Thursday, October 30, 2014

I aint got nothin.....

Well, I have sat here for the past hour or so.. and
I got nothing... blank space between the ears..

So will turn this into a public service spot...

Good bye October (tomorrow with Halloween)
And hello November on Saturday...

and now for your public announcement...

DON'T FORGET TO TURN
YOUR CLOCKS BACK ON
SATURDAY NIGHT OR BY
2AM SUNDAY...

And for those who forget.. turn on the coffee at church,

as you will be there an hour early before the rest of us... 

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

My kingdom for a throne...

Why is it, when things go to hell, they go to hell in a
hand basket? 

With a full house.. meaning us and  two guest.. our
toilet decided to go to hell in a hang basket?
On a weekend...

So Googled the brand, so we could see if we could
get parts. As this is one of those high end, fast
flush models.. and we got it about 6 year ago.

OH, NO... no parts because.. they discontinued
this model and there is no parts sold anywhere.
Especially the interior of the tank.

So back to square one.. After trying to make
shift.. it is time to bite the bullet and spend
the $$$ for a new one.

Which is part of the rub.. see I don't care.. I
want to go back to an standard toilet. Less
problems and fixable by even me. Pretty
basis. 

But not the King.. he wants one like the one
that sits there.. Why? MORE POWER..
one of his joy when we first got it, was
the reaction of people when they came
out of the room.. See this toilet, like I
said.. is a high end fast flush models.
The one that is LOUD, and sounds
like it is going to flush you down with
everything else.

So we will see today who wins.. it is off
to HOME DEPOT... as I am tired of
dissecting the tank to manually push
the tiny plunger.  And after doing it
himself twice, he came out bellowing
"THAT'S IT!!!.. I'M GOING TO HOME
DEPOT TOMORROW."


My kingdom for a throne.. lol..  

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Last steps of fall....





We are finally getting colors ... leaves are finally falling to the
ground... and it is dark by 5:30pm.. well dark enough. By 6
for sure.

Took the finally things off of the deck, today.. was trying to get a last cup of coffee ... one last one on the deck in the morning..but with the wind.. it is just too cold, so gave up the ship.

The tables and chairs are put away.. the wall art is
packed in the sheds.. the huge wind chime is in the living
room.. Only thing left out is two pots and a lot of my solar
lights.. still light the deck edge and lawn edge... along
with the kites still flying.

I know I have enough in the house to keep me busy for
the winter, but just not looking forward to it.. I need to
clean out my file cabinet.. I started last March, but did not
make a dent in it... and then there are some books I like to
read.  I got them 10 years ago, or was it more than 12 years
ago.. before I retired. I figured I would have more time, so
bought for later.. Funny, as that was before tablets like Nook
and alike.. but I still like the feel of a real book.

So as the sun sets with its reddish hue in the far distance.. I
feel sad that the warm days are less. And I know I will be
sleeping in more .. already started it.. My body is a day light
awareness, so no sun, no daylight...Cis is cuddled under the
warm covers with Misty... until the daylight comes thru the window at about 7:15am.  Long time after my summer rising at 5:30 to 6am...

Finally gave up the shorts, and back to long pants.. ah yes,
fall you are leaving us soon.. your leaves are turning faster,
and hitting the ground faster.  And the hint of snow up on
the ridge of the mountain. 

Looking out my windows..



     

Monday, October 27, 2014

Funerals weekend....

This past weekend the King and I, along with his brother and wife, and his sister attended a funeral per weekend day. Meaning one Saturday and one Sunday. 
They were nephew and aunt ...
Never done two funerals in one weekend.. Hope to never do it again.

It is sad to lose one's friend, but to lose two is even harder. While the age was appropriate for one.. she was almost 95. The other one was another victim of cancer.  Fought the good fight, as they say.
But none the less.. he is gone.. and left a huge emptiness.

The man was a gentleman and a gentle man.. He was ...what you could say, he was considered an uncle to the whole Vay valley.  The King worked for him as a teen.. zillion years ago. And has been close to him all these years. Watched his friend's children grow in to adulthood.  Fine children to be proud of. The other was like a grandmother to him. And his mom's best friend.

The Kings visits will probably be less in the area.. yes, he still
has friends there.. but these two were a must see each time
he went out there.. So he will feel off kilter.

Will miss the fine wonderful soft spoken man... and of course
will miss.. "COME IN.. ARE YOU HUNGRY?" and of course
you better say yes, or her feelings would be hurt..

