I am not deaf...You just...

My kids have thought I had selective hearing for years..
I seem to be able to hear what I wanted and ignored the
rest. I knew by their voices if it was important enough to listen or wait a bit. And things they didn’t want me to hear, I heard quite well. I had selective hearing by choice.

But now… I have selective hearing, but not by choice. Some voices I can hear pretty well, and others, well, it seems like I keep asking for them to repeat. Of course the soft spoken voices are the worse for me.

I saw a couple of tee shirts that made me laugh..because they were so true..
“I am not deaf, you aren't talking loud enough”
and
“yes, I am hard of hearing, I am saving up for hearing aides, do you want to donate to help?”

Hearing aides start at $1,000. Yes you can get them cheaper but you are wasting your money. Heck I spent $1,000 an ear and I wasted my money... I couldn't hear the preacher up front, but I could hear the gossip in 3 pews behind me.

And Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aides. Medicare/Government could care less if you can hear, see (no glass coverage) or eat your food well (no denture care cover either). By George, you can get Vigara, and etc. But don’t ask to hear, or see or chew food.

So here we are in our golden years… in case you haven’t gotten there, and looking forward to those “Golden Years” I am letting you know the Golden is the doctors, who you have to pay out of pocket, and your social life becomes doctor appointments.
And if you cheapen out with those little gadgets they advertise on tv for hard of hearing… and if you spend the $19.95, you will be able to hear across the street or across the room.. save you money… they are right in line with hair grower, bust builders, and the rest of the money grabbing gadgets.

So pardon me if I don’t hear you…. Maybe it is because you aren’t talking loud enough…

I am so disconnected...

I am a relic, I guess… as I get older, the more
disconnected I get.

If Verizon was smart, they would hold classes at
night for the electronic disable or better known
as those who can’t keep up with modern tec.

I gave up my cell phone when I retired. It was part of
the downsizing that had to be done. And to be honest
with you… I rarely miss it. The only time that I do,
is when I travel by myself. What if I have car trouble?
Even if I am in the city, there are fewer and fewer pay
phones. So for that reason, I miss having a cell phone.
I do carry my old unconnected cell phone with me, as
they say you can call 911 on it.. So that is in the glove
box.

But an I-phone, or any smart phone is lost on me. I
feel so inadequate. I sit in amazement when my
grandson whizzes thru his cell phone and does so
many things. I used my Yahtzee box to show me how
he can scan the bar code, find out the price, where to
buy it, and where has the best price. He bluebooked
his truck that he bought, right on the sales lot.

But with this, it isn’t just the knowledge but the reason
why I gave up my cell phone was the price. We were
paying $72 for 450 minutes for two phones. So we down
sized to one cell phone for $43.+ for the same minutes.
Crazy to pay an extra $30 for a phone I left on the table most of the time.

But even updating that phone was a hassle as we just
wanted a phone, not something that did so much more
than my husband understands. Being his is an umbilical
cord for him to connect him to his friends.. he has to have one..
But me, I kind of like not be connect 24/7. I will find
out things in a due time, it isn’t important to me, to know
everything as it happens. Or have myself connect to another,
and available at all times.. the freedom is wonderful.
Just like when I was younger.
Can’t think of anything that I have or had regrets not knowing right away.

Are you the Anchor or the Anchoree?

When you step in to a room that is 98% strangers,
Are you the Anchor or Anchoree? If you aren’t
sure, let me explain. The Anchor is the person who
walks in and starts talking to strangers, and anyone
in the crowd. The Anchoree is the person who walks
into the same room, looks, searching for anyone they
might know. Anyone, doesn’t have to be a good friend,
and then heads to that person and talks to them, until
someone comes along and talks to them, and then leaps
from person to person.

I am kind of an Anchoree. But most of the time I am the
watchee, I grab a drink…coffee, glass of water, what ever,
just so I have something in my hands. I have a hard time
knowing what to do with my hands. Do I put them behind me,
in a Dr. Doolittle type? Or put them in my pocket, which
for a woman, that isn’t so cool. Unless maybe it is the back
pockets, no that doesn’t look too cool either. Folding them i
n front of you , doesn’t look well either. So if I have a glass,
bottle, or what ever, and I feel more at ease.. Then I will find
a wall, corner, chair to head to, and sit back and watch the people
of the room. I watch the body language, the search of the eyes,
the laughter (which is the best part) and then I am at ease.

