Good bye 2007...HELLO...2008

It was a very good year....or was it?

2007 had brought ups and downs as
it does to everyone's life. But I feel blessed
just the same.

Continuing of great friendships, and good
health, for the most part.

The King went in to get a partial knee
replacement in the Spring. And in the long
run it was a good idea. One of those where you ask
yourself a week later, what did I do this for?
A couple months later, you know why, as you
mend. It also brought retirement into his life.

Around the same time, I lost my second Mom.
She was ready, but we were not. Thoughts of
her daily, and surely of the holidays brought
how much we miss her. We know she is
our guardian Angel.

Summer brought projects for the yard.
And by summers end, we enjoyed them
to the fullest. As well as getting together
with our snowbird friends.

Fall brought a quick trip to San Diego, and
a reunion of old friends of a family that I use
to be married to and my kids still are joined.
And in our circle of travel, we got to visit friends and
family alike.

Now winter has coated our ground with
snow, at what seems to be daily. And
as the snow piles up, we are grateful
not to be in the working force and having
to fight the weather to go to work.

All of the holidays of 2007 have passed.
And we are facing the start of 2008. We
face it with great anticipation, and hopes
of good health, happiness, and hoping
it ends with a good choice to become
our President in the following year. If
not we will surely survive as we have in
the past.

So I wish all of you readers of this
stuff from the simple mind.... great
safety, and good health, the happiness
I leave up to you to do.

40 days and 40 nights?

40 days and 40 nights? Oh no, that was rain.... but this is beginning to feel like it..

And the Beat goes on

So this is snow day 15 right? We have had that many days that it snowed out of 30? As you can see Misty is having trouble seeing out to the road, and chasing the birds is out of the question, as she tries to climb up top..

I'm BAD....

I am so bad.... in the winter time....
I get up, take the dog outside and get the newspaper
in my pj's ... with my coat over them....
then I read the paper, drink coffee... in my pj's.
then I put a load of wash in... still in pj's
straighten out the living room, picking up stuff, still in my pj's
take the wash out and put it in the dryer, start the next load..
still in my pj's.
sit with a cup of coffee and watch the first 20 minutes of
Regis and Kelly, still in my pj's...
take the dog outside, with my coat over my...pj's.
It is almost 10am... and I am in my pj's.
I don't know why... they are soft and warm... and
most of all comfortable.

If I got to exercise, then all of this is not...
As I get up do the dog and paper and coffee,
then it is into my exercise clothes....
But snowy day? weekends? it is pj's.

Better late than Never

Opps...

I was up an hour or so earlier than I
usually am, and on the road shortly
after... spent the morning with my
daughter. It is nice to spend one on one
with one's child. Adult child especially.

So by the time I got back,well, what can
I say, I didn't even think of the blog. Guess
I am still in vacation mode...

So hope you are kicking back and enjoying
the season. The snow sure helps with the
enjoyment of the Christmas holiday.
So enjoy the time left as the year winds down.

The day after

Well, the hustle and bustle is over...
The high and quiet of the day. And
as the children reign over their bounty,
we say good bye to another Christmas.

I hope you all had a great day with your
families... we did... Good food, some nice
presents and one super great present. Good
company... and played the Wii game. What
fun, that has to be the all time greatest present
for all the family. What a great way to get the
competitor of the family off the couch. And all
ages can play.

As we headed for home, we thought about
how lucky we are, how blessed we are.
As we drove, we saw the season's lights gleaming
in the night. And return to home for the
rest of the phone calls from family and
friends...

My top present was from my daughter.
And she enlisted the rest of the kids.
I don't know if you have seen those
frames that sit on a table or hang on
the wall.... that show in a slideshow,
pictures from different parts of your
life. That is what I got. With the help
of her siblings sending emails of
pictures... I now have a on going
slide show of my family. Children,
grandchildren, great grandchildren,
weddings, my parents..both sets
that I claim. What a wonderful gift.

Now to the treadmill to walk off some
of the food, and looking forward to
putting another year to bed.... in
a week from now. And start an
fresh new one...

untitled.....

As 2/3s of the world gets ready to celebrate the birth
of a child of 2007 years ago.... on Sunday, we, a group of
over a 100, stood in silence for at least a half an hour before
the event started... The silence was even more noticeable with
children amidst us.

And the snow with its big flakes fell on us. We all stood in
silence, and in support of a family, who was there to bury
their young son of 7 weeks. All of us, with heavy hearts...
even with knowing that the infant was going to heaven to
join the very child that we, as Christians, celebrate the
birth of.

And even as the snow started to fall more, and
most of us stood there bareheaded, children and the adults
were silent as the words were spoken. And sang the songs.

And as we walked back to our car, and getting in as we looked
back... our hearts ached for the family, as we saw the father and
older son, start to bury the beautiful hand made casket made by
the father. As the snow changed back to the slowly dropping large
flakes of snow.
A moment that didn't escape us, as we talked about it at the luncheon after.

God be with you all.....

Merry Christmas

I am going to take a break....until after Christmas...
So unless something profound happens, I will be back next week.
This has been an up and down, this season... With the lost of a sweet
tiny baby in our church family... to some nice surprises...
So you all have a nice Christmas...
I leave you with a repeat....from 2006 a poem
by George A. Gladden,
There is no way I could say it better...


...

MY CHRISTMAS CARD LIST

I have a list of folks I know,all written in a book,

And every year when Christmas comes,I go and take a look.

That is when I realize these names are all a part, not of the book

they're written in, but of my very heart.

For each name stands for someonewho has crossed my path sometime,

And in that meeting they've become the rhythm in each rhyme.

While it may sound fantastic for me to make this claim,

I really feel that I'm composed of each remembered name.

And while you may not be awareof any special link,

Just meeting you has changed my life much more than you think.

For once I've met somebody, the years cannot erase

The memory of a pleasant word or of a friendly face.

So, never think my Christmas cards are just a mere routine

Of names upon a Christmas list,forgotten in between

For when I send a Christmas card that is addressed to you,

It's because you're on the list of folks I'm endeared to.

For I am but a total of the many folks I've met,

And you happen to be one of those I prefer not to forget.

Whether I have known you for many years or few,

In some way you have had a part in shaping things I do.

And every year when Christmas comes I realize a new,

The best gift life can offer is meeting folks like you.

So may the spirit of Christmas that forevermore endures

Leave its richest blessingin the hearts of you and yours.

My Christmas Card List written by George A. Gladden, Sr.

Merry Christmas, dear Readers, from the Wordtosser

Holiday Tipping...

Who do you tip?
I have heard of tipping
the garbage man and the
newspaper person. Also I
have seen one that tipped
the postman.

Why? If any of this went to
the extra bounds in their job,
then maybe I could understand.

But when I saw one of my
neighbors, about 15 years ago,
in a door to door postal service,
(we don't have it here in our little
burg, we have to go to the post
office to get our mail.) give
the mailman a $10 bill, I could
not understand that. I even asked
her, if he did anything extra special.
She replied, "no, just brings me my
mail." I told her, this man makes
3 times the amount that I made and
he is just doing his job. She smiled.

Then there are the ones who give to
the garbage man. This man also makes
more money than I made by quite a bit.
Now granted, he has to work most
holidays (they don't pick up on Christmas
and Thanksgiving, I believe) but still, it is
their job and they are well paid for it.

And why should I give a tip for
his services. I am the one who has to
go down to the ditch and get my empty
trash can he threw to the ground, and it
rolled into the near by ditch. I am the
one who has to second guess when
to get my trash out there. As they have
come anywhere from 7:50 am to 5:pm.
For years it came in the afternoon. Some
where between 1:30 and 5 p.m. Then we
must have gotten a new driver, because he
comes in the morning usually around 10.
But has showed up a couple times before
8. And when my neighbor who didn't get
her trash out in time, called...only to be
informed that they pick up from 6:30 am
to 5 pm. We really don't care when, just
give us a 2 hour window and keep to it.

