THROW BACK THURSDAY .. 2014

as we are getting to the END of 2017... and as I posted a week or so ago.. as I CONTEMPLATION if I should continue... or not.. I came across this post of 3 years ago... So I will keep this in mine.. as I decide..  

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2014

Soapbox and lights...

I got a comment sent to me from an old post a couple of months ago.. I think it was listed under telephone books?.

They said they liked my blog and words .. (the usual of spam

lead in) it  was from a I NEED A JOB  Utube site) they asked

a question...but it was a valid question.  Even though I suspect it was more of a spam than real... I decided to answer it anyway.

They asked how did I center myself before I started typing up

my blog.  I answered the best I could with how sometimes I have

an idea and start typing and the rest is history..  Sometimes

I have an word and start typing and it fleshes out... and that I

type out on Microsoft Word and then transfer it over to blogspot.

Because I have typed it up on blogspot and hit publish and

POOF... it was gone.. really gone.. into never never land. And I had to think of what I wrote and do it again. Which doesn't always turn out well.  Also by doing it this way, I can play with it.. correct spelling, add words, take away words.. Then copy past the finish product to blogspot.. and if it fails.. I still have it to paste again.  Works for me. But also some days, I have nothing.. and don't know why I am still here.

Also I was asked why did I start a blog.. And my answer was

someone told me I could do it.. and I was up late at night and

bored... the words "you can do your own blog as easy as 1.2.3. and there I was...  But I said I tried it because, sometimes I have a lot to say.. and I try to keep it humorous as much as possible.

But it also it was my way of a soapbox... my soapbox, and no

one could knock me off of it.. They could make fun of me. They could tell how horrible I was.. but they couldn't knock me off it.   my soap box.....   

The ups and downs of life.....

This past year of 2017, has had its many ups and downs.

It started out with joy… The announcement of one of our granddaughters sending us a save the day, for her wedding. It was going to be in August… We had plan on a trip to the kids on the coast.. so this fit in fine with our plans. As we had promise a return trip for a remodel of one of the boy’s garage.  This is was wonderful….

And after having a hellish year of 2015 and 2016… we were looking forward to some joy in our lives.

But we found out that fate was not done with us yet…. Because in May we lost our oldest daughter.. no warning.. She had a cold but that was all and because she was working even with the cold.. she was getting run down.. but was on a 3 or 4 days off section, so was mending from that.. But one night… she was in her yard.. took a picture of a rose I had gave her the year before..  That it had bloomed.. she was so thrilled… I cherish that picture… because it was the last picture she took and put on Facebook…  as with in an hour later she was walking across her lawn and suffered a massive heart attack. Her neighbors called 911 as there was no one home. 

June brought her celebration of life… So many people came so many tribute her in her good deeds of life… While a parent is proud of their child.. a parent doesn’t expect to hear it at a celebration of life… and a great life she did have.. and so many she had helped over the years..  She was 56.. TOO YOUNG…

And fate wasn’t done yet…. As also in May, my son in law found out he has cancer… so long sessions of chemo in the future.. and add to that, his sister is fighting cancer as well…

In August, as planned we attend a wonderful.. wonderful wedding of our granddaughter.. a great day in deed.  Then a few days we were on our way to our son’s to help with the remodel… Wonderful great memories, built as well, with the whole family.

The fall brought hunting season..  and produce a deer and later an elk for the King…  and we celebrated Thanksgiving with family….  

Heading in to Christmas, we had snow come in for an early visit.. adding 15 inches in 12 hours..  Snow blowing and plowing and shoveling…  All part of living in Idaho.. And the beauty of white snow and sunshine days.. and dips to the below 0… and now the hacking coughs…

Yep…a true up and down years… may 2018 treat us all well … and continuing good health for all of us.. especially the ones still fighting cancer in our family… 

I have had better Christmas’s

Finally Christmas is over… and this year is not on the top of the list of great Christmas’s.

See the King and I spent our day in our pj’s because we didn’t have the energy to do much more…  We missed out on the family Christmas dinner at our daughter’s house.

It isn’t because we didn’t want to go.. it is just that we were not in good enough condition to be with others.

We are firm believers of not sharing the gift that keeps on giving.. meaning a cold, or flu or any other malady of choice.

This year, just a mere 4 days before Christmas.. we were blessed …. NOT….. with a dry cough cold. First two days is sore throat and headache.. but the rest of the day.. cough cough cough ..  we have stereo coughing in our house. First the King got it.. then me.

So our day was spend with no energy, open a couple presents… snack on a few things.. like toast and some soup and coffee…  and watch a marathon of THE SOPRANO’ year 3 and 4…

We were sent by the way my daughter and her sister in law Debbie, a care package of food… Bless them..