So which are you? Anchor or Anchoree?

If these walls could talk....

Many of names have been hung on these old post...
The Manor House, Bert's, Outlaw, I believe was the last name hung there...

I heard it was called The Manor or The Manor House in the beginning and they

had the best steaks there as well as a bar...

As you can see, this building is boarded up... and it looks like it will join

another one like it ... that use to be down the road about half a mile.

Burnt by firemen, for practice... this is what happens to old building

that are decided to be of no use. This building has been here for well

over 50 years. But now will join some of the other Sandpoint, (Ponderay

in this case) buildings that the natives loved... IGA... Panhandle Mill,

Cowgirl...

Oh, if these walls could talk... the laughter, the tears, the fights, and the

joy. Music of Johnny Lawson for so many years... so many danced in this

old building... My last time in this building was a year or so ago. It was showing

it's age so very badly... and in the past couple of years, we would not have

been surprised to hear of it burning... The time before, it was so loud, so

smoky, we decided we were too old to go back. But we did do our share of

dancing in the years...

So if I see the black smoke heading for the sky, I will know that the end

has come to the past, and this old building.. thanks for the memories..Bert's.

BLOGFEST 2011.....

Here is DFO.... looking for his guest... with a look of ... will anyone show up for this
blogfest?


Well, there is Herb.... I don't think he has ever missed one.. he was there for the first one,
arranged the second one at Bayview...and been coming ever since...

This conference over the meat or over the special brew?

Two long time bloggers catch up on the past year... Dogwalking Musing.. and

Herb of Bay Views.... Mari has been to her share of blogfest as well....Always

have the camera out to see who she can catch in her pictures...

The meat has been put on the grill....

And no worries, DFO... come they did... young and old, small and tall...

Jimmy Mac shows off his cute son...

Liz, Digger and Spatz (spelled right or wrong?) catch up on old times...

Another long time bloggers Mari and Mike K... catch up ....

Is that the cook testing the meat?

So tell me Herb and Dave..... was this planned? the matching shirts?

Kam, in the red... and Stickman (white shirt/black hat) holding court with the guys...

some brought side dishes... to share..

Here Nic is with his daughter... a blogfest for all ages..

Names were introduced... some new and some old... Herb, Mari, Digger, Mike K... Stebbi and

her other half..Bob... names who came in at the beginning of the HBO blog... and have endured.

Others who are new, who add flavor to the conversations... Chatterbox, Whip, Beth, Liz, and so many more...

Are you sick of my project yet?

By now those who read my blog must be
sick of hearing about my kitchen project.
But we are hoping that this will be the last week of it.
All that is left is the small details.. window trims,
match paint in a small area, shingles on the outside
in a small area where the dry vent needed
to be changed.

Then the real work starts…
16 totes full of STUFF…and finding a way to put
it all away. Or get rid of it. But first I have to line
the drawers and cabinets.
Being today is Thursday, that means that will
take me to at least Saturday or next week to say ‘
we are finished.
Luckily I did put names on the totes and a short list
of what is in that tote. I think there will be also
runs to Goodwill, as I know there are some thing
I really don’t need anymore.

George Carlin was right about our STUFF..

Here are some pictures of what it looks like.....

Oh no...I am becoming my mother...

I was in the store the other day,
and there was a child running thru
The aisle… screaming, grabbing a can
off of the shelf.. when my interthought
said…”where is your mother”?….
shortly ..maybe seconds later, around the corner
comes a cart pushed by a woman,
who is taking the child’s behavior in stride.
“Bobby, leave that alone”, and she pushes the cart by him.

Also as I was walking into a store,
stopping by to get a cart, and
there stands a young man with his family…
with dark hair in front by his bangs, to
about mid way on his head…
then there was longer hair, really curly hair, like a perm…
and it was colored PINK.
Thought to myself, just when you think you have seen it all,
then you are proven wrong.

