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.