Vacation...

We are going to make a loop thru Washington State, to see the kids,
grandkids and greatgrandkids...

So I am going to leave you with some "best of Simple Mind" for
next week.

Catch you later..

Dancing to the Choir

I have to laugh at the political conventions.

They get up there and rant and rave, pump up egos, tell their
spins on life. They are singing to the choir. No one came to
that onvention to be swayed to vote for their party. They
came because they listen to the usual pomp and circumstance marches.
They come to eat, drink and be merry. To vote for their party. They knew
what they were going to do months ago..

So why? They televise it in hopes that someone will sit in their living
room will say... WOW... he is the man. But that rarely happens. And
most of us turn the channel anyway. Even if we are
curious, we might listen to 5 minutes and click... gone. The news
will tell us what they said anyway.

Tuesday night Ann Romney spoke. Now really, are
you going to vote for a man because his wife says he is a wonderful
guy and he will do a great job? I won't.
What is she going to say anyway.. he is a bum? Wives
don't get a lot of credence anyway.. after all ... how many have we seen
in the past 5 years who were standing my their husbands with smiles
and trying to get the people to vote for their husbands... only to find out
the guy was a creep... John Edwards comes to mind.. remember his wife?
Sick...dying of cancer.. standing by her man.. and it wasn't until it became
known he was a creep, that she fell apart. Even when
SHE KNEW, she smiled and asked us to support her husband. So no,
wives don't mean anything to me.

Don't get me wrong.. Ann Romney is probably a very
nice lady. But so is Michelle Obama. BUT, we
aren't voting for wife of the year. We are trying to sift thru the bs
and find someone to vote for. Or as in most cases... which is the lesser
of the two evils.

By the way, Republican party... Gov. Christie had more to offer than
those you are putting up for vote. I am not a
Republican nor am I a Democrat..
but I am just saying I think you missed the chance.

Glad I will be on vacation for the next one.

Empty Nest Syndrome

Soon I will be suffering from the empty nest syndrome .
Nope, not my kids... they all flew the coop many years ago.

Here in Sndpoint, Idaho, we had the good luck of having the local
electric Company with several others including Sandpoint Online,
get together and set up a camera on the light pole which also has
an Osprey's nest.

As we all waited, watching the mother and father set up the nest.
Bring in sticks and leaves and what ever they could find to build it.
Then we had an egg.. but to all of us, sadly, it turn out not to hatch.
About a week after the first egg arrive, we got to see a second one
in the nest. As the two sat on the nest switching off and on, we had
hope against hope that the first one would hatch... but that was not to
be.. BUT the second one did, to the thrill of about 68 of us.. we watched
we chatted, with each other, telling what we saw when others weren't
able to be there. There were viewers from all over the west coast. Friend
ships started...

We watched the little one grow... and now she is what appears to be full
grown and is flying away from the nest from time to time..
Thru the day, each one comes and goes.. brings fish for the little gal.. but now
it is getting close to time for them to head south.
We understand the mother leaves first and then the father follows
with baby with him.

As it is, most night the nest is empty... maybe getting us weaned off,
for the future... And we all wonder when the mother and father will
come back. This all started about April.

It was very addictive, checking many times of the day, and then a couple
times a day. Nature is wonderful. For those who want to check and see
them before they all leave..

http://www.sandpointonline.com/ospreys/

Stepping down memory land, again....

My two oldest girls are 52 and 51 now. But I was sent, by my cousin,
pictures of them at the age of 1 and 2. Pictures 50
years old. Yet looking at them, it is like looking thru the window of yesterday.

Now only was the girls way younger, but so was I. Thinner too.
Part of me is glad it was a long time ago, yet some of me pulls
towards the time of youth. But there is no way I
would go back there to do it all over again. Once is enough.

You only have one time around, so you better make it the best you can.
For better or worse, I did it the best I knew how at the time.

Now it is my children's time to do it the best they know how. With
what they know. And my grandchildren. I sent the pictures to
the daughter of my oldest(my granddaughter) ..
One in particular looks very much like her little girl, my great granddaughter.