I think of an old saying of my mothers… THIS TOO SHALL PASS….. I sure hope so, because this is not what I had in mind for the holidays..

THIS SAYS IT ALL..

this is my great grandson.... my daughter took the picture (it is copyrighted)  and it says it all
Christmas is a day in the eyes of a child.. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS.... TO YOU ALL 

today is my brother birthday..he would have been 73

This was written 4 years ago... I came across  yesterday.... I had wrote it to him. for his 69th birthday.. that ended up being his last one..  As he past away the following July. 

, DECEMBER 23, 2013

69 years later, and still tormenting the kid....

Today is my kid brother's birthday... he is 69.

Geesh, he is getting old.

Over the years we have had some good times,

some bumpy times.. as siblings do.

Lots of memories for sure.

Like when we were kids.. we had our bedrooms upstairs.

His was on one side of the house and mine on the other side. With the stair case between...

Mine had the door ... tiny as it was.. to the attic. The attic

consisted of, more of a crawl space. It slanted with the house eves. About 4 feet high at the wall side, and a foot as the eve side.

The door was only on one side. I don't know why there wasn't a door on the other side, as the crawl space was equal on each side.

BUT... I could remove my bottom draw from my built-in the wall dresser.  I could crawl  thru the hole and come out in the crawl space.  And I could travel down the side of the house to where my brother's bedroom was.  I would crawl down from time to time and make noises on his wall... and then crawl back fast to my side, in thru the drawer slot and put the drawer back. So when my brother would get upset and tell Mom, I was doing something to his wall.. I would be at my door and deny everything.  This worked for years. Until my brother got older.

And faster...

and I left my door open.... 

and he caught me coming back thru the hole.

When Mom and Dad would go out on "date" night, I got stuck with making dinner.  I was making hamburgers. We didn't have buns, we had white bread slices.  So I had put mustard on one side, ketchup on the other side.. and if it was a good night, cheese.

But one night, I had put the bread together, while I was cooking the hamburger.  I turn around and went to put the meat in the sandwich. His was gone.  So I put my meat in mine.. and I sat down and ate it.

We sat there eating for a few minutes... then it dawns on him, there is no meat in his.  Hey, it wasn't my fault he grabbed the bread too soon.

Then there is the time, when I HAD to take him to the Saturday morning movie show. He was a real pain.

Running up and down the aisle, wanting candy...  Well, one day he was in the bathroom, and laughing because he had chocolate candy, and I did not.  I was mad... where did you get that candy, I demanded! He told me I couldn't have any as he ate it all and laughed..  He showed me the wrapper and box... Heck at the age of 11, I didn't know what

EX-LAX was.  All I knew was, he didn't get to go to the movies the next day.  Then when I got home, and was laughing about how he had to stay home... he TOLD MOM, that I GAVE to him...  no explaining was going

to get me out of that one...  Just for the recorded.. I didn't and I didn't know what EX-LAX was. But I did think it was 

funny.

Now that we are older, we still do things, but on a much milder side. Getting cards that are funny and gets to the other.  And when I send him his birthday card, I usually give him advise of what he will be facing when he gets my age. I am 4 years older.

Now we have a card that we send back and forth to each other.

Same card.. just signed again. it is on its 3rd year.  

This year I stuck in a small book with what was going on the year he was born.

Also came across some cassettes that Mom sent me in the 1970's, with them talking on it.. with his brother in law as well... funny, as when they were talking politics, they could have  been talking like it was today.

I guess tormenting the sibling, runs in the family. My father who was 2 years older than his kid brother, still did and they were in their 80's.

SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KID... from the old lady sister... Hang in there, next year you will be 70... and the best is yet to come.   So jump in.. the water is fine.. Being 70 is a blast.

AND I STILL MISS HIM..  I will go get the card out and read the notes on it, as I do each year on his birthday and mine...

Wishing you a Merry Christmas

May you enjoy your families and friends.

May the boxes under the tree fulfill  your

heart's desire...

May you remember the reason why we

have such a day.. the birth of our Savior.

And be respectful of that.

May the weather hold, so families who

travel far and wide ... get to their destination

and back.

May your phone calls bring joy at the sound

of your love ones and old friends voices.

The King and I.. wish you a wonderful day..

full of laughter with all..

HELLO WINTER

THEY SAY THAT A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS... SO THIS IS MILLIONS.. LOL..   WE ENDED UP WITH 15 INCHES....   now the car below had  no snow on it at 5am..

 at 7pm

 our house

 this is the neighbors house

 ours

 my car and antenna

 This was at 10am..

