Walking down memory lane....

While celebrating one of the
family's birthday Saturday night,
one of my son's called to
ask a question about a nickname of
his brother... And how he
acquired it. The nickname was Tarbaby.
It was given to him by a
friend of ours. The friend and my deceased
husband was tarring the
seams of the paper on the roof before they
put the top on. My oldest
son, was helping.. He was about 12.

As he was coming down the
ladder, what would have been backwards
for most of us, (he was
facing outward).. I told him to be careful and why
wasn't he coming down
normal. He put up both hands, which were covered
with tar. (he really got
into his work) at which our friend, Jack, said.. yea, he
is a tarbaby.

All this started a great
conversation on speaker phone, of walking down memory lane. From childhood nicknames, to fun rides down
what we called the honda hills. Name because kids with their Honda's would use
it for climbing. All the memories flowed, and it was a special time.

Sometimes when you do
things, or just live each day, you look back years late and wonder do your kids
remember. And when the answer is yes... it is a wonderful feeling...

Thanks, boys.. remember as
long as you have a mom, ... you will always be a kid. :-)...

Faster I go, the more behind I get.....

While my machine goes so
much faster,
I seem to be getting more
behind...
I not only have found a
couple things I
have to relearn, but
catching up to those I
haven't used for a while..

Also the week must be slow,
because to me
today was suppose to be
Friday. Maybe I am
trying to get it over with..
although I don't know
why that would be so..

So today is readjusting day,
I guess.. yes, the garbage
is out at the roadside.. (I
did know yesterday, what day
it was). Checked the blog... oh, no, I didn't do one
for
Thursday... come up quick
with something.. oh, well..
it is what it is...

And by the way, while we are
on it, what happen to our
summer/spring? Oh, yea..
still April...so April showers,
brings May flowers ... still
applies..

Well, hopefully by next
week, I will have it together enough
to know, am I coming or am I
going... lol... have a good weekend.

Having fun with speed...

I got a new computer over
the weekend... So still getting use to
things in different places..
Not as bad as I thought it might be.
But like everything, changes
are a little bit getting use to.

One of the wonderful things
is.. now I have a computer that matches
my fast speed internet. Of
course there isn't much on here to drag it
down yet. But this one is far faster than my old lap
top. I click and there
it is.. click again and it
changes NOW.. So. cool...

Also cleaning out my old one
so I can give it to the King. I cringe
when I think of how he will
do.. although he has used the computer
at work on his lunch time,
to look up on Craiglist for parts for his
47 Ford pickup that he is
working on. So this ought to be
interesting.

In the past I have not let
him near my computer. One time at work, we
had a thunderstorm. And I
called to have him shut down the computer
because I forgot and left it
on.. I walked him thru it step by step... very
easy.... take pointer, to
the far left. See world in bottom corner.. click on
that.. see shut down.. click
on ...before I could say click on that.. he said.
I just pushed to off button.
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGH!!
YOU ARE NEVER EVER TOUCHING
MY COMPUTER AGAIN. Oh, alright
so I was a little hard on
him. But geesh, I was trying to do it so simple for
him. So this will be interesting..

In the meantime, I am having
fun.. so much speed.... as Tim Allen use
to say....MORE POWER!!!

Food for the Road

When I was a young wife..and then thru the years, I
use to make food for the road.. It wasn't for our family,
but for those who traveled to see us. I did it for us as
well..but mostly for others.

I use to make up a box, that had enough fried chicken
for all those in the car. With added of chips, apples and etc.
And even paper towels. So while the family or
person traveled home, they didn't have stop by a restaurant. It was
fill up with gas and back on the road again.

I guess this stopped about the time that McDonalds came
to be plentiful, so people could drive thru and be back on
the road. Also not many people drive across country or up
and down the coast line like they use to.. most fly now.

I wonder, does anyone still do this? I know I still get the
feeling as we say good bye to someone who has to drive
more than 4 hours to get home, that I should have made
a box of food to go. I guess people need the break to walk
around for a bit before getting back on the road.. so a quick
lunch is good. In the past, we drove until we got there.
Switching drivers as we went.

It is 5 o'clock Somewhere

On my computer I have 4 sidebar things… two of them are
clocks.. and two of
them are weather… One is on Hawaiian time, and the other is
one Idaho time.
The weather is the same.. Hawaiian and Idaho.

