End of another year....2009

Here we are at the end of not only a year
but a decade. And as I have said in the past.
Well, there goes another year gone to hell in
a bucket

What do we have more of or less of than a year
ago, as we looked back in 2009?

I guess I would have to say, my health, which is a
big blessing. Same for the King, again, a big blessing.

We have a roof over our head,
We have food in the cupboards,
We have enough money to pay our bills
We have gas in our vehicles to be able to
go places,
We have good friends that we enjoy and
they seem to enjoy us.
We have clothes and heat to keep warm.
We live in a freedom of our country.
We enjoy hunting, fishing and the pursuit
of happiness.

So all in all I would say that the King and I,
are very blessed. And 2009 has been good
to us.

As for the decade, well, there is so much
that has happen, but you can google or watch
any television channel and they will tell you
the changes of electronic, terrorist, and the
great changes of good and bad in all of our
lives.

For me, I became a blogger, when 10 years
ago, I didn't know what a blog was. 5 years
ago today I walked out of the door, where I
worked for over 17 years, for the last time to
retire. I have more grandchildren, and great
grandchildren. And still with the same wonderful
guy... I am totally blessed.

May 2010 bring you good health, enough in
life to keep you happy and lots of good friends.

Stupidity

I really have a hard time with people of stupidity.
Those are the ones who do not use common sense
or if they do, they ignore it.
It isn't because they aren't smart enough, they just
rather blame someone else for their bad choices.

The latest is the GPS, that people buy for their cars.
We have one. And like it. The King calls ours, Bertha.
Especially when he has decided to take a short cut
that he is aware of and Bertha isn't. So she is constantly
saying, "recalculating, recalculating.".. trying to find her way
to our destination.

But it has come out that twice now, in a short time, two
different families followed the GPS directions. One is an
elderly couple and the other one is a young couple. The
elderly couple ended up in their car for 3 days before
finally, their cell phone got a signal. Traveling 30 miles down
a bad road. I don't know how far the young couple went, nor
do I know how long they were in their stuck car.

The breakdown is... the GPS will show where a road is.
And there was a road there, where they traveled. But
common sense tells you if the road had snow, lots of snow,
built up on this road, that MAYBE, JUST MAYBE you should
NOT follow it. GPS shows where there is a road, not road
conditions, or weather conditions. That is where you the
operator are suppose to have good judgment. Don't blame
the GPS for your bad choice.

Had the road been flooded would they still have drove on
that road because the GPS said there was a road there?
That is as bad as the guy who got up from his RV drivers
seat, after putting it in autodrive, to have a cup of coffee.

Come on, people, use your head.

Making lemonade out of lemon type of a day

The King's new hobby.....ice fishing...

Merry Christmas

I hate to repeat myself...but this poem says it
oh, so much better than I. I found it on a card
sent to me 3 years ago... it is the best I have
ever found. So here you are, the wise words of
George A. Gladden Sr

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 someone
who 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 aware
of 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 blessing
in the hearts of you and yours.

My Christmas Card List
written by George A. Gladden, Sr.
and once again...
I wish you all.... my dear readers...
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS........

I am going to be having some computer
work done tomorrow or the next... so will
be back after Christmas....

THANK YOU NOTES?

When you are given a gift, do you write a thank you note?
Do you call instead? Or do you sit down and write out a
thank you note and mail it?
Or being we are more into internet, do you sent an email?
Or is just saying thank you, at the time the gift is given
to you, enough?

The Emily Post correctness is you write a note of thanks.
Not just a card, but to actually write a note of thanks and
how much you appreciate it. She would never go for the
email thank you note.

I know I was required, even as a small child, to write a note of thanks.
I also trained my children to write a note of thanks when it was a gift
sent to them. If they were hand given, then I let them off with just saying
thank you. Which they usually did on their own.

My own deal is... I just say thank you to the person as it is given.
If they mail one to me, then I either call, (because I think a phone call
is just as personal) or write a note.

If we are at a group gathering such as Christmas time, I say thank you,
as I open it and see it... and then before I leave the gathering, I go over
and tell the giver, thank you again.

So what is your procedure and what do you have your children do.
Do you write a note? Or is this a lost art?

One of those days...

with the overcast day, where all you see is rain and clouds... this is the best way to
spend the day...especially on a weekend.

Looking at a gift horse in the mouth...

Did you or do you get a gift for Christmas from
your employer?

I know some get bonuses..ranging from $25 to
maybe up to a thousand or so. Some of us....
got a turkey.

