Good bye March..and inspiring young men..

Well, there goes another month.. as 2014 ticks away.

Spring is coming slowly, as it always does in Idaho...

I was watching on Sunday night 60 minutes... and saw

two amazing men...  Elon Musk.  Not many people know who he is.. But I will tell you he is an amazing man... a young man in his 40's I think...

Elon Musk, investor of the Telsa car,( which he took over in 2008 when the company was in trouble)... the electric car.

Elon Musk, the developer of PAY PAL which he sold to E-BAY for, I think they said,$1.5 billion in stock, of which $165 million he got in cash.  . 

With money like that he could sit around for the rest of his life..

But this is not Elon Musk way. 

Elon Musk, the designer and maker of Space X. 

Now if you are a science geek, you very well, know of him. He was born in South Africa.  He loved to do things.. make things.. always driven by his ideas...

But things didn't always go well. Especially in 2008. Like the

rest of the nation, it was a bad year for Elon Musk. Seems his newly made car had glitches.. bad ones.. he ended up with all the cars, in his warehouse.. with flaws.. that had to be found and fixed.  Also his Space X had not only drained his bank account but also he had failed 3 tries... Even when he asked for investors.. they ran ...saying no, no, no, hell, no.... Lesser of men would have thrown in the towel.. but not Elon Musk. He didn't ask why... he asked why not.. and continued.  Continued on a thread.. of fumes in the tank of finances.  As his brother said, he was beyond broke.  But he believed he could do it..

But then.. the week of Christmas...He got the best present of all..

The fourth try for Space X .... WORKED..  and to this day is still working. The Space X delivers to the space station, and other skyward endeavourer.  And INVESTORS?  Well, day after Christmas they were knocking on HIS door. 

Next came the car...2012 brought the car back to life.

This time it is the Telsa S... and all the models

are doing well.. Only down side he said is... the price.. he has to figure out how to get the price down..

Next on his agenda is.... building a less pricey compact. So he wants to build and selling electric vehicle power train components so that other automakers can produce electric vehicles at affordable prices for everyone.

With this young man's "why not" attitude.. I believe he will make it.

Then there was Marcus  Roberts the blind piano player.. Actually to call him a piano player is an insult.. as he does so much more with the piano.. He played mostly jazz..but he could not only play jazz but also play it alike so many other over the history of jazz.  He lost his sight at the age of 5.  He had a curiosity of what made piano's sound.. as he was growing up.. and his family saved to get him his own for home.. and as the old saying goes..

the rest is history..

I love Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder ... who are and were also

blind at an early age.. but this young man of about 50 is in a

place of his own.. He also encourage other blind children..and adults to have confidence in what you want to do.. To get an education as well, as any thing to do with music.

Two greatly inspirational young men..

So what do you do with a book like this one?

So what do you do with the book?

Especially one like this one.

I bought books in the 1970's and 80's that I read at the

time and then more later, after I started working. But

my job really didn't give me time to read. Because if I

wasn't working (overtime, extra days and etc.) then I

was too tired.  And also thrown in there, some where

was keeping the household going.  And raising the last

one of my children, for 2 years after my husband passed

away.  So then bought with the idea, that when I was

either on vacation or retired I could read the books.

Well, here I am 10 years retired and finally this winter,

I have been making a dent into all of these books.

Giving them away after I read them.. Because once I

read a book, I don't go back and re-read them. With the

except of my favorite..Patrick McManus.

This book I just finished.. I don't know what to do with it.

It is a book I got from my mother's house after she passed

away. It is in kind of rough shape. Being an old paper back

it was not standing the times well. All still intact, but rough.

And in its day, it was burnt, banned from libraries and etc. 

The amazing part about this book is that the original is over

270 years old. The paper back is only 51 year old, copyrighted in 1963.

There were many reissues of it over the years..

suffering, they said, from being rewritten and not staying

true to the author's words. Some of it lost in translation.

But this one, of 1963, (you know it is old when it shows it sold hardcover for $6.00 and the paper back sold for 95 cents. It is suppose to be a true to the author's

words that has been done in all these years.  