Time....time.... waste not....

thank you, Terry

Isaac

Looks like maybe
God isn't happy with the Republican Party either, with
the hurricane
approaching...

I have to ask..
what dimwit, planned to have a policial party convention in
Florida... during
hurrican season? Wasn't there some one
in that committee
who said...hey,
maybe we should rethink this. Do you
think? Just asking.

Slowing down...

As we are heading out of another summer, I find that I am
slowing down. Fairs mean coming of fall.. the
push to get the yard in shape, is done for this year, so just maintaining.

Seems like that I am too. Staying up to 11pm and getting up
at 6:00 am... is catching up with me.. either that, when I don't
have a project that I am excited to get to.. I don't have the ambition.

Last night, I headed to bed at 8:30, it was still daylight, which
really is unusual for me.. I am definitely a sunrise to sunset type
of a gal. Which means in the winter, I don't get up as
early. But last night, I was just TIRED..

Maybe I am a season person... ha ha.. You know as the summer season
slows down, so do I. I know I tend to wear autumn like colors. Which
I read a long time ago, that we do wear clothes that are colored the
time of our life.
Very colorful in your teens, and young adulthood,
like Spring.. and Autumn colors as you get older and darker as you
are in your elder years... But I don't find that true, as I have seen
a lot of purples and pinks on those in the above 80's.
But when I was younger there were a lot of women who dressed
in dark blue and black. But they were
widows. And that was the deal in those days.. Widows
who wore bright colors, were looked down on. Guess that is where
they got the gay widows saying from.. ha..

Well, off to do some yard work. Got to weedwack and etc.

The Passing of Phyllis...

"I always was marved by housework.. I just didn't do it.".
"I never made Who's who's but I did make what is that"
"Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight"
"When I told Fang I was going to have my face lifted, he said who would steal it?"
and in later years was, "you know you are old when your walker was an airbag."

When I was in my 20's, I saw on Johnny Carson show, a woman who had me
laughing so hard, I would almost have tears in my eyes. As weird as some of
the looks she had, with the wigs she wore... I always love listening to her.
Even if her voice sounded like a bad chalk on the blackboard. And her
witch type laugh. Phyllis was the type, you either loved her or you hated
her. I love her humor...

She broke the ice for many of stand up women comedians. From Rosie to
Ellen, to Roseanne and who knows how many others, who came after her.

One time I saw a picture of her without the makeup and weird hair do..
She was actually a beautiful woman.
Also I did not know she was an accomplished concert pianist.
I read that she performed for over 10 years as a solo pianist.
Under the name of Dame Lilya Pilva. And she performed with
more than 100 symphony orchestras. Isn't that amazing...
who would have thought?

So God bless, Phyllis Diller, may you be making music of laughter with Red, Jackie, and all those who went before you.. Bob will take your hand and sit you around the
table with the boys.. It should be a royal time with all the great one liners..
Oh, yea, Phyllis, I am sure God will recognize you, even with all your face lifts.

they eat their own, don't they....

Rep. Todd Akin, from Missouri, made some pretty ignorant,
stupid, insulting remarks about women and rape.
So now everyone wants him to resign.
To take his name off of the ballot. NOW.. and most of them are from the
Republican party.
They say they won't stand behind him (meaning they won't
give him any running money). I guess they want him to drop out now so his
name won't be on the ballot come November. I guess that would mean they
would come up with some one else to rush in there.. Hoping that person would
beat the Democrat that is also running. Figuring Akin, sank the Republican
boat for that seat in Congress.

He has apologized over and over to all who will hear. Says he is sorry,
he chose the wrong words, he didn't mean what
he said.. he is sorry... he is so sorry... but all
it seems to be on deaf ears.

As much as what the man said.. disgust me... I got
to ask.. if we were to denounce and get rid of any congress person, who
said something stupid... something insulting... because of ignorance.............
there would not be many people in congress at all..... and
that includes both sides of the aisle.

So what should they do? I don't know...but I
suggest the biblical saying..
He of no sin, cast the first stone...

His wife doesn't dress him funny......

