HAPPY THANKSGIVING....to all....

Things I am Thankful for....

I am thankful for good health...
for my family, husband as well as me.

I am thankful for good friends,
for they are my extended family.

I am thankful for a wonderful husband
who treats me like a Queen, even when I
act like a bitch.

I am thankful for great kids and grand
kids and great-great grand kids..

I am thankful for a roof over my head,
as there are many who do not have one.

I am thankful for enough food,
as there are many who do not have
enough.

I am thankful for life, for I have
been blessed with a good one.

I am thankful for so much, that
sometimes I take it for granted.
And I promise each day, that I won't.

To all of you...I wish you a wonderful
day. With good food, good friends, and
family... May God Bless you as he has me.

So enjoy tomorrow, I know I will.....as the
King is doing the cooking. I am just the prep
cook.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL.

Clothes, clothes, and more clothes

I have too many clothes. I have tried to thin
them out every spring and early winter.
I have so many that they get wrinkled hanging
there, smashed into each other. And I don’t iron.
Besides these are perm press. Although you wouldn’t
know it after they have been in there a while.

I do wear them all, some time…just some of them
more than others.

But why do I need so many? Would people notice
if I wore the same outfit two weeks in a row? Or
even twice a week? After all, if I go into a nursing
home, I will only have 3 change of clothes. Lol.

Yes, I really should do something about all those
pants and shirts… and then there is a drawer full
of t shirts. In fact I have 3 drawers full. One for
my tees with saying on them. One for the tank
top type, and one that is just plain colors.

What job was for you?

Remember when we were in high school,
we had to take a attitude test to see what
we may want to do for our life’s work?

I can remember it being about 10 pages
long. Multiple answers to chose from.

Mine came back journalism and mechanic.
I remember thinking at the time… was I going to be
a writer for a mechanic book?
But this is as close as I came to it.

Some how I ended up in the secretary classes.
Mom thought I should be a legal secretary.
Dad thought I should be a nurse. Neither one
appealed to me.

So over the years I was, working in the Naval
Exchange office, waitress, short order cook,
toy store clerk, manufacture payroll dept. (I counted
piece work for the payroll dept.). I even smashed
cars for scrap iron. Ending up being a nurses aide
for the longest of all of these. For 17 years. And still
dabble in it.

That is the closest that I made it to Dad’s
wishes. Never had wanted to be a nurse.
They didn’t have the closeness to the resident/patient,
that the aides have.


So did you become what your attitude test said you
would become?

Looking in....from the outside.

When I was a child, of about 12,
I was walking by a church. There
was music. And the wonderful smells
of food. So I sat on the stone ledge
across the street to watch.

It was the Catholic church, which
was attended by mostly Portuguese.
And this was the Feast. I never knew
what the feast was about, being a
non Catholic. Jesus Savior Church
was the name of the church.

They would have the Feast on the
lawn on the side street next to the church
there would be wonderful happy music, and
the smell of food was heavenly.

It wasn't until I was in my teens that
I got brave enough to go across the
street, and to get a sandwich. It was
a Chorizo sandwich. The best tasting
meat ever. Even to this day.

Welcome to Idaho

We came to Idaho from R.I. 26 years ago.
We were here for 2 weeks, when the school
informed us that there was lice in the school.
For the parents to check their kids.

So, here we were, our stuff still pretty
much still packed in the bus we used to
move out here. And we were staying with
friends in the Vay area. So the two of us
checked the kids. Being I had no experience
with this, I had to follow my friend’s lead.

She found lice on one of her kids. So the
We had to go thru the routine of washing
everything we own. Luckily, like I said,
Most of our things were still packed. But
We had to wash everything she had.

Now you have to understand, they lived
in a house without water. Well, they had
running water, as the joke went in their
house. You ran out to the well and pumped
it up. So it was to the Laundromat we had to go,
To do all the wash. Sheets, blankets..everything.

And then…. The bath and head shampoos.
IN the outhouse. Boil water, mix with cold,
Take it to the outhouse, have the kid wash.
Boil the next one for rinse. This was for 5 of
mine and 3 of hers.

You haven’t lived until you have washed 8
kids in an outhouse.
Told my kids.. Welcome to Idaho!!

An Ode to an 18 year old...

