Wow, another month shot ...done... gone...

Is it me.. or are the months zooming by?

I thought it was just a day or two ago, that

we were celebrating the last b-b-que of

summer ... on Labor Day..

And here we are at the break of October. Will

it be Halloween in a day or two?  With the

summer zooming by in lightening speed..

And now September flashed by before my eyes.

I have been hanging on as hard as I can for the summer

to stay, but they say Fall started last week...

I have got all my yard art and different things put away

in the totes for next summer, but with the warmth of

the days.. and even the cool of the evenings.. I still

am in denial.

Usually October 1st means flannel sheets are back on

the bed, the summer clothes are put away and the

sweaters are out, along with long pants and heavy

jackets..  But I am still wearing shorts, and my summer

clothes are still in the drawer.

Got to ask, will Winter go by as fast as summer did? I

sure hope so.. 

Keeping track of family is giving me a headache...

I found a book at a yard sale over the weekend.

I bought it for my niece. I figured because I have

all this information.. maybe she would like it.

All I have to do is fill out the blanks. Real easy,

right? As they said.. easy peasy.. NOT..

I was doing well in the beginning.. My brother,

(this is for his daughter) my parents, my grand

parents, and then great grandparents .. all going

well.. Then it was touch and go.

Why? After all I have information... fill in the blanks.

Well, the book skips back and forth. See it isn't just

for my niece.. or start with her.. it starts out with her

AND HER husband..  So leaving all of his side blank

as I don't know.. And then there is my sister in laws

side.. I don't know.. so leaving that blank as well.

And if they had the pages following that side.. I would

get along fairly well..

But they jump back and forth.. and it is the father's

side of the mother's side... grandfather... and then

great grandfather of the wife's side of the father's side..

well, you get the picture..

Finally had to put it away.. I was getting a flaming

headache... Be nice to have it just for one side.. and

then after.. do the other side.  All I know is that I

need a break.  Also have to get more paper work out.

Maybe I should have done it on a winter day.. as I also

look out the window and my yard is calling me.. lol

Is it time to go?

The numbers are down... but then they usually are in the

summer time.. Winter is when most don't have anything

else to do... so they tend to check in from time to time..

I am not a big time blogger. I am a drop on the floor from

the pail of water... spilt when others advertise or suggest

my blog for reading.  So I average about 22 a day. about

150 a week...(when I have a local event on I can get

up to 70).. Mine is not like friends who I know... who blog and

get numbers like 150 per day.  Some are still going strong,

while others blog once a week, unless they have fuel

for the fire and do a series on what is upsetting the apple

cart of life.  I am talking about the non paying blogs.

One of the ones that gives me a spot on the honor roll

of the day is Dave Oliveria on Spokane Review's  blog

Huckleberries online... HBO to most of us... and he

is the reason why this blog got started.  He gives me

a spot on the honor roll from time to time.. I think out

of respect for me, because I was one of the few first

one to encourage him, when he started blogging and

question if it was the right thing to be doing.. after all

his was a full fledged reporter on the Spokane Review

and this blogging was a new breed of media.

So he will continue for a long time.. and I foresee my other

helper to this blog,  (as I read hers and the top line said

from Blogspot, do you want to start a blog....it is as easy

as 1..2..3..and I thought ...yea, right, but they were right)

and that blog is Slight Detour ...Hers started out as joint

adventure with her kid brother drawing the cartoons. And

the readers have come a long way with Marianne over

the years.. trips to Ireland, who's who of Sandpoint and

etc.  And what country living is like.. marvelous in Idaho.

So as I see my numbers dive down under 100, I wonder

if it is time to go.. Going to try to stick it out until March

5th.. the beginning of this blog 10 years ago... But we

will see.  After all, all good things have to come to an

end some day... or maybe I could make it weekly ...lol

instead of 4 day week. lol... wean myself off... as it has

been fun and I always said, I would continue as long as

it was fun.   While some days are hard to come up with

subject... it is still fun. 

This is a test....

This is a test.. just a fun test... I am going to give you a list of

names... then you figure out who they are.

No googling the names.....this is just for fun..