For 10 years we use to get a turkey.
We referred to it as a glove box turkey,
as they were so small. About 10 pounds
or less.

The last couple of years that I worked we
had a new owner, and we got a $25 gift
card for Wal-Mart. Which was listed on
our payroll statement as a gift and then
the taxes were deducted for it. Meaning
we got $22.

Most of us where ok with the turkey or the
gift card, until we found out that our boss
got $500 or more. Kind of damping the feeling,
when you know you literally busted your back
lifting, getting thrown up on, cussed out, and
kept the place going thru sickness as well as
health. But that is the way things go... so
I guess one shouldn't look a gift horse in the
mouth.

Voting for Obama...a year later...

Here we are a year later... and how do I feel about voting for Obama?

I know a lot of people will say I am naive, but I am still ok with voting
for Obama. Considering the choices given, I still glad I voted for him.

While there are somethings that I wish he handled better, and I am
not really happy with his choices of cabinet, still I am ok with it.

I think he brings class to the office. And yes, I think of John Kennedy
when I see the family pictures of him and his family.

Maybe I am not so upset as others is because I don't blame him for
a lot, that others do. I am also willing to wait and see what happens.

A lot of people are ready to criticize before he even finishes what he
has in mind. I also feel it takes a lot of time for things to change.
He was handed a big mess, like it or not, Bush people. A bigger
mess than either Obama or Biden even thought.

And probably I give him a pass because I understand the 101 of
government.... that being the President isn't really in charge of our
laws and rules... Congress is. Remember what I told you before.
ANY President who has brought an idea or bill to Congress, is
at their mercy. They can dump it on the floor right away. They
can table it, or they can run it thru and vote it out. So where does
he have control of it? Then Congress can come up with what ever
they please, run it thru if they get it out of committee, and send it
to the President. He can veto it....but ... Congress has another
shot at it... they get 2/3rds to override the veto... and it becomes
law anyway. Where does he have control over that?

President is a person who TRIES to do what he thinks is best,
CONGRESS decides if that is good or not. Other than that,
he is the one who is the head of the country for other countries to
meet with, as well as our Secretary of State.

So I don't get angry at the President, I get angry at CONGRESS.
And the worse of it all is .... as an Idahoian, I get upset with states,
such a California who send us the such horrible people, who have
been there long enough to make it miserable for us. That is where
limits would be good...as we can't vote the bums out.

So I still feel ok with my vote, and sometimes wonder about those
who lost, what they would have done that they think is better. And
being one of them is still in Congress, why didn't he come up with a
better idea for the health bill and etc.? After all, Obama said months
ago, he was open for suggestions.

So do I still have HOPE????? Yes.

Oh, the weather outside is delightful?

They say that pictures say a thousand words....

and in this case that is true... so here is outside,

and Misty burrowing in among the wash just out

of the dryer.....

The Written Word...

When I was in high school in the 1950's,
a girlfriend and I got caught passing notes.
Of which, my girlfriend being the one who
had the note at the time, was made to stand
up and read what was in the note....all of it.
Meaning my words as well as her own.

I don't recall what we were writing about, but
it wasn't good for it to be announced to all.
Nothing horrible by today's standards but not
good, never the less.
It was quite embarrassing for us teens ..

From that I learn... NEVER EVER, EVER, EVER
WRITE DOWN ANYTHING THAT YOU DON'T WANT
EVERYONE TO READ. Treat all notes, letters, and
etc. as if you are writing for a newspaper for all to read.
It has served me well.

So when I hear about how emails, text messages, even
voice messages are used against people....and then they
think it is private, I got to ask... WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

Of all things, email, text messages and voice messages
are pretty much open for any who can access it and many
do. One way or another. And if you are famous? Well, expect
those messages, either written or voiced, to be on national
news. Because there is 98% it will.

Again, the lesson of 50 years ago...
NEVER EVER,EVER, EVER, WRITE DOWN ANYTHING,
THAT YOU DON'T WANT EVERYONE TO READ.
It is a hard lesson, of which Tiger Woods and many others
have found out, but do they learn.. we will see.

Driving in the snow

98% OF AMERICANS SAY 'OH SHIT' BEFORE
GOING IN THE DITCH ON A SLIPPERY ROAD.

THE OTHER 2% ARE FROM IDAHO,

AND THEY SAY HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS!!!
-- Always try to be positive!!

latest email

HOW COLD IS IT?