No doubt at all that both of these will be up there, watching

over us all.. God Bless.... Louie and Daisy...    

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Repost and comedy...

I have been asked by 4 people to do a repost of Monday's post... here is the link
http://wordtosser.blogspot.com/2014/10/understanding-health-isolation-and.html
You do know you could have scrolled down to Monday, right... T. M. L. and T. lol

Any way for the comedy...

I got my Bonner County History Museum 2015 Calendar.. 
and what a hoot... 
Some of the smiles to out and out laughing are:
 but you really need to stop by the Museum and see if 
they have any for sale... 
The calendar has in it.. things from 1915. 
There are quite a few post cards on it.. that are neat. 

On July 15 .. the owner of the Grill denies he intends to marry one 
Mrs. Gertrude Skinner. 
Which brings us to July 20th.. 5 days later... Mrs. Gertrude Skinner claims $284 in back wages from the Grill... (there went that love affair

Since Dinky train taken off past Kootenai, trains 41 and 42 will shift schedule slightly. (this is exact wording from the newspaper)
(now tell me.. what is a Dinky train? with a large D, so not a description). 

These I found interesting..

They had a gambling problem so they ran a person undercover so they would know when to raid the pool room. You have to read who they had for the undercover person.. this is in January. 

Also the first bloodhounds purchased by Priest River, and how they
found the thief and what he had. 

In February you learn about the possible new state called Lincoln. 
(some of this is has been a discussion in recent years.)
And the naming of the schools of today and their old names. 

In April, how a woman saved her cabbage from the snow.. red jackets.

In May, The new mayor forbidding the police officers from drinking in the saloon while on duty.

two 4th Avenue soiled doves skip town.. (soiled dove?) and it wasn't birds, I guess

all dogs without muzzles will be shot.. due to rabies outbreak. 
(little harsh, I would say...dare I say anything about the recent CD'A incident?)

July... a man got disgusted by Grand Opera, as all the singing at once AND in Italian... so he left. 

August they started the paving of 1st street ... for 2 blocks.. and finished in in late September celebrated in October with street carnival and Mardi gras.
(unlike the on going forever paving of 95 from co op to Walmart)

October has unsavory trio ordered to leave the city.. you will have to read who they were. 

November you will have to read how a federal prisoner escape.. Keystone cops, maybe? 

Then last is September.. a Tom English boarded a Spokane International Railroad with 2---2 quart bottles of alcohol. 
After entering the car he had an accident, dropping
both bottles on the floor.. (you got to read this as it is a hoot.. Oh, heck, I got to tell you this one.. as it was the funniest of all.)  It seems that he was so mad at dropping
them..he tried to destroy them all... he kicked one of the bottles, and the calk of his boot striking the metal in the floor of the car, causing a spark to fly which ignited the alcohol. The draft through the car cause by the speed of the train.. fanned  the blaze setting 
fire to all the inflammable material in the car. Many of 
the passengers were wet with chemicals, used by the train crew in their effort to control the blaze.  

Yep, you got to get his calendar.. I only gave you a few of the highlights.. it is a hoot. 


  

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Plants and the black thumb





This is my cactus plant. My house plant. And it is
still alive. And amazingly, throwing out flowers like
crazy.

What is so amazing is ... I have a black thumb.
I hold my own with outside plants. But bring
in them in my house, and it is certain death.
I am so bad.. that years ago.. my husband
who passed away in 1986, brought home a
dead plant he found. Said he knew I couldn't
kill it because it was already dead.

I have had this plant for about a year or so. It
had given me hope twice. that it might do
well.. it had 3 flowers on it ... twice. Then buds
that kept falling off.  I tried it in the kitchen.
Nothing. I had it in the living room, still
nothing. I even had it outside during the summer.
And it almost died. I thought cactus loved heat.

So when it came time to bring it in the house.
I was at wits end on where to put it. So figured
I had nothing to lose, and put it in my bedroom.
Next to the window, but with a netted curtain.
AND LO AND BEHOLD... you see what I have.
Can't believe it. Did see two buds on the desk
beside the pot, but the rest are going gang
busters.  Maybe I better not say anything more.
Might jinx it. Might find all the flowers on the

floor tomorrow.  

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Old Friends, how great it is...



Once again, this past weekend, I got to make connect
with an old friend.. and her daughter... Her daughter
lives in Spokane valley, so the King and I made the
trip over. 

As always, it is like old times.. You know the kind of
friendship, that starts up right where you left off a
year or so ago..  Maureen and I go back 44 years.
So getting together with her and her daughter
Shari is always full of fun and laughter. And more
laughter.