George Clinton

Richard M Johnson

George M. Dallas

William J. Wheeler

Thomas A. Hendricks

Levi P. Morton

James  S. Sherman

Charles G. Dawes

Charles Curtis

Garret A.  Hobart

Alben W. Barkley

So who are these men?  Do you know who they are?  And if

they have anything in common?

I will give the answers in the afternoon...



the answers......

THESE MEN.... WERE  VICE PRESIDENT TO THESE

PRESIDENTS

George Clinton .........James Madison

Richard M Johnson.....Martin Van Buren

George M. Dallas.........James Knox Polk

William J. Wheeler...... Rutherford B Hayes

Thomas A. Hendricks.....Grover Cleveland

Levi P. Morton...............Benjamin Harrison

James  S. Sherman......William H. Taft

Charles G. Dawes..........Calvin Coolidge

Charles Curtis...............Herbert C. Hoover

Garret A.  Hobart...........William McKinley

Alben W. Barkley.............Harry Truman


HOW DID YOU DO?

The Eyes have it....

Yesterday, we went into  Spokane to the Pacific Cataract and

Laser Institute and the King got his other eye done.  We got

there early and they got us in right away.

It was amazing. See they take him and do something to the

eye to get it ready, put a rubber ball on his eye to help the

pressure. With that and the blue cap they put on their people

it is quite a sight. Wish I had brought my camera..

After about 5 minutes, later they come to take him

back to the surgery room. .then the amazing takes place.

They let the spouse go into this narrow room which is

just on the other side of the glass wall. There is a monitor

on the wall and I could watch the whole surgery. Which

goes by fast.. about 10 minutes. One of the gals went

in with me and explain what they were doing as they

where doing it. How they slice a little 1/8 of a slice in

the eye, squirt some stuff in there, on the natural

lens with the cataract. Actually is kind of goes to liquid,

and then they suction it out.  After they get all the debris

out, they slide in the folded new lens made by humans.

Which flattens out and forms to the eye, and seals back

up. Each lens is fitted for that person.  So in other words,

what works for him, would not work for me.

As I watch, I thought about the wonderment of  God

and mankind..  First God makes one while the baby

is growing in the womb and one has those lens

for life for some. Others who get cataract have surgery.

But I had to wonder.. who was the first one to ever have

this operation done on them? Was it scary?  And what

about the person who came up with the idea in the

first place. And who made the first one to be planted?

Did they know it would work, or was it a matter of

faith.

By the way, if you are in line to have this done and

your doctor sends you to Pacific Cataract and Laser.

Relax.. they are wonderful there. All the people who

work there are the most friendly, comforting guiding

people we have ever met.

THE RICHARDSON'S of JAMESTOWN, R.I.

A couple of months ago, I became aware of a book being written by two young ladies.. I presume the had something to do with the Jamestown Historical Society.  The name of the book was Legendary Locals of Jamestown.

I couldn't wait to get it.. I sat down with a cup of coffee to start to read... after reading some of the story of the island itself... I skipped thru to find my family. Nothing.. so looked in the index.. there was 3 Richardson's.  Who did deserve to be in the book, at least Edith Richardson did. After all she was the first woman Postmaster ever in the United States.  And two of her sons were in there. Who still live there. Aunt Edie as we knew her, had passed on a long time ago. But

not a mention of her husband.. our Uncle Alfred.. who ran a gas station across from the ferry landing.

Sorry folks, but I was pissed. Not one word about my grandfather, nor my great grandfather.. Or even my Uncle Harold who carried on running the family gas station/ garage. Nothing. There are 6 generations of my direct family of JAMESTOWNERS... so you can click out and go on

your way if you would like..readers.. but I am going to make sure that the internet has somewhere.. that our family did and still does exist.

We start out with the first one..

Aaron Richardson..(first generation) and his wife Augusta

Johnson Richardson. Dropping the extra s... came here from Sweden.. the same town.. and got married 1878 in Newport, R.I. 

Aaron was a farmer and they moved to a little island,

called Jamestown.  There they raised several children. 7 of them. 4 girls and 3 sons.  One of which was my grandfather. Lived most of his life and is buried in Jamestown, R.I.

Aaron R. Richardson, (second generation) was 4th in place among their children. Aaron R. was

born, raised in Jamestown. As a very young man he met a young woman, Harriet E. Chase, school teacher, from the small island of Prudence Island. 