This is going to be kind of a repeat.... I wrote it
in May. I wrote it because the young man was working
on his truck with his grand father. They had done some
body work and painted the truck.

But today.... this young man turns 18. A pretty big day in
all of our lives. His mother, his grandfather and I. We have
one more coming up in June. And that will be the day he
walks across the stage to get his diploma. I am sure there will
be a lot more for his mother and he to enjoy. And Lord willing we
will get to some of those too. But these two marks of life are the
big ones we looked forward to, with great joy as with sadness.
Sadness as he won't need us as much.

I have as you can see from the sideline 16 grandchildren.
But this one is the only local one. The only one were we
have been the support system. Not in money, but when
ever Mom couldn't be there, we were. And some times
together. So today.... we celebrate his entering adulthood.
We wish him well, as we sit in the bleachers of life to see
him run the field of life.



There was a boy....
There was a boy who came to my house.

He and I would go to the park to play keep

away to hone his soccer skills.

WHERE DID THAT BOY GO?

And over the years, work would be done in the

yard with dutiful breaks for lunch and such.

WHERE DID THAT BOY GO?

And Spring was egg coloring with Fall, jack lanterns

carvings to be done with great jeers and laughter at

the kitchen table with the man of the house.

WHERE DID THAT BOY GO?

Summer filled with mix day camps runs and yard

work for pay. For buying power for bikes and play stations.

WHERE DID THAT BOY GO?

As now the past Fall came and went, with pumpkins

uncut. And Spring brought uncolored eggs. And now

the second summer is upon me with no helper.

WHERE DID THAT BOY GO?

For you see, the replacement to be is a young man.

Who spars with the man of the house over repairs,

speakers and stereo, you see. With sayings of

“I know for a fact”. We know when he arrives with

the bass of the radio competes with the roar of the

muffler. And up the stairs he bounds, the young man

appears. And our little dog squeals with joy of

anticipation of play, as this young man speaks. And

off he goes again, in the mist of bass and mufflers, to

join friends or his fast food job.

WHERE DID THAT BOY GO?

We know our time is short with this young man,

as adulthood is just beyond the horizon. A life of

his own will make him scarce.

WHERE DID THAT BOY GO?

And as I see each day, this young man, my heart

grows prouder and yet sadder, as he grows. His

mother, grandfather and I will all be saying…

WHERE DID THAT BOY GO?

I hope he remembers his promise of years ago.

His promise to push my wheelchair to the bench

at the city beach. So I can see the water and mountains

one last time. The bench where he and I sat from

time to time, during many discussions of life.

WHERE DID THAT LITTLE BOY GO?

Happy Birthday.... M.M.

Don't borrow trouble

That is a thing I use to tell my kids.
don't borrow trouble. When ever.
they were worried about something,
that had not happen yet. Meaning
don't worry about something that hasn't
happen. It is a waste of time, also it
may not even happen. If you worry about
it, and it doesn't happen, look at all the
time you have wasted.

Same thing with "if only's". Now there is
a waste of time. Yet we have all spent our
time there. If only, I had done this or that.
If only I had said this or that. The trouble
with that is...what is done is done. Can't
change it. So live with it.

When it comes to worrying, I have found out if
you think it over. Think of what is the worse that
can happen. And how you would handle it.
Then you don't worry because when the time
comes, you know what to do. And if it doesn't
happen, well, you are ok.
There for no worry. No time wasted.

Becoming one of THOSE people....

As we were younger, there were people we came in contact with,
those who knew everything, been everywhere, done everything.

We probably thought they were bragging or lying. Sometimes
even irritating us from time to time. Because no matter what you
said…they had been there done that.

Then you become of age yourself…over 60 group. And as
Conversations are said and done, and you add to it… the horror
comes to you… You become that person who has been there, done
that.

It is at that time, you realize that those who have passed, that were
talking about such things, had actually lived long enough, to be there and done that.
You have become one of those people who use to irritate you.

Of Summer Past

As the frost hits the cars of morning... thoughts

go to, of the summer of this past year......

The leaves are gone, the trees and plants start to sleep,

for the winter to replenish for the Spring.

Why do the innocent have to pay?

Buy out, Tarp Bill ...all old words
with new meanings...