The old stories of things of the past. The catching
up on the new things.. and with stories of our
other children and their children. Maureen is
like a kid sister to me.  Always great to be with
her.


Monday, October 20, 2014

Understanding health isolation and precautions

We hear a lot about isolation and precautions with
contagious disease, with Ebola in the news.
And many wonder what happen in Texas, why did
it happen.

They had a doctor and a nurse shipped from Africa to
United States.  If you saw the news when that happen,
you saw how they treated those two people.  They came
in almost a bubble wrap. In the plane, on the gurney as
they were taken to the hospital where they were treated.
And so were the workers.
Both survived.

So what happen in Texas?  The answer .. everything...
everything wrong.  First the Dr. and nurse were already
diagnosed with Ebola. So everyone was alerted as they
arrived in the United States.  Also the hospital they arrived
in, was CDC associated.  CDC = Center for Disease Control.
The CDC has years of experience with treating very
contagious diseases.  They have the isolation routine
down pat, they have the extreme isolation.

Texas on the other hand, first messed up with the
not following thru with the man, who stated he was
just from Africa.
I am sure that person has paid dearly for the mess up.
Next, what was their procedure? I am sure they did
do at least Universal Code of isolation.  But that is not
enough. All of which they have since found out.
Had this happen say 3 weeks later, they might have
been on board.. but then again.. who knows.

See when I worked in the nursing home.. we knew the
Universal Code. We practice it over and over. But it is
no where enough for Ebola.

To start off, when I first went to work in 1986, we didn't
even use gloves. Because we washed our hand constantly.
We washed our hands when we went into the room, and
we washed them before we left the room.  We had a cleanser
that we also used that killed germs.  Much like the wipes
they sell now days.

But then along came AIDS.  Then we went for classes.
Constant updates classes.  It depend on what was needed.
Some times it was just a mask.  BUT ALWAYS GLOVES.
Then with AIDS we were trained to use gloves, mask,
a paper cover for our bodies(gown) that was tied in the back.
And sometimes even paper shoe covers.  Some of it
depended on the patient (resident, in our case). If we
were protecting them from what ever we may be carrying
in, on our shoes, our clothing, and etc.  Other times it
was to protect us, from what ever they had, so we did
not take it to other residents, co-workers or our families,
or ourselves.

Then along came MRSA..  which had no defense as it was
mostly from an over use of penicillin. Also others. But it
was arm and dangerous with nothing to kill it. And higly
contagious.

Also it isn't just the gowning up, and gloves and mask and
booties... it was the taking it off.  And you took it all off
at the door. With another aide who had a bag there waiting.
You put your booties in the bag you have. Then reversing the
gown, so not to touch the outside of that gown. Balling it
up and into the bag. Next the mask... and last the gloves.
You tied the bag up, and then put it into the red bag that
the other aide has waiting.. them holding it with gloves on.
Then it was taken to a restricted area.  Hazard waste area.

Now with Ebola.. you have to do something very similar. But
more so. They have someone help you put on the gown,
booties, mask and gloves. The mask is more than just one for
your face. It has a full over your head, down shoulder length cover.
The person helping you, tapes the wrist area where the gown sleeve meets
the glove. The booties are higher and they are taped to the pants that
goes along with the gown.  Some have booties in the pants, much like
the ones that toddlers pjs are.  NO SKIN SHOWS...  And then you
walk into the room that has the person in it.  Everything in there is
considered hazard waste. All are put in a red bag. And removed each
shift by the last one out of that room.  The removal is like what I stated
up above. With a helper. All double bagged. Second bag is red.. with
the hazard waste icon on it.  There is someone there making sure you
do it exact. Some hospitals have an external middle room between
the room and where every one exits.

Had Texas had that in place, it would have helped a lot and the two
nurses would not be where they are now.

While I would love to tell you, that they work every time....
I can't tell you that. With the scare like it is now.. you probably
have a 99.9% chance it is done right.

But in time.. people get careless. Some don't  follow the code exactly. And
that causes problems. Which is probably the best guess they are the 2%.
but if they are caught.. they can be fired.

As long as we have this on the front burner, in HIGH ALERT, you have
the 99.9% working for you.  The hospitals are on top of this. They don't
want their reputation ruin.

But in the meantime.. with cold season here, which by the way.. has
kill far more people per year, than all of the victims of Ebola over the
years.  So when you are at the grocery store.. use the wipes they
provide.. if they are out, complain.  Wash your hands, wash your
hands.. did you understand what I said.. WASH YOUR HANDS.