He courted her by rowing his skiff from the north end of Jamestown, where her father's farm was to the southern tip of Prudence Island.

In 1907 they went to Manhattan, N.Y. to get married. Moving in to Aaron's sister's boarding house on Jamestown.  

Thru several moves, and running a livery stable with a

business partner, he finally settled with a horse and buggy taxi to each side of the island where the ferries landed. Taking travelers from side to side to meet the other ferry.  Added to the family was 3 son's and one daughter. In the 1920's he changed over to cars.

Then taking over the John E. Watson Store at 29 Narragansett Ave.  they did deliveries to the summer residents as well as taxi service  to the ferries. And in the late 1920's and early 30's he with his oldest son A. Richard (the II) built and ran a gas station/garage.

At the end of WWII, youngest son Harold took over the garage which by this time, became a Ford dealership. And Aaron started a Dodge dealership in Newport, R.I. and a Ford dealership in Middletown ...  Having a heart attack in 1947. Born in Jamestown, lived all but 5 years in Jamestown, did business in Jamestown and is buried in Jamestown, R.I.

F. Gilbert Richardson, (third generation)  second son of

Aaron Richard Richardson. Born in Jamestown, raised in Jamestown, and buried in Jamestown, R.I.

G. Leroy Richardson. (fourth generation) . the weak link of the Richardson's of Jamestown. As he was neither born, nor is he buried in Jamestown.

He is the son/second child of F. Gilbert Richardson...

BUT he lived with his wife Dorothy, their two children, and worked in Jamestown, R.I. for over 30 years. He was on the Jamestown Fire Dept. staff for most of those years. He was a fireman, worked on the search and rescue crew and the ambulance service of Jamestown, R.I. for most of those 30 years. He with that crew took good care of the people in Jamestown, R.I.

Now we come to the 5th generation... Leroy M. Richardson.. born and raised, lives and works (as he is still there) in Jamestown, R.I.

Second child, and son of G. Leroy Richardson. He followed

his father's footstep by joining the Jamestown Fire

Dept.  and he and his wife Naomi, are raising the 6th generation , as his 3 children were born and raised in Jamestown.

Families do matter.. family history is as important as town history. as that is what makes the town. Jamestown is a small island to some but a mighty island to those who live there. And I just want it to be part of the record, that the Aaron Richardson family was and is part of that island..

all of this information is due to my Aunt Harriet, who is the daughter of Aaron r. and Harriet e. Without her, all of us cousins would have to start from scratch. 
and this is my 2500 post...a lot of words.

Taking the week off

I am taking the week off... so see you next Monday.. have a good week. 

Where were you?

I am old enough to have several WHERE WERE YOU?

Today, most of the world is doing the WHERE WERE YOU

ON 9-11?

But I can tell you .. where I was when Kennedy was shot.

I can tell you where I was when the space ship blew up

on January 28, 1986.

I actually don't remember where I was when Oklahoma

court house was blown up.  That is odd.

I know where I was when the world turn from 1999 to

2000.

And of course for today.. I know where I was for 9-11.

Is there anything else that we should remember where we

were, for what?  I can't think of anything.

But to answer the question of the day.. I was at work,

actually pulling out of the parking lot at work, when the

first plane hit.  I had just turn on the radio as I pulled

out on to the street. The announcer was talking to the

other one, about a plane hitting a building in New York.

Just that.. a plane hit one of the buildings.  In New York.

As I traveled along down the road on my way home.. it

became, they thought it was a private plane, not sure.

Then it became the World Trade Center was hit by a

plane. And then ...rumor it was a bigger plane, as

I pulled into my driveway and turn off the radio.

I went inside, turn on Good Morning America, New York.

I use to get the New York channels at that time thru DISH.

And the reporters were a buzz with the news. AND THEN

THEY SHOWED THE SECOND PLANE HIT. OH, MY

GOD.. it was a airliner.. Then word that the first one was

a ... airliner,  as well. My daughter called. She was getting

ready for work, .... DID YOU SEE THE NEWS, MOM.