How cold is it? Too damn cold...
We have had wake up temps ranging
from 0 to 5 and warming up to 12 to 17
during the day. As late as 11am we have
seen the single digit.

And then... then they add in the WIND CHILL FACTOR!
You can have 3 and with wind chill factor it can be
-20 depending on how windy it is... and we have had
from 5 to 47 mph winds. So you can see we are
fighting stinging faces, hands and etc.

I realize they add in the WIND CHILL FACTOR
for our protection.. but in my book there is the
cold, Idaho cold and DAMN IT IS FLAMING COLD.

I don't go out in DAMN IT IS FLAMING COLD.
For those of you die heart wind chill people, that
is anything below -10 in my book.

The End of the World, or is it?

I guess I didn't appreciate my mother as much as I should have.
She did ingrain in me, to question things, and not to get too upset
of the unknown.

In the 1950's there were people who were building bomb shelters.
This was full of food and water and beds and etc. All of which was
to keep you safe from the bomb. Don't know how much supplies
they had, for how many days. Some actually dug holes in the ground
and some used their basements. For those who don't know what a
basement is, it is a large room or several rooms below the ground,
under your house. A lot of houses are built without them, it seems.

Anyway, Mom's theory was if the bomb goes off in the good old
USA, then you bend over, kiss your arse good by, because you
aren't going to remember even doing it. That any bomb shelter
would become a grave, because how were you going to keep the
fumes out of the air ducts. And you have to have air ducts to breathe.

So in 1961 or 62, I forgot which one it was... I was living in California.
National City to be exact. And the talk was about the end of the
world ... seems it was going to flood. My neighbors were all excited.
Seems some place in Arizona was going to be the only place to
survive. So my neighbors on the night of the big flood and the end
of the world, were getting up on top of the roof of their homes.
They had blankets, pillows, beer, ( I guess they figure that would
take the fear away). One of the neighbors fell off the roof about
2am and broke his arm. But they helped him back up, as they
didn't want him to drown. I kind of laughed at them, and told
them, I was going into the house with my kids and sleep on
our own beds. As I didn't believe it. Seems they thought the
water would come up when part of California fell off in to the ocean.
I woke up the next morning and went outside with my cup of coffee
at day break, and you know the world was still there and no floods.
But there sure were a lot of grouchy neighbors.

So with the 2012 bit, I am not getting excited. I figure I will be here
3 years later to enjoy my 75th birthday. You see, if it should happen,
it happens... it is what it is... but so far my mother has been right.
Much a do about nothing.

Why Tiger Woods?

I am sure as everyone else, I am tired of the Tiger Woods deal.
Why is it the media has to beat us over the head with a subject
or subjects until we are fed up and indifferent towards that subject?

They ask, Why Tiger? Why? My answer is why not Tiger? He is
a man. No, this isn't a man bashing post. I have still have a lot of
respect over all for the man and his golf game. Personally, I don't
even know the man, so I feel it is between he and his wife. No, I
don't think because he promotes himself as a product to do with
golf, he deserves what the media gives him. He does not promote
his family. There are rare pictures of his wife and children. He promotes
businesses. Golf or products such as Buick.

I felt the same way about Tiger and his wife, as I did (well maybe not as
much as) when I learned this past summer that one of our friend couples,
separated. It sadden us. Surprised us, we didn't have a clue, and felt
sad. Same thing with Tiger and his wife. It is sad, and I hope they
can repair it. They have children..

Global Warming...

With the newest out on the Global Warming, it has done more damage
than the warming itself. The lack of trust we all have in the first place and
now with this, will anyone ever really believe anything they say.

I have always suspect their theory's wouldn't hold water anyway. But I
am just an old lady who thinks logical and this just didn't add up logically.
I watched the Gore's movie and it just didn't add up correctly.

I have lived long enough to see the earth change over and over again.
Some times in 20 year cycles and some times in 7. Be it snow storms
or hurricane's or even flooding and even the hot summers and mild winters.

The sad thing about this is the fact that people while throw out the whole
story. And one thing is true, humans are the most wasteful, trashiest, uncaring
for what Mother Nature and the Lord have gave us.

Don't get me wrong, there are some out there and have been for years, who
are trying to clean up the earth. At least in America, any way. Hopefully in
other countries too. And hopefully this won't stop them.