Deep freeze is next.. temps in the teens

Matt Lauer Christmas Story

Matt Lauer must feel like he is in the movie Christmas Story.. you know the one of Scrooge….

He is having his Christmas Past reviewed  before his eyes …if he is watching the media.

His Christmas Present is being the here and now with him.. living it.. 

And then there is Christmas Future… who knows what that will be. All brought to him and for that matter to all of us .by his very own employer.. or I should say his ex-employer.  Being brought all to you by what was rumored last Spring to be his replacement, until the NBC decided to renew his contract this summer. But here is the rumored replacement… one Meagan Kelly. Who is pounding it home almost daily with victims coming out of the wood work. Which is the follow up show from Matt’s old stomping grounds.. the TODAY SHOW.

Also I wonder what was going thru his mind when he was interviewing before… different victims and some of the accused. Did he think they won’t find out about me.. was he that arrogant?  Or was he shaking in his shoes wondering when and if, the other shoe would drop on him?

He used to do a thing in the summer called WHERE IS MATT LAUER?  Kind of a where’s Waldo, type of a deal. Where he would be in different states or countries each day. But now it is the joke of….. WHERE IS MATT LAUER NOW?

Now hiding from the press…. How ironic.. the very thing that was the biggest part of his life. 

I declare today to be

I declare today to be

By the way of Facebook and blog land.. I declare….

HERE YE, HERE YE…this day forth… Winter Mondays will be know as ALL DAY PJ DAY….

Those in the work force can use Sunday… but for the rest of us.. Monday is the day.. and totally celebrated the whole day.

Changing into clean pj’s after my shower tonight.

It is easy for me.. because on Monday, I get up and grab a cup of coffee, and then head to get the laundry and get the washer going.  I then straighten up the bathroom.. Wipe down the counter, sweep the floor, mop if needed  Then head in to get my breakfast of champions ready..  That would be granola type cereal, cut up strawberries or blueberries, with half of my coffee added for fluid.  Sound probably kind of gross to you, but actually it is quite good.

Then it is remove the wash and put it in the dryer, add the next set of clothes to the washer.  Straighten up the kitchen. Declutter the living room.  By that time the dryer has stopped, Unload, add the other clothes from the washer to the dryer..   Go fold the clothes.. that is if Misty hasn’t beat me to the pile.. as she LOVES warm clothes to snuggle in. A lot of times she burrows in to the middle of it all. 

Anyway, that is how my mornings go on Monday, so changing into clothes is forgotten half the time.  So it is easy to have Monday be a pj day. Afternoon is planning what is for dinner and prep cooking.

During late Spring, Summer and Fall, I don’t have time for pj’s,  it is clothes right away. Got to go get things done outside.. after I throw the wash in the washer.

The coming of 2018

Here we are.. over half way thru December, and almost at the end of 2017.. Soon we will all have to remember to put the 8 in 2018. 

2018…. What surprises do we have coming in the new year. As our lives change, with the new tax policy .. that is if they can agree on what to charge us.  We all ready know it isn’t going to be a fair one…  With the top bread winners money being taxed at 10% less..  But there is double the deductible for each person.. And who knows what it is going to mean to the rest of us..  With deductions being omitted reportedly…  and then reportedly being put back in.. some of them..  It is definitely a wait and see.. And I presume, although they have not said.. it all really beginning for us to know .. in 2019 when we have our taxes done, for 2018..  I think.. who knows.

And who knows what is in store for us, on all fronts. After all at the beginning of 2017, we didn’t have the raging fires, the horrible wiping out islands hurricanes of this year before. And of course the storm of late.. the sexual harassment cases that are still coming out daily.  So who knows what will be the headlines for 2018

What or how will this all end?

More and more men are being ousted with the sex scandals’. And now there is one who commit suicide.  

At the end of the day, where is this all going to go? The first answer is how women are treated.. That is the oblivious answer .. But what else?

Will there be law changes?  Will there be charges against the men, that we have learned about?  And will some get a pass and some punished?  So far it isn’t very even. All the media types (actors, directors and newsmen) are history, and some of the Congress …. So far only Democrats that I have read about.. But the rest.. The President, on down.

And what changes..  I am a professed skeptic… so will it be a trivia question in a year or so?  About the big scandal?  Or will there be actual results?

One of the reasons I am so skeptical, is that this business of making women a lesser person… a play toy,  ice candy.. or arm candy… goes way back.. hundreds of years.. maybe even thousands.   We all know about the women get the vote. And what they endured to get that.. The beatings, imprisoned.  We know in the 1880, the land belong to the men..  We see by the old Westerns and the newer ones.. women were call girls, for the men of the west, that worked in the bars..  Even singers who were a step up, was run by a man, who were not the fatherly type.