I have this as one of my grandson’s moved to Hawaii.. this
is to make sure we don’t call him in the middle of the night.. (well, to him it
is the middle of the night (5am) or don’t
call unless we know it is past 5 p.m. there, after he gets
off work.

Sometimes looking at the clock is depressing.. as it will be
4 here and getting dark, and 1 there (in the early spring). (they don’t do daylights saving time).

So we are ending our day, and he is just in the thick of his. We have to keep in mind is it daylight
savings time (3 hour difference) or standard time, which is 2 hours difference.

And then there is my friend Pat in France who is 8 or 9
hours ahead of us.

Yep, it is 5 o’clock somewhere.

Also you will see I am late in posting... You see, over the weekend, I got

a new computer.. and it has Windows 7... my last one was Vista.. so getting

use to the difference.. also I copied some of the things on my old computer to

an external drive... so I can put it on the new one.. So for a couple days, I will

probably doing short postings.. as I get use to this one.. Which I do have to say

Toni, you were right.. it is a lot easier than I thought.. but as with all changes

it is one step back, and then forward again.. as I step up to the plate to new

electronics.

Is it Marguerite time yet?

I miss the old Army

Any one who has read my post over the years… Knows.. you know.. how I feel about the troops and their families. Even have written about that I don’t think the Government, who sends our youth overseas after making killing machine out of them.. and the lack of untraining that.. if it is even possible. But the lack of trying.

But (you know after that statement there is going to be a BUT) in the recent months, I have got to say, I miss the old Army. First, as stated before… I am from the LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS generation. So I find the very very few (we are talking about dozens compared to millions of troops.. that have decided to show the world the worse of us. Or maybe I should say the worse of them.

As our society has become the instant to know generation.. with no holds bar..
It hard for me to understand how this has gotten out of hand. I thought it was bad enough when we had the media on board thru Vietnam war, showing on the nightly news. But it seems while they showed a lot, it was filtered… Now we have no filter.
We get to see prisoners treated like dogs… we have troops in a party of army men, holding up a foot or two of those who blew themselves up to get that Army. And such pictures that seem to pop up on a regular bases… even war on You Tube. War is hell, as we all know… I don’t know what the American people thought happen during all the wars we have had since 1700’s. But to have it shown to the public? Well… to quote Jack Nichleson in character… “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH”.. is pretty much true. And should not be handled by the public.

Where is the command of these troops. Why isn’t there a ban on these troops
showing the general public these pictures? Don’t give me the freedom of speech rights deal. Those who served in the service in WWII, before that, and even since that time… there has been a saying… about wives. When the service man gave an excuse about what ever… they were told that is their problem.. BECAUSE IF THE NAVY (put in which ever service branch you want there) WANTED YOU TO HAVE A WIFE, WE WOULD HAVE ISSUED YOU ONE. Your service commitment over rules all. So the command to restrict service men for making tapes/video public… I would think would not be unusual.

This has so many different phases of problems… letting the enemy know where our guys are, what they are doing, what they are using… say nothing for the other 99%
lives in jeopardy because of the few.

And those who will point out that the enemy post pictures of our guys hanging from the bridge, or beheading… as your mother has already told you… two wrongs don’t make a right.

But again, I guess it is just me.. I am too old in my thinking.. but I have to say, I yearn for those old days… of LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS… ideals.

What is Love?

I was asked recently…if I could explain LOVE. And this is what I came up with.

Love is a feeling, an aurora if you like, surrounding a person who you love.. It is part of you, who wants to protect that person. To hold emotionally but not to be confused with physically. Be it your God, your spouse, your child, your parent, your sibling, your grandchildren and beyond, your animal, even a friend.. It is your gift to them.

There is unconditional love.. which is the strongest of all. No strings attached. Even if they don’t love back.
There are people who you will love, but you won’t LIKE them. Usually that is the protection for you.. You love them, you want good for them… you bare them no harm. But because the relationship is so toxic, you don’t like them. In life I have had and still have such love. We all usually do, in a life time. It is hard to understand until you have that kind of a relationship. It is not to be confused with Love/Hate relationship. Most hate what they don’t understand. A lot of us hate for the moment.. a quick reaction to what we don’t understand and feel betrayed, or have too high of expectations of them.

Love is a gift, that God gives to us… to let us give to others. Be it unconditional love like his… always forgiving… or the ones that you love but you don’t like.
I have both in my life. Maybe it helps to have that love of no matter what… because of the love and the understanding, you have between you and your God.