The book was written by a man...John Cleland. But he

wrote it like it was a journal written by a woman. The book

story spans 4 years.  A girl (the woman who wrote the

journal, in two letters of sorts) was an orphan at the

age of 15.  Her parents died a month apart from small pox. 

She had several siblings, but they all had died earlier.

And her parents were only child in each family.

So there were no relative for her to go live with.

And in the 1700's an orphan is not look well upon.

It is set in England.  

She ends up at a home of a woman who is willing to

take her in.. but as a servant.  When she catches on

what her duties are ... she runs away with a man who

she had came became friends with. Charles. 

They have 2 weeks of wonderful times together,

when the young man's father has him sent off to another

country, as he is a military man.

The young girl goes into mourning at the lost of

her young man. Which she has no way to contact him,

or finding out where he went.  She has no money so

she is once again back on the streets with no money.

The book goes on to tell her tale of going from home to

home.. about 3 if I remember right, before a Mrs. Cole

employs her in her hat making shop, with other young

women. Mrs. Cole also gives instructions to these

young ladies on how to be come proper young ladies.

It seems that is what goes on during the day, but

at night, they all serve in the oldest profession.

After several years at Mrs. Cole's house she is leased

out several times to different men of position. One

passes away and she returns to Mrs. Cole's house.

Then Mrs. Cole retires with poor health.. and the

woman closes up the house and the other young

ladies have moved on.  The woman chances meeting

with an elderly man in a park and she moves in with him.

He ends up dying also, but leaves her a great deal of

money.

Upon traveling around for a few months she is at

a lodging house, when she hears a voice that she

recognizes.. it is CHARLES... the young man who

was send away by his father in the military. And

all ends well...

Then you have 14 pages of how things are different

in this book as oppose to the ones who were not

true to the original book. Which is one of the things

I did not like in this book. It was written by an English

man, and he would take 45 words to say the same

thing that could be said in 12. So sometimes I speed

read or glazed over reading.. The name of the book?

FANNY HILL... Memoirs of a woman of pleasure. lol..

So now what do I do with the book? Give it to Goodwill,

don't know any friend who would want to read it. It was

interesting as their (English) "homes" aren't run quite

like the ones in United States.. And also tells how and

why some of the women ended up in there.  

Now I got to figure out what to do with the book.. 

In like a lion, out like a lamb...NOT....

From the look of the weather report, we will

not have March going out like a lamb, even

though it teased us last weekend...

Now they are talking about maybe warmer

but also in the deal is lots of rain...and maybe

a day or evening of snow... Not much like a lamb.

I checked the dirt in my raised garden.. even with

the covering of leaves, compost and etc.. it is still

frozen down 3 inches..

I guess the past weekend had us hoping.. and

then the weather man put that carrot in front of

us once again.. with promises of temps of mid

50's.  Got the garden and yard juices going..

But as usually, when  it gets closer to the time,

the carrot disappears and the great weather is gone.

I see the sucker plants at the stores.. ready for those

who believe... only to have them died before they can

be planted... and you end up buying again.. so you feel

like a sucker for buying them at this time of the year.

So here we are...just a week away from April...where

rain is the order of the day.  But at least you don't have

to shove it.

A man and his tools/toys

They say that woman are expensive..

That there is jewelry, furs (long time ago)

cars, and what ever else that woman whine,

ask, demand and etc.  I don't know, because

I never did any of that. In fact I have small

wants.. food, water and shelter pretty well

fills it for me.  Things I want are not for sale.

Sense of humor, laughter, loyalty and

dependability.

But any woman who is married, knows that

men far out spend the women in their lives.

To men, there is no such thing as too many

tools...  to men who hunt, there is no such

thing as too many guns.. and to those who

fish.. no such thing as too much fishing

supplies.  And that doesn't even count

the 4x4 they need... the campers, and gas

to run the hills.. Or boats, outriggers and

etc. for that boat..  Then there is the licenses.

One can spend over $100 for a sportsman

package. Which includes hunting and fishing

license and tags for every known animal in

the woods.  And gas... for the hunting 4x4.

The boat, the truck to pull the boat.. and etc.

Yes, men are very expensive.

What really gets me.. is that they HAVE TO HAVE

a certain tool... and they need it now.. They will

give you the whole spewl like the best of salesmen.