    

Hollywood.. from the being of time.. the couch rehearals, that made stars out of many, because they knew that was the price they had to pay..  How many men had to go thru the same to get to be the same kind of star.. None.. unless the director was gay and of course that was hidden for many years.

Even in the service.. any woman who complained about harassment by superiors was on deaf ears.. Even drummed out of the service for making up “lies” about the officer. Those who kept their mouths closed , who knew there was nothing that were going to be done (but trashed their names..)  were allowed to continue in the service…

Like I said.. hundreds of years.. maybe even thousands, and you think this is all going to change now that women are standing up…….  Some of them..  After all there are complains of many against so many, yet it is only a few who are willing to go thru the process of being called a liar, doing it for the money and etc.. to have their own reputation once again be trashed..  Why would they want to have their face and name put up there?  Where are the lawsuits against these men?  And for many, is the statue of limitation gone by?

So with all of this.. where will this go? How will it turn out in the end? What do you think will come of all this?

It seems like every year..I think..

It seems like every year about this time, I think about the blog and what do I want from it.. or for it to be.  Well, usually that happens about the end of January as I think about the coming month of February and leading to March 5^th the anniversary of the blog.

This year is has been heavier on my mind and earlier. There was a couple times I thought of quitting all together.. but then something would hit me, as I am spending the week deciding if I will or not.

So I end up posting more.

But this year is a little different.. I think some of it has to do about the way the world and especially the nation is going.  So disappointed. I surely didn’t vote for Mr. Trump.. nor Hillary either… but he isn’t the only one there in Wa. DC.

I figured he couldn’t do much damage when I learn he had won… But that is the fly in the ointment.  I thought that Congress would hold him down to common sense and not let him do much damage.  Boy was I wrong on that one.  The executive orders are flying out of that building like snow on a December morning.  More like a dictatorship.. It seems to be mostly anything that had any thing to do in any way shape or form.. with President Obama .. Trump is doing away with it..No matter what the good it might have done for the people of the country.  And it is my understanding that Congress can stop them..but they chose not to.

Only glimmer of hope is Congress has so far, (we will see how the income tax bill comes about) stop him in his tracks, on several things.   Thankfully for a few Republicans who remember why they are there.. FOR THE PEOPLE.  Like McCain and a few others.

But it isn’t just that.. it is the way things are going.. The hatred that is being seen day by day… And of course the media pushes our faces full of it.. Luckily I have seen the good.. the kids who take blankets to the homeless.. and meals… The chef from DC who is cooking on make up stoves for the people of Puerto Rico and the things here local.. Those things save our sanity.

Also I don’t know if I have anymore to add to the subject of anything.

I always said I would keep blogging as long as it was fun.. but it is getting so it isn’t so much fun anymore..  Miss the interchange I had with fellow bloggers.. but several have passed away… and others are starting to slow theirs down as well.. 

So I will wait until the end of the year.. and decide what to do. This is year 12 with the start of 13 coming up in March if I make it.. but I am pretty sure it will be the the 31^st of this month..  And after that.. who knows maybe once a week.. or once a month.. or maybe not at all.  

I think blogs are becoming passé anyway.. everyone is into Instant Chat… Facebook of course.. and other sites.. which I have no interest in.. except for Facebook to keep in contact with my family.

We will see.. how it plays out. 

I am so over Christmas….

Some of it is my own fault.. As I got my gift baskets out already.  Why you say?  So I can get them out of my house. Lol..  also because it is all edible, I figure I would get them out so they can be eaten before everyone one goes on a diet.. also they can share some of them with guest..  as well all get guest at this time of the year.

I am also a BAH HUMBUG type of person..  I can’t remember the last Christmas that I found great joy in. It was some what when the kids were young.. And when the grand kids were young..   But to be honest, if I could go away without hurting anyone’s feelings.. I would.. I go to the beach. I know it is cold  and the weather is not good for traveling. And we decided about 2 years ago, we didn’t want to fly anymore.  Too much trouble. And now they want you to have some kind of special id to fly… even in the USA..  That it is getting more and more that they don’t want to have your state drivers license, unless your state has the new and update.  But there is also the lines, there is the new so called improved sign in.. you don’t deal with human’s anymore for most of it..  Then there is the search down of your body and luggage.. Extra charge for everything.  All of this I just don’t care to do anymore. My patience is too short… And to me it isn’t worth the hassle. If we can't drive to it.. we don’t go there. 