These are very much like my mother’s sayings
as she was aging.
Thinking she wasn’t very tolerate of the young, at the time…
I now find myself muttering these very same words..

Laughter, I need Laughter

The best sound to me, is laughter..
everyone’s. Small children,
The elderly, women, men,
doesn’t make any difference who…
I love laughter…
But I don’t like laughter at another’s expense.
To me, a joke isn’t a joke unless everyone is laughing..

As a people watcher..
I watch reactions…
and listen to the sounds of laughter.
Some are little giggles,
and some are out and out belly laughs..
but got to admit, the ones like Fran from
The Nanny, kind of grate on my nerves.
But laughter has to be one of the nicest sounds on earth.

Television shows poor view of us...

We got the floor down on Saturday, so we have a couple days before we
start up again… like today is cabinets and refrigerator being delivered.
So over the weekend we got to see a bit more television than we have for the past several weeks. As our watching is mostly about 8:30 p.m. to about 10.

As we watched some of the earlier shows I can understand why other countries have such a poor view of us. One of which is the entertainment shows… which I use the word entertainment loosely. The hostess has touted over and over, of how everyone is on a baby watch, now that Will and Kate have returned to England. Now Will and Kate are a nice young couple, who I would think would be enjoying each other, and their time together. They were lovely as they visited Canada and United States. But here is this hostess, and I would guess by her words that there are others, who think the royal couple should be having a baby soon. What do they think Kate is, a brood mare? For crying out loud… give them a break. Let them just be like normal newly weds. What is the big deal about having a baby right off.. and besides it is none of our business anyway.

Then I see the Congress has once again decided to act like a flaming soap opera. First time around was in what Dec. it was last year, wasn’t it.. and they keep the nation on edge (well some of them, not me)… was the Democrats or the Republicans going to blink first and compromise so the government didn’t shut down. Now here they are again back at it.. same old story… once again it is about them …meaning the parties… and not the nation… Well, I for one refuse to be strung out while they fight back and forth, right up to the deadline. Just like last time. Just once, I like to see them get on the same page and do things for the country. And what is it.. always about cutting education, Medicare, SS….. these seem to be the panic buttons to scare the nation and the elderly to death… Why is it NEVER about cutting Congress’s wages? Congress benefit package? Congress’s extra benefits that the normal citizen never even dreamt about, never mind obtain. We never ever hear that. Let’s cut them back to one month a year.. let them get jobs like the rest of us. After all, they yell about going back to the beginning and the Constitution… let’s go back to the original idea of Congress. It was never set up to be an occupation.

HAPPY 48th BIRTHDAY, WLWII

Government Twiddlebrain....

What government twiddlebrain came up with the idea of taking children away from their parents because they are obese? I mean give me a flaming break.
This is wrong on so many levels…

By the way, where, like so many other government plans, are they going to get the money for this plan? What, money? Yes, the places to put these 30 million or is it 300 million children that are considered obese. Their numbers, not mine, depending on which report you read.

They will need housing, food, (better food is expensive) electric, house mothers, aides to make sure the kids are where they are suppose to be… teachers .

Or are they going to send these kids to a public school? All in one neighborhood, after all this “home” is going to be in someone’s neighborhood. Where are they going to get these buildings? And I can see the mental problems coming up from the separation from parents… and the government paying for that in 10 years or so.

Why not spend half that money and have parents go to meetings of how to better prepare food, and teach them like that Oliver guy from Britain, who has tried his best to teach schools and almost been run out of those schools.
Education goes a long ways. And if you have seen the obese kids, then you must have seen the obese parents. Education, education, education… for the whole family. About food and exercise. It sure would be cheaper than any “home”. Or any other plan they figured on.

I tell you, some of those government so call brains, have WAY too much time on their hands.

Bragging rights....

You might notice in the blog listing, there is a new one there.
If you love old cars, or restored, customized cars or trucks, then
this site is for you.