Of why they need this tool and why they need it

NOW... and if they are really good, they will

include how he can do so many things for that spouse

with this new, bigger and better tool.  You know

he has at least 20 tools in the garage, that will

do anything that this new and special tool.. But

the maddening part.. is he will get it.. bring it home

with the biggest smile on his face.. showing all

his friends ... the new and improved tool... and

then it sits in a tool box or the box it came in...

for a year. But he needed it NOW.   

A few years back there was a video of a hunter, telling

about how he goes out to get meat for the family. That

all these different hunting objects of his desire... are

needed to feed the family... He listed all the things, such

as the hunting guns, knives, vehicles (4 wheelers now)

and the license..  and then the kicker at the end was..

When his wife asked how much did that come to a

pound of meat that he was able to get that year.....

a mere $833 a pound..  I think every hunting widow

saw it, passed it on.. for all of us to laugh at.. so we

didn't cry.. 

Then there is the week of being gone to hunting camp,

too...and not to mention the men who love to rebuild a

vehicle of his choice... but that is another post another time.

Oh, yea.. by the way.. my husband is a mechanic who

fish and hunts and has a 47 Ford pickup in pieces yet..in

our garage for over 12 years. ... so I know of which I speak.

The sounds of the neighborhood....

This past weekend has been wonderful...

Sunshine.. which makes me feel lighter

and happier...  I get up out of bed with

a spring in my step.

One of the nice things that comes to Spring

time.. is the sounds of the neighborhood..

No lawn mowers yet, but laughter.. music

to the ears...

Talk about music.. everyone has their radio

or ipods or what ever going.. I know I sure did.

Ann Murray for me... Continuous music. Coffee

at my table on the deck.. in the sun... great!

I got the gates hung back up, so the dog can

go outside and not worry where she is. She

used the doggie door for the first time this year.

So she can go out anytime she wants in the back

yard.. and stay as long as she wants.. and I don't

have to worry.

Even the cat was out, looking for a good dusty

area for her to roll..

But the sounds of the neighborhood made me

smile.. Our new neighbors behind us.. were using

their trampoline. The father and the little girl, and

her laughter, along with his..  Such a beautiful

sound.

I got quite a few things done these two days.. and

it was music to my ears, as I listen to the sounds

of the neighborhood.. 

PHONE BOOKS... fading out???

As you can see I have 5 phone books.. and they are

getting to be worthless.

Two of these, well, actually 3 are not for my area.. directly

that is.. Coeur d' Alene  is really what they are for.

None of these I asked for.. they are either thrown in

my ditch/driveway in the attempt to get them to me..

or come in the mail. I think Frontier comes in the mail.

Trouble is.. one would think that Frontier would be the main

one.  But with so many people who are going Verizon wireless

because we got so fed up with Frontier, with their rising

rates and semi poor service, that our number is no longer

in the phone book.  So it is only Frontier numbers in there.

That makes it one of the phone books you need.

The black book is an old one.. I don't know if the Hagadone

company stopped printing or stop delivering up here. As they

too are based in CdA.   The black book use to be large. about

a 12 x 14 inches in sizes... They had CdA and Bonner county

(our county) businesses in there..  But like I said.. I haven't

gotten one since 2012.

Then there is the one called LOCAL PAGES... which I don't

like because the print is so small it looks like a contract. And

they only have the business who subscribe to their book.

Then there is the Coeur d' Alene (CdA) two... one for everyone and

one is the yellow pages.  Being there are a lot of us who

do business in CdA... we get those too..  That is where 90%

of the big box stores are.

Yesterday, I was looking up my doctor's office number, and

I could not find it. It wasn't in the CdA ones, of course. And

not the black one either.. so left Frontier and Local Pages.

Well, they must not subscribe to the Local Pages and guess

they don't have Frontier either.  Finally found one of their old

business cards in my wallet (in case i get in an accident) so

I could call.

Now I figured a lot of people use their smart phone.. but I don't

even have a dumb cell phone.. so I was lost in the fading of

the phone books situation. 

Spring, I declare Spring...

I know I am pushing it... but I declared Spring

...for the day... 

Yesterday, I was outside with just a sweater on.

I got some of my flower garden picked out.. now

just have to clean it up..