So home we are.. and we will keep smiling for others that really do enjoy the whole process…   It is just to me.. I feel I did my time… let the younger generation take it over..  And it way over commercialized. 

The mores of today, brought to you by yesterday.

The past months have had every media source full of the scandals of sex abuse.. either the actual act or the behavior.  Meaning words, or actions with out touching.    

Some can’t understand where this is all coming from. What gives the common man the desire or thought of doing this.. We already know about corruption of the corporations of America as well as overseas.

Ask any Japanese woman and so many other ones.  We won’t even discuss Mid East where women are like furniture..

But really people..  look at advertising.. it is a huge display of SEX.

How many times have you heard the term SEX SELLS… and that it does.. from cigarettes to cars.   Even hamburgers.. remember the ad with Paris  Hilton, laying down, eating one of the famous brands of hamburger skanny dressed? Others less known have done the same. There is hardly a commercial that doesn’t have some sexy woman and some times men.. walking across your screen or looking out at you, with words dripping with undertones…to sell you the product.

Same thing with magazine, especially the ones with the smelly ads..even hunting magazines have gotten in on the play of it … Never see a common homey hunting woman… she is always in her 20’s and well built with a gun.. I live in Idaho, and I am here to tell you, that gal is a rarity.

So it is hard to say, that society doesn’t promote the sexual image, and media surely does.. And this has gone on for years.. maybe even a 100 years..  So no wonder men, thinks everyone woman is like that.. she is just teasing.. that she doesn’t.   What is the saying? She is just playing hard to get..  She will like it, once we get started…

Yea, right..  

Even the courts look the other way, if the woman is good looking and protesting against a man.. Well, she dress the way she was.. so she was asking for it..  We have all heard the excuses..

And granted.. there are some woman who have dress to kill.. with sex on their mind.. or to torment the males.. and are shocked when they are taken advantage of..  they are the 10%.. but it makes it rough for the other 90%.

After all the movies show how a woman wants it.. The movies show it is ok, to slap a woman around.. the games show it is ok to call her names and slap her around and if she protest, you just shoot her..

And we wonder why all of this latest stuff is coming up?  Look around you. 

The Saddest Day

December the 7^th …  still the saddest day…. Most of us over 60 remember this date each year… We not only had it in history classes.. and some of you all, are old enough to remember the day.

I was only a year and ¾ old.

I wonder what the media and other will do today.. will there be words, will there be mention on the news.. or will it become like the day that Kennedy was shot, just a memory for those of us over 60?  After all last month the shooting of Kennedy was barely mention in the facebook daily feed… and I don’t recall the news station that I watch mention it at all. 

And for those of you who are wondering what am I talking about.. December 7, 1941  was Pearl Harbor bombing of our ships by the Japanese planes.  I took care of a woman who lived in Hawaii on that day.  She said she had been to a party the night before. She still had her blue gown on, as they came home late and had been drinking pretty heavily.  It was getting close to Christmas, and everyone was starting to have their Christmas parties.  So she and her husband plopped across their bed.. To be woken up to bombs dropping. At first they thought it was the Air Force practicing in the harbor. Her husband cussing the damn Navy and Air Force, couldn’t they give it a rest, after all it was Sunday!!  As he got up to go to the bathroom, he looked out of the window, and to his horror.. he screamed  OH, MY GOD.. THEY ARE BOMBING US..  forgetting he had to go pee, he ran to his car to drive to the base. It was the most horrible day of our lives, she said.  She said it took months before they had a normal day again.. but actually she said.. there was no more normal days.

And for us.. our family..  we lost our dear sister/sister-in-law  2 years ago, on this day.  Depression is hell.. Hell when they are alive and you try to understand… and hell for the family after they are gone.

A sad day indeed… 

Christmas cooking

I have been cooking up things for my baskets that we give for gifts. And yesterday, I made up the Choc. Christmas Pizza…so thought

I would just give the recipe to you all.. so you can make it too. It is fairly easy to do.. lots of mixing up the choc. But after that it is easy.

So here you go …

                     CHRISTMAS   CHOCOLATE   PIZZA

Prep Time: 15 minutes plus refrigerating.   Microwave Cooking Time: 6 Minutes

1 package (12 oz) Bakers Semi-                  1 jar (6oz) red maraschino

   Sweet Real Chocolate chips                         cherries, drained cut in half

1 lb. while almond bark, divided                  3 tab. green maraschino

2 cups Kraft miniature marshmallows                cherries, drained, quartered

1 cup crisp rice cereal                                 1/3 Cup Baker's angel flake

1 cup peanuts                                                                                 coconut

1 teaspoon oil

-Microwave chips and 14 oz almond bark in 2 qt. microwave - safe bowl on HIGH 2 min. stir. Continue microwaving 1 to 2 min. or until smooth when stirred, stirring every 30 seconds.