Zimmerman and Martin

Not racial but prejudice against youth, looking like what he thought was a hoodlum because of the hoody. At least that is my take on it.

But let’s look at this..I know that all of this is media information…but it got me thinking.
What we have is Zimmerman followed Martin, and called 911. He was told to STOP.
The girlfriend of Martin was talking to him, and Martin stated that someone was following him. She told him maybe he should run… he says no, not a good idea… and after a few more words the phone goes dead. That is what we know.

Now we have about 2 minutes that are blank. With only sounds.. before there are eye witnesses of the 2 men on the ground. But still no one knows who was on top or the bottom and it is guessed that the voice moaning for help is Martin. That remains to be see and tested by voice experts.

So what happen? Zimmerman “says” Martin attack “HIM”. They were on the ground.. he feared for his life.. he shot Martin.

BUT WHAT IF… what if he jumped Martin? To hold him for the police, and WHAT If in those moments, as he jumped Martin, that at that time Martin fearing for HIS life.. fought back? And then Zimmerman got loose and shot Martin?

After all we are told this young man was never an aggressor personality before. He was not some kid with a chip on his shoulder. But what if Zimmerman JUMPED HIM? Wouldn’t you fight back? After all we are told by the media Martin is shot in the back.
WITNESS see Zimmerman standing over Martin with hand on Martin’s shoulder, and gun in hand. What if Martin was the one who feared for his life?

There hasn’t been anything in the media about any bruises and etc. on Martin. And actually I am glad. I want the FACTS to come out in the trial.. ALL THE FACTS.

This Romney guy doesn't do it for me.

I have tried to have an open mind, when it comes to the Republican party. And
that hasn’t been easy. As it seems to be more a ship of fools instead.
But as it narrows down, it is looking more and more like Mitt Romney is going to be the man for the Republicans.

But I have to say this Romney guy just isn’t doing it for me. Too many statements that don’t sound true to me.. not as in true and false, but just not riing true.. Although the other could be as well.

He said.. 92% of the people who were laid off, without jobs were women. First off, there isn’t 92% of anything, that is those without jobs.. unless you want to say 92% of humans are the ones without jobs.. as there are some animals I imagine who have lost jobs in this economy as well. But we don’t count them. But why would he state that. Surely even if his group told him that, common sense should have made him question that. And if he takes everything that his crew tells him as gospel truth…. Then folks we are in deep trouble.

Next. “Obama will erode the rights of guns”. That one is laughable to me. You see, for those who haven’t paid attention… Romney was the GOVERNOR of Massachusetts. Massachusetts, folks… the state which has a law that puts you in jail, if you are found in the position of possessing a gun there, without a permission slip from the state. Don’t believe me??? Go to any highway that leads into Massachusetts. There is a massive huge sign at each border.. stating such. How if you enter Massachusetts without notifying the state that you have such gun, you will go to jail. Mandatory. No excuses.. states that right on the billboard type sign. And he was Governor from 2003 to 2007. Never did he try to reverse that law. To borrow from Wikpedia, (I know. that isn’t as trustworthy as others) but it gives a place to start. The rest is the references for what is said. Interesting reading for those listen to his remarks of Obama and gun laws at the NRA. Guess the NRA, didn’t do their homework on how Romney dealt with them there.
Gun control
During his 2002 gubernatorial campaign, Romney had been a supporter of the federal assault weapons ban, and had also said he believed "in the rights of those who hunt to responsibly own and use firearms."[91] On July 1, 2004, Romney signed a permanent state ban on assault weapons, saying at the signing ceremony for the new law, "Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts. These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people."[92] The law extended a temporary measure that had been in effect since 1998 and covered weapons such as the AK-47, Uzi, and MAC-10.[92] The same law also modified some other aspects of general firearms licensing regulations.[92]



http://www.iberkshires.com/story.php?story_id=14812 read what the people said in 2008 about Gov. and his signing of a gun law ban.
Those with computers should check out this site.. it has a list of 189 different things.. about 170 different subjects… among them how he wanted to tax the internet.
In there is the good, (yes there is a few good ones, and the bad.. and the ugly.. lots of those.
Check out line, #184, #185, and 188.. ^ Seitz-Wald, Alex (November 21, 2011). "Romney Admits He Destroyed Government Records To Keep Them From Political Opponents". ThinkProgress. http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/11/21/373627/romney-admits-recordsdestruction/. Retrieved 2011-11-21.
This is at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-iberk-91

Won’t go into the wife thing, as I already address that in another blog post. But I never heard that wives are off limits. Jackie got her share, so did Hillary, and a few others. The only ones I have hear that are pretty well thought off limits.. is minor children. And when you throw your wife’ name to the wolves, in reference to your candidate advisors, then you know there will be remarks.. I am sure most of the wives over the years, have had pretty tough skin to make it thru it all. Those who didn’t stayed home as much as possible or kept a low profile. Like in war, all is fair game.