I had gone back home to R.I. to live in the late 1970's. There was a group who
were trying so hard to clean up Narragansett Bay. They had Save the Bay stickers,
and ads every where. It was really hard work to get the people to listen and to
clean up the bay. http://www.savebay.org/Page.aspx?pid=253

See there is a small island called Jamestown that my father
lived on as a boy. We still have relatives there. And ever since the beginning of
time, the people who lived on the island, emptied out their sewerages into the
bay. I was clamming one time with one of the locals... and I saw this pipe about
6 inches around sticking out of the ground above the water level of low tide.
I asked what they were for, as there was one for each house on the bay.
I was horrified to learn that it was a sewer pipe from the house. Emptying
out into the Bay...Been there since beginning of time. The town is over
300 years old.

Since then, thru the fight of Save the Bay, Jamestown put in a new sewage
treatment plant and has upgraded their sewer system. Hopefully everyone is
attached to it. I do know it is illegal to dump sewerage in to the Bay.

There are such organizers for different causes, for different projects, who
really are doing a good job of cleaning up the rivers, lakes, and other sources.
Hopefully this deceitful group did not louse it up for those who are truthful with
their projects. We all need to be careful how we treat our earth.

Mom's Cookie recipe

AGGRESSION COOKIES

3 cup brown sugar 3 cups margarine

6 cups of oatmeal 1 tablespoon baking soda

3 cups of flour

Put all this in a huge bowl and mash, knead,and squeeze (see name of cookies). then form it into small balls of a good Italian meatball size. Put on the ungreased cookie sheet. Butter the bottom of the small glass or jar, dip it in to granulated sugar and mash the balls flat. Keep doing it. (you may have to butter the jar/glass twice) but re-dip it in sugar for each ball. Then bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes. depending how big the balls are... on how many cookies you get.

My mother use to start her Christmas baking about Nov. And this is one of the recipes she used often. She said as the baking went some times this was a good mood buster...but over the years I have found it to be a great kids recipes. Just throw the ingredients in the bowl..have the kids wash their hands and arms really well and let them at it. They have a blast. Then I would help them row the balls... and let them mash them. You have to watch the boys as they get a little gunho with the mashing part. But the cookies taste great and the kids have a great time helping..it is really a wonderful grandparent/grandchild project. So enjoy.

Christmas Lights....

I was busy on Monday getting the lights out.
I have unfolded the tree and hung it. We have one of
those flat Christmas trees. It works great in our space
lacking house. It hangs on the wall just great.

I got the Santa and reindeer with sleigh on the fence.
Checked out the lights on the fence and they are all
good to go.

House lights? I am one of those who people talk about.
My Christmas house lights are up year round. Got tired of
fighting to get them in the freezing cold of Dec. Also the
great thing about it is we can be found easy. Want to find
our house? Just let us know you are coming. And we
will turn on the lights, after all how many houses have
their Christmas lights on in the summer...lol.. Also we
use them with the American Flag light we have for
July 4th.

Merry Christmas and Happy 4th of July.. we are ready.

Gate Crashers

I have to laugh about these gate crashers..
they sure made some red faces and probably
some heads roll at the White House.

Got to ask tho... how many of the guest
showed up with their own camera crew?
Seems the Bravo channel sent a camera
crew to record all the people these to crashers
met. So when they showed up with the camera
didn't that flag the couple?

I heard in the background when they announced
their name, to the group in the room. Who tells them
that? The couple? Or is there a list that they had?

The other thing of interest to me from the get go was
everyone was talking about how the President could
have been at risk. Yet no one, I saw or heard said
anything about the guest and that they could have
been a target. Actually, I didn't hear the guest mention
in anyway at all.

Oh, well, it was a slow news weekend. Until the
Lacey, Wa. tragic story that unfold.

I AM A LAZY COOK......

When I got married at 19, I was fair cook.
I cut up my own chicken. Heck, I killed my own
chicken. I use to make my own bread. Potato
bread was one of my favorites.

When the kids got older, I did cinnamon rolls
from scratch. I made spaghetti sauce from scratch.
I made my own chili... and none of it came out of
a can. Well, the tomato sauce and paste I used
did.

I made cakes from scratch and the icing to go with it.
We even made our own ice cream in the summer. First
with the crank and then with the electric one.

Then somewhere down the road, I got sloppy, and
bought Ragu instead of making my own, just throwing
in the meat and seasoned. Cake mixes came into the
picture as well as store bought bread,

And now if the recipe calls for over 4 ingredients, I skip
it. What happen to the drive and the pleasure of having
things come out of the work. Seems only Christmas
cooking I still do. The cookies and liqueur, breads,
and some times candies. But the rest... I am lazy.