- Stir in marshmallows, cereal and peanuts. Pour into greased 12 - inch pizza pan. Top with cherries, sprinkle with coconut.

- Micro wave remaining 2 oz almond bark with oil in 1 cup glass measuring cup 1 min.; stir. Continue microwaving 30 seconds to 1 min. or until smooth when stirred, stirring every 15 seconds. Drizzle over coconut.

- Refrigerate until firm. Store at room temperature. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Found this on a Kraft miniature marshmallows package

AND this is what it will look like .... 

It is the beginning of the card race

Each year, you look at your card list and  do you think

how many of these are really going to send one.

Or are they sitting in their home wondering if you are

dropping their name?  

Then there is the sending off and seeing how many come back.

Wrong address, or no longer here.. part of you are sad, as you wonder did they pass away?  And part of the time you are taking your fist and pulling it back and forth, with YES!!

I had a race about 15 years or more ago.. Don’t know what started it. It might have been the start of me making out my cards before Thanksgiving, and sending them out the day before or after Thanksgiving.  Just to get the damn things over with. Lol.. WELL, THAT STARTED IT..  it was like a silent challenge … because one of my girlfriends decided to send me one 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. So I sent one to her the next year.. before Halloween  …  So she sent hers the next year.. before Labor Day…  And I sent mine the following year… before 4^th of JULY… with her following up the first of June.. and me following up before EASTER… that is when she gave up and called a truce…  and we are back to me.. sending my card to her the day before Thanksgiving and her sending whenever…and have each year since.

So when do you send yours out?  Oh, yea .. have you cut down on your cards and send e-cards now?   I don’t like e-cards for Christmas, as I like to hang the ones I receive on a ribbon that goes over the door sill each year… And love the different pictures that are on them. Some personal and get to see how their kids are growing.. and some I have use for pictures on the wall..  But I make an exception with my grandchildren.. as they are into e anything.. 

Gosh I miss programs like….

Watching the 50^th anniversary show for Carol Burnett makes me remember what great shows there were..  And laugh… It was so great..

Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner and Tim Conway.

What a great crew…. Who made us laugh week after week.. So funny that they would even crack each other up..  I remember one time that Dick Van Dyke was on, and there was a sketch about an elephant, that Tim Conway was describing.. by the time he had finished all of the comedians were on the floor.. no one could care on.

Those were the day.. Where it was good clean fun. No one had to be nasty to each other, there was no cussing.. just down home good fun.

Vicki Lawrence went on to play Momma.  Having a show of her own that Carol would show up once in a while.

The first time I saw Carol Burnett, was on a day show called the Gary Moore Show.. she was so funny, yet she could sing as well..   And the last special that I can think of, that I saw, was her with Lucy Ball. Both of these ladies were in their 60’s + years.. and what great bodies and legs..  and sooooooooooooo funny…

GOSH, I MISS THAT KIND OF ENTERTAINMENT.. Is it the time or the type?  When even life was simplier.. I miss those days

I am a hugger

I am a hugger.. and so is my husband..  

 One time.. a fellow employee came to the work place, and was crying because she was a juror and was upset because of the case.. my husband who has always been a hugger.. hugged her and told her, he felt bad about her being upset... two days later she filed a sexual behavior against him.. thankfully all those above him, knew he was just trying to console her, as some of the female employees did as well later.. so it was dropped.. but I bet if it was done today, in this environment.. he would lose his job..

All of this is going to change me.. and I have had a talk with my husband.. which is a sad state of affairs... as hugging.. in my mind, is an acceptance of the person, and also to comfort... it has been an automatic feeling... I have told new people.. as I do, that I am a hugger... so I guess I have gave forewarning.. I just find it sad.. I worked in a nursing home.. and I would on occasions hug them.. they, almost melted in my arms because they missed human contact so much... I will continue to hug my family.. but will now have second thoughts on anyone else.. I still find that sad.

And where does the pendulum stop?  Which, when all of this came out.. I wondered.. about the alleged abuse… the person is found automatic guilty… With the Garrison Keillor, case, that it is said to be an intent of comfort, that made the woman uncomfortable.. which he apologized twice, and was told by her… to not to worry about it… and then with all that is in the news.. she has lawyered  up. 

So what happen to the way of America? You know, not guilty until proven guilty?  Now it is guilty and judged, losing your job….no court hearing?  No putting the person on leave until further investigated?  Now that I find scary.. And why is it not the same for politics?