Wipe any phone you share with anyone.. family or not... wipe the
door knobs if you can.. carry the little bottle of anti fungus with
you or the wipes.. wipe your hands after touching anything that
is in contact with your office personal.  There are people who
will come to work sick or not... don't want to lose the money.

And if you think that is crazy?  Well we use to put up a sign on
the door of the nursing home each year... "if you have the symptoms
of a cold or flu, please visit at another time."   Yet when we workers
called in because of the same.. we were questioned.. are you sure
you are sick.. surely you can take some cold meds and come in.
Or if you were at work, you were told, surely you can finish your
shift.  Because we were always short staff during cold season.
And I am guilty as charged.. as long as I was walking, I was
working.   We even had a nurse tell a worker on the phone..
well, if you are well enough to get to the phone and call in...you
are well enough to come to work.. and she did.

So be careful out there. Ebola is not around every corner yet. And
it won't be, if everyone follows the UC, and  if you take good

care of yourself... and WASH YOUR  HANDS. 

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Liar's Club Convention

Around 1970 there was a game show called the 
Liar's Club.
Stars would tell a story about something or 
someone and the contestant would have to judge 
if it was the truth or not.

Well, once again we have the country attending a Liar's Club Convention. It happens every 2 years.. and really gets strong every 4 years.  Others called 
it election year.
We have it local and we have it state wide and national wide.

I have a site that I go to, to see what is true and what is not as it gets hard.  it is called FactCheck.com It is a non biases site.. It doesn't 
take sides, it just has the truth.
Some of the stories that people get by with about their opponents is scary. You wonder how they can get away with that.  It is out and out lies. But because the ad says it, some think it is the truth.  
A lot of people do, and repeat it as truth.

I wonder what would happen if all politicians  had to take a pill that made them tell the truth.  Now that would be interesting.

The skeptic that I am.. I look things up and when I see that it is a lie, then the rest of what that person says, is a lie to me.. Which basely means all politicians lie.
They just don't call it lying.. they call it spinning.
My mother use to say, if it looks like a duck, quacks
like a duck and  walks like a duck.. it is a duck..

So spin if you must, but if it sounds like a lie, looks
like a lie.. then it is a lie.. and you belong to the
Liar's club.. and I am tired of trying to figure out
if it is or not. 


Wednesday, October 15, 2014

GOOD BYE SUMMER....

I know, summer has been gone for a while. But the
temperatures have been nice with our Indian Summer.
But today, it is cloudy.. no sun.. and promise of rain.
And I hear the heater kicking in and out.

This past weekend, the King and I put the yard to
bed for the winter.. Gone are the table and chairs, the
lounge chairs, the pots all over, the flowers on the veins.
The yard looks empty.

Still have the deck to do.. being a die heart with my shorts
and the deck with small table and wall art still in place, I
know I might be able to catch a day or two before Halloween.
And the yard sale kites that became yard flags.

But actually, I am almost looking forward to doing fall and
early winter. It is the start of the next section of the year.
The cooking for Christmas part. The chocolate zucchini breads,
the jams and cookies for the Christmas baskets that we
give for gifts.  So it will be emptying out the freezer of
shredded zucchini's and the rest of the things we froze
with cooking in mind for the cooler weather.

So good bye Summer, I really, really did enjoy you this
year. Hopefully with our new greenhouse we can get
a good jump on plants next Spring and start with the
parade in May of yard art coming out of storage and

returning to the yard. 








Tuesday, October 14, 2014

It is all in the numbers..

We all have heard on the news daily.. the scare of Ebola.
So far a little over 4,000 people have died of it, in the 
world.  One in the USA..

Don't get me wrong, I take it serious.. very serious.. but I
refuse to fall in to the scare tactics  the news media and
internet have thrown at us..

You see it is all in the numbers... Here are a few that
I have come across...

5 million people will have what is considered a serious case
of influenza. 250,000 and 500,000 flu deaths per year

Estimated that 175,000 cases of pneumonia occur
with a fatality rate of 5-7%, roughly 55,000 people die 
of pneumonia each year - in USA

this I got from one of the National illness sites.