I don't know if I mention it or not, but my husband
dresses himself.. He chooses his own clothes to wear
for what ever day.. But the man has no
class when it comes to summer clothes...
Even in church he will wear some
of the craziest combo's... so much that I have
told the ladies at the door, handing out the pamplets..
I did not dress him this morning...

How bad can it get? Well, you see I am from where
colors have to match.. you don't wear polka dots with
stripe and etc. But my husband will wear plain
shorts..and Hawaiian shirts, to church.. and other places too. And
I am not talking mildly Hawaiian shirts..
I would post pictures but I don't want to embarrass him, but come to
think of it.. he doesn't seem bothered by it at all..

But I guess I have forgot my own rule.. when I was raising the kids.
If they wanted a purple tree, so be it.. if the sky look better to
them purple and green, so be it.. what every their imagination
came up with.. it was good with me.. And when the teacher
told me that my kids had trouble with coloring objects, I
would tell them, no.. you have trouble imaging what their
vision is.. And their vision was important to me,
as well as my kids.

So if my husband thinks he looks great in dark blue, light blue and
white shorts with a yellow shirt, with maroon cars and green
palm trees... so be it... I should no longer make comments about
it, and just smile..

One time some people sat around.......

One time some people sat around and thought about how nice
it would be to have a bus service in Sandpoint. Out of those
ideas came the plan and filing for grants.

Now years later, the dream had some true by the hard work
of a few.. The grants came thru.. and their dream was even
better, they could have the bus service for all... all for FREE!!
FREE!!! for all, to ride from Kootenai to Dover.
With stops between, even the bottom of the hill, so those who wanted to
go ski in the winter could change over to the Mt. bus.

Now a year later.. the buses run back and forth.. from Dover to
Kootenai and back again. An hour round trip, if you just want
to ride.. It stops in Ponderay, in Sandpoint.. several stops.

Now I only see the bus stop in Kootenai. But I am telling
you every day I go to the post office next to the stop and
there is always some one waiting for the bus to arrive.
There is young as well as old. Some going to the beach,
some going to work. No matter what time I go
to get my mail there is someone waiting.

So if you are ever in Dover, Kootenai, or Sandpoint, or even
Ponderay... ride the SPOT bus. It is a great way to
see the towns and it is all FREE..

Who was the teacher you would thank?

While in school.. good old ROGERS HIGH in Newport, R.I.
we had a teacher, Mrs. Clarke... Marion Clarke, I believe.
She was a no nonsense English teacher and she would be
horrified at my blog and all the mistakes and etc.
But I do remember, like it was yesterday, and it was 55 years ago...
"Don't come back to this school years from now and tell me,
I should have listened to you". "Pay attention to me now!!!"
"I don't want to hear it years from now." She was a great teacher.
Too bad I wasn't one of the ones who paid attention.

The other teacher, I think I did a post on him years ago. He was
my math teacher in 7th and 8th grade. That one I did pay attention.
Mr. Pelletier, Vincent Pelletier... he was from Fall River, Mass.
Great teacher, he made math fun.

So if you could go back in time or place, who would you tell
thank you for sticking it out with me, and I really appreciate it?
Actually while it is mostly teachers who did.. is there someone
else who made a difference in your life?

If I picked one other person, it would be my Aunt Harriet. She taught
me unconditional love, compassion... and always look at the situation
from the other guys side. And if none of this did any good.. then screw it.
LOL.. she had the best humor and had a knack of making all of us around
her, feel like we were the best one. Even though we knew she didn't play
favorites..we were all her favorites.

PROMISES, PROMISES, it is all I get...

In life itself.. people make promises...
some keep them.
Some, well the old saying is .. it isn't
worth the paper they
are written on...

My kids knew if I made a promise.. I would
do it, no matter what.
I would have to be dead, not to keep it.
But you got to understand.. I rarely made
promises... very rarely.
I would say I will try my best.. but sometimes
things don't work
out like I plan.. so they knew if it was
going to happen.
If they got a ... we will see.. it was a
50-50 deal. I will try was a
70-30.
Same thing was true when I was working. My
residents/patients,
knew if I said I would be back in 10
minutes.. I would be back in 8 or
9. As I always gave myself some lead time. It was a matter of
pride.. matter of honor.. keeping one's
word.