Went into the shed and got the geese out. I know

I am early, but they make me feel better, looking

out the back door.

And then I really did it... I got out the small table

and chairs...AND I put out my huge chime.

Now that is a guarantee for 2 feet of snow I know.

But the devil made me do it... after all.. Spring is

really only 2 days away... right? 

Animals and political humans

The more I see of the nature shows

with the animals and their traits.. well...

I would like to say they remind me of humans,

but that would be kind of an insult to the animals.

I was watching one over the weekend which showed

different animals of the wild, settling their differences.

Mainly the male of the species.

Some of the them that remind me of politics and humans

is the rams.. seems like they keep running at each

other and ramming their heads together.  Much like

our leaders...

And if it isn't the ram syndrome then it is the bird kingdom.

The strutting around with their chest puffed out and lots of

noise with their voices of sorts..

Yep, that pretty well describes the heads of states of all

of the nations.. of course there are the sneaky ones who

smile and then go for the  jugular.

Sunday Drive

Do people still take Sunday drives?  I know my folks use to.. 

it was fun on this past Sunday, so thinking of making it a tradition. 

Clark Fork River was flowing well...

Beyond Hope deer were out looking for some green..

The geese were savaging for something in the yards of Beyond Hope

The section of Berlin Wall is still there.. but there are mail boxes in front of it.. didn't use to be

My regret? something that I have never done each time we have taken pictures of this piece of wall... that is taking a picture of the other side.. I have not a clue what is on the other side...dang!!!

Next time.... for sure...

I like the lamps that were near by.. ..hiding under the branches of the trees, look pretty neat

Someone like me....

I was at Wal-mart yesterday, with a friend.

A friend who is so far surviving with cancer.

She has been fighting it out for over 7 years,

off and on..

I was walking thru the store with her,

running for some of the stuff that was across

the store from her..  She gets short of breathe

going around the store.. so I try to cut some of

it for her.  I don't mind and it gives us time to

talk and etc.

When she needs to go for a chemo and her

sisters can't make it.. I go with her.. and stay

so she has someone to talk to while she sits

with the drip going.. Some times talking to the

other cancer patients.

I always put her groceries up on the belt and

then take the bags from the gal, while she pays.

Yesterday, while we were waiting for the first gal

to get done.. I noticed next to us at the other

cashier, was a woman on one of those riding

carts, with a bunch of groceries.. (even tho it

was a 20 and under) and the cashier was

unloading the cart.  I tapped the cashier and

told her she could go ahead and cash it out,

and I would put the rest of the things up on

the counter for her.  She was glad as there

were quite a few behind this woman with less

than 20. I got them all up on the counter and

slid them forward so cashier could get them.

And then went back to my friend and pick

her bags off the wheel and placed them in

the cart.  As I was walking out with her

she said.. "why did you do that? The cashier

was doing it." I told her that because the

line was getting longer, and thought I would

help. "Oh," she said.

When we got to her home, I brought all the

groceries in.. and placed them on her table.

Then put the cold stuff in the refrigerator

for her.. She wanted to put the rest away

herself, after she rested up.. so I left it.

I was biding her good by and she again

asked me.. "Why do you do that?" I told

her because it is helpful.. and some day,

I hope when I can't.. there will be some

one just like me.. who will do it for me.

"Oh".. she replied.. "Well, thank you for

doing for me."   And to me .. that is thanks

enough. 

Can you answer me this?

Anyone who lives near Idaho has heard the

latest bill that has passed in Boise dealing

with our colleges...

I heard somewhere there was an ad or something

like that .. that stated.. DON'T SEND YOUR CHILDREN

TO COLLEGE IN IDAHO. 

It doesn't have to do with the well known state of our

schools which is reportedly that we are at the bottom

of the list.. #49 out of 50.  Which to be honest, I have

to wonder about that.. Going back to the book I read

in the 1970 or 80's called LOOKING OUT FOR # 1.

Where you ask, who said, who are they.. and etc.

As we have had some pretty good amounts of guys

and gals who have graduated from our area who have

gone on to great things... Just like a lot of other states.

And I can't believe our county is the only one in Idaho.