Yes, I am watching it.. I was watching New York ABC..

she was watching NBC Spokane.  We talked as we watch

in amazement.. How could two airliners lose it and hit

the same building.. She had to leave for work. Told her

I would email her with updates when she got there. She

said on NBC, they said someone said one had hit the

Pentagon. Told her I would let her know.

Moments later, it was confirmed that one had hit the Pentagon.

News crew were heading there as fast as they could. New York

is going crazy.. people running, dust all over everyone and thing.

And then came in news of a plane going down in Pennsylvania.

HAD THE WORLD GONE CRAZY?  I emailed my daughter.

She said that is ok, Mom, the whole building is watching on

televisions and monitors. Talk to you tonight.

And every one knows the rest of the story... as we all remember

this day.

About 20 minutes of the horror we saw.. the second plane had

hit.. it dawn on me... my morning routine at work was to get

two ladies up, turn on their television, and let them watch until

it was breakfast time.   Oh, my gosh.. what did they see?  Did

they think, and I had hoped they did.. think it was a movie?

As we all know now, the world had gone crazy that day, and

it hasn't gotten any better since then..     

Also in sadness.. there are some .. who are like my niece,

Barbara ... whose birthday is 9-11 of every year... hard to

be happy on your birthday... while everyone one else is sad. 

Driving Mr. G

Now that the King has had eye surgery.. he can't drive. Which means I drive.. Now I purposely don't drive when he is well. It isn't the "man should be the driver" bit.  It is a matter of survival. Or sanity.

My sanity that is... and I almost forgot what that was until Monday

afternoon.  And Tuesday was worse.  I can hardly wait until he

can drive himself again.

See I seem to manage driving to town, to the mall, to Walmart,

quite well every day that I drive.  ALONE.. 

Yesterday, Tuesday, I almost hit someone.. because I was slowing

down and he screams at me.. YOU ARE GETTING TO CLOSE!

I about jumped out of my skin..and almost took my foot off of the brake.

I was 10 feet away or more. 

I also seem to be able to pick the right lane when coming to

an intersection. But he started with .. "you are in the wrong lane."

"YOU are in the wrong lane.". (I explain I knew where I was

going) and then it was "YOU ARE IN THE WRONG LANE."

As I pulled across the intersection of HWY 95 and Kootenai

Cut-across road.. The car next to me turn left and I went

straight where I was going.. then a meek, "Well, if that

car had gone straight, you would have been pushed over".

It is hard to keep your mouth shut while you are biting

your tongue..

TWO MORE DAYS.. just TWO MORE DAYS... 

But I have to do it all over again in 2 weeks. 

September seems to be the month..Or maybe it was January

I have for just today.. 3 birthdays... A son in law, a daughter in law and a friend's daughter...  Yesterday was my cousin's and a friend..

Then we have a British friend on the 19th..and a grandson...

 oh, yeah, my niece on the 11th and  the 18th is King's friend.

And  one more friend on the 16th...

All I can say is.. January was a very busy month...

This one is going to be short, as I spent Monday in Spokane with

the King.. and for those who asked.. the surgery went great.  In

fact he barely got sat down and it was time to get back up.. he

had cataract and laser surgery, putting in a lens.  The paper work

and evaluation went for almost 2 hours.. the surgery about 10/15

minutes.

As they say.. easy peachy..

And for those who are local and are thinking about it.. we can not

say enough kind words for Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute in

Spokane. 

This is NOT your father's war....

The way the country heads act, you would think this was WWII.

The journalist.. act like they are reporting on Vietnam war. That

reporting and getting caught is ok, just uncomfortable  until their country retrieves them. That after the war, they get to go home like all the prisoners do. 

But this war, and like it or not.. it is a war. We have troops on the ground, everywhere. Be they fighting or being they are consultants. As far as I am concern if our guys and gals are getting killed over there, it is still a war. It sure isn't a social gathering.

The war is so much different than any war we have ever been in for the past 100+ years.   For one, the only ones in uniform are.. our troops. So they know where our guys are.. and they aren't confused with the natives.

Theirs, on the other hand, are looking like anyone else.. maybe the gun might

give them away..but there are a lot of the good guys who walk around looking the same and have guns.   These cut throats hid their ammo and men with the women and children.. and then scream if our side bombs the building.. even tho their missiles are flying out of that same building.