700 Billion here, and 7 Billion there.
Last one, is the wish list of the Louisiana
Senator from that state to fix Karina mess.
Which has me wondering what happen to
the money that F.E.M.A. and Bush/Clinton
raised up, say nothing of what Brad Pitt and
the rest of the people who are drumming
$$$$ for that area?

I just don't get it. Why do the innocent have
to pay for the guilty? You have the Catholic
people paying for the sins of the Priest. Some
of those churches didn't have an offender in their
midst. But each an every Catholic has to pay
for the settlement the higher ups granted.
Why not the church Rome coffers, after all the Cardinals
are the ones who let it keep happening and transferring
them.

Then you have the government, getting ready to dole
out banks who lent money to those who they knew
were not in position to pay. You have other companies
also being bailed out and they are so arrogant to go
to spas and such for meetings. What happen to the
board meeting rooms? And who has to pay this? You
and I, the tax payer. The ones who borrowed only what
they could pay back. The ones who used their credit
card wisely and did without extra toys. Those of us who
tighten up our belts, when money was tight and still paid
what we owed. Why do we have to pay? Take the homes
of the CEO's, take the stocks of those CEO's that got
bonuses. Bonuses that takes us a life time to earn.

Where is common sense... oh, yea, the emails that
have gone around for about 10 years told us, Common
sense died...

And the stock market shows us daily that the sky is
falling...yet.. we see lotteries thriving well, millions being
paid for actors, sports champions, and etc.
And on the lower level... we have charities having shows
of fancy homes, the elite so to speak homes...decorated
for Christmas. And charging $20 each to come see the
homes. Yes, it is for a good cause. But somehow, it rubs
in the wound, to see houses decorated in fancy Christmas
decorations, when the food bank is wanting. No, that isn't the
receiver of the charity in this case. $20 to go in and see
how the other side lives. See the 6 owned homes as well
as 3 for sale. Homes that the general population will never
be able to own, say nothing of the taxes. It is for a nice
cause, just in this day an age one has to wonder as we
hear the sky is falling..for the rest of us.

You know someone had an idea, to take that 700 billion
and give it to the people. Have it divide up among the
household. With the only condition being the money
had to be used for your bills. So you could pay off your
credit card, you could pay for your car, your home, and
health bills. They figured the country would come out of
recession, if that was done.

You know, maybe that isn't such a bad idea after all.
And if we have any left over, we could share it with
the charities. Uh, oh, many would think of that as
sharing the wealth. But sharing it with the wealthy is ok.

Stupid is, as Stupid does...

Last week, I was driving in a local parking lot.
I was being cautious, because there was a
lot of foot traffic coming and going to the store.

Then an opening from the foot traffic. Then there
is another car coming towards the same lane I
am turning into. I wave her on, as I am in no
big hurry. Then I followed her, .............then
stupidity took over. As I heard a crunch. A
BAD crunch. My door. I continued..because
I figured it would take out my mirror if I backed
up. Stupid is as stupid did... I got out after I
cleared the pole I just sideswiped my car with.
It is one of those poles that protects the fire
hydrant. I looked around after the sickness
set in, at the sight of my car. Several people
saw me do it. Probably thought I was drunk.
But I was cold sober.

I went to the King's job and told him, (I figured he
would yell less if there were witness...lol) but he
brought me roses after work, as he knew how bad I felt.

I beat my self up over a week...still am, somewhat.
The King took me over 3 days later, (I had not
returned to the scene of the crime) as I explain
where I was, what I was doing. The face saving
part was, he said..... I wouldn't have done that,
but I can understand how you did. I felt half better.

So today, the car went into the shop, and I should
have it back in a week. Costing me almost as much
as I paid for the car. But it has sentimental feelings,
as it belong to my aunt. I had bought it from her
estate. And it goes in to the garage for the winter,
when it gets home.

Stupid is, as Stupid does....

happy 43rd birthday ch

To all the Vets...

THANK YOU!!!!!

DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL.....

I am working on my new laptop. This is my
Christmas present... but learning how to operate
it after using a desk top tower type for all these
years, this is a little different.

One of the first things I have learn is I am still
computer disable.. I also learn how to touch
the touch pad ever so softly.. or it leads to
frustation... as you see thing happen that
you didn't think you touched.