Then there is the paper delivery person.
Now this person I have gave a holiday
(don't want to hurt anyone's feelings,
by naming the holiday) tip. In the past.
But not the one I have now. I have been
skipped over twice. No, going down and
buying a paper and be given an extra
paper on my contract, isn't an option to me.
MORNING PAPER, is suppose to be
delivered in the morning... and the operative
word is DELIVERED. The other thing is,
lately our paper gets here anywhere from
5am to 9am. I like to enjoy, as much as
one can, with the news these days, my
coffee and paper together in the morning.

So why should I tip for getting my own
garbage can out of the ditch and late
papers, if they get here at all? I am
old fashion enough to think, tipping is
for going the extra mile. For great
service, not just doing your job.
Especially for those who make triple
my job wages. And in my line of work,
we could get fired for taking a tip.

So do you tip these? And who else
do you tip?

Snowmen and Angels

It must be winter....
After the snow of yesterday, I built my first snowman of the winter. It was cold out there, so did a quick one... old fashion one, that you use what ever you find on the ground .


Some how it isn't as much fun, if you don't have a child with you to help. And doing angels in the show, well, I still do them, but not with much grace... the falling into the snow is the easy part. It is the getting up that is my downfall.... no pun intended. So with my grandchildren all grown up and not wanting to do these foolish things ( glad I outgrew that stage, as the foolish things are the fun things) ..... anyway I enlisted my pup... Misty to help... which I am not sure she was, as you can see, she wants to rearrange the arms.

Hope you are still young enough in heart to go out and do the foolish things...

Holidays

We are in the count down... only
7 more shopping days. 7 more
days of parties, ho ho, Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year.
Or the quick to the point.. Happy
Holidays, that takes care of all of
it... of course the political correct
people are fine with that one.

We haven't been much in to Christmas
for the last several years. We do the
gift exchange. We have talked most
of our friends into doing cards only.
We have a few that we give breads,
cookies and etc. that we made.

But for the most part, we are a silent
Christmas. We do believe it to be the
Lord's birth date, but it isn't that. I didn't
really think about why, we aren't over
joyed with the idea of Christmas. And
neither one of us are really a bah humbug
type people.

But today, I think my daughter hit it
right. It is the lack of a small child in
our lives. Christmas is for children.
That is one of the reasons why I have
talked our friends into giving cards. So
they can use the money to buy a child,
be it theirs or their grandchildren, a gift.

Without the wonderment, and excitement
of a child as they see the tree. As they
see Santa, as they see the gifts, well,
it just isn't the same.

With the King, it was his mother. She
always loved Christmas. It was a great
day to her. So he would get caught up
in her ball of joy. But the first Christmas
without her, (she had passed 2 months
before), he just couldn't get the energy
together. He had played Santa at the
nursing home that she was in the year
before she passed. Got great joy out
of stopping by her room, to have Santa
give her a kiss on the cheek, the kids
in the dining room that screamed with
joy, as he walked into the room. But
after that..(7 years ago) he just couldn't
do it anymore.

So we will have a quiet Christmas
morning. Coffee, braid stolen bread,
and watching the parade on the
television... and then out to our
daughter's house, for the Christmas
cheer with her family and his too.
Good food, good conversation, and
just a nice time.

And then it is over... and New Years
will come quickly behind. Don't make
promise I can't keep, so no new
resolutions, just think of how we
can do things without lousing up
another year. And thankful for the
good things of the year passing.

For your skiing pleasure

Believe it or not.... I was standing in the same spot as I took these pictures..... ahhhh...10x zoom

LOOK for the Union Label

So always look for the union label,it says
we're able to make it in the U.S.A.!

That was the song on television during the 70's
but unions has already put a sour taste in my mouth
by that time.

Now for the disclaimer..... not all unions are bad. And
a lot of them help a great amount of people.Especially
during the days of sweat shops and etc. During the
30', 40's and 50's It just wasn't true in my life time,
three times, three different states.

In 1960's the machinist union went out on strike in
San Diego, California. My husband was working for
the ship yards. It was the third week, that we finally
got some help. They were giving $25 a week for the men.
When rent was $50, utilities were running about $25 all
together, that gave us $25 to buy food for the 5 of us.
2 adults and 3 children. Talk about barely getting by.
It didn't give anything for extra's like car payments
(thankfully ours were paid for)and etc.for the families.

Yet, as I watched the news nightly waiting for word to
see if the union was getting closer to settling, I saw them
at the meetings. Sitting around the table. Fancy tables.
With drinks (not coffee and water) and fancy dinners, and
at one of the fancy big motels in Mission Valley.

Yes, the union boys were sitting there, meeting, eating
and their dinners cost more than we were getting for the
whole week. The men were ready to go back to work
after 3 weeks. Some were losing their cars, and homes.
But the union bosses said no. Stay tough... we will make
it. It lasted 10 weeks. We ate a lot of oatmeal and pasta,
as it was cheap and went the farest.
We never did make it up, the money lost for that strike.
As when we got close, it was time to strike again. We
left and moved to Washington state.
Strike One..

In late 1970's my second husband was working for a
meat packing company. After about a year, he was the
only mechanic they had. They fired one, and the other
left. He worked 6 days a week, 12 hours a day to keep
the trucks on the road. Then they brought in a boss and
one worker to help out, after 2 months. The new boss,
didn't know anything about mechanizing. He ordered parts
and etc, and kept the trucks scheduled for their repairs.

One day after working on a truck, the boss wanted it to go out.
My husband told him no, the brakes were not good enough.
He overruled. My husband told the owner, that the truck
could not go out as it was a safety issue. The truck stayed.
Then there was an incident over the wrong part. The boss
wrote my husband up, as he should have known the part
was wrong. It was the wrong part in the right box. My
husband was the one who found out it was wrong because
it wouldn't fit. But he was still written up.

My husband belong to the Teamster Union. He went to
Yakima to the big district office. He was listen to and then
was told, "You see, this would be a sticky situation for us."
We would have to have another mechanic at another shop
test you (my husband had 32 years of experience) and then
that would pit one shop against another. And that is not a
good thing for the union, So my advice to you is to go back
to your job, and just try to make the best of it, after all it is
the first time you have gotten written up. When my husband
told them that he pays them monthly dues to stand up for him,
he was told, "well... I am sorry but there isn't anything we can do."
He went back, the boss was smudge because nothing was going
to be done. Being my husband had a great working record with
this company and kept it going by himself for 2 months, the owner
told him, it would probably be best that he laid my husband off,
so he could get unemployment, before it got ugly with the boss.
The boss who had worked there for 2 months. My husband took it.
Strike two...

In Idaho, the right to work state. But the King worked for the
school district which has one of the strongest unions there is.
The teachers union, which mechanic can join. But they don't
really do anything for them, as they for the teachers primary. But
after having a horrible problem with his supervisor, he talked to
the union. While they tried to help out some what, they were
pretty toothless, as the supervisor was union too. Even though
this employee was a problem to several parts of the shop, he
still didn't have anything done to him. When the King saw the
writing on the wall, he retired at 55. Which I guess you could
say that was provided by the union... as the benefits are in
force by the union.
But Strike three anyway.

So you see, I don't care for unions. I have seen in the past,
that unions have kept bad employee, because they were
union members. I have seen where people had to pay
hundreds of dollars to join the union and pay a monthly
dues. Which amounts to paying to keep your job. No dues,
no job. So unions are not high on my list.

I know, I know, you are going to tell me that the unions
were wonderful for you. They did marvelous things. And
I say, I am happy for you..... but it doesn't always turn out
that way.

6th Street

For the life of me, I don't understand
town councils. How can they want
so much for their towns, yet talk about
destroying the beauty of it for money.