Now don’t get me wrong.. some of these men are sleezy.. and have done the worse..And yes, they should have to pay for it.. as it has gone on for too long, with the good ole boy system..  But where do you drawn the line.. of Sleezy to someone who was trying to comfort, and it didn’t turn out that way.. for the hugee?

As November fades out...

In fades December, with a crash and bang of the commercial season..  Some call it Christmas season  or the Holidays, but it is commercial season thru and thru.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us.. now they are trying to spread it through out the week. And I am sure they will come up with another name for December to the 25^th.

Also there is the feel good music, and bright lights to bring the shoppers in.. and of course the ads on television and across every internet site.

I am lousy at Christmas.. I am a real humbug person.

Only good thing I find is, the way people…. well some people treat others, kinder for a couple weeks.  If only we could bottle that up and serve it the rest of the year.

Hopefully it will fly by fast, just like summer did.

Occupations that I would never be good at.

Fishing, fly tying…  You know .. circle the wire around, the up and over the feather parts, and thru the eye of something aruther.. (my own word) … tiny, dinky, stuff… no patience.

I didn’t do well as a seamstress either.. my mother had a few started but never finished projects of mine in a trunk for years.

Any thing that entails sitting in one spot, doing tiny little stuff with tiny parts.. is not my bag.. Now I use to smash cars for scrap iron.. (no, not on the road, those who have read my blog for years, know that I used a huge square iron)

I took care of the elderly, cleaning up all kinds of stuff. And ducking when there were swings coming my way.. as sometimes happens when you take care of the confused.

But small stuff.. count me out..

Candy maker is another occupation, I would have to pass on. Especially one where you have to dip what ever into chocolate.  Like strawberries, or cherries..  Nor pretzels.

You know where you get the chocolate really runny, and then you take tongs and dip the pretzel into the chocolate.

I found that one out over the weekend.   I make baskets of goodies for my friends, with bread, cookies, some have bacon wrapped jalapeno’s … and etc.  Well, this year I decided to give dipped pretzels a go.

After all how hard can it be to just dip it in, and put it on parchment paper?  Well, first off, you have to know how to melt the chocolate.  Now being one who doesn’t like to stand and stir forever.. in a double boiler pot… when I spotted you can do this in the microwave, I knew I had it made.

NOT…  first I went with chips because I wanted several different flavors.. besides, just chocolate and white chocolate.

I now have a small blob of caramel in a sandwich bag.  Plus a larger blob of dark chocolate… and medium size of bark chocolate blob.

How did this happen?  I did get one half of the bark chunk to get running and I was able to make all kinds of pretzels with that.  But when I went for the white.. well, it is now a white chocolate blob.   So I went on line to find out what the heck I did wrong..  Seems they can’t have ANY AT ALL moisture. Not a drop.. other wise it seizes..   you know like seize the day?  Well, this not that kind of seize..  and I am here to tell you it is not a good thing. And the chips recipe told me to put in 1 tablespoon of whipping cream.. NOT A GOOD IDEA.

And that is why I have 3 bags of seized stuff.

So I got the rest of the white bark.. put it in a super duper dry glass bowl.  And wa-la… it is runny.. and it is sticking to the pretzels.   So off and running with some more. 

Now I bought two large bags of pretzels.  I used half of one.  Two reasons.. one is because I was running out of stuff to do the dipping with… second.. to me  … dipping pretzels is right up there with putting tinsel on the Christmas tree.  At first you start with dipping carefully, making sure it is all covered.. then you tap the tongs on the side of the bowl to get the excess dipping stuff off… tap tap tap..about 10 times.. before you get to see daylight between the folds holes.

About 30 later it is tap tap tap.. about 5 times. When you are up to 50 or so.. it is tap tap and we are good.  So it has the dip in the holes of the folds.. extra candy.. folks…How can that hurt?

I have enough pretzels for my baskets.. and maybe even enough for the bus shop mechanic crew that the King use to work with..  And next year.. OH, NO..not this girl.. I might be not too sharp, but I am no fool.  Nope.. a candy maker I will never be.  

The fall out of the sex scandals......

Like I said, they are falling like flies..   BUT..

What about the innocent?  Not talking about the women who put in the complains… 

But what about the ones who surround that accused?  Look at the Cosby deal…  Has anyone seen the Bill Cosby Show since?  What a shame… all those actors get no residual for it playing..  all of the actors .. get a paycheck at the end of the year for how many times a show plays across the nation and maybe even overseas..  With the show cancelled in so many markets..now each of those actors get NOTHING..  What a shame.  To punish one, you punish many.

