The story behind Halloween, according to Barbara

A zillion years ago, when my kids were young,

we lived in Jamestown, R.I. for a short time.

During that time, Halloween came.

There was a beautiful woman name Barbara,

who was my brother’s sister in law.

She, also has a slew of kids, decided to

take the newbies (us) trick or treating..but

first we had to go to Mass. It was

All Hollow Eve, Mass.   And of course,

not being a Catholic, I had not a clue what

All Hollow Eve Mass was.  So she explain

it to me…

All Hollow Eve was when the people celebrated,

harvest and communicate with their love ones

who passed before.

So they would go to the grave site and celebrate

being close to their love ones..  They would

wear scary mask to scare off the evil spirits.

And bring treats to leave at the grave.. flowers

and etc. They would bring food in their festive

times…  and using cut out pumpkins with

scary faces to be placed in the cementary to

ward off the evil spirits..

I thought that was a pretty neat story. I think

She said it came from the Irish.. not really

sure, so don’t quote me.

So each Halloween, Barbara… I think of you

and the fond times we had together… I hope

your family follows thru with your thoughts. 

Most likely not finished.....

Things that are on the list of

“Most likely not finished…”

Diet

Songs (forgot the words)

Glass of wine

Projects (be they household, or vehicle)

(my mother had a chest full of unfinished shorts, blouse, skirts, from my home ec. class) (lack of interest or money)

Friendship (be it anger or death)

Blogs (see below)

Idea (run out ideas of how to end)

Book (put down and not picked up again

A nights sleep (a loud noise in the house or problems)

College classes

Jobs (fired, or laid off)

new years resolutions

How many can you add to the list?

The Joke is on me.....

Many years ago.. at least 30 and maybe even 40,

I purchased this wonderful eagle ….. you can see,

that I kept all the paper work.. Explaining how it

Is “limited series”….

In my housekeeping and downsizing my good stuff,

I came across my eagle and his paper work. The

box fell apart a few years ago..  but I kept the rest.

After all, this will be worth collectors money later..

I thought, I am going to google it and see if it is.

And sure enough… there it was… for sale on

E-BAY… My heart started to flutter, until my eyes

looked down…

Americana Collection Birds in Flight "AMERICAN BALD EAGLE" Porcelain & Wood Base

100% Positive feedback

Item condition: Excellent condition figurine and base. There are no chips, stains, cracks, crazing, repairs or anything.

Used

Price:US $1.96

$11.48 Economy Shipping  

As you can see the joke is on me… There were

several for sale.. the highest price was $5.00 and

that was for the ROYAL edition.. and mine is only the

Americana edition… so worth a mere… well, you can see.

So into the Goodwill box it will go.. oh, yea.. I looked to

see the number on it.. there is no number.. why didn’t I

catch that years ago… guess my eyes never went

pass “Limited Edition”

So 30-40 years later… it will cost more to ship it,

than to get my money out of it.. Because I think

I paid something like $14.95 for it. Wonder …does

IRS, give allowances for depreciation in art work?

Because I am running at….at least a $12.00 lost.

I got nothing to do.....

Well, that isn’t necessarily true..

I feel like the kid during summer… I’M BORED

I GOT NOTHING TO DO… lol

But I have a lot I could do.. like clean out my file cabinet.

I could clean out my back room and rearrange

things. None of them sounding appealing..

Next month is the big cook off..

Where I cook all the zucchini breads, cookies

and etc. for the Christmas baskets.. So that

will keep me busy…

Well, I better go find myself a small project to

get myself going.. Going to be a long winter..

The Bathroom Door......

As any mother of more than one child will tell

you, the bathroom door was a shield.  For just

a few minutes if you are lucky, it shield you from

the world on the other side.  You could hear, but

you couldn’t see.. and what you didn’t see, didn’t

bother you so much.  And seeing tiny fingers

sliding under the door, amused you for a few

minutes.  Later to be replaced by kitten paws.

But to those children.. who are on the other side,

It is the WAILING WALL…    There was no peace

for the mother on the inside.. As there was usually

Wailing on the other side.. starting off with just a

few words…  MOOOOOOOOOOOOOM, Janey,

Won’t let me watch cartoons on television.

MOOOOOOOOM, Joey won’t let me make my own

sandwich. MOOOOOOOOOM….Fred said I am a

bugger.  MOOOOOOOOOOOM, Joey said he is

going to hit me, if I tattle on him anymore. MOOOM,

Well you get the idea…  Then it changes into the

DEBATE AREA… and the trapped parent is the

Judge.  As they speak for their case…..