3 miles from us is the town of Sandpoint.
The inner city is growing by leaps and
bounds. Literally. We have a huge almost
a full block full, 3 story bank complex
that should be opening any day. At
least I have not heard of it being open
yet. It will be a bank on the lower level.
Offices I believe on the second level and
condo's on the top level. It over shadows
everything in town.

We have a smaller but as tall of a building
near the entrance of Sandpoint that has
a restaurant on the bottom floor. Ivano's.

So from first to 5th ...from Lake to Cedar
and some of the others to Larch we have
commerce.

In Sandpoint there are a few streets left
of beauty. Old houses, tall trees. Over by
the Memorial Field is a few.

But from Cedar to Larch on 6th street,
it is to take your breath away during
the spring to fall, and winter isn't too bad
either.

You see 6th Street has old houses, but
it is lined on both sides with the most
beautiful trees. Big trees. And it shades
the street in the summer. The fall leaves
rival New England.

Being a yard sale customer, I have walked
6th street on many occasions. I walk and
breath in the beauty. If you are ever in
Sandpoint, on a summer day, you have
to walk down it and appreciate it. And
maybe you better do it soon.

Because if the powers that be have
their way, it will be gone to the wayside,
as a lot of old Sandpoint has gone. See
powers that be want to make it commercial
zone.

6th Street from Cedar to Lake is already
commercial. And from Larch to the North
is and will be a big commercial project of
stores and housing. So you see this is just
a short stretch of 4 or 5 blocks of beauty.
Old time hometown beauty. It will surely
be a crime and a shame if they make it
commercial.

And I am sure the people who live there
will be at the meeting to protest this. And
the rest of the town will figure it isn't my
neighborhood. But that too is sad, because
next time it could be their neighborhood that
goes thru the change, such as this.

WAR IS HELL

War is hell, why do we pretend it isn't?
Is the news media, the liberals, trying to
break down the CIA and the men who have
a job to do, breaking the enemy, to give
us the info we need to win a war?

Do they think that if we are nice to their
guys, they will be nice to ours? Haven't
they seen the tapes of the enemies cutting
off the heads on television of our men? That is
better than water on the face? Haven't they
seen our men hanging from bridges..their
burnt bodies hanging there? And they think
if we are nicer, they will be too.. NOT...
WAR IS HELL.

Over the years, what the Arm Services did
to get information from the enemy was not
up for public info. Why should it be now?
To tape the actions, doesn't make sense to
me, but to burn those tapes does. It is none
of the public business to know how they
handle it. WAR IS HELL.

The Japanese pulled the nails off of our
men's feet and hands to get our men to
talk. The Germans put electric wires to
the genitals of our men. And the Vietnamese
were not any better.How can we, as the public,
tie the hands of the Arm Services, CIA
and other agency that have a job to do?

This is not our citizen that they are doing it
to... it is the ENEMY... What part aren't
they understanding? WAR IS HELL...

Always has been, always will be, unless
we give in to the goody two shoes, who
don't want to see any harm come to anyone.
God help them, if their sons or daughters
go overseas and are caught by the enemy.
Then you will really know what HELL is, right in
our backyards.

Moving your stuff...computer style

As you have read in the past
week and half, I have gotten
a new computer. Which is nice.
Kind of.

I had saved a couple months
ago, some of my stuff. Because
I was having so much trouble with
my old computer. And was afraid
it would crash one last time and
everything would be lost.

So there I was trying to get the
past 2 months of stuff out of the
old and into the new. Which would
have been a heck of a lot better or
easier had my cd writer been working.
But that decided to give me faults
hopes by looking like it was working
only to be shot down, telling me that
the cd had fail.

So one by one, I sent each thing
to myself from the old computer.
Quickly turning off the internet
on the old computer. Then
going on line with the new computer.
and receive it. It was a v-e-r-y s-l-o-w
process as I have dial up. And about
half of what I had left was pictures,
which took a lot of time to download.

One night I loaded everything up,
left the computer online while I
went to bed and slept. Only to
have the whole thing back load
on to the old computer and
have it freeze in the middle of
it. So that started the doing it
10 emails at a time and disconnect.

And praying it sent before it
froze, and cussing when it froze.

It was like moving from one house,
box by box. Taking 10 boxes, and
leave them at the new house. Then
go back and get 10 more, and leaving
them at the new house. Then after it
is all over... Going thru the boxes and
putting the stuff away in folders...one
box at a time. The worse being the
pictures. Although some of the documents
were no picnic, until it dawned on me
if I did them as attachments it went
better.

As I took each thing out of the old
computer, and deleted that area, the
computer acted a little bit better and
froze up less. But as I got 99% of the
good stuff out, the computer finally
refuse to open up again. This is
something I don't want to go thru
again. And I could tell you, that I
have a plan to copy to cd each month
what I have new in it. But I know it
will be like the papers I have said
I would file as I went along in my
file cabinet. I have a stack 2 feet
tall on my desk to be filed. Best
laid plans of mice and men.

Gosh, I hate moving and packing.
I am glad this one is over. Now for
the unpacking. Putting pictures
in folders and then download them
to a cd. And that I will do on a regular
basis.

WHO BLINKS FIRST....

As we know, it is the time
to get that list out of Christmas
cards to send out.

If you are like me, you will make
a list after Christmas of those who
sent out cards to you. That way,
maybe cutting the list down some.
But that isn't always true, as some
one stops sending cards, but then
there are others who will start sending
cards to you.

So there you are, armed with the
list. You start at the top and head
down... sending to family, of course.
That is a given, for the most part.

But then there are the ones who
you have not seen in 23 years or
so. Do you send out a card or not?
Do you think about how they are
probably sitting there, wondering
if you are going to send a card.
Ready to cross you off their list,
if only you wouldn't send a card to
them.

There are the ones who send out
1 to 2 pages of how their year went.
I have to start looking into that,
as I am tired of trying to write the
same thing 34 times. Or something
similar. But mine would be about
half a page at best. But at least I
would not have to write it over and
over.

So down the list you go, checking
off each one that you send out. Leaving
a few behind....hoping, maybe, they
will not send one if you don't. Because
you don't have a clue what to write in
yours to them. They have been away so
long, they don't have a clue what your
kids names are, or what they are doing.
You haven't done anything earth shaking,
so you write.. "we wish you wonderful
holiday's with your family" etc. etc.

So who blinks first? Will it be you...or
will you get that card in the mail?

DAY in INFAMY

It was 1957 and I was in high school, my
senior year...It was my history class. And
I am sure we had been taught about the
subject many times thru the years. But today,
seem different.

Miss Riley,our teacher, all 5'1 of her, is walking
back and forth across the head of the
class... with a copy of a book in her hand. (I
can close my eyes and see her now, 50 years later).

Today...16 years ago... was a Day of Infamy'
telling about the speech that Franklin D. Roosevelt
gave.

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date that will
live in infamy...the United States of American
was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval
and air forces of the Empire of Japan. "

It started the first time I really listened.
Her presentation of it, the book we were about
to read about that famous day of 16 years ago.
(at that time..66 now)

I read the book, and started my interest and
wonderment of the government. I am sure
Miss Riley, did not expect my take on it.

As the book told about how they postpone
the news of the Japanese ships approaching
Pearl Harbor, how they had broke the code,
but didn't want Japan to know, they knew the
code.

How the Secretary of State played golf so
he could not be reached to go to the office
to meet with the Japanese officials until that
afternoon. So they could shame the Japanese
officials about attacking with out notice. And
we went to war... with all the citizens, who
were against involvement of the United States
in the war going on overseas, suddenly running
to join up to fight the Japanese.

We wanted in the war that bad, wait a minute..
we didn't, the government did. What heady
stuff for a 16 year old to read.

A Day in Infamy, in deed... a moment of
silence for all those who died that day...and
since.