The red hot rod, I got to ride in about 2 years ago when we went to
Wisconsin. I wrote about it in my blog. That is the one where the young
man drove what felt like 80mph down the country road (actually about 60)
did a donut and headed back up the road. A thrill for this old gal, but I did
have thoughts of headlines reading… “Fat lady grandmother, dies in flipped
hot rod”. As the rod would wiggle back and forth as he hit the gas and took
off.

The Cadzilla, the King got to ride in as well. We have a picture of it on
its nose up in the air, in a huge hole, where it quit and then the son of the young man had to pour oil into the motor as it was restarted and came out of the hole. Quite a ride for the King.

Now these pieces of workmanship are up for sale. And the garage has moved
to the state of Washington. And the website went up on Tuesday. Still under
construction, but there is quite a bit to see.

So go check out the pictures of the ones that are now for sale and see the workmanship… and also you can see the projects of today…

And the bragging rights? You see this young man, I am proud to call SON.
He has been referred to as Son #2 on this blog from time to time… he is the
one who went down the slag piles on a go cart from the dump, with his brother
in the rear, and when that older brother complained about this boy’s driving skills, he handed the removable steering wheel back to the older brother and told him … “see if you can do better”………just before the cart went up on the side wheels and tumble down the hill…. I am glad to report that both of them have improved in their driving skills……….some what.. lol…

So click on TOYLAND… and check out the vehicles…

Trials and Tribs of doing projects with your spouse

How well do you and your spouse do, when you do a house hold project?
Be it in the house or out in the yard?
The King and I do fairly well, when it is an outside project. But this indoor
project is a continuous round of pleasure… NOT..

We started off fairly well. Actually even better than that. It was a happy
time, as we were finally realizing a 12 year dream. As I said, I painted my
kitchen cupboards orange in hopes to get him started and that was 5 years ago. But this year is the time… and this summer is it. It took a total of about
3 weeks altogether to get the 1/3 we have done. The next 2/3 (meaning a bigger area) has only been a week and half, and I don’t know why but we
are not doing as well.

I don’t know if it is because we have been at this since end of May when we bought the cabinets for the first section and it is still going on and we are running out of patience or are we sick of cleaning, and sanding, and puttying, drywalling, and the whole kit and kaddllebootle.

Normally when we do a project it isn’t really much fun for anyone around us, as we seem to go back and forth and people seem to think we are fighting…
We weren’t fighting, we were… well, let’s see, bickering? Venting? Jokingly? And we don’t think anything of it, until someone says something about it and we are shocked that they think we are fighting.

It has gotten better, as I have found keeping my mouth shut for the most part helps. Men don’t seem to like suggestions. So if it does seem a little out of place, I will say… can I ask a dumb question? (it helps if your spouse knows you think it is a dumb question) or have you thought of doing it this way? That has to be approached in the kindest of voice, as the male gender does NOT like suggestions from females. So you have to step gently, and pick your battles. It is better to keep your mouth shut and let the thing go wrong, and then suggest another option. But what ever you do, you DON’T laugh when it goes wrong. Your spouse’s sense of humor is very thin at that time.

So if all goes right, we might have this done next week. I have two other projects, but I think we need a break. Besides I have 16 totes to go thru and find out where the heck I am going to put all that stuff… that I am not looking forward to. As I know I will have to downsize and get rid of things I don’t use enough. I already have two, no, make that 3, rubbermaid closets in the garage, for pie pans, loaf pans and etc. All metal in one , all plastic or rubber in another and small appliances in the 3rd. Geesh, so much STUFF…

Taking a break from project....

After over a month of living and breathing our project... 24/7. To the point of
overload and the threat of killing each other, the King and I took some time out
Sunday. He went to visit his buddy, and I went with my friend Virginia Tibbs to
Spots of Fun Horse Show....

Here are some of the spots...

And announcing once again... our blogger famous... Marianne Love of Slight Detour

fame.

There were big spots too... called Paints..

And here is another Tibbs, Ms. Barbara on her Dusty....

One sweet horse... acting as well as to look at...

The sound system was keeping Marianne stymied...don't know if it was the skipping

the words or the constant clicking sound that was wearing her down.

getting too hot.... so off comes the chaps....