So being I take promises very seriously in
my own life, I find it
disappointing and sad when others don't keep
theirs.
But
I have learn over the years, that promises are made lightly by others,
and
worthless by politicians. So they are taken with a grain of salt.

Why
people make promises when they know they aren't going to keep
them,
is the part I don't understand. For the
everyday person, just tell
me
you will try.. at least I know for sure there is failure .. well, I guess I
already
know that, that is why I rarely trust a promise. It depends on
how
close of a friend and how much their word has been worth in the past.

Politicians
it is a matter of bald-faced lying.. to spin.. They rarely have
control
over what they try to promise. I would
be more impressed if
they
said, well, this is what I would like to see done.. if I can talk the
rest
of them into it.... and etc... It
isn't just politicians, although they
are
the worse for it, but also companies.

I
guess you can say, I am a full blown cynic..

You had to be British, I guess

Watched the closing of the Olympics in London.
I probably watched more of this Olympics
than in the past. It was very entertaining.. Even in the
groups I normally didn't watch. Like the runners,
water volleyball, soccer.

But one thing that was hard, was the opening
and the closing.. and if you were British it all
seemed sense.
I am not saying it wasn't good. As it was.
But baffling for me, as I didn't have a clue what was
going on or even most of the entertainers. I read in a magazine
about the opening, and then it made a lot
more sense to me. Too bad the announcers or what ever
you called them, didn't explain that to us. After all
if the magazine could, so could they. Surely they had some kind of program
and notes about it. They had been there a week before, so
must have seen some of the practices. Same thing with the
closing.. I would say over half of the entertainers I never
heard of.
Eric Idle, Spice Girls and such.. but the rest, no.
Don't think I am going to fair much better with the Rio
ones either. The only one that made sense to
me was Pele of soccer fame, when they played that at the
end. Oh, the sound system, sucked.

And who ever did the scheduling for NBC, I
surely hope they are gone by 2016. Never have I seen such a
disarray of broadcasting. It took me 4 days to find out
that the horse shows I wanted to see, was on a different
channel than the local NBC. And that it was on at 6:30AM.
And NBC's thoughts of prime time sure wasn't my idea
of prime time. I was up until 1am most mornings watching. I
really felt bad for those who had to work. So getting up
at 6am and watching until 1am.. had made thoughts of
napping during the day, except I am one who never could do
that. So nodding off at 6pm before the 'PRIME TIME' started,
was not pretty.
Hopefully in 2016 it is better

Taken a few days off....

Have family here for a few days...
So taken some time off from blogging..
Enjoy the week...

My Cousin Paul...

Parker and Paul

I think I posted about my cousin Paul before.. maybe last year.
Paul and I were childhood buddies...I am one and half months older

than Paul. We palled around together, from the get go, to the time

his family left and went to San Diego. He was about 12, when they moved.

I think.

What I think I posted on was how I remember the two of us,
in two of dad's old, old cars. They sat side by side, looking
out towards the field. There wasn't any wheels on these cars

and no front seat. May have had a back seat. We were about 5.

And we would stand at those wheels, hanging on to them, turning

them left and right, with noises coming from us, as we raced across

that field in our minds. Parker, Paul's kid brother, who was 2 years

younger than us, would be roaming around in the back in
the car Paul was in. I don't know who we decided won each of those
races, or maybe there wasn't any winners, but just us racing
side by side across the field in our minds.

Our families would go to the beach from time to time
together. Sometimes for the whole day, and Aunt Harriet and my dad, would have
clam bakes. Some times Uncle Tiny was there, some times he was out on
the ship, as he was in the Navy and it was the 1940's. The folks would purse

fish. Meaning taking a net, hold one end on the beach, and someone would

row the skiff, out and around in a horseshoe design, and then when the ones

in the boat got back to the shore, the two ends would start pulling in the net.

