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…. 

Throw back Thursday..the fire truck...

This is a picture of a fire truck… duh.  But it is a special truck.

See this is a fire truck that my son..  (the one I call an artist, as he takes something old and makes them like new and even better than they were when they were manufactured)… had stripped down to the bare frame and brought it back up to better than new.  

I think he is truly amazing.. but you will say that is a mother’s pride. But I am far from the only one who loves his work and just wonder at the beauty of them all. All his customers marve at how their vehicles came out.

But this is about the fire truck. As you can see from the article, the man trusted my son a great deal.. but before he left for his trip, his final words were… are you sure you can get this done in a few months so I can have it in the 4^th of July parade?  Which my son reassured him, that he could.. 

And he did.   As you can see.. the paper pictures don’t do it justice.

Some days are harder than others....

Life can be a trip up, so I try my best to find humor in it. And some days are harder than others to do that.

I have been cooking breads and cookies for Christmas baskets that I make each year, instead of store bought gifts.   And to keep me busy during these some times trying days..  Cooking keeps my mind busy so I don’t have time to think of other things in the world.

And in these days, it is harder.. more killing… involving children, which thankfully ….. this time…. Didn’t die.  It seems like the world is going crazy. 

Then you read how the different meds are working against us. That there is certain things in it, that they can make you sicker.. And that doesn’t even count the ones you see on television, with the disclaimer that is so fast, you can’t keep up, but what you do heard scares the bejeeves out of you..  and find youself saying. Oh, yea, I want to take that.. side effects of diarrhea, vomiting and death.. oh, sign me up… NOT..   But there are other ones.. they don’t tell you about.. that is starting to come out..   And then the pharmacy companies upping their prices for things like bee stings.. to the point a person can’t afford it. $300 while you can the same for $100 in Canada.    I remember a show called Hollywood Squares in the 60’s… or 70’s  there was a comedian that played Charlie Weaver for years.. he had a stroke and was able to recover but still wheel chair bound.. But his humor remain… and he said.. “good thing I am rich, or I would have been dead.” Getting that bad now.

So with all the bad news.. I need some joy in my life. I need music, and I guess I need to cook more.

Some days are harder than others……

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON????

What is going on with our Navy Captains and the with government and our troops? 

We have had in the news the past 6 months.. Naval ships hitting civilian ships?  Why… not sense or rhythm to it?  Never in my life time have I ever heard of this.. and this time it is 2 of them with in about 3 months of each other. 

Also, twice our troops have been left out to dry in the desert. The most recent one is the one Trump go into trouble with the widow, recently… but also there was another one a year or so ago..

60 minutes ran a story on the one a few years ago..  It is bad enough that the guys screwed up..  and the government is blaming the ground crew and very little on the jet crew… Which I found offensive, and so did the father of one of the guys..  but what I found to be the most offensive, is that the higher ups blame the ground crew, when it was clearly a higher up problem..

See the reason why our men were killed in friendly fire.. FRIENDLY FIRE.. what kind of phase is that?  When it means we killed our own guys?   Anyway.. the reason why our men were killed was because the jet could not see the IR … which is a blinking light on the helment of our guys.. smaller planes can see it..but they chose to send a bigger plane… the ground crew.. did not know the jet could NOT see the probes..  the Jet crew.. did not know that they could not see the probes…  WTH??? 

Don’t they test these things?  When they are running the jets thru procedures back home.. when they are equipping it with the latest equipment, isn’t that one of the things they should have known?

That it didn’t work?  When they flew over the base, didn’t they have men out there with those helmet on so to see if they can be send?    And then blame it on the troops out there on the field. I am sorry GENERAL.. your part dropped the ball. YOU ARE THE PROBLEM.. and you are killing our men.. and women..

THE SYSTEM FAILED....

Once again we have in the news more gun violence.. mass murders. Once again, the call to disarm…

While I am not big on guns, myself… I do understand that guns are a necessary evil.   Think about it.. you disarm all the law biding citizens… so who does that leave?  The criminals, of course. You surely don’t think that the criminals are going to turn in their guns, do you? 

So what is there to be done.. As we have seen thru the time.. that is the 6 million dollar question with no answer..  There are laws out there.. and if they were followed and if they were actually enforced, we surely could cut down some.  If we were to just follow the policies it would help.  

One of the biggest is the mental problem. That has to be brought back in and something done.

There are several where the rules were followed….but the person had mental problems that could have flagged it. The boy that killed his mother.. who stupidly gave her son the combo to her gun safe, even knowing he had problems.  And the teachers and pupils lost their lives in Sandy Hook…  There are others, where they followed the rules and got guns..  But again, family and friends knew there were problems..

But in Texas.. the system failed.. the government in the form of Air Force, had failed the gun dealer and the whole town.  There were so many flags .. flaming flags.. the man would never have be able to buy that gun in any gun store..  But you say.. but he could have found a gun some how.. maybe on line.. a friend of a friend.. and etc.  But the thing is… when he went in to buy that gun.. and the gun shop owner saw his name on the DO NOT SELL TO LIST.. or what ever they call it..  He could see that there was the flaming flags and called the police and told them.. that the man was there to buy a gun.. The police could have put him on a watch list.  Besides this man never should have been loose anyway.. the beating of a child.. escape from a mental unit?  Wouldn’t these been enough to have him held?  But at the very least, in this day and age, he surely should have been on the police to watch list.. especially when he just was trying to buy a gun.