Also have to load up only some of the
things I have, like call wave.. (it saves marriages.)
so I know when someone has called.

The other thing that is nice about this, is the fact
I can sit here at the table instead of the back
room, and visit with the Ken as I work on internet.
So in the long run it is going to be great. But for now
I have to remember DON'T TOUCH THAT pad...
other wise things disappear or appear...
Ah, life, constantly a learning time...

Are you married to your parent?

Over the years I have seen men who
marry women like their mother. And
women who marry men like their fathers.

I have to say it was more the case
of the man than the woman...
I would say 60% or more men marry
women like their mothers..
And maybe 30% women marry like
their fathers.

Maybe it has something to do with
what their relationship was like with
that parent. But I don't know... as the
men that I am aware of, weren't that
close to their mothers... were closer
to their fathers. Maybe pick one like
their father did? And does it make
a difference if the mother and father
had a good relationship themselves?

I don't know the answer, but it has
been a wonder... especially with men
who have complained about their
mothers and then marry some one
just like them. Not look alike, I
am talking about personalities.

Healing Time after the Election...

Now is the time for healing, to see
how much damage has come out of
this and does the anger still matter?

How much damage was done with
the anger, is it a deal breaker? How
do you start talking about it and how
you really feel about ........your friend,
your family members, who were so
adamant against your choices of
candidates? Who were hateful with their
comments, and even after they found out
their candidate lost. Predicting horrible
things.

Being on the winning side is easier, but
it depends on how you deal with that. If
you don't gloat, it is easier. But there are
still people who are mad that their party
didn't win.

Even being a member of the Cafeteria Party,
who has no big political PARTY... still we chose
sides. Will the friendships stand.. and in the times
to come.. as there will be mistakes, and there
will be decisions that ALL of us will not be happy
with, how will we deal with it?

I am sure there are those who were on the hate
Bush brigade, who blamed the Republican party
and those who believed in Bush, were constantly
having their friends defend their choices. And some
did with grace.. but how are you, who voted for Obama,
going to defend him, when he makes those hard choices
for us? Presidents are kind of like that old saying...
You can make half the people happy half the time.
And all of the people, none of the time.

Those of us, of the Cafeteria Party, know that Obama
is not perfect. But we started with him, with hope. And
we continue to hope, even thru the rough times. It is going
to be a rough road for him, as he travels thru these 4 years.
He has a hellish mess to clean up, to guide us back to where
we can be whole again.

But I am proud to be an American...
I am of the generation of Love it or Leave it.
So I guess the question will be of us all...
Will we sit and watch, or will we part of the recovery?





He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.~Epictetus

A day in HISTORY....

Good Morning America.... this is one fine day...
I am so happy that I lived long enough to see
a black (even if he is only half) man become
President of the United States of America.
This truly is a fine day.

May he continue to give us the
"got hope?" attitude. May his calmness
bring us together. And hope of having a
cabinet that will support him and us as
a country.

He has his work cut out for him. No matter
who got in, would have a mess to clean up.
Now is the time for Americans to come together
and give him a chance to do his job.

And the Bonner County Democratics partied...

Eyes on the screen, everyone thrilled, laughter and tears.

And silent as Obama spoke so very well.....

They both worked so hard.... they deserve to celebrate....and so do we..

History in the making....

Today is a day of history....
we will either elect the first black man for President or
the first woman Vice President.
Either way it is a first in history.

VOTE

Day before Elections

Been on this road for over 18 months.
It has been long road.
Both candidates had a tough fight to the
make it to the top of the pile.
We have had disappointments, (the traveling pants group of Hillary's).
We have the divide of groups over the Shock and Awe of McCain's
choice of Palin.
The past several months have been nasty.
Now we are at the front door of the next Presidential choice of the people.
Now it is up to you and I to VOTE. If you haven't already (absentee ballots).
Then sleep well tonight and tomorrow step in that booth and make your choice.
For whomever you have in your heart.
Let no man or woman put you down for your vote.
Remember this is the great country of United States of America and it is your choice.
And you don't have to say who you vote for or against. It is between you and the ballot.
But please make your choice for you and the country.
It is your right.
If you don't and gripe because things aren't right, I will ask you if you voted.
If you say no..... then I will walk away. No voting.... no griping...
Good luck to you all..

colors of the season....