Some times it would be us kids, some times it would be adults who were walking

on the beach. When the net was fully in on the beach, and we were lucky, we

would have lots of fish. Striped bass, blue fish and etc. Also puffer fish. Paul and

I would grab a puffer fish and terrorize our little brothers by chasing them. The

puffer fish had like little spikes sticking out on them.

One time all of us were there.
Uncle Tiny, Aunt Harriet and Mom and Dad.... when we heard a
yell from the boat that Paul was in with his brother Parker, and my
brother Roy. Seems Roy jumped out of the boat thinking he could stand up
in the water. He was way over his head. And right behind him, went Paul as
he realized Roy was in trouble. He got ahold of Roy and swam back to the
boat, holding Roy. He hung on to the boat until my dad reached it.

From that day on, Paul was our families hero. He was almost about 10 or 11.

About a year later, Paul was playing in a tree with Parker,
and he fell out head first. It did brain damage and Paul suffered from epilepsies
after that. While Paul had some problems, he never let it get to him. He faced
life with humor.And he had job for a company for over 20 years. He married late in life.

About 4 years ago, Parker and his wife Karyn, with some of
their family and Paul and Wanda, went back to R.I. And my brother Roy

got to thank Paul once again, as he had not seen him for over 40 years.

Paul was one of the kindest of men, so gentle, and had a
wonderful hearty laugh. He and Wanda traveled alot, went hiking and camping. He
loved her so, and she loved him so very much.
Rest in Peace, sweet Prince of a man... we will all miss you
so very much. Tell our Mom's and Dad's hi from the rest of us.

Until we met again, keep the cars ready for me..

With the Olympic in mind...

Here is a repeat of 2005, I post this with the equestrian of the Olympics in mind
Probably should be titled.. how I never made it to the Olympics.