Newspapers and Books

Newspapers and book are taking
a beating right now. Papers are
cutting staff.

Now Newsweek tells us more
and more books are going on
line, so are books in print in
trouble too?

I sure hope not. Nothing is better
than curling up with a good book.
Be it a cold winter day or a day
at the beach or park. And not on
a screen.

Besides how is this going to work?
Is everyone going to have to have lap
tops? This is not good. If they were
to go strictly online, does that mean
those with money get the news. And
those without don't get the news? Or
get to read a book?

What about those over 60, who can not
or choose not, to go the computer route?
Say nothing about spending $400 and up
to stay in touch. Also doesn't this give
more to the isolation of people. After
these two weeks, I can tell you, sitting
by myself is no fun at all. Sitting with
the King watching television, sure the
heck is better than sitting here at the
computer by myself.

And isolation is not a good thing for our
society either.

New and Improved??

As we progress thru life,
(not exactly the best of
wording, for lack of better
ones) we seem to lose a
lot.

Back in the 70's the 8
track tape was the best.
Or at least we thought so.
Then along came the cassette.
And records were still holding
in there. Even the manufactures
kept producing machines that
could play the combo of the 3.
Remember the record player on
top, the cassette and 8 track
side by side and if you had a great
model there was the AM-FM radio.

Now people look at you as if you
are from the dark ages if you mention
any of these. As CD's are the product
of choice. And to make it worse, it
is hard to get, and then only at yard
sales.... a player for any of the top 3.

Movies have gone the same way.
VCR are going, going, going. Some
machines have it so you can still
play both. One of the good things
is you can still record on Video's. And
while cameras record, but cd's don't
record show on TV, But there is
another gadget that does that. TiVo,
and etc.

It is rare to see anyone recording
life on a camera now that isn't a
digital. Some do 10 seconds to a
little more on their digital still camera.
It zaps the battery, so it isn't long.

Now television comes in HD and
Blue Ray? What ever that is. I have
looked in the stores that sell those
and they don't seem that much different
from the televisions of 5 years ago, pictures
wise. But if you don't by HD television soon,
you won't be able to see television as
well, they say, as the networks are
going to stop sending out the signal
for those, and go to HD and etc. only.
So what do we do with the 2 televisions
we have, say nothing of the one we have
in reserve, in case one of the other two
die?

And then we come to computers.
Having just changed everything
over from my old computer to the
new one. Coming from XP to Vista.
Being the old computer was trying
to die on my each time I ran it, it
was a hurry thing. The CD/DVD decided
not to work anymore. So it was a
slow process of emailing myself folders,
and hoping the machine would not
freeze while sending. Plus the slowness
of dial up.

After finally getting 99% of the folders
save, the old computer gave up the ghost
to be put in permanent freeze.

As I was taking things out of the email
area, and placing them in folders of choice
on the new machine. and then backing up
on cd....it dawns on me. The new computer
does not have a floppy disk player. What the
heck am I going to do with the 40 to 60 different
floppies of pictures I have and documents
that I have on them? As far as I know there is
no such thing as a strictly floppy disk player
that you can plug into your computer.

So I try to convince myself that, I have not
looked at these floppies in several years, so
like boxes in your garage, you don't need it.
But the pictures, legal documents that I copied
to floppies many years ago... to keep forever...
Are forever gone... hopefully my memory in my
head doesn't remember any that were needed.

Progress....not such a happy place to be some
times.

Sports

How many sports channels are there?
ESPN has several and there are others.

Yet when one has just one channel, and
it carries sports all day long, well, it gets
a little maddening.

Normally we have enough going on
that we don't notice how much sports
is on ABC. But this weekend we were
a captive audience due to weather.

We get ABC and a snowy FOX. Both
of them had sports. While I enjoy the
Seahawks games, the King could care
less about any sports. He does watch
NASCAR off and on. Mostly off. But
this weekend if it wasn't sports then
it was infomercials. You know where
they spend a half hour to an hour trying
to get you to buy a product. Most of
the time loser's type products. (you can
buy a house for $10 and sell it for thousands).
Or spray hair and etc.

Thank goodness for movies. And we
do Netflex.

Baby Boomers

As we head to January, the talk
is of the baby boomers and Social
Security. And THEIR early retirement.

See they actually aren't suppose to
collect until the year 2011 or so. If
they wait until they are 66 as the law
was passed.

I find this ironic, that THEY want to
retire early at 63. Because, if you
recall right a few years ago, it was
the very BABY BOOMERS who
were pushing for the late retirement.
Wanting to push it up to 70, if they
could. So the settlement was 65 and
half to 67 as the years went by.

They were afraid that those of us
born before the WWII would drain
the Social Security system dry.

Now that they are getting there
themselves, it is where is my
SS. How funny.

Then there is the standard old
group, who don't think we should
retire at the age of 63 or 65 or even
67. After all people are living longer.
So far the one's I see saying that,
are those who we would call pencil
pushers. In other words they earn
their living with their mind.

Let me hear from the laborers. Let
me hear from those who lift 50 pounds
or more. On a regular basis. Over and
over. Push and pull 100 pounds for
hours a shift.

Being one of those kind, I can tell
you, when someone else's life depends
on if you can keep lifting, pushing and
pulling. You keep in your mind if you
should give up the job for the safety
of others. I was a nurses aide for over 17
years. I lifted humans out of bed, to wheel
chairs, I had to lift them up in bed. Some
times with another aide, and sometimes,
not. More likely not, as we worked short
handed many many times. And the machine
lifts were for those over 170 pounds.

I went to the Noc shift where I would be
required to move people in bed. And I could
handle that. But then they changed the rules,
and were having us get people up at 5am.
Again, lifting. I knew my time was coming,
so I opt to go out at 63 before I dropped
someone.

How many construction workers could
drop material on another workers? How
many just don't have it to move over 100
pounds on a regular basis? Like it or not,
our bodies do wear down. Might be able
to walk miles, or run a mile, but lift? Some
one else can get hurt if you don't?

So if the desk jockeys want to keep working,
they can go for it, but don't make it for the ones
who have to do manual labor.

And Baby Boomer, what happen to your
thoughts that the person should stay in
the work force until they are 67? Not so
easy, when you are standing at the door,
of retirement.

How high is the snow, Mama

As a take off of Johnny Cash's song, "How high is the water, mama"... this shows what we woke up to. When Misty went out side first thing this morning... I let her down from me carrying her out.... and she disappear into the snow, and popped up seconds later to hop to under the tree where it wasn't over her head... As you can see below, Rokon looks out disgustedly, as she realizes her days of travels outside are over for the winter, or at least as long as we have the snow.

And the answer to the question? we have 22 inches and still coming...

I am getting tired of this protection stuff

You know I am kind of sick of the
government and companies looking
after me..

I am beginning to feel smothered...
After all they are trying to protect
me even when I didn't ask or need it.

One case is our old car... In 1989
Buick decided (it could be earlier too)
that they were afraid, I might open the
door of the car as it is running. And
while it is in gear. When the King got
it, and I went to get out of the car to
get the mail from the post office, the
door wouldn't open. It was locked.
It automatically locked as soon as
he put it in drive and we left the house.
He had to put it in park before I could
get it unlocked. Our Mercury is worse.
It locks the doors as I am opening the
door, while it is still in park. I have
gotten locked out twice. Now I carry
a spare key in my wallet. So if I
forget to hit the unlock button, as
I am getting out of the car, I can
get back in. (see previous blog
posting in Oct.)

I am sorry, but up until that time I
had been riding in cars for over 60
years (we got it in 2001). I never
once fell out of the a car. Heck I
didn't even fall off the stack of hay
on the truck that my dad drove
down the highway to home.
(boy, wouldn't he be put in jail
for child abuse, because there
weren't any seat belts on that
hay stack).