Number of deaths for leading causes of death

·                     Heart disease: 596,577
·                     Cancer: 576,691
·                     Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 142,943
·                     Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 128,932
·                     Accidents (unintentional injuries): 126,438
·                     Alzheimer's disease: 84,974
·                     Diabetes: 73,831
·                     Influenza and Pneumonia: 53,826
·                     Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 45,591
·                     Intentional self-harm (suicide): 39,518

Over 33, 000 die per year in auto accidents..
which by the way is less than the 54,000 of 1973....
Nearly 1.3 million people die in road crashes each year,
on average 3,287 deaths a day in the world. an estimated
5,419,000 crashes 

Estimated 1,665,540 new cancer cases diagnosed and 
585,720 cancer deaths in the US. Cancer remains the
second most common cause of death ..

So you see .. with the law of average, you have more
of a chance of dying in a car accident, of heart attack,
of cancer.. after all.. we all know more than one person
who has died of cancer.. and some who have survived.
Or even the common cold, flu or Pneumonia, than
we have a chance to die of Ebola.

Yet, we don't see the media running around
screaming about those deaths.

To be honest with you.. the one that the kids
are getting and one has died so far.. is scaring
me more.. and not because I will get it but it
is getting one of the weakest of us.. children.
the EV-D68 Respiratory illness. 32 states have
someone or more with it.. Now that is scary.

Not the numbers listed above, but still scary. 

Monday, October 13, 2014

Spending time with a grandchild...

99% of my grandchildren have been raised
in other states than I live in.  Had the privilege
to have one raised in the same town..

So to get to spend some one on one time with one
of my grandchildren is always great. And never taken
for granted.
I have had water fights with two of my grandson's
over the years. Falling down with laughter.
I have had some serious conversations with my
adult grandchildren.  Every time, these precious
moments, mean a great deal to me.

So this past weekend was no exception. We, as
a family went to see the deer in Hope. With the
King, they went to see the bears.  But then the
parents went to my daughter's house, while
we had the pleasure of our granddaughter.

When grandchildren are on the edge of adulthood,
senior in high school.. you know your time is starting
to wan. As it is their time to test their winds and fly.
So time is precious.

Our time with our granddaughter was spent at
a sushi restaurant, as the King and this grand
child.. LOVE SUSHI.. not just like it .. LOVE IT.
We found a restaurant that had  both sushi and
other food. As much as they love sushi, I
don't..    So we had a wonderful dinner
together, as the generation discussion blended
over the love of the food, with granddaughter
and grandfather. .

We came home and being the King had been
up early to go hunting, he headed to bed. and
my granddaughter and I headed to the movies.
I had asked her which one of the movies we
saw in the paper would she like to go see.
After hearing the list, she named ANNABELLA.
I googled this movie, as she said it was a scary
movie.. I don't usually do scary movies. What
I saw on the internet... was a female CHUCKY.
OH, BOY..  this is going to be something else..
But I was game.  After all I don't get to spend
time with her by myself. We live 6 hours apart.

We got at the theater, sat down front, as that
is where she wanted to sit. I think I would have
picked by the door, easier to run. lol.. After
we got settled in, about 6 teenage boys
came in and sat about 3 rows down from us.
After carrying on a bit.. loud and lot of talking.
We looked at each other, and almost said the
same thing.  Teenage boys.. can be weird.
She added Idaho teenage boys.. told me
that in Washington they were a little more
quiet.  Just before the lights go down, about
10 more teens joined the boys.. Both boys
and girls.

We settled in to the movie.. knowing full well
when we saw the ugly doll, things were not
going to go well. Thru the movie there were
times it was suspenseful, and others were
thing just jump out of the side of the screen
and made you jump. Some times I closed
my eyes.. and some times I looked thru
my fingers.. Monster can't get past fingers.
lol... The teens in front of us were reacting
with yells, groans, jumps in the appropriate
times.  One girl on the isle across from us
startled all of us with her scream. But the
one that was the best.. during a really scary
part... everyone had a reaction.. and just
before the protective fingers when up to
protect me from the scene, I saw one of
the teenage boy up in front, jump and
scream like a girl.. of which my grand
daughter and I looked at each other and
started to laugh.. taking the scary part away.
This young man had been the macho guy
when they arrived.. so it was a riot to see
his reaction.  My granddaughter and I
talked about it, laughing as we left the
theater.

We went to Wal-mart as my microwave
decide to die that day. She picked out
a white one for me, to go with my other
appliances... I almost got a black one, but
she made sense.

When we got home and she installed the
microwave... we had some nice conversations.

A end to wonderful day.... so THANK YOU ...
Miss. BMW... not the car, but her initials.
We so enjoyed our time with you.. So thank
you for coming and hanging out with the old

folks.