Same thing with each of the ones who are accused.. With out jury of guilty (I am sure most are) but..  the accused is guilty in the eyes of the nation, so the companies are firing them left and right. All but the politicians, of course.  

What about their people… the secretaries, the go for person, the drivers, and so many other staff members.. what about them?  They have all lost their jobs and they didn’t do anything..  most of them didn’t know what was going on behind closed doors.  The innocent punished … 

Losing one's youth stars....

Seems like a lot of people in the entertainment business are passing away… 

Just in the past couple days, we have had Della Reese, the AC/DC guy Young, country music great.. Mel Tillis.  

And I don’t even like putting in the same sentence.or paragraph… . Charles Manson…. And while it isn’t very Christian like… I am glad to see him gone..  saving the tax payers money.. the cost of keeping the human…. and I use that word loosely on him, alive….    The dictionary .. should use his picture of what does evil look like.  He makes my skin crawl..  I can’t think of the actor who played him years ago in Helter Skelter… but that guy scared the bejueses out of me.. and even knowing he was just an actor… it still made my skin crawl.  It is a wonder I didn’t have nightmares for nights after.  And every time he was in the news for a re-up on his parole, which thankfully was turn down..he would creep me out.

But as for the rest.. they are all part of my youth. My younger years.. pass my childhood.   But as I was raising my kids.. The one that surprised me was Young from AC/DC.. thinking he was in his 40’s it turns out he was 61.   But as I get older…the stars of my growing up, are passing away.   

They are falling like flies....

Each day another one or two public people, (so far just men) are accused, or the legal saying… “alleged” with sexual abuse.  No occupation is safe.  From ministers, politicians to entertainment

men…. Actors, CEO’s…television, the big screen… Some are banished from their job, one even taken out of a film and another replaced him…(that had to be expensive to sent up the same scene but with another person in it.. luckily the man only had a small part in the film).  Am wondering where it will all end.  And some lose their jobs and yet others are accepting apologies.

Which to me is kind of weird.. as some of the men have apologizes and with the sorry I was improper, or inappropriate.   Which that works fine for the verbal abuse…   but to me.. the physical abuse is a done deal.. the apologizing for inappropriate, doesn’t cover it.

Getting so it seem like the bible is being played.. and I am afraid to look anymore.. in fear of being turning to salt like Lot’s wife.   

Before the World was big

There is a song, that I came across yesterday.. called BEFORE THE WORLD WAS BIG.. by a group called Girlpool..

While the song itself is not my style.. the title rang true to me.

The song is about a girl who misses her old neighborhood and her girlfriend.. at least that is what I got out of it, as I listened.                                      

But for me.. the title..  BEFORE THE WORLD WAS BIG… while it doesn’t take me back to my neighborhood, it does take me back to my childhood and my children’s childhood.  Back when life was simpler.  Not only for all of us.. but for the whole world.. During those times there was tragedy in all forms.. especially when my kids were growing up.. as they were growing up in the Vietnam era.  I was born in the WWII area but grew up in the post war times.. until my teens.  Then there was the Korean policing, as they call it.  But that wasn’t in my immediate life.  My parents didn’t mention it.. hardly remember if my government class teacher talked about it.  From first grade to the beginning of high school, we didn’t hear or talk about WWII exept for history classes and it was brushed over just like the history of the Civil war and etc.

Life over all was good in the mid=1940’s and early 1950’s.

The world was not big to a child. The earth was.. but not the world.

When I was raising my children.. we were more into what was around us. Rarely watched the news .. so didn’t see the nightly new of Vietnam.  The mention of J.F.Kennedy in our lives.. we watched television for updates.. after all it was all that was on television for 24 hours a day.  As in those days.. at least for us.. there was only 3 channels…. ABC…CBS…and NBC.    My children were young when JFK was killed.. and we were outside during the days.. and bed at night… So while it entered the lives of adults, it didn’t in the children.

As the children grew.. there was the different broadcast of news of what ever was going on in the worlds.   But we got that news a day or more later than it happen..  The news did not dwell on it, it was a mention.. with updates.. But again.. we weren’t big news watchers, my husband and I. And the kids had chores, or they had homework.. or they were doing things out side. 

So the world was still small to us.. 

Not like today, where everyone knows what everyone else is doing. And any that  is on, every news which now adds up to 20 or more channels.. some of the broadcasting the world news 24 hours a day.. And if there is a tragic news.. of killing in churches, school, nightclubs, western music shows.. it is on the television for all to see for hours..  there is online.. thousands of stories of the latest and horrible…

I MISS LIFE… BEFORE LIFE WAS BIG….