The governments and etc. want to
protect my feelings. They don't want
me to see and Christmas tree, have
a Merry Christmas, or have a Jewish
emblem or what ever religion type
thing. I am sorry, but I am from the town
that has the first Synagogue in the
United States. It never hurt my feelings
that the Jewish kids had days off,
that we didn't. And they got our days off
too.

I am so sick of this political correctness.

Go to jail?

Go to jail for spanking your kids?

I am thankful that I have raised my
children. Even thought I just about
talked my kids into eternity, I did
spank them. Probably in my 28 years
(from the first one to the last one) of
raising children I handed out about
15 spankings. Spanking consisted
of 1 to 2 heavy whacks across the
butt with my hand. The old adage of
"THIS IS GOING TO HURT ME MORE
THAN YOU" did apply in my case.

One was my hand, the other emotionally.
I was raised in a house of corporal
punishment and got my share of
whippings. So I always made sure I
was cooled off before I handed down
my punishment (sent to room and etc).
And the kid had to really, really do
something wrong. Usually an attitude
adjustment, after talking didn't work.

How many jail cells do we have available
for these parents, who go to jail for
spanking? How much court time can be
allowed for the charges. I thought our
courts were all overloaded. I thought our
jail was overloaded. This isn't a ticket
giving deal. This is arrest and go to jail.
And for how long?

What about the parent lost time with
the child? Or how does the
child feel that Mom or Dad were sent
to jail because of them? What about
single parents. Do their children go into
the system until they get out. Foster care?

I do not condone child beating. But 3
swats across the butt? That is not child
abuse. This is not a jail thing. Maybe at
worse..parenting classes. And if you spanked
them once, do you go straight to jail?

You think kids are out of hand now? Wait
until they know their parents can go to jail.
And the time outs don't work.

What ever happen to parents knowing
what they were doing? How did our parent,
their parents before them and etc, ever get
it right, with out the government getting into
the picture?

Patience is not thy name

Even before I started on the computer
I had heard stories of people who were
on the computer for hours per day. Even
the whole day. There are those who are
on the computer for hours even now, who
play games. Warcraft or something like
that is suppose to be so addictive that
the players play all day and all night.

After spending hours but not all day on
the computer since Saturday. Even taking
Sunday off, except for a 10 minute report
I had to do. I am here to tell you, I am sick
of being on computers.

As I explained, I have one computer
on the dining room table and the other in
the normal room. (I will explain that another
day). I have had to jump back and forth.

Send some stuff out on the email. Hoping
and praying the dumb machine would not
freeze up before it was done downloading.
Then disconnect, but most of the time it
froze up with in 10 minutes or less. Then
go to the new machine and see if it in fact
showed up there. Then learning how to place
it in folders or where ever I wanted it.

Then go back to the old one, trying every
trick in the book to get it to come back up.
Some times having to wait over night for it
to work again. Then another window of
minutes to an hour. plus the fact of dial
up is slower than slow.. Patience is not
my name.

Today, I have most of the stuff off the old
computer. See while I had download to cd
a few months ago, there was a lot I didn't
think to do while the machine was working.

One of those is pictures. So those are still
stuck on the old computer, which refuses to
let the cd have it. Giving me faults hopes
as it downloads, and says ready to transfer,
only to have it down to the last seconds and
tell me it was faulty and the cd was probably
corrupted. How can new cds be corrupted.

Anyway, after all this, and I am on the downhill
side of it. I am so sick of computer and now
understand why those who work all day on a
computer, do not like to do blogs, read blogs,
or do emails.

I still have to figure out how to do the msn
messenger. I thought if I just went there and
put in my name and password it would
give it to me. But no... it won't because this
computer does not have it loaded. And with
dial up and all the fancy dancy virus protectors,
it is going to take a cpa to figure out how to
get around them. And believe me, that will
have to be another day.

I am tired of computers and keyboards.
Maybe next week... I need a break.
So it is email answering and do my
blog and I am out of here.

How do those people do it? No, I really
don't want to know.

Our Bonner County first snow in the Valley

This is November 26th of 2007 and our first snow.

So took these evening pictures.

I was once told by an old packer for the Forest Dept.

that the rule of thumb was... (I think it is an old man's

tale as in old wives tales) that what ever day is the day

of the first real snow.... that will be how many days of

snow there will be, before the season will be over.

So if that is true... then we have 25 more snow days left.

Insanity is thy name

As you have read, I have got a new
computer... with Vista.

Now I downloaded a few files a couple
of months ago, as I thought my computer
was going to crash on me. It was freezing
many times over. I counted 20 times, The
only way I could get out was to hit the off
button. As we all know, not a good thing.
But I had no other choice.

I finally got the machine working again,
and went off fat and happy. Until last week
and then it was starting all over again.
But this time I was not getting to down
load my files from before to up date.

So off to Best Buys, Going after 9am
on Black Friday morning and still
getting the good buy that they
had. They had 5 only, and I got #3. The
other two in line, got the other 2 as they
were told the store sold out, at the door..

At home, it started. Learning all over
again. New stuff, old stuff not even on
the machine.

I had the new machine on the dining
room table for two reasons. One was
for my husband. I knew once I started
it would be hours before I came out of
the room. So figured if I was in the
dining room he could at least talk to
me, if he dared. See when I am heavily
into doing the bills, doing computer stuff,
I am not a nice person. The other reason
was I didn't want to disturb my old machine
yet.

So it was run back and forth. Old machine
freezing up 3 minutes into a program.
My cd writer, not copying files. So I
am losing pictures, losing my last 20
blogs weeks, I think, as I can't find any
cd with more than the first 119.

Took me 19 tries to finally get on line.
Between the phone line not working,
the wrong phone hole plugged in to..
and the wrong use of words on the
connect section, I was going insane.

Stop for coffee, thinking tequila would
be better, but wanted to be sober. And
I am out of practice for drinking anyway.

So long and short of it, I am gaining.
Losing files, but gaining some. I traded
places of the computers so I could use my
printer. (Apple commercial lied. the old
printer worked). Old computer comes up
every 12 or 14 tries, long enough to download
to email some files... then crashes. Up again,
I turn off the right way, hoping it will give me
some gain on the freezing part. Got 6 files
to download and send on email. Freeze again
and run to other computer and turn online,
Open email .. got the 6. Only
18 more to go, and that isn't counting the
picture file.. Dang!! But I am hanging in
there. Learning again.

Oh, yea, I feel like the days of the 8 track
and cassette when it was thrown to the
side for cd's. Because the new one does
not play floppies. What the heck am I
going to do with the 42 floppies that I
saved stuff on? Lost more pictures, and
documents. This is me...
:-(

Learning all over again

My posting might be up and down the next
few days.... I am learning how to run a
computer all over again...

My old computer is freezing up daily
on me, and so I, after hours of trying
to make a good decision... which I am
still wondering about...I went out on
Black Friday and bought a new computer.

This is the first one in over 7 years. Had
the old one update for speed and some
tune up 3 years ago... and 2 years ago..
but finally it is telling me to let go.

As one of the HBO bloggers called my
old one... a boat anchor.. which seems
like it is becoming... so I am trying
get my different sites transferred over
to here.

And this is a test to see if I can manage
this one... on the new machine..

Thanks for your patience as I stumble thru...

WHAT'S ON YOUR TABLE??

Thanksgiving Menu

November 22, 2007

Turkey
gravy
stuffing
mash potatoes,
mashed squash
mashed turnips
corn (for those who don't like the above)
green salad
rolls
cranberries/ jellied and whole berry
black olives, green olives
pickled onions
4 different kinds of stuffed celery
sweet pickles, butter dill pickles
pumpkin cheesecake
2 berry pies
water, coffee, beer and wine

Growing up menu
my family

shrimp cocktails
onion soup
turkey
to save space... the rest is the
same as above...