Thursday, June 30, 2005

BUCKY
Where do I start? I have thought this over in my head
and now to try to put it down on paper so to speak, how do I write
it?
My mother was a horsewoman. A true blue horsewoman . You know the
type. She live and breathe horses. When sh erode horseback, she was part
of the horse. No matter what kind, American SaddleBred, 5 gaited or
jumpers. They were all one - she and the horse. I think in all of my
mothers life she was happiest on a horse. I, on the other hand, was the
greatest frustration for my mother, especially when you mixed me and
horses. I loved horses, don't get me wrong. Just I didn't jive as
well. They told me for years how at the age(of no fear) 3, that we
had a horse that was a barn rat. It always ran back to the barn. Sometimes
I could turn this horseback around before it got to the barn. Othertimes
the horse made it in to the barn,but within seconds the horse shot out
of the barn and back to the ring with me still on and at the reins. That
was at 3. It made my mother so proud and she would brag to friends.
Somewhere between 3 and 8, I guess I became horse stupid. As there
was a time I was taken to a show and put in aclass. I don't know what
happen in that class, but I ended up in tears and cried to get out of the
class. Which my mother lead me out and back to the trailer with her head
hung low. MARY RICHARDSON'S DAUGHTER CRYING TO GET OUT OF A CLASS?
How mortifying . She didn't retell that story, only the end of how
embarrassing it was.At about 10, a mouse colored gray with black mane
and tail, and a single black stripe from mane to tail - pony arrived at our
place. Mom gave him the show name of Mighty Mouse. He ended up with the
stable name of BUCKY, which he came by honestly. Bucky was to become my
show pony. So in the Spring, he and I started out. The practice was to
be 2 times around the ring at a walk. 2 times around the ring at a trot. 2
times around the ring at a canter. Then reverse on the ring. Same process.
We started out ok. The walk went fine. The ring was oblong. One end near
the barn. We trotted ok. Then at the top of the ring we were to start to
canter. Which Bucky did about 7 steps - bucked me off and headed
across the ring to the barn and stopped at the gate. I picked myself
up and went back to the gate and got Bucky. I got back on and back around
we went and I was bucked off again. I went back to Bucky to arrive at the
same time as my mother .Who was watching from the dining room window. My
mother was a tough task maker when it came to horse riding lessons. I got
a tongue lashing for letting go of the reins. NEVER EVER LET GO OF THE
REINS. A lesson that is still drilled in my head. Bucky and I were
dispatched back out to the ring. I was bucked off again. Another lecture
about staying on. I did keep the reins. And was dragged. Bucky also got a
lesson from Mom. After several tries, Bucky and I decided we better
stick it out together. With a few exceptions, Bucky and I got along so
to speak for the summer. Then from October to April our only contact was
feeding, stall cleaning and brushing daily. Which Bucky took in stride.
Then came Spring. Where Bucky would buck again and Bucky and I would go
through Mom's wrath and lectures to becoming one again. This was our
yearly ritual.Then one summer Mom decided we would become jumpers.
She had Holy Smoke. Jumping Champion of R.I. and Southern New England for
5 straight years. She would train Bucky and I. We started out ok. Mom put
up 1 foot jumps. And we took that in stride. The next day 2 foot jumps. Then
we had the pro jumps with crossed bars, which was 2 feet. We did those. It
was fun Bucky and I decided. The next day was 3 feet. It looked bigger as
it was straight across bars. With much apprehension we galloped up to it -
and we made it over.. 2 days later she went to 3 feet 6. Now I know 6
inches isn't that big of a deal, except when you are galloping up to it. On
a pony. Well, I guess Bucky thought it looked bigger too, as we galloped
up there, he decided to go under it. Leaving me with the bar on my hands
for at least 10 feet before we got rid of it. So Mom put one set of crossed
bars and one straight. We made it over. Well, kind of. When we went over,
there was so much space between Bucky and I, you could throw a dog
through. But we got to the other side, mostly together. I was still
sitting in the saddle - mostly. My mother's face was of surprise and shaking
her head. She gave me a quick lesson of how to lean forward to the neck of
the horse (pony in this case) to lift my hind end up slightly. So we did a
few more. I don't know how Bucky felt but to me that jump didn't get any
smaller. Mom felt good about it as the next day, after a few more -
she raise the jump to 4 feet!!! Well, off we galloped. The closer we got,
the more I hated that jump. I guess Bucky did too, as he skidded to a
stop. With me on his neck.
Mom said take a 20 foot or so more for the lead
into the jump. So we went back and around the top of the ring. Off we went,
around the corner and down towards the jump. Mom was closer to the jump
this time. What the heck is she doing, I thought. We were almost to
the jump - I hate this jump. And Mom let out yell that scared the hell out
of Bucky and I and we made it over. I don't know about Bucky but my heart
had had it. We came around and she said go again. So we galloped up again.
And I was saying PLEASE Bucky get me over this jump. I hate this jump.
Well, He must have heard me as he got me over that jump!! HE didn't go.
He planted all four in to the ground and I sailed across and down on to
the ground JUST in time to spook Bucky who put it into reverse. AND OF
COURSE, I am still hanging on to those REINS and so the jump and I come back
at him. 30 feet later Bucky, in blessing, came to a stop. I now have
dirt in my eyes and mouth, my shirt. I have been banged on the jump bars and
holder. AND MY MOTHER SAYS - GET BACK ON. -- YEA, RIGHT. No way.
But then I remember the saying. Hell has no fury, as that of a woman's scorn, but
even worse is my mother's. I got back on. I am shaking. Bucky is shaking. We
gallop up and it is skid city. Bucky wants no part of this and neither do
I. So she gets on and she races him around the corner and over they
go. She goes around again. And over the jump she went. NOT Bucky.
But Mom did. End of lesson for the day. The next day we were back to
3 feet 6. Sometimes Bucky felt up to it and sometimes he didn't. I had been
under, over AND through those jumps. I was sick of it. Finally Mom gave up
us being champion jumping pony partners.

