold McWilliams, better know to all who knew him….  “Mac the Packer”  who passed away at the age of 95. He was a Leanin Tree looking old western guy.  He packed for the government mostly in Washington State.  He was an old salt.. kind of guy who did not brag … well, rarely bragged.

He sure knew the lay of the land in middle of Washington State. 40+years of packing for the Forest Dept. And knew Mother Nature very, very well…   Later in life he was about 80+ and he was running the garbage/recycle for Kittitas County.. 

As he was sitting there waiting for someone to come up to dump their garbage.. he saw several young men get out of a truck with rakes.  And the went under the trees that were across the driveway from the station.  It peeked his curiosity.  So he walked over and talked to them to see why they were raking the leaves in to piles.. and then load them in to bags..  They explain they were from the local college and they were there to take the leaves away from the trees, so they don’t rot.  The leaves that is.. which would rot the trees.   Mac, a man of few words,  said… REALLY.  What makes you think that?   They gave him a 15 minute or so of reasons for all of it.. fires… rotting of trees and so much more.   He told them, he had packed for the Forest Dept. for 40 years and never seen any one rake the leaves around the forest floor before.. 

And Mother Nature never blew them away…

They looked him, like he was the old man that he was.. and his old fashion thoughts.. And told him this was the new science.  So Mac started to walk away… and then said..  Well, personally, I think God has the best plan that has worked all of my life and before.   Like I said Mac was a man of a few words.

So do you rake the leaves in your yard?  I see yards in the city of Sandpoint, where people put big bags of leaves at the street side for the city to pick up.    Me, I don’t. I follow Mac’s way of thinking..  But the King, he is kind of stuck in the middle… so he runs the lawn mower over them and mulches them.

 

 

IS IT JUST ME….…

IS IT JUST ME….… 

This is November already  AND over half of that… where is this year going??? 

It was February.. and then it was September…March thru August zoomed so fast by me..  I was hanging on to Summer so much, my fingers were marked on it.. I know it had to be so….  AND NOW IT IS NOVEMBER WITH December JUST TWO WEEKS AWAY!!

 

I know I made this reference before..  the joke about the bicycle with the toilet paper front wheel…. That kept running down..  and that it was life running out…   and how I laughed at the time..  I think I might have been thirty something…   Well, I am telling you at 84.. this is not funny.. No wonder we can’t remember much…  with the year on speed dial.

 

I hate December..  I hate COLD FREEZING WINTER. I hate Christmas all that goes with it.. the extra cooking, getting gifts… and all of that… and people arguing over Merry Christmas and me with my HAPPY HOLIDAY..  I just am lazy…..  you know with the spew of

HAPPY THANKSIVING..MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY NEW YEAR…   Happy Holidays is soooooooooo much easier.    Yes. I am not a fan of December..   do you remember the song by Merle Haggard?   IF WE MAKE IT THRU DECEMBER that was my theme song.. 

I don’t suppose life can make December go by, like it is on speed dial…    I am ok with learning to write 2025.. 

BAH HUMBUG..