Yep, the good old bathroom door…

I wonder if that is still true, after all, each child now

has a cell phone, or a game that entertains them

with out their sibling interfering.

Some are replaced by husbands who are trying

to find lost things.. Hon, where is the pan I like to

use, or his favorite jacket…. And of course the kitten paws, that reach thru, trying to open the door. Or the whining

dog who didn’t make it thru the door when you went in 

3 down and then the big test....

We have the 3 debates done and over.

As such as they were..

The first one, a friend and I made it thru

30 minutes and we couldn’t take anymore.

She is a true red Republican and me, the

Cafeteria Party. Anyone reading my blog

over the years knows that I started the

Cafeteria Party during the Bush election

number 1.  But we were equally sick of

the whole thing, and figured we had

better thing to do.. even it was to wash

our fingernails.

The second and third ones, I lasted 3

and 5 minutes.  Number 2 I switched

over to the Green Bay Packers game

as, surprisingly NBC did not carry the

debates.  And number 3, it was Carol

Burnett and then Mash. Much more

enjoyable.    Of course, having already

voting the absentee ballot, I had not

a horse in these two races.  

Thank goodness they are over with. I

think the worse ones in all of history.

Now we wait for the end results.  And

that can’t come too soon… but then

I can hardly wait 4 more years when

we get to go thru this again.. pending

that I am still alive to see it. Actually

nice if I was Rip Van Winkle… and slept the 4 years.  

The Umbilical cord

I have often joked about the King’s

cell phone being his umbilical cord.

without it.. he is so lost.

Me? I gave up my cell phone almost 14

years ago. I kept leaving it on the table

anyway.. so cancelled it and saved 30

some odd dollars, when I retired. So I don’t care.

But have found my umbilical cord. The

Internet. …  I had to do from Monday night

to Tuesday late morning… without.

I could think of so many things I could do

IF ONLY I had my internet. It wasn’t just

Facebook connecting with my friends and

family, but other things as well..

With the losing of my hearing slowly but surely,

It is easier to communicate with my family by

emails or messages.  So leaving a note that night

was frustrating.    I did find out one of my friends

did miss me as she messaged me ..and wondered

if I was ok.. She is a sweet person…

Funny, when I was down in Portland most of

July and August and part of Sept.. 10 days at

a time with out internet… I was fine.. but at home

It was harder..  Guess because I was so busy

down there.. I didn’t have time to miss it so much,

and had left messages to the ones I talk to the

most that I was going to be gone.

Funny how we become attached to our electronics. 

no server

Today's (Tuesday)  post has been cancelled due to lack of server overnight and in this am..

Catalogs

Address for sale or rent……

I will give you off, 50 per cent…

This is the time of the year of

catalogs… Good grief.. some

one had to sell my name and

address off to someone, or I should

say to the nation..

I am getting at least 3 to 4 catalogs

daily…

My post office box is horrible on the

weekend. As that is the day I get my

bonafide magazines.  Meaning the

ones I actually ordered.  Not the ones

that they send to me..in hopes that I

will order a subscription.  So add to

that about 3 to 5 catalogs.. it is so

packed,  it is hard to get my mail with

out ripping it.

There are some days I have gotten 6

of those darn things.  From companies

I didn’t even know existed. Selling every

thing from holiday food to health products.

Which that in its self can be embarrassing.

The ones with vibraters   in them.. for your

neck.. OH, SURE.. like I believe that.  They

are sex toys, gentlemen.. so putting it with

the heating pads, and stockings for compressing

your legs.. doesn’t cut it..

Be glad when the election is over and I will

Be glad when the holidays are over. 

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES...

We have a heck of series of rain and wind storms

coming in for the next 3 days.. Starting tonight.

Winds up to 45 to 60 gusting is what they say.

Seems there is a storm coming out of Japan, a

Typhoon type. Which will be kind of toothless

by the time it gets across the Pacific, but

never the less can be a mess.

So checked the yard for anything that could possibly

be flying ammo… Got jugs of water, in case the

electric goes off..downtown at the plant.  Have

enough non cooking food, just in case.

Batteries are good in the flashlights… candles are

easy accessible.

Growing up in hurricane land… you get to know

what to have ready. Oh, yea.. and books to read.

So we should be good to go. 

This and that....