And finally, the Health Care Plan.. I find it ironic, that he is bad mouthing the Federal one so bad, yet he is the one who made it a law in Massachusetts. You can’t tell me he thought it was a bad idea while Governor, and now thinks it is bad… So if he thought it was bad while Governor, and pushed it thru anyway.. you know what happens to you and I, if he makes President.

Always be an informed citizen, and check the background. I always check when a Governor tried out for a Presidential office. What they did for their state will give you an idea what you will get when they get the office. I know it has proven true in the past for me.

This and that...

Well, George Zimmerman is in jail..finally. Of course he can make
bail tomorrow and be out again.. but at least the family feels the law
is being fair. That there will be justice. They just want the truth, but
don’t want their son be destroyed in the process. They aren’t calling
for George’s head. They just want due process.

This has played out for the most part as a prejudice of race. I don’t believe that.
I believe it is a case of prejudice alright, but not of race. I believe it is a prejudice of age.
Hoody, teen, must be a bum, and up to no good. Why did it go wrong?
Didn’t George believe him when he said his father lived there? It will be interesting
to see the truth and hopefully that will be what will come out of all this.

Santorum has bowed out. And others are calling for the heads of Paul and Gingrich.
Gingrich, said that no one has asked him to bow out. No one has told him to quit. Not
even today, while he campaign in Pennsylvania. He said the only ones who has said for
him to get out, is the media… Mostly New York and such.

I know I will be screeched at by my friends and others, but I am glad he and Ron Paul
are not quitting. Why should they? This is America.. Where if you want to run and have
enough behind you, you should continue to run. As Gingrich said, let Mitt earn it. Why
not stay in.. even with a small budget compared to those who want to buy votes for Mitt.
After all, it isn’t like the Republican are going to go up against Obama right now.
Why not go to the convention? Why not have a great convention? Why should everyone
roll over and die? And what about all of those who voted already, for Gingrich, Paul and Santorum, who DO NOT want Mitt.
You know there were thousand or even millions who already voted and they didn’t
vote for Mitt. I know I would be peeved if I voted for any of the 3 and that person
folded. I would want my vote to stand. I know after the first round of voting that
they can vote for who ever the rest arm twist, for their candidate. It isn’t like Mitt
has 900 votes out of the 1100 he needs. He isn’t even close yet. Now granted, the
others are no where close either. But those people voted in good faith, and they should be counted at the convention.

So let it go to the convention… Go Gingrich, Go Paul… don’t be quitters, stand up
for those who voted for you so far… Stand tall. Don’t give Mitt a nicely wrapped up
basket of apples… Stand up for the ones who voted for you, don’t let the people down like Santorum, did. You owe it to those voters.

They might not win, but they can say, like McMurphy said in One over the Cuckoo Nest,
as he tried to pick the water fountain off the floor… AT LEAST I TRIED.

The News?

At about noon, if I am in the house doing work, I turn the tv on 202 which is
CNN… for background noise… Which worked out pretty good over the weeks
until this past week.. I got to walk by and see the news and what was up to date.
And then there were some reporters with shows of their own..

But this past week has been a headache. I had to turn off the tv.
One day it was about the plane that crashed into the apartments in Virginia.
Which was bad enough in it’s self.. luckily no one was killed. But 3 hours of it?
Give me a break.

Then today it was Rick Santorum and the Trayvon Martin Case: George Zimmerman's Attorneys quit, stories .. another 5 hours I would guess as I turn it off at 2 and
then back on at 4 and they were still talking about it and showing the two clips.
Enough to give you a headache. Could almost repeat what they said...
"we started this campaign around our kitchen table...yada yada yada..."
"We don't know where his wehere abouts is..we think we might know..yada yada yada...
I guess nothing else was going on around the world. When they get their big story,
I guess the rest of the work comes to a stop. And of course you have their reporters
with their take on each one.