Journalist, like Ernie Pyle, and such, did not run against cut throats like these. Some of the Japanese may have torture, and even the Germans might have..but I don't recall them torturing the writers.  First of all, the journalist had the good sense to stay behind the troops.  And as horrible as the two countries were to our troops with their tortures.. some how they didn't think writers were

worth the trouble.

Now we have a community of cut throats who have no respect or regard for ANY human. Be it the enemy, their neighbor, or even family members are at risk.  And surely Americans are on the top of their list, for being on the top of the food chain, so to speak. They don't care if the man is German, French, British, or any other country. They will kill them all. The people of the world scream if a soldier, be he one of ours, or the other nations, kills

what they consider civilians.. Yet say little when a head is cut off on one of our own.  A protest of indignity for a day or two and then back to business as usual. These fighters, could care less.. if anything... they count on it.  It gives license to do more.

The United Nation and all the countries who are trying to fight this war, have no idea how to win it. They have no idea how to fight it. ... because they have no comprehension of how these fighters think. Or how far they will go. Again.. they have no uniforms.. no particular outstanding looks that difference them from their countrymen who are not fighting.. So they slip in our country,

England, and others, basely undetected.  We even have the twisted mind of our own countrymen who want to join these savages. Turn coats, so to speak.

They think they will have power.. self power... a savage master.

We need to keep the journalist out of those countries..  They are not only signing their own death warrant, but endangering those who try to protect them. Their job is not worth the risk and unfair to their families. Once our country person goes into another country.. we have no guarantee that we will ever see them again,

unless it is on the national news. Not in a positive way. 

Over all, not bad....

This past weekend, it seems we got more accomplished

than the whole summer.  Well, maybe not quite.. but

we did get a lot done.

We had a lot of stuff on one side of our big garage.. You

know a-collect-all. wood, metal and just junk and a

couple of things..like a 47 Ford pickup up frame and etc.

Well, now all that stuff is picked up, and the stuff left

is line up like soldiers... and we weed whacked all the

tall weed and grass that was there.  Quite an accomplishment

when you know it took us 6 years to get it in the mess it

was in.

Then we were out in the back half of the yard.. Where

stuff from the garden acclimated. We hauled the roller

and wagon we had borrow from our daughter a couple

years ago, Then clean up the tubing we use to have

for a green house cover. And weed whacked that grass

that was 3 feet tall near the fence.

So add in the cleaning out the little garage, we did

pretty well.  For two old farts..

Sadly in just 2 to 3 weeks we will start dismantling

all the yard art, lights, and etc. and get ready for

winter. Bring out the tote boxes, fill them up and

stack them away... Clean out the boat spot where

we have been throwing stuff.. So we can put the

boat back in..

I don't want to even think about that.. I am not

ready to give up summer yet.. besides we still

haven't sat out there after dark and have our fire

in the pit.

I NEARLY KILLED HIM..

Oh, at least anyone listening to us, would think that..

Either that or they would think he was going to kill me.

This Labor Day weekend, we CHOSE .. foolishly, to

clean out our little garage.. It has needed it for years.

(now most wives have figure out the title to this post)

We have a shelf above around 3 sides.. and a counter

on one and half sides . Back and right half side.. and

then the back has a shelf below and the floor. The

right side has a large opening and two areas with doors.

The area with doors was easy, as it as a crock in one.

And some big thingie majig tool of his.. The large

opening is full of canning jars, pressure cooker and etc.

So that was easy.

Now the rest should have been easy, but that isn't the

way the King and I work.  I was going to take the left

side, as it has the 3 closets with house hold stuff. They

are between the freezer and the extra refrigerator. I

didn't want him telling me what to keep and what not

to keep. As he has the general idea that to get rid of

everything.. Unless it is his ... of course.

The right side was his car stuff.. (all kinds of spray

cans, and etc.)  His fishing stuff.. and that was a

short 5 foot area. I could care less what he kept and

didn't.  The back area was his to do as it had everything.