A beautiful day… cold for sure.. ice in the dogs

water bowl… but sunshine all day. We finally

got to see the mountain. And as you can see

the snow season has started.  I am sure that

the snow will disappear and then reappear

shortly later, for the serious stuff. And the

Skier’s delight.

So I got busy outside. It felt so good. First

with sweater and coat, then peeling off

the coat.. and later the sweater as I finished

up the final yard winterizing. And the King

taking one more run across the lawn with

the mower.   Spending over all 3 or more

hours out there. My body has muscles

that I was not aware of.. and surely know

where they are now.  Even took a short

nap as I started to read a magazine. I

was beat.

As I watched the news, of course the debate

Is the top topic.  So I decided to give a name

to each of them.

First debate…Bobble head, giggles Hilary

Whose head constantly bobbed, as she giggled away

Second debate..Getting to know you…

getting to know about you.. But with a change

of words… Telling about you, telling all about

you…

3 more weeks, right? Then the nation picks the

biggest ass of the nation. God help us, that we

get a good Congress. They spent the last 8 years

blocking everything Obama… now maybe they

can work and take away the executive order privileges.

And you know in 4 years or less these two will be at

each others cocktail party laughing about how they

tried to undo the other.  Don’t think so.. looking at

Clinton and Bush buddy buddy act.

Just nothing to say...Them and Me...

I watched a total of 10 minutes of the debate

last night… I had no pony in this race, after

all, as you know.. I already voted and sent it

in..

I say total, because I watched the Green Bay Packers

and New York Giant game.  While I like football, these

are not my favorite.. so that tells you how desperate I

was to find something else…     

So I watched about 4 minutes at the beginning, and

checked back twice during the game… all the same

stuff.. Nothing new..  same old b.s.    But as I watched

Donald try to answer or maybe I should say, get around

answering a question… one person came into mind.

Sarah Palin.. the double talking candidate of a few

years ago… You know.. say a lot of words, that don’t

necessarily have anything to do with the question.

So shook my head and went back to watching the game

until 60 minutes came on.  

Disappointing....what happen to N.O.W.

My generation of women were the ones who stood

up for women’s rights.. Not to be confused with the

Hero’s of the 1880’s to1920’s and etc.. who really started the Women’s Rights Movement.. Going to jail, protesting

before protesting was cool..

But the 1970’s women, who stood up, who protested,

who were ridiculed by men and those in office…

Fought long and hard.. Were considered gay because

they gathered together to fight the good fight. To

bring on lawsuits of sexual abuse, sexual harassment

And  unfairness in the work place.  And still fighting for

equal wages for equal job description, even though

there was a law already passed.  Doing this not

only for us, but for our daughters, and granddaughters,

and etc.

SO…WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE

WOMEN WHO ARE GIVING DONALD TRUMP A

PASS…. ON HIS LATEST GARBAGE MOUTH?

Does his family give it a .. oh, that is just dad or

Donald spouting off.. being dad? Oh, he doesn’t

mean it?   THEN why the hell did he say it?

And those who are not related to him in anyway,

What is wrong with you women?  My generation

did not fight for this kind of treatment.. verbal or

not.  No, I am not giving Bill Clinton a pass on it

either.. but at least Bill tried to cover his over.

Nor his wife who gave him a pass..she should

have stood up against him.. but I guess the marriage

counselor give her points for forgiviness and "standing
by her man".

Trump brags about it.. only apologized when he

had to.

And men, you don’t get a pass either. Would

you say this was acceptable if he was talking

about YOUR WIFE.. YOUR DAUGHTER?

Would you leave them alone in a room with this man?

If not, then why are you giving him a pass?

N.O.W. President Betty Friedan must be spinning in

her grave.

Yearly prep work....

I go kicking and screaming into the good night of winter.

Had to break down and get my wooly pjs out. Changed the sheets from summer to the mid sheets.. (they are the ones

made of t-shirt material.  Too soon for the flannel or fleece.

And the heater, which is set at 65, kicked on yesterday

morning.

Winter, oh, winter do not knock on my door… Let Fall and Indian Summer last for a little while longer…

NAA NAA ...NAA NAA....

I won’t be posting about the election anymore,

unless these two can  out do their idiotic that

they do now.

You see… I VOTED… YES, LADIES AND

GENTS….  I used the absentee ballot.  Because

I don’t want to go to the zoo that I think our voting

particular one has maybe 200 voters.