The system fail.. and these people had to pay their price. 

Throwback Thursday/ It is the Veteran

Throw back Thursday..

This time to 2007

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2007

It is the Veteran

This is an email, I got just in time for Veteran day...
says it very well

It is the VETERAN , not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN , not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press

It is the VETERAN , not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN , not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN , not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN , not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN ,who salutes the Flag,

God Bless all the Veterans from all wars.

Vote... it does you good..

Yesterday was another voting day.. althought most forgot.

It is a double off year.  Not the every 2 years where you vote for some state congress person and etc…

Most of it is local. A few councilmen and women. Commissioners of fire departments, and such.

Our town is a small town.. roughly about 600 people here, and of course not all of them vote, as there are a good share of them are under 18.  And we do have a council and a mayor.  Even hired are city planners and engineers and lawyers to keep things straight for the town.

This year there would have been two of our council person up for election.. but one of which has decided to call it a day and not run again.. After all she has done about 10 years. So we have one long time council man and a newbie, who no one even knows.. But she will win and so will the long time one. He has about 20+.   I voted for him .. didn’t the girl because didn’t have a clue who she was.. but she will win.

How do I know.. because no one ran against either one of them.  So it is a matter of how many votes they got. Average is 30.  She will have a few less … because no one knows her but her friends.  See in our little town, we almost have to beg people to run and they will be there as long as they want to run.  No one wants the job.  And actually it is a pretty laid back town. So not much to really decide on.  Mostly of it is making sure you have the state regulations in effect. And maybe put in a grant or two to help keep things in the town.

We do have a lot of growth .. houses are being built yearly.

So our count could get to be a 1000 in a year or two.

But even with this time of elections.. I still like to go vote. Even with only one, I could have skipped, but it is a privilege to vote and I take it very seriously.  Oh, yea, there was four people running for two spots on the district fire department and I voted for two of those..

Like I said.. Voting is a privilege  don’t ever let someone take that away from you. and never take it for granted.

Another day, another .....dollar!

Wonderful sunshine today.. how I live for sunshine.

No new snow … so the King pushed back what we have to make room for the next storm… but now they are talking rain.  Well, that ought to be a heck of a mess   And hard driving with slush that tries to pull you into the ditches.

I cut my driving down in half during the winter. I just don’t like to drive on ice.. not so much with the snow.. as you drive slowly and carefully…  But ice is a tough master.

Takes you where it may, and you have little recourse.

Luckily being retired is great..  You can drive during the middle of the day when they have it mostly cleared.. and if not, then stay home.

The nice thing about snow is… it covers everything up and it looks so clean in its white coat..  that is until we get mud and etc throw in it.. 

But snowmen, angels and etc. are the fun stuff. Well, I have myself almost convinced. Lol

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?

I REPEAT… WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?

Is there a game called let’s see who can kill the most people?

And where do we start to fix this?

NRA…surely, surely you can’t be please with the way people are using guns. Surely if you don’t want your guns taken away, you can work with Congress to come up with a bill.  A strong bill of who can buy a gun or not… To enforce the laws we have now?  Surely there is something better than this. 

I know several of the people have bought the guns legally, but there has to be something to flag the problem.. some where..  some how..  Because removing ALL guns is NOT going to stop this..  Because then only ones with guns will be the criminals as they seem to find it easy to acquire guns..

THERE HAS TO BE A WAY.. THERE HAS TO BE AN ANSWER..

And if I hear one more time.. about the shooter.. neighbors or etc.. say “well, he was strange and angry” I thought he might do this.  I think I will puke.

As Fall... falls

The leaves have fallen.. World Series is  over..

Word of snow to come soon.. maybe tomorrow…

And we are running out of year.. yep, we are getting

Ready to say good bye to 2017.

Halloween is over.. and even though Thanksgiving is weeks

away, the stores and people are already talking Christmas.

Heck they had Christmas stuff in the stores weeks ago..

Stores trying to tell the customer.. get your wallet out.. it

is that time of the year again..  SPEND SPEND SPEND…

I called a halt to Christmas presents years ago.. some paid attention, others still bring something..  I wanted those with children to spend it on the children..   after all the commercial part of Christmas is about gifts.. and that to me is about children.. who have great expectations.  Just get me a nice or a funny Christmas card and I am good.

To me, Christmas season means be kind to mankind which should be year around.. Patience, smiles, wishing each other well… should be good enough for the adults..  Instead of the race of who can spend the most on the others.

So for now.. I am going to keep my thoughts  on Thanksgiving..  One of my favorite times of the year.. that and 4^th of July.   Two of the non-present holidays…  But Thanksgiving is cold, and some times snow.. and there is good food, and usually good company. Warmth of the heart.. and that is what I look forward to at this time of the year.  

NOVEMBER....

November,  November, please be good to me..

November, November … what to do you have ready for me?

November, November, I never can trust you.. fall leaves,

Sunshine.. and then with a quick change of heart, you cover my

World with snow…

November, November, I love to see you come.. with your fall

colors and Thanksgiving on the horizon …showing us to be

Thankful for all that we have been blessed with..  But even more,

I am glad to see you move on.. as then I know I am getting closer

to my Spring..

November, November, please don’t disappoint me, with the harshness of the cold and feet of snow… just give us a tease of snow, and just the cool of the nights, with frost on the grass in the morning…