I use to enjoy Good Morning America or Today show, but they have become
entertainment shos now. instead of the news. The news is the first 5 minutes
and then it is the silly stuff. Even has one of the old Entertainment tonight gals on
there. I use to like George, and figured they would have some serious stuff on with
him but they have had him do some of the silliest interviews. So I usually last
about an hour there. By that time I am done with my newspaper and coffee...

Maybe it isn't them.. maybe it is just me...

Are you a TURTLE?

If someone ask you….’ARE YOU A TURTLE?” do you know
what the proper answer it? And do you know what the consequences are if you don’t give the right answer?

As a member of the International Association of the TURTLES, Inc.
I do know that answer. I have been a member since 1970.

Which is kind of strange. Because when I got the turtle tattoo
while in Hawaii for my 70th birthday, I never gave that a
thought. I got it because what it it represents, ...the turtle symbol means, Hawaiian symbol of longevity, peace, humility and the spirit within..

Anyway, I came across my membership card and wondered, are their
Anymore Turtles out there… and do they remember the answer.
So they remember the questions they had to answer in order to be come
A TURTLE.

I was determine....

On Saturday, I got ambitious and pulled the deck table and chairs out of winter storage. It was sunny, and even with the wind blowing, it was sweater
warm. Well, in blocked areas where the wind didn’t blow, it was.

So on Easter morning and the sun is shining. The temps were high 40’s.
And I was determine to have my first cup of coffee in the morning, on the
deck, that day.
With the corner of the deck protecting me from the wind.. it was so nice.
The fresh air, the quietness, the sunshine charging my batteries of life.
Finally, it is Spring, at least in my mind.

Even the neighbor who is working on his old car was out for a spin. He now has the cab on it.. Last time we saw it in the fall, was without the cab… just the frame
And running gear.. and a home made seat.

When we went out to our daughter’s house for Easter dinner, that we all decided that a bar-b-que was in order instead of the usual ham, it was wonderful to eat out on their patio.

Yes, Spring has finally gotten here.

And then there is me.....

I woke up this morning and checked my heel. Then I checked
the other one. Nope, nothing there. No expiration date. So I guess
I get to live another year. This means I have made it 72 of them,
and who knows how many more. My mother made 74 and I take
after my dad’s side, and that side all made it to their 80’s. So who
knows. Every day, that I get to put my feet on the floor and stand
straight up, is a blessing.

So another year down the drain, and a fresh one to mess up.
Last one I spent working on getting healthier. So ended up throwing off
60 pounds. Which has been great. More energy,
but still mean and ornery as ever. Last year was a very good year.
I got enough money gathered up to finally to do the remodel of the
kitchen that I have been trying for 12 years to get done.
Got my pergola built. New deck.

So I look forward to enjoying the quiet sunny mornings on the deck,
drinking coffee and reading the paper. Then heading out to the yard
to work on that. Also this is the year that the King is going to get
his 1947 Ford pickup done. It has set in the garage in pieces. The cab
on boxes, the bed up against the wall, the fenders up in the loft. The
bumper against the other wall.. and the frame outside. And God only
knows where in all that clutter, the engine and transmission is. This is
the year..
I have told him, it is going to happen. Otherwise he will see and hear
what a bitching old woman I can be. But he is motivated this time.
And we have the money put to the side to get it done. So that is our
project for this year. Yard maintenance and the truck to become whole.

You know, someone once told me that life as you get older is like a roll
of toilet paper, the closer you get to the end, the faster the roll goes.

I use to think that was funny. Now that I see the small amount of paper,
it isn’t so funny….but at least I can’t see the expiration date yet, on my heel…
And I feel pretty dang good for an old gal… is 70 the new 50?

Today, he is 60

My husband turns 60 today. And looking mighty fine...

What a wonderful life mark.
I remember turning 60 and being surprised I wasn’t old.
And the King is finding that out today. (and yes, I am older)

He has decided he wants to wait until we have summer,
(we are going to have summer, right?) to celebrate. He
wants a cook out and have friends around. He didn’t want
a trip as I had suggested. So that is what we will do.

So when he wakes in 3 more hours, to get ready for work,
it will be just another day for him. But it is going to be
the birthday that goes on forever. As some of our sons
are coming over for the Lost in the 50’s weekend, and
we decided we would do a family bar-b-que at that time.

So those of you who are local, give the big teddy bear,
a happy birthday, hug…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KING OF MY WORLD…