As the years went on Bucky and I went on to be great friends. I could take
him out to the big field and we would play Gene Autry or some other western star.
Up and down the little ridges. And then we would relax. I would put on a halter and off we would go. I would lay on his back as he ate, and I would make things
out of the clouds as they floated by. We had a big nursery across
the highway, that Bucky and I would go to and down to the creek and have a
picnic. I use to be able to stand on his back and ride across the field.
Got my brother up there too. But he fell and somehow land on my foot as I
came down too. I was in a cast for weeks. Then in 1955 I rode Bucky to
a friends house across the island and we rode around. I was late getting
back and was walking Bucky to cool him down and Mom was mad. April
5th. there was a trailer in the driveway. I wonder what horse Mom was
getting now. We weren't. They were loading Bucky. It was my 15th birthday.
I never got to say good-by. It took 20 years for me to get close to horses
and my mother again.
Teen years are hell on parents and teens alike. I had a few horses of my own.
Rode a few that belong to others. But now I see a
horse and I can understand how an old truck driver feels when he sees a
semi truck go by. You sure miss them but you can't afford them anymore. And
don't have the room to ride them anymore.

For those of you who do. Bless you, my spirit rides with you.
And from a woman point of view and maybe guys
too. There is nothing like a horses neck to rap your arms around and have
a good cry, when things go bad.
May God always have room on earth for horses to roam.

And that is why I never made it to the Olympic's... lol

Pet Peeves.....

I was downtown yesterday, doing some business with the Motor
Vehicle Dept.
And the traffic was fair to midland... actually I encountered
more in town than
on the bypass.. guess it was a slow time..

But as I was driving thru the good town of Sandpoint, I was
approaching a
crosswalk. And being mindful of how Sandpoint is with
those.. with the blinking
lights, and flags at some of them.. (you take a flag and
walk across the street and
then you put the flag in the container on the other side).

And because I have a friend whose teenager just got a ticket
for the tune of
$90 for not stopping long enough for a person to walk
across.. He said he waited
for the man to cross, and when it came apparent he wasn't
going to, he continued
on, which an officer came out the side street and ticketed
him.. Now I don't know
if the time he waited was enough, but the officer didn't
think so. As the man decided
to walk across after the teen drove off.

So there I sat, at the crosswalk, waiting... for the woman
to decide did she or did she
not want to cross.. After at least 50 seconds (which seems
long) she decided to shop
on the same side she was.
Down about 2 more blocks I encounter 4 adults. Who stood
on the side walk edge, one of which had their foot in the
crosswalk edge. I waited.
And I waited... this time over a minute... when the younger
one of the bunch, looked at
me and waved me on, like "what is your problem, lady,
we are just talking."

Pet peeve, if you are going to cross, for the love of God,
cross.. if you aren't then step
back at least 3 feet from the crosswalk and turn your back
towards the road. I am
tired of trying to guess what you are going to do.. and I
sure don't want a $90 ticket.

Maybe having flags at each crosswalk would be a good thing.
(there is only 3 of them
on the edge of town) that way, no flag.. we drive... flag,
we stop.

Dog days of summer...

After the push to get the back yard in order, to change
things, plant things, I have the yard pretty much where I want it... Now is the
time to just enjoy it.

Which I had a friend over this afternoon for lunch and long
conversations of times when we worked together. Putting our time in the
"Manor". I call it "the place of many names" .. as I worked under 4 different names and 7
different owners in the 17 years I worked there. To the natives, it is still the ”Manor"... which was the Sandpoint Manor.

Anyway, we sat out on the deck under the umbrella, and
enjoyed our salad, and drinks.
Water, and lemonade... and just enjoyed each others company,
reminiscing of time gone by and those we took care of.. and laughs of things that can
happen in a nursing home.
Oh, yea, they are called health care centers, now.

And we talked about how disillusioned of how life is..
things we learn to be true, when we were kids, and no longer are.
And how at our age, we can no longer make
a difference anyway.. so to try to enjoy life as it is in
our own world with our families
and friends.

I think about how blessed I am, with the friends I have, my
family and life in general.... I take none of it for granted.

Hope all of you good readers, are having a good summer, and
hope you are staying cool if you are in the states that are having horrible hot
weather. My prayers are with you, for relief. But then I guess we all will be
crying the blues in just 2 months and cussing the coming winter and snow
and ice again.. but
alas that is life.