The counter has become a catch all. There is a vise and

a sander thingie attached to the work bench.. but they

have not been seen in quite some time. There is bags..

lots of small bags .. which hold different screws of different

sizes, that he has bought because he couldn't find the last

bag or it is a different size.. then there is lots of bags of

nails.. same reason.. Then there is bags of just stuff.. There

is assortment of tools.. I try to hang up the tools when I use

them, as he is a real stickler for putting tools back. Mostly

when it had to do with the kids or I.  His putting them back

is a crap shoot.  Near by is good enoug.. Anyway this pile

was, without exaggerating 18 inches to 2 feet tall.

The work bench is 20 feet long. Then there is the shelf

below.. with so many different colors of spray cans of paint. 

And quart size and half gallon sizes of paint. There is a box of

plumbing stuff, that I put there 8 years ago, when my

grandson and I clean this whole garage out and transferred

two wagon loads to his garage. (he was not happy) 

We did this while he went hunting for a week.  On the very

top, is totes that he and I did after our kitchen remodel.

There is 3 boxes of paint stuff. Tarps, brushes enough to

paint the Gold Gate Bridge, sticks for stirring, something

that you hold on the edge so you don't get paint on the other

side.. 3 of those. Rollers of different sizes.

and all that good stuff.. There is the electric tote, with everything

to do with electric... switch covers, plug ins, caps,  screws, and

etc. And then the last one has wiring.. for telephones, television,

stereo's and etc. ... That is one side.   The other side has hunting,

camping, fishing and etc. I don't go there..  And along the side,

the right top is suitcases, electric cooler, sleeping blankets, etc.

And the extra large  double hooks hangs 18.. yes folks, 18 different

fishing poles and their reels.  There is the lake poles, the ocean

poles, and the shore line poles... didn't see my favorite though..

fly fishing pole.. wonder where they went to.

So there we are.. sorting .. throwing in the middle of the

garage, taking outside along side the garage for next weeks

yard sale.(well, one of us was)..and what to keep.

Now I am taking it out to a table and sorting,

he is throwing in the middle of the floor, all the way down to

the door. 

He had gone to get some boxes so he could box up stuff. Not

sure to keep or not.. But when he couldn't find one of the bigger

ones, and wanted to know where it went. (there were 3). I told

him, I used one.. He had a tizzy fit. Yelling, I got those for me

to use for certain things..  Not happy, but went and dumped

them out and gave him the boxes.. in not the most Christian

language..  Something in the line of being selfish over stupid

boxes. And maybe worse.. He answered in kind.  And ranted

when he couldn't find his broom.. and where did I put it. 

Ranted about where did he place some of his stuff and what

did I do with it.. AND  THEN he said.. well, are you going

to apologized ? I laughed..

All I can tell you is we have a fences around our place.. and we

were in our garage.. but if the neighbors had been home,

they would have thought we were going to kill each other.

And lo and behold, when I clean up the middle, where he

was throwing things.. THERE, IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL..

was HIS other box he had a fit over.  With a sheepish look

he said.. Oh, well, I guess you can use these... Told him

I wasn't touching his stinking box, even if it was gold..

We started at 7:30am.. and by 2 pm.. we were done. The

garage looks nice, the yard sale stuff is piled for next week...

and he took a load to the dump... AND I DIDN'T KILL HIM.

Old song in my heart....

Every year, at this time.. I think of these words..from an

old song... my mother use to sing it while playing the piano.

Oh, it's a long, long while from May to December

But the days grow short when you reach September

When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame

One hasn't got time for the waiting game

Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few

September, November

And these few precious days I'll spend with you

These precious days I'll spend with you

 lyrics (by Maxwell Anderson);

Summer, I hardly knew ya.. you ran quickly thru my

fingers, as I planted the garden, and flowers. Your

heat would have me working in the early mornings hours.

Your sun colored me tan, and fishing was grand.

But I am not ready to give up yet. I have so much more

I want to do.  There are more fish to fish for, there is

more flowers to watch bloom... and a garden to pick

from. 

There is the lights on the pergola I haven't got to enjoy

yet, or the fire in the outdoor fireplace, we haven't got

to enjoy yet. Oh, please summer don't leave me here

to be covered with leaves and snow.

And the days grow short, when you reach September..

I am not ready, I tell you.. I am not ready.. and next year

is too long to wait.