I know I saw her go thru this gate...how come I can't go?

And the Winner is.... this young lady won the HAROLD TIBBS/TOBY1 award... and

Virginia Tibbs was there to award the belt buckle in her husband's name.

By the end of the day, I was relaxed enough to think of "the project" again...

Thanks Miss Virginia for a great day...

You know this lady is turning 90 next month... but she is forever young...she makes

me laugh...

Children getting older....

I know I am getting older.. well, we all are, and it sure beats the alterative.

But as my children’s birthdays come and go, I realize… MY KIDS ARE GETTING OLD… lol… guess I always think of them in their 20’s and not think about their actual age, even tho their children are now in their 20’s. But my kids like me, act like they are still in their 20’s. Which I am glad.

But as number 5 child, turns 45 today… it comes time to realize, they are in the prime of their lives. Most of the kids are child free by now.. their children are on their own.. or have children of their own.. I am up to 8 great grandchildren now. So my children are grandparents now, and yet free to do the extra things in life that you don’t get to do when you have children still living at home. More traveling, more toys, (for them, not the kids) and enjoying life. With the responsibilities shifted to their children, and they get to enjoy their grandchildren.

And as I have told my children… the greatest revenge I have on their childhood, is when I became a grandmother. Now it is their time.

So HAPPY 45th BIRTHDAY, MR. GBW…

But Gut Feelings Don't Count....

As everyone reacts to the Casey Anthony case, I have to say,
gut feelings don’t count.

I, too, was disappointed in the outcome. I felt she was guilty.
After all, who else? Who would put a heart on the tape? I know
we can all react differently to grief. The lost of a child.. but to party
while you tell others that your child is with a nanny? Which was a
lie. Your child missing for 30 DAYS??? AND YOU DON’T SAY ANY
THING? HOW, WHY? It would take one warped person to do as she
did. So who else would have done it? No, I am not buying into the story
of the child drowning accidentally and they panic. I am not buying her father and brother abused her.

But I have to be honest. If I was a jury person, (and I would take that very
serious) I would weigh the pro’s and con’s. I would try my best to make
sense of the case. And I would look at the hard evidence. So when I
made my decision.. I would have no doubt that the person really did do
it.

While the prosecutor had a lot of close information. Very close, but there was not the smoking gun. There was nothing to actually link Casey to the death directly. And if I could not see any hard evidence to link her… well, I would have to do just like the jury did. They evidently had reasonable doubt.

I have gut feeling she did it and got away with it. I believe her parents believe she did it as well. But they, too, can’t say for sure, without a doubt she did it.

There is only one person who really knows and she will never tell, unless she gets stupid. And who knows, she could… but even if she did admit it now.. there is nothing the law can do about her. She is free. Guilty or not, she is free to do as she pleases… Well, as soon as she gets done doing the one year left on for lying to the police… She gets 4 years for that, and given credit for the 3 years she has done.

Yep, I have gut feeling that she really did do it…but gut feeling’s don’t count.

Monday Pictures...

Another beautiful day in Idaho... despite the dark clouds over the mountains..
as you can see, they were gone in no time... This is the view from my front yard,
second one, a little more up close, thankfully to zoom lens.

On Friday, this is what I was suppose to be doing...

But this is what I was up to.... remodeling... just love it... lol...

Clark Fork, Idaho 4th of July Parade 2011

The Vendors set up.....

People started to gather...

The street fills up...

More arriving as it gets close to time.

Flags at the school are ready...

And we start........

Some of Clark Fork's finest.... letting all those know, the parade has started.
There are even some gals in the gun brigade this year.

Bob Hays, I believe, the Marshall of the parade

Clark Fork's Wall of those who gave their lives in all of the wars...

Delivery truck

The gal in the green skirt, sure that the walking and hula hoop down pat....

Red Hat Ladies....

Here comes the water wagon with it's spray... meaning the end of the parade..

The last blow off of the water truck...

The horses gather at the end....

The cars come from the parade to park, as well as the rest of the paraders..

Everyone is happy, great parade, and heading for the cars... some,especially with children,

stayed for more actives.