Growing up menu
king's family

turkey
same as the top menu, except
they had turnips cubes
and slices carrots together

The best part is that the King

is doing most of the cooking..

I am just the prep cook.

So what is your family traditional dinner?

"Over the River and through the woods

"Over the River and through the
woods to Grandmother's house
we go", says the song.

As we approach this Thanksgiving,
we think of Thanksgiving past.
My brother and I had lost most
of our grandparents very early. With
only one left and he lived in Florida.
So off to grandma's house was not
an option.

But we did have family friends
who came each year and a few
others over the years that were
in and out.

My children as well, had lost
some grandparents and the
others lived far away. Although
we did live near them for 3 of
the Thanksgiving dinners. Which
my children were at the KIDS table.
Something that we had not done in
the past, so their noses were out of
kink.

But I wish we did live years ago,
where going to grandma's house
by sleigh would have been a great
adventure. It sure is romanticized in
stories. And I don't doubt that many
of them were wonderful.

Tomorrow, I will do a dinner menu
of today and the past.

But for today, do you have memories
of going to grandparent's homes for
the wonderful smell of food and the
sound of laughter?

ME/WE....Thanksgiving

Here we head to the start of the
main holiday season.

This week we start with Thanksgiving.
The holiday for families. One of my
favorite holidays as it does not
involve gifts. I like those kind. Just
the gift of food and good conversations.

Yet, it is the one of the most
argumentive holidays. Bringing out
more fights than any other holiday.
You would think that a holiday for
the family and friends, would be
of good feelings.

Kind of ironic when you think about
it. After all we celebrate this holiday
because it started with the Pilgrims
and the Indian, sharing a dinner in
harmony.

I have been lucky to never be at
a Thanksgiving dinner that ended
with hurt feelings and disagreements.
Even when I was married into a big
family.

Don't get me wrong, we do have in
my family, the "do not invite to the
same dinner relatives". Not that they
are fighting, just they don't talk to
each other. Each of us know that
certain ones, there is silence with
others. And sadly, that includes me.

So in the interest of harmony, there
are separate dinners . Helped
a good share of the time by space.
Living 400 miles away, helps.

I think a lot of it, in all families..
comes from the me and not we
attitude. We are concern about
ourselves, and our views, that
we forget it is about we.. We,
as a family. Some day, hopefully,
not to late as the older members
get older, there will be the We in
the mix.

We have held many Thanksgivings
over the years. And it has been a
great experience. We stopped for
a while, as the family had moved
on in space, as well, as mind. Some
of it because some families share
holidays. So you go to one side for
one family, for Thanksgiving, and the
other side of the family for Christmas.
Helps, keep harmony when you blend
families.

So as you head towards this
holiday. Keep in mind the orginal idea,
of Thanksgiving. The harmony, peace,
and to be thankful for all the things and
people you have in your life.

Weekend with Rokon (still)

I am trying to sneak my toes on the table..so far no one notices, (I'm not allowed on the table)

Do you think anyone will notice? I am mostly on the window sill...maybe if I give them my attitude look, they won't say anything...

WEEKEND with ROKON

SEE THE EMPTY BASKET.....




THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES

THIS IS CONTENTMENT... SEE MY EYES CLOSED?

AND THEN I CURL UP AND NO ONE CAN FIND ME......

Sometimes, the best things are free....

Today I picked up a copy of the magazine
called Sandpoint. It is a nice magazine
that comes out twice a year. Spring/
Summer and Winter.

It is a slick magazine, and I mean that
in a positive way. It is full of pictures
as well as good articles. Beautiful pictures.

And this time they outdid themselves.
This is one great publication. And no,
I don't know anyone that works there.
I only know one of the writers, who is
there from time to time. And I didn't see
anything by her this time. She is one of
our own bloggers, Marianne Love. But as
I said I did not see anything by her, this
time around.

But this time some of the articles are
superb. There are the Halls, Hazel
and Dann. There is the one's on the
married couples. And of course, the
Almanac, gives a great scope of what
is going on since the last time they
published and human stories.

One of the ones that hit high on
my line of vision was the article
called "My Friend's Fathers".
Written by a former Sandpointer,
who talks about the father's of
his friends who made a difference
in his life and Sandpoint. These
are not your regular guys you
would expect. Not councilmen,
teachers and etc. Although I
think one is a teacher in Bonner's
Ferry.

These are men who made up
about 20% of the men attitudes
of the 70 and 80's who still feel
the same of why they came here.
Leaving areas of Aspen, Co, and
the east coast. Leaving the towns
who had changed, just as Sandpoint
is changing now. How ironic.
(the other percent was made up of loggers,
and farmer/ranchers)

The only down side of the magazine
is, of course, the real estate ads and
stories. Telling of how it was in 2002
compared to now. Of course, those of
us who moved here 25 or more years
ago, well, we already know. And it is
hard for a country gal at heart to twist
her mind around homes that start at
3,000 square feet when the one I live in
is 1,300 square feet. Some day I would
like to have them have an open house
for the not serious buyers, just so we
can see how much room that is... and
just what do you do with all that room.

Anyway, the Sandpoint Magazine is
free. You can get it just about any
where in town. I get mine at Yoke's.
And this time they outdid themselves
with their articles. I can't wait to go
down and get the new book on
Priest Lake and the Paul family.

We are also lucky to be able to
get another free paper of news of
our county. Lot of it is columns
written by some of the best.
Boots Reynolds (who is also in
the Sandpoint magazine about his
new book)(and you might know him
from Lean'ng Tree cards, Sandy Compton,
Mariane, and several others. And there is
a lot of the serious stuff too. That too, is at
Yoke's free magazine rack. Makes
you wonder.. how it survives for free,
when the one's we pay for, aren't doing
so well...

Fine mess this is...

Fine mess of the early yesterday morning.... that is my drive way that is blocked... but did have a fine line out the right and around thru the Litehouse parking lot to escape... after 9am



Of course every job has to have a sidewalk superintendent....
And even thru darkness they worked.... our hard earn tax money at work... but they wanted to get the road open....

The Spoiler?

Politics should start to slow down
a tad bit...

1. we had the local elections.
2. we have holidays coming.

Usually during holiday time
the things calm down, as the
general public is more interested
in their family doings...

But then again.. we don't normally
have so many people running a year
ahead...

Then there is after the first of
the year... will the spoilers come
into the picture?

One of these has mention and his
people have strongly mention the
possibility of Bloomberg of New York
City... the Mayor running for President.
Under the Independent party.

Now that would bring in a lot of folks,
who are sick and tired of who we have
so far, and tired of almost a year of this
stuff, so far. And not happy with either
one of the party lines.

Would you vote for Bloomberg? Do you
think an Independent Party ...like Ross Perot
and Anderson had, would have a chance?

It depends on where you live

It depends on where you live.

In Georgia, right now there is a drought.
They are even trying prayers to help.

To add to their troubles is the Federal
government who gave away some of
their supply many years ago to Florida
and Alabama. For their clams at the
seaside, so the shore has enough water.
But also for the citizens. Now that they
have a drought, they have tried to get
that stopped, but been told by others
that they don't have the right to stop
giving water to others. Which makes
me wonder when Georgia finally has
none, will they help out and give some
to Georgia. And do other states have
the right to drain the host state dry?

There seems to be a few problems.
Like there is a restriction on water
use. That is the normal reaction for
towns and cities to do. And while
most people try to obey, there are
a few who don't. One of the towns
found out that a house that is gated,
is using over 440,000 gallons of water
per month. Being the average is 2,000
you got to wonder what the heck that
guy is doing.

There is fines for watering your lawn
and etc. Which brings to the title of
this post.