No... this reaction of Don't Send.. is from the bill that

pass in Boise... of allowing guns on the campus of

our college's... From what I understand it is concealed

weapons.. at least I surely hope so... Because in order

to get a concealed weapons permit.. you have to go

thru a pretty solid program.  One I think EVERY gun

owner should have to go thru before they are allowed

to own a gun. After all you have to go thru a bit..

(I know some are self taught) to drive a car...

And to drive a semi/ school bus, it is even more involved..

yet we allow people to buy a gun with no knowledge

of how to handle it.

But back to my title of this post... Can you answer

me this?  If a college student can walk into any class

with a gun...  why is it in Boise, you can not enter the

capital building with a gun, unless you are a law officer?

Answer me that one, Senators and Representatives

who passed/voted for that bill? You don't trust people

with your life.. but you do with our children?

Must be sick..

I must be sick.. it was 7:30pm

and I had not turn on my computer

until then.  It was Monday.. and I did

other things...

The King came home and saw the computer

was off.. could not believe it...

So what did I do with my Monday?  Surprisingly

not a lot but fun things...

We don't get a paper on Monday.. so it leaves me

off kilter each week. But I do start my day off with

the usual stuff one who is retired.. The laundry.

Monday is laundry, Tuesdays is vacuum, and

etc.. thru the week.

But today.. while the wash was washing.. I

did a small bit of cleaning. I had already done a

complete job of it on Saturday as we had guest

on Sunday.

I saw a puzzle on the entertainment center shelf,

that I thought I would get to .. one of these days.

Monday was one of those days...

I am not really a enthusiastic puzzle person, so

why I thought I would want to do it.. but thought

it might be a nice winter project. So I started

on it.. and amazingly 4 hours later I had 3/4

of it done.  I surprised myself.  Then the tough

parts came.. you know.. sky, ocean water.. etc.

The puzzle is a large square, with 9 squares.

In each of the 9 squares are different pictures.

So what may seem like the sky in one square,

might be a sky piece from another.

I wasn't too disappointed, because of the fact that

I figured it would be a day to day project with the

King helping out... His eye are so much better than

mine for details.  When I informed him I was counting

him helping... he crushed my plan of having him finish

up the hard part... because his reply was... "I hate

puzzles".. 

But it did keep me busy most of the day.. and didn't

sit in front of the computer off and on thru the day... Guess

I am practicing up for summer when I will be outside

from early morning to dinner time...

But I should have thought of this earlier.. as it sure would

have helped during those snowy days. 

Are you a puzzle person?  

Signs of Spring?

The carrot from the weather station is out there..

Promises of temps in the 50's this week.. 

Not just one.. but 3!! and high 40's... YAHOO....

Also with my visit to Big R... (for those not in the NW

area of the nation, that is a farm, fishing, hunting type

store) .. I saw.. the real sign of spring...the sound of

spring... cheep, cheep, cheep,  yes, little baby chicks..

All kinds... boxes of yellow fuzzy, black fuzzy, mixed

colors of fuzzy, and this year.. black with yellow cap

fuzzy's...   I always love to spend some time looking,

smelling... smiling at the antics of these little fuzz

balls. 

The smell brings me back out our basement in

the 1940's and 50's when the postman use to deliver

200 little yellow fuzzys... in a large box.. And Mom

would have him bring it down to the basement..

After he left, she would let them loose in the large

box area (6 feet square) that she and Dad had made

again, like every year.  The hood would be there,

with the light in it...glowing and warmingly inviting the

chicks a place to run around after being cooped up in

a 3 foot box for 2 days.  The mild noise of them running

and cheeping in joy of the new area.

Great memories..  Far better than the memories of

8 weeks later.. when they became food.

So with our first robin showing up last week. (others

reported at least 2 weeks before) and warming of

the weather.. and chicks at the local store.. MAYBE

just MAYBE... spring will be following soon.

Even though I know old man winter will still throw

a wrench in the plans of gardeners. 

Pictures of the changes of weather

That is one thing that is fickle about Idaho...

and it kind of reminds me of R.I. where I was

raised..  We had a saying.. don't like the weather

just wait a bit.. it will change around to what you

like...  

From snow 

 To flooding...

 To Robins...(our first)