I was not for using mail in ballots in the past. But

We had the school levy and we were going to be

gone…so we went down and put in for it.  And

voted.  Also one of the Senators sent us a

form for a one time for the primary.  And I found

it was actually nice to take my time marking everything,

but also to go on line and look up unfamiliar people

running for one of the office.  And it worked this time as well,

as there were 3, that I never heard of.  So I looked

them up. I looked at their online sites and read it.

It was actually nice.

So over the weekend, we sat down, and voted,

researched.. and tried to make sense out of HR29.

And Monday we mailed them out… Our votes are

casted.. no more b.s.  Yes, we will probably get the

dang calls, but I can cut them off at the pass with

I HAVE ALREADY VOTED..

And no, I am not telling you who I voted for or against.

Last time I did that, was when Obama ran the first time.

A person who I was friends with for a long time, wrote

me off.  Not only wrote me off, but in the process, she

emailed me a vile email about my intelligence, and

parentage, and a few other things she threw in.

Telling me she did not want to be friends with such

Uninformed idiot.

Made me pretty sad as I counted her as a good friend.

But I guess she wasn’t….. to count me off just because

I voted for Obama.

It is a pretty sad thing, that these two… Clinton who

is a chameleon, and Trump … well, there just isn’t any

nice words to use to describe him… are the only ones

who American can put up there for choices.   Where the

heck was the ones who are running for VP, during the

primaries??

11 days without the media...

We were away for 11 days. Which

meant we were without our paper

and magazines, there was no internet

there..and a very limited television seen.

Not even radio…

We visited out daughter, but we

all chose to watch movies, and

only saw a very limited news and

that was local.. This was by choice.

The house we were in, had a working

televison in the back room.. and we

chose to only watch local for the weather,

and about 20 minutes of the debate.

(that is all we could stand)

Again by our choice. 

We chose to talk with the people we

were there to help. Great conversations,

about family… and good times about the

person who passed away, With his 3 sisters,

that we were cleaning out his house.

Even when there was a lull, I chose to read

my Nook.

And now that I am back, looking thru our

magazine and newspapers,that came while

we were gone, The only sadness I felt was

the passing of a dear friend in the newspaper

and the passing of Arnold Palmer.. who I liked.

And THANKFULLY …. Missed the break up of

The Pitt-Jolie bit. 

You know in this day and age..and the horrors

of the media circus of the Ship of Fools… I

can do this easily .. Maybe the King is right.. the

Dead man channel is best… (all the actors

are dead now) that we get over the air antenna.       

We don't relate...

The mores alike we are, the more we aren’t…

It is no wonder we as Americans can’t get along.

We have no concept of what others are alike.

We know there is great differences between the

American life and Europe or Asia and etc.  We see the poor, we see the rich of those countries.. and they are so different that we can’t understand why they do what they do. The ISIS the Syrians, Israel, the Palestine’s… the two sides of the Irish.. even England..  Because we don’t live there. And only see what the media shows us. It is all a National Geographic life to us.

But we have the same here in America. We see by the media, the riots of Missouri, Mississippi and even Philadelphia.  That people in the towns of Montana can’t not relate to how those people get to that point.

We seem to be great at gathering things for any national disaster… look at the 9-11 or Katrina situations.. things came from all over.. The tinest town in any state.. churches gathered supplies to be shipped to those areas. No state, no town refused to help. We all relate to that…

Yet the cattle man or woman of Montana, or any business for that matter in the towns of Montana or even Idaho… maybe even Washington state can relate to the people and their lives in Chicago, Los Angles or even New York City.

Yet we the people.. of each.. want to have laws that fit all.

When our lives don’t fit all.  Those in the western states think of guns as a supply of food, …birds, elk, deer, moose and alike.  We don’t think of shooting people as the main reason to have a gun. We do think of protecting ourselves.. but that is a rare thing for us.  Where in those cities mention above, guns means protecting yourself on a daily bases.. or the means to take from others, what the person with the gun wants.  Or worse yet, to end an argument.  And those cities think of it as a daily bases..  Where when it does happen to us in the west.. we are still at the point, we are horrified that it happen in our towns.

Even daily life… take a child from New York City, Los Angles or Chicago…and place them on a farm in Idaho, Washington, Montana, Arizona and etc.. and that child is overwhelmed with that life style.. Same thing goes with the reverse.   Even when most have seen those life styles on any given media… We just don’t relate to the reality of it.