It seems that this July there was a
70 year old woman, that was about
to be given a ticket. She thought it
was bunk. So she refused to give
her name and turn around to go into
her home. The officer was upset by
this and handcuffed her and arrested
her. Her crime? What was the ticket
for? Having a brown lawn. Yes, indeed
she had a brown lawn. And I guess
there is an ordnance in her town against
brown lawns. She lives in Orem, Utah.

There was a fancy lawyer who took up
the case. Told the judge that being arrest
for having a brown lawn was unconstitutional.
The City Attorney said the arrest had nothing
to do with the brown lawn, it had to do with
her refusing to give her name and she walked
back across HER lawn and started into the
house. Trial is set for Feb. 11, 2008. I guess
the courts of Utah move slowly. Her charges
are failure to maintain her lawn and resisting
arrest. ??? He was giving her a ticket, not
arresting her at first.. so shouldn't it be
resisting a ticket?

Anyway, I guess it depends on where
you live.. got water? ticket for not watering
your lawn... No water? ticket for watering
your lawn.

Veteran's Day... monday

Yesterday was Veteran's Day. And because
of a President in the past, we celebrate on
Monday.

So where is the celebration? I haven't see
anything yet. Maybe in the paper tomorrow,
they will show the last of WWII vets who still
do the honor guard on Veteran's day.

But the school's are in session today. I surely
hope their teachers are talking about this day.
I know when I was in school they did.. but then
we had WWII vets who were teachers.

And why is it the stores feel they should gain
by this. With their big ads of VETERAN'S DAY
SALE... Excuse me?

It is the Veteran

This is an email, I got just in time for Veteran day...
says it very well

It is the VETERAN , not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN , not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press

It is the VETERAN , not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN , not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN , not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN , not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN ,who salutes the Flag,

God Bless all the Veterans from all wars...

Gas Prices and Traveling

Our local station has climbed
25 cents in two weeks.

Milk products have gone up
as well as produce. And I would
say that gas/diesel has a lot to
do with that.

Here we are heading to the holidays.
Thanksgiving is a big family holiday.
People travel by plane and car to get
to Grandma's house.

I wonder if most will stay home this year.
Between the fuel for the cars and trucks
and the plane's the cost are soaring.
I don't understand why diesel is even
more, as that is the left over product of
the refining of the oil. Doesn't make sense.

So are you having second thoughts of
traveling to family for Thanksgiving, or
are staying home and having with local
friends?

OH, NO....

Oh, NO, how could I do it?
I forgot to post a blog for
today. I usually work on
it the night before...

Now I know my mind was in
a fog yesterday. I was late for
exercising, I was late getting the
mail. I kept trying to catch up all
day.

And then as I checked my email..
oh, my gosh, did I post a blog
today?

I click on my blog and there it is
Wednesday!! No Thursday....
AND I HAVE NOTHING ...nothing
of value...

So instead of a bad hair day...
This is a foggy bad post day...
Hope you all are doing better
than I am...

The Faster We Go....

The faster we go with computers
in our lives, the more behind we
get in some areas..

Those of us who have computers
seem to think that we have most
of the world at our finger tips. As
it happens, we know shortly after.

Last night is an example of how
there is a lot of areas in our lives
we don't...

I tried until 11:30 p.m. to get the
results of the election here in
Bonner County. There was only
one, that I got to know the outcome
before I went to bed... got to know it
at about 10 p.m. And that is, who is the
Mayor of Dover. And that I found out
by reading the Spokesman Review
blog called Huckleberries blog. Which
is out of Coeur d' Alene. Sad..

What is even more sad, I went to the
City of Sandpoint site to get the info
for Sandpoint, only to get greeted by
the one line... Election results coming
soon. Kind of like the sign you see in
an empty field about a business coming
soon. For years.

I went to the Bee site, but of course they
put in their entry in at around 9am in the morning
and never update it thru the day. I guess
their own city mayor race and council person
was not important enough stay the gamut and
go on line and give the results.

And the paper in the morning... well they put the
paper to bed before the results were known. So
this morning, the headlines again were large of,
CURLESS IS THE MAYOR OF DOVER. Sad.
Not even a word about Kootenai. And they had
all of those unopposed, so they could have
said they won, and tell us numbers later.

I did try the Bonner County site, but they had
2006 results on there.

I did go on the city site this morning...
and got the results for Sandpoint. I don't
know what time they posted the results.
They did say they were going to tell those
running first.. but really... after 11:30 pm?
Maybe Sandpoint needs the machines.
Too many to count by hand in 3 hours.

Well, at least Coeur d' Alene knew by
11:00 p.m. who won all the seats.

But again, it is the more we get ahead, the
more we get behind. Or maybe I should say,
the more we get ahead, the more we expect
to be ahead.

Looking back...

A friend who I have had since
grade school, sent me a envelope
that I got Monday.

It is a pamphlet and picture of the
50th class reunion. Ours.
Boy, there were a lot of grey hairs
there. lol... I didn't go, as the cost
were so high for trip, and celebrations.

Also there was maybe 2 that I recognized
in the picture. There was one man who
was in the back row..(they always seem
to be in the back row), who drew my
attention. After all, with a black hat and
a red tie, you have to be noticed.

As I read the pamphlet I found out that
my old school has been hit with the
wrecking ball. It is 1/3 gone when the
picture was taken. The two Catholic
school are still there. And some of
the buildings that we all visited during
our high school time. The old Red & Black
is gone. That was the typical soda shop.
Hamburgers, sundaes, cherry coke at the
fountain and etc. just like you saw on
Happy Days.

Next was the ones who have left us thru
the years. Sad to read the names and so
many of them.

Then the addresses of the one's who
answered the questionnaire. It was fun
to read the address, and surprisingly to
see that a lot of them stayed close to
home. Many still in R. I. and Mass. Some
in Florida, which isn't surprising as that
is where the Northern go for the winter,
and some stay. Like the Northwest people
go to Arizona and New Mexico.

As I looked back, something that rang
so true today, as I was looking thru the
papers.

My grandson, who is working on his speakers
for the doors of his truck. Playing the ones he
already has... I hear the bass thru the walls of
the house, and hear my mother's voice in my
mind... in 1957.... TURN DOWN THAT MUSIC,
YOU WILL BE DEAF BEFORE YOU KNOW IT!!

My music was about 1% of my grandson's and
as I repeat my mother's words (don't you hate that)
it brings a smile to me... as I remember the pass and
the passing of the years.

National Health Insurance

National Health Insurance...
One of the reasons that Hilary
scares me.

Even though I believe a President
is only as powerful as the Congress
lets them be.. I still know that there
are arm twisting and I will scratch
your back, while you scratch mine.

What is scary is the idea of
National Health Insurance. And I
have to tell you in the past, I was
one of the ones voicing the approval
of such an idea.

Most of us have heard about the
wonderful Canadian national insurance.
Years and years of it. But what had
me looking closer, is some of the programs on
television. About the waits and even a lottery
for an appt.

Even the cynical part of me, had to wonder
how much is true, and how much is spin by
the media. That is, until I talked to some
people who live here, and where long time
Canadian residents in the past.

They concur with the reports. Which made
me think about our own system. Many
have complain for years, media stories,
for years about HMO programs.

And then you have the Veteran's hospitals,
(they don't have doctor offices) and those
families, who have gone thru the service
system of having children thru the hospitals
for dependents. I had my first child 47 years
ago at Balboa Naval Hospital. I remember the
waits in the waiting room. Up to at least 4 hours.
And never the same doctor. And when I went to
the hospital to have her? another different doctor.

One thing they all have had in common.. The
wait. My deceased husband was subject to
the Veteran's hospital. In Vancouver, Washington,
and in Spokane, Washington. The take a number and
wait. Wait maybe up to 6 hours to see a Dr. and
then ... a wait and see what they will do for you. It
might take weeks before you get in the hospital.
And if they decide right there and then, you need
to be put into the hospital... then you wait weeks,
before anything is done. My deceased husband
was taken into the Vet's hospital in Vancouver,
he was there for over a month. Most of it waiting.
Was finally operated on... 2 weeks after being there.
Was kept there another 2 weeks. His operation
was a bypass. Oh, to help him kill time, they
removed his teeth. Even though he never complain
about them. They had served him well for over 50
years as they were. Even in the Spokane hospital
he was there for 2 weeks, sent home, for 2 weeks,
while nothing was done... then taken back in and
removed his leg after doing 3 other bypass operations.
Then removed his other leg. He was there a total of
2 and half months. He died there. Is this the type
of health care you want?

And then those of you who have gone to your
county health places. I had to rely on them for
my children's shots when my husband was in
the hospital the first time, and we didn't have
an income. The wait. The overworked staff.
And that was just to get shots, thankfully none
of us were actually sick.

This is typical because of the overload. So wait
until you add all of the nation on this. And while
you are at it... call your doctor and ask him/her,
if the nation goes national health care...will
he/she take those patients? They do have a choice
you know. There are ones who will not take
Med-care now. So don't you wonder how others
will feel about National Health Care? Will they
hold out for those who will pay for their own?
Those are the Canadians who get the best care
in Canada... the private pay. Got a Canadian
friend??? Ask them. And ask them to tell you
the real truth.

In the News and of the News

If you came here for fun today,
I am sorry but I am going to
disappoint you. This is a statement
of sorts, posting.. So if you want
to read fun stuff..come back Monday.
Maybe I will be more in the mood.

As you know I have posted a couple
of stories about newspapers lately.
The lack of substance. That they are
getting to be more social papers.

That I wanted facts. Like the old days
with the reporter hanging out at the
police station or what ever. The
investigating reporter..

But that seems like a lack in newspapers
of today. At least in our local area. Meaning
my local paper and now it could be true for
the regional paper.

I want a newspaper owner who wants the
real reason why newspaper came about.
Get the real story. the facts, and get the
facts straight. I don't want to read 2 day
old stories.

With that said, it saddens me to hear
that the regional newspaper, the last
chance we had at real news, has cut
their staff drastically. Mainly in the
Cda area. Which was where all of the
North Idaho news came from. The closest
to facts that we have had in a few years.

The local paper, be it here or Cda. is
own by one man who owns all of the
local papers, for all the towns, in North
Idaho. The facts are late, and loose.
Any editor they have is under the thumb
of the owner. The news as he would like
to see it. What they think will sell the papers.
So the editors have a very small area to jump
out and do what they went to school to learn
of journalism.

We lost the Spokesman's Review, here in
Sandpoint, years ago. We ended up being
a very small part of a section called The
Handle in their Cda office.. And even that
title changed. Having our news deluded more.
Giving away to at least a third of that section,
to other areas. You know when you ask a reporter
why she didn't report on the results of a small
town called Kootenai, just 3 miles outside of
Sandpoint, and she replies they don't go up
as far as Bonner's Ferry, which is 45 miles
North of us. You know you are in trouble.
We lost again.

So here is the new, smaller office in Cda,
and we wait to see what will happen. We
wait to see if the coverage of the Duncan
murder case, the P.A. office scandels, the
other stories of great interest... will still be
around with 4 out of 6 reporters gone. Very
good investigating reporters and photographers.

Some where over the years, I have read a quote
about newspapers and countries. That when the
country quiets a newspaper, the government goes
array. Because there is no check, double check
point. Wonder if that is true when states, and
regional areas lose their importance?

As far as the other papers... the local...the
ones that are all own by one man? Do we have
respect for the paper? No. We feel for the reporters,
we don't know why they don't get it right. We don't
know why some stories are left to gossip and
rumors. We don't know why the news is 2 days
old. We try to respect the paper.. God, do we
try. Will the tiny paper called River Journal pick
it up?

And as much as I love blogging, I can not take
them serious. As blogs are not always truthful.
They are only as good as the headmaster of the
blog and his commenters. And commenters are
a loose cannon. Very opinionated. And as a
blogger.. and when I get serious, such as this
post... it is all "In My Humble Opinion"... nothing
more. Like other bloggers.

A difference in others lives.

Who made a difference in your life?
Have you made a difference in someone
else's life that you know of?

I give you 3 that made a difference in
my life. I will just use first names... to protect
the identity of these people. There are many
more who, by small acts have made a difference,
but these stand out.

First one, that I can think of.. is
Jo. She later married a good friend
of my parents. Making her an Aunt
of sorts. I call her Aunt Jo...
How did she make a difference?

When I was a teen, it was my job as
the only girl, to not only shine the silver,
(that is why I don't own any myself)..but
I also was the dishwasher. I washed them,
I dried them, and I put them away.
Jo came to Thanksgiving dinner with Herbie.
And when it came time to clear the table, Jo
offered, insisted and bucked my mother's denial
of services... and helped me with the dishes.
Teaching me, no matter how old you are.. you
can help a teen, even if the parent says you
don't need to. She is one of the kindness people
I know.

Next was a blood Aunt. Harriet....
She taught me unconditional love,
compassion, understanding that no
one is perfect. That you are never too
old to learn, even from a child or teen.
That everyone of your children are your
favorite child. In their own way.
All of this, not by telling me.. but by
example.

Next is a group of people. Cancer victims
that I have taken care of over the 17+ years
of being an aide.
They taught me courage, faith, hope, and
how to die with dignity.

Have I made a difference in other lives?
I have been told of 3, that I can remember.

Cindy, a sweet, smiling girl of about 9,
who was a joy to be around. I included
her with my kids when she was left with
me with her siblings by her parents to be
babysat. To have her grow up to be a strong
woman, a judge in Alaska, and sent me the
most heartfelt email, of how I made a difference
in her life. I cried.

Several aides who came up to me on my last
day of work, to tell me how I showed them in
our line of work, that you can take the extra
moment for the residents. How I showed by
example, you can find in the worse of days,
how to always treat the residents and staff
with dignity. I cried.

Angel, who told me as I was working out,
at the women's fitness place, that she
has kept going with her exercises because
she has seen me, with a smile on my face,
and still working out, never giving up.
I felt honored, and thought I was hanging in
there because of people like her, and her
infectious smile.

Who made a difference in your life?
How?
How did you make a difference in
someone's else life?

Your own children, don't count. That
is your job...with them.

Letters to the Editors

I was reading the Letters to
the Editors in our local paper.

One in particular caught my eye.
It was a complaint about one of
the articles that was on the front
page a week or so ago. Which
actually disgusted most of us readers.

It had to do with the wording of the
headline for the article. It called a
horrible sexual action by a male...
a prank. Anyone with half a brain would
know the action was not in any sane
person's mind, be called a prank.

But the part of the long letter, that
caught my eye, was the reaction of
the editor. Or I should say, the alleged
reaction.

It seems the letter writer's wife
had called the editor to complain
about the article. And his alleged
reaction was... he was unaware of
the article that was written.

"UNAWARE OF THE ARTICLE THAT
WAS WRITTEN?"

How can this be? Surely there must be
a mistake. But the editor did print the
letter. There is no rebuttal to the remarks
in the letter. Maybe later the editor will
answer the alleged remark. Although one
would think he would have ran it along side
the letter, after all the letter was written a
week ago..

But I got to say, I am really mystified.
Isn't it the job of the Editor, to know what
is in each daily paper? Isn't it the Editor's
job to have a say of what is front page and
what is not? Is the office run by the reporters?
Isn't that kind of like the students running the
class without a teacher? I thought the crew
sat down and discussed each day, with the
Editor, what would be front page material and
what isn't. Even to where each article goes
on the front page. What picture to run.

It seems Mr. Smith has done so at the
Spokane Review. At least that is what
appears to be happening. Maybe in small
towns, it is different. But I thought that was
the job of the Editor.